thanksgiving comments

NEW YORK -- Wall Street resumed its slide Wednesday as unease about the wilting mortgage market and the broader economy triggered selling ahead of the unofficial start of the holiday shopping season. The Standard & Poor's 500 index and the Dow Jones industrial average each fell by more than 1.5 percent, with the Dow giving up more than 210 points.

The decline in the S&P 500 left the index in negative territory for the year. Many investments such as mutual funds either track or are measured against the S&P.


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The worries over the economy sent investors rushing to the safety of government securities. The yield on the Treasury's 10-year note fell below 4 percent for the first time since 2005. The shift into bonds came as the Dow briefly sank below the lows seen in the market's August pullback.

The stock market has been thrashing about recently as investors attempt to gauge how companies will fare amid a further slowdown in the U.S. housing market, a deterioration of credit and record oil prices that crested above $99 a barrel ahead of Wednesday's session. Including Wednesday's slide stocks have fallen in eight of the 11 last sessions _ forgoing the boost seen in recent years during Thanksgiving week, which is capped by the retail bonanza Black Friday.

Economic readings did little to instill confidence among investors. The Mortgage Bankers Association said mortgage application volume fell 3.6 percent last week. Meanwhile, the slump in housing suggested banks will continue to face souring mortgage debt.

Government-sponsored lender Freddie Mac, which reported a $2 billion quarterly loss Tuesday and saw shares plummet nearly 29 percent, declined again Wednesday after an analyst downgrade. Countrywide Financial Corp., the nation's largest mortgage lender, also lost further ground.


In other economic news, the Conference Board suggested an economic slowdown could accelerate in the coming months amid rising costs and further weakness in the housing market. Also, the Reuters/University of Michigan consumer sentiment survey showed its lowest reading in two years _ an unwelcome development for retailers entering what is for many the most important period of the year.

The Commerce Department said jobless claims fell by 11,000 last week, a positive sign for U.S. employment, but the report didn't appear to alleviate anxiety about the potential for weaker consumer spending.

"People are buying and selling off the headlines. The market is so emotional," said Neil Hennessy, president and portfolio manager of Hennessy Funds. "You look at oil approaching $100. People are taking their money and going to the sidelines."

The Dow fell 211.10, or 1.62 percent, to 12,799.04. Several financial companies that are part of the 30-stock index hit fresh 52-week lows Wednesday and the blue chip index is now down 9.85 percent from its mid-October trading high. A 10 percent decline would meet the technical definition of a correction.


The Pilgrims were the second Northern Europeans to become Americans. The pioneers of Virginia were 13 years ahead of them and had gotten pretty well established by the time of the Pilgrims' arrival.

The Pilgrims were theocratic while the Virginia colonists were democratic. The blend of the two were the seeds of American culture.

It is revisionist mythology to believe that the colonists were "illegal immigrants" from the Indians' perspective. Indian territory was not codified in "meets and bounds" by law. It was bounded by tradition backed by military force. Indians were shifting territories often, so the arrival of new kids on the block was nothing new to them. It was "welcome to our game of musical chairs."

Indians could immediately see the advantages of alliance with the "new people." Metal tools, wool blankets, and glass beads were an instant hit. Guns also made a strong first impression.


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9. Comment by Donald H. (#2161) — November 21,2007 @ 9:34AM

#6 The country was not established and the people we called indians did not have an immigration policy. Open immigration was not legal or illegal until after the U.S. established it's borders, and the elected officials established an immigration policy.


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10. Comment by Peter V. (#4711) — November 21,2007 @ 9:36AM

The Spaniards were a hundred years ahead of the Pilgrims. They had established a very lucrative feudal estate system in Mexico and Peru supported by mining gold, silver, and jewels. Unfortunately for their descendants, that was just about ALL they did, while the Americans were building a coherent nation with a diverse economy.

Two hundred years after the Pilgrims and the Virginia Colony, the new nation of the United States of America was expanding rapidly westward. The Spanish territories in North America were huge and empty of people. So the Americans annexed (i.e. "snatched," "liberated," "conquistadored") Florida, then Texas, and finally the entire Southwest including California.

The French had not done well either in their colonizing efforts, so their giant interior territory called "Louisiana" was mostly empty of people also. Since "nature abhors a vacuum" the Americans annexed Louisiana by purchase at somewhat less than a penny an acre.

