20 Kansas University - University of Kansas · Area students graduate at Kansas University 20 Kansas University s Class of 7,000, ... During her 16 years as a lawmaker in ... Senator

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Area students graduate at Kansas University

Kansas University s Class of 20 7,000, including

2,555 who completed degree

work in summer and fall 2007.

Because KU conducts only one

formal commencement ceremony

each year, many of these candidates

for degrees will return Sunday, May

18, for the university s 136th commencement

procession into Memorial

Stadium. More than 4,000 memhers

of the Class of 2008 are expected

to participate.

Faculty and candidates for de

degrees will assemble about 2 p.m.

along Memorial Drive for the procession,

which begins at 2:30 p.m. The

program begins about 3:30 p.m. In

case of inclement weather, participants

should call KU Info, (785) 864-

3506, or listen to local radio and television

stations to learn the exact time

of the

Commencement information and an

up-to-date schedule of events are

available online at www.commencement.ku.edu.

Area graduates include:

Gregory M. Brunin, son of Dave

and Kathy Brunin, St. Marys,

BiochemistryBA, senior, Bachelor of

Arts/Biochemistry; Michele Lee Diesel,

daughter of Mary Diesel, St.

Marys, EconomicsBGS, senior,

Bachelor of General Studies/Economics;

Nicholas Allen Perry, son of

Jean Perry, ArIBFA, sŒæi r,B clŁlor

of Fine Arts/Art. All are St. Marys

High School graduates. Se age 19.

St. Marys StarSt. Marys,KS

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County:Pottawatomie

AreTtudents ) graduate from KU Co

Derek David Ronnebaum, son of

David and Beth Ronnebaum, Rossyule,

Sport ScienceBSE, senior,

Bachelor of Science in Education,

Rossville High School graduate.

Peter L Bollig, son of Jerry

Bollig, Silver Lake, PhilosophyBA,

senior, Est Asian Lang & Cultures

Minor & Bachelor of Arts/Philosophy;

Matthew A Bryant, son of Brad

and Nancy Bryant, Silver Lake,

EconomicsBA, senior, Bachelor of

Arts/Economics & Co-Major: International

Studies; Zachary Kent

Phelps, son of Kendall and Sherma

Phelps, Silver Lake, Political

ScienceBGS, senior, Economics Minor

& Bachelor of General Studies/

Political Science. All or graduates of

Silver Lake Junior/Senior High

School.

Preston Dean Hoobler, son of

Sidney Hoobler, Maple Hill, Communication

Studies BGS DECL, senior,

Bachelor of General Studies/

Communication Studies, Rossville

High School graduate.

Sharon Ann Johnson, daughter of

Wayne Johnson, Paxico, Sport Science

BSE, senior, Bachelor of Science

in Education, Wabaunsee Senior

High School, Alma, grad

St. Marys StarSt. Marys,KS


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ARuffd Leavenworth representa

By JoEI. WALSh J\ KgTi IE\V( Ri!! iNF(

A 16-year veteran member of the

Kansas House of Representatives,

Rep. Candy Ruff, D-Leavenworth, has announced she will not file for re-election

lit 2008.

It s been a lot of flirt, Ruff who

represents Kansas s 40th District,

which includes eastern Lansing, eastern

Leavenworth and parts of northern

Leavenworth County, said by

phone Friday. Ruff

She becomes the second longtime

Leavenworth County lawmaker this

year to announce plans to retire from the

Legislature. State Rep. Kenny Wilk, R-Lansing,

announced his decision to retire a week ago.

Ruff will receive a Ph.D. in Kansas and military

history from Kansas this spring

and plans to pursue a career in academia after

her departure from the Kansas House.

I told my husband I was going to get a tattoo

when I got my Ph.D., and he said, You re

going to get a job, Ruff said with a laugh.

During her 16 years as a lawmaker in

Topeka, Ruff was involved in a variety of issues.

She received the most recent attention as a

Leparture 7

tive not seeking re-deechief

sponsor of the Personal & Family

Protection Act, which passed in 2006

and opened the door for concealed

carry licenses in the state.

Her stance was seen as an unlikely

one for a female and a Democrat, Ruff admitted.

In the lexicon of politics, I consider

myself a conservative Democrat,

she added, saying, If anything, I think

the issues of gun rights and being a

law-abiding citizen are all above being

Republican or Democrat.

A former Army brat, a wife of a

retired MP and with a son who flew a

Chinook helicopter in Afghanistan in

2006, Ruff also said, I ve been very involved

in veterans issues.

