PUMPING LIFE INTO PRODUCE PULSE AGAIN

Only 1 in 5 oppose national produce promotion order

Even in a recessionary economy, those in the fresh produce industry realize they have to spend money to make money. In fact, 80% of 124 respondents to The Packer's May Produce Pulse poll said they’re either in favor of a proposed national fresh fruit and vegetable promotion order or are for it, under certain circumstances.

While 36% of survey respondents said they’re fully in favor of a national promotion order and another 44% said they’re conditionally for it, the 20% against it appeared most adamant about their feelings, mostly disagreeing with the project’s timing.

“It costs me money, (with a) dubious return,” one grower-shipper wrote when asked how the proposed plan would affect his business.

Another also questioned increased cost “with no way to truly measure the ROI (return on investment).”

“It would be another tax on producers who can little afford it, so it had better have clearly defined goals with measurable results,” another cautioned.

Some who expressed dissent admitted they’re opposed for selfish reasons, stating they don’t think the order would benefit their particular businesses.

“More fees and as usual, little help in promoting value-added product that we have developed,” one said.

Others feared the program would not be on a grand enough scale to do much good, while others felt if the current system ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

“They are going in the wrong direction … To be effective, it needs more money than they can assess a grower,” one participant said.

Another responded, “We currently have a successful, active, local marketing order. I am not sure what a national promotion order might contribute.”

“Our state already has an effective marketing campaign on behalf of produce,” one respondent working in allied produce said. “The state effort is much more focused to our products, as opposed to a national order that would dilute our message.”

Retailers, wholesalers, distributors and others in allied fields also expressed concern, although a higher percentage of they were less polarized against it.

“Our department seems to be in a deflationary cycle. I’m not sure the national fruit and vegetable promotion order can help that,” one retailer said.

“While the ideals (of generic promotions) are worthwhile and benefit the entire industry, the timing may not be appropriate,” one wholesaler wrote. “With growers, shippers and retailers struggling with margins and sales, this may be a difficult sell.”

“We’d need something with a plan for longevity, realizing it will take some time to build the right program,” one produce distributor responded.

Still, the national promotion order and the Produce for Better Health’s attributes received plenty of support from those in the fresh produce industry who responded to the survey, with many saying a national order and generic marketing campaigns are at least a step in the right direction.

“I favor it, but am afraid small, special interest groups can kill the deal,” one grower-shipper said. “I’ve seen generic programs get derailed by those who don’t feel they’ll get sufficient representation for their particular products.”

“PBH can’t do (what it needs to do) with the small budget it has,” one retailer said. “If we don’t put together a promotion board, we will always be second or third to the other industries (such as meat and dairy).”

In response to multiple-choice questions about the proposed national order and PBH’s effectiveness, results proved a mixed bag.

While no respondents said PBH had a negative effect on the industry, 17% said PBH had no application to their business and 31% said PBH had little effect on improving business conditions. About 14% said PBH has been a great help and 39% said PBH has helped somewhat.

No clear majority opinion emerged, either, on how industry officials should proceed with assessments. Respondents couldn’t agree whether or not f.o.b. prices should be used as the basis for an assessment, or decide how board members should be appointed, when given these choices: by region (40%), by market sector (36%), by commodity (36%), or by value of overall crop assessments (8%).

Then again, reaching any agreement in the fresh produce industry can be difficult, one grower-shipper said.

“Unfortunately, from my personal experience with the Washington Apple Commission fiasco and all the venom that transpired, it will be like herding cats, and a real source of contention among the partipants. Tread carefully.”

E-mail dgalbraith@thepacker.com.

SELLING PRODUCE SIMPLE WITH SITCOMS

Column by Dan Galbraith, publishing in March 23 edition of The Packer

I doubt there’s any market research to prove it, but, in reviewing recent reruns of TV sitcom “Seinfeld,” the fresh produce industry seems to be missing marketing opportunities since that show suffered its disappointing death in 1998.

Several memorable “Seinfeld” episodes put fresh produce at the top of the food chain — and top of mind for consumers watching the antics of Jerry, George, Kramer and Elaine, the latter two of whom were particularly positive as produce proponents.

As important as it was to Jerry Seinfeld’s career to find the humor in produce — a subject not used to getting a lot of laughs — it was equally vital to the produce industry to be mentioned prominently on the long-running No. 1 show in the U.S.

Although postman Newman once proclaimed steamed broccoli a “vile weed,” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJw6Z-MLyBA George never showed much interest in healthful foods except once when it appeared to enhance his sexual performance, and Jerry seemed anything but proud of it when he ordered a salad while on a date with Elaine’s cousin Holly, the show certainly added notoriety to produce.

The series’ writers allowed Kramer and Elaine to promote produce as not only a discussion topic but also a viable food option for the mainstream — and even for the “hip” (or, the “hipster doofuses,” in Kramer’s case).

Who could forget this “Seinfeld” moment? GEORGE: What’s in the BIG salad? JERRY: Big lettuce, big carrots, tomatoes like volleyballs…

The best part about produce being featured in a sitcom is I don’t think it cost the industry anything. However, if any produce associations paid Seinfeld to slip some produce references into the scripts, it couldn’t have been considered anything but money well spent.

Although I’m not seeing a lot of produce potential in the dialogues of popular sitcoms of today, such as “30 Rock” and “The Office,” perhaps it would be in the produce industry’s interest to slip Tina Fey a few Benjamin Franklins to ensure the next time she uses the line “I-want-to-go-to-there!” refers to her travels to a fruit stand or salad restaurant.

Still, I doubt the promotional value for produce would ever be more valuable than it was on “Seinfeld.” From Kramer’s radish roses, freshly prepared in his garbage-disposal-enhanced shower, to Elaine’s infatuation with the “big salad” at Monk’shttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=emWKg4vKLbU, to Jerry telling Newman “You wouldn’t eat broccoli if it was deep fried in chocolate sauce,” the moments — and their untold, hidden promotional value — proved priceless.

Perhaps the most prominent produce episode, of course, involved Kramer getting banned from his favorite fruit store, Joe’s, after complaining about a bad peach in “The Fruit Stand.” It featured plantains, papayas, avocados and plums “with the red on the inside.”

Of course, there was also the insinuation that mangoes are nature’s Viagra — at least for George, who exclaims, “I feel like I got a B-12 shot. This is like a taste explosion!”

Then, of course, Kramer enlists Jerry to purchase fruit at Joe’s for him and Kramer tries to educate Jerry on the particulars of picking prime produce while standing just outside Joe’s.

JERRY: All this? It’s too much. What do you need five mangoes for?

KRAMER: I like mangoes.

JERRY: Avocado? I don’t know how to pick out an avocado.

KRAMER: Well, they gotta be soft.

JERRY: How soft?

KRAMER: Not too soft. Better too hard than too soft.

JERRY: (looking over the list) I’m not going through this every week, I tell you that right now. And what are these? Plums? What is that?

KRAMER: Yeah … now, get the ones that are red on the inside.

JERRY: Uh-huh. Well, how do I know what they look like on the inside? What do they look like on the outside?

KRAMER: Oh, and get some plantains!

JERRY: Plantains?

