Priceless Take One Vol. 19 Number 30 An Award Winning Weekly Newspaper Thursday, January 13, 2011 Manhattan Entrepreneur Brownback To Recognize Businesses The Kansas Small Business administration. GTM sells cus- Garden City Development Center (KSBDC) tomized imprinted sportswear The Next Step Inc. / WOTC Takes Office announced the 2010 Emerging to athletic teams, booster clubs, Solutions LLC By Rachel Whitten and Existing Businesses of the corporations, resorts, outdoor John L. White, owner KansasReporter TOPE- Year this week. Each of the enthusiasts, cheer and gymnas- Lenexa KA, Kan. – Expressing eight KSBDC regional centers tic squads, and other related Audio/Video Concepts optimism for the state’s had the opportunity to select markets throughout the United Shawn Markley, owner future, but acknowledging one emerging and one existing States and abroad. Ottawa the challenges that lay business for the award. In 2007, Dreiling was named SayCheez PhotoBooth ahead, Sam Brownback In total, 15 Kansas small Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur Scott and Nikki Lewien, own- took office Monday as businesses will be recognized at of the Year for the Central ers Topeka Kansas’ 46 governor dur- a ceremony in Topeka on March Midwest Region, and GTM was Thiessen-Elise SalonJohn ing a swearing-in ceremo- 15. The businesses were select- placed on the Inaugural Inc. and Amber Klassen, ny in the Kansas House ed from nearly 2,300 entrepre- 5000 list of fastest-growing pri- ownersSalina chamber. neurs that received KSBDC vately owned companies. He Existing Businesses of the As the snow that forced services in 2010. was named Young Entrepreneur Year: the ceremony indoors fell “The businesses were select- of the Year by the Small Granada Coffee Company steadily outside the win- ed after careful consideration by Businesses Administration for Rocky Slaymaker, dows of the statehouse, our consultants,” said Wally the state of Kansas in 1992. In ownerEmporia Brownback swore to Kearns, KSBDC state director. 1994, he was named a finalist T&C MFG & Operating Inc. uphold the U.S. and “During the last year, the over- for Inc. magazine’s Craig Pangburn and Thomas Kansas constitutions, and took command of the all economic situation has creat- Entrepreneur of the Year for the McGlinn, owners Kansas National Guard ed opportunities and obstacles. states of Kansas and Missouri. Great Bend and the Kansas Highway The determining factors in Recently, The Manhattan Area Fleener Funeral Home Patrol. selecting the businesses includ- Chamber of Commerce award- J. Wynn Fleener, owner Drawing on the history ed looking at how the business- ed Dreiling the Lud Fiser Greensburg of the Kansas’ stand es maneuvered through the Citizen of the Year Award for Weather or Not Inc. against slavery before obstacles and how they shifted 2009 for his outstanding and Sara Croke, owner statehood, Brownback, a priorities or operations to repeated contributions to the Shawnee Republican who served in remain profitable.” community. Printpop.com Devin Walker the U.S. Senate and House During the last two months, The public is welcome to and Ladd Epp, owners for 16 years, paralleled business owners participated in attend this event. In addition, Lawrence overcoming that challenge Governor Sam Brownback video interviews, which will be the public can view event TLC Garden Center to the current fiscal and presented at the awards ceremo- details at http://www.kansas.- Savannah Flory, owner economic struggles the ny. In addition, the award recip- gov/ksbdc. LaHarpe state faces. took oaths of office at the office as the state faces a ients will be presented with a Emerging Businesses of the Lifetime Eye Care “Our public finances ceremony. They include more than $500 million plaque by their state legislators. Year: Leslie Gallagher, OD, FAAO, strain under the weight of State Board of Education revenue shortfall and The keynote speaker for the The New Breck and Nicole Meerpohl, OD, commitments beyond our members Janet Waugh, almost 100,000 Kansans event is Dave Dreiling, owner Doug Disney and Jena owners Holton present means,” Sally Cauble, John Bacon, are out of work. of GTM Sportswear, a Johnson, owners Americus Intake Studio Brownback said in his Kenneth Willard and Jana But optimism permeat- Manhattan-based company that Couture for Men Heath Balderston, Roberta inauguration speech. “Yet Shaver, Attorney General ed his inaugural address, he and a partner founded 21 Leland Olive, owner Feist, Troy Lott and Todd we have known worse and Derek Schmidt, State harking on Kansans to years ago after he graduated Hays overcome more.” Treasurer Ron Estes, draw encouragement Schwarz, owners Wichita About 8 inches of snow Insurance Commissioner from the state history and from Kansas State University Accelacare Physical Therapy stood on the south steps of Sandy Praeger, Lt. Gov. Jeff motto. with a B.S. degree in business Wes