By RON WILSON
Huck Boyd National Institute for Rural Development

When I’m tired and need some coffee, I know it’s time to go to the farmhouse. But if I lived at Meriden, I might go to a different type of farmhouse – spelled Pharm House, with a PH as in pharmacy. This Pharm House is a specialty coffee shop that the Farrant family created next to the pharmacy in Meriden. It’s another example of the Farrant family’s community spirit, which is helping the local school district and the broader community.

Last week we learned about Jake Farrant and Kansas Turf, his family-owned sports construction company in Meriden. Pat Happer, the school superintendent at Jefferson West High School in Meriden, provided additional information on this company’s benefit to the community.

Pat Happer grew up in Overland Park. He studied education at Emporia State and began his teaching career in western Kansas. He then became a school administrator in eastern Kansas. After serving as a principal in the Jefferson West School District, he became district superintendent in 2011. Pat lives in the rural community of Ozawkie, population 645 people. Now, that’s rural.

Pat knew Jake when Jake was a student and then as Jake became a local businessman. Jake was growing his turf installation business and also served as an assistant football coach at Jeff West High School. Unfortunately, the school’s natural grass football field had seen better days. Jake envisioned artificial turf on that field.

“When Jake started talking to me about artificial turf for the school, I thought, `Oh my, we just don’t have that kind of budget,’” Pat Happer said. “But Jake suggested that the school allocate to this project the same amount of money that was already going to be spent on the natural grass field, and he would work on private funding for the rest.”

The school board considered the idea, held an open forum to gather community input, and decided to proceed with the project. Jake contacted other businesses to donate to the project. He committed to install turf at a discount. The community stepped forward to make it happen.

Then a remarkable breakthrough occurred. Jake’s company was replacing turf for the New Orleans Saints of the NFL. “I asked what they were going to do with the old turf, which was only a year old, and they said, `Oh, just store it somewhere,’” Jake said.

Jake contacted Pat Happer back at Jeff West to see if the school would be interested in that turf. In partnership with the school, he acquired the Saint’s year-old turf and installed it on the Jeff West High School field at a discounted rate. “It took 27 semis to transport all that turf,” Jake said. Of course, the NFL logo had to be cut out and removed and the Jeff West school logo installed.

Jake was thrilled to see the new turf on the field, but he also noticed a benefit to the community. “When we had a grass field, we had to lock it up to try to preserve the grass for the season,” Jake said. “Now it can be open for the community to use.”

“We were able to host our school’s community wellness night at the stadium,” Pat Happer said. “If it rained, it didn’t matter. We didn’t have to worry about mud.” Other sports can use it as well.

“They’ve done a lot of good things in the community, such as their day care,” Pat said of the Farrants. “After our local pharmacist passed away, they partnered with the hospital in Winchester to reopen the pharmacy. They purchased and remodeled a vacant building for the pharmacy and added a specialty coffee shop called the Pharm House. Bryce Farrant’s wife Chrissy manages the Pharm House and pharmacy.

“We are working to make our school district and community more attractive,” Pat said.

We commend Jake and Kysa Farrant, Pat Happer, and all those who are making a difference by working to make their community better. When you need coffee in this community, you can go to the Pharm House – and get your prescriptions right next door.

Ron Wilson is director of the Huck Boyd National Institute for Rural Development at Kansas State University.

When looking at hazardous occupations in the world, agriculture is consistently in the top ten.

There are many factors that go into this: the large equipment, working long days and longer evenings, and the repetitive heavy labor that just wears down the body over time. Additionally, there is an alarming statistic that is on the rise thus making agriculture even more dangerous.

According to the Center for Disease Control, professions that are ag related sadly have the highest rate of suicides in the US. In July of 2016, 84.5 out of 100,000 in ag took their lives compared to a national average of 13.4 per 100,000. The disparity is disturbing and unfortunately the number is on the rise with the uncertainty in agriculture at this time.

Agricultural occupations are unique in the job market and many of the factors that make it unique also make them much more stressful. The higher stressors include: engaging in dangerous activities much of the time, the lack of control on conditions such as input pricing, commodity pricing, and weather. These all play into whether a producer can pay his bills. Sustained higher levels of stress can cause depression, fatigue, anxiety, and other triggers that cause a greater propensity of attempting suicide. The negative stigma of mental health issues can also make it difficult for producers to feel that they can reach out for help. There is help available specifically to the agriculture community, assistance from individuals who understand a producer’s lifestyle and are ready to help.

