Nemaha County Temple of Honor
Working as a team with faculty advisors, members of the Nemaha County Historical Society, and a representative from the Kansas Preservation Alliance, an interdisciplinary group of eleven Kansas State University students have recently completed a unique undergraduate research project. The students investigated the Nemaha County Temple of Honor in Seneca, Kansas and produced preliminary drawings and narratives of proposed preservation improvements, along with some recommended priorities and cost information. The information was developed by the team to provide technical background for current and future grant requests by the Nemaha County Historical Society and for future design and construction efforts to be performed by qualified professionals.
Students included Daniel Weisenberger (coordinator), John Gaito, Caroline Kabus, and Breanna Robertson from Architectural Engineering; Greg Anderson, Ross Henry, Ismael Hernandez, and Robert Lee from Construction Science; Jan Simkhada from Architecture; Richard Prudenti from Landscape Architecture; and Sarah Jackson from Interior Design. The students worked with DarlAnn Rial and Robert Ackerman from the Nemaha County Historical Society and Mel Borst from the Kansas Preservation Alliance. The team was assembled and coordinated by Ray Yunk, Department Head, Architectural Engineering and Construction Science. Faculty advisors were Chris Ahern, Ray Buyle, Fred Hasler, and Russ Murdock from Architectural Engineering and Construction Science; Todd Gabbard from Architecture, Lee Skabelund from Landscape Architecture, Barbara Anderson from Interior Design.
Peace Memorial Auditorium
On
Dec. 16th, the Manhattan City Commission awarded a contract to Cheney
Construction for both the City Hall Parks and Rec. office expansion project and
for the improvements to the Peace Memorial Auditorium, which
include air conditioning, improved heating, improved electrical to support the
new HVAC, and a stair lift to provide handicapped access to the stage.
For Jan. 27th, a City Commission work session has been scheduled
to discuss fundraising efforts for the auditorium and to discuss the proposed
"memorial foyer." The discussion about the foyer is anticipated
to be about the public process for developing the design and content for the
memorial foyer. The fundraising part of the work session will likely
discuss the Friends of Peace Memorial Auditorium and what the relationship
should be, if any, between the Friends
of
P.M.A.
and
the city.
These
latest developments are positive, and hopefully mean the auditorium is out of
immediate danger of becoming offices and more basketball courts. However,
the HVAC and ADA improvements planned for the auditorium do not eliminate the
possibility of the stage's being replaced by basketball courts at some point in
the future. City elections will also occur in April, and with three City
Commission seats up for election, how the City Commission views the auditorium
could change.
