Though details are still being finalized, plans for “Tragedy to Triumph—Greensburg Rising” are taking shape, revealing a chock full itinerary for the one-year anniversary celebration of the May 4 tornado scheduled for the first weekend next month.
   Handing out a summary of the planned events to Greensburg’s City Council at last week’s special meeting, coordinator Erica Goodman—a co-convener of the Can Do Action Team—pointed out that while her group is “spearheading” the weekend affair, various groups are responsible for their own particular activities from May 2 through May 4.  Among them are the City, the Kiowa County Chamber of Commerce, Greensburg GreenTown, Kiowa County Memorial Hospital, Komatara Apartments and Carriage House.
     *Friday, May 2, kicks off with a 10 a.m. groundbreaking of the business incubator at the 100 block of South Main, and the opening of the Greensburg GreenTown Visitor/Green Information Center shortly thereafter.  Dedication of Sunset Acres Park is slated for 11 a.m. with a ribbon cutting and dedication of a stone, which will read, “Dedicated to the children of Greensburg, May 2, 2008.”  Goodman said the stone will likely be located in the northeast corner of the park, one of two areas in which tulip bulbs were planted last October.
   A picnic will then be held in Sunset from 11:30 to 12:30, sandwiches and chips provided courtesy of Wal-Mart.  Later that day four cubed architectural projects will be available for viewing at the GreenTown site behind Kwik Shop.
   Constructed by architectural students at Kansas State University, one cubed item—the Litter Box—will be a model only, featuring a compacting toilet and water filtration system.  Others—all portable—will include the Ice Cube, which collects and filters rain water for drinking purposes; Recycling Bin, which will aid recycling efforts; and GreenHaus, or information center for green projects in the community.
   The Big Well, and Big Well Gift Shop will also be open Friday from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m.
   *Saturday, May 3, features a golf tournament, which will be run in two 18-hole flights on the local course, starting at 8 a.m. and then 1 p.m.  Registration is closed due to all available slots having quickly been claimed.  A variety of donated awards are reported to be on hand for the top finishers.
   A grand reopening for the Care and Share Store on South Main is set for 9 a.m.  Though the new facility was dedicated over two months ago and has served as the county food bank since, it’s not yet been readied to serve as a thrift shop.  According to Goodman, it may open its doors a day or two before May 3 to “get the kinks out.”
    Both “Going to Town” and viewing of the Greensburg Timeline are scheduled for 10 a.m. through 1 p.m.  Though the location for either event is yet to be determined, Goodman said “Going to Town” is an attempt to bring together at least a dozen of those merchants who had a Main Street business before May 4, along with photos of their storefronts.  “That way people can stop by and visit with shop owners and find out their future plans,” Goodman said.
   The Timeline, meanwhile, is an illustrated attempt to show the progress, month by month, of the four town square areas of the community since May 4.  Those four areas are business, government, education and health and human services.
   A community barbecue is to be sponsored by the Carriage House from 11:30-1:30 at the facility’s location on 723 S Elm.
   A special treat is in store for those interested in the scientific/meteorological side of what happened last May 4 as a National Weather Service display and discussion will run from 1 to 4 p.m.  The site, again, is yet to be determined.  Scheduled to be on hand is Dodge City NWS meteorologist Mike Umscheid who made the determination to issue a tornado emergency shortly before the killer storm hit town that night.
   Komatara Apartments will stage an open house from 1:30 to 3:30, while the ribbon cutting for the new water tower is slated for 2 p.m.  A second open house is set for 3 to 5:30 p.m. by the Kiowa County Memorial Hospital with a photo share and ice cream social part of the event.  Another complementary meal wraps up the day, this one sponsored by Greensburg GreenTown at 6:30 p.m.
   *Sunday, May 4, begins, of course, with church, as a community worship service is scheduled for Davis Park, starting at 10 a.m.  Yet another community meal, this one sponsored by the Kiowa County Ministerial Alliance, is likely to be held in the park as well, from noon to 1 p.m.
   Car buffs and enthusiasts will be glad to know a car show featuring over 200 street rods, muscle cars and antiques will be on display from 11 a.m. to around 2 p.m. on Main Street.
   Sponsored by the Santa Fe Trail Car Club of Larned, the event will award trophies to the top 10 entries at the show.  The club will also be raising money for the automotive shop of Greensburg High by auctioning off four VIP tickets to Jay Leno’s Tonight Show that will include prime seats for the show itself as well as backstage passes.  Leno has also sent six autographed T-shirts for auction.
   Santa Fe Trail Club member Gary Carlson said the auction should take place around 1:45, and that while he and fellow club members originally expected to raise $5,000, he’s now confident “We’ll end up raising a lot more than that.”  There’s no charge for either entrants or spectators—all is by donation.
   Kiowa County Farm Bureau will be holding an ice cream social on Main Street during the car show, starting at 1 p.m.
    Presentation and dedication of a memorial stone commemorating those who lost their lives in the storm will get underway at 1:30, the stone to be placed at the corner of South Grove and West Iowa (322 S Grove) where the house of Claude Hopkins stood before May 4.  Hopkins was one of the tornadic victims.
   President Bush himself will be present for the Greensburg High commencement slated for 3 p.m. at the school’s practice gym.  Only ticket holders for the event will be allowed inside.
    The grand opening of the 5-4-7 Art Center is set for 2 -8 p.m., while the groundbreaking for the new First Baptist Church is scheduled for 6 p.m. at Kansas Avenue and Sycamore, directly across the street from Kwik Shop.
   The day and weekend will be wrapped up with a candle light vigil from 9:30 until 10 p.m.  Though no location has been set, Goodman said it would likely be held at Davis Park.
    Having begun on development of the anniversary weekend back in January, Goodman said details continue to develop and change with each day.  For the latest updates she advised those interested to visit greensburgks.org  She also said full schedules would be available to visitors on Friday, May 2, in the small red and white Christmas house on Main Street.
   “Everything should be finalized by then,” she laughed.  “With the president coming, and events being added lately this has really become quite a full weekend.  It should be memorable.”