Museums are reopening — what about libraries?

The fallout from the pandemic has not spared them. Hard and fast rules and regulations designed to limit the spread of the virus have played hob with these halls of historical information, invaluable research and perspective.

They have endured serious budget problems, employee layoffs and, of course, a lack of personal interaction with the public. It’s been a rough ride for sure.

But they are starting to reopen, albeit in somewhat limited fashion and with a careful eye on health and safety protocol.

Four of the more popular local museums are back up and running on adjusted schedules. You can call them for particulars, such as hours of operation, entry fee (if any), parking, access, etc., at the following numbers:

• CuriOdyssey, 1651 Coyote Point Drive, San Mateo, (650) 342-7755.

• Hiller Aviation Museum, 601 Skyway Road, San Carlos, (650) 654-0200.

• San Mateo County History Museum, 2200 Broadway, Redwood City, (650) 299-0104.

• SFO Aviation Museum at San Francisco International Airport (International Terminal), (650) 821-9900.

Since museums are now taking strong steps toward getting back in business, it begs the obvious questions about public libraries: When will those community assets be given the green light to make an in-person comeback? And what is the pressing difference between a museum and a library anyway?

McMANUS IS RETIRING: Elizabeth McManus is hanging up her computerized spreadsheets. Her name may not be familiar to you.

She’s the deputy superintendent for business services in the San Mateo Union High School District; she has tried to remain out of the spotlight for much of her 14-year tenure in that position.

She has announced her retirement as of the last day of 2020. Her financial acumen is widely credited with bringing the district back from the brink of a fiscal nightmare in the middle of the previous decade.

When she was brought in to resuscitate the district’s accounting system, expenses were exceeding revenue, reserves were becoming perilously thin, construction costs were soaring and there were some credibility problems with the district’s books.

The district was in a downward spiral. She is a prime reason that worrisome trajectory was halted and, finally, reversed. Four different superintendents have relied on her professional approach and methods.

She said last week that she is leaving oversight of the district’s 2020-21 $181 million budget (with an estimated $17.9 million reserve) for a variety of reasons, among them personal health concerns, a desire to try fresh pursuits outside the confines of an office environment and a need to spend more time with her family as the pandemic and its negative effects persist.

(Full disclosure: Your correspondent has done some freelance communication work for her and the district in the past.) 

SOME PANDEMIC CONTEXT: Death is never a pleasant subject for discussion. But the pandemic, along with the nonstop media coverage of the persistent virus, has forced the issue upon us all. 

No matter how hard we may try, we cannot escape the daily (hourly) deluge of pandemic coverage — and that means a focus on raw statistics, especially fatalities caused by the illness.

So, for some context, let’s examine California’s pandemic, vis a vis some of its prominent peers.

A quick comparison of the Golden State (well, maybe it’s more like tarnished brass at this point) with New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania is instructive. The combined populations of those three states equal California’s.

As of Monday, our state had recorded 16,943 virus-induced deaths; the three eastern entities had a total of 57,784.

No one is happy about any of this, of course. But the numbers don’t lie. 

A STEALTH ESTATE TAX: It pays to examine California’s long list of propositions on the Nov. 3 ballot. One in particular stands out: Proposition 19.

This seemingly benign measure is really two proposals in one. It’s the second half that cries out for more complete vetting.

If approved, Prop. 19, among others things, would mandate what amounts to a stealth California estate tax for many families who want to transfer property to their heirs, especially at the time of death. There is already a federal estate tax.

The advice in this corner: Study the full text of Prop. 19 carefully before you vote. 

Contact John Horgan by email at johnhorganmedia@gmail.com.