Young offenders face labels, laws on teen sex

August 16, 2011
Ottawa Herald, The (KS)

When Kathryn and Denis Schlotzhauer’s grandson went to prison more than five years ago, it brought to their attention what they described as a flaw in the sex offender laws.

Kathryn Schlotzhauer said her grandson, Corey Schlotzhauer, had just turned 18 when he was arrested and imprisoned for having what they said was consensual sex with his 13-year-old girlfriend. She said Corey, now 23, will be released from Lansing Correctional Facility Nov. 4 and be registered as a sex offender for the rest of his life.

“You may say an 18-year-old is an adult but they are still young and dumb like a 13-year-old girl,” Kathryn Schlotzhauer said. “ … What are you going to do, punish them for having normal feelings? For a boy, you’re taking his life away.”

Whether a person agrees with the Schlotzhauers or the prosecutors who helped send their grandson to prison, penalties and sex offender laws have only gotten more strict in the State of Kansas since his arrest.

According to the law

 

Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius signed into effect a series of sex-crime statutes commonly referred to as “Jessica’s Law” in 2006.

According to the law, a first-time sex offender convicted of engaging in a sexual offense oroffenses with a child younger than 14 faces a minimum life sentence with the possibility of parole only after 25 years. For first-time offenders, the punishment is the equivalent of that for first-degree murder.

Modeled after a Florida law, the legislation is named for 9-year-old Jessica Lunsford, who was abducted from her home in Homosassa Springs, Fla., in 2005 and was raped and buried alive. According to the Citrus County Chronicle, sex offender John Couey was convicted in the case and was sentenced to death in 2007.

Since then, 42 states, including Kansas, have passed similar acts modeled after the law.

The intent, state legislators say, was to dole out harsher punishments for predators who prey on young children and to deter repeat offenders.

Since the law was enacted July 1, 2006, one often unsuspecting group has routinely been caught in the complicated web of state sex offender laws — young and high school couples.

Kansas Rep. Bill Feuerborn, D-Garnett, said any law comes with those who might unintentionally be effected.

Referring to couples with a great age difference, Feuerborn said, he thinks a 20-year-old should make better decisions than dating someone younger than 18.

Do teens know?

Ottawa High School, 1120 S. Ash St., provides sexual health and relationship education for students throughout their freshman year in conjunction with their physical education class.

Carrie Shaffer, OHS health and physical education teacher, said although the school’s stance on sex emphasizes abstinence, students are shown a board-certified video that also provides information about sexually transmitted diseases and pregnancy.

With students of varying ages thrown into the mix together at the high school level, Shaffer said, she thinks it is fairly normal for seniors to date freshman, and she doesn’t think that itself sends up a red flag to anyone.

She said as long as the couples are practicing abstinence, they have nothing to worry about.

If they aren’t, under current sex offender laws, “consenting” teenage couples — especially young adult males — could face serious penalties for engaging in what some deem as “normal behavior” if one of the teens is younger than 14 and the other is older than 18.

The Ottawa Police Department’s Domestic Violence Unit — consisting of officers and community members — gives a four-day presentation to students that coincides with the sexual health and relationship education. It focuses on such topics as dating violence and the legal age of consent.

Steven Burkhart, a domestic violence detective with the unit, said while the presentation doesn’t specifically address Jessica’s Law by name, it does cover the penalties associated with it.

“[It] covers the age of consent, basically saying if you’re this old and the other person is that old, then you can’t consent to legally have a sexual relationship with them,” Burkhart said.

When asked if he thinks students understand the penalties and what they could be facing, Burkhart said “they definitely seem to know that statutory rape exists.”

Enforcement of Jessica’s Law usually arises following a documented complaint with the police department. In many cases, it is the victim’s parents.

Ottawa Police Chief Dennis Butler said once that information is verified, it then is forwarded to the Franklin County Attorney. The Franklin County Attorney’s Office declined to comment for this article.

Butler said he personally hasn’t investigated any case involving the law and declined to give an opinion of the statute saying it wasn’t his place.

“I take an unbiased approach,” Butler said. “Though I’ve read that there are some people that disagree with how the law is written.”

Caught in the web

Emporia attorney Frederick Meier, whose legal representation often brings him to Franklin County, said he thinks Jessica’s Law paints with a “pretty broad brush.”

“What so often happens when they enact these statutes is they want to punish the worst of the worst, but they craft it in such a broad area they don’t distinguish between crimes,” Meier said. “It’s solely [based on] the age of the victim and not the act that was committed, so forcible rape contains the same punishment as taking a nude photograph.”

Meier, who has two grown daughters, said sexual abuse of a child is a parent’s worst nightmare but he thinks a statute should truly fit the crime.

“I think the statute really misses the mark when it’s applied in such a broad manner,” Meier said.

Charles Branson, Douglas County District Attorney, said one of the complaints of prosecutors is that the law no longer differentiates between crimes.

“You can easily paint a picture where you can say this may be overly applied where we have low functioning adults where they are 18 and found in a situation with a 13-year-old,” Branson said. “That is a situation where the prosecutors may look to try and fashion departure to take into consideration all factors.”

A departure is when a judge deviates sentencing from the presumptive sentence, which is based off a grid of criminal history and severity, based on mitigating evidence and substantial and compelling reasons, Meier said. Downward departure, for example, can include less prison time or probation.

Branson said his experience, however, is that when Jessica’s Law normally is invoked it does not involve a consensual relationship.

