Anne Kazmierczak : Words are Like Breath

InBusiness stories

2011-11-10T14:55:00.000-08:00

The following are stories that comprised the September edition of the Missoulian's InBusiness monthly. The issue focused on businesses that had opened or remodeled in the Missoula service area during the previous 12 months. Photos I had taken accompanied the stories.

GLR
The new Garlington, Lohn and Robinson building is at the corner of Higgins and Ryman in downtown Missoula.

Garlington, Lohn and Robinson occupies three of six floors of downtown’s newest office building, said firm administrator Doug Maves.
The sixth floor houses no offices, but does have a break room, board room and deck - used by GLR and community groups for very special occasions.
Maves calculated that GLR “occupies 80 percent of the space” in the new structure, which opened in February.
The 50,000 square foot building was designed by Oz Architects to fit into the downtown landscape, but still look modern, Maves said. A blending of brick, glass and colors to match the existing palette of the landscape around it allow the building to simultaneously look both fresh and as if it has always been there.
Besides meeting Missoula’s downtown master plan in style, the building has also received a LEED gold rating, Maves said. LEED rankings measure energy efficiency, materials selection and waste recycling, among other qualifications.
Two spaces remain available for tenants, Maves added: the second floor - about 7,000 square feet - for professional offices, and an 1,800 square foot street level corner space that “would be perfect for a vibrant retail space.”
Maves said prospective tenants should call Garlington, Lohn and Robinson at 523-2500 for more information.

APRICOT LANE
Apricot Lane is in Southgate Mall. The store is open during regular mall hours, Monday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Phone the store directly at 552-7438.

Apricot Lane is a “brand new store - we’ve been here since April,” said store manager Tawna Steele.
“We cater to three generations. Our demographic is ages 21 to 72,” Steele noted.
“We’re a boutique, and some of our designs have a vintage feel,” she said.
Steele acknowledged it’s hard to find products to please all three generations simultaneously, so the store instead carries a wide variety of styles.
Articles are “trendy - but not too trendy for Missoula. Missoula’s known as having a country feel - boots and jeans,” she said.
Apricot Lane clothes “fit in,” Steele said. “People can mix and match things to their own style.”
Steele said her store’s offerings allow for women to express their individuality.
“I bling my flannel out,” she said by way of example.
Although Apricot Lane is a franchise, “We have full say over what we carry in our store,” Steel noted.
Local vendors include Charbonneau Chocolates and Callia cards and jewelry from Stevensville. Missoula vendors include Jax Hats, made entirely of recycled materials - and the new Neesha line of skirts and dresses.
The company also supports nine different charities, Steele said.

PPM
Professional Property Management is at 1511 S. Russell. The office is open Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Phone 721-8990 or visit professionalproperty.com for more information.

Professional Property Management, long a staple of the Missoula rental scene, has moved its offices from the city’s north end to the heart of town.
“People can get to us easier now,” Paul Burrow, PPM assistant manager, said of the new Russell Street location. In addition, “We can reach our managed properties faster,” he said.
The move also allowed PPM to enlarge its office space.
“We have three times the footage for the same price,” Burrows said - proving it’s not just residential renters who look for a good bargain in Missoula.
"There’s higher visibility” with the new location, too, he said - so much so that “We’ve picked up quite a bit of business,” Burrows said.
“Some of it is drive by - they see the sign and stop in.”
That includes both those looking to rent and owners seeking to have their properties managed, he said.
Burrows said the office has upgraded its furniture and finishes, and chosen an earth-tone palette for its walls. “It’s pretty nice,” he said of the new space, adjacent to Denny’s Copy Shop.
“It’s a lot easier to give directions to and a lot easier to bike to from the University,” he added.

DONNA SICURA
Donna Sicura, a plus-sized clothing store for women, is in Northgate Plaza. Hours are noon to 5 p.m. Mondays, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday. Call the store at 541-6520.

Donna Sicura means confident woman in Italian, said store owner Deb Nicholson. It’s how she wants her customers to feel. “You can be bigger and still look fashionable,” she said.
The new boutique, in business less than a year, focuses on larger women who may have difficulty finding fashions at regular retailers. At Donna Sicura, “Jeans start at size 12 and go up to 7X,” Nicholson said.
Donna Sicura offers casual, business ware and dressy items – even lingerie. The independent shop offers seasonally appropriate items, with the exception of swimsuits, which are available year-round. Brands include Lee, Erin London and Ezze Wear – a Canadian line made from 100 percent preshrunk-cotton. “The size you buy is the size it stays,” Nicholson said of the clothing. Other offerings include jewelry, Hollywood Fashion accessories and Miche handbags.
Nicholson sees the store not only as a retail outlet, but as a service for plus-sized women. “Our goal is to help people,” she said. “Some women, who have had to order all their clothing online, break down and cry,” now that they can shop like everyone else, she said.
Plus size fashions are not just bigger versions of other clothes, but are specially designed for larger women’s unique shape, Nicholson explained. “That extra fit” is the difference “between feeling comfortable and feeling miserable,” she said. And, she noted, “We all feel better in clothes that fit.”

BLAQUE OWL
Blaque Owl Tattoo, at 307 N. Higgins, is open noon to 9 p.m. seven days a week. Phone: 543-0688.

At a lot of tattoo shops, the customer’s imagination is hemmed by established designs. Not so at Missoula’s latest skin-ink shop, Blaque Owl.
“Our shop is a custom shop,” said artist Ian Caroppoli. “People come in with an idea and we draw it.”
Open since April, the store boasts five fulltime artists plus one piercing artist. All were established in their own right before joining the Missoula venue, Caroppoli said.
“Melissa Thompson owned her own store in Minneapolis” before moving with her husband and daughter to Missoula, he said. Franky Fingers, the store’s piercing artist, “moved here from Seattle to work at Black Owl.” Store owner Mike Schaefer, Scott Fieldhouse and Mat Reeseman are the other artists.
Each has their own unique style, Caroppoli said. “We go beyond the traditional tattoo shop stuff.”
In addition to ink and steel, the store acts as a gallery on First Fridays.
“We want to be a fine art gallery as well,” Caroppoli said. Displays range from abstract to tattoo art, he noted.
The downtown location means a lot of foot traffic on First Fridays as well as other days, Caroppoli said. Walk-in customers are welcome.
Caroppoli noted that ink technology has advanced over the years, allowing for more colors and intricate designs than ever before. All tattoos are done at a set rate of $100 per hour, he added. “That’s standard around here.”

ACE
Ace Hardware, in Tremper’s Shopping Center at the corner of Brooks and Russell , is open seven days a week, 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. between Memorial and Labor days and 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. between Labor and Memorial days. Phone 728-3030.

Everyone loves Ace Hardware. Now, there’s more to love.
The store expanded from 19,000 to about 30,000 square feet this past year, said manager Steve Weiler. That has allowed for more items to meet customer requests. New, lower counters for better visibility, wider aisles and expanded departments “just add up to a good shopping experience,” Weiler added.
Notable department expansions include kitchen equipment, tools and sporting goods.
“When In Good Taste downtown went away, there was demand for higher end culinary brands, so now we carry some of those,” Weiler said. And with the closure of Brady’s Sportsman’s Surplus, whose space Ace grew in to, “customers were still looking for sporting goods,” Weiler said. Ace also now carries a complete line of Craftsman tools, along with stationary tools such as band saws, table saws and drill presses.
Other enlarged departments include pets, paints and finishes and fasteners, which “has enlarged as much as (it can),” Weiler said. “One of the joys of working here is helping a customer find something they’re sure can’t be found,” he said.
The store had a grand reopening in May and “since then, sales have been pleasing, especially in a tight economy,” Weiler noted. He urged those who have not checked out the new Ace to come on by.

AAA
AAA is located at 1200 S. Reserve. Business hours are 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Phone 829-5509.

Motorists looking for travel security have always relied on AAA. At the Missoula office, they’ll now find a more open layout designed for ease of use.
Office machinery was put out of sight. The floor plan was reconfigured. And “We built additional walls and tore out the bulky center counter to make (the office) more open and friendly for our members,” said Les Giamona.
Giamona, AAA regional manager, said the new design is “inviting, warm - just a comfortable feel,” that makes it easier for agents to help customers.
In addition, AAA added a self-service cabinet of maps and tour books to meet travelers’ planning needs.
New carpet, paint and energy-efficient solar shades round out the remodel. In addition, new signage and logos were place both outside and inside, Giamona said.
The redo allows “our agents to greet people as they come in the door, and help them at the service desks,” Giamona said.
It’s all part of AAA’s goal of customer service to make travelers more at ease.
AAA will host an open house to show off the new space from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Nov. 8.

CULLIGAN
The Culligan water bottling plant is at 2020 Ernest, a block southwest of Southgate Mall. Hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday; water refill service is available on the west side of the building 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Phone 721-1991 for more information.

Culligan offers purified water in a variety of bottle sizes and services, said local franchise owner Waunda Brevard. Classic five gallon jugs are available for delivery or may now be found at area grocery stores, along with one gallon jugs, she said.
“Customers can go to the stores and get those at their convenience,” freeing them from regular service hours, she said. Locations include Thompson Falls, Seeley Lake, Moiese and Hamilton. Culligan’s service area runs “from Ronan to Salmon, Idaho, to DeBorgia to Drummond,” Bravard said. Customers enjoy water coolers and well treatment including UV treatment and removal of arsenic, nitrates and iron. “We also do water softening because there’s a lot of hard water in our area,” Bravard said.
In spring, the Missoula processing plant doubled its office space and expanded its warehouse room. Water is bottled daily.
“We offer tours anytime someone wants to see our process,” Brevard noted.
Culligan water is also available in convenient liter and half-liter sizes, by the case or individually. A self-service water jug refill station is located outside of the west end of the building, at rates about a quarter of what one would pay for retail.

YO WAFFLE
Yo Waffle is at 216 W. Main St. downtown. Hours are 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday to Thursday, 11 a.m. to midnight Friday and 10 a.m. to midnight on Saturday.

Missoulians hankering for a sweet treat downtown have a new place to go since Yo Waffle self-serve frozen yogurt and waffle shop opened at the end of July.
The locally owned independent store boasts 100 frozen yogurt flavors plus 60 toppings, owner Daryl Kaufman said. There are 10 yogurt flavors available at any one time, he said.
Belgian waffles, too, can be topped with any of the add-ons, from sprinkles to Heath bars to blueberries and whipped cream.
“It’s so much fun being able to create your own waffle” or yogurt sundae, he said. With the variety of toppings, “You get what you want,” he noted.
Because both the waffles and yogurt portion of the business are self-serve, you also get as much as you want, he added. “Some people want a little, some want a lot,” he said. Items are sold by weight so you only pay for what you take.
The business has already been well-received, Kaufman said. “Our busiest time of day is between 7 and 10 p.m.,” he said. “I’m anticipating that will go up once the University students are back.”
Business has been so good, in fact, that Kaufman is already thinking of branching out.
“My son lives in Arizona – we’re thinking of starting a second store in Flagstaff.”

EQUUS AND PAWS
Equus and Paws is located in 2825 E4 Stockyard Rd., in building E of the warehouse complex behind Johnny Carino’s. Current hours are Mon.-Fri. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday hours will be later this fall. Phone 552-2157.

“Missoula is such a pet town,” said business owner Elizabeth McNeilly. That’s the reason she closed up shop in Billings and moved here, she said.
McNeilly owns Equus and Paws, a new Missoula business that caters to horses, dogs and their owners.
Equus and Paws offers holistic pet care including massage, grooming, organic foods and pet toys made of recycled materials. Everything McNeilly sells is made in the United States.
McNeilly first started thinking about moving to Missoula after vending at Pet Fest in Caras Park a few years ago.
“I stayed afterward and got to see what Missoula is about,” she said.
What it’s about, she said, is pets.
Missoulians are also open to the kinds of products McNeilly likes to sell: locally made, natural-based or with no added preservatives or dyes.
McNeilly also offers off-site massage for horses and dogs.
She began the practice after her intentions of becoming a horse trainer were scuttled due to personal health problems.
“I learned equine massage and loved it,” she said. Canine massage followed.
It was a logical step to branch out into the animal products business.
“I even sell dog beer,” McNeilly said. The non-alcoholic broth-based brew can be ordered with personalized labels, she said.
"My dog is on there now,” she said. “I call it Lazy Dog Ale.”
FLORENCE COFFEE CO.Florence Coffee Co. is on Brooks at the front of Tremper’s Shopping Center. Hours are 5:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and 6 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. on weekends; 546-3538.

Nate Tamblyn had been eyeing the triangle of commercial land in front of Ace Hardware for a long time, he said.
“It’s a unique spot; it’s the old Highway 93 Stop and Go,” he said.
Now, it’s Tamblyn’s ninth Florence Coffee Co. drive-through.
“I designed it for three drive lanes; I built for the future,” Tamblyn said of the shop that opened in November.
So far, he noted, “People like it.”
Tamblyn credits his products for his business success.
“Our coffee tastes great and it’s consistent. We have a wide-range of fruit smoothies - huckleberry is our signature,” he said. Iced and blended drinks are big summer sellers, Tamblyn added.
Tamblyn said the new location is luring walk-over customers from the nearby shopping center, and he couldn’t be happier.
“Exposure on Brooks is huge.”
Tamblyn has been in the coffee hut business nine years, beginning with a location in Florence.
“I built a good, solid base in Florence and worked my way back to Missoula,” he said.
He’s proud to be able to make his new location, that of a former “Missoula icon,” “look sharp again.”

GARDEN CITY PAINT AND GLASS
Garden City Paint and Glass is across from McDonald’s Restaurant at 3217 Brooks. Hours are 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday-Friday and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday. Phone 549-0608.

Garden City Paint and Glass has spent 29 years helping others remodel and update their commercial and residential spaces.
The business recently did some upgrading of its own.
“We expanded and remodeled inside and out,” noted owner Roger Grenfell.
Garden City divided its internal space into separate display areas, he said.
“The idea is to have specialists in both departments,” he said. “In the glass side, we have showroom for Kolbe and Kolbe wood-framed windows and doors; Jeldwen vinyl windows and heavy glass shower doors.” In addition, Grenfell said, the store has mirrors of all types, just “anything to do with glass.”
Commercial door repair is also part of Garden City’s business. When it comes to paint and glass, “We focus on remodeling products for the home,” Grenfell said.
The paint side of the business features Pittsburgh Paints and Sikkens wood finishes and stains.
“People who have log homes really like Sikkens,” Grenfell said.
Grenfell noted that his business has always been described as being across the street from McDonald’s. With the new remodel, which included a timber frame and log front and -once completed this winter - a rock-faced foundation, Grenfell said, “People will notice this corner now. With our new store front, we’ll make the McDonald’s across from us.”
A NEW WELL
A New Well is at 1831 S. 3 W., next to Marchie’s Nursery. Hours are Monday-Friday 7 a.m.-7 p.m. and Saturday 8-11 a.m. Phone 829-8746 for information.

Whole body wellness is at the heart of A New Well. “We encourage people to provide the nutrition their bodies need to sustain health and wellness,” owner Chris Landkammer said.
The business, formerly Healthy Inspirations, “upgraded” to the company’s more holistic program, which combines strength and cardio training with “nutritional counseling based on regular grocery store food,” she said. “We were the only Healthy Inspirations center in the nation that was asked to upgrade,” to the new program, she added.
The “full-service weight loss and wellness center” for women offers circuit training machines and a spa area offering vacuum massage.
The program’s emphasis on nutrition is meant to change people’s lifestyles, not act as a “quick fix,” she noted. “Once our ladies reach their goal weight, we keep them on the program for another year,” Landkammer said.
Landkammer quoted the U.S. Surgeon General as saying “95 percent of people who lose weight using regular grocery store food and incorporate exercise into that keep the weight off.”
The program carries the credibility of local doctors, Landkammer said. “We have 28 physicians in town that prescribe our program.”
Reflecting the business’s whole-system approach, A New Well’s building was designed and built using green technology.

MISSOULA FAMILY CHIROPRACTIC
Missoula Family Chiropractic is across the parking lot from Albertson’s in Tremper’s Shopping Center. Its hours are 7:30-10:30 a.m. and 3-6:15 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday; 3-6:15 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays and weekends by appointment only.

Missoula Family Chiropractic is “a Maximized Living Health Center franchise,” said office manager and chiropractic assistant Ashley Robinson. It offers a “health care delivery system based on five essentials,” she said.
The program emphasizes healthy lifestyle choices, nerve health, quality nutrition, maximizing oxygen intake and lean muscle mass and minimizing toxin exposure.
“All of our patients apply those five steps. Each is a vital key to health,” Robinson said. “We want to remove the interference that keeps your body from functioning as God intended it,” she said.
To that end, Missoula Family Chiropractic offers “spinal correction, not just pain relief.” Still, Robinson said, “someone could get their spine corrected but still eat junk food,” so MFC promotes proper diet as well. In addition, it hosts workshops, webinars and a monthly advanced topic talk for patients.
The company also offers nutritional supplements.
“People are changing not just their physiology, but their lifestyle and their nutritional intake,” Robinson said. With the changes, “They do a 180. They transform their lives and discover the health they are entitled to.”

NORTHERN ROCKIES FINANCIAL GROUP
Northern Rockies Financial Group, agents for Guardian and Park Avenue securities, can be found at 1014 South Ave., 728-6699. It is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Friday.

Jill Taber, the recruiting director for Northern Rockies Financial Group, gushed about the company’s remodeled facilities.
“Downstairs has gotten a facelift - new carpet, new wood trim and a larger bull pen area for new associates,” she said. Cream, tan, dark chocolate and sage colors make a sophisticated and relaxing work palate. In addition, “we did some structural changes to the layout upstairs,” she said. “Previously, we had three cross halls - that’s all been redesigned.” The changes allowed for “a larger reception area with a big screen TV so people can relax before meeting with their advisors,” Taber said.
More windows add natural light and airiness.
“We’ve made the whole floor plan more open,” she said.
Taber credited building owner Andy Link with the commitment to invest in the future of the building.
External changes, which should be completed soon, she said, include removing outdated awnings and adding steel beams for a more modern look.
“It’s going to update the look a great deal,” she said.

BUTTERCUP MARKET
Buttercup Market is one block west of the University of Montana at 1221 Helen Ave. Hours are 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturdays and 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sundays. Phone 541-1221 for additional information.

“Business has been great,” Buttercup Market owner Molly Galusha said of her new University neighborhood market and eatery, which opened six months ago
Buttercup highlights local and regional food, both fresh and prepared, Galusha said.
Local meats, grains, beers and wine as well as produce are offered in the cozy, warm wooden space. Galusha envisions the market serving not just University clients, but the neighborhood as well.
In addition, she said, “so many more University staff are biking and car pooling to campus. We’re a nice alternative for those who want to get off campus for lunch.”
Response has been favorable.
“We are planning a modest expansion already, for deli and take out foods,” she said.
With the expansion, Buttercup is aiming at more than just the lunch crowd.
“People will be able to come and pick up dinner to heat up at home,” she said.
A new twist will have Buttercup offering deli foods “uncontainered,” Galusha added. “People will bring their own containers and we’ll just weigh up” their purchases, she said. The model is “a wonderful store in London,” she said.
The business model aims to cut down on waste plastic and encourage recycling and reuse.
“It’s all small steps we take to help the environment,” Galusha said.
FIRST SECURITY BANK
First Security Bank is near Southgate Mall at 2601 Garfield St. Lobby hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday; drive through hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays.

First Security’s location near Southgate Mall is a real estate loan center as well as full service bank, according to marketing coordinator Eric Midtlyng.
And, Midtlyng said, “we completely revamped the entire thing.”
He’s talking of the building, which had a 1960s look, dating to the building’s origins, he said.
“It’s an old building and we’re updating it to modern times,” Midtlyng said.
A new A-frame roof gives the building a modern appearance, while a new color line freshens up interior space.
“We increased office space for real estate lenders,” Midtlyng said, “and added a new HVAC system.”
All counters are now Americans with Disabilities Act compliant, he added.
In the basement, Glacier Bancorp, Inc., of Kalispell has its holding company and IT departments. Although most customers won’t see these areas, they, too, were remodeled, Midtlyng said.
Bank employees are happy with the upgrades, he said.
All in all, Midtlyng noted of the changes, “It turned out really nice. Its looks good.”
EYE OF THE BEHOLDER
Eye of the Beholder custom art framing is located at 2720 Palmer St., and is open Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and Monday hours are by appointment only. Call 543-2787.

