By OLIVIA BERGMEIER Salina Post

The Stiefel Theatre Stage hosted a different type of performance on Thursday, Nov. 9 — an event centered around Salina's performance through the years, economically and culturally.

Vortex's President and CEO, Travis Young, took to the stage and presented the "Salina Flywheel," representing how Salina drives its economic power.

"This community is moving and retaining our businesses," Young said. "It's attracting new businesses and people, and we're doing a great job." 

On Thursday, Nov. 9, Salina Public Schools USD 305 hosted its third Building Bridges night, allowing business owners, local experts, students and the community to interact and learn more about each other's specialties.

Building Bridges is a partnership event between <a href="https://www.usd305.com/">USD 305</a>, <a href="https://ksworkforceone.org/">Kansas WorkforceOne</a>, <a href="https://seama.org/">The Garage</a>, <a href="https://www.stiefeltheatre.org/">The Stiefel Theatre</a> and the <a href="https://www.salinakansas.org/">Salina Area Chamber of Commerce</a>.&nbsp;

"The goal of the program is to get businesses together and share ideas," said USD 305 Secondary Education Director Curtis Stevens. "This is an opportunity really for us to expose the students to what exists in employment. It helps them make connections for internships, possible summer jobs, and employment training opportunities that exist here in Salina."

The evening began with USD 305 culinary interns providing finger foods to event guests. At 5:30, Stevens welcomed guests and introduced Young to the stage.

Stevens began by telling Salina's story, referencing the significant economic impact Schilling Air Force Base once had on the community and how it continues to affect Salina today.

"Our community values connecting people and connecting different ideas, not resting on our laurels of past success. However, this has not always been the case," Stevens said. "For the longest time, Salina was very similar to many communities, businesses, and organizations — simply put — it once relied heavily upon its previous success."

READ MORE: <a href="https://salinapost.com/posts/f9bb28db-e546-4fc5-b562-5ea997342379">📸 Flashback Friday: Salina Post - Smoky Hill Museum - Vol. 15</a>

Schilling Air Force Base once accounted for a quarter of Salina's population and almost a third of its economic value, and when the base closed, it took all the added value with it.

Stevens said many local businesses and residents thought the town would fall into irrelevancy after the base left. 

Still, with a few driven community members, the city shifted its focus to growth.

"This one piece of the nation's military arsenal would be transitioned into a huge piece of our local economy, moving us from a small western town of local peddlers to a town of products on a global enterprise."

Young then took the stage, presenting how Salina businesses and non-profit groups impact the city and its growth.

According to Young, Salina's businesses, murals, and community contribute to the town's success, providing unique experiences for locals and visitors.

"We're creating unique life experiences," Young said. "If we do that, we can't help but increase visitation, and we have done that... If we increase visitation, we can't help but generate more commerce — we're getting that flywheel going. New businesses, new restaurants and new retail distribution centers are opening, things that Salina has never seen before." 

After concluding his speech, Building Bridges hosted multiple breakout sessions focusing on industries like marketing, STEM careers and education.

The breakout sessions focused on recruiting and building up employees, ways to lead, and critical factors in the industries.

Salina South High School student Jose Garcia, 17, attended with two other students and learned new things about the community during Young's presentation.

"(Young) mentioned all the things that they're doing and changing," Garcia said. "I think a lot of people my age are like, 'Oh, when I grow up I'm going to leave — Salina is terrible,' but I feel like I haven't really felt that. I really enjoy Salina, it's a nice community, and I think it's cool that they're trying to change for the better."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1699915031284.jpeg" alt="Salina USD 305 Director of Secondary Education Curtis Stevens, speaks during the third Building Bridges event on Thursday, Nov. 9 at the Stiefel Theatre in Salina. Photo by Olivia Bergmeier" />
 <figcaption>Salina USD 305 Director of Secondary Education Curtis Stevens, speaks during the third Building Bridges event on Thursday, Nov. 9 at the Stiefel Theatre in Salina. Photo by Olivia Bergmeier</figcaption>
 </figure>By OLIVIA BERGMEIER Salina PostThe Stiefel Theatre Stage hosted a different type of performance on Thursday, Nov. 9 — an event centered around Salina's performance through the years, economically and culturally.Vortex's President and CEO, Travis Young, took to the stage and presented the "Salina Flywheel," representing how Salina drives its economic power.<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2FUSD305%2Fvideos%2F1031017071281969%2F&show_text=false&width=560&t=0" width="560" height="314" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowFullScreen="true"></iframe></div>Video created by USD 305"This community is moving and retaining our businesses," Young said. "It's attracting new businesses and people, and we're doing a great job." On Thursday, Nov. 9, Salina Public Schools USD 305 hosted its third Building Bridges night, allowing business owners, local experts, students and the community to interact and learn more about each other's specialties.Building Bridges is a partnership event between <a href="https://www.usd305.com/">USD 305</a>, <a href="https://ksworkforceone.org/">Kansas WorkforceOne</a>, <a href="https://seama.org/">The Garage</a>, <a href="https://www.stiefeltheatre.org/">The Stiefel Theatre</a> and the <a href="https://www.salinakansas.org/">Salina Area Chamber of Commerce</a>.&nbsp;"The goal of the program is to get businesses together and share ideas," said USD 305 Secondary Education Director Curtis Stevens. "This is an opportunity really for us to expose the students to what exists in employment. It helps them make connections for internships, possible summer jobs, and employment training opportunities that exist here in Salina."The evening began with USD 305 culinary interns providing finger foods to event guests. At 5:30, Stevens welcomed guests and introduced Young to the stage.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1699915070085.jpeg" alt="Travis Young talks about the "Salina Flywheel" during the third Building Bridges event on Thursday, Nov. 9 at the Stiefel Theatre in Salina. Photo by Olivia Bergmeier" />
 <figcaption>Travis Young talks about the "Salina Flywheel" during the third Building Bridges event on Thursday, Nov. 9 at the Stiefel Theatre in Salina. Photo by Olivia Bergmeier</figcaption>
 </figure>Stevens began by telling Salina's story, referencing the significant economic impact Schilling Air Force Base once had on the community and how it continues to affect Salina today."Our community values connecting people and connecting different ideas, not resting on our laurels of past success. However, this has not always been the case," Stevens said. "For the longest time, Salina was very similar to many communities, businesses, and organizations — simply put — it once relied heavily upon its previous success."READ MORE: <a href="https://salinapost.com/posts/f9bb28db-e546-4fc5-b562-5ea997342379">📸 Flashback Friday: Salina Post - Smoky Hill Museum - Vol. 15</a>Schilling Air Force Base once accounted for a quarter of Salina's population and almost a third of its economic value, and when the base closed, it took all the added value with it.Stevens said many local businesses and residents thought the town would fall into irrelevancy after the base left. Still, with a few driven community members, the city shifted its focus to growth."This one piece of the nation's military arsenal would be transitioned into a huge piece of our local economy, moving us from a small western town of local peddlers to a town of products on a global enterprise."Young then took the stage, presenting how Salina businesses and non-profit groups impact the city and its growth.According to Young, Salina's businesses, murals, and community contribute to the town's success, providing unique experiences for locals and visitors."We're creating unique life experiences," Young said. "If we do that, we can't help but increase visitation, and we have done that... If we increase visitation, we can't help but generate more commerce — we're getting that flywheel going. New businesses, new restaurants and new retail distribution centers are opening, things that Salina has never seen before." After concluding his speech, Building Bridges hosted multiple breakout sessions focusing on industries like marketing, STEM careers and education.The breakout sessions focused on recruiting and building up employees, ways to lead, and critical factors in the industries.Salina South High School student Jose Garcia, 17, attended with two other students and learned new things about the community during Young's presentation."(Young) mentioned all the things that they're doing and changing," Garcia said. "I think a lot of people my age are like, 'Oh, when I grow up I'm going to leave — Salina is terrible,' but I feel like I haven't really felt that. I really enjoy Salina, it's a nice community, and I think it's cool that they're trying to change for the better."

