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spring 2011
Good Dog! THe bakery that wags tails and creates jobs
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editor’s letter magazine
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editor ....................................................................................................... What if March Madness wasn’t about college basketball? That’s a blasphemous thought in the heart of Jayhawk nation. And far-fetched. After all, what event in the city’s history (and let’s conveniently skip over Quantrill’s Raid) has brought as many Lawrencians jumping up and down, screaming and running into the city streets as did the 1988 and 2008 championship runs? Nothing. Nothing in this town is as widely discussed, viewed, celebrated or mourned as the NCAA tournament. And yet, in Lawrence, a university basketball team has been around for more than a hundred years and competed for decades before sports writers and fans talked bracketology. If, for example, you would’ve asked a man on Mass. Street in 1968 if he was hoping for the Bonnies of St. Bonaventure to go all the way, he would have answered with a bemused expression at best. In fact, argues sportswriter Seth Davis in his recent book When March Went Mad, the entire March Madness phenomenon might have not emerged if not for creative television executives and a historic showdown (Magic Johnson’s Michigan State Spartans vs. Larry Bird’s Indiana State Sycamores in the 1979 NCAA finals). Venerable Lawrence sports columnist Bill Mayer has a slightly different take. He quibbles with Davis’ singling out of the 1979 game and says the NCAA tournament’s local importance has steadily grown since Phog Allen helped put it together in 1932 and that several big games have made it bigger among KU fans. But he agrees that it was only in the early 1980s that the tournament went from a sports event to an obsession. Now, living in the post-madness world, it might seem that there could never be a Lawrence where spring does not have the same basketball fever. But, in truth, there are many “what ifs”—What if James Naismith had moved to California? What if Wilt Chamberlain had remained in Philadelphia? What if Mario had missed?—that could easily have meant that basketball in Lawrence never became quite as important as it will be this spring. What if, for whatever reasons, there was a Lawrence where the intensity of the Big Dance came from somewhere other than the hardwood courts? In this spring edition of Lawrence Magazine, we take that “what if” to the extreme with a humorous piece (p. 82) by writer Pam Grout, who contemplates a world where hairstylists are the local heroes and Lawrence is gripped by March Hair Madness. We’re grateful to the barbers and hairstylists (most of whom are big basketball tournament fans) who brought out their MVP swagger for this alternate reality and hope you share a chuckle at their mock pre-tournament sports bio spreads. But in a more serious sense, this “what if” approach to life around us is a basic premise of Lawrence Magazine. Each of our issues makes the case that Lawrence is full of interesting and dramatic, if slightly less paraded, stories. Sometimes these subjects, such as the success of the Haskell boxing club (p. 72), provide the type of action and intensity that would be natural for a sports broadcast event. But most of them—such as the bird carvings of Joanne Ramberg (p.40), the story of one family’s immigration to the United States and the connection to their ethnic recipes (p. 56), the renovation of a Mass. Street bungalow (p. 8) or our cover story of the Good Dog! Biscuits and Treats business (p. 34)—speak to our lives at a lower volume, though with just as much relevance. We invite you to explore and enjoy the local stories in these pages. Don’t let them distract you, of course, from the big tournament dates. But hopefully they’ll offer you some thought and inspiration for the other Big Dances in your life.
Lawrence Magazine is a publication of Sunflower Publishing, a division of The World Company.
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/ spring 2011 / Lawrence Magazine
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on the cover Rally, a 10-year-old golden retriever service dog who works with Rev. Dorothy Scholtz at Lawrence Presbyterian Manor, enjoys a plate of goodies from Good Dog! Biscuits and Treats at Teller’s, 746 Massachusetts St.
contents
60 / S p rin g S k in S u b l ime Local experts offer treatments to help your skin look its best for warmweather months
living
identity
08 / S o u t h e r n L i v in g o n S o u t h M a s s.
40 / R a mb e r g ’ s F l o c k
Two Georgia transplants are the thoughtful new caretakers of a beautiful old limestone bungalow
Between her family and a distinguished nursing career, artist Joanne Ramberg follows a lifelong study of carving models of her favorite birds
12 / Fa r min g E l e g a n c e
44 / L a r g e r t h a n L if e
The Grinters’ self-made home is an exercise in rural sensibility and natural refinement
18 / S p rin g In h e ri ta n c e A home with a remarkable spring garden (and the devotion to it) passes from one couple to another
market 30 / A S h a r e o f t h e Fa r m A rise in Community
Supported Agriculture programs brings consumers closer to the farmers who help feed them
34 / G o o d V ib e s at G o o d D o g! A work-training
program bakes up treats and business savvy
Jim Brothers sculpts decades of monumental work, from veterans memorials to awardwinning nature studies
48 / W h at H e D e m a n d e d Harley-riding glass artist Vernon Brejcha muses on his legacy, the road and new projects inspired by his rural childhood
community 64 / N o t in K a n s a s A n y m o r e … Lawrence artists pay tribute to the city’s original modern art collective. Now, isn’t that a gas? 68 / D e e r f ie l d ’ s O u t d o o r S t u d y ‘ R o o m ’
Drawing on volunteers and donations, a school’s discovery garden opens the classroom and children to nature
72 / IN HASKELL’ S CORNER The university-based boxing club mentors students and Lawrence youths
76 / S m a l l F l ie s f o r B ig F is h For fly-fishers, the smallest details often lead to the best catches
journey 92 / E at, N a p, S o a k … ( B u t M o s t ly S o a k ) Travel writer Susan Kraus dips into Pagosa Springs
wellness 52 / A N at u r a l C o n n e c t i o n A business
leader devotes his retirement to fostering a love of nature in young generations
56 / A l a d din ’ s K i t c h e n M a g i c Chicken curry
provides a taste of chef’s healthful world fusion
features
22 / Bu t c a n he climb?
This downtown outdoor shop bases its success on employees whose resume skills include mountains climbed and rivers paddled
82 / M a rch H a ir M a dnes s
What if spring fever wasn’t only about college basketball? Writer Pam Grout imagines a world where bracketology means barbershops and beauty salons.
Q&A . .................................................. .. 90 calendar ............................................. 96
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Living story by
/ amBer Brejcha fraley
facelift for the farm artistic skill, clever ideas and a lot of hard work help renovate a family farmstead
southern living on south mass. two georgia transplants are the thoughtful new caretakers of a beautiful old limestone bungalow
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photography by
/ jason dailey
The warmth of something handmade.
833 Massachusetts
Lawrence, Kansas 66044
749-4333
living
M
Michele Reeves and Melanie Wilson, above, fell in love with their Massachusetts Street home, top left, before it was even placed on the market. Renovations in the kitchen and dining room, top and bottom right, brought out the home’s historic heritage.
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ichele Reeves and Melanie Wilson, a couple of self-described “Southern girls” from Atlanta, found themselves looking for a house in Lawrence a few years ago when Melanie was offered an associate professorship at the University of Kansas School of Law. The couple began to look for a house in Lawrence remotely, via the internet. In their searching, they stumbled across a beautiful old limestone bungalow on Massachusetts Street and even traveled from Atlanta to look at it in person. Unfortunately, it wasn’t for sale. Intrigued by the house, though, Michele and Melanie kept tabs on it, and in a couple of months, it was put on the market. Though they looked at other houses, “We just kept coming back to it,” says Michele. The house, with its clean lines, stone porte cochère and carriage house, caught their collective fancy. It seemed like the perfect home for them and their animal companions: two Great Danes named Amicus and Chesapeake, a mastiff named Boomer and a handful of rescued cats. Dating back to at least 1920 (a note scratched into a wood section of the porte cochère indicates this addition was built in that year), the foundations of the home were still very much solid. But the house and its grounds, says Michele, “needed love.” Among the first things they did after purchasing the home was hire a landscape architect to draw up a landscaping plan and an HVAC company to have central air conditioning installed. They also had a carport built on the north side of the house, after they heard the
Lawrence Magazine
words “baseball” and “hail” used in the same sentence to describe Kansas’ fickle weather. Once the contractors were done, Melanie and her green thumb set to work transforming the grounds around the house to her specifications. She planted a dogwood to remind them of Atlanta, a little afraid it wouldn’t survive Kansas’ harsh winters. But, she says shrugging, “So far, so good.” Melanie prefers to plant mostly white flowers, with touches of color here and there. “I like white because you can see it at night, and then when you add color, the contrast is nice.” While Melanie worked in the gardens, Michele single-handedly built the home’s ornate 6-foot fence, board by board, complete with a custom “window” for their big dogs. She also retiled the floors and walls of the kitchen and both bathrooms with crisp black-and-white marble tiles, saying, “I think they hadn’t been touched since the ’40s or ’50s.” In the airy kitchen, they had new countertops and appliances installed. They also had custom pine cabinets and a hutch built by cabinetmaker Matt Jones, who reclaimed the wood from an old house in Newton. Though they did a lot of updating, the couple made sure to choose styles and colors keeping with the era and spirit of their new-old home. In the
/ spring 2011 / sunflowerpub.com
Living
michele single-handedly Built the home’s ornate 6-foot fence, Board By Board, complete With a custom “WindoW” for their Big dogs.
dining room, they opted to keep the glittering chandelier that may very well be original to the house, though they just don’t know for sure. When they need space for a guest, there’s the 900-square-foot carriage house out back, complete with finished bathroom, kitchen, laundry area, bedroom and living room. It’s a luxury the couple tend to forget. “I believe it was a carriage house,” says Michele. “We have copies of a research paper that suggests the original owner might have sold mules to the military.” But as Melanie explains, “When you’re from out of town, it’s hard to know what’s true. You hear things, but you just don’t know for sure.” Melanie and Michele spend a lot of time enjoying the quiet and privacy of their backyard with their dogs. But they also appreciate living on bustling Massachusetts Street, flying their Georgia State and Auburn school flags on their balcony for game days and experiencing a protest or two, a few parades, and March Madness celebrations—all of which make them feel more connected with the community. “When the KU men’s basketball team won the national championship,” says Michele, “it was really kind of neat.” m
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Living story by
/ katherine dinsdale
photography by
farming elegance The grinters’ self-made home is an exercise in rural sensibility and natural refinement
Though most Lawrencians probably know the Grinter farm for its acres of sunflowers, the farm also holds an elegant rural house surrounded by wildflowers.
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m
ary Jane Grinter is a tall, regal woman with a calm, plainspoken presence. Her home, which she shares with her husband, Jim, matches her in its elegance, especially if elegance is defined in a practical problem-solving sense, as something “pleasingly ingenious and simple.” “We are farmers,” Mary Jane says. “Corn and beans are our primary crops.” It’s a necessary reminder for most visitors, who assume the fields of smiling yellow sunflowers that roll out in various directions in late summer are the couple’s main joy in life and livelihood. Carloads of sunflower paparazzi come to photograph the flowers at the Grinters’ farm off U.S. Highway 24-40 northeast of Lawrence.
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/ jason dailey
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living
The Grinters enjoy the associated hubbub, but they don’t lose their focus. “The sunflowers are secondary and more about fun than profit. We rotate the fields we use for the flowers with those we use for corn or beans.” From day one spent dreaming and designing their home, which the two sketched on their computer 12 years ago, the couple’s way of life drove the house design—not, as so often happens, the other way around. “I like space, but typically so much of what’s built is not usable space,” Mary Jane says. “Why would I want to clean a bunch of rooms I don’t use? We designed this house for how we live.” The Grinters have lived on the property since 1960. In 1963 they built a red brick ranch home just down the hill that son Ted and his family occupy. Ted now runs the farm. Another son, Mark, lives in Manhattan. Jim grew up on the property and his mom lived there in a yellow farmhouse until 2004, when she passed away at age 99. The Grinters delight in the joys at hand and make glorious use of the materials nature dealt, as well as of various serendipitous discoveries. All the wood used in the home, with the exception of the oak in a spiral staircase, is from their property. The kitchen backsplash is made from copper sheeting Jim bought and had fabricated near Tonganoxie. There were some non-negotiables in the plans. “Jim is a true farmer at heart,” Mary Jane says. “All his waking thoughts are about the farm. He lives and breathes the farm, and he wanted a captain’s walk on the second floor in order to be able to see his land and his crops in all directions.” The Grinters eventually expanded the wedding cake design to include a bit more space and structural support, but the view from the customized deck is a breathtaking expanse of rolling hills in all directions. The house design limits marital friction as well. The master bathroom is a straight shot from the back door. “Jim comes home dirty most every day. We designed the master
TOP LEFT: Natural wood fills the Grinter home. TOP RIGHT: A sliding door in the home’s front entry is embedded with bullets left lodged in the Grinters’ tree. The long-ago gunman and his intended target remain unknown. BOTTOM RIGHT: Mary Jane works on her art projects from a basement studio. OPPOSITE: Son-in-law Jeff Stilgenbauer used the lumber from a single old black walnut to construct all the home’s doors and woodwork. Wood from other trees found on the property, including hedge, Kentucky coffee bean, elm, sycamore and white and red oak, went to make shelving, cabinetry and floors.
