Add post offices to your adventure stops

Above, post offices in Lost Springs and Fort Dodge.

A post office is a big deal in a small town. A couple of years ago the New Albany post office was detroyed by wind. The federal post office decided they didn't do enough business in town to warrant a replacement office, so they "took away" their post office status. This means that when you write a letter to a citizen of New Albany, you no longer address it to New Albany but to Fredonia. Essentially, this one piece of evidence that they still exist as a city, is gone.

Other towns are losing their post offices because they don't have enough revenue for the feds to justify their existence any longer. It's a business deal for the "deciders" in Washington D.C. In other words, it's extremely important that we buy as many stamps in small town post offices as possible!

The Norway, Kansas post office stayed open until Belva retired. She felt the pressure and stayed on until she was 90-something. Then, Norway no longer had a post office.

The last post office that doubled as a residence closed about two years ago in Pfeifer. And, when Carol retired, that was it for the Pfeifer post office, too.

You know how some post offices have really screwy hours? It's because revenue determines the hours. Don't blame the clerk. Revenue also determines the salary of the employees, the number of employees, and the quality of equipment. If you go into some small post offices, they still have the manual scales. Most now have the digital scales but if you see a clerk going back and forth with that thing that slides to determine the exact weight, you'll know it's because they don't have enough revenue to earn the fancy scale.

Revenue and "points." A post office gets points for things like the number of box holders, the number of bulk rate permits purchased from that post office, and the amount of mail sent out through that office.

We have our Explorer newsletters printed in McPherson but then we go pick them up and mail them through our local Inman post office so they can have that bulk rate permit.

One year we had a BYOLC (Bring your own Lawn Chair) event in Stark, population 105. We asked the post office clerk what their best revenue day had been. The answer was $250. So, we asked Explorers to get in there and beat the record. We did! In the end, we purchased almost $500 worth of stamps. The clerk was more than thrilled.

I try to buy stamps in quantity. Awhile back we stopped in Hardtner and bought over $100 worth of stamps. The clerk just beamed and said that made her whole week look great.

Lots of times these clerks are a great source of community information. You can ask for directions, recommendations, hours at the local cafe, or maybe you're looking for a long lost relative. Be aware that these are busy people but they'll probably get a little friendlier if you make a nice purchase. Whether you just buy ten stamps or a hundred stamps, the extra sales mean alot to this small post office.

Norwich, population 540 in Kingman County, has a community-run post office. It's the first one like it in the state. The post office is located in the hardware store, which also doubles as the grocery store. The hardware store clerk might sell you paint as easily as sell you stamps.

Some of these small post offices have great nostalgic value. Some have the old-fashioned gold-plated boxes. Some have the old teller cage with a wooden frame. Twenty post offices have Section Art murals. Some are in tiny buildings. Where are your old-fashioned favorites?

People ask 500 or less, absolutely need your business. The smaller the city, the more they need you. A city of 1,000 needs your business, too, but even a few extra stamps can make a huge difference in a small town. I went to one very small post office one day and asked how her day had gone. She had only sold a two cent stamp that day (and had to lend the guy the two pennies).

Some of my favorites post offices to shop in are Denton, Lost Springs, Crestline, Effingham, Rock, Bison, Palmer, but the list is truly endless. Get out there and find adventure at small post offices!

Helping out with the revenue is one way to Get Kansas!

KE #2 Marci

Harland on the move

Harland Schuster, a farmer/stockman from Morrill, Kansas is on one dandy adventure. The Kansas Sampler Foundation tabbed him to take pictures of the 216 entries that were involved in the nine 8 Wonders of Kansas contests. No small task.

Many of the photos will be in the 8 Wonders of Kansas book, a 288-page 9"x12" book that will debut April 16, 2010 at a reception for an 8 Wonders of Kansas exhibit at the Eisenhower Library in Abilene.

Want to see behind the scenes on this process? It's pretty interesting.

