Osawatomie Kansas Day Festivities

By Kevin Gray

Before the official Kansas Day activities began Saturday morning at Osawatomie High School, Trojan Elementary and Swenson Early Education Center students had been busy taking a closer look at their state. Floats representing anything related to Kansas from a 150th birthday cake to a buffalo to covered wagons, and, plenty of University of Kansas basketball reminders sat on display in the third-grade wing after their annual parade.

On what is a regular activity called switch day, Trojan teachers used Friday in each classroom for Kansas-centered activities. Emma Adair, actually foster grandparent, Julane Wilson spent each class period telling students about her arrival in Osawatomie and what life was like in the past. As students moved from classroom to classroom, they made dioramas, the state flag, miniature covered wagons, sunflowers, Kansas maps and cottonwood trees.

In Nicole Howie’s third grade, Kansas Jeopardy had students on the edge of their seats, as they hurriedly tried to beat one another to the answer. The first question from Early Days for $200 read: “He was a police officer in Wichita and marshal in Dodge City.” The answer, of course, is Wyatt Earp. Or Grown in Kansas for $100: “Kansas produces enough of this crop to make more than 30 million loaves of this a year.” No problems with this answer. Bread came quickly from the respective team.

At Swenson Early Education Center, the kindergarten students also switched from classroom to classroom, where they used their hands to learn about Kansas. An alphabet book made up of Kansas stories taught simple lessons about the past and present, they made cottonwood trees, and worked with state symbols. After finishing Sunflower Math pictures, the students had to count the number of sunflowers used.

Along the way, Swenson students also made state maps they could eat using graham crackers and frosting. To top it off, each student used a Hershey’s Kiss and candy corn to create a sunflower.

Saturday morning, Osawatomie High School doors were opened to an arts and crafts fair, a kids’ carnival, live music and entertainment provided by the Band of Oz, the Osawatomie Time Machine, OHS forensics students and Voices of Praise. Trojan third-grade Kansas Day floats and activities were also on display.

With looms set up and working, Donna Fuller of Weaving the Past explained how she works a continuous weave. “This means, you keep the same color running until you need to change colors. This is when you have to cut the yarn,” Fuller said.

Also from Weaving the Past, Bonnie Pfieffer said if you take a class from them, you will become a member of their guild. “We teach the basics, and then the students take it from there,” Pfieffer said.

The Osawatomie KAYS gave children a chance to try their luck with a dart toss, a Pick-A-Duck chance, and Kansas Jeopardy. Cinda Atwater attended with her Z to A Crafts right next to the Osawatomie Historical Society, where a Kansas Day Rag Quilt would be given away later in the day from a drawing. Funds raised will go towards the Osawatomie High School scholarship fund.

Friends of the Mentally Ill Foundation sold cookbooks and held a bake sale to raise proceeds for Osawatomie State Hospital patients.

Sara Turner and her Sara’s Crafts from Olathe offered a variety of homemade bracelets and chocolates, whereas Joy Robideaux, also of Olathe, brought a line of Premier Design products, including rings, bracelets, ear rings, and necklaces.

TRI-KO wanted to let people know their clients will be preparing Easter Eggs with candy inside and selling to businesses. “Our clients enjoy putting the Easter Eggs together, and businesses and organizations can purchase the eggs already put together for Easter Egg hunts they are sponsoring,” said Susan Barrett, director of Community Relations and Development. TRI-KO will also provide free pictures with the Easter Bunny on Feb. 19 or Easter cards can be purchased using the picture, she said.

Marie Griffiths from Diamond M. Crafts of Kansas City, Kan., sat with a needle in hand working on a new item surrounded by casserole carriers, walker-bed-armchair caddies and baby items like bibs. “I came up with the walker caddy, when I was helping an elderly friend and trying to juggle my purse and her purse and the wheels on the chair didn’t want to work. This way, I can have somewhere to put my purse and have my hands free,” Griffiths said.

But Griffiths also had Marshmallow Shooters for the kids, she said, which really work. Strange looking devises made from plastic pipe, painted, with 90 degree angles really work. “I was at a festival in Independence a couple of years ago, when a couple of kids got into a fight. Two police officers had just stopped to visit with me when the fight broke out. They asked if they could borrow one with the mini-marshmallows. They started shooting the marshmallows at the boys, and this broke up the fight. Believe it or not, the boys started laughing and were good again with each other,” Griffiths said.

Having been laid off from Sprint several years ago, Roy Poe from Overland Park said he was looking to find a way to make a little money. “My wife saw some Disciples Crosses, which are crosses made from nails, leather straps and wire, all symbolic the sacrifices made by Jesus,” Poe said. “I wasn’t interested at first, but I began thinking that she had a great idea. This way, I am able to promote Christianity and teenagers really like the crosses, my key chains and zip pulls,” he said.

Other participants at the festivities were TOPS (Taking Off Pounds Sensibly). TOPS had a Kansas food basket to give away containing healthy corn, wheat and canned vegetable products all grown in Kansas. Scenstsy’s Tessa Osbourne, who said she offers wickless candle warmers in 80 scents. Osbourne was already taking donations for Relay for Life.

Tupperware consultant Sue Fox from Alma, Kan., provided many items on sale at 40 percent off at her Modular Mates booth. Paola’s Micki Wilson’s Magic Gifts Etc., display provides an alternative to potting soil by using water beads for plants. “All you do is add water to these small beads, and they swell up to the size of marbles to water plants,” Wilson said.

Main Body Works from Osawatomie and Kelly Behnke talked to visitors about healing the whole body therapeutically. “I promote a healthy living so we provide a whole range of services, including Myofascial Release, therapeutic massage, chair massage, bio feed back therapy, electro reflex energizer, ionic foot bath, ear candling, hot stones, aromatherapy and rain drop therapy,” Behnke said.

During the morning, the First Presbyterian Church youth group sold breakfast burritos to raise funds for a mission trip this summer.

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Posted by admin on Feb 2 2011. Filed under News and Updates. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry