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Written by Brian McCauley
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Wednesday, 10 March 2010 08:00 |
With an American flag hung from a fire truck ladder waving behind him, along with the entire Paola Volunteer Fire Department dressed in their uniforms, Paola Fire Chief Andy Martin stepped up to the podium Saturday in front of Paola’s new fire station. 
More than 200 people, including retired firefighters and other members of the community, watched as Martin talked about the department’s history during an open house Saturday afternoon.
Martin informed the crowd that the Paola Volunteer Fire Department was established in 1871, but during that time it has had only three homes, including the station’s previous location at City Hall, where it had been for about 100 years.
“I hope this can be our home for another 100 years,” Martin said as he proudly looked upon the new station at 202 E. Wea St.
Mayor Artie Stuteville also spoke during the open house and congratulated everyone involved with the project for a job well done. Rob George of Legacy Contractors headed up the project, which was completed ahead of schedule and about $200,000 under budget.
The extra money, paired with some the city had already been saving, was used to purchase a new fire truck, which was on display Saturday.
“It arrived around noon today,” Martin said.
Stuteville said she was proud of the quality of the city’s firefighters.
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News
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Written by Brian McCauley
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Wednesday, 10 March 2010 08:00 |
Seven youths took the next step in their Scouting careers Saturday night as they graduated from Cub Scouts to Boy Scouts during Pack 3100’s Blue and Gold Banquet.
The camera flashes were popping as proud parents and other family members watched Christopher Atterbury, Keaton Farmer, Alex Johnston, MicKenna Jones, Dimitri Lowry, Joe Stearns and Micaleb Hoover walk across a wooden bridge on stage and become Boy Scouts. 
All except Micaleb also received their Arrow of Light awards, the highest honor a Cub Scout can attain. Micaleb recently joined Pack 3100 and has yet to earn his Arrow of Light.
The Arrow of Light plaques were made by Steve Winegar, Keaton’s grandfather.
Although the seven Scouts were the main attraction Saturday, the evening also was fun for the other members of Pack 3100 in attendance.
Achievement awards were given out for each den, and the Scouts tested their brainpower during a game called “Are You Smarter Than a Scout.”
One of the questions asked what year Scouting began, which the Scouts were quick to figure out was 1910, considering the Pack is celebrating the 100th year of Scouting this year.
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Written by Jesse Trimble
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Wednesday, 10 March 2010 08:00 |
The Board of Education meeting for USD 368 was moved to Paola Middle School Monday night because of the large crowd in attendance.
About 250 members of Paola’s school district, including educators, students and residents filled the auditorium.
Teachers in the district were recognized and praised by fellow staff members for Teacher of the Year nominations.
Melinda Pitzer, PTO president for Hillsdale Elementary School, took the microphone and thanked the board, but posed hard-hitting questions.
“Parents felt a sense of panic last year, but after last month’s meeting they felt a disbelief and awe that can affect so many of us,” she said.
She ran through the list of potential cuts the board has been considering and said the price was too high to pay for our children.
“Closing Hillsdale and eliminating K-5 art, P.E. and science classes need to be untouchable.” She also cited AYP numbers, with Hillsdale reaching 100 percent proficiency in science and said closing schools would increase the number of students in classes, which would create discipline problems, among others.
Board member Michael Yocam approached the topic quickly.
“I honestly don’t see a reason,” he said of closing the school.
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News
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Written by Brian McCauley
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Wednesday, 10 March 2010 08:00 |
Deb Keller’s second-graders at Cottonwood Elementary got a little taste of life in the U.S. Army on Thursday thanks to her 21-year-old son, Matthew.
Matthew, who graduated from Paola High School in 2007, serves in the Army, and he recently returned home to Paola after a two-year stint in Stuttgart, Germany, guarding a four-star general. 
Deb was even able to visit him once in Germany.
“It’s beautiful country,” she said.
Matthew showed the students a slide show of pictures from his training and answered some questions about his service.
The second-graders learned that you have to be 17 to join the Army Reserves and 18 to join full active duty. Matthew enlisted when he was a junior at PHS, and he completed his basic training between his junior and senior years.
Although he hasn’t faced too many combat situations, he did say he ran into some dicey situations while serving in Somalia.
The students enjoyed asking questions, but they were most excited when Matthew called a few of them up to the front to give them some military tests.
In one exercise, the students tried military push-ups, and then later, second-graders Andrew Waters and Alex Stewart held Matthew’s legs up while he tried his own version of push-ups.
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News
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Written by Brian McCauley
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Wednesday, 10 March 2010 08:00 |
Ice cream, attention from a roomful of classmates and getting to show off your dad and talk about what he does for the military — it certainly was a memorable early eighth birthday party for second-grader Jaquawan Dones at Cottonwood Elementary on Thursday. 
When Jaquawan’s mouth wasn’t stuffed with birthday cake, it was beaming from ear to ear Thursday in Amanda Gerken’s class. Jaquawan’s mother, Terri, had been secretly planning the event with Gerken for quite a while, and Jaquawan’s father, James Dones, didn’t know quite what he was in for when he showed up in full military uniform.
“I thought it was just a birthday party,” he said with a smile. “They set me up.”
As it turned out, the entire class had worked on signing a giant card for James that read “Thank You Specialist James M. Dones!”
Terri and Gerken thought it would be nice for both Jaquawan and James to have a day to share together, as they soon will face some tough time apart. James is preparing for a deployment to Africa that likely will keep him away from his family for about a year.
The time apart will be difficult, as James hasn’t served overseas since being deployed to Guantanamo Bay in Cuba shortly after 9/11. That’s a time the family will never forget, nor would they like to repeat.
“I remember our house shook,” Terri said, referring to her Virginia home after a plane crashed into the Pentagon.
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