Special to the Great Bend Tribune Sunday, February 21, 2021
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• GREAT BEND (KAN.) TRIBUNE • SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2021
TRIBUNE FILE PHOTO
The Sunflower Rod and Custom Association’s dragstrip rebuilding project, now complete, was part of the city’s ongoing strategic plan established over a year ago.
Looking to the future One year in, progress seen in Great Bend’s strategic plan, despite COVID BY DALE HOGG dhogg@gbtribune.com
On a frigid February morning, Great Bend City Administrator Kendal Francis looked out his City Hall office window. He saw a community already over a year into a five-year strategic plan. “It feels like we’ve lost a year,” he said. He was referring to the time stolen by the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as to how fast the months have flown by quickly. “I think we’ve made some remarkable progress,” he said. But, “we still have work to do. Nonetheless, they continue to chip away at the objectives set forth in the plan. “We are well on our way to making it happen.” In August 2019, the City of Great Bend ended six months of self reflection when the City Council signed off on the plan, covering everything from economic development to community appearance to quality of life. “The proposed goals, which are above and beyond the normal day-to-day activities required to run the city, clearly define the council’s priorities and give
direction to staff on the path for our immediate future,” Francis said. This is a real achievement in light of the COVID, he said. Some targets have gotten bumped some while others are ahead of schedule, but that is the nature of life during a
pandemic. “But, we’ve been able to follow the council’s directive,” Francis said. Fortunately, the city has fared better economically over the past 12 months than anticipated, he said. “We’ve been blessed in that regard.” Higher that expected
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sales tax revenues have buoyed Great Bend. This allowed for only a modest impact on the city’s budget set last year amid the outbreak. Getting started In February 2019, the
city began the strategic planning process with public input and input from city personnel. The resulting plan established seven goals, each with a series of objectives. The effort included one-on-one meetings with
city council members and senior staff, three separate community stakeholder groups and a citizen survey, all aimed at eliciting input for the plan. See FUTURE, 3
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FUTURE, from page 1 Those efforts culminated in April with city council and staff meeting with facilitators for a two-day retreat to develop a draft. After that, city administrators refined the draft and presented it to council at the July 15 work session. A few minor changes were made. The council had that previous December approved a contract with the Austin Peters Group of Overland Park for the strategic planning at a cost of $10,867.50. Hiring the firm did not come without controversy. The APG plan was passed by a split council. “There’s always a little hesitation when it comes to spending money for consultants,” he said. But, in retrospect, “it was absolutely worth the cost.” Sure, the city could have handled such a study internally, utilizing city personnel. “But, there is value in bringing in an outside person,” the city administrator said. This allows for a more objective view, he said. It also garners more diverse voices and input. “Sometimes, when your so close, you can’t see this,” he said. This applies to both the challenges the city faces, as well as what is going right. The plan and planning Now, the city is getting ready to launch its annual budget planning process, Francis said. Here again, the strategic plan comes into play as a framework for the spending package. “It helps us establish priorities,” he said. “It guides us when we start allocating funds. The staff is all moving in the same direction.” In addition, when surprises pop up, which they will, they are less of an issue with a strong structure in place, he said. The Strategic Plan centers around the vision statement “Great Bend is a thriving, prideful, community of choice, that safeguards community values, and fosters growth to
among city, county, school and college staff and elected officials to increase networking and sharing of resources. Meeting was postponed due to COVID-19. • Objective 3. Increase transparency by developing plan to improve and expand council meeting broadcasts. This has been completed. • Objective 4. Develop and Implement organization-wide succession plan. The plan is finalized. Staff training and implementation will be starting and is expected to take several months.
TRIBUNE FILE PHOTO
The installation of two welcome signs to Great Bend was part of the city’s strategic plan, and the project is in the works.
enhance quality of life” and the mission statement “To provide exceptional customer service and quality city services needed to promote a safe, vibrant, economically thriving city with a high quality of life.” It focuses on PRIDE (Professionalism, Responsibility and accountability, Innovation and teamwork, Diversity and engagement, and Ethics and integrity). Breaking it down There are seven goals, each with several objectives, and how they are progressing: Number one: Economic development. To develop and support a vibrant local economy that focuses on retention, recruitment and expansion of businesses and industry. • Objective 1. Assess and evaluate economic development services for the city. This was completed with the formation
of Great Bend Economic Development Inc. • Objective 2. Reconsider retail recruitment proposal to assist with growing retail base. This now transitions to GBED which signed an agreement for downtown strategies initiative and a business survey, which are to be completed this spring. • Objective 3. Develop comprehensive economic development incentive guidelines for new and existing businesses and industry. This also transitions to GBED. There have been discussions, but this is on hold pending the completion of the above mentioned studies. • Objective 4. Develop fiveyear strategic plan for Economic Development This also transitions to GBED. • Objective 5. Host bi-annual mayor’s business roundtable to promote growth of local business and industry. This has not started. • Objective 6. Collaborate
with city partners to develop a plan to improve city-wide public transportation to include Barton Community College. This has begun with very general discussions with transportation providers, but COVID has caused delays. They are also waiting on a proposal from University of Kansas Transportation Center to analyze current conditions, potential ridership, financial analysis and potential implementation plan. Number two: City government. To become a transparent, well-functioning city government that encourages participation and involvement of all citizens. • Objective 1. Review city documents for posting for online access including permit applications, utility requests, reservation requests, etc. to increase public access. This has been completed. • Objective 2. Host intergovernmental meetings
Number three: Infrastructure. To provide infrastructure in the most efficient and equitable manner, consistent with sound environmental growth. • Objective 1. Develop a city-wide vehicle/equipment replacement schedule to plan for long-term replacement of vehicles and equipment. There is not a formalized plan. However, we have been addressing this within the scope of budgeting. Creation of a plan was added to affected department heads’ 2021 goals • Objective 2. Develop a fiveyear capital improvement plan. This has been completed. • Objective 3. Identify and apply for grant funding to support infrastructure development with the goal of acquiring one major outside funder per year. Ongoing - Awarded Kansas Department of Transportation cost share last year for the dragstrip and 10th Street. and have submitted Community Development Block Grant application for Broadway improvements. • Objective 4. Initiate the process for a water and sewer rate review. This has been completed. • Objective 5. Develop longterm plan to address storm water runoff and collection issues. See FUTURE, 4
