Each Friday, The Gazette salutes those who make Emporia and the surrounding area a better place to live and work. Give these folks a pat on the back ...
EMPORIA STATE UNIVERSITY’S Student Advisory Committee, which held a prom for senior citizens. This was the second year for the event and 100 people attended.
- Floyd’s Auto Body, which celebrated 40 years in business. The shop was started by Floyd McCracken in 1968 and is owned today by John Wheeler.
- Jason Parson, who has been called, again, for active duty in Iraq. Parson is a member of the 129th transportation Company.
- Jean Tidwell, who was named Woman of the Year by the local chapter of the American Business Women’s Association.
- Shiloh Home of Hope for Women, which received its first resident last week. The home is for young, pregnant women and young women with children.
- Northern Heights FBLA students Matthew Denton, Michael Glass, Pete Symmonds, Chancey Parker, Jessica Dhority, Haydon Parks and Justin Richardson, who will compete at the national convention in Atlanta.
- Eric Priest, the Emporia man who keeps alive the skills and traditions of the Native Americans. He makes bows and arrows, drums, tomahawks and other items from natural materials found in Kansas.
- ESU seniors Andrea Luthi of Madison and Lindsay Davis of Olpe, who received, respectively, the Dwight & Ida Curry Newberg Outstanding Senior award and the Newberg Distinguished Senior award.
- Molly Heavner, the copy editor of the ESU Bulletin, who won first place in newswriting at the Kansas Collegiate Press gathering recently. She won for her story about ESU students and alumni affected by the Greensburg tornado.
- And, of course, the University of Kansas men’s basketball team, the 2008 NCAA champions. They may live 80 miles up the turnpike from Emporia, but their great season and inspiring final victory brightened winter and spring for fans all over Kansas.
Patrick S. Kelley
Editorial Page Editor