My family and I moved to Forks in the spring of 1994. Things were a lot different then. For example, as we drove into town, our car was stopped right in the middle of the road outside of the Hang Up Tavern.

We were welcomed to town by a fight between a late middle-aged logger and a young, long-haired biker looking guy who had to be 30 years younger than the logger.

Needless to say, the youngster got the worst of the deal as working hands made rock hard by decades in the woods dropped him in his tracks and the old guy got a few more licks in for good measure and then went back into the Hang Up.

Cars started moving again, and the long-haired guy just laid there. No one paid any attention to him. “Welcome to Forks, boys”, I said as we turned down Calawah Way to our new home in Ford Park.

I had grown up in Deming, Washington, also a small logging town, so it made me feel right at home to know I was moving to a place where men were still tough and my boys would grow up knowing how to work hard and play hard.

But, over the years, a lot of things changed. We began to see business after business close, logging slowly grind to a near halt, and an increase in drug use even started here in our town. But, we persevered and we started seeing some signs that this town ain’t done yet.

We put in a nice transit center and a National Park Office. The hospital was enlarged and surgery capabilities were added along with more staff. Why, if you drive down Bogachiel, it almost looks like a city medical center with the new buildings, nice parking lots, and flashing lights.

A new High School gym went up followed by a beautiful new school! Then, while the recession was devastating the rest of the country, we had vampires and werewolves that funneled millions of dollars through the town. Why, there were times during that tourist rush that I almost wished….dare I say it….I wished we had TWO traffic lights in town.

And now we have a beautiful Performing Arts Center and the people who originally visited this town just to see where Bella lived are returning year after year because they now know what we know: this is a beautiful part of the country.

And this is my home. So when we have a chance to give ourselves something, I think “It’s about time we invest in ourselves and give our town something we deserve”.

We have a great volunteer Fire Department, but it’s time to catch up with the rest of the little towns that invest in the safety of their residents. Dang it, we’ve been through the tough times, we’ve struggled a lot, and we’ve hung together through thick and thin.

I don’t know about you, but I’m voting for the Fire Department this election. It’s a very small price to pay to know that I’m helping my town, and neighbors, be safer than ever, and it’s another indication that we are here to stay. Please vote yes.

Miles Lawson