June, 2012
Dear Friends Along This Way,
The Solomon Valley was honored during the
month of May at the Visitors’ Center at Nicodemus, with a display
representing the diversity in our settlement stories. Mark Weaver,
Superintendent of Nicodemus National Historic Site, did a fantastic job
putting our stories and pictures together, creating an excellent series
of posters for this feature display. Leo Oliva provided an interpretive
pictorial overview of the valley, accompanied by the “Solomon Valley
Anthology,” a band suite composed by Greg Sanders, to complement the
posters.
As a heritage alliance, we recognize
efforts to promote awareness of our heritage. Colby assumed
responsibility for signage for the World War II Veterans Memorial
Highway at the junction of highways 24 and 83, the western end of this
200-plus-mile designated memorial highway. The signage was unveiled May
17, with a program at Frahm Theatre on the Colby Community College
Campus. Secretary of Transportation Mike King participated in the event.
Mitchell County Tourism presented Talking
Tombstones over Memorial weekend, researching and introducing new
historical characters to entertain people returning home for the
weekend. The pleasure of discovery, of historical recovery, motivated
these gifted tombstone talkers. They are heritage caretakers.
Now to look ahead! On July 21 the Peace
Pole the SV24 Alliance proposed as a Kansas Sesquicentennial project,
will be dedicated in Glen Elder. This is our gift that reflects both the
diversity of settlers who sought peace here and the veterans who
sacrificed for peace. Please read more about the Peace Pole in this
newsletter. I encourage you to contribute to this project, to make a
gesture with us to “Let Peace Prevail on Earth.” And I invite you to the
Glen Elder Peace Pole dedication on July 21, 7:15 p.m.!
–Joan
Nothern
March, 2012
Dear Friends Along This Way,
At the annual membership meeting, January
28, 2012, in Osborne, we recognized the 2011 authors who placed in the
Seventh Call for Voices. It was our privilege to have several
first-place winners with us as guests and to hear them read their
winning entries. We listened to voices of honesty and beauty, fantasy
and reality, as Madelaine Colarossi, Rachel Johnson, Keith Schlaegel,
and Nila Rea Denton presented their work. In this issue of the Solomon
Valley Anthology you may read some of the Voices of 2011; more will
follow in each issue during this year.
Eileen Wilson has represented Osborne
County on our Board of Directors for many years. Her knowledge and love
of history added much to our efforts. Eileen has retired from the board.
We are grateful for her years of unflagging support! We also thank
Jennifer Spresser for her years of service on the board, representing
Sheridan County and the town of Hoxie..
Looking ahead, we have been invited to
present an overview of Solomon Valley communities at the Visitors'
Center at Nicodemus. This will be featured during May 2012. We will draw
on the settlement histories prepared for the SVA for this display. The
changing exhibits at Nicodemus will add extra reason to include visits
there. Please make it a habit to do so.
Would you like to share in placing a Peace
Pole in the Solomon Valley? A Peace Pole is a hand-crafted monument that
displays the message May Peace Prevail on Earth on each of its four
sides, in four or eight languages. Exploration is underway to find an
appropriate host site. We are mindful of the role of Clarence Pickett in
securing the 1947 Nobel Peace Prize for the Friends Service Committee.
If you would like to make a special monetary contribution toward this
project, please contact me or a board member.
I hope the county-theme articles on Trails
suggest to you that there are trips to be taken in the Solomon Valley.
Spring is almost here. It is time to take to the road.
–Joan
Nothern
October, 2011
Dear Friends Along This Way,
This year is the Kansas Sesquicentennial,
celebrating 150 years of statehood. Our Alliance communities and
counties had not even been imagined 150 years ago–yet we found reason
and means to lift up those 150 years in the Solomon Valley. We shared
the Kansas Humanities Council’s vision of many activities throughout the
state.
With KHC support, the SV24 Alliance
sponsored a program on Kansas artists by Ron Michaels, curator of the
Sandzen Gallery, in January at Osborne. We initiated community
conversations about the Kansas poetry of William Stafford in March in
Downs and Hill City. And most recently, we sponsored the Stories to Song
residency in Damar. We truly took the moment to listen to art, poetry,
history, and story in the Solomon Valley. We are richer for this.
