From Jim Stalker
Creston
Show us the proof, not just the dream! Show us how we will be able to heat and cool Lincoln School. If we will remember, one of the main reasons for the consolidation of all of the grade schools into one was the high cost of heating. Cooling was not even a consideration as no schools were cooled, with maybe the principal’s office as the exception. Lest we forget, power always flows uphill. Show us the actual costs of installing a geothermal unit and just how much of a break we might qualify for from the utility company. I’m sure these costs and savings are available from Alliant.
I think the current library board is correct in shifting the emphasis from a library to a cultural center. Sometimes we don’t see it, but change happens every day and in every way. As an “oldie” I don’t necessarily like change. As a bookseller for nearly 40 years, I’ve lived through the cycling of book reading. Right now, we are caught up in this techno-gadget period and interest in the reading of an actual printed book is down. Given time, I don’t know how much time, white page reading will return.
Today, we see a large contingent of younger people living in Creston. They often do not see the importance of hanging on to the past. They are the new technologists. They’ve come along with the new age and have chosen to live in Creston, eager to bring with them, the new world, the coffee shop crowd, the diversified centers of the arts, and above all, they want their children to be given every opportunity to learn and experience the new ways.
So, where does all this talk bring us? I wish I knew. It’s a tough place to be in. From one point of view, if we could get the corporate and foundation “heads up” with most of the building costs, it would be a godsend and for the sake of the children, we should probably support it. From a historical point of view, I think probably even the Gibson family realize the importance of changing along with change.
There will be no clear answers to this problem. Keeping in mind that our taxes are high and our incomes are not, every decision will be a tough one and will most certainly not satisfy everyone. The fact that we don’t get to vote grinds on everyone’s mind, but then, this is not the only entity that gets to spend money with or without majority approval.