Building Bridges looks to future between education and industry in Salina

The Salina City Commission meeting will take place in–person at the City/County Building in Room 107 and via Zoom.&nbsp; Meetings can be viewed at the City of Salina YouTube channel,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/cityofSalinaKansas" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/cityofSalinaKansas</a>.&nbsp;

To participate via Zoom, citizens will need to use the following link:&nbsp;<a href="https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89275984587" target="_blank">https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89275984587</a>.&nbsp;

The meeting can also be accessed by phone at 1-346-248-7799. Enter Meeting ID: 892 7598 4587 when prompted.&nbsp;

If citizens wish to speak, either during the public forum or when the mayor requests public comment on an item, citizens attending via Zoom must raise their hand so that the meeting host can allow them to speak. Those who attend the in-person meeting will have the opportunity to speak at the podium.&nbsp;

Citizens can also send written comments or questions to City Commissioners by visiting the City of Salina’s website at<a href="http://www.salina-ks.gov/" target="_blank">&nbsp;www.salina-ks.gov</a>&nbsp;and using the “Email City Commission” icon on the home page.&nbsp;

In order for the commissioners to have an opportunity to review comments in advance of the meeting, please email your comments or questions by 5 p.m. the Sunday prior to the Monday meetings.&nbsp;

To see the full meeting packet for today,<a href="http://weblink.salina.org/WebLink/DocView.aspx?id=521313&amp;dbid=0&amp;repo=Salina">&nbsp;click here.</a>&nbsp;

(3.1) Proclamation of November 25, 2023, as Shop Small Saturday. Leslie Bishop, Salina Downtown, Inc. Executive Director, will read the proclamation.

(5.1)  Approve the minutes of the meeting of November 13, 2023.

(6.1) Approve Charter Ordinance 43 on second reading exempting the City of Salina from certain parts of chapter 308 (Senate Bill 508) of the Session Laws of 1937, as amended by chapter 250 (Senate Bill 341) of the Session Laws of 1939, an act authorizing certain cities of the first class to convey certain property to the board of education of such city.

(6.2) Approval of Salina Area Chamber of Commerce 2024 Legislative Agenda.

Background: The Salina Area Chamber of Commerce is seeking state and federal funds for several projects including the Smoky Hill River Renewal Project, Magnolia Road improvements, Holmes Road improvements, investments at Kansas State's Salina campus, and the AIM Center at the <a href="https://salinapost.com/posts/4a553ba1-ce17-480b-81f2-7e6737c6f186">Salina Airport Authority</a>.

<a href="http://weblink.salina.org/WebLink/DocView.aspx?id=522051&amp;dbid=0&amp;repo=Salina">Click here to view all of the Salina Chamber's legislative priorities, click here.&nbsp;</a>

(6.3a) Authorize the City Manager to Execute Renewals of Agreement for Administrative Services for a Self-Funded Health and Prescription Benefit Plan and Individual and Aggregate Stop-loss Coverage with BlueCross BlueShield of Kansas

(6.3b) Authorize the City Manager to renew Delta Dental of Kansas, Inc. agreement for dental care benefits.

(6.3c) Authorize the City Manager to approve an amendment to the agreement with Tria Health for medication therapy management.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1697467290838.jpeg" alt="The Saline County and Salina City building at 300 West Ash Street in Salina. Photo by Olivia Bergmeier" />
 <figcaption>The Saline County and Salina City building at 300 West Ash Street in Salina. Photo by Olivia Bergmeier</figcaption>
 </figure>By SALINA POSTThe Salina City Commission meeting will take place in–person at the City/County Building in Room 107 and via Zoom.&nbsp; Meetings can be viewed at the City of Salina YouTube channel,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/cityofSalinaKansas" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/cityofSalinaKansas</a>.&nbsp;To participate via Zoom, citizens will need to use the following link:&nbsp;<a href="https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89275984587" target="_blank">https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89275984587</a>.&nbsp;The meeting can also be accessed by phone at 1-346-248-7799. Enter Meeting ID: 892 7598 4587 when prompted.&nbsp;If citizens wish to speak, either during the public forum or when the mayor requests public comment on an item, citizens attending via Zoom must raise their hand so that the meeting host can allow them to speak. Those who attend the in-person meeting will have the opportunity to speak at the podium.&nbsp;Citizens can also send written comments or questions to City Commissioners by visiting the City of Salina’s website at<a href="http://www.salina-ks.gov/" target="_blank">&nbsp;www.salina-ks.gov</a>&nbsp;and using the “Email City Commission” icon on the home page.&nbsp;In order for the commissioners to have an opportunity to review comments in advance of the meeting, please email your comments or questions by 5 p.m. the Sunday prior to the Monday meetings.&nbsp;To see the full meeting packet for today,<a href="http://weblink.salina.org/WebLink/DocView.aspx?id=521313&amp;dbid=0&amp;repo=Salina">&nbsp;click here.</a>&nbsp;<h2>Salina City Commision Agenda 11/20/23</h2>Awards and Proclamations<div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fsalinadowntowninc%2Fposts%2Fpfbid0PDidpVAvjZjKRPgEqPy1MLRpmi4kZ4DT7AJerPrqFk8RrHHNRKosf2kVfxA8swJel&show_text=true&width=500" width="500" height="629" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true" allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share"></iframe></div>(3.1) Proclamation of November 25, 2023, as Shop Small Saturday. Leslie Bishop, Salina Downtown, Inc. Executive Director, will read the proclamation.Consent Agenda (5.1) Approve the minutes of the meeting of November 13, 2023.Administration(6.1) Approve Charter Ordinance 43 on second reading exempting the City of Salina from certain parts of chapter 308 (Senate Bill 508) of the Session Laws of 1937, as amended by chapter 250 (Senate Bill 341) of the Session Laws of 1939, an act authorizing certain cities of the first class to convey certain property to the board of education of such city.(6.2) Approval of Salina Area Chamber of Commerce 2024 Legislative Agenda.Background: The Salina Area Chamber of Commerce is seeking state and federal funds for several projects including the Smoky Hill River Renewal Project, Magnolia Road improvements, Holmes Road improvements, investments at Kansas State's Salina campus, and the AIM Center at the <a href="https://salinapost.com/posts/4a553ba1-ce17-480b-81f2-7e6737c6f186">Salina Airport Authority</a>. <a href="http://weblink.salina.org/WebLink/DocView.aspx?id=522051&amp;dbid=0&amp;repo=Salina">Click here to view all of the Salina Chamber's legislative priorities, click here.&nbsp;</a>(6.3) Insurance Agreement Renewals(6.3a) Authorize the City Manager to Execute Renewals of Agreement for Administrative Services for a Self-Funded Health and Prescription Benefit Plan and Individual and Aggregate Stop-loss Coverage with BlueCross BlueShield of Kansas(6.3b) Authorize the City Manager to renew Delta Dental of Kansas, Inc. agreement for dental care benefits.(6.3c) Authorize the City Manager to approve an amendment to the agreement with Tria Health for medication therapy management.

Shop Small Saturday proclamation, approval of Chamber of Commerce legislative agenda on Salina City Comm. agenda

In a turn of events, while numerous Gypsum residents sat in attendance at the Saline County Commission meeting on Nov. 14, <a href="https://www.pluspower.com/">Plus Power</a> retracted its application for a conditional use permit or CUP.

The Saline County Planning and Zoning Committee denied <a href="https://pub-salinecounty.escribemeetings.com/filestream.ashx?DocumentId=6330">Plus Power's request for a CUP</a> during its <a href="https://pub-salinecounty.escribemeetings.com/filestream.ashx?DocumentId=6343">Sept. 26 meeting</a>, and the company <a href="https://pub-salinecounty.escribemeetings.com/filestream.ashx?DocumentId=6346">appealed the decision on Oct. 5</a>.

Plus Power requested a <a href="https://pub-salinecounty.escribemeetings.com/filestream.ashx?DocumentId=6213">continuance for its appeal</a> of the Saline County Planning and Zoning Committee's decision on Nov. 7. County commissioners denied the request to delay the appeal hearing to next year.

READ MORE: <a href="https://salinapost.com/posts/c2bcb48f-2879-4970-9e48-030e39d4e61e">Plus Power appeal extension denied at Saline County Commission meeting</a>

The Saline County Commission prepared to hear the appeal and make a decision about the battery storage facility for Gypsum.

All commissioners attended the meeting — Chairman Robert Vidricksen, Vice Chairman Monte Shadwick, remotely, Secretary Rodger Sparks, James Weese and Joe Hay.

Tim Hamilton, the Saline County planning and zoning director, said he usually would let the commissioners discuss amongst themselves and answer questions, but the applicants decided to make a statement.

Hamilton yielded his time to Ben Weisel, the permit director at Mountain Peak Energy Storage, LLC, acting as Plus Power, who approached the podium.

"Mountain Peak Energy Storage, LLC, respectfully withdraws its conditional use permit application," Weisel said.&nbsp;

He continued that this was a difficult decision for the company due to its investment and planning of the project for several years.&nbsp;

"It's become clear to us that the county permit application in its present form does not have a path forward to obtaining the necessary approvals," Weisel said. "It is for this reason we are withdrawing our proposal."

