11-23-05

Be thankful, I sure am

By Bart Landsverk
General Manager
I have hunted land owned by Art Cole since I was 12 years old. It is more than 360 acres near Navarino and I am truly blessed to have access to great hunting land that is not too far away from home.
Art passed away just over a week ago at the age of 94. He was a very gentle man who taught me that you don’t have to speak loudly in order to gain respect. When Art talked, everybody listened because wise and interesting words soon permeated your mind. It was always a joy to visit him at his cabin because I always walked away learning something about life.
He lived a good life and I am thankful to have been a part of a person’s life who truly understood what is important. Imagine that he never lived more than one mile from where he was born in the first 90 years of his life, yet he was happy and content. He didn’t own a winter home in Florida and he didn’t fly around the world on vacations, but he was worldly in his own way. He knew every type of tree in a forest. He helped restore near extinct species. He lived a simple life, yet that simple life impacted many people in a very positive way.
Contrast that with today’s world where many people, me included, live life at a dizzying pace only to be left tired and unsatisfied at day’s end. Rather than being thankful for what we have, we are feverishly working for more things instead of helping where help is needed. Instead of spending an extra hour reading to our son or daughter, we’re scheduling to the point where there isn’t any time for such foolishness.
Think about it. When was the last time you said to a friend or family member, “Hey, we should go out to eat and visit soon. We never see each other anymore.” What follows is a never-ending list of reasons and excuses why getting together won’t work out. And the time you’d hoped to spend with friends and family never happens because “there isn’t time.”
It is important for all of us to slow down and take a bit of time to reflect on how lucky we are and stop carping about the price of gas. As I sit here on Nov. 18, 2005, I am so thankful for so many things that I thought I’d list a few.
I’m thankful that my family members are all healthy. My kids are a joy and I don’t deserve how well my wife treats me.
• I’m thankful that our President and troops have protected us since 9-11. I don’t think anybody would’ve believed that we would have avoided another terrorist attack for more than four years after the first. Say what you want, those are the facts and the troops and our Commander in Chief are the reason that is the way it is.
• I’m thankful that our newspaper is so well received by the Heart of the Valley. We are still growing in circulation because, you, the readers, have been so loyal.
• I’m thankful for such a great staff. Our staff is dedicated to this newspaper and I think it shows.
Nobody ever said that life would be easy, but today most Americans have it easy compared with previous generations. My grandparents didn’t go out to eat whenever they felt like it. They certainly didn’t own several televisions, vehicles, have cable TV, microwaves, dishwashers, etc.
There is more wealth in today’s society than anybody could even imagine and yet there are still plenty of people complaining how tough he or she has got it. Let’s be honest, most of us don’t have it that tough.
So, my goal this Thanksgiving and beyond is to make my life more simple, appreciate how lucky I am and take a breath once in a while to enjoy the present and not run past it into the future.
If we don’t learn from people like Art that it is the simple pleasures that matter, then we are going to be doomed to a hurried, fast-paced and empty future.

10-26-05

Letters to the Editor

Area soldier seeks school supplies for Iraqi children

Editor's note: Christopher Guilette of the town of Buchanan is with the Wisconsin Army National Guard 2/127 division head quartered in Appleton.  Based at Camp Navistar in Kuwait, Guiltette is a gunner riding on a Humvee, operating a 50 caliber machine gun and performing convoy security. He has been serving overseas approximately two months now. His letter seeks school supplies for the children of Safwan, Iraq.)
Hello everyone,
Once again, thanks for your letters, cards, e-mails, gifts, and support. Many people often write and ask, "What can we send the troops?  What do you need?" Actually, under the circumstances, we've got it pretty good over here. Sure, some of the missions are risky and sometimes the hours are long and hot. But, we usually get enough rest between missions; the food is good; we usually sleep in a bed (sometimes a cot); we are constantly around our military buddies and in teams; and the support from back home is awesome.
If you would really like to help by sending something, I do have a big request. Please help me help the children over here. Please send school supplies for two new schools opening near the town of Safwan, which is a small city near our camp. The community is very poor. The mainly Shiite population in Southern Iraq has suffered many years of harsh oppression from the former regime and still lives in poverty. Helping these children also creates a ripple effect, which in turn helps improve the relationship between the U.S. military and the local population.
Nearly everyday, as we leave Kuwait and travel into Iraq, I see hundreds of children lining the sides of the road cheering, waving, running, crying, laughing, playing and hoping to catch a handout thrown from a vehicle. The children are beautiful, just like our children back home.  Most of the kids on the side of the road are between 3 and 10 years old, I'm guessing. They cheer because the big trucks are coming and might be throwing a prize. The prize sought, however, is a bottle of cold water, not candy. They wave to get our attention; however, there is no way to carry that much water or snacks and while going down the road, we have to stay focused on our mission, not the children.
You may be asking why I am asking for school supplies and not relief packages.  A little over two weeks ago I was at an intersection stopping traffic so a convoy could pass through. As always, the kids came running. We really did not have any spare water. So the kids began pointing and asking for other things. "No you can't have my sunglasses, or my watch. Hey, this kid wants my pen. Sure, whatever, here."  
And the reaction from that boy astounded us all. He excitedly showed all of his friends and they were all happy.  We asked the interpreter what the big deal was and he informed us that the boy will be attending the new school and now he has a pen to use at school.  Needless to say, we gave up all of our pens that day and made a few children happy.
The following day, I asked one of the officers at the Battalion Higher Headquarters if we could start a drive back home to try and get supplies for the new school buildings. He liked the idea, ran it past the other top brass and now our battalion is collecting school supplies for the Safwan schools.
Could you please send over a few things? Here are some ideas: pens and pencils, color pencils, crayons, scissors, lined paper, colored paper, construction paper, butcher block, any kind of paper, glue, paste, clay, school paints and whatever else you can think of.
Don't send the following, however: books (English is not a spoken language here) rulers, calculators, etc. They do use metric but the numbers are not written the same way as back home.
Please send supplies to:  Local Iraqi Schools Charity, ATTN: CPT Benjamin Buchholz, 2-127 IN BN (C/0 Spc. Guilette) Camp Navistar, Kuwait APO AE 09317
Thank you very, very much if you can do this. Even though, at times we face our own trials and tribulations, even though, in the United States there are many people who can use your help, and even though you want to send messages of gratitude and support directly to the troops who are serving, the need these children have is great. How better can we help others, while supporting the troops and serving these small children.
Thank you very much, and may God bless you always.
Chris
P.S. If you are not able to make it to the store or don't have time to clean out the closet full of old office/school supplies, please consider giving someone you know who is sending over some stuff, a few bucks to help cover postage.

What qualifications should next mayor possess?

Dear editor:
In just a few short months we will be deciding who will lead our city into an uncertain future. If history is any guide, our choice will serve multiple terms.
What are the qualifications for this demanding job? Remember that the mayor heads a company with many millions in expenditures, many, many, employees, questions of growth, protection, basic services including fire/police protection, sewer, streets, and garbage; the list seems endless.
In addition, to those "normal" jobs, our mayor, because we own our own utilities, must involve himself/herself, with the distribution of electricity/water.
A daunting task!
Is a popularity contest the way to choose our leader? Are the circumstances right for a new direction? Should we consider hiring an educated professional to run the multi-million corporation that we call Kaukauna?
Jerry Hennes
Kaukauna