Emporia living 2015

Legacy of being a

Winter 2015

INSIDE

WORLD CHAMPION

The Business of Brewing

Jeremy “JJ� Johns pours his heart and soul into his brews

Above the Hills

Emporia aviator Doug Wilson took photographer Dustin Michelson for a birds-eye view of the burnt prairie.

Teen with a Mission Emporia High School student Meg Detwiler is on a mission helping others.

Emporia Living | 1

2 | Emporia Living

PUBLISHER

C hris W alker SALES DIRECTOR

B riana J ulo CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

J an H uston M organ C hilson J esse M urphy B obbi M lynar PHOTOGRAPHY

K evin A nderson D ustin M ichelson S tuart M ullenberg J esse M urphy J akub S tepanovic D E S I G N L AY O U T

J ustin O gleby , IM D esign G roup A D V E R T I S I N G S TA F F

C hristine B rown S aundra H utchison K athy L afferty L eann S anchez AD SERVICES

M argie M c H aley K elsey B arker D an F errell P hillip M iller D evin P arkman K atie P otter B radley R ice COPY EDITORS

A shley W alker B randy N ance C I R C U L AT I O N M A N A G E R

D estin N ightingale ONLINE emporiaksliving . com

FA C E B O O K . C O M / emporialiving

Table of Contents 5 6 8 Faith

Editor’s note

14

Madison community calendar for 2015.

Chase County community calendar for 2015.

16 People

Eric McCabe reflects on being a world champion professional disc golfer.

more information ,

50 Business

Abel and Dalia Pineda of Panaderia Progreso have a passion for baking Mexican breads.

60

please contact :

517 M erchant S treet E mporia , KS 66801 620-342-4800

is a publication of

48

Meg Detwiler is focused on using her faith to help people

TWITTER

E mporia L iving M agazine

Doug Wilson gives an aerial view of the burnt Flint Hills.

Advertising index

@ emporialiving F or

34 Art

26 Business

Jeremy “JJ” Johns pours heart and soul into his brews at Radius Brewing Company.

32

Olpe community calendar for 2015.

North Lyon County community calendar for 2015.

62 Business

Coffelt Sign Company celebrated 65 years in business in 2014.

68

Business

Justin Combes turns the craft of wood floors into an artform.

74

Council Grove community calendar for 2015.

76 Career

Mike Law dreamed of becoming a sports radio announcer, but instead became one of the most influential broadcasters in the music industry.

84

Coffey County community calendar for 2015.

86 History

One of the most influential leaders in early Emporia was O.M. “Mit” Wilhite.

On the Cover:

Eric McCabe, PDGA World Champion, poses with his dog, Ralph.

[Photo by Kevin Anderson.]

Emporia Living | 3

WHO SAYS THERE ISN’T ANYTHING TO DO IN EMPORIA?

UPCOMING EVENTS

St. Patrick’s Day Parade March 14, 1:00pm Let the luck of the Irish flow during this yearly event.

Glass Blown Open & Block Party April 28-May 3 This PDGA National Tour event takes place on Emporia’s fantastic disc golf courses and brings in top golfers from around the country.

CVB WithLOGO our vibrantVARIATIONS downtown, unique shopping, and world class events, there is plenty to do in Emporia. From handmade arts to craft beers, from live music to inspiring cuisine, to the stunning Flint Hills, there is always something it. S B U R E A U C O N V happening.

E N T I O NCome & Vand I S enjoy I TOR

Cinco De Mayo May 2, Noon-10pm Join the festivities for this downtown block party and beer garden running in conjunction with the Glass Blown Open.

Dirty Kanza 200

CONVE NTI ON

& VI S I TORS

BUR EAU

May 30 Come downtown as over 1,500 riders challenge 200 miles of the Flint Hills in this world premiere race.

visitemporia.com

Editor’s Note

Welcome to our new edition of Emporia Living Magazine!

The people in our community are truly amazing. The pursuits and passions of people making a difference is inspiring.

We are honored once again to highlight just a few of the people that make our community a better place to live, work, and play.

The magazine would not be possible without the hard work of many people, so here are our thank yous: First, and foremost, is to the advertisers who made this magazine possible. We hope you will thank them by spending your shopping dollars at their businesses.

Second, we want to thank the advertising staff: Sales Director Briana Julo, and advertising representatives Christine Brown and Saundra Hutchison.

They work hard to deliver high-quality advertisements to their clients, adding to the value of Emporia Living.

Finally, a big thank you goes to Justin Ogleby and the staff at IM Design Group who pulled the photos, stories and ads together to deliver the newest edition of Emporia Living.

We had fun doing this magazine for you and we hope you enjoy it.

Chris Walker Editor & Publisher

Emporia Living | 5

Advertisers Index 96 one The Wave. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 Adams Lumber & Homestore . . . . . . . . . . . 74 Affordable Tree & Landscape. . . . . . . . . . . . 75 Alexander Artworks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74 Allegre Rexall Drugs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84 Amanda’s Bakery & Cafe. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 Bella Rose Boutique and Tanning Salon. . . . 84 Bennett Dental Group. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 Bluestem Farm and Ranch Supply. . . . . . . . 61 BobbyD’s Merchant Street BBQ. . . . . . . . . . 49 Brown Bennett Alexander Funeral Home. . . 14 Buckeye Supply Co.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 C&D Exteriors, LLC. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83 Carpet Plus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64 Casa Ramos. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Citizens State Bank . . . . . . . . . . . . 15, 48, 84 City of Emporia. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67 City of Lebo. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84 City of Reading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 Clint Bowyer Autoplex. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Coffelt Sign Company, Inc.. . . . . . . . . . . . . 65 Commercial St. Diner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75 Cottage House B&B . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74 Cottonwood Falls Collectibles. . . . . . . . . . . 15 Elmwood Reclaimed Timber . . . . . . . . . . . . 94 Emporia Christian School . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 Emporia Convention & Visitors Bureau. . . . . 4 Emporia Main Street . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Emporia Orthodontics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96 Emporia Public Schools. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 Emporia Realty Group. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Emporia State University. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 ESB Financial. . . . . . . . . . Inside Front Cover Evergreen Design Build . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65 Farm & Home Real Estate. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Farmers & Drovers Bank. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74

6 | Emporia Living

Flint Hills Beverage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64 Flint Hills Community Health Center. . . . . 71 Flint Hills Roofing & Gutter. . . . . . . . . . . . 53 Flint Hills Shopper. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65 Flint Hills Technical College . . . . . . . . . . . . 65 Food For Students . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 Golden Living Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Grand Central Hotel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Griffin Real Estate & Auction, LLC. . . . . . . 14 Hannah Orthodontics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 Hays House Restaurant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74 Hill’s Pet Nutrition. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96 Holiday Resort. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 IM Design Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30, 31 Internal Medicine Associates . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 JavaCat Coffeehouse. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56 John North Ford, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 Kansas Maid Frozen Pastries. . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 Kerri R. Thompson, DDS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 King Liquor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Kiss 103.1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85 La Hacienda Restaurant. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74 Lane Whitmore Co.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Lawrence Memorial Hospital. . . . . . . . 61, 80 Life Care Center of Burlington. . . . . . . . . . . 23 Longbine Auto Plaza . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 Lyon County Historical Center . . . . . . . . . . 21 Lyon County State Bank . . Inside Back Cover Lyon County Title, LLC. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64 Madison News. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 Mark II Lumber Company. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75 Medicine Shoppe. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 Mental Health Center of East Central Kansas. 91 Midas Touch Golden Tans. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83 Miracle Cafe. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 Modern Air . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Morris County Hospital. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75 Mulready’s Pub. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Murphy Oil Food Mart. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Newman Therapy Services. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Newman Regional Health . . . . . . Back Cover Olpe Chicken House. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Olpe State Bank. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Paper Moon Antiques. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83 Patton, Putnam & Dean, LLC. . . . . . . . . . . 46 Plumbing by Spellman, Inc.. . . . . . . . . . . . . 91 Presbyterian Manor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91 Radius Brewing Co.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Ray’s Apple Market . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74 Regional Development Association . . . . . . . 81 Reynolds & Anliker. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73 Rich Door Co.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72 Riddles Jewelry. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 River City Art Gallery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84 S&A Telephone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 Satterfield Body Shop. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Schankie Well Service. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 Schmidt Custom Cabinetry. . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 Sears Hometown Store. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 Street Tax Service. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 Subway. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Thomas Property Management . . . . . . . . . . 66 Thomas Transfer & Storage. . . . . . . . . . . . . 66 Topeka Ear, Nose and Throat. . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Trail Days Cafe & Museum. . . . . . . . . . . . . 74 Valerie’s Gifts & Such. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74 ValuNet. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58, 59 Vektek . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75 Wagner Automotive. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48 Wellnitz Tree Care. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 Williams Automotive. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96

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8 | Emporia Living

E

mporia teenager

Meg

Detwiler may be the perfect example of

an old saying about

“meeting yourself

coming and going.”

