Ringing Freedom's Bell In Sunnyside, Washington & Beyond Since 2008
December 25, 2011 Leave a Comment
2011 Christmas Eve Candlelight Service at First Baptist Church, Sunnyside, Washington
December 23, 2011 Leave a Comment
“No other American military leader is so important and yet so little known as John J. Pershing.”Those interested in leadership and military history will find this book about “Black Jack” Pershing to be a quick and informative read. At one time, over a million men followed this man into battle, but yet he is not a major figure in contemporary discussions of history. However, he was highly regarded in his own time, and was discussed as a potential candidate for President following the “Great War.”
This book on John J. Pershing (1860-1948) is part of a series called “The Generals.”
Pershing was born in 1860, and his Missouri hometown of Laclede was subject to a Confederate raid in 1864. At times his family struggled financially, because of war damage, and subsequent economic conditions.
Later, Pershing taught black students in grade school, and eventually sought an appointment to West Point because it provided a free college education. His early Army career saw him commanding a black cavalry unit of “Buffalo Soldiers” fame. Critics of Pershing tagged him with a derogatory nickname from this experience, which newspaper editors later softened into “Black Jack.”
The book is a short, easy to read, overview of the life of John J. Pershing. In fact, most of the book centers on his family, and early career prior to World War I. Because of this, most readers will be intrigued by information that is not generally taught in U.S. History classes in our schools.
Pershing was renowned for his attention to detail, tough enforcement of regulations, and organizational leadership skills. Presidents McKinley, Teddy Roosevelt, Wilson, Franklin Roosevelt, and Harry Truman all had complimentary things to say about him.
Future Army officers of note such as Douglas MacArthur, George Marshall, and George Patton all credited Pershing with being a significant influence on their leadership development.
His leadership legacy includes creation of the Military Police, Pershing Rifles, and significant influence over teaching Army leaders through a formal education system within the military. Lessons learned during the European conflict are still taught to junior military officers today.
For a short introductory biography of a man somewhat neglected in teaching of history, I highly recommend this book. For serious students of history, this book will serve as a good primer for detailed study of Pershing.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze® book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
Pershing: Commander of the Great War by John Perry
ISBN 978-1-59555-355-3
224 Pages
Published by Thomas Nelson, Nashville, TN, 2011
List Price: $19.99
Author: John Perry, Series Editor: Stephen Mansfield
November 2, 2011 Leave a Comment
Diego, who is a contributor to this blog, offered his support to Jason Raines for Sunnyside City Council with a letter to the editor in today’s Daily Sun News.
This is what he said:
It is said that local elections usually fail to attract quality candidates. That is not the case in Sunnyside.
My friend, Jason Raines, is a candidate for city council, running on the importance of prioritizing spending and public safety. Unlike most politicians, Jason offers ideas and solutions, not rhetoric.
His passion for keeping streets safe earned him the distinct endorsement of the Sunnyside Police Officers Guild.
Please join me in supporting Jason Raines, the solution-based candidate.
/s/ Diego Trejo,
Grandview
September 18, 2011 1 Comment
Be the People, A Call to Reclaim America’s Faith & Promise, is a call to action for those that many would categorize as “the religious right.” What makes this book so interesting, is that the author is not what one would expect. Dr. Swain is an African-American woman raised in the rural South in a shack with no indoor plumbing. She dropped out of high school, has been divorced, raised kids as a single mother, and admits to having an abortion.
Against all odds, Swain earned her GED, and eventually achieved a successful career in academia. She is now a professor of political science and of law at Vanderbilt University. Her “rags to riches” background is a forceful reminder that the ideals of the “American Dream” are alive and well; and can be achieved regardless of socioeconomic backgrounds.
The book is broken into two parts; the first is titled “Broken Vows: Forsaking What We Once Knew.” It focuses on the changing values that Americans have, and how they have departed from those of our founding fathers. She is critical of political correctness, and its censoring of traditional Christian expression of thought in the public sphere. Swain documents how Christian values were integral in the creation of historical documents such as the Declaration of Independence, and the Constitution.
Her pro-life stance is strong, and she documents her own personal battle with guilt and health complications following her own abortion. Swain courageously criticizes faulty arguments on the “necessity” of abortion, knowing that she risks losing her academic career by “coming out” publicly as a Christian. She compares many of the academic studies on abortion to the documented “junk science” of climate scientists that have altered data to document climate change, now referred to as “climategate.”
