“Love is patient, Love is kind….” I Corinthians 13: 4

Some of the best news for friends of Julie (Nordquist) Zimmerman was to see the photo of Julie with her young daughter, Marley, and son, Landon, on the 68^th day since she had not been able to see her children as she was hospitalized in Colorado Springs. That was over a week ago, but the better news is that her lung has healed and she is working to get stronger after all that time in a coma. What a miracle!

Cindy McLoud handed me a large poster of seven pretty homes that were shown every day last week for Open Houses by the Southeast Colorado Enterprise Development and Southern Colorado Economic Development District. These homes are being built or have been built in Lamar, Springfield, Granada, Wiley, Ordway, Las Animas, and La Junta. But Eads is not listed! However, Cindy says it will happen, so I do believe her. She is an amazing woman who really has brought so many good improvements and changes to our town and county.

It is so interesting and exciting to see how quickly the new solon and office building is being built on Maine Street between the former Triangle Clothing Store and Demitasse. I recognize the three Mitchek brothers, and their father, Nathaniel, who appear to work like pros at that construction work. People about town are interested to see what beautifying skills will be offered there.

Friday morning at 11:45 a.m., it was breezy cold outside, but all the elementary, middle and high school students were lined up east of the gym and gathered around to cheer for the young men leaving to La Junta for a two-day regional wrestling tournament where the Eads boys wrestle as part of a co-op team, the County Line Rivals. I was so thankful to Jodi Stolzenberger for posting that the whole Rival team won their matches Friday night. The Eads boys who wrestled were Arron Musgrave, Brenden Reifenshinder, Keenan Smith, Taite Weeks-Johnson, Chase Stolzenberger, and Spencer Uhland.

All around Eads there has been lots of unusual digging and drilling and technical equipment, with constant motor sounds all week. The workers have been doing the work to lay fiber optic lines so we will have more efficient internet. I didn’t have a land phone for three days, so I really did appreciate Ryan Lane, who came on his day off from Eastern Slope Rural Telephone Association to “fix” my phone, computer, and internet. He is the best! I am so glad he didn’t relocate when he had a chance to move. We need Ryan’s expertise here in Eads working for ESTRA. 

Two other young men who we are glad returned to Eads from working in the cities are Brandon Hoffman who owns the 911 Machinists mechanical shop on Highway 96, and his lead technician, Nick Benard. They have taken time to help me when I have a crisis. 

Chase Stolzenberger is a senior at Eads High School, where he has had an outstanding year as a heavyweight wrestler and is now on his way to the State finals. He is also the Colorado State Treasurer for the 4-H program. On several weekends, he driven to different cities in Colorado for his service on the leadership team. Recently, he participated in a presentation on the Colorado State Capitol Legislative floor.

Linda Trosper and Cleta Englehardt arrived early for the Weisbrod Hospital Auxiliary meeting last Tuesday where they placed chocolate Valentine candies in heart design paper cups on pretty napkins for each place setting before the lunch meeting. We were pleased to have the new Activities Director, Amanda Spalding, attend the meeting. Amanda told about some of her plans for the residents. The residents are decorating individual Valentine boxes. Diana Flory bought and signed cards for them. The Auxiliary is buying table clothes, cards, and decorations for their special part Monday afternoon, February 14. The members all brought five to seven envelopes of money that will be used as prizes when the residents play bingo, which is the favorite game of most all residents.

The Fifth Quarter Party after the Kit Carson-Hugo basketball games was a real hit at the Trinity Lutheran Church last Friday. After a devotion and Bible study on I Corinthians 13 led by Dara Randel, the youth flocked to the counter for sloppy Joe sandwiches, cheesy bagels, pizza, chips and desserts. Then about half the students decorated cookies that Betsy Evans had made with fancy frosting pipes and sprinkles. They could eat the cookies or take some to give away. Then they switched to decorate Valentines for the residents at the Cheyenne Manor Nursing Home, Weisbrod Nursing Home and Prairie Pines Assisted Living Center in Eads. Laura Negley and Betsy Evans supplied cards and envelopes for the students to make Valentines for each resident. Next week during and Eads-Kit Carson basketball games beginning at 5:00 p.m., the Trinity Lutheran Women’s Missionary League will sponsor a silent auction and an auction of baked goods and other attractive gift items to benefit two young men who have serious health needs, Tel Linke and Blake Miller.

The streets of Eads are a little quieter on Saturdays because parents and grandparents are taking their elementary boys and girls to various towns in Colorado and Kansas to participate in basketball, wrestling, or gymnastics.