Weisel then thanked the commissioners for their time and consideration of the project and said he hoped to see future discussions about the benefits of battery storage facilities for the community.

County Commission Chairman Robert Vidricksen spoke first.

"We wish to thank you very much for your interest in Saline County, sorry it didn't work out," Vidricksen said. "Your professionalism is appreciated very much, and good luck."

There were no other comments about the subject from the other commissioners.

Technology grants and Expo Center updates

Before the appeal hearing, the Saline County Commission tackled a consent agenda, an action item and some informational items, beginning with technology grants for the community.

In August this year, county commissioners approved a <a href="https://pub-salinecounty.escribemeetings.com/filestream.ashx?DocumentId=6325">$100,000 Digital Equity Grant</a> funded by the county's American Rescue Plan Act, or ARPA, funds to distribute to community projects focused on technology access.

"A review committee consisting of Rene Drexler, Salina Area Chamber of Commerce president and CEO, Kimberlyn Jones, Kansas Commerce digital equity program manager and Eric Norris, Manhattan Public Library Director, met via Zoom on Oct. 24, to discuss the applications," said Saline County Public Information Officer Melissa McCoy.

McCoy presented five grants the review committee considered.

● $20,630 to the Salina Area United Way To fund equipment for free access points for individuals to use the internet and digital devices for school work, job searching, training and other activities.

● $16,378 to the Salina Grace Foundation Set up a WiFi access point to provide free internet connection, laptops, workstations, basic computer skills training, and job search assistance for guests.

● $8,600 to the Salina Media Connection To create a monthly Spanish connection program for the Salina Spanish-speaking community that focuses on digital literacy, civic education, health, finance, legal advice and general education. The program would be for 10 months and provide quarterly digital literacy classes.

● $4,425 to the Salina Public Library To expand the Salina Public Library Hotspot Lending Program by adding 25 hotspot devices that patrons can check out for free.

● $3,397 to the Salina Public Library To the Salina Public Library Youth Robotics Club, a program for children ages 13 to 17, for nine robotic workshop kits and to encourage digital literacy, creativity, critical thinking and teamwork.&nbsp;

"The Committee recommends funding for all five applications," McCoy said.&nbsp;

The commissioners unanimously approved the 2023 Digital Equity Grant.

<a href="https://pub-salinecounty.escribemeetings.com/Meeting.aspx?Id=784c948c-ea68-4b41-afcf-2f002c06003b&amp;Agenda=Merged&amp;lang=English&amp;Item=25&amp;Tab=attachments">Other items commissioners approved</a> included a Presbyterian Manor KDOT Letter of Support, the official 2023 election results and continued improvements for the Courtroom Project.

The Expo Center Director David Flaherty updated commissioners on Saline County Livestock and Expo Center improvements.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/10/1697467290838.jpeg" alt="The Saline County and Salina City building at 300 West Ash Street in Salina. Photo by Olivia Bergmeier" />
 <figcaption>The Saline County and Salina City building at 300 West Ash Street in Salina. Photo by Olivia Bergmeier</figcaption>
 </figure>By OLIVIA BERGMEIER Salina PostIn a turn of events, while numerous Gypsum residents sat in attendance at the Saline County Commission meeting on Nov. 14, <a href="https://www.pluspower.com/">Plus Power</a> retracted its application for a conditional use permit or CUP.The Saline County Planning and Zoning Committee denied <a href="https://pub-salinecounty.escribemeetings.com/filestream.ashx?DocumentId=6330">Plus Power's request for a CUP</a> during its <a href="https://pub-salinecounty.escribemeetings.com/filestream.ashx?DocumentId=6343">Sept. 26 meeting</a>, and the company <a href="https://pub-salinecounty.escribemeetings.com/filestream.ashx?DocumentId=6346">appealed the decision on Oct. 5</a>.Plus Power requested a <a href="https://pub-salinecounty.escribemeetings.com/filestream.ashx?DocumentId=6213">continuance for its appeal</a> of the Saline County Planning and Zoning Committee's decision on Nov. 7. County commissioners denied the request to delay the appeal hearing to next year.READ MORE: <a href="https://salinapost.com/posts/c2bcb48f-2879-4970-9e48-030e39d4e61e">Plus Power appeal extension denied at Saline County Commission meeting</a>The Saline County Commission prepared to hear the appeal and make a decision about the battery storage facility for Gypsum.All commissioners attended the meeting — Chairman Robert Vidricksen, Vice Chairman Monte Shadwick, remotely, Secretary Rodger Sparks, James Weese and Joe Hay.Tim Hamilton, the Saline County planning and zoning director, said he usually would let the commissioners discuss amongst themselves and answer questions, but the applicants decided to make a statement.Hamilton yielded his time to Ben Weisel, the permit director at Mountain Peak Energy Storage, LLC, acting as Plus Power, who approached the podium."Mountain Peak Energy Storage, LLC, respectfully withdraws its conditional use permit application," Weisel said.&nbsp;He continued that this was a difficult decision for the company due to its investment and planning of the project for several years.&nbsp;"It's become clear to us that the county permit application in its present form does not have a path forward to obtaining the necessary approvals," Weisel said. "It is for this reason we are withdrawing our proposal."Weisel then thanked the commissioners for their time and consideration of the project and said he hoped to see future discussions about the benefits of battery storage facilities for the community.County Commission Chairman Robert Vidricksen spoke first."We wish to thank you very much for your interest in Saline County, sorry it didn't work out," Vidricksen said. "Your professionalism is appreciated very much, and good luck."There were no other comments about the subject from the other commissioners.<h2>Technology grants and Expo Center updates</h2>Before the appeal hearing, the Saline County Commission tackled a consent agenda, an action item and some informational items, beginning with technology grants for the community.In August this year, county commissioners approved a <a href="https://pub-salinecounty.escribemeetings.com/filestream.ashx?DocumentId=6325">$100,000 Digital Equity Grant</a> funded by the county's American Rescue Plan Act, or ARPA, funds to distribute to community projects focused on technology access."A review committee consisting of Rene Drexler, Salina Area Chamber of Commerce president and CEO, Kimberlyn Jones, Kansas Commerce digital equity program manager and Eric Norris, Manhattan Public Library Director, met via Zoom on Oct. 24, to discuss the applications," said Saline County Public Information Officer Melissa McCoy.McCoy presented five grants the review committee considered.● $20,630 to the Salina Area United Way To fund equipment for free access points for individuals to use the internet and digital devices for school work, job searching, training and other activities.● $16,378 to the Salina Grace Foundation Set up a WiFi access point to provide free internet connection, laptops, workstations, basic computer skills training, and job search assistance for guests.● $8,600 to the Salina Media Connection To create a monthly Spanish connection program for the Salina Spanish-speaking community that focuses on digital literacy, civic education, health, finance, legal advice and general education. The program would be for 10 months and provide quarterly digital literacy classes.● $4,425 to the Salina Public Library To expand the Salina Public Library Hotspot Lending Program by adding 25 hotspot devices that patrons can check out for free.● $3,397 to the Salina Public Library To the Salina Public Library Youth Robotics Club, a program for children ages 13 to 17, for nine robotic workshop kits and to encourage digital literacy, creativity, critical thinking and teamwork.&nbsp;"The Committee recommends funding for all five applications," McCoy said.&nbsp;The commissioners unanimously approved the 2023 Digital Equity Grant.<a href="https://pub-salinecounty.escribemeetings.com/Meeting.aspx?Id=784c948c-ea68-4b41-afcf-2f002c06003b&amp;Agenda=Merged&amp;lang=English&amp;Item=25&amp;Tab=attachments">Other items commissioners approved</a> included a Presbyterian Manor KDOT Letter of Support, the official 2023 election results and continued improvements for the Courtroom Project.The Expo Center Director David Flaherty updated commissioners on Saline County Livestock and Expo Center improvements.

Plus Power retracts CUP application for battery storage facility

By NATE KING Salina Post

In a bid to show off the sights, sounds and smells of Cozy Inn Hamburgers restaurant, owner Steve Howard rushed to get a new "sign" painted on the north exterior wall of his restaurant.

On the heels of BOOM 2023, <a href="https://salinapost.com/posts/5e3b7092-0ac7-4b3a-aad0-d45ea75df25f">a privately funded and crowd-sourced mural festival held annually in town</a>, Howard sought to add his creative spirit to one of downtown's most iconic buildings while drawing people inside Salina's smallest burger joint.

"It's not a billboard; it’s artwork," Howard said. "It's my expression. It's my character going on my wall. I want to paint my wall."

The inspiration behind the "sign" stems from a couple Howard met when they visited The Cozy Inn for the first time.

