Category: Local
Goodland to host Queen City Jazz Band on Sept. 15
GOODLAND — Dixieland jazz and razzmatazz is coming to the Goodland High School Auditorium, Sunday, Sept. 15 at 2 p.m. MDT (3 p.m. CDT). Sponsored by the Western Plains Arts Association, admission is by WPAA season ticket or adults $20, students $10, at the door. The second of WPAA’s 50th anniversary season performance is made possible through the generous support of area businesses and individual donors, including a special grant from the Dane Hansen Memorial Foundation, Logan, Kan.
Headquartered in Denver, Colo., the Queen City Jazz Band has delighted audiences since 1958, with traditional, swing, ragtime, and Dixieland-style jazz, as well as blues and spirituals. A chemist at Golden’s Coors Brewery, Harney Peterson, organized the band for his weekly traditional jazz program on KFML radio.
The QCJB has been featured at jazz festivals from Florida to British Columbia and has toured Europe. They have produced dozens of recordings and are regularly guest artists with all the major regional symphony orchestras and concert bands. The current band excels in entertaining listeners of all ages with the music of the early master of blues jazz like Bessie Smith and Louis Armstrong along with the great sounds of the “Second Line” straight from Bourbon Street in New Orleans.
Most of the music presents audiences with the happy sounds of the 20s, 30s and 40s era. The QCJB has performed at every major Dixieland and swing jazz festival in North America. They faithfully recreate the music of Louis Armstrong, Fats Waller, Jelly Roll Morton, Scott Joplin, Bix Beiderbecke, Wilbur DeParis, Turk Murphy and many others.
The band’s busy schedule abounds with weddings, worship services, educational clinics, fundraisers and major parties. Each year they are featured at the Evergreen Jazz Festival in Evergreen, Colo. Over the years the band has recorded many of their best songs.
Lev Ropes, artistic director, West Side Live! Presents, writes: “The QCJB is always a delight to have in our concert series. They present a variety of fine jazz along with information about composers, eras, and performers that adds even more to our audiences’ listening pleasure. Great fun, lively, instrumental and vocal music that fills our house. We love ‘em.”
Current band members are: Wende Harston, singer, Bill Clark-tuba/leader, Kevin Bollinger-trumpet, Eric Staffeldt-trombone, John Bredenberg-reeds, Hank Troy-piano, Rory Thomas-banjo and Tony Pantelis-drums.
Since 1992, blues and gospel singer Wende Harston brings to life the great hit songs of Bessie Smith, Ma Rainey, Ida Cox, Ethel Waters, Alberta Hunter, Helen Humes, Ella Fitzgerald, and other early blues singers. Harston is the complete package as she sings, dances and acts. She has appeared in many feature film and a made-for-TV film series. She can also be seen in local theater productions. She not only sings but writes songs for the QCJB.
Clark is a retired professor from UC Denver and the tuba player and leader of the QCJB. Clark received his music education degree from the University of Colorado, Boulder. He continued at Northwestern where he studied with the Chicago Symphony’s legendary tubist, Arnold Jacobs. He began his teaching career in the Boulder public school system and recently retired as a Professor of Music at UC Denver after more than 45 years as an educator. Clark, the band’s longest term member, started with the QCJB in 1976 and became the leader in 1985. Clark’s passionate endeavors while teaching included his college band, the UC Denver Claim Jumpers, one of the Nation’s finest college Dixieland bands of the time. The “CJs” performed across Europe and have been featured at many jazz festivals in the country. In the early 70’s, Clark performed on the Ed Sullivan Show when he was touring with the original Your Father’s Mustache Band.
Kevin Bollinger, trumpet, attended the Eastman School of Music. Later, he studied with Bill Clark and was in the UC Denver Traditional Jazz band, Red Beans and Rice, directed by Clark. Bollinger is a much sought after free-lance trumpet player in both jazz and classical idioms. In his spare time, he works as a systems administrator for a government agency.
