Progress Editions

Saluting those who are building our community
BUILDERS
LIBERAL
a labor of love
The first job:
making the grade
Monika Esquibel, a
junior at Liberal High
School, is ready to
enjoy a night at the
carnival with her
friends. L&T
photo/Jessica Crawford
2 LABOR OF LOVE
SPRING 2016
Students today continue the

challenge of balancing
school &
activities
By JESSICA From the highest paid professional to the rat race

CRAWFORD runners living paycheck to paycheck, the American
Leader &Times workforce has a common starting place high school.
High school students ponder the age-old question, What are you going to
be when you grow up? Trying to answer that particular question as a 40year-old, however, is most often a ship that has most likely sailed.
Sitting in an office or working behind a counter all day can make the
average American worker long for the good ol days when things werent
quite so difficult. Often times, working adults have forgotten just how
SPRING 2016
BUILDERS
Monika, left, and her mother Margaret

Hererra are exceptionally close. Monika
credits her mothers watchful eye for a, thus
far, very successful high school career. L&T
difficult and full of responsibility high school

actually was.
High school isnt a blissful, carefree life for
Liberal High School junior Monika Esquibel.
High school is extremely busy, and full of
responsibility. The vast majority of her
counterparts across the globe would likely relate
to Monikas hectic schedule.
Just last week, Monika allowed the Leader &
Times to be a fly on the wall, so to speak, of a
day in the life of a Liberal Redskin.
On any given school day, Monikas alarm is
doing its best to coax her out of bed from 5:15
to 6:45 a.m. She has set several alarms just in
case. However, on this particular morning,
Monikas slumber won out. She slept through
every alarm she had carefully set the previous
night.
Monika dragged herself out of bed at 7 a.m.,
4 LABOR OF LOVE
but there was no time for a calm, drowsy

morning. Organized chaos kicked in, and she
was well on her way to beginning her day.
I woke up at 7 a.m. and was ready by 7:15,
Monika said. I walked my dog at 7:20, and I
got back home about 10 minutes later. Then I
put my other dog in the kennel, and went to
school.
Although, she said she went to school, there
were still several tasks to check off of her
morning to-do list before she would actually be
sitting at a desk safely inside LHS.
I stopped at Hutchs to grab some breakfast,
she said Then I arrived at school at around
7:45.
Monika said she really began to understand
the life lessons of responsibility high school was
teaching her this year when she began driving
herself to school.
SPRING 2016
Proud to celebrate 15 years serving Liberal!

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315 West 15th Street

Tel: 620-629-6727 | Fax: 620-629-6729
SPRING 2016
BUILDERS
onika is particularly fond of glass blowing Mr.

Marshs art class. She has many items
throughout her home she has created in the
past several years. Like track, working with
glass is yet another passion she has come to
discover in high school. L&T photo/Jessica Crawford
6 LABOR OF LOVE
SPRING 2016
I knew I had to get up earlier and take my

dogs out, eat something for breakfast, get
through traffic, get to school and not be late,
she later said of her morning routine. Its
important, because the tardies do add up.
Eventually, tardies lead to unexcused absences.
With only a small amount of unexcused
absences under a students belt, they are not
allowed to take finals. For Monika, that simply is
not an option.
Finals are my motivation, she said.
She arrived at school at approximately 7:45
a.m.
First on Monikas agenda for the day history
class. With notes due in class that day, she
finished up her assignment and was on to her
second-hour class.
We got a worksheet that was over chapter
eight, section five, she said. I finished the first
side, but not the back. Then I went to third
hour, which started at 9:47 a.m.
I had a track meet, and we got dismissed at
10:10, she added. So, all I did was sit and talk
to my teacher. Around 10:05, she said I could
leave.
Then it was off to her track meet. This was a
particularly special day for Monika. Track is
something she truly loves. And shot put thats
her thing, along with MixxedFit.
MixxedFit is like Insanity, she said. They are
workout videos. Its like Zumba, but more all-
This is one of several medals Monika received in

track this year alone. She has come to love
competing in the shot put event, saying it
has becoming something she naturally
enjoys. L&T photo/Jessica Crawford
American music. It has Insanity-inspired dance

moves to it and Boot Camp stuff, too. So, its
really a good workout. I like doing that.
I like just going to the gym, she
continued. Whenever I was younger, they
told me Oh, you need to lose weight.
I didnt take it seriously until this
year, when I started realizing what
health and fitness really meant.
I want to be a good athlete,
but I realize you cant do that
unless you are healthy, too,
she explained. Its more
about your health,
strength and endurance.
The only way to improve,
and make yourself a
better athlete, is to
work out. You just cant
get there if you dont
practice.
Monika intends to
get her Certified Medical
Assistant and Certified
Nursing Assistant certifications
through Seward County
Community College, alongside
working her way through her senior
year, beginning in August.
The high school pays for that, she
said. So, I want to take good advantage
of that, and get that done.

After that, I want to continue my education
in the medical field. I want to be a respiratory
therapist, she explained. They offer that here. I
am going to go ahead and do that here because
it is cheaper, and I wont have to go into so
much debt.
Monika currently has a 4.0 Grade Point
Average. She said her mother has inspired her to
keep her grades up over the years. And it is now,
Monika is truly appreciating her mothers
guidance.
When my grades start slacking, she says you
are doing this wrong, or What do I need to take
away, Monika said with a smile. She just wants
to make sure I am really all I can be. Its just
because she really loves me.
On a typical evening, Monika is faithful to
workout, either by running throughout her
neighborhood or spending time in the gym.
However, when that is all over, its family time.
With the support of both of her parents right
there at home, Monika has matured to the point
where she appreciates the sacrifices made for
her.
The family might make a meal at home or
head to their favorite restaurant. Then its back
home, a little TV and off to bed. After all, 5:15
a.m. will come all too soon, and Monika will
start all over again with another day of her
educational career at Liberal High School. N
Residential Farm Commercial

2 S. Kansas - 620-626-6100
Outside Liberal - 866-626-6100
People you know & trust ... Professionals you can depend on
SPRING 2016
BUILDERS
The modern
day cowboy
still
rides
A pair of Cattle Empire cowboys ride the

cattle pens to make sure the cattle are safe
and healthy. Cattle Empire has several
thousand head of cattle in five different
facilities, all located in Haskell County.
Courtesy photo/Cattle Empire
They say an apple a

day keeps the doctor
away, but according to Cattle
Empire employee Garrett
Longoria, the same
expression can apply to steak
and other beef products.
By ELLY GRIMM
Leader &Times
And Cattle Empire, which has a total

capacity of of 245,500 cattle in five
different facilities, all in Haskell County,
certainly knows its beef.
Since we are family owned, family is
the most important thing for all of us,
8 LABOR OF LOVE
SPRING 2016
Cattle Empire
Chief Strategy Officer
Trista Brown said. We have 400
employees total, many of whom are
related (parent/child, husband/wife,
uncle/nephew, etc). We consider the
entire Southwest Kansas region our
family and our responsibility.
Grant Ramsey has been working with
Cattle Empire for almost three years, and
he currently oversees the doctoring crew
at the companys Yard 3.
I make sure that
all sick
cattle that are pulled to the hospital are

treated and handled correctly, Ramsey
said of his job. I also take care of
cattle receiving so when new
feeder calves come into the
yard, I verify head
counts, put them
in an
SPRING 2016
BUILDERS
Cattle Empire employees check the cattle pens one sunrise to check on all the cattle. Cattle Empire has been a family-owned company for several years. Courtesy photo/Cattle Empire
10 LABOR OF LOVE
SPRING 2016
appropriate pen, and I make sure they are

processed correctly. I also assist in helping ship
them as fat cattle.
With his background in farming, Ramsey said
he wanted to continue learning about the
agriculture business.
I originally came from a farming background
and didnt have much cattle experience,
Ramsey said. When I heard about the job
opening here at Cattle Empire, I was
immediately interested. I wanted to expand my
knowledge and experience in the agricultural
field.
Like Ramsey, Longoria also wanted to expand
his knowledge of agriculture. Longorias current
position at Cattle Empire is the Mill
Operator/Dispatcher. His duties include
producing finished feed for cattle on a daily
basis and making sure feed trucks are delivering
proper feed amounts to the pens. He has been
working for Cattle Empire for four years.
This started as a summer job after high
school for me, Longoria said. But then I
gained interest on how feedyards work to supply
beef to our community, so here I am.
One unique factor about Cattle Empire,
Brown said, is how the company also owns a calf
ranch, comprised of baby calves from dairies in
many different states. These calves, Brown
continued, are bottle-fed and eventually moved
A pair of Cattle Empire employees

check the pens before a feeding
time. Employee Garrett Longoria
said he believes advancements in
technology and medicine will help
the company continue to grow and
evolve. Courtesy photo/Cattle Empire
to the feedyards.
This is a huge competitive advantage in that
we know everything that has happened to these
animals their whole lives, Brown said. That
includes every food they have eaten, every
medicine or vaccine they have been given and
the treatment and care they receive.
As with any business, however, especially with
agriculture, both Ramsey and Longoria said
there have been challenges faced by locally
owned feedyards.
The biggest challenge would have to be
buying the cattle low and selling high in order to
turn a profit, Ramsey said. Another big thing
has been seeing how corporate yards have the

capabilities of feeding a much larger amount of
cattle than locally owned facilities. Therefore,
they have a greater influence on the cattle
market.
Another thing is, people who are uneducated
about what feedyards really do, Longoria
added. Its important for people to learn and
understand where their beef comes from rather
than making assumptions about it.
Even with those challenges, however, the
company continues to evolve in several areas,
from an increase in the amount of training
employees receive in safety protocols and proper
SPRING 2016
cattle handling and care, to advances in

technology and medicine for the animals in the
companys yards.
Both Ramsey and Longoria also emphasized
the importance of locally owned feedyards, along
with how they feel the company will continue to
evolve.
I believe that the advancements in technology
and medicines for cattle will continue to help
feed yards grow and evolve, Longoria said.
Locally owned feedlots are important to our
community because they have the ability to
supply jobs to our area as well as put food on the
table for families. N
BUILDERS
11
Technicians keep the

tools of business
ONLINE
By ROBERT PIERCE
Leader & Times
Cutline here
Seward County Information Technology Director

Mark Rohlf works with some of the countys server
equipment in the basement of the Administration
Building. L&T photo/Robert Pierce
12 LABOR OF LOVE
SPRING 2016
Along with Information Technology Director

Mark Rohlf, Clayton Hoover also works to
make sure Seward Countys technology
operates smoothly to help other county
workers do their jobs more efficiently. L&T
photo/Robert Pierce
Computers as they are known

today got their start in the 1970s,
and a couple of decades later, the
development of the World Wide
Web, known to many as the information superhighway, made it
possible for people everywhere to
communicate at a moments
notice.
Along with the growing presence of the
Internet was another growing industry, that of
information technology (IT). Though it was not
his initial choice of work, Mark Rohlf has found
himself working in the profession as director of
Seward Countys IT department.
Rohlf calls going to work in the industry
something he accidentally backed into.
When I was a kid, I was always interested in
photography, he said. As I grew up and figured
out what I wanted to do, I enlisted in the Navy
as a photographers mate. After I was discharged
from the Navy, Ive gotta figure out what I want
to do with my college degree, what kind of
degree I wanted to get.
With his experience in photography, Rohlf
initially decided to concentrate his studies on
journalism, but later switched to a similar field of
public relations.
I ended up with a Bachelor of Arts in public
relations, he said.
Rohlfs thoughts were still heavily
concentrated, though, on how to transmit data
from sender to receiver, and this was in the mid1990s when the Internet was first making its
presence known.
This got the now IT director thinking he might
want to look at digital transmission of news as a
primary career focus.
So I started working on learning how to code
HTML and make Web pages, he said. That
was kind of the first step in my kind of
accidentally backing into IT. After I started
learning Web page development, I started
getting more interested in computer
networking.
About this time, Fort Hays State University
was likewise developing its new Cisco Academy
Program to teach computer networking and
prepare students to be certified in the field.

Rohlf said he started studying computer
networking through the Fort Hays program, and
he said this is when it hit him that he was an IT
guy.
Rohlf got his first job as a Web developer for
Hays Medical Center, maintaining that
hospitals Web site, and while he initially thought
that project would be a big undertaking for
someone with more experience, he said the job
did not keep him busy at least not all the time.
I started filling the gaps in my time with
going and hanging around with the desktop
support people and the computer networking
people, learning what kinds of work they were
doing and helping to support the computer
network for the hospital, he said.
Rohlf next transitioned from a Web developer
to a network analyst with the Hays hospital. By
this time, the bulk of his time was spent vested
in both computer networking and IT.
Rohlf worked for Hays Medical Center for
about five years, and during this time, he went
back and got a Masters degree in another IT

industry instructional technology.
SPRING 2016
This discipline, which Rohlf said even includes

a political science aspect, is one that helps
teachers utilize technology in the classroom.
After leaving the Hays hospital, Rohlf worked
independently with smaller hospitals in Ellis
County and the surrounding area. He then
returned to FHSU as a program specialist for
the schools information networking department,
helping with the Cisco program.
I worked there for about a year, he said.
Rohlf said the Cisco program is a regional
academy, serving as a parent academy for junior
colleges and smaller schools in the area.
As the program specialist, I would go out and
watch how they implement their curriculum in
their classroom and make sure theyre doing it
right and help them with any tech support issues
they had, he said.
Later, Rohlf worked for a couple of years at a
hospital in Abilene before working at Kansas
Broadband, a wireless Internet provider in
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Salina. This would be his last job before coming

to Seward County.
Rohlf called the work he and other IT gurus
do on a daily basis complex.
Theres a lot of layers of complexity in the
data and voice networks, he said. As IT professionals, we have to work together. When we
come up to a challenge, we kind of work off
each other. We also utilize knowledge bases to
help us solve problems.
Rohlf said those outside of the IT industry
generally take the technology they use every day
for granted, but this is not the case when it
breaks down.
People get really stressed when it doesnt
work, he said. Thats where we come in.
So what kind of person does it take to work in
information technology?
It takes a very humble person, Rohlf said. I
have gotten to know a lot of people who did not
have their humble pie in the morning.
Rohlf added the education required to work in
IT is demanding, but for those who go to work
in the industry, they need to make sure they
know exactly what they are doing, while at the
same time keeping humility.
If you pretend to know, at some point, were
all kind of standing around looking at you going,
OK, so where are the results? he said. You
have to be humble. You have to be able to say,
If this is a little bit over my head, I need to talk
to some other people that are a little bit smarter
than me in this area.
Those outside of the realm of the IT industry
find what the workers in the field to be a little
over their heads, and Rohlf said even those

working with the technology find themselves
there from time to time.
Thats when we have to be adult enough to
say, OK, we need to get some people in here
that know more about this than we do, even its
just to talk to them and get some ideas, he said.
The IT field, though, can also be rewarding,
according to Rohlf.
When you can make improvements to the
countys computer systems and their network
systems and their phone systems, he said. I
feel its kind of rewarding too when I can
implement a system that saves the county some
money, too. I think about that a lot, about how
we can better utilize taxpayer dollars to still
achieve the same goal, but doing it with a little
bit less money.
Rohlf likewise likes the fact that Seward
Countys commissioners are on board with that
aspect of business.
Sometimes, the suggestions that we come up
with are not politically acceptable, but I believe
the commissioners are very in tune with it even
if its not something that may be pleasant, he
said. Its certainly something they are willing to
listen to.
Even though he has spent a great deal of time
working with IT, Rohlf is still surprised from time
to time with what can happen in the business.
The technologies that were implementing
now, weve made great improvements since I
started back in 08, he said. Its amazing to
look in our server room just in here and see the
improvements weve made. N
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16 LABOR OF LOVE
SPRING 2016
BRYCE PETERSON
Director
& Embalmer
Saluting those who help others find their way
HELPERS
LIBERAL
a labor of love
Caring for the spirit

