SPORTS: CHETOPA TEAM PREPARES FOR TRIP TO OKLAHOMA. PAGE 6 ParsonsSun TUESDAY, SEPT. 6, 2011 — 50 CENTS www.parsonssun.com LOCAL NEWS Wichita couple share passion for recycling
Post offi ce to WICHITA (AP) — When Paul Miller started teach- because there wasn’t enough food to go around. They needed to be fixed. He said, ‘Don’t you mean repaired?’ ing math at Thayer High School, he found himself smit- learned not to waste. I was impressed he knew the difference.” change hours ten with the new English teacher. They married and this “Our parents composted, had their own gardens, The Great Depression had ravaged families. Working Parsons post office custom- week they will celebrate their 70th wedding anniver- fished,” Paul Miller said. “When we started doing this in the schools, they were among the few who had jobs. ers will experience a change in sary. in 1988, recycling just seemed to be the natural thing to Paul’s father had left home when he was 11, and he and the pick-up schedule starting Paul and Margaret Miller, both in their 90s, have be- do to help the environment.” his sister struggled to support their mother. Sept. 17. come best known for leading recycling efforts in Wich- To hear Paul Miller tell it, Margaret didn’t have much By the end of that first year at Thayer High School, From that date forward, mail ita for the past 20-plus years. of a choice. the 22-year-olds had spent all their money by sending it will be collected at 3 p.m. from They took it up when they retired in the 1980s after “What are you going to do in Thayer, Kansas?” he back home. the Parsons Post Office instead working at Beech Aircraft. The Pro Kansas Miller Re- said. “There’s old men and old maids. You have two “We figured we needed summer jobs to make it,” Paul of 5:20 p.m. Monday through cycling Center carries their names. young people working at the school. What else was she Miller said. “I heard they were hiring in Wichita.” Friday and on Saturdays. Recycling, they said last week, became their way of going to do?” It was during the second world war. A change that will move In- trying to protect the outdoors, where they’ve camped Even then, Margaret Miller could see through his sar- “They needed people to build aircraft, and Beech was dependence mail sorting oper- and hiked over most of the U.S. and Europe. casm. “I could tell right away he was smart, still is,” hiring,” Margaret Miller said. “So we went to Wichita ations to Wichita led to push- They both grew up during the Great Depression, she said. ing up the deadline to accept when children often ate while their parents watched “I said something about having a broken watch that See RECYCLING, Page 2. mail in Parsons. The Postal Service has plans to close more than 60 percent of its mail processing plants Festival by the end of 2012 in an effort TEEING OFF to streamline operations that have run in the red for several years. looks to The planned consolidation is part of a larger “redesign” of the postal processing network aimed at dealing with declin- add to ing mail volumes, according to U.S. Postal Service officials. The planned plant closings represent a cost-cutting step tractor by the Postal Service, which expects to lose about $9 billion See HOURS, Page 10. display
THIS ISSUE Organizers of the fourth an- nual Farm Heritage Celebration at Tolen Creek Park are seeking ■ Volume 140 antique tractor owners interested ■ Issue 58 in displaying their machines. ■ 10 Pages The Southeast Kansas Farm ■ 1 Section History Center has scheduled The Sun contains the Farm Heritage Celebration When you for Sept. 30 and Oct. 1. see news The Farm Heritage Celebra- happening tion will feature an 1890s stone or if you homestead, living history dem- have a story onstrations, vintage agricultural idea, call the displays from the 1890s through newsroom at the 1950s and working horses. 421-2000. recycled newsprint Festival coordinators also are looking for more antique (1938 Jamie Willey/Sun photo and older) and classic (1939 to DEATHS 1957) tractors and other agri- Doug Huff of Parsons launches a disc while teeing off on the second hole of the Parsons Arboretum disc golf course on Monday. Huff was cultural implements to add to Obituaries or notices for the playing with a few other people from Parsons as well as disc golfers from Independence, Mound Valley and Erie. The group of about 12 disc the tractor display. Anyone with following people can be found golfers split into three groups to participate in an impromptu 18-hole tournament. tractors to display should call on