You sometimes suspect that you’re not as well-informed as you should be. When you read about that study that found that middle school kids were unable to distinguish paid advertisements from news stories, you shook your head sadly — then secretly wondered if you would do much better. You’ve heard that most people are so entrenched in their own beliefs that even indisputable facts can’t change their minds, and would really like to believe you’re different from most people. (But doesn’t everyone think that?) You have, on at least a couple of occasions, pretended that you were familiar with a subject you actually barely understood. You are, in other words, a person living in the world. According to the Pew Research Center, 64 percent of Americans say that fabricated news stories have caused them a great deal of confusion about the basic facts of current issues and events. A survey conducted by the Annenberg Public Policy Center found that the majority of Americans are poorly informed about the basic structures of their own government. And this year’s “State of the First Amendment” survey revealed that the majority of Americans prefer news that aligns with their own point of view, demonstrating their firm commitment to their own filter bubbles. Unsurprisingly, none of this is good for democracy. As Thomas Jefferson said, “An educated citizenry is a vital requisite for our survival as a free people.” But enough hand wringing! You don’t want to let the ghost of Thomas Jefferson down. You want to be media literate and fair-minded and well-informed. You want to be the kind of person who knows how many congressmen there are and can explain what the electoral college is. You want to be a good citizen. It’s on your list of New Year’s resolutions, somewhere between “exercise get more” and “floss regularly.” It’s not that you’re lazy. It’s just that you have a job, and loved ones, and a very limited amount of free time. Or maybe you are just lazy. That’s okay too. Regardless — what are you to do? Let’s be realistic: You don’t need a list of best practices for media literacy and civic engagement. You need a list of good-enough practices. You need the equivalent of those individual floss picks. (To any dentists reading this: I am aware that floss picks are not a perfect substitute for regular dental flossing. But they are a vast improvement over the nothing I was doing before I started using them.) Get (re)acquainted with civics. Most of us either took civics a long time ago, or didn’t take it at all. If you no longer remember what the branches of the government are, know that you’re not alone and that you need not waste time wallowing in shame. There are resources out there for fully-fledged adults! “Civics 101” is a great podcast if you like listening to things. Khan Academy has an “American Civics” YouTube series if you’d rather watch something. But if you want a crash course in the least amount of time possible, I’d recommend spending a little time skimming the review sheets intended for immigrants studying for their American citizenship exams. Think about where your news comes from. You probably have your own way of staying up to date with current events, whether it’s a newspaper, a TV show, a favorite podcast, or your Twitter feed. There’s no shortage of information in today’s world. The challenge is being able to separate the real from the fake, the facts from the opinions, and the Facebook posts from your crazy uncle from the Facebook posts paid for by the Russian government. As a lazy person, you may balk at the idea of analyzing and fact-checking every story that comes up in your Facebook feed. But becoming a better news consumer can be as simple as asking yourself two questions: Who wrote the thing you just read, and why did they write it? If you read a story about the amazing anti-aging properties of grapefruit, and then you learn it was written by a spokesman for the National Council on Grapefruits and sponsored by the Grapefruit Farmers of America…well, that should give you pause. It doesn’t necessarily mean the story is false, but it does mean you should probably look for a second opinion before buying stock in grapefruits. Form your own opinions. You don’t have to have an opinion on everything, but you will probably want to have an opinion on issues that directly impact you or your loved ones, or on matters that you find interesting. The path of least resistance is to adopt someone else’s opinion — to echo what your political party endorses, what your friends think, or what your favorite writers and TV pundits put forth. We all do this, often without even being aware that we’re doing it. But if it’s an issue you really care about, you owe it to yourself to delve a little deeper and come to your own conclusions. Here’s a good “recipe” for forming opinions from writer Kinsey Bluestein: At least one “liberal” news source At least one “conservative” news source At least one international news source (because these tend to write about news from a nonpartisan viewpoint) Combine and let rest until you have a viewpoint you can defend objectively. You don’t have to have an opinion about everything. Forming your own opinions takes a good amount of your time and mental energy. The only way a lazy person can manage it is by being generally informed about current events, but selective about the things they really stand for. Otherwise, you’ll have no choice but to adopt other peoples’ opinions, which is the kind of thing that eventually leads us to take hard, intractable stances on issues we never gave much thought to in the first place. It’s alright to say you don’t know enough about a subject to weigh in on it. It’s better than alright — in a world where people are constantly pretending to be more knowledgeable than they actually are, it’s downright heroic. If you reach a point where you must form an opinion on something — there’s an election coming up, or your friends are asking you to join a movement or protest — see my previous point. Stop sharing links to news stories you haven’t read. According to a 2016 study by computer scientists at Columbia University and the French National Institute, 59 percent of links shared on social media are never actually clicked. Resist the urge. If you’re too lazy to read it, then please be too lazy to share it. Lata Nott is executive director of the First Amendment Center of the Newseum Institute. Contact her via email at [email protected], or follow her on Twitter at @LataNott.

