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I remember: A Visit to Newton on Election Day

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By Doris Schroeder

My hubby and I got up early on Election Day and drove to the Dillon Nature Center to do our civic duty that is most enjoyable…we voted. It was good to see a line at the voting room and know that many of the citizens were doing their responsibility and voting. That is a privilege and one we should not take for granted!

 My sister Carol  came a little later in the morning. We had decided to visit Newton that day. We love to visit little towns around Kansas from time to time. However, it is too hot in summer and the farmer’s market so we waited until a week or so ago to drive to Newton. We took the exit that led to First Street and then to Main and as we drove we reminisced about what we remembered from years ago.

For one thing we had many memories of the Bethel Deaconess Hospital where one of our aunts was a nurse, or a deaconess, if you will, many years ago. It looked like the hospital, or at least part of it had been torn down. My sis walked up to the Deaconess Home where our aunt Anna had lived and it looked like it had been made into apartments now. It was a jolt to our memory.

We had planned to visit the Warkentin home on First Street but it, too, was closed to the public. Later, Carol walked to the door and found out that now it is only open on Saturday afternoons. She got a glimpse of the inside and said it was so beautiful, we would have to come back again. There were gorgeous rugs on the shiny wood floors and marble tile on the stair wall.  It seems that the  Bernard Warkentins came to America in 1886-7 from the Ukraine. and built that beautiful house. We do hope to visit it when we can get in.

We checked out the eating places and finally decided on the Bread Basket. It has been quite awhile since we were there and we decided on the German  Bierroch sandwich. I also had a giant cream puff and a cup of coffee. I did notice that their prices have gone up considerably. Although I enjoyed the food, I did not like the price. That, too, is a sign of the times.

Later, we drove to the Bethel College Campus and it seemed to look pretty much the same as it did years ago.  In this day and age, that is a relief as other things are changing so rapidly. Years ago I visited their large dining room when I spoke for the Christian Women’s group. I love the beautiful trees that surround the campus. The houses around the college always make me think of college professors.

It was fun to stop at the Book Store downtown. There was a certain book I wanted of the Mennonites but it is no longer in print. They were very helpful, however, and looked it up on Amazon where there seem to still be some older copies.

It was a lovely bookstore and one I would like to visit again.

We also stopped at the Et Cetera Shop but found out, to our disappointment, it was closed a couple days while they got ready for Christmas. Perhaps if we make it up again to visit the Warkentin house, we could stop in there.

We passed the old Railroad Depot that has since been made into offices. It brought back memories of my Buhler High School Days when our girl’s sextet had to sing at a Governor’s Convention in Topeka and we rode the Streamliner to our state capital. We had to catch the train in Newton and some of the nice ladies in Buhler took us to the Newton Depot. We even stayed in a downtown hotel overnight and also got to visit the Governor’s mansion. We thought we were really living it up…and it was fun!

 Later in the afternoon, it was time to travel home in the car and check out the election results of the day. I was thrilled that so many people had done their duty and the results showed that. I did see some of you at the polls and I congratulate you for doing it!

Now if we all put our heads together, make our voices heard where we can and above all, do a lot of praying to our God for guidance, we may be able to bring our country back to its God-given principles. Shall we give it a try?

 

Doris welcomes your comments at [email protected]

 

            

Yes, There’s A Santa Claus (Best Of)

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lee pitts

Twas’ the night before Christmas and the family was en-route to grandma’s house. As they motored through the intersection of a small sleepy town the ill mannered child in the back seat yelled into his father’s ear, “It’s him, it’s him, it’s Santa Claus.”

There sitting over on the curb was a forlorn looking fellow with a dirty white beard, a stocking cap that barely covered his balding head and a red tattered coat that was frayed white around the edges.

The parents glanced at the raggedy man with all his possessions sitting next to him in a plastic grocery bag. “You have to admit,” said the mother, “he does look like Santa with his scuffed up old boots and his matted beard.”

“Don’t be silly, he ‘s just a ho, ho hobo,” laughed the father. “The only thing that transient has in common with Santa is that he probably only works one day a year.”

