By CRISTINA JANNEY 

Hays Post

The band blared, local leaders lead chants and hundreds of students eager for free food and prizes marched down Eighth Street for the annual March to Main event on Tuesday night.

March to Main is organized by the Downtown Hays Development Corp. along with a committee of members from the Hays Convention and Visitors Bureau, Fort Hays State University and North Central Kansas Technical College. The event was open to FHSU, NCK Tech and Hays Academy of Hair Design students, faculty and staff.

The leaders of the participating institutions and Hays Mayor James Meier lead the students in a spirited rally before they were treated to free food and chances to win a part of $3,000 in prizes donated by local businesses.

“We have spent the last couple of weeks saying welcome to our university, but tonight we say welcome to our community,” Tisa Mason, FHSU president, said. “Our community is not only the university, it is Hays. Hays is where we get jobs. We hire you and work with your families, and we really appreciate the total support of the community. Shop locally when you can. Have safe, responsible fun.”

Danielle Markley, owner and director of education at Hays Academy of Hair Design, said “Welcome students! We are so excited for tonight. We are excited for the school year. I just wanted to let you know how blessed we are to be in this community with three higher education choices for all of you— Hays Academy, Fort Hays and NCK Tech.”

Students said the allure of freebies plus a desire to get acquainted or reacquainted with downtown drew them to the event.

“I think we hadn’t been in a couple of years, and we both didn’t work tonight, so we thought why not see what they were going to do this year, maybe get some free food, check out some of the shops we have not been to in a while and just see what was going to happen,” said Miranda Merrill, FHSU senior from Brookville.

John Holmes, FHSU freshman from York, Nebraska, was downtown on an assignment from his freshman seminar class.

Sitting on a curb eating free sandwiches, a group of FHSU freshmen were having a girls night out.

Riley Bretton of Phillipsburg said the event was a good opportunity to spend time with friends.

Kate Steimel of Spearville said she came to March to Main, “to learn more about the town and learn what Main Street has.”

Leonard the dog greeted students as they made a stop at The Niche.

Emily Weigel, owner of The Niche, said of the event, “It’s great, because it gets kids in the door and they can see what we are all about and maybe they will feel more comfortable coming back to us later. They get to see what downtown has to offer. We have lots to do here in Hays.”

BY BECKY KISER
Hays Post

Reconstruction of the Hays wastewater treatment plant has reached the halfway mark, underway for 13 months and another 13 months to go.

A progress update was presented Thursday night to the Hays city commission by Eric Farrow, HDR on-site engineer at the facility.

“We kicked off the project May 31, 2017, with the notice to proceed and final completion is set for Sept. 15, 2019,” reported Farrow.

It may be finished before then.

“We continue to get schedule updates from the contractor monthly and the most recent schedule we have is July 15th next year, less than one year.”

“That’s wonderful,” interjected Commissioner Sandy Jacobs.

Farrow also noted there have not been any change orders to date in the $28.4 million plan.

Within a couple of months, new wastewater will be flowing into the new structures on the plant site, 1498 E. U.S. Highway 40 Bypass, and begin the start up.

“We’re not quite to the point where we’re testing the equipment out yet. We’ve tested the tanks and the pipes and things to make sure those are within specification. The process equipment will be one of the next items [to be tested.]”

Farrow expects to have the liquid equipment train of the plant improvements tested and started up by his next report to the commission on October 25. “Beyond that is the solid train, and I’m sure we can share some of that with you then,” he said.

The rainy summer has not slowed the work at the plant site, according to Farrow, but it’s a different story at the Fort Hays Municipal Golf Course.

The pond will provide additional storage capacity for the reuse water and ultimately, irrigation to the golf course.

“The golf course is in great shape but that also means the pond where we need to do some work is full of water,” Farrow said. “The city has made multiple attempts to pump down the water. With some dry weather, we hope to get out there. The contractor, M&D, just needs one to two weeks to get things in a position where we can start putting the final touches on the pond expansion.”

Farrow also talked about how the project is starting to work between the design/builder and the city.

“The infrastructure is my favorite thing to present an update on and it looks nice but we’re getting to the point where we have things like operational and maintenance manuals being developed. We have SCADA, which is the controls to the plant, getting developed.

“The city has been very forward in what its ‘asks’ are. I think the design/builder has delivered on that so far, just general operations and layout of the plant, so that staff is trained when we have that liquid start up going and then they are prepared when the first maintenance item comes up. I’m sure they’re excited about that,” Farrow joked.

“It’s coming together in that sense as well, both at the construction level and on the final operations side too,” he concluded.

The Burns and McDonnell/CAS Constructors team is design/builder for the project’s second phase for construction.

Hays initially had a Jan. 1, 2018, deadline to have the new wastewater treatment plant operating.

However, problems with CDM Smith, the Wichita firm hired for Phase 1 Design services and development of a GMP (Guaranteed Maximum Price) to rebuild the aging plant, caused a delay in the process. The city terminated that arrangement Aug. 18, 2016, after the Phase 1/Design portion of the contract was completed and awarded the Phase 2/Construction contract to Burns and McDonnell/CAS.

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment agreed to extend the completion deadline to Sept. 1, 2019.

The city was fined $18,000 in 2012 by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for excessive levels of phosphorous and nitrate. The current wastewater treatment facility was built in 1953. The plant must be upgraded to meet stricter KDHE and EPA permit requirements.

By BECKY KISER
Hays Post

The United Way of Ellis County (UWEC) celebrates its 65th anniversary this year.

Organized in 1953, the earliest financial records Executive Director Sherry Dryden could find date back to 1965.

“Since then, $11.5 million dollars has been raised here in Ellis County,” Dryden announced Friday to the applause of the crowd gathered in Hays for the 2018 campaign kickoff luncheon.

There are currently 15 partner agencies working with the United Way which have provided more than 8,000 services over the past year, according to Dryden.

