A developer is interested in opening a travel plaza at I-70 Exit 157 in Hays. (Google image)
By BECKY KISER Hays Post
“There’s signs on the interstate that this truck stop is coming and I don’t have an update for the people. Do you have an update on it?” Vice-mayor Sean Musil asked Hays City Manager Toby Dougherty Thursday night at the end of their meeting. “I’d just like to know what’s going on.”
Dougherty had a few answers for city commissioners.
“We were contacted several months ago by an entity wishing to develop the property into a travel plaza, a hotel, restaurants, a rather large development,” Dougherty said.
The property, owned by Dan Hess of Hess Services, is at I-70 Exit 157 on the west side of Hays in the northwest corner. Hess Services is located north of the property on 230th Ave.
“We discussed with them what would be required for a formal application for economic incentives (from the city),” Dougherty said. “As the commission knows, that’s a process the developer needs to follow.”
According to Dougherty the developer has paid a $5,000 non-refundable deposit and signed a funding agreement with Grow Hays.
“That puts them in contact with our bond counsel Gilmore and Bell. Working with their counsel and our bond counsel, a term sheet is developed that outlays the specifics of the project – what’s the project going to look like, what’s the dollar amount, what’s the financial incentive asked for, what’s the time frame of this – and that transitions into the formal application for any of the incentives and then any incentive process would start.
Dougherty has had discussions with the developer he told the commission, “but we do not have the necessary information to put the term sheet together.”
“Right now, it’s in the developer’s hands. We’re just waiting for the developer to provide that information. We’d like to get a term sheet in front of you as quickly as possible so you can talk about the specifics and hopefully transition this into an actual (financial) incentive request.”
Musil said he’s had a lot of people asking him about the project and hadn’t heard anything about it for awhile.
“When you see billboards go up announcing it’s going to happen, you’re excited about it,” said Mayor Henry Schwaller.
“Absolutely,” agreed Musil. “I support that.”
“We are excited,” added Commissioner Sandy Jacob.
After the meeting, Musil and Commissioner Ron Mellick said they’ve both seen three billboards on I-70 between Salina and Hays that advertise a travel plaza opening in Hays in 2019.
Ethan Lang when he won the local Youth Entrepreneur Challenge in Hays.
By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays Post
A Thomas More Prep-Marian senior is making a big splash with his financial education business.
He has more than 106,000 followers on Instagram and recently won two entrepreneurship awards at the state competition for his business pitch.
Lang’s business is called Making Cents of Finance. He offers education on financial topics such as credit cards, investing, business, retirement, debt and loans.
Lang makes no secret about the fact he is only 18, only recently was eligible for his own brokerage account and has never done his own taxes. It is all there right there in his bio on his website.
He is targeting 18- to 34-year-olds — young people just like himself who are just getting started in the world.
“I think it is important for young people to learn about finance, especially personal finance,” Lang said. “When you are young it might not seem that important, but that is probably some of the most important years that can spring board you into a better future if you make the proper financial decisions now.”
However, Lang had a little bit of a head start. Both of his parents are business professionals. At 15, Lang was fascinated by the fact that his father could own stock in the company his mother works for. His father let him start investing under one of his accounts until he turned 18 and could have his own account.
He also took finance classes at TMP, read books and researched the topic on the web.
Ethan Lang / courtesy photo
In August, Lang launched Making Cents of Finance.
“I wanted to help others learn about finance,” he said, “because I learned so much and saw how beneficial it was to myself.”
Today, he is making about $450 per month through social media ads. He has a blog, and he his branching out into YouTube, Twitter and Facebook.
You can see a video of Lang’s elevator pitch by clicking here. Lang’s pitch starts at about 15 minutes into the video and lasts about three minutes. The video is courtesy of Kansas State University.
Lang will be attending Fort Hays State University in fall, majoring in finance and accounting with an emphasis on financial planning.
He hopes to earn his financial planning license and open a brick-and-mortar office in Hays to offer individual financial planning services, as well as offer online financial consulting nationwide.
You can find Lang on Instagram at @makingcentsoffinance. You can also subscribe to his YouTube Channel: Making Cents of Finance.
Other northwest Kansas students earning awards in the Kansas Entrepreneurship Challenge were:
High school competition
• Technology Division: Runner-up prize of $2,500 — Sailor-Anne Seiler, Hodgeman County High School, Jetmore, for Bee Safe.
• Technology Division: Honorable mention of $1,000 — Erny Knelsen and Tayber Elder, Greeley County High School, Tribune, for VrView.
• Agriculture Division: Grand prize of $4,000 — Dylan Ketzner and Brady Ketzener, Cheylin High School, Bird City, for Ketzner Feed Roasted Gold.
