6 JUN 07: GROUND TO A HALT

So which big event do you think will happen first? A U.S. Senate vote on immigration reform? A Columbus Council vote to settle the library land dispute? Or will Paris Hilton beat them both, and get out of jail first?

Columbus Council again delayed a vote on the Library Board budget Tuesday night, until at least 19 June. This time Red McDaniel showed up, but the red faces of frustration in the audience refused to go away.

Red McDaniel displayed several documents he's received in the mail in the last week, about the library land debate. I received something along those lines Tuesday as well - only the American Town Marketing coupons are a lot more fun to review.

Columbus Council asked the Muscogee County Library Board to review its list of sales tax-funded projects before 19 June. Trouble is, the board isn't scheduled to meet again until 28 June. If you didn't know better, you might think the Chamber of Commerce arranged this -- to keep board members in town during their vacation time.

Library Board Chair Bobsie Swift said a list of sales tax projects including greenspace has been approved twice before. She doubted a third vote would change anything. But then again, critics might call such a comment "Swift spinning."

But some Columbus Council members want a compromise to be reached in the "greenspace versus park" debate. I'm starting to think there's only one way to accomplish that. Borrow from the Bible's King Solomon, get that new high-powered saw from the fire department, and cut the 23 disputed acres in half.

The lack of a final decision on the library land is a temporary victory for supporters of a park on the property. Josh McKoon of the Education Park Coalition kept score, and declared a majority of Columbus Councilors would vote down the Library Board's list of projects. So why didn't the council simply do that? Did members decide the Library Board still hasn't recovered from the sculpture embarrassment?

Before Tuesday night's meeting, Teresa Tomlinson of Midtown Inc. told the evening news she has NOT heard anyone oppose using the land around the central library as a park. Yet last summer, she told the Muscogee County School Board the park proposal had the "most negative comments" in community forums [25 Jul 06]. Maybe people liked the park idea, but thought it would be the wrong color.

Library Director Claudya Muller talked with WRBL before the council meeting as well. She explained the idea of a park around the central library was a "concept" during the sales tax campaign several years ago, but NOT a "promise." Are all the 2008 political campaigns taking notes on that one?

Claudya Muller added the proposed Library Board budget provides plenty of additional money for books. She said right now, the Chattahoochee Valley System has only 1.68 books per patron. That number could be much higher right now -- but dozens of reference books somehow evaporated in the last years of the old Bradley Library.

Yes, they "evaporated" - and I may have mentioned this before, but I was at the old Bradley Library enough to confirm it. Plenty of older reference books disappeared, at least in the 200's of "religion." They could have been put into general circulation. Instead, they're gone to -- well, I haven't checked for them yet at the used book stores downtown....

Perhaps over the next weeks, all this will be resolved. Perhaps the Library Board will change its mind about "greenspace." Perhaps it will put a greenspace guarantee in writing, as the pro-park people desire. Or perhaps both sides in this debate will pitch "tent cities" of protest on the asphalt.

Speaking of books: Tuesday's Albany Herald reported Waldenbooks will close its store at the Albany Mall. As far as I know, the store at Peachtree Mall is safe for now. But how can it possibly keep going, without a fancy coffee bar in the back?

Now let's borrow from the sports cliche pile, and close the books on a scarcity of other Tuesday news....

+ Columbus Technical College had its biggest graduation ceremony ever, with 1,500 people receiving diplomas. But President Bob Jones admitted to WXTX "News at Ten" only about 300 graduates showed up at the Civic Center for the ceremony. The rest must have been working make-up evening jobs at local restaurants and department stores.

+ Voters in Alabama approved two constitutional amendments, relating to a new steel plant and public employee health money. But if you could fit all those voters inside the Auburn football stadium, should it really count?

+ Reports from New England indicated a balloon released at the Fort Gaines Nursing Home last Friday floated all the way to Augusta, Maine by Saturday night. Let's see one of those new American Airlines jets at the Columbus Airport make that trip any faster....

+ Columbus clipped Rome 1-0, in an 11:00 a.m. baseball game at Golden Park. The matinee was dubbed "Camp Catfish," and was aimed toward children. There's a reason why these games aren't played on "Thirsty Thursdays."

+ Instant Message to the Georgia Lottery: Your "Mega Millions" billboard next to Golden Park needs fixing. Unless, of course, that lottery ball is cracked open at the top because a "monster game" is going to climb out of it.

COMING THIS WEEK: You know gas prices are too high when....

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