Teen with a

MISSION Meg Detwiler is focused on using her faith to help people Written by

Morgan Chilson Photography by

The saying, which means that you’re so busy that you’re practically coming in the door at the same time you’re going out, aptly fits Detwiler’s activity level as a high school senior.

In school, she’s powerlifting, swimming, running cross country, getting top grades and taking college classes. Outside of school, she volunteers, is active in church, goes on mission trips and babysits (in her spare time).

She’s focused in a way that most teenagers aren’t. Detwiler, 17, was clearly uncomfortable talking about herself, although she admitted, “I’m a cookiecutter Type A person. If you look it up on the internet, it tells you that you are very organized. It’ll say something along the lines of control freak, that would be me. Perfectionist — also me. I’m very hard on myself. I think the saying that you are your worst critic definitely applies to me.”

Detwiler laughed and admitted that her brothers call her the Golden Child.

“That is kind of embarrassing, because they think I’m perfect at everything,” she said. “Which of course, isn’t true, because I’m definitely not perfect.”

The perception of her being good at everything she tries comes, Detwiler thinks, because she’s one of those people who tries hard at everything she does, something that ties back to that Type A personality, as well as her Christian faith.

“I grew up going to church,” Detwiler said. “I think it definitely affects everything I do. It’s kind of like my overall motivation. It’s hard to put into words. I think that my whole purpose in life, what I want to do with my life, is totally based on my relationship with God. I think if I wasn’t a Christian, then my whole life would be totally different. Obviously, I wouldn’t want to be a missionary if I wasn’t a Christian.”

Her desire to do missionary work, and possibly become a doctor, was stimulated when Detwiler and her father, Dr.Todd Detwiler, went to the Philippines on a trip through her church.

Detwiler then went to Mexico for a week last summer, again with her church on a mission trip, and worked at a Missouri summer camp for disadvantaged children. The Philippines trip introduced her to a way of life that she had only read about.

Kevin Anderson Emporia Living | 9

Meg has went on several mission trips to the Philippines and Mexico to help others.

“The Philippines was my first experience with real poverty, like intense, third-world country, living-on-the-streets pover ty,” she said. “The first morning that we got there, we took a tour of the squatter’s village, and I was just blown away. You see pictures, and you see stuff on the news, but it’s not really real.

When you see the shacks that are made of plywood and sheet metal . . . it’s just different.”

It was an experience that Detwiler carried back to the United States, enforcing her determination to do missionary work and also causing her to suffer from reverse culture shock that took her a little while to deal with.

10 | Emporia Living

She talked about going to a home in the Philippines and seeing that four families, one with 10 children, lived in one small house, each in a corner. “When I came home and I walked in my bedroom, and I stood in my doorway and thought, this is the size of what they lived in and I complain about the size of my bedroom. It was like a reality check,” she said.

“When you come back, they don’t tell you how hard it’s going to be.There was like a week when we came back, I had some jet lag going on, so I slept a lot. I was miserable. To just look around, it killed me to look at all of the stuff I had and to think about all the stuff

they didn’t have. I know it’s not realistic to get upset about wasting food in Kansas when people don’t have food in the Philippines. But just all of the excess . . .”

Still, in her typical focused fashion, Detwiler used the experience to become aware of what needs to be done in Emporia too.

“One of the things my youth pastor told me when we got back was that one of the best things you can do for yourself in that situation is to find something similar to the work that you’ve been doing, to help your own community,” she said. “Poverty exists everywhere. I think it kind of opened my eyes to the fact

that there are people who need things here, too, not just in Third World countries.”

It was when she got back that Detwiler began volunteering once a week at Shiloh Home of Hope for Women, babysitting for children so their mothers could go to worship services.

But her heart and leaning toward people who are struggling began long before Detwiler went to the Philippines and Mexico. In eighth grade, attending a Christian conference in Kansas City, she and a friend signed up to split the cost of sponsoring a child in another country, something that she pays for with her own money.

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We Specialize In: Setting such high standards and adding in that perfectionism, as well, can be stressful. Detwiler said she handles stress well, most of the time.

“I like to clean when I’m stressed,” she said. “If my environment is messy, it stresses me out more. That’s one way I’m not Type A. They say that you’re organized everywhere except for your own space, but my room is spotless because it stresses me out. I think as far as dealing with stress goes, as long as I stay focused on my ultimate goal, it’s not as hard.”

Learning to fail has been a challenge. When she got a

low grade on a test, Detwiler said she cried. It was in a weighted class, so her GPA wasn’t impacted, but the highachieving teenager doesn’t like that her unweighted grade scale means she’s not a 4.0 student.

And yes, she can laugh at that, and realize that such a perfectionist way of thinking isn’t always good. In fact, if she could change one thing about herself, it would be that tendency.

“I wish I didn’t think everything was such a big deal.

I’m one of those people that it doesn’t matter what I’m doing, if I don’t do it exactly how I’ve envisioned myself doing

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Emporia Living | 11

it, it’s like the end of the world,” Detwiler admitted.

Recognizing that about herself goes a long way to learning how to deal with that aspect of her personality. With college looming, it could be an important skill. Detwiler said she’s nervous and excited about going to school.

“I’m kind of terrified. I think part of it is just with my personality, I like to plan this ahead. And I know that I’m not going to know where I’m going to college until March or April. I won’t have plans set in stone,” she said, laughing. “I’m a little nervous to move out, but I think I’m more excited about that part than I am nervous. I think I’m ready to be doing something different. I feel

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like that’s one of the fun parts of life, because it’s when you get to make everything you’ve been planning happen. We’ve dreamed forever about what we want to be when we grow up, how we want to get there, and when you go to college that’s when you get to start doing it.”

Her mother, Cindy Detwiler, will be facing an empty nest when Detwiler leaves for college.

“We are so lucky to have her as the last one, because we’re tired and she’s so easy,” Cindy Detwiler said, adding that her daughter’s focus has always been evident. “She just has such a love for people and causes. She does so much volunteer work; she really wants to go into missions.

She is so spiritual.” 

Emporia Living | 13

CHASE COUNTY CALENDAR 2 0 1 5

January

Every Friday Night 7:30pm “Music at the Emma” in Cottonwood Falls January 17 Chamber Annual Meeting at Camp Wood YMCA

Every Friday Night 7:30pm “Music at the Emma” in Cottonwood Falls February 14 6:00pm A Night to Remember presented by Clover Cliff Ranch B&B and Flying W Ranch February 28 9-4 Saving Grandpa’s Stories Workshop at Pioneer Bluffs

February

March

Every Friday Night 7:30pm “Music at the Emma” in Cottonwood Falls March 3 Jane Laman Photographs on display at Chase County Historical Museum March 7 1:30pm Flint Hills Women, Prairie Talk by Farrell Hoy Jenab at Pioneer Bluffs March 14 Cattle Drive at Flying W Ranch March 16-20 USD 284 Spring Break March 21 Cattle Drive at Flying W Ranch March 26 12:00pm ChamberConnect meeting

April Every Friday Night 7: 30pm “Music at the Emma” in Cottonwood Falls

April 4 1:30 pm Kansas City Voices at Pioneer Bluffs

April 4 Opening shows in The Gallery of Pioneer Bluffs with Mariana Escribano and Ann Resnick

April 4 Opening Reception at The Bank for Adri Luna

April 11 2:30- 9:30pm Flames in the Flint Hills at Flying W Ranch

April 18 Trail Ride at Clover Cliff Ranch B&B

April 18 Reception with the Artists at The Gallery of Pioneer Bluffs

April 25 8:00 pm Grand Gala Ball location to be announced

April 25 8:00pm CCJSHS Prom

April 25 Cattle Drive at Flying W Ranch

May

Every Friday Night 7:30pm “Music at the Emma” in Cottonwood Falls May 2 Cattle Drive at Flying W Ranch May 2 Full Moon Ride at Flying W Ranch May 2-3 Plein Air Masterclass with Lisa Grossman at The Gallery at Pioneer Bluffs