By RON WILSON
Huck Boyd National Institute for Rural Development

Biloxi, Mississippi. It’s time to announce the Beef Improvement Federation’s national Seedstock Producer of the Year award. And the winner is…a leading farm family from rural Kansas. This family is using modern technology to constantly improve beef cattle production through the development of improved bulls and heifers.

Last week we learned about Tyson and Emily Mullen in western Kansas. Emily McCurry Mullen grew up in south central Kansas as part of this award-winning farm family at the McCurry Angus Ranch. Her brother John McCurry leads the Angus operation today.

The McCurry family has deep roots in Kansas agriculture. Five McCurry brothers started the Angus operation with two heifers in 1928. The oldest of the brothers was A.J. A.J.’s son Andy met and married Mary who came from an Angus cattle-producing family in Tennessee and was getting a master’s degree in meat science at Kansas State University. Andy and Mary moved to south central Kansas and had Emily and John.

Through the decades, the McCurry family has actively shown cattle and worked to improve the breed. “In the old days, it was their way of marketing,” John McCurry explained. “They would take bulls to the fairs, do well at the shows, sell the bulls and go back for more.”

Emily and John grew up in this tradition and went to lots of cattle shows. “We did it as a family,” Emily said. “It taught us hard work and responsibility.” They were active in 4-H and the Angus youth association. John served on the national junior Angus board.

John joined the livestock judging team at Butler Community College and then K-State. At one contest, he met a young woman on another judging team and ultimately married her. They now have three children of their own.

After graduation, John returned to the family beef business full time. At that point, there were about 70 Angus cows in the herd.

Today, McCurry Angus Ranch runs about 1,000 cows, most of which are home-raised. The family sells purebred seedstock to beef producers across the nation.

Continuous improvement is a theme of the McCurry Angus operation, as demonstrated by their performance at cattle shows through the years. Through the years of 2003 through 2005 at the National Junior Angus Show, Emily had the champion female one year, the reserve champion female the next year, and the champion bull in the year after that.

“Since we started going to the Kansas State Fair again in 2006, we’ve had a grand or reserve champion female every year but one,” John said.

McCurry Angus won at the North American show in Louisville in 2008 and at the American Royal in 2010. In 2016, the National Western Stock Show in Denver started a competition for pens of heifers. “We won in 2016 and took reserve champion in 2017,” John said. Such success in the show ring translated to high quality bulls and heifers which the McCurrys could sell to beef producers.

Beyond that, the McCurrys are using emerging technology to measure and improve the characteristics of their cattle. Today’s cattlemen go far beyond the visual evaluation of yesteryear. Data from expected progeny differences (EPDs) can scientifically project future performance of cattle breeding stock and offspring. Now even more horizons are opening in beef production.

“Every cow and bull on our place has been DNA tested,” John said. “This confirms the genetics of the cattle we’re producing. We also get an accuracy credit (from the breed association) towards our EPDs.”

Such data helps the McCurrys work toward improvement of their cowherd, while retaining the visual quality, sound structure, and high performance. “We want to build the best cattle we can,” John said.

He credits his parents for their drive to improve. “This is truly a family operation,” John said. McCurry Angus Ranch is located near the rural community of Burrton, population 901 people. Now, that’s rural.

For more information, check their Facebook page.

In 2015, the McCurry family was honored as the Beef Improvement Federation’s national Seedstock Producer of the Year. We commend John McCurry and all this family for making a difference with a commitment to excellence and continuous improvement – and that’s no bull.

I became a grandparent for the first time this summer when Brayden James Terry was born in August. What a delightful new addition to our family! It is heartwarming to see my daughter in her new role as a mother.

It is also interesting to experience my new role as a grandmother. It feels a bit strange to defer to my daughter in matters of “motherhood” since that has been MY job for the last 28 years. It’s the beginning of a new learning process as my label changes from Mom to Grandma.

Maybe that’s why this article rang true when I read “The 7 Unbreakable Laws of Grandparenting” by Barbara Graham on Next Avenue, a website devoted to aging issues (see www.nextavenue.org). Graham says, “for many parents used to being in charge, deferring to the rules and wishes of our adult children and their partners is humbling.”

