K-State First Lady talks reds and whites at wine-pairing luncheon

Prairie Star restaurant’s tag line of “Dine, Drink & Gather” was put into action yet again recently as 60-plus women sipped and savored at January’s Ladies Luncheon. The guest of honor and luncheon speaker was K-State First Lady Sally Linton, a certified wine judge, who spent 90 minutes pouring out her considerable knowledge of wine and wine tasting.

If these warmer days in January have enticed residents or visitors to stretch their legs on Meadowlark’s campus, they may have been pleasantly surprised to find another smooth, hard, even surface on which to tread. A successful Paving the Way campaign, launched about this time last year to provide funds to enhance a portion of Meadowlark’s loop trail, has allowed for 6-foot wide ribbons of concrete in more areas than originally planned. Go on … walk on the wild side!

 With December sale, Meadowlark Market hits 2022 revenue goal

On Dec. 2, a 4-foot nutcracker king stood proudly in the living room at Meadowlark Market as a long line of shoppers entered the door at 10 a.m. By about 10:20, the nutcracker had been claimed and moved near the cash register with his soon-to-be new owner excitedly exclaiming “I can’t believe he is still here! Can I set him back while I shop some more?”

The call Carol Shanklin received last Friday afternoon was a first for her. A ticket with Shanklin’s name on it was the first one drawn in this year’s Cash & More Raffle, meaning she won a squeal-worthy $2000! Posing a few hours later with a big check and Happy, our pink HOGtoberfest mascot, Carol was all smiles and said “I have never won any sort of drawing before!”

Oink! Now that the calendar has turned to October, temperatures are cooling, but activities to benefit Meadowlark’s Good Samaritan Fund are just heating up. It’s HOGtoberfest season, and Meadowlark Foundation has four squeal-worthy announcements!

Because of many generous donations to assist with paving Meadowlark's loop trail, a section stretching from Stillman Cemetery to the woods of Donner's Way is scheduled to be paved. This summer, grading and paving was completed from the west side of the bridge near the CenterPointe Physicians office to Donner's Way. This work also included walkways north of the community garden and from the trail to the physicians office parking lot. 

Meadowlark Foundation’s loop trail project recently piqued the interest of Wamego Telecommunications Company, Inc., better known locally as WTC. Exhibiting a longtime philosophy of giving back to the communities they serve, WTC leaders this week presented a total of $10,000 toward the Paving the Way campaign — $5000 from WTC and another $5000 on behalf of the company from its lender, CoBank of Greenwood Village, Colo. 

After years of mostly foot traffic created by two- and four-legged mammals, the ground east of Meadowlark Valley has been altered beginning last fall by the wheels of progress. The CenterPointe Physicians Building opened last December, the Community Garden and a new shed appeared this spring, and a two weeks ago, the first concrete was poured on the southeast section of Meadowlark’s Loop Trail. A curving paved pathway now extends from the Valley cul-de-sac to the wooden bridge north of the doctors’ offices.

Meadowlark's Grow Green Match Day total received a boost earlier this week when Greater Manhattan Community Foundation recognized a gift planned for Meadowlark had been assigned on April 22's Match Day to a different organization. The new number of donors is 80, and the contribution total on Match Day is $66,645.

In addition, the event prompted $2200 in gifts that came directly to Meadowlark Foundation, so support for nursing scholarships now totals $68,845! A match of $10,000 remains unchanged and will be added to Meadowlark's endowed fund at GMCF. 

A few Meadowlark residents have approached Becky Fitzgerald, Development Director, in recent weeks, asking if the Foundation still is accepting donations toward Meadowlark's trail project. Their follow-up question has been: If I donate, will my gift be matched? The answer to both questions is YES!