May 8-10 Spring in Cottonwood Falls at Cottonwood Falls Collectables May 9 Cattle Drive at Flying W Ranch May 16 5th Anniversary Reception at The Gallery at Pioneer Bluffs May 17 2:00pm CCJSHS Graduation May 22 Trail Ride at Clover Cliff Ranch B&B May 23 Trail Ride at Flying W Ranch May 24 Trail Ride at Clover Cliff Ranch B&B May 25 Trail Ride at Flying W Ranch May 30 Dirty Kanza 200 in Cottonwood Falls

June

Every Friday Night 7:30pm June 2 June 4-6 8:00pm June 6 2:00pm June 6

June 6

June 12 June 12

June 12-14

“Music at the Emma” in Cottonwood Falls Full Moon Ride at Flying W Ranch Flint Hills Rodeo in Strong City Flint Hills Parade at Swope Park Opening Reception at The Gallery at Pioneer Bluffs for Bengt Erikson & Erin Dobson Opening Reception at The Bank for Corey Anthis Trail Ride at Flying W Ranch River Suite on the Historic River Bridge in Cottonwood Falls Chamber Passport Event in Chase County

A Tradition of Caring & Service

Telephone: (620) 273-6311 bbafh@hotmail.com Susan Alexander 201 Cherry • Cottonwood Falls, KS 66845 www.brown-bennett-alexander.com

14 | Emporia Living

June 13 June 13-14 June 13 June 14 June 14 June 14 June 18 12:00pm June 20 1:00pm

Symphony in the Flint Hills Folklife Festival in Cottonwood Falls Trail Ride at Clover Cliff Ranch B&B Flag Retirement Evening Trail Ride at Flying W Ranch Cattle Drive at Flying W Ranch ChamberConnect meeting Public talk with Ryan Kohlmeier and Huth at CC Historical Museum June 27 3:00pm Flowers in the Flint Hills presented by Flying W Ranch and Clover Cliff Ranch B&B

Every Friday Night 7:30pm July 1 July 11 July 11 July 18 1:00pm

“Music at the Emma” in Cottonwood Falls Full Moon Ride at Flying W Ranch Cattle Drive at Flying W Ranch Trail Ride at Flying W Ranch Silent Films featuring One Run Elmer and College with Buster Keaton at CC Historical Museum July 18 Cattle Drive at Flying W Ranch July 26-30 Chase County Fair in Cottonwood Falls July 31 Full Moon Ride at Flying W Ranch

August

Every Friday Night 7:30pm “Music at the Emma” in Cottonwood Falls August 1 1:30pm Ranching Heritage Prairie Talk at Pioneer Bluffs August 7-9 Summer in Cottonwood Falls at Cottonwood Falls Collectables August 8 Cattle Drive at Flying W Ranch August 8 Opening Reception at The Gallery at Pioneer Bluffs for Jon Scott Anderson and Justin Marable August 8 Opening Reception at The Gallery at Pioneer Bluffs for Jose Alvarado August 8 Film Screening “Farmer John” with farmer John in Matfield Green August 15 1:00pm WSU Professor Dreifort at CC Historical Museum August 29 Full Moon Ride at Flying W Ranch

Vintage Baseball Game Emporia vs. Strong City Late Afternoon Trail Ride at Flying W Ranch Plein Air Plein Air Art Sale The Dream Ride Joyful Noise at Camp Wood YMCA

October

July

September 19 12:00pm September 19 September 19-26 September 27 September 25-27 September 26

Every Friday Night 7:30pm “Music at the Emma” in Cottonwood Falls October 3 Pioneer Bluffs Fall Festival at Pioneer Bluffs October 3 Opening Reception at The Gallery at Pioneer Bluffs for Yoonmi Nam and a juried show of Plein Air artists October 3 Opening Reception at The Bank for Chyoko Myose October 9-11 Autumn in Cottonwood Falls at Cottonwood Falls Collectables October 10 Cattle Drive at Flying W Ranch October 24 Trail Ride at Flying W Ranch B&B

November

Every Friday Night 7:30pm “Music at the Emma” in Cottonwood Falls November 11 Veteran’s Day Ceremony by Charlie Rayl in CWF November 14 Cattle Drive at Flying W Ranch November 28 Strong City Seasonal Express in Strong City November 29 Chase County Country Christmas in Cottonwood Falls

December

Every Friday Night 7:30pm “Music at the Emma” in Cottonwood Falls December 17 12:00pm ChamberConnect meeting

Gridley • New Strawn • Emporia Madison • Burlington • Hamilton LeRoy • Lyndon • Cottonwood Falls Member FDIC • Equal Housing Lender

September

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Every Friday Night 7:30pm

September 5

September 6

September 7 September 17 12:00pm

September 19

“Music at the Emma” in Cottonwood Falls Trail Ride at Clover Cliff Ranch B&B Trail Ride at Flying W Ranch Trail Ride at Flying W Ranch ChamberConnect meeting Dirty Kanza “Race The Chase” in Cottonwood Falls September 19 Cattle Drive at Flying W Ranch

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Photo by Stuart Mullenberg

16 | Emporia Living

Legacy of being a

WORLD

CHAMPION Professional disc golfer Eric McCabe calls Emporia home, although he spends most of his time on the road, traveling to tournaments and making a name in a relatively new sport.

He’s been playing professionally for 17 years, and in 2010 won the top tournament, the Professional Disc Golf World Championships, sealing his reputation as one of the top disc golfers in the world. McCabe, 36, sat down to talk with Emporia Living about disc golf, his life and his goals.

Written by

Morgan Chilson

Emporia Living | 17

HOW DID YOU GET STARTED PLAYING DISC GOLF? In high school, I did gymnastics for many, many years, from probably 10 years old through high school.

My coach and good friend played disc golf, and they took me out to practice one day at the only course we had in Emporia, and I pretty much got hooked on it right away.

divisions at different levels, and then you get into professional play, open men and women, which are open to anyone; masters, which is 40 and over; grand masters which is 50 and over.

The rules of the golf are like a book, and ours are more like a little pamphlet, because we haven’t been around as long. It definitely is played the same, with the same terminology like pars, bogies, birdies.

WHAT DOES HOOKED MEAN? Since I found disc golf, I’ve been playing pretty much non-stop, every day, it seems like.The year 2000 was the year I decided to turn professional, and it was actually 2003 when I made it my career and decided to strictly play disc golf and have that be my source of income.

HOW IS THE SPORT GROWING? It’s grown immensely over the last few years. 2003 was actually the first year that the Professional Disc Golf Association, or PDGA, started its own tour, called the National Tour, with 12 different events, I think, that they had deemed larger scale events and put more money into and made requirements to play in those events. You had to qualify. So 2003 is really where I saw a big spike in the growth of the sport. Of course, the PDGA memberships just double every year; I believe we’re up to 70,000, where when I joined in 1996, or so, I believe, I’m number 11,000.

WAS THAT SCARY? Yes. Disc golf isn’t like your normal professional sport, meaning we’re out there grinding away every week and not making millions or even hundreds of thousands of dollars. But I didn’t have a lot holding me down, and I just basically wanted to follow my dream.

WHAT DID YOUR FAMILY THINK OF THAT IDEA? They were very encouraging; they’ve encouraged me to follow the dream. They’ve been a good support group for me in my disc golf career. I think it was 2003, when I was getting out and getting ready to do this, I’d gone to a tournament in Arizona, and I came back and was considering pulling out of a California tournament. My dad was actually the one who encouraged me to go.

My brother lives in Texas, as well (as my parents), and he’s a professional golfer, traditional golf, but he’s now the general manager of a course down there.

Sports have always been in our family, so it didn’t surprise me too much when they said they wanted me to pursue this dream.

TELL ME A LITTLE BIT ABOUT DISC GOLF. HOW IS IT SET UP? LIKE TRADITIONAL GOLF? There are different tours and, on any given weekend, there are 10 to 30 tournaments to choose from. The majority of them have every division available from a recreational division to juniors to a women’s division, three to four different amateur

18 | Emporia Living

EMPORIA HAS FOUR COURSES, RIGHT? IS THAT USUAL FOR A TOWN OUR SIZE? Emporia, Kansas, is actually becoming more worldknown as the place to go for disc golf because we’re a small community and the city backs us so well. We have four 18-hole disc courses, and we’re looking at putting in two or three more of them in a town of about 28,000 people. Per capita, we’re definitely up there.

