News and Notes 02/20/2017

• Alert to civic and community groups. A 30-minute presentation is available on the newly expanded Prairie Trails Scenic Byway. The 80-mile byway begins at Exit 225 on I-70 near Ellsworth and leads travelers through central Kansas history, geology and landscape. The route includes Kanopolis and Lake Kanopolis, Marquette, Lindsborg, Roxbury and Canton, including Maxwell Wildlife Refuge and a connection with I-135. More than ever, travelers are discovering Kansas' scenic byways, so it's good to be familiar with ours. If you know of someone who might be interested in a presentation, please email Sue Schlegel at Seasons of the Fox at mjfox839@aol.com or call 785.227.2549.

• Did you know that Kansas households would pay an average of $525 more a year in taxes without revenues created through tourism?

• The next Ad Hoc-sponsored event is the Lindsborg Våffeldagen, Saturday, March 25, in its seventh year. The CVB says it fielded phone calls starting last fall from potential visitors confirming this date. Crazy, huh? Detailed plans coming soon; in the meantime, we invite any friend of Lindsborg to sign up to spend an hilarious hour greeting the public as a Waffle Person. For that, check in with Jan Cambridge-Lewis at jcamlewis@gmail.com. Or "like" our new Våffeldagen Facebook page.

• Another March event: Bethany Home's four-course fundraising meal with silent and live auctions. That's 6-10 p.m. Friday, March 10, at the Sundstrom Center. Tickets $35 each, $60 for a pair. It's an opportunity to close the circle and support elder living in Lindsborg.

• Looking further ahead: Midsummer's Festival planners have been at work creating the fun on Saturday, June 17. Planners have listened to your suggestions and comments, and there will be a couple of tweaks this year. First, planners will try the event *without* a later-evening musical act and beer garden. Second, the festival will be presented in three acts: 9-3 in Riverside Park with traditional and new Midsummer's attractions; 3-5 around the town with fika (a Swedish word for a break with coffee and snacks with friends, plus Swedish food demos) and 6-11 at the Old Mill green with the maypole ceremony, music and dancing for all, and free late-night swim at the Lindsborg pool. If you have ideas, especially for the 3-5 time frame in your business or organization, please contact organizers. They can help with promotion and advertising. Midsummer's Festival admission is free, and festival expenses are paid through sponsorships.

• Please also keep in mind opportunities to come with the popular Lindsborg in Bloom groovy celebration of all things '60s on Saturday, April 29, and the Citywide Garage Sale on Saturday, May 6. It's not too early to scheme with Liz Lahodny of The Good Merchant and a great group of organizers! Liz is at lizlahodny@gmail.com