The Wichita Eagle from Wichita, Kansas • 13

i UUTlRCoIJMnHiy 316-268-6557 or emal jhaysewichitaeaglaoom jt JUNE 24 2011 Now you know Officials call Old Town fire arson AREA NEWS IN BRIEF i i lYDCKHMHH The Wichita Eagle Officials have ruled arson as foe cause of Wednesday night's fire at a commercial building on North Emporia in Old Town can certainly say it was arson" Wichita Fire Marshal Brad Crisp said Thursday keep foe exact cause of foe fire close to foe vest because obviously some folks we need to talk to No suspects have been identified but foe investigation is continuing No one was in foe building at 246 Emporia at the time of the fire shortly after 10 pm Wednesday There were no injuries Damage was listed at $30000 including $20000 for foe structure according to fire investiga- tors Sedgwick County lists the property as owned by Branson Construction Inc with an appraised value of $63400 Branson Construction once operated out of foe building but went out of business around 2004 said Laurie Johnson president of Branson and Associates a commercial real estate business She said Branson and Associates leases the building fiom ha mother's estate and uses it mostly to store paperwork saying arson" Johnson said erf fire investigators home- less person up to mischief I guess what they indicated to me" Firefighters brought the fhe under control in about 15 minutes Quick response by units from two nearby stations and a fire wall helped prevent foe fire from spreading to a neighboring business to the north Crisp said A parking lot is south of the building Fire officials are asking anyone with information about foe fire to call foe Wichita Fire Department at 316-337-9148 or Crime Stoppers at 316-267-2111 Reach Wick 316-268 6680 or iphimtaefloteMtaeaBlMom 1 960s revisit child refugees Wichita home ft 1 i v- 't' i Vote on nomination delayed again The US Senate Judiciary Committee has delayed I a vote again on former Kansas Attorney General Steve nomination to a federal appeals court nomination to foe 10th US Circuit Court of Appeals based in Denver was on the agenda Thursday But Chairman Patrick Leahy D-Vt announced it was being i held over because some committee members want more discussion Anti-abortion groups hope to derail the nomination of Six a Democrat over how criminal cases involving abortion providers were handled while he was attorney general two senators Republicans Pat Roberts and Jeny Moran have announced their opposition to his confirmation Six was appointed attorney general in January 2008 when his predecessor resigned over a sex scandal Six lost his race last year to keep foe office Associated Assi Motorcycle rally to benefit i American Red Close I The American Red Cross will host its annual Ride for foe Red poker run and motorcycle rally on Saturday in Wichita The fundraiser starts at 8 aun at the Red Cross 1900 Douglas followed by a 100-mile scenic road trip Bikers will have a chance to win a Las Vegas vacation Proceeds benefit foe Red Cross chapter in Wichita i Registration is $20 from 8 am to 4 pm today at foe Red Cross office or online at tarideforfoeredorg VIP registration is $40 Registration is available Saturday morning for an additional $5 per person Active military ride for free For more information call 316-219-4095 -Amy Renas Lalkar Free shredding event planned for Saturday The Regent senior living community 2050 Webb Road will host a document shredding day from 9 am to noon Saturday Cintas Document Management will shred documents for nee for all who show up There is no limit on foe amount people may bring -Eagls staff Host families needed for foreign students ASSE International Student Exchange Programs is looking for area families to host boys and girls ages 15 to 18 from countries around die world Students have their own spending money for personal expenses in addition to health accident and liability insurance Students are selected for the formance Host families can choose students from a variety of backgrounds countries and interests To become a host family or to find out how to become involved call foe ASSE Midwest Regional Office at 1-800-736-1760 -Eteta staff Fernando SafaarThe Wichita Eagle George Cobe from Miami hugs a roommate from his days at the Mariana Boys Home Cuban children arrived In Wichita as refugees In the 1 960s through the Operation Peter Pan program If you go PETER PAN APPRECIATION EVENT Mna QraanTha Wichita Eagia This lion is one of nine animals from Roosevelt Park Zoo In Minot ND that are staying at Tanganyika Wildlife Park Floods forced the relocation Flooded zoo sends animals to Tanganyika IY SARAH NUHMN The Wichita Eagle As a female lion sat in a pool at Tanganyika Wildlife Park on Thursday she splashed and chased her tail in a circle girl what are you doing? Playing in the asked park owner Jim Fouts The lion arrived at Tanganyika in the first week of June with a group of animals fiom foe Roosevelt Park Zoo in Minot ND The Souris River flows through foe zoo and officials feared the water would come over foe dike Three weeks later Fouts said it doesn't look like the animals are going home anytime soon Water flooded over the levees Wednesday as thousands of people evacuated their homes When the animals arrived Fouts said zoo officials were hoping the visit would only last four to six ween in a best-case scenario it stands now pretty much thinking that their season is Fouts said know going to be well into the fall before cleaned When Fouts received foe panicked call from zoo officials who thought they had 12 to 18 hours before the river flooded he said the park wanted to do what it could to help the animal and foe zoo needed to find someone who could get there and especially move the giraffes because a difficult thing to Fouts said The park transported three giraffes from the zoo in a special trailer made to cany them The trailer rises to 17 feet as foe giraffes enter but lowers for the trip so foe trailer can pass under bridges The giraffes ride leaning slightly over Fouts said Besides foe giraffes Tanganyika is housing two lions a Siberian tiger a Bengal tiger and two Amur leopards from North Dakota The zoo sent foe big cats to Kansas in boxes in an unspe-rialized trailer Fouts said The zoo Please see TANGANYIKA Page 4B ry ago toured their childhood home Thursday Their visit to Mariana Boys Home marks foe start of a four-day reunion celebrating foe 50th anniversary of Operation Peter Pan a government-run program that helped more than 14000 children flee Cuba in foe early 1960s said Mas 60 hugging old friends seen some of these guys since The Catholic-run orphanage called home by more than 80 boys between 1961 and 1968 is now Carriage House Office Park 313 Seneca Owner John Fitzthum and his tenants welcomed foe Please see REFUGEE Page 4B IY AMY HERB lEMHI The Wichita Eagle Though the Mariana Boys Home now houses attorneys and therapists 50 years ago there was a dinner bell hanging in foe hallway And George Mas found a way to eat even if it ringing always could find a way to get into foe Mas said pointing down foe hallway of the former orphanage hid foe key from us so we break in and steal foe memory was just one of many floating on laughter and heartfelt hugs as men and women who arrived in Wichita as Cuban refugees a half-centu What The Operation Peter Pan Civic Act of Appreciation event where Cuban refugees who came to Wichita as chidren the 1 960a wi thank the city of Wichita and Cathofc Charities More than 1 4000 chidren fled Cuba between 1 960 and 1 962 and ived in US footer homes with the help of the US government and the Catholic Church Gueet speakers wl share 8to- ries about their journey and ivee in Wichita to help celebrate the 50th anniversary of Operation Peter Pan The ceremony is open to the pubflu -Where: Eberiy Farm 131 11 21st SL North Wichita When: 1 230 to 4 pm today How much: Free For more information cal Lazaro San Martin at 31 6-640-3421 or George Mas at 386-445-0962 Famando SalazarTha Wichita Eagia Lazaro San Martin Manuel Formoso and John Alfonso Segui pictured the right photo In the 1 960s stand In front of the Marlene Boys Home Courtaay photo In the left photo In 2011 and In which now houses offices vf KsiWf A if'-- 'i Market SohmprdhecM 8141 21st St to BnxBey Bair ytei iacmmn.