After nearly 25 years in the artistry of decoupage, with a specialty in Graduation plaques, Mary Hinkle has now quit the business. She will be devoting her time in other pursuits. She may take on special projects in the future, but for now she considers herself retired, relieved, and rejoicing. Mary has retired just as her husband Harold Hinkle has come out of retirement from farming to raise asparagus. She retired more for him than for herself, as he complained that they could never get away from home because of her decoupage. Looks like they will both have to hoe around in the garden ( OOPS- we meant on the farm) for a while.

Well, you can change the name of the Crop Show, but you still can't change what people call it This years Crop Show was not exactly as big as years past, but still good. Holabird Advocate Publisher, Jerry Hinkle, managed to get his hands on some pretty good free stuff. The Avon Representative was very insistent that Jerry take a free catalogue, as well as their Men's catalogue. As for the line for free pancakes, there wasn't one when Jerry got there. In fact, he had 5 plates to choose from. The pancake crowd was done 10 minutes early, as it happens.

Even though Jerry credits prayer and garlic salt for giving him lower blood pressure, there was little evidence of that. Larry and Bonnie Nickleson looked on in shock as his pressure read 172/111. Looks like he needs more prayer and less garlic salt. Of course, he could have stopped sampling the free sausages from Kolda's, and the free kuchen from the Eureka Bakery a little sooner while he was at it.

There was also a Book Sale in Highmore. Jerry picked up a copy of "Old Age is Not For Sissies" by Art Linkletter. He intends to give it as a gag gift to his grandfather, E.E. Hinkle, on his 103rd birthday, providing he lives that long.

Jerry picked up some information on Venture Communications satellite dish service for his father, Harold Hinkle. Jerry, but not Harold, was shocked to see that there was a porn package. Needless to say, he was shocked. "No wonder they changed their name from Sully Buttes to Venture!" our Publisher exclaimed. "I had no idea that kind of filth was sold locally." He was further shocked that it was allowed to be pumped into living rooms in Holabird as well. Times sure are changing, and fast.

After reading in South Dakota Magazine, that people are moving into South Dakota in droves to take advantage of the low taxes for millionaires, I was inspired to make Holabird a playpen for the filthy rich (as long as they got money, their person hygiene doesn't interest me). Some are concerned that this could lead to chaos. After all, your affluent classes are known to be difficult to please, and they are notoriously bad neighbors. Do we really want to turn Holabird into a glorified trailer park? Satellite dishes hanging here there and everywhere. Electric generators humming along and running exhaust into the pure clean Holabird air. All that noise.

To all this, I say "You bet! Bring it on!" Sioux Falls wants an Event Center. That thing is gonna cost $80-100 Million. If Holabird had all those rich people packed in like sardines, there'll be an event. We could sell tickets! Poor folks love to look watch rich folks interact. Paris Hilton proved that years ago. So we got rich folks bringing money in, poor folks bringing money in. Where is the downside? So all you rich trailer trash types come on up to Holabird. We're waiting for ya!