FALL/WINTER ’18
D I S C OVE R
a community guide.
Train Equip
As the city grows, the mission and needs of its firefighter and medical emergency teams expand
The Lions Club
Potato Farms in Eudora
From Class Act to Art Class
Listing of Events & Attractions
D I S C OVE R
EUDORA a community guide.
FALL/WINTER ’18
Discover Eudora is an official publication of the City of Eudora, the Eudora School District and Eudora CVB with editorial, design and advertising placement provided by Sunflower Publishing. City Liaison Leslie Herring School District Liaison Kristin Magette Eudora CVB Liaison Kelsey Scribner Editor Nathan Pettengill Art Director Jenni Leiste Advertising Nicolette Sessin Graphic Designer Alex Tatro Copy Editor Leslie Andres Photographers Fally Afani Brian Goodman Writers Fally Afani Cindy Higgins Seth Jones
Dear Reader,
sunflowerpub.com Director: Bob Cucciniello Production Team Leader: Jenni Leiste
Kicking off the 2018–2019 school year in August was the perfect time to renew and increase our investment in school-based wellness services for our students. For years, our families have made it clear that they want student mental health supports to be a key priority in our schools. We were able not only to create a new staff position but also to begin a comprehensive training for everyone who works in our schools. A newly hired WRAP worker is serving Eudora Middle School and Eudora High School to provide a licensed mental health professional for student support at school. This helps restore positions that were eliminated due to budget cuts over the past few years. We also have begun a two-year effort to certify all employees in Mental Health First Aid for Youth, a national program designed to equip adults with the skills needed to help a young person who is experiencing a mental health or addictions challenge or is in crisis. The training is made possible through a partnership with the Eudora Schools Foundation and a grant from the Douglas County Community Foundation. District leaders and school office staff trained with the Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center in early August, and later this year two Eudora Schools employees will become licensed trainers in Youth Mental Health First Aid, allowing for ongoing training in the months and years to come. These partnerships really define what make our community so special: good, caring people coming together to accomplish goals that are bigger than any one agency can accomplish alone. It takes a community effort to provide mental health supports, and we look forward to continued collaboration because the more people in Eudora who are knowledgeable about mental health, the better our chances of helping the young people who need it most.
All material and photographs copyright Sunflower Publishing, 2018.
Superintendent of Schools
cityofeudoraks.gov Mayor Tim Reazin City Manager Barack Matite School District Superintendent Steve Splichal School District Communications Director Kristin Magette Eudora CVB President Kelsey Scribner
For editorial queries: Nathan Pettengill (785) 832-7287 npettengill@sunflowerpub.com For advertising queries: Nicolette Sessin (785) 832-7109 nsessin@sunflowerpub.com
Steve Splichal on the cover. Eudora volunteer firefighter Genevieve Voigt stands with her gear in front of the department’s new pumper truck, Engine 1232. Photograph by Brian Goodman.
cityofeudoraks.gov
contents. Table of
departments.
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18
22
26
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To u r R u r a l
9
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Places to Visit
10
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Calendar of Events
16
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Map of Eudora
31
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Quick Guide
features. 12
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The Lions Club The local Lions Club president talks about his group’s goals for making a difference.
18
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History of Potatoes In the late 19th century and early 20th century, Eudora was all about its incredible-tasting, reliable, job-bringing potatoes.
22
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Art Class to Class Act How Eudora brought art back to the classroom.
26
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All The Bells & Whistles The Eudora Fire Department’s new truck brings the most modern technology in firefighting.
Sales
Service Installation Commercial & Residential
F a s t
Q u a l i t y
104 W 20th Suite 1
High Efficency Systems Free Estimates
s e r v i c e
Eudora, Kansas 66025
Serving Northeast Kansas for 31 Years!
785-542-2707
Like us on Facebook & follow us on Twitter @CheckersFoods!
s g n i v a $ l a c o L Fresh 23rd & Louisiana | Lawrence, Kansas | checkersfoods.com
Discover Eudora | Fall/Winter ’18
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tour
Eudora
u r a l
Some of the best autumn day trips are only a few minutes away. story and photography by Fally Afani
H 6
arvest time is an ideal opportunity to explore Eudora’s rich rural heritage and enjoy a day out with the family. Within minutes of Eudora, you can find anything from a day at the spa to a night at a local winery. Here are some of the more picturesque attractions in the area.
cityofeudoraks.gov
Fall/Winter ’18 | Discover Eudora
bluejacket crossing vineyard and winery. Bluejacket Crossing Vineyard and Winery is a working vineyard made for visitors who can stay at the vineyard’s Air BnB, harvest fruit, jump into a grape stomp or join in the winery’s popular on-site yoga class. Owner Pep Selvan takes pride in the winery’s location, and based both the name and label on the area’s historic location as a river ferry crossing operated by Charles Bluejacket. The winery boasts an impressive list of awards, which Selvan says helps him develop his future vintages. “The purpose of winning awards is the feedback from the judges. We’re not as interested in getting the trophy as we are their comments,” he says. “It’s tough because, even though Kansas used to be one of the primary wine areas in the United States back before Prohibition, now we’re overlooked most of the time because there are so many incredible regions that get more attention. But we’re starting from scratch.” Though frequently a destination for elegant receptions, Bluejacket is also open for visitors to experience a working vineyard—and the rewarding tastes that go with it.