Harland will send his pictures to Liz King, my sister, who will pick which pictures should be in the book, as she is the designer. She has been commiserating about how hard it is to just pick a few of his excellent pictures. I think she'd like the book to be 600 pages so she could use more.

I made a spread sheet for Harland of all 216 places. I listed the city, county, region, address, hours, and then we talked about what kind of shots we wanted. He then sorted all this by county or region so he could make a schedule. He sends me his schedule maybe 2-5 days before he goes out and I make the photo arrangements with each place.

Harland's goal is to take pictures that not everyone else has already taken. Here are some examples of the kind of arrangements that need to be made, per Harland's requests.

• Horse and rider at Castle Rock, Gove County and at Cimarron National Grassland, Elkhart.
  
• 70' bucket truck lift for a different angle on Cooper Barn, Colby.
• Airplane for aerial photographs of Mined Land Areas and Big Brutus, Cherokee County.
  
• Fire department ladder to be over diver at Big Pool, Garden City.
• Have maintenance man go on top of Chase County Courthouse to put up the flag.
• Veteran and young boy to be at Eisenhower statue, Abilene.
  
• Reenactors at Fort Larned and a lift to put him above the flag pole.
• Bucket truck on a Sunday night in Lucas.
• Access to the Masonic Center roof in Salina.
• Train schedule and conductor's phone number to get train crossing Samson of the Cimarron bridge in Seward County.
  
• A "Dorothy" at Dorothy's House in Liberal.
• The three artists that worked on the Blue Sky Sculpture to be at the sculpture.
• Kite flyers at Coronado Heights at 6:30 a.m. on a Sunday.
• Man to climb to the top of the Harper watertower for perspective. City had to bring out a bucket truck to get him to the first step.
• Access to M.T. Liggett in his shop.
• 5:30 a.m. access at Brookover Feedyard, Garden City.
• Hunter in gear at 7 a.m. at Ringneck Ranch near Tipton.
• All six chicken restaurants together in Crawford County (we got 5 anyway).
• 83 kids and adults to stretch across Plains' widest main street in the U.S.
• Access to Traditions Night at KU football stadium to capture the Rock Chalk cheer.
• A teenage couple dressed in 1950s clothing sipping a soda together at the Clark soda fountain in Cimarron.
• Kids hopscotching and blowing bubbles on the sidewalk at Franklin.
• Bikers on the Prairie Spirit Trail near Richmond.
• Hikers on the Elk River Hiking Trail.
• Kids with pinwheels having fun on the rocks at Rock City near Minneapolis.
• Kids looking at the exhibits at Sternberg and someone working on a fossil.
• Gunfighters shooting right at him at Dodge City's Boot Hill.
• Kids looking at outdoor sculptures at National Orphan Train Museum, Concordia.
• A group of citizens at Nicodemus.

He didn't ask for the deer that magically arrived at Monument Rocks, the raccoon that came out at the Quivira National Wildlife Refuge sign or the sailboats that were on Lake Scott. We had it lined up for him to be in the pace car at High Banks track in Belleville but he got bumped by the blonde that gives out the trophies. He asked for an ultralight aircraft to fly beside Coronado Heights and an airplane for him to be in. In the end, the thermals weren't right and the ultralight cancelled but we had it arranged!

Arrangements to be made yet are antique cars at Pillsbury Crossing, a helicopter over Blue Rapids round square, and just about anything else he can think of.

I can't even tell you about the 8 Wonders of Kansas People shots yet because we won't announce those finalists until September 9.

What makes it all possible is the people on the other end of the phone. Almost every call I've made, the person on the other end says they can make it happen. I know that it's been a hassle at times, other times kind of exciting. Newspapers have come to take pictures of Harland taking pictures. In the end, everyone will be darn proud.

These pictures will be used in the book and some of them will be used for the 8 Wonders exhibit at the Eisenhower Library (from January 29, 2011 through the summer). The collection of all 216 places, depicting different aspects of Kansas, shown in quality fashion is going to be pretty special. What a great way to help celebrate Kansas' sesquicentennial birthday.

