By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays Post

HAYS, Kan. — Chris Hund is one of the youngest technicians in his profession.

At the beginning of the year, he and his wife bought Hays Organ Service from Steve Demuth, who had owned and operated the business for 48 years.

Demuth said organ technicians are a vanishing breed. Many are aging, have retired or passed away.

As this has happened, Hund's service area has expanded significantly. He services organs across Kansas and much of Nebraska. He and his wife, Laura, recently logged 1,200 miles in just two weeks of work.

When Demuth, 68, started the business, he was mostly working on home organs. Most organists had organs in their homes on which they practiced.

Today Hund's work primarily focuses on digital pianos and church organs, both traditional pipe organs and electronic instruments. Some of the pipe organs are as much as 100 years old.

Hund said maintaining the organs is essential to church culture.

"If you don't have music, you don't have a service, not in the same way," he said.

Hund took an unlikely path into the music world. He has a degree in electrical engineering from Kansas State University and worked for Midwest Energy for a time.

However, he said he was interested in finding another career path that included more flexibility.

Demuth's daughter married Hund's brother and the two happened to discuss Demuth's impending retirement.

Demuth said he wasn't quite ready to retire, but a bout of COVID resulted in the loss of his high-range hearing, which is essential when tuning an organ.

Hund agreed to shadow Demuth on a job to see what the business was all about. That turned into about six months, and on Jan. 1, Hund and his wife officially assumed control over the business. Demuth has remained on with the business as a consultant.

"In this field, you have to have an electronic background, be mechanically capable and you've got to have some music skills," Demuth said. ... "And you have to like to travel because they don't bring the organs to you."

Pipe organs can be unique to the church or building into which they are installed with no manuals or training that can prepare you for that specific instrument.

This is why Demuth's continued assistance has been invaluable, Hund said.

The organ chests control the airflow with a rubber cloth or leather. Those can wear out over about 80 years and result in the instrument needing to be rebuilt, Demuth said.

For most churches, any type of replacement of an organ would be far too cost restrictive. Even the tuning of an organ takes hours of what Demuth explained as stretching and contortion to reach into the tight spaces that hold the pipes.

Tuning can greatly affect the sound of the music. Demuth said masters, such as Bach, composed for organs with different tuning than is generally used today. Modern organs can be adjusted to fit that tuning so the music matches the composer's intent.

Mice often make mischief in organs, especially those in older, rural churches. Demuth was once called to a church to repair an organ at a rural church near Larned. He suspected mice had damaged the organ based on the instrument's symptoms.

Demuth fixed the organ, but in two weeks, church officials called him complaining about problems with the organ.

He returned to find mice, in that short time, had filled one of the organ's boxes, which was about a cubic foot, with milo. Curiously, one of the church members told Demuth the nearest milo field was three-quarters of a mile away.

Not only is there a dwindling number of organ technicians, but there is also a lack of organists. Demuth said many churches are now sharing organists to keep up with the demand.

Playing the organ is similar, but yet different and more complex than playing the piano.

Organs have two keyboards plus pedals, whereas a piano only has damper pedals. Organs can have much larger ranges than pianos, and the sheet music is different.

"There are stops on an organ that are strictly an organ stop," Demuth said. "They are not borrowed from any other type of instrument. A trumpet stop is obviously a trumpet or oboe or anything like that. ... "The pipes are tailored to meet that tonal quality."

Hund said, "I can't think of any other instrument that you can play so many unique sounds all together by the press of a key. It is really a unique instrument, and I would hate to see it go away."

As the Hunds move forward with with the business, Chris said he hopes to work with churches to do preventive maintenance to reduce the number of hours and miles the couple is on the road.

The Hunds work out of a home office. Hays Organ Service can be reached at 785-261-1890 or by email at&nbsp;service@haysorganservice.org.&nbsp;You can also learn more on their website&nbsp;<a href="http://haysorganservice.com/">haysorganservice.com</a>&nbsp;or follow them on Facebook&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/HaysOrganService/">@haysorganservice</a>.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1653504985520.jpeg" alt="Chris and Laura Hund are the new owners of Hays Organ Service. Courtesy photo" />
 <figcaption>Chris and Laura Hund are the new owners of Hays Organ Service. Courtesy photo</figcaption>
 </figure>By CRISTINA JANNEY Hays PostHAYS, Kan. — Chris Hund is one of the youngest technicians in his profession.At the beginning of the year, he and his wife bought Hays Organ Service from Steve Demuth, who had owned and operated the business for 48 years.Demuth said organ technicians are a vanishing breed. Many are aging, have retired or passed away.As this has happened, Hund's service area has expanded significantly. He services organs across Kansas and much of Nebraska. He and his wife, Laura, recently logged 1,200 miles in just two weeks of work.When Demuth, 68, started the business, he was mostly working on home organs. Most organists had organs in their homes on which they practiced.Today Hund's work primarily focuses on digital pianos and church organs, both traditional pipe organs and electronic instruments. Some of the pipe organs are as much as 100 years old.Hund said maintaining the organs is essential to church culture. "If you don't have music, you don't have a service, not in the same way," he said. Hund took an unlikely path into the music world. He has a degree in electrical engineering from Kansas State University and worked for Midwest Energy for a time.However, he said he was interested in finding another career path that included more flexibility.Demuth's daughter married Hund's brother and the two happened to discuss Demuth's impending retirement.Demuth said he wasn't quite ready to retire, but a bout of COVID resulted in the loss of his high-range hearing, which is essential when tuning an organ.Hund agreed to shadow Demuth on a job to see what the business was all about. That turned into about six months, and on Jan. 1, Hund and his wife officially assumed control over the business. Demuth has remained on with the business as a consultant."In this field, you have to have an electronic background, be mechanically capable and you've got to have some music skills," Demuth said. ... "And you have to like to travel because they don't bring the organs to you." Pipe organs can be unique to the church or building into which they are installed with no manuals or training that can prepare you for that specific instrument.This is why Demuth's continued assistance has been invaluable, Hund said.The organ chests control the airflow with a rubber cloth or leather. Those can wear out over about 80 years and result in the instrument needing to be rebuilt, Demuth said.For most churches, any type of replacement of an organ would be far too cost restrictive. Even the tuning of an organ takes hours of what Demuth explained as stretching and contortion to reach into the tight spaces that hold the pipes.Tuning can greatly affect the sound of the music. Demuth said masters, such as Bach, composed for organs with different tuning than is generally used today. Modern organs can be adjusted to fit that tuning so the music matches the composer's intent. Mice often make mischief in organs, especially those in older, rural churches. Demuth was once called to a church to repair an organ at a rural church near Larned. He suspected mice had damaged the organ based on the instrument's symptoms.Demuth fixed the organ, but in two weeks, church officials called him complaining about problems with the organ.He returned to find mice, in that short time, had filled one of the organ's boxes, which was about a cubic foot, with milo. Curiously, one of the church members told Demuth the nearest milo field was three-quarters of a mile away.Not only is there a dwindling number of organ technicians, but there is also a lack of organists. Demuth said many churches are now sharing organists to keep up with the demand.Playing the organ is similar, but yet different and more complex than playing the piano.Organs have two keyboards plus pedals, whereas a piano only has damper pedals. Organs can have much larger ranges than pianos, and the sheet music is different."There are stops on an organ that are strictly an organ stop," Demuth said. "They are not borrowed from any other type of instrument. A trumpet stop is obviously a trumpet or oboe or anything like that. ... "The pipes are tailored to meet that tonal quality."Hund said, "I can't think of any other instrument that you can play so many unique sounds all together by the press of a key. It is really a unique instrument, and I would hate to see it go away." As the Hunds move forward with with the business, Chris said he hopes to work with churches to do preventive maintenance to reduce the number of hours and miles the couple is on the road.The Hunds work out of a home office. Hays Organ Service can be reached at 785-261-1890 or by email at&nbsp;service@haysorganservice.org.&nbsp;You can also learn more on their website&nbsp;<a href="http://haysorganservice.com/">haysorganservice.com</a>&nbsp;or follow them on Facebook&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/HaysOrganService/">@haysorganservice</a>.