She currently serves on the state Business,

Commerce and Labor, Arts and Cultural

Resources, Federal and State Affairs,

Judiciary and Rules and Regulations committees.

The vacancy already has drawn two candidates.

Democrats Melanie Meiers, a lieutenant

colonel in the Army Reserve, and Laura

Gasbarre, a Leavenworth city commissioner,

are set to vie for the 40th District seat in an

Aug. 5 primary election.

MirrorTonganoxie,KS


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E 61612

Who s

the boss? After arriving at Kansas State University

in 1986, K-State president Jon

Wefald (above) saw a lot of his peers at

what would eventually become Big 12

schools come and go over the years.

In the aftermath of Wefald s announcement

this week that he was

retiring in 2009, here s a glance at the

current leaders of all 12 conference

schools.

U Baylor University

President: John M. Lilley

Since when: November 2005

Compensation: $179,726

University of Colorado

Chancellor: G.R Bud Peterson

Since when: July2006


Iowa State University

President: Gregory Geoffrey

Since when: July2001


University of Kaisas

Chancellor: Robert Hemenway

Since when: 1995


Kansas State University

President: Jon Wefald

Since when: 1986


I University of Mlssoutl

Chancellor: Brady Deaton

Since when: October2004


University of Nebraska

President: James B. Mullen

Since when: August 2004


University of Oklthoma

President: David L. Boren

Since when: November1994


I Oklahoma State University

President: V. Burns Hargis

Since when: December2007


S University of Texas

President: William Powers Jr.

Since when: February 2006


Texas A&M President: Elsa A. Murano

Since when: Earlier this year

Compensation: N/A

I Texas Tech

President: Jon Whitmore

Since when: 2003

Compensation: $467,166 Sonrces Chronicle of 111i.r Education?

Enrollment climbed from 17,630 in

Wefald s first year to 23,332 last fall, a

32.3 percent increase. Here!s a look at

how enrollment changed at other Big

12 schools over that time:

School Fall 86 Fall 07 Change

Baylor 11,003 14,008 +27.3%

Colorado 22,946 28,988 +26.3%

lowaState 26,431 26,160 -1%

Kansas 28,259 29,260 +3.5%

Missouri 22,532 28,477 +26.3%

Nebraska 23,899 22,973 -3.8%

011 20,582 26,219 +27.3%

OSIJ 20,634 23,005 +11.5%

Texas 46,140 50,201 +8.8%

A&M 36,570 46 +27.2%

Tech 23,479 28,260 +20.3%

Topeka Capital-Journal

Topeka,KSCirc. 48220From Page:

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County:Shawnee

)Ufl f

IIO ( THE DOME By: Senator Derek Schmidt

2008 session concludes; here s a wrapup

TOPEKA The 2008

session of the Kansas legislature

concluded this past week. The

wrap-up session lasted eight days,

and the session overall lasted 90

days. A tew tughIights from the tmal

week, all of which I supported,

include:

Health care: We gave final

approval to legislation that will

expand eligibility for the state s

Healthwave insurance coverage

to several thousand more Kansas

kids, mostly in working families.

Some critics have suggested this

approach is defective because it

relies heavily on federal funding,

but that actually seems to me to

be one of its strengths - it builds on

a tried and true federal program

to provide coverage to more kids

without putting the full, burden

on Kansas taxpayers.

Education: We provided for

an increase in state education

funding by about $37 million,

which will match the rate of

inflation, for the 2009-10 school

year. The money to pay for this

fifth straight year of increase is

now set aside in a lockbox so it

will be there next year.

Budget: The final state

budget grows overall state

general spending by just over 5

percent, which is an improvement over recent years. Ever since the

school finance litigation and the

resulting infusion of new state

funds in 2005, the state budget has

been growing at an unsustainable

rate. This year s effort to reduce

the rate of growth - we almost

cut it in half from last year s rate

- is a first step toward putting the

budget on a sustainable footing.

Nonetheless, the next few years

look very difficult in terms of

balancing the state budget.

Children programs: The

final budget provides more than

$10 million in windfall money from the multi-state jobacco

litigation settlement to give a oii

time boost to pre-kindergarten programs m our state. Years ago,

the state made the commitment to use tobacco settlement money to promote the well-being of

children, and this decision carries

on that tradition. Because this is

windfall money from litigation,

and not taxpayer money, its use for

this purpose does not worsen the

state s overall budget situation.

