Our county representatives:  Pam Tucker and Ken Koester - Barton County; Stacy Neilson and Pete Heinz - Edwards County; Stanton Janssen and Kent Janzen -  Ellsworth County; Ken Branch and Randy Norland - McPherson County; Jane Zook and Linda Henderson - Pawnee County; Curt Miller and Marion Krehbiel - Reno; Beth Johnson and Kent Shuyler - Rice County; Barry Ragan and Andra Bartlett - Stafford County.

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Honor Flight Application
Honor Flight Guardian Application
Central Prairie Honor Flight Itinerary

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Please route your requests to 620-792-6224!

Our coordinator's quotes:

Its been a good year!
We are rapidly closing the sixth year of operations for Central Prairie RC&D since its official authorization in January of 2000. I have been proud to be affiliated with Central Prairie for over three of those years as have many of you.  Very impressive is that Central Prairie's all volunteer Council has made priceless contributions to your communities. In all Central Prairie has brought into the region nearly a million dollars in federal assets with the Memorandum marrying the Council to USDA's Natural Resource Conservation Service. Over two hundred projects, some large, some small, some involving significant time from Council members and some simple coordination. For the first three years Barton, Edwards, McPherson, Pawnee, Reno, Rice, and Stafford Counties have contributed $16,800. in dues and with Ellsworth's annexation into the Council Area in 2004 another $6,400. has brought the non-federal dues total to $23,200. over this history.

Your next question is what returns did you gain? Thousands of dollars are being saved in Edwards with Recycling efforts moving forward. Over 4500 bicycles have been moved to Ellsworth Correctional Facility where inmate repair efforts have put those 3800 bicycles back out to needy kids. Not just kids in your Area, but with the help of your sister RC&D Councils throughout Kansas, five other states, and even some going overseas where a smile is priceless. You have initiated a mature process for the Wildlife Feeding the Hungry where deer is donated and processed with no delays, so that the less fortunate can reclaim meals. Last year this program equated to over a 1000 pounds of deer meat in one county. This year by searching out and making agreements your on a pace right now to place a couple of tons of deer meat on the tables of the needy. You have assisted in the development recycling, tourism, historical reenactments, trail rides, grant building training, theater restoration, outdoor classrooms, and economic development.

Central Prairie is working hard to help rural fire protection in every county with many projects coming to light. The Council helped with locating and planning for the restoration and renovation of the Stafford Fire House, saving folks there over a quarter of a million dollars. You have assisted in getting Trousdale Fire department rerated by ISO. The Council has assisted ISO led training in the area for several national pilot projects giving better fire protection, lowering ISO ratings, and indirectly dropping residential, and commercial premiums for homeowners and commercial businesses. The Council's leadership and volunteer support has led Kansas in Safety Day Camps where they partnered with Progressive Farmer Magazine for three years involving six of the Counties and engaging over 3000 5th graders in multi-station safety training. The Council is pursuing a portable safety smokehouse worth over $45,000. for regional fire safety training. The Council is also pursuing Master Fire Plans, Fire Education workshops, and certification of eight dry hydrants in the region. The Councils is working with local folks to help establish new satellite fire stations on the east and west side of Kanopolis reservoir, one near St. Jo in South Reno, one west of Trousdale, and one in Odin. In Stafford County a pumper relay truck has been built in 2003 to assist in a county wide haul water fire protection project.

Another key area assistance to rural Kansas is Central Prairie's leadership to establish Constructed wetland demonstrations that exhibit protection from ground water contamination from conventional on-site waste water treatment systems in rural area. The Council has also worked very hard to get a $164,000. KDHE grant that will establish an engineering study directing the Council to phase III. Phase III will see the installation of constructed wetland cells that will lead the Council to assist in building more Constructed Wetland in Odin. The Council has assisted in the establishment of two more constructed wetland demonstrations and has about five pending on the 2005 workload.

You Volunteers have represented this Council countless times for public information. You have had multiple grant writing training sessions throughout the area building the capacity of over 150 people throughout the region with better Grant Obtaining tools and a recently acquired Grant Library to be used at an individuals home or business. The Councils capacity to work with foundations, government agencies, conservation districts and business organizations has helped prosperity and education in your area and indeed all over the State of Kansas. Central Prairie in its infancy took on hosting the South West RC&D Associations Convention in 2002 and it was a smashing success. This past August your Council and your work in August made the Kansas State RC&D Convention the most successful one yet. The list can go on!

I would like to close by letting you know how proud I am to work with such a great collection of Americans. Even though I have disconnected a few times for my obligations to the Army Reserve it is your volunteer engagement that jumped up and kept the project rock'n and roll'n. Your efforts are really starting to blossom. As you look into 2005 do not be scared of change! Enjoy engaging in Projects that raises the bar in central Kansas! Your capacity is growing and so will the capacity of your communities. "Destiny is not Have Fun while you get things done!

