As you well know, the Ogallala aquifer should be deep enough to be free of this. However, I have been told the Ogallala has been penetrated by some 50,000 pipes for draining its water for municipal water supplies, irrigation, ethanol manufacturing, power plant cooling water, etc. So I suspect various chemicals from the surface do get down there.

Still the Ogallala’s volume of water was once compared to Lake Superior of the Great Lakes.

I hope the Ogallala isn’t compromised because it is probably one of the cleanest sources of fresh water in the world.

It really irritates me that our governor and politicians are allowing ethanol industrialists to go after this wonderful natural resource which theoretically belongs to Kansas citizens.

these are the people who want to “save downtown.”save it from what has never been answered.

a 185 acres casino isn’t going to fit dt anyway.

Pratt has always had an important oil producing industry. This is generally located in the south eastern and north eastern quadrants of the county.

Geographically, Pratt County has some mysterious sand hill country in its northwestern quadrants which offers few roads and great bird hunting. The pristine swiftly running Ninnescah River running eastward the county in half. The south portions of Pratt County begin to drop off along Elm and Turkey Creeks draining southerly down towards the picturesque Medicine River valley of Barber County.

As a teenager growing up in Pratt County, I wanted to explore the mesas and canyons along the back roads of Barber County but still haven’t taken time to do enough of that. I still want to walk that last mile or so into the rough “Hell’s Half Acre.” Could there be a big foot there?

Speaking of Kansas ranches, actually the remaining big (10,000 acres or more) cattle ranches are generally located in the Gypsum or Red Hills of southern Kansas and the Flint Hills of Chase County and north/south thereof. These are located respectively about 75 miles southwest and northeast and east of Wichita. Take your cameras, photos are free.

Western and central Kansas have been fortunate so far of having a considerable ancient, relatively pure water supply in gravel stratas known as the Hi-Plains or Ogallala aquifer. This is located well below the surface but reachable by pumping.

Unfortunately, Governor Sebelius and her co-conspirators are attacking the Ogallala aquifer with a vengence on the theory that … “this free water is there so lets grab it quick before the people of Kansas catch on to what’s going on.” But some people are catching on.

Of course, this legal water grab is a threat to the clean underground drinking water sources of Wichita, Hutchinson and all the municipalities of central and western Kansas. Before long, Kansas citizens will be relegated to drinking recycled, mechanically treated sewage effluent from our surface rivers, if any left. Water scientists say the Arkansas River also carries large quantities of sodium chloride leaching up from the salt deposits under central Kansas.

Kansas’ relatively pure underground water supply could be used for a very profitable bottled water business, headquarted for example in Greensburg, Kansas. But the water is being taken for free in the millions of gallons by the new ethanol plants that are rushing into Kansas to use this “free” natural resource with the aquiesence of our Governor and some of our state and national politicians.

It needs to be stopped quick.

Pratt is fortunate its political leaders didn’t see fit to spend $300,000,000.47 for a white elephant downtown arena. And its 8.000 residents recognize that.

Last summer I stood on the top of the hill of the Pratt County Fair building visiting with Mr. Bill Kurtis, national TV commentator and Kansas raised, before he was scheduled to speak to the Pratt Chamber dinner. He marveled at the strong economic condition of Pratt’s downtown business district with virtually every store occupied. He marveled at the condition of the infrastructure, the brick streets, the “hot” and “cold” water towers. He even noticed the quantity of water running through the Ninnescah River at the south edge of town.

He noticed the golden fields of wheat, the working oil pumps, the historic Fish Hatchery Museum out east of town.

I think most of all he noticed the pride of Pratt’s citizens in answering his questions about the city.

Rather than the Wichita Chamber of Commerce sending delegations to Atlanta and to Richmond … delegations should be sent to Pratt to see how they do it.

I’ve got to go to work.

Hopefully a comprehensive way can be found to address the issue.

We can provide a work program to help them get back on their feet. A small dying town like Pratt actually serves a perfect solution to this. Because the urban outdoorspeople are kind of left out to the side in a place like Wichita and other large cities.

But a small dying town like Pratt, the people there would look after them much more and care for them and monitor their progress. It’s a good solution. The homeless tend not to get better in big cities, but they can in small towns.

But Wichita is the city building a boondogle downtown arena to “improve” its downtown business district and has the homeless population that needs a place to spend the day.

I still think the front entrance to the downtown arena would be a good location for the heroic sized glowing orange plastic statue of Wichita’s favorite son, two time candidate for President of the United States in 1936 and 1940 … EARL W. BROWDER, candidate of the American Communist Party. He lost!

Inscribed below the statue: “From the toil strained backs of the many according to their god given abilities — to the few according to their personal needs whether or not they contribute anything of value to the people who pay.”

Or might place it on the top of any convenient peerless tower.

Joe..
Your compassion is underwhelming.

But, but the County’s budget provides $200,000,000.41 PLUS for the downtown arena AND the City’s budget anticipates providing an additional $100,000,000.13 for infrastructure improvements for the proposed arena.

And all this to build a garrish steel and glass white elephant downtown arena building that NO ONE wants and has NO valid purpose that would even approach paying for the cost, or even the operational expenses or even the monthly phone bill. What a boondogle and scam.

But not even a red cent to helpthe poorest of the poor.

So perhaps a section of the arena … for example the VIP boxes … should be set aside during the day to provide a place for the homeless. Also some crums and drink left over from the previous evenings activities could be left for the pitiful homeless families and individuals that might unavoidably pass through there.

Might even be some overlap with VIPs who would see a need to get involved … a win-win situation.

The library will continue to be used for a day room by the homeless.

As a periodic library collections user and member of several “library friends” groups in various towns … I am concerned about wear and tear on our library collections. However, I also understand the need for places for the homeless to hang out during the day.

That’s why Wichita probably needs a 24/7 alternate location for the homeless to congregate, especially in the winter other than under the bridges. Don’t know what incentives could be given to get them to go there rather than the library to panhandle from ordinary citizens.

Its a difficult problem.

After fighting my way through the smoke filled corridors, we found many people spending money at the establishment. I was somewhat amazed by the many, many senior citizens “enjoying” some gambling. I saw them “enjoying” it from after breakfast, to after dinner – the same people dropping money into the machines.

I was surprised at the seniors in wheelchairs.

I was surprised at the people with oxygen bottles dropping quarters. I was even more surprised at the people smoking with those bottles.

I am sure casino’s are a big plus for our city, county, and state as far as MONEY is concerned.

I am not so sure we are doing the right thing for the society our children will inherit.

God forgive us all.

Never heard of that JWink. Got any back-up? kansassam?

Make any casino sign a contract that they will have an attached building that will offer free showers (with soap) for the homeless, along with chairs to sit on, or sleep on, during the day.

Phillip Brownlee, if you are listening, could one of your opinion editors set this up?

Lots of points:

When I worked downtown near the Library for Feist Company, it was nice to walk to the downtown library during the lunch hour.

However, the homeless are destroying the library and its collections but nothing can be done about it.

Currently some social service agencies actually bus the homeless to the library during the day.

Everyone knows mixing the homeless with teenagers is a bad deal but what can be done?

Where should a new library be built? But if agencies continue to bus homeless there, a new location would soon have the problems of the present one.

New libraries across the U.S. offer a lot of activities not even thought of in our present libraries. For one COFFEE for the patrons.

Would be interesting to discuss these things. As an avid Shawnee Indian historian, I used to use the downtown library’s Indian collection a lot.