Holman
provides
insight to the
inner glory
By ROBERT PIERCE
Leader &Times
2 LABOR OF LOVE
SPRING 2016
Isaiah 60: 1-3 reads Arise, shine; for thy

light is come, and the glory of the Lord is
risen upon thee. For, behold, the darkness
shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the
people: but the Lord shall arise upon thee,
and his glory shall be seen upon thee. And
the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and
kings to the brightness of thy rising.
These verses were the inspiration for the founding of
Liberals Risen Glory Church, and its pastor, Ann Holman,
was first called into the ministry shortly after coming to
Christ in 1973.
Within a few years of teaching as a high school English
teacher, I started Bible teaching, she said. I would have
home groups and things like that, womens group. I taught
adult Sunday school.
In the early 1990s, Holman said she began to feel God
impressing on her to get ordained.
I had not been ordained, she said. I went through the

process through Full Gospel Evangelistic Association.
Wednesday, Holman officially celebrated the 19th
anniversary of her ordination, and on Sunday, May 1, the
church will likewise celebrate its 19th year, as it was planted
shortly after Holman became ordained.
Throughout its entire existence, Risen Glory has been at its
location on South Virginia Avenue in a building that looks
more equipped to be that of an auto shop than a church.
Holman said the church and her becoming an ordained
pastor have both been a big undertaking.
I never thought that God would call me into pastoring, but
He did, and He made it very plain, she said.
As Risen Glory was being built, so too were its youth and
Sunday school divisions.
We even had a newsletter, Holman said.
About two years after her church began, the local pastor
recalled a march for Jesus concert in Austin, Texas, where she
said God started to impress on her to not just concentrate on
building Risen Glory.
It was very distinct that He wanted me to start praying for
LEFT: Pastor Ann Holman stands near the altar in the Rison Glory sanctuary where a lighted
version of a theme based on the churchs name sits.
ABOVE: Risen Glory Church is located on South Virginia Avenue in the heart of several of
Liberals industrial businesses. L&T photos/Robert Pierce
SPRING 2016
PROTECTORS
His heart for Liberal, that He wanted me to be

working with other churches and praying for
other churches and that He wanted me to not
just focus on pastoring this church, she said.
Thats been sort of the focus of Risen Glory and
probably my ministry. I love to reach out to
other churches and just do things as a
community.
Holman said she has a heart for Liberal, and
one day while taking a walk, the Lord spoke to
her again about working with more than just her
church.
I was praying for Risen Glory, she said. I
just felt the Lord convict me, and He impressed
upon my heart, I dont want you just to pray for
Risen Glory. I want a move in all of the
churches. I want you to pray for the Baptists and
the Methodists and the Catholics and the Pentecostal charismatics and the Nazarenes. These
are all my people, and I want to move in all of
the churches.
In addition to its 10 a.m. Sunday service,
Risen Glory also has adult Sunday school at 9
a.m., and what used to be simply an Englishspeaking Sunday night service has been joined
by a Hispanic ministry on that night.
Theyve started a Sunday school on Sunday
nights, Holman said. A lot of the people that
come to that dont speak any English. Theyre
bilingual.
Risen Glory likewise features midweek services
on Tuesday night and now Wednesday night
Hispanic services. Holman, however, is most
proud of what has happened in the churchs last
six years.
We have what they call the Glory
Gatherings, she said. We have them on the
second and fourth Friday of each month. We
host it, but people from different churches
come. We have people from Garden City,
Ulysses, Hugoton, Kismet, Sublette, and it is
wonderful.
In addition to her heart for Liberal, Holman
also has a heart to see the communities churches
come and work together despite the differences
in their names.
Were all the body of Christ, she said. Glory
Gatherings are dynamic services. Theyre our
biggest crowd, our biggest attendance.
In todays age of equality, women are still
somewhat of a minority in the clergy, but
Holman said she has seen in an upward swing in
Risen Glory
Pastor Ann
Holman relaxes
in her church
Thursday
afternoon. This
year, both
Holman and the
church are
celebrating
their 19th
anniversary. In
1997, Holman
became an
ordained
minister, and
shortly after
that, work
began on
starting Risen
Glory.
L&T photos/Robert
Pierce
the numbers since she came on board as a
pastor.
In Liberal, theres three women pastors, she
said. The First Presbyterian Church, South
Church of God and Heaven Open Gates all
have women pastors. That is good. There had
been years go by when I would be the only
woman pastor. Theres always a few men that
dont believe that a woman should be a pastor,
but really, theyre the minority.
For almost the entire time Holman has been a
pastor, she likewise has been a member of the
Liberal Ministerial Alliance, a group of local
clergy working together to make the community
better.
Despite being a minority in the church,
Holman said for the most part, men in the
Alliance have been very accepting and respectful
of her.
With several of them, I have formed
friendships with them, she said. You always
have a few that do not think that women should
be pastors, but even if theyre pastoring a
denomination that doesnt accept women,
theyre still respectful that not everybody
believes that way. I am grateful to see the other
women pastors here in Liberal.
With the Ministerial Alliance, Holman said
she has seen a connection of different churches

coming together through their pastors.
Were just in one accord even though there
may be differences of denominational beliefs,
she said. Were working together, and I think
thats another way that we stay focused on being
connected to the other churches and not just
our four walls. I really appreciate the other

pastors in town, and I feel that we have a
friendship and a unity that is just growing
through the years. I know when out of town
pastors come to visit the Ministerial Alliance,
theyll always comment on what a dynamic
group it is and how connected we are.
In recent years, many in the church have seen
a nation turning its eyes away from God. While
the tide seems to be turning in the other
direction, Holman said she is getting somewhat
of a mixed message on that front.
I think theres bad news and good news, she
said. Theres no doubt that our nation is getting
darker as far as turning away from God, but I
also see that God is raising up His church that
are just hungry for God. Theyre wanting not just
to go to church and go through the motions.
Theyre wanting dynamic church services.
Theyre wanting to be used. Theyre wanting to
grab hold of something that gives them purpose
and something higher than themselves. I just try
to focus on what God is saying to the church.
And just as the verses from Isaiah 60 inspired
Risen Glorys name, Holman said the message is
inspiring for those seeking to come back to God.
I believe that is true for the people of God
that as the darkness increases, people are going
to be looking for something that gives them
hope and a purpose, and theyre going to be
coming to the light of the church, she said. N
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4 LABOR OF LOVE
SPRING 2016


Shaker Dakhil, MD
Dennis Moore, MD


*HUJLY *LU[LY
Quoc Truong, MD
Niranjan Parekh, MD

Tel: 620-629-6727 | Fax: 620-629-6729
SPRING 2016
PROTECTORS
The shelter, even from the road, looks

inviting. Stepping Stone Shelter is located at
1015 N. Washington Ave. L&T photo/Jessica
Crawford
Jessica
Crawford
experiences out
what its like to
start the
process back
from despair
thanks to the
help of
Stepping Stone
Shelter. This is
her first-hand
account.
By JESSICA CRAWFORD
Leader &Times
6 LABOR OF LOVE
A DAY IN THE LIFE OF THE
HOMELESS
I walked into Stepping Stone Shelter at
approximately 3:30 p.m. on Monday. I had been
looking forward to this experience, but when I
walked through the door, reality hit. No, it
wasnt actually my reality, but what might be
perceived as my reality. I waited in the dining
room to check into the shelter. As I sat there, it
dawned on me that people were looking at me,
and they knew why I was there I was homeless
and had nowhere to live.
I continued to wait for the staff to finish up their meeting. The
longer I waited, the more the feelings of shame, disappointment
and failure weighed upon me. I didnt expect to feel this way. This
was an experiment an assignment. I go home every night to my
own bed, I pay rent, I have a car, I have a job. These feelings of
shame were just based upon what those around me might be
assuming.
So, if these feelings are running rampant throughout my mind,
imagine how those who find themselves in this situation must feel.
As uncomfortable as I felt, I believe the feelings were truly
necessary in order to fully embrace this experience I was about to
embark on.
Within 30 minutes of my arrival at Stepping Stone Shelter, my
paperwork process began. In order for me to fully understand how
difficult my climb from homelessness to becoming employed and
finding stable housing could truly be, Director Bambi Fulton
suggested I disclose a felony conviction while going through the
SPRING 2016
Jessica at her desk

for a normal day of
work. But to
experience the life
of the homeless,
she had to give up
her job and her
home for a day to
find out what
resources help a
person begin to
reclaim their life.
L&T photo/Robert
Pierce
I snapped this photo of myself

during my stay. Not having
everything I have at home,
getting ready in the morning
wasnt quite the same. I was
told by Bambi to bring nothing
with me for my stay. I did just
that in order to keep the
experience as real as possible.
L&T photo/Jessica Crawford
intake process.
Fulton would soon tell me how serious a
felony on ones record can actually be. Although
there are businesses that will hire convicted
felons, most potential employers will see such an
issue as a stain on my application.
As if finding a job as a felon wouldnt prove to
be difficult enough, finding stable housing would
be an even greater hurdle. Although Stepping
Stone Shelter works alongside several incomebased apartment complexes, there are some that
wont allow convicted felons to rent from them
at all. Others will only allow a felon to rent from
them if the felony is anywhere between seven to
20 years old. So, if my felony was remotely
recent, this would be quite an uphill battle.
Lets go back to those feelings of shame.
Within 30 minutes, I walked into a homeless
shelter, a place that signifies rock bottom. Then I
admit to a felony, simply for the sake of this
particular experiment. Imagine ones mind set if
this were the actual circumstance an individual
was facing. Things felt rather bleak at that point.
Then the human aspect reached out, grabbed
me and pulled me right into exactly where I
needed to be. I was in exactly the right place. I
wasnt on the street, I wasnt on someone elses
couch. I was starting over. And the staff not only
understand those negative feelings, they are
armed and ready to ward those particular
feelings off.
This is the mens dorm. There are 18 twin beds in this rather large room. Each bed is equipped with drawers that allow for some personal
storage space. Bambi said her hope is to eventually put lockers in the room so men could have a little more space for personal belongings.
SPRING 2016
PROTECTORS
ABOVE: This is Room No. 1. This is where I slept Monday night. There are two more rooms
very similar to this on the same hall. They are set aside for women or families.
LEFT: Joannie works during the day. She prepares breakfast and lunch. She is doing dishes
following lunch last week. L&T photo/Jessica Crawford
Bambi can be heard laughing and visiting with

staff and residents alike throughout the building.
As an executive director, one might think she
would be chained to her desk rather than
mingling and getting to know her residents. She
immediately greets her residents at the level she
would greet a friend, a co-worker or family
member. Not once does she make anyone feel
like she is above them. Her staff are the same
way. And this has to be vital to residents they
serve.
By 6 p.m., supper is being served. Its a busy
place at meal time. The entire community is
quite literally invited to come to Stepping Stone
Shelter for a hot meal. And the large dining
room proves the word is out its difficult for
those coming in toward the end of mealtime to
find a seat. According to Bambi, this is a good
thing. People are being helped. Bottom line,
thats the purpose her and her staff believe they
are there for. Yes, it actually is that simple.
Shortly after 7 p.m., the supper guests go
home or back to work. The residents remain. On
8 LABOR OF LOVE
Monday, there are four well, five, counting

myself. This is when I get to start acquainting
myself with those I will be living with for the
next 24 hours.
There is Ray. Ray is as easygoing as the day
is long during the summer. He tends to not
dwell on his particular situation. What he does
dwell on is giving those around him a reason to
laugh. Ray is currently waiting on word for a
rather good job in Liberal. Instead of making
any worries known, he has those around him,
me included, laughing and joking.
At rock bottom, when you find yourself at the
point that you have to choose between
swallowing your pride and walking into a shelter
or sleeping on the streets, comic relief is
absolutely priceless.
By 8 p.m., Karen and I are in the living
room. We are both middle-aged women, so we
are tired and are winding down. While watching
TV with Karen, I think she has noticed me
glance at her feet. By this time of the evening,
she is glad to be in flip flops. Why? Determined
SPRING 2016
SPRING 2016
PROTECTORS
TOP: This is where residents go to watch TV and visit. It is a bit

quieter and smaller than the dining room. It does have the feel of a
living room in a typical home. Spending a little bit of time in this
room on Monday evening was relaxing.
ABOVE: Bambi Fulton, left, is the executive director of the shelter.
She took on the job in February. Many of her staff say her new
ideas and her youth offer an exciting future for the shelter.
Joannie, center, and Marcus, left, have both worked at the shelter
for a good part of a decade. L&T photo/Jessica Crawford
10 LABOR OF LOVE
SPRING 2016
to find employment, Karen has been walking all over

town in search of work. But Karens shoes are nearly two
sizes too small. Her toenails are nearly falling off from
pounding the pavement for eight hours a day for the past
two weeks. Her toes have been stuffed into those shoes
that were way too small, but possibility of success keeps
her going. But her feet are hurting so bad by this time of
the night.
Karens shoes are too small because she accidentally
left her very own shoes behind, before she came to
Stepping Stone Shelter. The very feelings of shame and
failure I had felt upon my arrival, are the same feelings that
caused Karen to not complain when a staff member
brought her a pair of shoes from the hoards of clothing and
shoes downstairs. Not wanting to complain or bother
anyone, Karen hasnt told a staff member she would like
a pair of shoes that actually fit. Instead, she makes do with
what she has been given.
What she doesnt realize is if a staff member knew of her
shoe situation, it would likely be remedied in a matter of
minutes with a smile and kind words. Unfortunately,
Karen wont learn this until the next day at lunch when
Bambi finds her a pair of shoes that fit comfortably.
While watching TV Ray comes to join Karen and I.
He, again, is full of laughs and jokes. Its difficult to be
down in the dumps in his presence. Then Harold comes
to join us in the living room. Harold is a senior citizen
who is going through some serious issues of his very own
right now. He is still kind and has his share of jokes to add,
as well.
Harold spent many years in the National Guard. That
service means he is a veteran. Although it may seem like
too little too late, Stepping Stone Shelters rules are set up
to go above and beyond for veterans. The shelter cant
help, however, how the government or the rest of the
country is treating our veterans. So, they are doing their
part. Because Harold is a veteran, his stay at the shelter
is unlimited. He can simply stay as long as he likes.
For anyone else, the shelter is there for a 30-day stay.
Although, if staff sees a resident is following rules, doing
their assigned chores, looking for work and housing as
required, there stay will be extended.
By 10 p.m., its lights out. I crawl into a full-sized bed in
a room that can easily accommodate four women. The day
has been surprisingly emotional, so I fell asleep nearly as
quick as my head hit the pillow that was so graciously
provided for me.
I hear a light knock on my door at 6:30 a.m. Its time to
get up and begin another day. Breakfast is from 7 to 8 a.m.
Chores must be done, and residents must leave the shelter
by 9 a.m. They must leave to look for work if they have yet
to find it, or leave to go to work if it is their scheduled
work day.
I finally roll out of bet at 6:50 a.m. I take my shower, eat
a bite of breakfast and head off to the Leader & Times to
help get the paper out.
I returned to the shelter at noon. Lunch is served, and
like supper the night before, its a packed house. Those
feelings of shame creep up on me again. There

are a lot of people there, and I instinctively want
to hide. To fully immerse myself in this
experience, I have to make myself interact.
These people I have met do this everyday. No, it
cant be easy, but they do it. They put one foot
in front of the other and do their best to keep
focused on their goals.
A handful of times throughout my 24-hour
stay, I was tempted to drive home to get my
favorite pajama pants, a T-shirt, my hair dryer or

whatever luxury I have taken for granted in this
quiet little life I have been blessed with.
Things are now back to normal. I go home
every day after work. However, these wonderful
people I have met, at such a fragile time in their
lives, are on my mind quite a bit. I have seen
what a day looks like for them. It isnt easy. It
takes bravery. It takes swallowing a hard lump of
pride. They do it. And they do it with grace.
Homeless is a word, thats all it is. It doesnt

define Karen, Ray, or Harold. What defines
them is how they rise above what brought them
to this place this place of welcoming faces full
of resources to help them find their path.
Helping others is a great feeling, but
sometimes its very necessary to accept help.
Being prideful gets these amazing people
nowhere. They are right where they need to be,
working hard and fighting for that independence
so many of us take for granted.

