Thank You from Charlene and Bill Watson

THANK YOU

I want to thank Dr. Klenda, Dr. Concannon, all the nursing staff and aides for the wonderful care I received before, during, and after my recent surgery. People have asked if I was satisfied with the care I received while a patient at Mitchell County Hospital or if I wish I had gone some place else. I cannot say enough about the care I received. I was completely happy with every aspect of my care. It was nice for our family not to have to travel a long distance to see me.

I also thank my family and friends for their prayers, calls, cards, flowers and visits during that time and since I returned home. Thanks to Pastor Dennis and Carol Finch for their visits and prayers. As usual our family has taken turns staying with us, fixing food, and making sure I behaved myself as much as they possibally could. I hope to be back to normal in the near future if I can just figure out that is. Bill says I have two speeds: Full speed ahead or flat on my back, and no neutral and after all these years he should know. Thanks again everyone.

May God Bless you all.   – Charlene and Bill Watson 

For the Fun of It: Another Post Card from the Past

This post card is from 1915 and postmarked by the Barnard Post Office.  If you know any history behind the post card or who the person is that is standing on the bridge...drop me a line.  Click on the images to enlarge them.

Post Card from the Past

Post card postmarked from the Barnard Post Office in 1911.  If you know any history behind this post card, let me know.  Click on the images to enlarge them.

Vacant Lots for Sale

The city owns several vacant lots that they would like to sell.  They would be suitable for RV's, mobile homes, and for building.  If you are interested, contact City Clerk Barb Rathbun at (785) 792-6270.  She will be able to provide more specific information and the details on the purchasing process.

Barnard City Council Minutes for August 1, 2011

Click on image to enlarge.

Home for Sale in Barnard, Kansas

This is a beautiful home for sale in Barnard, Kansas.  It has three bedrooms, one bath, and an attached garage.  The owner is asking $16,500 for it.  It is on South Main.  Contact your local realtor for more information.

Annette's Country Kitchen to Close by October 1st

Annette Sneath announced the closing of Annette's Country Kitchen in Barnard.  She says that it wasn't an easy decision to make but it was time to make it.  She didn't realize that opening a small business in a small town would be such a big endeavor.  In addition, it was not a profitable venture.  Every month she and Brandon had to put money from their own accounts into the business.  They said they did it as more of a community service.

Family time suffered greatly, Annette said Saturday night.  She felt that she was missing out on her kids growing up.  Brandon and Annette always thought that the family should come first.  Health problems also flared up and it became time to make a decision that she couldn't put off any longer.  She treasured the experience but is looking forward to the next chapter of her life. 

I wish her and her family the very best in their journey.

Barnard Post Office Discontinuance Study

The following documents are what I received in the mail the other day.  Click on each document to make it larger.

There are a few loaded questions in it that seem designed to prove that we could do without our post office.  Answer it carefully.

The postal service is hosting a meeting at the community building to discuss the closure of the Barnard post office.  It is Monday, October 3, 2011 at 7 pm.  I plan to be there.

Simpson recently had a similar meeting.  The postal service advocated that towns could have a village post office in a local business.  The postal service representative said that the addresses would not change and the zip code would remain.  The article said that the 138 day process of closing the Simpson post office began when the meeting was set.  THAT MEANS THAT THE PROCESS HAS STARTED FOR CLOSING THE BARNARD POST OFFICE!!!  OUR TIME IS OFFICIALLY RUNNING OUT!  The appeal process is listed in the above documents.  The article about Simpson is in the September 23 issue of the Beloit Call.

The residents had some great questions that they asked.  Based on those questions, here is what I plan to ask at the meeting.

1.  If the Barnard service area goes to rural delivery, would they have to add personnel?  If they had to add personnel, why could they not continue to pay our postmaster?

2.  As in Simpson the building is not owned by the Postal Service.  The Postal Service said that it will fulfill the lease term.  Will the service do the same here?  When does that contract expire?  If you have to pay for the building anyway, why not keep the post office operative?

3.  The nearest post offices are 15-30 miles away.  Our population is aging and some have limited driving abilities.  How will they get to the post office?  How will we get to the post offices to get our registered mail or things we must sign for?

