HaysMed recognized several nursing Associates on National Nursing Day on Friday, May 6.   Glenda Schuetz, Patient Care Technician was recognized with the Caring Hands PCT of the year award. The PCT is a very important part of the patient care team as they extend the care of the nurse through positive interaction with patients and visitors by anticipating needs.

Chad Burgardt, Customer Care Representative was named the Debra Boeken CCR of the Year.  A CCR serves as the face of the unit and often sets the tone for how our patients’ family members and other visitors see the hospital and the care provided.

The Lanita Smith LPN of the Year award was given to Tiffany DeWitt.  The LPN of the Year award is named after Smith, a former nurse that took pride in her role as an LPN and her ability to positively impact a patient’s life as a nurse in many different roles at HaysMed.  This award honors an LPN who displays many of the same characteristics that Smith had including kindness, compassion, concern and friendliness all the while being a great member of the patient care team.

Schuetz works at Southwind Surgical and has been with HaysMed since 2008.  Burgardt is a floating CCR and has been an Associate of HaysMed since 2012.  Dewitt works in the Convenient Care Clinic and has been an Associate of HaysMed for 6 years.

 

ELLIS COUNTY – A woman from Hays was injured in an accident just before 4:30 p.m. on Monday in Ellis County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2003 Ford Ranger driven by Anntanette Nelson, 22, was eastbound on Interstate 70 two miles east of Hays.

The pickup entered the median, made a U-turn in turn around for westbound Interstate 70 and pulled out in front of a 2015 Peterbilt semi.

The semi hit the Ranger and came to rest in the north ditch.

Nelson was transported to Hays Medical Center.

The semi driver Jonathan Godbee, 34, Valley View, TX, was not injured.

Both drivers were properly restrained at the time of the accident, according to the KHP.

—————–

At around 4:20 p.m. Monday emergency responders were called to the scene of a rollover accident 1 mile east of Hays on Interstate 70, near the Commerce Parkway exit.

As crews worked the scene, traffic in the westbound lane was stopped as eastbound traffic was being diverted around the accident on the Commerce Parkway on-ramp.

While the cause of the accident is still unknown a semi truck carrying building materials had overturned and came to rest on the north side of the westbound lane. A pickup also involved in the accident came to rest between the east and westbound lanes and caught fire.

One driver was transported to the Hays Medical Center. The condition of the driver is unknown at this time.

Cleanup at the scene is ongoing.

No further information was available as of 5:20 p.m. Monday.

Check Hays Post for more as details become available.

FHSU University Relations

There aren’t any home meets for track and field enthusiasts to attend at Fort Hays State University this spring.

But fans will get a chance next week to view the location of a new facility being built on a different site than historic Lewis Field Stadium.

A groundbreaking ceremony for the $3 million complex is set for 4 p.m. Wednesday, May 11. Construction began in early April on the new facility, located just south of the FHSU soccer complex adjacent to Bickle/Schmidt Sports Complex.

Those wishing to attend the groundbreaking ceremony can access 230th Ave. just south of the intersection of Eighth Street and U.S. Highway 183 Alternate that runs by the west end of the university.

In the past, numerous field events were held just outside the limestone walls of Lewis Field Stadium, with running events and high jump held inside the stadium.

Because of construction of a new residence hall and parking area north of the stadium, all track and field meets normally scheduled at the FHSU facility had to be relocated this spring.

However, by this fall, Tiger track and field athletes will have a new place to call home.

By ANNISTON WEBER

Eighty-nine-year-old military veteran Elmer Brull is finally going to to be receiving his high school diploma from Hays High School.

Brull was drafted into the military two months before he would have graduated from Hays High in 1945.

A Skype interview with Brull took place during a senior class meeting on Friday, May 6.

“We thought it would be good for our kids to meet one of their most senior classmates,” Head principal Martin Straub said. “We’re very proud of him and we thank him for his service.”

Brull served four years in the Merchant Marines and two years in the Army.

