By Doris Lessenden

“Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith.” I Corinthians 16: 13 The best way to escape temptation is to run to God.

The Weisbrod Hospital Auxiliary members had their business meeting and lunch at J J’s Ranch House in February. They will be meeting on Wednesdays rather than Tuesdays in March 8^th and April 12t at 11:00 a.m. since the J J’s owner, Jennifer Schofield, will be having cancer treatments on Tuesdays. This is the reason J J’s will be closed on Tuesdays for a while. 

I was proud and thrilled when I recognized Dr. Barbara Troy (the former Barbara Larrew) speaking and being interviewed on PBS Television as she was shown in various clinic and Alamosa, Colorado, hospital rooms with pregnant mothers. Dr. Troy’s specialty is working with women who are addicted to drugs. There are so many mothers who are addicted to drugs and thus their babies suffer withdrawal and other afflictions. Barbara is the only doctor in the western part of Colorado who is certified to administer a certain drug that will help “break some women’s drug addiction”. Dr. Troy is the daughter of Bunnie Larrew of Prairie Pines in Eads. Barbara is a graduate of Eads High School.

Ms. Lindsey Todd and the Eads FFA Chapter hosted their annual dinner and Hired Hand Auction Friday evening. There are 36 members in the chapter who stood on the stand to offer themselves for eight hours of work before June. It is gratifying to see how generous family members and local citizens are to donate large amounts of money for the work of the FFA chapter. Some items such as burn barrel covers, a tall work bench, wall and house décor, and metal chairs that the students welded in the classroom were auctioned off also.

Jeramy McNeely, Extension Agent, hosted the yearly 4-H Leaders Training session which was very informative. Mr. McNeely has plans for growing and strengthening the 4-H program. Another project he will take on is giving guitar lessons. These lessons will be free however; a donation is welcome that will be added to the Extension fund for programming.

It was pleasing to see that many friends of James M. Kelly, who formerly lived in Unity Village, braved the cold wind to stand by his burial place at the Eads Cemetery Friday at noon. Pastor Russell Parker gave a moving message and meaningful scriptures. He read several notes written about their friend, Jim. Denis Weber drove over from Sheridan Lake and spoke about James also. Thank you, to Pat Benner Roper and Roland Sorensen, County Veteran Affairs volunteers, who brought out the flag and red and white flowers as well as greeting the mourners. It was heart touching to me to see was how close warm friendships have bonded most of the residents in the ten unity apartments and even the other townspeople who came because they liked Jim who had no known family to come to his committal. That is the goodness of people about our town.

Some days at the Prairie Pines Coffee Hour, the staff has a little chocolate fountain for coating fruits, cake cubes, and wafer cookies. This week they hosted a Mardi Gras Shrimp broil pot luck supper for the residents and community on Tuesday, the day before Lent Season began.

Two pleasant phone calls last week came from former student friends. Jim Baxter in Anchorage, Alaska, says there is much more snow there than last year so he likes his new “toy” which is a huge snow blower machine that clears mountain roads and other places where he and his two sons have contracts for clearing snow. He flew to Colorado for one night to go to a dance at the Windmill Saloon east of Eads where his mother, Evelyn Lane, came up from Dalhart, Texas, with Nick Cooper and his band. Then he flew to Mexico for over a week to Cancun for a vacation in the warm country before returning to wintertime in Alaska. The other phone call was from my student artist friend, Kelly Lujan, down in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Kelly is retired now so he and Jane travel a lot and really do enjoy their grandchildren. That day he was taking his mother, Rose Lujan, out to lunch. Rose says “Hello” to her Eads friends.

Jimmy Bendorf says that his brother-in-law, Jack Gardner, is in an elder care home north of Denver. We are glad to hear that he is in a safe place with good care.

Thursday night I was listening to the Lady Eagle game on the radio, it was the last nine seconds and they were tied with McClave 42-42. Then the radio went off! So the next morning I learned that we won the game after Miranda Mitchek turned to make two points. The girls lost their game on Saturday to Kit Carson; however, they will get to play in the Regional Play-offs in La Junta next week. 

People may not be aware that they can rent the Plains Theatre for usually $50.00 for birthday parties, office parties, or meetings. This is another service or positive attraction of the local theatre. Also, Prairie Pines offers their Swimming Pool for parties for a fee.

Sunday the Lessenden-McCarty family and friends enjoyed a noon party for our little three-year-old, Saige Olivia Sagner at the Pine’s pool. Other families may choose the site of Jackson’s Pond or one of the play-yard Parks for a party. I often see people gathered around the park picnic tables near the railroad where they have meals, open gifts, and tie up festive balloons. It is good to celebrate life!