LONGWOOD, FL-Keen Umbehr, a trash hauler in rural Kansas, was an "affliction" to the county commissioners in Wabaunsee County. He did what most of us only talk about: he got involved in local politics by attending meetings and wrote a weekly newspaper column questioning how taxpayer money was being spent. Eileen Umbehr's Small Town Showdown (paperback, 978-1-60266-879-9; hardcover, 978-1-60266-880-5) is a well-documented account of how one ordinary citizen made a difference when beset with difficulties from his own community.
The commissioners demanded the editor of the local paper censor Umbehr's articles or face withdrawal of all county business. When that failed, they took a more direct approach and terminated Umbehr's contract to haul solid waste for the county. The message to other citizens could not have been more explicit-speak out against government abuses at your own economic peril. For five and a half years, the Umbehrs were litigants in a case that "was an education in itself," says the author. Now their book will provide high schools, colleges, and law schools with a case study to demonstrate the length of time a legal matter can take before finally being resolved.
Says Umbehr, "Keen never set out to change the law of the land for private contractors across America; he simply stood up and spoke out about what he believed was right. I guess you could say he fought the law, and by the grace of God, he won. The events documented in Small Town Showdown represent the modern day equivalent of David and Goliath."
Eileen Umbehr married Keen in 1978 and moved with him to Alma, Kansas, the following March. Together they raised four sons. For the past four years, Eileen has written a weekly newspaper column titled "Reflections" for The Prairie Post.
Xulon Press, a part of Salem Communications Corporation, is the world's largest Christian publisher, with more than 3,900 titles published to date. Retailers may order Small Town Showdown through Ingram Book Company and/or Spring Arbor Book Distributors. Salem Communications is the country's leading Christian communications company with interests in radio, Internet, and magazine publishing.
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2007