I wish you could have been there! It was great! A meeting open to the public welcoming anyone's opinion, looking for community ideas and input. Democracy in action! yes, I attended the meeting held Monday night, Sept. 14, at Bueker Middle School ion the upcoming school bond proposal. I heard people voicing their opinions, pros and cons, I heard people speaking out and questioning. I saw a Marshall school board and administration paying close attention to what people were saying! Yes, Marshall, our school leaders are there to listen and work hard to do what's best for our community and kids!

I just hope each of you is willing to work that hard towards a common goal. Plain and simple, our schools are outdated and falling apart. Do we allow our own homes to get this way? Do we trade in our vehicles when they have high mileage because we're afraid of the upkeep?

There are so many things in Marshall to be proud of: a state-of-the-art YMCA, an incredible city park and new aquatic center, the Nicholas-Beazley museum/community center, a new 911 facility, a new ambulance building, a new cancer center, a new Saline County Justice Facility, a new addition to our Saline County Fairgrounds, a new Walmart Supercenter. You may or may not have agreed with all of these decisions or where they were built or how much they cost. However, I'm sure there's a bit of pride in all of us when we share with friends and family outside the area what our little city has to offer.

We're never going to all agree on everything. One thing we do need to agree on, however, is that without good schools and a quality education for our kids, we don't have a community worth talking about. Great schools attract great families who may be interested in living in our town. It's time to put some trust in our current school board and administration. It's time to dig deep in our pockets and find that "extra" that we'll pay in taxes. How many of us could do without some things we don't need and sacrifice a little to be able to come up with the money?

where are our priorities? One thing we cannot do without are schools to educate our upcoming generations. If our ancestors wouldn't have taken posterity into consideration, where would we be today? What does it say for us and our generations? I ask that you please pay attention to what our school leaders are proposing, ask questions, give suggestions, get involved. If you don't stay educated on the issue, then you really should not voice an opinion. It is everyone's civic responsibility to get involved and make educated and responsible decisions. Let's instill a sense of community pride and put our priorities in the right place!

Editor's note: This letter was published in The Marshall Democrat-News Monday, Sept. 21, 2009.