Shawnee County makes Oct. 17 'Ted Ensley Day'

TOPEKA (KSNT) - A famous name in the Topeka community is being honored for his work. On Monday, Shawnee County commissioners announced that October 17 will be "Ted Ensley Day."

Ensley is known for his work while heading up the county's parks and recreation department. He helped develop Shawnee North Community Park and Lake Shawnee attractions like the golf course, sports complexes, yacht club, and the flower gardens that bear his name.

Ensley's career consists of 52 years of public service. That includes a stint as Kansas Secretary of Wildlife and Parks and 16 years as a Shawnee County commissioner.

"I know I'm biased but I don't know if anybody has done more for Shawnee County or for Topeka than Ted Ensley has," said Randy Luebbe, park services director, who helped deliver the announcement on Monday.

Ensley heard the news at the Shawnee County Commission meeting.

"It was such an honor all the time wherever I was to be there," Ensley said. He spent much of his time directing the credit to his coworkers. "It just is not an individual person, it takes lots and lots of people to do that."

The celebration for Ensley will take place at the Lake Shawnee garden house in October. More details will be released at a later date.