HILLSBORO Star-Journal

Family prepares for move to Kazakhstan

At a time of the year when most people are thinking about putting away snow pants and cold weather clothing, Cameron Kahlua of Hillsboro is looking for “grow sizes” of winter clothing for her five children. In five months, Kahlua and husband, Kevin, are planning to move their family to Almaty, Kazakhstan where they will teach English in an American International School. “We like adventure,” Kahlua said. “I grew up in the Congo going to an American International School. Kevin is Hawaiian. We have always known someday we wanted to get jobs overseas. It is just a surprise that things fell into place so quickly right now.”

Hillsboro students to get more hands-on learning

Graham Pankratz showed off his projectile, which he made in his engineering class, to the USD 410 school board Tuesday. “I loved this class,” he told the board members. “It’s my favorite I’ve taken so far.”

Goessel board focuses on personnel

For several months, the key focus of USD 411 board of education has been on facility improvements. That issue remains front and center with a bond issue vote coming April 2, but at Monday’s meeting, personnel took center stage. “We accept the resignation of Brian Stucky who has taught art in our district for 34 years,” Superintendent John Fast said. “He has been an incredible asset to our school in terms, not only as an art teacher, but also for his contributions in coaching, his love and knowledge of history, the books he has authored, and the way he has connected with our students.”

Kapaun to receive Medal of Honor

Eugene Vinduska, 82, of Pilsen said he was grateful to know Father Emil J. Kapaun when he pastored St. John Nepomucene Catholic Church. “He was a hero in the war,” he said. “But he wasn’t a hero here. When he was living here, he was just an ordinary one of us. I saw him in the grocery store, at the church and mowing the lawn. He served the community. I remember many times when he would sacrifice his lunch hour to chaperone us when we were playing outside. He taught me how to play soccer.”

LaVonne Ammeter

LaVonne Rose Gillet Ammeter was born March 21, 1930, to Roy Gillet and Hester (Clark) Gillet. LaVonne was the second of three siblings: Yvonne, who died at age 3 before LaVonne was born, and Donald. The family lived on a farm near Peabody for a few years and then moved to Summit Township. LaVonne graduated from Burns High School. While attending high school, LaVonne met the love of her life, Sherwin Ammeter. They were united in marriage on Jan. 15, 1948. LaVonne and Sherwin were blessed with four children: Myron, Melody, Blaine, and Stanley. They lived in rural Butler County for a short time before moving to a farmstead in Summit Township.

Stephen W. Fisher

Stephen W. Fisher, 53, of Bel Aire died March 4 at Via Christi-St. Joseph in Wichita. He was born April 30, 1959, in Big Spring, Texas, to Monte and Carolyn (Cave) Fisher. He was a computer scientist at Boeing for nearly 29 years. He graduated from Remington High School and Wichita State University. He married Magda Colón on June 19, 1999.

Alberta B. Harms

Alberta B. Harms, 84, of El Dorado and formerly of Potwin died March 5 at Susan B. Allen Memorial Hospital in El Dorado. She was born May 6, 1928, in southern Marion County to Otto and Esther (Gaines) Weber. She worked as a teacher for 35 years, mostly in first grade at Remington Elementary School.

LaVerna O. Miller

LaVerna O. Miller, 97, of Herington died March 5 at Wesley Medical Center, Wichita. She was born Oct. 25, 1915, to J. Edwin and Esther S. (Peterson) Carlson at the family home near Burdick. She was a homemaker and was involved with her church circle. She graduated from Diamond Valley High School, Burdick, in 1933.

James W. Muzyka

James W. Muzyka, 57, died March 7. He was born Jan. 11, 1957, in Queens, N.Y., the son of Michael and Sandra (Calacicco) Muzyka. He married Diane Bedford on Dec. 16, 1987. He is survived by his wife, Diane Muzyka, rural Peabody; one son, Chris Muzyka, Norfolk, Va.; one daughter, Katrina Muzyka, Wichita; one brother, Michael Muzyka, Bronx, N.Y., and one sister, Joan Lizzi, Debary, Fla.

Rosalie A. Wheeler

Rosalie A. “Ro” Wheeler, 83, of Sarasota, Fla., died Feb. 26. A memorial service for family and friends to celebrate her life will be at 11 a.m. Friday at Marion Presbyterian Church. Survivors include her sons: Edwin Jr., with his spouse, Cheri, of Marion, and Christopher, with his spouse Helena of Bethesda, Md.; five grandchildren; six great-grandchildren; one sister, Mariwilla (Bill) Lumb of Junction City, Kan.; and one brother, Rex Myers of Kansas City, Kan.

