By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post

Hays USD 489 will receive bids Thursday on the installation of secured entrances to Hays High School and Hays Middle School.

The frames on the Hays High School entrance are rusted and need to be replaced.

After school starts in the morning, the new entrances for both buildings will funnel visitors through the office.

The district has received $75,000 in grant funds toward the HHS project.

The rest of the funds for the HHS project would come from the 2018-19 budget, and funds for the HMS project would come from the 2019-20 budget, but both projects would likely be completed this summer, Rusty Lindsay, buildings and grounds director, said at the school board meeting Monday.

Clocks, phones, cameras at HHS

The district also will receive bids this week on improvements on HHS clock, phone and camera systems.

HHS’s heatings system and parking lot lights failed recently during a game night because a fuse blew in the system that times the systems turning on and off.

The clock system will cost about $150,000 to replace.

When the district replaces the wiring for the clock system, building and grounds would also like to pull wiring for new security cameras and a new Voice over Internet Protocol phone system.

Lindsay said once the wiring for the cameras and phone system is in place, the district can replace those systems as the budget allows.

Roof bids

The board also reviewed bids for replacing roofs at Hays Middle School and Roosevelt Elementary School.

Lindsay said replacement of a portion of roof at HMS has been moved up,

A leak has developed over the HMS kitchen, resulting in the kitchen being cited for a health violation by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment.

The low bid for the HMS project came from Wray Roofing of North Newton for $46,120.

The low bid for the Roosevelt project came from High Plains Roofing of Hays for $241,298.

Both of the projects would be completed before the end of 2019 with the HMS roof being paid for out of the FY19 budget, and the Roosevelt project being paid for out of the FY20 budget.

Board policies

The board heard a report on Monday on possible changes in several board policies.

Staff has recommended a change in the district policy to allow groups of athletes to take district vehicles to travel to summer activities. Presently, parents are using private vehicles to transport students. This policy change would match new KSHSAA rules.

Board members said they wanted trips for all activities to have the same policy, and whether the district should pay for gas for the vehicles was also discussed.

The staff has also recommended changes in the student and staff tobacco policies.

The proposed change would prohibit staff from using any nicotine product in any district facility; in school vehicles; at school-sponsored activities, programs, or events; and on school owned or operated property.

The policy currently only prohibits nicotine use for staff in school buildings.

The proposed change for students would alert the consequences for students caught using nicotine products.

Student violations could result in parent/guardian notification, participating in tobacco education program, suspension and/or expulsion from school and/or extracurricular activities, community service, and/or notification of law enforcement.

Currently the policy states administrators may report students who are in violation of this policy to law enforcement as appropriate.

The policy changes are set to come back to the board for a vote in April.

In other business, the board:

• Approved the 2019-20 school calendar
• Heard a report on board goals.
• Heard a report on assessments and state accreditation

By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post

Laura Gaughan, reading specialist at O’Loughlin Elementary School, said she thinks being a teacher and shaping young lives is the most important thing a person can do with his or her life.

Gaughan has been honored as one of only seven Kansas Master Teachers for 2019.

To earn this honor, an educator must be first selected by fellow NEA members in their school. She was then selected as a district Master Teacher. Finally Gaughan, a teacher for 27 years, submitted an application to the state level. The honorees were announced last week.

“I am so honored and humbled to have that,” Gaughan said of her award. “I work with such great, great people. I don’t think people know how hard teachers work.”

Gaughan, 52, is a reading specialist, which is a federally funded position. She spends part of her day as a reading recovery teacher. In this program, she works one on one with first graders to help them develop their reading skills. She also works with groups of students in grades kindergarten to second grade on early reading intervention.

Yet another portion of Gaughan’s day is consumed with English language arts support for other teachers.

Teaching is a family affair for Gaughan.

Gaughan’s mom and dad were both teachers in St. John. Her father taught middle school and high school math, and her mom taught middle school social studies, second grade and was also a reading teacher. Her brother, sister and sister-in-law are all also teachers. Her parents were role models and inspired her to go into the profession.

“It is the most important thing you can do with your life — to make an impact on kids and be able to shape the future,” she said. “If one child grows up and remembers you, that is pretty special. If they grow up and say, ‘That teacher made a difference in my life,’ that’s pretty special.

“It is a wonderful way to live your life — kids running up to you and hugging you. It is a great way to live your life to feel like you are impacting kids.”

Having a foundation in reading is especially important to student confidence and success, Gaughan said.

“Kids are forming ideas about their own self-esteem and what they think about themselves — ‘Do I think I am a good reader? Am I a good writer? Am I good at math?’ They are forming those opinions of themselves, and we never want them to have any negative thoughts about themselves about being a reader and a writer. We want to boost that in first grade before they start to struggle. …

“We are all about making a difference in kids’ lives, not only as readers and writers, but just as kids and as people. We want them to be the best they can be. To make them a good reader and a good writer, that is going to enhance the rest of their lives. It is going to make the whole rest of their lives easier, because they will be reading and writing for the rest of their lives.”

Enjoying books and literature enhances your life and makes you a better person, Gaughan said.

“Reading shows all of us about emotions and love and hate and judgment,” she said. “It gives us a window to all of those emotions and just makes our lives better.”

Gaughan’s favorite books when she was a child included the “Clifford the Big Red Dog” series, “Corduroy,” and “Pretzel.”

She read books such as “Poppy,” “Where the Red Fern Grows,” and “Stone Fox” to her children.

Once upon reading “Stone Fox” to a group of second graders, she was so moved by the book, she started to cry.

“It happens to teachers. It’s OK,” she said. “I think it shows your personal side, and I think kids love to see that — that their teacher is a person and they love books too and that is how books can touch us.”

Gaughan taught middle school in Green, Kansas, before she and her family moved to Hays. She taught second and third grade, but then the district opened training for reading teachers in 1997.