• Open Division: Honorable mention of $1,000 — Andrew Foote and Molly Foote, Hoxie High School, Hoxie, for Contained.
Collegiate competition
• Technology Division: Grand prize of $5,000 — Dustin Aherin, Kansas State University, doctoral student in pathobiology from Phillipsburg, for Cattlelist.
Thanks to a $1,500 grant from the Dane G. Hansen Foundation, the United Way of Ellis County has established a website — www.nwksvolunteers.org — for community members from northwest Kansas to sign up for volunteer opportunities.
“In all the years I have been working in nonprofits, I have never seen any entity say they have enough volunteers,” Sherry Dryden, executive director of the United Way, said. “I have also seen people who said they want to volunteer, but they don’t have the time to call around to see who (they) can help.”
Once registered, the volunteer can see the volunteer opportunities available in their community.
They can adjust their profile to fit the volunteer’s interest, time availability and talents to be linked with an organization who is needing volunteer assistance.There is no cost to register as a volunteer. If you have an organization that you enjoy working with, you can become a “fan” of that group and receive notifications when the group posts other volunteer opportunities.
The website also can keep track of your volunteer hours, which Erica Berges, administrative assistant, said can be helpful for students who are trying to fulfill community service hours.
“At a younger age, you might not be able to give money wise, but you can give time,” Berges said. “If it starts young, they are going to continue to do that.”
Dryden said trying to keep track of volunteers and volunteer opportunities has been a time-consuming effort to this point.
“We have people reach out and ask to volunteer. ‘What can I do?'” Dryden said, “so we try to keep track of all of that via an old-fashioned spreadsheet.”
United Way of Ellis County was referred to the company that developed the website through the United Way Worldwide. No local campaign money was used for the project nor will it be used to maintain the site, Dryden said.
Nonprofit organizations, government entities, faith-based organizations, licensed health-care facilities, schools and civic organizations are able to register their organization and events, requesting volunteer assistance. Political groups are ineligible. Agencies can’t use the site for fundraising, but they can use it to recruit volunteers for fundraising events.
There is an annual registration fee of $120 for approved organizations with unlimited event announcements. Once their organization is registered, they can post their volunteer opportunities to their page. This opportunity is for all organizations, as previously listed, and volunteers in northwest Kansas.
If an agency requires background checks, those must be conducted by the agency posting the volunteer opportunity.
Agencies also can print out spreadsheets with lists of volunteers to make check-in at events easier.
The data from the website is not sold or transferred to any other business or agency. The volunteers’ information is only seen by the organization to which the volunteer is giving time.
To learn more about the website and how to register, The United Way of Ellis County will have a public informational meeting at 4 p.m. May 16 in the first floor conference room of the Hadley Center, 205 E. Seventh.
Moving the retailer into the shopping center will require major changes to the facility with the retailer moving into a 15,364-square-foot space on the south side of the facility.
Construction is set to begin June 3.
“We will losing both entrances on the south end … access to Harbor Freight will only be the exterior facing Vine,” said Branson Hoffman, Big Creek Crossing marketing director.
“It definitely is a difficult thing, but we felt it best to serve an exterior entrance at this time. … It serves us a better option for future development,” Younger said.
Moving the entrances and changing the flow of traffic will be a challenge, but there will be signs around the facility to help make sure people know where to go, Younger said.
Restrooms and office space will be permanently relocated on the north side of the building, a move seen as positive by the center’s management.
“It gives us a little bit more of a better location,” Younger said.
During construction, a temporary restroom will be placed in the former Vanity location, while the new office and restrooms are being built in the former Regis space, Younger said.
But the moves are seen as generally positive, if inconvenient in the short term.
“You can expect little things like that, but it’s nothing that we are not able to work around,” Younger said, noting occasionally construction may impact traffic flow.
Layout showing the location of Harbor Freight in Big Creek Crossing. (Click to expand. Photo Courtesy Big Creek Crossing)
“While there may be a few growing pains here and there, we definitely think that the pros in this situation outweigh the cons.”
The addition will also create a major change to the layout of the facility, but Younger said it will be beneficial to Big Creek Crossing.
“We are adding a little more value to our shopping center. As anybody can tell you, the retail environment has been evolving and has been changing here over the past decade and with those changes we are adopting as well,” he said.
According to the Harbor Freight, the company is currently adding two new stores every week and Younger said it doesn’t just bring value to Big Creek Crossing, but to the community as well.
“We are extremely excited about Harbor Freight moving in. The fact that we are bringing more employment opportunities, more tax revenue to the city is something that we like to do. It’s definitely a big deal.”
Younger hopes to the location will drive even more regional traffic to Hays.