By moving her 16-year-old framing business a mere three blocks east, Eye of the Beholder owner Callie York doubled her available work space, she said.
“We have lots of room to move around in. We love our new space,” she said of the move, completed in March.
Eye of the Beholder is a full-service custom art framing shop that offers custom mat cutting, mat carving and mat engraving as well as framing pictures of all shapes and sizes, York said.
“We do framing for businesses and galleries,” she said, along with framing art for individuals.
York said it doesn’t matter if your art is of museum quality or keepsake variety.
“We do inexpensive posters to conservation quality,” she said.
Creating custom shadow boxes is another service Eye of the Beholder offers, she said.
In addition, mirror framing, shrink wrapping and canvas stretching services are all provided.
Eye of the Beholder also does dry mounting, York said, wherein a wrinkled paper article is flattened and pressed before framing to restore it to a closer-to-original state.
York welcomes visitors to the new space, to come see for yourself the variety of framing available.
SMOOCHSmooch cosmetic boutique is at 125 Main St., downtown. It is open Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Phone 541-1600.

“I’ve always loved cosmetics,” Smooch owner Ellie Schroeder said.
That love led Schroeder to purchase the former Skin Essentials business after managing it for more than a year, she said.
“I bought that business and moved it and changed its name - it’s basically a new business,” she said of Smooch. In addition, “I brought in additional product lines,” she said.
Ever since her days as a University of Montana student, “I’ve always wanted to have a little boutique in downtown Missoula,” Schroeder said.
After living in California for about five years, she returned to Missoula with her husband.
Schroeder is picky about the products she offers.
“Bare Essentials is 100 percent pure mineral cosmetics,” she said of the line that “has a huge following.” She also offers “The Balm, which is free of any parabens or fillers.”
Schroeder also sells cosmetic bags and lotions and offers advice on color palettes and makeovers. She carries Lola and DuWop cosmetics as well.
Business has been very good since opening in March, she said.
Before opening Smooch, some of the products lines she offers could only be purchased online, she said. “It’s nice that it’s available at a site and not just online,” she said.

BLACKFOOT RIVER OUTFITTERS
Blackfoot River Outfitters is in Grant Creek Town Center on North Reserve Street. Hours are 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday. Phone 542-7411.

“We’ve had a fly shop in Phillipsburg for six years. And we’ve been outfitting in Missoula for more than 18 years,” said Blackfoot River Outfitters owner Terri Raugland.
Raugland, along with her husband John Herzer, have now added a Missoula fly shop location to their list of businesses.
“We do guided trips and offer advice for people who have their own boats,” Raugland said of some of the services offered at the new North Reserve Street location.
In addition, the shop sells fly fishing equipment, gear and clothing.
“We found what we thought was prime real estate,” she said of their location in Grant Creek Town Center.
“There’s steady traffic, ample parking for people towing boats and 13 hotels within the first mile of Reserve Street from the I-90 exit,” Raugland said.
With most of Missoula‘s other fly shops concentrated downtown, she said, “It’s nice to be able to offer services on this side of town.”
Raugland said she and Herzer decided to open their own shop in Missoula after the fly shop they’d been outfitting for closed.
Blackfoot also posts a video fishing report on their Facebook site, which boasts 6,100 fans, and publishes a written fishing report in the Missoulian each Thursday, she said.
After almost 20 years in the business, she said, she and her husband still love it.
THE GIRLS WAY
The Girls Way is located at 1515 Wyoming, just off Russell. Current hours are 3-9 p.m. weekdays and 1-5 p.m. Saturdays. Hours will change in the fall. Call 830-3018 for more information.

The Girls Way opened March 1 as a non-profit committed to promoting healthy development in girls ages 9-18, said co-founder S.J. Beck.
Beck, along with Stephanie Boone and Holly Rogers, started The Girls Way as a means to provide girls from all backgrounds with “a safe, fun, unique space” to learn dance, shadow boxing, fire spinning, hula hooping, Pilates and other activities, Beck said.
A $35 per month fee gets girls into any and as many of the classes as they’d like. For those who can’t swing the fee, scholarships and a sliding scale are available.
The trio of founders met with other women’s groups before opening their doors, Beck said. But, she added, “We’re not a feminist organization. It takes everybody to make a world.”
Still, offering girls a place to learn and be together can help empower them to be self-sufficient women, she said.
In addition to weekday offerings, Beck said The Girls Way hosts Friday Fun Nights featuring a movie or craft, and also offers outdoor activities such as biking, running and hiking.
Sewing classes and special workshops with topics like sustainability will be offered come fall, she said.
The list of offerings is growing, Beck said, and she encouraged girls and their families to call or stop by to learn more.

REVIVE
Revive salon is in Suite 5A of the professional plaza at 715 Kensington Ave. Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesdays and Fridays and 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays. For Saturday appointments, wedding parties or manicure or pedicure parties, call 360-2833.

Revive is a concept as well as a business, salon owner Keerie Gleason said of her 10-month-old salon.
Her philosophy toward clients is to help them “renew their spirit and refresh their look,” an approach she took when opening her business in the Kensington Avenue professional plaza.
“I got a building permit and did a full remodel,” Gleason said of her space, which faces a smaller office complex across the street.
“I took out a wall and added new flooring,” including wood laminate to the existing tile, she said.
“I wanted the salon to feel intimate, like you’re walking into a person’s living room,” she said. To that end, she chose warm earth tones - rusts and ochres - and added leather seating to create a “warm and cozy” setting.
“It’s peaceful,” Gleason said of the space where she offers full salon services as well as hair care products like Abba organics and Schwarzkopf hair colors from Germany. Gleason also sells products for thinning hair, and does manicures and pedicures, she said.
Her goal is sophistication and relaxation, for both the customer and the salon.

CARAS PARK
Caras Park performance stage is in Caras Park on the Clark Fork River at the head of the Higgins Avenue bridge in downtown Missoula. It is managed by the Missoula Downtown Association, 543-4238.

After 14 years of being well used and well loved by Missoulians, Caras Park’s shaded stage was replaced with a permanent structure this past year.
“It was just a tent with an aluminum stage set up for every event,” Missoula Downtown Association head Linda McCarthy said.
Now, the stage is an Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant concrete pad with a steel frame and canvas awning.
“That canvas cover will be taken off at the end of the season,” McCarthy said, allowing it to have a longer usable life.
The stage, at 1,250 square feet, is “five times larger than the previous” one, McCarthy said, and has both 110 and 220 volt electrical outlets. Designed for performance in the round, she said, with the new stage, “any viewpoint can be center stage.”
The fact it does not need to be reconstructed throughout the event season “saves our staff a lot of time and money,” she added.
In addition, the old aluminum stage is now available for use under the larger Caras Park Pavilion. It’s already served at least one wedding and will be used for many other events as the season progresses, McCarthy said.
The new stage completes phase one of a three-phase remodel for the park, McCarthy noted.
Phase two will involve work on the Pavilion walls and phase three will see a new canopy there.
McCarthy said about 80 events were slated for Caras Park for the 2011 season, most of them festivals.

FLATHEAD LAKE BREWERY
Flathead Lake Brewery is above the old Zimorino’s at 424 N. Higgins. Hours are 11:30 a.m.-11 p.m. Sunday-Thursday, and 11:30 a.m. to midnight on Friday and Saturday. The kitchen closes each night at 10 p.m.

“People love hoppy beer in this town,” said Flathead Lake Brewery sales and marketing director Sandy Clare. The brewery is happy to accommodate, offering two IPAs plus award-winning stout and porter.
The latter beers beat others from across the globe at the prestigious World Beer Cup contest in 2006, Clare said.
“We were the youngest brewery to win any award - and we got two.”
Flathead Lake beers are also featured in menu items.
Clare said the amber-artichoke dip is amazing, and she’s been told the restaurant’s burgers are the best in town.
“They’re made with Montana grass-finished beef from Mannix Ranch in Helmville,” she said. “We also have great salads and vegetarian entrees.”
In addition to great food, Clare said the pub space is “really cool. It’s got lots of beautiful exposed brick. It‘s sophisticated.”
Despite the decidedly urban look, Clare said, “The number one thing we hear from people is that it’s comfortable.”
The pub has been “absolutely well-received” since opening in December, she added, crediting the brewery’s “awesome wait staff” for helping build that success.

MONTANA HOMEFITTERS
Montana Homefitters sells locally and regionally made furnishings along with commercially produced stock at the corner of Brooks and South Reserve Street. The store is open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday. Call 541-8200 for more information.

When Montana Homefitters moved into the old Big Lots building at the corner of South Reserve and Brooks Street, “there was a drop ceiling and a whole lot of dust and dirt,” Brett Baisden said.
Baisden, Homefitters’ general manager, said the locally owned business cleaned, painted and installed carpeting, plus hung five 60 foot beams from the ceiling to attach light fixtures to.
The hanging lights are the store’s signature style, Baisden said, mirrored from its former location on Blue Mountain Road.
“We just moved a few miles down the street, but we’re in town now,” Baisden said. The change means “a lot more traffic through the door.” Baisden is pleased by that, noting the location’s visibility allows the store “to serve a larger group of people.”
With the move, Baisden said Homefitters product line has expanded to include “a broader scale of pricing. We have some really nice artisan furniture that is locally made in Missoula and the Rocky Mountains,” plus, “We’ve got more mainstream furnishings to fit every home.
“We also continuously change the kind of furniture we carry,” Baisden said, so there’s always something new to check out.

ROMY
Romy is in Southgate Mall. Hours are 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and Sunday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Romy women’s fashion store is new to Southgate Mall. Originating in Redmond, Wash., “we’re branching out” to surrounding states, Olivia Murphy said. Stores opened in Missoula and Billings in February, Murphy said.
“We offer more conservative fashions for teens to college-aged women to moms to women in their 60s,” she said.
Romy product lines are all private label, Murphy said. Styles include “a lot of dresses, sheers and florals - all at low prices.”
Murphy said that most women find suitable options at the store. And “Once people find us, they fall in love.”
The Romy brand blends well with the prevailing Montana look, Murphy said, describing that as “very fashion forward - with cowboy boots.”
Murphy said Romy prides itself on offering “110 percent customer service with a great merchandise mix.”
In addition to Montana, Romy has stores in Washington, Oregon and Arizona.
“Your money will go a lot further at Romy,” than at traditional boutiques, Murphy said.

SOUTHGATE MALL FOUNTAIN
The fountain in Southgate Mall is viewable during regular mall hours, Monday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The Southgate Mall fountain has been collecting pennies and quarters for 13 years, said the mall’s general manager, Tim Winger.
In the last few years, though, Winger said, the water-burbling icon “started looking shabby.”
So the mall updated the fountain, resurfacing it with tiles and texture to replace the old cement and ceramic finish.
The new look, Winger said, “is more in style with the rest of the mall.” Plus, he noted, the fountain’s “pumps have been readjusted so the sound is a bit more muted.”
Before, he said, nearby store owners had to fight the noise to hear their customers.
Shop owners have been pleased with the changes, he said. And it seems mall-goers are, as well.
“There’s a lot of quarters in there - it looks like we’re collecting more” money than before the upgrades, Winger said.
And that’s a good thing.
The mall donates all the coins from the fountain to three or four local nonprofits each year.
“Over the years, we’ve probably donated about $50,000” to various groups, Winger said,
Mall goers, besides nonprofits, will benefit from the remodel, Winger said.
“We wanted to make it a nice amenity so people would take some time and sit there a while.”

ON STORE
The ON Store is in Southgate Mall. Hours are 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday. Reach it at 541-6648.

ON made an immediate splash in Missoula. It opened in mid-November, and “more than 63,000 people came in during the holiday season,” said store manager Michael Donahoo. As of mid-August, that count was up to 138,000.
Donahoo said the store uses a “very accurate electronic people tracker” to count visitors. “And we’ve already had a nice upswing in traffic for back-to-school,” he said.
Donahoo is pleased.
“We’ve become a destination for Apple products,” he said. The Missoula store is the “only full-line Apple dealer in the state,” he added.
While other stores carry some Apple products, On carries every single thing the tech company makes.
“What sets us apart is that everything in the store is 100 functional and connected,” Donahoo said.
That means consumers can learn how a product works before taking it home.
The approach has been “very, very well-received,” he said.
And it has garnered the store recognition form afar as well.
“We just won a national award from Dealerscope Magazine for retail excellence and innovation,” Donahoo said.
Donahoo credited staff dedication to teaching consumers how to use their products as integral to winning the award.
“One of our favorite things is to introduce people to technology,” he said.

Tompkins and Peters Certified Public Accountants has moved to 1715 S. Reserve St. Business hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Inquire at 363-0097.

Tompkin and Peters CPAs’ recent move has been beneficial to the company, said office administrator Elaine Serwaki.

The company left its old digs “on the fourth floor of the Mountain West Building” near Southgate Mall in favor of a “location (that) is a lot more visibly friendly,” she said.

The new offices, in a professional plaza on South Reserve Street, allow for passersby to take note of the company, she said.
“We have had several walk-ins,” since moving to Reserve Street, “and we are accepting new clients,” Serwaki said.

The relocation also let the business expand physically.

“We have at least doubled our space. We have three offices, a lobby and a conference room,” Serwaki said.

To accommodate a growing clientele, Tompkins and Peters has five licensed certified public accountants and “several (of the office’s) professional staff are in the process of becoming CPAs as well,” Serwaki said.

Missoula Nissan can be found at 2715 Brooks Ave. Phone 549-5178. Showroom hours are 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday; shop hours are 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. weekdays only.
Missoula Nissan is happy to stay put, the dealership’s Cary Larson said.

“We lacked space until we were able to buy the adjacent property,” he said.

“The reality is that the amount of land in Missoula Valley zoned for car lots is limited.” By adding on, “we almost doubled our square footage,” he said.

The expansion should keep Missoula Nissan on Brooks for years to come.

“This location has held an auto dealership for 40 years. We’ve been here as owners since 1991,” Larson said. “We like where we’re at. It’s a very viable location.”

Larson said Nissan tore down the neighboring Sound West building and remodeled its own. “We finished landscaping in early June,” Larson said.

Improvements have also been made for customers of the dealership’s service shop.

There are new waiting areas, a wash bay to clean serviced vehicles, and a greatly expanded parts department which should mean less waiting to have vehicles repaired, Larson said..

“We had a lot of support form the Missoula Redevelopment Agency and Missoula Office of Planning and Grants,” Larson said of the expansion. “It was a good project. We had been planning it for a long time.”

The University of Montana School of Law is on the corner of Maurice Avenue and Sixth Street on the University of Montana campus. Reach the department at 406.243.4311 or visit umt.edu/law.

The University of Montana Law School recently finished the last detail of a rebuild which began in January, 2008.

The $14.8 million remodel and expansion added 46,000 square feet to the School of Law.

“The big thing,” said administrator Carla Caballero Jackson, “was to accommodate upgrades in technology and handicapped accessibility.”

An old elevator that allowed those with mobility issues to access various floors “was awkward to use,“ she said. It was replaced during the rebuild, she said.

While the building was open for student use and dedicated in September, 2009, the last of the furnishings were just brought in this summer.

New couches, tables and chairs have been added to a lower level student lounge, Jackson said.

The upgrades make the student work space both more elegant and usable, she said. In addition, student cubicles, which act as small offices for senior law students, were refurnished as well.

These received a makeover which included new, rolling office chairs to make them feel more like a professional work environment, Jackson said. She is sure students will be pleased with the changes.

AT&T has two locations in Missoula, at 3100 Paxson St. a block from Southgate Mall and at 3075 N. Reserve St. in the Grant Creek Town Center. Both stores offer a full range of AT&T mobile products including smart phones and tablet computers. Either branch can be reached by calling 240-0024.

AT&T, one of the nation’s largest cell phone carriers, now has two stores in Missoula.

“They were both Legacy Alltel locations,” said Alexander Carey, head of AT&T corporate communications for Minnesota and the Northern Plains states. “We acquired them when we took over Alltel,” Carey said, explaining how AT&T entered the Montana market.

Although not specifically targeted by AT&T, Carey said “the (Missoula) market offers us a number of advantages.”

He cited the presence of the University of Montana as providing a large customer base for the company.

“Students buy tablets and smart phones and use those to download information for their studies,” he said.

AT&T’s ability to offer service “that allows a consumer to be on the internet and the phone at the same time … caters to both students and small businesses,” Carey said.

AT&T also offers 3G service and specializes in data TV, Carey said.

So far, Missoula area sales reflect “there was a demand for the fastest mobile broadband data speeds” available, Carey said.

Tamarack Brewing Co. is at 231 W. Front St. Hours are 11 a.m. through 1 a.m. daily. Phone 830-3113 for orders or reservations.

Food and beer go hand in hand at Tamarack Brewing Co.

The Lakeside-based restaurant uses its own beers in its pub food, said owner Andra Townsley. On the beverage side, 10 self-made ales or a full bar can quench one’s thirst.

Townsley, along with her husband Josh, brewer Craig Koontz and kitchen manager Chris McLaughlin, opened Tamarack in April.

The foursome also own and operate Tamarack Brewery in Lakeside, but looked to Missoula to expand their food offerings.

In a two-level building adjacent to Caras Park, Tamarack has “a sports bar downstairs and a quieter dining room with a small bar at the front upstairs,” Townsley said.

As a parent, she said, she wanted “to create a place where families could go.” The upper level answers that need, while the lower gets the late-night college crowd.

Townsley has been pleased with the way Missoulians have welcomed the new pub.

“There’s few places that have people as aware of craft beer as Missoula,” she said.

Of the pub’s 10 ales, the triple-hopped Hat Trick Hop is Missoula’s favorite, Townsley said. Also popular is the lighter Bear-bottomed Blonde and Yard Sale Amber – named for face-planting on ski slopes, not the quintessential Missoula pastime, Townsley said.

Come football season, Tamarack will also serve breakfast from 9:30 a.m. on weekends.

Prudential Montana’s newest office is at 314 N. Higgins Ave. Hours are 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Phone 329-2007.

When most people step into a real estate office, they sit formally at a desk with an agent to discuss possible housing matches, said Kathy Stenger, Prudential Western Region manager and operations manager for Prudential’s new downtown office.

The Higgins Ave. office is designed more like a living space, said broker/owner Dan Ermatinger.

“There are coffee tables, bistro tables with tablet (computer)s, stuffed chairs” and other smaller work areas, Stenger said.

“This new space is all about our future,” Eramtinger added. “The office has no walls.” Instead, agents utilize “new software that consumers can put on their smart phones,” and share work stations. Any Prudential agent may use the space, Ermatinger said.

The office, which opened about three months ago, will also serve as an art gallery on First Fridays and as a venue for a public lecture series, Ermatinger said.

It also has three large video screens facing the street which play an inventory of available properties, information for buyers and sellers, and about Missoula cultural events, Stenger said. That screen helps potential residents know what it’s like to live here, she said.

“We wanted to bring our company more forward by bringing this location downtown,” Ermatinger said.

Seniors say they're ready

2011-11-10T14:28:00.000-08:00

Montana seniors feel fairly well prepared for the future, a new AARP study revealed. The survey of 407 Montanans over the age of 50 found that while 23 percent are concerned with having enough money for daily expenses, the majority feel they are adequately prepared to maintain their current quality of life.

AARP surveyed about 400 citizens in each of the 50 states, along with 1,000 individuals across the nation, for the new study. Sampling error margins ranged from 3 to 5 percent.

Topics spanned health care, financial well-being and future plans. Questions unique to each state were also asked.

Throughout the nation, responses were similar. Top desires included traveling and spending time on hobbies; concerns centered on health care and the economy.

In Montana, 92 percent of seniors cited staying mentally sharp as a goal. Spending time with family was a priority for 87 percent of Montanans, while 62 percent were interested in learning new things.

Montana seniors are well-insured: 98 percent said they have some sort of coverage, including Medicare or another government-provided health plan; and 76 percent reported they have most or everything in place to continue that coverage.

At the national level, 75 percent said they have what they need to retain insurance coverage.

Similar to the national average of 43 percent, 48 percent of Montana seniors said health care issues were, nonetheless, their greatest concern. When asked how prepared they were to deal with those issues, 87 percent said they had everything or most everything required to meet their health care needs. In addition, 80 percent felt secure in their ability to afford prescription medications.

Missoula county resident Eileen Kennedy once felt the same. But, she said, “illness took all my preparation away” beginning in the late 1980s.

Still, she said, “I‘ve been fortunate. I did have a good job” with insurance benefits, but medical expenses deeply cut into her retirement funds.

“My budget doesn’t allow for a lot of travel,” Kennedy said of the hobby engaged in by 38 percent of seniors nationally. Instead, the 78-year-old enjoys spending time watching her grandkids’ ball games and having little adventures in the Missoula and Bitterroot valleys.

“I write, I read, I paint,” she said of her affordable hobbies, “and I stay involved with friends.”

Montana seniors also believe in government stability, the survey found: 85 percent said Social Security will be available when they need it; an equal number said the same about Medicare.

In Idaho, 49 percent of seniors viewed health care as their greatest concern. Vacation and travel were of primary importance to 44 percent. And more than 9 in 10 desired to maintain mental clarity as they aged. The number considering the economy their top worry -- 35 percent -- was similar to Montana’s.

