The Special Board of Education Meeting on Tuesday, July 12th began at 4:00 pm with much conversation on the proposed five year strategic plan for the school district.

Dr. Corbin Witt, Superintendent, shared the five year “Strategic Objectives and Organization Goals”.

“The more consistency you have, the better; it allows us to focus more,” said Witt.

Witt expressed that the plan would be a collaborative set of goals for both the District and the Board.

The plan, which focus on six main categories with supplemental goals supporting each, was bookmarked for discussion at the Tuesday evening meeting. Witt suggested having time to review it and plan a motion for the next meeting.

The categories in the goals include:

1. High Student Achievement
2. Effective and Valuble Communication
3. Highly Effective Staff
4. Maximized Resources
5. Culture of Shared Responsibility and Effective Partnerships with Families, Communities and Businesses
6. Safe, Sustainable, Healthy, and Respectful School Community

A culture vs. climate battle ensued at the meeting, when trying to agree on the goals and the message being sent across the district.

“We hire staff that fit the culture of the district,” said Witt in response to the objection of the use of the word culture in the goal:  Create an engaging and welcoming school district culture where our diverse students, stafff, parents, and cimmunity members feel valued, respected and included.

Witt went on to further state that [they] didn’t want to hire people who would potentially change the culture.

Tom Brungardt, Board member, objected to that stating, “New people can mold a culture…if you hire people to fit the culture there is no growth.”

Brungardt went on to say that creating a culture is like manipulating peope to make them feel like they’re comfortable; but climate is something that can’t be created.”

The specifics on the word usage in this goal and others were also bookmarked for the next meeting.

 

 

Gun contol – an issue that has garnered significant national attention in the era of mass shootings and homegrown terrorists.

According to americangunfacts.com, every year, “guns are used over 80 times more often to protect a life than to take one.”

In an article published June 13th, 2016 by the NY Times, the writers Kevin Quealy and Margot Sanger-Katz wrote, “In the United States, the death rate from gun homicides is about 31 per million people — the equivalent of 27 people shot dead every day of the year”

Lonnie Clark, Representative for the 65th District in Kansas, says that he’s against changing the Constitution but there do need to be some changes in current gun laws.

“I’m a pro gun rights person, 2nd Amendment rights – it is a Constitutional right of Americans and I’m against changing the Constitution for anything; but as far as background checks go, I don’t have a problem with that to make sure that we gets guns out of the hands of people who are felons…but I think if you’re an American citizen in good standing, and you pass a background check, there’s no reason for you not to be able to exercise your 2nd Amendment rights,” said Clark.

Not all felons are violent, however, and Clark said that it wouldn’t be up to him to determine exceptions for felons legally owning guns.

“I’m not an attorney, so I don’t know the ramifications of opening up the felon charges on what’s right and what’s wrong; I’d leave that up to the courts,” said Clark.

Tony Wolf, Geary County Sheriff said that he thinks gun owners should be held to a mandatory training in order to obtain a weapon.

Wolf gave the following example, “If a kid turns 21 years of age today, walks in to a gun store and he’s never been exposed to  weapons in his life…but the reason that he wants to buy [one] is because a buddy of his has one and he thinks its cool. So he buys that gun, buys a holster, buys some ammunition and he puts it on and walks out in to the street – how fair is that to that kid? How fair is that to the general public that’s around him?”

Wolf goes on further explaining his concern with the current gun laws, “…that was the one thing I wanted when they changed the law was to keep some of the training in there, so that you at least have some kind of a card that [states] that you have attended some type of training as to how to carry that gun, when to shoot and when a don’t shoot situation arises.”

Representative Clark agreed with Wolf stating, “I don’t see any problem with anybody that wants to own a gun having to know how to operate and handle that gun in a safe manner.”

Clark goes on to state that he was an adolescent when he was first trained on using a weapon and when he obtained his “concealed carry [permit] in the state of Kansas” he went through a training course.

Another hot button when it comes to gun ownership surrounds the mentally ill/handicapped.

“The medical information act is so stringent on what you can release about people’s mental capacities or conditions that it limits what law enforcement can do in terms of adding those people to a checklist (per se) that would go through the background checks,” said Clark.

And while Clark stands with every American in”good standing” having the right to gun ownership he goes to on to state, “I’m certainly not for having people with mental challenges having access to guns – it’s not because of their civil rights, but because of their mental state.”

Republican Presidential candidate Donald Trump was very outspoken after the shooting in San Bernardino, CA and the gay club attack in Orlando stating that someone that was once on a ‘no fly’ list and investigated by the FBI should have ever been able to legally purchase a gun.

