Full disclosure: It would be hard for me to imagine an elected position that I wouldn’t endorse Cynthia Claridge for. I’ve had the pleasure of knowing Cynthia since 1995, when I moved to Redmond to join Cascade Medical Clinic as a family physician.

I’ve come to know Cynthia through both social and professional circles. In her role as an elementary school teacher, she taught one of my sons. Most of us can recall the difference between teachers that treat their profession as a vocation, rather than as just a job. Cynthia’s dedication to teaching children went far beyond having a job.

I’m deeply impressed by Cynthia’s longstanding commitment to her community, including her four years of service on the Redmond Public Library board before the formation of Deschutes Public Library District. More recently, her volunteer work with CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate for Children), assisting children in the foster care system, has added to my admiration of her efforts.

As the co-owner of a bookstore in Redmond for eight years, Cynthia is sensitive to the needs of a broad spectrum of our community, including those of the business community.

Cynthia and I have been members of a book club that will be celebrating 20 years together this month, with hundreds of books shared over that span of time. Cynthia specialized in reading intervention as a teacher, owned a bookstore, reads constantly for her own pleasure, and has experience with library boards both in the past, and as an incumbent for her upcoming reelection bid for the Deschutes Public Library Board. No one currently running for Cynthia’s position on the Deschutes Public Library Board can match that record. Experienced, sensitive to the needs of a rapidly growing community, dedicated to staying highly informed about the changing role of libraries over time, Cynthia is poised to continue bringing her wonderful talents and dedication to the DPL Board. Vote for Cynthia Claridge.

Dan Murphy

Redmond