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Living
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living
“Why would I want to clean a bunch of rooms I don’t use? We designed this house for how we live.”
– Mary Jane Grinter
above: Wildflowers surround the Grinter home. Top Right: The Grinters’ living room, top right, with its windows looking into surrounding tree branches, reflects Mary Jane’s desire to have a home “up high and close to the woods.” Center Right: The Grinters pieced a beautiful parquet floor for the kitchen, but when they tried to hire a workman to install the tiles he declined, claiming it would never set square. Undeterred, they did the job themselves.
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bathroom with that fact in mind. He can access that easily when he comes home muddy.” As they furnished the house, the Grinters put in place treasures collected over the years. An example is a family room desk constructed from the wood of a bowling alley lane. It’s a good reminder, Mary Jane says, of a poor investment they once made in a failing business. “This desk is our only return,” she says. Because the couple entertain the whole family only a couple of times a year, Mary Jane says she didn’t need a formal dining room. When necessary, a drop-leaf table expands to accommodate a crowd. That extension instantly converts the front hall of the home into a dining room. Otherwise the space serves as a gallery, because Mary Jane isn’t just a farmer, either. She’s a painter and custom framer. Her roomy studio is in the walk-out basement. Pieces hanging in the front hall include an acrylic, Beachrise, depicting a favorite vacation spot, and a painting of Copley Square in Boston. A stand of tulips she painted plein air hangs on an adjacent wall. Other works were purchased from artists who have shown at the annual Haskell Indian Art Market. “Lately we’ve been cultivating wildflowers,” Mary Jane says, describing with enthusiasm yet another source of delight. “In the late spring there are larkspur and daffodils in the woods. There are bluebells and Sweet William. Wild columbine is what the hummingbirds like. “Jim and I have a love-hate relationship with the wildflowers. They look great until they go to seed. Then they’re unsightly. Jim actually wants them to go to seed so he can collect the seeds. Even though they are wild, we try to manage them. But wildflowers don’t manage well.” It’s doubtful that Mary Jane gets too worked up about scraggly wildflowers gone to seed. More likely she finds the beauty at hand and just calls it home. m
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Providing fine furniture and home accessories for over 15 years. *Come See our New Larger LoCatioN*
647 Massachusetts st.
Downtown Lawrence
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785-842-6000
Living story by
/ lauren Beatty
photography by
spring inheritance a home with a remarkable spring garden (and the devotion to it) passes from one couple to another Susan and Bill Skepnek bought a dream home in Lawrence. But when the first spring arrived, they realized they also purchased an awe-inspiring garden that they have come to love and curate.
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t
his is Dick and Carolyn Wagstaff ’s home. That’s the first thing Bill and Susan Skepnek will tell you about the handsome Edward Tanner-designed Dutch Colonial on Westwood Road. Sure, the Skepneks are living there and paying the mortgage—and have been since January 2008—but in their eyes, they have yet to claim full ownership. The disclaimer goes for the house itself and the gorgeous, tree-studded, flower-fi lled acre and a half surrounding it. “This is Carolyn’s garden,” Susan Skepnek says, pointing to a slope on the west yard full of azaleas and rhododendrons. “It’s not mine yet.”
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living
Inheritance
Come spring, the Skepnek garden bursts with colors from trees and blooms. One addition to the garden is a Jayhawk sculpture, bottom opposite page, a tribute to the university where Bill and Susan met.
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Bill and Susan met on a blind date when they were undergraduates at the University of Kansas in 1971. They married when Bill started law school and then moved to Susan’s native Oklahoma. In 1989, they came back to Lawrence and settled into a home on University Drive with their four children. They thought they’d be there forever. But when the Wagstaffs’ house on Westwood Road—where they had lived for more than 20 years—went up for sale, something implored Susan to take a look. “It was odd,” she recalls. “It was almost like the house talked to us. ‘You have to live here,’ it said.” And so they made an offer on the home, built in 1941 and located on a quiet cul-de-sac near the university. When they moved in, snow was on the ground. But within a few months, the spring garden bloomed with ferocity and the Skepneks took a first look at the riches they had inherited. Susan warned her husband, “You’re going to have to become a ‘yard guy.’” The Wagstaffs were fervent and meticulous when it came to the yard. Their sprinkler system alone had 27 stations. Dick grew orchids, even constructing a summer orchid house on the property, and Carolyn was a master gardener. “We are really benefiting from their love of gardening,” Susan says. “They left us a gift, and I feel an obligation to them and to the neighborhood not to mess it up.”
Lawrence Magazine
A lot to learn Susan Skepnek has always loved being outdoors. She prefers it, really. But she freely admits she’s no gardening guru. When describing all the treasures left by the Wagstaffs, she suddenly gets bashful when she admits she planted some hard-to-kill, disease-repelling Knock Out roses in the vicinity of some more delicate Betty Prior roses left by Carolyn. She needn’t be embarrassed. There are plenty of friends and neighbors keeping an eye on things. “People drive by to check out how we’re taking care of Dick and Carolyn’s yard,” Susan says with a laugh. Or maybe they’re just admiring the stunning, colorful array of plant life on the property. The variety of trees alone is breathtaking. There are dogwoods, a gingko, a black gum, hemlocks, blue spruces, Japanese maples, redbuds, river birches and a white oak. The front yard is full of tulips, irises, daffodils and roses. A hidden side garden houses a vibrant mix of clematis, daisies, hibiscus and oak-leaf hydrangeas. In back, the list of species continues to stretch: sweet-smelling viburnum, peonies, walking stick and holly. Managing a garden of this scope would be daunting for most everyone. But Susan handles it with grace.
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living
“Luckily for us, they designed a yard that isn’t as much work as it looks,” she says. “We never have too many leaves in the yard because they actually planted the trees knowing where the leaves would fall.” Susan says her goal is simply “to keep everything alive.” Her favorite task is doing battle with the weeds and poison ivy. “I could be out there all day,” she says. “For me, it’s spiritual. Part of the fun is knowing I’ve still got a lot to learn.”
The conversation And so the Skepneks continue to enjoy the home and garden they say is not theirs. In the winter, Susan waters the ground and walks the land. Bill likes to set a chair in the attached greenhouse and read. They both like it when the sun comes streaming in through the big windows on the west side of the house. And in the spring, when everything is in full bloom, they take pride in the fact that they are keeping this garden going. “A garden is a conversation between generations,” Susan says. “I would have loved to walk in the garden with Dick and Carolyn. I hope whoever comes after us will love it too.” m
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Dan Hughes has been co-owner of Sunflower Outdoor and Bike Shop since 2001. The store Lawrence includes a climbing wall, 22 where employee Sam Gleeson shows his skills.
Magazine
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BUT CAN HE
CLIMB? STORY BY JULIE TOLLEFSON
1972
PHOTOGRAPHY BY JASON DAILEY
THIS DOWNTOWN OUTDOOR SHOP BASES ITS SUCCESS ON EMPLOYEES WHOSE RESUME SKILLS INCLUDE MOUNTAINS CLIMBED AND RIVERS PADDLED
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“PEOPLE COME IN TO BUY A BICYCLE OR A PAIR OF HIKING BOOTS, BUT THAT’S REALLY JUST THE MEANS TO THE END.” – DAN HUGHES
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TOP LEFT: A pair of unicycles are displayed on the store’s stair landing. BOTTOM LEFT: Kayaks and canoes have been a large part of the store’s sales since the early 1990s. OPPOSITE TOP: He doesn’t climb, hike or paddle, but Stanley the cat still has staff seniority and often takes naps in the store display windows near the front door, opposite bottom.
THE CRUNCH OF LEAVES UNDERFOOT ON A SECLUDED BACKCOUNTRY TRAIL. THE FEEL OF WIND WHIPPING PAST AS A MOUNTAIN BIKE RACES DOWN A RIVER TRAIL. THE EXHILARATION OF REACHING THE TOP OF A TECHNICALLY TOUGH ROCK CLIMB.
804 Massachusetts St. (785) 843-5000 www.sunfloweroutdoorandbike.com
These are the experiences that, if possible, Sunflower Outdoor and Bike Shop would ask its employees to place on the store shelves. “People come in to buy a bicycle or a pair of hiking boots, but that’s really just the means to the end,” says Dan Hughes, who with his wife, Karla, has owned Sunflower, 804 Massachusetts St., since 2001. “They want the ride to the river trail with their kids, or they want the hike through the woods. It’s the experience more than anything else that we’re selling.”
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Lawrence Adam Hess26 says working in a bike shop is the next best thing to being outside on a bike.
Magazine
/
Kansas sometimes has a bad reputation for its lack of outdoor sporting opportunities, especially when compared with Colorado or California, but Sunflower Outdoor and Bike Shop employees tout the state’s hidden gems. “You don’t have to go very far at all before you’re secluded,” says Adam Hess, manager of the Sunflower bike shop. Hess lived for a while in New York City, where he could go months without walking on grass. Around Lawrence, he says, there are some great areas outside town where the city just drops spring 2011away.sunflowerpub.com
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Dan Hughes advocates maximizing the opportunities available and says outdoor enthusiasts need look no farther than Clinton Lake for a diverse mix of quality experiences. There, adventurers can traverse more than 20 miles of “really awesome” single-track trails by mountain bike, explore the lake and its surrounding area from the vantage of a kayak or take a backcountry hike and camp along the George Latham Trail in Woodridge Park. “It’s the same place reused three times, but three cool, different experiences,” says Hughes.
The Sunflower Bike section includes an inventory of competitive racing and recreational models, left. Joe Sweet, below, works on a bicycle at the store.
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Selling experiences, especially the range of outdoor experiences associated with Sunflower’s product inventory, means employing the right mix of knowledgeable individuals who love outdoor sports. For some areas of the store—climbing is a prime example—it can be critical to the customer’s safety for the employee to know how to use each piece of gear. To ensure a balance of expertise in cycling, paddling, hiking, climbing and all the other sports represented at Sunflower, Hughes looks for employees who combine outdoor enthusiasm with traditional resume skills. “I think that in order to work here, you either have to love one of the sports that we do—you have to be a climber, you have to be a biker, you have to be a hiker—or you have to love the business of servicing customers,” says Hughes, who as a college student applied to work at Sunflower three times before he was hired in 1989 by David and Susan Millstein, the original owners who founded the store in 1972. “We believe the ‘hire for attitude, train for aptitude’ kind of philosophy.” Hughes tells the story of two young men Sunflower hired who lacked much outdoor experience—on one hiking trip, they carried all of their belongings in plastic bags instead of backpacks— but excelled in retail. Their time at Sunflower helped them develop strong outdoor expertise, and each eventually departed for key positions with national outdoor outfitters. “Those guys came in as guys that knew all about retail, and we kind of infused them with a passion for the outdoors. When they left, they just stayed on that outdoor track,” Hughes says. Hughes believes in creating opportunities for staff to become deeply familiar with the products—
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Ultimate Frisbees used to dominate the store shelves, but following outdoor trends, Sunflower now stocks primarily discs for disc golf.
and experiences—sold by the store. Staff members regularly venture out as a group on casual bike rides along a levee, night rides on a river trail or hiking and camping trips to Clinton Lake. A team of Sunflower employees and customers participated in last year’s 24 Hours of Leadville Mountain Bike Race, and staff members served 1,400 scrambled eggs and 20 gallons of orange juice during the Lawrence Bicycle Club’s 80-mile Octoginta bike ride in October. Through these activities, they connect with the community, learn to use the products they sell and maybe develop interests in new sports. Paul Davis’ enthusiasm for bicycles landed him a job in the Sunflower bike shop 14 years ago. Now general manager, Davis has learned nearly every position available in the store. The outdoor shop became his primary focus a couple of years ago, though he says at that time he was primarily interested in cycling. The shift pushed him to learn new things and buy a few new toys for himself, including a kayak and enough gear to enjoy a comfortable campout or a light and fast trek, depending on his mood. “I thought, ‘If I really want to be able to sell it, I’ve got to be able to know how to play with it,’” he says. Staff members’ interests also largely affect the mix of products sold at Sunflower, from paddle sports to mountain biking to climbing to disc golf to footbag. Someone in the store is an ambassador for each of those sports, just as past employees championed the now nearly forgotten windsurfing, rollerblades and kites. “Over the history of Sunflower, there have been so many employees who have worked here and helped shape what Sunflower is. They put their stamp on Sunflower, and that’s why Sunflower is the way it is,” says Hughes. “Every year, Karla and I look back and think, ‘This is the best staff we’ve ever had.’ I guess we’re going in the right direction.” m
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Lawrence Magazine
/ spring 2011 / sunflowerpub.com
“I THOUGHT, ‘IF I REALLY WANT TO BE ABLE TO SELL IT, I’VE GOT TO BE ABLE TO KNOW HOW TO PLAY WITH IT.’” – PAUL DAVIS
Paul Davis, top, sets up camp at the Sunflower showroom. A volkswagen bug, right, and a truck hood, far right, are repurposed as store display shelves. The volkswagen’s “LBCR” license plate honors Lawrence Bike Club Racing.
sunflowerpub.com
/ spring 2011 / Lawrence Magazine
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market story by
/ Paula Naughtin
A Share of the Farm A rise in Community Supported Agriculture programs brings consumers closer to the farmers who help feed them
T Mark Lumpe, top, is one of the founding members of Lawrence’s oldest operating Community Supported Agriculture program, Rolling Prairie Alliance. In the off-season, he spends much of his time cultivating mushroom crops, bottom.
his spring, at least three Lawrence-based CSAs are preparing for another growing season for their members. What is a CSA? The short answer is “Community Supported Agriculture.” The meaningful answer is “farmers and consumers working together to grow, support and distribute great produce locally.” And how do CSAs work? That answer can vary as much as the Kansas weather that challenges local farmers. For example, some CSAs require garden work from members. Most CSAs require members to buy an annual share with a portion of money paid up front, before planting season begins, providing the farmers with some literal seed money to plan what and how much they will plant. In return, the members receive a weekly share of seasonal produce. Most CSAs offer half and whole shares. Singles or couples often opt for the half share, while larger families tend to choose the whole share. The weekly food share is usually distributed at a pickup site but sometimes via home delivery. The three Lawrence CSA groups operate with different methods, history and crops, but they share a common goal of fresh, local food.
