About Town

By Ida and Doris Lessenden

March 12, 2004

Many people are planning and practicing for the community Spring Sing-A-Long on Sunday evening, March 21^st at the Eads United Methodist Church. There will be several musicians perform who haven’t appeared in public before. Cheryl Wyatt is directing youth who will sing some selections. There is sure to be beautiful music and people can have a tasty Soup Supper downstairs at the New Generation’s fundraiser. We remember years ago when there were community sing-a-longs on the fourth Sunday evening of the month. Those were heartwarming times.

Lori and Bradley Musgrave are welcomed to our block. They live on the corner of 14^th and Hickman in Faye Barber’s former home. Lori’s husband, Joe, and his family have been busy trying to move their belongings into their home before he flies off to his new Army assignment in Korea. Joe will be gone for 18 months and we do send our best wishes with him and welcome his precious family to Eads.

Greg and Pam Miller and children are glad to have her parents, Steve and Carol McBee move to Haswell this winter. The McBees came here from Florida. It is interesting that there are several families who have moved to Haswell and Eads in recent years for a quieter place to live with less traffic and better schools. Some folks have chosen to retire in these towns. We are glad to have them in Kiowa County.

Congratulations to Verna (Kelley) Ebright on her 25 years of service at the Eads Bank, now the Valley State Bank. Verna is a very wonderful, professional, compassionate, wise woman whom we love and appreciate. We thank her for her years of service to our community.

Pastor DeEtta Goettel of the United Methodist Church has a wonderfully active youth group who meets usually on Monday evenings. This last weekend, the youth fasted for 30 or more hours (we think that would be difficult.) They also sought donations to help buy a water buffalo for a third world country. Several teenagers came up from Lamar to have a Lock-In Friday night after they attended the 4-H Fun Festival since about eight of the participants were also members of the Youth Group.

Eads and Plainview Students exhibited at the Regional Science Fair at Lamar Community College last week. Tyler Fox, Hayden Uhland, and Jake Fox won berths to exhibit at the State Science Fair in April. Other Eads students who won prizes were Carden Brandt, Austin Adamson, Remington Brandt, and Shalyn Laird. Winston Lott was also an exhibitor. Congratulations to Shalyn Laird who won the Inez B. Hickey-Crill award for her Agriculture entry. She won $100.00 which was matched by the First National Bank so brought home $200.00 for her project titled, "Don’t Eat My Dust". Shalyn experimented with sunflower suppressants made right here in Eads, at the Kiowa Growers Manufacturing plant. "A tip of the hat" to Eads Science Fair Advisor, Mindy Krentz, for encouraging her science and math students and organizing the local science fair.

The Prairie Queen 4-H Club hosted the annual Fun Festival Friday evening at the fairgrounds. The stage was decorated beautifully around the theme, "Over the Rainbow". The talent performances were in front of a lovely rainbow arch surrounded by balloons. These creative 4-H members brought in the white show barn bleachers for the audience where they watched musical performances, skits, and dances. Many of the youth have earned the right to compete at the State Fair if they choose to do so.

Friday night was an exciting night for many Eads Eagle fans. It was a heartbreaker for the girl’s basketball team at the Regional Tournament and joyful for the boy’s team who had a big win and now will travel to the State meet in Pueblo Thursday, March 11th.

Some of the Eads FFA members went to Kit Carson last week to compete in speech contests where Heather Miller won first place in Extemporaneous Speech and Briana Kerfoot won second place. Ashley Brown won third and Jennifer Lynn won fourth place in the Prepared Speech division. The Freshman A -Team tied for third in the Green Hand Quiz Bowl.

Last week we could see many new improvements in the former remodeled Bransgrove building. The new shades, lights, and cabinets look lovely from Maine Street. The Social Services Department will move to these offices this week. This is also the site of the future Child Care Center. It will be wonderful to see more cars on Maine Street. Milton Watts and his employees have been working daily for months on this important endeavor.

Clayton and Gloria Peck travel to about three Lamar Community College baseball games a week. Ida calls them, the "Galloping grandparents". We think it is wonderful that they go to see their grandson, Justin Crow. Last Saturday they were in Sterling and on Sunday they and his parents, Kip and Dawna, went to the frigidly cold game in Colby, Kansas. When I was at the Eads Consumers offices last Wednesday, I begged Kip Peck for a copy of the LCC schedule. During the week of March 15^th the team will have some games in Arizona.

Spring break reminds me that often there are more children walking and playing in the streets, so we drivers need to be extra watchful.

Several of us have had phone calls and E-Mails from Melissa (Peterson) Orman in Oregon where she says it is so beautiful and green and raining. She says, "Hi: to her many friends about town.

Ladies at the First Christian Church hosted a Bridal Shower for Sandy Lindholm Sunday afternoon. The guests were glad to see Sandy’s new baby nephew, son of Chris and Erin Lindholm, who were here from Trinidad Sunday.

Senior citizens will be traveling to the District Area on the Aging Council in Las Animas next Tuesday, the 16^th. Senior Citizens are welcome to come to the monthly noon pot luck dinner and short business meeting at the Eads Center on Wednesday, March 17^th.

4-H leaders from the three clubs attended a required meeting Monday evening to learn more about current information, new rules and regulations, and to practice parliamentary procedure. Extension Agents, Bruce Fickenscher and Kaye Kasza gave power point presentations, answered numerous questions, and served refreshments.

Our sympathy is extended to the family of Gertrude Hill of Eads. Her graveside services were on Tuesday the 9^th at the Eads Cemetery. Her husband, Don, has cared for his wife in their home for many years.

Jennifer James has been accepted to five large universities to study law who have offered her fine scholarships and fellowships. During spring break, she and her mother will be traveling to four schools on the east coast. Congratulations to another outstanding Eads Alumna.

We are so glad to hear that some parents of juniors and seniors are taking their students to visit colleges during spring break. This is a very important factor in the student and family’s decision making process to be good consumers in deciding which college or university may be the best place to attend.