By CRISTINA JANNEY

Hays Post

A group from Ellis Baptist Church is about half way to its fundraising goal to send nine church members to Kenya next summer.

The trip has already been in the planning stages for more than a year.

The church has sent members on mission trips before, but in 2018 they will be joining missionaries Josh and Bethany Wormley, who the church is sponsoring, in Eldoret, Kenya, a city of about 290,000 people.

Youth and adults will assist the missionaries with work at a local orphanage and school as well as tasks at a newly formed Bible institute that is training Kenyans to be local ministers.

Although the city does have modern conveniences, such as electricity and common American fast food chains like KFC, it also has much poverty, Chad Pritchett, Ellis Baptist Church pastor, said.

Pritchett is an Army veteran who served in both the Gulf and Iraq wars and has also taken mission trips abroad.

“I have seen the impact of missions on our own children,” he said. “They get to see truly what other countries have, and they are never the same.”

Lauren Pritchett, 19, traveled to Livingstone, Zambia, Africa, about four years ago on a similar mission trip.

“We take a lot of things for granted. They love the Lord and will do whatever He wants them to do,” she said.

Residents in this rural area, which they call the bush, lived in stick huts with leaf roofs with no running water and no electricity. Lauren’s group conducted revivals in the area, and some faithful walked seven miles to come to church.

Lauren was so inspired by her trip she plans to go into the ministry and is considering foreign missions.

“I realized how much God has blessed me and my family. I could see the love God has, and how it could translate over here too,” she said.

Lauren’s mom, Tricia, is also going on the Kenya trip along with Lauren’s brother Michael.

Tricia has never been out of the country. She hopes to share some of Lauren’s experiences.

“This will be my daughter’s third mission trip,” she said. “ Every time she comes back, she is so excited about what she has done and seen. She is changed in her heart and her ministry toward other people.”

Tricia said she is most looking forward to working in the Eldoret orphanage. Their own family adopted one of their children, who is now grown.

Kelly Hansen, 35, a teacher at Ellis’ Washington Elementary School, has been to Africa on multiple mission trips. She has taught in schools and done in-services for local teachers in Africa. After first-grade, most teaching in Kenya is done in English, and most children know both English and local tribal languages.

Leading Bible study for a small group of teen girls has been among her most rewarding activities, she said.

“I have always had joy in my heart for helping someone else grow and change,” she said.

Hansen said the Kenyan people are very hospitable and usually offer tea or food when guests visits. They appreciative when westerners can help with money or physical things, but Hansen learned there were problems she could not solve.

“The Gospel is more than that,” she said. “There were times I couldn’t fix things financially for them. It really laid on my heart that the  Gospel was so much more than that, that eternal salvation is so much more than anything I could give or bring with me.”

Those who wish to give to the mission trip can send checks to Kenya Team, Ellis Baptist Church, PO Box 204, Ellis, KS 67637.

The church is a 501(c)3, and contributions are tax deductible. The group is selling T-shirts as a fundraiser, will have a soccer camp and plans a fundraising night at Arthur’s Pizza in Ellis on Aug. 31.

By CRISTINA JANNEY

Hays Post

The Hays Public Library took people on a trip back in time during historic downtown tours Friday night.

Tours started every half hour from the library and traveled through Hays’ Chestnut District. The original name for Hays’ Main Street was Chestnut Street.

The tour began at the Hays Public Library, which was built in 1911. The Women’s Literary Club, which was organized in 1899, raised money for the library. However, the bulk of the $8,108.25 for the construction of the original library came from a gift from Andrew Carnegie.

A new larger building was constructed in 1968 at a cost of $440,000, and the most recent renovation and addition to the building was completed in 2004 at a cost of $700,000, said Samanthan Dean, adult librarian.

The Wiesner Building is one of the oldest buildings in the Hays. It was built in 1913 by AA Wiesner, a Volga German. He worked in a couple of grocery stores before borrowing $500 from his uncle to open his own store. He made $2 on his opening day in 1879. The store remained open until 1991.