Rolling Prairie Alliance Mark Lumpe
www.rollingprairie.net
(785) 749-4241
Mark Lumpe, who with his wife, Julie Waters, owns Wakarusa Valley Farm, clarifies that Rolling Prairie is really a subscription service where customers pay by the month rather than handing over all of the share money up front. It’s a model that seems to work well for this group—the granddaddy of local CSAs— which started in 1994 and serves some 350 customers
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Lawrence Magazine
/ spring 2011 / sunflowerpub.com
photography by
/ jason dailey
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market through its member organizations: Conway’s Produce, East Stone House Creek Farm, Hoyland Farm, Maier’s Farm, Sandheron Farm, Wakarusa Valley Farm and the Buller Family Farm. The alliance also partners for CSA distribution with a sustainable agriculture program at Johnson County Community College.
Big hit crops: “Eggs. Also, customers want more fruit.” Underdog crops: “Sometimes a crop can be loved or
loathed depending on the harvest that year. It is either, ‘Potatoes again this week?’ or ‘Where have all the potatoes gone?’” Farm-to-table ideas: “Get a copy of the Rolling Prairie Cookbook [by Nancy O’Connor]. There are other cookbooks on how to use, prep or store your CSA produce. Ask your site coordinator how he grew it and how he eats it.” The CSA pitch: “Our growers are experts at growing certain crops, with over 100 years of collective growing experience. [The Alliance] gives our members a chance to eat seasonally and become more connected to the growing cycle.”
Mellowfields Urban Farm Jessi Asmussen and Kevin Prather www.mellowfields.com
(785) 856-0622
Mellowfields Urban Farm—one of the newest CSAs in Lawrence—is operated by married couple Jessi Asmussen and Kevin Prather, who work on three plots throughout Lawrence. In 2010, their second year, they provided food to 16 half-share and four full-share members.
Big hit crops: “Always a hit: tomatoes, new potatoes,
Jessi Asmussen and Kevin Prather, top, cultivate crops at various plots throughout Lawrence. Jill Elmers, opposite, participates in two CSA projects from her farm in East Lawrence.
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strawberries and sweet Italian onions. We were actually surprised that kohlrabi, the alien-looking cabbage-turnip cross, has been very popular with kids, which was good to hear, because we really like growing it.” Underdog crops: “Save the two very enthusiastic fennel eaters, we have not had a generally positive reception for bulb fennel, which is kind of sad, because they were so big and beautiful this past year.” Farm-to-table ideas: “There are many good cookbooks and blogs that focus on using seasonal produce. And blanching/freezing is also a very helpful method of preserving the spring and fall abundance of greens.” The CSA pitch: “[CSA members] support our farming efforts with their commitment to purchasing our produce throughout the season.”
Lawrence Magazine
“We were actually surprised that kohlrabi, the alien-looking cabbageturnip cross, has been very popular with kids.”
/ spring 2011 / sunflowerpub.com
– Jessi Asmussen
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Jill Elmers is part of two CSAs and distributes the produce shares in several locations. She started Moon on the Meadow CSA in 2007 with distribution points in Lenexa, Midtown Kansas City and Lee’s Summit. In 2009, she added a pickup location on her farm in East Lawrence. “The customers get to see the farm each week and how it changes over the course of the season,” says Elmers. Overall, she supplied 75 Moon on the Meadow members for 2010, with an additional 50 members through a second CSA that she and Mark Lumpe of Wakarusa Valley established with pickups at the Topeka Natural Food Co-op.
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spring 2011
/ Lawrence Magazine
www.ranjbarorthodontics.com 33
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market story by
/ Mary R. Gage
Good Vibes at Good Dog! A work-training program bakes up treats and business savvy
D
The lineup of Good Dog! Biscuits and Treats includes seasonal treats with berries, top. Dianne Huggins, bottom, directs the Good Dog! program.
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ianne Huggins puts fresh batches into the oven and raves about her new treat: “It’s unbelievable! It’s made with raspberries, and it’s delicious.” And how does she know it’s tasty? Because like any good chef she has tasted it—even though it’s technically a “gourmet” dog snack from Good Dog! Biscuits and Treats, a business and employment program through Lawrence Community Shelter. “We taste everything,” she explains. “They’re absolutely for human consumption as well. There’s not enough sugar in them to make most people happy. It makes dogs happy, though.” Huggins has nibbled her fair share during the past five or so years she’s spent overseeing the Good Dog! program, whose beginnings date back to when Huggins, the administrative coordinator for the Lawrence Community Shelter, and a few shelter guests set up a stand at the Downtown Lawrence Farmers’ Market to raise money for the shelter by selling cookies to people, not dogs. They soon realized they were just one of many cookie vendors vying for a bite of the sweet tooth market. Then Huggins was inspired to switch from cookies to biscuits—she figures her dog, Bud, had something to do with it—and Good Dog! Biscuits and Treats was born. With ongoing grants from the Catholic Campaign for Human Development
Lawrence Magazine
/ spring 2011 / sunflowerpub.com
photography by
/ Mark Hutchinson
market
The Dog House 412 E. Ninth St. (785) 766-3357
www.gooddoglcs.org 10 a.m.-2 p.m. saturdays with additional hours in december
(CCHD), the program developed a business plan with parameters that included participant education and the ultimate goal of becoming a standalone business. Huggins and two other volunteer coordinators—Maureen Bernhagen, who handles marketing, and Jessica Hickman, who oversees chef duties—direct a crew of six shelter guests who mix, bake and package hundreds of biscuit bags each week.
New kitchen
Employees of the Good Dog! program prepare the treats, top, and assist with the marketing and packaging, bottom. Rally, opposite, pauses over a plate full of Good Dog! baked goods (Rally photographs by Jason Dailey.)
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Originally, Good Dog! borrowed the Lawrence Interdenominational Nutrition Kitchen to mix and bake, and then packaged the biscuits in Huggins’ office at the shelter to sell at various retail outlets and the farmers’ market. Since May 2010, however, the operation began renting its own space at The Dog House, 412 E. Ninth St. The retail store is maintained cooperatively with other local businesses specializing in canine products and services. Now dog owners can shop for dog biscuits and find handmade dog collars from Daisy’s Diva Designs and dog clothing from Bow Wow WOW—just a few of the vendors at The Dog House. The added space has allowed the business to continue to operate throughout the winter months when the farmers’ market is closed for the season and, as a bonus, led to the creation of some mouth-watering new treats such as sweet potato pie and bacon cheeseburger.
Lawrence Magazine
/ spring 2011 / sunflowerpub.com
Market
sunflowerpub.com
/ spring 2011 / Lawrence Magazine
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market
A l s o f o u n d at T h e D o g Ho u se : Daisy’s Diva Designs – dog collars Bow Wow WOW Dog Gifts – dog clothing Happy Handsome Hounds – mobile pet grooming MacKomics Studio – dog-themed gift cards Kruger Photography – dog and people photography Lawrence Pet Friends – dog sitting and walking Artisan Gifts – dog-motif pillowcases and aprons Dignified Doggies – dog trainers Good Dog! Biscuits and Treats also can be found at: Checkers, Lawrence Feed & Farm, Lawrence Humane Society, The Community Mercantile, Pawsh Wash, Pet World, Topeka Best Pets, Country Meadows and Sunflower Natural Pets.
What’s the top flavor? Well, that depends on whom you ask, though Huggins says her favorite is also the current favorite for dogs— peanut butter and honey.
More than dogs
Rally samples several Good Dog! treats. Though baked for dogs, the treats are entirely fit for humans as well.
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Making tails wag is one measure of success, but the program also focuses on long-term viability and training. Bill Scholl, the regional representative for CCHD, describes the Good Dog! program as one that has demonstrated principles of “helping people help themselves” and “respecting the dignity of every individual.” Loring Henderson, the shelter’s executive director, says Good Dog! is “doing extremely well” by operating under its grant period and moving toward its long-term goal of becoming self-financing. But he stresses the program was never meant to focus on profits or subsidize shelter operations. “It’s designed as a jobs program to help the people in the program with their skills, self-esteem and marketing,” says Henderson. “That’s what we’re most proud of.” Huggins sees those skills growing through daily work and the staff’s participation as board members who set policy and goals. “Our board is more than 50 percent low-income,” Huggins says. “We really want everyone participating. This group has come up with the names of the dog biscuits, a better way to roll them out, packaging ideas, marketing ideas … they’ve been great participants. I’ve been really impressed.” A typical week for the Good Dog! staff starts on Mondays with mixing and baking. On Tuesdays and Wednesdays, the mixing and baking continue and dehydrating begins. Biscuits are baked for a maximum of
Lawrence Magazine
/ spring 2011 / sunflowerpub.com
only 15 minutes, but they’re dehydrated for three to six hours depending on the recipe. The packaging is done on Thursdays, deliveries are done on Fridays and the store is open for business Saturdays. Day-to-day goals include maintaining a high standard of cleanliness and using the best raw ingredients possible. The directors encourage at least a year’s employment commitment from shelter guests. They believe that a year of work looks good on a resume and provides sufficient time to absorb lessons of the working world. “You’ve truly learned something in a year about how to deal with conflict in the workplace and what seniority means,” Huggins says. “People get a taste of what you need to know and what you need to do to get out of homelessness. “My proudest thing is that 16 people that have worked at Good Dog! have moved onto permanent housing and jobs elsewhere.” Huggins hopes the growing success of Good Dog! Biscuits and Treats will inspire other communities to set up similar programs. “We’ll share our recipes with anyone who wants to set up something like this. I would tell them, A to Z, exactly what we’ve done,” says Huggins. “I wouldn’t hold back anything. It would be fabulous.” m
identity story by
/ Cheryl Nelsen
Ramberg’s Flock Between her family and a distinguished nursing career, artist Joanne Ramberg follows a lifelong study of carving models of her favorite birds Of the more than 100 bird sculptures created by Joanne Ramberg, a small flock remains with her at her home.
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E
ig ht y-f ive -ye a r- old Joanne Ramberg’s hands are not as limber nor as strong as they were when she was raising six children, tending to patients in hospitals and carving birds and
Lawrence Magazine
photography by
other wildlife from wood. Now, some of her children are grandparents themselves, and in 2010 she retired from her 62-year career as a nurse, professor and child health assessment coordinator. But she hasn’t given up her hobby as a wood carver. Joanne’s wooden, handcarved birds line the shelves at her home in Pioneer Ridge Assisted Living. These are the remaining ones that she has not given away or sold from the approximately 100 birds she estimates she has carved over her lifetime. “I carved cardinals more than anything, but I love the robin. Another bird that fascinated me
/ spring 2011 / sunflowerpub.com
/ jason dailey
was the Baltimore oriole. I’ve seen him all my life in different spots,” Joanne says. Joanne began observing birds from her childhood Chicago home near Lake Michigan. She would walk along the waters to watch the gulls and sea birds come in over the shoreline. Her father bought her binoculars and the first illustrated field guide to birds, published in 1934 and authored by Roger Tory Peterson, the most sought-after ornithologist and conservationist of his time. She would also pull out that book around home, observing birds nesting in trees outside her bedroom window and growing to love them.
