At Thanksgiving: “Now Thank we all our God, with hearts and hands and voices” from a favorite hymn of my family.

The weather has been so warm in Southeastern Colorado this week. Thursday morning after the Weisbrod Extended Care Unit coffee hour, I rolled down the windows and drove around town in “Max Mays style.” Workers are finishing the exterior of Cathy Davis’ house. The former home of Terry Laird’s grandmother, my favorite teacher, Lois Sibcy. Workers have been putting in glass windows in two stories of the three buildings called “Murdock project.” My Tuscon, friend, Bill Yohye, asks, “Where is that?” It is right across from the Theatre. Commissioner Cindy McLoud told the senior citizens that the exterior of the three buildings should be completed soon. At the senior dinner, she read the email message she had received just 30 minutes earlier that the project had just been granted $100,000 from the Daniel’s Fund. Sharon Frazee told us several years ago, “You will see this in your lifetime.” Some will and, like Sharon, some of our diligent fundraiser members have gone on to be with the Lord. We are very grateful to Cindy (Berry) McLoud for her time and expertise to volunteer to do all this grant writing work for people in our county.

The Veteran’s Dinner last week was so really nice, with good foods prepared by Jennifer Schofield. She received a fine plaque for her mother from the American Legion since her, father, Les Rittgers, had been a member of the American Legion for 50 years. The officers, Danny Richards, Roland Sorensen, and Areta Laird, and County Veteran’s Service Officer, Pat (Benner) Roper, told many new facts and needs such as: if your loved one does not have a metal American Legion medallion pole near their cemetery stone in this county, please tell one of these officers. They need some volunteers in the future to paint the building, and put flags on graves in all the county cemeteries on Memorial Day. Please tell them if they missed a veteran. They need volunteers for cleaning the Legion Hall before and after events. They also need a volunteer to replace the flag at the Road Side Park to put up a new flag about every six months at the Veterans Memorial.

When I arrived at the Weisbrod Thanksgiving dinner, Don McPherson was sitting across from my “adopted brother,” Bill Johansson. They were happy to discover each other after 30 years since they were students at Lamar High School. Teri Castle-Simmons and Tonya Lane, with the help of some Weisbrod staff, decorated the walls and tables beautifully for the annual dinner. People enjoyed the music of Pony Kidd, Phil Pollreis, at the Veteran’s dinner and Weisbrod dinner.

Monday evening was the nerve wracking happy day for Freshmen FFA members who recited the FFA Creed in front of judges, family, and members. President Mariah Smith introduced the nine members who received their “Green Hand” pins and a Bronze or Gold pin. Ally Spady and Hatch Nelson won the gold pins.

Another tip of the hat goes to the 19 eighth-graders, who wrote Patriot Pen Essays which Mrs. Kelly Courkamp submitted for the local contest between Eads and Kit Carson. According to VFW Post Commander, Areta Blooding Laird, she said that at the competition with Eads-Kit Carson students, Stacy Schofield of Eads won first place and Tess Johnson of Kit Carson won second place. The girls’ essays were judged at the district contest in Burlington and these girls won again. This time, Tess was first and Stacy received second. Jared Weeks of Kit Carson was the high school winner with his Voice of Democracy Speech.

Eads and Haswell senior citizens both had their “Thanksgiving Dinners” last week. Marsha (Schmitt) Mousel supplied the turkeys at Eads.  Our Director, Gail Voss, roasted one and her son-in-law, Darryl Stolzenberger smoked the other turkey which was really delicious with all the side dishes and desserts people brought.

We extend our sympathy to Terri Wall Haught since the death of her mother, Reanee Wall, last week. Mrs. Wall was an EHS math teacher for years.

What a nice sight to see a family walking together near noon on Thursday. Kevin and Keri Brown with their little pre-school boy and girl. I assumed they were going to the Gas and Grill for lunch. Their other son, Kai, was in school because I saw him entertaining with Mrs. Janelle Crow’s second graders at the senior citizen Thanksgiving dinner. Superintendent Glenn Smith welcomed the elder guests at the dinner. He said that the installation of LED light bulbs has already brought a large saving, I think $1,550. He expects the savings to pay off the installation bill soon.

Tim Sawyer, a good local handy man for painting and plumbing told me that he had changed all bulbs in his home to LED lighting and it was even improved the efficiency of other technologies and decreased the light bill. I told Dr. Lenderts “Thank You.” What a legacy for starting all this change in our town. Those that I know who have changed to LED lighting were the schools, HealthMart, Crows Stop and Shop, and Prairie Pines. Kiowa County Press has also been converting to LED bulbs and fixtures.

More news next week about our Hospital Auxiliary Bazaar.