Reedman, John Bredenberg, has years of experience playing traditional jazz on clarinet, saxophone and banjo. Bredenberg served in the US Navy, then attended the University of Northern Colorado as a clarinet major. He is a master electrician, and has recently retired.
Eric Staffeldt is the QCJB’s trombonist, holds a M.A. degree from the University of Denver. Staffeldt has worked for many years in the design industry, providing custom finishes for furniture and cabinetry for some of Denvers’ finest homes. He also writes and arranges music for QCJB and other local groups. Staffeldt is the current director of the University of Colorado Denver Claim Jumpers. He is a freelance musician as well as a regular performing member of several Denver area ensembles, ranging in style from classical to salsa to jazz.
Hank Troy has been the pianist with the QCJB since 1981, making him the second longest term band member. He is the secretary/treasurer for the Queen City Jazz Foundation. In this capacity Hank helps with the behind-the-scenes activities of the band, such as helping to produce the band’s annual concert. He is a nationally recognized expert as a pianist for silent movies and has traveled the country doing the same. As leader of the Queen City Ragtime Ensemble, Troy promotes Ragtime Jazz, the great American music that was the precursor to the traditional jazz that the band performs today.
Rory Thomas, banjo player, comes to the QCJC with a great deal of professional experience including playing with all of Denver’s best traditional jazz bands. He has also played with Karla West’s Goodtyme Jazz Band and still plays with the Poudre River Irregulars when available. Rory is a retired graphic artist .
The drummer, Tony Pantelis, holds a B.S. degree from the University of Colorado, Denver. Tony played with the Delta Sonics, recent “Best of Denver “ award winners from Westword Magazine. Other highlights include appearances with The Colorado Symphony Orchestra, The Denver Symphony Orchestra and performances at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts.
🎥 ‘Best year on record’ in boardings at Hays Regional Airport
By BECKY KISER
Hays Post
“This has been our best year ever to date and we are going to far exceed our expectations.”
Enplanements on United Express at the Hays Regional Airport are up considerably this year, according to Hays City Manager Toby Dougherty.
In fact, July was the best month on record for airport boardings and total boardings so far in 2019 are also at a record high.
For years, the Hays benchmark boardings number has been 10,000 passengers per year. Reaching that number qualifies the airport for grant monies from the Federal Aviation Administration.
“We’re going to have to modify that benchmark,” Dougherty said, noting every month of enplanements this year has exceeded those of 2018.
Dougherty includes himself in those numbers, having recently flown twice from Hays to Florida and also to New York to visit family.
“Ridership is good. The flights are pretty full going out,” Dougherty confirmed.
“Between Hays and Salina, we’re packing that airplane, which is good. Full seats mean revenue for the carriers and that means they want to keep doing business here.”
Utilization of the direct flight to Chicago is increasing.
“We were a little slow to adapt to that flight. I think Chicago is just such an unknown quantity for the Hays Regional Airport flying public.
When Dougherty and his wife traveled to New York, they flew into Denver and then Syracuse, New York, on a direct flight.
“But coming back, it was easier to come through Chicago,” he said.
“Everybody understands the Denver airport – the layout, the schedule, the terminal. O’Hare is a lot different airport. It was a good experience. I had no problem with it. It’s just different than what people are used to with that Denver outlet.”
Boardings at the Hays Regional Airport are “demonstrating that a lot of people are realizing Chicago is another venue, especially if you’re going east or if you’re coming back from the east. So, those boardings for the Chicago flight are slowly increasing.”
Dougherty attributes the overall increased ridership to schedule and consistency. “We have pretty prime schedules.”
The first weekday flight out of Hays was adjusted Sept. 1, moving back an hour to 8:03 a.m. from about 7 a.m.
“That still gets you to the big bank of flights in Denver and you can make it pretty much anywhere the same day.”
Dougherty believes the morning flight out, a mid-day turnaround with a swing-through to Chicago, and the late night flight coming back to Hays, is a schedule attractive to both business and pleasure travelers.
