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OK, countians, give me some reports. I keep hearing that the Elk River is out of its banks, which tells me the Neosho and Verdigris must be, too.

I figure Montgomery County, where I live, must surely be in line for some flooding.

Look at the Google logo today, celebrating the birthday of Samuel Morse who invented the telegraph. He was born April 27, 1791.
Any other morse code operators out there?

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I was jus_ _hinking about _he _ea par_ies being held _hroughou_ _he coun_ry _oday. Maybe i_'s because my name s_ar_s wih one. Who knows? And I surely wan_ _o do my par_ in lowering _axes. Bu_ I'm afraid if we elimina_e this one li__le le__er i_ will jus_ screw up the works. Wha_cha _hink?

The table setting originally planned for Saturday evening at the Elk Valley School in Longton has been postponed by one day until Sunday, March 29.
The viewing will begin at 1 p.m. with dinner served at 2 p.m.
Spokesperson Shirley Black said she hopes everyone will pass the word so everyone planning to attend can make alternate plans.

I am so excited about what's happening in downtown Howard. I know it probably doesn't look like huge progress but I absolutely fell in love in Traci Smith's shop last week. And I think there will be some exciting announcements in the coming week that will give Howard a big boost.  Here's my question: Last week I snapped a picture of men working on the west side of the street in downtown Howard. They had torn off a front and exposed some historic old columns.  Anybody know the story there? What's it going to be?

It's really not my place to post this, but I really think the people of Elk County should be proud of Kjell and Teresa for the announcement which was made nationally this week on "CNN Money." Kjell's Down Range Television has been purchased by the Outdoor Channel --- and it's a really big deal. We'll carry a story in next week's Prairie Star, but there's a partial story on the website today (taylornews.org). Congratulations, Kjell and Teresa!

Our forum friend, Jody, hopes to attend the Elk River Festival on Saturday and will bring copies of a new book which she co-authored with  Michael Lane from Minnesota. I think all of you will enjoy reading the book which tells about her mother working at the Howard Courtant for many years. There is a story in this week's Prairie Star about the book.

I can't tell you how much I enjoyed attending the Elk Konnected update on Tuesday night in Severy. I work in and around lots of small communities, and I've never seen a more dedicated, determined group of citizens than the ones with whom I mingled Tuesday night.

Their vision statement says it all, and makes me want to involve myself even more with Elk Konnected:
Strong Families • Solid Education • Superior Lifestyle
"Stay With Us As We Grow!"

Elk County has some amazing people living and working there. Yes, the challenges are daunting, but the level of energy, intellect and expertise of those same people will result in a better tomorrow for all who are fortunate enough to be Elk Countians.

I'm having trouble getting an ID on this cute little boy who rode his scooter in the Longton parade last Saturday.

Anybody know him?

OK, I'm coming to you with hat in hand.

Our front page story on the West Elk High School graduation exercises was wrong.

The actual date and time will be: Sunday, May 18, at 2 p.m.

We printed the date as Saturday.

Again, the accurate date will be SUNDAY AFTERNOON AT 2!

