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Dear Annie: I will be 80 in October 2022. I do not have a problem with aging. It’s better than the alternative.

I read this years ago and still think they are great words to live by:

“Age is just a number of years ... It is what you do with those years that keeps you young and beautiful to be near. Age is a state of mind: If you leave your dreams behind ... you become old. Living loving life ... blessed beyond measure ... Going on eighty ... life gets greater.”

Dear Senior: Thank you for your wonderful letter and positive perspective. Hope it finds inspiration for everyone to live their best life.

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Dear Readers: Many readers offered a simple solution to the problem posed by “Angry Neighbor,” who was frustrated that a nearby house kept a yard sign up long after their candidate lost the election. Here are some of the best letters with that solution.

Dear Annie: As a former candidate, I had sign removal deadline dates that had to be obeyed or I could get fined for every sign that was still displayed. This was a city ordinance for both primary and general elections. Candidates get this information when they file for office.

Location didn’t matter, whether the signs were in my yard, a friend’s yard, on a private fence (with permission) or on public land.

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“Angry Neighbor” should call City Hall and ask about the local rules regarding displaying the signs. My guess is a law may be broken every day it remains in the yard.

Dear Annie: Wow, talk about judging your neighbor! While I believe “Angry Neighbor” believes “most politicians” are dishonest and is busy defending the one and only one he or she knows, he or she is very wrong.

There are more than 550,000 elected officials in the United States. Most “politicians” are city and county officials trying to do a job as imposed by federal, state and local law, but that’s the way it works in a democracy.

One thing citizens need to understand is that they are part of that democracy, and knowing your personal rights is important. Most cities and towns have rules about signage and how long the sign can remain posted. Many cities have a required permit fee to post a sign.

Reporting the abuse of over-limit posting is a service to others. “Angry Neighbor” needs to go to City Hall, ask about the rule involving signage and follow through.

— A Citizen Who Was Elected and Served Honestly

Dear Annie: The neighbor who is annoyed by a political yard sign — displayed in a yard two months after an election — can report this to their city zoning department. Look up the municipal code on the internet and check for yourself: Political and other signs are regulated in residential areas, and there is a time frame for before and after an election for them to be displayed legally.

Most likely, someone from the city will knock on the door and ask for it to be removed. This has nothing to do with the candidate on the sign, by the way.

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— A native Californian, Annie Lane writes her Dear Annie advice columns from her home outside New York City, where she lives with her husband, two kids and two dogs. Her latest anthology, How Can I Forgive My Cheating Partner?, features favorite columns on marriage, infidelity, communication and reconciliation, and is available as a paperback and e-book. Email your Dear Annie questions to [email protected] . Click here to read previous columns. The opinions expressed are her own.

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