Dear editor,
I would like to take this opportunity to encourage voters in District 9 to vote for Judy Brigham for Kansas House of Representatives. I have known Judy for over 25 years and have known her to be intelligent in her thoughts, calm in the face of crisis and fearless with the unknown. She served Iola well for 32 years, and as a past Chamber director in Iola, I can attest to the outstanding job she did as city administrator.
As Iola’s city administrator, Judy and I worked closely whether issues involved economic development, business recruitment, tourism or community development. She was always first on the list to donate or help out when needed, and when we suffered the worst flood since 1951, we all were pleased to see her take charge and help in all possible ways. It is when times get tough that we see the true nature of a person. Judy never lost her positive attitude, her giving spirit or her “get-it-done” willingness that helped Iola move out from under the mud and the muck. Judy worked hard to find the resources needed to build Iola back to an even better city than it was before the flood.
A lot was accomplished under her guidance, including the money that was secured from frequent trips to Washington, D.C. Without her leadership and knowledge, the Community Involvement Task Force (CITF) would have not taken those trips to D.C. nor would they have helped bring back over $600,000 for Iola. Much of the praise goes to Judy for being forward-minded and valiant during that time. Because of Judy, the CITF was able to make Iola a memorable city name that our legislators did not forget. She made sure they all heard the needs of Iola and the issues we faced. Because of my years working closely on Iola issues, I was able to gain insight on the interworking of a city, grant writing, economic development, infrastructure needs and housing issues from Judy. She taught me a lot regarding business and community development, the importance of volunteerism and being a strong leader.
Iola wouldn’t be what it is today without Judy’s leadership. It excites me to think of all she is capable of doing in Topeka if elected to the House. I know Judy well enough to know that although she has passion for southeast Kansas and loves Iola, she feels the same for Kansas as a whole. Judy makes thoughtful, trustworthy decisions and has always looked into every issue before making any judgments. She will do the same for the State of Kansas and will be a fervent, hard worker for District 9.
Let’s make a difference with our vote and cast your ballot in favor of Judy Brigham.
Barbara (Chalker) Anderson,
Iola, Kan.
Dear editor,
I consider myself a member of the silent majority. The silent majority is an unspecified large majority of people in a country or group who do not express their opinions publicly.
You have never seen a letter written by me in the local newspaper. Other than voting, I’ve never been involved in local politics. I’ve never been a part of any demonstrations. And as most of you I’ve never attended a city council or county commission meeting. This however does not mean I am uninterested or uniformed. Rather this means recent events with the City Council and the Iolans For Good Government have stirred me to break my silence.
There has been a huge effort by a few very dedicated citizens to remove Councilmen Ken Rowe and Kendall Callahan from their seats. The petition created by this minority of citizens gives two reasons that these two councilmen should be recalled, neither of which in my opinion are the real reason for their effort.
If you are reading this letter, then you more than likely have read a letter drafted by Councilman French. French’s letter signed by five council members and the mayor was presented at the July 23 city council meeting. The letter requested that either Wade Bowie or Judge Creitz put a stop to Tuesday’s recall vote for Councilmen Kendall Callahan and Ken Rowe. The letter explained that Mr. Bowie had provided petitioners for the recall information based on state statutes that have not been valid since 2008. Councilman French went on to say that if Callahan and Rowe were guilty of wrong doing so were the rest of them. As I am a fan of personal responsibility and accountability I applaud council members French, Callahan, Rowe, Kilby, Franklin, and Mayor Shirley, who signed the letter. I have to wonder why councilmen Wicoff, Stewart, and Becker did not.
After reading the article titled “Letter calls for halt of recall” in the July 24 Iola Register, it was my assumption that Judge Creitz would have little choice but to put a stop to this travesty, but I have since learned that this is not the case. Judge Creitz was quoted saying “the court does not have authority or jurisdiction until a case is properly filed.” Thus the recall vote because it’s already on the ballot will most likely go forward. Apparently an improperly filed petition bears more weight.
It’s time for us, the silent majority to speak up. If you believe we should put a stop to this recall vote write a letter to the editor and let your voice be heard. And to the majority in wards 1 and 4, please don’t remain silent, if the recall vote goes forward, get to the polls Tuesday and vote (no) on the recall, it’s up to you. Let’s not let the vocal minority dictate to the majority.
Pat Rowe,
Iola, Kan.
(Editor’s note: Pat Rowe is the brother of city commissioner Ken Rowe.)
