By Doris Lessenden

“To the world you may be just one person, but to one person you may be the world.”  Brandi Snyder

Ellen Simmons of Eads celebrated her 90^th birthday Sunday, January 8^th.  We salute this dear lady who was a friendly teller for many years in the Eads bank.  She and her late husband, Paul, were loyal Eads Eagle fans who followed many games even after their children graduated.  I remember her being active in her church activities and singing with ladies groups and in the Cantata.  After she retired she dedicated many years to caring for her great grandchildren, Lauren and Ross Brown.  Happy birthday to Ellen!

Betty Holthus and Delores Rector had such good times in Denver over Christmas time with their daughters and families.  One of their daughters comes to Eads for them and then the other daughter brings the ladies back to Eads.  Phyllis Batterton went out to her son, Blayne’s ranch for the holidays and Greg came to Eads to take his mother, Mary Anne Ure to spend a week in his home in Greeley.  

Louis, Dawn, and Alicia James spent time in Dallas, Texas, with their daughter, Jennifer and Brian’s family.   They especially enjoyed little Charlie’s birthday party and holding their new born granddaughter, Alice Virginia.

Congratulations to Lauretta Brown who won a new television in the Christmas Drawing held by the Kiowa County Press/Plains Network Services on Maine Street.  She and her grandchildren were really tickled.

Commissioner Cindy McCloud was a guest at the Chamber of Commerce noon meeting last Wednesday.  She shared new information about laws, the landfills, the signage situation, the county budget, Child Care needs, and ideas for the future.  Chamber members are getting ready to host a breakfast as part of the Snow Goose festival whose participants come to Kiowa County to see the geese here.  The members are looking forward to helping host the welcome reception for the new doctor and her family who have moved here from Mississippi.

Readers, did you know that you can buy a list of addresses of Kiowa County citizens from the County Clerks Office for $5.00?  It is really helpful to have a copy when you want to send a letter or card to a friend.

For more than two weeks Milton Watts and his crew have been tearing out the windows and the wooden part of the fronts of the former Bentley Jewelry Store and the former Pool Hall.  At night they place big sheets of board over the holes.  Eventually they will be restored to look similar to the l920’s.  What exciting news for the CLECE (Crow-Luther Cultural Events Center) group who own these buildings.  As money is made and comes available, the plan is to complete these building with floors and rooms for the benefit of our town and visitors to Eads.  We are geographically a “central” meeting place for district meetings so this may also attract other people to Eads.

Since the snow was falling last Thursday, the officers cancelled the Brunch for the safety of the senior citizens.  Our next meeting time will be Wednesday, January 18^th for the monthly noon lunch.  Men and women bring casseroles, side dishes, or desserts to share.  If that is not possible, people can leave a $3.00 donation in the container as they sign in.  Whenever we have any activity at the Center which is on Maine Street across the street south of the Kiowa County National Bank, we always write our names on a notebook.  We do this because the state and county are interested in the numbers of how many people participate and of who are served.   We can also use these numbers when we apply for grants or ordering items.  All men and women who are senior citizen age (usually age 55) are eligible and invited to enjoy the meals and meetings at the three Senior Centers in Kiowa County, which are in Towner, Eads, and Haswell.  The Centers often have speakers, or host game parties, go on outings together, or other types of entertainment.  Another service of the Center is the Meals on Wheels prepared by Sage Services in Lamar.  They are delivered HOT to Eads two days a week.   Usually $3.00 a meal is donated from the monthly menus.  These meals are balanced and nutritious and sometimes I even divide a meal for lunch and supper time.  These meals have been a great service for me because I don’t have such big grocery expenditures and when I go to one of the cafes, it usually costs me about $6.00 to $11.00 or more plus tips for a meal.  Areta Laird is the director who works with six volunteers who deliver them around Eads.   These kindly ladies are Irene Harms, Kim Richards, Raelynn Riley, Valorie Briggs, Dawna Howard, and Madonna Pollreis. 

The Eads Eagle basketball teams and Wrestlers are having very good seasons.  This week-end fans can see a home game on Saturday starting at 2:00 p.m. with Otis and our wrestlers will be at Walsh