Vision 2020 - Community

GREAT BEND (KAN.) TRIBUNE • SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2020 •

Special to the Great Bend Tribune Sunday, February 16, 2020

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• GREAT BEND (KAN.) TRIBUNE • SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2020

TRIBUNE FILE PHOTO

Above and below, Great Bend community members meet to discuss the city-wide Great Bend Better than Great visioning project.

Making a great city better Community visioning project focuses on ways to improve Great Bend

BY DALE HOGG dhogg@gbtribune.com

W

hat do we want Great Bend to be in the future?

How do we get there?

Looking 20 years down the road, these are the questions Great Bend Chamber of Commerce and Economic Development and the Barton County Young Professionals members asked themselves, as well as the community at large. These sparked the Chamber-YP joint community vision project known as Great Bend – Better than Great which got underway in the fall of 2018, said Mark Mingenback, who served as GBBG Steering Committee cochairperson along with Regan Reif.

He and Reif unveiled the comprehensive plan during a Great Bend City Council last November.

The committee also held a community meeting later that week at the Great Bend Events Center to introduce the 50-plus-page vision to the community as a whole. “It’s been a long process,� Mingenback said. “But, we have come to a time where we have a map to go forward.�

Through the winter, spring and summer, the community was invited to participate and share

their perspectives, Reif said. Over 200 people participated in two community meetings, and the Steering Committee of over 50 community members from the public, private and non-profit sectors held five meetings, and over 500 residents voiced their opinions through community and business surveys.

Mingenback and Reif also met with businesses

and civic clubs.

Sheila Shockey, president of Shockey Consulting, a Lenexa company specializing in strategic planning for rural communities, was picked to facilitate the process. A $50,000 grant from the Harms Trust funded it.

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CITY, from page 2

Community comes together to look at city’s future This community-led project produced a tag line and logo, resulting in the new branded identity.

“Our Community Vision Plan is a description of what Great Bend could look like and how it might feel in the future,” the plan reads.

“It is intended to offer future opportunities and be the path for the continued success of our community over the next 10 to 20 years, guiding the decision-making of our government, businesses, and citizens according to the stated goals and objectives of the community.”

The mission After a year, they arrived at the following mission: “In 20 years, we are a diverse community of welcoming, engaged people leading Great Bend to shine as a regional economic, educational, and cultural center offering an energetic and inclusive experience built on a unique community spirit.”

The six goals outlined in this plan are all of equal importance to the prosperity of Great Bend, the plan reads.

“We recognize that they are interconnected on so many levels and that each contributes in their own way to positive improvements for our community.”

These goals include: • Diversify the Great Bend economy.

• Increase the pull factor.

• Increase the number of living wage jobs.

• Increase the education and training attainment level.

• Reduce the percentage of population living below the poverty level.

• Improve the health and safety of the community.

It also looks at ways to “change the conversation.”

These include: • Gather community together.

• Improve communication.

• Overcome cultural barriers.

• Close the generation gap.

• Grow the workforce of the future.

• Improve mobility and accessibility.

• Explore new opportunities.

Not an over-night deal “The document launches in to in-depth and detailed ways to achieve these goals,” Mingenback said. There are also time lines and subcommittees being held accountable for these goals.

It addition, the report includes a wide variety of statistics, giving a baseline

TRIBUNE FILE PHOTO

Above are posters showing the various goals of the Great Bend Better than Great visioning project presented at the Chamber of Commerce annual banquet in 2019. Below is one of the community meetings where these ideas were discussed.

for where Great Bend stands now.

Some of things outlined in the plan can be implemented this year, he said.

Others won’t be realized until 2040.

This accountability, he said, will keep this from winding up on a shelf somewhere collecting dust.

“Implementation of this plan in an effort to achieve our goals will not happen overnight,” the plan reads. “However, we can take initiative and begin tomorrow by starting the conversations and laying the necessary groundwork.

This will require collaboration – working with our neighbors, extending a hand to a new face, connecting agencies of similar interests – a proactive spirit and approach, and most importantly, a united community to create a bright future for Great Bend.”

The Great Bend Better than Great effort was first unveiled at the 97th-annual Great Bend Chamber of Commerce and Economic Development banquet last February, along with its preliminary findings.

These findings, in the form of the 10 goals, were printed on large placards set up in the Great Bend Events Center. Attendees had the opportunity to study them and vote on which ones they felt were their top priority.

In addressing those gathered for the banquet, Reif said they had hoped to have the final draft ready by the annual chamber event. However, the findings weren’t finalized until that spring.

