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nathan pettengill
editor ....................................................................................................... You might have noticed that time ages backward on any given day in Lawrence. Particularly in the fall, daybreak in the city is greeted by older Lawrencians walking in groups across campus or strolling down Massachusetts Street with yoga mats under their arms. Then, the recently retired crowd tends to emerge as they walk dogs and take up the prime places at cafes, wickedly grinning at the middle-age and still-working stiffs who pass by on their morning commute. These coffeehouse sages yield their chairs to a different breed, the younger telecommuters and tweeters who make their appearances by late morning and sometimes overlap with the running and biking set who spread out across the streets. There’s a lull in the afternoon, with portions of all these groups overlapping at various locations. Then youths appear, the oldest teenagers first as they speed away in their cars from school, followed by the young teens and tweens who pour out on foot and finally the youngest students who arrive home by bus or on a car seat in the back of a minivan before heading out again for lessons, practices, some time at the park or whatever else has been pecked into their parents’ organizers for that day. Night comes and all order (in time and age, at least) breaks down. Senior couples take seats near young hipsters at the restaurants. Packed in music venues, the generations of Woodstock and Lady Gaga spill drinks on one another and exchange polite apologies. And at a wine bar, a baby coos next to its mother and the mix of grayhaired and pierced-art patrons. Of course, the day’s boom-bam conclusion comes with the young set, the college crowds that fill the concert halls and bars. But even then, there’s an age-based timeline as the actual finale is slowly played out by the slightly older overnight clerks, duty officers, taxi drivers, graveyard shift workers, custodians and dishwashers who close the day. Their withdrawal overlaps briefly with the awakening of the oldest Lawrencians whose bodies don’t seem to require much sleep anymore and who find themselves starting their routines just before a “thud” signals that the morning paper has arrived. This fall issue of Lawrence Magazine is all about time and chronology—from a tour of historical spots that raises the curtain on next year’s state sesquicentennial (p. 84) to the mishmash of ages found at a local diving club (p. 64), amid the bustle of a square dance (p. 78), over the finish line of a triathlon (p. 50), at practice sessions for the perfect body lift (p. 46), in stories of the early days of a youth football league (p. 74) and in the recollection of a young farm girl’s ramblings through a landscape that she re-creates on canvas decades later (p. 42). We each have our own age. And in case you are keeping track, this issue marks the sixth year of Lawrence Magazine. While we’re proud to reach that milestone, backward or forward in time, our publication—like the city—has its own chronology. Ours is about lives and places that intersect; stories with substance, not necessarily subsequence. We hope you enjoy this fall edition about your friends, neighbors and the places you know wherever, and whenever, you read it.
Lawrence Magazine is a publication of Sunflower Publishing, a division of The World Company.
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/ Fall 2010 / Lawrence Magazine
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on the cover Fifth-grader Kammal Dowdell prepares for the
contents
fall season of the Lawrence Youth Football league.
46 / ‘ T h e M o s t In c r e dib l e O n e ’ A champion fitness competitor brings sweat equity and superhuman abs into the concept of ‘mommy track’ 32 / B a r n B o y s B r e w
living 08 / Sil o S t y l e
John Solbach draws on his “bunker” school of building, a respect for historical materials and architecture with an upward momentum to create his own rural vernacular
12 / E a s t L aw r e n c e E c l e c t i c A young
attorney transforms a basic rental with the help of family and inspiration from the neighborhood
16 / H a n g in g o n t o O l d Iris e s Carole Mitchell’s
collection of historic irises includes the sublime, the hardy, the bold and the weird
Big dreams of hairy-chested drinks led to years of preparation for the emerging line of Barnyard Beer
28 / Mr . C r e p e What’s A.B.
Rials’ calling card? It’s the smell of fresh Italiano spreading across downtown
as her home training base for its size, facilities and the chance to ride stealth on open roads
wellness
36 / ‘ C o mp l e t e ’ Me di t e r r a n e a n A
60 / N at i v e H a r v e s t A revival of American Indian
40 / ML’ s N e w S o u n d
64 / P e r f e c t in g t h e Di v e Jayhawk Diving Club brings together university, city and a few old-school athletes for competition and health
former medical and engineering student becomes the region’s de facto ambassador for Mediterranean taste
This hometown speaker company sets its sights on a new generation of products with a ‘tuned and created and crafted’ approach
gardening draws on a heritage of techniques, crops and philosophy developed in unison with the North American landscape
68 / J a c q u e o f a l l t r a d e s Transplanted chef creates dishes as American as apple tart
community
identity
74 / T h e T o y B o w l l e g a c y Youth football league links yesterday’s stars, today’s standouts and tomorrow’s hopefuls
42 / B r u s h w o r d s o f G r a n n y B. By listening
market
50 / i t ’ s p ip ! A triathlon champion chooses Lawrence
to memories and speaking through her brush, Beverly Willis-Wyant creates ‘places of peace and tranquility’
78 / A l l D r e s s e d U p a n d Sq u a r e d Away
Dozens of area dancers enjoy a hobby and sport they call ‘friendship set to music’
journey 92 / S e a r c hin g f o r Pa ni o l o s Travel writer Susan Kraus shares advice and tells about the rewards of exploring the world, solo, at 60
features
22 / here be dr agon kil n
An ancient technique brings town and gown artists together each fall for a massive, fiery artistic collaboration
84 / Fa l l , B a ck in Time
An autumn tour of historic Douglas County combines beautiful color with colorful history
neighborhood letter .......................... 56 Q&A . .................................................. .. 90 calendar ........................................... .. 96
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/ Fall 2010 / Lawrence Magazine
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living story by
/ katherine dinsdale
photography by
Facelift for the farm Silo Style Over many years, John and Patricia Solbach have transformed an old barn into a multitiered, spacious home with three signature silos. The tower-like additions bring in sunlight and create layers of living space while the narrowest silo, far right, holds a small, spiral staircase to access the central silo.
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Artistic skill, clever ideas and a lot of hard work help renovate a family farmstead John Solbach draws on his “bunker� school of building, a respect for historical materials and architecture with an upward momentum to create his own rural vernacular A ddr e s s .. .......................... Y e a r bu i lt ....................... N um b e r of b e dro om s . .. N um b e r of bat h ro om s .. N um b e r of si l o s . ............
Lawrence Magazine
359 N. 1600 Road 1892 ( for original barn) Three three Two and a hal f
/ Fall 2010 / sunflowerpub.com
/ jason dailey
living
J
Patricia and John Solbach, above left, have decided to remain in their unique empty nest after raising their children in their customized home. The walls of the home’s spiral staircase, above right, are lined with windows that provide a climb with a view.
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ohn Solbach was about to begin law school at Washburn University and his wife, Patricia, was working at Menninger Clinic in Topeka when the newlyweds went looking for a house to buy in 1974. They told their real estate agent they liked the idea of something rural, maybe with opportunity for a little sweat equity. Their agent told them that he knew of a place just west of Lawrence that needed to be fixed up a bit. “Really,” he warned them, “it’s just an old barn, not a house where a person could actually live.” Intrigued, the Solbachs went to see the property that Friday. Six feet of weeds covered the crumbling old structure, but the price was right. By the following Monday, it—and the impending renovation work—was all theirs. The couple began their extreme makeover with considerable chutzpah and other clear advantages. John was hardly an amateur at residential design. In fact, his fellow Marine Corps veterans kidded him about the charming aesthetics and workmanship of a bunker complex he constructed during combat in Vietnam. He brought that same ingenuity to the transformative renovation of his home that required ropes and climbing gear, as well as block and tackle. The Solbachs added a half-story with two bedrooms, a bathroom and a study upstairs. Four dormers were added in stages to open the house and give the family more light and usable space. Then they decided to erect two three-story silos, attached to one another, through the kitchen. John marked out the silos by crawling into the space above the ceil-
Lawrence Magazine
ings of the rooms below and using a compass to draw concentric circles on the undersides of the floors. He then drilled up through the roof and used a plumb line to set the silos straight. One silo contains three stories of rooms, and the second, smaller silo holds a spiral staircase that leads to these rooms. A third one-story half silo was added onto the main bedroom in order to provide more light, room and access to an outside deck. As the structure morphed from barn to home, John worked to keep as many of the original features as possible. The stone walls were originally laid with what John calls “a poor man’s mortar:” riverbank sand and lime. John did touch-up tuck-pointing inside and out. Much of the wood used throughout the home and on the roof came from the original barn siding. When John realized he needed more period lumber to do all the work he wanted to do in the house, a perfect source for materials came to his attention. Just down the road, in significant disrepair, was an 1880 twostory frame farmhouse. At first the owner balked at the idea of selling the empty house, but six months later, early on a Sunday morning, that owner knocked at the Solbachs’ front door. When John stumbled out of bed to answer the door, the man announced he wanted the Solbachs to have the house. Again, the price was right. John paid the man $100, disassembled the old house and moved it to his property. He used much of that lumber in the molding and paneling of his living room. On the exterior, careful placement of windows and decks maximizes use and enjoyment of the home’s south-facing orientation. The decks and
/ fall 2010 / sunflowerpub.com
living
In autumn, the Solbachs enjoy rich fall colors, followed by a fuller view of Clinton Lake once the leaves begin to fall. Much of the home’s interior woodwork, including in the kitchen and in the living room, above and middle right, incorporates wood found on the property. The round desk in John’s office, lower right, is cut directly from the trunk of an old red oak.
roof overhangs provide shade in the summer and make the house a passive solar dwelling. From large windows in John’s office, three arms of Clinton Lake are visible. At one time, John and Patricia and their now grown sons, Bart and Matthias, considered building and moving into another home on the property. But in the end, no one wanted to move. The barn, as John says, had been “pared and repaired,” and for many years, it has been simply their home.
John answered a few additional questions about his home. Please share any history of the house of which you are aware. Our home is the structure that has gradually grown from a twostory stone barn built here in the early 1890s. Originally, just to the west of the barn was a log house. The first owners of the property, John and Sophie Busch, had nine children. One of their daughters visited us in the 1970s and said she was about 12 years old when the barn was built. She remembered that her brothers all slept in the barn, while she and her sisters got to sleep in the house.
What is the house’s most unique feature?
What was your biggest challenge in making this house your home?
That would be the three-story, 16-foot-diameter silo.
Initially, convincing all the wild critters that had made it their home that they were no longer welcome inside.
What’s your favorite room and why?
What do you like about the neighborhood?
Probably the kitchen; it is very efficient. There are three ways in and three ways out. The large island is very functional as a work area and as a place for meals with family or a few friends. Floorto-ceiling windows in the base of the silo on the south side provide a rounded six-mile view of the pond, trees, pasture and wildlife surrounding our home.
Although our neighbors live far enough away that they are beyond sight and sound distance and we have a secluded setting, we still manage to see our neighbors quite often. They often invite us over for dinner or drinks, and we help each other when livestock get loose or if we have other problems that require outside help. m
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/ Fall 2010 / Lawrence Magazine
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living story by
/ Amber Brejcha Fraley
photography by
Facelift East Lawrence for the farm Eclectic A youngskill, Artistic attorney clevertransforms ideas and aa basic lot of rental hard work help renovate with the help of a family farmstead and inspiration from the neighborhood
D The Dakota Loomis home, once a fairly ordinary rental property, is now a vibrant residence in East Lawrence.
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akota Loomis is a smart, upbeat, energetic assistant district attorney and a young bachelor who likes to cook. He also happens to be the son of longtime Lawrence residents Michel and Burdett “Bird” Loomis—and it is this parental connection that brought him to what is a much-talked-about home in East Lawrence. In the early 1990s, Dakota’s parents bought the skinny, twostory, early-1900s house in the 800 block of Rhode Island Street and rented it to college students. When Dakota finished law school in 2008 and expressed an interest in moving into the historic house near downtown, the family set to work transforming it from a basic rental property to an equally energetic home that
Lawrence Magazine
/ Fall 2010 / sunflowerpub.com
/ jason dailey
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living
After finishing law school in New York, Dakota Loomis, above left, returned to Kansas for work and chose to collaborate with his parents on redesigning a new home. The house features the work of many Lawrence artists, such as the tomatotheme collage, above right, by Jouvelt.
