Ramona kids star in art show, musical, graduations
By JESSICA GILBERT
Ramona correspondent
(785) 965-2621
Ramona is much more than just the five streets within city limits. This week highlights families like the Jiraks, Makovecs, Kleibers — Ramona folks whose residences are on farms outside the city boundaries.
Even as I type on Monday afternoon, I see Marianne Prine over at the Ramona Senior Center, cleaning up after the big family bash she and Rob held there on Sunday for their daughter, Natasha Irwin.
The party started around 3 p.m. with loads of relatives from as far away as Missouri and Oklahoma. On every table was a beautiful cake, made and decorated by Natasha'a grandmother, Norma Schultz from Oklahoma. Above one table was what I'd call a "shrine" to Natasha — a wall full of pictures and memories of a precious daughter's life.
Friends and family arrived and began eating long before the graduate arrived on the scene. "Oh, we have food for 100 or more," Marianne said Sunday. "The party lasts until the food is gone."
Natasha will be enjoying the pleasures of summer and then plans to attend Butler College in the fall, where she's pursuing a degree in social work.
So what's an involved mother like Marianne going to do with her spare time? "I've started back to work at Herington Hospital," said Marianne, who is a CNA. "And then there's always my grandbaby."
Stefanie Staatz came fluttering out of the house Sunday afternoon, looking like a brilliant cardinal in her bright red graduation gown. She hustled to the car where her parents, David and Jane Staatz, already had the car going, ready to take off for graduation. The car was overflowing with family — Stef was joined by her boyfriend, Ben, and sisters Jennifer and Emily. This was a momentous occasion.
When all the ceremonies were complete and diplomas in hand, I met up with the family once more as they stood beside Stefanie in the receiving line. "Here's her diploma," Jane said with pride, "and it's signed!"
Although I didn't know most of the young people graduating, I appreciated their audio visual show featuring photographs and video of the graduates since pre-school days. "Most of us have been together since the beginning," said Stef as she shook hands with well wishers.
After the ceremony I ran into Eugene Remmers of Ramona, who was eagerly following his son, David, trying to capture as much as possible of this proud graduation moment on film.
Bobby Thornhill of Ramona was there, applauding his son, James, who was also part of the class of 2002. "This is the last of the kids to graduate," said Bobby. James was one of those kids who has gone to school at Centre since pre-school.
And Gail and Marissa Makovec's son, Simon, was another to experience this life benchmark. "We've got lots of company who came for the graduation," said Simon's sister, Shaina. About 20 people — most of them from Oklahoma — came for the great occasion.
And graduation wasn't the only thing on the Makovecs' calendar. Their daughter, Shaina, was one of the stars in Saturday night's performance of "Gone with the Breeze," the Centre High School Drama Club presentation.
Now just days before the performance, Shaina came to Pat and me with a suggestion. "How about if the kids all bring a dozen cookies and we have a reception following the performance," she said.
It was an excellent idea, but frankly, we wondered if adding cookies to each actor's list just might be too much. Our focus as drama directors was to get the lines learned, exit and entrances memorized, voices projected, and costumes and props to the performance.
The next practice Shaina appeared again, undaunted. "My mom said she'd do the reception following the play." I was disbelieving. "Aren't you returning from Oklahoma on the day of the performance?" I asked Marissa, when I called her to verify her willingness to take on this project.
"Oh sure, but it's no big deal," she said with a laugh. "I always have 100 or more cookies in the freezer for such occasions." Then she proceeded to tell me about all her commitments on graduation weekend and the weekend after, when she's got a wedding one day and a Jirak celebration for 700 the next day! I was having "power surges" just hearing about it.
And sure enough, an hour before the performance, Marissa, who had just returned from a trip to Oklahoma hours before, arrived at the Centre Elementary School gym with punch, cookies, elegant tablecloth, and napkins.
The 150+ friends and family who filled the gymnasium enjoyed the lovely refreshments that were the perfect ending to a stupendous performance.
There were several Ramona teenagers featured in the musical comedy that brought Hollywood to Kansas for a night. Shaina Makovec played Roxanne, a ditzy receptionist at a movie studio, Amanda Kleiber was a movie director, and Stacy Terwilliger was her faithful assistant. Stephanie Heiser played the part of a newspaper gossip columnist, and Rashelle Jirak, who took the role of a movie producer, was one of three actresses with the most lines.
And even though other cast members were from towns other than Ramona, I just must mention them here because their performances were stellar! From Lincolnville: Ashley Perkins, Andrea Carlson, Laura Klenda, Lena Bradbury, and Alisa Fernandes. From Tampa: Kristin Mueller, Danny Denham, Maria Jirak, Cecilia Rziha and Meghan Richmond. From Lost Springs: Mark Pagenkopf and Kathleen Meek.
For four months the cast members had been juggling classes, finals, competitions, sports, church activities, and personal lives with play practice. The only night we had everybody in the same room at the same time was the night of the performance.
