This recording is from our monthly radio show – this audio was recorded in and broadcasted in June 2024. Topics include incentives to encourage young people to return and live in Stafford County, the new pickle ball courts, amenities for the Farmers Market in St. John, the potential for creating a historic preservation district in Stafford, the welcoming of a young immigrant family to Stafford County, updates on housing and reflections on Stafford County Economic Director Ryan Russell’s first year on the job.
This is the audio from our monthly radio show: Focus on Stafford County. The show aired liven March.Topics discussed include construction updates on Gray Photo, a museum room at the studio and apartment.Other topics include new housing projects, downtown historic district ini Stafford, book discussion on “`13 ways to kill your community” and update on potential future of Stafford Depot.
By Beccy Tanner
Two teams and four St. John High School students are the county winners in this year’s Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge.
Ryer Ward, placed first in the contest, which was held Feb. 7 at the Stafford County Annex.
He receives $750 and a chance to compete at the state competition on April 16th at Kansas State University in Manhattan.
His entry was called “The Pocket Shop” and details a business that would make breakfast rolls or pockets with filling.
Second place winners are Garrett McAlister, Willow Murphy, and Uricke Engelbrecht for their entry of “Unraveling Fibers.” Their business would include a subscription service for crocheting and needlework projects.
They receive $500 and have a chance at applying to be a wild card team in the statewide contest.
To participate, students must submit an executive summary of a business proposal and do an in-person presentation.
Each team is then judged on their business’s marketability, niche, and ability to grow their company as well as model.
This year’s judges included: Lea Ann Seiler, from Network Kansas; Trisha Greene, 21st Central District K-State Extension; Angela Peterson, St. John-Hudson USD 350 elementary principal; and Ryan Russell, director of Stafford County Economic Development.
Stafford County Economic Development with funding from South Central Community Foundation hosted the local YEC competition and sponsors the students to attend the state-wide competition.
EcoDevo is a 501c3 nonprofit organization with a mission to promote economic and population growth throughout the county by assisting local businesses, engaging in community activities, and promoting Stafford County as a great place to live, work, and play.
This is the audio from our monthly radio show Focus on Stafford County. This show aired in December. It includes discussion on Giving Tuesday, Stafford County’s commercial kitchen, the partnership between Stafford County Economic Development and the Ida Long Goodman Memorial Library’s Lunch and Learns, a new gazebo for the St. John Square and some upcoming grant writing workshops.
Quartermania is almost upon us! November 18th to be exact. St. John-Hudson Trap Shooting Team is holding a quarter action to fundraise for the team. The event will be held at the St. John High School Cafeteria with doors opening at 6:30. Grab a paddle for the auction and watch the mayem begin. Items to be auctioned will include scentsy, paper pie books, fancy filly boutique, paparazzi jewelry, pampered chef, purses, baked goods and more.
What is a Quarter Auction?
A quarter auction is part raffle, part auction, part fundraiser and also a direct sales party. It works a bit like bingo. When you arrive, you will be given a numbered paddle(s) for a donation. This paddle(s) will have a corresponding numbered poker chip which will be put into the drawing basket. A few ALL in paddles will also be available.
A few minutes before the auction begins, you’ll be able to purchase any remaining paddles for a donation, if you wish. There will be multiple items up for “auction” – some from vendors and some from sponsors/donors. All items will be on display for about an hour after the doors open so you can look around and decide which items you’re interested in. You can also shop the booths for additional items as well – a perfect time to get some Christmas shopping done!
Once the auction begins, the announcer or one of the helpers will hold up the item that’s up for bid and will announce whether the item is a “one quarter,” “two quarter,” bid or “three quarter bid”. If you’re interested in bidding, you’ll put the specified number of quarters (1,2,or 3) for EACH paddle you intend to bid with. For example, if you have two paddles and want to bid with both to double your chances, and the item is a “one quarter” bid, you’ll put .50 in the bucket and raise your paddle(s). If you have two paddles and decide to only bid with one, you only pay .25 BUT you MUST choose only one numbered paddle to bid with. You will hold up your paddle(s) that you chose to bid with. A worker will be walking from table to table with a bucket to collect bids.
