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New exhibit will focus on Geary County history using the letters of the alphabet

By Dewey Terrill

JC Post

A new exhibit featuring Geary County history through the letters of the alphabet opens April 27th at the Geary County Historical Museum. The title is “G” is for Goat Gland: An Alphabetical History of Geary County.”

Museum Curator Heather Hagedorn explained in the “G” section of the exhibit the late Dr. John Brinkley will be featured including a goat gland operation he practiced at one time in Milford. “So the Brinkley part is going to be just one part of it. Every letter of the alphabet will be represented.” For examples under “C” there will be displays on celebrity sightings in Geary County and things dealing with homesteaders under the letter “H.” Some of the celebrities included will range from Buffalo Bill Cody to Wild Bill Hickok and Shirley Temple.

Under the letter “R” Rathert field will be covered. Hagedorn said, “We are working on a fun, interactive display for Rathert.” She added it should be a good part of the exhibit where you may want to take some photos.

Museum Director Katie Goerl noted at least six months of work will have gone into preparation of the exhibit by the time it opens.

East Ninth Street will be represented by the letter “N” explained Hagedorn. “That is actually one of the things that we are looking for community help with. We would love to have photos and objects from the businesses that were once on East Ninth Street as part of the exhibit.   Call Hagedorn at the museum if there is something you can contribute. The telephone number is 238-1666. Also, if there are some artifacts or photos from old Milford that existed before the Milford Lake Dam was built, those are also needed.

Under the letter “K” KJCK will be featured including some artifacts from the radio station. L is limestone representing the fact that there are limestone buildings in the area, and Washington is for Washington Street featuring artifacts from stores that have been or are on that street.

Goerl stated an interactive scavenger hunt is being planned in conjunction with the exhibit which will involve searching through the entire alphabet in the history of Geary County.

The exhibit will be for two years, with items donated on a two-year loan before they’ll be returned to the owners.  Hagedorn did note, however, if items need to be loaned for a shorter period of time museum officials will work with them.

 

MAC fundraiser

The Junction City – Geary County Military Affairs Council office has announced via social media that beginning this month there will be a silent auction held at every MAC breakfast. A barn quilt made by Junction City Commissioner Phyllis Fitzgerald will te sold at auction this month.

Half of the proceeds collected from the MAC Breakfast’s silent auctions will be used to help fund a military / veteran organization. The other half will be used for scholarships for students at Junction City High School.

The next MAC Breakfast is March 28th at the convention center. Rick Dykstra of the Geary County CVB will talk about the great outdoors in Geary County.

 

CASA prepares fundraiser

CASA ( Court Appointed Special Advocates ) of the 8th Judicial District will host a Cheers for CASA event on Saturday, March 23rd in Junction City at the George Smith Reception Hall.

CASA Executive Director Lisa Hatt said it will be a “blind wine tasting. Each team of two to three people will bring three bottles of the same wine. Everybody that gets to come is going to taste the wines and they’ll rate them, and then whichever team brings the winning wine that everybody thinks tastes the best they take one bottle of all the different wines that are brought there as a prize.”

There will also be a 50-50 raffle, silent auction and door prizes.

The funds raised will be used to support the local abused, neglected and trafficked children served by CASA. Casa volunteers serve as a voice in the courtroom for children.

CASA of the 8th Judicial District serves Geary, Dickinson, Morris and Marion counties.

Flint Hills Regional Conference

There will be a Flint Hills Regional Conference in Junction City April 24th.

This is an event being held under the auspices of the Flint Hills Regional Council. Agenda topics will range from discussion about collaboration between military installations & surrounding communities to transportation, economic development and surrounding communities. There will also be discussion on regional demographics. regional health and the economic impacts of climate change.

Lt. Governor Lynn Rogers will be among the speakers for the conference.

The conference website and registration details are at FHRC2019.com.

Lake level rising

The water level in Milford Lake has been rising due to recent inflow from the watershed in northern and east central Kansas. Snow melt is a big factor along with recent rains.

