Dear Editor,

It’s democracy time again – please vote YES on the ballot you should already have in your hands - and support the families of Nederland and our P2P community.

I have standing to advocate for what our community overwhelmingly knows we so desperately need…

• I live in the Dyers subdivision and am a former Nederland Trustee,

• I chair the Peak to Peak Alliance and Nederland Food Pantry,

• I have founded and operated a successful BVSD middle school, and

• We raised two sons in the Boulder Valley School District .. while suffering through a lack of early childhood educational options.

My Dyers neighbors have strong opinions. They have submitted letters to the editor implying that Nederland town government tried to pull a “fast one”. Having been on the other side of the table as a Trustee, I can tell you that this is nonsense. Don’t be fooled. This is a public-private partnership to support the families in our community. Families pleaded with the BoT last October for help – and we responded with thoughtfulness, public input, and purpose.

Town doesn’t have much money, but we do have some land. TEENS, Inc. has the foresight to invest $5M to $6M to get this project built. It’s not for a financial return. It’s because it’s the right thing to do. And TEENS, Inc. is a first-rate community asset, advocate for our families, and top-ranked operator.

Others talk about “make your voice heard” as they steal yard signs. They want you to listen to their opinion while squelching more community-minded points of view. Talk about “bypassing the democratic process” (their words; see July 14 Letter to the Editor).

The vote before you was initiated by a referendum only passed by one signature – and many of those signatures should have been challenged and disqualified.

It seems ridiculous to even ask why Nederland needs early childhood education (ECE) options.

Kids supported by ECE programs are 30% more likely to graduate from high school and 50% more likely to hold a job with a livable wage when compared to those who did not have access (National Institute for Early Education Research).

For every dollar invested in building a stronger ECE system, the return on that investment to society is seven dollars (Center for Economics of Human Development).

Vote YES this week and get your ballot counted.

Say NO to narrow-minded NIMBY self-interest and do the right thing for our kids and for our community.

Tom Mahowald

Nederland