Plans are underway for the annual meeting,
January 28, 2012, in Osborne. We will recognize the winners of the 2011
Call for Voices and hear the first-place entry in each division of the
contest. Mitchell County Historical Society will provide a sampling of
“Talking Tombstones,” a research and performance approach nurtured by
Alliance workshops. Please plan to join us in Osborne as we review and
then renew our commitment for another year working together. Reservation
details are included in this newsletter.
Your membership is vital. It is
confirmation that what the alliance attempts to do is meaningful. I hope
you renew–perhaps give a gift of membership– and introduce the SV24
Alliance to your friends!
Our work together has forged a connection
to place and past. It promises to make a difference in the future.
–Joan Nothern
Back to Top
August, 2011
Dear Friends Along This Way,
This is a journey we take together: both
preserving and promoting the heritage of the Solomon Valley. At the
August board meeting we reflected on the changes we’ve witnessed since
our beginning a dozen years ago. We noted the impact of the Friends of
the Cottonwood Ranch, the National Park Service at Nicodemus, and the
Historic Site at Antelope Lake enriching the resources to the west. We
have seen loss of community grocery stores and schools, and the
threatened loss of post offices. But there are new movie theaters in
Hill City, Stockton, and Beloit. The Solomon Valley is changing around
us, and we are part of that process.
The Alliance strives to highlight the
heritage and resources of the Solomon Valley, recognizing their
potential to attract travelers. And the travelers do come–on foot, on
bikes, by car and fifth-wheel. What a remarkable group of people these
visitors are. There is an exchange of experience as we engage the
travelers in conversation, discovering their reasons for being here.
Many are responding to challenges, from dispelling negative images of
Kansas, to following personal quests, and fulfilling altruistic
commitments. These visitors don’t live life by default, but rather are
actively engaged in living life as they chose. Our guests are an
inspiration.
Traveling a two-lane highway across Kansas
does attract adventurers. A young cyclist, traveling alone, coast to
coast from May 23 to July 18, wanted to experience the U. S. beyond
consumerism–and he found this through the loneliness and solitude of his
journey. He found community in action in Osborne and Glasco. He found
beauty and connection to nature pedaling Highway 24.
A retired couple spends six months of the
year in a different state–indulging their own greatest loves: learning
and spending time together. This year they are in Kansas–personally
disproving a discounted Kansas. They marvel at our history, geology,
beauty and people! They claim Kansas makes it easy to find beauty in
everything they see and do.
I abandoned the highway one July afternoon
to float for an hour on the Solomon River. It was a remarkable hour of
green trees and blue sky and quiet. And it was good.
No matter your mode of travel, do decide
to visit your neighbors in the Solomon Valley.
–Joan Nothern
Back to Top
June, 2011
Dear Friends Along This Way,
I pause first to acknowledge the loss of
two generous women who helped build the Solomon Valley Highway 24
Heritage Alliance with their gifts of time and energy. Both were
founding members of the Alliance, and both served terms on the board.
Erma Cikanek, 1933-2011, of Beloit, designed and updated the annual
flyer listing the historical sites and events in each of our towns. She
also suggested our mission statement, “Stories Of Land Of Man Of
Nature." Mildred Morgan, 1922-2011, of Osborne, rarely missed an
alliance board meeting, helping guide us through our first decade. We
extend sympathy to their families, who will miss Erma and Mildred so
much.
The theme addressed in this issue by each
of our six counties is “A House with a History.” These stories provide a
window to both place and people– perhaps confirming that “It takes a
heap of living to make a house a home.”
The Depot and Arts Council in Downs and
the Graham County Public Library in Hill City proved excellent hosts for
introducing the KANSAS POEMS OF WILLIAM STAFFORD in March. The community
conversations drew attendance from eight towns along the entire length
of the valley corridor! During the last week in April, National Poetry
Week, Stafford’s poems were read aloud in the Solomon Valley. You’ll
find the book KANSAS POEMS OF WILLIAM STAFFORD in your library– allowing
this acquaintance to continue.
Faye Minium and Roger Hrabe have
contributed articles that address current actions and concerns. Faye
shares the process of preserving a building in Morland for a business
venture. Roger helps us look at the possibilities offered by new media.