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identity
“Birds have always been tops for me.”
– Joanne Ramberg
Ramberg displays a robin sculpture, above left, and a page on cranes from her field guide, above right.
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“Birds fly, and they make sounds that are extremely interesting. I love animals; I like the wildlife. I’m not somebody that just liked birds only. But birds have always been tops for me,” Joanne says. To observe animals preserved by taxidermists, Joanne would often visit the Chicago Field Museum after age 8, when she learned how to ride alone on elevated street cars and buses in the city. At the museum, the staff allowed her to enter for free and investigate the many corridors with displays in rooms behind closed doors. “I looked at birds, gorgeous butterflies. I looked at all kinds of things. I couldn’t get enough of it,” she says. After growing up and getting married, Joanne moved to Minnesota, where she worked as a nurse in hospitals. But in her free time, she continued her hobby of bird-watching and began carving models of ducks, sometimes based on her own observations but also from decoys. “Decoys would sit still for me,” she explains. After taking a job in Topeka with the public health department in the 1960s, Joanne received her first formal training in wood carving through the Kaw Valley Woodcarvers. “I learned so much from those old chaps who had been carving wood all their lives. It was a wonderful hobby because I liked wood,” Joanne says. It was a natural progression for her to carve birds because she had studied them on her own since a young age. She began to take ornithology classes at the University of Kansas and by
Lawrence Magazine
mail from Cornell University while she was studying for her bachelor’s degree in nursing. She received accreditation to teach ornithology and became president of the Topeka Audubon Society while working at several institutions including Topeka State Hospital, Menninger Clinic, Sheltered Living and the Kansas Neurological Institute. As she continued her career in the field of children’s mental health, Joanne also accepted an offer from Washburn University to teach ornithology. “That’s when my bird carvings became more realistic in anatomy and size,” she says, “except the p e l ic a n s — t he y ’re just too big.” For
/ spring 2011 / sunflowerpub.com
approximately 10 years, she used her carved birds as teaching tools in her classes. “You can really teach when the students have something to hold on to,” she explains. When she wanted her students to see the birds alive in the woods, she took them on field trips. One memorable trip was near Highland Park, where she knew some barred owls could be found. She began mimicking the distinctive hoot of the owl, and one swooped down almost into her face. “He was mad that I was in his territory. And the students asked, ‘How did you do that?’ It awed me I had such power. It was funny because I had this audience, and I never thought that I’d get an answer. That’s the only one I ever bothered to imitate,” Joanne says. Now her imitations are limited to the wooden birds she creates. Her hands still allow her to use some carving tools for boring or shaping or sanding, but carving knives are difficult, and she gets some help from her daughter, Laura Ramberg, a Lawrence-based artist and sculptor. After a piece is carved with a knife, filed, shaped and refined,
identity
Joanne draws feathers with a pencil. Those lines are guides for her wood-burning tool. After a bit more sanding and refining, she colors the birds with acrylic paint. She prefers acrylic to oil because she says it retains the colors on wood better. Once the bird looks as Joanne wants it, she eventually applies a clear, mild varnish. Other details on some birds include legs made of bendable copper wire coated with clay. Some are mounted on driftwood. Although chemotherapy treatments for lymphoma slowed her for a while, Joanne has continued to carve wood. Being busy with her family and working as a nurse, a researcher, an educator and a consultant has been her life. “I think I’ve had an extremely interesting life. I’ve had a life that brought me a lot of happiness and a lot of hard work,” she says. “And the birds have brought me a great deal of satisfaction, going right back when I was a little girl. Sharing that love for them has been a reward.” m
Ramberg continues to carve birds at her home in Pioneer Ridge Assisted Living.
identity story by
/ katherine Dinsdale
Larger than Life
Jim Brothers sculpts decades of monumental work, from veterans memorials to awardwinning nature studies
Jim Brothers attributes his success as a sculptor to an eye for detail and the training to understand the design required for each particular work.
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A
young girl in sculptor Jim Brothers’ northeastof-Lawrence neighborhood once asked him if he was nocturnal. Her family had noticed lights in his studio at all hours. Those 20-hour workdays are less frequent now, since a prostate cancer diagnosis seven years ago. But Brothers is doing very well, he
Lawrence Magazine
photography by
says, holding steady after a stagefour scare. He now keeps a bed in a loft above his studio so he can crash for a few hours, until the excitement of his work gets him back up and at it. In his studio, the sculptor wears a black beret, blue jeans and boots. He is joined by Kathy Correll, his dear companion and right hand. A Topeka native, Correll has worked with Brothers for more than 15 years and is co-owner of Jim Brothers Sculpture Studio Inc. They seem to share a hard drive and draw from years of common experiences that Brothers says have expanded his horizons. “I’m the token artist at many events,” he says. “They don’t bar me at the gate
/ spring 2011 / sunflowerpub.com
/ Jason Dailey
anymore. The art world has given me credentials.” Indeed it has. Perhaps best known for his six larger-than-lifesize busts, Allied Command, and 10 other grand figures at the National D-Day Memorial in Bedford, Virginia, Brothers has been sculpting since he earned his bachelor’s degree in fine arts at Phillips University. But his career as a sculptor was put on hold as he first worked as a commercial illustrator, taught high school art in Nickerson and Emporia in Kansas and then at Liberty, Missouri, before heading back to school for his masters at the University of Kansas. After graduation, Brothers recalls moving in and out of
identity
“I get detached from the works when they are complete. I look them over as if it was someone else’s work.”
– Jim Brothers
Brothers creates his sculptures at his studio northeast of Lawrence. Working models and previous works line the walls of his workspace.
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Lawrence a few times before settling down “forever” in 1985 and concentrating on his art career. From Lawrence he has won numerous awards, starting with a wildlife sculpture in 1986, and had his work shown around the world, such as at the 1992 World’s Fair in Seville, Spain. Among his numerous awards from his national and international showings, this son of Eureka counts three as particularly important because they represent being recognized in his home state: the 2007 Best of Kansas Exhibition for the Kansas Governor’s Inaugural, the 2003 Governor’s Arts Award from the Kansas governor and Kansas Arts Commission, and the 1999 Topeka CapitalJournal designation of Kansan of Distinction in the Arts. He doesn’t dwell on those successes, though. “Once it’s complete, I just want to go on to something else,” Brothers says. “If I see it later and it’s a good piece, I often can’t really feel that I did it. I’ll think, ‘My God, that guy was pretty good,’ sometimes. Or else I’ll think, ‘Holy cow, what was that guy thinking?’ But mostly I get detached from the works when they are complete. I look them over as if it was someone else’s work. It’s like, once your kids are grown, it’s their deal.”
Lawrence Magazine
Brother Packer Known in the art world for his sculptures, Jim Brothers might be better known to many Lawrence residents as the washboard-playing front man for the Alferd Packer Memorial String Band. The folk music group, which Brothers founded in 1979, is the centerpiece attraction for a tradition that it helped create—the annual federal tax deadline concert at Lawrence’s downtown post office. Even this musical outlet, however, has some connection to Brothers’ art. One of the band members, guitar player and photographer Mike Yoder, is one of Brothers’ frequent models. See www. alferdpackerband.com for a list of upcoming concerts, video of Brothers playing the washboard and an explanation of just why the group named itself after a 19th century American cannibal.
/ spring 2011 / sunflowerpub.com
Brothers becomes a little philosophical when he’s asked to define what makes a good piece. “We are in the age of mediocrity,” he says. “Everything is mass-produced and cheap. People can’t seem to tell the good from the bad. Some of what is out there is so bad and so expensive. “Everybody thinks they can do this. They think their grandmother can do it. I am trained in design,” Brothers says. “There can be a deeper appreciation of what is seen with more education.” Brothers seeks to give his sculptures the spark of life. “Two different sculptors with equal talent can craft two different cowboys,” he says. “Only one of those artists, the one who has studied design, will know how to slightly twist one of the formed men in his saddle and provide just what’s needed to bring the piece to life. The observer won’t typically know what has made the difference. It has to do with perspective. It has to do with training in design.” Another important aspect of Brothers’ work is the amount of research he does to ensure accuracy. History and anatomy books clutter the studio. DVDs about World War II are stacked near a television. He tells about having one piece displayed at a show in Kansas City, Missouri, for the 100th anniversary of the Veterans of Foreign Wars. When he went to see it, he realized that one of the bronze soldiers
identity
A bike sculpture decorates the yard outside Brothers’ studio. This whimsical work is a contrast to his better-known, somber war memorials.
had a chinstrap buckle on the wrong side. Brothers hauled the piece back to his studio and corrected his mistake. “I feel blessed to be picked to do some of the memorial pieces I’ve done,” says Brothers. “Documenting a soldier means his life meant something. One woman commented to me that her dad would not talk to her about his time in World War II. When I invited him here to talk about his experience, he brought his scrapbook and talked all afternoon. It was important to him that someone knew the details. … It can be a simple detail that triggers the deep emotions.” He has witnessed the importance of getting the smallest parts of a sculpture correct. “When one of the pieces for the D-Day Memorial was unveiled, there was loud applause,” Brothers recalls. “Then the place went deathly quiet. I saw that a widow had come forward and was reaching up to touch the wedding ring on the fallen soldier’s hand. There were tears all around. I was in tears. I knew I’d done my job.” m
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identity story by
/ Cheryl Nelsen
What He Demanded Harley-riding glass artist Vernon Brejcha muses on his legacy, the road and new projects inspired by his rural childhood
Artist Vernon Brejcha creates blown glass art in a variety of sizes such as this mediumsize work.
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sk an artist about credentials, and you will usually be given an answer that includes jury awards, gallery showings, residencies and commissions. Ask Lawrence glass artist Vernon Brejcha, and you get this answer: I was at the Venini glass factory in Murano, Italy. They didn’t
Lawrence Magazine
photography by
take visitors, and the receptionist wouldn’t let me in. But she got over the intercom to ask the glassblowers in the studio, and the answer came back: “Vernon Brejcha? He’s here? We’ll buy him lunch.” Obviously, Brejcha’s lifetime production of glass art has not gone unnoticed. His work is exhibited in more than 50 museums worldwide. Closer to Lawrence, his 35-foot glass sculpture Growth hangs in a 70-foot glass tower at the Overland Park Convention Center and a 22-foot-long piece titled Fenceline decorates H&R Block’s world headquarters in Kansas City, Missouri. Now retired after 26 years of teaching at the University of Kansas, Brejcha continues blowing glass from a garage studio at
/ spring 2011 / sunflowerpub.com
/ jason dailey
his home south of Lawrence while eagerly talking about his students, who represent his legacy to the art world. “My whole life has been with kids, and I miss them so much. The ones who were successful I’m so proud of, and I would have taught for nothing,” Brejcha says. Brejcha began teaching art at Circle High School in Towanda after getting his bachelor’s degree in 1964 from Fort Hays State University. After earning a Master of Fine Arts degree from the University of Wisconsin in 1972, he taught at Edgewood College in Madison and later taught 3-D art and glass blowing at Tusculum College in Greenville, Tennessee, before coming to KU in 1976.
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identity
“I never believed in watering things down for everybody.”
– Vernon Brejcha
Though Brejcha continues to work primarily with glass objects, top right, he also creates art such as these prints, top left, with a restored, hand-cranked press. The combination of artisan techniques and modern design seems to define an artist equally at home in his studio or on his Harley.
