YOU MAY VERY WELL BE HEARING SPURS! Springtime means SASS (Single Action Shooting Society). For those a little unsure about SASS, let me shed a little light.

SASS members are a group of people around the world who enjoy the sport of shooting. We just happen to like to do it dressed as cowboys, dudes, cowgirls, saloon girls or just as proper as you please. Our idea is to keep the history of the Old West alive and well.

We stick close to the 1800s, hence the single action guns. This is a great organization for families, with many charities and scholarships for those young members. The friendships made locally, as well as worldwide, are beyond compare.

You may be out in the community and see some of these folks, dressed kinda funny and calling each other with some odd names. You see, when you become a member you choose an alias to use that fits with the persona you chose. You might be having dinner and hear someone talking about the "clean match" or the "trainwreck" they had ... depending on the type of day they had. There is a scoring protocol, so the fastest with the least misses wins!

Myth is we are a bunch of CRAZY GUN NUTS who play with guns! Not so! We do believe in our right to carry and bear arms, but we do take it seriously. We never "PLAY" with guns; we play cowboy. Gun safety is first priority, and those who have braved coming out to watch a monthly match or any of the big publicized matches can verify the safety issue. Raise your hand if you have been out on the range and had 100 people tell you to put on your eye protection!

For those in the area of Edgewood, look for the first big match. Buffalo Stampede will be April 23-24. The public is invited to come spectate and enjoy the day. (Don't forget to bring some eye protection, and for kids, earplugs are recommended.) So come on out and watch some of us "Ground shooters" then mosey over to the mounted arena and watch some fantastic riding! (Mounted shooting uses special loads, so there is no danger of flying bullets.)

The World Championship is in June, and there will be things for all the family to enjoy. Go to sassnet.com for further information.

See you on the range!

SINGIN' SUE

(SUSANNE SHANLEY)

Stanley

Thanks to All Who Helped for Haiti

THE FOLLOWING PEOPLE AND ORGANIZATIONS stepped up to the plate for the people of Haiti with their help in two concerts put on the past two weeks — Good Shepherd Lutheran Church of Edgewood, Prince of Peace Lutheran Church of Cedar Crest, Judy and Terry at Cedar Crest Fitness, Roger Alink at Wildlife West, the Edgewood Girl Scouts and Edgewood Lions Club. I thank you all.

The bands were awesome. The Smooth Bros. and Juniper Hill played at both concerts. The Buckarettes headlined the Cedar Crest concert, and the Curio Cowboys starred at the Wildlife West this past Saturday. And thanks to the Pink Elephant Ranch for their magic acts. The crowds loved you all.

Thanks to Walkin N Circles Ranch for their sponsorship for the Red Cross, and Rita-Loy Simmons and Bob and Audrey Boyer for their generous donations. Thanks to Lea Lewis, Kenneth Bassett and Jim Valentine for donating their help.

Thank you everyone who came to the concert and donated money for the earthquake victims, and to the Telegraph for covering the event. You all made the dream come true.

Finally, my thanks, respect and love go out to Jo White, who made posters and buttons, and kept everything on track, organizing and keeping me centered. Her positive, unselfish enthusiasm is intoxicating. I'm nominating her for sainthood.

As for me? The first one blessed by servitude is the server. God bless.

JIMBO

Edgewood

Grace Benz Family Gives Thanks

THE FAMILY OF GRACE BENZ wishes to acknowledge with grateful appreciation, all the kindness, love and support expressed through your prayers, phone calls, visits, food, cards and flowers during our time of sorrow.

Thank you to those who made generous memorial donations to Bethel Storehouse in Moriarty and to all who attended the funeral service. Your thoughtfulness will always be remembered.

LYLE BENZ AND CHILDREN

Moriarty

Farewell to Friend Was the Best

IN REFERENCE TO THE HEARTBREAKING "I've Lost a Friend" story that appeared in the March 11 issue of the Telegraph, you could not have written a more appropriate piece! It was a fine fitting farewell for my son, John. Thank you.

John's career as an actor and stage personality was just beginning to take off in Houston in the early 1980s when the cancer specialists told John's father and me that they could do nothing further except to try to keep John's father from suffering. He would need constant care around the clock. I could not afford to employ anyone with some medical training to be with my husband since I had to teach school. All of my children were far away and had families of their own to care for except John. I called him. He came.

He had stayed with me ever since until Feb. 27, 2010, when he died beside the road — again trying to help another.

JEANNE WEITZ, JOHN'S MOM

Sandia Park