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Take a bow ,
Mr . Dambro .

T E G Good Evening

Take a bow ,

VVV

Mr . Dambro .

Monday , June 20 , 2016
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I N D Y D A M B R O R E T I R E S A F T E R 4 5 Y E A R S

‘ The Quiet Professional ’

By Zach Hacker zach @ emporia . com

The numbers are staggering .

In more than 50 years on campus and 45 years as facilities manager at Albert Taylor Hall , Indy Dambro has overseen the production of more than 3,000 events and worked with more than 250 student crew members . Current ESU president Allison Garrett is the seventh during his tenure . He ’ s been an active member of the Theatre Guild and the Blue Key
Scholarship Revue , as well . Speaking of keys , he has a few of those , too . “ In 45 years , there have been a lot of locks changed ,” Dambro said . “ I ’ ve had 112 keys assigned to me , and I have a bag with about 175 keys that I ’ ve used over the years .”
Now , it ’ s his turn to do what 433 colleagues — a number he estimates to be about 10 percent of the staff members in the 153-year history of the university — have done before him : retire . Dambro ’ s last official day as manager of Albert Taylor Hall was June 4 . His legacy at the university will be felt by Albert Taylor Hall and its crew members for years to come . His lasting impact will endure , in part , through the Albert Taylor Hall “ Quiet Professional ” Scholarship that he has set up through Now and Forever : The Campaign for Emporia State .
Leaving a legacy
The “ Quiet Professional ” Scholarship will be divided annually among ATH crew members who have been a member of the crew for at least one academic year and who are in good academic standing .
“ Athletics have scholarships , music has scholarships ; I wanted to leave a legacy on my way out ,” Dambro said . “ The idea of the ‘ Quiet
Professional ’ fits what these kids do . They ’ re behind the scenes , but they make the show work .”
Saturday , Dambro is hoping to reunite as many of those 250-plus crew members as possible at his “ Final Voyage ” Retirement Party . It will be a come-and-go open house from 4 - 10 p . m . at the Emporia VFW Post 180 . There , attendees will also have the opportunity to contribute to the “ Quiet Professional ” Scholarship Fund . That can also be done online by visiting hornetnation . emporia . edu / event-pages / IndyDambro .
The idea of the “ Quiet Professional ” comes from Dambro ’ s time with the National Guard , which also lasted more than 40 years . He retired in 2011 as Chief Warrant Officer Four and the Legal Administrator with the Judge Advocate Generals Corps . After being deployed to Bosnia for 10 months on a NATO peacekeeping mission in 2002 - 2003 , he was sent on a second deployment to Fort
Zach Hacker / Gazette
Indy Dambro , center , poses for a photo with some of the members of his student crew on the stage at Albert Taylor Hall . Pictured crew members are ( left to right ) Samantha Garcia , Derek Summey , Tanner Doty and Barbara Haynes . Below , Dambro shows off some of the numerous pieces of memorabilia he ’ s collected during his 50-plus years at the school .
Please see Dambro , Page 5

Garden Tour showcases different landscapes

USD 284 bond proposal enters public hearing stage

By Jesse Murphy jesse @ emporia . com
Left , the backyard of Wilma and Wade Malone at 1768 Old Manor Road was featured on the garden tour Saturday . Right , Duane and Jerilynn Henrikson ’ s yard was viewed by garden tour participants . Pictured below , Mike and Ann Scheller have ponds , sitting areas , flowers and plants in their backyard . Judy Wild stands on a bridge over a pond . Ann Atherton heads for more plant groupings .
VOL . 124 , NO . 301
P H O T O S B Y J a n B u c k m a n
By Melissa Lowery
Special to the Gazette
An abundance of flora was on display this weekend during the Emporia Garden Tour , an annual fundraiser sponsored by the Lyon County Extension Master Gardeners .

On Saturday , five private gardens were opened to the public . This year ’ s tour included gardens at the homes of Duane and Jerilynn Henrikson , Mike and Ann Scheller , Wade and Wilma Malone , Lori and Larrie Rainey and at the David Traylor Zoo . The gardens reflect a variety of tastes and styles , providing inspiration for every gardener .
The Malones moved to their home on Old Manor Road from Wade Malone ’ s native Texas in
1998 and have been transforming the yard ever since . A deck — built by Wade — and small pond grace the back of the house , which leads to a yard filled with a variety of ground cover , flowers and vegetables .
Reflecting his Texas roots , Wade prefers perennials with an emphasis on tropical and Southwestern plants . He has a collection of small succulents in containers placed around the garden , while larger cactus , yuccas and agave are planted in flower beds . A green thumb seems to run in the Malone family . Wade ’ s grandparents were avid vegetable gardeners , as were Wilma ’ s parents , and both Malone sons ,
Please see Garden , Page 5
The sounds of the out-dated air conditioner unit in the gymnasium at the Chase County Elementary School in Strong City made it hard to hear during the first of a round of public town hall meetings on the new USD 284 bond proposal .
The board of education is looking to put this proposal on the November 8 ballot for a total of $ 12 million for renovations , remodels and some new construction to the district ’ s facilities .
It is important to note , this figure is not official and still subject to change as more input comes from the community .
A $ 28.5 million bond was voted down last August , and board members quickly went to work to find a solution to fix the aging facilities with a figure taxpayers can afford .
Not as many patrons attended the meeting as some board members had hoped .
“ I would have liked to have seen a larger turnout by community members at the first meeting ,” board member Jennifer Laird said . “ I am optimistic that the taxpayers of Chase County will embrace the current facilities plan knowing that , through this process , the needs of our students and faculty will be met and that
Please see USD 284 , Page 5