clearfield farmhaus. Owners Craig and Nedra Mitchell have turned their 5.3-acre farm into a fantastic country stop, complete with a gorgeous barn dotted with a bright sunflower at the top. Just six miles south of Eudora, Clearfield Farmhaus has played host to ice cream socials, farmhouse tours, and even a German holiday fest. But this is also a working farm, and here you can find an assortment of the season’s freshest fruits and vegetables. The Farmhaus store sells an assortment of baked goods, such as scones and mini-breads, and décor for the kitchen. The tea towels, table cloths, and dresses make it a holiday shopping stop for every season.
country spa. When city life has worn you down, get in the car and make a beeline for Country Spa. Just a few miles off K-10, the country getaway has become one of the area’s most visually stunning attractions. Once you pass through the gates, you’re greeted by a refreshing, serene pond surrounded by tall grass. The floating dock has provided many quiet nights for those looking to get away from it all. A curly willow tree frames the flower shop, and a floral scent floats on the breeze. This is where colorful bouquets are constructed for weddings and other social events. But the main draw is the spa, which offers everything from deep tissue massages to salt scrubs and hot stone therapy. Getting pampered with any of those services can feel absolutely divine, but doing so surrounded by beautiful country landscape so close to home provides even more pleasure.
davenport winery. Rows upon rows of grape vines and fruit trees spread out across Davenport Winery, one of the largest vineyards in the Kaw Valley. Here, owner Greg Shipe believes wine has personality, and making wine from Kansas fruit with minimal intervention allows the wine to express itself freely. Davenport has been harvesting grapes and selling wine for more than two decades. Any fruit used in Davenport wine that is not grown on-site often comes from nearby farms because the owners make sure their product is 100-percent Kansas-made. Visitors should leave some time for the tasting room, where they can sit back, taste samples, chat with the owner and smell the aroma of fruit that lingers in the valley.
7
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kaw valley farm tour. The annual Kaw Valley Farm Tour, held each October, allows visitors an entire weekend to tour some 30 regional farms. In addition to Bluejacket, Clearfield and Davenport, Country Road Farms, just southeast of Eudora, opens its doors to visitors for the annual fall farm tour. Now in its third year on the Kaw Valley Farm tour, the Knabe family farm offers visitors the chance to get a taste of country life (literally). They can enjoy sausage gravy and biscuits straight off a cast iron skillet on an open fire with meat from the farm. Visitors can also taste a farmers casserole and homemade cinnamon rolls and enjoy the scenery with a professional on-site photographer. The Knabes, who have been regulars at area farmers markets, also plan to open a country market with farm-raised meats, eggs, and other seasonal items this fall.
getting there. Bluejacket Crossing Vineyard and Winery 1969 N 1250th Rd bluejacketwinery.com
Clearfield Farmhaus 2222 N 600 Rd (816) 682-9330 clearfieldfarmhaus.com Country Road Farms 991 E 2400 Rd (785) 615-1290 Country Spa 2152 North 700 Rd (785) 883-4944 countryspaandgardens.com
Davenport Winery 1394 E. 1900 Rd. (785) 542-2278 davenportwinery.com
Vidan Dental
G E R A L D
W .
V I D A N ,
1 0 3 W. 1 0 th St. Eu d o r a , KS 6 6 0 2 5
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D D S
7 8 5-542-2993
Fall/Winter ’18 | Discover Eudora
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places to visit I n E u d o ra
BLUEJACKET CROSSING VINEYARD AND WINERY
Award-winning local wine 1969 N. 1250 Rd. 785.542.1764
CLEARFIELD FARMHAUS Working farm and shop 2222 N 600 Rd. 816.682.9330
COUNTRY ROAD FARMS Family farm goods 991 E 2400 Rd 785.615.1290
COUNTRY SPA AND GARDENS
Rural rejuvenation 2152 N. 700 Rd. 785.883.4944
D-DUBS
Bar and grill 10 W. 9 St. 785.690.7212
DAVENPORT ORCHARDS AND WINERY
Award-winning local wine 1394 E. 1900 Rd. 785.542.2278
DAIRY QUEEN
GENE’S HEARTLAND FOODS
EUDORA COMMUNITY MUSEUM
HIS HANDS CLOTHING CLOSET
Frosty treats 1502 Church St. 785.542.5050
Our past told 720 Main St. 785.690.7900
Local grocer 1402 Church St. 785.542.2727
Nonprofit clothing and goods store 736 B Main St 785.690.7220
EUDORA PARKS AND RECREATION
JASMIN RESTAURANT
Parks, pools and leagues 1630 Elm St. 785.542.1725
Chinese and Mexican 719 Main St. 785.542.1111
EUDORA TOWNSHIP PUBLIC LIBRARY
KAW RIVER ACCESS POINT
Books, DVDs and public space 14 E. 9 St. 785.542.2496
Entry for canoes/kayaks 500 Main St. kansasriver.org
EUDORA YOGA CENTER
LULU’S BAKERY
Beginners and advanced 706 Main St. 785.550.5928
GAMBINO’S PIZZA
Original pies 1402 Church St. Suite D 785.542.2727
Pastries and baked goods 1004 Locust St. 785.393.1907
QUILTING BITS AND PIECES
Quilting supplies from experts 736 Main St. 785.542.2080
Full Service Urgent Care in Lawrence, KS See a physician 7 days a week without an appointment URGENT CARE
X-RAY & LABS
SUBWAY
Customized sandwiches 318 E. 15 St. 785.542.2626
SUNFLOWER STATE DANCE
Dance lessons 104 E. 20 St. #4 785.690.7200
SWEET ACRES INN Bed and breakfast 103 E. 7 St. 785.542.2466
TWILL TRADE BOUTIQUE Women’s clothing store 704 Main St 785.363.0008
TWIN OAKS GOLF COMPLEX Tee time 1326 E. 1900 Rd. 785.542.2844
WAKARUSA BREWERY Beer, mead and eats 710 Main St 913.256.5119
Always physician staffed for over 20 years. Locally owned and operated.
OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH
(785) 838-1500 3511 Clinton Pl, Lawrence, KS 66047 promptcareks.com HOURS: Mon - Fri 8am - 8pm
SONIC DRIVE-IN
Nostalgic car-hop food 1420 Church St. 785.542.1799
•
Sat & Sun 11am - 4pm
Dr. Michael Geist
Dr. Darin Elo
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Discover Eudora | Fall/Winter ’18
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events. OCTOBER
13
Putt for the Parks Golf Tournament A benefit for the Eudora Parks and Recreation Foundation at Twin Oaks Golf Complex. eudorarecfoundation.org
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Are You Smarter than a Librarian? Trivia night BBQ dinner to raise money for the city’s new library fund. Look for “New Eudora Library Capital Campaign” for more information and future events.
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Eudora Schools Foundation Golf Tournament A benefit for the city’s public schools, held at Eagle Bend. Look for “Eudora Schools Foundation” for more information and future events.
27
Trunk of Treat Community Halloween costume and treats celebration along the 7th-9th blocks of Main Street, sponsored by Eudora Parks and Recreation and the Eudora Chamber of Commerce.
Shutterstock
Calendar of
NOVEMBER
15
History of Immigration in Eudora Part of Eudora Area Historical Society’s ongoing series of free and open presentations on community history. Look for “Eudora Area Historical Society” on Facebook for more information and future events.
19–23
JANUARY
1–4
Winter break and teacher inservice day for Eudora public schools
21
Martin Luther King Jr. Day; no classes for Eudora public schools
Thanksgiving break for Eudora Public Schools
FEBRUARY
DECEMBER
Teacher inservice day; no classes for Eudora public schools
8
German Fest Clearfield Farmhaus hosts holiday market featuring baked and canned goods with music and traditional Christmas tree lighting. clearfieldfarmhaus.com
15
20–31
Winter break for Eudora public schools
For a full and updated calendar of events, go online at eudoraevents.com, eudoraschools.org, eudorapubliclibrary.org and eudoraparksandrec.org
10
18
Presidents’ Day; no classes for Eudora public schools
Holy Family Catholic Church HolyFamilyEudora.com 785.542.2788 Weekend Mass Times Saturday 5:30 pm Sunday 9:30 am Daily Mass M/W/F 9 am T/Th 7 am Sacrament of Reconciliation Saturdays 4 pm By appointment Religious Education K-8 Wednesday 6 pm Youth Group Wednesday 7:15 pm
“Jesus said ‘I am the bread of life, whoever comes to me will never be hungry and whoever believes in me will never thirst.’” -John 6:35
Locally owned
Our relationships with more than one insurance company means more options and better value for you.
BIG CITY
ability with hometown values 1540 Wakarusa Drive, Suite D • Lawrence, KS 66047 • 785-856-5100 711 Main St. • Eudora, KS 66025 • 785-542-2000 Info@IntegrityMidwestIns.com
Discover Eudora | Fall/Winter ’18
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eudora The
lions club Helping Locally and Globally
The local Lions Club president talks about his group’s goals for making a difference. interview by Seth Jones
|
photography by Brian Goodman
Fall/Winter ’18 | Discover Eudora
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E
ric Strimple is a born-and-raised Eudora native. The utility billing specialist for the city of Eudora is also the current president of the Eudora Lions Club. Discover Eudora caught up with Strimple to talk to him about the Lions Club and its goals for improving people’s lives.
question&answer.
with Eric Strimple (pictured on left)
Discover Eudora (DE): For those who are unfamiliar with Lions Club, can you give us an overview of the group? Eric Strimple (ES): That’s easy. Lion’s Club is the world’s largest service-based club. We have 1.4 million members and over 46,000 clubs in the world. Locally, we have about 25 people in Eudora right now, and we’re growing. To put it in a nutshell, we’re a community service organization. Where there’s a need, we’re there to help. DE: How can someone get involved? ES: Come to one of our meetings. Our meetings are always open to the public, and we have them at City Hall in Eudora on the first and third Monday of each month at 7 pm. DE: What are your goals as president of the club? ES: One of my big goals this year, and this is a fairly new worldwide goal of the Lions Club, is diabetes awareness. Diabetes runs in my family; I have direct family members who have suffered, and I have family members we’ve lost due to diabetes. As of right now, the Eudora Club has ventured only into diabetes awareness to the extent of sending a high school student to diabetes camp this last summer. The student was recently diagnosed, so we worked with the family and the school district so he could learn about diabetes, how he could manage it and how his life has changed. We work on hunger, vision and the environment regularly, but diabetes awareness is near and dear to my heart. DE: What’s your favorite part about being involved with the Eudora’s Lions Club? ES: It’s about fellowship. Sure, when we’re having our meetings it’s all business and working on community service projects or awareness projects in the community. But Lions Club brings people from every walk of life together to work to a common good. You really build friendships with the local club members. Every one is in it for the same reason—to do community service and provide support where needed.
