WAKEENEY – With its wide open vistas and gently rolling hills, Trego County’s beautiful prairie provides a tranquil High Desert setting, but this dusty landscape hides a secret. It was once part of an amazing waterway called the Western Interior Seaway. You can find out more about that ancient seascape on a hike around Castle Rock and its adjoining badlands.
Fossilized oyster shells at Castle Rock (Image by James St. John)
These amazing 70-foot rock formations were created during the mid-to-late Cretaceous period and very early Paleogene Era when the sea split the continent of North America into two landmasses. Water from the north flowed down the center of what is now the North American continent, emptying out into the Gulf of Mexico and carving out a trough between the Rocky and the Appalachian Mountain ranges.
Throughout this time, millions of pre-historic sea creatures left their remains in the chalk and shale seabed where they fossilized over the course of 80 million years.
Castle Rock and its adjoining badlands is a geologist’s and paleontologist’s playground.
Along the trails that crisscross the rock outcroppings, earthen pyramids, and striking white towers, or hoodoos, you’ll find the remains of sharks, mollusks, ammonites, plesiosaurs–a predatory marine reptile–giant shellfish, mosasaurs, and squid-like animals, among many others. You’ll also find fossils of the plankton-like animals that secreted the chalky platelets that give the Cretaceous Period its name and remnants of animals that roamed our prairie in more recent ancient times, like the great mammoths of the pre-historic era.
Castle Rock gained more historical significance during America’s pioneering days when it became an identifying landmark on the Smoky Hill Trail and the Butterfield Overland Despatch. What a surprise it must have been for travelers when, after days of flat earth travel, they came upon a hidden valley of chalky cliffs!
Today’s families love the wide-open spaces and trails they find at Castle Rock and the Badlands and this is a great time to explore. The nooks and crannies can be a cozy home to modern-day wild animals, so keep an eye and ear out for snakes. The trails are all unmarked and in their natural state, with no railings or steps to aid climbers, and some of the rocks are unstable, so wear good hiking shoes.
Traveling to Castle Rock and the Badlands will take you over dirt roads and onto private property, whose owners graciously allow visitors to enter with the expectation that they respect the area and take care not to damage the site. You can make the trip over the unpaved roads in a passenger car if you go slow but it is better in a SUV or pick-up, and always be aware of the constantly changing weather conditions. And, photographers–don’t forget your cameras for amazing shots of this mythical looking landscape!
To visit, turn south on Banner Road from Collyer (Exit #115), look for the turnoff to the Castle Rock and it’s badlands roughly 12.4 miles south of I-70 at Trego County U Road. Turn west (right) on U Rd. and go 2.8 miles into Gove County on K Road. Look for signs pointing north to Castle Rock to guide you into the pasture, then follow the path, crossing the cattle guard and driving to the bluff that overlooks Castle Rock.
Mammoth elephant tooth, Trego County Historical Society
After visiting the site, stop in at WaKeeney’s Trego County Historical Society to see just a few of the fossils that have been recovered at Castle Rock and the Badlands.
There is a great group of fossils gathered by amateur and professional paleontologists in the Leonard and Irene Purinton Collection.
Together, Castle Rock and its adjoining badlands were named as one of the Eight Wonders of Kansas by the Kansas Sampler Foundation in 2008 and is a must-do on your Kansas travel bucket list.
It is a fantastic landscape with a secret past that continues to be revealed in layers of Trego County’s prairie.
Artist’s rendering of the Hays Hilton Garden Inn and conference center
By BECKY KISER Hays Post
With no discussion by the three Hays city commissioners who were present at Thursday night’s meeting, two unanimous votes approved the next steps in the construction of the proposed Hilton Garden Inn and a convention center north of Interstate 70.
The commission approved setting two public hearings on April 26, 2018 regarding the adoption of the hotel’s TIF (Tax Increment Financing) Redevelopment Project Plan and the establishment of the associated Community Improvement District (CID).
The developer, Hays Hotel LLC and Mitra Developers, LLC, is requesting TIF financing on a pay-as-you-go basis for 20 years. City commissioners established the TIF district by passing an ordinance at the Feb. 8 meeting, which “froze” the base year assessed value for the property.
Construction of the 100-room full-service hotel, restaurant, and conference center at Vine Street and 43rd Street, immediately west of Walmart, would begin later this year and be completed within 18 months. The developer will also pay for infrastructure, including water, sewer, street, utilities and pedestrian infrastructure.
Phase Two of the project involves construction of a new restaurant and other commercial retail on the two outparcels of the project site. Tentatively, Phase Two construction, completion and operations would begin in early 2023.
City Finance Director Kim Rupp presented a financial overview of the project.
Total cost of Phase One and Phase Two would be $19.3 million.
Approximately $3.7 million in TIF revenues is estimated to be generated during the 20-year term. TIF reimbursable expenditures are expected to be $3.9 million. “They’re predicting their revenue would be a little short of what’s eligible for expenditures,” said Rupp.
A 2% CID tax would be in place for 22 years yielding $3.1 million. Total CID eligible costs are estimated at $14.7 million on a pay-as-you-go basis. “They are seeking their own financing. They are not asking the city to issue any bonds.”
The initial 10-year rebate of the hotel Transient Guest Tax (TGT) is estimated at $1.8 million.
Rupp also spoke about the benefits the project would bring to the local economy, in addition to the increased number of hotel rooms in Hays. “We would also gain that coveted convention center to attract visitors.”
Developers expect to create 80 construction jobs and 88 operational jobs.
City sales tax revenue would also increase. Sales tax collections support the city’s General Fund.
“In this case, the TIF will only be the increment of the ad valorum,” Rupp explained. “Sales tax will not be captured. Sales tax will go to the normal taxing entities that it was intended for.” City policy does not allow general or special city or county sales tax generated by the project to be captured by the TIF.
Rupp also pointed out a study by Wichita State University’s Center for Economic Development has determined the hotel project has a benefit-to-cost ratio of 1.78. “So for every dollar input, it’s estimated $1.78 would come back out.”
Commissioners Henry Schwaller and Chris Dinkel were absent from the meeting.
A 15-minute executive session was called at the end of the meeting to discuss possible acquisition of property. No action was taken.
Teens spent Tuesday afternoon turning trash into fashion as a part of the Hays Public Library’s Trash ‘n’ Show program.
The library has a variety of programs scheduled this week during spring break for children of all ages as well as adults. Click here for more information.
The theme for the fashion show is the “Future is Now.” The students designed outfits and costumes. The youth will show off their designs during at public fashion show at 5:30 p.m. March 27 in the Schmidt Gallery on the ground floor of the library.
Mylissa Molnar, 12, Hays, designed a tie for her friend, Christopher Isbell, 14, Hays.
“I just found something, and I used it,” she said.
The front of the tie was decorated with bottle caps and can lids. Christopher also wore a hat with horns and sported a pair of shades.
Molnar also repurposed an umbrella into a jellyfish.
Justus Nelson, 11, Hays, patterned his costume from Neo on the “Matrix.”