But, she said, there is a lot of passion and energy

behind the project and it has yielded several good ideas.

Starting in the summer of 2018, a group of volunteers representing the business community and the Barton County Young Professionals group spearheaded the new visioning project. There were meetings of the Steering Committee followed by community meetings seeking public input.

Looking back and forward As a result of this effort, 2019 was a busy year, said Great Bend Chamber of Commerce Director Megan Barfield.

They received over 500 survey responses, as well as had over 500 participants across all their community meetings.

Conversations were had and presentations were given to several local civic groups and businesses who invited the GB Better co-chairs to present.

Among these were the Lions Club, Kiwanis Club, CUNA Mutual Retirement Solutions, Barton Community College.

English nd Spanish sessions were made available.

As for city officials, county officials, the chamber board of directors, Young Professionals and elected officials, all bought into this and support the campaign, Barfield said.

But, “community support is needed to carry out the strategies set forth in the plan.”

What’s Next?

“In 2020, the Great Bend Chamber of Commerce is excited to continue leading the

charge and championing the Great Bend Better than Great visioning process,” Barfield said. Committees and action teams will begin meeting again to start working on the goals as laid out in the plan; as well as meetings with community stakeholders.

The chamber will release an annual report out of what accomplishments

were made year to year and what more can be done. “This is a living, breathing plan with the whole community needing to work together,” she said.

For more info or to get involved The summary and entire report can be viewed at www.gbbetter. com/resources.

Any person or organization ready to get involved in 2020 by serving on a committee tasked with completing certain action items as laid out in the Community Vision Plan is welcome, Barfield said. They can visit www. gbbetter.com/getinvolved or www.facebook.com/ GBBetter/.

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• GREAT BEND (KAN.) TRIBUNE • SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2020

Therapy dog cheers young and old

BY SUSAN THACKER sthacker@gbtribune.com

F

rom children who are just learning to read, to senior citizens needing a bit of companionship, Luna has brightened the day of many a Barton County resident. Luna is a Burmese Mountain Dog, trained and owned by Glenn Schraeder of Great Bend.

Schraeder owned Scranton Machine for 43 years before he retired and started looking for something else to do with his time. He decided to train a therapy dog.

The first thing he did was research breeds to determine what kind of dog to get. Luna shares her breed’s characteristics of being gentle, good with children and laid back.

During her training she learned to be comfortable around wheelchairs and walkers, people dropping bed pans and kids running around. “A lot of her training was being around people,�

Schraeder said. “We’re seeing about 600 people a month now.�

Luna visits nursing homes such as Great Bend Health and Rehab, Woodhaven and Medicalodges.

She’s also a regular visitor at Clara Barton Hospital. “That is a wildly popular program here at the hospital,� said Jane Schepmann, chief nursing officer at Clara Barton. “Luna goes room to room and visits with patients who would like to see her. They look forward to it.�

Luna visits every department, Schepmann added. “The staff really enjoys Luna as well. She makes the rounds and makes people happy.�

But Luna is probably best known for her work with children.

She listens to children read to her at the Great Bend Public Library. She’s a regular at after-school programs at Jefferson and Lincoln elementary schools in Great Bend.

Schraeder and Luna are members of the Pet Partners therapy dog group. “There was a pretty extensive online course that I had to take,� he said. He and Luna went through a fourstep evaluation and they are reevaluated every two years.

Luna’s training as a bookish doggie started with Glenn reading aloud to her. Every time he finished

COURTESY PHOTOS

Luna, a Burmese Mountain Dog owned and trained by Great Bend resident Glenn Schraeder, is a registered Pet Partners therapy dog that is trained to visit hospitals, nursing homes and schools. Her speciality is listening to children as they read books to her. These photos were taken at the Great Bend Public Library, where “Read to Luna� takes place most Thursday afternoons.

reading, he would snap the book shut and then follow up by giving her a treat. Now, when a child opens a book, Luna watches intently.

Luna, who will be 5 years old in March, has missed a few days of work, most recently to have a small tumor removed from her right leg.

Last year, when she was off

work for an operation, she received 45 get-well cards from children.

Emma Goad, the afterschool program coordinator at Jefferson Elementary School, said Luna is a regular at the Kansas Reading Roadmap program and she’s also scheduled to attend Jefferson’s upcoming Family Game Night on

April 2. “Glenn and Luna have meant so much to our KRR program and to Jefferson in general,� Goad said. “Glenn and Luna have committed countless hours to our afterschool program and to our summer school program at Jefferson. We have often described Luna as our school’s ‘reading mascot.’

