“Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction and faithful in prayer.” Romans 12: 12 

A number of pleasant happenings occur around the county each week, but last week the stellar event was the children’s fourth of July parade and the delightful park party afterwards! There were children and parents who were dressed in various fashions of red white and blue. Some adults and some teens clad in lime t-shirts worked at the many booths and games for the youth. A small battery-powered car with a with a tall American flag pulled onto Maine Street and leader, Laura Via-Kliesen asked participants to recite the Pledge of Allegiance. There were so many children! So cute! It just happened too quickly! There were many people there to watch. The best was yet to come! In the town park by the railroad, the tiny tots enjoyed their quarter of the park in age appropriate activities. Such smiles and joy because they didn’t have to compete with those big kids. There was also a free crushed ice cone stand, a bubble machine, little games of toss the bracelet on a bottle, competition games, a tent for those waiting to climb the Sheriff’s Office wall, free hot dogs, adults playing the corn hole game, and many other games. It was terrific and a real memory maker for children and teens! The patriotic music of Phil Pollreis added zest to the happy time. This event was organized by young women of the community.

Many of the local farmer men and women are harvesting wheat now. For once we do not really want rain. They tell me that there are long lines of trucks at the Haswell elevator where Bart Michael is managing the new enterprise.

Many out-of-town relatives and friends converged in Eads to celebrate with Bob and Renee Woods at their reception for 65 years of marriage. The reception was held at the Prairie Pines Assisted Living Center Saturday afternoon.

The fireworks show by the fire and police departments was outstanding and really beautiful, with huge bursts of round balls of sparkly colors high in the sky. I saw a photo on the television in an east coast city that they had those domino rippling bursts and lines like fountains that we saw in Eads. It appears that we are in fashion with the cities.

Sue Fox, local educator, shared her photos last week of her fabulous experience in Quito, Ecuador, where she and her two sisters traveled to visit her son, Tyler and his wife, Priya. Tyler, an Eads and CU graduate engineer, works for Lockheed-Martin from their home in Quito, and Priya works for the USA embassy. They showed their guests many beautiful forests and historical sites.

The Maine Street Bash will be July 27 from 11:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. and will be free. There will be many new sights and vendors as well several bands and good musicians on the stage. The food court and beer garden trucks will have tasty foods and drinks. New vendors have been lined up for people to shop for gifts and a flea market. The Lamar band, Judi, will be here as well as home-town college man Rhett Uhland. Rhett sang in Clarendon, Texas, and La Veta, Colorado, last weekend. He is on the road a lot to perform in different states. La Junta’s country classic band Jamie Crocket and Friends will also be entertaining.

Thursday evening, some pickups and horse trailers began filling up the Kiowa County fairgrounds for the youth rodeo competitions for three days. County extension agent Tearle Lessenden and 4-H leader Tim Trosper stocked up on foods at Crow’s Stop and Shop grocery store for 4-H members to cook in the concession stand.

The Kiowa County Economic Development Foundation will host a free finger food bar reception at Prairie Pines Assisted Living Center July 16 at 6:00 p.m. The highlight of the evening will be the announcement of the Citizen of the Year, and Volunteer of the Year and Business of the Year. 

July 20 is the annual Kit Carson Gar-Yard Sale beginning at 9:00 a.m. It costs $10 if a vendor or family wants their sale on the map. Call Patsy States at 719-962-3255 to be on the map, which shoppers can pick up at the Singing Grass Antique Shop or grocery store.

The pretty life guards are teaching and protecting those who enjoy our local swimming pool. We are so blessed to have a swimming pool in our little town.

Becky Puls and her husband, Brandon Harris, and 8 children had a marvelous time at the various play areas at the park July 4.

All week, the memory of the beautiful organ and piano music by Charlotte Woelk, Betty Crow, and Jimmy Brown, who played at Margaret Frazee’s funeral, has lingered in the minds of many people.

During the week there was a huge pile of tree branches cut down at Harvey Hollis’ town home. Friday morning, there was Bill Woelk out in the heat loading them on his black pickup. What a good neighbor! What a good man!

This week, I chose Kip Peck because he is such an outstanding helpful employee. Many times, he has run out of the NAPA store to my van to take my order or give me advice on what I should buy to meet my needs.