DO THE FRIGID WINTER TEMPERATURES AFFECT THE GAME? WHERE IS IT PLAYED PRIMARILY? The tour actually starts in the month of February out in Las Vegas and Phoenix, and then works its way through California and through the southern states.

It’s very, very popular in California, Texas and even Michigan. It’s cold up there most of the year, but they have a very active disc golf support.

The weather, especially (in mid-November), it’s not fun. I’m fortunate enough to have Dynamic Discs and the big warehouse that I can train all winter long in.

We have a bunch of portable baskets that I’ll practice putting into or we’re getting a net we’re going to set up here in the warehouse so you can stay loose on your shots.

Photo

by Kevin Anderson Emporia Living | 19

Photo by Stuart Mullenberg

DO YOU HAVE TO PRACTICE A LOT? Lots and lots of hours. When I was first starting out, that’s pretty much all I would do. As soon as the sun would come up, I’d go straight to the course. Some days I would stay there until the sun went down. And especially nowadays, the competition is getting younger and younger, and more athletic, and fearless, so the competition level is just ridiculous out there right now.

In order to stay on top of your game, you still have to put in your hours and hours of work.

You can play on a competitive level and on a more relaxed and just a hobby level, as well. But for me, I’m definitely still in the top competition level, so I’m definitely out there still putting in my hours on the practice fields.

It’s a grind. There are people who look and say ‘man, I would give anything to be in your position.’ But it’s work. It’s definitely work. Don’t get me wrong, I wouldn’t change it for anything, but it’s definitely work.

DOES IT PAY OFF? I’ve actually won two major championships; one in 2008, which was the Players Cup championship, and

20 | Emporia Living

then 2010, the World Championship. I checked the other day, close to 80 total pro wins over my career.

WHY DO YOU THINK YOU’RE SUCCESSFUL? IS IT SOMETHING IN YOUR PERSONALITY, ALONG WITH YOUR ATHLETIC ABILITY? I think a lot of it is how you’re raised. And I grew up in a great family, a great loving family, and I like to think that at least I’m more mature than a lot of them and I have good head on my shoulders; when the competition level gets going, just because you have a bad hole doesn’t mean the event’s over.

The last tournament I played, a couple of weeks ago down in Texas, after the first round, I was actually 7 or 8 strokes behind the lead. Going into the final round, I was still 5 strokes back. You’ve got to put your head down and just kind of fight through. I actually ended up winning that tournament by 2 strokes. The event is never over until it’s actually over. I’m also the kind of guy that, on the course, I don’t show a whole lot of emotion. If I have a bad hole, I kind of keep it down to myself. I’m not one of the John McEnroe’s. I don’t feel like that doesn’t anything good for your game at all.

Emporia Living | 21

Photo by Stuart Mullenberg

Photo by Stuart Mullenberg

WHAT’S BEEN CHALLENGING ABOUT CREATING A PROFESSIONAL CAREER IN DISC GOLF? Especially in disc golf, you’re pretty much somewhat on your own.You’ve got your sponsors that support you and do what they can, but as a professional player, you’re definitely out there on your own, and growing your own name. I actually run my own Facebook page, Twitter page, and Instagram. It’s definitely different not having to rely on somebody else. In my opinion, it is actually better for the growth. It’s actually that person, it’s not an agent making the posts and asking questions or running clinics, and all that. It’s actually me doing it. I think that helps in being more admired on a professional level.

ARE THERE ANY MISTAKES YOU’VE MADE? ANYTHING YOU WOULD HAVE DONE DIFFERENTLY? ANY BIG DECISIONS? I’ve always looked back and wondered that, if there’s anything I could go back and change. I can honestly say that there really isn’t anything that I would like to change.

A few years ago, there was a big mix-up in the sport, the patent on the actual disc was running out, and all these new manufacturers coming into the game. That’s actually when Dynamic Discs decided they wanted to start making their own discs and being a manufacturer. I was with another company at that time; I was still with Dynamic Discs, they were more of an apparel sponsor.

When the decision came, I had three or four different disc companies asking me to go with them. That was definitely one of the toughest decisions in my career to make. I chose to go with Dynamic Discs because it’s more of a family atmosphere; I feel like a part of the family at DD as opposed to more of the companies that are more corporate.

IS IT CHALLENGING TO BE ON THE ROAD SO MUCH? I’m not married; I’ve somehow managed to stay single. Not a bad thing, I don’t know if it’s a good thing.

It’s tough to have a relationship with someone when you’re constantly on the road. Constantly gone. I travel so much. I play upwards of 30 to 35 tournaments a year.

I’m constantly traveling, and I spent a month in Europe, playing disc golf. I do have a girlfriend now, who works at DD. She’s starting to travel more with me to events.

I have dog. His name is Ralph. He’s actually kind of a staple in the disc golf community, everybody loves the guy. He’s got his own FB page and his own line of shirts.

(On Facebook, he’s “Ralph.”) He’s quite the popular guy, an Australian Shepherd, Blue Heeler mix, about 12 years old now. I rescued him. I went into the Emporia shelter, not expecting to go home with a dog, and there he was.

It’s been one of the best decisions ever. I typically drive to tournaments, and I take Ralph when I drive.

Photo

by KevinLiving Anderson 22 | Emporia

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WHAT DOES YOUR FUTURE HOLD? Well, I’ve been telling myself that I’m going to quit playing, well, not quit playing but stop playing as much, I guess, as far as the tour goes, and try to build the game, build the sport more. I’ve been doing that a lot with Dynamic Disc and helping the growth of the game, and I’m still planning on playing all the big national tour and major events, but I’m also leaning more toward putting in courses. More course design. I actually just put a course in Manchester, New Hampshire. The city called and wanted me to put in a course. I’ve designed close to a dozen courses now, and I want to continue that.

WHAT GOES INTO DESIGNING A COURSE? It helps that I’ve played hundreds. On a professional level, I know what people are looking for, I know what to steer clear of. I can put in a championship level course or I can put in a junior or kid-friendly course anywhere. Usually what it takes is getting a nice aerial footage of the property and spending countless hours just walking the property, even taking a couple of discs with me and throwing here and there, seeing what angles may work better.  Photo by Stuart Mullenberg

24 | Emporia Living

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26 | Emporia Living

The Business of

BREWING Jeremy “JJ” Johns pours heart and soul into his brews

Written by Photography by

Morgan Chilson Kevin Anderson

J

eremy “JJ” Johns used to brew beer in his garage, now he is serving

90-gallon batches to customers at Radius Brewing Co.

Jeremy “JJ” Johns used to brew beer in his garage, playing with flavors and learning the art and artistry behind creating ale. It was a pastime strictly for himself, friends and family. Today, he brews beer in 90-gallon batches and is the creator of ales served at Emporia’s Radius Brewing Co., where he’s a co-owner.

“It’s the same process, just on a larger scale, but a lot more risk involved, obviously,” Johns said. “If you mess up a batch, you’re in a lot deeper financially.”

Johns, 35, was pulled into the commercial side of beer when his friend Gus Bays, a Cordon Bleutrained chef, asked him if he’d 28 | Emporia Living

like to open a brewery together.

Bays brought years of restaurant experience to the partnership, and Johns, who had never worked in the industry, brought a passion for beer to the business.

Was he scared?

“Oh, yeah,” Johns answered, laughing a little. “But it took us three years of planning to get the doors open. As soon as we decided we really wanted to make a go of it, I really star ted not so much brewing for myself, but brewing to learn how to make good beer that’s marketable.”

What Johns found was the same concepts applied in

brewing personal, small batches of beer as in brewing large quantities for the brewery.

“I wanted to make sure I knew the science, the basic science, of how everything worked,” he said.

“Brewing is one of those things – if you can make soup, or bake a cake, you can make beer. You’re not making your own beer at that point, but you can produce beer from kits and what-not.”

Johns visited area breweries, spending some time at Little Apple Brewing Co. in Manhattan to learn the business. He said he’s found everyone in the brewing industry to be really helpful and not competitive about teaching

him their tips and tricks.

Kris Bruzina, the brewer at Little Apple who let Johns sit in on some brewing sessions, said that’s true overall in his experience. Recently, he helped two brewers opening a brewery in Salina learn to brew on a larger scale, just as he helped Johns.

