Reporting news in Ramona affects everyone in town
By PAT WICK
Subsitute Ramona correspondent
(785) 965-2621
Just where do you start reporting all the exciting things happening in a town that holds less than a hundred people?
First of all, we all understand, that living in a small puddle means you're either involved in or related to anything or anybody newsworthy — it's probably why you know it happened.
For instance, Tony Meyer and I went to Woodbine for some of that good old fashioned German cuisine — which turned out to be spaghetti — but hey, we're easy. We just ordered hamburgers. Vegetarianism has taken a back seat to practicality, in my book. Everyone sitting in the restaurant were strangers in the beginning, but when you are conversing with the owner of a hearing aid — who won't turn it ON — you are soon on an intimate basis with everyone in the whole building.
Apologizing for how loud I was having to talk, I got acquainted with Joe and Connie Griffis from northern Oregon who were sitting at the next table. I soon discovered they were in Kansas for the Abilene High School Class of 1947 reunion. Now I knew someone else going to that reunion — Frances Buxman. So, as we chatted we had two things in common — Oregon (where my parents live) and Frances (who Tim and I were taking to Abilene for that reunion). When we left the restaurant, we were like old friends. "I'll probably see you on Saturday night," I said.
Sure enough, on Saturday night they were there, spiffed up and smiling at the FarmHouse Restaurant in Abilene. "I didn't recognize Joe until I looked at his picture in the yearbook," Frances said, "but I guess that's the case for all of us — the years have a way of changing things." Thirty-some of the class of '47 were there. "Some didn't come who we expect to see every time, and some showed up that we hadn't seen in over 50 years," Frances explained. She said it was fun, that the food was good, that the interaction between class members was about the same as it was when they were in high school, "You know, some are real friendly and make it a point to talk to everyone and others just stay in their little group."
Speaking of reunions, every year Warren and Paula Fike go to the U.S. Vets Antitam Reunion. In fact, they've been going for 15 years. "This year it was in Branson," Paula reported, "We had a great time and saw lots of people. Our best friends are from Maryland and Illinois were there — we always meet them at the reunion." They all went to see the Andy Williams Show, Country Night, with Glenn Campbell. "It was really good." When I confessed to Paula that I've been wanting to check out Branson, she said, "Well you should go with the group Linda is taking down in November." Linda Peterson has a travel service and they're going to Branson when the Rockettes are at the Grand Palace. "We've seen it," Paula said, "and it's beautiful with a full Christmas scene at the end with live animals." So, folks, what are you waiting for?
On the way to Branson, the Fikes stopped to see their granddaughter Shelby at Monett and Sunday, on the way home, they had lunch with their grandson Shane Deines, his wife Darlene, and daughter Lexi, at Joplin.
Frances Hanschu is in Ramona a little more these days. Taking care of a loved one long distance — and at times Salina seems a long, long ways a way — certainly is a difficult passage. Since Jessica and I are bringing our parents here to Ramona in a week or two, Frances could give us some advice. "Take care of yourself," she said, "it's hard, but there's two of you and that will make the care-taking easier."
Clinton gets to come home to Ramona once a month. "The kids were here a couple of weeks ago cleaning up things and he sat out there trying to supervise. It was so hard for him." While the kids sorted and disposed of things Clinton mourned, "I've worked all my life for this and now they are either going to sell it or give it away." These are such difficult transitions and eventually we all face them, but that's cold comfort when you are going through it.
"I wish I had some news for you," Frances said, "I'm pretty much a home thing these days." She told me that when she goes to visit Clinton in Salina she takes their little Yorkie Terrier, Treasure, with her. "Clinton is so tickled to see her that he just hugs and kisses her. But then when I have to leave, it just tears me up to go. When I look back to wave, Clinton is watching for as long as he can see us."
"I saw Naomi the other day at the Rehab Center in Salina," Frances continued on with news that she didn't know she had. "Naomi is wanting to come home, of course. I told her that it's good she has that hope!" In fact, the therapist says it will be another couple of weeks and Naomi Fike is counting the days.
By the time she gets back to Ramona, her brother Laurel and his wife Martha (our parents) will be temporary neighbors across the street. Pretty handy to have a guest house just ready and waiting for occupancy. They'll be living at Jake's Place while we decide "what's next." At least those big life decisions will be easier to make when we are all in the same place.
The other day my sister heard our 85-year-old Mom on the telephone explaining to a friend that she was actually moving back to Ramona. "Well, you know I'll have a brother and sister-in-law living right across the alley, a sister-in-law across the street, two daughters in town, a sister in Herington, and another sister in Wichita. It will be nice to be around family again." My sister smiled and called me later to report, "Maybe this transition won't be so difficult for Mom after all. Tell everyone to keep praying."
When I called Betty Ohm for news she was scattering grass seed at the house on Main Street where Cindy Bird used to live. Cindy's moved back to Council Grove in order to be near where her son Michael goes to school. Mom just needed to be closer. We're already missing Cindy in town — whether it was her friendly smile and "Hi there" or the smell of her barbecue in the front yard using "real wood — none of this charcoal stuff" for her steak.
"It's an Act of God," was what the city council was told when they met for a special meeting this past week with representatives from Reiss & Goodness Engineers to ask about the cracking pavement in town. "Pavement is cracking all over Kansas because of the drought," they said.
That had been the gist of things when the council met with representatives from APAC Shears the week before. So the council approved accepting an offer by APAC Shears, Salina Division, to do repair on Ramona's streets and then the road project is complete. The council will set in place a regular maintenance schedule for filling cracks with sealant so that the integrity of our newly paved streets is maintained.
To the townsfolk of Ramona, please know that your mayor and the city council is doing its best to get the product we paid for — and it looks like we got it. After consulting with our city attorney, we were assured that the contracts signed were in accordance with the product received. However, no one can predict what Mother Nature will do.
We were told that the engineers could have designed a more extensive road project, but "the amount of money you had to work with was set before the plans were made — now we had to make our plans and specifications in accordance with how much money was available and how much road surface you were actually going to cover," said Al Reiss.
"It was never going to work to do part of the streets now and part later," said Mayor Smith. "Taxpayers had been waiting too long for their streets to be paved and no one wanted to be left out in the initial pavement project." So expect to see some road repair going on in Ramona some time during the next two weeks. APAC Shears will be filling cracks with sealant.
And that's the news from Ramona where a traffic jam is two parked cars and a dog in the road.
