The Concordia Blade

BLADE-EMPIRE
CONCORDIA
VOL. CIX NO. 9 (USPS 127-880)
CONCORDIA, KANSAS 66901
Thursday, June 12, 2014
CCHC formulating plan for the future
Good Evening
Concordia Forecast
Tonight, mostly clear. Lows around 52.
Northeast winds 5 to 10 mph.
Friday, sunny. Highs around 79. Southeast winds 5 to 15 mph increasing to 15 to
20 mph with gusts to around 30 mph in the
afternoon.
Friday night, warmer. Partly cloudy.
Lows in the lower 60s. South winds 15 to 20
mph with gusts to around 30 mph.
Saturday, windy. Partly sunny with a 30
percent chance of thunderstorms. Highs in
the mid 80s. South winds 15 to 25 mph
increasing to 25 to 30 mph in the afternoon.
Saturday night, breezy. Thunderstorms
likely. Lows in the upper 60s. Chance of
rain 60 percent.
Sunday and Sunday night, partly cloudy.
A 20 percent chance of thunderstorms.
Highs in the mid 80s. Lows in the mid 60s.
Monday, mostly sunny with a 40 percent
chance of thunderstorms. Highs in the
upper 80s.
Monday night, partly cloudy with a 30
percent chance of thunderstorms. Lows in
the upper 60s.
Tuesday, mostly sunny with a 20 percent
chance of thunderstorms. Highs around 90.
Tuesday night, mostly cloudy in the
evening then becoming partly cloudy. A 40
percent chance of thunderstorms. Lows in
the upper 60s.
Across Kansas
Witness follows
carjacking suspect
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A 25-year -old
Topeka man is facing carjacking charges
after a witness followed him for several
miles until officers could make an arrest.
Shawnee County Sheriff’s deputies
were called to a carjacking Wednesday in
the Pauline shopping district. The victim
told police when she went into a store, a
man pointed a gun at a teenager in her
car. The passenger got out of the car and
the man drove off.
WIBW-AM reports a witness followed
the car into Osage County, updating
emergency dispatchers along the way.
An Osage County Sheriff’s deputy followed the car into Burlingame, where
the suspect stopped and ran into a
house.
Man charged in
death of infant
PRATT, Kan. (AP) — A south-central
Kansas man has been charged with firstdegree murder in the death last January of
an infant.
The Kansas Attorney General’s office
says 27-year-old Joseph Sponaugle of
Pratt made his first court appearance
Wednesday on charges of murder, child
abuse and child endangerment.
The criminal complaint did not identify
the victim but said the child was born in
September of 2013. The Pratt Daily Tribune reports it ran an obituary of Sponaugle’s daughter, Aurora Sponaugle, in
January. She was born in September
2013.
Sponaugle remains jailed on $1 million
bond and no date has been set for his next
court appearance. It was not immediately
clear if he had an attorney.
Vandals cause damage
to Olathe school
OLATHE, Kan. (AP) — Olathe police are
searching for those responsible for up to
$10,000 in vandalism at Olathe East
High School.
Police were called the school Wednesday evening and found damage on the
school’s track and some utility buildings.
KSHB-TV reports the damage included
white spray paint saying “Go South” on
the outer lane of the track, with an image
of a marijuana leaf and vulgar images
and phrases on the center lanes.
Police said they don’t have any leads
but did collect some white spray paint
cans from the scene.
Visit us online at www.bladeempire.com
By Jessica LeDuc
Blade Staff Writer
In an effort to set goals for
the future, Cloud County
Health Center has set about to
form a strategic plan and was
host to a forum Wednesday
night to gather public comments.
Cloud County Health Center
CEO Don Bates said the hospital had contracted with Torch
Management Services for consulting services to formulate
the strategic plan.
Dick Sweeden with TMSI
said he had been in Concordia
since Monday and started the
strategic planning process.
“You have to plan or you
become stagnant, and if you
become stagnant, you slide
backwards,” he said of the
importance of having a plan
and goals for the future.
He said the plan will be
based on the hospital’s mission
statement — that the hospital
provide quality health care
services that are delivered in a
caring and respectful manner
through teamwork and professional excellence.
The purpose of the plan will
be how to move the hospital
into the future of ever-changing health care, Sweeden said.
“We need to engage the community. Look at where we are
today, where we need to be in a
few years, and how we get
there,” he said.
The
strategic
planning
process will begin with public
meetings, and data analysis.
With that information, Swee-
den said he would then develop
strategies to bring patients
back to Cloud County Health
Center, and establish specific
goals to make that happen.
There are a number of issues
facing the hospital, one being
that it was built as an inpatient facility, Sweeden said,
but the face of health care is
changing more toward outpatient services. Another issue
facing the hospital is changing
insurance and Medicare reimbursements, as well as recruitment and retention in rural
areas.
There are a number of specialists who already offer services at the hospital, but
Sweeden said CCHC needs to
build on that. He said he will
analyze data to see how many
people in the community travel
outside of the county for health
care, determine what services
are most needed in Cloud
County, and set a plan to bring
those doctors to the area.
At Tuesday’s forum, Sweeden asked the nearly 30 people
in attendance to participate in
a SWOT analysis — a planning
method
to
evaluate
the
strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of the
hospital.
Strengths listed were the
caring doctors and nurses at
the hospital, emergency room
care, and ease of accessibility.
Another strength was that critical patients are transferred to
other facilities quickly. Sweeden said that Cloud County
Health Center is a critical
By Jessica LeDuc
Blade Staff Writer
Eleven people were “killed” in
a live active shooter drill at
Cloud County Community College Thursday morning.
The training event at the college, was in conjunction with the
Concordia Police Department,
Concordia Fire and EMS, Cloud
County Sheriff’s Department,
and Cloud County Health Center.
The active shooter, Shane
Britt, entered the college at
10:02 a.m., and was apprehended by police officers seven minutes later, at 10:09 a.m., but not
before “killing” eleven employees
and wounding two others.
A call was placed to 911 as
soon as the first shot was fired,
and Amy Lange, vice president
for administrative services,
made an announcement over
the intercom for those in the
building to lock doors and hide.
Janet Eubanks, director of
auxiliary services, said afterward that the purpose of the
drill was to prepare faculty, staff
and students for the potential of
a school shooter on the premises.
“We know training is so
important, especially with all the
recent
school
shootings,”
Eubanks said.
The college did let everyone
know the drill was happening,
Eubanks said, but people still
took it seriously. She said she
was pleased that people followed
the proper protocol and safety
procedures during the event.
“I’m happy and relieved,”
Eubanks said. “We didn’t want
anyone unintentionally hurt.
This was a great tool and very
valuable.”
Concordia Police Chief Bruce
Johnson said he felt things went
smoothly with his officers.
Once the call came through
dispatch after the first shots
were fired, two teams entered
the school in search of the
shooter. The first team, made up
of three officers, heard gunshots
in the student union area, Johnson said, and were close enough
to quickly apprehend the shooter.
Cloud County Sheriff Brian
Marks, who was observing the
shooter and first responders,
said he thought staff members
did well in reacting to the shooting. There were two areas where
doors were not locked, he said,
which the shooter took advantage of.
“But, that’s one of the reasons
we’re doing this training — to
identify any potential weaknesses,” he said. “I felt like it went
really well. Luckily, everyone is
proactive and lets us do these
trainings. They help everyone
involved.”
Concordia Fire Chief Eric
Voss agreed that the event went
well. He said the drill was an
opportunity for additional training for the tactical medical technicians on staff.
Tactical medics would accompany law enforcement into the
building during a shooting to
locate victims and get them out
of the building safely.
“Everyone did a great job,”
Voss said. “Law enforcement did
a great job apprehending the
CCCC conducts
active shooter drill
access hospital, which means
it is set up to stabilize patients
and move them on to larger,
better equipped facilities.
The services the hospital
offers, such as respiratory and
physical therapy, health fairs
and screenings were also listed
as positives.
The main weakness facing
the hospital was its aging infrastructure, which affects not
only patient care, but doctor
recruitment and retention, and
technology.
Other weaknesses listed
were:
• Emergency room, X-ray
and laboratory all on the fourth
floor
• Specialties, such as a pediatrician, not available
• Marketing and communication, negative comments in
the community and misinformation
• Cloud County Health Center competes against other taxsupported hospitals in the area
• A number of local citizens
do not use the facility
• Medicare reimbursements
A number of the weaknesses
listed were also opportunities
that the hospital should seize,
such as local citizens not using
the facility, a need for more
marketing and communication, and the need for a new
facility.
Other opportunities for
improvement were:
• Broadening wellness programs and working to keep the
population of the county
healthy
• Developing relationships
with other hospitals and partnering with larger facilities for
clinics or to share doctors
• Offering drug testing and
exams to local companies
One main threat that faces
the hospital is the declining
population of the area, as well
as the fact that surrounding
hospitals receive tax support.
Bates said there are a number
of under or un-insured citizens
in the county, which leads to
bad debt, “and that affects our
bottom line.”
Meeting regulations for the
aging facility is also a concern,
Bates said.
“Regulations are always
changing, and in an old building, there will be a time when
we can’t keep up,” he said.
The ease of getting to Salina
Regional Health Center via
Highway 81 is also a threat, as
is other hospitals’ advertising
in the Concordia market on television.
“Anything we can do to
engage the community will be a
positive in the future,” Sweeden said, in wrapping up the
evening.“Your comments are
very important to this facility
and this community.”
Bates thanked those in
attendance, as well.
“It’s critical to have community input because it’s a different perspective than what we
have working here,” he said.
“We face a lot of challenges,
and thank God there are people in the community who get
that, and support us.”
Active shooter drill
Shane Britt, playing the role of an active shooter, carries a toy gun
through the Cloud County Community College hallways during a drill
Thursday morning. Cloud County Sheriff Brian Marks was acting as
an observer for the drill. (Blade photo by JessicaLeDuc)
suspect and keeping our guys
safe.”
Once the suspect was apprehended, EMTs went through the
building to find and evacuate
the two wounded people. They
were safely removed from the
school and transported to Cloud
County Health Center, which
was also participating in the
drill.
In a real-life shooter situation, Johnson said it would not
end so quickly.”We would evacuate room by room, and then
secure the building,” he said.
“We would be here for hours, but
since this is just an exercise,
we’re just trying to get the point
across.”
ty about the state’s finances or
future legislative actions raise
questions about whether the
state actually met the earlier
Supreme Court mandate.
The high court ruled in
March that past, recessiondriven cuts in aid to poor school
districts had created unconstitutional gaps in aid between
them and wealthier districts
and ordered lawmakers to fix
the problem. The Supreme
Court also returned the lawsuit
to the three-judge panel in
Shawnee County— which had
reviewed it previously — with
orders to examine the Legislature’s response and consider
other issues, including whether
the state’s total aid to schools is
adequate.
Judges: School funding law meets mandates
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A
panel of Kansas judges ruled
Wednesday that a new education funding law complies with
a state Supreme Court mandate to boost aid to poor public
schools but wouldn’t narrow
the scope of an ongoing lawsuit
over whether the state is providing enough aid overall to
local districts.
The three-judge panel in
Shawnee County District Court
declined the state’s request to
dismiss all the claims questioning the fairness of the state’s
school funding formula in a
lawsuit filed in 2010 by parents
and school districts. But the
judges also rejected arguments
from attorneys for the aggrieved
school districts that uncertain-
OPINION
Washington Merry-Go-Round
by Douglas Cohn and Eleanor Clift
WASHINGTON – Courtly
Mississippi Senator Thad
Cochran was thought to
be the Tea Party’s last best
chance to take down a member of the Republican establishment, but neither
Cochran nor his Tea Party
challenger, state Sen. Chris
McDaniel, had enough votes
to win outright during their
recent primary election.
Meanwhile, all that was
turned on its head when
House Majority Leader Eric
Cantor, R-Va., was upset by
unknown,
underfinanced
Tea Party challenger David
Brat in Tuesday’s Virginia
primary.
Sitting
congressional
leaders have lost general
elections – House Speaker
Tom Foley, D-Wash., in 1994
and Minority Leader and
sometime Majority Leader
Tom Daschle, D-S.D., in
2004 come to mind – but to
lose in a primary is unique.
Now, the next three weeks
will decide the outcome of
the Cochran-McDaniel race,
with the 76-year-old Cochran the underdog. It is not
where he expected to be after
six terms in the U.S. Senate
and bringing home countless federal projects for his
state.
Cochran faces a formidable rival in state senator
and former conservative radio talk show host McDaniel, who is everything the
dignified and soft-spoken
senior senator is not. McDaniel is bombastic, boastful and hard charging, and
he doesn’t think much of all
that pork Cochran brought
to Mississippi. To heck with
the federal government is
McDaniel’s core message,
Mississippi can go it alone
and lead the way for the rest
of the country.