“We’ve consulted with Blind Tiger in Topeka a whole lot during our days here. Everybody’s just so helpful, and just wanting to share knowledge,” Bruzina said. “There are some secrets they’re not going to give away as far as ingredients, but as far as the process goes and helping someone out, everybody is

behind you really 100 percent.”

One of the keys – and the fun – to success for Johns came in creating his own beers, blending flavors from the four basic ingredients of beer: water, malt, hops and yeast.

“We’re lucky in Emporia, we have some of the besttasting tap water in the world, so I don’t really have to treat it or anything,” he said. “The flavors can come from any of those four ingredients, really.”

In a simplified explanation about making beer, Johns explained, “Malt is a grain, primarily barley, sometimes wheat, sometimes rye, there’s some oats mixed in, but mostly barley. They soak it in water until it starts to germinate and then they heat it up and dry it really fast to stop the sprouting.”

“During the sprouting, enzymes are formed. So after the malt is made, they’ll sometimes kiln it to different

degrees of roastedness, they toast it. That allows you to get different flavors,” he explained.

“It can end up black or end up really like grain-colored.”

Although flavors can be added to beer, Johns said most of the flavor differences in your favorite beers come from changing the hops and malt.

“The grains obviously provide a lot of different flavors, a lot of the chocolate-y flavors or kind of nutty and caramel-y flavors, will come from the grain. A lot of the citrusy and fruity flavors will come from hops, as well as floral, rose flavors,” Johns said. “Hops are really big in supplying flavor as well as being a preservative, and they add bitterness.”

Even yeast adds significant flavor, he said. Different strains of yeast come from different regions; Johns pointed to Heifeweizen beer, which is sonamed after the yeast with

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Jeremy “JJ” Johns prepares tanks to brew beer.

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which it’s made. As the yeast in that beer ferments, it creates esters and phenols, giving the beer a banana or clove-like flavor.

It’s fun for Johns to experiment with different flavors of beer, and, he said, a lot of friends were more than willing to be taste testers.

Radius Brewing’s most popular beer is its William Allen Wheat, which is what Johns called a good “cross-over” beer for people who aren’t used to drinking craft beers. The restaurant carries five beers all the time, but Johns creates special beers for different times of the year.

He brews about 300 gallons of beer a week, give or take, and it takes about six hours to brew a batch, including cleaning out the equipment, Johns said. Then the

beer has to ferment for two weeks to complete the process.

“If I run out, I can’t just whip up a new batch,” he said.

While the beer part of the business has come naturally to Johns – and he’s happy to say he hasn’t had to dump any batches (yet) – he and Bays have learned a lot about running their own business.

Since opening in April, they’ve been taking it slowly, making sure they’re pleasing customers and things are working well before adding new menu items or beers.

In the future, Johns is looking forward to having special dinner and beer nights, where customers can learn about beer and try different ones they wouldn’t ordinarily try.

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“There’s really not much that I don’t like about it,” he admitted. “I, of course, enjoy making beer. I enjoy providing people with a that they enjoy going, and food and beer that they enjoy. I really like all of our employees. We have 35 right now, and we’re getting ready to add a few more.”

He also likes “looking at the numbers.”

The brewery has not only hit their sales projections, but exceeded them, Johns said. The numbers were based on being open seven days a week, too, and they’ve only been open five.

Sure, he and Bays spend a lot of hours making the business work. But Johns spent a lot of hours managing a local auto par ts store, and this is a lot more fun, he said.

“I’ve always loved beer. I haven’t always loved good beer. I did acquire that some time ago.

It’s a labor of love,” he said. “I’m here quite a bit, but it doesn’t feel like work most of the time.”

Customers love Radius Brewery, too, and Johns said he loves to hear the feedback.

“One of the most common things we hear is when they walk in here, they don’t feel like they’re in Emporia anymore” he said. “Our goal, and it’s been our goal throughout the whole process, is we want this to feel like Emporia; we want Emporia to feel like this. We’re hoping we can kind of lead the way for other people to do similar things.” 

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101 W 6th Ave, Emporia Emporia Living | 31

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Emporia Living | 33

ABOVE TH Photography by

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HE HILLS Springtime is almost here and that means the Flint Hills ranchers will set the prairies ablaze. While many of us enjoy the majestic images from the ground, have you ever wondered what it looks like from the sky? Emporia aviator Doug Wilson took photographer Dustin Michelson up into the sky for a birds-eye view of what the prairies look like after being burned. This photo essay shows the art of the burned prairie.

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Wilson built his plane, a Pegazair bush plane, by hand. He has flown it to Alaska five times.

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www.searshometownstores.com Emporia Living | 45

See more artwork by Dustin Michelson at dustinmichelsonphotography.com

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50 | Emporia Living

A Passion for Baking Written by

Photography by

Morgan Chilson Kevin Anderson The smell at Panaderia Progreso, a small Mexican bakery located on Sixth Avenue, is almost a tangible thing – so strong and mouth-watering that you feel as if you can reach out and touch it.

It is, in fact, difficult not to wax poetic about bakery items after wandering in the doors of the bakery, owned by Abel and Dalia Pineda. Shelves of every type of bread and pastry imaginable line the walls, and even sit on racks in the middle of the floor.

Emporia Living | 51

Abel Pineda is the pastry chef who bakes Panaderia Progreso’s bread fresh every morning, while Dalia, his wife, serves the customers.

Abel Pineda is the pastry chef who works magic in the store’s kitchen, arriving between 4 and 5 a.m.

Monday through Saturday to turn flour, sugar and other ingredients into scrumptious pastries and breads. Dalia Pineda runs the customer service part of the business, lending a hand in the kitchen when her husband needs help.

Abel Pineda began his career helping his parents in their jobs in a bakery in Mexico.

Sally Sanchez, who translated for Abel Pineda, explained, “His job was to clean the trays. And then the opportunity came where they were going to teach him how to bake. That’s when he went in and learned how to bake the bread.”

Today, baking bread and pastries is Abel Pineda’s passion – his face lights up when he talks about it.

He also doesn’t use recipes.

“I love it,” Abel Pineda said through Sanchez.

“To me, it’s play. It’s a hobby. I love it.”

52 | Emporia Living

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That’s a good thing, because six days a week, Abel Pineda makes 760 pieces of bread, depending on expected business.

Their customers come from all cultures, and business has picked up since Sanchez took samples of the numerous pastries around to various businesses in Emporia.

“Since then, more Caucasians will come in because they know about this place,” Dalia Pineda said.

Sanchez added, “When I delivered the breakfast, they would say, ‘There’s a bakery here in town?’They did not know about this place.”

Dalia Pineda enjoys the role that she plays in the bakery, making customers feel welcome.When her husband is out of town, she said that she does do some baking.

When he was gone for several months one time, she said, laughing, “My breads were like rocks. But the customers kept coming.”

The couple has been in Emporia about 15 years, and they made the plunge to open their own business in August 2003.

Abel had worked for another bakery, but Dalia encouraged him to branch out on their own.

“She encouraged him so they could work together,” Sanchez translated.

“I didn’t even know how to run the register,” Dalia Pineda said, laughing about the challenges of learning to operate the business.

But they knew someone who worked at the health department who helped them learn the regulations and Abel Pineda brought experience from his previous work.

They initially rented at their current location, 602 E. Sixth Ave., and the landlord eventually agreed to sell them the building.

The business consumes much of their time – with only one person to help out occasionally in the store, the couple runs it from 8 a.m. to 7 or 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday, depending on the season.

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Despite the pitfalls of married couples working together, the two laugh and admit they get along fine. Dalia Pineda points out that when she tries to take a break, maybe play a game on the phone, he’s constantly saying, “The bread. The bread.”

But it’s clearly a relationship that can stand the test of hours and hours working together, and laughter and lively conversations spill through the bakery.

Abel Pineda is a quick worker and has no patience for being slow.

“Can’t think too long. Gotta get the job done,” Sanchez translated.

The evidence of Abel Pineda’s dedication and fast work is found on full shelves, heaped with a huge variety of items: large chocolate chip cookies, croissants, twists, conchas, yoyos, magdalenas, rebanadas, empanadas filled with strawberry and pineapple and pumpkin.

The smells and sight of so many pastries require only one thing – a commitment to work through every shelf in the bakery, trying everything.