“Glenn and Luna come and sit with students while they read and have even sat next to students while they gave presentations on books that they’ve read.

They provide encouragement and confidence for many students who otherwise feel self-conscious about reading in front of others,� Goad said. “Luna’s presence is extremely therapeutic and can often completely turn around a student’s attitude.

In KRR, I remind my students that KRR and our afternoon together is a new

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Luna enjoys any kind of book, but she’s also a big fan of belly rubs.

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Community connections taking flight at USD 428

BY ANDREA BAUER Great Bend USD 428

Reading, math, science, social studies, and citizenship? While Great Bend Public Schools emphasize core academic instruction, teachers are also found navigating new educational territory – teaching students how to connect in an increasingly digital world.

It is common for classrooms to welcome guest speakers and community presenters, but unique to Park Elementary School, students go beyond their building to offer their time and talents to the community. The Park Multimedia Club, formerly the Park Drone Club, has been producing community videos for five years and celebrates more than 45-50 active students and alumni.

“It’s hard to count the number of community partners we’ve made over the past five years,” said Phil Heeke, principal at Park Elementary School.

“One of the most exciting moments for the students is when they see their video footage, or a photo they took, pop up on a TV commercial or an advertisement or flyer.”

The club looks for opportunities to deploy their media skills for community groups, events and businesses. Examples of past partnerships include aerial footage for the Kansas Wetlands Education Center, video footage for the Great Bend Fire Department’s Youth Academy, Great Bend Recreation Commission, Harper Camperland, Great Bend Rotary Club and recently, a collaboration with the Great Bend Zoological Society to showcase their Fall Food Fling membership drive at the new bear exhibit.

“The students gave up their time on a Saturday to provide us with a special video keepsake.

That shows dedication to their passion and to their community,” said Aaron Emerson, Great Bend Zoological Society board member. “We had a whole

COURTESY PHOTOS

Dr. Randy Watson, Kansas Commissioner of Education, visited Park Elementary School last Spring and learned about the Park Multimedia Club. Slade Mohr, now a seventh-grader at GBMS, was a drone pilot and photographer for the club. Here, he shared with Dr. Watson about how his time spent in the community working on these projects also motivated him to be a better student in the classroom.

team at the event and their professionalism and attention to detail with a variety of angles was impressive. I’m sure the bears felt like celebrities!”

With hundreds of photos and several hours of video footage to comb through, the team’s final video was edited down to an action packed one minute and 15 seconds.

Published to the Park Elementary School and Zoological Society Facebook pages, the video has received nearly 2,000 views since October.

“Just one minute of finished video takes at least one hour of review and editing,” said Heeke.

“Watching the kids’ creative process of selecting the best video frames, soundtracks, and text are some of the most rewarding moments to watch, collaboration and teamwork at its best.”

Once a video is published, the students closely monitor the number of “likes,” “shares,” or “comments,” it receives.

“We’re proud to inter-

act with the community, but it’s even better when the community interacts back,” Heeke said. “It’s a boost to their confidence and pride when they see that a finished project connects with the right audience.”

Launching the Park Multimedia Club was also a learning experience for Heeke. Operating a drone in the State of Kansas requires permits and training. Inquiries from the community as well as students’ interests direct many of the projects and initiatives the club tackles.

Park’s Student Council and Parent Booster Club also benefit from the talents of the club. The club meets after school Monday through Thursday, and on evenings and weekends for special projects.

The public is invited to visit Park Elementary School’s Facebook page to view a gallery of videos produced by the Park Multimedia Club. For more information, please contact Park Elementary School at 620-793-1505.

Students Trinity and Diana from Park Elementary School’s Multimedia Club captured community photos on a beautiful winter day. Members of the club are required to maintain good grades and classroom status to participate in these opportunities that take them out into the community. Students pilot drones to capture video and photos, documenting community events and footage for businesses.

Park’s Multimedia Club deployed their drones and crew at the Great Bend Zoological Society’s Fall Food Fling featuring the new grizzly bear exhibit. While wind kept their drone on the ground during some of the event, IPads let students capture video and photos on the ground. Pilots and photographers on the project included Jorge, Trinity, Isaac & Diana.

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• GREAT BEND (KAN.) TRIBUNE • SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2020

City looking at the future Great Bend wraps up effort to create strategic plan

BY DALE HOGG dhogg@gbtribune.com

T

he City of Great Bend ended six months of self reflection last August as the City Council signed off on a three-year strategic plan, covering everything from economic development to community appearance to quality of life.

