Reduce, reuse and recycle those tables and chairs

Dear Moses Lake School District Number 161,

One day last week was designated “Recycle Cardboard Day” at my house. The Ram was loaded and it was pointed toward the Consolidated Disposal Transfer Station on Road 7 NE.

As you may know, cardboard, newspaper, aluminum cans and vehicle batteries are accepted as recyclables at no cost. It is easy and hassle free to take these items to this facility and deposit them.

Normally a vehicle carrying trash, such as old sheetrock or other building materials, would go to the scale to determine the beginning weight. The vehicle’s weight is determined again, after offloading the trash. The difference in the vehicle weight is the weight of the trash. The driver is charged accordingly. There is no need to go to the scale when depositing cardboard, because there will be no charge.

My mission was progressing nicely and on schedule as the Ram entered the transfer station and headed directly to the dumpster. The load was transferred and my assignment was seemingly complete.

However, a caravan of Moses Lake School District trucks, each pulling a trailer, stopped next to me. The trailers contained tables and chairs. They were not counted, but there were perhaps 15 or 20 chairs and 10 or so tables.

I asked one of the drivers about the items being unloaded. He said they were being thrown away. An inspection was conducted and they looked good to me. There was a 1- by 2-inch chunk out of one edge of one of the desks, but otherwise it was in good shape. The chairs had scratches and scuff marks, but were otherwise usable.

The driver saw my concern and approached, telling me the district couldn’t sell the items.

“Couldn’t you give them away?” I asked.

The driver said he would ask his boss when he returned to his place of work.

I called Carry Liles, manager of the Moses Lake Senior Center, and told her about the tables and chairs.

“Darn,” she said, “I wish I would have known. We could use those things.”

The Ram headed up to the lady who runs the scale. She would be able to tell me if I could set aside the tables and chairs until Carry could send a vehicle to retrieve them. Several minutes were expended at this point, as the guy in front of me had a problem of some type.

The Ram finally arrived at the window. I was beginning to explain my situation when I looked over at the area where the tables and chairs were located. With a big roar of the engine, a front-end loader was pushing the tables and chairs into a corner. These items became unusable in an instant.

I almost cried. Then I was mad. What a waste of usable tables and chairs. The district may not be able to sell the used items, but it is difficult to understand why they couldn’t be donated to a non-profit organization.

The senior citizen center comes to mind, so does the Moses Lake Museum, the Grant County Historical Society and perhaps churches. The Moses Lake Museum has an active program with youth involved with arts and crafts.

The Grant County Historical Society is developing a research room at the museum. Perhaps the tables and chairs would have played a part in these two programs.

What really burns my bacon is the fact these tables and chairs were purchased with my tax money. If so, I want every penny of my tax money to be stretched to the point of breaking.

When a non-profit organization can use an item the school district no long needs, give it to them. Doesn’t the district have a recycle program, which allows usable items to be donated to non-profit organizations? If not, why not?

Now, I’ll be the first to admit the entire story may not be known to me. So, let’s hear it. The MLSD owes the taxpayers an explanation. There will be room in this column whenever the explanation is received.