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Ramona: Junk funeral a success despite weather

By JESSICA GILBERT

Ramona correspondent

(785) 965-2621

April 23-May 7

Members of the Ramona Fire Department — Alan Bentz, Paul Jones, Max Morgan, and Jeannie Weber — were part of a fire drill that was an attempt to lower the insurance rates for Centre High School to the tune of about $31,000 a year. The event took place April 25 under the leadership of Lincolnville Fire Chief Lester Kaiser.

"We're involved in a mutual aid program," explained Paul Jones while waiting for the exercise to begin. "There are representatives from the fire departments of Marion, Ramona, Herington, Lost Springs, and Lincolnville." A representative from the insurance service office was present to evaluate the team's procedures to see if the insurance rating for the high school, Lincolnville, and Lost Springs can be lowered from a 10 to a 7."

Providing adequate fire protection to farms and institutions out here in the country is a challenge because adequate water is not readily available. To solve that problem at the high school a railroad tanker was buried and filled with water from a nearby well. Fire chief Lester explained that there's enough water in this buried reservoir to last a day if there was a fire at the school. It holds approximately 38,000 gallons of water.

The exercise was a series of runs with the various fire trucks to see how long it took them to disperse the water in their tank, and then fill it again with the water from the submerged tanker. The insurance office representative stood close by with clipboard and timer and between exercises he explained that he'll take home the numbers and they'll be entered in computer formulas that calculate insurance ratings. Sometime this fall the fire departments will know if they succeeded in lowering the insurance rating for that area.

As I watched this large group of firefighting volunteers gathered on this occasion, I was grateful for all the folks who give of their time to protect our communities. No matter how impressive or humble the fire rig, it was clear these folks were passionate about their mission. And if eventually all our insurance rates were lowered a notch or two because of their efficiency, we'll have to put on a parade in their honor!

Ramona's Junk Funeral was a success April 29 despite the weather obstacles. While we hoped for a sunny, warm day to carry out the yard sale and town clean-up projects, the 22 adults and kids who came to work decided not to let the drizzle stop progress in town.

Billy Alcorn led the tree team with his skid loader, while newcomer Derek Summers, Bill Rhodes, and Chet Mercer worked with chain saws, and teenagers Cole Svoboda and Jacob Jirak hauled, dragged, and loaded with help from Pat Wick and Tooltime Tim.

"Cole and Jacob were tremendous workers," enthused Billy Alcorn after the day's work was done. "They just wouldn't quit."

The team picked up tree limbs that folks had dragged to the front of their property, took down broken limbs and trees that had been damaged by recent storms or were dead, and began clearing along the creek bed behind the former bank building.

Leading a kids' team with me was Margaret Harris who came with her gator. While Margaret drove along the streets and through the park the kids loaded branches and twigs to be taken to the burn pile. Members of this team were Josh, James, and Molly Mercer, Dustin Rhodes, and Bryanna Svoboda.

"This is load number five!" said James Mercer in triumph as the kids tidied up the park and Margaret headed for the burn pile. The kids also were picking up junk found in the ditches and creek bed. We promised a prize for the strangest junk found, and the "Junk Busters" as they named themselves, won that prize when they found a squirrel cage fan in the creek. Dustin often was the one commissioned to retrieve strange things since he had on a pair of tall boots, impervious to the water!

"We also found a muffler," added James Mercer. "And the bottom to a trash barrel," added his younger brother, Josh.

Councilman Art Stroda spent the day "putting things straight" when it came to Ramona's street and stop signs. Over the years Ramona's signs were sometimes wired together to keep them standing, so Art and his truck filled with tools went from sign to sign — separating some, putting new poles on others.

"I never realized Ramona had so many signs until today," remarked Art with a grin.

Stan Wiles led a paint crew at the park. He and Jessica Turley, Anna Weber, and Marissa Makovec gave the city shelter house a new coat of paint inside. "The teenagers commented that they wished we had some music," said Mr. Wiles, a teacher at Centre High School and Elementary School. "Since I couldn't give them a radio I started to sing — but they weren't impressed!"

Art Stroda put a new top on one of the shelter tables that had been thrashed, and Mayor Wick worked with the younger kids to paint it. "Now that it's all fixed up, how about keeping it that way," suggested the mayor as she taught the kids how they can keep our city park looking good.

