Inside: Clubs gathering Tuesday
2017 1867
See A4
Sports: Red Devil baseball team splits See B1
THE IOLA REGISTER Locally owned since 1867
www.iolaregister.com
Monday, March 27, 2017
Who says there’s nothing to do? Weekend events fill local calendar By SHELLIE SMITLEY The Iola Register
This weekend included a number of interesting events for those who sought to get out of the house. “Vino Need No Stinkin’ Brushes” was at 7 p.m., Friday, at the former Party Girls building on Iola’s downtown square. Hosted by Humanity House Foundation, the event offered participants the chance to socialize, paint, eat cheese and drink wine. Artist Angie Whitmore led the 43 guests by demonstrating how to create a masterpiece. Paint and brushes were supplied. Whitmore offered advice to anyone who felt uneasy about their artistic ability. “Drink more wine,” she said. Proceeds from the event benefited Humanity House Foundation. SATURDAY started bright and early for members of the United Methodist Church Big Creek Chapel as they prepared for the 48th annual Whole Hog Day. They began cooking 175 pounds of sausage on grills at 6:30 a.m. outside the chapel. “Looks like we will use most of it this year,” church treasurer, Neil Phillips, said. The breakfast, which typically feeds around 275, is the
At left, Janis Reinhardt has been a volunteer biscuitmaker since the United Methodist Church Big Creek Chapel began the Whole Hog Day event in 1969. Above, Peter Lewis Whitebird, touring music evangelist, performs at Faith Assembly of God, Humboldt, Sunday, as part of Singspiration. At bottom left, Craig and Georgia Abbott, Iola, partook in Saturday’s Allen Community College annual Red Devil Scholarship Gala. At bottom right, Angie Whitmore speaks at Saturday’s “Vino Need No Stinkin’ Brushes, ” hosted by Humanity House in downtown Iola. REGISTER/ SHELLIE SMITLEY
only fundraiser the church holds. Members asked for free-will donations which go toward church projects. Guests indulged in biscuits and gravy, sausage and Danishes from 8 a.m. to noon. Janis Reinhardt has been a volunteer biscuit-maker for the event since it began
in 1969. Cleo Summervill, Chanute, used to mix up the biscuits from scratch at home and then bring them to the church to be rolled out. “I guess we wore her out,” Reinhardt said. For the last 10 years or so the ladies have been using a boxed mix. It takes 576 boxes
of biscuit mix to feed all who attend, Reinhardt said. That process began at 5:30 a.m. with the help of Sharon Scarrow, Humboldt, and Debbie Cox, Chanute. Although Reinhardt has been making biscuits for the event for more than four decades, she said she still has to
practice every year. A dry-run breakfast is on the Sunday before Whole Hog Day and feeds everyone who shows up for church. Music was provided by a conglomerate of people from See BUSY | Page A4
Price tag stalls G&W store construction
Greenery seeks new blood
By RICHARD LUKEN The Iola Register
By BOB JOHNSON The Iola Register
G&W Foods remains committed to building a new store in Iola, but higher than expected construction costs have stalled the start of the construction phase. Chris O’Hara, G&W’s chief operating officer, told the Register this morning the company is looking to find ways to close a $500,000 gap above what they were expecting to spend to build the store at the old Allen County Hospital site in downtown Iola. “When we got the bids, there was a significant gap” in what the company had budgeted for the building’s construction, O’Hara said. O’Hara noted the Iola store is the first “ground-up”
facility G&W has planned in more than 20 years. The general practice has been for G&W to fill empty buildings, O’Hara explained, which is how most of the Missouri-based chain has opened 25 such locations throughout Kansas and Missouri. The plan is to build a facility with a “neighborhood store” design with front and side exteriors of brick, stone or other similar architectural material, and not a metal shell building commonly as-
Quote of the day Vol. 119, No. 105
sociated with “box stores.” But with the budget gap, company officials have been meeting with a series of subcontractors, architects and others to look at ways to cut expenses. O’Hara noted the positive feedback the company received from local residents. He, too, is excited about opening a store in Iola. “But we need to figure out how we can close this gap and get going.” O’Hara noted G&W already has the store’s managerial staff hired. Those employees have been training the past several months at other G&W locations. To date, O’Hara estimates G&W has invested about $100,000 to prep for the Iola store between land acquisition, architectural designs and hiring employees.
The New Greenery restaurant may not be vacant long, after closing last week. Efforts are underway to find a new operator, Tushar Desai, managing partner with brother Mitesh Desai of the next door motel, Americas Best Quality Inn, told the Register. Desai said conversations had occurred with one potential occupant though, “we can’t do much until we have the keys” and he doesn’t want to identify the prospect until negotiations are further along. Dan Oswalt, who has operated the restaurant for several years, removed kitchen and other equipment from the building Friday morning. “I don’t have anything to say,” Oswalt told the Register,
“Zeal will do more than knowledge.” — William Hazlitt, English critic (1778-1830) 75 Cents
but did mention that utility and other costs “broke the camel’s back.” He groused that people want a sit-down restaurant, but then don’t support it, with Allen County Regional Hospital being a competing destination, “which is tax-supported.” The Desais purchased the motel and restaurant from Philip and Tina Patel in December, Desai said. He allowed having a restaurant within easy walking distance was important to the success of a motel. The restaurant has been open, except for short remodeling intervals, since it was built in 1961. Desai and his wife, Sima, came to Iola from Beatrice, Neb., where they managed a motel. “We like small towns and Iola is a very nice one,” he added.
Hi: 63 Lo: 44 Iola, KS