They were riding “High On the Hog” Thursday night in Hays Frontier Park.

The weather was perfect, unlike a week ago, when the popular  Big Brothers Big Sisters “Night in the Park with the Hays Harley Owners Group” had to be postponed because of rain.

“The date change may have kept down the number of our riders this year,” explained Nancy Jeter, BBBS Executive Director.  “We usually have about 15 kids here.”

Those who did attend were in hog heaven, with their choice of 13 Harley motorcycles to ride, carefully driven by HOG volunteers through the west park loop:

Lance Smith’s new 2014 CVO Limited bright blue bike,  was a “fun” ride for 11-year-old Avery.  “This is the first time I’ve ridden motorcycles,” she said.

Avery was there with her Big Sister Kim Stoecklein.  They’ve been matched for three years.  “We started in the school program when Avery was a Wilson second-grader,” said Stoecklein.  “Now we’re in the after-school BBBS and that gives us more time to get to know each other better.”

Smith is a road captain for the Hays HOG chapter.  “This is my sixth or seventh year to give rides to the kids,” he said.  “We’ve been doing this about 10 years now.”

Nobody remembers exactly when the program started, although Jeter recalls, the first year “the kids had sack races and three-legged races with the HOGs.”

One number Jeter is absolutely sure of–42 Littles are on the list waiting to be paired with their Bigs.

A Hays couple who are long-time supporters of Fort Hays State University announced today they will give a major gift to the university.

Ed and Donna Stehno have pledged $1 million to the FHSU Foundation. The bulk of their donation will go for athletic scholarships, said president Ed Hammond during a morning news conference.

The Stehnos served as national co-chairs of the Cornerstone Campaign, which was the largest capital campaign in the history of the university. The goal of the campaign was to raise $60 million, but when the campaign ended in June last year, nearly $69 million had been raised.

“Ed and Donna provided inspirational leadership in the Cornerstone Campaign,” President Hammond said. “Now they are stepping up to help the athletic program and our students.”

Ed Stehno thanked his three children and their families who “want us to share our good fortune with mankind, and we’re proud to make this gift to Fort Hays State University:”

“We are grateful for the generosity of the Stehno family,” Director of Athletics Curtis Hammeke said at the news conference:

Ed Stehno began teaching at FHSU in September 1971 and retired in May 2004 as a full professor in the Department of Education Administration and Counseling.  Donna Stehno was a school nurse.

The Stehno family will be honored at halftime of the FHSU football game on Saturday.

Hays Safe Ride will soon carry its 100,000th passenger.

Bob Duffy, coordinator of the Fort Hays State University Drug and Alcohol Wellness Network, is a member of the original committee that organized Safe Ride back in June, 2005.

There’s no charge to ride:

The group Partnership for a Safer Community has a surprise for the 100,00th passenger to board Safe Ride, which is projected to happen this weekend.

One lucky person will win an Android Tablet and a 100-dollar gift card, both donated by Wal-Mart.  The other passengers riding at that time will win free food certificates.

Although the sky was gray earlier today with the weather forecast calling for a chance of rain, volunteers labored this morning to stack 750 wood pallets for tonight’s TMP-Marian homecoming bonfire.

It was picture perfect:

Cars driving along 27th Street slowed as drivers glanced west to the bonfire site.  The flames also drew nearby residents, some of whom settled in their yards to watch the fire in the sky.

Volunteers are busy this morning collecting and placing 750 wood pallets that will become tonight’s Homecoming 2013 bonfire at Thomas More Prep-Marian.

Most of the volunteer stackers are parents of TMP seniors.

Steve Urban, whose son Skyler is a homecoming king candidate and STUCO secretary, is directing power-lift driver Ramie Wasinger, to the pallets stacked on a long trailer:

Wasinger then drives the bright yellow fork lift  close to a depression in the ground where TMP students, alumni and friends will gather around the bonfire to celebrate the kickoff of homecoming weekend.

“We have 750 pallets for the fire,” says Urban.  “That’s all the Hays Fire Department will allow us to use.”

The pallets, along with most of the pickups, trailers and power-lifts, have been donated by Hays businesses.

The blessing of fall sports and activities, pep rally and introduction of the 2013 homecoming candidates starts at 7p.m. in Al Billinger Fieldhouse followed by the bonfire.

This year’s theme is “Rise Above.”

 

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.

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.

 

Hays Red Cross volunteer Vernon “Pete” Peterson is in Colorado helping flood victims.

Another Kansas Red Cross volunteer, Manhattan resident Ron Frank , interviewed Peterson as he loaded the Northwest Kansas Emergency Response Vehicle (ERV) with supplies:

Peterson will be stationed in Colorado for about 10 days.

 

The Kansas Board of Regents (KBOR) will review Fort Hays State University’s updated Master Plan during their two-day meeting in Topeka.

FHSU President Ed Hammond will make the presentation Thursday.  It outlines five areas of facilities growth during the next 25 years.

The university and college presidents will also hear details of a legislative bus tour scheduled for the end of October:

Regents members are also expected to approve two proposed amendments to the Memorandum of Agreement between FHSU and the American Association of University Professors (AAUP.)

The new provisions would provide for additional salaries totaling $669,000, which will come from internal reallocation at FHSU. is available for review

Fort Hays State University will present its updated Master Plan to the Kansas Board of Regents Thursday in Topeka.

The revised master plan considers five distinct areas of campus: the Quad, the South Academic Precinct, the West Academic Precinct, the West Campus and the South Residential Precinct.  University president Ed Hammond was also part of the last master plan, presented in 1990:

The final piece of the 1990 master plan is underway now, construction of the Center for Networked Learning.  The new academic building slated to be complete June 1, 2014.

 

 

Monday night was the final USD 489 Board of Education meeting for Superintendent Will Roth.

Roth is retiring after 28 years with the Hays school district.

Board president Greg Schwartz presented a gift to Roth, who then shook hands with all the board members.

Roth started his district career as principal of Felten Middle School in 1985.  He became assistant superintendent for curriculum in 1992, and was named superintendent in 2010.

During Monday’s meeting, the board tabled the decision about choosing a firm to search for a permanent superintendent.  Dean Katt’s contract as interim superintendent runs through September 2014.

 

The wind keeps blowing, but the two new Fort Hays State University wind turbines still are not turning.

The manufacture of a piece of equipment required for the line between the turbines and Akers Energy Center on campus is delayed again.  President Ed Hammond says the estimated start-up is now at the end of October:

Fort Hays State hired “Harvest The Wind Network” in Greensburg for the turnkey project, estimated to cost about $9 million dollars.