“We feel this entity is something that would be in high demand here in western Kansas,” he said. “We feel that there is going to be immense support from the public.”
Other Big Creek Crossing tenants are eager to see how this will increase traffic to the facility, even as it is a departure from what they are familiar with.
“Our tenants are excited about another tenant moving in,” Younger said. It is a little unorthodox compared to what they are used to but, “It is our brave step into the ever-evolving world of the shopping center.”
This announcement is another feather in the cap in the rehabilitation of the center in recent years.
“When we really look at how far we have been able to come here, especially in the past two to three years, between the Starbucks and the HaysMed location that we have built,” Younger said. “The first Glik’s in the state was opened in our center back in 2016, with the addition of Gordman’s, the addition of Dollar Tree, now the addition of Harbor Freight, we are definitely making progress and we are very excited about that, in a community mindset as well, just being able to bring in that extra tax revenue, to bring in that extra employment and extra places of draw for individuals out in western Kansas to stop here in Hays. That’s a very big win for everybody.
“We definitely take it as a victory, but there is a lot more work that we recognize that we need to do,” he added. “We will take a moment and celebrate this addition to our center, but the work definitely goes on.”
“The 15,000-square-foot store will stock tools and accessories in categories including automotive, air and power tools, storage, outdoor power equipment, generators, welding supplies, shop equipment, hand tools, and more,” the company said in a news release Tuesday.
“The timeline is tentative, but we are extremely hopeful for a July 30 grand opening,” Younger said.
Messiah Lutheran Church recently celebrated 50 years in its sanctuary.
By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays Post
Messiah Lutheran Church of Hays recently celebrated 50 years in its current sanctuary with the opening of a 50-year-old time capsule.
The contents included a large Vacation Bible School banner, a letter detailing the history of the church to that point and many photos taken of church members and events.
Several longtime members of the church talked about the early days of the congregation in Hays.
Margie Knoll attended services in the congregation’s former red wood chapel when she was in college. During summer school, she made a point to attend the early service because the building had no air conditioning.
Part of the celebration was opening a time capsule that was sealed in 1969.
The church was growing and the congregation decided it needed a bigger sanctuary, said Pat Phillips, who has been a member since prior to the construction of the current chapel.
The church continues to grow and has many young members and families, Phillips said. She said the church has many more activities than there were 50 years ago.
Knoll added she thought the church is doing more charitable work in the local community today.
“Years ago it was more you sent off t0 missions,” she said.
The ladies found some familiar items among the contents of the time capsule, including the blue hymnals from which they used to sing.
Pastor Rocco Mallardi has lead the congregation for four years.
Time capsule contents
“It is important to remember the history of the place and the history of a church’s founding and its development,” he said of the 50th celebration.
He added, “It is glorious to see what God has done in the last 50 years.”
Michael Maier, the church’s president, said it meant a lot to the congregation to honor the 50th anniversary of the sanctuary.
“To give thanks to God that He has let us grow and continue in the faith and be here this long and have new people coming in and we’ve expanded to more members,” Maier said.
The congregation has about 150 members from only six voting members when the church was organized.
Maier said he looks forward to “building and growing the congregation using God’s word and continuing God’s work to bring more people to know him and have the chance to be saved.”
The church is gathering for a new time capsule.
A brief history of the church
Church members gather for a social hour on Sunday.
The official organization of the church was on Jan. 4, 1951. The Rev. Fredric Rhode was installed as the first resident pastor on June 7, 1953. Ground was broken on the first chapel on Oct. 19, 1952, at 20th and Main and was dedicated in September 1953. On March 20, 1960, the church’s education unit was dedicated.
Work on the current chapel was begun in January 1967. The cornerstone was laid and the time capsule buried on May 25, 1969.
The Rev. Warren Schmidt was serving as the third resident pastor at the time.
Included in the capsule was a letter detailing the history of the congregation. The letter concluded with “Today, May 25, 1969, at a time marked by continued warfare in Viet Nam and the return of the second manned flight to the moon, we lay this cornerstone confident of God’s grace in the future and the need of men of all ages and times for the Gospel of Christ who is the same yesterday, today, and forever.”
Local music fans are sure to know Hannah Norris, and now her audience is about to get a bit larger as her band — Hannah Norris & the Band — is set to open for nationally recognized singer/songwriter Neko Case during her stop in Kansas City at 8 p.m. May 10 at the Uptown Theatre.
“We are really excited,” Norris said. “That has been our main thing for the moment.”
Norris, who grew up in Hays, currently resides in Lawrence after relocating to study psychology at the University of Kansas.
The gig took shape after a booking agent in Lawrence submitted Norris’ band for the spot earlier this year.
