Attend candidates
forum Oct. 25We cannot emphasize enough how imperative it is that parents and community members engage in the upcoming school board election for Mount Vernon. With five open seats and 10 candidates, it is more important than ever for voters to understand these candidates’ motives, associations and qualifications for serving our school since it is these elected officials that will choose our next superintendent. We must elect common sense, consensus builders who understand and represent the values of our community.
Though we do not know each candidate personally, we have concerns about the motives of candidates associated with Moms for Liberty and those who are publicly anti-inclusion. We have a difficult time understanding how these candidates will be consensus building school board members. Moms for Liberty does not hide its desire to get its members elected to school boards — in fact, it provides members a handbook on how to get elected — so we encourage everyone to attend the Candidates’ Forum Oct. 25 and ask meaningful questions of all of the candidates.
School boards should be made up of community members who want to support our teachers and who understand how to do that. We have a number of candidates with experience in education and with deep interest in serving this community. These are the candidates we want to make decisions about our schools and our children.
Taryn Kuntz
Springville
Vet your school
board choicesMount Vernon Schoolboard elections are Nov. 7. Please understand the values of each candidate. I am pleading for each of you to commit to voting and more urgently realize the values of the candidate you cast your vote for.
I attended a Mom’s For Liberty chapter meeting. To educate myself on what this group represents. I listened as speakers portrayed MV as a den of evil due to our support and inclusion of LGBTQ+ children. I heard them verbally attack Maggie Willems as a “woke” teacher. And speak out about banning books in schools.
I worked for the MV schools for 28 years. Mount Vernon in my 62 years as a resident has chosen to be welcoming. We help our children and parents; we accept our families however their make-up. We find value in all people and families.
I believe a national organization who is intent on infiltrating school boards across the country to orchestrate their agendas is unacceptable in Mt. Vernon. Greg Papin and other candidates are taking the support of this group and will, if elected, bring their values and agenda to our school.
We must understand the values of each candidate and vote to retain the values of Mount Vernon.
Diversity, books in libraries to be a choice of the reader, teaching history in all its glory and hardships, not attacking our teachers or school employees for taking on the job of educating and caring for our young people are the values I believe represents Mount Vernon. We support our educators.
Schools are in communities to represent the people who live and grow in that community. More importantly, to help each generation learn to learn and take on a changing world. This community is welcoming, we take pride in the education we provide our children. Our community is conservative, centrist, and liberal and we work together to provide this welcoming atmosphere to our young people.
My ask is simple, educate yourself on those running for the election, be aware of outside groups who do not represent Mount Vernon and then VOTE!
Thank you,
Denise Havill
Mount Vernon
Don’t vote
for Greg Papin As a Mount Vernon citizen highly involved with City Council meetings this summer and a mother of two students, one of whom is a member of the LGBTQ+ community, I have serious concerns about Greg Papin running for school board. I encourage all voters to watch council meetings online, read his letter to the editor (LTE), and pay close attention to how quickly he flips his rhetoric.
During the June 19 council meeting, he proclaims allyship to the LGBTQ+ community, but then states he wants to protect children from Pride events and that by showing support to the LGBTQ+ community, MV would become a “safe haven for pedophiles, predators and MAPs (minor attracted persons).” He goes on to say that the TQ in LGBTQ+ “is about an unreasonable demand to bully those who refuse comply with delusions.” Using these fear tactics that distort truth is not showing allyship to LGBTQ+ community.
On his campaign website, he emphasizes his support of educators. However, in his August 3 LTE, he publicly attacks a MVHS teacher for her legitimate concerns regarding Moms for Liberty involvement in school board elections. In this same letter, he states that he “despises white supremacists” when just prior he defended- and is now endorsed by- Moms for Liberty, whom he acknowledged quoted Hitler.
His campaign further claims that he supports all students. We may be a small, rural public school district, but we are lucky to have diversity reflected in our student body. In City Council meetings, Mr. Papin publicly stated that DEI statements and actions to support them “creates division rather than unity” and grouped my child and others like them as “bullies” and “pedophiles.” This is not supporting all students.
Mr. Papin’s statements have been rife with contradiction and hypocrisy. With so many excellent candidates to choose from who are trustworthy, who represent the values of the majority instead of extremists and who will truly look out for ALL students and teachers- not just those they agree with- cast your vote for someone other than Greg Papin.
Megan Jones
Mount Vernon
Letters to Editor Oct. 19
October 19, 2023