Now, not every photographer could do this. It takes stamina, real interest, creativity, persistence, and ambition. Harland is often up at dawn and still has the camera in his hands at sunset. It helps that he is a Kansas Explorer, number 1261 in fact. He gets what we're looking for. His wife, Suzanne, keeps the home fires burning and makes the motel arrangements. Sometime, probably after corn harvest, he has to group all of these photos together and send them to Liz so she can continue to design the book.

We're about 75% done with photographing the 216 places so I have more arrangements to make. Harland has about 4-6 weeks to go yet on this project. He has to get done before the fall calves and hopefully before its time to combine the beans.

If you've been on the other end of my phone calls for these arrangements, I thank you. You've made these great shots possible. From Craig Hull in Pittsburg to Sue Taylor in Colby and Vienna Lee in Elkhart to the sexton at the Hiawatha Cemetery and every one in between, you're part of the team that will make this portrayal of Kansas simply magnificent.

I'm excited to help debut Harland's skills. I remember when he just started this "hobby." I could tell early on that he had what it took to become a super photographer. His work has appeared in Kansas! magazine and other places already but we'll be so proud to showcase his work in this book.

It takes a special kind of person to meet this kind of challenge. It takes cooperative efforts to get the bucket trucks, the models, and all the other necessary ingredients for the kind of pictures that will make every Kansan proud of their state.

The hard part in all this? Waiting until April 16, 2011 to share this book with you.

Get Kansas!

KE #2 Marci Penner

Rural Kansas: Come and Get It!

I want to go to the rhubarb festival in Glasco and the meatloaf festival in Paxico.

I want to see the drinking fountain in Cawker City that the daughter of Harrison Cawker gave to the city in 1914. I don't really know if Harrison Cawker was a great man but I know he won a poker game and therefore got to name the city after himself!

I want to stay at the Silver Bell Motel in Longton because the website entry says that it has the reputation of being the cleanest and most inexpensive motel in existence. Wow. In existence! I've got to see that and I want to spend money to stay there.

I want to take my Dad to Piqua (Woodson County) on Tuesday and get him a haircut. That's the day the barber shop is open in the back of the Piqua Co-op.

Now you can find out about these kind of things and more on a website that makes its debut today! The website is getruralkansas.org.

Representatives from 80 rural communities took two-day classes last summer to earn a page on this website and to learn tools needed to produce and populate a community page on this site. For now, you'll only see 40 communities in the drop down list. The others are still working on it. It takes a lot of time and many of these folks are volunteers or are overworked in their community capacity.

Go to this site. Play with it. Have fun learning about Kansas and make a list of places to go! Let us know if something isn't working or if there are any problems in navigating.

Also, when you click on a community, you'll find that many offer Facebook, Twitter, or blog connections. Become a Follower of your favorite towns. The idea is that these social networking devices will be used by the community to help the world "get" why and how we are who we are.

The website is just a start in a collective promotion called "Rural Kansas: Come and Get It." More to come down the line but for now, it's great fun to share this website!

I also want to give a big shout out to WenDee for helping in a zillion ways but mostly for helping with all the pictures, and to LogicMaze for creating this site and being so willingly helpful. Also, thanks to Patsy Terrell, Kathy Kajinami, and Cort Anderson for helping with the classes. And thanks to Regina, Becky and the state travel office for the grant that made this possible. It's been a great team effort.

Mostly, hats off to the rural community folks for making time to do this. Because of you, we can say, rural Kansas, it's a wonderful place to live and visit. Come and Get It!

KE #2 Marci Penner

The Festival from the Inside

THE BASICS

The Kansas Sampler Festival will take place Saturday, May 1 from 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; and Sunday, May 2 from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Venue is Ray Miller Park, 4201 S. 4th Street, Leavenworth. A neat opening ceremony will take place on Saturday at 9 a.m.