PREVIOUS: Eric Strimple, President of the Eudora Lions; TOP: Tina Jinkens, Vice President of the Eudora Lions, with her dog Clara; ABOVE: The Lions’meeting bell; NEXT PAGE: Eudora Lions members: (front, from left) Jess “Dewey” Isaacs, Clara, Vice President Tina Jinkens, Debbie Sparkes; (back, from left) Laura Rosenberger, Jerry Mercer, President Eric Strimple, Second Vice President Pam Schmeck
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DE: Is there something that might surprise people about the Lions Club?
DE: Of the fundraisers Lions Club puts on locally, does one stand out as your favorite?
ES: We’re here in Eudora, but we work with the state and national and even the international Lions Club to help people all around the world. When multiple hurricanes hit the southeast Unites States last year, our local Lions Club raised money to send to the disaster relief. We care about local people and local situations, but we are much more far-spread than right here in Eudora.
ES: The Eudora Lions Club is in charge of placing the angel trees around town for residents who need assistance to furnish Christmas for their families. This last year we provided Christmas gifts and dinner for 46 local families. We work with local organizations, the grocery store works with us closely and other donors. The whole community really pitches in to make Christmas brighter for needy families here in Eudora.
DeSoto
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GroominG & BoardinG
Dr. Matthew vandervelde
Responsible waste management with
HOMETOWN SERVICE (913) 585-1115
3 3 9 0 0 L e x i n gto n Av e D e S oto , K A n S A S
(913) 369-8999 | www.honeycreekdisposal.com
Patrick Jankowski, DDS
Preschool • All Day Child Care Certified Teachers • 12 months to Kindergarten Little Learners Early Childhood Center offers children the opportunity to explore, create, and imagine while they develop academically, socially, emotionally, and physically. These opportunities take place in a safe, nurturing environment under the guidance of a highly qualified, caring teaching staff.
Located just 15 minutes east of Eudora along the K-10 Corridor.
Call 913-254-1818 to enroll.
www.kslittlelearners.com
• Wisdom Teeth Removal • Implants • Sedation • Routine & Preventative • Crowns • Veneers • Root canals Dental care for the entire family!
826 Iowa St. Lawrence, KS 66044 785.843.9122 Find us on Facebook
www.jayhawkdental.com
208 W. 20th Street | Eudora, KS 66025 785-542-5152 www.wolffauto.com
Kansas River I-70 6.5 miles
karusa River Wa
K-32 3.5 miles
6
5
W 7th St
18 19
W 9th St
Lawrence 10 minutes
Old K-10
District
24
Tallgrass Dr
E 13th St
E 14th St
Elm St
W 15th St
Locust St
Fir St
r St Ceda
MAP
29
28 30
10
Church Street Commercial District
W 20th St
32
23rd St
33
34 35
E 2200 Rd
S Fir St
Stratton Dr
26 10
E 15th St
W 26th St
Intech Business Park
Cardinal Dr
Maple St
Oak St
Walnut St
27
25
W 16th St
31
E 10th St
21
W 11th St
4
1
22
Peach St
Pine St
Spruce St
2
20
10th Street
W 10th St Commercial Cherry St
3
Church St
Main St
Acorn St
W 8th St
N 1400 Rd
23
Ash St
6th St 9 10 11 12 13 14 16 15 17
Birch St
7 8
N 1300 Rd
Downtown District
Community Necessities 6 7 8 11 12 13
Old K-10
Kansas City 35 minutes
14 15 16 17 19 20
Wakarusa River Boat Ramp
W 6th St
Schools
AD
1 24 32 33
Eudora Schools District Office Eudora Elementary School MAP Eudora High School Eudora Middle School
E 8th St
Downtown Commercial District
W 9th St
Eudora Public Library E 9th St
CPA Park
Eudora Public Safety Building
1,000 ft W 10th St
Map created for City of Eudora by Leslie Flowers, Print Media Ink
Church St
W 8th St
Locust St
Railroad
Locust St
9 Charles Pilla House 31 Beni Israel Cemetery
Eudora Community Museum
Maple St
Historical Places
Eudora Chamber of Commerce
U.S. Post Office
Elm St
West Sports Complex Disc Golf Course (9 Hole) Wakarusa River Boat Ramp Kerr Field East Sports Complex Eudora Parks & Recreation Department, Community Center, and Aquatic Center 30 Babe Ruth Field
Building Inspector & Codes Admin. E 7th St Sweet Acres Inn
W 7th St
Recreational Areas 2 3 5 21 25 28
City Manager’s Office City Hall
Main St
Bluejacket Park Pilla Park CPA Park East Side Park Paschal Fish Park Lucy Kaegi Park South Park
Charles Pilla House
Pilla Park
Parks 4 10 18 26 27 29 35
E 6th St
Main Street Terrace
22 23 34
City of Eudora Public Brush Dump Eudora Public Works Department Public Recycling Drop City Hall (City Commission, City Clerk, & Billing) City Manager’s Office Building Inspector & Codes Administration Eudora Chamber of Commerce US Post Office Sweet Acres Inn Eudora Community Museum Eudora Public Library Eudora Public Safety Building (Police Station, Municipal Court, and Fire Station) Holy Family Catholic Cemetery Eudora City Cemetery Public Recycling Drop
E 10th St
Discover Eudora | Fall/Winter ’18
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too marvelous story by Cindy Higgins
for Belief
Shutterstock
In the late 19th century and early 20th century, Eudora was all about its incredible-tasting, reliable, jobbringing potatoes.