“It puts most of the United States in a situation where you can easily get there in one day and you can easily get back in one day. In many cases you can get there and get back that afternoon.”
When Dougherty flew to Syracuse, they left on the morning flight and arrived at 1:30 p.m. local time. Coming back through Chicago, they left Syracuse in the morning and arrived in Hays by 1:30 p.m.
“That’s a pretty timely schedule to leave central New York and arrive back in Hays in the early afternoon.”
Passengers using the Hays Regional Airport has always been more heavily skewed toward business travelers.
Still, Dougherty encourages people to check flyhays.com and use the True Cost Calculator when planning any type of trip.
“Our flights are relatively affordable when you look at comparing flying directly out of Kansas City or Wichita or Denver.
“We are extremely competitive and extremely affordable especially when it’s just one person traveling.
“It’s rare to find an instance out of Hays where it’s cheaper to drive somewhere and then fly. By the time you figure in time, gasoline, the possibility of an overnight stay, and parking, it is rarely cheaper than flying out of Hays.”
If you’re flying a family of four, however, Dougherty acknowledges it’s sometimes more expensive to fly out of Hays.
Still, he says, “when I fly out of Hays, I see a lot of people who are heading out on vacation.”
HAWVER: Kan. GOP’s challenge of separating Trump from state politics
This is starting to become interesting, just how effectively Kansas Republicans create a bright yellow line between federal elections and elections for members of the Kansas House and Kansas Senate.
The real issue, of course, is that Trump is president and would like to stay in that job for another four years. And his name will be on the top of the ballot next year with “R” behind his name.
Oh, and yes, he’s a dab divisive both within his adopted Republican Party and the nation in general. You can talk about that among yourselves…
While the Republican Party of Kansas needs to make re-electing Trump an issue of vital import for Kansas Republican voters, it also needs to separate that national posture from the job of maintaining its dominance in the Kansas Legislature.
That’s why the GOP primary races for the U.S. House and Senate are important to the party, but the real work for the party is here at home, within Kansas borders.
Practically, the state party doesn’t get involved in Kansas legislative GOP primary races, but at the federal level, say, choosing delegates for the Republican National Convention next year that will select the party’s presidential nominee, it’s going to be an all-Trump delegation that the state sends to Charlotte, N.C., next August.
The real issue here, and the real challenge here, is separating the party’s in-state duties from its national political stance. That is going to interesting to watch.
There are Kansas Republican legislators, of course, who are considerably more moderate than Trump, and probably weren’t among the 56.8 percent of Kansans who voted for him back in 2016… They are in that group that voted to expand Medicaid and who voted against the tax bill that Democrat Gov. Laura Kelly vetoed. Lots of Rs behind those votes.
Those are votes that were important to Kansas, but probably didn’t raise many eyebrows in the White House.
And while Republicans are seeing their Kansas Legislature grow more moderate on the state legislative level, the party’s support for Trump probably is the GOP’s biggest gift to Democrats.
Gift to Democrats? Yes, because after more than two years in office, it’s likely that it won’t take much work for them to describe those legislative candidates who are Republicans as “Trumpers.”
It would take some special legislation to allow Democrats to notch the ears of Republicans seeking legislative seats next year, but it won’t be hard for nearly every Democrat to put a bullet point on his/her palm cards to make sure that voters know that Republicans seeking a House or Senate seat are from the same party that Trump now leads.
Thinking that if Democrats come up with a reasonable middle-of-the- road candidate for President that they might see some gains in House and Senate seats in Kansas? Possibly. But just the name Trump at the top of the ballot is going to be a factor when you’re trying to decide whether your Kansas House or Senate member is going to vote for a new highway plan or possibly reduce the sales tax on groceries instead of paring income taxes for corporations with international revenues.