Please note our 7th Call for Voices
writing contest in this issue. The Alliance considers this project one
of our most important missions.
We are midway through Kansas 150th year
celebration. This is a good time to recommit to the purpose of the SV24
Alliance, to preserve and promote the heritage of the Solomon Valley as
we uncover the history of the valley in our storied Free State.
It is also time to put this foundation of
knowledge to work, building on our capacity to attract tourists. This is
a challenge we are ready to accept!
–Joan Nothern
Back to Top
April, 2011
Dear Friends Along This Way,
As an organization dedicated to preserving
and promoting the heritage of the Solomon Valley, it is more than
fitting that we dedicate the themed county selections to the libraries
in the valley, for they reveal the collective will to collect and share
histories.
Please note the article about the
community events to be held in Downs and Hill City. The Kansas Poetry of
William Stafford will be explored by Denise Low and Fred Whitehead. This
is a unique project enriching the literary landscape of Kansas as a
sesquicentennial celebration made possible by the SV24 Alliance and
Kansas Humanities Council.
Our organization is indebted to Larry
Griffis, director of the Birger Sandzén Memorial Gallery, for the
articles on Sandzén, and to Ron Michael, curator of that gallery, for
the fine program he presented on Four Visual Artists from the Sunflower
State at the Annual Meeting in January. Both of these men have brought
the work of Sandzén to us. I hope we will make a real effort to go to
Lindsborg to experience the power of Sandzén's work presented in the
gallery there.
Leo Oliva’s portrayal of Private Robert
Morris Peck, U. S. Cavalry, 1856-1861, is very moving! We caught a
glimpse of Peck at the annual meeting. I hope many of you are able to
catch up with him as Leo continues these portrayals. He is scheduled to
appear in Morland on March 20.
In this issue of the Solomon Valley
Anthology you will find the first of the 2010 Call for Voices winning
entries. They speak for themselves. Listen!
–Joan Nothern
Back to Top
December, 2010
Dear Friends Along This Way,
When we united to discover and promote the
heritage of the Solomon Valley I only imagined looking back at our
histories. Granted, we have done that, but it is the projects that we
have made possible that enrich and add to our heritage that we should
take pride in too.
The Sixth Call for Voices drew over 60
entries, evenly divided between youth and adults. We thank all for
participating and look forward to the author/reader selections for
honors this year.
Stockton and Cawker City proved exciting
host sites for Aaron Fowler’s artist residency, sponsored by the Kansas
Arts Council and the SV24. Fowler and students collaborated in the
Stories to Songs Project. Six new songs celebrate community heroes in
the Solomon Valley.
Looking ahead, Downs and Hill City will
host unique heritage events in March, as our alliance coordinates
reflections on the Kansas poetry of William Stafford and how it speaks
to the future. Do plan to take part in this Kansas 150th project.
Osborne will host our annual membership
meeting, January 22, 2011. All members and friends are encouraged to
attend.
Now is time to renew your SV24 membership.
I look forward to continuing our journey together-You might invite a
friend to join us!
–Joan Nothern
Back to Top
October, 2010
DEAR
Friends Along This Way,
Summer’s passed, with fairs, rodeos, and festivals
bringing visitors to the Solomon Valley. Working together, each community
renewed spirit and deepened friendships. Welcoming visitors renews our own
appreciation for home!
We have enjoyed a long relationship with the
Kansas Sampler Foundation. Their 8 Rural Cultural Elements are the template for
the community histories on each of our 24 kiosks. Now these 8 elements are
explored by rural Kansas towns on the new web site
www.getruralkansas.org. Many of our alliance towns are already
represented there. Check out this new guide to rural Kansas–and see how rich and
wonderful it is.
The SV24 Alliance will represent authors Bob Day
and Leo Oliva at the Sunflower Book Festival, October 9, in Osborne. Writers
from Kansas and/or about Kansas will be there. This is an outstanding
opportunity to speak with Kansas authors.
Look for the notice in this newsletter about the
Authors’ Workshop to be held October 30 at the Cottonwood Ranch. It is vision
come true.