KRAMER: Yeah.

JERRY: What the hell is a plantain?

KRAMER: It’s part of the banana family. It’s a delicacy.

JERRY: You’re not getting any plantains!

I can’t close without this parting shot from George:

“WELL, IT WAS A BIG SALAD! AND WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IS, HOW DOES A PERSON WHO HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE BIG SALAD CLAIM RESPONSIBILITY FOR THAT SALAD AND ACCEPT THE THANK-YOU UNDER FALSE PRETENSES - AH — AH? … You know, if it was a regular salad I wouldn’t have said anything. But you had to have the BIG SALAD!”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QtZ_mlNXVYU

Perhaps free produce promotion through sitcoms will come back in 2009 — or maybe it’s all just a big pipedream stuck somewhere in Seinfeld’s Bizarro World (Episode No. 137)http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IcjSDZNbOs0.

Unfortunately, the Bizarro World is the only place fresh produce industry officials can readily find a muscle-bound, 4% body-fat Newman using lemon zest to top his frozen yogurt just so he’s able to choke it down.

E-mail dgalbraith@thepacker.com

GOLF HUMOR: CHICKEN SOUP FOR THE SOUL: DAN GALBRAITH'S BOOK CREDIT

GOLF HUMOR: CHICKEN SOUP FOR THE SOUL: A story by Dan Galbraith was selected for inclusion in the bestselling "Chicken Soup for the Soul" book series. The article, originally published in The Holton Recorder (Holton, Kan.) newspaper, appeared in the 2002 book, "Chicken Soup for the Golfer's Soul: the 2nd Round."

MORE TRASH TALK THAN THE NBA
By Dan Galbraith

Being a typical sportsman, I pride myself in being able to play a good game. But, almost as important, I am a typical man, and I pride myself in being able to talk a good game.

I learned from a master.

I don’t mean to brag about my father, but if there were a Hall of Fame for trash talkers, my dad would be right up there with Charles Barkley, Xavier McDaniel, John Starks, Reggie Miller and every professional boxer who ever lived.

He might even be up for a lifetime achievement award. I mean a bronze statue and everything.

In other words, Dad knows how to “talk the talk” and “walk the walk” of a champion. He could be on the basketball court with Michael Jordan and find something wrong with his jump shot.

It’s not so much a matter of simple bragging; it’s the subtle little things he says and does.

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The latest “psych job” took place during a semi-friendly family golf outing over a holiday weekend.

First, he forced the enemy (me) to watch the seemingly endless early-round coverage of a pro golf tournament on television, analyzing what each golfer did right and wrong along the way.

Dad even offered an explanation for the putting difficulty Jack Nicklaus experienced at one point.

Something about a follow-through technique he read about in Golf Digest. I don't know ... Jack himself probably wrote the article, but Dad would have you believe he coauthored.

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Then came the actual family outing itself. The site of this mock PGA event: a rundown par-3 where most people play winter rules year-round. The “championship flight”: my dad, king of the jungle; my mom, who lets her game do her talking; me, the personification of the term “weekend hacker;" and my sister, 60 handicap.

Dad wasn’t too concerned at first. He kept the discussions of his recent league tournament wins to a bare minimum as we headed to the No. 1 tee box. After all, I had never come close to testing my dad on the links, except for that time when I was 12 and my mulligan limit at least double that number.

But this time was going to be different, I convinced myself. Tension grew thick as I reached two of the first three greens and played par-golf. Dad, on the other hand, struggled, failing to make par on any of the first three holes.

I thought about exclaiming, “Can anybody beat a 2!?!” after I birdied the 3rd hole, but that would have been too cocky and bold. It might have awakened the beast within The Master. So, like an awestruck Luke Skywalker in the presence of the Supreme Jedi Yoda, I bit my lip and moved on.

As time wore on, however, I could see the pressure getting to ol’ Dad. He even tried coaching Mom on the read of the No. 5 green. It was a nearly fatal slip of the tongue.

I cringed and looked away as he said, “It looks like it’ll break a little left, Dear.”

Now, just calling my mom “Dear” was enough to throw off the poor woman until at least next week, but telling her how to read a green!?! Better to tell Leonardo da Vinci to use longer strokes! Better to tell Cindy Crawford to lose the mole! Better to tell Jordan to keep his tongue in his mouth! The very idea!

From past experience, even stupid ol’ me knew to not even talk to my mother during any sporting contest. I mean, if you so much as breathe during her backswing, you can expect to dine on the club head of her choosing.

Yes, this was a definite mistake and a sign that The Master had lost his grip - not only on his golf game, but on reality and sanity itself.

(More golf humor, from Dave Barry: http://www.davebarry.com/)

Sweat beads poured down my dad’s forehead on the No. 7 tee box. I again reached the green. It was time for Dad to pull out all the stops.

As I reached down to pick up a stray ball in the fairway, my dad shouted, “No!”

I moved on, without the ball, knowing full well that nobody else on the course would claim it. While my mind worked on the reason it was a punishable sin for me to pick up this lost ball, you see, I could not concentrate on my upcoming putt. Dad had done it again! I three-putted and walked off in disgust.

“Well, at least you got a 4!” said Dad, in the cheeriest voice imaginable.

I was still chewing on the mental breakdown from No. 7 when Dad mentioned to Mom, just loud enough for me to hear, something about the stiff wind we’d be hitting into on No. 8.

I promptly decided against my 6-iron, pulled out the 5 and launched a shot well over the green and into the driving range area for a one-stroke penalty.

Reality set in. Dad was going to get my goat again.

Dad added insult to injury on the No. 8 green, giving me a backhanded compliment about how good my long game was but at the same time telling me how horrible my short game was. He’d be happy to give me putting lessons.

Dad had everything in the bag as he took a one-stroke lead into the final hole. Taking nothing for granted, he laid up short and avoided trouble on the back of the green. I, however, airmailed the green (into that “stiff wind”).

Dad tapped in for a bogey while I sat 30 feet away from the hole, putting for par on the slope of a steep hill.

“Well, it all comes down to this: If I make this putt, I tie you, Dad,” I said, getting a good read. “How’s that for motivation?”

With Dad in the background of my vision (another psych-out technique, probably picked up from my Uncle John), I stroked the ball and looked on with anticipation.

Oh, how smoothly the ball rolled over those thin blades of grass! Oh, how satisfying a tie would be!

“OH! YESSSSSSSS!” I screamed, much louder than I had intended, dropping my putter and pointing at Dad with the index fingers on both my hands. “YES! I TIED YOU!”

I quickly threw my hand over my mouth, realizing that at least three other foursomes were staring in my direction. I realized that, if only for a moment, some hellish energy from deep within my dad’s competitive soul had invaded my normally calm demeanor. For a fleeting moment, I had become The Master of Maliciousness.

And then, it was gone. I was back to myself again, apologizing for my absurd behavior and thinking about challenging Dad to a playoff hole, where I could purposely lose and somehow restore order in the universe.

But, glancing at Dad, I realized it wasn’t necessary. He smiled and appeared truly at peace. He was actually glad, in his own way, that I had tied him and earned a moral victory.

