Some of you may remember the saga of the small newspaper from Kansas

called the Marion County Record. They were the paper that got hassled and raided by some local government idiots who didn't like having their actions looked at. There's more to the story of course and you can look at it if you want. Some of it is very tragic.

My roots are in small town and rural America. It will never leave me and I'm thankful for that. The hassles the paper went through spurred me to support them with a subscription although I live far from Kansas. There's just under 2000 people living in the city of Marion according to the last census. There's a lot more that are there in spirit. I'm proud to be one of them.

So my copies of the paper started to arrive around Christmas. Front page story about the city thinking about using a private company for trash pickup. Below the fold are articles about an organization called Marion Community Christmas that has been helping less fortunate folks for more than three decades. Another story where residents talk about holiday memories they hold dear.

Inside the paper is the editorial page with some common sense about some local matters and life in general. Along with a story about the local thrift store and another about the old Dollar Tree building being sold at auction. The next pages are stories about some local teachers who have had an impact on a student who has now gotten their PhD. Then comes a section below that fold that has obituaries, the directory of churches, college news and menus for the various senior centers in the county.

Then comes my favorite page of the regular paper which is the Memories section and covers a full page with happenings from 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 110 and 150 years ago. I'm old but I confess I wasn't around for those last 2. The next page is official notices and the good news that the local Casey's completed their pumps/tanks upgrade and now has gas again. The next page is some local classified ads.

The back page is for the local sports teams news. Some basketball wins and some losses for the girls and the boys and good effort throughout by all including the wrestling teams.

Then came the best part of my Christmas issue and that was the insert titled "Dear Santa" with letters that the kids in the county had sent in to Santa with what they would like for Christmas and also questions for Santa. This was done through the various grade levels at the schools. One young person told Santa right up front that she had been a so so girl this year. Confession is good for the soul and she went on to say she is trying to be nicer. She wanted roller skates or a skateboard, flip flops or a Barbie. She closes by saying she is working really hard on being good. I hope Santa came through.

A little boy wanted to know if Mrs. Clause built the toy shop. He wanted a toy pizza shop or a tent that looks like a gingerbread house. He closes by asking how the reindeer are doing and wanting to know if there was a blizzard at the North Pole. He tells Santa to have a safe Christmas. Nice to wish good things for Santa and I hope that tent and toy pizza shop were in the sleigh.

That section of the paper is sponsored each year by various businesses and their ads appear there as well as throughout the paper here and there. The Christmas section also includes a printing of the classic "Yes, Virginia there is a Santa Clause" letter.

So I get that paper by way of my subscription even though I don't know any of those people but I know that pace of life and the quality of that life. I hope you took this trip with me all the way to the end here. If you kept reading all the way you got to "go someplace" for at least awhile and give your mind a break from days of terrible news. The news in Marion County comes to me every week by way of the Marion County Record and the fine people who are dedicated to it. Eight pages more or less and worth every nickel. I read it slowly because I want the trip to last. And it does. You can read this post over a few times slower if you need to.