A Note from the Editor

“El Dia del Mercado” mural by Alfredo Ramos Martinez at the Coronado Public Library.

Cultural Cornucopia

According to a recent Gallup Poll, more people went to a library this past year than to a movie theater. With the average adult making 10.5 trips to the library annually, those visits surpassed yearly trips to sporting events, live music, theater, historic parks, museums, casinos, theme parks and zoos.

Coronado Public Library is one of our town’s most valuable assets and a place of endless possibilities for all ages. The library has always been a priority for Coronado residents, from the visionaries to the supporters, with great leadership through the years. Set in the center of town, in the middle of a park, with a history as old as Coronado’s beginning, our library is a comfortable, beautiful setting with the best of resources. I would venture to say that Coronado Public Library is one of the best in the state and even the country. Friends of the Coronado Library, a key part of support for the library, is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. Stop by their shop, Second Hand Prose, behind the library on D Avenue to find a great variety of book bargains donated to the Friends.

In this month’s issue, we focus on cultural arts. We have a Q&A with Shaun Briley, Coronado Public Library’s newest director who shares his vision and plans for the institution. Marisa Reichardt is an author of young adult books who grew up in Coronado and still has ties here. She released her first book in 2016 with another due out this fall and a third in 2021. Jumping to music, we have a feature about Coronado’s own community band, making great music since 1997. Hotel del Coronado gives us the history and overview of the renovation master plan; Island Girl visits independent bookstores; Chef Clyde cooks for St. Paddy’s Day; and the folks at Bungalow 56 get us motivated for spring cleaning. Coronado history and springtime garden tips round out the issue.

Cultural arts are alive and well in Coronado, available to all of us for our entertainment, learning and inspiration. We are all the better for it.