Election of Silver Haired Legislators for Osage County will be 10:30 a.m.-12 p.m. Friday, March 10, 2023, at three locations in Osage County: Burlingame Senior Nutrition Site, 116 W. Lincoln Ave., Burlingame; Carbondale Senior Nutrition Site, 228 Main St., Carbondale, KS 66414; and Osage County Senior Center, 604 Market St., Osage City.

Voting instructions and ballots will be posted at each voting place. Date and times will be the same for each site. Those voting should give the following information to the poll worker: Name, address, city or town, and age, and voters should be 60 years or older.

Silver Haired Legislature candidates from Osage County who have filed for election include:

Melody Hoffsommer, Overbrook

• Candidate statement: Transportation, healthcare costs, safety, and isolation are a few of the problems facing senior citizens today. As a caring member of my community, I would like the opportunity to help create policies, plans, and programs that would benefit retirees and society as a whole. I’ve earned a BA in Political Science and an MSE in School Counseling. Currently, I am a member of Kansas Association of Retired School Personnel, on the Board of Directors of the Appanoose Area Preservation Society, and belong to Northeast Kansas BeeKeepers Association. Your vote would be much appreciated. Thank you.

Betty Hughs, Osage City

• Candidate statement: I will spotlight the treasure we as a people have in the mature persons of Kansas. We still have much to contribute to those coming up behind us. Diversity of life experiences is vast and unique in our age group. I will clearly show just because one is over 60, one should not be considered useless. Many of we “seniors” who want to work, are rudely shoved aside due to age. The goal is to show we seniors have much more to give and are extremely worth the effort, for the Silvered Haired Legislature to stand in the gap.

Roxanne Wendt, Melvern

• Candidate statement: For the past 35 years I have worked as a speech-language pathologist in public schools. In my professional career, I have worked diligently to ensure that my students developed a strong voice for themselves. Early in my career, I witnessed the importance of being able to express to others your personal needs and to feel a sense of being heard. Now, as I am nearing the end of my professional work career, I realize my work is far from over. At this time, I believe it is now my responsibility to advocate for the needs of my fellow senior citizens living in Osage County, Kansas, as our voices deserve to be heard in the Kansas Capitol.

The election is conducted by East Central Kansas Area Agency on Aging, Ottawa, Kan.; call 800-633-5621 for more information.