Eight years ago, we got a new president in what ended up being a very, very close election. The popular vote ended up 47.9% for George Bush to 48.4% for Al Gore but Bush won because he’d captured 271 electoral votes over Gore’s 266 electoral votes. It was an unusual situation where the people of the United States wanted someone different for president than who was actually put in office. Remember the hanging chads? Dimpled chads? Pregnant chads? Questions of impropriety? After all of that, people still came together and whether they truly wanted to or not, supported the presidency as the institution that governs this country.

Four years later, there was again controversy in the race between Bush and John Kerry regarding the legitimacy of votes in Ohio. Bush again prevailed with 286 electoral votes over 251 for Kerry. The percentage of the popular vote was 50.7% to 48.3% in favor of Bush. Again, a very close race and many then didn’t feel it was fair.

Throughout the past eight years, an attitude has prevailed that even if you disagree with the president or didn’t like him for whatever reason, it would be unpatriotic to say anything against him out loud. It would also be disrespectful and people wouldn’t stand for it.

On November 4, Barack Obama claimed 374 electoral votes over John McCain’s 163. The popular vote was also undisputable, with Obama capturing 53% of the popular vote to 46% garnered by McCain. Not even close. A lot of people were hoping it would be a close election and issues of voting credibility in certain areas could be called into question, but in an election that clearly decided, a few hanging chads or “dead” voters weren’t going to change the outcome.

In the past few days, I’ve heard some of the most ridiculous stuff. People are saying they are seriously contemplating moving to other countries because they just can’t deal with a Democratic president/a black president/someone who isn’t just like them/someone who has a different philosophical point of view in office. I’ve seen photographs of flags being flown upside down and heard people saying disrespectful things about their president-elect. If people even two years ago had been saying and doing these same things against President Bush, it would be a big deal – and you’d be labeled unpatriotic, a traitor, un-American, you name it.

I think we can look at it in this way: it’s very similar to the grieving process. People are grieving because they didn’t get their way this time. First, they were in shock – the people who couldn’t sleep election night or function the next day. Right now, a lot are in the anger stage – flying their flags upside down, saying nasty things, acting out, rallying support from others in the anger stage. Soon, there will be bargaining and depression. Eventually, we’ll reach acceptance. For the sake of our country, I hope we can get to acceptance sooner rather than later, but as in the grieving process, none of us has the power or authority to demand that another person cope in a certain timeframe.

Yes, we have a right in this democracy to disagree with your leaders. Yes, we have a right to protest. Yes, we have a right to do a lot of different things – including move to another country or act out in some sizeable way – but is THAT in the best interest of improving our economy, making life better for our people or any number of other things we could be doing?

Our country has been through a lot in recent weeks, months and years, with the war and the economy. We have reasons to be grieving and our outlook is not good right now. But, it is imperative that we look closely at ourselves, measure our commitment to being Americans and our faith in not only our leader, but our fellow citizens who made a decision to put him there. A winner was declared without question, so out of respect for the presidency, out of respect for who the American people chose, out of respect for this country that is made up of different people, races, nationalities, religions and political points of view, let’s be patriotic, American and move on!

(Talk of the Town photo by Jennifer Zartman Romano) Barack Obama greets crowds of supporters in Northeast Indiana during primary campaigning. Obama visited Columbia City's Oak Pointe for a Town Hall meeting on May 1, 2008, above.

This morning on “The View,” Whoopie Goldberg made a statement that I think sums up a lot of what can be accomplished by Barack Obama’s presidential victory. She said, “I feel like I can put my suitcase down.”

That suitcase might represent a lot of different concepts to different people, but it is my personal hope that the suitcase represents the baggage and limitations of racism. The fact that millions of people came together yesterday, some of whom who never felt moved to react politically or to visit a voting booth, and chose to elect an African-American man to the highest position of authority in this country, is inspiring.

Last night, African-American men and women, through the lens of cameras, on the lawn in Chicago or in front of their computer or television screen, saw clearly that their dreams are possible. The barriers that truly do exist and others that are merely perceived can be overcome. A young black girl or boy can strive to become something other than a professional athlete or a rap star – someone they can identify with has become a lawyer, a senator, a community organizer and a president. They can see that hard work, striving against adversity and high ideals can get you through. They can now see that the issues they once held before them as the reason they could not achieve can be reasons why they will overcome. They can see that the bi-racial child of a teen mother, a boy who grew up without a father and who was largely raised by his grandparents, can achieve something that prior to last night was mostly reserved for those of wealth and privilege.

