Editor:
In November, we have one of those few chances that come along to make a difference in our community and for our kids. There are lots of good reasons to support 3B. Our kids need a safer and healthier school. They need a school capable of supporting education and learning in this new world of ours with all its opportunities and technological advances that were not there when I was going to school. We have very bright kids and kids who need the advantage of the best education we can provide. People with a high school education and beyond make more money over their lifetimes and have much lower rates of unemployment.
Supporting 3B not only represents an investment in our kids and, through them, our future, but it also represents an investment in our community. A major construction project like this will put $42 million dollars into our economy in salaries, building materials and supplies, and more than half gets paid for by BEST. It will increase meals at our restaurants and foot traffic on Main Street. Yet it does something else over the longer term. The better educated our children, the healthier they are and the more opportunities they have for a stable and prosperous future and hopefully many of them will stay in or return to Montezuma County.
I have been active in economic development much of my life and I know that people who want to start businesses or who are considering moving here always ask about schools as one of their top three questions. They do so not just if they have children, but to see if the community is likely to have a competent workforce and values training and education. Our healthcare resources are improving markedly, our community is diverse and vibrant, and we have available land, fiber, water and power. Now we need to take the step to improve our educational resources.
Please join us at Cortez Integrated Healthcare in supporting 3B on Nov. 6.
Bern Heath
Cortez Integrated Healthcare
Via email