New owners of organ repair business serve wide swath of Kan., Neb.

By SCOTT CARLSON North Platte Post

The Lincoln Police Department is investigating the cause of a traffic crash at 52nd St. and O Street that resulted in the death of two individuals and multiple injuries to onlookers during the event Americruise.

On Sunday, May 29, 2022, at 10:47 pm, a black Ford Taurus was traveling westbound on O Street when it struck a white Toyota Corolla that was facing eastbound. After the initial impact, both vehicles were forced onto the north sidewalk of O Street, west of North 52nd Street, striking multiple people where crowds were standing and seated to observe the event. One victim is currently in critical condition with the others hurt sustaining non-life-threatening injuries.

The Lincoln Police Department offers their condolences to the family and friends of those who were killed as a result of this incident. We will work tirelessly to determine what occurred and hold those responsible for this tragedy accountable.

This is an ongoing investigation. We do not believe, nor is there any evidence this was an intentional act.

This investigation is ongoing and LPD is asking anyone who witnessed this crash to come forward with any information they may have regarding this case, including video or photographic evidence. We encourage anyone with information about this incident to call our non-emergency number at 402-441-6000 or Crime Stoppers at 402-475-3600.

LINCOLN, Neb.-Police in Lincoln said two people were killed and at least 19 were injured after a crash during a Memorial Day event in the city.

Police said the incident happened at around 12:30 a.m. in the area of 52nd and O Streets. Spectators had gathered for the Annual Americruise event. 

The event was unsanctioned this year and organized by individuals in the community after concerns over the event were expressed by the Lincoln police, according to posts on social media. "Don't let the police think they won by getting this shutdown," organizers said in a post on the social media site happeningnext.com. "This is a cruise not a time for racing, with a bunch of people out there watching we don't want anybody to get hurt."

Police said multiple vehicles were involved in a crash which led to a fire.

Two female occupants in one of the vehicles were pronounced dead at the scene.

Police said 19 others were transported to hospitals, one in critical condition, the others with non-life-threatening injuries.

The crash is under investigation. This is a developing story.

<a href="https://northplattepost.com/posts/2ddcec21-000f-4ace-b19e-4250120d6629">&nbsp;&nbsp;Download The Post app for iOs or Android</a>

By SCOTT CARLSON North Platte PostUpdate from Lincoln PoliceThe Lincoln Police Department is investigating the cause of a traffic crash at 52nd St. and O Street that resulted in the death of two individuals and multiple injuries to onlookers during the event Americruise.On Sunday, May 29, 2022, at 10:47 pm, a black Ford Taurus was traveling westbound on O Street when it struck a white Toyota Corolla that was facing eastbound. After the initial impact, both vehicles were forced onto the north sidewalk of O Street, west of North 52nd Street, striking multiple people where crowds were standing and seated to observe the event. One victim is currently in critical condition with the others hurt sustaining non-life-threatening injuries.The Lincoln Police Department offers their condolences to the family and friends of those who were killed as a result of this incident. We will work tirelessly to determine what occurred and hold those responsible for this tragedy accountable.This is an ongoing investigation. We do not believe, nor is there any evidence this was an intentional act.This investigation is ongoing and LPD is asking anyone who witnessed this crash to come forward with any information they may have regarding this case, including video or photographic evidence. We encourage anyone with information about this incident to call our non-emergency number at 402-441-6000 or Crime Stoppers at 402-475-3600.LINCOLN, Neb.-Police in Lincoln said two people were killed and at least 19 were injured after a crash during a Memorial Day event in the city.Police said the incident happened at around 12:30 a.m. in the area of 52nd and O Streets. Spectators had gathered for the Annual Americruise event. The event was unsanctioned this year and organized by individuals in the community after concerns over the event were expressed by the Lincoln police, according to posts on social media. "Don't let the police think they won by getting this shutdown," organizers said in a post on the social media site happeningnext.com. "This is a cruise not a time for racing, with a bunch of people out there watching we don't want anybody to get hurt."<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fphoto.php%3Ffbid%3D10103345558820148%26set%3Dp.10103345558820148%26type%3D3&show_text=true&width=500" width="500" height="413" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share"></iframe></div>Police said multiple vehicles were involved in a crash which led to a fire.Two female occupants in one of the vehicles were pronounced dead at the scene.Police said 19 others were transported to hospitals, one in critical condition, the others with non-life-threatening injuries.The crash is under investigation. This is a developing story.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Of the 19 people transported to area hospitals, one is in critical condition. The other 18 people are believed to be in non-life threatening condition at this time. <a href="https://t.co/ZW6qddGzog">https://t.co/ZW6qddGzog</a>&mdash; Lincoln Police (@Lincoln_Police) <a href="https://twitter.com/Lincoln_Police/status/1531169007075729408?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 30, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Two female occupants of one of the involved vehicles have been declared deceased at the scene. A total of 19 other individuals have been transported to area hospitals, including a number of people who were present on the sidewalk area at the time of the crash. <a href="https://t.co/ZW6qddGzog">https://t.co/ZW6qddGzog</a>&mdash; Lincoln Police (@Lincoln_Police) <a href="https://twitter.com/Lincoln_Police/status/1531168705916321794?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 30, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div><div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Flincolnpolicedepartment%2Fposts%2F390581929780481&show_text=true&width=500" width="500" height="316" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share"></iframe></div><a href="https://northplattepost.com/posts/2ddcec21-000f-4ace-b19e-4250120d6629">&nbsp;&nbsp;Download The Post app for iOs or Android</a><figure>
 <img src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/sW-WpQ-3COcoisdt7ch2nvhRcOyi3-26sY2mPI2sL5SPjMVpBU8oaEH0Ja3ThhH550_eDysCxnYJOCOY7zR8ssEseFo-9w9CJp2C9vJVAOKhr2npHM2-bIi4optFrdwtAVcTvtfAF0AwNJ9tRg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>

UPDATED Crash during Lincoln event kills 2, injures 19

By CINDY GONZALEZ <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/omahas-do-space-offers-free-laptops-mobile-internet-access-to-promote-digital-equity/">Nebraska Examiner</a>

As
 part of an effort to promote “digital equity,” Do Space plans to 
distribute 945 free laptop computers, mobile hotspot devices and 
internet access to Omahans who don’t have access to such services at 
home.

Applications are now being accepted for the <a target="_blank" href="https://dospace.org/techpack/">Tech Pack program,</a>
 which is supported by federal funds and allows the electronic library 
at 72nd and Dodge Streets to continue advancing its work in the digital 
equity space, said Angela McGraw, director.

“One
 of the key goals at Do Space — and a reason why it was created — was to
 bridge the digital divide in Omaha, McGraw said. “This is a big step 
toward getting more free access to technology into the community for 
folks who need it most.”

Participants
 in the Tech Pack program, which includes a free Chromebook laptop and 
mobile WiFi hotspot, must be 18 years or older and a member of Do Space.
 <a target="_blank" href="https://account.dospace.org/cgi-bin/koha/opac-memberentry.pl#">Membership</a> is free.

The
 program provides the internet access through June 2023. Participants, 
whose selection is based on qualifications and information on 
applications, also are to receive free technology tutoring and computer 
basics training classes.&nbsp;

Participants
 who meet all requirements may keep their Chromebook after the program’s
 conclusion, though mobile hotspot devices must be returned.

A
 goal is to meet remote learning and work needs of Omaha residents, 
according to program guidelines. Data collected will enable Do Space to 
create the first digital equity report for the city, raising awareness 
of local challenges and highlighting success stories.

