Well, the holidays are over, but I’m not quite ready to let go of Christmas just yet. In fact, I’m just now getting around to enjoying one of my favorite Christmas activities: reading all the letters to Santa written by Grant County schoolchildren.

Each year, just before Christmas, the Blue Mountain Eagle publishes dozens of Santa letters written by kids from preschool through sixth grade. The letters range from the adorable (like the preschooler in Long Creek who asked for a sandwich) to the heartbreaking (like the kid from Monument who requests a vacation for his stressed-out mom). Some of the kids give examples of how good they’ve been (putting away the silverware, helping with the laundry, hauling cattle, helping kids get on the teeter-totter). Some have questions (How does your sleigh work? Why are you so big?). Some try to schmooze a little before telling the Big Guy what they want this year (How are you doing? How are your reindeer doing?), and others just go straight to the wish list. All of them are a joy to read.

Equally fun are the ads for local businesses drawn by children and sponsored by the featured businesses. (My personal favorite this year, drawn by a fifth-grader from Prairie City, showed a shivering Santa reading the Blue Mountain Eagle. Thanks, Leigha!) 

I want to thank all the children who shared their Christmas wishes and artistic talents with us, all the teachers who gathered up all the letters and drawings and got them to us on deadline, and all the local businesses who generously sponsored the 22-page special section. And a special thanks to our office manager, Alix Hand, who typed up each and every letter — exactly as written. Merry Christmas, everyone!

In case you missed last week’s edition, it featured our annual Year in Review recap of the biggest stories from 2022. We also had a report on the county’s offer to rehire ex-Deputy Tyler Smith, a story about a local Santa who is hanging up his red suit and the latest installment of Grant County Neighbors. 

This week’s paper will include a look at the Top 10 sports stories of 2022, an annexation effort in John Day and a former Grant County resident’s role in a World War II food conservation program.

As always, I want to take this opportunity to thank our subscribers for their support. We can’t do this work without you!