Locally owned since 1867
Weekender
RACING
Payne wins at Humboldt Speedway See B1
Saturday, July 6, 2013
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Samaritans aid in Sandy relief
Fishing, franks and fireworks
By KAYLA BANZET kayla@iolaregister.com
When Superstorm Sandy blasted through the east coast this past October thousands of people were left to pick up their lives one piece at a time. Iola’s First Presbyterian Church reached out to those who were affected by the devastation by lending a helping hand. Nine volunteers came together and devised a plan to raise funds, travel to New Jersey and help out those who needed it. Volunteers, five associated with the church, the other four from Allen Community College, raised funds through garage and bake sales. They accumulated $1,500 to make the drive across the country to New Jersey. “We decided we were going to assist them for a week in the summer,” Tony Piazza, Allen Community College theater instructor and church member said. The Iola church teamed communicated with Morning Star Presbyterian Church in Bayville, N.J. when planning their trip. The New Jersey church had made it its mission to help those affected by the storm. “We thought the end of June was a good time slot,” Piazza said. “We gave them a specific week that we wanted
to come.” The Iolans sent in a skill assessment to the church so they would know what the volunteers would be able to do. The group knew how to
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We got more done than expected. We put in a new floor and a new kitchen. — Archie Huskey, volunteer
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The Iola Register
do use power tools and were able to lift heavy items and equipment. “We had a pretty high skill assessment,” Archie Huskey, an ACC graduate said. Because the group had such a high skill assessment they were assigned to help Frank Tarshi rebuild the inside of his home. Last fall Tarshi had three feet of standing water in his home. The Iola volunteers went right to work when they arrived to his three-bedroom home. They worked from June 25-28. “We got more done than expected,” Huskey said. “We put in a new floor and a See SANDY | Page A3
Job market robust By CHRISTOPHER S. RUGABER AP Economics Writer
Register/Richard Luken
At top, the skies above Gas were filled with dazzling explosions of color Thursday as part of Gerry Diltz’s annual fireworks show. At middle, a handful of hearty competitors headed to Elks Lake for a hot dog eating contest. At middle right, David Brown finished off 12 hot dogs in 15 minutes to win his grand prize, a 2-liter bottle of soda. At bottom, Keith Kinzle, from foreground, Andrew Garber and Devin Kinzle compete in the Elks’ annual Ed Hendrix Memorial Fishing Derby.
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. employers added a robust 195,000 jobs in June and many more in April and May than previously thought. The job growth raises hopes for a stronger economy in the second half of 2013. The unemployment rate remained 7.6 percent. That was because more people started looking for work in June — a healthy sign. Once people without jobs start looking for one, the government counts them as unemployed. Pay also rose sharply in June, the Labor Department’s monthly jobs report Friday showed. Pay has now outpaced inflation over the past year.
Job growth “continues to look more than strong enough to keep unemployment trending down ... and probably more than strong enough to lead to Fed tapering starting in September,” said Jim O’Sullivan, chief U.S. economist at High Frequency Economics. The economy has added an average of 202,000 jobs a month for the past six months, up from 180,000 in the previous six. Hiring and consumer confidence have risen despite higher taxes and federal spending cuts. Friday’s report showed that the economy added 70,000 more jobs in April and May than the government had previously estimated — 50,000 in April and 20,000 in See JOBS | Page A3
SAFE BASE tours historic opera house By STEVEN SCHWARTZ steven@iolaregister.com
LEADVILLE, COLO. — Angela Henry and I wandered through the third story of the Tabor Opera House, off-limits to most touring the historic theater in downtown Leadville. The Tabor stands discretely among the businesses in downtown, a small sign is all that marks its presence. Room after room, the opera house was stacked full of items in preparation of an upcoming auction. Organizers Sharon Bland and Gretchen Scanlon were behind the massive effort. As we maneuvered our way past relics of the 1800s — dresses, props, uniforms, furniture and countless other items — Bland began a running commentary on the theater’s history built by Horace Tabor in 1879.
It also has personal history for SAFE BASE Director Angela Henry. HENRY BEGAN traveling with her family to Leadville as a child, and according to her sister, Gale Hoag, she immediately became fascinated by the old opera house. Many years later, in 2001, she decided she wanted to volunteer to help restore the old theater. So, she made a phone call. Weeks later, she eventually came in contact with Evelyn Furman, who had retained ownership of the theater from the Elks Lodge. Henry spent the next two months of the summer living with Furman and helping to restore the old building. It was then that she met Scanlon. SCANLON’S INTEREST in the theater was piqued when researching different venues Harry Houdini had performed in during the 1900s. Her journey indirectly led
Vol. 115, No.177
Register/Steven Schwartz
SAFE BASE students play hand bells during a vist to the Tabor Opera House during their week long trip to Colorado. her to the Tabor, where Houdini (supposedly) performed. She is skeptical. Nevertheless, Scanlon became infatuated with the building, and became involved in the renovation process. “There’s an incredible feel-
ing when you walk in (to the Tabor),” Scanlon said. “You can just imagine John Philip Sousa marching the Army band up those stairs.” She said live entertainment was a mainstay during Leadville’s mining boom, and the 75 Cents
Tabor is the only remaining monument to that fact. “It’s the only monument to theaters in Leadville, and we had a lot of theaters, like 25,” she said. Scanlon has written a book See OPERA | Page A3
Iola, KS