In Wyoming, 81 percent of seniors said they were financially secure with everything or most everything in place to remain healthy and address health care expenses through retirement. Only 16 percent said paying for necessities was a major concern; 36 percent called it a minor issue and 48 percent said it was no problem at all.

Nationally, about 30 percent of seniors cited financial worries as a major concern.

In Montana, 30 percent of seniors said they were extremely or very worried about identity theft, although 67 percent take measures against consumer fraud.

Of those, 78 percent regularly review their credit card and financial statements; 64 percent limit the number of identification cards they carry; 37 percent review annual credit reports; and 78 percent destroy credit card receipts, applications and unwanted cards.

Missoulian Harry Siebert is one such senior.

“Anything that’s got our address on it gets shredded,” he said. “I feel a little bit of precaution now will save a lot of potential headache later on.”

Complete surveys from all 50 states can be found by going to the AARP website, aarp.org/personal-growth/transitions/info-02-2011/voices-america-dreams-challenges.html.

[Published in the Missoulian, April 2011]

There's no place like home

2011-02-11T15:57:00.001-08:00

By ANNE KAZMIERCZAK

anne@iolaregister.com

I like stories with happy endings. Not necessarily every step of each character’s future foretold, but endings where the main character has taken that one right step that will set her on a better course, a course closer to her true self.

And so it is with me.

I decided to return to Montana to be near my inspiration: my two sons. My best self comes out when I am playing that essential role: their mom.

Like Dorothy in the current Iola Reads book, “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz,” I simply long to be where my kin are.

Also like Dorothy, I have met wonderful people on my journey away from home. Poets, artists, philosophers, photographers — Iola holds a wealth of talent.

It’s biggest, perhaps, is its heart.

Iolans are tenacious in their bond to family. Community plays only a short second, as evidenced by the willingness of so many to get involved in the electoral process of an incoming council, to support a new hospital that will help grow Iola into the future, to dress up in outlandish outfits and run in the middle of a hot summer night for the pure whimsical joy of it.

Most of you would have this community thrive and grow and prosper, and do what it takes — your part — to make it so.

As for me, people have graciously shared their town, their stories, their dreams with me to, in turn, share with others — the larger readership of Allen County.

I truly have not met a stranger here.

Yet on a recent trip to Walmart, I marveled that there were so many faces I was still unfamiliar with. More so, my companion, born and raised here, knew no more people than I did.

But Iola is a small town, dependent on its connections to one another.

We’ve all seen the numbers that say the town loses population every year. But it doesn’t necessarily follow that that decrease need lead to decline.

Many are working to improve the amenities of living here, from efforts to establish a dog park to the success of a citizen-born river-side park. If you look around, you can probably find someone with a common interest.

But you won’t know if you don’t ask.

So, Iola: here is my challenge to you.

Pretend you are a reporter.

When at the grocery store or library or church service, say hello to a stranger. Not just a passing nod, but reach out your hand, offer a good old-fashioned “Good day.”

Ask about an interest. Strike up a conversation.

Establish some new connections.

Help grow Iola from the heart.

With such an effort, the town cannot fail. People may come and people may go, but ties will deepen, leading to a fuller life for all.

Would that I could have been part of it. But my children, like Dorothy, clicked their heels. I must follow.

Stacy Avery (right) of Humboldt's Stacy Cakes says goodbye to reporter Anne Kazmierczak by presenting her with a three-tiered cake depicting her forthcoming long ride up wintery mountain slopes ending in her greatest joy: being reunited with her two sons.

Love spurs lock loss

2011-02-11T15:56:00.001-08:00

By ANNE KAZMIERCZAK

anne@iolaregister.com

Five-year-old Aysha Houk got her hair cut because she loves her former preschool teacher, Teresa Cook.

Cook, who runs Munchkin-Land Preschool, has cancer.

Aysha learned how Locks of Love takes long hair to make wigs for cancer sufferers, and volunteered her pony tail.

The cut was given by stylist Lindsey Vaderford of Wild Hare Salon, 108 E. Madison Ave., on Thursday afternoon.

Mom Kristie Houk was more reluctant than her daughter about the loss, but noted, “her hair grows so quickly.”

Cook was on hand to thank Aysha, who is now in kindergarten.

“I can’t believe she did that,” Cook said of Aysha’s gift.

Cook joked that maybe she’ll get a wig made of Aysha’s hair. She lost her own to chemo treatments for three brain tumors. Her now-monthly chemotherapy is working, she said, and she has only one tumor remaining.

“I’m doing good,” she said, grinning beneath a carnation-pink ball cap.

Students lived history for a day

2011-02-10T15:38:00.000-08:00

By ANNE KAZMIERCZAK

anne@iolaregister.com

Spinning a button on a string sounds easy — until you try it, observed Lincoln Elementary School fifth grader Josh Fulton. Fulton, along with the rest of his class, spent a half hour with first grade teacher Christy Thompson, who never left character as a prairie school marm tutoring her one-room students in ciphers, show-and-tell and recess.

Show and tell items included a mud dauber’s nest, bird’s nest and old-time lantern.

Jonathan Lynn played along when his turn came by telling the class he carried the lantern to school “because a storm was coming,” and the sky was darkening.

Thompson continued the ruse, noting in a southeast drawl, “Since it’s raining today, we’ll be having recess indoors and making whirligigs.”

To make the toy, students threaded an oversized button onto a loop of string. Then, twisting and pulling with the string wrapped around their fingers, they tried to keep the button a-spin.

Not a simple task, noted Mikey Hendry and Drake Sell, who marveled when their new toys worked.

The lesson was a part of the school’s Living History Day, in celebration of Kansas’ 150 years of statehood.

Other activities included learning about Amelia Earhart, cartoonist Mort Walker and playing pioneer games in the gym.

Students also heard about Kansas City native Charlie Parker and the advent of that quintessential American music, jazz. In a doubled-up kindergarten crowd, only a few hands went up when music teacher Joseph Hand asked who had heard of the form.

No worry. Iola High’s Jazz band was on hand to play Parker tunes for the young students, beginning with “Now’s the Time.”

While Hand introduced students to the story of jazz, jazz band leader Larry Lillard explained musical parts — solo and ensemble — and told students, “It’s OK to applaud after the solo. It shows appreciation for the musician’s skills.”

IN OTHER classes, eager ears heard tales of dust storms and tornadoes.

Weather facts fascinated second and third graders in Mary Anne Lower and Brian Johnson’s class on disasters and catastrophes.

Of course, the focus was on those with a Kansas connection.

Students learned that in the early 1930s, only 17 inches of rain fell upon western Kansas. Years of farming had removed prairie grasses that held down top soil. Winds blew excessively. The result: a wild wall of dust that carried all the way to the Atlantic coast.

Footage of the phenomenon was shown, and Lower passed around a bag containing 4 pounds of sand, so students could get a feel for how much dust fell, per person, in one day upon the city of Chicago.

“It got into everything,” Lower told the students — clothes, lungs, eyes.

“Even ears?” asked Clairissa Nivens in wonder. “Even ears,” was the response.

The storm carried so far that ships off the Atlantic coast received a quarter-inch coating of dust on deck.

“Dust storms are something that are still happening,” especially in China, added Johnson.

He then taught the kids how to prepare when tornado weather loomed, bringing history to present by showing footage of a funnel cloud that spun through Minnesota in August, and sharing safety tips for those facing such storms.

LIVING HISTORY Day concluded with a concert by the IHS jazz band for the entire student body. They played Charlie Parker tunes, of course.

Local cattle ranchers contend with cold

2011-02-10T14:43:00.000-08:00

Wednesday’s clear skies gave a reprieve to beleaguered farmers struggling to care for cattle in open fields throughout Allen County.

Eddyra Nelson, who with her husband Delbert runs about 100 head north of Iola, at Geneva and LaHarpe, said “We’re lucky — we don’t have any calving yet.”

With the heavy, drifting snow, “Just getting them fed is hard,” she said. “We take them big bales of hay with the 4-wheel drive and tractor,” she added. Chopping ice goes without saying.

Eddyra said her son Robert had to come fetch her Wednesday in his 4WD to feed the farm cats because her minivan wouldn’t make it through the snow. Robert cut holes in ponds and gave the cattle extra feed.

“They didn’t make it out to the ones in LaHarpe,” she said, “But we had warning about the storm, so they gave them extra the day before,” she noted.

Steve Strickler, of Strickler’s Dairy in Iola, said he is concerned about calves out in open fields north of the farm office.

“The one’s I’m concerned about are the open air pens,” Strickler said during the midst of Tuesday’s blizzard. “We just ride around on the four-wheelers and make sure they have fresh food.”

He said many cattle will stay behind the farm’s 6-foot-high windbreaks, made of baled recycled tires.

As for Strickler, “I’m trying to stay in the office and do computer work today,” he chuckled.

Ruth Mueller, who with husband Larry has cattle on Mississippi Road, said they are doing all right. “We don’t have any calving,” she said. What calves they do have were born last spring, and “they’re big and healthy,” she noted.

Craig Mentzer also was grateful. “We won’t be calving until Feb. 20 or so,” he said.

He’s taking precautions against the cold, though.

“Most of my ponds have automatic watering systems,” he said, that circulate water through nearby tanks. That allows Mentzer to fence off the ponds proper, in order to keep cows off the ice.

“They’re not supposed to freeze,” he said of the circulation tanks, “but they’re freezing now.”

“We’ll have to chop ice, but it’s not as bad as chopping on a pond,” he added.

The fields he has where ponds have not been fenced, he said, “worry me. We have a few where they do get on the ice and it’s not a good situation.” Those cattle require frequent checking on, Mentzer said.

“I’ve lost a few over the years” to ice break, he added.

Mentzer also scraped feeding spots and bladed behind windbreaks, he said, to ensure the cattle could get to food and shelter.

“If we keep them out of the wind, that’s 90 percent of it. We put down old, poor quality hay” for bedding at the windbreaks, he said. “They’ll probably eat half of it.”

The Mentzers have more than 200 cattle “about 2 miles east of Neosho Falls” in Allen County.

To get to them all, “we had to take the tractor and blade a path before the feed truck could go through,” Wednesday afternoon.

The bitter cold is supposed to let up this weekend, with more snow predicted for Monday.

Pets need special care in cold

2011-02-10T14:24:00.000-08:00

By ANNE KAZMIERCZAK

anne@iolaregister.com

Protecting pets is critical in cold winter weather said Cathy Montfort and veterinarian Lee Ann Flowers, both of Red Barn Veterinary Service on 1300 Street north of Iola.

“Truly, in this kind of weather, there is no way to maintain a pet safely outside,” Montfort stressed.

The best thing one can do, she said, is “Take them in.”

Even yard dogs need shelter, Flowers noted.

“I have five outdoor dogs,” she said. At night, they go into “an enclosed (and heated) building.”

A dog house alone cannot adequately block wind chill, Flowers said.

“Even a dog with a heavy coat is not acclimated to the severe temperatures we are going to have,” Montfort said.

Though covered in fur, dogs can get frostbite, Flowers explained.

“It’s hard to tell.” The most visible sign is that the inside of the ears become reddened. Tails and ears are most often affected. If frostbitten, “the skin will slough off,” Flowers said.

The best prevention is protection from wind and cold.

Even if a dog is not house trained, Montfort said, “you need to get it into a heated environment” at night. “Put down newspapers,” if need be, but don’t leave the animal kenneled outdoors.

ANOTHER worry for winter pets is dehydration.

Dogs “will not drink cold or frozen water,” Montfort said. “The water temperature has to be at least 50 degrees in this weather.”

Without water, “A dehydrated animal cannot maintain its body temperature,” she said.

In addition, “it’s really hard for an animal to eat enough calories in this weather.”

“My dogs’ appetite doubles in the winter,” Flowers observed.

For proper care of outdoor dogs, “You need to have them on a good quality food” and increase feed quantity, she said. “I just leave food out all the time in winter,” she added.

Indoor pets, on the other hand, do not need an increased calorie load and can be fed on their regular schedule.

The lack of extra fat or a thickened coat makes indoor pets more susceptible to being chilled, however, Flowers said.

“Small dogs and dogs with not a lot of hair should not be left outside at all,” Flowers said.

“Stand at the door and watch and let them back in right away,” Montfort suggested when a pet goes outside to do its business.

If walked in cold weather, wipe off a dog’s feet once back home to remove salts that can cause intestinal upset.

“There’s a lot of hidden dangers we don’t think about in weather like this,” Montfort said.

“Salt itself is especially drying and will crack (a dog’s) feet,” she said. Plus, Flowers added, “antifreeze is lethal.”

Pets can get it on their feet, then once inside lick it off, ingesting the poison.

“I recommend keeping baby wipes by the door and wiping off their feet as soon as they come in” Flowers said.

Even tiny dogs that rarely go outdoors need special care in winter, Flowers said.

“Little dogs — like Chihuahuas — need a sweater,” she said. “It’s drafty down there on the floor.”

Dogs, if chilled, will shiver.

“If a dog is shivering, he is cold. If he is shivering, put a coat on him,” she added.

Consider it this way, Montfort said, a day outside for a pet dog “would be like you standing outside in your heavy coat all day.”

If it’s too cold for you — it’s too cold for them.

Snow days means snow play for area kids

2011-02-10T14:22:00.000-08:00

By ANNE KAZMIERCZAK

anne@iolaregister.com

WHEN Iola school kids faced three days without classes this week, parents had to get creative to fill the hours.

Bitterly cold temperatures precluded all-day outdoor play, but that didn’t stop Madison and Haley Carlin from taking advantage of snow piles formed when driveways and streets were plowed.

“Yesterday we helped the neighbors build a couple forts,” said nine-year-old Haley. “They just shoveled the snow into piles and we dug out tunnels.”

The girls, along with neighbors Chloe and Carter Wilson, Chase and Cole Regehr and Ben Cooper, tunneled as far as they could, said Madison.

“We were going to make (the tunnel go) the whole way through, but it collapsed.”

On Thursday, there was still enough space to wiggle a 10-year-old figure into the hole, with only a head poking out.

“We worked outside until we felt like our toes were going to fall off,” Haley said of Wednesday’s endeavors.

Then, everyone poured indoors for cocoa.

“I think we used every mug in the house,” their mother Terri said, for cocoa and a cheesy chili dish that Haley pointed out could be eaten as either a soup or a dip.

“Some people like to eat it with chips,” she suggested.

The collection of neighbor kids also left a trail of wet mittens and clothes for Terri to contend with.

On Thursday, it was whole-house cleanup time.

“The girls shampooed this rug for me,” she said of the entrance hall where all the gear had been shed the day before.

And Haley was singing along to Hannah Montana while mopping the kitchen floor, her mom said.

Madison had the task of putting away a double load of laundry.

“We had a lot of different plans,” Terri said of ideas for filling the extra hours.

“We could work on our valentines or young author assignments,” she said of school-related chores.

In the end, though, “We just ended up doing whatever.”

WEDNESDAY also became movie day. Being Groundhog’s Day, the family watched that iconic Bill Murray film. “Roger” — the girl’s father — “kept wondering if that’s what was happening to him — he’d wake up and every day would be a snow day,” Terri said.

Roger Carlin also was grounded those days school was out — he is a seventh grade teacher at Iola Middle school.

“But he got out,” Terri said of her husband. “He went to the store for groceries. I never left the house” and yard, she said.

Other movies the family indulged in were the “High School Musical” trilogy.

“At one point I looked up and realized the girls had moved on to something else,” said Terri. “I was the only one still watching.”

Terri admitted to enjoying the down time, but also to missing her “other kids” — she teaches third grade at McKinley Elementary. She wondered what some of her students were doing to fill their time.

A sound at the door led to another neighbor’s visit — this time dog Chloe, over to visit the Carlin’s dog, Libby.

“She loves running in this snow,” Terri said of their terrier/beagle mix.

Earlier, Terri showed off Libby’s repertoire of tricks — from jumping four feet for a piece of cheese to playing dead when she heard the word “Bang!”

Throughout the day’s activities, Madison kept up a constant conversation via text message with a friend who planned to visit later in the day.

“I asked her if, when she was over, they were going to actually talk to each other face-to-face,” Terri joked.

But phone calls also were a part of the family’s week, Terri added.

“We got to talk to my mom — she lives in Texas.”

Terri’s mom, “is not used to this much snow,” a topic of a number of their calls. Her mom’s town of Garland “had a lot of ice” she said, and also had shut down services — including her mom’s final chemo treatment at her local hospital — until the weather cleared.

“She called and told me she’d be able to go in Friday,” Terri said.

ON THURSDAY afternoon, sunshine beckoned the girls back outside to explore the previous day’s creations and slide down mountains of snow bermed along the edge of the street. Snow angels appeared in pristine white and hats and scarves lost the day before were rediscovered.

Finally, a large bowl was used to scoop out clean snow and taken indoors.

The girls mixed “1 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon vanilla and 2 cups milk with a gallon of snow,” they volunteered. “You stir it up in a big bowl until it gets creamy, then you eat it,” Haley announced.

The resultant “snow cream” was a delightful creamy blend with a texture that crossed gelato with granita.

It was a fitting treat.

A new lens on life

2011-02-10T14:14:00.000-08:00

COLONY — After retiring in 2002 from a career as an elementary educator, Phyllis Luedke is embarking full steam into her new hobby: nature photography.

Luedke has always harbored an interest in photography, she said, but never had the time to devote to it until recently.

Now, she’ll take off on a day trip, like a recent one to John Redmond Reservoir near Burlington, that netted a series of pictures of slabs of ice, broken and crashed upon the shore. “They sparkled so much, but I couldn’t get that,” Luedke said of ice farther from shore.

“I like to go out in spring and summertime and take pictures of wildflowers and sunrises,” she said.

In winter, Luedke trains her lens upon a backyard bird feeder, where she has shot cardinals, flickers and songbirds as they feed.

Luedke came upon her interest in photography via her love for the natural world.

“I grew up in Lone Elm and went to high school at Kincaid, when they still had a high school there,” Luedke said. “I grew up on a farm, so I’m kind of a naturalist,” she added.

On the farm, she loved the wildflowers, she said. “We’d pick dried flowers in the fall and make bouquets,” she noted.

Luedke attended Junior College in Iola, then pursued a bachelor’s degree in elementary education at Kansas State Teachers College, now Emporia State University.

Luedke began her teaching career at Madison, south of Emporia, “then I went to Moran, Colony and Le Roy,” she said. Along the way she taught kindergarten, second, third and fourth grades, along with Title 1 reading and math.

While still teaching at Madison, Luedke said, some of the other teachers encouraged her to sign up with them for “some National Science Federation classes” offered through ESU. The classes “were free because at that time, in the early 1960s, they were trying to build up science education.”

One class, she said, took place in summer. The teachers rode covered wagons, drawn by huge Belgian horses, across the Flint Hills, studying the natural world as they went.

“That was one of the most interesting,” classes, Luedke said. “We camped out,” and learned about prairie plants and ecology, she said.

Even then, she said, “I took pictures, but it was just a point and shoot thing” — using film, she noted.

FAST FORWARD to 2009.

At the Allen County Fair, Luedke noticed the photographs on display.

“I thought, ‘I’d like to do that.’” Noticing most of the photos came form 4-H members, Luedke said, “I called the County Extension and inquired about a photography instructor.”

She was referred to Anna Catterson at Allen County Community College. “So in (fall of) 2009, I enrolled in a photography class,” Luedke said.

Luedke pulls out a large binder, carefully categorized with photography assignments from that class. An illustrated alphabet, with letters made of rolled iron fencing, crossing branches or barbed wire strung just so comprised Luedke’s examples.

“We took all kinds of photos,” Luedke noted, “Sports, landscape, flowers.” Sports, she said, were her least favorite. “It’s hard to get the lighting right,” and capture rapid movement, she said.

Her favorite — and her forte — are close-up pictures of flowers. One, of a bee on a milkweed blossom, was accepted into the book “Best of College Photography, 2010,” put out by Photographer’s Forum magazine.

Luedke also has taken photography workshops, she said, including one on photographing butterflies at Powell Gardens, east of Kansas City.

“And then I saw in the Register where the Kansas Native Plant Society was having a two-day excursion in Pittsburg,” she said. The weekend included field trips and lessons about native flowers. And, there was a photography contest.

She entered.

“I didn’t place,” she said. “I was disappointed. I thought mine were pretty good — but theirs were better. That made me feel I wanted to try again the next year.” Which she did.

In 2010, Luedke received four second place and one first place wins in the KNPS contest.

“This year I practiced my skills and did better,” she said.

To facilitate taking even better photographs, Luedke bought herself a longer lens for Christmas. The macro lens pulls images in closer, for more detail.

“Another thing I got myself was an extension tube. You put it between your lens and your camera body and it extends out farther,” enhancing the macro effect of the lens, she said.

