There are 45 shopping days until Chrismas, 52 days to the new century and 364 days until voters will have a chance to vote on who to elect to the Hamilton County commission.

In an unusually early filing for the 2000 election, Marilyn Hyland - only one week after the 1999 election - Tuesday filed signature petitions seeking the Democratic nomination to oppose Republican Commssioner Bob Bedinghaus next year.

Mrs. Hyland, who lost in 1998 to Commissioner Tom Neyer Jr., said that she intends to walk each of the county's more than 1.060 precincts next year in her campaign.

A major theme in her campaign, Mrs. Hyland said, will be that the commissioners need to improve basic services "without constantly trying to saddle citizens with new taxes."