Opinion
Resolutions, shmesolutions
Another year is almost over and many people are making resolutions, promises to themselves. “I’m going to lose weight,” they say, or, “I’m going to get more involved in my community.” Why wait? Why not start now? As a chronic procrastinator, it seems my favorite words are, “I’ll do it tomorrow.” I fight that all the time, whether it’s a diet or even the dishes. Those four little words — “I’ll do it later” — are a tough habit to break. Un...
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Holiday spirit flows through Main Street
Sharon Stirewalt Main Street Chanute The holidays are about over and what a wonderful season we have had. The many events that were planned for downtown were successful. Our merchants provided many choices and were open extended hours for your shopping convenience. We want to “Thank” all those people who shopped locally to support the merchant’s downtown. Gary Fail of Total Image took 200 pictures with Santa during the holiday season. If...
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Spiritual well-being: Sacred connections
Editor’s note: This is one of a series on Creating Strong Families. This is one of the strengths of a strong family and I thought it was a timely one, with the Christmas season upon us. Maybe this year your family will be attending a Christmas service. I know our family and many others will. This can be an example of spiritual well-being. . .but there’s much more. Spirituality/Religion, in the research world, has been studied and there is mu...
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Johnsons to appear on trading cards
Conrad Froehlich Safari Museum Have Martin and Osa Johnson ever been on a trading card? Not until now. The Kansas State Historical Society recently issued a series of trading cards highlighting famous Kansans. Among them are Laura Ingalls Wilder, Gordon Parks, Amelia Earhart, Cary Nation, John Brown, Charles Curtis (U.S. Vice President), Dwight Eisenhower, Walter Chrysler, Francisco Vasquez de Coronado, Jim Thorpe, Charlie Parker, George W...
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Letter to the editor
Direct support professionals a necessity for Kansans Imagine if you needed emergency care for your child, and you sped to the emergency room only to be told…that you’d need to wait two to three years for help... or longer. Thousands of Kansans with developmental disabilities and their families are currently faced with such a crisis. In 1995, no Kansan with developmental disabilities had to wait to receive the help they needed. Since then, ...
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Reflect on spirit of Christmas
If you’re listening and watching the national media, things seem pretty bleak this Christmas. Between bank collapses, mortgage foreclosures, job losses, wars on two fronts in Iraq and Afghanistan, the dire state of the auto industry and national retailers telling us how bad things are, it’s hard to keep believing in Santa Claus. Still, while we do have real people here in Chanute and around southeast Kansas who are struggling to keep a roof o...
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Letter to the editor
Items representing Kansas requested by student Each member in our class is working on a project called Parade of States. We are responsible for gathering as much information about the state as we can to help “sell” the state. I have chosen your state, Kansas, for my presentation. If any of your readers would help me out by sending me any pictures, postcards, a used license plate, facts, products, etc., from your state, it would be grea...
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Holiday plants need care
Krista Harding Kansas State Extension Holiday plants give a nice touch to Christmas decorations in the home. Churches often fill up with poinsettias during the holiday season in memory of loved ones and some are also given as gifts. Here are some tips for caring for holiday plants. Christmas peppers are popular during the holidays because of their bright red fruits. Most ornamental peppers are edible, but if the desire to eat them hits yo...
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The journey from heaven
Rick Qualls Guest columnist Jesus infinite God becomes a baby. Imagine the God of all eternity wrapped in swaddling clothes lying in a manger. How far the journey must have been! He left the bright light of heaven to be born in a dark, dingy stable. One moment Jesus enthroned in heaven receiving the adoration of the angels, the next admiration of simple shepherds at a manger. Jesus was an infant born with rosebud lips. One day those lip...
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The spirit of Christmas
John Schlageck Kansas Farm Bureau During this holiday season, let’s not forget the true meaning of Christmas – celebrating the birth of Christ, love, friendship and spending time with our families. As a youngster I have fond memories of Mom inside our warm home fixing turkey, dressing and all the trimmings. I was outside with my brothers and sisters throwing snowballs, playing “fox and geese” and just being kids. One thing I’ll never for...
