A generous donation from a prominent Hays family for the Friends of the Hays Dog Park project is a “huge boost,” according to FHDP President Kim Perez.

Ten-thousand dollars is going to the dog park project, donated by Henry Schwaller IV in honor of this grandparents, Henry and Juliette Schwaller.  The elder Schwaller recently passed away

Perez  says the donation moves the project within $4,000 of  meeting the goal of $33,000 for Phase One.

The city is allowing the dog park to be built in phases at the Bickle-Schmidt Sports Complex.

“Phase 1 would cost $32,845.17 and include fencing for a 1-acre area, a staging area, a finished parking lot, and other park amenities,” explains Perez.  “Phase 2 will cost $42,269 and will include the fencing for a five-acre area.  And Phase 3 will cost $33,686 , to include the installation of additional amenities for the park. ”

FHDP volunteers have held three fundraisers this summer and have two more planned for this summer and fall.

All donations are processed by the Heartland Community Foundation, an affiliate of the Greater Salina Community Foundation.

The city of Hays has agreed to a three- year, “no-drill” oil and gas lease of  Fort Hays Memorial Gardens.

Land adjacent to the cemetery west of Hays is leased by David Barker for oil and gas exploration:

The city is getting a $1,000 dollar lease bonus, and a standard one-eighth royalty, plus a proportionate amount of any production.

Hays City Commissioners approved the lease during their meeting Thursday night.

In other business, they accepted the low bid of $66,000 for repainting the interior of the city’s north water tower and approved an ordinance and resolution authorizing issuance and delivery of general obligation refunding and improvement bonds.

Of course, you already knew it would rain.

Thursday we told you about that morning’s third annual “Rock and Chalk” happening on the sidewalks of downtown Ellis.

Public Library Director Steve Arthur noted proudly that it has rained the past two years shortly after the chalk artists had their fun.

And yes, as you can see by the library sign, the rain streak continues for the third consecutive year.

Rainfall amounts:  Ellis-1.90″; Hays-2.37″.

Alzheimer’s disease is the most common type of dementia, caused when nerve cells in the brain die.

The death of neurons causes changes in a person’s memory, behavior and ability to think clearly.

In Alzheimer’s disease, these brain changes eventually impair basic body functions such as walking and swallowing.

A fundraising walk for Alzheimer’s research will be held in Hays October 12.  Last year the event raised $8,800.

According to Central and Western Kansas Outreach Coordinator Jan Evans, Wichita, many people will have normal age-related memory loss, but Alzheimer’s is ultimately  fatal:

In 2010, 52,000 Kansas were diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, a number health officials predict will continue to grow.

More information about Alzheimer’s and the upcoming Hays fundraiser is available by calling toll free 1-800-272-3900 or on-line at www.alz.org.

 

The July 31 USD 489 Board of Education work session has been cancelled.

According to USD 489 Public Information Coordinator Elizabeth Jaeger,  school board members will meet August 5, the next regularly scheduled meeting.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt was in Hays Tuesday to speak at the Eagle Professional Development Series for the Hays Area Young Professionals.

Schmidt is also the guest on an upcoming Eagle Community TV Forum, where he discussed the state’s opposition to the national “Affordable Health Care Act”: HAYP is a local organization sponsored by the Hays Area Chamber of Commerce and meet monthly. The Eagle Professional Development Series brings in state-wide leaders to provide the HAYP members information on their personal and professional development.

You can watch more of our interview with Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt on an upcoming edition of  The Forum, on Eagle Community TV Channel 14.

 

 

Children of all ages added a little extra color to their Wednesday —and to the sidewalks of Ellis—during the annual Rock & Chalk in front of the Ellis Public Library.

The event, part of the “Hogs Gone Wild” Ellis Junior Free Fair, drew nearly fifty children and parents.

Participants went “hog wild” with their creative chalking, while enjoying music and free sno-cones from Arthur’s Pizza.

According to Ellis Alliance Director Kim Patee, the last couple years it rained after the sidewalks were decorated, and even though their work immediately melted away, there were no complaints from the chalk artists.

