Don’t you just love all the stories about how people riot to get in a store offering those special after Thanksgiving—pre-Christmas door buster specials?

While there is absolutely no excuse for people to act like savages, as one lady on television described the people in a shopping frenzy, there is also no excuse for the large retail stores to advertise to hundreds, if not thousands, of gullible shoppers an item for sale at a ridiculously low price and know when they do the mass advertising that the stores only have two or three of that special “while supplies last” bargain.

Just before press time this week, Missouri City police said two women in a local chain store did the fisticuff thing and that wasn’t even about squabbling over the sale item.

So much for “tis the season to be jolly.”

It still irks me that county commissioners would choose a new newspaper, that isn’t even officially operating in Fort Bend County, to publish their legal notices.

Sure, I would prefer they use the paper I work for. After all, we’ve been a Fort Bend mainstay since time began.

However, I wouldn’t feel as adverse if another of the established newspapers had won the bid, even if it wasn’t this one.

We urge our readers, friends, and family to shop locally. It is the right thing to do. Yet, our local officials don’t seem to feel the same way.

It is disappointing to say the least.

I still say, there must be some sort of hidden agenda ... like not wanting anyone local to see local legal notices.

Every year it is the same. When the calendar hits about November 20, the world slows down.

Oh, there are plenty planned trips, a lot of holiday shopping, and more school plays than you can shake a stick at, but when it comes to good hard news, forget it.

In election years, the transition is taking place but the big build up for election day is over, decisions have been made and basically “it’s over” for another two or four years.

The Thanksgiving-Christmas season is on seemingly everyone’s mind.

Commissioners can zoom through a lengthy agenda in record time, with little or no discussion; city councils often do the same; and the school districts are busy getting ready for the extended Christmas break.

And, people really don’t seem to care what the rest of the world is doing because they have to plan on what to fix with the turkey and where to find that special gift.

Call a person this time of the year in the hopes of getting a news tip and say “let’s talk turkey” and you’ll get a recipe.

Oh well, after January 2, life will return to normal. By then, everyone will be criticizing the new politicians, meetings will get longer and news will once again be in ample supply.