Arp stands out, and I’m thankful

By Chris Baldus, cbaldus@charlescitypress.com

I guess he tends to stand out.

Christopher Arp towered in the back of the combined Charles City Singers and high school choirs Monday night. I have to admit, however, I was intent on finding my daughter in the crowd and didn’t really notice him until his solo.

His voice is deep, the kind that vibrates the little hairs on your arm.

It’s always a privilege to come across performances like his.

Arp is a Spanish teacher in Rockford. You can read his bio on the school district’s website. It’s in English and Spanish. He’s the only staff member to do that on the site. Although if I were English/language arts teacher Jana Huebsch, I might feel a bit pressured to include a bio copy of my own written in Shakespeare verse.

Arp has taught Spanish in Rockford since 2009 and is a 2008 graduate of Luther College, which also turned out Derek Sturtevant, the Charles City High School choir director who led Monday’s concert.

A team photo of the secondary teachers on the Rockford school district web site has him in the middle of the back row. He’s the bearded gentleman about a head taller than the basketball coaches standing nearby.

Thanks, Christopher.

I visited the Floyd County Republican Party meeting last night at the Charles City Public Library. The one comment that stuck out for me was concern about negative impacts on Iowa agricultural exports. Great point. And Sen. Charles Grassley, who will be here Thursday, appears to agree. He has already brought it up with the Trump Administration, but a bunch of Iowa encouragement to keep up the pressure would still be a good thing.

I had to leave the meeting early because it was booked up against the choir concert at Trinity.

Working my beat last Friday visiting various offices populated by public employees, the atmosphere was exceptionally heavy. Many of these folks, some doing particularly thankless jobs that nonetheless need to be done, are feeling helpless, frustrated and unappreciated. It’s a terrible place to be.

Disrespect should not be an Iowa value. Good pay for a good day’s work should be.

I would not blame any public employee if they walked out and didn’t come back. I simply hope they don’t.

Check out the end of the The Associated Press story today on Republican town halls and you’ll see another reason why Democrats — and others — become incensed.

I’m thinking about this after hearing a fellow wonder aloud how to convince Democrats not to be so doom-and-gloom and to cooperate with the new order of things.

Regarding protesters, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said they had their shot and “Winners make policy and the losers go home.”

What are you Mitch, 8 years old?

America has never and should never be a winner-take-all governing model. Look at the way the Constitution strives to protect individuals from the oppression of mob rule.

Where is the Bull Moose Party when you need them.

Contact Editor Chris Baldus at cbaldus@charlescitypress.com.