Follow the Chisholm Trail all the Way to Newton
The 22nd annual Chisholm Trail Festival celebrates what a small
Midwestern community knows best: pride!
Now in its twenty-second year, the Chisholm Trail Festival has matured
as a celebration of a city’s sense of itself. Some events have emerged
by now as traditional favorites, hallmarks that punctuate the festival’s
six-day progress, just as events come forward year to year to revitalize
the festival, keeping it fresh and reflective of the changing life of
the community.
The staples of the big get-together – the parade, the carnival in
Athletic Park, the search for the $1,000 cow chip, the food vendors, and
the concluding fireworks display — have become sources of anticipation
even as the festival has grown and changed, its events are far-ranging,
inclusive, drawing more and more Newtonians and their guests into the
infectious fun of the festival.
Again this year, the festival’s five-kilometer walk/jog/run drew the
serious competitors and the leisure class alike. The Saturday morning
parade showcased every possible example of small town life, from small
businesses to elementary schools, from Shriners on miniature John Deere
combines to kids on crepe-papered bikes.
It’s all here, the wholesome and the homegrown, the expected and the
less so, the corporately sponsored and the individually imagined: turtle
races and pie-eating contests, exhibitions of martial arts and water
balloon tosses, tractor pulls and watermelon feeds, jazz concerts and
car shows, teen dances and family games, community church services,
horseshoe tournaments, a chili cookoff, and performances by mimes, the
Azteca Dancers and the fun continues with “cowboy mounted shooters” and
the Newton Mid-Kansas Symphony Orchestra, the 14th annual Chisholm Trail
Festival road rally, an evening of gospel music and a movie under the
stars (The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, with free popcorn,) a
stickhorse rodeo (stickhorses provided free of charge for those
buckaroos arriving broncless,) a baby crawl and an evening of gospel
music, displays of historic locomotives and Newton Fire Department
rescue vehicles, a pie-eating contest, and an ice cream social dished up
by the Newton Police Department. Meanwhile, a $250 first prize waits for
the songbird winner of the Newton Idol Contest.
The Chisholm Trail Festival shows its more practical side as well,
directing the gathered crowds to educational displays of health hazards
around the house, tours of local historical interest, and festival-long
demonstrations of electronic voting machines set up for informing the
electorate. A button costing but four dollars admits adults to all
festival events; and kiddos aged five to twelve walk in for half that
price.
The festival breathes volunteerism and its spectacularly local
manifestation the Chisholm Trail Festival’s official Web site,
www.newtonctf.com, brings that home with the comment which thanks “Felix
Cormier for the use of the motorhome for our mobile CTF office.”
A raffle – one dollar, the suggested donation – supports the fireworks,
the most expensive of the events. First Bank underwrites the cost of the
buttons. And everyone has a good time. For more information on the 2006
Chisholm Trail Festival, or for information on the 2007 Festival, call
(316) 283-2560
SPOTLIGHT: TASTE OF NEWTON
Celebrate your senses
For two decades, the Taste of Newton has been one of the most recognized
days in the Newton calendar — and shows no signs of slowing down
Twenty years ago this fall, Newton resident Virgil Penner ventured to
the Windy City, and attended the annual Taste of Chicago event. This
scrumptious occasion featured countless local businesses and restaurants
gathering on the usually bustling streets of Chicago to enjoy
prosperity, community and most importantly, great food. With a full
stomach and overflowing mind, Penner returned to Newton to share the
idea with his hometown, and with the assistance of Bethel College, the
Newton Chamber of Commerce, local volunteers and Night Life Sounds, the
Taste of Newton was born.
Occurring annually, the Thursday prior to the Bethel College Fall
Festival, the Taste of Newton has grown tremendously since its
conception. In its first year, the event featured around 15 vendors and
occurred over a one-block radius in Newton. The 2005 Taste of Newton,
however, featured
a whopping 83 vendors and expanded over a three-block area of downtown,
featuring a new electrical generator system, making room for more
vendors and more visitors alike.
It is now the largest one-day event in Newton, attracting over 6,000
people.
In recent years, the Taste of Newton has highlighted two stages with
local entertainment for attendees to enjoy during the event. With one
stage featuring musical entertainment, and the other featuring dance,
children’s performances and more, there is much to be anticipated in the
2006 events. And unlike other area events, there is no cost to attend
the Taste of Newton. No tickets, no buttons, no admission fee — just
cost of the food that you choose to purchase. The aromas that fill the
streets of Newton are also free of charge.
Sample some of the many foods available including: roasted corn, BBQ,
Mexican, Chinese, baked goods, pretzels, dumplings, humus with pita
bread, chicken and noodles, Verenike, funnel cakes, sloppy joes, kettle
corn, corn dogs, nachos, smoked chicken, and more. So come on down to
the heart of Newton, and enjoy what Kansans celebrate best: friends,
fall and food! The 2006 Taste of Newton will be held Thursday, October
5th from 6 to 9 p.m. Call (316) 283-2560.