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• GREAT BEND (KAN.) TRIBUNE • SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2021
FUTURE, from page 3 Not started. • Objective 6. Develop a plan for expanding the city’s fiber network to improve utility system’s monitoring and improved internet access for public events. Staff has been in discussions with Cox and NexTech regarding expansion of fiber to waste water plant and Public Works. As providers expand their network over the next year or two, it will be more feasible and cost effective. Number four: Community appearance and housing. To improve and sustain community aesthetics. • Objective 1. Rewrite city ordinances to streamline code enforcement. Ongoing – Staff continues to reviewing codes and procedures. A City Council work session has been scheduled to discuss changes. • Objective 2. Erect welcome signs at the city’s two most traveled entrances to create a welcoming atmosphere. Signs have been approved for purchase and installation at the two highest traveled entrances to the city. The location on U.S. 281 is secured and moving forward. The U.S. 56 location has fallen through and we are looking at other location options. • Objective 3. Install decorative way-finding signage. Not Started. Convention and Visitors Bureau Board voted to wait until the retail and business studies are completed as it is expected to provide insight on signage. • Objective 4. Complete housing assessment tool to understand community housing issues and prepare for grant funding. GBED investigated hiring a consultant to perform a housing study and this is moving forward. It is expected that the study would provide the majority of the information required to complete a HAT. • Objective 5. Develop neighborhood cleanup and dumpster program to improve and beautify the city. Property Maintenance staff has begun researching various options. Number five: Public safety. To provide adequate public safety to include fully staffed and trained personnel, facilities, resources and marketing. • Objective 1. Provide a competitive wage and benefit (including retirement) structure that satisfies the needs of
TRIBUNE FILE PHOTO
One of the longer-term projects included in the City of Great Bend’s strategic plan is the replacement of the Police Station.
current and future staff. Ongoing. Budgeting for increases to employee retirement plans with goal of equaling KPERS by 2022. • Objective 2. Develop proactive initiatives to engage citizens, enhance community’s perception and reduce crime. Ongoing. The 2018and 2019-year end statistics have both shown a reduction in crime rates. In 2020 so far there is a reduction in the crime rate. The Police Department frequently responds to speaking engagements on a variety of topics; building safety, active shooter, narcotics, drones, etc. Police personnel are willing to speak on any subject. The new chief has significant experience in community policing and is expected to bring a new perspective and fresh ideas on how to best achieve this goal. • Objective 3. Develop a plan for funding and construction of new police building. A committee has been formed to study building options. They have met three times and are reviewing options. • Objective 4. Develop a plan for purchase and installation of 800 MHz radio system This has been completed. • Objective 5. Create a drug prevention program for middle school/high school students that reaffirms elementary school drug and alcohol prevention programs. Ongoing. Beginning in the 2019-2020 school year, school resource officers have teamed with Juvenile Justice Authority to instruct freshmen and
sophomores on a program called All Stars. The program’s goal is two-fold: First, prevent youth from engaging in behaviors that will put their health and wellbeing at risk; delay the onset of tobacco, alcohol and other drugs. Second, postpone or reduce engaging in other health-risk behaviors, such as bullying and premature sexual activity. • Objective 6. Create traffic control and enforcement initiatives to improve safety in key zones. This is completed. Mobile traffic speed signs have been installed in two locations, and additional signs budgeted for in 2021. Number six: Community quality of life and amenities. To improve the quality of life for citizens and develop and maintain city and area amenities (parks and recreation; natural resources including trails, biking, and natural areas; community events and festivals). • Objective 1. Develop a plan and identify funding for lighting replacement at Vet’s park. This has been completed. • Objective 2. Develop plan for full-depth concrete replacement of dragstrip racing surface. This has been completed. • Objective 3. Develop plan to build all-weather basketball courts at Brit Spaugh Held preliminary discussions with the Recreation Commission regarding building two courts near the Army
Reserve’s property. However, COVID has derailed the discussions. Additionally, they are considering a master plan for the area to include the small baseball field and horseshoe pits. The city has earmarked $60,000 of Harm’s Trust funds as seed money for the courts. They anticipate the cost to be approximately $125,000 and up to $150,000 with court lighting. • Objective 4. Develop long-term plan for upgrades to baseball and softball fields city-wide. Ongoing. A formalized plan has not been developed. Although improvements have been scheduled at Al Burn’s
Field, as well as plans for fencing replacement and various other fields. • Objective 5. Collaborate with community partners to implement a city-wide Bike Share program Not started. • Objective 6. Develop plan to identify and expand recreational usage of the Arkansas River. Not started, but the time line for this wasn’t until 2023. Number seven: Community marketing. To promote the image of the city and community to citizens and outsiders. • Objective 1. Develop program to promote and encourage community pride.
Timeline: Sept. 2019 This has been completed. #GB PRIDE was developed and is being used to highlight the positive things happening in Great Bend. • Objective 2. Proactively address public criticism through increased public communications to provide factual information on city related issues. Ongoing. Staff works to recognize complaints and criticism by promoting the request tracker and dealing with criticism on a timely basis. Additionally, staff closely monitors social media and when complaints are made, they are quickly addressed providing facts and assisting with a resolution. • Objective 3. Enhance business marketing for shopping areas Downtown and along 10th Street. Ongoing. Community Coordinator Christina Hayes utilizes the retail advisory committee as a voice for all retailers, and works to implement their ideas and suggestions. A city “jingle” was developed to attract people to Great Bend, and the city markets retail-focused events in all media sources. Additionally, the CVB included a shopping page on their new exploregreatbend.com website to help address this issue. • Objective 4. Create an event to celebrate city’s 150th anniversary. The city has begun designing an anniversary logo. Their initial thoughts are to expand the Party in the Park event instead of creating a new stand-alone one-time celebration.
