Life tenure for Supreme Court Justices, combined with increasing partisan polarization, is a toxic combination that is poisoning our democracy.

It is time to find a better way that preserves judicial independence while reducing the level of conflict over nominations. A move to a non-renewable 18-year term is a one way to reduce the stakes of confirmation battles, while preserving judicial independence.

Soon after Associate Justice Anthony Kennedy announced his resignation, President Donald Trump said “We have to pick a great one, we have to pick one that’s going to be there for 40 years, 45 years.”

While this statement will likely be a talking point for Democrats who oppose Judge Brett Kavanaugh, Trump’s 53-year-old nominee for Kennedy’s seat, it also accurately describes the way Supreme Court nominees are currently chosen.

Supreme Court nominations have become a way to preserve a party’s policy positions even after those policies cannot command a majority of voters in national elections. This practice is good for the party that has the Presidency when a vacancy occurs, and wonderful for relatively young lower-court judges who have a record that predicts ideological purity on the Court.

But it is bad for our democracy in general. It creates incentives for Senate leaders to use all means available to block nominees from the President of the other party, and to then push through the most conservative (or liberal) nominee possible. The norms of democracy and civility have not withstood such pressure, as shown by the unwillingness of Senate Republicans to grant President Obama’s nomination of Merrick Garland a vote.

One way to lower the temperature in Washington would be to lower the stakes of Supreme Court nominations. Judicial independence does not require a Justice serve as long as they live (or decide to retire after decades of service), but only that they are not susceptible to removal by a President or Congress.

Eighteen years is not the only number that would work, but it would have the advantage of ensuring that every President would get at least one appointment during their term. Thus we would avoid situations like in Democrat Jimmy Carter’s only term or Republican President George W. Bush’s first term, where a democratically-elected President had no appointments. A long, but defined term would also increase the likelihood that qualified potential appointees in their 60s would be considered.

The extreme partisanship of our current nomination politics makes such a proposal highly unlikely to even get a vote in either house of Congress, let alone enough support to begin the necessary process of constitutional amendment. But de-escalation must start somewhere, and ideally with the actions of a President or Senator.
Kansas Senators Pat Roberts and Jerry Moran, while loyal Republican partisans throughout their careers in elected office, are ideal candidates to start a conversation on reform of the Supreme Court nomination process. Neither one is in electoral danger, with Moran overwhelmingly reelected in 2016 and Roberts serving what is likely his last term. They could both withstand the pressure that would surely come from questioning the wisdom of the current nomination process when their party is on the verge of locking in their desired policy positions for a generation or more.

If either Kansas Senator would use their leverage in the current 50 Republican/49 Democrat Senate, they could at least secure a pledge from Majority Leader McConnell to schedule debate after the November elections on nomination reform. It is in their long-term interest, and the interest of Kansans in general, to reduce the level of partisanship on judicial nominations.

The Democratic Senators that are excluded from the nomination process will be less likely to collaborate with Senator Roberts on agriculture issues. When Senator Moran continues his fight to preserve rural Post Offices, he will need the help of Democratic Senators who also represent states with large rural populations.
Scorched-earth politics on nominations will not be contained to just Supreme Court nominations, but will continue the degradation of the personal relationships that are crucial to good-faith negotiation across party lines.

Senators Roberts and Moran would be wise to consider how to preserve the Senate as a broadly-representative governing institution, instead of continuing the destruction of bipartisan norms.

Neal Allen is an Associate Professor of Political Science at Wichita State University.

Two stories in the June 30 Salina Journal feature Kansas Republican office-holders in “Good Samaritan” mode, namely Governor (Dr.) Jeff Colyer and First District Congressman (Dr.) Roger Marshall.

The Colyer story recounts the Governor having his driver stop his car as it went by an accident scene on a campaign trip. There Colyer made sure a heat-exhausted truck-trailer driver had a bottle of water, then took him to the trooper’s car to sit in air-conditioning.

Says his paid spokeswoman, apparently the source of this stand-alone story, “This is just what he does,” also citing his running to the aid of an injured wrestler at a tournament.

The second story details Congressman Marshall’s account of his visit to 360 mostly Central American boys separated from their parents at an ‘immaculate’ detention center or ‘camp’ near the border. Citing his own mission work in Central America, Haiti, and Kenya, Marshall said the camp’s ‘loving and caring’ workers who also ‘look at it as a mission project,’ are “bringing teddy bears from home and getting them food.”

To further comfort the children, Marshall played soccer with them.

Thus calling to mind the January 31st story of the Congressman administering CPR to one of three garbage truckers hit by him and more than half the other Republican Senators and Representatives in a chartered train enroute to a West Virginia retreat.

Good for them! Compassion is a scarce commodity these days. When our public officials demonstrate it, shouldn’t we be the first to thank and congratulate them? Of course.

When anyone faces such need up close and personal, Hippocratic oath or not, the urgency of the moment and our best human instincts (usually) come into play. For that impulse, we can all be grateful.

