FEBRUARYNEWSLETTER

Groundhog Day History

Groundhog Day, February 2nd, is a popular tradition in the United States. It is also a legend that traverse’s centuries, its origins clouded in the mists of time with ethnic cultures and animals awakening on specific dates. Myths such as this tie our present to the distant past when nature did, indeed, influence our lives. It is the day that the Groundhog comes out of his hole after a long winter sleep to look for his shadow.

If he sees it, he regards it as an omen of six more weeks of bad weather and returns to his hole.

If the day is cloudy and, hence, shadow less, he takes it as a sign of spring and stays above ground.

The groundhog tradition stems from similar beliefs associated with Candlemas Day and the days of early Christians in Europe, and for centuries the custom was to have the clergy bless candles and distribute them to the people. Even then, it marked a milestone in the winter and the weather that day was important.

According to an old English song:

If Candlemas be fair and bright,Come, Winter, have another flight;If Candlemas brings clouds and rain,Go Winter, and come not again.

Super Bowl 52 between the Philadelphia Eagles and New England Patriots is set to be played Feb. 4, 2018. It will take place in a dome just like Super Bowl 51 did ... but much further north, where the weather outside the venue won't be as inviting.

Granted, Minneapolis, with its state-of-the-art U.S. Bank Stadium, will be ready to host the Super Bowl and show off its fancy digs to the world.

The kickoff time for Eagles vs. Patriots is set for 5:30 pm. Halftime performance will be Justin Timberlake.

Pizza Dip for the Super Bowl Party!!

Cook time:10 minutesPrep time:20 minutesServings:6-8

INGREDIENTS

o 1 8-ounce package cream cheese, at room temperatureo 1 cup sour creamo 1 teaspoon oreganoo 1 15-ounce can pizza sauceo 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheeseo 2 cups grated mozzarella cheeseo 1/2 cup diced pepperonio 1/2 green bell pepper, dicedo 1/2 cup black olives, slicedo 2 scallions, slicedo Baguette slices or pita chips, for serving

ASH WEDNESDAY is February 14th:

What is the meaning of Ash Wednesday?

Roman Catholic churches of the Latin Rite use this service to prepare church members to better appreciate the death and resurrection of Christ through self-examination, repentance, prayer, fasting, and self-denial. Ashes from the burned palms of the preceding year's Palm Sunday are blessed. With these ashes, the priest marks a cross on the foreheads of worshipers, saying, "Remember, man, that dust thou art, and unto dust thou shalt return" (Genesis 3:19 KJV). Besides showing sorrow for their sins, those who honor Ash Wednesday add an additional meaning; the need to prepare for a holy death. 

Every February 14, across the United States and in other places around the world, candy, flowers and gifts are exchanged between loved ones, all in the name of St. Valentine. But who is this mysterious saint, and where did these traditions come from? Find out about the history of this centuries-old holiday, from ancient Roman rituals to the customs of Victorian England.Roman Catholic churches of the Latin Rite use this service to prepare church members to better appreciate the death and resurrection of Christ through self-examination, repentance, prayer, fasting, and self-denial. Ashes from the burned palms of the preceding year's Palm Sunday are blessed. With these ashes, the priest marks a cross on the foreheads of worshipers, saying, "Remember, man, that dust thou art, and unto dust thou shalt return" (Genesis 3:19 KJV). Besides showing sorrow for their sins, those who honor Ash Wednesday add an additional meaning; the need to prepare for a holy death. 

The Legend of St. Valentine

The history of Valentine’s Day–and the story of its patron saint–is shrouded in mystery. We do know that February has long been celebrated as a month of romance, and that St. Valentine’s Day, as we know it today, contains vestiges of both Christian and ancient Roman tradition. But who was Saint Valentine, and how did he become associated with this ancient rite? The Catholic Church recognizes at least three different saints named Valentine or Valentinus, all of whom were martyred. One legend contends that Valentine was a priest who served during the third century in Rome. When Emperor

Claudius II decided that single men made better soldiers than those with wives and families, he outlawed marriage for young men. Valentine, realizing the injustice of the decree, defied Claudius and continued to perform marriages for young lovers in secret. When Valentine’s actions were discovered, Claudius ordered that he be put to death.

