Vote yes on Brainerd and preserve a legacy

I have lived in Libertyville virtually all my life, over 62 years, attending District 70 and Libertyville High School, as have all three of my children, and four of my nine grandchildren will be following that same path. I don't believe there is a community that is embraced by its residents as much as Libertyville. We all have a great affection for Libertyville, the ambience and the historic traditions that make Libertyville special.

As a board member of the Brainerd Community Center, I believe it too is a piece of the puzzle that makes Libertyville special. The building is in rough shape and needs a lot of work. Hezner's plans show the building has great potential, and can provide opportunities no other building in Libertyville can.

Yes, it has a high price tag, but all things worth saving usually do. Our current downtown wasn't always in great shape in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Credit MainStreet Libertyville and the Historic Trust for Preservation, who saw the potential in Libertyville as a Mainstreet community. Because of this investment, our downtown looks great today; millions of dollars later, both private and public efforts have transformed downtown Libertyville into the envy of the North Shore. And those once-shabby buildings, they are great architectural treasures, Brainerd can be one too.

All of our historic buildings are a part of Libertyville's legacy, tradition and future, all these buildings we need to protect for our children and their children. We need to support Brainerd much like we supported Cook Memorial Library staying in downtown Libertyville. We need to see through the fog being generated by the opposition. If the referendum is passed, it is not a done deal: the village board will make that determination.

Give Brainerd a chance for our future residents and vote "yes" in support of Brainerd and let our public officials do what's best.

Scott Adams

Libertyville