February 11, 2005

FEL leadership group earns 2005 San Jose Good Neighbor Award

Every year each council member chooses an outstanding group or individual to recognize as a good neighbor at the annual State of the City Address. Mayor Ron Gonzales, together with District 8 Councilmember Dave Cortese, presented the leadership group of the Friends of Evergreen Library (FEL) with this honor on Feb. 9.

Friends of Evergreen Library Leadership Group. Pictured from left are winners of this year’s San Jose Good Neighbor Award, Member at large Stephanie Lane, Treasurer Diana Poteete, Emeritas Dorothy Cisek, President Rodger Cryer; Lobby Sales Volunteer Sherry Rediger, Volunteer Coordinator Joyce Bundesen, Secretary Elizabeth Gill and Lobby Sales Volunteer Irene Moreno.

The award recognized the FEL leadership group “for their commitment to promoting the value, assets and amenities of the Evergreen Library to Council District 8 by actively engaging in a spectrum of community services to connect Evergreen residents with library services.”

Specifically, the FEL leadership group devoted considerable time toward improving family literacy through funding and volunteer assistance to the San Jose Library Department to enroll families in the “Family Reading Program,” leading to the enrollment of more than 3,000 youth this past year.

The Leadership Group of the Friends of Evergreen Library also strived to keep District 8 residents informed of library services and happenings by producing a free monthly newsletter, The Leaflet, which has a circulation of over 400 recipients. To further support the needs of the Evergreen Branch Library, the Friends operated several successful book sales through the year.

Finally, the FEL Leadership Group has been invaluable in assisting the Evergreen Branch Library’s temporary closure by making frequent visits and presentations to community groups and neighborhood associations throughout Evergreen and informing residents of the details of the closure and where they could go to continue to receive library services.
Based on this exemplary dedication and commitment to the promotion of library services in Evergreen, the leadership group of the Friends of Evergreen Library received the annual San Jose Good Neighbor Award for 2005.

Editor’s Note: Evergreen resident Cecil Lawson received the Pride of San Jose Award for his role in the development and deployment of the San Jose Police Department Web site. Read the full story in the next issue of the Times.