The Emporia Gazette

School day changes a serious issue

If I still had kids in elementary I would be extremely mad about this. This is not in the best interest of the kids, families, teachers...must be some new tactic at "saving money"? I don't see how, but its the only motivation I can think of for this type of schedule change. What is wrong with and 8-3 schedule?

September 11, 2011 at 10:14 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

The Lost Brewery

Great article! I love learning this kind of history...and I agree it is sad that this piece of Emporia's history was lost to a parking lot.

May 29, 2011 at 12:40 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Comments Disabled

I admire the way the Japanese are handling themselves during this crisis. No looting or anything like that.

March 15, 2011 at 2:50 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

stone post

Well said create!

March 11, 2011 at 8:14 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Comments Disabled

Well, I think it was pretty silly of the Gazette not to just remove the people who were at fault. However, I can post my comments here as well as directly under an article. I suppose it may be a little bit of an inconvenience, but I don't think its so much an imposition that I won't post if I want to. In fact, looking down the list of comment forums and choosing the one I want to go into makes it more convenient to me. JMO Sorry husband, I agree with some of your comment but I don't think this is going to be the end all of the Gazette.

March 11, 2011 at 7:54 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

EHS students allegedly caught smoking pot

Create, I don't know that I think it is so much mean spirited as irresponsible. Why, because publishing their names would give some people the idea that they have the right to pick those parents apart. I, like you, have taken responsibility when my kids do something wrong. I will be the first to report them if necessary. But, even the most vigilant parents can have kids that screw up like these kids did. I talk to my kids often about what goes on at school and ask questions about what other kids do. Unfortunately my crystal ball won't allow me to see what they are doing when they are out of my eyesight. Are they the well behaved kids they are when they are at home? Probably not all the time. They know if they do something wrong and I catch wind of it, punishment that I give will likely be more severe than any they might receive elsewhere, and if they get in legal trouble, they are on their own because I'm not helping them out.trust me, if these kids wind up in the legal system, they will have to take responsibility enough, they don't need the rest of us pointing fingers at them. All that said, I DO believe there are parents out there that have repeat offending kids, who are obviously not as in tune to their kids as you and I are, they should have some harsher requirements. Maybe THOSE parents names should be published.

February 21, 2011 at 11:56 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Priorities all wrong

Toxic, I agree that our animal control is lacking, and has been for years. Before living in Emporia I lived in a much smaller town with full time animal control. He was a bit of a jerk, but he was available 7 days a week.

No, no one would expect for officers to drop what they are doing and tend to animal issues, unless there is a dangerous situation occurring. But I think the point made by Ms. Farr and Toxic is that we need an animal control officer, period. More hours than there is one available now. Why can't we fund that, rather than rocks. Although, as a side note to this, the funds for the rocks are no longer coming from funds that really ought to go toward this type of thing. The funds are coming from the appropriate sources. We may still see them as unnecessary, but at least the right people are paying for them.
Matt, you are right on....this is another suggestion of how our tax money should be used, and an expression of frustration. We have all voiced our frustration here in one way or another. Ms. Farr has the right to voice hers too.

February 19, 2011 at 10:53 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Commission decides entrance monuments will be built

jamesbordonaro, No, the article is correct. I was at the meeting and heard them say $70,000.
Steve, I just want to say that I think it was a great suggestion that you made about the money coming from CVB. That is where it SHOULD come from. And I think it is very appropriate that money allocated for Building Futures is going toward this since it was their idea. I still do not believe that the rocks are necessary when compared to other things that could be improved in this town...other beautification projects that could be done. However, its a little easier to live with knowing the appropriate funds are paying for it.
I didn't expect them to go ahead with the project so soon, hoped maybe the commissioners and others would wait until they received public feedback on the new decision. This is the disappointing thing to me, that they just plow through thinking that the decisions they make are what the community really wants. Something likes this requires a great deal of research and negotiating. I keep hearing that 10 years ago the community wanted something done with the entrances. Perhaps this is true, but when the money was available to move forward with it (even though their timing is terrible), why wouldn't they want public feedback on what type of improvements the community wants. If the community won't drag their butts to the meetings to speak up, put it in the paper, not just hidden in the vague wording of the City Commission Agenda. Make it loud and clear and gather suggestions, choose the most feasible options and let the community VOTE! Beautification projects are a good way to increase pride in a community and Maybe to draw visitors (jury is still out on that since I've seen no facts and figures on that), but the community will take greater pride in it if it is something they want.
I have had a few days to put things in perspective after the meeting the other night and I wish I would have said these things there. I am working on my fear of public speaking, and I came close to speaking my peace, at least requesting facts and figures....but I also went to the meeting thinking that many people on this board would be there to speak their minds along with me. There is safety in numbers guys. I realize that their minds were already made up, and before they walked into that room they knew what they were going to say, their vote was already done before entering that room. But I still think they need to hear us. What they heard was the one person who stood up in support of the rocks, who also criticized the people who post to the Gazette anonymously.

February 18, 2011 at 7:21 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Breaking down the monument

Steve,
You are absolutely right, we should be able to count on our city officials (all government officials) to run the city responsibly, to have our interests in mind, and to ask our opinion on situations like this.
I always assumed that our city officials would take care of the city sensibly, but this issue proves otherwise. I think there were good intentions, I think we can all agree that we should take pride in our town, that it could use some beautification, and that we would like more here, more dollars, more visitors, more variety. The problem is that this type of project is nothing more than frivolous spending when our town needs fixing in so many other areas. There may have been good intentions but its still reckless. We need our city officials to remain level headed and see beyond the sparkle on the surface. Just because it sounds good doesn't mean its a good idea, or that its the right time.
I agree that we shouldn't have to go to every meeting and it comes as no surprise to me that they didn't listen to the few citizens that did attend meetings, because its hard to hear objections when your convinced you are right. BUT, if we show up in droves, it would make it hard for them not to listen.
This is a mess, dollars are already spent, contracts are already signed. It's going to be hard to clean up this pile of poop.

February 2, 2011 at 9:32 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Breaking down the monument

It seems to me that a lot of the talking about these signs/monuments/rocks must have been done in the study sessions only. I spent a lot of time looking though the city commission minutes and found very little reference to them. And talk about needing an improvement of the search engine...the one that the city has for the commission meetings seems to be broken.

February 1, 2011 at 7:38 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )