CLOUD COUNTY CONVENTION & TOURISM COMMITTEE AWARDS 

BROWN GRAND THEATRE $5,000 GRANT

Bob Drake, Eby Construction explains work being done at Brown Grand

The main item on the November meeting agenda of the Cloud County Convention & Tourism Committee was fourth quarter grant applications.  Susie Haver, Co Director, presented an Attraction/Marketing Grant Application from the Brown Grand Theatre in the amount of $5,000.  Theatre director, Susan Cantine-Maxson explained that the Brown Grand will be $83,000 short of funds needed when the work is completed in April and is searching for funds to help make up the difference.  She also described the work Eby Construction,  has begun, placing new steel support beams beneath the stage, and invited committee members to come take a look.  Committee member Scot Seifert, Clyde, suggested that due to the importance of the Brown Grand to local tourism and the county community as a whole, the remaining 2013 grant funds be awarded to the Brown Grand.  The vote was unanimous with Susan Cantine-Maxson abstaining. 

Other business included welcoming Matt Farmer, Department of Wildlife, Parks & Tourism, to join the committee as a full member, replacing the position recently vacated by Larry Sorell, Lazy S Farms & Rustic Remembrances Bed & Breakfast.  Farmer is the Assistant Manager of Jamestown Wildlife Area.  

Buffalo Creek Marsh, Jamestown Wildlife Area  is temporarily closed as it plays host to six Whooping Cranes.   The Whooping Crane, the tallest north American bird, with the male approximately 5 feet tall, is an endangered crane species named for its whooping sound.  In 2003, there were about 153 pairs.  It is estimated that there are 500 Whooping Cranes in existence in 2013.

Photo courtesy of Jamestown Wildlife Area, Matt Farmer

Invitation to tour Concordia!

Invitation to tour Concordia!

WWII POW Camp Concordia Preservation Society to hold Annual Meeting

Members of the WWII POW Camp Concordia Preservation Society will hold their Annual Meeting on Monday, January 14, 2013 at the Cloud County Museum Annex.  The Annual Meeting consists of a pot luck dinner at 6:00 p.m. followed by the meeting beginning around 7:00 p.m.

Everyone is welcome to attend.  Plates, napkins, utensils and drinks will be provided.  Members are asked to bring one to two dishes to share.  

The Annual meeting will consist of the election of officers for 2013, an update from Susan Sutton on The Way We Worked exhibit, a recap of 2012 accomplishments and a overview of 2013 goals.  

WWII POW Camp Concordia Preservation Society is a group of individuals dedicated to the preservation of the remnants of Camp Concordia and the story of how over 4,000 German POWs were housed at the camp.  While most of the old camp site has been returned back to farm land, remnants including a few of original foundations of buildings, a Main Gate Guard Post, the water tower base, Officer's Club, one of the stone guard towers and building T-9 still stand as a reminder of this important part of our history.   

El Puerto set to reopen Wednesday!

Making sure the new "open" sign is hanging straight.

El Puerto, located in downtown Concordia, is a buzz of activity today as they put the finishing touches on the renovations and get ready to open the doors in the morning.
On Wednesday, January 9, 2013, El Puerto will the start 2013 with a whole new look and at least 50 more seats!  Congratulations El Puerto!  We wish you great success in 2013!

Santa is Coming to Concordia Tonight!

Santa is coming to Concordia Tonight!

Santa will arrive at 5:30 p.m. on Friday, November 23 by horse & buggy and will be available to hear your "wish list" until 7:30 p.m. at his Concordia headquarters located in the Century 21 Conference Room, 201 W. 6th St., Concordia, KS  66901.

Loads of activities downtown including live music at Jitters, bake sale, hot cocoa and cider, popcorn, and horse & buggy rides.  Retail stores will be open late so come get in the Christmas spirit!

Santa's coming for a visit! - Concordia, Kansas

Santa's coming for a visit! 

We'll Give You the Shirt Off Our Back in Concordia!