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We intend to win contest for NBAF
Pat Roberts Senator Kansans have heard me say over and over again that the most effective way to enhance our communities and our way of life is by having good partners in government. This team work is essential to achieving progress on any initiative across the state. Through the determination of a lot of Kansas “partners” over a number of years, we took a giant leap forward to enhance our communities and preserve progress in Kansas for g...
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A national resource squandered
From the microfilm files of the Chanute Tribune as prepared by the Chanute Historical Society. A visitor taking a train at Independence last week commented on the ever so strange spectacle of a cluster of gas lamps burning furiously in the Santa Fe station in the glare of the noonday sun. The pressure of much gas caused them to roar so lustily that they attracted general attention in the waiting room. The chap whose duty it might have been ...
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Abortion ruling resolves little
TOPEKA (AP) — The state Supreme Court condemned former Attorney General Phill Kline’s conduct, but it resolved little with its latest ruling in Kline’s five-year legal mud-wrestling match with abortion providers. The recent decision came in a dispute between Kline, an anti-abortion Republican who’s now Johnson County district attorney, and Planned Parenthood, which operates an Overland Park clinic. At issue was custody of 29 patients’ medic...
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Letter to the Editor
Soupline 2009 needs help In preparation for Operation Soupline 2009, we request your financial support. Every dollar raised above expenses support the Utility and Emergency Funds that help Chanute families in need. Regardless of who you are in Chanute, the economic slowdown affects all of us. We expect a significant increase in the demand for assistance for utilities. We realize contributors, such as you, also experience reduced cash flow, ...
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Letter to the Editor
Help the economy Please urge your state representative and senator to support another long-range transportation program that will create jobs and thereby help our Kansas economy. Studies conducted by KU and KSU for the Kansas Department of Transportation indicate the last two highway construction programs created more than 118,000 jobs. Those jobs not only helped the economy as the roads were being built, but left us with a more efficient ...
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Letter to the Editor
Spread Christmas cheer to soldiers, vets The Christmas Season is upon us once again. Despite the economic woes, we all are thankful for our family and friends who we see each day. Do you think you could find the time to send a card to a soldier who is serving our country and a veteran who is in the nursing home? They would very much appreciate the time and effort you take to do this. Here are the addresses that you can mail your cards to:...
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Macy’s parade magical for grandkids
My second installment on the Macy’s Day Parade experience. As our family wanted to watch the Annual Macy’s Day Parade, we decided to go into New York City the day before the parade and stay all night so we would be there bright and early on Thanksgiving morning. In addition to seeing some of the traditional sights near Central Park, the pre-Thanksgiving Day Parade activities were of interest to our grandchildren. As it turns out, the inflat...
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Imperfect families at the cradle
All kinds of families gathered around the cradle of Jesus.  Families like ours. Joseph was shocked to discover Mary was pregnant. The thought that she betrayed him was like a knife to his spirit. What appeared to be infidelity crushed his heart. However, his love for Mary was great and he chose to quietly divorce her.  Today there are families that have experienced deep betrayal Рbetrayal in the form of infidelity, childhood abuse, alc...
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Christmas fraught with fire hazards
Andy Moffitt CFD Battalion Chief With the onset of the holiday season, it is important to focus on fire safety and prevention. The celebration of the season brings with it increased usage of electric lights, decorations, candles, and the ever popular Christmas tree, all of which can be potential fire hazards. By following general fire safety precautions, potential holiday fires, deaths and injuries remain preventable. Christmas Trees Wha...
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I’ll be home for Christmas
Rick Qualls Pastor, First Baptist Church Family is like fudge. Sweet but with a few nuts thrown in. When your family gathers, is it like the Cleaver family of Leave It To Beaver? Is it like the Cosby family with Bill Cosby? I bet not. I’ve never met that kind of family. Every family is dysfunctional. Usually there is the crazy Aunt who never brings anything to the family get together but is always first to the table. Braggin’ Brandon is...
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