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5:44 PM Thu, Dec. 13th

Column | ‘When it’s gone, it’s gone’

Somewhere along the trip of more than 53 laps around the bright yellow orb in the sky, I’ve been taught that “when it’s gone, it’s gone.”

I can’t remember where or how I learned about it, but what I do remember is that there is a lot of truth in “when it’s gone, it’s gone.”

ISIS has destroyed many historical sites in its terror campaign waged in Iraq and the surrounding regions. I’m fairly certain I’ll never plan to take a trip there, but that could change. What won’t change is that there’s some history that won’t ever be seen again.

Whether Christian, Muslim, or other religion, most of us have heard or read the story of Jonah and the Whale. There’s plenty more to it, but basically it’s a tale about not following God’s direction for your life and having God put up obstacles until you relent and do His will.

The Mosque of Younis, or Jonah’s Tomb, stood in Mosul, Iraq for approximately 2,600 years until ISIS turned it into rubble in 2014.

“When it’s gone, it’s gone.”

We’ve seen enough destruction in the world to know there’s more than one way to destroy history. We can surely bomb, bulldoze, and pollute it into extinction.

And there’s another way. What if there was no one around who could read about our history?

It was in June of 2017 when I wrote about a vicious rumor circulating that the Mohave County Board of Supervisors were going to start a process of shutting down some of our libraries. Instead, the board extended a lease for the Mohave County Library - Valle Vista and put that rumor up on a shelf.

This Board of Supervisors has made some decisions that have made me shake my head, such as naming a road in northern Mohave County “LaVoy Finicum Road,” who took up arms against our country and occupied land that wasn’t his.

To be fair, not all the board did that. Supervisors Jean Bishop and Buster Johnson did cast votes against, but their two could not overcome the affirmative votes of Gary Watson, Hildy Angius, and Lois Wakimoto.

It was Bishop who put it best at the time.

“He kind of threw our laws back in our face,” Bishop said. “The proper venue for this was in the court of law. I don’t think what he did was the right way of handling things. I don’t recognize him as a hero ...”

This board does get kudos for a decision they made at their last meeting though.

They voted 5-0 to entertain the concept of giving the library in Kingman a makeover. The library was built in 1991 and has plenty of problem areas. A new roof is one of them, which is kind of important to protect the paper valuables housed in the building. The library also needs more space for computers and for receiving, sorting and cataloging new materials.

It’s a hefty price tag at $4.3 million, and the board hasn’t approved to actually do it yet. They voted to proceed with a request of qualifications for a design-build contractor. It is refreshing to know this governing body considers libraries important.

Libraries not only provide many services to a community such as being information and social centers, libraries also speak volumes to newcomers and visitors in telling what a community is about. A community that truly cares for one another cares about its library.

It’s easy to say don’t waste our money on a library. It’s not easy to prove investing in the library is a waste.

If we want to keep our library in Kingman functioning and operating, be sure to call the supervisors and let them know you’re in favor of maintaining our branch.

We could let our libraries fall to the point of destruction and with them our history, though it’s true we need to be careful what we ask for.

Because “when it’s gone, it’s gone.”
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