Rock & Chalk is sponsored by Arthur’s Pizza and Mexican Foods, Ellis Public Library and Eagle Communications.

 

Still no agreement about salaries or pay raises for teachers in USD 489.

Negotiation groups for the Hays school district and the Hays NEA met late Tuesday afternoon.

The board of  education is offering to add $160,00 to the salary schedule, according to superintendent Will Roth.  Hays NEA representative Kim Schneweis says the district has saved $446,000  by not filling vacant teaching positions.   The teachers union wants $450,000 dollars added for returning staff.  School board president Greg Schwarz says there is not enough money for that.

The negotiating teams did tentatively agree to revise the Hays High School schedule, with teachers conducting six classes and students attending seven classes in the previous 90-minute block schedule.  That schedule won’t be approved until the both sides agree on a new contract.

The 2012-13 contract remains in effect.

The groups will meet again August 6 at 4:30p.m.

 

Most kids probably don’t want to think about it, but that first day of school is creeping closer, and purchasing the necessary school supplies can be a  major financial burden for some families.

To help those families in Ellis County, First Call for Help (FCFH) has partnered with Nex-Tech and Nex-Tech Wireless to provide “Backpacks for Kids.”

About 650 local students and their families will be helped this year.

Donations of various school supplies were collected Friday at Wal-Mart, the Hays Mall, Dollar General and Walgreens.

School items are still being collected this week and can be dropped off at any Hays Nex-Tech location.

The biggest needs, according to FCFH, are new backpacks, reams of computer paper, composition notebooks and three-ring binders, although anything on a school’s supplies list is appreciated.

Personal hygiene items such as deodorant, shampoo and toothpaste are also welcomed, as are cash donations.

Students and their families will pick up the ”Backpacks for Kids” August 1 at the Hadley Center.

 

A  community service project organized by the Hays Area Children’s Center is helping the United Way of Ellis County and a member agency, Options Domestic and Sexual Violence Services.

Community Relations Coordinator Kelly O’Brien Koerner says the HACC School Age Program is collecting non-perishable food items this week.

“People who would like to help can bring canned foods to the HACC front entryway at 94 Lewis Drive,  where we have drop-off boxes,” she says.

 

There was plenty of sunscreen to go around, so no ACTUAL butts were burned during Saturday morning’s first-ever Burnt Butt 5K fundraiser for the Cancer Council of Ellis County.

The event was held in conjunction with the annual downtown Hays Annual KCBS-sanctioned BBQ contest…hence the race name.

Butt wait—there’s more!

Additional moneys were raised for the Cancer Council as people voted with their dollars to watch someone kiss a real live pig.

The “lucky” winner, Lonny Claycamp of Insurance Planning, who laid one on the swine from the Fort Hays State University Farm.

Organizer Sara Bloom says 70 runners took on the Burnt Butt 5K, with 10 more people participating in the Fun Run:

(Pictures Courtesy Cancer Council of Ellis County)

 

Specialized training for the Hays Fire Department resumes after it was interrupted by last Tuesday’s early morning train derailment and fire.

The firefighters are back for hands-on-training using a house on West 4^th Street slated for demolition.

Chief Gary Brown says the exercise involves teamwork needed to make an aggressive fire attack and then finding and rescuing an unconscious person, simulated by a 200-pound dummy.

The firefighters practice  moving a fire attack hose quickly through the the building, and then a quick transition to the rescue process.

The two weeks of training is being conducted by a workgroup that includes Firefighters Justin Choitz, Travis Johannes and  Ross Meder.

The training continues Tuesday and Wednesday mornings from 9 until noon.  The house at, 415 West 4^th street is is owned by Dan Meckenstock who allowed the fire department to use it for training prior to demolition.

 

The city of Hays 2013 curb and brick repair project is working on Main Street at the 9th Street intersection today.

This section will be completely closed for the entire day and will reopen by approximately 5 p.m..

The construction is in relation to 2013 street maintenance project.