L&T Publisher Earl Watt

Attending the annual Kansas Press Association convention last week Was an encouragement as well as an eye-opener to the challenges of providing local news.

It’s not easy to report on friends and acquaintances who are being questioned by the public. It’s much easier to either ignore it altogether or try to defend the actions we know are not appropriate.

And many outlets do just that.

But we have a duty to inform, even when it means losing a friendship.

THE POSTSCRIPT, Carrie Classon

“The Bells”

“What’s up with the bells?” I asked someone who looked as if he might know something.

I live near a cathedral. I can’t hear the cathedral bells from our apartment, but I walk past the church coming and going on my walk every day and, when I got back from Mexico this spring, I discovered that one of the bells had stopped ringing.

I am sure you have heard bells like these. Sometimes the bells are now recorded, but these are the real thing. There is a short melody at a quarter past the hour and a longer one that plays at half past. At a quarter to the hour, almost the complete melody plays, but it stops early on a different note. Then, on the hour, the full melody plays. It is very satisfying.

MY PERSPECTIVE, Gary Damron

Even as the First Continental Congress adjourned Oct. 26, 1774, we saw last week that many delegates were still hoping for peaceful reconciliation with England. Each colony had formed a citizen committee which comprised the Continental Association to enforce trade sanctions until Parliament might repeal the Coercive Acts. Yet within a few months, shots were fired at Lexington and Concord which would turn debate and cautious expectancy into open war. We’ll explore some causes and events that explain why.

British leaders refused to recognize colonial petitions or to allow agents to speak, viewing them as “unruly children”. Though Benjamin Franklin in London warned British leaders that colonists were serious, Parliament and King George underestimated colonial resolve. Former war minister William Pitt introduced a bill prohibiting Parliament from further taxation and recognizing the Continental Congress - but it was rejected.

GUEST COLUMN, Ryan Martin, Seward County

After nine months of vocally opposing any proposed wind farm in the county, I finally had my first, and so far only visit from someone who was adamantly in favor of the turbines.

Much to my surprise, he burst into my office like the Kool-Aid Man, offered no introduction, and immediately referred to me and other opponents of the wind farm as “sorry mother*****s.” Normally, someone addressing me that way in my office would likely be scheduling an emergency dental appointment after picking their teeth up off the floor. But in this instance, I thought, “This is going to be interesting. I’ve got to hear this gentleman out,” so I kindly invited him to sit down.