BREAKING NEWS
UPDATED AFTER PRINT DEADLINE
Plans to develop duplexes and remodel September Apartments on the east side of Marion hit a roadblock at Monday’s Marion City Council meeting when council members rejected altered terms requested by property developer Tom Bishop of Homestead Affordable Housing.
Opposing council members may attempt to resolve their differences at a special meeting later this week.
The highest water in 14 years has forced Marion Reservoir to close 77 campsites.
The entire Cottonwood Point North campground, with 46 campsites, was closed after floodwaters washed out a culvert on a road to the campground. Another 15 campsites at Cottonwood Point and 16 at Hillsboro Cove were closed because they were entirely or partially underwater because of high water in the reservoir.
Eighty-year-old Rosemary Ritter of Marion was preparing to go shopping with her daughter last week when she became the latest example in a worrisome trend regarding Marion County ambulance use.
Like 33 others in the past two months, Ritter — whom her daughter, Jean Buller, describes as stubborn — refused to go to a hospital despite urgings of the ambulance crew that Buller had called after Ritter fell in the dark.
Marion trees are being lost to storms and to efforts to protect power lines and prevent future storm damage, and the city has no plans to replace them.
City Administrator Doug Kjellin said the city budgets for tree and shrub replacement on city property but does not provide assistance in replacing trees on private property that are lost to storms or entanglement with city utility lines.
The Gound family has signed over the former Duckwall store to St. Luke Hospital Foundation, but quite a bit of work is needed before the hospital auxiliary shop can move.
President Janet Herzet said the group was gathering bids for roofing. A pair of early bids were substantially different from each other, she said.
Heavy rain and horrific winds felled trees and limbs Friday night.
City electrical and street crews responded to power failures and obstructed roadways.
Andrew Brunner understood his commitment when he applied with EBH and Associates.
There is not a high turnover rate within the company, so when a new engineer is hired, it is hoped to be a long-term commitment.
County lake officials teamed up Thursday with 40 Marion Girl Scouts to beautify the shoreline of Marion County Lake.
The scouts planned to paint log dividers at the swimming area parking lot, but with the deluge last week, their plans changed.
Last week’s Marion County Girl Scout and Brownie camp at Marion County Park and Lake was filled with events that demonstrated the theme “Girl Power.”
“The Girl Scouts are all about building confidence and being strong, so we decided to build the camp theme around that,” said Kathy Meierhoff, Marion troop leader. “With all the bullying happening everywhere, we hope this week the girls learned ways to feel more confident and grow up to be strong women.”
Marion County Commissioners proposed a budget Monday of $8,026,767 for 2014.
Final adoption of a budget and tax levy will be Aug. 19, after a public hearing at 9 a.m. publicized in an official budget notice in this week’s newspaper.
Half of September Apartments I are unlivable, Economic Development Director Roger Holter told City Council Monday.
“Of the 20 units, 15 are unoccupied and 10 are uninhabitable,” Holter said.
Plans to improve downtown Marion are in motion, but there is work to be done before significant changes take place.
In the next couple of weeks, the Main Street surface will be milled and replaced with new asphalt. All parking spaces will be redefined as well.
A draft of Marion’s 2014 budget was agreed upon at Monday’s City Council meeting. A public hearing was set for 4:30 p.m. Aug. 19.
The draft was revised to include no tax increase. The city substituted the cost of a new backhoe and bucket truck for used.
Marion streets director and building inspector Marty Fredrickson resigned last Wednesday as planning and zoning administrator while keeping his other city duties.
Mayor Mary Olson wanted the council to look at options for the next appointee, such as pay for the position and a refined list of duties. The council hopes to hear recommendations for the position at the next council meeting.
Durham residents can expect their city property taxes to almost quadruple in 2014. Even with the big percentage increase Durham will have the second lowest taxes of any city in the county.
An estimated tax rate of 28.054 mills proposed in Durham’s 2014 budget will pay for repairs to streets and the city’s sewer pond and water tower, Mayor Mike Sorensen said Monday.
Those were the first words a spouse of one city councilman used to describe Monday’s City Council meeting Tuesday. After promising signs two weeks ago, when an often-fractured council seemed uncharacteristically united in its desire to invest tax money in visible improvements, old divides that have plagued the council beyond the tenure of almost every one of its members reappeared.
Self-styled progressives and self-styled stalwarts both have a point: The city could use more housing and a major construction project, but it also needs to be careful not to be bullied in complex financial dealings that, to some, are uncomfortably reminiscent of a Ponzi scheme, albeit one that’s perfectly legal.
