We want to welcome back Assistant Fire Chief Bill Herrera after his near-death encounter with a rattlesnake during the search for a missing camper in June. See story on page one.

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Our new school Superintendent, Dr. Adrian E. Palazuelos, already has things well in hand. This was obvious to me after participating in last night's board meeting. He has a clear plan for improving student academic achievement, and a strong sense of the importance of lively communications between teachers, staff, parents, students, and the city at large. I also got a sense of Dr. Palazuelos' enthusiastic determination to see things through.

As for care of school grounds, I have to make a sad recommendation. One of the two large trees directly in front of the District office has apparently died from past neglect. The tree should be removed soon because the heavy branches pose a serious danger.

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The slaughter in Iraq continues but Obama says we've done enough and that America is tired of war. Really? America, you haven't seen anything yet. If I may borrow some Biblical terminology, Satan's army has recently captured a large part of both Syria and Iraq. The demons claim statehood; they call it a Caliphate. Their stated mission is to conquer the entire non-Muslim world, killing all Jews and Christians, and other "Infidels" who refuse to convert to Islam. The women and children are being sold into sex slavery, the men murdered. James Foley, journalist captured by ISIL, was beheaded yesterday with threats for more. Putin "spits" in Obama's face; http://nypost.com/tag/james-wright-foley/China, North Korea, Iran, and, with a lean and hungry eye, the entire Muslim Middle East mock our Commander in Chief for his weakness. This seems to be one community Obama cannot seem to organize.

Aren't you liberal Democrats proud to have elected this gutless, clueless "man" to "lead" our nation?