R. Floyd Woosley

R. Floyd Woosley, 92, of Herington died March 4 at Herington Municipal Hospital. He was born Aug. 1, 1920, in Herington to Elmer L. and Cecelia C. (Metty) Woosley. He was a mechanic and handyman. He served in the U.S. Army after graduating from Herington High School in 1938.

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Donkeys find home in farmers' hearts

Carol Duerksen and Maynard Knepp are typical Marion County farmers with a herd of 30 cattle and a flock of near 50 head of sheep at their rural Hillsboro farm. What is not so typical about their operation however, is the small herd of seven donkeys that grew in number by one last week. “We just have them,” Duerksen said on Sunday. “Maynard dreams of having a team of donkeys pull a cart someday, but we haven’t got that far yet. They are sweet animals, as long as you let them have their way.”

Planting trees keeps Hefley happy

While many other farmers are in the process of tearing out trees and burning brush piles to gain tillable land, Jon Hefley of rural Marion works steadily to plant and maintain rows and rows of trees and bushes in various stages of growth. “I do it because it makes a good windbreak for the farm,” Hefley said. “We need more wildlife habitat, not less. My wife, my daughter, and me — we love trees. It doesn’t bother me a bit that while everybody else is tearing them out, I am planting more trees. It’s something I really believe in and enjoy doing.”

Crop insurance a concern with Farm Bill

It is going to be more difficult to pass a Farm Bill this year that puts a priority on crop insurance, since Kansas won’t be represented on the Senate Agriculture Committee, said Mel Thompson, Ag Assistant to Sen. Pat Roberts. “Pat Roberts tried to educate everyone on the importance of crop insurance,” Thompson said. “The senators in Michigan and Mississippi deal with different crops then we do in Kansas. They don’t depend on crop insurance like Kansas farmers do. It’s going to be a battle — and we don’t know who’s going to win in the end.”

Crop assistance deadline is Friday

The application deadline for the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency for certain crops is Friday. Crops eligible for benefits are limited to those not insurable in the county and produced for food or fiber.

Futures depend on markets

The two top factors influencing 2013 crop markets will be the weather and potential for rebound in demand, which diminished last year with high prices, which were driven by the drought, Daniel O’Brien told growers at the Agriculture Information Meeting in Marion. “It all depends on what the market does,” the Kansas State University grain expert said. “If we continue to have a high demand, then we’ll have to produce enough to meet it. If that changes, though, who knows what we could see as far as prices are concerned. The projection just shows the expectation for the market. If the demand varies, you could see different results.”

County to seek storage plans

Marion County Commission Chairman Randy Dallke will consult with an expert on metal buildings about the possible construction of a storage building south of the new jail. The commission on Monday discussed construction of a building to store emergency communications trailers, as well as documents that are overcrowding portions of the courthouse.

Durham city chooses new accounting system

Durham City Council member Gary Unruh explained the Quick-Books computer program to members at the March 5 council meeting, hoping to improve city accounting methods. After discussion, a motion from Verlin Sommerfeld to use QuickBooks, and a second from Gene Duke, the motion carried.

Adapting to new postal realities

Living in a county divided into two area codes for phone service (785 and 620) is confusing enough. Having our county split up among three different postal sectional centers (668xx, 670xx and 674xx) has proved very problematic. Papers we dutifully mail each Wednesday sometimes don’t arrive until Saturday or later. Now, thanks to hard work by circulation manager Jean Stuchlik and excellent cooperation from local postmasters, we’re finally able to offer some hope.

LEGISLATIVE UPDATE:

Commodities available on Thursday

Senior centers in Marion County will begin distributing food commodities from U.S. Department of Agriculture on Thursday. Each site will distribute on its own schedule. Commodities are available based on income eligibility guidelines. The maximum income for a household of one to receive food is $1,211 per month. The income cap increases by $429 for each additional family member.

Hillsboro chamber sponsors egg hunt

The Hillsboro Chamber of Commerce is sponsoring an Easter egg hunt, “The Golden Egg Treasure Hunt” starting March 21. The hunt is for one egg hidden somewhere on public property within the city limits of Hillsboro. Clues will be available in chamber businesses and at the chamber office each business day starting March 21 until March 28.

