What do you do when you need workers and have trouble finding them if you are a local trailer manufacturer? You grow your own.

I am impressed with the new welding program that is being launched right here in Hillsboro to train the work force of welders that our trailer manufacturers will be needing in the foreseeable future.

Circle D and Hillsboro Industries have partnered with Butler Community College to begin a welding program in cooperation with the city of Hillsboro in the former DFA plant. Looks like a win, win situation for everyone.

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Brett Reber, president of McPherson Industrial Develop­ment Co., who spoke at the annual Hillsboro Development Corp. meeting last Tuesday night, underscored one of the challenges that will be facing their industrial base in the next five years. He said based on surveys they have taken there, McPherson industries will be short about 1,000 workers as the older members of the work force move into retirement.

Their plan is to bring back the young people who have left the area to come back and fill these jobs. As young people start their families the quality of life issues come to the forefront and that is where places like Hills­boro have an opportunity to keep or attract young people, but only if the jobs are available.

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Does anyone use carbon paper anymore? I don’t think I’ve used any for the past 10 years.

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Son Dan and Katie were here for a few days last week. The purpose was to visit us, of course, but Dan went on to Atlanta and then Tampa to take in the KU/South Florida game with an old KU friend last Friday night while Katie headed back to Washington.

I called him Friday night to see what was going on, and he said as they were walking to the stadium with his new KU T-shirt he bought just for the occasion they were invited to a tailgate with some obvious KU fans.

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It’s a small world.

Dan was asked where he was from, and when he said Hills­boro the people said they were from Emporia and came to Hillsboro for the Saturday night Low German Buffet at Olde Towne.

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People my age I’m sure will remember the Kansas Comet, Gale Sayers, who had a prolific career at Kansas and then went on to play six years in the NFL with the Chicago Bears before a knee injury sidelined him for good in 1970.

He was an electrifying runner, someone the Jayhawks could definitely use right now. I saw him run 98 yards against Neb­raska in the early ’60s in Mem­orial Stadium.

I remembered a film they showed at the KU Student Union of his 22 touchdowns as a rookie with the Bears in 1965. Wondering if that film was still around, I googled Gale Sayers Highlights and found a video of many of those touchdowns. It is an awesome display of broken-field running.

To see it, enter this URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ivlxyOGSh2c. I will link it in my column on our Web site so you can just see it there.

[NOTE: Since this was written, that video and several similar ones appear to have been removed by Youtube, with the stated reason being terms of use violations.]

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Saturday I stopped at a lemonade stand on South Main. The young ladies said business was good. The chocolate chip cookies were, too.

I thought this behavior should be rewarded.

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