My wife wants me to wear a sign around my neck that says I?m in a beard growing contest so that my new scraggly look has an explanation for the public. It?s best to grow a beard when you?re sick and indisposed for a while so no one has to see it during the early stages.
In the back of my mind I?m thinking I may not make it to the end of June judging. I have a couple of trade shows and conferences in between where the hairy look would be detrimental.
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The power outage last week didn?t affect everyone. While our computers didn?t work for about an hour I walked over to Baker Bros. Printing to see if they knew any more than I did about no power. I heard a manual typewriter clicking in the background and found that Jim wasn?t slowed one bit.
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I found some evidence recently that my take-home pay when I worked at the Star-Journal in 1963 was $35.88 per week. That was after FICA and state withholding taxes, which were less than five bucks at the time.
It was probably against child labor laws that I would go to work after a Tuesday night basketball game and put the Paul and Ray?s grocery ad together for the next day?s press run. I?d get home about midnight.
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I have been asked more than once if I have volunteered to be on the jail committee that is to be created by the county commissioners and Sheriff Craft.
I don?t plan to ask to be on it because there are plenty of capable people around the county who should be involved.
From our news coverage it appears the commissioners want to participate on the committee, which I think makes little sense if they want objective feedback for the future about how we deal with prisoners and new arrests in our county. The situation regarding sales tax funding, however, has changed since the vote last fall?it is an even worse time to fund any project with sales taxes.
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I was going to mention that while in Atlanta last week we had lunch at the Corner Tavern in Little Five Points, as we often do, and had the special. It was fried chicken with Coca-Cola gravy and mashed potatoes. I don?t know exactly how they make that gravy but I?m going to find out. Mighty tasty.
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The turnout for the legislative coffee in Hillsboro this past Saturday morning was the biggest by far in 10 years.
A lot of ground was covered by Rep. Brookens and Sen. Barnett, mostly concerning the budget and accepting ?stimulus? money to help with the shortfalls in Kansas for the next couple of years.
What struck me was that, like the country, our county is divided as to whether the stimulus is a good or bad idea. Asked if the people were in favor of accepting the money the show of hands was split fairly evenly.
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I?ve been trying to not brag about my Jayhawks, but after Sunday?s win over Mizzou, I am really looking forward to what the rest of March might bring.
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If you?re into basketball you might wish to play the Scram?bler in this month?s edition of the Buyer?s Edge. It?s free fun and you might win $100 in Scrambler Bucks that can be redeemed at any of our advertisers.
The little game is gaining in popularity with entries coming from all over the south-central Kansas area.