The Kansas Agriculture Mediations Services at (800) 321-3276 can help producers with several programs in place. They will gather information from you and can connect you with financial advisers, legal advice, lawyers, and can also connect people with mental health facilities close to your location. One phone call can get you in touch with many people that can help your unique situation. Also, the National Suicide hotline is (800) 273-8255 and provides 24/7 free and confidential support. Some people do not want to talk on the phone. You can also text 741741, or chat online at imalive.org.

Most of all, watch out for your family and friends. If you feel that something is wrong, ask. It is also good to implement strategies that can help daily. Some practices you can implement are: Taking a walk, get a massage, try guided restful breathing practices, listen to relaxing music, or just take 10 minutes to write down your blessings. Positive thoughts and practices can go a long way to improving an outlook on life. And most of all, if you need help, seek it. Your friends and family need you.

Alicia Boor is an Agriculture and Natural Resources agent in the Cottonwood District (which includes Barton and Ellis counties) for K-State Research and Extension. You can contact her by e-mail at [email protected] or calling 620-793-1910

This year there has been a number of inquiries from both within and outside of the office from gardeners who have tomato plants with leaves that are curling up. If that is what they are doing, the problem could be environmental, chemical, or biological. There are basically four reasons that can cause the leaves to curl up; weather stress, non-parasitic leaf roll, herbicide damage, or virus (TYLCV).

The first problem, leaf curling due to the weather can and usually does take care of itself. For instance, when tomato plants grow vigorously in mild, spring weather the top growth often exceeds the root development. When the first few days of warm, dry summer weather hit, the plant ‘realizes’ that it has a problem and needs to increase its root development. The plant tries to reduce its leaf area by rolling its leaves. The leaves curl along the length of the leaf (leaflet) in an upward fashion. It is often accompanied by a thickening of the leaf giving it a leathery texture.

Though rolling usually occurs during the spring to summer shift period, it may also occur after a heavy cultivating or hoeing, high winds with blowing dust and low humidity, a hard rain, or any sudden change in weather. This leaf roll is a temporary condition that goes away after a week or so when the plant has a chance to acclimate, recover from injury, or the soil has a chance to dry out.

Non-parasitic leaf roll is another environmental problem. Irregular irrigation and improper pruning cause the leaf edges to roll inward, sometimes to the point of overlapping. When most of the leaves on the plant are showing this condition it may look serious, but it too is only temporary. The cure for the curl is deep, even watering regularly, with careful pruning.
Even if you are a conscientious gardener, and don’t use herbicides in your garden, overspray and wind-blown droplets may find their way to your tomato plants. Leaf curl is one sign of herbicide damage, and can plague the plant for some time, causing little to no growth, as well as little to no fruit production. Depending on the herbicide, leaves may tilt down with curled edges to form cupped leaves, or the leaves may pucker and curl. Vegetables can also be damaged by herbicides left in mulch or compost made with hay or manure from fields where herbicides have been sprayed. Avoid using herbicides in general and never use herbicide-treated lawn clippings as mulch. Watering affected tomato plants regularly may help them recover if the herbicide damage is mild.

And the last possible reason for your tomato leaves to be curling, is if the tomato plant has been infected by certain viruses. There are certain strains of the Tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) that can cause leaf malformation and “fernleafing,”. But the most common symptom of this virus is a light- and dark-green mosaic pattern on the leaves. Another example is the yellow leaf curl disease, caused by the pathogen ‘tomato yellow leaf curl virus’ (TYLCV). An aggressive education program curbed the spread of the disease, but it has not been completely eradicated. Diseased plants are stunted, with small leaves with edges that curl upward. Blossoms drop and the plants don’t fruit. Virus, however, as being the cause of the leaf curling on your tomatoes is probably the least frequent reason of them all.

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.

Despite the great success of female candidates across the country this year, 2018 may become, even more, the political year of youth. This rosy possibility confronts the hard historical reality of low interest, low voting turnout, and general cynicism toward politics among the young.

But there are signs, in Kansas and across the country, that this year may be different.

A few days ago, a BBC crew came to Kansas to do a major story on the teenagers running for governor. These individuals received a spate of publicity early on, but that soon dissipated. Still, Republicans Tyler Ruzich and Joe Tutera and Democrat Jack Bergeson will be on major party ballots in the August primary.

More importantly, if you haven’t heard these candidates debate the issues, you should. They are well spoken, coherent, passionate, and brave enough to risk criticism from various quarters.