So as the family gathers for the holidays, here are Barbara Graham’s rules for grandparents:

1. Seal your lips. Even if you’re an expert who has written 13 bestsellers on parenthood, your adult sons and daughters will assume you know nothing about childrearing. Your advice and opinions will not be welcome, unless directly solicited. (Even then, it’s iffy as to whether the new parents really want to hear your answer.) Tread lightly.

2. You may love thy grandchild as thine own — but never forget that he or she is not thine own. In the early days I felt as if I were auditioning for the part of grandparent. Did I hold the baby properly? Didn’t I know that you never put a newborn down on her stomach? It took me a few blunders to secure their trust — which must be renewed every so often, like a driver’s license.

3. Abide by the rules of the new parents. The dos and don’ts of childrearing change with every generation. If I had listened to my mother, I would have held my son only while feeding him (every four hours) — and not one second longer, lest he turn into a “mama’s boy.” These days, with the crush of childrearing information available, most new parents are up to speed — and beyond — but we grandparents most definitely are not.

4. Accept your role. If you’re the mother of a new father, you may not have the same access to your grandchild as a maternal grandmother, at least in the beginning. New mothers are often the primary caretakers of babies, and they tend to lean on their mothers for support. This is not a problem — unless you think it is. Your grandchild will love you too. Anyhow, all grandparents — whether on the maternal or paternal side — are at risk of being shut out if they fail to observe any of these commandments. Try to think of yourself as a relief pitcher in a baseball game: You’re on the bench until your adult children call you up and then you must do as they say if you want to stay in the game.

5. Don’t be surprised if old issues get triggered when your child has a child. For many people, feelings of competition with their grandchild’s other grandparents provoke traumatic flashbacks to junior high school. This is especially true now, given the proliferation of divorce and stepfamilies. Some grandparents are able to lavish the kids with expensive gifts, while others live much closer to the children than their counterparts. Still, a little goodwill goes a long way. The heart is a generous muscle capable of loving many people at once, and most of us are able to get past the initial rush of jealousy to find our special place in the new order.

6. Get a life. Sometimes I’ve become overly embroiled in my concern for my son and his family and my desire to be an integral part of their lives has taken precedence over things I needed to do to maintain my own sense of well-being — and I’ve paid the price. Hence, my mantra: “I have my life. They have theirs.” We are close and connected, yet separate. Boundaries, boundaries, boundaries.

7. Let go of all expectations. When Isabelle Eva was born, she was living around the corner from us, but when she was two months old her parents moved her overseas. Not only was I heartbroken, my expectations about my involvement in her life were turned upside down. Yet once I was able to let go of my agenda — which took some doing — I found that I still felt deeply connected. There are bound to be unpredictable plot twists in every family narrative, but unless you are raising your grandchildren, your adult children are writing their own story. (See No. 4: Relief pitcher, on the bench.)

Good advice for the holidays, or anytime.

Barbara Graham, a Grandparents.com columnist, is the editor of the anthology, Eye of My Heart: 27 Writers Reveal the Hidden Pleasures and Perils of Being a Grandmother, which tells “the whole crazy, complicated truth about being a grandmother in today’s world.”

Linda K. Beech is Cottonwood District Extension Agent for Family and Consumer Sciences.

Being the avid fisherman that I am, I understand that each time I venture out I am bound to have a different outcome. Sometimes the fish are biting, and sometimes they’re not. Sometimes I catch 50 fish and other times I’m “skunked.”

“Wind from the East, fishing the least, wind from the West, fishing the best,” is but one of the many old school indicators that guide me through the waters. “If the barometer is falling, forget about calling (the fish)” is yet another old saying that has been used over the years.

We cannot omit the relative humidity, the pollen in the air, water temperature and presentation and color of the lure or fly, as these are additional factors that weigh on a fisherman’s mind in providing a successful day on the water.

Or we could just go by what a good friend told me, at one point, “Tim, every day is a good day to fish. (His point, even a bad day of fishing is better than a good day at work”).

So I was very surprised one day while checking out new fishing lures that the advertisement claimed that this particular lure caught 54.6% more fish-not 54.9%, or 53.2%, but 54.6% more fish-Really? Now, what kind of research could possibly be done to come up with this statistic? Was the wind out of the West each day they tested the lure? Was the barometric pressure just right? Did all the stars just happen to line up the days they tested this miracle lure to come up with this statistic?

Or, is it like so many other ads that just make some bold proclamation about their product with very little data to back it up. Let’s face it, not every business can be Number One, or the best in the world. And to make a claim that one product works 54.6% better than another is ludicrous, and is going to be very difficult to prove.

