We have a lot to be thankful for, despite any problems — personal or communal. And Thursday is the day to give thanks, although we really should do so every day.
Charles, the last one who identified himself in responding to my last blog, said I should "get in the game." So that's what I'm doing today. He's right; I don't blog much, I guess I'm old style — it's not something I'm used to doing and, to be honest, something that is a bit uncomfortable for me. After all, when you blog it's "out there" — way out in cyberspace; and that's not the way I'm used to communicating.
Oh well. Here goes:
• We may choose to be thankful for life, given us by our Creator, or God, as I believe. It isn't perfect and we aren't perfect. But we do the best we can, and we seek guidance and we go on, thankful for every day. We use our talents as best we can.
• We may choose to be thankful for our loved ones who support us, listen to us and often offer us a helping hand.
• We may choose to be thankful we live in a land of plenty where many have adequate food and shelter, though some still suffer. But there are worse places to be than in the U.S.A.
• We in Ark City may choose to be thankful for the benefits of small-town life — a generally friendly atmosphere, people who smile and wave, plenty of churches, short commuting distances, brick streets.
There are lots of other things to be thankful for. I welcome anyone to add comments to this blog and list some others.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Hoop Dreams II
Yes, I'm a big basketball fan. Have been since an early age. The basketball scene in Arkansas City looks pretty good this year, especially at Cowley College where a nationally ranked team is playing several home games on the W.S. Scott Auditorium court.
Speaking of the Auditorium court, it was on this same court, years ago, that the Harlem Globetrotters played. I was just a young boy then but it was a real thrill to see the famed "Goose" Tatum and Meadowlark Lemon go through their bag of tricks while showing tremendous basketball skills. Impressive and funny at the same time. The late Tatum was called the "clown prince" of basketball, as I recall.
The Harlem style of basketball will return to Ark City early next year, but not at the Auditorium, which I am told was already scheduled for a Cowley Tigers event that day. Too bad, because I think W.S. Scott — which used to be called simply the Auditorium-Gymnasium — is the perfect place for a big community event like this.
Anyhow, the Early Bird Lions Club is putting together a team of 25 to play against the Harlem Ambassadors, a team of men and women players who play in the Harlem style featuring high-flying slam dunks and dazzling ball-handling tricks.
The game is scheduled for 7 p.m. Jan. 22 at the Arkansas City High School gym. Admission is $6 in advance or $8 at the door.
I hope to attend.
The Harlem Ambassadors team has players that are drug-free, college-educated and positive in appearance, according to a flyer on the group provided by the Lions club. They are committed to giving their audience quality family entertainment and serving as positive role models for young people.
BACK TO THE HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS:
The Ambassadors are patterned on the Harlem Globetrotters who played games against Ark City teams in the 1950s. Among the Globetrotter greats seen here during that decade wer Tatum and Lemon.
According to Traveler archives, the Globetrotters first came to town for a game March 9, 1951 in the Auditorium-Gymnasium.
The big star with the Globetrotters then was Duke Cumberland, a 16-year veteran with the team.
Former Ark City teachers and coaches were among the players who represented Ark City. The local Jaycees team included Fred Humphries, Orville Gregory, Bunt Speer, Gene Snyder, Charles Sewell and Dick Hatfield.
The Globetrotters won that game 62-41.
"In the second half, the Trotters treated the audience with several of their more famous tricks, including Duke Cumberland's attempt at kicking a field goal, the touchdown play and the elusive ball tricks," reported sports writer John Ogren.
Speaking of the Auditorium court, it was on this same court, years ago, that the Harlem Globetrotters played. I was just a young boy then but it was a real thrill to see the famed "Goose" Tatum and Meadowlark Lemon go through their bag of tricks while showing tremendous basketball skills. Impressive and funny at the same time. The late Tatum was called the "clown prince" of basketball, as I recall.
The Harlem style of basketball will return to Ark City early next year, but not at the Auditorium, which I am told was already scheduled for a Cowley Tigers event that day. Too bad, because I think W.S. Scott — which used to be called simply the Auditorium-Gymnasium — is the perfect place for a big community event like this.
Anyhow, the Early Bird Lions Club is putting together a team of 25 to play against the Harlem Ambassadors, a team of men and women players who play in the Harlem style featuring high-flying slam dunks and dazzling ball-handling tricks.
The game is scheduled for 7 p.m. Jan. 22 at the Arkansas City High School gym. Admission is $6 in advance or $8 at the door.