The 15 agencies offer 21 programs for the health, education and financial stability of Ellis County residents:

• AMERICAN RED CROSS – Disaster Services, Health and Safety, Services to Armed Forces, Biomedical Services
• BIG BROTHERS/BIG SISTERS – Mentoring Program
• CANCER COUNCIL – Counseling Services
• CATHOLIC CHARITIES –  Counseling Services
• CENTER FOR LIFE EXPERIENCES – Childcare Expansion Program
• CEREBRAL PALSY RESEARCH FOUNDATION – Family Support Services
• COURT-APPOINTED SPECIAL ADVOCATES – Improving Quality of Services to Volunteers and Children
• DEVELOPMENTAL SERVICES OF NORTHWEST KANSAS –  Job Placement Follow Along Program
• EARLY CHILDHOOD CONNECTIONS – Connections Summer Preschool
• FIRST CALL FOR HELP – Backpack for Kids, Info/Referral Program, Meals on Wheels
• HAYS AREA CHILDREN’S CENTER – Early Intervention Services
• OPTIONS – Shelter House Services
• PARENTS AND CHILDREN TOGETHER – Ten Steps to Positive Parenting
• SALVATION ARMY –  Project Suitcase
• WESTERN KANSAS ASSOCIATION ON THE CONCERNS OF THE DISABLED –  Transportation Work Vouch Program

Another program, Wonder Women League (WWL), was organized during last year’s United Way campaign.

Nancy Jeter, a previous UWEC campaign chairman and now co-chair of WWL, said she thought “there are a lot of women in the community that felt like they wanted to do more but didn’t know where to start.”

The new group recently opened the Born Learning Trail in Sunrise Park with the help of volunteers from the Hays staff of Adams, Brown, Beran and Ball.

Scott Boomer, operations director of Hays Eagle Radio and co-host of the morning show on 101.9 The Bull KKQY, is chairman of this year’s United Way fundraising campaign.

Boomer is familiar with the local United Way, having conducted many radio interviews over the years about the organization and its partner agencies. He’s also been the announcer for the United Way during homecoming parades as volunteers collect change in their bright orange plastic pumpkins from the crowds.

He decided to accept the campaign chairmanship because of the many ways the community has supported him and his family.

“Life happens. There are things you don’t plan for, and that happened in my family about five years ago. “My wife, who’s had diabetes since she was a little girl, had to have a kidney transplant to save her life,” said Boomer.

“So we know what it’s like to depend on other people, even though I’m the type of person that doesn’t like to ask for help.

“But these different entities that the United Way helps and donates to and gets involved with, are so very important because everybody has times in their life when they need help. All of us.

“There’s nothing to be ashamed of. There’s no reason not to ask for help.

“So it’s wonderful when you live in a community like this and the people donate like they do and give like they do, that we have these organizations to help.

“No donation is too big or too small,” Boomer noted. “Everything helps. Whatever the organization is, it’s helping somebody.”

This year’s campaign goal is $400,000.

The United Way celebrated its community kick-off on Saturday with a children’s cook-off and adult scavenger hunt co-sponsored with area businesses. Dakota Schmidt won first place, Bryson Fairbank took second and Caydance Lang took third, all of Hays.

More information about the United Way of Ellis County is available at liveunited.us and on Facebook. Donations may be made online.

By DIANE GASPER-O’BRIEN
FHSU University Relations and Marketing

While preparing for his first trip abroad this summer, Jacob Long wasn’t sure what to expect. After all, he had only visited two other states while growing up in rural north-central Kansas.

It turned out to be even more of a learning experience than anticipated for Long, who joined 17 fellow Fort Hays State University students on a study abroad trip to Costa Rica.

Now, Long enters his junior year at FHSU with a newfound energy after spending three weeks learning in a much different way than in a classroom. And he would recommend taking such a trip to every student.

“I had been to New Mexico once for a mission trip and to New York for spring break, but that’s about it,” said Long, who grew up on a farm in Smith County. “I love traveling, and it’s been a dream of mine to go outside the country, so this was the perfect opportunity to do that.”

“And, I learned so much,” he added, with an emphasis on the word “so.”

The trip, sponsored by the Department of Teacher Education – believed to be a first-time venture for that department – was open to all FHSU students, regardless of their majors. Participants had the option to enroll in a teacher education course that supported the study abroad experience by journaling, and a few of them enrolled in a course to earn Spanish credit.

Long said he had a hard time deciding on the one- or three-week option, but he is thankful he chose the latter.

“The three-week thing was a last-minute decision for me,” he said. “I decided if I was going to go, one week seemed kind of short.”

Long attended Spanish classes four days a week and visited sites on the weekends with a student from Sweden who was staying with the same host family as Long.

During his stay, Long soaked up the culture. He was introduced to public transportation by bus, hiking and visiting popular tourist attractions such as the Monteverde Biological Reserve. Monteverde is a cloud forest high up in the mountains where clouds hover around the upper canopy and drop mist on the trees and plants below.

“The clouds go right through it, and it was amazing,” he said. “You would be walking through the forest and see mist coming down.”

One of Long’s first culture shocks, he said, “was how disorganized the traffic was. They don’t have any traffic signs and not many stop lights.”

Long visited a coffee bean farm, much different than the farm where grew up and where his family grows milo, wheat, corn and soy beans.

The FHSU students lived with host families during their stay. But Long – a music education major who is minoring in Spanish – said despite his knowledge of their native language, the learning curve was still steep.

“That’s one thing you can’t get in the classroom is the dialect, so that was difficult sometimes,” Long said. “But the more I was forced to speak Spanish, the more I realized I actually knew. I would doubt myself what to say, and that’s when I struggled the most. You don’t realize what you’re capable of until you’re in a position you can’t do anything else.”

That’s exactly what Dr. Chris Jochum had in mind when he began helping organize the trip to Costa Rica.