Fall/Winter ’18 | Discover Eudora
cityofeudoraks.gov
S
urrounded today by fields of corn and soybeans, Eudora in its early days had far more varied crops, including the one it was known for nationwide—potatoes. Farmers in and around Eudora took advantage of the Kaw Valley river bottoms that proved ideal for potato growing and had easy access to train routes that allowed them to receive supplies and ship their product across the nation. Commercialization of the potato crop began soon after Eudora was formally established. Along with other Kaw Valley farmers from Edwardsville to Manhattan, Eudora-area farmers planted the Early Ohio, an all-purpose, virtually disease-proof potato that stored well and didn’t require much, if any, fertilizer. To automate parts of the labor process, Eudorans W. W. Cole and T. McGhee invented a potato digger that received an 1869 patent. In 1899, Eudoran Cornelius Barrett Speaks also received a patent for his potato grader, which he described as an “easily operated,” cost-efficient and “strong and durable” machine that would remove (or “grade”) potatoes from the earth and separate them from dirt. Innovative farmers and rich soil combined to create a lucrative cash crop and reputation for the region that farmed it. “The greatest early potato district in the country is in the Kaw Valley, adjoining Lawrence,” trumpeted the June 1, 1898, Lawrence Gazette. “Returns made by potato growers in their neighborhood are too marvelous for belief by a stranger.”
Irish Cobblers, another early-harvest potato, replaced the Early Ohio as the predominant table-stock in the 1920s. Seed potatoes for these varieties came from Red River Valley along the MinnesotaNorth Dakota border. Each was cut into pieces containing a sprout bud, and then placed “eye”-up a few inches below the sandy loam soil mid-March through April. During the July harvest, pickers gathered potatoes turned up by plows. The potatoes were then sorted by weight, diameter, shape, and damage of any type before being placed in containers or 100-pound-capacity burlap sacks. The area’s peak potato growing period in the 1920s and 1930s mirrored nationwide potato peak production. From the Eudora area, for example, in 1924, the railroad estimated it received 265 potato carloads from Eudora, 55 carloads from the adjoining community of Fall Leaf, 465 carloads from Noria (between Eudora and Lawrence), and 335 carloads from Weaver (northeast of presentday Eudora). The crops were shipped to markets in Kansas City, Chicago, Denver, Minneapolis, and, later in the season, southern points. The earlier the harvest, the better. Quickly loaded onto Union Pacific trains north of the Kansas River and on the Santa Fe south of the river, thousands of Kaw Valley potato carloads were sent on to area canning plants, city markets, and produce companies. Pickers often were women and children earning money for school supplies. “I graduated from Weaver in 1931. I would pick potatoes and strawberries to have money for clothes and books,”
Innovative farmers and rich soil combined to create a lucrative cash crop and reputation for the region that farmed it.
19
Discover Eudora | Fall/Winter ’18
CAREN ROWLAND Eudora Realtor for over 25 years 785-979-1243 caren@askmcgrew.com
cityofeudoraks.gov
remembers Mable (Wallace) Meuffle. “I did this each year as I went through high school.” Gradually, however, the area’s potato market waned. Lynn H. Nelson, a former University of Kansas history professor, wrote that “at one time, the Wakarusa Valley, just east of Lawrence where the Wakarusa joins the Kaw ... harvested about 25,000 pounds per acre and supplied the canning plants that were an important part of the Kansas (and Lawrence) economy. But they didn’t travel well and so were slowly squeezed out of the market at the same time that truck gardens [produce gardens planted specifically for commercial trade] that used to lie around most cities began to be paved over into parking lots and subdivisions.” Worker shortages for the labor-intensive crop, competition from California, destruction of equipment and farmlands by the 1951 flood, the advent of large-scale farming with tractors, and introduction of soybeans as a crop option all contributed to the demise of commercial potato production in Eudora and the Kaw Valley. But in area gardens you still can see leafy potato plants, a reminder of a crop from Eudora’s earliest days that was known throughout the nation, triggered two inventions, provided pickers quick cash in the summer, and filled up rows of train cars with fresh produce.