“That changed my career,” she said of the reading training. “I absolutely loved teaching reading. I fell in love with that and love what I do.”

Gaughan’s love of books was also inspired by her mother who always had a large library. She read to her and her siblings when they were young and Gaughan’s children when they were little.

Gaughan’s son is now in medical school and continues to be an avid reader and suggests books to his mom.

“He’ll sometimes write notes in the margins and give me his books,” she said, “and that just makes me emotional to read books he has read and he has his notes in the margins. That really touches me.”

The best reading learning is in the context of a story, Gaughan said. She has boxes upon boxes of books in her small office at all levels and on all topics. She tries to get to know her students and find books on topics they are interested in.

“We are always promoting a love of reading and a love of books,” she said.

After 27 years, Gaughan said the children continue to surprise her.

“I have laughed with kids. I have cried with kids. I have celebrated with kids,” she said. “There have been so many kids through the years. What is so amazing to me is that after 27 years when I have kids walk in here and I work with them, it is like every single one of them is unique.

“You would think after 27 years, ‘I would have had a student like this,’ or ‘I’ve had a student do that.’ You would think it would fall into a routine of repeating the past, but it doesn’t. Each single child who walks in here is unique and different and their needs are different, everyone one of them.”

She said being a teacher is a great responsibility.

“You have to love kids. You have to care about them deeply for them to try,” Gaughan said. “They need that. They need to see you as someone they trust and absolutely it makes them a better person overall. This is just a short piece of the long road they are going to be on in life, but we want to make a difference for them if we can.”

Gaughan is also working on her national boards, which she hopes to have completed in the next few years.

Gaughan and the other master teachers will be honored at the state capitol in March. She will also travel to Emporia State University where she will be honored at a luncheon, participate in an educator panel discussion and receive a check for $1,000 from the Bank of America Charitable Foundation.

The family friendly and heartwarming production of “Cheaper By The Dozen” will take the 12th Street Auditorium stage at 7 p.m. on March 7 to 9.

Presented by Hays High, the play is based on the 1948 book by Frank Gilbreth Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey, which was made into a classic movie in 1950. A newer version was made in 2003 starring Steve Martin and Bonnie Hunt, but the story for that version is entirely different.

“Cheaper by the Dozen” takes place in the 1920s in Montclair, New Jersey, and is based on the family of Frank and Lillian Gilbreth, both of whom contributed to society in many ways.

Frank was known for his development of motion studies and for introducing more efficient work methods in factories throughout the world. He tries to run his family “just like a factory,” and although his methods may be a bit overboard at times, he is a loving, caring man who loves his children.

Lillian, meanwhile, has been described as the original superwoman. Long before women’s lib, she was a distinguished psychologist, engineer, inventor and mother of 12.

“After considering many plays, I decided on this one for several reasons: it fit the students in our cast, it had instant name recognition, and it is truly historical as it is based on a real-life family growing up in the 1920s,” director Bill Gasper said. “Because of our cast make-up, we had to change the gender of a couple of our characters and we changed/added a few lines. However, the vast majority of the play closely follows events from the book.”

Gasper said the play is told from the point of view of two of Frank’s children reflecting on the last few months before his death. He was preparing the family for his imminent departure, even though most of his children were unaware of the fact.

At first glance, Gasper said the story may appear to be old-fashioned. After all, references to “silk stockings” and “painted women” certainly seem out-of-date. However, on closer examination, Gasper said the audience will discover it’s not about silk stockings at all.

“It’s about children growing up and parents letting go and the two coming together in compromise,” Gasper said. “It is recognizing that parents and kids sometimes never truly understand each other, but they manage to find common ground because they love each other.”

Gasper said these themes are prevalent today in households with parents and children. It may not be silk stockings, but parents and children continue to battle each other over a variety of issues.

“The play will never be old fashioned or out of date because the issues it deals with are timeless,” Gasper said.

General admission tickets to the play can be purchased from cast member or from the Hays High office. Tickets are good for any of the three nights. Admission for adults is $6 advance, $7 at door. Students are $4 advance, $5 at the door.

“I am very proud of the cast and am grateful for all the time they spent on and off the stage,” Gasper said. “I invite everyone to come enjoy our rendition of this funny, heart-warming and family friend tale.”

— Submitted

By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post

Members of the Amazing Race teams took a step back in time Saturday during the fundraiser for First Call for Help.

Seven teams raced through Hays Saturday completing challenges for the fundraiser.

One of the challenges included interviewing residents at the Homestead Assisted Living Center.

Virgil Howe, 86, shared pieces of his life with the racers.

He grew up on a farm in northwest Missouri near St. Joseph. He always had an interest in animals. However, his parents determined because of his health, he would attend college instead of working on the farm. He ultimately studied plant pathology.

He said the person who had the most impact on his life was Dr. Irene Mueller at Iowa State University.

He had just come back from the service. He had been studying pre-med, but after serving as a hospital corpsman, he decided that was not the way he wanted to go.

“This lady made plants living things to me,” he said.

The racers asked Howe what he liked to do in high school.

“Do you really want to ask me that?” he said. “I still had to work on the farm, but at night there were some very pretty girls I liked to keep the company of and there was some guys that I would get together with on Saturday and Sunday night. Occasionally, I would like to read.  I read most of my life.”

He said his favorite gift was when his granddaughter made him a great-grandfather on Christmas Eve.

“How could you have anything better than that?” he said.

When he was about 12 or 13, he wanted a BB gun in the worst way. He opened up all his gifts at Christmas and he had socks and jeans.

“I tried to act like that was fine,” he said.

When he went to put on the pants, his father had slid the BB gun inside the leg of the jeans.

Howe said his favorite president was fellow Missouri native Harry Truman.