Nothing would make the Pineda family happier. 

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Thank You!

Serving Emporia, KS and the area with THE BEST music from 1970 to today.

Thank you to the Emporia community for supporting Food For Students for the last four years. Currently, an average of 300 "to-go" bags of food are dispersed to 10 Emporia schools, preschool through high school.

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Tune in @ 96.1 on your FM dial 56 | Emporia Living

MISSION

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We will strive for excellence and success for all stakeholders.

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1700 W. 7th Ave, Emporia • 620-341-2200 • USD253.org Emporia Living | 57

Tony Menke, quality control manager at Sauder Cusom Fabrication, and Wayne Fessler, outside plant manager at ValuNet, use ValuNet’s high speed Internet on the plant floor.

myvalunet.com

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2914 West Hwy 50 Suite A, Emporia

58 | Emporia Living

Telephone and Internet services are critical to running any company today because customers want access and information at all times, making Emporia business owners glad they can rely on the services of ValuNet. But along with the stability of excellent products, business owners appreciate the quality of service and additional benefits the telecommunications company brings to their work needs.

When Sauder Custom Fabrication’s Human Resource Manager Karen BrownGentz worked with ValuNet to switch her company’s phone and Internet service, she was surprised by how much the changes benefited her company.

“They did an audit of our phone bill, going through it to determine if there was any duplication of services, old numbers that we were paying for but didn’t need or anything that needed to be changed,” Brown-Gentz said.

What they found not only helped Sauder create a custom package of services from ValuNet, but also helped the company identify some inaccurate charges from their former telecommunications company, she said. Sauder currently is in the process of requesting refunds for thirdpar ty charges that had been inaccurately added to their telephone bill, amounting to thousands of dollars.

That’s an issue Sauder won’t have with ValuNet because their bill is the same amount every month. In addition, when the company received its first ValuNet bill, a representative from the company came out and sat down with her to explain the bill and confirm that it would always be for the same amount, Brown-Gentz said.

“We want to work with ValuNet because they’re locally owned and we want to keep those tax dollars in Emporia, but they are so good to work with,” she said, adding that ValuNet communicates thoroughly about

The Emporia Gazette uses ValuNet to transfer large files at high-speeds.

any planned servicing or issues. “We’ve never had any issue whatsoever. I think they value, they understand, that companies need to have their phone system and their Internet systems.”

That kind of communication is what makes ValuNet stand out for Kathy Ausemus, of the Stanley R. Ausemus law firm.

“If you need help, they’re here. On top of that, Brad stops by every once in a while, just to see that we are still doing fine, and everything’s going okay,” Ausemus said. “They have great service, just wonderful service.

We’ve got them for everything we can get from them here at the office.”

Additional services, such as the ability to switch office lines over to two or three cell phones, make ValuNet a terrific value for the law firm, she said.

Businesses, across the board, mention the excellent service and communication provided by ValuNet, but at the core, the telecommunications company is good at what it does.

For Chris Walker, publisher of the Emporia Gazette, the high-speed Internet connection made his business more efficient. When uploading files to the printer, particularly the

large, graphic-intense files like those necessary to print the newspaper and Emporia Living, a fast connection makes all the difference.

“The Internet is our lifeline for our production,” Walker said. “Each day, we create a completely new product, and our software is all web-based. So each morning, we rely on that Internet connection to paginate, to write our stories, and we need the files to move fast. Then, once the paper is completed, we send it to our printer electronically. We come to work at 7 a.m. and by 10 a.m., our paper is sent to the printer, and there is just zero margin for slow Internet connections.”

In addition to the speed, which has decreased the upload time required to send large files, Walker said his business can’t function without the Internet. ValuNet’s reliability was an important factor in switching companies.

“We don’t have a large staff, and to be able to call ValuNet and have them come fix any issues, whether it’s an Internet problem or a telephone problem, is extremely important to us,” he said. “Their customer service is excellent. They work to find the problem and then find a solution. Their staff is extremely knowledgeable.”

Emporia Living | 59

NORTH

LYON COUNTY CALENDAR 2 0 1 5

Americus Days October 2 & 3rd, 2015 Americus City Wide Garage Sales June 20th, 2015 Americus Lighted Christmas Parade December 5, 2015 For more information on Americus events, contact Americus City Hall at 620-443-5655.

Reading annual Fish Fry June 27, 2015

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60 | Emporia Living

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Emporia Living | 61

62 | Emporia Living

Still shining

THE LIGHT

Coffelt Sign Company celebrates 65 years in 2014

S

1949, Coffelt Sign Company, Inc. has been ince

serving the area with unique displays and in unique ways.

Current owners Rick and Staci Hamman bought the business from Staci’s parents Nelson and Donna, who were the sole owners since 1961 when Nelson took over full ownership from his cousin, Laurence Coffelt.

Staci Hamman has worked full-time for the company since 1986, one year before Rick Hamman, which she jokingly never lets him forget.

The family business continues to run and thrive, with no shortage of work to be done.

All three of Rick and Staci’s boys — Dustin, Jesse and Levi — have worked at least part time over the years, all in the same building that Staci Hamman grew up working in along with her three older brothers.

[Photo by Jesse Murphy]

Today, Jesse is one of the five total employees at the company, along with John Collins and Barry Kelley.

“He [Nelson] told me one time, ‘I feel like I’ve gone full-circle,’ ” Staci Hamman said, of her father. “He said ‘I was always so proud to point up at a sign and say my little girl made that. But it’s something to be able to point up and say my grandson made that.’ ” Some of the most notable projects designed, made and installed by Coffelt include the now-famous Braum’s ice cream cone and the marquee at the Granada Theatre.

The Braum’s sign was designed

by Staci Hamman’s brother Danny, who passed away 12 years ago.

It involves 102 pieces of neon and weighs three tons. Nelson and the fabricators in the shop put it together, which was no small feat.

On most jobs within the 100mile radius Coffelt typically covers, they are a full-service company.

They work with the customer

to tailor the sign to their need of properly identifying their business. They pay attention not only to municipal codes, but especially to the “little details,” as Nelson would say, that make the difference with the finished product.

Coffelt also does contract work for many regional and national companies. Business has taken them throughout Kansas and into Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Texas.

“We’re pretty proud,” Staci Hamman said. “I think the longer we own the company and are involved in it, the more respect I have for my parents and the hours they put into it.”

Many things have come and gone over the last 65 years, including the original Granada marquee.

“My dad was one of the few people that actually remembered the original colors of the sign,” Staci Hamman said. “All of the pictures of it were black and white.”

Written by Jesse Murphy Emporia Living | 63

They finished and installed the sign, and it had the desired effect of generating public interest in funding the overhaul of the theatre, which is once again a premier attraction in downtown Emporia.

Along with the changes of the world and the community have come changes in the industry.

Rick and Staci Hamman both agreed that the biggest change has been technology and using computers to draw up sign ideas, but other differences include how neon signs are made.

Not many people can bend glass anymore, Coffelt sends designs to wholesalers to make the pieces they need and pump in the different colored neon gas.

The old standards of fluorescent lighting and neon tubing are sometimes being replaced by LED lighting.

“That’s a lost art, there’s only certain people that can do that,”

64 | Emporia Living

Rick Hamman said. “We did it here years ago, but it’s been quite awhile since it’s been done here.”

With the long days, travel time and the usual work that comes with running a business, the company can have their hands full.

“It’s keeping up with the latest stuff and the changes in the industry as they come along, so that you can offer customers the state-of-the-art products at a reasonable price,” Rick Hamman said. “You have to keep up with the Jones’ as they say.”

And that they do, in some ways modern and yet still with the same work ethic that built the business in the first place 65 years ago.

“You can’t ever forget the integrity the business was built on,” Staci Hamman said. “We’ve got a good crew, we’re very lucky. It’s more like a family.”

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Emporia Living | 65

That family works together, blending ideas from everyone involved to get the best product, Rick said.

“It’s the quality & service that will make or break a business,” he said. “That customer is depending on you and a lot of times the sign is the difference between someone stopping there, or going on down the street.”

“We have to be innovative and come up with new ideas all the time, something different so that every customer knows they’re special and you’re doing the best job you can to identify their business to the public so you’re not just doing the cookie-cutter stuff.”

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located at 18 S. Commercial and can be reached at 343-6411.

Aside from large signs, they also do vinyl lettering for semis, awnings, banners and fleet vehicles, both commercial and industrial. Coffelt has highway advertising signs for lease in the area.

