The new Wendy’s restaurant in north Hays, 4235 Vine Street, is a new participant in Dine Out Days for the United Way of Ellis County.

And also new to Dine Out Days, the opportunity to purchase breakfast.

Wendy’s will donate 20% of its proceeds to the United Way between 7 and 10a.m. Saturday, October 5.

Today, September 18, is Dine Out Day at the Golden Q.

Tuesday, September 24, the Pizza Hut will donate 10% of its proceeds between 5 and 8p.m.

Next Wednesday, September 25, it’s Dine Out Day at the Taco Shop.

Earlier this month, Sen. Moran met with Hays native and American Legion Kansas Department Adjutant Chuck Yunker, as well as Ulysses native and

former American Legion Kansas Department Commander K.T. (Tom) Gregg following testimony of the American Legion before the House and Senate Veterans’ Affairs (VA) Committees.

“It was a pleasure to visit with Chuck and Tom about the important issues facing our nation’s veterans,” Sen. Moran said. “I reaffirmed my commitment to make certain the VA claims backlog is diminished and that the IRS does not violate the privacy of our nation’s heroes with unjust mandates.”

Al’s Chickenette has reopened under new management. Last weekend, the restaurant had a “soft opening” to stress test the staff and work out any necessary kinks.  The restaurant, which has been a staple of Hays since 1949, closed last spring.

Caroline von Lintel, co-owner of Al’s with Gary Reiman (who owns multiple Wendy’s restaurants), told Hays Post the goal was not to simply reopen the restaurant, but to also to get people to fall back in love with it.  While Reiman’s expertise is the kitchen and the food quality, von Lintel said her background in interior design (as well as her family’s artistic vision) was applied to the layout of the restaurant.

Her son designed the new logo, and her daughter hand-crafted the many sculptures and mason jar lighting fixtures seen along the walls.  One notable piece she created is the large fabricated chicken on the south side of the store, which von Lintel explained was recycled from family parts.

“She left and went down to her grandpa’s ranch in Russell Springs and when she came back she’d taken the windmill that had fallen down and made the feathers. She was contemplating what she was going to do for the eye, and her dad and grandma brought her these really old cast-iron skillets.  So the eye is made out of cast-iron skillets, and the pupil of the eye is the turn signal from a vintage Indian motorcycle.”

Some of the changes the owners have made to the restaurant include:

• All food is prepared daily and fresh, not frozen or from a can
• Updated HVAC system
• Adding a bakery inside the store
• Update to the original recipe (no longer fried in 100% lard)
• Use of 4 pound birds (to avoid small pieces and disappointed guests)
• All food brought in from in-state sources/farms when possible (including corn, beans and chicken)
• All staff work together instead of having designated jobs
• Wait staff working as a team to deliver food to all tables, not just their sections
• Many aesthetic changes

von Lintel added that regardless of how people remember it, there’s enough of the old Al’s along with some modernization that everyone will be able to enjoy the restaurant.

“I want everyone to come out, I want them to fall back in love with Al’s again. It’s a feel-good place.  It’s here, it’s back. Everyone thought we were going to lose it, but we’re resurrecting it and bringing it back.  I think we’re doing as good, if not a better job than what was done in the past.  We’re going to put our best foot forward.  It’s not ours, it’s everybody’s Al’s.”

A lot of traffic drives across 13th Street in Hays every day, causing a lot of wear and tear.

The city is planning to make improvements to 13^th between Main and Milner, says assistant city manager Paul Briseno:

Commissioners will discuss the 13^th Street improvements during their Thursday work session as well as a transfer of $1.5 million from Financial Policy Projects to Capital Projects  to fund the project.

The second annual “Empty Place at the Table” fundraising event for Jana’s Campaign is September 28th at the Robbins Center in Hays.

Jana’s Campaign was created by the family and friends of Jana Mackey, a KU law student from Hays who was killed by her ex-boyfriend in 2008. The mission of the organization is to reduce gender and relationship violence by focusing in on preventing violence before it happens as well as educating individuals on the dangers of violence.

Dr. Christie Brungardt, Jana’s mother said the event “Signifies that place that is left when someone is killed as a result of domestic violence and that is what happened to our daughter and so we decided that that would be a fitting event for us to hold.”

She also said, “It is symbolic of the massive struggles that that causes within a family and the void that leaves.”

Last year was the first year they held the event and Brungardt said last year was a success. “It was really very fun and people had a good time. We felt that we raised awareness about a very serious, difficult issue but were able to have fun and meet a lot of people and have fun at the same time.”

The night will feature a diner, cocktails, an auction and live music at the Robbins Center on the Fort Hays State University campus. The event gets underway at 6:00 p.m. on Saturday, September 28^th.

For tickets and more information go to www.janascampaign.org.

The Ellis High School homecoming parade begins at 2:30 p.m. on Friday.  The football game against Ellinwood is at 7 p.m.

Below is the 2013 Ellis High School Homecoming royalty.  Photo courtesy of Ellis High School.