“The proposed goals, which are above and beyond the normal day-today activities required to run the city, clearly define the council’s priorities and give direction to staff on the path for our immediate future,” City Administrator Kendal Francis said.

In February, 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. Those efforts culminated in April with city council and staff meeting with facilitator 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.

This past December, the Great Bend City Council approved a contract with the Austin Peters Group of Overland Park for strategic planning at a cost of $10,867.50. The project got underway after the first of the year.

The plan The Strategic Plan centers around 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).

There are seven goals, each with several objectives and time lines for the objectives to be accomplished.

The goals include: • Economic development. To develop and support a vibrant local economy that focuses on retention, recruitment and expansion of businesses and industry.

• City government. To become a transparent, well-functioning city government that encourages

TRIBUNE FILE PHOTOS

City of Great Bend City Council members, department heads and other officials gathered at the Great Bend Events Center last April to work on a new strategic plan.

participation and involvement of all citizens.

• Infrastructure. To provide infrastructure in the most efficient and equitable manner, consistent with sound environmental growth.

• Community appearance and housing. To improve and sustain community aesthetics.

• Public safety. To provide adequate public safety to include fully staffed and trained personnel, facilities, resources and marketing.

• 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).

• Community marketing. To promote the image of the city and community to citizens and outsiders.

Looking back Last April at a meeting in the Great Bend Events Center, there was an blackand-white image projected onto the overhead screen of a bustling downtown Great Bend from the 1870s and the words “Mapping the Future.”

“Imagine what the founders were thinking about how the town was going to look,” Beth Tatarko told the room filled with City Council members and city department heads.

When the city was founded in 1871 as an Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe railhead, did anyone see it evolving into a regional commercial destination?

Tatarko was with the Austin Peters Group. She was in Great Bend for a Monday and Tuesday night proctoring city officials in a planning retreat at the Events Center.

Nearly 150 years after that business district photo, officials are peering down the road at what they want Great Bend to look like three to five years from now. Over the course of

The Great Bend City Council votes to approve a new strategic plan for the city last August.

two intense nights of brainstorming, they pondered their dreams and visions for the city in 2024, as well as more concrete ways to achieve those goals.

Prior to the retreat, there were one-on-one council member meetings with consultants, stakeholder group meetings with community groups and an online community survey.

“There are so many good ideas,” Tatarko said.

Round one Monday was dedicated to generating ideas for vision, mission and values statements.

A vision “is created more from the heart than from the head,” she said. “It is idealist and unbounded by time.”

Clustered around four tables, the attendees took time to break down this concept as small groups.

Next, they presented them to the entire room.

“There are some common themes, right?”

Tatarko said. Among these were visions of Great Bend being innovative, diverse, thriving, fiscally sound, proud and open for business.

“This is something we can use to craft a vision statement,” Tatarko said.

The same process followed for the mission.

Such topics as better marketing, professionalism and customer service, fostering leadership, safety and promoting a high quality of life emerged.

“These help direct the city,” she said. “Ask ‘why do we exist? Who do we

serve? How do we expect the community to be better as a result of our work?’”

Lastly Monday were organizational values. “These are bedrock principles and beliefs. This is how the city will conduct itself,” Tatarko said.

Words such as integrity, professionalism, accountability and team work came out of these discussions.

Round two Tuesday night was less abstract and about the

actions needed to make Monday night’s vision come true. First, the attendees met in small groups and delved into strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats.

“Last night was kind of the beginning work,” Tatarko said. “This is going to be challenging.

And it was. They examined such things as abundant natural resources, caring people and city’s central location to such things as potholes, the need for more jobs and

lack of trust in city government.

Drawing on community responses and the survey, they saw an image problem emerging, but this problem is not as bad as it seems.

Sure there are challenges, but the city does have plenty of water, is not all made up of naysayers and isn’t always under the threat of tornadoes.

However, this led to looking at key priorities.

“These can be areas which you are already strong in but you want to improve or capitalize on. These can also be areas in which your organization is weak, but you see a realistic opportunity for the future,” she said.

Next, “what is our plan of action?” Tatarko asked.

“What goals lead us to the future? What specific objectives will help us implement these goals?”

Again, referring to the earlier meetings and survey, Tatarko compiled a list of top priorities. These ranged from infrastructure to city government to public safety to community appearance to social issues.

Small group discussions tackled these, formulating them into specific and achievable goals.

