Here it is Sunday, November 1st, the sun is shining, it’s 65 degrees and no wind. How much better can it get? It was the same last night – a beautiful, clear night for all the trick or treaters to be out. Jo and I enjoy having everyone stop by. Thank you parents for bringing your kids by and thanks to Gladbrook Young Women for planning a kids Halloween party on Saturday. It was also a nice night for Linda Goos to celebrate another year of being a Halloween baby. Happy Birthday! I have been watching the 2015 World Gymnastic Championships on TV today. U.S. gymnasts Simone Biles and Gabby Douglas finished one and two in the world. Their moves on the balance beam and floor routines are fun to watch. They can do their routines about as easy as I can get out of the recliner. Saturday was a great day for Iowa football with UNI, Iowa and Iowa State all winning. Hope all of you fans had a great time! And how about the GR football team headed for the second round of state football playoffs on Monday night? I think last weeks first round game against East Buchanan was one of the best games these young men have played this year. Everyone is wishing them the best for the rest of the year and hope they are State Champs this year. Thank you to all the players, coaches and cheerleaders for representing both of our towns. You make all of us very proud. Last month when I was talking about Annie Stocker’s building remodel I forgot to mention that Greg Stocker is the Project Superintendent and that he does all the hard work. Sorry about that Greg! And now for my big mistake last month. I got a city employee very upset with me. I will try to make it right with her. I said that Barb DeWitt was a partner in the new Range Toys business along with her husband, Mike. Barb told me she is not a partner and doesn’t share all of Mike’s passions! Hope that this clarifies that Barb is NOT in the gun business. Sorry Barb for putting out the wrong information! I am allowed to say that Barb is very proud to be a new grandmother as Dan and Sam DeWitt have had a baby girl. Congratulations to everyone on Codi’s arrival. JoAnn Ruopp has told me she is in dire need of help at Matchsticks for the next three weeks and also for volunteers at the theatre. These are fun jobs and you get to meet a lot of new people. If you can possibly spare an afternoon or evening, give JoAnn a call. Does anyone remember the house on the Southeast corner of Spring St. and Johnson St. that Larry Miell says used to be a school and it was moved into town some time ago. Can anyone prove him right? This is very important(to him.) I hope everyone is enjoying the Presidential debates. I’m sure everyone is happy to learn how they are going to save our country considering that both the House and Senate passed the spending bill and once again raised the debt limit. They might as well take the limit off completely – it would save them having to raise it every year as they will do anyway. Think about this – our government is so concerned about our national debt that they put a freeze on Social Security raises and worse yet refused to give our military the 2% raise that they were promised. All at the same time they didn’t even discuss their automatic 7% raise for themselves. I guess Congress and our President think they are more deserving of a pay raise than those who are willing to fight and die for their country. When you get a chance, ask any one of our elected officials how they justify that and I mean both parties. I had better quit now before I get really mad. There was a large crowd at the Sons of the Legion fish fry supper last Friday. It was very good! Thanks to all who worked on this event. On November 8 is the Legion Pancake breakfast and on November 16 is Women’s Club Holiday Happenings.

Keith Sash, Mayor