To the Editor:
The elections are over and we all draw a collective sigh of relief that the negative ads and television commercials ended. Now the real work begins for our national and local officials.
To our local candidates, you are to be admired for your willingness to serve your communities. Joy to the winners; disappointment to the losers. And when the contest was over, regardless of which side we rooted for, we still share the same planet, the same country, the same point in time. The glitch? Sharing doesn’t always come easily for us.
We have been blessed to get to live here. I respect each and every one of you, regardless if I agree with 100 percent of your agenda or not. As President Lincoln said to a nation far more divided than ours, “We are not enemies, but friends.”
So, I’m a hopeless optimistic. Now is the time to start the healing process in Mt. Angel. Let us offer our new mayor and councilors our good will and earnest effort to find ways to come together to find the necessary compromises to bridge our differences. Take the time to meet your newly elected officials and let them know you would like to help make our great community even greater.
Sincerely,
Maureen Ernst