“This would be what Neo would wear if he went to a party and was not in the matrix,” he said.
“This is very fun,” he said. “It is a super nice day outside. I stopped by the library and decided to join in.”
Hays Post chose four home-grown businesses to highlight as innovators in the local community. These included Gutierrez Cocina Mexicana/Trios, Northwestern Printers, The Animal Hospital, Pro-Bound Sports. If you have a local business you would like to see profiled, email Cristina Janney at [email protected].
Dr. Lauren Mack, vet, of The Animal Hospital in Plainville poses outside of the practice with her dog, Bear.
The Animal Hospital, Plainville
Dr. Lauren Mack, Plainville vet, had never set foot in the state of Kansas before she set out to purchase The Animal Hospital in Plainville.
A young professional who grew up in the suburbs of Hartford, Connecticut, and attended college on the west coast, Mack decided to set down roots in a small town in Kansas. Mack had a desire to work with cattle, and the vet practice in Plainville gave her the opportunity to split her time between the open pastures of western Kansas and a small-animal practice at her office in town.
Mack, 30, attended Washington State University for her vet degree, and learned about the practice at 710 S. Washington in Plainville while studying there. She and her business partner bought the practice about seven weeks after graduation, which was about two years ago.
Mack described her family growing up as “not animal people.” She had no pets, but took English riding lessons.
She always loved horses. She had a dream of being a horse trainer, but her coach noted she spent a lot of time with the vets and seemed to have a natural way with the animals. During her undergraduate work in Maine, she fell in love with working with cattle and decided to give up on working with horses.
Her first impressions of the Kansas were its rural nature and the abundance of livestock.
“Everywhere you go are cows. There are animals everywhere, which I was pretty excited about,” she said. “In my land, that’s great. Horses, sheep, cows, goats, you run around in circles. Those are my favorite things.”
Mack and her husband recently bought a house in Plainville. She likes the calm and quiet of living in a small town, but having Hays nearby with more amenities is nice also. Being in Plainville also meant she could be close to the cows that she treats in her practice. She said she feels blessed to be able to work with cattle and the area producers.
“Every single one of them is a unique character,” she said of the ranchers. “No two are alike, for sure, but they all have a pretty deep love for their cattle and their ranches. Most of them are very forward and honest. You are not usually guessing about what they are thinking. It is nice to work with people who work that hard for something they care about.”
There is rarely a typical day for Mack. She said you could probably make a cartoon out of most of her days because they are so chaotic. She often sees small animals, usually pets like cats and dogs in the mornings. She does appointments for small animal surgeries, vaccinations and well exams. In the afternoon she is out in the field doing herd production work. However, on the day the Post visited Mack had to rush out for an emergency calf delivery.
“I love being out,” she said of her outdoor work with cattle. “I love the balance. There is nothing more awesome than a beautiful day working cattle out in a field. It is just stunning. You talk to a lot of bovine veterinarians, and they will tell you that is one of their favorite things.”
However, on a cold day, she said she doesn’t mind being indoors for a spay surgery.
Mack recently returned to her alma mater to talk to vet students about the culture of a rural vet practice.
“It discussed the culture where you live,” she said of her lecture. “Whether you live in New York City or Plainville, Kansas, the culture is relevant to your practice as a business owner.”
People’s expectations, pricing, how your employees talk to customers are all relevant to the local culture, she said. She knows most of her customers and their extended families by name. If she gets stuck in a ditch, she knows she can call someone to help her get out. If she needs help working cattle or welding a fence, there is always someone in the community ready to help out.
“If you are willing to work hard and help people, they will give you a chance. They have welcomed me quite wonderfully, and I am very grateful how they have given me a chance. I hope I have proven myself to them on a lot of levels. I think people here are very hard working, and they expect the same.”
Mack said she wants to continue to grow her practice and is looking to add another associate.
If you are interested in the practice, The Animal Hospital will be hosting two cattle round tables on April 5 and 17. The practice can be reached by phone at 785-434-7222.
Heddy and Tom Mahoney pose with a shooting bench and basketball hoop in one of the production areas of Pro-Bound Sports in Dorrance.
Pro-Bound Sports
The Mahoney family, owners of Pro-Bound Sports, has a history as innovators in the sports equipment business.
Ken Mahoney, current owner Tom Mahoney’s father, developed the breakaway rim, which allowed the NBA to safely allow dunking without shattered backboards. The Mahoneys’ original company, Toss Back, also created a ball return system in the 1960s, which was the first training system of its kind.
Although Toss Back was sold, Tom and his wife continued to work for the company under the new owners for a number of years before the family struck out on their own with a new company, Pro-Bound Sports, in 1993. Tom and his family continue to innovate new sports products with Pro-Bound and have branched off into a variety of other metal fabricated products in their hometown of Dorrance.
Tom works as an airline pilot and spends his off days at Pro-Bound, while his wife, Heddy, runs the office. His son Evan runs operations.
Pro-Bound sells products, such as basketball goals, soccer goals and bleachers to schools and recreational centers across the nation. Pro-Bound has recently branched out into manufacturing picnic tables, rifle shooting benches, and just this winter, launched a Pre-fabricated steel post cable corral system.
Instead of mass marketing to sporting good retailers, Pro-Bound looks to make more durable goods. For example, you can buy a light-weight shooting bench at a big box store, but the bench Pro-Bound makes a bench that will last 20 to 30 years, Mahoney said.
Economy and efficiency has been the mother of invention for Pro-Bound. The shooting benches were born because the business had left over aluminum from manufacturing bleachers. They used legs they already had from scorers tables. The corral system came from a personal project for the Mahoney’s barn. Tom thought there had to be a better way to build a corral than hiring someone to hand-weld an oil field iron piping coral from scratch.
The business debuted the product at Equifest in Topeka in February to positive reviews. Mahoney described the product as the “horse lover’s corral.” It’s a do-it-yourself corral system made with powder painted 3-inch tubing. A custom design is created in modular pieces at Pro-Bound. The customer needs only to auger the holes, set the posts and hook up the component parts. An oil-field pipe corral might take seven weeks to construct with a custom welder, but a Pro-Bound corral of the same size can be put up in seven days.
“The net result is that we are going to be very competitive with the finished product when you get in installed,” he said.
Mahoney said there have been advantages and disadvantages to being located in such a rural area of Kansas. Being so close to Interstate 70 is an advantage in shipping. However, finding quality employees can be difficult with such a small population to pull from and low unemployment rates. Pro-Bound employs seven to 15 people. It offers on-the-job training for anyone who is willing to work hard.
Mahoney said the region needs more companies like Pro-Bound to build the economy.
“If we are just trading dollars, nothing happens. But if I can sell $100,000 worth of bleachers to somewhere in Georgia, guess what, we have been able to drop some of that fresh money in here. That is the key to a local economy,” he said.
Pro-Bound recently lost two of its major dealers. It is working now to sign new dealers and revamp its marketing strategy, as well as find new outlets for its corral system.
