From the Editor: Barbecue season now upon us
“I found the thing you can get me on the next holiday where you have to get me something!” I yelled to my wife.
“Memorial Day is not one of those holidays,” she answered ruefully, knowing I already had a scheme.
“Tina, look at this,” I offered, carrying my laptop to her to show her the barbecue smoker I had found. “Look at this hog! It says you can smoke a whole hog in here in just a few hours.” I might have even used the words “fool proof.”
I didn’t help my cause by showing her the first picture: an 80-pound hog thawing in a bathtub.
While cooking a whole hog is likely to remain just a dream — a delicious, meaty dream — we aren’t too far from tasting great barbecue.
Though a lot of us were working the grill or smoker this weekend, South Dakota’s barbecue season starts Saturday at the South Dakota BBQ Championships in Huron. Competitors from around the Midwest will do battle in chicken, ribs, pork and brisket. I am one of the lucky certified barbecue judges, an unpaid — but well-fed — job.
For visitors to the South Dakota State Fairgrounds, there is also a People’s Choice category, so anyone can taste world-class barbecue.
There are five Kansas City Barbeque Society-sanctioned events in South Dakota this year. You can find them all at www.kcbs.us in the “events” section.
Just vote!
Troy McQuillen of McQuillen Creative Group is trying to get out the vote in the city June 4. He sent me some sample ads that were pretty clever. I hope he doesn’t mind me using a few of his messages, aimed at those frequent complainers:
• “I hate Aberdeen!!! Such is the battle cry of those who don’t participate in the system. Cast your vote on June 4 for new city councilmen. This is the best way to influence the direction of the Hub City. Vote. Be Happy.”
• “Attention Community Crabapples . . . if you like to complain, please vote in the city council election on June 4.”
• “Dear Aberdeen Citizens Unhappy with the Leadership of our Town . . . VOTE! Or Shut Up.”
Those are a few ways to say it.
Letters due
All election letters must be received at the American News by Thursday. We won’t take any letters after Thursday.
For fastest service, submit your letter through the form at AberdeenNews.com/opinion. Letters can also be emailed at letters@aberdeennews.com. Hard copy letters are welcomed, too, dropped off at the front desk or mailed. But they need to be here by Thursday.
Last Education page today
The end of the school year means the end of the Monday Education page, for now. Today is the last day for that page for the summer.
We will still publish photos of your students that should trickle in, as well as area classroom achievement news. That will run on the Monday Scrapbook page and in the Community section during the summer months. If you have photos, honors or story ideas, contact education reporter Kay Nguyen at 605-622-2310 or knguyen@aberdeennews.com. You can also follow @kaynguyen on Twitter.
Follow @jjperry_AAN on Twitter or email jperry@aberdeennews.com.