Jochum, chair of the Department of Teacher Education, had sponsored study abroad trips of this kind at other institutions. Last fall, in his second year at FHSU, he decided to give Fort Hays State students the same opportunity, which is for some a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

“Studying abroad is an invaluable life experience for college students as it provides them with a unique perspective, understanding and appreciation of individuals with different backgrounds, world views and native languages, which enhances their cultural awareness and global competency,” he said.

Jochum co-sponsored the trip with Dr. Elodie Jones and Dr. Betsy Crawford, assistant professors in the Department of Advanced Education Programs, and Dr. Chris Mohn, chair of the Department of Modern Languages. They said they plan to offer the same trip in June 2019.

“Trying to teach diversity in class is like trying to teach someone to swim by giving them an instruction manual,” Jochum said. “Fort Hays State does a wonderful job of exposing students to different worlds. What better way to embody that mission than to offer our students the opportunity to take a trip abroad.”

Anyone interested in participating in next summer’s trip should contact Jochum at [email protected].

“By and large, the kids on our campus represent this surrounding area,” Jochum said. “For the most part, if you grew up around those who look, talk and act like you, then you need to go somewhere where you are the minority.”

Jones agreed.

“After my recent experience in Costa Rica with teacher candidates who focused on both language acquisition, efficacy and cultural competency, it solidified my belief that all FHSU students desperately need these types of programs,” she said.

“For future educators who are going to impact PK-12 students, they need to know what it feels like to be the minority and to not understand the language, in order to relate to future students in their classroom,” Jones continued. “This program helped teacher candidates to build language skills, develop cultural understanding and compassion for others. Moreover, it helped them to pinpoint their own biases and areas for development in their current classes and future classrooms.”

Carridy Storer was one of the FHSU students who took a crash course in Spanish, at the Costa Rica Language Academy.

“That is a fast-paced way to learn Spanish and learn about the culture,” she said. “It was good because I hadn’t realized what I was getting myself into. Luckily, my host mom spoke a little bit of English because her daughters had married American men.”

The FHSU contingent toured an outdoor elementary school that was built around an area preserved for natural growth.

“It was different than what our kids think an elementary school should look like,” Jochum said. “They got to see that how we teach things varies by culture. This classroom was part of the rain forest.”

Storer said she came home with “a whole different perspective on education. I was thinking of ESL students the whole time and was thinking, ‘How can I better myself as a teacher?’ ”

“We always talk strategy about how to teach those kids,” she added. “It’s easy to talk about it, but doing it is a different thing. Going to Costa Rica really made me consider those kids and think about strategies and make my classroom applicable to them.”

Long agreed.

“Participating in something like this teaches you to have empathy with students who are out of their element,” he said. “It teaches you to understand where someone might be coming from if their culture isn’t the same as yours instead of the mentality, ‘This is how we do things; this is how it needs to be done.’ ”

Storer is doing her student teaching in Houston this fall semester. She said the Costa Rica experience was invaluable for the next step in her education.

“I’m going into a different culture in Houston, where I will be a minority,” Storer said. “I thought going on the Costa Rica trip would give me a little bit of a feel for Houston. I am so glad I went.”

One of the biggest lessons she learned, Storer said, is how valuable it is to learn a foreign language.

Jochum agreed.

“A big addition to whatever you study on campus, to prepare yourself for global education, is through foreign language study,” Jochum said. “Being bilingual is no longer a luxury; it’s a necessity.”

Students who participated in the trip are listed with their classifications and their majors. Those without a classification are full-time students seeking a second degree.

ARAPAHOE, Neb.: Rhiley Fiene, freshman, nursing
BELOIT: Alyssa Houghman, sophomore, elementary education.
CAWKER CITY: Carridy Storer, senior, elementary education.
CONCORDIA: Kirstyn Dvorak, political science.
DIGHTON: Tristan Wilson, senior, education (English).
GARDEN CITY: Brooklen Skipton, junior, modern languages.
GLADE: Erika Norris, senior, elementary education.
HAYS: Liliana Garcia, sophomore, secondary education.
Imelda Koenke, art education.
LEBANON: Jacob Long, junior, music education.
LEWIS: Kaitelyn Blevins, junior, elementary education.
LOVELAND, Colo.: Samantha Villarreal, elementary education.
MEADE: Lexus Luetters, junior, elementary education.
MERIDEN: Alexandria Cozadd, sophomore, communication science and disorders.
PARADISE: Gracyn Miller, junior, psychology.
PARKER, Colo.: Briauna Hysaw, sophomore, exercise science.
WICHITA: Cassidy Locke, senior, education (English).
Bria Tucker, sophomore, education (English).

By BECKY KISER
Hays Post

For the second consecutive year, the winner of the Mrs. Kansas Pageant is a Hays woman.

Mrs. Kansas 2018, Anissa Pfeifer, 25, is in Las Vegas this week to compete in the national pageant, Mrs. America.

Pfeifer’s journey to the competition is due in part to Mrs. Kansas 2017, Cassie Hickel of Hays.

Hickel’s pageant clothing and styling were provided by Pfeifer and her sister Sonia, who co-own the Blue Heron Boutique in downtown Hays. During those fashion advice sessions, Hickel encouraged Pfeifer to enter the Mrs. Kansas competition.

“Cassie knows I have a passion for believing in the best in everyone and want people to follow their dreams. Having her believe in me, and saying ‘you might be scared but you just have to do it,’ kind of roped me in to it a little bit. But I’m grateful.

“I never in a million years thought I would be wearing a crown in my life,” Pfeifer said.

Pfeifer was crowned Mrs. Kansas June 23 at the pageant in Chillicothe, Missouri.

Since then she’s been busy working on her state pageant platform and local project to bring Toys for Tots to Ellis County while prepping for the national contest.

“We’ve always had Toys for Tots in this area and now I will now be able to have a location here, so you won’t have to go outside of Hays. So if you live in Ellis County you can come to Hays at Christmas time to get toys for your children.

She’s working with her friend Kim McDonald, who organizes the Toys for Tots campaign in the Hill City area, to work out the details.  Pfeifer and her sister are also from Hill City.

