To the Editor:

What a great headline on page A5 of the July 19 State Journal: "Franklin County Food Pantry gets some big help."

And what a photo accompanying the article beneath the headline. There, smiling broadly like new fathers, holding a giant check for $25,000 from Walmart, were state Sen. Julian Carroll, Franklin County magistrate Don Sturgeon, and state Rep. Derrick Graham.

Surrounding what appeared to be proud new fathers were Coleman Elridge, an executive assistant in Gov. Steve Beshear's office; Frankfort Mayor Gippy Graham; Frankfort commissioner Bill May; and Franklin County magistrate Jill Robinson. Most were grinning like proud new godparents.

How wonderful! Surely all those politicos had teamed up to convince the giant retailer to help support the Franklin County Food Pantry. No doubt the $25,000 was part of a greater amount that those happy public servants were raising to support the local social-service agency that often means the difference between down-on-their-luck local people having decent food " or any food at all " and going hungry.

But no, they weren't principals in the happy circumstance. In fact, the principals were almost lost in the crowd.

According to the article, a Food Pantry board member, Willie Lile, researched and wrote the grant proposal to the Walmart Community Foundation that resulted in the generous contribution to help feed hungry folks in the Frankfort-Franklin County community. She was standing modestly to the far left in the photo. Frankfort Walmart Manager Warren Wilson was standing on the left, close to the check but not holding it.

Franklin County Food Pantry President Terry Magel was standing on the right, close to the check but not holding it. Jason Wetzel, regional WalMart representative, was standing modestly to the far right.

A cynical person might conclude that the politicians were trying to steal the limelight on the happy occasion. But such a conclusion would be unfair to them, since they were invited to the check-presentation ceremony and as a courtesy asked to be in the photo. No doubt they did take advantage of an opportunity to be part of some good local news and to remind voters about their public-spiritedness.

Surely they were there and posed for the photo for another reason. And that had to be their sincere desires to show State Journal readers their strong support for the Food Pantry. It had to be a clear public indication that every one of them, whether from state or county or city government, will be leading and participating in efforts for years and years to come to keep the shelves at the newly constructed Food Pantry storage building full to bulging all year round.

The local community no doubt will look forward to reading in The State Journal about their efforts and successes.

Joseph Burgess
Frankfort