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Pushing through Area chambers of commerce navigate pandemic while fostering community life BY TRAVIS HENDRYX thendryx@gbtribune.com
Tourism and development efforts have been tested and refined for chamber of commerce offices in Barton County during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Several annual events that draw large revenue have either been cancelled, postponed or modified from their original formats. But with community and business involvement and a robust marketing effort, smaller communities within the county have been able to survive and rebound after a tumultuous 2020. “We’ve really been working hard for our local
business members,” said Jordan Waite, Executive Director of the Ellinwood Chamber of Commerce. “They’ve invested their money into the chamber during a very difficult and uncertain time because they still understand the importance of promoting not only their business but also the community.” Karen Baldyga, who serves as the Executive Vice President of the Chamber of Commerce in Hoisington, said the pandemic lasted longer than many businesses and establishments had hoped or anticipated. “Initially, it was tough as we all thought it was going to end in a week, two weeks or even a month,” said Baldyga. “Then it kept dragging on and eventually there seemed to be no end in sight. But once we accepted the fact that COVID wasn’t going anywhere for a while, we realized we were going to have to think outside the box in order to survive.” While community
events, which rely on financial support from local businesses, were limited or cancelled in 2020, Waite said several establishments got creative and turned to the internet to facilitate several functions that were previously held in person. “A lot of them really upped their promotional game with their websites, social media and sending out e-blasts,” said Waite. Ellinwood’s After Harvest Festival, a staple for annual community gatherings, was significantly altered with the elimination of the parade but Waite said the chamber was able offset the lack of a parade with a new event. “We added a family cruise night and that really went well and we had a great turnout,” said Waite. “It provided a fun alternative for families while adhering to social distancing protocol.” In Hoisington, the annual Labor Day Parade proceeded as planned but “changed
significantly due to our desire to keep people safe,” said Baldyga. “Our famous 124th Annual Parade became a reverse parade where businesses, organizations and families and individuals had the opportunity to decorate their location and enter to win prizes,” she added. While 2021 remains uncertain, Waite and Baldyga said they continue to plan and promote while remaining flexible to last minute changes. “We pulled off a fall festival in October which was a new event,” said Waite. “We held it outside and our local businesses got involved. It was a real success and we hope we can do it again this year.” She said she hopes to have the chamber and legislative coffees return to in person in 2021. “It really just depends on how things continue to evolve during this crisis,” she said. “But we continue to move forward which challenges us to be innovative and
creative.” Waite also said food trucks are scheduled to return in March. “This is to celebrate our healthcare workers,” she said. “We had those during our After Harvest Festival and they were a real hit.” Waite added that while modifications were in place, the annual Christkindlmarket was another huge success. Hoisington will have a busy summer with the Rock Into Summer event on June 12 outside at Bicentennial Park. “The most exciting news I have is that this year Hoisington will be ‘Celebrating 125 Years, Bigger and Better than Ever Before’ over Labor Day,” said Baldyga. “We’re having a few new events yet to be announced and are planning to have some special guests attend the festivities over the weekend that hail from Hoisington at one time or another.” Waite and Baldyga said citizen and business involvement and support has been tremendous
in both communities over the past year. “We have a very strong and blessed community in Ellinwood,” said Waite. “It’s been a thrill and privilege of mine to able to work with such awesome chamber members and our small businesses. Everyone here has a good heart and we really pride ourselves in looking after each other.” Baldyga said Hoisington has rallied around their businesses and residents have helped each other out when needed. “Not one business was lost to 2020 and that is a testament to this community and how much they value the businesses here in town,” she said. “Not only did we not lose one business, but we gained two new ones and we still have more planning to open this year.” For more information on events and businesses in Ellinwood and Hoisington, visit the chambers’ respective web pages.
Barton to highlight academic integrity this spring Barton Community College holds itself to the highest standards when it comes to academic integrity. The college will feature several student stories on its social media accounts throughout the spring semester that help showcase the six virtues of academic integrity and why they are important to each student as well as the institution. Those virtues include trust, responsibility, honesty, courage, fairness, and respect. “So much in life is about choices, and often we (as humans) can feel like we don’t have control of much. We do, however, have control of our actions and reactions,” said Coordinator of Community Education Karly Little. “The students featured in the campaign exhibit the choices they’ve made with integrity and how they hope it will impact their futures.” Barton student and aspiring interior designer Ashanti Davis, 22, of Junction City said she was happy to participate in the campaign. She wanted to help spread the positive message about the virtue of building “trust,” to
which she holds herself to a high standard not only in school, but also in her personal life. “Trust is something that would be difficult for me to live without,” she said. “It applies to every aspect of my life. From the simplest things, such as expecting an email response, to the most complex, such as earnestly listening to another’s opinion on a personal matter. I know trust may not always be an easy thing to give out. There’s always a risk factor associated with it. I have the blind trust that my instructors will educate me to the best of their abilities. I apply the same standards to myself. I have that trust in myself that I will submit work that is of my best ability. I try to acknowledge that though we are all independent individuals, we should take into account that without trust, there’s no way to build healthy relationships which are so important for everyone’s success.” Davis hopes to continue her education at a fouryear school in Georgia, where she is originally from. She plans to study interior design, but hopes to find ways to incorporate
her love of architecture and technology into her career as well. Director of Student Academic Development Stephanie Joiner said putting the idea of academic integrity at the forefront of students’ minds was one key goal when designing this campaign.
