The Dollar General store in Stanley is opening within the month. Staff photo.

Here is a reminder on what is important as we celebrate Thanksgiving this year. When things in your life seem almost to much to handle, when 24 hours in a day are not enough, remember this story of a mayonnaise jar and coffee. A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class became quiet, he picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was. So the professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open spaces between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was. The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous “yes.” The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed. “Now,” said the professor, as the laughter subsided, “I want you to recognize that the jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things – your family, your children, your health, your friends, your church, and your favorite passions – things that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full. The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house, your car. The sand is everything else – the small stuff.” “If you put sand in the jar first,” he continued, “there is no room for the pebbles, the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important to you. “Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play with your children. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your wife/partner to dinner. Play another 18 holes. There will always be time to clean the house, and fix the disposal. Take care of the golf balls first, the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.” One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented. The professor smiled. “I’m glad you asked,” he said. “It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life my seem, there’s always room for a cup of coffee with a friend.” *** Congratulations to all those involved in planning and carrying through the development of the new monument at the Veterans Memorial located in Soo Park. My wife and I were glad we were able to be in attendance of the dedication ceremony. It couldn’t have been held at any more of an appropriate time – November 11 Veteran’s Day. One does not realize how much traffic our Main Street (Broadway) receives until trying to hear a speaker over the volume of vehicles going by. At any rate, it was a very impressive ceremony with well thought out words appropriate to the occasion. Afterwards the veterans were treated to lunch, had a virtual program put on by the Stanley-Boyd Schools and a movie, with all held at the local theater – a jewel of an asset in downtown Stanley. ***

we do.” Asked as to why the firm chose Stanley for a store site, Ghassemi said in part that, “we take a number of factors into consideration, carefully evaluating each potential new store location to ensure we can continue to meet our customer’s price, value and selection needs. We further strive to provide convenience for customers who may not have affordable nearby retail options.”

Saying that the store in Stanley would employ between 6 to 10 people, Ghassemi went on to list a variety of products sold by the store including Clorox, Kimberly-Clark, General Mills and even Hanes, among others. Ghassemi also mentioned that Dollar General awarded grant money each year through the Dollar General Literacy Foundation for use by “non-profit organizations, schools and libraries within a 15mile radius of a Dollar General store or distribution center to support adult, family, summer and youth literacy programs.”

surgery was Sophi’s mom Jennifer Gorham Cornell, who shared the following update on how Sophie was doing recently.

“She is currently 60+ days in the hospital,” Cornell said. “We are finally moving in the right direction and are hoping to be home next week. She has had 11 surgeries since she got admitted on September 21, 10 of which have been emergency or unplanned. She still has a long road ahead of her but we’re moving towards home,” Sophi’s mom said. Sophi was declared in remission as of August 2018, before symptoms resembling those of appendicitis in October 2019 made it known the cancer was back. The Stanley-Boyd 12-year-old underwent surgery to remove a tumor inside her abdomen that was pressing against arteries and nerves in her right leg. A big thank you to all who donated to help alleviate Sophi’s medical costs!

