On Nov. 7, we celebrated Veterans Day at the New Merkel House in Cahaba Heights. This annual event recognizes the veterans in attendance and presents certificates for family members of deceased veterans.
On Nov. 10, we held our annual “Salute to Veterans” event at our new Civic Center. I would like to thank our sponsors, our city personnel and our speaker, Commissioner Jeff Newton of the Alabama Department of Veteran Affairs for another outstanding event.
As President Ronald Reagan reminded us, “Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children's children what it was once like in the United States where men were free.”
May we never forget the veterans and the sacrifices they made to keep our nation free.
I hope you were able to attend our annual tree lighting ceremony on Nov. 20. This tradition kicks off our season of gratitude and giving.
I hope that you had a joyous Thanksgiving. As a community we have so much for which we should be thankful.
As we move into the Christmas holidays, let’s acknowledge that while we may celebrate different traditions, we share common values like love, hope and peace. May we all embrace the universal message of goodwill, compassion and gratitude that the holidays inspire across faiths. We can honor the season by celebrating these shared qualities and the joy of coming together as a community.
I will close with this blessing: “May we all find peace and joy in our own traditions.” Happy holidays to all!