Im thankful for this experience. Good things
are happening at Stepping Stone Shelter, very
good things. Being there and watching humans
helping humans is absolutely contagious. I cant
wait to go back, whether it be to work, visit or
just offer a new friend a hug. This is truly what
we all here for, to lift one another up and
Stepping Stone Shelters staff has that figured
out. N

2 S. Kansas - 620-626-6100
SPRING 2016
PROTECTORS
11
The road that leads away from

addiction starts at a
City on a Hill
Addiction is a problem for many
Americans and for those who seek help, it
can be hard finding the right program.
By ELLY GRIMM
Leader & Times
In Western Kansas especially, there is a severe shortage of

rehab and reintegration facilities. Thanks to City on a Hill,
there is an option for people in the area who need help.
Drug abuse is prevalent in many communities and as
you get in the larger communities in Western Kansas like
Garden City or Liberal, it stands to reason theres quite a
bit of drug abuse and alcoholism involved in those
communities, said City on a Hill founder Chris Lund. You
have to have some sort of treatment or youll only have
incarceration as an option, which costs everyone time and
money. Our success rates are some of the highest in the
state. City on a Hill is one of the only faith-based treatment
providers around I think theres one or two others in
Kansas, but in Western Kansas were for sure the only one
12 LABOR OF LOVE
SPRING 2016
Liberal Chamber of
Commerce Director
Rozelle Webb,
second from left,
joins Chamber
ambassadors as City
On A Hill Director
Chris Lund, center,
cuts the ribbon on
the centers newest
location in 2015 on
North New York
Avenue in the
former SKADAF
building. Lund is also
joined by some of his
workers and Liberal
City Commissioner
Tony Martinez, third
from right. L&T file
photo/Robert Pierce

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13
and were not afraid to mention the name of

God in our services, which you dont find in too
many businesses.
City on a Hill was founded in 2008 by Lund
and his wife, Tammy. The program also has a
residential program up in Marienthal and an
outpatient office in Garden City which, in
Western Kansas, Lund said, were really the only
programs there were. City on a Hill then merged
with the SKADAF program on Feb. 28, 2015,
due to SKADAF having some licensing issues.
So when the state asked Lund to look at
assisting them and helping them to improve and
get the program re-licensed under the new
standards, Lund said he felt it important for
Western Kansas that we continue the few
services available.
The SKADAF program had been
incorporated in 1971 so it had been almost 40
plus years in existence and we hated to see it go
down if there was something we could do to
help, Lund said. So we came and met with
their board and decided it was in the best
interests of everyone involved to merge under
City on a Hill.
Upon merging, a $250,000 renovation project
was completed in 90 days, during which staff
added new heating and air, new flooring, new
bedding, a new kitchen and other new areas.
City on a Hill then began services on July 1,
2015.
14 LABOR OF LOVE
The idea for City on a Hill, Lund said, was

actually born from a dream of his wifes when
they were dating in the early 2000s.
I had a music ministry, and I was going out
and singing, and I also worked for a heating and
air conditioning company, and she had been a
substance abuse counselor for about 12 years
primarily in Western Kansas in outpatient but
she traveled a lot to different counties and
worked at different courthouses, Lund said.
Her dream was to open a residential center for
women, she really wanted to help women
recover from alcohol abuse and addiction. She
wanted to do it in her hometown but they didnt
want her to do it there and she was really upset
so I said Ill find you a place and help you do
this.
Then, the pair got married a year later and
started working on it and sold everything they
owned, Lund continued.
We sold our house, we found a location and
didnt pay ourselves for about six months and
didnt own anything, Lund said. We had food
to eat and a place to live at the center that was
our first year and we barely had enough to eat or
survive, but we managed, and here we are
almost a decade later and still doing it.
The programs faith-based approach has
helped many patients graduate from the
program successfully, including Jane, who is
about to receive her G.E.D. and will shortly
SPRING 2016
Those who walk through this

door take the first steps
toward breaking addictions.
The clients and staff form a
bond that helps provide the
support needed to overcome
the harmful effects created by
addiction, and the trained
staff at City on a Hill work to
remove the barriers that lead
to the destructive behavior.
graduate from the program.

It teaches you so much about recovery. It
helps build your spirituality and any questions
you have...its like college for learning how to
recover, she said. Thats the best way I can put
it you have classes constantly, you have
support to always help you, and this is one of the
most supportive places Ive ever been to. It
teaches you every step of the way how to
recover.
The biggest thing I got out of City on a Hill
was taking responsibility for my actions and my
own stuff, added fellow patient John. Once I
realized that and took responsibility, thats when
change started to take place for me. Theyve
taught me Im the only one responsible for
myself and how to watch what youre thinking
and doing I was always the type of person who
would act on impulse and now I think things
through before I make a decision or action.
Lund agreed it is the faith-based perspective
which has made the facility so successful.
Weve had some fantastic success stories but
what we werent aware of when we started was
how severe some of the addictions were in some
of the clients we were attempting to treat, Lund
said. Weve had 600 people go through our
Mariental facility but weve also attended eight
funerals of people who didnt make it. You never
know who all will get it or who wont. But thats
Gods will and not mine and we try not to take it
personally but it hurts when you lose someone

you worked with.
As for the future? Lund said staff at the facility
will be working on implementing a Batterers
Intervention Program (BIP) and will continue
doing prevention work in the school system and
at-risk youth. One of the other things Lund said
staff will be looking at is possibly starting a
residential center for youth.
For those who need help, Jane and fellow
patient Jack encouraged them to find a facility
similar to City on a Hill.
You cant quit on your own, everyone needs
some help if they have an addiction. First thing
you should do is try to get help and if someone
wants to start with small steps (not just AA),
Jane said. But the bottom line is rehab and
reintegration like City on a Hill is the thing that
will get you healthy. This place will help you get
in touch with your spirituality and teach a lot,
and thats what people needs. Anyone battling
addiction should consider a place like this.
Weve all been victims of addiction, and
theres not anything anyone can say or do that
says Go get help, Jack added. But when
youre ready to get help and if youre sick and
tired of being sick and tired, you stick your hand
out and it is possible. I believed at one point I
couldnt beat this but now I know I can. The
programs great, its definitely changed my life
for the better. N
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620-624-4700
ccccancer.com
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92-5110
SPRING 2016
PROTECTORS
15
Family first
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listening to their
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It all comes down
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Owner/Director
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16 LABOR OF LOVE
SPRING 2016
BRYCE PETERSON
Director
& Embalmer
CITIZENS OF THE YEAR
Celebrating those that make a difference
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT
HEROES
LIBERAL
a labor of love
Carol Brown is presented

an Unsung Hero plaque by
Wilma Moore and Kathy
Cole, who nominated her
for the award. L&T
photo/Robert Pierce
Unsung
hero
Carol Brown
My nomination for an Unsung Hero is Carol Brown.

Carol does so much for so many people that no one knows
about, and I feel like she is a good example for others to follow.
Not only does she care for people in their homes, but also drives
people out of town to doctors when needed. I was one of those
she drove to an out of town doctor when I needed to see a
gastroenterologist. Since we dont have that type of physician
here, she took me to Pratt to have an appointment. And she
wouldnt accept any pay for doing this good deed for me.
Carols daughter, Rena Cross, and her husband, have
Crossroads Center a place which helps handicapped people
with horse therapy. This is another example of her helpfulness
she volunteers time with them when it is needed.
Another place which benefits from her volunteer work is Liberal
Good Samaritan Center. She is truly appreciated by those in
charge of the residents I know about this personally, since my
2 LABOR OF LOVE
2016
husband was a resident there until his death.

Carol is a member of the Western Avenue Church of Christ
where she can be counted on any time she is asked to do
anything.
Submitted by Wilma Moore
I am writing about one of the most caring, loving and forgiving

women I know. And it is Mrs. Carol Brown, and she doesnt
expect anything in return. Carol has been a caregiver forever, now
retired or supposed to be retired.
She now sees that people that are at home and need care,
support and love receive it. I feel with Carol, we are a
interdisciplinary healthcare team. I would hope that if part of my
family ever needed care, they would have a lady like Carol Brown.
She will make sure that the elderly have what they need from
food to medical equipment. And if someone needs transportation
to a medical appointment or any other, she will drive. She doesnt

get paid for this, but her heart is so big.
She is a wonderful Christian woman. And she believes one does
not have to move to a brighter spot, just brighten the spot where
you are by serving God and your fellow man or fellow woman.
Life is made great through service to others and you will be glad
you did because love and caring never fails.
Carol Brown is also very thoughtful in administering authority.
She is kind in issuing orders. Her mark of character is calm and
caring. And she has always had great interpersonal relationships
with the women that help her.
I love Carol Brown and you would too. She has been good to
me since I met her about 11 years ago.
Thank you, Carol Brown, for everything.
Submitted by Kathy Cole
Kiffany Stevenson, right, congratulates Christine Hammond for receiving an Unsung Hero
award. L&T photo/Robert Pierce
Unsung
hero
Christine
Hammond
I would like to nominate Christine Hammond
as an Unsung Hero because she is a devoted
wife and mother and still has time for others. I
have never met anyone who is so dedicated in
giving her time to help other people and working
in the community.
She is currently employed at the Seward
County Health Department, where she has
served the community from there for over 21
years. She has also worked a host of other jobs
where she had to serve the community.
Mrs. Hammond is a volunteer for the
American Red Cross. She has taken time out of
her day to go and read books with children who
were in the R.O.O.O. program, which stands for
Reading One-On-One, when it was offered at
McDermott. She has also been a volunteer on
the Fair Board. And if anyone wonders who
cleaned the bowling alley before it became
Billys, yes, my friends, that was Mrs. Hammond
as well.
Mrs. Hammond is a member of New
Community Missionary Baptist Church, where
she serves as the church secretary. She teaches
Sunday School to the youth members of the
church, and she also works at the Food
Cupboard in the church that gives food to

anyone in need of food. Mrs. Hammond is also
a member of the Missionary Department at the
church, in which she would go out into the
community and check on the elderly to see if
they needed anything or if they just needed to
talk.
She has gone to sit with people who have been
admitted into the hospital, and while that person
was in the hospital, she would go check on that
persons family to make sure they had
something to eat. She has taken blankets out to
the nursing home to the elderly people out
there. Mrs. Hammond also cleans the church.
Mrs. Hammond is the Director of the Vacation
Bible School. She is a member of the Black
History Committee.
I am sure there are many other things that she
has done, but these I know about, and I want
the community to know how Christine
Hammond serves others. There is a saying that I
frequently hear Mrs. Hammond say, and that is,
I truly believe that God put us on this earth to
serve other people.
Submitted By Kiffiany Stevenson
2016
BUILDERS
Eric Olmstead receives an Unsung Hero award from his wife, Heather. L&T photo/Robert Pierce
Unsung hero
Eric
Olmstead
Eric Olmstead, or as many of you might know him

as Coach Olmstead, is a great role model and a true
unsung hero. Eric has been a teacher at Liberal High
School for 16 years, Assistant Boys Basketball coach
at LHS for three years, Head Baseball coach at LHS
for 10 years, along with coaching the 16-18 year-old
summer Rattlers baseball team for 11 years. He is a
very involved father, husband and community
member.
Eric has a true passion for helping others out along
with building athletics in our community. There have
been many baseball games that should have been
cancelled due to rain, but Eric goes out to the fields
early in the morning and begins working on them to
make them playable. He is very determined and wants
the best for all the athletes, of all ages. There is never
a time that he says NO to meeting his players out at
fields and practicing with them.
In 2015, Eric and the LHS Redskins Baseball team
made it to the state tournament, which was the
second time in school history Redskins baseball had
made it there (first time being in 1992). This trip
came from all the hard work and dedication that
Coach Olmstead put into his teams and school. In
2016, he was on the coaching staff that helped get the
Redskins to the state basketball tournament. He is
willing to do whatever to help make athletics
successful. I have yet to hear him tell anyone NO
4 LABOR OF LOVE
2016
when asked to help.

Sports seem to be year-long around the Olmstead
household, which we love it! Coach Olmstead treats
his players as if they were his own, on and off the
field. Not only is he involved and dedicated to his
teams, but he is a very dedicated and involved
husband and father. We have two kids, Ethan, age 6
and Brynley, age 4, and if they have a program or
practice or game, he is there! He has coached Ethan
in many of his sports, and if an official doesnt show
up, he steps in and helps out, never leaving anyone in
a bind. Eric can come home from a long day of
practice and be willing to grab a glove and ball and
play catch with our kids.
His willingness and desire to help our community is
more than anyone could ask for.
Coach Olmstead is very deserving of this award, not
only for the dedication and loyalty he has to athletics
and this community, but because of the type of person
he is. He is a huge supporter of kids academics and
athletics. Yes, athletics are a huge part of who he is,
but you can catch him in a classroom, and he is more
than willing to help out. He has spent an uncountable
amount of hours in the gym and on the fields helping
build his team into true athletes. I believe Coach
Olmstead deserves this award, he is a true hero in not
only my eyes but our kids eyes as well. We Love You!!!
Submitted by Heather Olmstead


Shaker Dakhil, MD
Dennis Moore, MD


*HUJLY *LU[LY
Quoc Truong, MD
Niranjan Parekh, MD

Tel: 620-629-6727 | Fax: 620-629-6729
2016
BUILDERS
Citizens of the Year Nick and Lisa

Hatcher pose with their four children
after a spring day at the track. For Nick
and Lisa, it is very important for them to
raise their children to have hearts of
servants. Lisa often takes her children
with her when she volunteers with
various organizations. Courtesy photo
Citizens
of the
Year
Hatcher
Nick & Lisa
By JESSICA CRAWFORD
Leader &Times
6 LABOR OF LOVE
2016
When the Citizen of the Year award is

selected, the process is fairly simple. Who
made the most dramatic difference in
Liberal over the past year? There are so
many citizens worthy of this award, but
this year a team stood out. This team is
Nick and Lisa Hatcher.
Anytime someone develops the heart of an advocate,
great things can happen. However, when two individuals
with a passion to serve marry, they can be an unstoppable
force.
As owners of a farm/ranch operation, Nick and Lisa first
became stewards of the land. The long hours that must be
put into farming and ranching are plenty to keep this
couple busy, but they simply did not stop there.
Lisa gives of her time by volunteering in many areas,
pariticularly in areas concerning education.
Bright Futures, several school related clubs/activities
such as Booster Club, Site Council, Early Childhood
Advisory Committee, etc., and LEAD facilitator
(Leadership Enrichment and Development), Lisa said, are
where she spends her spare time and energy.
As a mother and a citizen of Liberal, Lisa wanted to see

not only her children thrive and flourish, but the
community, as well.
For the betterment of our community and my own
children, Lisa said when asked why she volunteers so much
of her time. There is no better feeling than volunteering
and seeing it make a difference to someone.
I had stopped working after our fourth child was born,
and I felt like I could do something beneficial with my time
by volunteering, she continued. I truly am blessed to have
the opportunity to serve and volunteer my time.
As a business owner/operator, Nick wanted to expand
upon his leadership skills. With education near and dear to
his heart, becoming a member of USD No. 480s Board of
Education was the best possible way he felt he could make
a difference in his community.
I felt like that what I could offer was vision and
leadership, he said of his board membership. After serving
on the Blue Ribbon committee, after the first failed bond
attempt, I saw the need for better schools.
As long as Nick has served on the school board, he never
let a meeting slip by without mentioning the dire need for
new school buildings, and more space for USD 480s
expanding number of students.
Some got tired of hearing Nick continually comment on
this particular issue. Eyes began to roll when

Nick would find a moment in each and every
meeting to comment on the fact that trailers
simply werent sufficient learning environments
for the students, and bringing more in was not
the answer.
Nick could have given up, as he probably
began to feel as if he sounded like a broken
record. But Nick did not give up. He, along with
his fellow board members and the community
kept pushing forward.
Look around Liberal today. New schools are
popping up throughout the city. Many students
will walk through the doors of brand new
buildings in just a few short weeks. And the
building process has only just begun. More
improvements are coming to provide the best
possible learning environment for students
throughout the school district.
Its simple, I saw a need for new schools,
Nick said of his drive to advocate for the kind of
space students will now receive. I have a
passion and a love for Liberal we both do.
I strongly believe that good education is a key
foundation to improving a community, he
added. In order to have good education, you
have to have several key elements working
together, school buildings are just one of those
elements.
When asked what the Hatcher family would
like to see for Liberal in the future, growth was
high on Nicks list. Nick and Lisa love Liberal
and want to continue to work to make it a better
place for all who call it home, as well as those
who visit.
Of the three larger Southwest Kansas
communities, Liberal is not currently seeing the
most growth, Nick said. But our continued
support and love for our community push us to
contribute what we can to see this growth
increase.
We both chose Liberal as our home, a place
we love and plan on raising our family here, he
added. The people make Liberal great, and we
have the best people by far. We know our
neighbors, people know our children, our
families. We love that there are so many people
invested in making Liberal a great place to live
and work. I would hope that our school bond
project is a catalyst for future growth that
includes housing and workforce opportunities.
Nick and Lisa are the parents of four children.
As they raise them, they are are instilling in
them compassion and the desire to serve.
Hopefully we are teaching them by example,
Lisa said. We also include them in several
projects and opportunities that we are involved

in, and we encourage them to serve as well.
In addition, we talk about issues and needs
and encourage them to seek out ways to help,
she concluded. Our church, the First United
Methodist Church, also supports service
learning and helping others. Theyve done a lot
of that with their youth group.

