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EMPORIA CELEBRATES ST. PATRICK’S DAY
KENDRA JOHNSON/GAZETTE
By John Robinson
[email protected]
The sky above may have been
gray, but the streets of Emporia
were lined with green as the city
celebrated St. Patrick’s Day with
a race, parade and shaved heads.
The morning started off at
10:30 a.m. with the 5K Leprechaun Dash, a partnership
between the St. Patrick’s Day
Committee and the Recreation
Center.
“This has been our best year
by far,” said Amanda Gutierrez,
program supervisor at the Recreation Center. “The first two years
we’ve been in that 40-50 partici-
pant range and right now we’re
at 90.”
The race is part of the Super Series, a series of races that
award runners with a medal and
T-shirt if they participate in 10
out of 20 events.
Michelle Dugan, an Emporia
resident, said she’s been running
in 5K races since last year, with
her children joining her in the
Turkey Dash. Ellexia Dugan, 6,
said she is excited to finish the
race and get the T-shirt.
Asher Delmott was the first
person to cross the finish line
with a time of 15 minutes and 38
Please see St. Pats, Page 5
KENDRA JOHNSON/GAZETTE
Runners take off from the start line at the Leprechaun Dash 5K on
Saturday. The 5K was put on by the St. Patrick’s Day Committee
and the Emporia Recreation Center.
[email protected]
Sen. Jeff Longbine and Reps.
Peggy Mast and Don Hill were in
attendance for a legislative dialogue Saturday morning at the
Sauder Alumni Center at Emporia State University.
The dialogue was hosted by
the Emporia Area Chamber and
Visitors Bureau Government
Matters Committee and the
League of Women Voters, and is
a part of the series of political forums organized by both groups.
Sen. Longbine discussed a
pair of bills he is “concerned
about.” The first is SB 311, which
would transfer administration of
school financing away from the
Kansas State Board of Education
to the Department of Administration.
“(SB 311) would move the financial capacity ... and the K-12
funding from the Department of
Education to the Department of
Administration,” Longbine said.
“The Department of Education
has an elected school board in it
and the Department of Administration is run by the administration and the governor. I’m
concerned about that shift because anytime we take away the
Please see Dialogue, Page 5
VOL. 124, NO. 218
Marah Carney holds a lock of her hair up while participating in St. Baldrick’s held at the Brickyard 20
Ale House on Saturday. Carney raised money for the organization and also donated her hair to the cause.
SUPERINTENDENT-ELECT KEVIN CASE PREPARES
FOR JULY 1 START DATE AT EMPORIA PUBLIC SCHOOLS
CITIZENS VOICE
FRUSTRATIONS
AT LEGISLATIVE
DIALOGUE
By John Robinson
KENDRA JOHNSON/GAZETTE
By John Robinson
[email protected]
Superintendent-elect Kevin Case
doesn’t officially become superintendent of Emporia Public Schools
until July 1, but he’s already active
in the school district traveling to
Emporia for tours and Board of Education Meetings.
The Gazette sat down with Case
on Thursday to conduct a Q&A and
discussed his background, the transition process and his thoughts on
issues in the district and public education in Kansas.
What is your background in
education?
“I started my career as a business and computer teacher in
Jefferson West High School in Meriden. Then I transitioned and was
a 7-12 principal at Stafford, which
is where I first met Theresa (Davidson) because she was the principal at Hayes at that time. Then I
transitioned to Smokey Valley High
School for three years as a principal
and for the last 17 years I’ve been
superintendent at Inman.”
Q
A
Q
What are some lessons you’ve
learned throughout your career you’re looking to apply at Emporia Public Schools?
“Well I think first of all just
learning the culture of the
system, which is what the transition days have been intended to
do, has been great. Being able to
spend time with Theresa and other
members of the staff has helped
me learn who Emporia Schools are
and understand the culture here.
It’s helped me get a really good feel
for who does what which is much
A
KENDRA JOHNSON/GAZETTE
Kevin Case and Theresa Davidson stand for a portrait at the Mary Herbert Education Center on
Thursday. Davidson is the current superintendent of the Emporia school district and Case will be
taking over that position on July 1.
different than the situation I’m in
because it allows me to understand
the different people I need to talk to
when I have questions about different areas so that’s been one of the
pieces.”
During Case’s interview with
the Emporia Public Schools Board
of Education in January, Case detailed the different responsibilities
he has in Inman.
“In Inman, I’m the transporta-
tion director and I hire the custodian and, last week, I drove a bus,”
Case said in January. “I’m going to
guess I wouldn’t be driving a bus
here. I will drive a bus — I’m not
afraid to do any job in the district
— but I’m at a point where I would
like to focus.”
A
“We have not started that process yet. I have a son who is a
junior and we had this conversation
about this position when I talked to
the board and even staff. We don’t
know what we’re going to do for one
year, ... and we want to make sure he
has a great senior year experience,
not that he would not have it here,
How is the adjustment to but it’s hard to move a young man
the move coming? Have you
found a house?
Please see Case, Page 5
Q