CHRISTMAS MEMORIES

I am a baby boomer, born in 1946. My Mom was a stay at home mom, like most mom's of that era, and my Dad worked for the same company, Western Electric, until he retired after 35 years at the age of 55. My brother and I attended St. Rita's Parochial School and along with reading, writing and arithmetic we got a heavy dose of religion. That was a different time and place compared to today and calls to mind many fond memories. Spending our first Christmas on Bainbridge Island after almost 30 years on Kings Mountain brought these memories into sharp focus.

Christmas was a big deal at St. Rita's with both secular and religious activities. Sometime after Thanksgiving the entire school assembled in the parish auditorium and watched The Miracle on 34th Street. We also practiced Christmas Carols which we would sing at the 9:00 AM Children's Mass. In the 50's and 60's St. Rita's was a big parish. On Sundays Masses were held at 6:30 AM, 7:15, 8:15, 9:00 (the children's Mass) 10:00, 11:00 and 12:15 PM. We were expected to sit with our class and the nun that taught us for this 9:00 AM Mass.

Unlike today with the Christmas Season starting after Halloween our Christmas season began after Thanksgiving and then it was a slow start. My family put Christmas lights in the windows and hung a wreath on the front door; but the tree was a different story. I think my brother and I truly believed, as did all our friends, in Santa Claus until probably the 3rd grade. Prior to Christmas my Mom would be busy baking cookies; but the house was not really decorated. However; on Christmas morning my brother and I woke up to a decorated house, a tree trimmed and sparkling with lights and tinsel and our Christmas Garden with our American Flyer trains and of course, piles of presents. How did Santa do all this?

Years later our parents shared with us how "Santa" accomplished so much at our house. On Christmas Eve after my brother and I hung our stockings and put out milk and cookies for Santa we promptly went to bed as Santa did not visit homes where children were still awake. This was when our parents went to work. The Christmas Garden, a 4 by 8 foot winter village scene complete with houses, snow, and the American Flyer trains was assembled, wired and set up by my father. My mother trimmed the tree and wrapped all the presents. My parents shared that on some occasions they would just be finishing everything and it would almost be daylight. On one Christmas morning they heard me and my brother about to leave our bedroom and they told us that Santa had not yet been to our house and we better go back to sleep ! Hearing these stories I understood why my parents liked to just sit around on Christmas Day and relax .... they were tired having gotten little or no sleep on Christmas Eve!

After Sunday Mass my brother and I spent the day emptying our Christmas stockings and playing with our gifts and trains. By early evening we had Christmas dinner. Since we always had a roast turkey at Thanksgiving on Christmas it would be a baked ham with mashed potatoes, vegetable side dishes and dinner rolls. Of course desert would be an assortment of Christmas cookies that my Mom had baked and maybe a homemade fruit cake. It was always a most enjoyable day.

The days immediately after Christmas we visited family, especially our grandparents. My brother and I always enjoyed these visits because it meant more presents and more cookies and candy. My paternal grandmother made excellent Russian Tea cookies and kept our glasses full of Pepsi Cola. My maternal grandfather introduced us to the tangy taste of ginger ale as he used ginger ale in his high ball cocktails. These visits also gave my brother and me the opportunity to visit with aunts, uncles and our cousins. At my Grandmother's the adults would sit around the dining room table and us kids would gather in the living room and watch television, share comic books and stuff ourselves with treats and sweets. These were good times that I will always remember.

Merry Christmas Everyone,

bob

BANKS - PART OF THE ECONOMIC SOLUTION OR THE ECONOMIC PROBLEM

I hope Thanksgiving was pleasant for everyone and under the circumstances most of us had much for which to be thankful. In my first letter I briefly described our 14 hour journey north and as you know we made it. We have been kept busy throughout November with the arrival of our furniture, buying some appliances, getting phone, TV and internet set up and fencing part of the property. Surprisingly, with few exceptions all service personnel and deliveries have been made in a timely and courteous manner. The pace, if not the residents of Bainbridge, seem to be less rushed and more civil and easy going. Our Thanksgiving was reminiscent of Thanksgivings on Kings Mountain. We were joined by our son, Devin, and friends Ralph and Mary Miller. We experienced some of the coldest weather to hit Bainbridge in years complete with a snowstorm and a 36 hour power outage. We felt right at home!

As many of you know the sale of our Kings Mountain house took two years. If it had not been for the diligence and hard work of our real estate agent, Margot Lockwood, we might still be residing in California. Of course the state of the economy and the current housing market meant a sale yielding somewhat less than what we planned in 2008. As a result a modest mortgage was needed to purchase our second home on Bainbridge. Yes, we already own a home in the Rolling Bay area of the island; but after being a rental for five years it would need quite a bit of work to bring it up to our standards. Consequently we decided that rather than embark on a long remodel program we would find a house in move in or turnkey condition. We found such a house in the Lynwood Center area of the island. A charming craftsman style house on 2.5 acres surrounded by trees with a salmon stream running through the property.

