Ramona
By JESSICA GILBERT
Ramona correspondent
(785) 965-2621
The Ramona Park looked like a magic kingdom Saturday afternoon with giant mushrooms popping up here, there, and everywhere, as families arrived to put up tents for an overnight adventure in the park.
The event was orchestrated by Jeannie Weber, Ramona City Council member, along with two other council members, Jayme Brunner and Angel Harold, who enlisted the help of the Ramona Volunteer Fire Department. The purpose of the program was to teach children fire safety.
It all began when Don and Norma Bird donated a fire ring to the city park. They have grandchildren who love to use the park and the Birds thought it would be great if the children could have cookouts and wiener roasts.
When they approached the city council about installing the fire ring, the council thought it wise to instruct children about fire safety and Jeannie came up with the idea of Saturday's event.
While the program wasn't sponsored by the City of Ramona, all the council members got involved. Reign Anduss provided wieners for the roast, Mayor Wick provided the hot dog buns, Angel Harold provided chips, Jeannie brought the lemonade, and Jayme Brunner helped supervise the children.
When I arrived at the park, Jeannie and her grandson, Jordan, were putting up their tent. By the time Jeannie had installed her air mattress, things looked rather cushy and inviting.
Next door was Jayme Brunner's tent which had three separate sleeping compartments all hooked together. His children, Solomon and Kaitlyn were having quite an adventure helping dad assemble the tent.
At four in the afternoon the fire department personnel started the safety program. They showed how to properly start a campfire and what supplies to have on hand to extinguish it. They taught the kids and their parents about different kinds of fires and how the fire department puts them out. The children even got a chance to try on the bunker gear that firefighters wear.
"The kids also got to shoot the fire hoses," said Jeannie Weber. "And they got to take rides, two at a time, with Max Morgan, in the big fire truck."
The volunteer fire personnel who participated at Saturday's event were: assistant fire chiefs Ronnie Cheever and Alan Bentz, Tonya Stroda, Max Morgan, and Greg Simpson.
After the demonstration, Jeannie had a wiener roast, followed by games and videos until it was time to "hit the sack."
"There were 18-20 kids who stayed overnight at the park," said Jeannie, who had her adult son, Luke, and his friend Gerald, to help supervise. "I want to thank everybody for all their help and contributions to the event," said Jeannie. "Fern Leach donated $25 to spray the park for misquotes and chiggers and I'm so glad that we have people in the community who have an interest in helping our children grow up to be fine citizens."
Jeannie, who is a great champion for Ramona and its children, paid for a porta-potty to be brought into the park for Saturday's camping event. She ordered it early so there'd be bathroom facilities at the park over Memorial Day weekend. Jeannie said she's received some donations to help pay for the porta-potty. "If more folks would contribute a little, we could keep it over the Fourth of July celebration," added Jeannie.
Because of the need for a bathroom in the park, Jeannie has organized a committee to get permanent bathrooms installed. Also on the committee are fellow council members, Jayme Brunner and Angel Harold, along with Nathan Bailey, Collin Bailey, Paul Jones, and David Staatz.
An account has been established at the Hope bank to hold donations for the project. In addition, David Staatz will have two children's bicycles for raffle at Ramona's Fourth of July celebration.
The committee also is investigating the possibility of a grant to help with their endeavor. Catina Cunningham, daughter of former mayor Connie Smith, is formulating a grant proposal in one of her college classes where she's learning grant writing. "I grew up in Ramona and would like to give something back to the community," said Catina recently.
The city of Ramona has decided to sell the two dog pens that have been sitting, unused, behind the city garage. The pens were purchased several years ago when the dog ordinance was instituted in town, but the council has since discovered that without a local law enforcement officer and municipal court system the ordinance cannot be legally enforced.
While tents were going up in the park on Saturday afternoon, another "tent" of sorts was being erected just across the creek on property next to our bed and breakfast. My sister, Pat, recently purchased a tipi at an auction and she was anxious to get it up and functioning in time for our family reunion this past weekend.
Pat had a tipi at her California home and on one of our many "moves" back here, Pat loaded her tipi poles with hopes that she'd eventually sew a canvas and erect another tipi on Kansas soil.