Do
 Space points to census data that nearly 13% of Douglas County 
households do not have broadband internet access and nearly 8% do not 
have a computer.&nbsp;

Enrollment for the program closes June 17, but representatives said that could be extended if there are laptops left.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1653667464600.png" alt="Do Space at 72nd &amp; Dodge Streets (Courtesy of Do Space)" />
 <figcaption>Do Space at 72nd &amp; Dodge Streets (Courtesy of Do Space)</figcaption>
 </figure>By CINDY GONZALEZ <a href="https://nebraskaexaminer.com/briefs/omahas-do-space-offers-free-laptops-mobile-internet-access-to-promote-digital-equity/">Nebraska Examiner</a>As
 part of an effort to promote “digital equity,” Do Space plans to 
distribute 945 free laptop computers, mobile hotspot devices and 
internet access to Omahans who don’t have access to such services at 
home.Applications are now being accepted for the <a target="_blank" href="https://dospace.org/techpack/">Tech Pack program,</a>
 which is supported by federal funds and allows the electronic library 
at 72nd and Dodge Streets to continue advancing its work in the digital 
equity space, said Angela McGraw, director.“One
 of the key goals at Do Space — and a reason why it was created — was to
 bridge the digital divide in Omaha, McGraw said. “This is a big step 
toward getting more free access to technology into the community for 
folks who need it most.”Participants
 in the Tech Pack program, which includes a free Chromebook laptop and 
mobile WiFi hotspot, must be 18 years or older and a member of Do Space.
 <a target="_blank" href="https://account.dospace.org/cgi-bin/koha/opac-memberentry.pl#">Membership</a> is free.The
 program provides the internet access through June 2023. Participants, 
whose selection is based on qualifications and information on 
applications, also are to receive free technology tutoring and computer 
basics training classes.&nbsp;Participants
 who meet all requirements may keep their Chromebook after the program’s
 conclusion, though mobile hotspot devices must be returned.A
 goal is to meet remote learning and work needs of Omaha residents, 
according to program guidelines. Data collected will enable Do Space to 
create the first digital equity report for the city, raising awareness 
of local challenges and highlighting success stories.Do
 Space points to census data that nearly 13% of Douglas County 
households do not have broadband internet access and nearly 8% do not 
have a computer.&nbsp;Enrollment for the program closes June 17, but representatives said that could be extended if there are laptops left.

Omaha’s Do Space offers free laptops, mobile internet access

UVALDE, Texas (AP) — The Justice Department said Sunday it will review the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-school-shooting-timeline-6069b0cf01e5f732ef55f9fd0b7109d7">law enforcement response</a>&nbsp;to the Texas school shooting, an unusual federal look back prompted by questions about&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/uvalde-school-shooting-police-184334fed299bad71e257b585f7790ea">the shifting and at times contradictory information</a>&nbsp;from authorities that have enraged a community in shock and sorrow.

Department spokesman Anthony Coley said the review would be conducted in a fair, impartial and independent manner and the findings would be made public. The announcement came as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-school-shooting-biden-visits-uvalde-5602203ec1088223e3b6aaed3d219136">President Joe Biden was visiting Uvalde</a>, where he and first lady Jill Biden paid their respects at a memorial to the 19 students and two teachers killed at Robb Elementary School on Tuesday.

The goal of the review, which the mayor requested, is “to provide an independent account of law enforcement actions and response that day, and to identify lessons learned and best practices to help first responders prepare for and respond to active shooter events,” Coley said in a statement.

Handling the review is the department’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services. It was not immediately clear how the review would be conducted, whether law enforcement officials could be compelled to cooperate in the review and when it might be completed.

Such a review is somewhat rare and most after-action reports that come after a mass shooting are generally compiled by local law enforcement agencies or outside groups. The Justice Department conducted similar reviews after 14 people were killed in a terrorist attack in San Bernardino, California, in 2015, and after the mass shooting at the Pulse Nightclub in Orlando, Florida, the deadliest attack on the LGBTQ community in U.S. history that left 49 people dead and 53 people wounded.

The frustration, anger and questions about the response from police grew deeper on Friday after authorities revealed that despite repeated 911 calls from students and teachers, the school district’s police chief had told more than a dozen officers to wait in a school hallway. Officials said he believed the suspect was barricaded inside adjoining classrooms and that there was no longer an active attack.

The revelation caused more grief and raised new questions about whether more lives were lost because officers did not act faster to stop the gunman, who was ultimately killed by Border Patrol tactical officers.

Biden has not spoken publicly about the police response to the shooting.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1653425371872.png" alt="First responders outside the school the afternoon of the shooting-photo courtesy KSAT TV" />
 <figcaption>First responders outside the school the afternoon of the shooting-photo courtesy KSAT TV</figcaption>
 </figure>UVALDE, Texas (AP) — The Justice Department said Sunday it will review the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-school-shooting-timeline-6069b0cf01e5f732ef55f9fd0b7109d7">law enforcement response</a>&nbsp;to the Texas school shooting, an unusual federal look back prompted by questions about&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/uvalde-school-shooting-police-184334fed299bad71e257b585f7790ea">the shifting and at times contradictory information</a>&nbsp;from authorities that have enraged a community in shock and sorrow.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">To everyone impacted by the horrific elementary school shooting in Uvalde, Texas: We grieve with you. We pray with you. We stand with you. And we’re committed to turning this pain into action. <a href="https://t.co/TIYjdmfKVP">pic.twitter.com/TIYjdmfKVP</a>&mdash; President Biden (@POTUS) <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS/status/1531041177977372679?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 29, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Department spokesman Anthony Coley said the review would be conducted in a fair, impartial and independent manner and the findings would be made public. The announcement came as&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/texas-school-shooting-biden-visits-uvalde-5602203ec1088223e3b6aaed3d219136">President Joe Biden was visiting Uvalde</a>, where he and first lady Jill Biden paid their respects at a memorial to the 19 students and two teachers killed at Robb Elementary School on Tuesday.The goal of the review, which the mayor requested, is “to provide an independent account of law enforcement actions and response that day, and to identify lessons learned and best practices to help first responders prepare for and respond to active shooter events,” Coley said in a statement.Handling the review is the department’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services. It was not immediately clear how the review would be conducted, whether law enforcement officials could be compelled to cooperate in the review and when it might be completed.Such a review is somewhat rare and most after-action reports that come after a mass shooting are generally compiled by local law enforcement agencies or outside groups. The Justice Department conducted similar reviews after 14 people were killed in a terrorist attack in San Bernardino, California, in 2015, and after the mass shooting at the Pulse Nightclub in Orlando, Florida, the deadliest attack on the LGBTQ community in U.S. history that left 49 people dead and 53 people wounded.The frustration, anger and questions about the response from police grew deeper on Friday after authorities revealed that despite repeated 911 calls from students and teachers, the school district’s police chief had told more than a dozen officers to wait in a school hallway. Officials said he believed the suspect was barricaded inside adjoining classrooms and that there was no longer an active attack.The revelation caused more grief and raised new questions about whether more lives were lost because officers did not act faster to stop the gunman, who was ultimately killed by Border Patrol tactical officers.Biden has not spoken publicly about the police response to the shooting.

Justice Dept. to review police response to Texas school shooting

Program aims to help soldiers transition from military to civilian life

By RICK MCNARY <a href="https://kansaslivingmagazine.com/articles/2022/05/13/veterans-and-farmers-come-together-on-save-farm">Kansas Living</a>

When standing on a hill overlooking a timber-lined valley of the 
Flint Hills, you hear nothing but nature: a meadowlark singing from a 
fencepost, the breeze blowing through prairie grass and an occasional 
“moo” from a herd of Hereford cattle grazing on a distant hill.

“That’s what makes this a healing place,” retired Maj. Gen. Tod 
Bunting says. “This land looks like it did 150 years ago, and our 
veterans love to get out here and enjoy nature and learn how agriculture
 works. This place is a pathway to farming and healing.”

Bunting is referring to the Servicemember Agricultural Vocation 
Education (SAVE) Farm northwest of Manhattan. SAVE Farm is a program for
 servicemembers to transition from military service to civilian life. 
Thanks to strategic partnerships with organizations like the Nature 
Conservancy and the Conservation Fund, along with corporate support like
 John Deere’s donations to date of $380,000, the organization was able 
to purchase a 308-acre farm in 2020.

There, nestled in the tallgrass prairie and rich farmland, two of the
 great pillars of America — soldiers and farmers — join ranks to provide
 solutions that benefit both groups.

