Mary and I have had the privilege of living in Austin for most of our adult life. We raised and educated our three children in this wonderful community. Periodically ,we all have the opportunity to give back, and this is one of those times. Our Austin Public Schools will be holding a referendum next week for a building levy to support programming for our youngest children, from birth to age 6, to include early childhood screening and pre-school education. Yes, some may question why people who are retired would choose to support this initiative. The answer is easy, because we care about the viability of our community and because our children, as well as my wife Mary and I, were blessed with a wonderful education here. That educational experience did not come free. The people of Austin, employed and retired, did the right thing then and supported the schools. Do the right thing now, support the bond issue on April 9. It is important!

James V. Herrick

Austin, MN