Cole’s Department Store, Cowan’s Shoe Store, the Kaw Theater and Confectionary, Plaza Speedway, the Midway Drive In were just some of the numerous businesses remembered by community members during a Memories at the Museum discussion on Sunday in Junction City.

Local residents told their stories and experiences at businesses from years past.

Geary County Historical Museum Director Katie Goerl explained the importance of the Memories program. “The real value in this program is engaging in the community and the conversations people have with each other. It’s real meaningful to bring folks together and share these memories with each other.”

Memories shared included comments about easterners stopping at a drug store operated by Ray Smith where they would live 50 cent stips, big in the 1950’s, after enjoying refreshments at the soda fountain, the fact that Cole’s Department Store had an elevator, young people would cruise in their vehicles up and down Washington Street with Dick’s Drive-In on North Washington Street a popular hangout.

Barbara Craft remembered that her father operated Cowan’s Shoe Store downtown more than 50 years without ever signing a contract with the building. There was only a handshake agreement with the building’s owner Jesse Brown.

Jeannette ( Ritter ) Vogelsang remembered the 1950’s downtown when her family would travel from their farm into Junction City. “We sat on the hood of the cars and talked to everybody, walked up and down the streets and went to the movies. ” Vogelsang noted there were three movie theaters including the Colonial which is now the C. L. Hoover Opera House, the Kaw and The Junction. “We could walk all about downtown. We went everywhere see our friends, and we had ice cream shop, and we had many grocery stories. It was all very different. Everything was located downtown.”

Memories at the Museum are held monthly. The session in July will focus on the “Flood of 93.”

 

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) today applauded the signing of theDepartment of Veterans Affairs Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act into law. This spring, Sen. Moran joined U.S. Senators Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.), Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), Jon Tester (D-Mont.) and John McCain (R-Ariz.) to introduce this legislation, which passed the Senate and House of Representatives this month. Sen. Moran released the following statement after the bill signing:

 

“Since the disturbing reports of veterans being neglected and mistreated across the country and in Kansas, I have been committed to developing legislation that gives the VA authorities to hold bad actors accountable while protecting veterans and VA whistleblowers who are trying to do what is in the best interest of our nation’s heroes. I am pleased the President signed this bipartisan legislation that I spearheaded to ensure the VA supports hardworking employees who care deeply about our veterans, and removes those few bad actors who fail to perform their duties in service to veterans.

 

“Many Kansans are familiar with the alarming case at the Leavenworth VA where a VA employee who stands accused of abusing the veterans he was supposed to serve and was allowed to retire and can now collect benefits from the VA. We must make certain this kind of injustice never happens again, which is why I added a provision in this bill with strong consequences for VA employees and their benefits when they are convicted of a felony against veterans or related to their employment. This law is a step forward for our veterans and one of many changes the VA must make if they are going to earn back the trust of veterans and provide them with the care they have earned and deserve.”

 

Background on the Department of Veterans Affairs Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act:

The Department of Veterans Affairs Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act increases the VA’s authority to remove employees at all levels of the department, shortens the removal process and ensures an individual removed from the VA is not kept on the VA’s payroll while appealing that decision. It will also make it easier for the VA to remove poorly performing senior executives and replace them with qualified candidates. Additionally, any appeals by senior VA executives would no longer be brought before the Merit Systems Protection Board, but instead would be handled directly by the VA secretary under an expedited timeline.

 

The Department of Veterans Affairs Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act will establish in law the newly created Office of Accountability and Whistleblower Protection within the VA.

 

The bill is widely supported by key veterans stakeholders including the VA and U.S. House of Representatives Veterans Affairs’ committee leadership. It has also won the support of numerous advocacy groups that represent millions of veterans in the United States and key government accountability groups. Read more about the legislation’s support here.

 

The legislation also includes a number of other provisions to hold employees accountable, including:

• Requiring the VA to evaluate supervisors based on the protection of whistleblowers;
• Incentivizing managers to address poor performance and misconduct among employees by requiring the VA secretary to include this as part of the annual performance plan;
• Prohibiting bonuses for employees who have been found guilty of wrongdoing; and
• Prohibiting relocation expenses to employees who abuse the system.