Category: Local News

The Wichita Eagle reports that St Cecilia is breaking ground for a new addition for 7th and 8th grades.

By now you probably know that the country as a whole voted George Bush to a second term as president and the countys residents voted for a sales tax to build a new downtown arena but how did your neighbors vote here in Haysville? According to results from the Sedgwick County Election Office, Haysvillians voted to keep our current president with approximately 67% of the votes going to Bush, 32% to Kerry and 1% of the vote going to other candidates.
As for approving a new sales tax to build a downtown arena in Wichita and improvements to the Coliseum, Haysvillians were more closely divided. A little more than 56% of Haysville voters, voted against the sales tax.

The Haysville Times

Anne Simmons, Debbie Simmons, Shannon Bohannon, and Brandie West were the lucky ladies who found the Fall Festival Medallion in the first ever Haysville Online/Haysville Times Fall Festival Medallion Hunt.

Bohannon said the women were able to put together the clues to figure out that the medallion was hiding by the second exercise bench in a “discarded” bag of Ruffles chips.

“They were pretty good [clues],” said Bohannon. “Some of them were more helpful than others.”

The four women split the $500 of Haysville Bucks prize evenly.

Congratulations to everyone who went out and looked for the medallion! The Fall Festival, Haysville Online and the Haysville Times thank you for getting involved!

The two railroad bridges have been lifted onto their supports and now sit in their permanent positions. Looking at the newly placed bridge at Grand you get a good perspective on how much higher the new railroad will be over the old one. Maybe the end of the construction is in site. For a pic of the bridge from the other side visit the Photo Album.
We’ve quit taking your guesses for our Grand Reopening contest. We’ll announce the winner once Grand reopens.

While on the bike & walking path getting your exercise, dont be surprised if you catch a glimpse of a local teen using the path to get high. This Campus student is taking bike riding to new heights. Jason, a bicycle enthusiast and builder, along with the help of a neighbor has just finished his latest ride known in custom bicycle circles as a tall bike (imagine that). At over 6 feet tall Jason says the bike gets a lot of stares, comments and questions. The most frequently asked question being “how do you get down?” Jason tells me there are 2 ways to dismount the bike. Only one of them is preferred.

Dont expect Jason to always be high though. He also cruises town on his low-rider or one of his other custom bikes. Classic, custom, hi-tech or odd and unusual, you never know what youll encounter with two wheels on Haysvilles bike path.

The Haysville Times
By Patricia Barkley

The Board of Education held a budget hearing for the 2004-2005 school year budget at the beginning of their regular August 16 meeting. No patrons came forward to speak on the subject, but there were quite a few people in the audience, nonetheless. Assistant Superintendent of Finance Perry McCabe spoke a little about the new budget and provided booklets with more detail. The FTE (Full-Time Enrollment) for the district is expected to go up by about three percent this year, and the mill will increase by .38. That’s the first time in about five years that the budget mill has increased, according to McCabe. However, it will be the enrollment increase that will keep the district out of the red by providing additional funding for all the new students. Continue reading “District to Increase Mill”

The Haysville Times
By Angie Gumm

While Haysville has been looking to its center for retail development, Shelley Palmer and Howard Rishel, of Peachwood LCC) were quietly making plans for the outskirts of town.
“We’re trying to help change the way people look at Haysville,” said Palmer, who is married to Haysville Dentist Scott Palmer. “It’s just a moment in time before Haysville starts to take off.”
Palmer, who has done a lot of work in her hometown of Clearwater, teamed up with developer Howard Rishel to develop the almost L-shaped area between her husband’s dental practice and Casey’s General Store.
What businesses will come hasn’t been determined yet.
“I have a bunch of ideas,” said Palmer. “But we haven’t approached anyone yet.”
Because of their water detention/retention pond, fountain and wood bridge, the planner says its an ideal spot for a nice restaurant with outdoor seating.
They also hope to attract professionals, including chiropractors and attorneys. “The building is so professional,” she said. “We’re going to open it up to anybody.”
The Broadway-based Curves for Women has already expressed an interest to move into the new building.
Palmer thinks there’ll be plenty of demand for the new development on Main as well as hers.
“I think on Main Street they are going to be focused more on the bigger retail. We are going to focus on restaurants and professional offices.”
Palmer’s partner has been platting land in Haysville since the 70s. “[This project] is just a final extension of my work here,” he said.
But Rishel stresses that the extension will continue. “We plan to go around the corner and around to Meridian,” up to and including the land south of Casey’s.
“It’s not just a one time construction.”
This initial phase of the 9,600 square feet Peachwood Center scheduled to be open and ready for renters to move in by January 1, and economic developer Joel Pile says the city is ready for it.
“I think there is room for this [devolopment and the proposed Main Street development] and additional development,” he said.
“There has been so much residential growth that it has piqued a lot of commercial interest in Haysville.”
Pile said this construction hasn’t been as publicized as the one on Main Street, because this land is privately owned, while the land on Main is owned by the City.
Pile also is excited about the asthetic virtues planned for the center. “I think it’s an outstanding development.”
Interested parties can contact Howard Rishel at 650-8106 or Shelley Palmer at 640-4161 for more info.

The Haysville Times
By Angie Gumm

Although Haysville seems to have enough vision on its plate to keep the city busy for a few decades, Suzie Ahlstrand says Haysville residents need to be thinking about Wichita’s growth as well.
“We all live in this community,” said Ahlstrand, a Wichita Chamber of Commerce employee, who has been working with the Visioneering Wichita project, which is coming to Haysville on Wednesday night. “We can no longer afford to be isolated cities.”
Besides all of Sedgwick County, Ahlstrand said the project is seeking input from all the counties surrounding ours. Continue reading “Haysville to Play Part in Visioneering Wichita for the Future”

The Haysville Times
By Angie Gumm

To have a library cat or not to have a library cat- that seems to be Haysville’s question ever since the Haysville Community Library replaced longtime resident Libby with newcomer Rocco, a two-year old male cat. The answer might be decided by the end of the month and ultimately will be based on whether the library board chooses to continue a popular tradition or make the library accessible to more of its patrons.
“I think enough is enough,” said Head Librarian Betty Cattrell of the Rocco discussion. Cattrell said she is tired of all the debate about Rocco but that the library board would be discussing the new feline at their next board meeting, July 29.
Cattrell said that if the Board votes to get rid of the cat, she would have to comply. “I serve at the discretion of the library board. [Getting rid of Rocco] would make my staff unhappy, but we’ve already made people unhappy.” Continue reading “Does Rocco have a Future in Haysville?”

The Haysville Times
By Barb Walters

The 93rd Kansas House District seat currently held by Dan Thimesch is up for grabs this fall as Thimesch challenges Phil Journey for a seat in the Kansas Senate. Democrat Glenn Crum and Republicans Kara Belew and Dick Kelsey have filed for the House of Representatives position. Belew and Kelsey face each other for the Republican nomination in the primary August 3rd. The victor will run against Crum in November. The 93rd District includes Haysville, Cheney, Garden Plain and Goddard. Continue reading “Belew and Kelsey running for State Rep.”