Oswego’s fall festival  “Oswegofest” will be held on Saturday, Sept. 27, in conjunction with the Oswego High School Alumni Reunion. Since both events will be held the same weekend Alumni will have the opportunity to  participate in  their  reunion activities as well as  enjoy  Oswegofest events at Riverside Park. One of the highlights that will be featured at this year’s event will be the band “Area 51”. They will be making the day even more special with their blues/jazz music style.
Also, in addition to some of last year’s favorite activities such as the Horseshoe Pitch, Car Show, Wiffle Ball, Great Food, Games, Contests and Craft Booths several other events are being added this year. A Pie Baking Contest and a 5 km Run/Walk are just a couple of the new events. Sheri Goodnight is the contact person for the 5 km Run/Walk and she can be reached at 795-4448. Early registration is $12 and Race Day the cost is $15. Plaques and Medals will be awarded following the race. The registration form is available  at the Oswego City Office and on the website. Additional information including a flyer with an event schedule will be added to the website in the near future. For those forms or to access additional information you can go to:   www.oswegokansas.com and  choose Oswegofest/ Forms and Applications.

26th Annual Oswegofest
September 27, 2008
Riverside Park
Oswego, Kansas
* For more information as it becomes available log on to www.oswegokansas.com

All Day Events
Car Show
Petting Zoo
Antique Fire Truck Rides
Kangaroo Gyms Inflatables - $5
wristband

Stage Events
*Times TBA
Opening Ceremony
Indian Parade
Little Indian Cheer Squad
Baby Contest
Allumni Games
12-3 p.m. Music by Area 51
www.myspace.com/area51returns

Games and Contests
Baby Contest
Kids’ Games
Kids’ Tractor Pull
Pumpkin Contest
Guitar Hero Tournament
Pie Baking Contest
OHS Alumni Games
Horseshoe Pitching
Car Show
5 km Run/Walk
Button Drawing

Booths/Vendors
Many booths will be in the park
the day of Oswegofest. Food,
crafts and more.

Alumni Games
Several games will be played
throughout the day. Odd years vs.
Even Years. Winning team will
have bragging rights and be pre-
sented a plaque to be displayed at
the High School. . . until next year.

OHS Mini Reunions
*Location TBA
9 a.m. Classes through 1959
10 a.m. 1960 through 1969
11 a.m. 1970 through 1979
12 p.m. 1980 through 1989
1 p.m. 1990 through 1999
2 p.m. 2000 through 2008
Items will be raffled to help raise
money for the OHS Alumni
Reunion.
Log on to www.oswegoalumni.org
for more information.

T-Shirts will be available at www.oswegokansas.com

SRS partners and stakeholders are invited to participate in a statewide conference to be held by SRS Secretary Don Jordon on Wednesday, Sept. 17, at 3:30 p.m. The meeting will originate from the Topeka SRS Learning Center and will be carried by teleconference to SRS field offices. Discussion of the agency’s budget submission for state fiscal year 2010 will be provided.
Interested individuals may participate in the meeting at three locations in Southeast Kansas. Those sites are:
Chanute SRS, Kansas Room, 1500 W. 7th Street; Pittsburg SRS, Sunflower Room, 320 S. Broadway; Parsons SRS, Conference Room, 300 N. 17th Street.
Individuals who have questions about the teleconference may contact the Chanute SRS Service Center at (620) 431-5000.

By Rena Russell
Labette Avenue
Jason Piercefield of Chetopa and Rick Tucker, Attorney at Law, representing him, were told to attend the next Solid Waste Management Committee meeting, by the commissioners at Monday’s meeting.
Labette County Commissioners Lonie Addis, Brian Kinzie and Jack Martin discussed the process needed before anything can properly be discussed concerning a permit for a wood chipping recycling business in the Chetopa area.
Prior to Monday’s meeting, Piercefield had met with the commission on July 14 of this year, discussing the possible chipping operation. The commission told him then to get a business plan in order and go talk to the solid waste management committee.
Since then, Piercefield did have a business plan in place.
The County has a nuisance lawsuit with pending action on the property on 166 and 59 highways at Chetopa, concerning large wooden boxes, etc., that are on Piercefield’s property.
Attorney Tucker explain his business plan and the need to get commissioners approval for the sorting center. They also presented the commission with a USDA study on such wood chipping operations, etc. on recycled products.
The next solid waste management committee meeting will be held on Sept. 18 at 6 p.m. They are making plans to attend this meeting.
IN OTHER ACTION at Monday’s meeting:
• KSAAP-LRPA Executive Board meet prior to the county commission meeting with members, Brian Kinzie, Bill Wheat, Lonie Addis, Jack Martin and Marti Morris, office manager. Following an executive session, no action was taken.
• Larry Cupit, county sanitation officer, discussed with the commission building inspection guidelines that FEMA uses for homeowners building in floodplain areas.
• Reported that Jim Cook, Emergency Operations Manager, has been called to Baton Rouge, La., to assist others in strategic planning of the Hurricane Gustov and preparing for the next one, Hurricane Ike. He will be assisting a maximum of two weeks.
• Commissioners reviewed noxious weed applications.
• Defined that the end of the month meetings are regular scheduled meetings, not special meetings held.
• Approved the Aug. 29 minutes and approved the accounts payables.

