Opinion
Development of enterprises through local men and capital is the logical method for community building
Development of enterprises through local men and capital is the logical method for community building. This was the declaration of Colvin B. Brown, Washington, D.C., manager of the organization service department of the United States Chamber of Commerce, who spoke last night before nearly 90 members of Chanute Chamber of Commerce and other local citizens, according to the Chanute Tribune of September 27, 1928. “What we need to learn is tha...
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Thanks to those who look out for ‘unforseen consequences’
“A famous French economist by the name of Frederic Bastiat once suggested that when social policies turn out to be harmful to the citizenry, it is because politicians often react to economic problems that they can see, without any regard for the unforeseen consequences of their solutions to those problems.” -- Jack Chambless Late in June I had the opportunity to attend the 2010 Legislative Wrap Up sponsored by Southeast Kansas Inc. In atten...
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Bagworms are back!
Bagworms are out-and-about heavily infesting plants and shrubs. Most homeowners typically don’t get too concerned about bagworm control until they see large bags present on plants. By then it is too late and the damage is already done! Bagworms overwinter as eggs deposited in the female bags. From mid-May through mid-June, larvae hatch from the eggs and exit from the bottom opening of the old bag. Larvae begin constructing their miniature ...
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Kansas chancellor has trust of regents
TOPEKA (AP) — Problems in the University of Kansas athletics department haven’t shaken the state Board of Regents’ trust in Chancellor Bernadette Gray-Little. The regents praised her last week after she reported to them about the university’s response to a ticket-scalping scheme that may have cost it $3 million in revenues. They expressed confidence that she’s pursuing the right course. They also didn’t give any indication of any significa...
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Main Street readying for 8th annual Cruisin’ 4 Bargains
The 8th Annual Cruisin’ 4 Bargains will be held on July 30 from 6 till 9 p.m. in downtown Chanute. Main Street will be blocked off between Lincoln and Highland. There will be a “Show and Shine” car show sponsored by Gear Grinders with door prizes. A band will be playing 50s, 60s and 70s music. Businesses will be participating in the annual sidewalk sale. The Artist Alley Festival committee is accepting applications for the 2010 Artist Alley...
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Cruisin’ Around
Nancy and I have often talked about going on a cruise. The problem is that she wants to go to Alaska and I want to go to the Caribbean. So mostly we settle for “cruising main street”. Recently I read an article that made me wonder: what is the church? Are we a cruise ship or a rescue ship? What if the church was a cruise ship: As a customer what questions would I ask? I might ask: do I like the captain? The crew? Are they pleasant and p...
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Endowment contribution investment in community
The Martin and Osa Johnson Safari Museum is at the start of its annual Endowment Campaign. An endowment differs from other funding sources in one very important aspect. All endowment contributions are invested and it is interest made from these investments that is used to support an organization. Donors make gifts to endowment knowing that it will help fund their favorite causes year after year. This type of long-term commitment was evident...
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Summer time and the news is good!
Neosho County Community College has received lots of good news recently that verifies NCCC is on the right track to being the premier community college in Kansas. I thought I would share three such “good news” stories with you. The Kansas Board of Regents sent to us this week the enrollment numbers for all the community colleges in Kansas for the academic year that just ended. Once again, NCCC has grown faster than the average growth at the...
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Buzz of carpenter bees driving some crazy
Over the last few weeks, I have received several calls from homeowners concerned with carpenter bees (aka wood or borer bees). Although they sort of resemble bumble bees in body style, they are most certainly not as aggressive! Carpenter bees become a nuisance in the spring as they fly erratically, close to homes and buildings. You should not be overly concerned about being stung by a carpenter bee, but rather what they can do to the wood in...
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Remember to fly flag
As you know, Flag Day was Monday, June 14. But, do you know why it is celebrated on June 14th each year? In fact, do you know the entire week is designation as “National Flag Week.” It is a special week to fly the American Flag. It is celebrated on that date because of the adoption of the American flag, by the Continental Congress. The First Flag Resolution of June 14, 1777, set forth the guidelines for our flag. That was one year after the...
