Video By Cooper Slough

By JAMES BELL
Hays Post

Dillons grocery stores have had a long history in Hays, but work underway at the 517 W. 27th location will leave a new look and expanded shopping options after the completion of a full-scale remodel.

“At Dillons, we’re very excited to be in the process of renovation for our store there,” said Sheila Lowrie, Dillons spokeswoman. “And we know our customers are going to be very excited to see the changes.”

Cosmetic upgrades in the store include new equipment, new signage and color scheme.

“The decorations beside the walls are all getting a facelift, which will bring a nice warm color scheme to the store with natural elements throughout,” Lowrie said. “It really makes the store feel warm and inviting.”

While some elements of the remodel can already been seen in the store, much more work is planned, expecting to run through the rest of the year.

Last week, the store saw new refrigerated units come in, the next piece to come in will be refrigerated units in the natural food section.

“Once were finished, it will feel like a brand-new store,” Lowrie said.  “It brings in a lot of warm colors, so there’s greens, oranges, yellows and blues.”

Stenciling on the walls and fresh paint in areas already show the new color scheme.

While the look will be new to Hays, other locations have incorporated the style that will be used at the Hays location.

“If anyone shopped with us at our brand-new store on Cloud Street in Salina, it has this new decor package as well,” Lowrie said. “(The look) is one of my personal favorites when it comes to all the looks we’ve had in our stores.”

Along with the upgraded look, the store will offer expanded selections as well, most notably in the natural and organic food sections, something Lowrie said shoppers have been looking for across the chain.

“By offering these selections, we’re going to help our customers finds those products they are shopping for,” she said.

Dillons anticipates to have everything done by the end of the year, with a grand reopening celebration to be scheduled after the completion.

By JAMES BELL
Hays Post

Among the usual business discussed at the Hays USD 489 Board of Education meeting Monday night, one topic stood out – the upcoming bond issue that is currently slated for vote next year – with a new proposal to close Lincoln Elementary, 1906 Ash. Should the proposal be approved, administration offices and Westside School, currently housed at the Rockwell Administration Center, 323 W. 12th, would move into the former elementary school.

The bond measure presentation heard by the board, presented by HTK Architects, has a $93 million price tag, down from initial projections of $100 million. The latest proposal would bring the number of elementary schools in Hays to three, down from five just a few years ago.

But the board seemed less than convinced that turning the school into an administrative center would be the best course of action.

“It’s concerning,” said board member Sarah Rankin.

From a facilities stand point, however, it may make the most sense logistically, a consultant told the board.

“Our priorities should be classrooms,” said Zach Snethen, HTK project manager.

He said the goal is to maximize the buildings already in place, in order to curb new construction.

“Of these existing schools, Lincoln was the best candidate for that,” he said.

One of the main reasons for the new proposal is the site space at Lincoln is constricted, making necessary expansions at the space difficult and the space required for the administration would fit into the current building, with only minimal construction being needed.

The previous plan at Lincoln would have moved the cafeteria, along with a new gymnasium and storm shelter.

In speaking on the change of plan, Snethen said, “We had some difficulties with Lincoln,” to bring the building on par with other facilities through the district.

“It’s still a good building,” he said. “There is always cost efficiencies when you have good physical structures.”

If the proposal is accepted, the classroom space would be absorbed into the expansion at Roosevelt, and the Rockwell Center would be left vacant.

While the current layout remains tentative, the general cost of the facilities upgrades seems set into the $90 million to $100 million range, with many aspects of the plan being tied together, if all facilities are considered.

The numbers have “been vetted twice over now,” said Charles Smith, HTK partner.

The board must now consider how to proceed, with Snethen recommending the members discuss exactly what should be considered before plans are moved to the next stage.

Those plans will be discussed at the next BOE work session with HTK members in attendance.

The full presentation from HTK can be found here.