‘Romeo and Juliet’ scenarios

For young couples who choose to engage in sexual relations there is, to an extent, legal protection under the law.

In Kansas, 16 is the legal age of consent. According to state law, no matter what, a child younger than 14 cannot legally consent to engage in sexual relations.

But if the child is between the ages of 14 and 16, and their partner’s age is within four years, then it does not invoke Jessica’s Law.

For relationships between teens that fall outside of those boundaries when the child is younger than 14, there is not much legal wiggle room.

An 18-year-old Lebo man recently found himself in Franklin County Jail after Ottawa police arrested and charged him with three counts of sexual assault of a child.

James D. Lewis was arrested Aug. 4 on suspicion of rape, aggravated indecent liberties with a child and solicitation of a child — all felony charges. Prosecutors say the incident occurred June 15; the girl was 13 years old at the time — thereby invoking Jessica’s Law.

For all three counts, Lewis is facing a minimum life sentence with the possibility of parole only after 25 years.

Since the law was enacted, there have been slight changes and interpretations to allow for more discretion from the prosecutors and judges.

“ … We’re still going through the process of figuring out what prosecutors can do and how departures can be done,” Branson said. “It is still new enough and there is some room to move around with legal acrobatics to try and make the punishment fit the crime.”

Since her grandson’s conviction, Kathryn Schlotzhauer said, she thinks the laws are getting ridiculous and that both parties should be subject to punishment.

“Looking at age, the mentality is ignored,” Schlotzhauer said. “Those girls are just as smart as what an adult woman is.”

Kansas Sen. Pat Apple, R-Louisburg, said he thinks people have to legally draw a line somewhere.

“Whether it’s 13 or 14,” Apple said. “I think the main focus is to try and have some protections for the children and send the pedophiles to jail for a long, long time.”

When asked about the young couples and young men who fall victim to the law, Apple said whenever you have a law, you are going to have people fall “inside that rule.”

“Hopefully, though, the system will work and you will have some degree of justice,” Apple said.

081711youngoffenders
Copyright, 2011, The Ottawa Herald. All Rights Reserved.

Kiwanis club quietly marks 90th anniversary

Ottawa Herald, The (KS)

Published: June 13, 2011

Today marks a milestone for one of the oldest organizations in Franklin County.

But despite years of service to the community, local Kiwanis club members say they don’t have any special celebration or ceremony planned in observation of their group’s 90th anniversary as a chartered club in Ottawa.

Chartered 90 years ago today, Kiwanis currently has 31 active members, most boasting membership lengths in the double-digits. They range in age from 30 to 8.

While only four women are active members, that number includes Kristi Lee, club president.

The primary focus of the organization is to serve children, Fred Searls, incoming president and a member of the club since 1971, said.

“It’s about giving back,” he said. “When we were young, people helped us. So it’s our turn now.”

Kiwanis club members have continuously provided support and financial assistance for 90 years to area youth and community residents through academic scholarships, fundraisers and sponsorships.

Lee, who serves as director of the Franklin County Convention and Visitors Bureau and has been a Kiwanis member for three years, said the length of time the club has operated shows a real commitment to the community.

“Ninety years is a long time for any club,” she said.

During those decades, as with any organization in continuous operation for so long, the club had to adapt to meet the ever-changing interests of young people.

When Eldon Rader joined Kiwanis more than 30 years ago, he said, the club frequently put on events and activities for Ottawa youth.

“I remember when members used to place orange crates out on the lawn and people could craft their own birdhouses,” Rader said. “But kids aren’t interested in that stuff anymore. We’ve lost them to the computer and video games.”

Back then, meetings were held at Ottawa University, 1001 S. Cedar St., Ottawa, and total membership was in the 70s to 80s.

These days, about 20 members meet at noon, every Thursday, at the Radish Patch, 1538 N. Industrial Ave., Ottawa.

The club has two major events a year — a pancake feed in January and serving pork burgers and chips at the annual Ol’ Marais River Run Car Show — that fund scholarships. For the past three years, the Kiwanis club has awarded four Ottawa seniors with academic scholarships totaling $2,000.

The Kiwanis club also sponsors high school and middle school clubs, in addition to the Ransom Memorial Hospital Health Fair and the Babe Ruth Baseball team.

With all of the activities the club sponsors, Searls said, the club tries to keep donations local.

“I’d say that 98 percent of our support goes back to Ottawa,” he said. “The bottom line here is that we are dedicated to serving our community and making it a better place to live.”

For more information on the local Kiwanis club, go to OttawaKSKiwanis.org

It isn’t just a man’s world

Ottawa Herald, The (Ks)

Published: June 16, 2011

It’s all about the right person for the job, Heather Jones said.Gender, to her, is irrelevant.

“Gender doesn’t matter as much as the person,” she said.

Jones, elected to office in 2004, is the first female county attorney in Franklin County in more than 20 years. And she’s one of many women in the Ottawa and Franklin County area who hold top city and county positions.

The recent retirement of Jean McCally as assistant superintendent from the Ottawa school district, as well as the departure of other women from county and city positions during the past few years, may create the perception for some that men and women don’t equally occupy positions of power within the city and surrounding areas. But looks can be deceiving.

Power positions

Two Ottawa city commissioners are women and, as of Monday, the Ottawa school district soon will have women in the principal roles at three of five schools. And then there are the women who are business owners and managers — women like Tina Albers, Walmart Logistics’ first female general manager.

Linda Reed, one of the two women serving on the Ottawa City Commission, said it is important to have women occupy leadership roles within the city and county.

