The annual Hays Arts Council Creative Writing Awards was sponsored this year by Optimist Club of Hays. The competition is open to all Ellis County students in kindergarten through 12th grade. Winners in each category received ribbons at the awards ceremony and reception on Sunday, May 5.
The contest was judged by the Fort Hays State University English Department, including Jacinta Carter, Linda McHenry, Brett Weaver, Sharla Hutchison, Lexey Bartlett, Lou Ann Gottschalk, Eric Leuschner, and Sharon Graham. Morgan Chalfant was the Creative Writing Judging Committee chair. See a full list of winners below.
Every second Saturday in May, letter carriers in more than 10,000 cities and towns across America collect the goodness and compassion of their postal customers, who participate in the NALC Stamp Out Hunger National Food Drive — the largest one-day food drive in the nation.
This year the drive will be Saturday, May 11.
Led by letter carriers represented by the National Association of Letter Carriers (AFL-CIO), with help from rural letter carriers, other postal employees and other volunteers, the drive has delivered more than one billion pounds of food the past 25 years.
Carriers collect non-perishable food donations left by mailboxes and in post offices and deliver them to local community food banks, pantries and shelters. Nearly 1,500 NALC branches in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam and the Virgin Islands are involved.
The United States Postal Service, National Association of Letter Carriers, National Rural Letter Carriers’ Association, AFL-CIO, United Way, Valassis and Valpak Direct Marketing Systems are all supporting this year’s Stamp Out Hunger food drive.
To donate, just place a box or can of non-perishable food next to your mailbox before your letter carrier delivers mail. The carrier will do the rest. The food is sorted, and delivered to an area food bank or pantry, where it is available for needy families.
With 42 million people facing hunger every day in America, including 13 million children, this drive is one way you can help those in your own city or town who need help.
Ethan Lang when he won the local Youth Entrepreneur Challenge in Hays.
By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays Post
A Thomas More Prep-Marian senior is making a big splash with his financial education business.
He has more than 106,000 followers on Instagram and recently won two entrepreneurship awards at the state competition for his business pitch.
Lang’s business is called Making Cents of Finance. He offers education on financial topics such as credit cards, investing, business, retirement, debt and loans.
Lang makes no secret about the fact he is only 18, only recently was eligible for his own brokerage account and has never done his own taxes. It is all there right there in his bio on his website.
He is targeting 18- to 34-year-olds — young people just like himself who are just getting started in the world.
“I think it is important for young people to learn about finance, especially personal finance,” Lang said. “When you are young it might not seem that important, but that is probably some of the most important years that can spring board you into a better future if you make the proper financial decisions now.”
However, Lang had a little bit of a head start. Both of his parents are business professionals. At 15, Lang was fascinated by the fact that his father could own stock in the company his mother works for. His father let him start investing under one of his accounts until he turned 18 and could have his own account.
He also took finance classes at TMP, read books and researched the topic on the web.
Ethan Lang / courtesy photo
In August, Lang launched Making Cents of Finance.
“I wanted to help others learn about finance,” he said, “because I learned so much and saw how beneficial it was to myself.”
Today, he is making about $450 per month through social media ads. He has a blog, and he his branching out into YouTube, Twitter and Facebook.
You can see a video of Lang’s elevator pitch by clicking here. Lang’s pitch starts at about 15 minutes into the video and lasts about three minutes. The video is courtesy of Kansas State University.
Lang will be attending Fort Hays State University in fall, majoring in finance and accounting with an emphasis on financial planning.
He hopes to earn his financial planning license and open a brick-and-mortar office in Hays to offer individual financial planning services, as well as offer online financial consulting nationwide.
You can find Lang on Instagram at @makingcentsoffinance. You can also subscribe to his YouTube Channel: Making Cents of Finance.
Other northwest Kansas students earning awards in the Kansas Entrepreneurship Challenge were:
High school competition
• Technology Division: Runner-up prize of $2,500 — Sailor-Anne Seiler, Hodgeman County High School, Jetmore, for Bee Safe.
• Technology Division: Honorable mention of $1,000 — Erny Knelsen and Tayber Elder, Greeley County High School, Tribune, for VrView.
• Agriculture Division: Grand prize of $4,000 — Dylan Ketzner and Brady Ketzener, Cheylin High School, Bird City, for Ketzner Feed Roasted Gold.
• Open Division: Honorable mention of $1,000 — Andrew Foote and Molly Foote, Hoxie High School, Hoxie, for Contained.
