Kiowa County / Greensburg 7-7-08 to 7-13-08

KIOWA COUNTY/GREENSBURG
Public Information Update
Monday, July 7, 2008 – Sunday, July 13, 2008

COURTHOUSE STORM SHELTER
As of July 7th, the Kiowa County Courthouse will no longer be available as a storm shelter due to remodel construction. Reconstruction is anticipated to be completed by June 2009.

AFTER HOURS NETWORKING SESSION
On behalf of the Board of Directors of The Kiowa County Chamber of Commerce you are invited to our first "After Hours" networking get together on Thursday, July 10, 5:00 p.m. in the meeting room at Prairie Pointe & Oak View Town Homes in downtown Greensburg.
Light refreshments will be served and an update given on the newly formed Chamber of Commerce activities and plans for the future. We hope to see you there. If you have questions, please contact Jeanette Siemens, KCCC Director, via e-mail jsiemens@sctelcom.net or call 620-770-0233.

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MEETINGS
The next Business Development meeting will be on Tuesday, July 8, 5:00 p.m. at Brown Auction. Agenda items for the meeting are: Housing Update, Public Square Visioning, Economic Development Update, Volunteer Update.
The July 22nd meeting has been changed to Wednesday, July 23rd because of conflicts with the Kiowa County Fair. That meeting will address the new Farm Bill incentives for disaster areas. We hope you will try to attend both valuable meetings.

YELLOW SHEET
Distribution for the “Yellow Sheet” will be reduced after this week. Businesses who have agreed to carry the sheet are: Kiowa County Memorial Hospital, Kiowa County Library (Haviland Branch), Haviland State Bank, Greensburg State Bank, Brown Auction, Home Again Senior Living and Centera Bank, and the Kiowa County Health Department/Extension Office trailer. Other businesses can still sign up for distribution.
If you would like to receive an electronic version of the sheet, please e-mail kiowa.pio@gmail.com your request. I will add you to the distribution list.
The blogspot will continue to be updated weekly as well so feel free to get the information by going to greensburgks.blogspot.com.

APPEAL FOR VOLUNTEERS: EXTENS A HELPING HAND TO GREENSBURG
Wanted: helping hands of all skill levels to participate in building Habitat for Humanity houses in Greensburg this summer. The Pratt/Kiowa County chapter of Wichita Habitat for Humanity has openings for 1,500 volunteers as it builds three houses in Greensburg. Volunteers will be helping every Tuesday through Saturday, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., July 24 through August 23.
Volunteers should bring their own sack lunch and Habitat will have ice, water, Gatorade and shade available on site. Volunteers 16 and older are welcome to join the build. For safety reasons, youth 16-17 years old will need to be accompanied by their legal guardian or parent.
Persons interested in helping may contact Katie at the Wichita Habitat for Humanity office by phone at 316-269-0755 or by e-mail at katie@wichitahabitat.org. For additional information or to signup online, visit the website www.wichitahabitat.org.

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.

UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE
· All mail for Greensburg City Delivery addresses is currently delivered through external boxes located at the Post Office, 139 N. Main St. When moving to an address served by the Greensburg Post Office, please notify the Post Office of your current address and obtain a key to your assigned box.
· CUSTOMERS MOVING TO NEW ADDRESSES: Please notify the Greensburg Post Office when moving. New addresses must be entered into the Address Management database in order to be recognized by the United States Postal Service. It is imperative that new addresses be recorded, as any mail for addresses not entered into the database can only be held for a maximum of ten days, after which time all mail will be returned to the sender with the endorsement: "Address Not Known". (DMM 1.2, 1.4)
· CUSTOMERS RETURNING TO EXISTING ADDRESSES: Please notify the Greensburg Post Office when you have returned to your former address.
· CUSTOMERS MOVING TO THE PRAIRIE POINTE AND OAKVIEW TOWN HOMES: Please notify the Post Office of your move. Because these addresses are assigned to specific mailbox units, it will be necessary for those already receiving mail through the local Post Office to turn in the keys to any current mailboxes, and obtain the appropriate mailbox keys.
· PRIOR POST OFFICE BOX CUSTOMERS: The Postal Service's AMS Database will begin to reject ALL Post Office Box addresses in the near future. All customers who have received mail via a Post Office Box are required to submit a change of address to a physical address as soon as possible. NO Post Office Box numbers may be retained after July 01, 2008.
· RURAL DELIVERY: Customers who meet delivery guidelines for rural delivery will be required to install a mailbox for receipt of mail at their physical address. Rural Route customers who do not meet delivery guidelines will be provided a free external mailbox at the Post Office. There are no plans at this time to re-introduce at-home delivery.
· No information is available as to future plans for a local Post Office facility.
· The United States Postal Service will continue to have a presence in the Greensburg community.
· For further assistance, please call Postmaster Randy Kelley at: (620)723-2341

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.

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.
· 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. Our main office is 201 N. Main, Haviland Kansas. The phone number is 620-862-5882. Our field office is 615 Illinois in Greensburg, and the phone number there is 620-723-3155. Please call or come in if you need help or have questions.
· United Methodist Recovery Center is located at 322 N. Main in Haviland. Hours are Monday through Friday 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. 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.

PRATT MUSIC THEATRE TO CLOSE AFTER 18 YEARS
The Board of Directors of Pratt Music Theatre released this statement announcing their decision to dissolve Pratt Music Theatre no later than June, 2009.
This difficult decision was not reached easily and only after prayerful & soul-searching consideration. While we have maintained and continued to improve on our high standards PMT has set, it has been increasingly difficult. Even with a large number of volunteers during production, it has been harder and harder to find individuals to accept leadership roles in the organization. Over the past few years, the artistic core and leadership component of the PMT organization has dwindled to a few, through moves from the community and other life changes. This has made it impossible to continue with the quality of productions we have all come to expect.
The Board of Directors is very grateful to Pratt and the surrounding communities for the support, encouragement and active involvement that have been shown to PMT over the last 18 years.
From the beginning of PMT in 1990, the Greensburg and Haviland communities have always been actively represented by the gifts of time and talent of many performers on the PMT stage. The community has supported PMT by their presence in the audience & as donors. Together we have sustained quality music theatre entertainment in a large rural area through 41 shows and 18 years. This, indeed, is a remarkable achievement. The enthusiasm and enrichment PMT has brought to this area has been a gift given and received. More often than not, it has brought out the best in people and has made our shows something in which we can all take pride.
Thousands of people have been involved in PMT on stage, back stage and as audience members. Lives have been touched, memories created, skills gained and developed. All of those seeds have been planted and will continue to bear fruit. Join with us in celebrating the positive influence PMT has been in this large area over these many years. Thank you all for what you have each shared with Pratt Music Theatre over the years. If you have questions or comments please contact PMT through our website prattmusictheatre.org or director@prattmusictheatre.org.

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.