Spreading the Spirit

Several generations of the Emick family were busy last week, stringing holiday lights onto the windmill to the west of the Prowers County Courthouse on South Main Street in Lamar. They, like other residents, were taking advantage of the warm weather to get their Christmas decorations up to highlight the start of another holiday season.

The Emicks, however, were donating their time and money to the continued upkeep of the windmill; pruning and fertilizing the plants and shrubs in the spring, summer and fall, and last week, replacing some of the Christmas lights that failed to make it through our past winter storms.

Don Emick explained, “We had several strings set up on the windmill a few years ago, but some of the past blizzards flattened the lights under all the snow and ice and crushed them. We just decided to replace them all and start over again this year.” Their efforts for the community don’t go unnoticed or unappreciated, as the Emick family was awarded the Lamar Chamber of Commerce, Citizen of the Year Award during the annual banquet this past January.

Some holiday red and green was showcased as well along Main Street as the Lamar City Work Crews have been busy sprucing up the roadway with holiday decorations. The green wreaths are a good color match to the newly painted red light poles in portions of the downtown Lamar area. Area residents who turn out for this year’s annual Parade of Lights on Friday, December 7, will have an opportunity to get a first hand look at some of the new decor. 

By Russ Baldwin