Then there are the Parkland, Florida, students, who in the wake of their mass-murder school tragedy have bravely, aggressively, and effectively turned their grief and anger into a powerful campaign, both on social media and in large-scale events, to encourage far more youth voting and to force gun violence onto the nation’s political agenda. Indeed, many of them brought their message to Kansas this past weekend.

Bob Dylan wrote, more than 50 years ago in a different context, “Your sons and your daughters are beyond your command” and “your old road is rapidly agin’.” The voices of the Parkland students, amplified hundreds of times across the country, constitute a powerful political force in 2018.

Still, this isn’t the 1960s. What is remarkable about this year’s politics is how conventional it has become. To be sure, there is great passion, but it flows through our political institutions: record numbers of primary candidacies among Democrats; a great influx of youthful volunteers in campaigns; and powerful efforts to register new voters, often in the face of unreasonable barriers.

For thirty-five years, I have run internship programs in D.C. and Topeka; 1500 or so students have participated, almost always learning far more than they would in a classroom. This spring, the level of interest may have stood at an all-time high, with 25 interns in Washington and 25 in Topeka. These are students who want to work within the system, regardless of their diverse ideologies and interests. It is beyond heartening to see them grow over the course of four months of intensive work.

Equally significant this year is the level of interest in working on campaigns, perhaps the single best way to get your feet wet in American politics. Given the prevailing political winds and the number of candidates (six in the KS3 Democratic primary), somewhat larger numbers of students are working for Democrats, but many diligently provide their time and effort to Republicans. Nothing could be healthier for democracy than such on-the-ground endeavors.

As much as I’d like to believe that younger people will work hard and change the system, the political scientist in me is skeptical, while the small-d democrat remains hopeful.

Moreover, some data offer clues for the future. Most notably, in 2003 the Pew Charitable Trust found that 53 percent of Millennials identified/leaned Democratic, while 38 percent identified/leaned Republican. In 2017, with fourteen more years of political experience, Millennials broke 59 percent Democratic to 32 percent Republican.

A strong showing in 2018 might cement – or even increase – that margin, but that’s putting the proverbial cart way before the donkey.

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

I just returned from my second trip to China. My first trip was in 2013 when I served as the vice president for student affairs. As president, I had the honor this time of awarding degrees at our two largest international university partners – 618 cross-border graduates at Sias International University and 350 at Shenyang Normal University – as well as building upon the strong relationships we have. Both trips were exciting, exhausting and inspirational, and reaffirmed for me both the importance of our presence there and the reasons we are successful.

Fort Hays State University encourages and supports the development and delivery of programs abroad under partnerships with other universities, colleges, governmental agencies and special organizations. These partnerships are increasingly important in defining the university’s mission as a regional university with a global outlook and its “Forward thinking. World ready.” qualities.

Our international partnerships are delivered through several modalities: cross border, study abroad, student exchange, faculty exchange and online. We currently have signed agreements with approximately 75 universities in more than 25 countries. Each agreement is carefully constructed to ensure our signature, high-quality programs remain supervised by our academic department chairs and deans in Hays. Nothing is more important than the consistent, high-quality delivery of any course offered under the name of Fort Hays State University.

In addition to advancing our educational mission, President Edward H. Hammond often used these trips as opportunities to promote Kansas business in China. Past FHSU delegations have included aviation officials, agricultural business representatives, oil executives and other business leaders. From 2013, I recall a University of Kansas professor of medicine joining our delegation briefly to explore the role of traditional Chinese medicine in today’s world – fascinating!

President Hammond was asked on a number of occasions to host special trips for the governor or for the Department of Commerce. This is important because a significant role of higher education is to be a positive force in economic development. I look forward to creating opportunities to stimulate international prospects for Kansas business.

It is hard to believe we are approaching 20 years of effectively delivering cross-border education to China, which requires strong, mutual relationships with our partners. It involves our faculty living in overseas university communities while teaching classes at partner campuses. We currently have approximately 50 faculty and their families living in China serving about 3,500 of our students at these two universities.

Each May, the FHSU president’s delegation travels to Sias and Shenyang – our largest international partners – to award degrees, meet our new alumni, spend time with our host institution leaders and thank our faculty and their families for making such a strong impact in our world.

As much as I enjoyed shaking the hand of each student walking across the commencement stage, it was the time with the faculty I will cherish the most. They are courageous, committed, excellent educators – true difference makers. I listened intently as they talked about the unique challenges they face and how they navigate their daily personal and professional lives.