What Nick and Lisa Hatcher have done for
the City of Liberal is much appreciated. But it
does not stop with them. Their children are their
legacy. This is only the beginning of what the
Hatcher family will do in a gracious effort serve
the community they cherish.

2 S. Kansas - 620-626-6100
2016
BUILDERS
Liv Brown presents her greatgrandfather, Jo Brown, with an Unsung

Hero award. L&T photo/Robert Pierce
Unsung
hero
Jo Brown
Hi, my name is Liv Brown, and Im 10 years old. I

want to tell you about My Unsung Hero. My unsung
hero is very courageous, strong, helpful, kind and
considerate. Do you know who it is? My great-grandpa
Jo Brown!!
When my Grandpa Jo was young, he cared about our
country. He fought in World War II. He was stationed
in Japan for a long time. He wanted for all of the
people in the United States to be safe. And I thought
thats really brave of him to fight for our rights.
Also, he helped people who needed help in our
community. At church he helped too. Every time when
I was sick, he tried his best to help me feel better, and
it actually worked because of him I was better and even
better than before! He helps my great-grandma
Dorothy. My Grandma Dorothy cant see, so he has to
do everything for her.
Grandpa Jo is still very helpful, even at his older age.
He has to do all the cleaning, cooking, chores, ddrives
to Walmart and take care of my grandma because she
needs him a lot. He loves her so, so, so, so much. He
sits with her and they listen to stories on tape together.
When I go see them, they tell us all about the story on
tape. Sometimes the stories are very, very long. It was
57 hours long!
Grandpa Jo used to make an instrument named
Dulcimer from scratch, played them and sold them at
8 LABOR OF LOVE
2016
festivals around the country. He cant make them

anymore, but last year he was giving lessons to young
girls from church at his house for free.
My Unsung Hero loves me a lot. He loves for me to
sit on his lap and read books to him. He always lets me
have ice cream. He calls me to make sure my mom and
I are OK. He wants to make sure my mom and I have
food. He gives me Looney bucks and looney bucks
mean toys, and toys means fun, and fun means me. He
gets my Looney bucks from Golden Plains bank, they
have toys. Grandpa invites mom and, and my Lala to
eat pizza with them. I think because Grandma Dorothy
and I love pizza!!!
My Grandpa Jo is always in a fantastic mood for his
loved ones and loves to be loved by his family. My
great-grandpa will always be My Unsung Hero for
everything he did for his country, for the Liberal
community and his church when he was young. But
still at age 89 years old, my grandpa is a hero for
everything he still does for my grandma and me. He
takes care of me when I get sick and cant go to school.
He wants me to feel better and wants to help me.
Great-grandma Dorothy cant see, so she needs him
too.
My grandpa Jo is the best Unsung Hero in the whole
wide world. He will always be my hero, no matter what.
Submitted by Liv Brown
2016
BUILDERS
Community
service
Edward J. Fitzgerald was born Nov. 14, 1879,
in Fayette County, Ill., and his future wife,
Francis Wasson, was born Aug. 11, 1893, in
Nixa, Mo.
Ed later went from Nakomis, Ill., to St. Louis
and worked as a streetcar conductor. In 1904, he
came to Seward County renting land for two
years.
My grandfather came here in 1903, and he
rented a place for three years and bought the
home place up here on 83 in about 1906, said
Eds grandson, Mike. He actually had some
relatives that were here before he was. He did
not homestead. He bought a place. The land he
bought had already been homesteaded. He did
not homestead himself.
Before building a six-room farm house and a
barn, Ed lived in a storm cellar. He had a
farming history in Seward County as well, raising
wheat, milo and cattle.
Ed and Francis were married in 1921 in
Wichita, and were the parents of two sons,
Edward Joseph and John William.
10 LABOR OF LOVE
Fitzgerald family
Edward Joseph graduated from Liberal High
School in 1939 and was a radiologist in Wichita.
He and his wife, Mary, have five children, Pat
and Carol, who were teachers in St. Louis, Jane,
who taught in Valley Center, a third Ed, who
attended Kansas State, and Tim, who attended
Wichita State.
The second son, John William, lived on the
land his dad purchased in 1906. He went to
Liberal High School, graduating in 1944. He
would later serve in World War II, including
taking part in the European Theater. He was
also a Purple Heart recipient.
After his time in the service, J.W. married Jo
Anne Boles, and the couple had eight children,
all born in Liberal.
J.W. followed in his fathers footsteps as a wellknown farmer and stockman. He was a pioneer
member of the Liberty School Community. As
boys, Joe and J.W. delivered water to the Liberty
School on the home section, with most of J.W.s
children attending Liberty.
The Fitzgeralds home place was recognized as
2016
a Century Farm of Kansas in 2008. J.W. likewise

was instrumental in helping build two churches
for the St. Anthonys Catholic Parish in Liberal.
J.W. likewise served in many civic groups and
government positions before passing away in
2012 at the age of 87. Those groups include the
American Legion, Knights of Columbus, the
Liberty School Board and Seward County Fair
Board, as well as being a 4-H leader.
In addition to Mike, J.W.s children include
Martha, John, Elizabeth, Tom, Marie, Mark and
Alice.
Martha married Steve Massoni, and they have
one son, Justin, and one daughter, Vanessa. John
married Janet Harris, and they have one
daughter, Hillerie.
Elizabeth married Bill Harris, and they live in
Wichita. Tom married Kathy Kruse, who at the
end of the most recent school year was serving
as the principal of USD No. 480s McDermott
Elementary. They have two sons, Jacob and
Andrew.
Marie did serve as a teachers aide in Liberals
bilingual preschool program. Mark and Alice

were students at Liberal High School.
Keeping the farming tradition in the family,
Mike, John, Tom and Mark make the third
generations of Fitzgeralds to farm their
grandfathers property.
With a fourth generation now in place, Mike
said the Fitzgeralds have left quite the legacy in
Seward County, and he hopes that heritage will
last at least a little longer.
We did what we could, he said. Were like
all family. Were kind of born into it. Were interested in it, but its harder and keep farming with
the cost of everything nowadays. Someday, there
wont be a Fitzgerald on this farm and this land.
Thats just the way of the world, the whole
country.
By ROBERT PIERCE
Leader &Times
The
Fitzgerald
family
receives the
Leader &
Timess
Community
Service
Award
recently at a
ceremony at
the Rock
Island Depot.
L&T photo/
Robert Pierce
2016
BUILDERS
11
Emcees Rick Yearick and

Jessica Crawford
congratulate Unsung Hero
recipient Scott Parnell.
Parnell is joined by Mary
Bush, who nominated him
for the award. L&T
photo/Robert Pierce
Unsung
hero
Scott Parnell
I would like to nominate Scott Parnell as the

Unsung Hero. He has lived here all his life.
I believe that Scott is a true blessing from
God!
He gave me employment when there wasnt
enough work.
He gave me a place to live, when I had
nowhere to go.
He has employed countless people who could
not find work.
He has given shelter to the homeless many
times over.
He has given food to people when they had
nothing.
And the list goes on and on, too many to
mention them all!
Scott is an elder at Central Christian Church
and has helped many people there as well.
12 LABOR OF LOVE
For many years, Scott fought for his life, being

kept alive on a kidney dialysis machine. Each
and every day, I prayed to God, that He would
see him through and give him the kidney
transplant he needed to survive.
He never once complained! My prayers were
finally answered, and he did receive a kidney
transplant!
I knew that God would answer my prayers,
because I knew that Scott was not yet finished
doing good deeds for people here in Liberal and
on Earth.
Scott is a wonderful human being and the best
friend anyone could ever have.
I feel truly blessed that he is my friend! Thank
God.
Submitted by Mary Bush
2016
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MARY LLOYD
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2016
BUILDERS
13
Don and Kay Witzke recently

received the Lifetime
Achievement Award at the
L&Ts Unsung Heroes
reception Aug. 8, and both
were happy and very humbled
to have received the honor.
L&T photo/Elly Grimm
Achievement Witzke
Lifetime
By ELLY GRIMM
Leader &Times
From the development of the north

part of Liberal starting at 11th Street to
the construction of the new schools as
part of the bond project, Don and Kay
Witzke have seen it all unfold right here
in the community.
14 LABOR OF LOVE
2016
Don & Kay
The Witzkes were married in 1957, and moved to

Liberal in 1958 from San Diego after Don was
discharged from the Navy, and the couple began
working and setting down roots. Don has been working
in real estate for about 45 years, for which Kay was the
accountant and bookkeeper. The Witzkes have also been
involved with local politics and civic groups
considerably, including with the school board, the city
commission, economic development, and the Business

and Professional Women.
We've been very blessed while living here, Kay said.
Don and Kay are also members of the First Baptist
Church, where Kay helped initiate the daycare program,
and Don, a member of the churchs board of deacons,
taught Sunday school for nearly 30 years.
So what got the Witzkes involved in all their
community service? Don said the answer is

pretty simple.
Involvement in our church was one of the
things, and then I got involved with the board of
deacons and then the Sunday school class, that
got me into some leadership areas. I met a guy
named Charlie Brisendine, and he was my
banker and also a very close friend, Don said.
He sat me down one day and said 'Don, you
have worth, but I didn't feel I had worth much
because I had grown up from lowly beginnings.
He said 'You need to think better of yourself,
think positive, get yourself involved, know God
loves you, and people out there love you, so turn
your thinking around.'
So both Don and Kay started thinking more
positively, and probably one of the things that
most changed the couples life, Don said, was a
Bill Gothard seminar in the early 1970s, which
promoted how to use that to improve different
types of relationships.
That helped change the atmosphere when we
got into local politics and leadership, and that's
what pulled us into there, Don said. People
always said 'You can do this,' so I filed for
election to the school board, and I didn't win the
first time, but I did get in the second time and a
few times after that. I wanted to not only better
our family and our lives, but also, what could we
do to help grow Liberal? I knew in growing
Liberal, I would grow as a businessman too, so it
takes a combination of both. Without that
combination, my opinion was totally self-serving,
and people will see through that type of

attitude.
The Witzkes were awarded the Leader & Times
Lifetime Achievement Award at the publications
Unsung Heroes reception earlier in August, and
while the couple is very blessed and humbled,
Don said not to expect either of them to go
seeking other awards.
Our total involvement in Liberal was not for
any purpose except to help grow Liberal and
grow our lives, Don said. Awards and
everything else just come along. We feel very
humbled and honored to be receiving this, and
non-deserving really. Because again, publicity,
awards, achievements, that's not why we did
what we did. It's nice to receive them, because
then you know people see the fruits of
everyone's work.
Overall, both Witzkes have loved their time in
Liberal.
It's been great living here in Liberal, Kay
said. I came here when I was in the 8th grade
and it's been good to have a place to call home
and raise the kids.
We have it really blessed in Liberal, and do
we think of relocating? Yeah, periodically,
because of the convenience to medical facilities
and things like that, but we haven't really ever
fully considered it, Don added. We're blessed
to have our family right here, our immediate
family, and our friends. We've got a good
community, good friends, so we're really blessed
and we enjoy Liberal.
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BUILDERS
15
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type of caring
service they
desire.
It all comes down
to being a
funeral home that
puts community
and family first.
620-624-3844
GENE MCELROY
Owner/Director
& Embalmer
16 LABOR OF LOVE
2016
BRYCE PETERSON
Director
& Embalmer
Saluting those who provide compassion
HEALERS
LIBERAL
a labor of love
First on the scene
Liberal EMS crew members gather for a group photo. Several of

the current EMS members have several years of experience with
EMS work. Courtesy photo
Emergency
responders are
the first to
start the road
to recovery
By ELLY GRIMM
Leader &Times
2 LABOR OF LOVE
SPRING 2016
Liberal EMS, weve got a call for...

At these words, the members of the
Liberal EMS crew spring into action and
head out on the call given on the pager,
whether it be to help with an elderly person
falling and hurting themselves to responding
to the scene of a car accident.
As far as a typical day, however?
Thats actually kind of a loaded question because theres
not really a typical day, we never really know whats going to
happen day to day, EMS crew member Danny Burtzloff said.
But like everyone else we come into work, and then we sit
around doing other things until the pager goes off and calls us
to action. Unfortunately if were busy, thats bad for the
public. Were one of the few departments people dont want
busy. If we are, that means were having a lot of problems.
Typically, most of the crew members work 24-hour shifts
and live at the EMS station while on duty. Then comes the
shift change where the incoming crew must get the
information from the outgoing crew regarding the events of
the day and then make sure to check equipment and make
sure everything is ready to go.
Caleb Tatro, who is currently taking classes to become a
certified EMS crew member, said he wanted to join the field
to help people.
I dont want to come across a situation and not know what
to do, Tatro said. Of course, until an ambulance gets there,
theres not much I can do. Theres always the interventions we
can do until we get equipment, like stopping the bleeding or
keeping a patient breathing, but I wouldnt want to come
across such a situation and not know how to help.
The reward of helping people is also a factor that appealed
to crew member Stacy Michelle.
I like knowing what to do to help take care of someone.
Its being able to make them so theyre not so scared,
Michelle said. When a room full of people is freaked out or
scared, I like being able to help take that away and help them
not be so freaked out. And its not just the person were transporting if were taking care of someones sick mom or dad,
the kids scared to death because all they know is mom or
dads hurt.
Responding to emergency calls is not the only responsibility
the EMS crews have, however. Crew members also host
several first aid and CPR classes for the community and give
several talks to community groups and schools in Liberal. This
education, the crew members agreed, could help save lives.
We actually had a gentleman recently who had a heart
attack and quit breathing. They were doing CPR when we got
there, and we actually saved his life by the time we got him to
the hospital, Burtzloff said. Hes already back home with no
Liberal EMS crews respond to a past accident involving multiple vehicles. The Liberal EMS
crews are constantly on alert to help with emergencies throughout the city including vehicle
accidents, structure fires and other emergencies. Courtesy photo
problems. Without the public getting involved
with the CPR before we got there, he would
have been dead.
And that was only a matter of about seven
minutes everything that happened to help save
his life happened in seven minutes, from the
time the call came in to when he was alive
again, Michelle added. Part of that was his coworkers knowing how to do CPR to help keep
him savable when we got to him. So the
education we give to the public is in that system
because we do teach CPR classes. Plus, like
what Caleb said earlier, can you imagine seeing
an emergency and not knowing how to help? Its
SPRING 2016
PROTECTORS
horrible.
Even with the rewards of the job, however,
there are still many challenges EMS crews face
in Kansas, there are roughly only 13,000
certified attendants in Kansas in a population of
about 2.9 million, according to Michelle,
meaning there are many opportunities for work.
Especially in more rural areas like Southwest
Kansas, the shortage of staff can cause
problems.
Were having a real shortage of help, so we
have to work a lot of hours since there just arent
enough certified people, Michelle admitted. So
to me, one of the biggest challenges we face is
we need more people to get involved and
become certified and help with some of those
shortages.
Because like here, if someones sick or takes a
day off, someone has to work overtime to fill in
for them. As opposed to an office, if you miss a
day, there are tasks there that can wait until the
next day, but with us, we cant do that, Burtzloff
added. We have to have at least one crew on 24
hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year.
Then theres vacation time taken in the summer,
so when people start taking off and there isnt
enough help, all the full-time people are working
a lot of extra hours to make sure theres
someone there to fill in. It helps money-wise but
people get worn down with the long hours.
The crew members also talked about how the
healthcare field has evolved throughout the past
several years, including advances in equipment
and the increase in responsibility EMS crews
have now.
We can do so much more in the field now
than we could 20 years ago. With the equipment
we have, we have the capability...like with our
heart monitors, we can do the same EKG they
do in the ER so we can see if there are changes
in the person, whereas 20 years ago, that wasnt
even an option, Burtzloff explained. A lot of
places also have the capability of sending
information directly to the hospital, so instead of
having to radio them, that information will
already be there
And we are pre-hospital so when you call us,
we determine whether you need to go or not to
emergency, but we are very much like an ER
room and we work under a doctors eye, added
EMS crew member Karla Holder. So whenever
we need to call ahead and administer a
Liberal EMS crews respond to another past accident. Liberal EMS crew member Stacy Michelle
said he foresees the EMS crews taking on more reponsibilities in the future, eventually leading
to house calls like in older days. Courtesy photo
medication or something else, we carry some of
those meds for people who are in pain to help
relieve the pain before they get to the ER.
Burns, we help take care of those before we get
them to the ER. Cardiacs the same, and we can
do minor procedures up to critical.
And as for the future of EMS work? Michelle
said he sees that returning to some older
traditions.
I see us becoming a mobile clinic, he said.
Right now, we transport emergency people, but
eventually I think well be doing in-home visits
like in the old days when the doctors would
come around with their black bags. Thats where
I think were headed because of the costs and
the demand on healthcare resources in general,
because theres not enough doctors or nurses so
they just keep expanding what responsibilities
we have. And eventually, I think well also be
doing more in-home medicine and not just
emergency medicine.
All the crew members agreed the job is never
dull.
Every day is different, and no two calls are
the same. Ive lived here my whole life, and it