But we should beware the Missionary Mentality. The automatic label of “Good Guy.” The feeling that by taking some saving action, we have done our best—and our duty–to our fellow humans. This applies to all of us, but especially Elected Officials and People in Charge.

It cannot go unnoticed that these stories appear in an election year. That their origins are with the officials themselves, or their surrogates. And that they might just seem deliberately calibrated as free campaign advertising.

Far more importantly, that their seemingly benevolent actions are in stark contrast with the harm inflicted by their public policies. Policies that, potentially or actually, directly harm the very people they are ‘helping.’

Imagine Colyer’s truck-trailer driver has a disabled daughter needing ongoing care, care denied by the KanCare company putting off or denying payment to the facility or physician offering her services—for their own personal enrichment.

A Kan’t Care system created by whom? Governor Colyer. A system the Guv wants to change to limit help to 36 months, and not allow help for anyone the Guv’s worker bees say won’t work for their benefits.

If our 150,000 Kansas neighbors not insured against financial disaster (because the Guv staunchly opposes expanding Medicaid) were sitting in the heat by the side of the road, would a water bottle and air-conditioned trooper car provide sufficient relief?

Will a soccer game with a U.S. Congressman and Teddy Bears from their captors get these kids back to their parents and out of prison (where they are held without their consent)?

Don’t be ridiculous.

The onus is on us, friends. When you read these Teddy Bear stories (and there’ll be more), it’s your responsibility to see the larger picture—and to Vote Accordingly!

David Norlin is Chairman of the Salina Planning Commission, former President of Salina Access TV, and a former College Director of Broadcasting and English Department Chair. He has twice run for Kansas State Office.

A storm is brewing over equitable education funding in Kansas.

Last month, the Kansas Supreme Court passed down a decision upholding the state legislature’s five-year, school funding proposal of $522 million in new spending. The court required only that additional resources to sufficiently account for inflation be added and gave the lawmakers almost a year to carry out the new directive.

The justices did not compel all the additional funds to be implemented immediately. Nor did the court stop the flow of state education funding which would have closed schools until a larger amount was put forward.
In the opinion of many Kansans, it was a decision that considered state coffers as well as educational needs. However, some legislators were dissatisfied and began again to call for a Constitutional amendment that would give the legislature sole power over school funding with no opportunity for judicial review to determine the adequacy of funding.

Rather than backing a Constitutional amendment to increase legislative power over education finance, lawmakers might want to “lean in” and ask education leaders and the public to help them match education needs to state appropriations.

A Constitutional amendment could set the stage for larger problems instead of ameliorating education issues.
Take, for example, the tempest that continues to rage in Oklahoma, a state where legislative control overrides the courts. This spring, amid teacher walkouts, sit-ins, a Pastors for Kids organization founded at First Baptist Church in Oklahoma City enlisted 95 pastors and hundreds of parishioners to support teachers. That plus a citizens’ march from Tulsa to Oklahoma City exacerbated political turmoil.

Support for teachers was widespread. By April a law passed that raised teacher salaries which were among the lowest in the nation.

However the conflict didn’t end; within a few weeks, a former U.S. Senator led support for a petition to repeal the pay-raise taxes. The Oklahoma courts rejected the proposal on the technicality that not each of the separate taxes to be raised was listed on the petition. The storm continues.

What can Kansans learn from the Oklahoma story?

Depending on how the data is diced, the teacher walkouts resulted in schools closed, parents scrambling for suitable caretakers for their young and classroom learning at a standstill—costing families and the general public much unrest and the Oklahoma economy considerably more than the $22 million over several years that Kansas school districts paid in attorney’s fees during the Kansas court dispute.

Education funding decisions should be about how to provide 21st Century education for students–difficult to imagine, since in 2017 school funding in both Oklahoma and Kansas was near the bottom of states experiencing a 10 percent or greater reduction in per student state spending during the past 10 years. Oklahoma was last and Kansas was listed fourth from the bottom.

Neither legislative primacy nor judicial oversight can end battles over school funding, but legislative primacy can, as in Oklahoma, be costly, lengthy, aggravate political contention and fail to nurture public education. Kansans would do well to leave their Constitution as is.

Sharon Hartin Iorio is Professor and Dean Emeritus at Wichita State University College of Education.

My journey into helping families with chronic illness took an unusual path. My grandmother was widowed in 1984. She was about 70 at the time. Soon after, we built an apartment onto her home where my mom could oversee her care. My grandmother was actually doing fairly well. My mom was still working, and their relationship, in addition to being daughter and mother, was really a companionship. They had their evening meals together. They did their shopping together.

In December of 2000, my grandmother had a heart attack. She was given three to six months to live. But, we had a plan: my mom was going to take care of her. Then, two months later, my mother passed away. I became a caregiver to my grandmother.

That began my journey into elder law, and my journey in dealing with families with chronic illnesses.

