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    Home » Letter to the Editor: A Sedona Parent’s Perspective on the Sandy Hook Massacre
    Editorials/Opinion

    Letter to the Editor: A Sedona Parent’s Perspective on the Sandy Hook Massacre

    December 21, 20126 Comments3 Mins Read
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    By Zachary Richardson
    Sedona Oak Creek School District Governing Board Member

    “… a third grade teacher read a story to her students as they huddled in the corner during the shooting.”

    I cannot get that vision of mayhem during the assault on the Newtown Connecticut elementary school out of my head. I served 20 years in the military spending untold numbers of hours training how to react under fire.

    No matter the amount of training, the situation is chaotic and terrifying as one’s reaction is impulsive.

    It was not training that taught that third grade teacher to calm her class, or training that taught a first grade teacher who died shielding her students from the attacker, or training that taught the school principal who died courageously defending her school and its students, it was pure dedication to their job and love for their students. A dedication no other job entails and a responsibility no other profession has. Teachers not only have the future of our country in their hands, they also have the safety of our most cherished possession – our children.

    So why does our country not put teachers on a pedestal? Many people have told me that firemen and policemen have higher salaries than teachers because firemen and policemen put their lives at risk.

    Try to explain this rationale to the teachers of that Newton elementary school. Other than teachers, who in our society would sacrifice their lives to protect our children. If these educators were policemen, firemen or soldiers, they would have been decorated with the highest medals of honor.

    As a community, we cannot change the culture of the country, but we have the power to influence our community. Sedona is a rural town much like Newtown, and there is NOT a teacher or school principal in Sedona who would NOT defend their students or school the way the brave educators did in that small rural Connecticut town.

    We should be proud that the dedication of our community’s teachers is second to none. We have tested our teacher’s dedication through huge budget cuts by the state, budget cuts by the federal government and our community recently voted to cut our school budget even further as we expect our teachers to provide the finest education in the state with increasing requirements.

    There is no other profession that has endured such stress while entrusting them with such responsibility. As a community, we must understand this oxymoron and show support for our educators.

    People often say “thank you for serving” when they hear I am a veteran. Save your “thank yous “ for the real heroes of Sedona – our community educators.

    Zachary Richardson
    Sedona

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    6 Comments

    1. Ernie Strauch on December 24, 2012 9:07 am

      People often say “thank you for serving” when they hear I am a veteran. Save your “thank yous “ for the real heroes of Sedona – our community educators.

      Thank you, Zach, and AMEN!

    2. N. Baer on December 24, 2012 9:54 am

      Thanks Zach. The real heroes in our world; our teachers, fire fighters, police bear the most responsibility for protecting human life, yet they reap the smallest of financial “benefit” and there are those who think even that is too much.and are hell-bent to make sure they have no “bargaining” rights.

      Something no one is examining is the connection between the amount of microwave emissions from the numerous cell towers, antennas etc. in locations especially around schools (e.g., children) and seniors. The military has known for the past 50 years or so that microwave frequency causes aggression and violence (www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18470749).

      You might be interested in learning how many of these devices our area has by going to http://www.antennasearch.com. Every cell tower has the capacity to house 40 antennas.

    3. Sue Gould on December 24, 2012 10:17 am

      This beautiful homage to our educators should be published in every newspaper in the United States because it describes all of those who dedicate their lives not only to educating our children, but to protecting them more than anyone other than their parents. The critical and pivotal role teachers play in forming the values of our children is never acknowledged enough: compare the fame and fortunes reaped by athletes and entertainers, many of whose personal lives reflect the very opposite values of those that teachers try to instill in their young charges. In Sedona, I’ve often heard it said that no teacher works here because of the salary: there is no doubt that we have true heroes working every day in those classrooms. We can never thank them enough.

    4. Meri Thomason on December 24, 2012 11:25 am

      This is a fine piece you’ve written. I am in complete agreement that teachers here are dedicated to enriching the lives of their students…and keeping them safe. How different their task from MY teachers in the elementary/middle/high school years I spent in Philadelphia! It boggles my mind when I attempt to compare them!

      I am proud of you, Zach, as a Sedona Oak Creek School District Governing Board Member, and thank you for sharing your views.

    5. Caroline Johnson on December 24, 2012 1:37 pm

      Thank you, Zachary, for this well written piece. I agree with Sue who said it should be published in every paper in the country.

    6. Lin Ennis on December 28, 2012 3:42 pm

      Beautifully written piece.

      The difference that has bugged me for a long time is that police and firefighters sign up to put themselves in harm’s way. Teachers don’t.

      An officer in Los Angeles died by riding his motorcycle off the edge of an earthquake-damaged bridge. When it was rebuilt, it was named after him. He was a hero because he didn’t stop in time? Not to belittle his willingness to serve, but what?

