Saturday, June 6, 2015

2015 Salina Symphony at Eisenhower

Salina Symphony - Symphony at Sunset at the Eisenhower Presidential Library, Museum and Boyhood Home.

Symphony at Sunset Concert

Symphony at Sunset Concert to Commemorate D-Day at Eisenhower Presidential Library

https://youtu.be/0OKar5JFvcs
 Click the Image to play the Video

The fourth annual Symphony at Sunset D-Day Commemoration Concert will be held Saturday, June 6 -- the 71st Anniversary of D-Day-- on the steps of the Eisenhower Presidential Library. The 35th Infantry Division Band (Kansas National Guard) will open the concert at 7 p.m. followed by the Salina Symphony headlining at 8:30 p.m.

This patriotic concert pays tribute to all veterans. Each year Maestro Ken Hakoda masterfully plans a beautiful selection of music. Salina native and award-winning tribute artist Les Lankhorst will perform as this year's featured guest artist. Lankhorst will pay tribute to the "Voice of the Century" marking the 100th birthday of Frank Sinatra.

In lieu of a ticket fee, concert patrons are requested to make a donation. Eisenhower Presidential Library Director Karl Weissenbach said that since no tax dollars are used to fund public programs, the contributions will be used to support this year's performance and future events. This free concert is a #PayWhatYouCan performance.  

Those attending the concert are invited to bring lawn chairs or blankets and to picnic on the grounds. Food and beverages including such items as barbecue, fritters, bierocks, pie, popcorn, nachos, donuts, candy, soft drinks and beer will be available from area vendors beginning at 5:30 p.m. Vendors include Amanda's Bistro, Cotton Candy Dreams, Cox Brothers BBQ, Dinky Dunkers, Fun Foods, West's Country Mart, Salina Symphony Guild, and Eisenhower Library/Trust Fund.  

Concert attendees are encouraged to come early and visit the museum and tour the Boyhood Home. Summer hours will be in place with the Boyhood Home closing at 4:30 and the museum at 5:45 p.m. The Visitors Center/Gift Shop will remain open until 10:30 p.m.

Symphony at Sunset sponsors include Marshall Motors and KSAL 1150 AM Radio, both of Salina and the Arts Council of Dickinson County. The concert rain date is Sunday, June 7 at 8:30 p.m.

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Salina Hall of Fame Nominations



Nominations being accepted for Salina Business Hall of Fame
 

Nominations are being solicited for inductees into the 2015 class of the Salina Business Hall of Fame.

The Chamber established the Hall of Fame in 2005 to honor prominent business leaders both past and present, who have made extraordinary contributions to Salina, earned the respect of the Salina community, and exemplified the Free Enterprise system.

Categories for nominations include:
• Pioneer Award, 1858-1925
• Historic Award, 1926-1975
• Contemporary Award, 1976-present


So far, 34 persons have been inducted into the Business Hall of Fame. Nominations can be made by Chamber members and the general public. Nominees will be considered on the basis of several criteria which include business excellence, entrepreneurial spirit, courageous thinking and action, inspiring leadership, community impact, positive role model, enduring accomplishments and local influence. Individuals nominated in past years will be considered again this year. A special task force will determine the inductees. The inductees will be honored at a luncheon in
the fall. A portrait of each inductee will be displayed in the physical Business Hall of Fame, located at the Chamber office.

A nomination form with selection criteria is enclosed. Forms are also available
at the Chamber office, 120 W. Ash, and can be downloaded by clicking on “Hall of Fame” on the Chamber’s website homepage www.salinakansas.org. The deadline for nominations is 5pm Friday, July 10.

Monday, June 1, 2015

GPT Opens Damn Yaknees

GPT Opens With Damn Yankees, an Opening Night Dinner, and a Raffle of baseball items.


