Library expansion project
To meet current and future space needs and in concert with the Library Board of Trustees, the Ocean Shores Friends of the Library are pleased to announce that a committee has been formed to expand the current library. This expansion project will be funded totally out of Non-public funds. In the late ‘90’s, a Friend of the Library, June M. Kaba, bequeathed the majority of her estate to the Ocean Shores Friends of the Library, to be used “for future expansion of the present library structure.” The basic concept for the project has been approved by the City, The Friends of the Library and the Library Board of Trustees.
Made up of FOL members and a Library Trustee, an ad-hoc committee has been formed to take the project forward. They have established the spending priorities. Architectural help has been identified and proposed floor plan options have been requested. At this time, no completion date has been identified but committee members are enthusiastic about the progress we’ve made.
Robin P. Fickle
Chair, OS Library Expansion Ad-Hoc committee; OS Library Trustee
A “sign” of the times
Running for elected office and the right to vote are mainstays of American democracy. I am a proud, naturalized citizen of the United States. I have held elected office. I vote. Having won decisively in the primary, campaigning for seat No. 1 on the Ocean Shores City Council is now in the next phase. The general election is Nov. 7, 2017.
Surprisingly, some thought the vote in August meant the election was over. I stopped my car when I saw one woman pulling up signs and putting them in her vehicle. She declared that the signs were ugly and hadn’t been removed after the primary election was over. The police were called and the officer advised her that removing campaign signs is a misdemeanor. RCW 29A.84.040 states, “A person who removes or defaces lawfully placed political advertising including yard signs or billboards without authorization is guilty of a misdemeanor” punishable by a maximum of 90 days and/or a $1000 fine for each separate violation.
Choosing not to press charges, given her lack of awareness about the election process, I instead watched while she put the signs back.
Ignorance of the political process is one thing. Intentionally removing or defacing signs is another. At present, dozens of my campaign signs have been broken, flung to the ground, hidden in the bushes or removed. In the few weeks since the primary, the vandalism has intensified.
These actions hurt more than a candidate. Campaign signs aren’t cheap. It’s why candidates have fundraisers. When you deface or remove a sign, your actions affect not only the candidate, but rather all their supporters. Their monetary contributions. Their vested interests. To all my supporters, thank you.
To all those who are destroying or removing my campaign signs, you should be ashamed of yourselves. Not only is it poor sportsmanship it is mean and childish and does not reflect well on our city’s open and equal democratic process. Taking time to educate the lady who removed signs because she thought the election was over, to sharing the aforementioned RCW’s and the consequences thereof, I am optimistic that my signs will stay put until Nov, 7, 2017; the date we vote in the general election. If not, we won’t worry. We will consider it a “sign” of good things to come!
Susan Conniry,
Ocean Shores City Council candidate
