Dodge City Police Docket book: Coverage grows except in Dodge City

Thanks again to the Hutchinson (KS) News for their coverage of the missing Dodge City Police Docket. Due to that article and an editorial, coverage around the country has grown -- from Kansas City, Hays and Lawrence to Phoenix and Topeka, in many other Kansas papers, and the High Plains Journal -- and on many blogs, including Tom Goodrich's Wild West Magazine blog.

Guess that proves, at least to me, that the Dodge City brand name is still of value -- these papers normally can't get Dodge City and Wyatt Earp and Bat Masterson all in the same AP article.

Oddly, still no local paper coverage -- yet.

Original article by Jon Ruhlen:
Dodge City aims to regain artifact: Historic docket book turns up in Arizona , Hutchinson News

Some of the Associated Press Coverage:

Dodge City seeks to regain artifact
-- Lawrence Journal World
Dodge City seeks to regain old police docket
-- Topeka Capital-Journal
A piece of Dodge City’s storied past has gotten away -- Kansas City Star
Old West ledger turns up at auction -- Arizona Daily Star

Stolen history and help from Hutchinson News

Thanks to the Hutchison News for coverage of the missing City of Dodge City Police Docket book, found ready to be auctioned in Arizona. The Hutch News article and editorial [Property of Dodge: Historic logbook belongs to the people] have helped move legal action to get back our historical 'gold' and protect it.

Western Tourism is based on having real artifacts and objects. Protecting those items for the future is a responsibility for all of us involved in the history of our unique region.

Sadly, local coverage of our attempt to get back Dodge City's historical document has been missing.

Again, thanks goes to Jon Ruhlen for his professional work . Dodge City aims to regain artifact: Historic docket book turns up in Arizona

Signed, Uncle George

PS: note that many emails were sent over weeks in an attempt to get full cooperation from Mr. Brian Lebel and his auction house to get back the Docket. The private attempts failed prior to the news article and a full press attack. The City Manager was copied on all of these. Some worry that the docket 'went away' due to the news article, but that article was done after all other attempts had failed.

Of interest: Butler folds on Edwardsville casino application

Thursday, November 1, 2007

"Butler folds on Edwardsville casino application


On Thursday, the Olathe-based company (Bulletin Board: BUKS) asked the city's planning commission to pull its zoning application for a development that could include a casino, according to a city release.

"The request related to a 140-acre site on Riverview Avenue, southwest of Interstates 70 and 435. Butler said Oct. 10 that its proposal for the site could include a casino, hotel, indoor ski slope and other amenities, but that the indoor ski slope was its only interest at that time. ..."

Kansas City Business Journal

CFAB, Thursday, Nov. 1 meeting -- Race Track, 2nd Events Center, Budgets for Tourism Venues

Community Facilities Advisory Board Agenda
November 1, 2007
5:30 p.m.
City Hall Commission Chambers


ROLL CALL

CONSENT CALENDAR

1. Approval of minutes of September 20, 2007 meeting

NEW BUSINESS

1. Race Track Subcommittee - Proposed Promoter Agreement, report by Ken Strobel, City Manager
2. Race Track Subcommittee - Proposed Capital Improvements for Race Track, report by Ken Strobel, City Manager
3. Southwest Sports Agreement Amendment, report by Ken Strobel, City Manager
4. Capital Improvements for Athletic Fields, report by Paul Lewis, Park & Recreation Director
5. Organizational Funding, report by Nannette Pogue, Director of Finance
6. 2008 Budget Approval, report by Ken Strobel, City Manager and Nannette Pogue, Director of Finance
UNFINISHED BUSINESS
1. Expo Center Sub Committee Update, Ed Elam, Chair
2. Tourism Master Plan Update, Ken Strobel, City Manager
3. Casino Development Update, Ken Strobel, City Manager
4. Dodge Theater Option Update, Ken Strobel, City Manager
ADJOURNMENT

Future use of public tax funds; Why Not Museum!

Next steps being discussed for sales tax money through CFAB committee, et al., include having a second event center to replace and expand the 4-H type facility as we currently have next to Wright Park, Dodge City, KS -- to be built east of the race track (with Great Western Trail, Rath Trail and Custer Trail head end area protected; other projects no doubt are being thought about by all involved.

Also on the table, supported by a group of good people and groups, is building a world-class small archive and museum exhibit building -- an actual county museum. An archive, of course, that has a very protected, secured and controlled environment. It has to be different than just a display area. It has to be new. The city-owned corner that T.M. Deal Lumber was on -- from Spruce to Vine along 3rd Street, a half block from Boot Hill Museum -- would be one great location.