“I’m really excited to be working with Kim and making this difference in the community.

“Children are near and dear to my heart,” Pfeifer says. “I love seeing their smiles. This organization is perfect because it helps those families who are in desperate need of just a little bit of kindness.

“Like my four-year-old said, I get to play Santa for a day so I’m really excited about that.”

Pfeifer and her husband Marcus, 27, have two “very strong willed” children, Brantley, 4, and Oakleigh, 2. “They’re full of life and they keep me running around all the time,” she smiled. Marcus has his own welding shop and specializes in oilfield equipment.

Her family has been very supportive of her pageant work, according to Pfeifer, as well as her dreams before she wore a crown.

“They are 100 percent behind me, pushing me toward all my goals.”

She also considers her close friends as family. “I’ve been really blessed to have great friends and family that have been an enormous support system and believing in me.”

Pfeifer hopes she can be that hope and encouragement to other women as they follow their dreams.

“God kind of pushed me out of my comfort zone,” she declared, “and this has been one of my biggest blessings.”

Pfeifer’s official appearance clothing and pageant costumes feature styles and accessories from Blue Heron Boutique, which in May moved into the historic George Phillip Hardware building, 719 Main. “We’re still kind of tweaking it a little bit and making all the little changes to make it ‘our home.’ It’s the perfect spot for our vision and what we want our brand to be.”

She enjoys fashion and glamour looks, which are a part of the pageant world, but says it’s what’s on the inside that is most important.

Her Mrs. America pageant platform is women’s empowerment through fashion and business.

“It’s not necessarily about how you look. You can have your hair and makeup done and still not feel beautiful or confident. It’s mainly the way you’re carrying yourself when you walk into a room in that perfect outfit and say ‘I’ve got this.’ You feel in control because it’s the confidence you have in yourself, not necessarily the outfit.”

Pfeifer credits her mother, Laura Larcom, Olathe, for instilling her confidence.

“She’s very strong and very bold. She has supported us, a single mother of four kids. I’ve had such a great role model to look up to. She definitely plays a role in who I am and why I go for things all the time.”

Although Pfeifer’s mother will be unable to go to Vegas and her husband will remain in Hays with the kids, best friend Kim McDonald, and sister Sonia will accompany her to the pageant.

Pfeifer is looking forward to her interviews with the pageant judges. “That’s where I feel I’m able to shine the most because I’m able to speak and just tell my heart.”

Still, she admits to a fear of public speaking. “I’m excited about stepping out of my boundaries, though. You’re never following your calling if you’re not a little bit uncomfortable.”

Entering its 41st year, the final competition round for Mrs. America 2018 will be streamed live beginning at 7 p.m. CST, Sat., Aug. 25, at https://mrsamerica.com/ from the Westgate Las Vegas Resort and Casino. The winner will go on to compete for the title of Mrs. World 2018.

Regardless of who wins the Mrs. America title, Pfeifer hopes Hays will keep its streak running with another Mrs. Kansas. “We’re gonna have to find a third local winner,” she laughed, “because we’ve got to keep up the trend.”

 

 

 

By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post

Fort Hays State University received a $50,000 federal grant Friday for Forsyth Library.

The National Leadership Grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services will help pay for a smart classroom prototype, which will allow teachers to use more interactive teaching techniques with the aid of technology.

Students will be able to stand inside 3-D models and manipulate data across multiple screens.

“The grant will also allow the library to offer more interactive exhibits,” said Claire Nickerson, learning initiatives and open educational resources librarian. “Students will be able to work through history or a virtual art gallery. These capabilities are valuable because they help students gain new media skills that are increasingly necessary in the workplace.”

FHSU’s smart classroom will be a prototype that would ultimately become a portable kit that could be used in classrooms at other higher learning institutions across Kansas and the nation.

The goal is to increase equity and access to technology by removing cost barriers, especially for rural colleges.

The Institute of Museum and Library Services received 113 grant proposals. FHSU was one of 31 awards granted.

“I am excited to part of this,” said Rep. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., who was at FHSU to present the award. “I am excited for what the library is going to do with this, developing a prototype for students, for what the future of what learning will look like. I am excited to see what this will look like five or 10 years from now.”

Dr. Tisa Mason, FHSU president, said “I am so proud of this university. Throughout the campus we are constantly working on improving on teaching and learning not only for our students but the state and the nation and the world.”

Interim provost Jeff Briggs said the grant was an example of how government funding can support innovation and outreach to rural communities.

“The ability and willingness to collaborate to create a model that will enhance teaching and learning experiences, especially with a sensitivity for cost and portability and especially for the rural and frontier areas we serve is really notable,” he said.

At the conclusion of the ceremony, Marshall, who was a member of the Congressional baseball team, gave the university a bat signed by several Congressional leaders. The bat will be auctioned at the Tiger Auction Saturday to benefit FHSU athletics.

Mason presented Marshall with a Tiger pin.

By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post

Three Hays businesses are in a group of about 4,000 companies nationwide that are 100 percent employee owned under a system known as Employee Stock Ownership Plans, or ESOPs.

These businesses include Tradehome Shoes, which is located in Big Creek Crossing; Western Supply; and Eagle Communications, which is headquartered in Hays and owns and operates Hays Post.

ESOPs are retirement plans that are allowed under federal law, according to ESOP Association. Employees of an ESOP can become vested in the stock in their company in a variety of ways, including numbers of years of service.

Employees who are vested can take the cash value of their shares when they retire, leave the company or upon death or disability.

There are about 7,000 ESOPs in the U.S., covering almost 11 million employees, but only 4,000 of those are 100 percent employee owned.

Tradehome Shoes
Tradehome has been privately owned since it was founded by Alex Mains in 1921 with the purchase of two shoe stores in the Twin Ports of Duluth, Minnesota, and Superior, Wisconsin. The owners of the company sold the company to the employees in 2014, and it became an ESOP.