Representative Clark commented on that saying, “That’s an issue of the databases being shared; I don’t think that anybody that is on a ‘no fly’ list as being a suspected terrorist – I don’t know of any reasonable thinking person that would agree that they shouldn’t be limited on whether or not they can purchase a gun or not….that’s an issue that goes in to our database and who we make access to that database. I think that’s a correctable problem and more than anything else, it was probably an oversight.”

Should there be limitations on potential gun owners?

Should mandatory training once again be a part of the laws in Kansas?

What do you think about the gun control issue? Sound off in the comments below.

When the Land Bank was formed in Junction City there were about 940 vacant housing lots included in it.

Mayor Mick McCallister said Friday about 30 lots have been sold at a bargain price at  $1,000 per lot. “When we sell those lots we get a little bit of money back on the sale of the lot but then we also get the money back on the specials.  And that’s what’s very important to the community is to be able to repay those specials, because otherwise we’re paying those out of sales tax, we’re paying those out of bonded indebtedness.”

McCallister added, “we’re moving forward.”

Most of the vacant lots are on the west and northwest sides of Junction City.

The annual Junction City Rodeo is scheduled July 15 and 16 at the arena just off Spring Valley Road on the west side of the city.

It is one of the largest open rodeos in Kansas. Events in the rodeo will range from saddle broncs and bareback riding to bull riding. Kids Event will include the calf scramble, mutton busting, mini bull riding and junior barrel racing.

Entertainment will include Johnny dudley, a Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association entertainer. He performs comedy skits.

Geary County has installed RV hookups for electricity at the Arena grounds. Those with RV’s can use them during the rodeo.

Kansas Department of Health and Environment test results from Milford Lake samples taken this past Tuesday indicate lower levels of blue green algae cells lakewide in all zones.

But the Corps of Engineers said the following status will be in effect until next week’s results are available.

–Zone A ( sound of Milford Lake ) – watch

–Zone B ( middle portion )  – remains in a warning

–Zone C ( north end ) – remains in a warning

Designated beaches operated by the Corps of Engineers and Milford State Park will be open.

In a warning direct water contact is discouraged such as jet skiing and swimming, but boating and fishing are permitted.

The Corps said as a reminder, blue green algae may be spotty and move as the wind shifts. Boaters should use cautiuon and move to a clear portion of the lake.

The Big Red One soldier reported missing a few weeks ago was found dead on July 1st on Fort Riley.

Spc. Oscar Delgado, a fire control repairer from San Francisco, assigned to Company B, 101st Brigade Support Battalion, 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, First Infantry Division, was 26 years old.

Delgado has been in Fort Riley since October 2014 after joining the army in March of that year.

His awards and decorations include:  the Army Achievement Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Global War Terrorism Service Medal and the Army Service Ribbon. Delgado had not deployed.

Delgado was reported missing on June 26 by his unit and the incident remains under investigation by special agents from the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command.

Lt. Colonel Michael Post, Commander of the 101st Brigade Support Battalion said the following:  “Our thoughts are with the family of Spc. Delgado. We will continue to provide support to Oscar’s family as we grieve the loss of one of our own and come to terms with this tragedy.”

Sheridan Elementary School in Junction City is the site of extensive summer construction.

USD 475 officials report that the district is adding an addition to the facility that will serve both as a storm shelter and provide classroom space. It will provide teachers and support staff the space for more one-on-one attention for students who need it.

The new addition will also provide a bigger space for larger groups. A parking lot expansion is also under way at Sheridan Elementary School.

LaDonna Junghans was unanimously voted the Board Of Education President for the 2016-2017 school year.

“I’m very honored to be in [that] position and I appreciate their vote of confidence,” said Junghans.

Junghans spoke briefly about her goals as president.

“The main goal, as always, is our students and how we can best educate them, support our students and support our parents, and bring our community together with our teachers as families – that’s my main goal, and it’s always been there and will continue to be; our Board of Education is here to set policy to help educate our students and that’s my centered goal,” said Junghans.

Junghans was nominated for President by Dr. Ferrell Miller and that nomination was seconded by Carolyn Gaston.

Outgoing President Brian Field praised the Board after congratulating his successor.

“I think the President is only as good as the Board, and we have an outstanding Board,” he began. “It was an honor to represent them…though [you’re] the spokesperson, we have a fantastic Board and everything we accomplished over this last year was just a full cooperation of everybody and on everyone’s input.”

