Like so many others, I have lived with a long-term skepticism of the actual dedication that our governmental officials have toward their constituents. That is until recently. And like so many others, I have intimately felt the impacts of the recent economic downturn, including loss of income due to a job layoff, mounting debt, utilities being disconnected, unemployment insurance running out and ultimately the reality of foreclosure of my home. As a person approaching senior years, my prospects appeared grim and I began to wonder what homeless shelter I could turn to.
In desperation, without much hope, and also as a last resort, I stopped by the Seelyville office of Rick D. Long, the trustee of the Lost Creek Township. Immediately, and surprisingly, I was treated not as some unimportant inconvenience but instead with a sincere concern with my situation. As much as his budget allowed, his office helped maintain some of my utilities and gave me some hope for the future. For the holidays he personally and unexpectedly delivered some much-needed groceries, one of many kindnesses I shall never forget. However, his concern for his neighbors did not end there.
Mr. Long, on his own personal time and expense, has kindly given me transportation helping me obtain social services that are available to me, helping me with situations that without his assistance, I could not have coped with on my own. With the help of Mr. Long I also have a new job prospect, a chance for a secure residence and hope for a better future.
Rick Long has helped turn hopelessness and despair into a positive hope for the future. However, and most important, I am not alone in this. From what I have personally observed, our Lost Creek trustee, Mr. Long, has the same concern for all of the residents in our community.
The reason that I write this is that there is some current discussion in regional and state government about the need and necessity of maintaining the office of local trustees. Just what can be more necessary than the local trustee? Local trustees remain (and should remain, in my opinion) the first link and front line to the services our tax dollars pay for. Instead of minimizing their importance, their importance should instead be enhanced.
In our particular case, the trustee of our community, Mr. Rick Long, has shown himself to be a respectable, loyal and caring neighbor, dedicated to his office and a concerned and active member of our Seelyville community and to all who reside here. The savings of a few dollars, as proposed if this office were eliminated, would not offset the loss to our community.
Hopefully, this will not be so.
— Paul V. Freibergs
Seelyville/Terre Haute
You will be judged for how you live
Live for this day, for it is life, the very life of life. In its few seconds lies the times from which you will be remembered. May you be remembered not for how your life started, nor why it ended, but for how you lived it in between.
Never lose sight of who you are, because you are the best thing “God” ever created. Embrace the gift.
— Charlie Barth
Terre Haute
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