But when she saw this tipi at auction — one even larger than she'd had before — she bought it, and then had to call Tooltime Tim and ask him to drive to Marion to help haul it home! Of course, by the time the auctioneer had reached the tipi, we'd bought all kinds of things to drag home — there's psychology to how auctions are arranged!
Pat hauled out her drums, headdresses, and other Indian artifacts this past weekend. I put on one of our favorite CDs of Indian music while Tim and Pat put up the tent, with assistance from several curious neighbor kids and Pat's daughter, Jana, who's visiting from California.
"The tipi can easily sleep eight to 10 people," said Pat. "I figure it's just another sleeping option at our B&B!"
The annual Schubert reunion commenced Saturday with family members engaged in a Bocce ball tournament at Cousin's Corner B&B. The ranks were significantly thinner this year with the absence of Henry and Gertrude Schubert and their families who, after Hank and Gertie's recent move to Colorado, decided they'd better skip this reunion gathering.
Three of A.G. and Augusta Schubert's children were present at the reunion — Martha Ehrhardt of Ramona, Frieda Struebing of Wichita, and Anna Schimming of Herington — and a fourth sibling, Art Schubert, was represented by his wife, Anne, who came from Hutchinson. Since this year's reunion had an Italian theme, we called these four aunts, "The Mammas," and they had their own special table at the center of the room.
Hank Schubert, the oldest male in the Schubert family, was supposed to be our "Godfather" for the reunion, but when he and Gertie moved to Colorado, we had to get creative.
So we appointed two "dons" — Johnny Lorei, the oldest of the Schubert cousins, was "Don Loretzo" from California, and Ken Peoples of Haysville was "Don Pepolini." The rest of the 26 guests all picked "a family" to belong to and the fun commenced.
"Do you need me to make mashed potatoes for reunion dinner?" my mother asked. "The menu is Italian all the way — no mashed potatoes here," we replied. "Just a lot of lasagna and foccacia bread." The "don" from California brought some lovely red wine to go with the meal and the "don" from Wichita had three sons who delighted in making Italian sodas for everyone.
I even made biscotti to accompany the ice cream dessert. My mom sampled the biscotti for breakfast on Sunday. I'd been baking these little Italian cookies until after midnight on Saturday night in her wonderful convection oven at her new house. When she tasted them she was quite concerned.
"They've got good flavor but they're way too DRY!" she exclaimed to my niece, Jana, who was staying with her. Jana quickly explained to her grandmother that biscotti are supposed to be dry — in fact the baker goes to great lengths to make them dry and crunchy.
The folderol at this year's reunion was planned by my sister and I, and our cousin, Becky Peoples of Haysville. We came up with the idea one night in Wichita when we'd gathered for a birthday celebration at a great Italian restaurant.
Becky got so enthused about the idea that she bought black plastic fedoras for everyone, along with "tommy" squirt guns. We had vintage hats and aprons on the ladies, and a couple of zany "armed guards" — Pat's daughter Jana, along with Tooltime Tim — at the door "for protection."
As the ladies prepared to set the meal on the table my niece, Jana, said, "If this was really an Italian family the ladies would be eating in the kitchen!" We weren't going that far!
Each "family" came up with several toasts — to Arnold Plank, the cousin we lost this year, to Hank and Gertie, whom we lost to Colorado, and to long marriages, great health. and a stellar family.
When it came time for the fathers of the family to have their picture taken, Becky even had rolls of cotton (like the dentist uses) to put in the guys' mouths, giving them that "godfather" look. The funniest picture was one we never caught because we weren't prepared for it — when the guys emptied their mouths of all the cotton — cotton was shooting everywhere!
Because it was Father's Day there were a few other celebrations around town. Don Bird had all his daughters home Sunday. The family had a cookout and played horseshoes. Don also received several lovely gifts. "I got a bench for my pond, and some cash gifts and candy," said Don. Don and Norma's yard is beautiful, and a bench just invites you to sit and soak it in.
Al Sondergard celebrated Father's Day in a little different way — he attended his daughter, Karen's anniversary on Saturday. Karen and Bob Ehrlich of Marion have been married 25 years. "There was a party in Pilsen at the community center and we had lots of food, visiting, and reminiscing," said Darlene Sondergard. "Karen and Bob's daughter was even here from North Carolina!"
And that's the news from Ramona where a traffic jam is two parked cars and a dog in the road.
