By ALIN HETT
Hays Post
Ellis County commissioners unanimously approved a resolution Tuesday supporting Operation Green Light for Veterans and heard an update on the Ellis County Historical Society.
The National Association of Counties and the National Association of County Veteran Service Officers invited counties to light public buildings green from Nov. 4 through Veterans Day, Nov. 11.
Ellis County’s resolution also encourages residents and businesses to display green lights at their homes or workplaces. Darin Myers, county administrator, said the courthouse and emergency response building are lit green.
Financially, the agenda estimated only minimal costs to temporarily change bulbs in county buildings.
The resolution recognizes veterans’ service and sacrifices and the challenges some face when returning to civilian life. It cites research indicating that 44 to 72% of service members experience high stress during that transition and that veterans face an increased risk of suicide during their first year after leaving the military.
Myers estimated about 12 to 15 people with military service work for the county or county fire departments. After the vote, Neal Younger, Ellis County commissioner thanked veterans for their service.
“I was in Salina last Friday, and I was surprised by all the green lights when we left that were at the residents' part of business,” Younger said. “It means a lot, our veterans have done a lot for us.”
Ellis County Historical Society
Amanda Rupp, Ellis County Historical Society director, told commissioners the society helped facilitate 16 events this year celebrating the county’s Volga German sesquicentennial. She also described progress at the society’s restored sites in Hays and Victoria, where permanent exhibits are being developed.
The society hired exhibit design companies from Newton and the Kansas City area. Each will develop a main gallery, with about $250,000 budgeted for each project through grants.
Rupp said the galleries are expected to open next summer. The Victoria site is also planning a Discovery Center with hands-on activities.
Rupp said the Victoria exhibits are expected to be a hit.
“It's going to rival some of the bigger museums that we see across the state,” Rupp said. “It's going to be a tourist attraction, that's for sure.”
Rupp said the historical society expects its Hays and Victoria sites to open permanent exhibits next summer.
The Hays gallery will focus on the area’s Wild West history, while the Victoria site will open its main gallery and Discovery Center, with two additional galleries planned as funding becomes available.
Rupp also said the society also plans to host the traveling Gunsmoke Trail exhibit next summer.
Before then, the society plans to host one more event this year to support the Sternberg Museum of Natural History.
A silent and live auction is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 20, with proceeds going toward the museum’s fundraising match. The event will include three live bands and food trucks. Visitors may also tour the Pete Felten Historic site.
4-H
Commissioners also agreed to let the Gemini Juniors 4-H Club decorate the trees north of the Hays Public Library for the holiday season. Club leaders Jennifer Taylor and Sarah Erickson said the project has been an annual tradition for more than 30 years.
Club members Evan Betz, Ashlynn Erickson, Evangeline Betz and Josiah Conner attended the meeting to make the request. Erickson described the event as more than just decorating a tree.
The club is collecting homemade ornaments at the Ellis County 4-H Extension Office on Main Street through Nov. 30. Organizers asked that decorations be sturdy enough to withstand Kansas wind and weather. Boy Scout Troop 101 and its adult leaders will help hang them.
“This project gives local youth a chance to spread joy during the holidays and take part in something that brightens our town,” Erickson said. “It is a simple act with a big impact. We look forward to it every year. We hope people smile when they see the ornaments. It shows that kids in the community care and want to help.”