Mayor’s Row…..by Ned Mitchell

                All the Christmas cards are in the mail, the trees are decorated, poinsettias are in full bloom, children are singing, the holiday season is finally here and depending on when you read this we in Sesser hope that you had a very Merry Christmas.

                One of the highlights of the season this year for me was my attendance at the Benton Grade School to watch granddaughter Johnel perform with her classmates in the 3^rd and 4^th grades.  To be honest I sort of dreaded the getting out of bed and getting ready to drive to Benton in time for the 9:00 am show.  That soon disappeared once I was in the school and witnessed the excitement in the air.  I’m here to tell you that I was impressed with the songs and the general good behavior by these youngsters.  Superintendent Rick Cook, all the staff, and the Board of Education of the Benton Grade School are doing a wonderful job with these children.  I did see former Sesser resident and teacher Donna Atchison Yunkus there and know that she is teaching in that system so it was a good thing to see her and catch up on family.

                Not only did the children sing some new Christmas songs but they also performed “Hark the Herald Angels Sing” and ended the concert with “Silent Night” sang in words and then performed in sign language.  It was a touching moment and it made me appreciate the fact that here is a school that allowed students and staff to sing carols alluding to Christ.  The board and administrators should be congratulated and I left the Benton Grade School with a new outlook on Christmas knowing that some little ones had sang about the Christ child.  It was a tremendous day!

                Have you ever spent any time wondering where this new anti sentiment comes from and where the old America that we once knew has went to?  I reflect a lot on matters such as this and am truly amazed at how some of us sit back and watch while the very foundations upon which this country was formed are being done away with.  We of the silent majority need to wake up and take back the control of our country before it is too late.

                There is not a week that goes by but what we read about mass killings in schools, malls, and just about any place where a lot of people are at.  All of this violence makes me wonder just where we are headed.  I recently read an interview of Billy Graham’s daughter by a major television station after hurricane Katrina had hit our country.  Jane Clayson of the early show asked “How could God let something like this happen?”.  Anne Graham gave an extremely profound answer.  She said “I believe God is deeply saddened by this, just as we are, but for years we’ve been telling God to get out of our schools, get out of our government, and to get out of our lives.  And being the gentleman He is, I believe he has calmly backed out.  How can we expect God to give us His blessing and His protection if we demand He leave us alone?”

                In light of recent events, terrorist attacks, school and mall shootings, one widely read columnist asks “could it be that this downward spiral all started when atheist Madeleine Murray O’Hare complained that she did not want prayer in our schools and we said OK.  Then someone else complained about reading the Bible in school even though it teaches us not to kill or steal and to love each other, but we said OK, we don’t need to read the Bible in school.   Then along comes Dr. Benjamin Spock who said we should not spank our children when they misbehave and again we said OK.”

                Today many of us ask ourselves why our children have no conscience, whey they don’t know right from wrong, and why it does not bother them to kill strangers, classmates, and themselves.  Am I the only one who thinks we are on the wrong track here?  This is becoming a bitter pill for some of us to swallow but unless the majority that feels there is a reason for our decline and does something about it, things are only going to get worse.  I challenge not only myself but you also to do our best to help turn this country around in the coming year.  We owe it to the children not only in the Benton Grade School but all across this great land.  What we are doing is obviously not working so what would be wrong with us taking a deep breath and going back in time to allow prayer in school and to silence these goof balls who are bent on destroying this country?  At this point we have nothing to lose!

                Edna “Nonnie” Harle will celebrate her 96^th birthday the day after Christmas.  Ditto Basso has a birthday on the same date and he is old but not caught up with Nonnie yet!.

                Travis Picantine is home on leave from the Army and is visiting family and friends before returning to New York where he is stationed.

                City officials, employees, Goode Township elected officials and employees and special guests enjoyed our annual Christmas dinner on Thursday at noon.  The event was held upstairs in the Woll Room of the historic Sesser Opera House and the staff of the Opera House Café out did themselves this year.  A huge meal was prepared on site and everyone was impressed with the food and fellowship.  This event gets a little bigger each year and we enjoy sitting down to a great meal and visiting with our friends and neighbors.  We are so thankful for the employees of both the city and township and all they do for us here in the Sesser area.  I think we have the best and hope that you agree!          

                One of the sporting highlights of 2007 came about when Nicole Redding bagged a six point buck.  She spent many an hour in the stand waiting for just the right moment and finally this deer felt so sorry for her he gave it up so she would have bragging rights.  We were getting concerned that the season was going to end with no deer for Nicole.

                We at city hall would like to take this time to wish you a very healthy New Year and hope that you are able to celebrate with moderation.  As always we will be giving free rides home if you have that need.  Actually we will do that anytime, but we advertise it more during holidays.  The last thing we want is to have to arrest you for your stupidity or to have to pull you from a crash.  We want you to have a good time but we also want everyone to be safe rather than sorry.  Please do your part to be adult like and make good decisions.  Your life as well as others depends on it!

                The Sesser-Valier annual holiday basketball tournament is going on right now so if you have time head out to the gym and watch some really great high school basketball.