I know that this growing season has been a very difficult one for our farm neighbors and businesses. Another late spring, not enough warm growing days, and untimely large rains have made this a very stressful year.  Low commodity prices also are impacting our community. As we approach Thanksgiving this week, I want our community to know that the City of Hillsboro, even in these trying times, is thankful for each and every one of you. Our community wouldn’t be the great community it is without all of you and the contributions you make. 
Our American Thanksgiving goes back to 1621 with the Pilgrims and natives coming together for a three-day celebration of harvest and blessings. Their life was far from perfect as half of the settlement from the Mayflower died from starvation and disease as they tried communal living (all sharing equally) which failed miserably and then turned to property ownership, the right to keep what you earn - i.e. capitalism and hard work - which changed everything. With all their struggles, they still focused on their blessings.
All of us can choose to be appreciative, grateful, thankful… or not. It is your choice. We can choose to see and appreciate what we have, or chose to focus on what we do not have, or our problems. Successful Leaders and Entrepreneurs have a culture of appreciation and opportunity as that their lives are built on. Community Leaders work to convince people what could be, not what is. We want you to live in the future. No one achieves success alone so we are appreciative of all sorts of people to help in our journey: family, friends, employees, customers, investors, vendors, suppliers, and many more. In many ways, we stand on the shoulders of others who came before us, and who are with us today. We depend on many helping hands. 
Your Thanksgiving turkey was brought to you by free market capitalism and great farmers like we have in the Hillsboro community. We go to the store expecting to find turkeys of all sizes. Think of the farmers, those who grow the feed, the ones who build the turkey barns, raise the turkeys, truck drivers, gas stations, processors, distributors, storage places, store owners, employees – all who made that happen – all those strangers cooperating to get you your Thanksgiving meal – the “invisible hand” that is the miracle and magic of the marketplace. No one coordinated this market activity. There was no Turkey Czar, bureaucracy, or government planner forcing people to cooperate for your benefit. The turkey was there, waiting for you, with lots of options to choose from. The more an economy is planned the more it is plagued by shortages, poor quality, high prices and failure. When giving thanks, please give gratitude for free market capitalism that brought you your turkey and all the fixings, today and all days of the year.
We need Thanksgiving to remind us of the bounty we do have, and will have, God willing. Many thanks and much appreciation to our family, friends, neighbors, and others who make our life better and great.
Have a blessed Thanksgiving with family and loved ones while taking time to remember our blessings, values, freedoms and the many reasons we have to give thanks.  Know that the City of Hillsboro appreciates you… and all you do.


​Terry

Veterans Day is Monday, the 11th of November. World War I ended on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month. We have Veterans who fought in that war buried in Hillsboro’s cemeteries. For the last couple of months we have been loading the information from the paper records into our software. This process has not only brought this data into the digital world, but it has also provided some interesting information about our former Veterans. Did you know that we have seven Civil War Veterans buried in Hillsboro? We have shared our updated list with the Vets Club so they can use this history during their ceremony next Monday. The Hillsboro City Staff would like to thank all of our Veterans for their service and a salute to those who paid the ultimate sacrifice. Please take some time Monday to give a silent thanks/prayer for those young men and women who are forward deployed today in harm’s way keeping us safe here at home.