Today, hearts hardened by racism may have been lifted. Perhaps those convinced that the limitations of racism would keep them downtrodden can at last stand up and realize they alone are in control of their destiny. Perhaps those who’ve lived their lives convinced that certain races are beneath them might realize we are all equal. Perhaps those standing somewhere in the middle can become a bridge to pull us all together.

Tomorrow, I’m hopeful we can all put down our suitcases – suitcases filled with the limitations in our lives, with overt and passive racism, with disappointment or with preconceived notions we have, fear, uncertainty and anxiety about the unknown. By sitting that baggage down, we may be unburdened by the weighty feelings we carry that were given to us by those who came before us or from our own unfortunate experience. In doing that, we might begin to have real dialogue with one another, address our grievances, agree to disagree about some issues and begin to move forward as one nation under God.

Of great importance is the understanding that Barack Obama’s victory would not have been possible were it not for people of many races and circumstances who walked together in the streets of communities across the nation and who walked alone into the voting booth to choose him. It was not the appeal of one divided group of people who made it happen, but rather a collective effort of many who see in him something that they believe can bring forth good and positive things. In a lot of ways, the good and positive things have already begun.

Mahle Clevite has been a long-time supporter and past sponsor of the Leadership Whitley County servant leadership program, has participated in numerous fundraisers, community events and has encouraged their employees to remain active in Whitley County. Their culture of involvement in community service is well-known – they’ve been nominated in the past for an Excellence in Servant Leadership award.

The volunteer spirit of Mahle Clevite's employees have impacted my own family. It is because of a dedicated group of volunteers who participated in the United Way Day of Caring in Whitley County in September that my children now have a wonderful new playset on their playground at Faith Christian Academy. When they realized it would be impossible to build the combined fort and climbing wall, they turned one day of caring into a two-day initiative -- all for the sake of more than 50 children who gleefully play on that playground each day. Not everyone would be willing to give up two days to build playground equipment for someone else's children. Not every employer would willingly allow their employees to be off the job to actively participate in a community project. For this reason, many people, including myself, are particularly saddened to hear this company will close their doors and the same employees who so willingly volunteered for the sake of our children will now lose their jobs. That's just not fair.

Yes, many Whitley County businesses are committed to community service and actively encourage their employees to volunteer, however, losing a strong community partner such as Mahle Clevite is significant. I hope and pray the employees impacted by this closure will be able to find jobs locally and will be able to remain part of the fabric of Whitley County – to lose them, their spirit of leadership and volunteerism -- would make the loss of this company even more devastating.

Candidates can’t wait for the day to pass. Many of us are eagerly awaiting the day as well…looking forward to the next day when life can return to some semblance of normal.

The signs will disappear, the increasingly negative campaigning on the television will cease and we’ll likely have to deal with a mixed bag of winners – some we want, others we won’t.

But before we get to enjoy that – we need to live through that day. November 4.

We can’t blindly go into the voting booth and believe all that we hear. Between daily chores, our jobs, our children and everything else we have going on – we all need to make time to find some reliable sources and research the candidates.

In the scheme of things, it is important for us all to realize we can’t believe everything bad we hear about the candidates and we can’t believe all the good either. The best we can really do is to research them all as much as we can and make sure we’re aware of the bias that exists within everyone sharing information about the candidates. We’ve all heard a lot of ridiculous things…things that can’t possibly be true and probably aren’t.

The really important thing is that if you can vote, if you’re registered…vote. You can vote this week if it is more convenient for you or, if you prefer, you can be a part of voting on what is likely to be a historic day for voter turnout nationally. We are entrusted with a very important duty in voting to pick our future leaders. There is a lot riding on our decisions nationally, statewide and right here at home in Whitley County. Mark it on your calendar and let nothing stand between you and the voting booth on November 4.

Most often, these shopping adventures took place on Saturday mornings and it was just the three of us – I imagine our little brother, Drew, stayed home with Dad. We’d pile into the old van or the car we affectionately called “Old Yeller” for what was usually a full day’s adventure downtown.

The days that stand out to me were ones when it was raining downtown or snowing. Growing up in a more rural area of Whitley County, I have distinct memories of the way it smelled downtown, the sound of the traffic and keeping pace with my Mom, walking through puddles on the sidewalk. I recall marveling at the old buildings, the courthouse towering overhead and people-watching.

