Library designers deserve praise

The Aug. 31 edition of the Juneau Empire reported the Mendenhall Valley Public Library had received an award for leadership in energy and environmental design from the United States Green Building Council. This was the first such award for the City and Borough of Juneau.

The people of Juneau should be congratulated for approving the construction of this excellent public asset. CBJ officials and the architects should be given high praise for the design specifications used for the project.

PHOTOS: A look inside the new Mendenhall Valley Public Library

This is but one of the many visionary planning and design efforts resulting in the creation of the Dimond Park Community Center. Before the library, there was the very well-planned energy efficient Dimond Park Aquatic Center with great features, and the Thunder Mountain High School.

We also note the Dimond Park Community Center also includes the Riverbend Elementary School, four ball fields, the Dimond Park Field House indoor soccer facility, adjacent Mendenhall River, trails and the great CBJ nursery operation.

The entire Dimond Park Community Center is founded on the concept of “Exercise Your Body, Exercise Your Mind” developed originally in 1988 and fully described in the document “Statement of Program Progress for Dimond Park Community Center” published in December 2004.

The people of Juneau are the benefactors of an innovative vision for their community. The Dimond Park Community Center is an integrated development that could not have been realized without the vision, hard work and support of the people and City officials. It is a tribute to teamwork and a great community. We should all be very proud of the extraordinary asset that we can enjoy in so many ways each day!

Reed Reynolds and Judy Hoover,

Juneau