Column: Election is over, time to focus on important stuff

Dear readers,

The election is over. Loyal reader, retired mail carrier, and local veteran, Rock Robertson won our “Guess the President” contest. Rock’s guess that Donald Trump would be our 47^th President got him a Moon Pie, boiled peanuts, and a can of RC Cola. 

Put your crayons down. I know that prize package has nothing to do with President Trump since he hails from New York. But we are still getting rid of a few prizes from the Carter administration. 

I do wish the prize was a little better. It was going to be a box of Moon Pies, but mice ate the rest of them. Remember it is the thought that counts.

Congratulations Rock, from all of us at Team Schwinn.

Since Rock is a retired mail carrier, let’s get to today’s mail.

Dear Kris,

A couple of weeks ago, you said that you would be making a major announcement about “The Helbing” being moved. The anticipation is killing me. Plus, I have a bet riding on it. Are you moving The Helbing to Petits or Kroots?

Signed Anonymous

Dear Jack Yeend,

Very funny! The Helbing is not going to be recycled. Quit spreading that rumor. It is getting half of Shelbyville’s hopes up. I don’t know why modern art like The Helbing causes people to have such strong opinions.  It’s kind of like politics. People seem to either love it or hate it.

I have bad news for the haters. The Helbing will be relocated so a spot in town where it will be “next level.”

Now for the important stuff. Tomorrow is Veteran’s Day.

For you history buffs, it was called Armistice Day. It is celebrated on the 11^th hour of the 11^th day of the 11^th month because that is when World War I ended in 1918.

My former law partner, George Stubbs Sr., was in grade school on that first Armistice Day. His teacher walked his class down to the public square to see the big celebration. George told me that it was bigger than when we had an Elvis impersonator at the Bears of Blue River Festival. 

Years ago, when writing my Veterans Day column, I would always look up a Veteran of the Great War to interview. As the years past, one by one, all of those Veterans were reunited in death with the other young veterans who lost their lives in WWI.

Martin Schultz was the last living WWI veteran that I remember visiting. Many of you probably knew Schultz from his teaching days.  He taught music at both Southwestern and Shelbyville high schools.  One of Schultz’s teaching accomplishments was the forming of Show Group at Shelbyville High School.

We should never forget that the freedom we all enjoy was provided by our veterans. To paraphrase President Reagan: Some spend an entire lifetime wondering if they made a difference in the world, but our veterans don’t have that problem.  

See you all next week, same Schwinn time, same Schwinn channel.