Shawnee Dispatch (Newspaper) - November 20, 2007, Shawnee, Kansas TRAIL PROJECT UP FOR The Shawnee 1 f LJf IVI DISPATCH NOVEMBER 2007 ONLINE 42 75 cents A helping of charity Mize students raise money with feast 7A INSIDE A Puzzles 8thgrade girl dreams of state OUT OF NOT OF Deffenbaugh to be sold to merchant banking firm CAROLINE BOYER announced Monday that it signed a iate of Credit did not disclose the ed transactions across a broad range of with DLJ began about a year definitive agreement to acquire the purchase but said the transaction Deffenbaugh Industries will be pur which owns is expected to close by the end of the Tom spokesman for Def Not much will change with the pur chased by a major international compa and operates the more than 800acre According to the companys news said the announcement was Coffman Johnson County DLJ has a 22year record Of made to the companys employ senior management team will continue DLJ Merchant Banking Partners a private equity investment affil investing in leveraged buyouts and relat ees Monday at He said initial con Pipeline prompts concerns Concern over gas line may force more delays in Monticello project CAROLINE BOYER Residents who live near Shawnees Monticello Road project say relocation of a major gas pipeline could affect their homes or drive up Residents brought their concerns to the Shawnee City Council last when the Council was to consider a contract with an appraisal firm to begin the process of purchasing right of way for the While city did not expect problems with the gas lines residents said what gas officials and city officials have told them doesnt The estimated million project will widen Mon Road to four lanes with a recreational trail from Midland Drive south to 71st which will be improved to Chouteau and realign Monticello south of Karen who lives on asked where the Southern Star Central Gas Pipeline would put the pipeline that currently runs along the east side of the She said according to her homeown ers cant begin negotiating with the city for right of way purchases until the pipeline situation is We dont really have a lot to talk about until you know exactly whats going on with our she Theres things that arent resolved with this and I dont know why youre asking us to move McQuiston said the pipeline couldnt be moved any closer to because it was already too close to some She also was concerned that if the pipeline was forced to relocate the city would have to pay for easements for the pipeline because of federal require See Page 3A See THE BEST KEVIN AFTER BEING named 2007 Kansas Teacher of the Year over the Jeri Powers center is back at work Monday at Riverview Elementary Doing what she does Powers was working close instructing two of her supplemental reading Audrey Meachum left and Brianna Reading specialist Kansas Teacher of the Year Just three years after she started Jeri Powers decided to leave What frustrated me is that I felt like I was not really good at I saw these students struggling with reading in the beginning of the year and they were still struggling at the end of the I just felt so defeated It seems now she has come full now a reading specialist at Riverview Elementary was named Kansas Teacher of the Year Saturday at a banquet in Wichita As a mom for about 12 Powers credits her sons for getting her interested in teaching specifically I noticed how my boys developed as and they all developed she They got me interested in reading See Page 3A Event rings in Christmas season DISPATCH STAFF In its fourth the Shawnee Christ mas Around Town event continues to The event begins at 4 and the fun lasts until at Shawnee Town and 7 in the downtown where Johnson Drive and Nieman Road will be Trolleys again will trans port holiday revelers through down stopping regularly at both the north and south entrances of Shawnee Town as wellas on Johnson Drive at the intersections of Bluejacket Street and King At Shawnee visitors will be able to see Santa Glaus and his reindeer in Town with activities for children who are waiting in Visitors also can listen to Dickens carolers and story take a sleigh or carriage ride and watch juggling and magic tricks of Laughing a group that locals will remember from their performance FILE PHOTO See DAYTON of came to Christmas Around Town last but he wasnt so sure the Santa business was such a great with Moms he stuck with it and it all turned put OK in the De Soto School District weighs plans De Soto School Districts zero toler ance policy isnt De Soto High School principal Dave Morford Students need another reason to say no to drugs and We feel that the policy alone has not given the students enough reason to say he In other we feel that even though we have a policy in place its not being Thats why Morford is part of a com appointed by the De Soto School Board that is looking into a possible ran dom drug testing policy for high school In the school board assigned the committee of students and others to do research into what other districts with such policies were doing and to get feedback from the said the group has done a lot of research and will seek input from the community next week at two The discussions will be guided by specific talking points including the pur pose of the the districts current cost and imple The districts current zero tolerance policy that is about 12 years old outlines the consequences of what would happen to a student involved in an activity who was caught using drugs or Under the current students have the option to do a onetime self which would result in a one week suspension from Students who are referred by teachers or commu members face a sion from activities and no less than two days of A second referral results in four weeks suspension See Page 3A Callus Online