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Ellis city council approves 2017 audit report

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ELLIS – The 2017 audit report was approved by Ellis City Council members during their July 9 meeting.

After considerable discussion, the council directed the Campground Committee to investigate options for allowing reservations at the Lakeside Campground. Currently, no reservations are allowed because there is no on-duty attendant. However, the council voted 3-2 to accept one- time reservations for a tour group wanting seven camp sites July 18-21.

Following a report by Public Works Director Alan Scheuerman, council members asked Scheuerman to come up with estimated costs for paving half of the city’s truck route on Madison and Washington Street from 2nd to 3rd Streets in concrete versus the entire street.

The complete meeting minutes follow.

 

ELLIS CITY COUNCIL REGULAR MEETING

Minutes

July 2, 2018

 

CALL TO ORDER

Mayor David McDaniel called the meeting to order at 7:30 p.m. Present were Council members Holly Aschenbrenner, Susan Eaton, Jolene Niernberger, Dena Patee (left at 8:20 p.m.), and Bob Redger.  Also present were Public Works Director Alan Scheuerman, Assistant City Clerk Charlene Weber, Police Chief Taft Yates (arrived at 7:38 p.m.), and City Attorney Olavee Raub.  Council member Bret Andries and City Clerk Amy Burton were absent.

PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE

AMENDMENTS TO AGENDA

Council member Dena Patee requested discussion on campground reservations under Unfinished Business.

PUBLIC PRESENT

Barbara Perkins, Glen Keller and Verda Flinn.

CONSENT AGENDA

Council member Bob Redger moved to approve the consent agenda containing the Minutes from the Regular Meeting on June 18, 2018, Bills Ordinance #2048, and the May manual journal entries.  Council member Jolene Niernberger seconded the motion. The Council approved the consent agenda 5-0.

PUBLIC COMMENTS

None

PRESENTATIONS OF AWARDS, PROCLAMATIONS, REQUESTS & PETITIONS (HEARINGS)

None

SPECIAL ORDER

None

UNFINISHED BUSINESS

General Government: Financial

Council member Jolene Niernberger moved to approve the 2017 Audit Report as presented by Adams, Brown, Beran & Ball, Chtd at the last Council meeting.  Council member Bob Redger seconded the motion.  The motion carried 5-0.

Campground: Policy

Council member Dena Patee reintroduced the question of allowing a tour group to reserve seven campsites at the Lakeside Campground from July 18 – 21st.   At the last Council meeting, in which Ms. Patee was absent, the Council’s consensus was to adhere to the current policy which does not allow reservations.  Ms. Patee stated that the group could bring $1,000 in revenue to the City during their stay.  After an extended discussion, Council member Dena Patee moved to allow the one-time only exception to the City’s policy prohibiting reservations at the Lakeside Campground for this tour group.  Council member Holly Aschenbrenner seconded the motion.  The motion carried 3-2, with Council members Dena Patee, Holly Aschenbrenner, and Susan Eaton voting in favor of the motion, and Council members Bob Redger and Jolene Niernberger opposed.  The Council then directed the Campground Committee to investigate options for allowing reservations at the Lakeside Campground in the future.

NEW BUSINESS

General Government: Financial

Council member Holly Aschenbrenner moved to approve the 2019 Budget Consultation Contract as presented.  Council member Dena Patee seconded the motion.  The motion carried 5-0.

Public Works: Repair/Maintenance

Public Works Director Alan Scheuerman explained the history of repairs for the Case Loader.  The latest repair invoice is in excess of the Department Head’s authorization and therefore needs ratified by Council.  Council member Holly Aschenbrenner moved to ratify the invoice from Victor L. Phillips Co. in the amount of $2,342.61.  Council member Jolene Niernberger seconded the motion.  The motion carried 5-0.