“The original idea came about 10 years ago to Col. Gary LaGrange,” 
Bunting, CEO of SAVE Farm, says. “He was the Garrison Commander at Fort 
Riley and he and his daughter Shari were involved in beekeeping.

She was a clinical psychologist and suggested they start a program 
that combined beekeeping with therapy for veterans with post-traumatic 
stress disorder. They saw the success of their program for soldiers, so 
they formed a group to start a nonprofit.”

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and a variety of 
veteran agencies and organizations are increasing the number of 
resources for veterans to engage in agriculture. They believe few 
relationships align more closely than that of veterans and farmers. The 
skills learned in military service are the same ones needed to be 
successful on a farm: a sense of duty, being organized, adhering to 
rules, working under tight schedules, problem solving and a strong work 
ethic.

Recent census data reveals the number of U.S. farms has declined 4 
percent since 2007 and the average age of the owner/operator, or CEO, of
 a family farm is 58 years old. Family farms make up 97 percent of the 
2.2 million farms in America and many of them are fourth- and 
fifth-generation family farms often dating back to original parcels of 
land in the Homestead Act signed by President Lincoln. However, 
according to the USDA, an estimated 70 percent of U.S. farmland will 
change hands in the next 20 years, and many family operations do not 
have a next generation with the skills or desire to continue farming. 
Meanwhile, labor shortages on the farm are increasing, which leaves 
farms faced with the challenge of finding and retaining a dependable, 
knowledgeable workforce.

There are approximately 19 million veterans in America, 89 percent of
 whom are men. Projections indicate there will be a declining population
 of veterans by 2046, and the veteran population will become slightly 
younger, with 33 percent of veterans being younger than 50 in 2046 
compared with 27 percent in 2021, even as the overall U.S. population 
continues to age.

SAVE Farm addresses both needs: soldiers seeking a healing 
occupation, and farmers needing a new generation of successors and 
trained farm hands. &nbsp;

SAVE Farm works closely with Kansas State University’s College of 
Agriculture and its broad spectrum of studies and disciplines. A 440- 
hour Kansas Board of Regents certification program spans 12 months and 
is designed to give an overall view of the agricultural industry with a 
focus on plant and animal science.

SAVE board member and retired Brig. Gen. Eric Peck builds on this idea of diversification.

“We want to expose them to the broad spectrum of agribusiness and the
 farming industry,” Peck says. “We introduce them to farming, and to the
 vast industry it takes to support farming. Part of the curriculum is to
 create a business plan, which they must do to graduate; we teach them 
the business of farming.”

In addition to providing a well-rounded overview of farming, the 
intent of SAVE leaders is to ignite a spark within each veteran that 
connects them to a particular part of farming. To the leaders’ surprise,
 they are finding more interest in plant science than animal science, 
evidence that the lack of access to large tracts of land causes veterans
 to think more about small scale, even urban gardening and vertical 
farming. Another reason is many enjoy the simplicity of working in soil 
to grow something useful.

One such student, Karl Reid, who was born in Florida but grew up on 
his grandmother’s small farm in Jamaica, is interested in growing 
microgreens in vertical gardening using hydroponics.

“You get a good sense here for how all of the parts of farming fit 
together,” Reid says. “Then they help you find what interests you and 
build a plan around it. I’m learning to write a business plan, which is 
part of the curriculum; it must make good business sense for it to be 
sustainable.”

“We are here to help our members figure out what they want to do,” 
Bunting says. “We’re kind of like Old MacDonald’s farm; we have a 
variety of plant and animal programs available and, if a new member is 
interested in something we don’t have, we figure out ways to help them 
connect to those who do. We take them on farm tours around the region to
 introduce them to things we don’t or can’t do here at SAVE.”

People in the military have a unique sense of belonging few civilians
 understand. From their first moments in boot camp until the day they 
retire or are discharged, they are taught to belong to each other and to
 a noble cause — protecting America. They are united through shared 
experiences, shared risks and shared purpose. They share a unique and 
noble trait that sets them apart: they risk their lives to protect 
America’s freedoms.

However, once they leave active service, for many — especially 
wounded soldiers and those with PTSD — that sense of belonging 
disappears and creates a void that leaves many struggling.

Virgil Williams is a veteran and the operation manager for SAVE.

“When you’re in the military, you build a sense of belonging with 
people and their families no matter where you go,” Williams says. “The 
hard part is, you know that at a moment’s notice, any of you can get 
reassigned somewhere else in the world or get deployed and put in harm’s
 way; you might never see them again. That sense of unease is always 
there. But here at SAVE, we can get that sense of family again and no 
one must leave because they’re being deployed.”

In addition to providing access to veterans, SAVE opens the doors to 
their spouses and family. One such family is Joe and Jen Graham and 
their 8-year-old son, Alex. Joe did two tours in Afghanistan.

“Coming from a military background, there’s a lot of things we 
endure, and it makes it hard to come back to society and fit in,” Joe 
says. “This is a great place to find the purpose in your life and for 
your life. It’s also a great place to spend time with my wife and son 
and do it together. This place has helped my anxiety and depression. 
It’s a good place to start a new life.”&nbsp;