Our faculty in China are a force for good in the lives of our students, and they are a positive influence in their communities. There are too many stories to tell here, but some of my favorites include the leadership studies faculty who connect students to nonprofit organizations in China for service learning; an English professor who helped students improve their writing skills by sharing their cuisine and culture through essays and recipes (showcased on a website and published afterward as a cookbook!); international faculty who, on their own, formed a welcoming committee to help incoming international faculty and their families navigate their new home; and the members of our faculty who volunteer in local orphanages.

I also met two FHSU alumni who have opened a school in Hangzhou teaching English to more than 800 children. What an inspiration!

Visiting the U.S. embassy, we learned more about how it supports our faculty and students. Our delegation was met everywhere with graciousness and outstanding hospitality. Our international partnerships are built on many years of friendship and trust and as I met each president, we greeted one another and acknowledged that we share a journey together – continuing the work of those who came before us. We also share a deep sense of responsibility to shape the world’s leaders through the delivery of strong international education programs.

I returned to Hays reaffirmed in my conviction that Fort Hays State University has a vital supporting role to play on the international stage.

Candidates during their 2018 political campaigns for Kansas Governor and House of Representatives need to factually debate funding of the Kansas Water Plan projects. The 2018 Kansas Legislature continues years of grossly underfunding the Plan projects as unresolved water issues continue to increase.

Kansas voters can stimulate debate by reminding candidates of the state’s long-term Water Vision: “Kansans act on a shared commitment to have the water resources necessary to support the state’s social, economic and natural resource needs for current and future generations.” To realize the Vision and to enable the fourteen regions in Kansas to achieve their Vision-supporting water goals, the candidates need to “act on a shared commitment” to obtain adequate, stable, and long-term funding of Plan projects.

In 2017, the Kansas Blue Ribbon Funding Task Force for Water Resource Management came to the consensus that roughly $55 million in annual funding is needed for full implementation of the Vision. The Task Force recommended one-tenth of one percent of the existing statewide sales tax be dedicated to implementation. That revenue source is unlikely given the continuing financial problems of Kansas state government.

Kansas water right holders have historically extracted free raw fresh water from Kansas lakes, reservoirs, rivers, and aquifers. The annual $55 million to pay for the Plan projects that realizes the Vision can also be obtained by water right holders paying a fee for extracting water. Owners have paid a Kansas fee to extract crude petroleum and natural gas for years.

Kansas voters can act on their “shared commitment” by requesting candidates to debate $55 million funding of Plan projects. Voters and candidates can obtain more water information by typing “Kansas Water Office” in the search box on their computers.

Let factual debate begin!

Allyn Lockner, Topeka, is a retired economist and certified public manager who has researched, studied, written and delivered testimony before Kansas legislative committees on Kansas water issues since 2014.

If you are thinking of planting cover crop in wheat stubble after harvest, now is the time to start planning and making arrangements so you are ready to plant when the time comes. So here are a few things to think about before putting the seed in the ground.

First off think about what you are wanting to accomplish? Do want to use it for livestock grazing? Is there a compaction layer that you want to break up? Do you want to increase the ground cover because of the short and thin wheat stubble? Use a seed mix meets your goals. Don’t plant a cover crop just to plant one.

Also ask yourself does it make economic sense for me to plant a cover crop. What is going to be my potential economic return of planting a cover crop, both short and long term, in comparison to not planting one? Try to keep seed cost reasonable at $20.00 or less.

Some herbicides that are used to spray wheat could prevent some cover crop species from coming up. Always check the herbicide label and if in doubt ask you’re your crop advisor or pesticide vendor.

One of the purposes of planting a cover crop after wheat harvest is to reduce evaporation, improve water infiltration and increase the water holding capacity of the soil. But realize upfront that cover crops do use moisture, just like any green growing plant. Depending on the amount of rainfall during the season they may use more then what they save. This could have a negative effect on the next cash crop yield. This is especially true as we move south and west across the state.

Always plant in a clean seedbed. If weeds are present spray to kill them. Cover crops can be very effective in suppressing difficult to control weeds but not if they are already present when the cover crop is being planted.

I like planting the cover crop as soon after harvest as possible. Preferably right behind the combine. This allows full advantage of the moisture and growing season available to grow the cover crop. If you are trying to control weeds you need to get the cover crop planted before a flush of weeds emerge.