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suited Dakota’s laid-back but stylish aesthetic. While the house was being gutted, Dakota moved in with his parents at their Old West Lawrence home. “There was a lot of great free food, but beyond that, it gets a little complicated,” he jokes. Making great use of his parents’ experience with cabinetmaking, construction and restoration professionals, Dakota shaped a “Loomis-esque” home. “This house,” says Dakota, “in many respects is a collaborative experiment with myself and both my parents.” General contractor Ken Peters and his crew set to work, ripping up carpet, tearing out floors, knocking down walls, moving one bathroom, putting in an upstairs bathroom where there wasn’t one before and installing a skylight in the once-dark kitchen. Though the Loomises were able to save the home’s original hardwood floors upstairs, downstairs they opted to go with sustainable bamboo. They also removed a tacked-on enclosed porch that was, in Dakota’s words, “basically a scary, sub-Ozarkian shack attached to the back.” When it came time to redo the kitchen— Dakota’s favorite room in the house—the family tapped David Root of Atlas Archimedes. “I’ve been looking at a lot of ’30s-era French architecture, raw wood, raw metal— simple lines,” says David in describing his approach to the project. “I like to use recycled stuff because there’s a lot of it out there.” David constructed the kitchen’s custom cabinetry and shelves from welded steel and
Lawrence Magazine
wood, some of which was reclaimed from an 1880s railroad building in Silver Lake. For the cabinet pulls, David used recycled aluminum oxygen tanks. “I have a little foundry. I cut them all down, melted them, poured them into sand molds to get them into billet form and then turned them on a lathe.” Dakota’s kitchen countertops are custom poured concrete, also courtesy of David, who finished the remodeling project by turning Dakota’s formerly bare patch of backyard dirt into a one-of-a-kind patio with lowmaintenance plants. For the interior, Dakota rounded out the home with brightly painted walls and art borrowed from his parents’ collection, including a couple of David Van Hee masks, a tomato collage by Lawrence artist Jouvelt, a colorful coat tree created by the kid artists at Van Go and a Thomas W. Benton print of Hunter S. Thompson. Dakota’s furniture is an odd collection of pieces bought and procured here and there, much of it used or vintage but
/ fall 2010 / sunflowerpub.com
Bright interior colors and David Van Hee masks, lower left, are found throughout the home that was reconstructed by contractor Ken Peters. David Root of Atlas Archimedes took the lead in creating the kitchen, lower right.
fall 2010
/ Lawrence Magazine
should
clAssy
and
be two
things:
fAbulous.” – coco chAnel
not antique. “I like the cleaner, more simple, more modern style. But it’s eclectic, too,” he says. While Dakota loves his house, he is equally happy with his neighborhood. He likes to talk with his neighbors. He likes that the Social Service League thrift store is nearby. He likes that he’s close to the bustle of downtown, but not so close as to make his street overly noisy. He likes the fun mix of people in East Lawrence, and he likes the fact that so many people take so much pride in their properties. “This block—and this neighborhood in general—has done a lot of renovating. It’s almost as if they’re expecting it to happen,” he says. “Then you start stealing decorating ideas from your neighbors as you get to know the neighborhood.” Dakota reflects on that thought. “Basically, this entire house was the result of stealing really good ideas from other people.” m
“A girl
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15
living story by
/ Nancy Vogel
photography by
Facelift for Hanging on the to Old farm Irises Carole Mitchell’s Artistic skill, clever collection ideas and of historic a lot of hard iriseswork help renovate includes the sublime, a familythe farmstead hardy, the bold and the weird ‘Titan’s Glory’ is one of the darker shades of irises in Carole Mitchell’s garden. This variety won the 1988 Dykes Medal, an award given to an outstanding iris, by the American Iris Society, usually each year.
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I
ris grower Carole Mitchell has more than one iris garden: “I have a Dykes garden. I have a historic garden. I have a dwarf garden. I have a garden of just things I’ve not known where else to put.” Her Dykes garden features iris hybrids that have received the North American Dykes Medal, named for a horticulturist from England, W.R. Dykes, and awarded most years to an outstanding iris. Mitchell has a complete Dykes collection going back to 1927. Mitchell, a member of the Douglas County Master Gardeners, fell in love with irises in 1973 when her sister sent her some irises rescued from a retiring gardener. Then, in 1993, she attended
Lawrence Magazine
/ Fall 2010 / sunflowerpub.com
/ Mark Hutchinson
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living
‘Mesmerizer,’ above left, is a subtle stunner from Mitchell’s garden. The ‘San Francisco,’ above right, won the first Dykes Medal in 1927.
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a national iris convention in Oregon and gained more respect for her secondhand flowers. “I was thinking about getting rid of a lot of old irises that my sister had given me. They were taking up a lot of space and I wanted to expand,” she recalls. “So I thought, ‘Well, I’ll just get rid of these old things.’ So we went to the meeting of the Historic Iris Preservation Society, and they had this little auction. Just about every one of the plants in that auction were some of what I had. … When they reached $100 a rhizome, I said, ‘I think I’ll hang on to those old irises.’” Mitchell has her favorite irises, such as the ‘Stairway to Heaven,’ a blue and white iris that grows in a stairstep formation, but she says the colors she loves most happen to be whatever is blooming. Irises, for Mitchell, represent beauty and simplicity—part of their attraction. “Anybody who can stick something in the ground can grow an iris,” she explains. And not only are they relatively easy to nurture, they tend to be less expensive than other flowers, such as daylilies. “You can spend $175 for a new daylily,” notes Mitchell. “Most irises, new introductions, sell for under $100. I don’t think irises are much more than $75 for a brand-new introduction. My historic garden, the ones that are not Dykes, that is my best-growing garden. … And I think it’s because all of the plants in there are tried and true. They’re irises that have been in circulation for years and years and years and have been proven to be very good.”
Lawrence Magazine
From Carole Mitchell’s garden … ‘San Francisco’ ‘San Francisco’ is a classic—the original Dykes winner. Unlike most recent winners that have ruffles, flounces and even new protuberances called “spoons,” this iris lacks curlicues and is a very vertical flower, which Mitchell says shows how much the concept of a beautiful iris has changed. “I don’t say ‘improved,’” clarifies Mitchell, “because some of it I don’t think is an improvement.” In fact, a few of the trends are “just plain weird,” according to Mitchell. As an example, Mitchell points to recent Dykes winner ‘Thornbird,’ which has horns coming out of the flower’s beard. Mitchell’s verdict? “Ugly.”
‘cream chiffon’ ‘Cream Chiffon’ is a historic variety iris, meaning it has been marketed for a minimum of 30 years. Mitchell says ‘Cream Chiffon’ combines easy growth, distinction and beauty. Introduced in 1953, it has a simple, classic structure.
‘Ola Kala’ Probably one of the best-known yellow varieties, ‘Ola Kala’ grows in a raised bed in Mitchell’s garden with other Dykes varieties. She says though
/ fall 2010 / sunflowerpub.com
An ‘Ola Kala,’ top left, stands next to ‘Rippling Waters,’ top right, a 1966 Dykes medalist. The ‘Point Clear,’ above left, and the ‘Cream Chiffon,’ above right, are examples of historic irises.
some of the Dykes need to be “babied,” the ‘Ola Kala’ is “very hardy” and easy to care for. In fact, irises such as this one prefer little attention. For example, Mitchell says she is careful never to mulch any iris, which would cause it to rot. And even most champion irises do fine in Kansas weather. “They love it,” explains Mitchell. “Irises like extreme cold and extreme heat, which is why they do so well in Kansas.”
‘MESMERIZER’ Mitchell describes this 2002 Dykes winner as a successful use of the horns, which appear almost as a second bloom emerging from the base of the beard. Mitchell says this variety, like most others, is generally bred on the West Coast, with a climate and soil different from local conditions. But irises adapt well if the rhizomes are first set out in the sun to dry for up to 10 days. Perhaps the best approach for new growers, she says, is to transplant an inexpensive iris from a local garden. “The cheaper the iris, the more likely it will grow for you,” says Mitchell. “And also the closer to home you buy it, the more likely it will grow for you.” m
fall 2010
/ Lawrence Magazine
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Sometimes, the toughest subjects are the most important.
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Artists, students and instructors take turns stoking the front end of the dragon kiln during the three-day firing each fall. The large kiln, on the west campus of the University of Kansas, can hold nearly 2,000 works of art and reaches extremely high temperatures of up to 2,500 degrees.
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Dragon Kiln Here Be
A
n ancient technique brings town and gown artists
Story by Paula Naughtin
together each fall for a massive,
Photography by Jason Dailey
fiery artistic collaboration
24
I Laura Ramberg, above, is one of the many community artists who participate in the annual dragon kiln firings. She describes the process as a “huge collaboration” of city and university artists who otherwise infrequently intersect in their professional lives.
n the daytime, the massive wood-fired kiln draws little notice. It’s low to the ground and huddled in a depression not visible to those driving on the nearby street. But if you are traveling along Bob Billings Parkway on a clear night this fall, you might be startled by the sight of flames leaping to the sky from the top of a brick chimney. When the flames roar, you can see why this type of kiln is called “dragon”—it really does look like a mythical monster belching fire out of the chimney that reaches up like the neck of a supine dragon. Those flames, and the pieces of ceramic ware and sculpture that are tempered and hardened by them, are the results of a collaboration involving dozens of artists, truck loads of wood scraps and five days and nights of constant kiln tending. The kiln itself is nearly 30 feet long with a chimney at one end. Shaped like an arched mound, the inside is 55 inches wide, but with walls more than a foot thick, the outside width at the bottom tops 6 feet. A kiln like this cannot be built; it has to be constructed. Made of fire bricks, it was assembled in 1998 by University of Kansas ceramics students as part of a class. They built small square openings into the side where fuel can be added and placed a door at the opposite end of the chimney to allow air to sweep into the space.
Firing the kiln is a labor-intensive process, so much so that some years it is only done once, and even the initial loading is a complicated process. The ceramic pieces, such as pots, sculptures, tableware, and the wood—mostly scrap wood from a picture frame factory—must be carefully layered and arranged. There must be room to add more wood and, most importantly, provision for air and flames to move through the space during the firing. “The way you load the pieces directs the flame,” explains Marshall Maude, an assistant professor of ceramics at KU who organized the first firing in 2008 with Lawrence artist Ben Ahlvers and has helped
25 3
T
he kiln itself is nearly 30 feet long with a chimney at one end.
1
2
1. Artists use a standard light bulb, top left, to help them peer into the side of the kiln during a final pre-firing instruction. 2. The heat of the kiln spreads from the wooden fuel that is burned and rushes out toward the chimney of the dragon kiln. 3. In the interior of the kiln, ceramic works are loaded in separate stacks and spaced across the length of the kiln.
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Dragon Details
The star of the show: A wood-fired kiln, also known as an “anagama” or dragon kiln.
After days of cooling, the kiln’s door (which was sealed shut with bricks) is opened, the works of art are carried out, the kiln is cleaned and a potluck meal is served as artists spread their work and share the results with one another. The Seer, top right, by Laura Ramberg was one of the largest works of art pulled from the kiln in 2009. Ramberg, who says she has learned to have “no expectations” for how the heat will affect her work, decided to leave the ash-stain on the head’s right side as evidence of the dragon kiln’s contribution to her work.
What: A fall firing with the Chamney family, who donated the land and buildings, as special guests. Who: A town-gown collaboration of University of Kansas ceramics students and faculty and local artists, including Lawrence Arts Center ceramics students. In all, some 20 or more professional artists and amateurs are expected. When: This year’s firing begins with the loading on October 9. The firing is held from October 13-17 and the unloading begins on October 24. The public is invited to attend. Call (785) 864-2951 during business hours for questions and directions. Results: More than 1,500 ceramic works of art with patterns etched on them by flame, ash and air.
27 lead the process of loading some 2,000 pieces of ceramic each year. “It’s like water flowing. The flames move around, up and down, and drop melted wood ash that forms the glaze.” As the flames move, they produce “flashing marks,” which Maude explains are “patterns captured on the pieces as the flame travels across them.” Experienced shift leaders direct the precisely choreographed process that will last several days. They judge when to add wood by the heat of the outside walls, the color of the flame and the sound of the fire. When that time comes, workers on opposite sides of the kiln open the small squares and feed wood into the kiln. Then comes the cry “Stoke!” and the person at the front of the kiln opens the main door, which is only a few feet wide and tall. As that door opens, air rushes in to intensify the heat and circulate ash and hot air. And then the fire roars out the top of the 30-foot chimney and the dragon once again appears. Maude says when the kiln gets really hot, it will almost pulse with its own rhythm, adding that it does “kind of have a life to it.” Working a dragon kiln is an impossible task to do solo. The beauty of this firing is that students, KU faculty, local artists and others join forces on this elaborate process. The rare gathering of town and gown talent produces the art, loads the kiln and takes turns tend-
ing it. The immense scale of the kiln and the length of firing require a team of people, including the critical few with the capacity to stay up all night, throwing wood into the fiery kiln at precise intervals. Finally, five days after the start, the firing is complete. Time to see the results? No—the cooling takes longer than the firing. It’s another week before the kiln is carefully unloaded. The results, says artist Jimmy Eddings, who has led the Lawrence Arts Center contingent, can surprise you. The flames, heat, ash and airflow can create unexpected outcomes. “You have to let things go, just accept what happens,” says Eddings. Maude says the actual ceramics are only a part of the benefits. “It’s a great learning opportunity for the students. They have to be actively involved; they can’t just turn it on like an electric kiln. …You can get such a great idea of fuel combustion, of the way the glazes are formed.” Both Maude and Eddings believe that the cooperative nature of the firing is the most valuable lesson. “The firing is a good opportunity to work in collaboration,” explains Maude. “Usually artists work solo. This allows them to work collectively.” Eddings agrees: “I think that the collaboration is what really excites me—how they mesh and come together.” m
Artists monitor a side-stock port, far left, of the kiln. These eight smaller portals become essential for monitoring and affecting the kiln’s temperature in the later stages of the firing. Nicholas Goss, left, helps form a line of artists passing each finished piece from the kiln’s interior to the outside.
market story by
/ Lauren Beatty
Mr. Crepe What’s A.B. Rials’ calling card? It’s the smell of fresh Italiano spreading across downtown
A
t first, there was nothing unusual about the couple who came into A.B.’s Coffee and Crepes. They came in, sat down and ordered. They ate, stood up and left. Without paying the bill. Uh-oh. Restaurant owner A.B. Rials chalked it up to forgetfulness. A minor oversight, he thought. But when it happened a second time—and a third—Rials knew there was no mistake about it. Luckily for these dine-and-dashers, Rials takes these sorts of incidents in stride. He laughs it off. He moves on. Not everyone with a business to run would be so nonchalant about such blatant theft. But Rials has plenty of customers who actually do pay, some of whom flock to A.B.’s twice a week—or more. And for Rials, they are the most important ingredients in his success.
above A.B.’s Coffee and Crepes is wedged into a small downtown location, but its smells and reputation have spread across town. below A.B. Rials’ journey as a chef took him across the United States and back to Lawrence.
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‘No one was doing crepes’ Rials has spent more than half his life in one kitchen or another. He started working in restaurants as a teenager and after graduating from Lawrence High School headed west to Eugene, Oregon, to attend college. When he got there, he interviewed for a job as a cook at the local Village Inn. “The franchisee interviewed me. I told him what I wanted to do, and he said, ‘Man, you don’t need to go to school to do that,’” Rials recalls.