This year will be another banner year

Benefits of an RC&D!
  An important part of the capacity for Central Prairie's RC&D Council to appreciate the wide range of benefits an RC&D can offer is to see what other RC&D's do and how they operate! This can give you important insite about what we do and more importantly on what we could do better or different to truly magnify your role in making the "Quality of Life" better in your communities.
  There are two very good opportunities coming up that I want to highly encourage Council Members to attend.
  February 28th-March 2nd is the Legislative Forum, a trip to Washington DC to see what the National RC&D office does, how it works with NRCS RC&D Programs, and how they interrelate with the Countries Political leadership! This trip will include individual meetings with your legislative leaders. NRCS has signed an agreement to help the State Association financially support the Kansas Delegation for the fourth straight year. In past year Central Prairie has had as many as four representatives. It would really be exciting if we had a couple to go, especially some of our newer leaders. I highly encourage all of our Council members to check their calendar and see if you can go! Let me know if you are interested and we will continue to find facts!

The South West States RC&D Association involving 68 Councils in Six states will hold their annual meeting in Little Rock, Arkansas March 20-22. Again another Key opportunity to network with the leaders and project junkies that get so many good things into their communities. A great place to share and grow! Again, if you are interested in this meeting please let me know!

Project Summaries for Central Prairie RC&D

Our Central Prairie RC&D Council, is sponsoring a new project called "Bikes for Kydz!", giving away refurbished bicycles to needy children. The Ellsworth Correctional Facility located in Ellsworth County is accepting used bicycles and redoing them using donated parts. And after a new coat of paint is professionally applied, the final product looks as good as new!

The facility has given away hundreds of refurbished bicycles to various boys and girls clubs around the nation and to other needy children across Kansas. Because the demand is so great with so many children in need, the Central Prairie RC&D has been asked to help in collecting used bicycles and then send them on to a central collecting point. Then the Ellsworth Correctional Facility will pick them up.

So, if you have a bicycle collecting dust in the back of your garage, what better way than to donate it to a worthy cause such as this! And Central Prairie will even provide you with a letter recognizing your donation that may be used for a tax deduction!

If you would like to donate a used (or even new) bicycle, please contact our office or any of our eight Counties' RC&D representatives. At St. John (in Stafford County), they will be collecting bicycles throughout September and then again around six months later.

The Central Prairie RC&D Council will also serve as the conduit for donations and distributor of funds for ordering and replacing parts for the recycled bicycles.
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Deer feeding the hungry!
Edwards County has taken charge of this project for Central Prairie RC&D researching for council wide possibilities. Deer killed by hunters and money were donated last fall for processing the meat for distribution to the needy. In the first four weeks of this program, Edwards County received over $1,000 which enabled over 1,000 pounds of venison to reach needy families in their county. The Council is reviewing this process, initiated by Edwards County, for the possibility of expanding the program area-wide this year. The Council is also working with other Kansas RC&D councils to improve the programs qualities in 2004. Last year, Kansas RC&D councils delivered over 83,000 meals to Kansans through this program
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Enterprise Days-Rice County: This event was a joint effort between local RC&D Committee, Rice County Economic Development and Rice County Extension-Economic Development PDC. The event was for local residents thinking about starting their own business. We had representatives from different state departments that could provide information on business start-up. There were also entrepeneur present to discuss struggles and successes with getting started. Very successful first effort in business development. We are planning to have another event this year - probably in late January or early February.
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Cooper Hall Renovation-Rice County: Multi-Million dollar renovation had been underway for over three years. The Project was completed last summer and the dedication was held last October 18th. The Hall is one of the key structures on the Sterling College Campus.

Housing Survey-Rice County: The survey assessing substandard structures was completed last year by the Habitat for Humanity fellows at Sterling College.
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Cemetary Assessment-Rice County: Concept of this project is to assess the Cemeteries in Rice County and their physical damages. From this Assessment the local planning group wants to organize efforts to restore the damages and possibly enhance the sites with Tree Plantings and Beautification projects. Local planning group is in the process.
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Stone Corral Schoolhouse-Rice County: The Local Committee, championed by Janel Cook, has not developed all of the goals of this project to restore the Historical Site located southeast of Lyons near the McPherson County Line.

Rice County Community Center-Rice County: A 20,000 square foot building completed this past year cost over a 1/2 million, primarily from tax credits over two previous years in excess of $300,000. each. The building provides meeting rooms, a full-service kitchen and large
community room. The enclosed arena building will offer 4-H facilities and a place for Reins of Hope therapeutic. Nature trails, lighted sidewalks entwined with plants, benches, and trees has been in use by area residents. The general public including nursing home residents also frequent the area.

Odin Store-Barton County: The Barton County Conservation District and Central Prairie RC&D, Natural Resource Conservation Service, CKLEPG, and Edgar Jacobs (store owner), in Odin to build the first Rock-Plant filter in central Kansas at the Odin Store. BCCD and CPRC&D contributed reimbursing monies to this demonstration project. The sign recognizing this project and the partners mentioned is scheduled to go up on Saturday by Earth team volunteers from Boy Scout Troop 157. Mr. Jacobs will receive an approximate total of $1650. to assist him in the cost of the project.

Dan Curtis
Project Coordinator
Central Prairie RC&D
1817 16th Street
Great Bend, Ks. 67530
office: 620-792-6224
fax: 620-792-4875

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