Jackie Wants Susie's Shirt!

Have you ever heard the adage "He is so giving and helpful he would give you the shirt of his back?" That old saying is true about the Concordia Travel Information Center aka Cloud County Convention & Tourism. 

Cyclist Jackie Grabbert had spent the day cycling from Stockton, Kansas to Concordia, Kansas, stopping to visit sites like the largest ball of twine along the way.  Jackie, is a member of DetermiNation, a program of the American Cancer Society.  As part of the "Pedalling For More Birthdays" team,  Jackie hopes to raise $5,000 for the American Cancer Society by cycling her way from Colorado to Wisconsin to attend her high school reunion.  (which one is a secret!)

After setting up camp at the Concordia Airport Park, Jackie and her sister Jeri, who acts as her support team, stopped by to get a closer look at the Whole Wall Mural.  While chatting with co-director Susie Haver, Jackie noticed her shirt and asked where she could get one.  Susie explained that the Kansas Explorer shirt she was wearing was available only to members of the Kansas Explorers Club.  Not letting that deter her, she decided to just make a grab for it!  After a short scuffle they came to terms and switched shirts.  

If you would like to learn more about the American Cancer Society's DetermiNation program or donate click here.   Learn more and donate

Marla's Joy Teahouse Opens Today!

Have you been craving a 'nice cup o' tea' or a glass of ice cold raspberry tea?  Or maybe you have been dreaming all summer long of a nice cup of  cold strawberry soup.  As of today, your dreams can come true!

Today marks the opening of Marla's Joy Teahouse at 512 State St., Concordia, Kansas.  Many of us remember this address as the former home of the Huckleberry Tea House, but once you walk in the door you'll know you are in a whole new place.   Delicate flowery china and the pastel linen and lace have been replaced with simple elegant linens adorned with bright white modern dishes.

If you choose to sit in the 'patio room' with its 'Tuscany' feel you can watch Chef G prepare your order through an opening into the kitchen. The trickling from the tall fountain at the entrance into the main dining room helps mute kitchen noise and adds that 'alfresco' feel.

Paninis, fruity chicken salad on croissant and BLT salad are very similar to the former Huckleberry fare.  Feeling a bit more daring?  Chef G has a few surprises in store with his "Special Creole Shrimp Hoagie" and sandwiches with his "Special Creole dressing'.  Proprietress Marla has added a few of her own favorites including "Panther Pride Hot Roast Beef Hoagie" and "Bohemian Farm Girl Ham and Swiss Panini"

Open Tuesday thru Saturday - 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Come party at the Brown Grand Tonight!

Four talented local artists are set to entertain locals tonight at a Benefit Concert to help the Brown Grand.  

Angie LeDuc & Left of Center

Area country music sensation, Angie LeDuc and her band, Left of Center, will present a kick off concert for the Brown Grand Theatre’s Fund Raising Drive.  Friday, July 6 at 7:00 p.m., LeDuc and her band will perform IN the Brown Grand Theatre.  (not on stage)   Admission is a donation to the Brown Grand Theatre Restoration-Act II project- the stage reinforcement and rigging replacement.  Doors will open at 6:15 p.m. for general seating.

Although all live performances have been suspended in the theatre since March, LeDuc and her band are going to set up in front of the stage on the steps that lead up to the stage, in the orchestra pit and in the box seats.  

Left of Center Band members include local favorites, Kenny Johnston, Ken Jones and Tim Halfhide. The band recently was selected to perform at the Country Stampede in Manhattan.  Don't miss this rockin' kick-off to the Brown Grand's SOS fundraising!

Look for Angie LeDuc & Left of Center t-shirts and CDs that will be on sale during the show.  

Grab your surfboard and old Levis and win!