Luedke said despite all the automatic settings on modern, digital cameras, she prefers to use the manual focus setting.

“On auto focus, you don’t have any control,” she said.

And, although she is teaching herself Photoshop, she doesn’t like to manipulate her pictures much beyond cropping.

She won’t change a photograph’s color, for example, “because it doesn’t look natural,” she said.

Mostly, she said, “I like to look on the computer and see what other folks have done,” by visiting photo share sites such as Flickr.

“People look at photographs and think it’s easy,” she mused. “I take a lot of bad pictures” to get a few good ones, she said.

Luedke has just begun marketing her photography, predominantly through craft fairs. She sells framed collages and large prints, small refrigerator magnets and mugs. “I put all my snow pictures together and made a DVD,” as well, she said. “There’s close to 150 pictures there, coupled with easy-listening music.” The DVD is available at Duane’s Flowers in Iola and Country Diner in Colony, or by calling her at 620-852-3572.

Still, “I don’t consider myself a professional at all,” Luedke said. “I just do it as a hobby. I don’t think I’m going to get rich.”

Coloring their world: Texas artist teaches students new way to see

2011-01-26T09:30:00.000-08:00

By ANNE KAZMIERCZAK

anne@iolaregister.com

Iola High School students Wednesday through today engaged in what has become an annual opportunity — a workshop by Texas pastel artist Steve Napper.

Napper, of Odessa, Texas, happened upon teaching Iola students for the past “14 or 15 years” thanks to former Iola elementary art teacher Steve Orcutt.

Years before, “I befriended the Orcutts in Colorado,” Napper said.

“We were doing a big art show” one year, he said. “They happened to be staying at the same hotel.”

As fate would have it, the painters’ auctioneer “didn’t show up, and Steve volunteered his services,” Napper said.

A friendship bloomed, along with an invitation from the Orcutts for Napper to come share his skills, perfected over 43 years as a pastel painter, with Iola’s students.

“I thought it would be just a one-time thing,” Napper said, “but it’s grown.”

Napper shares his knowledge of the medium, along with hints and tips on producing a painting, with students over the course of three days. Day one is lectures, where students learn technique, materials and design. Days two and three involve hands-on assignments, with Napper present to coach the students.

2011 marked junior Shauna Van Etten’s “third year at the workshops,” she said.

“I’ve learned how to use the warm and cool colors and how to use pastels. It’s very helpful,” she said of Napper’s instruction.

In the near future, she hopes to couple her love of art with her love of cooking in pursuit of world culinary art and management, she said.

It was Hannah Norris’s first time using pastels. “It’s interesting — it’s different,” she said. “I’m normally a sketcher. I never color my drawings; I always shade them. This,” she said of the vibrant blues, greens, fuchsias and golds, “is a little out of my comfort zone.”

Sophomore Nathan Meadows, an aspiring art teacher himself, enjoyed blending blues and greens to form a hill above a paler river. He typically draws with pencils, he said, and found the pastels “messier.”

Mess is in the nature of the material, Napper explained, walking across floors of the Dale P. Creitz Recital Hall festooned with protective plastic sheets.

Pastels, Napper noted, “are really the most colorfast and permanent of all media because it’s pure pigment.”

Pigments, including metals such as aluminum and iron oxides, cadmium and mineral pigments, are ground to a paste with a binder, then rolled into sticks.

“I can grind that pastel up and mix it with oil and it’s oil paint,” Napper continued.

Chalk, on the other hand, “is dyed,” Napper said. There is no pure pigment in it. “Chalks will fade,” he said.

Chalk, he said anecdotally, is fine for sidewalk drawings. Pastel, however, will stain.

Both, however, are messy to work with, producing dust as the sticks are scraped across paper, cardboard or other surfaces.

“(Henri de Toulouse-) Lautrec painted on butcher’s paper; (Edgar) Degas painted on cardboard,” Napper said of the famous impressionists.

Napper said the reason pastels in museums are hung in low light situations is to preserve the paper the artists worked on — not the pigment.

“The paper deteriorates, not the pastel,” he told students.

Because of its soft and easily smeared nature, pastel paintings must be put behind glass, or sprayed with a fixative to prevent them smudging.

But, Napper said, “You kill the luminosity by putting a fixative on it.” In its natural state, he said, pastels paintings neither lighten nor darken over time. “You can come back in a year” and it’s the same as the day you worked on it, he said.

In addition, papers today are “museum grade,” compared to those of the impressionistic era.

Napper also had on hand Styrofoam insulation sheets, cut into segments, to use for blending. If using fingers, oils from one’s hand alter the pigments, he said, and “kill the color.”

Emerald Rook was getting hints form Napper on how to shade a stream bank. “It makes it more life-like and gives it a forward extension,” Rook said of the changes to her drawing.

Napper also taught the students “to paint by value and not by color,” he said. “I try to teach them to paint by temperature,” he explained, selecting warm or cool tones rather than matching the colors of the photographs used as guides.

In that style, sophomore Haydn Wolf was creating “a beautiful sky” — in greens, pink, blues and black.

“I’ve learned a lot already,” Wolf said of working with the pastels — and with Napper. “I learned lights and darks put things in the foreground and background,” he said.

“This is my first time ever doing this,” Wolf added. “I think it’s fun — it’s almost like a child with finger paints.”

Colorful quilts dazzle, delight

2011-01-26T08:57:00.000-08:00

By ANNE KAZMIERCZAK

anne@iolaregister.com

Lenexa fabric artist Ada Niedenthal is adept at traditional quilting methods — just don’t call her a quilter.

Niedenthal, whose machine-pieced fabric wall hangings range in size from about a foot square to more than three by four feet, said, “I am not a traditional quilter; but I am an artist.”

Niedenthal, 63, began sewing at the age of five, she said. But she didn’t delve into the world of art until 2002, when she retired from a career in landscape architecture.

Niedenthal received a bachelor’s degree in art from Wichita State University in 1972 and a masters in landscape architecture from Kansas State University in 1977.

She worked as a landscaper in Minnesota, Indiana and the Kansas City metro area for 25 years, she said.

After retirement, fabric art came naturally, she said.

“I’m a very tactile person; it had to be something I could touch,” she said of her choice of medium.

Despite the imagery of Niedenthal pieces — trees, grain fields, flashy colors and abstract patterns — many of the hangings are made using standard quilt block methods, she pointed out.

“I really do not applique at all,” she said. “The geometry of piecing is what intrigues me.”

To make such organic designs work on a geometric ground, “It all has to be worked out ahead of time,” Niedenthal said.

“Several are paper-pieced,” she noted. “I plan out the whole thing on freezer paper — to scale — and cut it out and piece it that way.”

Another tool Niedenthal uses is a “design wall” — “It’s like a bulletin board” large enough to pin up a work in progress, she said, to observe how colors and patterns work together .

Design walls can be made of many materials, Niedenthal said, noting, “Mine is pieces of foam insulation.”

“That’s how I work out a lot of my color arrangements,” she said, “by working them on the wall first.”

Niedenthal’s work is “inspired by things I see, hear and read. I grew up in Kansas, so I’m inspired by the landscape, also” she added.

One hanging, “Amber Waves,” is evocative of a prairie field, with bands of gold fabric rolling in the lower half of the piece and strips of sky blue above.
Only after a second look does one see the outline of heads of wheat, stitched into the field.

“In all of them I dyed a lot of my own fabric,” Niedenthal said of her work, another observation best made up-close.

Tree branches are painted on one hanging, another has overdyed calico rimming a collection of colored circles.

Niedenthal said she screen prints, stamps and paints her fabrics as well. “It’s all surface embellishment,” she said of the techniques.

A series of smaller hangings were “inspired by some scraps of fabric,” she said. “I use all kinds of fabric — neckties, old silk blouses, recycled clothing, cotton blends,” she said.

And, “I like color now “ she said. “I don’t know that I always (did),” but these days, Niedenthal said, “I’m intrigued by how color works together.”

That is apparent in the dazzling displays of fuchsia, turquoise, rich emerald greens and shining copper and gold touches in her pieces.

In addition, beads and buttons embellish others. One piece, “Squandered” is rife with words representing the years that George W. Bush spent in presidential office, Niedenthal said.

The tiny stitched letters require a close-up view; from a distance, the piece looks rosy.

When seeking out quilt designs, Niedenthal advised, “look around. Go to art shows, to galleries, look beyond (traditional) quilts.”

An opening reception for artist Ada Niedenthal will be 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday at the Mary L. Martin Gallery in the Bowlus Fine Arts Center. Enter through the east doors; refreshments will be served.

The event is part of Iola’s week-long Kansas 150 celebration.

Year-end numbers in at ACARF

2011-01-25T08:23:00.000-08:00

Allen County Animal Rescue Facility has adopted out 106 animals in its first five months of operation.

Since opening July 5, the low-kill facility has placed 30 cats and 76 dogs and returned one cat and 26 dogs to owners. In addition, 14 dogs were sent to breed rescue organizations, and four cats and one dog are in foster care. All told, 194 dogs and 68 cats have come through the facility. The shelter is full, with 53 dogs and 26 cats available for adoption, including the quiet but larger Chico, whose adoption fees have already been paid.

Shelter hours are 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays.

ACARF will be closed this Friday and Saturday for the New Year holiday and will reopen Tuesday.

Rikki is a mature smaller dog that has been at ACARF for a few months now. She would love a forever home.

Chico, a resident at Allen County Rescue Facility since the day it opened, awaits adoption to a forever home. Chico’s family was forced to give up the middle-aged dog when they moved, and paid his adoption fee in hopes he would more easily find a new home. He waits patiently, still wagging his tail each time visitors go by.

Budget banter fills Farm Bureau talk

2011-01-25T08:14:00.001-08:00

By ANNE KAZMIERCZAK

anne@iolaregister.com

Newly minted state senator Jeff King and other local politicians were on hand Monday night for an Allen County Farm Bureau Association board of directors legislative update.

King, an Independence attorney in private practice, was joined by County Commissioners Rob Francis and Gary McIntosh and Rep. Bill Otto for the informal talk.

King was appointed Dec. 11 to fill the remainder of the term vacated when Sen. Derek Schmidt was elected attorney general. He moves over from the House of Representatives.

King said past Kansas legislatures erroneously “bragged about balancing the budget without passing taxes, but what we did was pass expenses on to cities and counties.” Unfortunately, with the current economic crisis, he said, budgets will get no better this year.

“Gov. Brownback’s budget came out Thursday,” King observed, “but I haven’t been able to see it yet to see if we’ve put a stop to taking money from cities and counties — or if there just isn’t anything left to take.”

King noted federal highway funds and state liquor taxes are about the only revenue pots the state has not yet dipped its fingers into.

On the county level, Francis said “everyone should realize their ditches probably won’t get mowed again this year.” The cutback last year to mowing just intersections along county roads saved Allen County $163,000 in fuel and labor costs, he said.

“We’re looking into using a retardant” to control vegetative growth along roads instead, McIntosh added.

An added expense facing the county will be replacing older road signs, commissioners said.

REGARDING EDUCATION, King warned that base funding for per pupil K-12 will be cut further.

King, like others, noted the state did not seek means to replace federal stimulus dollars used to prop up education the past two years.

Although state revenue collection is up “$240 million above where it was the year before,” the loss of $500 million in federal dollars equates to a $260 million loss for the state, King said.

That, coupled with enrollments having risen statewide, will mean less money for individual schools, King said.

King did vow to try to make the cuts “as small as we can and as smart as we can.”

King also noted deep flaws in the budget of the Kansas Public Employee Retirement System, calling it “the second-worst situation” facing public retirement systems in the country.

He said, “We’ll pay your KPERS. It’s a contractual obligation.” But he promised cuts to the program in 2013.

And, he reminded those present, “If you don’t like something I do, you don’t have to vote for me next time.”

King said he does plan to run for the office in 2012.

Other questions the panel faced included the new governor’s view on environmental policy and economic development. No firm commitment was made on any topic, other than to try to “push government down to the local level as far as you can,” King said.

Punch card for prizes part of KS 150 week

2011-01-25T08:13:00.001-08:00

As an incentive (or merely a bonus) for those attending next week’s Kansas 150 events in Iola, a punch card for prizes will be offered and clipped at each program.

Participants need to collect two punches through the week to be eligible for prizes, which include an autographed photo of Kansas City Chiefs star Jamaal Charles, Allen County Historical Society memorabilia and a Kansas 150 hooded sweatshirt.

Cards will also be punched for visits to the Allen County Historical Museum and for checking out Kansas materials at the Iola Public Library.

Cards are available at ACHS, the library, the Bowlus Fine Arts Center or at any of the Kansas 150 Week events.

Punched cards should be dropped off at the Historical Society through the week, or brought to the Kansas 150 birthday party before 3:30 p.m. Jan. 29.

THE WEEK’S celebrations begin with fabric artist Ada Niedenthal’s reception at the Mary L. Martin Gallery of the Bowlus Fine Arts Center, 2-4 p.m. Sunday.

Monday features historical films and photographs presented by Max Snodgrass at the Bowlus at 7 p.m.

Tuesday finds Iolans trying to solve “History’s Mysteries” at the Frederick Funston Meeting Hall, 207 N. Jefferson Ave., beginning at 7 p.m.

Wednesday afternoon, children’s librarian Leah Oswald offers up “Kansas: One State, Many Stories,” to listeners of all ages. The program starts at 3 p.m. in the Flewharty-Powell annex of the Iola Public Library.

“Let’s Talk Kansas Books!” is Thursday’s event, at 7 p.m. in the Flewharty-Powell annex. Five Iolans will expound on five books related to people or events in the Sunflower State.

Friday, Iolans can enjoy the classical strains of the Lyric Arts Trio performing “Ad Astra” at the Bowlus. Fifth graders will be treated to the tunes at 1:30 p.m.; all others are welcome at 7 p.m.

On Saturday, celebrate Kansas’ 150th year of statehood with a party at the Allen County Historical Museum, 20 S. Washington Ave. New exhibits will be on display and punch card prize winners will be chosen.

All events are free and open to the public; refreshments will be served.

Commission considers housing

2011-01-25T08:12:00.001-08:00

By ANNE KAZMIERCZAK

anne@iolaregister.com

City commissioners learned of a possible opportunity to bring new, mid-priced housing to Iola at their meeting Monday night.

Kansas Department of Corrections is offering inmate-built modular homes at cost, about $65,000-$70,000 for a 1,500 square foot three bedroom, two bath home — delivered.

Communities or individuals, in turn, provide a lot, utility hookups and foundation for the homes.

Developer Tom Carlson, Springfield, Mo., who built the River Valley Homes addition off Cedarbrook Golf Course, is considering purchasing up to 30 of the homes, if Iola would provide him lots.

Carlson would then sell the homes, reaping a profit from the donated land.

The impetus to the city is that he can front the money to purchase the homes, he told commissioners, improving Iola’s available housing stock.

Carlson noted that the River Valley Homes subdivision rented quickly, but an additional 30-35 interested parties were turned away because they made more than allowable income limits.

Those homes, built with a combination of federal tax credits and other funding, were built to serve lower-income working families and had federal income guidelines imposed upon them, Carlson said. The KDC homes would have no such restrictions, he noted.

Carlson said he would also be interested in placing the homes in the Cedarbrook area, if Iola would promise to sell him at least 15 of the 35 remaining lots in that area over the course of a number of years. Carlson said he envisioned adding two to three homes a year to the subdivision.

Commissioners expressed interest, but took no action.

New business dealt with a complaint by Iola Realtor and landlord Ken Rowe that he is unable to secure copies of utility use records for houses he is marketing. Rowe believes the records must be made available through the Freedom of Information Act.

City Attorney Chuck Apt informed Rowe that state statutes pertaining to open records exempt “records of a utility or public service pertaining to individually identifiable residential customers of the utility or service.”

Rowe debated with Apt, staff and commissioners whether a further clause in statute K.S.A. 45-221 actually allowed for such disclosure.

Apt and Rowe came down on opposite sides of interpreting clause 48 (d.), which states “public agencies shall separate or delete” personally identifiable information from “the public record subject to disclosure.”

Again, discussion hinged on whether utility records are available for disclosure.

Apt noted the city’s position was firm and suggested Rowe seek legal council on the matter.

TO ASSIST with city bookkeeping after the transition to an unpaid eight-person council in April, commissioners voted unanimously to forgo pay for the remainder of their terms, beginning with Monday night’s meeting. Commissioners Craig Abbott and Bill Shirley had received approximately $125 per month; Mayor Bill Maness received about $140 per month.

The commission’s final meeting will be April 4, preceding the April 5 election. The new council will be seated at the regularly scheduled meeting April 18.

Commissioners meet next at 6 p.m. Tuesday for four public hearings on property condemnations and an update on proposed crossing signal improvements. The hearings had been set before commissioners changed their meeting day from Tuesdays to Mondays.

Commissioners will meet again Jan. 18 for their regular second monthly meeting, bumped one day due to the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday Jan. 17.

Mayor won't run again

2011-01-25T08:11:00.003-08:00

dec. 30

By ANNE KAZMIERCZAK

anne@iolaregister.com

Iola Mayor Bill Maness formally announced he would not seek reelection come April, when an eight-person council plus a mayor will be elected to replace the existing three-man commission.

“I’m accepting a position with Senator-elect Jerry Moran as a district representative in this area,” Maness told commissioners at their meeting Tuesday evening.

He did note that he would try to drum up interest in citizens to attend the council’s meetings, however.

Beginning Jan. 3, those meetings will be on the first and third Mondays of the month, commissioners decided. They had discussed moving the meeting date to Mondays previously, and settled on the odd-numbered weeks so as not to conflict with local school board meetings, they said. Two upcoming exceptions will be Jan. 17 and Feb. 21, both federal holidays, when the meeting will move to the next evening.

Commissioners extended the contract of City Administrator Judy Brigham through the end of March.

After reviewing cost estimates, commissioners directed TITLE Corey Schinstock and Brigham to try to find about $9,000 in funding for crossing signal improvements at five designated corners, including the one at Buckeye and Madison streets used regularly by USD 257 students in getting to their classes at the Bowlus Fine Arts Center.

Existing signals can be converted into those with timed walk signals, Schinstock said.

The other timed crossing signals would be at the corners of Madison and State, Madison and Washington, Madison and Jefferson, and East and Kentucky.

A budget hearing opened and shut without public comment. No action was taken. Proposed amended expenditures under the 2010 budget are $16,557,881, about $1.6 million more than previously approved.

Commissioners approved, 2-1, transferring money from the city’s utility fund to help pay for a full time animal control officer. Iola Police Chief Jared Warner noted increased interest on the part of city residents in animal welfare.

Since losing its animal control officer in May, 2009, calls to deal with wild animals, feral cats or stray dogs have been divided between the police and street and alley departments. “There seems to be interest in providing pen checks and welfare checks,” Brigham noted. Both she ands Warner credited the new Allen County Animal Rescue Facility with raising public awareness of such issues, plus that of strays.

Warner suggested a full time animal control position be placed under the code enforcement arm of the city, and volunteered about $22,000 — $12,000 budgeted for animal control and $10,000 set aside for a part time officer — in the department budget to the cause. The Another $38,000 would be transferred from the utility fund, Brigham said, for a one-year trial period. In the 2012 budget, she noted, the position could be paid for through the city’s general fund. “With the 2011 budget already set, we didn’t’ have any money set aside for that (position)” Brigham said.

Maness and commissioner Bill Shirley agreed to the transfer. Commissioner Craig Abbott voted nay.

The position will be scheduled to emphasize coverage in evening hours and weekends, commissioners were told.

Commissioners unanimously voted to hire Zach Frank Web Design and Development of Kansas City, Mo., to develop and maintain a website promoting Iola and Iola Industries. The $2,200 fee will come form the city’s industry fund. The fund, designated “for industrial promotion expenses sounds like a perfect fit,” Brigham said. Money for the fund comes from an annual one mill levy, about $38,000 per year, she added.

In other business, commissioners renewed a cereal malt beverage license for Coronado’s Mexican Restaurant.

Celebrate Kansas with books

2011-01-25T08:11:00.001-08:00

By ANNE KAZMIERCZAK

anne@iolaregister.com

Celebrate Kansas’ 150th year with an evening of talks by five noted Iolans, speaking on five books that reflect aspects of life in the Sunflower State.

The night is one of a week’s worth of events in recognition of the state’s sesquicentennial.

On Jan. 27, Ray Houser will reflect on “James Naismith, the Man Who Invented Basketball,” by Rob Rains and Hellen Carpenter. Without Naismith’s innovation, winter ball would have less bounce. Naismith also founded the University of Kansas’ basketball program in 1898, just seven years after the sport’s invention, and served as coach and athletic director at KU.

