By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays Post

The Tour Die Kapellen (Tour of Chapels) bike ride has already exceeded its total registration from last year's event.

However, there is still time to sign up for the bike tour or the event's new bus tour option.

The event, which is in its third year, will be July 9 and begin at Hays Municipal Park.

The event this year will offer 15-, 30-, 50-, 62-, 75- and 100-mile rides. In addition, the event will offer a 54-mile multi-surface ride — 27 miles of which will be on gravel.

Maps of the routes can be found on the <a href="https://tourdiekapellen.com/">event website</a>. Registration for both the bike ride and bus tour can be done online at the same website.

The tour will include stops at <a href="https://www.volgagerman.net/catharine-church" target="_blank">St. Catherine Church</a> in Catharine, <a href="https://www.stfidelischurch.com" target="_blank">The Basilica on the Plains</a> in Victoria, <a href="http://www.kansastravel.org/holycrosschurch.htm" target="_blank">Holy Cross Church in Pfeifer</a> and <a href="http://www.kansastravel.org/stfrancischurchmunjor.htm" target="_blank">St. Francis Church in Munjor. </a>

Riders that choose the 75- or 100-mile options can ride self-supported to visit the churches in Schoenchen and Antonino.

Volunteer-manned support-and-go (SAG) stops with water and snacks will be offered at the main church stops in Catherine, Victoria, Pfiefer and Munjor. Coolers with water and snacks will be left at the churches in Schoenchen and Antonio for riders who choose the self-supported 75- and 100-mile rides.

The 15-mile casual ride will be led by experienced cyclists Kathy Rome and Susan Bowles. They will instruct new cyclists about the rules of road cycling.

"What our hope is to generate a culture of bicycling that is more prominent in our community," Werth said,&nbsp; "from a health perspective and an economical perspective with the cost of gas and for our drivers so that they are accepting ...

"It's a healthy thing for your heart," she said. "It's a healthy thing for the environment."

The early registration deadlines for both the bike ride and bus tour are June 24. Those who register by that date will receive a free event T-shirt. 

The cost of the bike ride is $45 per person. The cost of the bus tour is $60 per person.

After June 24, cost of the bike ride will be $55 per person, and the cost of the bus tour will be $75 per person.

On-site registration will open for the bike ride at 6:30 a.m.

Preregistration is required for the bus tour. Slots are filling fast. A waiting list for the bus tour will be maintained if the bus fills.

In addition to the church stops, the bus tour will also drive by Grant's Villa and Historic Fort Hays. It will also pass by the old Walker Air Base and the remains of the <a href="http://www.kansastravel.org/sacredheartemmeram.htm" target="_blank">Emmeram Church</a>.
 All registrants receive a SWAG bag and a T-shirt.

The bus will return to 
Municipal Park to join in the After-Ride Party, which will include a German meal, beverage and music by the Joe Dolezal Polka Band.

The tour guide for the bus tour will be local historian Mary Kay Schippers.

Event organizers discourage people from trying to visit the churches that day by car. The increased traffic on the roads could be a hazard to bicyclists, Kay Werth, event coordinator, said.

The Tour Die Kapellen was conceived with the idea proceeds from the event would go to Ellis County nonprofit groups. This year the event will donate proceeds to the St. Francis Church in Munjor, which will use the funds for facility projects.

The event gave money to <a href="https://www.stfidelischurch.com/" target="_blank">the Basilica on the Plains</a> in Victoria in 2019 for its remodel, and $12,000 to St. Catherine Church in Catharine for interior repainting in 2021.

Members of the Hays Symphony will be playing portions of musical pieces in Catharine, Victoria, Pfeifer and Munjor. See the schedule below for the musicians and their locations.

"The members of the Hays Symphony will be playing snippets of music in between so people can get the ambiance of the music with those cathedral ceilings," Werth said.

Werth said the ideas behind the bike tour are to promote wellness, bring people to Ellis County, create an appreciation for the rural terrain and Volga German heritage, and promote the Hays Symphony.

6:30–7:15 a.m. — Registration (Pick up packets at Municipal Park, Hays)

7:15 a.m. — Announcements, national anthem, invocation

7:30–8 a.m. — Sheriff escorts riders (cycling 30 or more miles) out of Hays

8– 8:30 a.m. — Bus Tour Participants meet across from Municipal Park, at NCK 
Tech. Participants will check in with Jeannie Kline as they board the 
bus. They will get packets and have their wristbands put on for the 
tour.

8:15–9:15 a.m. — St. Catherine Church, Catharine – Music by Ben Cline, Gamba and Hilary Shepard, Baroque flute

8:30 a.m. — Bus departs from Municipal Park

8:30–9:45 a.m. — St. Fidelis Church, Basilica of the Plains, Victoria — Music by St. Fidelis Brass Quintet

9 a.m. — 15-mile cyclists meet at the shelter house in Municipal Park

9:30–9:45 a.m. —15-mile, casual ride departs Municipal Park

9:30–11:30 a.m. — Holy Cross Church, Pfeifer – Music provided by Hays Symphony Conductor Brian Buckstead, violinist

10–11:30 a.m. — St. Francis Church, Munjor — Music provided by Harpist, Jane Hyde

Optional rides to Schoenchen and Antonino churches are self-supported

11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. — St. Francis Church, Munjor — Music provided by Hays Symphony principal flutist and clarinetist,&nbsp;Hilary Shepard and Kristin Pisano

11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. — German Meal prepared by St. Francis Church, Munjor, Defiance Brewery and root beer and cream soda provided by LB Brewing, Gella’s

Noon to 2 p.m. — music provided by the Joe Dolezal Polka Band in Municipal Park, Hays

