I have studied in depth whether to vote “Yes” or “No” on the hospital issue. I have read all the dialogue and made a list of pros and cons. To that list I have added my own. The list came out equal number of Yeses and Nos.
My decision was to vote “No,” but when I went to vote I voted “Yes” because despite the list, it was the right thing to do for the well-being of Allen County and all of its citizens.
Respectfully,
Sharon J. Boan
Iola, Kan
Angelo Scott and Tony Immel were good friends. Played golf together. Partied together in their homes and at the country club. Talked politics ceaselessly. Scott was publisher of the Register and a crony of the state’s Republican officeholders. Immel was a state senator tabbed by many to become governor.
Scott liked to remember when the two of them were walking along the sidewalk on the south side of the square one afternoon and noticed a car without a driver headed toward a crash with parked vehicles. Immel sprinted toward the car, opened the driver’s door, jumped in and stopped it before it did any damage. Scott told the story — perhaps too many times — to illustrate Immel’s character. He was a man of action; a problem-solver.
A decade younger, my memories of Tony are different. He was to me the sterling example of a progressive politician. Here in Allen County he joined Walter Wulf of Humboldt and other progressives in advocating the consolidation of all of the county’s school districts and the construction of a county high school south and east of Iola. In the Legislature he was on a committee — maybe he was chairman — appointed to study and propose political consolidations around the state. Kansas, he would proclaim, didn’t need all those townships and had way too many counties.
Consolidation would save money and lead to more efficient government. Kansas would move forward and set an example for the rest of the nation, he said.
Preaching consolidation in the late 1950s was as courageous and politically risky as it is today. Immel did it so convincingly, however, that it enhanced his reputation for leadership and initiative.
Tony’s senate career was cut short. He was defeated in 1960 by a candidate from Yates Center because there had been an agreement between the Old Guard in Allen and Woodson counties — which dominated the senate district — that they would take turns nominating and electing a senator. It wasn’t Allen County’s turn. So Tony was defeated and that ended his career in elective politics.
Iola would have benefited in many ways that can only be guessed at if he had become governor. Iola did benefit in ways easy to enumerate be-cause he turned his energies away from Topeka and focused on his adopted hometown.
He was chairman of the Allen County Hospital board of directors for years. He was a charter member of the board of Iola Industries, Inc. and was a key leader during the years when Iola attracted the industries that have been so important to it over the past 55 years.
Tony also deserves enormous credit for en-couraging families and individuals to establish trusts to benefit the Bowlus Fine Arts Center. It was partly because of his dedicated interest in the Bowlus that the Sleeper Family Trust and the Helen Gates Whitehead Trust now make gifts in the tens of thousands of dollars annually to the Bowlus.
His energy, his enthusiasm, his great sense of humor, his dedication to his family, his church, his political party, to Kansas and Iola brightened every corner he touched. It was our great, good fortune that he came our way.
— Emerson Lynn, jr.
RICHMOND — A valiant effort came up just short Thursday night for Uniontown High.
The Eagles trailed 16-0 at the break, before closing to within two points in the third quarter, 16-4. Both teams managed a single touchdown in the fourth quarter, with Central Heights High holding a slim 24-22 advantage when the clock expired.
The loss drops Uniontown’s record to 2-7 and prevents the Eagles from making the playoffs. They would have qualified for postseason play had they defeated Central Heights by five or more.
“Offensively, we had two good drives the first half, but one missed assignment here or here killed those drives deep in Central Heights territory,” Eagle head coach Chad Stroud said.
Central Heights took advantage, scoring its second touchdown of the game late in the first half.
“That took a lot of wind out of our sails going into the half. But to our kids’ credit they bounced back. I was incredibly proud of our kids tonight.”
Zach Travis passed for 137 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for 59 yards more. Trenton Miller had a touchdown among his 41 rushing yards, 24 yards reception, eight tackles and a forced fumble.
Seth Sympson pulled in two touchdowns among his seven catches covering 103 yards.
