The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.

Dear Mr. Ross, "Please, will you come back?"

by Dessa Rodeffer,
Publisher/Editor

25 August1999

It looks like many of our readers were depending on reading the "Thanks A Million" column by Percy Ross of Edina, Minnesota.

Since we cancelled the column the first of July, readers have been asking, e-mailing, telephoning and stopping us on the street to specifically request that we "Please" put the Thanks A Million column back in the Quill newspaper.

Mr. Ross called me himself yesterday, to tell me he had several phone calls from our readers asking about the column.

Readers told us they would send the newspaper to other friends specifically for his column.

Others told us they didn't think anyone in our area would ever receive the kind of financial help Mr. Ross was giving here, and many others could not believe the extent of the help many had been receiving.

I think it is wonderful to see someone with Mr. Ross's means share his good fortune with others, one lady wrote.

Mr. Ross says he has missed the letters from our readers at The Quill, so I am in hopes that everyone will write to him to overwhelm him with notes of "thanks for helping readers in our area," or "we missed you," "glad you're back," "thanks for your column," or some uplifting message to this wonderful man of Minnesota.

One lady said she would rather have the "Thanks A Million" column than the community calendar, another wrote suggesting that we run the calendar once a month and Thanks A Million the rest of the month.

If enough advertisers would sponsor the page, we could run both the community calendar and the Thanks A Million article.

In other action around the county, schools have begun with a couple of new starts this year in La Harpe child schooling and/or child care.

Projected to open in September is the "Kids Care Center," a day care at the LaHarpe Davier Health Center and The La Harpe Christian School which has enrolled around 24 students at the Abundant Life Church.

These offerings are, hopefully, a sign of economic development in our area and we are in hopes that the growth continues in a quality way.

I have noticed that there seems to be a shortage of affordable rental property in the area and housing is something that could be developed here. The Quill has had several inquiries from people wanting to move to La Harpe or Stronghurst.

The Highway 34 Coalition is having their annual hog roast Friday and if you have never attended this event at the McChesney farms south of "Cheap Charlie's, than south along the bluff," you are missing a wonderful meal, good short speeches on the highway update in the area in both Iowa and Illinois, and a chance to support a worthy cause of encouragement for legislators to make Route 34 into 4-lane from here to Galesburg. Our Iowa friends are pushing for 4-lane all the way to Des Moines, Iowa by way of Mt. Pleasant and Ottumwa as well as helping us here with their support.

We were told early on, the way to get the attention of our legislators is to stick together, come out in force for your cause, avoid internal disagreements, and you will move ahead of the rest of the bunch who have petitions for legislative dollars.

Iowa folks are joining in on this endeavor, too, with some even roasting the hogs for the occasion. The dinner is at 5:30 p.m. and the program begins at 6:30 p.m.

Besides the school sporting events of jr. high boys baseball and girls basketball, high school girls volleyball and football beginning, the Henderson County Old Tyme Farm Show committee is finalizing preparations for the annual farm show at the Stronghurst fairgrounds, Labor Day weekend.

The Quill is missing the news of your families for our readers in town and out of town. Try to write something of the news in your families and in your community for The Quill. We surely would appreciate it and it will also help keep a lot of people informed of what's going on. And of course, it is all for our low over-the-counter price of 50 cents a week.

It was tragic to see the loss of neighboring sheds belonging to Dan Gillett and Mayor Kenny Brown of La Harpe Monday night-Tuesday morning.

Gillett loss a collection of 9 antique cars as well as antique tractors and many other items he was saving for his retirement. It was uninsured. Brown's son, Brian, who drove his prized '84 pickup "show" truck to his wedding in '98 was sick to see it go up in flames with his father's new John Deere tractor mower and accessories. The treasured family lab "Cody" was rescued in time, but such an out-of-control-fire is frightening to wake up to.

It is these types of unexpected trials that tug at Mr. Percy Ross's heart and his purse strings. Thanks a million for the response received by so many readers that agree with Mr. Ross's idea of a helping hand to those in need. The Quill is already working with Mr. Ross in bringing his column back thanks to you.