For those cyclists continuing the self-supported 75- or 
100-mile options, arrange your schedule to enjoy the meal and 
music in the window provided.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1655326007341.jpeg" alt="Tour Die Kapellen 2021. Courtesy photo " />
 <figcaption>Tour Die Kapellen 2021. Courtesy photo </figcaption>
 </figure>By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays PostThe Tour Die Kapellen (Tour of Chapels) bike ride has already exceeded its total registration from last year's event.However, there is still time to sign up for the bike tour or the event's new bus tour option.The event, which is in its third year, will be July 9 and begin at Hays Municipal Park.The event this year will offer 15-, 30-, 50-, 62-, 75- and 100-mile rides. In addition, the event will offer a 54-mile multi-surface ride — 27 miles of which will be on gravel.Maps of the routes can be found on the <a href="https://tourdiekapellen.com/">event website</a>. Registration for both the bike ride and bus tour can be done online at the same website.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1655326092559.jpeg" alt="Tour Die Kapellen 2022. Courtesy photo " />
 <figcaption>Tour Die Kapellen 2022. Courtesy photo </figcaption>
 </figure>The tour will include stops at <a href="https://www.volgagerman.net/catharine-church" target="_blank">St. Catherine Church</a> in Catharine, <a href="https://www.stfidelischurch.com" target="_blank">The Basilica on the Plains</a> in Victoria, <a href="http://www.kansastravel.org/holycrosschurch.htm" target="_blank">Holy Cross Church in Pfeifer</a> and <a href="http://www.kansastravel.org/stfrancischurchmunjor.htm" target="_blank">St. Francis Church in Munjor. </a>Riders that choose the 75- or 100-mile options can ride self-supported to visit the churches in Schoenchen and Antonino.Volunteer-manned support-and-go (SAG) stops with water and snacks will be offered at the main church stops in Catherine, Victoria, Pfiefer and Munjor. Coolers with water and snacks will be left at the churches in Schoenchen and Antonio for riders who choose the self-supported 75- and 100-mile rides.The 15-mile casual ride will be led by experienced cyclists Kathy Rome and Susan Bowles. They will instruct new cyclists about the rules of road cycling.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1655326200783.jpeg" alt="<a href="https://www.stfidelischurch.com" target="_blank">The Basilica on the Plains</a> in Victoria. Courtesy photo " />
 <figcaption><a href="https://www.stfidelischurch.com" target="_blank">The Basilica on the Plains</a> in Victoria. Courtesy photo </figcaption>
 </figure>"What our hope is to generate a culture of bicycling that is more prominent in our community," Werth said,&nbsp; "from a health perspective and an economical perspective with the cost of gas and for our drivers so that they are accepting ..."It's a healthy thing for your heart," she said. "It's a healthy thing for the environment." The early registration deadlines for both the bike ride and bus tour are June 24. Those who register by that date will receive a free event T-shirt. The cost of the bike ride is $45 per person. The cost of the bus tour is $60 per person.After June 24, cost of the bike ride will be $55 per person, and the cost of the bus tour will be $75 per person.On-site registration will open for the bike ride at 6:30 a.m.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1655326279635.jpeg" alt="Tour of Chapels in 2019. Courtesy photo. " />
 <figcaption>Tour of Chapels in 2019. Courtesy photo. </figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Bus tour</h2>Preregistration is required for the bus tour. Slots are filling fast. A waiting list for the bus tour will be maintained if the bus fills.In addition to the church stops, the bus tour will also drive by Grant's Villa and Historic Fort Hays. It will also pass by the old Walker Air Base and the remains of the <a href="http://www.kansastravel.org/sacredheartemmeram.htm" target="_blank">Emmeram Church</a>.
 All registrants receive a SWAG bag and a T-shirt.The bus will return to 
Municipal Park to join in the After-Ride Party, which will include a German meal, beverage and music by the Joe Dolezal Polka Band.The tour guide for the bus tour will be local historian Mary Kay Schippers.Event organizers discourage people from trying to visit the churches that day by car. The increased traffic on the roads could be a hazard to bicyclists, Kay Werth, event coordinator, said.<h2>Donation</h2>The Tour Die Kapellen was conceived with the idea proceeds from the event would go to Ellis County nonprofit groups. This year the event will donate proceeds to the St. Francis Church in Munjor, which will use the funds for facility projects.The event gave money to <a href="https://www.stfidelischurch.com/" target="_blank">the Basilica on the Plains</a> in Victoria in 2019 for its remodel, and $12,000 to St. Catherine Church in Catharine for interior repainting in 2021.<h2>Music</h2>Members of the Hays Symphony will be playing portions of musical pieces in Catharine, Victoria, Pfeifer and Munjor. See the schedule below for the musicians and their locations."The members of the Hays Symphony will be playing snippets of music in between so people can get the ambiance of the music with those cathedral ceilings," Werth said. Werth said the ideas behind the bike tour are to promote wellness, bring people to Ellis County, create an appreciation for the rural terrain and Volga German heritage, and promote the Hays Symphony. <h2>Schedule</h2>Saturday, July 9 6:30–7:15 a.m. — Registration (Pick up packets at Municipal Park, Hays)7:15 a.m. — Announcements, national anthem, invocation7:30–8 a.m. — Sheriff escorts riders (cycling 30 or more miles) out of Hays8– 8:30 a.m. — Bus Tour Participants meet across from Municipal Park, at NCK 
Tech. Participants will check in with Jeannie Kline as they board the 
bus. They will get packets and have their wristbands put on for the 
tour.8:15–9:15 a.m. — St. Catherine Church, Catharine – Music by Ben Cline, Gamba and Hilary Shepard, Baroque flute8:30 a.m. — Bus departs from Municipal Park8:30–9:45 a.m. — St. Fidelis Church, Basilica of the Plains, Victoria — Music by St. Fidelis Brass Quintet9 a.m. — 15-mile cyclists meet at the shelter house in Municipal Park9:30–9:45 a.m. —15-mile, casual ride departs Municipal Park9:30–11:30 a.m. — Holy Cross Church, Pfeifer – Music provided by Hays Symphony Conductor Brian Buckstead, violinist10–11:30 a.m. — St. Francis Church, Munjor — Music provided by Harpist, Jane HydeOptional rides to Schoenchen and Antonino churches are self-supported11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. — St. Francis Church, Munjor — Music provided by Hays Symphony principal flutist and clarinetist,&nbsp;Hilary Shepard and Kristin Pisano11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. — German Meal prepared by St. Francis Church, Munjor, Defiance Brewery and root beer and cream soda provided by LB Brewing, Gella’sNoon to 2 p.m. — music provided by the Joe Dolezal Polka Band in Municipal Park, Hays For those cyclists continuing the self-supported 75- or 
100-mile options, arrange your schedule to enjoy the meal and 
music in the window provided.

Tour Die Kapellen adds bus tour, taking registrations

VICTORIA — On Wednesday, Victoria residents gathered at the Veterans of
Foreign Wars hall, 204 E. Main, to discuss issues the community faces while compiling
data for a Housing Assessment Tool required for state funding applications.

&nbsp;The Victoria Community
Coalition organized the meeting, led by Coalition member Jeff Pfeifer and nonprofit
organizer with the Dane G. Hansen Foundation, Betty Johnson.

“I am tickled pink just to see everybody here,” Pfeifer
said. “It means a lot to me to have every one of you take some time out of your
busy week or evening where you like to relax and come out here to do something
for our community. And that’s what we’re here tonight to do.”

The meeting’s main goal was to allow the coalition to gather
feedback and have surveys completed from area residents that will enable grant
funding applications to benefit the city and its residents.

“We’re trying to partner with the city to go after some of
this grant money that’s out there that could help our community,” Pfeifer said.
“It could be on buildings and could be on roads.”

He noted the ongoing repair work on Cathedral Avenue, funded
with grant funds along with improvements to the city’s water system.

“We need to start someplace,” Pfeifer said. “And that’s just
with getting the community together and having some ideas about what you think
it could look like in the future.”

Kicking off the information gather session, Johnson asked
the crowd to consider the city’s strengths.

The crowd quickly noted the work ethic engrained in the citizens
of Victoria, along with strong ties to faith, family and the community.

And while the community’s strengths centered around the
people, when the time came to discuss weaknesses, a lack of significant business
in town was offered as a primary concern.