A maintained fleet of aerial reach trucks allows them to work up to 90 feet with welding and lifting capabilities.

“We’re pretty proud of this place.” Staci said about taking over what her parents were able to create and continuing their legacy. “I’m very blessed to have had the opportunity to work side by side with Rick and my parents all those years and now with our sons as well.” 

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Emporia Living | 67

J

ustin

Combes

began his professional

career as a teacher, but every night he picked up a paintbrush to make extra money to support his family.

A chance encounter while he was at a local paint store led Combes in a different direction — one that has allowed him to create works of art that people walk on every day.

Combes, of Lebo, installs, renovates and lends an artistic eye to create unique wood floors for residential and commercial customers. That first customer — when he was a moonlighting painter — hired him to build shelves in rentals.

Then one day told him a unit needed the floors sanded.

Combes had never done that before, and he said so, straight up.

But she told him he was handy, he could do it. Little did he know . . .

“When I got done she was happy, but if you and I were standing on that floor right now, I’d lie to you and say ‘I didn’t do it,’ ” he said, laughing about his first effort. “Then she had me do another one. Then I did a neighbor’s. Then I did another teacher’s. Then another’s, and before I knew it, I quit teaching/ painting and was doing teaching/ floors. That was 27 years ago.”

Wood floors were undergoing a renaissance when Combes started his business.

From the 50s to the mid-80s, carpet reigned as the flooring of choice for many, he explained.

But as a new appreciation for wood floors hit home design, Combes found himself

68 | Emporia Living

in a business that just kept growing, eventually allowing him to quit working as a teacher and spend his career adding the warmth of wood to home and commercial spaces.

What Combes found as he expanded his business was that he loved working with different varieties of wood, even handscraping his own for today’s popular hand-made looks, and, whenever possible, creating eyecatching designs. He jokes that the he likes to go into a barn, accompanied by his cat and his dog, “Poptart,” and “get my Amish on,” doing the almost meditative work of scraping and preparing wood for floors.

From inlaid medallions to “painting” in wood by mixing varieties and shades, to putting in reclaimed barn wood floors, Combes finds joy in his work.

In Dr. Tracy Tucker’s home, Combes was able to tap into his creativity, putting in a woman sitting in a moon on Tucker’s bedroom floor, and a unique design that Tucker said looks like a stack of wood in her living room.

“Justin did a really amazing job for me,” she said, adding that a rough wood wall allowed her to put her personality into each knothole, which is filled with trinkets she found while traveling. “He’s great. He really is. Most of the contractors, surprisingly, when you give them leeway to do something creative, they all want to do something creative. When they get a chance to do something fun, they kind of jump on it.”

Combes said he loves the opportunity to stretch his abilities, and he gathers ideas for wood-floor designs wherever he goes.

Distinctive

FLOORS Justin Combes turns the craft of wood floors into an artform Written by

Morgan Chilson Photography by

Jakub Stepanovic

Emporia Living | 69

“I drew things on napkins, if I saw something – I might be looking at a window and would draw something up and tuck it away,” he said, adding that he’s gotten a lot of design ideas from stained glass windows or quilts.

Custom work isn’t a large percentage of his business, and Combes spends most of his time putting in wood floors that meet the needs of the families he works for.

“I’ve been in it 27 years. I’m still grateful when the calls come,” he said. “You never know when they’re going to stop. I haven’t run out of work – I think the first year that I quit teaching and went full-time with the floors, I had one January with no work. I remember thinking about it, how I got up that morning, and it was odd, my wife would hardly ever say, ‘What are you doing?’ and she said, ‘So what are you doing today?’ and I go, ‘Nothing.’ ” Stressed out about his decision to quit teaching full-time and whether his business would do well, Combes said he was surprised when his wife jumped all over his “free time,” filling it up quickly with projects she had on hold. So, would someone drop

by Combes’ home and find stunning wood floors? He laughed.

“I did this 18 years before my wife ever got a hardwood floor,” he admitted. “You’d find brown carpet in my bedrooms. Pretty standard number 2 red oak, the dining room has a little bling.”

Combes told a funny story about how that dining room floor happened – it had to do with a fed-up wife wondering why her floors weren’t nice – but said quickly, “Don’t put that in there.”

He laughed at a reference to the old wisdom, “The cobbler’s kids have no shoes.”

Still, while his house may not be a showpiece of his wood artistry, Combes’ mark is on the floor in 48 area counties.

His business has grown through word of mouth, although Combes Custom Wood Floors does have a Facebook page, which features numerous photos of his work.

As his business grew, he’s found he actually can’t take on every customer who calls. Add in a body that’s starting to protest

70 | Emporia Living

Justin Combes sands a reclaimed wood floor in preparation of sealing it with a top coat.

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Emporia Living | 71

as a result of hours bent over on the floor (“I have knees like the bottom of an elephant,” he said.), and he’s slowed down a bit.

“I get the shots in my back and when the weather turns, I do too,” he said. “When the weather turns, my mood turns.”

Weather, in fact, has quite an impact in Combes’ business on more than his mood.

Explaining how humidity and temperature affect wood is a large par t of the education he does with customers.

When the heat turns on in the winter and the air dries out, wood floors will shrink a little bit, and Combes has had customers call about the gaps in their floors, not understanding what’s happening.

The key is to determine whether the gaps – or the opposite when it’s humid, pushing and in extreme cases cupping – are normal or if something was done wrong during installation.

Combes said he installs wood with about 7 to 8 percent moisture content, which mimics what you’ll typically find in Kansas homes.

He said people with wood floors should watch as the weather changes, and if they star t to see gaps, add some moisture to the air, trying to keep it around 50 percent humidity, or if they see cupping, get the air conditioner turned on to reduce the humidity.

“Gaps are the nature of the beast, and as long as they’re minimal, it’s normal,” he said. “But if you did something wrong you’ll have real problems. You kind of have to know what you’re doing.

Every trade has its little tricks.”

Anyone hiring Combes can rest assured their wood floors are in the hands of an expert – not to mention, a warm, funny guy who is passionate about what he does. 

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Emporia Living | 73

COUNCIL

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74 | Emporia Living

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affordabletreeandlandscape@yahoo.com Emporia Living | 75

76 | Emporia Living

The Star Maker Mike Law dreamed of becoming a sports radio announcer, but instead became one of the most influential broadcasters in the music industry Written by Photography by

Bobbi Mlynar Kevin Anderson

Mike Law, right, sits in on a staff meeting at KBEQ radio in Kansas City. Law is program director in addition to a morning disc jockey.

A

s a young man growing up in Emporia, Mike Law imagined a career in broadcasting. Though he worked to make that happen, becoming one of the most-influential broadcasters in the music industry had not been part of the plan.

“I really fancied myself as somebody who was going to do play-by-play and doing sports somewhere,” Law said during a recent telephone interview. “... That was my dream.”

Instead, he is one of the go-to authorities for successful artists and for those who want to be. Not his original dream, to be sure, but a good alternative, nonetheless.

Law, whose professional name is Mike Kennedy, is program manager and morning show host for KBEQ-FM, 104.3, in Kansas City.

His on-air expertise and his innate ability to pick the next big hits have put him at the top of his field and brought national recognition and fringe benefits he’d never dreamed of.

He recently was flown to Los Angeles

78 | Emporia Living

to look at “kind of a country project” Lionel Ritchie was doing, and soon will be flown to a session pairing up Jason Aldean and Bob Segar. Another project involving Zac Brown and Jimmy Buffett gave Law an opportunity to “hang around Jimmy and kind of pick his brain a little bit.”

“It’s a cool thing to be invited, that somebody cares enough about your opinion that they’ll take the time and effort to fly you out to hear somebody,” Law said.

Hall of Fame

Sandwiched between those appearances and others, Law was in Wichita on Oct. 19 to be inducted into the Kansas Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame during the KAB annual convention.

This month, he’ll again be seated in the artists’ section at the Country Music Association’s annual awards ceremony.

“Combine that with the morning show and with the extracurricular activities that we do, which is a ton, and that charity work that’s

always involved with the radio station, it eats up a lot of time,” Law said. “It’s a lot of work, but it’s never been really like ‘work.’ ” Law has been involved in broadcasting for 37 years, as a sports reporter, radio personality, salesperson, program host, and station owner in Florida and Kansas.

