Vote Yes on Ballot Measure C
Letter to the Editor
If voters approve Ballot Measure C on Tuesday, the state of Alaska will reimburse Juneau voters for its share of the second Juneau high school. We will finally have enough funds to build the new school at Dimond Park. If you're looking for one more reason to support Ballot Measure C and the second high school, think about local basketball, volleyball and football.
Recently, the Alaska School Activities Association decided that Juneau will have to compete with Anchorage and Fairbanks in basketball and volleyball. Local families will now have to bear the cost of sending our players up North and bringing opposing teams to Juneau. What's more, the tradition of Southeast communities competing in basketball against each other will soon lack one of its vital communities.
If we built a second high school, on the other hand, we would have enough Southeast teams of comparable size to have our own athletics conference - for basketball, volleyball, and even football. Two smaller schools in Juneau would help continue friendly competition with our Southeast neighbors on a more level playing field than currently exists, and help us build closer ties with Sitka and Ketchikan. Finally, we could save a pile of money that would otherwise have to be spent on youth travel costs to the Railbelt.
On Tuesday, Nov. 5, please cast your vote for Ballot Measure C, for a second Juneau high school, and for a Southeast sports conference that includes Juneau and our Southeast neighbors.
Marc Wheeler
Juneau