Page 6 Colby Free Press Wednesday, September 6, 2006 Kansas City, Kansas may have charter school for 2007 school year KANSAS CITY (AP) — Two If the plan is approved, the Hospital groups have announced plans to church would close the religious- try to open the city’s first charter based school it has run for 29 school by next fall. years and the charter school Happenings Pleasant Green Baptist Church would go in that space. and the North East Business As- The North East Business Asso- TAMA UNGER/Colby Free Press sociation plan to submit separate ciation, a nonprofit group that fo- applications to the Kansas City, cuses on community revitaliza- Kathy Bissitt, director of surgery Kan., school board this fall. tion, hopes to open the Maurice at Citizens Medical Center in Charter schools are public Holman Academy of Excellence, Colby, showed off the hospital’s schools freed from some state an elementary school for 100 stu- new arthroscopy equipment. regulations. In Kansas, the dents in kindergarten through Shoulders and knees mostly schools are tied to the districts in fifth grade. The school would em- benefit from this new procedure which they operate. Kansas has 26 phasize political science and en- as it removes damaged tissue charter schools in 24 districts. trepreneurship, said Chiquita within the joint using a small in- According to a preliminary plan Coggs, the executive director of cision. However, the new unit submitted to the Kansas City, the North East Business Associa- can also do laparoscopy proce- Kan. school board, Pleasant tion. dures on appendix and gall Green Baptist Church’s proposed Coggs said the group is finish- bladders. With the new system school would be “open to any stu- ing plans for a location and em- entire procedures will now be dent who demonstrates maturity, ployees. on CD Rom to be viewed later advancement and the ability to Kansas City, Kan., school board or kept in patient’s charts. handle an accelerated, high- president Gloria Willis said she achieving, college-preparatory and other board members would curriculum.” closely follow state law as they Rev. Jarvis L. Collier said it receive and review the applica- would not be a religious-based tions. school. He envisions the charter Both proposals must be submit- school as the “initial ‘feeder’ el- ted by Nov. 1. If the school board ementary school” to Sumner approves the plans, they move on Academy of Arts and Science, a to the state in December. The state public college-preparatory school would make a final decision by for students in eighth through 12th Jan. 15. grade. Collier said the school is Plans that are approved would expected to serve 120 students in have permission to operate with preschool through third grade. state dollars for five years. Rural libraries struggle to make ends meet Saturday GYPSUM (AP) — Thanks to est best-sellers. What books she Peggy Woods, Gypsum, popula- doesn’t have she can request tion about 400, has a working li- through a sharing program with brary. other libraries in the state. It’s in a large room at the rear of Roy Bird, of the Topeka- the Gypsum City Office building based State Library of Kansas, Sept. 9, 2006 that is lined nearly floor to ceiling said rural libraries generally with shelves of books, magazines “are doing a fantastic job. You and newspapers and two comput- can find things at small rural li- ers. braries, just like you can at Woods receives $7 an hour and larger libraries, such as Salina.” no employee benefits as the part- The State Library of Kansas, time librarian at Gypsum Com- which collects statistical data munity Library. She keeps the on each of the state’s 325 pub- doors to the library open 14 hours lic libraries, has found that tax a week. levies of two to six mills are These are challenging times for common sources of funding for small, rural public libraries in Kansas libraries. Those who Kansas. Because of declining live outside the taxing districts population and a tiny property tax of local libraries are taxed base, one-third of the 54 libraries through the regional library sys- that are part of the Central Kansas tem. Library System can’t raise enough This year, the assessed valu- tax revenue to pay a librarian to ation for the 16 counties of the work just 10 hours a week, said Central Kansas Library District James Swan, administrator of the is projected to rise about 14 per- Great Bend-based system. cent — to $891.2 million, Swan The Central Kansas Library said. As a result, the Central System is one of seven established Kansas Library System is able in Kansas by the Legislature to to decrease its property tax levy provide services for small librar- slightly, to 1.213 mills, yet gen- ies and also help fund them. The erate more revenue. library system has the authority to levy property taxes in rural areas to fund grants made annually to small libraries. The Winners Still, small libraries work with limited funds. At Gypsum, the of our Meat City Council last month approved a library budget of just $7,400 for Drawing are... next year. That will be funded chiefly through a local property tax levy 1st - Mike Shelly of 3.109 mills and a grant of 2nd - Shirley Weber $2,000 from the Central Kansas Gates Open at 5:00 P.M. Library System. Thanks for all who bought tickets Nearly all the library’s budget, and a BIG thanks to 5 p.m. - BBQ (first 800 people); 7 p.m. - “No Parking”; 8:30 p.m. - Cross Canadian Ragweed about $5,000, is earmarked for JB Meat Market Woods’ wages. That leaves only for donating the prizes about $2,400 for other expenses From us at: that include Internet access. The Prairie Museum of Art and History annual budget for new books and periodicals is only about $700. 785-462-6111 The key to survival for small li- braries, Swan said, is “the will of Colby, KS the people.” He hopes that will is strong. NOW SHOWING “So many people in our area $25 at the gate ~ $20 w/ discount coupon have lost their schools. If the li- Sept. 1st - 7th brary goes, there’s nothing left,” Swan said. “The library tends to WORLD TRADE CENTER Platinum Sponsors: KXXX & The Ride, BankWest, Commercial Sign Company, A&A Coors, be the social cement that holds PG-13 2 hour, 10 min. Comfort Inn, MC Auto Outlet, KWGB, KLOE, KKCI, Coyote Country, 93.9, KKQY things together.” Friday 7:00 & 9:35 Leslie Bell, Norton, administra- Saturday 4:00 & 7:00 & 9:35 tor of the Northwest Kansas Li- Sunday 4:00 & 7:00 Gold Sponsors: Magic 95, The Buzzard, Farmers & Merchants Bank, Adams Brown, Beran & brary System, said most rural li- Monday - Thursday 7:00 Ball, Past Times, Twisters, Colby Glass, Nighthawk braries are tended by those with STEP UP no college training as librarians. Bronze Sponsors: Jim’s Electric, Peoples State Bank, Arensdorf & Company, First National “The majority are just people PG-13 1 hour, 45 min. interested in libraries and are will- Friday 7:00 & 9:00 Bank, City Limits, Van’s Body & Frame, Colby Bowl, Colby Ag Center, Palace Drug, Quality Saturday 4:00 & 7:00 & 9:00 ing to put in hours to provide that Sunday 4:00 & 7:00 Inn, Service Oil, Western Sprinklers, Stephens Construction, Starbucks, Quizno’s, F&M Insur- service to their communities,” Monday - Thursday 7:00 Bell said. ance, Colby Implement, Orscheln’s, Horlacher Jewelry, Morrison & Wahlmeier, Chester Fried 4:00 Matinees That describes Woods, Gypsum Admission $4.00 Ages 3 & up Chicken, Woofter Construction, Holiday Inn Express, Great Western Tire, Colby Free Press, librarian for 15 years. At her li- Oasis on the Plains, Baskin Robbins, Colby Canvas, City of Colby, Days Inn, Arby’s, Pepsi, brary, the book collection in- cludes about 6,000 titles, a frac- Central Detroit Diesel, S&T tion of the 219,489-book collec- tion at the Salina Public Library in the county seat. 460-9600 • colbycinema.com But Woods takes pride in know- WINNER OF 2 MOVIE PASSES: ing nearly all her visitors and tak- Ad sponsored by: ing the time to help them. She tries DARVIN STRUTT (Pickup pass at the Colby Free to keep in the collection the new- Press. Pass expires in 7 days).