Looks like there's another reason for our Publisher to be glad that he calls Holabird his home. There is a persistent rumor going around, as yet unconfirmed, claiming that a nude bar could be starting up in Highmore. It appears that one Nathan Shaul may have purchased Ray's Bar and Grill in Highmore. Some fear that nude dancing in this establishment may not be far behind. As a matter of fact, there has been talk of getting all of the community churches together to protest the establishment of such an establishment.

There will be more details of this story as they become available to us. In the meantime, you may want to pray for Highmore during this difficult time.

State Senator Frank Kloucek (D-Dist 19) sponsored a bill to help South Dakotans manage the problem they have being over run with prairie dogs. This idea was brought to his attention by a West River rancher, who apparently couldn't get any action out of his own Statehouse delegation. Sen. Kloucek's bill was killed committee by the Republicans.

Since the Legislature is unwilling to do anything about prairie dogs, All of us here at the Holabird Advocate have a solution to this problem. Everyone who is beset with prairie dogs should vote to send a Democrat to the Statehouse. If this is as a big problem for the state as we are led to believe, this may be the only way to get any action on the problem.

Perhaps one could make it a cash crop. Get the Sierra Club, PETA, and Greenpeace out there and charge them to catch a live prairie dog and take them to a place where they are needed. You know, since they are endangered and all. Make it a real challenge too. "All the prairie dogs you can catch for $5" or something like that.

South Dakota's Secretary of Agriculture, Larry Gabriel, claims that the prairie dog is in such dire straits that hey have taken to eating each other. What do the prairie dogs know that we don't. Let's hope our East River ranchers never have to find this out themselves. If the prairie dogs are, in fact, tasty, this could be a job for PITA.

As we start our fourth year in blogcasting, it is only right, as in years past, for me to give the annual report as to the state of our Newsblog. I will give you, the Reader, a sense of where we have been and where we might be going.

The year 2004 was called the "Year of Fullness". Still, some of the internet upgrades here at the home office causes some emptiness in the lives of those who have come to depend on this site for the latest news, entertainment, and occasional gossip. So far, those problems have been a thing of the past. Here's hoping it will stay that way!

Among the new Bravenet services we have tried out last year were the Vote Caster, the Photo Album, a Web Journal which details the notes I have been taking over the years chronicalling my Grandad's 100+ years in the world, and lastly a Greeting Cards module that I didn't like so I got rid of it. The Guestmap is our latest addition. Some of our Readers have stuck a pin on their little corner of the world. I hope this catches on.

I helped support Stephanie Herseth's run for Representative both times she ran last year. She won both times. This was at a great cost to me in Reader support, but I have to do what is right. That is what makes me the courageous, dynamic Publisher. I also supported John Thune in the Senate race in spite of his kids commercial. Daschle saying that he was "a D.C. resident" on Thune's other ad should remind us of the 12 commandment, "Thou shalt remember than when thee speaketh, that thy cameras runneth still". Sometimes I regret this decision, but it's too late to do anything about that now. We must go forward somehow, and we shall.

The American Voter as chosen as "Person of the Year" for 2004, They really did make 2004 memorable. I hope that every American Reader that was able to did get out and vote.

And now the bad news. Readership has not grown as in previous years. We started the year with 2645 Readers and close it with 5174. I expected this, so that's OK. The good news is that repeat Readers (those who came back more than once) is up from 12% in 2003 to 28% in 2004.

In 2005, I will endeavor to bring about the Audblog to the Holabird Advocate as soon as I can afford it. The only way I can do that right now is with ad revenue. If there was another way, I would have done it by now.

I have been juggling a lot of activities this year. From the Holabird Advocate, the Holabird Church of Universal Life, continuing on with Grandad's biography, watching over the old boy himself, and making sure I get a little work done on the Ponderosa as well. It sounds like a lot at times, but then I really don't do a very good job with any of it, so that makes it even.

That does it for another year. My thanks to every one of you Readers. I couldn't do it without you. Thank you for your patience and understanding this last year. Let's all work together to make 2005 the "Year of Overflow".God bless you all. God bless America, and God bless the Holabird Advocate.