Sports: IHS harriers win Pioneer League See B1
The Weekender Saturday, October 18, 2014
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IHS students weigh in on bond issue By RICHARD LUKEN The Iola Register
If a number of Iola High School students had their say, an upcoming bond issue for new schools on the edge of Iola would pass overwhelmingly. Emma Piazza, IHS Student Council president, recently polled 85 of the 320-plus students on whether they favored the $50 million bond issue in front of voters in November. Of those, 55 said yes (64 percent), 19 said no (22 percent) and 12 students (14 percent) were indifferent or undecided. There were diverse opinions, Piazza said. Of those in favor, most noted the aging IHS facilities. “A lot of them thought something will absolutely have to be done with this school within the next 15 to 30 years, anyway,” Piazza said. “We should
Emma Piazza take advantage now, while we can get more than half of the funding paid by the state.” Under current law, the state will fund 51 percent of the $50 million project. The opponents, meanwhile, See STUDENTS | Page A4
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Sales tax to help LaHarpe roads By RICHARD LUKEN The Iola Register
LAHARPE — LaHarpe voters will decide at the upcoming general election whether to approve a 1-percent sales tax to help maintain city streets. If approved, the proceeds would make up lost funding from the state, prompted by the recent economic downturn, City Superintendent Carol Buzbee explained. “Once the market went down, several state agencies lost money,” Buzbee said. “We were no different.” While the city once earned nearly $30,000 a year from the state’s Special Highway Fund for street upkeep, that number has been sliced in half, to $14,700 for this year. “We didn’t feel the crunch too badly in 2011, but in 2012 and 2013, the lack of funding has really started having an impact,” Buzbee said. The Kansas Dept. of Revenue projects the sales tax
Carol Buzbee, LaHarpe City Superintendent, speaks about an upcoming sales tax vote for the city. REGISTER/RICHARD LUKEN would bring in about $15,400 annually, using figures from past years. “That’s actually a little more than what we lost, but the figures are close.” While LaHarpe has limited retail outlets, the tax
also would be assessed on things such as Internet sales and telephone, electric and natural gas bills. The bill would generate $1 for every $100 purchase. See LAHARPE | Page A4
Patriotic play comes to Bowlus auditorium A story of courage and patriotism will be told in Iola on Tuesday night. The Grifffin Theatre Company will perform “Letters Home” at 7 p.m. on the Bowlus Fine Arts Center stage. The free play is in conjunction with the Iola Reads book, “The Things They Carried.” The play is inspired by the New York Times op-ed article, “The Things They Wrote” and the subsequent HBO documentary, “Last Letters Home” and additionally uses letters and correspondences from Frank Schaeffer’s books, “Voices From the Front,” “Letters Home From America’s Military Family,” “Faith of Our Sons, and Keeping Faith.” The story touches on the struggles of a soldier in
Opening day Farm-City Days grand marshals Buck and Dixie Quincy, front, cut the event’s ceremonial ribbon Thursday night. Thursday was the kickoff for the three-day fall festival. Also pictured is the FarmCity Days committee, middle left, Terry Johnson, Karen Johnson, Marty Meadows, back, O’Dell Pulley, Susan Springman, Michael Springman and Jana Taylor. REGISTER/KAYLA BANZET
training, deployment, separation from loved ones, combat and occupation duties in Afghanistan and Iraq. The letters used are not just from soldiers. There are pieces that include correspondences from parents as well. These letters were written under difficult circumstances. The play helps define patriotism for the audience and what it means to serve the United State today, through acts of bravery, compassion and social responsibility. The production gives a voice to a generation that went to war against terror in Afghanistan and to war in Iraq. The production uses minimal props and set pieces to dramatize the letters.
Iola alum brings artwork home By KAYLA BANZET The Iola Register
When Jim LeGrande thinks of his career as a visual artist three words come to mind: Passion, diversity and commitment. “I cannot think of a time when art was not foremost in my thoughts and integral to my well-being,” LeGrande said through email. LeGrande thinks art is a pure expression of a philosophy gained through a person’s life experience. “I am committed to the idea of imbuing awareness in the public psyche that public art is of vital essence to our society,” he said. “Art is the me-
dicinal glue that can help us ponder, investigate, criticize, illuminate and heal, emotionally, historically and socially.
Quote of the day Vol. 116, No. 249
Communities large and small can benefit greatly.” See ARTIST | Page A4
“Letters Home,” is free to the public at 7 p.m. on Tuesday at the Bowlus Fine Arts Center. COURTESY PHOTO
“The problem with the future is that it keeps turning into the present.” — Bill Watterson 75 Cents
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