Tabor receives KCAC’s first award for sports excellence

Written by Janae Rempel Tuesday, 21 May 2013 15:34

Scott Crawford, KCAC Commissioner (second from left), presents Rusty Allen, Tabor College vice president of athletics, with a plaque recognizing Tabor as the winner of the inaugural KCAC Commissioner’s Cup. Tabor President Jules Glanzer and Associate Athletic Director Amy Ratzlaff look on. The award, presented during Tabor’s annual sports banquet, will be given annually to the conference school with the greatest cumulative performance over the three athletic seasons.

Tabor College has earned the inaugural KCAC Commis­sioner’s Cup for its athletic achievements during the 2012-13 school year.

“It’s exciting, it’s fun,” said Rusty Allen, Tabor vice president of athletics. “One of the things we had set as our goal was to finish in the top three of this every year, and so in the inaugural year to win it, we feel like we’ve accomplished a lot.”

The award—designed to recognize the accomplishments of student-athletes and the KCAC schools they represent—will be given annually to the school with the greatest overall performance throughout the three athletic seasons, based on points.

“Many of our peer conferences have a similar award,” said KCAC Commissioner Scott Crawford. “To align ourselves with those conferences, but also to highlight excellence at the athletic-department level, we moved forward with this award last spring knowing our first recipient would be recognized in spring 2013.”

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New fund aims to reduce local PAT waiting list

Written by Don Ratzlaff Tuesday, 21 May 2013 15:33

Ron and Danaye Dies of Lehigh enjoy the outdoors with their 3-year-old son, Wyatt. The Dies family became connected with Parents as Teachers soon after Wyatt’s birth. “It can only benefit you and your child and help them learn before they get to school. I think it’s a tool that every parent should use if they can,” Danaye says.

Ron and Danaye Dies had barely brought infant son Wyatt from the hospital to their Lehigh home when a representative from Parents as Teachers was standing at their front door.

“They come out when you have a baby and give you a care package and talk with you about the PAT program,” Danaye said.

It didn’t take long to convince the new parents that PAT, the family support organization that is supported financially by the six school districts in Marion County, had something good to offer them—and at the perfect price.

“We decided, since it was a free program, as new parents it would be a really good idea to have somebody come in and help us out with teaching Wyatt and giving us some direction,” she said.

Some three years later, Danaye Dies has become an advocate of sorts for the program.

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Signs of service

Written by Patty Decker Tuesday, 14 May 2013 13:22

Ed Riffel holds one of the 43 street signs he and wife Connie have repainted for the roads around Marion County Lake. ““It gave me something to do this winter and it was an improvement and showed pride in our lake,” he said.

Ed and Connie Riffel, residents at Marion County Park and Lake, have spent the last few months repairing and repainting street signs around the lake even before too many people noticed.

“I don’t really like recognition,” Ed Riffel said about volunteering his time. “It gave me something to do this winter and it was an improvement and showed pride in our lake.”

The couple moved to the lake at the end of August last year.

“We moved from Newton and bought this house,” pointing to their retirement home on Lakeshore Drive.

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Wheelchair travel forms bond between native and visitor

Written by Patty Decker Tuesday, 14 May 2013 13:25

Torey Hett of Marion shares a light moment with Ryan Chalmers during the Challenge Games in Derby. Chambers is traveling across the country in his racing wheelchair. In the upper left photo, Chalmers shows his traveling form as he rolls along the highway.

When Ryan Chalmers, 24, arrived in Newton on Saturday, it marked the 35th day of his 71-day journey across America in his racing wheelchair.

Although Chalmers planned to continue through Marion County on Saturday, Torey Hett of Marion asked if he might consider staying until Sunday morning and take part in the Challenge Games at Derby.

Like Hett, Chalmers also was born with spina bifida, which is an incomplete closure of the spinal column, and means they do not have complete use of their legs.

With Chalmers averaging 60 to 70 miles a day since starting his journey April 6, one of the first questions Hett asked Chalmers was if he became sore traveling those distances.

“He told me the first week he was, but that now he is getting used to it,” Hett said.

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