"I had a couple come to the walk-up window, and I said, 'You need to come inside and experience the fun, experience the Cozy Inn,'" Howard said. "They said, 'Oh no, we were told not to go inside.' And I wanted to say so bad, but I didn't, 'You're 60-something years old, and you're still letting people tell you what to do?'"

Howard, the sole financier of the mural, sought the help of a local muralist Colin Benson to bring his greasy masterpiece to life. Work began on Nov. 3, one day before the much-anticipated Salina Crossroads Marathon.

According to Salina Downtown Inc. Executive Director Leslie Bishop Howard failed to complete the required paperwork mandated by the city of Salina.

"It's not just the Cozy Inn but all of the businesses in the downtown area have to fill out an application with the city for any changes to the exterior, whether it be an awning, a sign, that kind of thing," Bishop said. "That one piece (the application) did not happen in this case, and Steve has alluded to that and admitted to that."

Not long after Benson sketched the initial outlines and painted on the mustard and ketchup, videos made their way to social media, which alerted city staff.&nbsp;

"I think Sunday had a lot to play with that. People just videotaped and called, and then someone had to come in and say, 'Hey, this is what's happening there,'"Howard said. "Then I got a call from Dustin Herrs from Salina City Planning, and he's saying it's a billboard."

Howard said the mural is not a billboard.

"I don't have social media. I never reached out to anybody about anything — other than the artist," Howard said. "I'm not trying to stir anything out. I just want to paint a wall."&nbsp;

Bishop said Salina Downtown Inc. supports Howard.

"We're behind him 100%, and we will write Steve a letter of support if he needs it," Bishop said. "Today, we met with some city officials, and we're filling out all the proper paperwork."

Bishop also reiterated that the muralist is not the issue — the issue lies&nbsp;with filing the necessary paperwork.

"Colin is fine to do this mural that it has nothing to with him as an artist, and he doesn't even have to be approved by the city. The mural itself needs to be approved before work can begin," Bishop said.&nbsp;

Howard said more than 45,000 customers visit the Cozy Inn location in downtown Salina every year.

"That is a lot of people coming to downtown," Howard said."This mural is going to just be one more thing to make people go 'Wow!'"

Salina City commission eager to build consensus

During the Monday Salina City Commission meeting, Salina City Manager Mike Schrage provided context for why a code violation citation was issued.&nbsp;

City of Salina Codes Article X Section 42-521 for C-3 and C-4 commercial districts dictate a business's total area for advertisements or signs on its exterior.

The Cozy Inn is categorized in a C-4 commercial district, which Schrage said indicates a "mathematical formula.” The product of the formula determines a business's allotted sign space.

Each commercial zone has a unique formula that determines sign space — other zones, like C-5, 6 and 7, allow for four square feet of sign space for each foot of linear street space.

"Our codes in this particular case have been in effect since 1966 — that doesn't mean they can't be changed," Shrage said.&nbsp;

Schrage said Cozy's Hamburgers currently has three signs, which utilize 84% of their total sign allotment. The new mural would put it nine times over the allowable size.

"First and foremost is submitting a sign application so we have the specifics of what they intend, and we can look at that relative to the code," Schrage said.&nbsp;

Schrage clarified that city staff did not contact Howard with violation enforcement in mind.

"[It was] agreed to a pause on proceeding with the project so we can sort through the codes," Schrage said.

Based on the "sign" and art renderings Howard provided the city, Schrage said there is a disconnect between what Cozy intends and what the code allows.

Schrage outlined two possible avenues Cozy Inn can pursue to become compliant with or change the code. The first option is to go through a variance process with the Board of Zoning Adjustment, which Schrage said is rigorous.&nbsp;

The variance process requires the Board of Zoning Adjustments to reach conclusions based on five criteria, which can be problematic for Cozy Inn's case.&nbsp;

"There has to be something unique in terms of insurmountable challenge or something that the code might not have taken into account," Schrage said.

Schrage referenced a single case where city staff granted variance due to geographical challenges limiting the advertisement's effectiveness.

The other option is to amend the city code.

"We have a process whereby someone can make application requests for code amendment," Schrage said. "To accommodate what Mr. Howard desires, we need to increase the allowable square footage nine to 10 times what our code currently says.”

Amending the code leads to possible future approvals to cover an exterior wall entirely or even all four sides of the business.

"That starts to get very customized, very detailed, and the key factor is that it has to be applicable across the board," Schrage said.

The code currently cannot bend to specific businesses, but an amendment could allow for consistent flexibility for downtown buildings' advertisements.

Schrage reminded commissioners that this type of exception could set a precedent for future, possibly less artistic signs. While The Cozy Inn's case is unique, amending the code for the mural would take time.

"That's pretty significant policy decision. It's going to take some work,” Schrage said.

Schrage said city staff is prepared for code drafting and running the code amendment through the necessary committees for recommendations.

"The artist indicated this morning [Monday] they washed the building in preparation for painting and don’t necessarily want to leave it half finished," Schrage said. "If it's going to take into the spring before they [the muralist] have an answer, their preference is to paint it white and start over again."

Repainting the exterior wall white is likely the cleanest way from a code standpoint but is not required to continue the process.

Lauren Driscoll, director of community and development services for the city of Salina, provided commissioners with criteria that categorize something as a sign. The definition of a sign includes anything with writing, including letters, numbers, words and a pictorial representation.

“This includes illustrations or decorations,” Driscoll said.

Driscoll further defined a sign as a message or image meant to attract the public's attention, including a painting on a wall located on the exterior of a building.

"From that pure definition, this starts to tick all the boxes that make it a sign before we even get into a discussion of commercial speech versus non-commercial speech," Driscoll said.

The Office of Community Development received numerous calls asking about other signs in the community and whether or not they comply, Driscoll said.&nbsp;

Driscoll explained that in downtown, a business has three square feet of signage for every foot of frontage it has.

The formula utilizes the "frontage" length of a building, meaning the horizontal distance the building's foot takes up on a given street. The Cozy Inn’s frontage area is only 20.8 feet, which amounts to a total sign area allowed of about 63 square feet.

"The Cozy building is a very little building," Driscoll said. "[Cozy Inn has used] 52.88 square feet, leaving just over 10 square feet of remaining surface area of signage allowed for the building."

In the Cozy's situation, when applying the square footage analysis to the new sign, it's approximately 528 square feet which is significantly greater than the allotted amount in the C-4 district.

Driscoll said downtown has a unique challenge, its various-sized and shaped buildings and can begin a domino effect from decisions made by Zoning and Planning.

Driscoll continued, "How the buildings work together, the scale of messaging of signage really does matter in that environment plus the C-4 district is also very pedestrian focused. For example, Ninth Street is not a pedestrian environment, but everything in the C-4 district is scaled for both cars and people. So that also has to do with some of our sign regulations."

During her remarks, Driscoll gave the example of a coffee house with a dove and peace sign to illustrate the point further.

"For example, if the coffee house has a dove with an olive branch and it says the word peace on the side of it, that's not a sign because even though the word peace is there, you're not selling peace inside, and coffee may do that for some people, but in general, the dog, the olive branch, the peace is not part of a commercial transaction."

Driscoll contrasted her example by saying if the coffee house had a steaming cup of coffee, those images would draw you into the use of the building.

A different case focused on a mural depicting peaceful and calm scenes but still advertised the business it was painted on.

"There's actually a case law example of a mural, which is actually a sign of a bunch of puppies playing in a field, and it's across from a dog park,” Driscoll said. “The mural happens to be on a building that is a doggy daycare. That was deemed commercial signage.”

The case law involved a business named Wag More Dogs located next to a dog park in Arlington County, VA, where federal courts deemed the mural as an advertisement.

Salina Vice-Mayor Bill Longbine commented that The Cozy Inn is an essential staple in Salina’s food industry and that Howard’s intentions for the artwork were not an advertisement.

"I think if this had been anything other than a 101-year-old, historic institution, it wouldn't be an issue," Vice-Mayor Bill Longbine said. "I really believe he intended to get in on the whole mural trend."

Salina City Commissioner Trent Davis said even with Cozy Inn’s history in the community, allowing the mural to go up outside of city regulations would create a precedent for other businesses to use benevolently or maliciously.

Davis brought up an example of an adult store using sexually explicit imagery of their products on a building.

“Or if we had same-sex couples over the rainbow bridge on the side of the building, saying, ‘Salina Friends of the LGBTQ Community, we'd have folks coming up on the other side saying, Well, how can you allow that?’” Davis said. “I mean, that's clearly a sign. So whatever we do, it's got to be something that stands the test, no matter who's coming up to the podium."