Other stories suggest that Valentine may have been killed for attempting to help Christians escape harsh Roman prisons, where they were often beaten and tortured. According to one legend, an imprisoned Valentine actually sent the first “valentine” greeting himself after he fell in love with a young girl–possibly his jailor’s daughter–who visited him during his confinement. Before his death, it is alleged that he wrote her a letter signed “From your Valentine,” an expression that is still in use today. Although the truth behind the Valentine legends is murky, the stories all emphasize his appeal as a sympathetic, heroic and–most importantly–romantic figure. By the Middle Ages, perhaps thanks to this reputation, Valentine would become one of the most popular saints in England and France.

Did you know: Approximately 150 million Valentine's Day cards are exchanged annually, making Valentine's Day the second most popular card-sending holiday after Christmas.

Presidents' Day is February 19th

Presidents’ Day, officially Washington’s Birthday, in the United States, holiday (third Monday in February) popularly recognized as honoring George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. The day is sometimes understood as a celebration of the birthdays and lives of all U.S. presidents.

The origin of Presidents’ Day lies in the 1880s, when the birthday of Washington—commander of the Continental Army during the American Revolution and the first president of the United States—was first celebrated as a federal holiday. In 1968 Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Bill, which moved a number of federal holidays to Mondays. The change was designed to schedule certain holidays so that workers had a number of long weekends throughout the year, but it has been opposed by those who believe that those holidays should be celebrated on the dates they actually commemorate. During debate on the bill, it was proposed that Washington’s Birthday be renamed Presidents’ Day to honor the birthdays of both Washington (February 22) and Lincoln (February 12); although Lincoln’s birthday was celebrated in many states, it was never an official federal holiday. Following much discussion, Congress rejected the name change. After the bill went into effect in 1971, however, Presidents’ Day became the commonly accepted name, due in part to retailers’ use of that name to promote sales and the holiday’s proximity to Lincoln’s birthday. Presidents’ Day is usually marked by public ceremonies in Washington, D.C., and throughout the country.

PLEASE JOIN ME IN WELCOMING OUR NEW FACES WITH THE CITY;

Police Chief, Ashley Wright Council Member, Ron Knavel Council Member, Cynthia Carr Council Member, Sharlyn Thompson

A few reminders: With the cold, frigid temperatures please remember to keep your faucets dripping to prevent freezing of the pipes. If you have any openings on the north side of your home, sitting a bale of straw in front of the opening will help insulate. Heat tape is also good for keeping pipes thawed.

Also remember your little furry family members that you may have outdoors, please make sure they have a warm place to sleep out of the cold weather. Even though it’s cold you may think they do not need watered as much, WRONG they need it even more in the winter months.

Dates to remember:

February 14th: Council Meeting at City Hall at 7:00 pm

February 14th: Valentine’s Day

February 19th: Presidents’ Day, City Hall will be closed

February 19th: PRIDE Meeting at 7:00 p.m. at the City Hall

February 27th: Past due Utility shut off date.

CITY COUNCIL NEWSCITIZENS CALL FOR BUSINESS

a) Richard Luken with PRIDE mentioned that PRIDE was awarded $1,000.00 to use towards park improvement. The next PRIDE meeting will be Monday, January 15, 2018 at 7:00 pm, the public is invited to attend.

NEW BUSINESS

a) Larry Kleeman, with Ransom Financial, shared a schedule of bond issuance with the Council. At the next City council meeting the City will be able to review the bond bids and select the one that is the better fit for the City. After that is done the bond funds will be delivered on March 1, 2018. The Council decided to go with the 20-year term on repayment, Danny Ware Jr. made the motion to give the Mayor and Clerk authority to sign the resolution for bonds not to exceed $430,000.00. Ron Knavel seconded. Motion carried 5-0.