Collegiate competition
• Technology Division: Grand prize of $5,000 — Dustin Aherin, Kansas State University, doctoral student in pathobiology from Phillipsburg, for Cattlelist.
Fort Hays Disabled Veterans are hosting a concert Friday and the DAV Vintage Bike Show on Saturday to raise money for a new van to transport veterans to medical appointments in Hays and Wichita.
The DAV’s current van has excessive miles and needs to be replaced. It runs three days a week across northwest Kansas to Hays CBOC VA medical facility and two days a weeks takes veterans from Hays to the Bob Dole VA Medical Center in Wichita. The service offers free rides to personnel from all branches of the armed services.
On trips to Wichita, the van also picks up veterans in communities in between such as Great Bend and McPherson until the van is full, said Galen Jamison, Hays DAV commander. He said the van is the only way some disabled veterans have of getting to their appointments.
“We have veterans from WWII, Korean and Vietnam,” Jamison said. “Some have no legs and some can’t see. This is a service to help all veterans.”
The Hays DAV needs to raise $15,000, and then the national DAV will make sure the van is replaced.
Some donations have already been made, but the events this weekend will be the first real push to raise the funds for the van.
Anthony and the Animals will open for Jimmy Dee and the Fabulous Destinations on Friday night at the Hays VFW, 2106 Vine. Cost is $10 per person. Music will be from 8 to 11 p.m.
The Vintage Bike Show and Swap meet will be 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday at the National Guard Armory, 200 S. Main. Both events are open to the public. Entry to bike show is $10 per person.
Any motorcycle made before 1984 is eligible for the show. Entry cost for the first bike is $25. Each addition entry is $20.
Awards will be given in American and foreign categories as well as People’s Choice and Best in Show.
Cost for vendors is $10 each.
Weaver’s BBQ will be serving food. Proceeds will go to the DAV van fundraiser. The Free Tomorrow Motorcycle Club will run a beer garden and a portion of those proceeds will also go to the van fundraiser.
You can register for the bike show or donate directly to the DAV through its PayPal account at www.forthaysdavbikeshow.com.
Thanks to a $1,500 grant from the Dane G. Hansen Foundation, the United Way of Ellis County has established a website — www.nwksvolunteers.org — for community members from northwest Kansas to sign up for volunteer opportunities.
“In all the years I have been working in nonprofits, I have never seen any entity say they have enough volunteers,” Sherry Dryden, executive director of the United Way, said. “I have also seen people who said they want to volunteer, but they don’t have the time to call around to see who (they) can help.”
Once registered, the volunteer can see the volunteer opportunities available in their community.
They can adjust their profile to fit the volunteer’s interest, time availability and talents to be linked with an organization who is needing volunteer assistance.There is no cost to register as a volunteer. If you have an organization that you enjoy working with, you can become a “fan” of that group and receive notifications when the group posts other volunteer opportunities.
The website also can keep track of your volunteer hours, which Erica Berges, administrative assistant, said can be helpful for students who are trying to fulfill community service hours.
“At a younger age, you might not be able to give money wise, but you can give time,” Berges said. “If it starts young, they are going to continue to do that.”
Dryden said trying to keep track of volunteers and volunteer opportunities has been a time-consuming effort to this point.
“We have people reach out and ask to volunteer. ‘What can I do?'” Dryden said, “so we try to keep track of all of that via an old-fashioned spreadsheet.”
United Way of Ellis County was referred to the company that developed the website through the United Way Worldwide. No local campaign money was used for the project nor will it be used to maintain the site, Dryden said.
Nonprofit organizations, government entities, faith-based organizations, licensed health-care facilities, schools and civic organizations are able to register their organization and events, requesting volunteer assistance. Political groups are ineligible. Agencies can’t use the site for fundraising, but they can use it to recruit volunteers for fundraising events.
There is an annual registration fee of $120 for approved organizations with unlimited event announcements. Once their organization is registered, they can post their volunteer opportunities to their page. This opportunity is for all organizations, as previously listed, and volunteers in northwest Kansas.
If an agency requires background checks, those must be conducted by the agency posting the volunteer opportunity.
Agencies also can print out spreadsheets with lists of volunteers to make check-in at events easier.
The data from the website is not sold or transferred to any other business or agency. The volunteers’ information is only seen by the organization to which the volunteer is giving time.
To learn more about the website and how to register, The United Way of Ellis County will have a public informational meeting at 4 p.m. May 16 in the first floor conference room of the Hadley Center, 205 E. Seventh.