And it was then that I understood . . . that maybe the only mind games taking place that day were the ones inside my own mind. And maybe, just maybe, Dad wasn’t such a bad sport after all.

DAN GALBRAITH'S NEWS/FEATURE JOURNALISM

Samples of Dan Galbraith's news and feature writing:

GLOBAL MARKETER WIDENS ITS COMMODITY LINE

By Dan Galbraith

Originally appeared in The Packer Sept. 17, 2007

Seald Sweet International, known as one of the top citrus-marketing companies, might have to change that label: The company isn’t all about just citrus anymore.

The acquisition of Katopé International, Rungis, France, in early September should allow the Univeg Group/Seald Sweet International to broaden its scope into the tropical fruit category and become an even more major produce player than it already is, new Seald Sweet chief executive officer Mayda Sotomayor said.

Univeg already does more than $2 billion in annual sales and operates in more than 20 countries. The Belgium-based Univeg, which owns 80% of Seald Sweet, is one of Europe’s largest supply chain management and growing operations. Univeg owns produce growing operations throughout Europe, South Africa, South America and the U.S., and has European fresh-cut produce operations, logistics services and distribution operations.

“We want to diversify the company and leverage our global presence,” Sotomayor said. “Citrus will always be important for us, but this new acquisition will give us a big presence in exotics, and we’re very excited about it.”

Seald Sweet hopes to become as well known for importing commodities such as pears, grapes and blueberries from places such as Argentina, Peru and Uruguay as it is now known for its efforts in citrus. The Katopé acquisition, in addition to plans to finalize a new distribution facility by year’s end, are part of the plan.

Seald Sweet plans to open the distribution center in Swedesboro, N.J., by Dec. 31, Sotomayor said, to replace the warehouse facility it currently leases.

In addition to facilitating Seald Sweet’s storage and repacking needs, the new distribution center should allow Seald Sweet to venture into the pre-prepared meal category for the first time, Sotomayor said, and add to the company’s capability in the areas of value-added products and fresh imported commodities.

Univeg will operate the 200,000 square-foot distribution center that will be three times as large as Seald Sweet’s existing warehouse, said David Mixon, Seald Sweet’s chief marketing officer. He said the operation, which is within two miles of the other facility, could employ up to 200 additional workers.

Katopé’s versatility with regard to its production base could provide Univeg/Seald Sweet a wide range of opportunities for expansion, especially since Katopé ships tropical, citrus, deciduous and stone fruit year-round, and also deals in flowers, vegetables and salads.

Katopé, which does an estimated $230 million in annual sales, credits itself with a combined volume of 24 million cartons annually, according to its Web site. The company’s offerings include avocadoes, pineapples, mangoes, grapefruit, oranges, lemons, apples, pears and grapes, in addition to the stone fruit.

Although Univeg’s proposed deal with Ready Pac Foods Inc., Irwindale, Calif., fell through earlier this year, as Ready Pac instead partnered with Bayside Capital, Miami, Univeg/Seald Sweet remains driven to globalize.

Mixon said the Katopé addition represents a strengthening of Seald Sweet’s business within its global sister company organizations. Adding the European distributor should provide Seald Sweet the ability to market its North American products in Europe, Mixon said.

“That will give Seald Sweet the opportunity to present to our customer base a much broader basket of produce in a vertically-integrated approach that we feel is not always presented to them in an effective manner,” he said. “With the continued growth in this direction, it will enable us not only to be the leader in the citrus category but also through other commodities. That can be anything in the produce department that our parent company is involved in.

“The whole produce department is available for Seald Sweet,” Mixon said. “It’s just a matter of us putting together the structure and processes that the customers desire.”

Sotomayor said she plans to meet Katopé company officials within weeks, noting that the company’s “very strong base in France” could be of particular advantage to Seald Sweet. Katopé also maintains a presence in such areas as Brazil, Costa Rica and South Africa, Sotomayor said.

Katopé, a century-old fresh-produce company, has 70 marketers spread across France, South Africa, Japan and the United Kingdom, according to the company’s Web site.

Part of the global expansion plan involved promoting Sotomayor from senior vice president to CEO and shifting the company’s other senior vice president, Mixon, into his new role.

Seald Sweet, which does more than $20 million in yearly citrus sales, ships up to 12 million cartons a year, Mixon said.

— Additional reporting by The Packer's Doug Ohlemeier

SOTOMAYOR NAMED SEALD SWEET'S FIRST FEMALE CEO

By Dan Galbraith

Originally appeared in The Packer Sept. 17, 2007

Personnel moves at Seald Sweet International, Vero Beach, Fla., have made Mayda Sotomayor the first woman chief executive officer in the company’s 98-year history.

Sotomayor, formerly one of two senior vice presidents at the company, a subsidiary of the Belgium-based Univeg Group, said she looks forward to taking a lead role in Seald Sweet’s plans to expand into more international markets and into more commodities while maintaining its strength in citrus.

“Seald Sweet and the Univeg Group have provided me with such opportunity. I am a true testament to the fact that if you work hard, you can get ahead in the industry,” Sotomayor said. “There’s a lot to do, and I’m not sleeping a lot at night these days, but we have a lot of potential.”

While Sotomayor acclimates to her new role, Seald Sweet’s other senior vice president, David Mixon, is getting used to his new responsibilities as the company’s chief marketing officer leading new business ventures.

Sotomayor said all other management roles at the company remain the same, adding that the job changes for her and Mixon were effective Aug. 29 but that the company held off on announcing them because of a need to focus on other important day-to-day operations.

“I will have more responsibility with administration and overall performance,” Sotomayor said. “As far as responsibilities go, David will have more of a focus on marketing efforts in the U.S. and abroad.”

Mixon joined the company’s management staff in 2004 and has since focused on expansion in Florida, California and Texas.

Mixon, who has nearly 29 years of produce industry experience, said the move isn’t a new position but represents more of a title change for the duties he has been performing for Seald Sweet.

“These personnel changes should give us more focus and should allow our efforts to be more directed to our strengths,” Sotomayor said.

Sotomayor, who has led the charge to develop Seald Sweet’s import programs in recent years, recently was elected to the board of Mouton Citrus, a Seald Sweet partner and top South African citrus producer. She also serves on the Forbel SA board of directors. Forbel is a Seald Sweet-owned citrus company in Uruguay.

In addition, Vitor Figueiredo is the newly appointed chief financial officer of Univeg’s Portugal location.

— Additional reporting by Eastern Editor Doug Ohlemeier

For more of Dan Galbraith's work, or more news and editorial coverage of the fresh produce industry, please visit http://www.thepacker.com/.

SCHOOLS SUFFER HARSH EFFECTS

By Dan Galbraith

Originally appeared in The Atchison Daily Globe April 15, 2005

Kansas legislators may get an "E" for effort, but ask Atchison-area superintendents how they might grade the lawmakers' performance on school finance, and you're looking more at the letters surrounding "E" in the alphabet -- "D" and "F."

Local school administrators are quick to point out the shortcomings of the plan legislators recently adopted, but are perhaps even more fearful of what the Kansas Supreme Court might do next and how everything will impact area teachers, students and their taxpaying parents.

