Day 1510

Back in March of 2025, Ranger had his 500th visit as a Therapy Dog! The newspaper was there and a television reporter as well. That boy was the “Star of the Show” that day!

Recently, we received an email offering to put our Anoka County Union story on a beautiful plaque so we could display it in his honor. Mr. Mac decided to order it (I was quite hesitant) and it arrived today. It is really quite nice and Ranger deserves the very best!

When I first received the email and again when the artwork arrived, I couldn’t help but think that this was a way to create revenue for a piece of Americana that is disappearing quickly. When I was growing up, the local newspaper was a delightful way to keep tabs on my town! The weekly missive regaled you of sports, weddings, births, deaths and news of the Anoka. It eventually offered an online version, but many prefer to hold something in their hands as they read…often my choice.

When I was little, the society page might mention a glamorous party in honor of a local citizen. The reporter would share the menu, decorations, attendees and even share the fashions that were being worn. Those days are long gone and the paper has become smaller and smaller each year. Certainly. Facebook and the internet have filled the gap, but not with as much charm and old-fashioned delight.

We were recently boxing up some glassware when I discovered there were no old newspapers to wrap them with. Resorting to paper towels, I wistfully began to carefully pack them…all the while thinking that paper towels are not very interesting…you can’t read them!

Well, “Hip-Hip Hoo-Ranger” will hang in a place of honor at The Big White House. It will certainly highlight our precious boy while paying homage to a disappearing art form. That is pretty wonderful for a simple wooden plaque!