“One of things I wanted to hit on is I talked to a lot of locals in doing research on these buildings and every single one of the locals I spoke to said this is one of the most iconic buildings they feel in the Chestnut Street District because they remember shopping here when they were kids,” Dean said. “It is one of the buildings they cherish the most and they want to see talked about and preserved.”

The Philip Hardware Store, 719 Main St., was built in 1874. However, it did not become a hardware store until 1896. Before that it housed a U.S. Public Land Office in 1875. The store was operated as a hardware store until 1997. It has been on the National Register of Historic Places since the 1970s.

Most downtown Hays business owners were Volga German, but Philip was from Scotland.

Down the block at 715 Main, there was a carpentry store in the 1890s. The fire department was located in that block until 1911. Dr. Hugo Kohl, the army surgeon at Fort Hays, moved to Hays from Victoria and set up his apothecary in that same block in 1894. An apothecary was the drug store of its time, Dean said.

Charles Harkins fell in love with the boss’s daughter and would eventually take over the business. The business was originally at 1111 Main before it was moved. Harkins Pharmacy also had a soda fountain and on Saturdays sold banana splits for 29 cents. It was moved to the 715 Main location in 1960s and was closed in 1974.

What is now called the Chestnut Building, 1200 Main, was originally the Lamar Hotel, which was built in 1930 by CW Lamar. The Lamar family had other hotels in the area, and the family worked in and lived in the hotel, Dean said.

Shirley Temple stayed in the building in the 1930s. In 1966, the building was purchased by First National Bank. Hall Street was named for the first president of the First National Bank, Andrew S. Hall. The bank was remodeled into a Williamsburg style building, which is how the exterior appears today. In 1989 the bank changed its name to Emprise Bank.

By BECKY KISER
Hays Post

A new item recently introduced to the Hays city commission agenda is the introduction of new city employees and recognition of internal promotions.

Director of Human Resources Erin Giebler opened the announcements during the July 13 commission meeting, followed by specific department heads bringing the employees to the podium.

Those recognized were:

Water Resources:
Jeff Crispin, Director of Water Resources
Jason Riegel, Water Reclamation and Reuse Superintendent

Parks:
Neal Duden, Parks Maintenance Worker
Chance Giolas, Parks Maintenance Worker

Service:
Andy VanEpps, Service Maintenance Worker
Mike Pfannenstiel, Service Maintenance Worker

Solid Waste:
Johnny Rupp, Solid Waste Maintenance Worker II

By BECKY KISER
Hays Post

Not everybody is nuts about sports.

There are more than 50 Special Olympic athletes who are members of the Hays Buffaloes, and then there are some other members of the local intellectual and developmentally disabled (IDD) community who prefer something different.

Arc of Central Plains is creating a new activity center in its facility in downtown Hays, 600 Main, thanks to a $5,000 grant from the Home Depot Foundation and volunteer members of  Hays Team Depot.

Brent Kaiser was hired as the Arc Activities Director in late December. He has a bachelor’s degree in sports and recreation management and is working on his master’s degree in sports administration, both at Fort Hays State University. Part of his job description is developing and running the new facility.

“Really what I want to do is provide activities that are going to reach other people who are not necessarily interested in Special Olympics types of activities,” Kaiser said. “Just reach a whole different population as well as some of the ones that are doing some of the activities that we have.” Ages of the current Arc clients range from 15 to nearly 80.

Those activities will include non-sports related events including dances, arts and crafts, and educational programs such as personal safety and first aid. Two game tables have been donated for ping pong and pool and a sound system is already in place which can be used for dance music.

The large empty room in the back of the Arc Thrift Store has its own wheelchair accessible entrance and restrooms. The build-out and finishing of the room was funded by a grant from the Dane G. Hansen Foundation.

Home Depot volunteers have already painted the floor with a special slip-proof indoor/outdoor paint, “especially important since we’ll have running water in here for painting classes,” noted Arc Executive Director Kathy McAdoo. She is also a new employee, hired in February, and has worked for Arc in Denver.

“The new kitchen cabinets have all been stained by the Team Depot associates at the store and will be brought down and installed along with brand new counter tops and a sink,” she added. Rounding out the kitchen area will be a new refrigerator and a new microwave.

