Game was a big bang for buck

I?d like someone to tell me where one could get a better bang for the buck than a ticket to the Hillsboro vs. Smoky Valley football game this past Friday night.

It had all of the drama anyone could wish for in a game. Both teams exhibited heart and grit in a see-saw battle and, now with the overtime rule, one had to lose. It?s great to be on the winning side.

Compare a $4 ticket for a high school football game with the average $75 price of an NFL ticket. Well, you can?t beat it. Plus try getting a meal at a pro game for $5. I think you get my drift.

A retired Hillsboro businessman and dedicated sports fan told me he would have paid $100 to see the game if he knew what it would have been like before he went and witnessed it.

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Contained in this week?s Free Press is a special section that highlights the accomplishments of a dedicated group of Hills?boro women who 40 years ago created what has become something much bigger than themselves.

Be sure to pay attention to the contributions the Arts & Crafts Fair Association has made to this community over time. It is an amazing accomplishment and we congratulate this group on its great success. Many names from the present and the past are contained in this special section.

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How did this happen so fast?

I just called to sign up for the Social Security meetings that will be held during the next few weeks. I have been paying into the system for the past 50 years, starting with my first job in ?59. But as we all know, this money has been spent on many other things besides its intended purpose at the start.

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Some may think I sound like a broken record, but having car dealers in our town is a big, big thing. Not only do they provide many good jobs and a means for large sales-tax collections, they also give back to our communities in many ways.

For example, the ?Drive for Your School? event this past weekend at Hillsboro Ford raised money for the HHS Booster Club; also, the upcoming tailgate party sponsored by Midway Motors also will benefit the booster club.

The more we participate in these events, the more our booster club receives. This is all done without any obligation to the dealers. Without your business, at some point in time, however?.

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The health-reform debate continues. Sifting through the noise is really hard.

I have never not had health insurance. In my early years of work, my insurance was em?ploy?er paid. In the 1970s, my family plan cost about $35 per month when I worked for the state of Kansas. Since 1980, I have had to find my own insurance since I have been self-employed for most of that time.

For about the past 10 years,
I have had our own company group plan. We have experienced all of the pains of higher costs because our group is so small. Our experience rating has been extremely costly because of me. Although it is expensive, I have been taken care of by our insurance company very well. Like so many others, we pay our insurance first and then live on what?s left.

With a true bipartisan effort, I believe Congress will find a better way. Whatever happens, I?d like mine to be equal to what our public servants receive.

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