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EDITOR's NOTE: The following commentary of support for Mark Holland is from Patty Dysart. Earlier today, The Kansan published a letter supporting Ann Murguia and her case.

I just found a copy of a paper titled “The Truth about Commissioner Holland’s proposed ordinance”.

This paper also says it comes from the people of Argentine.

This paper accuses an honorable, honest man with high morals of the following, discrimination against their community; wasting public dollars, halting NSP dollars which are stimulus dollars designated for building of housing.

What a crock?

The ordinance merely asks that commissioners not be allowed to be NBR directors.
All of these so called facts in that paper contain untruthful material.

This letter also lays claim to a high poverty Hispanic community long ignored by the Unified Government. If they are high poverty how do they afford to pay their NBR director $60,000.00 a year which is then supplemented by the NBR salary of $27,000.00 a year, plus the monthly commission salary?

Let me see does that not amount to around $90,000.00 a year? These facts were glaring to Commissioner Holland as to most of us who are NBRS. They fly in the face of ethical behavior.  Did you ever see any other commissioner or the Mayor attempt to become an NBR?

The rest of us are paid only the $27,000 per year and we are required to raise half of that salary. We are paid in quarters after submitting proof of raising $5,500 per quarter or we would not get paid.

When I founded the NBR for Armourdale, it took me three years of hard work with absolutely no salary. The rest of us are required to serve all entities, the residents, the businesses, the churches and agencies.

All of those entities work with Armourdale Renewal to improve out community and help our inner-city lower income residents that contains just as many Hispanic families as Argentine.

We just do not go around using that as a crutch, we try to serve the families with the community resources available to us. It also took Wilma Allen and the residents of the 1200 block of Osage 3 years to obtain sidewalks for one block of one side of the street.

Mr.Boykin applied for his sidewalk block on Miami over 5 years ago. No one has stepped forward to help us.

Don’t get me wrong Argentine deserves all the improvements they are getting and any other benefits they receive in the future. I love Argentine and its people. I am thrilled to see Wolf Burgers opened up again. I have missed Mac’s Little Banquet every week since the day it closed. My Aunt, Buetta Meyers moved right behind the pharmacy after the 51 flood until the day she died. She raised me in Armourdale along with her own children and gave me a wonderful childhood. (CLICK READ MORE)

I would really like to see the Franklin Center restored and usable again. The 12th Street Bridge unites our two communities. Our residents have common lifestyles as well as the Central Avenue Area. The Prescott Plaza is devoted to the Hispanic community. Don’t get me started on that subject. We still have a few American food places to eat. Wolfe’s is my choice for breakfast, Fritz’s serves breakfast until 10: AM but that is the time I eat my breakfast. We are really grateful to Maria the new Hispanic owner of Wolf Burgers. She realizes that all our cultures love the good old American breakfast of biscuits and sausage, pancakes etc. She is smart enough to offer both American and Mexican food. I see her having a very successful business.

Dagwoods in Rosedale has new ownership, serving good old fashioned food with hand breaded tenderloins and fresh cut French fries. Well there I go again about food. I still need to try the sandwiches at Simpson and Central Avenue. By the way did you know that Hassigs Drug Store will be celebrating their 100th years in business on the corner of 10th and Central Avenue on October 15th at 10: AM?

I hear there is a good little coffee shop on Quindaro Boulevard. Could someone give the name, exact location and hours of the shop? I extend an open invitation for you to have breakfast at Wolfe’s any morning. Wolfe’s is on the corner of 9th & Osage in Armourdale. We hope to see everyone at our “Salute to Hispanic” Heritage Business luncheon in Armourdale on Friday September 11th from noon-1:30 PM at the Armourdale Recreation Center located at 730 Osage Avenue in beautiful downtown Armourdale. Call Kim at 913-371-5696 for table sponsorships and additional information.

Patty Dysart can be reached at p.dysart@sbcglobal.net