By JAMES BELL
Hays Post

VICTORIA — After nearly a year without clean running water in their home, Kevin and Laura McCarter, who live just outside of Victoria, soon could have access to safe drinking water. But, despite public outcries and a social media storm from area residents, the water will not be coming from the City of Victoria just 1,700 feet east of the residence, instead coming from Post Rock Rural Water District through a line that will be laid from over a mile away.

The McCarters were forced to seek a new water supply after the wells on their property became contaminated last year. Due to their proximity to Victoria, the couple worked with the city for months to secure water from the city, but even with support from Jerry Kanzenbach, Victoria Mayor, the Victoria City Council failed to vote on a measure that would have added the McCarter home to the city water supply through annexation.

Despite the lack of action by the Victoria City Council, good news came to the McCarters last week when Post Rock Rural Water District sent a letter indicating their board is in support of getting water to the farm from the district.

“The District’s Board of Directors are very sympathetic to your situation,” the letter to the McCarters said. “Service would most logically come from the City of Victoria. While it is not the ideal situation for anyone concerned, Rural Water District No. 1 Ellsworth County, Kansas Board of Directors are offering to serve you a safe and reliable source of water.”

The deal is contingent on the McCarters signing a water line extension agreement and purchasing a district benefit unit.

The McCarters had originally worked with the district to secure water, but due to the proximity of the home to Victoria, they had been they were too close to get water from a rural water district.

“We’re kind of back to where we were before with Post Rock,” McCarter said. “We’re extremely happy, but extremely pessimistic too,” McCarter said, because of what had happened in the past, but thinks now they are now coming to the end of a long journey to get water to the home.

“I think now we are getting closer, for sure,” he said.

Running water from the rural district also adds a substantial cost – something McCarter is willing to pay – if only just to put an end to the ordeal.

“If they run it, it will be a little over $40,000 on their part,” he said. “By the time it is all said and done, we’ll probably spend $60,000 to $70,000 dollars on water from them,” noting with the cost of the district running the line, he will also need to re-plumb the house and run a line from the meter at the end of his long driveway. On top of those new costs, McCarter estimates he has almost $10,000 in attorney fees getting to this point.

“We’re excited about it, but when you start looking at a 30-year loan to pay off water, it’s not that much fun,” he said.

McCarter estimated the cost to get water from Victoria would have been less than $10,000.

By JAMES BELL
Hays Post

At the beginning of June and after months of debate, the Kansas Legislature was forced to realize the budget signed by Gov. Sam Brownback could not be funded completely through current taxes at the beginning of June.

The Legislature faced two options, massive budget cuts or higher taxes.

With many Republicans in the Legislature having signed no-tax-increase pledges, raising taxes was the last thing they seemed to want to do, instead considering a plan that would have defunded higher education in Kansas.

The amount of money the state provides to higher education is nearly equal to the $400 million revenue shortfall Kansas faced.

Hays Post spoke with Mirta Martin, Fort Hays State University president, about the push to keep higher education funding to all the Kansas Regents schools shortly after the June vote that raised taxes in order to keep higher education funded through the state.

Video by COOPER SLOUGH, Hays Post


By JAMES BELL
Hays Post

As any racer knows, getting there first is the only way to win and, with Briney Motorsports currently working toward opening in their new location at 600 E. Eighth, it would be hard not to visualize the checkered flag being dropped as an expected opening in November is drawing near.

The shop is the brainchild of local resident Billy Briney, who brings a wealth of experience from the area’s racing scene, as racer himself who currently supplies racing parts through a mobile unit.

“I wanted some kind of store,” Briney said. “The first part of this year, we started thinking about opening up a shop.”

But this foray into racing parts retail goes back further than the building itself when he found out about an existing parts supply business that he bought in order to “jump into an existing business,” which led to the mobile trailer that he sets up at area races.

“It was good for me, because I got a customer base,” Briney said.

But while business was good, he felt a desire to expand into a brick-and-mortar location that would make it easier to supply local racers and has been working to remodel a former car dealership that had been empty for years.