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At KU, Brejcha told his students he was teaching to the top of the class all the time. “I never believed in watering things down for everybody,” Brejcha says. Brejcha misses his students, but the glass pieces they gave him are reminders of their days in his classes. His house is lined with students’ work on floor space, tabletops, shelves and walls, creating a museum-like feel in his home. The artists now extend from North Carolina to California and around the world. In his studio garage, Brejcha continues to blow glass, but only during cooler weather. “When I was young and stupid, I would blow glass in the summer,” he explains. Because the glass reaches 2,000 degrees, it’s understandable the older part of his studio is used during the summer only for grinding and polishing what he blows during the cooler months. And because he isn’t blowing glass year-round, Brejcha has more time to ride his 1985 HarleyDavidson Sportster. He bought the bike because he liked the design. Not until he attended several bike rallies did he realize hard-core bikers were jealous of his Sportster—a model favored and popularized by the archetype motorcycle daredevil, Evel Knievel. Like Knievel, Brejcha wears a helmet for his most dangerous rides—in his case, trips into town where the traffic is heavy—but he relishes
Lawrence Magazine
riding bare-headed on the open road and compares the sensation to the joy a dog must feel when it sticks its head out a car window. “I’m glad there’s no helmet law in Kansas. I love the wind blowing through my hair,” he says. Biking is a release and a link to his artwork. Brejcha has blown glass trophies that celebrities hand out at some rally contests. Those Hollywood-me e t s-Ha rley awards are the exception; scenes from his boyhood on the Kansas prairie near Holyrood inspired most of what he creates from glass. His Prairie Post glass series is a reflection of the limestone posts he saw when putting up
/ spring 2011 / sunflowerpub.com
fence lines with his father. This series is abstract partly because of the weight of the material. Brejcha says, “I wanted to do post forms life-size, but there’s no way any human being can hold that much glass in a blow pipe.” The dipper that hung for more than 40 years from the farm’s windmill tower, and which is now on Brejcha’s property, was the catalyst for the Hanging Dipper series. For his mother, who raised chickens on the farm and sold eggs, Brejcha created the Egg Vase series. “Every series I ever worked on comes to an end. I just get bored with it,” he says. “After my mother’s death, I returned to it, and this time I called them ‘Fresh Eggs’ in her memory. People buy those without knowing where the inspiration came from.” The students Brejcha inspired, however, let him know their appreciation long after their graduation. He says some of the most importance recognition comes decades later, when he runs into former students, by chance or at professional organizations. They recall the hours he spent with them, not just teaching but mentoring in the studio and being available to them for consultations and advice at all hours. And that, for Brejcha, is another instance when an artist’s best credentials are anecdotal. “One guy,” Brejcha says, “came back to see me to thank me after all these years. He said, ‘I’m a nurse, but I’ll never forget how you taught and what you demanded.’” m
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wellness story by
/ Doug Vance
photography by
J
John McGrew grew up spending countless hours along the Kaw River in Lawrence. Now retired, he has devoted his time to helping young generations explore the outdoors.
ohn McGrew easily remembers how his first steps into the uncertain world of retirement left him on an uncharted path. The year was 2007, and he had just stepped down from a successful career as chairman of McGrew Real Estate. “I had spent 50 years running and maintaining a successful business and all of a sudden found myself without a purpose or focus in my life,” recalls McGrew. “It was a tough transition for me.” It was one of those empty early mornings shortly after retirement when McGrew stumbled across a review of a book authored by Richard Louv, a 1971 University of Kansas graduate. The book, Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children From Nature-Deficit Disorder, centers its message on the widening gap between children and nature. “It covered disturbing trends related to a disconnect with nature and our children and how that disconnect is influencing increases in obesity, attention disorders and depression,” says McGrew.
A Natural Connection A business leader devotes his retirement to fostering a love of nature in young generations
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/ spring 2011 / sunflowerpub.com
/ jason dailey
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wellness
The article helped trigger special memories for McGrew of his own youth in Lawrence. “I’ve often said the greatest gift my parents gave me next to life itself was a sincere appreciation for nature. My dad took me hunting, fishing and taught me a love of being outside,” says McGrew. “He made sure his only son was fully exposed to all of the benefits it has to offer. “We lived at 346 Indiana, and the Kaw River was about 200 yards from my backyard,” says McGrew. “My parents turned me loose. I spent many hours with my dog just walking along the river, along the nearby railroad tracks and doing all the many wonderful things a kid could do to amuse himself in a wooded area.” These memories and Louv’s book provided inspiration for McGrew, who is now attacking an issue with the same purpose and drive that made him successful in business. His efforts during the past few years have helped inspire the creation of a Lawrence advocacy organization called Outside for a Better Inside. “We’re trying to improve the situation in Lawrence and encourage schools, parents, health officials and the entire community of the need to enhance outdoor activity and education for our children,” says McGrew. To help better spread his message, McGrew purchased a crate of Louv’s books and has been giving them to “just about anyone who has interest in helping with our cause.” “I’ve probably handed out more than 100 books,” says McGrew. He quickly found an array of support in the community to help amplify his message. “Greg Thomas, chairman of KU’s department of design, is a talented artist, and he volunteered to create our logo,” says McGrew. “We also found a friend and supporter in acclaimed local singer-songwriter Kelley Hunt.” Hunt wrote a song—“Let’s Go Outside”— and then teamed with the Lawrence Children’s Choir, under the direction of Janeal Krehbiel, to record it. The song is available on www.outsideforabetterinside.org, the organization’s website. The goals of the organization reflect small and large projects. McGrew and his team of advocates are encouraging the school district to build butterfly gardens at elementary schools to help
“I’ve often said the greatest gift my parents gave me next to life itself was a sincere appreciation for nature.”
McGrew, who donated the Conrad and Viola McGrew Nature Preserve, in west Lawrence believes that his generation should teach youths a love for nature. “Kids that play outside are happier, healthier and smarter,” says McGrew. “Therefore they’ll become better citizens, and that will be our real legacy.”
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– John McGrew
wellness expose children to the wonders of nature. In addition, he’s pushing for contests and programs to raise awareness of the importance of science programs. McGrew, however, is pursuing support for a much larger project in Lawrence to benefit young people. “We’ve had serious discussions with both public and private stakeholders about building an outdoor learning center for children that would include, among other things, a wellness center, nature trails, a fishing pond, vegetable and flower gardens, and a miracle softball field designed for children with disabilities,” he says. While the outdoor learning center in Lawrence remains a long-range goal, McGrew is optimistic its development can be a reality in the future. “Our community will just need to embrace the idea,” he says. McGrew’s efforts to influence the children and nature disconnect locally have also grabbed statewide attention. He’s been participating with a group of advocates—created by an executive order of former Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius and called Kansans for Children in Nature—to craft a plan. “We have a lot of interest and support for all of these projects, and it’s growing as people become more aware of what’s at stake,” says McGrew. “We all just want to make a positive difference in the future of our children.” Meanwhile, McGrew no longer wakes up each morning wondering what will keep him busy that day. He simply looks outside for inspiration and envisions a world of possibilities. m
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McGrew has called for Lawrence to create an outdoor learning center and more space for children to play. Specific details continue to be worked out but follow McGrew’s belief that parks, such as this one in his old neighborhood of Pinckney, allow kids to be active and creative.
wellness story by
/ Amber Brejcha Fraley
M
Mohammed Iskandrani takes a seat at his restaurant in downtown Lawrence.
ohammed Iskandrani’s love for cooking comes from the countless hours he spent in the kitchen with his mother while growing up. “I was the oldest of six boys—no sisters—so I was always helping her,” he shrugs matter-of-factly, “like a daughter. My dad at that time had two jobs; he was always busy outside the house. I always loved cooking, and I loved helping her.” A long route led him to his current kitchen at Aladdin Café at 1021 Massachusetts St. in downtown Lawrence. Mohammed moved from Jordan to the United States in 1989 to attend the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque. After graduating with a degree in computer information systems, he landed a job in Kansas City. But he soon figured
Aladdin’s Kitchen Magic Chicken curry provides a taste of chef ’s healthful world fusion
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/ spring 2011 / sunflowerpub.com
photography by
/ Jason Dailey
The Store With It All 928 Massachusetts, Lawrence, Kansas 66044 etcowner@sunflower.com • 785-843-0611
www.theetcshop.com
wellness out that the 8-to-5 lifestyle wasn’t for him. “Then one day, I just visited Lawrence and loved it—and I love Mass. Street. I always wanted to open my own restaurant because I love cooking … and here I am.” And when he made the decision to open Aladdin Café in 2000, Mohammed’s mom Salwa, who had also immigrated to the United States, was right there with him. She shared her cooking knowledge and recipes, and over the years has helped him develop new recipes for the restaurant’s menu. “She’s still with me to this day,” he says. “She comes in early and does the morning prep. She comes in before I do; she’s here at 6 a.m. We do everything fresh from scratch.” Two of his brothers, Muhaned and Yazen, also help in the day-to-day operations of Aladdin Café, though Mohammed is the head chef.
“I always wanted to open my own restaurant because I love cooking … and here I am.”
– Mohammed Iskandrani
Mohammed Iskandrani’s Curried Chicken with Potatoes and … Carrots 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts 5 potatoes, peeled and cubed into 1-inch chunks 4 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks 3 yellow squash, cut into 1-inch chunks 2 tablespoons mild yellow curry 1 tablespoon tomato paste Salt to taste Pepper to taste 2 cinnamon sticks 1 medium onion, diced 3-5 cloves garlic, peeled 2 teaspoons all-purpose flour 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 cups water
1 Preheat oven to 250 degrees. 2 Place all ingredients in a covered pot, taking care to mix in the flour evenly. 3 Place dish in the oven for an hour and a half. “If you were to sauté everything separately, you might lose some of the flavors. Cooking it this way deepens the flavors,” says Mohammed. He also says the dish may be made with a boneless leg of lamb or a beef roast. Yellow curry found in most grocery stores will work in this recipe, advises Mohammed, or use a hot curry if you prefer spicier food. Serve with Saffron Rice (recipe below). Makes 4 to 6 servings.
Saffron Rice … 1 cup basmati rice 2 cups water Salt and pepper to taste Pinch of saffron Pinch of turmeric for color
The restaurant’s philosophy, he explains, is to serve the food he grew up with. “I just try to present my country and my cuisine. It’s very authentic. The only thing we have on the menu that’s probably a little bit not authentic is the french fries and the pita pizza to please the kids. That way there is no excuse for the parents to not come and bring their kids. But the gyros and the hummus are a big hit with the kids, too.” Mohammed says honest cooking, fresh food and a patron’s willingness to try something new are the keys to his kitchen. “What helps me being on Mass. is that people walk by, and that’s my advertisement. I put the
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1 Place all ingredients in saucepan. 2 Bring to boil. 3 Once rice boils, place lid on pot and reduce heat to low. 4 Simmer rice for 20 minutes or until all the liquid is absorbed, taking care not to let the rice burn. “The saffron is red and the turmeric is yellow, so it gives the rice a nice color,” says Mohammed.
/ spring 2011 / sunflowerpub.com
weLLness menu in the window, and if people see it and come in to try the food, they get hooked.” The menu has evolved through the years. “It’s kind of funny,” he says. “The menu started with two pages, and now it’s six pages. If I try to take a dish out, people will complain.” In fact, one of the things Mohammed has come to love about living in the States is the sheer variety of ethnic cuisines available. Being a foodie, he hasn’t limited himself to cooking the dishes of his homeland. When he has time, at home or after closing, he likes to dabble in several cooking styles and considers himself skilled at cooking Mexican, Italian and Chinese dishes. Fans of the Lawrence location may or may not know that there’s a sister restaurant, with the same menu, that opened in 2007. Brothers Mazen and Zaid run the Kansas City, Missouri, location in Westport. “Mother goes there every Monday and Thursday, just to keep an eye on those kids.” m
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Iskandrani takes pride in serving fresh ingredients and following the recipes that his mother first taught him from her kitchen in Jordan.
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wellness story by
/ amber brejcha Fraley
I
t’s that time of year when temperatures begin to warm, clothing layers start to come off and, for some, anxieties about showing more flesh may spring up with the daffodils. Whether it’s unwanted hair, age spots or spider veins, there are plenty of solutions to address a myriad of skin concerns.
More than a day at the spa While there are plenty of spa treatments to get skin ready for spring and summer, estheticians Lauren Euston and Desirèe Burr of Salon Di Marco and Day Spa emphasize that it’s important to care for skin year-round. They recommend a good diet with plenty of fruits, vegetables, water and omega-3 fatty acids, the use of sunscreen and the development of a personalized skin care routine. If winter has really taken a toll on your skin, an esthetician can help to correct some concerns.
Spring Skin Sublime Local experts offer treatments to help your skin look its best for warm-weather months
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/ spring 2011 / sunflowerpub.com
photography by
/ jason dailey
wellness Peels and enzyme treatments Peels are acid-based treatments that act as chemical exfoliates to remove dead skin cells and hasten new skin cells to the surface. Peels can be used to help correct hyperpigmentation, acne and oily, congested skin. But they can also lessen the appearance of scars, fine lines and wrinkles. Age and skin type will determine how often and what type of peels your skin can tolerate. If your skin is too sensitive for a peel, enzymes are less aggressive than acids but still remove dulling, dead skin cells.
Facials Facial treatments vary widely depending on age and skin type. In general, facials should exfoliate, deep-cleanse, moisturize and involve massage. Lauren and Desirèe agree that getting facials once a month is ideal, but if that’s too much for your budget, seasonal facials are still a great idea.
Body scrubs Local salons offer a range of body treatments and scrubs, including a sea salt scrub, a brown sugar body scrub, body mud masks and algae body wraps, all of which are used for various effects on the skin, including exfoliation and moisturizing. “A lot of people get the sea salt glow before they get a spray tan,” says Lauren.