On defense, Ty Clayton had 12 tackles and an interception. Max Labbe and Brenton Esslinger added 13 and nine tackles, respectively.
PLEASANTON — With a playoff berth already in tow, Crest High’s football squad entered Thursday’s regular season finale with a purpose — to stay unbeaten in district play and in the Three Rivers League.
Host Pleasanton raced to an early 16-point lead.
But the Lancers righted their ship, tightened their defense and went home with a 58-22 win.
The victory puts Crest’s record at 8-1 on the season as they prepare to open the Kansas Eight Man Bi-District playoffs. Head Coach Brent Smith said he expected the team to play against Cedar Vale Dexter.
But first Crest had to handle a group of pesky Blu-Jays.
Pleasanton’s 16-0 lead lasted until Mordan Morton found Dexter Wiley on a 22-yard touchdown pass. Kyle Hammond capped the Lancers’ next two drives with touchdows, covering four and 57 yards.
Pleasanton scored its final touchdown midway through second quarter before Hammond hauled in a 12-yard pass from Morton to retake a 28-22 lead.
The second half was all Lancers. Dakota Ramsey plowed in on a three-yard touchdown run late in the third period. Hammond scored on touchdown runs measuring 29 and 23 yards and Morton hit Wiley on a 12-yard pass to complete the scoring.
Crest racked up 414 yards of offense and only one turnover. Hammond rushed for 180 yards, followed by Ramsey with 2, Wiley with 14 and Morton with 12.
Morton completed 7 of 9 passes for 124 yards. Wiley collected 61 yards on three catches. Hammond also had three catches, covering 60 yards. On defense, Jayden Bowen had 15 tackles. Ramsey and Luke Decker each had 13 tackles.
“I thought our kids played well in all three phases,” Smith said.
Letters submitted to the Register’s Forum regarding Tuesday’s election that invite rebuttal will not be published past Saturday.
Register policy is to allow time enough for both sides of an issue to be discussed.
As governor, he would advocate restoring aid to the public schools of Kansas that was taken from them because of the recession, Sen. Tom Holland told a Register reporter Thursday.
Sen. Holland, a Baldwin Democrat, said that he had supported raising the sales tax by a penny this year to keep school financing from being slashed still farther, to make a new10-year highway program possible and to balance the state budget.
“I think my opponent, Sam Brownback, wants to take school financing back to the days when it depended largely on the property tax. He has said he wants a new formula, but he hasn’t given the people of Kansas any details. All we can go by is proposals by other Kansas Republicans in the Legislature who want to do away with the weightings in the formula. That would be a disaster for the schools in Allen and most other Kansas counties,” he said.
Holland said the Kansas economy has begun to recover and that tax revenues to the state are again coming in above estimate. He thought the surplus might now be in the $40 million range.
“What I would say to the Legislature that as the economy grows and state revenues grow that school funding would grow right along with it. I also would like to see the funding of the state’s universities to be restored so that tuition could be lowered and more Kansas young people could be given an opportunity to succeed through higher education,” he said.
Holland advocates bolstering the state’s vocational schools and establishing programs to qualify Kansas workers for the jobs that are available.
“That is a practical way to grow the economy faster, to provide jobs for the unemployed, to speed up recovery,” he said.
HUMBOLDT — Dr. Becky Lohman will begin seeing patients at a new clinic in Humboldt beginning the first of the year.
Lohman, a physician with Iola-based The Family Physicians, will offer family medicine, general women’s health and obstetrical care.
The clinic is a joint effort between The Family Physicians and Allen County Hospital. It will be in a renovated building at 111 N. 9th St.
Lohman will see patients from 8 a.m. to noon the first and third Thursdays of the month.
“It’s an effort to meet the needs of Humboldt residents in a more meaningful way,” said Joyce Heismeyer, chief executive officer of Allen County Hospital.
Heismeyer said if demand increases, an increase in physicians and office hours will occur.