Thanks,
Rudy

         A  soldier from Eureka whose wife and three children reside in Howard died Wednesday, Feb. 20, in Mosul, Iraq.
   The U.S. Defense Department said Staff Sgt. Bryant W. Mackey, 30, died of wounds suffered when a rocket-propelled grenade struck his vehicle.
   Mackey was assigned to the 3rd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment at Fort Hood, Texas.
   Mackey's wife, Marie, two sons, Ryan and Koby, and a daughter, Stephanie, all live in Howard. Full military rites will be held for the serviceman on Friday, Feb. 29, at 10 a.m. in the Countryside Funeral Home of Fredonia with a military burial service following at Grace Lawn Cemetery in Howard.
   He was a graduate of Hamilton High School in Hamilton, Kan. He enjoyed playing football in high school and also was a member of the wrestling team.
   On April 21, 1997, Bryant was united in marriage to Marie Stapp at the United Methodist Church in Hamilton. He was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in Independence.
   Friends said he was always fun to be around and was a team-player who was dedicated to both his family and his country. They say he was well aware of the dangers of war but was proud to be a soldier.
   SSgt. Mackey joined the U.S. Army just before Sept. 11, 2001, and was on his second tour of duty in Iraq. The first time he was injured by gunfire, but his friends say that wasn't about to scare him away from serving his country.
   In his spare time he enjoyed watching football especially his two favorite teams, the Washington Redskins and the Kansas State University Wildcats, he also enjoyed fishing, listening to music and watching funny movies, but most of all he loved spending time with his children Ryan, Koby, and Stephanie and all of his family.
   Survivors, in addition to his wife and children, are his father, Vietnam veteran Carl Lynn and Pamela June Mackey of Fredonia; his mother, Karen and Ben Nelson of Eureka; five brothers, Carl Mackey of Wichita, Adam Stehm of Missouri, Travis Edwards of El Dorado, Justin Edwards of El Dorado and Jericho Cavely of Fredonia.
   Also surviving are four sisters: Monica Mackey of Fredonia, Lanesa Polten of Texas, Sherry Hurlburt of El Dorado, and Tiffany Edwards of Fredonia.
   Also surviving are his grandparents, Carl and Vera Mackey of Dodge City, his mother-in-law, LaDonna Stapp of Howard, his father-in-law, John and Debbie Parkins of Wichita.
   Arrangements are under the direction of Countryside Funeral Home, P.O. Box 247, 420 S. 20th St., Fredonia. Memorials are suggested to the Fredonia Library and may be left in care of the funeral home.

Yesterday (Sunday) I had appointments to take pictures of conservation winners for the upcoming annual meeting
of the Elk County Resource Conservation District. I love doing this yearly assignment because it makes drive to places
I normally would never see.

I had never been west of Howard on Limestone Road.  Wow.

I took pictures of Don and Bill Perkins, both of whom will receive conservation awards this year.  What beautiful country! The Perkins family certainly has staked its claim that part of the country.

Bill told me the local joke: There are only two things west of Howard --- Perkins and Johnson Grass.  And you can spray for Johnson Grass.

I must agree --- there surely are lots of Perkins (the correct word is Perkinses but it looks so wrong) in Elk County. What would you do without them?

Coming back into Howard I got a view from the north of Bellars' farm, as viewed across the huge pond to their north.  That's quite a sight, you know?

I then drove to Oak Valley where I took a picture of Russ and Deana Jones who also will receive conservation awards.

I wasn't quite prepared for the view I observed from the front porch of their hilltop home. It's nothing less than gorgeous. And their spacious new home is lovely.

So often, we drive across country and never give a thought to what lurks behind a hill or a few miles across a pasture. It is only when you have reason to turn onto a country road that you see the real Elk County.

You natives are probably accustomed to it. But for me, I get new thrills every time I travel off-road whether in Elk, Chautauqua, Cowley, Sedgwick, Greenwood, Montgomery or Labette counties. They all have their own beauty, all so very unique in the way their landscapes spread out under God's great skies.

That's why I enjoy so much being a country newspaper editor in Kansas.

References have been made several times on the forum about Rose Nix Leo who died in 2002 at the age of 108.

I was Rose Leo's greatest fan. I read her column for three decades previous to her passing and we exchanged post cards and letters on many occasions. I find it amazing that she and I never met in person, yet we held a close friendship.

We bought the Flint Hills Express in 2001 and by that time Rose had retired from writing her column, "Rose's Last Scrap." I actually assumed she was gone from this earth since I hadn't heard anything from her, yet I didn't recall reading anything about a funeral. But she surely couldn't' still be alive because I sent her a 100th birthday greeting in 1994!

I was at the Parsons Sun getting our newspapers printed on Wednesday, July 10, 2002, when my cell phone rang. The person on the other end said, "I'm looking for the publisher of the Flint Hills Express."
   
She caller was a producer for Weekend Edition at National Public Radio in Washington. She said word had reached NPR that Rose Nix Leo, the oldest journalist in America, had died, and I confirmed by saying we had an obituary in that day's edition.

