“A Happy Heart makes the face cheerful”. Proverbs 15: 13

Janita Krayniak is the new pastor at the Eads and Haswell United Methodist Churches, and was a guest at both Eads and Haswell senior citizen’s meals last Wednesday. The tables were full of happy diners Wednesday in Eads, where the seniors enjoyed juicy burgers and baked beans from Esther McCoin’s recipe. An anonymous donor bought the beef for the meal. This generosity helps our budget because at the end of the year, Gail Voss, our director, would like to buy some kitchen appliances so she doesn’t have to carry hers back and forth from home to the center. According to President Alice Glover, construction seems to be progressing more quickly than expected on the new senior center across the street. The Class of 1969 will be celebrating their 50^th year during the county fair, and will borrow some of our chairs for them to use on their parade float. The Sage Meal will be Wednesday September 4, and the brunch will be September 5. Cardon and Joyce Berry volunteered to bring barbeque foods from the fairgrounds so the seniors who choose to eat at the center can do so comfortably. 

Reagan Lane, an Eads graduate, and Shayla Bogenhagen, a Kit Carson graduate, were married at a mountain setting near Fort Collins the weekend of September 16-17. Reagan is the grandson of Jan Richards of Eads. We do wish this precious young couple happiness and many blessings in their future.

Suzanne Trotter of Ordway was crowned the Silver Queen at the Arkansas Valley Fair in Rocky Ford last week. She now lives in Crowley County Senior Care Home. Philomene Liesen was her sister-in-law.

The Wednesday evening Bible class at the UMB church brought dinner foods to complement Gail Voss’s entrée for a delicious dinner for their fellow class member, Shawn Gillette. This was a bittersweet time to say “good-by and God Bless” since Shawn was to move to his next assignment as a Park Ranger in Tennessee. Shawn has worked for a number of years for the Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site.

I listened to part of a telephone survey and conference by the Colorado Department of Transportation the other night before I went to another meeting. I was pleased to hear that Stephanie Gonzales is the representative for our area of the state. The department wants to hear suggestions or comments on the conditions of the highways. I want to add that the section on Highway 96 from Eads to Arlington is so smooth and wonderful. We appreciate their good work.

Our county was represented by 44 4-H projects at the State Fair. The Nelson cousins, Hatch, Case, Aspen, Emily, Alexa, and Clayton, have a number of winning projects. I am pleased to read that many of the members of Prairie Queen 4-H Club placed in the top ten of their projects. Some won Champion or Reserve Champion, including Mia Crow, Alexa Nelson, Peyton Eder, Clayton Nelson, Molly Stolzenberger, and Case Nelson. All these projects, and many other projects, will be on display at the county fair, September 12-14.

The Eads First Christian Church has a new lighted sign mounted in the brick wall at the north end of Maine Street. Last Wednesday, their church family celebrated back-to-school with a potluck supper and games.

With all the 2019 high school graduates, some families are having special gatherings. One of those was for Blake Stoker and Brooklyn Jones. It was held at the Virgil and Wanda Lessenden ranch northwest of Arlington Saturday night, where the guests enjoyed a sumptuous outdoor meal, games of corn hole, playing with frogs, and visiting. Blake and his parents went to Western State College in Gunnison last Wednesday. Brooklyn will be attending Lamar Community College in equine studies. She is also our queen for the Kiowa County Fair. 

It has been brought to my attention that there are often needs for volunteers for many happenings and needs in our county and town. Many of our dedicated and faithful volunteers are growing older, like in their 80’s and 90’s. We need for some younger people to step up for one or maybe two hours a week for such things as cooking for the fair breakfasts, helping in the exhibit hall, serving at the fair barbeque, delivering Meals on Wheels, listening to students read, visiting at the elder homes, pulling weeds, planting pots of flowers, cutting baby trees, helping elders to shop or get their prescriptions, playing cards, and I could name many more. People would be happier if they would “do something for someone else.”

Chamber of Commerce meets at noon Wednesday, September 4, in J J’s restaurant. Most businesses belong to the Chamber. We want to encourage members to come or send a representative to contribute ideas to the Chamber.

This week, another new program began at Weisbrod Hospital in the Emergency Room. Whenever a person goes to the ER, the doctors and nurses can be supported with 24 hours a day by a doctor on the television screen to advise or show them what to do if they have questions about the treatment or diagnosis. This program is called Avera eCARE.

The first two home football and volleyball games will be August 30 and September 6. Let’s support our local Eagle Teams!