In other business Monday night the Great Bend City Council:
• Approved a conditional use permit for CHS McPherson Refinery Inc. The permit will allow the placement of a 10,000-gallon above-ground fuel tank at their new facility at the K-156 and U.S. 56 junction. This property is located within the three-mile limit and required council action. The approval was recommended by the Planning Commission on Nov.28, commission Secretary and City Attorney Bob Suelter said.
The company is in the crude oil transport business and the fuel will be used only for its fleet of trucks.
• Set the date for next regular council meeting for 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 3. The meeting would have fallen on Monday, Jan. 2, but that is the observed New Years holiday.
• Approved an abatement for 317 Locust, for accumulation of refuse, owned by Jesus and Mayra Hernandez.
The Great Bend Police Department’s Drug Abuse Resistance Eduction program joined forces with city officials at Monday night’s City Council meeting to recognize 10 fifth-grade students for writing outstanding essays as a part of th 2016 D.A.R.E. classes.
Between the kids, their teachers and their parents, the council chambers was packed. Mayor Mike Allison praised the “family-like” nature of the program that encourages teacher and parental involvement with the students.
“This is an awe-inspiring site,” said Great Bend Police Department school liaison officer Paul Millard. “I couldn’t be more proud of them.”
Honored with a “night on the town” were:
• Eisenhower Elementary School: Gwen Mcdonald’s class, top essay Marley Harris and Runner up River Puig-Pafford; and Barb Thoren’s class, top essay Rylan Crawford and Runner up Mckenzie Hinton.
• Jefferson Elementary School: Elisabeth Gafford’s class, top essay Sydney Mattison and Runner up Ayanna Moriasi; and Leann Miller’s class, top essay Eliana Jackson and Runner up Georgia Schwager.
• Lincoln Elementary School: Jamie Byer’s class, top essay Maddie Stoskopf and Runner up Ethan Hammeke; and Karen Smith’s class, top essay Isaac Leyva and runner up Taylour Yoder.
• Park Elementary School: Nina Burton’s class, top essay Sophie Werth and runner up Clarissa Bashor; and Signe Cook’s class, top essay Taiya Clanton and runner up Eve Ramirez.
• Riley Elementary School: Kelsey Scheuerman’s class, top essay Norma Blair and runner up Hector Dominguez; and Kaci Kilgore’s class, top essay Melanie Gonzalez-Rojas and runner up Justin Leyva.
Only the winners and their teachers were present Monday evening at the meeting.
As a part of the contest, students and their teachers were escorted and treated to dinner at Gambino’s Pizza before receiving recognition and a certificate from Allison.
One requirement of the 14-week D.A.R.E. curriculum is for each student to write an essay explaining what they have learned and why they have decided to make wise decisions concerning friendships, alcohol and drug use, Davis said. The student’s essays were chosen as the most outstanding essay from their respective schools that hosted the D.A.R.E. Program this past semester.
Millard said the essays that talked about staying away from drugs and alcohol, not smoking and ways to combat bullying and ideas on coping with stress.
D.A.R.E. also teaches students important lessons and encourages a healthy lifestyle that can bring personal achievement and benefit society as they grow up and become involved in their community, Millard said.
For more information on the program, call Millard at 620-793-4120.