Part Two of the book is entitled “Banished Virtues: Reclaiming Truth and Justice in Policy Choices.” In the second part of the book, Swain amplifies her call for readers to become politically active. At the end of each chapter she includes “Action Points”, which have suggested readings, and topics for small group discussions. She also prints the link to her website for more discussion items.
Swain presents a strong spiritual message of taking action in society. Although heavily centered on political issues and activism, she also encourages readers to be openly Christian in the business world. She laments that major media is heavily slanted toward secular humanist culture, and that merely winning at the ballot box will not counter what she considers the deterioration of our culture.
The last 90 pages of the book are filled with what I consider “clutter.” She includes the text of the Ten Commandments, The Declaration of Independence, The Bill of Rights, and the Constitution of the United States of America (1787) as appendices. This is followed by traditional style notes documenting sources and an index.
As important as the founding documents are, I do not feel it necessary to have them printed in this book. She could have simply stopped with encouraging her readers to read them. All are readily available on the Internet and at libraries everywhere.
Despite this, I found her book thought provoking. Her unique perspectives on poverty, race, and women’s issues are something that conservatives and liberals alike can benefit from. I recommend this book, and give it four stars on a five star scale.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://BookSneeze®.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
August 14, 2011 Leave a Comment
As a service to the community, and First Baptist Church of Sunnyside, Washington, BLOGSUNNYSIDE presents complete audio of the 110th Anniversary observance held on August 14, 2011. A number of church and civic leaders spoke at the event, giving an interesting historical compilation of events in both church and city history. The audio link is at the end of this post.
First Baptist Church Celebrates Its 110th Anniversary
Order of Service:
Welcome: Pastor Mike Hughes (introduction of Tim Hughes)
Invocation: Tim Hughes (introduces Michael Kennard)
Opening Comments: Michael Kennard
Cabot Dow, Former Member, Sunnyside First Baptist Church
Hymn 1: Blessed Assurance
Jack Cooper, Former Sunnyside First Baptist Church Boy Scout Leader
Gloria Quick, Longtime member of Sunnyside First Baptist Church
Steve Crick, Former member and officer of Sunnyside First Baptist Church
Hymn 2: Onward Christian Soldiers
Announcements: Chris Gardner
Offering: Mike Hughes – Special Music
Message: Pastor Mike Hughes
Roberto Ibarra, Pastor, Primera Iglesia Bautista, Grandview
David Roberts, Pastor of Yakima First and son of First Region Exec., Wayne Roberts
Hymn 3: The Old Rugged Cross
Phil Schenck, Sunnyside Police Department
Amber Hansen, Sunnyside Port District
Chris Gardner, Sunnyside Valley Irrigation District
Worship Song: Everlasting God
Closing Remarks: Michael Kennard
Closing Prayer: Pastor Mike Hughes
August 10, 2011 1 Comment
Kids are such a wonderful blessing, as any parent or grandparent can attest to. I am fortunate that I am blessed with three wonderful children, who delight me to no end.
They recently asked me to do something for them. I told them that I wish I could, but that it is simply not possible.
The four-year-old then said, “But you’re Daddy, you can do anything!” Despite the vote of confidence from my little one, I regret to inform the readers of this blog that I am merely a mortal man.
Many children, especially young ones, believe in the unlimited ability of parents to provide things with mysterious or magical means of production. I had to smile when my child said this to me, even as I burst her bubble of expectations.
It is part of growing up that we learn to do things for ourselves, while also learning what our own personal limitations are. Someone once said, “You don’t know who you really are, until you have tried your hardest at something, and still failed.”
There is a grain of truth in that statement, as experiences help to shape our character. I know what my limitations are, and have opinions about what the limitations of government should be.
It is not a mature life view to expect someone to provide food, clothing, shelter, medical care, and spending money to us for our entire lives. It is part of the process of growing up. As the bickering over deficit spending continues in Washington D.C., I am reminded of how America has some growing up of its own to do.
It is not healthy to have people look to Uncle Sam or the politicians in Olympia, and say, “but you’re Daddy, you can do anything!”
