By Mindy Rowlands

200-3997

morrillnews@gmail.com

The town clerk's hours are Mondays 5-8 p.m., Tuesdays noon-8 p.m. and Saturdays 8 a.m.-noon.

Dog licensing

Dog licenses were due Dec. 31; however, your dogs must be licensed for 2013 by Jan. 31 or there will be a $25 per dog late fee. It is $6 per spayed/neutered dogs and $11 for dogs that are not spayed or neutered. Late fees start Feb. 1.

Brent Hatch

I received a very nice email from our former pastor, Richard Reynolds, the other day. He had recently read the Republican Journal article about one of our town’s former residents, Lt. Col. Brent Hatch, who has just recently been assigned to work at the Pentagon. Richard passed on a cute story he remembered about Brent from back when he was pastor here in Morrill. I thought I’d just leave the story in Richard’s own words.

“In this week's Journal, we also enjoyed reading about Brent Hatch and his new assignment at the Pentagon! Years ago I drove the "bus" while pastoring there in Morrill Baptist Church. In those days I had a Chrysler wagon and transported the little ones home at noontime. The kids enjoyed the roominess with the backseat down. (Before seatbelt requirements). Brent was one of those several children in those days. He was a shy little boy with few, if any, words to say to anybody. I remember one day that quite a few inches of snow had fallen by noontime. Rather than try to negotiate the driveway, I decide to carry him through the snow to his waiting mom standing in the doorway of their home. Mrs. Hatch thanked me for the TLC and I got a smile from Brent. Little did I know that I was carrying such a dignitary. Kudos, Brent! We are very proud of you!”

Ryan Jackson

Dean and Nancy Jackson’s son, Ryan Jackson, has been home on leave for Christmas. It’s been nice to see him around and I’m sure there are many friends and family members looking forward to his finishing up his military career and coming home permanently. We wish him well and will continue to keep him in our thoughts and prayers in the months to come.

I hope Ryan won’t hate me for sharing this story about him, but I’ll share it anyway.

Several years ago I was at Marc and Wendi Luther’s house visiting when a couple of the young boys around the same age as Ryan got into an argument/pushing match. Ryan (who was about 10 or 11 years old at the time) was standing beside the fighting boys, slowly munching on a cookie, simply watching the action transpire. Eventually, he seemed to think it had gone on long enough, so, without even putting his cookie down, he reached out, grabbed the nearest boy by the collar, pulled him off the other boy and set him down. His facial expression never changed, nor was a word spoken; he simply ended the fight and continued munching on the cookie.

Happy New Year

I’m not a big fan of staying up late. I grew up in a home where you went to bed when it was “dark under the table,” so I happily snored in the New Year. Hope the rest of you had an enjoyable time, though, and that you’re still keeping all your New Year’s resolutions. I hope you’re all staying warm, too, now that the weather has become a bit more “seasonable.” The boys and I made it out for a little snowshoeing on New Year’s Eve, and then Dean and I took them snowtubing at Hermon Mountain on New Year’s Day. It’s always fun to get outside, exercise and fill your lungs with all that cold, fresh air. It certainly makes you appreciate your warm house and soft bed all that much more.