Kaiser is hoping to add food preparation classes to the activities. “We’re looking for people to teach classes they think our people would be interested in, so give me a call,” he urged.

The five Home Depot volunteers and several Arc volunteers started painting at 8 o’clock Friday morning and were to work all day under the direction of Team Depot leader Katie Jones to finish the room’s transformation.

McAdoo laughingly said “paint is our best friend. Our walls need a new coat of paint, so we’ll also do that. The entire room will be easy to clean and durable.”

The Arc activity center is expected to open within a couple of months.

For more information call 785-628-8831 or go to the Arc Facebook page.

 

By BECKY KISER
Hays Post

Although there has been a lot of progress the past week and the entire structure is nearly demolished, Hays city commissioners still voted 3-0 Thursday night to invoke a nuisance abatement against the former Ambassador Hotel and Conference Center, 3603 Vine.

The city’s intervention to clean up the site would not start until Mon., July 24 and now it seems possible that won’t be necessary.

If it is, the city would have to “temporarily finance the demolition project with the intention of recouping the costs through a property tax lien,” explained Jesse Rohr, Planning Inspection Enforcement Superintendent.

Former district manager for the defunct hotel, Gregg Wahlers, attended the city commission meeting. He is still an employee of the property owner, ABEL Lodging, Dallas.

During the July 6 commission work session, property owner Joshua Joseph argued with city representatives, contending he had not received the legally required notices of an impending nuisance abatement. The warning letters were sent certified mail.

Wahlers’ discussion with the city was not contentious.

The hotel closed December 1, 2015 after several internal property maintenance issues. The owner chose to raze the structure for redevelopment. A demolition permit was issued Nov. 30, 2016. Little progress was noted by city staff and by March, 2017, the work had stopped for remediation of additional asbestos found in the building. 24/7 Enviro Solutions, the company hired by demolition contractor American Wrecking Services, was on site through March and into early April. The city of Hays condemned the property May 30, after city inspectors determined minimal work had been done other than removal of some metal scrap.

Demolition work was expected to take six to eight weeks, as Carl Britz, owner of American Wrecking Services, had told the city.

Wahlers updated commissioners on the project, saying “when I left to come to this meeting, he was actually finishing the last part. So the whole building should be razed. Now it’s just coordinating the hauling (of the rubble) and which landfills to take it to.”

“It looks like there’s been some progress the last few days,” Mayor Shaun Musil commented, “and I think all of us up here would love to see the work done to where the city doesn’t have to take action. I know the community wants the city to take care of it right now, but we’re doing the right thing. Hopefully, the property owner will get it taken care of and be done very soon.” “That would be ideal,” Rohr agreed.

“Progress is important,” City Manager Toby Dougherty told Wahlers. “We understand when you’re demolishing a facility it’s going to be unsightly and a work in progress. But there was a long period when there was no activity whatsoever, just a vacant half-demolished building that becomes a health hazard. That’s why city commissioners are taking this action.”

Wahlers responded he “couldn’t defend the previous contractor. I just know when they found the asbestos, he had to take a break and went and found other work. To get him back has been slow.”

Wahlers is “currently trying to find additional contractors to help get this done. We just ask if there’s any possibility to work with the city to get help, and who to talk to and how to do it.” He added that he’d spent the day contacting people in different city departments.

Vice-Mayor James Meier and Commissioner Sandy Jacobs assured Wahlers city employees would help all they can. Jacobs acknowledged the “significant progress since we last met, and it’s ideal for everyone if it’s all done before the city has to (intervene.)”

Wahlers also tried to contact Ellis County Public Works Director Bill Ring numerous times Thursday but was unsuccessful.

“He’s right behind you,” the commissioners laughed. “Bill was probably out fixing county roads today,” Jacobs noted.

Ring was standing in the back of the city commission chambers during the discussion and later introduced himself to Wahlers.

In other business, commissioners also unanimously agreed to abatement of an inoperable pickup located at 414 E. 7th Street.

The trio also approved a recommended increase in seat belt fines from $10 to $30 to reflect a change in state law and approved an ordinance increasing municipal court costs from $80 to $100 per case.

Commissioners Henry Schwaller and Lance Jones were absent from the meeting.

By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post

You may remember the Peterson Farm Brothers from their break-out viral video five years ago “We’re Farmers and We Grow It.”

The three brothers from Assaria, Greg, Nathan and Kendal, have parlayed their social media sensation into active advocacy for agriculture and farmers.

Greg has traveled to 49 states and eight foreign countries singing the family’s parodies and informing audiences about the importance of agriculture. Their YouTube videos have received more than 45 million views.

All three brother will be at the Russell County Free Fair at 9 p.m. July 27, where they perform some of their parodies and relate their ag message.

Greg, 26 and Nathan, 23 are both graduates of Kansas State University and Kendal, 21, is a student there. All three are working on the family’s fifth-generation 1,400 acre row-crop farm with their dad and hope to make farming their careers.

“We just hope the presentations inspire those who are in farming to be proud of what they are doing and to share that message with others,” he said. “For people who aren’t in the ag community, we want them to think about and realize how important farming is and to be thankful to the farmers around them. We want to give the audience a feel-good feeling about farming and who farmers are.”

Keeping farmers inspired is even more important during a depressed farm economy, Greg said.

“With the ag economy being harder, I think it is easier for farmers to get discouraged,” he said, “and not feel really good about what they are doing. Despite where the economy is at, the service we are providing is really important, and you can still get a lot of enjoyment out of what you are doing. We just try to share that in our videos.”

By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post

It may look like an empty shell now, but the non-profit First Call For Help has big dreams for a portion of the space at its new location.

The organization would like to eventually build sleeping rooms for transitional housing at its new location at 607 E. 13th St. The organization moved there at the end of June.

The organization had been leasing space at the Hadley Center, but its programs had outgrown the space. Also Linda Mills, director, said owning a building made more economic sense than continuing to rent.

There are a wide range of housing options available in Hays. Efficiency apartments can start at $400 to $500. However, families living on minimum wage often struggle to find something with enough space in their price range.

“We would like to be able to offer at least a step in that direction to try to help them stabilize for housing,” Mills said. “What that looks like we are not exactly sure yet.

“We are considering transitional housing, which would be a place for people to stay while they build the necessary resources to be able to get their own housing situation and create some stability.”

First Call served 268 individuals last year, 117 of those needed shelter.

If an individual or family loses housing, saving enough for a deposit can be difficult.

Noel Morales found himself in this very spot Thursday afternoon. He moved to Hays from Puerto Rico to live with his son.

The two quarreled over Morales’ Christian religious beliefs.

He felt he had no choice but to move out.

Morales, 54, a native of Chicago, is a veteran who flew missions over Korea and Lebanon during peace times. He is unable to work because of an injury to his hand in the military and a back injury he received while working in Puerto Rico.

A balcony fell on him, and doctors told him he would never walk again. Morales explained God intervened, and after a year in physical therapy, he walked again.

Morales was able to pay for his deposit and a debt he owed for his plane ticket to the U.S., but the $1,119 per month he receives in VA benefits and disability left no money for groceries.

He walked a mile and half in 90-degree heat to seek assistance from First Call, the first charity assistance he said he has ever asked for in his life.

Morales struggled to hold back tears. He said he is a proud man and it was hard to ask for help.

“It means a lot,” he said. “These people are helping others. When people do that, it shows love. … They are helping people grow.”

First Call gave Morales hygiene items and a bag of food from its newly expanded food pantry and pointed him to other resources, including the Learning Center where he might be able to earn his GED.

Mills said the food pantry is not meant to replace other resources in the community but will allow the center to offer one-time immediate assistance to those needing food.

Mills admitted transitional housing is a far-off dream at this point. First Call will have to bring in an architect to see what facilities could be constructed within its new building. Then it would require raising 10s of thousands of dollars in a capital campaign to do the renovations.

Work is still underway to finish the office spaces in the new building. Much of the work thus far has been done with the help of volunteers.

The new space should allow First Call to run its BackPack for kids campaign out of the building, conduct informal classes for clients and conduct board meetings.

Updated: 7-12-17

EMPORIA — The Kansas Smoke 18 & Under fast-pitch softball team earned championship honors at the 2017 Kansas ASA Class C State Softball Championships in Emporia on July 7-9, 2017.