Mahoney said it is constantly a battle to maintain cash flow going in a mom-and-pop operation.
When he retires from the airline, Mahoney, 62, said he will return to Pro-Bound full time. When he and his wife retire fully, they will pass the business to their son.
“You are really building your business up for the next generation,” he said. “If you can keep your business in the family for two or three generations, it’ll create income for the family for those generations. If it is done correctly after two or three generations, you might have a really nice business and that might be the time you might want to sell it off.”
Marvin and Jennifer Rack pose in one of the production rooms of Northwestern Printers on Ninth Street in Hays.
Northwestern Printers
Marvin Rack didn’t start out intending to go into the printing business. He was fascinated with motors and was a certified diesel mechanic.
His reputation for knowing how to fix things earned him a job fixing offset printing presses and copiers in his hometown of Hays.
In 1981, he purchased what is today Northwestern Printers from Northwestern Business Systems. He was only 23.
The business has become a regional hub for printing anything on paper and is now branching out to new media with its wide-format printing.
“In high school in my business class, one time the teacher said, ‘Who in this classroom would like to eventually own their own business?’ I was sitting up front in that classroom, so I raised my hand. When I turned around and looked and no one else had their hand raised up, I was almost ready to pull mine back down. I thought there was something wrong.”
In the beginning, Rack worked night and day at the print shop, doing both sales and creating the print jobs.
In the early ’80s, there were five print shops in Hays, and Northwestern only had a fraction of the business. Money was really tight in the first couple of years. Rack owned his own house but moved back into to his parents’ house so he could earn some extra income renting his house.
Marvin and later his wife, Jennifer, had to build up the business’ customer base. Today, the business serves about 1,000 customers a year from all across the region.
The Racks did that by keeping up with the latest technology.
“If we made a dollar, we spent 75 cents of it on new equipment,” Marvin said. “That is what it took. That technology was flying so fast, we knew our customers wanted to stay up with the newest technologies, so we had to do that also.”
The printing business has evolved greatly since the early 1980s. Rack originally designed on a Compugraphic EditWriter 7500, which was the Cadillac, the cat’s meow of design at the time. The machine printed out type in columns on a waxed paper that was cut out with scissors and then pasted onto layout sheets. The shop bought its first Apple computer in 1989.
The business had a darkroom until the mid to late 1990s. At one time, a picture would be taken of a layout sheet and that image would be burned onto an aluminum plate that would be used on the press. Technology has progressed, so now designers can send electronic images to a machine that directly prints the plates for the press.
“I enjoyed that darkroom,” Rack said. “It was so peaceful and so quiet. You had to use hot water, so I would come in at 3 or 4 in the morning and shoot all the film. I enjoyed it.”
Rack said the business continues to expand into new realms of technology. The company has recently started doing wide-format printing and is making banners and vinyl signs. The business is also very busy during the political season with direct mail, an area that has grown tremendously for the business in recent years.
Rack said Hays has been important to the growth and continued success of the family’s business.
“I think Hays gave us that opportunity to grow because they trusted us,” he said. “A lot of the larger businesses in Hays said, ‘Yes, you can have some of our work.’ It helped a bunch. Some big customers made a big, big difference for us.”
The Racks continue to drive home the shop local message.
“I think [it is important to] get everyone convinced that a small town can provide services that a larger town can and be just as competitive and just as resourceful and as creative as a bigger town,” he said.
The business now occupies five buildings on West Ninth Street as well as a warehouse in downtown Hays. The Racks once though about moving out of downtown, but their customers overwhelming expressed a desire to keep the business on the bricks.
Despite long-told rumors of the print shop industry’s demise, Rack said Northwestern Printers has yet to have a down year in the last 20 years.
“In target marketing, selling things is so easy via mail, via prints, and I think we can argue this and never be a winner. The website and social media is a very good source of advertising, but it is not going to hit everybody. We are always going to have a place.”
To learn more about Northwestern Printers, call 785-625-1110.
Mario Gutierrez, hold a photo of his mother and father, outside of the family’s original restaurant in Russell, while standing in the lobby of Gutierrez in Hays.
Gutierrez Cocina Mexicana/Trio Tap House
Mario and Karen Gutierrez were teenagers when they working and he started cooking with his mother, Lela, in their 20-seat family restaurant in Russell.
Chopping lettuce and fresh tomatoes by hand was “pud” compared to the migrant farm work Mario and his family had done in his earlier childhood in the cotton fields of Oklahoma and Texas. Mario’s mother and father were first generation American-born citizens, with all his grandparents born in Mexico. He started to work in fields at age 6.
“We used to go out and see sections of cotton plants, knowing that we had to go up and down those rows and chop cotton weeds,” he said. “This job working in restaurant business was easy compared to being out in the elements and heat doing outside migrant work.”
Mario welcomed the move to Kansas as a young child.
Mario and Karen Gutierrez and their family are marking four generations in the food industry in Kansas, and they continue to operate not one, but two successful Hays eating establishments—Gutierrez Cocina Mexicana and Trio Tap House, 1106 E 27th St., Hays.
Gutierrez Russell opened in 1971. A faded black and white photo of Mario’s mom and dad outside of that original restaurant still hangs in the Hays restaurant today. Some of food has been in the family for eight decades, Mario said
Many of the recipes that are now on the Gutierrez menu began in that small kitchen in Russell. Some of the staples like the rice and enchilada recipes came from Mario’s grandmother’s kitchen. Mario and Karen have tweaked some of the menu items and added a few more, but he said he tries to stay true to his mom’s inspiration.
Mario worked side by side with his mother in the kitchen for 13 years.
“She really spent some time to teach me what we call the magic that is Gutierrez,” he said. “What is our flavor? What is our style? It is a true Tex-Mex.”
Mario’s favorite dish continues to be beef enchiladas with Gutierrez red sauce and lots of onions, just like his mom used to make. He also loved his mom’s pork borrachoes, which are also on the Gutierrez menu. However, the public’s favorite remains the Hombre with its sour cream sauce.
His mother disciplined Mario to cook with the best ingredients money can buy. This includes boneless, skinless chicken tenders, fresh avocados, 81-19 fresh ground beef and fresh Wisconsin cheddar.
Mario and Karen moved to Hays in 1984 and opened his own Gutierrez when he was only 24 years old.
Mario was used to long hours and hard work. It was nothing for him to work 80 hours a week. However, he found training new employees and delegation were his biggest challenge.
“Back in the day, I tried to be a lone ranger, multi-tasking. You can almost envision me trying to spin plates in every direction,” he said.
Over the years, he has learned to delegate to his team leaders who supervise a staff of more than 50. However, Mario still fills in as needed. On the day the Hays Post visited, Mario had taken on a shift helping during the lunch rush at Trio, Gutierrez’s sister restaurant.
Mario and Karen opened Trio Tap House four years ago in the same building that houses Gutierrez. The steakhouse offers sandwiches, steaks, fish and chips, and a menu of other American faire that is paired with a premium, exclusive beer list. The business was named in honor of their three sons, Daniel, Dominic and Jacob.
