This is a response to Maria Carlson’s July 5, 2001, column, “Library should be on Ridge.”

Maria, you have just fired the first shots between the Ridge and the “Historic district.”

I can’t believe you, Matt Larson and 415 or so other adults on the Ridge would even dream of such an idea. What do you think youOre trying to do? You move to the Ridge and now within no more than three years you feel that you must try and turn the original Snoqualmie upside down and move everything you want up to the Ridge for your convenience.

Just because you chose to live up on the Ridge, no more than four miles from the library, that’s your fault, not the taxpayers of downtown Snoqualmie and the rest of King County. When I moved to Snoqualmie, I chose to live in downtown, 1 mile from the library, in the floodplain, near the trains. Because I chose to live here I don’t demand that the city build a wall to protect me from the river or the noisy trains. I put up with it because I chose to live here. You and the 416 others should, too.

It is also interesting that in your column you do not mention how many residents in Historic Snoqualmie were for relocating the library up to the Ridge? Or did you not even bother to ask us?

Also, you mention that the library check-out rates increased 11 percent in 2000 and 20 percent for the first part of 2001. Just how much of that is a direct result of the Ridge? There has also been growth in the Historic District, too, which may account for the increase in check-outs. Why haven’t the check-outs increased more? The Ridge has doubled the population of Snoqualmie, yet the check-outs have only increased by 11 to 20 percent. Maybe the Ridge residents donOt use the library as much as you think!

May I offer a suggestion, though? If you really can’t drive the long distance to the current library, how about a special tax for Ridge residents only to pay for whatever you want. We in Snoqualmie pay some of the highest taxes in King County, and frankly, IOd like to see some of it used downtown for some much-needed improvements, not wasting it just to make it more convenient for you.

I can hardly wait for the next request. Will it be a big wall to block those nasty winds in the winter? How about a retractable roof over the Ridge to keep out the rain?

Jeremy Fursman

Snoqualmie