The team has won state titles in the 12&Under Class, 14&Under Class and now the 18&Under Class.

The Smoke was undefeated at the event and recorded wins over the Heat (Newton), Topeka Lady Warriors, and two wins over Motley Crue (Haysville). The team is currently on a 7-game winning streak.

Complete tournament results are available at: https://gfp.tournamentusasoftball.com/i!/brackets/Results.php?TID=12351&BSID=38316

The Smoke will close their season at the USSSA National Fast Pitch Championships in Topeka July 20-22.

Front row, from left: Emily Schulte, Lexi Gottschalk, Malynn Plumer, Cora Milbourne, Brooklyn Staab and Kayla Garvert. Middle row, from left: Sidney Duvall, MacKenzie Fagan, Alison Helget, Britney Beck, and Kaitlyn Brown. Coaches, from left: Scott Staab, Ryan Gottschalk, and Randy Gottschalk

By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post

A new steakhouse with a Wild West theme will open on Vine Street at the end of July.

Hickok’s Steakhouse will be in the remodeled space that last housed Peter Mandy’s restaurant at 3402 Vine. It is set to open July 24.

The restaurant will serve steaks, seafood and fresh sides paired with more than 120 offerings of beer from around the country and a wall of hand-picked wines.

Operating partner Daman Hoar said his vision for the restaurant is efficient service with quality, fresh-made dishes.

Hoar has spent his entire career in food service, working in steakhouses and in fine dining in the Harris Casino system.

Hickok’s will offer steaks, including ribeyes, sirloins, porterhouses and bison, if the demand is there.

“You may pay more for it,” he said, “but it has to be good.”

The restaurant’s grill has a smoking tray. Hoar would like to source fruit woods for the smoker for what he contends is a milder smoke than the traditional hickory.

The restaurant also has a small-batch smoker. Hoar would like to try sarsaparilla-smoked chicken.

“It’s fantastic,” he said.

Hickok’s will have the ability to grind its own hamburger and cut its own steaks as well as custom bread appetizers and chicken fried steaks and chicken.

A cheese melter will allow Hickok’s to serve dishes, such as poutine, a Canadian dish made with gravy and cheese curds.

Hoar is a fan of seafood and expects to offer a weekly seafood special, which could include salmon, scallops, shrimp, halibut or sea bass.

Grilled oysters are a favorite Hoar picked up while working in Louisiana, and he hopes to offer them at Hickok’s as well.

The restaurant is equipped with a commercial steamer so it can offer lobster tails as an entrée or with a steak along with king crab legs.

Other offerings could include duck breast and veal. Sides could include creamed spinach, brussels sprouts, lobster mac and cheese, freshly baked bread, and hot one-pound potatoes.

The restaurant plans to source locally when able, including local pork and flour from locally sourced wheat.

The interior of the building is undergoing a complete renovation, using materials that harken back to Hays’ western heritage. The restaurant is working with the Ellis County Historical Society in attempts to reproduce some local historical photos for the restaurant.

Reclaimed barn wood from a granary in rural Kansas is being used on several walls of the restaurant.

The windows on the west side of the building were closed off to create ambiance and add privacy in the main dining hall, which will seat 40 and be available for private parties.

“We wanted to create an atmosphere you would want to eat in,” he said.

The restaurant will seat a total of 110 with both booths and tables. Hoar hopes to eventually add outdoor patio seating, which could provide seating for an additional 50 diners.

The wall dividing the kitchen from the dining area will include wine racks from which diners can hand-pick their bottles.

Some wine selections will be offered by the glass. Bar selections will also be offered. Selections will be dependent on customer demand.

Hoar said he wants to be a good neighbor to the residents and other businesses in Hays.

“We want to be another option,” he said.

The restaurant has a fairly large kitchen for the size of its seating area, and Hoar said he would ultimately like to add a to-go area in the rear of the building where diners could pickup family style meals.

Hoar anticipates the restaurant will employ about 40 people. The business is taking applications now and will begin hiring in earnest beginning the week of July 17.

