A View of the Valley

by Linda Schwanke Memorial Day weekend is upon us, the unofficial start of summer. It’s been hot, it’s been cold, it’s been Wisconsin spring with a little more roller coaster weather than anyone would like but here we are. Ready to get out and make the most of every moment.  The River Valley High School Class of 2022 will graduate on Saturday. We will be running from here to there celebrating their achievement, visiting, picnicking, enjoying ourselves. The young men and women in this class haven’t had an easy time getting to this point. No one does. But the pandemic has made everything so much more challenging. Combined with a future that is more unpredictable than ever, they deserve an enormous amount of credit for coping with the pressures they’ve experienced and made it to graduation. Congratulation to the Class of ’22. I wish them all the very best.   Monday, Memorial Day, is a day set aside to reflect and honor Americans who died in the service of our country. This is no small thing. Since the Civil War began in 1861, more than one million men and women have died while serving in the U.S. military. The courage and fortitude we have come to expect of one another as Americans will unite us at least for one day in remembering their sacrifice.  Veterans memorials dot the Valley and our entire country. Dedicated to the memory of all the people who have given their all, they are reverent spaces of beauty, even majesty, to remind us to have gratitude for all we have been given. Too, I think, the memorials remind us not to forget how very precious life is. It seems somehow fitting that over the long weekend we will be paying tribute to both graduates and those who gave their lives to make our country a better place – our future and our past. There is hope for the future because of the past.  I plan to attend the Memorial Day observances that are being held in the Valley. I hope I’ll see you there. The news deadline is normally 12 noon on Mondays but we’ll have an early deadline at noon on Friday, May 27, for the Memorial Day holiday weekend. All other deadlines are moved up 24 business hours. Stay in touch. My phone number is (608) 574-3159 – call or text me anytime. Really. You can also email me at homenewseditor@newspubinc.com  Visit our website at homenewsrv.com Get in touch with Gwen for sports or features at homenewssports@newspubinc.com. If you need a display ad, Dave Pronold can be reached at homenewssales@newspubinc.com or by calling him on his cell at (608) 588-4777.  Classified rates are $13 for the first 10 words, then 30¢ per word for each additional word. Call (608) 767-3655 or email classifieds@newspubinc.com  Email legal notices to legals@newspubinc.com Call the NewsPub central office at (608) 767-3655 for subscriptions and all other information Monday through Wednesday from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Thursday from 8:30 a.m. to 12 noon, although afternoon hours can vary. Closed Fridays. Write to us at P.O. Box 286, Black Earth WI 53588.