Dear Editor:

My father, Martin Klein, carries two things in his pants pocket often more useful than his wallet: a jackknife and a handkerchief. Growing up, my siblings and I witnessed the single blade jackknife do the obvious -- cut gum out of hair, slice string and tape around packages, shave bark from twigs for toasting marshmallows, unravel knots in yoyo strings and shoe laces, pare oranges, peel carrots, tighten screws on toys and my mother's pots, fix parts of lawnmowers, and repair farm machinery and car engines. Likewise, his handkerchief, freshly ironed and white, was equally useful. There'd always be a clean spot for blowing noses, wiping faces and hands, drying tears, checking the oil, cleaning up spills, wrapping a cut, and polishing an apple.

For my father, these two items resemble a portable tool chest. They represent the epitome of the Boy Scout motto, "Be Prepared." For my father, an Eagle Scout, being prepared has been his creed throughout his professional and personal life. These simple tools represent how he can do a lot with a little, how he's resourceful and compassionate, and how he's prepared for any challenge he faces. I know that my father, Martin Klein, will make a great First Selectman for the town of Killingworth: he's prepared with the wisdom Killingworth needs.

Lisa Klein Winkler
Maplewood, NJ