City Commissioner Greg Lenkiewicz stressed the importance of consistency for Planning and Zoning regulations but understands the artistic value and weight that Cozy Inn wants to add to the community.

"Unfortunately, we find ourselves in a situation where I think we all appreciate the art, but we are bound by laws [codes] of our governing body," Lenkiewicz said. “We can't just arbitrarily decide, yes, this rule we're not going to enforce, and this rule, we're going to apply. There's a sense of fairness and uniformity to how we do things."

Salina City Attorney Greg A. Bengtson said most of what a city regulates is subject to a relatively simple test of whether there is a nexus between the regulation and a legitimate public purpose.&nbsp;

“The Supreme Court has told us now when you are evaluating anything in the commercial speech category, it undergoes what is called an intermediate scrutiny level,” Bengston said. “It’s higher than that just rational Nexus.”

Bengston provided counsel to city commissioners explaining what could be done in order to address the issue in a legal and timely manner.

“We are in an area where we as your local general counsel recognize…. I think there are efficiencies even in terms of the cost of having the specialized expert handling those sorts of questions, rather than you all having to wonder if we've figured that out or not,” Bengston said.

Commissioner Karl Ryan voiced his support for hiring an outside consultant, citing the need for wisdom and experience surrounding codes for signage.&nbsp;

“There are people that have been following this law for periods of time and it's important that we have their wisdom and experience and I'm sure it'll be much cheaper than us plowing a new road in,” Ryan said. “I have a lot of confidence in our staff and figuring any kind of problem out and providing remedies but it looks like we'll get much quicker answers if we buy some expertise.”

Driscoll explained that changing code takes time including public input.&nbsp;

“One of the things that takes a little time versus me sitting in my office just going in one line at a time, is there needs to be public process,” Driscoll said.

Driscoll said the issue regarding signs and commercial speech is not confined to downtown.&nbsp;

“I mean, this is something that we're seeing, not just downtown but in the other areas. And I think to have time to have conversations with those folks and ask, how are these rules feeling and fitting as we've changed as a community over the last few years is an important part of that process.”

According to Driscoll, Howard submitted the sign permit application Monday evening. A decision was not made by the commission on Monday regarding hiring an outside expert to answer questions commissioners may have.

Salina Post will update this story as more information becomes available.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1699905373563.jpeg" alt="Cozy Inn Hamburgers' new "sign" was put on pause by the City of Salina because restaurant owner, Steve Howard, did not follow procedures set in place by the Salina City Design and Review Board. Photo by Olivia Bergmeier" />
 <figcaption>Cozy Inn Hamburgers' new "sign" was put on pause by the City of Salina because restaurant owner, Steve Howard, did not follow procedures set in place by the Salina City Design and Review Board. Photo by Olivia Bergmeier</figcaption>
 </figure>By NATE KING Salina PostIn a bid to show off the sights, sounds and smells of Cozy Inn Hamburgers restaurant, owner Steve Howard rushed to get a new "sign" painted on the north exterior wall of his restaurant.On the heels of BOOM 2023, <a href="https://salinapost.com/posts/5e3b7092-0ac7-4b3a-aad0-d45ea75df25f">a privately funded and crowd-sourced mural festival held annually in town</a>, Howard sought to add his creative spirit to one of downtown's most iconic buildings while drawing people inside Salina's smallest burger joint."It's not a billboard; it’s artwork," Howard said. "It's my expression. It's my character going on my wall. I want to paint my wall."The inspiration behind the "sign" stems from a couple Howard met when they visited The Cozy Inn for the first time."I had a couple come to the walk-up window, and I said, 'You need to come inside and experience the fun, experience the Cozy Inn,'" Howard said. "They said, 'Oh no, we were told not to go inside.' And I wanted to say so bad, but I didn't, 'You're 60-something years old, and you're still letting people tell you what to do?'"Howard, the sole financier of the mural, sought the help of a local muralist Colin Benson to bring his greasy masterpiece to life. Work began on Nov. 3, one day before the much-anticipated Salina Crossroads Marathon.According to Salina Downtown Inc. Executive Director Leslie Bishop Howard failed to complete the required paperwork mandated by the city of Salina."It's not just the Cozy Inn but all of the businesses in the downtown area have to fill out an application with the city for any changes to the exterior, whether it be an awning, a sign, that kind of thing," Bishop said. "That one piece (the application) did not happen in this case, and Steve has alluded to that and admitted to that."Not long after Benson sketched the initial outlines and painted on the mustard and ketchup, videos made their way to social media, which alerted city staff.&nbsp;"I think Sunday had a lot to play with that. People just videotaped and called, and then someone had to come in and say, 'Hey, this is what's happening there,'"Howard said. "Then I got a call from Dustin Herrs from Salina City Planning, and he's saying it's a billboard."Howard said the mural is not a billboard."I don't have social media. I never reached out to anybody about anything — other than the artist," Howard said. "I'm not trying to stir anything out. I just want to paint a wall."&nbsp;Bishop said Salina Downtown Inc. supports Howard."We're behind him 100%, and we will write Steve a letter of support if he needs it," Bishop said. "Today, we met with some city officials, and we're filling out all the proper paperwork."Bishop also reiterated that the muralist is not the issue — the issue lies&nbsp;with filing the necessary paperwork."Colin is fine to do this mural that it has nothing to with him as an artist, and he doesn't even have to be approved by the city. The mural itself needs to be approved before work can begin," Bishop said.&nbsp;Howard said more than 45,000 customers visit the Cozy Inn location in downtown Salina every year."That is a lot of people coming to downtown," Howard said."This mural is going to just be one more thing to make people go 'Wow!'"<h2>Salina City commission eager to build consensus</h2>During the Monday Salina City Commission meeting, Salina City Manager Mike Schrage provided context for why a code violation citation was issued.&nbsp;City of Salina Codes Article X Section 42-521 for C-3 and C-4 commercial districts dictate a business's total area for advertisements or signs on its exterior.The Cozy Inn is categorized in a C-4 commercial district, which Schrage said indicates a "mathematical formula.” The product of the formula determines a business's allotted sign space.Each commercial zone has a unique formula that determines sign space — other zones, like C-5, 6 and 7, allow for four square feet of sign space for each foot of linear street space."Our codes in this particular case have been in effect since 1966 — that doesn't mean they can't be changed," Shrage said.&nbsp;Schrage said Cozy's Hamburgers currently has three signs, which utilize 84% of their total sign allotment. The new mural would put it nine times over the allowable size."First and foremost is submitting a sign application so we have the specifics of what they intend, and we can look at that relative to the code," Schrage said.&nbsp;Schrage clarified that city staff did not contact Howard with violation enforcement in mind."[It was] agreed to a pause on proceeding with the project so we can sort through the codes," Schrage said.Based on the "sign" and art renderings Howard provided the city, Schrage said there is a disconnect between what Cozy intends and what the code allows.Schrage outlined two possible avenues Cozy Inn can pursue to become compliant with or change the code. The first option is to go through a variance process with the Board of Zoning Adjustment, which Schrage said is rigorous.&nbsp;The variance process requires the Board of Zoning Adjustments to reach conclusions based on five criteria, which can be problematic for Cozy Inn's case.&nbsp;"There has to be something unique in terms of insurmountable challenge or something that the code might not have taken into account," Schrage said.Schrage referenced a single case where city staff granted variance due to geographical challenges limiting the advertisement's effectiveness.The other option is to amend the city code."We have a process whereby someone can make application requests for code amendment," Schrage said. "To accommodate what Mr. Howard desires, we need to increase the allowable square footage nine to 10 times what our code currently says.”Amending the code leads to possible future approvals to cover an exterior wall entirely or even all four sides of the business."That starts to get very customized, very detailed, and the key factor is that it has to be applicable across the board," Schrage said.The code currently cannot bend to specific businesses, but an amendment could allow for consistent flexibility for downtown buildings' advertisements.Schrage reminded commissioners that this type of exception could set a precedent for future, possibly less artistic signs. While The Cozy Inn's case is unique, amending the code for the mural would take time."That's pretty significant policy decision. It's going to take some work,” Schrage said.Schrage said city staff is prepared for code drafting and running the code amendment through the necessary committees for recommendations."The artist indicated this morning [Monday] they washed the building in preparation for painting and don’t necessarily want to leave it half finished," Schrage said. "If it's going to take into the spring before they [the muralist] have an answer, their preference is to paint it white and start over again."Repainting the exterior wall white is likely the cleanest way from a code standpoint but is not required to continue the process.Lauren Driscoll, director of community and development services for the city of Salina, provided commissioners with criteria that categorize something as a sign. The definition of a sign includes anything with writing, including letters, numbers, words and a pictorial representation.“This includes illustrations or decorations,” Driscoll said.Driscoll further defined a sign as a message or image meant to attract the public's attention, including a painting on a wall located on the exterior of a building."From that pure definition, this starts to tick all the boxes that make it a sign before we even get into a discussion of commercial speech versus non-commercial speech," Driscoll said.The Office of Community Development received numerous calls asking about other signs in the community and whether or not they comply, Driscoll said.&nbsp;Driscoll explained that in downtown, a business has three square feet of signage for every foot of frontage it has.The formula utilizes the "frontage" length of a building, meaning the horizontal distance the building's foot takes up on a given street. The Cozy Inn’s frontage area is only 20.8 feet, which amounts to a total sign area allowed of about 63 square feet."The Cozy building is a very little building," Driscoll said. "[Cozy Inn has used] 52.88 square feet, leaving just over 10 square feet of remaining surface area of signage allowed for the building."In the Cozy's situation, when applying the square footage analysis to the new sign, it's approximately 528 square feet which is significantly greater than the allotted amount in the C-4 district.Driscoll said downtown has a unique challenge, its various-sized and shaped buildings and can begin a domino effect from decisions made by Zoning and Planning.Driscoll continued, "How the buildings work together, the scale of messaging of signage really does matter in that environment plus the C-4 district is also very pedestrian focused. For example, Ninth Street is not a pedestrian environment, but everything in the C-4 district is scaled for both cars and people. So that also has to do with some of our sign regulations."During her remarks, Driscoll gave the example of a coffee house with a dove and peace sign to illustrate the point further."For example, if the coffee house has a dove with an olive branch and it says the word peace on the side of it, that's not a sign because even though the word peace is there, you're not selling peace inside, and coffee may do that for some people, but in general, the dog, the olive branch, the peace is not part of a commercial transaction."Driscoll contrasted her example by saying if the coffee house had a steaming cup of coffee, those images would draw you into the use of the building.A different case focused on a mural depicting peaceful and calm scenes but still advertised the business it was painted on."There's actually a case law example of a mural, which is actually a sign of a bunch of puppies playing in a field, and it's across from a dog park,” Driscoll said. “The mural happens to be on a building that is a doggy daycare. That was deemed commercial signage.”The case law involved a business named Wag More Dogs located next to a dog park in Arlington County, VA, where federal courts deemed the mural as an advertisement.Salina Vice-Mayor Bill Longbine commented that The Cozy Inn is an essential staple in Salina’s food industry and that Howard’s intentions for the artwork were not an advertisement."I think if this had been anything other than a 101-year-old, historic institution, it wouldn't be an issue," Vice-Mayor Bill Longbine said. "I really believe he intended to get in on the whole mural trend."Salina City Commissioner Trent Davis said even with Cozy Inn’s history in the community, allowing the mural to go up outside of city regulations would create a precedent for other businesses to use benevolently or maliciously.Davis brought up an example of an adult store using sexually explicit imagery of their products on a building.“Or if we had same-sex couples over the rainbow bridge on the side of the building, saying, ‘Salina Friends of the LGBTQ Community, we'd have folks coming up on the other side saying, Well, how can you allow that?’” Davis said. “I mean, that's clearly a sign. So whatever we do, it's got to be something that stands the test, no matter who's coming up to the podium."City Commissioner Greg Lenkiewicz stressed the importance of consistency for Planning and Zoning regulations but understands the artistic value and weight that Cozy Inn wants to add to the community."Unfortunately, we find ourselves in a situation where I think we all appreciate the art, but we are bound by laws [codes] of our governing body," Lenkiewicz said. “We can't just arbitrarily decide, yes, this rule we're not going to enforce, and this rule, we're going to apply. There's a sense of fairness and uniformity to how we do things."Salina City Attorney Greg A. Bengtson said most of what a city regulates is subject to a relatively simple test of whether there is a nexus between the regulation and a legitimate public purpose.&nbsp;“The Supreme Court has told us now when you are evaluating anything in the commercial speech category, it undergoes what is called an intermediate scrutiny level,” Bengston said. “It’s higher than that just rational Nexus.”Bengston provided counsel to city commissioners explaining what could be done in order to address the issue in a legal and timely manner.“We are in an area where we as your local general counsel recognize…. I think there are efficiencies even in terms of the cost of having the specialized expert handling those sorts of questions, rather than you all having to wonder if we've figured that out or not,” Bengston said.Commissioner Karl Ryan voiced his support for hiring an outside consultant, citing the need for wisdom and experience surrounding codes for signage.&nbsp;“There are people that have been following this law for periods of time and it's important that we have their wisdom and experience and I'm sure it'll be much cheaper than us plowing a new road in,” Ryan said. “I have a lot of confidence in our staff and figuring any kind of problem out and providing remedies but it looks like we'll get much quicker answers if we buy some expertise.”Driscoll explained that changing code takes time including public input.&nbsp;“One of the things that takes a little time versus me sitting in my office just going in one line at a time, is there needs to be public process,” Driscoll said.Driscoll said the issue regarding signs and commercial speech is not confined to downtown.&nbsp;“I mean, this is something that we're seeing, not just downtown but in the other areas. And I think to have time to have conversations with those folks and ask, how are these rules feeling and fitting as we've changed as a community over the last few years is an important part of that process.”According to Driscoll, Howard submitted the sign permit application Monday evening. A decision was not made by the commission on Monday regarding hiring an outside expert to answer questions commissioners may have.Salina Post will update this story as more information becomes available.

