An article in the Ripon Record sparked the controversy that led to the program’s cancellation when it announced Slage’s program and headlined it, “Talk to the dead during library program on Sept. 17.” Several people reacted by writing letters to the editor and contacted city hall objecting to the program, according to the September 24 Modesto Bee.
Brigitte Long, president of the library’s Friends group that was sponsoring the event, said Mayor Chuck Winn called to tell her the city council would consider stopping funds to the library unless the program was cancelled, and the Bee reported that SSJCPL Director Natalie Rencher called off the program after also hearing from Winn.
However, Winn told the Bee that the feedback he got from residents made him worry that donations for a planned new library could drop if the psychic was allowed to speak. “I absolutely don’t think it’s a matter of censorship,” he said. “The head librarian had every authority in the world to continue the program.”
The newspaper noted that Slage had drawn about 30 people to the Tracy branch and 130 to the Escalon branch in programs the previous spring.
Slage said that she had not planned to try to contact the dead during the program as she usually does because staff had asked her not to, and that she would have just spoken about her life as a psychic. She also said it was the first time in 20 years that her program had been cancelled. “We live in America. We live in the year 2005. This should not take place,” she said.
Posted September 30, 2005.