La Crosse native Vanessa M. (House) Sabee was recently featured in a story in the Martha’s Vineyard Times on her new role as head chef at the Ritz Cafe in Martha’s Vineyard.
She started working at restaurants in La Crosse as a teenager. She attended college for two years in Pratt before moving to Hays, where she attended Fory Hays State University for a time. She worked at the Golden Q, Sip N Spin, and Professor’s before going on to culinary school in Colorado.
Sabee’s mother, Kelly House, taught her how to cook.
“She was always working in restaurants when I was younger, and I guess it was just destiny that that’s where I am now,” Sabee said.
Her mother started her cooking lessons with gravy.
“She is very proud of it. At the time I didn’t know it, but she gave me the proper technique on how to make a roux correctly,” Sabee said.
Sabee said her family has been in Rush County for a very long time. Although she said she doesn’t make it home as much as she would like, most of her direct family still lives in either Hays or La Crosse.
Vanessa Sabee is the new executive chef at the Ritz. Photo by Gabrielle Mannino/ Martha’s Vineyard Times
Since the Ritz Cafe in Oak Bluffs changed hands in 2014, the bar has undergone a number of transformations, and there’s another one on deck: When the Ritz reopens its doors on March 14, after a three-week winter break, they will introduce a new executive chef, Vanessa M. Sabee, and a new menu. You may recognize Vanessa as the first of six chefs who lent their expertise and creativity to the Ritz’s recent six-week Kitchen Takeover series of Wednesday night pop-up dinners, which featured a different chef and menu each week.
Sabee, 34, hails from “middle of nowhere Western Kansas,” and spent five or six years in Boulder, Colo., before she and her then-boyfriend (now husband), Ross Sabee, also a trained chef, came to Martha’s Vineyard in the spring of 2017 to work as line cooks at the Sweet Life Cafe, owned by chef Hal Ryerson and his wife Erin.
“It was awesome,” Vanessa says. “Hal and I have a very similar style of food theory, and so it was really easy to transition into that kitchen.” Vanessa returned to the Sweet Life as the sous-chef for the 2018 season, and prior to being offered the head chef position at the Ritz, she had planned to return for a third season. “We cooked really, really great food that we were very proud of,” she says of her time at Sweet Life.
The couple met Ritz manager Kelly Feirtag while hanging out at the bar their first summer here, and Ross now works at the Ritz doing security. Feirtag, general manager at the Ritz since July 2017, has seen at least three kitchen changes since that time. She said she’s excited to bring Vanessa onboard. “I feel like I’ve been searching for her for a long time,” Kelly says, “and I feel very lucky that she was willing and interested, and up for the challenge.”
Vanessa Sabee, the new Ritz head chef, plates an entree in the kitchen. Photo by Gabrielle Mannino/ Martha’s Vineyard Times
Feirtag is thrilled to have a woman running the kitchen, which is in keeping with Ritz history. “I had a woman chef when we opened the kitchen in 1987,” says former Ritz owner Janet King. Local chef Christina Napolitan ran the kitchen for about six years, King says. More recently, Sai Mai, a Thai restaurant that leased the Ritz kitchen for about four years before closing in 2013, was also run by women.
Vanessa Sabee’s culinary roots go deep, starting with her childhood in Kansas, where her mother, who “was a cook forever,” got Vanessa her first job at 14, flipping burgers in a small local place that her mom was running. “I’ve always been in restaurants,” Vanessa says. “It was a part of my life.”
Eager for change, Sabee got an associate’s degree in journalism after high school. She then transferred to a four-year school, at which point she had to get a job. “I knew I could get one in a kitchen,” she says. After one semester, she decided not to go back to school, and to continue cooking.
Vanessa worked at a couple of sports bars and a steakhouse in Hays, Kan., and did occasional catering gigs. She spent about a year at the steakhouse, where she replaced another cook who left to attend culinary school. Vanessa was in her mid-20s when she started thinking about going to culinary school herself. That meant relocating. “In order for me to further my culinary technique and skill and knowledge,” she says, “I had to move.”
Sabee attended the Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Art in Boulder, Colo., a six-month program that she describes as “boot camp for the culinary world.”
After completing school, Sabee stayed in Boulder and worked at Shine Restaurant and Gathering Place, where she moved from prep cook to line cook, and departed as head line cook. After Shine came Bramble and Hare, a gastropub focusing on farm-to-table “modern American” food.