Along with the desire to see a grocery store of some sort, perhaps
in the vein of a Dollar General-type location, a lack of housing and child care
was among the top needs for the community. 

While many more significant concerns were prominent parts of
the conversation, smaller actionable ideas also entered the conversation as the
discussion drifted toward opportunities.

And they noted, small steps like planting trees and creating
more activities for city youngsters assists in the effort to recruit and retain
younger families to the city.

“We also need to get more people involved,” Johnson said. 

The group then prioritized needs, with housing and childcare
offered as the most pressing. However, as the conversation continued, prioritizing
shopping locally, whenever possible, was noted as an important way to ensure
businesses that open in Victoria remain viable.

But a farmers market was proposed as a way to encourage
local shopping without the need for a business to open.

“Those are quite popular,” Johnson said. “Then you could
really do some community building around them if you do it on a Wednesday
evening. I’ve got one community that brings in some of the high school kids and
play music, and they have a food truck comes in occasionally, and they kind of
have community events around their middle of the week evening.

“It’s really got to be a little community party every
Wednesday night,” she continued. “So you can really kind of have fun with that and
really take that idea and start building.”

A cooperative grocery store was also proposed.

“We’ve got models out there across northwest Kansas,”
Johnson said. “So we’ve been doing that.”

She also encouraged the crowd to explore what other similarly
size area towns have done to grow their commerce options.

“Reach out to some other similar communities and see what
they’re doing,” Johnson said. “Go visit and talk with some of their
locals and see what they’re doing and see what you could work and what you
could bring back here. … There’s a lot of great things happening in our small
rural communities. A lot of them are really taking a lot of initiative.”

For Victoria, a start to many initiatives is getting surveys
back from the community. While attendees filled in their surveys at the
meeting, many more are needed, and Pfeifer said ultimately, if needed,
committee members will go door to door.

“If you’re trying to get steps and you want to get your
steps done, I’m sure they could use some volunteers to help knock on doors and
enhance some of those out,” Johnson said.

And the more surveys, the better, she said.

“The better the participation, the more chance of getting
the grants and the dollars,” Johnson said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1655144237516.jpeg" alt="Jeff Pfeifer records Victoria's strengths listed by attendees of a town-hall city meeting last Wednesday.&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Jeff Pfeifer records Victoria's strengths listed by attendees of a town-hall city meeting last Wednesday.&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>By JAMES BELL Hays PostVICTORIA — On Wednesday, Victoria residents gathered at the Veterans of
Foreign Wars hall, 204 E. Main, to discuss issues the community faces while compiling
data for a Housing Assessment Tool required for state funding applications.&nbsp;The Victoria Community
Coalition organized the meeting, led by Coalition member Jeff Pfeifer and nonprofit
organizer with the Dane G. Hansen Foundation, Betty Johnson.“I am tickled pink just to see everybody here,” Pfeifer
said. “It means a lot to me to have every one of you take some time out of your
busy week or evening where you like to relax and come out here to do something
for our community. And that’s what we’re here tonight to do.”The meeting’s main goal was to allow the coalition to gather
feedback and have surveys completed from area residents that will enable grant
funding applications to benefit the city and its residents.“We’re trying to partner with the city to go after some of
this grant money that’s out there that could help our community,” Pfeifer said.
“It could be on buildings and could be on roads.”He noted the ongoing repair work on Cathedral Avenue, funded
with grant funds along with improvements to the city’s water system.“We need to start someplace,” Pfeifer said. “And that’s just
with getting the community together and having some ideas about what you think
it could look like in the future.”Kicking off the information gather session, Johnson asked
the crowd to consider the city’s strengths.The crowd quickly noted the work ethic engrained in the citizens
of Victoria, along with strong ties to faith, family and the community.And while the community’s strengths centered around the
people, when the time came to discuss weaknesses, a lack of significant business
in town was offered as a primary concern.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1655144251680.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Along with the desire to see a grocery store of some sort, perhaps
in the vein of a Dollar General-type location, a lack of housing and child care
was among the top needs for the community. While many more significant concerns were prominent parts of
the conversation, smaller actionable ideas also entered the conversation as the
discussion drifted toward opportunities.And they noted, small steps like planting trees and creating
more activities for city youngsters assists in the effort to recruit and retain
younger families to the city.“We also need to get more people involved,” Johnson said. The group then prioritized needs, with housing and childcare
offered as the most pressing. However, as the conversation continued, prioritizing
shopping locally, whenever possible, was noted as an important way to ensure
businesses that open in Victoria remain viable.But a farmers market was proposed as a way to encourage
local shopping without the need for a business to open.“Those are quite popular,” Johnson said. “Then you could
really do some community building around them if you do it on a Wednesday
evening. I’ve got one community that brings in some of the high school kids and
play music, and they have a food truck comes in occasionally, and they kind of
have community events around their middle of the week evening.“It’s really got to be a little community party every
Wednesday night,” she continued. “So you can really kind of have fun with that and
really take that idea and start building.”A cooperative grocery store was also proposed.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1655144267717.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>“We’ve got models out there across northwest Kansas,”
Johnson said. “So we’ve been doing that.”She also encouraged the crowd to explore what other similarly
size area towns have done to grow their commerce options.“Reach out to some other similar communities and see what
they’re doing,” Johnson said. “Go visit and talk with some of their
locals and see what they’re doing and see what you could work and what you
could bring back here. … There’s a lot of great things happening in our small
rural communities. A lot of them are really taking a lot of initiative.”For Victoria, a start to many initiatives is getting surveys
back from the community. While attendees filled in their surveys at the
meeting, many more are needed, and Pfeifer said ultimately, if needed,
committee members will go door to door.“If you’re trying to get steps and you want to get your
steps done, I’m sure they could use some volunteers to help knock on doors and
enhance some of those out,” Johnson said.And the more surveys, the better, she said.“The better the participation, the more chance of getting
the grants and the dollars,” Johnson said.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1655144220604.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>

Victoria residents gather for town-hall discussion of city needs

The Victoria Community Coalition will&nbsp;host a&nbsp;community meeting&nbsp;Wednesday atr 7 p.m. at the VFW.&nbsp;This gathering is open to anyone living in Victoria, having a Victoria address, owning a business or property in Victoria, having a child in USD 432, or simply interested in the future of Victoria. We need your input on identifying our community strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and priorities.&nbsp;This input will be used in preparing a housing assessment (the HAT - Housing Assessment Tool) for Victoria. The housing assessment is required for several funding applications with the Kansas Department of Commerce and Kansas Housing Corporation. We can't do this without your help.&nbsp; Please spread the word, bring&nbsp;a friend and join us on June 8th. Refreshments will be provided. Childcare will be provided. Door prizes will be awarded.&nbsp; We realize there have been similar community meetings during the last nine months regarding the rest home&nbsp;redevelopment and Image Ellis County. This meeting is specifically for the Victoria community and future grant applications with the state.&nbsp;&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1654642547415.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>SubmittedThe Victoria Community Coalition will&nbsp;host a&nbsp;community meeting&nbsp;Wednesday atr 7 p.m. at the VFW.&nbsp;This gathering is open to anyone living in Victoria, having a Victoria address, owning a business or property in Victoria, having a child in USD 432, or simply interested in the future of Victoria. We need your input on identifying our community strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and priorities.&nbsp;This input will be used in preparing a housing assessment (the HAT - Housing Assessment Tool) for Victoria. The housing assessment is required for several funding applications with the Kansas Department of Commerce and Kansas Housing Corporation. We can't do this without your help.&nbsp; Please spread the word, bring&nbsp;a friend and join us on June 8th. Refreshments will be provided. Childcare will be provided. Door prizes will be awarded.&nbsp; We realize there have been similar community meetings during the last nine months regarding the rest home&nbsp;redevelopment and Image Ellis County. This meeting is specifically for the Victoria community and future grant applications with the state.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Victoria community meeting will focus on possible housing grant

VICTORIA — The Victoria Community Coalition has scheduled a community meeting at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the VFW, 204 E. Main.