“I just want to know if this graduating class will accept me after 71 years,” Brull said.

Terri Wemhoff, Brull’s daughter, was also involved in the Skype call during the senior meeting.

“It’s very important now to have your high school diploma,” Wemhoff said. “We’re very proud of him and we’re so very fortunate to have him.”

Terri found out about Brull’s diploma through Operation Rescue, a program that allows eligible veterans to get their diplomas.

Senior Emily Prine was one of the students selected to ask Brull a few questions about his graduation.

“I wanted to ask him what it meant to finally get his high school diploma,” Prine said.

To answer her question, Brull said he didn’t know he actually had a diploma ready for him.

“I’ve lived this past 71 years without a diploma,” Brull said. “My daughter, Terri, called your principal. I tried to enter the University of Houston, but when they asked me if I had a diploma I said ‘no’. I didn’t even know I had a diploma.”

Brull was then asked why a high school education is important.

“When you’re looking for a job, one of the things they ask you is if you graduate,” Brull said. “I’ve been asked that quite a few times.”

A final question Brull was asked by the senior class was what he participated in during his time at Hays High.

“We did a lot of things because I was a farm boy,” Brull said. “When I got out of school, first I had to milk the cows and do the chores. Then when I got up in the morning I had to milk the cows again and go to school.”

On behalf of the senior class, Prine congratulated Brull for receiving his diploma.

“Thank you for accepting me,” Brull said. “I’ll be in Hays to accept the certificate on May 20.”

Anniston Weber is the Hays High School Guidon Online News and Media Editor.

Four members of the Hays FFA Chapter competed at the National Land and Range Judging Contest in Oklahoma City.

The team earned Reserve National Champion honors in the Homesite Evaluation contest, out of 45 teams. Two individuals of the team placed in the top 10 out of 178 competitors. Curt Vajnar serves

Conrad Vajnar placed seventh in the Homesite Evaluation contest, and Lane Pfannenstiel placed fifth in the Homesite Evaluation contest.

For scores and more results, visit Judgingcard.com.

By BECKY KISER
Hays Post

“This year may not be the right time for a project of this scale but that does not mean it has no future.”

That’s the premise of a collaborative project proposed by the Downtown Hays Development Corporation (DHDC) and presented to the Hays city commission Thursday night by students in the Fort Hays State University Construction Management program.

DHDC has been working with FHSU to develop a plan for building a downtown open-air metal roof pavilion in the east end of Union Pacific Park, 10th and Main.

The project would also include a public restroom. Total cost is estimated at $190,676.  Executive Director Sara Bloom told commissioners DHDC “would be gifting almost $50,000 for a bathroom” to be constructed.

The pavilion–with three entrances and concrete bench seating–site design, lighting and landscape design would all be executed by FHSU students, with some input from local professionals.

Board president Sandy Jacobs first made it clear to commissioners “DHDC does not plan to ask the city commission to take any action.”

“We think it’s a really viable project. We believe it will have its time, whether that time is today or that time is six months from now,” she said.

Jacobs also acknowledged the slowed local economy and tight budgets.

“We understand challenges in all of our community, not just at the city level, but the county level.  We understand sales tax issues.  So, we’re going to put it in your hands and let you tell us what you want done, if anything, at any point in time.”

DHDC Executive Director Sara Bloom reminded commissioners the pavilion project was included in the city’s Comprehensive Plan.

“It could also be the dawn of the ‘Downtown To Campus Corridor’,” she said.  “DHDC has always envisioned that corridor (to FHSU) being  down 10th Street.”

Commissioners thanked and praised the 20 FHSU students and their instructor, Kris Munsch, following their detailed explanation of the project construction and costs.

The collaboration between FHSU, DHDC and the city of Hays was seen as a positive, but commissioners had some big concerns, starting with whether there would be any guarantee of completion.

“I don’t think my department chair intends to fire me anytime soon, do you, Kim?,” Munsch joked as he looked back at FHSU Department of Applied Technology Chairman Kim Stewart in the crowd, who was taking pictures as the students talked.

