Opinion

Two announcements from City Hall over the past week give us hope that Tell City’s downtown has a bright future.

A story in last Thursday’s issue reported on the likely sale of the former Dat’s Kajun restaurant to Historic Landmarks Foundation of Indiana, a nonprofit group dedicated to preserving buildings with significant history or architectural value. Many of us remember the building at the corner of Main and Pestalozzi streets as the Glow Room Tavern and we’ve all seen the imposing structure’s gradual decline over the past few years.

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?

Tuesday marks the 69th anniversary of the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor. This  editorial was written by Cannelton News Editor Bob Cummings and published Dec. 6, 1960. At that time, the county was home to hundreds of World War II veterans. The number of living vets who fought in the war are far fewer today, but the relevance of Pearl Harbor Day remains. Cummings’ editorial is published here in its original words.

Cannelton News Editorial Published Dec. 6, 1960

Thanksgiving leftovers may still be with us, but Black Friday is gone and along with it the hoopla, big sales and crowded stores. What is left is a Christmas season with 26 days left.

While plenty of gifts were purchased over the weekend, most of us still have plenty of shopping to do and we encourage our readers to do most of that here at home in Perry County.

The Cannelton Library’s recent decision to pursue a merger with the Tell City-Perry County Library is good news for patrons of both in the short term, but there could be problems in the future.

Both library buildings would remain open, and patrons of each would have access to all the volumes of both. Though the Tell City library is larger, each has some books that the other does not. So that means patrons of both libraries would have more choices of reading material.

With the turning of the calendar to November comes a time to celebrate, give thanks and pay homage to those who helped in the foundation of our nation. November may be the one month of the year when Native Americans play a prominent role in our thinking due to the history of the Thanksgiving holiday, but American Indian heritage goes well beyond the role of European helper.

This month is Native American Heritage Month. It’s a time to recognize the various nations that called the lands of America home long before European settlers arrived on the shores.

As Election Day draws near, candidates for local races will be stepping up their efforts to win your votes. We hope Perry County’s voters will take the time in the coming days to devote the time and attention voting demands before going to the polls Nov. 2 or taking part in early voting already under way.

United Way of Perry County’s yearly funding drive is under way. The success of the group’s efforts depends on each of us. This year’s campaign hopes to raise $125,000 for support groups that provide a wide range of services within our community

"People get the government they deserve." So the old adage goes. Recent events in Bell, Calif., are proving this 200-year-old quote to be right.

People there are outraged that their elected officials have salaries higher that the president of the United States. I have been in contact with a journalist covering the story and he tells me that these officials have been in office quite awhile for the most part, one at least 26 years.