and Amy Wickwar, owners the statehouse where the Colyer, Secretary of State “Kansas was born of ceremony was originally Kris Kobach, and judges of aspiration—the last word scheduled to take place. the Kansas Court of Appeals of our state motto is the Kansas Home Sales Steady Monday’s inauguration and Kansas Supreme Court. Latin root for ‘aspira- Kansas home sales steadied percent from year-earlier levels, wasn’t influenced by tax credit was the first time such an Brownback’s friend and tion,’” Brownback said. in November to 1,933 units statewide, the sales, Jones said. event has been held in the former U.S. Attorney “Aspiration for life liberty Posted on Tuesday, January realtors association reported. The monthly survey also House chambers since General John Ashcroft and the pursuit of happi- 11, 2011 But those year earlier sales showed that the backlog of 1893. Because of the lim- attended the inauguration. ness; all of those aspira- numbers are somewhat distort- unsold homes on Kansas mar- ited space in the new loca- Ashcroft was a U.S. Senator tions are worthy and each By Gene Meyer ed because tax incentives for tion, lawmakers sat in the from Missouri before being kets shrank slightly in to some degree remains January 11, 2011 homebuyers, which led to unex- upper viewing gallery, appointed attourney general unfulfilled.” November, to 18,511 listings, (KansasReporter) TOPEKA, pectedly higher sales in 2009, while newly elected offi- during the Bush administra- Brownback will outline or a 9.6 months inventory. haven’t been around this year, cials waiting to be sworn tion. Also in the audience specific plans for Kansas Kan. - Kansas home real estate Average sales prices statewide in sat with their families were U.S. Sen. Pat Roberts, and a budget proposal markets appeared to stabilize in said Brian Jones, the associa- dropped a fractional 0.4 percent amidst desks normally and U.S. Reps. Lynn during his State of the November, despite a steep drop tion’s president and a Pittsburg from year ago levels, to reserved for legislators on Jenkins of Topeka and State address Wednesday, in sales from a year earlier, the real estate broker. $153,705. Median prices, at the the House floor. Kevin Yoder of Overland Jan. 12 at 6:30 pm. latest monthly Kansas The most recent November midpoint between the highest Other state officers Park. Association of Realtors survey sales are actually 7.2 percent and lowest prices, fell 2.5 per- elected in November also Brownback assumes shows. higher than in November, 2008, cent to $137,950. Kansas home sales fell 32.5 the last comparable month that Truth Emerging On Unencumbered K-12 Education Funds By Paul Soutar into the classrooms. We hear removed some restrictions (KSDE), the Kansas plicity, assume that all FY accounting. Kansas Watchdog a lot about this being all on transferring the money Legislative Research Depart- 2010 obligations will be paid The State Financial What could Kansas do about the kids yet we have within school accounts. ment and the State Revisor in FY 2010 so as to avoid Council also authorized a with an extra $743 million? unused funds sitting around Legislators and govern- of Statutes to collaborate in having to estimate which $700 million certificate of That’s a question legislators while schools are saying they ment watchdog groups also determining the anticipated obligations will be paid and indebtedness, another prac- and the governor-elect want are having to lay off teach- argued the growing account ending balances for each of which will be encumbered tice used to keep the state answered. ers.” balances showed no need for the funds used by school dis- and paid in FY 2011.” budget balanced on paper. Kansas K-12 schools had Governor-elect Sam a tax increase for education tricts and what might prevent Alan Conroy, director of According to Dick it’s basi- $1.567 billion in unencum- Brownback told Kansas- funding. districts from accessing Legislative Research, told cally a charge to the state’s bered or carryover cash on Reporter.org last week that Deputy Education those funds. Kansas Watchdog the late own revolving credit account July 1 and as much as $743 his education reform plan Commissioner Dale Dennis O’Neal requested a, payments did not effect the to cover shortages including million of it could be made includes giving school told the Kansas State Board “Formal written opinion that report’s conclusions. His the past due payments to available for discretionary boards greater discretion to of Education at their Nov. the Legislature may rely April report to O’Neal said schools. spending by school districts, move and spend the unen- 2009 meeting that districts upon identifying which USD KLRD, “was not in a posi- A $700 million certificate according to state govern- cumbered dollars. didn’t need legislative action funds are truly legally unen- tion to independently verify of indebtedness was also ment research.