The Altamont City Council met in their newly expanded meeting room last Thursday evening, Dec. 10. The wall between the old meeting room and the room to the east was removed nearly doubling the space. Improved lighting and carpeting were installed. The public is invited to attend a meeting and see the new facilities. Read more

The Idle Hour Lake / Louis P. Gartner Recreational Area, located 3 ½ miles south of Altamont has become a reality after its conception 84 years earlier. The lake is located along what now is called Ness Road. Read more

Finally, Altamont gets its new grocery store. Since the first of the year, Dean and Debbie Fouts have been working on their new store.
According to Debbie, the store will be housed in three 100-year-old buildings which needed a lot of repair before the store could be opened. The volunteers who came from everywhere in large numbers have helped tremendously to get the store open.
Read more

By Marna Taylor
LABETTE AVENUE

The Reliable Medical Supply of 416 S. Huston, Altamont, has a new owner, Mark Jackson, who originally hails from Coffeyville. Mark took over the business on May 1 from former owner, Dave Jackson (not related).
Due to the present economic downturn, small urban towns are struggling with more and more of their businesses closing or relocating to larger cities resulting in many vacancies in downtown districts. Mark Jackson, who grew up locally, decided a small town was just where he needed to have his business.

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

Click on the icon to view a brief video from the Altamont Flag Day Parade.

 

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The Altamont will hosts its annual celebration of Flag Day on Saturday, June 14.
The Altamont Flag Day committee, along with Dianna Wells and Amanda Pierce, organizers, announce the following activities this year: Fire Department will be offering  biscuits and gravy breakfast, from 6-9 a.m. 5K and one mile fun run will start at 7:30 a.m.
Read more

Elsie Vail is turning 90!
Join us in celebrating her special birthday
Sunday, Dec. 14, 2008
2 to 4 p.m.
Senior Citizens’ Center
414 Huston Street, Altamont, Kan.
(Dessert and Refreshments will be served).
Regrets only (913) 907-4120 or ryandcraig@gmail.com
If you are unable to attend and you would like to send a card,
send to: Belinda Vail, 4722 Somerset, Prairie Village, KS 66207

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.

Everything is set for the annual Flag Day celebration in Altamont on Saturday, June 14.
Amanda Pierce and Dianna Wells said more than $1,200 in prizes will be given away during the day’s events. Some of the prizes will include a $100 gas card, 20 inch microwave oven, lots of camping equipment, a 3.1 cu. ft. refrigerator, three weather radios, a children’s bicycle and numerous other gifts.
They said prizes are still being collected so there are sure to be more by the time everyone arrives for Saturday’s activities
The day will start with the serving of biscuits and gravy in the fire department starting at 6:30 a.m and serving until 9. A full order will be $2 and a half order for $1.
A horseshoe tournament has been scheduled at 10 a.m. in the city park and registration will begin at 9 a.m.
Steve Strasser (784-2502) will be in charge of the horseshoe event.
Booths will open in the downtown area from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and a quilt show will be held from 8 a.m. to 12 noon.
Leroy and Leona Hamilton were chosen as Flag Day Sweethearts and they will be featured in the parade which begins at 11 a.m. Those wishing to enter the parade should line up behind Harrison Auditorium.
The Grand Marshall for this year’s parade will be Tom Reazin.
Kids’ games will be played from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the downtown area and there will be free inflatables for the children to enjoy.
Moon walks and an obstacle with slide will be set up behind Twin Valley Electric.
Live entertainment will be featured from 1 to 4 p.m. and prize drawings will be held at 4 p.m. in the fire department.
A free bean feed, sponsored by the United Methodist preschool, will be served at 6 p.m.
Rick Cook and his band will play at a free street dance starting at 7 p.m. It will be held inside the fire department in case of rain.