However; there was a gorilla in the room when it came to putting together the sale of the Kings Mountain house and the purchase of the Bainbridge house. That gorilla was the bank or more specifically the bank's underwriters. We used the services of a Seattle area mortgage broker and were prequalified for our loan. Skyline was sold and our buyer, who is more than financially qualified, was given the third degree by the Wells Fargo underwriters. The documentation and paper work he was forced to provide was endless. Then it was our turn. In spite of being prequalified our lender began making demands for documents, statements and letters of explanation that continued right up until close of escrow. Having no consumer debt except an interest free car loan, credit scores of 790,795 and 800, money in the bank and more than sufficient income the underwriters demanded more proof of our credit worthiness and intentions.

Our lender demanded proof of earnings for my last two years of teaching even though I retired in 2008. We had to provided letters stating that we intended to live in the Lynwood house as husband and wife (I added until death do us part) and explain why we were selling an expensive house in California and buying a less expensive house in Washington. In this letter I gave a crash course on the CA economy, empty nest situation, retirement and downsizing. Most of these letters required editing and rewriting to control my sarcasm and tongue in cheek humor. Without a doubt the underwriters are the most annoying, persnickety, supercilious bunch of anal retentive nit pickers I have ever encountered. No wonder the housing market is in a slump.

To anyone contemplating a sale or applying for a mortgage prepare yourself for an ordeal. Having bailed out the banks with our tax money it is ironic that we are now treated as their problem rather than the funding source that provided a solution to their financial difficulties. They were too big to fail and we are too little to matter.

GOOD BYE KINGS MOUNTAIN, CA ... HELLO BAINBRIDGE ISLAND, WA.

Our house sold and closed and we hit the road on Saturday morning Oct 30th at 5:00 AM arriving on Bainbridge Island at 7:00 PM after 14 hours of driving. I drove the Jeep loaded with "stuff" (computers, plants and liquor) and Mary Lynn drove the Subaru with our four Golden Retrievers: Sammy, Olive , Lani and Tommy. Mary Lynn and the dogs listened to a reading of John Lescroart's novel, The Oath , while I listened to classic rock and smoked cigars ;-}. We stayed at the Island Country Inn pending the official filing of our closing documents. Washington state also has furlough Fridays and as a result the filing was delayed until the following Monday or Tuesday. The Island Country Inn is a very comfortable pet friendly Inn and we patiently waited for the system to move forward.

One night we enjoyed a delightful dinner with our BI friends, Bob and Nancy Fortner, and then it was early to rise to get Mary Lynn to the 5:20 AM ferry to Seattle to link up with her scheduled ground transportation to SeaTac Airport. She would be in Wash. DC and Boston that week on business. The movers arrived on Thursday Nov. 4th so I was unpacking the boxes that I had so recently packed.

Many of you have shared kind words and memories about our time in California and asked questions about Bainbridge Island. I have put together a group to receive this e-mail and future e-mails about our transition from Kings Mountain, California to Bainbridge Island, Washington. If you would prefer to not receive future e-mails just drop me a line and I will delete your name. No offense taken as I realize that the volume of e-mail on a daily basis can be quite heavy.

How about those Giants !!!!!!

It Ain't Over Till It's Over --- But Is It Over?

Barack Obama and a majority of Democrats were elected to office because many Americans were dissatisfied with what was done and not done during the Bush/Cheney years. The level of dissatisfaction was so great that the Democrats not only won the White House; but took control of both Houses of Congress. Unfortunately, having been given this opportunity to affect change the Democrats seem to have fumbled the ball on far too many occasions. We will soon have mid-term November elections and the Democrats are on the ropes facing the possibility of losing control of both the House of Representatives and the Senate. What went wrong?

Well, no doubt Mr. Obama assumed the Presidency just after this country hit a financial and economic iceberg of gigantic proportions. We were still engaged in unpopular and seemingly pointless wars in both Iraq and Afghanistan and there was an overall optimistic attitude that positive changes were soon to take place. Unfortunately as time passed it became apparent that we were dealing with the same crap but different flies. The economy got worse as Americans lost their jobs, homes were foreclosed and major financial institutions collapsed. We did get health care reform; but to the many without jobs and those about to lose their homes health care reform was a poor consolation prize.

Believing that we would soon extract ourselves from the unfortunate and costly mess in Iraq and Afghanistan it became apparent that not only were we not getting out of these wars; but we would be increasing our level of involvement. To add salt to Americans' wounds we saw the same financial institutions that were the catalyst for our economic catastrophe receive billions of dollars in tax payer bailout money because they were "too big to fail". On the other hand the hundreds of thousands of Americans who lost their jobs and their homes in foreclosure were apparently too small to save.

The cast of characters in this gut wrenching tragic comedy was even more annoying. We were treated to the arrogance and contempt of Attorney General Eric Holder and former Secretary of the Treasury Henry Paulson, the confusing rationale of alleged economic genius and the new Secretary of the Treasury, Timothy Geithner, the obvious incompetence of patently unqualified Janet Napolitano and the verbal gaffes of Vice President and occasional buffoon Joe Biden. As usual the Democrats displayed their uncanny ability to grab failure and defeat from hands of success.

