QUALITY OF LIFE

RECREATION

Beloit has a well maintained system of parks and recreation facilities. The city has 4 parks covering 50.2 acres.
There are six reservoirs and lakes within 60 miles of Beloit, the closest being Waconda Lake located 11 miles away.

CITY PARKS

Beloit Municipal swimming pool and bath house in Chautauqua Park was built in the 1930;s and renovated in the early 1970’s. The pool is approximately 75’ by 150’. It has two one-meter diving boards and a new 125 foot water slide. There is a separate, fenced in wading pool for children under the age of 5. Red Cross swimming lessons and water exercise classes are available.

IN ADDITION TO THE FACILITIES LISTED IN THE VARIOUS PARKS, BELOIT ALSO OFFERS:

City of Beloit Municipal Building

Kansas National Guard Armory

Basketball court

North Central Kansas Vo-Tech School

- Indoor Swimming pool for community use, physical therapy, exercise classes

Mitchell County Fair Grounds

The Mitchell County Fair Association consists of 15 member Board of Directors.

Facilities: Grounds used for community spring/summer recreation activities. 6,000 square foot concrete masonry building, finished interior, available for rent for commercial and/or industrial use. Building utilized off-season for farm equipment storage rental.

Annual Events: Annual county-wide 4 day fair, welcoming Mitchell and surrounding counties 4-H, open class, Girl Scouts, and nursing home entries. Semi-Annual State Bull Test Sale sponsored by Kansas State University and Kansas Livestock Association. Fairgrounds are made available for other special events throughout the year.

FOR THE OUTDOORSMAN

EDUCATION

BELOIT SCHOOL SYSTEM

PUBLIC

Beloit Pre-School (4 year olds)

Beloit Elementary (K-6 grades)

Beloit Jr/Sr High (grades 7-12)

Beloit Unified School District Number 273 encompasses 430 square miles of North Central Kansas. Staff are available to provide school health services, counseling, remedial instruction, tutoring and a full continuum of special education services.

Elementary School Strengths:

Jr/Sr High Strengths:

PRIVATE CATHOLIC

St. John’s Pre-School

St. John’s School (K-12 grades)

St. John’s Catholic Church maintains a private pre-school and a K-12 school system in Beloit which is fully accredited with the State of Kansas. St. John’s is attended by non-Catholic as well as Catholic students. Students travel to attend St. John’s from as far as 30 miles.

St. John’s Strengths:

SPECIAL EDUCATION

The Beloit schools are a member of the Beloit Special Education Co-operative. Seven districts in Mitchell, Lincoln and Jewell counties have joined together to provide services for students with special needs. The program is coordinated through Beloit school district. The staff consists of:

These staff members serve all areas of handicap and gifted students.

SCHOOLS FOR SPECIAL POPULATIONS

OCCK, Inc.-MJL Division opened in 1976. The mission of MJL is to provide a wide array of services for persons with mental retardation or similar service needs. The program provides vocational, residential and independent living training. Services can help clients and families to be aware of community, medical, recreational and financial resources. MJL offers vocational services for people with developmental disabilities. Services may include employment in the community with the support of a job coach and/or employment within a production facility.

MJL provides support to people with disabilities, their families and the community to enhance the quality of life for all the members of the Beloit community.

VOCATIONAL-TECHNICAL SCHOOL

North Central Kansas Area Vocational-Technical School has been providing training to students in Beloit since 1964. Since that time it has grown to involve students from over half the counties in the state and some students from out of state. NCKAVTS offers instruction in Auto Mechanics, Applied Data Processing, Bricklaying, Carpentry and Cabinet Making, Diesel Mechanics, Electrical Technology, Electronic Technology, Executive Secretarial, Farm Mechanics, Heavy Equipment Operation, Nursing, Parts Management, Plumbing-Heating and Air Conditioning, Production Agriculture, Welding Technology. NCKVATS students receive additional instruction in Communication, Human Relations, Applied Mathematics and Computers through a Job Enhancement Skills program. NCKAVTS is accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, the Kansas State Board of Education, National League of Nursing, and National Automotive Technicians Foundation and approved for training by the Veteran’s Education Administration, Vocational Rehabilitation, WIN and other similar federal and state programs.

VO-TECH/JUNIOR COLLEGE/COLLEGE

North Central KS AVTS

Cloud County Community College

Kansas Technical Institute

Brown Mackie Business College

Kansas Wesleyan University

Kansas State University

Ft Hays State University

ADULT EDUCATION

NCKVATS offers adult and continuing education classes

Telenet courses are available from Kansas State University at the Mitchell County Hospital.

Cloud County Community College classes are available at Beloit High School and the Beloit Municipal Building.

POST ROCK FREE UNIVERSITY

Post Rock Free University operates in Beloit. Staff and teachers are volunteers. Those attending classes pay for supplies a $2.00 fee to cover cost of advertising. Instructors are found among local leaders, craftsmen, and professionals. As many as 35 classes have been offered in some sessions. Successes include the establishment of the community Orchestra, the beginning of the Willow Springs Players and Day Tours. Classes have covered such subjects as Clouds, Economics, Cake Decorating, Quilting, Guitar, Carving, Amateur Car Care, Bridge, Stress Control, Strokes and Stroke Prevention, and Knitting.