“I thought he made momentous decisions and he accepted the responsibilities for them,” he said. “And then I always admired him as an ex-president. When people tried to hire him for things he was not qualified, he would always say, ‘You don’t want me. You want the president, and the president is not for sale.’

“I always thought he was a wise man even though he was defiled and criticized and poked fun at.”

He said he also admired Eisenhower and was able to meet his grandson.

Howe said the happiest day of his life was when his daughter was born, but he it was also one of the longest days of his life.

His wife went into labor in the early hours of the morning, and Howe took her to the hospital. The staff at the hospital sent him home and said someone would call him when the baby was born.

At 6 that evening, he still hadn’t received a phone call. He went back to the hospital, and the nurse said he thought his wife had given birth that afternoon.

“I was a basket case,” he said.

He went to the hospital and saw his wife. She said they had a daughter.

He went to the nursery and recognized his daughter immediately based on her light-colored hair, just like his.

Another team interviewed Vera Storer, 83.

Store grew up in Garnett, Kansas, on a farm.

She said her favorite subject in school was biology. She went on to become a nurse.

She said she enjoyed going to basketball games when she was in high school. The FHSU students on the team asked her if she played basketball, and the Store explained her school did not have girls basketball when she went to school. The girls played for fun over the noon hour, but only half court.

She said her favorite gift was her wedding ring.

She said her mother had the most impact on her life. She raised six children mostly by herself because her husband was away working in the oil fields. The family did not have much money.

“She was a strong person,” Storer said.

President George HW Bush was her favorite president.

She said the happiest days of her life was when she got married and when she graduated from nursing school.

Storer, who has four children, said if she could have done anything differently, she would have enjoyed life, taken more trips and played with her kids more.

“I was a nurse. I was working. My husband was a teacher. We were busy, busy, busy,” she said.

Other challenges included throwing darts, counting money at Sunflower Bank, tasting popcorn at Popt, putting at Precision Valley Golf, stacking a pallet of cookies at the Girl Scouts of the Kansas Heartland office, identifying juice flavors at Otter Juice Company, gathering numbered duck from a hot tub at Pools Plus, shopping for school supplies at Walmart for the First Call for Help Backpack for Kids program, packing food boxes at St. Joe’s Food Pantry, gathering food for the First Call food pantry and packing a saddle bag at Doerfler’s Harley Davidson.

Teams included the Krazy Kiwanis Springer Style, Teddy Bears from the Kansas Highway Patrol, Circle K. International, Alpha Gamma Delta, People Be Crazy, Courage Caring Hearts and Alpha Sigma Alpha.

The Kiwanis were honored as the top fundraisers. Team members included Chris Springer, Ashley Springer, Jonathan Springer and Michele Springer.

The Hays Kiwanis Club donated $1,500 toward the Race, which sponsored four teams: Krazy Kiwanis Springer Style, The Circle K International Racers and two FHSU sororities: Alpha Gamma Delta and the Alpha Sigma Alpha Team.

Best costume/uniform went toPeople Be Crazy . Members on that team were Cassy Zeigler, Olavee Raub, Jamie Wolbert and Jen Schield. The team was sponsored by Raub & Zeigler LLC in Ellis.

Quickest time was People Be Crazy.

 All the money raised will go toward First Call for Help’s rent and utility assistance program.

“Thanks also to the numerous volunteers who helped make this Race a success,” Laura Shoaff of First Call for Help said. “We would like to extend a huge thank you to the business locations listed below, who hosted a challenge this year and donated $25 or more to First Call For Help. Thanks also to the community members who donated food to the racers during our ‘Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood mini food drive challenge’ to benefit our First Call For Help food pantry.  Thank you so much to all the businesses who also donated prizes to be handed out to the contestants and volunteers following the Race.”

For more information on First Call for Help, see its website.

Hays Post

Tractor Supply Company will celebrate its grand opening in Hays with a community celebration featuring entertainment, giveaways and special events.

 The Hays store, 235 W. 48th St., had a soft opening on Friday, Feb. 22 and is now open for business 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and 9 a.m. t0 7 p.m. Sundays.

As part of the family-friendly celebration from Thursday, March 7 through Sunday, March 10, Tractor Supply customers will receive a 10 percent discount on all purchases made at the store.

During the main event on Saturday, March 9, visitors will have the opportunity to enjoy special events including a limestone sculpture and carving demonstration, pet adoption event as well as family-friendly activities alongside the local 4-H chapter. Additionally, the store will give away gift cards and Tractor Supply hats while supplies last.

“At Tractor Supply we understand the value of community, which is why we made it a priority to build a team with deep roots in Hays,” said Mark Brown, manager of the Hays Tractor Supply store. “Our team members live the same lifestyle as our customers, and we’re excited to supply them with the tools, information and resources they need to live life on their own terms.”

Despite frigid temperatures and snow, Brown said the store has already received a warm welcome from Hays area residents.

Brown said the store will offer products for “life out here.”

The Hays Tractor Supply will provide a one-stop shop for the community, serving farmers, livestock and pet owners, ranchers, part-time and hobby farmers, gardeners, homeowners, tradesmen and others.

Chick Days are ongoing through May 5. The store has live chicks and ducks in stock now.

Tractor Supply customers will be able to choose from a wide range of products including workwear and boots, equine and pet supplies, tractor and trailer parts and accessories, lawn and garden supplies, sprinkler and irrigation parts, power tools, fencing, welding and pump supplies and riding mowers.

The store will carry brands such as Purina, Carhartt, Blue Buffalo and Hobart, as well as products exclusive to Tractor Supply. The Hays store will also include a pet wash station where customers will have access to professional-grade wash bays, grooming tables and tools.

Brown noted the store also can order products online to ship to the store or directly to the customer’s home.