There are so many lessons from my journey with my grandmother, but one that really sticks out to me at this moment is this: she really did not understand why she would survive her husband, her three brothers, her parents, and all three of her children. I think of all the battles that she and I fought together over the next year paled in comparison to her trying to get her mind around that fact. Why did she have to live to see all of that?

I thought of this story recently, but on a different level. A month or two ago, I had a family come see me, John and Betty. Though they were both still working and a very vigorous couple in their late 60’s, John had been diagnosed with dementia-like symptoms. Even finishing a sentence was difficult. Betty would spend her day working, only to come home and need to address the issues with John. She was exhausted.

We began working with the family. We had one of our care coordinators (in this case a social worker) assigned to John and Betty to help guide them through the process of dealing with a chronic illness, as well as aging issues.

We had a second meeting scheduled with the family, and the care coordinator gave me a heads up: John and Betty were really in distress. The care coordinator was afraid they were angry about something, but she could not put her fingers on it.

When John and Betty came in to see me, I made a special effort to set aside some time to visit with them. In the beginning of the conversation, they related that they felt as if they just did not need help. (Remember that John, many times, could not even finish a sentence.) Betty said, “I am still working, John is still strong as a bull and he gets a lot of work done around the farm.”

I kept visiting with them. Finally, and in tears, Betty said to me, “We are just not supposed to be here now in this condition.”

During the rest of the conversation, it became so evident to me how much she loved John and hated to see him go through what he was going through. But, even more evident, was John’s heart pouring out his love for Betty. He had always been the strong one. He was still the strong one, and he was afraid he was losing that ability. He was afraid that instead of Betty leaning on him, he would have to lean on Betty.

Once all of us realized what was going on, my law partner and I, as well as John and Betty, felt the tension lift from the room. I think just recognizing our fears helped us talk about them and share with each other. Though I left the room and let the care coordinator finish up, I heard laughter coming from the room later on. I knew that some bridge had been crossed.

It does not matter if you are 27 or 87, bad things can happen. You can wake up and find yourself in a position that you never thought you would be in. Many of us are going through that type of journey now. It can make us question so many things that we take for granted in our lives.

My grandmother was never a complainer, but on a handful of occasions she did ask me why she survived all of her family. I wish that I could tell you that I said something profound. I did point out to her that because she was still around, our family, from all sides, got together once or twice a year just to be in her presence. I moved my grandmother to live in the same town with me. We were together the last four years of her life. That experience taught me that many little things are just as important as big things.

Though I have been practicing law for 38 years, though I have been working with people with chronic illnesses and aging issues for almost 15 years, I learned something from John and Betty. I know that their days ahead will be difficult, but I know that they will love each other to the fullest extent that they can, and they will appreciate every moment they have together.

My hope for all of you is that when you do face a situation like this, as is John and Betty and as did my grandmother, you be willing to let people help you. Many times a guide is important.

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.

Probably the last thing the average gardener thinks of doing in the heat of the summer is to plant another round of vegetables…again. However, fall gardens will often produce higher quality, better tasting cool-season crops as the vegetables mature during cooler temperatures.  Note the “cool-season crops”.

If your love of gardening is deep and you decide to take on the challenge of fall gardening, there are a few things to remember. For instance;

-it is important to plant seeds slightly deeper than you would in the spring so they stay cooler and the soil around the seeds stays moist longer.

-plant the seeds more thickly, and then be sure to thin later.

-if you have critters or varmints that like to enjoy the fruits of your efforts, you may need to protect your crops through the use of fencing.

The following “calendar” is a general guide of what can be planted, and in what time-frame to do so.

Mid-July: Plant potatoes if you can find or have saved back seed potatoes. Do not use freshly dug potatoes as seed, as they have a built-in dormancy that will prevent growth.  Also note that grocery store potatoes often are treated so they will not sprout. At this time you can start your cabbage, broccoli, and cauliflower plants from seed.  Choose a protected place where the soil can be kept moist and rabbits will not bother them. This will not be where they will grow the entire season but these crops should be transplanted around the middle of August.

Late July: Seed (direct) beets, carrots, parsnips, endive and beans.

Late July to Early August: Seed (direct) spinach and long-season maturing lettuce. Leaf lettuce will be seeded later.

Second Week of August: Transplant (not seed) cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower to their final location.

Late August to Early September: Seed (direct) radishes, turnips and leaf lettuce.

Use light amounts of fertilizer before planting. For example, apply 1/4 cup of a low-analysis fertilizer (6-7-7) per 10 feet of row. Side dress two weeks after transplanting or four weeks after seeding by applying 2 tablespoons of a 16-0-0 or 1 tablespoon of a 27-3-3, 30-3-4 fertilizer, or something similar per plant.
    One last thing to remember; watering must occur more frequently because the vegetable seeds that you planted should not be allowed to dry out.