I like to call it the kick-off event for the 2010 exploring season. More than 300 exhibitors will be there to inspire you to explore Kansas! You'll be swimming in day trip ideas when you leave and you'll be happily filled to the brim with Kansas pride. You'll hear Kansas music, eat Kansas foods, buy Kansas products, and talk to lots of Kansans about their favorite nooks and crannies in the state.

BUT, THERE'S MORE TO THE PICTURE

Bob Topping of Leavenworth started laying the groundwork for Leavenworth County to host this festival many years ago. By the time the Kansas Sampler Foundation held the informational meeting for potential hosts in January 2008, Bob had already been setting forth plans. Keyta Kelly was tapped as the director. She orchestrated the effort to complete the preliminary application and the rigorous final app. The KSF board went to Leavenworth for a site visit and interview before officially granting the festival to Leavenworth County in the fall of 2008. By the time the 2009 festival rolled around in Concordia, Bob, Keyta, and her two daughters, Kaitlyn and Rachel, came early during prep week to pitch in and learn the ropes.

Since then, there have been some unexpected twists and turns but everything is looking great for a strong 2010 Kansas showcase. The public will view the many tents and exhibitors as if they had been magically planted there. They'll miss seeing the craziness of set-up when volunteers unload 325 exhibitors and help transport booth materials to their designated areas.

The public won't see the months and months of long hours and endless details of getting everyone registered, marketing, finding sponsors, producing the festival guide, and answering a thousand different questions. Parking and parkers, security and fencing, tent ordering and layout are just a few of the details. Straw bales, picnic tables, electricity and water have to be brought in to the park. It seems that every one of the 325 exhibitors has a different set of needs and all must be attended to. Who will staff the admission gate, the information booth, and who will pick up trash? How many port-o-pots are needed, how many food vendors, and how do we convey the message to buy all supplies from locally-owned businesses?

Volunteers have to be trained, signs need to be made, fence posts need to be pounded in for the community flag lane. Plans must be coordinated with sound technicians, electricians, and EMTs.

That's just the life of the host.

AND THE EXHIBITORS

Exhibitors all over the state have been planning their booths, performances, food, or products for months, too. Authors must make sure to have enough books on hand. Artists are creating. Entrepreneurs, wineries, and Kansas breweries are producing extra inventory. Promoters are making brochures and figuring out a display that will get the public's attention. After all, there will be competition for getting noticed...

BUT COME MAY 1 and 2 adrenalin will kick in and we'll all be excited to be a collective force in sharing what's great about Kansas.

By now, our Leavenworth County hosts might be wondering if it's all worth it, but once the music begins at the opening ceremony and the communities come marching up the lane with their flags, goosebumps will serve notice that all the work, all the sleepless nights, and all the persistence and endurance was worth it.

Due to Leavenworth County and the hundreds of local people and statewide enthusaists involved, thousands will see Kansas with new eyes -- and will make plans to go out and around Kansas. New professional relationships will be started, networks strengthened. Products, art, and books will be happily sold. Musicians and historic performers will get bookings, sell CDs, and find appreciation for their talents. Food vendors will serve us well.

And maybe best of all, rural and urban will seamlessly come together. Under these tents will be one Kansas. If you aren't able to come, just step out your door and look towards northeast Kansas. You're likely to catch a glimpse of some mighty good energy filling the Kansas sky.

May 1-2, Get Kansas!

KE #2 Marci Penner

Capitals of Kansas list helps us know towns!

What good is a list? Let's find out. Let's see if this list of "Capitals of Kansas" helps you learn something about Kansas or makes you curious enough to want to go visit the place!

Here's the list as compiled by the Kansas Sampler Foundation. The designations have either gone through a legislative process or through a Kansas Sampler Foundation process.