Be prepared to spray the cover crop field if weeds become an issue. This is especially important if volunteer wheat becomes an issue since it provides a “green bridge” for the wheat streak mosaic virus. The last thing you want is this virus to spread to your or your neighbors newly planted wheat.

For more information about this or other soil health practices you can contact me at [email protected] or any local NRCS office.

Dale Younker is a Soil Health Specialist with the Natural Resources Conservation Service in Jetmore.

BY JOHN P. TRETBAR

An ugly legal battle comes to a head for SandRidge Energy this week, but Bloomberg reports the company is probably bound for the auction block. Once the leading oil producer and wastewater disposer in Kansas, SandRidge is trying to reverse a 40% slide in its stock price while it fights off efforts by activist investor Carl Icahn to replace the board of directors. Both sides want to sell the company, whose market value cascaded from $11 billion in 2008 to about $550 million last week. SandRidge has drilling rights on more than a half-million acres across Oklahoma, Kansas and Colorado.

Kansas operators filed 29 new drilling permits last week, 16 east of Wichita, 13 out west including one new permit in Ellis County. 726 permits for drilling at new locations have been filed so far this year.

Independent Oil & Gas Service reports ten newly-completed wells for the week, 654 so far this year. Operators completed one well in eastern Kansas, and nine west of Wichita, including two in Barton County and one in Stafford County.

Baker Hughes reported 1,059 active drilling rigs Friday, up one oil rig but down four seeking natural gas. The count in Texas dropped by four rigs. Both New Mexico and North Dakota saw increases of three rigs. Canada reported 139 active rigs, up 27 for the week. Independent Oil & Gas Service reported a 20% increase in the active rig counts across Kansas: 13 east of Wichita, up two, and 28 in the western half of the state, up five for the week. Operators report drilling underway on one Barton County lease. They’re moving in completion tools at five sites in Barton County and five in Ellis County.

Operators filed 138 new drilling permits across Kansas during the month of May, including three in Barton County, six in Ellis County, one in Russell County and four in Stafford County. Independent Oil & Gas Service reports Kansas operators completed 130 wells last month, four of them in Barton County, four in Ellis County and four in Stafford County. Out of 74 completed wells west of Wichita last month, 31 were dry holes.

The Oklahoma Supreme Court will decide if a petition drive aimed at repealing recent tax increases can move forward. Petitioners hope to repeal the measure, part of a package passed in March that raises taxes on some oil and gas production, motor fuels and tobacco, to pay for teacher pay raises.

The fracking-sand boom continues across Texas, with new sand plants selling out soon after they’re announced and months before they begin production. The Houston Chronicle reports Alpine Silica plans to break ground soon, hoping to produce another three million tons of sand per year.

The U.S. Energy Information Administration reported another big jump in production last week to 10.9 million barrels of crude per day, another weekly record. That’s an increase of 100,000 barrels per day.

North Dakota came just a few hundred barrels short of an all time production record in April, and shattered the record for production of natural gas. But Mineral Resources Director Lynn Helms says natural gas flaring has returned to historic highs not seen since 2014, and some oil wells may need to restrict production. The state produced more than 1.2 million barrels of crude per day in April, an increase of 5.4%. Current policy requires operators to burn off no more than 15 percent of the natural gas produced at oil wells. Operators flared 16 percent statewide.

After a three-month review of more than 10,000 public comments, regulators in North Dakota have given final approval to Meridian energy Group to build a new refinery. The company may still need air-quality permits to operate once construction is done on the project near Roosevelt National Park. Company officials say they will now proceed detailed design, engineering, procurement, and construction.

Know what’s going to make this year’s elections for Kansas legislative races intriguing?

It’ll be just who voters send to Topeka from the 13 districts where in 2016 voters checked Republican Donald Trump for president on the same ballot they voted for a Democrat to represent them in the Kansas House of Representatives.

Oh, and then there are the seven Republicans who were sent to Topeka from districts where Democrat Hillary Clinton was the winner of the presidential vote.

Here are the 13 Democrats in Trump-carried districts: Reps. Adam Lusker, Frontenac, Monica Murnan, Pittsburg, Cindy Neighbor, Shawnee, Tom Burroughs, Kansas City, Debbie Deere, Lansing, Jeff Pittman, Leavenworth, Tim Hodge, N. Newton, Ed Trimmer, Winfield, Tom Sawyer, Wichita, Brandon Whipple, Wichita, Steve Crum, Haysville, Patsy Terrell, Hutchinson (deceased), and Eber Phelps, Hays.