Lawrence Magazine
/ Fall 2010 / sunflowerpub.com
photography by
/ Mark Hutchinson
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A.B.’s Coffee and Crepes 17 W. Ninth St.. (785) 856-0650
A.B. Rials recommends calling ahead of time for updated business hours.
And so Rials began his professional career in food. He worked at the Village Inn for several years, flipping flapjacks and grilling burgers by the dozen. When Eugene’s economy crashed, Rials packed up and moved as far away as he could, to Florida. He worked in restaurant kitchens and at a dairy plant before becoming burned out and homesick. Rials moved back to Lawrence, set up a catering business and began cooking for a fraternity. He eventually opened a small café in what used to be the Lawrence Riverfront Plaza Factory Outlets. Rials’ friend and Lawrence businessman Mike Elwell suggested Rials get into the crepe business. “No one in Lawrence was doing crepes,” Rials said. “It seemed like a really good idea.” So Rials found a location that he thought was ideal. Sure, 17 W. Ninth St. was teensy—A.B.’s seats fewer than 10 people inside—but it was all his. He opened for business in 2003.
‘Nutella opened up a whole new world for me’
Rials prepares the bulk of any order from his small grill near the entrance.
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For Rials, crepes are the chameleons of the food world. They start with a simple batter of flour, eggs, milk and a little melted butter. They can become sweet or savory. Delicate or hearty. Crispy or tender. Rials had made crepes when he was at the Village Inn, but there were just a few varieties to perfect, most involving fruit. Now he experiments all the time with flavors and textures. His current favorite on the menu is the Italiano, a crepe stuffed with sausage, pepperoni, green peppers, onions, mushrooms, marinara sauce and a mixture of feta and mozzarella cheeses. “You can smell it downtown when I’m making it,” Rials says. Other popular choices include the Black Forest—ham, brie cheese and apple compote—and
Lawrence Magazine
/ Fall 2010 / sunflowerpub.com
market
the Jason, named after one of Rials’ very first customers, filled with meat from nearly every land animal around plus eggs and veggies. Rials’ dessert crepes aren’t too shabby either. One is full of bananas and walnuts. Another has tender berries. All are slathered in fresh whipped cream. And then there’s the one with Nutella, the rich chocolate-hazelnut spread. Oh my. “Nutella opened up a whole new world for me,” Rials jokes. “It became popular overnight.” For those who aren’t on the crepe train, Rials offers an ever-changing rotation of specials, including down-home favorites like chicken fried steak for $5.99 and tacos for 50 cents apiece on Thursdays. Everything on the menu is less than $7.
The regulars Jason Tucker’s favorite dish on the menu at A.B.’s? Naturally, it’s the aforementioned Jason crepe. Tucker isn’t the dish’s namesake, but that niggling detail hasn’t stopped him from ordering and subsequently devouring it on a regular basis. Tucker and Susan Retter, both of Lawrence, say they have been coming to A.B.’s twice a week for nearly three years. “The food’s good and the company’s good,” Retter says. Kirsten Brown of Lawrence says she loves to bring her two daughters, Kyra, 7, and Kayleigh, 4, to A.B.’s because the atmosphere is family-friendly and she gets a good deal on her favorite crepe, the Florentine (olives, artichokes, garlic, chicken and cheese). Rials takes customer satisfaction seriously. He says he asks each one about the meal and if there’s anything he can do to make the dining experience better. In seven years, only one issue stands out: A customer complained that instead of the usual strawberry compote, her crepe was covered with fresh sliced strawberries. “That still bothers me to this day,” says Rials, who had just updated the menu to include a batch of fresh strawberries. “Everyone knows that fresh strawberries will taste better. But that wasn’t what she wanted, and I would have liked to please her.” m
sunflowerpub.com
/ Fall 2010 / Lawrence Magazine
above In addition to cooking up orders, Rials works as his restaurant’s greeter and cashier. below Regular customers often sit at A.B.’s counter, but if they don’t there are only two tables from which to choose.
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market story by
/ Cheryl Nelsen
Barn Boys Brew Big dreams of hairy-chested drinks led to years of preparation for the emerging line of Barnyard Beer
M above The Barnyard Beer label is based on this original artwork by Teresa Hogan. below Heath Hoadley, left, and Mike Hummell have started a brewing business from inside a customized, barn-shaped shed that sits in Mike’s back yard.
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ike Hummell and Heath Hoadley were living the dream of young 20-somethings. Heath had moved to the West Coast after studying beer brewing in Munich, Germany, and later met up in Lawrence with Mike, who was scheming to start a rap record label. Together, they were on the verge of creating a beer empire. Or so they thought. “We had convinced ourselves we were going to write a business plan, someone was going to write us a check and we were going to build a brewery. After awhile we realized that was not going to happen,” Mike says. “We needed to make some beer.” They invited their friend Dwight Williams to put together a mini-brewery in a shed that Mike kept in his backyard. That barn-shaped, 10-by-10 structure was just big enough to hold what they call “the contraption,” a brewery system of stainless-steel seamless barrels, valves, kettles, pump and copper tubing. Barnyard Brewery was born, and its first batch was made in June 2008. Mike describes this batch—a strong brewer’s brew that they loved but didn’t seem to win over their guests—as their “wake-up call.” They paid attention to what people said, and the recipes began to evolve. Their goal was to make beer that people could enjoy— “accessible” is the word that Mike likes to use.
Lawrence Magazine
/ Fall 2010 / sunflowerpub.com
photography by
/ Jason Dailey
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Details of a rooster, above, and a rusty pail, below, from Hogan’s artwork will be used for labels of particular Barnyard Beer lines.
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“We wanted something that didn’t scare people the first time they had it. A lot of people try to make a really hairy-chested beer, like, ‘I’m a big man because I can drink this.’ Well, who cares if it doesn’t taste good?” Mike says. “The things Heath did after that first party really blew my mind and gave me a lot of confidence to put my time and effort into this.” Their work paid off when Jim Lewis, president of Checkers Foods, heard about the beer and told his family members they needed to investigate Mike, Heath and their brew. Jim’s son, Hank Salmans, is now the chief financial officer for Barnyard Beer and helps Mike and Heath develop their strategy. For now, the partners are focusing on setting up their equipment in The Pool Room at 925 Iowa St., which will become their new brewing base. Then they hope to begin a separate bottling operation. “It’s really important for us to get in bottles. There’s only so many taps at the local bars,” explains Heath. “Once you have that bottle, you always have shelf space.” Where a facility for brewing and bottling the beer might be located is still undecided, but plans include keeping it in the Midwest, whether that is in or near Lawrence. “For the long term, we’re also kind of holding out hope that we’ll be in a barn,” adds Mike “It will be more than a barn—it will be a beer theater.” A barn would definitely fit in with their barn logo, name and beer labels. For their labels they have enlisted artist Teresa Hogan, creator of the mural of the Santa Fe train in the Kansas City Power and Light Gallery at Union Station, to do the designs. Mike says Hogan was given a list of 42 things to include on a canvas of a Midwestern farm scene from a bird’s eye view. Each beer label will include a close-up of a portion of the original art. “People are going to be shocked by this beer when it comes out,” says Mike, “especially after evolving it for basically two years in the backyard.” For Heath, brewing beer is about seeing people’s reactions when they drink it. “I like to hand them a beer and know that I created it, have it put a smile on their faces, and then they ask for another one. That’s the huge benefit for me.” m
Lawrence Magazine
/ Fall 2010 / sunflowerpub.com
market
“I like to hand them a beer and know that I created it.” – Heath Hoadley
The Barnyard brewers plan to load up their brewing system and move out of the backyard while keeping a strong Lawrence connection.
sunflowerpub.com
/ Fall 2010 / Lawrence Magazine
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market story by
/ Kate Blatherwick Pickert
‘Complete’ Mediterranean A former medical and engineering student becomes the region’s de facto ambassador for Mediterranean taste
M above Mohammed al-Zaiti lines his store’s shelves with products found in markets across the Mediterranean and in India, Pakistan and much of Asia. below Al-Zaiti also tries to stock the foods that go into the dishes he creates at the store’s café so that a customer can re-create them at home.
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ohammad al-Zaiti came to the United States in 1989 to study medical technology at Wichita State University and then electrical engineering at the University of Kansas. As the Jordanian national searched for his educational and career match, he also sought a place where he could enjoy the delicious Mediterranean fare he missed. So in late 1998, al-Zaiti solved both problems by choosing the life of the deli and opening the Mediterranean Market and Café. Al-Zaiti’s store is one of the few regional locations offering lamb, goat, beef and chicken in accordance with the Islamic halal preparation and production guidelines. But his store serves food from a variety of Mediterranean countries, including Lebanon, Syria and Greece, plus a few items from Italy. Approximately seven years ago, he added an Indian, Pakistani and Asian section to his shelves. Some of al-Zaiti’s most popular items from the deli and café are spinach pies, hummus, kabobs, chicken shawarma and falafel. Foreign nationals, foreign students and KU faculty members were some of the earliest regular customers at al-Zaiti’s café, now at 3300 W. Bob Billings Parkway. While KU students do visit his cafe, al-Zaiti says they generally aren’t as familiar with his type of food. In talking about falafels, for example, he has learned to describe them as “fried chickpea patties.”
Lawrence Magazine
/ Fall 2010 / sunflowerpub.com
photography by
/ jason dailey
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market “I’m trying to teach people about food through the cafe and then sell things from the market,” he says. The father of two stresses that the market side of his store, offering fresh and imported produce, is essential to his business, especially during tough economic times. “You are not going to eat out all the time,” says al-Zaiti, explaining that customers can try a dish at the café and then buy the ingredients to make the same meal at home for a portion of the cost.
Mediterranean Market and Cafe 3300 W. Bob Billings Parkway (785) 842-9383
Mediterranean Market offers a range of treats such as the Syrianmade Abou Rashed box of baklava, an award-winning international favorite that alZaiti describes as the “gourmet of baklava” that differs from the Greek version, which tends to be more widely known in the United States.
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Al-Zaiti describes this approach as a complete Mediterranean grocery store plus cafe. Customers looking to bring home the taste of Turkish coffee can find all the makings there, including the coffee pot. His shelves also hold prayer rugs, olive oil soap, incense, teapots, decorative plaques with verses from the Qur’an, 15 types of olives and 20 kinds of incense. Lawrence has been a supportive base for business, notes al-Zaiti. Even in the hours following 9-11, he says, the community was there for him. “They came here in groups and showed a lot of support and respect. We never had any problems.” In fact, he says many people came to his market wanting to learn more about Islam. “The diversity you see in Lawrence you see nowhere else,” he explains. “You just feel it.” Another foundation for his store, al-Zaiti says, is patience—a statement that many small business owners would support. “When you make a decision, you have to think more than twice.” And that includes all aspects. “Any waste is not right,” explains al-Zaiti, stressing that he keeps his eye on the bottom line, drawing in part on what he learned studying electrical engineering. “We have a lot of math in electrical engineering. Here, math is money management, and running a business is all about money,” he chuckles. “But for a person, education is the most important thing in life—something we should all have. It will help us achieve our goals.” Al-Zaiti’s latest goal, building his catering services, draws on the food that brought him to the deli and the help of his two brothers who are working their way through college. It’s a way for al-Zaiti to continue doing what he loves, support his family and bring his favorite Mediterranean tastes to any Lawrence party. m
Lawrence Magazine
“I’m trying to teach people about food through the café and then sell things from the market.” – Mohammed al-Zaiti
/ Fall 2010 / sunflowerpub.com
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market story by
/ Cheryl Nelsen
ML’s New Sound This hometown speaker company sets its sights on a new generation of products with a ‘tuned and created and crafted’ approach
T
above MartinLogan built its business on high-end speakers but recently introduced a more affordable bookshelf line including the Motion 4. (Photograph courtesy MartinLogan.) below MartinLogan released the loudspeaker Ethos in the summer of 2010. Company officials say this is the first group of a series of new products they plan to unveil in the coming years. (Photograph courtesy MartinLogan.)
