Suzanne Ford (left) starts the Spartans' run in the 4x800m relay with runners Elyse Christofanelli, from Petersburg PORTA, and Elgin's Ashley Lucas during Friday's preliminary competition at the 36th installment of the IHSA State Track and Field Meet in Charleston on May 16, 2008. SJO finished at 10:20.38, just missing the qualifying cutoff by four seconds for a spot in Saturday's finals. Now, a little more than 12 years later, Ford is a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine at Pope Animal Hospital in Alton, Illinois. (Photo: PhotoNews/Clark Brooks)
When I was a child, I thought Christmas would never come. The weeks dragged by while I wore out the toy sections of the Sears and Penny's catalogs hoping Santa might stop by. I always looked for Santa Claus and tried to stay awake on Christmas Eve just to catch a glimpse of the jolly big guy.
Typically, I would see him at the five and dime store or G.C. Murphy's. I always had a list longer than Santa could carry. However, Santa typically managed to show up with something on Christmas thanks to hard working parents who loved Christmas and giving as much as they could.
The anticipation of Christmas was an adrenaline boost as a child. The hopes and dreams of what might come or be always was exciting. The downtime came when late on Christmas day I had to reconcile that Christmas wouldn't happen again for another year. I dreaded seeing the Christmas tree and the outside lights come down. Christmas was always a good winter mood boost. My dad didn't put a lot of Christmas lights up outside but the ones he did put on the house always seemed beautiful and filled the outside air with cheer, brightness and hope.
America is ready for some cheer, brightness and hope and it's coming.
Santa Claus won't be dropping this down the chimney but it's coming soon via your local medical care provider. This one is on its way via pharmaceutical company Pfizer and biotechnology company Moderna Millions of doses of a vaccine for Covid-19 are ready to be released. This vaccine is not coming too early for a country that has been paralyzed by sickness and death.
While the release of these vaccines is coming in record time it's still too late for many. Millions of Americans have been blindsided by this ugly disease that took their lives. People are sick today and desperately need this medicine. For all of us it cannot come soon enough.
Business owners, restaurants, schools, churches, families, factories, the travel industry and old fashion family gatherings are more than ready for these miracle drugs that will hopefully save us from Covid-19.
Americans are living in anticipation of a lot this December. Millions are hoping for a job, an unemployment check and a roof over their heads. They are hoping Congress will get their act together and approve one more stimulus package.
Many Americans this year dread Christmas because they don't have any money and life is filled with worry and uncertainty. For them, life is dragging by and better times can't come quick enough.
While this Christmas is still going to be tough there are some lights burning. We will get through this in America and our vaccines will not only turn America around but it will help millions of others in other nations as well.
The lights are going to get brighter for 2021. Some real cheer, brightness and hope are coming. Let's get through this safely and plan one big Christmas celebration for next year.
Letters to Santa first began regularly appearing in newspapers around the 1880s. Every December since then, newspapers across the nation have published children’s requests for the gifts they want most. Entering our third year of covering news and sports in our part of Champaign county, The Sentinel is ready to join the tradition this year by publishing Letters to Santa from readers in the six villages we cover.
In a one-on-one Zoom meeting two weeks ago, Santa was delighted The Sentinel volunteered to help collect some of the millions and millions of letters he receives this time of the year, sort them and make sure he gets them on time. In the newspaper business, deadlines are just another day at the office.
Starting today, Letters to Santa will be accepted via email until noon on December 18. That gives us plenty of time to publish as many copies of the letters as we can before forwarding them to the Jolly Ole Elf at the North Pole.
Write your list early so Santa can make sure he packs his sleigh with all the gifts he needs to drop off on Christmas Eve to all the good little boys and girls your house. With his permission, we created a new email address at The Sentinel to make sure we get every letter and can forward them on to our new partner up north.
Please include in the body of an email after the letter your name or the child’s name, age and town where he or she lives. Email your letter to 
We are talking about your friends and neighbors who you know that quietly work small miracles for those around them. They make small ripples that become swells making your community stronger.
The Sentinel wants to find such people, the heroes and heroines, to highlight their acts of kindness and compassion as we approach the holidays. If you know such a person, let The Sentinel know. Email us at 