The Republicans in Clinton-carried districts: Tom Cox, Shawnee, Stephanie Clayton, Overland Park, Jan Kessinger, Overland Park, Linda Gallagher, Lenexa, Melissa Rooker, Fairway, Randy Powell, Olathe, and Tom Sloan, Lawrence,

These are the districts where…apparently…votes don’t trickle down on party-line tickets.

We’ve had two years of Trump as president, and while there was party allegiance in most Kansas House districts, we Statehouse habitués wonder what happens this year when the Republican president’s policies start trickling down on Kansas.

Remember two years ago when asked about their presidential preference, many Republicans said, “Donald who?” and then moved away from conservations to make sure they’d shut off their car in the parking lot.

Nobody knew just where Trump would take the country, but for traditional Republican voters, it sounded a little risky.

And Democrats…once they learned Trump’s stance on tax cuts, immigration, international trade and such…started branding everyone with an elephant (and no union bug) on their campaign signs as “Trump supporters.”

Back in 2016, Trump won 91 Kansas House districts, Clinton 34. And in most of those districts, Clinton presidential voters voted for Democrats, Trump voters voted for Republicans for the House.

In his first two years, Trump has clearly divided his traditional Republican Party into conservatives and moderates—as they have been dividing themselves in the Kansas House for the past three or four election cycles.

Now, that division, which used to be “Gov. Sam Brownback” and “Non-Gov. Sam Brownback,” appears to be moving to “Trump” and “Not-Trump” among Republican voters.

That’s going to make the legislative elections interesting this summer and fall.

Governor? Oh, yes, we’ll elect a new governor and there will be a new Secretary of State and Insurance Commissioner and see whether we’ll keep or fire the Attorney General and State Treasurer…but that’s the top of the ticket. Those candidates don’t generally knock on your door unless they’re out of gas.

Kansans know where the work gets done. It’s the Legislature where your taxes, roads, social services, kids’ education and general quality of life are determined. Not the top of the ballot, but at ground-level (third floor actually) in the Statehouse.

So?

We’re going to see just what Kansans want in the way of representation in the state where they live. We’re going to see how Republicans campaign on state issues, not national issues that may trickle down into everyday life in Kansas. Count on Democrats to campaign on local issues too, of course, but with the parting shot that Kansans probably need a representative to “protect” them from—or at least slow down—whatever Trump might do in his next tweet.

Or, maybe those cross-party elections were just the result of candidates getting to know their voters, knowing what’s important to them, and working to make it happen.

That’d be nice…

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

Every Western movie worth watching features at least one full-blown bar room brawl. Such tumultuous scenes are chock full of good guys, bad guys, flying fists and whiskey bottles.

Smack-dab in the middle of all this mayhem there’s always one unlucky cowpoke crawling under the tables toward the swinging doors and safety. After dodging falling bodies, busted-up furniture and shattering glass he crawls into the dirt street where he checks himself for holes, stands up, dusts himself off and skedaddles down an alley.

And so it is with many of us veterans who toil in the word vineyard. Like the cowpoke, some of us have escaped into the street of social media with our finely-honed writing skills intact.

I’d say that’s one heck’uva accomplishment, although one rarely recognized or valued. With each passing day it seems less and less emphasis is placed on the written word, grammar and punctuation.

We’re all too busy. Not enough time.

Include greetings or salutations in Facebook, texts or e-mails?

What are they?

Where’s the personal touch?

Whatever happened to etiquette in written communication?

Writing is the art of second thought. What first springs to mind is seldom good enough.

The skill of writing lies not in a ready gush of words, but in sifting through them carefully. Sometimes this process is swift. Other times it takes a bit longer.

A letter, e-mail or text should be clear, precise, succinct and expressive. Few can decipher one or two letters, hacked-up phrases and excessive punctuation.

Choose the best word to say what you want to convey. Never settle for meaningless exclamation points, bold-faced or underlined words.

Select strong sentences. Use the active tense. Avoid passive tense and words that end in ing. Whenever possible, pick short, one-syllable words.

Write with small words – good ones – that say all you want to say, quite as well as the big ones.

As I discovered many years ago when I read Joseph A. Ecclesine in Printer’s Ink,

There is not much, in all truth that small words will not say – and say quite well.

Small words can be crisp, brief, and terse – to the point like a knife. They dance, twist, turn, sing. Like sparks in the night they light the way for the eyes of those who read.

