Each week we’ll take a step back into the history of Great Bend through the eyes of reporters past. We’ll reacquaint you with what went into creating the Great Bend of today, and do our best to update you on what “the rest of the story” turned out to be.

First, an update on the June Robles story in last week’s look at 1934.  Readers have asked if the kidnappers of June Robles, the six-year old girl with Barton County ties, were ever found.  As it turns out, The Arizona Daily Star ran a seven-part series about the kidnapping in 2010 on their blog, Tales from the Morgue.  (We thought we were pretty clever, but it appears like all things, there is nothing original under the sun.)  In part seven, it was revealed that the answer to the question was no, it remains unsolved.
“The hunt for the kidnappers continued for some time and theories were batted about, but no one was ever charged with the crime.
June grew up and married, and all evidence indicates she is still alive today. The Morgue Lady is a praying person and prays there are no nightmares and that June is a happy woman.”

Great Society
While President Lyndon B. Johnson appealed to America’s young people to build a “Great Society,”  the historic moment was only page two news in the Great Bend Tribune.  But, like most graduation speeches, the media probably figured it was hardly noteworthy, except for the fact the President of the United States was making it.
The speech, delivered on May 22, 1964,  was given to the graduating class of the University of Michigan, to an audience of about 90,000, including about 5,000 graduates, the UPI story said. In it he promised to assemble the best minds to go to work on ways to solve the problems of cities, natural beauty, quality of education, and other emerging challenges.  But he added one important caveat.
“The solution to these problems does not rest on a massive program in Washington, nor can it rely solely on the strained resources of local authority.
“They require us to create new concepts of cooperation -- a cooperative federalism -- between the national Capitol and the leaders of local communities.”
Following the speech, task forces went to work, crafting proposals, many of which were included in the Jan. 4, 1965 State of the Union Address.   Medicare and Medicaid are two of the programs that have survived the past 50 years.   
Johnson’s War on Poverty began, bringing federal funding to schools in poor districts for a variety of uses.  

School closing
For one school in the Great Bend area, those funds would have been welcomed sooner than later.   In fact, that story is what made the front page of the May 23 paper.  
At the end of the 1964 school year, The Great Bend Daily Tribune led the front page with the question, “Will classes resume again at District 71?”
A shortage of money was the culprit.  Money had been short for the preceding six years, and was exceedingly short that year.  The district already levied the highest allowable tax, and had a relatively large enrollment, the report stated.  One major concern was if there would be enough money to enroll and bus the students to Great Bend.
“Teachers have not been rehired.  School supplies, normally ordered by this time of year, have not been ordered.  The Great Bend School District has been approached on the possibility of annexing District 71.”
The decision would affect between 37 and 40 children enrolled at the school. 
A follow-up story in June stated board members had decided District 71 would operate with a closed school.  Students would attend school at other Great Bend schools for the 1965 school year.  

Graduation party
While the ceremonies and the speeches would add a solemn touch to the graduation landscape locally and across the nation, the parties, let’s face it, were what most young people were looking forward to.  Especially graduates in Great Bend, who had spent many afternoons and evenings cleaning up and ridding the area along the Arkansas River on the Jake Moses farm southwest of town of poison ivy, poison oak, and bulldozing the river bottom to clear it of all debris.
The man’s son, “Moe,” had a similar party with a luau theme the year before, and Moses and other sponsors were willing to give it another go.
A “temple” was built, along with native huts, a concession stand and an eight-foot idol greeted guests as they arrived Friday evening.  
“After the students were taken to the farm, they were loaded in trucks and on hay racks to be taken down a winding road to the river site.  Upon arriving they were led down a path lit by several of the more than 230 “pots” that were set about the site for illumination.  The flares served two purposes.  One was to light the way and the other was to show where the the poison ivey had been cleared.”  A dance band was hired to perform also.
Fried chicken was served before the luau ended around midnight.” the story said.  “The luau was held to give all students a chance to participate in the event.  Many had no opportunity to participate in school activities and while this was not a school-sponsored activity, it was for the high school students,” one of the sponsors said.  
This was clearly over-the-top.  But the care and detail put into the decor for the 2014 Great Bend High School Prom was along the same vein.  Some really know how to put on an event with style.