Reed, who also is the lab director at Ransom Memorial, 1301 S. Main St., Ottawa, said women can provide a perspective that tends to get overlooked in their absence.

“We need their voices as much as a man’s,” Reed said.

Are certain jobs linked to gender?

Certain positions within the city and county historically have been occupied by either men or women.

That continues to be the case, despite a few anomalies.

John “Ed” Taylor, Franklin County commission chairman, said during the past 20 to 30 years only two women have been county commissioners as “most commissioners have been men.”

Debbie Hough, Franklin County treasurer, said her position is typically held by a woman.

“Most treasurers in the state are women,” Hough said. “Out of 105 counties, maybe a dozen are men.”

Hough suggested pay might be a factor as to why most county treasurers are women.

“Men can sometimes get better, high-paying jobs,” she said. “Most treasurers worked in this office prior to being treasurer and starting wages were not really that good, which created a revolving door.”

Hough, who has worked in the county treasurer’s office since 1978, said all treasurers during her time there have been women.

Franklin County Sheriff Jeff Curry said, when he initially started at the sheriff’s office in 1994, his immediate supervisor was a woman. Today though, Curry said, few women are on the patrol or investigative side, which he said represents a national trend.

At the 911 emergency dispatch center, Curry said, most leadership roles are occupied by women.

Still room to ‘step up’

Curry attributes the lack of women in the sheriff’s department to a lack of applications from them.

“There’s been women in leadership roles, and I would expect to see that increase as more women are encouraged to take on those jobs,” he said. “From a law enforcement perspective, it can be handy to have a female officer on certain types of cases involving victims who are women and children.”

Reed said she feels like the city is “fairly balanced and ahead of the game” in terms of women filling top roles, but she said there is “still room for women to step up.”

“Women have a tendency to sit back and not go for these positions when they become available,” Reed said. “The women who do occupy these positions aren’t necessarily ‘bra-burners’ or even very outgoing.”

Reed said women don’t need to be afraid because there is nothing to be afraid of. “Just go for it,” she said.

Other responsibilities

One factor that might lead women to forgo careers and might even prevent them from running for positions within the community are family responsibilities.

Hough said she was fortunate enough to not become treasurer until her children were out of the house.

“I didn’t have a lot of duties at the time,” she said. “And being the mother is important.”

Those who go forward with professional careers often say it’s a tough balance and sometimes families suffer.

With two children, 3 and 7 years old, Jones said there are definitely times when she’s pulled away for work and she’d rather be with them. She said she spends about 50 to 60 hours a week in the office.

“But, I took this position knowing I would have to make sacrifices,” Jones said. “And I’m pretty tired.”

Reed said women tend to be pulled in many directions. For her family, having two working parents heavily involved in the community requires a joint effort.

“I couldn’t be doing it if it wasn’t for my husband,” Reed said.

Louis Reed, a former Ottawa school board member who works as an investigator for the federal government and is The Herald’s local historian, said dealing with the hectic schedule sort of becomes your life.

“You work around it and share the duties around the house, but it takes a lot of time,” he said. “There are evenings where we don’t see each other, and we’re probably not there as much as our son would like.”

Does it really matter?

Jones and Curry say no, gender isn’t important.

As the president of the Ottawa school board, Marge Stevens agrees.

She said she never thinks of gender.

“I’m in the position where you do what is best for the kids,” Stevens said. “I never think of it as a woman or a man thing.”

Stevens is one of two women serving on the school board and, during her 40 years in the district, she said, about two women have always had positions on the board.

“It’s really about whether or not they’re qualified,” she said.

The Reeds say it does matter, to an extent.

“Definitely need those voices because women bring a different perspective,” he said.

It’s also about having a role within the community.

“I feel it’s important for everyone, man and woman, to be involved in the community,” she said.

Winged animals just hanging out in Ottawa

Ottawa Herald, The (KS)

Published: June 27, 2011

After Carolyn Elder flicked on the light in the dining room of the First United Methodist Church a couple weeks ago she spotted something lying in the middle of the floor.

When she went to pick it up, it moved.

“It would move sideways like a hover craft and then drop back down,” Elder said.

Realizing it was a bat, she shut the light off and quickly found another room to use.

“It was kind of an eerie feeling because he was fluttering around,” Elder said.

That experience with a creature of the night wouldn’t be her last. Elder, who is a member at First United Methodist Church, 203 E. Fourth St., Ottawa, encountered last week another bat hanging nearby — outside Dengel and Son Mortuary, 235 S. Hickory St., where she works as a pre-need counselor.

But this little guy didn’t have the same effect on her as the first bat.

“He’s cute,” Elder said June 20. “As long as he’s asleep on the side of the building, he’s OK.”

What is that?

Sightings of bats aren’t uncommon in Ottawa, especially this time of year.

Larabe Alexander, community service officer with the Ottawa Police Department, said he gets calls for bat removal about once every couple months.

“They’re all around this area and most people don’t know it,” Alexander said. “Nighttime, when dusk comes up, a lot people think they’re birds running around, but they’re actually little bats.”

About 15 species of bats are native to Kansas with most found in the western part of the state. Some people assume the bats in this area are fruit bats. But Bob Gress, director of Great Plains Nature Center in Wichita, said he speculated they are, in fact, eastern red bats heard overhead. There could be large or small brown bats in the area as well, Gress said.

Red bats commonly are found in the trees and foliage, he said, and, unlike other bats, they are not colonial bats. Instead, they are solitary animals living only with their young.