Have you ever entered a store to see everything in the joint on sale? Psychologically, there is something going on there. I receive magazines from two outdoor companies that are constantly promoting a sale. (Recently, it was the Black Friday, Yellow Tuesday, Green Wednesday, and the Cyber Monday sales).

You’ve assuredly seen ads of products, (they normally sell for $19.99) on television that give you a deadline on how long you can attain the product at this price. But wait, order now, and we’ll give you not one, but two of the seven-bladed razors that cut 22% more facial hair. What a deal! How could I possibly pass this up? And lo and behold, if you call back after the deadline, the price is still exactly the same. I once ordered an item on internet, but erred on my credit card number. The company gave me 30 minutes to correct my mistake. When I didn’t correct the error, they gave me another 30 minutes, and this went on for over two weeks.

And jacking up the price of an item only to come back and show today’s 20% discount is very misleading.
In the financial services industry we have similar issues. Sure, a representative of a company can show a 30% gain in gold, if they get to pick the time period.

Some companies boast about the predictions they’ve made over the years, but a closer look makes one realize that many predictions are made that do not come true. When one actually materializes, they run with that one, and shove the rest of the predictions under the carpet. It’s made to look like they’re genius caliber, but let’s face it, if starting today, you predicted rain in your city might you eventually be correct?

It falls upon us as consumers to understand these misleading ways and make informed decisions before we initiate a sale. Good shopping!

And now, my favorite statistic: Teen Pregnancy drops off dramatically after age 20! Merry Christmas!

Tim Schumacher represents Strategic Financial Partners in Hays.

At this time of year, it seems only natural to reflect on the people and programs that made it special. Last week I shared information about the successful formation of our Cottonwood Extension District. Today I want to mention a couple of program successes from 2017 and invite you get involved in an Extension program in the new year.

Some of you may recall that one year ago my left arm was healing from an unfortunate bicycling accident. While my range of motion and strength isn’t quite back to normal I am happy to report that most tasks can be accomplished pain free and with confidence. Last January I was anxious to get back to teaching the Stay Strong Stay Healthy Program in Great Bend. This strength based training for older adults focuses on flexibility, strength and balance. As the eight-week program progressed the class participants became cheerleaders for me.

When they observed my motion improving they gave me the push that I needed to keep working at it. I have another Stay Strong Stay Healthy class set to begin mid-January so I hope you will consider joining. I have had to make a time change from the information in the Great Bend Rec. Center guide and the class will run on Tuesdays and Thursdays beginning January 16th, from 10-11 a.m. at the Activity Center located at 2715 18th Street. For those reading this column in Ellis County, I invite you to give me a call if you are interested in having a workshop in your community.

Another accomplishment from 2017 was completing a fact sheet titled, “Healthy Cooking Styles” and presenting it several times. It’s always fun to see an idea become a printed guide for others to follow and perhaps improve the quality of their lives. I will be presenting this program several times in the area. Programs in Great Bend, Hoisington, Hays, LaCrosse and Wilson will be held in February through April. I will be sure to post the dates and times on our Facebook page closer to the program date.

So now let’s take a little time off before 2018 begins. Count your blessings and make some special memories with your kids or grandkids or friends. Have a wonderful Christmas and a Happy New year!

Donna Krug is the Cottonwood Extension District Director and Family & Consumer Science Agent with K-State Research & Extension – Great Bend office. You may reach her at (620)793-1910 or [email protected].

‘Tis the season. Let’s hoist an eggnog and peruse Kansas politics over the past year – and into the next. Drumroll, please.

The Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future. Traditionally, there are three ghosts, but this year just two have appeared. Governor Sam Brownback is obviously the ghost of Christmas past, as echoes of his seven years in office resound around the capitol, even in his absence. In fact, the echoes reverberate through all state office buildings, given the hollowing out of government since 2011.

Burdett Loomis, Professor, Political Science, College of Liberal Arts and Science

Lt. Governor Jeff Colyer stands as the ethereal ghost of Christmas future. His upcoming administration is difficult to foresee, given the political turbulence in the Legislature and among Republican gubernatorial aspirants. Who knows exactly what shape his governing might take, assuming, of course, that he actually takes office.

This leads us to the ambivalent ghost of Christmas present – the neither fish-nor-fowl combo of the exiting Brownback and the entering Colyer. One day Sam seems to inhabit this ghost, the next day Jeff. No wonder there’s a faint red glow over the capitol.

The past year demonstrated that wise men (and women) still exist. Most notably, Senator Jim Denning, Speaker Ron Ryckman, and House majority leader Don Hineman, along with many Democrats and moderate Republicans, wisely reversed the destructive tax policies implemented since 2013. Their reward in 2018: engineer a solution to the perennial school finance issue without engendering a constitutional crisis. The wisdom business is tough.