Overhead watering often causes soil to crust, making it more difficult for young, tender plants to emerge.  Prevent this by applying a light sprinkling of peat moss, vermiculite or compost directly over the row after seeding. Even better, use a soaker hose or drip irrigation right next to the row to allow water to slowly seep into the ground.

Rip Winkel is the Horticulture agent in the Cottonwood District (Barton and Ellis Counties) for K-State Research and Extension. You can contact him by e-mail at [email protected] or calling either 785-682-9430, or 620-793-1910.

We’ve heard years of whining about public school funding in Kansas.

Legislators have griped that the state isn’t adequately supporting public schools, other legislators have complained that the state is spending too much on public schools or local school boards are spending it wrong?

Well, that’s nearly all over. The Kansas Supreme Court in its decision last month decided that if the Legislature will just appropriate enough money to make up for several years of low-ball spending, the state’s school finance not only will meet equity standards but that dollar-sign punctuated the adequacy threshold.

Now, folks in the Statehouse are still doing the long division and such to come up with a flat number for an increase in state funding the high court says is necessary. Early estimates are that somewhere between $80 million and $120 million in additional spending in each of the next four years would meet the court’s order. Few are doubting that there will be enough money to make that increase in state aid.

But…then…the whole issue of public education changes.

Once the money meets constitutional standards for adequacy—and if the Legislature doesn’t short-change that standard in the out-years as it has in past court-watched deals—what happens to public education?

There will be a sizable percentage of the Legislature that figures if the money is OK, it’s over. And there will be a sizable percentage which decides that “constitutional” doesn’t really speak to just what the students learn and how it helps them live a prosperous life, take care of their kids and their parents when needed, and make the state more prosperous.

The difference? Maybe that’s where Kansans find out—and tell their legislators—just what they want from schools. After years of fighting over the money, it’s likely the debate will switch to just how schools teach, how well the students do on standardized tests, and which districts produce the highest number of graduates ready to proceed with their lives, get technical education, go on to college or whatever.

Some of that debate will undoubtedly splash back on locally elected boards of education. Because the constitutional money issue can be off the table, it’s looking at individual districts to see which of the 278 districts uses that “constitutionally adequate” state aid to produce the smartest students with the best futures ahead of them.

New football helmets and cheerleader uniforms or additional classes to make sure students with disabilities get the best education they can? Or whether every student gets a computer to carry around and the schoolbooks (they still have them?) are the latest, best-written volumes in print?

We’re down to a court-blessed adequate funding plan and unless the State Board of Education radically changes its measurement of student performance, lawmakers will be able to see where money is being spent well and where it apparently isn’t being spent in the best interests of the students—and their families.

That’s a dramatic change in the school finance debate. It’s not just about money, though lawmakers could of course put more in, but it’s about just what the state is getting for its adequate spending of taxpayers’ money.

Now, of course, there is still battling to be done—ranging from the court’s “adequate” being too high or low to the authority of the court to decide cases in which the Legislature is held to a standard for funding of schools.

But there may be a dramatic change in K-12 education policy, and you can bet that there will be splash-back on individual school districts and their locally elected members if they can’t make “adequate” funding produce smarter and smarter students.

This might be interesting to watch…

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

“Better than expected, but not what we’d hoped for.”

This is what I heard when I asked Kansas farmers about this year’s wheat harvest. Still, with the little moisture received during the growing season, the 2018 wheat crop panned out better than most Kansas farmers thought it would.

Steve Boor, Lincoln County farmer wrapped up harvest June 30, two weeks after he began. The 2018 wheat harvest dragged on longer than usual because of the pesky showers that dropped a few hundredths of rain then disappeared. The rain resulted in harvest delays as Boor and other farmers waited for the crop to dry out.

In addition to the holdups, the veteran Lincoln County wheat producer says the quality varied, the yields varied – everything varied. The wheat looked much better going into the (combine) header than it did going into the bin.

“Just spots, spots and more spots,” Boor says. “We’d be cutting along and go through a thin spot and ask, ‘what happened here?’ It obviously wasn’t the drill, it wasn’t the sprayer – it just amazed me that a field of wheat could go from little, if any wheat to good, thick wheat so quickly.”

One of the challenges harvesters face in thin wheat is traveling fast enough to keep a steady mat of crop flowing through the combine. This is necessary to utilize the machine’s large threshing capacity.

Traveling at faster speeds to ensure efficient threshing sometimes presents its own inconveniences.

“Hitting a good-sized badger hole at those speeds can certainly jar your teeth,” Boor says.

Another sign of a stressed crop this harvest included a small percentage of stalks lodged too close to the ground to recover. Some instances of broken stalks showed up throughout this year’s harvest.

Wheat protein levels on the Lincoln County crop will likely range from the upper 12s to the lower 13s. Yields varied from approximately 50 bushels-per-acre on the river bottom ground in widely isolated small patches to the mid-30s on much of the 2018 crop.

