Sports: Iola Middle School hosts track meet See B1
THE IOLA REGISTER Locally owned since 1867
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Thursday, April 9, 2015
ANW Co-op board approves budget cuts Social workers, personnel get the ax By KAYLA BANZET The Iola Register
The program that provides services for special needs children in area schools slashed its budget by $543,785 at a meeting Wednesday night of the ANW Education Cooperative board.
The cut is about 4 percent of the cooperative’s $13 million annual budget. ANW provides services for students in Allen, Anderson, Neosho, Wilson and Woodson counties. Services include speech/language pathology, occupational therapy, physical therapy, hearing-impaired
specialty and nursing. After a lengthy executive session for personnel the ANW board approved the cuts for the upcoming school year. Lack of adequate funding from the state forced the unpopular move. Over the past several years funding has remained flat despite rising costs. ANW Co-op Director Bob Coleman made recommenda-
tions to the board to make cuts in eight different areas in the cooperative, including: * Cutting social worker positions; * not replacing paraprofessionals who leave at the end of the year; * not replacing the teacher trainer position; * not renewing the cooperative’s information technology services and instead using in-
house services; * reducing Coleman’s salary; * cutting operations costs at the central office by $7,000; and * Saving on an occupational therapy contract with Greenbush Education Service Center. Moving the ANW preschool See ANW | Page A5
State closer ‘Cyrano’ serves up music, laughs aplenty to local election changes By RICHARD LUKEN The Iola Register
By JOHN HANNA The Associated Press
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Republican legislators in Kansas are moving to shift city and local school board elections to the fall of evennumbered years, saying the change will boost voter turnout. A plan for scrapping the tradition of holding local elections on the first Tuesday in April of odd-numbered years emerged from negotiations between the House and Senate before voting this week in city and school board contests across the state. They would be on the same schedule as elections for county, state and congressional offices, and city and school board races would be listed first on the ballot. Supporters argue the plan would increase low voter-participation rates like ones reported Wednesday by county election officials. Johnson County, the state’s most populous, said less than 10 percent of its registered voters cast ballots Tuesday; turnout was 16 percent in Sedgwick County, despite a ballot initiative in See ELECTIONS | Page A5
Cyrano is a suave fellow. He runs a popular burger joint, and is as quick-witted as they come. Cyrano has a knack for poetic eloquence, and can turn phrases that can make a woman’s heart swoon. Problem is, most everybody who meets Cyrano knows him for something else entirely — his extraordinarily elongated nose. Alas, Cyrano finds himself entrenched in the dreaded “Friend Zone” with the woman of his dreams, the brilliant, beautiful and strong-willed Roxanne. So sets the stage for tonight and Friday’s Iola High School production of “Cyrano de Burger Shack,” a modern retelling of the classic French play, “Cyrano de Bergerac,” with one notable addition — a bevy of contemporary pop hits, from such recording stars as Katy Perry, Madonna and Smash Mouth.
“CYRANO de Burger Shack” follows the story of Cyrano’s unrequited love for Roxanne, who instead has fallen for Christian, a newly hired burger flipper at Cyrano’s restaurant. She’s not alone. Christian’s bright smile, rugged appearance and easygoing charm makes him popular among the girls. He finds himself equally smitten with Roxanne, but unlike Cyrano, is rather clueless when it comes to finding the right way to express his love. Because of his fondness for Roxanne — and his desire to
Garrett Prall, seated, is the title character in the Iola High School production of “Cyrano de Burger Shack,” which runs tonight and Friday at the Bowlus Fine Arts Center. Here, Prall rehearses a scene with castmates, from left, Catherine Venter, Cody Cokely and Trilby Bannister. REGISTER/ RICHARD LUKEN
see her happy — Cyrano reluctantly agrees to assist Christian’s efforts to woo the woman of his dreams. Will their ruse work? Or will Roxanne unravel the tapestry of mixed messages she receives from both of her suitors? That’s for the audience
to find out. Tickets sell for $5 for adults. Students will be admitted free of charge. AS HAS been proven time and again, the well of young, gifted performers in Iola High’s halls runs deep. Garrett Prall shines as the titular character, offering up
a perfect blend of charisma, confidence and self-doubt, particularly after he realizes his affections for best friend Roxanne may not be returned. Meanwhile, leading lady Emma Piazza is the delightfully feisty Roxanne, the object See ‘CYRANO’ | Page A5
Iola Flea Market offers mix of new, old merchandise By RICHARD LUKEN The Iola Register
Timber
A brief but intense thunderstorm swept through Iola Wednesday afternoon, uprooting a large maple tree in the 800 block of North Washington Avenue. City crews were on the scene within minutes to remove the tree. The storm also toppled an electric pole in LaHarpe, cutting power for much of the town for two hours or longer. REGISTER/RICHARD LUKEN
Quote of the day Vol. 117, No. 111
Jeff Heinrich brings a mixture of old and new to his newest business venture, Iola Flea Market and Consignment. Not only will he feature an assortment of flea market booths and consignment merchandise, Heinrich also plans to regularly replenish his shelves with new items — athletic equipment, children’s toys, clothing, tools, light bulbs, etc. Heinrich opened Iola Flea Market in January, with longterm productivity, and stabil-
“Parents were invented to make children happy by giving them something to ignore.” — Ogden Nash, American humorist 75 Cents
ity, in mind. “We’re taking our time,” he said, noting his building at 102 E. Jackson Ave., has several large potential rooms for displays. Two of the rooms are currently targeted for storage. “As we clear out those rooms, we’ll set up more booths,” he said. “It could take two weeks; it could take two months.” Heinrich already has several consignment partners on hand, to ensure his merchandise is updated on a regular basis. See HEINRICH | Page A6
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