Within a mere 250 years after the first Pilgrim feast in the dark New England woods, the nation of the United States of America had become continental, with more arable land than any other country on earth. A couple of decades later a railroad, a telegraph, and a civil war linked the whole works into a coherent culture with a single federal government and a single English language. It was a winning attitude. THP to conduct checkpoints over Thanksgiving holiday



The Oak Ridger


The Tennessee Highway Patrol will conduct more than 70 sobriety and driver license checkpoints statewide this Thanksgiving in an effort to reduce the number of crashes and fatalities during the busy holiday weekend. The 2007 Thanksgiving holiday period begins at 6 p.m. on Wednesday and runs through midnight Sunday.

As part of the special enforcement, THP will take part in two law enforcement campaigns. On Wednesday, troopers will take part in a nationwide program called "Operation Care." During this effort, a trooper, sheriff deputy or police officer will be posted every 10 miles the entire length of Interstate 40. Troopers will participate in the campaign from 3 p.m. until 1 a.m., on what is typically one of the busiest days for holiday travel.

"The Department of Safety is happy to once again be participating in Operation Care," said Department of Safety Commissioner Dave Mitchell in a press release. "There will be thousands of more cars and trucks on our highways this weekend.



As traffic increases, so does the risk for crashes and injuries. Last year during Operation Care, there were no fatal crashes on I-40, and we hope that will be the case again this year."

Troopers will also participate in a Tri-State initiative called "Take Back Our Highways." THP is teaming-up with the Mississippi Highway Patrol and Alabama Department of Safety for this effort. During the entire Thanksgiving week, Nov. 19 to 25, all available law enforcement officers, including administrative members, will participate in patrol duty.

"Thanksgiving is a time to be with family and reflect on the many things we have to be grateful for, but too often, we've seen people, as they were attempting to go visit family and friends, lose their lives in a traffic crash," said Col. Mike Walker. "It's our goal to have no fatalities this year. That may sound unrealistic, but if we don't have that goal, then we're not out there doing the job that we should be doing."

Twenty people were killed in crashes on Tennessee roads during the Thanksgiving weekend of 2006. That represents an increase from 17 fatalities in 2005 and 13 in 2004.

The Thanksgiving holiday period in 2006 was a 102-hour period. Four (20 percent) of the 2006 fatalities occurred in alcohol-related crashes, and 15 of the people killed were vehicle occupants. Nine of the 15 (60 percent) were not wearing safety restraints, and four of the nine (44 percent) were ejected from their vehicles. No child passengers were killed.

Three motorcyclists were killed and all were wearing helmets. One ATV operator was killed and was not wearing a helmet, and one pedestrian was killed.

Anderson County reported no fatal crashes but Knox County had two and Campbell County reported one fatal crash.

In 1966, 34 people were killed in Tennessee traffic crashes during the 102-hour Thanksgiving holiday period, yielding a fatality rate of one death per 3.0 hours.

In contrast, in 1983, seven people were killed in Tennessee traffic crashes during the 102-hour Thanksgiving holiday period, yielding a fatality rate of one death per 14.6 hours.
Church of the Brethren will host free Thanksgiving

dinner

Fruitland

The Fruitland Church of the Brethren will host a free Thanksgiving dinner from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. Thursday at Fourth and Minnesota.

The public is invited to attend the old fashioned Thanksgiving dinner, which will include turkey, ham and all the trimmings, desserts and drinks.
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There will also be games for everyone to enjoy. For more information, please call (208) 452-4521.

Nyssa 'Community Thanksgiving Dinner' slated

Nyssa

Every year Nyssa has a "Community Thanksgiving Dinner" on Thanksgiving Day, and this year is no different. The community event will take place from noon until 2:30 p.m.Thursday at the Nyssa Senior Citizen Center, situated at 310 S. Good Ave. Take out and home delivery will also be available.

Volunteers and donations are needed, as well as salads, pies, (pumpkin, apple, cherry or any pie of your choice), turkeys, turkey bakers, potatoes, potato peelers, stuffing, gravy and individuals to set up, serve and clean up after the event.

For more information, to volunteer, make a donation or prearrange delivery, please call Mary Shelton, (541) 372-2690. Between 8 a.m. and 2 p.m. Thanksgiving Day, please call (541) 372-2531 for deliveries.

Free Thanksgiving dinner planned

Ontario

The First Christian Church, Bethany Presbyterian Church, Community United Methodist Church, First Baptist Church, First Methodist Church, Harvest House, Love INC, St. Matthew's Episcopal Church and St. Paul Lutheran Church will host a free Thanksgiving dinner from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. Thursday at First Christian Church, 180 N.W. First St., Ontario.

The public is invited to join the dinner, which will include turkey, ham, mashed potatoes and gravy, stuffing, green beans, cranberry sauce, rolls and dessert.

Transportation will also be available. Call (541) 889-5639, or (541) 889-6716, if you need a ride.