May 4, 2018
Friday
Ark City
www.acdailybytes.com
Commission creates hospital steering committee, appoints Smith By JENI McGEE jeni@acdailybytes.com The City Commission of Arkansas City voted 3-2 on Tuesday to create a new steering committee for South Central Kansas Medical Center following a recommendation from the hospital board. The commission also voted 5-0 to appoint former city commissioner Dotty Smith to the SCKMC Board of Trustees, replacing Dr. Nick Rogers. Smith was one of the commissioners who voted to form the Public Building Commission, which issued more than $30 million in public bonds to construct the new hospital, and place a half-cent sales tax to help to pay for it on the ballot in 2008. That tax will expire next March and discussions about possibly trying to renew it have begun. Mayor Dan Jurkovich and Commissioner Kanyon Gingher voted against the steering committee. They said after the meeting that it was because they thought there needed to be more discussion. The meeting, though, began with more talk about the SCKMC Board of Trustees and the charter ordinance that governs the board. ‘800-pound gorilla’ Commissioner Jay Warren said that he had spoken with
SCKMC board member Carol Hearne during the weekend. “I don’t know if any of you remember what she said in that meeting, but she said that she thought the hospital ought to be taken over by the city, and that was in my mind all these weeks,” he said. The hospital once was a part of the city, but was separated out in the 1980s. Warren said he questioned the reason behind the change, but ultimately said he didn’t know if it was the right move. “Then we got to talking about the meeting we had (April 27) with the two boards, the work session. I think there’s been friction between the two boards,” he said. “I’ll say it out loud: We’re the 800-pound gorilla and they’re a volunteer board, and we’re elected by the city of Arkansas City.” The commission as a whole tends to move faster in making decisions, he said, because it meets twice a month. The nine trustees only meet in full once a month. “We’re elected by the people, for the people, to make decisions. I don’t think it’s fair for the volunteer board (for) the 800-pound gorilla to be on top of them all the time,” Warren said. “I think that right now, with the environment we’re in, it’s not going to work the way it is
right now,” Warren said. Keep the board or not? Warren’s proposed solution? Possibly repealing the charter ordinance that authorizes the board, which would relieve the trustees of their duties. “We’ve got a debt and the city is responsible for the debt,” he said. “I’d like to suggest, to discuss, that we revoke the charter ordinance.” “What would that do to us?” Jurkovich asked. The consequences of changing the ordinance were unknown at the time of the commission meeting. “I would suggest I do some research on that,” said City Attorney Tamara Niles. “I’d like to do some thorough research before we change an ordinance that is 40 years old.” “I’m concerned about the continuity of the hospital,” Jurkovich said. “I’m scared of what would happen without more research.” “I think that whether we fill this next seat or not, I don’t think the board size is the problem,” Warren said, referring to two vacancies that had been tabled twice already. “I think the staff is genuinely working diligently to hold this thing together,” Gingher said.
‘Coco’ screening planned in conjunction with Salsa Fest Press Release The 2018 Outdoor Family Movie Series will kick off Saturday night in Arkansas City with a Pixar feature under the Wilson Park rotunda, 701 N. Summit St. The recent hit “Coco” will be shown starting at 8 p.m. The movie was planned in
conjunction with the inaugural Cinco de Mayo Salsa Fest event, which will be from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at the park. At least eight movies are planned this year, including several recent Marvel Cinematic Universe hits and a “three-quel” to the last two years’ super-
popular showings of “Finding Nemo” and “Finding Dory” at Paris Park Pool. More pool event details, as well as the full schedule of movies, will be announced later. And later this year, the movie series also will return with another special outreach
event in Newkirk, Oklahoma. The date, time, location and title of the movie showings are yet to be determined. “We are so appreciative of the generous sponsors who make these wonderful events possible,” said City Manager Nick Hernandez.
Soroptimist of Arkansas City wins award for blessing boxes By JENI McGEE jeni@acdailybytes.com The Arkansas City Soroptimist Club recently was given the Lucy Keller Dreams in Action Award for its development of a blessing box program. With the help of Arkansas City Habitat for Humanity, the group has installed four blessing boxes in specific Ark City neighborhoods. Local tradesmen donated their time and talents to the project, and the boxes were installed in January 2017. Soroptimist International of
Arkansas City club members donated funds from their budgets for the construction material costs. This is an ongoing project in which the blessing boxes are filled regularly with nonperishable items, which can be picked up free of charge by those in need. Two club members, Brandy Williams and Suvanah Perdue, led the movement to create the blessing boxes, which hold common household necessities such as food and hygiene products. The boxes can be found at:
• Central Christian Church, located at 206 W. Central Ave. • Northwest Community Center, located at 615 W. Birch Ave. • First United Methodist Church, located at 2448 Edgemont Drive • Shepherd’s Grace Church, located at 1125 S. Summit St. The idea behind the blessing boxes came from the concept of Free Little Libraries, which can be found across the country — including at the Northwest Community Center and in City Hall, located at 118 W. Central Ave.
