As a former business owner and a longtime island resident, I know how much our island has changed and grown through the last decades. One thing that has not changed, however, is the importance of our public school system.

There’s an old saying — you can tell a lot about a community if you look at how it treats people in the beginning and end of their life cycles. I have always believed in this philosophy and therefore have spent many hours volunteering in our school system and at Vashon Community Care.

We can make a difference for our island and our school system by voting yes for our levy that is up for renewal this year. Ballots are in the mail, and we need your vote to be mailed in, marked with a big “yes” before Feb. 13. Please take the time to do this small favor for our island. Let’s love our schools and our children.

— Bettie Edwards