The title is how I’ve been talking after the exhausting July  4^th celebrations which is to say in tongue twisters supplied by random snatches of thoughts. Just in time to write a newspaper article! Let’s hope for the cure before this article goes to publication. Meanwhile, here are some thoughts post 4^th:

1. The celebrations everywhere were huge, befitting the 250^th birthday of our nation’s independence. Buhl observed the additional celebration of our 120^th birthday. Americans have 250 years of celebration in our memory bank, and we spent all of it!
2. People made sacrifices so that others could celebrate. U.S. soldiers were on duty throughout the world along with first responders in every city and town in the U.S. Everyone involved in a parade or other events gave up time with family so that others could enjoy them. Even so, our local events had insufficient help. How about next year if everyone volunteers one hour to help with the Sagebrush Days events?
3. Volunteers frequently experience a let-down after a big celebration. The adrenalin leaves the body to be replaced by crabbiness and then gradually amnesia. If you know someone who volunteered, give them an encouraging word, don’t make demands on them for a couple of weeks, and bake them a chocolate cake!
4. Let’s continue to celebrate… quietly. First, hide the fireworks! Everyone under age 3, over 50, and dogs are babbling, shouting, and barking in agreement. Whatever happened to setting off fireworks only on July 4^th? Now that people can sleep through the night again, there is energy for more peaceful activities. Read books about the Revolutionary War, watch the Ken Burns documentary on PBS, and don’t forget books about Buhl: Buhl “as it was” by Lloyd Byrne (available in the Buhl Library) and Buhl, Idaho: A Century of Stories 1906 to 2006 by Jim Barker (available on ebay).
5. One of the goals of The Buhl Banner is to preserve our community’s history and heritage. Did you know that there is no central repository for that?  There are few Buhl Herald newspapers still in existence, especially for the early years. We need to collect those newspapers from older members of the community before they all disappear. Photos and stories are also needed and then we need a place to display and preserve all of it. Keep in mind that we can preserve everything that goes into this digital newspaper so please submit content to contact@buhlbanner.org.
6. We will continue to celebrate in July by publishing additional stories and photos of the July 4th celebration, and our nation’s 250^th and Buhl’s 120^th birthdays. We will start with the parade photos in this issue and include photos of other events in upcoming issues. 

-Priscilla Martens