4.  If you leave our packages in unsecured areas, how can we be assured of getting them?

5.  We have no suitable businesses in town to provide a village post office.  How can we open a village post office?

If our post office closes, several people have voiced concern about whether or not they would stay in Barnard.  Council member Randy Pickering said in a council meeting that if the post office closed, he and Crystal were definitely leaving.  I believe that others may do the same.  This may be a hard blow for our community to survive.  This is the time that you should stand up and be counted.  If we lose our post office, it shouldn't be because we didn't try.

What is the Barnard Banter? It's Free!

Monty manned the Barnard Banter table for me this morning at the community building portion of the city-wide garage sale.  He said there was some confusion about what a blog or an online newspaper is and what was expected from its readers.

A blog is simply an online forum to pass along information.  If you only want to read it, that is great.  You only have to comment if you want.  You don't have to post anything.  If you want to share something, just let me know at tazirk@aol.com (make sure it says Barnard Banter in the subject line of your email) or let Monty Fuller or Jeff Wallace know you have something and I will contact you.

It doesn't cost you a thing.  You don't have to subscribe...it is free to view and advertise.  I started it because I felt that the Lincoln paper ignored us and we have news too.  This is simply a means for the community to share.  I would love for the Barnard Banter to grow and be an information outlet for this community and those who are interested in this community.

If you know someone who is unsure what the Barnard Banter is about, share this with them or have them email me at tazirk@aol.com.

Thank you for helping us grow,

Travis A. Zirkle
(TAZ)

October 2011 City Council Meeting and Post Office Closure Meeting

On Monday, October 3, 2011, the Barnard city council will meet at 6 pm.  Following the council meeting, there will be a post office potential closure meeting from 7 pm until 9pm.  The city council meeting will be at city hall and the post office meeting will be at the community center.

Annette's Country Kitchen Change in Hours

Annette's Country Kitchen will be closed on Tuesday and Thursday nights for the duration of football season.

Barnard City-Wide Garage Sale

The Barnard city-wide garage sale is Saturday, September 24,2011 from 8 am until noon.

Update on Barnard Readership and a Thank You to Our Readers

I would like to thank our readers and welcome those from the global community that have taken an interest in Barnard.  The Barnard Banter is read in the United States, Puerto Rico, Germany, India, Australia, and Russia.  When I brought together the team for this blog, I did not expect it to have the following it has.  Writing about the small town I now live in is a pleasure.  I hope you continue reading about our town.

Sincerely and with Best Wishes,
Travis A. Zirkle
(TAZ)

Barnard Baptist Church Celebrates 125 Years

            Churches and religious centers have been a part of American communities for centuries.  Barnard is no different.  Barnard’s First Baptist Church is celebrating 125 years as part of the Barnard community.

            The current First Baptist Church building was dedicated on September 25, 1960.  The building it replaced was built in 1901.  The ground breaking ceremony for the current building was on November 1, 1959.  Notable attendees were the Methodist Church Pastor Rev. Richard Near, Ione Hart, Morris Loy, Frances Clark, Wilber Wallace, Willard Hart, Frankie Matyas, Jack Simpson, Rev. J.H. Reynolds, and Rev. Ollie Odle.  The congregation built the church using a $15,000 mortgage that was paid off in 19 months.  The mortgage was burned on December 10, 1961 on the church’s 75^th anniversary.

            Pastor Dennis Finch is the current minister of the church.  The thing he wants people to know is that the church doesn’t care where you go to church but the Barnard First Baptist Church is here to help.  All you have to do is ask.  Pastor finch has lived in many places such as Wichita, Oklahoma City, and Beloit.  He currently serves two congregations; one in Simpson and the other here in Barnard.  Pastor Finch is also a foster parent whose family has welcomed many children over the years.

            Outreach is vital to the church’s survival.  Remaining active in the community benefits both the church and the community.  The church has sponsored mission trips, helps families with medical needs by contributing towards travel expenses for treatment, and awards scholarships.  The church has also done a “souper bowl” Sunday for the past four years.  On Super Bowl Sunday, the church delivers soup to homes.  The church also has conducted nursing home services.

            The First Baptist Church also collaborates with Barnard’s First Methodist Church throughout the year.  Vacation Bible School brings in about 30 children during a week in the summer.  Easter Sunrise Service is held with the Methodist church on the hill south of Barnard.

