Now is the time for the West Liberty-Salem Bond Levy. There are urgent repairs needed for our roof, windows, doors and HVAC systems. Furthermore, we will improve technology and ensure added security. In addition, we have historically record low interest rates, 71 percent state share that we know will decrease next year to 68 percent and will cost the district over $1,000,000 more locally.

West Liberty-Salem has attained the "excellent" rating from the state based on academic achievement. We have outstanding administrators, teachers and staff members. It is paramount that we maintain and upgrade our facilities with the same level of integrity.

Operating money has been greatly improved with the reductions made by the district over the last three years and recent tax revenue has improved and shows that our local economy is growing again.

These reductions have had minimal impact on student offerings and have allowed the district to have a positive balance five years out according to our most recent five-year forecast.

Each open enrollment student provides the district $5,704 in tax revenue from the state. This year the district has received a total of $700,000 from open enrollment. This helps to make up for revenue lost to students open enrolling out and attending private, home or charter schools.

This revenue helps our school district continue to operate. The district does not take all open enrollment students, only the number of students that help to fill our class sizes for optimum cost benefit and class size.

The board ensures that our resident students receive optimum class size.

By having open enrolled students, they actually help increase our course offerings, that we could not provide if we did not have enough students.

Education has become a competitive environment. Much like universities, the quality of our educational programing facilities and student academic and extracurricular offerings is reviewed by families to determine if our school district is where they would like to send their children.

In order for WL-S to continue to be an attractive district, we must continue to invest in our school.

We must keep WL-S strong and provide a positive and safe learning environment for our children.

Please join me in protecting our investment and securing our future by voting yes for WL-S on Nov. 6.

Patrick Adams

WL-S Levy Committee Chairman

Cable

A well-known auctioneer from Salem Township was the master of his craft. We attended many of his farm sales over the years. Believe it or not he worked for both the seller, who hired him and his patron, the buyer. Certain words or phrases were used to communicate to the buyers that the auctioneer expected more bids before the item sold or that the item was more valuable than the current bid. One such phrase was, "Help yourself, help yourself." Everyone knew this meant if you bought it somewhere else you would pay more. Or if you waited to buy it later you would pay more. You get a deal if you buy this item.

In Salem Township the Fire/EMS levy, the Road Levy and the West Liberty-Salem Bond Levy are all items like we described above. Are you paying out money? Sure you are. But you are also getting a deal. Your taxes are paying for a local infrastructure investment. The money isn't going to someone else. You benefit directly and indirectly. If you wait to buy it later, it is almost certain to cost more.

How many days do you not drive your car somewhere? Busses drive the roads to get students to school and back. The school district is one of the largest employers in the area and spends millions of dollars each year through the local economy through the operating budget. If the roads are closed or school is not open for more than one day who do you think hears about it? The needs are real. These levies are an opportunity to invest in your community by investing in local infrastructure. When you consider how to vote on these levies remember the words of the auctioneer "Help yourself, help yourself."

Howard Wilkins

Township Trustee

Cable

Stephen Lapp

School Board Member

West Liberty

I've become a "single-issue voter." The most important issue in this election is that of abortion.     Obama supports a policy of "abortion on demand" and opposed a bill in Congress to ban abortions for "sex selection." (If you want a boy and it's a girl, you can kill it." HR 3541, 2012

He also co-sponsored a bill that makes legal partial-birth abortion, a gruesome procedure where a baby is murdered in the birth canal just before being born ... yes, folks, it's happening here in America. S1173, 2007

Added to these facts is the issue that Obama voted, as an Illinois Senator, against a bill that requires protection and care for babies who are born alive after a failed abortion attempt.

And Obamacare forces the cost of abortions onto your insurance plan, whether or not you are pro-life.

Mitt Romney has said that he will do all he can to protect these precious little lives, who are unable to protect themselves.

How long can America expect the blessing of Almighty God on our nation when we repeatedly sin and break the commandment, "Thou shalt not kill"? Exodus 20:13, Holy Bible

Which will you choose ... a "society that preserves life" or "a culture that worships death"?

Darleen Morley

Belle Center

Our campaign signs were stolen from our yard and the right to express our political views are both valued. Someone trampled on both.

The campaigns of Romney and Ryan, Jim Jordan, Josh Mandel, Dan Bratka, Keith Faber and Judge Kennedy spent good money for those signs to promote the election process. This letter proves that stealing their signs did not give these candidates less endorsement.

Citizens - Please vote.

