Tina Leighton matches bags of food to the names and addresses on her delivery list at the John Day Elks Lodge.

I had the privilege of riding along with Tina Leighton on Thanksgiving as she delivered free holiday meals to some of our neighbors who might not have been able to enjoy a traditional turkey dinner otherwise. Tina was one of 10 or so volunteer drivers who delivered dinners to 158 people up and down the John Day Valley who were housebound or otherwise unable to go out, including the the holiday crew at Blue Mountain Hospital and the dispatchers working at the emergency communications center. The deliveries were part of the free community dinner the Elks Lodge puts on every year (the Elks prepared well over 400 meals this year for delivery, takeout and in-house dining). 

It was heartwarming to see the gratitude with which people received the meals Tina delivered to their door — in some cases, it seemed as if the recipients were just as glad to have someone to talk to as they were for the free food. In today’s high-tech world, it’s incredibly easy to communicate with people through video chats, social media and so forth. But these kinds of virtual interactions can never take the place of face-to-face conversations, the kind that come with a hug or a handshake or even just a friendly smile. We all need real human contact in our lives, especially our neighbors who find themselves living alone.

In case you missed it, last week’s edition featured stories about Oregon’s growing wolf population and its impact on stock producers, Christmas on the Prairie, the sad condition of Ruth Harris’ former home, efforts to help with Tim Nodine’s final expenses and the Prairie City football team’s semifinal showdown with Joseph.

Coming up in this week’s paper, look for stories on the Elks’ community Thanksgiving dinner (up now on our website), the outcome of several ethics complaints filed against local officials, a retrial for a convicted sex offender, a ruling in the Measure 114 lawsuit and more.

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— Bennett Hall, Editor