Opinion

In frigid temperatures like we’ve been experiencing lately, most people stay out of the weather unless they’re required to work in it. But then, those who steal from others are not like most people.

Vandalia Police Chief Larry Eason announced on Monday that his department is working to solve a number of recent burglaries, both in town and at Vandalia Lake.

In my last column, I shared several stories of Christmas "spreeing" that went on in the early days, as told by old-timers of Fayette County.

The Rev. Presley Garner Donaldson’s story, “A Christmas Spree,” was among them, and his talk of sky-blue lizards and red-hot reptiles made me chuckle. This story was taken from Presley’s 1908 book, “Life and Adventures of P.G. Donaldson,” in which he tells tales of his life and childhood "in plain home talk."

Christmases past were celebrated in a somewhat different way than today.

It appears that "spreeing" was a common denominator in the tales told by the early settlers of the county. For "spreeing," insert the word "whiskey."

This time next year, a new book, “Christmas Anthology of Illinois,” by James Ballowe of Ottawa will be in the bookstores. Included in this work are stories from around the state, Fayette County included, of how the holiday was celebrated in years past.

The decorations are up, the cards are sent, the carols are being played, the holiday goodies have been baked and – unless you’re a world-class procrastinator – the gifts have been purchased.

It’s nearly Christmas time!

As we approach Christmas Day this Friday, it’s an appropriate time to reflect on the many things for which we are thankful. Family, friends and health come to mind easily.

Perhaps more than any other time of the year, the Christmas holiday season brings out the generous spirit of the people of Fayette County.

Though we’ve come to expect acts of selfless generosity from area residents, this year has produced more than normal, it seems.

Everywhere one turns, another group has taken on another project to help those less fortunate, to support someone through an illness or to brighten the Christmas season for the needy. It is, indeed, a heartwarming thing to witness.

A sampling:

It was an impressive array of vendors and contractors that was assembled by Motown Technology for Monday’s meeting with the Vandalia City Council. Participants included representatives of Wyndham Hotel Group, IBM, Select Contracts, Hunt Construction Group, TSI Global and several other design and construction companies.

One by one, at the invitation of developer Kenneth Bardwell, those representatives told of their expertise and the part they would play in the creation of a proposed $300 million sports and entertainment complex in Vandalia.

“As a small child, I remember looking up at her and thinking that she was as tall as a tree, especially since she wore long dresses.”

This comment by her great-granddaughter, Joyce Hamilton, added to the aura of Mary Wren Sharp, who chose to be with her husband during the Civil War, and joined the Seventh Illinois Cavalry as a nurse.

With the economic conditions that we’ve endured in recent months, getting in a Thanksgiving mood may take a little work this year.

But it shouldn’t.

In an ideal world, gratitude should be our natural response to the many things we DO have – regardless of our circumstances and the things we DON’T have. Granted, that’s not an easy position to take. Yet, it’s a good approach that produces an attitude of gratitude.

Here in Vandalia, we have many things for which we should be thankful:

A dismissal that had its beginnings in a case involving tall grass may eventually land the city of St. Elmo in deep weeds.

For 16 years – under five mayors – Ken Thomason has served as St. Elmo’s chief of police. From what is known, his personnel file contains no reprimands, no indications of performance problems.

Then, two weeks ago – after a flap over the enforcement of the city’s weed ordinance – Mayor Larry Tish presented Thomason with a letter saying that he was being terminated.