A celebrity event scheduled in Cherryvale on Saturday night has Labette County connections.
A special homecoming is planned for Lou Ann Graham, an Albuquerque, N.M. resident  who is the youngest sister to television icon Vivian Vance, best known for her role as Ethel Mertz on the “I Love Lucy” television series.
Vance, who died in 1979, was born in Cherryvale in 1909. Graham, who was born in Independence in 1928, is making her first pilgrimage back to Montgomery County in more than 70 years.
Oswego played a role in Vance’s upbringing. Vance was the daughter of Robert and Euphemia Mae (Ragan) Jones. Euphemia was an Oswego native, and her parents, William Wallace Ragan and Louisa Ragan, who would be Vivian Vance’s grandparents, are buried in the Oswego Cemetery.

Merel O. Wiebold of Oswego is a WWII veteran who took part in the North African campaign, the Sicilian invasion as well as landing on Omaha Beach, Normandy on D-Day.
He was with Gen. George Patton’s Hell on Wheels Second Armored Division. Not long after the battle of St. Lo, a German mortar shell exploded almost at his feet. He suffered a severe concussion resulting in irreversible hearing loss as well as having a large portion of his left thigh torn away. He later received the Purple Heart and a number of other hard-to-come-by medals as a result of the bloody fighting he took part in.
Last week, while having breakfast at Tina’s Cafe in Oswego, he received quite a surprise. Rod and Carolyn Trimble of Chetopa came in and presented him with a Purple Heart lapghan. Rod knew of Merel’s receipt of the Purple Heart. And he learned of the Purple Heart Project sponsored by P. J. Barfknecht of Poulan, Ga. whose volunteers from all over the country make these lapghans and give them free of charge to veterans and families of veterans who have fought and earned the Purple Heart.
A card was enclosed with each lapghan which says, in part, “This is not Sympathy; It’s Deep Gratitude!” and is followed by the names of the volunteers who took part in making the lapghan. It goes on to say “We make afghans from granny squares to give to those who valiantly served and to show them someone still cares and appreciates their sacrifices.God bless America and God bless you!”
The Wiebolds looked on the Internet under Purple Heart Project and learned much more about it. They were also able to see pictures of some of those folks who made Merel’s lapghan–it was really special and he deeply appreciates their efforts, as well as the thoughtfulness of Rod and Carolyn Trimble in securing and presenting the lapghan to him.