Bramble and Hare, sister restaurant to the well-known Black Cat Bistro, also in Boulder, had a farm that raised pigs, and they grew their own vegetables. “Whatever was in the walk-in was what you had,” she says. At times it was easy, particularly in summer, but “in the winter you had to get really creative,” Vanessa said. The restaurant also focused on pickling, preserving, processing, and freezing ingredients from the summer’s abundance so they were available for winter.
The Ritz kitchen has faced challenges over the years, one of which is its small size. Vanessa is accustomed to working in small spaces, particularly at Bramble, where her setup consisted of “an Easy-Bake oven, a two-plate burner, and a steam well,” out of which she did 40 to 60 covers a night. Of the Ritz, she says, “It’s luxurious!”
Sabee says she likes to construct dishes based on their cook time, “but also I like to put a lot of hot and cold elements together.” For Valentine’s Day, she prepared a pork belly dish, cured and smoked beforehand, and then, she says, “all we had to do was sear it.” The set was cold, and included a black-eyed pea purée, a salad of the same peas, collard green kimchi, and a charred pepper purée. “I don’t find the size of the kitchen challenging,” Vanessa says. “My kitchen surrounding basically builds my menu, based on what I think the kitchen, myself, and the staff are capable of executing.”
When the Ritz reopens on March 14, the menu will be mostly new, but will retain some popular staples — the Frito chili pie, wings with house dry-rub, and burgers made with locally butchered meat from Reliable Market, including the $5 burger special (without sauce or sides), which is available year-round from 12 to 2 pm, for dine-in or takeout. The $10 blue plate special, which changes daily, will also remain.
“I’m going to add a lot of vegetables,” Sabee says. She’s looking forward to incorporating produce from local farms, and catering primarily to locals looking for a good meal that won’t break the bank. “The summer people come, and they’ll do what they want,” she says, “but to cook at a year-round establishment, getting the locals back is more important than the weekender.”
There will be separate lunch and dinner menus, and Vanessa is hoping to have a happy hour menu by June, as well as an eventual Sunday brunch with “solid breakfast food” like biscuits and gravy, a build-your-own breakfast plate, and pork shoulder with grits and seared greens. “But that’s down the road,” she says.
Appetizers will include the wings, of course, as well as a pickle and cheese plate, a marinated olive dish, a black-eyed pea dip that is similar to hummus, and other “bar-friendly” items that you can eat “with your hands, in a crowd,” while catching a live band.
There will be a few new salads, sandwiches including a cod sandwich for lunch, chicken salad with roasted garlic aioli, and a vegan-friendly option made with the black-eyed pea spread. There will be a full dinner menu, with composed entrées at reasonable prices. Sabee looks forward to putting more emphasis on the food at the Ritz, but she’s not looking to reinvent the wheel. “Nothing fancy,” she says, “just really good, properly seasoned, properly executed [food].”
Dinner entrées will include dishes featured at the pop-up and on Valentine’s Day: Milk-braised pork shoulder with roasted Brussels sprouts, creamy grits, mustard cream sauce, and fried shallots; blackened cod; and chicken breast with orange-roasted beets, smoked mashed potatoes, and chicken jus (I tasted it, it’s phenomenal). Entrées will be priced at $16 to $21. There will be several dessert items, including a tahini-swirled brownie with salted caramel and fresh whipped cream.
For customers with allergies or dietary restrictions, Sabee is flexible and accommodating. “I’m not in the business of saying no,” she says. “I’d rather say yes.”
“I think it’s important for the community to have affordable, flavorful food that they might not necessarily expect to get from a place like this,” Vanessa says.
Kelly Feirtag agrees. Feirtag, herself a culinary school graduate in culinary management, has known she wanted to open her own restaurant someday, but never expected to get her start in a dive bar. “I love this place,” she says. “I love my job.”
Feirtag has put a lot of energy into growing the Ritz brand, introducing new bands and DJs to bring in new clientele, changing the decor to more accurately reflect the bar’s musical personality, and working to dispel the unsavory reputation that has followed the Ritz for years.
“It’s a safe place for a woman to come and have a drink by herself,” Kelly says. “Our staff doesn’t really put up with a lot.” Although the negative rumors aren’t accurate, she also insists, “We’re not fancy. That’s not at all what we’re going for; we are still a dive bar. We’re more quirky and funky … we don’t take ourselves seriously at all.”
“I don’t know anything about the past here,” Vanessa says. “I don’t want to focus on that. I want to focus on the future [and] my menu, and I think that it’ll be fun for people, to see what’s capable of coming out of this place.”