The meeting is an effort to solicit input and determine the future of a housing grant within the city.

<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/93f2e61e-a2e0-43d8-9f38-f7beacb841b5">"On April 18, Victoria City Council members approved a motion to join the Northwest Kansas Planning and Development Commission,"</a> according to the event announcement. "To take advantage of the funding, it will be necessary for the city to conduct a survey of the community to decide what the needs are."

The committee will do the work, but they hope to solicit feedback from the community about potential grants and the survey.

VICTORIA — The Victoria Community Coalition has scheduled a community meeting at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the VFW, 204 E. Main.The meeting is an effort to solicit input and determine the future of a housing grant within the city.<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/93f2e61e-a2e0-43d8-9f38-f7beacb841b5">"On April 18, Victoria City Council members approved a motion to join the Northwest Kansas Planning and Development Commission,"</a> according to the event announcement. "To take advantage of the funding, it will be necessary for the city to conduct a survey of the community to decide what the needs are."The committee will do the work, but they hope to solicit feedback from the community about potential grants and the survey.Daycare will be provided.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1654282480216.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>

Victoria housing grant meeting scheduled

Victoria Knights offer basketball camp for kids K-8th grades

By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays Post

A new greenhouse is nearing completion at Victoria Junior/Senior High School.

The 20-by-40-foot structure will be used by the school's FFA program.

The program has 55 students, but they have lacked a space to grow plants. To this point, they have been growing a limited number of vegetables and flowers in the windowsills of their agriculture teacher's classroom.

The greenhouse was paid for with funds from local sponsors and Grants for Growing funds.

It will allow the students to grow a variety of plants and vegetables year-round. They plan to grow tomatoes, cucumbers, herbs sunflowers, petunias and other flowers.

The FFA students said they are looking forward to being able to have more hands-on growing experience.

Several of the FFA officers for next year said they intend to pursue agriculture careers, including farming and agribusiness.

The students hope to have a Mother's Day flower sale and a plant sale next spring. They also hope to grow vegetables that students can eat at school.

Funds raised through the sales will help fund FFA programs and travel. 

Jacy Klaus, FFA sponsor, said the school tries to take the students on at least one out-of-state trip each school year. This could include attending the FFA National Convention.

Klaus said the FFA chapter also hopes to involve some of the grade school children in their planting projects.

"It's really become not just an FFA project, but a community project," Klaus said. "We're looking forward in the spring working with the community and the community being able to use our plants in their gardens."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1652219050008.jpeg" alt="A new greenhouse is nearing completion at Victoria Junior/Senior High School. The structure will be used by the school's FFA program. Photo by Cristina Janney " />
 <figcaption>A new greenhouse is nearing completion at Victoria Junior/Senior High School. The structure will be used by the school's FFA program. Photo by Cristina Janney </figcaption>
 </figure>By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays Post A new greenhouse is nearing completion at Victoria Junior/Senior High School.The 20-by-40-foot structure will be used by the school's FFA program.The program has 55 students, but they have lacked a space to grow plants. To this point, they have been growing a limited number of vegetables and flowers in the windowsills of their agriculture teacher's classroom.The greenhouse was paid for with funds from local sponsors and Grants for Growing funds.It will allow the students to grow a variety of plants and vegetables year-round. They plan to grow tomatoes, cucumbers, herbs sunflowers, petunias and other flowers.The FFA students said they are looking forward to being able to have more hands-on growing experience.Several of the FFA officers for next year said they intend to pursue agriculture careers, including farming and agribusiness.The students hope to have a Mother's Day flower sale and a plant sale next spring. They also hope to grow vegetables that students can eat at school. Funds raised through the sales will help fund FFA programs and travel. <figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1652219184595.jpeg" alt="(Not in order pictured ) Victoria Junior/Senior High School FFA officers: President Taylor Anderson, Vice President Jarret Riedel, Secretary EmmaRae Rupp, Treasurer: Lindsey Scheck, Reporter Callie Lane, Sentinel: Jadyn, Chaplain: Vance Hockersmith Peterson. Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post " />
 <figcaption>(Not in order pictured ) Victoria Junior/Senior High School FFA officers: President Taylor Anderson, Vice President Jarret Riedel, Secretary EmmaRae Rupp, Treasurer: Lindsey Scheck, Reporter Callie Lane, Sentinel: Jadyn, Chaplain: Vance Hockersmith Peterson. Photo by Cristina Janney/Hays Post </figcaption>
 </figure>Jacy Klaus, FFA sponsor, said the school tries to take the students on at least one out-of-state trip each school year. This could include attending the FFA National Convention.Klaus said the FFA chapter also hopes to involve some of the grade school children in their planting projects."It's really become not just an FFA project, but a community project," Klaus said. "We're looking forward in the spring working with the community and the community being able to use our plants in their gardens."

Community helps sponsor new Victoria FFA greenhouse

VICTORIA - The Knights have a named Chainti Madkins as their new head girls' basketball coach.&nbsp;

VICTORIA - The Knights have a named Chainti Madkins as their new head girls' basketball coach.&nbsp;<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Pleased to Welcome… Chianti Madkins! <a href="https://twitter.com/vhsknights?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@vhsknights</a> <a href="https://t.co/2c5nnXucN7">pic.twitter.com/2c5nnXucN7</a>&mdash; Victoria Jr/Sr HS (@vhsknights) <a href="https://twitter.com/vhsknights/status/1524359543232233474?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 11, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Madkins comes to Victoria from Eureka.

🏀 Victoria names new girls' basketball coach

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/5/1589816434431.jpeg" alt="Victoria High School Class of 2022 / <a href="https://graduation.eagleradio.net/schools/victoria">Click HERE</a>" />
 <figcaption>Victoria High School Class of 2022 / <a href="https://graduation.eagleradio.net/schools/victoria">Click HERE</a></figcaption>
 </figure>Updated, 1:30 p.m. Thursday

Victoria High School Class of 2022

VICTORIA—Two years ago, the Ellis County Commission voted to
obstain from paying dues to the Northwest Kansas Planning and Development
Commission, ending access to their services for cities in the county.

