Salina cited as best place to raise a family
11/19/2009
ERIN MATHEWS
Retiree Jerry Pettle grew up in Salina and raised his daughters here, so a magazine article that named his hometown as the best place to raise kids in Kansas was not news to him.
“I always knew it,” he said. “I like the size of the community and what goes on here — the school system, the police department. Salina’s got a lot going for it.”
This week he sent his daughters — who live in San Francisco and Okinawa, Japan — online links to the BusinessWeek magazine story naming Salina as Kansas’ top place to raise kids. It’s his way of suggesting they consider raising their kids here, he said.
A low cost of living and crime rate and relatively high student test scores caused BusinessWeek to pick Salina as number one, with Lawrence and Olathe named as runners-up.
The article can be viewed online at http://images.businessweek.com/ss/09/11/1117_best_places_to_raise_kids/index.htm. It names one city from each of the 50 states as the best place for families, with Tinley Park, Ill., being selected as the best place in the nation to raise kids.
Salina is described as “one of the world’s largest wheat-producing areas, a regional trade center, and a major manufacturing center for lighting, automotive batteries, and foods.”
The description is rather mysteriously accompanied by a photo of downtown Wichita, but Salina proponents were quick to say the magazine got the other details right.
“This is not the least bit surprising news,” Dennis Lauver, executive director of the Salina Area Chamber of Commerce, wrote in an e-mail to the Journal. “Salina is indeed a great place to raise a family.
“We have schools that are consistently reaching their annual goals toward higher quality education; we are the current Kansas Arts Community of the Year, and the community is investing in family-centered activities like Kenwood Cove (the new water park near the Bicentennial Center). This news verifies what many people across greater Kansas already know: Salina is a great place to live, work and play.”
Read more about Salina's ranking in Friday's Salina Journal.
Join the Discussion:
Salina.com doesn't necessarily condone the comments here. Read our full online terms of service policy.
says....
Someone call a cop.
11/22/2009
Mark says....
You can't believe all you read.This is living proof.WOW!THERES NO SHARKS IN AMITYVILLE FOLKS!
11/22/2009
Salina is on the Map! says....
Business Week and Sarah Palin. Those should add some "woo" to the Salina Airport Authority and the Chamber of Commerce!
11/21/2009
Try the Hill says....
The safe parts of Salina are up on the hill. If you can't afford to live there, try camping out at one of the cemeteries on the hill. There are safer places in KC, that's for sure.
11/21/2009
mom says....
Day care providers abusing children, kids bringing guns to school and the hiding them at the park, 13 year old rapes a 7 year old, about a month ago some teenagers tried to get my 9 year into the car with them when he was walking home from school. yeah a wonderful place to raise your children.
11/21/2009
The Reality... says....
Im sure the information was based on maybe 20 years ago. Although it is a good thing for this day and age there are now cops in the middle and high schools. They werent there when I attended. What does that tell you? Our murder and attempted murder rate has skyrocketed in the last 20 years. Murders were a very rare thing and now happen at least 2-4 times a year. I know that is a small number compared to larger cities like Wichita and KC but still. Salina had maybe 1 every 1-3 years. Students hitting teachers, just recently one taking a gun to school, dui's, drugs, robberies, thefts, burglaries...the list goes on. I know that no one city is perfect when it comes to this but it is actually getting worse in Salina, not better. Overall, Salina is just a mediocre OK. City leaders try to promote it like the best thing since sliced bread and its not. Our leaders need to make this city the best thing since sliced bread and actually do something to bring in more revenue and jobs to prosper. Salina is at the most pivotal part of KS...right at the I-70 and I-135 junction. When people drive through all they see are restaurants and motels. To me, I would think that Salina just wants me to visit...not live here! Salina will never hit the coveted 50,000 mark at this rate.
11/21/2009
WOW says....
gangs, drugs, DUI CAPITAL. YEAH RAISE YOUR KIDS HERE.
11/20/2009
Hmmm says....
They must have based their research on statistics from ten years ago, before the drug gangs moved into Salina. Oh well. At least Salina got a write up in Business Week and with Sarah Palin coming to town, more business leaders may take notice of Salina and move their businesses here. Now we're waiting for the SPD to get rid of the drug gangs.
11/20/2009
TJ pearson says....
someone was drunk when they decided salina was super
11/20/2009
Mediaman says....
Could someone please point out where the good/safe parts of Salina are! I moved here a year ago for a job and am still looking for the safe parts of Salina. What I have seen in Salina makes me miss Kansas City.
11/20/2009
anon says....
yeah, two double homicides in one year.....the people who think salina is a great place to raise a family don't live near down town, where they hear the sirens, and the murders happen down the street. I don't even go on walks in this town, the crime here is terrible for a town this size.
11/19/2009
salina home owner says....
Maybe it was years ago but the crime rate is wayyy up and the job market is dying. No new jobs coming this way and the only ones available are fast food or retail, the good paying jobs are in McPherson & Hutchinson right now.
11/19/2009
says....