The City of Hays is looking for career-minded individuals who want to serve their community by protecting its citizens as Police Officers. The work schedule includes 12-hour shifts which provides for 3 days off each week including every other weekend off. Some weekends and holidays required. Applications are also being taken for part time positions. Hours & pay will vary from the full time position.
REQUIREMENTS
Applicants must be a U.S. Citizen & at least 21 years of age within 6 months of application. No felony or domestic violence convictions permitted. Valid driver’s license & High School Diploma or GED required. Law Enforcement Certification, College Degree & Military Experience preferred but not required.
Paid on-the-job training for the right candidate. All Police Officers are required to live within a 40-mile radius of the City of Hays within 180 days of employment. Job offers contingent on pre-employment tests.
***Tattoos allowed with approval of the Chief of Police.***
COMPENSATIONS & BENEFITS
Salary range begins at $19.00. Guaranteed raises every year along with the opportunity to become a Master Police Officer. Placement depends on experience & certification. The City of Hays offers great benefits. Visitwww.haysusa.com for a full list of the benefits provided.
HOW TO APPLY
Applications will be accepted online at www.haysusa.com until position is filled. Questions about the position may be sent to Human Resources at [email protected] or by calling 785-628-7320.
APTITUDE AND PHYSICAL TEST DATE
The test date is set for March 23rd. Interested applicants must attend a test date after completing their online application in order to continue on in the hiring process. Applicants will receive more information about the testing process after the application is received.
The United States and China fast find themselves in a tech arms race that could define economic and military dominance for decades to come. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, or DARPA, has launched a $2 billion plan to tease out the next big ideas for artificial intelligence.
The stakes are huge. A Harvard study two years ago suggested artificial intelligence could tilt military balances in the generations to come the way the airplane and the nuclear bomb did generations ago. The economic impact of AI advances figures to be similarly game changing. And those who break into the lead will have more power machine learning and AI powers at their disposal to dominate.
Where does that leave Kansas? Not in a good place. Vast regions of the state can’t get a decent internet connection. The Kansas City area seemed to catch a break when Google brought faster home internet service to the market in 2012. Yet beyond a few small tech start-ups, it didn’t spawn the silicon prairie so many had hoped for.
That $2 billion of DARPA money? Don’t expect much of it to come here. Think instead of places such as Stanford and MIT. Farming? Yes, we’ll always need food. But the trend of bigger and fewer farms,only figures to accelerate in a world of drones and robots.
Kansas isn’t doomed. The coming National Bio- and Agro-Defense Facility could draw more brain power and tech smarts to an animal health corridor of businesses and university researchers that stretches from Manhattan to Columbia, Missouri. If 5G or some other technology solved the rural broadband problems, the cheap cost of living might bring remote workers and a new vibrancy to the state.
But applying human intelligence in how to cope with a world of artificial intelligence could determine whether Kansans can stay Kansans or if they’ll have to flee flyover country.
Scott Canon is the Kansas News Service managing editor.
NORTON, Kan. (AP) — A statewide shortage of trained medical personnel has left many rural county ambulance services having to delay hospital transfers to ensure they have enough staff for emergencies.
For example, in Norton County in northwest Kansas, the county’s 5,400 residents are served by six full-time volunteers and nine volunteers, who respond to all 911 calls and taken patients from one hospital to another.
“Sometimes patients needing to be transferred are left waiting,” said Craig Sowards, Norton County EMS director.
In response to the problem, a proposal before the state Legislature would allow drivers without medical training to transport stable patients in rural areas, which sometimes can take hours. Ambulances would still need to have one person with medical training riding in the back, such as an EMT or a nurse, The Kansas News Service reports .
Some state and local EMS officials say having only one trained person on board could be risky, and they worry about lowering standards of care in rural areas.
“Occasionally patients decline and it’s often helpful to have an extra set of hands to stabilize (patients) before they move on,” said David Johnston, president of the Kansas Emergency Medical Services Association.
Joe House, executive director of the Kansas Board of Emergency Medical Services, defended current regulations that require two medically trained workers on board, including the driver.
“We write our regulations to protect the public’s well-being and safety,” House said. “It’s either safe to do or not safe to do.”
Emergency medical services are competing with clinics, hospitals and schools for trained personnel — and offer a starting wage of only about $21,000 a year, House said.