b) Eric Hethcoat, with BG Consultants, presented the Council with a handout that listed a time frame for the upgrade to begin. The Council will review bids at a special meeting on February 21, 2018 and award the project at that time. Construction will happen from April to December, 2018 with final completion being February 1, 2019. Eric stated he has documented about 150 poles that will be replaced and about 140 transformers. Cynthia Carr asked about a rebate on the transformers, Eric stated that the City will have the option of keeping the stock of poles and transformers if they want to. He stated that Solomon Transformers will buy our old stock and issue a check or stock us with the transformers we need. David Lee asked what else needed to be done after this project was completed. Eric stated the primary overhead would need to be replaced, not all but some. About 1/3 of our overall primary wire is fine. David Lee asked about the cost to do the primary wire and Eric stated between

$200,000.00 - $250,000.00. David Lee made the motion to authorize BG Consultants to go after project bids. Danny Ware Jr. seconded. Motion carried 5-0.

c) Sewer project – Mayor Crowell brought attention to the Council about the sewer project fund being low because of an error in booking keeping over the past 8 years. In 2010 the Council passed a $2.00 raise on sewer and then for the next 3 years an additional $2.00 increase each year. A monthly transfer of $2.00 for the first year was to be set aside, then a $4.00 transfer, and so on. Instead of the $8.00 transfer taking place since 2014 we have only been transferring $2.00 making us about $99,000.00 short to dredge the lagoon in 2024. Cynthia Carr suggest we use the money we have after paying the sewer bond payment off in September, 2019. Mayor Crowell was concerned about having to use that to replace lift stations. Mayor Crowell suggested requesting a bond to help with our sewer system, we don’t need to make any decisions right now just wanted to make everyone aware of where we are with this.

d) 2018 GAAP Wavier – Danny Ware Jr. made the motion to approve the 2018 GAAP waiver. David Lee seconded. Motion carried 5-0.

UNFINISHED BUSINESS

a) COLA – David Lee made the motion to approve the cost of living adjustment and raise Clint Boyers hourly wage by $.50 all effective on January 1, 2018. Sharlyn Thompson seconded. Motion carried 5-0.

b) Variance for Mike Maloney – Mike stated he has secured a piece of property at 1112 S Washington for the home. David Lee stated as a Council member we have an obligation to maintain our property values. After some discussion the Mayor requested the Council make a motion on the variance. Danny Ware Jr. made the motion to grant the variance. Ron Knavel seconded. Motion carried 3-2 with David Lee and Sharlyn Thompson opposing.

c) Weight limit on 6th street – Mayor Crowell stated that we can set a weight limit but we need to take into consideration Cole’s Trash Service. Chuck Apt said that he could be listed as exempt. Danny Ware Jr. made the motion to set the weight limit to 10 ton on 6th street between Main and Monroe and make Cole’s Trash Service exempt from this limit. David Lee seconded. Motion carried 5-0.

REPORTS OF CITY OFFICERS

a) Chuck Apt, City Attorney – Amended the personnel policy to allow the city to recoup any expenses in training should an employee leave his/her job or be terminated. Danny Ware Jr. suggested the cost of food, gas and hotel stay should be added as well. Chuck will make changes and share with Council. Mayor Crowell requested an executive session for Attorney/Client. David Lee made the motion to go into executive session for Attorney/Client for 10 minutes. Danny Ware Jr. seconded. Motion carried 5-0.

b) Chuck Richey, Water District Representative- Absent from meeting.

c) Marc Waggoner, Fire Chief- Absent from meeting.

d) Michelle Altis, City clerk- Michelle shared a lead and copper survey that will be going out next month to all water users. Cynthia Carr asked about the statement on the letter stating we failed to submit a lead and copper evaluation. Michelle said she would look into that because that was sent in. Michelle asked the Council how they wanted to handle the properties with leaning service poles. Mayor Crowell suggested sending them a letter giving them the opportunity to fix it by a certain date or we will correct it and bill the homeowner. Michelle stated that BCBS rates were going up for 2018, Mayor Crowell asked Michelle to find out what the rate would be with a higher deductible. A special meeting has been scheduled for January 18, 2018 to review the rates and make a decision then.

e) Fuel adjustment – David Lee made the motion to change our fuel adjustment to $.03 effective February 1, 2018. Danny Ware Jr. seconded. Motion carried 5-0.