Please note November 1 is the due date for the 6th
Call for Voices. Your memories and imagination may find just the ear and venue
through this contest that will add to our valley heritage. Find information on
our web site:
www.hwy24.org.
I’ll close, wishing you moments in the fall to
pursue something new…
Maybe we'll meet…
Sincerely, Joan Nothern
President, Solomon Valley Heritage Alliance
Back to Top
July, 2010
DEAR
Friends Along This Way,
How we benefit from the support of others as we
strive to keep the heritage of the Solomon Valley vital and visible. I will try
to acknowledge some of this support through this message to you.
First, I want to acknowledge the work of North
West Kansas Tourism Council and Roger Hrabe in representing our area at the
Sampler Festival in May. You will find a summary note by Roger in this issue.
Then, let me introduce others who are working with
us. Dr. William S. Worley, a historian and professor at Metropolitan Community
Colleges, Blue Rapids, has signed an agreement to serve as resident Humanities
Scholar and Historian for the U. S. Highway 24 Museum project. His background
and interests make this a valuable contribution.
Dr. Fred Whitehead, Kansas author and five times
reader of our Call for Voices, has inspired us to deepen appreciation for poet
William Stafford, working with schools, libraries, and communities in the
Solomon Valley to have public readings of his Kansas poems.
Larry Griffis, director of the Birger Sandzen
Gallery, Lindsborg, has opened the door for working together to strengthen the
ties between the Solomon Valley and the Gallery, based on the paintings and life
of Birger Sandzen.
Lin Cross, Main Street Gallery and Gifts,
Stockton, will help develop a holiday basket of Solomon Valley products.
Finally, read more of the voices from the Fifth
Annual Call for Voices, and linger over the Stafford poem and writer's tip, then
take seriously our Sixth Call for Voices! We'd like to hear from you!
Sincerely, Joan Nothern
President, Solomon Valley Heritage Alliance
Back to Top
January, 2010
DEAR Friends Along This Way,
At the annual membership meeting in
January, the Solomon Valley Highway 24 Heritage Alliance acknowledged a decade
of working together. It was Leo Oliva’s vision of the valley that kindled our
hopes and efforts ten years ago. He accepted the invitation to reflect on the
role of our organization at this 10th anniversary. You’ll find his report
included in this issue of the Solomon Valley Anthology. It provides a privileged
opportunity to compare aspirations with performance. Thank you, Leo.
As an alliance of 24 communities, we
encourage those confronting change and we pledge our support during the process.
Just now, we are working with Nicodemus and the Cottonwood Ranch. In the spirit
of mustering resources to meet the needs and interests of visitors, Nicodemus
continues its long range interpretive planning with the National Park Service.
Also seeking to see a unique history appreciated, the Friends of the Cottonwood
Ranch are engaged in developing local events at the ranch. These efforts truly
enrich the Solomon Valley.
Seekers of beauty, examples of
courage, dignity, and compassion, flights of fancy. You will find them here. It
is an honor to introduce some of the Voices raised in our Fifth Annual Call for
Voices. They are rich and provocative. We thank the authors for choosing to
share their work with us. And we thank you, the readers, who may be surprised as
you listen to these voices.
Carldon
Broadbent has stepped forward to coordinate the themes to be featured in the
coming issues of the Solomon Valley Anthology, moving from his position on the
board. He will put his love of history to work in this new capacity. He will be
looking for sleuths in each county to furnish materials.
Please remember to renew memberships
and invite others to join us!
Sincerely, Joan Nothern
President, Solomon Valley Heritage Alliance
Back to Top
September, 2009
DEAR Friends Along This Way,
Transitions may be the theme
you detect as you read this issue of the Solomon Valley Anthology. After
a long period of preparation, the Smithsonian Museum on Main Journey
Stories exhibit has come to the Solomon Valley and gone. Glasco welcomed
over 900 visitors at The Corner Store while the exhibit was there. Over
300 attended the supporting events, and there were nine tour groups.
There was a strong sense of pride that a small rural community could
meet the expectation of the Kansas Humanities Council.
