Opinions

Another Year As another calendar year comes to a conclusion, the community of Central City has yet another year to be truly thankful for. Over the course of the past few years, Central City Public Schools and the community of Central City continue to set the standard in education and community development.

There are moments in life that force you to grow up fast—moments that shake you out of the naive bubble of youth and into the great, terrifying unknown of adulthood. For me, that moment came when I was 16 years old and found out I was going to be a dad.

Loren Lippincott, District 34 Senator As we approach the end of 2024 we find ourselves between two important Christian holidays. Thanksgiving is about returning thanks to God for the many blessings he has bestowed on our nation.

December is here already and we are almost through our first semester of school! This is a busy time for families with the beginning of winter activities as well as the holidays. It can be a challenging time for our little ones as it is very exciting for them but also difficult to navigate a different schedule and lots of different but exciting things that make this time of year special. There are a lot of things with the season that are so great, but remember that to some children the extra decorations, different foods, different activities can also be very overwhelming. It’s important to stick to bedtimes and routines especially during this time of year. Children get overtired with the additional excitement and really need their rest more than ever. This time of year is a great time to look at purchasing toys that give children opportunities for hands on play and body movement. Technology has many wonderful benefits for children, but at the same time it is VERY important to have a balance with this for kids. Kids need to get outside and play, they need to play board games, puzzles, Legos, sports, and do crafts. These handson opportunities are what shapes the way students’ brains and processing develops. Too much screen time can affect this development in children. As with everything, a good balance is important. Lastly, take time to be together as a family. Take the opportunity to turn off the phones and other technology and do an activity as a family. These connections are so important for your little ones and all of us to recharge and refocus during the holiday breaks. The elementary school has some fun activities planned for our students as the end of the semester approaches. We will have our annual Movie and PJ day as well as our sing-a-long coming up on December 20th. We also have our Reading Counts Christmas Store soon and that is always a favorite. At this time, I’d like to wish you all a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Thank you all for your support of our school!

The contentious presidential election of 2024 is now behind us and anyone who was old enough to have been politically aware 24 years ago, has probably thought at least once in the last few weeks about the election of 2000 between George W. Bush and Al Gore. How could we forget? The outcome of that election was not known until Dec. 12, and the “Florida recount” became a thing of legend, entering the term “hanging chad” into the American lexicon forever as the symbol of a close race for president.

As I sit down to write this Thanksgiving column, my heart is about as full as my plate will be on Thursday—piled high with turkey, mashed potatoes, and a slice of pie (or three). Before we dive into the gravy boat of gratitude, let me just say: if you’re reading this, thank you. If you’re one of our advertisers, double thank you. And if you’re both, well, bless your soul, because you’re basically the MVP of this whole operation.

Having flown to 53 countries on five continents during my time at Delta Air Lines, I increasingly saw a contrast between the general health of Americans and people in other lands. Why have Americans become so out of shape? When the tobacco companies came under fire several decades ago and had to pay out billions in damages, they moved their investments into food companies. R J Reynolds and Phillip Morris turned their sights on putting unhealthy additives into foods. There are literally hundreds of ingredients added to our foods that are forbidden under the laws of many other countries. But, due to the strong lobbying groups of these powerful American companies, their profits go up while our waistlines go out!