The race for governor. Twelve politicians a-piping. Six GOPers exhorting, Five Demos a-dancing. And one solitary independent. The ghostly executive vacuum, along with a two-term limit, means that the 2018 governorship will be the most widely and hotly contested race in the past fifty years. The Republican herd will probably thin out over the next few months, while state senator Laura Kelly’s entrance into the race has produced a new Democratic lead reindeer.

Lurking about the governor’s race are the Grinch (Independent Greg Orman) and Scrooge McKobach. Ignoring various moderates from both parties, Orman seemingly cannot resist the opportunity to act as spoiler. Perhaps Kelly’s entrance will produce second thoughts about an independent run, which would increase the electoral chances of Kobach, with his sugar-plum fantasies of illegal immigrants, voting suppression, and low-tax prosperity.

The Kansas congressional delegation, usually a placid band of elves, remains in turmoil, with two new members over the past 15 month, and more change to come. For Democrats, Santa has brought two special presents. “Ho, Ho, Ho” in the highly competitive 2nd District, where Paul Davis at least an even bet to win. And “Yo, Yo, Yo” in KS-3, a textbook example of a GOP seat that could turn Democratic in an upcoming wave election. The Democratic scrum to oppose Rep. Kevin Yoder in that district is almost as intense and weird as the Republican battle for the gubernatorial nomination. You need to watch those elves every moment.

The Legislature has already given us the early gift of solid tax policy. But the spirit of giving may come a cropper with the school finance. We’ll see if the Christmas spirit of generosity extends to the Supreme Court, as it rules on whatever plan the Legislature develops. And those postcards in moderates’ GOP House districts? They’re not Christmas cards; the far right is already campaigning to defeat them. Happily, early polling indicates that constituents support those who moved the state back to fiscal sanity.

So, Kansans, pour yourself another eggnog, sit back, and enjoy the unfolding political spectacle. Not a bad present for citizens and junkies alike. Merry Christmas!

Burdett Loomis is an emeritus professor of political science at the University of Kansas.

By RICK FELTS
Kansas Farm Bureau president

We applaud the passage today of the tax reform package, and look forward to the president signing it into law. Individual tax rates are going down, and with 94 percent of farmers and ranchers paying taxes as individuals, this is a welcome change.

The doubling of the estate tax exemption to $11 million per person will also provide relief to the vast majority of farmers and ranchers. The bill also provides the opportunity for farmers and ranchers to immediately deduct expenses like feed, seed, fertilizer and chemicals.

We appreciate the hard work by Congress, specifically Sen. Roberts who serves on the Senate Finance committee and Rep. Lynn Jenkins who serves on the House Ways and Means committee. We look forward to the bill becoming law.

My grandparents, my mom’s parents, lived in Fort Worth, Texas. My parents, my sister and I always lived “far” away, the closest being 300 miles. Typically, we would pack up the family car the day of Christmas Eve, drive to Fort Worth, and would arrive well after dark. My sister and I would sit in the backseat, excitement seeping through our pores. We would be restless. We would try to sleep, sometimes crawling into the back window well so we could watch the cars go by, but sleep would elude us.

It would finally get dark. Sometimes we would turn on the radio, with news reports of an unknown object in the air—a sleigh driven by a man dressed in red, with some type of deer at the lead. We would crane our necks, sure we could see something.

The magic continued as we arrived in Fort Worth. As we rounded the bend on my grandparents’ street, we were always greeted by the most beautiful (in our mind) Christmas lights in my grandparents’ home. Despite having driven hundreds of miles, all of us would pile out of the car into the open arms of my grandparents and my uncle. We were smothered in hugs and kisses. Both grandparents smelled of pecan pies and German chocolate cake. The light of the Christmas tree burned permanent images into our memories. No matter what our previous year had been like, we knew that now we were safe and loved, with our family whole once again.

This year will be different, yet the same, for our family. Long deceased are my parents and my grandparents. My wife’s mom, the last of my children’s grandparents, passed away this last February at age 99. Though none of my wife’s siblings live in Wichita (where my wife’s mother lived), we are all returning to Wichita, coming from Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Illinois and Colorado. We have a gathering place arranged.

I know it will be very special.

Through the traditions that I learned from my grandparents, and through the traditions that I and my children have learned from my wife’s parents, I know how important maintaining those traditions are. It is not the traditions themselves, but the family that goes along with them. I know that it is an effort. I know it would be easier not to have to travel. I know most of the family is putting in a lot of effort for just a few days together, but I also realize that those efforts keep us from drifting apart, perhaps permanently.

