A good deed always deserves kudos

By: 
Steve Lyon
Eye On Weiser
And now this from the pay-it-forward file. 
 A reader who wanted to remain anonymous stopped by with a note she wanted me to read. She said she wanted the focus to be on the good deed rather than her.
 She saw two couples enjoying a meal and visiting at a local restaurant in Weiser. 
 The server, a nice young lady, brought the bill to the table, but returned shortly to take it back, saying she had to make adjustments. 
 As it turned out, a lady had paid the bill in full. She saw that the two men were wearing caps that indicated they were retired Army veterans. 
 The woman who came by the office wanted to say thank you to the lady who picked up the tab at the restaurant for the veterans. It really made her day. 
 We have certainly seen the tremendous generosity of local residents on display in the aftermath of Sunday’s fire at the Wildwood apartments. Tenants lost everything they own in the blaze.  
 Many local organizations stepped up with immediate assistance, and so did a number of businesses. I don’t want to try to name them all because I don’t want to leave anybody out. Let’s just say it is a heartening display of good tidings.
 • • •
  In the event that you haven’t purchased your Christmas tree yet and are wondering how much a real tree will cost, I have some helpful information, courtesy of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
 The Chamber conducted surveys in each state and found that prices for trees vary widely. Data was gathered on the most popular kinds of tree purchased.
 It’s interesting to note that trees are not any cheaper in states like Oregon that grow them than in other states.
 It appears that the days of finding a $20 Christmas tree are long gone. In fact, you’ll pay double that on average in Idaho for a tree.
 A reported shortage of Christmas trees is driving prices up this year, the Chamber said. Weather impacts are also blamed for the higher prices, with massive fires on the West Coast and Hurricane Florence’s destruction in North Carolina.
 Some growers blame the recession of 2008 for the spike in prices. People bought fewer trees, which in turn meant farmers planted fewer trees, and it takes 10 years to grow a 7-foot tree. That seems like a bit of a stretch.
 On average, Idaho has some of the lowest tree prices in the U.S. The average cost is $45 for a 6-foot tree. Oregon residents are paying more at $64. New Yorkers are paying the highest average prices at $90 for a tree, while the folks in North Dakota are paying the lowest cost at $33. The national average is $59.
 I haven’t seen many Christmas tree lots around town. Maybe the shortage is real. Matthews farms had a few trees, but they were going fast.
 Steve Lyon is the editor of the Weiser Signal American. Contact him at scoop@signalamerican.com

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