To the editor:
As the cross country season ends for this year, I would like to
acknowledge those who have supported the young Kiowa High School
team.
Thanks to the parents who showed up at meets to cheer on the
whole team and applaud everyone’s progress. Thanks to Carey and
Sandy Kalish of Cottonwood Car Wash in Kiowa for donating several
bays for the team to use for its car wash and bake sale. Thanks to
Doc and Pat Blanchard and Mike O’Clair of Elizabeth for their
generous donations to subsidize our overnight trip to the Sargent
meet. Thanks to Kent and Dani Garrett of Kiowa for allowing us to
host the inaugural Kiowa Cross Country Meet on their ranch, and to
Mark Poole and Dan Carpenter for all their help in preparing the
course. The generosity shown by the community only amplifies the
pleasure I have of coaching this fine young second-year team of
runners.
Nigel, Geoff, Ben, Richard, Dan, Dalton, Erin and coach Jill
Miller
To the editor:
The election results are in for Elbert County Commissioner
District 1 and the good news is that I received 4,095 votes, which
is more than any of the Democrats on the Elbert County ballot, but
the less gratifying news is that Suzie Graeff, my opponent, won
with 6,742 votes. My congratulations to Suzie and my best wishes to
her as she embarks on her mission.
A hearty “thank you” to all the folks who did such a wonderful
job assisting me with my campaign for Elbert County commissioner.
Many of you have met them and know exactly what I mean. This team
is composed of an amazing group of individuals. And a warm “thank
you” to all of the wonderful residents of Elbert County for
allowing me to share my ideas of the future with them. You do make
a difference. This campaign has been one of the most satisfying
projects in my life, and the rewards have clearly exceeded the
risks of defeat.
So, I wish my opponent well and will continue to focus my
attention on other areas of my life.
Ron Young
Elizabeth
To the editor:
I’ve lived here for some time now and thought that we had a
pretty friendly, well-adjusted town going. Lately, however, it has
become apparent that there is a small, but hostile segment of our
population that needs our attention. This group is composed of men
and women of all ages who drive on Elbert Street past Running Creek
Elementary School between 2:45 and 3:10 p.m. weekdays. I’m very
concerned about their ability to problem-solve appropriately, and I
believe that everyone should be aware of the thought processes, or
lack thereof, of this very important group of people. Here is what
concerns me, followed by a few suggestions:
We all realize that it can be frustrating to be faced with a
line of unmoving vehicles. Most people will take this opportunity
to reflect on why the vehicles are not moving. It is fairly obvious
that, along this stretch of roadway, people are waiting to pick up
children from the school parking lot. For those of you to whom this
is not obvious, here’s your sign.
Once armed with this knowledge, most people will deal graciously
with the situation the first time, and look for solutions in the
future. The meaning of the word “solution” in this case is a way to
accomplish your own goals without infringing on the rights of
others to accomplish theirs. Since a number of drivers apparently
cannot come up with their own solutions, I thought very hard for
approximately 37 seconds, and am sharing what I came up with as a
public service:
Option A: There is no need to honk, yell or speed past a line of
cars on the left. This puts you in the precarious position of
traveling at a high rate of speed, in a school zone, in a fit of
anger, going the wrong way in an oncoming lane. This is not smart.
All of the parents I’ve seen waiting patiently to pick up children
hug the yellow line, leaving ample room to pass on the right. (OK,
to be fair, sometimes the right is temporarily blocked, but
generally for a very short time.) I know that there is plenty of
room, because on Oct. 25 I witnessed a full-size truck with loaded
horse trailer manage to pass the entire line of cars without a
single problem, although it must have been quite stressful for the
driver who felt it necessary to confront a parent.
Option B: There are two other roads that lead directly to and
from County Road 132. They are Pine Ridge and Paddock streets. If
you are incapable of passing on the right and waiting patiently is
also beyond you, I’m sure these roads will be happy to accommodate
you. They are not far away.
If you are a part of the hostile segment I’m writing about, I
sincerely hope that these suggestions help you. I would love to be
a part of lifting some of the overwhelming stress you are obviously
toiling under.
If you are not part of this group, please take note. It is
imperative that we give these stressed-out people the attention
they deserve. Notice them. Take down license plate numbers,
memorize faces, anything we can do to let them know that we care
about how important they are. And if you see any of them attempting
to use sign language, by all means stop them and congratulate them
on learning a new skill and using it in a school zone so that young
children can share in the knowledge. They are not bad people; they
just must have missed a lesson that most of us learned long ago:
Life is sometimes frustrating; learn to deal.
Bobbi Poland
Elizabeth
To the editor:
I want to thank all the voters for the faith they have shown in
me by my re-election.
To all the people who worked for and donated to my campaign, a
special thank you. The work I gave begun will continue and I will
diligently address the new problems that will happen the next four
years.
Once again, thank you and may God bless you.
John Metli
Kiowa