Kiowa County / Greensburg October 10 - 16, 2010

KIOWA COUNTY
Public Information Update
Sunday, October 10, – Saturday, October 16, 2010

POST OFFICE CLOSURE
The Greensburg Post Office will be closed in observance of Columbus Day Monday, Oct. 11. No retail services. No mail delivery will be made. Mail WILL be collected from the blue collection box located outside the Post Office at the regularly scheduled time for dispatch to the Wichita General Mail Facility.

ART CLASSES AT 5.4.7 ARTS CENTER
· Two Session Hand-built Ceramics –
Session 1: Come and make your own handmade ceramic piece from wet clay. Bring your own idea or learn to make a bowl, house numbers, wind chimes, etc. The possibilities are endless.
Session 2: Finish the piece you made in session 1 by glazing. Please plan to attend both sessions in order to get the most out of this workshop!
$20.00 per person, includes all materials and firings
Monday, October 18/October 25 from 7 – 9 p.m.
Monday, November 15/November 22 from 7 – 9 p.m.
· Mixed Media Collage –
Taught by Debbie Goering, you will learn to make a mixed media collage on canvass using a variety of paper, photographs, paints and more! Bring your own images, text, and papers to include in your one of a kind piece of art.
$22 per person, includes all materials
Saturday, October 30th from 10 a.m. – 12 p.m.
· Christmas Ornaments with Family and Friends –
This is a family and friends class for adults and children to work together to create new holiday ornaments from clay! No kids? Bring a friend and come have fun!
$20 per pair/ $5 for each additional person, includes all materials and firings
2 sessions to choose from: Saturday, November 20th from 10 – 11:30 a.m. or 1 – 2:30 p.m.
· Papermaking/Handmade Holiday Cards –
In this 2 session class you will recycle old paper to make new handmade papers. In the 2nd session we will use our new paper to make handmade holiday cards. Start saving used paper (newspapers, school paper, tissue paper, etc.) and bring it with you to recycle. We will also need some old pantyhose and items to add to your papers such as leaves, petals, fruit rinds, glitter or food coloring. Please plan to attend both sessions to get the most out of this workshop!
$15 per person
Wednesday, Dec. 1 / Dec. 8 from 6:30 – 8 p.m.

For more information or to register for thaeclasses, please contact Stacy Barnes at 620-723-2600 or e-mail her at sbarnes@547artscenter.org.

MILES OF MEMORIES
Photography by Renee Allen is on display at the 5.4.7 Arts Center until October 16, 2010. Come see the artwork!

2ND ANNUAL 5.4.7 BENEFIT WINE TASTING
Mark your calendars! The 2nd Annual Wine Tasting Benefit will be held on Saturday, October 16th at 6:30 p.m.

Come sample and learn about several varieties of red and white wines, hors d’oeuvres, live music, artwork raffle and more!

Tickets for members will be $20 and $25 for non-members and MUST be purchased in advance. For tickets, please call 620-723-2600 or stop by the Arts Center during business hours or e-mail sbarnes@547artscenter.org.

PINK THE STANDS OUT
Support the Kiowa County Mavericks and Breast Cancer Research on Thursday, October 28th at 7 p.m.

· T-shirts: handed out at 6 p.m., $10 each, order from EMS 620-723-4241
· Pink Lemonade Stand next to the Concession Stand
· Football Game at 7 p.m. versus St. John
· One Mile Walk with Live Music, donation at gate

All proceeds will go to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

DUCKS UNLIMITED
Ducks Unlimited will be having a banquet on Saturday, November 13th at the Kiowa County Community Center, 720 N. Bay St., Greensburg. The Doors will open at 5:30 p.m. with the dinner being served at 7 p.m.

Contact Brandon Hosheit (620-770-1119), Chance Little (620-474-1232) or Stacey Hosheit (620-242-5245) for more information.

KIOWA COUNTY GOVERNMENT
· All Office’s Hours: Monday – Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
· County website: kiowacountyks.org Check out the website for the latest information including County Commission meeting minutes.
· County Offices are located on the square, 211 E. Florida Ave., Greensburg.
· 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 Commissioner’s Meeting Room located on the lower level of the courthouse.
· South Landfill hours are Monday – Saturday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The landfill is now charging $5.00 per cubic yard for C/D and $20.00 per cubic yard for concrete.
· Recycle Center hours are Monday – Friday 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and 1st and 3rd Saturday 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.

