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Box Office Video, in downtown Dodgeville, was the spot where the November "Business After 5" took place. That's a time when chamber of commerce members get a chance to take a look at the inside of local businesses that they may not get to see very often due to being open at the same time. Dewey Christoph (shown at the right), is the owner of Box Office Video and has had video stores in four other communities over the years. He has thousands of movies in stock, so if you go inside it's tough to leave without a new or older release!
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According to many of the so-called sports experts on the radio, television, magazines and papers the National Football League (NFL) is the most popular sport in the USA. I watch games now and then and am an avid Green Bay Packers fam. I was watching some of the first half of the Packers/Lions game Sunday and saw a play that ended with a referee's call that "spun my gut"! The Lions quarterback was attempting a pass and a Packer went airborne to try and knock the ball down. In doing so, he hit the quarterback's helmet (with what I call a love tap) and was given a roughing the passer penalty from an official who isn't a "replacement"! It's getting to the point where I think the quarterbacks should wear flags around their waist, attached to their belts, so that they won't ever get hit and receive a little bump or bruise on their body! There are some hits that are flagrant, but that wasn't one of them.
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In just a little over a week, Dodgeville's annual "Miracle on Iowa Street" holiday lighted parade will take place at 6:00 p.m. on Saturday, December 1st through the downtown. All day long, businesses will be having special prices on their goods during their annual Christmas Open House and there will be some goodies at the stores too!
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That morning (December 10 and the following Saturday (8th) Santa's Secret Shop will be open from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Hill's Pub (formerly Thym's), north of Dodgeville. There will be shopping downstairs for the youngsters ONLY with vendors upstairs to keep the parents busy. This is a great way for the kids to shop - at very reasonable prices - for their loved ones with a little help from the elves and their parents won't know what they bought!
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Also, the annual "Breakfast With Santa & Mrs. Claus takes place at the Plymouth Congregational Church starting at 8 a.m. on the 1st. There's great food and it's a good time to chat with your neighbors and friends, take part in some creativity in a separate room with help from school kids and meet the jolly ol' couple!
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Usually I take PHOTOS WITH SANTA at the Dodgeville Center the Sunday following the open house, but this year I'm taking them Sunday, December 9 and 16. Everything is so early this year and there's the Breakfast With Santa & Mrs. Claus on the 1st that a lot of people take photos of their kids at! They're only a buck and the proceeds go to the food pantry or humane society.
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I was walking out into the crosswalk by the Corner Drug Store the other day and was accompanied by our Chief of Police. A WISCONSIN licensed vehicle (with two behind it) stopped for us coming from the south, but the one coming from the north didn't stop. To that driver's defense though there was a van parked in front of Corner Drug and it was tough to see around it. Chief Dave did grab me from walking out like I usually do!