My People of the Year
Opinions… everyone has an opinion about everything and (in my opinion) it is rather impolite to disrespect others’ opinions. However, this week, I’m going to be impolite and disrespect TIME Magazine’s opinion.
In recent years, TIME Magazine has been known for picking a not-so-well-received “Person of the Year,” and 2019 was no different with their decision to give Greta Thunberg this title.
Thunberg is a 16-year-old from Sweden who is famous for her outrage involving climate change and environmental impact. She made numerous public appearances to talk about her concerns but doesn’t really offer tangible solutions for the concerns she raised.
I will agree, Thunberg did create awareness for environmental distress but I, like many of you, already knew our environment needed a face-lift so I have to ask: How much awareness did she actually raise?
Again, I would like to reiterate that this entire column is nothing but my opinion. Sure, I usually back my thoughts up with facts and valid sources that brought me to the formation of an opinion, but nonetheless, this in an opinion column. I mean no disrespect to the environment or the importance of climate change.
In my opinion, I believe I could pick a handful of people to receive TIME Magazine’s “Person of the Year,” award who are just as qualified, if not more, than Thunberg and that’s just what I plan on doing in this week’s column.
Lily Steed — see November 7, 2019 WAR front page for more info.
Lily Steed was crowned Miss Middle Tennessee and will go on to compete in the Miss Tennessee competition and (hopefully, pulling for ya, girl!) Miss America!
Steed is a contender for the Miss Tennessee pageant and if she wins, she will advance to Miss America. Within the Miss America pageant, each contestant is asked to pick a platform and run with it — Steed chose agriculture alliance. Young ladies everywhere look up to Miss America and I believe choosing to educate these young women on agriculture is a noble stance.
“With my platform, I speak first-hand with the farmers who are struggling; the farmers who are so physically and mentally tired and strained that you can see it in their eyes,” Steed said. “You can also see, however, the fire that burns for agriculture, the fire that burns for the United States of America.”
Steed is incredibly passionate about the industry which provides her family their livelihood. She posts non-stop on social media about agriculture, and I admire her for her fiery agvocacy.
Ken Charfauros — see July 25, 2019 WAR front page for more info.
Wall Meat Processing was awarded 2019 Prime Promoter of the Year from the South Dakota Beef Council
Charfauros owns Wall Meat Processing and Red Rock Restaurant in Wall, South Dakota. Charfauros gave me the best article interview of my life – that man can talk about his passion for hours on end and I loved every minute of it.
Charfauros is changing the way people buy meat by offering full transparency on where their meat comes from before they buy it from his restaurant or processing plant. He also provides meat for the Beef in School Program, a program designed for companies such as Wall Meat Processing to donate beef to local schools in order to phase out overly processed or fake meat alternatives. Charfauros is promoting the agricultural industry day in and day out and is making a positive impact on the food system.
"When I look at ranchers straight in their eyes, I can see how much work they're putting into this. How much they have to deal with the environment, the weather, the equipment… and I'm not part of this. I wasn't born and raised in Wall, I'm a transplant, but I have a passion for cutting meat. I have a passion for cooking meat and cooking, period. You put me in something like this and I have to move forward. I have to find the right thing to do for everyone. Not just me, but the guys who feed me," Charfauros said.
Charfauros is a hard worker and spends all of his time working toward his dream. He has so many irons in the fire, it even makes my head spin — but he loves every minute of it.
Tonya Pendleton — not ag related, just a genuinely good person
Rivercrest Rebel Football Seniors holding up Luke’s jersey with Tonya and Luke’s younger brothers, Dylan and Kreese.
Some of you reading this may not know Tonya Pendleton, but you’re about to learn. Pendleton is from my hometown and had a son, Luke Earley, who was in my younger brother’s class. Earley passed away in a tragic accident about 10 months ago. He would’ve been a high school senior this year.
Pendleton spent the last 10 months learning how to be a mother to two boys — not three, as she once was — and in my opinion, has handled this sorrowful situation with absolute grace.
This fall, Pendleton attended all of the football games in which Earley should’ve been playing. She and her family honored Earley during this season’s Football senior night and his younger brother wore his jersey. However, Pendleton outdid herself during the senior bake sale.
The night before the bake sale, Pendleton texted my mother and asked where she could drop off her bake sale goods. This woman, who has spent the past 10 months mourning the loss of her child, still goes out of her way to support those who were there for him and loved him. She honors Luke every single day and carries on his legacy as he would’ve wanted her to.
Tonya Pendleton deserves an award for her service to the Rivercrest High School senior class, as a role model to parents everywhere and her willingness to push forward all the while making others feel loved.
