Community Pointers for new teachers at Phillips County Schools, part II

Following last week’s article, several other concerned citizens have offered helpful hints for the new border patrol officers, school teachers, and especially the new owners of Dairy Queen who have bravely trekked northward from warm, sunny Arizona to take up residence in Malta. We do hope that you will benefit from these hints.

You now live in an area where folks love to wave to each other. Car drivers wave as they merrily pass each other. People will toot their horns and wave to others out working in their yards. Friendly Malta folk will even wave to you at the grocery store as you busily push your cart down the aisle. New people will have absolutely no idea who these friendly folks are, but just smile and wave back as that is considered proper etiquette.

You have undoubtedly noticed the 6:00 p.m. blaring siren from atop city hall. The siren used to sound off at 9:30 p.m. as the curfew reminder for all kids to return home. Like that’s really going to happen. After much serious discussion and motel complaints, it was decided to sound the siren at 6:00 p.m. No need to dive under a table, it is just the daily emergency warning system being tested. It’s also a reminder for TV game show fanatics to hustle on home as Jeopardy is about to start.

Weddings are always a happy event in our community. You will probably never receive a local printed wedding invitation in the mail. All wedding invitations are printed in the Wednesday Phillips County News or other publications. Hike on over to the big event plenty early, as only the immediate county is invited. This advice also goes for wedding showers, baby showers, funerals, and 80th birthday parties. Much good food is to be enjoyed.

Perhaps by now you have visited a local church or two. Kindly remember that some families have attended the same house of worship for many generations, and the family has staked out a specific pew as their family claim. Often folks will come to church plenty early, so they can get a back row seat. Others prefer an aisle seat closer to the front. Bless them for being brave enough to sit in the front. It should be pointed out that by sitting towards the front they can wave to more people as they exit down the aisle. Way to go!

As I mentioned last week, garage sales are almost a sacred event. Instead of printing the street address of the sale, people will print the location as to whose house this USED to be. Last week I helped out at a sale on 9th Street East. As bargain seekers streamed through the door, they mentioned that the sale was listed as Grandma Stiles home, even though she hasn’t lived there in many years. Needless to say everybody knew which home to go to. Hubby and I have lived in our large green home for fourteen years, but Malta folks still remind us that we live in the Granate House, even though those family members haven’t been around for twenty years or more. It has been explained to me that until we retire and move or go to our heavenly reward, and new owners finally move in, only then will it be known as the Veseth’s House.

In the near future Malta will hold a homecoming parade. Although the parade will be brief in length, it will be gigantic in enthusiasm. The parade starts in front of the elementary school with the color guard on horseback. Following the color guard will be Mr. E with the MHS band, and they will be followed by various class floats, two or three fire trucks, an ambulance or two, a tow truck, and possibly the Schwan’s refrigerated delivery truck. Often the high school students toss candy from their floats. The elementary students then dash out to scoop up and share armloads of candy. This situation is truly a dentist’s delight. While watching the parade, should you spot a pick-up truck with out of state license plates, the poor soul was probably lost looking for the highway to Canada and got caught up in our festivities. Be sure you make him feel welcome and offer him a friendly Malta wave. If by chance you arrive late for the parade, hustle on over to Hi Line Retirement Center. The city fathers have an unwritten law that all parades MUST go passed the retirement center so you can finally catch it there.

Our local phone book is only about the size of a READER’S DIGEST. As you will soon learn while collecting phone numbers of new friends, one only has to jot down the last four digits of their phone number. For the most part, we all begin with 654-. Now how handy can that be!

We hope our new citizens’ benefit from these helpful hints. If by chance you have more suggestions, let me know and we can include them in another article. After all, we must “share the wealth.” God bless and don’t forget to wave. RSV