‘Essential parts of our communities’

What a wonderful experience it has been to talk to so many people about the Franklin-Springboro Library recently, to explain why the library levy is so needed.

The Franklin library and its Springboro branch are essential parts of our communities. Each day the library fills with students doing homework, job seekers using computers, community members socializing and utilizing our meeting room space, children attending story times, and people of all ages taking home stacks of books.

The annual numbers are huge: over a half-million items checked out; 45,433 public computer sessions; 500 programs attended by thousands of patrons; 449 visits to the homebound; almost 400 trips to schools and daycares; 843 people attending GED classes; and 3,400 patrons participating in the summer reading program.

Our temporary levy, which provides 51 percent of the budget, is expiring at the end of the year and we need your support on Election Day. We’re asking the public to vote “yes” on a continual levy — still just a 1-mill levy, like the temporary levy has been.

Keep in mind that the ballot will read “additional tax.” That’s because the temporary levy is expiring and this is a new tax to be decided upon.

To keep serving our communities as we are now — with the same hours, staffing and materials — we need your support. MARTHA BUSH, CARLISLE. BUSH IS DIRECTOR OF THE FRANKLIN-SPRINGBORO LIBRARY.

Speak Up

Re “Should we protect kids from smokers?,” Oct. 22: I would not support such a ludicrous law, as I did not support the other one. I am not a smoker and never have been, but I believe in an individual’s right. Now the government wants to regulate your car. Next they will be knocking on your door to see if you are smoking. …

Yes, by all means ban smoking when children are in the car. Just remember — many accidents are caused by minor driver distractions. Certainly reaching for, lighting up and using one hand to hold a cigarette can be the cause of accidents. …