The
IOLA REGISTER Monday, June 3, 2013
Locally owned since 1867
FOOTBALL Players heading to all-star game See B1
www.iolaregister.com
THEN & NOW
Courtesy photo
Marmaton Valley students competed at the national forensics meet in Philadelphia on Saturday. The students who performed were, front from left, Tapanga Turner and Jocelyn Miller; back from left, Kailey Boyd, Kaitlin Ensminger, Payton Wilson and Emily Boyd. Margaret Robb recalled when she and two of her friends graduated from eighth grade at the Memorial Hall in 1953. In the photo at left, Robb is at right, with Phyllis Wiggins Luker, left, and Ruthie Morgan. All eight-graders in Allen County participated in the ceremonies.
Childhood memories flood back By BOB JOHNSON bob@iolaregister.com
Memories engulfed Margaret Robb when she read about eighth-grade graduation in 1953 at old Memorial Hall in the Register’s “A look back in time” column. “I was there,” Robb said. “That was quite a thing then,” Robb continued, recalling how eighth-grade students participated in graduation exercises. She even has a photo of Daphne Horine, whose husband, Ennor, was superintendent of Iola schools, handing her a diploma as she graduated from North Maple country school. North Maple was five miles north of Iola and about a mile and half from where Robb lived. The children of about
a dozen families congregated each day in the one-room school, facing a stage where small plays often were performed. “The teacher (Mrs. Beatrice Shapel) sat at the back of the room behind a big desk,” Robb reminisced. “Our desks were fastened to the floor, which was black from all the oil used time after time to clean it. You didn’t dare talk or do anything out of line — you knew Mrs. Shapel was watching.” A bucket, filled with water from a nearby well, sat in a corner of the room with a dipper that all students used whenever thirst struck. “In the winter, we had a big, round stove that burned coal or wood,” she said, one of those that left the side next to
it toasty, the other side not so warm. “The first thing we did each morning was take our coats and lunches to our cloak room, one for the boys and another for the girls,” Robb said. “Then we had the flag salute and recited the Lord’s Prayer. I think kids would be better off today if they still did those things in school.” The rest of the day was devoted to reading, writing and arithmetic, as well as geography and spelling. The dress code was strict, and enforced. “Girls wore dresses to school every day,” Robb said, “but boys got to wear jeans or overalls. When it was cold, we girls could wear snow pants, See MEMORIES | Page A4
MV forensics experience Philly By KAYLA BANZET kayla@iolaregister.com
Forensics students from Marmaton Valley High School performed at the national level this past week in Philadelphia. Six MVHS students qualified for the National Catholic Forensics League at a district meet in March. Julie Tholen, Marmaton forensic coach, and Elysa Buss, assistant coach, were thrilled the performers were able to attend the meet at the University of Pennsylvania. Marmaton Valley has not been to nationals before. Tholen has been impressed with her students’ skills this year. “The caliber of kids has improved so I wanted to give them that opportunity,” Tho-
len said. The six students who attended the meet were, Tapanga Turner, Jocelyn Miller, Kailey Boyd, Kaitlin Ensminger, Payton Wilson and Emily Boyd. Turner, a junior who performed prose and poetry, learned a lot from the competition. “The competition really made me open up my eyes to how big forensics is,” Turner said. The students were able to watch other qualifiers at the meet. This allowed them to know what they were up against.Tholen was amazed with how the students treated each other in between performances. “I was impressed with the See PHILLY | Page A4
Ambulance talks tonight Allen County commissioners and Iola council members will meet at 6 o’clock this evening in the Bowlus Fine Art Center’s Creitz Recital Hall
to discuss whether county and Iola ambulance services might be combined. The session is open to the public.
Tax plan pushed past legislature By JOHN HANNA AP Political Writer
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Gov. Sam Brownback and other Republican leaders extol the tax plan they pushed through the Kansas Legislature as an engine for growth, but they had help from reluctant GOP lawmakers who merely saw it as more palatable than other options for fixing leftover budget problems. Legislators gave final approval Sunday to a bill that follows up on massive individual income tax cuts enacted last year. The measure cuts income tax rates again over the next five years. But those new rate reductions are tied to other, revenue-raising measures — including a provision setting
the sales tax at 6.15 percent — to head off the projected budget shortfalls resulting from last year’s aggressive tax cutting. The mix of policies in this year’s bill is expected to generate a net gain in state revenues of $777 million over the next five years. Brownback and other supporters of the plan quickly noted that the new dollars raised still are dwarfed by last year’s tax cuts, worth $4.6 billion over the same period. They also said the next round of income tax rate reductions will position the state to phase out personal income taxes. “We’re starting to turn our state’s economy around,” Brownback said during a
Dancing the day away
Register/Steven Schwartz
Members of the audience dance to Loaded Goat, Kansas City, Mo., during the second annual Lakefest Saturday at Elks Lake.
See LEGISLATURE | Page A2
Running the numbers TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Highlights of the tax plan approved early Sunday by the Republican-controlled Kansas Legislature and sent to GOP Gov. Sam Brownback, who has promised to sign it:
RAISING REVENUE
Overall, the plan would result in a net gain in revenues for the state of $777 million over the next five years, according to the Legislature’s non-partisan research staff. But supporters note that mas-
sive personal income tax cuts enacted last year are worth $4.6 billion for the same period.
SALES TAX ADJUSTED
The state’s sales tax would be 6.15 percent, starting in July. The tax is now 6.3 percent but had been scheduled to drop to 5.7 percent, also in July, under a 2010 law.
INCOME TAX RATES
The state set its personal income tax rates for 2013 at 3 percent on the first $30,000 of income for married couples
Register/Richard Luken
Dancing the night away
Classique Dance Studio students filled the Bowlus Fine Arts Center with an evening of fun and grace Saturday with their annual recital. Among the dancers were, above from left, Bayleigh Weide, Shelby Yoho, Binni Means, Jocelyn Miller and Kaitlin Ensminger; and at right, from left, Adalyn Covey, Zoie Hesse and Sophia Heim. The recital was the last one for the studio, which is closing, owner Venessa Weohr said.
See TAX PLAN | Page A4
Vol. 115, No.154
75 Cents
Iola, KS