BonnerSprings.com

News and notes from around town:

• A former Bonner native is up to big things. Judy Barger, who lived in Bonner Springs for 25 years, is now the mayor of the township of Disney, Okla., a community on Grand Lake. She recently wrote to the city to share that she was chosen as one of the 40 most influential people on Grand Lake by the Grand Lake Area Chamber of Commerce, in recognition of its 40th anniversary. Part of the reason she earned the recognition is she founded and continues to organize an annual non-profit fireworks show on the lake (check out her show at grandlakefireworks.com). Barger’s daughter, Monica Shonkwiler, still lives in Bonner.

• The Bonner Springs Lodge of the Fraternal Order of Police is planning to raise funds for Vaughn-Trent Community Services and challenges others to match what its members are raising. Watch for more about this in next week’s paper.

• Speaking of the FOP, things may be a little tense concerning its request that the city allow it to use collective bargaining. Council member Jack Knight asked for an update about when the council would discuss the matter at Monday’s council meeting, and John Helin, city manager, seemed a little terse when he replied that he had already informed the council it would be at one of the meetings in January. It will be interesting to see how many council members are in favor of allowing the FOP, which is similar to a union, to negotiate for its members. Andy Bair, president of the Bonner lodge, has previously told me that all Bonner Police Department officers, aside from the police chief, are FOP members.