I opened the weekend Times Republican this morning and saw the front-page article about the INA annual awards banquet in Des Moines. Your article moved me to write a note to the editor. I have been wanting to express my appreciation of the TR since last summer when I returned from vacation. I spent days reading nearly every word of the past editions which were delivered to my mail box. The papers provided an excellent way to catch up on all of the local news. On Sunday Feb. 1, I enjoyed sitting at my dining room table watching the snowflakes flutter about as I enjoyed reading my TR. I thought about writing a thank you but didn’t get the job done.

The local newspaper has always been a part of my life. Back in the 1950’s my brother, sister and I delivered the Iowa City Press Citizen to our neighbors. My husband delivered the Oshkosh Northwestern. Then delivering the TR became a part of our family’s daily life. Our children delivered the TR to our neighbors from 1980 till 1994 when the last child headed to college. The paper route taught responsibility and the value of saving money. The TR helped sponsor their high school trips to Germany, Russian and Japan.

I appreciate the wide local coverage that the paper now covers. State and national news is available at our fingertips all day long through many new communication sources. My TR informs me of all the wonderful contributions my neighbors are making to the Marshalltown community, what is happening in the communities around us, what our local, county, and state leaders and potential leaders are doing, and editorials with a variety of opinions and views.

We look forward each day to our TR. As a very old retired person, I don’t always appreciate other news outlets. They hurry by every news story too fast. With a newspaper I can read in any room in the house when I decide to read. My eyesight and brain are no longer perfect so I can read the article over again to make sure I have the facts accurately stored in my well used brain.

Thank you for keeping the newspaper a relevant part of many people’s lives.