Someone should tell McDaniel that half his state’s
revenue comes from federal
grants, and for every dollar
Mississippi taxpayers send
to Washington, they get back
$3.07. So who’s the loser if
McDaniel managed to make
good on his Tea Party rhetoric and cut Mississippi loose
from the alleged tyranny of
Washington? But Tea Party
true believers are all about
balanced-budget
ideology
– mindlessly equating a national budget to a personal budget – even if it hurts
their own states. And it is an
ideology that McDaniel may
ride all the way to Washington.
His supporters are more
fervent than Cochran’s, and
now that they see victory
in their grasp, they’ll likely
turn out in force. Cochran
made a number of errors.
He, like Cantor with Brat,
took too long to realize that
McDaniel posed a serious
challenge, and he, like Cantor, relied on the good sense
of the voters to reelect him
in gratitude for all he had
done for the state, including
federal contracts for defense
projects that create much
needed jobs.
His fatal error may have
occurred just three days before the voting when on May
31st he posted a tweet that
praised the release of Sergeant Beau Bergdahl, who
apparently deserted. In the
days following, as the back-
DOONESBURY® by G.B. Trudeau
lash mounted over Bergdahl
and the prisoner exchange
of five high-ranking Taliban
figures that freed him, the
tweet was taken down. But
enough people saw it that it
could well doom Cochran’s
chance of overtaking McDaniel in the runoff.
But the Tea Party doesn’t
have to win the battles to
win the war. They’ve already
scared the GOP establishment into adopting their
positions and packaging
them in less inflammatory
rhetoric. The Tea Party has
already achieved several of
its major goals: starving the
federal budget, dismissing
climate change as a hoax
and refusing to fix the broken immigration system, all
of which are now bedrock
policies of the Republican
Party.
Visit: www.washingtonmerrygoround.com
Twitter
@WMerryGoRound
© 2014 U.S. News Syndicate, Inc.
Distributed by U.S. News
Syndicate, Inc.
Concordia Blade-Empire
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Your Birthday
Born today, you are likely
to enjoy a slow but steady
climb to the top, When you
get there, you can enjoy a
long and pleasurable stay,
though the work required of
you may be quite intense at
times. Fortunately, you are
not the kind to turn away
from any sort of challenge,
and if it is required of you
to work harder than most in
order to maintain your lauded position, then so be it.
You are no stranger to mistakes, but that gives you the
confidence you need to undo
them, fix them, reverse them
and move forward once you
have learned from them.
You have a fine memory for
names, faces, facts and figures, and that will surely
serve you well -- both professionally and personally.
You are nothing without
your family, or so you steadfastly believe. You credit
your every success to those
who have stood by you and
supported you through thick
and thin, and who raised
you with the proper values.
You are always one to give
credit where credit is due.
Also born on this date
are: George H. W. Bush,
U.S.
president;
Anne
Frank, diarist; Jim Nabors,
actor and singer; Chick
Corea, musician; Vic Damone, singer; Marv Albert,
sportscaster.
To see what is in store
for you tomorrow, find your
birthday and read the corresponding paragraph. Let
your birthday star be your
daily guide.
FRIDAY, JUNE 13
GEMINI (May 21-June
20) -- Giving another a
chance at a victory will surely make you feel good, and it
will win you the admiration
of one who has been on the
periphery.
CANCER (June 21-July
22) -- You’ll be answering all
kinds of questions from all
kinds of people throughout
much of the day. The information you impart must be
accurate.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) -Your own opinions -- based
on experience, of course
-- may prove more valuable
than facts to some people
who are curious about what
you do.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)
-- You’ll receive the go-ahead
for something you have long
been planning. The actual
start date, however, may be
a few days away.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)
-- How you put together your
ideas in a coherent form will
take precedence over elements of personal style; you
must be clear, concise and
direct.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov.
21) -- You’re likely to have
a more direct influence over
certain activities than you
have had in the past. Exert
it with care!
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22Dec. 21) -- Questions of
probability will surely come
to the fore. Focus on anything that keeps you actively
involved in the game.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22Jan. 19) -- You don’t want
anyone to misinterpret what
you say or do, especially if
you find it necessary to step
aside for a short time.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb.
18) -- You may want to explore a personal opportunity
in a way that is not allowed
by some. A break with tradition may be required.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March
20) -- What gives you pleasure may actually be something that can prove quite
valuable as the days progress.
ARIES (March 21-April
19) -- Your ability to make
the most of an opportunity
is reaching a peak at this
time. You have a knack for
swinging the odds in your
favor.
TAURUS (April 20-May
20) -- It is time for you to
join forces with others who
have recognized that it’s
not enough to talk about
change. That change must
be implemented.
SUDOKU
Sudoku is a number-placing
puzzle based on a 9x9 grid with
several given numbers. The object is to place the numbers 1 to 9
in the empty squares so that each
row, each column and each 3x3
box contain the same number
only once. The difficulty level of
the Conceptis Sudoku increases
from Monday to Friday.
3 2
4 9
6
Difficulty Level
2
3
8
2
9
1
5
4
7
6
Difficulty Level
8
1
7 5
1
5
4
3
7
6
9
8
2
4
1
6
6
1
7
9
6
2
4
8
3
5
1
5
7
1
4
6
2
8
9
3
9
4
8
1
5
3
2
6
7
2
6
3
7
8
9
5
1
4
6
3
7
5
9
4
1
2
8
4
1
5
8
2
7
6
3
9
8
2
9
6
3
1
7
4
5
2014 Conceptis Puzzles, Dist. by King Features Syndicate, Inc.
By Stella Wilder
6/11
By Dave Green
3
2 8
4
7 4
5
6 9
Thank You for Reading the Blade-Empire
6/12
2014 Conceptis Puzzles, Dist. by King Features Syndicate, Inc.
2 Blade-Empire, Thursday, June 12, 2014
Blade-Empire Thursday, June 12, 2014 3
Sports
16th Street downs
Blues take two from Clay Center
Family Health Mart
16th Street Car Wash
used a six-run second
inning to defeat Family
Health Mart 8-4 in Peewee
Baseball action Wednesday
night at the Concordia
Sports Complex.
Leading 1-0, 16th Street
Car Wash sent 11 batters to
the plate and put up six
runs on four hits and four
walks in the bottom of the
second inning to extend the
lead to 7-0.
16th Street Car Wash
added one run in the third
inning, and led 8-0.
Family
Health
Mart
scored one run in the
fourth inning and three in
the fifth to make it an 8-4
game.
Joey Jessup pitched the
first four innings for 16th
Street Car Wash. Nick Vignery worked the final inning.
Alec Francis, Tristen Milligan and Dylan Sulanka
pitched for Family Health
Mart.
Dalton Owen had two
hits for 16th Street Car
Wash.
In the other game played
Wednesday night, Concordia
Chevrolet/Buick
slipped past the American
Legion, 12-10.
Chevrolet/Buick took a
3-0 lead in the top of the
first inning.
Robert Trost hit a tworun home run for the American Legion in the bottom of
the inning.
Five runs in the second
inning
gave
Chevrolet/Buick an 8-2
advantage.
The American Legion
closed the gap to 8-6 with
four runs in the third
inning.
Each team scored two
runs in the fourth inning,
and Chevrolet/Buick led
10-8.
Scoring two runs in the
top of the fifth inning,
Chevrolet/Buick went up
12-8.
The American Legion
scored two runs in the bottom of the fifth.
Tim Peltier pitched three
innings
for
Chevrolet/Buick,
and
Wyatt Trost pitched the
final two innings.
Phoenix Vansant, Trost
and Matthew Eubanks did
the pitching for the American Legion.
Hunter Schroeder had
two hits and scored three
runs for Chevrolet/Buick.
Christian Hanson had
three hits.Tucker Arnold
had two hits.
Trost had three hits and
scored two runs for the
American Legion.
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP)
— Yu Darvish pitched his
first complete game in the
majors, Shin-Soo Choo
broke a long hitless streak
with a three-run double and
the Texas Rangers denied
Miami’s bid for a record
interleague winning streak,
beating the Marlins 6-0 on
Wednesday night.
Darvish (7-2) struck out
the side in the eighth to end
a streak of one baserunner
in each of the first seven
innings for the Marlins. The
Japanese ace finished his
73rd career start with his
10th strikeout, getting Garrett Jones swinging to complete a six-hitter.
The Marlins had to settle
for tying the New York Yankees (2003-04) and Tampa
Bay (2004) for the longest
interleague winning streak
at 13 games. It was Miami’s
first interleague loss since
Aug. 12 at Kansas City.
Jacob Turner (2-4) was
the loser.
Reds 5, Dodgers 0
(AP)
—
CINCINNATI
Johnny Cueto matched his
career high with 12 strikeouts in six innings, and
Joey Votto and Jay Bruce —
the missing core of Cincinnati’s batting order much of
the season — each drove in
runs, leading the Reds past
Los Angeles.
Cueto (6-5) followed his
shortest start of the season
with one of his most dominating. He gave up three
singles and didn’t walk a
batter, leaving after his
112th pitch. Cueto lasted
only five innings during an
8-0 loss to Philadelphia on
Friday night.
Jonathan
Broxton
escaped a bases-loaded,
one-out threat in the seventh by getting Hanley
Ramirez to ground into a
double play.
Votto doubled home a
pair of runs off Hyun-Jin
Ryu (7-3), who had won his
last four starts.
Orioles 6, Red Sox 0
BALTIMORE (AP) — WeiYin Chen allowed four hits
over seven innings, Chris
Davis homered and Baltimore
beat
struggling
Boston at soggy Camden
Yards.
Nick Hundley had two
hits and an RBI for the Orioles, who yielded only one
run in winning two of three
from the defending World
Series champions.
Chen (7-2) did not return
after rain delayed the game
for 1 hour, 38 minutes in
the middle of the seventh.
The Taiwanese left-hander
had a season-high seven
strikeouts, walked none
and was aided by three double plays.
Rubby De La Rosa (1-2)
needed only 15 pitches to
dig himself and the Red Sox
a 3-0 hole. Steve Pearce
walked and scored on a
double by Adam Jones
before Davis went deep.
Rays 6, Cardinals 3
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.
(AP) — Desmond Jennings
had a two-run single in a
four-run fourth inning and
Tampa Bay snapped a clubrecord 31-inning scoring
drought in a victory over St.
Louis.
Tampa Bay won for just
the second time in 16
games after having been
shut out in its previous
three contests. The Rays
had scored 35 runs over the
previous 15 games.
Yadier Molina had two
RBIs for the Cardinals, who
entered with three consecutive shutout pitching performances. The Rays’ big
fourth inning came against
Michael Wacha (4-5).
Juan Carlos Oviedo (2-2)
went 1 1-3 inning for the
win. Grant Balfour threw
the final 2 1-3 innings for
his 10th save.
Phillies 3, Padres 0
PHILADELPHIA (AP) —
Reid Brignac hit a three-run
homer in the ninth inning
to lift Philadelphia past San
Diego, giving the Phillies
consecutive victories for the
first time since a threegame streak May 17-20.
Nick Vincent (0-2) walked
Domonic Brown with one
out and hit Carlos Ruiz.
Brignac then sent a 2-0
pitch into the right-field
seats for his first homer
with the Phillies and his
second walk-off hit in two
weeks.
Rangers snap Miami’s
interleague streak
Erupting for nine runs
in the fourth inning, the
Concordia Blues defeated
Clay Center 13-3 to complete the sweep of an
American Legion Baseball
doubleheader Wednesday
night at the Concordia
Sports Complex.
Braden Johnson tossed
a two-hit shutout in Concordia’s 8-0 victory in the
first game of the twinbill.
Concordia led Clay Center just 4-3 heading into
the bottom of the fourth
inning in game two.
With two out, the Blues
had 10 consecutive batters
reach base, and scored
nine runs to end the game
because of the 10-run rule.
Chanse
Copple
got
things started by reaching
base on an error. He scored
on a single by Skyler Hittle.
Hittle stole second, and
scored on a single by Jordan Mehl.
Ethan Bechard reached
base on an error, and Connor Eilert singled home
two runs.
Chase Streeter and
Johnson walked.
Colby Trost drove in two
runs with a single.
Beau Behymer reached
base on an error.
A single by Copple got
Trost home.
Behymer scored the
final run on a passed ball.
Bechard pitched three
no-hit innings. He gave up
three runs, struck out five
and walked four.
Behymer
worked
a
scoreless fourth inning. He
struck out two and walked
one.
Copple had three hits
for the Blues and drove in
four.
Trost had two hits and
drove in three runs.
Clay Center took a 2-0
lead in the top of the first
inning.
Concordia
pushed
across four runs in the
bottom of the second
inning.
Eilert was hit by a pitch
and scored on a single by
Trost.