Public Works: Special Project

Mayor David McDaniel explained that in the interest of being a “good neighbor” he had told St. Mary’s Church that the City would help remove a large tree which has fallen from the Church property into Big Creek.  Council member Holly Aschenbrenner expressed concern on how this tree, and the other large tree which has fallen in the Creek just west of the Washington Street Bridge, could damage the City’s infrastructure.  Public Works Director Alan Scheuerman explained that while the St. Mary’s tree is easily accessible, the second tree has several physical barriers that completely block the City from accessing it with their equipment.  City Attorney Olavee Raub informed the Council there is past precedence which would allow the City to go on private property to remove trees.  Council member Holly Aschenbrenner moved to have the Public Works Department assist St. Mary’s Church with the removal of their tree, with the condition that any costs incurred by the City for rental of additional equipment to complete the project will be the responsibility of St. Mary’s Church.  Council member Bob Redger seconded the motion.  The motion carried 5-0.

Street: Repair/Maintenance

Public Works Director Alan Scheuerman reviewed his memo detailing the proposed street maintenance project involving the City’s truck route on Madison and Washington Street from 2nd to 3rd Streets.  After further discussion, Council directed Mr. Scheuerman to provide additional information on the cost of doing only half the street in concrete versus the entire street in concrete.

REPORTS FROM CITY OFFICIALS

Public Works

Sanitation: Special Project

Mr. Scheuerman continued by proposing dates for the annual City-Wide Clean Up.  The Ellis County Landfill has requested the City not run the clean up the same time as the City of Hays.  It was decided to hold the clean up on October 17th.  The grass route will not run on October 15th.

Street: Special Project

Mr. Scheuerman updated Council on the latest information he had about the Washington Street resurfacing project with Ellis County.

Police

Police Chief Taft Yates presented the Monthly Activity Report for June and the July Staff Calendar.  Chief Yates informed Council that the application process to fill the vacancy in the Department is still ongoing.

City Clerk

Council reviewed the draft minutes from the recent meeting of the Planning Commission/ Board of Zoning Appeals and the May financial statements consisting of the Statement of Accounts, Treasurer’s Report, and Security Deposit Worksheet.  Council has scheduled the first budget work session on July 12th at 6:00 p.m. in Council chambers.

 

Swimming Pool

Wednesday, July 4th is the annual Free Swim Day at the swimming pool; however, the swimming pool will not open that day until 2:00 p.m. so that pool staff may attend the funeral services of George Crawford.  Also, the regular Wednesday water aerobics session will be rescheduled to Thursday, July 5th.

Attorney

Mayor Update and Announcements

Due to the recent resignations of Cheryl Kinderknecht and Dena Patee from the Tourism Committee, the City is looking to fill the vacancies.  Mayor David McDaniel asked Council members to offer names for consideration to appoint to the committee.

EXECUTIVE SESSION

Mayor David McDaniel asked for a motion to recess into executive session at the request of City Attorney Olavee Raub.  Council member Holly Aschenbrenner moved for City Council to recess into executive session for 7 minutes to discuss a current claim against the City pursuant to the attorney-client privilege exception, K.S.A. 75-4319 (b)(2) with City Attorney Olavee Raub present.  The open meeting will resume at 8:49 p.m.  Council member Bob Redger seconded the motion.  The motion carried 4-0.  No action was taken in executive session and the open meeting resumed.

ADJOURNMENT

Council member Bob Redger moved to adjourn the meeting.  Council member Holly Aschenbrenner seconded the motion. The motion carried 4-0.  The meeting adjourned at 8:50 p.m.

Raising goats a family affair at Sonrise Farm in Pfeifer

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The Neher family with one of their show Boer goats. From left rear: Jessica, Tucker, Kaleb, Jeff, Joshua. Front from left: Mya, Esther, Karli and Ella Neher. The family runs the Sonrise Goat Farm in Pfeifer.

By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post

PFEIFER — You could say goats are the glue that hold the Neher family together.

