Here’s a peek at what’s inside the Friday, Dec. 12 American Profile, which is a bonus newsmagazine in each weekend edition of the Democrat.



Cover Story: Extreme Deliveries: Transporting the U.S. Mail via land, air, and water – While most mailmen have their mundane delivery routes throughout the suburbs or city, a handful of postal carriers go to extreme lengths to deliver the mail. Here, we profile mailmen who deliver by mule at the Grand Canyon, by seaplane in the wilds of Alaska, and by boat on the Detroit River.



Hometown Hero: Sharing Classical Music – In 1990, cellist Evan Drachman created the Piatigorsky Foundation in honor of his grandfather, famed cellist Gregor Piatigorsky. The foundation brings world-class musicians to perform live classical music in smaller communities that would otherwise not have the opportunity to hear it.



Hometown Spotlight: A Legacy of Christmas Kindness- In 1894, Wheeling Gaunt settled in Yellow Springs, Ohio and gave the village 9 acres for a park in exchange for a promise that residents give flour to widows during the holidays. It’s a tradition that continues, except today the widows receive flour and sugar.



Food: Holiday Cranberry-Raisin Spice Cake



Health: Making Sense of Your Symptoms – Janet Long from Attleboro, Massachusetts suffered through years of severe stomach attacks, and then became more alarmed when she began to notice swelling in her hands and arms. It took 30 years before a correct diagnosis was finally made. We give you tips to help speed up diagnosis of the symptoms you might be having.