***
We may be looking at one of those years coming up in which Kansans make a sharp division between the folks we send off to Washington and those we send to Topeka for the winter. While Democrats’ best strategy is to probably turn every Republican into a Trumper, state legislative Republicans need to focus on their districts, the local issues that send them to Topeka.
We’ll see how that works out…
Syndicated by Hawver News Company LLC of Topeka; Martin Hawver is publisher of Hawver’s Capitol Report—to learn more about this nonpartisan statewide political news service, visit the website at www.hawvernews.com
Hays USD 489 discusses creating wage schedule for classified staff
By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post
The Hays USD 489 school board discussed creating a wage schedule for classified staff at its meeting Monday night.
The school board was first presented a classified wage study on June 16. It found several classes of USD 489 employees are not making as much as their peers. These included building secretaries, office assistants and clerical workers, and information technology assistants.
The starting wage for a USD 489 school secretary is $9.62 per hour, but the average starting wage for other Hays employers is $12.78. Comparable school districts pay an average of $11.08 and comparable cities pay an average starting wage of $13.45.
Office assistants and clerical workers start at $10.06 at USD 489, which is comparable to other school districts but is more than $2 below the average in the Hays community and $4 below the average in comparable cities.
IT assistants did start at $10.95 per hour at USD 489 with the average at peer districts at $13.38 and $11.87 in the city of Hays. Administration increased the pay for this position to be on par with paras and classroom aides, who perform similar duties.
Keith Hall, interim director of finance, suggested creating a wage schedule starting with secretarial staff. He said the hope would be to use the secretaries as a template to create schedules for other positions.
Faith Lochmann, HR coordinator, said the group could be divided into to town categories — front line secretaries and principal secretaries.
Hall said first the district needed to increase secretaries’ starting pay to be comparable to their peers. Those who are earning below that would receive a bump in pay. Administrators have yet to determine what would happen to those individuals who are above the starting wage. Do they also get a bump in pay or nothing, he asked.
Hall and the board discussed creating a schedule that included milestone pay increases for longevity.
Including longevity in a wage schedule could help attract new employees and be incentive for current employees to stay, Hall said. Board members asked if that would include work experience from another employer, and Hall said he thought it would. Custodians already have longevity included in their pay scale.
Board member Greg Schwartz said he wanted to see how benefits compared at comparable employers in the area. Schwartz suggested the Hays school district employees might be receiving better benefits. He said the entire compensation package needs to be considered.
Schwartz said he loved the concept of a wage schedule, but he didn’t want to set the wages too high.
“These aren’t the only wages we have to deal with, and they are also not the only problems we have to deal with,” he said. “I want to be responsible to make sure we are paying people competitive wages, but I also don’t want to be irresponsible in paying them over what the market rate should be such that we can’t have other things like lunch rooms and thing like that.”
Hall said the administration has yet to plug numbers into a new wage schedule. His plan is to do so and then bring an option back for the school board to review. He said he does not think the district will be able to make wage adjustments for the entire classified staff in one year, rather he suggested doing it in sections with secretarial staff first.
He said he would try to factor in benefits when creating the schedule.
CLINKSCALES: Being inspired – Jim Blume and DSNWK
Jim was long associated with DSNWK, serving as its leader for many, many years. Jim eventually transitioned to a Deacon with the Catholic Church, and runs/works at a homeless shelter in Denver.
I knew Jim way back when. Many times I would see him working out at the gym. I always knew him as a good person and so I was more than willing to speak with him.
The day after the presentation in Hays, Jim dropped by my office. Jim has developed a real sense of his mortality, that his time on this earth is limited, that he wants to be sure that DSNWK will continue on its mission of service to those with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and that the program will survive long past his lifetime.
I do not know if I have ever experienced the closeness to a purpose as I felt with Jim Blume that day. He was one with his purpose. He was one with his God. He was on a mission. And he inspired me.
This is not intended to be an advertisement for DSNWK. It is a great organization that helps those that cannot help themselves. Many of its workers and supporters are 100% dedicated to helping families and many times are their only resources.