While we will be missing the children’s grandparents, I get to celebrate being a first time and new grandparent. Some of my wife’s nieces and nephews have had children this past year, and we will celebrate their births as well. We will be welcoming the next generation, and I hope to copy my grandparents and smother them in love and kisses.

My hope is that the “effort” that we demonstrate will make it part of the new tradition as we begin passing the torch, that they too learn and remember how important it is to get together as a family.

It is so easy to lose contact with family. It is so easy to dismiss traditions.

Merry Christmas to all of you. Merry Christmas to all of my friends, family, clients and coworkers. You are all worth the effort.

Randy Clinkscales of Clinkscales Elder Law Practice, PA, Hays, Kansas, is an elder care attorney, practicing in western Kansas. To contact him, please send an email to [email protected]. Disclaimer: The information in the column is for general information purposes and does not constitute legal advice. Each case is different and outcomes depend on the fact of each case and the then applicable law. For specific questions, you should contact a qualified attorney.

UWEC

The United Way of Ellis County is nearing the end of their 2017 United Way Campaign and it has been a busy time starting with Community Kick-offs, Heroes in Action events, Dine-Out Days, Pumpkin Roll and Run, Power of the Purse Event, Night of Giving, Online Auction, parades, community mailings and the creation of the Wonder Women League. Sherry Dryden, Executive Director and Nancy Jeter, Campaign Chair both express being forever grateful to the many businesses, organizations, and individuals who have contributed to help make the campaign a success. However, the United Way is only at 70% of their goal and is asking for help.

The United Way makes a profound difference in the Ellis County Community by helping people during times of crisis. There are currently 13 United Way partner agencies that, with the help of the United Way, are able to create change through the valuable services they provide. These services include assistance to those dealing with cancer, providing shelter for families in need of assistance, early intervention services for children, counseling, assistance for individuals with disabilities, providing mentors to at-risk children, and so much more. As Nancy states, “I used to work at one of those partner agencies and I can tell you first-hand that funding provided by the United Way enabled our agency to change thousands of young lives in a positive way through the years.”

The United Way has become so much more than just raising money for partner agencies. Did you know that the United Way also provides direct services such as having a free prescription discount card program with FamilyWize, strategic planning support to partner agencies, free BoardWalk training to all non-profits, grant review opportunities, directory of all services in Ellis County through www.elliscountykshelp.com, and the 211 Nationwide referral-program?

This year, 16 agencies have applied for $414,000 to help their agencies provide services. To help with the current short fall, the United Way has a fun community challenge. The challenge is for every donation given to help reach the goal, a long piece of duct tape will be used to tape Sherry to a wall during their Business After Hours on January 18th from 5-7 p.m with the Chamber. If the campaign goal of $450,000 is met, then Nancy Jeter, Campaign Chair, will get to put a pie in Sherry’s face after she is duct taped to the wall! Come join them to see if they made goal. Just prior to the Business After Hours event, at 4 p.m. they will have a ribbon cutting for the new Wonder Women League and the announcement of their first project. This is a group of extraordinary women who are committed to inspire and empower women to affect change in our community.

Through the generosity of last year’s donors, the partner agencies were able to provide over 15,000 services to 8,000 people. The partner agencies are counting on the United Way so they can continue to do great things. Please open your heart and do what you can to help the United Way over the finish line! Everyone wins when a child succeeds in school, when families are financially stable, and when people are healthy. It does more than impact our community, it impacts all of us! To donate online visit www.liveunited.us or stop by the United Way office at 205 E. 7th Suite 111.

Wishing you a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year,
All of us at the United Way of Ellis County!

By JOHN P. TRETBAR

Kansas Corporation Commission Chairman Pat Apple announced he will not seek another four-year term when his appointment expires next March. Apple plans to return to a private construction business he and his wife Debbie started in 1983. He says he’s making the announcement now to allow the Governor time to find his replacement. Apple was appointed to the Commission by Governor Brownback on March 24, 2014. He was elected Chairman on January 12, 2017.

Baker Hughes noted 930 total active drilling rigs Friday, adding three gas rigs after four oil rigs fell off the list. Canada reported 238 active rigs, an increase of 19 drilling rigs. Independent Oil & Gas Service reported 12 active rigs in eastern Kansas, up one, and 22 west of Wichita, which is down three. Drilling is underway at sites in Barton and Ellis counties.

