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John Bollinger was a neighbor in The Woods; I also saw him often in PRO Physical Therapy. His wife Sandra brought us some of her banana-nut bread at Christmas. 

Ed & Grace Keough were also our neighbors in The Woods. I was often working in the yard when Ed went by, so I would then visit with him. Ed had strong views about nearly everything; we both also started our pilot training in the great postwar Aeronca 7AC Champion airplane that displaced the ubiquitous Piper Cubs in many flight schools.

Grace moved back to Vermont to be near family after Ed died; now she has gone to her reward as well.   

Jan Impey was for many years the accompanist for the Rotary Community Chorus. The Columbus Lions club, active in her time, used to invite Jan to accompany singers and group singing at our annual luncheons for our visually impaired persons (VIPs). Like her successor at the Chorus, Pam McNeil, Jan could play in any style—simply moving seamlessly from one style to another, pop to jazz for instance. Much as we all love Pam, we still miss Jan. 

Today’s TDB is jam-packed with stuff I needed to read. The front page is devoted to the launch of her first novel by my fellow columnist, Macy Cochran. We hope it will be a runaway bestseller!

Fran and I always read obits, even for those we did not know. Maybe we knew a relative or wish we had known the decedent because of a shared interest. Kenneth Carpenter restored a Model A Ford; they were everywhere when I was a boy. I really like their engine sound!

I probably should write an appreciation column for Dave Scherping! Right now, I will just mention that Dave came to my notice when he married a dear friend and fellow educator. I did write a column about Carlann, and I observed at her wedding that it would not matter who else taught her students, for she had prepared them very well to be productive adults.

Dave just continually did things to improve Polk County schools and its employees. His official duties were as head of technology, but he used his many talents in other areas as well. Read about Dave in several pages of the TDB!

My colleagues Bonnie Bardos and Max Phelps both comment that the Autumn leaves are still colorful and beautiful even as they litter the ground. I had a different opinion about them as the trees on my lot in The Woods spread a foot-thick carpet on my entire lot. It took me two installments to blow all of those leaves into adjoining woods!

It ain’t just candy, Pam (Stone)! EVERYTHING is up—except my pensions. I am hoping that my Social Security COLA will be generous and that the Medicare premium increase will not gobble up most of it!

Whatever happened to the League of Women Voters’ wonderful little booklet that listed all of the candidates for election with their views shown? I used it to help me decide for whom to vote. The TDB did a great issue about the County Commissioners, and we got a great pamphlet about the judiciary candidates.

No, Larry McDermott, I don’t expect to see any threatening folks outside the polls when we go to vote. Most of them are some of our friends, but all that I have seen greeted us warmly, with smiles on their faces. If they are wearing the anti-Covid variant masks still prevalent, we will miss seeing their smiles, but expect to see friendly eyes rather than fierce ones.                                                                               

Garland would like to hear from you at 828-859-7041 or garlandgoodwin7@gmail.com.