USD 409 Superintendent Steve Pummel is talking about possible teacher layoffs while others in the area are facing staff reduction as well as local option budget issues.

"This whole thing is historical. Decisions are going to be made soon that we'll be talking about for the next 20 years," Pummel said. "It all boils down to what the Kansas Supreme Court says in the next couple of days, and then the Legislature's reaction to it. We're looking here at two powerhouses that don't like to be wrong, and local teachers and students are the ones who are suffering. It hurts our kids and our community, but you can't spend what you don't have."

Pummel said he is like most other superintendents in the state with regard to how he looks at the $127 million increase in school funding recently adopted by the Legislature -- unhappy with the way the plan favors larger, richer districts and suspicious about the chances the plan will appease the high court.

"Fiscally, the Legislature has done a terrible, horrible job," Pummel said. "What they're doing is like making your house payment using a credit card -- you may be able to get by for a couple of years, but it's going to come back to haunt you in the end."

The Kansas Supreme Court says 'Don't make this a political issue,' then what do they do?" Pummel added. "They go and make it a political issue. You look at school finance and you see an inequity in funding."

The Legislature's plan is expected to become law on Saturday, with Gov. Kathleen Sebelius allowing it to pass without her signature.

Most school officials believe the Supreme Court in turn will reject the law and send it back to the lawmakers to fix.

That leaves a whole lot up in the air, USD 377 Superintendent Bob Overstreet said.

"The Supreme Court has a lot of options -- it can declare the legislation does not meet its demands and throw the whole thing out, it can agree not to fund schools or allow them to open, it can appoint a 'master' (to oversee revision of the plan), or it can accept the plan as is," he said. "It's difficult to do much planning until we get some of these answers."

Pummel said his knee-jerk reaction of possibly having to lay off nine teachers works on the assumption that there's a high probability the court will reject the Legislature's plan because it doesn't allow ample school funding, nor does it address the issue of making sure Kansas students are assured a quality education.

"The key question is, 'What is a suitable education?' and who is going to decide that?" Pummel said.

Until many such issues are resolved and more revenue earmarked for schools can be found, Pummel said USD 409 has to take a conservative stance on teacher contracts.

The situation is perhaps even more stressful in smaller districts such as USD 425 Doniphan West. Although that district combined the Highland and Midway-Denton schools in an attempt to help its financial status, decreasing enrollment and inadequate funding are causing increased financial turmoil.

Steve Adams, USD 425 superintendent, said that while this year's plan includes more new money than has been available to schools since 1992, it's not nearly enough and not nearly as fair as it should be.

"This Legislature plan adds some money, but it's grossly unsuitable," he said. "It's simply a reallocation of existing resources that looks a whole lot better on paper than it actually is."

The additional monies we would receive through this plan won't even offset the losses we're seeing in enrollment," Adams added. "My best guess is that the Kansas Supreme Court is going to tell the Kansas Legislature they're not done yet."

Without receiving a raise in school funding since 1999, tiny districts like Doniphan West have been losing students and teachers at an alarming rate, Adams said.

While it would be a last resort, Adams said he and the USD 425 board might even consider another consolidation in upcoming years.

"We've always approached our situation with an open mind," he said. "Already, we have reduced our teaching staff to the point where we're as low as we can go staff-wise and still provide an adequate education. We're at the point where we don't have that much more fat to trim."

USD 425, which employs about 40 teachers, lost about 10 percent of its teaching staff from last year to this year -- three through natural (means) and another through reduction of force.

Meanwhile, the proposed USD 409 teacher cuts would amount to about 4.5 percent of that district's teaching force.

Veryl Peter, director of school finance Department of Education, said there is little that school administrators can do to help their districts' situation until the Legislature and Supreme Court settle their differences and finalize money to be allotted to schools.

"Nobody knows what the Supreme Court is going to do," Peter said. "It would be nice to know (that schools could at least count on the $127 million of new money granted by the Legislature), but it's just kind of a waiting game.

"Some will make the assumption that the current formula will stand up, but what if the court doesn't buy that?" Peter added. "It is a tough decision. I'm sure the superintendents and school boards in this state don't want to cause any more turmoil for teachers than they have to, but you also have to protect your district financially."

One of the biggest contributing factors to the teachers' discomfort is time-oriented logistics that don't add up. Peter said districts have to notify teachers of their contract renewal status by May 1, and Pummel noted that superintendents across the state must zero out their operating budgets by June 30.

Pummel also said it's important to realize that if a district offers a contract to a teacher, it must be honored, regardless of whether or not the state funding situation changes after the contract is tendered.

All of this leaves people like Pummel playing things on the safe side. He said that while USD 409 may initially cut up to nine teaching positions, he hopes to hire some or all of them back after the money situation stabilizes.

"Best-case scenario -- we are able to hire everybody back and we're all fat and happy; if the money comes in, we will hire staff back," Mr. Pummel said. "But worst-case scenario -- everything stays the same and we have to reduce our funding accordingly."

While the Legislature's plan, if it stands, would give Atchison Public Schools about $420,000 in extra money, Pummel noted that most of that would be tied to specific programs.

Peter verified that USD 409 would have only about $208,000 of the money left to use for its general fund -- the rest of it would be earmarked for at-risk and special education programs. He noted that increased fuel and insurance costs could chew up much of districts' extra general fund monies.

The school finance situation won't come to an adequate resolution, Adams said, until the Legislature increases the base student aid and leaves intact low-enrollment weighting that benefits districts like his.

"The school finance formula is fine -- it's just that it's been the same formula since 1992, and they just need to fund it properly. The legislators' own study supported that, but they choose to ignore those results."

To cope in the short-term, Adams said local option budgets will be necessary.

"It's just a quick-fix -- we'd only ask enough to offset declining enrollment and inflation -- but schools like ours are not going to be properly funded without some new tax money from somewhere," he said. "Legislators, in effect, are pushing the responsibility of raising taxes from themselves to the local school districts. Legislators are just skirting their responsibilities and not biting the bullet to ask for the tax money themselves."

In USD 409, Pummel says he and others may need to look at alternative solutions to the annual issues with school finance.

"We may end up reassigning an administrator to a teaching position," he said.

Overstreet said increased enrollment in USD 377 may protect it from having to cut teaching positions, but he isn't expecting the Effingham-based district to get rich anytime soon.

"Under the existing plan, we would get an additional $207,000, but with fuel costs increasing and that sort of thing, we've already identified that many additional expenses for next year," Overstreet said. "Unless our school board decides to raise our LOB, we'll be lucky to break even. This district has already cut most of the teaching positions it can cut, unless we cut programs, and I don't see us at that point right now. But I see this district as being way behind on teachers salaries and benefits, and this prevents us from making any gains there."

With all of the complex issues clouding the school finance debate, the only obvious thing to school administrators is that local teachers, students and the state of education in general will suffer some deep-penetrating effects.

FARMERS BRING IN BUMPER (-TO-BUMPER) CROP

By Dan Galbraith

Originally appeared in The Atchison Daily Globe Oct. 4, 2004

It's a bumper crop in Atchison County. Or, maybe more fittingly, a "bumper-to-bumper" crop.

