Reply to Letter to the Editor

The "Please show us that ALL of us are important," from the letter to the editor in behalf of Miles Knepper, stirred some emotion in me. I was waiting for the right time to acknowledge him and thought this was an appropriate time to do so. You really are ALL important!

I was one who noticed Miles last year when I took his mother's paper route. The first morning I spent from 2:00 a.m. to 6:00 a.m. delivering papers with his mother hoping to help make his life a little easier. I learned what a great person she was and also how much her admiration of Miles made me like him even more than before. I left that experience being a better person!

The second morning I was on my own in the dark to figure out addresses where there was none and figure who had what paper and how many of each. My new map took me many hours to make. And let's not forget the fact that the press was down until around 6:00 a.m. which left me dancing on the street with the trash man. At least by 7:30 a.m. I could read street names and house adresses! Well, I lasted at that job only two mornings which is the reason I am now at Viewmont being an aide in Special Education. I love it too!

Miles helped his mother do that paper route for over two years and I could only do it 2 days!!! Miles would get up with his mother at 1:30 a.m. to fold and bag his papers at the Woods Cross Warehouse with rubberbands and plastic they had to pay for themselves. The pay was practically nothing and was dependant upon tips from the subscriber, if there were any?

The Knepper's route extended along the whole North west side of Centerville. And many households took both papers where they had specific places on their property which to place them. Let's not forget the homes with no addresses and those that had no lighting to see where to step or place the paper. In fact, my husband ended up footing the whole route to place the papers perfectly or else a complaint would cost us a dollar each complaint. We ended up in the whole! He's still an attorney from that experience, happier than before of course! The sacrifice for education is worth it!!!

Yeah, Miles counts in the Blotter home!!! We noticed his death. We took notice of his t-shirt his friends wore in memory of him. He is someone great to be remembered!!! And we are not the only one's who are missing him! He is a loss to all of Viewmont and our community just like his friends would be! And thank you Taylor Smith for recipricating the same kindness and being the best peer tutor ever!

Scott Blotter