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ype the name MartinLogan in the search engine of your choice and you’ll find praise and appreciative reviews for a variety of handcrafted loudspeakers built by the Lawrence-based company. Founded by Gayle Martin Sanders and Ron Logan Sutherland, who debuted an innovative Monolith speaker at the 1983 Consumer Electronics Show in Chicago, the company has continued to introduce high-end stereo products and entered the home theater market in the 1990s. Among audiophiles, the company is legendary for producing its limited-edition, approximately $120,000 Statement e2 loudspeaker in 1997. But its main products continued to be comparatively more accessible items, such as the Descent subwoofer introduced in 2001 with a price tag of just over $2,000. This spring, MartinLogan introduced a new generation of speakers—the Motion series. “These cost hundreds of dollars, not thousands or tens of thousands of dollars,” says Dean Tassio, vice president of sales and marketing. “They use unique technology currently not found in speakers at these price points.” The best-selling Motion Four, a bookshelf speaker from this series, sells at around $250. “These are easier to configure into home theater systems where you have to use multiple speakers in a room. It uses principles similar to what we
Lawrence Magazine
/ Fall 2010 / sunflowerpub.com
photography by
/ jason Dailey
market
“The culture of this company is very rooted in the Midwest culture, in Lawrence in particular.” – Dean Tassio
use in our larger electrostatics and can be mixed and matched with them,” Tassio says. This summer, MartinLogan launched an electrostatic loudspeaker, priced in the midrange at $6,495, called Ethos that employs new digital technology to improve sound quality. Tassio says within the next year the company will introduce 10 to 15 new products. The new speaker lines aren’t the only recent changes at MartinLogan. ShoreView Industries, a Minnesota-based investment company, acquired MartinLogan in 2005 and in May moved the production end of the MartinLogan speakers to Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. The design, engineering, sales and marketing departments remain at the headquarters in East Lawrence, but the company says it cut 14 local jobs. “The economy has been slowing down, so everybody’s
been in a situation where they’ve had to make do with less or downsize,” says Tassio. “We haven’t been immune to that.” Although 2009 was one of MartinLogan’s worst years, Tassio says 2010 is expected to be one of the best for the company that now mostly markets under the name ML. “Part of that was reacting to the marketplace, introducing this new line of speakers and working closely with our dealer base to help maximize their sales,” Tassio says. Even with the new line of speakers and changed name, the company still emphasizes its highend pedigree. Tassio compares its production to the way fine musical instruments are built. “We produce beautiful cabinetry, a beautiful aesthetic for the product, something that we look to keep artistic in nature, something someone would look at almost as if they would look at a piece of art or a beautiful, fine-
looking musical instrument. And beyond that, the technology needs to be tuned and created and crafted in a way that will produce the best sound quality possible. Not everybody can do that,” he says. Scotty Wenzel, sales director and operations manager, likens his 16 years with the company to being a kid in a candy store. A professional musician who plays guitar with the band Ras Neville and the Kingstonians, Wenzel has owned various MartinLogan speakers and touts their sound quality. “It’s so realistic. You can sit down and listen to our products, and it’s almost a holographic image where you think you can actually hear, you can feel the musicians or artists in front of you in different positions,” Wenzel says. Others outside the company agree. MartinLogan received the Bravo! vendor of the year award from Best Buy in 2010 for its Magnolia home theater. “MartinLogan takes pride in the fact that we are from Lawrence,” says Tassio. “The culture of this company is very rooted in the Midwest culture, in Lawrence in particular. We want our town, state and country to be proud of us.” m
sunflowerpub.com
/ Fall 2010 / Lawrence Magazine
above left Dean Tassio, MartinLogan vice president, says his company expects its new line of speakers to increase sales despite a slow economy. above right Scotty Wenzel has worked for MartinLogan for 16 years and plays guitar for a Lawrence band in his free time. Though the company does not manufacture equipment used by performance bands, its customers are by definition musical fans and MartinLogan’s reputation has benefited from the testimonials of musical legends.
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identity story by
/ nathan pettengill
Brushwords of Granny B. By listening to memories and speaking through her brush, Beverly Willis-Wyant creates ‘places of peace and tranquility’ Beverly WillisWyant, known also as “Granny B,” stands near sculptures created by her grandson, Tom Willis, who first encouraged her to begin painting.
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he’s 78, he’s 85, and at this unhurried stage in their lives they usually don’t have to be anywhere at any specific time. So when they go into the next county for an errand, they take the back roads, driving slowly with plenty of time for her, the driver, to take in
Lawrence Magazine
photography by
the scenery. That’s how she discovered the three cypress trees struggling to grow through the rocks and the scrub. She would drive by them whenever she had the chance, staring as long as possible, hoping to bore the memory of them into her mind, “up there, in those compartments.” She still sees the image of those precarious, plucky upshots in her mind and hopes one day they will come out on her canvas in a process she describes as “having my brush talk.”
Beauties in life Beverly Willis-Wyant’s brush first spoke when she was 58, while recovering, yet failing to fully recover, from a stroke. It had been months past the attack and her
/ Fall 2010 / sunflowerpub.com
/ jason dailey
body was fine, but she was consistently blue, just not herself. Her family members noticed and did their best to shower her with extra attention and love. But it was Tom Willis—one of the older of her approximately 30 grandkids— who discovered what his grandma needed, showing up one day with watercolors, brushes, canvas and a suggestion that she should paint. In the next few days, recalls Willis-Wyant, her mood lifted as she painted one scene after another, images that she didn’t know she had inside her. Most of the creations unlocked from her memory were country landscapes. More specifically, they were scenes of rolling hills and prairies that re-envisioned the land she discovered growing up
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identity
“She [my grandma] had time to point out the beauties in life. She never let me miss anything.”
– Beverly Willis-Wyant
Granny B. made this painting of blossoming redbud trees, above left, after one of her granddaughters requested “something pink.” Granny B. creates most of her work from a small desk in her bedroom where she “sees” the landscapes from her childhood.
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on her grandparents’ farm near Carrollton, Missouri, where the best thing for an 8-year-old girl was to be sent off for the day with a butter-sugar sandwich and instructions to explore. Her grandmother, an avid reader and a woman who did the farm chores and cooked three fresh meals each day for herself, “grampa” and however many grandchildren were bunking with them at the time, was in many ways WillisWyant’s first and most influential art instructor. “She had time to point out the beauties in life. She never let me miss anything,” recalls Willis-Wyant. “We’d sit on the porch and we’d talk. ‘Did you see the bird? Did you notice the flowers this morning? Did you notice the plums in the chicken yard are blooming again?’” These were lessons Willis-Wyant, who prefers to make her way in the art world as “Granny B.,” absorbed and might have drawn upon earlier in her life if it hadn’t been filled with so much else. Granny B. never had a formal art education. She was married and happily raising seven children when she suddenly lost her first husband. Thrown into the role of breadwinner and nurturer, she took a job working 11 hours a day at a hamburger joint. It wasn’t the best of work, but it was just down the road (“easy surveillance distance,” says Granny B.) from her new home. The job also had supportive colleagues and owners who frequently glanced over the grills and out the diner
Lawrence Magazine
windows to help make sure the Willis kids were behaving. Eve nt u a l l y, Granny B. went on to create a career as a social worker and an administrative staff member in the local court system, seeing each one of her kids through school and sending them out with love and some inherited creativity. “Well, they had to be so creative,” she explains, “because they had to make all their own toys.” Many of her children set up their homes around her as she married Jesse Wyant and settled into Eudora, so they were nearby when she had her stroke and then re-emerged as an artist.
/ Fall 2010 / sunflowerpub.com
‘Artist Wanted’ But an “artist” wasn’t what Granny B. considered herself at first. For approximately five years after her stroke, she was dedicated to painting but thought of it mostly as a release, a hobby of recording “places of peace and tranquility.” And then, one day, she saw a newspaper ad. She doesn’t recall the wording but remembers it was somewhat vague: “Artist Wanted.” It also might have mentioned something about England. She answered the ad and discovered it was placed by Sally Helm and Susie Pryor, who were set to open their import store Brits. They were looking for an artist to feature in their shop, then on East Eighth Street, and ideally one with a connection to Great Britain. Granny B. had a connection—her father’s family, the Stevensons, claimed a distant relation to author Robert Louis Stevenson of Treasure Island fame. Even if the DNA didn’t match, the handed-down yarn of their distant kinship was certainly in the spirit of the legendary adventure writer.
identity
And Granny B. definitely had art, piles and piles of it that impressed the two merchants, who posted her work and retain some of her pieces in their personal collections. After that showing, Granny B. considered herself an artist. During the past 15 years, she has been a member of the Lawrence Art Guild, shown in several venues throughout the city and learned a great deal about the practical aspects of art. But Granny B.’s work continues to be an exploration of images coming from her
Granny B. holds one of her recent works, which portrays her vision of the flatlands outside Eudora.
mind and born into the world through her brush. As an artist, Granny B. doesn’t do requests. Even if she wanted to, she explains, she can’t draw anything right in front of her or thought up in someone else’s head. But if she or her patrons are patient, an image will be unlocked from her mind that will surprise and please. For example, a great-granddaughter wanted “something pink,” and Granny B.’s brush remembered an image of rosebud tree blooms at their brightest, loudest pink.
sunflowerpub.com
Granny B., who now works mostly in acrylics, jokes that she will not paint with oils because she “might die before the paint dries.” It’s dark humor entirely suited to the artist who describes herself as “a crusty old lady.” But don’t be fooled by her. She says there are at least hundreds of images stored up, waiting to come from her brush. And perhaps the real reason she doesn’t plan on bothering with oils is because she has an inkling to pick up another medium. Next year, Granny B. turns 79. She thinks that will be a good age to take up welding. m
/ Fall 2010 / Lawrence Magazine
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identity story by
/ Becky Bridson
‘The Most Incredible One’ A champion fitness competitor brings sweat equity and superhuman abs into the concept of ‘mommy track’
A Lawrencebased fitness coach and devoted mother, Lovena Stamatiou-Tuley also happens to be a leading competitor on the national professional fitness circuit.
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B
ecause he’s so little, his stance doesn’t have to be much wider than shoulder width. He pops his hips like he’s sitting in a chair. With his weight shifted backward, he keeps his heels flat on the ground. As he starts the movement toward the ground, he uses his abdominal and back muscles to keep his back taut and straight.
Lawrence Magazine
photography by
Then, his hip joint dips below the level of his knee, a process known in weight lifting as “breaking parallel,” and he uses his quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, adductors and calves to straighten his body back to the start position. When Ryeki Tuley completed his first full body weight squat almost before he could walk and with form any athlete or avid lifter would envy, his mother couldn’t have been any happier. Ironically, Ryeki, who is now 5 years old, also is responsible for bringing balance into the life of his proud mother, professional fitness competitor and physical therapist Lovena Stamatiou-Tuley. “I was the girl who could never say no and tried to do every-
/ Fall 2010 / sunflowerpub.com
/ Jason Dailey
thing,” says the athlete whom Muscle & Fitness magazine heralded as a “Greek goddess” with “standout abs.” “I worked a lot of hours, not as martyrdom. I wanted to be there,” says Lovena. “After having my son, I tried to make it through a couple years that way, and I was failing. I don’t like to fail, so there’s probably some ego behind that, but also feeling like I can say no for him. I had to make some choices, and it was much easier once I had him.” The world-class competitor who describes motherhood as “the biggest, most passionate joy of my life” cut back on her work hours at Lawrence Memorial Hospital as a physical therapist and focused more on raising Ryeki and
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“It’s not about perfection. Just make some good choices. Be a friend to your body. That’s really it.”
– Lovena Stamatiou-Tuley
A mother and professional trainer, Tuley continues to participate in major women’s fitness competitions such as the Women’s TriFitness. This sport calls on competitors to demonstrate fitness skills, present their physique and square off against one another in events such as bench presses and obstacle courses, above left and right. (Courtesy Lovena StamatiouTuley)
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working with her personal training clients at Studio Alpha, which she and husband Marty have owned and operated together since 2003. Although the gym has a website, there is no phone number listed and it fuels itself on reputation and word of mouth as well as the understanding that clients are serious about their fitness. “People want it to be quick, fast and easy. Bottom line is: It’s not going to be quick, fast or easy,” she says. “So take the first steps and plan for the long haul. It is an investment, and it is the most incredible one you can give to yourself and your family.” Lovena’s strong work ethic and constant determination to keep the body—hers and others—healthy may stem from her roots and her parents’ emphasis on education, along with her Midwest values. She grew up helping her father, who is Greek and brought her up to be fluent in his native language, and her mother run their Gladstone, Missouri, restaurant. She graduated from the University of Kansas, where she was part of a national championship cheerleading squad in the 1989-90 season and then received her master’s degree in physical therapy from KU Medical Center. “I was never told that I had to go to college,” Lovena says. “It was just a given. Marriage was never discussed. Babies were never discussed. It was always, ‘What are you going to do next? What are you going to accomplish next?’ I had to prove my path.”
Lawrence Magazine
She credits her husband, whom she met in a gym—appropriately enough—with getting her into bodybuilding and the professional circuit. Her bodybuilding career lasted a short while before she got into a sport that suited her better, professional fitness competition, where competitors are judged on physique and their fitness and athletic abilities showcased during a dance, aerobic or gymnastic routine. Lovena’s experience as a youth gymnast combined with her cheerleading led to a “nice coincidental fit” in her career as a professional fitness competitor. “As a woman, after you graduate,
/ Fall 2010 / sunflowerpub.com
what are your options sports-wise?” she asks. “What are your options fitness-wise? I don’t want to play Bunco all the time or knit.” The woman who eats an omelet with six to eight egg whites each morning and would grow and harvest her own food if she had more time insists taking more responsibility for what we do to ourselves helps in learning to love ourselves and lead healthier lives. She laments that so many Americans seem to undermine their bodies through overeating or poor health habits. “You would never do this to somebody else or even to your automobile,” she says. “Why are you doing it to you?” Health, Lovena says, is a realistic goal for anyone. “It’s not about perfection. Just make some good choices. Be a friend to your body. That’s really it.” In her own life, from her deep respect for the body in its original form and just her contrarian stance, Lovena is avidly against cosmetic surgery, still has her tonsils and wisdom teeth, and has just one piercing in one ear. “My mama told me I was born with enough holes,” quips Lovena before adding: “I am dead serious, very passionate about this stuff. I have so much respect for the body and realize really how miserable we are to it. It’s so forgiving, though. It really is the most fabulous piece of machinery.” m
identity
L ovena Stamatiou-Tuley on
…
… the difference between women and men about body image: “I’ve
always joked that no matter how sloppy a guy looks, he’ll get in a Speedo and run out into the lake and think he looks great and be OK with it. Good for him. Women, on the other hand, we have all kinds of issues with this one piece of arm flab above our elbows.”
… personal training and health: “There’s an empowerment that comes from learning, ‘OK, I broke it. I can fix it.’ Once you get in charge of your own health, I think it carries over into so many other areas of your life.” … pregnancy: “Through it I learned the lesson of forgiveness and
how beautiful the body can be in so many different ways and how pliable and again how forgiving. Stop judging and feeling sorry for yourself. You have something absolutely beautiful, fabulous and wonderful, and you can rebuild it.”
… motherhood: “I’m the girl who probably made fun of the
cheerleaders in high school, and then I became a cheerleader. Then I always had girlfriends ask: ‘Oh, when are you going to be a mother?’ They just wanted me to be miserable like they were. But it has turned me upside down. I just can’t wait to see him [son Ryeki]. It has rocked my world. If you’re not stepping up to the job on this one, game over. Something’s gotta give.”