But after last week's Victoria City Council meeting, two of
the three major cities in Ellis County – Ellis and Victoria have opted to
independently join the area economic development organization.

Executive director Randy Hrabe first shared with the council
the situation that has led to the group asking cities in the county to sign up
while the county remains a non-member.

We "ran into an issue two years ago when Ellis County
decided not to pay their dues," Hrabe said. "And so they didn't get
some of the services that were available."

He said the Ellis County Commission at the time questioned
the return on investment for Ellis County, while they were the group's largest
source of dues income. 

Along with those concerns, a tight budget led the county to
offer a smaller amount in terms of dues for the year.

The NWKPDC Board of Directors met that action by clarify to the
county that if full dues are not paid, a county would no longer receive voting
rights.

So, in turn, Ellis County paid no dues that year,
effectively ending their membership in the group.

With Ellis historically being by far the largest beneficiary
of the services of the NWKPDC, they worked with the board from the group over
several months to solidify their entry outside of the county membership.

The board decided that for a municipality to join the
membership would be a minimum of $3,500 annually.

Ellis signed up, citing many of the city's projects,
including a new city pool, that had been significantly subsidized by grants
obtained by the NWKPDC.

Hrabe noted even more recently as an example of the benefits of
membership that Ellis received a COVID grant for local businesses while
Victoria and Hays missed out.

"The city of Ellis got $150,000 because they paid
$3,500," Hrabe said.

One of the main reasons Ellis has been about to tap in to
NWKPDC services centers around an eligibility requirement for Community
Development Block Grants, Hrabe said.

A significant amount of grants funded through the NWKPDC are
CBDG Grants. Those grants often rely on income requirements. To get those
requirements, a survey – commonly referred to as an LMI survey must be
completed.

To quality for many of those grants, the majority of
recipients must be reside under an average income threshold for the area the
project will service.

Due to the average income reported for the cities being
higher than the threshold, in the past, Hays and Victoria have failed to
qualify for the bulk of the grants the NWKDPC could secure.

But Hrabe told the council event without the LMI, the city would
benefit from joining and would qualify for a variety of community improvement
projects.

"Victoria does qualify for certain aspects of it,"
Hrabe said. "If you do the whole city all at once, you may not qualify,
but you may qualify by doing an LMI survey and different things."

There is a national objective in low to moderate-income for
most projects, but there are some projects that you can do that do not require
it, said Corina Cox, NWKPDC economic development director.

For the full benefit, the surveys must be completed and
represent a majority of the city population. But that has been problematic in
Victoria, city council members shared with Hrabe.

"Our problem has never been where we're at, our problem
has always been getting surveys back. People here don't fill out surveys. No
matter what we've done," said city council member Zach Katzenbach.
"It doesn't work."

Cox suggested incentivizing participation as much as
possible, while Hrabe suggested letting residents know the potential benefit to
the city if just 51 percent of residents complete the survey.

Despite previous difficulty getting surveys completed,
council member Harland Rupp noted recent infrastructure projects in the city
may encourage participation.

"The only reason I think this time that we have a fair
chance is because we have done a lot last year," Rupp said. "People
are starting to see improvements."

Among the infrastructure development conversations
permeating the town, the potential of a multiuse facility taking root in the
former rest home in the heart of the city and a Greenway trail that would
provide a walking/riding path connecting the city's attractions has driven the
conversation for Victoria to take a similar path as Ellis and join
independently of the county.

Rest homeowner Jeff Pfeifer spoke at the meeting about the
necessity of grants to move those projects forward. A project Hrabe said his
organization could support if the city was a member of the NWKPDC.

"It looked like a good project to me," Hrabe said.
"I mean, it's a way of taking an old facility and turning it into
something for your community."

But without grants, Pfeifer said the project would likely
never come to fruition.

"We're not going to go to a bank to get a loan,"
he said. "We're not going to get investors. We have to have grants. The
whole concept that we're building on is to get some grant stacking, two or
three grants. … That's the only way it's going to happen. And these grants are
going to have to be sponsored or applied for, by the city.”

"So we're going to need help on that," he
continued. "We're gonna need letters of support from the city, because
that looks better on the grant that the city is supporting (it). That, and I
don't have that expertise these guys do."

&nbsp;Cox said plans for
the facility are in line with many of the funding avenues they facilitate, with
funding for multiple projects available as a part of the full plan.

And Pfeifer said he believes the community has shown support
for the effort.

"You've seen the people come into the meetings, this
community is interested in the rest home building," Pfeifer said.

With that interest, he said he believed the community, this
time, would fill out the LMI surveys and give Victoria the potential to receive
similar grants that have powered substantial development in Ellis in recent
years.

And the cost to make the attempt being so low, Rupp said it
was worth the cost.

"That's peanuts because we just said we're going to
match the city's club for $2,500, and they will come up with $2,500. So what is
another $1,000 a year," he said. "$3500 isn't going to break us. It
might give us time to study this and see how we can keep going forward as a
community in growing it and redeveloping."

And the council agreed, ultimately voting 3-2 to join the
NWKPDC, with dues totaling $3,500 for the year.

