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

It was a surprise to see a bright gold bus driving down Maine Street Friday morning at 10:00 a.m. Rather than turn on Highway 96, it parked at Prairie Pines and about nine kids stepped out. Their librarian had driven the Future Farmers of American students from Miami-Yoder to Eads to help the staff and towns people who came to decorate Christmas trees, the walls, the fireplace mantel, and spaces. They were such nice young people who also enjoyed the wonderful lunch that Chef Christina Wolfe prepared. Her two daughters were among the group who came to help.

Ms Lindsey Todd and the Eads FFA Chapter hosted their annual hired hand auction and dinner last Thursday evening. They rearranged the serving and tables in a more functional pattern for the evening, along with a slide show featuring each of the 35 students. There was an impressive display of items the middle school and high school students had made for the silent auction or for auction. Among them were book shelves, corn hole game stands, rasp bracelets, a metal goat stand for grooming, and a tall impressive gateway metal work of art with space for welding a last name and a hanging heart with a horse in the center. This piece was designed by Morgyn Johnson. The names of the members are: Freshmen: Duncan Habinck, Levi Johnson, Taite Johnson, Kiya Leonard, Cade McDowell, Rhealie Rittgers, Kyra Sheridan, Chase Stolzenberger, and Ty Wilson. Sophomores: Aiden Michael, Ally Spady, Colby Stoker, Brandon Lening, Victoria Carey, and Byson Watne. Juniors: Angel Medina, Dillon Hernandez, Alyssa Harp, Lauren Brown, and Tysen Barton. Seniors: Brooklyn Jones, Sheila Thomas, Kaylee Wilson, Emily Gyurman, Hadlie Rittgers, and Lauren Spady. The officers of various grades are Blake Stoker, Molly Stolzenberger, Reagen Johnson, Kaycee Ellenberger, Jonah Schofield, Hatch Nelsen, and Bradley Musgrave. Generous men and women paid from $250.00 to over $400.00 for students. The Alumni FFA chapter had three pies that people could taste and vote on their top choice. Then pies made by Donald Oswald, Glenda Stoker, and Gloria Gaynor were auctioned off for the FFA Scholarship Fund. Commissioner Oswald won the Taster’s Choice. 

We visited the library Thursday morning to see the Christmas and holiday display of books and kits. Librarian Kemma Alfano, said they have hard cover books for sale for a dollar and 50 cents for paperback books and 25 cents for children’s books year around. People can even check out designer cake pans!

It’s beginning to look a lot more like Christmas with the store fronts and homes being decorated in twinkling lights. Marty Barnett and Terry Riley have wound lights close together on all the trees in front of the senior center, Plains Theatre three buildings. Someone, no doubt, Roland Sorensen, set up the snowmen and tall star and other wooden motifs in the Horse Shoe Park. It is wonderful!

Santa is coming to town December 4 during the Firemen’s Chili Supper. More about that next week.

Tim Sawyer, Handyman, is back in town. He had been gone about six weeks while remodeling a home. He has certainly been a blessing to many of us with his plumbing, repair, and technical work. 

The Community Cantata singers are adding practices because they are learning a new piece to perform Sunday, December 9. Your heart will be blessed if you take time to go to this concert at the United Methodist Church in Eads at 6:30 p.m. Refreshments will be served afterwards.

The first high school basketball games were in the Eads gym Friday night when the combined team of Flagler-High Plains, now known as “The Thunder,” came to town. The four games were exciting, and I haven’t heard such spirit and loudness in our gym like that for some years. Bradley Musgrave was an active Eagle mascot who ran around the gym a lot. He teamed up with the cheerleaders Mollie Kelley, Aubrey Rybacki, Chrystal Watson, Reagen Johnson, Alyssa Harp, and Cynthia Watson. The basketball teams will play in Kansas next week, and the third week Eagle fans can go to the Holiday Tournament in Lamar for three days or listen on the radio to our teams.

Our Eads wrestlers, who practice and travel with the County Line Rivals, went to Fowler last Saturday. This Saturday, December 8,  they will be in Limon, and the following week they will have matches December 14 and 15.

Parents, there will be free kids movies at 1:00 p.m. at the Eads Theatre Saturdays, December 8 and 15.

A study has shown that people who volunteer are happier people. I do believe that. We are grateful to people in our communities who volunteer. Yet there is often need for people to volunteer to “make things happen” in our town, or at the school, the theatre, the hospital, and the assisted living. Please volunteer. If you need ideas, you may call me at 719-438-5665.

Larry and Charlene Gifford often go to Kansas to watch his daughter, Stephanie’s, daughter play sports. Now she is in her favorite sport, basketball.

Suzanne Proctor, former Eads Librarian in the 1970’s called me. She sends her greetings to friends she enjoyed so much in this community.

I write for Kiowa County citizens to say we are so grateful to have a hospital and an ambulance service in our county. Several of our good friends have used both last week. Thank you, Eunice Weber and EMT staff and taxpayers, for our hospital. We appreciate the good nurses and the fine doctors who are always ready.