I hope this week you all will read the letter to the editor elsewhere on this page. It is written by Hadlye Clark of rural Burns, a sixth grade student at Peabody-Burns Middle School. Hadlye has some apprehension about our rural roads after the snowstorm of the past week.

I am not sure why she decided to write a letter to the newspaper, but we are always glad to hear from readers who have concerns about issues in our communities and county. Also, I am thrilled that she was willing to write it and sign her name. I get many letters from readers who may or may not have a legitimate complaint or compliment, but who want me to run their letters without requiring that they do the right thing and add a signature.

Good for Hadlye for having the presence of her convictions to put her name on her letter. She is worried about road conditions and she would like for Marion County Commissioners to know that. She is willing to stand up and be counted among the people in Marion County who would like an answer to a problem.

This is part of the give and take between elected officials and the people who elected them. We all have a right to have our concerns addressed after our elected representatives take office. Hopefully, the commissioners will address her questions, because Hadlye’s day is coming soon. One of these days, she and her classmates will be the ones in the voting booth deciding which candidates will best represent their interests.

I have a sneaking suspicion those they elect to represent them had better be ready to be accountable!

*****

In another vein, I was invited Monday to Pop’s Diner for a quick photo opportunity with our own Derek Klingenberg as he and his dad had lunch with a couple of German news people in town to do a special feature on Derek and his “Cow Art,” “Cow Music,” “Farmer Says” viral notoriety. There I was, the local news media taking a picture of some famous European news media taking pictures and interviewing a local kid with an imagination that is probably just a bit left of center.

Derek and his brothers have long been among our family favorites and it is a great deal of fun to see him succeed in this off-the-wall genre he seems to have developed on his own.

I think we need signs on Highway 50 claiming the Cow Art & Music Maestro as a roadside attraction. I have personally heard from people all over the country – former high school and college classmates, family members, and friends who no longer live here – about the Klingenberg phenomenon. One college suitemate was astounded that her husband had posted the “Cow-Trombone” video for his trombone choir group and she later found out it was filmed here, where she and her sister spent the Fourth of July in the late 1990s. She lives in Nevada and wants a bumper sticker about visiting Peabody, Kansas, home of “Cow Music.” I promised her I would see what I could do.

I have no point to make with this except that Derek has a talent and sense of humor that has led to some catchy videos. The fact that they have gone viral and have millions of viewers is astounding. Wouldn’t you just love to know what he knows that the rest of us do not? I think that is where the real story lies!

In the meantime, we wish him good luck and hope he keeps doing what he does. I will be first in line for the bumper sticker!

— SUSAN MARSHALL