Elvis, girls in poodle skirts, Lucille Ball, space aliens, and astronauts were in the building for the Stockton Grade School Spring Concert, held on Tuesday, April 25th. The Kindergarten, first, and second-grade aliens and astronauts “Journeyed Into Outer Space” during their portion of the evening’s entertainment, starting with the song “Blast Off!” Soon they “We’re Zooming Into Space” and checking out the planets by singing “The Planets Song” and “The Planet Rap.” And what would outer space be without “The Pluto Song?” and “I Am An Alien?” Ending their space adventure was a reprise of “Blast Off” before the curtains closed so the fifth-grade band could set up to take us back to the musical past that their two selections, “Surfin’ USA,” and “Old Town Road.” “Eye Of The Tiger” was the first vocal song of the night from the thirdthrough fifth-grade students, followed by “I Believe I Can Fly.” Then it was a high-energy performance of “Rock & Roll Is Here To Stay,” followed by the classic “Stand By Me.” Then everyone was rocking in their seats to the tunes “At The Hop, and “Locomotion,” complete with dance moves by the kids.

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Everett McWilliams from Hill City (During the Paper Moon event at the Nova Theatre): “One of the trucks used in the movie 50 years ago was mine and my brother, Jesse’s.” Cheryl Calvin (At the Paper Moon event at the Nova Theatre): “I saw this movie a long time ago, and it was fun to see it again.”.

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The Engler Agribusiness Entrepreneurship Program at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln recently announced the recipients of scholarships for the 2023-24 academic year. Caleigh Iwanski, a senior at the University of Nebraska, was among those receiving the Continuing Student Scholarship.

Early Sunday morning, April 23, Bonita Oliva, Woodston, and her overnight guest, Kim Perez, Hays, got up at 4:00 a.m., dressed warmly, as the outside temperature was 20 degrees, grabbed some hard-boiled eggs and coffee, and drove to Kirwin to meet Julie Ostmeyer. Julie is a partner in PhotoLogic, specializing in bringing photographers to a Prairie Chicken lek in their pasture in Phillips County. Her husband, Jeff Ostmeyer, had posted some incredible photographs of male Prairie Chickens on the Kansas Birding Facebook site with the location in Smith County. Bonita was sure the lek was just a short distance from where she lives and eventually contacted Julie through Facebook Messenger. More than 20 years ago, Bonita attended a meeting sponsored by Kansas Wildlife and Parks about Prairie Chickens. Then for several mornings, she got up very early, drove country roads in the area where she lived, and was super excited to find a couple of leks. Before the arrival in the spring of Redwing Blackbirds, which greet the dawn with raucous song, Bonita could distinguish the unique sounds made by the male Prairie Chickens in a lek that sounds something like the sound made by blowing over the top of a glass pop bottle. These sounds can carry a mile, especially on a perfectly calm morning. The sound is referred to as 'booming,' and leks have been referred to as 'booming grounds.' The movement of several deer caught Bonita's eye when she found her first lek. Looking through binoculars at the deer, she noticed small dots jumping on the top of a hill and realized she was looking at Prairie Chickens males vying for the attention of the female onlookers. Bonita has never returned to the site early in the morning to see if the lek still exits, but she has been inspired to look again.

Phone: 785-994-6370 (home) or 785-476-5206 (cell) On April 20, Bonita Oliva traveled to Hays to attend the Wilson School Spring Concert, entitled 'Sweet Music,' held in the Hays Middle School Gym. Two of her great-grandsons were in the concert: William, a second grader, and Charlie, a kindergartner.

The Stockton High School girls ensemble and Cheyene Carlson (clarinet) received II Ratings at the State Music Contest held in Hesston on Saturday, April 29th. Congratulations on their fine showing! The girls ensemble members are Paytyn McNulty, Katy Post, Aubrey Kesler, Cheyenne Hoeting, Brin Muir, Addie Struckhoff, Tierra Yohon, Melissa Ard, Cappi Hoeting, Taigen Kerr, Ava Dix, and Delanee Bedore.

STAY AWAY! That was pretty much the reality after Adam knowingly and willfully rebelled against God's lone prohibition in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3). God kicked Adam and Eve out from His presence even placing angels with flaming swords to guard the way back into His presence (Gen. 3:24). When God appeared to Moses at the burning bush (Exodus 3:6), we see that 'Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look upon God.' When Israel finally made their way out of Egypt and to Mt. Sinai, 'God told Moses, you shall set bounds for the people all around saying, 'Take heed to yourselves that you do not go up to the mountain or touch its base. Whoever touches the mountain shall surely be put to death'' (Exod. 19:12-13). This sure doesn't sound like the loving God that mostpeopleenvisionHim to be. After Israel hears the thunder and feels the earthquakes as God communicates with Moses, they say, 'You speak with us and we will hear; but let not God speak with us, lest we die' (Exod. 20:19). It was 40 years later when Israel was about to enter the Promised Land that as the priests carried the Ark of the Covenant (i.e. God's Presence), that the people were told to stay 3,000 feet behind (Joshua 3:3-4). Access to God's presence was extremely limited. Even the High Priest could only enter into God's Presence in the Holy of Holies one day each year. And his access to God required the sprinkling of blood on the Ark of the Covenant. The whole message from God to His people in Old Testament times was basically, 'Stay away!' We who are New Testament, born-again Christians can't imagine not having 24/7 access to God. But it was Jesus who said, right before He died, 'It is finished' (Matt. 27:50). And then God's Word says, '...behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom' (27:51). It was the blood of Jesus that opened the way to God. Now God says, 'Draw near to Me and I will draw near to you!'

If you were asked to pack up everything you have and leave all you know behind in hours or minutes, could you do that? Even if you could, it certainly would not be easy. It would require a tremendous amount of faith on your part. Such was the case with the disciples and other followers and believers when they left all to follow Jesus or spread the gospel worldwide.