Tradehome has 111 stores in 21 states across the Midwest. They carry over 150 brands of shoes.

You must be a full-time employee and 21 years old to participate in the Tradehome ESOP. Vesting is based in part on hours worked for the company. Tradehome in Hays has five employees.

Dan Smurawa, Hays manager, has been a manager for a little less than two years and is 20 percent vested in the company.

“Knowing that I can be an owner of a company just boosts my productivity, and I think it goes the same for a lot of Tradehome employees across the nation,” he said.

Smurawa said he saw many benefits to the ESOP.

Highly motivated employees provide better customer service, he said.

“I think I can hold my employees to a higher standard, representing us properly, going out and finding people who genuinely want to help our guests and fit them for what they need,” Smurawa said.

The ESOP is a recruiting tool for Tradehome. The starting manager salary also went up since the company became an ESOP.

“I think a lot of people look toward the future, and if there are benefits and retirement plans for them to plan for and look forward to, I think that can keep quality people too,” he said.

Smurawa is only 22, but he is already thinking about his future.

“I have been educated on compounded interest and the rule of 72,” he said. “Just looking at my parents, I think they could have benefited from early retirements and plans set in stone earlier. I think it is an important thing for our youth to be aware of and take advantage of.

“This isn’t my first retirement plan of sorts. I actually have another one. It is nothing I am in the dark about. There is always something I want to know about our ESOP and any way I can benefit myself and my family. Even at such a young time, the harder that I work now, can leave us better off sooner rather than at 65 when we are not as able to have fun and do the things we wish to do.”

Smurawa said he sees himself staying with Tradehome and building his ownership in the company. He said he is excited to hear news that the company is continuing to grow, which grows the value of the ESOP.

“Ultimately, I like to do what I do, and that is the most important thing,” he said.

Eagle Communications

The Eagle Communications ESOP started with Bob Schmidt, who founded Eagle Communications in 1948.

Originally known as KAYS, Inc. and based in Hays, Eagle Communications began in the commercial television, radio broadcasting and cable television business. In 1989, the company sold its commercial television stations, and now concentrates on radio broadcasting, television, internet and telephone services.

Today, Eagle owns and operates 28 radio stations in Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska; and 60 cable systems in Kansas, Nebraska and Colorado.

In 1998, Schmidt had several options when it came to the ownership of the company, but he chose to sell the company to the employees through the ESOP.

The goal was to continue the benefit of local ownership and provide a pathway for the employees of Eagle to share in the rewards of the company’s success.

An Employee Stock Ownership Trust was created to hold the shares Schmidt sold to Eagle. The trust then took out a loan from the bank in order to pay Schmidt for the shares he sold to the company. Each year, Eagle made contributions to the trust, which in turn helped repay the bank.

In December 2012, the Eagle ESOP purchased all outstanding shares from Schmidt. With this purchase, the ESOP attained a 100 percent ownership position of Eagle.

As the company continues to grow, employee-owners have the opportunity for growth and are rewarded with shares that are distributed from the trust.

Rhonda Meyerhoff, senior marketing specialist, has worked for Eagle for 13 years.

Joining Eagle is like joining a family, she said.

She recalled a time she needed to unexpectedly take time off to care for her 3-month-old grandson. Not only did the company work with her to schedule time to be with her family, but President Gary Shorman personally checked with her to make sure her grandson’s childcare was taken care of when she returned.

“To me, that said at Eagle, family came first,” she said. “That meant something to me.”

Meyerhoff has operated her own business, but at Eagle she has all the benefits of ownership without the hassles of owning a business.

“When I owned my own business, I had to hire and fire and do payroll taxes,” she said. “Now I have all the benefits and I get to concentrate on what I like to do.”

Meyerhoff compared the ESOP to owning a home instead of renting. The employees take greater care of what they own.

“We are rewarded extra when we do extra,” she said. “If the company does well because of all the extra work, we will all benefit. We work together.”

Western Supply, which is headquartered in Hutchinson and has a showroom in Hays, also has an ESOP, but did not wish to participate in this article.

By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post

Thousands of dollars worth of prizes will be given to local college students during the annual March to Main on Aug. 28.

March to Main is organized by the Downtown Hays Development Corp. along with a committee of members from the Hays Convention and Visitors Bureau, Fort Hays State University and North Central Kansas Technical College. The event is open to FHSU, NCK Tech and Hays Academy of Hair Design students, faculty and staff.

Students will meet at the FHSU Quad at 5:30 p.m. They will march down Eighth Street to Main Street behind the FHSU band, cheerleaders, dance squad and Victor E. Tiger.

Students will search for four special bricks. Three will be worth $100 cash each, and the fourth gold brick will be worth $200.

Students can visit 32 participating businesses to play Bingo toward prizes.

“We give away over $3,000 in prizes at this event thanks to our very generous sponsors,” Sara Bloom, DHDC director, said. “We have gift cards, we have salon packages, we have $150 watches, we’ve got jewelry, we’ve got TVs, we’ve got laptops, we’ve got Keurigs, You name it, we’ve got it.”

Gella’s Diner will provide a free sandwich meal to the first 500 students, faculty and staff with valid ID. The meal is sponsored by the Hays Convention and Visitors Bureau. Water will be provided by Culligan.

Musical artist KRIGARE will perform live at the Downtown Pavilion at 10th and Main streets.

The presidents of the local education institutions will address the students as well as other local leaders.

“The primary goal of this event is to welcome the students to Hays,” Bloom said. “We want to make sure that they know we are excited they are here, that we welcome them, that we want them to be a part of the community.

“But as they go on a scavenger hunt and fill a bingo card while they are at the event from 6 to 8, they are also getting to go into those businesses, see what products and services they offer, meet those business owners, be welcomed by those business owners and really start to connect with their new home.”

By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post

Kathleen Kuchar knew she wanted to be an artist from the time she was a young child.

The only child in her grade at her small, rural school in Nebraska, Kathleen would be allowed to go outside to draw after she completed her assignments for the day. She still has drawings of her schoolhouse from that time.

