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Volume 131

MINNEAPOLIS KANSAS 67467

May 15, 2008

NUMBER 46

MGS children take advantage of the spring weather to enjoy the new playground equipment.
Students keep active on the new playground equipment

By Melanie Barefield and Kathy Scharplaz

The Minneapolis CubBackers met bright and early on a recent Saturday morning to complete their latest project - installing more equipment on the grade school playground. Volunteers were determined to get the new playground equipment up and running so the students could use it before the end of the current school year. It was a long 12-hour day and many of the volunteers had sunburns to prove they had put in many hours of hard work helping the installers, John Bolt Playground Installations of Wichita. This new batch of play equipment is centered on physical fitness and strength building fun.

The total cost of the equipment was almost $18,000. The project was a culmination of more than three years of fundraising by the CubBackers organization. The school board paid one-third of the equipment cost and CubBackers paid the remainder, plus supplied all of the volunteers to order, coordinate, remove old equipment, install new equipment, and level the playground surface. The CubBackers were excited to add another installment to the playground for the students of Minneapolis Grade School this year since so much of their playground has been used for construction purposes in the past months. …

Survivors and rescuers remember May 5, 2007

Among those attending the celebration were Karen McClain, a volunteer , Matt Lichtenwalter, volunteer, Randy Gruber, organizer of the celebration and volunteer, Mort Plunkett, son of Cabin Row resident Esther Plunkett, and Robert Boss, volunteer.

A memorial celebration held Saturday at the Ottawa County Lake provided both the victims of the May 5, 2007 tornado and the emergency personnel that responded to their needs, a time to reflect on the events of that fateful evening.

According to Judy Swagerty, who helped organize the event, about 60 people attended the service.

Rev. Warren Cico of the United Church of Bennington and Pastor John Taylor of New Beginnings Christian Fellowship in Minneapolis led the service. They thanked the emergency workers, businesses and organizations who helped following the storm, and offered prayer and a time of silence for remembering.

Residents of Cabin Row including Esther Clark and Norma Windholz spoke of their experience the night of the storm and extended their gratitude to everyone who helped them, including emergency workers, neighbors and strangers….

Esther Clark was asleep in her home on Cabin Row when the tornado struck. She now lives in Minneapolis.

Survival Health Fairs held for Ottawa County seniors

High school seniors from Minneapolis, Bennington and Tescott were involved in Survival Health Fairs on May 1 and 2. The Health Fair for USD 239 seniors was held Thursday in Minneapolis and Tescott hosted the fair for seniors from USD 240 on Friday. The event encourages all the seniors in the county to make healthy choices.

The morning began with seniors receiving "Fat Bucks" to purchase their breakfast. They were offered a choice between healthy foods or donuts, and healthy snacks were available during the break.

Following breakfast, panel discussions were led by Kyle Larson, James Grimmer, Alyssa Catron and Dana Rathbun. They focused on life after high school and the changes the seniors will face. Panel members presented positive healthy options on how to spend down time, how to battle loneliness and how to handle the pressure of drugs and alcohol use.

Students then spent an hour in the gymnasiums touring 16 booths and receiving information and handouts on topics including insurance, identity theft, immunizations, campus safety, dental health, mental health, spiritual health, exercise, nutrition, consequences of drinking and driving, drugs and tobacco….

Read all the news in the Messenger