“DHDC is very committed to this project,” Bloom told commissioners. “We’re going to do everything we can to see this project go.”

“We do want to reiterate that we are making a commitment tonight that whenever this project takes place–whether it’s in the very near future or down the road–we are fully committed to raising those funds. We will not break ground until we have all $200,000 in our bank,” Bloom promised.

Although the initial cost for the 40 foot by 80 foot pavilion would not be paid by the city, the estimated annual expenses of a property lease with Union Pacific Railroad, electricity, upkeep and supplies, is estimated at $5,224.  Commissioners cited that as another concern about the proposal.

The adjacent abandoned grain elevators also worry the city.

“Hays artist Dennis Schiel is in the process of raising several thousand dollars to have those redone, to have the roof fixed, and to have the structural soundness brought back up to code so that he can paint a mural on them,” Bloom said.

“However, we do know from Aaron White (Ellis County Coalition for Economic Development Executive Director) who has contacts with Union Pacific that they are taking bids right now to have those things taken down,” Bloom advised, “so one of those two things is likely to happen in the very near future.”

Mayor Eber Phelps reminded the audience, which included downtown Hays business owners, that Thursday’s meeting was a work session only and no action could be taken.

Commissioner James Meier asked for the pavilion project to be put on the June 16 work session agenda for further discussion

“If it’s something we find that’s not workable because of ‘X, Y and Z’ then and so be it.” Meier said.

“That way the discussion has been had and it’s over and DHDC can move forward with whatever other projects they want to move forward with.

“I just don’t see a point in dragging this out,” he added.

Commissioner Henry Schwaller was absent.

 

By BECKY KISER
Hays Post

ELLIS–The Honor Bell Foundation, based in Denver, is creating a community of veterans to foster public appreciation of military service and honor their fellow veterans with a proper, final tribute.

The first-ever Honor Bell is being made from metal artifacts, including military medals and pins,  donated by families of deceased Colorado veterans.

The “Birth of the Bell” tour will stop in Ellis Saturday afternoon with the artifacts on its way to Cincinnati, Ohio, where the bell will be forged.

Ellis Police Chief and retired Army Ranger Taft Yates, said the public is invited to visit with Honor Bell Foundation founder and CEO, Lou Olivera–who is also a Vietnam vet–in the Fischer Liquor Store parking lot from 1:45 to 2:15 p.m. .

“These artifacts get melted into the material which becomes the bell,” Yates explained.

“The goal of the foundation–and it may take a very long time–is to have one of these 1,000 pound Honor Bells in every national cemetery in the U.S.   They can be used at various ceremonies–Veterans Day, Memorial Day, Wreaths Across America–and military funerals.”

The “Birth of the Bell Tour” riders include Patriot Guard Riders, Combat Veterans Motorcycle Association, VFW Warriors, American Legion Riders and others who ride along as far as they like.

The group is scheduled to arrive in Cincinnati Sunday, May 8, with foundry casting to begin Monday, May 9.  The mold is expected to be broken Thu., May 12, to reveal the Honor Bell and prepare it for tuning, polishing and mounting.

Saturday, May 21–Armed Forces Day–the “Forged With Honor Tour” will begin the journey with the Honor Bell from Ohio home to Ft. Logan National Cemetery in Denver.

For more information or to make a donation to the Honor Bell Foundation, go online at www.honorbell.org or Facebook.

Submitted

All four teams at O’Loughlin Elementary School placed in the top 15 of the Kansas Stock Market Game’s 10-week spring session that ended April 22, 2016.

Fifth grade class 5B, self-named “The Billionaires,” is the state champion, placing first out of 111 teams that competed at the elementary level across Kansas.

Along with a well-diversified portfolio, student Quinton McGuire’s investment in Marathon Oil (MRO) gained the most for this team. He bought nearly 500 shares of MRO at $8.10 each which quickly grew to $14.34 per share.