The announcer will then draw a number to find a winner. If they draw your number and you bid on the item, hooray! You just won an awesome item at a great price! If they draw your number and you did NOT bid, just call out “no bid!” and they’ll continue to draw numbers until they find a winner.
Be sure to bring quarters, but if you forget or run out, there will be rolls of quarters available for purchase at the event. If it all sounds complicated, relax. Everything will be explained again once you get to the auction, and you’ll catch on in no time and you’ll love it!
Vendors will also be open after the auction.
Check out the schedule here and also the other festivities on their facebook page https://www.facebook.com/StaffordOktoberfest .
To add your Garage Sale to the Map, stop by Ida Long Goodman Library or call 549-3227
By Beccy Tanner
Stafford County’s two area community foundations are gearing up one of the largest global giving days ever – Giving Tuesday, which falls this year on Nov. 28.
Worldwide, it’s a movement that promotes “radical generosity,” according to the organization’s website: www.givingtuesday.org.
Locally, it means the Golden Belt Community Foundation and the South-Central Community Foundation are promoting local nonprofits and encouraging residents to give as generously as they can to support their favorite nonprofits.
For Golden Belt Community Foundation, this is their 10th year in promoting Giving Tuesday.
They have 100 local nonprofits participating in this year’s event.
“You can give to your favorite nonprofits and those funds can move directly to them or you can give to your favorite nonprofit endowment fund and that money can stay here with us and can grow that fund to continue to support that nonprofit organization,” said Teresa Powelson, program officer for Golden Belt.
The Golden Belt’s Community Foundation area covers counties in Barton, Pawnee, Rush and Stafford County.
In year’s past, the foundation raised more than $288,000 in Giving Tuesday.
“Last year was one of our biggest giving years,” Powelson said. “I think the thing that means the most to us is that we get to continue to support the nonprofit agencies in our community. This is a way that we can continue to help them grow, build their programs and serve the community just by allowing them to participate in Giving Tuesday.
“I think that’s one of the greatest benefits we can provide to the community.”
People who have participated in Giving Tuesday with Golden Belt before can expect to receive forms in the mail informing them of Giving Tuesday.
If they haven’t participated before and would like to, they may go to the Golden Belt Community Foundation’s Facebook page or website or stop by the foundation’s office in Great Bend to find out more information.
The office is located at 1307 Williams St, Great Bend, KS., 67530.
The website is www.goldenbeltcf.org.
The South Central Community Foundation in Pratt represents Barber, Comanche, Kiowa, Kingman, Rice and Stafford counties.
This is the foundation’s first year participating in Giving Tuesday and has 10 nonprofiit organiztions signed up to participate.
“It’s a big deal,” said Holly Launchbaugh, the foundation’s executive director of this year’s event. “It’s not just about the actual monetary donations but about giving back to your community, as well. It’s volunteering in every capacity. It has a lot of different meanings, for sure.”
Through a grant with the Patterson Family Foundation, which was established to reinvest in rural communities, the South Central Community Foundation is able to provide for the first time up to $70,000 in matching funds.
“We have a matching pool,” Launchbaugh said. “So, if we raise $70,000 or above, we will receive that full amount. Of course, if we received from the community, $30,000, that’s what we will get. So, it depends on how much you raise up to $70,000.”
Last summer, the South Central Community Foundation did a listening tour of each of its seven participating counties. The counties are, of course, all rural and all face similar issues with housing, childcare and the workforce topping the main concerns.
“When we received this opportunity to receive this grant, we really wanted to help out the nonprofits that serve our counties,” she said. “Helping our communities is something that we all support.”
The money goes straight to the nonprofit of choice.
“So, it’s really helping with whatever the nonprofit’s specific need is,” Launchbaugh said. “This is open-ended to let the nonprofit select where the money goes.”
