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Lots of school work needs to be done

Jim Porter

Knowledge is the pass-key to the future. John F. KennedyWhen I was in high school, I had an opportunity to listen to President Kennedy give a speech on education at Cal Berkeley. My grandfather, who was a newspaper editor, wrote the story for several Northern California newspapers, using the pass-key quote as the lead.I am still not sure what pass-key means exactly, but I get the drift. In Measure L we have an opportunity to unlock education doors and improve Truckee schools. (Note the clever connector of pass-key to opening doors. A product of my education).

You remember President Harry Truman the buck stops here guy. It was during his term in 1950 that Truckee High School was built. Right after I was born. Thats a long time ago. Remember when the Hula-Hoop came out? (I could keep five up). That is when Truckee Elementary was built. A long time ago.Both of those schools have been partially upgraded with funds from Measure C passed in 1999, but lots of work still needs to be done. For example, replace many single-pane exterior windows with dual panes (how basic is that?).And that is where Measure L comes into play. Measure L is a continuation of Measure C, so one could argue it is not entirely new. Measure L extends Measure C beyond 2025 when it would otherwise terminate. But we get the money now. Clever.

If youve been to Truckee Elementary or Truckee High you know why we need Measure L. Not only do the two schools need to be rehabbed, but according to a recent Town of Truckee-commissioned study, we are looking ahead to a 40 percent growth in student population in the Truckee area by the year 2025. Measure L will help prevent overcrowding. Some of the Measure L projects include: Reinforce buildings that have lower snow load capacity at Truckee Elementary and Truckee High. Replace portable classrooms with permanent rooms at Truckee High. Build new grandstands, scorers booth, concession stands and restrooms at the high school stadium. If youve been there, you know. New vocational classrooms, full-scale rewiring for state-of-the-art-technology and an energy-efficient classroom wing at Truckee HighThe list of projects that will be accomplished by Measure L goes on. There is a lot of information about Measure L. News articles are appearing in the Sierra Sun almost daily. The volunteer campaign committee has brochures and flyers and is eager to inform voters. To learn more go to http://www.VoteForL.org



Consider these famous quotes: A community is only as good as its youth.Education IS the future.A smart society is wise.Build minds with books.Investing in education beats the stock market.I just made those up, of course, but be sure to vote on June 3. Vote Yes on Measure L. Jim Porter is an attorney with PorterSimon, with offices in Truckee, South Lake Tahoe and Reno. He may be reached at porter@portersimon.com or at the firms web site http://www.portersimon.com. 2008


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