The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.
Dear Editor
I want to say that until the last couple of years, I did not know young Kenny Foster. He is running for Ward 1 Alderman (my ward).
He may be a new citizen to La Harpe but he owns his own business and in talking with him, I found him quite a nice young man.
We need young people on the city council. We all have to learn sometime. I did.
I was on there for 8 years. It is a great job and you learn to appreciate all of the hard work involved. You deal with all sorts of people- most are very caring and love La Harpe as I do.
Kenny is willing to learn and be active on the council. I hope you will give him your vote on April 7th.
Karlene Kurtz
La Harpe
I am writing in our voting for candidate Ryan Kienast for mayor of La Harpe. I have personally worked with him at the haunted house, Easter Egg hunt, Christmas parade, and decoration of the city park at Christmas time. He and relatives and close friends have also given him at times the help he needs. They are all a great bunch. This year he and several others took time to help decorate the clubhouse inside and out this year at Christmas. Several of those people also helped him decorate the Legion Hall and the Masonic basement.
I find him to be a very caring, conscientious person to work for and with. He has super ideas and works hard at what he undertakes. He stores most of the supplies for these projects at his own home. I'm sure, he, like most of us could use this space for his own families' needs. He hauls it there and back again after the project is done. This year he decorations up in empty store fronts and help put up lights to the bank.
Most of you know how much he cares for this town. We know it can't ever be the way it used to be but he willing to and has been instrumental in succeeding some along with others. I know that along with Casey Yager and help from the nursing home, they alone line up the floats for the Christmas parade and then rush the lineup back up to the announcer for the parade to begin. These two young men are devoted to La Harpe, Ryan for the Quill and Casey for his business Hometown Insurance. I am proud to see that in our young people. We need more of them. I know the naysayers said a parade wouldn't go over, especially at night. Well they were wrong and the stores and streets are full. The town looks like it did back in the old days. My husband Bill for worked Gittings Hardware so in a way I was part of all those Wednesday and Saturday nights when businesses were full and you couldn't find a place to park.
If you must criticize by mouth or Facebook, I wish you wouldn't do that. It hurts!! Enough is enough and I know you all have opinions. But do you really have to do this to the ones who are willing to give their own time? They have families and jobs just like you. You can't imagine how cold it is putting the decorations up at the city park or at the clubhouse.
I also know that recently on his own time, Ryan helped a person clean out the former Fisher's grocery store. They're just waiting for dumpsters to clean out the trash left behind. He had told me a long time ago, he hoped that the town could get a full or part time chiropractor. Guess what? Dr. Craig Dunn, DC who practices in Nauvoo, will open his office on Tuesdays and Thursdays in the former Rasmussen and Dittmer law office. It has been freshly painted and an eye catching sign is above the door. I am in awe of it. That is a very big asset for this town. When the former Larry Jones Hardware along with the former Fisher Grocery are occupied, the north side of that block will be full again. It's been a long time for that to become a reality.
I know Ryan, along with many on the MAPPING committee have made that possible. Things are in progress for these peoples efforts. Quit putting others down and see what YOU can do to help these dedicated people.
On April 7, 2015 Vote for Ryan Kienast for Mayor of La Harpe. -
Karlene Kurtz
La Harpe