In addition to supplying dependable products for farm, ranch and rural customers, the Hays Tractor Supply will regularly host events with community partners, including local animal shelters, area 4-H clubs and FFA chapters. Brown said the store has already signed on to be a sponsor of both the Trego and Ellis county fairs. The store will be accepting donations for area 4-H programs through its clover program. A clover will be posted in the store’s window for every donation made.

The store does not carry firearms, bows or ammo, but it does carry feed and salt block for deer hunters. The store plans to offer a deer event during hunting season.

Customers can also sign up for Tractor Supply’s new Neighbor’s Club loyalty program, which will make them eligible to receive member-only offers, birthday offers, personal purchase summaries and receipt-free returns.

Tractor Supply opens about 80 stores each year. Another store will be opening in Great Bend in May. Brown said Hays aligned with the brand’s values, and the company thought Hays could benefit from having a store in its community.

As of December 29, 2018, the company operated 1,765 Tractor Supply stores in 49 states and an e-commerce website at www.TractorSupply.com. 

To learn more about Tractor Supply Company, visit TractorSupply.com. For additional information on the Neighbor’s Club program, visit NeighborsClub.com.

Tractor Supply Company also owns and operates Petsense, a small-box pet specialty supply retailer focused on meeting the needs of pet owners, primarily in small and mid-size communities, and offering a variety of pet products and services. As of December 29, 2018, the Company operated 175 Petsense stores in 26 states. For more information on Petsense, visit www.Petsense.com.

 

By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post

Abrienne Pince, Lincoln Elementary third-grader, was honored with the student Best of the Best Award for February for her friendship to other students and her natural leadership abilities.

She was nominated by her teacher Larissa Whitney.

“Abrie is someone who has stood out since the beginning of the school year,” Whitney said, “especially for her selflessness and her ‘How can I help you, Miss Whitney?’ and her overall demeanor. I have a classroom full of students who need a friend and Abrie accepts that challenge every day.

“I see her walking to school every day with her shoulders held high. She has this confident smile, and it is almost if she is on a mission.”

Whitney said Abrie helps other students when she can, befriending them on the playground or walking with them at school.

During a beginning-of-the-year get-to-know-you exercise, almost every student listed Abrie as a good friend.

“I thought that was amazing,” Whitney said. “She is already a natural leader and it was only the first week of school.”

Whitney continued, “She loves others so well, so I hope that tonight, Abrie, you are soaking this all up like a sponge, and I want you to know how much we love you and I hope you feel so loved. Honestly, we need more Abries in this world. I could see her sitting on a panel of a board some day. I could see her being our first lady president if that is what you want to do.”

Whitney also praised Abrie’s parents. Abrie’s father, Bill, bought pizza for the class after they completed their reading workshop. Whitney used the pizza as an opportunity to teach a lesson on fractions and division.

Abrie’s mom brought in Halloween treats and lead the class in make-and-take craft projects for both Christmas and Valentine’s Day.

“Our classroom has been blessed by this family,” Whitney said. “I am sad I only have a couple more months with Abrie, but I hope she will come back and help with our classroom every year in some sort of capacity.”

Kathy Wagoner

Kathy Wagoner, Hays High language arts teacher, was honored with the February’s Hays USD 489 staff Best of the Best Award for her work on the HHS job fair.

She was nominated by Sue Rouse, HHS office staff member.

Wagoner also co-sponsors student council.

“She is one of the people who actually brings the community in, so they have a knowledge about of what is going on at Hays High,” Rouse said.

Wagoner started a program with the help of Tammy Wellbrock, director of the Hays Area Chamber of Commerce, to bring professionals into the high school to help students develop resumes and interview skills. This was the second year for the program, and about 50 professionals participated this year.

“As the office person, I was so excited … to see so many strong and professional people coming in. They were quality people doing the interviewing,” Rouse said. “When they came back to the office to sign out, they were so excited because they had met some really awesome kids with some awesome goals. Three of [the students] even commented they were thinking of going to technical college and coming back and working in Hays.”

Vera Elwood, young adult librarian with the Hays Public Library, was one of the professionals who interviewed students. She also attended the school board meeting Monday to speak on Wagoner’s behalf.

“I have seen no one who has demonstrated a commitment to the Hays High mission statement of empowering all students for tomorrow’s challenges quite like Mrs. Wagoner does,” Elwood said. “Each year she puts in countless hours to create the mock job fair for seniors.”

Wagoner recruits local hiring professionals throughout the community as volunteers, works with the seniors in advance to prepare resumes, teaches them interview skills and talks to them about professional behavior and attire.

“Then she brings it all together for days of crazy scheduling to make it all work to have job skill panels and mock interviews for every senior in the high school,” Elwood said. “This allows the students to practice real-word skills and network with potential bosses in the community.”

Elwood interviewed dozens of seniors and sat on multiple panels during this year’s job fair.

“I have seen how serious the seniors take this exercise and how big of an impact it can have on their lives,” she said. “I interviewed a student who had just landed her first job. I interviewed a student who was in the process of applying for technical school and was very worried about the interview portion. I met a student who had already started her own business and met a student who already had eight years of working experience by his senior year because of working on his family farm, and we talked about how to translate that onto a resume.

“I even interviewed one student who I was so impressed by that when she emailed me a thank you note, I responded with an application to my library because I really wanted to keep her in the community.

“Every student I spoke to was so prepared to leave the halls of Hays High and represent their alma mater in the real world, and none of the that would have been possible without the work and dedication of Mrs. Wagoner.”

Wagoner acknowledged her fellow teachers Alicia Brungardt and Diane Mason who work as a team on the job fair.

By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post

Tammi Sauer, children’s author and Victoria native, is home this week for school visits that will culminate in a performance based on her book, “Your Alien,” on Friday at Beach/Schmidt Performing Arts Center.