1402 Church St. Suite E, Eudora, KS 66025
20
cityofeudoraks.gov
Fall/Winter ’18 | Discover Eudora
Relax and Rejuvinate
2152 N 700 Road, Eudora, KS 66025 785-883-4944
potato-farming families.
countryspacountryfloral@hotmail.com
Many Eudora families earned their living through the potato harvests. Here is a list from directories and news reports of some of the names associated with potato farming around Eudora from 1900–1945. How many of them do you recognize? Carl Altenbernd, Conrad Alternbernd, Will Altenbernd, Frank Blechel, John Bowen, George Broers, Ralph Davis, Ray Dissinger, John Gilmore, Will Harvey, F. G. Hughes, W. W. Hockett, John Kindred, L. L. Kindred, James McCabria, Robert McFarland, John Moody, Ray Ogden, Ben Neis, Carl Neis, Gideon Neis, Edwin Ott, John Ott Jr., William Ott, C. C. Perkins, W. E. Perkins, James Roe, George Rothberger, Will Saunders, Chris Schaake, William Schaake, Arthur Schutz, Henry Seiwald, Will Spitzli, John Strong, Walter Vitt, Ray Walters, Henry Westerhouse, Don Westheffer and Walter Wilson.
PAGE 19: A souvenir potato postcard from early 1900s, common domain; OPPOSITE: A potato illustration from an 1881 catalog; ABOVE: Potato harvesting in the Kaw Valley, late 1910s, from Potato Harvest magazine
525 West 20th St Eudora, KS 66025
21
(785) 542-2734 | eudorabc@gmail.com www.eudorabc.org
Discover Eudora | Fall/Winter ’18
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classact Art Class to
How Eudora brought art back to the classroom. story and photography by Fally Afani
22
Fall/Winter ’18 | Discover Eudora
cityofeudoraks.gov
J
ust a few weeks into the school year, there’s already a flurry of activity erupting in Eudora Elementary School’s art room. Printmaking, plate painting, and origami are just some of the projects underway for the students in the kindergarten through fifth grade. It’s hard to believe this is only the second year of the school’s art program. Starting the program took a persistent, dedicated group of parents driven by the desire to bring art education to the children of Eudora. Kania Shain was one of the driving forces behind bringing art back to Eudora schools. Though her children are now past elementary-school age (one in eighth grade and another in college), art education remains close to her heart. When she moved to Eudora from St. Louis nearly a decade ago, she was surprised that art wasn’t on her daughter’s agenda. “I remember she would come home with her report card, and I said, ‘Where’s
It’s my dream job. It’s been amazing. — April Peavey
your art grade?’ and she said, ‘We don’t have art.’ I was like, ‘What?’” That’s when Shain decided to reach out to other parents. “I was new to the area, so I didn’t want to just be seen as a rabble-rouser. So I spoke with teachers I knew, I spoke with my daughter’s teacher, and some other parents in the district. We had an art teacher for the middle and the high school, so I talked with her. I was trying to get background, and it [the reason an elementary grade art program was never started] was budget. That’s what I heard from everybody.” Eudora’s situation was far from unique. During 2008–2015, Kansas drastically cut back on funding and was one of 14 states in the nation with a 10 percent or greater reduction in spending per student. The cuts resulted in legislative battles that shaped elections and continue to be the focus of the state’s Supreme Court deliberations. All across Kansas, districts were forced into difficult sacrifices.
PREVIOUS: Students work in April Peavey’s elementary art class; ABOVE: April Peavey instructs students in her art classroom at Eudora Elementary School
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art from the cart. It was then that Shain decided if the district couldn’t provide art in the classrooms, then maybe the parents could. “We just came up with this crazy idea of why don’t we, as volunteers, go into the classroom,” she says. Though it didn’t happen right away, the superintendent eventually approved the idea. Shain’s excitement turned to focus as she designed a volunteer-based art program that would bring art projects (via a wheeled cart) into the classrooms. “We decided to go into the classroom once a month, just doing art lessons with the kids and giving them something to do,” she says. Because she didn’t want to pressure teachers into giving up class time, she presented the art cart as an opt-in. She hung a signup sheet one morning, and within hours every teacher had signed up. “At the time, it was 38 classroom teachers. So we thought, ‘Ok, let’s give this a try.’” Shain and the other volunteers, armed with their art cart, went into every classroom once a month for a 45-minute session. But they went deeper than watercolors and molding clay. “We didn’t just want to be doing arts and crafts with the kids; we really tried to look at a little bit of art history, get them to know the names, get familiar with some of the famous artists, then be able to do some different projects and use materials that they most likely weren’t using at home,” she says. “If we were going to take the time and effort to do it, we wanted it to have some substance.”
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the dream becomes reality. This setup lasted three years. By the third year, the school had given the volunteers a classroom for their monthly art sessions. Having a room made a big difference and allowed the volunteers to add a greater variety of lessons to the class (it was at this time that the program was featured in the winter/spring 2015 edition of this magazine). “We … did some special project time, we collaborated with some of the art education students from KU, and had some of their students come in to teach lessons with our students at the elementary school,” Shain says. “But for the most part, it was always just once a month. That’s 800 kids each month that we were teaching with volunteers and with our own funds that we raised.” By the sixth year, something incredible had happened. The school district announced that they finally had the funds to hire a full-time art teacher to provide students weekly classes. Shain was thrilled to see the volunteer program conclude for the best reason. “It was a labor of love for sure; we wouldn’t have done it for six years if it hadn’t been,” she says. “Usually you don’t start something with the hope of it being obsolete, but that was our hope when we started. We wanted to do this for only a short time, until they got to the point where they have a fullfledged program here at the elementary school.” Shain wasn’t the only one excited about the news. April Peavey was a fifth-grade teacher in Eudora, and had dreams of becoming an art teacher. “My grandmother was an art teacher,” Peavey notes, adding that she had been waiting for this announcement for the seven years she taught at the school. “Eudora Elementary is a home to me, but I was feeling less creative. Art has always been a big part of my life. At my house, we’re always doing art, and I knew that I needed creativity in my life.” When the announcement from the district came that they were ready to hire a full-time art teacher, emotion overwhelmed her. “I cried,” Peavey recalls. “I was just so excited. Even if I didn’t get the job, I was so excited for my students. After they opened it up for applications, I went into my principal’s office the next day and was like, ‘I want this.’ So I applied and I ended up getting it. It’s my dream job. It’s been amazing.”
