Marion County RECORD

County taken to task for crash response

Marion County Commissioner Randy Dallke wants to modify Marion County practices on medical emergencies occurring near county borders. He planned a meeting with the commission and Emergency Management Director Dan D’Albini, Communications Director Linda Klenda, and Marion County Emergency Medical Services Director Steve Smith for Monday.

Disaster averted in collision

The U.S. 56/U.S. 77/K-150 intersection east of Marion was the site of another accident Thursday, but no one sustained injuries in the incident. “Had it been just a few seconds off this very well could have been a fatality accident,” Kansas Highway Patrol Master Trooper Eric Rust said.

No jail move expected this year

Emergency Management Director Dan D’Albini reported Monday to Marion County Commission that it is likely that the county communications department will not be moved into the jail until Jan. 1. D’Albini and Sheriff Robert Craft had previously reported that the jail could be operational by August. The disparity stems from the tower quandary.

Street repair forces choices

An assessment of street conditions presented Monday confirmed what Marion City Council already knew: the number of repairs needed far exceeds the city’s ability to finance them. The council already approved development of a Community Development Block Grant proposal for street repairs with a maximum $400,000 award. A required city match would make $800,000 available for road work.

Drought relief scarce

On paper it looked good — Kansas State Conservation Commission allocates $500,000 for immediate drought assistance for Kansas livestock producers. In reality, it was barely a drop in the bucket for Marion County farmers and ranchers who needed help getting water to their animals. More than 40 county producers beat a path over to the Natural Resources Conservation Services office in Marion and signed up for the state drought funding program, but only three individuals were selected for state funding.

Retailer explores options

As a proposal for a Family Dollar store in Marion languishes at the national chain’s corporate office, a second corporation has made initial inquiries into opening a replacement for Duckwall. “We have a corporation looking out at the industrial park that is looking to open up a retail facility that would be a suitable replacement for the Duckwall store,” Marion City Administrator Doug Kjellin said Monday.

City funds another lease-purchase

Barely two weeks removed from the collapse of a lease-purchase arrangement with Arlie’s Paint, Body, and Glass, the city council is back in the business of financing a business. Mark Evans, who operates an Airstream restoration business in the business park north of U.S. 56, appeared at Monday’s council meeting to discuss financing details that would allow him to move into the spec building in Batt Industrial Park.

Focus on development renewed

Marion City Council put renewed emphasis on economic development for 2013 by re-establishing a full-time economic development director in the recently-approved budget, but the position won’t be the same as the one Doug Kjellin vacated in 2010 to become city administrator. A quarter of Kjellin’s current salary comes from economic development funds, and juggling the responsibilities of city management and business recruitment haven’t been ideal, Kjellin said.

Heitschmidt tells chamber to help

Marion City Council member Todd Heitschmidt spoke briefly about economic development Friday at Marion Chamber of Commerce’s monthly luncheon. Heitschmidt said he is an optimist about economic development, especially in the city’s business and industrial parks. He said the city has been approached by a couple of people interested in property without the city first suggesting it to them.

Grant to fund economic training

Marion County is one of six Kansas counties that will receive technical assistance and training for economic development from a $200,000 grant from U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Community Development Initiative Program. Assistance will include community and entrepreneurship coaching, succession planning for businesses, and education and networking with local, regional, state, and national resources. Other counties benefiting from the grant are Chase, Greeley, Greenwood, Norton, and Wichita counties.

Dwight L. Boesker

Dwight L. Boesker, 64, died at his residence Sunday in Marion. He was born Nov. 13, 1947, in McPherson to Albert “Buck” and Lillie Boesker. He served in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War and worked for Wheatland Homes of North Newton and Wray Roofing of Newton.

Carol R. Bowyer

Carol R. Bowyer, 73, of Bentley died Saturday at Newton Medical Center in Newton. She was born Oct. 26, 1938, in Erie to Herman and Sylvia (Fisher) Hull. She married Alvin B. Bowyer on Sept. 1, 1957 in Erie. He preceded her in death. She was also preceded in death by a brother, Dale Hull.

IN MEMORIAM:

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IN MEMORIAM:

Mildred Irene Soyez Riffel

Mildred “Millie” Irene Soyez Riffel, 92, died Aug. 16 at St. Luke Living Center in Marion. She was born May 24, 1920, in Lost Springs to Nelson and Ida Faye (Lamb) Henninger. She attended Tampa schools and worked as a waitress at several restaurants and for more than 30 years at Schoneman Shoe Store in Marion.

Ronald Rex Moore

Ronald Rex Moore, 72, died Aug. 11 at his home in Newton. He was born Nov. 20, 1939, in Florence to Melvin and Daisy Moore. He retired after working for Martin K. Eby Construction for 38 years. He was a lifetime member of Good Sams RV Club.

