January 9, 2004 -- OVERLAND PARK, Kan. -- Government and Kansas Law Enforcement officials, along with representatives from Kansas Gas Service, will be on hand during the Salina capital campaign kickoff for the restoration and enhancement of the Kansas Law Enforcement Officers Memorial on Monday, January 12, at 11 a.m. at the Law Enforcement Center, 251 N. 10th Street in Salina, Kan. The memorial restoration is expected to be completed in late 2004 and will continue to be located on the grounds of the Kansas State Capitol in Topeka.
Kansas Gas Service has made a $5,000 donation to the memorial. Brad Dixon, vice president of Western Region for KGS, will make the check presentation to Ed Pavey, director of the Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center near Hutchinson, Kan. and also a member of the memorial foundation's board of directors, and Salina County Sheriff Glen Kochanowski.
State officials who will attend the kickoff include Attorney General Phill Kline, Lt. Gov. John Moore, Kansas Highway Patrol Superintendent William Seck and Kansas Bureau of Investigation Director Larry Welch. Other officials attending include Salina Police Chief Jim Hill, representatives of Salina city and county governments, members of the Salina Chamber of Commerce and members of the Law Enforcement Memorial Foundation.
In 1984, the Kansas legislature and the governor authorized construction of a state memorial northeast of the capitol building dedicated to law enforcement officers who lost their lives in the line of duty. Construction and upkeep of the memorial was financed through private grants, gifts, contributions and bequests. In 1986, a special ceremony was held to unveil the limestone monument that bore the names of 163 officers killed while on duty in Kansas dating back to the first known officer in 1866.
Since the mid-80s, 69 names have been added to the existing monument and there is limited space to add more. The monument's engraving is eroding and the limestone is deteriorating as result of exposure to weather conditions. These issues prompted officials to begin a renovation project and upgrade the monument itself, using granite rather than limestone for durability.
The cost for the restoration is projected to be $160,000. Contributions can be made to the Kansas Law Enforcement Memorial Foundation at Commerce Bank and Trust, PO Box 5049, Topeka, 66605. For more information, visit the Kansas Law Enforcement Web site at www.kletc.org.
Kansas Gas Service provides clean, reliable natural gas to more than 642,000 customers in 341 communities in Kansas. Kansas Gas Service is a division of ONEOK, Inc. (NYSE: OKE), a diversified natural gas company primarily involved in oil and gas production, natural gas processing, gathering, storage and transmission in the midcontinent areas of the United States. ONEOK's energy marketing and trading operations provide service to customers in 33 states. ONEOK is a Fortune 500 company with 1.9 million distribution customers in Oklahoma, Kansas and Texas.
###