Mayor: City Attorney: Ella Mae Crowell (496-6219) Charles Apt

City Municipal Judge: Police Chief: Patricia Miklos Ashley Wright (911)

Fire Chief: City Clerk: Marc Waggoner Michelle Altis

Assistant City Clerk: City Treasurer: Penny Ebert Teresa Driskel

Maintenance Staff: Code/Animal Control Paul Beasley & Clint Boyers Scott Stewart (496-2241) City Council Members: David Lee (496-2333) Danny Ware Jr. (496-2156) Cynthia Carr (496-7500) Sharlyn Thompson (496-3348)

Ron Knavel (496-2508)

Laharpe City Hall Hours: Monday-Friday

902 S. Washington 8:00-12:00 & 1:00-5:00 P.O. Box 10 Ph. (620) 496-2241 Laharpe, KS. 66751 Fax (620) 496-2240

CHECK OUT OUR WEBSITE; CITYOFLAHARPE.ORG

Baked Teriyaki Chicken

Ingredients

1 tablespoon cornstarch 1 tablespoon cold water 1/2 cup white sugar 1/2 cup soy sauce 1/4 cup cider vinegar 1 clove garlic, minced 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper 12 skinless chicken thighs

Directions

1. In a small saucepan over low heat, combine the cornstarch, cold water, sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, ginger and ground black pepper. Let simmer, stirring frequently, until sauce thickens and bubbles.

2. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).3. Place chicken pieces in a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking dish. Brush chicken with the sauce. Turn

pieces over, and brush again.4. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Turn pieces over, and bake for another 30 minutes, until

no longer pink and juices run clear. Brush with sauce every 10 minutes during cooking.

Twice Baked Potato Casserole with Bacon

Ingredients

2 large baking potatoes 1/2-pound lean bacon 3/4 cup shredded mild Cheddar cheese 1/2 cup sour cream 1/4 cup milk 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted 1 teaspoon dried chives 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 3/4 cup shredded mild Cheddar cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease a 9x13-inch casserole dish.2. Poke a few holes into each potato using a toothpick.3. Bake potatoes in the preheated oven until fully cooked, about 1 hour. Cool for about 15 minutes.4. Place the bacon in a large skillet and cook over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until evenly

browned, about 10 minutes. Drain the bacon slices on paper towels and crumble.5. Cut a thin slice from one side of each potato; carefully scoop out the flesh and transfer to a bowl.

Discard skins. Mix 3/4 cup Cheddar cheese, sour cream, milk, butter, chives, salt, black pepper, and garlic powder with potatoes. Spread potato mixture into the prepared casserole dish; top with 3/4 cup Cheddar cheese and crumbled bacon.

6. Bake in the preheated oven until just bubbling, 10 to 15 minutes. Cool for at least 5 minutes before serving.

Almost Authentic Caesar Salad

Ingredients

3 thick slices French bread, cut into cubes 2 tablespoons butter 1 clove garlic, minced salt and ground black pepper to taste 1 1/2 teaspoons dried parsley 1/2 lemon, juiced 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard 1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt 1 1/2 teaspoons anchovy paste 1 clove garlic, minced fresh ground black pepper to taste 1/3 cup canola oil 1 head romaine lettuce, coarsely chopped 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).2. Arrange French bread cubes in a single layer on a baking sheet with a rim. Melt butter in a small

saucepan over medium heat; cook and stir 1 clove garlic until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Pour butter mixture over bread cubes; season with salt, black pepper, and parsley. Toss to coat.

3. Bake in the preheated oven until lightly browned on the outside and crisp in the middle, 10 to 15 minutes.

4. Whisk lemon juice, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, kosher salt, anchovy paste, 1 clove garlic, and black pepper together in a bowl. Slowly drizzle in canola oil, while whisking lemon mixture with opposite hand until emulsified.

5. Combine romaine lettuce, Parmesan cheese, and half the dressing in a bowl; toss to coat. Add croutons and remaining dressing; toss to coat.