Opinion
New year: Take stock of financial life
By Chad Boaz Associate Financial Advisor, Ameriprise It’s time for that annual rite of passage into the New Year: making your resolutions. In addition to vowing to lose 10 pounds or organize your photos stored on your computer, perhaps 2012 should be the year to focus on your finances. Regardless of your age or financial status, the following ideas might help make 2012 more financially beneficial.   Twenty-somethings If you are fortunate enou...
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Dominican Republic appeals to traveler
By Debbie Hoppes Travel Columnist The Dominican Republic offers a variety of resort regions, all with a distinct character and appeal. From soft adventure to families. In fact, the style of vacation available to travelers interested in this emerging Caribbean favorite depends largely on the region selected. Punta Cana is best known for its beaches and seaside resorts facing the Caribbean and Atlantic. Punta Cana features a number of large res...
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Keeping new year's resolutions
Ask Reno By Reno Jain, R.D., L.D.   Dear Reno: Every year I make new year resolutions and then within one to two months I break them. What can I do to keep them? Thank you — J.P. Every year, nearly 40 to 45 percent of Americans make new year resolutions, the top ones usually are to eat healthy, exercise, lose weight and stop smoking. Maintaining these during the months to come is a different story and always a challenge. So what should one do?...
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Commissioner says he seeks truth
By Frankie Barnett Parsons City Commissioner I can take the criticism if you can stand to hear the truth. If I am controversial about an issue and it fails, my foes seem to blame me because it didn’t work. I’m sorry, ladies and gentlemen, am I responsible for everything? I vote against things and I ask questions. I get accused of negativity because I don’t vote with the other commissioners. Well, I’m not one of the old boys. I do my homework a...
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Sun website gets new look
By Peter Cook Sun Publisher If you haven’t checked out Parsonssun.com lately, this might be a good week to go online and see the new look and the new features, many of them free to all viewers. Whether you subscribe to the digital edition or not, you can now view today’s classified ads, a variety of coupons you can download from area businesses and local news and sports headlines and many other features. Digital business feature pages can be a...
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Public Mind
Volunteers help Arboretum projects To The Sun: We had another great year at the Parsons Arboretum thanks to all the hard-working volunteers we have in and around our community. Not only did people clean and maintain the gardens, but they helped clear the railroad tracks for the walking trail, plant and dig up tropical bulbs, remove dead trees and stumps, repair outside structures, paint signs, pick up trash and water trees and plants to ensure...
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Public Mind
Senators report progress on economic growth initiative To The Sun: Last year, the four senators who represent Southeast Kansas, together with hundreds of others from our region, launched “Together We Succeed: Southeast Kansas Economic Improvement Initiative.” This project strives to use regional cooperation to improve the economy and quality of life in the 17 counties of Southeast Kansas. With the new year comes a good opportunity to recap wha...
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Marketing our community starts at Home
By Carolyn Kennett City of Parsons economic development director Marketing our community must first start at home. Communities all over the world are trying to attract new retail, new manufacturing and new residents to their locations. You don’t have to look too far to see advertisements luring companies to the “most livable city,” the “fastest growing city,” or the most “business friendly region.” So why is it so important to create a positiv...
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Our View
Romney in PK As the presidential primary season unfolds, Parsons citizens should remember their brief connection to one of the candidates’ families. George Romney, father of GOP presidential front-runner Mitt Romney, visited Parsons about 40 years ago and liked it so much he left a $1.6 million check here. Of course, he was just doing his job at the time. George Romney, former governor of Michigan, served as secretary of the U.S. Department ...
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Ferguson gets third term
The annual Labette County Committee Election ballot count was completed on Dec. 9. Darlene Ferguson of Mound Valley was re-elected to represent LAA No. 1 and Fred Vail of Edna will serve as the first alternate. This is Darlene’s third three-year term, which is the limit. She will rejoin current committee members Ken Foster and Tori Dickinson. County committee members are responsible for making decisions on FSA disaster, conservation, commod...