KDCF

TOPEKA – Lieutenant Governor Jeff Colyer and 25 legislators from across the state, including 110th Dist. Rep. Ken Rahjes, (R-Agra), have come together to show bipartisan support for family foster home recruitment in Kansas.

The Kansas Department for Children and Families (DCF), in conjunction with Foster Kansas Kids, invited all Kansas legislators to participate in public service announcements (PSAs), urging Kansans to consider opening their homes and hearts to children in need of temporary placement.

“The number of children in foster care is growing, not just in Kansas, but across the nation,” DCF Secretary Phyllis Gilmore said. “I am thrilled by the number of legislators who answered the call to help spread the word about the need for foster homes in Kansas—regardless of political affiliation.”

This initiative is part of the Foster Kansas Kids campaign, which launched in May. The campaign is designed to recruit potential foster families, provide support to current foster families and increase the public’s awareness about the need for temporary, stable homes for children coming into care in Kansas.

The PSAs will be aired across the state starting in July. They will also be posted on the Foster Kansas Kids Facebook and Twitter pages. The participating legislators will be provided packets of information about foster care recruitment. They will also be given links to their personal PSAs to promote within their communities, on their websites and social media pages. The unique PSAs are available on the DCF Vimeo page.

To learn more about how to become a foster parent, visit www.fosterkskids.org.

The following legislators participated in the PSA campaign:

By BECKY KISER
Hays Post

The Texas-based owner of the former Ambassador Hotel and Conference Center, 3603 Vine, told Hays city commissioners Thursday night he was “very shocked” they were talking about a proposed nuisance abatement for the property and insisted the first letter he got about the matter was June 23. He also said it was the only notice he received.

“You’re doing this with one notification to me about what you’re planning to do…that you’re ready to tear something down?” Joshua Joseph questioned the commission with visible agitation. “I know the laws here too and you can’t start this with just one phone call, one letter to the owner,” he added as he waved a white paper in the air.

City Manager Toby Dougherty countered. “Mr. Joseph, the first letter was delivered by certified mail May 30 to ABEL Lodging LLC in Dallas and we have a copy right here,” Dougherty said. The copy was included in the commissioners information packet and stated ABEL Lodging was listed as the property owner according to Ellis County records.

The hotel closed Dec. 1, 2015, after several internal property maintenance issues.  At least one potential sale of the property fell through and the owner, ABEL Lodging of Dallas, chose to raze the structure for redevelopment.

A demolition permit was issued Nov. 30, 2016, for cleanup of the property by American Wrecking Services of Kansas City, Mo. Seven months later, “the property is in a very unstable and unsafe condition” according to the city of Hays.

The first notice letter was written by Jesse Rohr, Planning Inspection Enforcement Superintendent, who made a presentation about the matter including photographs taken July 5 of the partially demolished building and large rubble debris piles.

Staff began abatement under regulatory authority of the 2006 International Property Maintenance Code. “All required notifications have been sent to the property owner,” Rohr said, “and I’m not aware of any attempt by the owner to contact the city.”

A second notification letter from Rohr to ABEL Lodging was dated June 23. “I have not been contacted,” Rohr added. A copy of that letter was also provided to commissioners.

Rohr gave a timeline of the work. “Demolition started about the last week of December, 2016, and slowly progressed until late March, early April until some asbestos had to be remediated by a company outside of Hays. The asbestos was remediated and the property set idle for at least two or three more weeks. Then the demolition slowly commenced with progress almost on a daily basis from the start of May on (until now),” he said.

Rohr requested commissioners to authorize a nuisance abatement of the property during the July 13 regular meeting. Staff has solicited proposals from contractors and will make a determination of cost based on the amount of material left to remove after the statutorily-allowed, 10-day waiting period following formal action which would be July 24. Any costs incurred by the city due to the abatement process would be charged as a property tax lien against the real estate upon which the structure is located.

“With any luck, the property owner will get this done before July 24th and this will all be said and done,” Commissioner Sandy Jacobs said.

Since spring, according to Rohr, very little if any rubble has been hauled from the property other than some scrap metal. Mayor Shaun Musil called it “an embarrassment on the community.” The city has received numerous complaints about the site.

