TEG
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2015
V V V
PULITZER PRIZE-WINNING
FAMILY OWNED SINCE 1895
V V V
Good Evening
VVV
Thanks for the
memories, Wizards!
WWW.EMPORIAGAZETTE.COM
COUNTY COMMISSIONERS APPROVE TAX FUNDS FOR ESU
By Kerri Jackson
[email protected]
Lyon County Commissioners
on Thursday approved $250,000
for Emporia State University to be
used for scholarships during their
action session on Thursday.
Jackie Vietti, Shane Shivley and
Jim Williams all represented ESU
at the county commissioner meeting. The three approached commissioners about an appropriation
in 2016 to ESU’s scholarship fund,
part of the university’s Community
in Motion proposal.
“When looking at the demographics of high school graduates
over the next five to seven years,
there is a declining trend. What
that translates into for a couple
of universities is there is going to
be heightened competition for a
shrinking pool of entering freshman,” said ESU interim president
Vietti. “From my perspective, it is
imperative that Emporia State University be very strategic and competitive in terms of attracting students. Parents, especially parents,
as well as students, who do compare the amount of support in the
form of scholarships — it is a major
factor in choosing where those students will attend.”
This consideration was part of
an ongoing discussion between
KERRI JACKSON/GAZETTE
County commissioners listened to Emporia State University
representatives present information about ESU’s scholarship
program and the county appropriation to those funds at Thursday’s
meeting.
ESU, Emporia city commissioners
and county commissioners. Other
post-secondary institutions in the
state have performed similar actions, receiving appropriations
to go toward scholarship funds,
and have reported success with
the partnerships. Those schools
include Fort Hays State University, Pittsburg State University and
Wichita State University.
One concern that a community
member had brought up to county
commissioner Scott Briggs was
that the appropriation would lead
to a decrease in the funding from
private donors.
“The foundation will continue.
We’re not going to let off the gas
one bit. It’s also been very healthy
as we’ve had conversations with
the city and county about these ...
It’s brought a lot of things to light.
We’ve been able to leverage this
with private donors and have had
some success with those individu-
KERRI JACKON/GAZETTE
Jackie Vietti, Shane Shivley and Jim Williams, all representatives of
Emporia State University, approached county commissioners about
a 2016 appropriation to ESU for scholarship enhancement.
als,” said Shively, vice president of
development at the ESU Foundation.
The $250,000 will go toward
scholarships and precedence for
those scholarships will be given to
Lyon County residents, Vietti confirmed. Vietti also said that these
scholarships will only go toward
students taking classes on campus.
Please see County, Page 3
WIZARDS REOPENS NEXT
WEEK FOR ‘LAST HURRAH’
DRAWS A CROWD
By Brandy Nance
[email protected]
KENDRA JOHNSON/GAZETTE
Studio 11 was one of 31 retailers who opened their doors from 8
p.m. until midnight for midnight madness on Thursday.
By Kerri Jackson
[email protected]
Thirty-one retailers opened
late in downtown Emporia yesterday for Emporia Main Street’s
Midnight Madness. The event
was held from 8 p.m. through midnight, which was ideal for those in
town that needed to pick up a few
Christmas gifts following the Seasonal Celebration.
Sales as large as 50-percent off
were available at the shops, which
offered everything from hot drinks
to home decor to shoes. This was
the sixth year of the event and the
hustle and bustle of busy shoppers
filled Commercial St.
“I look forward to shopping
Midnight Madness each year,”
Tracy Reynolds, shopper, said.
Please see Madness, Page 3
KENDRA JOHNSON/GAZETTE
A sign promoting a sale for midnight madness sits outside of
Stanley Jewelry on Thursday.
VOL. 124, NO. 140
After closing in April, Wizards, 1508 W. Sixth Ave., will open
for one last hurrah next week, leaving behind a legacy in Emporia.
Originally from Wichita, store
owner Susan Werts opened the store
on Commercial Street in the early
1980s under the name Middle Earth.
She had a store in Junction City at
the time as well. She decided to open
the store because she had divorced
and had two children she needed to
support, she said.
She chose the Commercial Street
location because it was close to the
college, but, after a few years, moved
from that location to its current location on Sixth in the mid-1980s, also
eventually renaming the store Wizards. Her current location was originally a gas station and vehicle service shop. The EPA said she had to
have the old gas tanks removed from
the property. When they removed
the tanks they also found old tanks
that once held gasoline and kerosene
that was delivered by horse-drawn
vessels.
When she first opened her store,
she’d never owned a single 8-track,
she said.
“Eight-tracks were still around
and I said ‘these are bad’ so I went
with cassettes,” she said.
Werts recalled when people
would line up at the store for the latest album to be released. Tuesdays
used to be Break Day and she’d often
open at midnight Tuesday and people would show up at the store in anticipation of the latest album release.
“I’d have to order it on Friday,”
she said.
It was taboo to sell a new album
before the Tuesday release, she said.
“Several stores did it,” she said.
“And then you couldn’t get your box
until that day. And you sat there and
you waited. But I never did … .”
Please see Wizards, Page 3
BRANDY NANCE/GAZETTE
Krystal Sweat, left, picks out some body jewelry Wednesday at
Wizards, whil R7F