Dear Editor,
I was in attendance for the Governor’s Breakfast at the Kansas State Fair in Hutchinson on Sept. 17.   
I shook hands with Gov. Parkinson and told him that I had already been driving for just under three hours to get there.  
I enjoyed the catered breakfast; and I was attentive to the governor’s speech describing the unveiling of the design of the new postage stamp which commemorates the 150 years since Kansas’s statehood.  
The years spanning 1861 to 2011 mark our sesquicentennial, and the new postage stamp depicting an old-fashioned “Air Motor” farm windmill in the foreground with the silhouette of five modern wind chargers or wind-turbines in the background makes for a worthy image indeed.    
I like art, and I am absolutely enthralled by quality art that is realistic, and self-explanatory.  
To me, art is best when it paints a mirror-image of reality. I am not into abstract concepts: for me, the human touch always generates applause.   
The wind power of past generations, sustained farmers and livestock by pumping water. 
The new wind turbines of today and tomorrow capture that same wind energy, and offers a  similar sustenance which can also pump electricity to meet peoples’ needs.
Kansas can be proud of its rich heritage. And, we can all take pride in using a beautiful postage stamp as a reminder of past successes and future achievements. 
Our pioneer ancestors would be proud.
James A. Marples,
Esbon