Farmers from all across northeast Kansas are sitting in their trucks, waiting in long lines at grain elevators for up to two hours, looking to cash in on their corn and soybean harvests that will almost certainly shatter all-time production records.

For farmers like Tim and Mark Boos of Lancaster, it's been a long time coming.

"I've been farming my whole life, and this is the best corn yield ever. Luckily, we haven't gotten hailed on yet," said Tim Boos, who has been working area row crops in his family farm operation for about three decades. "In a good year, we'll have 130-bushel corn -- that was the best I've ever seen until this year -- but our machines are showing 170- to 180-bushel corn yields. I haven't been in the beans yet, but they're doing well, too. It looks like we'll have 65-bushel beans."

While harsh weather -- especially drought -- caused most Atchison County farmers to suffer heavy losses in both 2002 and 2003, Mother Nature more than made up for things this summer, Boos said.

"We've had above average moisture, and the rains came at the right times," he said. "The only problem now is the prices."

With overflowing supplies of corn and soybeans, crops are not bringing the prices per bushel they normally would. Furthermore, many farmers find themselves spending a lot of time not only harvesting and trying to estimate their profit, but also waiting in line to unload their merchandise.

"The prices are a little depressing, but it's a lot better feeling than we've had here lately," said Ed Theis, who has worked the fields since 1952 and now helps his four sons run a family operation called April Valley Farms in Leavenworth. "We've had certain fields do this well before, but it's never been this widespread. The rains were very timely, and there were very few 90-degree days."

The severe drought years, coupled with the drooping U.S. economy brought on by the 9/11 attacks, made this year's vital to many farmers' ability to stay in business, said Mark Theis, who was waiting in line with his father here on Thursday afternoon.

"I don't think too many farmers could have taken much more like it has been. Another year like the last two we've had would have been catastrophic," he said. "Now, what's scary is that if the elevators get full, what's going to happen? They're going to get full and close the doors."

"Things are going slow right now for us because we're having to sit here so long to get rid of it (the grain)," Ed Theis said.

April Valley Farms has survived over the years better than many other farm operations, the Theises said, because the family didn't put all of its eggs in one basket. Instead, the Theises made up for some of the grain losses they suffered by earning profit on the livestock portion of their operation.

"The livestock has carried us," Ed Theis said. "That has paid the bills for us the last couple of years -- especially the cattle."

"Hogs just shot up from 52 to 58, and that's really rare," Mark noted. "Demand for pork has been really high. Maybe some of it is the low-carb diets, which pork is supposed to be good for. Or maybe people just got tired of eating chicken."

While grain farmers fully expect to make profit this year, it still may not totally make up for all the losses of 2002 and 2003, the Theises said.

"You'll make up some of the losses (but not all), unless you had your corn contracted at a rate of $3 or something," Mark Theis said.

Ray Ladd, of the Atchison County extension office, said there aren't strong enough words to describe the euphoria surrounding this year's crop yields.

"I don't know, adjective-wise, what you can say -- fantastic, unusually good, best-ever -- these are yields farmers previously thought were not possible," he said. "And it's happening on a countywide basis. This is a harvest they'll remember forever. As far as years of profit and years of loss, farming might be a 50-50 proposition over the last decade, and the last two years have been extremely short crop years for Atchison County. You need these good years to cover your expenses for the last two years. Farmers realize this is a once-in-a-lifetime deal."

DAN GALBRAITH EDITORIAL/OPINION COLUMNS

Samples of Dan Galbraith's opinion writing:
PRODUCE VARIETY NAMES RUN GAMUT FROM GODLY TO GHOULISH
By Dan Galbraith
Originally appeared in The Packer Oct. 1, 2007

The topic of variety — being the spice of life and all — has some lofty expectations to live up to.

The same goes for the plural form of the word, “varieties,” a hot topic in a recent Produce Pulse online survey, sponsored by The Packer.

Survey respondents exclaimed their excitement for specific varieties, touted the creativity used in creating names of varieties for fresh fruits and vegetables, and provided their input on what factors lead to the relative success or failure of a particular variety.

From the responses generated by the survey, it’s obvious that all links in the food chain agree that variety names and marketing of such are vital, and sometimes it’s a case of the wilder, the better.

Many survey respondents highlighted variety names for produce apparently with taste that’s out of this world … literally.

Grower-shipper-packers and retailers praised everything from saturn white-flesh peaches to Mercury garden beans, marrs oranges and sunburst peaches and tangerines, galaxy nectarines, UFO peaches and cosmic carrots.

There was even mention of varieties called blushing star and galexia, although I could find no evidence of what these are in The Packer archives or on the Internet.

There’s no truth to consumer rumors that these varieties need special irradiation. The consumers starting those rumors believe they have been abducted by aliens and that the aforementioned varieties actually come from outer space.

Besides looking to the sky and to astronomy for creative inspiration, those naming produce varieties also have looked to Greek mythology and have put their faith in association with heaven — and hell.

Participants in the Produce Pulse survey touted the creativity of variety names such as Aphrodite melons, cherub tomatoes, Hercules garden beans, Athena melons and Buddha’s Hand citrons. On the other side of the spectrum, there’s devil’s tongue hot peppers and supposedly lettuce by the same name, horned melons and, would you believe, Bull’s Blood beets?

I’m wondering if any fruit products touting names of deities have ever copped out and used the all-too-easy marketing slogan, “Nectar of the gods.”

Those in the produce industry like their variety names supersized as well as they like them supernatural, and those names work well, too, as Produce Pulse respondents noted variety names autumn king grapes and king kong plums among the most memorable.

What’s next for marketing of varieties? Varieties endorsed and named after celebrities?
I guess there could be cause for “Devil Without A Cause” peaches, endorsed by fuzz-faced rock musician Kid Rock.

Or how about giving some tomato with a kick the “Lindsay Lohan” or “Britney Spears” variety label (I can see the slogan … “Now that’s one spicy tomato!”).

However, I know there are trademark and logistical issues that come into play when your endorser is in rehab or jail.

(I’ve just come up with another possible Lindsay Lohan- or Britney Spears-variety slogan … “Taste so good, it’s almost criminal!”)

I would think there would be no end to produce marketers who’d like to get their hands on Paris Hilton, but perhaps I should reword that.

You can talk about the reasons for more and more new varieties pushing the envelope as far as it will go, but bottom line, it’s all about reaching new customers.

Survey participants noted the obvious when they pointed out the major reason to create more varieties is to create more profit.

It was evident potato marketers had money on their minds when they came up with these “rich” produce variety names: Goldrush russets, klondike gold dust potatoes and Yukon Gems.

I agree with the few survey respondents who touted their favorite variety names as being noteworthy only for their colorful use of the English language — the Dapple Dandy and Flavor Grenade pluot.

I didn’t participate in this Produce Pulse survey, but it’s my opinion that some marketers need to be more careful when finalizing variety names that could provide some consumers with negative connotations.

For instance, I’m a fan of the NFL’s Chiefs and Broncos and can say, without fail, that no self-respecting football fan in Kansas City or Denver is ever going to buy Raider lettuce.

Smart produce marketers should want to do anything possible to avoid any association with Al Davis.