The Patterson Family Foundation grant opened up an opportunity this year for the SCCF, Launchbaugh said. In the past, much of the foundation’s dollars was spent specifically on other grants or scholarships. The Patterson grant allowed the foundation to participate for the first time in Giving Tuesday.
People wanting to participate in Giving Tuesday can drop checks off at the office beginning Nov. 14th in Pratt or by mailing checks to the office. The office is located at 114 W. 5th, Pratt, KS., 67124.
“As long as the check is postmarked by Nov. 28, they will be counted for that matching grant this year,” she said. South Central’s website is https://www.sccfmatchday.org/.
By Beccy Tanner
Mark your calendars for Oct. 21st for our Homecoming Festival.
The all-day event includes a chili cook off, concert, a pickleball tournament, horseshoe tournament, face-painting, a petting zoo, carnival games, free barbecue and so much more.
Most of the events will be in and around the square.
“Well, I think it’s a great community event where it will bring people of all ages out to enjoy the beautiful square and hopefully, we will have beautiful weather that day,” said Cami Raines, the festival’s committee chair.
“It’s a great event for families with small children because we have lots of activities planned for them – that will not cost a single penny, thanks to our very generous sponsors.”
Nationally-acclaimed photographer Bo Rader will present demonstrations of wet-plate photography — the kind of photography W.R. Gray worked with —and what the St. John Homecoming Hall and Museum is using to document the diverse cultures who have lived in Stafford County. Those demonstrations will be in the W.R. Gray Studio from noon to 4 pm.
At 2:30 pm in the square on the 21st, plan on learning more about the St. John Homecoming Hall and Museum’s recent Humanities Kansas Grant that allows Rader and museum staff to photograph, video and write stories about Native American tribes who once lived in Stafford County.
This year, we have invited some Native Americans to attend our festival to tell us more about their culture.
The festival focuses on the different cultures that have lived in Stafford County.
“It’s just good to focus on the cultures that helped start the county and the state and to encourage people to think about the past, our ancestors and support their local museums,” Raines said.
One of the highlights of our festival will be a concert featuring Jim and Salli Ratts with Ernie Martinez.
Their concert starts at 3:30 pm. In the square.
Jim grew up in Stafford County. The Ratts farm was a few miles northwest of St. John. The love of music has been passed down from generation to generation in the Ratts family. Many will remember Jim’s father, Loyd Ratts who lived to be 103 years old. He died in 2018.
Loyd Ratts’ legacy was not only as a farmer and inventor, but also as a musician. During the 1930s, Loyd Ratts, along with his two sisters, Vida and Thelma, would travel through central and southwest Kansas to local radio stations and perform live for their radio listeners.
Jim Ratts is considered a musical storyteller and is a solid fixture of the Denver music scene, having fronted his country-folk-rock band Runaway Express with his wife, Salli for more than 30 years.
Some of Jim Ratts’ songs have been recorded by artists such as Sam Bush (the bluegrass chart hit “Howlin’ at the Moon” and the Dillards. In the 1990s, he was one third of the Wild Jimbos with Nitty Gritty Dirt Band’s Jimmy Ibbotson.
Besides the concert, there will be an Old Coots table in the square beginning at 1 p.m., where local personalities have been invited to share their wisdom on random questions. They may not offer the right advice but really, who cares if it tickles the funny bones!
There will be raffle tickets and prizes, cotton candy and who knows what else!
“Free food,” Raines said.
What? There is no such thing.
“Oh, it’s free,” she said. “If you happen to be one of the first 200, it’s free. And, it’s a yes for old-fashioned popcorn, peanuts and cotton candy.”
Indeed, Equity Bank is providing a free barbecue for the first 200 participants at the festival, beginning at noon.
In addition, beginning at 6:30 p.m. on Oct. 21, David Dalke, author of “Knees Lifted High and Toes Pointed” will be making a presentation on the second floor of the St. John museum about how the St. John Marching Band back in the 1930s became national champions.
The St. John Homecoming Hall and Museum has produced a video that highlights those champion years and what Dalke’s father, Jake, experienced in creating that band.
So come to the festival.
There will be prizes.
And lots of fun.
