By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post

Michele Brungardt wants to help her students find their place in the world.

Middle school academics are important, but this time is also crucial to students’ social and emotional growth.

Luckily, in a school the size of Hays Middle School, there are lots of niches. There are lots of groups in which to find a home.

“A lot of people say big schools aren’t good, but I think every kid who comes here finds their group,” she said. “I think that eliminates a lot of bullying. I am not saying it is not out there. It takes awhile, but I think everyone who comes here finds their group that is their support group, whether it be adults or other kids. I think that alleviates the bullying that takes place in smaller schools.”

Brungardt is finishing her 26th year as a teacher. She grew up in Victoria, and received both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Fort Hays State University. She currently teaches seventh-grade social studies at HMS, and she is the Hays Post Teacher of the Month.

All but one of her 26 years of service has been in Hays. She started at Jefferson Elementary, and when that school closed, she moved to HMS.

One of the places kids find their place is intramurals. Brungardt oversees the teacher assistants for that program.She has photos of the intramural teams proudly displayed on the wall in her classroom. She said she thought athletics and music help youth grow into well-rounded people.

Cade Scott, fellow HMS social science teacher nominated Brungardt for the award. He said in his nomination, “Michele is an excellent teacher at seventh-grade social studies. … She represents our Home and School program. She does extracurricular things like keep book and clock for basketball games. I have only been teaching at HMS for two years, but Michele has helped me out numerous times with basically anything I need. She takes the time to care about teachers and students. HMS is a better place and a great school because of Michele Brungardt.”

Brungardt knew she wanted to be a teacher from the time she was a little girl. Her father was teacher and school counselor.

“My family was always around education, and that is always something from little on up that I wanted to be,” she said.

Brungardt’s favorite part of being a teacher is the kids.

“I do what I do for them,” she said.

Brungardt coordinates the citizenship program for the seventh graders. This includes a states and abbreviations test, service hours and a written citizenship test.

“At the middle school level we try to teach the kids academically with life-long skills, but the kids at middle school need so much social and emotional direction. You sprinkle in the academics,” she said, “but their needs are not purely academic at the ages of 11 through 14.”

You have to listen to kids and make them comfortable in the classroom so if they need something they can come to you, she said. The children’s needs are always changing, so Brungardt said she tries to change her teaching methods to meet those needs.

Brungardt said as her students move on to high school and beyond she hopes those skills she has taught them both social and academic will stick with them.

She said she hoped she could impart, “those life-long skills whether they be academic or social that they have heard me say and repeat. When they get to make choices in high school, [I hope] there is that little voice in the back of their head saying, ‘Oh. Mrs. Brungardt would have said this.'”

By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post

German eatery Das Essen Hutte is in a new location in downtown Hays with an expanded menu, new decor and sit-down service.

Charlie and Roxane Dorzweiler chose to leave Big Creek Crossing for the opportunity to build an expanded kitchen at 110 W. 11th.

Charlie has added a line of barbecue smoked over fruit wood. Smoked sirloin is his speciality. The restaurant is also hoping to offer a smoked prime rib on Friday and Saturday nights. He makes two house barbecue sauces, a regular and apple, and has added homemade apple brats to the menu.

The restaurant will continue to offer Volga German favorites, such as bierocks, green bean dumpling soup,  schnitzel, spaetzel, sauerbraten and maultasche.

For the unfamiliar sauerbraten is a German roast, and maultasche is a noodle dough stuffed with a cheese or meat filling that can be boiled, baked or fried. Spaetzel are fried dumplings.

The restaurant bakes all of its own bread from scratch. Bread can be purchased by the loaf. Charlie said the rye has been especially popular.

Whereas Das Essen Hutte’s location at Big Creek Crossing was almost fast food — order at the counter — the new location offers sit-down service with wait staff.

The establishment is also selling 3-2 beer.

The design focal point of the restaurant is an authentic solid-wood Brunswick bar from the 1800s. The Dorzweilers have owned the bar and its gigantic wood-trimmed mirror for years.

The Dorzweilers have been working on the new space since January, but only opened their doors on April 3. They are still working on some of their wall decor. They’re focusing on local history. In addition to the restaurant, Charlie still works the family farm just outside of Catherine. It has been in the family for four generations,

To honor that history, Charlie enlarged and mounted a number of early farm and family photos, including photos of his grandparents, Lee and Mary Dorzweiler, and great-grandparents, Balthazar and Mary Dorzweiler, who settled in this area in the 1800s. Vegetables grown on the farm will likely be used in the restaurant this summer.

