Good Evening
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May the force
be with you.
Thursday, December 17, 2015
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PULITZER PRIZE-WINNING
FAMILY OWNED SINCE 1895
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The Salvation Army helps
make holidays brighter
WWW.EMPORIAGAZETTE.COM
USD 251
planning
moves
forward
By Jessie Wagoner
[email protected]
Kendra Johnson/Gazette
By Brandy Nance
[email protected]
The Salvation Army Christmas distribution is taking place
this week, making the holidays
brighter for children and families in the area.
Christmas distribution begins
today in the Anderson Building
on the Lyon County Fairgrounds.
Today, food vouchers will be distributed, said Lt. Lynn Lopez,
of The Salvation Army. A total
of 850 vouchers will be given to
those who signed up. The vouchers are good for a ham and other
items a family might need.
“This way the families can
pick up what they need,” Lopez
said. “If they need toilet paper,
laundry detergent , shampoo. If they
already have
fo o d s t a m p s
and they have
enough food to
take them into
next year but they actually need those other items,
it’s OK. We actually looked at
those receipts (from last year).
We actually kept track and kept
a database of what people purchased on those vouchers and
there was nothing outlandish on
them. That did my heart good to
Kendra Johnson/Gazette
see that people were reasonable
in what they purchased. They’re Suzanne Worthen-Miller and Debbie Ortega fill bags with items
Please see Distribution, Page 3
needed for a family during The Salvation Army Christmas
distribution on Wednesday.
Plans to construct a consolidated
kindergarten through 12th grade
building in North Lyon County
continue to move forward. The
USD 251 Board of Education met
Wednesday night with representatives from Universal Construction
Company to learn more about possible building options.
Universal Construction Company and Hollis and Miller architects
arranged a tour for board members
recently of two different schools.
The tour allowed members to view
different building materials and layouts.
Board members shared their
opinions regarding the tours
Wednesday evening. The members
felt the other schools were welcoming and buildings that students and
staff would take pride in. They did
however point out that they weren’t
fans of polished concrete floors or
wasted space.
“Wasted space,” Sally Anderson,
board member said. “We don’t want
a bit of wasted space.”
Universal Construction Company and Hollis and Miller are in the
Please see 251, Page 3
The Force AwakenS
By Jessie Wagoner
[email protected]
Excited Emporians are
preparing for a big night —
The opening of Star Wars:
The Force Awakens. The first
showing of the movie at B & B
Emporia Flinthills 8 Cinemas
is at 7 p.m. today.
Melissa Lowery, pop culture enthusiast, is one of many
anxious fans planning to attend the first showing.
“I haven’t bought my ticket
yet,” Lowery said. “But now
I’m second guessing myself.
I want to be in the very very
first showing of course, but I
figure if I have to wait until 8
p.m. it will be okay.”
Paul Farnsworth, district
marketing and public relations manager for B&B Theatres, says that advance ticket
sales have been available for
eager moviegoers.
“For proprietary reasons, I
can’t divulge specifics about
our presales,” Farnsworth
said. “But suffice it to say that
this film is slated to be the
largest global opening of all
time, and that may very well
be true for B&B Theatres and
our Emporia location as well.”
Lifelong Star Wars fan,
Daniel Stephens, purchased
tickets for the 7 p.m. showing
as soon as they were available.
He plans to arrive early to visit
with other fans.
“Real Star Wars fans are
a community of sorts,” Stephens said. “We understand
one other, the language, the
nuances. This is bigger than
just a movie, it is the development of a lifelong relationship
with these characters.”
Lowery agrees, stating that
one of the things she is most
looking forward to is seeing
how the characters have developed.
“I’m really excited to see
our old favorites on screen
again,” Lowery said. “Han
and Leia and Luke. I’m really
excited to hear about Luke.
And I’m really curious about
all these new characters and
how they are connected with
the old characters.”
Stephens plans to attend
the movie with his children
and wife — all planning to
wear costumes depicting their
favorite characters.
“I remember my parents
taking me to see the first
movie when I was a child,”
Stephens said. “Tomorrow I
will take my sons. This is like
reliving my childhood, I’m a
kid again, I get to share their
excitement.”
The diverse cast, includ-
ing a number of women, is a
notable strength of the film
highlighted by Lowery. While
attending Comic-Con, Lowery
saw Gwendoline Christie who
plays Captain Phasma. Lowery describes the actress as
“stunning.”
Reviews of the movie, minus spoilers, began making
rounds on the internet early
Wednesday. Most were glowing, hailing the movie as “well
worth the wait”.
“Everything I’ve been hearing has been positive,” Lowery said. “I just heard a review
on NPR and it was very very
positive. The reviews have
been encouraging. I’ve been
impressed with all of the marketing thus far. I’ve been really
impressed with the casting.
I’m just excited.”
The movie will be shown
three times at 7, 7:30, and 8
p.m. today. The movie will
continue with full sets of
showtimes throughout the
weekend and coming week.
The Associated Press
For a full listing of times visit
www.bbtheatres.com.
Monday, fans cheer in the stands at the world premiere of “Star Wars: The Force
“We are super excited Awakens” in Los Angeles. The film opens nationwide on Friday.
about the enthusiasm our customers are showing for the release of this film,