They are the graceful notes of prose. You know what they say the way you know a day is bright and fair – at first sight…Small words are gay. And they can catch large thoughts and hold them up for all to see, like rare stones in rings of gold, or joy in the eyes of a child.

Some make you feel, as well as see: the cold, deep, dark of night…the hot, salt sting of tears.

In case you didn’t realize it, Ecclesine’s words above were all one syllable – no punctuation, except periods.

Vary the length of your sentences. This will give your paragraphs rhythm. Short sentences are likely to be clearer than long ones and easier to read.

Keep an average sentence to a length of 12 words. Good luck.

Write (well).

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

Its spring in the Kansas outdoors and all the critters are on the prowl around chicken coops, corrals and even backyards looking for quick easy meals to feed dens and nests full of youngins’.

I’ve already had a call from a local sheep farmer asking me to come trap coyotes and a bobcat hanging around his sheep pens. Those coyotes and that cat would undoubtedly be hanging out there anyway, but usually at night, unseen. This time of the year emboldens predators to hunt and prowl during the day when they would otherwise never think of it. A reader from Abbyville contacted me over the weekend telling me they have lost most of their chickens to what she believes to be a fox, which by the way, do quite well living in towns or on the outskirts of towns in our part of the state.

In late spring a few years ago, my friend was busy in the big round top shed that sits toward one corner of his yard, when his little Blue Heeler dog began raising cane from outside. He stuck his head out the door to see what was agitating the dog and noticed the roosters and the rest of the chickens in his chicken pen crowing, cackling and nervously milling about. He glanced behind the barn nearest the pen and noticed something bounding around wildly just behind the corral, less than fifty yards away.

He headed around the barn and through the corral and found a whitetail doe jumping and dodging frantically around something in the field drive ahead. That “something” turned out to be a pair of coyotes with a small whitetail fawn pinned to the ground between them. My friend ran toward the melee shouting and waving his arms, the doe retreated into a nearby patch of weeds and the coyotes scattered toward parts unknown, leaving the lifeless looking fawn on the ground before him. Even though only a few scratches were apparent, the fawn lay there limp and listless. He said that as he stroked its small spotted body, the light suddenly came back into its eyes. It jumped to its feet and after getting its bearings, instinctively headed for cover. As he watched from a distance, the doe joined the fawn and they disappeared into a thicket some distance away.

Like springtime on the farm, springtime in the wild is a season filled with babies everywhere. Just as that whitetail doe had her fawn to protect and feed, you can bet those coyotes had a den full of hungry little mouths to feed also. It is no coincidence that there is more prey available in the form of young, easily caught critters at this time each year, just exactly when every wild animal needs extra prey to feed its young.

Isn’t it amazing how everything seems to come full circle back to the fact that God knew exactly what He was doing when he engineered the order of things! Even with the glut of easily caught lunches right now in the wild, predators are still opportunists at heart and will not think twice about grabbing a young farm animal or even cats and kittens if given the chance. As spring turns into July and August, increased predation seen in the spring will slow again, but in the meantime, there are a few extra precautions that can be taken to at least make the opportunists think twice about grabbing’ something from the coop or corral.

Even though you can’t keep an eye on poultry and young farm animals 24/7, giving them a place under roof to spend the night will help dramatically. Giving poultry a place to spend the night behind a closed door is a good thing any time of the year. Remember, despite their willingness to prowl more during daylight right now, a predator’s favorite time to hunt is still after dark. Keeping the grass and weeds mowed around pens will help also, as removing any cover predators can use to sneak close to a barn, chicken house or yard will help deter their presence. Sadly to say, there’s not a lot that can be done in town to deter predators aside from keeping cats, dogs and chickens within a fenced yard or enclosure of some sort.

Playing a radio and keeping a couple lights lit in the barn where sheep and goats spend the night will sound like human activity to a predator and can help deter their presence.

The most effective predator prevention is probably a good watch dog, even if it’s small. Dogs of any size make predators nervous, and even though any coyote, bobcat or raccoon worth its salt can easily overpower most small dogs especially if they catch them out in the open, a noisy little mutt relentlessly yapping away at them as they slink around the barn or sheep pen might at least make them question their plan and probably alert you in the process. Unfortunately a yappy little dog will probably not work well in town, as they might help keep predators at bay, but will surely keep you in hot water with the rest of the neighborhood.