Air Capital, Wichita

Allis Chalmers Capital, Washington

Art Treasures Capital, Oswego

Barbed Wire Capital, LaCrosse

Bass Fishing Capital, WaKeeney

Bean Feed Capital, Erie

Black Squirrel Capital, Marysville

Bluebird Capital, Johnson County

Brome Grass Capital, Holton

Carnival Heritage Capital, Kinsley

Catfish Capital, Chetopa and Coffey County

Comic Book Capital, Morland

Covered Dish Capital, Windom

Cow Chip Capital, Russell Springs

Cowboy Boot Capital, Olathe

Cowboy Capital, Dodge City

Cutting Horse Capital, Garden City

Czech Capital, Wilson

Drovers Capital, Ellsworth County

Earthquake Capital, Palco

Fishing Capital, Geary County

Fossil Capital, Geary County

Fossil Capital, Oakley

Fried Chicken Capital, Pittsburg

German Capital, Ellis County

Goose Capital, Kirwin

Grassroots Art Capital, Lucas

Greyhound Capital, Abilene

Halloween Capital, Hiawatha

Hamburger Capital, Phillips County

Historic Barn Capital, Doniphan County

Homestead Literature Capital, Osborne County

Horse Racing Capital, Eureka

Light Capital, McPherson

Lustron Home Capital, Great Bend

Milo Capital, Beattie

Mural Capital, Winfield

Museum Capital, Abilene

Natural Gas Capital, Hugoton

Original Jayhawker Capital, Mound City

Ornate Box Turtle Capital, Caldwell

Outhouse Capital, Elk Falls

Pancake Capital, Liberal

Peach Capital, Haysville

Pecan Capital, Chetopa

Pheasant Capital, Norton

Pie Capital, Washington

Pinto Bean Capital, Leoti

Plow Capital, Kingman

Post Rock Capital, Lincoln County

Prairie Chicken Capital, Cassoday

Prairie Hay Capital, Yates Center

Printing Capital, Girard

Purple Martin Capital, Parsons

Rocking Chair Capital, Cuba

Spinach Capital, Lenexa

Stained Glass Capital, Cloud County

Stock Trailer Capital, Waterville

Stone Bridge Capital, Cowley County

Storytelling Capital, Downs

Sunflower Capital, Goodland

Sunshine Capital, WaKeeney

Terra Cotta Capital, Salina

The Capital, Topeka

Threshing Show Capital, Jefferson County

Trails Capital, Marshall County

Water Sports Capital, Osage County

Watermelon Capital, Clyde & Thayer

Wheat Capital, Sumner County

White Tail Deer Capital, Longton

Wind Farm Capital, Montezuma

Wiper Fish Capital, Norton County

The newest capital of Kansas is Marshall County - the Trails Capital of Kansas! They went through the Kansas Sampler Foundation process which consists of sending facts in bullet points to prove that the nominee deserves the designation. The news appeared on the front page of the latest We Kan! newsletter and a news release will be sent out in the next few days. To read those bullet points, click here.

Now, the big question. Did the list help you "Get Kansas" or help you learn something? Designations are great at helping identify special characteristics in Kansas cities. Which "capital" made you most curious?

KE #2 Marci Penner

It's Kansas Day!

I love this day. Love concentrating on the great state we live in.

To me, it's the little things that make it great. Things like...

...putting my foot on the brass rail at Brant's Meat Market and chatting with Doug before I buy some sausage

...shouting my name at Echo Cliff (near Dover) and hear it come bouncing back

...sticking my toes in the clear waters at Shoal Creek at Schermerhorn Park and closing my eyes to imagine early-day Route 66 travelers stopping here to do the same

...climbing to the crest of Point of Rocks at Cimarron National Grassland and imagining Santa Fe Trail wagons coming in to view

...standing beside the Brewster Higley cabin north of Athol and running my fingers over the words to his poem (now state song) etched on the side of the cabin

...tracing the outline of home plate at Walter Johnson's country birth site near Humboldt

...climbing the steep path to the top of the bluff on the Kansas/Nebraska line near White Cloud to find the survey marker

...staring in awe at the Father Kapaun memorial near the church at Pilsen and thinking of the love and compassion he gave his fellow POW's

...walking inside the St. Mary's Church at St. Benedict for the predictable jaw-dropping view

...having a picnic at the base of the Monument Rocks

...swinging on the tree swings at the Hays city cemetery

...taking the trail below the iron truss bridge at Elk Falls to splash around on the big flat stones

...going in to any small town and just talking to the people.