Kuchar had no formal art education until she was in college. Her grad school studies led her to Fort Hays State University, where she earned her MFA and later taught color to a generation of art students.

This year’s Fall Art Walk will be anchored by Kuchar’ s “A Journey: A Life Retrospective Through Art,” which takes the viewer through her life from a young girl living on the family farm doing paint by numbers through the many incarnations of her work as a professional artist. The walk will be 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Friday at various locations in Hays.

Kuchar entered a mail-in artist contest as a girl on the urging of one of her cousins. She won, and her father paid for correspondence art classes on installment.

Kuchar came to Fort Hays State University for grad school where she studied under Skip Harwick. She said Harwick helped her explore color and learn more about edges.

She applied and received a one-year scholarship to the Brooklyn College of Art and Design.

Paintings from her time in the city, which are a part of the show, depict sullen subway travelers.

“They were lonely, and I was too, so that is what I painted.”

After her year’s study in New York was up, she jumped at the chance to come back to Hays and teach at FHSU. She founded the graphic design program at FHSU under John Thorns.

The coming years in Hays were a happy, carefree time and Kuchar’s paintings reflected her attitude. This included what she called her lip paintings, which are large, colorful, abstract works that all include large teethy lips.

In the 1980s, Kuchar’s father became gravely ill and eventually passed away. She expressed her grief through her art, including a painting of two empty chairs, symbolizing the emptiness left by her father’s death.

Kuchar experimented with many other mediums, including collage and photography. She also spent a brief stint in Italy studying monotype printmaking.

Kuchar, although now retired from teaching, still is creating art. She said one of the pieces she hopes to have in the exhibit is still in progress on her easel at home.

Kuchar’s siblings as well as at least of two of her students will be coming to the show opening during the Fall Art Walk on Friday. One of her students told her that he “saved his life” by giving him the confidence to pursue his art.

Kuchar said she thought that was a great legacy to leave, to have taught art and made art and had the ability to pass that knowledge on to others.

“Kathleen emanates joy and goodness and creativity,” said Brenda Meder, Hays Arts Council director, said. “She is just one of those people everybody likes. She radiates good.”

Companion books for the exhibit, including some written commentary from the artist, will be on sale during the show. Cost is $40 for Hays Arts Council members and $45 for non-members.

“Art from the Attic: Eugene ‘Skip’ Harwick and the ’60s and ’70s”

Fifty pieces from art from Kuchar’s mentor and teacher, Eugene “Skip” Harwick will be on exhibit in the Hays Arts Annex, 1010 Main. The exhibit title “Art from the Attic” is selections from Harwick’s work from the ’60s and ’70s.

Most of the art has been rescued from storage in an attic. Many of the pieces need to be cleaned, some have damaged or missing frames. This is the first time the art has been seen in more than a decade. Some of the pieces are on loan from the collection of Michael Michaelis, CEO of Emprise Bank, and will be headed for restoration after the show.

Other pieces are being offered for sale by Harwick’s widow. Several pieces are being attributed to Harwick, but Mick Jilg, who was also Harwick’s student and is curating the show, said unfortunately Harwick never signed the work.

“This is really a restoration sort of project and to get Skip some notoriety that he deserved,” Jilg said. “The fact that Skip did not exhibit very much, and he didn’t have any gallery connections and things, he never really got the notoriety that he deserved. He influenced me, being one, Kathleen being one.”

Harwick came to FHSU in 1965 and died in 1981. He came from Wichita State University where he was part of the Bodega movement.

Jilg said he would not be an artist without him.

“I always tell people I was a swan swimming with ducks in high school—that I didn’t fit, then I moved up here and met Skip Harwick and his wife, Joann, and Frank Nichols and some people who were real swans. I spent the rest of my life trying to catch up, learning what I should have learned before. He was a major influence, and if you see my paintings, you see a little piece of Skip Harwick in them today even.”

Harwick liked to experiment to the point Jilg said there is no recognizable Harwick style.

Some of Harwick’s paintings are figurative and others are abstract. There are traditional landscapes in the exhibit from when Harwick was being treated for cancer.

“That is what he lived for,” Jilg said. “I know he rarely approached a painting with an idea. He would just start it and let it develop, which I still do, and I love that. That philosophy still lives in me.”

Jilg, a retired FHSU professor, said the professor-student relationship is something that just keeps going on and on. He has passed the lessons given to him by Harwick and others to his students, and his students are now teachers and passing that knowledge on to new students.

Hanging the exhibit has been a trip back in time for Jilg. He said Harwick was not much of a formal teacher, but he learned a lot sitting around drinking beer.

Jilg remembered one night he had worked very late a night a painting.

“I thought it was basically just getting started, but I was really excited about it. (Harwick) came in that morning and I was kind of looking at it, deciding what I was going to do. He sat down. That was in the smoking days. He would pull out paper and put some tobacco in it and fool around with it. He never could roll a cigarette, and after five minutes with him messing with it someone would hand him a Marlboro. He said, ‘How does it feel to finish one right away?’ I said, ‘What?’ He said, ‘Oh, that’s done.'”

Jilg entered the painting in show at the Omaha Art Museum. It won first prize, and the museum bought it for its collection.

Although the Harwick and Kuchar exhibits were not coordinated with FHSU, the university is sponsoring an art department reunion during homecoming. Both exhibits will still be on display during that time. Jilg said he looked forward to some of Harwick’s former students being able to see this Harwick’s collection for probably the first and last time.

Jilg will also have art on exhibit during the art walk.

Jilg’s and Leon Staab’s “Eufloria” exhibit of floral paintings and photography will be on exhibit at Regeena’s Flowers, 1013 Main St. It is the return of an exhibit that was first shown at the Hays Arts Center several years ago. Norman Keller, co-owner of Regeena’s, is one of Jilg’s former students.