Each team got $100,000 symbolic dollars to invest (approximately $4,000 per student), and each student got to analyze and pick which company they wanted to invest in.

O’Loughlin started the game two weeks late so in only eight short weeks, The Billionaires ended the game with a 4.87% gain of $4,868.

Fourth grade class 4B, the self-named “Tech Warriors”, came in right behind 5B with a strong second place finish.

Along with a well-diversified portfolio of 11 stocks including Apple, Home Depot and McDonald’s, they also chose to retain 23% of their equity in interest-earning cash, ending the game with a 4.67% gain of $4,665, only $203 behind first place.

Fifth grade class 5A “Tech Eagles” finished in fifth place and fourth grade class 4A “Fort Hays Tigers” finished in 15th place, with gains of $3,872 and $2,180 respectively.

O’Loughlin’s top two teams received invitations to the 2016 KCEE Regional Awards Dinner, but since the event takes place after the last day of school, students are celebrating locally with a picnic party during class.

In addition to the class party, each student in the top 5% gets their choice of a prize (drawstring backpack or t-shirt) sponsored by the Office of the Kansas Securities Commissioner’s Investor Education & Protection Fund, the Cloud L. Cray Foundation, and the Kansas Council for Economic Education (KCEE) Donors.

“Students learned the stock market can be volatile, up one day and down the next,” O’Loughlin technology teacher Starla Gano said in a news release. “So we celebrated our little victories along the way with weekly rankings while learning the fundamentals of investing and real world skills in technology, math, social studies, and economics.

“Considering this was our first time to play the Kansas Stock Market Game, we are very excited to have all four O’Loughlin teams place in the Top 15 statewide,” said Gano.

For more information about the Kansas Stock Market game, visit https://kansas.councilforeconed.org/ and https://stockmarketgame.org.

By JAMES BELL
Hays Post

Two weeks after a partial roof collapse closed Big Creek Crossing, 2918 Vine, business is starting to return to normal, with all but three stores open throughout the facility. And while work is being completed on the damaged section of the roof, the shopping center’s management is getting ready for a big weekend.

Four events are planned for the shopping center this weekend — a home-based business fair, a Mommy and Me event, a DECA MDA car show, and with a Cross Point Church, 1300 Harvest, flea market.

During Saturday’s Mommy and Me event, children 12 and younger will receive a free flower and pot as a way for children to say thank you to mothers on Mothers’ Day at the Kaw Valley Greenhouse from 10 a.m. to noon.

The greenhouse is located on the south side of the Big Creek Crossing parking lot.

From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., a home-based business fair will also be held with over 30 vendors participating, giving shoppers an opportunity to check out home-based businesses from Hays and the surrounding area.

Repair work continues

As the shopping center prepares for the weekend events, work continues on the roofing section that collapsed and within affected stores.

“We have contractors down there right now. We’re working on replacing the roof that was damaged,” said Josh Vickery, DP Management development investment specialist. “The contractors have been fantastic, the city has been fantastic and (property manager Katie Dorzweiler) has been fantastic to work with.”

Christopher Banks is expected to open this week, Hallmark is expected to open by the end of the month, and Bling is currently undergoing a full remodel and will have a grand reopening soon, according to Dorzweiler.

Roof work began Tuesday with trusses being put in place to repair the damaged roof section.

Throughout the process, Dorzweiler said she has been humbled by the community response.

“The outpouring of community support was heartwarming,” she said. “We really had good support through this.”

Cleanup and repair work has been almost exclusively done with local contractors, and Dorzweiler said she could not be more grateful. Clean Rite, Rohr’s Carpet Mechanics, Servicemaster, Ralph’s Electric, Glassman, Commercial Builders, High Plains Roofing, American Sprinklers, Hess Services and Big D’s Rent All all assisted with the repair and cleanup, she said.

Dorzweiler was also thankful to the Hays Police and Fire Departments for their quick response to the incident and for the HPD providing 24-hour security for the shopping center.