Behymer reached base
on an error, and Copple
knocked in two runs with a
single.
Copple
scored
the
fourth run of the inning.
Clay Center made it a 43 game with a run in the
third inning.
The Blues then used the
big fourth inning to end
the game.
In the first game, Johnson gave up just two singles in five innings. He
struck out three and didn’t
walk any.
Concordia scored two
runs in the first inning.
Behymer was hit by a
pitch. He scored on a
ground ball by Hittle.Copple walked and scored.
The Blues made it a 3-0
game with a run in the
third inning.Copple singled and Mehl drove him in
with a single.
Concordia tacked on five
runs in the fifth inning.
Hittle led off with a
home run.
Bechard singled and
scored on an error.
Eilert reached base on
an error and scored on a
passed ball.
Streeter singled. He
scored on an error.
Johnson and Trost each
singled.
A passed ball allowed
Johnson to score.Hittle
and Johnson had two hits
each.
Royals use sacrifice flies to beat Indians
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP)
— The hallmark of a good
team, at least in Royals
manager Ned Yost’s opinion, is the ability to wedge
open the smallest of openings that an opponent provides.
His club sure did that
against
Cleveland
on
Wednesday.
The Royals scored all
their runs by tying a franchise record with four sacrifice flies, and Yordano
Ventura dominated the
Indians over seven stingy
innings in a 4-1 victory.
“It’s finding a way to win
a ballgame that’s important,” said Yost, whose team
has won four straight.
“Good teams find ways to
score those runs, and we
did it four times today.”
In doing so, the Royals
became only the second
team to score four runs all
on sacrifice flies since it
became an official stat in
1954. The Expos managed
to do it against the Cubs on
May 28, 1980, according to
STATS, although that happened in an 8-4, 14-inning
loss.
“See?” Yost said. “We
made history.”
Ventura (4-5) allowed six
hits while striking out three
without a walk to win back-
to-back starts for the first
time. The only run he
allowed came in the sixth,
when he gave up consecutive singles to start the
inning and Carlos Santana
hit an RBI single.
By then, Indians counterpart Trevor Bauer (1-3)
had already allowed sacrifice flies to Jarrod Dyson,
Omar Infante and Alcides
Escobar. Billy Butler added
another sacrifice fly off
reliever John Axford in the
seventh to complete the
scoring.
“Usually I’m able to strike
out guys in situations like
that,” Bauer said. “I made a
couple of good pitches
today, but they fouled them
off and put them in play. So
it is unusual.”
The Indians loaded the
bases off Wade Davis with
nobody out in the eighth,
but two strikeouts and a
groundout
ended
the
Greg
Holland
threat.
worked a perfect ninth for
his 19th save.
The
Royals
(33-32)
moved over .500 for the first
time since May 18. They
also jumped over Cleveland
into second place in the AL
Central as they embark on a
trip that begins with the
White Sox and concludes
with the division-leading
Detroit.
Lonnie Chisenhall had a
pair of hits for Cleveland,
extending his hitting streak
to a career-best nine
games. He’s had at least two
hits in his last five.
Prior to the game, Indians manager Terry Francona recalled with disdain
the last time his club faced
Ventura — the young
flamethrower’s debut last
September. Ventura allowed
one run over 5 2-3 innings,
and at one point threw a
pitch to Yan Gomes clocked
at 102 mph.
“He’s got pretty special
stuff,” Francona said. “Kind
of hope we don’t see that
today.”
Turns out he did. Ventura kept the ball down in the
strike zone and forced the
Indians to chop into a series
of groundouts. He retired
seven straight batters at
one point, never allowing a
ball to be hit out of the
infield.
“I went out there with the
mentality to throw a lot of
strike,”
Ventura
said
a
translator.
through
“Something good was going
to happen if I threw a lot of
strikes.”
Nobody was more frustrated than Jason Giambi.
With the Royals shifting
their infield, the Indians DH
grounded out to the exact
same spot three straight
times before popping out.
“He’s got great stuff,”
Giambi said. “When he
locates like he did today,
he’s tough. He really is. He’s
got good mound presence
and attacks the strike
zone.”
The Royals scored their
first run when Dyson followed a double by Mike
Moustakas and a single by
Escobar with a sacrifice fly
in the third. Nori Aoki followed with a single, and
Infante hit his sacrifice fly
to give the Royals a 2-0
lead.
Escobar’s sacrifice fly
came after a double by Salvador Perez and a single by
Moustakas in the fourth,
and Butler added his sacrifice fly after singles by
Infante and Eric Hosmer.
That was enough to beat
Bauer, who has still never
won in seven road outings.
The Indians starter allowed
three runs on seven hits in
5 1-3 innings.
“That type of energy and
intensity we played with
today, that’s the way we
need to play,” Butler said.
“Bauer was pitching really
well. Every opportunity we
had we capitalized on.”
LOS ANGELES (AP) — A
trial will be held next
month
to
determine
whether Donald Sterling,
who opposes his estranged
wife’s planned sale of the
Los Angeles Clippers, was
properly removed as an
administrator for the family
trust that owns the team.
A probate court judge in
Los Angeles Wednesday
denied Shelly Sterling’s
urgent request to confirm
her authority as sole
administrator of The Sterling Family Trust so that
she can unilaterally proceed with a $2 billion sale of
the
team
to
former
Microsoft
CEO
Steve
Ballmer. Instead, the judge
agreed to an expedited
hearing because of looming
sales deadlines.
The development is the
latest in a legal tug-of-war
following the NBA’s decision to ban Donald Sterling
for life after racist remarks
to a girlfriend were recorded and publicized. Donald
Sterling is fighting the decision and suing the league
for $1 billion.
The league has contended the comments were bad
for business and damaged
both the Clippers and the
NBA.
The four -day trial was
granted
exceptionally
quickly and will begin July
7. The deadline for the sale
is July 15, which also is the
date the NBA’s owners hope
to vote on whether they will
approve the sale.
Court filings Wednesday
indicated the NBA has set a
hard deadline of Sept. 15. If
the sale isn’t completed
then, the league will undertake proceedings to seize
and sell the team on its
own.
Donald Sterling’s lawyer,
Bobby Samini, left the
courthouse without comment
after
a
clerk
announced the trial schedule. Neither Sterling was
present.
“I just want to resolve
this as quickly as possible,”
NBA Commissioner Adam
Silver told The Associated
Press on Wednesday in
Miami at an NBA Cares
event.
The crux of the case will
center on the question of
whether the 80-year -old
Donald Sterling is mentally
competent to be a cotrustee of The Sterling Family Trust, which gives him
the authority to determine
the team’s future. According to the trust’s terms, he
can be ruled “mentally
incapacitated” after being
evaluated by two doctors,
said Pierce O’Donnell,
Shelly Sterling’s attorney.
Shelly Sterling activated
that clause in negotiating
what would be a recordbreaking deal with Ballmer
as sole trustee. But Donald
Sterling challenged the
removal in a letter sent
Monday to his wife’s attorney said “any attempt to
remove me as a Trustee of
the Sterling Trust is invalid
and illegal. Furthermore,
any assertion that I am
‘incapacitated’... is false
and without merit.”
According to court documents, two doctors examined Donald Sterling in May
and concluded that he suffers from “mild cognitive
impairment consistent with
early Alzheimer’s Disease”
or some other forms of
brain disease after examining brain scans and having
him undergo other tests.
“In my opinion he is substantially unable to manage
his finances and resist
fraud and undue influence,
and is no longer competent
to act as trustee of his
trust,”
concluded
Dr.
James E. Spar, who is affiliated with the division of
geriatric psychiatry at
UCLA.
Sterling voluntarily went
to the doctors at the
request of his wife, according to a person with knowledge of the proceedings who
spoke on condition of
anonymity because they
were not authorized to discuss the details publicly.
A third doctor reviewed
the two doctors’ findings as
well as Sterling’s brain
scans and concurred with
their conclusions that he
“lacks the capacity to function as trustee.”
Donald Sterling’s attorney, Maxwell Blecher, contested the doctors’ findings
in remarks Tuesday to The
Associated Press.
“Anybody at his age level
on a brain scan would
probably
show
some
impairment. But that doesn’t mean you forget where
your car keys are and
you’re incompetent,” Blecher said. “There isn’t the
slightest evidence he’s incapable of managing his
affairs.”
Donald Sterling said in a
statement that he’s not just
fighting for the Clippers but
taking a stand against the
NBA, which he called “a
band of hypocrites and bullies” and “despicable monsters” who want “to take
away our privacy rights and
freedom of speech.”
“As I’ve said previously, if
Donald chooses to litigate
against us, so be it,” Silver
said. “So it’s going to take
longer than we had hoped
for this transaction to close,
but it’ll get done ultimately.
It’s just a question of time.”
Trial will weigh if Sterling was properly ousted
PEOPLE
4 Blade-Empire, Thursday, June 12, 2014
Extension Extra
Horticulturist Gives Tips for
Dealing with Storm-Damaged
Trees, Gardens
September wedding planned
BREAULT-BOWERS
K-State’s Ward Upham: Safety first
MANHATTAN, Kan. -- A late-spring stretch of stormy
weather may mean damaged trees and gardens for homeowners. Kansas State University horticulturist Ward Upham provided tips for pruning damaged trees and assessing and helping garden plants survive the weather.
Storm-Damaged Trees
“If a tree is damaged, you often will have to decide
whether it can be saved or not,” said Upham, who is the coordinator of K-State’s Horticulture Rapid Response Center.
He provided five tips for the care of storm-damaged trees.
1. Be safe. Check for downed power lines or hanging
branches. Don't venture under the tree
until it is safe. If large limbs are hanging precariously, a
certified arborist has the tools, training and knowledge to
do the work safely.
2. Cleanup. Remove debris so you don't trip over it.
3. Decide if it is feasible to save the tree. If the bark
has been split so the cambium – the cell layer underneath
the outer and inner bark – is exposed or the main trunk
is split, the tree probably will not survive and should be
removed.
The cambium is the growing part of the tree trunk. If so
many limbs are broken that the tree’s form is destroyed,
replacement is the best option.
Topping, where all the main branches are cut, leaving only stubs, is not a recommended pruning procedure.
Though new branches will normally arise from the stubs,
they will not be as firmly attached as the original branches
and are more likely to break in subsequent storms. Also,
the tree must use a lot of energy to develop new branches,
leaving less to fight off diseases and insect attacks. Often,
the topped tree's life is shortened.
4. Prune broken branches to the next larger branch or
to the trunk. If cutting back to the trunk, do not cut flush
with the trunk but rather at the collar area between the
branch and the trunk. Cutting flush with the trunk leaves
a much larger wound than cutting at the collar and takes
longer to heal.
Middle-aged or younger vigorous trees can have up to
one-third of the crown removed and still make a surprisingly swift comeback.
5. Take large limbs off in stages. If you try to take off a
large limb in one cut, it will often break before the cut is
finished and strip bark from the tree.
Instead, first make a cut about 15 inches from the
trunk. Start from the bottom and cut one-third of the way
up through the limb. Make the second cut from the top
down but start 2 inches further away from the trunk than
the first.
The branch will break away as you make the second
cut. The third cut, made at the collar area, removes the
stub that is left.
“Pruning can be dangerous,” Upham said. “Consider
hiring a trained arborist to do major work such as this.”
He noted that a good arborist knows how to prune trees
so that storm breakage is less likely to occur. Preventing
damage is better than trying to fix it once it has happened,
he said, noting that the Arbor Day Foundation maintains a
website http://www.arborday.org/media/stormindex.cfm
with detailed information.
Storm-Damaged Gardens
High winds, excessive rainfall and hail can wreak havoc
in any garden. Upham provided tips to assess damage and
help fragile plants recover.
Heavy rain: The force of rainfall pounding the soil can
result in a thick crust that prevents seed emergence and
partially blocks oxygen from reaching roots. A light scraping after the soil surface has dried is all that is needed to
correct these problems. Be careful of deep tilling as it may
damage young, tender roots.
Standing water: Standing water cuts off oxygen to the
roots, which can result in plant damage if it doesn’t drain
quickly enough. Most plants can handle 24 hours of standing water without harm. Hot, sunny weather can make a
bad situation worse if the water becomes hot enough to
‘cook’ the plants. In this case, there isn’t much that can be
done unless a channel is cut to allow the water to drain.
Hail damage: Plants should recover quickly as long as
the leaves only were damaged by the hail as leaves regenerate quickly. The situation becomes more serious if the
stems and fruit were damaged. Plants can recover from a
few bruises but if it looks like they were mowed down by a
weed whip, it’s time to replant with new ones.
Leaning plants: Either wind or water can cause plants
to lean. They should start to straighten after a few days.
Don’t try to bend them back as they often break easily.