*** As of last week, hundreds of Canadian geese are still hanging around at Chapman Lake. They generally stay until the lake freezes completely over, before heading further south to find open water. They continue to draw the attention of those who drive through Chapman Park on a regular basis and are best viewed from the parking lot of the former beach area. *** Smile time. Christmas smiles: Bert, age 25. “My wife’s an angel!” Don, aged 57. “You’re lucky, mine is still alive.” +++ Christmas Romeo: What would it take to make you kiss me under the mistletoe? Mary Jo: An anesthetic. +++ Christmas Fable: On Christmas Eve a young man visited a major department store’s perfume counter. He asked for some perfume. The sales lady brought him a bottle with a price tag of $150. Too expensive he uttered. She then brought him a smaller bottle for $100. Still far to much he said. Growing rather annoyed the sales lady brought him a tiny bottle and offered it for $20. The young man became really agitated, “What I mean is I’d like to see something really cheap.” So the sales lady handed him a mirror! +++ Signs of Christmas are EVERYWHERE!! Toy Store: Ho, ho, ho spoken here.” *** Bridal Boutique: “Marry Christmas.” *** Outside a Church: “The original Christmas Club.” *** At a Department Store: “Big per-Christmas Sale. “Come in and meander with the crowd.” *** At a Texas Jewelry Store: “Diamond tiaras – $70,000. Three for $200,000.” *** At a Reducing Salon: “24 Shaping Days Until Christmas.” *** In a Stationary Store: “For the man who has everything … a calendar to remind Threat Groups. before an opening could occur. If you haven’t been out to view the Christmas lights around Stanley yet, now is the time to do so. It seems that the nice weather we have been experiencing has resulted in more people putting up outdoor decorations this year. I especially encourage you to travel on Madison Street, and Kennedy Avenue up to McKenzie. In fact, many living in the NE quadrant of the city have outdone themselves this year. Check them out and see if you agree. *** December is when I usually share information on the Stanley Correctional Institution’s Annual Report, which covers the time period July 1, 2019 – June 30, 2020 (FY20). I will begin with a general overview of information related to SCI as of June 30, 2020. While most of the data in this report is from the SCI Annual Report, I have also interjected a few comments of my own that generally follow a section of information and should be easily identifiable. *** In way of introductory information, the Stanley Correctional Institution was officially opened on January 1, 2003 and is located on 100 acres, with 45 acres within the fenced area. +++ For Fiscal year 2020, the operating budget was $33,710,061, which includes salaries, benefits, supplies/ services, fuel/utilities and repairs/maintenance. +++ There are a total of 366 staff who work at the prison – 252 Uniform Staff (guards) and 114 Non-Uniform Staff. +++ SCI is classified as a Medium Secure Prison, which has an operation capacity of 1,500, and had a Persons in Our Care (PIOC) population of 1,484 at the end of FY 20. PIOC – aka inmates and offenders. *** Revenue Collected from PIOCs (Inmates) in FY 20: Victim/Witness $34,040.07. DNA – $69,395.04. Medical Co-Payments – $12,036.40. Child Support – $55,001.96. Court Ordered Restitution $223,960.78. Institution Restitution $5,108.72. *** Fiscal Year 20 Expenditures: Permanent salaries – $17,969,904.71. Fringe Benefits – $9,381,575.25. Limited Term Salaries – $59,355.36. Supplies and Services – $3,709,845.47. Capital Expenditures – $506,827.93. Fuel and Utilities $1,967,353.54. Repairs and Maintenance – $224,467.23. Purchase of Services for Offenders – $31,523.37. PIOC Enterprises – $244,929.11. *** The following were some of the SCI Accomplishments and Highlights for FY 20: Food Service provided meals to the PIOC and staff at an average cost of $1.05 per meal (up from $1.01 in FY 19). +++ The Bee Program had one hive survive the winter and eight new hives were added for a total of nine hives. +++ SCI encourages PIOCs to maintain contact with family and friends. 7,989 visits took place with 13,884 visitors in FY 20. The pandemic reduced in person visitors at SCI and more zoom visits occurred. Reduced visitors during COVID also substantially reduced Stanley police involvement with the prison. ++++Programs completed at SCI: Anger Management – 25 enrolled. 1 terminated for a successful completion rate of 96%. Domestic Violence – 30 enrolled and 4 terminated (87% completed). Thinking for a Change-22 enrolled 2 terminated and 2 withdrawals (82% completed). +++ A service dog training program through Can Do Canines has been held at SCI since February 2016 and has up to 20 dogs undergoing training with contact dog trainers, who work with PIOC dog handlers and sitters. PIOCs raise the dogs, teach obedience and in some cases teach assistance dog skills. +++ A partnership with Clark County Adult Development Services in Greenwood has resulted in $6,012.50 donated to agencies through the sale of Clark Pizzas in the Visiting Room on Sundays to visitors and PIOCs. +++ SCI added a number of digital cameras to the electronic surveillance system to increase the safety and security of the institution. +++ SCI is in the planning and design phase for a Health Services Unit (Building). +++ Exterior lighting at SCI has been upgraded by installing LED lights which reduces light pollution and improves security. +++ Several cameras have also been installed to the exterior of the facility to enhance security and monitoring. +++ Video visiting was instituted to keep PIOCs in touch with their families. +++ Composting efforts, licensed through the Department of Natural Resources, continues to reduce food waste costs by $20,000 annually. *** Discipline: During FY 20, there were a total of 2,393 conduct reports written on PIOC by staff. This was up slightly from last year’s total of 2,376 conduct reports. Of these 750 were classified as Major and 1,643 Minor. +++ Gang activity, or Security Threat Groups, are a concern in all Department of Corrections facilities. At SCI on average 24% of the population has this identity in FY 20. Select staff members are assigned to monitor Security him when payments are due.”