Great Plains Theatre kicks off its 21st Season with the musical comedy classic Damn Yankees at Abilene High School Auditorium, June 12 -21. Damn Yankees features music by Richard Adler and lyrics by Jerry Ross (The composing team behind The Pajama Game) and a book by George Abbott and Douglas Wallop, based on Wallop's novel The Year the Yankees Lost the Pennant. It tells the story of a middle-aged baseball fan who sells his soul to the devilish Mr. Applegate in order to become a great ball player to help his favorite team win the pennant. Comedy ensues when he tries to outwit the infernal fellow in an attempt to return home to his loving wife, with his soul intact. Damn Yankees is full of vibrant, memorable songs such as "Whatever Lola Wants," "Heart," and "Two Lost Souls."


For tickets contact Great Plains Theatre at 785-263-4574.  For further information about performance dates and times, as well as details about the rest of GPT's exciting season, visit www.greatplainstheatre.com.


The production is directed by Great Plains Theatre's Artistic Director Doug Nuttelman. Jonny Baird will serve as Music Director, with Pattie Mayhew as Assistant Music Director. Mark Warner will serve as Technical Director and Stage Manager.  Becky Dibben will provide costumes, Brenna Downs will choreograph, and Danette Whiteley will play drums.


The large cast of local and out-of-town actors includes Chris Delay, Lisa Divel, Shera Haase, Melissa Ford, Tom Lancaster, Jordan Legaux, Patrick Moran, Josh Lehman, Tori Citro, Christian Sommers, Mark Robinson, Brenna Downs, Larry Divel, Shane Rogers, Joey Boos, Reagan Pender, Dan Morton, Matthew Tenpenny, William Hoshida, Sam Massey, Jordan Luty, Nick Wright, Joshua Young, Jackson Welsh, Elizabeth Collins, and Carly Graefe.


As part of the baseball excitement, we will be raffling off exciting prizes.  Among the items up for grabs are four pairs of tickets to Kansas City Royals' games, an autographed copy of the book Inside the Park by Willie Wilson, three autographed baseballs by 1985 World Series players (one by Bret Saberhagen, one Darryl Mottley, and the other by Frank White), and two banners that hung outside of "The K" during last year's World Series playoffs.


On June 12, the opening night of Damn Yankees, GPT will be hosting a baseball inspired preshow dinner including hot dogs, potato salad, nachos, peanuts, and cracker jacks. The cost for the dinner is by donation. Location: East side of Abilene High School. Come help us celebrate America's Favorite Pastime and enjoy a night of musical comedy.


Great Plains Theatre's entire 2015 Season is graciously underwritten by ASTRA Bank, with Corporate Sponsorship provided by Brierton Engineering, Inc., First Bank Kansas, Holm Automotive Inc., and Pinnacle Bank.

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National Biplane Fly In - Junction City


Sunday, May 31, 2015

Business and Industry Survey from PIECE

Business and Industry Survey from PIECE


Workforce Development is a critical key to ensure that Salina’s employers have the workforce needed to thrive and expand in a competitive global economic marketplace now and in the future.

In the next year, Salina’s PIECE (Partners In Early Childhood Education) organization will be focused on gaining employer input on how companies support employees who are parents and their families. If you are not familiar with PIECE, here is a brief synopsis; PIECE includes several chamber member organizations including CAPS, Central Kansas Cooperative in Education, Central Kansas Mental Health Center, Child Care Aware of N.E. & N.C. Kansas, Infant Child Development, Martin Luther King Jr. Child Development Center, Saline County Health Department, Salina Child Care Association, Smoky Hill Education Service Center, Department of Children & Families (DCF), USD #305 Heartland Headstart Programs, USD #306, Southeast Saline Parents as Teachers, and YMCA Child Development Center. For more information on their mission and services please visit http://salinaparents.org/

With that context in mind, Salina’s PIECE (Partners In Early Childhood Education) organization would like Chamber member input on a quick survey. The survey can be accessed at the following link: https://kstate.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_9Qt0mBdsxok7ast

A Traditional Farm Life - Cream Cheese Frosting


A Traditional Farm Life -  Cream Cheese Frosting

By Shasta Hamilton

Greetings from Enterprise, dear friends!  Delicious smells are wafting through the house from the kitchen as the birthday cake bakes for our youngest son who turned six-years-old today.  Our oldest daughter, the Hamilton’s official birthday-cake-baker, spearheaded the effort with the assistance of the birthday boy himself.

