This afternoon my husband Carl and I headed east toward the Flint Hills.  Our farm is serviced by the Flint Hills Rural Electric Cooperative and the members were invited to the annual meeting held ten miles south of Herington at the Centre High School gymnasium.

It was a lovely drive.  We always enjoy visiting the Flint Hills where the early pioneers described the lush tall grass that reached the pommel of the saddle and would hide a man walking upright through it.

The residents of that area had experienced wind gusts that recorded 90 miles an hour and were still sharing stories of the previous evening’s events.

The meal, served in the cafeteria, was catered by Kathy Svitak, renowned in the community for her excellent meals and accommodations. “Bob and the Boys, ” who hail from the Peabody area, entertained us with familiar classic country songs. Following the meal, the business meeting was held in the gymnasium, newly elected trustees were announced, and door prizes were awarded.

I found the business meeting to be quite interesting. An exciting 252 unit apartment complex in Grandview Plaza, located just east of Junction City in Geary County, was envisioned in 2008.  That number has already expanded to 300 apartments built with a possible 700 additional units.  Growth for this REA is an exciting opportunity on the horizon.

My parents, Herman and Betty (Krehbiel) Holloway of Roxbury, attended these annual meetings quite regularly while they lived and worked on the family farm.  We kids were never invited to accompany our parents.  I think they viewed it as a night away – good meal, good friendship, good conversation, good times.

This was our first excursion following my announcement to run for the First District U.S. Congressional seat and I was exhilarated by the opportunity and the promise that lay ahead.