Jessica and Jeff Neher, along with their seven children care for more than 100 goats on their 15-acre Sonrise Farm on the edge of Pfeifer. Jeff is the youth pastor at North Oak Community Church. He and Jessica started raising goats five years ago as a project to teach the children responsibility and life science.

“This is mainly to give our kids responsibility, teach them to work, teach them to be accountable for something,” Jeff said. “For us to play sports, can you imagine us taking seven different kids to seven different teams in seven different directions? We couldn’t imagine that. This is something that our whole family can do together, and we work the goats together. When we go show, we all go together. It is something our whole family can do together.”

Jeff grew up on a dairy farm near Hutchinson, so caring for animals has always been part of his life. He wanted to give that experience to his children.

The Nehers primarily focus on show goats that are sold to 4-H youth. The family recently had a clinic for local 4-Hers at their farm.

However, the family also raises meat goats and a few milk goats.

The family originally became involved with goats for their milk. The family was drinking about a gallon of milk per day. A milk cow was too expensive, too big and too hard to handle, so the family decided to purchase a milk goat from a neighbor who had a milk goat dairy. Karli, 13, the oldest daughter, today milks and cares for the Nehers’ three milk goats.

Although you can use goat milk to make soap, lotion or cheese, the Nehers drink most of their goat milk.

The children wanted to show goats at the county fair, but the fair did not have a category for milk goats, only meat goats, so the family bought meat goats.

“It just kind of exploded from there,” Karli said.

The goats breed in the late summer and give birth in January and February to two, three and sometimes four kids (baby goats). The family sells their wethers in the spring primarily to 4-H kids. These are castrated males—the equivalent of steers—that will be raised as show goats. Does, female goats, are sold for show or to breeders to build up their herds. About half of the Nehers’ Boer goats are registered.

The more significant money is made on the show goats, and that is where the family tends to focus. Prices range widely. Goats can sell for as little as $75. Most of the Nehers’ show kids sell for $250 to $300. Bucks cost about $600. The most pricey goat they ever sold brought $1,600. However, an elite show goat from another breeder sold last fall for $56,000.

“A lot of people have the goat deal in Kansas. 4-H wise it has really exploded,” Jeff said. “It is a lot cheaper than a steer. Some of these steers are $2,000, $5,000. A lot of families just can’t afford that, and they don’t have that place to house them. And goats have great personalities. They are kid friendly, and a lot more manageable to feed and take care of.”

Boer goats, which is the breed the Nehers raise, were imported from South Africa to the U.S. in 1993. The biggest challenge in the Kansas climate is parasitic worms. Keeping up with trimming feet and pairing the goats for breeding is also time consuming, Jeff said.

The family also sells some of its herd to processing plants for their meat. Goat meat has more protein than beef and less fat than chicken.

“It is one of the most healthy meats available,” Kaleb said.

The meat is highly sought after by Middle Eastern immigrants, Hispanics and Island people, Jeff said. The U.S. is importing about 1 million pounds of goat meat per week. Most of the meat is shipped to large cities like Chicago, New York and Philadelphia where there are larger concentrations of these immigrant populations. The Nehers are getting about $2.65 to $3 a pound for their goat meat at the sale barn.

Occasionally, the Nehers sell some goat meat locally. A group of Saudi Arabian students from Fort Hays State University visited the farm, butchered and roasted some of the goat meat, sharing some of the feast with the Nehers.

Mya, 6, the youngest girl, crinkled her nose, saying she did not like the taste.

Each child in the family has goat chores. Kaleb, 15, waters and cleans water buckets. Karli, 13, milks the milk goats. Ella, 9, helps with hay. Esther, 8, and Mya, 6, help where they can, such as carrying buckets of water. Joshua is 4 and the Tucker, the youngest, is not quite 2. All three of the oldest children along with Jessica help deliver kids. Goats need more help delivering than a cow, Jessica explained. Ella proudly acknowledged she helped deliver her first kids this winter.