Kimberly Schneweis, a longtime Hays Middle School art educator and KNEA member for the past 30 years, received the Kansas NEA Teaching Excellence award at the spring KNEA Representative Assembly in Topeka for her dedication to students and the teaching profession.
“It is important for teachers to advocate for their students beyond the classroom walls,” Schneweis said. “Their success depends on access to excellent teachers. We must work to make sure our profession is able to attract a bright new supply of teachers to continue our important work.”
Schneweis was chosen by a committee comprised of KNEA president Mark Farr, members of the KNEA board of directors and other distinguished educators.
“I would love to have been a student in Kim’s class,” Farr said. “She never just teaches the content. She is the epitome of of what we need in our classrooms: creative in her approach to teaching, committed to continual learning and improving her practice, serving as a role model in the Hays community. She is truly interested in each individual student’s life and success.”
Schneweis, a leader in the Hays NEA, Kansas NEA and National Education Association, will represent Kansas as an eligible recipient of the 2020 National Education Association Foundation Award for Teaching Excellence.
The KNEA and NEA Foundation teaching excellence awards are based on the same five criteria: 1) professional practice, 2) advocacy for the profession, 3) community engagement, 4) leadership in professional development and 5) attention to diversity.
High school senior Cordelia Isbell was awarded $20,000 by Foot Locker as part of the Foot Locker Scholar Athletes Program that annually recognizes 20 students nationwide for exceptional leadership in the classroom and community, as well as for achievements in sports.
In a surprise celebratory reveal held at the Hays High School Gym on Monday, Isbell joined an elite academic group of 140 previous awardees who received scholarships since the inception of the program in 2011, to pursue their college educations.
In its eighth-consecutive year, Foot Locker Foundation has recognized students who are not only scholar athletes but advocates in their community. These future game-changers serve as positive role models today who will go on to positively impact tomorrow through their sheer determination and passion. The scholarship program is designed to help defray costs for college-bound students, making attending college more affordable and accessible.
Recognized for her academic excellence and exemplifying strong leadership skills both in sports and within her community, Isbell joined the Foot Locker Scholar Athletes class of 2019, selected from a highly competitive pool of over 13,000 applicants.
“It is truly rewarding to be able to recognize outstanding students who have positively impacted their schools, communities and teams through our Foot Locker Scholar Athletes Program,” said Richard A. Johnson, chairman and chief executive officer of Foot Locker, Inc. “Our mission is to empower exceptional scholar athletes and to give them the opportunity to exceed their expectations and potential with a college education. Each year, we are inspired by the students, their stories and the promise of their future impact on society.
About Cordelia Isbell
From the classroom to her community, Cordelia is a sports enthusiast with a passion for soccer and helping her peers out. As the captain of her varsity soccer and tennis teams, she also actively participates on the varsity basketball team.
Her multifaceted love of sports has helped lead her soccer team to win the 2018 4A Divisional Title. Pivoting from an accomplished athlete to a Jazz musician, Cordelia plays both the piano and trombone.
Her range of skills on and off the field areinspiring as is her desire to give back to those around her. Her commitment to her community is evident as she founded and is the president of the Hays High School Red Cross Club, and has received the Daughters of the Revolution Good Citizen Award.
Additionally, she has started a shoe drive for Soles4Souls to collect 20,000 shoes to stomp out poverty. Volunteering at the Hays Medical Center has sparked a keen interest in medical school. Cordelia, who earned a 4.0 GPA, hopes to attend Pomona College in Claremont, California, and one day become a surgeon.
The availability of scholarship programs, such as the Foot Locker Scholar Athletes Program, can make a real difference in the affordability of a college education.This year’s twenty winners will join the program’s seven previous classes of Foot Locker Scholar Athletes, which results in 160 total scholarship recipients over the eight years since the program’s inception in 2011. With its 2019 Class, the Foot Locker Foundation will have invested nearly $3.0 million in the education and future of some of America’s most promising scholar-athletes.
Messiah Lutheran Church recently celebrated 50 years in its sanctuary.
By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays Post
Messiah Lutheran Church of Hays recently celebrated 50 years in its current sanctuary with the opening of a 50-year-old time capsule.
The contents included a large Vacation Bible School banner, a letter detailing the history of the church to that point and many photos taken of church members and events.
Several longtime members of the church talked about the early days of the congregation in Hays.
Margie Knoll attended services in the congregation’s former red wood chapel when she was in college. During summer school, she made a point to attend the early service because the building had no air conditioning.
Part of the celebration was opening a time capsule that was sealed in 1969.
