Nationwide, the average cost of school supplies for families with school age children this year will be $594. Several states, Missouri, North Carolina and Tennessee, for example, offer a weekend of sales tax free shopping in August aimed at providing relief to parents and bumping up retail sales. Colorado doesn’t offer any incentives like that, unfortunately.
More than half that figure goes toward shoes, accessories and clothes. A mere 15 percent is actually for “school supplies” and the rest is spent on electronics and computers. One mom of a high school senior on the Front Range had to fork out $270 in school fees this year for sports, parking pass and so on, not including the rest of the expenses. Ouch!
Big on this year’s school supply lists: hand sanitizer and disinfecting wipes. How about surgical masks and gloves, too? Why not go all out?
Congratulations to everyone who participated in the fair, and especially to our Meeker grand champions! You can pat yourself on the back for a job well done!
Mike and Susan Knezovich were able to meet their first grandbaby in person last week. Baby Cory visited the new grandma and grandpa with his parents, Robert Knezovich and Katrina Hull, his aunt Amanda and his great-grandparents Mike and Pat. Four generations together at one time. That’s a blessing.
Happy birthday this week to Patsy Nay, Aubrey Walsh and Donald Rowe, Aug. 13; Michelle Wix, Aug. 14; Jef Burnell, Bob Cook, Dennis Jensen, MaryAnn Collins, Becky Sargent and Norbert Boes, Aug. 15; Diane Rudy and Shayne Lagimoniere, Aug. 16; Taylor Dodds, Aug. 17; and Mary K. Krueger and Klark Kindler, Aug. 19.
Happy anniversary wishes to Jim and Bev Brennan, Keith and Jana Whitaker, Aug. 13; Bernie and Annie Gantt, Ron and Donna Palmer, and Matt and Pam Stranathan, Aug. 15; Tara and Nick Cojocaru, Aug. 17.