The whole ball of wax Brenda Lehman knows all about waxing because it’s all she does. An esthetician and owner of Simply Wax, Brenda has been waxing bodies since 1992. She can remove hair from the legs, back, chest, bikini area, ears, nose (inside the nostrils), eyebrows, the side of the face, toes (because of sandals), arms and underarms. And yes, Brenda also specializes in the fabled Brazilian, though she only does them for women. Brenda acknowledges that there can be some discomfort involved in waxing, though it helps to take steps before an appointment (see sidebar). “Everybody has a different pain tolerance. I have customers who say they’d rather get a Brazilian than get their upper lip waxed.” Be aware that you can’t go in for a waxing right after shaving; hair must be at least 3/8 inch long. “The one thing that you really want to watch as you’re being waxed is that the person uses one stick per dip, not per person,” says Brenda. If you see an esthetician “
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Lawrence Magazine
double dipping,” you really should get up and leave. Also, the esthetician should always wear gloves and give you after-care instructions.
Age spot removal A dermatologist can help turn back time on those troubling spots—sometimes known as liver or age spots—that have appeared over the years by treating them with laser or liquid nitrogen. “Over a period of 10 days to two weeks they’ll develop a peeling or crust and then slough off. The skin is a little pinker for a few weeks and then becomes like the other skin,” says Dr. Lee Bittenbender, who has been practicing dermatology in Lawrence since 1976. His liquid nitrogen treatment takes just a few minutes.
Botox Bittenbender says Botox is the most popular cosmetic treatment in the country. Botox treatments don’t require a sensitivity test and require no downtime afterward. Botox, injected through a needle, is used to treat what Bittenbender calls “dynamic wrinkles”—areas where the skin has wrinkled due to muscle contractions. These include frown lines, forehead lines and crow’s feet.
Dermatological peels Bittenbender specializes in the glycolic acid peel. He says peels can help
/ spring 2011 / sunflowerpub.com
improve uneven skin tones. “It also helps not only with active acne, but superficial acne scars and sun damage,” he says. Typically, a series of peels must be done to correct a skin problem.
Microdermabrasion M icroder mabra sion involves passing a diamond head over the skin to remove the top layers. “It can be used to treat active acne and uneven skin tones that often come with acne,” explains Bittenbender. “It can also be used to treat sun-damaged skin. It makes skin softer and smoother and gives a ‘healthy glow.’” Discomfort is usually minimal, he says.
Laser hair removal Lasers are used to remove small areas of hair at a time, though they only work on dark hair, not blonde, red or white. Patients can take an oral medication ahead of time to help alleviate discomfort, because the treatment feels similar to being popped with a rubber band.
weLLness
Sometimes, the toughest subjects are the most important.
sclerotherapy for spider veins With sclerotherapy, a dermatologist uses a tiny needle to inject concentrated saltwater solution into spider veins. There is a “mild burning sensation,” says Bittenbender, and patients are advised to wear support hose afterward. m
Dealing with changes that occur as people age can be challenging for everyone involved. Not knowing what to expect can cause anxiety.
Before and after
p ro c e du r e sk i n…c a r e
Misinterpreting what’s happening can lead to decisions they sometimes regret. That’s why so many people count on us to help them understand
any time you undergo any skin treatment or procedure, the esthetician or dermatologist will have specific instructions about what you should do ahead of time to get ready for the procedure, as well as how to care for your skin afterward. it’s important to do exactly what they tell you.
assisted living and how it can help them or their loved one live a happier, healthier, more fulfilled
Before • Pain relief. Ask your dermatologist or esthetician if you should take an over-the-counter pain reliever containing ibuprofen or naproxen before your appointment. Both medications alleviate pain and lessen inflammation. Numbing creams are available for some procedures.
life. Any conversation about assisted living and
• Medication alert. There are oral and topical medications that don’t react well with skin procedures. These include Retin-A, Accutane, alpha hydroxy acids and tetracycline.
Call today for our free brochure and together,
what it can mean to your family usually starts with a question. We welcome yours. Just ask.
we’ll find the answers.
• Procedure mixing. It may not be a good idea to get several procedures done together. For instance, you probably don’t want to get a chemical peel right after getting your lip waxed.
Contact Maclyn Pettengill at 785.841.4262 for more information or to schedule a tour of the community.
after • Sunscreen. Nearly every skin-improvement procedure will require that you protect your skin with sunscreen afterward. • Infection protection. Skin treatments can leave your skin vulnerable to bacteria for a few hours. Avoid swimming pools, hot tubs or other potential risks immediately after your procedure.
spring 2011
/ Lawrence Magazine
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1429 Kasold Drive | Lawrence, KS 66049 www.justaskpresbyterianmanors.com
coMMunity story by / nathan pettengill
photography by
/ jason dailey
fresh p roduce
WEAVING SPACE TIME
mixed media on Wood panel
Contributing members Jeromy Morris (bottom photo), Jordan Briceland, Jeremy Rockwell, Paul Flinders and Erok Johanssen (top photo)
not in kansas anymore … Lawrence artists pay tribute to the city’s original modern art collective. now, isn’t that a gas?
The Fresh Produce collective pays tribute to the zeitgeist of 1966 artists with its work, Weaving Space Time.
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awrence in the late spring of 1966, recalls poet Jim McCrary, was a rather sleepy town. For the arts community, at least, the city in many ways resembled the blackand-white portions from The Wizard of Oz. The city’s gallery scene was mostly a corridor outpost at the University of Kansas’ Strong Hall. Downtown Lawrence, conspicuously absent galleries and cafes, was filled with mud-
Lawrence Magazine
splattered pickups driven by farmers who knew the current price of winter wheat and didn’t sweat organic certification. It was in this season when a group of young writers and artists formed the MidWest Artist’s Co-operative. Their intentionally rural-sounding name was an ironic tribute to the imminent head-on collision of pastoral paradise and groove culture that had begun to sweep the nation and their home base, a renovated loft at 835½ Massachusetts St. that they refurbished and
/ spring 2011 / sunflowerpub.com
rented for $75 a month. There, they showed artwork by members including landscape artist Gary John Brown, painter Bunny Fowler, underground comic strip artist S Clay Wilson, abstract artist Karen Sexton and comparatively older artists such as Jane Hinman. To bring in the public, and the public’s dollars, the group showed movies (such as the
coMMunity
technologies, such as digital mock-ups and printing capability, are perhaps the greatest difference between an artist from 1966 and a current lawrence artist, says fresh produce member erok johanssen. But the benefits of a collective, notes johanssen, remain. “When i was working alone, i would settle on what i thought was a finished product. i would do something and just go home,” says johanssen. “But when you’re working with other people, you are going to push it more, take a risk.” for this project, the fresh produce members sought to capture the timeless spirit of an artist collective by working collaboratively. members drew simultaneously on the same wood panel, often expanding on one another’s work as their lines overlapped. they then took turns throwing knives at the panel and alternated replacing damaged sections.
counterculture romp Scorpio Rising, which McCrary recalls being beamed by a projector across Mass. Street and onto the exterior walls of what is now the Lawrence Antique Mall). They also listened to poetry—their own and scratchy tapes of hipsters such as Allen Ginsberg. “The poetry sessions on Friday night draw as many
b. a . l . m. (beauty, art and life movement) CONFLUENCE
mixed media on recycled appliance metal
Contributing members, below from left, Jane Flanders, Shannon White and Darin White “We picked a popular american car from the time, a ’66 gto, and went for a journey in time,” explains shannon White. “it depicts going out for a joyride in 1966, what we would see as an artist collective, what we would make and create.”
the journey theme, adds darin White, also highlights a goal shared by the 1966 mid-West co-operative and b.a.l.m. (founded 40 years later in june 2006): promoting lawrence as a link in the national art scene. like
the ’66 group, says White, b.a.l.m. supports local artists while also bringing national artists for shows. “if someone shows here who is well-known,” says White, “that brings attention to lawrence.” The b.a.l.m. collective integrated lines of poetry from Jim McCrary into their work focusing on the theme of journey and discovery.
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/ spring 2011 / Lawrence Magazine
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people as the movies! Now if that isn’t a gas, what is???” wrote McCrary in an article that year for the locally published Grist magazine. One year before the Summer of Love, the collective was caught in what McCrary describes as “a cultural cocoon.” They and their art were post-Toto but pre-Woodstock. They were also short-lived. The Mid-West Artist’s Co-operative fell apart after little more than a year as the young artists scattered to schools and coastal communities and the rent became increasingly burdensome. But in honor of that collective—perhaps the fi rst formal collective in the city’s history—Lawrence Magazine invited current Lawrence art collectives to pay tribute with their original works of art on these pages. These creations are informed by the present but still very much a work that the 1966 artists would greet with the words: “Yeah, that’s a gas!” m
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coMMunity
W o n d e r fa i r a rt g a l l e ry
WE ARE YOU ARE US mixed media on paper
Contributing members, from top, Jason Barr, Eric Dobbins, Lee Piechocki and Kelly John Clark
the Wonder fair artists re-envisioned their collective’s logo in the style of a promotional poster that the 1966 artists created for their first showing. the work examines how an art collective’s identity, particularly in terms of what keeps artists connected, has changed over the decades. kelly john clark notes that e-mails and social media have freed collectives from having to meet at a particular time and space. “the personal touch of a collective has to be redefined,” says clark. “it’s a group of likeminded individuals who may or may not be hanging out together in the same loft.” another change, says clark, is that mass. street galleries no longer rent for only $75 a month. rent money—and a lot of it— must be made if a collective wishes to survive. nonetheless, the ’66 group’s commitment to creating a space to stage new art inspires for-profit collectives such as Wonder fair, which operates a gallery at 803½ massachusetts st. “[W]e are similar to the ’66 group in that we also try to have a location where any artist of any ilk can show any type of work,” says clark. “We still have a physical space that we all come back to—and i don’t know what a collective would look like if it didn’t have a home base.”
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/ spring 2011 / Lawrence Magazine
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coMMunity story by / kate BlatherWick pickert
photography by
deerfield’s outdoor study ‘room’ drawing on volunteers and donations, a school’s discovery garden opens the classroom and children to nature
Flowers and beautiful views are abundant at the Deerfield School garden in spring, but the decorative garden is also used year-round as a science and nature learning center for students.
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ou could say the seed for a garden at Deerfield School was planted in 1998, long before the most recent green movement, thanks to teachers and parents on a landscaping committee. Their goal was to create an outdoor science center, a purpose the 11,000-square-foot garden continues to serve. “People remember their experiences out here,” says Jennifer Haight, one of the garden’s coordinators and parent of two
Lawrence Magazine
Deerfield students. Haight can be found any given Tuesday in the spring and fall helping students from all grades get their hands dirty and encounter plant life. “I can’t tell you how many times I have children say, ‘Oh, you have to take the pot off before putting it in the dirt?’” During a garden lesson, enthusiastic students learning all about monarch butterfl ies begin pulling on milkweed, a source of food for larvae. Their excitement of being outdoors can be seen
/ spring 2011 / sunflowerpub.com
/ jason dailey
and heard with screams of delight and laughter as they run enthusiastically around the garden asking a variety of questions. They grow milkweed in hopes the butterfly garden will be fi lled with the beautiful flying insects in the near future. Students gather around Haight as she dives into her lesson plan, or dirt in this case, always exercising a hands-on approach. “When we were studying the wetlands, I had them take a cattail and pull it apart and blow the seeds away in the air.” Julie Neff, a parent of three Deerfield students and co-coordinator of the program, says the garden “exposes students to nature in a way that enhances the curriculum they are learning inside the classroom.” This hands-on approach, says Neff, “makes it stick—it’s real and more fun” for young students, especially those who aren’t exposed to nature much in their daily life. Because it is not funded by the school district and draws entirely on grants and a budget set aside through the Deerfield Parent Teacher Organization, the garden must also rely on volunteer labor when school is not in session. “There is a lot of maintenance that has to be done on a garden in the
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community
“It’s a real connection to the school—a source of pride.”
– Deerfield secondgrade teacher Pam Mitchell
Parent volunteers, staff members and teachers meet regularly with students in the Deerfield School garden for lessons, maintenance and exploration.
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summer,” says Haight. “So I have pulled in some kids from the Boys and Girls Club.” Haight says garden organizers also have been fortunate to have several volunteer groups from the community roll up their sleeves to help nurture the project. And she has a simple plea to any visitor who might be bothered by upshots of summer weeds: “Don’t complain about that weed—just pull it.” Over the years, the garden has grown to include an array of habitats for the students to study. One area is a tribute to the state’s natural prairies with native grasses, wildflowers and bushes. Apple trees that are direct descendants of trees planted by Johnny Appleseed also are a part of this growing classroom, along with wetland habitats and a water garden designed and built by the Sunflower Water Garden Society and filled with fish and frogs. This year, says Neff, the volunteers hope to start creating a rock garden. Often these expansions have come from donations or grant money, such as funding from the state’s Outdoor Wildlife Learning Sites (OWLS) program. Second-grade teacher Pam Mitchell says the garden’s growth provides valuable lessons beyond the science curriculum. “What I’ve noticed is they don’t want to trample it after school. They are pretty protective of the area because they’ve had a part in it,” says Mitchell, “For me it’s a real connection to the school—a source of pride.” m
Lawrence Magazine
/ spring 2011 / sunflowerpub.com
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in haskell’s corner The university-based boxing club mentors students and Lawrence youths
Darren Jacobs, left, and Erik Riley lead the Haskell Boxing club on the campus of Haskell Indian Nations University.