Wesley Allen Shepler

Wesley Allen Shepler, 65, of Newton died Aug. 14 at Via Christi-St. Francis in Wichita. He was born June 11, 1947, in Newton to Charles H. Shepler and Eudora A. Huddle. He worked for the railroad.

IN MEMORIAM:

Accidents

Civil cases

County jail

Criminal cases

Deeds

Emergency dispatches

Fish and game

Hillsboro police

Marion police

Marriage licenses

Peabody police

Traffic cases

A gambling problem

The recent closure of Arlie’s Paint, Body, and Glass — and the City of Marion being left to pay for the building’s lease-purchase without revenue from a tenant — raises questions about the role local government should play in economic development. And now the city is drafting another lease-purchase agreement to bring a business into the industrial park, this time for Mark Evans’ Airstream trailer restoration business. Should a city, county, or other government body put taxpayer money at risk on economic development projects that have the possibility of saddling the government with debt? It’s always a gamble. Good economic times don’t last forever, and even if they did, businesses close even in a good economy.

Get it out in the open

Marion City Council has run into another messy situation with open meetings. Fortunately this time around there was someone on the council defending the public’s right to open meetings. Mayor Mary Olson acknowledged meeting with council member Jerry Kline, Police Chief Tyler Mermis, and a concerned resident about the city’s regulations regarding fireworks and enforcement of those regulations. On the surface it doesn’t appear to be a violation of the Kansas Open Meetings Act, but everybody knows something can be wrong without being illegal.

ANOTHER DAY IN THE COUNTRY:

ONE WOMAN'S VIEW:

Methodists volunteer in New Mexico

Children, youth and adults from Marion traveled by bus to Farmington, N.M., Aug. 4 through 11 to do volunteer mission work. The mission trip was sponsored by Eastmoor United Methodist Church but included families from four other churches. After around 17 hours of travel, the group arrived at the mission. Volunteers stayed in the old boarding school dormitory.

Relay for Life is Saturday

Marion County Relay For Life is scheduled for 6 p.m. to midnight Saturday at USD 408 Sports and Aquatics Center in Marion. Events begin at 5 p.m. with a dinner for cancer survivors and their spouses. The relay itself begins at 6 p.m. with the survivor lap; all cancer survivors who walk will receive a free T-shirt.

Labor Day concert has local flavor

Six Appeal, an a cappella singing group, will headline entertainment at Florence’s Labor Day celebration. Michael Brookens, formerly of Marion, sings with the group that will perform at 6 p.m., on Sept. 1 in Florence. Labor Day chairman Melvin Honeyfield said the committee was especially pleased to bring the group to town.

Two centenarians to lead Tampa parade

The Tampa community has at least two active centenarians — Alma Meyer and Tillie Hein. They will be co-grand marshals Saturday in the town’s 125th anniversary parade. Meyer celebrated her 100th birthday July 29. Born a Backhus, she has lived all of her life in the Tampa community. Her husband, Earnest, died in 1993.

Be wary of tech support scams

Wichita area residents are receiving phone calls from a company called Global Server PC Repair 247 and sometimes calling themselves Microsoft Windows Technical Coordinator. Scammers are telling consumers their computers are infected with a virus. Residents are told the scammer needs to log in to their computer to repair it, asking for user names and passwords or asking victims to go to a website to install software that will give them access to the computer to “fix” it. Once scammers have access to a computer, they can install software capable of capturing sensitive data such as online banking user names and passwords. They may also charge a fee to remove the software. They can take control of a computer remotely and adjust settings to make it more vulnerable to attack, request credit card information to bill for phony services, and direct victims to fraudulent websites asking for credit card and other personal financial information.

NRCS wants local input

Marion County Natural Resources Conservation Service will have a local work group meeting at 11 a.m. Aug. 29 in the Marion County U.S. Department of Agriculture Service Center, 303 Eisenhower, Marion. The purpose of the meeting is to get local input on management of NRCS conservation programs. For more information about local work groups or to become a member, call (620) 382-3737 ext. 3.

State launchs drought resource

Gov. Sam Brownback convened a meeting of Kansas leaders Friday in Topeka to discuss the toll the drought is taking on Kansas and to identify plans to help recover from the drought. Brownback also launched http://drought.ks.gov, an online resource to provide drought information for all Kansans. The site includes links to state and federal resources for farmers and ranchers, small businesses, Kansans, cities, and counties.

Al-Anon begins meeting

A new Al-Anon group is forming in Marion County to provide support for women who have family members or friends with a drinking problem. The group will meet 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Saturdays at Marion County Women’s Serenity, 2150 Schlotthauer, Marion, at Eastshore. Meetings will be anonymous and limited to women. The first meeting was Saturday.

