Yes there is a Terman Community Center. It is not the JCC, although both are at the former Terman Middle School site. You don't have to be a member or pay dues to use it, although there are charges for classes and courses. But, if we don't use it we may lose it!!
Fifteen years ago the Terman Middle School closed and was declared surplus. Initial plans were to sell the buildings and part of the 21+ acre site to the Jewish Community Center (JCC) and give the rest to the Palo Alto Housing Corp. for subsidized housing. There was no provision for public facilities or community use of the site. Residents in Barron Park, Greenacres I and II, and Foothill Green wanted to keep Terman for neighborhood use. The result was a grassroots movement which convinced the City Council to establish a Terman Working Group charged with creating a plan for multiple uses of the site. TWG included representatives of the JCC, Housing Corporation, City staff, and 5 community members elected from the neighborhoods.
TWG met weekly for more than a year. The final result was an agreement to divide the site into 3 segments - up to 96 units of housing; the playing fields and 2 school wings to be operated by the City as recreational facilities, a branch library and a community center; the other school buildings plus some land to be leased to the JCC. The City would buy the entire site, sublease part to the JCC and provide land for the Housing Corporation. This agreement became the Terman Specific Plan which includes detailed descriptions of what can and cannot be developed on the site, regulations on operations of the JCC so that it will be more compatible with the neighbors, and a City committment for a branch library and a community center. The TWG process and the Specific Plan are unique and were firsts for Palo Alto. They won several national honors for community co-operation and creativeness in planning.
Unfortunately the Terman Specific Plan was approved in 1982, when tax revenues were dropping and competition for funding was severe. As a result the library is a limited facility emphasizing cheaper paperbacks rather than the reference collection and hard cover books found in other branches. The community center languished and little effort was made to develop classes and programs. The JCC worked to add and expand programs, classes, and activities. Most people forgot that there was a City-operated community center at Terman, and thought of it as almost entirely a JCC operation. It is not.
In July 1994 the City Council approved an expanded effort to develop and support the Terman Community Center. They also approved a Terman Advisory Committee with 7 (later 8) members appointed by Mayor Kniss. The Advisory Committee met from September 1994 to April 1995, when it adopted recommendations for enhancing and improving both Terman Library and Community Center. The Council approved the recommen-dations. Staff has been implementing them for the past 7 months. Additional actions including improved signs and attempts to increase enrollment in programs and activities at Terman are underway.
In January a report on status of Terman Community Center will be sent to the Council. In the Spring the Council will re-evaluate the use of the Terman Community Center and decide whether to continue to fund it, to increase funding and improvements such as upgrading wing 30 and expanding the library, or possibly to abandon the Community Center.
Our part of Palo Alto lacks many services found in other areas. All of us benefit from having a successful city-owned and city-operated community center and library in our area. They provide needed services and increase property values. Many of our neighbors gave hundreds of hours of effort to obtain the library and Community Center. If we don't support it, we may lose it. Please use the facilities, take some of the classes and courses that are offered at Terman, and use the library!
Classes at Terman: (Register for these classes by mail or walk-in at Lucie Stern Community Center)
Very Young Children:
Kindermusik Beginnings:
"Music and My Animal Friends" for very young children and their parents. Learn to support and encourage your young child's musical instincts and skills. Parent orientation date will be announced at first class. Materials fee of $27 is due to the instructor of the first day of class. Materials consist of a cassette tape, a companion song book, and a beautiful watercolor picture book. Instructor: Roberta Uebbing.
Session I: 10 classes, 1/3 to 3/6, $96, 12 maximum, CSP-45-1W, Wed., 9:30-10:15 a.m., 18 mos. to 3 yrs., Stern.
Session II: 9 classes, 1/6 to 3/2, $78, 12 maximum, CSP-45-1W, Sat., 10-10:45 a.m. 18 mos. to 3 yrs. Terman Rm. 33.
Preschoolers:
A Celebration of Seasons: Winter
Nature provides the central theme for music, singing dancing, chanting, playing simple percussion instruments, story dramatization, and focused listening. Children will develop singing voices, musical thinking ability and imagination, plus body awareness, coordination, and spatial relationships. Instructor: Roberta Uebbing.
Session I: 10 classes, 1/3 to 3/6, $96, 12 maximum, CPS-40-1W, Wed., 10:30-11:15 a.m., 3 1/2 to 5 yrs. Stern.
Session II: 9 classes, 1/6 to 3/1, $78, 12 maximum, CSP-41-1W, Sat., 11-11:45 a.m., 3 1/2 to 5 yrs., Terman Room 33.
Adults:
Moving For Well-Being
No jumps or lengthy movement sequences! Lots of strengthening exercises in a comfortably paced work-out with inspiring music from arund the world. Bring a mat and hand weights. Instructor: Alicia Jumar Loffler.
Session I: 8 classes, 1/16 to 2/8, $62, 15 maximum, AHC-15-1W, Tue. Thu., 10:30-11:30 a.m., Terman Library Conference Room.
Session II: 8 classes, 2/13 to 3/7, $62, 15 maximum, AHC-15-2W, Tue. Thu., 10:30-11:30 a.m. Terman Library Conference Room.
Winter Soccer Camp
Great for all levels! Beginners will learn fundamentals (ball control, dribbling, passing, trapping, and heading the ball) while experienced players improve skills, and learn team-playing strategies for defensive and offensive playing. Instructor: Felix Reyderman.
Session: 1 week, Mon. to Fri., 12/18 to 12/22, $55, 20 maximum, CSP-30-1W, 9 to 10 a.m., 5 to 6 yrs. CSP-30-2W, 10:05 to 11:20 a.m., 7 to 9 years. CSP-30-3W, 11:25 to 12:40 p.m., 10 to 14 yrs., all at Terman Park.