SPOTLIGHT: CARRIAGE FACTORY GALLERY
A touch of class, Showcasing Newton’s artistic ability since 1983
The Carriage Factory Art Gallery has been located at 128 E. Sixth St. in
Newton since 1983. The gallery takes its name from the original use of
the buildings. Mr. John Jacob Krehbiel, the carriage maker, came to
Newton from Iowa to find a more suitable place to raise his family. When
he arrived in Newton, he saw that this community was a law-abiding town,
with churches, and people who respected the value of education. In 1887,
he purchased the brick building that is now the Black Smith Gift Shop in
Newton.
J. J. operated the buggy and wagon making business for 36 years. In 1911
the larger building was built to house his growing business. Black smith
work was performed in the ‘smithie.’ Carriages and wagons were assembled
on the main level, then lifted to floor above for the finish work. When
they were ready to leave the factory they were rolled to the ground on a
ramp through the back, upstairs doors. The Krehbiel’s family home was
located in what is now Athletic park. The wrought iron fence around the
park was originally around their home. The fence was given as a gift to
the Newton Fine Arts Association and was restored. The fountain was a
1995 gift from a great nephew of J.J. Krehbiel, imported from London,
England. It is believed to have been designed in about 1860.
This building has been used for many things over the course of its
lifetime. At times, it was a tire store and gas station, television
store and motorboat store. Poultry products were also once sold from
this location. In 1983 the Newton Fine Arts Association decided to
establish a gallery here in Newton for local and regional artists to
have an appropriate venue to showcase their art.
By 1993, the building was given to the Newton Fine Arts Association and
a major effort was undertaken to renovate and restore. The Krehbiel
family and the community gave gifts to the Association to assist with
its renovation.
The Carriage Factory Art Gallery hosts regular quarterly exhibits. Each
exhibit is comprised of two to four featured artists who may or may not
be members of the Newton Fine Arts Association. Quarterly shows also
present the works of member artists and often showcase over 100
individual paintings, drawings, sculptures and other works.
Carriage Factory Gallery hosts a variety of special exhibits. In 2005,
these special exhibits included a Silent Auction and “The World of Small
& Miniature Art,” both on the 2006 schedule. In 2006, the gallery hosted
the “Man’s Best Friend Exhibit” and is already planning for an exhibit
featuring cats in 2007. One very special event is our annual
“Celebration of Sound & Color” the first Saturday of July. This year’s
event, will be built around a theme of “The Wild Blue Yonder.” Regular
business hours are 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesday to Saturday, by appointment
and by accident.
Address: 128 E. Sixth St.
Phone: (316) 284-2749
E-Mail: cfgnfaa@sbcglobal.net.
Web:
www.carriagefactoryartgallery.com
SPOTLIGHT: NEWTON GROWTH
100 Years of Growth
Once known as the “wickedest city in the west,” Newton, Kansas has
blossomed into a friendly, modern city of the 21st Century, all while
maintaining a small-town atmosphere.
The Newton Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Bureau has borrowed on its
Web site
a page from “The David Letterman Show” with its own Top Ten List, a
quick accounting of reasons for moving to Harvey County. For all its
simplicity and straightforwardness, the list is compelling enough, down
to earth and common-sensical, much like Newton itself. Here are the
reasons, in no particular order: “low crime rate, excellent school
system, low cost of living, safe environment for children, excellent
property values, state-of-the-art medical care, multicultural diversity,
and abundant recreational opportunities,” all culminating in “relaxed,
small-town living at its best.”
These reasons for moving to Newton apply most to families, of course, to
families of employees and business owners alike, and they form the
bedrock of any argument for a business to come to town, even as other
advantages peculiar to commercial endeavor assert themselves – location
chief among them, situated as Newton is on the intersection of US Hwy.
50 and Interstate 135, and on the main line of the Burlington Northern
Santa Fe Railroad on its east/west route between Chicago and Los
Angeles. The city’s central location, in the geographic middle of the
country, makes shipping of raw materials and finished goods quick, easy,
and affordable.
Newton shares in the advantages that are making Kansas a premier state
in which to do business – abundant natural resources, thoughtful and
immediately helpful economic development tools, a proven labor pool with
a rural work ethic, a positive regulatory environment, and an improving
legal climate thanks to recent modernization of the Kansas Corporate
Code, an increase in monetary limit for small claims court, and a waiver
of appeal bonds for businesses. In a state whose economy has
traditionally revolved around agriculture, oil, gas, and manufacturing,
Harvey County has enjoyed relative calm in its job growth, new housing
starts, and corporate prosperity, apart
from the boom/bust cycles that have historically characterized Kansas’
big three industries.
And Newton is translating the state’s advantages, the county’s ongoing
to measurable, sustainable growth. In 2005, eight new businesses opened
their doors in Newton and surrounding communities, while another 23
companies either relocated to new facilities or expanded existing
physical plants. As a direct result, 110 new jobs came to the area,
113,900 square feet of new commercial and industrial space was built,
and $12.1 million in new investment in the county’s economy. Two
projects in particular accounted for a significant portion of the growth
in Newton. Standridge Color Corporation moved into Newton’s Industrial
Park, and Industrial Metal Fab purchased a 94,000 square-foot building
on Spencer Road in Newton.