Field’s words of advice/encouragement to Junghans:  “Be flexible, things pop up all the time….a lot of people don’t always realize the time that we put in as Board members…becuase we have to make informed and educated decisions and we have our due dilligence to the community…when you’re President you have to be a little more prepared in some ways and you have to be flexible.”

Dr. Ferrell Miller was voted Vice President, nominated by outgoing President Brian Field.

Carolyn Gaston nominated Anwar Khoury for the Vice President position and he declined that nomination.

The Board of Education meets on July 12 at the Larry Dixon Center at 4:00 pm, and again on Monday, August 1st at 5:00pm for the monthly meeting.

The fireworks show at Sundown Salute Monday night in Junction City came to an abrupt end when an accident occurred about four-fifths of the way through the show.

According to Sundown Salute Coordinator Sharon Glessner the owner of the company providing the fireworks show, Roger Bennett , Junction City, was injured by an errant fireworks shell.

Glessner stated, “We were doing great and then one of the shells kind of exploded on the owner’s ankle kind of, so Roger has second degree burns on his ankle. But he refused transport ( to a hospital ). He’s going to be fine. He’ll be in pain for a couple of days but he’ll be okay.”

Glessner noted the accident occurred about 12-minutes into the 15-minute show.

Glessner noted it was scary. “We all ran really fast because we didn’t know what happened. We just heard that somebody got hurt and something blew up, so didn’t know what we were going to get. But he is fine.” An ambulance, fire truck, police and Glessner responded to the accident scene at the Sixth Street viaduct.

The large crowd in the Heritage Park and Sixth and Washington area downtown waited for a few minutes, but the fireworks did not resume. Eventually they gradually began to leave the downtown area.

The Sundown Salute annual Freedom Run is a long standing tradition that encompasses the meaning of “community”.

The heavy favorite in the men’s 5k race, Joe Moore, 32, of Keats, KS said that this is more about tradition than it is about winning.

“I’ve been coming to this race since I was probably a baby – my dad has done it almost every single Fourth of July since the early 80s. I remember running the one mile Fun Run back in the day…it’s a tradition for a lot of people, but especially me and my family to come to Junction City on the Fourth of July and do this race,” said Moore.

Moore finished first overall in the 5k with a time of 16:30, roughly a 5:19 mile pace.

The Melgares family from Manhattan, KS won big at the Freedom Run with top finishers in every division in which they competed.

Chris Melgares, 20, a student-athelete at Kansas Univeristy won the 10k in a time of 31:18, or 5:03 mile pace.

 

Little brother Michael, 19, was the 2nd overall finisher in the 5k with a time of 16:48, or 5:25 mile pace; and seventeen year old younger sister Cara was the first female finisher in the 5k race in a time of 20:37, or 6:38 mile pace.

Mama Melgares – Susan, 49 – was the 2nd overall female finisher in the 5k with a time of 23:19, or 7:31 mile pace.

Susan said that she is very proud of all her children, but this was more about having fun as a family than winning.

“It’s just a really fun family tradition coming over here and regardless of where people place, it’s nice to see their hard work pay off; but the better thing is [that] it is something we can all do together and enjoy together,” said Susan Melgares.

Echoing the sense of community was  50 year old Betty Sunnenberg who completed her 5k with her fitness goals in mind.

“It was amazing,” Sunnenberg began recalling hearing everyone cheer her along the race and as she came up the home stretch. “It was a lot of support, I belong to Audiofit (fitness group based out of Manhattan) and they all came out to support me…It just means a lot, it’s a lot of encouragement to keep going on my journey.”

Sunnenberg finished her 5k in a time of 56:13 as she  continues to muster toward her weight loss and fitness goals.

Thirty nine year old Jamie Jones says that this 5k was a good starting point for her on her fitness journey.

“That was a great feeling,” said Jones speaking on the way everyone cheered her to the finish. “I’ve never run a marathon before so I decided that this could be my first attempt at trying something like this, and the other part of this was a personal goal to just get out there and see what I can do.”

Ella Moloney, 69, also felt the sense of community during her 5k run.

“It was awesome, I mean really awesome to run down the street and have people cheer you on,” said Moloney.

Moloney’s daughters and grandchildren also ran as 45 members of her family cheered her on.

The unique thing about Junction City is that when you are a part of anything that takes place in town, you too, become a part of the community.

On this Fourth of July Monday – a celebration of our Independence and sovereignty – the love of community, something that the National news will tell you we are lacking, was on a magnificient display at the 2016 Freedom Run.