Written by Joel Klaassen Tuesday, 20 November 2012 15:58

Anyone can find reasons not to be thankful, but when I think about it, my list for positives far outnumbers the negatives.

This column isn’t nearly long enough to list everything I am thankful for, but I want to mention a couple of things from a business perspective.

First and foremost, I am grateful for the terrific group of people with whom we work every day here at the Free Press. They are very talented and care about doing the right thing for our customers and each other.

We also appreciate our advertisers who support us each week and for our readers, too. Both groups make our business possible.

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You may have already read about Russell and Jeanne Groves, who care about our community and have created an art gallery at their...

Read more: List is long for giving thanks

Written by Joel Klaassen Tuesday, 13 November 2012 15:35

When my sister Elaine and I were in Pilsen on Sunday to attend the Father Kapaun Celebration Mass, and the dinner following it, we both saw the preservation of a rich tradition not often seen by the majority of our population.

The dinner was especially tasty and we were impressed with how quickly hundreds of people were served. I wonder how many potatoes they had to peel for all of those people?

At first I didn’t see the kolaches, but am really glad I found them and brought some home with me.

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We want to thank everyone who came out to our event on Veterans Day releasing the new veterans book at the Pilsen Community Center and later in Marion at the VFW.

Just a note about the Veter­ans Salute that we ran in the newspaper last...

Read more: Taste of Pilsen’s rich tradition

Written by Joel Klaassen Tuesday, 06 November 2012 15:26

Our new veterans book will be released Sunday in Pilsen following the 10th Annual Fr. Kapaun Cele­bration.

Since I had seen a road-closed sign on the Pilsen Road not long ago, I decided to drive it Sunday afternoon to make sure everyone could get to Pilsen on that route as it is the most direct way to travel.

The road bed has been reworked to gravel and now has a solid base all the way north from U.S. Highway 56.

If you are driving from the west and want less gravel, I would take Kanza to 290th, then over to Remington and then back south to Pilsen. It’s either 7.5 miles or 1.5 miles of gravel, take your pick.

You are invited to join us for cake and coffee and pick up the book.

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I have always wanted to know more about the...

Read more: Best route to Pilsen celebration

Written by Joel Klaassen Tuesday, 30 October 2012 14:26

Our “Save Your Receipts” holiday local rewards promotion begins this week and runs through Dec. 14. It is intended to reward folks who shop in Marion County and who support our local businesses. Three entrants will receive a total of $1,000 in Free Press Bucks to be spent with our Marion County advertisers.

The program was successful last year above our expectations and we are hoping it will be even better this year. The receipts in 2011 represented nearly $250,000 in purchases.

To find out more about the promotion and to read the rules and regulations please turn to Page 8B in this week’s edition.

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You may have noticed that about a half dozen businesses have disappeared from our Marion County landscape recently. Many forces...

Read more: Receipts can lead to rewards