Surfboards in Kansas are a bit unusual, but if you own one head down to Threads For Him, 117 W. 6th Street, Concordia, and you could win a pair of Hurley Shorts today.  Make sure you are wearing your most worn pair of Levi jeans.
Featuring Levis, Silver, Carhartt, Dockers, Cinch, Tony Lama Boots, and Red Wing, Threads has stylish men's clothing. Although high school and college students can get 10% off with a student ID, proprietress Kristina Edin emphasizes that Threads For Him has clothing for all men not just young men.


Friday, June 1 and Saturday, June 2, Threads is celebrating its Grand Opening with free hot dogs, drawings and live remotes with 94.9 and KREP.  The first ten couples to book a wedding will be entered into a drawing to win tuxes for the whole wedding party.  Even if you don't have a reason to shop for the man in your life, (you can always think of one) stop by and check out the great decor.  With the help of friends, Kristina has decorated her store with old and re-purposed found items.
Congratulations and Welcome Threads For Him!

Concordia Glows at Night!

There is a new glow in town!

Tired, drab, out of date, and a bit run down used to be how we described downtown Concordia.  Then, over the past few years we have watched a transformation. A group of retailers began to lead the movement to revitalize the downtown not by forming a committee, but with paint brushes in hand and designer friends on speed dial. The result is a fresh new historical look.

While new and historical seem to be opposites, the combination works. Retailers are working with their buildings' unique architectural details and accenting them with new colors, techniques and 'vintage' signage.
One of the newest additions, Threads For Him, is adding a unique mix of color to the downtown city lights.  Take a cruise down main street, or in our case Sixth Street, at night and check out the emerging 'cityscape'.
I can hardly wait to see what's next.

2011 WeKan! Conference

Susie Haver and Tammy Britt of Cloud County Convention & Tourism were featured “breakout session” speakers at the 2011 WeKan! Conference.  The conference is a project of the Kansas Sampler Foundation.

Held every two years, the WeKan! Conference is a gathering of passionate community doers and advocates who want to help communities thrive.  This year the theme was PowerUp and PowerOn Rural Kansas!

The WeKan! Conference invites speakers from rural communities to share grassroots ideas, practices and resources.  Haver and Britt shared ideas on “Promoting your neck of the woods to locals and explorers” which featured planning scavenger hunts and a shop rally.  Cloud County Convention & Tourism sponsored a session on “Making it cool to cook again!” given by Faye Minium, Marilyn Rowlison, and Billie Jo Frakes, Morland; and Mari Detrixhe, Clyde.   

This one day conference encourages networking and brings together communities of all sizes.  The energy is contagious and everyone leaves with new contacts, new friends and loads of great ideas. 

Other area attendees were; Joan Nothern and Lynda Huffer, Glasco; Johnita Crawford and Mari Detrixhe, Clyde.  For more information on the WeKan! Conference or other events sponsored by the Kansas Sampler Foundation go to:  kansassampler.org. 

Lazy S Farms Entertains Well Known Chefs

A group of nine well known chefs and food processors from across the United States recently visited the home of Larry and Madonna Sorell of Lazy S Farms, Glasco, for a homemade gourmet meal.  

The tour was organized by Heritage Foods USA.  Lazy S Farms began raising heritage animals in 1999.  Heritage animals refer to lines of farm animals unchanged by genetic medications.  Currently, Sorells raise unconfined Red Wattle pigs, Standard Bronze turkeys, Large Black Hogs, Scottish Highland Cows, Katahdin Sheep and Gloucestershire Old Spots Pigs, all without growth hormones or stimulants.  Heritage Foods processes and sells the meat to well known restaurants and meat markets such as Bi-Rite Market, Otto, Lupa and Ma Peche. 

Heritage Foods USA was founded ten years ago to offer more options in the marketplace for high-quality, humanely raised meat products grown by small and medium sized independent farmers.  Each year they invite chefs who purchase their products to visit a few of the farms where their meats are raised.  The chefs are given the opportunity to observe and even touch the animals they may someday soon be serving. 

