– Letter to the Editor –

This holiday season, will you shop at one of the 33.2 million small businesses, that make up 99 percent of all businesses in the U.S? Up and down rural main streets in America, shopkeepers are readying their stores for the season. Business owners are stocking special gifts and rolls of wrapping paper, to provide added value, when you spend your money with a local retailer. Independently-owne...

The story is an old one. Like many old stories, it is one that gains value with its retelling. It is the story of settlers, yearning to live free and coming to a new land. It is a story of overcoming adversity, hardship and hostility. It is the story of friendship, and sharing knowledge and support. It is the story of a bountiful harvest, and of setting aside differences in clothing and cust...