“This is my commandment that you love one another as I have loved you.” John 15:12. I wear a ring with that inscription. The next verse in 13 tells us, “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down his life for his friends.” This reminds me of what my uncle, Hank Pollreis, wrote to my mother, Ida, “I am going to fight for you and your children.” He did in World War II when he died as a paratrooper in New Guinea.

The regional Knowledge Bowl was hosted at Eads School February 5, with 24 schools competing for berths in the State Knowledge Bowl. This bowl was coordinated by Eads sponsors Sue Fox and Dawn James. It was amazing to see all the buses and vans surrounding the school Monday.

The Chamber of Commerce met Wednesday to make plans for preparing breakfast for the bird watchers attending the annual Snow Goose Festival that was held in Lamar. This was an especially encouraging meeting when KCEDF director, Jan Richards, told about several possible new businesses that may be coming to Eads.

When I saw Tina (Walker) Kraft at the ballgame, I told that I missed seeing her at the Prairie Pines Assisted Living Center. I didn’t know that her new job is similar to what she has been doing the last 10 or 11 years, teaching the Plainview Kindergarten east of Sheridan Lake. She is now a co-teacher with Kayla McLoud at the Eads pre-school. Tina just beams when she tells how she likes those little ones.

At the time of this writing, our Eads wrestlers are with the County Line Rivals in the San Luis Valley at the Regional Wrestling Tournament in the Sanford School. Winners here will compete at State next week in Denver. Those are tremendously exciting days as I remember when sponsoring Pep Clubs in the 70’s and 80’s.

We extend our sympathy to Mike McLoud and family whose mother, Caroline, passed in Oklahoma City. The Justin and Kayla McLoud family left Friday taking Cindy McLoud to Dumas, Texas, where they were to motor on to the city for the funeral services after staying with McLoud’s daughter, Amanda, and family.

The third week of February is FFA week across the nation. The Eads chapter and their instructor, Ms. Lindsey Todd, will have several special activities, climaxing with a big public dinner Friday February 23, at 6:00 p.m., and then the hired hand auction at 7:00 p.m. This is their major fundraiser of the year, along with some fine iron and wooden projects made by the students for auction.

Keri DeWitt, an Eads 1986 graduate, wrote her memories of 27 years ago when her mother died in a head on auto crash that left her feeling so alone, like an orphan, because her father had died of cancer shortly before. After of selling the Missouri farm and moving to California to pursue an education and business ventures, she is married to Tom Majclrowski. They have a young son and two-year-old daughter. She urges people to tell friends and family that you love them and always mend any broken relationships.

It is nice to see some of our Sheriff’s deputies in uniform at ball games. A lady asked me if their presence indicated problems, so I told her that Sheriff Sheridan asks his officers to attend games for public relations and he wants the youth to feel “comfortable” around our officers. I heard and watched a man from Baca County come down to visit with Officer Nate, and before he went back to his bleacher seat, he shook Nate’s hand and thanked him for choosing to serve in the law enforcement career. We all need to do that more often, don’t we?

Madison Kelley’s mother, Shawn, told me that her daughter has been accepted to Colorado School of Mines. Some of our former students who have studied at CSM are Ted Abrams, Mike Shotton, Gary Shotton, and Steven Arth.

I was so happy when my niece, Celena Clark, and Eve, and month-old baby, Elkle, came to visit Friday. It was a precious time and even more so when her uncle, Virgil, and aunt, Wanda, came in and then her brother, Tearle. This week, Celena’s mother was moved back to the acute hospital in Loveland so her father, Dwight, has been up there too.

People who buy prescriptions at the Kiowa HealthMart do so appreciate the service and counsel of Pharmacist, Dr. Tom Davis, and Pharmacy Tech, Jessica (Nelson) Sierra.

A reminder: basketball fans can watch or listen to radio reports of the district tournament February 20 and 22 from Lamar.

The Eads and Haswell Senior Citizens monthly dinners are Wednesday, February 21.

I really do appreciate Brad Turner of Eads who is the Optical Tech at Abba Eye Care in Lamar. He restructured my eye glass frames after I ran over them with my power chair.

People are invited to study the Jewish language and customs at my home, 305 E. 13th Street, at 2:00 p.m. each Tuesday under Ms. Liz Hulteen.

The Johnson sisters, Raegan and Morgyn, will have their drawing for processed beef February 20. This is to help fund their track and field trip to Australia.

Alice Glover’s children and spouses hosted a lovely 80th birthday party for her. Son, Richard, had spent most of the week preparing Hawaiian meat dishes, pulled pork, and foods for the pot luck. The tables were set with pink and lavender cloths, with many of her County Fair championship ribbons as part of the centerpieces.