The small, reddish-brown nocturnal mammals have flown their way into local basements and buildings, often times just seeking a cozy place to sleep. They usually prefer dark, moist areas but not always.

These bats typically are no larger than a human palm with about an average two-inch body and six-inch wingspan, weighing mere ounces.

Good or bad?

The City of Ottawa recently spent about $7,000 for bat control experts to remove and relocate bats from the Ottawa Municipal Auditorium, 301 S. Hickory St. Bats are a protected species with 12 species of bats listed as endangered, and one as threatened, according to a website for Defenders of Wildlife, an organization devoted to protecting animals.

Despite the city’s effort to remove the bats, Scott Bird, Ottawa city finance director, said he’s not surprised there have been recent sightings along Hickory Street.

“I see them flying at night all the time,” Bird said.

While bats aren’t usually aggressors, they’re not harmless either, as they can spread disease.

Becky Bentley, Prairie Paws Animal Shelter director, 3173 K-68, Ottawa, said bats are the No. 1 carrier of rabies.She said animal shelter staff haven’t received any reports or calls about bats, but if they did, they couldn’t act on them.

“They are considered a wild animal and because of all the risks involved, we would have to call the state game warden,” Bentley said.

But bats do come with benefits.

Regardless of the risks, some people say bats’ usefulness outweighs their reputation and the possibility of infection.

Bats’ first choice of food: insects.

During the summer, they can help regulate the mosquito population, reportedly eating up to 1,000 mosquitoes in an hour.

Saving ‘wild stuff’

Angie Bradley-Butts embraces the small, hairy flyers. She typically gravitates toward unconventional animals and, as a teacher at the Franklin County Juvenile Detention Center, 401 S. Main St., Ottawa, she said her classroom has housed some of those animals, including tarantulas.

Bradley-Butts said she uses live animals, like tarantulas and bats, to teach her students. T

hrough the years, Bradley-Butts even has “saved” three bats around town. Her daughter named one Frankie.

“I wish people would be more educated about them because they are terrified and they are killing them,” Bradley-Butts said. ”If you see a bat laying there, it’s either sick or not well.”

One of the first bats Bradley-Butts saved was dehydrated in her garage, she said, and she nursed it back to health by giving it water daily, at first with an eye-dropper.

Was she scared?

“No, it didn’t really bother me,” Bradly-Butts said. “I was careful and cautious.

“They are an animal and animals bite, though,” Bradley-Butts said. “I’ve even had one hiss at me before, too. But people look at bats like they are this terrifying creature of the night and they’re not.”

The “creepiest” thing about them, Bradley-Butts said, is when they walk.

“They walk on their hands and it kind of makes an M-shape,” Bradley-Butts said. “It’s crazy looking.”

In Bradley- Butts’ effort to utilize the benefits of bats, she said she has built a “bat-house” in her yard. Similar to a birdhouse, but flatter and with the opening at the bottom, Bradley-Butts said, the house attracts the animals and keeps them out of her home.

“They just eat bugs and they’re not out to get people,” she said.

Alexander said if someone does see a bat around home or work, simply, don’t bother it.

“If they’re in the spot in the daytime, they are going to be there until they are disrupted,” he said.

Alexander uses gloves when he removes bats and said he has a place out in the country where he takes the “wild stuff.”

“I’d rather me pick them up than someone else,” Alexander said.

Dog billed as bed bug detector

Ottawa Herald, The (KS)

Barry Banzet leads Gunner, a 1 1/2-year-old black lab-mix, around a small spare bedroom in his home.

Following the simple, commanding phrases of “go to work” and “find it,” Gunner excitedly proceeds to swiftly sniff and search areas that are believed to be contaminated. He puts his nose to the ground around the bed and a large, tan pillow on the floor catches his attention.

Without warning and in less than a minute, Gunner anxiously and hurriedly sits, signaling to Banzet he’s found something.

With the next command of “show me,” Gunner paws at and “points” with his snout to an area behind the pillow. Banzet reaches around the pillow and removes a small glass vile containing about four bed bug smelling strips.

“Good boy, good boy,” Banzet repeats to Gunner while patting him on the head. He reaches into his tan and black work vest pocket and pulls out Gunner’s reward for a job well done — a black, rubber toy.

“He works to play,” Banzet said.

Gunner recently was paired with Banzet, the owner of B&B Professional Cleaning, 115 E. Fifth St., Ottawa, as his new bed bug detection wonder-dog.

How do you kill ’em?

Banzet purchased Gunner from the Southern Star Ranch in Texas but wouldn’t say for how much.

A canine’s keen sense of smell makes them excellent candidates for detecting pests that can go unnoticed by the human eye, Banzet said, and Gunner is about 98- to 99-percent accurate in detecting the nocturnal insects during a K-9 inspection.

Price and time vary for a typical inspection depending on the area and type of building. Banzet said a typical inspection costs about $200 and usually lasts a minimum of two hours.

Gunner joins the cleaning service as one part of a new two-part system B&B Professional Cleaning is using to help eradicate bed bugs that have found their way into residential and commercial properties in Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska.

In addition to Gunner, the cleaning service recently received a license enabling it to become the first company in Kansas to use heat in the treatment of bed bugs, Banzet said.

The use of heat, known as “structural pasteurization,” requires no pesticides and is lethal to the insects. Bed bugs have begun to build up a resistance to pesticides and that, coupled with more frequent international travel, has led to a national influx of the nocturnal creepers, he said.