But the cherubic child was throwing a tantrum in the back seat. “I want to stop and see Santa.”

“He looks more like Santa than those xerox copies in the department stores and those express lane Santas back home,” said the mother as the car stopped for a red light and the kid bolted out the door.

“Hi Santa,” said the kid, shocking the jolly old gent out of his quiet reverie. The old man was quick to catch on as the parents pulled over and ran to their child. The old man pulled the young boy up on one knee of his dirty old pants and before he knew it the child was listing the presents he expected the very next morning under Grandma’s Christmas tree.

“I want a cell phone, a bike, an X-Box and a laser gun.” The old man had never heard of many of the toys the boy rattled off.  “My dumb sister wants an I-Pad, nose ring and a tattoo. Daddy wants a new table saw and mommy wants a new SUV. But you already know all that ’cause I sent you a letter. You got it didn’t you?”
The old man didn’t know what to say but just nodded his head. He hadn’t spoken to a child or held one in his lap for many years.

“I have to warn you,” said the boy to the smiling  Santa, “Grandma doesn’t have a chimney so we’ll leave the front door open for you.”

The parents looked sick as they shared a vision of this bum walking through an open door and stealing all their presents. “Come on son, we have to be going now.”

“Maybe you better write this all down so you don’t forget it all,” said the son to Santa, ignoring his parents.

Before putting him down the old man reached into his sack for something to give the child but there was nothing in the sack but his dirty clothes and a half eaten candy bar. There was a tear in the old man’s eye as he reached to his neck and took off a gold chain with a golden cross attached. He had worn the crucifix for years. Better years. He gave that small boy the only possession he owned in all the world that was worth anything. “You keep this present son, do what your mom and dad  tell you and whenever you need some help in this cruel world you just grab this cross and ask God for some guidance.”

The parents looked grateful and sad… and realized they had a lot of shopping to do before the next morning. They waved good-bye to the old
man who lived out of a sack and the little boy told his dad, “That was the best Santa ever.”

Years later the young boy had children of his own. At about the age of six or seven one by one his kids would ask, “Dad is there really a Santa Claus?” He would clasp the gold crucifix he wore close to his heart and reply, “Yes there is. I met him in person.” wwwLeePittsbooks.com

 

Shop wisely

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By John Schlageck, Kansas Farm Bureau

While many shoppers are feeling the pinch of price increases, there’s a way today’s smart, frugal shoppers can save money on the family food bill. Some estimates place this figure at 10 -15 percent. On the average food bill, this could mean a savings of $700 – $1,200 a year.

Most shoppers, my wife is one of the best, have compiled a list of cost-cutting ideas. Here are some effective ways to save at the checkout counter.

First, smart shoppers should know what they are buying. Today’s modern supermarkets carry as many as 50,000 items. This number has more than tripled since 1980.

Product information is essential in selecting the best buy. This requires reading, listening and studying. For example, the product label is a source of information on nutrition, menu use, quantity and quality of the food item.

Secondly, cost-conscious shoppers must buy when and where the price is right.

There are many times to buy on special. Purchase store or generic brands or buy in quantity. Comparative shopping leads to savings because different stores usually specialize in different items.

Shopper loyalty cards may be another way to save on the family food bill.

Accurate record keeping has become an important part of a smart shopping routine. Money-saving ideas take time but result in time well spent. One-half hour of planning before each shopping trip can result in substantial savings.

Cost-conscious shoppers influence the entire food industry. If shoppers do not check prices, retailers may display items that sell by saturation advertising or gimmick packaging which increase food costs.

Retailers who respond to cost-conscious shoppers must look for the best buy from suppliers. Farmers who fill these orders must make the best use of their resources to meet the competition.

Smart shopping can bring satisfaction instead of frustration. Initially, this satisfaction results from actual savings in the family’s food budget. Secondly, the wise shopper realizes intelligent buying keeps our food industry the best in the world.

Securing the most for your food dollar is significant to every consumer. It is worth the effort.

John Schlageck is a leading commentator on agriculture and rural Kansas. Born and raised on a diversified farm in northwestern Kansas, his writing reflects a lifetime of experience, knowledge and passion.      

