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24 December 2009
Dear friends,
If your home is anything like ours around the holidays, it’s full of hustle and bustle this season. The record-breaking 15 inches of snow did not help, but the day we spent at home as a family was a pleasant gift to slow down.
In addition catching up with family over Christmas, I’ll also be preparing for the upcoming legislative session. Over the last month, I’ve been actively meeting with groups and individuals who are sharing their hopes and fears about what the session could hold for them.
I have met with many school superintendents around the state and talked with them about my reorganization plans for school districts. I’ve also met with teachers concerning shortfalls in school funding.
I toured Broadlawns Hospital and discussed concerns related to health care reform and Iowa’s shortage of nurses. And I got the chance to look over a new home in Ames for individuals with development disabilities.
It was also really nice to spend some time in San Francisco, where I attended a leadership conference and had an opportunity to talk with others from around the country about such issues as aging, health care and the environment.
Finally, our family was able to convince our neighbor Kathi Slaughter to come and snap a family photo for the holidays before the snow flew. It is great to have good friends in our neighborhood and especially ones that are talented with a camera.
Best wishes for happy holidays and here is hoping for a prosperous new year!
Matt