Kirkwood deserves levy renewal on anniversary

There's a great community servant in our area that just celebrated its 44th anniversary and is making us all smarter, stronger and more able to adapt to our rapidly changing world.

We refer to Kirkwood Community College. We are truly fortunate to have dedicated staff, close-to-home classes and services, plus the many community-minded partnerships Kirkwood has provided us over the years.

As trustees on the Kirkwood board, we witness first hand how much good they provide us all. Hundreds of students from our area benefit from Kirkwood classes every year. When workers face job changes, layoffs and businesses deal with an unpredictable economy, Kirkwood training services and customized work force programs also come to our aid.

Now we have a chance to show our appreciation for this great community asset. Kirkwood's building fund levy is up for renewal and will be on our local school ballots on Tuesday. This is not a new tax, just a continuation of the basic funding support for the college's buildings and services.

Renewing this fund will help Kirkwood meet our changing education and training needs across our area and especially right here in Linn County.

As Kirkwood's volunteer elected trustees from this area, we encourage you to exercise your right and give a thankful “thumbs-up” to this valuable educational partner.

Kevin King

Cedar Rapids

Jim Mollenhauer

Marion

Marcia Rogers

Cedar Rapids