“Boer goats have to be watched closely and often need help when they are kidding,” Jessica said of the birthing process. “That requires a lot of our time. Everybody has to pitch in and be patient. Little kids participate in that they have to be patient with everything. Dinner might not happen, and grandma might be here when they wake up to take care of them because the rest of us are out taking care of babies being born. Kidding season requires flexibility from all of us, and we learn so much, don’t we?”

To learn more about Sonrise Farm, follow them on Facebook or email Jeff at [email protected].

 

Work underway on K-383 in Norton County

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KDOT

The Kansas Department of Transportation has started work on a chip seal project on a portion of K-383 in Norton County.

Crews are working on a 14-mile stretch from the Decatur County line to the west U.S. 36 junction. Traffic is reduced to one lane and directed through the work zone via flaggers and a pilot car during daylight hours. Minor delays not exceeding 15 minutes should be anticipated.

KDOT expects work to be completed by the end of the week, weather permitting. APAC Kansas of Emporia is the primary contractor for the project with a total contract cost of $457,000.

‘Jazz at the Barn’ part of Ad Astra Music Festival in Russell

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RUSSELL – The Ad Astra Music Festival colors central Kansas with classical music during the month of July.

Bringing over 60 artists from all around the country, Ad Astra is a unique music festival, spanning three weekends in July and integrating emerging young artists, community members, and professional musicians.

The first weekend of performances includes the beloved Brahms Requiem on July 13, Jazz at the Barn on July 14, and Here Be Sirens and Charles Wesley & Charles Ives on July 15.

Brahms Requiem opens the 2018 season. The work will feature the Russell Community Choir, the High School Honor Choir, as well as the Chamber Choir, comprised of professional singers from all over the country. The piece’s humanity transcends age, and it brings people from all walks of life together.

Jazz at the Barn brings out a different side of Ad Astra and takes place at Granny Mae’s Barn. Cocktails and popcorn will be available.

Here Be Sirens, a 2014 opera by Kate Soper, will be at the Deines Cultural Center. The contemporary opera featuring three artist-in-residence sopranos explores sirens from different eras and follows them in their quest of what it means to be immortal.

To close the opening weekend, Ad Astra presents a Sunday Evening Series, beginning with Charles Wesley & Charles Ives on July 15. Join in a hymn sing of pieces by Charles Ives and hymns with text by Charles Wesley, honoring the Methodist tradition.

To learn more about our performances, please visit adastramusicfestival.org/calendar.

– SUBMITTED –

WINKEL: It’s time to plant for a fall harvest

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Rip Winkel

Probably the last thing the average gardener thinks of doing in the heat of the summer is to plant another round of vegetables…again. However, fall gardens will often produce higher quality, better tasting cool-season crops as the vegetables mature during cooler temperatures.  Note the “cool-season crops”.

If your love of gardening is deep and you decide to take on the challenge of fall gardening, there are a few things to remember. For instance;

-it is important to plant seeds slightly deeper than you would in the spring so they stay cooler and the soil around the seeds stays moist longer.

-plant the seeds more thickly, and then be sure to thin later.

-if you have critters or varmints that like to enjoy the fruits of your efforts, you may need to protect your crops through the use of fencing.

The following “calendar” is a general guide of what can be planted, and in what time-frame to do so.

Mid-July: Plant potatoes if you can find or have saved back seed potatoes. Do not use freshly dug potatoes as seed, as they have a built-in dormancy that will prevent growth.  Also note that grocery store potatoes often are treated so they will not sprout. At this time you can start your cabbage, broccoli, and cauliflower plants from seed.  Choose a protected place where the soil can be kept moist and rabbits will not bother them. This will not be where they will grow the entire season but these crops should be transplanted around the middle of August.

Late July: Seed (direct) beets, carrots, parsnips, endive and beans.

Late July to Early August: Seed (direct) spinach and long-season maturing lettuce. Leaf lettuce will be seeded later.