 

– See more at: http://www.kfb.org/news/insight/index.html#sthash.usmq3Lvd.dpuf

Lady Cougars win fifth straight, pull off 91-88 overtime victory at Otero

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barton cc

A game featuring numerous lead changes, clutch shooting, and big defensive stops the Barton Community College women’s basketball team made just enough decisive plays on both ends of the floor to come out on the upside of a 91-88 victory Saturday over host Otero Junior College in the Holiday Inn Classic.   As the teams combined for 60-of-79 shooting from the charity stripe, none came any larger than a pair of clutch free throws by sophomore Phikala Anthony with .8 seconds remaining to force overtime.   Barton then raced off to a 5-0 start in the extra frame but Otero kept striking back as the Lady Cougars would need a host of team contributions and survived multiple Otero treys in the final seconds to win their fifth straight improving to 5-1 on the season while dropping the Lady Rattlers to 1-5.  Barton will return to the friendly confines of the Barton Gym on Tuesday for a 5:30 p.m. tip against the junior varsity squad from Sterling College, with the men also taking on the Warriors in the 7:30 p.m. contest.

Katrina Roenfeldt led three Lady Cougars in double-digit scoring with twenty-two as the freshman knocked down 4-of-7 from behind the arc and was a perfect 6-of-6 from the line.  Coming off a career high twenty-seven the night previous, Phikala Anthony recorded her first career double-double with twenty-one points and twelve rebounds.  Brandi Williams‘ solid 7-of-9 from the floor led the Ohio freshman to a career high fifteen while Mississippi freshman Dominique Baker also posted a career high in assists with five dimes.

Beaver on a stick

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Steve Gilliland
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The first year I trapped beavers in Kansas was a terribly dry year, yet I found a rogue stretch of river just north of where I live that still held water; lots of water! There were holes in this stretch too deep for me to wade into with chest waders, yet from there the river turned east, and was bone dry as far as the eye could see. In this deep portion was a colony of beavers and that morning I had just caught the first one.

I don’t know what I was thinking when I set that trap. It was a challenge just to get to, let along tote anything out that I might catch. So picture this; my wife (who is at least a head shorter) and I standing in the middle of the dry river bed, she about 6 feet in front of me, with an 8 foot tree limb between us on our shoulders. Trussed up with a rope and dangling precariously from that limb hung a 50 pound beaver. This was my wife’s idea and at first I had scoffed. But aside from the fact that we must have looked like 2 natives hauling a dead monkey from the jungle for dinner, it worked pretty well.

Telling you we were 300 yards from our pickup doesn’t begin to give you the whole picture. For starters, the first 50 yards included a short trek along the dry river bed then straight up a deer trail to the bank 10 feet above. After a much needed break we followed that same deer trail through an obstacle course of briars and downed tree limbs for another 50 yards to the edge of an alfalfa field, took another breather and then untrussed the beaver and literally drug it and ourselves the final 200 yards through the alfalfa to the truck.

River beaver usually dig large den holes into the bank with the entrance below the water line. Wading along the river can often locate the dens, but this wasn’t an option here since the water was so deep. The only way to catch these beavers was to place traps to take advantage of the creature’s movements and social behaviors. Beavers are very territorial and mark there boundaries by building mounds of mud and debris on the bank called castor mounds. They scent these mounds with secretion from glands at the base of their tail called “castor glands.” Other beavers that travel through the area stop and place their scent on these mounds too, so the resident adults are always checking these to see if any intruders are present. I found one of those mounds that didn’t appear to be used anymore, and “spiced” it up with some lure to make the residents believe they needed to check it again, and one of them soon found himself dangling from the tree limb between us.

Trapping, like hunting and fishing, is a harvest. With this stretch of river being one of very few holding water enough for beavers that year their population could easily have grown out of control. The landowner had already complained to me about them dropping trees across his electric fence. I caught 3 beavers from that short stretch of river; certainly not enough to hurt there population much, or for my wife’s fur coat, but maybe enough to keep them out of trouble with their landlord!

Steve can be contacted by email at [email protected].

 

 

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