When we got downtown, we at least walked inside almost any store that was open – even if we weren’t there to buy anything I was aware of. Mom would talk with the ladies at the counters in the stores or passersby on the streets and we’d usually stand quietly at her side, studying all the neat things there were to see. I remember the way it smelled in Cira’s Sports World. I remember how careful we had to be walking around in what seemed like an enormous store, Our Compliments. I remember trying to hide in the clothes at The Smart Shop. I remember going to a big sale once at the department store that was where Star Insurance is today, and visiting the hardware store and other long-gone businesses that were downtown. A visit to Second Time Around was always on the short list of places we’d visit and usually resulted in a coveted new item for our dress-up drawer.

And always, always…we’d have lunch at The Nook. It was never a promised part of the trip, but after a morning of walking around downtown, Mom would usually ask if we were hungry and then suggest we go have a coney dog. It was always presented as a surprise treat – and it was always received that way as well! I have such fond, fond memories sitting in the booths there enjoying great conversation and the most pleasant dining experience with Mom. Oh, how I wish we could do those days all over again!

Remembering how vibrant it was even in my lifetime and how enjoyable it was to spend an afternoon downtown back in the day, I can only imagine it was even more memorable decades before. More than anything, I’d love to see that vibrance, that life downtown, come back again.

In the poetic words of John Lennon, “Some may say I’m dreamer…but I’m not the only one.” What’s the harm in dreaming big for our downtown? Years ago it might not have seemed likely that nearby Pierceton could breathe new life into their downtown…yet through the addition of small shops, cafes and antique stores, their town has become a destination, a place you can spend a whole day. Why can’t we have that too? Why can’t we dream big and make it happen? Why can’t we support the businesses we already have and encourage the development of a few more?

I don’t think it is impossible. I know there are bound to be some great ideas out there for ways we can breathe  life into our downtown – and I heard a few excellent ones last week in a meeting with the Columbia City Redevelopment Commission. There also have to be some people out there with the venture capital, the foresight, the interest in making big things happen in downtown Columbia City. If it happens other places, why not here? Why not now?

In the meantime, let’s keep an open mind, learn all we can about what’s going on and most importantly, support our existing downtown businesses with our hard-earned dollars as often as possible.

(Talk of the Town photo by Jennifer Zartman Romano) Thanks so much to the many who've asked about the twins...my nephews William and Thomas are doing well and growing big! I took this photo Monday afternoon and they are now just a little over two weeks old. Everyone is doing well...the prayers and well-wishing have been very much appreciated.

Many by now have heard that vandals wreaked enough havoc on the midway, slashing a giant inflatable shark and doing who knows what to some other rides – allegedly. The reports about exactly what happened, like any interesting news in a small community, have probably been embellished with each telling. Regardless, something unfortunate happened.

Angered, the carnival packed up and left town early. This left more than a few children and adults disappointed on Sunday when there were no rides. What a shame! You can’t blame the carnival folks – the suffered what various people have indicated was some fairly expensive damage to their equipment. We can, however, blame the idiots that ruined the experience to a certain degree for everyone else. I just bet that if they had to explain their actions to an angry, sobbing three-year-old who didn’t get to enjoy the rides on Sunday afternoon as planned – they might have taken a little less joy in their revelry on Saturday night.

At this moment, I’m sitting in the recovery room at Parkview North Hospital. All that separates me from my sister are two doors to the operating room. All that separates her from her twin sons is a layer of flesh.

Every single noise has me peeking around the corner where I can see what’s going on – each clank of some mechanism in the door jerks me to attention.

This morning as I drove from Columbia City in the dark toward the hospital to be here for my task – the photographer – I was struck by how odd it felt for it to finally be “the day.” For months, we’ve prayed to keep those babies in and now it is safe at last for their arrival.

Arriving, I found her and her husband to be considerably more nervous than me. Moments ago, I received a call from our brother – he’s nervous too.

In hopes of calming down, I just listened to a fun song that reminds me of my sister, “Boogie On Reggae Woman” by Stevie Wonder. We played that song at Sarah’s wedding and I rem…

(At this point -- I hear cries! Loud wailing next door! Could that be them? Are they here? I’m sure I’ll find out momentarily…)

I sit here remembering the joy of Sarah and Adam’s wedding and a year ago, in the spring, sitting in the waiting room at Parkview Hospital’s Randallia Campus waiting for news of Eleanor’s arrive into the world. I was, on that blessed day, the first one outside of her parents to meet her, marvel at her and to, of course, photograph her.