I have been told more than once that the downtown traffic was significantly reduced after the new hospital was built. I am wondering if the new business additions in the past year have helped reverse that? *** Thursday, November 20, was a beautiful day. During a trip through Chapman Park I saw several young men playing basketball, people out walking in the park, and small children enjoying the playground equipment. And most were in short sleeve shirts!! And there were also + 1,000 Canadian geese congregated on Chapman Lake. When will the winter shoe fall?? *** The following showed up on my computer on Veteran's Day and I want to share it as I had a number of friends and neighbors who served our country during the Vietnam War. It was simply titled: TO THE VIETNAM VETERAN – To those who returned with no one to greet them. To those who have been told PTSD would go away in time. To those who have never been told thank you or welcomed home. To those who returned but are still haunted by the nightmares of war. To those who still react to a backfire and break a sweat at the sound of a chopper. To those who suffer from agent orange exposure and are still fighting the last battle. To those who fought battles in the jungles of Vietnam and here at home. To those who have more friends on the Vietnam Memorial Wall than alive today. THANK YOU! THANK YOU! *** Smile time. Wife: Did I get fat during the quarantine? Husband: You weren’t really skinny to begin with! Time of Death: 11:00 pm. Cause: COVID. +++ Why, why, why …. Why do peanuts float in a regular Coke and sink in a Diet Coke? Go ahead and try it… +++ I used to eat a lot of natural foods until I learned that most people die of natural causes. +++ Once your in heaven, do you get stuck with the clothes you were buried in? +++ How is it that we put a man on the moon before we figured out it would be good to put wheels on luggage? +++ Why is it that people say they “slept” like a baby when babies wake up like every two hours? +++ If a deaf person has to go to court, is it still called a hearing? +++ Why is it your IN a movie, but you’re ON TV? +++ Why is it that people pay to go up tall buildings and then put money in binoculars to look at things on the ground? +++ Why is “bra” singular and “panties” plural? +++ Why do toasters have a setting that burns the toast to a horrible crisp, which no decent human being would eat? +++ Can a hearse carrying a corpse drive in the carpool lane? +++ If corn oil is made from corn, and vegetable oil is made from vegetables, what is baby oil made from? +++ Why do the Alphabet song and Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star have the same tune? +++ Why did you just try singing those two songs? +++ Have you noticed that if you blow in a dogs face, he gets mad at you, but when you take him for a car ride, he sticks his head out the window? +++ How did the man who made the first clock know what time it was? ++ Now chew on those profound questions for a while!! Thanks to the California kid for sending these my way.

*** By the time you read this, the new Dollar General Store will likely be open. They were working feverishly last week doing the total setup and stocking. A worker told me they were hoping to be open by the weekend of December 18, 19 and 20. +++ If you have been up Broadway lately you have likely noticed that the new Mexican Restaurant has painted the lower portion of their location at 117 N. Broadway. Only if you have been to Tijuana, Mexico, can you appreciate the colors that they have selected. Still no word on an opening date. They were lucky to even get days they could paint outside in December. Initially, they told me there was much work needing to be done inside