March 29
Lorraine Ryan and Shirley Higgins attended the NJCAA Tournament in Hutchinson Tuesday and Wednesday.  Bob Huggins, coach for Kansas State and Dana Altman, Creighton, were in attendance.  A couple of young boys took off their KU sweatshirts and asked for autographs!!  (Tanner and Bryce).
 
In 1957 the Hutchinson Blue Dragons coach, Charlie Sesher, had put together one of his best clubs, a team that had handed the Wichita University freshmen one of their two losses. The team entered the Region Six tournament winning the first two games but lost to Ark City, 69-65.  Coach Sesher announced his retirement, collected the team’s uniforms and stored them away.  Little did they know that one half continent away the New York Community College had to forfeit their trip when one of their players had been scholastically ineligible.  Hutchinson was making its first trip since 1949.  They lost their first game to Eastern Arizona 61-52.  More than 2,000 fans watched the Blue Dragons beat Northeast Oklahoma A&M in overtime. Hutchinson won again a day later with a 78-64 win over Joliet, Ill.  Waiting for the Blue Dragons in the fifth-place game was Ark City.  The Blue Dragons, playing without injured starter Bill Lovitt (Bill had been playing with a new pair of tennis shoes, developed blisters upon blisters that turned into blood poisoning) which still found a way to win, 55-53 and ended Seshers final season with a 21-7 record.  Charlie Reynolds was voted MVP of the tournament.  Charlie died in 2006. (This article was taken from the insert in the Tuesday edition of the Hutchinson News and was written by Harold Bechard).
 
The McCracken Swimming Pool is ‘coming along’!!  Clearwater Pools and Spa have been working on the pool and they have most of the electrical work finished.  Have PATIENCE!!
 
Both the swimming pool and McCracken library benefited from the hot dogs, brats, & bierocks that Ruth Crawshaw, Carol Weber and Jackie Casey served at the Rush Center St. Pat’s parade.
 
Taylor and Tyler Whitaker, Topeka, have spent several days with their grandparents, Norma and Roger McNair.  They have been overnight guests of their aunt Jamie and Dallas DeWitt and Corey & Morgan. 
 
Jean Schutte joined Lorene McCaskey and her daughter Sharon Isley in Hays for lunch on Sunday.
 
Tessa Jacobs spent her spring break with her grandma Priscilla Jacobs.
 
Chandler & Ashleigh Allen, Wichita spent their school Spring Break here with their grandparents, Roy & Phyllis Conrad.  They enjoyed very much playing with Zack & Brendon Peach also the freedom of a small town riding their bicycles & in the evenings feeding the horses Sugar and Franny some of Grama's carrots.  Also the other horses were fed too.  Ashleigh said, "Boy did we use up Grama's carrots" They went to Hays shopping one day and on Saturday they went to the library for story hour.  Roy and Phyllis took them home on Sunday.
 
The Rush County Historical Society has a quilt on display at the McCracken Library the week of March 26th.
 
Andrew and Lucas Taylor were in Topeka this weekend for state wrestling. Andrew is 11 and Lucas 7.  They are the sons of Freddie and Kim Taylor of Colby.
 
The McCracken Swimming Pool will again serve lunch on Memorial Day at the McCracken Community Building.  Mark this on your calendars and tell your out-of-town relatives.
 
The Hoisington High School baseball team spent a couple of evenings last week making burritos to sell to raise money.  The Dairy Queen, managed by Leon and Becky Steinert, donated all the ingredients for the boys. Cameron Horesky and Zach Higgins are members of the team.  Their first home game is April 10 against Sylvan Grove.
 
Tammy & Lonnie Irvin, Chuck Higgins and Zach and Shirley Higgins motored to Hesston Saturday afternoon and watched basketball.  Tanner Higgins played at Hesston High School in a MAYB tournament.  They took 4th. Also attending were Jerry, Jodi and Jenna Higgins.  In the evening an All Star Game between the MCAA league and the HOA league girl’s game was played at the Hesston College.  Kyra Horesky was a member of the MCAA team.  The other team members were Tina Frick and Julianne Chisholm, Hillsboro; Laurene Raleigh and Julia Carlton, Hesston; Holly Anthony, Sterling; Damara Lewis and Nicole Kratzer, Lyons; Gena Camarena and Allison Harned, Wichita Collegiate.  Coaches were Mandy Mason, Hoisington and Matt Richardson, Hesston.  They won over HOA 104-64.  These girls were unanimous all League, Kyra also made the Wichita Eagle All State honorable mention. 
 
The rain we received Friday night was wonderful.  The McCracken area looks grand with green grass in the pastures, green wheat and water in ponds and dams.
 
OOPS!!! We forgot Staci Elias birthday the 26th of March.  Sorry.
 