While BCC is certainly happy to have the majority of the facility open and serving customers, behind-the-scenes work is still being done to determine the cause of the initial roof collapse.

“The roof was under warranty and so the insurance and the warranty (company) are working out the specifics on who’s at fault,” Vickery said. “All we knew was that the roof was in good shape.”

He called the collapse a “freak accident,” but said he will know more once the insurance company completes its investigation.

“When we do a new roof, we do go up there and look at it,” Vickery said and, unless there is a leak, they assume everything is fine. In this case, they had no indication there was a problem on the roof.

Ultimately, he said, the insurance company will find the fault of the collapse as investigators work to uncover what went wrong and who may have done work on the roof that led to the incident.

Claire’s closing

Despite the reopening of most of the retailers in the shopping center, Claire’s, a fashion boutique catering to young women and girls, has decided to permanently close its Hays location within the shopping center. The news came Monday to store employees as they have waited for the word on a reopening.

Store employees are currently packing merchandise to be shipped to other Claire’s locations, according to Shannon Christen, store manager.

While the news was disheartening, it was not completely unexpected to Claire’s staff.

“We were kind of prepping ourselves for it,” Christen said, but “we didn’t think it would happen.”

The store has been closed since the roof collapse.

“I can’t say it was a day’s notice because we’ve already been closed for two weeks,” Christen said. “After the first week went by, we’re like OK it’s a week, but then it was two weeks, now there’s something going on.”

The closure was not just a surprise to local employees, but to many of the higher ups through the company as well.

“My (district manager) didn’t know, my regional (manager) didn’t know, my territorial vice president didn’t know. They were all very shocked,” Christen said.

The closure, however, was not as big a surprise to DP Management as they had already been struggling to get a lease signed with Claire’s.

“We were in the process of negotiating a lease with Claire’s when the incident happened with the flood and the roof,” Vickery said.

The store was self-insured and made the decision to permanently close the location after a significant expense would have been needed to reopen, according to Vickery.

“It was a way out really,” he said, noting it was a marginally profitable store.

Further problems through the chain likely contributed to the decision.

“They aren’t doing very well as a company,” Vickery said. “They found it to be a way to jump out.”

Before the roof incident, DP Management was negotiating with Claire’s to retain its location and were currently running a month-to-month lease for space.

Because of the lack of insurance at Claire’s, Vickery estimated work in the location would have cost $20,000 to $30,000 and with marginal profits they would not have been able to continue making a profit in the location.

Despite the loss, BCC management is hopeful to keep Claire’s employees within the shopping center.

“We truly value every Claire’s employee,” Dorzweieler said. “They will be a true asset to whoever snatches them up.”

Claire’s is owned by Apollo Management, with headquarters in Illinois and Florida. Messages left with Claire’s headquarters had not been answered as of Tuesday afternoon.

Facility upgrades continue

Even with the repairs being completed at the shopping center, the second stage of facility improvements is still on schedule and new stores are likely still on the way.

“We’re full bore ahead. This little setback…this unfortunate setback, in regards to the roof, has not delayed us on going forward on phase two,” Vickery said. “We’re hoping to get construction underway by July 1.”

The final approval for exterior improvements is being concluded this week.

Along with the facility upgrades, DP Management is expecting to announce two new major tenants soon.

“We’re in the middle of negotiating some pretty major leases right now,” Vickery said.

The leasing group is “making some pretty major headway not only on one of the out lots, where Montana Mike’s was, but a major retailer that would be taking about 23,000 square feet,” he said.

By JAMES BELL
Hays Post

It might be a way off, but the Hays USD 489 Board of Education is taking no chances on being prepared if its proposed $94 million bond issue passes in June, hearing the benefits of two types of construction management at Monday night’s work session.

The district has two types of construction management available under Kansas law – construction management at-risk and the more traditional design-bid-build.

Chuck Smith, HTK Architects, spoke to the board about the two options, outlining the benefits of both, but also explained to the board that a decision would not need to be made until after the bond election.

