Opinion

Editor's Note: Gov. Mitch Daniels' office forwarded a copy of the governor's inaugural address to Hoosier newspapers. It's published here as a letter to Perry County residents.

As a matter of both good manners and necessity, second helpings should be smaller than first portions. Likewise with second pronouncements on accepting duty in the public's employ.

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin told an interviewer last week that she thinks Caroline Kennedy is getting softer press treatment in her pursuit of a New York U.S. Senate seat than Palin did as the 2008 Republican vice presidential nominee because of Kennedy's social class. But we think Palin's criticism misses the mark on several points.

Perry County ushered in 2009 last week amid toasts and cheers. Most of us greet each new year with optimism and high hopes for ourselves and our families. But as the first full work week of 2009 dawns, nearly all of us know the year ahead will be challenging. But underlying the current difficulties are opportunities.  

We’re happy to see Perry County’s schools are unlikely to be affected by an effort to consolidate Indiana’s schools, and suggest such attempts elsewhere be put off for at least a year.

As we reported at the beginning of this year, the Indiana Commission on Local Government Reform produced a 46-page report urging a number of changes, including the consolidation of school systems to achieve student populations of at least 2,000.

What a tumultuous time we’ve gone through in the last few months: violent storms, unstable gas prices, dramatic stock-market changes, a national home-mortgage crisis and hundreds of job layoffs.

It has been a scary time for many folks in our area and it may not get better for a while. But there is one thing I know from having lived in Perry County for the last 25 years: when times get hard, Perry Countians step up to help their neighbors in need.

Editor's Note: In the months before the Christmas of 1897, an 8-year-old girl named Virginia O'Hanlon wrote a letter to the New York Sun, asking if there really was a Santa Claus. Edward P. Mitchell gave the assignment to Francis P. Church, whose reply to Virginia appeared in the Sept. 21, 1897, edition of the Sun. Virginia's letter and Church's reply, as it appeared in the Sun, are reprinted below. Virginia O'Hanlon Douglas died May 13, 1971.

Is there a Santa Claus?

Memories of childhood make me thankful for the poor times we were living in. I did not know at the time we were poor. We had lots of love in our house and family. I was brought up to know and understand that God takes care of those who take care of themselves.

I was taught to understand that as long as we have a roof over our heads, food in our stomachs and clothes on our backs, we were rich. My grandparents would relive the Depression every time they had the opportunity, so we would always understand life could be worse than it was at that moment.

In their upcoming session Indiana legislators will consider a bill to further restrict beginning drivers' licenses, including putting restrictions on their cell-phone use while driving.

We're not sure if the restrictions will do away with some of the problems caused by young drivers or merely postpone them, but we think the cell-phone restrictions would be good rules for drivers of all ages.

Among other things, Senate Bill 16 would:

• Prohibit drivers younger than 18 from using hand-held or hands-free cell phones while driving.

Perry County is lucky to have several organizations that can help citizens find help when they need it. If it's some extra food you need, there are several public pantries across the county ready to help. If your home was destroyed by fire or a natural disaster, the American Red Cross can help you find shelter. If your home is cold because you don't have enough money to pay the gas bill, Lincoln Hills Development Corp. has grants ready to help pay for it.