More information about growing and maintaining landscapes is available on the K-State Research and Extension horticulture website: http://www.ksre.ksu.edu/p.
aspx?tabid=24.
Club notes
Chapter AO, P.E.O. met
June 10 at the Presbyterian
Church fellowship hall with
Nancy Champlin, Norine
Koester and Linda Culley as
co-hosts.
The women who attended
the state P.E.O. Convention
in Wichita June 6-8 gave
reports. Chapter AO was
recognized for observing its
100th anniversary and for
its service in giving a local
woman a continuing education scholarship.
Next meeting will be at
7 p.m., July 8, at the First
United Methodist Church
with the committee for Cottey College Leadership as
hosts.
The Booster Club had
three tables of pitch and
one of pinochle when it met
Wednesday afternoon at the
Senior Center.
Winners at pitch were
Myrna Campbell and Odella Yaksich, two-way tie for
first; and Barb Tracy, second. Pinochle winners were
Nina Sheely, first; and Anna
Maish, second.
Next meeting will be June
25.
KATHY and GENE KINDEL
Gene and Kathy Kindel will celebrate their 45th
wedding anniversary and
Gene’s retirement at a 5-8
p.m. open house and an 8
p.m.-midnight dance, Saturday, June 14, at the K of
C Hall in Aurora.
Family and friends are invited.
Sterling students take
cross-cultural trip
Aren Coppoc and David
Strait, Sterling College sophomores from Concordia, traveled on cross-cultural trips,
leaving May 21 and returning
the first week of June.
Coppoc traveled to India
and Strait visited East Asia.
Coppoc led a team of four
other students to India to
work with local Christians
doing discipleship and street
evangelism. Strait and five
other students traveled to
East Asia to work with Sterling College alumni teaching
English and spending time
learning about the culture.
Dr. Mark and Suzie
Breault,
Concordia,
announce the engagement of
their daughter, Destiny Marie
Breault to Brice Wayne Bowers, son of Charlie and Sen.
Elaine Bowers, also of Concordia.
Destiny is the granddaughter of Gertrude Breault
and the late LeRoy Breault
and Betty Schenk and the
late Clarence Schenk, all
of Concordia. Brice is the
grandson of Louise Bowers,
Abilene, and Darrell Haley
and the late Marjorie Haley,
Delphos.
The future bride graduated
from Kansas State University
with a BFA in Photography
and a BA in Art Education.
She teaches art, photography
and ceramics at Pike Valley
High School and has her own
photography business.
The future groom graduated from Concordia High
Annie’s
Mailbox
The winning essays in Concordia Elementary School
fourth graders’ “My Favorite Older Person” writing activity
selected by Sunset Home residents are being published
as space permits in the Blade. Following is an essay by
Ariel Miller.
By Ariel Miller
I know a person who is humorous, unique, outgoing,
and always spunky. She also means the world to me.
That person is Janet Budke, who I call my grandma.
She is a farmer’s wife in the country. She has brown
hair with eyes exact. She always has her hair pulled back
unless she is going to the nursing home where she works.
I never get tired of her. She is playful and positive. My
grandma always knows what to say because she is trustworthy and caring and more gentle than a feather. I love
her.
My grandma always has fun activities waiting for me.
In the summer I swim in her pool. She has lots of pool
toys. We swim for fun-filled hours in the blue water.
Some days we start up the gator and ride around her
yard. No matter what weather brings we will ride through
wind and mud. I ran into a hay bale twice. Thought she
was going to be mad. I heard her laugh, then I laughed
and we hugged. My grandma drove the rest of the way
back.
She always says “everything will be O.K. Sometimes
her look says it all. She is always there for me.
My grandma is as good as gold. She never quits on me.
I am fearless with her. I will never forget her through the
bumps this road goes over. My grandma is in my heart
forever.
Horse Day Camp
set for June 18
The River Valley Extension District will be host
for a Concordia Horse Day
Camp on Wednesday, June
18, at Cloud County Community College.
This camp will be geared
for 7- to 12-year-old kids
who have never been around
or have very little experience with horses. It will run
from 8 a.m.-3 p.m. and will
include activities with live
horses, lunch and a movie.
Kids are not required to
be in 4-H to attend. Registration is due June 13 at the
Concordia Extension office.
Student
luminary
Hints from
Heloise
MANHATTAN—Hali
Schultz,
Miltonvale,
is
among the 84 new members of the Pinnacle Honor
Society recognized this year
at Kansas State University.
The Pinnacle Honor Society
has nontraditional students
from all walks of life who
are achieving academic excellence, including working
parents, mid-life adults, students with disabilities, distance students and international students. Schultz was
a senior in general business.
Blade-Empire 243- 2424
bladeempire@nckcn.com
FROSTED BROWNIES
Dear Heloise: My kids
have always loved hazelnut
chocolate spread. One of
the ways I use it is to frost
brownies. It’s delicious! -Lily W. in New York
Senior Citizens Menu
Friday, June 13—Lasagna, spinach, garlic bread,
pears; 10 a.m.—Exercise;
progressive cards. Father’s
Day is Sunday.
Fresh coffee and cinnamon rolls daily, 9 a.m. to 11
a.m.
Call 243.1872, Teddy
Lineberry for questions or to
make reservations.
School and Cloud County
Community College with a
degree in Music. He is employed at Concordia Chevrolet/Buick and Concordia
Auto Mart. He also performs
guitar music and sings professionally in his free time.
A sunset wedding with a
1920s dress code theme is
planned for late September.
***
In order to live off a garden, you practically have to live in it.
-Frank McKinney Hubbard
***
“My Favorite Older Person”
“My Favorite Older Person”
Breault-Bowers
by Kathy Mitchell and
Marcy Sugar
Dear Annie: I've known
"Ted" all my life. About 10
years ago, I loaned him
$1,000. He never repaid it,
and I could really use that
money now. Ted lives in a different city, and when I phone
him, he refuses to discuss it.
In the past, I had given
Ted money outright, but
this was absolutely a loan. I
made sure he knew that, but
I didn't ask for a promissory
note or any interest. If I hire
a lawyer to sue him for the
loan, I'd lose half the money
paying the lawyer.
Ted's mother once warned
me not to loan money to
friends. What can I do? —
Should Have Listened
Dear Should: You could
try to retrieve the money by
suing Ted in small-claims
court. You generally don't
need an attorney to do this,
but you are likely to lose the
friendship permanently. You
might want to warn Ted in
advance that this is your intent if he isn't willing to discuss the loan and reach an
agreement.
Dear Annie: You get lots
of letters from husbands or
wives who are unhappy and
asking, "What went wrong?"
Maybe the trouble is that
while they were planning a
wedding they forgot to plan
a marriage.
I performed my first marriage ceremony 60 years ago
and have done several hundred since. Some were in
large churches with fancy
flowers, string quartets and
an exquisite reception. Some
were in my living room with
only the bride and groom in
their Sunday clothes.
There is quite a difference
between a wedding and a
marriage. A wedding is the
civil and/or religious ceremony that ends in the signing of a certificate making
the whole thing legal. A marriage is a covenant between
two people who promise to
love, honor and cherish each
other.
My advice to any couple
planning the kind of wedding
they will have is to first ask
what kind of marriage they
will have. — Retired Methodist Minister in Texas
Dear Minister: It's true
that some couples are so
focused on the trappings of
a wedding that they don't
give enough thought to what
comes after.
And what comes after
is meant to last a very long
time.
Dear Annie: Your advice
to "Upset Mom in USA" made
me angry. She said her son
was accused of stealing a
ring from his cousin when he
briefly stayed at his aunt's
house.
This son is a financially
secure 32-year-old businessman, not a teenage boy bicycling around Europe. The
missing ring is between him
and his cousin. In addition
to the possibility that the
niece simply misplaced the
ring, it could also be a setup.
The aunt called her nephew, not his mother. Mom has
no place in this contretemps,
yet you advised her to speak
to her son when he returns,
and even suggested she offer
to split the cost of the ring.
Why should Mom offer anything if her son is innocent?
If she in any way admits that
her son is at fault, it will poison the relationship between
her and her son. And if he
did steal the ring, he should
pay the full cost. Either way,
it is not Mom's place to fix it,
and you should have said so.
— Annoyed at You
Dear Annoyed: Our concern, actually, was not the
son or the ring. It was the
relationship between the sisters. You are absolutely right
that the son is responsible
for working this out, and we
should have said so. But we
also know how difficult it is
for a parent to stand by and
watch a family situation deteriorate over such accusations. Even though the issue is between the cousins,
we suspect Mom fears losing
the affection of her sister,
and that is where our advice was directed. (Although
the idea that this might be
a setup did not occur to us.
Heavens.)
Annie's Mailbox is written
by Kathy Mitchell and Marcy
Sugar, longtime editors of
the Ann Landers column.
Please email your questions
to anniesmailbox@comcast.
net, or write to: Annie's
Mailbox, c/o Creators Syndicate, 737 3rd Street, Hermosa Beach, CA 90254. To
find out more about Annie's
Mailbox and read features
by other Creators Syndicate
writers and cartoonists, visit
the Creators Syndicate Web
page at www.creators.com.
Spiritual journey brings
Georgia women to Concordia Today in History
Blade-Empire, Thursday, June 12, 2014 5
Crystal Payment and
Dian Hall had to travel 1,000
miles to discover they live
roughly 35 miles apart.
The spiritual journey for
the two Georgia women has
been even longer. Yet, Saturday they were together in
Concordia in one ceremony,
where they both professed
their vows to enter religious
life—Sister Dian as a canonical Sister of St. Joseph and
Sister Crystal as an agrégée
Sister of St. Joseph.
Payment, who today lives
in Douglasville on the western outskirts of Atlanta, was
born and raised in Sault Ste.
Marie, Mich.
“From the time I was a
young teenager, I wanted to
be a Sister,” she said. “But
my life took a detour and
that didn’t happen.”
That “detour” included
marriage, a move to Georgia
with her husband in 1983,
two children and a 25-year
career with Delta Airlines.
Throughout, she remained active in the Catholic church, as a member of
St. Theresa Parish in Douglasville and—for more than
20 years now—as an “annulment case sponsor” for the
Archdiocese of Atlanta. In
that volunteer position, she
works with Catholic couples
seeking to have their marriages annulled, as allowed
by church law.
Then, in 2007, she and
her husband divorced.
With her son and daughter grown, she thought, “I
can do what I want, I can be
what I want.” She knew she
still wanted to be a Sister.”
She spent the next four
years looking for a religious
community that would take
an older Sister who had a
family. She talked with a
number of communities and
received an equal number of
rejections.
“So I kept praying about
it, and decided maybe God
didn’t want me to go in that
direction,” Payment said.
“Then in 2011, there was an
article in the diocesan newspaper about a eucharistic
conference and it included a
picture of two Sisters of St.
Joseph who serve in Atlanta.
They were talking about this
new program in Concordia.
It felt like providence.”
The providential program
was agrégée membership—
designed for mature, single
Catholic women who feel
called to religious life but
who, for a variety of reasons,
do not or cannot choose to
become the traditional canonically vowed Sisters.
The term agrégée—pronounced
Ah-gre-ZHEY—
comes from the French for
“attached to” or “aggregated
with.”
It is a form of membership in the religious congregation that dates back to its
founding in 17th-century
France, when Sisters of St.
Joseph were either canonically vowed “principal Sisters” or so-called agrégée or
“country Sisters.”
The Concordia congregation re-introduced agrégée
membership in 2006, and
today there have been 10
women who have professed
their vows as agrégée Sisters
in the Concordia congregation and another half-dozen
who are in varying stages of
the process of deciding if this
form of religious life fits them
and their spiritual needs.
By summer 2011, Payment had met Sisters Jodi
Creten and Helen Mick—the
two Concordia Sisters who
live in nearby Atlanta—and
that September she came to
Concordia for the first time.
Sister Crystal Payment
Sister Dian Hall
Two months later she was
officially received into the
community as a candidate
and began regular study and
prayer sessions with Creten
and Mick.
Joining her in those sessions was Dian Hall, who
had become an agrégée candidate two years earlier.
Hall, a Georgia native
who lives and works in Cartersville, just northwest of
Atlanta, was raised in the
Methodist Church and converted to Catholicism as an
adult.
In 1994, she met Sister
Diane Brin, a Sister of St.
Joseph of Concordia who
lives in nearby Rome, Ga.
Through Hall, she met Creten and Mick and then Sister Anna Marie Broxterman,
who at the time was the vocation director for the Sisters
of St. Joseph of Concordia.
For the next two or three
years she said she did this
little dance with Broxterman. “I felt called, and I’d
come, and then I’d back out.
I did that over and over.”
Finally, she stepped away
from the “dance,” as she
calls it, and moved on with
her life. As she explained,
“I just said, ‘Let’s see what
happens.’ “
What happened first was
a horrific traffic accident in
2000 that required weeks
of hospitalization and several surgeries. Then she
was hired as music director
at Saint Meinard Seminary
in Indiana. She loved the
work among the Benedictine
monks, she said, but she
was lonely and homesick for
Georgia. She also missed her
family.
Hall, an only child whose
parents are both deceased,
had stepped in to help raise
one of her students some
20 years ago when the girl’s
parents were killed.
When Juana—now 36—
was in her 20s, she and
Hall decided they wanted to
“formalize” the family feeling
they had for years, so Hall
adopted her.
Juana is now a married
mother of three sons, and
lives in Cartersville.
In 2005, Hall returned
to Cartersville and went to
work as a special education
teacher at the public high
school while also taking on
the duties of music director for St. Francis of Assisi
Catholic Church.
She reconnected with
Creten and Mick in Atlanta—and she learned abut
the new form of membership
the Concordia Sisters were
in the process of approving.
“I kept resisting the call I
felt because I was afraid of
losing my autonomy and independence,” Hall said.
Those were less of an issue with the agrégée form
of membership, she said.
These Sisters remain financially independent from the
congregation and generally
remain where they are living and working when they
enter.
So in November 2009,
Hall entered the Concordia
congregation as an agrégée
candidate, and spent more
than two years working,
studying and praying with
her mentors, Creten and
Mick.
“I think I finally understood what I had been afraid
of‚ and it was time to commit, to finally commit,” Hall
said.
She did that a year ago,
when Hall, now 61, was received into the congregation
as a canonical novice.
She moved to Concordia
not long after that to begin
her canonical year as required by Church law, preparing to profess her vows.
The culmination of study
and prayer came Saturday
morning for Payment and
Hall in a special Mass in the
Motherhouse Chapel.
Creten and Milk were on
hand, of course, as were
Payment’s son and daughter
and their spouses and children.
Juana and her family
couldn’t be there in person,
but Hall made sure the ceremony was streamed over the
Internet so they could watch
from Georgia.
They will also celebrate a
second vow ceremony next
weekend at Hall’s home parish, St. Francis of Assisi,
where she is music director.
On Saturday, the Motherhouse profession ceremony
reflected their individual
lives—and the path they’ve
walked together. Payment’s
grandchildren—14-yearold Megan and 2-year-old
Noah—helped carry the offertory gifts to the altar to
begin Mass, and Hall sang
one of her compositions. Sister Betty Suther performed
another of her songs.
They also paid tribute to
two women they met in Concordia.
When Payment professed
her vow, the wording was exactly the same as what was
heard eight years ago when
Sister Rosabel Flax became
the first modern agrégée Sister of St. Joseph of Concordia.
Flax, who lived and
served in Ness City, died after a brief illness in March.
The printed program for
the ceremony included a
poem by Virginia Flax of WaKeeney, an agrégée candidate who died unexpectedly
in July 2013.
When they return to Georgia—Payment to coordinate
a new ministry in her parish
to visit homebound parishioners and Hall to work as a
special education inclusion
teacher for the Cartersville
schools—they will take with
them their commitment to
the Concordia congregation
and a belief in its vibrancy.
“I am so grateful to the
community for having this
form of membership,” Payment said. “It has given new
life to women who thought
this opportunity to respond
to God’s call had passed
them by. To have this yearning and not be able to fulfill
it is very painful.”
“There are so many women thirsting for God,” thirsting for their own spirituality
and a community to belong
to,” Hall added.
“Like me, they may be
afraid, but they don’t have to
be. We can be here for them.”
Vow ceremony
Taking part in Saturday’s vow ceremony at the Nazareth Convent were, from left, Sisters Jodi
Creten and Helen Mick, both mentors to the newly professed Sisters, and Sisters Crystal Payment, Dian Hall, Betty Suther and Marcia Allen, who is president of the Sisters of St. Joseph of
Concordia.
Shop Concordia Thursday Nights
from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.
50 years ago
June 12, 1964—Albert
Hubert was showing off a
30-pound yellow catfish
caught on a line set by him
and his two young sons,
Ronnie and Duane. The fish
measured 39”in length. . . .
John Peck, chairman of the
fundraising committee of
the North Central Kansas
Education Committee, announced that Arley Bryant
had been secured as coordinator to prepare information
regarding the establishment
of a two-year community college in Concordia.
25 years ago
June 12, 1989—Representing Kansas in Division 1
“Do More With Less” at the
Odyssey of the Mind World
Finals in Boulder, Colo., was
the Clyde Elementary team
coached by Wendy Koch and
Shirley Masterson: Lance
Francis, Lucas Chavey, Matt
Anderson, Jessica LeDuc
and Jarod Francis. . . . At
the United Methodist Kansas West Annual Conference
it was decided that the Rev.
Don Blanton would return
to First United Methodist
Church and the Rev. Harry
Graves would return to Trinity United Methodist Church
in Concordia. The Rev. Ralph
Jones was returning from
retirement to active pastorate at the Jamestown United
Methodist Church.
10 years ago
June 12, 2004—Shirley
Stolzenburg, Concordia, an-
nounced that she was seeking the Republican nomination for second district Cloud
County commissioner. . . .
Monte Wentz and Verletta
Moon had collected donated funds for new American
Flags to be flown in Concordia. The flags arrived just in
time to be displayed on Flag
Day.
5 years ago
June 12, 2009—Marilyn Sorenson wrote in the
Blade’s Norway News that
Emma Rae, daughter of
Channing Herrman, celebrated her first birthday with
a party and barbecue at the
Hardware Store in Norway.
. . . Unit 76 officers of the
American Legion Auxiliary
were Gwen Trost, president;
Karen Driscoll, vice president; Laura Christensen,
secretary; Ruth Lewellyn,
treasurer; Lisa Valcoure,
historian; and Phyllis Koster,
sergeant-at-arms.
1 year ago
June 12, 2013—Concordia City Commission voted
that it would be legal to carry concealed weapons into
Concordia’s City Hall and
voted 4-1 not to sign a letter
that would have exempted
the City from legislation until the first of the year. Christy Hasch cast the deciding
vote. . . . Dennis Willie, a
designer for Play by Design,
sketched a design for a destination playground during
the Concordia Community
Park Project’s Design Day.
Groups allege abuse
of child immigrants
SAN DIEGO (AP) – Unaccompanied children arrested by U.S. border authorities are packed in
frigid cells and sleep on
hard floors without enough
food or medical care, advocacy groups said in a
complaint Wednesday that
alleges widespread abuses amid a surge of illegal
crossings by young immigrants from strife-torn Central American countries.
The Esperanza Immigrant Rights Project and
four other groups produced
116 allegations of abuse of
children who were in Customs and Border Protection
custody. They said more
than 80 percent received
inadequate food and water, about half were denied
medical care, and about
one of every four was physically abused.
A 13-year-old boy said
he was threatened by an official with a metal rod and
was later sexually molested
while in custody, a 14-yearold girl reported her asthma inhaler was confiscated, and a 14-year-old boy
was unable to sleep for five
days because the lights
were always on. A 16-yearold boy said an official told
him, “You are in my country now, and we are going
to bury you in a hole.”
The allegations described
in the administrative complaint to the Department
of Homeland Security were
based on interviews with
the children from around
March to May. The complaint doesn’t provide dates
of the alleged abuse, but
authors said much of it occurred over the last year.
The locations are not listed
because, the authors said,
the children were frequently
shuttled around and didn’t
know where they were.
The children were identified only by initials in
a 25-page version of the
complaint that was made
public but the authors said
they provided names and
other biographical information to the Homeland Security’s inspector general and
office civil rights and civil
liberties. They urged the
department to investigate
the complaints, punish any
wrongdoing and make its
findings public.
Customs and Border
Protection said in a statement that it does not tolerate misconduct and was
providing food, medical
care and other basic services under constant supervision, while working
to transfer children to the
Department of Health and
Human Services within 72
hours, as required by law.
It said “extraordinary measures” were being taken in
response to an overwhelming tide of children crossing
in South Texas.
The
Department
of
Homeland Security, which
oversees Customs and Border Protection, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
“This should be the final straw. These children’s
stories are horrific,” said
James Lyall of the American Civil Liberties Union’s
Border Litigation Project,
which joined Americans for
Immigrant Justice, the National Immigrant Justice
Center and the Florence Immigrant Rights & Refugee
Project. The groups work
closely with the children after they are released.
Customs and Border
Protection arrested 47,017
unaccompanied
children
on the border from October
through May, up 92 percent from the same period
a year earlier. A draft Border Patrol memorandum
estimates that number
could reach 90,000 in the
fiscal year ending Sept. 30,
up from a previous government estimate of 60,000.
Last week, President
Barack Obama declared a
crisis and appointed the
Federal Emergency Management Agency to lead
the government’s response.
Hundreds of children have
been flown to a makeshift
shelter at a Border Patrol
station in Nogales, Arizona,
while the Defense Department prepares military bases in California, Oklahoma
and Texas, for temporary
housing.
6 Blade-Empire, Thursday, June 12, 2014
ONE PLACE HAS IT ALL
THE CLASSIFIEDS
For Rent
Help Wanted
FOR RENT- Small 1 bedroom house
with trash and water. $350/mo. 785275-2062.
HELP WANTED
FOR RENT- 1 bedroom apartment,
utilities included. Contact 785-2433325, Ext. 2.
FOR RENT
Newly remodeled, 2 bedroom,
1 bath house, 1702 Washington
St. Close to college. No pets.
Part-time/Full-time
Housekeeping
and
Breakfast Bar
Call 785-455-3641
or cell 713-504-9479
Must be available weekends
and holidays.
FOR RENT-Storage spaces, various
sizes, reasonable, locally owned.
785-243-4105.
Please apply in person
at HOLIDAY INN
FOR RENT- Newly remodeled 2 bedroom apartment, stove and refrigerator, washer and dryer hookups, partial
utilities. 785-243-9886.
2175 Lincoln St.,
Concordia
FOR RENT- 1 & 2 bedroom apartments in quiet building, beautiful open
floor plan, most utilities, $600/mo.
785-275-2062.
Garage Sales
YARD SALE- Rolling Hills Storage Unit
#141, Friday 3-? Saturday 7-? A little
bit of everything.
GARAGE SALE- 808 E.
10th, Sat. 8-? Large truck
tools, chopsaw, welder,
t o o l s , g a s w e e d e a t e r,
stnd truck toolbox, dishes,
clothes, decorator items,
5’x10’ tilt trailer.
MOVING SALE- Sat. 8am-? 815 W.
9th. Speakers, chairs, books, games,
tools, and household misc.
GARAGE SALE- MultiFamily, Friday 5-7; Saturday
8-noon, 625 E. 14th St.
Furniture, toys, men’s,
women’s and kids clothing.
When you need to
buy or sell
advertise in the
blade-empire
Classifieds!
EXPRESS
ICE CREAM PARLOR
Part-time Help Wanted
Every Other Weekend
Hours are 1pm-4pm
Mount Joseph
Senior Village
Please pick up application
at the front desk 8a-5p, M-F.
Casey’s General Store
is looking for a
Part-time Donut Cook
Hours are 2am to 9:30am,
every other weekend and 2
days a week. Apply at:
Casey’s General Store
Concordia, KS.
Must be 18 to apply
STUPKA
CONSTRUCTION
is now hiring
Full-time Laborers
and Carpenter
Call 785-243-3564
DRIVERS NEEDED
Part time,
in the Concordia Area
Please call Tonya at
785-543-7314
Sales Calendar
•Saturday, June 14, 2014 – Public Auction at 9:00 a.m.
located at the Kearn Auction House, 220 West 5th Street,
Concordia, Kansas. Misc. and Collectibles. Dannie Kearn
Auction.
•Saturday, June 21, 2014 – Estate Auction at 9:30
a.m. located at 407 Arcadia Street, Clifton, Kansas. Misc.
and Collectibles. Ruby Temple Estate, Seller. Dannie Kearn Auction.•Saturday, June 21, 2014– Public Auction at
10:00 a.m. located at the Cloud County Fairgrounds Commercial Bldg., East edge of Concordia, Kansas on Industrial
Road. Antiques and Collectibles. Alvena Swenson, Seller.
Larry Lagasse Auction.
•Tuesday, June 24, 2014 – Nursing Home Auction at
1:00 p.m. located at at the facility across from the American
Legion at 310 Strand Street in Clifton, Kansas. Real Estate
and Nursing Home Supplies. Greg Kretz Auction.
Oil booms produce jobs for archaeologists
TIOGA, N.D. (AP) – Drilling crews are eager to plunge
their equipment into the
ground. Road builders are
ready to start highway projects, and construction workers need to dig.