“I’m sure the wheat lightened up a bit the longer we cut,” Boor says. “Still, I’m hoping the test weight hung tough at least about 59 pounds-per-bushel.”

Amazingly enough, this year’s wheat crop demonstrated its ever-enduring properties. It proved once again, wheat needs timely moisture to produce an abundant crop.

During the early period of the growing season after the first of the year, Boor wouldn’t have bet a “plug nickel” on even harvesting this year’s crop considering the lack of snow and rain.

“You cannot fault the wheat for not yielding more,” he says. “The crop just played the hand it was dealt and did the best it could.”

After talking with neighbors and other producers across Kansas, Boor believes the crop he harvested is like many others across the state.

“I didn’t see anyone tearing up the roads with trucks hauling wheat to the elevators,” he says. “I have yet to hear anyone pounding their chest and saying, ‘Look what we cut.’”

Needless to say, there probably will not be much double cropping beans behind this harvested wheat crop. With the lack of moisture in most places of the state, farmers aren’t ready to gamble on a second crop.

The Lincoln County farmer remains optimistic the fall crops will benefit from some timely rains. This would move the milo and beans a long way down the road to a better fall harvest.

“When you’re cutting a tough wheat crop, it’s nice to look across the field and see milo that looks really good,” Boor says. “We’re not home yet, but with a few good rains, I think we could harvest a decent fall crop.”

And for those few farmers still cutting wheat in the far northwestern region of Kansas?

“Say a prayer for those still trying to finish harvest,” he says. “Wish them luck.”

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

By JOHN P. TRETBAR

The latest crude-oil production tally from the Kansas Geological Survey shows a continuing decline. K.G.S. reported 3.05 million barrels of new Kansas production in March, for a three-month total of 8.7 million bbl. That’s about 200,000 barrels less than last year’s first-quarter total. Annual production last year was the lowest since 2006. Ellis County continues to lead the state with production of about 659,000 barrels, an improvement of nearly 90,000 barrels over the first quarter of last year. Barton County produced 423,000 barrels and Russell County produced 392,000, both about the same as last year’s three-month totals. Stafford County is down slightly to just over 256,000 barrels produced in the first quarter of this year.

Here are the top ten oil-producing counties in Kansas for the first quarter of 2018, according to the Kansas Geological Survey.
Ellis County: 658,208 bbl
Haskell County: 622,114 bbl
Barton County: 423,779 bbl
Finney County: 419,227 bbl
Russell County: 392,380 bbl
Rooks County: 381,155 bbl
Ness County: 377,193 bbl
Stafford County: 256,731 bbl
Graham County: 233,664 bbl
Butler County: 199,389 bbl
Logan County: 193,385 bbl

Baker Hughes reports 1,052 active drilling rigs across the U.S., an increase of five oil rigs. North Dakota, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Louisiana were all in the plus column, while Texas reported a drop of four rigs. Independent Oil & Gas Service reports 21 active drilling rigs in eastern Kansas, up five, and 29 west of Wichita, down two. Operators are moving in completion tools to four leases in Barton County and six in Ellis County.

Independent Oil & Gas Service reported 56 newly-completed wells last week across Kansas, 26 east of Wichita and 30 in the western half of the state. Two wells were completed in Ellis County, and one in Russell County. Operators have completed 791 wells so far this year.

Kansas operators filed 48 new drilling permits last week, 34 in eastern Kansas and 14 west of Wichita, for a year-to-date total of 854 permits. Barton, Ellis and Stafford counties report one new permit each.

Energy regulators in Texas report big increases in that state’s oil and gas production during the month of April. Preliminary figures from the Railroad Commission of Texas showed average production of more than 2.7 million barrels per day, up from 2.6 million a year earlier.

The sticker-shock begins in Oklahoma for oil producers and drivers, as the state’s first tax hike in nearly thirty years took effect last week. Gasoline goes up three cents a gallon, and the Gross Production Tax on oil and gas wells jumps from two to five percent. A spokesman for the Oklahoma Independent Petroleum Association told the Enid News & Eagle most drillers have already planned operations for this year, but suggests bearish impact in the patch could likely show up next year. The Daily Oklahoman reports the new fuel tax rates are expected to bring in $105 million during the budget year that began July 1. The changes are expected to raise an estimated $100 million from oil production and another $71 million from natural gas.

BP plans to sell its stake in a large northern Alaska oil field to ConocoPhillips. The Anchorage Daily News reports the company hopes to increase its holdings in an offshore oil field near the UK instead, and focus its Alaska operations on the Prudhoe Bay field. The company said the operators at the Kuparuk field will remain the same, and the state of Alaska will see little change in taxes and royalties.

Suncor on Monday provided an update on the company’s Syncrude oil sands facility in Alberta, Canada, following a power disruption on June 20. Power and steam systems have been fully restored, the assessment and repair for the transformer is underway, and the safe and staged return to operations has begun. Company officials hope they’ll be back to nearly 70% of capacity in August and say they could ramp up to full production by mid-September. That’s roughly two months more down time than originally announced. The outage is providing a boost to Canadian oil prices, as it temporarily creates much-needed spare capacity on the region’s pipelines.