PORT LIBRARY

The Port Library was built as a home of the late Mrs. Emma Port in 1916 and donated to the City of Beloit in 1931. Conveniently located mid-town, the library is provided a rotating collection of materials, is on a state-wide computer link and has access to the collections of virtually any library through inter-library loan. The Port Library is home to 21,000 volumes, 1,000 records, current and back issues of 90+ periodicals, in-house copying machine and microfilm reader printer, in-house computer, talking book service, deposit collection for hospital, law-enforcement center and classrooms, summer reading program, children story hours, meeting areas and other community services. The library staff take an active part in area economic development moves by providing materials and programs to support individual business’ needs.

CHURCHES IN BELOIT

Assembly of God
New Life Christian Center
200 West Main
(913) 738-2683

American Baptist
First Baptist Church
Second and Campbell
(913) 738-2502

Roman Catholic
St. John the Baptist Catholic
701 East Court
(913) 738-2851

Presbyterian (PCUSA)
First Presbyterian Church
321 East Main
(913) 738-3096

Christian (Disciples of Christ)
First Christian Church
321 North Mill
(913) 738-3071

Lutheran (ELCA)
Zion Lutheran Church
621 North Mill
(913) 738-2701

United Methodist
First United Methodist Church
801 North Bell
(913) 738-2539

Church of Christ
Church of Christ
12th and Walnut
(913) 738-2420

Beloit Ministerial Association

In addition to a regular schedule of worship services and Christian education, Beloit churches offer Vacation Bible School, leadership for summer services at Waconda Lake and facilities for Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts and other youth group meetings.

Many of the churches coordinate community activities through the Beloit Ministerial Association. Ecumenical worship services are held for Thanksgiving and Good Friday; the Mitchell County Food Bank is operated in cooperation with the Mitchell County Health Department; U.S.D.A. Food Commodities are distributed; weekly nursing home services are held; and in cooperation with radio station KVSV, morning devotions are aired each day. The Ministerial Association also sponsors a Community Palm Sunday Cantata each year featuring vocalist and instrumentalists from the community.

All of the churches in Beloit are open and friendly and welcome both visitors and those interested in becoming members.

HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES

MITCHELL COUNTY HOSPITAL

Programs and Services

The Mitchell County Hospital is a 49-bed general acute care facility with an attached 40-bed long term care unit. The hospital is accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations and is owned by the county and leased for operation to Great Plains Health Alliance. A total staff of 200 employees provide a wide range of services.

BELOIT HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS

SPECIALTIES AVAILABLE IN MITCHELL COUNTY

Mitchell County Health Department located at the Mitchell County Hospital

The Mitchell County Health Department provides services on a family centered bases for individuals and groups—at home, at work, in schools and in public health centers (clinics). Some services offered are W.E.C., M. & I., Lab, Family Planning, Home Health Care, Nursing Home Inspections, Child Care Licensing, Nursing Clinics, Immunizations, Developmental Testing, Allergy and Prescribed Injections, Communicable Disease Control, Vision, Hearing, Physicals, and Referrals.

Independent Living, Nursing Homes, Long Term Care

The Long Term Care Unit at the Mitchell County Hospital is a 40 bed facility offering 24 hour care.

Hilltop Lodge provides quality care to meet the changing health care needs of each of its residents. Hilltop is a medicare approved 125 bed facility with 24 hour licensed nursing services. Patient services include physical therapy, water therapy, social services, activities, laundry, dietary, housekeeping, beautician, and training programs.

Sunnyslope Manor is an independent living facility with 50 apartments. Staffed by an Executive Director and a maintenance man, the facilities include an Administration building housing a recreation area and laundry room.

Beloit Senior Citizen Center

The Beloit Senior Citizen Center services as an activity center for the local senior citizens. It is available for family dinners, receptions, meetings, seminars and workshops. The center also functions as a nutrition center and prepares home delivered meals for shut ins. Other activities include EHU meetings, ladies exercise, nursing clinics, County Health nurse visits, potlucks, programs, pool, card parties, and extension unit visits. Special annual events such as Senior Olympics, Christmas dinner, volunteer recognition and the Sweetheart Ball are also held. The Center owns a bus for shopping and trips.

MJL

OCCK, Inc. - MJL Division opened in Beloit in 1976. It offers vocational services for people with developmental disabilities. Services include employment in the community with the support of a job coach and/or employment within a production facility. MJL provides support to people with disabilities, their families, and to the community to enhance the quality of life for all of Beloit’s citizens.

HOSPICE OF THE HEARTLAND

Hospice provides support and guidance for the terminally ill and their families to allow the patient to stay at home if he desires. Hospice seeks to provide physical, emotional and spiritual care to enhance living when life expectancy is measured in weeks and months versus years.

Hospice can help in the following ways:

MITCHELL COUNTY AMBULANCE SERVICES

Beloit has a recently installed, state of the art, 9-1-1 emergency system with call tracking capacity.
Mitchell County Ambulance Service operates out of the Law Enforcement Center located in Beloit. 4 ambulances, 23 volunteers and 3 full-time staff, 2 are E.M.T.-1 certified, 20 are E.M.T. certified and 4 are BLS RLS and First-Aid certified drivers.
The Mitchell County Rescue Squad operates out of Beloit. The Rescue Squad is composed of 17 volunteers and is on 24 hour call with the Civil Defense office. All members have C.P.R. and Standard First Aid training annually.
Fixed wing aircraft out of Wichita and helicopter service out of Topeka provide air ambulance service from the Beloit Municipal Airport.

BELOIT CLUBS/ORGANIZATIONS