Rains is a former sports writer for USA Today; Hellen Carpenter is Naismith’s granddaughter of James Naismith. Her collection of Naismith’s original documents surrounding the game’s invention were tapped in crafting the book.

Charlene Levans will speak about “The Sound of Wings: The Life of Amelia Earhart,” by Mary S. Lovell. The book allows a full recapturing of Earhart’s life, from her tomboy childhood to her fatal trans-global flight. Lovell believes “biography is history” and treats her subjects accordingly. The book was one of the sources used in making the 2009 film, “Amelia.”

Library Director Roger Carswell will present “Charlatan, America’s Most Dangerous Huckster, the Man Who Pursued Him, and the Age of Flimflam,” by Pope Brock.

Brock tackles the tale of John R. Brinkley, a snake oil salesman who touted his unusual cures in Milford, Kansas in 1917. “It was all nonsense, of course, but thousands of paying customers quickly turned ‘Dr.’ Brinkley into America’s richest and most famous surgeon,” reads a review on Powells.com. “His notoriety captured the attention of the great quackbuster Morris Fishbein, who vowed to put the country’s ‘most daring and dangerous’ charlatan out of business.”

Despite Fishbein’s two-decade pursuit, Brinkley’s popularity soared.

“When he ran for governor of Kansas, he invented campaigning techniques still used in modern politics,” Brock noted. In addition to politics and medicine, Brinkley played a roll in expanding American media when “he built the world’s most powerful radio transmitter” and “introducing country music and blues to the nation.”

Frank L. Baum’s “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” will be pondered by Iola Register editor Susan Lynn. Arguably the best known book with ties to Kansas, Baum’s classic can be read as political satire, social commentary or simply a rousing good story for children of all ages. In the tale, Kansan Dorothy Gale is swept via tornado to a wondrous land where she meets unusual characters and begins a sometimes dangerous quest to return home.

Lastly, local school teacher Donna Regehr speaks about her recently published romance :”Desert Gold, the Legend of Chinook.” Regehr based her tale of love and intrigue on her own interest and adventures in the desert Southwest, mashing Native American lore with a dose of Harlequin and criminal intent in an evocative landscape.

Each book presentation will last about 15 minutes. The event runs from 7-8:30 p.m. in the Flewharty-Powell annex of the Iola Public Library.

Other events that week include: An opening reception for the textile art of Ada Niedenthal at the Mary L. Martin Gallery in the Bowlus Fine Arts Center at 2 p.m. Jan. 23; a talk on Iola history, 1925-1990, given by Max Snodgrass at 7 p.m. Jan. 24 in the Bowlus’ Dale Creitz Recital Hall; History’s Mysteries at 7 p.m. Jan. 25 at the Allen County Historical Museum; “One State, Many Stories” with Iola Public Library’s children’s librarian Leah Oswald at 3 p.m. Jan. 26; a free concert, Ad Astra, by the Lyric Arts Trio, 7 p.m. Jan. 28 in the Creitz Recital Hall; and a 150th birthday party for the state at 2 p.m. Jan. 29 at the Allen County Historical Museum.

All events are free and open to the public.

'Take Charge' challenges Iolans to use less

2011-01-25T08:10:00.000-08:00

A group of Iolans is trying to come up with ways that the city as a whole can reduce its energy footprint, and win Iola $100,000 in the process.
Iola is one of five Southeast Kansas communities vying for the pot in the 2011 “Take Charge Challenge.”
The contest, sponsored by Kansas Department of Energy, runs through Sep. 30.
Other towns in the running are Fort Scott, Parsons, Pittsburg and Chanute.
Already the group has met three times, but plans are to scale back to monthly meetings.
That doesn’t mean they won’t be hard at work between times, though.
From ideas to practical plots, members Craig Neuenswander, Dan Willis, Gary Hoffmeier, Jana Taylor, Jeff Bauer, Judy Brigham, Rebecca Nilges, Roxanne Hutton, Scott Shreve, Scott Stanley, Jeff Kluever, Holly Slawkowski and Jody Grover are working to devise easy-to-do tasks that reward public participation through energy — and therefore monetary — savings.
One such example is a rebate available for those who upgrade home appliances to Energy Star models. Refrigerators, heat pumps, water heaters — all may be eligible for cash rebates provided by the Kansas Power Pool. Contact Brigham at 365-4900 for more details.
Another incentive comes in the form of an energy audit, provided by the city’s energy consultant, Energy Management Group of Topeka. EMG will provide a full efficiency audit tackling air leakage, heating system efficiency, home insulation, appliance energy use and more. The audit runs $100 — but the money doesn’t need to come out-of-pocket, though. If a utility customer or homeowner wishes to go ahead with recommended suggestions, the $100 fee is rolled into a no interest loan provided by the Kansas Department of Energy through federal stimulus dollars made available through President Barack Obama’s American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. Loan payments are then tacked onto the customer’s utility bill for the next 15 years.
Lest the thought of increased debt scare someone away from possible savings, payments are calculated to match the energy cost savings wrought by the efficiency upgrades. For example, if a person replaces their heating system to the tune of a $50 a month reduction in their heating bill, the loan payment is calculated as $50, added to the monthly utility bill. Net result is payments stay static, while the home is warmer and uses less energy.
The program is also open to renters, with their landlords permission. In the case of tenants, loan fees are attached to the apartment’s meter, so that, should an occupant move, the fees roll over to the next occupant. Hoffmeier, who runs Hoffmeier Electric, noted landlords should be interested regardless because a more energy efficient apartment would be easier to rent out.
Small businesses are also eligible to participate in the program, said Shreve, who works for EMG. Contact him at 785-234-9364, or scott@emgnow.com for more information or to schedule an audit.

PART OF the Take Charge Challenge involves the city planning or participating in three separate events between now and September, team members learned Wednesday night.
The first big push by the group to enroll people in the challenge and reduce the city’s electric use will be by giving away 5,000 compact fluorescent light bulbs during the Iola Area Chamber of Commerce Business EXPO Jan. 28 and 29 at the Recreation Community Building in Riverside Park.
Anyone living in the 66749 zip code is welcome to bring in regular incandescent bulbs to exchange for the CFLs. Up to five bulbs per person may be exchanged.
Monetary savings from the switch amount to $70 per year, per person, Take Challenge team members were told.
Over the life of the bulbs, calculated to be 10 years, energy savings equal $700 per person.
For Iola as a whole, the savings equate to $70,000 per year, or $700,000 over the next decade. That’s money that can stay in the pockets of local people.
For Iola to get credit for the upgrades, citizens must sign up at www.takechargekansas.org or at the business EXPO.
The more people who participate, the further along the line Iola stands to beating its neighbors to the money.
There is no plan as yet for the $100,000, other than it will go toward an energy-related project that will benefit the city as a whole.
As Kluever noted, “Let’s get it before we spend it.”
The next activity should take place in March or April according to the larger Take Challenge program. Iola’s may coordinate with Earth Hour in March or Earth Day in April. The third event should be in June or July, or possibly during the Allen County Fair.
There is certainly room in the group for more minds and more ideas, Brigham noted.
Anyone interested can sign up for e-mail announcements through southeasttakecharge@gmail.com and can join the working group by calling City Clerk Roxanne Hutton at 365-4900.
The next Take Charge Challenge meeting is 4-6 p.m. Feb. 9 in the New Community Building at Riverside Park. All are welcome.

Boren Roofing stays on top

2011-01-25T08:08:00.002-08:00

Boren Roofing has been in business since 1954 — and in Iola since 1990.

The roofing company, begun by Ron Boren’s father, is “A family enterprise,” Ron’s wife Katy Boren said. “We hope it’s here for generations to come,” she noted. Sons Cory and Dillon and daughter Raven also work there, ensuring that dream is on track. “It’s one of the things we feel most blessed about,” Katy added, “That our children are right here with us in the company.”

Boren’s is the only commercial roofing company in Iola, the family said. They moved the business from Eureka in 1990 after doing a number of jobs here after a fierce hail storm.

The Borens “were impressed with how well the town was kept up,” Katy said. “Our family was growing and it looked like Iola was, too.”

To protect against storms, Boren’s offers Class 4 hail-resistant shingles, use of which may provide homeowners with a discount on their insurance, Ron noted. Other shingles — especially composite roofing — is fire resistant. That, too, can lower homeowner insurance costs, Ron said.

The Borens understand their materials and methods thoroughly.

Some roofs — installed by Boren’s more than 30 years ago — are still in good shape, Ron said.

One product, Tamko Awaplan, is known for such longevity. “It’s a modified granular surface sheet roofing,” Ron explained, used for commercial buildings.

“We’re approved by the manufacturers for both commercial and residential roofing projects,” Katy added.

Manufacturer approval is also required before a company can offer product warranties, she added, which Boren’s does.

“We try to stay abreast of all the new applications and products,” Katy said. “But you have to hold to industry standards.”

Newer products carried by Boren’s include “green” roofing materials — those made of recycled materials.

Luigi Italian clay tile and concrete tile are other options, as is faux slate — which weighs much less than the real thing, allowing the look of stone without having to shore up one’s rafters, Ron said.

In addition, new hanging methods allow the use of true slate tile without much rafter reinforcement, Katy said.

The family also installs tin roofs, which many believe last longer than shingles, Katy said, but they do so using standing seams only, Ron noted. “With screw-down roofs, everywhere you have a screw you have a leak,” he said.

For commercial applications, Katy said the best choice is modified roofing.

“Modified roofing has a polyester mat embedded in it,” she explained. “It expands and contracts with the changing weather and temperatures we have in Southeast Kansas,” making a more durable roof, she said.

Boren’s Roofing has roofed Neosho Memorial Hospital in Chanute as well as “a lot of schools and churches” in the area, Katy said.

“We constantly advocate working locally because that’s how you grow a community,” she observed. “You invest in the future for your children and their children.”

For do-it-yourselfers as well as anyone remodeling or clearing out a home, the Borens rent industrial-size rolling dumpsters. The containers are delivered to and picked up from a site, saving a homeowner countless trips to the landfill.

“It’s a convenience,” Katy said.

Boren’s Roofing, at 306 N. State St., is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The office is closed from noon to 1 p.m. for lunch. Call Boren’s at 365-7663 (ROOF).

'History's Mysteries' offers fun night of discovery

2011-01-25T08:08:00.000-08:00

By ANNE KAZMIERCZAK

anne@iolaregister.com

“History’s Mysteries,” one of a week’s worth of events celebrating Kansas’ 150th anniversary of statehood, will be an unscripted show-and-tell featuring artifacts from the Allen County Historical Society museum’s collection as well as those brought in by audience members.

“If people have something they can’t ID, they should bring it,” to the 7 p.m. Tuesday show, said Society Director Jeff Kluever.

“Ive found that between myself, board members, ACHS members and event attendees, we can usually figure it out,” he said of objects unknown.

Many of the museum’s contributions to the evening will be photographs, Kluever said, with people or places yet to be identified.

“History’s Mysteries” will be similar to other show-and-tells the museum has hosted in he past, Kluever said.

“People like those, and we get more attendance than at almost anything else we do,” he said of the interactive program.

One mystery Kluever uncovered while searching for artifacts for the event was a pile of land grant certificates, he said. “I found 10 signed by Abraham Lincoln and five signed by President (Ulysses S.) Grant.”

Further research, however, led Kluever to “learn that after President (Andrew) Jackson,” who held office from 1829-1837, “the president’s secretaries were allowed to sign” such deeds. After comparing the signatures to known examples of the presidents in question, Kluever decided all of Allen County’s collection “were signed by secretaries.”

A puzzle still unsolved, he said, was why a pre-1910 British bayonet was stowed in a well in Moran.

The sword was brought in by a woman one day, Kluever said, who did not know what it was. After some investigation, they tracked down its approximate date and country of origin, but were never able to figure why and how it had gotten to Moran — or the well, he said.

“No one she knew had been there and no one knew who put it there,” Kluever said.

That’s the sort of example of objects perfect for Tuesday night, Kluever said. Anyone with any artifact — origins known or unknown — is welcome.

And don’t be intimidated, Kluever said. The evening will be “very informal.” Kluever said. “People don’t have to have a formal presentation planned.”

All they have to do is show up.

Even those without objects are welcome to attend, for the pure joy of sharing in discovery, Kluever said.

The show-and-learn begins at 7 p.m. at the Allen County Historical Society Museum, ADDRESS?

The mysteries are up to you.

Students okay with doing as told

2011-01-25T08:06:00.000-08:00

By ANNE KAZMIERCZAK

anne@iolaregister.com

HUMBOLDT — A “pouch project” has proven popular at both the middle and high school levels in USD 258, board members were told Monday night. The pouches are similar to shoe pockets, explained Humboldt High School Principal Craig Smith. Each pocket is designated with a number, corresponding to a particular student, who uses it to stow cell phones and electronic media such as iPods during class time.

Students in return receive the privilege of communicating on their devices between classes at the high school level and during lunchtime in middle and high school grades.

If a child does not participate — even for one class period — use is revoked for that day, Smith said.

The policy was instituted to curb disruptions to class time, he said. While in the pouches, phones must be turned off, he added. So far, about 92 percent of the students use the pouches consistently, Smith said.

Another new program at the schools is Operation Orange, which “will reward students for daily random acts of kindness,” Elementary Principal Kay Bolt told the board. Operation Orange also runs in grades 6-12.

“Only teachers can nominate students,” Bolt said, for positive and helpful behavior observed during the school day.

Each day, one student from those nominated will be randomly selected to receive a small show of recognition, she said.

The elementary school received a $620 donation form the Carl Bigley family that will be used to place a bench near new playground equipment, Bolt said.

She also wrote a grant application to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment to attain recycled tire fill for beneath the equipment, she said. The grant will cover $4,000-$5,000, or about half, the cost of the material, she said. Humboldt Elementary Leaders and Parents group will provide the remainder of the funding, she said.

Superintendent K.B. Criss reported that deep cleaning had been done to the fieldhouse and locker rooms over the Christmas break. In addition, Criss told the board “We’re looking at buying a snowblower for the district for days like today.”

Criss also told the board that early indications are that Gov.-elect Sam Brownback “will not be as hard on education as previously thought.” But, he added, the mill levy cap is likely to be removed, putting the onus on local taxing districts to raise additional funds needed for their districts.

The board took no action after a half hour executive session.

Crosswalk in the spotlight

2011-01-25T08:05:00.001-08:00

By ANNE KAZMIERCZAK

anne@iolaregister.com

Iola Police Chief Jared Warner just wants people to be safe.

A recent e-mail to parents of Iola High School students addressing crossing concerns at the intersection of Buckeye and Madison streets gave the wrong impression, Warner said. The e-mail made students and their families aware that any pedestrian crossing improperly or without the aid of a traffic device might be subject to a fine totaling $160.

“That is absolutely the last resort,” Warner said of ticketing pedestrians.

Interest has peaked recently regarding safety at the popular crosswalk, used throughout the day by students to reach classes at the Bowlus Fine Arts Center.

Students attend art, music (both band and choir) and speech and drama classes at the Bowlus, said IHS secretary Judy Baker. “We’ve got four teachers over there and they have classes all day,” she said.

Of the 357 students attending IHS, on alternating gold or blue days, 155 or 273 students use the designated crosswalk.

Or, at least, they should, noted Warner, saying the threat of ticketing came about because too many students ignore the current traffic control device — a push-button activated crossing signal — and simply dart out in front of traffic.

When the pedestrian crossing button is pushed, Warner explained, traffic signals for vehicles at all four points in the intersection go red. Students — and others crossing the street to the Bowlus or Iola Public Library, in the same location but on the north side of Madison — should wait until a walking man symbol appears on the lighted crosswalk boxes, attached to streetlight poles at the intersection. “It takes a couple seconds for it to come on,” Warner said. Instead, he said students cross willy-nilly, even in the center of the block.

That kind of crossing violates state law, he said.

Warner noted that “Standard Traffic Ordinance 65; jaywalking” states that “Every pedestrian crossing a roadway at any point other than within a marked crosswalk, or within an unmarked crosswalk at an intersection, shall yield the right of way to all vehicles along the roadway.”

And although “state law (also) requires vehicles to yield to pedestrians,” Warner said, “a pedestrian can’t leave a curb right in front of a vehicle and then the motor vehicle be at fault for not stopping.

“Thankfully,” he added, “we haven’t had any pedestrian-car accidents yet.”

Preventing them, though, is his concern.

TO RAISE awareness of the high pedestrian use of the area, bright chartreuse “Pedestrian Crossing” signs akin to those in place on North State Street at the junction of the Prairie Spirit Trail will be placed in the striped pavement on Madison that directs traffic to merge to a single lane in front of the Bowlus. The signs will act as “a visual cue to motor vehicles,” Warner said.

Weather will determine the date of their placement, he added, noting a temperature-dependent epoxy is required to secure the sign mounts.

In addition, Assistant City Administrator Corey Schinstock is looking into procuring new LED readout devices that would indicate to pedestrians just how much time they have to cross.

“There’s a greater rate of compliance with those,” Warner said of the timed signals.

In addition to the Madison/Buckeye corner, Schinstock would like to place the timed crossings at each of the four corners of the Iola square.

Five “Uniform appearance countdown pedestrian signals” could be purchased by the city for $9,000 and installed using city labor, Schinstock said. “It would just be materials cost,” he noted.

Although the item has been on the last three city commission agendas, commissioners have acted only to tell Schinstock to try to find grant funding for the project.

“Grant funding is just not available for this type of project,” Schinstock said. “It’s too small scale.”

Schinstock did note that the city does have funds for the signals — providing commissioners authorize its use.

“We can fund it through special projects money — that’s the sales tax money we collect anyway,” he said.

Come April, half those funds will be directed to the new Allen County Hospital project, he said.

“It can’t hurt a thing” for citizens to call commissioners and urge support of the project while funds remain, Schinstock said.

Shooting for Sundance

2011-01-25T07:58:00.001-08:00

By ANNE KAZMIERCZAK

anne@iolaregister.com

one pic (submitted photo)

For a girl who grew up on the high plains — and spent some time in Southeast Kansas, too — setting a film on the prairie of North Dakota really wasn’t that crazy of a notion.

Making a film during “the coldest winter on record since 1936” was a bit wild, though, said Holly Ellis.

Ellis, granddaughter of Iolan Dorothy Ellis, recently learned the film she stars in, Prairie Love, was accepted into the 2011 Sundance Film Festival.

Sundance is the pinnacle of independent film festivals. At one time, acceptance into the festival almost guaranteed box office success for a film. Now, though, “It’s become less and less common for films to be bought at Sundance,” Ellis said in a phone interview with the Register.

But their film has gotten such a positive response from Sundance staff that she is cautiously optimistic.

“Sundance got a record number of over 10,000 submissions this year,” Ellis said. “We were one of only eight films picked in our category.”

The category, NEXT, highlights films made on small budgets — less than $500,000 total.

That Prairie Love could be done on a shoestring was thanks to serendipity. The three main actors plus the writer/producer “all grew up together and graduated from Minot (N.D.) High School within a year of each other,” Ellis said.

Ellis’ father, former Iolan Lee Ellis, moved his family to Minot when Ellis was just one, she said. In high school there, she and a handful of friends all shared aspirations to the film industry. All, though, went their separate ways after graduation.

Ellis moved to New York City, where she pursued a master’s degree in acting from the New School.

In 2007, her former classmate, Dusty Bias, called. Although married and living in Alabama, he couldn’t shake the idea of setting a film in the desolate prairie of their youth, Ellis said he told her.

“About a year later, we had the script. We shot it in January of 2009.”

Filming in her hometown was “simultaneously the most fun and most torture I’ve ever been through,” said the 31-year-old. “My mom (Heather Ellis) put four of us up while we were filming,” she said. “She fed us and made sure we were warm.”

Shooting took about three weeks. Days were long — about 12 hours at a time, Ellis said. Most was outdoors.

“The coldest degree marker we ever saw was -37,” she said. “And that’s not including wind-chill.”

Ellis exaggerated her North Dakota accent for the film, and coached her former classmates on doing the same.

The result is a film that is linked to place.

A trailer for Prairie Love, available at prairielove.com, displays the native humor born of living in an isolated landscape.

Strong as it is, Ellis said she was surprised the film was accepted to the festival.

“I still can’t believe it. The shock of it comes right back.”

When she received the call from a festival representative, “I just kept going, ‘Are you serious?’

“It’s the best kind of surrealism,” she noted.

Ellis, her mom — listed in the film as part of the crew — Bias and the others will rent a house in Park City, Utah, for the Jan. 20-30 festival. Prairie Love will screen four times.

The group is already planning another movie together.

“I’m excited about it because it takes place in Alabama and I won’t have to freeze again,” Ellis quipped.