This week marks the final installment of our serialization of Monsignor Arthur Tonne’s book, “The Story of Chaplain Kapaun: Patriot Priest of the Korean Conflict.” It has been eye-opening for me personally. Of course, I knew the basic story of Kapaun’s life and death, but I didn’t realize the depth of his compassion until I read Tonne’s book week after week. His self-sacrifice to benefit his fellow soldiers and prisoners of war went incredibly beyond the call of duty.
The Chaplain Kapaun Legacy Fund, which began in April with a $1,000 donation from the newspaper, has grown impressively, I’m told by volunteer Rose Mary Neuwirth. The fund was created to support improvements to the museum in memory of Kapaun at the St. John Nepomucene rectory. Neuwirth said there has been a groundswell of interest in Kapaun since his recognition with the Medal of Honor, and people want to donate to something concrete. Donations to the fund can be made at Tampa State Bank in Marion or Tampa.
It seems I am one of these people who does better with other people around. Solitary confinement would be hard on me. Being a hermit would never work. I need interaction to thrive and recently I’ve been getting plenty of it.
In June, I flew to California to have a month-long play date with my grandson while his mother, who is a fencing instructor, did weeklong fencing camps.
A graveside service will be at 10:30 a.m. Saturday at Prairie Lawn Cemetery, Peabody, for Paul E. Baker Jr., 86, who died May 26 in Pensacola, Fla.
He graduated from Peabody High School in 1944, was vice president of Texaco in New York City, and after retirement moved to Florida.
Jaqueta K. Casey, 67, died Monday at Newton Medical Center. She previously worked as a certified management accountant in Peabody.
She was born Jan. 3, 1946, in Yale, Okla., to Ray and Goldie (Harris) Casey.
A memorial dinner and services for Loren David “Unkie” Goddard, 54, of Marion who died July 16, will be Sunday at Aulne United Methodist Church. The dinner will be at 5:30 p.m., and services will be at 7.
He was born Feb. 5, 1959, in Marion. He attended school in Oregon and worked at Cindy’s Family Café in Marion.
Bert Jost, 87, died Monday at Parkside Home in Hillsboro.
He was born Sept. 2, 1925, in Saskatchewan, Canada, to Henry S. and Anna (Klassen) Jost. He was a farmer. He married Alice Hodel on June 3, 1949, in Hillsboro.
Michael David Wheeler, 44, of Marion died July 31 in Marion.
A graveside memorial service will be at 11 a.m. Tuesday at Marion Cemetery.
IN MEMORIAM:
Frank Bowen
Nursing home administrators are frustrated over the state’s new KanCare Medicaid system, which went into effect Jan. 1.
“We haven’t seen anything but delays in services,” said Melissa Parmley, administrator at Peabody Care Center. “It’s been a giant headache.”
Restorative aide Evelyn Williams, who Thursday celebrated her 25th anniversary working for St. Luke Living Center, has loved every minute of it.
“Sometimes things are hard, but I love the residents and many have made an impact on my life,” she said. “I still think about something they told or taught me every day that has stuck with me.”
Retired physician Cranford Ensey of Marion does not let his age get in the way of what he loves. At 93, he is still riding his blue tricycle at least 4 miles every day for exercise.
“I try to get out as often as possible. During the winter I don’t ride as much, of course, but I try to get out every day during the summer, fall, and spring,” he said. “It’s a good way to escape and get some exercise.”
St. Luke Hospital has added two therapists — physical therapist Jamee Funk and occupational therapist Nicole Sampson — to its physical therapy department.
Funk always was interested in a career in health. At first she wanted to become a surgeon, but then she had knee and foot surgeries, and the experience gave her an interest in physical therapy.
To sit in on a class with yoga instructor Shannon Hoffer is to wade into a positive, soothing atmosphere, one designed to melt away stress and work up a sweat.
“We are constantly under slow chronic stress,” Hoffer said. “Yoga teaches us ways to alleviate that day-to-day stress and anxiety.”
In 2009, Jeannie Wildin was introduced to matcha tea by her mother-in-law’s Thai sister, Pao, as part of a Buddhist tradition. She did not know that four years later she would be drinking it again, this time for its reported health benefits.
“Pao drank it every morning before drinking or consuming anything,” Wildin said. “She told us it had all kinds of health benefits, including being rumored to help cure types of cancer.”
Kindergarten through 12th grade students are required to be current on immunizations before attending school. A list of shots required is at http://www.kdheks.gov/immunize/.
