Editor, Gazette-Journal:

Dr. David Helsel, our family dentist for the last 23 years, is retiring at the end of this month. He and I have solved a lot of the world’s problems as I sat in the dental chair struggling to answer the questions he asked while my mouth was full of one apparatus or another.

“What do you think of the GM bailout?” he might ask. “How about Hillary?” “What do you think of Trump?” I would struggle to answer as he reached a hand in my mouth to wiggle a tooth. “What do you think should happen in the Middle East?” I would struggle to remember the questions until my mouth was free of hands or equipment and I could answer.

All joking aside, he was our dentist and we also considered him a friend. He saw me through cancer, working with me and seeing me whenever a new problem arose. I am sure that all of his patients will be deeply saddened when they hear of his retirement. I also know that they will wish him all the ...