City administrator keeps job

2011-01-25T07:57:00.000-08:00

By ANNE KAZMIERCZAK

anne@iolaregister.com

Iola City Administrator Judy Brigham breathed a sigh of relief while about two dozen citizens applauded as city commissioner Bill Shirley seconded — then voted in favor of — a motion by Iola Mayor Bill Maness to retain Brigham through Sept. 18, her effective date of retirement with full benefits, at a special city commission meeting Monday night.

It didn’t come easy.

Earlier in the meeting, Shirley had refused to second the motion. Commissioner Craig Abbott was absent.

In the deadlock, Shirley asked whether a letter by City Attorney Chuck Apt might influence the decision.

When Apt mentioned the letter would only be discussed in executive session, which is closed to the public, Maness asked if the session would be under “non-elected personnel” or “attorney/client privilege” rules.

Apt stated the latter, and Maness mused that if Brigham — the subject of the letter — would have no objections, perhaps they could discuss the letter in open session. Apt replied, “It’s attorney/client privilege. I’m not going to discuss it in public.” As the client in this case was he city, not Brigham, executive session was called.

For 36 minutes, people waited.

At one point, Brigham enter the room to thank the public for their support. A few mentioned they, too, had recently lost jobs. Others applauded her.

OUTSPOKEN IOLAN Donna Houser began public comments at the start of the night by asking how someone could work for the city for 31 years and suddenly not be good enough to keep on.

“With a new council coming in — a virgin council — they need guidance,” Houser said.

Getting rid of Brigham at this point “is wrong on so many levels,” she added. “It’s going to hurt our city.”

Houser mentioned the negative publicity alone — that a municipality would treat a worker in such a manner — was damaging to a city trying to recruit employers.

Iolan Linda Garrett agreed. “I would think twice before coming to that town if I were an outsider,” she said.

Retired County Clerk Jean Barber spoke in favor of keeping Brigham on, as well. “I worked with her when I was county clerk and she was very professional,” Barber said.

Those in attendance, as well as Brigham, were baffled as to the reason for the whole debate.

“I don’t have an idea” what prompted the turn to discontinue her service, Brigham said. “I was never given a reason.”

Mayoral candidate John Smith noted, “I come from private sector, and in the private sector, if you’re going to fire someone, you do it.”

Cathy Lynch said, “I think we have the obligation to give this new council all the support it can get. If Judy is good enough to gave been here this long, I think she should stay.” Others, including Sharon Thyer, agreed.

City council candidate Richard Gilliland added, “I’m here to support Judy whole-heartedly.” A number of other candidates also were in the room. Those that spoke did so in favor of Brigham’s continuance.

Maness, before leaving for executive session, said, “I think Judy’s done an outstanding job. I don’t understand, like some of you, that if she isn’t doing an adequate job, why it’s gone on so long.”

THE MEETING adjourned promptly after the vote.

“I feel very good,” Brigham said. “And I’m anxious to keep the city moving forward, finish a number of project and to work with the new, nine-person council.”

Maness added he intends to go on record at the next meeting that a search be started for Brigham’s replacement, so that that person may “work with Judy and be prepared when the time comes.”

The commission meets again at 6 p.m. Feb. 7.

“See you tomorrow,” Assistant City Administrator Corey Schinstock said to Brigham as she left.

“And beyond,” she replied. “Won’t that be nice?”

Back to basics for First Baptist

2011-01-25T07:53:00.000-08:00

By ANNE KAZMIERCZAK

Bucking what might be a national trend towards flashier or multi-media services, Iola’s First Baptist Church is staying traditional — and seeing growth because of it.

“When I came we were averaging 90 in worship” on Sundays, said Pastor Mike Quinn, who has been at the church a bit over two years. “In the past six months, we’ve averaged 120. I think we’re growing because we’re reaching out,” Quinn said.

The church has a focus group, “God Rewards Our Work,” that devotes Tuesday evenings to home visits, letter writing and phone calls to former members, visitors or those recommended by congregants.

The church also implemented a Southern Baptist Convention program, “God’s Plan of Sharing” during last Easter season, wherein each parishioner was to spread the word of God through their daily lives. As a part of that, Quinn said, “we walked through the community and we prayed at each house as we went by.”

Quinn said church members didn’t know the residents of the homes they passed, but merely offered prayer for whatever needs those inside each dwelling might have. Then, “we hung door hangers with a gospel presentation” — a Scripture verse, Quinn explained — and an invitation to church. About 1,000 hangers were left on doors around Iola, he said.

On Easter Sunday, almost 230 people attended services, Quinn said.

“We’ve made some contact,” he observed.

“Another thing we’ve tried to do is reach into the college,” Quinn noted. “We’re working with Campus Crusade for Christ ministry,” he said. Also, the church “started a new Sunday school class for college-age kids,” Quinn said. That meets at 9:30 a.m. at the church at 801 N. Cottonwood, along with its other classes broken into age groups including preschoolers, adults and senior citizens.

First Baptist does some promotion of the class on the campus at Allen County Community College, Quinn said.

“It’s really the 40 to 50 years olds that we’re shortest on,” Quinn’s wife, Becky, said.

Becky Quinn works as the church secretary and keeps track of attendance.

“We’re reaching all age groups,” though, she noted, with the greatest attendance in the 55-and-up range. Children and 18- to 34-year-olds also boast high attendance numbers. Youth in grades seven to 12 attend only slightly less.

That troubling middle-aged group is six to seven times smaller than the others, though, she said.

Neither Quinn could explain why, unless it had to do with commitment to family, they said.

“I don’t think churches should expect young families to be very involved in running the church” Becky Quinn said. At that age, she said, “Your children are your biggest ministry.”

MIKE QUINN entered the ministry in 1986. His family was never very religious, he said.

When “in 1983 I left to go to seminary, I didn’t know the Bible or anything like that,” he said.

It was a series of deaths that led Quinn away from — and back to — God.

Before his conversion, Quinn’s only experience with church came through a friend.

“His mom would take us to Vacation Bible School,” Quinn said. “But he was killed at 15 and I turned hard toward the things of God.”

Quinn’s father was not a man of God. Instead of church, the family would go fishing on Sundays.

He was hard-working, hard-drinking, Quinn said. “He was a big guy, rough and tough. I idolized my dad. Growing up, I wanted to be just like him.”

And so, more or less, Quinn was.

Quinn worked construction at the Callaway County Nuclear Power Plant in Missouri.

“We drank every day after work,” Quinn noted. Then, in the course of 1 1/2 years when Quinn was in his mid-20s, he lost four of his best friends.

“Two were shot and killed in a bar in Jefferson City, Mo., one drowned in a pond and one burned to death in a house fire,” Quinn said.

The loss was shaking.

“I looked around. There wasn’t anybody left but me in that group.”

About that time, he said, “there was a pastor who moved into our community. He started visiting with me and I didn’t want anything to do with him.”

Quinn would hide in the closet, he said, and wait until his wife told him the man had gone.

“Just about every time something happened, he’d show up — and he didn’t know about it,” Quinn noted.

The coincidence got to be too much for Quinn.

“It caused me to think about death and if there is life after death, where would I end up? I knew I wasn’t right with God.”

Quinn spoke to the man.

“He shared how God forgives your sins and it didn’t matter what you’d done.”

Quinn believed.

“I didn’t see lightning or hear voices,” he said. But he was changed.

“The next night was Friday night and after work we stopped to get our liquor and I got a Pepsi,” Quinn noted.

His fellow workers made fun of him.

“They asked me what happened and I told them a preacher stopped by and I accepted Christ and that I didn’t think God wanted me to drink anymore. They said it would never stick.”

That was 1980. Quinn hasn’t had any alcohol since.

Shortly thereafter, Quinn said, his father threw him a birthday bash. He pressured Quinn to drink. Quinn went inside and told his wife to pray.

About six months later, his father, too, accepted Christ.

His son’s refusal to drink affected him, Quinn said. “He told me, ‘Whatever you’d gotten, I needed it.’”

QUINN’S CHURCH offers a Wednesday evening program, TeamKid, that pulls in children like he was, he said.

“We’ve got kids whose families are not members here.” Many don’t attend church at all, he said.

The program attracts students from kindergarten through grade 12, he said.

“I think for the most part (they attend) because it’s Christ-based,” he said of the program.

“Iola is more conservative” than Quinn’s hometown between Jefferson City and Columbia, Mo., “but as a rule there’s a vast loss and spiritual darkness — not only here, but everywhere,” Quinn said. “I see that as a major concern as a pastor.”

Although church attendance surged post 9/11, Quinn doesn’t “think it lasted very long. Things just went back to where they were.”

Quinn believes the role of the pastor is “to get Christ to people. It’s the gospel that changes lives and transforms lives.”

To that end, he is exploring additional outreach opportunities.

“We’ve thought about doing a discipleship class on financial planning or parenting or marriage strengthening,” Becky said. Plans for a six-to-eight week Sunday evening program are tentative right now, she said, but in the works.

“I think typically across the board people are doing away with Sunday night services because people just don’t come back for them,” Mike said. A Sunday evening class would draw a different crowd, the Quinns believe.

“It’s just finding someone to lead who is capable of doing that,” she said.

As for the Wednesday night kids program, “We keep the youth group up all summer,” Mike said. And, “We have a gym; that’s a nice draw for the kids.”

Other venues of participation open at First Baptist are music worship teams, monthly potluck suppers, ministry teams that visit the sick, homebound and those in nursing homes, and an evangelism/mission team that deals with mission projects and spending of church funds, Quinn said. “The goal is to get everybody involved in some sort of ministry,” Quinn said.

As a pastor, Quinn listens to congregants, he said.

“They have ideas and I have ideas and we bounce them off each other. I believe if we do a few things and do them well, they please the Lord.”

Each day, Quinn spends about an hour studying the Bible, then does additional research for a total of 15 to 20 hours per week prep time for his Sunday sermon, he said.

“I look online to get illustrations” and use “books that inspire me or preach through a book of the Bible,” Quinn said.

“The Bible talks about getting the whole council of God. That makes me deal with passages that are harder. I try to take it in its historical and grammatical context and see how we can apply that to today — what’s it really saying — then and to us? And now that we’ve heard it, what are we going to do with it” Quinn asked.

Quinn said his greatest role is to facillitate the healing of families.

“It’s not what I do; it’s what He does,” Quinn said.

Special girl gets special gift

2010-12-30T09:50:00.000-08:00

GAS — Heidi Hibbs is shy and forthright, funny and persnickety — much like any other six-year-old. But Hibbs has cerebral palsy, along with other medical conditions, that left her unable to walk until the age of four, said her grandmother, Elizabeth Hibbs, who along with her husband Tony is raising Heidi.

The Hibbses take Heidi to Kansas City every three months for Botox injections that help her muscles function better, Elizabeth Hibbs said. With other appointments, the Hibbses “are up there five to nine times a year,” Elizabeth Hibbs said.

A year ago, Heidi had a shunt in her brain replaced. A long tube drains fluid to Heidi’s stomach, Hibbs said. And Heidi still receives regular physical therapy through the ANW Cooperative.

That Heidi can do so much is nothing short of a miracle, her grandmother noted.

Born at just 25 weeks along, weighing only 1 pound 8 ounces, Heidi “was immediately Life Flighted from Allen County Hospital to one in Wichita,” where doctors told the family that Heidi “would never walk or talk,” Hibbs said. “She was so little you could see through her,” Hibbs said.

Heidi is the daughter of Hibbs’ son Jonathan and his girlfriend Sarah Swogger. At the time of her birth, the couple, in their early 20s, were caring for a one-year-old son.

“The stress was too much” for them, Hibbs said. So when Heidi was 14 months old, she went to live with her grandparents, who have cared for her since.

“That first year we had her, we had 95 out-of-town doctor appointments” Hibbs said.

Common to all individuals with cerebral palsy is difficulty controlling and coordinating muscles, according to the website emedicine.

Heidi wears a foot brace and her right hand is almost always coiled into a fist, Hibbs said. She has a brace for that, too, to stretch her fingers, Hibbs said. She also has osteogenesis imperfecta — fragile bones, Hibbs said, and is completely blind in her left eye.

The combination meant Heidi has had difficulty not only learning to walk, but other activities other children her age have already mastered, such as going up and down stairs and riding a trike.

Enter Vickie Snavely of ANW, and AMBUCS, a North Carolina-based national service organization that assists individuals with mobility impairments.

Hibbs learned of AMBUCS during a visit to her brother’s in Dodge City about a year and a half ago, she said. At a mall-based health expo, AMBUCS representatives had forms that put Heidi on a wish list for an AmTryke, a specialized tricycle designed with weighted pedals, odd-shaped handle bars and other modifications that allow those who cannot ride normal bikes to use the vehicles.

The agency required verification of Heidi’s needs, which is where Snavely came in, Hibbs said, crediting the therapist with filling out necessary forms that resulted in Heidi’s receiving an AmTryke this Christmas.

“Last Wednesday we got ready to go to school and this big ol’ box was outside” the family’s door, Hibbs said. “I brought it in the house and put it under the tree. On it was a big red sticker that said, ‘For Heidi.’”

“It was my trike,” Heidi knew.

Snavely had received a call from AMBUCS a few days earlier, letting her know the trike was on its way.

“It was odd,” Hibbs said. She hadn’t heard from the organization between the initial flurry of submitting materials and receiving notice the trike was coming.

But she is grateful.

“This will help with her mobility and bein able to be with her peers,” Hibbs said of Heidi, a first grader at Iola’s McKinley Elementary School. “It will be huge for her.”

12/30/10

Christmas singing tradition Sunday

2010-12-23T10:33:00.001-08:00

By ANNE KAZMIERCZAK

anne@iolaregister.com

Iolans are in for their annual Christmas treat when about 25 community members harmonize sweetly Sunday in the vespers concert at 4 p.m. in the new First Christian Church, at the corner of Kentucky and Oregon roads.

Other obligations cut into performer numbers this year, noted Jim Gilpin, one of the event’s organizers. Even so, “we’ve got the best men’s group we’ve had in years,” he said.

Men and women are equally matched in this year’s choir, which typically favors women’s voices, he said. In years past, as many as 80 individual voices made up the choir, he said.

Carol Chrisenberry, musical director, selected old favorites plus a handful of songs the group has never done before, she said. The new music came via an American Choral Directors meeting Chrisenberry attended this summer.

“It’s all Christmas music,” Gilpin said. “Everyone loves Chirtmas music.”

The concert has been an annual feature of the holiday season since the mid 1950s, organizers said.

Initially a program by and for members of the Iola Music Club, it opened to the community first to enjoy, then to participate in, as time went by, noted Marian Wilson, a member from the get-go. Wilson has sung in “better than 80 percent of the vespers” concerts, she noted.

“I’m looking forward to performing again. I think as long as a few people are willing to do it, it will keep going,” Wilson said of the tradtion.

The concert is sponsored by the Southeast Kansas Christian Artists Series.

There is no charge to attend. This year’s concert is dedicated to the memory of Fern Marsh.

12.15.10

Merry Christmas: buy a chair

2010-12-23T10:32:00.001-08:00

By ANNE KAZMIERCZAK

anne@iolaregister.com

Most folks don’t go running out to the furniture store for Christmas presents, Gordon Ulrich noted.

“Sales are usually slow,” said the owner of Ulrich Furniture, a staple on the Iola square for the past 76 years.

The current economic downturn has things even slower, so Ulrich is offering incentives to those who might be thinking about a new chair or desk or bed or sofa to tuck under or beside that Christmas tree.

All recliners are half-price through the holiday. And any purchase, on any item, paid by cash, check or credit card is given a 10 percent discount.

“If you buy a chair that’s 50 percent off and pay by cash, check or credit card, you get 60 percent off,” Ulrich said.

For those who can’t swing that deal, the affable Ulrich offers an interest-free payment plan, possible because “We handle all our own financing,” he explained.

Ulrich mans the store with his son, Brek Ulrich, and employee Mike McRae.

Furniture has been the family business for most of the past century.

“My uncle started W.H. Wood furniture here in 1934,” Ulrich said. Before that, “he had a furniture store in LaHarpe for about 10 years.”

Ulrich’s father, Leland Ulrich, worked for his uncle in the Iola store. With his wife, Arlene, he purchased the venture in 1957. Ulrich began working at the store full-time in 1967, he said.

“When my dad started, you could furnish an entire house for $37.50,” Ulrich observed.

Although prices have increased since then, Ulrich offers a range of products to fit all budgets.

Probably the widest variety offered is in beds.

The store’s third floor has “thousands of beds,” said Ulrich. Maybe not that many, but certainly a wide selection awaits any shopper.

Pillow-top, no flip, extra firm, memory foam — Ulrich has them all. Full sets start at $299, Ulrich said.

Most of the manufacturers Ulrich stocks have also “been in business at least 75 years,” Ulrich noted. All stand by their warranties. Many are regional.

Ulrich noted that a bed may be the most important piece of furniture one owns. “You lie in it eight hours a day, seven days a week,” he said. Because a good night’s sleep can make or break your day, Ulrich said, “You should spend more to take care of your back.”

Other furniture purchases can be more subjective, he noted, as in whether a person prefers floral or leather couches, for example.

Still, even such things as recliners are now tailored to body type, he said. “Bucket seat recliners contour to your body,” he noted.

Petite recliners, a mere 27-inches wide, are for the smaller framed individual — or house. For the larger man or woman, Ulrich showed off a “Comfort King Big Man’s Chair” by Lane. The frame is steel with heavy duty coil springs, he said. The mechanism requires more torque to work. The chairs are designed for frames up to 6 foot 4 and 350 pounds, he said.

Also available are lift chairs in plush colors and fabrics; “motion furniture” — reclining sofas and sectionals; matching end and coffee tables; and new tables with built-in storage.

One cocktail table has a hidden desk top, that rises to reveal a storage compartment and that can be used as a desk top or lap table. An oak side table designed as a free-standing office has compartments that reveal electrical outlets, laptop storage and a file drawer.

There are even narrower, 18-inch sofa tables designed to fit between a pair of recliners.

Electric fireplaces can heat a 12 by 14 room for 8 cents an hour, Ulrich said, yet are cool to the touch.

As the oldest business on the Iola square, Ulrich Furniture has the experience and expertise to help you select the perfect piece of furniture for your holiday home.

12.16.10

New work is old hat for correspondent

2010-12-23T10:31:00.003-08:00

By ANNE KAZMIERCZAK

anne@iolaregister.com

HUMBOLDT — When longtime Humboldt correspondent Vada Aikins decided to retire recently, there was a bit of worry as to who would take up the torch, getting the news of Humboldt out to Register readers.

In stepped Terry Broyles, Humboldt resident and owner, with her husband David, of Broyles, Inc., a Humboldt-based business that sells, installs and maintains service station equipment. “The underground tanks, the pumps, the nozzle you put in your car,” Broyles said, “We do everything.”

Broyles father-in-law, Jim Broyles, began the business in 1972, she said. It has since grown to have offices in Topeka and Springfield, Mo. Terry does the bookkeeping for all three branches, she said.

The Broyleses have two grown children, daughter Claire in Ada, Okla., and son Clayton, in Ottawa.

Broyles is no newcomer to the world of print.

“I worked for the Humboldt Union for 12-15 years,” Broyles said. Before that, she worked for Jackie Witherspoon when the latter started “The Marketplace News.”

“It was just a little tabloid,” Broyles said. “Eventually we became the Humboldt Union.”

Broyles left the Union in 1998 to join the family business, she said.

Although she is active in the community, she figured acting as the new correspondent could only help her get more involved.

“I belong to GALS FCE,” she said, and Chariots of Light Christian Motorcycle Club.

The club is more than a hobby.

“My husband and I rode 26,000 miles on that motorcycle this year,” she said. “From April to October we went from the East to West coasts, to Canada, Montana, Louisiana and Alabama,” she said.

Along the way, club riders evangelize to other bikers they meet, Broyles said. “People are curious,” she said when they see a big group of riders. “They come up and ask questions.”

Broyles has also recently taken up another sort of biking — the non-motorized kind.

“Just the last two years I’ve taken up bicycle riding,” she said. “I did a 500-mile four-state ride my first year.”

Broyles said she and a friend, Peggy Hillman, began at the northeast corner of Kansas intending to venture southwest. “We got about half way when she broke her arm,” Broyles said. “That ended our ride.”

But Broyles went on, signing up for the four-state tour.

Just weeks after returning , “I was having open heart surgery,” Broyles said.

Until then, “I did not know there was anything wrong with my heart,” she said. “I just had a little congestion. I figured it was form riding so much.”

Urged by her son to see a physician, Broyles discovered she had a n aortic aneurysm. “I had to have a valve put in,” she noted of the surgery.

“Once I got over that, I started riding again,” she said.

Broyles is not currently planning any major trips for the coming year, but, she noted, “My sister had since taken up bicycling” and she could see the two of them on such a jaunt.

For now, though, she’s easy enough tot reach.

“In winter I go to the Fieldhouse” to stay in shape, she said. She also can be contacted at Broyles, Inc., 473-3835, at home, 473-3727, or tlbroylesks@yahoo.com.

