Stories from Wednesday, May 1, 2002

EASTON, Pa. -- Kirk and Roxanne Arens of Easton, Pa., announce the birth of their son, Charles Tucker, on March 28, 2002. He weighed 7 pounds and 15 ounces. He has a 2 1/2 year-old brother named Greyson Michael. Grandparents are Charles and Jackie Boehm of McCook and Steve and Pat Harper of Gibson City, Ill...

Hear the doorbell ring tonight, and it might not be some youngster selling something to help finance youth activities. It's May Day, May 1st, the second full month of spring, the day for delivering May baskets. Thanks to the calendar, as well as the first of what we hope is a string of much-needed rains, today is also a good day to think about our summer gardening plans and outdoor projects. ...

Dear Editor, I had the opportunity to watch the McCook Community College softball team play here in La Junta a couple of times this year. There was something very special about the ladies on the softball team. There was something very unique about them...

Dear Editor, The McCook Girl Scout Service Unit held a fundraiser for a community service project this past Saturday. Several of the troops worked very hard and had a change in locations for the rescheduled event. The determination of the girls, leaders and parents participating is to be commended. It would have been easy to become discouraged, but they stayed with the project...

The arrogance of the educators is once more proven by this silly little mock-up disaster. How would they feel if somebody called them and told them one of their loved ones had died in a horrible crash, and then let them mourn for 15 minutes, before telling them that it was simply a mock disaster?...

OBERLIN -- Helen Corcoran, 95, died Monday (April 29, 2002) at Decatur County Hospital in Oberlin. She was born Feb. 23, 1907, to Oswa and Malinda (Worley) Traxler in Oberlin. She graduated from Decatur Community High School in 1925 and attended Fort Hays State for one year...

NORTH PLATTE -- Virginia Ann Smith, 44, died Tuesday (April 30, 2002) at Great Plains Regional Medical Center in North Platte. She was born Oct. 12, 1957, in Colby, Kan., to Matthew and Aldea (Schrandt) Finnesy. She attended Golden Plains Grade Schools and high school in Selden before graduating from Rexford High School in 1976...

I hope this isn't too long. I love to write. Can you tell? I often hear my editor sigh (usually under his breath) when he first pulls my column from the file into the allotted space and finds, once again, that it won't fit. Sometimes, I give him my helpless look (it doesn't faze him) and explain earnestly that I have cut and cut and cut and it simply won't take another cut. ...