First and second graders will see a live performance of “Your Alien” at 12:45 p.m. Friday. A public performance will be at 7 p.m., also at Beach/Schmidt. Cost is $3 for children 12 and younger and $5 for those 13 and older. All seating is general admission, so tickets will be sold only at the door beginning at 6:20 p.m.

Sauer’s school visits and the performance are being sponsored by the Hays Arts Council.

Sauer said Wednesday she was excited to be home and sharing her stories with local children. Although several of her books have been adapted into live performances, this is the first time she will be able to see one of them on stage. She has invited members of her family from Ellis County  to join her in watching “Your Alien” for the first time.

“It is going to be amazing to have something that I had this idea for come to life on stage,” she said.

Sauer also presented the schools with a copy of “Your Alien Returns,” the sequel to “Your Alien.”

Sauer travels all over the country giving presentations to schools, and she has had some of her books translated into foreign languages.

During a visit this week to Wilson school, Sauer introduced the children to one her characters, “Wordy Birdy,” read several books to the children, talked about the inspiration for her books and offered second graders an extended session on developing their ideas into stories.

Sauer said much of her inspiration for her books came from growing up on a farm near Victoria. She told the children her job in the family was pig chaser. When the family’s pigs got out of their pens, she had to chase them back in.

A zoo of of other animals play prominently in her books, including chickens, ducks bears, a moose and a shark among others.

She told the second-graders she finds inspiration for her books in the “weird stuff” in her life.

“I have 27 books,” she said, “and most of those have started with something weird.”

Her first book was “Cowboy Camp,” which was inspired by a young man who knocked on her door one night trying to sell her a newspaper subscription to earn money to go to a cowboy camp. Sauer thought this young man did not look like the type of person that would fit in at a cowboy camp. The struggle of her main character was born.

Another idea for a book came from a plate. It had a picture of a bear in bright red underwear on it with the words, “Cake? What Cake?”

“When I saw this picture of the big hairy bear in the giant red underpants standing in a bunch of cake crumbs, I thought I need to write a book about an animal who likes cake as much as this guy,” Sauer told the children.

The book became “I Love Cake.”

Sauer studied elementary education at Kansas State University and was teacher before she started her writing career. Even before she graduated college, one of her instructors noted her talent with words and encouraged her to consider writing children’s books. In honor of that teacher, she named a chicken in one of her books after her.

Sauer said she placed the thought of writing on the back burner until a children’s author visited her daughter’s school. That reignited that dream of being an author. She squeezed in time to write when her children were napping. Her first book was published in 2005.

Sauer told the children,”I think my job is the best job in the world. I think being a children’s book author is better than being a race car driver and vooming around the curves. I think it is more fun that being an astronaut and blasting into outer space. I think my job is the best, because I love books.

“Books can take people on adventures. You can open up any  book in your library and go on a new adventure.”

Sauer has made frequent visits to Victoria to share her love of writing and books.

“I just wanted those kids to see, ‘Hey, you can go to this little school and you can go do big things. You can do whatever you want. You just have to put in the time and the heart.

“It is my favorite,” she said of visiting her former school. “I have those feelings when I was in here. I know where some of my favorite books where on the shelf. It is a nice feeling to be back. When I walk in there, it even has the same kind of smell I remember when I was a little kid.”

Sauer can still remember some of her favorite books when she was a child. She loved the golden egg book when she was in first grade because of its beautiful cover, the Ramona books when she was a little older and “Are You There God? It’s Me Margret.”

“I have always been a big reader and just didn’t ever know I was going to be a writer,” she said. “It is just great to know all that reading I was doing helps me to be a better writer even now.”

Sauer acknowledged the children’s book market is very competitive. Less than 1 percent of the manuscripts that are sent to the major publishing houses make it to print. Sauer has an agent who helps find buyers for her books. Even with a children’s literature, revisions are extensive.

“I feel most of my job is not as a writer, but a reviser,” she said. “That is the truth for every writer out there who is trying to make a good thing better.”

Learn more on Sauer and her books at  tammisauer.com.

UPDATE: 11 a.m. Thursday
The Hays Police Department has reported that Ryan Paul Thompson has been apprehended by the Ellis Police Department.

“We appreciate everyone’s help in locating Thompson. Thank you to the Ellis Police Department in particular for their role in apprehending Thompson. The investigation is ongoing at this time,” the HPD said in a news release. “Thompson is considered innocent of all crimes until proven guilty in a court of law.”

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The Hays Police Department is investigating a shooting that occurred Wednesday night that resulted in the death of a Hays resident.

According to a media release from police, just after 10 p.m. police received a 911 call of a possible domestic disturbance involving a gun in the 2700 block of Indian Trail.

Officers arrived on scene and found a 26-year-old male that had been shot. The victim was pronounced dead at the scene.  The Ellis County Coroner’s Office was notified of the death and the Kansas Bureau of Investigation’s Crime Scene Unit responded to assist with processing the scene.

Ryan Paul Thompson has been identified as being involved in a physical altercation just prior to the shooting.  Thompson fled the scene prior to law enforcement arrival and has not been located. The Hays Police Department is requesting the assistance in locating Thompson, who should be considered armed and dangerous. Please call (785) 625-1030 if you have any information relating to this incident.

Thompson is described as 5-foot-11, 175 pounds, bald with hazel eyes. He was last seen wearing a black beanie stocking cap, black t-shirt, and black sweat pants.

Thompson has previous convictions for burglary, aggravated endangerment of a child and drugs, according to the Kansas Department of Corrections.

Police have not released the name victim to allow for notification of family members.

 

 

By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post

A tragedy for a Victoria family has led to what they hope will be a blessing for others.

On Sept. 11, 2016, 3-year-old Matthew Wellbrock was injured in a tragic accident at his family’s home.