Although SAVE Farm is a new concept, it is based on two great 
traditions that built, and maintain, our country: farming and service. 
Early Americans, even our first president, George Washington, were first
 farmers, then soldiers, then farmers again. We continue to depend on 
these groups of people today, for our freedom and for our food.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1653577766692.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Program aims to help soldiers transition from military to civilian life</h2>By RICK MCNARY <a href="https://kansaslivingmagazine.com/articles/2022/05/13/veterans-and-farmers-come-together-on-save-farm">Kansas Living</a>When standing on a hill overlooking a timber-lined valley of the 
Flint Hills, you hear nothing but nature: a meadowlark singing from a 
fencepost, the breeze blowing through prairie grass and an occasional 
“moo” from a herd of Hereford cattle grazing on a distant hill.“That’s what makes this a healing place,” retired Maj. Gen. Tod 
Bunting says. “This land looks like it did 150 years ago, and our 
veterans love to get out here and enjoy nature and learn how agriculture
 works. This place is a pathway to farming and healing.”Bunting is referring to the Servicemember Agricultural Vocation 
Education (SAVE) Farm northwest of Manhattan. SAVE Farm is a program for
 servicemembers to transition from military service to civilian life. 
Thanks to strategic partnerships with organizations like the Nature 
Conservancy and the Conservation Fund, along with corporate support like
 John Deere’s donations to date of $380,000, the organization was able 
to purchase a 308-acre farm in 2020.<h2>CONNECTING VETERANS AND FARMERS</h2>There, nestled in the tallgrass prairie and rich farmland, two of the
 great pillars of America — soldiers and farmers — join ranks to provide
 solutions that benefit both groups.“The original idea came about 10 years ago to Col. Gary LaGrange,” 
Bunting, CEO of SAVE Farm, says. “He was the Garrison Commander at Fort 
Riley and he and his daughter Shari were involved in beekeeping.She was a clinical psychologist and suggested they start a program 
that combined beekeeping with therapy for veterans with post-traumatic 
stress disorder. They saw the success of their program for soldiers, so 
they formed a group to start a nonprofit.”The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and a variety of 
veteran agencies and organizations are increasing the number of 
resources for veterans to engage in agriculture. They believe few 
relationships align more closely than that of veterans and farmers. The 
skills learned in military service are the same ones needed to be 
successful on a farm: a sense of duty, being organized, adhering to 
rules, working under tight schedules, problem solving and a strong work 
ethic.Recent census data reveals the number of U.S. farms has declined 4 
percent since 2007 and the average age of the owner/operator, or CEO, of
 a family farm is 58 years old. Family farms make up 97 percent of the 
2.2 million farms in America and many of them are fourth- and 
fifth-generation family farms often dating back to original parcels of 
land in the Homestead Act signed by President Lincoln. However, 
according to the USDA, an estimated 70 percent of U.S. farmland will 
change hands in the next 20 years, and many family operations do not 
have a next generation with the skills or desire to continue farming. 
Meanwhile, labor shortages on the farm are increasing, which leaves 
farms faced with the challenge of finding and retaining a dependable, 
knowledgeable workforce.There are approximately 19 million veterans in America, 89 percent of
 whom are men. Projections indicate there will be a declining population
 of veterans by 2046, and the veteran population will become slightly 
younger, with 33 percent of veterans being younger than 50 in 2046 
compared with 27 percent in 2021, even as the overall U.S. population 
continues to age.SAVE Farm addresses both needs: soldiers seeking a healing 
occupation, and farmers needing a new generation of successors and 
trained farm hands. &nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1653577845722.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><h2>EXPOSURE TO THE BUSINESS OF FARMING</h2>SAVE Farm works closely with Kansas State University’s College of 
Agriculture and its broad spectrum of studies and disciplines. A 440- 
hour Kansas Board of Regents certification program spans 12 months and 
is designed to give an overall view of the agricultural industry with a 
focus on plant and animal science.SAVE board member and retired Brig. Gen. Eric Peck builds on this idea of diversification.“We want to expose them to the broad spectrum of agribusiness and the
 farming industry,” Peck says. “We introduce them to farming, and to the
 vast industry it takes to support farming. Part of the curriculum is to
 create a business plan, which they must do to graduate; we teach them 
the business of farming.”In addition to providing a well-rounded overview of farming, the 
intent of SAVE leaders is to ignite a spark within each veteran that 
connects them to a particular part of farming. To the leaders’ surprise,
 they are finding more interest in plant science than animal science, 
evidence that the lack of access to large tracts of land causes veterans
 to think more about small scale, even urban gardening and vertical 
farming. Another reason is many enjoy the simplicity of working in soil 
to grow something useful.One such student, Karl Reid, who was born in Florida but grew up on 
his grandmother’s small farm in Jamaica, is interested in growing 
microgreens in vertical gardening using hydroponics.“You get a good sense here for how all of the parts of farming fit 
together,” Reid says. “Then they help you find what interests you and 
build a plan around it. I’m learning to write a business plan, which is 
part of the curriculum; it must make good business sense for it to be 
sustainable.”“We are here to help our members figure out what they want to do,” 
Bunting says. “We’re kind of like Old MacDonald’s farm; we have a 
variety of plant and animal programs available and, if a new member is 
interested in something we don’t have, we figure out ways to help them 
connect to those who do. We take them on farm tours around the region to
 introduce them to things we don’t or can’t do here at SAVE.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1653577876420.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><h2>PROTECTING AMERICA’S FARMS AND COUNTRY</h2>People in the military have a unique sense of belonging few civilians
 understand. From their first moments in boot camp until the day they 
retire or are discharged, they are taught to belong to each other and to
 a noble cause — protecting America. They are united through shared 
experiences, shared risks and shared purpose. They share a unique and 
noble trait that sets them apart: they risk their lives to protect 
America’s freedoms.However, once they leave active service, for many — especially 
wounded soldiers and those with PTSD — that sense of belonging 
disappears and creates a void that leaves many struggling.Virgil Williams is a veteran and the operation manager for SAVE.“When you’re in the military, you build a sense of belonging with 
people and their families no matter where you go,” Williams says. “The 
hard part is, you know that at a moment’s notice, any of you can get 
reassigned somewhere else in the world or get deployed and put in harm’s
 way; you might never see them again. That sense of unease is always 
there. But here at SAVE, we can get that sense of family again and no 
one must leave because they’re being deployed.”In addition to providing access to veterans, SAVE opens the doors to 
their spouses and family. One such family is Joe and Jen Graham and 
their 8-year-old son, Alex. Joe did two tours in Afghanistan.“Coming from a military background, there’s a lot of things we 
endure, and it makes it hard to come back to society and fit in,” Joe 
says. “This is a great place to find the purpose in your life and for 
your life. It’s also a great place to spend time with my wife and son 
and do it together. This place has helped my anxiety and depression. 
It’s a good place to start a new life.”&nbsp;Although SAVE Farm is a new concept, it is based on two great 
traditions that built, and maintain, our country: farming and service. 
Early Americans, even our first president, George Washington, were first
 farmers, then soldiers, then farmers again. We continue to depend on 
these groups of people today, for our freedom and for our food.

Veterans and farmers Come Together on SAVE Farm

By RICHARD GARDINER <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-forgotten-history-of-memorial-day-97199">The Conversation</a>

In the years following the bitter Civil War, a former Union general 
took a holiday originated by former Confederates and helped spread it 
across the entire country.

The holiday was Memorial Day, an annual commemoration was born in the
 former Confederate States in 1866 and adopted by the United States in 
1868. It is a holiday in which the nation honors its military dead.

<a target="_blank" href="https://armyhistory.org/general-john-a-logan-memorial-day-founder/">Gen. John A. Logan</a>, who headed the largest Union veterans’ fraternity at that time, the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.loc.gov/rr/main/gar/garintro.html">Grand Army of the Republic</a>, is usually credited as being the originator of the holiday.

Yet when General Logan established the holiday, he acknowledged its 
genesis among the Union’s former enemies, saying, “It was not too late 
for the Union men of the nation to&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://archive.org/details/reminiscencesas02logagoog">follow the example</a>&nbsp;of the people of the South.”

I’m a scholar who has written — with Daniel Bellware — a <a target="_blank" href="https://books.google.com/books/about/The_Genesis_of_the_Memorial_Day_Holiday.html?id=jdIArgEACAAJ">history of Memorial Day</a>.
 Cities and towns across America have for more than a century claimed to
 be the holiday’s birthplace, but we have sifted through the myths and 
half-truths and uncovered the authentic story of how this holiday came 
into being.

During 1866, the first year of this annual observance in the South, a
 feature of the holiday emerged that made awareness, admiration and 
eventually imitation of it spread quickly to the North.

During the inaugural Memorial Day observances which were conceived in&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.nps.gov/ande/learn/historyculture/flowersforjennie.htm">Columbus, Georgia</a>,
 many Southern participants — especially women — decorated graves of 
Confederate soldiers as well as, unexpectedly, those of their former 
enemies who fought for the Union.

Shortly after those first Memorial Day observances all across the 
South, newspaper coverage in the North was highly favorable to the 
ex-Confederates.

“The action of the ladies on this occasion, in burying whatever 
animosities or ill-feeling may have been engendered in the late war 
towards those who fought against them, is worthy of all praise and 
commendation,”&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://sites.google.com/site/gardinerphd/daily-national-intelligencer">wrote one paper</a>.

On May 9, 1866, the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.newspapers.com/image/71039330/">Cleveland Daily Leader</a>
 lauded the Southern women during their first Memorial Day:&nbsp;“The act was
 as beautiful as it was unselfish, and will be appreciated in the 
North.”

<a target="_blank" href="http://sites.google.com/site/gardinerphd/new-york-commercial-advertiser">The New York Commercial Advertiser</a>,
 recognizing the magnanimous deeds of the women of Columbus, Georgia, 
echoed the sentiment. “Let this incident, touching and beautiful as it 
is, impart to our Washington authorities a lesson in conciliation.”

To be sure, this sentiment was not unanimous. There were many in both parts of the U.S. who had no interest in conciliation.

But as a result of one of these news reports,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="http://www.nycourts.gov/history/legal-history-new-york/history-legal-bench-court-appeals.html?http://www.nycourts.gov/history/legal-history-new-york/luminaries-court-appeals/finch-francis.html">Francis Miles Finch</a>, a Northern judge, academic and poet, wrote a poem titled “<a target="_blank" href="http://www.civilwarhome.com/blueandgray.html">The Blue and the Gray</a>.” Finch’s poem quickly became&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=hvd.32044097054316;view=1up;seq=5">part of the American literary canon</a>.&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://archive.org/details/historicalreadi00hanigoog">He explained</a> what inspired him to write it:

“It struck me that the South was holding out a friendly hand, and 
that it was our duty, not only as conquerors, but as men and their 
fellow citizens of the nation, to grasp it.”

Finch’s poem seemed to extend a full pardon to the South: “They 
banish our anger forever when they laurel the graves of our dead” was 
one of the lines.