… professional competition: “You don’t get the kudos that you would if you’re going to be a pageant girl. With them everybody’s, ‘Oh, isn’t she beautiful?’ A lot of people don’t like muscle and don’t like size. You’re not necessarily doing it for everyone else, so you have to be singular-mindedly focused and just a hair OCD.”
… her body: “I look like a little boy in a swimsuit. Standing up there with [women with] a lot of cleavage, yeah, I’ve got boob envy. Sure, I’d like some boobs.”
fall 2010
/ Lawrence Magazine
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49
identity story by
/ Becky Bridson
It’s Pip! A triathlon champion chooses Lawrence as her home training base for its size, facilities and the chance to ride stealth on open roads
Triathlete Pip Taylor stands on the Clinton Lake dam, one of the areas where she has spent much of her training time after moving to Lawrence.
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F
irst, it’s pulling powerfully through the water. Second, it’s pumping pedals passing mile markers on hot, unforgiving pavement, traversing green patches of forest and lush landscape. Third, it’s moving methodically, rhythmically, advancing faster than most atop a crunchy crust of dust. Together, the three sports encompass the grueling but rewarding life of Pip
Lawrence Magazine
photography by
Taylor, Aussie implant and local professional triathlete. For Taylor, the sport itself and all its rigors keep her motivated. “I’ve always loved that feeling of pushing yourself in training,” Taylor says. “I think people outside of the sport don’t realize how much pleasure you can get from pain. Ultimately, if I didn’t enjoy it, I wouldn’t be doing it.” Taylor and her husband, coach, manager and “occasional training buddy,” Justin Drew, have been splitting their time between Lawrence and her original home— Sydney, Australia—since 2008, following the first year of the Lawrence-based Ironman 70.3 Kansas. It’s an event that’s been good for Taylor, who took second place in 2009 and again in 2010.
/ Fall 2010 / sunflowerpub.com
/ jason dailey
“We came here for the race, so I guess I found it by accident,” Taylor says. “I certainly wasn’t planning on discovering it, but the town was great. Great training. Great facilities. It’s got a nice feel to it as well. The downtown has a lot of life, a lot of soul.” Throughout her illustrious 10-year career, Taylor has traveled and competed all over the world. A few years ago, she wanted to focus her competition and training on the United States and its professional circuit but needed a home base within the country’s borders to help provide stability and consistency. She referenced the list of requirements she had compiled that clearly tracked what a city or town should have in order for her
identity
“I’m still learning. I think that’s one of the reasons why you’re in the sport for so long is that there is so much to learn.” – Pip Taylor
Making Lawrence her base for much of the year also allows Taylor to gain a homefield advantage for the annual Lawrencebased Ironman 70.3 Kansas, bottom right. Taylor has placed second in the women’s division for the past two years (bested only by the world’s triple reigning champion) and has made it clear she hopes to take the title in 2011.
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to consider it. In addition to the city’s downtown and training facilities, Lawrence’s shops, restaurants, people and colleges also appealed to Taylor. However, it was size that mattered most for her after she realized several of her favorite West Coast cities were too busy and too developed, which didn’t bode well for training, especially on the bike. “The size means that it’s small enough to get out and ride quiet rides, and yet big enough that it has the facilities,” says Taylor. “To be honest, one of the attractions for me is that it isn’t a triathlon hub. It’s not a Boulder or a San Diego. I kind of like being able to get done what I need to get done, fly under the radar a little bit, I guess, and not constantly be surrounded by the triathlon world. Sometimes it’s nice to be able to escape a little bit.” Escaping and getting done what she needs to get done include not just the discipline, dedication and determination it takes to complete hundreds of miles of distance per week but also winning. Her highlights include being a member of the Australian Elite Triathlon Team, winning the Australian and Oceania Long Course Championship (a route that includes 3 kilometers of swimming, 83 kilometers of cycling and 20 kilometers of running), and numerous firstplace, second-place and platform finishes in the more than 40 major competitions she’s competed in since 2000. There was also a seventh-place finish in the World Championships in the junior elite category.
Lawrence Magazine
There’s nothing junior about Taylor’s work ethic and accompl ish ments, but her love for sport and training did start at a very young age, when she was swimming before she was walking. She gives most of the credit to her parents, not just for her athletic genes— both are avid rowers—but also for the time, transportation, support and money they provided Taylor and her two brothers, all of whom participated at highly competitive levels in various sports, mostly running and swimming for Taylor. She also credits her coaches for their guidance in all areas of her life and the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS), which, when
/ Fall 2010 / sunflowerpub.com
she was burned out from swimming, provided tests that allowed her to decide which competitive direction to take as an adult. “I was looking for something new,” Taylor says. “I really believed that I could be competitive at a sport. I just didn’t know what it was. They [AIS] put you through a whole range of different fitness activities. They compare the results against athletes in a number of sports. A lot of innovative stuff comes out of there.” Taylor’s innovative experience turned into a professional career. Despite her success, Taylor emphasizes it hasn’t been easy. She knew little about riding a bike when she began and even had to learn how to swim and run in a triathlon environment. “I had a lot to learn, and I don’t think the learning process ever stopped,” Taylor says. “I’m still learning. I think that’s one of the reasons why you’re in the sport for so long is that there is so much to learn. Every race you do, you learn something. Even every training session there’s something that you take away that you can reapply and improve upon.” m
(Photograph courtesy Lawrence Journal-World.)
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Pioneer Ridge & Schwarz Road
Love let ter to Pioneer Ridge Neighborhood! The area of Pioneer Ridge in northwest Lawrence is imbued with history. Majestic oaks still stand that may have once sheltered American Indian communities before wagon wheels carved through, leaving tracks as they rattled west. When I attended the University of Kansas, this area north of Sixth Street, south of Princeton Boulevard and somewhere between what is now Lawrence Avenue and Monterey Way was the domain of deer, rocky outcroppings and barns shying away from the road. Two decades later, my husband and I returned, seeking a home. As we coasted down old Trail Road under a canopy of massive trees, Pioneer Ridge resembled an Eden for the Common Man because it was charming and unpretentious, and we could afford it. An opera singer resides among us. A Russian garden goddess has transformed her hilltop plot of good earth. A college professor has forgiven me for backing into his parked car (twice). Friends across the street grant me safe harbor when I lock myself out of the house. Our next-door hero held fast to our fugitive cat, even after she scratched him a bit (OK, a lot). Of course it’s not really Eden: our pear tree lost its right arms during a storm, babies cry at night and people grow old and die. Until then, we can sense the river and hear the Campanile’s toll, reminding us that time here, though blessed, is fleeting.
Love Always, Joy Clumsky
Love let ter to Schwarz Road neighborhood! There’s no official name for our neighborhood, an extension of Schwarz Road stretching from Lawrence Avenue in an “L” shape to Sixth Street. Its most prominent features are huge oak trees that form a green canopy of shade over the street in summer and take on a bronze glow in autumn, extending into our yards as the leaves fall. Squirrels fling themselves from limb to limb or scurry to stash acorns. In spring, rabbits with their young scamper from beneath the bushes. Birds build their nests in the trees among thick honeysuckle vines and the entwining branches of our rose trellis. Our neighbors range from senior citizens to young children. The neighborhood is safer now than it used to be because Skeet Smith grew tired of seeing cars speed by while using our street as a shortcut. He urged us to sign petitions and got City Hall to listen. Now a barrier planted with bushes and flowers stands at Sixth Street and Schwarz Road, and traffic can only enter from Lawrence Avenue. Skeet also started neighborhood get-togethers at his house. When two new young families moved in last fall, other neighbors who had attended his gatherings continued the tradition and held a welcome for them. We want to stay here among the oak trees as long as we can, watching grandchildren climb our backyard cherry tree and turn cartwheels on the front lawn. For us, it’s the ideal place to live. Love Always, Jewell Willhite
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Growing Food. Growing West. The “Growing Food, Growing West” Garden Project is a permanent, sustainable garden on the grounds of West Junior High, created by Community Mercantile Education Foundation and maintained by students like Maddie Williams. Growing Food, Growing West has formed its own group on wellcommons.com, posting regular updates about their progress, information about food sales events, and more! Follow the Growing Food, Growing West group and other local health-minded groups today on WellCommons, or maybe consider “growing” your own group today!
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Maddie Williams, Growing Food, Growing West
wellness story by
/ Suzanne Heck
T
Steve La Cour and Marilyn “Sash” Jessepe honor native traditions, and gardening wisdom, in their North Lawrence plots.
he North Lawrence garden of Marilyn “Sash” Jessepe and Steve La Cour has expanded over the years into a few of their neighbors’ plots. “It works out well with the neighbors,” explains La Cour, “as we always give part of our harvest back to them.” Part of the success and novelty of these gardeners has been that the American Indian couple—Jessepe is Kickapoo and La Cour is Kiowa—follow traditional techniques and plant traditional ingredients. Three of their garden’s mainstays—corn, beans and squash (or pumpkin)—form what other American Indian traditions describe as the “Three Sisters.” When grown together, these three plants benefit each other in many ways: corn grows tall stalks that the beans wrap around, beans tend to absorb nitrogen from their roots that corn needs to grow and
Native Harvest A revival of American Indian gardening draws on a heritage of techniques, crops and philosophy developed in unison with the North American landscape
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Lawrence Magazine
/ Fall 2010 / sunflowerpub.com
photography by
/ Jason Dailey
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wellness
“…[T]he nonhybrid corns and beans that were first produced by American Indian groups provided most of the nutrients needed.” – Dee Ann DeRoin
Physician Dee Ann DeRoin says that concepts developed by native gardeners hundreds of years ago represent important, and relevant, approaches to healthful eating.
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squash grows on low vines that cover the ground to lock in moisture and reduce weeds and pests. In addition to forming a partnership while growing, the Three Sisters vegetables collaborate to help the human body grow. Dr. Dee Ann DeRoin, an Ioway who is a health education consultant and physician formerly at Haskell Indian Nations University, explains that the Iroquois (or Haudenosaunee) people developed the technique. “It was a brilliant concept because corn, beans and squash, supplemented with fish and game, provide the seven essential amino acids that a body needs to keep muscles and bones strong,” says DeRoin. “Today, we tend to rely on dairy products and meats to give us those nutrients. But the nonhybrid corns and beans that were first produced by American Indian groups provided most of the nutrients needed.” DeRoin stresses that even though new hybrid corns are tasty, they have a higher glycemic index that makes them more likely to raise blood glucose
Lawrence Magazine
levels. After the corns are processed, which is now usually the case, they are used in products that can increase obesity and diabetes rates, both pressing health issues for American Indian communities. Traditional native gardens, on the other hand, rely on nonhybrid seeds. In fact, keeping a seed’s genetic heritage pure is often one of the rites of passage in growing a native garden, and seeds are frequently traded among American Indian gardeners. Each tribe might have its own variation of traditional gardening. Jessepe’s family still holds the allotment land that her grandmother received in the early 1900s and practices the traditional Kickapoo/ Potawatomi gardening techniques. Even her religious services, where she attends as president of the Brown County chapter of the Native American Church, draw on native gardening. “Food is a big part of our Native American church ceremonies,” says Jessepe, “and we always set a table of water, corn, meat and berries.” She notes that bread was added to the table after the tribe members migrated to the Plains from the Great Lakes region where they originated. As they gather their harvest this fall, Jessepe and La Cour will integrate traditional techniques at every step, up until the end when they dry their food for storage. “A lot of people freeze their produce,” says La Cour. “But we prefer to air-dry it in the sun just like our ancestors did.” m
/ Fall 2010 / sunflowerpub.com
wellness
Drying 101 –
The Traditional Way Corn 1. Scrape corn from cob 2. Parboil corn kernels 3. Place kernels on window screens and allow to sit overnight inside at room temperature 4. Place kernels between screens and let dry for three days outside; bring the kernels inside each night, spread on a cloth and place in front of a fan overnight 5. If it rains, kernels should be bagged, placed in the freezer and brought out to dry when weather permits Beans 1. Grow beans that dry well and let dry on the vine 2. Shell and place beans in a glass jar 3. Store in a dark, cool location Squash 1. Lightly peel and cut open squash 2. Remove seeds, leaving fleshy part of squash 3. Slice into bite-size pieces 4. Place on top of window screen and dry outside for three days, bringing the squash inside overnight (Marilyn Jessepe says pumpkin or squash might take fewer than three days to dry, depending on temperature and humidity)
Native L.I.N.K. One American Indian from Lawrence who uses native foods in his work is Greg Moore, a Seminole who works as coordinator of the Lawrence Interdenominational Nutrition Kitchen (L.I.N.K.). Moore says he gets requests for foods from some of the American Indian guests who come to L.I.N.K. Moore is more than happy to meet these requests because the recipes, which he often finds in the Seminole of Oklahoma newspaper, meet L.I.N.K.’s mission of serving healthy, nutritional meals. The L.I.N.K. program has been in existence for 25 years and serves more than 2,000 meals a month. Different religious, civic and business groups take selected days and bring in casseroles or cook at the L.I.N.K. site.
