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Caitlin Lingg, daughter of Pat and Sandy Lingg of Stockton, was the Rooks County Spelling Bee Champion, winning the honors after spelling “planetarium” and “narthex” correctly. Caitlin would go on to represent the county at the State Spelling Bee in Great Bend in March.

About 50 businessmen met in the assembly room of the courthouse to attend the meeting of the Chamber of Commerce. Many good things were brought before that body, one of the important measures being a communication from the Junction City Chamber of Commerce relative to the west securing the appointment of a western man to the interstate commission. There has been considerable agitation for several months past as to the interstate commerce commission, who have control of freight rates. The commission is composed of members in remote sections of the United States, and the agricultural section of the entire central west does not have a single representative. H. A. Butler, president of the Chamber, named the committee of W. F. Hughes, Chas. Riseley and J. Q. Adams to confer with the Junction City Chamber. The great farming interests of the middle west should certainly have a right to representation on this important commission.

PICTURED IS TREE FARMER LEO BIRD.

* And So They Say: Lucille Scott: “My husband usually remembers our wedding anniversary as it falls on Valentine’s Day.” Francis Eshler: “If I’d buy my wife a Valentine, she’d wonder what I had been up to.” George Ostmeyer: “Sometimes a person just has to admit he’s not as young as he was. Mary Fix: “We shouldn’t have much trouble remembering our license tag number, it’s seven-eleven.” Ralph Burlin: “This is a wonderfully nice day, but what we’d like to see is a nice nasty rainy day.”

More than 30 citizens attended the public meeting held February 3 at City Hall to discuss the future direction of the Solomon Valley Manor. The Stockton City Commission was also present. City commissioner Mike Heenan gave a presentation from the information he accumulated on the Solomon Valley Manor, stating this was his pitch, not only to the public but to his fellow commissioners as well, on a plan for the future of the facility.

A deal was completed last Friday between Walter Timmons and S. C. Bundil, whereby the latter becomes the owner of the former’s shoe shop in the rear room of the Stockton National Bank building. Walter established this business nearly a year ago and is said to have been doing good business. However, he wanted to get outdoors, and Mr. Bundil wanted to get into business. Consequently, they swapped the shoe shop and dollars. Mr. Bundil has been a resident of Plainville for many years and is fairly well known in Stockton, having been here a time or two. This paper asks the readers to notice his announcement on another page of this issue.

Stockton’s fear of losing the prison had become a reality. It had been just a year since Rooks County got the crushing news that Schult Homes in Plainville would be closing, with over 100 jobs to be lost. Those affiliated with the minimum-security prison in Stockton had heard rumors of closing for years, but nothing had materialized. But the announcement came February 1, 2009, that the Stockton facility would be closed, which was scheduled for June 30 to coincide with the end of the state’s budget year. The early closing was expected to save the state $339,000. Thirty- three employees would lose their jobs, although all were offered transfers to the Norton facility.

Through an oversight in last week’s issue of this paper, the report neglected to mention that Sam Gadd had opened a watch and jewelry repair shop in the Leader Store. Mr. Gadd, being an old-time resident of this city, is very much known over the county as a specialist in his line of work. Sam has followed this occupation for so long that he cannot stay away from the lure of repair work and wants to work among his former acquaintances. Look for his announcement printed elsewhere in this issue of the Review and Record.