Both types of construction management require bidding out of specific projects, but a manager-at-risk could help in initial project costs, through oversight of the entire project that can help correct design and construction concerns before a specific part of the project is already under way.

He also informed the board that a manager-at-risk has the ability to piece out portions of the total contract, whereas a general contractor would assume ownership of the entire project.

In either system, unforeseen construction cost overruns would be addressed by the board.

During the work session, the board also heard recommendations from Scott Summers, director of technology, on the replacement of approximately 150 computers for K-8 teachers.

He informed the board the technology committee has spoken with principals and staff and found a reliable desktop system with adequate performance. The existing systems are nearly six years old.

He said both Lenovo and Dell systems would be options for the replacement.

“Both are very reasonable,” Summers said.

The off-the-shelf price for the systems is $650 to $690 per machine, and a bulk order could lower that pricing.

By next week, Summers said, both machines will be available for demonstrations.

The devices are not set to replace the current tablets used for instruction, Summers told the board, rather they would be used for more administrative purposes that require a machine with more processing power than can be provided by a tablet.

By DIANE GASPER-O’BRIEN
FHSU University Relations

The assistant project manager leaned back in a chair in his company’s job trailer, and his face broke into a grin.

It felt good to rest a bit after a long week of dealing with a muddy construction site following more than 5 inches of rain in Hays. He glanced at the masons erecting the stair towers for Fort Hays State University’s new 450-bed, four-story, 110,748 square-foot Wiest Hall while talking about the differences between construction labor and construction management.

D.J. Brown, a white hard hat atop his head and an auburn stubble gracing his youthful face, looked more like a college student working at an internship than one in charge of a multi-million dollar project.

Brown happens to be both.

The 24-year-old Plainville native is fulfilling his internship requirements for his bachelor’s degree in construction management from Fort Hays State. He will graduate next month, and like a lot of seniors, he was offered a job even before graduation.

Unlike most, however, Brown has been working full time for McPherson Contractors, Inc., out of Topeka for four months during his final semester of college.

Such are the benefits of students in FHSU’s construction management program, in its fourth year in the university’s Department of Applied Technology.

Courses were added to the construction technology curriculum in 2012 for students to complete the degree with a construction management emphasis.

“We’ve always had students who graduated in construction technology, went out and got a job and grew into a construction manager,” said Kim Stewart, chair of the Department of Applied Technology.

“But,” he added, “we needed something about management that high school counselors and teachers could identify with, so we created a hybrid.”

The new program caught on rapidly.

“We started with the typical five students the first year, then 12, 18, and it keeps doubling itself,” said Kris Munsch, assistant professor of applied technology. “We have 30-plus in the program now.”

Until recently, the only four-year institutions in Kansas offering a construction management program were Kansas State University and Pittsburg State University.

All of a sudden, students from Kansas and area states realized there’s now another option — a more affordable one at that. One of those students was Brown.

Not only does Fort Hays State offer top-notch instruction and hands-on experience, it also has the most affordable tuition of any four-year school in the Kansas Regents system. For Brown, FHSU is only half an hour from his hometown.

The Applied Technology Department has benefitted from the addition of the construction management program.

“Now, it’s not just internships for seniors that companies want, but they are wanting them as freshmen,” Munsch said. “That field is just exploding. It’s really booming.

“By the time those students are seniors,” Munsch added, “they’re ready to manage a 5-, 10-, 15-million dollar job in their early 20s, which is mind boggling.”

That’s the situation already facing Brown, who grew up around construction but was most familiar with electrical technology, working alongside his dad, Blaine Brown, an electrician in Plainville.

After a couple of years of college majoring in health and human performance, then a couple more out in the work force, D.J. Brown decided to return to college and major in business management.

“I was thinking I wanted to own my dad’s business some day,” the younger Brown said of switching majors.

However, Brown was drawn to construction technology and liked the classes added to the program’s original curriculum, so he chose the construction management route.