It is hard to believe that their little family will number five within a matter of minutes.

….

It is now nearly a week after the twins’ arrival. I had to stop writing and listening to the iPod because I was unable to focus. Every noise had my attention and after hearing the cries, I knew someone would be out to tell me the news at any time. A short while later, my sister’s nurse (a friend of hers) came out and told me they had been born. What seemed like an eternity later, I actually got to meet the twins.

I am now the proud aunt of two little nephews – William and Thomas. They are absolutely beautiful little babies and despite a few, fortunately brief, scary moments – all seems to be well. They went home from the hospital yesterday. Seventeen-month-old Eleanor, according to my sister, now looks like a giant compared to her tiny little brothers. She is very excited about them and is talking about them. I will never forget taking her to the hospital to see them last Tuesday – she danced! She was dancing around by their isolettes! Was it the frozen custard we ate in the car before the visit? Probably…but I think it was also that she’s delighted they are finally here too!

Thanks to the remnants of Hurricane Ike, our beloved 52 year-old runabout had a brief foray as an underwater shipwreck this afternoon. As awful as that sounds, that’s not even what I want to tell you about, actually.

It’s the neighbors you need to know about. You would be lucky to have neighbors so kind, thoughtful and self-less as I have at the lake. I am forever grateful.

After taking my husband to the airport for his third business trip in two weeks, the children and I stopped to do some shopping and then went home. Coming into the kitchen, I realized that I’d missed a few calls on my cell phone. When I returned the most recent call, it was to one of my neighbors up at the lake. She was frantic and had been trying to get ahold of me for awhile.

Seemingly, we’d gotten a lot of rain up there. A whole lot. And they’d noticed our boat was getting more than a little soggy. Other neighbors, from other vantage points, had also noticed the problem. Unfortunately, things went from bad to worse as the storm grew worse. Major waves and wind resulted in our boat rapidly sinking about ¾ of the way underwater late in the day.

Before I was even aware any of this had happened, a gathering of neighbors from all along the south shore of the lake had banded together and pulled the boat up as close to shore as they could. Using a sump pump, they worked together to remove most of the water so that by the time I got word about what had happened (and then frantically drove up there to see what I could do about it), they were already well in control of the situation.

When I arrived, a big group of neighbors could be seen, gathered on the pier as well as in and around the boat. Some were pumping water, others were trying to get the engine restarted, hoping the brief underwater exposure had not permanently damaged the vintage motor. Still others were running errands for those working on these projects.

I was speechless. What heart-warming kindness! What genuine friends who would immediately come to my aid when I didn’t even know I was in need of their assistance!

Had I discovered the submerged boat, myself, I don’t know what I would have done. I don’t even know who I would have called.

I am contemplating what I might be able to do to thank them all for having helped me. I’ll start here…but it just doesn’t seem enough.

Thank you more than you know…Scott & Amy Bean, Paul Squires, Sean Pierce, Stephanie Carpenter, Wes Squires, Ed Chafin and Vince Dial. I am grateful for your help today and to have you as neighbors.

(Photo graphic by Jennifer Zartman Romano) Could this be a vantage point for the future? Hmm...an announcement is forthcoming in the next few weeks.

Yeah, we killed cable last month. We pulled the plug and ended it all.

The decision came after considerable discussion and the realization that we didn’t really need it or utilize it that often. Well, some of us watched it more than others, but those parties really didn’t get a vote in the matter since it is the parents who are in charge in this household.

The “children’s” programming was filled with innuendo, smart-mouthed teenagers and a peppering of commercials heavily marketed at youngsters. After catching a young mouth repeat phrases that weren’t really age-appropriate and mimic behaviors more likely seen on a teenager as well as witnessing active children become increasingly lazy in front of the tube, we decided to make a drastic change.

Where were the educational, squeaky clean programs of my youth? Oh, yeah, those are on PBS...which we can watch without cable. We also realized that most the programs we really enjoy and frequently watch aren’t even on cable. In buying the new digital converter box, we found that we gained some new channels and one of the best is a PBS station entirely devoted to excellent children’s programming.

