It was a real treat to watch them overcome all odds to reach the final four in Class 3A football. Of all of the semifinal games played last Friday, Hillsboro came the closest in points to winning (a margin of 5 points) of any team still vying for a berth in the finals.

Garden Plain almost didn't get out of here with a win. I heard that if we could have gotten one more possession at the end of the game, Coach Coryea had one more trick play up his sleeve. The fake punt at the end of the first half was one of the best I've ever seen.

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I have been asked if we published an appraisal guide this year. We didn't, and the reason is that it took a great deal of effort to produce the guide and it became obsolete now that everyone can go on the Internet and find the valuation of any property in Marion County on the Marion County Web site. At least I found the one I was looking for when I tried it.

Here's how you do it. First go to www.marioncoks.net. Then go to the Appraiser's link listed on the left navigation bar. Then click on "parcel search" and type in the owner's last name or whatever other information you have to identify a certain parcel.

I believe the tax notices will be released soon. So if you think your appraisal is too high you can research other similar properties, compare the valuation and then be prepared to challenge yours if it still seems high.

On the other hand, if your appraisal is lower than you think it should be, I'm sure you'll run right down to the appraiser's office and ask to have it raised.

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This week we are publishing a combination Holiday Cookbook and Gift Guide to provide our readers with useful information for the holiday season. Since we able to do so, we are going to try something new this time. We'll be giving our online readers a link to a video on how to make pie crust.

It's amazing what can be done with a silly computer these days.

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Son Dan told me about a Web site that lists real estate properties and their approximate values. It is www.zillow.com. So far, though, it's limited to the bigger metropolitan areas like Seattle, where he lives.

Computers with database information make it easy to learn about many things.

Dan just moved back to Seattle, so I was looking at the roof of his apartment from the Google satellite map on my computer while we were talking on the phone. I started asking about some of the other buildings in the neighborhood. He humors me by answering my stupid questions.

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We can be thankful all year long, but Thanksgiving lends itself as a time to consider how fortunate we are and how much we have compared with so many others in the world.

We are truly blessed by our family and friends, as well as the family we have in the workplace at the Free Press.

May your holiday weekend be relaxing, rejuvenating and safe.

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This year will be my 60th consecutive year without eating cranberry sauce at Thanksgiving dinner. I already know this.

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For some reason, I'm just not interested in eating something that comes from a bog.