Mayor's Row.......by Ned Mitchell
It's that time of year again! Some days the weather is colder, others it is almost spring like. Christmas trees are decorated, outside lights are up and working, poinsettias are placed in churches and homes, dinners are being planned and the music is definitely Christmas. It is good to take time to reflect on the season and what it can mean to us. Pastor Harold Quick of Sesser First United Methodist Church asks in the church Christmas card if we could remember the magic of Christmas we experienced as a child? Last week we had the privilege of attending the church Christmas dinner at Galatia First United Methodist Church. The wife's grandmother Kay Kern and great grandmother Marge Rogers both attend there and extended an invitation to us. Actually if the truth be known they really wanted to visit and show off little Carrigan, but as parents we got to tag along. After dinner their pastor, Bud Peyton, in his devotional encouraged each of us to treat Christmas like little children do and that is to be excited about it. I had never given that much thought but in watching 14 month old Carrigan this year and how excited she is with all the Christmas tree lights and ornaments and Santa Claus, it has begun to sink in. At that age there seem to be no cares or worries. Food, drink, dry diapers, someone to hold her, naps, cartoons, and then along comes all of these bright lights and music. She is definitely excited about the season! More importantly she has not yet figured out that Christmas means lots of toys and gifts. She is just enjoying the new sights and sounds!
So in all of this hustle and bustle that we live in every day. Worrying about bills, kids, problems of the world, about when we are going to get that outside chore done before winter does set in, and some around us worry about where their next meal is going to come from and if they have a warm place to sleep, we do spend a lot of time worrying! Encouraged by the concept of treating Christmas like a child would is something different to try this year, even if just for a day or two. So I am trying to worry less and think more about what the season is all about. I will give more this year to various causes that help people in need. I will make every effort to be as excited about Christmas as 14 month old Carrigan is. I am told by two pastors that is when we find the true meaning of Christmas.
Also we had a great dinner at the Galatia church with Pastor Peyton saying before dinner that he has been a minister of the gospel for 53 years and had never attended a bad potluck dinner. He was right as the food was great and I'm here to tell you that a democrat precinct committeeman from Galatia named Shirley makes a fantastic lemon pie.
In keeping with a Jewish friend of mine's custom every year who reminds me that it is good and right to reflect on those words we have said or deeds done that may have offended someone, I take this time to apologize for things I have said or done that have been hurtful to others. Sometimes in the heat of the moment things are said and done that if they had been thought out would not have happened. I intend to work on that little problem of mine and hope that if you have found yourself in the same boat, you will make every attempt to make things right and live in peace and harmony with those around you.
We have a lot to be thankful for in Sesser every day but word came last week that our medical clinic is about to really take off. In meeting with officials of Rea Clinic we were told that the first year's funding of a million dollar grant had arrived. We say thank you to our State Senator, Gary Forby who took a look at our need and worked very hard on getting the funding approved. And thanks to the Rea Clinic administration, especially Kim, Ski, and Kim R who finally gave in to my constant bantering about how much in need we are of a medical clinic.
We are now looking for a location for the clinic. It will be a new building that is 3,600 square feet in size and preferably will be located on the east side of town. We are looking at several sites there and have two or three people who are interested in building the facility as an investment and leasing it back to Rea Clinic. It has been a joint effort with many people putting the plan together. We appreciate each and every one of you as we make this project a reality.
We have had several studies done of Sesser by various experts and agencies and all reports come back that Sesser really only lacks one thing to be a model community and that is the lack of medical services. We are fortunate that we have the best street system anywhere for a town our size, our water and sewer systems are superb, our police force is truly professional, our fire department the same. Our school system is the envy of a lot of folks in Southern Illinois, the city library not only serves our citizens but those in rural areas around us, our churches are involved, our Main Street is restored and a model for other towns to pattern after. All in all, we have a lot of things going for us here in Sesser, a quiet and safe small town. We are for sure lacking in medical services and this new clinic will fill that need. We at city hall have recognized this need for several years and we are all very happy that construction should soon begin.
Word I receive from friends in Benton tell me the Wood Building restoration project has a bit of good news. I am told the People's National Bank of Mc Leansboro is going to be moving into the ground floor of the grand old building. The Elk's Club has been purchased just north of the Wood Building and will allow for a drive through facility. This is a major boost to this renovation project and hopefully will continue the fantastic revitalization of the Public Square. It is really nice to visit Benton and to see all of the activity on the Square. We wish our friends and neighbors there much success.
Those of us who graduated in the class of 1966 were sad to hear that a classmate of ours has died. Gary Gelch died last week and was buried in Maple Hill Cemetery. Gary was a special needs child. Today he would be called a special needs student who would be in special classes with specialized teachers who could work with him. In our grade school days he was just Gary who was different from the rest of us, yet he played on the playground, ate lunch with us, and sat in class. You see we had no special classes for kids like Gary back then. The teachers and students looked out for Gary and even though we knew he was different and could not do some of the things we could do, he was still our classmate. Gary had been living in a home where he got good care and daily attention. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Gary's family in their time of loss. In a moving graveside service Pastor Barnfield of Sesser's First Baptist Church relayed to those in attendance that Gary is now in a perfect place with a perfect body and mind with his loved ones and other friends. Those were just words until Pastor Barnfield paused for a moment and then said that he really believed those words and that if he did not he would have chosen something else to do other than be a church pastor. It is one thing to hear words being said, but when we hear from the speaker that they truly believe those words, it takes on a whole new meaning.
Lastly we at city hall want to wish you and your family a very Merry Christmas and hope that you have a great holiday with family and friends. City and township elected officials and employees will have our annual Christmas dinner at the Opera House Café this Friday at 12 noon. I hope that Santa brings each and every one of you exactly the material things you NEED to get by.
If you need us, give us a call at 625-3611 or 625-5322 or write nedmitchell@verizon.net or visit our web page at www.sesser.org .
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