Merry
Christmas!
THE I
L A REGISTER
Locally owned since 1867
www.iolaregister.com
Tuesday, December 23, 2014
Christmas spirit catches like fire By RICK DANLEY The Iola Register
M
onday morning 10 members of the Iola Fire Department left the fire station a little before 10 o’clock, and formed a short caravan of sport utility vehicles and trucks. A fire engine and an ambulance followed. They traveled less than half a mile, parked their vehicles in front of two squat brick apartment buildings on North Buckeye Street, and got out. They crossed the damp grass of the courtyard and gathered outside one of the doors. Firefighter Ron Ballard knocked. Sammy, a seventh-grader, was the first to emerge, followed by his little brother, Jimmy, in the second grade. They looked curiously at the group of uniformed men crowding their doorstep. Their father, Alexander, emerged last, grinning wide — in on the surprise. Ballard, who organized the day’s event, was quick to explain to the boys the reason for the group’s intrusion. The firefighters — accompanied by three of their wives — were there for one reason: to take the boys
Above, Lt. Mike Burnett looks on as Jimmy consults his father, Alexander, before selecting a gift; left, firefighter Ron Ballard encourages Breanna and her mom, Josie, to pick out anything they want; right, Kandrella adds another toy to her cart during yesterday’s IFD-funded shopping spree at Walmart. REGISTER/SPENCER MICHELSON
Christmas shopping and then out for pizza. Jimmy looked back at his dad, disbelieving. His dad nodded. Then the three piled into one of the trucks, and the caravan was off again. The next stop was a house on North Cottonwood Street, to collect William and Breanna and their mother, Josi. William answered the door and made a point of shaking the hands of all of the firefighters gathered on his porch, while he waited for his mother to squeeze a stocking cap onto the head of his wriggling sister. One other family was already along for the ride — siblings Heaven, sixth grade; Isaac, third grade; and Kandrella, first grade. An elderly relative had dropped them off at the fire station beforehand. THE GROUP — at this point, 10 firefighters, three wives, a mom, a dad, and seven kids — gathered under the astringent light of Walmart’s entryway to listen to Ballard describe the gift Iola’s firefighters had been preparing during the weeks prior. Each child was being preSee IFD | Page A7
Council eyes possible Behind the scenes with an elf electric rate increase By KAYLA BANZET The Iola Register
By RICHARD LUKEN The Iola Register
Year-end transfers, a normally routine exercise done every December by city planners to ensure Iola’s funds are in balance, has once again put the city’s utility reserves under the microscope. City Administrator Carl Slaugh said the city should once again consider raising Iola’s electric rates to boost its reserve fund. That’s because 2014 was a particularly costly year, Slaugh noted,
with the city transferring more than $3.4 million from its utility funds to either Iola’s general fund or its parks and recreation funds. “Our utilities are what most people would consider a ‘cash cow,’” Slaugh said. Those funds are equivalent to a property tax levy of 115.043 mills, Slaugh said. In other words, the owner of a $100,000 home would spend an additional $1,322.99 in property taxes to support the See UTILITIES | Page A7
City approves trail along rail corridor By RICHARD LUKEN The Iola Register
The city will spend about $101,000 for its share of a new walking and biking trail that connects Iola High School to State Street. City Council members approved a bid from Killough Construction, Inc., Ottawa, to build the trail along the old Missouri Pacific Railroad corridor.
The trail will extend from the Prairie Spirit Trail, at about the 300 block of North State Street (near Utley’s Auto Body) to the Colborn Park tennis courts just east of the high school. Roughly two-thirds of the trail will be a 10-foot walking path, Assistant City Administrator Corey Schinstock said. A smaller portion, from Jefferson Avenue to CottonSee TRAIL | Page A7
Quote of the day Vol. 117, No. 41
Santa will pack his sleigh full of enchanting gifts Wednesday night and fly across the world to deliver them to children. The Register had the opportunity to talk to someone who knows Santa very well his elf, Connie Hill. Hill has worked with Santa for five years. She works at Community National Bank in Iola and helps keep an eye on Iola children throughout the year. In December she helps Santa at his house on the courthouse square. “My biggest duty is crowd control,” Hill said. “We let just one family in at a time to allow them time to visit with Santa and take pictures.” Hill said she and Santa interact with the kids when they come to visit. “This year they’ll say there is an iPod or some gadget they want. Santa will look at me and ask are they up there at the North Pole and I say ‘I don’t know, I think they are back-ordered.’” Sometimes the children aren’t sure what they want. Hill said that’s perfectly fine. They can put their letter in the mailbox so the elves can get their requests to Santa. It comes by reindeer mail. Hill’s favorite part of her job is seeing the young children visit Santa for the first time. “I think it’s really special
Connie Hill helps Santa in his house on the Iola town square each year. REGISTER/KAYLA BANZET when the child comes in for the first time at the age of 3 or 4,” she said. “You see their eyes light up. You know the kids are realizing ‘Wow that is Santa.’ It reminds you there is something good in life.” One little visitor really took Santa by surprise this year. “One little girl said she
“Maybe Christmas,’ he thought, ‘doesn’t come from a store. Maybe Christmas, perhaps means a little bit more!’” — Grinch 75 Cents
would like part of her Christmas gifts go to the less fortunate,” Hill said. “She was probably 6 or 7. Santa said that’s what’s its all about that a child would put themselves above someone else.” What is Santa really like? Well, for the record, she said See HELPER | Page A7
Hi: 41 Lo: 31 Iola, KS