P. 2 THURSDAY, APRIL 19, 2018 THE OSKALOOSA INDEPENDENT
OPINION
More about Tom, my favorite President
First off, I forgot to have a little wine Friday night in honor of
Thomas Jefferson's 275th birthday, so I made up for that 'egregious
error' by having twice as much wine the next night. Of course, that
would be in keeping with what my former co-worker at The Eureka
Herald would frequently tell us before five o'clock on a Friday, "I got
to work late today, so I need to leave early to make up for it."
But I digress. As I recall, it was during a very special occasion
when John F. Kennedy was America's President that he was heard
to remark in honoring the great poet Robert Frost and others of
that magnitude, that never had so much talent been assembled at
The White House at one time since Thomas Jefferson had sat in The
White House alone.
Now, in view of that statement, just take a look at our current
Commander-in-Chief. He doesn't appear to be particularly well
read and he doesn't appear to be the inquisitive type, but if you need
someone to send out a tweet or to fire someone whether they deserve
it or not, well, he's your man.
Thank you very much, J. Schafer
I happened to be listening to KPR's springpledge drive the other
morning when the female volunteer who was sharing the collective
microphone with J. Schafer started running her mouth about how
much it costs to subscribe to a daily newspaper these days.At which
point, he proceeded to fiat out tell her that he really looked forward
to reading the Lawrence paper and other papers on a daily basis,
and saw these papers as being a vital source of valuable informa-
tion. 'Jay" you're a keeper, but as for Miss Opinionated
Thank you very much, Jaden
Miss Courter came to herApri111 signing ceremony with a win-
ning smile and, get this, a prepared statement. Very impressive/
Rick Nichols
rs in
lawn
Flowers belong in beds, or
planters, or pots. They don't
belong in turf grass stands.
Unfortunately, many of our
early season broadleaf weeds
like to "show off" this time of
year, growing rapidly and send-
ing out flowers for all the neigh-
bors to see. Two of the most
troublesome this time of year
are henbit and chickweed.
Henbit is the one with the
little purple flowers. This very
prolific plant is a common - and
very noticeable - early emerg-
ing weed that seems to jump
up and take over quickly. If you
aren't sure you have henbit,
check the stems. Henbit plants
have square stems, rather than
round.
Less common and typically
less noticeable, but a problem
just the same, is chickweed. It
grows lower to the ground than
henbit and can form a large,
dense mat. Leaves are broadly
elliptic to egg-shaped and point-
ed at the tip. It has round stems
and tiny white flowers.
Despite their different looks,
both are winter annuals, mean-
ing they started growing back in
the fall. They spend the winter
as small plants, keeping them
from being noticed until flower-
ing in the spring.
Once they flower, control with
herbicides is usually a waste of
time and money. Plants might
be burned back by the herbicide
application but they are rarely
killed by spring herbicide ap-
plications. Instead, wait on hot
weather to kill them off. Until
then, keep the lawn mowed
until nature takes its course.
That doesn't mean you
should ignore them altogether.
Instead, mark your calendar
for implementation of a fall
control program. Both weeds
will typically germinate about
David
Hallauer
Meadowlark
District
Extension
Agent
Crops, Soils, Horticulture
KSU Research and Extension
emaU: dhallaue @ ksu.edu
mid-October. Application of a
labelled product in late October
to early November can go a long
way toward eliminating these
plants since they are small and
relatively easy to control when
they are less established.
Choose a day that is at least
50 degrees F (herbicides will
work at temperatures below
50 degrees but the weeds are
killed at a slower rate). You
may still want to consider spot
treating in March to catch the
few plants that germinate later,
but a "cleanup" operation will
be a whole lot easier than try-
ing to combat the dense mat
that these weeds provide in the
spring.
Commonly used products
contain active ingredients like
2,4-D, dicamba, and carfentra-
zone. Examples include: 2,4-D,
Weed-B-Gone, Weed Free Zone,
Weed Out, or Trimec. As with
any pesticide application al-
ways be sure to read and follow
label directions.
Good lawn management
practices can help as well. Make
sure fertility levels promote
good grass growth. Don't mow
too low, and try not to remove
more than a third of the blade
at any one time. An appropriate
lawn management program
can
I 610 LIBERTY STREET - OSKALOOSA, KS 66066
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Sometime Friday afternoon the state's official
financial gurus--the Consensus Revenue Esti-
mating Grouly--will meet and come to agreement
on just how much money the state will receive
in the remaining few months of this fiscal year
and next fiscal year
which starts July 1.
