HILLSBORO Star-Journal

Parents: Grade scale a 'disadvantage'

A group of parents urged the USD 410 Board of Education on Monday to change the grading scale at Hillsboro schools. The parents said the high school’s grading scale — which requires a 94 percent or above for an A, 86 percent for a B, 78 percent for a C, and 70 percent to pass — puts Hillsboro High School graduates at a disadvantage when applying to colleges and for scholarships compared with students who are graded on a 90-80-70-60 scale.

Council OKs Sunday liquor sales

Hillsboro City Council voted Tuesday to allow cereal malt beverage and liquor sales on Sundays. Don Vinduska, owner of R&D Liquor, was in the store on a recent Sunday and noticed several potential customers approaching the store until they realized it was closed. Because of that, he requested the city consider allowing sales on Sundays. Marion County and the City of Marion allow sales on Sundays.

Census shows cities shrinking

The 2010 census statistics were primarily bad news for cities in Marion County. There were only two cities in the county, according to the U.S. Census, that saw population growth — Hillsboro had 139 residents moving to the community in the past 10 years and Ramona nearly doubled its population going from 94 people to 187 in a decade.

County hires emergency manager

Marion County Commission hired Dan D’Albini of Hillsboro as the county’s emergency management director Monday after a series of closed sessions. He worked as a 911 dispatcher for 18 months in 2007 and 2008 and currently is manager of Wendy’s, Hillsboro. D’Albini will assume the duties on April 11.

Jail meetings scheduled

Marion County Commission will have public forums across the county to discuss the existing jail and a proposal for a new jail. Meeting times and locations include:

Carr will stand trial for child's death

A jury trial of a former Peabody man charged in the death of 19-month-old baby will be the week of April 25. Chad Carr, who is charged with first degree felony murder in the March 2010 death of Vincent Hill, his girlfriend’s son, did not reach a plea deal Friday in a settlement conference.

Oliver Barokat

Word has been received of the death Feb. 4 of Oliver Wendell “Ollie” Barokat, 91, of Kanawha City, W. Va. He was born Jan. 13, 1920, in Hillsboro, to August and Olga (Patzkowski) Barokat. His parents and a sister, Ada Hotchkin, preceded him in death.

Jay Bowman

Jay D. Bowman, 69, of Smith Center, died March 7 at his home. Born June 20, 1941, in Smith County, to Vernon and Eldora (Freburg) Bowman, he was a retired telephone technician.

Dee Cheek

Word has been received of the death of Dee Cheek, 71, of Ames, Iowa, March 3, from multiple health issues. He was preceded in death by his parents, Roy and Mildred Cheek, and his younger brother, Jerry.

Elizabeth Helmer

Elizabeth Helmer, 99, of Durham, died March 10 at Parkside Homes, Hillsboro. Born June 20, 1911, in Moscow, Russia, to George and Mary (Lornz) Meier, she was a homemaker.

Cornelius Lohrenz

Cornelius P. Lohrenz, 95, passed away March 13, 2011. Cornelius was born March 30, 1915, near Collinsville, Okla. He was the third of seven children born to the Rev. Gerhard W. and Mary (Penner) Lohrenz. He received his early school experience in the Sperry, Okla., school system. When he was 13, the family left Oklahoma and moved to Marion County.

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Growth is not by accident

Most of us knew when the census was conducted this past year, the news would not be the best. It’s evident in some of our communities the population had decreased with decreasing school enrollment and vacant homes. When I talked with Hillsboro Administrator Larry Paine and Ramona Mayor Pat Wick, they said success has to be planned. Hillsboro has loaded their front line with ambassadors who are familiar with the community. Ramona has had a two-woman force when the whirlwinds from California came to town 10 years ago and began a campaign to save Ramona.

Legislative update

The judiciary committee held hearings on the “immigration” bill. It is based on the Arizona law about “illegal aliens.” I learned there are people in Kansas who entered the country illegally, people who came legally and work legally, and some came legally whose visas had expired and have yet to hear from the federal government about visa extensions — called “out of status,” but not “illegal.” We also heard of “undocumented workers.” The bill has three components — E-verify, public benefits, and enforcement.

One woman's view

Although managing editor Susan Berg expressed my opinion of the Supreme Court verdict in the Westboro Baptist Church case, I cannot resist adding my two cents’ worth. President Harry S. Truman expressed my conviction eloquently when he said, “In the cause of freedom, we have to battle for the rights of people with whom we do not agree, and whom, in many cases, we may not like. These people test the strength of the freedoms, which protect all of us. If we do not defend their rights, we endanger our own.” A case I consider parallel to this one occurred in the spring of 1977, when the largely Jewish village of Skokie, Ill, obtained a circuit court injunction to ban a demonstration in their city by the National Socialist Party. In the following series of appeals, the American Civil Liberties Union defended the Nazis. The ACLU stuck to its guns in spite of the fact that 15 to 20 percent of their members left the organization in protest. In the Illinois affiliate, 30 percent resigned.

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HMS student advances to state geography bee

Hillsboro Middle School eighth-grader Grant Knoll will compete in the 2011 Kansas Geographic Bee, April 1 at the Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum in Abilene. Grant won the school bee Jan. 12 and took a qualifying test. With a score in the top 100 in Kansas, he qualified for the state bee.

Lady Trojans secure third place in Class 3A

Revenge is sweet and the timing was perfect. Less than 18 hours after having their hopes of a Class 3A state girls basketball title crumble at the hands of eventual champ Wichita Collegiate, the Hillsboro High School Lady Trojans were left with the tough task of having to regroup to try for third place Saturday afternoon at Hutchinson.

A house with a view

Building and remodeling houses is an enjoyable enterprise to Garry Dunnegan of Wichita — that is why he bought the property at 73 Lakeshore Drive at Marion County Lake. Dunnegan has performed drafting and engineering for construction projects throughout the country for the past 20 years. The house at 73 Lakeshore Drive is Dunnegan’s third project at Marion County Lake: he renovated the former Kingfisher Inn and the house at 3 Prairie Lane.

School gardens in flux

Garden programs at Goessel and Centre schools lost a valuable resource during the winter, but the schools are doing their best to keep the programs going. Whispering Cottonwood Farms and Educational Center President Kirk Cusick directed both schools’ gardening programs in 2010, but grants that funded his involvement ceased during the winter.

Garage serves as 'man cave'

Gerald Kelsey wanted a second garage so he could keep both of his cars safe from weather damage. Kelsey and wife Sharon have a single car garage connected to their house at 415 S. Coble St., Marion, that they are now using for storage. “We had some external damage two years ago,” Kelsey said. “We had to have a new roof on the house.”

Farm calls to family

To make their retirement home at 510 S. Wilson, Hillsboro, just right, Raymond and Margie Just wanted to add on to their family room. The 14-by-16-foot has been constructed and it only needs to be adorned with drapes and decorations.

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