On the day of Matthew’s accident, Curtis, Matthew’s father, was mowing. Matthew loved everything to do to with gardening and farming and he loved to be with his dad, Matthew’s mother, Jeanna said.

Matthew escaped from lunch and snuck outside. Jeanna called to her husband to send Matthew back in the house. Matthew tried to come in through the garage.

“We will never know exactly what happened that day. Curt came in about 15 minutes later and asked where Matthew was. I had assumed that he had convinced Curt to let him stay with him,” Jeanna said. “Curt immediately went to the garage and found him trapped between the tailgate of the truck and the garage door. How it happened is anyone’s guess.”

The couple called 911 and started CPR. Victoria first responders quickly filled the home.

Matthew was taken to HaysMed and then flown to Wichita for further treatment.

Matthew’s parents refused to leave Matthew’s side while he was in the hospital in Wichita. A fellow Norwex consultant, who was also an EMT, showed up at the hospital with a bag of random items.

“Such things as toothbrushes, which I greatly appreciated after not brushing my teeth for more than 24 hours, water bottles snacks and other random things,” Jeanna said. “We had thrown some things in a bag before we took off, but we hadn’t taken our suitcases into the hospital. That bag had every necessity we needed, and it was a huge blessing.

“Although we did not have the ending that we hoped and prayed for, we have been able to continue to see the blessings we have been given from the first responders, the staff at HaysMed, Dr. Pope, who came in in her running clothes and had to identify herself to the ER nurses, EagleMed team, doctors and nurses in Wichita, our family and our friends. We have been blessed.”

In Matthew’s memory, Wonder Woman League, HaysMed and the Wellbrocks in cooperation with other sponsors have created a program in which other loved ones who are facing medical emergencies will receive the same bags of blessings the Wellbrocks received in the hospital when Matthew was injured.

The bags, which have been named Matthew’s Gift, will include snacks, basic toiletries, a deck of playing cards, a throw blanket, water, a gas card and other items a family might need.

“Because Matthew loved life and lived it with his whole being every day, when we were approached about this project, we wanted to team up with Wonder Women League, HaysMed as well as all the other generous sponsors to provide families and loved ones with loved ones being flown out with a bag that has the basic necessities in it,” Jeanna said.

Jeanna, surrounded by her husband and five other children, thanked the Wonder Woman League for allowing her family to share Matthew’s memory in a meaningful way.

“Matthew’s Gift is a way we can continue to honor all that Matthew gave us in his three and half short years,” Jeanna said.

HaysMed transfers between six and 10 patients a month out of its emergency department to other hospitals, said Terry Siek, HaysMed chief of nursing.

“When we heard the story and heard the part that we are not filling, which is how can we help someone who is in that situation and they don’t really have time to think or really do anything, they just need to grab and go. This is something we felt very important to work with,” he said.

He said one of the goals of HaysMed this year is to give back to the community and support volunteerism.

Other sponsors for Matthew’s Gift include D & L Bodyshop (Curtis and Jeanna Wellbrock), Hays Medical Center Foundation, Karst Water Well Drilling & Service, Jeter Law Firm, Victoria Knights of Columbus—Council 1867, First Kansas Bank, Five Star Auto Repair & Towing, Hamlin Creative Consulting, Kiwanis—Hays, ServiceMaster of Hays, State Farm Insurance-Wayne Voss, Walmart Supercenter of Hays, Golden Plains Credit Union and Werth Wealth Management.

The Wonder Women League is a comprised of women celebrating the power and influence to bring about positive change in the community through philanthropy and service. It operates under the umbrella of the United Way of Ellis County.

Other projects the group has worked on in its first year include the Born Learning Trail at Sunrise Park in Hays with partners Adams, Brown, Beran and Ball, a self-defense course, and cyber safety education at Hays USD 489 elementary schools.

The organization is accepting members. Donations made to the group are used for the health and betterment of children, families, community and neighborhoods.

The annual Power of the Purse fundraiser for the Wonder Women League will be 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 2, at Smoky Hill Country Club. Enjoy dinner with a purse auction and drawing for your opportunity to win handbags with extra goodies inside. Tickets are $40 and go on sale Friday. Raffle tickets are $5 each or five tickets for $20. Seating is limited.

By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post

Some Hays USD 489 school board members are questioning the need for touchscreens as a feature on computers for the Hays Middle School students.

The board was set to vote on the replacement of 680 computers at HMS at its meeting on Monday. The purchase is part of a four-year rotation of computer buying for the district.

The district technology committee looked at three different devices for the HMS students.

These included replacing the school’s iPads with new iPads. Over four years, the computers would cost $254,320, which is less than the $290,000 the district budgeted for replacement.

Chromebooks with the same capabilities would cost $317,612 with a significantly lower resale value at the end of four years. A Windows device was significantly above budget at a cost of $344,071.

If the district bought iPads, the technology committee planned on not buying new devices for teachers. The district also would not have to pay for professional learning time if it stayed with the iPads.

The technology committee conducted a study this fall on the use of Chromebooks at HMS, in an elementary classroom and at the Learning Center. After the study, the committee concluded the iPads better met the learning needs of the district’s students.

Members of the board still questioned if the iPads were the correct purchase for the district.

Board member Paul Adams said, “I am interested, and the other board members are, in the reasons touch is such a vital need.”

Adams wanted to know what touchscreens were being used for besides annotation while reading.

“It’s not what you want; it’s what you are using,” he said.

Nineteen HMS teachers out of 32 indicated in a survey PDF annotation was important to students mastering learning objectives.

Board member Luke Oborny suggested staff email teachers to gather more information about how the touchscreens are being used in their classrooms.

Scott Summers, technology director, said teachers provide worksheets to students via their tablets, and they use the touchscreen to write with a stylus or draw with their finger to complete those assignments. The teachers then use the touchscreens to grade the worksheets.