“When we opened up Trio, it was because you line up 10 people, and five will want to eat Mexican and five will want to eat American. Now at least I have the opportunity to let the people pick their preference of what they want to enjoy,” he said. … “What it has done for me and my family and my team is renewed the passion to entertain people to go out to eat.”
They put an emphasis when training their employees on customer service, which helps build loyalty. They described service as a privilege and not a right.
“That enthusiasm about their job, is the exact return you get back,” he said. … “If you are out there to give people an experience, give them a positive experience.”
Mario said he and Karen are very thankful to people of Hays for their continued support of his business. He said embracing the community and contributing to the community has been integral to his business.
“To think one out of ten restaurants will make in the first three years, and we are still here and still busy, makes us all grateful for our community,” he said.
Mario loves his job and has no intention of retiring anytime soon. However, he and Karen are training their daughter, Cristina, in the administrative side of the business. Now they are thinking about the business as a succession, a legacy for the family.
“I love the purpose of being able to contribute to my team, inspiring my team leaders,” he said. “I love what I do. If I don’t have the purpose of being able to help my team, help my daughter… At this time, I want to keep doing what I do.”
Hays Water Conservation Specialist Hollie Dickman is urging residents to look for leaks in their household water systems.
“We’re encouraging everyone to check their plumbing, spigots and faucets for water leaks,” said Dickman, “during this special week and, of course, all year long.”
Toilets should also be examined for “silent leaks.”
The Hays City Clerk’s office, 1507 Main, has free toilet dye tabs for water customers.
“This is something you simply put in the toilet tank. If you see color in the bowl of the toilet, then you know you have a problem. You have a leak,” explained Dickman. “This is an easy way to check for leaks and to hopefully save water and save some money.”
Outdoor sprinkler systems should also be checked.
“If you have an outdoor irrigation system you’re getting geared up for spring, make sure the sprinklers are functioning properly.”
The average household’s leaks can account for more than 10,000 gallons of water wasted every year and ten percent of homes have leaks that waste 90 gallons or more per day, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Fixing easily corrected household water leaks can save homeowners about 10 percent on their water bills.
(Click to enlarge)Hays Mayor James Meier signs the Fix A Leak proclamation. (Photos courtesy city of Hays)
Hays Mayor James Meier signed a Fix A Leak Week proclamation which encourages residents to use water efficiently.
Thursday, March 22, is also World Water Day.
To celebrate, the city of Hays and the Big Creek Middle Smoky Hill River Watersheds will host a World Water Day Fun Fest from 10 a.m. to noon in the lobby of the Sternberg Museum of Natural History, 3000 Sternberg Drive.
The free event will feature fun, hands-on water-related activities for kids of all ages. Educational information regarding water conservation and water quality will also be provided.
The Press restaurant at the Hadley Center, 230 E. Eighth, Hays, is now opening for weekend hours with a new evening menu with amped up sandwiches and fine dining entrées.
Philip Kuhn, owner of the The Press, started the business in 2016 as a sandwich shop to cater to the lunch crowd in and around the Hadley Center. Everything is cooked fresh in-house.
The Press offers a lunch menu 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and brunch 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sundays.
As the business started to grow, Kuhn and his staff, which represents about 70 years of cooking and restaurant experience, decided they had more to offer the community.
“As we were thinking about this, we thought, there are a lot of other times and a lot of other things that we would like people to experience,” Kuhn said of The Press.
The Press is now opening 5 to 10 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays with a new dinner menu.
One of Kuhn’s favorites is the Oscar burger, which is a burger with lump crab meat with a béarnaise sauce and shaved asparagus on a brioche bun.
“I had it once, and I had dreams about for about two weeks,” he said.
Another inventive sandwich is called The Southern Gentleman, which is a braised short rib sandwich on a hoagie with monterey jack cheese, fresh arugula and pickled red onions.
“Everything in this restaurant has a very bold and distinct flavor profile, and that is the way we created it,” he said. “We wanted people to experience that and start training people to understand what they are eating. That’s thyme or that’s rosemary or there is a hint of capers in this remoulade sauce. To try to introduce some new ideas to people.”
Some of the new entrées include duck confit, duck slow cooked in garlic, shallots and herbs de Provence; merchant de vin, a fillet with demi-merlot sauce; chicken marsala; chicken sautéed in mushroom sauce; chicken madeira, chicken breast sautéed in a madeira wine and mushroom sauce; and chicken kiev; chicken with herb compounded butter.
Kuhn said the demi-merlot is one of his favorite sauces, adding, “I could drench it on everything.”
From the hoof, The Press offers prime rib and center-cut sirloin. From the sea, the restaurants serves crab cakes and salmon with beurre blanc sauce.
“I would much rather give people an experience,” he said of his menu.
Kuhn said he The Press will continue to change its menu and try new things. The Press is already on its fourth lunch menu.
Keeping with the newspaper theme, The Press menus are printed at a newspaper in Spearville, and you can take your menu home with you. There is even a word search and fun food trivia on the back of the menu.
The name The Press originally came from the idea of a sandwich shop with sandwiches grilled on a panini press. That theme broadened to include wax paper for the sandwich baskets that looked like newsprint and famous posters of newspaper pages to decorate the walls.
Kuhn said he wanted to create a place that brought people together.
“We want people to be happy. We want people to enjoy themselves. It is not like anywhere else,” he said. “I think my favorite part of it — I’ve analyzed it and looked over it the last year — is when people come in here and they have conversations. You don’t see a lot of people pulling out their cellphones or getting on the internet. We don’t have TVs, so they aren’t watching sports games. I think it is a true interaction between one person and another. I think that is really neat.”
Kuhn has an extensive background as a chef and a restaurant manager. He started cooking when he was 9 and eventually attended culinary school in Denver. He managed the Airport Steakhouse in Hutchinson before moving on to work at hotels and convention centers. He also was the food and beverage director for the casino in Dodge City. In Hays, Kuhn is also the instructor for the NCK Tech culinary school. Although Kuhn sometimes hires NCK Tech culinary graduates to work at The Press, the two are not affiliated.
Reservations are encouraged for evening service at The Press, but not required. Reservations can be made by calling The Press at 785-301-2309 or online at hayspress.com.
Kuhn’s business also caters. More information on catering is also available online.
The pursuit of a long-term water supply for Hays from the R9 Ranch in Edwards County is about to clear a major hurdle.
Mayor James Meier talked at the end of Thursday night’s city commission work session about a communication from the governor’s office received late Sunday night.
“As you already know, it looks like they are going to be finishing up the Master Change Order in May,” Meier said. “It’s pretty significant because with all the time lines thrown out there, I don’t think there’s ever been anything firm from DWR (Division of Water Resources) or from any other governmental entity as to when we can expect this order to be issued.”
“This was a ‘firm’ May. So, we’re looking at 8 to 10 weeks, maximum.”