Many rural ambulance services rely on certified volunteers. Phillips County in northwest Kansas has 84 volunteers to serve a population just under 5,400 but the number drops significantly in surrounding counties.
Pete Rogers, EMS director for Phillips County, said he can’t imagine operating ambulances without two medically trained personnel on board.
“If you have somebody that’s simply a driver and you still have two technicians in the back of the truck with the patient then, then I, I see absolutely no problems with it,” he said. “But I would be concerned if it was a non-certified person driving and only one technician in the back.”
In Norton County, Sowards doesn’t think it’s necessary to have two trained EMS workers for stabilized transfers.
“I’ve been in EMS for 20 years running transfers — maybe once in 20 years I’ve had to have a driver come help,” he said, adding allowing non-certified ambulance drivers for transfers “could help a lot.”
The Kansas Dept. of Agriculture was selected for a USDA Rural Business Development Grant to host a business development workshop in Hays on Wed., March 20, 2019.
Jon Schallert will present a workshop titled: “Transform Your Business into a Consumer Destination.” The workshop will provide small businesses and communities with the business principles and tools needed to reinvent their business or community into a consumer destination.
The schedule for the day will include:
Keynote Session: 8:00 a.m.—11:15 a.m.
Lunch: 11:15 a.m.—12:30 p.m.
Marketing Roundtable: 12:30 p.m.—2:00 p.m.
The workshop will be held at the Fort Hays State Memorial Union, 700 College Drive.
The workshop is provided at no cost to attendees and lunch will be provided. Registration can be found at: https://bit.ly/2St1X7t.
Fans of the musical comedy series Church Basement Ladies will finally get to know more about the men of East Cornucopia Lutheran Church, in the new production “Rise Up O Men” coming to the Oakley High School Auditorium, Monday, March 18 at 7:30 p.m. Central.
This sidesplitting, uplifting peek into the lives of the rural Norwegian Lutherans who audiences first fell in love with in 2005 is the sixth chapter of the story begun in the original Church Basement Ladies. Rise Up O Men features familiar faces: Mrs. Mavis Gilmerson, Mrs. Vivian Snustad, and Mrs. Karin Engleson who would never leave the basement kitchen unattended, of course (who would make bars for the youth group meeting?). But as they busy themselves with preparations for their churches participation in the town’s 1964 Centennial Celebration, we get to see their coming and goings from the eyes of the menfolk, who have their own problems to solve. Karin’s husband Elroy, farmer Carl and Great War vet Arlo are joined in brotherhood by series staple Pastor E.L. Gunderson. Their camaraderie unites them as they deal with furnace salesmen, looming retirement, rival Protestant denominations, the Pastor’s bad jokes, and Arlene’s even-worse cooking.
“We’re ready to introduce some new faces to the many fans who’ve become part of the Church Basement Ladies family over the years,” said Troupe America’s Curt Wollan, who has produced all six of the shows. “We’ve also got a lineup of original musical numbers that we’ve caught our preview audiences humming on the way out of the theatre—between the belly laughs and the songs, Rise Up O Men is an exciting addition to the Church Basement Ladies canon.”
The series of Church Basement Ladies productions are inspired by the bestselling book Growing Up Lutheran by Janet Letnes Martin and Suzann Nelson. This latest chapter in the lives of these rural Minnesota Norwegians was developed by Greta Grosch, who wrote the scripts for the second, third, fourth, and fifth musicals in the series. Longtime Minneapolis StarTribune theatre critic Graydon Royce contributed additional material. Composer and songwriter Dennis Curley wrote the music, with lyrics by Dennis Curley and Greta Grosch.
Originally produced by Troupe America Inc, the original musical comedy, “The Church Basement Ladies”, opened at the Plymouth Playhouse in Minneapolis September 2005 to a response so enthusiastic that its initial run lasted two-and-a half years. Five sequels have expanded the universe of these familiar and beloved “Steel Magnolias of the Prairie,” making The Church Basement Ladies the most successful show in Troupe America’s 30-year history. Millions of Americans discovered a heartfelt connection to its deeply funny church matriarchs through regional and national touring productions. WPAA has brought all Church Basement Ladies comedies to northwest Kansas over more than a decade. This season’s WPAA programs are made possible through the generous support of area businesses and individual donors, including a major gift from the Dane G. Hansen Foundation, Logan, Kansas. Admission by WPAA season ticket or $20 adults, $10 students at the door.
The Kansas Small Business Development Center will host four free tax workshops at Fort Hays State University over two days in April for small business owners.