Fall 2010
/ Lawrence Magazine
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wellness story by
/ Mary R. Gage
A
The Jayhawk Diving Club practices in Robinson Natatorium at the University of Kansas.
front one and a half? A reverse dive? A twister? You name it, and Gordon Peak at the young age of 77 has done it all. “I’ve been diving for 61 years,” says Peak. “I started in 1949 and coached myself for the first 10 years.” What’s more, he’s still doing it. Peak, a retired educator who travels across North America with his wife, a professional vocalist, regularly competes and practices with the Jayhawk Diving Club at the University of Kansas’ Robinson Natatorium when he visits friends in the area. It may seem astounding that someone who has been retired for 17 years would have the drive and ability to continue in such an intense sport, but there are actually a few other divers in the “older” age group that join the 20-30 elementary- through high schoolage regulars. When an “elder athlete,” as Peak calls himself, makes
Perfecting the Dive Jayhawk Diving Club brings together university, city and a few old-school athletes for competition and health
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Lawrence Magazine
/ Fall 2010 / sunflowerpub.com
photography by
/ Mark Hutchinson
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left Jayhawk Diving Club director Eric Elliott stands with Gordon Peak, a champion senior diver whom Elliott describes as an inspiration to his young athletes. right The Jayhawk Diving Club brings together divers of all ages. Director Eric Elliott says many older students come from outside Lawrence to prepare for their competitions.
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an appearance, club director Eric Elliott is more than happy to allow them practice time. “It’s great for my kids to see people like that diving at that age,” says Elliott. “They had been excellent divers in their day, and they’re actually still doing real dives. It means a lot.” Elliott, who still dives himself, was a competitive diver throughout high school and college, an NCAA All-American and spent time entertaining with clown dives, comedy dives and athletic dives for the high-dive shows at Six Flags Over Georgia. But now he channels most of his energy into his dual roles as club director and diving coach for the KU women’s swimming and diving team. “I always really knew that I wanted to coach. When I was competing, I used to try to coach divers at practice,” he laughs. “My coach was like, ‘Hey, let me do that!’” After arriving in Lawrence seven years ago for his KU job, Elliott also took the helm of the club. Since then, he has led the divers to many awards and individual junior national level rankings and coached one national champion, George “Ford” McLiney, in the 16-18 age category while keeping the doors open to noncompetitive divers or anyone “who wants to come and play around in the water.”
Lawrence Magazine
Elliott says the sport and its positive atmosphere are “a lot better than sitting at home and playing Wii” and can be an ideal outlet for those “adventurous kids who like flipping on the couch.” There are other benefits of diving, says Elliott, such as learning to set goals, understanding how to push yourself and—one quite particular to the sport that expects you to throw yourself gracefully from a height—overcoming fear. In January of 2010, Elliott and his club welcomed a new head coach, Tom Davidson from California-Berkeley. Davidson, a former three-time national champion and member of the International Pan Am Team, credits his diving ability for giving him the opportunity to see the world. Davidson masters some of the club’s technological support, such as filming the divers and breaking down their performance in slow motion, and complements Elliott’s instructions. “It balances out,” Elliott says. “The things that I’m not as strong on, he’s strong on. But me being old and being around forever, I have a few tricks up my sleeve.” Peak apparently is holding a few tricks as well. Shortly after his practices with the Jayhawk Diving Club, he participated this spring in the National Masters Championships. “I didn’t dive as well as I wanted,” Peak, who competes in the 75-79 age category modestly reports, “but still came out with pretty good results.” He finished with first places on the 1-meter and 3-meter dives and third place on platform dive. In the close world of senior diving, champions like Peak often qualify their results with the amused confession of being the only competitor—or one of a few—in their age group. Nonetheless, when you watch Peak dive, it’s just as impressive. m
/ Fall 2010 / sunflowerpub.com
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The Health of Diving
Diving, according to Douglass Stull, an orthopaedic surgeon with OrthoKansas, PA, is a sport fairly open to beginners in relatively good physical shape. “There are no physical abilities that are required [for diving] with the exception of knowing how to swim, making it an easy activity to explore for fitness purposes,” says Stull. Training for diving begins in a “dryland” facility separate, for the most part, from the pool area. Most dryland facilities, including the space used by the Jayhawk Diving Club, contain a trampoline and a diving board with a landing pit. Coaches use a spotting belt and ropes in conjunction with the board and trampoline so divers can safely practice flips, twists and dives. Stull adds, “Diving requires a unique combination of coordination, flexibility and strength. This combination comes largely from the core muscles of the abdomen and back. These muscles form the foundation for building strength in all other muscles in our body.” Because divers must move their bodies with an awareness reminiscent of dancers and gymnasts, diving is often considered an art as well as a sport. In competition, divers are judged on physical skills, plus technique, grace and finesse. So is diving for you? If gaining muscle strength, flexibility, agility and an improved cardiovascular system aren’t reason enough, how about the sheer fun of springing up high, flying through the air and splashing down into cool, blue water? For more information, practice times and suggestions see www. jayhawkdivingclub.com and www.mastersdiving.org or call Eric Elliott at (785) 864-7990.
Fall 2010
/ Lawrence Magazine
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wellness story by
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A
Alain Deroulette’s apple tart is based on a recipe from his mother in France.
lain Deroulette sits with his ginger-haired son in his lap and an apple tart of his creation on the kitchen table. The eye-catching, aromatic tart looks as though it could have come from Martha Stewart’s own hands. When we sample it later, I am struck by how stereotypically French it tastes to my American palate. The flavors are delicately balanced, with just the right hints of apple, cinnamon and apricot; not too sweet and not too … tart. The crust is flaky and buttery while still substantial enough to hold in the thinly sliced apples without even a hint of sogginess. “This is my mum’s recipe,” Alain says, then explains that she was not the one who taught him to cook. “She kept us kids out of the kitchen.” Alain’s life has taken him down many paths. His philosophy seems to be one of savoir vivre; that is, he knows how to
Jacque of all Trades Transplanted chef creates dishes as American as apple tart
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Lawrence Magazine
/ Fall 2010 / sunflowerpub.com
photography by
/ jason dailey
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Deroulette prepared this apple tart at his kitchen in North Lawrence. A former surfer, photographer and chef, Deroulette now makes cooking a side hobby.
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live a full, satisfying life, and he knows when to partake of the opportunities that life presents him and what roles he wishes to play—including father, photographer, house painter, cook, hunter and one-time surfer. The surfing came from his younger days as a self-described “surf bum” in the bay city of Arcachon, France. When he wasn’t at the beach, Alain worked as an apprentice at a photography studio that was contracted through a Bordeaux-based newspaper. In 1980, Alain took another job apprenticing for his aunt and uncle in the kitchen of the retirement home they worked for as he began attending a vocational culinary school. It was during these years that he deepened his love for, and knowledge of, food and cooking. “Being French, people talk about food a lot, so you have an acquired knowledge. You’re expected to know a lot about food and wine.” But, Alain says, the experience wasn’t quite enough to fuel the desire to become a chef. “I have a lot of respect for people who go into that field. It’s a tough business.” In 1982, Alain had the chance to live for a year or so with an aunt in Missoula, Montana, and he found that he liked the area so much that he remained in Montana for 17 years. “It’s not like I have a grudge against France, either,” Alain says. “There are things I miss there, but I like it a lot here.” At the age of 40, while still living in Montana, Alain asked some friends of his if he could join them on their elk hunting trip, and Alain found that he was hooked on hunting big game. Eventually, he made his way to Kansas, where once again he learned to take advantage of what was available. “In Kansas, it took me awhile to get adjusted,” he says. “I’ve now learned to hunt quail, pheasants and turkey.” In fact, Alain usually shoots his family’s Thanksgiving bird. He now lives with his partner, Kim Wilson, in North Lawrence, where they are raising their toddler son and Alain works in his latest career incarnation as a house painter. Alain’s long, interesting journey from France is one that he says he wouldn’t trade for anything. “I’ve been in the States since 1982, and I have no regrets.” Though Alain says he wasn’t thrilled with American cuisine at first, there are a few uniquely
Lawrence Magazine
“I’ve learned to like Jell-O. Somehow I’ve learned to like the texture. And I love potlucks.” –
Alain Deroulette
American foods and food traditions he’s learned to enjoy. “I’ve learned to like Jell-O. Somehow I’ve learned to like the texture. And I love potlucks. That’s something we didn’t have in France. Everything was more formal. I really enjoy that. I really enjoy rhubarb pie and how they mix the pie with ice cream.” But the American pièce de résistance? “Your American hamburgers,” says Alain, with clear love in his voice. “When I was in Missoula, there was a place called the Missoula Club on Main Street where we’d go to get a hamburger and a beer and eat peanuts in the shell, and that was awesome.” m
/ Fall 2010 / sunflowerpub.com
become a fan warehouse414
photos by Matt Porubsky
wellness
414 south east second street topeka, kansas 66607 785-232-8008
Apple Tart à la Alain Crust
2 cups pastry flour or 1½ cups pastry flour and ½ cup whole wheat flour 1 egg 4 ounces unsalted cold butter, cut into small pieces ½ teaspoon salt (if butter is unsalted) 1 teaspoon white or brown sugar 1 cup cold water, or just enough to get the dough to the correct consistency
1 Mix together crust ingredients in a large bowl, adding water a little at a time. 2 Once the crust begins to come together, transfer to a floured working surface and knead with your hands. Alain prefers to have the crust consistency on the sticky side, with lots of flour on the working surface. He says the crust will develop cracks if it becomes too dry. 3 Once the crust has become cohesive, roll it to about 1�16 inch thick. “I use this same crust for my quiches, but I don’t add eggs or sugar,” says Alain.
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Filling
3 tablespoons apricot jam (or flavor of your choice) 3-4 medium-size firm apples, such as Granny Smith, Gala or Fuji Cinnamon and sugar for sprinkling
CONNECT
1 Preheat oven to 375 degrees. 2 Prepare the tart crust and press into a lightly buttered 10-inch pie pan. 3 Leave about a half-inch of crust hanging over the pan edge; fold over and flute with your fingers. 4 Coat the bottom of the tart crust with the jam. “You can use any filling you like. My mom used applesauce, but I love apricot jam,” says Alain. “You can use strawberry, blackberry, hackleberry. … You can become very creative.” 5 Peel and quarter the apples and remove the seeds. (To make apple peel rosettes for the top of your tart, try to save one long peel to roll up into a rose shape.) 6 Thinly slice the apple quarters lengthwise and arrange the apple slices in the pattern of your choice in the pie pan. 7 Sprinkle sugar and cinnamon over the top of the tart. Bake tart in the middle of the oven until the crust becomes light golden brown. Alain says you’ll begin to know when the tart is done by the heavenly aroma in your kitchen. However, “If you’re a multitasker, you might set a timer for a half hour and then check on the tart,” he says. 8 Place your apple peel rose on top of the tart. “You have three or four apples to practice on,” says Alain. The resulting tart is light and delicious but not overly sweet.
Fall 2010
/ Lawrence Magazine
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photography by
/ jason dailey
Carl Heinrich played on one of the original 1963 Toy Bowl teams.
Japanese-inspired garden The Toyadditions Bowl Legacy Youth football league links yesterday’s stars, today’s standouts and tomorrow’s hopefuls
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Toy Bowl veteran Jason Thoren now coaches football at Baker University.
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efore he was a West Junior High Warhawk, a Lawrence High Lion, a Kansas Jayhawk, a Minnesota Gopher or a Baker Wildcat, Jason Thoren played football for the Colts in the Lawrence Youth Football league. “It’s where I got my first taste of organized competition and got excited about playing the game,” says Thoren, 34, now an assistant football coach at Baker University.
Lawrence Magazine
He was fitted with his first pair of shoulder pads as a member of the Colts in the second grade. By the time he reached his last year of eligibility for league participation as a sixth-grader, Thoren and his teammates had earned several of the coveted league championship trophies, which are awarded to teams winning the annual Toy Bowl. “The Toy Bowl is the ultimate prize for youth football teams in the area,” notes Thoren.
/ Fall 2010 / sunflowerpub.com
Since the early 1960s, Thoren and countless other aspiring players have been introduced to organized team competition through Lawrence Youth Football. While not every youngster participating in a youth league continues to play in high school or college, the experience can serve as a springboard for future play. Count new Kansas football coach Turner Gill as a proponent of the youth football league experience. “Learning the fundamentals in youth football helped me establish a love of the game,” says Gill. “It taught me how to compete, taught me discipline and taught me perseverance. “Youth football also gave me confidence. You learn to trust in your teammates and coaches,” adds Gill. “You also learn humility.”
Volunteer strength Several former Jayhawk players have volunteered their time to coach youth teams in Lawrence in recent
community years, including Keith Loneker, Spencer Bonner, Asheiki Preston, Lance Flachsbarth and Charley Bowen. The growth and development of Lawrence Youth Football during its nearly 50 years of existence are a result of many dedicated volunteers who coach or provide league leadership. “It’s a league that for many years has existed to provide an opportunity for young people in Lawrence and surrounding communities to learn the basic football skills and enjoy the fun of being a part of a team,” says Bret Toelkes, who has spent 19 years as the league president. Once again this fall, starting in early September, between 500 and 600 area youngsters will be assigned teams for seven weeks of league competition at the Lawrence Youth Sports Complex. Ottawa and Perry-Lecompton also field teams.
“The Toy Bowl is the ultimate prize for youth football teams in the area.” – Jason Thoren
Red Raiders head coach Tim Nelson throws a pass to Kammal Dowdell, top. The Central Park Chargers, center and bottom right, were an informal team of plastichelmeted schoolboys who helped start a tradition that has grown into the Lawrence Youth Football league. (Chargers pictures courtesy Carl Heinrich.)
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The league is divided into five divisions by grade level. The first division combines grades two and three while the remaining four divisions are separated into teams by grade level from fourth grade through seventh grade. Toelkes explains that younger players are assigned to teams by their home region, though they can select teams, while seventh-grade squads are broken down by where they attend junior high. At the end of the season, the league offers a four-team playoff culminating with the Toy Bowl.