Second Week of August: Transplant (not seed) cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower to their final location.

Late August to Early September: Seed (direct) radishes, turnips and leaf lettuce.

Use light amounts of fertilizer before planting. For example, apply 1/4 cup of a low-analysis fertilizer (6-7-7) per 10 feet of row. Side dress two weeks after transplanting or four weeks after seeding by applying 2 tablespoons of a 16-0-0 or 1 tablespoon of a 27-3-3, 30-3-4 fertilizer, or something similar per plant.
    One last thing to remember; watering must occur more frequently because the vegetable seeds that you planted should not be allowed to dry out.

Overhead watering often causes soil to crust, making it more difficult for young, tender plants to emerge.  Prevent this by applying a light sprinkling of peat moss, vermiculite or compost directly over the row after seeding. Even better, use a soaker hose or drip irrigation right next to the row to allow water to slowly seep into the ground.

Rip Winkel is the Horticulture agent in the Cottonwood District (Barton and Ellis Counties) for K-State Research and Extension. You can contact him by e-mail at [email protected] or calling either 785-682-9430, or 620-793-1910.

Sunny, hot Wednesday

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Today Sunny, with a high near 96. South wind 6 to 14 mph.

TonightMostly clear, with a low around 72. South southeast wind 8 to 14 mph.

ThursdaySunny, with a high near 95. South wind 8 to 13 mph.

Thursday NightPartly cloudy, with a low around 73. South southeast wind 9 to 14 mph.

Friday A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1pm. Mostly sunny, with a high near 94.

Friday Night A 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms. Partly cloudy, with a low around 71.

Saturday Mostly sunny, with a high near 96.

Ellis Co. Commission calls for more budget cuts

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By JONATHAN ZWEYGARDT
Hays Post

The Ellis County Commission is calling for additional cuts to the 2019 proposed budget.

At Monday’s commission meeting they called on department heads to cut an additional 1 percent from their 2019 budgets requests.

According to County Administrator Phillip Smith-Hanes, the budget presented to the commission contained $22.37 million in General Fund expenditures and did not increase the countywide mill levy.

“The amount of spending proposed for 2019 balances to the amount of revenue that we expect plus the amount of cash carryover that we expect,” Smith-Hanes said.

But under the budget presented to the commission Monday the county had budgeted expenditures about $2.4 million more than expected revenues, according to Smith-Hanes.

Commissioner Barb Wasinger called on all departments to find areas where they can reduce spending.

“We just can’t do this. You can’t do that in your house, you can’t do that in your household budget,” Wasinger said. “And you can just raise the mill levy to cover the fact that we’re spending more than we’re bringing in.”

Commissioner Dean Haselhorst called it a “trend that has to come to an end.”

“You can’t spend $2 million more than you’re making every year unless you’re going to raise taxes every year but that’s not fixing the problem,” Haselhorst said.

At the beginning of the budget process, county department heads and outside agencies that receive funds from Ellis County were instructed to keep their budget requests relatively the same as 2018. Many of them did just that and some even trimmed their 2019 budget requests.

The commission began the budgeting process facing a $645,000 deficit between expected revenues and expenses. After two work sessions they were able to trim that gap. But the commission Monday signaled the current path they are on would not be acceptable.

“We don’t have a lot of options to raise money. Either you got to do a mill levy increase or you got to cut expenses,” said Haselhorst.

Wasinger said she had found areas where departments could cut spending.

“I’ve made all sorts of little cuts in here. I want to see if everyone can come back here with more,” said Wasinger. “There’s a problem, a significant problem, and there’s no way to fix it unless you start today.”

As one example, she said they could stop mailing out paycheck information to people who have their paychecks automatically deposited. She also questioned the need for operating 12 graders on the county’s roads.

Haselhorst said they could look into combining routes that graders run and not replacing graders as they age. He also said they should look at fixing equipment rather than buying new every time.

