Columns

This is always an exciting time of the year as we get ready to welcome our new kindergarten students. Kindergarten will be your child’s first step in school and it is a privilege to be a parat of that journey. At Mattie Washburn, we are committed to ensuring that all students receive a challenging academic program as they begin their school career. We have a balanced curriculum that combines hands-on, real life experiences with the basic skills needed for success. Our focus is on early literacy with the goal that all students will be fluent readers as they leave first grade.

The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution spells out five rights of every American against which the government may not construct any laws to restrict, alter or eliminate. These are the freedom of speech, of religion, a free press and the right to assembly and to petition the government with grievances. None of these are guaranteed. These rights and freedoms are only in place so long as enough citizens demand them, a free press protects them and supportive legal arguments win their day in court. These freedoms and other parts of our Bill of Rights have come under continuous legal and governmental attack during the long history of our nation. We believe this is so today.

Let us ring in the new year with goodwill. Thank you to all in the ‘Burg who step up quietly to aid their fellow citizens (and animals) in our community. Please keep sending info to IDlewood 3…” at idlewood3@hbgtrib.com. “Hedda Healdsburg” wants to know all. See you in 2019.

Why do we keep hearing so much about ‘cancel culture’? First of all it’s not a real thing. You can’t cancel culture, especially someone else’s. But, just using the words can cause harm and hurt. It can be a form of bullying, angry mob mentality and destructive lack of tolerance.

Like many other baseball fans, Pierre Ratte was impressed by Shohei Otani's performance in the final game of the National League championship game.

We rarely quote our president, Donald Trump, but here goes: “I’m proud to be a citizen, you’re proud to be a citizen. The only people that are not proud to be citizens are the ones who are fighting us all the way about the word ‘citizen.’”