All I Can say is you got to be kidding. I lived in Salina and moved to a small town to raise my family, I would never raise them in Salina of all places.
11/19/2009
Roads says....
HAHAHA!!
Let's see...School nurse a druggie, junior high kids beating an kicking teachers an high school kids bringing dope an drugs to school.
Sounds like the best place to me.
11/19/2009
huh? says....
Someone's research did indeed error.
11/19/2009
Salina.com doesn't necessarily condone the comments here. Read our full online terms of service policy.
dont be scared salina says....
everywhere in salina is safe, in my book...i used to deal over off of north 13, kinda by the police station actually...there isn't one real "gangster" in salina...the black on black crime doesnt make it gangster, it makes it ignorant...as far as safe for raising kids...i would say if you have 100,000 for a house, south salina is great for you...or you can live on the "hill", what ever the duff that means...i wish it was called "the plain", so people who want 2 impress their friend, say, "oh i live on the plain, over east, its real plain & stuff"
11/23/2009
says....
Someone call a cop.
11/22/2009
Mark says....
You can't believe all you read.This is living proof.WOW!THERES NO SHARKS IN AMITYVILLE FOLKS!
11/22/2009
Salina is on the Map! says....
Business Week and Sarah Palin. Those should add some "woo" to the Salina Airport Authority and the Chamber of Commerce!
11/21/2009
Try the Hill says....
The safe parts of Salina are up on the hill. If you can't afford to live there, try camping out at one of the cemeteries on the hill. There are safer places in KC, that's for sure.
11/21/2009
mom says....
Day care providers abusing children, kids bringing guns to school and the hiding them at the park, 13 year old rapes a 7 year old, about a month ago some teenagers tried to get my 9 year into the car with them when he was walking home from school. yeah a wonderful place to raise your children.
11/21/2009
The Reality... says....
Im sure the information was based on maybe 20 years ago. Although it is a good thing for this day and age there are now cops in the middle and high schools. They werent there when I attended. What does that tell you? Our murder and attempted murder rate has skyrocketed in the last 20 years. Murders were a very rare thing and now happen at least 2-4 times a year. I know that is a small number compared to larger cities like Wichita and KC but still. Salina had maybe 1 every 1-3 years. Students hitting teachers, just recently one taking a gun to school, dui's, drugs, robberies, thefts, burglaries...the list goes on. I know that no one city is perfect when it comes to this but it is actually getting worse in Salina, not better. Overall, Salina is just a mediocre OK. City leaders try to promote it like the best thing since sliced bread and its not. Our leaders need to make this city the best thing since sliced bread and actually do something to bring in more revenue and jobs to prosper. Salina is at the most pivotal part of KS...right at the I-70 and I-135 junction. When people drive through all they see are restaurants and motels. To me, I would think that Salina just wants me to visit...not live here! Salina will never hit the coveted 50,000 mark at this rate.
11/21/2009
WOW says....
gangs, drugs, DUI CAPITAL. YEAH RAISE YOUR KIDS HERE.
11/20/2009
Hmmm says....
They must have based their research on statistics from ten years ago, before the drug gangs moved into Salina. Oh well. At least Salina got a write up in Business Week and with Sarah Palin coming to town, more business leaders may take notice of Salina and move their businesses here. Now we're waiting for the SPD to get rid of the drug gangs.
11/20/2009
TJ pearson says....
someone was drunk when they decided salina was super
11/20/2009
Mediaman says....
Could someone please point out where the good/safe parts of Salina are! I moved here a year ago for a job and am still looking for the safe parts of Salina. What I have seen in Salina makes me miss Kansas City.
11/20/2009
anon says....
yeah, two double homicides in one year.....the people who think salina is a great place to raise a family don't live near down town, where they hear the sirens, and the murders happen down the street. I don't even go on walks in this town, the crime here is terrible for a town this size.
11/19/2009
salina home owner says....
Maybe it was years ago but the crime rate is wayyy up and the job market is dying. No new jobs coming this way and the only ones available are fast food or retail, the good paying jobs are in McPherson & Hutchinson right now.
11/19/2009
says....
All I Can say is you got to be kidding. I lived in Salina and moved to a small town to raise my family, I would never raise them in Salina of all places.
11/19/2009
Roads says....
HAHAHA!!
Let's see...School nurse a druggie, junior high kids beating an kicking teachers an high school kids bringing dope an drugs to school.
Sounds like the best place to me.
11/19/2009
huh? says....
Someone's research did indeed error.
11/19/2009
Post a comment
Your best chance of getting your comment posted:
Read our full use policy.
Your best chance of getting your comment posted:
- No profanity
- Be civil
- Everyone is innocent until proven guilty.
| SALINA.COM FEATURES | ||
NEWS |
ONLINE EXTRAS |
COMMUNITY |
| ADDITIONAL FEATURES | ||
CLASSIFIED
BUSINESS SERVICES |
READER SERVICES
|
SPECIAL SECTIONS |
| salina.com is an online
feature of the Salina Journal Copyright © 2010 Salina Journal and MediaSpan Contact Us | Terms of Service |
||