By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post

Editor’s Note: Every day, we see names chiseled on buildings or posted on city street signs, but we don’t always know who these people were. For those who have not lived all their lives in Hays — or perhaps for some who have — “WHO ARE YOU?” is our attempt to share some history about the Hays community.

Valis Rockwell Administration Center, 323 W. 12th St., Hays

If you have been to Hays USD 489 administration center on 12th Street, you may have seen a sign in memory of Valis Rockwell, for whom the building is named.

Valis Rockwell was the longest-tenured superintendent in the Hays school district.

Rockwell was born on May 17, 1913, near Waldren, Kansas. He grew up in Lewis, Kansas, and graduated from Stafford High School in 1931.

He and his wife, Freda, both worked as a teachers for rural Ness County schools. Valis was appointed as a principal and then superintendent in 1940.

He served in the Navy during World War II and then worked briefly for International Harvester in LaCrosse before moving to Hays in 1950 to attend Fort Hays State University and study for his master’s degree in education.

Rockwell began teaching at Lincoln Elementary School in 1950. A year later, he moved to the high school where he worked as a counselor and business manager for the district.

He and his wife survived the flood of 1951, and Valis earned his master’s degree in 1953.

In 1957, when Superintendent Clyde Phillips retired, Rockwell was hired to take his place.

Under Rockwell’s leadership, the area schools were unified, and the Hays district’s boundaries grew from just the city limits to encompass about a third of the county, including Munjor, Schoenchen, Antonino and Catharine schools. When Rockwell retired, the district had 4,000 students compared to this year’s enrollment of 3,201.

With the growth in enrollment, new schools had to be built. Bond issues were passed to build Wilson Elementary; Hays Junior High School, which became Felten Middle School; Roosevelt Elementary; and Munjor Elementary.

Rockwell saw his share of frustration as well. Two bond issues failed during his tenure, one by only 20 votes. He had supported a new high school proposal, but a bond to build what is now HHS did not pass until after his retirement.

The former Hays High School, where Rockwell served as a counselor, was converted into district offices in 1990 after the new high school was built on East 13th Street. The administration building was named for Rockwell during a ceremony in August 1990.

According to newspaper accounts, Rockwell was in attendance at the dedication and said, “To have our name associated with this stately old building is the highest honor.”

Also attending the event was Don Hurst, assistant superintendent of curriculum at that time.

He said Rockwell “had an uncanny memory and ability to call people by name, and he would usually asked how the children were and called them by name, too.”

Tom Toepfer, school board president in 1990, said thousands of students went through Hays schools while Rockwell was superintendent.

“They all knew him,” he said. “I won’t be surprised if they all call him their friend too.”

Rockwell died at age 90 in 2003.

Upon his passing, many district staff members reflected on his standing as a role model in the community in newspaper accounts.

Eric Harfmann, who was principal of Kennedy Middle School in 2003, said, “He was always cool under pressure. He always thought situations out before he made a decision, always looked at all the sides of an issue.”

Eloise Miller, who taught kindergarten and first grade for more than 48 years at Lincoln, recalled Rockwell’s flexibility.

“He was a great superintendent because he was practical,” she said shortly after his death. “Rather than saying, ‘This is a strict rule,’ he listened to people and did what was best for the people involved.”

Mike Karl, a junior high physical education teacher Rockwell hired in 1972 said, “He was a perfect guy to be in education because education is about people, and that’s what he represented. … I remember him as being a people person more than anything. He had the ability to do business with you, yet smile and make you feel important. He not only knew you and remembered your name but the names of all your family.”

A portrait of Rockwell still hangs at the top of the stairs on the second floor as you come in the main entrance to the building.

What will ultimately happen to the property on 12th Street is in question, as the district debates its long-term facilities plan. The building is declining and has accessibility issues. Some have suggested closing the building and moving administration offices to another existing school facility.

It’s interesting to note that Hays school history at 12th Street goes back much further than the Rockwell building.

Before the current building was constructed, another high school stood on that site that was built in 1916. The 1916 building was torn down to make way for a newer high school that ultimately became Rockwell Administration Center.

A school occupied that site even before 1916. The original permanent school building for the city of Hays was constructed on that site in 1873. Pieces of limestone from that schoolhouse are built into the wall just as you come in the main entrance of Rockwell.

Sources: USD 489, Ellis County Historical Society

By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post

Fort Hays State University thanked the donors for the new video boards for Lewis Field and Gross Memorial Coliseum at a press conference Friday.

Verlin and Elaine Pfannenstiel, Don and Chris Bickle, the Bob and Patricia Schmidt Foundation, and Eagle Communications donated $1 million toward the $1.2 million cost of the video boards.