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ost days after 5 p.m., you will find Erik Riley over “at the club” getting the weight of the world off his shoulders and managing the Haskell Boxing Club in Pontiac Hall on Haskell Indian Nation University’s (HINU) campus. Since 2003, Riley has mentored a new generation of boxers, both Haskell students and community members. Riley’s nonprofit club is open to anyone who wants to learn boxing or strength
Lawrence Magazine
conditioning skills. But in less than 10 years, the amateur club has also produced considerable successes. Last fall, seven of the club’s eight boxers placed in the Native American Boxing Championships. The club’s greatest claim to fame is light heavyweight boxer Marcus Oliveira, a Menominee, who is now fighting professionally for Don King. Riley was also named the Kansas City Golden Gloves Coach of the Year in 2007 and has become affi liated as a trainer with a professional
/ spring 2011 / sunflowerpub.com
/ mark hutchinson
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Since 2003, Riley has mentored a new generation of boxers, both Haskell students and community members. Riley and Jacobs review boxing skills with the group, top, before working with them one-onone, bottom pictures. Though the coaches train competitive athletes, Riley says one of the big rewards is mentoring young students. “A lot of the kids have more self-confidence after they keep coming,” explains Riley. “And the parents tell us they do better. They have better grades.”
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group, the Kansas Division of Underground Boxing Company. For the Haskell club, Riley, a White Mountain Apache, is assisted by Darren Jacobs, an Oglala Lakota who handles administrative matters. This frees Riley for individual lessons with punching bags, on mats or in the small boxing ring. This year, they are instructing some 20 fighters who file into the club when it’s open on weekdays from 5 to 7 p.m. All of the training is done while the two coaches keep full-time jobs. Riley works for the Lawrence Public Schools maintenance department, and Jacobs works in the construction industry in Olathe before heading to the club each evening. The coaches’ approach is no-frills training, from the décor to the routine. The mark of a
Lawrence Magazine
/ spring 2011 / sunflowerpub.com
promising boxer, according to Jacobs, is someone who comes back and is willing to withstand the drills he and Riley suggest are the keys to making a boxing great. “Going through the drills is boring,” Jacobs says with a hint of pride. Riley and Jacobs met at Haskell a few years ago, when they were part of a group of students who were interested in boxing and approached Haskell’s administration for help. “If it weren’t for Haskell and their support, we wouldn’t be where we are today,” Jacobs says. “We began in a small room in Coffin Sports Complex and were moved around for a while until we got this larger space for a gym, where we’ve been for three years now.” The Haskell authorities return the compliment. HINU chief information officer Joshua Arce praises Riley and Jacobs’ efforts for bringing “healthy lifestyles” and “core values” to the students they mentor. “And those core values don’t stop at our campus borders,” says Arce. “It’s not just Haskell students who come, it’s local kids as well. And when they go out and compete, they are representing the Haskell Boxing Club and Lawrence as well. We are a part of Lawrence.” m
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small flies for Big fish For fly-fishers, the smallest details often lead to the best catches
Gaylord Richardson, top right, holds a fly completed around the base of a fishing hook smaller than a one cent piece, bottom right.
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i
t’s a Norman Rockwell-like portrait of outdoor harmony that some suggest is a little slice of heaven on earth. The scene is easy to imagine. It starts with a calm lake reflecting the shine of bright sunlight and deep blue sky, or a misty stream flowing in pools and riffles. The clear, cold waters are undisturbed except for their collision with the lonesome figure of a fly fisherman who wades into the current and now
Lawrence Magazine
pauses in a secure position. He hovers from a strategic vantage point, intent on his mission, looking for signs of feeding fish and hoping to cast his fly gracefully across the water. For most who’ve embraced the sport of fly-fishing, there’s nothing that qualifies as more energizing to the spirit and relaxing to the mind. “It doesn’t matter if you are on the banks of a large river in Colorado or nearby on the banks at Lone Star Lake,” explains
/ spring 2011 / sunflowerpub.com
Ronn Johnson, a veteran of 30-plus years of fly-fishing and owner of Yager’s Fly Shop in Lawrence. “Fly-fishing is not just about catching a fish. It’s about the attitude involved in the entire experience that helps plug you back into nature.” For veteran fly-fishers, an important part of that experience is preparing
sunflowerpub.com
/ spring 2011 / Lawrence Magazine
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community
“Fly-fishing is not just about catching a fish. It’s about the attitude involved in the entire experience that helps plug you back into nature.”
– Ronn Johnson
Eric King creates a Sarge’s Crappie Fly, right, and displays the finished product, opposite page.
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their own flies, which are the intricately decorated hooks that they hope will land the fish. “Catching fish with flies that one designed and tied is the penultimate pleasure,” says Gaylord Richardson, 74, who retired in 2009 after 34 years of teaching architecture at the University of Kansas. Architectural skills, such as attention to detail and an understanding of proportion, are traits valued in tying flies. A steady hand is also an advantage for crafting objects that are often smaller than a postage stamp. Artificial flies are constructed from various materials—primarily fur, feathers or synthetics—and bound on a hook to mimic what fish eat. Success in flyfishing involves research to determine what style of flies will be effective based on the location’s climate, water temperature and species of fish. “It’s not unusual for me to get my morning coffee and spend an hour or so tying flies,” says Richardson, who has a special work space for this task in his home. “I work on a long table with a couple of tying vises, tools and a full spectrum lamp that helps me see the true color of materials I use for tying aquatic insect patterns.”
coMMunity
sunflowerpub.com
/ spring 2011 / Lawrence Magazine
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community
“Catching fish with flies that one designed and tied is the penultimate pleasure.”
– Gaylord Richardson
Richardson ties a Marabou Clouser at his home.
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Richardson discovered fly-fishing as a youngster growing up in Grand Blanc, Michigan, while tagging along with his dad on fishing trips. “Like many young boys in that time, I started with a cane fishing pole catching sunfish,” recalls Richardson. He was schooled in the art of fly-fishing and fly-tying in 1979 by taking continuing education classes taught by the late Phil Humphries, a KU faculty member who was a renowned and enthusiastic expert of the sport. For 60-year-old Eric King, who serves as director of facilities for the Kansas Board of Regents, tying flies is an integral part of fishing. “I use it to help me anticipate a trip,” says King. “If I’m going to Montana and I know that I’m going to use a certain type of fly, I’ll spend time in preparation of the trip doing the research and tying flies I might use on the trip. “Sometimes, I’ll close my office door over the noon hour and use the time to just relax and enjoy creating a new fly,” adds King. “Some people read a book or newspaper. I like spending the time fly-tying.” Fishing has been a major part of King’s life for as long as he can remember. However, he wasn’t introduced to fly-fishing until 1997, when a friend invited him along on a fly-fishing excursion. After that experience he was, in a manner of speaking, hooked on the concept. Since then, he has navigated a multitude of small streams, lakes and big rivers locally and across the country using an arsenal of colorful, homemade and often minuscule flies to lure a variety of species such as trout, bass, blue gill, salmon, pike and carp. But for King, Richardson, Johnson and other fly-fishers, the success of the fishing expedition is often largely determined by the minuscule, ornate, handmade flies that they craft under the microscope in their homes. “The smallest fly often captures the biggest fish,” says Richardson. m
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ENTERTAINMENT AND SPAS PROGRAMMING NETWORK PRESENTS: BE HAIR NOW! THE LEADING PRE-CUTOFF PUNDIT SHOW. DICK VITALIS: Welcome everybody to March Hair Madness, where cutting nets off goals isn’t the only use for scissors. “INVERTED BOB” KNIGHT: That’s right, Dick. It’s the Big Dance, and all the competitors want to look and feel their bracketology best. KEVIN HAIRLAN: Instead of face paint, buzzers and beers, it’s makeup, electric razors and perm solution. And that “One Shining Moment” can only mean one thing—the opposing team forgot to dab powder on that oily T-spot. VITALIS: From the looks of things, Kevin, we have a banner recruiting class this year. KNIGHT: But we still don’t know who will have the strength and stamina to make it to the final buzzer. HAIRLAN: Power up those hair–dryers— it’s time for March Hair Madness!
What if spring fever wasn’t only about college basketball? Writer Pam Grout imagines a world where bracketology means barbershops and beauty salons. Story by Pam Grout
Photography by Jason Dailey
sunflowerpub.com
/ spring 2011 / Lawrence Magazine
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MEGANRILEY
Arena: The Green Room Favorite tool: The straight razor Alley-oop: “Long hair. I like curling it and making it flowy and beautiful.” Underrated skill: Being a mind reader Favorite receivers: Customers who push themselves, who are willing to be adventurous Most often requested: Jennifer Aniston (after Friends) and Victoria Beckham Best assist: Customer with orange roots, bright yellow hair and straw ends. Took 3.5 hours to win that game. Coaching tips: “Don’t fight natural. Love what you’ve been given.” Stats: 75 percent cut and highlight Training: Current Trends Academy, St. Louis
GAME PHILOSOPHY: “Hair is your biggest and most important accessory. You wake up with it and live with it all day.”
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SAMANTHAWARDY
Arena: Headmasters Favorite tool: The straight razor. “I love texturing.” Slam dunk: The bob. “I’m known as a precision bob cutter.” Underrated skill: “You’ve got to be a Jill-of-alltrades. You’ve got to be a therapist, an interpreter and a teacher.” Favorite receivers: “Customers who trust me and will let me try something new.” Most often requested: Carey Mulligan, Mandy Moore. “They want the short Mandy, the long Mandy, the in-between Mandy.” Best assist: “You can always fix a disaster cut, no matter how bad.” Slam dunk: Classic cut with an edge. “I specialize in cuts customers will look back on in 20 years and still like.” Stats: 85 percent repeat customers Coaching tip: “Get good products. Even bad haircuts can look OK with good products.” Training: Z Hair Academy, Lawrence
GAME PHILOSOPHY: “Hair is the one thing about your appearance you have control over. Change your haircut, and it can even change your personality.” sunflowerpub.com
/ spring 2011 / Lawrence Magazine
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Arena: Watson’s Barbershop Favorite tool: 12-inch shears Slam dunk: Skin fade Underrated skill: Being a good listener Favorite receivers: KU basketball and football players Most often requested: Conversation and good times. “This is the black man’s country club. Gossip, girls, games—it’s all up for discussion.” Best assist: “Customers come in and want braids and they have no hair.” Stats: 100 percent cuts Training: Advanced Hair Tech Academy, Kansas City, Kansas
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TIM“NELLIE”NELSON
GAME PHILOSOPHY: “Make ’em feel good.”
MARTYWATSON
Arena: Watson’s Barbershop Favorite tool: Andis hair clippers Slam dunk: Everything from Jayhawks to spiderwebs to Capricorn rams shaved into head Underrated skill: Making people feel comfortable Most often requested: Edge ups, skin fades and tapers Coaching tips: “Here, you get good conversation, a quality cut and my full attention.” Stats: 15 to 20 customers a day Training: Old Town Barber College, Wichita
GAME PHILOSOPHY: “Just do it.”
sunflowerpub.com
/ spring 2011 / Lawrence Magazine
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DEBBIEJOHNSON
Arena: Shear Perfection Favorite tool: My razor Slam dunk: Color, all-over, semi-permanent, highlight, lowlight, slicing, weaving Underrated skill: Communication and making clients feel comfortable. “I know all my clients’ kids, their job history, their likes and dislikes.” Favorite receivers: Other stylists, eight at the salon, play off each other. “We all talk and joke and have fun.” Most often requested: Inverted bobs, color like J Lo, pictures downloaded off the internet Best assist: “People come in with orange hair, usually when they try to do it at home. Or they want to go dark and don’t like it. At that point, the hair is usually so overprocessed it’s better to cut it short and start over.” Coaching tips: “Find someone you’re comfortable with. Anybody can give a good cut or great color, but you’ve got to have rapport.” Stats: 100 percent rebook Training: College of Hair Design, Overland Park
GAME PHILOSOPHY: “The most important thing to me is that my clients feel comfortable in my chair.”