The exhibit area, by being a controlled and planned area, could benefit from national and state traveling exhibits, keeping costs lower. It would not compete with the very defined area of coverage at Boot Hill Museum. It would allow some of the costs and museum professional burdens of protecting the large collection at Boot Hill that is not on exhibit to be shared -- and their archive to be protected in a current best practice.

It would add coverage with selected areas -- Santa Fe Depot, Fred Harvey, the Mexican Village, Racing, WWI troop movements, Dust Bowl, WWII Army Air Base, Great Arkansas Flood, the beef industry -- perhaps 5 - 6 nice exhibit areas that could add and rotate in these and related very popular history subject areas.

It would benefit from the possible and discussed combination with the wonderful archive and library at the Kansas Heritage Center. The space there limits additional collections. Staff combination would lower the cost to already existing staff position in both Boot Hill Museum and the Kansas Heritage Center. The massive volunteer time of groups and persons already being invested could more easy continue and expand, with professionals at hand.

It would allow the proper storage and protection of boxes of documents now stored, with some in banks. Some of these are among the most unique Old West original documents and research that exist. More outstanding items would more easily be donated to a facility with this level of care being guaranteed to the donors.

Without taking more space, those of us involved in this discussion can assure you that this combination of these archives -- without changes of ownership for the non-profit groups -- into one proper space, along with a few very well done exhibits and national level traveling exhibits -- would become and remain a necessary visit from any serious student or tourist of the American West.

Signed: Uncle George

Dodge City Casino: (Sic et non; Yes and No)

1) Boot Hill Gaming Inc. is the applicant. (Sic et non; Yes and No)

They seemed to be the applicant until the applicant, Butler National Services Gaming Inc. applied. Now, they aren't in the application at all.


2) Jeff Thorpe speaks for Boot Hill Gaming Inc. (Sic et non; Yes and No)

Mr. Thorpe seemed to speak for Boot Hill Gaming Inc. when he spoke to the Kansas Legislative committee on the casino bill, but now seems to be speaking for Butler National Services Gaming Inc., although never stated in what financial relationship.

3) Boot Hill Museum Inc. will benefit directly from casino. (Sic et non; Yes and No)

Boot Hill Museum Inc., which at the time owned Boot Hill Gaming Inc. which at the time had the Ford Commission Chair and the Dodge City Mayor and the Chair of the CFAB Committee on its board -- a major point in getting the casino bill to re-include Ford County, all the community involved and money to Boot Hill Museum -- but now with a whole different applicant, many board members leaving Boot Hill Gaming Inc. and Boot Hill Museum now just in one of the 22-counties that is to received money from an unnamed to-be-Incorporated non-profit, hard to say.

4) Greg Starks not on CFAB due to conflicts of interest. (Sic et non; Yes and No)

Mr. Starks seems to be both on and off of the committee. Again, what it means and is it legal has not been questioned by any of the City Commission, etc.

---

Confused ? We know we are. If it didn't deal with $30 million in tax money (that's public money, folks), it would just be amusing. Since it does directly affect your Events Center (ie., Butler didn't want horses near their casino, so no horses ... duh, is this the Old West or what ?)

Stay tuned. [Sic et Non, an early scholastic text whose title translates from Latin as "Yes and No," was written by Peter Abelard. It juxtaposes apparently contradictory quotations from the Church Fathers on many of the traditional topics of Christian theology, circa 1200.]

Question: Was Dodge City Commission vote on Friday legal ?

Questions have been forwarded about the sudden meeting and vote of support for the Butler National Services Gaming casino proposal by the Dodge City Commission -- we don't know if it was legal -- guess the City Manager/City Attorney thought so -- but....

1) The meeting wasn't announced but a few days ahead of time;

2) The vote was made on an unfinished and unread (Sowers: "I haven't read it") 4-page motion without a number;

3) The annexation of the land involved wasn't yet legal due to the fact that it had not been published, a requirement of Kansas law, so the land wasn't in Dodge City yet, but was still in Ford County.

We don't know. Seems odd, for sure. Leave it up to lawyers later, I guess.

But 1, 2, and 3, are facts. As long as the City of Dodge City is fair to all (or any) other applicants, it shouldn't be an issue -- if Dodge City Commission is unfair -- lawyers will love it.