makes a difference, too, when you see someone
you know or dont know, Holder said. Being in
the public, a lot of times we can go out and eat

when were out of uniform and it may have been
someone critical who we helped, and its great to
get a thank you. We still get recognized in
uniform and out of uniform, and thats special to
us since in our field there are no thank-yous, its
a very thankless job because were there at
everyones worst time. Were not thought of as
very good people because were there at the
worst times someones hurt or sick or having a
baby. We never get the good calls.
Michelle also offered encouragement for
people to think about a career as an EMS crew
member. For those who are interested, they can
contact the EMS station at 626-3275 and get
more information about EMS classes and the
field itself.
I would want people to be aware that it is a
career option. I think a lot of people, they see
the ambulance and they think I bet its too hard
or I would have no idea how to do that,
Michelle said. And theres not a huge barrier,
you just need some training to get to where you
need to be. A lot of people might limit
themselves but might be interested in doing
something with this. It is a good career option
and a real career option, they just have to ask
questions if theyre interested on how to get
there. Like I said earlier, there is such a small
part of the population certified to help, and we
would love people to get certified. N
Total Home
Improvement
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Russ Smith - Owner
Since 1989
Siding
Overhang Coverage
Free Estimates!
Liberal, KS (620) 626-4513
When Quality Counts

4 LABOR OF LOVE
SPRING 2016


Shaker Dakhil, MD
Dennis Moore, MD


*HUJLY *LU[LY
Quoc Truong, MD
Niranjan Parekh, MD

Tel: 620-629-6727 | Fax: 620-629-6729
SPRING 2016
PROTECTORS
Gilbert Martinez sits in

the waiting room of
Central Care Cancer
Center Friday morning.
The staff, as well as
other patients, he said,
have become a second
family to him. L&T
When the diagnosis is
CANCER
You have cancer, are three
dreaded words that will strike
fear in one in five Americans.
Once those daunting words have
been uttered, what is the next
step?
Central Care Cancer Center of Liberal is
there for that courageous next step
treatment. Dr. Anis Toumeh and company
realize cancer is just a small part of what
makes a person who they are. Although they
aggressively treat the disease, the relationships
the staff builds with the patients and their
families have become an integral part of the
healing process.
Central Care Cancer Center has removed a
major cause of stress for the newly diagnosed
cancer patient from the equation travel.
High quality medical care is available right
here in Liberal.
I was really elated to think that this part of
the country had this, patient Lester Cox, 59,
of Hugoton said. Theres so much cancer in
this country, and everyone is flying to
Houston and all over the country to get
treatment. And here we open state-of-the-art
treatment centers right here at home.
Gilbert Martinez, 46, of Hooker, Okla., was
diagnosed with Stage IV colon cancer nearly
two years ago. When he realized quality
treatment was available to him just 20 miles
from home, he stopped driving to Amarillo
giving Center Care Cancer Center the opportunity to care for his condition.
By JESSICA CRAWFORD
Leader &Times
6 LABOR OF LOVE
SPRING 2016
Its more one-on-one here, Martinez said.

They are the ones that are giving me
medicine, so its like another family. Other
patients, the nurses, its just like another
family because you see them when you see
them. There arent always the same patients
back there, so you get to know different ones.
Its smaller, so its a lot easier to talk to people,
and its not so loud.
The nurses and doctors that are treating
me, I just have to let them know what is going
on so they can fix it, he added. Other than
that, my spirit is good. I have a wife and kids
that I have to take care of. Like I told the
doctor, Im not sick in my head. Im not
going to let it get me there either, because it
will tear people down.
Martinez had to take early retirement in
order to get well. So, he takes his treatment
very seriously.
I look at it as a second job, he said. I
show up and do my time. I tell everyone that,
if you think positive, you can get through
anything. Thats the way I look at it. As long
as it doesnt get into my head, Im fine.
Both Cox and Martinez felt the support
system at Central Care Cancer Center was
quite honestly the best of the best.
They were very supportive. Its kind of a
scary thing, but its kind of a relief, too,
thinking you may get to keep your life, Cox
said. You have a good support team there in
Liberal, they had a good support team when I
started in Garden City. Then they opened in
Liberal and I didnt have so far to drive.
I cant say anything derogatory nothing
but good and loving things, he continued.
Its a good support team thats there for you. I

dont think they realize what a blessing they are.
They are a good bunch. I sure am thankful for
them.
For Martinez, not being able to work took its
toll on his spirit. That aspect of his life, he said,
was certainly not ignored by the staff of Central
Care Cancer Center.
Honestly, it sucks, Martinez said of no
longer being a part of the work force. Thats my
honest opinion. It sucks to not be able to work.
It was there, and they just coached me, more
or less, with little conversations, he explained.
The staff, I dont know everybody, but
everybody knows me. They check on you
constantly. They ask, Do you need a blanket, a
snack or something?
Cox echoed Martinezs sentiments stating so
much loss comes with a cancer diagnosis. A
particular individual working at the center one
day simply asked if she could pray with him.
Cox said that made all the difference in how he
felt when he walked out the door.
You dont just lose your health, he said. I
lost my job of 37 years, I lost a number of
things. You can lose a lot of things finances
included. So, its a pretty rough time. It kind of
weighs you down.
She asked if she could pray for me, he
continued. She was so sweet, she doesnt know
how much she helped me that day. All glory and
Dr. Toumeh sits at his desk at Central Care

Cancer Center. Not only is Toumeh proud to
bring care to Liberal, he is able to provide
quality care with the help of the staff. L&T
thanks goes to God. Its wonderful that you have

brothers and sisters in Christ all around you,
too. I dont know everyones background, as far
as faith goes, but they are a good team, and I
love them all.
Martinez was encouraged to move in an
attempt to find the best treatment possible. He
said staying right where he is was the best
decision he could have made.

I am from San Antonio, my wife is from
Hooker, he said. (My family) said, move back,
move back, there are treatment places all over
San Antonio. My wifes family wanted me to
move to Colorado.
I said to both sides of the family, I aint doing
it, he said. My kids started school here, they
are going to finish school here. Im not going to

take away from my kids just because Im sick.
My kids still have their whole lives to go, and Im
going to be there as long as I can.
Both Cox and Martinez are convinced they
received the highest level of care possible.
These guys are on top of their game,
Martinez said.
Its a positive attitude and knowing that
someone is compassionate enough to go the
extra mile, Cox added. When you are at your
lowest point is when you need that hope, and a
smile, or even a half smile, goes a long way.
Angela Kirk R.N. works behind the scenes.
She actually spends the time with those who
come into Central Care Cancer Center for
specific care. The relationships she is building
with her patients, she said, is the reason she
chose the medical field approximately 20 years
ago.
SPRING 2016
PROTECTORS
We are able to build relationships here, and

that was one of the main reasons I became a
nurse, Kirk said. The reason for going into the
medical field is to help people and make a
difference.
Being in a rural area and being able to provide
this service, I feel that we are 100 percent able
to make a big difference in peoples lives and
thats what we want. I just know that if it
touches my family, I would be so glad to have
this service.
Kirk understands every patient that walks
through the doors of the center is unique.
Its hard because everybody is a little
different, she said. Basically, what I want to do
is let everyone know while we have standard
treatments we give for different cancers, we are
going to work with them to make it work the
best for them. Im not just going to say well, this
is the treatment we use for this cancer, so its
straight across the board.
We have to individualize it and look at how
each person responds to it, she explained.
There are individual needs that come up and we
address it. I tell them when we start, We are
going to be buddies. We are going to be seeing a
lot of each other, so I need you to communicate
with me and I will communicate with you, and
we will get you through this.
Dr. Anis Toumeh said much of the same.
Although some may view oncology as a
depressing field of medicine, he feels quite the
opposite. He gets to see people stand up and
fight for their lives. That, he said, is extremely
rewarding.
Its really important, thats what makes
oncology a special medical field, Toumeh said.
You really develop this relationship with the
patient. You are into their comfort zone. I think
it is because of the nature of the disease, I think
it makes people reach out to get any help they
can.
It is satisfying, to be honest with you, both
emotionally and intellectually, he added. Its
the way people react, its the way we try to help
them out, it can be very rewarding.
Its hard to have something in your body that
you dont have control over, he explained. Its
frustrating until you know what exactly it is.
Then when you have a plan to deal with it, it is a
huge relief.
Central Care Cancer Center has been in
Liberal for well over a year. It has just been since
August, however, it has been treating patients on
a daily basis. Both Kirk and Toumeh feel the
constant care is quite an asset for the
community.
Keeping treatment as close to home as
possible is the first step, Kirk said. So, to be
able to treat people close to home is one of the
best things. Having a doctor that lives here in
Liberal is an amazing thing to be able to provide
for oncology, because its hard in a rural area.
When you hear you have cancer, you dont want
to wait for a couple weeks to see a doctor and
discuss it. You want to go right now. You are
able to do that here.
If you read the literature, people who have to
drive long distances, a lot of them dont get the
care that they need just because they have to
drive, just because they have to fly, Toumeh
added. What we are trying to do here, to be
honest, is not just bring the care to the area, but
8 LABOR OF LOVE
Registered Nurse Angela Kirk feels very

fulfilled by her job. She said the reason she
went into the field of nursing was to build
relationships with her patients. Treating
patients at such a time as this, almost require
lasting and trusting relationships be formed.
dont just deal with the patient. We have a lot of

communication with the families.
A cancer diagnosis changes the life of that
patient, their family, their friends their closest
support system, she concluded. We just try to
add to that and be a support system, because we
have to work as a team. N
bring the best care to this area. We are able to
provide everything the big centers provide.
Even when we need more expertise, we have
the opportunity to have the patient have a
meeting with the second opinion doctor through
the ITV, he explained. So, even then, they
dont necessarily have to travel. We are really
trying to give them the best care at home, so
they dont have to travel.
Eliminating travel from the equation of quality
treatment has been quite a step for Liberal,
Toumeh said. He added staff is always on hand
to assist in every way possible, making sure
patients receive the best care available.
Its a big burden, he said of the travel that is
no longer an issue. If I drive four hours, Im
tired. So, imagine someone who is already
nauseated and fatigued. I cant even imagine.
Finances is another thing, he continued. We
work with some of the organizations who offer
to drive patients, who need money for gas. We
are really trying to counter every problem they
can encounter. We realize how much of a
burden this disease is to them.
Even patients without insurance can receive
the quality of care offered by Central Care
Cancer Center.
We do see those patients, Toumeh said. We
try to look for grants for them, we try to have
them submit applications to get some free drugs.
We are almost always able to help them in one
way or another. Thats why we designate people
to take care of these things, to try to get patients
what they need.
We hope people dont get cancer, he added.
But our responsibility is to be there and get
them the care that they need.
Kirk said even though one patient is receiving
treatment, the cancer affects more than one
person.
We are treating the family, she said. We
SPRING 2016
SPRING 2016
PROTECTORS
When a pet
needs a
CARING
HAND
Dr. Dick Herbel takes a look

at a recent canine patient.
Herbel has been practicing in
Liberal for several years and
looks at many different
animals, including dogs, cats
and farmyard companions.
My dad said to me Son, youd better find a

job different from farming and ranching
because theres not enough income to support
yourself. So then he suggested being a
veterinarian, so I did.
This from Liberal veterinarian Dick Herbel, who currently
practices at the Kansas Avenue Veterinary Clinic.
Herbel, who grew up on a ranch surrounded by several different
animals, was given that advice at a young age, and given his
developed affinity to work with animals, becoming a veterinarian
was an easy choice.
I was just a boy who was raised on a farm and ranch, and we
had a feedlot with cattle and several other animals, Herbel said.
As I was growing up, we had all types of animals. I was involved
with the FFA and did all those things kids normally do in high
school. Becoming a vet just seemed right.
While in school, Herbel worked for a time at an office in Tulsa,
Okla. in the Southern Hills area. He also worked at a mixed
animal practice in Chickasha, Okla. He later worked in Corpus
Christi, Texas, for a couple years, where he helped treat highdollar horses and other valuable horses, such as sons of famed
racehorse Secretariat.
After a time, Herbel decided to move to Liberal to work in a
practice. The practices head veterinarian, Dr. Buck, had been
looking to sell the practice. Herbel eventually took it over and has
been in town helping citizens furry friends ever since.
Every day is different, I never know exactly what Ill be doing.
Sometimes I see things I havent seen for a few years or several
years, Herbel said. Sometimes you see something only once in
your entire career or in your textbook. Every day is different
because you never know what all youll be doing you might have
one emergency or you might have two or three emergencies or
this or that. The diversity is something I also love and helps keep
me going. I really like animals, theyre good patients, and they
dont complain or give you a hard time.
Throughout his time as a veterinarian, Herbel said he has
noticed several evolutions in the field, from the types of
medications given to the evolution of the technology used.
One thing is how medications have changed a lot the PDR
has increased about three or four times. The medications we use
and have available for use with animals and people have
increased, and the technology has also evolved like crazy, Herbel
said. Theres also a lot of things that have changed as far as
diagnostics, the availability of diagnostic testing and imaging
through digital X-rays now and a lot of different ultrasounds and
MRIs even for animals.
The veterinary field has also become much more specialized as
time has gone on, Herbel added.
Theres also a lot of specialty areas now for certain areas like
ophthalmology or surgeons or aquatic vets. There are about 27
specialty areas now available in veterinary medicine from aquatic
veterinarians to zoo veterinarians to oncology to pet dentistry,
Herbel said. Theres just a tremendous amount of technology and
areas for people. A lot of people have no clue what we can do,
and its quite amazing.
Overall, Herbel said, he foresees the field continuing to expand
as the need for veterinarians increases and the evolution of care
10 LABOR OF LOVE
SPRING 2016
By ELLY GRIMM
Leader & Times
practices.
There will be more new things coming and
more new drugs that will be on the market soon.
It also seems we find more new diseases that
come about we have to deal with, things we
never thought would actually exist, Herbel said.
Technology will also continue to evolve, of
course, and we have to keep on guard, and vets
will always be around because theyre in charge
of all the milk and eggs and meat people eat and
consume. All the people who consume those

things, veterinarians inspect and check and
regulate the health of those animals to be in the
food chain, and a lot of people dont think about
that.
For those interested in veterinary medicine as
a career, Herbel recommended they visit such
websites as the American Veterinary Medical
Association site at avma.org and researching the
veterinary program at Kansas State University.
You would have to like to read a lot and study

a lot and be well-versed in math and science.
They would also be looking at about eight years
of college education before they get done,
sometimes nine or 10, Herbel added. So its
not only a process, its also kind of a lifestyle. Its
not something people should enter into without
doing some research. Another good thing would
be for people to work with a veterinarian at
some point, and they can help you make up your
mind one way or another.