Over the past five years the numbers have been even better. In fact, in
that period the county has averaged $15 million in new capital
investment, 202 new jobs, and more than 110,000 square feet of new
industrial and commercial space. Even as many neighboring counties saw
their unemployment rates rise, Harvey County’s rate did not rise above 5
percent, while remaining to date well below the state’s average.
Perhaps no organization has more pronounced effect on the business
climate in Newton than does the Harvey County Economic Development
Council, formed in the 1980s to pursue five distinct goals: an increase
in the number of high-wage jobs through the creation, recruitment,
retention, and expansion of progressive employers, support for the
education of tomorrow’s work-force, expansion of the housing base,
strengthening of the county’s quality of life, and leveraging of the
county’s advantages in its proximity to the Wichita metropolitan area.
Central to the council’s broad objectives is job training, and in the
past five years the HCEDC has secured over $600,000 in tax-funded
training programs for the area. While the council’s traditional focus
has fallen on the development of manufacturing endeavors, the HCEDC is
now working with the Small Business Development Center at Wichita State
University in assisting smaller businesses in Harvey County. To date,
more than 20 new companies have earned targeted incentives to growth.
The Lettermanesque list for reasons to move to Newton, it would seem, is
accurate. And some.
SPOTLIGHT: SAND CREEK
All for Golf and Golf for All
Sand Creek, Newton’s new public golf course, is a symbol
of continuous growth for the community
Newton unveiled its first municipal golf course, at the same time the
community’s first 18-hole facility, at a large public ceremony on June
30, 2006.
The course represents a $4-plus million investment by the City of
Newton, awarding the construction bid to Illinois-based Wadsworth Golf
after submissions from contractors in Kansas, Arizona, California,
Nebraska, and California. An additional million dollars were committed
to water and drainage projects for the course as well as a bike path
that now loops from the course to a nearby residential neighborhood.
The community’s investment brought to fruition a public-private
partnership unique to Sand Creek, wherein Wichita developers J. Russell
Co. and Ritchie Associates donated 175 acres to the city for the course,
the centerpiece of a 565-home development. The National Golf Foundation
took note of the exchange and quickly predicted that, for the project to
be completely successful, the new course would need to be “equal to a
B-plus or A-minus private course.”
Nationally celebrated, much-honored golf course architect Jeff Brauer to
the rescue. Brauer, who has been often recognized by Golf Digest
magazine for his work in the design of upscale public courses, drew on
Newton’s railroad past as inspiration for Sand Creek.
In fact, the Burlington Northern Santa Fe rail line runs adjacent to the
property, and Brauer uses the right-of-way as a buffer between the
course and nearby home sites. He was almost certainly thinking in Sand
Creek’s layout of the classic Scottish courses of Troon and Prestwick,
both of which run next to railroad tracks. Largely a links-style course,
Sand Creek will force golfers to use their heads as much as their clubs
in negotiating its holes, most especially those lying along the creek
and its wooded banks.
Those creek-side holes were vulnerable to flooding. Pool-table flat in
their natural topography, Braur filled the greens to top out above
100-year-flood levels, the tees to 25-year flood plains, and the
fairways to a 10-year flood height.
Chris Tuchey, general manager and head pro at Sand Creek, believes the
course will challenge area golfer with “a great mix of Scottish-style
links and target holes.
The course sets up with lengths stretching from 5,200 yards all the way
up to 7,400, and the multiple tees adapt ideally to beginners, seniors,
women, and scratch golfers alike. Address: 920 Meadowbrook
Phone: (316) 284-6161
SPOTLIGHT: FOX RIDGE GOLF COURSE
From Pars to Parties
With a rich history, Fox Ridge Golf Club and Conference
Center has it all.
Away from traffic’s view, a quick turn will take you down a beautifully
paved road lined with rows of all-American dream homes, and lead you
straight to the hidden treasure of Newton: Fox Ridge Golf Club and
Conference Center.
Founded in 1903, this challenging course is open to the public
seven-days-a-week, and can be considered a fair test for any golfer.
Not only does Fox Ridge offer a world-class golf experience right in the
heart of Kansas, it also offers something that no other place in Newton
does: a luxurious conference center available for public rental. Once a
classy restaurant, the conference center is available for weddings,
corporate outings, luncheons, banquets and more, and features modern
technology such as wireless internet access.
Aside from the convenience, availability and class of a beautiful
conference center, Fox Ridge provides the obvious professional-like
golfing experience that no Kansan should be without. A public nine-hole,
3,174-yard golf course, driving range and putting green, whose amenities
include a pro-shop featuring the latest and greatest in golf
accessories, snacks and golf carts. Fox Ridge Golf Club and Conference
Center is located at 800 S. Kansas Ave. in Newton.
For more information about the course or Conference Center rental, call
(316) 283-4666.
