2009 Vision Leadership Class celebrates graduation

The Rooks County Vision Leadership program saw the number of alumni expand by 10 this year with the addition of the 2009 class. On Wednesday, December 16, the class, along with approximately 25 alumni from each of the previous five classes, celebrated the completion of the 2009 program. The event was once again held at Cedar Links Country Club.

Recognized for their participation in this years program were: Nicole Armbrister, Kelly Arnberger, Ashley Bedient, Billie Chesney, Denae Denio-Odle, Lincoln Griffin, Nicole Keas, Shannon Mongeau, Shari Tucker, and Jeff Werner.

One of the highlights of this years class was the inclusion of three high school students. "Including high school students in the leadership training has been a goal of mine for several years, and I couldn't have been more happy with the participation and insight from Nicole, Billie, and Lincoln" said program director Roger Hrabe. "We talk so much about keeping our young people at home, but so often we don't include them in our decision making. If we truly expect them to feel good about staying, or coming home once they leave, we should let them know that their input and their inclusion in what we do is important to us."

A requirement of the program is to complete a class project, and several of the class members talked about the status of their projects this year. Examples of projects included a book program for children ages 1-5, safe Halloween activities, a community water project, a fair parade, community website help, and mentoring for elementary students. In previous years, projects by Vision alumni have included Plainville's Hometown Christmas, county 5th graders to a FHSU basketball game, park projects, reflective rural address signs, and benches outside a school, just to name a few.

If you are interested in participating in the 2010 Vision class, or would just like to know more about leadership activities, contact Economic Development Director Roger Hrabe at 785-425-6881 or e-mail at rooksed@ruraltel.net.

(Class picture identification, L to R, Nicole Armbrister, Denae Denio-Odle, Lincoln Griffin, Nicole Keas, Shannon Mongeau, Shari Tucker, and Jeff Werner. Not pictured are Kelly Arnberger, Ashley Bedient, and Billie Chesney)

Kansas Magazine features Comeaus

The "C" is for Chuck, the "S" for Shirley, "Post" is from The Pineapple Post in Plainville and "Co." is for managers Norman and Sandy Keller plus a staff that keeps things interesting at the Hays store of simple luxuries: C.S. Post & Co.

Chuck and Shirley Comeau, who reside in Plainville, are featured in the winter edition of Kansas Magazine. The article focuses on how C.S. Post & Co. came into being and how the Comeau family has taken a love for small towns, unique design, and a need to fill the customers' dignified taste into successful retail businesses in Hays and Plainville.

Kansas Magazine is online at www.KansasMag.com, and you can follow them Twitter @KANSASMag or follow them on Facebook at facebook.com/KansasMagazine.

Main St. Gallery & Jasmine's Asian Cafe in the news

In a time when it seems difficult to find the positive things that are going on in our rural communities, it is refreshing to see a couple of positive articles on Rooks County businesses.

Main Street Gallery in Stockton and Jasmine's Asian Cafe were both featured recently in the Hays Daily News. You can read the articles by going to the Rooks County website at www.rookscounty.net and clicking on the articles under "The Latest News" column.

Happy Frog Pond opens in the Damar

On Saturday, November 7th, 2009, The Happy Frog Pond in Damar celebrated it Grand Opening. Kaylon Roberts, who owns the building and funded it's refurbishment, gave a speech and dedicated the establishment "To all of our ancestors, who, like ourselves, experienced long hours of hard work and many hardships. At the end of the week, they took time to gather together, relax, and enjoy themselves. Here's to us keeping with that tradition."

The Happy Frog Pond is a non-smoking establishment. It is open from 3pm-midnight Mon-Sat and is located on Main Street in Damar. You are invited to come out on Sat, Nov 14th for karaoke, every Tuesday night for Pinochle and every Wednesday night for Poker.

Click here to view pictures from that evening:
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Vision Leadership class views county with "new eyes"

Ten individuals from around Rooks County have enrolled in the 2009 version of the Rooks County Vision Leadership program. One of their first assignments was to view the county or their community with "new eyes."

Often times we are so accustomed to seeing things in our communities that we pass by the really good stuff. We miss what is right in front of us. Stockton High School student Billie Chesney summed up her experience this way, "I visited a piece of our property that I had been to before, but it had been a while, and when I saw it this time, I realized how beautiful it was and how out of the way. It was like I had seen it for the first time."

Other participants in the class visited places such as the old dugout cave west of Stockton on Highway 24 that was used by African Americans traveling to the west as an overnight stop because of unfavorable ordinances in the towns of the times.

The Vision Leadership class is now in it's 6th year in Rooks County and has had over 50 participants. Emphasis in class is placed on learning styles, moving groups to performance, visionary thinking, and facilitation from the chair.

To find out more about the Vision Leadership program, visit www.rookscounty.net/rcvision.htm.

BYOLC attracts a crowd in Damar

Ninety people from around the state sat in lawn chairs on Damar's main street to hear local leaders describe numerous projects that have kept their town of 150 viable.

The mayor, the elementary school principal, several citizens, and the county economic development director related how they've accomplished numerous projects from a playground to improving city infrastructure. They've restored one of the most beautiful churches in the state and have started construction on a community building. They've kept a cafe open by selling community shares. A group of women spearheaded an effort to paint a block's worth of buildings with a French motif and have opened a gift store called Fleur de lis. The elementary school has increased enrollment every year for the last five years.

After the hour-long lawn chair meeting, the crowd dispersed to shop, eat in the cafe, tour the church, and buy stamps.

The Kansas Sampler Foundation organizes "Bring Your Own Lawn Chair" events as a means to educate their Kansas Explorers Club members and the public about the value of rural communities. The next BYOLC event will take place in Howard in Elk County on Saturday, Sept. 5 at 11:30 a.m. The public is invited to explore the town before and after the meeting.

Damar to host BYOLC event

Bring Your Own Lawn Chair (BYOLC) comes to Damar on August 29.

Event Type: Kansas Explorers Club function
Date: 08-29-2009 (10:00 - 02:00) Additional Schedule Info: Lawn chair meeting at 10 a.m. on main street. Location: Damar main street Event Website: www.kansassampler.org/kansasexplorersclub/page.php?id=236 FREE EVENT!!

Info: Start coming at 9 a.m. to buy stamps at the post office. St. Joseph's Church, Damar Cafe will be open before and after our hour"ish" meeting. See the French motifs painted on buildings and hear about the projects and gumption of Damar folks!