Administrator Smith-Hanes said those would both fall under equipment and that is different from operations. He explained that getting rid of equipment will not save operating costs, but reducing staff costs would be a way to reduce expenditures.

The commission discussed the possibility of a hiring freeze as a way to lower operating costs.

Commissioner Macy McClelland said she agreed with the other commissioners and said she was in favor of a hiring freeze. “However, I don’t know that there’s that many openings at this time.”

Wasinger said it keeps positions from being filled when they do open, adding that each department is going to have to look at ways to cut costs and they may have to “look at a reduction in staff and not operating with as many people in every department.”

The trend of the county spending more money than its gets back has been happening for a number of years, according to Smith-Hanes.

“It has been a pattern that has continued for a number of years,” said Smith-Hanes. “The exception, the one year that revenues exceed expenditures in the last five years was in 2015 when the commission transferred $3.1 million of oil and gas depletion money in, and that’s they only reason that revenues exceed expenditures in that year.”

Smith-Hanes said the staff presented the commission with a “proposal that is in conformance with everything that the commission has directed up to this point” and asked for direction from the commission.

Wasinger said she had identified cuts of 3 to 8 percent but asked for a 1 percent cut. “Something just has to be done,” she said.

“If they want us just to do it, that’s fine,” said Wasinger. “I think that when you are running your own department or your office you know better where you can take some of that from.

“The trend is that either we start doing it now or we just slash things later.”

The commission also said every department will be expected to cut 1 percent for 2019. No departments will be excluded.

County staff will present the commission with a new budget next Monday.

HPD Activity Log July 9

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The Hays Police Department responded to 8 animal calls and conducted 20 traffic stops Mon., July 9, 2018, according to the HPD Activity Log.

Intoxicated Subject–3200 block Vine St, Hays; 12 AM
Fire–500 block W 17th St, Hays; 6:03 AM
Criminal Damage to Property–500 block W 29th St, Hays; 8:36 AM
Drug Offenses–500 block S Vine St, Hays; 10/31/16; 11/10/16
Drug Offenses–500 block S Vine St, Hays; 10/31/16; 11/10/16
Drug Offenses–300 block W Mopar Dr, Hays; 11/8/16; 11/10/16
Dead Animal Call–15th St and Canterbury Dr, Hays; 9:14 AM
Theft (general)–100 block W 4th St, Hays; 7/5 6 PM; 7/6 9:30 AM
Theft (general)–400 block W 5th St, Hays; 7/8 9 AM; 12 PM
Assist – Other (not MV)–100 block W 12th St, Hays; 12:16 PM
Animal Cruelty/Neglect–2700 block Epworth St, Hays; 12:30 PM
Abandoned Vehicle–400 block W 11th St, Hays; 1:06 PM
MV Accident-Private Property-Hit and Run–200 block W 29th St, Hays; 2:06 PM
Criminal Damage to Property–1400 block Montgomery St, Hays; 7/7 2:30 AM; 3:30 AM
Missing Person–600 block W 13th St, Hays; 2:12 PM
Disturbance – General–1600 block E 27th St, Hays; 3:26 PM
Harassment (All Other)–2700 block Plaza Ave, Hays; 4 PM
Suicidal Subject–1300 block E 33rd St, Hays; 4:33 PM
Theft (general)–4300 block Vine St, Hays; 4:58 PM
Theft (general)–4300 block Vine St, Hays; 4:59 PM
Domestic Disturbance–4500 block Jagger Ct, Hays; 5:31 PM
Found/Lost Property–800 block W 8th St, Hays; 6 PM; 6:12 PM
Shoplifting–100 block W 43rd, Hays; 6:25 PM; 6:30 PM
Welfare Check–Hays; 9:59 PM
Drug Offenses–200 block W 5th St, Hays; 7/9 10:16 PM; 7/10 1:15 AM

2 Kansas women hospitalized after Trego Co. head-on crash

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TREGO COUNTY — Two people were injured in an accident just after 7a.m. Tuesday in Trego County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported a 2016 Buick Lacrosse driven by Loretta Blackwell, 81, Quinter, was turning from Interstate 70 left onto 130th Avenue eight miles east of Quinter.