There are many other great organizations that are equally as important, with equally dedicated people.
Part of my law practice involves helping folks with their estate planning. Sometimes they consider setting aside a portion of their assets, even a small portion, for charitable purposes. That has become much more important to me now.
While such charitable purposes may have little impact on what your family receives, those charitable gifts can create a legacy for those in need for many, many years. With cuts to various government and healthcare programs, many charitable organizations will simply not survive without private assistance.
Jim Blume inspired me. He made me feel and see a higher purpose in my life and in my planning.
Whether it is DSNWK, or some other organization that is important to you, your donations can make a real impact on the lives of many. It just takes a little changing to your estate plan. Or it takes a little bit of re-directing your contributions now. Regardless, I hope you will consider supporting your favorite charities.
Randy Clinkscales of Clinkscales Elder Law Practice, PA, Hays, Kansas, is an elder care attorney, practicing in western Kansas. To contact him, please send an email to [email protected]. Disclaimer: The information in the column is for general information purposes and does not constitute legal advice. Each case is different and outcomes depend on the fact of each case and the then applicable law. For specific questions, you should contact a qualified attorney.
Divine Mercy Radio to purchase radio station in Lindsborg
KDJM is a 15,500-watt station that will cover all of Salina which is the diocesan seat for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Salina. (Diocesan seat means where the Bishop for the diocese resides.) KDJM has the potential of reaching 81,570 individuals.
“We’re excited to expand Catholic radio to the Salina area,” Donetta Robben, executive director of Divine Mercy Radio, said. “Radio is a wonderful opportunity to evangelize and to reach people individually and privately.”
The license transfer will take place in December, with Divine Mercy Radio, Inc. broadcasting on KDJM after January 1. Divine Mercy Radio is a nonprofit corporation and has filed with the FCC to make KDJM a non-commercial, educational station. Divine Mercy Radio will run KDJM from their Hays studio.
Divine Mercy Radio, Inc. owns KVDM-FM, 88.1, Hays and KRTT-FM, 88.1 Great Bend. They mostly broadcast programing from the radio branch of the Eternal Word Television Network.
Three-day weather outlook
HAC sponsors children’s performances on math
Hays Post
The Hays Arts Council is again presenting a week-long residency with Jay and Leslie Cady (Laughing Matters). The duo will be visiting the elementary schools in Hays, Ellis, Victoria, Plainville and Russell today through Friday.
There will also be a free HAC public performance of a different show by Jay and Leslie for children and families at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at the Hays Public Library.
This year the Cadys will perform “Sum’ of ur Favorite Numbers” in schools.
In “Sum Of Our Favorite Numbers, they share reasons why they like various numbers—the way they look, the way they sound, and (most importantly) their mathematical quirks.
They explore the square number pattern by juggling bean bags and putting them in square arrays (2 x 2 =4; 3 x 3 = 9; etc.). Jay and two volunteers use stacking cups to examine the triangular number pattern (1 + 2 = 3; 1 + 2 + 3 = 6; etc.). We discover that 36 is in both number patterns.
Later in the assembly, Leslie becomes increasingly frustrated trying to divide 13 rolls of toilet paper into equal sets of 2, 3, 4, or 6. The kids roll with laughter each time she has one left over. Who knew that division and remainders could be so much fun?
“The Ruler Who Measured Too Much” is laden with bad puns about units of measurement and their equivalents. Queen Cecily is under a spell that makes her constantly measure everything she sees. Sir Cumference helps her break the spell. After the story, students identify the units of measurement that were used in the wordplay.
Full-time professional entertainers since 1980, the Cadys have performed more than 6,000 times in 36 states and seven foreign counties. These Kansas City artists are highly acclaimed, bringing a special brand of entertainment and education to their programs.
Hays High sets Financial Aid Night
Hays High School is hosting its annual Financial Aid Night for all interested seniors and parents at 7 p.m. Monday, Sept. 16 in the Hays High School Lecture Hall. Families will learn how to apply for all types of state and federal financial aid using the FAFSA, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid.