Hays is seeking to reallocate, or change, the water use at the R9 Ranch south of Kinsley from agriculture to municipal and also seeks permission from the state to transfer the water from the Arkansas River basin to the Smoky Hill River basin, which would trigger the Water Transfer Act.
Meier said it was “great to have that commitment from the governor’s office” and thanked several people, including Hays native Gov. Jeff Colyer for “taking time out of his schedule to investigate this and talked to DWR and the Department of Agriculture to get things moving.”
Rep. Eber Phelps, Hays City Commissioner Henry Schwaller, Russell Mayor Curt Mader, Hays City Commissioner Shaun Musil and Hays City Manager Toby Dougherty talk to state officials at the R9 Ranch Sept. 15, 2017.
Meier’s biggest “thank you” was for State Representative Eber Phelps (D-Hays).
Phelps is a former long-time Hays city commissioner who was serving on the commission when the ranch was purchased in 1994 by the city of Hays as a long-term water supply. The city of Russell owns an 18 percent share of the ranch.
“Phelps has done an outstanding job and none of it has been public,” Meier pointed out.
“He’s been working behind the scenes with multiple people, with the governor’s office, with the secretary of agriculture’s office, with DWR, and with fellow legislators trying to set up tours to get people down there and understand what we’re doing, educating everybody on the process and getting them excited about it.”
Meier asked city staff to compile a “fairly comprehensive” overview of the next steps in the process of the Water Transfer Act, which has never been triggered in Kansas.
The overview will be presented at the April 12 city commission meeting.
Commissioners want the information to be shared publicly during the televised meeting.
(Click to enlarge)
“We’ll go through the timeline of how the Change Order will now be issued but we still have to get through the Transfer Act and what that entails and who does what,” Meier said. “It’s extremely complicated.”
“I think the public will appreciate that,” Commissioner Sandy Jacob agreed. “I’ve been getting questions.”
Commissioner Shaun Musil is also getting questions about the status of the project. “I had somebody from Victoria actually email me yesterday wanting to know where we were at with this,” Musil told the commission.
Meier was glad to know about the inquiry. “We’ve always said this is a regional water source.”
City Manager Toby Dougherty told commissioners he periodically reaches out to Victoria, Ellis and Russell with a status update and would invite representatives to the April 12th meeting.
The R9 Ranch is being turned back to native grass.
Do you want an herb to signal you need a man or a crown of green that may help you remember the answers for you next test? Herb Day of Hays might have what you need.
The Hays Herb Study group is sponsoring a free Herb Day from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. April 28 and is currently looking for vendors.
The event is the first of its kind in Hays and herb study founder Pam “Herbie” Herl said she hopes the Herb Day will become an annual event.
Vendors will be set up in the Downtown Pavillion. There is no cost to be a vendor. You only need to bring your own table. Vendors can sell herbs, herb products or other plants. You can sign up for a spot by texting Herl at 785-259-9741, and she will get back to you with more information.
In addition to the market, the event will feature a series of speakers from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the gallery at Hays Public Library.
The schedule is below:
10 a.m. L.b. Brewing Co.—hops and brewing
11 a.m. Chef Tim Pfannenstiel— cooking with herbs and cooking demonstration
1 p.m. Swobee Honey Farm—honey
2 p.m. Haskell Indian Nations University—medicinal herbs
3 p.m. Wyldewood Cellars—elderberry and elderberry wine
4 p.m Morford Lavender Farm—lavender and lavender products
If more individuals or groups would like to offer lectures or do demonstrations, Herl said she would try to make space at the pavilion.
Pam Herl, herbalist, poses at the Hays Public Library with a fairy herb garden, which will be a future project for the HPL Herb Study group, and a bundle of sage.
Herl, a herbalist, started the herb study nine years ago. It is now a part of the Hays library programming. They meet at 5 p.m. on the first and third Tuesdays of the month in the gallery on the ground floor of the library. The programs are free, and you do not need to make reservations to attend. See the library website for upcoming programs.
Herl’s mother was Cherokee. As she was growing up, her mother used many natural remedies on cuts and bruises, and she learned much about herbs and their uses from her.
Many herbs with medicinal or culinary uses are native to Kansas. Some of these include echinacea (cone flower), mullein, yarrow, skull cap and yucca root.
Echinacea was used by Native Americans for snake bites and arthritis. The native people infused echinacea into animal fat and used it on their joints. It is also used in modern times as an immune booster. It can be found in teas, pill form or can be made into a tincture.
Lavender is known for its aromatic smell, but it also can be used in cooking and teas. Kansas’ dry climate creates good conditions for growing lavender. Lavender, a perennial in the state, is wind and heat tolerant, likes Kansas’ alkaline soil and does not like to have its roots’ wet. Herl said lavender was used during Word War I and II as an analgesic when medical supply lines were cut. It can also help with muscle spasms.
Rosemary and basil also grow well in Kansas. Students in Greece used to wear crowns of rosemary when they studied to enhance memory. Basil acts a bug repellant. Woman in Italy once placed basil plants in their windows to let suitors know they were looking for a man.
Sage grows wild in this part of the state. It is not only used in cooking, but to smudge or cleanse homes of evil energy.
Herl owns the Herb House, 914 Easter Ave., WaKeeney. She sells more than 150 herbal products ranging from a zit zapper to lip balm to massage oil.
However, Herl said her goal of the herb day and herb study is to spread the word about herbs.
“I want people to learn about herbs and share the knowledge of herbs for their use and delight,” she said.
Kalyssa Boyle, Hays High School freshman, was one of about 75 to 100 students who protested school violence Wednesday morning at the school. #enough was being used by students who were set to protest across the nation today after 17 people were killed in a shooting at a Florida high school on Feb. 14.
By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays Post
Increasing the age to buy guns, school resource officers, veterans or retired law enforcement officers to protect schools and more active shooter drills are all ideas Hays High School students offered Wednesday to make schools safer.
Approximately 75 to 100 Hays High School students walked out of school at 10 a.m. Wednesday to stage a silent protest against school violence.
The 10 a.m. protest corresponded with the time of a shooting Feb. 14 at a Florida high school in which 17 people were killed.
The students sat quietly as HHS Principal Martin Straub and other staff looked on for 17 minutes, one minute for each person who was killed in the Florida attack. Some students held signs with slogans such as “#Enough is enough,” “18th century laws cannot regulate 21st century weapons,” “Protect kids not guns,” and “Our school, our town, our state, our laws, and soon enough our vote.”
McKena McBride, HHS freshman, sits quietly with other students during a 17-minute protest Wednesday. The students protested one minute for every person who was killed in a shooting at a Florida High School on Feb. 14.
Noelia Villa, a senior at HHS who participated in the protest, said there have been enough school shootings, and something needs to be done.
“There has been so many shootings around the nation,” she said. “I think something needs to be done. Seventeen Florida victims, Sandyhook … I think it is about time that all of us stand up for them. They were so young, and they didn’t have a chance to live out their lives. I just think we should pay our respects to them.”
