Bits and Pieces is a feature of the Prairie Star website that is a reflection of our printed “Notes from the Prairie” published each week.  Upcoming meetings and notices are published here each week.  These are updated on the website each week, just after publication. Read more

Graduation ceremonies are set for this weekend, as the Elk Valley High School class of 2010 will award diplomas to 10 graduates. Commencement exercises will be held at 3 p.m. on Saturday, May 8 at the Elk Valley High School Gymnasium.

Baccalaureate will be held prior to commencement at 2 p.m., followed by a short break. The eighth grade graduation will also be held in conjunction with the senior graduation.

Those seniors graduating with the 2010 class at EVHS are Denise Beaumont, Dustin Fisher, Jakob Holley, Joey Englebrecht, Justin Wallace, Macel McDow (salutatorian), Michele Gilbert, Robert Walker, Tosha Wade (valedictorian), and Will Bennett.

Gregory Gregory doesn’t stutter when he says his name. It happens many times each day when he meets someone, flashes that big smile and offers a welcome handshake.

“Hi, my name is Gregory Gregory,” he will say, “but if you want to drop one of the Gregorys, that’s OK — I’ve got an extra one.”

The Somers Point, N.J. resident was in Sedan last week to unload a large trailer that was filled with fire-fighting equipment that he had collected from FDs in his home area. There were helmets, fire coats, boots, an exhaust fan, a commercial saw that cuts through metal and lots more — all previously used but still in excellent condition.

He also handed a check for $850 to J. Waller, president of the Sedan Chamber of Commerce for yellow bricks he had sold to his friends in New Jersey.

He had been to Sedan before, but this was the first time it was not a hunting trip. He has been a patron of Mark Jones and his Kansas Trophy Hunts guide service.

On a recent visit, he and his son became acquainted with Elroy Smith, Sedan fire chief who told Gregory that his department operates with a yearly budget of $8,000. That makes it difficult to buy new fire equipment, annual fuel costs consuming a large share of the annual budget.

That’s when Gregory who owns a bar/restaurant in Somers Point, and a frequent host on a local radio show, turned into an advocate for Sedan, Kansas.

He talked to firefighters he knew in the area and learned they had lots of surplus equipment stashed in their back rooms, so he talked them into loading bunches of it into his trailer. Then he and his wife, Patty, made the two-day drive to Sedan and unloaded it in the local fire barn.

Local folks were ecstatic.

The Sedan Chamber of Commerce and Sedan Area Economic Development Committee presented Gregory with certificates of appreciation and Sedan Mayor Tim HIlls gave the visitor a key to the city. Businesses up and down Main Street displayed handmade signs that proclaimed “Thank you, Gregory Gregory!”

RuthAnn Lovelady, activities director at Pleasant Valley Manor, presented Gregory with a “hobo pack” and a poem.

Gregory was astounded when he arrived at the fire barn. “I thought we were just going to meet the volunteer firefighters and unload the equipment,” he said. “This is amazing.”

But perhaps the biggest news was the announcement that Sedan is a finalist in national competition sponsored by E-Com, one of the world’s leading designers, manufacturers and marketers of fire rescue vehicles, to win a fire truck worth more than $170,000.

“I’m not connected with E-One and I’m not even a firefighter,” said Gregory. “But when I heard about this company and its firetruck give-away program, I immediately thought of Sedan. So I got in touch with Chief Smith and we worked together writing an essay. And now we’re one of seven finalists.”

More than 3,000 essays were submitted according to E-One’s website (E-One.com).

The winner will be chosen by on-line votes and there is a scramble among Sedan civic leaders to get everyone to visit the E-One.com website and cast a vote for Sedan.

Lest anyone think Sedan’s small size is a disadvantage, all seven of the finalists are extremely small in population:
• Sedan, Kansas.
• Leiters Ford, Ind.
• Luther, Okla.
• Owens Cross Road, Ala.
• Poverty Creek, N.M.
• Wetmore, Mich.

A digital edition of Prairie Star with instant computer access each Wednesday morning is being announced today.

