It's relatively quiet the last day before Christmas at the Close household. A rare occurrence. A couple of the granddaughters are all snuggled in watching a movie with one aunt while another aunt is rocking the third one.

There are people who enter our lives that leave lasting impressions on us. They help us realize who we are; and who we aren’t. They encourage us.

[VIDEO] In a couple days we get to celebrate Thanksgiving, one of our nation's most important holidays, yet one of the least appreciated. In our rush to get the Christmas shopping done, we put Thanksgiving right up there at the top of our “To Do” list.

I used to think it was my job to warn readers of the dangers of winter driving, and trying to remind you all to keep your tires between the ditches and your bumpers and fenders to yourselves.

Dear Editor, My granddaughter, Olivia, and I had a great time last Thursday night for a presentation on the American Bison and their relationship with the American Indian tribes, held at the Benton County Nature Center.

For anyone as old as the Super Bowl or the Ford Mustang, Christmas can be a sentimental, even sad, at times, celebration. While we rejoice in our faith with the ones we love and thrill at the joy our children and grandchildren have when they help decorate the tree or see the lights or open their gifts or fumble their lines in the Christmas pageant, we also remember Christmases past and those who are no longer here to celebrate with us.

At a rally last week, where a famous Hollywood personality used the word “murderer” to describe police killings of black people, that man read the names of 250 or so black men and women  who have been killed by police this year.

While I cannot vote in the city election and I did not submit a question, I attended the debate. I am associated with a business in downtown Vinton so what you decide by your vote has an effect on what we pay in city services, etc.

My name is Drew Sallee, and I am a proud Vinton resident. In fact other than my 5 years serving our country in the U.S. Army, I have lived here in Vinton for almost my entire life.

Dear Editor, Until very recently, Iowa’s population overwhelmingly lived and worked in small communities. What’s referred to as “Iowa nice” is probably the result of the social relationships fostered while living in those tight-knit groups.