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Mayor discusses petition drive
There’s a lot of buzz in town about two petitions calling for change in city leadership and government. Richard Housley and others, some of whom have been reluctant to reveal their identities, are calling for the City Manager Fred Gress to resign due to an alleged lack of fairness, poor planning, reckless management and so on, for all city employees to live within 3 miles of the Parsons city limits and for city commissioners to be limited to t...
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Public Mind
To The Sun: The time to sign the letters of concern is quickly approaching, as the deadline is Jan. 1. While many signatures have been gathered, people must understand that they need not be a registered voter to sign. It is a public opinion about business and management in city government. Businesses where the letters of concern have been placed are Metal Masters, Sportsman Barber Shop and Rod’s Eastside Automotive. Persons carrying the lette...
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Public Mind
To The Sun: The last blood drive of 2011 sponsored by the Labette County Chapter of the American Red Cross will be from noon to 6 p.m. Thursday and from 8 a.m. to noon Friday at First Christian Church, 29th and Southern. January is National Blood Donor Month, so all donors attending will be recognized and a special recognition will be in honor of Dean Cramer, who has reached the 20 gallon plateau. The theme of the drive is “The Perfect Gift.”...
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Public Mind
To The Sun: Let us tell you folks about the wax museum program by fifth-graders at Guthridge School Dec. 15. There were 85 kids that put on one of the best shows that we have seen in years. And we have been to a lot of them. The kids did a super j ob playing the parts of famous people of the past. The teachers should be proud of them and of themselves for a great program. If you missed this, you missed a great bunch of kids and a lot of hard ...
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Other Editors Comment
School funding formula The Kansas City Star Back when Kansas legislators were handing the last major revision of the state's school funding formula over to Gov. Joan Finney, George H.W. Bush looked like a shoo-in for a second White House term and Americans were bemused, but not overly concerned, by the splintering of Yugoslavia. Things have changed a lot since 1992. But the state's funding formula hasn't, beyond a few tweaks and patches. Now G...
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Healthy potato soup
The holidays are here and so are the irresistible holiday treats, parties and big family meals. In addition to doing some type of physical activity for 30 minutes a day, try to include a few healthy meals during these next few weeks to ease the caloric intake. This Healthy Potato Soup is tried, tested and approved by the Labette County Extension staff. Healthy Potato Soup (Make 15 servings) 6 large potatoes, cubed 3 large carrots, sliced 3 s...
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Senate takes on ex-MF Global chief
The United States Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry has issued a subpoena to the former CEO of MF Global, a major international commodities brokerage firm that collapsed after taking bad risks on European debt. You might be wondering what this has to do with Kansas. Well, the answer is a lot. Customers of MF Global were Kansans: farmers, ranchers, grain elevators, co-ops, small businesses, investors and others. When MF G...
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A Season of Thanksgiving
At Labette Community College, when we speak of seasons, we are usually talking about the most current sport that is practicing and hosting games. Well, this season is also a season of thanksgiving. As the holidays quickly approach, students are studying diligently for finals and instructors preparing for the spring semester. In the midst of the holiday bustle, we should remember to pause and be thankful for all we have and all we’ve accomplis...
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Public Mind
To The Sun: The mayor and Oswego City Council members held a strategic long range planning session on Nov. 12. The city's meeting was held at a hunting lodge in Cherokee County. I'm sure it was nice. But to hold a city meeting to discuss the promotion of Oswego's businesses and schools at an out of town business that pays taxes to Cherokee County and Columbus' schools sends the wrong message. That meeting should have been held in Oswego. I b...
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Public Mind
To The Sun: In the fall of 2010 the Kansas Public Health Association Inc. and the United Methodist Health Ministry Fund collaborated to make funding for a breastfeeding grant available to public health departments that could include partners who could receive a share of funds. Labette County Health Department worked with Chris Drumm, a certified lactation specialist and an employee of Labette Health. Chris wanted to become an international boa...
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