Library displays war memorabilia

Ladies Auxiliary to Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 6958 of Marion will present a book, “America’s White Table,” and a prisoner-of-war/missing-in-action flag to Marion City Library to display in remembrance of prisoners of war and service members missing in action during September at 10:30 a.m. Monday.

Hett relatives visit eastern cities

Aaron, Lanell, Lindsay, and Travis Hett of Marion and Sheila Makovec of Manhattan recently visited their uncle and aunt Lew and LaVonda Rothman in Morristown, N.J. During the trip they also spent time with Samantha Rothman, John, Logan, and Ezra Hankin of Morristown, Brian Cliff and Marni Rothman of Dublin, Ireland, and Maura Cliff of Shanghai, China. The group spent a day in New York City. Their first stop was the 9/11 Memorial Site, commemorating the victims of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on New York City and Washington D.C. The site is two pools in the footprints of the World Trade Center towers. Names of the victims are inscribed in bronze parapets around the pools, which also include 30-foot waterfalls. Makovec and the Hetts also visited Chinatown, Little Italy, Central Park, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Rockafeller Center, the NBC Experience Store, and Time Square.

Broadstreet gives away negatives

Longtime photographer Les Broadstreet of Marion has given decades-worth of negatives to Wichita State University’s special collections department. Broadstreet said anyone seeking prints of his old photos should contact the university. Broadstreet said he doesn’t mind people making copies of his pictures, as long as it is for personal use. But he is strongly opposed to people copying his photos for resale.

Reception to honor Funk

The public is invited to attend a reception honoring Elfrieda Funk from 2 to 4 p.m. Aug. 26 at Parkside Homes. The event is in recognition of her receipt of the 2012 Lifetime Achievement Award from LeadingAge Kansas at its annual Quality First Awards of Excellence Ceremony in Wichita. Parkside Homes is a member of LeadingAge Kansas, which represents 160 not-for-profit long-term care provider organizations.

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Butler offers non-credit classes

Butler Community College has scheduled 11 non-credit courses this fall at Butler of Marion. For enrollment information and fees, contact Butler Community College at (620) 382-2183. Course list

Native Plants of Kansas-Exploring the Native Landscape, Mary Beth Bowers, 7 to 9 p.m. Sept. 25.

Natural Relaxation & Massage Techniques, Carolan McFarland, 6:30 to 8 p.m. Tuesdays from Sept. 18 to Oct. 9.

Simple Yoga, McFarland, 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Oct. 16, 23, and 30.

Guitar Basics & Beyond, instructor Mike Moran, 7 to 8 p.m. Thursdays from Sept. 13 to Oct. 4.

Excel Basics, Margaret Pickering, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Oct. 22 and 24.

A Beginner’s Computer Class, Pickering, 6:30 to 8 p.m. Oct. 8 and 10.

Creating a Canvas Floor Cloth, Pat Wick, 6 to 8 p.m. Sept. 10, 17, and 24.

Birdhouse Gourd Painting, Wick, 1 to 5 p.m. Oct. 6.

Using Your SLR Digital Camera, Gerald Wiens, 9 a.m. to noon Nov. 3.

The “I don’t know where to start” Exercise Class, Karen Williams, 5 to 6 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays from Sept. 18 to Oct. 18.

Learn Zumba, Williams, 6 to 7 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays from Sept. 18 to Oct. 18.

Home school families plan event

Marion County Home Educators will have a back-to-school picnic at 6:30 p.m. Saturday at Memorial Park in Hillsboro. Drinks and desserts will be provided. Guests are asked to bring table settings for their families and a potluck dish or two to share. For more information, call Betsy Walker at (316) 772-6578.

Singers move forward together

When a group of singers comes together, balloons popping, water splashing, and raucous laughter aren’t the sounds listeners expect to hear. Those sounds and more were in abundance when the Marion High School Singers select chorale started school early with a retreat Aug. 10 and 11.

PBHS grad gets scholarship

Zach Goodwin, 18, has never been too far from his rural Burns home. He likes where he lives, and he plans to return as soon as he has put a recently-earned scholarship to good use. “I’ll be studying agriculture business at Pratt Community College,” the 2012 Peabody-Burns graduate said. “But after that I plan to come home to work in the shop with my dad and brother.”

CENTRE:

Volleyball team has experience

With nine returning letter winners, the Centre High School volleyball team is sure to improve its 2011 record of 19-16. The team finished third in the Wheat State League and fourth in the league tournament. “We have all of our letter winners and starters back from last year so we should be at or near the top of the league,” coach Yvonne Burhoop said.

