LETTER: City council should value museum

As concerned, involved members of the community we were surprised, and troubled, to see the 04.16.26 Columbia Basin Herald news article depicting how low the Moses Lake City Council members ranked the Moses Lake Museum and Art Center. 

The Museum and Art Center is a vital, and integral, part of our community. It serves our entire population with art exhibits, education through a wide variety of classes and speakers, school field trips, entertainment, unique shopping opportunities, free activities for families, a forum for local artists, and area history preservation all of which are found nowhere else in the community. 

Besides rotating exhibits on public display, the Museum also serves as the depository for our area artifacts. The inestimable value of this service requires curation, documentation, and appropriate storage for our future generations. Who else is qualified to perform these vital functions? 

Additionally, many activities are staffed by volunteers which is not true of any other City agency, that I know of, other than the Library which is also a vital asset to our area. 

If it's inevitable that cuts need to be made across all City departments, programs and staff please use a light touch when considering what we will lose if the Museum is unable to provide the many services that are part of our quality of life here in Moses Lake and the entire Columbia Basin. To that end, please limit what you consider expendable with regards to our Museum and Art Center when you meet again. 

Jeff and Jennifer Powell 

Kris and Bob Chudomelka 

Mary Kile 

Andrea Johnson 

Rose and Terry Wiseman 

Victoria and David Dawson