Herbel said his time in Liberal has been fun
so far, and he looks forward to continuing to
work with the community.
Its been a lot of fun, and its fun every day. I
look forward to coming in every day, Herbel
said, I love what I do. I also love my patients
they dont care if your hairs combed or not or if
you have your best clothes on, they still love you
and dont complain. N

2 S. Kansas - 620-626-6100
SPRING 2016
PROTECTORS
11
Homestead Estates
is redefining
SENIOR CARE
Upon walking into Homestead
Estates, the sounds of music
break the silence of the building.
The music being heard are some of the
melodies formerly heard in the building at
1140 S. Pershing in Liberal. That building
was home at one time to St. Pauls United
Methodist Church.
On this day, Homesteads co-owner and
operator, Michelle Lock-Gooch, is found in
the facilitys living room pounding out music
on the piano, while she is joined on vocals by
resident Kathy Shilling.
Meanwhile, another resident, a former
minister, David Parker is relaxing on one of

the couches in the living room checking out
whats on TV.
A short while later, Fantasia Easton, a
certified nursing assistant at Homestead,
arrives for her evening shift. Upon her arrival,
Easton immediately checks on the needs of
Parker and Shilling and fellow resident Jan
Proctor, who is only at the home during the
day.
Helping Parker walk back to his seat on the
couch, Easton seems to have a caring touch
with the resident.
Shilling and Parker enjoy a quick episode of
the game show Jeopardy and a small
By ROBERT PIERCE Leader & Times
12 LABOR OF LOVE
SPRING 2016
Homestead Estates Home

Plus co-owner Michelle
Lock-Gooch, right, plays a
melody on the piano,
while she and resident
Kathy Shilling sing a few
numbers from the
facilitys hymnals. L&T
photo/Robert Pierce

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SPRING 2016
PROTECTORS
13
glimpse of the evening news, with a small

discussion taking place about some of the days
events.
A short time later, Easton begins to prepare
the evening meal for residents, something not
common to those in the nursing profession, but
as Easton has surely found out, Homestead
Estates is not the typical nursing home.
As its Facebook page describes, Homestead
Estates Home Plus is a state licensed senior
living facility for 12 and adult day care services
for six.
Easton had previously worked at Pioneer
Manor in Hugoton, a nursing home with around
80 rooms, and unlike that facility at which
employees namely specialize in a few work areas,
with Homestead, employees get the whole of
the working experience in senior care.
Here, we do everything, she said. We do the
cooking, the cleaning, the activities.
With a nursing home such as Pioneer Manor,
a group of people does cooking, with another
doing the cleaning. There, Easton specialized in
care. She did feed residents, but she did not
cook. She said the Homestead experience is
quite different.
Here, we clean and feed, she said. Its more
interaction with everybody. At the manor, they
do it different. Theres still interaction with the
residents, but not like full on care.
After the meal is done cooking, Easton places
Certified nursing
assistant
Fantasia Easton
begins preparing
the evenings
meal at
Homestead
Estates. After
working at larger
senior care
facilities like
Pioneer Manor in
Hugoton and
Wheatridge Park
Care Center in
Liberal where
she only
specialized in a
few work areas,
Easton gets to do
many things in
her current job.
At this time,
Easton is working
part time at
Homestead and
is also working
on getting her
certification as a
registered nurse.
L&T photo/Robert
Pierce
plates on a dining room table and is joined by

Parker and Shilling. Proctor has gone home for
the day, as his wife, Billie, has come home from
work and now can provide care at the couples
rural Seward County home.
As Easton is going about her to do list, LockGooch gives a tour of the newly remodeled
facility, including Shillings room, where pieces of
artwork hang on the wall done by the resident
herself.
During the evening, Shilling even works on
one of the pieces to pass some time.
After the meal is finished, Easton moves to
the kitchen, where she can be found washing the
dishes.
All of this is taking place at the time of the
height of college basketballs crowning jewel, the
NCAA tournament, known to most fans as
March Madness, and this evening finds
Homesteads residents back in the living room to
enjoy a couple of games in the events Sweet 16
round.
After finishing the dishes, Easton has a few
hours left on her shift, but the remainder of the
evening mainly finds the CNA relaxing and just
making sure the needs of her residents are met
before she, and the residents, call it a day.
Through her work at Pioneer Manor and other
experiences, she developed a passion for the
people she takes care of.
Just taking care of people is amazing to me,
and I love it, she said. What we do is very

important to our elders.
Easton said her passion started with her
mother.
She passed away a long time ago, and she
tried CNA one time, she said. I wanted to give
it a try, and Ive loved it since I started.
Easton graduated from Seward County
Community Colleges nursing program. She
then did her clinicals at another local nursing
home, Wheatridge Park Care Center, before
working at Pioneer Manor for two years.
At Homestead, Easton now works part time,
and she has gone back to school to get her
14 LABOR OF LOVE
SPRING 2016
degree as a registered nurse. She said LockGooch, who co-owns Homestead with her
husband, Phillip, works around Eastons school
schedule very well.
I come in in the evenings and help out, and
every other weekend, I work a full day, she said.
I usually cook supper. The weekends I work, I
cook all three meals.
Easton said the type of care a Homestead
resident receives typically depends on the
decision of a family.
Jan is here, she said. His wife works, so hes
here during the day. Kathy and Dave are full
care. It just depends on the family, what they
Fantasia Easton, right, helps Homestead Estates

resident David Parker to his seat in the living room,
where he will enjoy some TV before the evening meal.
Parker is a former minister, and he now resides in the
former home of St. Pauls United Methodist Church. L&T
photo/Robert Pierce
want to do and what they want us to

do.
Easton said she finds Homesteads
atmosphere more relaxing, and she
likes being able to communicate
more and spend more time with the
residents.
We get to spend a little more
time at the manor, but theres so
many other people and so many
other things we have to do that we
get to spend a limited amount of
time with them, she said. In here,
we can spend all the time we need
to.
Homestead Estates opened in
August, getting its first resident in
November, and Easton said she
thinks the residents who now call
the facility home are great.
Kathy, she loves to sing. We paint
our nails. We have girl time. I have a
bunch of boys at my house. We get
to do our nails and do our hair.
Dave, we spend a lot of time talking
to him about his schooling and
preaching.
Easton said the atmosphere at
Homestead Estates is described in
many ways by its name.
Its very homey, she said. You
just walk into this place, and you
just feel relaxed. Its just like your
home. N
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SPRING 2016
PROTECTORS
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16 LABOR OF LOVE
SPRING 2016
BRYCE PETERSON
Director
& Embalmer
PROTECTORS
Saluting the workers who protect us all
LIBERAL
a labor of love
ONE CALL
AWAY
National Guard
Reserves
prepare to go
to war at a
moments
notice
By ROBERT PIERCE
Leader &Times
2 LABOR OF LOVE
SPRING 2016
The 731st Transportation Company is

headquartered in Larned with detachments
in Hays, Liberal and Wichita. It is part of
the Kansas National Guards 287th
Sustainment Brigade.
The company consists of approximately 180 soldiers, and
those soldiers were deployed to Iraq in 2006. In Iraq, the
company served as a convoy security force one of the most
dangerous missions in theater.
The 731st completed more than 360 convoy escort
missions safely, moving more than 21,000 trucks loaded with
food, fuel and supplies.
The average soldier in 731st conducted 58 combat
missions, and the unit put more than one million hard miles
on their Convoy Protection Platforms.
The 731st was the most decorated company in the 11th
Transportation Battalion and was known throughout the
theater as one of the elite Convoy Security Companies,
having one of the best Improvised Explosive Device found
and clear rates of 60 percent, which was well above the
theater average of 35 percent.
The 731sts Liberal home was not always for the
transportation unit. According to Staff Sgt. Robert Arambula,
the local National Guard Armory came into place on May 25,
1918, and was used by company infantry.

Just as the units have changed over the years, so have the
amount of soldiers utilizing Liberals armory. At one time,
nearly 100 military personnel used the building. Today,
Arambula is authorized for 43 soldiers, but he doesnt even
have that many.
Reportedly, Liberal likewise had two additional armories in
those days. Arambula said he is unsure of where those were,
though. These were in addition to some other military
training facilities the town had back then.
There used to be old airfield training back in World War
II, he said. They did a lot of Air Force training for pilots.
Arambula joined the National Guard in 1992 just months
after graduating from high school, and in his early days, the
731st was joined by the 1611th Field Artillery Division.
They just recently moved out, he said. Last year, they
moved them to Dodge City, combined Dodge City. They had
their detachment that was here. They were part of the 1611
that went overseas a couple of times. As the 731st, they were
twice, and one of the years, they got the Meritorious Unit
Commendation.
In recent years, the federal government has announced the
closing of some armories across America. Thus far, Liberals
has managed to escape that list, and Arambula said that looks
to be the case for a while.
They have not mentioned any closings lately, he said. For
Soldiers from the 731st Transportation Company get directions from a leader before working
on this assignment. Courtesy photo
right now, I dont think theyre going to do that,
and especially out here as far as were spread
out, itd be a bigger loss soldier-wise. Theres
quite a bit that are too far out to travel. If we get
promoted, we have to travel to other spots.
Arambula said the closest armory that could
house the 731st would be in Dodge City, but he
said with the 1611 already there, there would be

little, if any room, for Liberal troops to join
them. Closing Liberals armory would likewise
create traveling problems for some of the
soldiers.
Anywhere else from here, youre looking at a
three-hour drive alone, he said. Ive got some
SPRING 2016
PROTECTORS
soldiers who live in Guymon, Hugoton. Theyre

a little bit further out and would be traveling
four to five hours one way just for a drill. It takes
a toll on them. They only make so much, and
theyre paying for fuel to get there. Lodging,
they have the lodging for us. They can stay at
the armories.
As a transportation company, the 731st uses
trucks on a regular basis, and once a month
during its drills, troops perform preventative
maintenance checks and services on the vehicles
before taking them out driving.
They should be fine, but thats part of the way
we do, Arambula said. Weve got to check
them first. Well take them out first. Sometimes,
well use the parking lot at the Activity Center.
Theyll practice straight line backing, and when
they pull them back in, theyve got to practice
backing out. They drive them around on the
back roads on Second Street. Theyll just take
them down the highway a little bit not too far so
they can get their training, but mostly, we try to
do a lot of the backing. Its easier to drive in a
straight line and make a turn. Its the backing up
part where it gets the soldiers. Theyre only
doing it two days out of a month.
Less often during the year, but still done, are
first-aid trainings and primary marksmanship
with M-16s. Arambula said troops do the latter
once a year in Liberal before going to Salina to
qualify.
The 731st mostly transports needed goods and
supplies. With what seems to be repetitive
motions, Arambula said his soldiers sometimes
find it hard to get motivated.
Always learning, seeing the same stuff over
and over from do it one weekend a month, he
said. Some of the stuff we dont do every
month. Six months down the line, weve got to
do something again, or once a year, especially
for our marksmanship. If we only do that once a
year, you still got to learn the day. We dont get
to shoot every other day or every other month,
but youve just got to keep leaning on it, keep
going.
While the unit as a whole can deploy,
individuals themselves cannot deploy, and this
A Kansas National Guard sergeant with the 731st Transportation Company helps her son
paint a Christmas ornament to take home. Courtesy photo
adds to the motivational problem, Arambula
said.
They want to go deploy, but we have no
deployments, he said. Sometimes, its hard to
break it to them, but its like, I know you want
to go, but we dont have a deployment. Theres
nobody going, so you cant volunteer with
anybody. It makes it hard for them. A lot of
them use it for college, so theyre motivation is
to keep going, do what theyve got to do for
their college.
Unlike the Army, National Guard units are
under the leadership of the state and headed by
the governor. Army units do not handle
disasters, but National Guard troops are often
called on those details.
If units are deployed, those assignments go
through the governor and then through the
National Guard Bureau.
Theyre going to go down and see whos ready
to go, Arambula said. We would be put on a

cycle to go. The Army cant come down and say,
OK, were taking that transportation unit from
you guys. Its got to be approved through
National Guard Bureau and the state.
Because the National Guards funding goes
through the state, it normally receives less
money than does the Army.
Naturally, Arambula said he would like to see
the number of troops in the military as a whole
go up, but for now, he would simply like for
them to remain steady instead of continuing to
go down.
If they halt it, wed be at a spot where we can
wait for a year or two and see how its going and
say, Alright we need more instead of just keep
cutting soldiers, he said.
Some at the federal level are looking to
integrate the National Guard, as well as the
Reserves, into the Army. Arambula sees that
potential move as somewhat beneficial, but it
also has its downside.
Were going to fill some of their roles as more
stuff happens, and theyre going to rely on Army
Reserve and National Guard to go on more
deployments, he said. N
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4 LABOR OF LOVE
SPRING 2016


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Tel: 620-629-6727 | Fax: 620-629-6729
SPRING 2016
PROTECTORS
Juvenile Corrections and Prevention

Services Intervention Officer Vickie
Werkmeister, front, Diversion Officer
Teresa Spikes and Intensive Supervision
officers Nickole Copeland and Stefanie
Croy are ready to help
juveniles stay on the
right path of life
should they steer
in the wrong
direction.
L&T photo/
Robert Pierce
When a child needs an
ADVOCATE
JCAPS
provides a
road back
By ROBERT PIERCE
Leader &Times
6 LABOR OF LOVE
Most young people are known to

be just a little bit rebellious, but
most of what they do is simply
caught either in the home or in
school.
There are many, though, for whom acting out
leads to a visit to the justice system, and in
Seward County, and five other area counties,
that means the Kansas 26th Judicial Districts
Juvenile Corrections and Prevention Services
office.
SPRING 2016
Intensive Supervision Officer Nickole

Copeland, who works in the office in the Seward
County Courthouse, said when juveniles get in
trouble, they get arrested and may, depending
on charges, go to a detention center.
Copeland said when JCAPS is contacted,
Vickie Werkmeister, a fellow ISO, does an intake
on the individual. The intake consists of a miniquestionnaire, which determines whether the
youth qualify for the detention center.
Werkmeister, who serves as a supervisor for
the Seward County group of ISOs, said from the
intake will be determined what the next stop in
the correction process is.

They can do Adolescent Support, they can
stay here with JCAPS, they can do the
intervention with me, she said. Then they just
get a diversion. It just depends. Between me and
the county attorneys office, we kind of
determine off the intake as to what their next
steps will be.
Many intervention cases go to court, and still
many others do not. Werkmeister said in some
cases, an individual is sent straight to
intervention, which is considered a type of
probation.
It doesnt go on the record, she said. If they

go to court, they can go to Adolescent Support
or JCAPS to be on probation, or they can come
back to me for intervention. It all depends if
theyve been in trouble before with the law and
how severe their crime is.
Copeland said intervention is a six-month
program, and if a young person fails to comply
with what is required in the intervention, they
will usually go to court and be revoked.
Theyll come over normally to JCAPS to be
on probation, she said.
Werkmeister said JCAPS likewise offers
classes for such things as drug and alcohol
abuse, and some new ones are about to come
online like the Thinking For A Change
program juveniles can be put through.
When the individuals in the JCAPS program
are on probation, they come to see ISOs once a
week, Werkmeister said.
We go over how their schools going, whats
going on in their lives, whether theyre involved
in any sports, she said. We try to be involved
with them as much as we can. Ive gone to
several games where my juveniles have been
playing basketball. We just try to guide them in
the right direction.
Copeland said probation allows JCAPS to
more or less monitor their clients and keep them
on the straight path. She added some of what
young people should know is that just because
they have made the mistakes that put them in

the program does not mean life is over.
What we try to do is redirect them by getting
them in classes, making them self-aware about
what drugs do to them and what going out and
doing crimes does to the community or that
individual that they stole from or whatever the
case will be, she said.
Copeland said JCAPS workers intend to help
youth correct behaviors at this critical point in
their life before situations become worse for
them.
You dont want to go through this when
youre older because its going to be much
worse, she said.
Werkmeister said JCAPS works with schools
through meetings with teachers.
Theyve all got our e-mail addresses, she
said. If the kids messing up, chances are were
going to get an e-mail on them so that we can
try to correct something from our end. We work
together with the schools to help these kids out
as much as possible.
Of course, every child is different, and
Werkmeister said this means it is hard to tell if
JCAPS will make or break a child. She said while
many young people will not talk to their parents,
they will talk to JCAPS workers.
Copeland said after workers build
relationships with juveniles and let them know
they are there to help and make life the best
they possibly can, most will come in and be

straight up about what is going on.
You wont even try to drug test them, and
theyll tell you, Im going to let you know Im
dirty, she said. Its digging in and finding in
these kids what it is thats causing them to act
out and to do the things that theyre doing.
Believe it or not, it seems like it would be
something really hard to do, but its really not.
Werkmeister said the key is communication, in
particular how the ISOs communicate with
children.
Were not their parents, she said. Those kids
are smart. They know what we can and cannot
do. Its whether they want to accept what we
have to offer them.
Werkmeister added JCAPS workers want to
know the simple things that are going on in the
juveniles lives, and it is those things that show
ISOs care.
If you care, theyre going to care more, she
said. Its whatever we can do to help them out
and guide them in the right direction.
Copeland said she is driven by her passion to
see youth go in the right direction.
It kills me to see these kids going in that
direction at such a young age, she said.
Workers with JCAPS may have a harder time
doing their jobs in the near future should a piece
of legislation be passed, though, mainly through
more paperwork.
Kansas Senate Bill 367 requires the states

juvenile justice system entities to collect and
share additional information to track outcomes
of individual policy reforms including
performance measures, race and gender of
youth.
Statistics show Kansas ranks sixth worst in the
nation for the over-confinement of youth, and
even though the youth crime rate in Kansas is
lower than the national average and has
decreased more than 50 percent in the past 10
years, Kansas locks up is youth at higher rates
than most other states.
Werkmeister said while the intentions of SB
367 are good, it will mean major changes both at
JCAPS and other juvenile justice entities.
Theyre talking about closing down the placements, she said. Were going to have to keep
them in the community and find the sources
that it takes to take care of these juveniles.
Werkmeister said bigger cities have resources
such as psychologists and counselors, but rural
areas like Southwest Kansas dont have these
resources to deal with the case load JCAPS
does.
While SB 367 will be a challenge, JCAPS
leaders are reviewing the legislation to see what
change it will make in dealing with juveniles.
Its going to be a challenge, Werkmeister
said. Its going to be some major changes here
that were going to have to learn to deal with
SPRING 2016
PROTECTORS
NICKOLE COPELAND
STEFANIE CROY
TERESA SPIKES
VICKIE WERKMEISTER
differently. A lot of the probations will actually

be shorter probations. Were talking six-month
probations instead of a one-year.
Copeland said getting kids on the right path
takes a team effort not just from JCAPS, but
from everyone.
Getting the community involved too, to help
in things that happen, seeing where were at is

whats difficult, she said.
Part of keeping children out of the justice
system, particularly in a rural area, revolves
around finding things for them to do. While this
is not their job, Werkmeister said whatever is
found needs to be a decision that involves the
young people themselves.

