Dear editor,

I have known and associated with Ed Bideau, both professionally and personally, for over 35 years. Not once during that time have I ever known him to speak a less than totally truthful statement or engage in any activity which was less than totally honest and ethical.      

Ed has always been strongly supportive of law enforcement, both as a county attorney and as a state legislator. 

I believe he is a very upstanding and honest person who will have the best interests of the taxpayers as his No. 1 priority.    

I strongly recommend that every voter cast their vote for Ed Bideau. 

Ralph Romig,

Iola, Kan.

Dear editor, 

We are writing to endorse Ed Bideau for representative, Kansas House, 9th District. We have known Ed Bideau and his wife, Margaret, for over 20 years. We know him to be an honorable and thoughtful person who has high standards of integrity. 

Ed will examine each piece of legislation to make the best decisions for his constituents of District 9. He will work long hours to study the effects of any legislation that might have an impact on our district. Since he has served in the House of Representatives before, he will have the experience needed to understand how the legislative process works to better enable him to get right to work on our much needed concerns of Kansas.

Ed is very much a leader and we know he will help craft legislation to solve any problems faced by the people of District 9 and the state of Kansas. 

I (Cathy) have taught with Margaret Bideau for over 20 years and have had the privilege of knowing their close-knit family. The Bideaus are known to be very compassionate people who are involved with community service and leadership roles. 

One person can make a difference and we think Ed Bideau is that person! Please join us in voting for Ed Bideau and help make Kansas better. 

Respectfully,

Jack and Cathy Morrell, 

Iola, Kan.

Dear editor, 

I am compelled to join others in endorsing Ed Bideau for state representative. I have known Ed for many, many years.  I also worked for his dad, Edwin H. Bideau II, as office manager in the Bideau Insurance Agency. I knew his mother, Beverly, very well and adored her.  

Ed and Margaret are both very upstanding citizens of the best kind. And, I know that Ed will be the best kind of state representative we could ever ask for. 

I admire the entire Bideau family.  

Vote for Ed Bideau. He is the best.

Carolyn S. Mynatt,

LaHarpe, Kan.

Dear editor,

In 2005 Tom Williams took the office of sheriff of Allen County. Without going into old history, there were numerous problems facing the citizens, the department, and the commissioners in trying to deal with those problems.

One problem that was very blatant was the vehicle inventory that was left from the prior administration. There was only one vehicle that was road worthy, and most vehicles were not only dangerous to drive but were not dependable to get to where they needed to be at any given time. The previous year’s budget for vehicle repairs as well as the two years prior to that would have actually been enough to replace vehicles. The effect of the cost of those repairs was one of many driving forces into why the prior administration was always running into a deficit expenditure.

It was apparent that the department’s fleet had to be upgraded for safety and for costs. The question was how to do so in an economically sound way. Many options were considered, the new sheriff (Tom) actually drove his own vehicle for the first year at his own expense. One recommendation by the commissioners was to change the fleet to pickup trucks or SUVs. Some of the pros to this were that the trucks would hold up better under patrol conditions, and that the resale value of the pickups would be higher than sedans. One concern was that the pickups would cost more. The big picture was not the initial costs but the overall costs of ownership. 

Sheriff Williams found a way to reduce the initial cost of the pickups and it was decided to slowly rotate the fleet to pickups and new vehicles. Since that first year the county has purchased one or two vehicles for the sheriff’s department in an effort to keep the vehicles not only roadworthy for safety but also improve the resale value.

The department currently has nine officers and each officer has an assigned vehicle. There is one more vehicle for an open position that is not assigned and according to Sheriff Williams will not be filled under the current administration. There is also an older pickup that is assigned to the reserves for their use during public functions. One of many reasons the vehicles are assigned to an officer is that the upkeep and care is better by doing so. This helps again with the potential resale of the vehicles during change-outs.

Last month the sheriff’s office sold two pickups that were on the rotation cycle that began eight years ago. One vehicle was sold for $6,507 that had 151,988 miles, the other with 124,824 miles sold for $7,807. The initial purchase costs of the two vehicles were about $21,000 a piece. This turns out to be from the initial costs for purchase a huge bang for the taxpayers’ dollars. To give a bit more insight an older Crown Vic with similar miles was sold for $1,000.

As this primary election season nears I have had conversations with many voters and Sheriff Williams has been in my opinion unfairly criticized for the style and number of vehicles in his department.  

I think it is only fair voters understand this current vehicle policy was developed at the commissioners’ office and Sheriff Williams somewhat reluctantly agreed.  The true test of policy is over a period of time and this policy has proven to be an effective and efficient use of county tax dollars.  

In my time of working with Sheriff Williams I found him always to be conservative, diligent and very conscience of spending tax dollars. In fact he actually turned down and would not accept a pay raise in his first year in office.  He felt strongly that the money would be better utilized in other areas of his department. 

Please join with me to elect Tom Williams as county commissioner, District 2.  As a county we are fortunate to have a candidate with his level of experience, wisdom, knowledge, character and genuine care for the betterment of county government.

Kent Thompson,

LaHarpe, Kan.

Seven more days of above-100 temperatures are forecast for Iola, with nary a trace of rain to give relief. Beware and be wary. 

Extreme temperatures like these are dangerous to people and pets. If you must be away from the air conditioning for any length of time, drink lots of fluids, dress like it’s hot outside, and forget doing physical things such as playing tennis or ditch-digging.

Keep Fido and Kitty Kat inside with you.

Those with asthma and other lung diseases are particularly vulnerable, regardless of their age. The old — one needn’t be as old as this writer to qualify — and disabled are also more likely than others to suffer heat strokes and exhaustion. 

As the song warns, only mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the mid-day sun. And, truth be known, it’s hard on them, too.

— Emerson Lynn, jr.