Dyck Arboretum lecture March 31
The Dyck Arboretum of the Plains is hosting the third of its winter lecture series, ?Restoring the Black-footed Ferret from the Brink of Extinction,? presented by Dan Mulhern, wildlife biologist with U.S. Fish and Wildlife.
?Mulhern is in charge of the Kansas re-introduction project and will tell this fascinating, feel-good story of recovery with great photos and tales filled with controversy, setbacks and triumphs,? said Julie Torseth, director, Dyck Arboretum.
Supper will be at 6 p.m. (optional) Tuesday, March 31, at the Dyck Arboretum Visitor Center. The cost is $2 for the lecture or $7 for supper and lecture. The deadline for dinner reservations is noon Friday, March 27. For more information or to make a reservation, call 620-327-8127.
The Dyck Arboretum of the Plains is owned by Hesston College and part of its mission is to educate people about the benefits of appreciating, preserving and using native and adaptable plants, according to information about the group.
County GOP group will meet March 19
The Marion County Republi?can Central Committee will be meeting at 7 p.m. Thursday, March 19, at the city building in Marion.
The purpose of the meeting is for elected precinct/township persons from the Aug. 5, 2008, Republican primary election, to elect a chair, vice-chair, secretary and treasurer for the committee.
The officers do not have to be precinct/township committee persons, but must be registered Republicans residing within Marion County.
Farmer?s Market
to begin May 7
Hillsboro Farmers' Market is scheduled to begin Thursday, May 7, said Sheryl Richert Lehr, coordinating the market.
?How is your garden growing?? she said. ?We can always use more vendors.?
In addition, scheduling groups for meals.
Call Joni at (620) 947-0270 to reserve a date for your group.
Retirement party set for postmaster
A retirement party is planned from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Friday, March 27, for Norman C. Bouwie, who was postmaster in Hillsboro for 16 years.
Bouwie is retiring after 35 years of service with the government ? 32 years with the U.S. Postal Service and three years in the U.S. Army.
Everyone is invited to the event.
Kids Connection enrollment starts
Kids Connection, a daycare and preschool program, is taking applications for the 2009-10 school year, said Tracy Hefley, director.
Preschool is open to children ages 3, 4, and 5. Children must be 3 on or before Aug. 31 to be eligible. Early enrollment begins at 5 p.m. Saturday, March 28, during the sloppy joe/auction fundraising event at the Hillsboro Mennonite Brethren Church, 300 Prairie Pointe, Hillsboro.
Regular enrollment is from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Monday, March 30.
Kids Connection, a not-for-profit organization, is housed in the Hillsboro Mennonite Brethren Church.
For more information, call Hefley at 620-947-3004.
Musical program set at Aulne Church
A special musical program will be held at 7 p.m. Sunday, March 22, at the Aulne United Methodist Church, 1404 Pawnee Road in Marion.
?The Hope of Tomorrow,? is a children?s praise band from Hutchinson.
A pot luck meal will precede the program at 6 p.m. The public is invited.
For more information, call 620-382-2262 or 620-947-5940.
Centre, others plan screenings
Kindergarten screenings are planned throughout the county over the next few weeks.
Centre will have screenings Friday, April 3, and no preschool or kindergarten classes will be held that day. To make an appointment, call 785-983-4304.
Parents with a preschooler eligible for kindergarten in the 2009-10 school year are asked to call either the Centre, Goessel, Marion or Hillsboro elementary school offices.
Children need to be 5 years old on or before Aug. 31 to be eligible for kindergarten.
In Goessel, the screenings will be held Friday, March 27, at Goessel Mennonite Church. Parents can call 367-8118 to schedule an appointment.
For parents in USD 408 Marion-Florence, call Deb Shipman at 620-382-3771 or 800-498-2014 to set up an appointment for the evaluation on March 23.
Hillsboro Elementary School has planned its round-up for April 2-3 at the school.
To set up an appointment, call 947-3981.
Fundraiser/auction planned March 28
Kids Connection Preschool and Child Care Center is having a fundraiser beginning at 5 p.m. Saturday, March 28, at Hillsboro Mennonite Brethren Church Fellowship Hall, 300 Prairie Pointe.
All proceeds will go toward expanding playground equipment for the center.
The sloppy joe meal is by donation. An auction will begin at 7 p.m. with Clint Seibel as auctioneer.
Items for the auction were donated by area businesses.
For more information, call Tracy Hefley, director of Kids Connection Preschool and Child Care Center at 620-947-3004.
Commodities to be distributed Friday
Hillsboro residents eligible for commodities may pick them up after 9 a.m. Friday, March 20 at Hillsboro Senior Center, 212 N. Main.
Commodities include peaches, rolled oats, peanut butter, egg noodles, beef in natural juices, apple juice, spaghetti sauce, raisins, applesauce and Great Northern beans.
For more information or eligibility requirements, call Eunice Matz, 620-947-2304.
