Early childhood education essential for valley families

As a pediatrician and a parent here in the valley, I am encouraged by former RE-1 Superintendent Rob Stein and the current superintendents’ call for better access to early childhood education in their November 22 column. Along with affordable housing and healthcare, accessible childcare is a critical concern in our region. Our local families deserve childcare options that are currently not available to most, and it is in all of our best interest, as a community, to advocate for comprehensive solutions that will alleviate this crisis.

As a pediatrician in the Colorado River/Roaring Fork Valley for the past eleven years, I have stories of parents who have had to cobble together childcare. Oftentimes, childcare becomes a constant juggle of neighbors, relatives, and other caregivers trading children and homes throughout the week.

From experience, I know that children thrive on consistency and, especially in the early years, this consistency is essential for early language, social-emotional, and physical development. While community is essential in the raising of children, it is not often sufficient to provide the early education that our community needs. Research consistently shows that early access to reading, writing, and structured play curriculum allows children to begin school engaged and ready. It can cause significant improvement of school performance with benefits persisting throughout a child’s education.

---

---

Not only that, but consistent childcare can provide caregivers with the stability so that they can pursue their own careers or education that not only positively impacts the community’s economy but also can ensure sufficient food, clothing, and resources to their own children. Children who have safe, stable homes with access to food, medical care, and resources should be our top priority.

By having licensed, community-supported childcare programs, we can ensure that families have the resources they need to positively engage in our community. And by creating supported families, we create healthier kids and a safer environment for generations to come.

---

---

Rebecca Percy, New Castle

Forgiveness Offers Path to Peace in Middle East

It occurred to me that Biden’s finest act, as president of a “Christian Nation,” was to demonstrate Christ’s parable, The Prodigal Son (Luke 15).

The prodigal son benefited vastly from the forgiveness and acceptance of his father, but even more, the father benefited from his own forgiving and accepting of himself. Jesus’ last breath was used to implore, “Forgive them.”

Many of us, who are considered westerners, descend from lines of Abraham’s sons, the Hebrew and Arab descendants, whose cultures are mostly unchanged and are kept separated by a grudge, maintained and cherished, for 4,000 years. A grudge that was dispelled by Jesus with the idea of forgiveness, taught in tiny Galilee for three years and then punctuated on a dying breath while hung on a cross. Forgiveness created Christianity from the same stock of Abraham’s sons, Isaac and Ishmael. The difference that forgiveness made to civilization is profound.

My message to the Arabs and Israelis is to forget the stupid thinking of 4,000 years of animosity and accept forgiveness in whatever form it is offered, then forgive right back to your brother. The most powerful thing that we can do is to make our enemy our friend. Our common ground is enormous.

John Hoffman, Carbondale

Aspen mayor’s survey fails to address community needs

Aspen’s Mayor Torre needs to explain why city residents should participate in a problematic survey when he’s already made up his mind on the best plan for a revised Highway 82 entrance to Aspen.

He should also explain why the survey did not include commuters and visitors, when he claims that he wants, “…a solution that satisfies a majority of our residents, commuters and visitors.” (“Please participate in the entrance survey,” Aspen Daily News, Dec. 4).

Torre spends most of his letter to the Daily News propagandizing for a modified split shot, a costly and inefficient choice. It looks like the city is wasting time and money on a survey and is headed towards wasting three more years and $3 million on a revised Environmental Impact Statement, in order to scuttle an approved plan – the preferred alternative, AKA, the straight shot.

The Aspen City Council should move ahead with the Colorado Department of Transportation to build the preferred alternative before the deteriorating Castle Creek Bridge fails.

Bernard Grauer, Basalt