The driver failed to yield and collided head-on with a 2000 Dodge Ram pickup driven by Nicholas Wente, 20, Quinter.

Blackwell and a passenger Annetta Phlieger, 76, Quinter, were transported to Gove County Medical Center.

Wente was not wearing a seat belt and not injured, according to the KHP.

Hays father, daughter team to create dinosaur books

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Josh Dechant of Hays reading his book “Hello Roara” to students at the Hays USD 489 Summer Reading Camp.

By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post

What started out as just a fun project for Josh Dechant and his daughter, Marley, to explore reading and science has blossomed into a series of books about a giant, friendly, red dinosaur named Roara.

Dechant, 32, has three books that have been published: “Hello Roara,” “Where’s Roara,” and “Macara’s Treasure.”

Dechant did not start out with the intent to be an author. He is an app designer.

When Marley, now 6, was a baby, he began to read to her. He eventually started to have Marley do small activities with the books. He asked her to look for a cloud or look for a tree. The father and daughter also made up some of their own stories.

Dechant started the Roara project with the intent of creating a hunt-and-find app, but it evolved into a book. Dechant worked side by side with his daughter in the creation of the book and its characters.

“Every piece of Roara, she had a hand in,” Dechant said.

Marley with a “Hello Roara” book

Marley liked to visit the Sternberg Museum of Natural History and specifically enjoyed the T-Rex, although she was initially scared of it. The father and daughter decided their main character would be a dinosaur.

Dechant sketched pictures of the character and other illustrators he had worked with on apps did the same. Marley chose the images she liked best, including Roara’s red color. She also picked the dinosaur’s name.

“All of this time, she was still 2. Basically everything was designed for her,” Dechant said.

He had help creating the characters and original illustrations on the first Roara book. He took those beginnings and reillustrated the first book. Tamara Forge wrote the story after Josh and Marley had worked out the characters. Dechant then self published.

Dechant intended to just create the first book, but a second book was soon in the works.

“People like it, and it was a lot of fun to do,” he said. “I really enjoy it, and Marley really enjoys it, so we ended up doing more than going past that first book. It has really been a fun journey. ”

Dechant does all of his own marketing. He has been selling his books through book fairs and Amazon, and at museums, including Sternberg in Hays and the and Smoky Hill Museum in Salina.

“I really like to talk face to face with people about the book,” he said. “It is not just another book on a shelf. It is something me and my daughter created. It is just a really cool thing for me to talk about.”

They have attended book fairs in Topeka, Las Vegas, and Dechant was invited to speak to a classroom in Berkley, California.

Dechant recently read the Roara books to children in Hays USD 489 Summer Reading Camps at O’Loughlin and Wilson schools. He also told the children the story behind creating Roara and gave them the opportunity to create their own books.

“We had some really cool stories between both schools in all the classrooms that we visited,” he said. “There were just really funny stories that these kids came up with. They are so creative, and they are so awesome at telling their own stuff. It was fun.”

“I had a great time. It was an awesome experience, and I am glad Marley got to come with me,” he said.

Dechant said the Roara books have been popular enough he plans to publish more. He has three more books that have been written and are waiting for illustrations.

“Macara’s Treasure” is the first in a series. Dechant wrote this book and had it illustrated by someone else. The series includes STEAM activities. He has created Adventure Crates to go with the books that include science experiments.

In “Macara’s Treasure,” Macara has been looking for a magical treasure. She finally finds the island where the treasure is hidden, but she forgets her supplies. The reader has to help her create items, such as a compass. The child also goes through a map maze.

Dechant has several of these STEAM books in the works, but they are not yet ready for publication.