Senior tax relief: The

legislature gave final approval

to tax-relief legislation that will

provide a new state income tax

credit to certain low-income senior

citizens.The provision will provide

more than $2 million per year in

tax relief to low-income senior

citizens for the first three years

and about $3.4 million per year in

relief after that. The tax bifi also

provides disaster-recovery help

and shifts part of the corporate

tax 1o of Kansas corporations

and onto multi-state corporations,:

doing business in Kansas.

Pharmacists: The final

budget provides funding to

expand the School of Pharmacy.:

at the versi of as. One of the argum n made m or ot

this funding was that many small, rural counties have no pharmacist:

and that one of the problems

(though not the only problem) is

that not enough pharmacy school graduates are being produced by our universities. -:

With the 2008 session now

concluded, except for the final

ceremonial adjournment on May,

29, it now is time to catch up on

paperwork. I ve appreciated all

the mail and emails you have sent.

during this legislative session,

and I hope to catch up on replying:

to those in the next few weeks.

The best way to reach me will

remain through my Topeka office

at the State Capitol, Room 390-E,.

Topeka, Kansas 66612 or by phone,

at (785) 296-2497. You also can e-

mail me through my Website at

wwwDerekSchmidt.com. .1

Wilson Co.Citizen

Fredonia,KSCirc. 3522

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County:Wilson

. .

Commission OI(s eciucatton triangle ror nanot

B ERIcK R. SCHMIDT

[email protected]

Leaders from the JJnhiesity

of Kansas and Kansas S joined forces

Thursday, and the result

was a step toward reality for

the Johnson County education

and research triangle.

The Johnson County Commission

voted unanimously

in favor of a public hearing

on the issue and to put it

on the ballot for the Nov. 4

election. The public hearing

likely will take place during

one of the commission s

Thursday morning meetings

in the next few weeks.

If approved, the proj

project would be funded by an

eighth-cent sales tax. The

project has been estimated

to stimulate $1.4 billion in

the economy and would

connect the KU Cancer

Center with the Edwards

Campus and the K-State

bioscience park in Olathe,

which will feature the

National Food and Animal

Health Institute.

KU Chancellor Robert i and K-State

President Jon Wefald spoke

together in favor of the

project, which they said

would stimulate economic

and educational growth not

only in Johnson County, but

throughout the state.

Our universities are competitive

with one another

on the athletic fields, but we

have come together today

in support a cause that will

provide Johnson Countians

and Kansans alike with the

opportunity for a victory in

which everyone is the winner,

Wefald said.

Hemenway said the first

phase of the project would

be the 75,000-square-foot

Business, Engineering and

Technology Center, which

he said would bring 10 new

degrees and 1,000 students

per year to the Edwards

Campus.

Both Hemenway and

Wefald spoke about the

benefit of bringing stateof-the-art

of-the-art facilities for both

animal and human health,

including cancer research,

to the area. Hemenway said

it would have countless benefits

for the county.

As a cancer survivor, I

know firsthand the importance

of having access to

exceptional care, he said. I

applaud the Johnson County

civic leaders who, in proposing

the triangle, have

recognized the importance

of finding a cure and new

treatments for cancer and

other diseases right here at

home.

The commission also

heard from others who

spoke in favor of the project.

Jorg Ohie, head of Bayer

Healt LLC s Animal

Health Division, spoke in

favor of the project.

We intended to shape

hers the future of the animal

health industry, Ohie

said.

Terry Calaway, president

of Johnson County Community

College, also asked

the commission to put the

project on the ballot and

said the college s relationship

with KU and K-State

had allowed the three institutions

to move toward a

common interest.

There is one thing we all

have in common: We all

want to do the right thing

for Johnson County, Calaway

said. This is a really

good idea, and this is a good

idea for right now.

Supporters Mary Birch

and Bob Regnier took questions

from the commission

for about an hour before

Commissioner Ed Eilert

made a motion to conduct

a public hearing and to put

the item on the ballot. The

motion passed 6-0, with

John Toplikar absent.

Olathe NewsOlathe,KSCirc. 4412

From Page:3

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County:Johnson

MARK BE WAR

SPORTS EDITOR

The time is 10:42 on a

Saturday morning. Do you know where yonr missing Johnson

Coo nty Kansas University basketball

fan is?

You might do well to begin

your search here, right outside

these closed doors that lead into

Bishop Miege High School in

Roeland Park. Here the gatherered

throngs stand in a pair of

lines that snake their way out of

sight around the building s edge,

out toward Reinhardt Drive and

presumably .... Lawrence?

