This past New Year's Day, Meyer was 46 and wanted out. Paterno was 84 and didn't want to leave – ever, perhaps.

My thinking is simple (as it always is): If we eat our first Thanksgiving meal at noon, we ought to be able to eat again at 6 o'clock that evening. That's the plan, anyway. Happy Thanksgiving, Everyone. From all of us at The Highland County Press, we wish you a sage (er, safe), happy and blessed holiday.

This new mayor attributes, on national television, the city's supposed increase in population is due to unintended teen pregnancies? Really? Was that poor attempt at humor necessary? Did he really intend to convey such an image of Hillsboro to the national audience? If so, why? (A cheap laugh, perhaps?)

Obama is the nation's first Facebook president. Someone whose name I was happily ignorant of a few years ago is Hillsboro's first Facebook mayor. After three years, the former has been an abject failure. Perhaps the latter may learn from his shortcomings, but I wouldn't count on it.

Since I'd rather not write a check to my own attorneys, I tend to handle such refusals of public meeting access or public records in this fashion, which has served me well. 1. If a public official denies rightful access to Highland County's only locally owned newspaper, we'll publish a story to that effect. 2. We'll also publish an editorial opinion, causing further embarrassment. 3. We'll still get the public information to our readers, which was the initial intent.

Should a man who is from the state’s largest city, admits to never being a farmer, and has made a nice living mercilessly poking fun at some of the very people he would be representing, really be the commissioner of agriculture? If he is incapable of understanding the culture, or finds it worthy of joking about, how can he properly run the office? …Unlike Las Vegas, what happens in rural areas doesn’t stay in rural areas. The job of commissioner of agriculture requires serious leadership and real world experience. To me, that’s no laughing matter." – Leland Conway

Many of us are fortunate to know – or have known – veterans from that distinctive World War II generation. Sadly, those World War II veterans still on the "active duty" roster are decreasing each and every day. Consider: More than 16 million men and women served in the U.S. Armed Forces during World War II. More than 400,000 died in battle and noncombat deaths. More than 600,000 were wounded. Of the approximately 2 million living American World War II veterans in 2011, almost 900 die each day. Their average age is 88 1/2.

Maybe a decade ago, I made this same suggestion just prior to a general election tax levy. The "nays" beat the "yeas" that year, but more than 2,000 people voted for the levy. A few months later, I questioned the county agency as to how many people – among levy supporters – sent a check for their respective new taxes. "Two," I was told. Not at all surprising, human nature being what it is…

Human nature can be a troubling thing. One of the problems is that we're all too often predisposed to whatever's new and shiny on the market. A good friend of mine could take a glance at the Hope Diamond and utter a simple, one-word description in his best Homer Simpson impersonation: "Shy…nee…"

Had we known there'd be gifts, flowers and cake delivered to the new HCP digs, we'd have moved a long time ago. Seriously, who knew there'd be cake? (Thanks, Carina May!) To all of you who were so kind and thoughtful to acknowledge the HCP's new office opening on South High Street, we thank you. Your generosity was much appreciated. You really didn't have to do that!

As to the physical relocation of The Highland County Press, three people have worked very hard to make this all come about: Jim Matticks, Rosemary Ryan and Kathleen Fuller. Mel and Bonnie Nicholas of Wilmington also deserve our heartfelt appreciation. I'm sure they had better things to do this weekend than carry office furniture. Thanks, Mel and Bonnie.

Bud Brown, many local Republicans might recall, is a former Blanchester newspaperman who represented the Seventh Congressional District from central Ohio. (If memory serves.) When Bud asked how my mother was doing, we touched a bit on his own health. (Bud had suffered a stroke, maybe four or five years ago.) He and Joyce were surprised that I remembered his birthday. It's easy, I told them. Bud was born in the summer of 1927, the year of perhaps the greatest Major League Baseball team ever: The Murderer's Row 1927 New York Yankees.

Regardless of the outcome of the Hillsboro's mayor's race, we look forward to working with the next city administration, much as we have enjoyed working with the present administration. After all, it is our government – and we'll have the government we deserve.

I can opt for a paltry $2,000, a more accommodating $5,000, a gravedigger's special of $10,000 or a rip-roaring Saints-Come-Marching-In New Orleans Brass Band Deluxe Funeral for $15,000. For 15 grand, I think they throw in a couple of KFC buckets, a gallon of tater salad and a keg of beer for the bereaved (if there are any).

Chuck Collier’s voice left the airwaves way too soon. The Hall of Fame radio show host and New Vienna native passed away Sept. 22, succumbing to a heart attack at the age of 64. Cleveland area listeners knew Chuck from his country music program on WGAR, where he also served as the station’s music director.