Great Bend Parks Department crews have started the tedious job of removing the vestiges of Christmas from around the community. The decorations that make up the Trail of Lights are coming down.
But, as these go into storage, City Administrator Howard Partington said all went well during the Yuletide season.
“The Holiday season was a great success in Great Bend,” he said during his departmental update at Monday night’s City Council meeting. “A special thanks to the Park Department staff for our beautiful light displays and to the volunteers for helping as greeters for the Trail of Lights.”
Community Coordinator Christina Hayes is still compiling the Christmas numbers for a report to be given at a future council meeting, Partington said.
Other highlights of his update were:

Public Works
• Snow removal and working on year end projects.
• Water well 24th and Adams pump replacement.
• Sanitarian: 957 year to date complaints, two new complaints (one by citizen and one by staff), seven complaints completed by citizens one abatement performed and one vehicle brought into compliance.

Police
• A Retirement Reception was held in honor of Chief Dean Akings on Tuesday, Dec. 31.
• Sgt. Gary Davis and Officer Jefferson Davis provided approximately 30 rides for the New Year’s Eve Taxi Service with all proceeds going to the Drug Awareness and Resistance Education program.

Fire/EMS/Inspection
• Followed up on a complaint through City Office from a citizen regarding open burning in the city.
• Fire Inspector Mark Orth calibrated the four gas monitors for Water Pollution Control and the Fire Department.
• City Inspector Lee Schneider has received the civil plans for the Holiday Inn Express for preliminary review.

Administration
• The Miss Barton County and Miss Golden Belt pageant is gearing up for 7 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 17 at the eat Bend High School auditorium. There are nine girls interested and two title winners will be given a $1,000 scholarship. The girls then go to compete and represent our area for the Miss Kansas Pageant in June.
• Hayes is assisting the unification of retail stores and the Kansas Wetlands Education Center to host the Cheyenne Bottoms Coloring Contest, each school is assigned a store and winners will be chosen per school. This is the fourth year for the contest and all entities are happy with the sharing and collaboration, Hayes said.
• The Icy Sidewalk Sale is set for Jan. 17 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Great Bend. Twenty-five retail stores are participating in this effort to get rid of winter items and get ready for spring inventory.