But across the hyperactive oil fields of North Dakota, these and other groups
have to wait for another
team of specialists known
for slow, meticulous study:
archaeologists.
They are the experts who
must survey the land before
a single spade of dirt can be
turned, a requirement that
has produced a rare jobs bonanza in a field that forces
many highly educated professionals to hop from project to project around the
world and still struggle to
make a living.
Without the oil boom, a
lot of young archaeologists
might “never get the experience,” said Tim Dodson, who
endured a long job search
before finding work overseas
and later coming to North
Dakota.
The positions also come
with a constant tension: The
archaeologists are trained
to find evidence of the past,
but the companies that pay
them would prefer not to
turn up anything that gets
in the way of profits.
Archaeological
surveys
are intended to protect any
For the
Record
historical treasures that
might lie buried atop the
region’s oil and natural gas
deposits. Although not required on all oil projects,
they are a mandate for most
federal drilling permits.
The work involves inspecting a site for any artifacts
or evidence of past human
habitation and cataloging
the effort. If significant discoveries emerge, most oil
companies will change plans
to avoid the hassle of drilling
in a sensitive area.
Long before the oil boom,
previous archaeological digs
uncovered a nearly complete duck-billed dinosaur
fossil with skin, bones and
tendons preserved in sandstone. Other excavations
have focused on old trading posts, military forts and
battlefields, according to the
State Historical Society of
North Dakota.
With more archaeologists
working in the oil fields,
the number of historic sites
in North Dakota jumped
from 846 in 2009 to nearly
2,260 in 2013, the state’s
Historic Preservation Office
said. Those sites include
forgotten settler cemeteries
with graves marked in foreign languages, abandoned
homesteader
farms
and
stone circles put in place
by American Indians thousands of years ago.
“A lot of that wouldn’t
be happening without the
boom,” said Richard Rothaus, an archaeologist who
heads Trefoil Cultural and
Environmental Heritage, a
Minnesota-based firm that
offers “cultural resource
management,” an umbrella
term for this kind of archaeological work.
While the oil boom is the
engine behind the speedy
growth, the archaeological
work is not focused entirely
on drilling sites. Much of
it targets building projects
designed to support the oil
business, such as road,
bridge and airport improve-
ments.
Over the last decade, the
number of firms authorized
to do surveys in North Dakota rose from around 30 to
50, said Paul Picha, chief archaeologist at the historical
society.
No one in the field keeps
track of exact archaeology
employment numbers, but
the oil boom has almost certainly expanded the ranks of
North Dakota archaeologists
from as few as a few dozen to
several hundred, if not more.
For instance, the Bismarck office of Metcalf Archaeological
Consultants
has roughly doubled in size
every year for the past three
years, according to Damita
Engel, regional director of
operations at the firm, which
is based in Golden, Colorado.
Three years ago, they had
10 to 12 employees. Now
they have 53.
“And we’re still hiring,”
Engel said.
The added jobs have
helped scores of archaeologists such as Dodson, 30,
who received a master’s degree in maritime archaeology in 2009 from England’s
Southampton
University.
After graduating, he moved
back in with his parents
in St. Louis and worked as
a bartender and bouncer
while searching for a position in his specialty.
“I couldn’t find a job to
save my life,” he said.
After seven months, he finally landed one in the United Arab Emirates, which led
to jobs in Virginia and Colorado.
That’s a common path for
archaeologists. Most jobs
are short lived and are limited by either budget or scope.
The profession is nomadic
for many starting out, requiring frequent moves over
long distances. The pay is
low, the benefits few.
Unlike his previous positions, the oil-patch jobs were
with larger companies for
Police Dept. Report
Lost or Stolen—Officers
met at 10:25 p.m., June 11,
with Sandra McGaughey,
Concordia, who reported
lost or stolen property which
went missing from an unknown location. Investigation continues.
Arrests—Officers arrested Bryan Colard, 47, Concordia, at 7:30 p.m., June
11, in the 600 block of East MUTTS® by Patrick McDonnell
17th. He was charged with
Criminal Threat and transported to the Law Enforcement Center.
Officers arrested Marsha
Anderson, 48, Concordia, at
4 p.m., June 11, in the 300
block of East 7th on a Cloud
County Warrant for Theft.
She was transported to the
Law Enforcement Center.
Hit and run—Officers met
with Caitlin Duskie, ConcorZITS® by Scott and Borgman
dia, at 9:40 a.m., June 11,
who reported that her vehicle had been struck by an
unknown vehicle in the 700
block of West 10th sometime
during the night. Investigation continues.
Accident—Officers investigated an Accident at 1:45
a.m., June 11, in the 1200
section of N. 145th Road
involving a vehicle driven
by John Primeaux, Concordia, and property owned by NANCY® by Guy & Brad Gilchrist
the Kansas Department of
Transportation.
Thank You for
Reading the
Blade-Empire !
BARNEY GOOGLE AND SNUFFY SMITH® by John Rose
HAGER THE HORRIBLE® by Chris Browne
higher salaries. Last year,
he headed to Bismarck to
join KLJ, an engineering and
planning firm that also does
cultural resource management.
The work has little of the
romance evoked by Hollywood’s Indiana Jones or
pith-helmeted
archaeologists unearthing mystical
secrets of the distant past.
Instead, it involves lot of
walking around and supervising construction.
When a site needs to be
surveyed, teams of archaeologists walk across the area
scanning the ground for historic objects, which are defined as anything more than
50 years old. When team
members come across something, they mark its location
on GPS and photograph it.
One such survey was conducted on a battlefield where
U.S. soldiers clashed with
American Indians in 1864.
A utility company wanted to
run new power lines through
the Killdeer Mountain site,
but Indian tribes feared the
project could disturb the remains of native people who
were killed there. A spokesman for the Basin Electric
Power Cooperative said archaeologists found “nothing of consequence” along a
150-foot right of way.
When something of value does emerge, companies
often choose to go around
the site or move their project slightly. At the frenetic
pace that drives many drilling projects, there is little
patience to wait for – or willingness to pay for – a full excavation.
At the heart of the work
is a natural friction between
the experts doing archaeological surveys and the companies that hire them, Rothaus said.
“While I’m out there looking for things, I know if I find
them, it’s a problem for the
person who signs my paycheck. And there’s a tension
there.”
CARVING CONCORDIA
An Interview with Mara Smith
Brick sculpture
Mara Smith is standing beside her recently completed brick sculpture which will stand at the
entrance to Blosser Municipal Airport in Concordia. Smith was the lead sculptor for the much
acclaimed Whole Wall Mural at the corner of Sixth and Lincoln. Photo by Christen Napier.
by Christen Napier
Mara Smith is a brick
sculptor who has been in
Concordia, Kan., for the past
six weeks, working on the
Blosser Airport Mural which
has just been completed and
installed at the entrance.
She was the lead sculptor for
Concordia's legendary Whole
Wall Mural. I had the pleasure of interviewing her at
Jitters and visiting her studio at Cloud Ceramics as the
mural was in progress.
Tell us about your background–how you got involved
in the arts and interested in
art, and found that you had
talent . . .
My folks actually thought
it would be interesting to
give birth to an artist as my
grandmother who died long
before I was born was very
good at art. And so that's
how it started, my folks encouraged me to draw, and I
had a knack for carving little
objects and making houses
out of boxes.
What would you carve?
What material?
Wood from apple crates
and stuff like that. I can't say
I was very good, but I had a
very good time doing it. And
I would make little animals
and cups and saucers from
clay in my grandfather's hog
sloughs in the summertime.
They never got fired but
that's how I got started.
Do you have any brothers
or sisters?
I have a sister who is 5
½ years younger than I am. I
wouldn't say she's interested
in the visual arts particularly. She's more into music.
What does she play?
She played oboe. Not
something I can do. If I
can drum for worms, that's
about the best I can call it.
Have you seen your
grandmother's art?
I never have seen any of
her sketches. I have a book
of her written verse. That's
the extent of it.
You can get a sense of her
talent from that though . . .
Yes.
When did you start to
transition into becoming a
professional artist?
I actually didn't think of
myself as an artist until I was
probably 25. In fact, I started
out working in the biological
field. I was a lab tech. Science was more of an interest
at that time of my life. Where
I went to school didn't really
have any art available except
technical illustration.
And you can still acquire
artistic skills with technical
illustration . . .
It was quite valuable to
be able to learn to illustrate
bolts and nuts.
Oh, I was thinking of botanical illustration.
That was another course,
I took them simultaneously.
Eventually I went back to
school and I majored in art.
I started out at a junior college and after a couple years,
transferred to Texas Women's University in Denton,
Texas. It's the largest women's state-run university in
the United States. I think
about 10,000 students. During that time, you could take
any art subject, regardless
of your major. I signed up
for any art that was offered,
which benefited me in the
long run. Eventually I had
a minor in Art History, and
majored in Metal Smithing
and Ceramics. And then I
went off to teach at the University of Florida for a few
years. I returned in 1975 to
work on my Master's.
I was working on my
Master's when my professor
J. Brough Miller was asked
if he would like to work on a
project for the Anatole Hotel
in Dallas, Texas. He said no,
he had a job, but he sent me
down there. The proposed
hotel was a giant box with a
seven story glass pyramid on
top. In 1997, this looked like
something very futuristic.
Very eclectic and strange. So
I asked them what the names
of their restaurants were and
they were exotic names, different countries. And so I
sort of went from there. I
drew up several mythological
themes and put them behind
a clear plastic archway that
had bricks sketched on it.
They liked my presentation
out of half a dozen other art-
ists they considered. I got the
commission.
And so this was a mural?
It was four series of brick
murals.
Paint on brick?
Not paint on brick. Carve
on brick. This was my first
brick carving project. The
day was 7-7-1977 when they
told me I had the project.
Did other people propose
carving on brick?
They were all brick carving proposals. I didn't really
have any idea that this could
be done in modern times.
The few examples I had any
knowledge of were from ancient Babylon–the Gates of
Babylon, Indian stupas, Chinese temples carved in brick.
They had considered people
from as far away as New
York. That artist had cut designs that weren't actually
carved.
In about three months,
they called me and said
they'd flown all over the
United States and they finally had selected a brick
from Fairbury, Neb. at Endicott Clay. When they choose
the brick for their building,
they're choosing according
to color and dimension of
the brick, so they wanted the
proposed brick sculpture to
go with it. The brick is manufactured in the green state
(raw, wet clay) for the artist
to work on.
I was asked to carve a
few sample panels. The largest one was 5' x 10'. And of
the many sketches submitted, they picked five. Those
five in the first project were
all mythological themes for
the Anatole Hotel's facade.
The whole project would be
1,500 square feet, completed
in 1978.
How are the bricks attached to each other?
Brick are mortared together, preferably by a mason.
So do you mortar it together yourself?
Nope. You've heard of
paint by number? This is
brick by number. The mason
starts in the lower left corner
and puts it in the wall like
you would any other brick
except he had to take a little
more patience, and I have
to let him know if he turns
something upside or switch-
es something.
So after that you probably
had a great example to show
other people what you can
do . . .
Right, most future commissions come from people
seeing projects I've already
completed. I've tried all kinds
of other means of increasing business, but largely it's
divine intervention. I never know when. Sometimes
there are slow years and
sometimes I have several
projects a year that are quite
extensive.
How did you get your
first mural job in Concordia,
Kan., The Whole Wall Mural?
The Whole Wall project
is actually a commissioned
artwork of Katherine Magel
from St. Louis, Mo. She's
done quite an extensive variety of public works. However, at the time, she hadn't
done any brick carving.
So that was her drawing?
That is her approved
drawing for the project. She
had Googled my name and
asked me questions about
the process and what would
I think of her doing the commission. I told her if they
supply the brick, a climatecontrolled working area, the
easel, labor for taking up
and taking down, a place to
stay, then her commission
was reasonable.
How did you get the design onto the panels?
Because Katherine had
experience working in the
St. Louis Municipal Outdoor
Theater, she had access to
an area of the opera house
where she could blow up
that portion of the design to
full size on paper. We would
transfer the sketch onto each
new panel by stippling.
Did you carve on site for
that one? Or did you carve
elsewhere and they moved
the brick to the wall?
For the Whole Wall project, Cloud County Community College donated the
working space in the Sculpture department and the
brickyard (Cloud Ceramics)
donated the easel, which
they installed. There was a
climate controlled area for
several years. Then, Cloud
Ceramics would bring wet
brick out from the brickyard each week and lay up
a 7' x 20' panel at a time
to be carved. At the end of
each week the Optimist Club
would dismantle it and put
numbers on all the pieces,
someone would check to
make sure the numbers were
all listed, and they would
package them and return
them to the brickyard to dry
and then be fired.