As always, a variety of other visual and musical artists will be featured during the come-and-go free art walk. Meder described the annual walks as an art buffet.

“The caliber on this art walk is really outstanding, and it typically tends to be this way with the fall art walk happening so quickly after school starts. Students are less represented as they are in the winter, spring and even the summer,” Meder said. “I am really pleased with what people will be able to see and enjoy across the board, the visual art, the music, painting, the photography, whatever it might be. I am excited. It is going to be a great night.”

Eight locations also will be open on Saturday, Aug. 25. See the schedule for details.

A complete schedule is listed below.

 

 

CRISTINA JANNEY

Hays Post

Monday was the first day of classes for Fort Hays State University students. Campus organizations and local businesses lined the quad to welcome students to campus during the annual Back-to-School Picnic. There were demonstrations and tons of giveaways for the students.

By BECKY KISER
Hays Post

Winners of the 2018 Water $mart Landscape Awards were recognized recently by the Hays city commission.

The program by the Hays Beautification Committee and the city of Hays recognizes residents and business owners who’ve implemented water conserving turf and landscaping on their properties.

That involves more than just knowing how to water correctly, according to the city’s Water Conservation Specialist Holly Dickman.

“The principals of the Water $mart landscape include things like planning and design, soil prep, right plants in the right places, practical turf areas, efficient irrigation, proper mulching and proper maintenance,” explained Dickman.

Winners of the residential property award were Jeff and JoAnn Jordan at 3306 Willow Street. Commerce Bank, 2200 Vine Street, was the business property winner.

Nominees must be within the city limits of Hays and the landscape must be visible to the public and must be installed and established/maintained for at least one full year.

There is one residential winner and one business winner per year. All nominations received are reviewed and voted upon by the Hays Beautification Committee at the June meeting.

By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post

On the map: Lucas, Kansas Distance from Hays: 65 miles Drive time: one hour

So for this week’s road trip, we are going to flash back a year to my first trip to Lucas and Luray last fall.

I am an art lover, and there is a lot of weird and wacky art in Lucas to love.

Lucas is only 16 miles north of Interstate 70 off the Wilson exit.

Lucas is probably most famous for the Garden of Eden. The Garden of Eden is on the National Register of Historic Places and was named a finalist for the 8 Wonders of Kansas Art. I am neither an art critic nor enough of a student of history to make any educated comments about the Garden of Eden. It is just something you need to see and evaluate for yourself.

Garden of Eden

Samuel Perry Dinsmoor was the grand architect of the Garden of Eden. He was a retired schoolteacher, farmer and Civil War nurse. His art was influenced my the Populist movement as is evident in some of the sculptures in the garden, including “Crucifixion of Labor.”

Of course, as the name of the Dinsmoor’s art experiment indicates, the Garden of Eden also had biblical influences with appearances of the Devil and Adam and Eve, who were originally naked, but Dinsmoor later clothed them — to the relief of his neighbors.

Dinsmoor makes a comment on the predatory nature of both animal and human kind. In the garden, a fox chases a cat who pursues a bird who stalks a worm, which is eating a leaf. A Native American is aiming at the fox with a bow and behind a solider aims a rifle at the Native American. A woman reaches to stop the soldier from firing the rifle.

Dinsmoor also constructed a mausoleum for he and his wife. His remains can be viewed by visitors  today in a glasstop concrete coffin that he constructed. I skipped that part of the tour. 

He started constructing the 150 sculptures outside of his home in 1907 when he was 64. During the next 22 years, he would use 113 tons of concrete and tons of limestone to construct the Garden of Eden.

You can also tour the inside of the home, which is decorated as the Dinsmoor would have lived prior to his death in 1932.

The Garden of Eden is open 1 to 4 p.m. daily in March and April and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily May through October. November through February, tours are available from 1 to 4 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays only. Admission is charged for tours.

The weirdness does not end there. Lucas is a hotbed of folk art.

Just east of the Garden of Eden is Miller’s Park. Roy and Clara Miller built miniature Lucas buildings from rocks and sea shells they collected while traveling in the 1930s through ’60s. They also made towers of slag glass and barite roses. The collection resided in Hays for a time before being moved back to Lucas in 2013.

Along the same vein as Garden of Eden and the Miller’s Park, the Grassroots Art Center, whose exhibit space was opened in 1999, was created to preserve the art of untrained artists in the Midwest. Grassroots has both permanent exhibits like Herman’s Drivers’ car and life-size motorcycle made of pop tabs as well as temporary exhibits.

You can see portraits made out of grapefruit rind by Betty Milliken or painted limestone sculptures created by auto mechanic, truck driver and traveling evangelist Inez Marshall. Ida Kingsbury spent the years after her husband’s death decorating her yard with anything she could repurpose, including teapots, two liter pop bottles and plastic animals.

“Button Masterpieces”  by Charles Berendt from Denver is on temporary display through Sept. 25, and Dennis Clark’s “Imaginary City” will be on display through November.

See the Grassroots Arts Center website for more information on admission and hours.

The outdoor Post Rock Courtyard in the rear of the Grassroots Art Center exhibits a tribute to the limestone carvers of the area and also incorporates metal and glass for a dazzling display of color, texture and light.

A visit to Lucas would not be complete without visiting the restroom that was named the nation’s second best place to flush.

Bowl Plaza is in the 100 block of South Main Street. The public restroom is covered inside and out with a mosaics of tile, glass, dominoes and glass bottles. The local effort to create the fancy porcelain palace was led by Mri-Pilar and Eric Abraham.

Mri-Pilar also created 15 colorful fork sculptures in the art park next to the Bowl Plaza.

Brant’s Meat Market is back in Lucas after a short hiatus. Brant’s, which has been in business since 1922, specializes in homemade bologna and sausages and was named one of the 8 Wonders of Kansas Commerce.

The Facebook post announcing the store’s closing earlier this year reached over 77,000 people, and the store was inundated with telephone calls and messages from customers hoping to get one last order in before they sold out.