Just because there are goals and objectives in place, Tatarko said success isn’t assured. “There are organizational roadblocks.”

Such things as lack of accountability, commitment, buy-in, communication and resources are among these. Also, the city can focus on too many or too few goals and, perhaps, a goal is not tied to the longterm vision.

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Dr. Mike Malone works on a patient as the veterinarian for the Great Bend-Brit Spaugh Zoo. Below is a view of Malone’s Animal Care Hospital.

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hen it comes to veteran veterinarian Dr. Mike Malone and his team at the Animal Care Hospital in Great Bend, one word sums up what the practice offers – experience.

Malone has 40 years under his belt while his assistant Dr. Jackie Corbett has 20 years. The vet technician Lorrie Ruble, RVT, brings another 35 years of experience.

Meanwhile, ACH offers a wide variety of services to the community. They include: • Both Malone and Corbett are under contract with the City of Great Bend to serve as vets for the Great Bend Brit Spaugh Zoo. They visit the zoo almost every Wednesday afternoon to conduct physical exams and provide routine care.

They are also on call as needed. • They don’t believe in the “one size fits allâ€? approach. “We provide you with expert advice on

how to achieve the best health possible for your pet,� Malone said.

They will develop and customize vaccination schedules based on each animal’s lifestyle, overall health, risk for exposure, and other factors. “We will keep your pets on schedule with the necessary vaccines when they become one of our patients.â€? • Animal Care Hospital LLC is the only veterinary hospital devoted to small animal care. “Our stateof-the-art equipment

enables us to offer quality medical attention for your pets, like dogs, cats, birds, and reptiles.â€? • “Did you know that 85% of dogs and 70% of cats over the age of 3 suffer from some form of dental disease?â€? Malone said. “Chances are your pet needs a dental exam.

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• GREAT BEND (KAN.) TRIBUNE • SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2020

Barton Criminal Justice student aspires to be private investigator S

ophomore Toni Reese of Hoisington is no stranger to adversity. She was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) at the age of 13.

She is the daughter of a single mother who was in the Navy through much of her childhood.

However, she hasn’t let any of that get in the way of following her dream of becoming a private investigator.

“I was diagnosed when I was 13 and had two shots in my stomach every week until I was 18. Now I just have to take one pill a day,” she said. “I have always wanted people to treat me the same as anyone else, so that was hard for me growing up.”

Her mother’s military career was also a difficult thing to navigate as a child. Reese said she kept herself busy playing with friends and would email back and forth every week and often video chatted with her mother.

“Growing up with a parent in the Navy wasn’t easy,” she said.

“My grandma moved in when I was two to take care of me when mom was on deployment. She went on four deployments and went to Afghanistan.”

In 10th grade, she went on a ride-a-long with a police officer who worked at her school. That opened her eyes to what she wanted to do with her life.

“It really sparked my interest,” she said. “Since I started taking classes at Barton, it has increased my interest. I like seeing how people think and their motives. Barton has been a great experience and faculty have

COURTESY PHOTO

Toni Reese of Hoisington is studying criminal justice at Barton Community College.

helped any way they can. I have had mainly online classes this year, but I really enjoy coming to class and interacting with the students as well.”

Her RA is somewhat limiting, so private investigation has been something she’s focused on since

it is less physically demanding than other criminal justice career paths.

“It’s a little harder for me to move around, especially in colder weather,” she said. “I can’t have a really physically intense job, but I can still get into the

action with private investigation.

I’ve also thought about finding a way to do social work as well to help kids in poor circumstances.”

Reese will graduate this spring and plans to possibly go into dispatch while she works towards her bachelor’s degree.

Visit criminaljustice.bartonccc. edu for more information on the Criminal Justice program.

This feature is part of Barton’s celebration of Career Technical Education (CTE) Month throughout February.

HOSPITAL, from page 7

Veterinarian practice focuses on individualized service • “We keep up to date on new practices in veterinary medicine and offer you the latest technologies, like digital X-rays and laser therapy,” the doctor said.

• With years of experience, they are experts in spaying and neutering surgery. “You’ll get competent, safe, and comfortable care for your pet when you visit Animal Care Hospital,” Malone said.

• They provide expert grooming services for both cats and dogs at the facility. They treat all sizes of dogs and offer creative cuts if a customer desires. They also do pattern cuts, strips, and baths – both regular and medicated.

“As an added service, we give free baths to our boarded pets and those going home after surgery ($3 shampoo fee).”

• Animal Care Hospital offers on-site boarding for cats and dogs. The animals have both runs and cages available.