“This was just a little project, a fun thing to do with Marley,” he said of the books. “I never thought it would be that big. I never thought I would be invited to classrooms.”

Dechant’s wife owns a dance studio in town. A mother of one of her students realized Josh had written the Roara books. She told his wife “Hello Roara” is her son’s favorite book, and they read it every night before bed.

“How cool is that?” Dechant said. “I think that is just awesome that people are reading it to their kids and they love it just as much as we do.”

Find out more about Roara and print out coloring pages at roararex.com.

🎥 ‘Roll Out The Rain Barrel’ project surpasses 6,500 barrels

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City of Hays employees help build rain barrels Tuesday morning at the KSU Ag Research Center.

By BECKY KISER
Hays Post

The same day Hays received more than three inches of rain in just a couple  hours, resulting in flash flooding, the state issued its July 6 drought map.

Ellis County remains in a Drought Warning. All of Kansas’ 105 counties are either in an Emergency, Warning or Watch status.

Water is precious in western Kansas and building rain barrels has become a big project for Stacie Minson, KSU Watershed Specialist.

A rain barrel is the simplest way to collect and store rain water runoff from a roof gutter downspout which can then be used in gardens and landscaping.

Rain barrels offer other benefits which make it preferable to tap water. Because the water is straight from nature, no chemicals or chlorination contaminate the water. Also, any pollutants in tap water — such as nitrogen, phosphorous, sediment and E.coli — will not run off into local water sources when using rain water to irrigate.

Since 2006, more than 6,500 rain barrels have been put together by Minson and dozens of local volunteers.

She was at it again Tuesday morning, this time working with city of Hays employees at the K-State Agricultural Research Center, where the rain barrels are constructed and distributed.

The first year the barrels were built inside the Hays Rec Center. It was a pilot project with now retired Fort Hays State University agricultural professor Dr. Jean Gleichsner and her landscaping students. “We quickly realized we didn’t have near enough barrels, and it’s grown ever since,” Minson laughed.

The rain barrels became a partnership project among the city of Hays, Coca-Cola Enterprise, Inc., Ellis and Ellsworth County Conservation Districts, the Smoky Hill River Kanopolis Lake Watershed, Gleichsner and the FHSU Ag Department, Ellis County K-State Research & Extension (now the Cottonwood District), KSU Ag Research Center and Ellis County Master Gardeners.

The 55-gallon plastic barrels, emptied of soda pop syrup, are donated by Lenexa Coca-Cola, brought to the Victoria Coca-Cola plant, and then stacked three high in a work shed at the research center.

Starting at 7 a.m. this morning, Eric Borger, an employee in the Hays Stormwater Division, A.J. Wickham in the Service Division, and John Braun, Project Manager, first drilled circular holes in the barrels which then advanced to Holly Dickman, Water Conservation Specialist, and Minson who fitted the hardware onto the barrels. Grant monies are used to purchase hardware to convert the large clear barrels which are sold for $26.

The project’s popularity has spread, thanks in part to a Youtube video Minson helped produce years ago for the Kansas Center for Agricultural Resources and the Environment (KCARE), part of K-State Research and Extension. The video, which demonstrates how to build your own inexpensive rain barrel, has had more than 100,000 hits, according to Minson.

She’s had inquiries from water conservation groups and agencies in 15 states, including Alaska. Minson has shipped some hardware parts to Alaska “because they just can’t get them there.”

Minson and representatives of the city of Hays presented the “Roll Out The Rain Barrel” project three years ago at a Kansas City regional conference of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). “The Chicago region EPA then asked for a hundred of the hardware kits so we shipped them and they built rain barrels there in Chicago,” Minson said.

The latest batch of rain barrels, some of which have been pre-sold, will be housed at the Cottonwood Extension District office in Hays, 601 Main.

For information about purchasing a rain barrel, call the extension office at 785-628-9430.

 

 

 

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