COLONY — Crest High’s annual Lancer Night is Thursday.
The Lady Lancers’ volleyball intrasquad scrimmage is at 5 p.m. in the CHS gym.
Also at 5 p.m. is the Lancer football team’s scrimmage on the Crest football field.
At 6:15 is the ninth annual CHS football player auction.
Members of the Lancer football team will be auctioned off to do four hours of work. Proceeds benefit the CHS football program.
Alvin F. “Al” Link, 77, Pueblo, Colo., passed away Thursday, Aug. 9, 2012.
He is survived by his wife, Barbara; children, Deb Adamsbraach, David Link and his wife, Mary, and Mike Harris and his partner, Steve; brothers, Dave and his wife, Sandy, Ron and his wife, Sandy, and Frank and his wife, Constance Peebles; grandchildren, Richard, John and his wife, Cat, Hannah, Lucas and Sarah; great-grandchildren, Crimson, Myrakle and Adryn; seven nephews; four nieces; several great-nephews and great-nieces; and other family and friends.
He was preceded in death by his daughter, Kathleen; parents Vallie and Mildred; and bothers, Chuck and Ed.
He was born April 3, 1935, on the family farm near Piqua. Link was a civil/structural engineer for CF&I from 1967 until his retirement in 1991. He then worked for his own company, Pueblo Blue, as a professional design and structural engineer.
He was a member of the Coalition of Pueblo Engineers. He was an active member of the Pueblo Charter Lions Club since 1972. He served in several offices with the club, including the Youth Exchange Chairman for several years. Link was recently awarded “life member” status. He also was a member of B.P.O. Elks No. 90 and numerous groups and organizations.
There will be no viewing. Cremation is being handled by Montgomery & Steward Crematorium in Pueblo. A memorial service will be at 3 p.m. Friday at Montgomery & Steward Chapel, the Rev. Dr. Rick Calhoun officiating.
A celebration of his life will continue after the service at the Zebulon Pike area of the Riverwalk. Attendees are invited to bring pictures or other mementos.
Memorials may be made to the American Cancer Society through the funeral home. Online condolences may be sent to www.montgomerysteward.com.
Dear editor,
The small cities of Allen County have endured and suffered decisions made by Gov. Brownback concerning consolidating the schools to a bigger city and more population.
Each city has taxpayers paying to Allen County, it looks to me. The Board of Education is being a little possessive about the money it receives for each student, leaving small cities at the mercy of Iola and its Board of Education.
As the students lost their school in Gas and LaHarpe, they were enrolled in Humboldt, Moran, Colony and Iola so no one town was left out except the small cities who lost their schools and students.
This is what I think. The Board of Education and councils of some cities come down to passing the buck for it’s always somebody else’s blame. We need to think of all students.
Lloyd W. Turner,
LaHarpe, Kan.
Humboldt youth tackle football teams are forming now. The youth program is for boys and girls in the third through sixth grades.
Anyone who did not sign up during Humboldt enrollment and wishes to participate may contact Bob Johnson at 620-544-5612 to obtain a sign-up form.
Humboldt teams play in the Allen County Youth Tackle League. The league’s jamboree is Sept. 8.
Iola Middle School’s football and volleyball coaches are holding a meeting for parents of seventh-and eighth-grade students intending to participate in those sports this fall.
The parents meeting is at 6 p.m. Monday in the IMS commons area. All parents and students are encouraged to attend.
Open house at IMS is Monday from 6:30 to 8 p.m.
Iola High School’s new head football coach Doug Kerr watches as senior quarterback Mason Coons leads a squad of players through a drill Wednesday evening. The Mustangs were in their third day of two-a-day practices working to be ready for the 2012 season opener at home Aug. 31 against Cherryvale.
Iola officials adjusted newly instituted rules limiting water usage today.
Iolans still must adhere to the odd-even lawn watering rules. Those whose addresses end in an even number can water their lawns only on even-numbered days, for example. Watering is prohibited between 10 a.m. and 9 p.m.
But those residents may now use sprinklers or other automated watering systems, Iola City Administrator Carl Slaugh said.
The original restrictions mandated Iolans use hand-held hoses or buckets to water lawns.
Slaugh said the changes were made after he learned the city had provided differing versions of the restrictions to residents.
“It was my fault,” he said.
The restrictions were put in place after Iola was placed under a Stage 2 water warning Monday by the Kansas Water Office.
Iolans also are prohibited from washing their cars between 10 a.m. and 9 p.m. Local car washes will close, too.
“I didn’t do a good job of communicating the new restrictions to one of the car washes in town,” Slaugh said. “They didn’t hear about it until (Wednesday.)”
Walter L. Kinney, 87, Iola, died Saturday, Aug. 11, 2012, at his home.
Cremation has taken place. Private family services will be later.
Memorials to the Walter L. Kinney Memorial Fund may be left with Waugh-Yokum & Friskel Memorial Chapel, Iola. Online condolences for the family may be left at www.iolafuneral.com.
Dear editor,
An excerpt from Emerson Lynn’s editorial last Wednesday follows:
“Three was not enough; eight, we now can see, is too many. So let’s try five.
“Five councilmen, all elected at large so that every voter had a voice in picking every member of the governing body, would be enough so that the absence of one at a meeting wouldn’t be critical and would also make it far less likely that any one member would dominate.
“Iola may never have a better opportunity to tailor its city government to a better fit.”
We agree with this analysis and urge the city council members to give it top consideration. It’s a good fit for Iola. If you also think this is a good move, let it be known.
Ed and Betty Miller,
Iola, Kan.
The tenor of Monday night’s city council meeting was reportedly relaxed, friendly and even downright productive.
For the first time in more than a year no executive session was called to discuss items in private. And the meeting lasted just over an hour, with decisions handled in an efficient and amiable manner.
Citizens should take heart of the lightened mood — perhaps due to the ouster of councilmen Ken Rowe and Kendall Callahan — and pledge anew their commitment to city government.
How?
By throwing their hat into the ring to fill the now two empty seats.
For those not so bold, to make a personal resolution to attend city council meetings and witness firsthand the many decisions council members must make.
Not to be suspicious, but it could be human nature, for some, to want to have public business done with little attention. An audience helps to assure accountability. The more ears and eyes, the more humbled a ruling body by the enormity of its responsibility to good governance.
IOLA HAS A WEALTH of talent to serve on the council. Helpful attributes include a vision for Iola, a desire to work with neighboring cities and other governing bodies for the greater good — ambulance service comes to mind — and the determination to make working for the city a rewarding experience in order to attract the best employees possible.
The council’s responsibility is to set policy, and let the hired hands carry it out.
Micro-managing builds resentment from staff and undue anxiety.
A shake-up of the council makeup will hopefully result in new dynamics of transparency, good manners and efficiencies.
If that’s your goal, contact Mayor Bill Shirley at wshirley@cox.net or 620-365-7816.
It’s Shirley privilege to select a replacement for Wards 1 and 4, upon which the council will weigh its opinion.
For those deliberating the decision, take on the Olympian spirit. Be bold.
— Susan Lynn