“It’s pretty wild,” she said.
While this will be her first outing in a setting this large, she has performed with other well-known bands locally.
“Previously in Hays, I had the opportunity to open for Jefferson Starship and Warrant through Wild West Fest, so it’s not my first interaction with bigger acts like that, but it’s definitely my first interaction with one at a venue of that scale,” she said.
Norris is currently taking a break from school to focus on music but is keeping active with two bands and a full-time job.
“I work at The Roost. Currently, I am a barista up there and just focus on trying to get out, play some shows and write some tunes. Between those two, I keep myself pretty busy,” she said.
Norris hopes this will kick off a summer filled with other opportunities.
“We just recently submitted for the NPR Tiny Desk contest…getting somewhere with that would be great,” she said.
“Now we are just looking forward to booking more shows.”
On Hays
While Norris no longer lives in Hays, she hopes her local fans will get the chance to see her perform nearby soon and recognizes the music scene in Hays remains strong, despite her absence.
Hannah Norris performs at the 2015 Wild West Festival in Hays.
“We are trying to get back to Rockalooa,” she said. “It’s a really great way to bring different bands into Hays and get everybody connected.
“I feel like we have made a lot of progress for a small town, and I think I’m very fortunate to be able to be a part of that scene and to have grown up in it,” she said. “Hays actually has a lot going for it for a small town … I think it’s really important that people understand we are very fortunate to have that.
“I definitely think I would not have gotten this far, even today if I didn’t have those types of connections.”
As established as the music scene is in Hays, Norris hopes to see it expand in the future.
“Absolutely there should be more bands getting involved in Hays, but for the size, I think we are doing great,” she said.
Along with the community, Norris credits her parents for helping her to come so far already in her music career, first learning to play the guitar around age 12, and taking some piano lessons with her grandmother soon after.
She said there are no musicians in her immediate family but they were instrumental in getting her to where she is today, noting that starting at the age of 14 they were helpful in getting her into some of the local venues that normally would not allow minors.
“I am very fortunate to have the family I do. They have been very supportive,” she said.
The Music
While Hannah Norris & the Band is getting ready for the Kansas City show, Norris is working on the lineup and sound of a second band.
“I’m working on getting that redirected right now,” she said, keeping focused on the music she wants to release. “For my band, my goal is to write music that I am happy with and that I feel like that I connect with … It represents me and it represents the people that I play with and I want to make sure that it fits us as people.”
While she describes Hannah Norris & the Band as rock, she said they have been “experimenting” lately.
“We’ve had a lot of different influences in the mix.”
The current lineup has released a single, but Norris says the hope to have a full album out this summer and is looking forward to more shows.
“Keep an eye out we’re trying to hit the road a bit more often,” she said.
CHICAGO – The Chicago Bears officially announced the signing of undrafted free agent and former Fort Hays State football standout Doyin Jibowu. He is one of 22 undrafted free agent signings the Bears announced late on Thursday night (May 2).
Jibowu, a two-time All-America selection by the Don Hansen Football Committee, finished his senior year of 2018 with 57 tackles, including 6 for loss, 2 interceptions, 1 sack, and 11 pass breakups. He wrapped his impressive four-year career at FHSU with 276 tackles, 27.5 tackles for loss, 5.0 sacks, 9 interceptions, and 26 pass breakups. Jibowu was a three-time All-MIAA First Team selection at defensive back and received Academic All-America honors from CoSIDA in his time at FHSU. Jibowu helped FHSU to back-to-back MIAA Championships and NCAA Playoff appearances in 2017 and 2018 and a pair of bowl game appearances in 2015 and 2016.
Fort Hays State has now had a player signed by an NFL team two consecutive years. Last year, Nathan Shepherd was the 72nd pick overall in the NFL Draft, chosen in the third round by the New York Jets. Shepherd played in all 16 games and made five starts in his rookie year with the Jets, recording 15 tackles.
The Hays Arts Council again sponsored its Famous Figures competition for Ellis County fifth-grade students.
Thirty-five finalists were selected to perform Friday at Beach/Schmidt Performing Arts Center. They portrayed figures such as Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Jackie Robinson, George Washington and Roy Rogers. The top three winners were
1.Will Eck of St. Mary’s Grade School as Erno Rubik, inventor of the Rubik’s Cube
2.Kaliyah Bannister of Roosevelt Elementary School as Michelle Obama, First Lady of the United States
3.-tie Johanna Jones of O’Loughlin Elementary School as Dolly Parton, singer and philanthropist
3.-tie Erin Ruder of Roosevelt Elementary School as Ruth Handler, inventor of the Barbie doll
A new store selling products containing CBD, a substance found in hemp, has opened in Hays.