Carl York, tax specialist, and Brett Gerber, state auditor, will provide business owners with all the information they need to know about taxes for their business.
The first workshop, “Small Business Tax Workshop,” is from 9 a.m. to noon on Tuesday, April 16, in the Memorial Union’s Cavalry Room. This workshop will cover Kansas retailers’ sales tax and compensating use tax, goods and services subject to sales tax, record keeping and filing requirements, form preparation, exemption certificate, and withholding requirements.
“Labor: Understanding Regulations, Forms, and Reports,” is from 12:15 to 1:15 p.m. on Tuesday, April 16, in the Union’s Cavalry Room. Topics covered include unemployment insurance tax liabilities, steps for filing tax returns, and new hire information.
The third workshop is “Contractor’s Tax Workshop,” from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. on April 16 in the Cavalry Room. Sales tax on materials and labor, project exemption certificates, and sales tax returns will be covered. To register, visit https://ksbdc.ecenterdirect.com/events/24581.
The final workshop is “Agricultural Sales and Use Tax,” from 9 a.m. to noon on Wednesday, April 17, in the Cavalry Room. Topics covered will include how sales and use tax apply to ag businesses, exemptions, basic sales and use tax laws, and purchases tax.
The Kansas SBDC is sponsored by the U.S. Small Business Administration in partnership with Kansas Department of Commerce and Fort Hays State University.
Mostly cloudy through mid morning, then gradual clearing, with a high near 47. Very windy, with a west southwest wind 14 to 19 mph becoming northwest 28 to 33 mph in the morning. Winds could gust as high as 47 mph.
Tonight
Mostly clear, with a low around 22. Blustery, with a north northwest wind 18 to 23 mph decreasing to 8 to 13 mph in the evening.
Sunday
Mostly sunny, with a high near 45. Northwest wind 6 to 10 mph becoming east in the afternoon.
Sunday Night
Partly cloudy, with a low around 23. East wind 6 to 9 mph.
Monday
A 20 percent chance of rain after noon. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 44. East southeast wind 7 to 10 mph.
Monday Night
Rain. Low around 36. Chance of precipitation is 90%. New precipitation amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.
Tuesday
Rain likely, with thunderstorms also possible after noon. Cloudy, with a high near 55. Chance of precipitation is 70%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.
Tuesday Night
Rain and possibly a thunderstorm. Low around 44. Chance of precipitation is 100%. New rainfall amounts between 1 and 2 inches possible.
Wednesday
Rain. High near 52. Windy. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New precipitation amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.
Hays High School Athletic Director Lance Krannawitter confirmed Friday that varsity basketball coach Rick Keltner has resigned. Keltner informed his team on Friday afternoon of the decision.
Keltner has been the head coach for the Indians the past 34 years. He directed the team to a 453-291 record. Keltner started his career at St. John’s-Tipton and, including those seven seasons, amassed a 536-357 record.
The Indians had just seven seasons with a sub .500 record and only two since the 1999-2000 season. The team made six state tournaments under Keltner with a three fourth-place finishes and a one third.
Hays High will begin the search for a new coach immediately.
From left are: Dennis, Whitney, Kaylee, Maddie, Brenda and Lauren Cox. Courtesy photo
By RANDY GONZALES For Hays Post
Big things are happening for the family of a local former star basketball player – which shouldn’t seem out of the ordinary, since her family grows like Redwood trees.
Brenda (Bruggeman) Cox, a 1987 graduate of Hays High School and the star center on the Indian girls’ basketball team during her high school days, was a 6-foot-2 mountain in the middle for HHS. A three-year starter for the Indians, Brenda led her team to a third-place finish at state her senior year.
Brenda, now the mom of four tall, athletic daughters, is getting ready to watch her oldest play in the Big 12 basketball tournament, which begins today in Oklahoma City. Lauren Cox, a 6-4 junior forward, starts for the Baylor Bears.
Brenda’s parents – Mel and Karen Bruggeman from Hays – also will make the trip south to watch their granddaughter play.
Baylor (28-1 overall, 18-0 Big 12) is ranked No. 1 in the nation in the latest Associated Press poll. The Bears are on a 20-game winning streak and are one of only two teams to defeat national power Connecticut this season.
Baylor is the No. 1 seed in the Big 12 tourney and will play its first game at 1:30 p.m. Saturday, vs. the winner of today’s game between Oklahoma and Texas Tech. Saturday’s game will be televised on FSN. The semifinals are Sunday, with the championship game Monday night. The semifinals and title game will be shown on FS1.