Trust. It s a long line. The

patient multitudes have collected

to pay homage to the KU

Barnstormers, a group of traveling

KIT basketball seniors six

strong on tour to allow their

fans an up-close-and-personal

glimpse and maybe even a touch

of the 2008 NCAA men s basketball

championship.

Step right up.

PLACES, PLACES!

Long wait? Tell it to Au

Gascoigne and flm George, a

pair of 13-year-old Overland

Park residents and seventhgraders

graders at Indian Woods Middle

School. They are the very first

fans in line.

We woke up at 8. We got out

here at 9, Gascoigne explained,

with George nodding in agreement

while leaning against the

school s closed doors.

Predictably, the two are

decked in KU championship tshirts

and tote the famous Sports

illustrated with Mario Chalmers hitting The Shot on its cover.

Sometimes a bit of misinformation

can be a good thing. The

two OP kids came out operating

under the assumption the autograph

session with the KU players

- Russell Robinson, Sasha

Kaun, Darnell Jackson,

Rodrick Stewart, Brad

Witherspoon and Jeremy

Case began at 10.

When in reality, the event was

to begin at 10:30. Now at 10:45, it

will still be 10 or so more minutes

until these doors magically swing

open and lead the kids and hundreds

of others into an auditori

auditoriurn of Jayhawks, but it s all good.

Nobody ever turned around

10 minutes before McCartney or Ringo, and neither of those

guys ever took out Memphis in

overtime. So they wait.

ThE VIP TREATMENT

Actually, a group of a halfdozen

dozen or so wheelchair-bound

fans gathered quietly in the corner

of the auditorium got the

very first shot at their crimson

and blue stars.

Leading off, Bill Crow of

Prairie Village. Appropriately

Crow, well-known as a longtime

superfan for nearby Shawnee Mission East High School, gets a

friendly assist across the stage

from aiiother superfari, longtime

Miege superfan James

Brownie Browne. I just love being a Jayhawk,

Crow gushed. This has been a

dream year for us. I never

expected this after the Bucknell

and Bradley years. I ll leave it at

that, but you know what I

mean.

Highlights? Start the reel.

Russell (Robinson) came up to

me and shook my hand with a

big smile, Crow reported.

That meant a lot to me. And

Damell (Jackson) was very

easy to talk to.

Another accomplished mission:

Gascoigne and George got

their shirts and magazines

signed shortly after Crow

crossed the stage.

Meanwhile, one wonders if

Beatles security ever had to put

up with this

My fault, security guard

Mark Babcock said with a

frown. People are making off

with the nametags on the table

in front of the players. I should

have taped them down.

WELCOME TO THE FAMILY

KU signee and Miege senior

Travis Releford, one of the

lucky group of high school allstars

stars set to take on the

Bamstormers, looks right at

home signing autographs with the

other Jayhawks. So much so that

a photographer anived late and

now can t tell which guy signing

is the non.Jayhawks senior.

Even so Releford admitted to

Sasha Kaun, the KU senior seat-

seated

ed immediately to his left, that

he felt a little uneasy affixing his

signature to KU championship

memorabilia.

Kaun, who had become

acquainted with Releford when

the two sat together on an airline

flight last summer, immediately

put the new Jayhawks performer

at ease.

He said, You re part of the

family now, Releford later

reported. So you can sign it.

light.

THE DEFENSE RESTS

For the six people out there

who care, here it is: Final score,

KU Barnstormers 104, high

school all-stars from Miege, St.

Thomas Aquinas and Bishop

Ward 97.

Several times in the game s

final moments the high school

all-stars pulled to within five,

only to be instinctively rebuffed

by the Barnstormers.

Top scorers? Hey, you try

scoring this game at home, what

with kids coming out of the

stands, putting on Robinson s or

Case s jersey, and with the thing

dangling to their feet, putting up

shots for the Jayhawks team. Or sidelined player/coach

Stewart, still nursing a broken

kneecap, taking feeds, popping

shots and dishing assists. While

sitting on the KU bench. You get

the idea.

Halftime score: Barnstormers

60, high school all-stars 44.

Nice defense, gang.

Hey, notes Miege coach

Rick Zych, his eyes perusing

the packed house. They didn t

pay their 12 bucks to see

defense.

Point well-taken, if not the

shooters.

ALWAYS TIME FOR A FRIEND

Someone clues the KU Barnstormers in at halftime to

the fact a former KU footballer

is in the house, and before you

can say champs Kaun and

Case set sail across the packed

gym to touch base.