BrightChoice CBD is the first retail outlet for Aaron Luck and his partner. He hopes to franchise across the country and is using Hays as a test market. Luck, an FHSU grad, moved back to Hays to be closer to family in Hays and his aging parents in Colby.
“I wanted to help the people of northwest Kansas and rural America who don’t have access to other alternatives here,” he said.
The investors have researched what they think are the best health and beauty products containing CBD and are offering them at 2403 Vine.
“My partner and I spent over a year and a half researching products,” he said. “We didn’t just go out and grab whatever was available on the wholesale market and sell it. We believe we have some of the best products on the market.”
Luck said all the products BrightChoice offers have no THC, which is the substance in marijuana that gets you high. The products are third-party tested to validate they contain no THC.
“Not all CBD products are created equal,” he said. “It is like any other product on the marketplace whether it is shampoo, whether it is gasoline, whether it is a sandwich shop, restaurant, any of those products. They are all different based on a lot of criteria.”
BrightChoice used 10 criteria to examine its product lines, which started with the extraction process. All the lines that BrightChoice sells extract CBD using CO2 instead of alcohol or gas. The companies BrightChoice buys from also extract their CBD oil from the whole plant, which gives you all the cannabinoids of the plant.
The store offers the Joy brand, which is a broad spectrum CBD product. Hemp contains about 100 other substances besides CBD and THC. The Joy products take full advantage of these potentially helpful ingredients.
BrightChoice’s Medterra line is a CBD isolate. Its only active ingredient is CBD suspended in a carrier oil.
Joy sources hemp from Colorado, and Medterra sources its hemp from Kentucky and claims to be 100 percent organically non-GMO grown. Joy and Medterra were recently written up by Hemp Ministry as two of the top CBD products in the country, Luck said.
Luck noted the consistency in sourcing the hemp and extracting the CBD oil is important in the end products and their effectiveness.
The Empower brand specializes in bath products, such as bath salts and topical oils.
CBD for Life is a brand that offers beauty products, such as skin creams, shampoo and conditioners.
Luck said he has customers who use the skin products to deal with rosacea, eczema and acne.
BrightChoice also carries Sativa, which is a line of plant-based skin care and beauty products. Luck said many people don’t realize that the average deodorant you buy at a discount store contains aluminum, which can be a problem for people with sensitive skin.
Luck himself takes CBD oil to deal with a rare arthritic condition called Ryder’s syndrome. He has had the condition, which causes inflammation throughout his body, since he was 17. He has not had to take prescription medication for his Ryder’s syndrome in several years, and he credits that to taking CBD oil.
“I don’t care if people come in here and don’t buy anything,” Luck said. “What I care about and what our business is about is education. … We want to educate people on the benefits, how it can help them, what the proper way is to take this, which ones are best for them, because when it comes to CBD, what I think is important is to treat the inside and the outside.
“It is not just about getting a topical cream and hoping that works for you. It is also about taking something internally and knowing what you are putting inside your body. I am amazed about how many people don’t ask questions about what they are putting inside their body.”
BrightChoice is open 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. seven days a week. Luck may adjust the Sunday hours.
The store offers a veteran discount and a compassionate care program for people with chronic illnesses. Contact the store at 918-625-8823 for more information on these programs.
Ted Foster, social science teacher at Hays Middle School, was honored Monday with the staff USD 489 Best of the Best Award.
By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays Post
Ted Foster, Hays Middle School social science teacher, was nominated by HMS student Eli Rohr for the April USD 489 staff Best of the Best Award.
“I nominated Mr. Foster for Best of the Best because he is always an encouraging teacher,” Rohr said, “and he is really there for you when you need him.”
Rohr said Foster encouraged him to go out for track and now track is one of his favorite sports.
“When you need to just sit there and talk to someone, he will be there,” Rohr said.
He said he comes in before or after school to talk to Foster, and they share notes on “The Flash.”
“He helps a bunch of students,” Rohr said. “He knows what teaching they need and how to get to them. … He is a really good teacher. He doesn’t put anybody aside. He helps everyone who needs the help.”
Savannah Clingan
Savannah Clingan, Wilson student, was honored with the student USD 489 Best of the Best Award.
Savannah Clingan, Wilson student, was nominated for the Best of the Best Award by Leslie Karlin, Wilson fifth-grade teacher.
Karlin described Clingan as an outstanding student leader.
“As a member of our Wilson role models, she serves her fellow students and the school community,” Karlin said. “Some responsibilities she has carried out in an exceptional manner are greeting students at the front door, monitoring the hallway, cleaning up playground equipment and organizing the school’s lost and found.