Lauren Cox with the Big 12 trophy after Baylor won the regular-season title this year. Courtesy photo
Brenda said her family will attend Laura’s games in person starting Sunday. On Saturday, they will be watching one of her other siblings play in a volleyball tournament.
Lauren’s younger sisters are: Whitney, a 6-0 forward and a high school senior who has committed to play at Lubbock Christian next year; Kaylee, a 6-1 sophomore whose volleyball team won the Texas Class 6A state title; and Maddie, a 6-1 eighth-grader who plays both basketball and volleyball.
Brenda’s husband, Dennis, is 6-4; he also played basketball in college, at Central Methodist in Missouri.
Brenda followed in her father’s footsteps in taking her talents to the college level. Mel played basketball for St. Mary of the Plains College in Dodge City. Brenda played at Dodge City Community College for two years, then transferred to Southern Methodist University in Dallas.
She met her husband, a software developer, in Dallas after her playing days at SMU. These days, Brenda is a stay-at-home mom who stays busy keeping up with her daughters’ athletic events.
Watching Lauren play on a national stage has been a treat for the family.
“It’s a lot of fun,” Brenda said. “It’s kind of unbelievable. When you have a child you think they will play sports, but she’s kind of a special athlete, a lot of God-given talent.”
Lauren was the nation’s No. 1-ranked player coming out of high school her senior year. She narrowed her college choices to Connecticut, Tennessee, Louisville, Notre Dame and Baylor.
“She pretty much had the option to go wherever she wanted,” Brenda said. “Those programs are all class acts, great coaches. I think it really came down to (playing) close to home.”
The drive to Waco for the Coxes to catch Lauren’s home games is about an hour and 45 minutes. Brenda and her husband also travel back to Kansas to watch Lauren’s games when Baylor plays at Kansas State and the University of Kansas.
The Bruggemans are diehard Baylor fans. They traded in their Buick Enclave with more than 200,000 miles on it for a 2017 model that already has traveled 40,000 miles to basketball games.
It’s no surprise that Brenda’s children are tall. The family tree has long limbs. Her dad, who played basketball at St. Mary of the Plains College in Dodge City, is 6-4, and her mom is 5-11. Brenda is the youngest of three Bruggeman children. Her older sister, Rhonda, is 6-0, and her brother, Mark, is 6-4.
“I really feel short with (Brenda’s) girls so tall,” Karen said with a laugh. “It’s been wonderful (watching Lauren play). It keeps us young.”
The Bruggemans are used to hitting the road to watch women’s college basketball. It was a relatively short drive when Brenda was playing for DCCC. But when she went to SMU, the couple would leave Hays after work on Friday, drive eight hours to Dallas for a game Saturday night, then drive back to Kansas on Sunday.
Laura (Flax) Hertel, a senior on the Hays High girls’ basketball team in 1985 when Brenda was a sophomore, is part of a group of former teammates and friends who gather in Manhattan when Baylor plays at Kansas State.
“She has quite the little following at those games,” Hertel said.
Hertel also remembers how dominating Brenda was inside the paint for the Indians.
“She was just a huge presence inside,” Hertel said. “By the time she got to be a senior, she was just amazing.”
Lauren has had an amazing first three years at Baylor. She is averaging 12.1 points, 7.2 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 2.4 blocks per game for the Bears. In Monday’s 63-57 win at West Virginia which capped an undefeated Big 12 regular season, Lauren recorded her 24th career double-double with 22 points and 10 rebounds while playing all 40 minutes.
“Lauren played her heart out,” said Karen, who watched the game on television. “She doesn’t like to lose.”
Lauren was an honorable mention AP All-American in 2018. She was selected to the Big 12 first team, was named the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year and made the Academic All-Big 12 First Team.
Lauren has excelled in sports despite being diagnosed with type 1 diabetes when she was 7 years old. Daily insulin injections became part of her regimen as she managed the disease. At Baylor, the trainers have helped her manage the disease, and Bears coach Kim Mulkey recommended Lauren use her diabetes as a platform to inspire others. Lauren helps out with the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, and Brenda said it is not unusual for Lauren and her family to hear from young athletes with diabetes from all across the country.
“She has really become a role model for young type 1 diabetics,” Brenda said, adding that her daughter’s name often comes up in search results on the Internet about athletes with diabetes.
This weekend, Lauren and her Baylor teammates will be searching for a Big 12 championship.
