Community owes Creans thanks, again, for library

Over the years, Newport Beach’s John and Donna Crean have given generously to plenty of causes. It is hard to think of a group that has not been able to take advantage of the Crean home, the Village Crean above the Back Bay, for a fundraising effort. As a result, the Creans’ names have been applauded countless times and are engraved on many plaques in honor of their philanthropy.

Of all the couple has done, nothing may be a more lasting and more fitting tribute than the Donna and John Crean Mariners Branch Library, which opened Thursday at Mariners Park after five years of planning, construction and, yes, about $500,000 from the Creans.

The library is state-of-the-art, as one built in 2006 would have to be. Inside the 15,000-square-foot library are computers for adults, teens and children; a new community room; safeguards for the schoolchildren from neighboring Mariners Elementary School; and, of course, there are 50,000 books, periodicals and other library materials. Outside the library, which is about twice the size of the one it replaced, will be a new ball field, and the popular handball courts are still there.

“Libraries are so much more than books in this day and age,” said David Brooks, Newport-Mesa Unified School District board of trustees president, during the library’s dedication and opening. “The resources in this library are the result of everyone who’s here right now working together.”

Brooks is certainly right, but with the Creans unable to attend the opening ceremonies, there was definitely a missing piece to the celebration. Without their donation, the grant money needed to pay for the nearly $6 million in work might never have come to Newport Beach.

So, once again, this community owes a big thank you to the Creans.