Before wrapping up, Cox told the council, now "you guys
just have to let me know what your highest priority is."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/4/1650769096232.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By JAMES BELL Hays PostVICTORIA—Two years ago, the Ellis County Commission voted to
obstain from paying dues to the Northwest Kansas Planning and Development
Commission, ending access to their services for cities in the county.But after last week's Victoria City Council meeting, two of
the three major cities in Ellis County – Ellis and Victoria have opted to
independently join the area economic development organization.Executive director Randy Hrabe first shared with the council
the situation that has led to the group asking cities in the county to sign up
while the county remains a non-member.We "ran into an issue two years ago when Ellis County
decided not to pay their dues," Hrabe said. "And so they didn't get
some of the services that were available."He said the Ellis County Commission at the time questioned
the return on investment for Ellis County, while they were the group's largest
source of dues income. Along with those concerns, a tight budget led the county to
offer a smaller amount in terms of dues for the year.The NWKPDC Board of Directors met that action by clarify to the
county that if full dues are not paid, a county would no longer receive voting
rights.So, in turn, Ellis County paid no dues that year,
effectively ending their membership in the group.<h2>BUT WHAT ABOUT ELLIS…</h2>With Ellis historically being by far the largest beneficiary
of the services of the NWKPDC, they worked with the board from the group over
several months to solidify their entry outside of the county membership.The board decided that for a municipality to join the
membership would be a minimum of $3,500 annually.Ellis signed up, citing many of the city's projects,
including a new city pool, that had been significantly subsidized by grants
obtained by the NWKPDC.Hrabe noted even more recently as an example of the benefits of
membership that Ellis received a COVID grant for local businesses while
Victoria and Hays missed out."The city of Ellis got $150,000 because they paid
$3,500," Hrabe said.One of the main reasons Ellis has been about to tap in to
NWKPDC services centers around an eligibility requirement for Community
Development Block Grants, Hrabe said.A significant amount of grants funded through the NWKPDC are
CBDG Grants. Those grants often rely on income requirements. To get those
requirements, a survey – commonly referred to as an LMI survey must be
completed.To quality for many of those grants, the majority of
recipients must be reside under an average income threshold for the area the
project will service.Due to the average income reported for the cities being
higher than the threshold, in the past, Hays and Victoria have failed to
qualify for the bulk of the grants the NWKDPC could secure.But Hrabe told the council event without the LMI, the city would
benefit from joining and would qualify for a variety of community improvement
projects."Victoria does qualify for certain aspects of it,"
Hrabe said. "If you do the whole city all at once, you may not qualify,
but you may qualify by doing an LMI survey and different things."There is a national objective in low to moderate-income for
most projects, but there are some projects that you can do that do not require
it, said Corina Cox, NWKPDC economic development director.For the full benefit, the surveys must be completed and
represent a majority of the city population. But that has been problematic in
Victoria, city council members shared with Hrabe."Our problem has never been where we're at, our problem
has always been getting surveys back. People here don't fill out surveys. No
matter what we've done," said city council member Zach Katzenbach.
"It doesn't work."Cox suggested incentivizing participation as much as
possible, while Hrabe suggested letting residents know the potential benefit to
the city if just 51 percent of residents complete the survey.Despite previous difficulty getting surveys completed,
council member Harland Rupp noted recent infrastructure projects in the city
may encourage participation."The only reason I think this time that we have a fair
chance is because we have done a lot last year," Rupp said. "People
are starting to see improvements."Among the infrastructure development conversations
permeating the town, the potential of a multiuse facility taking root in the
former rest home in the heart of the city and a Greenway trail that would
provide a walking/riding path connecting the city's attractions has driven the
conversation for Victoria to take a similar path as Ellis and join
independently of the county.Rest homeowner Jeff Pfeifer spoke at the meeting about the
necessity of grants to move those projects forward. A project Hrabe said his
organization could support if the city was a member of the NWKPDC."It looked like a good project to me," Hrabe said.
"I mean, it's a way of taking an old facility and turning it into
something for your community."But without grants, Pfeifer said the project would likely
never come to fruition."We're not going to go to a bank to get a loan,"
he said. "We're not going to get investors. We have to have grants. The
whole concept that we're building on is to get some grant stacking, two or
three grants. … That's the only way it's going to happen. And these grants are
going to have to be sponsored or applied for, by the city.”"So we're going to need help on that," he
continued. "We're gonna need letters of support from the city, because
that looks better on the grant that the city is supporting (it). That, and I
don't have that expertise these guys do."&nbsp;Cox said plans for
the facility are in line with many of the funding avenues they facilitate, with
funding for multiple projects available as a part of the full plan.And Pfeifer said he believes the community has shown support
for the effort."You've seen the people come into the meetings, this
community is interested in the rest home building," Pfeifer said.With that interest, he said he believed the community, this
time, would fill out the LMI surveys and give Victoria the potential to receive
similar grants that have powered substantial development in Ellis in recent
years.And the cost to make the attempt being so low, Rupp said it
was worth the cost."That's peanuts because we just said we're going to
match the city's club for $2,500, and they will come up with $2,500. So what is
another $1,000 a year," he said. "$3500 isn't going to break us. It
might give us time to study this and see how we can keep going forward as a
community in growing it and redeveloping."And the council agreed, ultimately voting 3-2 to join the
NWKPDC, with dues totaling $3,500 for the year.Before wrapping up, Cox told the council, now "you guys
just have to let me know what your highest priority is."

Two out of three ain't bad; Victoria follows Ellis' lead joining economic partnership

While the writing of the Pledge of Allegiance is most commonly attributed to Francis Bellamy, a Baptist minister from New York, the New York Times recently delved into the possibility that the actual author was a schoolboy from Victoria, Kansas — Frank Bellamy.

Click <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/02/us/pledge-of-allegiance-francis-bellamy.html">HERE</a> to read the investigation by the NYT, published earlier this month.

<a href="https://www.newspapers.com/clip/96314797/pledge-of-allegiance-1892/">Cover image via newspapers.com</a>&nbsp;

While the writing of the Pledge of Allegiance is most commonly attributed to Francis Bellamy, a Baptist minister from New York, the New York Times recently delved into the possibility that the actual author was a schoolboy from Victoria, Kansas — Frank Bellamy.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">&quot;Pledge of Allegiance&quot; on April 30, 1892? Before Francis Bellamy published it in Youth&#39;s Companion on September 8, 1892? cc <a href="https://twitter.com/bgzimmer?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@bgzimmer</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/EsnpcB?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@EsnpcB</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/btaylorblake?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@btaylorblake</a> <a href="https://t.co/RC0eqZPjzH">https://t.co/RC0eqZPjzH</a>&mdash; Barry Popik (@barrypopik) <a href="https://twitter.com/barrypopik/status/1496783059756195841?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 24, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> </div>Click <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/02/us/pledge-of-allegiance-francis-bellamy.html">HERE</a> to read the investigation by the NYT, published earlier this month.<a href="https://www.newspapers.com/clip/96314797/pledge-of-allegiance-1892/">Cover image via newspapers.com</a>&nbsp;

Was the Pledge of Allegiance written by Victoria student? NYT examines

VICTORIA — The High Plains Barbershop Chorus will be supporting an all-women's Sweet Adelines chorus starting Thursday, April 21.

The new chorus and the men's barbershop group will meet at 7:30 p.m. Thursdays at the Trinity Lutheran Church in Hays.&nbsp;

The Hays men's group has about two dozen members from across western Kansas.

The chorus recently joined the Colby chorus for a show in Hays. The Hays chorus in turn performed with the Colby singers in Colby.

The High Plains Barbershop Chorus celebrated Barbershop Quartet Day at Victoria Elementary School on Monday.

Max Befort, High Plains Barbershop member, is the chorus teacher at the school.

"Music is something that's lifelong — that you can always do, even if you're just jamming out in your car," he said. "My theory on music is it should impact lives. As you can see, it's impacted all of our lives. The students can see this is something they can do their whole lives."

He said singing with a group also helps create lifelong friendships. 

Vance Chartier, barbershop member, said music helps teach students discipline and focus, which helps them in their other studies.