Cenovus Energy’s acquisition of oil sands assets last year from ConocoPhillips has propelled the company to Canada’s number three energy firm in terms of production volume, behind Canadian Natural Resources and Suncor Energy. That’s according to the Dutch auditing firm KPMG. Cenovus doubled its production in May 2017 after spending $17.7 billion to become 100 percent owner of the Foster Creek and Christina Lake oil sands projects.

Despite earlier optimism, China’s independent or “teapot” refineries are not buying as much crude oil, or at least they’re not taking delivery. Reuters reports four supertankers chartered by BP have been held up or delayed off the coast of China for the last two months. That comes amid escalating global trade tensions, rising crude oil prices, an oversupplied domestic fuel market and tighter government tax scrutiny.

The man on the phone identified himself as Don Paulson from north of Hutchinson, he reads my column regularly and he told me “I have something I think you’d like to see.” It seems he had a wild catbird that would take mealworms from his hand. Before I had made a commitment to go see him, he called back and said he also had a bunch of purple martins in his houses that were busy getting their young to fly and that they might add to the show.

The next morning I arrived at Don’s just after 7 AM. Don and his family own and operate Nickerson sand and Gravel Inc. at Nickerson, Kansas, and his house and property are truly befitting of someone in the business of quarrying rock, gravel and sand. Uniquely shaped boulders the size of refrigerators dotted the property both along the driveway and beside a beautiful backyard pond, and the front of the house is built from stone hauled a truck load at a time from an Ellsworth county pasture. Hibiscus and sunflowers beamed at me from various small gardens and patches all around.

Don talked at length how he had grown up farming, been in the military, graduated from Kansas State with a degree in economics, married his sweetheart and gone to work, fresh out of college for her father-in-law, JE Steele, owner and operator of JE Steele Sand and Gravel in Hutchinson. JE Steele supplied all the sand to build the famous mile-long grain elevator on the south-eastern corner of Hutchinson. After a couple years Paulson rented a sand and gravel business for a time at Nickerson and in the late 1960’s bought what is now Nickerson Sand and Gravel Inc.

Paulson’s love of birds began some 25 years ago years ago when he began building and hanging bluebird houses around his acreage, one year he knows there were at least 30 young bluebirds fledged from those houses. He began buying mealworms to help feed the hungry younguns’ and found that by putting mealworms in a cup near one particular bluebird house, he could entice the adults to come get worms from the cup. He kept moving the cup closer to where he sat and over time got the birds to come within 4 feet of him to take worms. Three years ago as he sat at a metal patio table out in front of his garages feeding mealworms to the bluebirds, another bird strange to him darted in from out of nowhere, snagged a mealworm from the driveway and flew off.

After a time he was able to identify the cheeky bandit as a catbird. Gray Catbirds are robin-sized members of the mimic-thrush family and are named for the “mewing” sound they occasionally make that’s reminiscent of a cat. They are a bit more slender than a robin and are a slate-gray color with a black cap and reddish colored rump. Although my Kansas bird book tells me catbirds do not repeat phrases like mockingbirds and thrashers, they are known to copy sounds of other birds and string them together to create their own repertoire. As Paulson told me the many stories of his catbird, I asked him if he had her named. He replied with a smirk “What do you name a bird; I just call her Tweety-Bird.”

Out in his workshop, Paulson showed me the mealworms he feeds to his hungry birds. He keeps them in long plastic containers with lids and feeds them wheat bran, newspaper and vegetable peelings, much like fishermen feed to night crawlers. Last year he bought and fed 3,000 of them to his hungry bluebirds and to Tweety Bird and her mate for their chicks. After gathering a few worms in a small plastic container, we sat down at a metal patio table on the concrete drive in front of his 3 garages. Purple Martens by the dozens filled the air around 4 big marten houses sitting along his vegetable garden as they tried to entice young fledglings to hop off the small porches of their houses and begin their flying lessons. Once we were seated, Paulson tapped the worm container loudly on the table a few times to let Tweety Bird know he was there with snacks.

Paulson believes a predator got Tweety’s mate this spring, as he found a handful of grey feathers on the ground near a water hole, and know she only appears alone. When she didn’t show for awhile, we went and fed the Koi and catfish in the pond, then returned to the table. Every few minutes Paulson tapped the container on the table, and after awhile as we sat there talking, Tweety appeared and sat on the table. He held out a worm in his fingers and she hopped toward him, but I think the strange sound made by my phone camera spooked her and she flew to a nearby perch. In less than a minute she was back on the table, but would not take the worm from his hand, so he tossed it on the concrete just a few feet away, where she grabbed it, plucked off its head and chugged it down in one gulp. That was the last we saw of Tweety Bird that morning, but Paulson said when she was feeding her own hungry brood earlier in the spring, she would gulp 3 worms every trip, often from his fingers and returned numerous times at each setting.

