We have on exhibit a treasure, a 100-yearold booklet bound in faded army-green paper and laced together with an old gold cord. The front page declares it to be The 1921 Octopus, Volume the First, Yearbook of Madisonville High School, published by the Senior Class. A sticky note adds “donated by Mr. Bill Wakefield 3/17/07”. Beneath the title is the declaration “meaning an organization of many branches through which it maintains a hold on the interest of others”.

With the Thanksgiving holiday behind us and Christmas just around the corner, I want to encourage you and your family to embrace this season of giving by seeking out opportunities to offer a helping hand to those in need throughout our communities. While many of us are blessed to enjoy a regular meal and a warm place to sleep at night, it’s important to remember that there are countless others that do not enjoy these basic blessings. In the coming weeks, I hope you’ll chip in at your neighborhood food pantry, donate a few extra dollars in the Salvation Army red kettle, or volunteer time to assist your local church. What better way to express our gratitude than by helping one another?

(Continued from Nov. 24) Go back for a minute to 1817 Thomas’s daughter, Elizabeth Batson Longbotham Hannah (1845).

Hey Madison County, congratulations on our massive County, congratulations on our massive Special Election participation and turnout this past Election Day! Historically, we generate only 300-500 voters on these off-cycle, no-candidate ballots. But not on our just-completed election.