Back in the days The league was born in the fall of 1963 when Lawrence youth sports icon Louie Heinrich organized a rag-tag neighborhood team, the Central Park Chargers, to play a Centennial neighborhood team coached by Max Rife. Rife recalls coaches walking on the field to put players in position and the teams scrambling to ensure that enough players were excused from Sunday supper to make the game. Though those informal seasons focused on fundamentals and fun more than they did on the final score, 47
Lawrence Magazine
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years later Rife can still tell you the outcome of that first game—his team won. Now the athletic director at Johnson County Community College, Carl Heinrich remembers the early years of the league when his father helped develop the blueprint for Lawrence Youth Football. “We’d practiced at what they called the ‘train park’ [now Watson Park]. We had those plastic helmets and some of us would practice in blue jeans,” adds Heinrich. “On Sunday afternoons the team would pile into my dad’s old Ford pickup truck and we’d travel to the game site, which was an assortment of locations around town, and play the game. Quite often, they’d put sticks in the ground to represent the goal posts.” The league now pays tribute to its late founder by awarding the Toy Bowl sixthgrade division winner with the Louie Heinrich Trophy. Sean Williams and his brother, Todd, both longtime Lawrence residents, were among the neighborhood kids who joined Carl on that first team. “We were a bunch of kids that were outside playing sports all the time and our football heroes were people like John Hadl and Johnny Unitas,” recalls Sean Williams, now a real estate agent. “Louie got it all started. He arranged for uniforms, practices and games. It was very exciting for us to have a real team and have games against other teams.” As the league evolved, many other volunteer coaches got involved, and some made lengthy contributions in
teaching football skills. Among those coaches were Chuck Newman and Cliff Hadl, who each spent more than 20 years helping coach league teams. The league now presents coach-of-the-year trophies named in honor of Newman and Hadl at the conclusion of each season. Thoren, in his role on the football staff at Baker, now coaches a few fellow Lawrence Youth Football graduates who are members of the Wildcat team. They help remind him of his days on the dusty sandlot fields in Lawrence. “I loved every minute of the experience,” says Thoren. “It was just fun football in those days.” m
e Ask m
Bret Toelkes, forefront in top photo, stands with a group of current coaches and players including Gavin Greenwood, Preston Greenwood, Tim Greenwood, Tim Nelson, Kwam Dowdell, Willie Dotson, Kammal Dowdell, Zackiyah Sanders, Tyquese Agnew, Scott Henricks, Spencer Bonner, Ian Henricks, Mason Miller, Mason Phelps and Daonté Lowery. Louie Heinrich, above, coaches a group of players in one of the early youth football league games. (Photograph courtesy Lawrence Journal-World.)
Fall 2010
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i t th u o ab
o sh
me
community story by / Barbara Higgins-Dover
photography by
Japanese-inspired All Dressed Up garden additions and Squared Away Dozens of area dancers enjoy a hobby and sport they call ‘friendship set to music’
T Rosalee and Bob Rainbolt are two veteran dancers serving as presidents of the Happy Time Squares club.
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hey were eight couples from Lawrence and the surrounding region who loved to square dance anywhere they could. Together, they traveled to local church basements and dance halls, carpooling and talking along the way. Somewhere on those roads, they realized they should form their own club close to home and got things squared away to do just that.
Lawrence Magazine
Since its first gathering in January 2006 as the Happy Time Squares, the group has grown to an approximately 135-member cast of farmers, teachers, professors, airplane pilots, bankers, police officers, accountants and at least one exbull rider. Happy Time Squares’ current presidents, promenade partners and sweethearts Bob and Rosalee Rainbolt, say the dances, which they attend
/ Fall 2010 / sunflowerpub.com
/ jason dailey
monthly with the club and as guests at other clubs several times a week, are “good for the body, the mind and the spirit.” Bob points out that “even those who are too old to dance anymore will still come, dress up and socialize.” Most of the dancing and socializing is done in churches or schools, where large common areas provide needed space, but the Happy Time Squares often make appearances and demonstration dances at places such as retirement centers and county fairs. The dances are related to—but at a much higher pace and level—the square dance basics that many Kansans know from elementary school music or physical education classes. A perennial crowdpleaser for audiences and dancers alike is club caller Vic Perry, who for more than 30 years has been throwing a little humor into his dance calls, sometimes mixing up everyone in a patter. But the dancers’ rhythms and movements are anything but haphazard. These sharp-stepping partners are the essence of synchronous and harmonious motion as they go through patterns such as the Grand Square or the Teacup Chain.
community
costumes Most any serious group of square dancers will strongly request dancers to appear in “proper square dance attire,” a term that is usually interpreted as western-style long sleeves, dark pants, a bolo or a tie for men and flared skirts with crinoline slips or long, broomstick prairie skirts for women. Square dancing clubs often have a group color, and Happy Time Squares uses a red, black and yellow color scheme (based on the colors across a retired city bus that they once used for trips). The colors, says Bob Rainbolt, are not as important for home dances but are often worn when the group travels to other areas in order to identify its members.
The Rainbolts, upper left, dance in what is called “proper square dance attire,” but the dress code of square dancing allows for many variations, with each club having its own colors, top right and center right. The Happy Time Squares use a red, black and yellow color scheme, bottom right. (Club pictures courtesy of Bob and Rosalee Rainbolt.)
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The Happy Time Squares members are proud of their dancing tradition, rooted in the heritage of the rural American West. But they are also quick to point out that contemporary square dances are quick to draw on tunes from jazz and rock ’n’ roll as well as country. And like other quintessentially American traditions such as bull riding or Elvis impersonations, square dancing has a hard-core following in pockets across the world. Bob recalls being particularly impressed at a convention in Denver by a large group of Japanese dancers and callers who were dapper dressers and excellent dancers, despite not always catching the rapid-fire English calls. But no matter where in the world you might partner up for square dancing, once you know the steps and can follow instructions in English— the lingua franca of the this dance line—you can find a like-minded community to do-si-do. “The caller’s voice might throw you a bit, but the calls are identical and you can walk up, meet three other couples, shake hands and then start dancing like you’ve always known them,” says Bob. m
Lawrence Magazine
/ Fall 2010 / sunflowerpub.com
contacts For those who have never square-danced, the Happy Time Squares will offer free lessons beginning in September. You can then take out your dancing shoes for a series of charity event square dances, including Sharing Our Harvest, a food donation to the homeless on October 9, the Thanksgiving Turkey Trot on November 13 and the Christmas Giving Dance, a food donation for ECKAN on December 11. For more information, contact
Bob or Rosalee Rainbolt at (785) 842-9799 or visit the group’s website, where you can read tips for first-time dancers and watch instructional videos, at www.HappyTimeSquares.com.
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F a l l , Ba c k i n T i m e An autumn tour of historic Douglas County combines beautiful color with colorful history
Story by Mary R. Gage Photography by Jason Dailey
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Lawrence Magazine
/ Fall 2010 / sunflowerpub.com
As summer days mellow into the crisp air of autumn, you hardly need an excuse to go biking or drive about with the windows rolled down. But if you are looking for a reason to soak up the beauty of the surrounding countryside, here’s one: Next year marks the 150th anniversary of Kansas statehood and the outbreak of the Civil War. This autumn, before the anniversary celebrations begin, you can brush up on the Lawrence region’s strong connection to these events and enjoy touring deep, not far. Although events of the past are not visible in Technicolor style, they have left a mark. From Santa Fe Trail wagon ruts cut into a field east of Baldwin to the stone barn in south Lawrence once used as an Underground Railroad station to Constitution Hall in Lecompton, the story lives on. To help plan the tour, we’ve enlisted the help of Katie Armitage, renowned Kansas historian and author of the new book Lawrence: Survivors of Quantrill’s Raid. Armitage guides us through Douglas County, noting some of the area’s historical highlights and providing background. So fasten your seatbelts (or put on your helmet) and relive the richness of our vibrant local history.
Katie Armitage
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The Tour Baldwin Area Baldwin City E. 2000 Road
Santa Fe Trail Park and Black Jack Battlefield | 3½ miles east of Baldwin City, U.S. Highway 56 and East 2000 Road. “The Battle of Black Jack took place here when John Brown’s Free State forces battled with Henry Clay Pate and his pro-slavery force,” says Armitage. “We think that was the first armed conflict between pro- and antislavery groups in a prelude to the Civil War. What’s important about these sites today is that they are so untouched and remain so near to what they were at the time of the 1856 engagement.” www.blackjackbattlefield.org for more information. Old Castle Museum | 515 Fifth St., Baldwin City Kansas’ first university building dating from 1858.
On the way to Lawrence
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Baldwin City E. 2000 Road
The Oregon Trail | Enters the county south of Eudora, then splits and enters Lawrence from the east along Kansas Highway 10 and the south along Louisiana Street. Continues through the center of town to Sixth and Iowa streets and heads west along U.S. Highway 40 toward Topeka. A historical marker and plaque near the Chi Omega fountain mark where the trail crossed Mount Oread.
N. 1100 Rd.
Cty Rd 1055 / E. 1700 Rd
Blue Mound | Southeast of Lawrence on North 1100 Road. An important landmark for Oregon Trail travelers, this hill is visible from the east approach to Lawrence on Kansas Highway 10 as well as from Mount Oread and other places in the city. The trail branches to the north and south of the hill toward Lawrence.
Eudora
E. 1500 Rd.
Signal Oak Hill | 2 miles north of Baldwin on East 1750 Road and visible to the east from County Route 1055. A plaque marks where a large oak stood at the top of this hill. During the border unrest, lanterns were hung in the top branches to alert people at Blue Mound to the north who in turn relayed the alert to those at Mount Oread in Lawrence.
Tour Snapshots A historic fall tour of the region takes you by the sights at (clockwise from top left) Watson Park, The Eldridge Hotel, 1008 Ohio St., and the Wakarusa River along Kansas Highway 10.
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The Tour (continued)
Lawrence
Lawrence Area Miller House | 1111 E. 19th St. On Quantrill’s route into Lawrence. “It was a stop on the Underground Railroad. There was a smokehouse out back where they hid the fugitives.”
Towne House | 743 Indiana St. “There are various reports. Apparently, the landlady’s son or daughter went up into the cupola, saw the raiders coming and sounded the alarm. She later pleaded with the raiders to spare the home, as she was a poor widow and it was her only source of income. They did not burn the house.” Bell House | 1008 Ohio St. “This house was under construction at the time of the raid. Mr. Bell had gone downtown with his rifle when a friend told him it was hopeless, they were surrounded. He tried to take cover but was shot and killed.” Pioneer Cemetery | Constant Avenue, south of the Lied Center. “It was simply a farmer’s bare hill that was the earliest burial place for Lawrence settlers. Fiftyfive victims of Quantrill’s Raid were originally buried there in a trench. Most were later interred at Oak Hill, but five grave markers of victims still remain.” Grover Barn | Lawrence Avenue and Stone Barn Terrace (formerly Lawrence Fire Station No. 4) “This is the best documented Underground Railroad site around the area. Mr. [Joel] Grover kept a diary describing how he built the barn in 1858, and four separate memoirs talk about it being a station.”
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Lawrence Magazine
Kentucky St.
Massachusetts St.
19th St.
House Building | 729-31 Massachusetts St. “Behind the 1920s façade is the earliest downtown structure. It was the only downtown business building left fully intact after the raid.” This building now houses Francis Sporting Goods. Watson Park | Sixth to Eighth streets between Kentucky and Tennessee streets. “This was a very deep, shrub-filled ravine where a lot of people hid during the raid. There was just a rope bridge at Seventh Street to get into West Lawrence, and only 25 or so of the most bloodthirsty raiders came over the bridge.”
University of Kansas
Tennessee St.
Kasold Dr.
Eldridge Hotel | 701 Massachusetts St. “First was the Free State Hotel. It was destroyed by Sheriff Jones in 1856. The second, called the Eldridge House, was destroyed by Quantrill in 1863. After it was rebuilt, it stood until 1925, and approximately two years later the presentday structure took its place.”
Ohio St.
Indiana St.
6th St.
Clinton Pkwy / 23rd St.
Freedom’s Frontier
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t’s no coincidence that Kansas celebrates its sesquicentennial in the same year that the nation marks 150 years since the outbreak of the Civil War. Turbulent events in the state’s early days had repercussions on a national scale, and many historians point to the founding of abolitionist-leaning Lawrence in 1854 and the Bleeding Kansas era as the opening gambits of the Civil War. Even before settlement, Kansas was a significant part of the nation’s westward push as a jumping-off point for the Santa Fe Trail and for immigrants making the arduous journey to Oregon and California. The Oregon Trail dissects Douglas County, crossing through present-day Lawrence, and the Santa Fe Trail transverses the county to the south. This vivid history, well-known to many Kansans, has often been overlooked on a national level. But Douglas County and 40 other counties along Kansas’ eastern border and Missouri’s western border are poised to be designated a National Heritage Area called “Freedom’s Frontier.” “The federal designation will put our area on the national park map and on the map of those coordinating events nationally for the Civil War sesquicentennial,” explains Judy Billings, director of Lawrence Convention and Visitors Bureau. This designation can be traced to a grassroots effort that began more than a decade ago and continues to shape how we understand history. “The ultimate goal of Freedom’s Frontier,” says Billings, “ is to tell people there’s a bigger story here connecting the concept of freedom to all the stories of our area—Native Americans’, African-Americans’ struggle for freedom and civil rights, the immigrants, the Border War and beyond.”
/ Fall 2010 / sunflowerpub.com
Tour Snapshots Blue Mound east of Lawrence on Highway 10, left, and the Towne House in Old West Lawrence both have strong connections to the city’s early and are located in areas where the fall colors are particularly beautiful.
Points of Interest Watkins Community Museum of History 1047 Massachusetts St. Operated by the Douglas County Historical Society in the former Watkins National Bank building established in 1888. Wakarusa River Valley Heritage Museum Bloomington Park East, Clinton Lake wakarusamuseum.com. Regional history, Underground Railroad exhibits including the sculptural composition “Freedom Rings.” Lecompton Area (via the Scenic River Road route)
Leompton
Lawrence
Constitution Hall 319 Elmore St. Headquarters of the Kansas pro-slavery legislature, before Free State legislators took control and moved the capital to Lawrence. Lane University and Territorial Capital Museum 640 E. Woodson Ave. Intended site for the Kansas capital in the 1850s.