You can follow the group on Facebook at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/Haysbarbershoppers/">Hays High Plains Barbershop Chorus.</a>

<div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/qZLCZRz5teo" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays PostVICTORIA — The High Plains Barbershop Chorus will be supporting an all-women's Sweet Adelines chorus starting Thursday, April 21.The new chorus and the men's barbershop group will meet at 7:30 p.m. Thursdays at the Trinity Lutheran Church in Hays.&nbsp; The Hays men's group has about two dozen members from across western Kansas. The chorus recently joined the Colby chorus for a show in Hays. The Hays chorus in turn performed with the Colby singers in Colby.The High Plains Barbershop Chorus celebrated Barbershop Quartet Day at Victoria Elementary School on Monday.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/4/1649797741014.jpeg" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>Max Befort, High Plains Barbershop member, is the chorus teacher at the school."Music is something that's lifelong — that you can always do, even if you're just jamming out in your car," he said. "My theory on music is it should impact lives. As you can see, it's impacted all of our lives. The students can see this is something they can do their whole lives."He said singing with a group also helps create lifelong friendships. <figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/4/1649797885813.jpeg" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>Vance Chartier, barbershop member, said music helps teach students discipline and focus, which helps them in their other studies.You can follow the group on Facebook at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/Haysbarbershoppers/">Hays High Plains Barbershop Chorus.</a>

🎥 High Plains Barbershop supporting women's chorus, performs at Victoria school

By JAMES BELL 
Hays Post

VICTORIA — It has been said,it's the little things that make all the
difference. That attitude was on full display during the <a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/265c36b5-eb2f-4dc4-b35a-642c5ace4d7b">second of three
Imagine Ellis County town hall events </a>that looked to explore the future of
Ellis County.

The meeting took place Thursday at the VFW Hall in Victoria,
giving area residents another opportunity to share, develop and discuss the
future of Ellis County and its municipalities.

Participants, including local leaders and business owners,
shared their thoughts on life in Ellis County and in Victoria — from the good to the bad — with many small and relatively quick community
goals suggested along with more major projects, including the development of an
already proposed Greenway Trail and redevelopment of the former rest home in
the heart of the city.

While many of the typical topics that affect area economies,
such as lacking retail options, a shortage of child care and workforce concerns, were addressed, the
conversations cited a lack of organized communication methods and community
leadership, as specific concerns within the city.

After opening remarks from Hays City Commissioner Sandy Jacobs,
Heartland Community Foundation Executive Director Sarah Meitner and Grow Hays
Executive Director Doug Williams and Dane G. Hansen Foundation consultant Betty
Johnson began the event breaking the participants into four groups of eight to
10.

Each group then considered topics discussed during the event, with
a purposefully open dialogue.

“Whatever you want it to be is what we want to hear,” Johnson said. “Nothing’s off the table.

“We've had some amazing ideas come out of these kinds of
sessions and these kinds of processes,” she said. “So, you know, money is
always an issue down the road. But tonight, we're here for ideas and to really
see what we can come up with. It's your county. It's your community. It's
your part of the world. And whatever you want it to be is what we want to hear
tonight, whether you think it's crazy or insane, put it out there.”

The groups first considered what was going well in Ellis
County.

Events such as the Wild West Festival and Herzogfest were listed as beneficial
to area residents, along with parks, health care and educational organizations.

But a central location, safety, including above-average emergency
medical services and law enforcement agencies engaged in the county and communities, also were top benefits named.

Expanded affordable
shopping, including a grocery or dollar-type store in Victoria, county-wide public transportation,
and small business development were listed as needs by the groups. But community
communication was cited by several groups as a concern in the city.

“We have a city Facebook page, but a lot of people don't
know or use that,” said Victoria Utilities Clerk Nancy Piatt. “Our city
newsletter only comes out quarterly. If you don't go to church and get the bulletins,
which is a good resource of information, but if you're a Catholic, you don't
get that information.”

Along with large needs and proposed projects, the groups also
outlined a number of smaller desires that could be implemented fairly quickly and
easily.

One idea was a&nbsp; countywide trail that would connect Ellis County
communities.

Johnson said she has seen communities build trails a little bit
at a time, and said overall it could be “very, very doable.”

Another; more tree throughout the county.

“You could do a tree and honor and memory of somebody or in
honor of your family,” Johnson said.

Flower pots lining Main Street in Victoria, a community garden
and enhanced signs around town were also discussed.

“Those are things that can happen quickly and easily. Those
are things that we could ramp up pretty quickly,” Johnson said.

But she said ongoing projects, including the proposed
Greenway Trail and rest home redevelopment, and the engagement of the community
at the event shows the dedication to grow Victoria and Ellis County.

“I like it," Johnson said. "You're building community and getting people
together, and I think that's what's important and that's how you'll continue to
grow and make things happen."

The third Imagine Ellis County town hall is scheduled from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. April 7 at Gigi's Cafe, 814 Washington, Ellis.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1648234194218.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By JAMES BELL 
Hays PostVICTORIA — It has been said,it's the little things that make all the
difference. That attitude was on full display during the <a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/265c36b5-eb2f-4dc4-b35a-642c5ace4d7b">second of three
Imagine Ellis County town hall events </a>that looked to explore the future of
Ellis County.The meeting took place Thursday at the VFW Hall in Victoria,
giving area residents another opportunity to share, develop and discuss the
future of Ellis County and its municipalities.Participants, including local leaders and business owners,
shared their thoughts on life in Ellis County and in Victoria — from the good to the bad — with many small and relatively quick community
goals suggested along with more major projects, including the development of an
already proposed Greenway Trail and redevelopment of the former rest home in
the heart of the city.While many of the typical topics that affect area economies,
such as lacking retail options, a shortage of child care and workforce concerns, were addressed, the
conversations cited a lack of organized communication methods and community
leadership, as specific concerns within the city.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1648234219803.jpeg" alt="Hays city commissioner Sandy Jacobs" />
 <figcaption>Hays city commissioner Sandy Jacobs</figcaption>
 </figure>After opening remarks from Hays City Commissioner Sandy Jacobs,
Heartland Community Foundation Executive Director Sarah Meitner and Grow Hays
Executive Director Doug Williams and Dane G. Hansen Foundation consultant Betty
Johnson began the event breaking the participants into four groups of eight to
10.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1648234209135.jpeg" alt="Sarah Meitner, Heartland Community Foundation executive director" />
 <figcaption>Sarah Meitner, Heartland Community Foundation executive director</figcaption>
 </figure>Each group then considered topics discussed during the event, with
a purposefully open dialogue.“Whatever you want it to be is what we want to hear,” Johnson said. “Nothing’s off the table.“We've had some amazing ideas come out of these kinds of
sessions and these kinds of processes,” she said. “So, you know, money is
always an issue down the road. But tonight, we're here for ideas and to really
see what we can come up with. It's your county. It's your community. It's
your part of the world. And whatever you want it to be is what we want to hear
tonight, whether you think it's crazy or insane, put it out there.”The groups first considered what was going well in Ellis
County.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1648234163338.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Events such as the Wild West Festival and Herzogfest were listed as beneficial
to area residents, along with parks, health care and educational organizations.But a central location, safety, including above-average emergency
medical services and law enforcement agencies engaged in the county and communities, also were top benefits named.Expanded affordable
shopping, including a grocery or dollar-type store in Victoria, county-wide public transportation,
and small business development were listed as needs by the groups. But community
communication was cited by several groups as a concern in the city.“We have a city Facebook page, but a lot of people don't
know or use that,” said Victoria Utilities Clerk Nancy Piatt. “Our city
newsletter only comes out quarterly. If you don't go to church and get the bulletins,
which is a good resource of information, but if you're a Catholic, you don't
get that information.”Along with large needs and proposed projects, the groups also
outlined a number of smaller desires that could be implemented fairly quickly and
easily.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1648234180079.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>One idea was a&nbsp; countywide trail that would connect Ellis County
communities.Johnson said she has seen communities build trails a little bit
at a time, and said overall it could be “very, very doable.”Another; more tree throughout the county.“You could do a tree and honor and memory of somebody or in
honor of your family,” Johnson said.Flower pots lining Main Street in Victoria, a community garden
and enhanced signs around town were also discussed.“Those are things that can happen quickly and easily. Those
are things that we could ramp up pretty quickly,” Johnson said.But she said ongoing projects, including the proposed
Greenway Trail and rest home redevelopment, and the engagement of the community
at the event shows the dedication to grow Victoria and Ellis County.“I like it," Johnson said. "You're building community and getting people
together, and I think that's what's important and that's how you'll continue to
grow and make things happen."The third Imagine Ellis County town hall is scheduled from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. April 7 at Gigi's Cafe, 814 Washington, Ellis.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1648234145811.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>