      Teachers and doctors and nurses get killed in the line of duty. When they do, it’s usually deliberately, with malice, not because they did not follow protocol or there was an accident.

      You’re right, Zach. Those who help us help ourselves deserve as much esteem–and pay–as those who help us when we cannot help ourselves.

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     THE MOMENT IS UPON US

    Dear Sedona,

    The moment is upon us. The time for a united effort to shift the focus back to our community is now.

    The ability to thrive in our community, our environment, our workforce, and the tourist industry, is entirely possible because we have all the resources needed for success.

    Still, we need a council that isn’t afraid to ask the hard questions, that makes decisions based on data and facts, and through discussion, rather than moving and voting in group unison as they so regularly do.

    This is my home. I have been a part of the Sedona community for 28 years. I witnessed the road debacle, the lack of planning, the city circumventing the local businesses ability to thrive, while making choices to expand the local government and be in direct competition with private industry.

    I am a unique candidate because unlike the incumbents, I don’t believe the government should expand in size, nor in operations, nor would I attempt to micromanage every aspect of our community.

    City government should stay in its lane and allow the competitive market of local private industry to prosper. And it should defend our community from corporate takeover and infiltration of our town.

    I do not agree that we should sign onto International Building Codes and regulations by signing Sedona up to the ICC. It is imperative that we remain a sweet, rural community.

    Where are the arts? Where is this organic thriving element that we allege to be animated by. Where is our culture? Where is our community?

    The discord between the decision making process and the desires of the community have never been more clear. It has been nearly a decade in the making.

    It is time for a new era of energy to take charge. An energy that is reflective in the ability to succeed rather than be trapped in out of date consciousness.

    It has been a great honor meeting with each of you. I hear your concerns over the insane and out of control spending and I echo them. A budget of $105,000,000 in a town of 9700 residents is completely unacceptable. A parking structure (that looks like a shoe box) originally slated to cost 11 million, now projected to cost 18 million, is incomprehensible. Especially, considering there is no intention of charging for parking.

    For those who are concerned that I lack the political experience within our established system- that is precisely what Sedona needs… Not another politician, but instead a person who understands people, who listens to the voices within the community, and who will act in service on their behalf with accountability, for the highest good of Sedona. What I am not, will prove to be an asset as I navigate the entrenched bureaucracy with a fresh perspective. Business as usual, is over.

    Creative solutions require new energy.

    Every decision that is made by our local government, must contemplate Sedona first.

    • Does this decision benefit the residents?
    • Does this decision benefit the local businesses?
    • Does this decision actually help the environment?
    • Will this decision sustain benefit in the future, or will it bring more problems?

    What we have now is a city government that expands to 165 employees for 9700 residents. Palm Desert has 53,000 residents and 119 city employees. Majority of our city department heads are not even in town. I find this problematic.

    Efforts towards championing in and courting new solutions for our medical needs are imperative. We are losing our doctors. We must encourage competition with other facilities rather than be held hostage by NAH, who clearly have their own set of dysfunctions.

    We must remember that so many move to Sedona for its beauty, hiking, and small town charm. Bigger, faster, and more concrete does not, in broad strokes, fit the ethos of Sedona.

    The old world must remain strong here in balance, as that is what visitors want to experience. Too many have noted that Sedona has lost its edge and charm.

    As Mayor I will preserve the rural charm of our community, and push back against the urbanization that is planned for Sedona.

    As mayor I will make it a priority to create opportunities to support our youth.  After school healthy, enriching programs should be created for our kids, and available to the Sedona workforce regardless of residency and regardless of school they belong to.

    As Mayor, I will create an agenda to deliberately embody the consciousness of our collective needs here, allowing private industry to meet the needs of our community rather than bigger government.

    I hope to have your vote on Aug 2nd. I am excited and have the energy to take on this leadership role with new eyes, community perspective, and the thoughtful consciousness that reflects all ages of the human spectrum.

    Thank you deeply for your consideration.

    Sincerely,

    Samaire Armstrong

    Sedona elections
    Armstrong vs. Jablow: The Main Event
    Ready to Rumble

    By Tommy Acosta
    In the Blue Corner stands Scott Jablow and in the Red Corner of the ring stands Samaire Armstrong, ready to rumble to the bitter end in their fight to become the next Sedona mayor. Jablow weighs in with 1,137 primary election votes (36.13%) under his belt, having wielded his advantage as sitting Sedona City Council vice-mayor to his favor. He brings his years of serving in that capacity into the fray and waged a solid fight in his campaign to make it to the run-off. Armstrong, however withstood a blistering smear campaign from the other opposing candidates and their supporters to make it to the final bout with 967 votes under her belt (30.73%), an amazing feat for a political newcomer. Unfortunately, for the other two candidates, Kurt Gehlbach and sitting mayor Sandy Moriarty, neither put up enough of a fight to make it to the championship bout. Read more→
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