According to the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers as of Friday ( March 15th ) the lake elevation was 1146.08 and that is expected to rise to 1151.56 by March 29th.

The forecast would place the lake 7.16 feet above normal pool level. Downstream conditions will most likely prohibit a release through March and into April.

The current inflow into the lake on the 15th is 10,580 cubic per second and the total release is 25 cfs.

Milford Lake reached an elevation of 1154.02 on October 27th, 2018 before the Corps began releasing 1,000 cfs.

Options are being studied to help feed hungry children

By Dewey Terrill

JC Post

All options are on the table for consideration when it comes to feeding hungry children in the Westwood area of Junction City this summer.

As planning continues for summer efforts to help feed hungry children in the community, and have lunch. Live Well Geary County Chairman Joe Handlos noted that they are looking at a potential site where kids could attend and have lunch. “And with that type of model it would be a reimbursable model. We’re also researching the pros and cons of doing an aTa bus / delivery model where we would go out in the community and actually have food available for kids.” No final decisions have been made at this point. The matter is still under review.

The Westwood area is considered a food desert area, which means it is a significant distance from a grocery store. Approximately 500 children live in the Westwood area.

Summer picnic parties and lunch efforts are held in June and July in the community to help local youth during the months they are not in school.

KACEE announces environmental education awards

The Kansas Association for Conservation and Environmental Education has announced that the recipients of the 2019 Excellence in Conservation and Environmental Awards. Nominated by their peers, those receiving the recognition have exhibited outstanding innovation, leadership and achievement and collaboration and cooperation within and beyond the environmental education field.

One the award recipients is Vanessa Avara, the Assistant Director at the Milford Nature Center near Junction City. She has been sharing her passion for wildlife for more than 20 years, the last 11 year at the Milford Nature Center as the assistant director.

The center is the home of educational exhibits and nature trails and also does a substantial amount of education programming for schools and the community. The educational programs offered from topics on different species of wildlife to water, food, shelter and space that make up habitate for different living creatures.

As noted by Pat Silovsky, Director of the Milford Nature Center, since 2008, “4,000 program to over 118,000 people have been given by the staff of Milford Nature Center and Vanessa has been there for nearly every one of them.”

Avara has been instrumental is creating pollinator experiences for visitors that include the installation and maintenance of a beehive, raising butterflies for the butterfly exhibit and creating pollinator gardens designed to attract and support bees and butterfields, as well as a monarch waystation to provide critical places for monarch butterflies to stop and feed as they make their migration to Mexico.

Avara has also provided leadership for our state birds of prey. She was the first woman falconer in Kansas, and has provided countless hours of consultation and education to birders and falconers. Vanessa is the co-author of the Great Plains Nature Center first pocket guide on Raptors.

County looking at need for future building security upgrades

Geary County Commissioner Ben Bennett

Future security upgrade needs for Geary County owned buildings are beginning to come into focus.

A Homeland Security representative recently toured facilities with county officials. Commissioner Ben Bennett said they found that there were some holes in the security. “We’re working now as a county commission to try and fill those holes up. We thought we had them but there are some certain things we needed to be aware of, so we are assessing those. Of course some of them will cost dollars and we have to figure out where those dollars are going to come from.”

Bennett noted that the security upgrade could be a continual process.

There was brief discussion on the subject during the Military Affairs Council meeting on Thursday.

Wheels of Hope to conduct community food drive

Wheels of Hope will undertake a community food drive May 3rd and 4th from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Dillons and the two major Walmart outlets in Junction City.

Wheels of Hope is a mobile food pantry that distributes food once per month in Grandview Plaza and on Grant Avenue.

Spokesperson Shelly Kite said they will also encourage banks to challenge one another to collect food.

Right now 85 families are served by the food distribution, or about 355 people. That equates to about 6,000 food items per month. Private donation also support the effort.

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