The sponsor of the Ellinwood Chamber of Commerce coffee Friday morning was Central National Bank, with two locations in Great Bend. Chad Steffan, business lender and manager of the Main Street location, said since the bank expanded to Great Bend three years ago, business has been brisk, providing commercial, residential and agricultural loans, as well as providing banking services at the in-store bank at Walmart. As a regional bank, they can write loans ranging from a couple thousand dollars up to $15 million, he said. The bank has been owned by the same family for four generations. That family came from Lorrain, not far from Ellinwood, and became majority owners during the Great Depression. They, as a family, continue to farm along with banking.

Splash Pad and Parade news
On Friday, May 19, the Ellinwood Rotary Club will host coffee at 10 a.m. at the City Park where it will have a ribbon cutting for the new Splash Pad. Club members raised funds over a two year period to bring this water feature to the children of Ellinwood, providing a fun and safe way to cool off during the summer, extending summer water fun beyond the City Pool swim season.
Also, as the sponsor of the After Harvest Festival Parade on July 15, the club is requesting the public share their ideas for this year’s parade theme, and nominate a Grand Marshall for the parade. The deadline is May 19. Ideas can be submitted to the After Harvest Festival Parade facebook page, or to Ellinwood Rotary Club, PO Box 23, Ellinwood, KS 67526, or by email to joinerro@embarqmail.com .

Garden tour announced
JoAnn Roth, representing the Ellinwood Garden Club, said on Saturday morning, June 17, the club will host a garden tour from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. (bring an umbrella if there is rain.). Six homes will be on the tour. Something a little unusual will be the focus on Fairy Gardens. Roth encourages the public to try their hands at creating fairy gardens to be displayed at the various gardens on the tour.
For those with immovable fairy gardens, the Ellinwood School and Community Library will display framed photos, or even videos in electronic frames, of these creations, as well as indoor fairy gardens, starting June. 1. For more details, contact Roth at 620-282-4053, or Marla Habiger at 620-786-9625.
For added fun, William Shakespeare will visit each of the gardens. One of the gardens includes a multi-season greenhouse, where door prizes will be given, and from 1-2 p.m., another garden will provide tea and crumpets, plus lemonade cookies. Tickets cost $5 and children are admitted free, and can be paid and stamped at any of the gardens.

Next week, the Ellinwood Community Hospital will host coffee at 10 a.m. on Friday, May 12, in recognition of National Hospital Week.