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Peoples Theater remodeled
A striking evolution in theatre appointments would greet Sophocles, if the Grecian dramatist of 6,000 years ago should be capable of taking an interest in the art as it dawns to Chanute inhabitants today. The manager of the new Peoples theatre began six weeks ago with the purpose of modern remodeling. The amusement house is opened today with that purpose accomplished. The architecture is not a copy of anything old. It is modern with presen...
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Nothing new about using garnishes
I recently came across a 1900 cookbook that contained several “neat” recipes. Sometimes we think we have found something new only to learn that it really isn’t knew at all. Recipes are sometimes like that. One section dealt with information on garnishes. As it said, garnishes in cookery are anything used for decorating dishes of fish, game, poultry, meat or salad. They may be placed in the form of vines across or placed around the article ...
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Summer off to fast start this month at library
Summer is here and things are definitely heating up at the library. We have had lots of folks signing up for summer reading programs and there is still plenty of time to participate. Plus, we have planned plenty of free youth programs beginning this week designed to provide fun activities for all ages. Add fresh coffee and free Internet access in air conditioned comfort for a complete family destination. The theme for this year’s reading pr...
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Chamber focuses on business appreciation in June
June is Business Appreciation Month for the Kansas Department of Commerce and is also when the Chamber recognizes its annual Business of the Year. The Chamber is pleased to announce that the 2010 Business of the Year is A.D.I. Inc. Under the direction of owners Merrill and Wendy Cunningham, who were joined about 10 years ago by son Scott and his wife Staci, A.D.I. quietly goes about its business of providing an amazing array of wire products...
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The Friends of Tri-Valley Foundation
It has almost been three years since I became the Executive Director of Tri-Valley and I find it hard to believe how quickly time flies. When I arrived, I was amazed at how hard everyone in the agency worked to ensure that the needs of the people we serve were not only met, but in some instances we went beyond expectations in meeting individual needs. This was not the only bright spot about the agency that I discovered. The Friends of Tri-V...
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Vision Chanute seeks continued accredited status
On June 3, the Vision Chanute Steering Committee will be hosting a Public Square Communities’ Peer Review Team as a part of the process to remain an accredited community. Every two years, Vision Chanute is required to review with a team of four from other communities, the community conversations which have been held and the action teams which have been in force. Vision Chanute leadership is confident that the work completed over the past two y...
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Tiahrt seems to trail in Senate bid
TOPEKA (AP) — U.S. Rep. Todd Tiahrt’s latest television ad all but confirmed that he trails fellow Kansas Republican and U.S. Rep. Jerry Moran in their race for the U.S. Senate and even suggested Tiahrt may be significantly behind Moran. Tiahrt’s campaign scoffed earlier this month when Moran’s campaign released internal poll numbers showing Moran with a big lead as the two campaign for the GOP nomination. But when Tiahrt began broadcasting...
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Budget woes flip some Republicans
TOPEKA (AP) — Kansas Republicans have the same pastimes as Republicans elsewhere. They wax nostalgic about Ronald Reagan; they criticize Barack Obama; they preach free markets and individual responsibility, and they talk up lower taxes and less government. But in tough times for the state, enough Republican legislators vote for tax increases to ensure they become law. It happened again this year, and Kansans will start paying a little more ...
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Airship astounds watchers here
Glistening in the reddish tint of an afternoon’s horizon, and resplendent in its silver finish, the Los Angeles loomed silently out of the southwestern sky to astound thousands of Chanute people late yesterday according to the Chanute Tribune of October 10, 1928, with its mammoth proportions. The giant navy dirigible, long enough to house two lengths the height of the Ash Grove smoke stack and still have 60 feet of emptiness, appeared over ...
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Dealing with dementia
A weekend was spent cleaning out my dear Great Aunt Marion’s home and holding an auction of some of her things. For me, being in early junior high, this weekend was more fun than work, helping move boxes and playing with my older cousins. But even then, I had an idea of why we were moving Aunt Marion into a much smaller place. Safety and memory issues were the reason. Many people believe that memory loss and aging go hand-in-hand: as a per...
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