Villa said schools need more money to provide safety for students and faculty. She also said she would like to see Hays schools have school resource officers. Hays schools had resource officers provided by the Hays Police Department, but they were cut due to lack of funding.
Mulu Bannister, a HHS sophomore who participated in the protest, wore orange today to show her solidarity with students across the nation who also were set to walk out of schools today.
Madison Lisman, HHS junior, holds a sign amid a group of protesting students Wednesday morning at the school.
“I think our school needs more drills. We do drills for fire and tornadoes, but we don’t really do drills for what to do if someone comes into our schools. Little kids don’t know what to do in that kind of situation. I feel we could do more drills,” she said.
Both students thought the age to buy guns should be raised to 21 as it recently was in Florida.
After the shooting in February, Kaiden VanSchuyver, HHS student, started a petition to have retired police officers and veterans placed in schools for protection.
“I started the petition to try and stop gun violence in schools,” he said via an email. “Politicians never get things done on this topic. They have always used tragedies to push their agenda. Instead of waiting, I decided to act upon this issue by myself.
“I believe it would be a good idea to have veterans and retired law enforcement officers in schools because having the security would prevent these tragedies from happening. If we armed good citizens with the proper training, they could stop the bad citizens from performing these horrible acts.”
Kayson Unsworth, HHS freshman, holds a sign during a student protest on Wednesday.
VanSchuyver has collected 256 signatures so far and is aiming to collect more by sharing online links to the petition via social media.
VanSchuyver said he did not plan to participate in the school walk out today.
“I feel, and know, that everyone has a right to protest, but I feel that they shouldn’t do it during school hours,” he said. “Another reason why I didn’t do the school walk out is I don’t really believe in gun control. I feel gun control doesn’t work because if the government takes away certain guns, then the law-abiding citizens wouldn’t have a way to protect themselves. Whereas the criminals would/will find a way to get guns. It’s like drugs. The government banned drugs, yet drug dealers and other people find a way to get them.”
Straub said the students will not be disciplined for the walk out. He said the students communicated with the HHS administration and staff and caused no problems during the protest. All students stayed on campus. The only disruption was students missing passing period and being late to their next class.
Straub, a former social studies teacher, said the students were making a powerful statement while being respectful. He said the protest was in the vain of two of his heroes Martin Luther King Jr. and Nelson Mandela.
“Without being political, who is not for school safety?” he said.
Although Hays Middle School had a number of students stage their own walk out on Feb. 26, the school reported no walk outs today.
Thomas More Prep-Marian Principal Chad Meitner also reported no walk outs at that school. He said TMP has tried to address school safety through the school’s regular drills. The school has had crisis drills for the last several years, and he said the school has tried to be more in-depth with how it works with students and parents on the drills since the shooting in Florida.
The Hays school district continues discuss its crisis plan and notification of the public of threats following an alleged school threat by a HHS student on Feb. 12. The public was not notified of the threat until five days later. The school board discussed a desire to have a written notification policy at its meeting Monday night.
Beverly Mortimer of the Jobs for America’s Graduates-Kansas (JAG-K) pitched the program to the Hays school board Monday night. The program helps at-risk students in paths toward graduation and careers.By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays Post
The Hays USD 489 school board heard a report on the Jobs for America’s Graduates-Kansas — a program to help at-risk students — at its meeting Monday.
The program, known as JAG-K, puts career specialists in schools to work with students.
The program helps students with remediation to help them graduate high school, works on career planning, and enhances leadership and job skills. Students visit workplaces and colleges, participate in a career association club and perform 10 hours of community service.
They have individual development plans. In these plans, they set goals and pair them with their academic work. These plans are going to be required for all students under the state’s new accreditation program.
Through the national and state associations, students participate in conferences and competitions associated with leadership, public speaking and math.
The program has a 97 percent graduation rate for 2017. Hays High School has about an 87 percent graduation rate. New state accreditation standards have set a goal of a graduation rate of 95 percent.
JAG-K students are enrolled in classes of 10 to 15 students during the school year, but the JAG-K specialists maintain contact with the students during the summer and for 12 months after graduation. About 35 to 50 students would be enrolled in the program initially at Hays High.
The goal of the program is not only to help students graduate, but also to obtain full-time employment, enter the military or go on to post-secondary education after high school. The program has an 89 percent success rate in students entering full-time employment, military or post-secondary education after high school. Post-secondary education or certification is another goal of the state’s new accreditation program.
Beverly Mortimer, JAG-K vice president of program development, used to be a superintendent in Concordia. She said she shook many students’ hands at graduation and sent them on their way, but she did not know where the students ended up after high school. Did they show up at college? Vocational school? The JAG-K program tracks the students and supports them in their career paths after high school.
If JAG-K students don’t graduate, the program works with them during the next year to earn their diplomas.
The program is funded by a TANF grant from the Department of Children and Families. The cost of the program is $65,000. One year of participation in JAG-K for the Hays school district would cost $6,500. The school district only has to provide a classroom and transportation. The JAG-K specialist is employed by the JAG-K program. Mortimer said the program tries to keep the cost and work associated with the program at a minimum for school districts.
Whereas most programs define students as at-risk because they receive free or reduced-cost lunches, JAG-K has a greater list of barriers it looks at to select students. The program selects students who have at least five barriers on a list of challenges. Some of these include children in foster care, students who have at least one parent who did not finish high school, students who have a parent who is incarcerated, students who have a parent who is unemployed, English language learners or students who live in single-parent home.
“When we talk about barriers, it is not just academics,” Mortimer said. “I wish I had with me a whole bunch of JAG-K kids from other schools to tell you their stories because all of these statistics are statistics. But if kids stand in front of you and tell you their stories of success and how they have overcome adversity and the resilience they have applied and been successful, it means a lot more than those statistics.
“We have a young man who is headed right now to Emporia State University. He got a 35 on his ACT. You are probably going, ‘What is his barrier? Why is he in your class?’ If you could see his family, you would know what his barriers are. They are low economics. I picked him up to take him to the airport for our national student leadership academy. He was a math participant. He said, ‘I think we are safe Miss Bev, but sometimes there are shootings in my neighborhood. My uncle was killed.’ It is just a matter of fact. That is his life.”
This student’s grades are very low, but he is an extremely intelligent young man, Mortimer said. He takes care of his four siblings, one of whom has cerebral palsy, and he has a full-time job while going to school. Mortimer said she has hundreds of stories like this student’s.
JAG-K is a national program with 68 programs in 33 school districts in the state of Kansas. Some other cities with JAG-K in Kansas include Salina, Great Bend, Junction City, Concordia, Atchison, Lawrence, Kansas City, Pittsburg, Arkansas City, El Dorado, Augusta and Coffeyville.
If the school district approves an agreement with the JAG-K, it would begin at Hays High School this fall. The agreement is for one year, so if district officials feel it is not effective, the program can be terminated at the end of the 2018-19 school year. The board has until April 1 to decide if it wishes to participate in the program for the upcoming school year.
Mortimer said JAG-K reached out to Hays because it recently received an increase in funding and is trying to reach more students. The program has no schools in northwest Kansas.