Small goals, big vision bubble up at Victoria Imagine Ellis County meeting

By JONATHAN ZWEYGARDT Hays Post

An Ellis County District Court judge sentenced a Victoria
man to life in prison this week for a pair of sex crimes involving two young girls
and the rape of an 18 year-old nearly six years ago.

On Tuesday, 33-year-old Cody Schultz was sentenced to life in
prison with the possibly of parole after 25 years for aggravated indecent liberties
with a child under the age of 14, 15 years and six months in prison for electronic solicitation
of a child under the age of 14, and an additional 15 years and six months in prison for raping
a woman in 2014.

Following <a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/09511767-3e23-4f78-a871-885fb807f5ea">mediation in February</a>, Schultz was found guilty on
all three charges.

At Tuesday’s sentencing hearing, Schultz attempted to get Chief
Judge Glenn Braun to issue a shorter prison sentence than the one agreed upon
in the February mediation.

During the more than two-hour long hearing Tuesday, several family
members testified on Schultz’s behalf, insisting he was not a predator and
claimed he made a mistake. 

In handing down his sentence, Braun disagreed, saying, “this
defendant was a predator. The evidence in this case clearly evidences that.”

The almost six years between the rape and the solicitation of
the young girls also proved that, according to Braun.

Sentencing Schultz to the prison sentence was, according to
Braun, a public safety issue.

Braun called it, “one of the strangest sentencing I’ve been
involved in, from the defendant's perspective.”

According to Braun, in voluntary statements submitted to the
court by Schultz, he admitted to one of the three crimes he was convicted of
but also blamed the victims.

In the court filings, Schultz said he believes the two young victims, ages 12 and
13 at the <a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/5e010d1c57544d3fe90e82e3">time of the assaults</a>, should “be held accountable for lying.”

In another court filing, Schultz blamed one of the victims multiple
times.

“It’s a 12 year-old girl,"&nbsp;Braun said.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1648072335461.jpeg" alt="Schultz" />
 <figcaption>Schultz</figcaption>
 </figure>By JONATHAN ZWEYGARDT Hays PostAn Ellis County District Court judge sentenced a Victoria
man to life in prison this week for a pair of sex crimes involving two young girls
and the rape of an 18 year-old nearly six years ago.On Tuesday, 33-year-old Cody Schultz was sentenced to life in
prison with the possibly of parole after 25 years for aggravated indecent liberties
with a child under the age of 14, 15 years and six months in prison for electronic solicitation
of a child under the age of 14, and an additional 15 years and six months in prison for raping
a woman in 2014.Following <a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/09511767-3e23-4f78-a871-885fb807f5ea">mediation in February</a>, Schultz was found guilty on
all three charges. At Tuesday’s sentencing hearing, Schultz attempted to get Chief
Judge Glenn Braun to issue a shorter prison sentence than the one agreed upon
in the February mediation.During the more than two-hour long hearing Tuesday, several family
members testified on Schultz’s behalf, insisting he was not a predator and
claimed he made a mistake. In handing down his sentence, Braun disagreed, saying, “this
defendant was a predator. The evidence in this case clearly evidences that.”The almost six years between the rape and the solicitation of
the young girls also proved that, according to Braun.Sentencing Schultz to the prison sentence was, according to
Braun, a public safety issue.Braun called it, “one of the strangest sentencing I’ve been
involved in, from the defendant's perspective.”According to Braun, in voluntary statements submitted to the
court by Schultz, he admitted to one of the three crimes he was convicted of
but also blamed the victims.In the court filings, Schultz said he believes the two young victims, ages 12 and
13 at the <a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/5e010d1c57544d3fe90e82e3">time of the assaults</a>, should “be held accountable for lying.” In another court filing, Schultz blamed one of the victims multiple
times.“It’s a 12 year-old girl,"&nbsp;Braun said.Braun presented court records showing the girls told
Schultz their ages before the crimes took place.Charges in a similar incident involving Schultz messaging a 10-year-old
girl in Barton County were dropped as part of the mediation agreement. Ellis
County Attorney Robert Anderson said the state has evidence of dozensof other attempts by Schultz to solicit young girls for sex.In a statement to Hays Post,&nbsp; Anderson said, “these two cases have been a top priority of mine since taking
office. A lot of time and effort was expended into the investigation and
prosecution. I know law enforcement is
pleased with the result, and they should be very proud of the work they did. Now
that these cases are over with at the trial court level, I hope the victims and
their families can begin to put this behind them and heal.”During his allocution before his sentence was handed down, Schultz claimed to have a list of other offenders who have gotten lighter
prison sentences.Braun dismissed the accusation.“I have never reduced
a sentence on a sex offender," he said.Anderson said of those allegations, “The criminal justice
system simply does not have the time or resources to prosecute every case to
the fullest extent of the law. My job is to decide what cases and charges get
filed and how aggressively to pursue certain convictions and punishment. Any
leniency I give must be viewed in that context. I’ve never seen the court give
undeserved leniency. Since taking office last year, I have filed approximately
twenty sexual assault cases. No two cases are alike. The nuance of each case,
coupled with the wishes of the victims, dictates how aggressively I pursue a
given result.”Both Braun and Anderson applauded the efforts of the Hays
Police Department for solving the <a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/c0219c5e-6af1-4e74-a558-edac30586e8f">2014 rape case</a>. Schultz lived near the woman
at the time and DNA evidence proved that he attacked the woman, they said.Anderson said, “This community should be very proud of all
of the agencies, organizations, and people who were part of the result achieved
today. Obviously, law enforcement, in particular the investigative unit for
Hays PD, did a stellar job in both of these cases, but I would be remiss if I
didn’t also praise the Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners program at Hays Med; the
KBI forensic examiners; the forensic interviewer and advocates from the Western
Kansas Child Advocacy Center; the Department of Children &amp; Families; St.
Francis Ministries; and my office staff —if I’ve left anyone out, I apologize.
All of these people come together to make our community a better place to live.”Schultz has already indicated that he plans to appeal the
sentencing.