Taylor Stull, Austin Webs and Nicholas Petz are members of a MAYB Spring Basketball team from Hays with Kelly Petz as their coach.   They traveled to Newton this weekend for a tournament.  Parents are Mike & Jerilyn Stull, James & Leann Webs, Kelly & Melanie Petz.
 
Joann Micheli, Jean Schutte, Pat Derr, Twila Higgins, Laura Linsey and Priscilla Jacobs are members of the Walk across Kansas team. 
 
The committee that is helping with the Ladies Day Out on Saturday are Kathy Holopirek, Elaine Littler, Cindy Babcock, Elaine Coltrain, Charlotte Rathke and Lois Miller and Shirley Higgins. They have worked extremely hard to make this a ‘fun’ day.  Please come and show your appreciation.  It begins Saturday, March 31 at 8:00 a.m.  Admission is $5 which includes breakfast, juice and coffee.
 
John and Sharon Irvin, Carolyn Thompson and Lorraine Ryan were at the Beach Schmidt Performing Arts Center at Ft. Hays on Monday for the National Symphony Orchestra of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.  Leonard Slatkin directed the symphony.  The orchestra began with the National Anthem and played pieces from Walton, Copland, Schubert and Ravel.  Koch Industries sponsored the program.  From March 22 to 30 there were more than 100 concerts, master classes, demonstrations and outreach events scheduled by the National Symphony Orchestra in Kansas. 
 
Tony and Tomi Rues took the kids to the Garden City Zoo on Sunday.
 
Bill Moran has returned home from the Great Bend Hospital.
 
Michele Moran, and Clark and Nicole Kirk attended the Kelly Schmidt and Jason Torrey wedding at Salina on Saturday.
 
Mike, Susan and Shannon Keith returned home Friday from Florida where they attended Cardinal Spring Training games and took a day tour to the Dry Tortugas.  It is a fort off the coast of Key West.  It took two and a half hours to reach by boat and at times they had seven foot waves. 
 
History Notes
March 1887
Joe Wharton of West Point post office sold his stallion last week for $800 to parties in Ness City.
 
Rev. Geo. Cramer, of Lane County, delivered one of his doctrinal sermons to a large audience in the school house last Sunday morning and thinks of returning again in about ten days.
 
One fine thing for McCracken is the fine building stone found in abundance near town.
 
March 1907
McCracken Land Company, E. D. Floyd, Manager has for sale:  160 acres two miles southeast of McCracken, 100 in cultivation, price $2,500; 400 acres six miles from McCracken, eight room house, 3,000 bushel granary, fenced and cross fenced, plenty of water and other good improvements, price $20 per acre; 320 acres eight miles northwest of McCracken, price $11 per acre.
 
March 1937
Mrs. Nina McKittrick and Mr. Ralph G. Stephens were married March 27, 1937, the ceremony being performed by probate judge, Paul Warden, at his home in LaCrosse.  Mrs. Stephens is the only daughter of Mr. and Mrs. D. D. Hunt of this city.  They are building a new residence in LaCrosse.
 
March 1947
Frank Cramer was in Kansas City on business the latter part of the week.  He left Monday for WaKeeney where he has employment with a machine company.
 
Mrs. Caroline North celebrated her 87th birthday.  Those joining her for the occasion were Mr. and Mrs. Joe North, Arnold, Mrs. Inez North, Mrs. Hazel Van Osdol and Sherry and Dudley Schutte of LaCrosse, Mr. and Mrs. Arthur North and Miss Ada North.
 
March 1957
Al Rues grocery store was supplied with the use of a power plant by the Kansas National Guard as a result of the blizzard.  Electricity was out in town from March 23 to April 2.
Citizens State Bank was supplied with electricity from the plant also.
 
March 1967
A housewarming was given for Mr. and Mrs. Earl Brenner in their new home.
 
Madeline Rein and Gene A. Petz were married April 1 at St. Mary’s in McCracken.  They will live in Hutchinson were the groom is employed as a barber.
 
March 1977
Ronald Justice is in satisfactory condition in Hadley Hospital after the pickup his son, Willard was driving Sunday morning overturned north of Alexander.
 
Keith Higgins, senior music education student, presented his senior recital, March 28 in Malloy Hall at Ft. Hays.  He sang selections from Handel, Schutz and Ferrata.
 
March 1987
Jay Frazier, a 1946 LaCrosse High School graduate, was recently inducted into the Kansas State High school Activities Association Hall of Fame. His wife is the former Pauline Walker; his parents are Mr. and Mrs. Leo Frazier and he is a brother of Gwen Sell of LaCrosse.
 
Mrs. Beryl McFarren and Dean McFarren visited Bill Grumbein at the Rest Home in Ransom last Wednesday. 
 
March 1997
Recently there was some vandalism at the pump station at the new sewer plant.  Light fixtures and vents were broken and there was some damage to the building.
 
Tony and Paulette Harp will move to the ‘farm’ formerly occupied by Margaret and Carl Higgins.