“It’s a very new process and the bed bugs cannot withstand the heat,” Banzet said. “We used to use steam but the bugs got smart and hid in places where steam wouldn’t get them.”

“The chemicals are not immediate,” Banzet said. “And with heat we’re in and out same day, no harmful chemicals, and they are dead. Heat is a healthy alternative.”

What are they?

Notoriously known as “hitchhikers,” bed bugs fit into a category of blood-sucking parasites similar to head lice, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Bed bugs, like head lice, feed on the blood of humans and until recently were not believed to carry diseases or bacteria.

Midge Ransom, director of the Franklin County Health Department, 1428 S. Main St., Suite 6, Ottawa, said people start itching and scratching bites, which can lead to infections.

The small, flat, wingless insects are clear before feeding and reddish-brown after. They range from 1 to 7 millimeters in length and can live several months without feeding.

According to a study published this month in the CDC’s monthly peer-reviewed public health journal, “Emerging Infectious Diseases,” although bedbugs have not been shown to spread disease, they do carry two strands of bacteria known to cause difficult-to-treat infections. The study was conducted in an impoverished urban area of Vancouver, Canada, where reportedly bedbug infestations are increasing.

Are they here?

Gunner has only been with Banzet for a few weeks, but has not yet worked for hire in either Ottawa or Franklin County.

“It wouldn’t surprise me if they were here,” Ransom said. “Especially as much as they are being transmitted across the nation.”

Ransom said she has received about a handful of phone calls from people inquiring about bed bugs and how to prevent them, where to look for them and what the best treatment is. Ransom answers heat.

There haven’t been any confirmed bed bug reports, she said, but she certainly has had people call in with the concern they might have them.

An employee with Frontier Extension District No. 11, where residents can take a bug for identification rather than calling out a pest control specialist, said the office has not had anyone bring in any insects for identification.

Scott Smith, owner of Affordable Pest Control, 1149 S. Mulberry St., Ottawa, said he has not treated anyone in the Franklin County area for bed bugs within the past year.

Bed bugs can travel more than 100 feet in one night, but they tend to live within eight feet of where people sleep.

“If you sleep on a couch, you could have them in the couch,” Ransom said.

They are commonly found in mattresses and box springs, bed frames, wallpaper and night stands.

One of the easiest ways to identify a bed bug infestation is by bite marks that appear on the face, neck, arms, hands and any other body parts, according to the CDC.

Ransom said one distinctive factor of bed bug bites is that they tend to be in lines of three or four.

Other signs might include bed bugs in the fold of mattresses and sheets or rusty-colored blood spots on mattresses and furniture.

While there is no real way to “prevent” bed bugs, Ransom suggested leaving suitcases in a hot car when traveling and keeping luggage off the floor when in motel rooms.

For Gunner’s sake though, Banzet hopes the bugs make their way to Ottawa soon.

“He’s ready,” Banzet said. “And he would love to be working all day long because then he gets to play.”

Levees, gates protect city today, but will they last?

Ottawa Herald, The (KS)

Published: July 8, 2011

For nearly 50 years, the city of Ottawa and its residents have remained dry and unscathed from the frequent, threatening high river levels of the Marais des Cygnes River.

The flood control system that now surrounds the city is one of the lasting legacies of a devastating flood that hit the area 60 years ago this weekend. Since the system’s completion in November 1962, whenever Mother Nature has dumped massive amounts of rainfall into the river, flood control measures have stayed strong and protected the city against flooding.

The system proved its worth recently during 2007 when the river crested at 41 feet, as well as a few times of high water during the 1990s, But damaging rainfall, failing levees and flooding throughout much of the Midwest has begged the question, how much longer will the current system hold up?

“Hopefully the rest of my life,” Andy Haney, Ottawa Public Works director, said.

Closing the gates

 

Authorized in 1954, following the lobbying efforts of area residents and business leaders, the flood control project resulted in a multi-part system that provides fortress-like protection for the city. The system is made up of five flood control gates, 1,500 feet of concrete flood walls, three pumping systems, 4.5 miles of earthen levees, and two miles of channel improvement along the Marais des Cygnes River.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers built the system at a price tag of more than $5 million, of which the city contributed about $876,000.

 

When needed, city officials use chains to roll 72-foot-long steel flood gates along tracks across Main Street at the Main Street bridge. The steel gates are locked down to the road with cables when closed and tied to a large hook in the pavement. Rubber seals then hold the gates firmly against concrete walls using hydraulic pressure. The gates were closed most recently in 2007 and, before that, in 1998.

Haney said he’d have to guess at how many times total the gates have been closed, but it hasn’t been more than 10 he said.

“It takes a whole lot to get the water up to the point that we have to close these gates,” Haney said.

He said they typically close the gates when the water level in the river gets just below the low-end of the bridge, which is at about 32 feet.

“If its 31 feet, we’re getting ready to close it in case it comes on up,” Haney said.

According to the National Weather Service, the flood stage for the Marais des Cygnes River is 19 feet and the moderate flood stage is 21 feet. In the past, the river has flooded once about every 13 months.

Huge for Ottawans

Deb Barker, director of the Franklin County Historical Society, said during the early part of the 1900s residents spent a significant amount of time cleaning up flood damage.

Many industries moved away from the area during the 1920s and 1930s, she said, because of the constant fear of flooding.

The 1951 flood was the 45th flood to hit the area since 1904.

