The Eads Elementary School Christmas program Thursday night was absolutely marvelous! I have written this before, and I do write again to say, “Monica Uhland is such a great music teacher!” Her students in Kindergarten through fifth grade sing with such gusto and sincere expression of hand motions. She is such a blessing to our school. Before the elementary concert, the precious pre-school students sang their motion songs while directed by their teachers, Tina Kraft and Brooke Lenox. The fifth grade had the operetta speaking and solo song parts. “Elfis,” who was dressed in white and gold, resembled the famous singer, Elvis Presley, played by Jax Cordova. He pleased the crowds with his suave one liners and guitar singing. The fifth grade students, Brantley McCracken, Marley Zimmerman, Gage Gibbs, William Ramos, Luke Barnett, Audree Lane, Miranda Keplar, McKenzie Jones, Miles Frey, Hadlee Dunlap, Saige Sagner, Wyatt Van Campen, Peyton Mattuski, Reona Eikenberg, and Hudson Uhland, were costumed as reindeer, and elves, and classy singers assisted “Elfis” and his workers while all the grade school sang wonderful songs. Each child was dressed, the girls in sparkly dresses or the boys in little boy dress-up clothing, as they sang with such happy emotion! They made our hearts feel happy! I am so grateful that my young great nieces and nephews have such great music educator as Monica Fell Uhland and their classroom teachers.

Christmas programs were held at the Sheridan Lake Bible Church and Eads First Christian Church, and Praise Community Church had their children’s programs on the December 15. Christmas Eve, the Haswell Community Church will begin their traditional Advent and Christmas Eve service at 5:30 p.m. with the lighting of the Advent Candles. This has been my favorite place to be on Christmas Eve for many years - in Haswell. The Christmas Eve service at Kit Carson Trinity Lutheran will be at 5:00 p.m.

Our sympathy is extended to the families of Calvin Gaynor, whose funeral will be in the Kit Carson School December 28. Calvin worked for a number of years for the Negley Farms, and then at Weisbrod Hospital in the Lab Department. He is the father of Gloria Trosper of Eads.

Some of the area schools played in the Border Wars basketball tournament the second weekend in December in Syracuse, Kansas. This was good experience for our area teams before competing in the Holiday Tournament in Lamar, which drew hundreds of fans to the hub city this week of December. The boys coaches are Weston Meardon and Remington Brandt, and the Eads girls are coached by Lonnie Eder and Justin McLoud. I like the memories of traveling to the holiday tournament in Lamar, watching all the Christmas lights, good food, and visiting.

The Eads boys basketball team is made up of Gaige Rittgers, Anthony Paez, Weston Mitcheck, Kaiden Dunlap, Stetson Mitcheck, Case Nelson, Jayson Bletzacker, Ayden Hough, Landon Zimmerman, and Karstan Buller.

A special evening dinner was arranged for the Kiowa County Fair Board members and their guests at the Lamar Tavern and Dining Room. How nice that someone took the time to show gratitude and thanks to them for all their volunteer work in planning and being the host of the county fair. We do need to do that more often for people who serve for us. Do you ever think, “There are many spoiled Americans?”

Wednesday morning, Linda A. Hopkins announced that the Eagle’s Nest Pre-School students were coming to sing to us. Their teachers, Tina Kraft and Brooke Lenox, directed these darling little three- and four-year-olds to sing several songs. Afterward, they shyly told us their whole names. That was fun to see. Some of us had great grandchildren or great nieces in the group.

The Eads and Haswell senior communities had their annual Christmas meal Wednesday at noon and in the evening, respectively. At Eads, we were pleased with the large attendance. Wally and Phyllis Mosher came bringing many pies to add to the dessert table. We are thankful to have our returning officers, Sylvia Weeks, President; Mary Englehardt, Vice President; Dana Brown, Secretary; and Joyce Berry, Treasurer. Thank you, ladies. We gave our co-coordinator, Gail Voss, a money gift to say a huge thank you for all the extra work she does around the center. There are many more parties and events booked for use at the center. It is pleasant to spend an hour around the table Monday afternoons visiting with the ladies and listening to their views on topics of the day. Sarah Ferris says that more and more people are coming to play Bingo once per month. There are a number of people who surely enjoy playing cards on the first and third Tuesday nights of the month.

December 18 was the last day of school before the holiday break. It was special because the elementary students were teamed up with an upperclassman to attend the movie at the Plains Theatre in Eads and eat a sack lunch together.

Blessings be with you fellow Americans!