Upward Bound program offers opportunities to students By JENI McGEE jeni@acdailybytes.com Cowley College has many programs that help high school students to transition to college. One in particular, known as Upward Bound (UB), helps high school students from families that never have attended college to gain experience and credit toward college. “Upward Bound offers a variety of services to high school students in a tri-county area in south-central Kansas,” said Mica Runnels, academic coordinator for the program. “We offer an opportunity to be taught to the focus of igniting your inner light bulb.” Upward Bound details Upward Bound is a federal grant program that works with high school students who qualify under the federal lowincome guidelines and firstgeneration college students — meaning neither parent has a four-year degree. “Typically, the students are
recruited during their freshman year of high school, but sophomores and juniors can enter the program,” said Liz Shepard, director of the Upward Bound program. “Also, students who have completed their eighth-grade year will be accepted. This is made possible by our summer residential program.” Summer Excellence Camp is a six-week residential program in which students attend classes in the morning. Freshmen and sophomores attend career, major and selfawareness workshops in the afternoons, while juniors and seniors are in work-study positions on campus or out in the community. This allows them to gain a real feel for college, but in a positive and supportive environment. “The goal of UB is to provide the opportunities to learn, grow and transition into college,” Shepard said. “For most of the students in the service area, college is not a top priority, nor is it always a possibility. UB gives those students the op-
portunity to make their dream a reality. “Over my 16-plus years career as the UB program director, I have been truly amazed by the spirit and drive that is exhibited by these students.” Upward Bound benefits There’s so much more given to the students than what is written on paper. On top of being taught good study habits, they also are supported in their athletics. They also receive help with finding scholarships and ways for them to further their education — and they become part of the UB family. “The staff become invested in their lives and pushes them, supports them, and encourages them to be the best they can be,” said Jeanne Harris, program assistant. “We want to help these students see themselves in a better life and realize that it requires determination to rise above the life they know.”
Middle school students tour city departments for ‘If I Were Mayor’ visit By JENI McGEE jeni@acdailybytes.com Twelve Arkansas City Middle School students were given the opportunity to see the City of Arkansas City from the inside this week. The seventh-graders were rotated in two groups, one last Friday and one on Monday. All of them spent time visiting three different city departments after being split into groups of two. They spent time with the Arkansas City Fire-EMS, Police and Public Works departments. The students were selected after writing essays, loosely based on an essay competition put on by the League of Kansas Municipalities with the intention of encouraging seventh-graders to be civically active. It is called “If I Were Mayor.” One of the middle school social studies teachers accompanied the students on their outings. Students at Fire-EMS The last group to visit the fire-EMS department Monday
was able to explore its newest ambulance, as well as use a fire hose that was hooked to an actual fire hydrant. The two girls on the tour were shown different tools that the Arkansas City Fire-EMS Department paramedics use to assist individuals on calls. Paramedics Josh Bowker and Brandy Rice hooked each girl up to the heart monitor and printed its findings out for them to take home. Annicka Hernandez was one of the students on the tour. When she was hooked up to the monitor, she could see the changes in her heart rate when she was calm, versus when she was thinking about the next leg of the tour. The second part of the firehouse tour involved the aerial ladder truck. They were able to see the city from above, more than 90 feet in the air. After being harnessed in and fitted with helmets and gloves, they were able to hang under the aerial basket from ropes. While Hernandez said she was not a fan of being up high,
the other student, Aislynn Brantley, was a natural on the ropes. She is a cheerleader at the middle school and has no fear of being up high. While she was nearly 100 feet in the air, she let go of the ropes — safely and under supervision — and flipped over so she was upside down. The girls went up together one time, with Brantley strapped into a rescue basket. Once they reached the top of the ACFD building, Hernandez shouted down, “That’s enough!” Police and public works The students also were given a tour of the police department by one of the police officers. After, they were able to go on ride-alongs with the officers on duty. During the Public Works Department tour, “Doppler” Bob Frazee, the city’s emergency management coordinator, took students around the levee that surrounds Ark City.
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