I’m also not touching grizzly spinach, which one survey respondent mentioned but I could find no evidence of elsewhere. I’ve already had more than my share of gristly hamburgers, and the only other connotation I get with this spinach product is the face of Grizzly Adams, the bearded mid-1970s film/television character, another image I don’t want in my mind when I’m preparing to eat.

Somehow, I think an even wider audience would have a problem shelling out hard-earned cash for a variety one survey respondent noted — something called “brain mushrooms,” which may or may not have been served as a side item in the second Indiana Jones movie. However, with Harrison Ford, (possibly from a wheelchair?), working on the fourth installment of that popular series, perhaps there could be some brain mushroom cross-promotions in the offing?

Yes, I jest. But while it’s entertaining to make light of variety names and poke fun at some of them, at least I refrained from taking a stab at the pinata (apple).


MORE PRODUCE VENDING MACHINES NEEDED IN SCHOOLS
By Dan Galbraith
Originally appeared in The Packer July 23, 2007

Not only do people love out of convenience and availability, they eat for those same reasons.

In college psychology classes, some of us learned the three most important factors increasing the odds that two people would fall in love: 1) proximity; 2) proximity; and 3) proximity.

While this phenomenon is overlooked by many searching for love in all the wrong places, it’s logical and true that a Salinas woman’s chances of falling in love with a man living in the same apartment complex or even same vicinity are much greater than her chances of falling in love with say an Internet dating prospect in New York.

The same goes for fresh produce — if the industry wants children to “fall in love” with fruits and vegetable, why not pursue as many methods as possible of putting produce as near to children as possible?

That’s why the expanded effort to increase the number of fresh produce vending machines in U.S. schools (reported on Page A4 of the July 16 edition of The Packer) makes so much sense.

The fact that the Alliance for a Healthier Generation, a joint initiative of the American Heart Association and the William J. Clinton Foundation, and Dole Food Co. Inc. are collaborating on the expansion of this pilot program is not only a step in the right direction of diminishing childhood obesity, but is also something The Packer and the produce industry can applaud.

With the childhood obesity rate tripling in recent years by some estimates, it appears improbable that the foundation will stop ebb the tide of childhood obesity by 2010 as it aims to do.

However, a federally backed effort to supplement the efforts already being made privately will, without a doubt, make a serious impact.


HUNGER NOT A TOPIC FOR THE POLITICALLY CORRECT
By Dan Galbraith
Originally appeared in The Packer Dec. 11, 2006

Hunger, otherwise known by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service as “very low food security,” is not a topic for the faint of heart.

For those government officials who not only agreed to, but also stood behind, their word choice in the annual report “Household Food Security in the United States, 2005,” here’s a quick English language tutorial, courtesy of “Webster’s New World College Dictionary.”

Fainthearted means “cowardly, timid, shy” (See also: Trying to be politically correct in a report describing the food struggles faced by 35 million Americans).

Hunger means “the discomfort, pain, or weakness caused by a need for food.”

It’s that simple.

It’s cowardly and invalid for a government group to waste U.S. tax money by downplaying hunger’s effect. Watering down the term hunger does nothing to benefit those affected by it and, in fact, could limit charitable organizations’ efforts to help the hungry.

Hats off to Vicki Escarra, president and chief executive officer of America’s Second Harvest, Chicago, the nation’s food bank network, who said, “Words have meaning, and meaning matters. Referring to the state in which individuals and families do not have access to adequate food as anything other than hunger is simply demeaning.”

While the 2005 report provided some valuable information, any good that information may have done was eclipsed by the outrageous notion that political correctness could trump harsh reality and forthright truth.

USDA economist and report co-author Margaret Andrews’ argument that the word hunger can’t be pinned down to a specific meaning doesn’t hold water, especially considering that she also said it often stirs strong emotions.

How can a word be considered indefinable when it is so simply and clearly defined in the dictionary? And how can a word without a clear meaning stir emotion?

People don’t get angry about hunger, Ms. Andrews, or at least they don’t get angry enough about it. The nation and the world would be better if we did get mad about it.

What really angers people, though, is seeing injustice done and defended.

Trying to take negative spin off of a topic as undeniably ugly as hunger can do nothing but hamper the ability of food banks to motivate individuals and businesses to provide ample donations, particularly during the winter months.

The report could not have been timed more poorly, minimizing hunger’s impact just before the holidays, when Americans are most willing to give to worthy causes.

For more of Dan Galbraith's work, or more news and editorial coverage of the fresh produce industry, go to http://www.thepacker.com/


THERE'S PLENTY OF BLAME TO GO AROUND
By Dan Galbraith
Originally appeared in The Atchison Daily Globe April 15, 2005

With regard to the issue of school finance woes here, there's plenty of blame to go around.

Playing the blame game doesn't make the situation any easier for local teachers, administrators, students and taxpayers in general, but it seems appropriate.

Although state legislators have been the most targeted villains in the scenario that has some school officials wondering if they'll even have school -- let alone if they'll have to lay off teachers, increase class sizes and/or cut programs -- there are certainly plenty of other "bad guys" -- from President George W. Bush and other national figures who have contributed to the decline of the American economy and education, to Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, the Kansas Supreme Court and other idealists in the system demanding too much, and even Kansas voters.

The Legislature can take pride in the fact that the plan it has devised would add more new money to Kansas schools' payrolls since the current finance formula was originated back in 1992.

While the $127 million addition comes with numerous strings -- with schools having to use much of the money for specific, specialized programs -- it's at least an attempt to do a little something for public education.

If allowed to go into effect as law, the plan wouldn't revolutionize learning for Kansas kids, but it would at least apply a bandage to the bleeding suffered by northeast Kansas school districts in recent years.

It might allow Atchison-area schools, which are considered small and poor when compared to others in the state, a form of life support for another year, giving lawmakers and others more time to brainstorm how quadruple-bypass surgery might be done on the school finance system.

It's unfair to just turn our legislators into the scapegoats. Everybody from George W. Bush to the average Kansas resident should share the blame for how low our educational system has fallen.

Bush not only pushed for war in Iraq, costing the country billions of dollars that could have been more amply used for domestic programs such as education, he also championed the "No Child Left Behind" debacle that has helped get us into trouble.

Bush and other national politicians have also made poor policy decisions that have contributed to the explosion of fuel prices, not only weakening the U.S. economy in general, but also causing school operating costs to soar out of control.

Then, of course, there's Gov. Sebelius, the Kansas Supreme Court and others who have served as accessories to the school finance crime.

It's convenient for Sebelius to criticize the Legislature's plan at every opportunity, but then allow it to become law without her signature.

Meanwhile, the Kansas Supreme Court is doing its best in playing the role of "high and mighty," threatening lawmakers with strong-arm tactics and making unreasonable demands.

"The key question is 'What is a suitable education?' and who is going to decide that?" USD 409 Superintendent Steve Pummel has said.

The Supreme Court would like to decide all of these things and more, yet it is unable to come up with clear, defined objectives that could actualize appropriate and useful mandates.

The Supreme Court also erred by refusing to comment on the Legislature's plan, before lawmakers finalized it or now -- after it has been passed and before it becomes law Saturday.

