By allowing ads to appear on this site, you support the local businesses who, in turn, support great journalism.
Fresh, independent, courageous voic
Placeholder Image

Dear Editor,
A neighbor of mine, Alan LaPolice, is seeking election to the U.S. House of Representatives as an Independent from the First District of Kansas. Alan has an outstanding record of service to his country in the first Gulf War, advocacy for veterans through the
American Legion, personal educational achievement, devotion to his wife and children, and strong ties to agriculture.
Alan is impatient, as we all are, with the partisanship and inaction we have seen in Washington, D. C. He got on the November ballot the hard way, by traveling through the district and getting thousands of signatures on petitions. He is campaigning the hard way with limited funds, sharing his ideas, shaking hands, and speaking at events large and small. On rare occasions, his opponent has shown up to debate with Alan. “Rare” for two reasons: Alan is a formidable debater and the Republican nominee takes it for granted that he will be elected!
Alan’s late father Jerome LaPolice came from a family of modest means, like many of the young men my dad hired in the ‘60’s to help with harvesting, plowing, and disking. I remember how Jerome and the others ran combines in the summer heat, covered with sweat, dust, and chaff, their only comforts, an umbrella and a jug of water.
By the time my brother and I were running our combines, Jerome had moved on to driving a truck for a living. He got married, and he and his wife became parents. I lost track of him, occupied as I was with my life in the early ‘70s. When I next heard about Jerome, the news was bad. He had died, steering his semi into a highway ditch in order to keep from hitting a vehicle at a rural intersection. Folks around St. Joe, Ames, and Clyde felt a lot of grief at the loss of this friendly, uncomplaining, hard-working man.
How much greater would the impact of Jerome’s untimely passing have been on his widow and family? She eventually remarried, and Alan got a good step-father and received a good upbringing, so important to the man that he is today. I have no doubt that Alan has been shaped by knowing the story of the fateful decision his father made to sacrifice his life for others.
I am going to vote for Alan La Police, (I), 1st District (Kansas), U.S. House of Representatives. I urge the readers of this paper to do the same. We can help our state and district by having a fresh, independent, courageous voice advocating for us in our nation’s capital.
Joe Detrixhe
Concordia