Paul Bower, a KU football

wide receiver from 1972 to 1976

and an Overland Park resident,

sits in a wheelchair along the far

baseline.

I was on Spring Break,

Johnson CountySun

OverlandPark,KS


11j5/14/2008

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County:Johnson

Bower explained. ÓI was body

surfing and a wave took me

headfirst into the sand. There

was spinal cord damage. IÒve

been working to get healthy

ever since. That happened in

March of 2007.Ô

ÓHow you doinÒ, man?Ô greets

Case upon arrival. ÓYou doinÒ all

right?Ô The three chat until

Kaun gets pulled away by a

schoolgirl for photo opp No.

2,026 of the day. Somewhere,

Ringo understands.

- ÓItÒs

ÓItÒs incredible how big they

are and how much athletic ability

lihey have,Ô marveled Bower.

ÓAtÒ pretty amazrng what these

kids can do. And itÒs fun to

watch them. No pressure on

Õthem. Just out there enjoying

life and enjoying the day.Ô

TAKE THAT, KID

Despite pregame assurances

to the contrary from Kaun and

Robinson, the KU guys came to

play a bit. You canÒt just turn

that spigot off. The high-school

all-stars loved it.

ÑIt was an awesome experience,Ô

St. Thomas Aquinas High

senior Keith McCullough, who

will attend Drury University on

a full scholarship next season,

said afterward. ÑFull house. One

of the best games IÒve played in,

to be honest. IÒll definitely tell

KU JATHAWKS OVERTAkE 11 A

NO PROBLEM Bishop Miege senior Travis Releford signs autographs for some of his young fans Saturday.

NOW WHAT? High school all-star Willie Reed meets with i in the person of the KU BarnstormetsÒ Sasha Kaun.

Johnson CountySun

OverlandPark,KS


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33830

KU Jayhawks overtake Mieg Conthiued from Page 10*

my grandkids.Ô

ÓThere was some trash-talkmg

between me and Jeremy

Case,Ô reported Miege senior

Jay Payton, who has yet to

affirm his college choice. ÓHe

told me to get out there (to

guard him). And of course he

made the shot.Ô

JAYHAWKS DREAMS It has been a couple hours

now since the grandfather held

up a No. 1 gesture for a camera

while kneeling alongside KUÒs

Robinson, seconds after a young

boy had done the very same.

Now a burgundy Lincoln Towncar putts along Johnson

Drive back toward civilization.

Even in traffic the balding,

middle-aged guy slows a bit to

look down and smooth out

some ruffles in the KU jersey he

had worn to Miege to get signed.

Whether you are 8, 18 or 88,

there are no wrinkles allowed

on a day this good.

Contact Mark Dewor at 385-

6061 or mdewavK pubUca!ions.com.

Johnson CountySun

OverlandPark,KS


12j5/14/2008

33830

1J Łiense, defense from New York, New York KU senior standout, NCAA champion Robinson offers insights, tips br improving defensively

MARK DEWAR

SPORTS tDITOR

On 9aturday, Kansas

University senior guard standout

Russell Robinson took a few

moments to share some -

insights with

Sun. readers

during an SUN

SPORTS

Q&A

appearance

at Bi.shop

Miege High

School.

_______________

Robinson

came to

Miege along with other

Jayhawks basketball seniors as

part of the KU Burnstor tou which comes on the heels

of KU 37-3 march to glory

awi the program fifth overall

all-time championship and

third NCM Championship.

The 6-1, 205-pound guard

proved a study in durability in

his final collegiate season. The

lone Jayhawks performer to

stail every game, he averaged

7.3 points and just overfour

assists per contest while defensively

finishing behind only

backeourt mate Mario

Chalmers for team honors in

steals n iU, 79.

Q. So just where is the

craziest place someone ever

hit you with the signature

New York ... New York!

that accompanied your every

introduction into KU home

games in Lawrence? A. (Thrning to Barnstormers

teammate Brad Witherspoon)

Where is that we were where

they did it really good? Ottawa.

Ottawa did New York, New

York real good. I kind of got a

little chill. Just a little chill.

Q. How much of basketball

defensive prowess is

want-to versus actual skill

if you were to attach a percentage

to it?

A. I d say 30 percent of it is

your technique, 70 percent of it

is your heart. The pride. When that stuff kicks in, that takes me

to another level defensively.

Q. How critical has your

abifity to play good defense

proven in achieving the things

you have in basketball?