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Q&A F ive Things Ab o u t …
Janet Schaake,
CO-OWNER, SCHAAKE’S PUMPKIN PATCH
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hen we asked Janet Schaake to choose five things in her office that tell something about her, she was politely perplexed. Her “office” can be anywhere on her farm, which she owns and runs with husband Larry and which is known throughout the area for hosting Schaake’s Pumpkin Patch for the past 30 years. Beginning the last weekend in September and running through October 31, thousands of pumpkin-pickers arrive at the Schaake farm east of Lawrence to ride wagons, navigate a hay-bale maze, find their jack-o’lanterns and meet three generations of Schaakes.
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Wooden wagon
We’ve always taken people to the patch on the hayrack ride. This is an old wooden wagon we bought in the early 1980s for people to photograph with. We try to keep the area as much of a common working farm as possible, so people see what a working farm is like.
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This one’s a volunteer and probably won’t make it. We started out with about one-half an acre of pumpkins; now we are at 25 acres and 75 varieties of pumpkins. It’s amazing to us how many grownups have never seen a pumpkin growing on the vine. We want them to have that connection, to pull a pumpkin off the vine.
4 Grandchildren: Cael Lynch (in wagon) and Cambry Lynch (second from left)
All four kids put themselves through college with their pumpkin money, and now we’re working on the next generation. We have grandkids putting their money in their piggy banks, and our first grandkid is going to college this fall.
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Pumpkin vine
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The pumpkin patch is at most about one-eighth of our business. We’re a working farm. We raise corn and soybeans and have a cow and calf herd.
Family: Julie Kizzar (left), Sheila Lynch (center), Sharla Dressler (right) and Shari Schaake (far right)
The children started the pumpkin patch basically as a 4-H project. They had a few extra pumpkins and sold them out of the back of a pickup on old Highway 10 with a cigar box full of small change. They all live around us, and we have a son who lives in Manhattan, and he and his family help out each fall.
/ Fall 2010 / sunflowerpub.com
Cornfields
journey story and photography by
/ susan kraus
Fa m i ly f u n … Atlanta is perfect for family fun, and here are some reasons why. Most locations are accessible by public transport or a short drive outside the city.
Searching for Paniolos Travel writer Susan Kraus shares advice and tells about the rewards of exploring the world, solo, at 60
When traveling solo, there might be less of a romantic factor to sunsets such as this one over Maui, above left, but they are just as beautiful. Touring alone means you can spend an entire morning watching a painter, above right. Or you can leave the painting behind, play in the waves and be silly. Nobody will mind.
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hen I was a child, I fell in love with a 1940s book called Pam’s Paradise Ranch. It was a girl-loves-horses adventure-delight, set in Hawaii, amid a world of paniolos (Hawaiian cowboys). So when I heard about a “paniolo experience” on Maui and conveniently happened to already be in Hawaii, how could I resist?
I didn’t have to. When you travel alone, spontaneity is a norm, not an exception. At age 23, I backpacked alone throughout Europe. I was young, idealistic, trusting, naïve. I had a rail pass and sometimes even hitchhiked. No wonder my mother was worried sick. Cell phones, internet and Skype were still sci-fi. We used telegrams or handwritten letters on flimsy blue paper. Alone back then was so much more “alone.”
Lawrence Magazine
I never lost that travel lust, but for a long time—say two to three decades of child-rearing—solo wasn’t an option. I was always packing for more than one. Now, at 60, I have started traveling again. I’m more mature, less naïve, less trusting. The world feels scarier than it used to. Bad things can happen to good tourists. But I’ve also realized that I’m probably safer traveling solo now than I was at 23. The world may be
/ Fall 2010 / sunflowerpub.com
more dangerous, but I’m wiser, less impulsive and pay attention to my instincts. I’m fine with appearing ignorant and comfortable asking for guidance. Just as important, however, is how the world sees women over 60. We are not threatening. This may be a universal truth. And because we don’t scare people, they feel free to talk with us, share a meal, invite us home to see the vineyard. Telling someone how much you enjoy their country and culture and struggling to say a few words in their language often opens communication. Stand on a corner with a map, and it is rare that you will not be offered help in a few minutes (not late at night or in a dark alley, of course, which requires a different skill set, most particularly walking briskly in an alert and determined manner, with a handy-dandy shriek alarm in your hand).
Some benefits of solo travel Solo travel is a way to discover your own opinions and hear your own voice, without interjection from others. When you travel alone, you don’t have to negotiate or accommodate. You can do what you want when you want and how you want. (For a people-pleaser, this can take some getting used to.)
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Solo travel often translates into more time talking with locals. Without a companion to talk with, you turn more readily to strangers with questions and initiate conversations. What continues to surprise me is how readily total strangers do engage and share—and then they are not quite strangers any more. When you travel alone, you’re free to indulge whims and act on impulse. Start the day intending to visit a museum but get sidetracked by a shaded side street of antiques shops and bookstores? It’s OK. Want to eat lunch/dinner at 3 p.m.? You’re the boss. When I travel alone, I often take off my watch … simply because I can. Just as travel with a spouse or friend is a bonding experience—a sharing of something unique—solo travel is a particular way to connect with self. The interior landscape shifts with every mile of the exterior landscape. There is a distinction between being “by yourself” and “with yourself.” Solo travel is the latter.
Some downsides of solo travel There are obvious disappointments in traveling alone. What I miss the most is having someone to squeeze or hug when there is an “aha” moment of exceptional beauty or wonder. If magical moments are not real unless shared, solo travel might not be for you. It can be scary to get sick, fall down, get stranded or lose your passport or purse. Going solo means there is no one to take care of you or help with a solution. You must face being self-sufficient or being willing to “rely on the kindness of strangers.” I’ve struggled with feeling comfortable going out alone at night. The dark is darker when solo (metaphorically speaking), and I feel more vulnerable. I look for ways to manage, whether sticking to crowded streets or taking a taxi
One of the drawbacks of solo traveling is not always having someone to share the “aha” moments, such as walking across the moonscape land of a Hawaiian crater.
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Tips for Solo Travel … Begin with baby steps: Start small, as with a weekend road trip. Focus on skill-building: Make yourself talk to strangers; ask questions; go alone to concerts and events. Approach your home region as if you were a tourist and explore nearby towns, neighborhoods and museums. Look at your surroundings through a different lens.
Luau at the Makena Beach and Golf Resort of Maui features dancers from different Polynesian islands. Sometimes public performances and events can be an opportunity to meet new people when you travel alone. Just take simple precautions and follow your instincts for safety.
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Remember, preparation pays off: Study up on the politics and history of your destination before you leave. Read guidebooks. Consult experts. Google with abandon. Talk with other female travelers for advice. Take advance precautions such as making multiple passport copies, packing extra prescriptions and updating travel insurance. Keep someone informed about sites you will be visiting and places you will be staying. Consider maps your friends: When you understand logistics, you will feel more adventurous. Don’t get trapped in the tourist-picturesnapping-spiral-of-death: It is all too easy to become focused on taking pictures and worry: “If I’m alone, and it isn’t recorded, did it really happen?” It did. And it will. Put the camera down. Breathe.
Lawrence Magazine
even if only for six blocks. Every country is different, so there are no absolutes. I’ve learned to trust my gut, and sometimes my gut tells me to curl up in bed with a book. Dim sum is less fun, as can be meals in general if you want to taste three dishes on the menu and there is no one to share. But even this situation leads to discoveries. At a packed Cuban café in Honolulu, when I leaned over to ask a group at the next table what their interesting-looking dish was, one woman responded by extending a fork, saying, “Oh, you must try it.” Within five minutes, we’d pushed the tables together and I was a part of their extended family.
Back with the paniolos I grabbed an early flight to Maui, then a rental car. With a few days to explore, I started by driving up the switchbacks to the crater of the Haleakala volcano—over 10,000 feet from sea level to summit. Halfway up, the weather was suddenly so foggy that I could barely see the front end of the car. That’s when I saw the sign: “Use headlights in clouds.” After a few more gut-twisting miles, like a plane during take-off, I emerged into sunshine, to a sky of intense and unending blue. The volcano crater was a moonscape, and hiking over the lava beds was
/ Fall 2010 / sunflowerpub.com
an ankle-twisting challenge. I stood above the clouds and howled, from frustration and then awe. It was so not Kansas. The next morning I went on my “paniolo experience” through the Makena Beach and Golf Resort. It was a mountainside trail ride with panoramic vistas. It wasn’t what I’d yearned for, the wild galloping of a 9-year-old’s fantasies (I suppose Pam’s paniolos never had to worry about liability insurance), but the guide shared story after story and we lunched on a grassy patch above the sea where I could smell and feel all that I’d previously only imagined. That night I went to a luau, tourist-driven yet fun, the whole pig lifted from the roasting pit, watching hulas and fire dancers, chatting with newlyweds from Wisconsin and couples from Japan as the sun lingered over the ocean. Traveling solo is an adventure not defined by distance. This journey can be across an ocean or a state line: Maui or Missouri, Alaska or Nebraska. It takes awhile for the buzz in the brain to subside, the chores and obligations to diminish. It takes awhile to get used to being with yourself. And if you haven’t traveled alone before, 60 is the perfect age to start. m
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Tips for Female Solo Travelers … Dress to blend: Study the local women, then adapt. In Germany, I carried a canvas shopping bag with the logo of a local grocery store and wore a scarf purchased from a local store in the same fashion as other women. With this, and no fancy jewelry, I became invisible. Practice being loud: Women are often conditioned to be polite, to second-guess an instinctual response. Don’t. If you feel the least bit threatened or even uncomfortable because of someone, be ready to speak up. Be firm, but if the person does not back off, make a scene. It doesn’t matter much what you say; attracting attention is the best way to stop attention. Saying “stop that now” or “leave me alone” in the local language works, but any language is effective if loud enough. Walking tours: These are an excellent way to orient to a new city. Often sponsored by local historical societies and the like, they are generally low-cost or even free. With these tours, you are not stuck next to one person on a bus and can stroll along chatting with a variety of people. I rarely complete a two- to three-hour walking tour without an invite to share a drink or meal with tourists from other countries (often couples ready for a break from just dining with each other). Many cities also have evening walking tours or even pub crawls, which can be a way to experience nightlife without being alone or feeling anxious. Take breaks: Go back to the hotel or B&B and take a nap. You have nothing to prove. Life is not a race. Less really can be more.
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events s e p t e mb e r HASKELL INDIAN ART MARKET September 11-12 / Two-day outdoor market featuring American Indian artists from around the country as well as dancing and musical performances. Haskell Indian Nations University campus; (785) 749-8467 FALL ARTS AND CRAFTS FESTIVAL
September 12 / Lawrence Parks
and Recreation Department sponsors this gathering of art for sale with musical groups and children’s events. South Park, 1141 Massachusetts St.; (785) 832-7940 FINAL FRIDAYS
September 24 (and last Friday of each month) / Downtown galleries and
venues open at 5 p.m. for an evening of art displays and sales. (785) 842-3883
OCTOBER REV IT UP! HOT ROD HULLABALOO October 2 / Rockabilly bands, dancing, food and a showing of as many as 500 hot rods, rat rods, bikes, antiques and exotics. Free admission with donations accepted for GaDuGi SafeCenter. Broken Arrow Park, 31st and Louisiana streets; (785) 749-1120 KAW VALLEY FARM TOUR October 2-3 / Nineteen farms throughout the Kaw Valley region open to visitors for tours, wagon rides and sampling. Tickets are $10 per vehicle; (785) 843-7058 BERT NASH DASH & BASH October 9 / The Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center celebrates 60 years with 5-kilometer and 10-kilometer runs plus music and street entertainment. Festivities begin at 4 p.m. 600 and 700 blocks of Massachusetts Street. (785) 830-1701
LAWRENCE ARTWALK 2010 October 23-24 / This 16th annual self-guided tour of dozens of studios and galleries features visual artists across Douglas County. (785) 865-4254 (for messages) DOWNTOWN LAWRENCE HALLOWEEN TRICK-OR-TREAT October 31 / Merchants greet children with treats and trinkets. / 5 p.m. (785) 842-3883
NOVEMBER ARMITAGE GONE! DANCE November 5 / Lawrence native and international dance legend Karole Armitage performs contemporary pieces. Lied Center of Kansas, 1600 Stewart Drive; 7:30 p.m. (785) 864-2787 DOWNTOWN HOLIDAY LIGHTING CEREMONY November 26 / Local choral groups perform before holiday lights are turned on in downtown Lawrence and Santa Claus makes an appearance at Ninth and Massachusetts streets; 5 p.m. (785) 842-3883 FAIR TRADE HOLIDAY MARKET November 27 – December 3 / Market of holiday gifts created by disadvantaged global artisans with profits going toward their developing communities. Ecumenical Christian Ministries, 1204 Oread Ave.; (785) 843-4933 FESTIVAL OF TREES
November 29 – December 2 / Annual
display of uniquely decorated Christmas trees to benefit The Shelter Inc.; Liberty Hall, 644 Massachusetts St.; (785) 749-4564
RIVER CITY READING FESTIVAL
October 9 / Children’s authors
and storytellers read and perform for audiences at this free festival organized by Altrusa International Inc. of Lawrence. Lawrence Public Library, 707 Vermont St. DOWNTOWN LAWRENCE FALL BAZAAR
October 9 / Downtown merchants
set up an open-air market. 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; (785) 842-3883
All events are subject to change E-mail your upcoming events for the calendar to lawrencemagazine@ljworld.com
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