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Mountain men gather for annual Maxwell rendezvous

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Written by Patty Decker Tuesday, 09 October 2012 14:25

The Indian teepee was a highlight for school children Friday and families on Saturday and Sunday during Rendezvous 2012 at Maxwell Wildlife Refuge. Standing near the 18-foot shelter are (from left) Russell Allen, Joshua Kroeker, Karen Allen and Sara Kroeker. Seated and wearing the raccoon hat is Race Allen and across from him Canyon Allen. Rendezvous 2012 at Maxwell Wildlife Refuge, north of Canton, had a favorable outcome with more than 30 exhibitors attending the three-day event Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Owen and Della Meier, tour directors at the refuge, said this year’s event attracted probably the most traders or demonstrations since its inception 19 years ago.

“The crowds are about the same—maybe down a little bit—but the ones who were here were really participating and that makes a lot of...

County moves ahead on courthouse and jail tower

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Written by Jerry Engler Tuesday, 02 October 2012 14:29

It seemed to be a day for improvement at the Marion County Commission payday meeting Friday. The old clock tower on the county courthouse is going to get repaired, and an emergency communications tower was finally approved for the new county jail.

Ruth Herbel, representing the Marion Planning Commission, told county commissioners there shouldn’t be a problem with final city approval for a 40-foot single-stem emergency communications tower for the jail, with an antenna that will extend five additional feet. Herbel said the city may have been concerned with a multi-stemmed tower had it been chosen.

To meet city requirements, the commissioners said they had downsized the tower from a previous preference of 92 feet to the shorter tower...

Goessel council reviews water leaks

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Written by Cynthia Goerzen Tuesday, 25 September 2012 14:27

The Goessel City Council was updated during its Sept. 17 about recent water leaks that caused one of the local schools to cancel for a day.

Public Works Director Karen Dalke said school had been canceled at the junior/senior high school for a day because no water was available for that building. The elementary school did have school.

Dalke expressed appreciation to employees from Kaufman Trenching in Moundridge for their work. She also expressed appreciation for Arlen Goertzen and Marty Dalke, who came to help when more problems developed after work hours. Mayor Peggy Jay and council members Dallas Boese and Jim Wiens offered assistance, too.

Dalke said it took several hours to fix the leak, and concrete had to be cut on Main Street...

Goessel museum to host cooper demonstration Saturday, Oct. 6

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Written by Hillsboro Free Press Tuesday, 25 September 2012 14:26

Jim Gaster will demonstrate his skills as a cooper at the Mennonite Heritage & Agricultural Museum in Goessel Oct. 6 as part of the community’s annual Harvest Festival. A cooper whose fully functional wooden buckets and related items have earned him a national reputation will demonstrate his craft from noon to 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 6, at the Mennonite Heritage & Agricultural Museum in Goessel.

Jim Gaster is a full-time cooper who specializes in “white coopering,” a branch of cooperage that features wooden buckets, butter churns and other household items. He lives near Indianola, Neb., and calls his business Beaver Buckets.

Gaster’s appearance at the museum is part of the Goessel Harvest Festival activities.

Children may assist Gaster in making a keg at 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. He will demonstrate the barrel-charring process at 3 p.m.

Gaster’s work has been praised for its quality...

County to seek shorter tower

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Written by Jerry Engler Tuesday, 25 September 2012 14:26

The Marion County Commission agreed Monday to propose plans to the city of Marion for replacing the county zoning application for an emergency transmission tower at the new jail.

The change would reduce the height of the tower from 92 feet to 45 feet. The shorter tower would beam the signal to a radio tower west of town for long-distance transmissions.

The commissioners then would expect to make a final decision on the proposal at the payday meeting scheduled for Friday after the city has had time to consider the revised application.

Sheriff Robert Craft, who came up with the idea, said the shorter tower could accomplish the county’s emergency transmission needs for such things as ambulance service by consolidating multiple...