Almost immediately, the poem circulated across America in books, 
magazines and newspapers. By the end of the 19th century, school 
children everywhere were required to memorize Finch’s poem. The&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2015/03/the-blue-and-the-gray/388511/">ubiquitous publication of Finch’s rhyme</a>&nbsp;meant
 that by the end of 1867, the southern Memorial Day holiday was a 
familiar phenomenon throughout the entire, and recently reunited, 
country.

General Logan was aware of the forgiving sentiments of people like Finch. When&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="http://suvcw.org/logan.htm">Logan’s order establishing Memorial Day</a> was published in various newspapers in May 1868, Finch’s poem was sometimes appended to the order

It was not long before Northerners decided that they would not only 
adopt the Southern custom of Memorial Day, but also the Southern custom 
of “burying the hatchet.” A group of Union veterans explained their 
intentions&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="http://sites.google.com/site/gardinerphd/salem-register">in a letter</a> to the Philadelphia Evening Telegraph on May 28, 1869:

“Wishing to bury forever the harsh feelings engendered by the war, 
Post 19 has decided not to pass by the graves of the Confederates 
sleeping in our lines, but divide each year between the blue and the 
grey the first floral offerings of a common country. We have no 
powerless foes. Post 19 thinks of the Southern dead only as brave men.”

Other reports of reciprocal magnanimity circulated in the North, including the gesture of a 10-year-old who&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.nps.gov/ande/learn/historyculture/flowersforjennie.htm">made a wreath of flowers</a>
 and sent it to the overseer of the holiday, Colonel Leaming, in 
Lafayette, Indiana, with the following note attached, published in The 
New Hampshire Patriot on July 15, 1868:

“Will you please put this wreath upon some rebel soldier’s grave? My 
dear papa is buried at Andersonville, (Georgia) and perhaps some little 
girl will be kind enough to put a few flowers upon his grave.”

President Abraham Lincoln’s wish that there be “malice toward none” 
and “charity for all” was visible in the magnanimous actions of 
participants on both sides, who extended an olive branch during the 
Memorial Day observances in those first three years.

Although not known by many today, the early evolution of the Memorial
 Day holiday was a manifestation of Lincoln’s hope for reconciliation 
between North and South.

Richard Gardiner is an Associate Professor of History Education at&nbsp; Columbus State University.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1653929188877.png" alt="Family members of fallen soldiers prepare to decorate graves in May of 1899. (Library of Congress)" />
 <figcaption>Family members of fallen soldiers prepare to decorate graves in May of 1899. (Library of Congress)</figcaption>
 </figure><div><iframe src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/97199/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-advanced" width="1" height="1"></iframe></div>By RICHARD GARDINER <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-forgotten-history-of-memorial-day-97199">The Conversation</a>In the years following the bitter Civil War, a former Union general 
took a holiday originated by former Confederates and helped spread it 
across the entire country.The holiday was Memorial Day, an annual commemoration was born in the
 former Confederate States in 1866 and adopted by the United States in 
1868. It is a holiday in which the nation honors its military dead.<a target="_blank" href="https://armyhistory.org/general-john-a-logan-memorial-day-founder/">Gen. John A. Logan</a>, who headed the largest Union veterans’ fraternity at that time, the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.loc.gov/rr/main/gar/garintro.html">Grand Army of the Republic</a>, is usually credited as being the originator of the holiday.Yet when General Logan established the holiday, he acknowledged its 
genesis among the Union’s former enemies, saying, “It was not too late 
for the Union men of the nation to&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://archive.org/details/reminiscencesas02logagoog">follow the example</a>&nbsp;of the people of the South.”I’m a scholar who has written — with Daniel Bellware — a <a target="_blank" href="https://books.google.com/books/about/The_Genesis_of_the_Memorial_Day_Holiday.html?id=jdIArgEACAAJ">history of Memorial Day</a>.
 Cities and towns across America have for more than a century claimed to
 be the holiday’s birthplace, but we have sifted through the myths and 
half-truths and uncovered the authentic story of how this holiday came 
into being.<h2>Generous acts bore fruit</h2>During 1866, the first year of this annual observance in the South, a
 feature of the holiday emerged that made awareness, admiration and 
eventually imitation of it spread quickly to the North.During the inaugural Memorial Day observances which were conceived in&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.nps.gov/ande/learn/historyculture/flowersforjennie.htm">Columbus, Georgia</a>,
 many Southern participants — especially women — decorated graves of 
Confederate soldiers as well as, unexpectedly, those of their former 
enemies who fought for the Union.Shortly after those first Memorial Day observances all across the 
South, newspaper coverage in the North was highly favorable to the 
ex-Confederates.“The action of the ladies on this occasion, in burying whatever 
animosities or ill-feeling may have been engendered in the late war 
towards those who fought against them, is worthy of all praise and 
commendation,”&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://sites.google.com/site/gardinerphd/daily-national-intelligencer">wrote one paper</a>.On May 9, 1866, the&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.newspapers.com/image/71039330/">Cleveland Daily Leader</a>
 lauded the Southern women during their first Memorial Day:&nbsp;“The act was
 as beautiful as it was unselfish, and will be appreciated in the 
North.”<a target="_blank" href="http://sites.google.com/site/gardinerphd/new-york-commercial-advertiser">The New York Commercial Advertiser</a>,
 recognizing the magnanimous deeds of the women of Columbus, Georgia, 
echoed the sentiment. “Let this incident, touching and beautiful as it 
is, impart to our Washington authorities a lesson in conciliation.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1653929271580.jpeg" alt="Poems weren’t the only tributes to Memorial Day. This sheet music was written to commemorate the holiday in 1870. (Library of Congress)" />
 <figcaption>Poems weren’t the only tributes to Memorial Day. This sheet music was written to commemorate the holiday in 1870. (Library of Congress)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Power of a poem</h2>To be sure, this sentiment was not unanimous. There were many in both parts of the U.S. who had no interest in conciliation.But as a result of one of these news reports,&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="http://www.nycourts.gov/history/legal-history-new-york/history-legal-bench-court-appeals.html?http://www.nycourts.gov/history/legal-history-new-york/luminaries-court-appeals/finch-francis.html">Francis Miles Finch</a>, a Northern judge, academic and poet, wrote a poem titled “<a target="_blank" href="http://www.civilwarhome.com/blueandgray.html">The Blue and the Gray</a>.” Finch’s poem quickly became&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=hvd.32044097054316;view=1up;seq=5">part of the American literary canon</a>.&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://archive.org/details/historicalreadi00hanigoog">He explained</a> what inspired him to write it:“It struck me that the South was holding out a friendly hand, and 
that it was our duty, not only as conquerors, but as men and their 
fellow citizens of the nation, to grasp it.”Finch’s poem seemed to extend a full pardon to the South: “They 
banish our anger forever when they laurel the graves of our dead” was 
one of the lines.Almost immediately, the poem circulated across America in books, 
magazines and newspapers. By the end of the 19th century, school 
children everywhere were required to memorize Finch’s poem. The&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2015/03/the-blue-and-the-gray/388511/">ubiquitous publication of Finch’s rhyme</a>&nbsp;meant
 that by the end of 1867, the southern Memorial Day holiday was a 
familiar phenomenon throughout the entire, and recently reunited, 
country.General Logan was aware of the forgiving sentiments of people like Finch. When&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="http://suvcw.org/logan.htm">Logan’s order establishing Memorial Day</a> was published in various newspapers in May 1868, Finch’s poem was sometimes appended to the order<h2>‘The blue and the grey’</h2>It was not long before Northerners decided that they would not only 
adopt the Southern custom of Memorial Day, but also the Southern custom 
of “burying the hatchet.” A group of Union veterans explained their 
intentions&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="http://sites.google.com/site/gardinerphd/salem-register">in a letter</a> to the Philadelphia Evening Telegraph on May 28, 1869:“Wishing to bury forever the harsh feelings engendered by the war, 
Post 19 has decided not to pass by the graves of the Confederates 
sleeping in our lines, but divide each year between the blue and the 
grey the first floral offerings of a common country. We have no 
powerless foes. Post 19 thinks of the Southern dead only as brave men.”Other reports of reciprocal magnanimity circulated in the North, including the gesture of a 10-year-old who&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.nps.gov/ande/learn/historyculture/flowersforjennie.htm">made a wreath of flowers</a>
 and sent it to the overseer of the holiday, Colonel Leaming, in 
Lafayette, Indiana, with the following note attached, published in The 
New Hampshire Patriot on July 15, 1868:“Will you please put this wreath upon some rebel soldier’s grave? My 
dear papa is buried at Andersonville, (Georgia) and perhaps some little 
girl will be kind enough to put a few flowers upon his grave.”President Abraham Lincoln’s wish that there be “malice toward none” 
and “charity for all” was visible in the magnanimous actions of 
participants on both sides, who extended an olive branch during the 
Memorial Day observances in those first three years.Although not known by many today, the early evolution of the Memorial
 Day holiday was a manifestation of Lincoln’s hope for reconciliation 
between North and South.Richard Gardiner is an Associate Professor of History Education at&nbsp; Columbus State University.