from math to masterpieces. Until then, Peavey had introduced some art into her students’ regular lessons. “We were learning about fractions in math, I was like OK, let’s do origami. I think a lot of teachers at our school were creative and tried to incorporate art with their lessons,” she remembers. “From the beginning of the year, there was just this new excitement and electricity. The kids were talking about it, the teachers, the parents, everyone was very excited.” Peavey says a little creativity can go a long way in the classroom. “I think in this day and age, we can Google answers to questions. We have calculators for math. There’s spellcheck on your computer. All those core subjects are important,” she notes. “However, I really believe that this generation, it’s going to be more important that they have creativity and that they can think outside the box. I also think in our school, the art room can be a safe place for kids. Maybe math is not their strong suit, maybe they struggle with reading, but in the art room they can feel free to express themselves. It’s a safe place to make mistakes.” This sentiment is also what drove Shain all those years when they spent hours teaching art to hundreds of students. “I think it gives every student an opportunity to use their hands, use their mind creatively, be in an environment that really is very different from the academic environment,” Shain says. “It’s just an important way to really build the whole child, for the whole child’s brain to develop.” She also notes the value beyond the craft. “Students and adults should know who Vincent van Gogh is. They should know the pieces of history, those artists who make us what we are now. Without art education, where are you going to learn about those things? Art education to me is just all encompassing of so many things that are beneficial for their growth.”
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Discover Eudora | Fall/Winter ’18
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bells&whistles All the
The Eudora Fire Department’s new truck brings the most modern technology in firefighting. story by Seth Jones | photography by Brian Goodman
cityofeudoraks.gov
Fall/Winter ’18 | Discover Eudora
A
$455,000 purchase isn’t made lightly—especially when lives depend on that purchase. That’s why it took a committee of nine people nearly a year to finalize the purchase of Eudora Fire Department Engine No. 1232. The committee sifted through the more than 30,000 options available for this model of Rosenbauer pumper and built it to match Eudora’s needs. “These trucks are custom-made for each department,” Eudora fire chief Ken Keiter says. “This wasn’t developed by the fire chief and the assistant fire chief. This was committee-driven, and it took months and months to plan. This was custom-built for Eudora, from the bell on the front all the way down to the Eudora Cardinal logo on the back.”
change of guard. Engine 1232 arrived in Eudora in December of 2017 and dwarfs its 31-year-old predecessor parked in the next stall, Engine 1231. The older engine has less pumping capacity and abilities, but it is still used as a backup engine. Bringing in a new engine required the firefighter teams to familiarize themselves with the differences. Keiter and the committee tried to mimic Engine 1231 closely so the new truck would have a familiar feel to it, but it is larger and handles differently. Eudora firefighters must complete 10 hours of training on the new Rosenbauer before they are allowed to drive the truck on calls. That means navigating a maze of orange cones, managing diminishing clearances and tight turns and, yes, backing up. “It’s a big truck. It’s wider, heavier, longer. It’s got a wide turning radius, like an 18-wheeler,” Keiter says. “This isn’t like driving a Toyota Corolla.”
improvements. An easier adaptation for the firefighters is being able to tap the new engine’s tools and features, improvements that Chief Keiter is more than happy to show off to any Eudora residents who stop by. (See side story on page 29 for a listing of equipment.) “We like to talk about this stuff; it’s what we do. I’ve been doing this my whole life,” Keiter says. “I’ve been doing this for 37 years; sometimes you have to stand back and appreciate it.”
functionality & pride.
OPPOSITE: Volunteer firefighter Matt Holek; ABOVE: Volunteer firefighter Nick Swanger
Keiter notes the new engine not only offers more but also allows his crews to respond more efficiently. “It might look confusing, but, really, it’s fairly simple to operate,” he says. And then there are the extras. Two attributes that are special to Keiter include the bell up front and the Eudora Public Schools’ cardinal logo on the back of the new engine. For the cardinal, the fire department contacted Eudora Schools and asked for permission to feature the cardinal mascot on the back of the truck. The school was happy to oblige and provided the image.