The only cake mix we had in the pantry this morning was a strawberry-flavored cake.  We offered to buy whichever cake mix the birthday boy desired, but the novelty of a strawberry cake—we’ve never had one before—overruled the not-exactly-boyish pink color. 

To compensate, we added several drops of green food coloring to the homemade cream cheese icing.  Now we had a “Watermelon Cake.”  (Ours happened to be seedless, but if you want to make your own watermelon cake with edible seeds, simply stir in 1/2 cup miniature semi-sweet chocolate chips to the finished batter before pouring it into the pans to bake.) 

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, we have had the pleasure of reporting more rain here in Enterprise this week.  The weeds in the garden are flourishing, and the tomato and pepper plants we planted in the mud last week are doing their best to get established and hold their own against the fierce competition. The heavy clay soil of our garden is now so saturated that there are standing pools of water in low spots throughout.  It doesn’t look like we’ll be tilling any time soon.  Too bad we can’t sell weeds at the Farmer’s Market—we’ve got the greenest, healthiest bindweed around!

Enterprise’s first Farmer’s Market was Friday night.  Cloudy skies promised rain early in the day, but by afternoon the sun came out, leaving everyone sweating in the hot, humid air.  We consider our first market here a success, even with a grand total of only two vendors.  Mike and Cat Voit from out Chapman way brought two trucks full of some of the most amazing produce and fresh herbs we’ve ever seen.  Their fresh veggies drew a steady stream of customers all afternoon. 

Because of the cool, rainy spring it could be the end of June before our boys have any tomatoes ready, but in the meantime they set up shop with birdhouses and our oldest daughter’s “Doggie Snack Sticks.”

While a Farmer’s Market with only two vendors may seem a mite small, we’ve already heard from others planning on vending in the weeks to come.  It is the hope of those putting together the market here that it would inspire local residents to come share their produce, baked goods, and handmade items with the larger community.  The interest in all things “local” continues to grow all over the country, and we want to foster a community spirit and outlet for local entrepreneurs here in town.

By the way, the birthday “Watermelon Cake” turned into a “Cake Corral” before dessert after suppertime.  Apparently the green frosting turned out to be “greener pastures” for the cake decorating team.  The toy box was raided and miniature plastic fences were set up atop the cake to keep in the livestock—including chickens—grazing on the cream cheese icing.  It was a feast for the eyes as well as a real treat after our birthday pizza party.

You don’t need plastic cattle, horses, and chickens—or even a birthday--to enjoy a cake frosted with a “field” of cream cheese frosting.  Four ingredients are all it takes to make a birthday cake the whole family will consider a gift!

Cream Cheese Frosting
1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese,
room temperature
1 stick butter, room temperature
3-3/4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1.  Blend the cream cheese and butter in a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer at low speed until combined, about 30 seconds.  Stop the machine.  Add powdered sugar, a bit a time, blending with the mixer at low speed until the sugar is well incorporated, scraping down with a spatula as needed.
2.  Add the vanilla and increase the mixer speed to medium and blend until the frosting is fluffy, about 1 minute more.
3.  Use at once to frost the cake of your choice.  Store leftover cake in the refrigerator. Yield:  3 cups frosting, enough to frost a 2-layer or 9x13” cake.

Copyright © 2015 by Shasta Hamilton



Shasta is a fifth generation rural Kansan now residing in Enterprise, Kansas.  She and her husband own and operate The Buggy Stop Home-Style Kitchen with their six home-schooled children.  You can reach The Buggy Stop by calling (785) 200-6385 or visit them on the web at www.thebuggystoprestaurant.com.

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