I hope to attend.
The Harlem Ambassadors team has players that are drug-free, college-educated and positive in appearance, according to a flyer on the group provided by the Lions club. They are committed to giving their audience quality family entertainment and serving as positive role models for young people.
BACK TO THE HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS:
The Ambassadors are patterned on the Harlem Globetrotters who played games against Ark City teams in the 1950s. Among the Globetrotter greats seen here during that decade wer Tatum and Lemon.
According to Traveler archives, the Globetrotters first came to town for a game March 9, 1951 in the Auditorium-Gymnasium.
The big star with the Globetrotters then was Duke Cumberland, a 16-year veteran with the team.
Former Ark City teachers and coaches were among the players who represented Ark City. The local Jaycees team included Fred Humphries, Orville Gregory, Bunt Speer, Gene Snyder, Charles Sewell and Dick Hatfield.
The Globetrotters won that game 62-41.
"In the second half, the Trotters treated the audience with several of their more famous tricks, including Duke Cumberland's attempt at kicking a field goal, the touchdown play and the elusive ball tricks," reported sports writer John Ogren.
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Ark City's Identity Crisis
I attended today's local hospital board meeting and was glad to hear from Dr. Bob Yoachim that the doctors of this town have a vision for a new hospital. Presumably, this vision will be communicated to the public between now and the November election.
Arkansas City voters who participate in the November election may be doing more than just electing a new President and making choices on others running for office. They may also vote "yes" or "no" on whether to fund a new hospital with a half-cent sales tax. That's where hospital officials, doctors and staff come in. They will hold public meetings to explain the plan to build a hospital 2 miles north of town. And they will be backed by city officials because South Central Kansas Regional Medical Center is basically a city hospital. Or is it?
The current hospital's name indicates it's a regional hospital and that's a worthy goal. I'm not sure we've reached it yet; hence, the doctors push to help make the vision a reality by building a new hospital out of town, so we can draw other patients besides Ark City residents from other parts of the county.
It all sounds nice and I may even choose to pay a half-cent sales tax to support the project. But something's missing.
I feel disconnected from this project just as I have from several other community projects over the past 30 years or so. All of them have names indicating something other — or beyond Ark City — like the current hospital's long name. Same thing with some of the institutions in town that have the word "Area" added to "Arkansas City."
All of this to me indicates a lack of pride in our town as a town, not just as a part of a county or a region.
The fact that most people responding to the Traveler's current on-line poll on the proposed new hospital location are against it being placed out near Strother Field shows I am not the only one who feels disconnnected. Many people do. The medical officials and city officials of town may all be on the same page but the citizens aren't there with them.
Disconnection can lead to alienation and alienation indicates a serious problem, in my opinion. If citizens of this town feel disaffected or aliented, that means it's going to be hard to unify on a common goal or vision for the town — and I'm talking about a larger picture than just a new hospital. Some of our city leaders may be unified but without the backing of the people, how far are we going to get as a town?
The word on the street is that people are leaving Ark City to go live in Winfield or elsewhere. For the first time in the history of the county we've lost our number one position as having the biggest population. (I'm pretty certain I'm right on this — at least it's been that way over the past 61 years I've been around.)
It seems to me we need to unify if we're going to get anywhere as a town. I suggested to one Ark City businessman recently that the entire town needs to take a sabbatical year — yes, I know that's not realistic, but it's a sort of "vision" like the doctors' vision. Everyone in town could gather for talks and meals together in the W.S. Scott Audiorium, and discuss what we want to do as a town, how we want to grow, what kind of life we want to provide for our children and grandchildren.
Problem is, the old Auditorium-Gymnasium no longer is a community gathering place as in the old days; it now belongs to Cowley College. But Cowley is a good citizen and does a great job in educating young people. Maybe the college would let us use the gym, or maybe we could all chip in and pay to use it.
Would we get the job done in a year? It might take longer, like the hospital deal, but who knows we might grow closer as a community.
Arkansas City voters who participate in the November election may be doing more than just electing a new President and making choices on others running for office. They may also vote "yes" or "no" on whether to fund a new hospital with a half-cent sales tax. That's where hospital officials, doctors and staff come in. They will hold public meetings to explain the plan to build a hospital 2 miles north of town. And they will be backed by city officials because South Central Kansas Regional Medical Center is basically a city hospital. Or is it?