The family is working on a display of photos from his wife Roxane’s family. Her maiden name was Schmidt, and her family’s farm was about two miles from the Dorzweilers’.

Charlie has reserved another wall for historic military photos.

The new location is open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesdays through Thursdays, 11 a.m. to midnight Fridays and Saturdays and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sundays. The restaurant does to-go orders and will continue to cater.

Charlie said he and his wife are looking forward to being downtown and hopes Das Essen Hutte will be another draw to bring people into Hays and onto the bricks. They have already had good reception with customers from as far away as Wichita stopping in to sample the German fare.

By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post

Almost 1,000 high school students from across Kansas and Nebraska packed Gross Memorial Coliseum with their artwork Wednesday.

This was the 44th year for the high school art day, which serves as an open house for the Fort Hays State University art and design department and a recruiting tool for the university. The event hosted 962 students from 62 schools this year.

Student artists with exemplary work took home certificates. Students watched demonstrations throughout Rarick Hall and some visited the Hays Arts Center downtown, which is preparing for the opening of its annual Smoky Hill Art Exhibition.

Although high winds put a bit of a damper on the outdoor festivities, 30 schools also participated in a sidewalk chalk art competition on the sidewalks outside of Rarick Hall. The theme was “Monumental Memories.” Hill City High School took first, Russell High School took second and Dodge City Hill School took third.

“I want to thank all of the students and teachers who participated,” Katie Christopher, FHSU Department of Art and Design staff member and organizer, said. “We are doing it for them.”

By CRISTINA JANNEY 
Hays Post

Styles Dance Centre partnered with the Fort Hays State University Leadership class 310 to present a fundraiser “Dancing Together for DSNWK” Monday night at the Beach/Schmidt Performing Arts Center. The class raised more than $7,000 for DSNWK.

DSNWK clients danced the finale with the girls from Styles Dance Centre to “The Greatest Show.”

 

 

By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post

LA CROSSE — Flame Engineering has installed a new $200,000 Miller robotic welding arm at its La Crosse plant.

The robotic arm, installed in January, replaces a similar piece of equipment the company has operated since the late 1990s.

Flame manufactures LP gas equipment. This includes torches for home, agriculture and tar roofing. Flame Engineering has been operating in La Crosse since the late 1950s and now sells all over the world.

The robotic welding takes about five minutes, whereas hand welding some products might take 20 minutes. It cut labor cost and increased production.

The company has multiple jigs for welding the different types of equipment it manufactures. Metal parts are clapped onto a jig, and the robot’s turn table rotates the parts into place so they can be welded.

The robotic arm can perform multiple welds on multiple pieces during a single pass.

On the afternoon Hays Post visited, workers had parts loaded into the machine for dollies for propane tanks. The arm made multiple welds on each of three bottom plates for the dollies.

Jason Pivonka, Flame Engineering vice president, said the arm is faster and more consistent than a worker hand-welding the parts.

The introduction of the arm into the shop has not eliminated jobs. When the company bought its first robotic welder, it added two workers to program and operate the arm.

In addition to the dollies, the company uses the robotic welder to manufacture tow hitches and construction heaters.

The new arm can weld larger parts, the arm has a larger range of motion and the new machine can weld a lighter weight steel.

“It is so much easier to use and has new technology,” Pivonka said. “It was time for an upgrade.”

By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post

The ARC of the Central Plains is growing its programs thanks to its expanded thrift store in downtown Hays.

But with that growth comes growing pains. The ARC needs not only more volunteers to work in the thrift store but also volunteers to work with developmentally disabled individuals in activity programs and as a coaches for Special Olympics.

At the end of 2015, ARC moved its Thrift Store from a space on 11th Street to a 30,000-square-foot building at 600 Main.

The new building expanded the store’s retail space by three- to four-fold. It also provided for expanded workspace, so more donations could be accepted and stored.

Morgan Hart, the Thrift store manager, said the increased space has helped the store better organize and display its products. This has increased sales, but Hart said the store needs more volunteers to keep up with all the new customers.

The day the Hays Post visited, a line of customers with shopping carts full of merchandise were waiting to check out.

Hart said the store especially needs cashiers to work on Fridays and Saturdays. However, the store also needs volunteers to sort and price donations and stock merchandise.

No experience is required. The store will provide on-the-job training. Work schedules are flexible, and volunteers need only be able to volunteer as little as an hour at a time.