Cozy Inn Hamburgers 'sign' put on hold pending city approval

Dazzling lights spread across the glowing faces of Salina residents and visitors as the downtown Christmas tree shimmered, welcoming the holiday season to the community.

"It's just an exciting time of year — it allows all of us to kind of be a child again," said Salina City Mayor Mike Hoppock. "Downtown is already beautiful with the lights, and this just adds to it."

At 7 p.m. on Friday, community members and visitors gathered to celebrate the Mayor's Christmas Tree Lighting. The City of Salina, Salina Downtown, Inc. and the First Bank Kansas City of Salina sponsored the event.

The towering Christmas tree stands in Campbell Plaza, spreading holiday cheer to visitors of Santa Fe Avenue.

Last year, they began the tradition after the Parade of Lights. According to Salina Downtown Executive Director Leslie Bishop, they decided to move it to the evening before to create its own celebration.

"I just hope that it's a tradition that continues to happen and gets bigger each year," Bishop said.

Dozens of guests and families attended the Christmas Tree Lighting, and after a countdown from five, the tree illuminated Campbell Plaza.

Salina resident Serena Hernandez brought her family to the Christmas Tree Lighting.

"We just enjoy doing all the downtown stuff as much as possible," Hernandez said. "We knew all the parade was going on tomorrow, so we wanted to see this for the first time."

<div><div style="position:relative;overflow:hidden;padding-bottom:56.25%"><iframe src="https://cdn.jwplayer.com/players/AnKTanuo-oVs1oZUT.html" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="auto" title="Mayorschristmastreelighting" style="position:absolute;" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
</div>By OLIVIA BERGMEIER Salina PostDazzling lights spread across the glowing faces of Salina residents and visitors as the downtown Christmas tree shimmered, welcoming the holiday season to the community."It's just an exciting time of year — it allows all of us to kind of be a child again," said Salina City Mayor Mike Hoppock. "Downtown is already beautiful with the lights, and this just adds to it."<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1700348556570.jpeg" alt="The Salina Downtown Christmas Tree glimmers after the annual Mayor's Christmas Tree Lighting celebration on Friday, Nov. 17, in Campbell Plaza. Photo by Olivia Bergmeier" />
 <figcaption>The Salina Downtown Christmas Tree glimmers after the annual Mayor's Christmas Tree Lighting celebration on Friday, Nov. 17, in Campbell Plaza. Photo by Olivia Bergmeier</figcaption>
 </figure>At 7 p.m. on Friday, community members and visitors gathered to celebrate the Mayor's Christmas Tree Lighting. The City of Salina, Salina Downtown, Inc. and the First Bank Kansas City of Salina sponsored the event.The towering Christmas tree stands in Campbell Plaza, spreading holiday cheer to visitors of Santa Fe Avenue.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1700348624624.jpeg" alt="Salina City Mayor Mike Hoppock watches as the downtown Christmas Tree glimmers for the first time of the season on Friday, Nov. 17, in Campbell Plaza. Photo by Olivia Bergmeier" />
 <figcaption>Salina City Mayor Mike Hoppock watches as the downtown Christmas Tree glimmers for the first time of the season on Friday, Nov. 17, in Campbell Plaza. Photo by Olivia Bergmeier</figcaption>
 </figure>Last year, they began the tradition after the Parade of Lights. According to Salina Downtown Executive Director Leslie Bishop, they decided to move it to the evening before to create its own celebration."I just hope that it's a tradition that continues to happen and gets bigger each year," Bishop said.Dozens of guests and families attended the Christmas Tree Lighting, and after a countdown from five, the tree illuminated Campbell Plaza.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1700348722203.jpeg" alt="Christine Chavez holds her son, Logan Chavez, 1, as he plays with Christmas ornaments on Friday, Nov. 17, in Campbell Plaza. Photo by Olivia Bergmeier " />
 <figcaption>Christine Chavez holds her son, Logan Chavez, 1, as he plays with Christmas ornaments on Friday, Nov. 17, in Campbell Plaza. Photo by Olivia Bergmeier </figcaption>
 </figure>Salina resident Serena Hernandez brought her family to the Christmas Tree Lighting."We just enjoy doing all the downtown stuff as much as possible," Hernandez said. "We knew all the parade was going on tomorrow, so we wanted to see this for the first time."<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1700348807371.jpeg" alt="Salina resident Andy Roemer holds his son, Lincoln Roemer, 3, on his shoulders as they watch the downtown Christmas tree illuminate the plaza on Friday, Nov. 17, in Campbell Plaza. Photo by Olivia Bergmeier" />
 <figcaption>Salina resident Andy Roemer holds his son, Lincoln Roemer, 3, on his shoulders as they watch the downtown Christmas tree illuminate the plaza on Friday, Nov. 17, in Campbell Plaza. Photo by Olivia Bergmeier</figcaption>
 </figure>

