Park City KS 67147 Center, Valley Main W. 120 • 210 PO Box VALLEY CENTER, KS VALLEY Permit No. 10 PRSRT. STD. PRSRT. U.S. Postage 67147 OST PAID Vol. 9, No. 4P APRIL 2014 Complimentary copy PROUD OF PACO Tribe awaits ruling on application for casino Wyandotte chief remains hopeful By Matt Heilman The drawn-out issue hasn’t been resolved, but the stalemate could be lifting soon. The Wyandotte Nation of Oklahoma still owns land located on the south side of 77th North between Sedgwick County Fire Station 32 and the former Wild West World property in Park City, and the tribe isn’t giving up plans to build a casino. The U.S. Interior Department is nearing a deci- sion regarding an application by the Wyandotte Nation to take the 10.5 acres into trust for a casino. Wyandotte Chief Billy Friend said he expects the complex matter to at least move forward in the com- ing days, and ultimately he expects the casino to become a reality. The Wyandotte Nation sued the Department of the Interior in July 2011, arguing the department had intentionally delayed processing the application that has been pending in the department since January 2009. “We feel that the facts are the facts and the reason we filed suit was for the delay,” Friend said. In April, a U.S. District Court judge didn’t go Tony Schock/GS Memorymaker as far as to order the Interior Department to accept the Park City land into trust, but she did order the Park City resident Frank Martinez with his son, Wichita Wild Coach Paco Martinez following the Wild’s March 22 home opener at Hartman Arena. Paco, in his second year guiding the Wild has the defending Central Plains See CASINO, Page 4 Indoor Football League champs off to a 3-0 start. Family the biggest fans Latchkey By Matt Heilman “We’re a better team than we of Wild’s head coachwere last year,” Paco said. “I can students say that for sure.” ark City’s Frank Paco’s biggest fan made the four-hour drive to Lincoln on Martinez is his son’s Feb. 28. Frank Martinez, the biggest fan. And he “Voice of the Valley Center doesn’t hesitate to Hornets,” announced the morn- forced to share how proud he ing session of the state wrestling Pis of the man who is realizing tournament for Class 5A and a dream of working as a head Class 6A at Hartman Arena football coach. before he hit the road in the mid In year two of his position afternoon. evacuateBy Matt Heilman as the sideline leader for the He arrived in Lincoln about Wichita Wild, Paco Martinez an hour before kickoff and Sedgwick County fire crews were kept busy in has already earned the label watched his son’s team get the the late afternoon to early evening hours of March of “Champion.” job done before he got back on 13 as they battled grass fires along major highways Martinez’s head coaching the highway and headed home in the northern and eastern parts of the county. A fire career couldn’t have gotten off to call the second full day of that closed the westbound lanes of K-96 at Hillside to a much better start. In his first state wrestling. The support for spread along I-135 north to 61st North. season leading the Wild last Paco ramped up March 22 when Sedgwick County Deputy Fire Chief Craig Lew year, Paco led the organization the Wild played their first home said the fire did not spread to any structures. How- to its first Central Plains Indoor game. ever, the fire along 61st did spread to the back of Football League championship. During the offseason, Frank the Chisholm Trail Elementary School property in This season could be an purchased 40 tickets for his fam- Park City. The building and equipment behind the encore for the team that plays its ily. Forty-eight additional tickets building were spared, but as a precaution, Park City home games at Hartman Arena. were purchased to increase the police officers evacuated 30 students to the Park On Feb. 28, the Wild started Courtesy photo support and to symbolically City Senior Center. the 2014 campaign on a strong honor Paco. Park City Police Lt. Henry Spurlock said the Wichita Wild head coach Paco Martinez (left) has had students are part of a latchkey program at the school note by dismantling the Lincoln, a strong support system from his family following him Frank said one of his daugh- Neb., Haymakers 62-10. As of ters thought it would be nice to located near 61st North and I-135 in the 6000 block through his young career. Paco’s fans include his fa- of Independence. The evacuation occurred about March 27, the Wild’s record sits ther, Frank Martinez, and his nephew, Nikko. get 88 tickets to represent Paco’s at 3-0. 