Youve got to get the kids to want to be a part
of it, she said. Weve already got Kids Inc., and
weve got all the sports and different programs at
the schools, but if those kids dont want to be
involved, they dont want to be involved.
Werkmeister added SB 367 could add to
financial worries for families as well.

Theyre expecting the parents to pay out
more, and most of these parents dont have
that, she said. Your juvenile gets in trouble,
and youve got court fines and fees to pay.
Youve got JCAPS fees. It all adds up pretty fast
when its not in your budget. N
8 LABOR OF LOVE
SPRING 2016
SPRING 2016
PROTECTORS
Liberals own
DARK
KNIGHTS
By JESSICA CRAWFORD
Leader & Times
Corporal J.P. Hampton has something special

on his vest for children who are having a
difficult time being in the company of a law
enforcement officer. To put a child at ease,
Hampton will take him or her aside and say, I
have a secret to tell you, Im Batman.
Hampton says children are nearly immediately
put at ease as nervous glances turn into
smiles. L&T photo/Jessica Crawford
10 LABOR OF LOVE
SPRING 2016
Protect and serve more than a motto for
Corporal Hampton
J.P. Hampton knows the
meaning of protect and serve.
Hampton is a husband, he is a
father he takes his God-given
roles very seriously. But Hampton
took those two humbling words,
protect and serve a step further.
Not only is he daddy to his
children and his wifes helpmate,
he is also Corporal J.P. Hampton
of the Liberal Police Department.
Hampton didnt hit the ground running into
law enforcement directly out of high school.
Now 27, he has three-and-a-half years under his
belt all with the LPD.
After several ride alongs with a brother-in-law,
Cops are human beings. Thats all we are.

We are just like everyone else. We want the
same things everybody else wants.
CORPORAL J.P. HAMPTON
Hampton said he was bit by the bug.

I took some criminal justice classes out here
at the college, Hampton said. Once you get
hired, you go the academy, which is about four
months 14 weeks.
After the academy, there is field training. And
that, Hampton said, is exactly as it sounds.
Thats another 14 weeks or so where you
learn how to do the job outside of what the
books teach you, he said. You are actually in

there, hands-on, learning what to do. You make
mistakes along the way, but you learn from
those.
Everyone is going to make mistakes, you
arent going to do everything perfect, he added.
You are going to make people mad, you have to
learn to work through that. Its an adventure the
entire way, it really is.
SPRING 2016
It has been said if one truly loves his

occupation, he will never work a day in his life.
Hampton is truly in love with his career. He
believes in what he does each day, and he
believes he has been called to into law
enforcement he didnt stumble into the LPD
accidentally.
Law enforcement is a calling, he said. You
dont just wake up and think about it one day.
No, you are called to it.
It takes a special kind of person to go out
there and serve a community who, for a big
portion, is very ungrateful, but you still do it, he
continued. You do it every day and you love it.
You feel like you are actually making a
difference.
To break through that disconnect between the
public and law enforcement, Hampton said if
everyone could step back and remember one
thing, the situation could change.
PROTECTORS
11
Cops are human beings, he said quite

simply. Thats all we are. We are just like
everyone else. We want the same things
everybody else wants.
Hampton is thankful to serve the public right
here in Liberal. He believes in Liberal, he
believes in its citizens, and he also believes the
vast majority of those who work right alongside
him within the LPD feel the same way.
Luckily, we live in a community where
support for law enforcement is pretty good, he
said. We dont have a whole lot of the
negativity. Yeah, its out there.
The thing I try to do with everybody I come
in contact with is I do my best to show them the
same amount of respect I would show anybody
else, he added. Thats the biggest thing, I treat
them like a human being. Thats all anyone really
wants.
Hampton grew up just down the road in
Turpin, Okla. He said in his late teens, he wasnt

necessarily spending his time with a very good
crowd of people. He credits his parents for
keeping his path straight when it easily could
have gone astray.
His mother and father can also take full
responsibility for the way J.P. Hampton treats
anyone he comes into contact with, be it as a
dad, husband or an LPD corporal.
I take it back to my parenting, Hampton
said of the man he is today. I am who I am
because of them. They raised me right.
One thing you hear about and see a lot is the
whole race issue, he said as he shook his head.
I was raised to know that people are people. So,
I have been able to keep that mentality. Im not
going to treat you any different because you look
different than me.
Hampton is often lumped into a certain
stereotype because of the color of his skin or the
sound of his voice. That, he said, is difficult at
times.
It does hurt, because people dont know me,
he said. They dont know that my wife is
Mexican. They dont know this, they just
This emblem adorns the floor at the entrance of assume. I have never been a fan of assuming
the Liberal Police Department. Hampton is not someone is a certain way because of the way
they look.
alone in his love for his community. He said his
Hampton just takes it all back to
fellow officers truly feel just as passionate about
misunderstandings. He realizes he is only one
making a difference in Liberal as he does. L&T
man, but he insists on doing everything within
12 LABOR OF LOVE
SPRING 2016

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his power to his job the right way.

We are not out to get the public, he said very
matter-of-factly. We are not out to make you
have a bad day. We are not out to take your
money, thats not what we are doing. What we
are doing is our job as far as keeping the public
safe.
There are traffic laws for a reason, he
explained. We enforce those for public safety.
Thats what its all about. Thats what our entire
job hinges upon the safety of the public.
Thats our biggest goal, he added. Thats
what we would love to do, thats what I would
love to do just keep everybody safe. I know I
cant, but I do my best.
Hampton knows paying attention to his
surroundings, as an officer, can drastically affect
those he has been called upon to protect and
serve, right here in Liberal.
If its been a slower day and we arent getting
calls for service, you go out there and see what
you can find, he said. Get out there, be proactive. Every now and then you come across
something that doesnt look right.
Anytime that you can stop something from
happening or catch it while its happening, thats
a much better feeling than getting called to it
without any leads, he continued. You want, as
an officer, to solve every problem. Thats just our
mentality. We want to be able to fix things, we
are fixers we are problem solvers. Whenever we
14 LABOR OF LOVE
The wedding band on Hamptons left hand is a

constant reminder that he does not have to
deal with the stresses and concerns he faces on
a daily basis alone. His wife, he says, is his best
friend. L&T photo/Jessica Crawford
have absolutely nothing to go on, its so difficult

for us. You dont know how bad that eats us up
on the inside.
Being human, Hampton understands, can be
a positive experience or a very negative
experience. And that all can change in a
SPRING 2016
heartbeat depending on what a person might be

dealing with at any given time.
People make mistakes, he said. We see the
best people on the worst day of their lives.
You just have to remember that, always keep
that in mind, he explained. This person is a
human being, you dont know what they are
going through. Do what you have to get done as
far as your job goes, but be human.
Obviously, being a police officer involves a
substantial amount of human contact. Hampton
said that was something he had to work through
in a rather big way. Simply talking to people,
especially people he didnt know, was extremely
difficult for him.
It goes back to the training you are going to
start learning how to ask uncomfortable
questions, he said. You have to really work on
that and practice that. It really goes a long way.
That was one of my biggest issues learning to
talk to people.
There was a time when I was in training, a
gentleman had his car parked in front of
somebody elses driveway, he recalled as he
started to laugh. He was inside his house. I had
to go knock on the door and ask him to move
his car. I knock on the door, he answers the
door...and Im done. I freeze up. All I have to do

is have to ask him to move his car. Its that kind
of thing, you have to be able to move past it.
You have to be able to talk to people in this job.
Not only has Hampton learned to engage on a
social level with the public he serves, he has also
been successful interacting with those within the
LPD his co-workers. In less than four years, he
has been promoted to the rank of corporal, and
Hampton is second in command on his
particular shift.
Whenever my sergeant is gone, Im in control
of the shift, he said. The first couple of times I
had to run the shift, I dont want to say it was
overwhelming, but it was so much more
responsibility. You have to make sure everybody
is OK, everything is getting done that needs to
get done.
The biggest thing was is learning how to step
back, because I like to be in there, he explained.
But as a supervisor you have to step back and
let your workers work. I still get in there, but I
have to be at a point where I can also supervise.
It has gotten easier as it has gone along.
When most of think about responsibility,
making certain everyone makes it home alive
isnt at the forefront of the mind. But as a law
enforcement officer, thats exactly what
responsibility entails.
That is a huge responsibility that you take on
everyday, he said. You have to be able to make
decisions in a split second. It could be a decision
that could potentially end a life or your life, if
you dont make the right one. It could change
someone elses life completely forever. You
have to make sure that you act fast, but it has to
be the right decision. You cant train someone
for that. You have to be a fast thinker.
When Hampton leaves for work each day, he
kisses his children goodbye, and he makes them
a promise.
It is most likely not a coicidence that officers wear

their badges just above their hearts. Police officers
are just like anyone else, Hampton said. They are
human and simply want good things for those
around them. The difference between officers
and the general public, is an officer has
dedicated his or her life to serving his or her
community. And an officer will put his or
her life on the line each and every day in an
effort to ensure public safety. L&T
I
make
sure I
promise
them
everyday that
Im coming
home, he said.
Whenever I dont come home on time, my
daughter does get a little nervous. If Im working
night shift, my wife has told me that if there are
sirens, my son is up asking, Is that Daddy?
Because Hampton is human, he too needs a
support system a soft place to fall, so to

speak. He has that very thing in his wife, and its
a relationship he cherishes deeply.
She has been extremely supportive shes my
rock, he said as his voice began to soften. I
have been with her since I was 18, so it was
before I was even thinking about being an
officer. Whenever I started telling her this is
what I wanted to do, she has been right there by
my side through the whole thing.
Hampton successfully completed the
academy, he finished his field training with a set
of skills to set him on his way. When he
progressed quickly in the job he loves almost as
dearly as he loves her, his wife had one thing to
say of his success.
I told you, Hamptons wife said to him. This
is what you were meant for. N
Quality
Quality ccancer
anceer ccare
are
close to
to hhome.
ome.
close
Western
Kansas
Oncology
Team
W
estern K
ansas O
ncology T
eam
Medical
Walter,
APRN,
Dr.. JJose
Velasco,
M
edical O
enniffer W
alterr, AP
RN, Dr
ose V
elasco
c ,
Dr.. JJocelyn
Torres
Dee Y
Yao,
Dr.. A
Anis
Toumeh
Dr.. R
Restituto
Tibayan
Dr
ocelyn T
orress D
ao, Dr
nis T
oumeh & Dr
estituto T
ibayyan
Radiation
Oncology:
Dr.. Th
Thomas
Hegarty,
Dr.. C
Claudia
R
adiation O
ncology: Dr
omas H
egarty, Dr
erez-T
Tamayo, FFACR,
ACR,
FFACRO
ACRO & Dr
Dr.. R
Ramana
amana C
Chitti
hitti
Offering:
Offffeeringg:
R
Radiation
Radiation & M
Medical
edical On
Oncology/
cologgy/
Hematology
H
ematology SServices
ervices
i
Board
Doctors
B
Board Certified
Certified D
octors
Clinical
Trials
C
Clinical T
rials
National
N
National Protocols
Protocols
Financial
F
Counselin
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Support
S
Support SServices
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Full-Time
SServices
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iberal
SSouthwest
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Medical
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Center
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Medical
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Building
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305 W 15 St,
St, Suite
Suite 203
620-624-4700

2 S. Kansas - 620-626-6100
ccccancer.com
ccancer..com | 800-592-5110
92-5110
SPRING 2016
PROTECTORS
15
Family first
most.
listening to their
wants and needs,
and supporting
their wishes
to provide the
type of caring
service they
desire.
It all comes down
to being a
funeral home that
puts community
and family first.
620-624-3844
GENE MCELROY
Owner/Director
& Embalmer
16 LABOR OF LOVE
SPRING 2016
BRYCE PETERSON
Director
& Embalmer
Saluting those who provide critical services to our community
PROVIDERS
LIBERAL
a labor of love
Passion
for service
El-Kan Drug Owner Brett Horyna and some of

his staff work up prescription orders for a rush
of customers a couple weeks ago. The pharmacy
has been in Liberal for more than 50 years, with
Horyna and his wife taking ownership in 2008.
2 LABOR OF LOVE
SPRING 2016
Horyna makes commitment to
local pharmacy
ownership
By ELLY GRIMM Independent and locally owned pharmacies are
Leader &Times difficult to find in cities throughout the U.S. Liberal,
however, has its own local pharmacy, and it has been
serving Liberal and the surrounding area for more than
50 years.
El-Kan Drug, located at 11th and Kansas, started out as Blacks Drug.
Eventually, Bill Wilson bought it, and the name was changed to El-Kan Drug.
Then, Brett Horyna and his wife bought the store from Wilson in March
2008.
With an independent pharmacy and owning my own business, Ive always
wanted to do that, Horyna said. Its kind of weird, because I was working at
Bloodhart Drug in Hugoton, and I put my resignation in there and told them
they either sell me the store or I quit. So I put my resignation in, and Bill
Wilson died that day. Then the family contacted me because I had contacted
SPRING 2016
PROVIDERS
him about buying the store.

