The Sanders family is back home in Shady Pines after their trip to the South Carolina Primary. Ever since she ran for mayor against Beauregard Fibbs, Edna Sanders has been energized about politics. In fact, she often has flashbacks to that rousing  stump speeches she gave before the good folk of the small Southern town. Flanked by her four-legged children, Boomerang, the Aussie dog and Halley’s Comet, a silver streak of a cat, Edna could look out a the crowd at her husband, Harold, standing next to ShadyPines Gazette newspaper editor Zulah Talmadge and Scoop, the cub reporter. While those were heady days, now Edna is now a little deflated.

Edna and her family traveled to the Palmetto State hoping to ask the presidential candidates questions about issues important to her town. Instead, she heard all about money managers and personal attacks. It was all a bit much for Edna.

“Honey,” I don’t know what to think.  “I’m a bit discouraged.”

Harold pats her hand. “Oh, come on now. You’ve never been one to give up so easily. Look what you were able to accomplish as a first-time candidate. That was somethin’.”

Boomer barks and starts chewing on his favorite bone. Halley snoozes on her cushy window seat.

Edna smiles. “You’re right,” she sayd. “Boomer is so happy about the Watchdog Committee we put into place to make sure Mayor Fibbs and all our elected officials are accountable to us. Boom still thinks he’s in charge of that group!”

Harold smiles. “And, don’t forget how you energized the whole town to clean up our act and pay more attention to the needs of our neighbors. That was huge!”

The TV is on and something she hears catches Edna’s attention. “Wait a minute. What is this about Super Pacs? They’re not talking football are they Harold?”

Harold turns up the sound. “No they’re talking about groups that are throwing a lot of money at the candidates to influence the outcome of the contests. Wow.”

Edna has started to pace the room. She is once again acting like a woman on a mission. “Sweetheart, I’ve got an idea!”

Harold looks askance. “Uh-oh. You have that look again. Should I be concerned?”

Tune in next time to find out what Edna has in mind and what role Boomer and Halley will play in this next episode!

Time is running out ’til the Republican Primary in South Carolina on Saturday. Former Shady Pines mayoral candidate, Edna Sanders, is in high gear. She wants to make sure her husband, Harold, and their “kids” Boomer and Halley, are there in plenty of time to meet the remaining candidates before the voting begins. She has the family station wagon, Sweet Pea, packed and ready to go.

“Everyone ready?” asks Edna. Harold tosses his bag onto the back seat. “I still can’t believe you talked me into taking off work to do this,” he grumbles. Edna pats his hand. “Don’t be an ‘ol Pooh, Harold. The Nuts ‘N Bolts hardware store will still be there when we get back.” With that, a resolved Harold hit the gas and grabs the wheel. “OK, we’re off!”

Boomer is rummaging through a colorful box labeled, TOYS.  ”Hey, Halley, have you seen our favorite sun glasses?” asks Boomerang, the Australian Shepherd. The silver streak of a cat looks at him with disdain. “They’re in the bag labeled, Boomerang and Halley’s Comet.” Boomer is nosing around. “Where?” he asks. Halley points. “There!”

Edna is looking through the file she brought. “I think it’s so great that all these people wrote suggestions for questions that we can ask the candidates.” Harold adjusts his rear view mirror. “Well, the contest in The Shady Pines Gazette was a stroke of genius.” Edna agrees. “We’ve gotten input from old and young. That Zulah Talmadge is a clever gal.” Harold nods in agreement. “She is one heck of an editor, too.”

To better understand why the Sanders’ family is heading to Palmetto State, one has to go back to the events of last fall. You see, Edna belongs to the local Common Sense Party and has no affiliation with the Republicans. But, ever since she challenged Mayor Beauregard Fibbs and his Gimme Party to a debate during the Special Election, Edna has been revved up about politics. That experience showed her how someone with no political background can hold a politician accountable for wrong-doing by getting involved and taking action. Now Edna is trying to take that gumption one step further by actually challenging the candidates for president to talk about the issues that are important to her small Southern town.

“I just can’t wait to get there,” says Edna. “There are so many things I want to find out.” Harold smiles. “I’d like to find out about the best places to eat.” Edna laughs. “That’s not a bad idea either. Wasn’t it lucky I found a hotel that takes pets.”

“Boomer,” hisses Halley. “Did you hear that?” Boomer is busy looking out the window. “What?” Halley pushes him with her paw. “We’re going to stay at a hotel and eat fancy food.” Now the silly cat has his attention. “You know something Halley? “I think I could get to likin’ this politic stuff.”

And, with that, Sweet Pea carries the Sanders’ family across the state line into South Carolina!

It’s one of the biggest stories in years to swirl around Shady Pines.  The small Southern town is abuzz with news that one of its former mayoral candidates is heading to the Palmetto State to meet the candidates running for president. Shady Pines Gazette editor, Zulah Talmadge, and Scoop, the cub reporter, are out and about covering the story from every angle.

“Scoop, there’s real excitement about our Edna Sanders going to South Carolina for the Republican Primary,” says Zulah. Scoop struggles with his gear. “I thought Mayor Beauregard Fibbs gave you some great stuff on the record.” Zulah agrees.

“He really did. That Special Election where Edna and the Common Sense Party challenged him and his Gimme Party after he stole all that money, was something none of us will ever forget. But Beau was very gracious and encouraging of Edna’s increased civic responsibility.”

Scoop agrees. “Edna never seemed that interested in politics before. But boy, once she and Harold turned their house into election headquarters – something changed.”

Zulah stops rummaging in her bag and looks up. “Scoop, you’re right. Remember how so many people got involved volunteering for her? Even their four-legged “kids” Boomer and Halley got into the act.” Zulah and Scoop take a moment to remember the scene in the Sanders’ kitchen where phones were ringing off the hook.