GOESSEL:

Seniors lead volleyball team

The Goessel High School volleyball team will attempt to match the success of last year with four seniors playing their final season on the court. Tia Goertzen will attack as outside hitter using her 5-foot, 6-inch height to hit winners from the left side. Alex Hiebert, a 5-10 senior, will be a middle hitter and block against opponents best hitters. Jessica Harvey, Goessel’s 5-5 setter brings experience from several years of setting to teammates. Johanna Hoffman will be a defensive specialist, playing the back row and contributing at the serving position.

Experience boosts cross-country team

Heath Goertzen and Nathan Czarnowsky led Goessel High School’s cross-country team last year with several performances under the 20 minute barrier. Both of these runners are juniors. Seniors Grant Flaming and Dan Smucker will compete for a varsity spot again this year, returning for their final season at the 5-kilometer distance. Ben Wiens and Jake Herrel, both juniors, also lettered last year. These six runners will form the core of the cross-country team this year, with the hopes that several newcomers will add to the success of varsity races.

HILLSBORO:

Volleyball team prepared to defend

If any volleyball hopefuls thought Hillsboro High School head coach Sandy Arnold was going to take it easy, take a victory lap after her first state championship, they received a rude awakening this past week. Here’s a sample of the conditioning the Trojans did Thursday: straight jumps into quick footwork through a tape ladder, to shadowboxed run ups and hits, to sit ups with medicine balls, to a blocking drill with even more jumping, and finally finishing the exercise by shuffling and sprinting around orange cones.

Tennis team wants to return to state

The Hillsboro High School girls’ tennis team has one returning player who has competed at the state tournament, and that experience has the team motivated to send players to state again. “We had a taste of how much fun it is to play in the state tournament last year,” coach Bob Woelk said. “I hope to return Allison Weber and take along more girls to the ‘big dance.’ I think it is a real possibility. This year we host regionals, and state will be in Hutchinson.”

HHS has runners to watch

Hillsboro High School cross-country coach Stuart Holmes wished every runner could run more than 300 miles in the summer and come into the season in sterling shape. That would be a perfect world. Some of his runners can’t do that. Some of his runners won’t do it. Sophomore Emily Sechrist is one of the runners who has put in the miles in the summer. Some athletes may work as hard but no one outworks her. That’s why she has two state championship medals already, one last year in cross-country, one in the 3,200-meter run in track.

MARION:

Volleyball team attacks new season

First-year Marion High School head volleyball coach Deanna Thierolf leaves no question as to the style of play she expects as the Lady Warriors look to rebound from last season’s 13-21 record. “We’re going to attack,” Theirolf said. “That’s my style of ball, that’s my personality, and look at my players — that’s their personality. They’re going to push hard.”

Cross-country set to challenge

The distance Marion head volleyball coach Deanna Thierolf monitors is measured in feet. Football coach Grant Thierolf gets a little more workout covering yards to mentor his players. Rebecca Hofer often logs more distance in a week than her colleagues do in a season — she coaches the Warrior cross-country team, which measures its practice “field” in miles. Her athletes literally run away from her, and elite runners often are separated by more than a mile from the novices.

PEABODY-BURNS:

5 starters return in volleyball

Five returning starters for the Peabody-Burns volleyball squad will give the team core-group chemistry for the 2012 season. Senior Paige Lewis and junior Rayna Barnes, both 2011 all-league selections, will lead the net attack. Kaycy Gonzalez, a junior, will be the other outside attack player. Senior Brandee Burnett will play the right side, and junior McKenzie Ensminger will return as team libero.

Runners must focus

Individual effort will be the focus of the Peabody-Burns cross-country team in 2012. The number of athletes competing will preclude the group from running for team results, but that will not stop the efforts of the students out for the sport. The high school team will include one senior, Zach Preheim and three juniors, Lily Harris, Angelica Winsor, and Christian Chastain. Mackenzie Young will represent the sophomore class.

Youth soccer club opens registration

Marion County United Soccer Club is opening registration in Marion County. Players who register in the fall are entitled to play both the fall and spring sessions with only one fee paid. Registration forms are available at Hillsboro and Marion elementary schools, Marion Chamber of Commerce, and from Stephanie Moss at (620) 877-7454 or soccerfamily.sm@gmail.com.

Golf champion proposes on the links

There was much more at stake for Travis Hett than the immediate goal of repeating as champion of the Marion Country Club two-day golf tournament Aug. 11 and 12. His plans for future happiness depended on it. Hett shot 148 to win by four strokes. After accepting the prize he turned toward his girlfriend, Sheila Makovec, took a knee, and as she stood open-mouthed with surprise, he proposed marriage. She accepted.

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