            Music is very important to the church.  Pastor Finch says that members of the congregation will sing for the church and the odd thing is that the older people sing the more contemporary songs and the younger people will sing the old spirituals and gospel songs.  The church also has its own version of the Von Trapp Family Singers.  Five generations of Watsons have belonged to the church and four generations have sung for the congregation.  Vicki Watson Lebein said that Charlene would ask them to sing a song at any given time.  Vicki said that she wasn’t a singer and that is why she learned to play the piano.  Church was a natural outlet for their music.

            The vision for the church is hard to define.  The church is located in a declining community so planning for the future is difficult to do.  Vacation Bible School used to bring in a couple hundred kids and last for two weeks now it is about 30 for a week, but the church still gets excited about it.  Barnard is still a great community and the church wants to remain a positive influence within this community.  The church feels that its role in the community is one of support.  The hope is that the 125^th Celebration is the springboard to the future.  Though the congregation is considerably smaller than in its history, it is still an energized congregation that wants to continue being a part of the present and the future.

            The church has not forgotten its past.  There are still many things from the old church in the present building.  As you walk through it, you can see the old pulpit and some of the old pews.  A wonderful piece of history is the 1937 quilt that hangs in the sanctuary.  Ione Hart contributed some memories of some of the people named on the quilt.  Those memories have been written and framed below the quilt.

            The First Baptist Church of Barnard will have its 125th celebration on October 9, 2011.  Retired Pastor Ollie Odle will be returning to the pulpit to bring a message.  Regional Pastor, Jerry Seabaugh will be attending to make a special presentation to the church to commemorate its longevity in the Barnard community.  The service will be at 11 am and all are welcome.  There will be a catered meal after for which you can RSVP by calling (785) 738-3520.  In the afternoon there will be music and memories.  After a light evening meal, gospel group, Brand New Day, will perform at 6:30 pm.

            Regular Sunday services are at 11 am with Sunday school at 10 am.  There is a prayer meeting on Wednesday nights at 7pm at the church.

These are close-up pictures of the different named panels in the 1937 quilt.

 

Barnard City Council Meetings

Barnard city council meetings are the first Monday of each month. They are at 7:30 pm. Barb Rathbun is the city clerk and is at City Hall from 8 am to noon on Mondays. The phone number for City Hall is 785-792-6270. The mailing address is PO Box 91, Barnard, KS 66418.

Action Required

Many residents and people with Barnard ties have made comments to me about how they oppose the demolition of the water tower and vacant houses. A couple have posted comments on the blog articles. Though I agree with you, the people who need to hear your voices directly are your city council members. The only people they are hearing from are those that support their vision. If you disagree with them, you must also let them know. Then, if they don't respond...vote them out of office. You have to participate if you want your voice to be heard.

And the Flag Still Waves...

...the bombs bursting in air, gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.  O say does that Star Spangled Banner yet wave o'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

Barnard Water Tower Project

     On Monday, September 5, 2011, the Barnard city council hosted a town meeting to dicuss the Barnard water tower situation.  The meeting was held to inform the residents and interested parties about what the city is planning to do.

     Present at the hearing was Manday Fincham, a Community Develpment Specialist with the North Cenral Regional Planning Commission in Beloit.  The city is applying for a 60/40 grant to demolish the existing water tower built in the early 1940's and to build a new water tower.  The project total is $270,000 with Barnard being responsible for $108,000.  The council signed paperwork for a bond issue to cover the city's $108,000 portion.  The grant application will now be  submitted for approval.

     There was unanimous agreement that Barnard needed a new water tower.  However, there was strong disagreement with what to do with the historic tower.  The council was not interested in preservation but gave a group of residents three months to come up with a comprehensive plan.

     Any questions about the project may be directed to the Barnard city council or you many contact Mandy Fincham at (785) 738-2218 or mfincham@nckcn.com.  The hearing was recorded and may be requested from the Barnard Banter.

Ballouch-Behmeyer Wedding at the Barnard First Methodist Church

Jenica Ballouch and Brett Behmeyer were joined in union today at the First United Methodist Church in Barnard, KS.  Many family members and friends were present at the ceremony.  The bride's nephew (and mine too), Wyatt Wallace, was the ringbearer.  May the couple be blessed with long life, marriage, and happiness.