Page 2 in today’s Sun: David Romine at 778-1443. ■ Shirley Wishall Another display will feature vintage farm trucks. Anyone with a farm truck older than 1959 is invited to participate in the dis- FUNERALS Research focuses on battlefi eld fractures play. There will be no judging or prizes. Those interested should SHIRLEY WISHALL, 70, WICHITA (AP) — Officials with two research institutes in The medical composites research and development group was Wichita are hopeful that research on a device that would stabilize contact Jeff Price at 820-3793 to of Coffeyville, Mass of Chris- founded in 2006 by a group of scientists and executives at Wichita fractures in the battlefield could someday reduce the number of am- State University and Via Christi Health System. Its goal is to create get involved. tian burial at 10 a.m. Thursday putations that often follow such injuries. a medical composites industry. As in past years, the event will at Holy Name Catholic Church The Department of Defense recently awarded a $1.4 million grant “This is extremely good news for CIBOR in terms of this is the feature working horses as well. in Coffeyville. to the National Institute for Aviation Research at Wichita State Uni- first involvement in large-scale federal funding,” Paul Wooley, CI- “This is a well-rounded event versity and the Center of Innovation for Biomaterials in Orthopae- BOR’s chief scientific officer, said last week. that features a variety of activi- dic Research, The Wichita Eagle reported. Ideally, the device being researched would be easy to carry, oper- ties from the first half of the last LOCAL SMILES Officials at the two institutes believe the work could have com- ate in all types of weather and environments and harden immedi- century,” city of Parsons public mercial potential, perhaps as the spinoff of a Kansas-based com- pany to manufacture the device. See RESEARCH, Page 10. See FESTIVAL, Page 10. Veterinarian wants pet-friendly city SEED-SPITTING CHAMPS BY JAMIE WILLEY equipment there. City-owned now the Great Plains Industrial PARSONS SUN land on North 10th Street where Park and Kansas Department of A Parsons veterinarian wants a trailer park was removed may Wildlife and Parks land, could to make the city more pet friend- be the ideal location, she said, be used for a new horse trail. ly by adding a dog park and pet because there probably is a wa- D udek told t he com m issioners cemetery among other ideas. ter supply there and it isn’t too the group wants to know what Dr. Eva Dudek, who has spo- close to neighbors. She said a money the city would be willing ken to the Parsons City Com- dog park would provide a place to spend to create the dog park, mission several times on im- for pet owners to take their dogs pet cemetery, city/county shelter proving the enforcement of pet or other facilities that the group abuse and other animal issues, and for the pet owners to meet has discussed. told the commissioners during each other. a Thursday work session that a Dudek also said the group is Commissioner Kevin Cruse group of people pushing for bet- working to create a pet ceme- told Dudek that the commission ter treatment of animals in the tery, and it continues to push for would need more specific infor- city is growing. a city/county animal shelter. The mation on the group’s goals and Grace Noel is a kindergartner Dudek said the group is pur- group also is organizing a coun- priorities before the commission at Neosho Heights Elementary suing the idea of creating a dog ty animal response team that could consider funding the proj- School in Oswego. park by fencing in existing city- would save animals after a di- ects with city money. Commis- owned land. She said several saster such as a tornado. Dudek sioner Greg York said the group spots have good potential for the said the tornado that struck Jo- also should establish cost esti- Courtesy photo park. Someone has suggested plin in May reinforced the idea mates for the projects and report creating the dog park at McEl- that such a team is needed. back to the commission. Thayer Homecoming watermelon seed-spitting contest winners (from haney Park, but Dudek said that Besides the dog and cat ini- Dudek agreed to provide the left) Thom Watts of 96.9 KKOW, his daughter, Lilly Watts, Taylor Ea- park may be too close to houses. tiatives, Dudek said the group commission with more infor- sum, Eli Stafford and Thornton Bogle pose with their trophies. The 50 mbps Circle Park would be perfect, would like to find out if a sec- mation. She said the group