Previously, the court had taken an aggressive approach; now it backs off at the time it matters the most. If the court would have taken a stand one way or the other, giving some indication of what might happen next, it could have given our school boards and superintendents a heads-up.

A simple comment might have calmed teachers' fears of losing their jobs and parents' fears that Kansas' public schools might be shut down this fall. People like attorney Alan Rupe contribute to the negativity by imploring the court to reject the Legislature's proposal and force it to raise taxes.

Kansans, in general, should also share some of the burden for how school funding has gone wrong. We voted in the legislators and it is our own sense of fiscal irresponsibility in better economic times that has created the mess of this magnitude.

Kansas residents, forever complaining about high taxes, were all happy to wallow in budget surpluses several years ago. This mindset creates fear in legislators, who fully realize that if they vote for tax hikes of any kind, voters will not re-elect them.

It's reasonable to hope Kansas schools will end up in the black, but it's also important to recognize all the players in the blame game wearing clothing of that same color.


BLURRING DNA LINES RISKS VICTIMS' RIGHTS
By Dan Galbraith
Originally appeared in The Atchison Daily Globe March 18, 2005

The intentions are admirable -- to ensure criminals are held accountable.But pushing the envelope on the boundaries of DNA data the way Kansas Attorney General Phill Kline suggests is a risky proposition -- for those Americans (including rape victims) who covet their privacy rights as granted them by the Constitution.

In an increasingly dangerous world of terrorist threats and escalating sexual violence, many would sacrifice rights to enhance safety.

But how far can we go before the DNA chalk lines are moved so far to the right and become so blurred that they no longer allow freedom we used to hold so dear?

DNA guidelines are being challenged this week in two matters -- one involving Kline's abortion clinic witch hunt; the other dealing with the rights of a man previously considered a suspect in the "BTK" murders.

Already, Kline appears to be backing off somewhat on his quest for legislation that would destroy the confidentiality of abortion clinic records.

Previously, Kline had said he had wanted full access to the records, including the names of those having abortions and sensitive medical information about them, because he wants an edge in prosecuting child rapists and doctors performing illegal, late-term abortions.

But on Wednesday, Kline clarified -- and appeared to soften -- his stance:

"We will never release the name of any woman or child who has received abortion services as we respect their privacy, as we do the privacy of all victims. The only people who are at risk of public exposure are those individuals who have raped innocent children or performed abortions not in compliance with Kansas law."

He added that such records "will be provided to the court, not to the attorney general's office," and Kline now says he has "offered to have the court remove the names or any identifying information from the files" before files are produced to him.

I'm as sympathetic to victims of child rape as anybody. In fact, I believe the current penalties are much too lenient.

But there are more effective ways to prosecute rape than the way Kline wants to do it.

Underage rape victims so embarrassed that they seek abortions in secrecy are not going to want to testify against abusive brothers or fathers at trial. If anything, Kline's proposal puts victims at risk of even more violent crime, such as murder.

DNA evidence can be compelling, but it's also important to look at the bigger picture. Many rapists are convicted with a limited amount or complete absence of DNA evidence. Tips to law enforcement, solid crime investigation techniques and testimony from family members and neighbors are what usually lock away criminals.

It's foolish to sacrifice victims' rights to prosecute offenders whose DNA could be obtained any way with probable cause established by witness testimony and other evidence.

If this Legislature passes, it is much more likely to cause Kansans to seek abortions outside state lines and expose victims of child rape to added endangerment than it is to increase the odds that rapists and unethical doctors are amply punished.

For those who don't see the risks of ideas like those proposed by Mr. Kline, consider Roger Valadez.

He's the man once accused of being the "BTK" killer, who is now asking that the DNA evidence taken from his mouth be destroyed. He's also among those wanting justification for the widening scope of DNA sweeps.

According to the AP, Valadez's mouth swab was just one of 1,300 DNA samples taken in the BTK investigation. and all that swabbing did little in comparison to what the AP dubbed "old-fashioned police work" in the capturing of suspect Dennis Rader.

Civil rights advocates appear justified in stating their outrage with regard to the blurring of the DNA lines. According to the AP, police in Miami collected 2,300 DNA samples while investigating the murder of six prostitutes back in 1994. And in November of 2004, Nebraska came under fire after unjustified racial profiling led to a DNA sweep targeting 32 black men in four rape cases. The men were later ruled out as suspects.

You may not care now, but only because you haven't yet been unjustly accused of a violent crime. I stress the word "yet."

Thanks to one new law, the AP reports that in 2008 California police will be able to take DNA from anyone arrested for a felony -- even those not convicted -- making for a situation that promotes trumped-up felony charges.

Kind of makes you wonder if the DNA chalk lines are being blurred or completely washed away.

DAN GALBRAITH'S SPORTS JOURNALISM

Samples of Dan Galbraith's sports writing:
GRAND REUNION: MARCH MADNESS NEVER GOT ANY MADDER
By Dan Galbraith
Originally appeared in The Holton Recorder March 29, 2001

"March Madness" never got any madder than this.

Long before that term was ever dubbed, a Jackson County team pulled off one of the biggest feats in the history of high school basketball.

This was a real-life fairy tale of "Hoosiers" magnitude.

"It was a shock to everybody, and that's why they discontinued the tournament after that," team member Kirby (Hossfeld) Wittenbach recalled. "I think the state felt it took something away from the bigger schools."

"We were a 1A ball club and had nothing to lose. I'm sure everybody out there thought we would lose," said Jackson Heights coach Ken Thomas, noting a scouting report on the class 5A champion he had received the day before the Cobras' huge semifinal upset. "I remember somebody telling me they hoped we'd be able to get the ball to mid-court against Buhler. That was the feeling they had in scouting them."

Marking the 25-year anniversary of its Grand State championship, members of the Jackson Heights High School girls basketball team returned Saturday night.

The informal reunion gave players a chance to rekindle friendships and revisit the memories of a magical season that ended with the tiny school stunning thousands by beating giant-school powerhouse Buhler on its way to infamy.

For only two years, the Grand State Tournament brought together the girls state basketball champions from all six classes in Kansas for one final hurrah. But after Heights upended Buhler 39-36 in the 1976 Grand State semifinals, then edged Hill City 45-42 in the title game on March 20, 1976, state officials discontinued the tournament.

"I'm sure most of our kids didn't consider it an upset - after all, we hadn't lost a game all year - and I'm not sure how much of an upset it was, really," Thomas said. "As for why they discontinued the tournament, let's just say it was an 'administrative decision.'"


Madness ... literally

"March Madness" doesn't even begin to describe the anger and frustration coaches and players from larger schools felt after a rural school like Jackson Heights aced them.

"One negative thing about it was that the week before, there were six winners and six schools happy. But at the end of Grand State, you only had one," said Buhler coach Jim Baker - who, like Thomas, is still the girls basketball coach at his school. "Jackson Heights had a good ball club - there wasn't any doubt about it - but I still blame myself for that (loss). I made a mistake. After we beat Hutchinson in the first round, I should have loaded the kids up, brought them home and had them sleep in their own beds. As it was, they had trouble getting down off that high and getting up for the next game."

Although Baker remains gracious in defeat, the ire from many of the opposing coaches, players and fans clouded the Cobras' victory celebration and 26-0 final record.