Clara Korbe has volunteered at the ARC Thrift Store for more than 47 years.

“I have been able to meet a lot of good people,” she said. “I guess I am nosy. I like to see what people donate.”

She pulled out a pair of rose-colored glasses that were shaped like playing cards, a recent donation to the store. Korbe, who manages the seasonal donations, laughed recalling a donation of fake human butts that were donated to the store. Another volunteer piped in, saying the store sold the items.

After a volunteer works for 30 hours, they are eligible for a 50 percent discount at the store. Korbe said she definitely takes advantage of her discount. She she is probably one of the store’s best customers. She recently found a Harley Davidson bicycle for her grandson and often finds brand-name clothing or items in nearly new condition.

The ARC Thrift Store is the main source of revenue for the ARC program. With increased business at the store, ARC has been able to add more programing and is looking to add even more. ARC’s programing is offered at no cost to the participants.

The ARC has added two new sports to its athletics program—soccer and softball. Co-ed softball started last year with 25 athletes and is a Special Olympics sport, and soccer will be a local sport. In total, ARC sponsors seven sports with 70 athletes. The athletes are currently in track season.

Brent Kaiser, ARC activities director, said you do not have to have any experience as a coach or athlete to be Special Olympics volunteer.

“You just have to have a passion for people with intellectual or developmental disabilities—a drive to help them improve their quality of life,” he said. You don’t have to be well-versed in sports. I have volunteers who have never played a sport in their lives.”

The program has about 10 core volunteers who volunteer for multiple sports, but Kaiser said he could use two to three more volunteers per sport. Kaiser said he would like to recruit some younger volunteers.

The time commitment is about an hour per week for practice. Each season the athletes have one regional meet on a Saturday and a three-day weekend state meet in a larger community such as Wichita or Kansas City.

When the ARC moved into the new building on Main Street, it began using one of the rooms for activities.

ARC has already used the space for dances, bingo, Lego building and a special needs Boy Scout/Girl Scout troop. ARC officials hope to use that space to add more non-athletic activities, and the group is looking for volunteers to lead those classes.

This could be classes such as sewing, basic cooking skills, financial literacy or crafts. The ARC provides all materials. ARC officials have also discussed adding a gym program for young children. Right now Kaiser is the only person ARC has available to lead these types of activities

Kaiser said the ARC’s goal is to provide opportunities for those who have disabilities to be able to thrive and improve their quality of life.

Kathy McAdoo, ARC executive director, said the group is trying to offer more opportunities for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities without duplicating services offered by groups such as the Hays Recreation Commission and Developmental Services of Northwest Kansas.

If you wish to volunteer for an activity or coach ARC sports, you can contact Kaiser at 785-628-8831 or email him at [email protected]. Those volunteering directly with developmentally disabled individuals will need to pass a background check and complete several short online courses.

Those who wish to volunteer at the thrift store can also call 785-628-8831 and speak to McAdoo or Hart. The store is open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays.

Connect with the ARC on Facebook at The Arc of Central Plains Programs and Activities or The Arc of Central Plains Thrift Shop.

Submitted

“What were you wearing?”

It’s a question people ask survivors of sexual violence all too often—a question wrought with victim-blaming and an implication that, maybe, the survivor could have prevented their assault if they had worn something less revealing, less sexy.

To spotlight National Sexual Assault Awareness Month, three local organizations—Options Domestic and Sexual Violence Services, Jana’s Campaign, and the Fort Hays State University Women’s Leadership Project—have worked together to bring this Survivor Art Installation to Hays.

“We want students, or anyone, to view the show and to see themselves reflected in the outfits,” said Christie Brungardt from Jana’s Campaign. “…and put the blame where it belongs which is on the rapist, the person who’s caused the harm, rather than the victim.”

The Survivor Art Installation displays a collection of articles of clothing worn by sexual assault victims. Each story represents what each victim was wearing at the time of their assault. None of those outfits invited the people wearing them to be sexually assaulted.

This installation will be available for viewing from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday,  April 18 through Friday April, 20 at the Hays Arts Center Annex, 1010 Main St. in downtown Hays. The following week, the installation will be available for viewing from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday, April 24 and Wednesday, April 25 at FHSU in Forsyth Library, main floor on the west wall.

The National Sexual Violence Resource Center reports one in three women and one in six men in the United States have experienced some form of sexual violence in their lifetimes. On U.S. campuses, 20 to 25 percent of college women and 15 percent of college men are victims of forced sexual contact during their time in college.