September has been a whirlwind of activity. School is underway and daily schedules have, once again, become routine as the hectic summer activities become a memory. As the county fairs and parades begin to dwindle, we still find ourselves traveling every weekend and oft times, throughout the week. Early in the month, I met with the McPherson Kiwanis club prior to traveling to Hoisington for the 113th Labor Day Parade.
For the second year, I addressed students at the Hays Learning Center to commemorate Patriots Day. My address focuses on the events of that day as told to me by my son-in-law who was a witness to the planes hitting the towers and the resulting destruction. Running down 50 flights of stairs and out into a world of smoke and falling debris, the young men were convinced that American was at war. The names of three young people who were friends of my daughter and her husband are permanently etched on the Honor Flag, a tribute to those lost on the day when America lost her innocence.
We must never forget. We must never allow our strong defensive posture to weaken in global opinion. Strength and freedom do not come cheap!
I journeyed to Hutchinson on the 11th to help set up the Republican booth at the Kansas State Fair. What a beautiful four-lane highway will soon be built between McPherson and Hutchinson for fair-goers, local travelers, and a growing number of commercial vehicles. Trucks move Kansas! The highway signs pay tribute to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, a “shovel ready” project that has been in the planning stages for years. I am glad the highway is finally being built, but I am very opposed to the stimulus package that is taking the credit.
We spent most of the following week at the fair. I loved the fair as a child growing up in McPherson County. It was always near my birthday and a trip to the fair was how it was often celebrated. I was also a band member, so we came for school, and, later, as a teacher in Canton and Hays, I accompanied students.
September 17th was Constitution Day, another day to celebrate our founding documents. At Fort Hays State University, where I now teach, we had celebrities, faculty, and students of all ages take turns reading the document in its entirety. Dr. Richard Heil served as the moderator, while U.S. Representative Jerry Moran, state representatives Dan Johnson and Eber Phelps, state senator Janis Lee, and Dr. Ed Hammond, president of FHSU, were among the dignitaries who participated in the reading. University students and faculty, USD 489 students, faculty, and administrators also lined up to share in the event. It was a wonderful tribute to our nation and her special day.
On September 19, I accepted the invitation to attend a luncheon of the Kansas Federation of Republican Women and hosted by the Geary County Republican Women in Junction City. Red, white, and blue were the official colors of the day and patriotism reigned. What a wonderful tradition. Acknowledged connections to my Aunt Bonnie Holloway gave me a sense of belonging and community. I appreciated the opportunity and the fellowship that was provided.
On that same day, the new army reserve center in Hays was formally named the 1SG Robert L. Kuhn Army Reserve Center in honor of a very dear friend who lost his 10 year battle with cancer. Bob served in Vietnam and was in active and reserve duty with the military for 32 years. He was also an educator, coach, father, and role model. He had attended high school with my husband Carl andwas our son Brandon’s wrestling coach throughout high school.
When I got back to town on Saturday, Carl and I met with Cyndi and their families for dinner at a local restaurant.
This weekend Sept. 25 – 27 is the Hays Octoberfest and FHSU Homecoming. I will also be in Clay Center at the Piotique Festival, where we hope to meet up with family – Henry and Angie Curtis and Jim and Beverly Regier and family.
Looking forward to the close of a wonderful September and a brisk walk into autumn.
Sue Boldra
Candidate for U.S. Congress, KS 01