The facility has a full-stage pharmacy and
includes free delivery and free mail-out. The
pharmacy also does compounding and fills
medications for nursing homes. Something that
has really started to expand for the pharmacy,
Horyna said, is being able to multi-bubble pack
for people so their medications are in one pack.
Oddly enough, however, Horyna said the
actual pharmacy part of the store is not his main
interest.
The business side of pharmacy interests me a
lot more than the pharmacy side of pharmacy,
Horyna said. If you ever see me here at work,
Im not the one counting pills, Im down there
interacting with the customers and talking with
them. The interactions with people are more
important to me than the other side, thats what
interests me. We also own Peachwave and The
Flower Basket, and we just put a new business
in Garden City. So that stuff interests me a lot.
The business itself has seen tremendous
evolution, Horyna said, including the implementation of a new computer system, a Prescribe
Wellness program that reminds clients their
medications are due for a refill, and the purchase
of a new robot that counts pills for prescriptions.
One of our newest purchases is the robot that
counts out our top 185 drugs for us. About 55
percent of our fills go through the robot, and
were always double-counting those, Horyna
explained. We added last year a new icon for
our narcotics where its virtually fool-proof. You
scan the label, you scan the bottle, pour the pills
out. When its green, it tells you to go on to the
next step, because it knows its the right pill and
the right count. So if someone comes back and
says, You only gave me 20 pills, we can pull up
a picture of how many pills went into that bottle.
It continues to evolve. And pharmacy-wise, its
not just filling prescriptions anymore, they want
us more involved with patient care, which is
what we want to be doing anyway.
Even with the large amount of clients,
however, there are still challenges, Horyna said.
For us, as an independent pharmacy, we have
to fight, Horyna said. Being involved in patient
care where the clients want to come here, versus
their insurance telling them they have to go
somewhere else because thats where their plan
is preferred, is tough. Weve got to be able to
keep fighting to get those types of contracts to
4 LABOR OF LOVE
El-Kan Drug Owner

Brett Horyna works
up a prescription
order for a
customer. Horyna
said the pharmacy is
always looking for
ways to be more
involved in total
patient care. L&T
photo/Elly Grimm
where people want to come, no matter what

their insurance says.
Overall, Horyna said, he loves the interaction
with the customers and seeing them feel better
from his help.
For me, the most rewarding thing is the
customers coming in and telling me thank you
for helping them get better, Horyna said. I
actually had a patient recently come in whose
stomach was hurting on a certain medication, so
I told them to talk to their doctor about
switching to another medication to help their
issue. They came back in a few days later to tell
me how much better they felt and how much
that helped. Thats really rewarding, and it makes
me feel like Im doing a good job. Its rewarding
when were filling several prescriptions, getting
people in here and helping them with what they
need. N
SPRING 2016


Shaker Dakhil, MD
Dennis Moore, MD


*HUJLY *LU[LY
Quoc Truong, MD
Niranjan Parekh, MD

Tel: 620-629-6727 | Fax: 620-629-6729
SPRING 2016
PROVIDERS
Lyddon Aero takes their customers
ABOVE the
CLOUDS
6 LABOR OF LOVE
SPRING 2016
Steve Lyddon has a youngster

traveling with him on this flight.
Courtesy photo
By ROBERT PIERCE
Leader &Times
Lyddons are a
Family of
Flight
The Lyddon familys history in
aviation began with the founding
of the Lyddon Flying Services in
La Junta, Colo., in 1965 by Bill
Lyddon Sr.
Flight training was the main objective, but an
air charter business also developed. In 1975, Bill
and his sons, Steve and Bill Jr., purchased a

fixed-based operation in Lamar, Colo., with an
emphasis changed to primarily charter.
The business began to grow, but after a few
years in Lamar, the younger Lyddons purchased
an FBO in Liberal and began what is now
known as the Lyddon Aero Center.
Bill Jr. said that purchase followed a split from
the elder Lyddon and the FBO in Lamar.
Jennifer Mannel helps Hardy Patel book his flight Wednesday at Lyddon Aero Center. L&T
photo/Robert Pierce
SPRING 2016
PROVIDERS
Today, Lyddon Aero provides much more in

the way of aviation services, including aircraft
charter, maintenance, fuel, and some student
instruction.
Jennifer Mannel, who now co-owns the
Lyddon center, said business at the local facility
is made up of two parts.
The charter side, which we fly for other
people, and the FBO side, which is people
coming in to purchase fuel, she said.
Kansass central location in the U.S. makes it a
great place for planes to come in from across
country flights for fuel. For this reason, Mannel
said many pilots take advantage of what Lyddon
has to offer.
Thats airplanes stopping in, she said.
Theyre called transients. They come in for fuel
when theyre going cross-country. Were in the
middle of the country, so were a good halfway
fuel stop. Theres some planes that come here
for business and personal. We also have about
50 aircraft based here to help with customers.
The other services we provide for transient
customers are hotel reservations, car rentals,
catering, oxygen, nitrogen, maintenance, and if
they need it, a hangar.
Those using Lyddons services include aircraft
from Americas military.
We get them in 10 times a year with different
Army helicopters, Chinooks, Blackhawks,
UH1s, Mannel said.
Thats not all, according to Bill Jr. and Mannel,
as air races have used Lyddons center as a
stopping point, as have some other famous
flying groups.
They have stopped here before in the past,
Bill said. They tend to go to different airports
every year.
The Women in Aviation 99s were here,
Mannel said. The Thunderbirds were here.
They stopped out here when their tanker
8 LABOR OF LOVE
This is one of the many planes Lyddon Aero

Center uses to fly customers anywhere they
may need to go. Courtesy photo
crapped out, Bill said referring to the

Thunderbirds.
Bill explained that the Liberal Lyddon
operation is similar to the two in Colorado, but
the size is different.
Its the same thing in Lamar and La Junta,
only a little smaller because of a smaller town,
he said.
Promotion materials for Lyddon state charters
from the aero center are the best way to get
from Point A to Point B fast.
We can fly you anywhere in the continental
United States, even to all those thousands of
airports where commercial airlines dont go, a
pamphlet said. Compared to ground travel,
charter service is of course much faster.
The pamphlet went on to say that a 200-mile
trip that would take about four hours by car can
be flown in as little as 50 minutes by air. Pilots
at Lyddon are likewise on-call 24 hours a day,
seven days a week, 365 days a year, ready to
leave and return at a moments notice, meaning
passengers set the schedule. This also means no
connecting flights, lost luggage or delays.
Its called on-demand charter, Mannel said.
Nothings scheduled. If somebody calls up on
the phone and wants to go somewhere, we go.
We have eight aircraft on our 135 certificate. We
have everything from a single engine 210 to a
Beech jet.
With all that in mind, passengers can arrive on
SPRING 2016
SPRING 2016
PROVIDERS
Steve Lyddon prepares

to take his next
customer on a flight.
Courtesy photo
10 LABOR OF LOVE
SPRING 2016
time for early morning meetings, fresh and ready

to do business, instead of tired after a long early
morning drive.
When your business is concluded, you can
relax knowing that your charter aircraft is ready
to depart at your command, on a direct flight
home or to your next destination, the pamphlet
said.
Lyddon Aero Center likewise has some of the
most experienced pilots in the area with a
combined flight time of more than 43,000 hours,
and that experience comes during many

accident-free years.
Reliability is a key factor to air charter, and
Lyddon Aero Center has aircraft equipped to
handle almost all weather. The pamphlet noted
full de-icing is available on all twin engine
aircraft, and weather radar is also available on
single and twin engine aircraft.
Training programs for pilots and maintenance
schedules for aircraft are rigid and demanding at
Lyddon.
Our staff works hard to make your experience

the best it can be, the pamphlet noted.
Bill said Lyddon likewise does aircraft
management for aircraft owned by other people.
We maintain them and fly them for them, he
said. Weve got another eight or so that we
manage for different businesses.
The runways used by Lyddon in Liberal is
likewise used by the neighboring Liberal
Municipal Airport, and with the space formerly
serving as a World War II base, Mannel said
pilots enjoy the lengths of the runways.

This has got nice big runways for some of the
bigger jets, she said.
The current generation of Lyddon owners is
headed into its latter years of work, but Mannel
advised everyone not to worry as a new
generation is already on board.
The operations still in the family, she said.
Bills son, Nathan, and I are part of the business
now, too. N

2 S. Kansas - 620-626-6100
SPRING 2016
PROVIDERS
11
Teaching the
craft of an
Artist
By JESSICA CRAWFORD
Leader & Times
Liberal High School art

teacher Gary Marsh
takes time to complete
a glassblowing project. It
takes several times
being placed directly
into fire, blowing and
shaping to finally
produce a work of art.
12 LABOR OF LOVE
SPRING 2016
There are a talented few bestowed

with the honor of being referred to as
an artist. Actually making a career out
of said talent is not such an easy task.
But Liberal High School Art teacher
Gary Marsh has done just that.
An art occupation, more specifically as an art

teacher, is something he dedicated the past 50
years to.
When I was in the Navy, my roommate was a
graphic designer, Marsh said. He told me I
should try drawing, so I thought that sounded
like fun.
When I got out of the Navy, I said I would be
either a P.E. teacher and an art teacher, minor,
he explained. Well, art was much more fun than
P.E. was. So, I decided to become an art major.
From 1970 to 1976, Marsh studied art and
received his graduate degree from Illinois State.
He then earned his undergraduate degree at
Montana State.
He taught college at Emporia for six years.
There, he met his wife of nearly four decades,
Diane, who is the director for Baker Arts
Center. They discovered they both had a passion
for art, specifically glass blowing. They were two
peas in a pod.
We didnt have to go to Match.com to find
out if we were compatible, he said with a laugh.
We both loved art, that was our passion. So, it
wasnt like we had totally different concepts of
what the other was about.
After six years and some changes to the
student population, Marsh was off to Northwest
Kansas.
I left to teach art education, he said. I did
that for nine years in two small schools in
Northwest Kansas. I decided I liked Western
Kansas better than Eastern Kansas, because it
was so muggy back there. Then I heard they had
a teaching position here in the middle school. I
taught then at South Middle School for 12
years. Then in 2004, when the high school art
teacher left, I replaced him.
The rest, they say, is history.
Glassblowing has become his passion. With
his retirement only two weeks away, he sincerely
hopes those in administration will keep
glassblowing alive and well at LHS.
Whether his students go on to be artists or
office managers, he believes what they learn in
art class helps build strong character to take with
them down that long and winding road called
life.
It does a lot for their character, he said. It is
a hands-on thing where they have to be brain
engaged at the same time, because you dont
know where you are headed.
Mr. Marsh and

Aubrey Sutton,
and LHS senior,
put work and
time into
finishing a
particular glass
piece. A fan built
into the wall
makes attempt
to keep them
cool, however,
with several fires
burning, its
warm in the
room. They
dont mind, and
continue to give
the glass piece in
progress their
undivided
attention. L&T
photo/Jessica
Crawford
You see kids like this all the time, he

continued. They have a pile of stuff in front of
them, but no idea what to do with it because
their brains arent engaged with their hands.
Sometimes they need to get the hint first. If you
can get them to start getting their hands
engaged, their brains might start engaging.
Then, something will happen.
Art isnt black and white, quite the contrary
its every color on the spectrum. He tries to
instill that very thought into his students.
I try to design my classes that it isnt cut and
dry to where you have to have a solution before
you start, he said. Everybody should have their
own solution for every problem I give them. I
will say, Lets do a platter, I try to tell them to
be creative. First of all, dont use commercial
images, trademarks, stuff like that. So, they have
to come up with their own design. That keeps
their brain engaged.
Whether or not his students go into art-based
SPRING 2016
PROVIDERS
13

80%
Graduation
Rate
GED Gr
aduation Ra
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KS average
average rate:
rate: 65%.
pathways
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to gainful
employment
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AMANDRIA HARTNET
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ALFREDO HERNANDEZ
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Oklahoma native who

Community
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SPRING 2016
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Somalia
Sudan
Venezuela
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MARY LLOYD
Seward
County
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14 LABOR OF LOVE
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close
Mr. Marsh doesnt sit and a desk while his students work. He is adamant about being right in
the thick of things with them. Theres teaching, then there is sharing a great talent a talent
and a love for art he hopes to pass down to as may LHS students as he can possibly reach. L&T
careers, Marsh is quite certain the vast majority
of them will use art later in life.
Later on, these kids might not be in art, but if
they are building trailers, and they can use that
skill of visualizing 3-D stuff by building those
trailers, he said with excitement. Theres more
than one way to make a trailer. You see their
designs. Artists can really get out there, and
change that design a little bit.
Yeah, getting their hands and their minds
engaged is pretty important, he said.
During the entire visit with Marsh, a content,
joyful smile never once left his face. He is simply
in love with his job.
If I didnt love this, I wouldnt do for nearly
40 years, he said with a chuckle. I wouldnt do
it this long if there wasnt something about it I

didnt love.
There are only two weeks left of Marshs
career that was inspired by a friend who simply
told him he should try drawing while in the
Navy. Marsh has certainly come a long way.
I am retiring this year, he said. Im excited
to maybe get a glassblowing shed in my back
yard, so I can do it daily. I would like to work on
motorcycles and cars.
Im kind of excited to be kind of footloose for
a while, he said with the smile of someone
about to embark on a brand new adventure. But
the last thing Im going to do is take up the easy
chair.N
Western
Kansas
Oncology
Team
W
estern K
ansas O
ncology T
eam
Medical
Walter,
APRN,
Dr.. JJose
Velasco,
M
edical O
enniffer W
alterr, AP
RN, Dr
ose V
elasco
c ,
Dr.. JJocelyn
Torres
Dee Y
Yao,
Dr.. A
Anis
Toumeh
Dr.. R
Restituto
Tibayan
Dr
ocelyn T
orress D
ao, Dr
nis T
oumeh & Dr
estituto T
ibayyan
Radiation
Oncology:
Dr.. Th
Thomas
Hegarty,
Dr.. C
Claudia
R
adiation O
ncology: Dr
omas H
egarty, Dr
erez-T
Tamayo, FFACR,
ACR,
FFACRO
ACRO & Dr
Dr.. R
Ramana
amana C
Chitti
hitti
Offering:
Offffeeringg:
R
Radiation
Radiation & M
Medical
edical On
Oncology/
cologgy/
Hematology
H
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Board
Doctors
B
Board Certified
Certified D
octors
Clinical
Trials
C
Clinical T
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National
N
National Protocols
Protocols
Financial
F
Counselin
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Support SServices
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iberal
SSouthwest
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Medical
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Building
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305 W 15 St,
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620-624-4700
ccccancer.com
ccancer..com | 800-592-5110
92-5110
SPRING 2016
PROVIDERS
15
Family first
most.
listening to their
wants and needs,
and supporting
their wishes
to provide the
type of caring
service they
desire.
It all comes down
to being a
funeral home that
puts community
and family first.
620-624-3844
GENE MCELROY
Owner/Director
& Embalmer
16 LABOR OF LOVE
SPRING 2016
BRYCE PETERSON
Director
& Embalmer

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Saluting those who are building our community

The first job:

making the grade

Students today continue the

By JESSICA From the highest paid professional to the rat race

Monika, left, and her mother Margaret

difficult and full of responsibility high school

but there was no time for a calm, drowsy

Proud to celebrate 15 years serving Liberal!

Visit us on the web at www.cancercenterofkansas.com

New Patients and Second Opinions are welcome.

Shaker Dakhil, MD, FACP; Michael Cannon, MD, FACP;

9HKPH[PVU 6UJVSVNPZ[! Niranjan Parekh, MD

315 West 15th Street

onika is particularly fond of glass blowing Mr.

I knew I had to get up earlier and take my

This is one of several medals Monika received in

American music. It has Insanity-inspired dance

of that, and get that done.

Residential Farm Commercial

A pair of Cattle Empire cowboys ride the

They say an apple a

And Cattle Empire, which has a total

cattle that are pulled to the hospital are

appropriate pen, and I make sure they are

A pair of Cattle Empire employees

has been seeing how corporate yards have the

cattle handling and care, to advances in

Technicians keep the

Seward County Information Technology Director

Along with Information Technology Director

Computers as they are known

prepare students to be certified in the field.

back and got a Masters degree in another IT

This discipline, which Rohlf said even includes

April is COMMUNITY COLLEGE MONTH

Were honored to be yours.

ESL, GED, aand

Arrived in 1980s, work in

Oklahoma native who

Salina. This would be his last job before coming

over their heads, and Rohlf said even those

Saluting those who help others find their way

Caring for the spirit

Isaiah 60: 1-3 reads Arise, shine; for thy

I had not been ordained, she said. I went through the

His heart for Liberal, that He wanted me to be

she has seen a connection of different churches

our four walls. I really appreciate the other

When Quality Counts

Proud to celebrate 15 years serving Liberal!

Visit us on the web at www.cancercenterofkansas.com

New Patients and Second Opinions are welcome.

Shaker Dakhil, MD, FACP; Michael Cannon, MD, FACP;

9HKPH[PVU 6UJVSVNPZ[! Niranjan Parekh, MD

315 West 15th Street

The shelter, even from the road, looks

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF THE

Jessica at her desk

I snapped this photo of myself

Bambi can be heard laughing and visiting with

Monday, there are four well, five, counting

TOP: This is where residents go to watch TV and visit. It is a bit

to find employment, Karen has been walking all over