“We’re excited about this partnership with The Family Physicians practice,” Heismeyer said. “Our goal is to provide family care services in a way that’s easy and convenient for residents who don’t live near our hospital or doctors’ offices. We’re hoping that the people of Humboldt and surrounding areas will take advantage of the services now located right in their community.”
Virgil Bourne, practice manager for The Family Physicians, said the expansion to Humboldt is a natural extension.
“Our doctors and staff are very committed to the communities in and around Allen County. This is where we live and work,” he said.
The designated space on the Humboldt Square for the clinic is currently not in use and will be renovated prior to the clinic’s opening. Renovation construction is slated to begin immediately.
Merle and Julia Sterling, Humboldt, will celebrate their 40th wedding anniversary at a reception from 4 to 6 p.m. Nov. 13 at the Humboldt Senior Center.
Merle Sterling and Julia Dorris were married Nov. 15, 1970, in the United Methodist Church in Humboldt. The couple have farmed throughout their married life. He was a school bus driver for USD 258 in Humboldt and was also an oil truck driver for 20 years.
Hosts for the anniversary celebration will be Kendra and Steve Weatherman and their children, Brock and Allison, Colony; Layne and Alicia Sterling and their children, Morgan and Mason, Humboldt; and Jarred and Jaci Sterling and their children, Logan and Carter, Ottawa.
Friends and relatives are invited to attend. The couple requests no gifts. Cards may be sent to the couple at 608 600 St., Humboldt, KS 66748.
Gilbert and Christina Fugitt announce the birth of a daughter, Quinn Ashyln, on Oct. 4, 2010, at Huntington Memorial Hospital in Pasadena, Calif. She weighed 8 pounds, 12 ounces and was 21 1/2 inches long.
Her grandparents are Ron and Darlene Porter, Arcadia, Calif., and Doris Fugitt, Humboldt, and the late Buster Fugitt. Great-grandparents are Carl Porter, Los Angeles, Calif., and Wanda (Reiter) Billingsley, Joplin, Mo.
Harlan H. Cress, 86, of Humboldt died Thursday, Oct. 28, 2010, at Neosho Memorial Regional Medical Center in Chanute.
He was born Feb. 20, 1924, on the family farm west of Humboldt, to Johnnie Ahiga and Della Mae (Baker) Cress. He attended DeWitt Rural School and graduated from Humboldt High School in 1942.
On Sept. 1, 1945, he married Nieta L. Butler in Iola. They made their home and farmed west of Humboldt. In 1984, they moved into Humboldt. He worked as a janitor and groundskeeper for Monarch Cement Company for almost 20 years before he retired.
They enjoyed spending the winters for eight years in Weslaco, Texas. He also enjoyed woodworking and his specialty was Model A vehicles and other projects that are distributed around the country. He was a member of the Humboldt United Methodist Church.
He is survived by his wife of the home; three children, Don and his wife, Carol, and Carol Bauer and her husband, Chris, Humboldt, and Dan and his wife, Joan, Oak Creek, Wis.; nine grandchildren, Kevin Cress, Iola, Mary Ann Cunningham, Humboldt, Max Cress, Pittsburg, Scott Cress, Humboldt, Matthew Bauer, Troy, Ill., Mark Bauer, Wichita, Michael Bauer, Rockwall, Texas, Matthew Kozlowski, Milwaukee, Wis., and Sarah Torgersen, South Milwaukee; and eight great-grandchildren.
Three brothers, William Ross, Johnnie Allen and Millard B., and three sisters, Audrey Stinson, Ruby Havlovitz and Nelle Wyman, died earlier.
Visitation will be from 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at Humboldt United Methodist Church.
Funeral services will be at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday at Humboldt United Methodist Church. The Rev. Debby Dick will officiate. Burial will be in DeWitt Cemetery west of Humboldt.
Memorials to Humboldt United Methodist Church may be left at Waugh-Yokum & Friskel Memorial Chapel of Iola, which is in charge of arrangements. Online condolences for the family may be left at iolafuneral.com.