Ark Valley News - Looking Back

Looking Back
Last Updated: August 02, 2018

55 years ago

Orville Cooper resigned as city marshal after serving 16 years with the Valley Center Police Department. At a farewell get-together, Earl E. Stauffer presented Cooper with a walnut plaque on which were mounted his police badges and symbols of his service.

Richard Bartel purchased the Valley Center Western Auto store from Mr. and Mrs. Roy Nighswonger. He and his wife, Ethel, along with their sons Mike, age 7, and Tom, age 4, would move from Newton to Valley Center.

45 years ago

Miss Jan Wahl, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Frank Wahl of Valley Center, returned home from Purdue University where she had accepted an assistantship teaching 10 hours a week while working toward a master's degree in family housing. She was a graduate of Kansas State University.

Earnest Roe May, Valley Center, was among 37 teachers from throughout the nation who participated in the Institute for High School Teachers of Science at the University of North Dakota. Credit earned during the institute could lead to a master of science in teaching degree.

40 years ago

Air Force Staff Sgt. Morris J. Herron, son of Mr. and Mrs. Morris Herron of Valley Center, reported to the U.S. Naval Station, Keflavik, Iceland. A security policeman, Herron would be in Iceland for a year while his wife, Linda, and 16-month-old son, James, would live in Rome, N.Y. Herron graduated from Valley Center High School in 1973.

Brian Lesperance, a seventh-grader at Valley Center Junior High, was a member of the Stuckey Lumber baseball team that went 17-2 to win the Wichita Southwest Boys Club league. The team also won the state and regional championships to qualify for in the Pee Wee Reese World Series in Georgia.

35 years ago

Shawn Allen, son of Larry and Anita Allen of Valley Center, signed a letter of intent for a rodeo scholarship at Butler County Community College in El Dorado. The scholarship provided for tuition and books, travel expenses, lodging and entry fees for one event at all college rodeos. Allen was a 1983 graduate of Valley Center High School.

The Valley Players were holding practices for the musical comedy “Plain and Fancy." Cast members included Lori Pierce, who played Ruth; Johann Stoessel, who played Dan; Jolene Dellinger, who played Katie; and Homer Robbins, who played Papa.

30 years ago

Valley Center artist Carol Robbins received a best of show (artist of the month) award for her painting, “Anasazi Vessel," at a meeting of the Wichita Oil Painting Society at the Wichita Art Museum. Her painting, “Grandma's Place," received second-place honors at a meeting of the Community Art Guild of Wichita. She was invited to exhibit three of her pastel paintings at the Centre Culturel de la Ville de Campiegne, France, in September.

Kirk Rogg of Valley Center was serving as an intern for Marion Laboratories in Kansas City, Mo. He was a graduate student in industrial/organizational psychology at Kansas State University.

25 years ago

The Valley Center City Council accepted the resignation of two retiring long-time employees. Carol Reffner retired as city clerk after 32 years with the city in several positions. Don Fleury resigned as a police officer after 13 years with the force.

Sarah Bruns and her horse, Lima Silver Sakr, earned a top 10 in hunter seat equitation on the flat at the First Arabian Youth National Horse Show in Oklahoma City. Bruns also won a $500 scholarship from the International Arabian Horse Association.

20 years ago

Fred and Glenna Miller purchased the former Valley Center post office building in the 100 block of North Park. Plans for the site were undetermined. The Millers also owned houses on both sides of the building.

Barbara Johnson, daughter of Jewell Waggoner of Valley Center, traveled in Europe by motorcycle with her husband. They were part of a tour group that flew from England to Germany, and from there they visited countries including France, Switzerland, and Italy. Johnson graduated from Valley Center High School in 1958 and lived in Edmond, Okla.

15 years ago

Don Hattan Chevrolet made its second move to a new location after being in business for over 55 years. Don Hattan purchased his first dealership in Valley Center from Hunt Chevrolet in 1949 and stayed here until a 1962 fire destroyed most of it. After moving to the 6000 block of North Broadway in early 1963, the dealership will move to the 6000 block of Hattan Drive in Park City.

Lance Koch of Valley Center received a CAE SimuFlite scholarship worth approximately $15,000. The scholarship would pay for an intense two-week training course in Dallas where he would earn Citation V type ratings.

10 years ago

Justin Wolfe, son of David and Michelle Wolfe of Wichita, received a Presidential Scholarship valued at $8,500 a year from Friends University. He also received a vocal music scholarship from the school's Fine Arts Department worth $2,000 per year.

Carey Crum, a 2008 graduate of Valley Center High School, placed 10th with a time of 16 minutes, 44 seconds in the Kansas Shrine Bowl All-Star 5K race in Emporia. He was among 30 high school graduates from across the state chosen to participate in the first-year race that preceded the Shrine Bowl football game.

5 years ago

Kristy Breneman, daughter of Dean and Jo Breneman of Valley Center, accepted a $500 Academic Opportunity Award in teacher education from Fort Hays State University. She planned to major in elementary education.

Steven Manfull, son of Ray and Linda Manfull of Valley Center, competed in the Easton Junior Olympic Archery Development National Tournament. Manfull won the title of Easton Grand National Champion, Junior Compound Men, earning a spot on the U.S. Junior Archery Team. He graduated from Valley Center High School in 2013.