The Hays school board Monday tabled revisions to its administrative handbook so that revisions could be made to district’s policy on notification of the public in the event of a crisis.
Minor changes to correct outdated language were up for approval at Monday’s meeting, but board member Greg Schwartz said he would prefer to table the handbook until a written policy could be added to address notification of the public in the case of a school threat.
A student at Hays High School was taken into custody in February after allegedly making a threat against the high school. The student was removed from school on a Monday, but the public was not informed until five days later.
“We talked a couple of meetings ago about changes after what happened at Hays High,” Schwartz said. “One of the things that was brought to my attention is how do people know that we have actually learned anything based on that.”
He said this is not the first incident at the high school. Years ago the HHS had a similar incident with “bad information,” Schwartz said.
“If you’re here, we’re probably all right, but what happens if you leave?” Schwartz said to Thissen. “Where’s the policy? The only way you are going to be able to ensure things are going to happen in the future is to have a policy on it that says here is how we are going to handle it in the future.”
Superintendent John Thissen said the district is continuing to address its crisis plan, and he did not think the handbook vote needed to be delayed. He said district officials will be meeting with fire and law enforcement officials today, and the district’s crisis team will be meeting later this month.
Thissen said, “I think what happened at the high school was more a judgment on my part of crisis or no crisis. Then because of the tragedy in the middle of the week in Florida, it was a perceived crisis. … I think what is in place is solid, Greg. We are working to put more planning [in place] and refining how we end up moving on any of these matters.”
Schwartz moved to table the handbook until the board’s March 26 meeting. The motion passed 6-1 with board member Paul Adams voting against the motion.
In other business, the board approved building level administrative contracts. Lincoln Principal Elaine Rohleder and Hays Middle School Principal Craig Pallister have announced their retirements.
The board also approved a bid of $96,900 from Brian’s Concrete Services for concrete for the Hays High School parking lot.
For almost 30 years, high school girls wrestling has quietly grown both nationally and in the state of Kansas. But in recent years, the growth has been substantial and not so quiet.
Just fewer than 9,000 girls participated in wrestling nationally in 2012 and, in just a five-year span, that number ballooned to 14,587 girls in 2017. Despite the dramatic increase in participants, girls wrestling is still not a sanctioned by a majority of state high school athletic associations including Kansas.
The few states that have sanctioned high school girls wrestling have experienced huge numbers of growth in competition due to the fact that the girls participating can wrestle against other girls for post season tournaments instead of wrestling boys like in non-sanctioned states.
For example:
• The state of Tennessee experienced 294 percent growth in girls wrestling participants from 2014-2017 after sanctioning the sport in 2015.
• California participants increased by 202 percent from 2010-2017.
• Washington state sanctioned girls wrestling in 2007 and had a 628 percent participation increase over the next 10 years.
Although girls wrestling is not a sanctioned sport in Kansas (meaning there is no official girls post season tournament), there has been a growth in girls divisions and tournaments throughout the regular season in the past two years. According to McPherson wrestling coach Doug Kretzer, prior to 2017, there were no girls tournaments or divisions for Kansas girls to wrestle other girls unless they happened to face another school that also had a girl wrestler. In 2017, Kretzer lead the charge in holding a girls-only competition.
This year’s Kansas girls state championships in McPherson.
“Just by letting girls know that we were going to find competition for them and give them the opportunity to compete against other girls any chance we got, even if it was only in practice, we had 13 girls come out for wrestling and not a single one quit,” Kretzer said. “We at McPherson decided to have a girls division at our JV tournament in December of 2017. Thirteen schools brought girls, and we wrestled the first-ever girls tournament and girls-only division in the state of Kansas.”
After other schools realized that there were plenty of participants to hold girls-only events, three more competitions took place in 2017 throughout the state, including a unofficial girls state tournament to finish the year hosted by McPherson High School and Coach Kretzer. In that inaugural state tournament in February 2017, 36 schools with a total of 56 girls competed for a state title. This year, there were nine total girls events in Kansas and again McPherson hosted an unofficial state tournament. Fifty-seven schools showed up and 145 girls competed in the tournament.
“We went from never having a single girls competition in the state of Kansas to four last year then to nine this year,” Kretzer said. “The girls that are saying yes with the limited opportunity. What happens if you turn them loose against other girls? Girls wrestling is just waiting to blow up, in my opinion.”
One of the schools participating in this year’s state tournament for the first time was Trego Community High School. Freshmen Jessika Chapman and Sydney Boyle competed in the tournament, but when they first stepped on the mat this year, Trego wrestling coach Jeremy Sampson wasn’t sure what to do with them.
Jessika Chapman and Sydney Boyle at Great Bend tournament.
“I told the girls and their parents from the beginning that I was not going to expect anything less from you that I expect from the boys. I made them fully aware of that going in and they never once complained,” Sampson said. “They did the workouts the boys did and they knew their practice partners were going to be boys most of the time because they were in different weight classes and I couldn’t always put them together.”
Both freshmen wrestled in the varsity lineup for Trego County (the only Mid-Continent League team that has female wrestlers) during the season and mostly wrestled against boys.
“They competed hard and took knocks each and every week, but every Monday they would come back to practice with smiles on their faces when they came into the wrestling room,” Sampson said. “I told them I was going to try and get them into some girls-only events.”
It was at this year’s unofficial state tournament in McPherson that Sampson realized the potential of girls wrestling in Kansas.
“I’m telling you, that event opened up my eyes,” he said. “It’s not a fad. It’s the real thing. They’re not going to take no for an answer and if they have to compete against boys, they’re going to compete against boys, but I think they’re just asking for that opportunity to wrestle against girls.”
Sydney and Jessika wanted to ask for that opportunity publicly which lead to this video being posted on the Trego Wrestling Facebook and Twitter pages a few weeks ago:
“Girls are just asking for an opportunity for KSHSAA to recognize what they’re doing. Watching the passion that the girls had at the girls championships in McPherson … they deserve an opportunity to compete against girls. It was amazing to watch it and it opened my eyes to what it really is,” Sampson said.
The outreach to KSHSAA to sanction girls wrestling in the state of Kansas has not fallen on deaf ears. Mark Lentz, the KSHSAA assistant director in charge of wrestling, was in attendance at the girls state tournament in McPherson.
“It’s nice to see people interested in participating and growing the sport,” Lentz said. “I personally went out and watched the unsanctioned state event that they had in McPherson. I wanted to see the participation and interaction. I think there are some real positives from it.”
For a sport to get sanctioned by KSHSAA, the group of individuals and/or schools would need to get the support of member schools of the association. After that, they will go through the Kansas Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association and the Kansas Coaches Association to bring that to the board of the KSHSAA. The board makes the decision as to whether it will sanction postseason for females.
Kretzer presented to the board last year, but the proposal did not pass. However, there will be another proposal this spring.
“They gave some good ideas and thoughts last year,” said Lentz, who is an administrator and not on the board. “They’ve shown growth, so we’ll see what the board decides this time. I don’t think you ever shut the door to it at all.”