Operators filed 150 intent-to drill-notices with the Kansas Corporation Commission in November. That’s 1,661 so far this year through November. So far this month the KCC reports more 70 intents. By the end of the year we’ll be ahead of last year’s dismal total of 1,166, well behind the total in 2015 (2,303), and far short of the much higher annual totals in 2013 (6,395) and 2014 (7,014).

Kansas operators filed 34 new permits to drill at new locations across the state last week. The year-to-date permit total is 1,393. There are 22 new permits on file in eastern Kansas and 12 west of Wichita including new permits in Barton and Ellis County. For the month of November, there were 141 new permits filed statewide. There were five in Barton County, three in Ellis County, four in Russell County and two in Stafford County.

Independent Oil and Gas Service reported 32 new well completions last week, 1,275 so far this year. There were 18 completions in eastern Kansas and 14 west of Wichita, including one in Ellis County and one in Russell County. Monthly numbers show 129 newly completed wells in November.

Lawmakers return to Oklahoma City Monday for another special legislative session on the budget. During the earlier eight-week special session the Legislature failed to agree on a plan that included an across-the-board increase in the state’s gross production tax for oil and natural gas. The new order from the Governor Dec. 15 limits the second special session to patching a budget overrun at the state’s health care authority. But Gov. Mary Fallin said she would keep negotiating, and she could expand the scope of the session.

Regulators in North Dakota report a big jump in that state’s oil production, to 1.2 million barrels per day. Mineral Resources Director Lynn Helms said the 78,000bpd bump was the state’s largest-ever month-over-month increase. Helms says preliminary numbers for November and December are looking strong.

Canadian crude’s discount to WTI futures has widened more than $15 since August to the lowest level in nearly four years. Bloomberg reported pipeline problems were compounded by rail line disruptions. Canadian deliveries rebounded after the Keystone shutdown, and now Enbridge is rationing pipeline space again amid high Western Canadian inventories. Rail cars struggled to catch up on deliveries after line disruptions over the past two months.

The Wall Street Journal reports the U.S. and Japan have urged Saudi Arabia to pursue an international stock listing for oil giant Aramco. Officials fear the possible sale of a stake to China would give Beijing too much sway in the Middle East.

A pipeline system in the UK developed what was described as a “small hairline crack,” forcing the shutdown of the 450,000 barrel per day pipeline. According to the Houston Chronicle, the company expects repairs to take a couple of weeks.

Phillips 66 and Enbridge announced an open season for the Gray Oak Pipeline from West Texas to Corpus Christi, Freeport, and Houston. The Gray Oak Pipeline is expected to have an initial throughput capacity of 385,000 bpd. Phillips 66 and Enbridge will evaluate expansion of the system beyond 385,000 BPD, depending on shipper interest in the open season. The pipeline system is anticipated to be placed in service in the second half of 2019. Open season began Monday.

Less than two weeks after OPEC’s decision to extend oil production cuts, Reuters reported that Libya and Nigeria – the only two exempt members of the group – are signaling their intent to raise output next year. Oil company Total said its new Egina field offshore Nigeria was on track to start next year – adding 10 percent to the country’s production. And officials from Libya’s government, it’s national oil company and a banker met to discuss how the corporation could get more cash to raise oil output next year.

OPEC production fell to its lowest level in six months, according to the cartel’s Monthly Oil Market Report. The report suggests that rival U.S. production continues to surge, and that oil markets may not re-balance before the production agreement concludes at the end of next year.

What if you could run for a statewide or federal office without having to worry about whether you’ll keep your underground Statehouse parking garage slot?

Now, there are probably good reasons for those four to try for bigger offices, but those four — so far — can campaign for another job at no risk to their current posts.

The four are, of course, state senators who are in the middle of four-year terms which means they won election in 2016 to terms which don’t expire until 2020.

How’s that for a belt and suspenders?

The four, so far, are State Sens. Steve Fitzgerald, R-Leavenworth, and Caryn Tyson, R-Parker, who are running for Second District Congress to take the place of retiring U.S. Rep. Lynn Jenkins, R-Kan.

Oh, and of course Sen. Laura Kelly, D-Topeka, who is running for governor, and Sen. Marci Francisco, D-Lawrence, who is running for Secretary of State.

Win and they have new jobs; lose, they retain their Senate jobs for another two years.

Oh, but don’t forget that a handful of Kansas House members are running for higher office without that mid-term safety net, seeing that House members only have two-year terms. They win, or they have to return to buying their own lunches and drinks because lobbyists quickly lose interest in Kansans who can’t vote on bills they and their clients want passed.

Who is making the big bet—because re-election to the House is probably more likely than having to make friends with a much larger group of Kansans?