Update on Charlene Watson

As heard from Charlene's daughter, Charlene is doing better and will hopefully be home soon. She appreciates your thoughts and prayers.

Lions Club Dinner and First Meeting

The Lions Club will have its first meeting and a community dinner on September 12, 2011 at 7 p.m. There will be hamburgers and hotdogs. Annette Sneath of Annette's Country Kitchen, will be making potato salad and Nancy Houghton will be making her pasta salad. If you want to bring a dessert, it will be welcome, but it isn't required. The whole community is invited and a good time will be had by all.

Charlene Watson

Charlene Watson is still in the hospital. Please remember Charlene and her family in your thoughts and prayers.

Landmark Barnard Water Tower...Another Erased Memory?

Many Barnard residents, past and present, find themselves looking for the familiar landmark as they make their drive home.  This water tower has been a sentry that has marked coming home for many people starting with war weary soldiers returning to Barnard from serving their country in World War II.  The WPA built landmark may soon be a memory.  There is a town meeting at Barnard City Hall on Monday, September 5, 2011 at 7:30 pm to present a proposal to the community that will demolish the Art Deco water tower and replace it.

The Barnard water tower was completed in 1942 and was built by the WPA.  The Art Deco structure is the only survivor of three of this type built in the state of Kansas.  Below are excerpts from "Barnard History:  1885- 2010, Memories, Reflections, and Accounts."

Ott Saunders was the Water Superintendent and was the person who conceived of the water tower.  His family has this memory:

"Otto was later employed by the City and took care of the water and people also called him when they had problems with their lights.  He was also the City Marshall, carried his badge, and was proud of that.  All of their 19 grandchildren and even the great-grandkids were excited to come to Barnard and to see who could spy Grandpa's water tower first...to them that was what meant the most."  (From Barnard History, 1885-2010)

A view of the water tower from the Ott Saunders home in September of 2011.

Does the water tower need to become a memory that fades over time just like Barnard is becoming?  No it does not and neither should Barnard.  Should a new water tower be built?  Most certainly but the old historic Barnard water tower that people know does not have to be sacrificed for the building of a new one.  Part of historic preservation is finding a new use for an old structure.  An observation tower could be one such use.

The Kansas State Historical Society has already told the city council that they do not want the tower torn down.  Council member, Randy Pickering said "If the historic activists want to save it, let them pay for it."  The Barnard city council has had an active role in demolishing Barnard.  They have been told many times that once you tear it down, it is gone forever.  Many residences and most of the downtown has either been torn down or has been allowed to fall into ruin.  The city council hopes that people will build new in Barnard or at least bring in a trailer.  Low property values and the low income status of some new residents makes that scenario very unlikely.  As vacant properties are torn down, there is less space  for new residents.  Some properties are run down but still repairable.  There are those that will argue that they are not.  I am writing this article in one of the houses that the city wanted to tear down.  It is the Ott Saunders home.  By the time that the house is renovated and restored to my picky standards, I will have about $10,000 in it.  You could spend a lot more if you wanted to, but it is a matter of choice and what work you are willing to do yourself.

The population of Barnard is now at 70 people according to the 2010 census.  The 2000 census had the population at 123.  Barnard is not growing.  Barnard is dying but has potential to those who will think outside the "now" and think about the future.  Tourism can be a great thing for Barnard and the water tower can be a huge part of that.  Tourism may start out small but if nurtured, it can help Barnard grow.

Do we need a new water tower?  Yes.  Do we need to tear the old one down?  No.  Can the old one be saved?  Yes, though it is a possibility that the part containing the tank may need to be removed.  This, however, would still leave the bulk of the tower intact.  The city council has not pursued preservation with any diligence.  Please come to the town meeting and support saving a monument to Barnard's heritage.  If you don't save your heritage, who will?

Drinking Water Notice

Barnard Council Minutes July 11, 2011

Announcement of Public Meeting Concerning Barnard Water Tower

This meeting is September 5, 2011 at 7:30 pm to discuss the demolition of the historic water tower and the building of its replacement.