“Athletics is what unites us,” said Jason Williby, president and CEO of the FHSU Foundation, “It unites us as a university, as a community, as a state. We are proud to be Tiger Gold on Fridays and black and gold on Saturdays. Spectators at Gross Memorial are going to be treated for decades to a beautiful, four-sided video board that would not have been possible without the Pfannenstiel family.”

In a prepared statement, the Pfannenstiels thanked the athletic director and FHSU for allowing them to be a part of the video board project.

The video board at Lewis Field was thanks to the donations from the Bickles, Schmidt Foundation and Eagle Communications.

Curtis Hammeke, FHSU athletics director, said there was no doubt the scoreboards, which had been in place since the early ’90s, needed to be replaced.

“The common denominator with these people, I think, is their work ethic and their principals, and these are the things they are bringing to us that are great examples for our athletes to see,” Hammeke said. “We are trying to accomplish great things in the arena. We are out there in front of everybody all the time and putting ourselves at risk. These people did that with their businesses. They have gone through that and excelled, and now they are giving it back.”

FHSU head football coach Chris Brown thanked all the donors to the project. He noted the new video board has helped in recruiting efforts by showing potential players the commitment donors have to Tiger athletics.

“I can’t tell you what a privilege it is to be up here to thank such wonderful people — a group of people who bleed black and gold, through and through — a group of people who have truly supported FHSU for many, many years. I can’t thank you enough for all you have done for us,” Brown said.

Tony Hobson, FHSU head women’s basketball coach, said, “We have one of the nicest historic arenas to play in. It is one of the best in the country, but it is going on 50 years old. When we get a video board, it is like taking a beautiful classic car and putting a new engine in it. It is just better. You take something that is good already and make it better.”

Gary Shorman, Eagle Communications president and CEO, talked about the teamwork that brought the project together.

“When you talk about teamwork, you can do it on the field, you can do it on the court, you can do it with your customers, you can do it with your listeners, but you do it as a community, and that is one of the things we see happen,” Shorman said. “We at Eagle carry around a coin. On the front of the coin, it says Eagle, of course. You have to have that there, and then it says ‘Our Community Connected.’ That is exactly what we are doing here today, connecting our community with those in the area and being a partner with the Pfannenstiels and the Bickles.”

Don Bickle remembered his friend Bob Schmidt fondly. Schmidt died in 2017. He said the friends had something in common.

“We are firmly, staunchly in favor of God and country, and we believe that from the bottom of our hearts. If you look at the projects we have been involved in, in every one of those, that is there or we are not there,” Bickle said.

FHSU President Tisa Mason concluded the press conference with her remarks.

“I wanted to remind everyone today that it is not just a scoreboard,” she said. “It is about so many other things. It is about fan engagement whether it is a kissing cam or the crazy games by Matt Cook. It is about engagement of the community. It is also, in my mind’s eye, about the athletes who fight with determination and resilience in every competition. I picture them looking out of the corner of their eye and being that much more motivated to go for the win and pull it out and fight with strength and courage for our institution.”

Mason said the FHSU student athletes are a special class of people.

“As we watch the Olympics right now, we watch people who have to have the courage to get up after a fall—to fight to work hard to have an amazing win,” Mason said. “Our student athletes not only do that every day as athletes, but they also go to class and they study and they get a college degree at the same time. The way athletics impacts this community is profound, and it brings us together, as all the speakers have said, as a true family, so thank you for being a part of our true family and making us get better every day.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

UPDATE: An event will still take place on Friday, April 20 but is being revamped. See the Hays Post for further updates.

By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post

Downtown Hays has revamped its spring The Taste event, added a fashion show and dubbed it Catwalk on the Bricks.

The event, which will be Friday, April 20, will offer some of the same features the popular Taste event did. Participants will be able to sample appetizer-size foods from downtown restaurants and will receive two drink tickets for wine or beer.

Stores also have the option of offering refreshments in their businesses after the fashion show.

“We want people to have a taste of downtown, whether it is services or food or anything. They got that with The Taste, but people got kind of bored. It was the same event. We had it for several years, and we wanted to throw a big flare in there, and downtown business owners actually requested to have a fashion show,” said Ashley Roth, Downtown Hays Development Corp. assistant director.

Cost will be $25. Tickets go on sale Monday, Feb. 26. Tickets can be purchased online at www.downtownhays.com or by calling the Downtown Hays Development Corporation office at 785-621-4171. You must 21 years old or older to purchase tickets, and an ID will be required to enter. Drinks will only be permitted on Main Street between 10th and 11th streets.

Only 300 tickets will be sold.