That memo,
called CRE, will
be not quite as big
a deal as a puff of
white smoke rising
above the Vatican,
but for Kansas gov-
ernment/legislative/
political purposes it
will be close. Very
close.
AtThe Rail
That es-
by Martin Hawver timate of revenue
becomes the official
estimate of revenue
and everything that
happens after it is announced is tied to that esti-
mate.
Right or wrong, high or low, it's the basis for
nearly everything that is going to happen to or
for Kansans for the fiscal year.
The issues that are going to be decided based
on those estimates are school finance, of course,
and a potential income tax cut for some Kansans,
investments in water supply, highway improve-
ments/repair and the pensions of thousands of
Kansans who are members of the Kansas Public
Employee Retirement System. Oh, and don't
forget health care for thousands of Kansans and
payments for hospitals and nursing homes that
take care of the elderly and frail.
A lot of issues based on that Friday afternoon
meeting? Sure are, and the number that the
CRE presents also will influence legislators--the
entire House of Representatives, which is up for
election this fall.
How does that figure into life for folks who
don't spend their day hanging around the State-
house? It determines just what the state can
afford and can't afford and that determines just
what legislators can pass or not pass that will
make Kansans' lives better or at least no worse.
Schools are of course at the top of the list, and
there is that roughly $80 million that was inad-
vertently left out of the school finance bill that
Gov. JeffColyer will Sign into law this week. Sign
a bill to boost state aid to elementary and second-
ary schools that doesn't include all the money
that lawmakers thought they were spending?
Yes, because that bill, though it doesn't contain all
the dollars it should, also put lawmakers on the
hook for it. They will have to pony up the .money
to accomplish what they thought they were voting
on to convince the Kansas Supreme Court that
they actually intend to make state funding for
public schools constitutional. Not much backing
out room there, is there?
But the other major issue that is dependent on
that CRY will be an income tax cut for thousands
of Kansans, because the state can't cut taxes--
that's taxes for most of us, and revenue for the
state---without an estimate that shows the state
can afford it. And who doesn't want a tax cut, and
the bullet point on those House members' palm
cards that shows that they cut your taxes?
It's a federal trickle-down deal, the less federal
income taxes you pay the more of your money
is left sitting around to levy state income taxes
against. And, if the CRE comes in big enough,
well, the state won't need to tax that Cash left
over from your federal taxes, and it will appear
that the state isn't just gobbling up the federal
tax leftovers.
Enough money for schools and a tax cut?
What's still on the plate can be spent for those
roads, the water supply, care for the elderly and
poor, law enforcement, prisons, a lot of things that
have been scrimped on in recent years. If the CRE
says the money is there.
Yes Friday afternoon. We'll see how that
works out, won't we ?
Syndicated by Hawver News Company LLC of
Topeka; Martin Hawver is publisher of Hawver's
Capitol Report--to learn more about this non-
partisan statewide political news service, visit the
website at www. hawvernews.com.
by Rick Nichols
The trial arising from Fran-
cis "Babe" Hubbard's age dis-
crimination lawsuit against
the Jefferson County Board of
County Commissioners ended
Friday at the federal courthouse
in Kansas City, Kan when the
jury returned a unanimous
verdict in favor of Hubbard, a
former county employee, and
against the county.
According to the Judgment
signed by U.S. District Judge
Carlos Murguia for the District
of Kansas, Hubbard was grant-
edjudgment against the BOCC
"in the amount of $69,827.08
for compensatory damages for
lost wages, and $2,000.00 in
compensatory damages for emo-
tional distress including post
judgment interest at the rate of
2.11% per annum."
The document went on to
state that in accordance with the
jury's finding that the county's
discrimination against Hubbard
was "willful," the judgment en-
tered also included "$69,827.08
in liquidated damages including
post judgment interest at the
rate of 2.11% per annum."
The trial before Murguia
got underway April 9 at the
Robert J. Dole U.S. Courthouse
in downtown Kansas City.
In April of 2014, Hubbard,
who had worked for the county
for more than 17 years, was
relieved of his duties by Public
Works Director Bill Noll and
subsequently replaced by "a
younger employee" (quoting
here from the Complaint encom-
passed by civil case 16-2444).
The one-time superintendent
of the Road and Bridge Depart-
ment was approximately 60 at
the time.
