Porter Memorial Public Library
By Joyce Oroz, Aromas
I recently visited the Porter Memorial Public Library. The building is beautifully retro, small in structure and large in stature, with original architectural features intact. Located at 3050 Porter Street in the heart of Soquel, this charming library is open to the public weekdays from noon to four pm and Saturdays from ten to two pm. It is a stand-alone library run by local volunteers since 1978 when Proposition 13 passed and the County decided it couldn’t afford to provide library services to Soquel.
The Porter Memorial Library has a great selection of books, comfortable reading areas and houses displays and collections of local photographs and artifacts, even a book put together by The Soquel Pioneer and Historical Association committee. They worked four years to create a history of Soquel. Copies of the long-awaited book are available to be perused in the library.
Porter Memorial Library is known for its very successful Meet the Author Series officiated by volunteer, Beth Svee. Mr. Griggs, well-known professor in Santa Cruz County, gave a very interesting geology presentation on January 13. Seventy-five people, including a van full of ladies from Scotts Valley, were glued to his every word. I think it’s wonderful when a beautiful treasure like the Porter Library is fully used to benefit the community.
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Spring schedule for 2016, 10:30 AM to 11:30
January 13: Our series begins with Gary Griggs author of Our Ocean Backyard: Collected Essays and the Director, Institute of Marine Sciences, and Distinguished Professor of Earth Sciences at UC Santa Cruz as well as a reporter for the Santa Cruz Sentinel. Gary will discuss topics that are of interest to all of us who choose to live so close to the California coast.
February 10: Joyce Oroz author of seven mysteries, also painted the cover pictures for four of the books published by Cozy Cat Press. Her popular Josephine Stuart Mystery Series explores the county from Boulder Creek to Aromas and most parts in between. Oroz lived in Soquel 22 years, raised her children there and painted murals all over California.
March 9: Frank Perry has a degree in earth sciences from UCSC and is the author of several books on the natural sciences and cultural history of the Santa Cruz region, including Lighthouse Point: Illuminating Santa Cruz. He is a Research Associate at the Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History and was project coordinator for Lime Kiln Legacies which will be the topic of his talk at the library where, many years ago, he organized the historic photos on display.
April 13: Wallace Baine is the author of Rhymes With Vain: Belabored Humor And Attempted Profundity and has been an arts writer, film critic, columnist and editor for the Santa Cruz Sentinel since 1991. His work has been syndicated in newspapers nationwide.