Touring Lazy S Farms this year were, Sam Edwards III, Edward Hams, Surry Virginia; Tien Ho, Restaurant McPeche;  Zach Allen, B & B Ristorante/Carnevino Italian Steakhouse/Otto; Chili Montes, Bi-Rite Market; Nicholas Fantasma, Paradise Locker Meats; Patrick Martins, Katy Keiffer, Dan Honig, and Andrea Trabucco-Campos all from Heritage Foods USA.

Back row from L to R:  Larry Sorell, Andrea Trabucco-Campos, Dan Honig, Sam Edwards III, Zach Allen, Patrick Martins, Madonna Sorell.

Front row L to R:  Nicholas Fantasma, Tien Ho, Chili Montes, Katy Keiffer

  

Save the Date for QuiltFest 2011!

Another announcement by Smilebox

Happy New Year!

It seems like just yesterday we were celebrating the beginning of 2011.  I just realized that the month is already one third of the way over and I have already broken my New Year Resolution!  This year I vowed to do better in keeping up with my "To Do" list, be nicer, and sign up for another "Year of Peace".  So far the only thing I've managed to do is sign up to keep a "Year of Peace".  My 'To Do" list is two pages long and I broke the "be nicer" vow when I spouted off to a negative person droning on and on about something trivial last week.
From now on I am going to treat every Monday like the beginning of the New Year.  Instead of a "New Year" resolution, it will be a "New Week" resolution.  Maybe that I can handle!
Happy New Week,
Claude

Snow without the mess!

While I may like snowflakes on my eyelashes, not everyone does. So the Concordia Christmas Lighting Committee came up with an idea that gives shoppers a special treat; snow without the mess!
Not only do we have snowflakes hanging from the streetlights, this year shoppers are greeted with floating snowflakes on the corner of Broadway & 6th. If you haven't seen them, make sure you head downtown this week in the evening. Thursday evenings the shops are open late!

Car on the move!

If you were driving down 6th St. or Broadway St. this afternoon you may have been wondering what was going on. A trailer holding "precious cargo" along with Peltier's crane and large fork lift slowly made its way from 300 Washington St. to 635 Broadway before heading down the alley. Today was moving day for the National Orphan Train Museum's dining car.
Thankfully, Peltier's are masters at moving large objects down bumpy, crowded, small spaces! We all stood around watching in awe as they maneuvered the old passenger car down the alley then turned it to go into the Cloud County Museum's back door. A collective gasp from bystanders could be heard as the car literally hung in the air as it made the last turn. Kudos to Peltier's! Loads of patience, a mastery of physics, a great deal of math, mixed with a bit of luck made for a smooth journey for the dining car.

Lisa Guerra, Cloud County Historical Museum curator, welcomed both the National Orphan Train Museum passenger car and curator Muriel Anderson. The passenger car will temporarily be residing inside the Museum during its restoration where onlookers can watch the progress from the floor above. When the restoration is complete it will be returned to its home at the National Orphan Train Museum Complex.

Sprucing Up Downtown Concordia!

Another downtown Concordia building is getting a much needed facelift!
Work on the front of the "Neighbor to Neighbor" building, a project of the Sisters of St. Joseph, is underway today. How exciting!

The Musketeers Stop For A Visit!

While traveling down the dirty, (soggy) roads of rural Kansas, a rowdy bunch of Kansas Explorers are working their way across the state to Valley Falls. Today we were honored with a visit from this eclectic group who proudly call themselves the Kansas Frontier Gazetteer Musketeers. (They have matching shirts to erase all doubts that they are a together, just in case). General Director, Princess Pee, Commodore Bacon, and Count de Ice Cream, accompanied by Harpo, the Septarian of the Hills, swooped in for a few brief moments in search of a crown and septor.

While checking out the Cloud County Museum Annex, Harpo insisted on weighing himself on the antique scale, then spied a POW Camp Concordia likeness on a rock he just had to have in the Cloud County Tourism Gift Shop.
Keep an eye out in case you are lucky enough to spy the Musketeers on their journey. We hear they are out geocaching along the way.