KIOWA COUNTY/GREENSBURG
Public Information Update
Thursday, May 8, 2008 – Sunday, May 11, 2008

PUBLIC INFORMATION UPDATES
As of today, the Public Information Update newsletter will only be published on Mondays. Please have any information submitted by 8:15 a.m. on Monday mornings. Submit information notices by e-mail to kiowa.pio@gmail.com or drop off information in the Extension Office.

EXTREME HOME MAKE-OVER
ABC’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition is searching for HEROIC FAMILIES for their next season. We are in search of real heroes – people that have amazing strength and who have put their own needs aside to help someone else. In addition to heroics, the producers are looking for families whose homes are in dire need of help. We don’t want to tear down a nice looking house. We want to see houses that look like they might fall down on their own!

A family must own their own single family home and be able to show producers how a makeover will make a huge difference in their lives.

Interested families should e-mail a short description of their family story to extremefamilycasting@gmail.com. You can nominate a family, please include:
· The names and ages of each member of the household.
· A description of the major challenges within the home.
· Explanation of why this family is deserving, heroic, or a positive role model in their community.
· Photos of the family and a photo of the home.
· A contact phone number for the family.

DO NOT DELAY!!! NOMINATIONS NEED TO BE SUBMITTED BY MAY 16TH!

HELP RECYCLE BAGS
The Care n’ Share and Kiowa County Food Bank are asking people to recycle their plastic and paper bags from Walmart and Dillons. Feel free to stop by the stores and drop off your bags. For more information, please call 620-723-2747.

Care n’ Share store hours are Monday 9 a.m. -5 p.m., Tuesday 3:30 – 7 p.m., and Saturday 8 a.m. – 12 p.m. The Kiowa County Food Bank hours are the 3rd Friday of each month from 3:30 - 5:30 p.m.

COMMUNITY PRAYER
The Kiowa County Ministerial Alliance invites everyone to community prayer each Wednesday morning at 7 a.m. at the Kiowa County Food Bank.

MOTHER’S DAY GIFTS AND CARDS
If you have forgotten to pick something up for Mother’s Day, stop by the Big Well Gift Shop. They have a selection of Mother’s Day cards and a variety of items for gifts.

GREENSBURG STARS OF HOPE
A very special photo book was released on Friday, May 2nd to commemorate an extraordinary community art project carried out by the children of Greensburg, Kansas as way to bring a sense of color and hope back to their devastated community in the wake of last year’s EF-5 tornado which destroyed 95% of their town. The photo book called “Greensburg’s Stars of Hope” shows in brilliant color and inspiring words how the 220 children in Greensburg created and planted 220 individually designed wooden stars which can be seen on nearly every street corner of this South Central community.

But the real story behind “Greensburg’s Stars of Hope” is a story of survival and “Paying it Forward” as the children of Greensburg were helped in this project by the New York City firefighters who survived the 9/11 attacks and who serve at Ground Zero, and how they in turn were aided in this effort by a Texas family whose tornado-ravaged home was rebuilt by the FDNY firefighters on last year’s 9/11 Anniversary, and how they created the stars for the children in Kansas to pint and beautify their town as their way to “Pay It Forward.”

The “Stars of Hope” project was organized the by The New York Says Thank You Foundation, a unique disaster relief organization that helps to rebuild communities around the United States affected by disaster as a way of saying “Thank You” for all the love and support Americans gave to New Yorkers in the days following September 11th. The book was made possible by MyPublisher.com which is donating 50% of the proceeds of the book sales to help The New York Says Thank You Foundation in their upcoming 9/11 Anniversary 2008 rebuilding project in Greensburg. The Foundation hopes to rebuild the 14,000 square-foot 4-H Livestock Pavillion on the Kiowa County Fairgrounds. The book can be previewed online and ordered by going to www.NewYorkSaysThankYou.org.

MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND RODEO PARADE
The Triangle Rodeo Club will be sponsoring a parade on May 24, 2008. The theme for this year’s parade is “Spirit of America.” If you would like to sign-up for the parade, contact Laura Stoltenberg at (620) 338-4775 or stop by the Housing Resource Office or Extension Office to pick up an entry form. The deadline for submitting a entry form is May 20th.

COMMUNITY GARDENS
A community gardens area has been established for residents of Greensburg who do not have space for a garden. There are 36 garden plots (15’x15’) available on a first come basis. The plots are $10.00 each. Call the Extension Office for your garden plot at 620-723-2156.

CELL PHONE DIRECTORY
The Community Recovery Action Team is asking the community to help us revise the Cell Phone Directory that was published last June. Please e-mail your information to kmcmurry@usd422 or kiowa.pio@gmail.com.

PAPA JOHN’S PIZZA
Papa John’s Pizza will be in Greensburg on Monday, May 12th. The trailer will be parked on Main Street from 4 to 8 p.m.

CONTRACTOR/RECONSTRUCTION INFO
· All contractors must register at City Hall between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. weekdays. Contract work is prohibited without registration and/or license. Contractors are responsible for hauling jobsite debris and must plug any sewer lines.
· Building permit applications are available at the Building and Codes office on the square. Hours are 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Monday – Friday. Call 620-723-4109 for information about required documentation and information.

