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New Year's Eve traditions around the world

Local Columns

Years ago I thought it was necessary to welcome the new year with a celebration of some sort. At the very least, I thought one should stay up until midnight to usher in the new year. During my high school years a classmate hosted a New Years’ Eve party at her home. We were country kids — no booze, no hanky panky — but we had a good time and stayed up late enough to wish each other a Happy New Year. Fifty years ago this month a New Year’s Eve party tradition began that lives on today. Nowadays, however, the remnants of the original party group plan to get together at noon on a ...

Blessings

Local Columns

“When I'm worried and I can't sleep I count my blessings instead of sheep, and I fall asleep counting my blessings.” I love that song. You probably know it. Written by Irving Berlin and sung by Bing Crosby in the movie “White Christmas,” it’s a mellow reminder that things could be worse. The movie, out right about the time I was born, was more famously timed to recall the recently-ended Second World War, during which so much was lost. Every year at this time, this song starts up in my head. “When my bankroll is getting small I think of when I had none at all, ...

Why should kids have all the fun?

Local Columns

Teenagers have a lot of fun. Several photos of our church’s middle school and high school youth groups having a good time at their respective Christmas parties were posted on the church’s Facebook page recently. I felt a twinge of envy. It’s been a long, long time since I was involved in a church youth group. When I was, we didn’t have as much fun as these kids were having. Now, I’m not whining here. My family’s church was small and there weren’t many of us teenagers. The age range was stretched a bit to create a group large enough to meet regularly and when we did it ...

Webster City Women's Club says thank you

Letters to Editor

To the editor: The members of the Webster City Women's Club want to thank the public for touring the Festival of Trees at the Jane Young House. Approximately 200 visitors were welcomed on December 1, 2 and 9. We are grateful to these members and others who displayed the 22 beautifully ...

Thanks to Peterson Construction, Webster City Public Works

Letters to Editor

To the editor: I wanted to thank both Peterson Construction and the Webster City Public Works Department for working with us on the reopening of Second Street to traffic after the fire downtown. Immediately after we received approval for our plan, work began by both of them to put it into action. Thank you. Wayne Schlotfeldt, P.E. Schlotfeldt Engineering Inc. Webster City

Thank you to all who made Arts R Alive dinner possible

Letters to Editor

To the editor: Arts R Alive thanks all who attended the sold out Ol’ Fashioned Christmas Dinner at the Jane Young House on Sunday. Congratulations to the highest bidders of the sculpture centerpieces. Thank you to Tim Adams for contributing the sculptures, Kevin Rubash for contributing the ornament favors, and Sherry Adams for the cheesecake donation. Thank you goes to Michelle Jergens for providing beautiful Christmas music and Mark Dohms for his ol’ fashioned Christmas stories. Also, a big thank you to the Webster City High School Student Council and Honor Society ...