The current hospital's name indicates it's a regional hospital and that's a worthy goal. I'm not sure we've reached it yet; hence, the doctors push to help make the vision a reality by building a new hospital out of town, so we can draw other patients besides Ark City residents from other parts of the county.
It all sounds nice and I may even choose to pay a half-cent sales tax to support the project. But something's missing.
I feel disconnected from this project just as I have from several other community projects over the past 30 years or so. All of them have names indicating something other — or beyond Ark City — like the current hospital's long name. Same thing with some of the institutions in town that have the word "Area" added to "Arkansas City."
All of this to me indicates a lack of pride in our town as a town, not just as a part of a county or a region.
The fact that most people responding to the Traveler's current on-line poll on the proposed new hospital location are against it being placed out near Strother Field shows I am not the only one who feels disconnnected. Many people do. The medical officials and city officials of town may all be on the same page but the citizens aren't there with them.
Disconnection can lead to alienation and alienation indicates a serious problem, in my opinion. If citizens of this town feel disaffected or aliented, that means it's going to be hard to unify on a common goal or vision for the town — and I'm talking about a larger picture than just a new hospital. Some of our city leaders may be unified but without the backing of the people, how far are we going to get as a town?
The word on the street is that people are leaving Ark City to go live in Winfield or elsewhere. For the first time in the history of the county we've lost our number one position as having the biggest population. (I'm pretty certain I'm right on this — at least it's been that way over the past 61 years I've been around.)
It seems to me we need to unify if we're going to get anywhere as a town. I suggested to one Ark City businessman recently that the entire town needs to take a sabbatical year — yes, I know that's not realistic, but it's a sort of "vision" like the doctors' vision. Everyone in town could gather for talks and meals together in the W.S. Scott Audiorium, and discuss what we want to do as a town, how we want to grow, what kind of life we want to provide for our children and grandchildren.
Problem is, the old Auditorium-Gymnasium no longer is a community gathering place as in the old days; it now belongs to Cowley College. But Cowley is a good citizen and does a great job in educating young people. Maybe the college would let us use the gym, or maybe we could all chip in and pay to use it.
Would we get the job done in a year? It might take longer, like the hospital deal, but who knows we might grow closer as a community.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Conversation with a Ghost
I was sitting in a remote corner of the public library the other day when a ghost from Ark City's past appeared. He was dressed in a white short-sleeve shirt and a tie and he looked mad.
"What's this I read in The Traveler?" the ghost said. "Someone said in a column that someone else said 'Winfield is a nicer town.' We never thought so."
Who's we? I asked. "All the town's movers and shakers of old. What do today's movers and shakers think? Who are the movers and shakers?"
I was tongue-tied, couldn't come up with an answer. All I could think of was who was on different boards, such as the Arkalalah board, the city commission, the hospital board, the Strother board, the economic development board, the county board, the Burford board, and so on. It was all very perplexing. I couldn't see how it all fit together.
That was quite a shock, seeing that apparition. He went on to say other stuff, about how the town was "tighter" now. Lots of needless rules and regulations, nobody smiling, lots of griping, people not wanting to work together, no common vision. Everyone out for themselves.
Later that day, I took a drive down B Street, from Fifth Avenue north to Kansas Avenue. I saw some really nice houses, and others that weren't so nice; they needed a paint job or the lawn mowed or stuff removed from their front yards. I counted six "For Sale" signs.
After I got my lunch, I drove back on A Street, south from Kansas to Fifth Avenue. Same state of affairs with the houses — some nice and others not so nice. I counted 10 "For Sale" signs.
That's a total of 16 houses for sale in what, just a few decades ago, was a primary real estate area of the town. There used to be great neighborhoods on North A and North B streets. Bankers, doctors, lawyers retail store owners, presidents of local industries, newspaper editors, insurance company people, car dealership owners — these and others, just ordinary workers and retirees, lived on these streets.
They kept their houses painted and their property cleaned up and their lawns mowed.
Don't know if I'll see that ghost again. If I do, I'll ask him what was the secret to keeping up a nice town.
"What's this I read in The Traveler?" the ghost said. "Someone said in a column that someone else said 'Winfield is a nicer town.' We never thought so."
Who's we? I asked. "All the town's movers and shakers of old. What do today's movers and shakers think? Who are the movers and shakers?"
I was tongue-tied, couldn't come up with an answer. All I could think of was who was on different boards, such as the Arkalalah board, the city commission, the hospital board, the Strother board, the economic development board, the county board, the Burford board, and so on. It was all very perplexing. I couldn't see how it all fit together.