During my short visit with Don Paulson he told me more stories about his interesting life than I can remember. Like how he, his wife and 4 young kids put a few belongings in a homemade trailer and drove an old Ford station wagon 4000 miles in the 1960’s to live in Alaska for 6 months with his sister, and how his pond was dug so he could supply a particular kind of clay soil for the building of the skating rink on Lorraine Street back in the day. And then there was Tweety Bird’s appearance to highlight the morning …Continue to Explore Kansas Outdoors!

Steve Gilliland, Inman, can be contacted by email at [email protected].

Each spring’s cycle of birth and renewal reminds me all mothers are essentially alike. One look at a momma cow with her calf tells you don’t want to mess with her baby.

Over decades, my students wrote many essays detailing the results of interfering with young animals. Mothers aren’t only tender. They’re tough when necessary. Just a few days ago, a family of fledgling wrens reminded me how mommas fuss over their babies and that I should stay out of their business.

After a recent rain, I explored my yard to see how plants were growing under the unusual wet conditions. Until the downpour, our section of the creek had gone dry, and our buffalo grass couldn’t have been more dormant. An old grape vine growing creek-side particularly interested me.

While I counted clusters and imagined future jars filled with wild grape jelly, a rising crescendo disturbed my reverie. Since we have a wren family living off the back porch, I recognized the “shirring” sounds. However, I had never heard so many little birds in an uproar at one time.

Evidently, I had interrupted a mother and her fledglings as she taught them to find their own insect dinners. Not six feet behind me was a rotten log loaded with morsels to feed her and her babies. I interfered not only with her lesson, but also with quality dining.

Not meaning to threaten them, I quietly turned to watch this wary protectress with her offspring. Apparently, my statue-like presence created a menace because she admonished even more intently. Like children I’ve seen at the grocery store’s candy counter turning their backs to ignore scolding parents, these juvenile wrens did exactly that. They looked at mom and at me. Then they returned to devouring crunchy bugs.

This drove Mrs. Wren nuts. She dramatically flitted back and forth. If wrens can fling heads and wings, she did. With each dart, her tone intensified an octave. I’m not of her species, but I clearly understood her meaning. Finally, all but one of the babies reluctantly left the dinner table to fly to shelter. I couldn’t see them, but I could hear mom and fledglings’ raucous comments. Nobody in that tree was happy.

That left one little wren at the log. Like most families that have one child who marches to its own drummer, this fellow wasn’t a bit concerned at momma’s and siblings’ fussing. Despite louder warnings, the youngster didn’t give its guardian a second look.

I know how Momma Wren felt since we also have fledged offspring. As our daughters moved into adulthood, I found myself apologizing to my mother as well as thanking her for her patience and care. It’s no easy task letting children go, especially those with independent spirits.

Finally, my heart couldn’t take that mother’s frantic cries any longer. Since her baby refused to respond, I left, removing her imagined peril. As I walked away, I recalled my own mom’s wish for me and thought I hope that baby wren has a young one just like it.

Native Kansan Karen Madorin is a local writer and retired teacher who loves sharing stories about places, people, critters, plants, food, and history of the High Plains.

If you are a Kansas homeowner or a Kansas renter, can you answer basic questions about your insurance?

Whether you are a renter or a homeowner, you should consider an annual review of your homeowners or renters insurance policy, a review strongly recommended by our staff at the Kansas Insurance Department (KID). Reviewing your coverages lets you evaluate whether the coverage is still adequate (or too much) for your current situation. When you (and your local insurance agent) review your policy, be sure to find the answers to the following three questions.

What does my homeowners or renters policy cover?

A homeowners insurance policy covers the structure, belongings and legal obligations if someone is injured at your home. A renters policy does not insure the structure, but otherwise provides similar coverage.

Check the type of replacement value provided in the policy. Actual cash value (ACV) is the amount it would take to repair damage to a home or to replace its contents, after allowing for depreciation. Replacement cost is the amount it would take to rebuild or replace a home or its contents with similar quality materials or goods. Understand, however, that in order to receive the full replacement cost, most companies require you to show proof of replacement or repair before issuing the total amount. This also requires you to submit the proof within a certain time specified by your policy.

Liability insurance protects you from legal obligations arising from accidents involving visiting non-residents. With a few exceptions, such as auto or boating accidents, all-purpose liability coverage follows wherever you go. An umbrella policy can extend the liability limits of a homeowners or renters policy if the policy limit is insufficient.

Homeowners and renters policies typically include limited medical expense payments for injuries occurring on your premises to visiting non-residents.

How much coverage do I need?

Making a home inventory is the best way to determine the appropriate level of coverage needed for contents. An inventory is also a useful tool to have in case of a loss. When compiling the inventory, make sure to include as much detail as possible about the items.