Well, start with House Minority Leader Jim Ward, D-Wichita, who is after the Democratic nomination for governor and who last year was re-elected to an eighth House term with 58.5% of his district’s votes—just 3,336 to land him his House seat.

Another risk-it-all candidate? Three-term Rep. Kevin Jones, R-Wellsville, who is risking it all with his U.S. 2nd District House candidacy.

Oh, and down-ballot there are two candidates for the GOP nomination for Secretary of State who are betting it all. They are seven (non-consecutive) term House Speaker pro tem Scott Schwab, of Olathe, and three-term Rep. Keith Esau, a Republican also of Olathe, who are giving up the seats that each has recently won with high-50 percent margins, for the bigger job—or more time to spend on yardwork.

Practically, everyone would like to move up to higher office, where they can have a bigger effect on Kansans’ lives, whether it is making voting faster, managing the state, or in Congress drawing a little of that federal budget to Kansas, or maybe just preventing Congress from ignoring programs that are important to us.

Put aside for a moment every candidate’s promise to make life in Kansas better, or save the water table or provide better schools, roads, care for the poor and such, which each candidate has his/her own idea of just how to do that. You might just want to consider that some candidates are risking a lot more—likely their political futures—to accomplish that.

The non-legislators who are in the races? Well, we’ll presume they are making a living now and probably are serving their communities in some way.

And, even those job-safe senators who either get bigger jobs or keep their present jobs probably have a little-thought-about effect of pulling into the campaigns for the offices they are seeking some hard-won experience that will color those campaigns.

We’ve all heard campaign promises that we know just aren’t do-able and while they look nice on a palm card or at a public forum really aren’t going to happen. Sometimes it’s the experience that some candidates bring to the campaign that brings some practical realism to the elections.

Syndicated by Hawver News Company LLC of Topeka; Martin Hawver is publisher of Hawver’s Capitol Report—to learn more about this nonpartisan statewide political news service, visit the website at www.hawvernews.com.

If I could request but one gift during the holiday season, I’d ask for a book. Books abound with a wealth of knowledge and wisdom. They provide hours of adventure and entertainment rarely found anywhere else in today’s culture.

A couple books I would ask for on any wish list include, “Cutting for Stone” by Abraham Verghese and “Pillars of the Earth” by Ken Follett.

“Cutting for Stone” is about Marion and Shiva Stone who are twin brothers born of a secret union between a beautiful Indian nun and a brash British surgeon at a mission hospital in Addis Ababa. Orphaned by their mother’s death in childbirth and their father’s disappearance and bound together by a shared fascination with medicine, the twins come of age as Ethiopia hovers on the brink of revolution. This novel is an unforgettable journey into one man’s remarkable life, and an epic story about the power, intimacy and curious beauty of the work of healing others.

“Pillars of the Earth” is set in 12th-century England and the story line revolves around the building of a cathedral in the fictional town of Kingsbridge. The ambitions of three men merge, conflict and collide throughout 40 years of social and political upheaval as internal church politics affect the progress of the cathedral and the fortunes of the advocates.

Another book I once read, and pick up to review from time to time, is Howard Thurman’s “The Mood of Christmas.” The message in Thurman’s book revolves around a gift he says everyone should enjoy and use in the best way. This gift is memory.

Thurman defines memory as, “one of God’s great gifts to the human spirit without which neither life nor experience could have any meaning.”

What Thurman urges in his book is to use your memory now, today and often. Think what a priceless gift it is.
What if you had no memory?

Every second, minute and hour of every day would have to begin for the first time. Learning would be impossible, and education would be meaningless.

Instead, humans have the power to store vast amounts of information and experiences throughout their lives. All we must do is think about it and we can recall these thoughts and experiences on demand with the use of our memory.

Some people store only unpleasant memories. Every slight is filed away. When a later encounter is made with the person responsible for the offense, the individual is chastised again, either mentally or verbally.
After a period, the memory storehouse is full of unpleasant thoughts. The mind is filled with suspicion, resentment and hate.

For others, only pleasant thoughts are stored for safekeeping. Such thoughts can be summoned at a moment’s notice. They restore faith and re-establish confidence in life at difficult and trying times.

Remember with the coming of the New Year, look to the future with hope – the confident expectation of good. Use the gift of memory to your benefit. Enjoy past experiences and remember life is what you make of it.

Make it good.

And as for reading or giving a book this holiday season, there are plenty of other wonderful books waiting to be read. So, go on-line, visit your favorite book store or swap books with a fellow reader. Just remember, this is the perfect time of year to read a book.

John Schlageck, a Hoxie native, is a leading commentator on agriculture and rural Kansas.