That was quite a shock, seeing that apparition. He went on to say other stuff, about how the town was "tighter" now. Lots of needless rules and regulations, nobody smiling, lots of griping, people not wanting to work together, no common vision. Everyone out for themselves.
Later that day, I took a drive down B Street, from Fifth Avenue north to Kansas Avenue. I saw some really nice houses, and others that weren't so nice; they needed a paint job or the lawn mowed or stuff removed from their front yards. I counted six "For Sale" signs.
After I got my lunch, I drove back on A Street, south from Kansas to Fifth Avenue. Same state of affairs with the houses — some nice and others not so nice. I counted 10 "For Sale" signs.
That's a total of 16 houses for sale in what, just a few decades ago, was a primary real estate area of the town. There used to be great neighborhoods on North A and North B streets. Bankers, doctors, lawyers retail store owners, presidents of local industries, newspaper editors, insurance company people, car dealership owners — these and others, just ordinary workers and retirees, lived on these streets.
They kept their houses painted and their property cleaned up and their lawns mowed.
Don't know if I'll see that ghost again. If I do, I'll ask him what was the secret to keeping up a nice town.
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Now what?
It's been a day now since Doug Russell submitted his resignation as City Manager to our City Commission. He resigned after only a year and a half in Arkansas City.
I'm a bit puzzled about Russell's resignation, after only being in Arkansas City a year and a half. Not that I expected him to remain here forever, but maybe long enough to beef up his resume with achievements -- maybe three to five years.
In his early days in his position here, Doug talked enthusiastically about wanting to bring people of the community together to accomplish things. Communication would be his tool.
Remember when he first took the job how everyone seemed to praise his qualifications and express high hopes about what he might accomplish here?
He looked good at the start of his tenure. With the city commission's blessing, he had a city-wide survey conducted to determine what the community wanted: economic growth, infrastructure improvements, and better quality of life.
It seemed we might be coming up with a vision for a better future, but then things started to change.
What happened? Could it be that since Doug came here we've lost the forest for the trees? Are we so entangled in details and petty disagreements that we've lost sight of the bigger picture?
Doug is too professional to talk about his reasons for leaving, and I'm not sure I want to speculate. But I know a lot of people are speculating and talking about his depature.
Just seems to me we lost a valuable, talented person. And the city commission -- Doug's boss -- even admits that.
Where do we go from here?
I'm a bit puzzled about Russell's resignation, after only being in Arkansas City a year and a half. Not that I expected him to remain here forever, but maybe long enough to beef up his resume with achievements -- maybe three to five years.
In his early days in his position here, Doug talked enthusiastically about wanting to bring people of the community together to accomplish things. Communication would be his tool.
Remember when he first took the job how everyone seemed to praise his qualifications and express high hopes about what he might accomplish here?
He looked good at the start of his tenure. With the city commission's blessing, he had a city-wide survey conducted to determine what the community wanted: economic growth, infrastructure improvements, and better quality of life.
It seemed we might be coming up with a vision for a better future, but then things started to change.
What happened? Could it be that since Doug came here we've lost the forest for the trees? Are we so entangled in details and petty disagreements that we've lost sight of the bigger picture?
Doug is too professional to talk about his reasons for leaving, and I'm not sure I want to speculate. But I know a lot of people are speculating and talking about his depature.
Just seems to me we lost a valuable, talented person. And the city commission -- Doug's boss -- even admits that.
Where do we go from here?
Monday, February 18, 2008
Hoop Dreams
March Madness will soon be here and I hope to see the Kansas Jayhawks go far in the post-season NCAA tournament — maybe even win the national championship as they did exactly 20 years ago next month.
I attended the KU game against Colorado last Saturday and it was retro all the way.
Retro in the speed of the game — slow, thanks to the Colorado stall-offense; the Buffaloes would wait until the final seconds ticked off on the shot clock before shooting on practically every possession.
What does all this have to do with Ark City? Read down a little farther and you'll see.
KU had little trouble with Colorado, leading all the way except for the first bucket.
It wasn't much of a game but halftime ceremonies made it worth the price of admission and the four-hour drive up to Lawrence. That was retro too: a reunion of players and coaches from "110 years of KU basketball."
