The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.
Dear Editor,
Ever since the inauguration date I have had a lingering question, Who's the Boss? A few days ago the newly appointed Press Secretary Jen Psaki was asked if Biden would be watching the impeachment on TV.
Her answer, in so many words, was he doesn't have the time as WE keep him pretty busy.
There you have it, instead of Joe keeping his staff busy, Jen let the cat out of the bag. They are keeping HIM busy.
In one of his first speeches, Joe told his staff he would fire anyone on the spot if they talked down or disrespected a colleague.
He stated there had been way to much of that going on the past 4 years and he would have none of it. It took about 3 weeks for the first incident. Deputy Press Secretary T.J. Ducklo verbally abused a Politico reporter.
The least abusive thing he told her was he would destroy her, the rest of his comments were said to be off limits for TV.
Leading up to the incident Ducklo was involved in a love affair with one of the press pool reporters which was said be a well known SECRET.
After 3 weeks, the both went to their bosses and made the story known as they knew this was an obvious conflict of interest. It was decided the reporter would only cover Ms. Harris and NOT Mr. Biden.
A day or 2 later a Politico reporter questioned bad boy T.J. and he rained abusive language upon her.
For his sins Jen suspended him one week without pay and he had to apologize.
Jen was asked if Biden made the decision and her reply was it was her decision. Now that was contrary to Joe's strong statement of being fired on the spot.
Ducklo did resign the next day, but it didn't mention if he was forced to do so. So much for the tough talking Joe. Who's in charge here?
Remember the great press secretary Kayleigh McEnany hired by President Trump? She faced the Fake Media daily and answered those loaded questions with perfection.
On rare occasions she would answer a question (usually it was loaded) with the remark she didn't want to get out in front of the President. What a great answer!
Usually they were trying to trap her, but she very expertly dodged their sneaky efforts.
The Kayleigh replacement appointed by Biden is Jen Psaki. She has a problem answering a lot of the softball questions posed by the Fake Media and her reply is something about circling back after she researches the situation.
I saw a clip chiding her with her circle back remarks that went on forever. Editor, I figured it out. Kayleigh's job was to answer questions directed toward one person, the President. Jen has already mentioned the "WE" word.
She has to circle back so frequently because there are just too many people doing Joe's job. She has to track down the right person, get the answer, then circle back to the reporter.
Like I asked before, "Who's the Boss"?
Jens W. Notestei, STRONGHURST
Kindness Is Free
Dear Editor,
Kindness comes in many forms and last Tuesday when fresh flowers arrived at my front door, I inquired who were they from?
The deliverer said it was a secret. The card said, "You are special" and on the reverse side "Pay it forward; a simple kind gesture is priceless."
In this time of covid when many older citizens are "sheltering in place," these flowers meant they are not forgotten.
How do you pay it forward? Scoop a sidewalk, send a card to your lonely neighbor, volunteer to pick up groceries during your next trip to Fisher's, pay for a cup of coffee for the next in line at coffee shop, bake some cookies and share, deliver someone's mail, call each day for a wellness check for someone living alone (some elderly have no family nearby), and think beyond yourself to help another.
What you do, does not have to cost you a cent but may change someone's entire day. So, "Pay it Forward" and make Stronghurst a village known for its kindness. We are all in this together.
Virginia Ross Stronghurst
Dear Editor,
I would like to give a huge shout out to our La Harpe Community School District, who has gone above and beyond to keep our students in the classroom.
The end of the 2019-2020 school year was a very unprecedented time for our staff who were quickly thrown into a remote learning situation to finish out the academic school year.
It was a tough time for all but with everyone's support (administration, staff, students, parents and family) we all made it through.
Then to come back and be one of the few schools to open their doors last fall and get the students back in the classroom is something to be commended.
I had doubts that the classrooms would stay open more than a few weeks, due to COVID-19, but thankfully our school district proved me wrong. They went above and beyond to keep the students in the classroom as they still are today. The extra measures they took and the teamwork of all involved made it possible to keep our students in their natural learning environment.
As I hear of cities who still have not had their schools open, it makes me very thankful for our small town and the commitment we have to our children.
So I want to say much appreciation to the administration for providing the leadership in these unprecedented times, the cafeteria staff who continued to provide meals when the classrooms were closed, staff who kept the environment safe and clean, and to the teachers and aids who have had so much more put on their plate this year.
Keep up the good work! You are appreciated more than you know.
Becky Smith, LA HARPE