The local complementary
exhibit introduced the History of U.S. Highway 24. Extensive research
completed by Solomon Valley Heritage Alliance members with Joyce
Sullenthrop’s guidance, provided the basis for the handsome display. It
dovetailed well with the Smithsonian Journey Stories, filling the
historical niche between the railroads crossing the country and the
interstate system. The Highway 24 exhibit won warm praise from visitors.
This newsletter, the Solomon
Valley Anthology, is completing a chapter with the current edition. When
we began publishing, we proposed each of the 24 communities in the
alliance present its own story. Woodston’s history appears in this
issue, the last alphabetically in our historical tour.
This raises the question,
what next? A committee of Faye Minium from Morland, Linda Clover from
Cawker City, and myself, Glasco, will attempt editorial formatting,
suggesting organizing themes that our six represented counties will be
encouraged to address. We like giving voice to places. This experiment
as a themed digest will be a new twist. We welcome volunteers from each
county to help make this a success.
A last change to note. It is
time to renew membership in the Alliance and to encourage new
memberships. To begin in 2010, the alliance board instituted a single
membership fee of $25.00 for all classifications: individuals, families,
organizations, businesses, and governing bodies. In addition, a single
lifetime membership of $250.00 is being offered. The support of SV24
members is essential as we dedicate ourselves to understanding,
enriching, and promoting the heritage of the Solomon Valley. I hope you
will go the next mile with us.
Sincerely, Joan Nothern
President, Solomon Valley Heritage Alliance
Back to Top
June, 2009
Dear Friends Along This Way,
Preparing for Journey Stories, the Smithsonian Museum on Main Exhibit to be at Glasco August 14-September 27, 2009, has prompted consideration of “journeys.” As we
encourage exploring along Highway 24, a historic two-lane route through the Solomon Valley, the sense of a personal journey of discovery is your reward.
Our work together to share stories of our communities and the history of the road itself alerted us to the wonders of journey stories. From the migration of flowers,
hollyhock seeds passed from neighbor to neighbor, dame’s rocket escaping from gardens to the wild, to exotic quests, journey stories are fascinating! A young man has undertaken working a week in every state in the U.S. Lyn Hamush walked across the U.S., praying in and
for each community along the way. Erika Nelson seeks unique roadside vernacular architecture. A man is driven to find and correct spelling and grammar errors on signs and billboards.
Journeys inward. Journeys back. Reminiscences and reunions. Precious personal reconstructions. It has been intriguing turning over the nuances of journeying–noticing
the impact of travel and insight.
Now it is time to reflect on our journey together. It was through a series of Democratic Vistas programs by Leo Oliva during the summer of 2000 that the communities
along Highway 24 realized the potential for partnership based on their common heritage and rich resources. A partnership with purpose: invite visitors to travel along the Highway 24 corridor–a journey with the whole so much more than the sum of its parts!
Through the Kansas Humanities Council sponsored Democratic Vistas discussions, our Solomon Valley communities envisioned the power of collaboration. Since that time,
other regional and theme-based alliances have come into being. Many share goals that relate to those of the SV24HA. The Kansas Barn Alliance strives to preserve both the icons of rural Kansas and their histories. The new Rural Partnership Initiative will offer
techniques to energize community promotion. Regional tourism councils define each area’s distinct characteristics.
The SV24HA continues to refine its mission, seeking to discover, preserve, and promote our common heritage. We support the museums, artists, authors, and historical
societies who share this vision. We will try to work with the other organizations dedicated to rural Kansas' well-being, not duplicating their services, but building together.
Yes, the longest journey starts with the first step. When we began with that first step in 2000 we had no idea what adventures were ahead! I hope you will continue to
take this path with us.
Sincerely, Joan Nothern
President, Solomon Valley Heritage Alliance
Back to Top
January, 2009
Dear Friends Along This Way,
We worked hard to bring Solomon Valley artists and authors together in a unique project supported by the Kansas Arts Commission. This was truly an inspiring project. Our authors let us see,
peopling the prairie with their memories and experiences, painting it with their keen observations. Artists Gary Ozias, Jackie Campbell, and Virgil Deges honored workshop participants by offering serious, yet delightful, instruction in plain air painting, ceramics, and
water colors. Each of the three Saturdays, October 18 and 25 and November 1, left all of us amazed by what had transpired and hoping there would be more events built on the same format. Simpson, Hoxie, and Stockton were excel- lent host sites.