12.21.10

Poems on the side

2010-12-23T10:31:00.001-08:00

By ANNE KAZMIERCZAK

anne@iolaregister.com

School children learn that poems are words and space.

Poets know that words are soul — the heart of a matter distilled into verse or prose.

Being a poet, like any other art, is not a path one typically chooses, but something inside that must needs come out.

So it is for Shirley Ashford.

Ashford’s book, “Reflection and Other Poems” was a gift of love.

As an Iola mom, wife, daughter, friend, Ashford shared her observations of the world with those she loved.

The favor was returned when Richard Zahn, the son of her lifelong friend, Eunice Zahn, had published a collection of Ashford’s poems.

“One year at Christmastime I compiled some of my verses and gave them to friends,” Ashford said. “He found them,” she said of Richard, going through his mother’s things after her death.

“One day, I came out and here on the porch was this big box — here were these books. He had, on his own, published them as a gift for me for my love for his mother.”

That depth of love is clearly evident in many of the poems, written over the span of many years, Ashford said.

“Some pertain to my life. Others were assignments when I took a variety of writing classes at Allen County Community College. Others are figment of pure imagination.”

She leaves it to the reader to guess which are which.

Ashford began writing poetry in junior high, she said. “I can still recite most of” the first verse she ever wrote, she said.

A lay minister, some of her poems have a religious theme. A few of these had been published in Christian magazines over the years, she said.

Ashford said she may have pursued writing as a career, but “my life took over.”

A number of the poems in “Reflection” are about loss.

“My very best friends have almost all left here,” Ashford said of Iola. “So many of my dearest friends have moved away,” resulting in much of the loss and longing that fill the verses.

One poem, about a grandmother’s aching arms for a grandchild moved away, was written for Ashford’s granddaughter Natasha when she was two. “She’s 34 now,” Ashford said.

And there are poems for her mother, who shaped her life. “When I lost my mother...” Ashford began. “I’m an only child. She’s all I had — I always thought we would grow old together.”

Ashford recalled spending much of her childhood in her grandmother’s kitchen, and there are poems for her, as well.

“She was a big woman,” Ashford said, often at the stove.

“You might call her fat,” a poem in her honor goes, “you would not know ... how those plump hands could fashion rolls as light as air, cook a dozen meals at once or braid a grandchild’s hair...”

Ashford said people focus on the outside of things, never learning what lies within. About her grandmother, she said, “she was big in the way she worked so hard. She was always good to me.”

Other poems are about her son, her grandson, her daughter.

In recent years, Ashford had written less, she said. She has instead “supplied the pulpit” in numerous churches, most recently in Neodesha.

“I served Humboldt Presbyterian Church on a bimonthly schedule for three years. I’ve served in Fredonia, Chanute and Iola over the years,” she said. After Christmas, she will serve in Yates Center.

“If my life had been different, I might have gone into ministry,” she said. “You always wonder ‘what if.’”

Ashford said she has enough poems collected to publish another volume, “but I don’t think it will ever happen.”

As she said, life gets in the way.

12.26.10

From cop to cook

2010-12-23T10:30:00.002-08:00

By ANNE KAZMIERCZAK

anne@iolaregister.com

w/ 2 pics and 4 recipes

Iolans are familiar with the face of Brian Donovan. For more than 10 years, he served as a city police officer.

A year ago, Donovan embarked upon a career change: All indications suggest it was the right move.

Since January, Donovan has been a student at the Art Institute of Kansas City, pursuing a degree in culinary arts.

Recently, he was granted two scholarships toward that endeavor — $1,000 from The Greater Kansas City Restaurant Association and $1,500 from the American Institute of Wine and Food in Wichita. Donovan said receiving both scholarships was a surprise.

The transformation from cop to cook and eventually, chef, was not completely off the cuff, Donovan said. He had been trained to cook in the National Guard.

There, he said, cooking was “basic” — and “in bulk.”

Donovan would prepare meals for “up to 300 or 400” soldiers. There wasn’t much creativity, though. From oven-baked chicken to pot roast, he said, “The guard dictates the menu.”

Donovan mastered the art of bulk buying and food preparation in the Guard, skills that transferred well to the buffet of The New Greenery, where he now works and feeds “about 150 a day between 2 p.m. and closing,” Donovan said.

In his last year as a police officer, Donovan said he began musing about returning to school.

“I still had G.I. Bill money,” garnered through his years as a Marine, from 1986-96, and as a Guardsman from 1997-2008.

Internet research led him to Kansas City, where he crams a week’s worth of classes into two days to accommodate his work and family life.

“I have a very supportive family,” he said of wife, Tina, and sons Chase and Nick Lampe. “Sunday is family day,” he said — and the only day he is not either at work or in class.

By Sunday night, Donovan is on the road to Overland Park, preparing for two days in the Art Institute’s culinary kitchens.

In the program, which will take him 18 months to complete, he is learning pastry baking, American Regional foods, European cooking and World menus — “mostly Mediterranean and Middle East,” he noted. Come January, it’s foods of France, Germany and Italy, he said.

As an Iolan, Donovan’s experience of global flavors was limited before culinary school, he said.

One food he has come to appreciate is lamb.

“I never had lamb before and I’ve really taken a passion to cooking it,” he said. It is a versatile meat that can be prepared in a wealth of ways.

“Sauces have been fun,” he added. “I really enjoy — although it’s hard to make — hollandaise.” Even his instructor, executive chef Steve Venne, can have trouble with the delicate whipped egg-and-butter sauce, he said.

One sauce that shined for Donovan was “a merlot sauce. We did it with our lamb. Oh my goodness, it was so good.” Before that sauce, Donovan had never cooked with wine, he said.

As in the military, Donovan said, “we are not allowed to alter a recipe” in culinary school. That changes in lab work, though, where teams of four must create their own menus, he said.

A recent class competition involved creating a Christmas canape menu.

“The assignment was for each of us to come up with a hot and cold appetizer and an amuse-bouche” — a bite-sized palate cleanser, he said. “It’s always just a single taste,” he said of the ‘happy mouth’ dish. “Just something to highlight the palate and say ‘Oh, yes, I’m here to eat!’”

Donovan selected a cold cucumber-dill soup served in shot glasses for his amuse-bouche. For his canape, he developed a pancetta with pineapple tidbit.

“I wanted to go with ‘What can I do with my leftover Christmas food?’,” he said of his choice. The pancetta in the recipe is easily replaced with shaved ham or turkey, he said.

“I’M HAVING a totally good time,” Donovan said of his new venture. “I’m doing something I love.”

And he’s not the only one at the school who did a career about face, he said.

“I’m really surprised by the number of people who already have degrees” who are in the program, he said. One of his classmates is a pharmacist.

Donovan’s ultimate goal is to be certified as a chef — an additional process beyond culinary training — and to open his own restaurant.

And, he said, in some ways, “law enforcement and food service are kind of the same,” in both, “you are taking care of people.”

Editor’s Note: With Donovan’s approval, recipes have been modified to reflect locally available ingredients

Ham canape

3 slices white bread, crust removed

4 ounces ham, turkey, or smoked turkey, shaved

cinnamon-honey butter (see below)

pineapple tidbits

Cut each bread slice into four uniform squares. Lightly butter and toast in a 400 degree oven.

Spread with honey butter, top with shaved ham and a pineapple piece.

Cinnamon-honey butter

4 ounces unsalted butter, softened

3 Tblsp. honey

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice

Whip butter, honey, cinnamon and lemon juice until light and thoroughly blended. Can also be used on toast or bagels as a breakfast treat.

Almond-bacon crostini

1 loaf French bread, sliced into at least 10 slices

4 ounces Monterrey jack cheese, shredded (1 cup shreds)

1/3 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted

3 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

1 green onion, chopped

dash salt

Place bread slices on ungreased baking sheet and bake at 400 for 8-9 minutes until lightly browned.

In a large bowl, fold together mayonnaise, almonds, bacon, onion, salt and cheese.

Spread on toasted bread. Bake an additional 7 minutes, until cheese melts.

Sprinkle with additional almonds, if desired.

Serve warm.

Shrimp canape

10 shrimp, peeled and de-veined

olive oil

10 buttery crackers

cocktail sauce (follows)

cream cheese, softened

fresh dill

Heat olive oil in a pan and saute shrimp until done, about four minutes. Cool.

Spread crackers with cream cheese. Top with dab of cocktail sauce, a shrimp and snip of dill.

Cocktail sauce

4 ounces ketchup

1 Tblsp. prepared horseradish

lemon juice to taste

Blend all ingredients. Use as dip or on canapes.

Chilled cucumber-dill soup

1 cucumber, peeled and coarsely chopped

1 green onion, chopped

1 cup chicken broth

1 Tblsp. fresh or 1 teaspoon dried dill

1/2 cup heavy cream

salt and pepper to taste

Cook cucumber, onion and broth in a small saucepan until veggies soften. Transfer to blender or food processor. Add cream and dill. Puree.

Pour into shot glasses (about 1-2 Tblsp. each). Sprinkle with pepper and salt (optional).

Fill a serving tray with crushed ice. Arrange glasses among ice. Serve.

12.20.10

Stylists say goodbye

2010-12-23T10:30:00.000-08:00

By ANNE KAZMIERCZAK

anne@iolaregister.com

An era came to a close Friday when four long-time stylists locked the doors and departed Unique Beauty Salon, 310 W. Garfield St.

Tuesday morning, the doors opened under the ownership of Charity Jones, who recently purchased the business from Phyllis Goodell.

Goodell, Stonna Raney, Vanessa Michaels and Cheryl Heffernon — the collective that made up Unique — decided to retire recently.

Fate brought Jones into the picture.

All the women’s lives, in some way, overlap.

Jones had lately been an independent trucker, along with her husband, Kelly Jones. Recent engine problems and a phone call from her father-in-law, Roger Jones, led to the sudden career change.

“The day my motor blew my father-in-law called and said ‘I know you want to start your own salon. There’s an ad in the paper. You should check it out.’”

Jones, a 2006 graduate of the Fort Scott Cosmetology School, inquired into the ad selling salon equipment. A familiar voice answered the phone.

“Phyllis answered. I knew right away it was Phyllis Goodell,” Jones said.

“Phyllis has known me since I could walk,” Jones explained. “I worked for her taking care of her cats when I was in high school.”

One thing led to another and Jones ended up buying the entire business — not just equipment — from Goodell.

Hours at Unique Salon will be Tuesdays through Saturdays from 9 a.m. through afternoon, Jones said. Evening appointments can be made as well. The phone number will remain 365-5711.

As for the retiring “girls,” as they call each other, “I will miss the ladies terribly bad,” Goodell said. “But it’s time for a younger person behind this chair,” she said.

Heffernon concurred. “We’ve all got some health issues. For me, it’s my back. Standing up all day gets hard on the hips,” she said. Heffernon intends to do some traveling, especially to Colorado, where she is from and still has family.

Raney hopes to do some traveling, too, she said.

All three have been doing hair for most of the past five decades.

“Stonna and I started together 45 years ago,” Goodell said. Raney began doing hair 47 years ago, she said. Soon thereafter, she said, “I started a professional salon.” Goodell, she said, “was my faithful employee.”

Then Raney moved to Washington state for a while. “When I moved back, she hired me.”

Four years ago, the women, along with Michaels, were based on the Iola square, at the corner of Washington and Jackson streets.

“Iola Office Supply wanted to expand,” Raney said, “So we needed to move.”

Following a rumor, they sought out Heffernon.

“I was in here doing my nails,” Heffernon said, “They came in and said ‘I hear you want to retire.’ I said ‘No. But tell me what’s happening.’ They told me their story and I said, ‘If you need to move, just bring your ladies and come on out.’ I had stations available. They moved in.”

Heffernon went home and told her husband of the odd occurrence. He told her she should consider selling.

So, “They moved in and bought it right away,” Heffernon said — with one caveat. Heffernon said, “I’ll sell it to you if I can stay.”

Ands so the trio became a foursome.

All the women have grown close.

“That’s going to be the hard part — not being around each other and sharing the ups and downs the woes and joys of life,” Heffernon said. “I’ll miss all the ladies and,” — after 47 years on the job — “I’ll miss coming to work,” she said.

“I’ll miss all my wonderful clients,” added Stonna. “I’ll shed a lot of tears.”

Of the four, Michaels, at 51, is the youngest retiree. A recent grandmother with another grandchild on the way, she’s looking forward to spending more time with them. “I’m excited,” she said. Still, she noted, “I’ve been with these girls 10 years. The camaraderie is what I’ll miss most. That and the ladies — we have a lot of older clients and you get attached.”

“We’ve had a lot of fun in here,” Heffernon noted.

The women do intend to stay in touch.

“We’ll probably get together and take trips to Kansas City, go to lunch,” Heffernon said. “The nice thing is, we’re all compatible.”

12.26.10

Plant now for spring color

2010-12-23T10:29:00.001-08:00

By ANNE KAZMIERCZAK

anne@iolaregister.com

Now is the latest one should plant bulbs for winter, said Tracy Keagle, a master gardener.

Keagle, who ran a yard care business in Iola from 1985 to 2000, became familiar with common mistakes people made preparing their gardens for winter, she said.

Common bulb mistakes, she said, included planting bulbs too shallow and tying back their foliage once they are past bloom.

Bulbs should always be planted at a depth that is 2 1/2 times the width of the bulb. “If a bulb is 1 inch across, plant it 2 1/2 inches deep,” she said. Tulip bulbs, which are usually wider, are typically planted at about 6 inches deep.

Yet this late in the season, she said, it’s OK to plant 1 inch closer to the surface than one normally would.

Plant bulbs in clumps, Keagle advised.

“You can mix them up. Plant tulip bulbs at 6 inches deep, then cover them with an inch of soil and plant smaller bulbs on top of that.”

Such groupings look more natural, she said. Keagle suggested preparing a hole “about the size of a dinner plate” in the flower bed for such groupings.

Bulbs planted together will all come up at the same time, she said, with similar bloom times.

After they are done blooming, Keagle said, do not tie back or cut down foliage. “You want the air to circualte around them” and foliage to remain until it yellows and dies back on its own to ensure the bulbs store enough energy to rebloom the following year.

Instead of single rows of bulbs, Keagle suggested planting bulbs amidst beds of later-blooming perennials to obscure foliage during late spring.

But, she noted, “Always snap the old head — the flower, stem and all — when the flower starts to fade.” This, too, she said, will push energy from the leaves back into the bulb for the coming year.

Bulbs can be planted as long as the ground can be worked and has not frozen, Keagle said.

Those planted later may bloom later the first year, “but they’ll catch up” and bloom on a normal schedule in subsequent years, provided foliage is allowed to grow so the bulb can store energy, she said.

KEAGLE BECAME involved in landscaping by happenstance, she said.

“When I was in my 20s, a neighbor of mine, an older gentleman, was telling me about a book he was reading about leading a successful life.”

When she asked him what money-making schemes the book espoused, he told her “It’s not about money. A successful life is one in which you are happy.”

A friend told Keagle if that’s the case, she should find a job planting flowers.

The chance came.

On one of her regular walks, Keagle said she saw an elderly woman with an unkempt yard — one that had obviously been cared for in the past. The woman said the lawn care man she hired had never shown up, and her health prevented her doing the job herself. Keagle volunteered, spending the day mowing, trimming and putting things in order.

When she went to leave, the woman paid her.

A business was born.

“At one time, I probably had 70 lawns to mow,” Keagel said. “I never used a riding mower.”

And, she said, “I’ve probably planted 10,000 bulbs in my life.”

The work kept Keagle fit and trim as well as busy, but a fall from a roof five years ago curtailed her ability to do yard work.

“I’m not supposed to lift anything over two pounds,” she said.

Still, she readily shares her knowledge.

Another trick to perfect bulbs, Keagle said, is to feed them — not at planting, as many suspect, but when they first blooom.

Keagle suggests using “Miracle Grow or other common liquid fertilizer.”

And, she said, “don’t use bone meal — it will attract animals” that will dig up the bulbs. “Do add phospohorous,” she said.

Phosphorous is essential for blooming.

Ozmacoat or another slow-release granular fertilizer can also be put on bulbs once they begin to bloom, Keagle said. “That’s not going to activate until it gets warmer,” but it will help feed the leaves to ensure future blooming.

Additional tips shared by Keagle include preparing yards for upcoming freezing temperatures.

“There’s really not much to do,” she said. “Don’t cut grass before winter. And I wouldn’t clean any leaves off, but I’d mow them up and scatter them on the garden and lawn. A couple good mowings will chop them up and they act as a natural mulch.”

In addition, she said, “leave crepe myrtle and mum tops on the plants to self mulch.”

Other lawn tips Keagle shared were letting grass get taller than most people allow. This protects it from sunburn and lets it green up easier, she noted.

Mainly, she said, pay attention to soil.

“If you fix that soil the way soil is supposed to be” — full of organic matter and not compacted — “you really don’t have to do a lot to it.”

11.29.10

Plaid is in this holiday

2010-12-23T10:28:00.001-08:00

By ANNE KAZMIERCZAK

anne@iolaregister.com

One expects a play about a 50s boy band to have harmony and style. Add an element of Christmas, and one settles in for an evening of cozy comfort.

Unexpected are the belly laughs the quartet exudes from the audience through their clever word play and silly antics.

The non-stop Plaid Tidings plays tonight, Friday and Dec. 11 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday and Dec. 12 at 2 p.m. at the Warehouse Theatre, 203 S. Jefferson Ave.

Dessert precedes the performances by 1/2 hour; tickets, $15 general and $10 students, are available at Sophisticated Rose, 19 S. Jefferson Ave., or at the door an hour before each performance.

Plaid Tidings is a sort-of sequel to Stuart Ross’ Forever Plaid, a whimsical lark about a young quartet killed in a collision en route to their first big gig. The Beatles got the fame; the Plaids got their wings.

Plaid Tidings was written, Ross says in the program notes, after the sorrows of 9/11 warranted “a little joy and fun to lift the spirits.”

In this incarnation, the Plaids return, confused as to their purpose.

Through song after song after song — many a delightful mash up medley — the gang hopes to discern why they were brought back to Earth.

AS THE PLAIDS, four local men command the audience’s attention.

Skylar Strickler plays ring-leader Frankie; David Gilham is more reserved Sparky; Bill Wolf is a natural as Smudge and Bryan Johnson, as the nose bleed-prone Jinx, soldiers on, at times with tufts of cotton sprouting from his nostrils.

Each man is given a chance to front the show as the evening progresses.

Strickler’s pure showmanship and clear tenor voice prove he will go far. Currently a student at Allen County Community College, Strickler leaves soon for Wichita State where he will major in music and performance.

Wolf, a financial advisor, has a rich bass voice that anchors the group. Gilham is most adept at a long spoken part in Act II, where the words are as rapid-fire as the songs in the rest of the show.

Bryan Johnson has the highest singing tone, clear as a bell, with a playfulness to his performance befitting the season.

All the actors break the fourth wall, engaging the audience directly throughout the show. They also reference musicians Treca Jackson, piano, Tom Wheat, bass, and Todd Willis, percussion, rending the invisible wall behind them as well.

The players’ skill is such that one quickly forgets live musicians are present — they play at the perfect level to be appreciated without overwhelming the singers.

A large crew keeps props, lights and sound spot-on. Credit must be given to costumers for taffeta plaid blazers, Mexican sombreros and Santa hats. Kim Strickler directs.

Simply put: see the show. It will add sparkle to your holiday season.

12.07.10

Holidays fanciful at McGinty Whitworth

2010-12-23T10:27:00.003-08:00

In its 42 years on the Iola square, McGinty Whitworth has become known as the go-to place for unique Christmas gifts and women’s clothing — and of course, accessories, accessories, accessories.

“Jewelry and handbags always sell well,” said store clerk Melissa Lassman. Scarves and hats and gloves are popular as stocking stuffers as well as under the tree, she said.

McGinty’s famous Christmas sales book, included in today’s Register, boasts a 30 percent off coupon that can be used on almost any item in the store.

McGinty’s has extended business hours for the holiday season and will be open Mondays through Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., with longer evening hours on Thursdays, until 8. In addition, “we’ll be open Sundays in December from 1 to 5 p.m.,” Lassman said.

Bargains are always available at McGinty Whitworth. Sales racks lure shoppers in every department. Jewelry, clothing, shoes, scarves and seasonal ware is often discounted for the price-conscious shopper. That’s important to consumers in the current economy, said Lassman, who anticipated an increase in sales of smaller items over years past.

Novel gifts on the shelves this year are stretch rhinestone rings and bracelets to add a little glitter to one’s holiday bling. Cuff bracelets, textured clutch purses and sparkly lanyards catch the eye. Butter-soft fleece lounge pants, cozy sweaters and lusciously textured woven scarves all beckon the casual shopper. Vibrantly colored plush slippers promise to cheer the cold from your winter floor. There are even stockings that would look great hung on the mantle, though designed to be worn on one’s feet.