just 100th Thayer Homecoming concluded on Sunday. Will make Dudek said, but the city would tion of land at the former Kan- wants to make Parsons a more your smile have to remove the playground sas Army Ammunition Plant, pet-friendly community. even brighter We Appreciate Your Business AWARD Fast Friendly Service • Over 35 Years combined Experience WINNING www.cableone.net Free: Estimates, Pickup & Delivery, Local Towing w/repair PAINTLESS Certified Shop 1-877-692-2253 We will work directly with your insurance DENT REPAIR! (1-877-MY CABLE) Full Service Body & Mechanic Shop company, saving you time and trouble! Lifetime Guarantee on Paint MONDAY-FRIDAY 8-12 • 1-5 Frame Repair, Auto Glass, 1875 NESS RD • PARSONS 9 YEARS AT SAME LOCATION Experienced Insurance Claims Handling 620-423-1638 SHOP • 620-820-1628 CELL We offer deductible assistance - call for details Page 2 Tuesday, Sept. 6, 2011 ParsonsSun Record WEATHER Obama says U.S. needs to create jobs FORECAST Sunny DETROIT (AP) — President able to build them. shooters in Congress. We’re go- held steady at 9.1 percent. Barack Obama said Monday Citing massive federal budget ing to see if congressional Re- Congress returns from its High near 77 that congressional Republicans deficits, Republicans have ex- publicans will put country be- summer recess this week, with Low near 50 must put their country ahead pressed opposition to spending fore party.” the faltering economy and job of their party and vote to create vast new sums on jobs programs. Obama’s remarks came as he market promising to be a domi- Wednesday: new jobs as he used a boisterous But Obama said that with wide- has been under heavy criticism nant theme of the session. The Sunny, with a high Labor Day rally to aim a parti- spread suffering, “the time for from the GOP for presiding over economy is all but certain to near 76. Mostly san barb at the GOP. Washington games is over” and a persistently weak economy and also be the top issue of the 2012 clear at night, with a In a preview of the jobs speech lawmakers must move quickly high unemployment. Last Fri- presidential and congressional low around 53. he will deliver on Thursday to to create jobs. day’s dismal jobs report showed elections. Congress, Obama said there are “But we’re not going wait for that employers added no jobs in Obama also said lawmakers Thursday: numerous roads and bridges that them,” he said at an annual event August, the first time since 1945 should extend the temporary Max McKinley drew this for the Sun’s weather Sunny, with a high need rebuilding in the U.S., and sponsored by the Metropolitan that the government reported a reduction in the payroll tax that section. If children would like to submit weather art near 79. Mostly over 1 million unemployed con- Detroit AFL-CIO. “We’re going net job change of zero. The un- workers pay, a cut that will oth- to the Sun, they or their parents may call Ray or Ja- clear at night, with a struction workers who are avail- to see if we’ve got some straight employment rate, meanwhile, erwise expire on Jan. 1. mie at 421-2000. low around 57. PARSONS STATISTICS MONDAY’S HIGH: 78 LOW: 55 Friday: Mostly Gretchen Miller remembered growing up in the 1960s, when PRECIPITATION: .00” MONTH: .00” YEAR: 25.46” sunny, with a high RECYCLING every grocery store charged a few pennies’ deposit on glass soda TODAY’S SUNSET: 7:44 p.m. near 79 and a low Continued from Page 1. bottles. Customers returned the bottles and collected their deposit. WEDNESDAY’S SUNRISE: 6:56 a.m. around 58. It had been that way since before World War II. Beverage com- for the summer. panies would wash and reuse their bottles. By the end of the 1950s, “It’s been a long summer — 70 years.” cans had started replacing refillable bottles. OUR PAST The Millers have always believed they owed a debt to the com- She remembers when drink manufacturers touted “no deposit, no munities where they lived. return” bottles. These items were taken from the Sun’s editions 20, 30 and 40 Paul Miller was so grateful that Greenwood County gave his “Mom said, ‘This is not going to be a good thing,’” Gretchen years ago. mother $100 in welfare checks one year so he could finish high Miller said. “She always thought the grocery store should take back school, he has sent that county $500 a year to pay them back. everything, even mayonnaise jars.” Sept. 6, 1971 As a Boy Scout leader, he helped Robert Gates become an Eagle Two decades later, Margaret Miller saw bottles, plastic and cans Bob Hill went on a birdie binge and defeated Dick Ney 4 &