So what did we decide to do instead?

There are some more healthy objectives that can be met by reallocating that expense in the form of a YMCA membership. You can actually watch cable while you’re at the YMCA…while you are simultaneously walking on a treadmill or using the Stairmaster.

Occasionally, I hear people bemoan the cost of a gym membership. Those people don’t typically have a gym membership and probably haven’t actually looked into getting one. Yet, those same people think nothing of adding more movie channels to their cable package or nickel-and-diming themselves in other ways – endless fast food meals and other pointless vices. It’s about priorities.

Anything is affordable if it is important to you. You make concessions and sacrifices to meet the objectives you have for yourself and your family. You trade something out in favor of something else. You do it and sometimes you don’t even realize it, but if you sit down and look at the direction your money goes – you might be surprised. And you might find you’d rather spend it in other ways…or it would be wise of you to spend it in other ways.

About a month after cable met its end in our household, I’ve seen some very favorable changes. There is less insistence on watching television, less whining when it gets turned off and there’s been more time spent in physical activities. With the “children’s programs” removed from the household lineup, the educational channel has become a favorite. PBS, we’ve found, has an excellent channel dedicated to the kinds of children’s programs I watched as a youngster. Another great thing: the marketing has stopped, so I’m not hearing so much about, “Buy me this!” or the other random factoids about things they saw being sold on television. I certainly feel more in control of what they’re seeing and being exposed to.

Best of all – I’m seeing a lot less attitude in one little lady in our household. Someone has gone from “going-on-fifteen” back to age four and a half.

I sat along the shoreline late last evening and as I watched the waves of a passing pontoon lap over the tiny pebbles on our beach, I could almost feel the summer draining away.

On the wind, the sound of cicadas and crickets could tell me the truth. The leaves on the trees are beginning to tell it too. Something about the smell of the air is giving it all away. This thought crept into my mind about a week and a half ago as I sat in a lawn chair at the lake…this summer is fading fast.

There’s also the knowing that the kids will be going back to school on Wednesday. I know that our remaining quiet weekday afternoons at the lake will now be counted on one hand – a clear indication the endless days are behind us now…a finite number of perfect days remain.

It’s sad really and I know I’ll mourn this summer’s passing. This was the first summer where the kids were both old enough to do almost anything they wanted at the lake. It was the first summer I could tell them to go collect the necessary items: swimsuits, towels, etc., and they could do it as experts. Every visit was highly anticipated and at the end of every day there, there was whining when the announcement was made it was time to leave. I don’t think a single visit ended with all participants willing to go home without some argument…myself included.

I think part of what I’m going to miss is the fact that this summer seemed so long to wait for it to get here in the first place. I yearned for it. Last winter went on for what seemed like twice as long as necessary. I spent most of February and March dreaming about how great a hot day at the beach would be. I could visualize the sand, the waves, the smell of the water, the scent of the campfire on a warm evening and the feeling of satisfaction at having prepared a great barbecue dinner for guests.

I’m probably going to be very stingy with the remaining summer weekends we have left, balancing the necessity of doing various tasks with the need to be there. I was tempted to stay out there tonight, but there’s the minor problem of not being able to upload fresh news to Talk of the Town from there. This is a temporary issue as I plan to address it next year with some kind of wireless internet option. This year, I felt like there needed to be some separation – a place where there wasn’t work to do, a place only meant for relaxing, socializing, reading and a whole lot of nothing serious. Next year, the ability to update the site while digging my toes in the sand might be more appealing.

As I see it now, I have until about mid-October to continue enjoying going up to the lake. We won’t be swimming through that time, but we can easily continue to enjoy boat rides, campfires and relaxing. After that, it will be too cold to stay long, though I’ll make time to go there even in mid-winter just to see how the different seasons look from that vantage point…like I always do. It’s not uncommon to drive up there on a very cold day, sit in the car with a warm cup of coffee and look out over the frozen water, just to see it, just to have been there for awhile. Something about being there, even when its cold, is comfortable…but it is more comfortable when the temperature is high, I’m sitting in the shade of a hundred year-old Oak tree, drinking a tall glass of something cold – hearing the laughter of my children playing with others nearby. After all, these precious summers at the lake are the whole reason we ever got “the lake” to begin with…its only a shame that summers, like childhood, pass by so quickly.