Numerous special gift items are brought in just for the holidays, noted store clerk Sheryl Zajic. “They’re all cute and if I had enough money I’d probably buy them all,” she said.

Other seasonal specials include a “Christmas clock” that chimes carols on the hour and holiday ornaments and home decor. Unique photo frames are a McGinty staple.

Kids’ gifts can be found toward the back of the store, where looms a large variety of logo gear — K-state and KU fans both can find mugs, pennants, wall hangings and shirts that show off their team spirit. There are even fleece jackets sized for the youngest of fans.

Stocked near the shoes, a huge assortment of “Rubber Lover” bracelets will delight any stretch band fan.

You can find something for almost anyone at this anchor store of the Iola square.

Reach McGinty Whitworth at 365-3271.

11.29.10

Ginger houses sweeten store windows

2010-12-23T10:27:00.001-08:00

By ANNE KAZMIERCZAK

anne@iolaregister.com

It would be a stretch to say that people come from out of town just to enter the Iola Area Chamber of Commerce gingerbread house contest, but one family, visiting relatives in Iola, did take part.

The Dorst sisters, who live in Manhattan, were in town over Thanksgiving to spend time with their relatives, the Dunnes.

Emma and Grace, ages 7 and 9, constructed one house, while 11-year-old Chloe helped her little cousin, 3 1/2 year old Makayla Dunne, complete another.

Makayla’s mom, Lisa Dunne, said although this is the first time the girls have entered a contest, it isn’t the first time they have constructed gingerbread houses.

“They do it with their grandmother, Vickie Tholen, every year,” she said.

“It’s the first thing we do for the holiday to get in the spirit of Christmas,” Dunne said. “The girls even go shopping together for the candy” to decorate the houses.

Chloe and Makayla’s house is on display at Classy Attic, while Emma and Grace’s creation is at Jones Jewelry.

MARTHA HEFFERNON has entered the Chamber’s contest before. She favors using graham crackers as building blocks.

“I just like to do them,” Heffern said of building the houses. “An idea just pops in your head and you go with it.”

Heffern created a miniature village this year, with a main house, smaller house and church. She uses royal icing to frost and glue her pieces together “because it dries really hard,” she said.

Next year, Heffern may use actual gingerbread, she said.

“The gingerbread is thicker. It’s probably easier to work with. The crackers tend to bow,” she said.

Heffern’s village is on view at Town and Country. It received the People’s Choice Award.

For Jana Taylor, letting her 6-year-old son T.J. build a kit home was a way for him to participate in the family’s holiday baking “without him having his arms in brownie batter,” she said. “We bake a lot at the holidays and he always likes to help,” she added.

T.J. really enjoys gingerbread construction, she laughed. “He loves to build gingerbread houses — and eat them.”

Thomas “T.J.” Taylor’s house is visible at Duane’s Flowers.

ANOTHER ginger village was made by a village — of a sort. Both seniors and preschoolers in the Age to Age program at Windsor Place crafted a cookie village complete with school bus, on view at Iola Office Supply.

Windsor resident Jean Carr was one of the seniors involved.

Carr enjoyed camaraderie and competition among the builders, she said, “to see if you could get your candy on quicker than the guy next to you.”

Seniors and students all worked on the project throughout the course of a day, she said.

With that many hands came a few mouths that sampled the candies and cookies, she said. “That’s why it isn’t as big as it should have been,” Carr laughed.

Six to eight seniors and 27 preschoolers had a hand in the construction.

FIRST PLACE winner Barbara Anderson’s village is on display at the Allen County Historical Society.

This is her fifth entry into the contest, she said.

Anderson built her graham cracker-based creation over the Thanksgiving holiday with the help of her kids and grandkids, she said.

“I just think it’s a wonderful part of Christmas,” she said of constructing the houses, although next year, she may try actual gingerbread, she said.

“There was just too much humidity this year,” she said of using graham crackers. “It kept the crackers soft.”

Like Heffern, Anderson uses royal icing made with meringue powder to keep her construction together.

“One year I tripped,” while placing a house, she said, “that icing just stuck. It’s like cement.” The houses, Anderson said, “are more durable than you think.”

Despite winning first place, Anderson doesn’t consider herself an expert in architectural confections.

She does it for the fun, and to help add to the beauty of Iola’ downtown.

“We almost have a Norman Rockwell thing going on,” she said of Iola’s holiday charm.

All entrants will receive Chamber Bucks.

12.23.10

Holiday glitz is big at Duane's

2010-12-23T10:26:00.003-08:00

12.07.10

By ANNE KAZMIERCZAK

anne@iolaregister.com

Traditional to trendy Christmas decor is everywhere at Duane’s Flower Shop, 5 S. Jefferson Ave. on the Iola square.

“Lime and purple is good this year,” noted Duane McGraw of the latest look in holiday color. One of the many trees at Duane’s is decked out in just that. Large purple and lime balls, tufts of glittery green “ting ting,” fern sprays and sparkly twisted branches poke out at odd angles, making the tree vibrant and alive.

The glitter-covered sprays and sprigs are very popular this year, Duane added, noting all come in silver, copper, gold and red as well as the brilliant green. “It’s all glitz,” he said of the collection.

And glitz is in — big time.

Whole garlands of glitter can be had. “You wrap it around your tree,” Duane said — or banisters or railings or mantels or wreaths. “It’s best you put it on first, before you add your decorations,” he advised.

Also in this year are words. The look that has adorned walls and desks in recent memory has moved onto the holiday tree, he said.

Ornaments proclaiming “Cheer” and “Ho Ho Ho” as well as placards promoting peace now hang from boughs and branches.

Ceramic tile ornaments can be personalized with a ceramic marker or Sharpie, Duane said. They can even be used as place markers in a table setting, making a lovely holiday keepsake.

Even bottles of bubbly get festive this year with stained glass ornaments meant to loop around the bottle top. They work equally well on trees, Duane noted, pointing to a bright red cardinal that would be at home in any woodland scene. At the flower shop, “we use them on bud vases,” he said.

It seems, this year with ornaments, the bigger the better. “Put the larger ornaments on the outside,” Duane suggested, “and tuck in smaller ones,” making a tree look fuller.

On a bird-themed tree, ostrich feathers furl from boughs while little red birds peek out from the core. Pine cones keep it real while sparkly red ting ting adds a needed touch of glitz.

“I think everything needs to tell a story,” Duane said of his themed trees.

In his home, Duane said, the family’s three trees do just that.

“In the sunroom, everything is home made. It’s all things the kids have made. Downstairs, we have an outdoor theme with bears and deer and antlers.” Upstairs, he said, wife Judy’s look is “all cut glass — everything is clear” a timeless, elegant note.

Duane said that at the store, every look is up for grabs.

“Everything’s for sale,” he said. “Even the window displays,” which also can be rented. Too for wreaths and mantel pieces, he said.

“Sometimes a family or organization wants something to dress up a holiday table or party,” he noted, adding he will also make displays on request.

There are even discounted ornaments, at 50 or 75 percent off. Sports fans, too, can find their favorite Kansas team on bulbs and balls for Christmas boughs.

Another trends is outdoor ribbons, Duane said. Bows of mesh withstand wind and weather, he said.

While the store’s wreaths sport traditional red and green and candy cane colors, the fade-proof bows come in all colors of the rainbow, Duane said, perfect for outdoor weddings or receptions.

Duane is careful not to carry the same merchandise as other Iola stores, he said. His collection of snowmen is unique and “We don’t have the same angels.” His might be the only store with purple and pink advent candles, he noted.

And of course, Mylar balloons, pillow-soft plush toys, all occasion cards and funerary ornaments abound.

Duane’s Flower Shop, an authorized FTD florist, can also ship flowers anywhere in the world. Call him at 365-5723.

Church trades in pews

2010-12-23T10:26:00.001-08:00

By ANNE KAZMIERCZAK

anne@iolaregister.com

two pics

COLONY — “I feel like a used pew salesman,” said the self-effacing pastor of Colony Christian Church.

Indeed, in a way, he is.

Pastor Mark McCoy said the church is offering its collection of pews — all 20-some — to any and all takers who pony up 50 bucks apiece for the hard, wooden 10-foot-long benches. About 10 have been spoken for so far, McCoy said.

Although the pews’ seats appear padded, they don’t feel it. The harvest-gold upholstery hides nary an ounce of softness. One sits down with a thud.

“They’d be great as a hall bench,” McCoy suggests.

Colony Christian is replacing the pews with more “functional” seating: interlocking — and padded — chairs.

“There are several people with back problems” who will benefit from the change, McCoy said. In addition, “we’re trying to accommodate young families in the back.”

Seven pews converge at an acute angle in the back of the church, where families with small children like to sit, he said.

“It’s near the restrooms; it’s near the doors if they have to get up.”

Also, the space is set aside from the rest of the sanctuary, making a perfect room-within-a-room where kids could run and babies crawl — providing there was floor space to do so.

Only about a foot separates row ends. Set aslant, even that feels cramped.

Once all the pews are sold, McCoy said, the money will go toward purchasing the supportive chairs that can stand in rows, clusters, circles or “whatever configuration is needed at the time,” McCoy said.

That will also allow a center aisle in the church “should we ever want to have a wedding or funeral,” McCoy noted.

At present, three banks of pews mean walkways are right and left of the altar.

The change is part of an ongoing effort to bring the church into the present, McCoy said.

Also planned is updating the 70s-style wood paneling to “something more modern,” he said, unsure of what that would be.

McCoy isn’t being intentionally vague — the church really doesn’t have a grand master plan, but instead has been making improvements as finances allow.

“We just got central heat and air,” he said of the most recent change to the 116-year-old building. That was but a few months ago.

“We had resonant heaters before that,” he said, akin to gas space heaters in the wall. The new system “is nice,” and should evenly heat the sanctuary.

Additional changes made over the almost six years McCoy has been on board include an updated sound system with computer to present sermons and Scripture on a drop down screen.

“The screen was here when I came,” he said, but wasn’t very usable without support equipment.

Improvements in the church basement, used as nursery and kitchen, include freshly painted cabinets — “even though they look old,” he said. Upstairs, “We used to have ugly old yellow curtains,” where now are cream-colored venetian blinds.

MCCOY DOESN’T mind that the transformation is coming about slowly. That it is happening at all is positive, he said.

Colony Christian Church, with a weekly attendance that ranges from 40 to 90, has been flourishing since McCoy arrived.

The young pastor — he’s 29 — was fresh out of Ozark Christian College when he accepted the job pastoring a church that was down to 12 members.

“In another week it would have been down to seven,” he added. Previous differences between church leadership and body led to the decline, he said.

McCoy has worked hard at bringing the congregation together.

The church has instituted small group meetings each Sunday night reviewing material presented on Sunday morning.

“A lot of people forget what was preached on Sunday morning by Sunday afternoon,” he said. He admits he has been one of them — even when he did the preaching.

So he started “Infusion,” a study group for leaders who then share the materials with congregants throughout the week.

“We believe leadership is shepherding. We really steer away from leaders being decision makers,” he said, instead allowing decisions to be weighed by the whole congregation.

“In so many churches,” McCoy said, “the leaders will make a decision, but they’re not connected to the people.” Those outcomes, he said, cause division. But, McCoy said, “Church isn’t a business, it’s a family.”

And so, “I try not to micromanage,” he said, but instead encourage involvement of all church members.

“We’re trying to get back to the New Testament,” he said. “We try to focus on the people. We start out by listening. We focus on truth in a relational context.”

Church, he said, is not about a building, but developing relationships and changing one’s own heart.

Still, he noted, “We live in a culture where impressions matter.” Thus the physical improvements.

The idea to modernize the church actually came from the congregation, he said.

“I had a lady say, ‘We update our houses, but we never update our church.’” So through savings and donations, the process began.

“We’ve got some really generous people,” McCoy said of the congregation, which draws people from all ages and directions.

“If you look in any direction for 15 to 16 miles, we have people coming from there,” he said.

Members come from “Humboldt, Garnett, Moran, Kincaid, Iola, Westphalia and” — even — “Colony. We want to be as far-reaching as we can be,” McCoy said.

To that end, the Infusion group is working. “We have some people who are not members here who come to the small groups, so we’re having an impact on their churches, too.”

Overall, McCoy said, “It’s a community effort, it’s not just a Colony church.”

THOSE interested in securing a pew can call McCoy at 620-852-3200.

11.24.10

Store moves to square

2010-12-23T10:25:00.001-08:00

By ANNE KAZMIERCZAK

anne@iolaregister.com

There’s a new — or is it old? — business on the Iola square.

Brooklyn Park antiques and flea market has opened up shop at 3 N. Jefferson Ave.

Melinda Luttrell, owner, seized an opportunity when the building became available recently, she said.

She had established Brooklyn Park in 1994 at the corner of Kentucky and Madison avenues, but “the building at that location needed too much work to maintain,” and she closed its doors several years ago, she said.

Work on the front of the new location, done by her father, Don Britt, and Iola artisan Jim Smith, allowed Luttrell to open in November, she said, although remodeling work went on even as vendors set up spaces within the store.

“We have more than 50 consignors in here,” Luttrell said of the reconfigured space. A center row of “cages,” — small wood-framed display areas — allows local crafters and vendors without too much to sell to “try their hand at retail,” Luttrell said. “I have several (vendors) who do crafts and they do really well,” Luttrell noted.

Luttrell intends further improvements to the building.

Smith and Britt will return to remodeling efforts, including painting the facade, once warmer weather returns, she said. “I wanted to do a lot more but didn’t have the time,” before cold weather set in, she said.

Inside, Luttrell had new flooring installed and removed old glass and cardboard from the front wall. “Jim Smith and my dad repaired the front of the building,” she said. “They insulated and rebuilt it.”

Antique display cases, including an old ice box from a former meat market, provide intriguing display space.

“We’ve brought in vendors clear up to the back door,” she said.

Items such as antique furniture — too large for the downtown space — will be housed in the building on Kentucky Street and offered online, through brooklynparksales.com, Luttrell said.

“We have original teller stations from Iola State Bank there,” she said by way of example.

Estate items are available both in the store and online, she said.

Luttrell plans to revamp the website to highlight new merchandise in coming months, she said.

Business is already booming, Luttrell said.

“I owe a lot to the vendors — they bring in quality merchandise at reasonable prices.”

One such is Linda Haeger of Topeka. With family in the Allen County area, Haeger said she enjoys coming to Iola to resell items she collects at flea markets and auctions in the Topeka area.

She has even stopped marketing her wares in Topeka “because this keeps me busy,” she said of the Iola store.

Brooklyn Park is open seven days a week. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays and form 1 to 5 p.m. Sundays.

The store can be reached at 228-7107 or brooklynpark@cox.net.

12.08.10

Shop helps stranded couple

2010-12-23T10:24:00.001-08:00

By ANNE KAZMIERCZAK

anne@iolaregister.com

When Bud Folck and his wife Pepper drove in from their home in Toronto last Thursday, they expected a relaxed afternoon of Christmas shopping. Instead, car trouble that left them stranded reinforced Bud’s belief that Iolans are some of the finest folk around.

“I always though Iola was a fine little town,” said Bud, who retired from the radiology department of Allen County Hospital 21 years ago.

Folck had been having battery trouble for about a week, he said, needing to jump start his car to get it going each morning. Last Thursday was no exception, and he planned to buy a new battery while in Iola, he said.

But shortly after crossing the intersection of Madison and State streets, his 2002 Honda CRV died. Auto Zone, at 5 N. State St., lay just ahead.

Folck said workers from the store came out and pushed his vehicle into the parking lot.

“They do sell batteries there,” Folck noted of the store, but did not have the one he wanted. “So they called their competition,” Iola Auto Parts, “and took me over there,” Folck said.

The door-to-door service was just the start.

Folck purchased a battery at Iola Auto Parts, then the Auto Zone crew returned him — and it — to their lot, where they installed it for him, he said.

Ready to go, Folck turned the key and — nothing. “The car still wouldn’t start,” he said.

The Auto Zone crew spent about an hour trying to determine what was wrong. “They had three or four guys out there working on my car,” Folck said.

When the car still wouldn’t start, the crew called a mechanic to come help. When none was found available, they called Folck’s neighbor on Toronto Lake to come fetch the couple.

While waiting, Pepper lamented her missed shopping opportunity.

An Auto Zone worker volunteered to drive her out to Walmart where she could shop while awaiting their ride, Folck said.

Meantime, Folck, remembering a mechanic he’d known all those years ago, wandered over to RB Auto at 301 S. Washington to see if Richard Burton could help.

“He grabbed some tools” and they returned to the stranded CRV.

“After about five minutes, he determined I’d put diesel in the car,” during a fuel stop in Yates Center, Folck said.

Burton had the car towed to his shop once the Folcks’ neighbor, George Poffinbarger, arrived to pick up the couple.

The next day, tank drained and refilled with unleaded, Folck got the call the car was ready to go.

Folck said he tried paying the crew at Auto Zone — John Ashworth, Chris Rhea and Andrew Reagen — for their efforts, “but they wouldn’t accept anything.”

On Wednesday, back in Iola for his wife’s doctor appointment, Folck decided he’d give the men “a whole variety of treats” from Renee’s Bakery as a thank-you.

“They all just did what they could to help,” Folck noted. “I just wanted them to know I appreciate it.”

12.8.10

Master gardener shares winter tips

2010-11-30T12:53:00.000-08:00

Now is the latest one should plant bulbs for winter, said Master Gardener Tracy Keagle.

Keagle, who ran a yard care business in Iola from 1985-2000, became familiar with common mistakes people made preparing their gardens for winter, she said.

Common bulb mistakes, she said, included planting bulbs too shallow and tying back their foliage once they are past bloom.

Yet this late in the season, she said, it’s OK to plant 1 inch closer to the surface than one normally would.

Plant bulbs in clumps, Keagle advised.

“You can mix them up. Plant tulip bulbs at 6 inches deep, then cover them with an inch of soil and plant smaller bulbs on top of that.”

Such groupings look more natural, she noted. Keagle suggested preparing a hole “about the size of a dinner plate” in the flower bed for such groupings.

Bulbs planted together will all come up at the same time, she said, with similar bloom times.

Instead of single rows of bulbs, Keagle suggested planting bulbs amidst beds of later-blooming perennials to obscure foliage during late spring .

Bulbs can be planted as long as the ground can be worked and has not frozen, Keagle said.

KEAGLE BECAME involved in landscaping by happenstance, she said.

“When I was in my 20s, a neighbor of mine, an older gentleman, was telling me about a book he was reading about leading a successful life.”

When she asked him what money-making schemes the book espoused, he told her “It’s not about money. A susccessful life is one in which you are happy.”

A friend told Keagle if that’s the case, she should find a job planting flowers.

The chance came.

On one of her regualr walks, Keagle said she saw an elderly woman with an unkempt yard — one that had obviously been cared for in the past. The woman said the lawn care man she hired had never shown up, and her health prevented her doing the job herself. Keagle volunteered, spending the day mowing, trimming and putting things in order.

When she went to leave, the woman paid her.

A business was born.

“At one time, I probably had 70 lawns to mow,” Keagel said. “I never used a riding mower.”

And, she said, “I’ve probably planted 10,000 bulbs in my life.”

The work kept Keagle fit and trim, as well as busy, but a fall from a roof five years ago curtailed her ability to do yard work.

“I’m not supposed to lift anything over two pounds,” she said.

Still, she readily shares her knowledge.

Another trick to perfect bulbs, Keagle said, is to feed them — not at planting, as many suspect, but when they first blooom.

Keagle suggests using “Miracle Grow or other common liquid fertilizer.”

And, she said, "don't use bone meal -- it will attract animals" that will dig up the bulbs. "Do add phospohorous," she said.

Phosphorous is essential for blooming.

Ozmacoat or another slow-release granular fertilizer can alos be put on bulbs once they begin to bloom, Keagle said. "That's not going to activate until it gets warmer out," but it will help feed the leaves to ensure future blooming, she noted.

Additional tips shared by Keagle include preparing yards for upcoming freezing temperatures.

"There's really not much to do," she said. "Don't cut grass before winter. And I wouldn't clean any leaves off, but I'd mow them up and scatter them on the garden and lawn. A couple good mowings will chop them up and they act as a natural mulch."

In addition, she said, "leave crepe myrtle and mum tops on the plants to self mulch."

Other lawn tips Keagle shared were letting grass get taller than most people allow. This protects it from sunburn and lets it green up easier, she noted.

Mainly, she said, pay attention to soil.

"If you fix that soil the way soil is supposed to be" -- full of organic matter and not compacted -- "you really don't have to do a lot to it."

Change for the better at Colony Christian

2010-11-29T07:15:00.003-08:00