The “e-edition” is a concept utilized by hundreds of newspapers around the world and test editions in the past two months have found it to be well accepted by Prairie Star readers.

“We are excited about adding this product to our existing venues for keeping up with local happenings,” said editor Jenny Diveley.

“What I like most about the e-edition is that it will come to you by email — you won’t have to go searching for it.” Read more

The 2010 West Elk FFA Spring Shodeo is scheduled for this Thursday night, April 29 at 6:15 p.m. at the Howard Rodeo Grounds.  FFA members are looking forward to being involved in this activity which tests their livestock skills against some of the best livestock in the county.

Nathan Cooley, the West Elk FFA President for 2009-2010 said, “We are very excited to share our shodeo between the Moline Rodeo Grounds in the fall and the Howard Rodeo Grounds in the spring.”

Many people help make the shodeo a success each season. Wineglass Ranch (Gene, Jan, and Ken Kelly) provides the cows for cow riding and wild cow milking and the calves for paint branding/calf dressing/roping and tie down. Lightning J Ranch (Steve and Sissy Julian) provide the roping steers. J. B. Cannon has been a great asset as our judge for the evening and the Elk County Extension Council loans us their panels to use every year.

Some of the events that will be participated in on Thursday night include: Tire Hang, Goat Tie Down, Calf Tie Down, Barrels, Poles, Flag Race, Calf Roping, Team Roping, Calf Undressing, Cow Riding, Chute Dogging, Wild Cow Milking, Paint Branding and Calf Dressing.

The Howard Fair Board will be serving concessions and admission is free to everyone.

Rick Bunyard’s Honey removed four beehives from the Elk County Courthouse in Howard last Tuesday and Wednesday, April 20-21.

Rick, who lives at Severy, along with Billy Bunyard of Howard and Gary Bert Jr., Severy, climbed to the eves of the courthouse to transfer the bees to a new home.

Rick explained that his process is to get the queen bee out and into a box, and the rest of the bees will follow.  Bunyard then takes the bees out into the country to pollinate in a new area.

“Without bees, there would be no flowers, no fruit trees, or vegetables, therefore no human life,” Rick said.

The hives measured anywhere between the largest at 6’ x 2’ x 1 ½’ to the smaller being 2’ x 3’ x 1 ½.”   Billy said there is no way to determine how many bees were captured.  Two swarms were found in the bell tower, and two more in the second floor soffits.  They extracted almost 13 gallons of eatable honey with comb, and at least 25 gallons of old comb.

The county had to rent a man-lift in order to reach the hives.  These particular bees will be released in rural Elk County.

It’s that time of year! Get your cleaning grubs on, don your rubber gloves and get busy organizing.

The Sedan Area Chamber of Commerce Annual City Wide Yard Sale is Friday, May 7 and Saturday, May 8.  See more information in a complete story elsewhere in today’s Prairie Star.

The Moline City Wide Garage Sales will be held April 30 and May 1. Contact the City Office to be put on map at 647-3665.

The City of Longton will have a city-wide garage sale on Friday and Saturday, April 23 and 24. Maps will be available at Kirk’s Mini-Mart, Longton Grocery and Rick & Debbie’s Cafe. Participants are encouraged to contact City Hall to be put on the map free of charge. Rain dates are April 30 and May 1.

Two area high schools are filled with excitement this week for the upcoming weekend prom festivities.

The Elk Valley Jr.-Sr. Prom will be held this Saturday, with walk-in beginning at 5:30 p.m., and dinner following at 6 p.m.  This year’s prom theme at Elk Valley is “The Afterglow.”  The public is invited to come view the prom attendees as they arrive for prom.

The West Elk Jr.-Sr. Prom will also be held this Saturday.  The theme this year is “A Night on the Ocean Floor.”  Pictures will begin at 6 p.m., followed by promenade at 7 p.m., and the prom from 8-11 p.m.  After-prom activities will be held beginning at 11:30 p.m.