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The bell was something Chief Keiter and Assistant Fire Chief Nathan Stoermer wanted based on tradition. In parades, or when passing by a park full of kids, a fire truck can ring its bell as a friendly gesture. Keiter and Stoermer donated the bell themselves. “They’re proud of that bell,” Keiter laughs. “It’s the frosting on the cake.”
the chief’s life. Keiter started his career in 1980 as a firefighter for Gardner Rural Fire Department. “I went to one meeting. Thirty minutes later I was a pump operator,” he says. “It’s a lot more complicated than that today.” After working in Gardner, Keiter went to Olathe and worked there for 31 years, retiring seven years ago. But he returned to the profession in Eudora five years ago, bored by retirement but also called back into a service that he knows makes a difference in people’s lives. “Whether it’s a gas leak, a car accident, a cardiac arrest, there’s one number people are going to call: 911,” Keiter says. “People expect us to show up and be prepared, and that’s what we do. We’re problem solvers.”
a commitment, a lifestyle. The Eudora Fire Department has only two full-time employees and one regular part-time position that rotates between volunteers. Both Keiter and Stoermer live in Eudora and are on call 24/7. Beyond those three, the department relies on anywhere from a dozen to 40 volunteers, people Keiter thinks the world of.
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“A lot of people think it’s flashing red lights and putting out fires. But it’s a commitment, it’s a lifestyle,” Keiter notes. “If you are a volunteer firefighter, you are basically dedicating a significant portion of your life to this cause because you can’t run into a burning building without the proper training. You can’t help a person medically without the proper training.” Keiter says that as the city continues to grow, he believes the fire department will eventually add to its full-time staff. But until then, they are expanding the hours of the rotating parttime position and Keiter has high praise for the dedication of the volunteers who fill in the gap and take all the risks that a professional would face. “The fire doesn’t care if you’re a volunteer or paid,” Keiter notes, “it’s going to hurt you if you let it.” But the training that volunteers receive is professional level and many of the volunteers go on to take full-time firefighting jobs in other communities. That is one reason Keiter is always open to new recruits. “I love to say to any Eudora resident, if you are even remotely interested in serving, then give us a call, come down and meet us, ride along with us and see if you might want to volunteer,” Keiter says. “You’ll never hear me ever say anything bad about a volunteer. Currently, we have about a dozen Eudora residents who are dedicated individuals that provide their community a lot of time and effort.”
Fall/Winter ’18 | Discover Eudora
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equipment. Though Engine 1232’s primary components are a 1,200-foot, 5-inch hose and a 1,000 gallon water tank that enable it to douse fires, the new engine has been customized with the following features enabling firefighters and emergency medical service teams to respond to a variety of situations. • • • • • • • • • • • • •
A concrete saw A generator Heavy-duty ventilation fans Chainsaws Rescue jacks Air packs Cordless drills Shovels Brooms Pick head and flat-head axes Halligan bars (for forced entry) Hydraulic cutters (jaws of life) Glass master tool (for cutting out car windshields)
alarms. About two-thirds of 911 calls are medical emergencies, not fires. But when the Eudora Fire Department responds, they’re trained to be proactive and pay attention to the smoke alarms in houses. Smoke alarms save lives, Eudora Fire Chief Ken Keiter says. “Watch the news. Every time you hear about a fatality fire, it’s usually followed by the statement, ‘there were no working smoke alarms in the residence, in the building,’” Keiter says. “Everyone needs working smoke alarms in egress halls and in every sleeping area.” Keiter says the simplest way for families to stay safe is to make sure their smoke alarms are working. If a family’s smoke alarms are not working, he says to give him a call—he’ll come install new alarms for free. “Our guys are instructed: every time you make a medical call, look at their smoke alarms. Are they old and faded?” he says. “The state fire marshal’s office has a grant that allows us to install free smoke alarms and free carbon monoxide detectors. They have the grant, and we can install them.” OPPOSITE: Eudora Fire Station is staffed by a crew of professionals and volunteers, including (from left) Matt Holek, Genevieve Voigt, Assistant Chief Nathan Stoermer, Chief Ken Keiter, Baylee Brewer and Nick Swanger. ABOVE: Holek and Voigt with Engine 1232.
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what’s in a number? The two “pumpers” in Eudora are Engine 1231 and 1232. Each of those numbers have a meaning behind them. The first part of the number, the “12,” comes from a designation used by county emergency services. All trucks for fire services in Eudora are designated 1200 vehicles. Chief Ken Keiter’s vehicle, for example, is listed simply as vehicle “1200.” All trucks for fire services in Eudora township are designated 1300 vehicles. Trucks for fire services in Baldwin City are designated as 1700 vehicles. The second part of the name, the “30” designation, signifies that the trucks are pumpers (or “engines”), trucks that carry water to a fire and can connect to any nearby fire hydrant for an unlimited amount of water. The last digit denotes the number of pumpers within the department. Eudora Fire Department has two pumpers: 1231 and 1232.
on budget. The purchase and upkeep of a new engine for the fire department is only part of the city’s annual expenses. Eudora residents can see a full breakdown of the city budget online at cityofeudoraks.gov/86/FinanceBudget. Some of the highlights include the following sections. Thanks to the 0.75 cent Parks & Rec sales tax, the City of Eudora was able to complete or begin the following in 2018: • Renovation of Lucy Kaegi Park playground • Earmarking the second of four allocations toward construction of South Sports Complex • Purchase a new toddler slide for the swimming pool • Install new picnic tables, trash cans, signs, and bike racks at city parks The following projects are part of the 2018 Capital Improvement Plan: • 5-year strategic plan for Fire Department • Over $685,000 in street improvements • $145K investment in electric utility services • Conversion of donated water well from agricultural to municipal use • New entry/welcome sign at 10th and Cherry streets
Fall/Winter ’18 | Discover Eudora
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