Ark Valley News - Looking Back

Looking Back
Last Updated: August 06, 2015

50 years ago

Maynard C. Mitchell, principal of Park Elementary School, resigned his job here and accepted the position of high school principal at Goodland. The Mitchells resided in Valley Center for 16 years, coming here in 1949. During that time he served on the school faculty. From 1949 to 1959 he taught in the high school, and in 1959 he was principal at the Park School. Mitchell served two terms on the city council in Valley Center from 1961 to 1965.

A Valley Center delegation was present on the IGA Cash Calls Program on KAKE-TV for the purpose of telling Channel 10 viewers about the 1965 Fall Festival. Denny and Don West of West's IGA set up this show with John Froome of KAKE-TV.

45 years ago

Elizabeth Rempel of Valley Center and Jean Yates of Sedgwick were among the 76 students who received diplomas at the 59th annual commencement program of the Wesley School of Nursing.

Patricia Jean Jackson, a 1970 graduate of Remington High School, was invited to participate in the Kansas State University College of Arts and Sciences honors program. Jackson is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Dwaine P. Jackson of rural Valley Center. Only those students who were expected to stand in the upper five percent of their class, based upon their high school records and their performance on K-State placement tests, were invited to enter the program.

40 years ago

The Valley Center Merchants captured first place in the Newton Centennial slow pitch league with a 13-1 record. The Merchants also won the postseason playoff involving the top teams from the Centennial and National Leagues. The Valley Center men whipped Sedgwick Lumber 6-3 for the title. Team members included Alan (Peewee) Pierce, Bill Haas, Timmy Thompson, Mike O'Quinn, Steve Minson, John Garner, Barry Berg, Cal Pollock, Mike Rader, Paul Peters, Rick Calhoun, Harvey Doolen, Byron Parker, King Doolen and Mike Maxie.

The Valley Players were well on their way to the 1975 production of "Bye Bye Birdie" held at the High School Auditorium. Some new faces were added to the lineup. John Kniseley, Janet Newman and Kenny Allen were new to the group. Some of the regulars were Tom Hunsinger, Sue Stevens, Judy Rayl, Bev Armstrong and Jim Stauffer (a patrolman in Dodge City who drove back and forth for rehearsals).

35 years ago

The Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Bailey Circus arrived in town around 6 p.m. with the animal walk to the Kansas Coliseum around 7 p.m. Gunther Gebel-Williams, often called the world's best known animal trainer, lead the way. More than 20 elephants, some with Wichita area personalities atop them, participated in the walk.

Valley Center's Norma Daniels advanced to the November 1980 general election in the race for a state senate seat in the newly created 31st District. Daniels was a member of the Valley Center City Council. Her win would have her running against incumbent Wes Sowers, Republican who had no opposition in the primary.

30 years ago

The Wichita Spirit, a soccer team made up of boys from the Valley Center area, traveled to Colorado Springs for a tournament. The team was invited to the Rocky Mountain Invitational Pike's Peak Tournament by virtue of their winning AYSO record. Only boys 14 and under could play in the tournament. Playing on that team from Valley Center were Corey Quandt, Jason Watkins, Darrin Eskridge and Doug Erwin. Other players were Damon Baird, Doug Lanterman, Damien Martin, Steve McKay, Kenneth Miller, Darrin Rice, Chris Schmidt and Clint Tilson, all of Park City; John Trahan of Sedgwick, and Mark Hall of Halstead. Coaches for the team were Dennis McKay, Frank Martin, Bob Hall and Leon Quandt.

A Valley Center fast-food business was no more. A&J Drive-In closed its doors this week in 1985. The business was then owned by Betty Eichkorns. The Eichkorns bought the business from Minnie Batman in November the prior year.

25 years ago

Marshall Bennett reached for a piece of his patio railing that was still lodged in a tree in this front yard at 561 N Ash in Valley Center. The 115-mph winds the night of June 19 blew the patio railing over his house and punched one of the ends about four inches into the tree.

Laura Salmeron had no trouble picking out memorable events from a trip to Mexico she recently returned from. Salmeron, a Spanish teacher at Valley Center High School, was accompanied by students Tracey Hampton, Tina Hoag, Jason Goicoechea and Kerry Locke on the trip to the cities of Mexico City, Taxco and Acapulco last month.

20 years ago

Three Valley Center 4-H'ers showed the champions in beef cattle, swine and lamb divisions of the Sedgwick County Fair in Cheney. Marlene Hill showed the grand champion steer, Jeff Davison exhibited the grand champion market lamb and Jon Rich showed the grand champion market hog. All three exhibitors were members of the Valley Victors 4-H Club.

At the beginning of the 1995 season, Darin Gleason did something that helped him and his Pratt Community College baseball team. He went submarine. No, not the Navy kind. The pitching kind, where a pitcher slings the ball from below the hip in a quasi-softball delivery that makes fans want to turn their heads sideways and hitters to back out. Gleason went from an average junior college pitcher to one of the best closers in the Jayhawk League. Gleason, son of Tom and Sharon Gleason of Valley Center, chalked up a 1.89 ERA, collecting eight saves in 17 appearances. Gleason signed to play baseball for Washburn and was a 1993 Valley Center graduate.

15 years ago

A long-time Valley Center business moved from town to Wichita this month. Garten's Music moved to 4235 W. Central in Wichita. The location moved them closer to their clientele and would get them more traffic. The owner Cindy Houston along with her mother Margaret Garten and Bill Kraske looked forward to the move. Garten's employed eight people.

Wendy Reynolds moved her dentist office to a new 2,000-square-foot office on the north side of 61st North near Broadway, just east of Tomlin Liquor. The new space gave them more parking than the old location at 1611 E. 61st North.

10 years ago

Tim Millspaugh of Valley Center was promoted to Sedgwick County Fire Department fire marshal last month in 2005. Millspaugh and his wife Lois had three grown children.

A Manhattan couple, Chris and Simmi Davis, purchased the M&M store at Main and Meridian in Valley Center and the former Coastal Store in Sedgwick. The stores were renamed Absolute Petroleum.

5 years ago

Oletha Faust-Goudeau and Richard Ranzau won their respective primary elections Aug. 3 for the Sedgwick County commission's Forth District seat.

Former Kechi police officer Brian Hunter opened a martial arts school on Main Street in Valley Center. He previously owned the Park City Academy of Martial Arts in Park City.