A. It s critical because it adds

to my game. For me it creates

offense and it also takes pressure

off my other teammates.

They don t have to worry about

having to guard the best player

because they know Russell s got

it. It helps the team in a lot of

4 uan you snare one specific

defensive tip for the

young masses out there? For

one thing, you and Mario are

blessed with such great

anticipation. Can that be

learned at all?

A. At this level that s kind of

natural. You kind of know it.

But my thing is, you just work

hard and give a lot of effort, and

that will make up for a lot of

your deficiencies defensively.

Just work hard. Go as hard as

you can every play and that will

Johnson CountySun

OverlandPark,KS


11j5/14/2008

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County:Johnson

Q. Sitting a couple of

seats down from you at this

table is Travis Releford, a KU

signee and The SunÒs twotime

time Player of the Year. As

the senior veteran, what

advice would you pass along

to Travis to make his own transition to the Jayhawks

program easier?

A. Travis is good. HeÒs going

to be ii a great situation

because weÒre losing a lot of

seniors and itÒs going to be wide

open for him as far as plenty of

playing time. The more important

thing, heÒs been up to all the

games. HeÒs been in the locker

room. HeÒs familiar with the

guys. The adjustment is not

going to be as much for him as

somebody else.

Q. Your court vision is

outstanding. Where do you

fix your eyes in order to play

your very best defense?

A. You read eyes. ThatÒs the

way you anticipate the easiest.

Their body movement, the ball

sometimes. But the main thing

is, keep the guy in front of you

and good things will happen

from there.

Q. How about an update

on you, Russell?

A. I graduate (with a degree

in communication studies) next

Sunday. I walk. IÒll be done with

school. ThatÒs just as important

as winning the national championship.

Probably more important

for me and my family. Then

IÒm off to try to make the NBA.

Q. We see all these kids

walking around here decked

out in their Russell

Robinson gear today. When

you were growing up, did

you have that poster on the

wall, that guy you idolized

and wanted to emulate?

A. At a young age it was, of

course, Michael Jordan. As I got

older, guys like Ben Gordon,

New York area guys I always

looked up to. But unlike these

(fans), I never got a chance to

meet those guys and hang out

with them like I got to hang out

with these guys.

Q. Finally, you have posed

for a lot of pictures today

where either you or the fan

or both of you are holding up

the No. 1 gesture with index

fingers. It was a long time

coming. How does It feel to

finally be able to throw that

No. 1 up in the air?

A. (Laughing) ItÒs great. And

every once in a while it hits us,

like, ÑWow, we won the whole

national championship.Ò You

know, I guess weÒve been used

to seeing everybody else win it

and seeing other teams have

their success. HereÒs our

moment. So weÒre going to live

it up to the fullest and hopefully

bring another one home soon.

Gontact Mark Dewar at .985-

6061 or mdewar tions.coÒm.

GOOD SIGN KU fan Bill Crow of Prairie Village gets a friendly push

fitm James Brown Saturday and meets KU standout Russell Robinson.

Johnson CountySun

OverlandPark,KS


11j5/14/2008

33830

Gi new Cowley County

CASA executive director

Linda Jean Groth began as the

new executive cirector of CASA

of Cowley County on April 17.

Thanks to a grant from the

Legacy Foundation, Groth was

able to work with former CASA

director Mary Jarvis for two

weeks before Jarvis retired.

Because this is a solo position,

the CASA Board of Directors

was very grateful that the grant

enabled Groth to have some onthe-job

the-job training before her predecessor

left.

A graduate of Emporia State

University, Grot taTi graduate

level courses in public

administration from the

University of Kansas. She has a

to years experience as

executive director of two social

service agencies, most recently

for 13 years at Opportunity

Center, Inc. in Ponca City.

She has been an active participant

in the community where

ever she has lived.

The CASA Board of Directors

was pleased to hire a person of

such exceptional credentials and

experience as the new executive

director.

Groth was born and raised in

Cowley County and is a graduate

of Winfield High School. Having

been away from the area since

then, she has returned to Cowley

County to take the CASA position.

CASA, Court Appointed

Special Advocates, is a not-forprofit-agency

profit-agency that recruits, trains,

and supports volunteers who are

assigned to children who are

before the courts in need of care.

The most vulnerable individuals

in Cowley County, children

who have been abused or

neglected, are appointed an

advocate who monitors their

needs and reports to the court.

Due to limited funds and volunteers,

more children are in

need than are currently being

served. Donations from the community

are key in funding this

important work.