Don K. Miller

Virginia Miller

Zanesfield

President Barack Obama seems to believe he has an exemplary record of job creation. This astonishes me. Amid all the hype about his professed interest in creating new economic opportunities, he seems to have forgotten SJR 37, which would have rolled back many overreaching EPA regulations. President Obama stated in a 2008 news interview that he would do what he could to “bankrupt the coal industry.” He sure has made good on this promise.

The Obama EPA agenda has set unattainable standards for the coal industry, causing many plants to begin closing before the 2015 deadline, and closing existing coal plants drives utility rates up even faster than deciding not to build new ones as the economy tries to grow. With the coal industry employing over 10,000 Ohioans and contributing an annual payroll of $1.2 billion, coal plant closures threaten to damage our state’s economy. This industry is the livelihood of many communities throughout Ohio, while 80 percent of our electricity in Ohio is generated by coal. What happens when those jobs are wiped out as the EPA forces utilities to stop burning coal to generate power? More people will be out of work, while at the same time, energy rates will “necessarily skyrocket.” How will so many out-of-work people pay their sky-high energy bills? And what, exactly, is the plan for making the lights go on in our homes when we flip a light switch? Seriously — what will make the lights go on?

Even more concerning is that Ohio’s manufacturing competitiveness depends on low-cost electricity. Higher utility rates may lead to many more Ohio and American job losses outside the coal industry than within.

As a result of just one of many Obama policies, our state is already worse off than it was four years ago. I’m concerned about what could happen in another four years.

Tom Stacy

Zanesfield

On Nov. 6, West Liberty-Salem voters will be asked to make a decision which could drastically impact the future of our school, our students and our community. As community members, we will be asked to decide whether or not to support a bond levy which will promote the educational development of West Liberty-Salem students.

The West Liberty-Salem Board of Education and district personnel have invested over two years researching available options and conducting several open meetings with community members. I was able to attend several of these meetings and the time and preparation that was invested by these individuals is to be commended.

When you vote "yes" for this levy, you will be bringing our community's school up to current standards. The urgent facility maintenance needs coupled with projected student growth, needs for improved technology and better educational resources make this levy a priority, which we can no longer delay without greater costs in the future. If we do not pass our bond issue this year, our local share will go from 29 percent to 32 percent. This would increase our costs locally by about one million dollars. Matching money currently available from the state coupled with historically low interest rates will allow the district to make the required improvements while maximizing the return on our investment.

Some may feel that now is not the right time. I believe there is never a wrong time to support the education of our children. For each $100,000 of appraised home value, property owners will pay approximately $231 annually. Property owners 65 and older will pay about $173 annually. For farmers and landowners who use CAUV reduction, the additional, cost will be approximately $2.25 per acre per year. Personally, I believe that the education of our children and the continued success of WL-S is worth the investment.

As adults we arrive at our place of work and desire the appropriate working environment and tools necessary to perform our job efficiently. We should expect nothing less than the same for our children as they embark upon their educational careers.

Join me in showing our students that we are concerned for their safety. Join me in showing them that we believe in their potential. Join me in providing them with the support they require to succeed. Join me in supporting the future of our community by saying "yes" to our WL-S students.

Dennis Sanford

West Liberty

How very fortunate we live in the greatest country in the world. We are given opportunities to choose the path our country, state, county, school district and community will take through a valuable constitutional right called voting by the people. So how do we decide how to vote? We look at what the issues are and how each affects us. We seek facts and gauge how trustworthy the information might be.

One big opportunity in point happens to be school issues on the ballot. We all live in a school district where voters select representatives to speak up for us concerning our school. Those people are our board of education individuals. They are all elected officials with the task to give us the facts, weigh the issues, discuss the needs of our school, then determine when community voters need to step in and help. Our board of education members are our neighbors, friends, relatives and financial contributors just as we are to the school.

West Liberty-Salem School Board members are asking for our help to support much needed improvements to the school. Please view the Web site for the detailed list of needs, but one that stands out to me is the security issues facing all schools today. We could never put a price on an individual's life, but we can come up with a price that will help deter and protect our school's inhabitants.

As I had shared with you for several years, the roof on the school building will continue to nickel and dime our school district until it is replaced.

WLS School Board, administrators and core community members have been working hard to come up with the best deal for our school district. They have the state paying for these much needed improvements by the tune of 71 percent. A true shopper would say that is a bargain.

Please join me in using the state's 71 percent off coupon and voting yes for West Liberty-Salem Schools in November.

Linda Sparks

WLS Retired