CHURCH SERVICES
· Bethel Mennonite Church is meeting at their facility located 3 miles south and 1 mile west of the highway 183/54 interchange. Sunday School begins at 10 a.m. Morning worship starts at 11 a.m. Evening worship begins at 7 p.m. contact Mark Dirks at 620-723-2941 for more information.
· Lighthouse Worship Center is meeting in their new 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. Wednesday Bible Study begins at 7 p.m. Contact Pastor Christa Zapfe at 620-723-3028 for more information.
· First United Methodist Church is meeting in their New Life Center located at 600 W. Lincoln. Worship at 9:30 a.m. and Sunday School at 10:45 a.m. Contact Pastor Mayhew at 620-723-3338 with questions or concerns.
· St. Joseph Catholic Church is meeting in their new Church building located at 820 S. Walnut. Services are held on the first and third weekends of the month at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday evening. On the 2nd, 4th, and 5th weekends, Mass is at 11:00 a.m. on Sunday mornings. Contact Ellen Peters, Parish Life Coordinator at 620-255-3636 with questions and concerns.
· First Baptist Church is meeting in their new facility located at 200 W. Kansas, Greensburg. Church begins at 10:50 a.m. For more information, call Pastor Marvin George at 723-2747.
· Peace Lutheran Church is meeting in their new facility at 321 S. Walnut. Worship begins at 11 a.m. For more information, call Pastor Merlyn Lohkre, 620-298-2762.
· Greensburg Christian Church is meeting at their new building, 1210 S. Main St. Service begins at 10:30 a.m. Call T.J. Lawson for more information at 620-770-6026.
· Faith Tabernacle is meeting at the new church 611 W. Illinois St. each Sunday at 10 a.m. Call Rev. Willard Olinger at 723-2745 for more details.
· Greensburg Mennonite Church meets in their new facility located at 310 West Pennsylvania. Sunday School begins at 9:30, ages nursery to senior adults. Worship begins at 10:30 a.m. Call Pastor Jeff Blackburn at 620-723-2620 for more information.
· 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, Wesley Carlton at 620-723-2834.
· Wellsford Community Church is meeting at the church in Wellsford. Service begins at 11 a.m. with Pastor Steve Patterson presiding.

EQUIP/WHIP APLLICATION CUT OFF
Eric B. Banks, state conservationist for the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), announced that the application evaluation cutoff date will be November 15, 2010, for the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program (WHIP). These programs were authorized under the Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008 (2008 Farm Bill).

Applications may be submitted anytime; however, applications submitted by the November 15th cutoff date will be evaluated for Fiscal Year 2011 funding.

Apply at Local NRCS Office Landowners and/or operators with eligible cropland, rangeland, or forestland with any EQIP/WHIP natural resource concerns should apply at their local NRCS field office and work with them on a conservation plan. The office is located at your local U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Service Center (listed in the telephone book under United States Government or on the Internet at offices.usda.gov).

Socially Disadvantaged, Limited Resource, and Beginning Farmers and Ranchers "EQIP and WHIP are available to help address the unique circumstances and concerns of socially disadvantaged, limited resource, and beginning farmers and ranchers, who have natural resource concerns that need to be addressed on their land," said Banks.

Producers in Kansas who qualify as socially disadvantaged, limited resource, and beginning farmers and ranchers will be ranked in a separate ranking pool.

Organic EQIP is available for treating natural resource concerns on organic systems. Organic producers, or those transitioning to organic, may apply for the EQIP to address their natural resource concerns during this period.

As information becomes available, it will be placed on the Kansas NRCS Web site ww.ks.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/eqip/ and www.ks.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/whip or be available at your local USDA Service Center from the NRCS or conservation district staff. USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.

Rattlesnake Creek WTAP Sign-up Starts October 1
The State Conservation Commission will begin accepting applications for the Water Right Retirement Program, WTAP, beginning October 1.

WTAP is a voluntary, incentive-based program designed to help restore aquifers and streams in critical areas. The Rattlesnake Creek subbasin has been selected as a pilot project target area because of the significant water issues being addressed by the State of Kansas, the Big Bend Groundwater Management District No. 5, and the Rattlesnake / Quivera Partnership. The “High Priority” areas of this basin in Barton, Rice, Reno, Stafford, Pawnee, Pratt, Edwards, Kiowa, Ford and Clark counties have been designated to be in need of stream restoration and aquifer recovery and are now closed to further appropriations of water.

Applicants who are selected for WTAP grants are compensated by the State Conservation Commission in exchange for the permanent retirement of a water right. Priority is given to retiring water rights in areas which would have the greatest impact on the stream system. A fixed rate price of $2,000 per acre-foot of Historic Consumptive Water Use is available for eligible water rights to be retired. WTAP grants are approved on the basis of competitive bids.

To be eligible, water rights must have been actively used in the last 10 years. Dryland farming is permitted after a water right is retired. Limited irrigation can be temporarily allowed to establish a permanent cover on the land being transitioned from irrigation. Partial water right reductions can also be considered for retirement grants.

The Fall sign-up period is October 1 - November 15, 2010. If program funds are still available, a Spring sign-up period will be held on February 15 through March 31, 2011.

For more information, contact Steve Frost, Water Conservation Program Manager, at (785) 296-8964. Complete WTAP rules and regulations, applications, maps, and other details are posted on the SCC web site at www.scc.ks.gov . Information and assistance can also be provided at the Big Bend Groundwater Management District No. 5 in Stafford, (620) 234–5352, at the Southwest Kansas Groundwater Management District in Garden City, (620) 275-7147, or at the Kansas Department of Agriculture, Division of Water Resources Field Office in Stafford (620) 234–5311.