If you have interest in serving

as an advocate or in making a

financial contribution to the

CASA of Cowley County program,

phone Linda Groth at

(620) 221-6467.

Linda Jean Groth

Arkansas CityTraveler

ArkansasCity,KS


25/13/2008

34024

34024-05-13_2001

County:Cowley

HIGHLIGHTS

Amanda Wilson, daughter

of Wesley and Shirley Wilson

of Wichita, and Joseph Baldwin,

son of Peggy Baldwin of

Evans, Cob., were married

April 19, 2008, at Ascension

Lutheran Church in Wichita.

Pastor Mike Bingenheimer

officiated.

Kern Holding of Valley

Center was the bride s attendant.

Kern and the bride are

2004 graduates of Valley Center

High School. Joseph Giuga

of Brooklyn; N.Y., was best

man. He and the groom served

together in the U.S. Army and

in Iraq.

Flower girl was Jordan Q niece th and the ring bearer was Austin

Warren, cousin of the bride.

Others who assisted in the

wedding were ushers Daniel

Wilson, brother of the bride,

and Matthew Baldwin, brother

of the groom; Crystal Wilson,

sister of the bride, gift table

attendant; Karly Marshall,

cousin of the bride, guest book

attendant, and Michelle Warren,

cousin oi the bride, serving

table.

The couple will reside in

Colorado Springs, Cob., following

Amanda s graduation

from Emporia State University

in May. Joseph is now based at

Fort Carson, Cob.

i.t.t.

Seth D. Houston of Valley

Center, Peggy P. Arnold

of Park City and Sabra Parris

of Bel Aire will be honored

May 16 by Butler Community

Co1legeas 08 Order of the Purple. To

be eligible for the Order of

the Purple, students must have

completed 30 hours at Butler Cot College and have

a 3.75 or highercumulative

grade point average. The ceremony

will be at 7 p.m. in the

Butler Gymnasium in the 500

building at the El Dorado campus,

901 S. Haverhill Road.

ttt

Bradye Peniston, a 2008

graduate of Valley Center High

School, will receive a $4,000

Red and Black Scholarship to

attend the University of Central

Missouri in Warrensburg, Mo.,

next year. She is the daughter

of Steve and Brenda Peniston.

.ttt

Lisa Long of Valley Center

will take part in Bethel

College s 115th Commencement

May 25 in North Newton.

Baccalaureate service will

be at 10a.m. in Bethel College

Mennonite Church, with

commencement at 2:30 p.m.

Both are open to the public.

Long completed her coursework

work in December 2007 for a

bachelor s degree in business

administration.

ttt

Ten area students have been

announced as candidates for

degrees at the 1( during 111136th commencement

May 18 at Memo

ia4.S in-Lawronce. Valley Center High School

graduates are Mara Michelle

Bertsch, daughter of Bruce

and Brenda Bertsch, who will

receive a degree in history;

Matthew Joseph Smarsh, son

of Betty Getz, communication

studies, and Kyleigh Marie

Rice, daughter of Angela

Gragg, nursing.

.Erin N. Gunzelman,

daughter of Debra and Leo

Gunzelman of Valley Center,

will receive a degree in general

studies. Louisa M. Lipke, also

of Valley Center, will receive a

degree in nursing.

Heights High School graduates

are Taylor Denise Mcintosh,

daughter of Iris McIntosh,

general studies; Bryce Justin

Edgar, son of Terry and Lisa

Edgar, master s in accounting

and information systems;

Mathew Alan Graham, son of

Brad Graham, general studies;

Maria Ahmad, daughter of

Basharat and Bushra Ahmad,

East Asian language and

cultures, and Jenna Logan

Brewer, daughter of Jeff and

Ark ValleyNews

ValleyCenter,KSCirc. 1993

From Page:3

5/15/200834100

34100-05-15_3001

County:Sedgwick

Amanda and

)oseph Baldwin

Ark ValleyNews


From Page:3

5/15/200834100

Jill Brewer, general studies.

ttt Sharon Gleason was honored

May 5 at a retirement dinner

for her 22 years of service

to USD 259. She spent all 22

years at Harry Street Elementary.

She was in teaching for

37 years, including 15 years

in Missouri. Sharon and her

husband, Tom, live in Valley

Center.

lii.