“We take them on a walk twice every day. Not only will your pet be treated well, they will also come home fresh after our complimentary bath,” he said.

• Laser therapy is a relatively new addition to the veterinary industry. “We have quickly adopted the technology because we see the marked improvement in patient healing, most notably the reduction of pain and swelling and an increase in the patient’s mobility,” he said.

“At Animal Care Hospital, we have two types of lasers, one used in surgery and the other for therapy to promote healing,” he said. When used in surgery, the patient experiences less pain, heals quicker, and has less bleeding and swelling than the usual surgical techniques. With quicker healing, your pet will be back to normal at the earliest.

Animal Care Hospital is located at 3400 10th Street in Great Bend. Call 620-792-7373.

Hours are Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., and Saturday, 8 a.m. to noon. In addition, 24-hour emergency, on-call services are available.

TRIBUNE FILE PHOTO

Dr. Mike Malone has been the veterinarian at the Great Bend-Brit Spaugh Zoo for 40 years now. A reception was held for him at the zoo last June.

Call 1-800-950-8742 to subscribe today!

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GREAT BEND (KAN.) TRIBUNE â&#x20AC;˘ SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2020 â&#x20AC;˘

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHTâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;

9

Countyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s rural grocery stores adapt, weather changing shopping climate to serve communities

BY DANIEL KIEWEL dkiewel@gbtribune.com

H

ow people shop has shifted significantly over time. One group of businesses battling to weather the changing climate are rural community grocery stores.

Among those stores are Barton Countyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s three remaining community grocery stores â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Town & Country Supermarket in Hoisington, Baileyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Food Bin in Claflin, and Ellinwood Family Foods in Ellinwood â&#x20AC;&#x201C; all of them determined to adapt to meet changing needs and continue to provide what they all see as a vital service to the communities in which they do business. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The world we live in as far as grocery stores has changed,â&#x20AC;? said Randy Deutsch, owner of Town & Country Supermarket, which has been in business since 1957.

Not only do rural grocery stores have to compete with larger supermarkets, but stores in smaller communities face increased competition from online retailers such as Amazon, as well as discount dollar stores that Deutsch said often target smaller communities not serviced by larger chain supermarkets.

According to the Center for Engagement and Community Development (CECD) at Kansas State University, dollar stores are the most prevalent grocery stores in Kansas, representing 38.4% of Kansasâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 814 grocery stores in 2019, while superettes (grocery stores with $2 million or less in annual sales), the category into which Barton Countyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s three rural stores fall, make up only a 10.8%.

One thing that makes it hard to compete with them, said Deutsch, is their ability to streamline operations and cut costs in smaller communities, often operating with less staff which allows them to operate with less overhead than rural grocery stores.

With these cost savings, though, one thing the dollar stores do not usually offer, according to Deutsch, is fresh food and produce, and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s one thing he feels separates rural grocery stores from the discount stores.

As the competition has increased, it makes a tough business even tougher to make a go of it, he said, especially when people work in and are willing travel farther to larger communities. According to Retail License registration data provided by the Kansas Department of Agriculture, over a 10-year period from 2008 to 2018, 54 rural grocery stores closed up shop.

But those who do it are passionate about the business and passionate about their communities, and their resiliency creates a determination to do what it takes to remain open, serving their communities. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been a grocer for all these years,â&#x20AC;? said Troy Bailey, who owns Baileyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Food Bin, which has operated in Claflin since 1998. â&#x20AC;&#x153;My father was a grocer, and I wanted to be a grocer.â&#x20AC;?

According to Deutsch and Bailey, profits in the grocery business are naturally small, so rural community grocery stores have to find creative ways to adapt and cut costs to continue to offer their communities vital benefits and services.

Both Bailey and Deutsch, for example, described leveraging improved technology to lower utility costs by updating their stores to LED lighting, which Bailey es-

DANIEL KIEWEL Great Bend Tribune

Town & Country Supermarket owner Randy Deutsch greets a customer at his store on a recent morning. More personal relationships are key, he believes, to the success of rural grocery stores.

TRIBUNE FILE PHOTO

Karla Crissman and Clara Barton Hospital President/ CEO Jim Blackwell, of the Health for Life Coalition, present Troy Bailey, owner of Baileyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Food Bin in Claflin, with a grant check in March 2018 for his work with the Central Plains school district to teach children about fruits and vegetables.

timated has cut his storeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s monthly electric bill in half. Bailey also said he has redone all his storeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s refrigeration over the last 10 years, moving toward more energy-efficient refrigeration.