Two years later, Hubbard
sued the BOCC, claiming that
the county had let him go on
the basis of his age and not for
other reasons. His case recently
survived a Motion for Summary
Judgment filed on behalf of the
county, setting the stage for last
week's trial.
by Rick Nichols
The Jefferson County Board
of County Commissioners on
Monday afternoon approved a
second amendment to the origi-
nal Owner-Engineer Agreement
between the county and Kramer
Consulting LLC, Tecumseh,
covering the planned overhaul
of the sewer system that serves
the Hickory Acres subdivision
on the west side of Perry. Lake.
The move was supported by
all three county commissioners,
Richard Malm, Wayne Ledbet-
ter and Lynn Luck.
Amendment No. 2 to the
original agreement calls for
electrical service to be installed
between the breaker panel and
the grinder pump control panel
in the homes of Hickory Acres
residents, rock for riprap to be
included in the lagoon improve-
ments bid, and the abandon-
ment of lift stations and man-
holes to be included in the low
pressure sewer system bid.
These three additional modi-
fications to the scope of the
project as originally envisioned
will add $76,800 to the fee for
Kramer's professional services,
bringing the firm's fee under the
now twice-adjusted agreement
up to a total of $295,000.
Hickory Acres is encom-
passed by-Jefferson County
Sewer District No. 5.
In other business during the
weekly meeting of the BOCC
at the courthouse in Oskaloosa,
Public Works Director Bill Noll
informed the commissioners
that he wanted to invite Meri-
den Mayor Dana Boyer and the
head of the city's Maintenance
Department to the board's next
meeting to discuss some pro-
posed street work there, work
that apparently could involve
the county to one degree or
another. "I think an open dis-
cussion with everyone present
would be the most effective
(way to address the matter)," he
said.
Noll told the commissioners
that he is afraid the city may
be asking for something that
were the county to say "Yes" to
its proposal, a precedent of some
sort could be set in the process,
a precedent that would essen-
tially open the door for other
cities to make similar requests
of the county in the future.
NolanScott and his wife
Leah, who live about two miles
north of Winchester, appeared
before the board to discuss a
dispute they are having with a
neighbor who shares a driveway
easement with them, a dispute
that involves the neighbor's
dogs.
In the end, Malm told the
Scotts that he and his fellow
commissioners would be talking
to County Counselor Josh Ney
in regard to the matter (he was
not present at the time), and he
promised them that they could
expect to hear something from
either Ney or the board at some
point.
Regina Brown and her sister,
Linda Everhart, spent approxi-
mately 25 minutes discuss-
ing with the board a drainage
problem involving the Kaw Half
Breed and Stonehouse drain-
age districts that adversely af-
fects a farm southeast of Perry
they and other family members
own. "We (the two drainage dis-
tricts, the county and the local
property owners) have to work
together to get it (pooled wa-
ter) there (the Kansas River),"
Brown told the board at one
point in the discussion.
But Ledbetter had his doubts
as to whether or not the county
could play a meaningful role in
resoling the problem to the sat-
isfaction of the two women. "I'm
not sure we have the authority
to do anything as a county," he
said to them.
The Public Works direc-
tor also participated in the.
conversation and was of the
feeling that the installation of
a strategically-placed 15-inch
crossroad culvert would benefit
just about everyone who has
been effected by the drainage
problem in recent years.
Sheriff Jeff Herrig reported
that the week before, he or-
dered a truck for the Sheriff's
Office. He went on to say that
the money needed to pay for the
vehicle would be coming from
the Special Law Enforcement
Trust Fund.
The commissioners signed
two applications for right-of-
way permits that had been pre-
sented to them for consideration
by the Public Works director.
One of the applications had
See County Page 3
Program for cooking
with pressure cooker
Were you one of the lucky
ones that received an electric
pressure cooker for a gift? Or
do you have one, but are afraid
to use it? Or you have one, but
it's still in the box? If so the
Meadowlark Extension District
is conducting a program to help
you learn how to use this multi-
cooking device to help prepare
healthy meals in a hurry.
Cindy
Williams
Meadowlark
District
Extension
Agent
Food, Nutrition, FNP
4-H and Youth
KSU Research and Extension
email: csw @ ksu.edu
All programs will be held
from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Registra-
tion is limited and all partici-
pants must register in order
to receive food samples and
handouts. In this program we
will be talking about why pres-
sure cooking, how it works and
these programs will feature
some hands-on cooking and we
will sample different foods that
participants will be making.
