VVV Voter registration for the primary ends Thursday .

Photo courtesy of Marcia Lawrence

Tracy Simmons , former Emporia Farmer ’ s Market manager , rings the bell to open the market on a recent Saturday morning . Simmons retired from the market recently to pursue other opportunities .

Tracy Simmons gave six years of service to the Emporia Farmer ’ s Market . However , the Farmer ’ s Market and the Emporia community gave significantly more back to Simmons .

They both gave her a place to call home .

“ The connection between the community and the farmer ’ s market is really big ,” Simmons , former market manager said . “ I was with the market for six years and now I really feel rooted in Emporia because of the market . I think it ’ s totally given me what I was lacking when I first moved to Emporia .”

Simmons and her husband , Rand , moved to Emporia in 2006 . She said when she first moved to Emporia , she didn ’ t know much about the community .

Being born and raised in Dodge City , she said her only connection was a group of friends who came to Emporia for college .

“ I had to learn everything about Emporia ,” she said . “ At that point in time , I would consider myself a stay-at-home mom and a freelance writer . That was

The Lyon County Democrats held a fundraiser Sunday evening at the Emporia Senior Center .

The event included supper , a silent auction and keynote speaker Kerry Gooch , executive director of the Kansas Democratic party .

The biggest expense local Democrats are currently facing is finding a headquarters which will allow them to deliver the Democratic message .

“ Our operational costs for a headquarters has changed over the years ,” Lyon County Democrats chair Susan Fowler said . “ We have to have the internet as it is a key tool we now use . We have evolved from a place that was a social hangout to — if you walk in the door — we are going to put you to work .

“ Having sufficient technology , computers , printers , copiers and clipboards — we still use clipboards when we go door-todoor — is important . All of that plays into it . By having all of those things , we are providing infrastructure our candidates need . Yes , we do give some money to candidates , but the philosophy on that is we encourage the candidates to raise as much as they can on their own . Every dollar they bring in is another voter who is going to support them .”

Kelly Atherton , candidate for the 76th District House , said the fundraiser was an important event

VOL . 125 , NO . 8

By Mary Ann Redeker maryann @ emporia . com

By Mary Ann Redeker maryann @ emporia . com my candy money or our fun money . There was no pressure for me to work . My husband , who was a school teacher before we moved , wasn ’ t real happy with the way that was going . He decided to go to law school and was 40 when he graduated . We picked Emporia because he spoke Spanish and we were looking for a place where that had value . We liked the green , wet side of Kansas .”

“ I ’ m a real foodie and those are my people . I fell in love immediately with the market here and its vendors . It really became the only place in Emporia that I went .”

Tracy Simmons

Simmons said the transition was a bit difficult for her as she had an accident and spent about six months recovering at home , which did not give her much of an opportunity to explore Emporia .

“ One of the first places I went here when I was able to go out again was the Farmer ’ s Market ,” she said . “ I ’ m a real foodie and those are my people . I fell in love immediately with the market here and its vendors . It really became the only place in Emporia that I went . It was my destination , and I would ride my bike there on Saturdays .”

At that time , Simmons was doing some freelance ghost writing , which she said was the best pay she could make as a freelancer , but not the best choice for her .

“ I was doing all of this writing and was not getting credit for it because someone else ’ s name was on it ,” she said . “ There are times that it is good but other times it isn ’ t . I felt invisible . I had been working with this guy , John , and I assumed he was British because he had an accent and we spoke on the phone . He always paid me in my PayPal account . He would always send me the interviews and such and I would plow through it and turn it into an article .

“ One day I got an email that he sent through his personal account and his name wasn ’ t John at all . It was an easy generic name . This is a guy I was corresponding with for two years and I wouldn ’ t know him if I ran into him on the street . Along with being in Emporia , being new in the beginning and not getting out to do much , I had this moment of — ‘ I need people in my life .’”

Please see Simmons , Page 10

for the party .

“ It takes money to function ,” Atherton said . “ The biggest aspect for the party itself will be staffing and manning the headquarters — the rent , utilities and everything else that goes along with that . This is our annual fundraiser and we are also taking donations tonight to help our campaigns with mailings and advertisements .”

Gooch was the keynote speaker and delivered , “ The value of longterm investments ” for those in attendance . His focus was on what it will take for the Democratic party to succeed in the long-term .

Fowler said the party was lucky to have Gooch , Sen . Ulysses “ Rip ” Gooch ’ s grandson , deliver this message for the Democratic party .

“ Kerry has gone from being Senator Gooch ’ s grandson to us saying , ‘ Senator Gooch is Kerry ’ s grandfather ,’” Fowler said . “ He literally grew up in the Democratic party . He stuffed envelopes for his grandfather ’ s campaigns and

Mary Ann Redeker / Gazette

The Lyon County Democrats held their annual fundraiser Sunday evening at the Emporia Senior Center . The event included a silent auction and keynote speaker Kerry Gooch , executive director of the Kansas Democratic Party .

he was an intern while he was an undergrad at Kansas State . He became a finance director and now he is the executive director of the party . He has really grown into all of those fields and roles and has done an exceptional job . I believe he is one of the youngest executive directors in the nation .”

Bill Ballard , candidate for the 60th District House seat , said Gooch ’ s message was important

The emphasis was on going green , but attendees of the 5th Annual Fuller Field School learned one of the most important things they can do is focus on the brown beneath their feet .

The school focused on building and maintaining healthy ecosystems above and below ground as well as healthy soil leading to better food , water and sustainability in farming . This year ’ s theme was “ Building Healthy Communities .”

“ This event is about regenerative agriculture ,” Gail Fuller , owner of Fuller Family Farms , said . “ We can manage our farms to produce more carbon , store more carbon , reduce

By John Robinson john @ emporia . com

Courtesy photo

Tracy Simmons , Harold Brenzikofer , former vendor and market board member , and Kaman Simmons , Tracy ’ s son , pose in the American Gothic prop . The prop is used for special events at the market and will be used again for the Cleve Cook Veggie Power Club and the Homegrown Celebration .

“ Soil is the center ; and people think it ’ s just dirt .”

Didi Perhouse , Author

erosion ; we can do all these things and make it so the food we ’ re growing on our farms is healthier .”

Fuller said the school was well attended with multiple states and countries in attendance . The school featured a mix of in-field activities along with presentations from experts .

Colin Seis is a farmer and rancher from Australia who

Please see Democrats , Page 3 Please see Agriculture , Page 3