“Like any awareness campaign, the idea is that the more the language of integrity is used on our campuses and in our ‘classrooms,’ the likelihood of its application and use by individuals students increases,” she said. “Another goal of the campaign was to make
academic integrity relatable. By identifying integrity ambassadors and sharing their image with the larger campus community, students, faculty, staff, and even community members can see themselves as a part of the conversation and their role in upholding the values of integrity.
Academic integrity is no longer a vague concept, it becomes tangible people and tangible choices that result in a community of integrity.” For more information, contact Director of Innovation & Compliance Lee Miller at 620-786-7453 or millerle@bartonccc.edu.
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There are many things society has learned over the past year through various changes in our lives. Through what could be perhaps, a lifestyle change for many of us, one thing became clear – we can’t operate without a reliable broadband connection. It’s through those needs and realizations that quickly prompted Nex-Tech, a local communications company, to step up to the plate during the Covid-19 pandemic and ensure all their customers had their Internet needs met, even if that meant some customers couldn’t afford to pay their bills for this very critical service. But meeting customer needs wasn’t anything new for Nex-Tech. As a company, it’s had a longstanding, 70 year history of putting customers first. Nex-Tech opened its first Great Bend office in 2002. At that time, it had acquired Edge Technologies, which opened a door for Nex-Tech to become a part of the Great Bend Community and plant its base for expansion into the future. One of the first big changes the company made in Great Bend was moving its office location to Williams Street and hiring local customer service to begin offering local phone service, long distance and high-speed Internet. In 2005, NexTech joined two other telecommunications companies to create NexTech Wireless, allowing Nex-Tech to offer a cell phone solution, which quickly became a popular addition to its service offerings. Keeping with the company’s vision of supporting its communities, Nex-
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Tech was an initial investor in the My Town Revitalization Project for Downtown Great Bend in 2008. Nex-Tech realized it needed a more “visible” office space that would offer more foot traffic and provide easier access for customers, so has moved two additional times, and in 2015 moved to the current location at 3700 10th Street. They had the opportunity to purchase a free-standing building on 10th Street, which also allowed Nex-Tech to build its central office on the same lot, which houses connectivity to the fiber network. Nex-Tech now serves over 1,700 households and businesses in the community of Great Bend, and that number continues to grow. With a total investment on fiber builds of nearly $7 million, NexTech has connected several hundred businesses to that fiber infrastructure. Fiber construction to residential customers started in 2020 when it completed the neighborhood of Bissell’s Point. This Spring, construction will continue in the Twin Lakes and Amber Meadows neighborhoods. Nex-Tech also was awarded SPARK relief funding from the Kansas Department of Commerce in October of 2020. The state of Kansas made emergency financial relief available from federal CARES Act funding. Nex-Tech was awarded $761,111 for five projects, one of which was rural Great Bend. This was completed in December and will serve several underserved farms and rural businesses south of Great Bend, including the Barton County Historical Society. These customers will have access to a fiber Internet connection with
speeds up to one Gig. But creating a state-ofthe-art network is not the only priority for Nex-Tech. The company, as well as its employees, have been huge supporters of community events and organizations. As said by Dustin Schlaefli, Directory of Customer Engagement for Nex-Tech, “Community support is huge for NexTech and is a part of our internal culture. We were very proud to partner with Barton County Community College in 2019 to sponsor the Nex-Tech Active Learning Classroom, which utilizes cutting-edge technology to provide a modern educational experience for its students.” Nex-Tech is proud of the progress it has made in Great Bend over the past 19 years and looks forward to how it can improve the lives of residents for many years to come through an upgraded network and additional community contributions. To learn more about its current fiber project, visit fiber. nex-tech.com. Nex-Tech connects thousands of people and businesses through a robust broadband network with cuttingedge technology. NexTech’s powerful network architectures, including fiber-to-the-premise (FTTP) and fiberto-wireless (FTTW) technologies, deliver leading-edge enterprise solutions to clients nationwide including a 24x7x365 network operations center (NOC), CALEA compliance, enterprise cloud services, security, managed IT, and advertising solutions. Headquartered in Lenora, Nex-Tech is 70 years into providing exceptional service to business and residential customers.
GREAT BEND (KAN.) TRIBUNE • SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2021 •
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Children thriving with support of Sunflower autism program A 2-year-old Ellinwood boy was diagnosed with autism June 17 last year. A couple of months later Martin began receiving Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy at Sunflower Early Education Center (EEC), 1312 Patton Rd. “Fast forward several months,” said Ashley Trejo, the toddler’s mother. “Martin has learned how to say his ABCs, recognize shapes and colors, how to use sign language and how to focus for longer periods of time. We feel very blessed to have this service. “All the therapists are wonderful with my son,” she continued. “It is reassuring to know Martin is getting the best care with people you trust.” Another parent, Jennifer Dickson of Lyons, reported her 4-year-old son also is making great strides in the ABA program. “ABA has been amazing for Wesley,” she said. “Everyone there is wonderful and he loves it. Wesley asks for it daily and he has thrived. I couldn’t be more thankful because of the progress he has made.” ABA is designed for children with a medical diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Five children are currently receiving local ABA services; most receive 10 to 20 hours of the specialized therapy per week. “We hope to expand these services to include
up to 10 children,” said Alyson Burkhart, EEC autism specialist. “We are in the process of hiring additional support staff to help us serve more children and families.” The waiting list includes up to five children. “In our role as an Autism Diagnostic Team, we refer children to developmental pediatricians,” Burkhart noted. “Since this frequently results in an autism diagnosis, the list continues to grow as more children are identified.” Since ABA is not easy to come by in many areas of Kansas, Burkhart and her colleagues are “passionate” about offering the therapy locally. “Access to ABA therapy allows children to receive early intensive behavioral interventions that target their specific needs,” Burkhart said. “It is designed to increase skills in language and communication, as well as enhance the social skills necessary to improve daily functioning. “The therapy also focuses on decreasing problem behaviors,” she added. “Research indicates that early access to these services has the greatest impact on the child’s ability to make significant progress.” If the EEC didn’t offer ABA, local and area children would go without the therapy because of the limited number of providers.
