Making the
season bright

So, what’s the deal with chestnuts roasting on an open fire? Has anyone actually experienced this?

For years, I’ve felt deprived. All the other experiences Nat King Cole mentions in “The Christmas Song” I’ve managed to enjoy. But chestnuts? Really? And why were they the very first thing he mentioned?

One Christmas tradition we at the newspaper hope you will take advantage of is our annual Dear Santa section.

Yes, it’s mainly for moms and dads, grandpas and grandmas, aunts and uncles to show to others and stick in a bottom drawer to document for many years to come the sweet thoughts of the young ones in their lives. But it also has something for everyone.

Build a fire, sip some cocoa or cider, and read it aloud at your family gathering this holiday. We think you’ll find enough youthful spirit of the season to bring something special to your holiday. Personally, it’s one of my traditions, along with watching nearly every incarnation ever filmed of “Miracle on 34th St.”

Small towns and holidays are all about tradition. Those of us who’ve been around for more than a few years sometimes lament the passing of traditions, but this is one we hope won’t pass. That’s why we at the newspaper spent the past week producing not one but two issues.

It wasn’t particularly easy, and we hope you’ll forgive any lapses you might find. Not only were we doing two papers in one week. We also were doing it with an almost completely new staff. Since the raid on our newsroom in August of 2023, three of our full-timers have essentially taken the money and run. A fourth — who now has a great job with The New Republic magazine — was here only for a one-year fellowship. So, we’ve had quite a bit of turnover, and our new staffers are still getting used to the community and dealing with myriad problems related to the raid, which greatly disrupted our bookkeeping.

We appreciate our customers’ patience and continued support as we iron out those problems, but we are concerned that a few people misunderstand our current circumstances. One of our staffers was accosted this past week by a person angry that our “feud” with certain local officials cost taxpayers $3 million.

First of all, it wasn’t a feud. It was an illegal, storm trooper raid. More important, none of the $3 million stipulated judgment came from taxpayer money. It came from a statewide insurance pool. And the vast majority of it didn’t go to the newspaper. It went to six people whose phones illegally were seized, who were put upon by raiders, or whose homes were invaded. The newspaper itself, after legal fees, received only as much as it lost because of bookkeeping problems caused by the raid. The paper’s total was less, in fact, than the totals of almost all of the individuals who received money.

We aren’t complaining. We just want everyone to understand that we aren’t kicking back and counting millions of dollars. We’re basically square with the world — no more, no less. If we receive more from the city portion of the lawsuit, it won’t be a windfall to us but rather will endow some project that will help ensure the continuation of local journalism as a vital element of our democracy.

But enough thoughts about bad things that happened in the past. Our Christmas wish is that we as a community don’t hang our heads in shame for the misdeeds of a few overzealous officials but rather take pride in the fact that not just the newspaper but also the community as a whole has come together to make sure that bullying threats to fundamental principles of democracy are not tolerated in our hometown. Not every community would have the courage to admit a problem and turn it into a positive by demonstrating its support for democracy.

We’re proud of our community and hope it continues to show that it’s a place where bullying and government overreach simply aren’t tolerated. This holiday season, that’s our community’s gift to American democracy.

— ERIC MEYER