Ode to 2006

      Editor: Dave Uphoff

William Butler retired after 22 years as Chief of Police,
He was replaced by Nicholas Cavera to keep the peace,
Corey Ruestman replaced Steve Mattox in the second ward,
And new EMS Chief Deborah West was brought on board;

The voters approved a tax referendum for Fieldcrest,
To ensure that our children's education is the best,
Abundant rains brought near record farm yields,
Which means new machinery in next year's fields;

A developers agreement was signed by the city,
For the raceway that has been on hold for an eternity,
March 1 is the deadline for coming up with the money,
Else the developers will lose their milk and honey;

The city received more free trees from Jason Gerdes,
His generosity has beautified the city for us;
LaVon's Fine Foods opened up on the city's south end,
Jess's Pub became Paulie's Pub to remain open;

Governor Blagojevich won another term as head of our state,
His victory not due to his being first rate,
Rather due to the legacy left by former Governor Ryan,
Who will be serving 6 years in the slammer for lying;

The Republicans got their butts whipped in the election,
Losing both the House and Senate due to their participation,
In supporting President Bush in the war in Iraq,
It will be awhile before they can make a comeback;

Saddam Hussein was executed for being a mass murderer,
Slaughtering 300,000 Iraqis during his reign of terror,
Osama bin Laden remains free in the hills of Pakistan,
And Afghanistan is still being terrorized by the Taliban;

Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama are the best selection,
For the Democrats to win the presidential election,
Obama's charisma has charmed many voters,
Being a fresh face seems all that matters;

So next year will prove to be interesting,
As ethanol and wind farms gain steam,
Maybe the cost of energy won't be so dear,
Let's hope so. Happy New Year.

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