Superintendent John Thissen also said during an Eagle Morning Show interview Tuesday, teachers use a variety of free educational game apps that are touchscreen based.

The technology committee checked with other similar-sized schools to see what type of devices they were using.

Board member Lance Bickle noted 15 of 23 of the schools were using Chromebooks.

“If there was a big price discrepancy or a difference in there … We are not the only district that struggles with cost. I’m just curious of what they are doing differently that we are not seeing,” he said.

Bickle added, “At the end of the day, I am merely looking at this from a cost standpoint. That is the biggest part I have struggled with, especially seeing this list. I know that most of these other districts are not using touch. I am just trying to see how they are getting around it. I am sure there are advantages and pros and cons each way. I don’t know what those are.”

Bickle also questioned if district needed video editing software on all of the devices in the school. The editing software is included on the iPads but would have to purchased for the Chromebooks.

Board member Greg Schwartz said he thought the district is spending too much from the capital outlay budget on technology.

“In the time we have started the one-to-one initiative at the high school to now, I think we have spent probably between $15 to $20 million on technology. All of it is coming out of the capital outlay fund. The next item on our agenda is to look at the bond issue. If I am right and it is $20 million, that’s an elementary school.

“You could have had an elementary school that is still here and around as we are seeing most of our stuff last three years and it is worth between $10 and $60. It really has zero value. There were educational uses for that, and hopefully the students learned and got some benefits back out of that, but I am still waiting for that study that definitively shows our investment in technology is paying back dividends.”

Schwartz also questioned if other districts were paying for their technology out of capital outlay.

The board is set to reconsider the computer purchase at its March 25 meeting.

By BECKY KISER
Hays Post

“Partnership” was the most-often used word by local, state and federal officials during a tour Friday afternoon of the Ellis County Northwest Business Corridor road improvement project.

Those riding on the two-hour bus tour, initiated by Rep. Barb Wasinger of Hays (R-111th Dist.), included numerous government and business representatives of Ellis County, Hays, and the state of Kansas, along with First Dist. Congressman Roger Marshall (R-Great Bend).

The corridor is north of Hays, defined as U.S. Highway 183 and Feedlot Road running two miles west to 230th Ave., then south two miles on 230th to Interstate-70 and the Highway 183 Bypass.

The plan calls for a paved 8-inch concrete road capable of handling large truck traffic and oversized loads.

Wasinger is a former Ellis County and Hays city commissioner. She’s very familiar with the concerns.

“I told him [interim Kansas Commerce Secretary David Toland] how important it was, how dangerous the road was and how much we needed the support of the governor and all the different divisions of the state,” Wasinger said after the tour. “It doesn’t take much to learn once you’re on that road how dangerous it is for these enormous vehicles to be going down there.”

The corridor carries a high percentage of large truck traffic with Midwest Energy’s Goodman Energy Center and Hess Services both located on 230^th Avenue. The bus stopped at both facilities for quick guided tours.

Between the bypass exit and the entrance to Goodman Energy Center, the hills on 230th Avenue vary 67 feet in elevation.

Midwest Energy actually has a safety directive in place for when big contractor loads drive in and out of the Goodman driveway

“These are long trucks with 80-foot poles on them,” Bill Dowling, Midwest Energy Center Engineering and Energy Supply Vice President, told the tour group.

“We station a pickup up on the top of the hill with its flashers on in an attempt to slow down the traffic.  The sight lines on that road are terrible,” Dowling said. “It is a bit of a risk every time you get on and off 230th.”

The traffic is often speeding and there are no shoulders along the road.

“When you go through these facilities, you see what commerce is and you see what’s important to Hays, Ellis County and all of northwest Kansas,” said Dustin Roths, Ellis County commissioner.

Hess Services currently has 355 employees and about 50 contractors working at its primary facility at 1789 230th. Co-owners and brothers Dan and Mark Hess told the tour they plan to expand their company if it can acquire the necessary infrastructure, including the corridor project.

Ellis County has already approved $800,000 for road improvements for the Northwest Business Corridor.

“When I got on the commission, this project looked vitally important to me,” Roths said. “We’re hoping we can find other people to make this happen.”

Roths heard a lot of comments about Hess from tour participants from outside of Hays who “couldn’t believe this exists in this part of the world.”

“Huge credit to Hess Services and their company, its growth and their vision. So now it’s time for us to do our part, in my opinion. It’s time for the government to do what it’s supposed to do which is provide that infrastructure so that they can continue to grow and thrive.”

Also on the tour were Kansas deputy Transportation Secretary Lindsey Douglas, state Sen. Rick Billinger of Goodland and Susan NeuPoth Cadoret, Business & Community Development Director for the Kansas Dept. of Commerce (KDC).

Admittedly, KDC doesn’t focus much on infrastructure in the state, but she “saw some really impressive job opportunities,” NeuPoth Cadoret said following the tour. “There’s also some potential for additional growth that’s coming so I can see the importance and the value of having this road hard-surfaced and completed.”

A private developer has approached the city of Hays in the past year about constructing a travel plaza at the intersection of 230th Ave. and 55th Street. There has also been discussion about potential housing and a commercial site just north of I-70 on the west side of 230th.

Wasinger said she has “accomplished the first step” in the road improvement plan “with collaboration and the help of everybody.”

“It just shows we all want to work together to take care of the needs of rural Kansas and Ellis County. The next step is to not let this excitement die.”

Those on the tour also included representatives from Fort Hays State University, Grow Hays, and the Northwest Kansas Economic Innovation Center.

According to information provided by Ellis County to tour participants, the Northwest Business Corridor improvements would cost $11,079.33. Additional improvements on 55th Street would increase the total to $15,734.862.

CITY OF HAYS

Hays City Manager Toby Dougherty has announced the appointment of Jamie Salter as the new airport manager for the Hays Regional Airport. She assumed her new duties Feb. 24.