Commentary: The forgotten history of Memorial Day

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a shooting that fatally injured 17-year-old Boisy D. Barefield of Wichita, and a hit and run that fatally injured 15-year-old female of Wichita.

At approximately 11:20 p.m. Saturday, police were dispatched to a shooting at The Banquet Hall located in the 3100 block of East 25th&nbsp;Street in Wichita, according to Officer Paul Cruz.

 Upon arriving at the scene, they located Boisy inside with a gunshot wound. EMS transported Boisy to an area hospital where he died from his injuries.

The initial investigation revealed there was a graduation party with several people in attendance. During the party, a disturbance ensued between two groups that led to shots being fired striking Boisy. 

A 15-year-old girl who was fleeing the gunfire at the party was struck at the intersection of 25th&nbsp;Street North and Estelle, by 18-year-old Samara Rockmore, who fled the pedestrian accident in her vehicle. 

EMS transported the 15-year-old girl to an area hospital where she later died from her injuries, according to Cruz.

Rockmore was later located and arrested and booked for felony hit and run.&nbsp;

Investigators are still trying to determine what led up to the shooting. Lack of cooperation has made the investigation difficult to determine all the details of the case, according to Cruz.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/5/1653858499131.png" alt="Rockmore-photo Sedgwick County" />
 <figcaption>Rockmore-photo Sedgwick County</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a shooting that fatally injured 17-year-old Boisy D. Barefield of Wichita, and a hit and run that fatally injured 15-year-old female of Wichita.At approximately 11:20 p.m. Saturday, police were dispatched to a shooting at The Banquet Hall located in the 3100 block of East 25th&nbsp;Street in Wichita, according to Officer Paul Cruz. Upon arriving at the scene, they located Boisy inside with a gunshot wound. EMS transported Boisy to an area hospital where he died from his injuries.The initial investigation revealed there was a graduation party with several people in attendance. During the party, a disturbance ensued between two groups that led to shots being fired striking Boisy. A 15-year-old girl who was fleeing the gunfire at the party was struck at the intersection of 25th&nbsp;Street North and Estelle, by 18-year-old Samara Rockmore, who fled the pedestrian accident in her vehicle. EMS transported the 15-year-old girl to an area hospital where she later died from her injuries, according to Cruz.Rockmore was later located and arrested and booked for felony hit and run.&nbsp;Investigators are still trying to determine what led up to the shooting. Lack of cooperation has made the investigation difficult to determine all the details of the case, according to Cruz.

Kan. girl dies after she ran from fatal shooting at graduation party

By DAVID CONDOS <a href="https://www.hppr.org/hppr-news/2022-05-25/a-hole-in-the-ground-and-other-quirky-curiosities-mean-money-and-pride-for-small-kansas-towns">Kansas News Service</a>

CAWKER CITY, Kansas — One day in 1973, The Wall Street Journal published a review of Kansas tourist attractions.

“Kansas is trying to promote tourism,” the Journal noted, “but it really doesn’t have a heck of a lot to promote.”

The
 column singled out the godfathers of Kansas roadside tourism — the 
World’s Largest Ball of Twine in Cawker City, the World’s Largest 
Hand-Dug Well in Greensburg and the folk art town of Lucas — for 
particular ridicule, with pause breaks in the spots where the Journal 
expected its audience to chuckle at Kansas’ expense.

Local 
newspapers from Salina to Lawrence to Atchison responded swiftly and 
defensively, standing up for the state’s quirky attractions and the 
simpler-times spirit they represent.

“If modern Kansas only had 
some outdoor privies,” the Atchison Daily Globe quipped, “we would 
recommend a use for this Wall Street Journal.”

As it happens, the town of Elk Falls in southeast Kansas bills itself as the state’s <a href="http://elkfallsouthousetour.com/" target="_blank">outhouse capital</a> and celebrates its collection of privies with an annual festival.

No
 matter how kitschy, these offbeat attractions can offer a boost to 
rural economies. Dozens of Kansas towns take advantage of their 
locations to tempt travelers to spend a few dollars while driving 
through “flyover country,” often on their way to somewhere more 
glamorous.

Just as importantly, the sites give communities 
something to rally around and a feeling that their hometown — no matter 
how overlooked — deserves a nod from the outside world.

“We hear 
that, ‘Oh, it’s just a hole in the ground,’” said Stacy Barnes with a 
laugh. She’s the city administrator for the town with the World’s 
Largest Hand-Dug Well. “Well, it’s true. But … it is ours.”

For rural areas that have seen a steady exodus of residents since their <a href="https://ipsr.ku.edu/ksdata/ksah/population/popmax.pdf" target="_blank">populations peaked</a>
 more than a century ago, finding some way to bring in more revenue is a
 matter of survival. And for better or worse, Kansas isn’t blessed with 
the mountains or beaches that seem to effortlessly lure crowds of 
tourists to other places.

So if small towns around here want to 
stand out, they’ve had to come up with their own larger-than-life 
wonders to put themselves on the map.

Like a cowboy boot <a href="https://www.roadsideamerica.com/tip/16027" target="_blank">spur</a> big enough to drive a semi-truck through (Abilene). An <a href="https://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/9183" target="_blank">easel</a> taller than an eight-story building (Goodland). A <a href="https://www.travelks.com/listing/worlds-largest-travel-plate/18782/" target="_blank">souvenir travel plate</a> made from a 14-foot satellite dish (Lucas).

Or a ball of farmer’s twine the size of a shuttle bus.

“You do what you can with what you have,” ball caretaker Linda Clover said. “And we have a ball of twine.”

Despite decades of doubters 
and the Wall Street Journal’s best efforts, the quirky attractions 
dotting Kansas roadsides may still have the last laugh.

A sign next to the <a href="https://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/8543" target="_blank">Ball of Twine</a>
 today credits that Journal article with single-handedly elevating the 
site’s fame nationwide, setting off waves of out-of-state visitors that 
now stream through this tiny north-central Kansas town by the thousands 
each year.

Along the side of the highway that leads into Cawker City’s 
three-block downtown, the giant ball is impossible to miss. From its 
hilltop shrine next to an auto repair shop, it glows in the afternoon 
sun like an oatmeal-colored lighthouse beam beckoning travelers to drop 
anchor.

A retired school librarian who grew up in the next town, 
Clover took on the mantle of caring for Cawker City’s pride and joy more
 than two decades ago. She now lives close enough to the ball that, when
 she sees people stop by, she usually pops over with one of her twine 
spools and shows the visitors how to tie on their own piece.

“I call myself the crazy twine lady,” Clover said. “I’m the belle of the ball.”

This
 ball got rolling back in 1953 when a local farmer, Frank Stoeber, 
became sick of tripping over extra bits of twine leftover from tying up 
his hay bales. So he began winding those scraps into a ball. Soon, that 
ball grew big enough to fill a barn door.

A few years later, Cawker City invited Stoeber to haul the ball into 
town to show it off in a parade celebrating Kansas’ centennial. And 
thus, one of the most famous tourist attractions in Kansas was born.