This year’s prom prince and princess candidates are Sabetha Young, Cortney Miller, Kailey Townsley, Sydney Hines, Cole Mull, Michael Craig, Luke Stewart, and Ty Roebuck.  Candidates for prom king and queen are Natasha Harper, Denim Lanning, Jennifer Eldridge, Leigh Campter, Nathan Cooley, David Townsley, Cody Jones, and Kaitlin Wilson.

State Rep. Jeff King, R-Independence, will hold a listening tour throughout Montgomery, Elk, and Chautauqua counties at the following locations beginning today (Thursday).

Area patrons are invited to any of the tour locations:
• Thursday, April 22: Montgomery County Judicial Center basement in Independence, 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
• Monday, April 26: Niotaze City Hall, 7:30 a.m. to 8:15 a.m.; Peru Truck Stop, 8:30 a.m. to 9:15 a.m.;  Chautauqua Senior Citizens Center in Chautauqua, 9:30 a.m. to 10:15 a.m.; Buck’s BBQ in Sedan, 10:30 a.m. to 11:15 a.m.
• Tuesday, April 27: Howard City Library, 8 a.m. to 9 a.m.; Grenola Senior Center, 9:30 a.m. to 10:15 a.m.; Moline Community Center -10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.; Elk Falls Senior Center, 12:30 p.m. to 1:15 p.m.; Longton Senior Center, 1:30 p.m. to 2:15 p.m.; Elk City Community Center, 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. Read more

A “Wake Up America” rally is set for Saturday, April 24, in the Severy school auditorium and the event will be open to the public.

Local sponsors of the town hall event say that speakers will include Gary  Benefield, Larry Halloran, Dale Chafee and Derrick Sontag.

Benefield will speak on behalf of the National Rifle Association. Halloran will represent the I-Caucus. Chafee will talk about the Fair Tax and Sontag will represent Americans for Prosperity.

Several candidates for public office have indicated they may attend. They include Todd Tiahart for U.S. Senator, Jim Anderson for Fourth Dist. Representative, Kris Kobach for Kansas Secretary of State and David Powell for Kansas Insurance Commissioner.

The candidates will be available for questions and answers.

Doors will open at 10 a.m. and a light lunch will be served on the premises.

For information about the Wake Up America rally, contact one of the following: Julaine Hilton 620 736-2096, or Gene Perkins 620 374-2045.

The Sedan Jr.-Sr. Prom will be held this Saturday, April 17, at Sedan High School.  This year’s theme, “A Walk Through Wonderland” is loosely based on the Alice In Wonderland movie.

The junior class will be busy decorating for the prom on Saturday, followed by walk-in at 6 p.m., and prom at 7 p.m.  A meal will be served those in attendance, followed by the prom dance.

It may be a tight squeeze on timing, but the USD 282 West Elk Board of Education still plans to move all instructional activity to the Howard campus in August, it was confirmed at Monday night’s board meeting.

Supt. Corey Reese said approval still has not been granted by the Kansas State Department of Education to pay for the modular classrooms that will be a central part of the move, but he anticipates such approval to be made by May.

“It’s a pretty straight forward process,” said Reese. “We’re typically not allowed to spend money Read more

The Elk County Community Choir has been busy preparing for their next Singspiration, “Because He Lives!” which will be held this Saturday, April 17 at 7 p.m., at the Howard United Methodist Church.  Refreshments will be served following the performance.

The group is honored to have Linda Shilts-Baum as director for this event. Linda is musical director for the West Elk School district.

The Elk County Community Choir was founded with a desire to pull the local church community together. They had a vision to bring in people from all over the area to form a choir that would present a singspiration two times a year and contribute some special performances as requested.

The choir is comprised of approximately 50 people representing 12 churches and is excited that their current singspiration includes two area youth.

As always, in addition to the regular program the group will have several specials mixed in the choir’s performance.

A new family life center will be constructed at the south edge of Howard soon, following groundbreaking ceremonies held Sunday.

The Flint HIlls Assembly of God is planning the facility which mostly will be a large gymnasium-like building, along with smaller rooms to be used for various purposes.
The church will continue to utilize its present worship building and sanctuary located at 115 N. Wabash in Howard. Read more