Adam and Ashley Comeau of Plainville stepped in to help save the Lucas staple.

See related story: Brant’s Market in Lucas to reopen this summer

Other notable stops in Lucas are the Florence Debbie Sculpture Garden, 126 Fairview. Debbie created concrete and rock sculptures based on famous landmarks, such as Mount Rushmore. The World’s Largest Collection of the World’s Smallest Versions of the World Largest Things is the brain child of Erika Nelson. She has a gallery of these oddities in her new downtown storefront at 214 S. Main St. The attraction is open by chance or by appointment.

Some eclectic items to create your own folk art may be found at Aunt Gertie’s Art and Antiques, 304 E. Second. Check their Facebook page for current hours and to see new goodies for sale.

If you’re hungry, you can grab some eats at the K-18 Cafe, 5945 Kansas Highway 18 or Backstreet Bakery at 208 S. Main St. One look at their Facebook page and I was ready to drive to Lucas for a piece of fresh peach pie.

For a side trip, keep going north on K-18, and you will come to the little town of Luray. At the K-18 rest area across from Main sits a log cabin built by Civil War veteran Jonathan Wesley Van Scoyoc.

From 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 20, Luray will host Craftique. Every possible spare space in the small community is opened for crafters. Last fall, I had a pleasant stroll downtown, popping in and out of buildings to pick up some fall decorations and get a head start on Christmas shopping.

Other links to check out while you are planning your trip:

Lucas Area Community Theater

Russell County Economic Development and CVB

Corrected at 7:07 p.m. Sept. 18 for address of World’s Largest Collection of the World’s Smallest Versions of the World Largest Things.

By BECKY KISER
Hays Post

Two local groups hoping to fund and build additions to two Hays parks presented their proposals to city commissioners Thursday night.
The commission favored the visions of both projects but is concerned about the details of each plan as well as long term maintenance costs of the structures.

Vance Chartier, Veteran Alliance Project Director, talked about a proposed “General [Alexander] Hays Veterans Memorial” to be built in Veterans Memorial Park, 13th and Canterbury.

Alexander Hays was a Union Army general in the Civil War. Fort Hays and the city of Hays are named after him.

“We want this to be a place to honor veterans, to reflect and think about the sacrifices that have been incurred, and for families to come and remember their loved ones that have fallen,” said Chartier, who is also director of the Kansas Merci Boxcar museum in the same park.

The 2,000 square foot new memorial, a star shape made of steel panels, would surround the existing limestone obelisk memorial to Ellis County veterans. Names of northwest Kansas veterans from historic Fort Hays to today would be engraved on the proposed memorial.

The Veteran Alliance, composed of The Society of 40 Men and Eight Horses, Voiture 1543 and Patriot Outreach with the support of American Legion Post 173, Marine Corps League 970 and the Hays Veteran Business Coalition, wants permission to build in the city’s park. They would not ask the city for any money to support the project, according to Chartier.

Chartier said the group has already chosen a contractor. Vice-Mayor Henry Schwaller explained the city would have to open up the project for bids because the memorial would be on city property.

“This would be an excellent addition to the community,” Schwaller said, “but to pull off a project of this size and this scope might outstrip the resources of the partner organization.

“I do want this to happen,” he continued, “but because this is not our land – it belongs to the residents of Hays –  we cannot have any screwups. …We also don’t want to commit to something that three to five years down the road  could be a problem for the future commission to handle.

“It’s no disrespect to what you’ve done. It’s just that we need a little more information before we can proceed.”

The commission asked Chartier to come back with a more detailed action plan as well as the support of all the veterans organizations.

Mike Morley, senior vice commander of VFW Post 9076, told commissioners his group has several concerns about the project including the lack of community input. “The local post does not lend its support to this project,” said Morley.

The local VFW Post officers also feel fees involved with the project are too high.

“It was presented to us that 15 percent of the money collected would go to fundraising and other administrative costs which we thought was excessive,” Morley said. He also noted there are already a number of veterans memorials in the community.

“The VFW is a service organization. We have our Honor Guard, which every year buries dozens of veterans throughout northwest Kansas. When we fundraise, we want it to go to things like that Honor Guard, for the service officers who help returning veterans fill out a VA disability claim, and direct aid for veterans in our community who might be unable to pay a utility bill or rent.

“We certainly applaud the intent behind the project,” Morley concluded, “but we think there’s other ways to honor veterans that can mean so much more and be more impactful.”

Commissioner Sandy Jacobs told the memorial group they “have the cart before the horse.”

“And I don’t want you to leave here thinking we don’t support veterans,” she emphasized. “Brian Nichols was a dear friend of our family. My son-in-law is a colonel in the Army, active. We understand and we appreciate.  I think I was as clear as I could be earlier. It’s about your project and about your plan and about your execution on that plan.”

The second group asking to build an addition in a city park group believes their $1.6 million dollar accessible recreation complex would be a “destination stop” in Hays.

“Families with children who have special needs often travel by car because it’s easier to manage their child’s complex medical needs,” explained advocate Sarah Meitner. “How wonderful would it be to have this haven here in Hays for those families to stop and stretch their feet.”

The city commissioners agreed there is such a need for visitors and local residents alike, and expressed support of the proposal put forth by Arc of the Central Plains to build it in Seven Hills Park, 33rd and Hillcrest.

Meitner, the mother of a special needs son, says the non-profit group would raise the money to build the complex. When completed, it would be gifted to the city which would then maintain the facility.

Those future costs concern Commissioner Ron Mellick.

“I’m worried about ongoing maintenance because it’s all going to have to be replaced and what it’s going to cost,” Mellick said. “We’ve had sustainable budgets and then we put this in, and all of a sudden our budget – we have to raise the mill levy.”

The accessible recreation complex would consist of a playground, baseball field, and splash pad.

Schwaller called the proposal “the best I’ve ever seen from the public.” He said it has the support of the city and encouraged the group to move forward with a request for design proposals and its fund raising.