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November 20, 2000
His first and only job By Diana Shaughnessy
David Coon is a real small town kind of guy. He was born in Clearwater, has lived in Clearwater most of his life and worked at Mize’s Thriftway since he was in high school. “I’ve been here all of my life except for a short time when my parents moved to Wichita to get away from the small town atmosphere,” Coon said while stocking frozen foods. “As soon as they had kids, though, we all moved back to Clearwater. Coon is the son of J.W. Coon and Yvonne Coon. Clearwater residents know Yvonne as the past city administrator. Graduating from Clearwater High School in 1974, Coon began working at Mize’s in 1972, when the store first opened. He worked part-time while in high school, doing carry out and stocking. “And I’m still doing carry out and stocking,” laughed Coon. “Isn’t it great?” Married to the former Laura Shuster, the couple has two sons. Jonathan is a junior at CHS while Joel is in eighth grade at the middle school. Coon worked through the ranks at the grocery story. He is now an assistant manager and is known through the community as the man who can get special grocery items. “I like pulling a rabbit out of my hat,” Coon said. “It’s fun surprising people with things they can get or items I’ve located in the stock room.” Coon has never felt the need to move out of the area. When the family vacations, they usually go to California to visit Laura’s family. Coon’s brother Don still lives in Clearwater. Sister Belinda now lives in Hollywood, Fla. At one time Coon attended WSU, but only briefly. I’m still a sophomore at WSU,” he said. “Soon I’ll be sending my sons there.” He has never been laid off and has never gone hungry. Coon says a person does not have to work, rather they should be allowed to work. “I grew up with the thought of work being like a privilege,” he said. “My Grandma Coon said people should be happy all the time. It’s a choice you make. Coon also enjoys working with the Mize family. They’ve always treated him well, he said, and are great to work for. Perhaps Coon is a small town man, but it is obvious he is happy with his life. “I’m carrying out a third generation’s worth of groceries now,” he said with a familiar smile. “I get to see a lot of people every day. It’s great.”
1993-2012
2000
The Year In Review Gladys Anderson of Goddard, a retired school teacher and long-time columnist for The Times-Sentinel, died on New Years Day at the age of 93. In January, Gambino’s Pizza of Cheney underwent a name change and became D’Mario’s. Services and employees at the restaurant and bowling alley remained the same. Wilbur Floyd, a long-time businessman, bank director and community volunteer, died in January. In January, Farmers Coop of Garden Plain and Cheney Coop announced a proposal to merge the two elevator operations. The merger proposal was approved by cooperative members in February. The Goddard Police Department was informed in January that it had been awarded a federal grant totaling nearly $70,000 to help fund an additional police officer over three years. In February, Times-Sentinel Newspapers finalized purchase of the The WestSide Story, a monthly newspaper covering west Wichita. Lawrence Lampe retired in February, ending a 50-year career with Farm Supply of Cheney, where he delivered LP gas to rural customers and helped out in the store. Cheney High School senior Locke Uppendahl was named in Febraury as a McDonald’s Basketball All-American finalist. In February, Garden Plain High graduate Virgil Puetz and Goddard High graduate Tish Buerki Dimick were inducted into the Friends University Hall of Fame.
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Isaac Stuhlsatz of Garden Plain won the second grade division of a statewide agriculture bumper sticker contest in March. In late March, Goddard special education teacher Janice Vredenburg, 52, was found murdered in her home. In April, Steve Rausch of Garden Plain was named as the 2A Basketball Player of the Year by the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame. Jan Vogel of Clearwater, human resources representative with Southern Kansas Telephone, retired in April after 25 years with the company. The Goddard High Lion Pride Band learned in April it had been selected to perform at halftime of the Outback Bowl on Jan 1, 2001. Retired Goddard teachers Sally Loomis and Mike Shay were honored with a reception in May. Loomis taught it for 46 years, and Shay for 31 years. In May, the city of Cheney agreed to purchase the former Gambles building at First and Main. It was later renovated as a City Hall facility. The Goddard High forensic team won the 5A State Championship in May. Parents and school officials in May began the process to have St. Joe Elementary School named as a charter school in Kansas. Long-time Cheney businessman Keith McMahan sold his car dealership in May and joined Lubbers Ford and Chevrolet as used car manager. The Cheney boys track team won the 3A State title in late May. Over Memorial Weekend, a new Avenue of Flags was dedicated at Cheney’s Fairview Cemetery, the result of efforts by local VFW and American Legion members.
The Goddard High wrestling team placed second in the 5A State Tournament in late February.
In June, Clearwater brothers Ross and Reece Pulliam competed in the Junior World Archery Championship in California.
Sisters Jenni and Lori Graf, seniors at Cheney High School, learned in March they would each be receiving $20,000 Leadership Scholarships and $1,300 academic scholarships to attend Newman University.
The Clearwater Board of Education in June approved a one-mill tax increase through the local Recreation Commission to help fund a new $1 million swimming pool project in the community.