The Kansas electric cooperative linemen who are providing assistance in Louisiana following Hurricane Gustav may soon be battling two storms.
Electric cooperatives are keeping a close watch on the path of Hurricane Ike to ensure the safety of the thousands of volunteer linemen from across the country who may be in the path of the storm. The Kansas line crews, which includes more than 60 volunteer linemen along with more than 40 trucks from 13 electric cooperatives, are assisting Dixie Electric Membership Corp. (DEMCO), headquartered in Baton Rouge, La.
The crews, several from Twin Valley in Altamont, arrived last week on a 14-day rotation and have been living in tents while helping with the recovery efforts. However, with the threat of Hurricane Ike, the linemen may be evacuated to other locations during the storm.
“We are keeping an eye on Hurricane Ike. We have secured locations in Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas for the crews to wait out of the storm, depending on which direction Ike takes,” said Larry Detwiler, director of loss control, safety and compliance for Kansas Electric Cooperatives, Inc. (KEC). “We are not going to put our crews in harm’s way.”
Even if evacuated for a storm, the crews will then return to Baton Rouge to continue their work. A second wave of crews will be dispatched from Kansas on Sept. 16.
The Kansas crews, who are traveling from all parts of the state, are being coordinated by KEC. Cooperatives who sent  crews include:  Alfalfa, Cherokee, OK; Bluestem, Wamego; Butler, El Dorado; Caney Valley, Cedar Vale; Flint Hills, Council Grove; Heartland, Girard; Kaw Valley, Topeka; LJEC, McLouth; Nemaha-Marshall, Axtell; Twin Valley, Altamont; Victory, Dodge City; Western, WaKeeney; and Wheatland, Scott City.
“Hurricane Gustav was more devastating to Louisiana’s electric co-ops than Katrina or Rita, primarily because DEMCO, our largest co-op at roughly 100,000 meters serving a seven-parish territory near the Greater Baton Rouge area, reported 100 percent outages with extensive damage to trees,  homes and businesses,” said Billy Gibson, director of communications for Louisiana Electric Cooperatives.
Gibson said that they are expecting full restoration of their electric system in approximately six weeks.
“We are calling in about 800 co-op linemen and contractors to repair damage,” Gibson stated. “We are in the process of constructing a ‘tent city’ to expedite the restoration process.”
The Kansas crews are expected to stay for 14 days and then rotate with a second crew of linemen from the Kansas electric cooperatives.
“Our crews will need to clear fallen trees and other debris so that power lines could be restrung,” said Larry Detwiler, director of loss control, safety and compliance for Kansas Electric Cooperatives, Inc. (KEC). “Their biggest challenge will be working around all of the debris in unfamiliar territory.”
“The linemen are facing working conditions that include standing water and mountains of debris,” said Detwiler.

Roberta Brightman, GenY instructor, presented students who won awards at the 2008 Kansas Technology Leadership Competition at K-State to the USD 504 Board of Education, Monday night.
Twelve students participated in the competition, Brightman said. Eight placed in six categories. There were four first place, two second place, one sixth and one third place winners. The top placings presented their project to the board.
Brittany Anderson received first place in the Multi Media category. She presented her technology presentation on “Parlons Francasis!” - Speaking French.
Also receiving third place was Damariss Russell. Her subject was “So you think you know your elements.”
Ethan Spore received first place on “Juvenile Diabetes and Me” in the Multi Media category. He was unable to attend due to his participation in a junior varsity football game.
Rebecca Wilson received second place, presenting “Podcasting for Teachers.”
Clint Rea won first in the Tech Integration. He presented “How to understand Microsoft Word.”
Corrie Hays also placed sixth in her project entitled, “A Clamor of Grammar.”
Caleb Hays received first in his Tech Integration. He has participated in this competition for the past five years and has placed first four times and second once in it. He presented his project on Squiks. This is a software program that can help teachers research different subjects to use in the classrooms. He continues work on this project and he is now attending Pittsburg State University.
Brightman told the board that Oswego, a 2A school, participated with 5A, 6A and tech schools that were really big. There were 500 to 600 students participating in this competition.
“You all did an excellent job,” Board President Dee Brown said.
IN OTHER BOARD DECISIONS at Monday’s meeting:
• Presented red district school t-shirts to all preschool through fifth grade classes at Neosho Heights and Service Valley.
• Update was given on the high school weight room project. A downspout wasn’t connected, causing damage to the high school gym floor following a recent rain. Plans will be made before the basketball season to correct the damaged floor.
• Karlin told the board that the roof is on the weight room, the split face blocks are up now and the ductwork, electricity and ceiling grid is in. “It’s just a big open room - a nice addition,” he said.
• Approved the recommendations for the 2008-09 site council positions at Service Valley, OMS and OHS. Neosho Heights will be submitted later. The site council will include:
Service Valley –– Mikel Ward, principal; Ray Huff, teacher; Nicole Dean, counselor; Carolyn Ward, Missy Beasley, Ray Beasley, Cherine Espeseth, David Espeseth, David Brader, all parents; and Keith Keller from the community.
Oswego Middle School –– Treavor Addis, teacher; Phil Blair, community; Susan Johnson, counselor; Darrick Perry, school psychologist; Mikel Ward, principal; Tammy Dickerson, Sheri Goodnight, Jennie Green, Robin Oldham, Nikki Tomlinson, and Tonya and Tommie Williamson, all parents.
OHS –– Rod Wittmer, principal; Cathy Campbell, parent/teacher; Brandon Conrad, community; Susan Johnson, counselor; Brad Feagan, Kali Kitterman, Dara Russell,  and Kurt Taylor, all students; Dianna Gravett, Jennie Green, Phil Hays, Leah Miller, Denise Roark, Patti Taylor and Darren Tynan, all parents.
• Out of district applications were approved for eight students.