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Another Christmas has come and passed. I hope you had a spectacular Christmas and got to see relatives you don’t normally see. At my house, we had one of the best Christmas’ ever. We were lucky enough to have my grandmother from Iowa stay with us for three days. I have written this before, and it still amazes me, how my 7 and 5 year-old absolutely worship their great-grandmother. From the minute she would wake, to the minute the kids went to bed, they were always around her. Thanks to my family for a wonderful Christmas. I hope you and yours had a great one also.

Sadly, last week our area once again lost someone way too early in life. Josh Green was driving his vehicle two Thursdays ago when he hit a patch of ice. His vehicle veered, and then proceeded to roll. Unfortunately, Josh was thrown from his vehicle in mid-roll. After talking to some of his family and friends they thought that the loss of Josh could be directed into something positive. They would like everyone to know how very important it is to wear your seatbelt. I know it is easy to get in and think “I’m just running up town, I don’t need my seatbelt.” I am guilty of that myself. But Josh is proof that disaster can find you anywhere at anytime. Please think of your family and friends before you start your vehicle. Heck, make it your New Year’s resolution. Just click it and forget about it.

As we approach the end of the year, many of our elected officials will be leaving office and moving on to other things, whether it is to higher offices or to civilian life. Their leaving should not go un-noticed. By this I mean we should take the time to acknowledge and thank them for their involvement in our government system. Whether or not we voted for them or agreed with them is meaningless. The point is they had the courage to stand up and serve for the people. To those who are leaving our government, I say thank you.

The County Press is still looking for a reporter to cover Taylors Falls City Council meetings. We also have an opening for a Lent Township reporter. These two beats could be combined if someone wanted to. It is a great opportunity to earn some money and learn about your local government. You can call Denise or Matt at 651-257-5115 for more details.

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