Thanks to the work of our state legislators, residents have an opportunity to receive $18 million in state funding to help build a new Toledo High School by approving a $7 million bond on the Nov. 6 ballot.
Yes, I realize the $18 million is taxpayer money as well, but why shouldn’t a community in Lewis County benefit from the largesse rather than somewhere else in Washington State? Legislators in our 20th District lobbied for $10 million in the capital budget for distressed schools and $8 million from the state School Construction Assistance Program to help Toledo replace the dilapidated high school erected in 1974.
That means we’ll be paying less than a third of the cost for building a new $25 million high school. This is a great deal; we’d be nuts not to give it the required 60 percent approval.
The cost of the bond to Toledo property owners is about 99 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value. Owners of a $200,000 home would pay a tad under $200 a year for 21 years, much less than with the first proposal of $23.5 million in 2014.
I’m voting yes, even though both of my children will have graduated before construction even begins. But a community with lousy schools is one where nobody wants to live, which can mean trouble for property owners who someday hope to sell their homes.
Investing in the schools is investing in the future.
Timberland Library
I read with relief that the three-member Timberland Regional Library Board’s Facilities Committee unanimously rejected a staff-drafted plan that called for closing about a third of the five-county library district’s 27 libraries.
As I perused the 98-page proposed Capital Facilities Plan, I shook my head. What are they thinking? Consolidate the Salkum, Randle and Packwood libraries? Remove the kiosk from the volunteer-run Toledo Community Library and stick it out by I-5 with outdoor seating? Who comes up with these ideas?
Saving money is important, but it’s crucial to keep in mind why the district was created — to serve the people in outlying areas who didn’t have access to libraries.
I appreciate library board representatives who advocated on behalf of those people in rural areas who need access to libraries.
“Closing any branches must only be considered as a last possible action,” said board member Corby Varness, who represents Grays Harbor County.
Lewis County representative Brian Zylstra of Chehalis also objected to the plan, which would close quite a few rural libraries while erecting new buildings in Lacey and Olympia.
“I just can’t accept closing those libraries,” Zylstra said. “To them, they’re community centers; they’re senior centers; they’re youth centers.”
I only hope the full seven-member board also rejects the proposed Capital Facilities Plan.
Board members can work directly with the staff to find places to cut costs as a $700,000 deficit looms. Most of the $22 million budget comes from property taxes and goes to cover the cost of staffing.
“The projected shortfall is less than 3 percent of our total budget,” Varness said. “I believe we can find 3 percent of our total budget in ways that don’t involve closing branches.”
The Facilities Committee has already decided to meet more frequently to review proposals for saving money. That’s a good step in the right direction.
Margaret Shields
Remembrance Day
Friday is Margaret (Shaver) Shields Remembrance Day, a time to recognize the contributions of a wonderful woman who dedicated four decades as a volunteer preserving Lewis County’s rich history. Shields, a Lewis County native who died July 22 at 96, was a treasure. She worked as a mechanic at Boeing Co. in Seattle in 1943 and later at the Chehalis branch plant. She married Harry Shields in 1947 and they had two daughters, Cynthia, who died young, and Sue Whorton. She started volunteering at the Lewis County Historical Museum 38 years ago and knew where everything could be found. The research room has been named in her honor.
The celebration of Margaret’s life and volunteerism begins at 6 p.m. at the Lewis County Historical Museum, where dessert and coffee will be available. The event is free.
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Julie McDonald, a personal historian from Toledo, may be reached at memoirs@chaptersoflife.com.
