Deer Park, Washington, United States

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Letter To Editor – To Deer Park School District Residents, Shani Hunsaker

Typewriter with paper reading "Letters to the Editor"

To Deer Park School District residents,

My husband and I moved here almost 5 years ago. We both work here in town and we have fallen in love with this small town.  We appreciate all of the community events, the small businesses and the people that call this town their home.

This past Friday, I had the pleasure of being at the high school for most of the day.  My daughter was in a play put on by Home Link Drama in the theater, the Deer Park-Riverside basketball games were going on in the gym, and the Home Link cheerleaders were performing at half-time. Because of all these happenings, I found myself camping out in the commons of the high school for a long duration of time.

What I saw provided me with so much pride for our community. People came out in the masses to support these events. Kids were playing basketball, tag, charades and whatever else they could think of all around me. Arcadia families were buying raffle ticket after raffle ticket to support one of their staff’s fight with cancer. Families were catching up with one another about their daily lives. Concession stand food was being consumed at an alarming rate. The crowds in the gym were deafening as they cheered for their teams. Families were braving the bitter cold to support their drama student or cheerleader who had spent countless hours preparing for their respectful roles.

As I left that evening, I felt such happiness about this community that I get to be a part of.  The city is now telling us that we need to share this special place with others. As new homes are being built and new families are choosing to make Deer Park their home. Let us welcome them with the same welcoming spirit that I witnessed at Deer Park High School this past Friday.

The school district is trying to make a place for these new families by passing a bond and levy to build a new school, a new transportation center, remodel some older buildings and keep the wonderful extra-curricular programs that are already in place at our schools. Please join me in voting yes in the February 13th election so that we can continue to provide opportunities and places for our community to come together and support, celebrate, and enjoy each other. 

Most Sincerely, Shani Hunsaker

Reprinted with permission.
Letters to the Editor are not edited or corrected for content or grammar. 

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