Letters to the editor
Place your bets
To the Editor:
This letter is a public request to the county commissioners that they rescind their proposal of a countywide referendum to allow construction of a gambling casino in Marion County.
This letter is not to discuss the morality or lack thereof of gambling, but to present the probabilities of losing a $10,000-$15,000 bet. Consider this:
1.) The state of Kansas is not a "referendum and initiative" state which means that the proposed referendum is non-binding. If it passes, it really doesn't mean anything except to the Pied Piper of Wichita, Bob Knight.
2.) Wyandotte County passed a similar referendum 10 years ago and they still haven't received permission to build a casino.
3.) Since 1997, there have been 50 bills introduced in the legislature for expanded gambling and none have passed.
4.) To allow for a private casino (not state run) to be built anywhere on non-Indian land, the Kansas Constitution would have to be amended which, first of all, requires a favorable two-thirds majority vote in both the House and the Senate and then a favorable vote of the people.
5.) According to the Oct. 11 issue of the Newton Kansan Mr. Knight told the Harvey County commissioners that "interstate access ramps would be vital for visibility and access." Is there an interstate highway in Marion County?
6.) Mr. Knight is trying to use the taxpayers' money of Marion County to further his gambling goals for Wichita. Do you really believe he cares about Marion County? When he was mayor of Wichita and somewhat responsible for the well-being of the town, he opposed gambling.
Now, county commissioners, do you like the odds? If this $10,000-$15,000 were your money would you place the bet or would you rather use taxpayers' money on what it was intended for: road repair, care for the elderly, salaries, etc.?
How about a novel idea of reducing the mill levy if there is such an abundance of betting money in the treasury? You do have a fiduciary responsibility in how you spend the taxpayers' money.
Donald L. Dahl
State Representative,
District 70
Thanks for sharing
To the Editor:
Marion High School put on its 2005 fall concert Thursday.
It was a wonderful evening of quality music put on by the Jazz Band, Concert Choir, and MHS Singers (formerly the Swing Singers). It was a great group of our young people doing what they enjoyed and for the entertainment of the community.
The sad part was how few people took advantage of this but maybe when they hear that they missed a lovely concert, they will make the effort to come out to the next concert.
Thank you all the young people who worked so hard and were so proficient and thanks to Kevin Moler, your director. Marion is fortunate to have so much musical talent in our schools. Thanks again.
Mary and Ed Costello
Marion
That kind of woman
To The Editor:
Once again, the death of a family member brought me home to Marion. This time our family lost one of the long lived matriarchs of the Hayen/Collett family, Dorothy Helen (Collett) Hayen. Aunt Dorothy had lived her entire life in Marion County, almost 100 years she lived and shared her life with her community northeast of Marion.
Aunt Dorothy was one of those women who was born in the early part of the 20th century, but who had the strength of character, will, and power of her person to show us how pioneer women were put together in the earliest times of Marion County history.
Dorothy and her husband, my uncle Walter Hayen, birthed children together, farmed the old home place in Youngtown community side by side, faced life as a team. They were pioneering people. They didn't have great riches, but they always had enough.
I clearly remember our many visits on Sunday afternoons out to the farm. Aunt Dorothy was one of those ingredients in my life who never seemed to change over the years. When I thought of the home place, I thought of Uncle Walt and Aunt Dorothy.
When Walt left this life, it was Aunt Dorothy, John, the farm. She was always there for all of us. On some of my travels around the state, I'd call if I was passing near, and she would always say something like, "I just baked a pie. We're having soup and sandwiches. You'll have to eat." And of course, I had to eat!
We'd visit, she'd find out how my family was doing. Once in while, she'd remember some ancient Hayen story from those early days. Her love for family, for all the people in her life, her love for that land around Youngtown, her genuine love of life, would just ooze out of that gathering there in the old farmhouse kitchen.
Aunt Dorothy's interest in life was reinforced by her great and abiding faith in God. I could think about her and know she had thought about me, Connie, our kids, their kids, at sometime, in some moment, on any given day. Aunt Dorothy was that kind of woman. We are going to miss her.
Even though I didn't get by to see her as often as I should have, I knew she was there. Now she isn't with us. The truth is she left some of herself with us all, Hayens and Colletts.
Maybe we'll be blessed to be well enough, with enough strength of body, mind, and spirit to do half as much as Aunt Dorothy and her generation did in building our community for future generations. It is what she would want us to do.
Jan Hayen
Lenexa