As Pat and I watched the cast and play come to life on Saturday night, we were immensely gratified. But the kids surprised us even further by presenting flowers and gift certificates in thanks for directing the play. They also thoughtfully presented a gift to Rebekah Hubbard, a Ramona friend of ours, who agreed to be stage manager just because she loves theater.
And our buddy Tooltime Tim was part of the show too. He agreed to take on any job where he was needed — lights, curtains, props, sound. He even handed out programs before the show began.
Other Ramona residents who got in the act were Stan and Deb Wiles, who both teach at Centre. Just an hour before performance, Pat was trying to copy the play programs and the elementary school copier kept jamming.
Stan to the rescue! He drove with Pat to the high school and got Deb to help print the programs on the high school copier. It takes a lot of folks to make something good happen.
The Artful Eye Exhibit took place Friday in Ramona at the old Tampa State Bank Building. The exhibit showcased the artwork of third and fourth graders from Centre Elementary School.
"We have two art shows during the school year," said Pat Wick, who is the students' art instructor, "one in November and another in May." More than 50 students' work was matted and framed for exhibit at the show.
Young artists from Ramona included third graders Tanner Brunner, Christopher Craft, Katrina Frederick, Jacob Jirak, Nicholas Kleiber, Emily Staatz, Cole Svoboda and from fourth grade were Zach Antoszyk, Shelby Deines, Seth Stroda, and Nathan Troyer.
"This show was also unusual," said Pat, "because it also included paintings and drawings from students who I gave private lessons to — 12 home school students from the Marion County Home School Association."
Pat is planning to teach five private art sessions this summer, beginning the week of June 4. Each weekly session will last two hours, for $10 per session. If you or your children are interested in summer art, call 785-965-7110 and she'll send details. The classes will be taught at the Ramona Bank Building at 3rd and D.
In between art shows and theater productions, Pat and I orchestrated a 10th birthday party for Emily Staatz and seven of her friends. We promised Emily that when she turned 10 she'd be old enough to have a "sleep over" at our bed and breakfast, Cousin's Corner.
Now where the term "sleep-over" ever came from, I don't know, because at about 2:30 in the morning, and four trips into the bedrooms to announce "it's quiet time," I realized that sleeping is NOT something you do at a sleep-over.
Hearing the laughter, giggling, gossiping about the boys in the class, watching videos, and eating cake and ice cream late in the night, all reminded me that turning 10 was truly a big deal. "I've been waiting a long time to have a double digit birthday," said Emily with pride.
Katherine Herrman's son, Patrick, became a father a couple of weeks ago. The little girl, named Joelle Grace, was born to Patrick and Emily Roehrman on May 9.
Frances Hanschu attended her granddaughter, Cindy Beneke's graduation in Salina on Mother's Day. "She graduated with her master's degree in Business Administration from Kansas Wesleyan University," said Frances. "And she graduated with honors," she added with obvious pride.
City council news features Angel Harrold, who was sworn in as Ramona city council member May 13. Angel is fulfilling the term of office previously held by Kim Antoszyk.
Representatives from Maxim Technologies of Kansas City brought their well-drilling rig into Ramona this last week. "They added eight more wells to the five already in existence," said Mayor Connie Smith. The wells are part of a monitoring program funded by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, to monitor possible contamination in the soil and water.
The Mayor and Senior Center President Kim Antoszyk and Treasurer Evelyn Strecker provided lunch for the Maxim Technologies employees who were here in town for a week. "Feeding them for a couple of days helped raise funds for the senior center and provided a service for them as well," said Connie Smith.
If you drive into town and see a street barricade on the corner of 4th and E street, it's because there's some repairs that need to take place on the pavement and a drainage ditch. Mayor Connie Smith and the city council are reviewing the paved streets and drainage ditches within the city to assess what repairs need to take place before the one-year anniversary of the project approaches. "I am working with APAC to get the problems resolved," said Mayor Smith.
The next remarkable Ramona event will be May 27 for the Memorial Day celebration, which begins at 10:30 a.m. at Lewis Cemetery. The memorial service will be presented this year by descendants of the Geoffrey Bernhardt family.
The traditional picnic in the Ramona Park, orchestrated by the Ramona Community Improvement Committee, (formerly called the Ramona Centennial Committee), will take place at noon. Bring a cover dish, salad, or dessert if you wish. (If the weather doesn't cooperate, the event will be moved to the Lutheran parish hall.)
Following lunch, stop by the Ramona Bank from 3 to 5 p.m. Monday and see the beginnings of Ramona's mini-museum. Our aunt Gertie Schubert has been saving pictures and artifacts for just such a moment as this.
The goal of the museum — which we intend to call "The Dirt Gamblers' Museum" — is to reflect the lives of Ramona families, especially those who were part of the foundation of this small town. If you're in Ramona on Memorial Day, stop by and see us at the bank building and share some of your memories. Better yet, bring some pictures.
And that's the news from Ramona where a traffic jam is two parked cars and a dog in the road.