“You can make up stories all you want to,” Joseph said heatedly. “Do you have proof that it (May 30 letter) was delivered?”  “That’s what certified mail means,” several commissioners explained, talking over each other. “But it has not come to me…I would like to see that proof,” Joseph argued. “That’s your problem,” interjected City Attorney John Bird. “If you want somebody to pick up your mail you need to make those arrangements. We mail the notice to…” Bird continued on to explain more but was interrupted by Joseph who said he has an attorney in Hays.

“Why don’t you have your attorney come to the meetings,” Bird suggested. “I didn’t know about this until about three days ago,” Joseph persisted, “and that’s why I’m here…You make your decision. I don’t really care. But I have the law, too, so let’s see.” Joseph started to return to the audience where three other men sat who accompanied him into the commission chambers.

“We will follow the law. I promise you,” Musil said to Joseph.

“Make sure you follow the law because you cannot threaten people like this,” Joseph said as he turned back around to the audience podium, shaking a finger toward Musil.

“You are a racist…a lot of people in town want to possess the property and that’s what you’re doing, trying to take it from somebody and then give it to somebody else,” Joseph claimed. He continued on saying he had “paid the money and done his part” for demolition of the building and said “if something was not happening according to your liking you should have contacted me….I was in the city since 2008. The city people know my number.”

“Sir, we treated you just like everybody else,” Musil said. “No, you didn’t,” Joseph said over Musil in a loud voice. “You just wanted some publicity.”

“And I will tell you, don’t you ever call me racist, sir,” Musil continued.
“You are one. You would not do this without being one,” Joseph said adamantly.
“We’re done,” Musil said. “Yes, we are done. Thank you,” Joseph agreed as he left the podium.

After a moment of silence, commissioner Jacobs spoke up and recommended to “move it on.” Her fellow commissioners all agreed.

The resolution allowing for the remaining structure to be demolished and the property cleaned up to satisfactory condition will be on the July 13 agenda.

By BECKY KISER
Hays Post

A demolition permit was issued Nov. 30, 2016, for demolition and cleanup of the property at 3603 Vine Street in north Hays. Seven months later, “the property is in a very unstable and unsafe condition” according to the city of Hays.

The former Ambassador Hotel closed its doors Dec. 1, 2015, after several internal property maintenance issues. The property owner, ABEL Lodging of Dallas, chose to raze the structure for redevelopment.

Demolition work was expected to take six to eight weeks, as Carl Britz, owner of American Wrecking Services, told the city.

Little progress was noted by city staff and by March, 2017, the work had stopped for remediation of additional asbestos found in the building. 24/7 Enviro Solutions, the company hired by American Wrecking Services, was on site through March and into early April.

Since then, according to Hays Planning Inspection Enforcement Superintendent Jesse Rohr, very little if any rubble has been hauled from the site other than some scrap metal.

After seven months of “little progress and creation of a huge hazard,” staff began abatement under regulatory authority of the 2006 International Property Maintenance Code said Assistant City Manager Jacob Wood.

The situation will be presented to Hays city commissioners during their work session Thu., July 6, with a request to authorize a nuisance abatement of the property during the July 13 regular meeting. Staff has solicited proposals from various contractors and will make a determination of cost based on the amount of material left to abate after the statutorily-allowed, 10-day waiting period following formal action.

“The best course of action is for the contractor and the property owner to get the work done before we come in,” Wood said. “They still will have a little bit of time. This (abatement) process is not a quick process … it’ll be July 24 before the city would start on the process in hiring a contractor.”

“Hopefully, between now and then they can get more work done and start hauling some of that stuff off,” Wood added.

Any costs incurred by the city due to the abatement process would be charged as a lien against the real estate upon which the structure is located.

The city commission will look at another proposed abatement tonight, that of an inoperable vehicle located at 414 E 7th Street.

Also on the agenda is an overview of the draft 2018 budget by City Manager Toby Dougherty.

In other business, City Attorney John Bird will discuss proposed increases for seat belt fines and municipal court costs.

The complete agenda may be seen here.

The work session begins at 6:30 p.m. tonight in Hays City Hall, 1507 Main.