Completing the FAFSA is a required step when seeking most need-based scholarships, grants, loans and work-study. The FAFSA is used across the U.S. at nearly all colleges, public career/tech ed schools, and some private trade schools. Vanessa Flipse, financial aid director of Fort Hays State University, will be the guest speaker for the evening. She will be speaking on behalf of all Kansas Financial Aid Administrators. If questions regarding the Financial Aid Night, call the Hays High Counseling Office 623-2608.
Hays USD 489 board to discuss classified wages, tour middle school
By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post
The Hays USD 489 school board will revisit a classified wage study at its regular meeting at 6:30 p.m. Monday at Hays Middle School.
The first part of the work session will include a tour of the middle school building.
The study, which was first presented to the school board on June 16, found several classes of USD 489 employees are not making as much as their peers. These included building secretaries, office assistants and clerical workers, and information technology assistants.
The starting wage for a USD 489 school secretary is $9.62 per hour, but the average starting wage for other Hays employers is $12.78. Comparable school districts pay an average of $11.08 and comparable cities pay an average starting wage of $13.45.
Office assistants and clerical workers start at $10.06 at USD 489, which is comparable to other school districts but is more than $2 below the average in the Hays community and $4 below the average in comparable cities.
IT assistants start at $10.95 per hour at USD 489, but the average at peer districts is $13.38 and $11.87 in the city of Hays.
The board has discussed creating a new pay scale for classified employees.
The board has also set an executive session to discuss negotiations.
The Post Podcast: Technology updates being implemented at Holy Family Elementary
Ellis Co. restaurant and lodging inspections, 9/2 – 9/8
Last week’s inspection results from the Kansas Department of Agriculture:
Pat’s Noodles 1101 Cody, Hays – Sept. 5
A routine inspection found no violations.
Victoria Elementary 602 10th St., Victoria – Sept. 5
A routine inspection found two violations.
- While inspecting the kitchen an employee had just washed her hands and then went to the freezer and pull out a food-grade plastic food grade container that held a block of ice. The employee then turned the container upside down and grabbed the ice with her bare hands. She then placed it in a self-service water dispensing unit.
- In the dry storage area, there was a cart with a deli slicer present. On the blade and guard of the slicer, there was dried food residue present.
Darren’s Meat Market 1010 East 29th St., Hays – Sept. 4
An inspection following a complaint found three violations.
- On the self-service reach-in cooler there was a container of fully cooked zitter (pork) that was dated from 9/03/19 to 9/17/19.
- The mechanical meat tenderizer that is on the prep table in the back room had dried food residue present on the blades.
- There was a hose directly connected to a water outlet with a shut off present at the end of the hose. The end of this hose was being stored directly in the three-compartment sink below the flood rim with no backflow prevention device present.
Thomas More Prep-Marion 1701 Hall, Hays – Sept. 4
A routine inspection found one violation.
- On the stand mixer next to the three-compartment sink there was dried food residue present along under the arm of the mixer. The mixing bowl was and attachments were under the arm.
Culligan of Hays 2735 Augusta, Hays – Sept. 3
A routine inspection found no violations.
Heartland Coca-Cola Bottling Company 1310 North Cathedral, Victoria – Sept. 3
A routine inspection found no violations.
Professors 521 East 11th, Hays – Sept. 3
A routine inspection found three violations.
- In the refrigerated make table below the serving window the following items were held out of cold holding temperatures at 1:00 p.m.: Shredded cheese 58F, cut watermelon 47F, cut cantaloupe 47F, sliced ham 48F, sliced turkey 48F, made on-site pasta salad 50F, made on-site potato salad 50F, and cut leaf lettuce 48F.
- In the north most refrigerated make table there was an open container of garlic in oil with a date of 8/24, held past 7 days.
- An employee used his knife to cut veggies then wiped it on a damp cloth and then cut cooked bacon with it.