Arkansas City's own Loye Sparks, a basketball star at Ark City Juco (now Cowley College) in the 1959-60 and '60-61 seasons was among the hundreds of basketball players from former KU teams who were honored. He went on to play at KU after his two seasons at ACJC. Loye also played ball in high school, graduating in 1959.
Sparks was one of several basketball greats in Ark City during that era.
In 1961, he tied the single-game scoring record for the Tigers, scoring 49 points. The record orginally was set by Del Heidebrecht, a Tigers center who scored 49 points in a game against Hutchinson on Jan. 21, 1958.
Another star player for the Tigers was Bill Clarahan, who was inducted, posthumously, into the Tiger Hall of Fame last Saturday.
In town for the reunion weekend was Dan Kahler, who coached the Tigers during the Fabulous Fifties. Kahler coached nationally ranked teams during that decade.
The court at W.S. Scott Auditorium — previously the Auditorium-Gymnasium — is named after Kahler. Back in the '50s and '60s the auditorium drew capacity crowds that roared in deafening support of the Tigers. The band repeatedly played "Hold 'Em Tigers."
We need to try to regain that kind of atmosphere in Ark City — the whole town turning out to support its teams.
Not since the early decades of the 1900s has Ark City High won a boys state basketball championship. One of the members of that 1918 team was Merle Hinton, who taught many youngsters in the 1950s — myself included — basketball in his "Junior Police" program held in what is now the Fire Department headquarters.
This year's ACHS basketball team is pretty good and maybe we can expect more good teams in years to come.
One idea I have pitched to both the Cowley president and the local superintendent of schools is to bring back Ark City High School basketball to the downtown auditorium for several games a year. The auditorium could be the venue for a holiday tournament, for example.
Cowley President Patrick McAtee said he'd be interested in considering such an idea. But local school officials apparently have other more pressing issues now; it seems that high school basketball downtown is on the back burner.
Of course the Bulldogs played in the auditorium for many years before the high school moved to the north edge of town in the early 1980s.
I attended the KU game against Colorado last Saturday and it was retro all the way.
Retro in the speed of the game — slow, thanks to the Colorado stall-offense; the Buffaloes would wait until the final seconds ticked off on the shot clock before shooting on practically every possession.
What does all this have to do with Ark City? Read down a little farther and you'll see.
KU had little trouble with Colorado, leading all the way except for the first bucket.
It wasn't much of a game but halftime ceremonies made it worth the price of admission and the four-hour drive up to Lawrence. That was retro too: a reunion of players and coaches from "110 years of KU basketball."
Arkansas City's own Loye Sparks, a basketball star at Ark City Juco (now Cowley College) in the 1959-60 and '60-61 seasons was among the hundreds of basketball players from former KU teams who were honored. He went on to play at KU after his two seasons at ACJC. Loye also played ball in high school, graduating in 1959.
Sparks was one of several basketball greats in Ark City during that era.
In 1961, he tied the single-game scoring record for the Tigers, scoring 49 points. The record orginally was set by Del Heidebrecht, a Tigers center who scored 49 points in a game against Hutchinson on Jan. 21, 1958.
Another star player for the Tigers was Bill Clarahan, who was inducted, posthumously, into the Tiger Hall of Fame last Saturday.
In town for the reunion weekend was Dan Kahler, who coached the Tigers during the Fabulous Fifties. Kahler coached nationally ranked teams during that decade.
The court at W.S. Scott Auditorium — previously the Auditorium-Gymnasium — is named after Kahler. Back in the '50s and '60s the auditorium drew capacity crowds that roared in deafening support of the Tigers. The band repeatedly played "Hold 'Em Tigers."
We need to try to regain that kind of atmosphere in Ark City — the whole town turning out to support its teams.
Not since the early decades of the 1900s has Ark City High won a boys state basketball championship. One of the members of that 1918 team was Merle Hinton, who taught many youngsters in the 1950s — myself included — basketball in his "Junior Police" program held in what is now the Fire Department headquarters.
This year's ACHS basketball team is pretty good and maybe we can expect more good teams in years to come.
One idea I have pitched to both the Cowley president and the local superintendent of schools is to bring back Ark City High School basketball to the downtown auditorium for several games a year. The auditorium could be the venue for a holiday tournament, for example.
Cowley President Patrick McAtee said he'd be interested in considering such an idea. But local school officials apparently have other more pressing issues now; it seems that high school basketball downtown is on the back burner.
Of course the Bulldogs played in the auditorium for many years before the high school moved to the north edge of town in the early 1980s.
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