Weight loss group forming in Marion
A morning group is forming in Marion for Take Off Pounds Sensibly, said Lucille Bitner, one of the organizers.
The group?s first meeting will be at 9 a.m. Thursday, March 19, Hilltop Manor, 1501 E. Lawrence in Marion.
?TOPS is a non-profit group,? Bitner said, ?to help people lose weight and keep it off.?
Meetings emphasize nutrition and exercise and are affordable at $26 a year and a nominal chapter fee to cover operating costs.
?On average that is less than $5 per month,? Bitner said.
?We are inviting anyone that?s interested in losing or maintaining their weight,? she said.
For more information, call Bitner at 620-381-0465.
Library to show newest movies?
Students looking for something to do on spring break might want to check out what?s happening at Hillsboro Public Library, 120 E. Grand Ave.
The library will be showing movies at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, March 18, 19 and 20, said Cathleen Fish, librarian.
The movies are all new releases and have not yet been available for checkout from the library.
?The first movie to be shown will be the second installment of the continuing adventure of children as they enter a magical world by entering a wardrobe,? she said.
The movie is rated PG and 149 minutes long.
For more information, call the library at 620-947-3827.?
Peabody-Burns dinner theater set for March 28
A dinner theater will begin at 6 p.m. Saturday, March 28, in Brown Auditorium at Peabody-Burns Junior/Senior High School, 810 N. Sycamore.
?We are now working diligently to prepare for our dinner theatre,? said Kathy Ensey of the vocal music department said. ?We are excited that we?ve outgrown the PBES Multi?purpose Room and look forward to seeing a large crowd for the performance.?
The show features choreographed thematic songs with comic relief and skits between each number.
For tickets or more information, call 620-983-2196.
Cinderella?s Closet on tap for this Saturday
Cinderella?s Closet, a resource for prom dresses for girls in Marion County, is planned for 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, March 21, at Hillsboro Mennonite Brethren Church, 300 Prairie Pointe.
Any girl in the county who is attending a prom this year may choose a new or gently-used prom dress at no cost.
Cinderella?s Closet is accepting donations of gently-used prom dresses from the community to add to the selection. If you have a prom dress to donate, call 620-947-3583.
Greenhaw offers weight and fat checks for public
Greenhaw Wellness Center is open Tuesdays and Thursdays for anyone interested in checking body weight, fat percentages and bone and muscle mass at a cost of $10.
To make an appointment, call Jeanne Rziha at 620-947-3048.
?Biggest Loser? midterm weigh-ins reveal contest leaders
Weigh-ins for the mid-term Biggest Loser contest were done last week, said Jeanne Rziha of the Greenhaw Wellness Center and coordinator of the contest.
She said only two participants gained weight. Three women reportedly gained weight from the 31 of 58 who checked in.
The contestants whose fit factor number was 7.5 or above will receive Hillsboro Bucks. The fit factor number is a combination of percentage of weight lost and percentage of fat lost.
Men qualifying for Hillsboro Bucks were Joe Wuest (16.1) of Salina and Kevin Kalua (10.3) and Jim Enns (9.1), both of Hillsboro.
Women receiving Hillsboro Bucks were Lori Tajchman (12.9) of Marion, Vicki Jirak (11.2) of Ramona and Susan Watson (9.8), Angie Rosario (8.4) and Erica Clark (7.8), all of Hillsboro.
Final weigh-ins will be done the first week of May. Those participating in the final weigh-in, Rziha said, will receive a raw-string backpack.
?The top three men and top three women,? she said, ?will receive cash prizes.?
The center is also open Tuesdays and Thursdays by appointment to anyone interested in checking their body weight, fat percentages and bone and muscle mass for $10.
For more information, call Rziha at 947-3048.
Hillsboro Fire Dept. has more free smoke alarms for area residents
The Hillsboro Fire Depart?ment is offering a program to supply free battery-operated smoke detectors to anyone who lives in Hillsboro?s fire protection area, according to Ben Steketee, fire chief.
The program is made possible by the Pete Koslowsky Memorial Fund and will end when the funds are depleted.
?Pete Koslowsky was a firefighter with the Hillsboro Fire Department for 28 years,? Steketee said.
The program is for residential use only. To qualify, a person must live in the city of Hillsboro, the townships of Risley, Lehigh, Liberty and the portion of Menno Township that is protected by the Hillsboro Fire Department.
Registration forms are available at the Hillsboro city office.
Once approved, he said, smoke detectors will be issued on a first-come, first-served basis.
For more information, call Steketee, 620-947-3556.
Reception for artist March 19
A reception for local artist Michael Phillips will be held from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday, March 19, on the second floor of the Tabor College Library.
Phillips? art exhibit includes original ceramic pieces, drawings, and watercolor and oil paintings that depict aspects of Thailand.
A long-term mission worker in Thailand, Phillips and his family have been living in Hillsboro this past school year.