Katherine actually carved
the first 50 feet with three
other artists who were new
to brick carving. They did
all the important buildings
that are in the project that
are from various areas of the
county. After that, she put
the project on hold while she
went to California to install
a mosaic commission. By
the time she finished that, it
was October. At her request,
I came in from Seattle to join
her on the project. So away
we went, a section at a time,
until we finished the whole
140 feet in June 2009.
So the brick when it's wet,
is it a little easier to carve?
It's not fired yet so it's more
like mud?
It is mud, in a brick state.
It's not mortared together
yet?
No. In fact one of the advantages of working here is
that they can make shims
out of the same clay and
the same thickness that
would be the mortar. It just
looks like a solid wall of mud
(when carving) but it actually
has shims.
Ok, I thought you were
using electric tools to carve
in dry brick . . .
No, that's a whole different art form.
For the space in-between,
does that end up being filled
in with mortar that's the
same color as the brick?
Well, you want it to be the
same color, but mainly that
it's not white.
How long do you think the
Blosser Airport Mural will
take you from your first carving until you are done with
carving?
I got here April 22nd, now
it's the middle of May. It will
take a couple more weeks
at least. (It's a 5' x 8' panel,
with 8 inch deep brick, and
the brick will fire for 9 days.)
How long did the Whole
Wall Mural take?
It took three 6-week pe-
riods of time from the actual
carving. Incredibly fast, on
account of the kind of wet
brick it was.
You had other people
helping you carve that one?
It was mainly me and
Katherine. I was the lead
sculptor, she was the designer. Occasionally, we had
groups of students come
through and I'd team them
up and say, "You two can
try this kind of texture, this
design." Even Sam Deal who
is a local fellow. He was taking pottery up there, and
he's blind. I had him work
on there. I cut a couple of
trenches and had him even
out the area in-between.
That was fascinating, a great
thrill. And some people just
wanted an opportunity to
hang out with us for an
hour. One person was Dick
Cyphers who started carving
the leaves of the cottonwood
tree. He was so good I said
why don't you redo the ones
we did. Carol Urban helped
us a lot too with the bushes
and other areas.
There was extra space
within the design, so there
was a lot of room to add
things the community wanted in there, the POW camp
and arrival, the kids in the
field under the cottonwood.
You can see the original design in the Cloud Museum
Annex.
When do you think the
Blosser Airport Mural will be
up at the airport entrance?
I hope within the next
month. It will take about a
week to fire, and then hopefully they will be ready to do
the masonry while I am still
here. Shawn Cyphers, Dell
Lee, and Kenny Rehbein (the
Tender) will finish the installation.
Do you have your next
project lined up yet?
No, I don't have a next
project. I like to work more
than that, but that's not
the way it's happened so
far. I was a finalist for another project in Missouri but
somebody else got that, so
I'm working on this one right
now. And this is my work
commute, my home away
from home. I come to Concordia part of every year, and
as much as possible.
Tell us a little bit about
this art form . . .
Due to the economy,
Cloud Ceramics and its sister plant down in Hoisington
are the only two brick plants
left in the state of Kansas.
This is affecting brick plants
across the United Staes, including the plant torn down
a couple years back that I
worked in in Seattle. It included my studio. Fortunately, I have a place here
in Concordia to come out to
and carve, and a clay I like
even better. Brick sculpture
is pretty much a lost art. It
was a lost art when I got into
it almost 40 years ago. It's
a very unusual technique.
Like learning how to write–
"anybody can do it." But it's
a very rare art form, and the
same number of people pretty much are full time brick
sculptors, as have been for
the last 40 years, and we're
all getting up there in years.
As far as I know, there are
not too many younger folks
coming down the pike.
Concordia is one of the
few places in the country
that is available. You have
the clay, and the possibility
of doing something with it.
With the Blosser Airport Mural, Katherine's Whole Wall
Mural, and the City Park
Sign complete, Concordia is
developing a signature style
that can be incorporated
into any future landmarks
throughout the area.
Mara Smith lives in Seattle. You can visit her website
at www.marasmith.com and
her blog at www.brickcarving.blogspot.com.
Blade-Empire, Thursday, June 12, 2014 9
Arts & Entertainment
NOTC has 12th Annual Celebration
Enthusiasts from Kansas, Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri and Arkansas were in
Concordia last weekend for
the 12th Annual Celebration
of Orphan Train Riders.
A special sneak peek
event for Friends of NOTC
members was held June 5 at
the Depot Museum. The new
temporary exhibit features
Riders who were able to recount riding the train to new
lives, beginning with their
early family life stories. A
special display about Louise
Brooks, silent film star from
Cherryvale, Kan., was on
temporary loan from NOTC
president Susan Sutton.
Friday breakout sessions
were conducted by curator
Amanda Wahlmeier focusing
on Friends of NOTC membership benefits, a research
tour of the archives and information on using Orphan
Train materials in the classroom.
By popular request, a
screening of the Cloud County Community College production of “The Chosen” was
held at the newly reopened
Brown Grand Theatre. Directed by CCCC’s former
Director of Theatre and Division Dean Susan Sutton,
the play was written through
a collaborative effort by Sutton and the cast members.
After performing “The Chosen” locally and at several
outreach locations, the cast
made a trip to New York City
to stage the play off Broadway in 2005. A panel discussion about developing and
performing “The Chosen”
featured Sutton, performers
Amanda Strait and Brenton
Phillips, orphan train descendant Bobby Morgan and
Receive Special Award
Jim and Jane Wahlmeier received the Special Recognition
Award for volunteer contributions to overall NOTC operations
at the President’s Award Banquet last Saturday at the 19th
Hole.
this year’s Special Achievement Award winner Kari
Champlin.
Everett Miller then presented “Milton: Life on a
Kansas Timber Claim” at the
Brown Grand Theatre. Miller’s research focused on his
family’s farming history in
Rush County.
A Depot Days barbecue
served by the Concordia Lutheran Youth, ice cream social served by the Girl Scouts
and Community Jazz Band
Concert in Concordia City
Park capped off Friday’s
events.
Saturday kicked off with
a 10k/5k run or 2 mile walk
sponsored by the Cloud
County Choppers. Lori Halfhide gave two presentations
sponsored by Funk Pharmacy at the NOTC MorganDowell Research Center.
“The Real Life of Laura Ingalls Wilder” and “The Tales
Concert in park
set for Saturday
Saving Grace will perform a free concert at 7 p.m.,
Saturday, June 14, in Concordia City Park. Everyone
is invited to come hear how
God radically transformed
four peoples’ lives—Jason
Grogan, Angelia Steffin,
Greg Hodgins, Kayla Brown.
Upcoming events
Saturday, June 14—Saving Grace. Free concert in Concordia City Park, 7 p.m.
Saturday, June 21—Teens for Christ Rally, David Carter,
Christian music recording artist, 7 p.m., Brown Grand Theatre, Concordia.
Saturday, June 21—The Fourth Annual Arts in the Park
Car Show and Swap Meet will be in Miltonvale. For more
information, contact Max Pruitt, 1.785.275.2597 or Doug
Kroeger at 1.785.413.0371.
Tuesday, June 17, 2-3 p.m.—”Fizz, Boom, Whoosh,” a
presentation on wind power by Lucas Chavey of the Meridian Way Wind Farm.
Tuesday, June 17, 7-8 p.m.—Genealogy Roadshow with
the Cloud County Genealogy Society demonstrating research tools.
Tombstones Tell” were well
attended with standing room
only for both presentations.
Saturday featured one
of the most popular events,
Orphan Train Riders’ stories told by descendants.
Gordon Dowell detailed the
Reed children’s ride from
New York to Belleville, Kan.
Author Evelyn Trickel and
OTHSA Founder Mary Ellen
Johnson shared stories of
other riders and the importance of preserving this history.
Special guest Laura Moriarty provided insight about
her recent New York Times
best seller, “The Chaperone.”
Moriarty’s book about the
chaperone who accompanied the not-yet-famous silent film star Louise Brooks
of Kansas, will become a film
produced by Fox Searchlight. “Downton Abbey” star
Elizabeth McGovern will play
Library News
from the Frank Carlson Library
Library will be host for
Genealogy Road Show
The Frank Carlson Library will be host for “A Genealogy
Road Show from 7-9 p.m., Tuesday, June 17. This event,
presented by The Cloud County Genealogical Society, will
offer several stations including DNA research ethics, land
records, microfilm assistance, family tree handouts, local
history, and a research presentation.
Registration at the Library is recommended but not required.
Local genealogists will demonstrate some of the research
tools available to discover the truth behind a family mystery. Many Society members will be present so those attending are invited to bring their questions, bring a friend
or just bring themselves and gain some knowledge.
Forshee to discuss
tomato production
The Frank Carlson Library will be host for “You
Say To-May-To, I Say ToMah-To” presented by River
Valley Extension Director/
Horticulture Agent John
Forshee from 7-8 p.m.,
Thursday, June 19.
During this presentation,
Sponsored By
Concordia American Legion Golf Course
Brooks’ chaperone and Orphan Train Rider Cora Carlisle in a script written by
Downton’s creator Julian
Fellowes. Community Foundation for Cloud County
sponsored Moriarty’s presentation.
Walmart Supercenter
sponsored the North Central
Kansas Model Train Railroaders who displayed their
Gauge “HO” train sets at the
fellowship hall of the First
Christian Church.
The NOTC Board of Directors was host for the President’s Award Banquet Saturday evening at the 19th
Hole Restaurant. Mary Ellen
Johnson, Springdale, Ark.,
received the Darrell and Ledona Dowell Volunteer of
the Year Award for founding
the Orphan Train organization and her continued work
in preserving Orphan Train
history. Kari Champlin, USD
333 educator, was recognized for her work in teaching
seventh graders about Orphan Train history. Authors
Laura Moriarty of Lawrence
and Christina Baker Kline,
Montclair, N.J., respectively received the Sister Irene
Fitzgibbons Award and the
Charles Loring Brace Award
for preserving the history of
the involvement of the New
York Foundling Hospital and
the Children’s Aid Society in
the Orphan Train movement.
Jim and Jane Wahlmeier
received the Special Recognition Award for volunteer contributions to overall NOTC
operations. Ida Mae Wilhoit, Tulsa, Okla., received
the Founder’s Award and
Opelousas, La.’s Flo Inhern
was awarded the Special
President’s Award.
Forshee will discuss the basics of tomato production,
disease resistance, hybrids
vs. heirlooms, and grafting.
He also will touch base on
reading the signs of the ripening process and give some
unique facts about tomatoes.
Wedding display
The June Quilt of the Month at the Cloud County Historical
Society Museum serves as the background for this display of
wedding clothing and memorabilia.
Lagasse family quilt
is featured at museum
The Cloud County Historical Society Museum’s
Quilt of the Month for June
pays tribute to the age-old
institution of marriage celebrated with ceremony and
rituals.
It was chosen for this
month’s display because of
the family photos that make
up the quilt. The pictures
tell a story of generations
who lived life through their
faith, families, community,
weddings, homes, farming,
children and play.
There are 35 blocks made
with a blueprint process that
looks similar to tintype photos. It is handquilted and
machine assembled. Mrs.
E. Lagasse entered this quilt
in the Cloud County Fair at
Glasco and received a first
place ribbon in the Novelty
class. The remarks given
were of praise for such a
clever idea for a novelty quilt
with each picture framed so
neatly.
Rosalee Olson has added
to this display a silk dress
from 1907 worn by Elva
Barrett. The groom’s suit
was worn by Albert Lanoue
when entering into marriage
with Fredoline Desilet in
1916.
These are only two examples of wedding attire that
are on display among garments dating back as early
as 1885 including a blue velvet and satin wedding dress
worn by Lucy Campbell who
married Dr. William Sawhill
and another wedding dress
worn by four sisters, the latest marriage taking place in
1968 between Mary Kathryn Cailteux and Michael
McEuen.
There also are various ornate wedding certificates on
display from the 1800s and
an 1872 Pictorial Bible from
the Hollis Methodist Church
neatly displayed on a beautiful wooden table from the
Wilson Estate.
10 Blade-Empire, Thursday, June 12, 2014
Obituaries
MARJORIE JEAN DESCHAND BULLEIGH
Marjorie Jean Deschand
Bulleigh, 86, died Tuesday,
June 10, 2014, at the Salina Regional Medical Center.
She was born Feb. 16, 1928,
the oldest daughter of Eli Joseph and Eva Lena Chayer
Deschand. After graduating
from Miltonvale Rural High
School, she taught school
at several one and two room
schools in Clay and Cloud
counties. She concluded her
teaching career at Miltonvale Elementary School in
1969.
She was united in marriage to Wallace LeRoy Bulleigh on July 29, 1950, at
Aurora, Kan. To this union
five children were born:
Walene, Jolene, Jeanie, Michael and Staci.