Now we are dealing with the semi-intelligent ramblings of John McCain's gift to political theatre, Sarah Palin, and a cast of characters that include off the wall Glen Beck, the well tanned John Boehner, the sometimes out to lunch Nancy Pelosi and of course the intellectual lectures of President Obama himself. All that is missing are delusional comments of a court jester like Rod Blagojevich. Is it any wonder that Americans are turning their backs on the incompetent antics of both the Democrats and the Republicans? Is anyone surprised that the simplicity of the Tea Party is so appealing to so many?

Many elected Democrats and Republicans are more loyal to the color blue or red of their respective party than to the colors red, white and blue of all Americans. These elected politicians ignore the concepts of compromise, mediation and moderation. Their working attitude has been and continues to be their way or the highway. As a result we are in a state of gridlock with little getting done. Consequently many Americans will opt to clean house and throw the bums out. Unfortunately neither the Democrats nor the Republicans have many alternative candidates of substance, experience and intelligence to offer to the voting public. Americans are caught between a rock and a hard spot.

No doubt when Americans vote in November many Democrats and Republicans will experience the disapproval of Americans as they are voted out of office. It is unclear as to whether the Republicans will actually take control of both Houses; but it is clear that the Democrats will no longer be in control, if they ever indeed were in charge. After November the only question that remains will be whether or not Barack Obama will be elected to a second term.

Scapegoating Teachers & African American Males

Much of the education news recently deals with the low (42%) graduation rate among African American Males. Of course this story, based on recent studies was covered by NPR, CNN and most of the other major news networks. I don't know about FOX, I think FOX was covering the Kardashians in Miami. As was expected the "experts" who offered their opinions spewed forth the usual accusatory comments. It was the Blame Game. Teachers don't care. We have failed to hold the interest of these students. They are bored. School is not fun. It was the usual litany of finger pointing accusations.

I decided to Google the news story and see if anyone had something new to offer. Well, I came upon this piece by a social activist, Rev. Romal J. Tune. Reading this article was like a breath of fresh air after dealing with so much hot air. This man has his head screwed on right. He ought to be this country's Secretary of Education instead of Race to the Top advocate Arne Duncan. Rev. Tune understands that to be successful it is more than just the school experience. It is much more.

Take a look at this article. I don't think you will be disappointed.

Scapegoating Teachers Will Not Help Young Black Males Succeed

Rev. Romal J. Tune
Social Activist

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The Schott foundation study showing that less than 50 percent of black males are graduating from high school is astounding and depressing - but not a revelation to many in the African American community.

We've known for years that our public school systems are failing to meet the needs of young black males. Unfortunately, instead of sparking an important dialogue this news has started the old finger pointing blame game. Blame the teachers, torch the unions and throw social justice organizations under the bus.

This tired argument misses a huge point which is revealed in the study - the fact that our communities are also failing these young men. But talking heads would like to hijack this commendable study to instead galvanize the community against teachers.

African Americans know anecdotally, and this study confirms, that there are a host of other social factors that affect young black males who disproportionately come from single parent homes, are more likely to live in poverty and are predisposed to inner city violence from gangs and drugs. And too often these young men lack role models to show them another path

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I know because I was one of those young men. I came from a family where being gang-affiliated was more prized than being on the honor roll. There was a history of drugs and violence in my neighborhood and frankly a lot of the conditions in my house left me so distracted that often school was the last thing on my mind.

Because of my unstable home environment I moved in and out of schools - attending nearly 10 different schools during my elementary years. Were the teachers to blame for my early failures? Not at all, but my community and my home life were huge factors.

During my years in school there were a lot of great teachers who tried to get through to me. Teachers who stayed late when they weren't paid overtime. Teachers who bought me food, gave me bus fare with their own money and used their paychecks to provide classroom supplies for other students.

Too often these teachers get swept up in the anti-teacher rhetoric that's become common in our public policy debates. Dangerous rhetoric that leads Americans to think that teachers are ineffective, overpaid, part of the problem and should be fired on a whim; an instant recipe for dissuading talented people who are thinking of pursuing a profession in this unappreciated field.

I agree that our education system should focus on the children but I also believe that we need to protect teachers from critics who want to scapegoat them as the sole source of the problem while ignoring other factors.

Children should have good teachers to protect their future and teachers should have a voice on the job to protect them when they are not the source of the problem

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I work closely with many individuals and groups who are committed to using an integrated approach to improving our public school systems--including teachers unions. Together, we are working to provide teachers with the supports they need to help students succeed, to strengthen teachers' skills and to develop ways to accurately identify teachers who are not cut out for the profession. I believe in the work that I do because frankly it's just too easy to think that firing all the teachers is going to solve our education problem. And it's way too easy to throw out the public schools and the kids in them and start with whole new model that's only available to some kids.

But that won't solve the problem for many urban communities who are waiting for us to work together to find a solution that allows all schools and communities to succeed

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Improving education outcomes for black males is an urgent priority, but the blame game will only move us in the wrong direction. Only when parents, administrators, teachers, and the community come together to find solutions can we truly address all the factors in making a child a success. Meanwhile let's stop finger pointing and begin to share solutions because there are too many kids - kids who are growing up like I did - who are waiting for us to get our act together.

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