Yup, its spring time in the Kansas outdoors again, and all the critters have families to feed. Unfortunately that means predators too, so as they follow their God-given instincts to protect and feed their young, young farm animals, chickens and even cats and kittens might be taken if the chance arises. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not condoning that, after all, I’m a coyote trapper. But I am saying that understanding why it happens helps me look at it from a slightly different perspective ….Continue to Explore Kansas Outdoors!

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

I was visiting with a girlfriend today about cat behavior and how despite being domesticated house pets share wild counterparts’ behaviors. This discussion retrieved a nearly forgotten memory involving two kids, a bike, a cat, and a mouse.

The adventure began on one of those sensational spring evenings when the wind doesn’t blow and the sun sinks slowly into the horizon making your system vibrate so that even though you’re tired, you aren’t ready to settle down. Just as I called the girls inside for their bath, a squall emerged from our rural driveway where our eldest was practicing riding her bike without training wheels. She’d mastered starting, stopping, and turning so I’d gone in to draw their water.

Racing outside, I found her sprawled in gravel. Thankfully there were no broken bones, but after close investigation, I saw pebbles and dirt chunks embedded in her knees and palms. I guided her into the house where she could soak it loose in the tub, making it easier to remove. As I led one sobbing child up the steps, I spied our youngest trying to take something away from the cat. So much for hindsight, I’d think later.

I comforted tear-stained kid 1 while she trickled water over skinned appendages when I heard a shriek from child number 2. She raced into the bathroom with something dangling from her finger. She held it out to show her sis, and I observed a mouse–yes, a writhing rodent attached to her index finger.

Daughter 1 joined little sister’s howls while the mouse wriggled and contributed squeals of its own. However, it didn’t let go. At that point the cat raced in to check on the prize that he’d caught and been tormenting before our fair-haired girl intervened.

At this point, I’m scared the critter will fall into the bathtub furthering injuring daughter 1 so I guided little sis’s bleeding hand over the commode. In turn, she bangs the hitchhiker on the toilet rim. When our feline leapt to recapture his prey, I abandoned our toddler long enough to toss the cat and slam the door. Curiously, that action multiplied the volume in the bathroom, perhaps inducing the mouse to release its vise-like grip and somersault into the toilet.

Someone, and I suspect it was me, flushed the stool. I know I didn’t have a carcass when the thought of rabies flitted across my mind. Of course, my husband was at work and out of reach so I told kid 1 to keep soaking her wounds. I disinfected kid 2’s bite and comforted her as I simultaneously called the emergency room to see if we needed shots.

The good news was we didn’t. The bite victim contentedly sported a Band-Aid on her injured digit while I picked gravel from her sibling. It wasn’t painless, but the extended soak that left daughter 1 wrinkled like a prune made it easier to clean her wounds.

By the time their dad returned, sleep was the last thing on anyone’s mind. We had red badges of courage and stories to tell. The only one in the house still upset was the cat who meowed repeatedly over his lost snack.

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.

Kansans should watch for the red flags of suspected financial abuse of elder citizens, including potential abuse by guardians assigned to oversee the well-being of those citizens.

A trusted guardian can be a wonderful resource, but sometimes guardians may take advantage of the trust placed in them by vulnerable elders.

A guardian is a person or entity appointed by a court to exercise some or all authority over a person and/or estate. A guardian can have power to make decisions related to the health and safety of the incapacitated person. Financial abuse by guardians occurs when the guardian improperly uses the protected individual’s financial assets.

Suspected signs of guardian financial abuse include the following:

· Using guardianship authority to transfer property for the guardian’s benefit.

· Receiving personal payments from a protected individual without court permission.

· Authorizing frequent cash withdrawals from the protected individual’s account without explanation.

· Using or borrowing property for personal benefit without court authorization.

· Making unexplained decisions that are not in the protected individual’s best interest.

The North American Securities Administrators Association, of which the Office of the Kansas Securities Commissioner is a member, recently developed a resource to call attention to the red flags of suspected guardian financial abuse. The “Guarding the Guardians” publication is available on the association’s website at http://serveourseniors.org/about/investors/.

Anyone with suspicions of possible financial exploitation by guardians should contact the Office of the Kansas Securities Commissioner at 785-296-3307 or 800-232-9580.

The office’s website also has more financial considerations at www.ksc.ks.gov.

John Wine is the Kansas Securities Commissioner. The mission of the Office of the Kansas Securities Commissioner (KSC) is to protect and inform Kansas investors; to promote integrity, fairness, and full disclosure in financial services; and to foster capital formation.