Marjorie was a lifelong
resident of the Miltonvale
community and the St. Anthony’s Catholic Parish. She
was an active member of the
Altar Society. She was also
a member of the American
Legion Auxiliary of Clyde.
She spent many of her happiest hours with family at
home, school programs and
sporting events. Her family
was the light of her life and
“Grandma B” or “Bulleigh”
was treasured by her grandchildren. A close second
to her family was her love
of pictures which she graciously shared and her love
of playing cards. This joy
was evident by her Monday
afternoon gathering with
friends to play 21. She was
a member of the Pinochle
club and was always willing
to substitute when needed.
Among those who will
hold her memory most precious are one son, Michael
and wife Tami of Olathe,
four daughters, Walene and
husband Steve Graham
of Miltonvale; Jolene and
husband Raymond Kindel
of Aurora; Jeanie and husband Mike Fengel of Idana;
and Staci and husband Rob
Buckmaster of Smith Center, as well as 16 grandchildren and 26 great-grandchildren. Also surviving
are sisters Doris Shroyer of
Concordia and Donna Bartley and husband Bernice of
Grain Valley, Mo., as well
as a host of relatives and
friends.
Funeral services will be
held at 10:30 a.m., Saturday, June 14, at St. Anthony’s Catholic Church, Miltonvale. Burial will be in the
Miltonvale Cemetery.
Visitation will be held on
Friday, June 13, 2014, from
5-7 p.m. and the Rosary will
be recited at 7 p.m. at the
Phelps Funeral home in Miltonvale.
Memorials may be made
to the Marjorie Bulleigh memorial fund and may be sent
in care of the funeral home.
House considers
school meal measure
WASHINGTON (AP) The
House began to consider
legislation Wednesday that
would allow some schools
to opt out of healthier meal
standards — a proposal
that has drawn a veto threat
from the White House.
The GOP spending bill on
the House floor would allow
schools to waive the school
lunch and breakfast standards championed by first
lady Michelle Obama for the
next school year if they lost
money on meal programs
over a six-month period.
The chamber is expected to
have a final vote on the bill
next week.
In a statement threatening a veto, the White House
said Tuesday that the bill
would be “a major step
backwards for the health of
American children by undermining the effort to provide kids with more nutritious food.”
The school meal rules set
by Congress and the Obama
administration over the
past several years require
more fruits, vegetables and
Blade-Empire 243- 2424
www.bladeempire.com
whole grains in the lunch
line. Also, there are limits
on sodium, sugar and fat.
Some school nutrition
directors have lobbied for
a break, saying the rules
have proved to be costly
and restrictive. The schools
pushing for changes say
limits on sodium and requirements for more whole
grains
are
particularly
challenging, while some
school officials say kids
are throwing away fruits
and vegetables they are required to take.
Republicans have said
the standards are overreach. Rep. Robert Aderholt
of Alabama, the Republican
author of the agriculture
spending bill that includes
the provision, said the
rules were put in place too
quickly and schools need
more time to comply. On
the House floor, he emphasized that the waivers are
meant to be temporary.
“This is a real problem
in many school districts
across the country,” Aderholt said. “It only allows
schools more time if they
need it.”
Biologists: Moose Weather
calves are not pets
ANCHORAGE,
Alaska
(AP) – State biologists are
reminding people not to
touch moose calves or try to
take them home as pets following a string of incidents
involving people handling
the animals, including one
household that had a calf in
the living room “as if it was
a puppy.”
Moose are being born in
Alaska this time of year, and
biologists say people should
leave the calves alone – even
if they seem to have been
abandoned by their mothers.
Most of the time, the
mothers eventually return
to their young.
In one recent case in
Willow, a calf was put in a
backyard dog run with a
collar around its neck.
Another calf was taken
into a home in the Wasilla
area. “They just had it in the
living room, as if it was a
puppy,” state biologist Todd
Rinaldi said.
Last week, someone tackled a calf at an Anchorage
mobile home park and tied
it up with an electrical cord,
the Anchorage Daily News
reported.
Such encounters can
lead to calves being taken
to zoos or wildlife conser-
Montana board denies
clemency for Beach
DEER LODGE, Mont.
(AP) – Montana’s parole
board on Wednesday denied
a clemency bid from Barry Beach, who said he will
keep fighting to overturn his
100-year murder sentence
for the 1979 beating death
of a high school-classmate.
The decision from the
state Board of Pardons and
Parole marked the fourth
time since 1994 that the
panel has rejected a bid
for executive clemency by
Beach in the slaying of
17-year-old Kim Nees on
the Fort Peck Indian Reservation.
A key factor in the decision was that Beach has not
admitted to committing the
brutal killing, board members said.
“It’s certainly something
we as board members feel
is necessary to true rehabilitation – accountability.
And that’s not here,” board
member Pete Lawrenson
said.
Beach has argued police
in Louisiana coerced the
1983 confession used to
convict him in Nees’ killing.
In an interview at Montana
State Prison, he compared
that coercion to the parole
board’s conditions for considering him rehabilitated.
“I have not ever accepted
responsibility for this crime,
and I never will,” Beach said.
“I did not kill Kim Nees.”
Hundreds of supporters
have taken up his cause,
including Democratic U.S.
Sen. Jon Tester, former
Gov. Brian Schweitzer and
former Republican U.S.
Sen. Conrad Burns. The
New Jersey-based prisoner
advocacy group Centurion
Ministries also has worked
to free him.
In his latest application, Beach did not argue
his innocence. Instead, he
said circumstances have
changed since his last clemency application was denied
in 2007.
An offender whose application previously was denied may apply again only
if there is a substantial
change in circumstances.
Board chairman Mike
McKee said the three-member panel agreed unanimously circumstances had
not changed.
Beach’s popularity grew
– the board received 500
letters from his supporters compared with approximately 25 letters opposing
his release – but the facts
remained the same, McKee
said.
“What’s popular is not
always right,” McKee said.
“We have a lot of people
who are long on opinion and
short on facts, and that’s
the bottom line.”
NEW YORK (AP) – U.S.
stocks edged lower in afternoon trading on Thursday
after a report showed that
retail sales rose less than
forecast in May. A separate
report showed that more
Americans filed for unemployment benefits last week.
The price of oil surged amid
renewed violence in Iraq.
KEEPING SCORE: The
Dow Jones industrial average fell 75 points, or 0.4 percent, to 16,768 as of 1:20
p.m. Eastern time. The Nasdaq slipped 27 points, or 0.6
percent, to 4,305. The Standard & Poor’s 500 was down
ten points, or 0.5 percent, to
1,934.
A lower S&P 500 at the
close would make three
down days in a row for the
broad index. The last time
that happened was two
months ago.
NEWS ON THE ECONOMY: U.S. retail sales rose
for a fourth straight month
in May, but the growth was
slightly below economists’
forecasts. The Commerce
Department said consumer
spending rose 0.3 percent
last month, helped by a
surge in auto demand, but
shy of the 0.4 percent increase that economists expected.
For the
Record Markets
Sheriff’s Dept. Report
Arrests—Deputies arrested Sheree McManaman, Miltonvale June 11 on a Cloud
County Warrant for Theft.
McManaman was transported to Cloud County Corrections.
Deputies arrested Lester
Gray, Miltonvale, June 11,
charging him with Driving
While Suspended and on a
Cloud County Warrant for
Theft. Gray was transported
to Cloud County Corrections.
vation centers, wildlife officials said. Taking an animal
into captivity is dangerous
and illegal, and it can lead
to animals being injured or
worse, officials said.
In the Anchorage incident, someone called authorities Friday to report
that a cow moose with two
calves was running around
a mobile home park. At one
point, one of the calves separated from the mother.
“Evidently, some man
took it upon himself to tackle it and tie it up with an
electrical cord,” Anchorage
area wildlife biologist Jessy
Coltrane said.
The calf ran off with the
cord hanging from its neck,
Coltrane said.
That night, police called
Coltrane and told her the
calf was running through
the mobile home park again,
this time without the extension cord.
Police and others corralled the calf nearby, Coltrane said. They also found
the mother moose.
“It’s people with big hearts
that are well-meaning,” Coltrane said. “But sometimes
being well-meaning and
knowing what’s best for the
animal are two different
things.”
LOCAL MARKETS -EAST
Wheat ...........................$6.90
Milo ......(per bushel) ....$4.18
Corn .............................$4.23
Soybeans ...................$13.67
Oats ..............................$4.50
AGMARK
LOADING FACILITY
LOCAL MARKETS - WEST
Wheat ..........................$6.90
Milo .....(per bushel) .....$4.18
JAMESTOWN MARKETS
Wheat ...........................$6.85
Milo ...(per bushel) ........$4.18
Soybeans ...................$13.62
Nusun .........................$16.25
Today’s weather artwork by
Taelor Hayne,
a 3rd grader in
Mrs. Limon’s class
Lawmakers push
bill to improve
veteran’s health care
WASHINGTON (AP) – After two overwhelming votes
in two days, members of
Congress say they are confident they can agree on a bill
to improve veterans’ health
care and send it to the president’s desk by the end of the
month.
The Senate easily approved a bill Wednesday to
help shorten wait times for
thousands of military veterans seeking medical care, a
day after the House unanimously adopted a similar
measure.
The Senate bill would
authorize about $35 billion
over three years to pay for
outside care for veterans,
as well as hire hundreds
of doctors and nurses and
lease 26 new health facilities in 17 states and Puerto Rico. The House would
spend about $620 million
over the same period.
Just three lawmakers
– all Republican senators –
voted against the veterans
measures, compared with
519 lawmakers who voted
in favor.
Opponents said the Senate bill was a “blank check”
to spend billions of dollars
with little or no way to rein
it in.
Sen. Bernie Sanders,
I-Vt., chairman of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, said the overwhelming Senate vote spoke for
itself. The 93-3 tally came
after the Senate voted 7519 to waive normal budget
rules and declare the bill an
emergency.
“I think we’ve shown that
we can overcome partisanship and move quickly on
a very important issue,”
Sanders said, adding that
he hopes to bring a unified
House-Senate bill to a vote
as soon as next week.
Rep. Jeff Miller, R-Fla.,
chairman of House Committee Veterans’ Affairs Committee, also was optimistic. Many of the provisions
included in the Senate bill
“are based on ideas that
have already cleared the
House, so I’m hopeful that
both chambers of Congress
can soon agree on a final
package to send to the president’s desk,” Miller said.
The White House said
Wednesday that President
Barack Obama supports the
Senate bill.
“Our No. 1 priority is
getting veterans the care
they’ve earned,” the White
House said in a statement.
“To do that, we need to make
sure that the problems identified at VA medical facilities
get fixed.”
The
legislative
effort
comes as the FBI revealed
it has opened a criminal
investigation into the VA,
which has been reeling from
allegations of falsified records and treatment delays
for veterans.
FBI Director James Comey said Wednesday that the
investigation was being led
by the FBI’s field office in
Phoenix, which he described
as the “primary locus of the
original allegations” being
investigated by the VA’s Office of Inspector General.
“We’re working with the
VA IG to follow it wherever
the facts take us,” Comey
said.
The inspector general
said in a report last month
that 1,700 veterans seeking
treatment at the Phoenix VA
hospital were at risk of being “lost or forgotten.” The
VA has confirmed that at
least 35 veterans died while
awaiting treatment in Phoenix, although officials say
they do not know whether
the deaths were related to
long waiting times for appointments.
The Veterans Affairs Department released an audit this week showing that
more than 57,000 veterans
have had to wait at least
three months for initial appointments. An additional
64,000 veterans who asked
for appointments over the
past decade never got them.
The VA, which serves almost 9 million veterans, has
faced mounting evidence
that workers falsified reports on wait times for medical appointments in an effort to mask frequent, long
delays.
VA Secretary Eric Shinseki resigned May 30, but
the situation remains a continuing embarrassment for
Obama and a potential political liability for congressional Democrats seeking
re-election in November.
While the legislation will
not solve all the VA’s problems, it should “spark longoverdue change – from the
top down – in order to ensure our veterans are getting the care and support
they expect and deserve,”
said Sen. Patty Murray, DWash.
Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala.,
said the Senate bill created
“an unlimited entitlement
program” for veterans and
voted against it.
Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., supported the bill but
said “money is not the problem” at the VA. “It’s management and accountability
and honesty in treating the
veterans” that are needed to
improve care for veterans,
Coburn said.
But Sen. John McCain,
R-Ariz., one of the bill’s coauthors, said it was needed
to respond to an ongoing national crisis. “Make no mistake: This is an emergency,”
McCain said.
In addition to Sessions,
Republican Sens. Bob Corker of Tennessee and Ron
Johnson of Wisconsin voted
no.
Four senators did not
vote: Republicans Thad Cochran of Mississippi and
Jerry Moran of Kansas and
Democrats Claire McCaskill
of Missouri and Jeff Merkley
of Oregon.
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