The water level was more than 42 feet, putting the water about 20 feet above the flood stage.

About 2,000 residents and 2,695 workers were affected by the flooding. The water touched 15 commercial blocks, 247 buildings, 72 residential blocks and 577 residences. The damage was about $5.5 million.

“Flood control became huge for Ottawans,” Barker said. “And it’s easy to figure why.”

A committee for the flood protection of Ottawa formed in 1954. A plaque, located on concrete walls on the south side of Main Street, commemorates three citizens — Lamar Philips, Russel Crites and George Lister — who played key roles in lobbying for the city’s protection.

The city’s flood control system has allowed Ottawa to grow to its current state.

When levees fail Tom Yahl, Ottawa’s flood plain administrator, said there is no way the downtown area could be sustained if it weren’t for the levee system.

Yahl said the levees, which are earthen structures above the ground that contain the river within a defined channel, will not last forever.

“It’s a man-made structure and the levee will fail,” Yahl said. ”You can’t say for certain it won’t. The likelihood of that happening is very small, but it is an understanding by everyone that levees can and do fail all the time.”

And they have.

Failing levees have not been an uncommon occurrence across the country, especially in areas with heavy rainfall and melting snow.

The 4.5 miles of levees that surround the Marais des Cygnes River currently are undergoing a required certification process mandated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA, that could prevent that from happening. The process has been required since the 1980s, Haney said, but no one really has pushed for it until around the time of Hurricane Katrina. In 2005, Katrina devastated the city of New Orleans after levees and flood walls failed to prevent water from entering the city.

Haney said when levees fail, it’s possible they’re not properly maintained or constructed.

“More often than not, the water is staying up against them longer than they were designed for,” Haney said. “The levee gets saturated and starts getting weak. A major issue around the country is many of these are not properly designed and constructed. They’re never built properly in the first place and with a whole bunch of design issues.”

The levees that surround the Marais des Cygnes River are designed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, as are most around the country.

Not everyone protected

Yahl said the levees are in good shape because of the manner in which they were constructed and the maintenance efforts related to up-keep, including keeping trees and burrowing animals out.

He said the 2007 flood, which has been compared to the flood of 1951, was a “good test” for the system and, had it not been in place, the city would have suffered dramatically.

Yahl said that if the system did not exist and a major flood hit, the impacted areas would include the entire Ottawa central business district, city plants and public work facilities — about 250 non-residential properties. About 1,200 residents would be in the affected area, in just fewer than 500 residential properties. Yahl said the value of properties in that area is $75.8 million.

Most of the city and its residents are protected by the current system, but some portions of Ottawa are outside of levee and flood protection.

In some extreme situations like in 2007, Haney said, the river will back up to about street level in unprotected areas.

“Certainly there are places that get flooded here,” Haney said. “Our flood protection protects city properties.”

Since 2007 though, the river has posed no immediate threat to Ottawans. The current water level is at about 3.5 feet.

Jennifer Bowen, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Topeka, said the low amount of precipitation recently in the area is slightly below normal, making the area unusually dry and warding off any threat of flooding.

If surging waters do flow down the Marais des Cygnes, the city will be ready and protected, at least for awhile.

“There certainly is no anticipation that the system won’t work forever, if properly maintained,” Haney said.

Patrons enjoy library renovations

Ottawa Herald, The (KS)

Published: July 11, 2011

Residents who haven’t visited the Ottawa Library since recent renovations were completed in the Spring might be in for a surprise.

Bright colors, as well as new carpeting and signs, now greet patrons as they enter the library, 105 S. Hickory St., Ottawa.

Linda Knight, inter-library loan clerk, said patrons have responded well to the changes.

“It’s been a big plus,” Knight said.

And she also is pleased with them.

“I love it,” Knight said. “I like the brightness and we added some color upstairs, but nothing too drastic.”

The renovations were part of a massive overhaul to the upstairs and downstairs of the library, which formally were completed and honored with an open house in February. A few missing furniture pieces trickled in throughout spring, library officials said, but as of now, everything is in.

The $250,000 project was made possible through the Ottawa Library Endowment fund and included revamping the children’s section with new computers and activities, the addition of a young adult area known as “The Cave” and a new, improved circulation desk. New carpeting was added, and the former white walls were repainted a pastel green. The project also added four work areas for the staff on the lower level, which they said were desperately needed.

Knight said she previously was working on a white folding table.

Lisa Slavin, adult programming manager at the library, said she enjoys her new space.

“There’s lots of room to work and it’s more cheerful and bright,” Slavin said.

The seven-member library board began discussing the renovations during spring 2010 and construction began in October.

Robin Flory, the library’s director, said the most expensive aspect of the project was the circulation desk, which had a price tag of about $100,000. The new desk is constructed out of recycled wood and has frosted glass decorated with alternating blue and green spots.

A big part of the renovations included using space more efficiently and creating more room for patrons to browse, she said.

“I think it is a much better use of space now,” Flory said. “Before, it was totally inefficient and it was ugly.”

Albert Toumberlin, 30, Ottawa, said he frequents the library about four times a week to complete school work.

Toumberlin, an online student of the University of Phoenix, said he thinks the library now looks better.

“It’s more comfortable, more homey,” Toumberlin said. “It’s not as packed and there’s more room and so you don’t bump into people.”

Cyndi Brewer, children services assistant, said the renovations made more space, especially in the children’s section.

“There is more room for people to go through with strollers now and more room for families to spend extended amounts of time with activities and puzzles,” Knight said. “They come in for longer now, especially since it’s hot out.”