“With so many kids traveling all over for things like sports or band, it’s easy for children to pick up an illness and have no idea where it came from,” said Cindy Reech, Marion County immunization nurse.
“These soldiers have come to Pilsen from Korea — as the wise men of old came from the Far East to Christ, their hearts full of grateful love and their hands full of gifts,” Bishop Carroll said.
The day — June 6, 1954 — was truly a memorable occasion for the parents of the heroic priest, his fellow prisoners, the people of Pilsen, the bishop, and the entire diocese.
The Cottonwood Valley League All-Stars missed their chance at the 12-and-under Cal Ripken World Series Friday, but gained valuable experiences in the process.
“We developed some real friendships during the last month, and created some memories that will last a lifetime,” manager Jayson Hanschu said.
Cade Harms and Phoebe Hett performed July 19 in Wichita as members of the Kansas Bandmasters Association Middle Level Honor Band. The 93-member band was selected from musicians in sixth, seventh, and eighth grades.
Quinton Hett performed in the Masonic All-State Marching Band on Saturday at the Shrine Bowl in Topeka. The 193-member band played at halftime.
Mothers of Preschoolers of Marion will have its annual Run 4 Your Momma 5-kilometer fun run and walk, half marathon, and half marathon relay Saturday at Marion County Lake.
The half marathon and relay will begin at 6:30 a.m. The fun run and walk will begin at 8 a.m. Registration will begin one hour before each race at the lake hall.
Edward and Margaret (Ruby) Hein of Hillsboro will celebrate their 65th wedding anniversary by going on a trip with their three children and their children’s spouses.
The Heins married Aug. 10, 1948, at Marion Evangelical United Brethren Church, now Eastmoor United Methodist Church.
John and Jeanette (Russell) Rupp will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary with a come-and-go reception from 1 to 2:30 p.m. Sunday at their home. The Rupps married on Aug. 11, 1963, at Marion Christian Church. The Rev. Winston Warden officiated the wedding.
Jeanette had been teaching elementary school in Topeka, and John was a professional pilot for Shaver and Co. architects in Salina. After driving to a honeymoon in Colorado in John’s convertible sports car, they returned to Salina, where Jeanette began teaching and John continued flying.
Courtney Geis and Kyle Klassen, both of Wichita, announce their engagement and forthcoming marriage.
Courtney is the daughter of Shawn Geis of Marion and Dale Geis of Lamont, Okla. Her grandparents are Marilyn Geis of Marion and the late Bob Geis and Terrie Todd of Whitewater. John and Lola Savoia of Hillsboro are her great-grandparents.
Marion Senior Center celebrated the 9th National Day of the Cowboy on July 26. Fred Puttroff brought some of his John Wayne collection, including a large standup image.
Cowboy poetry was read by Marilyn Cox, Jerry Kline, Sue Clough, Neysa Eberhard, Eileen Sieger, Norma Kline, Connie Fisher, Janet Bryant, and Puttroff. “Home on the Range” was sung.
Dick and Patty McLinden are inviting their friends to join them in celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary at a buffet reception from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. Aug. 24 at Holy Family Catholic Parish hall, 417 N. Cedar St., Marion.
Their children are Chuck McLinden and his wife, Lori, of Marion and Susie Morton and her husband, Craig.
His Little Feet international children’s choir will perform a free concert at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Emmanuel Baptist Church, Marion.
Choir members are orphans, ages 5 to 14, from Ethiopia, China, India, Haiti, South Korea, and the United States. An offering will be collected for the group.
Marion Kiwanis has set the theme of this year’s Old Settlers’ Day — “Kiwanis: 90 Years of Serving Marion.” Old Settlers’ Day will be Sept. 28.
Longtime Kiwanis members Leland Heidebrecht and Matt Classen will be the grand marshals. The parade will begin at 11 a.m. More events will be announced in coming weeks.
Tonya Hodson of Marion helped a Kansas State University-Salina team to its best finish ever in this year’s Air Race Classic.
The team took sixth place out of 41 teams and third out of 14 college teams. The race is the longest-running women’s transcontinental air race, dating to 1929.
Marion Senior Center, Peabody Senior Center, and Main Street Ministries in Hillsboro will distribute U.S. Department of Agriculture food commodities to families meeting income guidelines.
Marion Senior Center will distribute them from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Aug. 16; Peabody Senior Center, 9 to 11 a.m. Aug. 16; and Main Street Ministries, 9 a.m. to noon Aug. 17. The maximum income for a single-person household to be eligible is $1,245 a month.
MEMORIES:
10,
25,
35,
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100,
125 years ago