The church was growing and the congregation decided it needed a bigger sanctuary, said Pat Phillips, who has been a member since prior to the construction of the current chapel.
The church continues to grow and has many young members and families, Phillips said. She said the church has many more activities than there were 50 years ago.
Knoll added she thought the church is doing more charitable work in the local community today.
“Years ago it was more you sent off t0 missions,” she said.
The ladies found some familiar items among the contents of the time capsule, including the blue hymnals from which they used to sing.
Pastor Rocco Mallardi has lead the congregation for four years.
Time capsule contents
“It is important to remember the history of the place and the history of a church’s founding and its development,” he said of the 50th celebration.
He added, “It is glorious to see what God has done in the last 50 years.”
Michael Maier, the church’s president, said it meant a lot to the congregation to honor the 50th anniversary of the sanctuary.
“To give thanks to God that He has let us grow and continue in the faith and be here this long and have new people coming in and we’ve expanded to more members,” Maier said.
The congregation has about 150 members from only six voting members when the church was organized.
Maier said he looks forward to “building and growing the congregation using God’s word and continuing God’s work to bring more people to know him and have the chance to be saved.”
The church is gathering for a new time capsule.
A brief history of the church
Church members gather for a social hour on Sunday.
The official organization of the church was on Jan. 4, 1951. The Rev. Fredric Rhode was installed as the first resident pastor on June 7, 1953. Ground was broken on the first chapel on Oct. 19, 1952, at 20th and Main and was dedicated in September 1953. On March 20, 1960, the church’s education unit was dedicated.
Work on the current chapel was begun in January 1967. The cornerstone was laid and the time capsule buried on May 25, 1969.
The Rev. Warren Schmidt was serving as the third resident pastor at the time.
Included in the capsule was a letter detailing the history of the congregation. The letter concluded with “Today, May 25, 1969, at a time marked by continued warfare in Viet Nam and the return of the second manned flight to the moon, we lay this cornerstone confident of God’s grace in the future and the need of men of all ages and times for the Gospel of Christ who is the same yesterday, today, and forever.”
Left to right: FHSU Agronomy Team members Colton Massey, Tim Schulteis, Casey Bock, Lucas Heinzen, Jacob Mettlen, Coach Dr. Andrew Tucker, Trent Pauly, Chase Wagner, Reegan Kliesen, and Jerrod Lies.
Submitted
Here are results received by the FHSU Agronomy Team from the 2019 NACTA (North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture) Student Judging Conference hosted by Murray State University.
This contest is a national contest where FHSU competed against other four-year agriculture universities. Although FHSU competed against some much larger universities, the team fared quite well.
Team placings for FHSU were Ag Computers 3rd, Crops 10th, Knowledge Bowl 5th, and Precision Agriculture 4th.
Individual top five placings were Colton Massey with 5th in Ag Computers and 2nd in Precision Agriculture Planting
Chase Wagner with 3rd in Precision Agriculture Harvesting
Jerrod Lies with 4th in Precision Agriculture UAS.
FHSU will host the NACTA contest April 1-4, 2020 in Hays.
Thirteen Hays High DECA students competed in the 2019 DECA International Career Development Conference April 27-30 in Orlando, Florida.
Two students, Cassidy Prough and Shyann Schumacher, participated in Leadership Academy training.Students from all 50 states as well as Canada, Pakistan, Dominican Republic, Spain, Japan, China, and Guam competed in a variety of events.
The following students earned minimum competency meaning that they placed in the top 20% (or third or fourth in their flight) of the 180 entries in their event.
Kaydee Brin and Peyton Niernberger – Franchise Business Plan
Abigail Dickinson – Business Growth Plan
Ryan Hernandez and Jacie Robinson – Hospitality and Tourism Operations Research
Allison Hillebrand and Paige Polifka Denson – Public Relations Project
Keaton Markley, Peyton Thorell, and Connor Teget – Sports and Entertainment Marketing Operations Research
“Feel free to congratulate these students on a job well done as this is a huge accomplishment. Thank you for working with our students to accommodate them missing classes and instructing them in your classes. The evidence of the quality of instruction received at HHS reaches beyond the walls of our building!” said Shaina Prough, HHS DECA sponsor.
More than 2000 people flocked to downtown Hays Saturday for the annual Brews on the Bricks. Dozens of brewers from across the region offered craft beers to event goers. Food trucks also offered tasty treats to the guests.The event also hosted a home brew competition again this year. The event is sponsored by the Downtown Hays Development Corp.
Eagle Communications, which owns and operates the Hays Post, is the Golden Stein Sponsor for this event.