“In addition to serving others, she is kind, she is respectful, and she is very diligent in her school work. She also helps her classmates by encouraging them to follow the rules and by helping students who may be struggling with an assignment. She continuously demonstrates concern for others, and she finds ways to make a difference.”
Members of the Ellis County Commission toured approximately 50 of the nearly 1,500 miles of Ellis County roads Monday as part of their annual road tour.
Along the way, commissioners and members of the Public Works Department took a look at bridges in need of repair, areas that have been flooded or washed out due to recent rains, and the condition of the asphalt on Feedlot Road — one of the key routes of the Northwest Business Corridor.
Ellis County Public Works Director Bill Ring said Monday the annual road tour is something that has been going on for several years and is an opportunity for the commissioners to see first-hand some of the infrastructure issues Public Works crews see on a daily basis. It is also a public meeting, which allows all three commissioners to take part in the tour together.
“We can openly discuss and have interaction with the three commissioners at the same time,” Ring said. “We can point out repairs, (and) we can point out potential issues.”
Commissioner Dean Haselhorst said this was his ninth road tour, but it was the first for new commissioners Butch Schlyer and Dustin Roths.
Several areas of Feedlot Rd. are deteriorating and in need of repair
“Commissioner Schlyer is a former county department head but he wasn’t out in the county that much because of his position running the Health Department and Commissioner Roths is brand new also,” Ring said. “He hasn’t had a lot of time in the county on the roads we went today.”
Among the areas the commission toured Monday was Feedlot Road from U.S. Highway 183 west to 210th Avenue.
The Northwest Business Corridor has been designated as the route between Feedlot Road from 230th Avenue to U.S. 183 and 230th Avenue between Interstate 70 and Feedlot Road.
In February, the commission approved $800,000 toward improvements in that area in hopes that other entities would also provide funds through grants and state funding. The county estimates it will cost more than $15.7 million to complete all three phases of the project.
In April, following a tour of the area the Kansas Department of Transportation pledged $1 million in matching funds for the project, contingent upon a grant from the Dane G. Hansen Foundation.
The commissioners confirmed Monday the Dane G. Hansen Foundation denied the county’s $2.2 million grant request, forcing a search for other funding sources.
Haselhorst said he believes the county should approach the city of Hays about helping fund improvements.
Feedlot Road is paved in the area of the business corridor, but the pavement is beginning to show serious signs of disrepair. Public Works staff said it will only get worse when construction of roundabouts on Vine Street begins in the near future. Traffic is expected to increase in the area with motorists attempting to detour around construction to reach Interstate 70 and the west side of Hays.
Haselhorst also said the county needs to contact U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran about the project after he helped the city of Hays get funding for the roundabouts project on Vine.
The area is home to Hess Services, an oilfield supply company that employs more than 200, Midwest Energy’s Goodman Energy Center and several other businesses.
Haselhorst said Monday that Hess Services is expanding and, after talking with the new owners of the feedlot, located between 210th and 200th avenues, he expects the feedlot to expand its operations in the coming months.
That will also result in an increase in truck traffic on Feedlot Road.
Curt Hoffman, the county’s road and bridge supervisor, presented the commission with two repair options to consider for Feedlot Road.
The first would be to mill the surface back to a dirt road and maintain it as needed for approximately $21,000. But he added he wasn’t sure how the residents in the area would like that because they would lose their paved road.
The other option presented to the commission was a prime and seal that would cost between $65,000 and $104,000.
Hoffman said a similar reclamation project was done in 2009 for $371,000. In the last two years, Hoffman said the county has spent more than $19,500 a year to patch the roadway.
During the tour, the commission also traveled to Victoria to look at Cathedral Avenue. The county is responsible for both Cathedral Avenue. and Washington Street in Ellis because they are main thoroughfares in the communities of less than 5,000 people.
Road and Bridge Supervisor Curt Hoffman shows Commissioners Dustin Roths and Butch Schlyer the underneath side of a stone arch bridge
Cathedral is experience significant “crowning,” where the middle of the street is higher than the edges. The city of Victoria received a grant from the USDA to replace waterlines, and the lines run under and around Cathedral. Ellis County officials expect that when the lines are replaced, the county will have to do some work on Cathedral.
Two other stops along the tour included a stone arch bridge that is in need of repair and one that has been repaired. The bridges are built out of limestone and, when water gets into the areas of the bridge it will deteriorate. Crews use galvanized steel in the arches to repair the damage on the underside of the bridge, and a cap is put on the sides of the top where needed.
The commission also observed areas where residents have planted crops or placed items in the county’s rights of way. Public Works Director Bill Ring said if they are going to enforce the regulation that nothing is allowed in rights of way, then it must be done countywide. That includes trees, mailboxes and fences.
