The 588 people registering for Golden West Telecommunications Cooperative’s Annual Membership Meeting in Wall on Saturday, September 25th got a reminder of what it means to belong to a cooperative when they walked away with their share of $1.186 million in patronage capital credit checks.

The checks, many ranging in size from $20 and up for individuals to several hundreds of dollars for some businesses, retired one-half the Cooperative’s margin or profit for 1988 along with a portion of the Company’s margins from 1988 through 2003.

Dear Pioneer Review,

My husband and I would like to say thank you to a few men that helped us in a time of need on a Sunday morning.

My husband and I traveled from Kansas to my home state of South Dakota to get married in Deadwood on September 11th. We spent two wonderful weeks there, but unfortunately we had to go home.

On the morning of September 19, we hugged my family good-bye and hopped on I-90 east for the long boring trip we had taken so many times. Everything was going fine, laughing and carrying on like we always do, when we felt a vibration in our pickup.

Dear Editor:

I watched the debate on Meet the Press between Senator Tom Daschle and John Thune on Sunday, September 19.

I’m writing as your neighbor to the north, not to try to give South Dakotans advice about their upcoming election, but rather to set the record straight.

The claims Mr. Thune was making in the debate on the subject of agriculture disaster legislation passed by the Congress were just plain wrong. I know, because I was there.

September 27, 2004

Dear Editor,

Once again I am writing a letter to be published in your newspaper, and so I thank you for allowing this forum of communication to the residents of Haakon County.

I would like to briefly mention two issues that will be on the November ballot and to ask local taxpayers to help keep our school’s revenues from being depleted any further.

The first is Constitutional Amendment B, which in essence obligates your local district to fund food and transportation services to school age children who are not enrolled in public school.

“Pioneering Our Future” is the theme for the Philip area and Haakon County Community Assessment to be held on October 12-14, 2004.

“The homesteaders and ranchers who settled in this area took charge of their lives,” says Glenn Parsons, President of the Philip Chamber of Commerce. “They didn’t just let things happen to them, but set about to improve their lives by opportunities available to them. They organized into communities that cooperated in order to improve their lives. The same needs to be true for us today.

I could not sleep.

It was 1:30 a.m. The house was quiet and everyone else was asleep, the bums. Maybe it was the six bowls of chili and the chunks of bread I had for supper. No, that was normal.

My wife was snoring enough to keep the whole house awake. No, she does not snore, but I had to blame somebody.

My married son is in the army. Maybe I couldn’t stop worrying that he might see live action in Iraq. I started debating with myself the pros and cons of the U.S. going to and still being in Iraq. My wife started to stir, so I got out of bed and headed for the kitchen.

Ernie’s Building Center owners Ernie and Laurel Nemec will be celebrating the business 45th anniversary on Saturday, October 2. The Nemecs will be serving a free lunch during the customer appreciation open house.

From a start-up undertaking for high school sweethearts and newlyweds, the business has grown and changed to now serve customers in a 125 mile radius of Midland. Three generations have worked there, with son Randy Nemec growing up in the business and now being indispensible; thus the name of Ernest D.

Cross Country at Kadoka

by Del Bartels

The Philip Scotties cross country team was one of the 18 teams represented at the Kadoka meet on Sept. 11. Though with no individual or team placings, the team showed its fortitude.

Placing 6th out of 38, Holly Iwan ran well in the girls elementary division. Kyle Iwan, in his introductory race of this season, took 10th out of 30 elementary boy runners.

The junior varsity girls’ squad is improving.

Cross Country at Kadoka

by Del Bartels

The Philip Scotties cross country team was one of the 18 teams represented at the Kadoka meet on Sept. 11. Though with no individual or team placings, the team showed its fortitude.

Placing 6th out of 38, Holly Iwan ran well in the girls elementary division. Kyle Iwan, in his introductory race of this season, took 10th out of 30 elementary boy runners.

The junior varsity girls’ squad is improving.

Kevin Graber, County Veterans Service Officer for Haakon and Jackson counties, announces that application forms for the Veterans Bonus are now available at his office.

The new bonus program provides for payment of up to $500 to certain veterans who have qualifying active duty service.