While high school girl’s wrestling is still unsanctioned currently for postseason, the growth is undeniable and having a sanctioned postseason event becomes more of a possibility as the participation numbers continue to climb.
It’s uncertain when and if it will be sanctioned but one thing is for sure — the girls and coaches that support them will continue to pave the way for the girls coming in after them and keep fighting for the opportunity to wrestle other girls.
“I asked, ‘Which of you girls are willing to go out there and fight for all the girls both before and after you?,’ ” Kretzer said. “Girls are powerful … they’re motivated. There’s a place for everyone in the sport of wrestling.”
Fort Hays State graduates involved with the athletic departments at two NCAA Division II schools playing against each other Friday in women’s basketball were, from left, Gerard Wellbrock, Mike Hammett, Dustin Armbruster, Doug Self, Ryan Prickett and Lacey Jones.By DIANE GASPER-O’BRIEN FHSU University Relations and Marketing
As they follow Fort Hays State University athletic teams around the country, it’s not unusual for Ryan Prickett and Gerard Wellbrock to run into former co-workers who are FHSU graduates like themselves.
Prickett, sports information director at FHSU, and Wellbrock, radio voice of the Tigers, hit the jackpot this week. The duo is in Sioux Falls, S.D., covering the Tiger women’s basketball team in the NCAA Division II Central Regional.
FHSU’s first-round opponent Friday was Southwestern Oklahoma State University, which had not just one or two, but three Tiger alumni representing the Bulldogs in the tournament.
Sporting the navy and white of SWOSU as the two teams were scheduled to meet in the noon contest were Doug Self, the Bulldogs’ SID; Lacey Jones, a graduate assistant in the athletic training program in charge of working with the women’s basketball team; and Mike Hammett, radio voice of the Bulldogs.
All three worked under Prickett during their college careers at Fort Hays State. Hammett then focused on broadcasting and worked for three years at Eagle Radio in Hays, where he learned under Wellbrock.
The group met for dinner Thursday night in Sioux Falls, and Prickett and Wellbrock weren’t outnumbered. Accompanying Wellbrock, sports director for Eagle Radio, was Dustin Armbruster, another FHSU grad. Armbruster is KJLS program director at Eagle. He does play-by-play for Hays High School athletics and provides color commentary for Tiger broadcasts.
“I keep in touch with a lot of my former students who worked in our department at Fort Hays State, but it’s always nice to get together with them in person,” said Prickett, a two-time graduate of FHSU (2003 and ’05) who is in his 13th year as the Tigers’ head SID.
While the six alums knew they would be working for different schools Friday, there is a mutual respect among them.
“That doesn’t really bother me, except I obviously want our team to advance,” Prickett said. “I’m just really proud we have these individuals going out in the world and having success past Fort Hays State. Even though they don’t all end up in the sports information field, you hope they have learned some life skills to take with them out into the world, too.”
Jones said the variety of experience she received at FHSU has been invaluable as she pursues her master’s degree in athletic training from SWOSU.
“Getting that experience under Ryan and in the athletic office was great, dealing with a lot of different people,” said Jones, who came to FHSU from south central Kansas and graduated with her bachelor’s degree in 2016. “I feel very equipped and very ready as an athletic trainer after getting all the hands-on experience, too.”
Jones, who will graduate with her master’s degree in May, said she has been looking forward to today’s game and still follows the Tigers on the radio.
“You know you’re a Tiger through and through when you listen to Gerard,” Jones said. “He’s such a great radio broadcaster, and even if we open the video feed to watch the game, we mute the sound on it so we can listen to Gerard.”
Others who have worked under Wellbrock and Prickett share the same high opinion of them.
Self grew up in northeast Kansas and came to Fort Hays State because “I’m a small-town kid and when I visited Fort Hays, I just had a really good feeling about it.”
“Ryan is one of the hardest working guys out there, and I soon found out how well respected he is in his field,” said Self, who graduated with a bachelor’s degree in 2010, then earned a master’s in sports administration in 2012.
“I sure learned the value of hard work,” Self said. “He taught me how to deal with people and how to wear a lot of hats. I couldn’t have found a more fitting career path for myself.”
Armbruster, who grew up in WaKeeney and graduated from FHSU in 2004, had similar praise for Wellbrock.
“There’s an opportunity to learn from every broadcaster you ever meet, the way you prepare to be on the air or act on the air or around coaches,” he said. “Certainly, being around Gerard Wellbrock has elevated my level of professionalism with the industry.”
Hammett, a 2008 Fort Hays State graduate, agreed.
“Gerard has been one of my biggest influences in the industry,” said Hammett, now in his second year as sports director of in Wright Radio in Weatherford, Okla. “You can look at how I do things, and they are real similar to the way Gerard does it. I learned a lot from him – and from Ryan, too.”
“I came to Fort Hays State because I learned you could get involved right away, different than at some larger schools,” Hammett added. “I actually wanted to be a sportswriter and stumbled into sports broadcasting, and I absolutely love it.”
It’s all about conducting yourself with professionalism every step of the way, said Wellbrock, who learned from one of the best. Wellbrock grew up listening to former Tiger broadcaster Bob Davis, who went on to become the Voice of the University of Kansas Jayhawks.
Like Armbruster, Wellbrock – who grew up in Victoria – stayed close to home to go to college and graduated from FHSU in 1990. He has been at Eagle Radio since 1992, working his way up to Voice of the Tigers in 2002.
While their younger counterparts were busy giving Prickett and Wellbrock credit for teaching by example, they said it goes both ways.
“I thought I wanted to be a teacher when I came to college, but I have found this is more my calling,” Prickett said. “I enjoy working around sports, but I also like teaching others what to expect once they go beyond these walls. I learn from them, too. I think we all learn from each other.”
“I have a really good rapport with Dustin,” Wellbrock said, “and when he is helping doing games, he makes me better. I broadcast better when he is working with me. During football season, someone told us that we look like we’re having fun doing the games. And we do.”
Wellbrock and Armbruster, along with Prickett, have more fun ahead in Sioux City after Fort Hays State pulled out a thrilling, 78-75 victory over SWOSU Friday. With the win, the Tigers (26-6) advanced to Saturday’s semifinals vs. the winner of Friday’s game between Central Missouri State University and Minnesota State University-Moorhead.
Castle Rock gained more historical significance during America’s pioneering days when it became an identifying landmark on the Smoky Hill Trail and the Butterfield Overland Despatch. What a surprise it must have been for travelers when, after days of flat earth travel, they came upon a hidden valley of chalky cliffs!
To visit, turn south on Banner Road from Collyer (Exit #115), look for the turnoff to the Castle Rock and it’s badlands roughly 12.4 miles south of I-70 at Trego County U Road. Turn west (right) on U Rd. and go 2.8 miles into Gove County on K Road. Look for signs pointing north to Castle Rock to guide you into the pasture, then follow the path, crossing the cattle guard and driving to the bluff that overlooks Castle Rock.