The children’s center, now decorated with red and white polka dots, provides more activities for young children and is more kid-friendly.

Regina Hall, 28, Ottawa, and her two young girls often spent time at the library, about once a week, before the renovations. But, Hall said, now they stay longer.

“It’s wonderful,” she said. “It’s more organized, funner-looking and there is more stuff to keep them busy. Kind of like a coffee house now.”

‘Blow and show’ rule keeps competition clean, fair

 

 

 

 

Ottawa Herald, The (KS)

Published: July 12, 2011

For the past three years, the steer and heifer shows at the Franklin County Fair and Rodeo have been no-fit shows — and people seem to like it that way.

Having the shows be “no fit” or “blow and show” prevents the animals from being misrepresented by the use of any adhesive, glue, paint or powder.

“A lot of people are happy about the rule,” Billie Stowell said.

The banned items help create the appearance of features like a stronger bone structure and purer colors. The products don’t necessarily harm the animals and can be easy to wash out, but could cause hair loss.

Stowell, one of two beef and cattle superintendents for this year’s fair — which begins Thursday and runs through Sunday at the Franklin County Fairgrounds in Ottawa — is responsible for conducting the pre-show inspection that determines whether or not the animals make it into the ring.

Stowell said she usually checks certain places for the prohibited products, such as on the legs and up on the tail hood, where the top of the tail is. She said she uses a comb because the adhesives and glues are strong and sticky.

JoEllen Arnold, a Frontier Extension District 11 agent, said the glue and adhesive make legs look wider, stronger and fuller. She said it creates the illusion that the animal is standing on more bone.

“People may try and put powder on a white spot because that makes it look that much whiter or some used to paint the hooves black,” Arnold said. “Its just a showmanship thing.”

“You can make an animal look a lot better using the glue and adhesive,” Stowell said. “But as a ‘blow and show,’ you are truly showing what the animal has.”

The phrase “blow and show” refers to the vacuum-like blowers 4-H’ers use to dry the animals after they are bathed and implies people simply blow-dry the hair and then show the steer or heifer as is.

Depending on which gender they’re observing, judges generally are looking for good structure and the meatiest animal from both the steers and heifers.

Arnold said the overall objective is to show the animal to the best of its ability.

“The idea is to catch the judge’s eye,” Arnold said. But what happens if someone is caught using the forbidden products? “If they’re caught early enough, they can go clean up before they go into the ring,” Arnold said.

Stowell said she knows of one animal a couple years ago that didn’t realize the rule.

“But they went and washed it out and got it out in time,” Stowell said.

She said at some of the bigger, national shows disqualification would probably be a result. In the three years the rule has been in place, Arnold said, there hasn’t been a serious problem and she doesn’t anticipate any this year.

“People know and understand what we’re asking for,” Arnold said.

The rule was enacted for the fair largely to allow participants to remain consistent with what is expected at the national show level.

Audra McCurdy, the other beef and cattle superintendent, said it’s just a matter of the standards and regulations changing.

“They want a more natural look now,” McCurdy said. “One that you would find in a pasture.”

McCurdy’s 11-year-old daughter, Alexa, is showing her heifer, Hope, at the fair this year.

Alexa said in her five years of showing, although she’s never used any of the prohibited products, she does have a few tricks up her sleeve that are allowed.

“I use some mousse in her hair, after I bathe her,” Alexa said. “It helps her hair go in the right direction.”

Alexa said her favorite part about doing the show is getting Hope ready, which usually takes about a half hour. And she does consider the use of adhesives and paint as cheating because she said it just doesn’t accurately portray the calf.

“I think the rule is a good thing,” Alexa said.

Scrappy recyclers work with landowners to turn discarded farm junk into cash

Ottawa Herald, The (KS)

Published: July 14, 2011

A couple years ago, Aaron Mayo was looking for a way to make a little extra cash.

Some of his friends offered ideas based on their experiences with scrapping metal and recycling items commonly found strewn across farming properties, but Mayo was reluctant at first. He said he figured after gas money and labor, it wouldn’t be worth the effort.

Mayo, a Franklin County resident, is a paramedic with Franklin County Emergency Medical Services, and has four young children who are all home-schooled by his wife, Vanessa.

Inspired by his friends’ suggestion and the “pile of junk” that had became an “eyesore” on his own 10-acres of property outside of Williamsburg, Mayo, 35, dove head first into the world of scrapping for profit.

“We all have full-time jobs,” Mayo said, referring to himself and his friends who also scrap. “But this helps supplement gas money and food. It helps pay for extra stuff and helps make ends meet. I mean, I don’t know anywhere else to make $80 in two hours.”

Mayo said he typically scraps for neighbors and friends and tries to take a load to an area recycling center about once a week. He said he even made up some fliers to advertise his new business venture, but said it’s typically word-of-mouth advertising that brings in his clients.

“If someone I know has stuff on their land, I go and approach them about it,” Mayo said. ”I’ve had people come to me and say, ‘I don’t want it here, so take it.’ Or others say, ‘Well, can I get a little bit of that money, too?”

Depending on how much is hauled off and whether anyone assists in loading it, Mayo said, he usually splits whatever he makes with the landowners.

Teens to laid-off workers

Stagnant salaries and infrequent hiring and layoffs coupled with an ever-struggling economy has led many people, like Mayo, to explore alternative ways to make money.