“They were teaching us how to run our own business, and I liked that,” he said. “The management classes were more in-depth, gave more detail of things I never even thought of before. The fitting together of construction and management all started to make sense.”

Brown said he gained invaluable on-the-job experience during an internship last summer with Deines Construction out of WaKeeney.

“I hadn’t had that type of hands-on experience in that type of construction before,” said Brown, who was exposed to a variety of construction projects — both residential and commercial that ranged from designing buildings to pouring concrete to building wheelchair ramps. He designed some of his own projects and also worked under an architect.

“The two to three months working last summer, I learned so much,” he said.

When it came time to look for a senior internship last fall, Brown sought out McPherson Construction because his cousin is married to the mason who works on a lot of that company’s jobs.

“I set up an interview, got the internship,” Brown said, “and things started to happen in a hurry.”

Brown left for Topeka and began his internship in mid-December.

Coincidentally, McPherson Construction was bidding on the Wiest Hall replacement project at the time. Steve Kesl, senior project superintendent for McPherson, said that Brown was a big help in landing the Wiest Hall job in early January.

“He was instrumental in working the figures and helping our estimator with information,” Kesl said. “The fact that he knows the community and knew a lot of the sub-contractors has been a real help to me. It’s been a learning process for us together. So we asked him if he wanted to go back to Hays and help build Wiest.”

Brown didn’t hesitate to say “Yes.” Kesl said his company was so impressed with Brown’s work ethic and quality of work that they hired him full time Feb. 1.

“D.J. is a doer,” Kesl said. “He likes to make sure he gets his things done.

“He’s of the electronic age, so he works with AutoCAD really well,” Kesl said of computer software application used for design and drafting.

Brown admits he has had to improvise in getting things done as a planner and scheduler rather than a laborer.

“I’m not afraid of hard work, so I miss pushing the shovel sometimes,” he said. “But I like paperwork and behind-the-scenes stuff, too. It’s great to know both sides.”

“It’s such a golden opportunity,” said Kesl, who has worked for McPherson Construction for 27 years. “… for both parties.”

“It’s unbelievable what he’s learning,” Stewart agreed.

Those golden opportunities have not been lost on Brown.

“I want to own a business some day, but I don’t know how,” he said. “But when I get going on something, I’m goal oriented. If I want to get better at something, I just keep trying until I get it right, so I’ll learn how.”

Brown is excited to see the Wiest replacement project — which includes a new three-story Themed Housing building and expansion of the McMindes Hall dining area — through to completion in the summer of 2017. At the same time, he gets to watch FHSU’s construction management program continue to thrive.

“Every year, Fort Hays State has just gotten better and better,” he said. “Students coming through this program the next few years are going to do amazing things.”

Brown paused and looked thoughtful. He realizes it’s a case of being in the right place at the right time for him, and he plans to make the most of it.

“I don’t believe in coincidences, though,” he said. “I believe it was supposed to happen this way.”

While Brown looks and sounds like a 24-year-old about to graduate from college, he speaks with a wisdom beyond his years.

“Instead of working for a paycheck, I’m working to learn,” Brown said. “I want to learn something new every day.”

Eber Phelps, mayor and city commissioner of Hays, filed in Topeka Monday morning to run for the Kansas Legislature.

Phelps, a Democrat, will challenge incumbent Republican Sue Boldra in the 111th House District.

“Gov. Brownback and Republicans in the legislature, have bankrupted our state, starved our schools, and ignored our roads,” Phelps said in a news release. “I look forward to providing leadership to move our state in a new direction.”

Phelps indicated that his top priority would be creating a stable budget by rebuilding the Kansas economy and reinstituting a common-sense tax policy. He criticized the budget passed by the House early Monday morning.

“The mismanagement of the Kansas budget under Governor Brownback and legislators like Rep. Boldra is appalling,” Phelps said. “Last night, Rep. Boldra voted for and the legislature passed a budget that transfers money needed to pave our roads to cover basic state services, and delays payments to the KPERS, and cuts funding to Fort Hays State University. And it still doesn’t balance!”

