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The Board of Trustees and Alpine Township Staff wish everyone a heart full of thanks this Thanksgiving day. The office will be closed Thursday and Friday
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Presidential Thanksgiving Day Proclamation 2012
On Thanksgiving Day, Americans everywhere gather with family
and friends to recount the joys and blessings of the past year. This day is a
time to take stock of the fortune we have known and the kindnesses we have
shared, grateful for the God-given bounty that enriches our lives. As many
pause to lend a hand to those in need, we are also reminded of the indelible
spirit of compassion and mutual responsibility that has distinguished our
Nation since its earliest days.
Many Thanksgivings have offered opportunities to celebrate community
during times of hardship. When the Pilgrims at Plymouth Colony gave thanks for
a bountiful harvest nearly four centuries ago, they enjoyed the fruits of their
labor with the Wampanoag tribe – a people who had shared vital knowledge of the
land in the difficult months before. When President George Washington marked
our democracy's first Thanksgiving, he prayed to our Creator for peace, union,
and plenty through the trials that would surely come. And when our Nation was
torn by bitterness and civil war, President Abraham Lincoln reminded us that we
were, at heart, one Nation, sharing a bond as Americans that could bend but
would not break. Those expressions of unity still echo today, whether in the
contributions that generations of Native Americans have made to our country,
the Union our forebears fought so hard to
preserve, or the providence that draws our families together this season.
As we reflect on our proud heritage, let us also give thanks
to those who honor it by giving back. This Thanksgiving, thousands of our men
and women in uniform will sit down for a meal far from their loved ones and the
comforts of home. We honor their service and sacrifice. We also show our
appreciation to Americans who are serving in their communities, ensuring their neighbors
have a hot meal and a place to stay. Their actions reflect our age-old belief
that we are our brothers' and sisters' keepers, and they affirm once more that
we are a people who draw our deepest strength not from might or wealth, but
from our bonds to each other.
On Thanksgiving Day, individuals from all walks of life come
together to celebrate this most American tradition, grateful for the blessings
of family, community, and country. Let us spend this day by lifting up those we
love, mindful of the grace bestowed upon us by God and by all who have made our
lives richer with their presence.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the
authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States,
do hereby proclaim Thursday, November 22, 2012, as a National Day of
Thanksgiving. I encourage the people of the United States to join together –
whether in our homes, places of worship, community centers, or any place of
fellowship for friends and neighbors – and give thanks for all we have received
in the past year, express appreciation to those whose lives enrich our own, and
share our bounty with others.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
twentieth day of November, in the year of our Lord two thousand twelve, and of
the Independence of the United States of America the two
hundred and thirty-seventh.
BARACK OBAMA, President
United States of America
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