Volume 125, Number 11 Thursday, March 15, 2012 16 Pages, 70 Cents Plus Tax Per Copy

The Hugoton Airport

Board met at the airport

meeting room for their

monthly meeting Wednes-

day, March 7, 2012 at

7:00 p.m. Attending the

meeting were board mem-

bers Dell Cullison, Dax

Gaskill, Robert Davis, Kim

Harper and Jeff Crawford.

Also present were Erick

Nordling, Ashley Fiss, air-

port manager Gary Porter,

secretary Risa Norton and

Hugoton Hermes reporter

Ruthie Winget.

Ashley Fiss gave an up-

date about the remodeling

project for the airport of-

fice and lounge. She

stated she had already

sent the site plan that

shows the parking and

where new concrete will be

to consultants Kirkham

Michael. When the con-

struction begins, she com-

mented the office space

and restrooms will be un-

usable. The council asked

Ashley to investigate the

possibility of renting a

trailer to use as a tempo-

rary office during this pe-

riod.

After reviewing the dif-

ferent color schemes for

the exterior and the inte-

rior of the new addition,

the council passed the

motion to use earth tones

for both the exterior and

the interior of the building.

Chairman Harper re-

ported of the FAA grant for

the apron addition. The

estimated cost for the pro-

posed aircraft parking

apron replacement is

$381,180. However,

$300,000 is the limit ap-

proved for this project for

this fiscal year. The airport

will be able to reapply to

FAA the following year for

the remaining $81,180.

The Republican Party

convened for a caucus

Saturday, March 10, 2012

to vote for a Republican

candidate to run for the

president of the United

States. Over 65 registered

voters turned out to listen

to the speeches but before

the day was over, 133 vot-

ers had cast their votes.

Judy Parsons read let-

ters from different Repub-

lican leaders as well as

letters from the candi-

dates. Several people

spoke out why they sup-

port their favorite candi-

date.

Rick Santorum won

most of the Kansas dele-

gate votes. Mitt Romney

came in second. The Na-

tional Republican Conven-

tion will be August 27-30

in Tampa, Fl.

This was the first cau-

cus to take place in

Stevens County since

1988.By his peers in the

world of music, Marlin

Cooper is called a “music

machine,” “master

teacher,” “unsung hero,”

“an impeccable musician”

and “surrogate father of

music and life.”

And now “Kansas Music

Educators Association

Hall of Famer” can be

added.

“Overwhelmed,” said

Cooper, who was inducted

Saturday into the KMEA

Hall of Fame at the 2012

KMEA In-Service Work-

shop which annually

draws upwards of 5,000

educators and students to

Wichita each spring.

The Director of Instru-

mental Music at Kansas

City Kansas Community

College for 27 years before

his retirement in 1999,

Cooper also taught one

year in the Gardner-

Edgerton school system

and six years in the

Shawnee Mission district

as an elementary instru-

mental instructor before

ending a career spanning

45 years in music educa-

tion.

The Kansas Depart-

ment of Health and Envi-

ronment’s Preparedness

and Safe Kids Kansas pro-

grams want to make sure

that Kansans know the

proper precautions to take

in preparing for severe

weather. As part of Severe

Weather Awareness Week

in Kansas, March 12-16,

individuals and families

can take action to make

sure they have what they

need in their emergency

disaster kit and refresh

their memory with the def-

initions of Warnings and

Watches.

In 2011, the National

Weather Service reported

about 68 tornadoes

statewide, and this serves

as a reminder that severe

weather can strike any-

where this tornado sea-

son.

“When severe weather

strikes you often have only

a few minutes to respond

and seek shelter. It is es-

sential for you and your

family to be prepared in

an emergency,” explained

Robert Moser, M.D.,

KDHE Secretary and State

Health Officer. “We recom-

mend that everyone be-

come familiar with the

type of weather they may

encounter at different

times of the year, prepare

an emergency disaster kit

and practice their emer-

gency plan frequently.”

Many people do not un-

derstand the difference

between a watch and a

warning. When conditions

are favorable for severe

Continued to page 8

Continued to page 3

Continued to page 4

Marlin Cooper beams after his induction into the Music Hall of

Fame by the Kansas Music Educators’ Association.

Hugoton High School’s National Honor Society

hosts the fourth annual Mr. HHS Contest in the

Middle School Auditorium. NHS is building a

tradition of presenting the Mr. HHS competition

as a fundraiser for families in Hugoton. Joshua

Chavez is crowned Mr. HHS 2012 at the annual

contest. At top are the six top winners. Starting

at left is Stetson Honig, second runner up Reid

Davis, King Joshua Chavez, first runner up

Miguel Degollado, Mr. Congeniality David

Kurt, and Michael McComack. At right is

Danella Estrada giving Joshua a big kiss at the

contest. Danella escorted Joshua throughout

the competition. Photo courtesy of Kathy Pate.

The Board of County

Commissioners met in

regular session Friday

morning, March 9, 2012.

Dave Bozone and Gary

Baker were present along

with County Counselor

Bob Johnson, County

Clerk Pam Bensel and

RoGlenda Coulter from

The Hugoton Hermes.

James Bell was absent.

The following is just an

agenda for the day with a

few of the unofficial high-

lights. Official minutes

will be published at a later

date.

When this reporter ar-

rived the commissioners

were discussing some is-

sues with Dean Banker

about the new addition

near the new manor. Greg

Morris came in to discuss

the same.

Sheriff Ted Heaton

came in with the report

from his department.

Everything is okay. They

have five prisoners at this

time.

Alvin Riley brought in

the bids for a new truck or

a used truck for Stevens

County Fire Department.

After visiting with Mr.

Riley for some time, mo-

tion was made to allow the

new pickup to be pur-

chased from Riley Chevro-

let Buick in Hugoton.

Motion was made and

passed to reappoint Shel-

ley Kurt to the Stevens

County Library Board.

Great Plains Gas Com-

pression was discussed.

Dave told of the meeting in

Topeka that he attended

as did Paula Rowden from

the Stevens County

Health Department.

Maurice Gross was next

on the agenda. He came to

inquire about the pasture

land east of town and near

his feedlot. The commis-

sioners said they were not

sure what their plans are

for this ground consider-

Continued to page 3

Remember Severe Weather Awareness Week

Spring is “springing up” right before our eyes!

This beautiful tree was spotted right behind the

Jet Drive-In on Fourth Street in Hugoton. Con-

sistently warm temperatures and the tiny bit of

recent moisture must have coaxed these beau-

tiful blooms from their buds. Spring begins

Tuesday, March 20 this year.

First Stevens County caucus in 24 years draws many

Memorial Hall is filled with

Republican voters Saturday,

March 10 for the Stevens

County caucus. Robert Par-

sons reported 65 people lis-

tened to letters from

candidates Rick Santorum,

Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich

and Ron Paul. Final count of

voters tallied 133 ballots cast,

including a provincial ballot

from Morton County. At right,

Sandy Skinner and Holly

Grubbs register participating

voters.

Airport Board considers plans for remodelCounty commissioners discuss issues

Cooper inducted into KMEA Hall of Fame