Opinion

I would like to thank Richard Band and the staff of our local library for another successful summer reading program. It started with the Literacy Fair, which was great fun for everyone. There were free balloons, games and tickets to spend on hot dogs, dri-nks, cotton candy and more.

The front yard of the library was filled with lots of booths with information and free books to encourage reading. There were lots of goodies kids love.

“Ms. Brenda” Parker and her puppeteers presented fun stories inside the library.

I want to personally apologize for the cancellation of the BloodStock blood drive on July 22 at the Van Wyck Community Center. Due to technical difficulties, the blood drive was cancelled.

The donors who had left phone numbers were contacted immediately to inform them of the situation. If you were not called, I apologize. Many people were contacted and were attempted to be contacted and I apologize if you fell through the cracks and were not contacted.

Who is the Republican running against U.S. Rep. John Spratt this fall?

I can’t determine if the candidate is the new state senator from Lancaster County or someone from the national GOP.

It seems like every quote from his campaign is not from the candidate, but from some hack in Washington.

This begs the question, “Who needs a puppet from the Republican National Committee representing South Carolina’s 5th District?”

The GOP has made a number of salacious, misleading and downright false statements about Congressman Spratt.

On April 17, Donna White, of Lancaster, led the Walk for Ryan.

It was a fundraiser honoring the memory of her son, Ryan, who struggled with Kleine-Levin Syndrome and tragically died of unrelated health complications.

Donna’s event raised $3,500 for the Kleine-Levin Syndrome Foundation’s research fund.

Although the Foundation acknowledged and thanked Donna for her work and the money she raised, we neglected to thank the community of Lancaster for supporting Donna in her efforts to help find a cause and a cure of KLS.

I want to reply to Arlene C. Harris, whose letter to the editor, “Grandmother mad about comments,” in the July 16 edition of The Lancaster News, referred to my online comments about her daughter.

You said that I made “stupid” comments. That means I got your attention.

I don’t know your daughter, but I was in a store when she approached me and started telling about a benefit to support her child, Jaylen Jackson, who was killed when she apparently got caught in the crossfire of a gunfight. I asked what happened and she told me.

We want to thank those who made Mt. Calvary Outreach Summer Enrichment Camp a success. They include: John P. Stevens Foundation, parents, group leaders, bus drivers, senior helpers, Mt. Calvary Outreach board members, The University of South Carolina at Lancaster, Kershaw Swimming Pool, Kershaw Community Health Education Center (KCHEC,) KARE, Youth Serve, Kershaw News Area, Kershaw area churches and individual donors.

With only a few weeks of summer vacation left, the thoughts of parents and children alike are turning back toward school and all that entails.

For many, that means new clothes, backpacks and school supplies.

But for those parents who are are out of work or struggling to make ends meet, it just means one more thing to stress out about. If you can barely pay your rent, how will you afford school supplies for your children?

Maybe you sat in the stands. Maybe you were a coach. Maybe your child or grandchild played on a team.

You got caught up in the action. You shouted instructions from the stands, cheered the players and questioned the umps’ call.

You moaned the dropped ball, the swing that didn’t connect and the failed stolen base attempt.

You felt the adrenalin rush of the home run, the clinched glove holding the ball and the slide that worked.

You dealt with the heat, rain and late games.

After about six hours of intense enemy fire on a Cambodian hillside, former U.S. Army Capt. John P. “Jack” Monahan knew his platoon could not hold its position. There was little food, water and ammunition left.

They would have to withdraw. They adjusted artillery barrages to cover their movement. The wounded Monahan led the survivors to safety several hundred yards down a hill while carrying a wounded soldier on his hip with one hand and firing an M-16 with the other.

They came to rest behind some huge tree stumps. That was May 19, 1970.