Dear Benton Citizens,

Wow, it does not seem possible that another month has come and gone. October was a very busy month with Old Fashion Day and Tyndall Park Roller Fest as well as the Great Ghost Town event that was held downtown with thousands of people attending while hundreds of people were giving out candy. We are so fortunate in Benton that we are all working together for the betterment of the community. As we move into my favorite month, which is November, we have so much to be thankful for with the many things that are coming.

But before we talk about the things to come, I want to ask each of you as you begin to celebrate the upcoming shopping season in our city to help us to prevent the bad actors from stealing things out of your vehicles. As you know, every year around the holiday shopping season, people act badly by looking into vehicles and seeing things that they want and then they break the window and get what they see, these are the bad actors I am talking about. Yes, we have a great police force that just the other night this happened in our community and the police apprehended them to find out that they were outsiders to our city. So, please help us prevent the bad actors from stealing things out of your vehicles by placing the items under cover or locating them in a way that cannot be easily seen by looking into the window and always keep your vehicle locked. I know this is asking a lot, but we want your holiday season to not be interrupted by the bad actors out there, by not giving them a reason to act badly. Thank you for your help with this.

Now, as we kick off November with the Chamber “Glitz and Garland” event which runs November 3rd & 4th at the Benton Event Center which is always a great opportunity to start your holiday shopping. Then the very next weekend we celebrate Veterans Day with thankfulness of all the many men and women who served this county to allow us to have the many freedoms we love so much. Wow, if that is not enough, we move in the Thanksgiving season, a time when we reflect on all the people and events, we are so thankful for. I am very thankful for each of you and how you continue to contribute to our community to make it better daily for all to live in.

November is all about the 4 Fs of Life. I know you are wondering what the 4 fs are and they are family, friends, food, and football. When I was a small boy, okay you are right in that I was never small, so let’s just say when I was a young boy, I looked so forward to Thanksgiving Day. On Thanksgiving Day, the family would all get together and bring their best dish for lunch and occasionally you might hear some discussion on who is the best cook in the family but in my opinion all of them were great cooks because everything I ate was delicious. While all the adults were getting lunch together all the kids would get involved with a friendly game of football. What a game it was because it was a neighborhood game with all the cousins, as well as all the neighborhood being involved. Yes, you are right, every now and then there might be a friendly dispute that broke out, but it only lasted a few seconds, because we had to get the game in so we could go eat. Then after everyone filled themselves with a little of everything, we would always find some room for desserts. Then, we would gather around the black and white TV and watch the Dallas Cowboys play. Don’t remember who they played, just remember it seemed like every Thanksgiving Day Dallas played. Of course, during the game we would snack on the sweets that were brought into the house to hold us over till dinner, which was leftovers from lunch. What a day which is all about family, friends, food, and football!!!!!

Man, how things are changed, because today it seems like families eat their lunch together, but they always go about their ways about mid-afternoon whereas before it was an all-day affair with family, friends, food, and football. Of course, today you have so many other choices on your big screen color TVs. And then on Fridays after Thanksgiving some enjoy shopping while others just enjoy the continued fellowship among friends. Since the Friday after Thanksgiving always starts with the Christmas hustle and bustle that everyone goes through each year, I want to encourage you to shop at all our local stores. Then beginning in December, the city and county will be offering 22 days of small-town Christmas activities for all to enjoy.

Please take time this Thanksgiving to reflect on the positive things, the many great memories you either had as a child or the memories you are making this holiday season as each of you enjoy the moment with your family and friends. Happy Thanksgiving to all.

Tom