Tiffany Hoyt, an employee at East Wilson Street Welding & Recycling, 2202 E. Wilson St, Ottawa, said during her six months on the job, she has seen a wide range of people coming in to make extra money. From teenage girls with their parents to laid-off workers, Hoyt said she’s seen it all.

“Its kind of amazing to see the different people who do come in to try and make an extra dollar or two,” Hoyt said.

Shelley Bartlett, also an employee at the recycling business, said she scraps on the side, too.

“I started just for some extra money,” Bartlett said. “I was donating plasma, which is just about the same amount of work.”

After Bartlett’s fiance lost his job and started scrapping, she said she realized he was making just as much as he was while employed.

No. 1 and No. 2 copper now net $2.40 a pound and $2.25 a pound respectively at East Wilson Street Welding & Recycling. Bartlett said, however, what you mostly find on properties is iron, which nets $135 a ton.

“But anything a magnet sticks to you can get money,” Bartlett said.

A family affair

Arleen Talbert and her family recently moved to Kansas from Warrensburg, Mo. The Talberts previously had scrapped metal for profit on the side there and decided to bring the business with them to Franklin County.

Talbert said it started when she and her husband were looking for something their boys — ages 10, 12, 13 and 15 — could get involved with during their teenage years. Talbert said the extra money doesn’t hurt either.

“We are not considered a large family, but with the economy and my husband working almost 9 years without a pay raise it helps,” she said. “Scrap metal paid for our daughter’s wedding. And she had the most beautiful wedding.”

Like Mayo, the Talberts rely strictly on word-of-mouth. Christina Wharton, one of the Talberts’ neighbors, said she had about a trailer-full of some old tractors and other materials that sat around on her property and wanted removed.

“I needed to get it off of my property,” Wharton said. “And they came and did it for us.”

‘Not just for profit’

In addition to scrapping metal for money, Mayo said, he also has recycled some other items he’s picked up. He has started collecting old phone poles for fence posts or lumber.

He said his current project includes using the wood from old shipping pallets to construct a milking barn for his goats. He estimates he’s only spent about $200 on the project, compared to what he assumes would have cost about $3,000.

“When you don’t have the money to do something, you take things and recycle stuff out of what you do have,” Mayo said.

Appetite for Entertainment?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ottawa Herald, The (KS)

Published: July 15, 2011

Rides.

Games.

Carnival food.

The Franklin County Fair and Rodeo is long recognized for its support of local 4-H’ers with such activities as livestock shows, various indoor exhibits, rodeo events and the demolition derby, but those aren’t the only things attracting residents and out-of-town visitors to the fairgrounds.

The carnival portion of the fair also entices people to brave the heat, bringing them flocking to the midway at the Franklin County Fairgrounds, 1737 S. Elm St., Ottawa. From such carnival classics as the ferris wheel and the carousel to pony rides and hot festival food, the fair attempts to cater to a wide range of attendees’ interests. While waiting in line for a ride called “The Sizzler,”

Matthew Rodina, 11, Ottawa, and his friend Jordan Hough, 11, Ottawa, both said they only come to the fair for the “rides and to hang out with friends.” Each boy was brandishing the yellow bracelets that can be purchased for unlimited access to the rides.

“We’re coming out here every night,” Rodina said.

The carnival and entertainment at the fair open at 6 p.m. today and Sunday. Ottaway Amusement Company provides the action at the carnival, which began Thursday evening and offers an array of rides, games and entertainment. Individual tickets can be purchased for the rides or fair-goers can buy a bracelet for $25 that provides for an unlimited amount of rides.

Amy Eneihen, 29, Ottawa, said she purchased bracelets for her whole family, including herself.

“We come just for the rides,” Eneihen said. “My favorite is the Tilt-O-Whirl.”

The ride, which consists of passengers in cars spinning in different directions at varying speeds, also is a favorite of her children, who range in age from 18 months to 12 years old.

Robert Potter and his wife traveled all the way from Oregon to visit family in the Ottawa area. They attended the fair with their grandchildren, ages 3 and 13.

“We just brought the grandkids out tonight,” Potter said Thursday.

A longtime companion — and something that has come to be expected at many summer festivals — also can be found on the midway: carnival food. Vendors offer attendees everything from caramel apples and cotton candy to hot dogs and curly-fries. And, of course, one vendor’s stand was selling only one popular carnival staple — a powdered sugar-coated treat — funnel cakes.

Chadeen Crocker, an Ottaway employee working concessions, said at her stand the fries and corndogs, which are made from scratch, were the most popular item.

Concessions worker Robert van Gooswilligen said the cotton candy had outsold everything else offered at his stand.

Many of those in attendance Thursday evening also planned to take part in that night’s annual barbecue dinner at the fairgrounds. The barbecue offered locally provided food including a barbecue sandwich, chips, potato salad, beans and a cold beverage.

Louis and Patricia Parsons, Ottawa, found themselves at the fairgrounds on Thursday evening because they said they had nothing else to do and wanted some barbecue.

In addition to the barbecue, more vendors placed randomly throughout the food garden near Celebration Hall were selling such items as nachos, burritos and more hot dogs.

While some area residents admittedly only go for the rides and games — and some just for the food — that’s not the case for Teresa Oshman, Quenemo.

Oshman said that while her boys, Matthew, 14, and Steven, 16, come out for the rides and to spend time with friends, she doesn’t.

“I come more for the rodeo,” Oshman said. “My son’s friend who came with us said he’d never been to a rodeo. How can you grow up in Kansas and not go to a rodeo?”