The lighting improvements were a direct result of Baileyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s investment in the community, as the store received a grant in March 2018 for the updates from Clara Barton Hospital and the Health for Life Coalition for the storeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s work in educating local students on the benefits of healthy eating through fruits and vegetables.

Both Bailey and Deutsch feel, also, that rural community stores offer a better and fresher product to customers than chain stores are able to do.

Bailey described, for example, the storeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s meat department where the store cuts and prepares its own meat. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re pretty proud of our meat department,â&#x20AC;? he said.

Deutsch, likewise, described his storeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s bakery, which makes fresh donuts every morning, something he said is a valuable draw that other local stores do not have.

Though it costs a little more, he said, it is important to him to maintain that service, because it is something that the storeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s customers value, and a service that draws customers to the store from outside of Hoisington, as well. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think we serve the

needs of our people a lot better than the chain stores,â&#x20AC;? Bailey said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We really have to be agile on our feet, being able to change for our community.â&#x20AC;?

Bailey believes being local actually makes the stores better able to adapt on the fly to meet the needs of people in the communities they operate in. â&#x20AC;&#x153;When people who can make these decisions are right at store level, and not in a corporate office,â&#x20AC;?

Bailey said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;we can serve the needs of our people a lot better than the chain stores.â&#x20AC;?

One change Bailey described making to benefit his community is to offer more convenience store type items. Claflin, a town of about 700 people, does not currently have another convenience store, so he said it was something customers requested, and now accounts for a larger portion of the business they do.

And itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s kindness, and these ground level personal relationships built over periods of years, both believe help make the rural grocery stores such crucial assets to their communities.

Deutsch described being able to address many of his customers that walk in the store by their first names, and being able to connect with them on a personal level in ways that chain stores are not able to do.

And for Bailey, it is not just about what happens when customers walk into

COURTESY PHOTO

A refrigerated produce case at Baileyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Food Bin in Claflin is pictured here.

the store. He talked about the store being able to support and sponsor local school activities, which many chain stores are not able to do. Also, Baileyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s work allows him to serve the community as a volunteer firefighter. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It benefits the local community by what we can do,â&#x20AC;? Bailey said.

Deutsch also believes in supporting and investing in local organizations in ways larger stores often do not.

Along with providing community support, Bailey and Deutsch also feel these rural stores are vital to the economic health of their communities. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I really feel grocery stores are the linchpin in a small community,â&#x20AC;? Bailey said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;They keep people moving in.â&#x20AC;?

Part of that is their investment in younger generation, offering work experience to students in ways chain stores are not able to.

For example, Bailey described a work study program the store partners with Central Plains High School on to provide students that experience.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;They bring kids into the store and we show them what having a job involves, being able to take direction, showing up on time, that kind of thing. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re pretty proud of being able to work with the high school (on that program),â&#x20AC;? Bailey said.

He also feels being local allows them to offer more flexible schedules for younger employees, working around, and prioritizing, school activities. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I tell the kids that work for me, the school activities come first,â&#x20AC;? he said. He believes this flexibility around school activities is something the chain stores are not able to provide young employees. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re a little part of giving them their first

job and being able to put money back for college,â&#x20AC;?

Bailey said.

And it is not just the students.

Rural grocery stores provide significant economic contributions to the their communities in the form of sales tax and property tax. When people shop these local stores, Bailey said, it keeps money invested locally instead of that tax revenue leaving town when people shop outside of town or online.

Past studies done by KStateâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s CECD, for example, have indicated that local grocery stores can add around 20% to a communityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sales tax base, so when a rural community loses its local grocery store, Bailey said, it hurts the community as a whole.

For both Deutsch and Bailey, it is about far more than dollars and cents, though. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s about their fierce commitment to the communities that have supported them.

It is that commitment that motivated both stores to rebuild after tornadoes â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the Hoisington tornado in April 2001, and the Claflin tornado in 2007 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; during which each respective store sustained damage.

Still, increased challenges remain for rural grocery stores in the future.

One of the main challenges both men described is continued access to grocery suppliers. There are fewer suppliers, both said, who are willing or able to supply smaller rural grocery stores.

Currently Baileyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Food Bin is supplied by Affiliated Foods in Texas and Town & Country is supplied by Associated Wholesale Grocers (AWG), which supplies several rural grocers throughout the Midwest.

But despite the increased challenges, the stores remain resilient, continuing to adapt to meet the changing needs of their communities, and the changing shopping climate of the digital age. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We open it everyday, we close it every night, we try to take care of our customers,â&#x20AC;? Deutsch said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We keep fighting the good fight.â&#x20AC;?

