Hill Topics
What at week!
The fair is over, vacation ends and school begins, bing, bang, boom.
My wife, Claire, got back from her Oregon vacation, loaded her car full of clothes, and a cat named Mr. Big, and drove from Fort Scott to Hillsboro last Wednesday.
She got to town just in time for her orientation meeting, Thursday, and began unpacking her teaching materials and books, getting her classroom ready for her first day as the new fifth grade teacher at Hillsboro Elementary School.
Mrs. O (what students call her) saw many of her new students and their parents at the Star-Journal booth at the fair, and she's very excited about the opportunity to teach in USD 410.
Folks at McDonald's and Sonic will wonder where I've gone now that Claire's in town. After three months of fast food and TV dinners, we finally have real food in the icebox.
I look forward to getting back into some sort of normal routine, including regular exercise, because, well, as you might imagine, I've put on a few pounds.
*****
Speaking of exercise, the high school athletes are practicing for another season of fall sports, girls' volleyball, girls' tennis, boys' and girls' cross-country, and football.
This is a grueling time for youngsters practicing in the heat, and for the coaches as well. Soon dirty practice uniforms will be showing up in the wash.
That reminds me of a secret my wife learned about getting grass stains out of football practice pants; soak them in automatic dishwasher soap, then scrub before washing.
While laundry probably isn't on the list, there are many things we miss about having our kids involved in high school football.
Our oldest daughter, Bethany, was the Fort Scott Tiger mascot as a junior, and the next year was on the dance team.
Son Garrison was a defensive back and running back on a team with a three-year record of 35-4. He kept us on our feet cheering for him from kickoff to gun.
Youngest daughter, Jillian, was a cheerleader. She rooted for her brother as a junior, and we rooted for her as a senior last year.
Two words of advice to parents of high school athletes: enjoy it. It will all be over in a heartbeat. And no matter how many seasons you've spent in the stands, you'll miss it terribly when they're done.
*****
Marcella Bruce's 90th birthday party was a raucous affair, even though this writer almost spoiled it by misprinting the day of the reception.
I'd like to say how much I appreciated all of the e-mails, voice messages, and face-to-face reminders I received after last week's column in which I said the party was on Sunday. (It was Saturday).
Of all the people in town to make that kind of silly mistake about, to make it in a story about the former owner of this newspaper was particularly painful.
But of all the people who could understand how such a mistake could happen in this business, she's one. Thank you, Marcella, for you gracious forgiveness.
And happy birthday.
*****
There were lots of people at Marcella Bruce's reception, family from all over the nation (See photo, Pg. 3) and friends from days gone by.
A lot of newspaper men and women came to congratulate one of their own, including the former editor of the Marion County Record, Bill Meyer and his wife, Joan.
Many of our older readers will remember Bill from his days as the cantankerous voice of everything pro-Marion, which of course, wasn't always appreciated in Hillsboro.
In giving me the opportunity to revitalize the Star-Journal, Bill's advice to me was to use Bud and Marcella Bruce as an example of how this newspaper ought to be run to best serve the people of Hillsboro.
Also know this: whatever you might've thought about Bill in his role as editor of the Record, today at 81 years-old, he wants the best for Hillsboro, and the Star-Journal.
I also believe if he'd been living in Hillsboro all these years, he'd have been Marion's nemesis and our hero.
*****
Speaking of the Star-Journal, it was great to meet so many of you at our booth at the fair. We gave away more than 200 six-week subscriptions, and Dave and Shirley Weibert of Hillsboro won the drawing for a full year subscription.
I called the Weiberts to let them know they'd won, and learned that they're retired farmers from Durham, with five married children and 12 grandchildren.
They've been taking the paper and were happy to have another year added for free.
"We like everything about the Star-Journal," Shirley said. "We read all of it, one end to the other."
Thanks to the Weiberts and all of you who stopped by the booth, for your words of welcome and support.
It's great to be in Hillsboro!
