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GOP candidates on stage at Marion


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Bob Brookens (left) and Roger Hannaford listen to fellow candidate Bill Spangler describe his aspirations for the 70th District.

About 200 people took advantage of the opportunity last week to hear from Republican candidates seeking their party?s nomination in contested races for county and state offices.

The Wednesday evening forum, called in preparation for the Aug. 5 primary election, was sponsored by the Marion County Republican Party Central Committee and Hoch Publishing at the USD 408 Performing Arts Center.

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Ratzlaff settling in as county advocate for senior services

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Gayla Ratzlaff says the door to her office is always open to anyone who need the services of the Department for Elderly. Her office is located in the Marion Senior Center.

Gayla Ratzlaff feels every step through life has helped prepare her for her role as the newly appointed coordinator for Marion County?s Department for Elderly.

Ratzlaff will be the first to tell you the job is a good fit for her.

?I?ve always enjoyed older people,? she said. ?I spent time with my father?s parents out on their farm in Dickinson County. I enjoyed hearing their stories. It was cool to hear them, even when sometimes it was for the second time.?

Addison, Aiden top list for Kansas baby names

Addison and Aiden were the most popular names given to newborns by Kansas parents in 2007, according to state?s Center for Health and Environmental Statistics.

For the second consecutive year, the top name for girls and for boys is uni-gender.

Last year was the first time since the state began compiling a list that the top name for both girls and boys was uni-gender.

Emma, Madison, Ava and Hailey join Addison in the top five most popular girls? names list.

New parents didn?t stray much from past naming habits, with only one new entry in the girls? top 10: Isabella.

New names in the top 25 were Avery, which entered the top 25 for the first time, Alyssa and Chloe. Kaylee is the girl?s name with the most spelling variation (31).

Aiden occupies the top spot on the boys? list for the fourth year running. Jacob, in the top spot for nine years until 2004, remained at No. 5, behind Kaden, Ethan and Jackson.

Kaden was the boy?s name with the most spelling variation (28), and in 2007 parents preferred Kaden spelled with ?K.?

The trend for Celtic and biblical boys? names continues with names such as Aiden, Brayden, Conner, Gavin, Kaden, Logan, Caleb, Daniel, Ethan, Isaac, Jacob, Joshua, Joseph, Noah and Samuel.

The only new boy?s name in the top 10 was Christopher, and of the five new names that entered the top 25, Gavin was the only first timer.

The Center for Health and Environmental Statistics is a division of the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. The lists are derived from birth certificate information that the Center?s Office of Vital Statistics keeps on file.

The list contains names with the same pronunciation, but different spellings, to give a more accurate view of name popularity.

Internet common ground from both buyers and sellers

Home buyers and sellers?the relationship may seem like it should be more adversarial than ever, given the current market. Coming at the real estate equation from opposite sides, buyers and sellers may feel they have little in common. But the truth is both groups share a common path to real estate success?the Internet.

The Internet has been revolutionizing real estate for years now with more than 80 percent of buyers look at homes on the Internet, according to the National Association of Realtors.

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Better than moving: Get more space with a basement remodel

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Finishing a basement is one of the most cost-effective remodeling projects, according to Remodeling Magazine?s 2007 Cost vs. Value report.

The day you?ve dreaded has finally arrived?your household is bursting at the seams. You need more space, but you?re not keen on the idea of entering the real estate market right now. And eco-conscious consumer that you are, you don?t relish the idea of increasing your home?s environmental impact with a costly addition.

You?re not alone. The bigger is better mentality that defined the ?moving up? trend of the past 20 years seems to be the latest casualty of the real estate downturn. As a result, many homeowners are opting to stay put and increase their living space by remodeling the homes they have. Many are doing so without the cost and eco-impact of building an addition. Instead, they?re creating more living space by turning areas like basements, garages and even outdoor patios into usable square footage.

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Curb appeal: the ‘arms’ that welcome potential buyers

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Edge the driveway with pavers in colors complementary to the home and pavement. Use pavers in different shapes and sizes to create an interesting focal point.

Whether selling a home in today?s tough real estate market or simply trying to beautify and protect your home, curb appeal should be very important to you.

Home selling experts predict that as many as 40 percent of potential buyers reject a home based on their first impression of the front of the home. That makes curb appeal?the general appearance of the front yard?the single largest factor shaping impressions of your home.

Hillsboro Budget hearing set for Aug. 5

The Hillsboro City Council, at its July 15 meeting, set 4 p.m. Aug. 5 as the time and date for a public hearing on the 2009 city budget.

To meet publication obligations in time to hold the hearing on that date, the council passed a budget that included a mill-levy increase for 2009 of just under 10 mills, from 40.984 to 50.025.

But City Administrator Larry Paine assured the council that he would be doing additional work in the meantime to reduce the mill levy for 2009 to a similar level as in 2008.