Workshops will be conduct-
ed in the following locations:
Seneca-at the Nemaha County
Building, located at 1500 Com,
munity Drive; Holton-Kansas
NE Heritage Complex Building,
located at 122200 214th Road;
and Oskaloosa-City Hall Meet-
ing Room, located at 212 West
Washington Street.
If you own an electric pres-
sure cooker, bring it along.
There is no charge for this pro-
gram, but registration is a must
and numbers will be limited.
To register, contact the location
you would like to attend: Seneca
Office--785-336-2184; Oska-
loosa Office---785-863-2212; or
Holton Office---785-364-4125.
This program is being spon-
sored by the Meadowlark Ex-
tension District with Cindy
Williams and Nancy Nelson
presenting the programs.
I PUBLIC NOTICE I
(Published in The Oskaloosa
Independent April 19, 26, and
May 3, 2018)3t
IN THE DISTRICT COURT
OF JEFFERSON COUNTY,
KANSAS
COREFIRST BANK )
& TRUST )
Plaintiff, )
VS. )
LEONA V. UMSCHEID; )
THE UNKNOWN SPOUSE, )
IF ANY, OF LEONA )
V. UMSCHEID, )
Defendants. )
(Pursuant to K.S.A. Chapter
6O)
Case No. 2018-CV-23
TITLE TO REAL
ESTATE INVOLVED
NOTICE OF SUIT
TO THE ABOVE-NAMED DE-
FENDANTS AND ALL OTHER
PERSONS WHO ARE OR MAY
BE CONCERNED:
You are hereby notified that
a Petition for Foreclosure of
Mortgage ("Petition") has been
filed in the District Court of
Jefferson County, Kansas, by
Deuison State Bank, praying for
foreclosure of a real estate mort-
gage on the following-described
real estate:
LOT 8, BLOCK 3, WELTER ES-
TATES SUBDIVISION IN THE
CITY OF PERRY, JEFFERSON
COUNTY, KANSAS,
which has a common street ad-
dress of 206 Willow Lane, Perry,
Kansas 66073, and you are
hereby required to answer or
otherwise plead to the Petition
on or before Wednesday, May 30,
2018,in said Court. If you fail to
answer or otherwise plead, the
Petition will be taken as true,
and judgment and decree will
be entered in due course upon
the Petition.
PREPARED BY:
Luke P. Sinclair, #23709
RIORDAN, FINCHER,
SINCLAIR & BECKERMAN,
PA
3735 SW Wanamaker Road,
Suite A
Topeka, KS 66610
(785) 783-8323
(785) 783-8327 fax
sinclair@rfsblaw.com
Attorney for plaintiff
[ ~ Or. Alex J. Hemme, D.C.
{!~f Perry Lake
cmRoP c
~ WELLNESS CENTER
] 603 Cedar St, Perry, KS 66073 Ph: (785)597-2400
] wurwperrylakechiropracticxom Fax: (785)597-2272
L Accepti~ NEW PATIENTS now!!!
T H E 0 S K A L 0 0 S A
County Seat Weekly
The Official Newspaper of Jefferson County
Established 1860
Six Months Older Than The State Of Kansas
(USPS 412-940)
A legal Jefferson County News-
paper and the official publication for
McLouth, Nortonville, Oskaloosa, Win-
chester, Jefferson County, and Unified
School Districts 339, 341 and 342.
Published every Thursday at Oska-
loosa, Kansas 66066. Periodical Class
Postage paid at Oskaloosa (KS) Post
Office.
Postmaster: Send address changes to: The
Oskaloosa Independent, P.O. Box 278,
Oskaloosa, KS 66066.
Subscriptio rates: New and renewals:
$28.00 a year mailed to a Jefferson
County Post Office (tax included);
$29.50 a year elsewhere in Kansas
(tax included); and $36.50 a year out-
of-state; in advance. Single copy, $1;
plus postage if mailed.
Oskaloosa Office Information
P.O. Box 278. 607 Delaware
Oskaloosa, KS 66066
Phone (785) 863-2520
Fax (785) 863-2730
E-mail: independent@centurylink.net
www.JeffCountyNews.com
Owner & Publisher:
Davis Publications Inc.
Independent Staff
Rick Nichols Peggy Collier
Editor Office Manager
Bookkeeping
Corey Davis
Production Manager
--O
m
