Editor:
The Sweet Home library and police levy renewals are on this November’s ballot, and I’ll be voting to renew both.
Our strength in Sweet Home is that we work together to make our town a good place for families, kids, adults, and retirees. Businesses sponsor sports teams, give to athletics and schools, and fund academic awards and scholarships.
Community groups and churches volunteer to mentor youth, clean parks, and paint playgrounds. From organizations like the Elks Lodge to the Sweet Home Economic Development Group to Harvest Christian Center, thousands of people are working together to make Sweet Home a safe and livable community.
Our city has a special ability to put relationships first and to work together to be proactive. We love to solve problems, and we are good at it.
Our public librarians know the diverse needs their patrons, so they provide everything from wireless to weekly reading programs. The police see that our youth need help staying in school, so they assign a school resource officer to be on campuses to build relationships with and encourage kids.
Neighbors are tired of drug dealers, so they work with the police and the bad guys go to jail. Sankey Park needs to become a family park again, so the parks department and police start cleaning it up.
Who pays for all of this? We do, with our time, energy, donations, local shopping habits, and property taxes. As a fellow citizen of Sweet Home and a local educator, let me say thank you. You are truly making a difference. Please join me in voting yes for the library and police levy renewals in the upcoming election.
Sincerely,
Tim Swanson
Sweet Home