PHASES OF DISASTER RECOVERY
The KARE 1 Project will be at Volunteer Village (611 W Illinois) on May 15th, 22nd, and 28th at 7:30 pm for an educational group presentation. If you have questions please call the KARE office at 620-723-1088 or 785-313-6123.

KIOWA COUNTY GOVERNMENT
· County Offices are located on the square. Hours are Monday – Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
· Court Services and County Attorney are located in the beige trailers located to the north of the courthouse. Hours are Monday – Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
· County Commission meetings are held on the 1st and 3rd Mondays and the last working day of the month at 9:00 a.m. in the Kiowa County Meeting trailer located at 219 S. Oak.
· South Landfill hours are Monday – Saturday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The landfill is now charging $3.50 per cubic yard for debris.

ALUMNI BANQUET
The Greensburg Alumni Banquet will be held on May 24th at 6 p.m. at the Greensburg School Gymnasium. Tickets for the banquet are $12.50 and can be purchased at the Greensburg State Bank. Deadline for registration is May 16th.

CHURCH SERVICES
· Lighthouse Worship Center is meeting in their temporary facility located at 804 W. Wisconsin. Sunday School starts at 9:30 a.m. Worship and Children’s Church starts at 10:45 a.m.
· First United Methodist Church is meeting in their temporary facility located at 600 W. Lincoln. Worship at 9:30 a.m. and Sunday School at 10:30 a.m. Contact Pastor Mayhew at 620-723-3338 with questions or concerns
· Catholic Church is meeting in their temporary facility located at 215 W. Morton at 10:45 a.m.
· First Baptist Church is meeting in their temporary facility located at Kyle’s farm ½ mile east, ½ mile north and ¼ mile east of Greensburg. Church begins at 10:50 a.m.
· Peace Lutheran Church is meeting in their temporary trailer at 321 S. Walnut at 11 a.m. For more information, call Pastor Merlyn Lohkre, 620-298-2762.
· First Christian Church is meeting at the SCKTRO Village at 10:30 a.m.
· Faith Tabernacle is meeting at the Greensburg Family Practice temporary facility each Sunday at 10 a.m.
· Greensburg Mennonite Church is meeting at the Mullinville High School Auditorium at 10 a.m.
· Bible Baptist Church is meeting at 605 S. Elm Dr. Sunday School begins at 10 a.m. and Church begins at 11 a.m. For more information call Wesley Carlton at 620-723-2834.



KANSASWORKS JOB OPPORTUNITIES
The KansasWorks office is located at 218 N. Main St. Stop by to pick up an employment application or by calling Amber or Christina at 620-723-2030 or 620-388-4993. Hours are Monday –Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Health benefits are provided.

GREENSBURG CITY GOVERNMENT
· City Hall Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday - Friday.
· City Hall Phone Number is 620-723-2751. The City website is www.greensburgks.org. Check out the website for city services, photos, news and the latest information.
· City Council meetings are held the 1st and 3rd Mondays of the month. Council work sessions will be held on the Wednesday prior to Council meetings. The meetings and work sessions will begin at 6:00 p.m. and will be held in the Kiowa County Meeting trailer, located at 219 S. Oak.
· Greensburg Planning Commission meetings are held Wednesdays at 7:30 p.m. in the Kiowa County Meeting trailer, located at 219 S. Oak.
· Greensburg Trash Routes are running. North/South streets are picked up on Mondays and East/West streets are picked up on Fridays. Trash must be out by 8 a.m. or it will not be picked up.
· Big Well Gift Shop hours are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. The phone number for the gift shop is 620-723-4102.

DISASTER ASSISTANCE AVAILABLE
· USDA Rural Development – Greensburg office is located in the USDA Service Center, located at 122 E. Illinois. Office hours are 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. Monday – Friday, night appointments upon request. For more information, please call 785-628-3081 ext. 4 or 1-800-338-5546 for more information.
· Salvation Army is located in the Barclay College Library. Office hours are 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday – Friday. Contact Deb Folkerts at 620-388-4684.
· Contact U.S. Representative Jerry Moran for assistance with the federal government at 620-665-6138.
· Kansas Housing Resources Corporation is offering several housing reconstruction assistance programs. Call 785-296-5865 or log on to www.kshousingcorp.org.
· Kansas Assisting Recovery Efforts (KARE) is a grant funded outreach project serving the counties of Kiowa, Edwards, Comanche, Pratt and Stafford. Call the Greensburg Office at 620-723-1088, Project cell phone at 785-313-6123 or toll free at 866.327.6578 or e-mail kare1@att.net with questions.
· South Central Kansas Tornado Recovery Organization is providing repair and rebuilding assistance, volunteer labor, donated goods and spiritual and psychological referrals for individuals and families. For more information, call 620-862-5882 or stop by at 201 N. Main St., Haviland.
· United Methodist Recovery Center is located at 322 N. Main in Haviland. Hours are Monday through Friday 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Come sign-up for volunteer assistance with clean-up and repair or reconstruction. For more information, call 620-862-5422.
· Hudson Oil Company, H.B. Hudson, founder will provide every family rebuilding or remodeling within the city limits of Greensburg $700. See Tom Corns at the Greensburg State Bank to pick up the application.
· Habitat for Humanity has a Greensburg office located in FEMA trailer B, located SW of the courthouse square. Appointments are available on Wednesdays between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Contact Marci Hawks at 316-269-0755 or 316-619-2227.