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Martin Trejo, 2, works on matching colors with the guidance of Allison Schwartz, ABA direct service provider at Sunflower Early Education Center.
“Some parents may even resort to moving to an area that has access to services,” Burkhart commented. “They also might seek the education and training to provide the therapy themselves.” Heather Quillin,
Sunflower coordinator of children’s services, said “we are excited to see this program taking off. The children’s progress has been nothing short of remarkable. “We look forward to watching the growth
each child makes in the coming years, as well as the impact this program will have on many more children in the years to come.” ABA at Sunflower is offered to children up to age 5 or when they start
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kindergarten. Services are adapted to each child. This may involve one-on-one teaching, group classroom instruction and/or parent training for up to 25 hours a week. A transition plan, based on ongoing needs, is developed as the child approaches school age. Some insurance policies, including KanCare, cover ABA services. The EEC autism team, which doesn’t diagnose, has partnerships with the University of Kansas Developmental Pediatricians in Wichita and the Center for Child Health & Development at KU Medical Center to help with timely diagnoses. “Through these partnerships, we complete paperwork and assessments prior to the evaluation,” Burkhart noted. “This speeds up the process for many families. We can help families see specialists usually within three to six months. The traditional referral process may take a year or longer.” As part of the Sunflower Diversified Services family, EEC offers three programs. They are Tiny-K Early Intervention Services, Incredible Years Preschool and ABA services. Sunflower, a non-profit agency, serves infants, toddlers and adults with delays and disabilities in Barton, Pawnee, Rice, Rush and Stafford counties. It is in its 55th year.
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• GREAT BEND (KAN.) TRIBUNE • SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2021
TRIBUNE FILE PHOTO
A worker from Concrete Service LLC in Great Bend seals a gap between the tennis court and new concrete extension on the west court at Veterans Park last month, along with existing shade structures on the west courts to match new shade structures to be installed. The work was part of an extensive improvement project at the two courts, scheduled to be completed this month.
GBRC tournaments provide health, economic benefits for city, beyond BY DANIEL KIEWEL dkiewel@gbtribune.com
In a year that saw many cancellations, postponements and shutdowns, the Great Bend Recreation Commission adapted to be able to provide avenues for several tournaments in multiple sports in 2020. It was a chance for the Rec to provide a muchneeded economic and health boost to the community and beyond in a challenging year. “Youth sports and tournaments in Great Bend also have a financial impact to the economy of Great Bend,” Executive Director Diann Henderson said. “Last year, with COVID closures threatening (to bring) less visitors enjoying Great Bend’s hotels, restaurants, retail, and business services by the team sports guests have a detrimental effect on the community including reductions of local sales tax and transient taxes.” While five tournaments were canceled due to shutdowns in April and May of last year, the Rec had the opportunity to host 13 tournaments in 2020 bringing over 6,600 coaches, players and spec-
tators to the city. Henderson noted each tournament they are able to host provides a significant economic boost to the city and its surrounding areas. For example, the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism performed an Event Impact Summary Report for a 60-team youth baseball and softball tournament held last June. The survey estimated the tournament provided several economic boosts to Great Bend, including 1,077 overnight attendees, 1,488 day attendees, the supporting of 313 direct jobs and 392 indirect jobs, with estimated hotel room demand for 952 players. Throughout the summer, Rec officials noted baseball and softball tournaments brought
148 traveling teams to the Great Bend Sports Complex across multiple tournaments. Economic impact surveys estimated the amount of direct business sales for Great Bend at $3,494,334 from the summer tournaments alone. However, the tournaments and their benefits extended beyond the summer months. In 2020, the Rec was able to host area tournaments in disc golf, pickleball and basketball, as well. These events totaled 1,832 participants, according to GBRC records. In addition to the area tournaments, the Rec also offered local youth and adult sports leagues in volleyball, football, basketball, outdoor soccer, and indoor soccer throughout the year. Henderson and Assistant Director Chris
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required by the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, allowing them to host the tournaments over the summer and beyond. See GBRC, 9
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Barton nursing careers take myriad paths A career in nursing can take any number of turns down myriad paths, like working as a traveling nurse or a home health professional. Greg Allison, RN, took a road less traveled. He spent about eight years working as a nurse after finishing the program at Barton Community College, then he followed his entrepreneurial instinct to open a company that provides skilled nurses to health-care providers, AllStaff Chartered in Great Bend. Allison opened his business in March of 2002, and it has since grown to about 75 employees. Four years ago, they purchased a new building to accommodate their expanding service. “I just saw a need while working as a nurse that
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we needed a company that could provide nurses who have good training and education,” he said.
“When we send a nurse out, we want them to be well-prepared and ready to do the job without having
to ask a lot of questions, so we have quite a process to get the staff trained for the different facilities depending on what software they use, but we do that ahead of time.” He said the key to being able to train their nurses effectively is hiring versatile and sharp employees who come on board with an alreadysolid grasp of nursing practices. He said students who come from Barton Community College’s program are consistently well-prepared and ready to work. “We love Barton Community College,” he said. “A large percentage of our nurses are Barton graduates, and we’ll pay for their schooling with a three-year post-graduation commitment.” The local company is
thriving and providing jobs for dozens of local health-care professionals, and it exists because of one decision Allison made more than 20 years ago when he had set his intentions to work as a math teacher after working in the oil field for many years. He applied to the nursing program and got in at a time when the program had more than 250 applicants, but he turned it down. Two weeks later, he changed his mind and asked if he could still have a spot in the program, and he doesn’t know what compelled him to change directions, but he’s glad he did. “I can’t say I regret it,” he said. “It is a very rewarding career. And, I can’t say enough good things about the Barton Nursing
Program. We know if we get nurses from Barton they’ll have the tools and knowledge to do the job.” Even beyond the skill and ability, Allison said there’s an equally critical quality he looks for when hiring nurses. “You’ve got to have a big heart to decide to be a nurse,” he said. “We have a lot of people with big hearts around here.” The secondary deadline to submit applications to start in Barton’s nursing program in the fall of 2021 is March 1; the priority deadline is January 31 each year. For more information or to request an application, visit nursing.bartonccc. edu or contact Director of Nursing Education Renae Skelton at skeltonr@ bartonccc.edu or 620-7929355.
