Ark Valley News - Looking Back

Looking Back
Last Updated: March 22, 2018

55 years ago

The Smith-Phipps Legion Auxiliary announced that Marilyn Kallenbach, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Melvin Kallenbach of rural Valley Center, would be its representative to Sunflower Girls State at KU. Kallenbach was a junior at Valley Center High School. Sunflower Girls State is a week's training in government at the city, county and state level.

Twenty-nine couples attended the no-tap Scotch Doubles at Valley Bowl. First-round winners were Julia and John Moss, 612, $15; Katie Turner and Jim Donohue, 595, $12; Marge Gfeller and Tex Bota, 593, $9; Sue Beardsley and Bud Brucker, 590, $7, Betty and Leon Dixon, 582, $6; Selma and Bud Elrod, 575, $5; and Pat and Dale Oberg 565, $4.

45 years ago

The Valley Thriftway Market in the 300 block of South Meridian was sold by Pinky and Georgia Harris to Willard Corns and his son, Gary. Mrs. Willard (Marie) Corns would also work in the store.

D&N Plumbing Company opened its doors to Valley Center and area residents. Jack Norris and Darrell Dunn offered full plumbing and heating work plus well service and repair. Their business would handle all repair, remodeling and new construction installation work.

40 years ago

Valley Center Cub Scout Pack 494 held its annual Pinewood Derby at Abilene Elementary with 33 cars competing in triple elimination. First place went to John Thompson, and second place was Mike Pilcher.

Southwestern Bell Telephone Company honored three Valley Center High School science students at the company's Science Recognition Day in Wichita. VCHS students attending were Kevin Garren, Bruce Williams and Martin Brauner. They were accompanied by Roe May, an instructor at the school.

35 years ago

Four members of league champion Valley Center High School's boys basketball team were named to the Chisholm Trail League all-league team. Senior Steve Taylor, junior Brian Lesperance and senior Rod Tormey made the 10-member first team. Senior Brian Schooler received honorable mention.

Kim Sharpe of Valley Center was awarded a $6,000 president's scholarship from Friends University.

30 years ago

Spec. 4 Timothy J. Siebert, son of W.D. and Teresa Siebert, re-enlisted in the Army at Fort Polk, La. His wife, Patricia, was the daughter of Rodney Jessup of rural Valley Center.

Winners in the Valley Center High School Hornet sweatshirt design contest were Steve Stafford and Ken Pilcher. Honorable mention went to Michelle Yoakum, Greg Kittle and Steven Schommer.

25 years ago

Heather Morrison of Valley Center spent her spring break helping the less fortunate. She was part of a group of Sterling College students who worked at a rescue mission in Kansas City. Kim Banton, Sterling's director of student ministries, said, "We've been doing these trips for a number of years, and they are very popular."

Two Valley Center boys played on the Wichita Salvation Army Biddy Basketball team that won the boys' 7-8 national title in New Orleans. Chad Wilmott and Cameron Ledford played for the Wichita West All-Stars, who defeated Slidell, La., 52-49 in the championship game.

20 years ago

Marine Lance Cpl. Ryan K. Shultz, son of Rita M. Schultz of Valley Center, and Marine Lance Cpl. Ryan K. Ragland, son of Harold and Shirley Ragland of Valley Center, returned to their home base of Camp Pendleton, Calif. Shultz and Ragland were deployed for six months to the Western Pacific, Indian Ocean and the Arabian Gulf with the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit.

The Valley Center High School chess team placed first in its last three tournaments and earned a trip to Los Angeles to compete at the national level. Students on the team included Matt Allison, Kevin Black, Andrew Rensel, Daniel Rensel, Bret Rogers, Glen Sharp, Toby Vogel and Shawn Wilcoxen.

15 years ago

Airman Daniel G. Hackney, son of Gene Hackney of Valley Center and Sherri Patterson of Griswold, Iowa, graduated from basic training at Lackland Air Force Base, San Antonio.

Valley Center High School senior Garrett Konen and junior Ian Lindstrom were named to the all-Chisholm Trail League second team in basketball. Hornet coach Wayne Morrow said both boys played well against Maize. Last year's all-league team also included two Hornets, seniors Chad Wilmott and Pat Edwards.

10 years ago

Wink Hartman and more than 70 people — including city officials, media and north Sedgwick County residents — shared in the ground-breaking ceremony of Hartman Arena. Hartman was joined by Park City Mayor Dee Stuart, arena manager John Nath and area sales and marketing manager Jacque Wedel in the introduction speeches.

Optimism was high with the city of Park City that Wild West World would get a new owner, pending approval by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court. Murphy Brothers Exposition of Tulsa solidified its $2 million offer to buy the failed theme park's property with a filed federal court document.

5 years ago

A Valley Center City Council proposal that would require residences to clear their sidewalks within 36 hours after a significant snowstorm died from lack of support. Some were concerned people on fixed incomes could neither get out and clear their sidewalks or pay someone to do it. Council member Al Hobson was against the proposal.

For the third time in his 16 years as head wrestling coach at Valley Center High School, Brian Shelton was honored as the Class 5A coach of the year by the Kansas Wrestling Coaches Association.