The highlight of the USD 504 Board of Education meeting on Monday, Nov. 9, was the presentation of the Governor’s Award for the Standard of Excellence achievement by Lewis Riley, Board President, to Rod Wittmer, Principal of Oswego High School. Fifteen teachers and former teachers were present to observe the award presentation. Principal Rod Wittmer thanked the Board and Mr. Karlin and administrative staff for giving the Oswego High School administrative staff and faculty the support, resources and freedom to accomplish this achievement.
Those present were Cathy Campbell, Jennifer Schenker, Susan Johnson, Angie Mendoza, Lynette Goddard, Kris Redburn, Roberta Brightman, Brenda Charles, Beverly Elliott, Jeff Schreppel, Kenny Gott, Diane Thompson, Andy Fewin, Russell Swisher and Janna Nesbitt.

An Oswego teenager, Stuart Keener, is in Denver auditioning for the ninth season of American Idol — along with 15,000 others.
Stuart and his family left on Friday for preliminary auditions which were set for Tuesday. Stuart is the son of Walter and Beverly Keener of Oswego and he is a 2009 graduate of Oswego High School.
Sunday was spent standing in line for hours to register, according to his father.

Read the entire story in this week’s Labette Avenue.

Art Ferguson of  rural Oswego is starting a new line of products. Art’s Wood Shop and Saw Mill of Oswego  is located at 14009 Scott Road.
Living in Vail, Ore., for over five years, Ferguson has been doing woodwork for 10 to 12 years and also farmed. He made violin cases for a year and a half and owned a fruit farm in California for 14 years.
Read more

Lindsey Pease, Chetopa, received FFA’s highest district award when she was named the District Star Greenhand Entrepreneur at the South East District awards banquet on Wednesday, April 16, at Girard High School.
Lindsey is the daughter of Wayne and Stephanie Pease of Chetopa. She has been an active member of Chetopa FFA since she was in seventh grade and is currently serving as Chapter FFA Secretary. She is a sophomore and carries a 4.0 GPA.
To be eligible for the award, Lindsey had to participate in a Supervised Agriculture Experience (SAE). Lindsey chose the area of Specialty Animal production. She currently has a goat herd consisting of 53 Boer does and two Boer bucks, along with a large number of kids on the ground. The meat goats are marketed as show projects for 4-H and FFA youth.
Read more

Reigning over the Oswego High School Prom last weekend were King Derek Ward and Queen Johna Gililand.

Any day Tuesday through Friday after 3 p.m., one can see bicycles, skateboards, roller blades, and other kinds of kid transportation in front of the Oswego Public Library. Now, this doesn’t mean a dozen or so, but a slough of kids converge on the Library (particularly on Tuesday and Friday). It is the teen and pre-teen center.
If you go into the library, you will see nearly every table full and, of course, every computer is in action. There are young people everywhere–even some sitting on the floor. Read more

SOUTHERN LABETTE COUNTY ELECTION RESULTS Read more

It’s a family affair at Schenker Family Farms near McCune, and one that has not gone unnoticed.
Kevin and Cherie Thomas-Schenker are fifth generation farmers who raise beef, pork and lamb and market it direct to the consumer, delivering and shipping coast to coast.  In addition, the Schenkers offer a variety of all-natural preserves, pickles, relishes and raw clover honey.
The farm just became the first in Kansas to be awarded the Certified Naturally Grown designation for livestock.
“Many local farmers understand the importance of a good quality, all-natural product. I feel very fortunate that we are the first farm in Kansas to earn this designation,” Kevin Schenker, owner said.
The CHG Standards and growing requirements are no less strict than the USDA National Organic Program rules. The primary difference between Certified Naturally Grown and the USDA Organic program is cost to farmers.
The CNG Standards prohibit the use of chemical pesticides and herbicides on the farm and within a 20 feet buffer zone surrounding it. Although the antibiotics are prohibited in animals processed for consumption under the CNG label, vaccines are required to maintain the good health of the animals.
The standards emphasize a more sustainable form of agriculture which is much safer for the environment and for humans.
The cost of the new USDA program - both in terms of money and paperwork requirements - is too much for many small farmers to afford. This is even more true for farmers that grow a wide range of crops all at once. The paperwork takes more time for multi-crop farmers than large agribusiness mono-crop farms.
Certified Naturally Grown was created as a grassroots alternative to the USDA Organic program. It was created by small farmers, for small farmers, and is being run by the same group of farmers that created, nurtured and grew the Organic label to such phenomenal public recognition and acceptance over many decades.
“Our family has followed the organic guidelines for our livestock for years. This designation just reinforces the importance of what we do and how we operate,” said Cherie Schenker, co-owner.
Schenker Family Farms just released a new catalog to promote its Certified Naturally Grown products across the U.S.
“People have always valued farm fresh, all-natural products and the immense flavor those products have to offer. We have the good fortune of being a part of that rapidly growing market,” Schenker said.
It has not been an easy process for the Schenkers. It took years of working two jobs for them to save up enough money to begin renovations on the family farm to begin the process, not to mention obtain the appropriate state and federal licensing. Although the farm is their first love, the Schenkers still have regular jobs off the farm, at least for now. Cherie has been an instructor at Penn Valley Community College since 1999 and Kevin is an officer in the Kansas Army National Guard.  In addition, the two stay busy with their four children and are very active in their church and community.
“The organic and certified natural market is a rapidly growing market, but it is definately not for the faint of heart.  It seems like there is always another expense related to expansion and meeting customer needs,” said C. Schenker. “We are continually improving our facilities to help meet our customers’ demands and the needs related to livestock production and handling,” K. Schenker said.
In addition to shipping products coast to coast, Schenker Family Farms also offers home and office delivery in most metropolitan areas in Kansas and Missouri.
“We have learned the hard way that two people cannot do everything by themselves—there simply are not enough hours in the day,” Schenker said. “Our farm hands and our family are life savers.  Our business would not be where it is without them.”
Schenker Farms hires area youth in the Spring and Summer to assist with various types of farm work. Last year, they hired two people. This year, they hope to hire three or four.
With their business growing, they plan to bring in additional family members and friends to help keep up with the demand for beef, pork and lamb.  “Eventually, we will reach a point that we are limited by the acres we own in raising animals. Some of our family members are willing to step up to the plate and follow our farming practices and high animal husbandry standards to help supply our customers’ demand,” said C. Schenker.
For more information, check out www.schenkerfarms.com or www.naturallygrown.org.

Scott and Regina Riley will be opening a 4,000 square foot Oswego Fitness Center at 1025 Commercial (next door north of the Dollar General Store). The new facility will be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week and will have car key entry. Classes will be offered.
Oswego Fitness Center will have a weight lifting machine, free weights, cardio eliptical treadmills, stair steppers, and Recumbent bikes (comfy ones).
The Center will be open on April 4. The Chamber of Commerce is hosting a Grand Opening on that date. A trainer, David Olson, will be present to assist with a workout program and train in the use of the equipment.
The public is invited to come without obligation to the Grand Opening just to see what’s available. Membership information will be available at the Grand Opening.
Regina Riley says, “I’m excited about having a fitness center in Oswego. Now, residents will not have to drive to another town to have fitness equipment available.”
The Rileys also want to thank the Assembly of God Youth for their help in painting the building. It was an awesome job they did in one day.
Area residents are encouraged to support this new business in Oswego.