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LAWRENCE -- More than 45 University of Kansas faculty and staff members will make nine stops in six western Kansas counties on Wednesday, May 22, during the fourth day of the 2002 Wheat State Whirlwind tour.
The weeklong tour is sponsored by Chancellor Robert Hemenway, who established it in 1997 to get new KU faculty and staff members out into Kansas communities to enhance their understanding of the state's culture, heritage, people and physical beauty.
Participants will start at 7:30 a.m. Wednesday with a stop overlooking a wind farm on about 18,000 acres northeast of Montezuma. The farm boasts 170 windmills that are more than 200 feet tall and generate enough energy to power more than 33,000 homes. Owned by a Florida-based energy company, the Gray County Wind Farm has been up and running for almost a year and sells its energy to several power suppliers in the Kansas City area.
At 8:45 a.m., the tour will stop at Victor Ornelas Elementary School in Garden City. The ethnically diverse school was established in 1987 and educates students from pre-kindergarten through fourth grade.
During their stop, faculty will meet with educators and administrators while touring the school. Then several groups of students will dance for the tour participants in the school gymnasium.
Principal Jonathan Ansley said he hoped the visit would enlighten KU faculty to the diversity of western Kansas and the excellence that can be found in its students and education facilities.
At 10:15 a.m., KU faculty are scheduled to arrive at the United Methodist Western Kansas Mexican American Ministries Health Clinic. The health clinic provides family medical care and operates the Kansas Breast and Cervical Cancer Program, Diabetes Control and Healthy Steps for young children.
Clinic administrators including Dr. Karen Nonhof, director, and Isela Lerma, community development, will discuss the clinic's services as well as its goal to promote cultural acceptance and understanding through human relations seminars and intercultural workshops.
At 11:15 a.m., Garden City Community College President Carol Ballantyne will take faculty on a tour of facilities of the 83-year-old college and will discuss the school's education philosophy to accept students as they are, test and counsel them while helping them attain a high level of achievement.
Following lunch at the community college, the tour will head for the Heartland Mill in Marienthal. The faculty will tour the milling and processing company, which has established a broad customer base in the organic food market.
Mark Nightengale, general manager of the mill, said the Wichita County company proved it was possible to maintain a rural agricultural business economy despite the hardships that may face the Kansas farmer.
"There's a great heritage and tradition of agriculture in Kansas that's almost gone," he said. "It is through projects like this that we can get the message across that we need a live and vibrant rural America. You have to capitalize on your state and hometown advantages."
At 3:45 p.m., the faculty will roam with the buffalo at the Duff Ranch between Scott City and Oakley. They also will visit the Keystone Gallery of art, fossils and curiosities near the buffalo pasture.
The Keystone Gallery overlooks Monument Rocks and fossil outcroppings of the "Badlands" region of the state and a 250-herd of buffalo. Faculty will get an up-close view of Kansas' state animal from flatbed trucks in the fields.
At 5:30 p.m., the tour will head into the "chalk pyramids" of Kansas, Monument Rocks. The 70-foot-tall limestone formations are located in Gove County about 20 miles south of Oakley and were carved by erosion that began more than 80 million years ago. The pyramids were the first chosen by the U.S. Department of Interior to be preserved as a national natural landmark.
Wrapping up the day will be a presentation on Kansas water issues at the Colby Comfort Inn. Wayne Bossert, manager of Northwest Kansas Groundwater District No. 4 in Colby, and Freddie Lamm, an engineer with the Kansas State University Northwest Research-Extension Center, will focus on groundwater management and alternative irrigation projects.
On Thursday, May 23, Wheat State participants will visit Nicodemus, Logan, Palco and sites beyond.
For more information about the tour, visit the Wheat State Whirlwind Web site at www.wheatstate.ku.edu, or call University Relations, (785) 864-3256.
Wheat State Whirlwind tour itinerary for Wednesday, May 22
6:30 a.m. Load the bus
7 a.m. Depart for Montezuma
7:30 a.m. Arrive at Montezuma for view of windmills
8 a.m. Depart for Garden City
8:45 a.m. Arrive at Victor Ornelas School
10 a.m. Depart for United Methodist W. Kan. Mexican American Health Ministries Health Clinic
10:15 a.m. Arrive United Methodist W. Kan. Mexican American Health Ministries Health Clinic
11 a.m. Depart for Lunch and tour of Garden City Community College
1 p.m. Depart for the Heartland Mill, Marienthal
2:15 p.m. Arrive at Marienthal for tour of the flour mill
3 p.m. Depart for Duff Ranch for Keystone Gallery visit and roam with buffalo
3:45 p.m. Arrive Duff Ranch for buffalo roam and visit to Keystone Gallery
5:15 p.m. Depart for the Monument Rocks
5:30 p.m. Arrive at Monument Rocks
6:30 p.m. Arrive at Colby Comfort Inn
7:15 p.m. Dinner and presentation on western Kansas water issues
8:45 p.m. Return to rooms
Montezuma: skyways.lib.ks.us/towns/Montezuma
Victor Ornelas Elementary School: www.gckschools.com/schools/vo/default.htm
Garden City Community College: www.gccc.cc.ks.us
Heartland Mill: www.kswheat.com/education/news/brbytes/2000/08_10_00_heartland.html
Keystone Gallery: www.keystonegallery.com
Monument Rocks: www.oakley-kansas.com/fick/monrocks.html
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This site is maintained by University Relations, the public relations office for the University of Kansas Lawrence campus. Copyright 2002, the University of Kansas Office of University Relations. Images and information may be reused with notice of copyright, but not altered. kurelations@ku.edu, (785) 864-3256.