Dear editor,

I am a 79-year-old male senior citizen of Stratford that loves sports, music of all kinds, and likes to attend a variety of sports of high school level or higher. My wife and I also enjoy attending music concerts both instrumental and vocal. We both played instruments in high school, and I managed to play in band, orchestra, pep band, and also a dance band while in school and about a year afterward. Oh yes, I was fortunate to have been selected to play in the State FFA band at the Wisconsin state Fair.

“Why is it time?” Time to think about the future of music performances in Stratford for all citizens.

We moved to Stratford in 1976 after serving 20 years in the Army. Our four children entered Stratford schools while I went back to college to get a degree in elementary education at UW-Stevens Point. After graduating in 1979, I was fortunate to be hired to teach sixth grade at Stratford Elementary School, where I retired after teaching 20 wonderful years in the spring of 1999.

We have seen many changes and improvements over the years, and our sports teams have excelled in numerous sports, including our recent wrestling team at state. I have voted for all of our referendums in the past years we have been here because I have felt they were important to our students in properly preparing them to be successful citizens in the future.

Many of us seniors have been patiently waiting for an auditorium to showcase our outstanding band and vocal departments. We have over 500 students involved in music overall. We finally have had to break the concerts into multiple concerts due to time limitations. Music is a life skill, and we continue to listen/watch musical performances all of our lives.

Our students at Stratford School continue to be well-rounded and balanced due to having up-to-date educational experiences along with having sports facilities that provide the opportunities to practice a variety of sports as they grow. Vote yes for questions 1 and 2 on April 5.

John A. Southworth

Stratford