Check-in for the event will be from 5:30 to 6 p.m. Tables and chairs will be set up on Mains Street with a red carpet. Participants can mingle and enjoy their drinks, and then the fashion show will kick off at 6 p.m. The main event of the night will be a DJ’ed fashion show featuring looks from downtown retailers. Local salons will do hair and makeup for local models. The show will feature each retailer twice with different looks.

Sara Bloom, DHDC executive director, said you will see a variety of ages in the show, and the show will include men’s women’s and children’s fashions.

The committee chose the title Catwalk on the Bricks because they wanted the stylists to be creative and really go all out with the makeup and hair, Bloom said.

After the fashion show between 7 and 9 p.m., people will be free to stroll downtown with retailers extending shopping hours for the event. Participants will receive a brochure with exclusive event coupons.

“So the fun of The Taste has still been kept. It has just been added upon,” Bloom said. “With the Catwalk, you are still going to have great giveaways, because all of the business are going to donate gift cards or products or items that are going to be given away.”

The gift cards will be given away after the fashion show.

“If you are one of those lucky winners, you are going to have money in your pocket right away to go enjoy and spend,” Bloom said. “You are getting the fun of The Taste. You’re keeping the stroll. You are still getting a lot of food and drink. You are still getting to shop really late at these businesses that sometimes close a little early for you to shop at. You are getting all the excitement that was The Taste, and we are throwing in a little bit extra with the fashion show.”

By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post

There are still three days left to see HE SAID SHE SHED, an exhibition created by Fort Hays State University interior design students, at the Moss-Thorns Gallery of Art.

This year, the program chose the theme of “she sheds,” a relaxation or recreational area similar to a man cave. In addition, two students designed around the Sherwin-Williams color of the year, which is a deep shade of red.

“The vignettes show them the real 3-D, real-word experience of how you would create a space,” said Colin Schmidtberger, graduate teaching assistant and one of the organizers of the show. “Through classes, they work through drawings and just talking about (design). To create the space is a whole different aspect of design. Having them do the show vignette helps them understand space management and how they are going to create a space and make a space work in their layout of the design.”

Participation in at least one of the annual exhibits is a graduation requirement for the interior design program. This year’s exhibit features sophomores through seniors. The students finance their own projects and receive one graded credit-hour for the exhibit project.

“We figure out what the show will be the previous semester,” Schmidtberger said. “That way they have enough time to work up ideas and really figure out what they need to do to complete the whole process.”

Kendra Inslee and Emily Becker designed the summer-themed she shed and created an outdoor reading area. They used a grouping of crates for display of books and decorative items.

Hannah Henry and Baylee Wells created a bar area for their fall-themed she shed. They built several pieces of original furniture for their vignette. This included an antique bicycle that was transformed into a bar, two bicycle rims that were used to create a glass-top table and a free-form piece of wood that was used to build an industrial-style lamp.

“Every vignette brings in the styles of the students doing it, so it is really interesting to see the whole process through and seeing them working up the idea from the start to actually seeing it completed,” Schmidtberger said.

Khaleb Logan Cason and Mayra Rangel, who took on the color-of-the-year project, pursued an oriental theme. They set a dining room with scroll boxes, a tea set, and oriental-style furniture and wall hangings.

The winter-themed she shed by Brittany Ollenborger and Sarah Stute was designed as a sleeping and reading area.

“It makes you want to jump into bed,” Schmidtberger said. “They did a really good job of making the room feel homey. It is very inviting. The color scheme they used, it represents winter with the blues and whites and soft grays, so they did a really good job of incorporating winter into their space and made sure that it was a very inviting bedroom for someone to be in.”

Courtney Nemechek and Madalynn Schreiber designed a planting shed for their vignette. The shed has a planting station that the students constructed out of pallet boards. They also built a tiered plant stand and birdhouse and equipped their she shed with a metal seating area with table for two.

“This is an outdoor space,” Schmidtberger said of the vignettes. “This is not something that would be in your home. It would be a backyard kind of escape from your house area.”

He said all the designs the students created would be achievable for the home designer even on a small budget.

Schmidtberger said he benefited greatly from his experience with the exhibit when he was a student.

“It showed me that I was capable of doing a design for a client,” he said. “I learned the basics of design and how to create a space. This project made me feel comfortable so I could go out and do it on my own.”

Photos of Schmidtberger’s graduate project are also on display as a part of the exhibit. He designed and remodeled two bathrooms and a utility room for a client, not only completing design work, but doing demolition and laying tile for the project.

The Moss-Thorns Gallery is in Rarick Hall. It is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Fridays. HE SAID SHE SHED will up through Friday. It will be followed by the annual graphic design exhibit.