Sports: JV Mustangs fall to Prairie View See B1
THE IOLA REGISTER Locally owned since 1867
Tuesday, September 16, 2014
www.iolaregister.com
An artist, Baker a candlestick maker By RICHARD LUKEN The Iola Register
HUMBOLDT — When times were tight — and they often were — Melvin Baker got to work and started creating, even as a child. No money for toys? No problem there. Melvin built his own, from wooden cars and wagons to more sophisticated farm implements and grain thrashers. Couldn’t afford a new power saw or drill? No problem there, either. He built those, too, some when he was still in high school. And finally — after marrying childhood sweetheart, Doris — Melvin was all too aware that he most certainly couldn’t afford to buy a new house. So he built his own. A walk through his still im-
Melvin Baker, Humboldt, shows wife Doris the replica Model T Ford he built for her recently, one of scores of woodworking projects he’s completed in his 86 years. At lower left, Baker stands amid his three antique cars, a 1930 Plymouth and 1926 and 1920 Model T Fords. At bottom right are a coffee table, candle holders and scale Baker built by hand. REGISTER/RICHARD LUKEN
maculate home nestled in the heart of Humboldt reveals a perfect blend of history, artistry and a heaping helping of ingenuity. NOW 86, Melvin doesn’t spend as much time in the woodshop as he used to. Not because his considerable skills have eroded. Not at all. “I just don’t have as much time as I used to,” he noted. Doris, his wife of 64 years, suffered a fall recently, and isn’t as stable on her feet as she was in her heyday, “so I spend quite a bit of time with her,” Melvin said. “I don’t want to be too far away.” Melvin showed off an assortment of trinkets he’s crafted through the years, using little more than his mind’s eye and rough sketches as his See BAKER | Page A3
State representative Quilter pieces together history defends residency By KAYLA BANZET The Iola Register
SALINA, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas state representative whose district includes Salina says the condominium he owns in Lawrence is simply a place for him to stay while the Legislature is in session, and his full-time residence is at his sister’s home in Sa-
term in the Kansas House, declined to take a reporter inside to show that he actually lives there. “I’m not going to be held to a different level of scrutiny than everybody else is,” Claeys said. “It’s nobody’s business.”
He blames his opponent, Democrat Gary Swartzendruber, for raising questions about his residency. Swartzendruber also ran against Claeys in the previous election. “Gary will say or do anything to get elected,” Claeys said. “In the last election,
Award-winning quiltmaker Judy McGraw, Iola, pieced together the history of quilts during a presentation at the Iola Public Library Monday. McGraw began her first quilt when she was 11 years old. Her mother passed away when she was 13. McGraw would not finish the quilt until after she was married. “I taught myself how to quilt,” McGraw told the audience. Historically, the first quilt dates back to 960 B.C. in Egypt and it is believed that the English and Dutch are responsible for bringing quilts to America. Through the decades quilting went from being a necessity to a leisure activity. In the 1930s many women couldn’t afford to purchase patterns so they would draw their own by looking at pictures. The Kansas City Star published patterns from 1928 to the mid-1960s. “My grandmother collected these patterns and now I have them,” McGraw said. McGraw said she has made approximately one quilt a year
See CLAEYS | Page A6
See McGRAW| Page A6
I’m not going to be held to a different level of scrutiny than everybody else is. It’s nobody’s business. — J.R. Claeys, Kansas state representative, who lists his sister’s home in Salina as his primary residence.
lina. J.R. Claeys, a 36-year-old consultant for nonprofit agencies, lists his sister’s home as his address on his driver’s license, The Salina Journal reported. He also has photos of mail that have his name and the Salina address on them. But the Republican, who is seeking a second two-year
Quote of the day Vol. 116, No. 227
Judy McGraw displays her most recent quilt to the audience at a quilt presentation at the Iola Public Library Monday. This quilt won grand champion at Anderson County Fair and Kincaid Fair and best quilt at Allen County Fair. REGISTER/KAYLA BANZET
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