HOL Reaches Five Year Mark

October 10th is Haysville Onlines 5th anniversary. Wow! Its hard to believe its been 5 years since we first went online. A little HOL history… When I first created HOL, the City of Haysville had a website but it was static and didn’t provide a lot of the information that I thought a city’s website should. At that time I contacted that site’s webmaster to make my suggestions but never saw any changes nor received a reply. I then decided to create my own interactive unofficial Haysville website with a large portion of the content like news, photos and events, being provided by the residents themselves. I also wanted to create a meeting place where residents could voice their opinions whether positive or negative. Throw in what I knew and could find about Haysville’s history, a few fun things and Haysville Online was born.
HOL was not my first venture in providing an online service. This hobby dates back to the days before the Internet and my title of Webmaster to when the BBS ruled and my title was SysOp (anyone remember the BBS?). When HOL was started I had no idea it would become what it has today in the amount of information within the site and the number of visitors we get. Visitors are not just limited to the locals either. We receive e-mails from former Haysville residents who like to keep in touch with whats going on in the old hometown and have even had comments from visitors in other countries who check the site to see what its like where a relative lives.
Since HOL’s beginning 5 years ago our visitors have steadily increased. As of our 5th anniversary we are receiving an average of over 10000 page views per month and our newsletter has 161 subscribers. I would like to let you know that it is a pleasure to provide this service to such a fine community and to thank you all for your continued support. Also a special thanks to these local businesses who have supported us over the past 5 years… Amandas Floral, Bergmanns Corn Maze and Pumpkin Patch, Blackburn Automotive, Butterflys Giftshop, Changes Family Hair Care, Dairy Queen, Debbie Freese Certified Massage Therapist, Haysville Florist, House of Screams, Leekers Family Foods, Perfect Touch, Shades of Summer, The Haysville Times, Rhonda Townson Home Interiors, Tara Wolfenbarger – Mary Kay and West Haysville Baptist Church.
We are looking forward to many more years online and the changes that will come to both this website and the city. For more info on HOLs 5 years online, check out the HOL Scrapbook.

Local Business Briefs


Leekers Family Foods has been sold to Food-4-Less. The reason for the sale is unknown but the railroad construction was not to blame. The store will close for one day later this month while changes are made.


Mr. Goodbean, a drive through coffeehouse offering cappuccinos, lattes, mochas, coffee and more, is now open at the corner of Grand and Broadway in the fireworks building parking lot. Look for the trolley.

Riding High In Haysville

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.

District to Increase Mill

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”

Groundbreaking for New Development in Haysville

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.

Haysville to Play Part in Visioneering Wichita for the Future

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”

Does Rocco have a Future in Haysville?

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?”

Belew and Kelsey running for State Rep.

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.”

Two Local Girls Bring Home Titles From State Pageant

By User Submitted

The National American Miss Pageant was held in Overland Park, Kansas this last week. Two girls from Haysville, Kansas were among the select few at the pageant to come home with State Titles. Teighlor Light, daughter of Eddie and Jenifer Light received a standing ovation after her spectacular performance of the Star Spangled Banner during the Talent portion of the Pageant. Teighlor’s star studded performance won her the title of Miss Kansas Pre-Teen Talent Winner for 2004. This title brought with it a very nice cash prize along with her carrying the Talent Title for the entire year. She already has a scheduled appearance at the Haysville Fall Festival where she has been asked to participate in the Festival Parade and she has also been asked to perform a 30 minute singing number along with performing the all famous Star Spangled Banner. This is not the end, there are various opportunities for her to perform throughout this entire year and hopefully this prestigious award and adventure will take her to places she has always dreamed, so watch out Christina and Britney here comes Teighlor!

Continue reading “Two Local Girls Bring Home Titles From State Pageant”

Local Student Tours Johnson Space Center With Kansas Cosmosphere Program

By User Submitted

Hutchinson, Kan. – Taylor Stein and Cameron Stein, sons of David and Karen Stein of Haysville, Kan., recently completed Level 3 of the Future Astronaut Training Program at the Kansas Cosmosphere and Space Center in Hutchinson, Kan. The week-long camp, for which students may apply after successfully completing Levels 1 and 2, included a trip to Houston, Texas, to tour NASA’s Johnson Space Center.

In Houston, campers toured Building 9, which houses NASA’s space shuttle trainers and the International Space Station mock-up. The group’s behind-the-scenes visit also included a tour of both the former and current Mission Control Centers, the Mars Advanced Integration Matrix Laboratories and the Neutral Buoyancy Lab’s 6.2-million-gallon pool where astronauts to train for work in microgravity.

At a special evening banquet for the campers, NASA Systems Integration Lead Dr. Jack Bacon discussed the development of the International Space Station and the countries that participate in the partnership. Bacon’s career as a professional engineer has included work in artificial intelligence, thermonuclear fusion, space, and globalization of networks and commerce.

Before traveling to Houston, the campers trained on simulators related to both manned and unmanned spaceflight. They trained in the Centrifuge, which simulates the g-forces of a space shuttle launch, and flew in both an Advanced Flight Simulator, housed in an actual F-101 cockpit, and in an F-16 trainer acquired from the Air Force. The campers’ training culminated in an advanced space shuttle mission aboard the Cosmosphere’s state-of-the-art space shuttle simulator, the Falcon III.

As one of the country’s top residential space education programs for students entering grades 7-10, more than 8,500 participants from across the country and around the world have graduated from the Cosmosphere’s Future Astronaut Training Program since its beginning in 1985.

For more information on the Future Astronaut Training Program, call 620.662.2305 or 800.397.0330, ext. 323, or visit the Cosmosphere’s website at www.cosmo.org.