🎥 Mayor's Christmas Tree Lighting kicks off Salina's holiday season

On Thursday, Nov. 16, at 10:13 p.m., a Salina resident around the 200 block of South 11th reported that someone attempted to break into their vehicle.

According to SPD Sergeant Kyle Tonniges, the victim reported that they heard a car door open while they were outside their home.

"[The victim] looked over at the van parked in the alley and saw the light in the van turning on," Tonniges said. "Then saw someone standing in the open driver's side, rear door — the victim yelled at them, and the person ran off."

Tonniges said they could not locate the suspect, but at 10:21 p.m., the department received another report of an attempted vehicle burglary.

At the 200 block of South Clark Street, a victim reported a vehicle burglary in progress while outside their home.

"The victim witnessed a white male wearing a black hoodie and black shorts carrying a backpack," Tonniges said. "The victim witnessed this suspect outside near the vehicles, and they were making motions like they were trying to break into the car and looking through the windows of the vehicles."

Tonniges said SPD could not locate the suspect, but neither incident reported any stolen items.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2019/11/1574355645622.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By OLIVIA BERGMEIER Salina PostOn Thursday, Nov. 16, at 10:13 p.m., a Salina resident around the 200 block of South 11th reported that someone attempted to break into their vehicle.According to SPD Sergeant Kyle Tonniges, the victim reported that they heard a car door open while they were outside their home.<div><iframe src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed?pb=!1m18!1m12!1m3!1d3107.7598551590168!2d-97.61761632359014!3d38.837960271736826!2m3!1f0!2f0!3f0!3m2!1i1024!2i768!4f13.1!3m3!1m2!1s0x87bccf59060eb2d7%3A0x6ade49c5ac8bc65d!2s200%20S%20Eleventh%20St%2C%20Salina%2C%20KS%2067401!5e0!3m2!1sen!2sus!4v1700330898819!5m2!1sen!2sus" width="600" height="450" style="border:0;" allowfullscreen="" loading="lazy" referrerpolicy="no-referrer-when-downgrade"></iframe></div>"[The victim] looked over at the van parked in the alley and saw the light in the van turning on," Tonniges said. "Then saw someone standing in the open driver's side, rear door — the victim yelled at them, and the person ran off."Tonniges said they could not locate the suspect, but at 10:21 p.m., the department received another report of an attempted vehicle burglary.At the 200 block of South Clark Street, a victim reported a vehicle burglary in progress while outside their home."The victim witnessed a white male wearing a black hoodie and black shorts carrying a backpack," Tonniges said. "The victim witnessed this suspect outside near the vehicles, and they were making motions like they were trying to break into the car and looking through the windows of the vehicles."Tonniges said SPD could not locate the suspect, but neither incident reported any stolen items.

Multiple attempted vehicle burglaries Thursday evening, no suspect found

The Salina Police Department arrested 19-year-old Salina resident Michael Dyson, a suspect with multiple warrants after he fled from officers Thursday evening.

At around 11:39 p.m., an SPD officer recognized Dyson walking at the 1200 block of North Seventh Street. SPD Sergeant Kyle Tonniges said the officer pursued Dyson in his vehicle before chasing him on foot.

"Officers were able to catch up to him and get him arrested," Tonniges said. "After he was arrested, he was uncooperative and resisting officers, so we had to place him in a body wrap."

Tonniges said Dyson had a felony warrant through the Saline County District Court and several misdemeanor warrants through the Salina Municipal Count.

Dyson has the following warrants and requested charges — ● Failure to Appear ●&nbsp;Failure to Appear ● Failure to Appear ● Failure to Appear ● Failure to Appear ● Probation Violation ● Interference with a Law Enforcement Officer ● Felony Warrant

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/6/1593100812148.jpeg" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>By OLIVIA BERGMEIER Salina PostThe Salina Police Department arrested 19-year-old Salina resident Michael Dyson, a suspect with multiple warrants after he fled from officers Thursday evening.At around 11:39 p.m., an SPD officer recognized Dyson walking at the 1200 block of North Seventh Street. SPD Sergeant Kyle Tonniges said the officer pursued Dyson in his vehicle before chasing him on foot."Officers were able to catch up to him and get him arrested," Tonniges said. "After he was arrested, he was uncooperative and resisting officers, so we had to place him in a body wrap."Tonniges said Dyson had a felony warrant through the Saline County District Court and several misdemeanor warrants through the Salina Municipal Count.Dyson has the following warrants and requested charges — ● Failure to Appear ●&nbsp;Failure to Appear ● Failure to Appear ● Failure to Appear ● Failure to Appear ● Probation Violation ● Interference with a Law Enforcement Officer ● Felony Warrant

SPD arrest Salina resident with felony warrant and multiple misdemeanors

At around 5 p.m., Friday, Nov. 17, the Saline County Sheriff's Office reported to the intersection of K-4 Highway and Interstate 135 near Assaria for a two-vehicle accident.

According to Sheriff's Office Deputy Rick Heinrich, a black Buick car driving east on K-4 struck a silver Dodge pickup truck while attempting to turn northbound on I-135.

"I'm not sure if there are any injuries, but nothing looks life-threatening," Heinrich said. "Nothing looks serious."

Saline County Rural Fire District No. 2 responded, aiding any vehicle passengers.

Heinrich said the Kansas Highway Patrol is investigating the incident.

Salina Post will update this story as more information becomes available.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1700267423380.jpeg" alt="Kansas Highway Patrol, Saline County Sheriff's Office and Rural Fire District No. 2, respond to a two-vehicle accident at the intersection of K-4 and Interstate 135 on Friday, Nov. 17, near Assaria. Photo by Olivia Bergmeier" />
 <figcaption>Kansas Highway Patrol, Saline County Sheriff's Office and Rural Fire District No. 2, respond to a two-vehicle accident at the intersection of K-4 and Interstate 135 on Friday, Nov. 17, near Assaria. Photo by Olivia Bergmeier</figcaption>
 </figure>By OLIVIA BERGMEIER Salina PostAt around 5 p.m., Friday, Nov. 17, the Saline County Sheriff's Office reported to the intersection of K-4 Highway and Interstate 135 near Assaria for a two-vehicle accident.According to Sheriff's Office Deputy Rick Heinrich, a black Buick car driving east on K-4 struck a silver Dodge pickup truck while attempting to turn northbound on I-135."I'm not sure if there are any injuries, but nothing looks life-threatening," Heinrich said. "Nothing looks serious."Saline County Rural Fire District No. 2 responded, aiding any vehicle passengers.Heinrich said the Kansas Highway Patrol is investigating the incident.Salina Post will update this story as more information becomes available.&nbsp;<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1700267488629.jpeg" alt="Kansas Highway Patrol, Saline County Sheriff's Office and Rural Fire District No. 2, respond to a two-vehicle accident at the intersection of K-4 Highway and Interstate 135 on Friday, Nov. 17, near Assaria. Photo by Olivia Bergmeier" />
 <figcaption>Kansas Highway Patrol, Saline County Sheriff's Office and Rural Fire District No. 2, respond to a two-vehicle accident at the intersection of K-4 Highway and Interstate 135 on Friday, Nov. 17, near Assaria. Photo by Olivia Bergmeier</figcaption>
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KHP investigating two-vehicle accident at K-4 Highway and I-135 Friday evening

Salina Post proudly presents Flashback Friday in partnership with the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.smokyhillmuseum.org/">Smoky Hill Museum</a>. Enjoy a weekly tidbit of local history from the staff at Salina Post and the Smoky Hill Museum as we present "Salina-Flashback Fridays."