Salter has a bachelor of science from Fort Hays State University. She has been employed with the city for over 11 years, during which time she has provided administrative support for the airport.

“Mrs. Salter has 11 years of experience with the city of Hays. She is well-versed in airport operations and regulatory matters,” Dougherty said. “The Hays Regional Airport will continue to grow under her leadership.”

By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post

Angie Kreutzer, K-3 special education teacher, teaches her students a lesson about harsh words.

She has them crumple up a piece of paper in their hands and then try to smooth it out again, saying nice things to the piece of paper. No matter how hard they try, the students can’t make the paper completely smooth again.

“Don’t add more crinkles to their paper,” Kreutzer said of how she approaches her students.

Kreutzer is in her first year as a teacher at Hays USD 489’s Westside program, which is a alternative program in which the school district offers special services for students in partnership with High Plains Mental Health.

Her compassion toward her students has earned her February’s Hays Post Teacher of the Month honor.

A parent of a 9-year-old in her class in her nomination said, “It has been refreshing to see a teacher who has a passion for helping students who  have behavior and mental heath challenges.

“She makes a huge effort to help each child learn in the best way for them, even if it’s not easy for her. Despite her challenges, she always has a smile on her face. She has been open with me about the things she feels would benefit my son in the learning environment.”

“Mrs. K also shows a lot of compassion for the families of her students. Our family recently went through something hard, and she was there with kind words and a hug. She is truly a one-of-a-kind teacher, and I wish there were more of her.”

Kreutzer, 42, is only in her fifth year as a teacher. She worked as a hair dresser, makeup artist and worked in retail. When her daughter was born, she knew she wanted more for her life and her daughter’s. She signed up for college classes right there in the hospital.

“I just wanted to do better and be better for her,” Kreutzer said.

She taught at St. Mary’s Catholic School in Ellis before moving to Westside this year. She said she has truly found what she loves to do at Westside.

“I was actually struggling with this very recently,” she said. “I am not teaching in the traditional sense. I am not up in front of a classroom explaining how to do multiplication because I have so many different kids on so many different levels. They have other factors that are maybe bigger for them than figuring out a multiplication problem. I feel my job is to teach students how to be students.

“I am not teaching in the way I always envisioned myself to be, but I am doing exactly what I think I was meant to be doing in building relationships.”

Kreutzer admitted many of the students who come to the Westside program have not had good relationships with their teachers or good experiences and it is hard from them to trust or like a new teacher.

“I would say the most important part of my job is building relationships and making connections with kiddos who don’t necessarily know how to do that. They struggle with forming bonds and relationships with people outside of their immediate circle,” she said.

Kreutzer said she builds that trust in a variety of ways.

At the beginning of the school year, she gave the students the option of ending the day with a fist bump, a high five or a hug. All of those afternoon goodbyes have now evolved to hugs.

“On Fridays I tell them, ‘I will miss you this weekend,’ and on Mondays I say, ‘I missed you this weekend. Tell me about your weekend. Tell me how you are doing.’ I try to get to know what their likes are, what their strengths are, so that when I am building a curriculum for them, it includes things they enjoy or they are familiar with.”

Kreutzer builds in time to her day for her students to talk to her or tell her stories.

“If they are having a rough day, I stick by them and let them get that all out of their system too. I think consistency is really, really important with these kids. I think showing up for them everyday is so important. I think they sense or know that I love to come to work everyday,” she said.

“I share bits of myself with them. I talk about my kids. They see my pictures, and when we talk about things, I will say that has happened to me. I let them into my life just as much as they let me into theirs. I think building that trust and being there with them and for them everyday is so important.”

Kreutzer has been through some difficult times in her life, and she said she thought that helps her relate with her students. Kreutzer grew up in Hays, but moved to Cleveland, Ohio, and worked at variety of jobs before she had her daughter and went back to college.

She got behind on her rent and was evicted. She was homeless for a time, staying with friends and even sleeping in her car.

“Life leads you in so many different places,” she said. “I do think it is for a reason. If I hadn’t made those mistakes then, I wouldn’t be the person that I am today, although they stunk at the time. But now that I am where I am and I love it, it was all worth it.”

Living in the city, she said she learned not to judge people.

“You have no idea what they have been through,” she said. “You have no idea what they are struggling with and that goes for any classroom. I treated my kids at St. Mary’s the same way. I don’t know if they got in a fight with their mom before they came to school or dad’s sick and hasn’t been to work for a month. You don’t know those things.

“If someone is having a rough day or a rough week, I don’t think its my job to come down hard on them without trying to understand why. I don’t think any kid wakes up in the morning and says, ‘I am going to go to school today and make my teacher’s day awful’ or ‘I am going to disrupt as many students as I can today. That’s my goal.’ I don’t think any kid ever does that. When it happens, there’s a reason.”

Kreutzer said maybe a student is hungry. She keeps granola bars on hand.

“Being compassionate about it … ‘I know you are having a rough day. I am sure there is a reason why. If you want to talk to me about it, great. If you don’t ,that is OK too, but let’s figure out a better way to handle this or let’s go take a break and reset and try to have a better day.'”

Kreutzer is working with young children, and sometimes they have trouble putting words to their emotions. Kreutzer tries to help the children learn about that part of themselves. She might see a child with a face strained in frustration and anger, and she might say, “I think you might be feeling angry becuase your face looks like this.”

She tries to offer options for the children to positively deal with that emotion, such as choosing to read in a quiet place or talking to a friend.

Kreutzer said she thought treating children with compassion through trauma informed education programs is not only important in a program such as Westside’s, but also in the mainstream classrooms. She said she thought trauma is much more prevalent among children than most people realize.

“I don’t think it is getting worse,” she said. “I think we are finally talking about it.”