Opinion

On behalf of the Carroll County Tobacco Festival Committee, I would like to say it’s that time of year again. The festival is fast approaching and we would like to invite everyone to come and join the fun.

We are having the festival pageants again this year. They will be held downtown in the courthouse square under the tent in the front yard.

Miss teen and pre-teen will be held on Wednesday evening, Sept. 23, starting at 6 p.m.

Sweet pea/babies will be held on Thursday evening, Sept. 24 starting at 6 p.m.

Since January, lots of folks have asked me how I’m enjoying retirement. Well it’s great, but after almost 27 years of recommending books, watching story hour children become parents of story hour children, and watching our programs and services grow year by year, I do miss the job.   

One of the things I really enjoyed about my work was the opportunity to write a column for the newspaper every few weeks. With the editor’s permission, I thought I might try my hand at doing it still, but from the viewpoint of a casual observer in the community.

Editor:

We wanted to take this opportunity to thank everyone for a successful Golf Scramble benefit for Renee Luckett.

First off, we are in complete awe of the wonderful people here in our community and surrounding counties and the people of Madison, IN.  The outpouring of donations and hole sponorships to help Renee were beyond what we could have hoped for or ask for. There were too many of you to list here. You know who you are and we are forever grateful for your generosity and kindness.  It will not be forgotten.

It is difficult to believe that 40 years have elapsed since the United States first landed men on the moon, an event that was observed by the national media last week. In 1969, I was preparing to enter my senior year in high school. Now I qualify at many restaurants for the senior citizen discount.

I was fascinated by the astronauts and the space race as a child growing up in Madison. I took special interest in the career of one astronaut in particular after my dad told me the astronaut was from another small Indiana town only 50 or so miles away.

Editor:

I never dreamed I would need to have a benefit in my own honor for a disease I never dreamed I would be facing at this time of my life.

My name is Renee’ Luckett and I reside in Trimble County, Ky. with my husband and two beautiful children but I have always liked to work in Carrollton, Ky. I work for Insurance Associates as an Insurance Agent and absolutely love and miss my job.

Unfortunately, I was diagnosed in January of this year with Invasive Breast Cancer, Stage 3 at the young age of 34 years old.

Editor:

Did you know that 850 million people in the world are undernourished, and of them 153 million are children under age 5? As many as 13 million children in the United States go to bed hungry, and 24 percent of all the children in Kentucky live in poverty. In Trimble County, 18.6 percent live in poverty.

Volunteers from Trimble County fed an average of 90 children daily during the month of June. These children, who are sure to get lunch during the school year, are no less hungry when school lets out for the summer.

The year was 1959: Ron Musson enjoyed his first career win in unlimited hydroplane racing by capturing the Indiana Governor’s Cup race in a boat named Hawaii Kai III.

That race stands out vividly in my mind because it was the first unlimited race I ever saw. Standing on the riverbank at the foot of Madison’s Ferry Street I was overcome with excitement as the roar of the World War II-vintage fighter-plane engines rattled my bones and echoed through the hills and “hollers” of the Ohio River valley.

Since March, readers may have noticed a shuffle in staffing at the The News-Democrat and The Trimble Banner.

Changes came about when Trimble Banner managing editor Lorrie Kinkade stepped down to pursue new ventures earlier this year. For a while, Brent Shanding, Landmark Community Newspapers Inc.’s roving editor, filled in at the Beford office. In April, News-Democrat editor Phyllis McLaughlin stepped in and took over the editor’s job there. Additionally, she has continued to manage the special sections produced by the two newspapers each month.

Editor:

What a bargain. If you missed the meal of a fish sandwich, cole slaw, mac and cheese, fries, hush puppies and drink Saturday, June 27 at the Worthville Fire Department, you missed a mouth watering experience.

Those that were in charge know how to prepare a meal, only $6.

Thanks Worthville Fire Department — your service to the community is appreciated.

Ira Louden