The smell of the Cozy Inn Hamburger's greasy grill permeates North Seventh Street in downtown Salina and has since 1922.

Bob Kinkel first began frying onion-laden, coin-sized burgers in a tiny shop at 108 N. 7th St., where six metal stools still seat customers nationwide and occasionally worldwide.

According to the Smoky Hill Museum and the Cozy Inn Hamburgers website, White Castle, which recently opened in Wichita, inspired Kinkel to begin his own burger shop in Salina.

The hamburgers flew off the grill for five cents. Often, servers would slide the steaming burgers to customers at the end of the table, so many patrons began calling them "sliders."

The burger stand stayed open late for Salina's nightlife early in the 20th century — patrons could visit the restaurant after late-night movies and ballroom events.

The 1930s remained strong for the new business. When most restaurants closed during the Great Depression, The Cozy Inn provided struggling Kansans with a hot, inexpensive meal.

Once the decade switched to the 1940s, Smoky Hill Air Force Base and nearby Camp Phillips provided innumerable customers for the burger joint.

The Cozy Inn thrived throughout the 40s and 50s, offering a quick meal for the thousands of young soldiers.

In 1960, Kinkel passed away and transferred ownership and legacy to his wife, Katherine Pickering. She and her second husband, Richard Pickering,  took ownership of the tiny burger joint.

According to the Cozy Inn Hamburger's website, Katherine Pickering began the anniversary celebration "offering Cozy's at yesteryear prices and drawing long lines of customers."

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/8/1691164615840.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Salina Post proudly presents Flashback Friday in partnership with the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.smokyhillmuseum.org/">Smoky Hill Museum</a>. Enjoy a weekly tidbit of local history from the staff at Salina Post and the Smoky Hill Museum as we present "Salina-Flashback Fridays."By SALINA POST<div><div class="flourish-embed flourish-photo-slider" data-src="visualisation/15793727"><script src="https://public.flourish.studio/resources/embed.js"></script></div></div>The smell of the Cozy Inn Hamburger's greasy grill permeates North Seventh Street in downtown Salina and has since 1922.Bob Kinkel first began frying onion-laden, coin-sized burgers in a tiny shop at 108 N. 7th St., where six metal stools still seat customers nationwide and occasionally worldwide.According to the Smoky Hill Museum and the Cozy Inn Hamburgers website, White Castle, which recently opened in Wichita, inspired Kinkel to begin his own burger shop in Salina.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1700243760353.jpeg" alt="The Cozy Inn's fry cooks in 1940, left to right — Shorty Kellums, founder and owner Bob Kinkel, John Schwerman and Chet Biechley. Photo courtesy Smoky Hill Museum" />
 <figcaption>The Cozy Inn's fry cooks in 1940, left to right — Shorty Kellums, founder and owner Bob Kinkel, John Schwerman and Chet Biechley. Photo courtesy Smoky Hill Museum</figcaption>
 </figure>The hamburgers flew off the grill for five cents. Often, servers would slide the steaming burgers to customers at the end of the table, so many patrons began calling them "sliders."The burger stand stayed open late for Salina's nightlife early in the 20th century — patrons could visit the restaurant after late-night movies and ballroom events.The 1930s remained strong for the new business. When most restaurants closed during the Great Depression, The Cozy Inn provided struggling Kansans with a hot, inexpensive meal.Once the decade switched to the 1940s, Smoky Hill Air Force Base and nearby Camp Phillips provided innumerable customers for the burger joint.READ MORE: <a href="https://salinapost.com/posts/f9bb28db-e546-4fc5-b562-5ea997342379">📸 Flashback Friday: Salina Post - Smoky Hill Museum - Vol. 15</a>The Cozy Inn thrived throughout the 40s and 50s, offering a quick meal for the thousands of young soldiers.<h2>A new generation for The Cozy Inn</h2>In 1960, Kinkel passed away and transferred ownership and legacy to his wife, Katherine Pickering. She and her second husband, Richard Pickering, took ownership of the tiny burger joint.According to the Cozy Inn Hamburger's website, Katherine Pickering began the anniversary celebration "offering Cozy's at yesteryear prices and drawing long lines of customers."<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1700243602988.jpeg" alt="1972 Anniversary Celebration at The Cozy Inn. Photo courtesy Smoky Hill Museum" />
 <figcaption>1972 Anniversary Celebration at The Cozy Inn. Photo courtesy Smoky Hill Museum</figcaption>
 </figure>The Pickerings also began revolutionizing business for The Cozy Inn, with customers forming across the nation and worldwide,&nbsp;910KINA Radio Host Randy Picking told Salina Post he remembers when Cozy Inn hustled to get its famous burgers into customers' hands."Back when I was younger, people used to get them ordered and put on dry ice to be shipped all over the world," Picking said.Salina downtown started renovations during the 1980s, threatening to turn The Cozy Inn into a parking lot. After public outcry, city planners listened to the community and spared the historic burger joint.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1700243844685.jpeg" alt="Customers line up outside of The Cozy Inn Hamburgers during its 57th Anniversary in 1979. Photo courtesy Smoky Hill Museum" />
 <figcaption>Customers line up outside of The Cozy Inn Hamburgers during its 57th Anniversary in 1979. Photo courtesy Smoky Hill Museum</figcaption>
 </figure>After 37 years of managing Cozy Inn, the Pickerings passed in 1997, and three Salina business people purchased the diner.After purchasing the business, Max Holthaus, Gregg Boyle and current Saline County Commissioner Monte Shadwick committed to The Cozy Inn tradition. They reopened the walk-up window and added new souvenir items for customers.According to The Cozy Inn's website, Shadwick left the business in 2001<h2>A modern Cozy Inn</h2>Once the 21st century rolled around, Holthaus and Boyle looked for new ways to add to Cozy Inn's tradition.&nbsp;The pair added vintage outdoor seating with music to accommodate its steady stream of customers in 2005, increasing its seating space.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1700244594365.jpeg" alt="The small interior of The Cozy Inn Hamburgers restaurant in the 2000s. Photo courtesy Smoky Hill Museum" />
 <figcaption>The small interior of The Cozy Inn Hamburgers restaurant in the 2000s. Photo courtesy Smoky Hill Museum</figcaption>
 </figure>The website states, "The Cozy Inn is known nationally as one of the last remaining six-stool diners in America," which the owners leaned into its historic significance.By the mid-2000s, The Cozy Inn found itself featured in travel books, newspapers and national food magazines, including Martha Stewart's "Living and Midwest Living."The restaurant's current owner, Steve Howard, joined Holthaus and Boyle in 2007 as manager and co-owner. By April 2007, Howard purchased the business from Boyle and Holthaus, becoming the owner of the historic burger joint.In 2009, Travel Channel's "101 Tastiest Places to Chow Down," featured Cozy Inn at number 69. The Travel Channel featured the burger joint on "America's Top Ten Hamburgers" as number six shortly after.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/11/1700248727064.jpeg" alt="The Cozy Inn Hamburgers owner Steve Howard, left, works at the grill frying burger patties while employee Scott Robson, right, assembles the beloved burgers on Friday, Nov. 17, in Salina. Photo by Olivia Bergmeier" />
 <figcaption>The Cozy Inn Hamburgers owner Steve Howard, left, works at the grill frying burger patties while employee Scott Robson, right, assembles the beloved burgers on Friday, Nov. 17, in Salina. Photo by Olivia Bergmeier</figcaption>
 </figure>The following year garnered more accolades for the business, with USA Today picking The Cozy Inn as the "Best Burger Joint in Kansas" in October 2010. The tiny burger joint achieved a Diamond Award from AAA two years later.Jess Blaze, an employee who began working at the Cozy Inn six months ago, said she enjoys meeting customers from around the globe. In the time she's worked there, she has already met a customer from Egypt."I really enjoy getting to meet all the different people who walk in," Blaze said.&nbsp;In 2022, The Cozy Inn Hamburgers celebrated its 100th birthday, continuing the six-stool diner tradition for burger lovers nationwide and worldwide.