"They discontinued the tournament, and I think that speaks for itself," said Kim (Cochren) Lewis, a senior guard in 1976 who led the team in scoring (14.3 ppg). "Great things come in small packages. We won it, and people from larger schools had a problem with that."

"I have a feeling that's why they didn't do it again. Small towns weren't supposed to do that," player Connie (Minner) Barnhart said.


Neat story to tell

It is only today that the 1976 players can truly revel in the Grand State championship glory and fully comprehend the impact of their accomplishment.

"My daughter saw the Grand State trophy, and for two weeks after that, it was like, 'Mom, I want to be a basketball player like you!'" said 1976 player Sheri (Oxandale) Dibbern. "Then, I said, 'No, be better than me!'"

The sparkle of the trophy, which features a plaque with all the team member names and is topped with a giant gold basketball, also inspires Connie (Brown) Barnhart's 13-year-old daughter, Kirby (only coincidentally having the same name as the Cobra's junior guard from 1976). Kirby recently helped her seventh-grade team to a league championship and 13-0 record.

"It's kind of a neat story to tell your kids. I was just a sophomore sub that year, but it was very exciting. At the time, we didn't really realize what we had accomplished," Sherri (Hasenkamp) Bugner said. "But it is something now, when I really think about it. My daughter says it's hard for her to imagine her old mom was part of this championship team."

"Of course, my kids have heard about the Grand State championship more times than they'd like," said (Cochren) Lewis, whose 55.5 percent field-goal accuracy for a single season tops all-time Cobra records. "Those were great times. We had a lot to be proud of. It was an awesome feeling."


Thomas gets credit

The 1976 players argue, however, that they couldn't have won it all without a huge contribution from Thomas, who was in his first year as a head coach at the north Jackson County school.

Thomas, who went on to win his first 48 games over two seasons, quickly developed into a master game strategist and ran his girls through a grueling practice regimen. Preaching defense and clock management - both of which became vital as the team won nine games by five points or less in 1976 - Thomas succeeded immediately and is now closing in on 500 wins.

During a third-quarter run by Buhler, Thomas shifted his girls into a brilliant delay game most coaches never would have considered so early in a contest. The Cobras wound up beating Buhler despite the fact that their leading scorer in the game, (Cochren) Lewis, finished with only nine points.

"I can remember Coach Thomas was so ecstatic to win Grand State, and we did it for him because he was such a great coach," (Hossfeld) Wittenbach said. "He didn't put any pressure on us to pull off Grand State. He just wanted us to have fun. That was the right philosophy to take."

Thomas also engineered a 32-29 midseason win over Mount Saint Scholastica Academy with (Cochren) Lewis out of the lineup, then, two games later, inspired the troops to rally from a 32-28, fourth-period deficit to beat Highland 42-40. Earlier, Heights won its fifth game of the season, over Midway-Denton, by a 38-34 margin in overtime.

"Coach Thomas was definitely the key to our success. He could be determined - very determined. He was pretty inspirational," (Minner) Barnhart said.

Thomas, however, gives his players all the credit.

"We had all the things you needed: a tall girl on the inside, a good point guard and good quickness. It was just a good group of girls who worked hard and worked well together," he said.

The Jackson Heights Grand State champion team, inducted into the Kansas Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 1988, definitely had it all ... except an opportunity to defend its Grand State title.


SORENSEN BRINGS WINNING PERSONALITY, TRADITION TO TEAM
By Dan Galbraith
Originally appeared in The Holton Recorder Nov. 21, 2001

It's difficult to put a finger on the most important element new Royal Valley head girls basketball coach Gary Sorensen will bring to his program.

Is it winning tradition? Sorensen provides plenty of that after establishing consistent success as longtime Jackson Heights boys coach. The 1990-91 Class 2A Coach of the Year enjoyed a 22-3 season, five state tournament appearances and 11 straight 14-plus win seasons while loading up heavy on Delaware Valley League titles.

Is it his ability to reach kids? Nobody could doubt Sorensen's patented ability to connect with the younger generation - he has been doing that every day, guiding and advising Royal Valley students as school counselor.

Is it his colorful personality? Sorensen has plenty of that, too, entertaining students, school staff and media with his sense of humor and off-the-cuff remarks.

"Oh, man! I tell you what - it's hard to put Gary into words. But when you see the reaction he gets from kids, you know what he's all about," Royal Valley principal Jim Holloman said. "It's all about the kids, and he knows this so well because he creates such a wonderful rapport with the kids. He can cry with them, he can laugh with them ... he makes them feel comfortable when they're around him, whether he's counseling them, coaching them or just socializing with them in the hall. And we need that. He makes everybody around him feel good."

It's hard not to like Sorensen, a guy who always seems to wear a smile and light up a room.

And it's hard for Sorensen not to like the situation he's stepping into at Royal Valley. The Panther girls appear primed to make a run at Big Seven League powers Nemaha Valley and Sabetha with a talented lineup highlighted by juniors Josie Pahmahmie and Nicole Burdiek.

Even after rolling up a 212-106 record at Heights (he won 201 of his first 277 games there), placing third at state two times and fourth once and winning or tying for DVL titles in eight of 14 seasons (including five straight), Sorensen vows he still gets a rush from coaching ... and says he is still learning while he is teaching.

"I'm excited about this job. Do I have the same enthusiasm I had at age 30? Yeah. You just tone it in different directions, I think. I mean, I'm not running drills with the kids now. Experience is such an invaluable tool!" Sorensen said.

"He's such a sincere, genuine guy, and we're glad we stole him from Effingham," Holloman said. "He always finds positive things in a situation."

Sorensen, who takes over for Carla Sudbeck (she got married and moved), even admits he enjoyed his winless year at Effingham, where he coached boys varsity basketball following a 5-15 final season at Heights.

"I wouldn't trade that year at Effingham for anything because of the relationships I had with those kids. It's true I went 0-21 in 1999-2000, but if you put that in the newspaper, put an asterisk next to it, with a note saying, 'Due to brain surgery,'" Sorensen joked. "After that year, I thought, 'There goes the KU job I was trying for!'"

Though not serious about the lobotomy, Sorensen, in a sense, did somewhat reshape his thinking about basketball success during the Effingham experience.

"Do we want to qualify for the state tournament and win the league this year? You're dadgum right we want to. But if we don't, that doesn't mean we failed," Sorensen said. "Some don't understand that, but that's the way it is."

Holloman empathizes with the new coach, who just turned 50.

"Gary and I have something in common because I went 0-15 my final year as a freshman basketball coach, then they added wrestling," said Holloman, who went on to become the head wrestling coach at RVHS. "It's kind of funny because we jokingly trade barbs about our oh-fer seasons."

Rest assured, though, Sorensen won't have any trouble with the transition from coaching boys to coaching girls. He has sought tips from two of his northeast Kansas girls coaching idols, Orville Dodson and Ken Thomas.

"Orville went from coaching boys to middle school girls, and he told me the only difference is you just can't go in the locker room any time you want," Sorensen said. "On the court, it's the same thing with boys and girls. It's coaching basketball and coaching kids. I'm a real believer in that."