“I like the location. Eighth Street is a great street, and as an older building that has obviously been vacant a long time, it’s another bonus getting to renovate a new building,” Briney said. “It gives all the racers a place to come during regular business hours, get their parts and get what they need.”

For now, Briney is leasing the building, but hopes to move into a purchasing agreement as the business builds. He took over the building in the middle of August and quickly found much of the interior in desperate condition, with walls and ceiling falling in on itself.

Right after signing the lease, Briney, his wife and six children started the demolition process, an intense process considering the condition of the building.

“We have had to do everything. There was even no power coming to the building. We’ve got complete new power, full electrical through the building, it’s been a full gut job,” he said, including “a lot of jackhammer time, which was not fun.”

Despite the workload, Briney wants to have his shop open in November.

“I knew it was going to be tight going into it, but so far it hasn’t been too bad. We haven’t hit too many snags. I’m pretty much right where I want to be,” he said.

Even before the shop is open, Briney is already eyeing the future and plans to expand the business quickly.

“My plan is to eventually have a mechanic or two, whatever it takes,” he said, in order to do more shop and mechanic work. “Even without the store, I’m getting busy enough, with the parts business that I probably will be looking for someone to come in at the beginning.”

While the store will be unique in Hays, the setup will be unique as well.

“It’s not you normal parts store, where you walk in, ask for something and they go back and get it for you,” Briney said. “I plan on having most of my stuff on the shelves for the guys to pick up and bring to me.”

This will give racers an first-person view of what a part will do and look like, something they cannot get by looking in a catalog or online.

“There’s a lot of different parts that you could use, upgrades you can do, so if they can see it it just gives more options,” he said.

For more on the business and pictures of the work being done in the building visit the Briney Motorsports’ webpage or facebook.

By JAMES BELL
Hays Post

The eighth annual Western Kansas Train Show is set again for this weekend at the Ellis County Fairgrounds, 1343 Fairground Road, where enthusiasts will have the opportunity to buy and sell model trains, with over 100 tables of trains being presented.

The event will cover the entire weekend, running 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. Admission is $5, and children under 10 will be admitted free.

“It’s kind of fun for the whole family. It’s not only buy and sale, but it’s kind of a walk down memory lane,” said Justin Keeler, show promoter.

Even though the show focuses on small trains, the turnout is quite the opposite.

“Over the years, we keep increasing in attendance,” Keeler said. Last year, the show had about 780, and Keeler is hoping to have a few more weekend. “I figure if we can get 1,000 people, that’s a pretty good showing for Hays, Kansas.”

People come from all across the country to attend this event — from Florida to California and points between.

“It’s kind of fascinating how far people will drive to come to these things,” Keeler said.

One of the reasons these train shows remain popular is the lack of available hobby shops that stock model trains.

“Anymore with the Internet being so busy, it has actually taken a lot of the hobby shops out of business,” Keeler said.

While Hays has had a rich history of model trains and hobby shops, it is now a long drive to the closest shop.

“Really the closest one to us would be Spring Creek Model Trains up in Deshler, Nebr., but it to is also supported by model train shows,” Keeler said. “It’s pretty much a thing of the past, as far a hobby shop that supports model trains, so the shows are the best way to find model trains today.”

For attendees, Keeler said the two-day event is usually split into to camps, but both days are open to everyone. Saturday is the more serious day with dealers and sellers working on moving products, whereas “Sunday traditionally seems to be more of a family day.”

The show will feature 120 tables of model trains, both new and used, with vendors coming in from all over the Midwest, including Iowa and Texas. A food vendor will also be on site, door prizes will be offered and a big feature of the show will be eight operating layouts for participants to enjoy.

Both Polar Express and Thomas the Train will be featured, with both being some of the most popular attractions, bringing a big variety of people, young and old, Keeler said to enjoy some “good clean family fun.”