Groundbreaking held for new Burns community building
By SUSAN MARSHALL
News Editor
Burns mayor Mary Glenn told the crowd at Monday's groundbreaking for the new community building that they were experiencing history as it happened.
"You know, we look at the old photos of events and people in Burns and we know we are looking at our community's history," she said. "Well, today we are experiencing history. This will be part of Burns' history in the years to come. It is a pleasure to be a part of it."
Five-week old Brittnee Keene slept through the event in her grandmother Mitchell's arms. Though she will never remember the ceremony, her family will likely make sure she knows that she was part of the community's growth in a new century.
The baby and her grandmother were two of the 50 people on hand to witness the 10 a.m. groundbreaking in the lot north of the Community National Bank in Burns.
Glenn spoke to the crowd and welcomed former mayor Brent Miles, city council members, members of the PATH group, Community National Bank president Steve Waite and his wife Pam of El Dorado, members of the bank staff, and the city staff.
She noted that the shovels of dirt lifted from the lot would be the beginning of something the community had dreamed about for a long time. "It just goes to show," she said, "that no matter how hard something may seem, it can be done."
"We have accomplished a lot in our community and we will accomplish more," she added.
Congratulations offered
Waite told the assembled group that his bank was proud to be a part of the Burns community. "You have done some amazing things. And usually, it's just by a committee or a group saying, 'oh, let's do that' and then it gets done!"
Waite congratulated city clerk Carolyn Koehn and the city council for their persistence in working with the state to fill out the reams of paper necessary to see this grant application process through to the end.
Koehn began the application in November 2001 after she attended a conference for municipal employees. She overheard Marilyn Graham (who oversees the KAN STEP program through for the Kansas Department of Commerce and Housing) talking about the grants and questioned her about the possibility of Burns applying for funds for a community building.
"She (Graham) was pretty tough on us when we were going through the process," said Koehn. "She was very insistent about meeting all the state's requirements. But she also has been one of our best supporters. She stayed right with us until we heard for sure in August that our application had been accepted."
The city purchased the ground, cleaned up some unsightly piles of trash, and removed several old buildings. They had it ready when Graham came to a community meeting in Burns last March.
Koehn and the city council also got the community out in force for the meeting so that a large majority of the citizens understood the application process and the commitment needed from each of them.
"It is a huge commitment," said Koehn. "Not only citizens of Burns are making this commitment, but we have tremendous support from the outlying area and townships. Quite a few individuals will be giving up their livelihood for several months to make this happen. That was part of the commitment that they (the state) insisted on."
Koehn noted that Graham has encouraged the city council to begin thinking of another project using the same plan. But Koehn said Burns will wait and see for now.
"There is not a doubt in my mind that we can do another," she said. "And the state seems anxious for us to keep the momentum up. But right now, we need to concentrate on this and the commitment we have made to it."
Actual construction will begin on the 80'x50' building this week.
Future
Brittnee Keene's grandmother will likely still be carrying her at the grand opening of the new Burns community building. But she will grow up as familiar with the structure as she will be with the streets and people of Burns. The events of her life and the community will take place in the building for which ground was broken on Monday. Though she slept through it, it was a moment for both the future and the history of Burns and its citizens.