GBRC, from page 8
TRIBUNE FILE PHOTO COURTESY PHOTOS
Baseball and softball teams from Great Bend and around the area competed in tournaments at the Great Bend Sports Complex last June. GBRC hosted a total of 148 teams across multiple tournaments last summer amidst more stringent regulations presented by the COVID-19 pandemic.
However, the benefits to providing events in 2020 and activities was not just economic. With COVID-19 putting bringing so much isolation and strain, the activities provided a much-needed physical and emotional outlet to families. “Families need something to do,” he said. “When everybody’s down in the dumps with COVID recreation brings some life back to them, whether it’s walking out in the parks or going to play an activity.” Henderson noted, also, that as families sought to find new ways to spend time together as more spent time at home, Rec tournaments provided a unique way to bring families together and provide activity benefits for kids. “Some parents encourage their kids to get involved with sports to keep them from spending too much time with their phones and electronic devices, or from getting into trouble,” Henderson said. “Sports are also helpful to help build self-esteem and combat childhood obesity. The bottom line is that many kids love to play sports and it is a great way for families to spend time together.” What it takes to provide the activities To be able to provide the wide variety of tournaments and activities GBRC provides, Henderson and Umphres said it takes a commitment to creating, and maintaining, top-notch facilities that will continue to draw individuals and teams to Great Bend. The extensive improvement work being done on the Veterans Park tennis courts, with new fencing, concrete, bleachers and shade structures is one example of the Rec’s commitment
to its mission of providing the best possible facilities, not only for the city’s residents, but for any individual or team that comes in to use them. But it is more than just the facilities the Rec hopes to bring to the table in bringing more tournaments to Great Bend. Umphres said what they want to stand out is how well teams are treated when they come to town. Umphres feels the Rec provides one of the best overall tournament experiences in the area, which helps continue to draw teams in. “Whether it’s facilities or just customer service, I feel like right now, that’s what we bring to the table,” Umphres said. “We have a relationship with a lot of the teams and we treat them well when they come. We treat our local teams Well, when they’re here, and it brings people back.”
But none of these experiences happen without the strong partnerships the Rec has built with other city entities, including the City of Great Bend, USD 428 and the local business community. Many of the pickleball and basketball tournaments, for example, require the use of USD 428 facilities to have enough space to host those tournaments. City crews have also instrumental in GBRC facility improvement
A Hoisington girls basketball player evades a Mulvane defender during a youth basketball tournament in February 2020 at the Panther Activity Center in Great Bend. The tournament was one of 13 hosted by the Rec Commission last year, even as COVID-19 brought several postponements and cancellations to the area.
projects. Henderson said the Rec also tries to work closely with the business community to ensure the whole community benefits when tournaments come to town. One goal the Rec has, she said, is to help make tournament visitors aware of other activities available for outof-town visitors, as well as promoting local hotels and eating establishments to visitors. “It’s a community effort welcoming these teams to Great Bend,” she said.
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• GREAT BEND (KAN.) TRIBUNE • SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2021
When others shut down, some started sewing BY SUSAN THACKER sthacker@gbtribune.com
When residents of the Golden Belt needed cloth face coverings to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, several groups and individuals started sewing masks. Pawnee Valley Community Hospital Auxiliary members sewed and donated thousands of face masks to health-care providers and individuals. The project began in mid-March when Melanie Urban, administrator at The University of Kansas Health System Pawnee Valley Campus in Larned, approached the Auxiliary, asking if they could tackle a face-mask project. Barbara Hammond of Larned, a 12-year Auxiliary member, said that “initially, we were sewing masks for the hospital to supply to outpatients. This would help save medical masks for hospital personnel during the pandemic.” However, the need for masks skyrocketed and the Auxiliary kept up the pace. More than a dozen other community organizations and many individuals used the locally crafted face coverings. In addition to Pawnee Valley Campus, organizations that received masks include Larned State Hospital; Country Living assisted living facility; Diversicare; Heart of Kansas Family Health Care; Smith Dental Clinic; Rosenberg Dental Clinic; Pawnee County Health Department; Pawnee County Sheriff ’s Department; Larned Police Department; Jordaan Memorial Library; Housing Opportunities Inc.; Edwards County
TRIBUNE FILE PHOTOS
Barbara Hammond, right, delivers handcrafted masks to Vivian Sallee at The University of Kansas Health System Pawnee Valley Campus in this file photo from October 2020. The hospital’s Auxiliary made thousands of masks.
Hospital; and Larned Correctional Mental Health Facility. Auxiliary members also provided masks to small businesses and families. More masks The Great Bend Tribune provided instructions on how to make a mask, with or without a sewing machine. Find the instructions in our online archives at https://gbtribune. com/news/communitycovid-19/make-yourown-mask/ . Ronda Krier began sewing fabric masks to give away to healthcare providers when she learned of a Kansas hospital in need in early March. Other Great Bend sewers joined her as the demand continued to grow. The Tribune created two new Facebook groups, Great Bend Cares and Great Bend Connect, that allowed people to share information about the need for masks or where to find them.