While the population of Cawker City has shrunk by <a href="https://www.ipsr.ku.edu/ksdata/ksah/population/2pop33.pdf" target="_blank">more than one-third</a> since that ridicule from The Wall Street Journal, the Ball of Twine’s size has ballooned along with its fame.

It
 now weighs north of 27,000 pounds, more than five Ford F-150 pickup 
trucks. And if you unraveled its 8.5 million feet of coiled twine, it 
would stretch from Cawker City, past New York’s Wall Street and all the 
way to the eastern tip of Long Island.

A glance through the ball’s guestbook (yes, the Ball of Twine has its
 own guestbook) shows dozens of visitors from as far away as Oregon, 
Florida and Italy. In just a few days.

During the peak summer season, Clover said, it brings in around 200 travelers a day — in a town of only 457 residents.

“I
 have had people so excited … they could hardly wait for the car to stop
 so they could come and see it,” Clover said. “And they keep coming.”

It’s a similar story at the <a href="https://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/2878" target="_blank">World’s Largest Hand-Dug Well</a>, which last year drew <a href="https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=319017703564408&amp;set=pb.100063685415500.-2207520000..&amp;type=3" target="_blank">10,455 visitors</a>
 from all 50 states and 14 countries to Greensburg, a town of just 740 
people east of Dodge City. Out-of-state visitors far outnumber Kansans.

Jack
 Benigno, from California’s San Joaquin Valley, already visited the well
 six years ago. But when he planned this road trip through southwest 
Kansas — which included another quirky stop at Liberal’s <a href="https://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/2815" target="_blank">Land of Oz</a> — he purposefully made time to descend into Greensburg’s hole in the ground once more.

“I love it,” Benigno said. “And I love Kansas.”

The well also has the distinction of being the oldest world’s largest thing in Kansas.

It
 dates back to the 1880s when Greensburg’s founders sought a way to 
attract more people to their new town. So they carved out the type of 
sensational water source that’d be something to write home about.

And as the name suggests, the massive well — 109 feet deep by 32 feet
 wide — was hand-dug. That meant teams of men shoveling out and carting 
up countless loads of dirt until they reached the Ogallala aquifer.

Visitors
 who come to the Big Well today follow in those footsteps, down a 
120-step staircase that spirals its way toward the water table.

Barnes,
 who directed the well museum for 10 years before becoming Greensburg’s 
city administrator, has walked up and down these steps countless times.

“It’s
 just mind-blowing,” Barnes said, gazing up from the final step near the
 bottom of the well, “how they would have done it with nothing but hand 
tools and oxen.”

The well didn’t last too long as a water source for Greensburg’s 
residents. But in 1939, it got a second chance at life as a tourist 
attraction.

By 1956, the well had welcomed 1 million visitors.

In
 2021, the museum’s admission fees and gift shop sales brought in more 
than $215,000 to this tiny community. And that doesn’t count the money 
tourists inevitably spent at nearby restaurants, hotels and gas stations
 before or after their stop at the well.

“It still keeps our community viable, just in a different way,” Barnes said. “Not for water, but for tourism.”

Kansas Tourism spokesperson Colby Sharples-Terry said these types of 
oddball attractions can translate into real economic benefits for small 
towns.

And she’s glad to see so many rural Kansas communities get 
serious about finding unique ways to stand out, even if those ways might
 seem unorthodox.

“They know that without change,” Sharples-Terry said, “the town’s gonna die.”

According to the state’s <a href="https://www.travelks.com/travel-industry/research-and-reports/economic-impact/" target="_blank">most recent data</a>,
 tourism’s per capita economic impact in Kiowa County — home to the Big 
Well — is $1,651 a year. That’s more than three times the $544 per 
capita tourism impact in Edwards County next door. And that far 
surpasses other nearby counties in rural southwest Kansas like Comanche 
($913) and Clark ($337).

It’s the same story for Cawker City. 
Tourism’s annual per capita economic impact in Mitchell County — home to
 the Ball of Twine — is $1,425. That’s way more than neighboring 
counties Jewell ($655), Lincoln ($520) and Ottawa ($422).

And even though the tourism dollars Cawker City and Greensburg 
generate may pale in comparison to bigger cities, Sharples-Terry said 
that revenue adds up here in ways that it wouldn’t elsewhere.

“If 
you go to Los Angeles, they won’t know that you’re there,” 
Sharples-Terry said. “But if you go to Lucas and visit these sites and 
eat lunch, that is directly impacting that community so much more.”

So what is it about these world’s largest attractions that has kept them relevant and profitable for so many years?

And why is Kansas — and the middle of the country, more broadly — such a hot spot for them?

That’s something Erika Nelson has pondered quite a bit during her time as a rural artist and world’s-largest-things aficionado.

“Kansans will try the craziest ideas in a very serious way,” Nelson said. “The naysayers get shut down pretty quickly.”

Nelson’s not only a fan of the world’s largest stuff. She also created one of the quirkiest giants in Kansas: the <a href="https://www.roadsideamerica.com/tip/46395" target="_blank">World’s Largest Souvenir Travel Plate</a> that greets travelers from the side of the highway as they drive into Lucas (population 394).

With an old phone company satellite dish as her canvas, Nelson 
painted it in the style of the gift shop tchotchkes tourists have taken 
home to their curio cabinets for decades.

True to form, she 
decorated it with a collage of illustrations that tell the story of 
Lucas — from the town’s over-the-top public restroom in the shape of a 
giant toilet (<a href="https://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/33788" target="_blank">Bowl Plaza</a>) to a mini Mount Rushmore replica a local artist built in her backyard to the <a href="http://www.gardenofedenlucas.org/" target="_blank">Garden of Eden</a>’s psychedelic-populist concrete sculptures, which put Lucas on the folk art map more than a century ago.

On Main Street, stands Nelson’s other Kansas landmark: a very meta shrine to oversized kitsch called the <a href="https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/worlds-largest-collection-of-smallest-versions-of-largest-things" target="_blank">World’s Largest Collection of the World’s Smallest Versions of the World’s Largest Things</a>.

Inside, a wall-sized U.S. map marks each world’s largest thing’s location with a red dot. Kansas has a lot of red.

“The
 Northeast doesn’t have that same sort of need to prove themselves in a 
big manner,” Nelson said. “But there’s this line from Texas up through 
Minnesota that is just littered with world’s largest things.”

Nelson
 said these colossal creations particularly resonate with people in 
Kansas and other parts of Middle America because they elevate the 
ordinary.

In a region perceived as reserved and understated, she said, putting up the <a href="https://www.roadsideamerica.com/tip/38003" target="_blank">World’s Largest Baseball</a> (Muscotah) or <a href="https://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/16559" target="_blank">Liberty Bell Made of Wheat</a>
 (Goessel) offers a subtle way to show pride in accomplishing something 
extraordinary and unexpected in an often-overlooked place.

“It’s 
almost like a humblebrag,” Nelson said. “It’s a lot of normal people 
living their lives who suddenly have this spark and say, ‘Hey, you know 
what would make this really great? Put an ‘-est’ on it."

Nelson’s fascination with “superlatives” — things bestowed with the 
title of world’s largest, smallest, tallest, etc. — began as a kid.

She
 learned to navigate her small hometown in central Missouri based on the
 town’s water tower, which had been painted by a local billiards factory
 into the world’s largest 8-ball. Then when she visited her grandparents
 in Minnesota, catching her first glimpse of the world’s largest Paul 
Bunyon statue let her know her destination grew near.

As a grad 
student studying art, Nelson began crafting her own diminutive versions 
of the world’s largest things as keepsakes from her travels — starting 
with the one that’s less than an hour from her home: Cawker City’s Ball 
of Twine.

That was more than two decades ago. She has now created close to 250 of these miniature replicas.

Once
 Nelson had enough fun-sized water towers and Paul Bunyans to start 
sharing her collection, she packed them up as a traveling roadshow. 
Sometimes she displayed them at official superlative events, like the 
giant ketchup bottle festival in Illinois, or at pop-up shows she held 
out of the bus that doubled as her living quarters.

Five years ago, her collection found this permanent home in an old storefront in downtown Lucas.