As I am penning my article the Friday before Election Tuesday, over 67 million registered voters have already cast their ballots. A record number of Americans will vote in this election; the final tally is expected to be north of 150 million.

Our Nation is expected to see 65% of those registered, vote in this historic Presidential election. This will be the highest percentage since 1908 when Republican candidate William Howard Taft defeated Democratic candidate William Jennings Bryan. The total number voting that year tallied around 14 1/2 million. The population of our great Nation back then was around 88 million compared to over 382 million today. The election, ironically, also took place on November 3rd. As you’re reading this, I pray that the chaos of 2020 has not carried right on into the election process.

Webb Weekly is again teaming up with CI, Coach Ron Insinger, and his family, owners of Dolly’s Diners, to provide a special thank you to all our veterans. His great staff will be serving up a free, all-American breakfast to these special folks. Those that have served our Nation to provide liberty. Many of whom put everything on the line in combat far away from the peaceful confines of the West Branch Valley — true American heroes.

Breakfast will be served from open until noon on Veterans Day, Wednesday, November 11th, at all three locations. If there is a Veteran you know that might need a helping hand to make it there, please make the time for them.

It has been a very turbulent 2020 at home and abroad. We are so very blessed to have those willing to risk everything to provide our “One Nation, Under God.” We must always take the time to honor and say thanks to our Veterans. Not just on November 11th, but every day. Details about the breakfast can be found right below my column.

Well, I haven’t heard about many monster bucks being checked in to our Webb Weekly Uncle Ron’s Monster Buck Contest. I’m hoping this recent cold snap changes our local hunters’ luck.

This will be our 13th hunting season of having the contest. Just to provide you a quick review, the contest is named in honor of my Uncle Ron Maietta and Webb Weekly’s own Ron Mingle. Both fit the uncle role perfectly. My Uncle Ron was a lifetime outdoorsman who battled through Multiple Sclerosis and loved hunting, fishing, and just being out on God’s green Earth. Ron Mingle has the very same passion and has overseen our Monster Buck Contest since it began. Although Ron has retired, and his daughter Alys took over his spot on my Webb Weekly team, he continues keeping watch over the contest as well as seeing clients when needed.

The Mingle family is very familiar with MS. As the matriarch of the family, Stephanie deals with the affliction. Ron’s daughters Andrea and Alys have organized a family effort to fight and educate folks about the disease, along with the Williamsport MS Community Council.

For every buck checked in to Uncle Ron’s Monster Buck Contest, Webb Weekly makes a donation in the hunter’s honor to battle the disease. Thank you to all that entered last year. A contribution of $1,455 was made in your names.

A special tip of my orange Webb Weekly hunting hat with the American Flag on the side to Poust Taxidermy. Dana provides 1st prize, an amazing shoulder mount of your trophy. And to the good folks at Thompson Meat in Jersey Shore. They provide 2nd through 4th prizes, which are $100 gift certificates for venison processing. They make amazing bologna, hot dogs, jerky and more.

Now, here’s my favorite part of the contest. No matter the size of the buck, it is a trophy in the eyes of the holder. So, any buck legally harvested in our area qualifies for the random drawing of a Remington 783 rifle package. This is courtesy of the father/son duo, and my good friends, John and Donnie Sauers at Sauers Trading Post in South Side.

The contest will run right on through to the completion of the PA whitetail season in January. You can find complete details on page ****. I wish you good luck, great hunting, and as always — let’s all be careful out there.

Finishing things up this week, I often have coffee with Craig McKibbin at the Dolly’s in Montoursville. Craig is a Red, White, and Blue, family loving, God-fearing American. He is a hardworking, salt of the Earth, gentleman. His daughter, Katie, has coached my nephew within Hughesville youth sports. She works with Craig in the family business and is a fine young sports-minded lady.

A heartfelt Webb Weekly congratulations to the family. Craig recently informed me that Katie, and husband Chad, welcomed Keegan Jones Lloyd into the world. The bouncing baby boy checked in at 24” long and 12 1/2 pounds. Wow! And there is no truth to the rumor he was born with cleats and a helmet on.

Keegan is believed to be the largest naturally born baby in the history of The Williamsport Hospital, which of course, now has UPMC on the shingle. What an absolute burst of sonshine in our 2020 world.

God Bless America.