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.