"It's our hope that the kids will think twice before writing their name on a wall or table, if they later have to come and paint it," said Wick. "And perhaps they'll take that soda can to the trash bin next time they're tempted to just drop it since they've spent the morning picking up trash. And if throwing mud at the basketball goals seems like a fun pastime, perhaps they'll stop and remember what it took to clean it up. Working together is how we teach future generations how to respect and preserve what's here."

The yard sale that took place that morning was taken indoors due to the drizzling weather. Council member Kathy Werth spent Friday night with me arranging all the items given by various Ramona families, and then she managed the sale on Saturday morning. Kathy loves garage sales and is terrific at convincing folks to buy!

"We raised $245 for the bathrooms in the park," announced Kathy when the sale had concluded at noon. Part of the proceeds came from food goodies provided by Terri Turley and myself. Terri brought donuts and I brought homemade cinnamon rolls.

Other Ramona families held their own sales either outside or in the senior center — Vickie Jirak, Terri Turley, and Marissa Makovec with daughter Sheila and Dana Beltz, and Kris Srajer of Tampa.

Just down the street council member Jeannie Weber was holding a biscuits and gravy fund-raiser breakfast. "I sold out!" said Jeannie, "and raised around $150 for the bathroom project."

When lunch time arrived the workers all convened at the Ramona Café. Reign and Marlene Anduss picked up the tab for some of the younger workers, Pat and I bought lunch for another table, and Tony Meyer paid for everyone who sat with him. When there was so much business at the café that the Andusses were almost running to feed everyone, Rohani and Billy Alcorn jumped up to pour drinks and I washed dishes.

I listened to all the laughter out in the restaurant and with my arms in suds and dishes, I marveled at the day we were creating together. This kind of generosity of spirit is what makes a town worth living in — everyone giving what they can.

"Well, we couldn't get out and help with the clean-up because we had the restaurant to run," said Reign. "So one way we help is to feed part of the team."

Later in the day, after the work was over, folks gathered at the senior center for a barbecue. We'd hoped to have the event in the park, but the weather made us retreat indoors so we were grateful for the senior center, which was full to overflowing with Ramona residents — city and country dwellers.

Tooltime Tim Steinborn, who'd hauled away more than 12,000 pounds of junk from town residents, provided the hamburgers and he and Jim Thompson did the grilling. Mayor Wick gave the buns and fixins' and folks brought casseroles, chips, and dessert.

The high point of the dinner was the drawing for the miniature Harley-Davidson motorcycle that was given by Billy and Rohani Alcorn as an incentive for the town work bee. Billy instructed that adults and kids would have to work both the morning and afternoon clean-up crews in order to qualify for the bike.

To heighten the excitement Alcorn drew five names from the basket: adults Stan Wiles (who said he planned to ride the bike to work if he won) and Tim Steinborn, and youngsters Cole Svoboda, Dustin Rhodes, James Mercer. With each round he drew one less name and finally when there were just two names in the basket — Tim Steinborn and youngster James Mercer — he asked Ramona's oldest citizen, Tony Meyer, to draw out the winning name.

Tim Steinborn emerged the winner of the bike, and after he took his "maiden voyage" he invited the kids and adults to all take a spin. What fun it was to gather out on the street and watch the community spirit as people tried out the motorcycle, shared stories of the day, and got better acquainted with their neighbors.

"The weather wasn't what we hoped for," commented Kathy Werth, "but the bathroom in the park project has $400 more than it had when the day began." And the mayor added, "And the city of Ramona looks a lot spiffier!"

Last week's news

Betty Ohm went on a mini-vacation April 4 with her daughter, Brenda and husband Steve. "We went to Boston where Steve had a food show he was attending," said Betty.

The Gold Bond company had entertainment for spouses and family, too. "They put us on a tour bus that took us around Boston," said Betty, "and we even had lunch at the Cheers Bar & Grill!"

Betty, Brenda, and Steve rented a car and briefly explored Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Connecticut, and of course, Massachusetts. "We saw the Mayflower and Plymouth Rock. It was a nice outing." The Ohms came home to Ramona April 9.

Brian and Virginia Lewis received another blessing this past week when Pam and Gary Diepenbrock of Lincolnville paid for a new washer/dryer that the Andusses delivered and installed on the Lewises' back porch. "We've been very blessed in our lives," said Gary, "and we like to help when we can."

And that's the news from Ramona where a traffic jam is two parked cars and a dog in the road!

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