In the meantime, an exhibit of work created during these author/artist happenings will be included in the January 17, 2009 Annual Membership Meeting in Osborne. This will bring the original
project to a conclusion.
At the October board meeting, the Alliance renewed its agreement with the Glasco Community Foundation to continue work on the US Highway 24 Museum. Concrete progress is being made, as GCF
prepares for the Journey Stories exhibit next summer. The local exhibit component will be based on Highway 24 history through the Solomon Valley. The Kansas Humanities Council selected Glasco as one of six host sites for the Smithsonian Museum on Main Street Journey Stories exhibit. This opportunity lets us grow
in historical perspective, fulfilling our mission as a heritage alliance.
As a representative of the Alliance, I was invited to a meeting sponsored by the Kansas Sampler Foundation that addressed unifying rural Kansas as a tourism entity. We have been building our
organization based on a dual vision: our common history and our unique communities. We stand to learn from this new initiative, and perhaps we will have insights to share based on our several years of working together. This is a process we’ll watch and report back to
you.
The annual membership meeting brings us back to Osborne, where five years ago a panel of authors began our journey, seeking
contemporary voices from the Solomon Valley. It will be our privilege to meet and hear the winners of the 4th Annual Call for Voices. Please note the change of time to a noon meeting. We have been challenged by weather and long night drives, and sincerely hope this accommodation will make it easier for all to join us.
Your SV24 board and officers serve for one year terms. We could not attempt all we do without a hardworking board. As the year closes, I wish to acknowledge Faye Minium, who has served as treasurer since our incorporation in November 2000. She is
not going to continue as treasurer, but will remain as membership chairman. Eileen Wilson, our vice-president, also is retiring from that position. I thank you both for outstanding contributions to the Heritage Alliance.
Now, Friends Along This Way, please renew your memberships, invite others to join us, and plan to attend the January 17, 2009, Annual Membership Meeting. We have exciting journeys ahead.
Sincerely, Joan Nothern
President, Solomon Valley Heritage Alliance
Back to Top
September, 2008
Dear Friends Along This Way,
This begins our sixth year of this quarterly news letter, the Solomon Valley Anthology, an accumulative record of community histories and collaborative ventures. Our
editor has helped us deliver a publication that does justice to our vision. We foresaw a newsletter that presented the history and culture of the 24 member communities, that revealed the common threads of heritage, that encouraged historic preservation and economic
development, and that promotes education and tourism. These were ambitious goals, and we have made a serious effort to realize them.
Roger Hrabe navigated the publication process for the new Explore Highway 24 and the Solomon River Valley brochure. It succeeds in combining photos, map, historical
background, and a facility reference guide. It is a good visual confirmation of our unity and destination potential.
Making the valley known – knowing the valley – artists do both as they see and respond to the world around. The SV24 Alliance has received a grant from the Kansas
Arts Commission to bring active artists together with those who would like to gain more experience in artistic expression. We are coordinating workshops at three sites in the valley, hoping to encourage “en plein air” creations. We are tapping authors who responded to
our Call for Voices to be present to read from their work, deepening the experience of seeing the Solomon Valley.
The research supported by the Kansas Humanities Council on the highway through the Solomon Valley provided the groundwork for important new ventures. Glasco, the
easternmost community in the Alliance corridor, has three historic buildings on Main Street that have been named a Partnership Historic Site by the Kansas State Historical Society. This new program created by the Kansas legislature made this site eligible for tax
credits to help preserve the buildings. Glasco is working to establish a National U. S. Highway 24 Museum in their Downtown Historic District, in partnership with the SV24 Alliance.
The KHC named Glasco one of six sites in Kansas to host the Smithsonian Exhibit Museum on Main Street Journey Stories for six weeks during 2009. This will help us
grow in storytelling capacity, as the Red Line to Highway 24 journey is developed. We hope our work with the museums in the Alliance allows us to share these new exhibit resources.
Colby, an associate Alliance member, will host Journey Stories in early 2010. I sincerely hope you will see the value of these capacity-building projects.
Sincerely, Joan Nothern
President, Solomon Valley Heritage Alliance