I adore what this state offers in its architecture, art, commerce, cuisine, customs, geography, history, and people. It's the total package. It's won my heart a million times and I look forward to enjoy every step of the journey yet to come.

Where do you want explore this year?

To explore the state is to "get" her, is to love her.

Happy Kansas Day.

KE #2 Marci Penner

Symbols of Kansas

Feel free to cut and paste this and use it as you wish
to help celebrate Kansas Day, January 29

KANSAS BECAME A STATE JANUARY 29, 1861
On January 29, 186, President James Buchanan signed the bill that admitted Kansas as the 34th state. This was one of the precipitating events that led to the Civil War. Three months after Kansas became a state, the first shots of the Civil War broke out at Fort Sumter, South Carolina.

It was a painstaking process for Kansas to become a state. In 1858, James Buchanan recommended that the Lecompton Constitution be adopted for Kansas, which would have allowed slavery in the state. Congress voted it down. Battles, massacres, deception, angst, fiery speeches, arson, and passionate pleas are just a few of the events that occurred to gain statehood as a free state. Kansas state seal, adopted 1861. On May 25, 1861, the Kansas State Legislature adopted the state's seal.

Kansas state flower: Wild Native Sunflower, adopted 1903.
Nearly 3,000 years ago, the sunflower was domesticated for food production by the Native Americans.

Kansas state bird: Western Meadowlark, adopted Kansas Day 1925.
The Western Meadowlark was selected the state bird after a vote by over 121,000 school children. Western Meadowlarks are ground nesters and ground feeders.

Kansas state flag, adopted 1927.
First flown at Fort Riley by Governor Ben Paulin for the troops at Fort Riley and for the Kansas National Guard and officially adopted by the Kansas State Legislature on May 21, 1927.

Kansas state march: The Kansas March, adopted 1935 and Here’s Kansas, adopted 1992.
Duff Middleton wrote the music for “The Kansas March” and it was adopted by the legislature in 1935. Bill Post of Geuda Springs wrote the words and music for “Here’s Kansas” which was adopted as a second Kansas state March in 1992.

Kansas state tree: Eastern Cottonwood, adopted 1937.
Cottonwoods can be either male or female. It is the fluffy white seeds produced by the females during early summer that give the tree its name.

Kansas state song: Home on the Range, adopted 1947.
Dr. Brewster M. Higley originally wrote the words in a poem called "My Western Home" in the early 1870s in Smith County. The music was written by a friend of Higley's named Daniel E. Kelley.

Kansas state animal: American Bison, adopted 1955.
A single herd of bison in 1871 located southwest of what is now Dodge City was carefully estimated to have over 4 million members! Bison bulls may weigh a ton, cows top out around 1,100 pounds. They can run 35 MPH for long distances.
Source: gpnc.org/kansas1.htm

Kansas state insect: Honeybee, adopted 1976.
There is only one queen in a hive and her main purpose in life is to make more bees.

Kansas state reptile: Ornate Box Turtle, adopted 1986.
The word "ornate" means elaborately decorated. The 1985-86 6th grade class in Caldwell, Kansas did a massive campaign to get the ornate box turtle named state reptile.

Kansas state soil: Harney Silt Loam, adopted 1990.
Harney soils are recognized as prime farmland and have excellent properties for producing food and fiber crops. These soils occur on about 4 million acres in west-central Kansas.

Kansas state amphibian: Barred Tiger Salamander, adopted 1994.
The Barred Tiger Salamander are the largest terrestrial salamanders in the world – up to 14 inches in length.

Knowing our Kansas symbols help us "Get Kansas!"

KE #2 Marci Penner