St. Luke recognized by top report

A recent study by U.S. News & World Report named St. Luke Living Center as one of the top nursing homes in the country. “This is an incredible honor,” said St. Luke Living Center Director Janet Herzet. “It is a direct reflection of the commitment by our entire staff to provide quality care to each resident, every single day.”

Summer activity signups available

Sign-up forms are available for Hillsboro recreation commission activities. Activities include blast ball, t-ball, pitching machine baseball, Cottonwood Valley League baseball, Cottonwood Valley League softball, and swim team. Team placements are not guaranteed for baseball and softball after March 15 blast ball/t-ball/pitching machine after April 1, and swim team after April 25.

CDDO to meet

The board of directors of the Harvey-Marion County Community Developmental Disability Organization will hold its March meeting at 4 p.m. Monday at 500 N. Main, Suite 204, Newton. There will be opportunity for public forum.

Huelskamp accepting service nominations

Rep. Tim Huelskamp, R-Fowler, is accepting applications for nominations to military service academies. The deadline for submissions is Oct. 1. Applicants must be between the ages of 17 and 23. For more information, contact Huelskamp’s Hutchinson office at (620) 665-6138 or visit http://huelskamp.house.gov/nominations.

Funk brings community perspective to Goessel board

Kyle Funk does not have children in the Goessel school district but that allows him to bring a unique perspective to his position as the newest member of the USD 411 board of education. “I care about the future of our community,” Funk said. “I don’t have a biased opinion on where money should be spent and on what programs. I just bring to the board a perspective of someone who has lived and worked in the community my whole life and want to see our system succeed.”

Sommerfeld earns history degree

John Allen Sommerfeld earned a Bachelor of Science degree in history from Newman University in Dec. 2012. Sommerfeld, the son of Ernie and Mary Sommerfeld, plans to continue his education and pursue a career in historical research or related fields.

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Butler offers fun day classes

A free day of classes will be offered April 6 in Marion by Butler Community College, 412 N. Second St. 8:30-9:35 a.m. “KW’s Workout for Kids and Parents,” with certified fitness instructor Karen Williams, Room 202.

Schrag wins dental poster contest

Like many typical nine-year-olds, Timothy Schrag of Goessel loves building Legos, riding his bicycle, and drawing, among other things, but the Goessel third-grader recently gained a new appreciation for dentists. Schrag participated in a dental poster contest sponsored by Hesston Dentistry and learned Monday that, as the first place winner, he now has a $150 gift card to spend at Wal-Mart. “He is pretty excited about this,” Schrag’s father, Eric Schrag said. “He would like to get more Legos to build with his twin brother, Jacob, or he might put some money toward a new bicycle. He is still contemplating the options.”

Tabor scholarship endowed in coach's honor

Floyd E. Bergen, a 1962 alumnus of Tabor College in chemistry, has donated more than $1 million worth of stock to establish a basketball scholarship in honor of former Tabor men’s basketball coach Del Reimer. “I have thought for years how to honor the man who taught me so much while at Tabor, Dr. Del Reimer,” Bergen said. “It is my privilege to endow a scholarship in his honor as my coach and mentor.”

Middle school singers earn high marks

Hillsboro Middle School competed in the Central Kansas League vocal competition March at Lindsborg. The eighth-grade girls and boys and mixed ensemble 2 each received class II ratings. The mixed ensembles 1 and 3, choir, and seventh grade girls and boys received class I ratings.

Trojans win third at state

Following the Trojans’ 59-44 victory over Russell, the Hillsboro girls’ basketball team went to half court to receive their medals from the HHS cheerleaders. The players then hugged their parents. That was the extent of the celebration following the Trojans’ third-place victory on Saturday in Hutchinson. They had livelier post game revelries after most regular season affairs.

Goessel players named to Wheat State League teams

Jessica Harvey and Alex Hiebert were named First Team All-League basketball players on Monday for the 2012-13 season in the Wheat State League. Harvey and Hiebert, both seniors, led their team in scoring this year. In the boys’ division, Davis Cook earned First Team honors, and Trey Schmidt and Nic Buller were selected Honorable Mention All-League. Cook, Schmidt, and Buller are all seniors.

Wrestlers recognized for academics

The Hillsboro wrestling team received an all-academic honorable mention status for the 2012-13 school year. The Trojans were up for the team academic state championship.

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