The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.

What Better Place To Live

by Dessa Rodeffer, Quill Publisher

5 March 2003

As I am trying to finish up today's paper and running way overtime, I can't help but think about the week's activities that have put me way overboard with news I can't get completed by this week's deadline.

It is 14 degrees at the bank this early morning with lots of snow piled on the streets and walks from the late night snow we had.

The forecast suggests more and cold weather are in store for us.

This occurred just after having a pretty wonderful weekend during all the many activities scheduled around the area.

It is hardly daylight, but someone is already scooping the walks around the businesses with their four-wheeler and I'm sure many are already checking on their neighbors.

Many people really do enjoy helping others out and you don't find that too often in the big cities.

In many cities people don't even know or want to know who their neighbors are.

It was good to see or hear about so many attending the various fund-raisers around the county. This weekend it seemed every community was busy with one.

Although, none of us are exempt from having a few questions dealing with each other, whether its zoning, elections, assessments, or school consolidation matters, we are usually still there for our community, schools, and neighbors to support them.

We don't like to tolerate too much nonsense, too much over-spending, but we like to have a good return for the dollars we give.

In listening to our new Democratic State Senator John Sullivan, talk alongside our Republican Representative Rich Myers at Monday evening's government affairs meeting, it was found the state of Illinois is in a financial state of disaster as is happening across this great nation......$9 billion in the red!

I was impressed how these two men, although from different parties, were united in working together to help the farmers and the schools and to help Illinois.

They have a very tough assignment to approve a budget by making cuts while keeping needed programs, helping our schools, our health care systems, and our farmers.

And they want to do it without raising taxes.

Our people who serve us whether in a paying capacity or a volunteer capacity are truly the backbone of America. We must continue to communicate with them and support them if we want our voices to be a united force and our desires in the forefront.

Continue to e-mail, call or write your legislators, support your service organizations and churches, and yes, even pull out the shovel and help clear off a neighbor's walk. Its what makes our towns a great place to live.