“Everyone got energized with the idea that they could turn the town around,” says Scoop. “Even the kids I go to school with were helping out on weekends. It was really cool.”

Zulah is scribbling some notes. “I want to capture what’s going on here.  ‘When people of all ages feel can make a difference, they get motivated and make things happen.’ How does that sound, Scoop?”

“That’s the way it happened – and is happening. Have you seen some of the suggested questions coming into the Gazette Hotline?”

Zulah had to admit she hadn’t looked for a day or so. She likes the idea of the newspaper holding a contest offering prizes for the best questions Edna can ask the candidates when she meets them. “Are there some good submissions?”

Scoop can’t wait to tell her. “Oh, Ms Talmadge, we’re getting input from kids and older folks on all kinds of subjects. They’re interested in pocketbook topics and civility – things that aren’t getting a lot of national airtime – but should!”

Zulah whoops and hollers. “Scoop, back to the office! That’s the story we have to get out!”

Scoop skedaddles after her. “I’m on it, Ms. Talmadge!”

Morning in the house on Dogwood Drive across from Copy Cat Lane finds Harold and Edna Sanders  weary from watching a weekend of presidential debates out of New Hampshire. The Shady Pines couple intended to travel from their small Southern town to the Granite State for Tuesday’s primary. Now they think they’ll wait and go to the next one in South Carolina. They haven’t been impressed by what the candidates have to say.

“Harold, why are the presidential hopefuls so off track, and why do Boomerang and Halley’s Comet have all that energy?” asks Edna as the Australian Shepherd dog and silver streak of a cat zoom past her.

“I dunno, Honey,” responds a sleepy Harold. “The candidates don’t seem to address the high cost of food, fuel, child care, education, elder care, and all the issues that matter most to families. They’re so busy with fringe issues and personal attacks.”

Edna nods in agreement. “Yea, they don’t seem to hear what the protesters and small-town America are really sayin.”

Harold continues. “As for our four-legged kids, ever since you announced you were running for mayor a while back, Boomer and Halley think politics is a race to somewhere important.”

“Well, it certainly is a marathon,” says Edna. “I learned that when I challenged our misguided Mayor Beauregard Fibbs in that Special Election. That man has so much trouble tellin’ the truth!”

Harold chuckles and fills his coffee mug. “That he does, My Sweet. But you got him straightened out, and you helped the town to pay attention so he couldn’t run off with the money again.”

“Well, basically ‘ole Beau is a good guy,” says Edna. “He just got greedy. And shame on all of us for not watching him more closely.”

Harold wanders over to the kitchen desk and picks up the latest edition of The Shady Pines Gazette. “Hey, have you seen this?”

Edna looks up. “Seen what?”

“It says here that editor Zulah Talmadge is having a contest that’s linked to your idea to go and meet the candidates in person!”

Now Edna is interested. “What? Let me see.” Edna reads the article. “Oh for cryin’ in the soup. People can get a prize for suggested questions I can carry to the presidential candidates. That’s great!”

Harold claps his hands. Boomer barks. Halley meows. “Edna, you’ve done it again. Everyone in town – old and young – will have a chance to participate and possibly, win!”

Edna is circling the kitchen like she always does when she gets excited. “Every town in America should hear about this! We have to get organized. The South Carolina primary is not that far off! It’s time for the Sanders family to once again hit the campaign trail.”

Please feel free to offer you suggested questions for Edna through Comments. This Blog is written by author, Mary Jane McKittrick, and is not intended to endorse any candidate or political party. The Boomer and Halley Project promotes civic responsibility through fun, family, and community involvement. 

Shady Pines Community Center Director, Rita Mallena, is in a tizzy. She’s on the phone frantically preparing the main hall for tonight’s TV viewing of the Presidential Debate out of New Hampshire.  ”I have no idea how many people to expect!” she worries. “Ever since Edna Sanders decided to take her family to the Granite State to meet the candidates, the whole Southern town has a renewed interest in politics.”

As a mom with a baby to raise, Rita knows how hard it is to make ends meet these days. “It’s been such a challenge to maintain the quality of programs people have come to expect when the center’s budget has been cut so deeply. At home, my husband and I face the same difficulty.”

Rita has been told she can expect anywhere from 150 people – or more – to show up tonight. “I’m thrilled to see our community get involved and start to realize we all need to pay attention. That Special Election we held between Edna and Mayor Beauregard Fibbs taught all of us a big lesson. We really had fallen asleep at the wheel by letting our politicians run amok without consequences, and Shady Pines was the worse for it.”

The phone rings. “What?” gasps Rita. “We could have 250 people? Oh, my gosh!”

Meanwhile, over at Nuts ‘N Bolts hardware store, owner Harold Sanders is holding court at his soda fountain. He still can’t believe his family may actually be heading to New Hampshire tomorrow.

“Hey, Harold,” asks a young man slurping his milkshake. “Are you and Edna taking Boomerang and Halley’s Comet with you?” Harold thinks about his beloved dog and cat for a moment.

“I guess so,” says Harold as he adds a scoop of ice cream to a glass filled with root beer. “We can hardly leave the kids out of this kind of learning experience.”

A young girl agrees. “I love the contest Zulah is running in the Gazette to contribute questions for Edna to ask the candidates. I want to know what they’re going to do about education.”

Fred, who runs The Corner Grocer, wants to know what these hopefuls are going to do about the rising cost of food. Maggie, of Maggie‘s Diner, wants to know about the price of health care and how it impacts her bottom line as a small business owner. And so on…

Everyone agrees to meet up later at the Community Center to watch tonight’s debate. Harold just shakes his head. “Guess I’d better get home and start packing,” he says. ” I have no idea what I have to wear in that kind of cold!”