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I was rather surprised to see Marcy Timblin, the library's public relations and marketing specialist, say in the Daily Bee that in Sandpoint “There's really nowhere for young adults to be right now.” These words were to justify the $3 million expansion of the East Bonner County Library facility.

The Sandpoint Teen Center, entirely supported by voluntary donations, has been operating for eight years in the building at the corner of Pine and Division, drawing hundreds of area young people into a multitude of crafts and challenges, including cooking programs, nutrition classes, bowling, ping pong tournaments, checkers, chess, bumper pool, air hockey, board games, card games, ceramics, fiber arts, essay contests, art competitions, hikes and water outings. With our idealistic staff and volunteers, and frugal management, we've done this on $38,000 a year, less than one-hundredth of the tax-funded library's cost.

As it happens, the Sandpoint Teen Center is engaged in an urgent fund-raising drive to purchase the building we occupy, which has been put on the market. The price is around $300,000, or one-tenth the cost of the library's projected expansion. Community members are invited to join our campaign with voluntary donations.

JIM PAYNE

Sandpoint

Chairman

Sandpoint Teen Center