Obama victory revives national spirit and vigor
To The Editor:
The great surprise of this election is not who won, but the way the Obama victory has revived a national spirit long dormant. Even those who voted for his opponent, or didn’t vote at all, are surprised that they too are caught up in something new and different – a sense that what has happened has brought into being new possibilities for overcoming the immense national problems that have seemed, even lately, so insurmountable.
And just because of this, the Obama presidency may prove a disaster. The tremendous outpouring of enthusiasm and spirit we’re experiencing may be no match for the resistance his policies will meet once the honeymoon is over. Obama has raised the bar, and as he has said, “our climb will be steep”. It may be too steep for this old nation. Washington politics is not accustomed to significant change and does not often welcome it.
Obama won because he recognized a growing consensus among Americans that we are sliding toward disaster in almost every sphere of national life; and that only by raising the bar can we save our country. Yet it remains to be seen whether we can break free from the inner voice that keeps telling us that the task is too great, the bar too high. “Yes we can” Obama keeps saying, “I promise you, yes we can”.
We have been given a president with courage and vision to lead us up the steep climb. But do we really want to follow” It’s up to us.
David Duncombe
White Salmon
Goldendale is lucky to have great teachers
To the Editor:
Goldendale ought to feel lucky to have such a dedicated crew of hardworking staff in charge of our schools. We are blessed with an abundance of teachers, staff, and administrators who go out of their way to go the extra mile and be involved with their students.
For example, David Barta, the Goldendale Middle School principal, spends countless hours at school, sporting events and contributing to the community. Recently, they were honored with the School of Distinction Award.
The school received this award due to the hard work of students, staff, the community, and Mr. Barta’s relentless dedication to his job. Just recently, Goldendale Middle School and the class of 2012 achieved the highest WASL scores in math and science that had yet been obtained at the Middle School. As a reward and an incentive to continue this status, Mr. Barta shaved his head in front of the students and staff.
Mr. Barta’s sense of humor is one of the many attributes that compliments Goldendale Middle School and helps to make the school a pleasant place to work and a positive place for the students to continue their education.
We should all extend our gratitude to Mr.Barta and all of the Goldendale teachers for all they do for our students, staff and the community of Goldendale.
Lauren Schuster & GMS Staff
Goldendale
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