When farmers markets opened, several individuals offered masks in a variety of sizes and patterns. While some saw the project as a moneymaker, others used donated materials and sold their masks for as little as $1 each. The Central Kansas Thread Benders Quilt Guild was another group that put their hearts and hands to work, resulting in a donation of nearly 200 cloth masks to students in USD 428 in the fall. “We are grateful for the work of this generous group of women,” said Andrea Bauer, USD 428 public information director. “The masks they’ve created are not only beautiful, but they created a variety of sizes, fitting students all the way from preschool to 12th grade.” These were just a few examples of how Golden Belt residents skilled with needle and thread helped their neighbors during the pandemic.
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GBPL adapts as community resource BY DANIEL KIEWEL dkiewel@gbtribune.com
From card catalogs to computers, from encyclopedias to Google, from paperbacks to e-books, the Great Bend Public Library has adapted to changing times along with the community it serves. But with all the changes, the staff ’s commitment to the library’s core mission to be an essential and accessible community resource remains unwavering. “Back (when the library opened), libraries were considered a place where books were bought to serve the community,” said GBPL Adult Services Manager Erin Ferguson. “We were an information resource, and we needed to have all these books to provide that information for people.” Over time, though, the library became much more than simply a book repository or research center. It became, in Ferguson’s words, “a center of community.” The modern library, as both Ferguson and GBPL Director GBPL Director Gail Santy described it, serves many more functions than libraries from a half-century ago. It is a community gathering place, a research hub, an internet help desk, a center for hands-on learning and enrichment for all ages, a concierge for other information resources, an afterschool center, a home for exploration, and so much more. How the library of yesterday became the library of today, though, began well over a century ago. The library’s history revisited The mission began in Great Bend in 1906 when the City of Great Bend received a donation from steel magnate Andrew Carnegie for $12,500 to construct a 9,500-squarefoot public library at the corner of Forest Avenue and Williams Street. That building first opened in August 1908. At the time of its opening, the library reportedly housed a little over 1,900 print materials. Over time, the library’s collection grew as the building that housed the collection began to deteriorate, eventually to the point where a new, larger facility became necessary. Throughout the 1960’s, the City of Great Bend and the Library Board worked together to raise funding for a brand new facility through grants and city mill levy. Construction on that facility began in December 1969 following the deeding of land and two abandoned school buildings adjacent to the old library from USD 428 to the Library Board. Construction on the new facility took a little over a year, and by January 1971, a new, much larger facility prepared to open its doors to the public for the first time. When the doors opened on Monday, Feb. 1, 1971, 50 years ago this month, the new building housed a collection of over 60,000 print materials available to the public. It also housed the offices for the Central Kansas Library System and, at the time, the Barton County Law Library. And while much about the building outside has remained the same since 1971, what’s inside has changed dramatically as community needs and technology changed.
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Brit Spaugh Zoo Curator Ashley Burdick gives a Raptor presentation at the Great Bend Public Library. The library provides free educational presentations for groups of all ages as part of its service to the community of Great Bend.
A modern information resource For example, Santy said, the library has an increased collection of Spanish-language print materials to reflect an increasing Hispanic population in the community. But it is more than just changing demographics that shape the services that the Great Bend Public Library of today provides. Rapid changes in technology have also helped forge the modern library. Though the library will always have print books, the print material collections have actually decreased over the years by almost a third as some books become dated, deteriorate, or just through lack of use by patrons. Even with a decrease in print materials, though, the amount of information available at a library has vastly increased with the advent of the internet and other 21st century technologies. Now, the library has not only print books but audio books, DVD’s, and more recently, digital books. It has brought about what Santy calls the library’s “invisible services.” Repair manuals, extensive genealogy resources, test and tax preparation resources, are just some of the digital services the community has access to through the library, and most of it available digitally. If you have a question, there is likely a resource at the library to help you answer it. And if there
is not, library staff can usually connect you with the people and places that can answer it. This is important, Ferguson said, because so many essential forms and documents are only available online, and the library is one of few places for many people to access it, especially those who cannot afford to have internet access at home. Now, library patrons can even access materials without ever stepping foot in the library. The library’s growing collection of e-books can be accessed any device with just a library card account. “People don’t even have to buy a digital book, because we have (access to) more than they will ever need,” Santy said. And that, Santy said, is one of the things that makes the library unique. A community gathering place But the library is about more than just a place to find information, its a safe place to find community. As more parents have gone to work, the library added its Teen Room, which they offer as a safe haven for teens to hang out, play video games, or study after school. Santy said they also want to be a hub to bring together other community organizations, offering meeting space to anyone who needs it. “That’s a really big need in our community, meeting rooms where people can meet at no cost,” Santy said. It can be as simple as mediated visits for parents, realtors finishing paperwork with clients, recruiters meeting with
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The Great Bend Public Library, with the Great Bend chapter of the League of Women Voters offered several presentations celebrating the history of the women’s suffrage movement in Kansas and beyond, one of several educational programs the library offers to the public. Many programs were presented virtually in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
students, or community clubs and organizations who may not have anywhere else to meet. There are also a wealth of hands-on educational enrichment opportunities for all ages, with different clubs, craft times, programs and story times that reach nearly every age and demographic in the community. Within the last 10 years, Santy said, the library has even begun to offer outreach programs for preschools and day cares to help foster a thirst for learning in the youngest members of the community. Pandemic adaptations The onset of the of the COVID-19 pandemic, though, changed, at least temporarily, how some of these many programs
were offered. As the brick-andmortar doors were shuttered during the shutdowns, library staff remained hard at work connecting the public with its programs and resources virtually. Many of the library’s existing programs were adapted to be conducted though virtual meetings, including the children’s story times. Craft programs which had often been done in a face-toface environment were adapted as kits people could stop by the library and pick up to make at home. And while the library, which is again open to the public, is slowly beginning to return to face-to-face meetings with some of its programs and offerings, it also offered
the library a chance to adapt how it offered many of its core services to meet changing community needs through its virtual offerings. In the long run, as the library adapted Santy said the digital doors opened by the pandemic response actually helped the library expand the services and programs it was able to offer the community. “We’re doing more now that we did (before the pandemic),” she said. The Great Bend Public Library of tomorrow may look different than the library of today, just as today’s looks different than 50 years ago. But whatever it may look like, its unwavering commitment to community service will remain the same.
