Opinion

Amere 365 days ago, I sat my office full of anticipation and the weight of opportunity as Jordan and I were only days away from officially owning the Cassville Democrat. And while there have been a few little bumps along the way, we feel we have sped through our first year of ownership with more success than we could have ever predicted.

The purpose of the Commentary page is to provide a forum of various opinions, and we highly encourage letters to the editor. The opinions of columnists are not necessarily shared by the Cassville Democrat or its staff. If you have an opinion, send a letter to Kyle Troutman, Cassville Democrat, P.O. Box 486, Cassville, MO 65625, or by email to ktroutman@cassville-democrat.com.

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Getting lost down a rabbit hole of history can be very easy around the Barry County Museum. With the combination of resources from the Fields’ Photo Archives and genealogy material in our reference room, combined with modern electric resources on the internet, looking up information on one subject can quickly detour into unexpected avenues.

As we are in the midst of the Christmas season, many thoughts and memories of prior holidays come rushing to mind this time of year. I’ve always loved this time of year.

You’ve heard of Elf on the Shelf — now get ready for.........Trout on the route! We picked our spot on Route C on Saturday for the final Christmas parade of the year in Purdy. This year’s parades have been phenomenal, and we only have a few suggestions for next year.

It is just a few days until Christmas day. This is a time when a special atmosphere fills the air, bringing people together in a shared sense of joy and unity.

’Twas a week before Christmas, and at The Cassville Democrat, Busy hand were a’typing requests for iPads and cats. Each year we ask second- graders their wishes from Santa, And while most requests are common, some make us say, my lanta! There are 300-plus letters printed for Kringle this year, And we hope they bring parents and Santa Claus cheer.

As we approach the final days of 2023, I don’t think I have ever been as busy as I have the last few weeks. Our first year as owners of a small weekly newspaper has been nothing short of fantastic.

With 2023 coming to a close, I am excited to officially announce a new project that has been in the works for the past year. “Through the Years: The Magazine,” is a new publication created by yours truly.