Wichita State University hasTI Õ of incoming freshman scholarships

for the 2008-09 school

year to the following 2008

Valley Center High School

graduates: Braden Schoentha1cr,

Stephanie Balleau, JacobÕ

Beming, Courtney Spangler,

Rachel Kohr, Jennifer Decker,

Christopher Dolezal, Bradley

Schuessler, Tyler Lohmann,

Kristen McCune, Daniel

Herman, Con Durham, Alec

Toews, Ashley G1 Rachel

Safarik, Austin Rogers, Eric

Ruby, Stephanie Capps, Amanda

Fontes, Justin White, Cory

Pugh and Gretchen Wiswell.

Each award amount ranges

from $1,000to $10,000. The

scholarships are awarded based

- academic achievement and

extracurricular involvement.

ttt

Emily Elizabeth Green of

Valley Center and John Michael

Maier of Augusta have

announced their engagement.

Emily is the daughter of Michael

and Rebecca Green, also

ofÒValley Center.. Jol is the

son of Jerry and Brenda Maier,

also of Augusta.

The bride-elect is a graduate

of Valley Center High School.

The prospective .bridegroom

is a graduate of Augusta High

School. They are both students

at Wichi e Univ

wor ing toward a bachelorÒs

degree in exercise scienc

A June 21, 2008, wedding

has been set.

lii-

0 _I I

411U r YVilliamS

of Valley Center will celebrate

their 50th wedding anniversary

with an open house from 2 to

4 p.m. May 31 in the Wesley

Celebration Center of the First

United Methodist Church, 560.,

N. Park, Valley Center. Their

children, Bruce and Denise

Williams and Loretta Thomas,

will host the event.

Roger retired as a meter

reader supervisor from Kansas

Gas and Electric in 1990 after

34 years service. Karen retired

from Sedgwick County Educational

Services Cooperative in

2000 after 24 years service.

Roger Williams and Karen

Johnson were married May

31, 1958, at Bentley Methodist

Church in Bentley.

ttt

Trenton Albrecht, 2005Ò

Valley Center High School

valedictorian, will graduate

Summa Cum Laude May 16

from Wichita State Univer&

He wi ive a ou e major

in math and computer science.

Trenton plans to pursue

a masterÒs degree in math and

continue working for a software

and Wet site development

company.

ttt

Stephanie Dianne Winn,

daughter of Richard and Terria

ÑWinn, has received the Amsden

Award from the Kress Founda

Foundation Department of Art History

at the University of Kansas.

The

ing the 33rd annual Amsden Awards Ceremony on May 2.

The Amsden Book Awards

were established in 1976 by

the late Floyd and B Amsden of Wichita. Faculty

members and graduate teaching

assistants selected winners

based on classroom excellence

regardless of class level or

major. More than 45 students

received books on subjects in

which they excelled.

ri-t

Õ The Bel Aire Senior Center

will be hosting two events in

May to celebrate Older Amencans

Month. There will be an

open house from 3 to 5 p.m.

May 18 to showcase the center

and its services and events.

Ark ValleyNews


From Page:3

5/15/200834100

There will be an Artsfest at

7 p.m. May 31 at the center

featuring area senior artists,

musicians and poets. Refreshments

will be served at both

events. For more information,

contact the center at 744-2451,

ext. 121.

ff1.

, zD o Aire has been selected for the

Council on Legal Education

OpportunityÒs (CLEO) Sophomore

Summer Institute, June

8-28, at the Northern Illinois

University School of Law in

DeKaIb, Ill.

The CLEO Sophomore

Summer Institute has been

held annually since 2003 and

aims to prepare students from

diverse racial, ethnic, socioeconomic

and geographic

backgrounds for the challenges

of law school admission and

academic preparation. CLEO is a nonprofit project of the

American Bar Association.

This year, about 20 students

from across the nation are participating

in the institute.

Williams is an honors student

majoring in international

studies and journalism and

mass communications (strategic

communications), and

plans to pursue a law degree.

He is the son of Kevass and

Teketa Harding and a graduate

of Wichita Northeast Magnet

School. As a high school stadent,

he participated in KUÒs

Black Leadership Symposium.

)ohn Maler and

Emily Green

Roger and Karen

Williams

Ark ValleyNews


From Page:3

5/15/200834100

CHS senior receives

KU scholarship

Times News Report

[email protected]

Daniel Per.sons, a

senior at Circle High

School, was awarded

Kansas Universi Geographic

Scholarship.

The renewable scholarship

is valued at

$10,000 over four

years.

Persons has been accepted

into KU s master

of architecture program

for the fall of 2008.

El Dorado TimesEl Dorado,KS


45/12/2008

34174

34174-05-12_4001

County:Butler

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