After exchanging conversation for 10 minutes about Rose, the producer asked, "Is there any possibility that you could go to either Kansas City or Tulsa and let us interview you on Weekend Edition?

Of course, being an old radio guy, that thrilled me, and I headed for Tulsa the next day and recorded an interview with Scott Simon, the show's host. I'm a real fan of NPR so I was quite familiar with Simon who, this day, makes frequent appearances on Sunday morning television panel shows.

The program aired on Saturday morning and, according to NPR, it was carried on Armed Forces Radio around the world, as well as BBC affiliates in Europe. The show boasts more than 20 million listeners, and on this particular Saturday morning they would hear quiet conversation about a lady in Elk County, Kansas, who wrote such beautiful pieces in her hometown newspaper. Remember, this lady wrote her first article for the local paper in 1913 when she was only 17 years old! She wrote regular columns until she was 104.

So, I thought the forum family might like to listen to the interview which can be accessed on the internet by going to <npr.org> then navigating to Weekend Edition Saturday and finding the date July 13, 2002.

Or, you can simply paste the following address on your Internet browser and it should work.

I thought it was so nice that 20 million listeners got to hear all about our friend, Rose Nix Leo, who lived such a simple yet rewarding life in Howard, Kansas.

A note of explanation: During the interview, both Scott and I were struck by a poem entitled, "Time," both of us thinking Rose wrote it.  But it was something Rose had picked up many years before and she just like to quote it. She never claimed to write it, even though local friends credited her with it.

The next week, NPR had to do a brief retraction about "Time," noting that it was actually written by Henry Van Dyke nearly a century ago. Among those 20 million listeners was a handful of literary historians who quickly pointed out the error.

Here's the address: Just paste it in your browser and listen:

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1146620

Kathy and I traveled to the Amana Colonies in Iowa in June and loved the place. Everything is
German there. Restaurants serve family style meals. Although we're not German, we felt a kindship
with the wonderful folks who cooked the meals and served them at the "dinner halls."

I don't recall souse but I assume it has to do with pickling?

I don't know where to post this, but I promised a report on the little cafe in Piedmont.

Hey, folks, Lila's Cafe is "the" place to get a great burger and hand-cut fries. It was my first visit to Piedmont --- it looks like most small communities in Kansas that once had a nice school, business district and residences, most of which are gone.

I think the saddest thing in America is the demise of small towns. And when I say small, I'm talking Piedmont size.

Darn it, I wish these little bergs could bounce back. But in the meantime, there's a wonderful little hamburger awaiting you at Lila's in Piedmont. Thanks for the recommendation, Sally!

I don't know about you, but I sometimes have trouble slowing my pace. It's downright unhealthy to stay energized all the time, so I've found a few little habits that help me sloooooooooow down.

My very favorite: Sitting in the backyard with Kathy and quietly talking. We live in such a noisy world. It's so nice to take some time with someone you love and just listen to them. Watch their lips move. Admire their ideas. Celebrate with them. Hurt with them. And, just be silent with them.

Then, all is calm.

We're all birds of a feather. Sometime, let's just get together and forget stuff.

Actually, society would benefit if everybody would forget everything every night, don't you think?

Well, at least forgive.

Cover us, oh Lord, with thy love and comfort, and help us to rest in your comforting arms.

I'm looking forward to the Elk County Fair at Howard next week.  Maybe I'll bump into some forum-ites while there.  We attend lots of fairs since we have newspapers in so many small towns. When it comes time for the Longton Free Fair, I always cover it myself. Can't believe how many people (including me) line up for those free beans and barbecue. But for next week, it's the Howard that will bring us to town --- hope to see you all there.

The Flint Hills Express will carry a story this week about the future of the Zimmerman Funeral Home. It is news that everyone needs to pass along!  Yes, the funeral home will be rebuilt. Yes, the Zimmermans will own it. And, in the interim, the Countryside Funeral Home at Fredonia will handle all services until our friend Lloyd Zimmerman gets home from the hospital. Tell everyone that those needing the services of a funeral home should call the usual telephone number for Zimmermans --- 374-2381. Rosie will still answer the phone and get the information to the right person.
Thanks, everyone!