Both Schlyer and Roths also planned on touring other part of the county they were unable to get to Monday.
Building grades and project priorities / click to expand
It disappoints me that we have a room full of empty chairs for these items that are costing so much money. … It makes me very disappointed in this community.
By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays Post
The Hays USD 489 school board received a report on district infrastructure needs at its meeting Monday night.
Board President Mandy Fox called the list of projects a “triage list” as the district tries to address many needs with limited funds.
“I really do think ‘triage’ is the appropriate word for this,” Fox said. “It disappoints me that we have a room full of empty chairs for these items that are costing so much money. While they are for the safety of the students and for a good environment for the students, they are not directly impacting their education.
“When people are quick to post on Hays Post and the Hays Daily News about how we are spending money, it really frustrates me because they are not here to hear everything we are listening to.”
She noted it is going to take more than eight years just to fix the Hays High parking lot.
“It makes me very disappointed in this community,” she added.
Rusty Lindsay, director of building and grounds, graded each district building in a report to the board.
Lincoln Elementary School and Rockwell received D’s. Wilson and O’Loughlin elementary schools received C’s. HHS, HMS and Roosevelt Elementary School received B’s.
Lindsay noted the district is trying to concentrate its efforts on HHS, HMS and Roosevelt, as those three buildings have all been identified as buildings the district would keep if a bond issue is passed. Other buildings are being approached as repair only, Lindsay said.
In his diagram, he listed multiple projects in these buildings as bond projects. He said he cost of the work is enough that it can’t be paid for through capital outlay funds.
The district receives about $2 million annually from its capital outlay mill levy. As of the end of the FY19, the district anticipates it will have about $4.7 million in the fund, which includes a $2.7 million carry over from the previous year.
Project list by building: HHS, HMS, Roosevelt Head Start / click to expand
He also noted several projects as critical needs. These projects included a special systems project at the high school, which was approved Monday night; Roosevelt roof repair, which has already been approved by the board; and tuck point and caulking at Westside.
The special systems project will also include pulling cable for a new phone system and security cameras. The phone system is set to be in next fiscal year’s budget. The new cameras would be budgeted at a later date as funds become available.
Twenty-one projects listed infrastructure that is in poor shape and an additional 51 infrastructure areas were ranked in fair shape, but had potential for failure. Lindsay hopes to fix about 10 of the critical to fair projects by the end of this summer and additional six in the next school year. However, that still leaves 59 projects or 79 percent unfinished.
Several board members thanked Lindsay for his report and added they wished to have a similar report on an annual basis. Fox added she would like to have a copy of the report at her chair at each board meeting so she could regularly refer back to it.
Project list by building: Wilson, O’Loughlin, Lincoln, Westisde/Rockwell
“What you did with chart A2 works really well with my mind,” board member Sophia Rose Young said, “so I want to thank you for laying it out like that with the colors and breaking it down and putting it in the order you did. … A tool like this is very beneficial to us as board members. This is something I feel I have been missing.”
The school board heard two additional reports on infrastructure bids at Monday’s meeting, but is not set to vote on them until its meeting on May 20.
Lock project
The district has received at $57,000 matching grant to replace interior door locks at HHS, HMS and Roosevelt. The new lock system will also be a part of the renovation project at the Oak Park Complex.
Lindsay said the current lock system is no longer secure, because the keys can be easily duplicated.
The district recently changed the locks on all the exterior doors to schools so they are only accessible by key cards. If a key card is lost or stolen or an individual leaves the district, the key card can be easily deactivated, Lindsay said.
The new system will have several levels of access. Lindsay used the example of science classrooms. Science teachers would have a key that accessed all the science rooms and supply cabinets.
Total number of projects, projected completion for 2018-19 and 2019-20 school years.
Custodians would have master keys that unlocked room doors, but not supply cabinets.
Administrators would have grand master keys that accessed all classrooms and all supply cabinets and closets.
The lock replacement is a matter of security and that is why Lindsay said he has placed it high on the capital needs list.
The locks are made with replaceable cores, so if a key is lost, the cores can be replaced instead of the entire lock, Lindsay said.
If teachers move classrooms, as often happens at the elementary levels, the cores can be moved instead of reissuing keys.
Lindsay said he hoped to complete the locks at the other elementary schools in the next year or two. He noted that if the district would vacate one of these schools because of a bond being passed, the locks could be reused in a new building.
The district’s match for the project will be $53,000.
Parking lots
Brian’s Concrete of Hays submitted a $96,000 bid for concrete replacement at Hays High School. Lindsay budgets money every year out of capital outlay to replace a portion of the parking at HHS. The parking project is about 40 percent complete and won’t be fully complete until 2028.
