The Nokomis Clubhouse, that little yellow house by Redmond Way and 161st Avenue Northeast, is set to be demolished and turned into a five-story apartment complex. My heart sinks every time I walk by and realize this building may not be here for future generations to enjoy.

The building recently housed McDonald’s Book Exchange after their previous location was also turned into an apartment complex. Before that it served many roles, but the most important is in my opinion: Redmond’s first public library. Just check out the page dedicated to the Nokomis House in the Redmond Historical Society’s website. How a building goes from historic site to “suitable for demolition” is beyond me.

There is a sign on Leary Way calling Redmond a “Preserve America” city. If we’re truly going to take credit for preserving a part of America we cannot do things halfway. We cannot save only the conveniently placed historic portions of our city. We need to take a stand against blind greed and preserve what little there is left of historic Redmond.

We’re a high tech city and with it comes a high tech lifestyle, but every now and then we need to be reminded of how far Redmond has come. Preserving Old Nokomis clubhouse will show current and future generations how fast a community can grow. The Nokomis clubhouse is a testament to the progress of Redmond and should be preserved.

Laura Cruz, Redmond