Small-town benefits shine during holidays

This time of year, we’re reminded of why we love living in a small community.
There are parades, church programs, school performances, community events and, of course, the general hustle and bustle of holiday shopping.
The beauty of those events in a small town is that we know many of the people involved. We see our friends and neighbors at the events. And we marvel at the talents displayed our young people at the band and choral concerts.
Community events – such as last Saturday’s Rotary Christmas Parade and this Saturday’s Christmas Open House at the Vandalia Statehouse – remind us of the community organizations that go to great lengths to make these events happen.
Our merchants are putting their best foot forward at this time of year – decorating their stores and staying open extra hours. Here, you’ll find friendly, hometown service that won’t be duplicated at the malls. In many cases, the owners themselves will greet you – and they’ll know your name. You'll be amazed at what's available locally.
Included in today’s Leader-Union is our Last-Minute Gift Guide. It’s 32 pages of stories about this year's hottest gifts, local holiday pictures and advertising messages from local merchants that are sure to give you great ideas for  the hard-to-buy-for people on your list. Look it over before you head out shopping in the two weeks remaining before Christmas.
Take a look, too, at our Community Calendar on page 2 of today's paper so you don’t miss any of the events scheduled during this special time of the year.
We're thankful for all those people who make our hometown a wonderful place to live.
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