Homeowners do not need to insure the value of the land a home sits on, but coverage should include any outdoor structures on the property.

What are my deductibles and discounts?

Deductibles and discounts are generally the easiest places to save money. Most companies offer discounts for people who have more than one type of insurance policy with them, and for people who have had few claims or are long-term customers.

When it comes to the deductible — which is the amount you have to pay if there is a loss — usually the higher it is, the lower the premium. It’s normal to consider raising a deductible to save on your premium, but remember, your share of the bill will be that much more following a claim.

After reviewing the policy, you might also ask these questions:

• Are there any losses – like flood or earthquake – I need to worry about that are not covered in my current policy? Neither flood nor earthquake is covered by a standard homeowners or renters policy. There are optional insurance policies or riders for both disasters.
• Has anything changed in my coverage in the last year? When talking with an agent, ask if there are any anticipated changes when the policy renews.

More Information

For more general information about homeowners or renters insurance and the basic coverages in a policy, go to www.ksinsurance.org and read or download our publication “Homeowners and Renters Insurance.” You can download our Personal Inventory publication there as well.

For specific questions about coverages or about an insurance company or agent, use the KID online chat feature on the home page of our website, or call the KID Consumer Assistance Hotline (in Kansas) at 800-432-2484.

Ken Selzer, CPA, is the Kansas Commissioner of Insurance.

By RON WILSON
Huck Boyd National Institute for Rural Development

“1 Kansas farmer feeds more than 155 people + You!” Signs proclaiming this message are frequently seen along the highways and byways of Kansas. These signs demonstrate the passionate advocacy for agriculture which is found in an innovative farm family in rural Kansas.

Jeanne and Harold Mertz were the farm couple who initiated this farm sign project and other projects to benefit agriculture. Harold grew up on a farm southeast of Manhattan. He was a charter member of the Zeandale 4-H Club. During his last year in 4-H, he showed the grand champion steer at the American Royal.

Harold attended K-State where he met Jeanne, who was born in Kansas City, Kansas and had grown up in Oskaloosa. They married and moved back to his family farm, which was named River Creek Farms because it was situated in the Kaw River valley between the Kansas River and Deep Creek.

The Mertzs were grain farmers and producers of cattle and sheep. Harold would feed thousands of lambs in a typical winter. The Mertzs also raised five children: Joe, Tom, Bob, Jane, and Jon.

Harold and Jeanne were both strong leaders. They were named Master Farmer and Master Farm Homemaker in 1987. Harold served on state and national sheep association boards, farm co-op boards, and the school board. He also served as a long-time community leader for the Zeandale 4-H Club. Jeanne was a state and national president of farm women organizations now known as Kansas Agri-Women and American Agri-Women.

Both were strong advocates of agriculture. In the 1970s, Jeanne suggested a way to inform the general public about the benefits of farm production. She proposed, and the farm women’s organization agreed, to put up signs along the highways. These signs depicted a sack full of groceries with the wording “1 Kansas farmer feeds 55 people + You!” When the first signs were erected, the number fed per farmer was 55. As agricultural productivity grew through the years, the number increased and the signs were updated.

Maybe that is like the way McDonald’s used to put on its signs the numbers of hamburgers it sold. Anyway, the most recent Kansas Agri-Women signs now say “more than 155 people + You!”

This sign project generated lots of visibility. At one point, some 60 signs were located around Kansas. Someone observed that Harold enjoyed working with Jeanne on this project, but at the time he didn’t realize that he would become the chief project manager in charge of erecting the signs all across Kansas roadways!

In more recent years, Kansas Agri-Women is working with a sign company to have the signs produced on vinyl and has adapted those signs into magnets, smaller metal signs and posters. One such sign was put on display at the Flint Hills Discovery Center and more than 18,000 people have viewed the sign there.

On National Agriculture Day in 2016, Jeanne arranged to have these magnets placed on the statehouse desks of every Kansas representative.

Over time Harold and Jeanne’s sons Joe and Bob came back to join the family farming operation, along with Joe’s wife Kim and Bob’s wife Mary and the next generation of children.

Harold passed away in fall 2015 and Jeanne passed 14 months later. At the time of her death, she had 11 grandchildren, two step-grandchildren, seven great grandchildren, and five step-great grandchildren. Those great grandchildren would be the sixth generation to farm in this fertile Kansas River valley. That also makes for a big family photo.

These family ties are deeply rooted at River Creek Farms, located just east of the rural community of Zeandale which has a population of perhaps 50 people. Now, that’s rural.

“1 Kansas farmer feeds more than 155 people + You!” That message conveys the importance and productivity of Kansas farmers. We salute Jeanne and Harold Mertz for their family farm and their advocacy of agriculture. We are lucky to be so well-fed.

And there’s more. The next generation of the Mertz family is carrying on this agricultural tradition and moving it up to another level. We’ll learn about that next week.