CHRIS TALIAFERRO SCHOLARSHIP ANNOUNCED

The 2010 recipients of the Chris Taliaferro Scholarship were announced this last week. County students, regardless of what school they attend, are considered. This year the $500 award will be given to Jacob Reiss, who is graduating from ACCHS. His classmates, Alex Maxwell and Jordan Miller, will be receiving $250 each. Kevin Sullivan, a student at Horton, will receive a $250 award along with JCN student, Laura Flory. Congratulations to all the students and thanks to the Taliaferro family for being a positive influence in the community.

When fire is cried and danger is neigh,
"God and the firemen" is the people's cry;
But when 'tis out and all things righted,
God is forgotten and the firemen slighted.
~Author unknown, fromThe Fireman's Journal, 18 Oct 1879

PERSEVERANCE

Last week was a busy week for some of our neighbors. The volunteers of the Atchison County Fire District # 2 were called upon 3 times to extinguish blazes. First, Monday early evening some errant sparks from ashes dumped in a field were blown up and fell into a pile of mulch causing a larger fire that threatened a neighboring hay barn and home. The temps were really low, around 10ºF with high winds. Then early Wednesday morning, while it was about 0ºF out with high winds again, embers from a pile of burning saw dust at the Fuemmeler Sawmill blew into a pile of logs, igniting the same into a small bonfire. Besides the local fire department, Lancaster and Valley Falls departments came to their aid. The fire was suppressed in a quick, efficient manner and large property damage was avoided. The next morning around 6 AM another call was received. A grass fire on 286th Road was reported. The fire was kindled by power lines downed by the night’s high winds. The department responded and put the fires out, but only after a lot of difficulty with freezing temps and frozen equipment. It was about 6 below out during that call.
Thursday afternoon many of us witnessed how professionals properly trained, following their instincts and using their heads, saved 160 people in a plane crash in the Hudson River at the feet of the skyscrapers. Everyone called them heroes. Every day people all across the nation do the same thing in less dramatic ways without cable news coverage and calls from the president of the country. They all give of themselves whether they are paid to do so, or like our volunteer fire fighters, who do so out of civic responsibility. They should equally receive our thanks and admiration. They leave their warm beds, their businesses, to help in all kinds of weather and times of the day. They also go through training and on their own time.
While speaking with Kirk Kloepper this week, gathering information about the above mentioned fires, I noticed he was unconcerned about the inconveniences to himself but wanted to make sure I put something in the paper to thank Rori at the Diner for sending buckets of coffee, biscuits and gravy to the sawmill to help warm the volunteers, and to Kim Banks for hauling the goodies to them. The Coop provided a coffee pot to help out. He also expressed thanks to George Eis and the Salvation Army for coming to their aid to provide comfort and support. He said, “These are the kind of people that make this such a great community to live in. The guys just want to say thanks.”
There were no cameras and no 15 minutes of fame, but when you see those folks, whether they are on the fire trucks or the ambulances, give them at least an “atta boy or girl” and says thanks. We need more like them.

News Welcomed

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Particpate anyway you feel comfortable.

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Thanks
The Editor

ACCHS Alumni

• Dear ACCHS Alumni,
  The 2009 ACCHS Alumni Banquet was held June 6th, 2009 in the ACCHS Gym. Approximately 240 were in attendance. We thank everyone that came and planned their reunions around the banquet time. We wish to encourage those of you that plan future reunions to meet at this time every year. It is a very convenient location. Rooms are available for the asking and you also get the opportunity to meet folks of other classes as they meet in the high school. The hallways are as crowded as the rooms.
  The next banquet will be held Saturday, June 5th, 2010 at ACCHS. There will be a fellowship hour starting at 5:30 with the banquet following at 6:30. We will have a dinner as usual and unless otherwise notified the Tickets are $7.50. Tickets may be purchased at the Farmers and Merchants ENB branch in Effingham, United Bank of Kansas, Lancaster, and Hegarty-Caplinger Insurance office in Atchison from mid April till a week before the event. It is helpful to know in advance how many are coming so the food can be ordered in sufficient quantities.
  If you would like to reserve a room at the high school for your class reunion prior to the banquet, please contact #377 District offices at 913-833-5050. If you would like to have a table reserved for your class at the banquet, please contact one of the officers below or email alumni@thenewsleaf.com.
  If you have any questions, please contact any of the 2009 officers.
  President Brian Handke 913-833-5560 bhandke@exchangebankonline.com
  Vice President Chuck Hawk 913-833-4971 crdihawk@yahoo.com
  Secretary Nancy Keith 913-833-5075 nascarnancy8@yahoo.com
  Treasurer Susan Sprang 913-833-4675 smsprang@yahoo.com
  We hope to see you at the Alumni celebration.
  Class announcements and news are posted at the Alumni web site at www.thenewsleaf.com/acchsalumni.htm. If wish to have your class information posted on the website just send the information to alumni@thenewsleaf.com.

TELL US

Every enterprise needs feedback and we hope that this may be the vehicle for it. Besides soliciting your input, we hope that you may eventually use this forum as a way of communicating with each other concerning topics important to our community. As topics come up, we will set aside space on this Blog for you to interact with each other. We hope that this becomes a positive influence on the discussions that concern all of us. Time will tell.
The Editor