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• GREAT BEND (KAN.) TRIBUNE • SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2021
Survey seeks air service input City wants to bring regional jet back to GB BY DALE HOGG dhogg@gbtribune.com
The City of Great Bend is seeking a federal grant that will enable it to bring a regional jet service back to the Great Bend Municipal Airport. Understanding the importance of this, the city and Great Bend Economic Development Inc. are seeking survey responses to help gage support and gather input, said airport Manager Martin Miller. “It would be a nice touch to get this back,” he said. In 2016, the airline serving Great Bend went bankrupt and the city lost its Essential Air Service status. EAS is a
program through the U.S. Department of Transportation that gives subsidies to airlines to help keep fares low in smaller communities. In order for the DOT to maintain this service, the per-passenger subsidy had to be less than $1,000. But, in 2016, this figure was much higher because of the falloff in usage. Miller and the city realized such a service is critical for the city’s growth and started looking at other options. First, they are seeking a Small Community Air Service Development grant through the DOT. This works similarly to EAS, except there is a local match required. What is involved The city would be working with St. George, Utahbased SkyWest Airlines which has committed to fly
a 50-seat jet into Great Bend, offering round-trip flights to Denver. The total cost to make this happen for a year would be $1.2 million with the grant covering 90%, City Administrator Kendal Francis said. This would be a one-time grant, but it could actually stretch a little longer than 12 months, he said. After that, the hope is for the service to reach a consistent 60% capacity, which would make it self-sustaining. The grant recipients will be announced by early summer, Francis said. If successful, the plan would be for Great Bend to have service by Thanksgiving. Public input To make this happen, they have been reaching out to local business leaders, asking them to write letters of support for the grant program. But, “this is a competitive
grant,” said GBED President Sara Hayden. “We want to show a wide range of support,” she said. “The survey is an attempt to get the public involved.” Although a city-led effort, Hayden understands the importance of the air service and jumped on board. “This is huge,” she said. “From an economic development perspective, this would make the community more accessible and therefore more attractive to incoming business and current business that operate using a significant amount of air travel,” she said. “Unfortunately, the last airline we had was unreliable and unable to provide a successful operation for us, but with a very well known and proven airline taking over the new operation we have the opportunity to create a lasting service for the community.”
The survey is on GBED’s websiste, www.gbedinc.com. Survey questions include: • Before the pandemic, how many trips per month did you usually take that required air travel? • Would you fly from the Great Bend Municipal Airport if non-stop jet service was offered to a major hub airport? • What price point, per round trip, would you be willing to pay for the convenience of flying out of Great Bend? • Knowing that parking can cost upwards of $20/ day at many airports, would free parking at Great Bend Municipal Airport make you more likely to fly out of Great Bend? • Would you prefer a direct flight to Denver or a direct flight to Dallas and why? • If you support Great Bend Municipal Airport
offering commercial, nonstop flights to a major hub airport would you be willing to sign a letter of support to be submitted to the grant committee? Other options Miller said the are also working on another possibility. They are also going to pursue some congressional action to possibly change the parameters for Essential Air Service that will allow Great Bend access back into the program. There are now two qualifying parameters – a city has to be at least 175 miles from a mid to large hub (Great Bend meets this since Kansas City is the closest) and the $1,000 subsidy cutoff. Great Bend hopes to see this revised. There is a chance that a flight from Great Bend to Dallas might become an option in the future, Francis said.
Events Center office complex remodel complete BY DALE HOGG dhogg@gbtribune.com
To start getting more use out of the city-owned Events Center, the Great Bend City Council in May approved an over $500,000 renovation to a portion of the long-vacant office complex attached to the back of the venue. That work is now complete. In order to allow better social distancing during the pandemic, the City Council has been meeting in one of the conference rooms in the remodeled area. Included in the renovation are 7,000 square feet on the office complex first floor. This leaves 21,000 square feet in the remainder of the building. This work includes the Great Bend Economic Development Inc. office and secretarial space for GBED President Sara Hayden, two 75120 person breakout rooms to use with the center to bring in bigger conventions, and extra space for the Convention and Visitors Bureau (for storage and preparing visitor packets). Both eco devo and the CVB are already housed in the center. The project City officials starting meeting with an architect last fall to determine the scope of the project, City Inspector Logan Burns said. The city received three bids for the Events Center remodeling. They were from Harbin Construction of Salina (with a base bid of $539,000), Paul-Wertenberger Construction of Hays
(with a base bid of $513,500) and Brentwood Builders of Great Bend (with a base bid of$509,480). Brentwood Builders gave the low bid and the mechanical and electrical subcontractors being used for the project were Moeder Plumbing, Heating and Air (Great Bend) and Haynes Electric (Larned). Brentwood Builders could start construction on May 18 and finish the project by Oct. 31. It was Brentwood Builders that received the contract. Pryor Automatic Fire Sprinkler of Great Bend has given a bid of $33,650 for the remodel of the center to extend the existing sprinkler system into existing office spaces and the new office remodel. The new sprinkler design will allow for future expansion. This makes the total project cost $543,130. The price breaks down to $78 per square foot, compared to $200 for a new build. The cost to replace the building would be over $5 million. The city has appropriated $300,000 from the Events Center Fund. In addition, Great Bend Economic Development set aside $100,000 for their office remodel at the center from the Economic Development Sales Tax Fund, but of that, only $58,548 remains. So, total money set aside for the project between the city and GBED is $358,548, leaving a shortfall of $184,582. This balance will come from the Economic Development Sales Tax Fund.
TRIBUNE FILE PHOTO
The Great Bend City Council is shown meeting in one of the newly remodeled office complex rooms at the city’s Events Center.
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