Jeremy Green, 4112 Covenant Drive, objects to a special assessment for a new park in King’s Gate First Addition. Green said he and his neighbors were never notified by developer Covenant Builders of the upcoming fee.
By BECKY KISER Hays Post
Some homeowners in King’s Gate First Addition in northwest Hays are unhappy with the neighborhood’s local developer, Covenant Builders, and its president Katherine Burnett.
Jeremy Green, 4112 Covenant Drive, told Hays city commissioners Thursday night he and his neighbors were “blindsided” by a recent notice from the city about assessments the 52 property owners are liable for now that a park improvement district previously created in the city is completed.
Green, who built his house in January 2013, said “from day one, we were all told that Covenant Builders would pay for that park. That was stated by Burnett and several of her workers. We were under the understanding that this came under the current curb and guttering specials and that Covenant would take care of it.”
He gave the commission a number of signatures of his neighbors and said he would be getting more.
Efforts to contact Burnett were unsuccessful Friday morning.
King’s Gate Addition was platted and began development in 2010. In 2012, the developer petitioned the city for establishment of a benefit district to fund improvements to King’s Gate Park, a small neighborhood park at the north end of the development. A resolution was approved by the city commission allowing for special assessment of the park improvements.
There was no public notice of the petition in 2012.
“At the time, Covenant Builders owned the majority of the lots. There were maybe 4 or 5 that were sold,” recalled City Manager Toby Dougherty. “Burnett received signatures that were affixed to the petition which requested a waiver of public notice because of that.”
King’s Gate Park
Covenant Builders was awarded the low bid of $75,000 for the park construction project on June 28.
Design engineering, bond issuance and interest brought the total cost to $82,163.49, Finance Director Kim Rupp told the commissioners. The assessment is for 10 years split equally per square foot within the improvement district.
The neighborhood wants the park, according to Green, who added he has “no problem with paying taxes, but tell me I’m going to be paying taxes.”
“It’s only a few thousand dollars per house, but it’s the principal behind it.”
Information provided by Rupp shows the highest assessment in the district is $2,322.75; the lowest assessment is $810.27.
Rupp told the commission several of the affected homeowners had already talked to him and City Clerk Brenda Kitchen about the matter.
Mayor Henry Schwaller pointed out the city has a policy that “every development will have green space to be paid for by the developer or through specials, or the developer will give the city some money.”
“The validity of the proceedings is, I don’t think, questionable,” said John Bird, city attorney. “The fact of the matter is the city followed the rules, which include that public notice is given various times. What usually happens in these things, I think, is the developer because they have total control over the project at first, they’ll sign off on things that bind those lots later. But that’s really between the developer and the people that purchase the lots later.
“It sounds like you definitely didn’t have very good communication with each other. .. You weren’t blindsided by us,” Bird concluded.
“I get that,” Green agreed.
Bird told Green he and his neighbors “probably have a remedy. It’s just not here.”
According to Rupp, there is a state statute requiring a seller to notify the buyer of any special assessment, even if it’s pending.
Green also said there are several lawsuits underway regarding flooding in King’s Gate First Addition.
“You can’t just keep giving, giving and giving to this builder when there’s issues. They need to be addressed. Something’s got to be done,” he said.
Commissioners thanked Green for bringing attention to the issue.
“It is important to note that we do use the general bonding authority of the city in order to make these developments happen,” commissioner James Meier said. “Even though it’s special assessed to the properties, it’s still a general obligation bond. I think we do need to be aware of when these sorts of things happen. We’re under no requirement to bond for developers. I think this is a good discussion and good information for us to have.”
A public hearing will be held March 14 during a regular commission meeting to consider an ordinance levying the special assessments.
A second public hearing will consider the Heart of America Second Addition (Resolution No. 2016-010) for water, sanitary sewer, storm sewer and street improvements included in the extension of Ninth Street east to Commerce Parkway.
Heart of America Second Addition will have a 15-year assessment of $277,836.51 spread against each lot.
GREAT BEND — Fort Hays State University’s Kansas Wetlands Education Center will be hosting free STEM activities each day over spring break for visitors of all ages.
“Bugapalooza” will be Saturday, March 9, and Wednesday, March 13. Alonso Barragan-Martinez, FHSU graduate student, will help individuals explore what makes the bugs around the wetlands center so durable and why they are important. Learn about their life cycles, how they survive the winter, and the differences between bugs, beetles, flies, bees and butterflies. Pinned insects will be on display, and microscopes will be available for a more up-close experience.
