Opinions

It all started with a text message from my father, congratulating my nephew for being the first name on “the next 24-year plaque.”Wait. What? My nephew is the 25th winner of the Mikols Family Snow Contest? When did we hit 25 years on this thing!?!?!Please allow me to back up and explain.

Jacob William (J.W.) Jackson was 9 months old when his parents arrived in Bell County, Texas, in September 1851. His parents, Jacob and Jane, purchased land along Donohue Creek and built a solid log home.

“We welcome signed letters from our readers” is a message that appears each week in the lower left-hand corner of the Independent Reporter. The reason that I mention this is that I have noticed a decided decline in letters from local residents appearing on the page.

Dear Editor, For much of Wilson’s history, the old grain silos in the center of town have stood strong and proud, capturing the imaginations of sightseers and photographers. This interesting complex of silos is one-of-a-kind, seen nowhere else. Times change, and the silos were abandoned long ago.

John E. “Curly” Marshall was described as a notorious border character who made his living in “nefarious ways.”According to the Nov.

Dec. 5 marked one year since the passing of one of America’s greatest statesmen, U.S. Senator Bob Dole.In a time when bipartisan cooperation is an innovation rather than an empirical norm, we’re left with historical examples.

At Caldwell, Kan., on the southern border of Kansas, “Curly” Marshall is still remembered for establishing the First Chance/Last Chance saloon in 1869.The notorious dive was located just west of the Chisholm Trail on Bluff Creek.

In last week’s newspaper, we shared a story of Dean Choitz, who recently hit the 20-gallon mark for blood donation with the Red Cross. Also mentioned were Keith Bruning and Charles Huslig. Each are regular blood donors.We applaud these gentlemen for their dedication to donating blood.

My son’s favorite question lately is, “Mommy, what did you do when you were my age?”He’s 10, and casting my memory back more than three decades feels like an effort in futility. I can barely remember what I had for lunch yesterday. What I did 30 years ago? Yikes!

Monday night was filled with good, old-fashioned fun. It was a sensational opportunity for residents to exhale after a busy Thanksgiving weekend and just stroll around downtown Ellsworth.We certainly welcomed the chance to decompress. The weather contributed to the ideal evening.