To locate the stores online, go to www.baileysfoodbinclaflin.com and townandcountrysupermarket.com.

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â&#x20AC;˘ GREAT BEND (KAN.) TRIBUNE â&#x20AC;˘ SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2020

This photo of Great Bend Middle School was taken from the east facing west.

Bond election seeks funds for school facilities

BY SUSAN THACKER sthacker@gbtribune.com

G

reat Bend USD 428 will offer voters four options when it holds a special bond election on April 28. This will be a traditional walk-in election, as opposed to last Septemberâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mail-in election, Superintendent Khris Thexton said.

The questions Question 1 $28,040,644 - Shelters, safety, infrastructure improvements (HVAC, electrical, lighting and plumbing), miscellaneous additions, a new Washington Education Center and more.

Question 2 $4,545,254 - Includes sixth-grade additions at Great Bend Middle School.

Question 3 $4,671,766 - Administration addition and drop-off/parking at Jefferson, Riley and Lincoln elementary schools.

Question 4 $1,830,452 - High school locker additions not in Question 1 (which has some new PE lockers).

Total for all four: $39,088,116.

In contrast, the Sept.

5, 2019, election offered

This photo of the Washington Education Center was taken from the north facing south.

two options totaling almost $45 million.

Question One asked for $41.75 million for school improvements, and Question Two sought an additional $3.12 million for another gymnasium and locker rooms at GBMS. The new proposal does not include some of the most disliked items in the 2019 proposal, Thexton said. It doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t include another gym or a

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GREAT BEND (KAN.) TRIBUNE • SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2020 •

11

The floor plan for proposed improvements to the Washington Education Center/Special Services building is shown, with North at the top of the drawing. If the bond issue passes, the district will remodel the 1980s wing and the existing gym, and demolish the 100-year-old building and replace it with new construction, including a special education classroom that can double as a storm shelter.

BOND, from page 10

Election set for April 28 Bond plans: Remodel/renovation/ additions at all facilities, including shelters and infrastructure upgrades.

This will require passage of Question 1. No other questions can pass if Question 1 fails.

Expand Early Childhood preschools at all elementary schools to keep preschools in neighborhoods. This will require passage of Question 2, which would move sixth graders from the elementary schools to a new wing at Great Bend Middle School.

The questions ask voters to approve bonds that would be repaid over 20 years.

Washington Education Center Projects for each of the district’s learning centers are included in the proposal. In the coming weeks, the Great Bend Tribune will be looking at proposals for each of the buildings.

Washington Early Education Center, located at 2535 Lakin Ave., houses the Parent Teacher Resource Center (PTRC), Parents As Teachers, elementary gifted education staff, elementary art teachers and their materials, one therapeutic classroom, Helping Hands preschool, Occupational and Physical Therapy staff and materials, school psychologists and the Barton County Special Services offices and staff.

The plan calls for replacing the portion of the building that is 100 years old.

Barton County Special Services Director Christie Gerdes said many people don’t realize that the entire community is served by this building through

PTRC and Parents as Teachers.

“Parents As Teachers use the gym space for play groups and other activities, which is very beneficial for the growth of that program,” Gerdes said.

“The limitations of the building since it is 100 years old include heating and air inefficiencies and plumbing deficiencies,” she continued.

“We have had plumbing issues that could not be resolved and a restroom had to be shut down. We

also had a main break this last summer that had to be dug up and repaired.”

Because of the age of the building, the space and square footage are not used efficiently in some of the areas because the building wasn’t designed for today’s needs, she said. This results in wasted space.

“The needs of the programs in the building could most likely be met with less square footage than is currently allocated to them,” Gerdes said.

“The plan outlines a restructure of the space so that it would meet the needs of the students.”

This would include space designed specifically for the preschool students educated there. It would also include space designed specifically for the therapeutic learning classroom, safety areas and spaces designated for a variety of services, such as social skills groups.

See BOND, 12

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â&#x20AC;˘ GREAT BEND (KAN.) TRIBUNE â&#x20AC;˘ SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2020

The floor plan for proposed improvements to Great Bend Middle School is shown, with West at the top of the drawing. New construction includes a new controlled entrance/student support addition on the east side of the building, as well as an addition for band, orchestra and choir. Question 2 on the upcoming bond election includes a new wing for sixth graders, as well as a new kitchen/cafeteria area, new library/media center and a storm shelter in the new wing.

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