“Birds of Columbia,” at 2 p.m. on Sunday, March 10, is a photographic journey with professional photographer Bob Gress to one of the three most diverse countries for birds.
This program is a collaboration with the Shafter Art Gallery’s show “The Connected World: Biodiversity in the Art of Carel Pieter Brest van Kempen,” from March 8 through April 20. The gallery is located on Barton Community College’s Campus in Great Bend.
In “Feather Fun,” on Sunday, March 10, and Tuesday, March 12, Katya Frank, FHSU graduate student, will help visitors discover the various types and purposes of feathers. Activities include using and coloring in bird keys and matching stray feathers to the correct species of bird. Participants will also learn how to properly use binoculars for their own backyard bird identification experience.
Visitors to “Geotrooping” on Monday, March 11, will use field guides to decipher clues to the location of hidden treasure boxes on the nature trail. Mandy Kern, program specialist, will show how to find the boxes using Global Positioning Systems technology.
Treasure boxes will highlight what makes Cheyenne Bottoms special. Visitors will receive a field home guide to identify plant and animal species any time. Weather appropriate clothing is encouraged because the activity is outside.
“Have a Batacular Day” is on Thursday, March 14, and Sunday, March 17. Visitors can hang out at KWEC with Kristen Granstrom-Arndt, FHSU graduate student, and read some neat bat facts, see real bat skins, and participate in fun activities that show the unique role bats play in the world.
“Plants on your Plate,” will be Friday, March 15, and Saturday, March 16. Visitors will join Chelsea Hanson, FHSU graduate student, for snactivity time and learn what vegetables and fruits belong to different parts of a plant.
All activities are free.
The KWEC is located 10 miles northeast of Great Bend along K-156 Highway at Cheyenne Bottoms. Hours over Spring Break are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 1 to 5 p.m. on Sunday.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Aaron Nicholson broke out of his shooting slump hitting four 3-pointers and scored 18 points but it wasn’t enough as Fort Hays State could not overcome a five-plus minute scoring drought and lost 74-69 to Lincoln in the quarterfinals of the MIAA Tournament at Municipal Auditorium.
The Tigers, who had won four of their last five to close out the regular season finish 18-11. The Blue Tigers (18-11) advance to the conference semifinals for the first time in their programs history where they will play unbeaten Northwest Missouri State Saturday afternoon.
FHSU Postgame Press Conference
Game Highlights
After both teams combined to start the game 5-for-25 from the floor, Lincoln hit seven straight shots and built a six-point lead with 7:10 to go in the first half.
The Tigers answered with a 13-3 run to go up 33-29 on a conventional three-point play from Marcus Cooper with 3:51 to play in the half. FHSU would miss their final five shots and three free throws and trailed 39-33 at the break.
The Blue Tigers scored the first five points of the second half and led 44-33 with 19:04 to play.
Trey O’Neil hit a three followed by a layup and helped the Tigers pull within three with 13:1`6 to play.
Down eight FHSU mounted a 9-2 run keyed by an Aaron Nicholson layup and 3-pointer. A Kyler Kinnamon layup pulled the Tigers within one at 59-58 with 7:38 to play.
Lincoln quickly built the lead back to six on two occassions, the last at 67-61 with 4:24 left.
FHSU scored five straight and pulled within one on two Marcus Cooper free throws with 3:20 to play. The Tigers then got three straight stops but missed to shots near the basket and three-pointer and could never get the lead.
Lincoln’s Terrance Smith, who averaged 16.5 points per game, hit a 3-pointer with 22 seconds to push the lead to four. The Tigers then missed a three and layup in the closing seconds before Aaron Nicholson’s three with seven seconds left.
Nicholson led the Tigers with 18 points on 4-of-5 three-point shooting. Kyler Kinnamon added 12 along with five assists. Trey O’Neil was 3-for-7 from beyond the arc and scored 11 with Marcus Cooper adding 10.
Brady Werth was held to 3-of-11 shooting and scored eight but pulled down a game-high 10 rebounds.
The Tigers shot 40-percent for the game and were 11-of-27 from beyond the arc and were hurt by poor free throw shooting, hitting only 10-of-18 from the line.
Lincoln finished at 50-percent from the floor and went 12-of-27 from beyond the arc and hit 12 of 15 free throws. They were led by Grant Olsson who scored 23 including 5-for-5 from beyond the arc, all in the first half.
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