When elected, Phelps said he would work with Democrats and other moderates to reinvest in Kansas.

“I cannot sit by and watch as Brownback and Republicans in the legislature mismanage Kansas any longer. We should be maintaining and building new roads, because it creates jobs in our communities and drives economic development. We should be investing in schools, because our children need a high-quality education to succeed. It’s time to return to common sense leadership.”

Phelps lives in Hays with his wife, Joni. Phelps is employed by Glassman Corporation.

FHSU University Relations

Instead of roasting marshmallows over an open fire, science campers with Fort Hays State University’s Sternberg Museum of Natural History will once again this summer learn about everything from fossils to plants and wildlife and much, much more.

“I think it’s important to give young students opportunities to explore new subject areas,” Sternberg Education Director David Levering said. “I think it’s important to get them outside, exploring these things. There’s a lot of emphasis on technology these days, but there’s a lot lost in not getting outside and seeing things in person.”

That won’t be an issue this summer, the third year that Levering has organized camps at Sternberg. There are day camps for elementary school students and longer camps for middle school and high school students.

The elementary school day camps start June 1 with “Rocks and Minerals.” On June 3 it will be “Fun with Fossils.” June 6 will feature “Marvelous Mammals,” while on June 8 it will be “Reptiles and Amphibians.” On June 10 the camp is “Bird Biologists.” The final elementary school camp, set for June 13, features “Plants, Insects and Spiders.” These camps are for children age 6 to 10 as of June 2016. Drop off is 9 a.m., and pick up is 3 p.m. There will be a maximum of 12 children per camp. Fees are $60 per member and $70 for non-members.

There are two middle school camps. The “Field Naturalist Camp” will be from June 12 to June 17. Students will explore Arches National Monument Park in Utah. As students camp along the way, they will explore wildlife and ecosystems from prairie to mountains to rocky deserts. In the “Paleontology Expedition Camp,” scheduled for June 19 to June 24, students will explore the fossils of Kansas, and will visit Castle Rock, a geological formation about a 90-minute drive west of Hays which is known for its fossils. Middle school camps are for children age 11 to 13 as of June 2016. Drop off is 8 a.m. the first day of the program, and pick up is 5 p.m. the last day of the program. Maximum class size is 10 students per camp. Fees are $600 per member and $660 per non-member.

“I think it’s important young students know that these are real places,” Levering said. “If they value them they’re going to protect them.”

For high school students there will be two camps this summer where they will go out and explore. In the “Sternberg Paleontology Camp” from July 10 to July 22, students will spend nine days exploring paleontology and natural history of Kansas in the field. With the “Sternberg Biology Camp” June 26 to July 1, students will travel to New Mexico to work with biologists on ongoing bat research. Drop off is 8 a.m. the first day of the program, and pick up is 5 p.m. the last day of the program. Maximum class size is 10 students per camp. The fee for the paleontology camp is $1,240 per member and $1,380 per non-member. Fee for the biology camp is $600 per member and $660 per non-member.

“When it comes to the middle and high school programs we can do a lot in a week,” Levering said.

Sternberg also will host two other camps. The “Paleobiology Research Methods Camp” from July 3 to July 8 is designed for self-motivated students looking to do a research project in high school or pursuing a research project as a college undergraduate. The “Fall Sternberg Paleontology Camp” from Sept. 25 to Sept. 30 is something new this year. To help accommodate homeschool students, this six-day camp will explore paleontology and Kansas natural history in the field. The fees for each camp are $600 per member and $660 per non-member.

Sternberg Museum science camps have financial aid opportunities available for 2016. Contact Levering at [email protected] for information or if assistance is needed to fill out an application.

An online registration form can be found on Sternberg’s website at https://webapps.fhsu.edu/sternbergPrograms/. The camp brochure is available at https://sternberg.fhsu.edu/active-learning/camps/.