Merry Christmas!

As we pause this evening to give thanks and celebrate with our families, fiends and neighbors the birth of Jesus Christ, we here at the HDC are sadly reminded of the recent passing of Blaine County Undersheriff Pat Pyette and the lessons we all can learn from his tragic death.

First we cannot begin to express our sadness and concern for Deputy Pyette's family to lose their loved one at a time when we all should celebrate a happy and joyous time. Pat gave his life in service to the people of Blaine County and will be missed by everyone. We should all be reminded of the selfless sacrifice our law enforcement officers and their families provide to us for our personal and community security. They put their lives on the line each day for all of us.

We must also take some time to thank our men and women in harms way over seas defending our freedoms and fighting to make the lives of others more like ours. Once again they serve this nation selflessly and many families must endure their absence at this special time and we thank them as well for their sacrifice.

We can all be thankful we live in a free nation of independent thinkers and with our individual and civil freedoms of religion, assembly and speech. Freedom is not free. So as we pause to celebrate Christ's birth and the more secular and commercial spirit of the holidays as well with our friends and loved ones, take a moment to say thanks to those who provide the security we all share in.

Merry Christmas!