July 28, 2011 7 Comments
Alright folks, here is a quick thought on how we can solve the current debate about the debt ceiling:
Don’t spend more money than we raise through taxes, fees, and other sources now being affectionately referred to as “revenues.”
If we did that, our leaders in Washington D.C. would not be having this debate.
Is it really that complicated?
In my view, it is not. We are now having to confront the problem that has been building for years. We are spending too much money. It can’t go on forever. We can take the painful measures to to fix this problem now, or our nation can go bankrupt.
What do you think?
July 13, 2011 Leave a Comment
Tuesday afternoon, a rainbow formed over Sunnyside. This snapshot I took does not do it justice.
Another event worthy of mention is the Bicycle Rodeo being held by the Sunnyside Police Department. It is from 6-8 tonight at the Law and Justice Center. For those that do not have bicycle helmets, the police department has some that they will be giving away at this event.
Sunnyside Police Department Flier
July 6, 2011 3 Comments
Yes friends, Sunnyside’s Promise has a video posted online for the world to see. I am now aware of this fact, and will enlighten you on it momentarily. Recently, I wrote a post about a video that Transformation Sunnyside has online. That post got the attention of Nate Bridges, who let me know about the Sunnyside’s Promise video.
After viewing the Sunnyside’s Promise video, I asked Mr. Bridges if I could sit down and discuss it with him. He readily agreed, and we met Tuesday morning. After the meeting, I came away impressed with how driven he is in supporting the Sunnyside’s Promise organization. In terms of the gang problem, it is important to have positive outlets for youth to engage in, as an alternative to the dead-end that gangs will bring. As law enforcement brings greater pressure on the criminal element in our city, we also need to have positive alternatives for our youth.
Sunnyside's Promise Board Chair Nate Bridges
Funding is always an issue in the non-profit world, and Sunnyside’s Promise has some unique challenges in this regard. While getting support from the City of Sunnyside, the Sunnyside School District, and Sunnyside Community Hospital, the organization is looking to also get increased support from the private sector. Many of the grant programs that Sunnyside’s Promise is engaged in pay for the programs and employees, but allow only a small percentage to be spent on administrative overhead.
Bridges says one of the reasons for making this video, is for corporate boards to see some of the things that Sunnyside’s Promise has going on, so they can consider including the group in their budgets for charity and community activities. These programs do not come cheap, as the group needs $180,000 each year to pay for its executive director, secretary, office space, insurance obligations, and employee benefits. Most of the other employees are paid through various grants.
The Yakima County Gang Commission failed to include substantial money for Sunnyside’s Promise in its allocation of funding to fight gangs in the county, an oversight that Nate Bridges says he has been told will not occur again in the future. Mr. Bridges is an appointed representative for the City of Sunnyside on the Gang Commission, but was out of town when the rest of the commission disbursed its funds last year. Mayor Jim Restucci also represents the City of Sunnyside on this commission.
The Yakima Herald-Republic reported on the agencies that did receive funds through the gang commission, and a link to that article is at the bottom of this post.
In the YouTube video, Mr. Bridges says they were unable to show much of what the group does, due to concerns for the at-risk youth they are working with. If it becomes public knowledge that a gang member is trying to leave the gang, they may be victims of violence from other gang members.
One such case involved Diane Lopez from Outlook, that according to Bridges, had made the decision to leave the gang. She was involved with services from Sunnyside’s Promise, and unfortunately died after being shot in her home in Outlook.
Sunnyside’s Promise has helped eight or nine youth to remove tattoos, which also can not be pictured publicly. Those removing tattoos are also at risk from other gang members that may respond in a violent fashion at this. Such is the culture of those caught up in gangs.
The Sunnyside School District has referred over 90 students to Sunnyside’s Promise for its prevention and intervention programs. Bridges says the kids typically are referred after flashing gang signs and colors, or engaging in other behavior linked to gangs. School counselors are not equipped to deal with these kids to the extent that Sunnyside’s Promise is working with them.
In conclusion, the gang problem is complex. No simple cure, like getting a job at the local Wal-Mart, will cure it. The culture of gang life must not be allowed to take over the lives of our youth. Sunnyside’s Promise is striving to prevent that from happening. I wish them the best of luck in their endeavors.
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