At that point, the the capital outlay schedule has work starting on the HMS parking lot with completion in 2034.
Board member Luke Oborny noted there is a night-and-day difference between the areas of the parking lot that have been replaced and those that have not.
In other business, the board:
Approved board policy revisions.
Heard a report on administrative and classified handbook revisions
Heard a curriculum update
Heard a report on a membership renewal to the Kansas Association of School Boards
Heard a special education update
Reviewed the 2019-20 school board meeting calendar
The Hays Public Library invited the public in for its second-annual Herb Festival Saturday.
Event-goers could attend lectures on cooking and baking with herbs as well as cultivation and botany of herbs.
Morford Lavender Farm gave a presentation on growing lavender and Jensen Farms’ Mike Jensen spoke on honey and mushrooms. Vendors also offered plants, honey, herb breads and lavender bath products for sale.
Linda Beech, retired extension agent, prepares an herb bread at the HPL Herb Festival on Saturday.
Linda Beech, retired extension agent, started her talk by explaining the difference between herbs and spices. Herbs come form the leafy part of a plant. Spices can come from products of the plant, such as roots or seeds.
Beech recommended using the mindset “less is more” when using herbs in baking.
Although fresh herbs are great for any dish, if you only have dried, use about half the amount of dried herb compared to a fresh herb in a recipe.
Some herbs pair nicely together in baking, such as rosemary and citrus.
The long-time 4-H judge also shared some general baking tips with the Herb Festival guests.
Baking tips
Uses a stand mixer for kneading
Spray your hands and your cutting board with cooking spray instead of using flour
If you are making a braided bread, start the braid from the center and braid to the ends. This will keep the dough from stretching.
Bread will proof faster in the summer than in the winter due to the temperature differences.
Bread can be frozen. Let cool completely to cut down on moisture, wrap tightly in plastic wrap. You can reduce the air exposure to the bread by sealing it in a plastic bag or an air tight container after it is wrapped. Keep the bread wrapped while it thaws.
Use margarine instead of butter. The margarine should have 100 calories per 1 T. The higher fat content means your bread will spread less.
Air-cushioned baking sheets work well to reduce problems with over-browning.
Lemon, lime or orange zest can be frozen.
Cherry Rosemary Muffins
3/4 cup dried tart cherries
2 C. all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 C. sugar
1-1/2 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary
1/4 C. butter or margarine melted
1 egg
3/4 C. milk
1/4 C. orange juice
1 T. grated lemon zest
Course sugar for topping
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease or line muffin tins with paper liners. Lightly chop dried cherries and set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking powder, sugar and rosemary. In a medium bowl, combine butter, egg, milk, orange juice and orange zest. Stir the egg mixture into the flour mixture until just combined. Fold in cherries. Spoon batter into prepared pan, filling cups 3/4 full. Sprinkle with coarse sugar, if desired. Bake for 18-20 minutes until a wooden pick inserted into the center comes out clean. Makes about 12 medium muffins to 36 mini muffins.
Recipe courtesy of Linda Beech
Cooking with herbs
John Fitzthum of HaysMed makes a chimichurri at the HPL Herb Festival on Saturday.
John Fitzthum of HaysMed made a chimichurri. He noted using herbs is a way to reduce salt in your diet.
Fitzthum has an herb garden at the hospital and sources his greens and beef from Kansas producers.
He offered the audience samples of the chimichurri both as a marinade baked with chicken and raw over cooked chicken.
He said the dressing can also be used over a salad. For a vinaigrette, double the oil and vinegar.
The chimichurri will last about three days in the refrigerator.
Fitzthum and Herb Study leader Pam Herl noted fresh herbs can be frozen. Wash and let the herbs dry and then place them in a plastic bag with as much of the air removed as possible. You can also combine fresh herbs with oil or broth and freeze them in ice cube tray.
The Hays Public Library Herb Club meets at 5 p.m. on the first and third Tuesdays of the month. The next Herb Club meeting will be at 5 p.m. Tuesday, May 7. The meeting will be an herb potluck. Bring your favorite dished that contains herbs. The meetings are free and open to the public.
Chimichurri
Fresh chimichurri with cooked chicken.
1-1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 cups chopped cilantro
2 cups red onion (minced)
4 jalapenos (seeded and minced)
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup basil (chopped)
1/2 cup parsley (chopped)
12 cloves garlic (minced)
4 tsp thyme (chopped)
4 tsp red pepper flake
1/2 tsp cayenne
several pinched of salt and pepper
Recipe courtesy of John Fitzthum and the Rock Garden Cafe