But, what we’re talking about is essentially a woman who has turned herself into a man, complete with a moustache, and who still wanted to enjoy one of the elemental things that defines a woman. That in itself is probably the basis of an interesting psychological discussion, yet to continue to talk about the pregnant man having given birth is inaccurate because the entire event was made possible due to the existing female mechanics still in place from his/her birth.

It really would be exciting for numerous reasons were it really, truly a pregnant man. Can you imagine that?

First of all, when they’re sick, men can be babies. I can’t even imagine most men I know dealing with the rigors of morning sickness. The nausea and inability to cope with smells would be too much for them. It would be the beginning of nine months that his wife would WISH she were the pregnant one.

Then, there are maternity clothes. There’s always an abundance of medium and small maternity clothes in the stores – off the rack would not work (not to mention even a pregnant man would not be caught in a pink ‘baby on board’ t-shirt). So, in the same way designer Liz Lange came out with a line of fashionable maternity clothing for Target, some menswear designer would have to do the same. There would be nice wool trousers with stretchy panels in the front and coordinating button down shirts. Maybe extra long ties to go over the belly? Maternity wear has changed a lot in recent years – going from merely tenting the bump to more form-fitting looks that showcase it. My guess is that men would probably prefer the tented look. They’d just wear tennis shoes the whole time, but in a bigger size to accommodate the swollen feet.

As the pregnancy progressed and the discomfort grew, he would become more and more irritated all the time. It would be the biggest deal that ever was, as though there had never been another pregnancy before. No woman’s pregnancy could in any way compare to his experience! Every discussion would involve his discomfort and awareness of all of the weird things that happen to your body when you’re pregnant. Instead of just dealing, he’d be talking about it and whining…a lot. He’d be ready to deliver around 7 months and the remaining two months would be pure hell.

Then, when the delivery date finally arrived, he’d surely pick the epidural. (I’m not making any judgments there…I picked it too…but I’m not sure most men measure up to the wonder women I know who did it without epidurals). He’d also scream through the process since he wouldn’t have been paying attention during Lamaze class. Oh, and then there’s the minor matter of…shall we say…how that baby is getting out? Surely, they’d recommend a Cesarean, right? They wouldn’t have the patience for the hours of pushing.

He’d insist they also do a full tummy tuck at the same time to immediately return his physique to its pre-pregnancy state before leaving the hospital. The hospital staff would throw a party when the post-partum men left the hospital, weary of the constant bedside calls and ongoing complaints.

If all of this isn’t reason enough that women should just continue doing it themselves, because, as with most things, they do it better, I don’t know what is!

A tremendous thing happened recently that, in a lot of ways, is kind of amazing. The three busy women of the Whitley News Network managed to meet up, albeit it briefly, in the same place at the same time -- in my front yard.

Teresa Smith, above left, is the publisher of the Tribune-News in South Whitley and is offering the citizens of South Whitley and Larwill and online news opportunity in the form of www.southwhitleyonline.com

Smith is an award winning journalist with many year’s experience in local media, including past editorial roles at the Times-Union in Warsaw and the Post & Mail in Columbia City. Many may not know this, but because of her extraordinary work in documenting the stories of World War II veterans, the army vehicle on the Kosciusko County Courthouse lawn is named “Teresa” in her honor.

Viv Sade, above right, is part of a team of professionals who recently launched www.buscovoice.com, bringing enhanced online community news to the citizens of Churubusco.

Sade is also an award winning journalist having garnered awards from the Hoosier State Press Association for her writing. If you haven’t read her columns, they are bright, funny and insightful. For many years, Sade was the editor of the Churubusco News and in addition to her online venture, is also an editor for Kendallville Publishing Company’s Auburn Star.

That is me in the middle on one of my proudest days yet at Talk of the Town – the day I was presented with the Chamber Business of the Month award. Upon finding out about the award, I made sure to invite my Whitley News Network partners to join me for the celebration and was thrilled when both were able to accept my invitation to attend.

I'm really honored to be a part of a team of accomplished women journalists who are working diligently to bring news to their community. I honestly cannot think of better people to be leading these roles in their communities and their communities will benefit greatly from their presence.

While we three communicate frequently via e-mail and phone, getting the three of us in one place at one time was quite a feat given everyone’s busy schedules as we hurriedly work to bring the news of Whitley County quickly, accurately and expansively to the internet. So, I’m glad to have this photo!