Your view: A letter from Santa

Dear Donnie,

Well, ole Santa has just returned back to the North Pole from a well deserved month long rest after my Christmas Eve flight all over the world to visit children of all ages. It seems that I have a better time every year and I believe the reindeer, especially Rudolf, are chilling out a little with age. Ho, ho!!

Well, Santa's sleigh rides in Sikeston this year were very successful! All of the wonderful children donated to ride with me in the awesome antique sleigh that Pepsi Cola allowed me to use while I was in town, as well as our community's Department of Public Safety giving me an escort around town with police cars and the fire truck. What a great parade Chief Drew Juden and Captain Dan Armour arranged for ole Santa. My thanks to them.

You know, the downtown merchants hosted my sleigh rides this year, so hopefully the children and their parents, whom I had fun with, had an opportunity to patronize those wonderful merchants, they certainly supported ole Santa.

I would certainly be forgetful if I didn't mention your community's wonderful historic Depot museum. They had several exhibits that were being presented at the same time I was there, and the two events just seemed to compliment each other very nicely.

I was so happy to be able to donate all the funds raised this year to an organization that has provided so much to the entire area, the YMCA. The counselors and employees certainly strive to provide a safe, fun, progressive atmosphere for all that attend that special facility.

As for you, Donnie, and that great newspaper you and Mikey put together every day, "Thank you!" for your support and the advertising and notices you published for me.

To all of my Southeast Missouri friends, I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and I'll see you next year!

Your old buddy,

Santa Claus