Ark Valley News - Looking Back

Looking Back
Last Updated: February 14, 2019

50 years ago

Carl Searcy of Valley Center signed a letter of intent to play football at the University of Kansas. He was unanimously chosen as an all-state lineman, the first all-state football player from Valley Center.

Susan Raines of Valley Center received an honor scholarship while attending Ottawa University. She was a junior majoring in psychology.

45 years ago

The Valley Center Index did a story about the Arkansas Valley State Bank 15 years after it opened at First and Ash. The bank originally opened at Main and Ash in 1954 with six employees. By 1974, the bank's original location had become the new home of Barney's Shoes, and the bank had grown to 28 employees.

Valley Center High School students Carol Foster, Ronda Lackey and Christine Arbuckle were three of the 12 contestants in the Miss Kansas Teen Ager Pageant. The ceremony was to be held at the Holiday Inn at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Kan. The winner would get a chance to travel to the national competition in Atlanta, Ga., and compete for $10,000 in scholarship awards.

40 years ago

Christina Frantz of Valley Center was crowned the America Junior Miss Majorette at the Winter Olympics of Baton Twirling in Cleveland, Tenn. Frantz had been runner-up in the competition several times. She broke her leg in three places while playing touch football in physical education class. The cast was removed just six weeks before the contest.

Wilfred and Ann Bergkamp of Valley Center were named Farm Family of the Year. The Bergkamps also received a Banker's Conservation Award at the annual awards ceremony of the Sedgwick County Soil Conservation District. Wilfred, who earned a drainage award 13 years prior for his work with KG&E, was recognized for his irrigation techniques. He used a "big squirt irrigation system" to irrigate 200 acres of milo, corn and alfalfa.

35 years ago

The USD 262 Board of Education voted to require Valley Center High School students to earn two extra credits in order to graduate. The move raised the number of credits required to graduate from 20 to 22. New classes included two semesters of world history and the expansion of American government from one semester to two; the international relations course, which was already offered by the school, became a requirement. An additional unit of science was also required.

The Ark Valley News interviewed Mike Costner and Terry Sanderson about their successful tree service business, Beaver Brothers. The pair of 30-year-olds had been best friends since the age of 12 and built their business into full-time work in just five years. They started their business with nothing but a rake and a pair of hand-held shrub clippers.

30 years ago

Brooke Townsend, a second-grader at Abilene, won first place in the national competition of the Health Mart Drug Awareness Contest. Townsend won an expense-paid trip for her family to Washington, D.C. She was one of 11 national winners in four age categories for her "Teddy-gram" drawing.

Hubert "Pete" Greenbank retired from his job in the composing room at the Wichita Eagle-Beacon after 21 years. Greenbank retired with over 50 years of newspaper-related employment. He got his start working for his father, Lester, at The Valley Center Index in 1938.

25 years ago

Members of the Methodist Church — including Beth Allen, Dale Allen, Alta Hickok, Val Verboom, Courtney Schupp, Mike O'Toole, Emmett Hickok and Bob Allen — collected 1,038 pounds of aluminum cans in Valley Center to benefit victims of a recent earthquake in Los Angeles. The cans brought $311.40.

Dr. Dan Kelley purchased the building at 216 W. Main with plans to open a new chiropractic office, Common Sense Chiropractic. Kelley purchased the building from Dopps Chiropractic.

20 years ago

Valley Center High School juniors Julia Galstad and Kathy Johnson were selected to participate in the Kansas Music Educators Association's statewide honor band. Galstad played the French horn, and Johnson played the flute.

Controversy arose among the local senior community when the office of Vicki Shepard, senior director for Park City, Bel Aire and Maize, was moved. The move was approved by Bel Aire Mayor Lyle Ackerman because Shepard was sharing an office space with the director of the Bel Aire Recreation Center. She got her own office in the Park City Senior Center, and Bel Aire seniors were concerned that they would be less of a priority.

15 years ago

Kimberly Callaway, owner of One Stop Photo, moved her business from 209 W. Main to a much bigger location at 215 W. Main. Her husband, Tony Schock, owned G.S. Memorymaker and also used the new building for office space. His studio remained at 101 N. Ash.

The Valley Center High School wrestling team clinched a Chisholm Trail League title by defeating Goddard 33-18 in a dual. The Hornets were down 12-0 before coming back and winning. Stephen Simmon and Josh Cravens pinned their opponents to earn big points for the team late in the dual. Simmon wrestled at 160 pounds, and Cravens wrestled at 275 pounds.

10 years ago

The USD 262 Board of Education approved a bid for the installation of field turf at the district's athletic stadium east of the old high school after voters passed a $57.5 million dollar bond issue package. The board voted unanimously to move ahead with the project with a maximum cost of $875,076.

Country singer Alan Jackson was announced as the opening act for the brand new Hartman Arena. Jackson was named the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers Country Music Awards Songwriter/Artist of the Year. He had recently released the single "Country Boy" from his album "Good Time."

5 years ago

The Valley Center Animal League hosted its first father-daughter dinner and dance at the middle school. Close to 200 attended the event and about $1,800 was raised for the organization.

Jordan Trego was presented with a Golden Apple teaching award in her classroom by KAKE TV meteorologist Frank Waugh and Davis Moore's Dawson Grimsley. Trego was a fourth-grade teacher at Wheatland Elementary.