By Dan Schmitt

No season is quite like Christmas for welling up memories. And no Christmas season is more indelibly locked into my memory than the one that occurred back in 1958.

I grew up the third of seven kids in the small central Wisconsin town of Schofield. My parents were products of the Great Depression and World War II and disciplined differently. Six of the seven Schmitt kids were boys, and we were all boys, if you know what I mean!

On Wednesday, December 12, at the request of public works director Bob Murdock, the Elk Grove City Council approved additional funding of $1.4 million to cover cost overruns on the civic center aquatics facility.

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By Dan Schmitt

I suppose my journey began one afternoon during Christmas break in 1964 when I was 16. One of the few activities my friends and I did indoors during the cold, snowy north-central Wisconsin winters was play basketball. We were at the YMCA in my hometown when “THEY” arrived and put a dent in my sheltered existence.

Like many people, I had the good opportunity to shake the hand of an American President.

In my case, it was the recently departed George H. W. Bush.

To be clear when I met the 41st American President he was not yet in office.

In fact, it was at the point when he was coming to widespread attention national attention.

On Wednesday November 28, the Elk Grove City council held a workshop meeting to discuss the advent of the latest advancement in cell phone technology, so-called 5 G.

During the four-hour session, testimony was heard on the implications of the new technology from legal, public works, public health, technological, and economic development perspectives.

Over the next few weeks elected officials will be taking their oaths for office.

Now is a good as time as to remind these officials their first priority is to represent, and, as needed, aid constituents.

Along these lines two people recently told us why they voted for Congressman Ami Bera and State senator Richard Pan.

By Dan Schmitt

Some years ago in the town of Elk Grove there lived a very unhappy young man named Joseph. Joseph had been afforded all the blessings and opportunities bestowed upon him and most other young people residing in Elk Grove. But still, he was so very unhappy and pined to anyone who would lend an ear that there had to be more to life than what he had so far experienced.

Thanksgiving is that time of year where people meet, argue politics with that crazy brother-in-law or Uncle, watch the Detroit Lions get their heads handed to them - again, and if there is any time left, give thanks for what matters the most.