5:20 p.m. according to a Park City police report. It’s early, but Paco believes fense, strengthen the receiving tion level at every position will See FIRE, Page 4 his efforts to shore up the de- core and increase the competi- pay off. See PACO, Page 4 CBy Mattouncil Heilman OKspromoting one of restructuring the city’s sergeants to lieutenant Henry Spurlock would in willpolice hold more of a supervisor department role personnel includes a records supervisor the new administrative role. transition to the administrative lieuten- over the sergeants and officers on duty and an administrative assistant, one The Park City Police Department is The restructuring would split one ant role, which, according to its formal as well as the department’s detective. detective and 13 officers split into three restructuring. And it’s managing to do current lieutenant position into two job description would require him “to Bostian said the operations lieutenant shifts to give the community around- so with its current level of manpower roles, an administrative lieutenant and perform responsible staff and adminis- would also take part in patrol duties on the-clock patrol. and within its budget. an operations lieutenant. The council trative functions and assist the Chief of the first shift. With the restructuring, Bostian indi- At the Park City Council’s March voted 7-0 to approve the restructuring Police in his/her duties.” “The Police The new organization chart in cated the department could increase its 25 meeting, Police Chief Phil Bostian within the police department. Council Administrative Lieutenant will assist the police department calls for two efficiency with the opportunity to shift discussed the restructuring which member John Lehnherr was absent with the enforcement of all federal, sergeants to oversee officers on the administrative responsibilities to one essentially amounts to adding an from the March 25 meeting. state and local laws and ordinances,” second and third patrol shifts. Beyond position toward the top of the hierarchy additional lieutenant position and drop- With proposed restructuring in the job description said. the chief, lieutenant and sergeant posi- with another dedicated to supervising ping one sergeant position in favor of his department, Bostian said current The Police Operations Lieutenant tions, Park City’s police department the manpower patrolling the streets. PAGE 2 APRIL 2014 • PARK CITY POST Beautification work wraps up in Park City By Matt Heilman of Subway includes stone- The median Plans underway work and the planting of trees work at A project designed to give and flowers to accentuate the 61st North a facelift to one of the main Chisholm Trail statues. and I-135 to expand Fourth entrances into Park City is near The work, which started in is complete completion. The ongoing work January, was cleared last August with stone- includes the reconstruction of when the Park City Council ap- work and the concrete median in front proved spending up to $200,000 landscap- of July celebration of QuikTrip at 61st North and in reserve funds allocated in ing. By The Post staff Special guests of the Fourth I-135 and excavation by the 2009 to get the beautifica- of July event will be the Chisholm Trail cowboy statues tion project under way. About Plans for the Park City Wichita Heights High School in front of the Subway restau- $25,000 in additional fund- Matt Heilman Fourth of July celebration are Class of 1974. rant just east of QuikTrip at 61st ing was approved to pay for underway. Organizers are asking North and Jacksonville. wayfinding signage in the city The July Event Team members of this class, or fam- The work on the median that is meant to guide visitors to (J.E.T.) has been meeting since ily members, to contact them visible off of the southbound city-owned properties, includ- The beautification effort was they exit the interstate at 53rd or mid-January, pulling together through the website. ramp at 61st North and I-135 ing parks and city buildings. placed high on Park City’s pri- 61st Street. ideas and making plans. Members of J.E.T. are: included the planting of grass Also as part of the beau- ority list in line with marketing. The area of 61st North and Events include a bicycle Emil and Ralene Bergquist and wildflowers to accompany tification work, the city has Currently, there’s not much in I-135 is expected to see contin- brigade for the parade, car (parade coordinators), Steve stone and paving work high- replaced its older, white place to let traveling motorists ued activity starting this month show, children’s games and ac- Brown (technical and com- lighted by a Park City sign.