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JANINECOLTER
Arena: Hidden Jewel Salon and Spa Favorite tool: “My hands. I like to touch the fabric of the hair. It’s my hands that handle the shears and my hands that create the designs.” Slam dunk: Color—the whole spectrum from highlights to lowlights Favorite receivers: Customers asking for freestyle and custom designs Underrated skill: “Being able to deal with a wide range of personalities and requests.” Most often requested: Braids, weaves and freestyle Best assist: Can duplicate braids of the NBA players or looks of Mary J. Blige and Rhianna Coaching tips: “Your hair establishes your sense of identity. A good cut can completely change your appearance.” Stats: 80 percent regulars Training: Community College of Cosmetology, Topeka
GAME PHILOSOPHY: “Hair is a protectorant of your whole being. It protects you from the elements and it tells others who you want to be.” sunflowerpub.com
/ spring 2011 / Lawrence Magazine
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Q&a f ive things a B o u t …
M A R IA N H U K L E
g
rowing up in a family that did not use a car, Marian Hukle spent much of her youth riding public buses in her hometowns of Kailua, Hawaii, and Oxnard, California. When the Lawrence Transit System began in 2001, Hukle began riding the T, as it’s called, to her job as a math professor at the University of Kansas. As the T celebrates its 10th year this spring, Hukle is serving her third three-year term on the city’s transit advisory committee and marking the anniversary on her daily commute.
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Covered coffee cup
You’re not supposed to drink on the bus, but you can carry your drink to work. I’m a frugal person, so I carry my coffee with me from home. This is actually a new, photogenic cup—the one I had was ugly.
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My iPhone
This is so I can check e-mail. Also, while I’m at a bus stop, I can put in directions and it tells me how long until the next bus comes. It’s pretty cool. If it’s 30 minutes until the next bus, then I’ll go back and shop. If it’s five minutes, then I’ll go to the stop.
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3
2 4
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My KU ID
Now it is my bus pass, but before that I always had a city bus pass.
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Reusable shopping bag
I never know what I’m going to have that won’t fit in my book bag. The thing about the bus is I never know if I will take the bus to my shopping before I go home or not, so this way I have a bag.
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Husband, Jack Porter
We go on the same commute route. He’s also a math professor and also grew up in a situation where his parents didn’t have a car, so we’re both very comfortable taking the bus. And most of the time we choose vacation spots where we don’t need a car.
journey story and photography by
/ susan kraus o u t o f the
sp r i n g s …
eat, nap, soak ... (But mostly soak) travel writer susan kraus dips into pagosa springs
Afternoon soaks at Pagosa Springs allow you to enjoy a view of the San Juan River, top. Pies are a big attraction at the Pagosa Baking Company Bakery and Café, right. There are several popular restaurants throughout the city.
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here is a ritual in taking a soak. First, you brace for the sting of warm water, at the opposite end of the temperature scale but similar in sensation to diving into an ice-cold lake. Then, you make a slow, incremental descent, with the inevitable inhalation—an “ahhhhhhhh!”— sound, followed by the release— “oooohhhh”—as you immerse up to your neck. The water’s heat has a way of taking charge, pushing all irrelevant
Lawrence Magazine
thoughts to the backroom of the brain, as you focus on the here and now. You must breathe slowly and deeply. Soak for a while and you’ll feel the tightness in your body dissipate, muscle by muscle. You may feel heavy … or light. Whatever you feel, it is good. I’d never heard of Pagosa Springs, Colorado, until my husband and I spent a week there last fall. We needed a break from work, chores and myriad “to-do” lists. We wanted to hike, ride horses in the mountains, read, nap … and soak.
/ spring 2011 / sunflowerpub.com
There will be times when you will want to emerge from the hot springs, and fortunately Pagosa Springs is worth exploring. The downtown area is a few blocks long, with art galleries, craft stores, handmade clothing and artisan-made everything. There is a small movie theater that shows two movies a day—but not every day. It’s easy to take it all in because you can do it a few hours. A few miles down the road is a newer development, with an upscale grocery store, several restaurants and shops. Live music can be found, but you have to look. We stumbled into a memorable concert when we found ourselves soaking with folks who had just arrived in town on a tour. A few phone calls later, we had an invite to a rocking night of country-folk with the Austin-based Flatlanders and singer-songwriter Tom Russell. We ate well: fish tacos and Coronas on the deck at Kip’s Grill and Cantina, and tasty sandwiches and pie at Pagosa Baking Company. The 75-cent taco and $1 beer specials at Bear Creek Saloon and Grill were worth return trips. Pagosa Springs may be rustic, but you can score a soy-grilled petite fi let with miso bacon chile buerre rouge at The Alley House Grille, where upscale gourmet cuisine does not equal a dress code but may require reservations. Lodging options are varied, but having a kitchen is convenient and budget-saving, so condos and homes are popular with families. For more information, see www. visitpagosasprings.com.
journey
Pagosa Springs lies in southwest Colorado, nestled in the San Juan Mountains and surrounded by 3 million acres of national forest. At an altitude of 7,000 feet, it might take a day to adjust, but when you do you’ll find it’s not as cutesy as Breckenridge, glitzy as Vail or star-struck as Aspen (in fact, it’s more of an anti-Aspen). The heart of Pagosa Springs is the Great Pagosa Hot Spring. You can’t sit in it (at 144 degrees, you’d fry), but it branches off into a number of smaller springs and supplies a source for the town’s geothermal heating system. The springs were considered sacred waters by the Ute tribe (Pag-Osah, place of healing and peace), and the Ute and Navajo tribes clashed over possession of
the springs. The federal government eventually took possession (no surprise) and deeded it to private citizens (white, of course). The first public bathhouse was constructed in 1881, but major developments have come only in the last few decades.
Pick a spring For the tourist, Pagosa Springs offers several springs from which to choose. The Spa Motel has indoor pools for naked soaking if you prefer (separate for men and women), plus an outdoor couple’s pool (bathing suit required). The Spa Motel has a funky feel, and some locals claim it as more “authentic.” The most recent soak spot is the Overlook Hot Springs Spa, in the
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middle of downtown, with rooftop tubs, splendid views, on-site massages and a “private-tub” option. But we were seduced by The Springs Resort. Visualize 23 rocksoaking pools, all different sizes, holding from two to 15 people each, nestled along the San Juan River. Some are perched on a cliff terrace, others at river’s edge. Pool temperatures vary from a bathtub 95 degrees to a decent soak temperature of 105 to the blistering Lobster Pot (my husband’s favorite) at 114 degrees. The pools—each with its own name—are open to the public from early morning to late night (1 a.m. on weekends). The Springs is also a spa resort, with lodging options from budget to the luxury suites of the brand-new and
/ spring 2011 / Lawrence Magazine
Fishing is consistently good at Pagosa Springs.
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journey
Each season at Pagosa Springs offers its own attractions.
greener-than-green Eco-Luxe hotel—and all lodging includes 24-hour access for guests to the springs. Almost all locals have an annual pass to The Springs spa pools, and tourists not staying at the resort will find the weekly pass (beginning at $65 for the first adult) the best bargain. Book a massage at the spa and springs admission is included. There is a metallic smell, soft rather than intrusive, around the springs due to the high mineral content of the water (potassium, magnesium, silicon, iron, lithium, zinc to name a few), the “healing properties” of which are absorbed through the skin. Minerals aside, a soak makes everything feel better.
Beyond soaking Each season at Pagosa Springs offers its own attractions. Winter (which can last six-plus months) activities mostly begin with “s”: skiing, snowboarding, skating, snowshoeing, snowmobiling, sledding, sleigh riding, shopping. Plus, of course, soaking. With Wolf Creek Ski Area just outside town and more than 38 feet of average snowfall, the area never requires the artificial stuff and is an all-natural playground. Ponds are cleared and maintained for ice skating the old-fashioned way (and for free, though you might wish to rent skates) once the ice is 4 inches deep. Nordic skiing is popular, with more than 50 miles of groomed trails. Late spring, summer and early fall activities are diverse: hiking, fabulous fishing, trail riding, biking, golf (27-hole course), ATV-ing, hunting and rafting. Float down a river in an inner tube. Take a hot air balloon ride over the mountains. Read in the crisp mountain air (which is different than reading in the flatlands). Sit on a blanket overlooking a heart-mending A River Runs Through It valley and let your mind go still. The annual turning of the aspens is a statewide activity, with aspen websites and aspen alerts on the evening television news. This is also an ideal season for hiking. Trails are clearly marked with helpful descriptive guides taking you through aspens, along rivers, up mountains (well, not really “up” very
Aspen trees, top, tower over hikes along the trails outside Pagosa Springs. One of the trails ends at Opal Lake, bottom, where the mineral content gives the lake a milky look.
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journey much). We did a half-day horseback ride with Crazy Horse Outfitters that provided splendid vistas about 20 miles outside Pagosa Springs.
Back to the dry life On our last night at The Springs, we went out for one final night soak. We walked, bathrobes wrapped around wet bathing suits, to our favorite pools: Waterfall, Tranquility, Serendipity and Cozy Cove. In the day, you can see the mountains, people strolling downtown, men fishing in the river below. Conversation flows easily among strangers. Groups of friends or large extended families come to soak together, and laughter drifts across the water. But at night there is a quiet that comes with the darkness, and soaks feel more private— sensuous yet meditative. We sat in the pool, steam rising into the night, under a globe of white moon, immersed, wishing that “Let’s soak” could be a part of our daily conversation. And since it can’t, at least not now, we expect we’ll be making an annual pilgrimage to Pagosa Springs. m
The soaking scene at Pagosa Springs is a mixture of all ages.
events march
To Kill a Mockingbird
Open Gym, Haskell Boxing Club
Staging of Harper Lee’s classic novel. Call (785) 843-7469 for tickets or reservations.
April 8-23 / Theatre Lawrence
5 p.m.-7 p.m. Weekdays / Haskell Indian Nations University
Join Erik Riley and Darren Jacobs (see story on p. 72) for competitive or non-competitive boxing training. Call (928) 594-3157 for details. Spring Antique Show and Sale March 4-5 / Douglas County Fairgrounds
Massive antique sale to support Pilot Club of Lawrence charity donations. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. (785) 843-6219. An Evening with Garrison Keillor March 9 / Lied Center of Kansas
Host of A Prairie Home Companion presents a one-night performance. 7:30 p.m. For tickets and reservations, call (785) 864-2787. Lawrence Art Auction Exhibition and Silent Auction March 11-April 9 / Lawrence Art Center
Exhibition and auction of work from approximately 150 artists. For tickets and information about the auction night event, call (785) 843-2787. St. Patrick’s Day Parade
March 17 / Downtown and North Lawrence
Floats, bagpipers, leprechauns and queens parade through Lawrence for the annual holiday-charity event. Parade begins at 1 p.m. from 11th and Masssachusetts Streets. Lawrence Home Show
March 18-20 / Various locations
Annual presentation of homes by Lawrence Home Builders Association. For tickets and more information, call (785) 748-0612. Final Fridays
March 25 (and the last Friday of every month) / Various locations
Lynn Electric Kansas half Marathon April 17 / Lawrence
Half marathon, 10K and 5K run to benefit Health Care Access’ not-forprofit care clinic. Race events begin at 7:30 a.m. For more information, call (785) 331-7869.
february Annual Art in the Park
May 1 / South Park, 12th and Massachusetts Streets
Lawrence Art Guild hosts the annual outside art auction with free musical performances and children’s activities. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. (785) 9797039.
Haskell Indian Nations Commencement and Native American Pow-Wow
May 6-8 / Haskell Indian Nations University
Traditional Pow-Wow to celebrate graduation includes opening Gourd Dance at 5 p.m. May 6. Graduation at 10 a.m. May 8. PowWow admission cost $2. For more information, call (785) 749-8404. Tour season for Black Jack Battlefield
May 7 / Black Jack Battlefield and Nature Park, Wellsville
Tour season for guided tours opens at this historic battle site. Free guided tours provided at 1 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays until the third Sunday of October. (785) 883-2106 “Free at Last: A History of the Abolition of Slavery in America” May 9–June 3 / Dole Institute of Politics
Enjoy the work of art collectives b.a.l.m., Fresh Produce and WonderFair (see article on p. 64) as well as art by dozens of other local artists at various locations throughout downtown Lawrence. For more information, contact (785) 842-3883.
Dole Institute of Politics hosts an exhibit tracing the abolition movement. Free admission. Open 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Saturday and noon-5 p.m. Sunday. 2350 Petefish Drive, University of Kansas. (785) 864-4900.
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May 13-15 / Clinton Lake campgrounds
Civil War Preservation Trust Park Day April 2 / Black Jack Battlefield
Join in a spring cleanup at this preCivil War battlefield site. Volunteers are welcome at any time beginning at 9 a.m. and are encouraged to bring gloves, sturdy shoes and their own food and drink. For more information, call (785) 883-2106.
Stringband Rendezvous
Approximately 15 bluegrass, Celtic and gypsy swing bands play concerts from late Friday night to early Sunday morning. Tickets range from $10 to $30. (913) 638-6633
All events are subject to change E-mail your upcoming events for the calendar to lawrencemagazine@ljworld.com
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