Page 8 The Advocate News (Wilton-Durant, Iowa) Thursday, December 27, 2012

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We marvel at their innocence and candor

t seemed an eerily, heartbreaking parallel that while our staff was putting the finishing touches on responses to our annual Christmas related question to local second grade students Friday, Dec. 14, our country fell victim again to a mass shooting. This shooting left us all feeling angry. Because this shooting took place at an elementary school in Newtown, Conn., and 20 of the 28 deceased were children ages seven or under. Its clear from the continuous news coverage over the weekend that this incident was different. Not only did it cause heartache like all U.S. mass shootings do it caused a level of outrage along with the typical confusion and why kinds of questions. It has sparked debate about guns in this country. Specifically, semi-automatic weapons that mimic war-style guns and extended magazines, which have been used in many of our most recent shootings in this country. I heard a stat over the weekend that while the U.S. accounts for five percent of the worlds population, it accounts for 50 percent of the worlds guns. We dont need to rehash what happened in Newtown or get into a gun debate I say this as a gun owner myself. Time will tell if any legislative action comes along. Based on the fact that Congress cant even effectively negotiate a fiscal cliff deal, Ive grown to not expect much from our elected Congressional leaders at this moment in time. Yet sadly, Newtown makes me think Anytown, because mass shootings are becoming a bit of a disgusting norm in the country. I

checked our Wilton and Durant school lists edy, it was hard not to read about gun after and according to my number crunching, gun without thinking for a moment. However, there are 90 first and second grade students at EVERY child that wanted to get a gun for Durant Elementary School and 120 students their father wanted to do so because dad was in grades 1-2 at Wilton. Losing 20 lives in one a hunter. I can relate as I grew up watching of our schools in an event such as Newtown my dad hunt and longed for the day that I would result in losing roughly one in every was able to hunt with him. And I did. I took five students in grades 1-2 at either school. the hunter/gun safety courses and my dad let me begin hunting with Scary to think about but him during my teenage I digress years. On to the brighter It was a wonderful side, if there is anything experience and Ill bet our annual Santa-relata lot of the kids out ed questions to second there that wanted to graders prove, its that get their fathers new our kids live in a wide guns have those same world of wonder and we dreams of being able here at the AN, along By Derek Sawvell to hunt with their dad with our readers Im some day. Again theres quite sure, marvel at a wonderful innocence about that. their innocence and candor. But at its core, the parents reading letters We decided to change it up a bit this year and asked our second graders If someone gave written by their children should show that you a lot of money to spend, what would you they are always looking upon the world with wide eyes. Theyre extremely observant and buy your parents for Christmas and why? This is different from the norm due to put- are always learning new things. We were able to add Bennett to the list ting them in the role of the givers of gifts this year, as we shared the question with Deb rather than the receivers. The answers were no less amazing, humor- Storjohanns second grade class. Coupled with responses from Cornerstone Christian School ous and touching. The most common gifts kids wanted to get in Wilton and second graders from Wilton and their parents were new cars. There were some Durant elementary schools, we had our largest that wanted to get their mothers jewelry and range of responses ever. Of course without our wonderful sponsors then a large number that wanted to get guns and cooperation from our schools and teachers, for their fathers. Naturally in light of the Connecticut trag- none of this would be possible. And our own

Case in Point

Barb Rochholz does such a wonderful job of presenting them exactly as our kids write them! As Ive done in the past, I decided to pick out a few of my favorite responses, which I think capture a little humor, love and affection, and a taste of reality. Drake Tegtmeier Deb Storjohanns Bennett second grade class Drake said he wanted to buy his mother a new phone for Christmas and one of its uses was priceless Mom would use her phone to track where dad is going. Dalton Nichols Melanie Drakes Wilton second grade class Dalton had perhaps the shortest and sweetest entry but it was nonetheless powerful I would buy my grandma flowers because I love her. Maria Huston Rachel Ingstads Wilton second grade class One of Marias wishes was so simple, yet so grown up and real I will find my daddy a job. *** Merry ChristmasIm writing this on Dec. 21. Due to Christmas falling on a Tuesday this year, our entire process got thrown into a bit of a spin. Our deadlines are typically Mondays and we go to press on Tuesdays. Therefore, we treated Friday (Dec. 21) as our deadline day and went to the printer on the morning of Christmas Eve (Monday, Dec. 24). We wanted to get to you as soon as we could this holiday season. Heres to a Merry Christmas to all! Watch next week for our annual Year in Review section.

Novelty winnerThe snow-covered ground provided the perfect backdrop for the home of Jenny and John Cooper at 901 Cedar Street in Wilton for their winning Novelty Division light display. Second place winners of the Wilton Municipal Light & Power contest are Tom and Laurie Maurer at 513 Short Street; third place went to Larry and Patricia Dusenberry at 412 East Sixth Street. Photo by Derek Sawvell

FFA DonationThe Wilton-Durant Food Pantry has an abundance of fresh fruit thanks to the generosity of the Wilton FFA Chapter which donates oranges, apples, pears and grapefruits to the food pantry each year following their successful, annual fruit sales. Food pantry board treasurer Jack Henderson (at left) happily accepted the fruit from FFA members Brad Walton, Tyson Ochiltree and FFA President Grant Maurer. Photo by Barb Rochholz

School donates to food pantryJack Henderson is very busy keeping the shelves at the Wilton-Durant Food Pantry stocked and happily accepting donations from generous people. The Wilton teaching staff made a donation recently and Jack was also surprised by a donation from the third and fourth grade students at Wilton Elementary School. They included Daelyn Cooling, Karson Willey, Madelyn Wade and Kyle Stark. The Wilton-Durant Food Pantry is located at 408 Cedar Street (next to the WiltonDurant Advocate News office). Contributed photo