He’s worked in television, too, a sideline he continues when he fills in as a co-host at a Kansas City NBC station.

He’d begun informally as a statistician for KVOE’s announcer Lyle Brown, when the Law and Brown families were neighbors on Prairie Street. Brown had invited the sportsloving Emporia High School student to assist him in covering EHS sports.

He continued on the air at KXXX and KTCC as a student at Colby Community College and later at KVOE/KFFX as a student at Emporia State University, earning degrees in both broadcasting and business administration.

Law worked for a time at KQ2TV in Great Bend and at KHOK radio in Hoisington as well, moving to Kansas City in 1988. He has been at KBEQ since 1991.

“Mike was the first to play bands like Rascall Flatts, Lady Antebellum, Big and Rich, Kenny Chesney, Toby Keith, and Eli Young Band, and has been nationally recognized several times by Billboard Magazine as Program Director of the Year,” according to the program produced for the KAB Hall of Fame awards.

“In 2012 and 2013 he was named ‘Best Personality’ and ‘Morning Show of the Year’ from the Country Radio Broadcasters,” the program stated. “This year he received the Media Legend Award from Media Mix of Kansas City.”

Law also has been named as one of Country Music’s Top 15 Decision-Makers by Music Row magazine; Best Program Director in America, large market, all formats, by Radio Ink Magazine, which also awarded him “Best Country Program Director in America” every year from 2003 through 2014, with the exception of 2007.

Law also is included on “Country Radio Power List.”

Those credentials prompt record label representatives to bring in new artists and

well established ones to meet with him and to listen to their music.

“Then you might sit there and go, ‘Oh my God, that’s one of the coolest songs I’ve ever heard. I can’t wait to get it on the air.’ And you might walk into the studio and put it on right there,” Law said.

Something like that happened when Law got hold of Rascal Flatts’ first single.

“It wasn’t supposed to be out, but I got hold of it,” Law said. “... We put it on the radio and it went crazy from there.”

There are times, too, when the music isn’t what the public wants to hear, or the well-known ar tist has fallen shor t on a new song. It’s up to Law to give an honest assessment.

“It has happened on many occasions,” he said. “But the ones that are true friends and true artists, if you tell them it’s not up to the standards that we expect from artists, then they’ll appreciate it –and if they hear it from more than one person, then they know that they’ve missed. I’ve had very few over the years actually get mad, if you’re straight up and honest with them.”

Go with the gut

The decisions that rest on his shoulders can be risky, he said, and he must rely on his own “gut feeling” and be willing to step up and commit to a new song or a new ar tist.

“It’s pretty easy to play it safe, and I have just chosen not to do that,” Law said. “We try to play it smart, but not safe.”

He said he’s had his share of mistakes in predicting hits, and has felt dumb more often than smart. But artists, producers, record label executives, and his peers apparently disagree; they seek him out.

“It is an unbelievable benefit of this job and this career,” Law said. “There’s no question.”

As the leader among major national markets, Law is in demand for his opinion, and for his presence at social events, awards shows, and in the homes of the artists.

He was one of two program directors brought in last year for an American Idol taping that included “hanging out with Keith Urban” and dinner afterwards, and that was not an isolated incident.

Mike Law (left), whose professional on-air name is Mike Kennedy, chats with a morning co-hosts Whitney Abernathy and Joshua James recently at KBEQ radio in Kansas City.

Emporia Living | 79

After his morning radio show, Mike Law takes his dog, Niles, for a walk around the corner from the station in Westport. Below, after his radio show, Mike Law checks his cellphone for texts and emails in his office at KBEQ radio in Westport. His collection of memorabilia recalls his years working in the music industry.

“It could be dinner with Toby Keith, it could be dinner with Shania Twain,” Law said. Twain had showed up at his office years earlier, as one of the young hopefuls who want Law to play their music.

Twain went on to win Country Music Association’s Entertainer of the Year award in 1999.

Those types of encounters are not unusual.

He and his family have stayed at the home of Tim McGraw and Faith Hill, and with Lionel Richie, among others.

“Lionel Richie’s one of the most exciting places I’ve been, because I love Lionel Richie and I love the Commodores,” Law said.

Worth the effort

The trip to Kenny Chesney’s home proved to be arduous from a travel standpoint, but well worth the effort.

“I was lucky enough to go to Kenny Chesney’s island home and hang out there,” he said. “We had to fly in, then we had to take a ferry, then take another ferry to where Kenny lives, then kind of take a shuttle to get up the hill to Kenny’s place. Once you did, it’s pretty amazing.

“To get up to his place you’ve really got to want to get up there.”

80 | Emporia Living

Emporia Living | 81

The home on the hill offers a spectacular view of nothing but the bay and nearby islands.

The Law-Chesney friendship is one of many that have developed through their professional associations over the years.

Long-time friend John Rich has been close to Law since before Rich left the Lone Star band to go out on his own. When Rich eventually linked up with linked up with “Big Kenny” (William Kenneth Alphin) to form Big and Rich, the pair brought their music to Law. “We just jumped all over that,” Law said.

“John’s been a good friend for a long, long, long time.”

Not many years ago, Rich finished an out-of-state performance, boarded a plane and arrived around midnight at a party to celebrate Law’s 50th birthday anniversary.

Rich gave him “a pair of really cool boots” that Law said he wears about once a year; the rest of the time, the boots sit on display at his home.

Garth, Madonna and Mick

One of his favorite memories involved Garth Brooks — then playing at Kemper Arena in Kansas City — and Law’s daughter Abby, who was about 7 or 8 years old at the time. He’d taken her with him to meet the superstar.

“Garth said, ‘Can Abby have some cookies?’’ Law recalled. “Garth Brooks goes to the kitchen and brings out a plate of cookies for my daughter. That was probably one of the coolest things right there.”

Outside country music, meeting Madonna a couple of times was “OK,” but an encounter with Mick Jagger provided one of his mostunusual experiences so far.

Law had flown to New York City to attend a performance at Webster Hall after Jagger came out with his solo project.

“A few of us went upstairs to the afterparty and I see Mick Jagger in this flowing dress, and it looked like he had make-up on,” Law said. “It was just the weirdest thing ever.”

On the go

While he appreciates the social perks that come along with his own celebrity, he’s well aware that the position also opens opportunities for him to help others.

He credits his employer more than himself for working to help non-profits that almost invariably involve children.

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Mike Law will sometimes bring his dog Niles to the station and into the sound booth.

“When you have this kind of tool, then why not take advantage of it and let it do the good work for you?” Law asked. “It’s not just about me, trust me. It’s about what this 100,000-watt radio station can do for people.”

His philanthropic activities include — but are by no means limited to — the Fore the Kids Golf Tourney for Children’s Mercy Hospital, multiple events for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, the Q-104 Golf Tourney to benefit Children’s Mercy South Hospital, and the Tux & Boots event to benefit Therapeutic Riding Academy for disabled children. Law has helped raise more than $1.2 million for those charities alone.

“We do as much as humanly possible and there’s a lot of it that’s off the radar, and I’d like to keep it that way,” Law said. “... It’s more about the station than me personally, but I have my special charities that I want my station to support and we do...

“Children’s Mercy Hospital is probably one of our biggest focuses here for sure, and for me personally, and the individuals that I know that are involved.”

Law also serves on the board of trustees for Emporia State University Foundation and on the board of directors for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

Next?

Law has built a solid foundation of success that might be enough for a less-competitive man. Perhaps it’s the sports connection that shows him there’s another award to work toward.

“The Country Music Hall of Fame,” Law said. “It’s one that’s on my sights. I hope I get lucky enough for that.”

Law is the son of Mary Ann Law of Emporia and the late Don Law. He is married to Nycki Pace, who is on a morning show at a competing radio station in Kansas City. 

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the next great game from Emporia Living | 85

O.M. ‘MIT’ WILHITE

EMPORIA’S CHAMPION

By Jan Huston | Lyon County Historical Society

O

ne of the most influential leaders during Empor ia’s early 20th century glory days was O.M. “Mit” Wilhite, owner of the Mit-Way Hotel.

Wilhite, born in 1867 and reared in Lyon County, led the way in a myriad of projects to benefit the town and county until his tragic death in 1933.

Wilhite first made his break into business in 1890 when he bought a half interest in a restaurant on

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Commercial Street. In 1893 he bought the stone building north of his restaurant, a building that had been formerly operated as a tin shop. Wilhite remodeled the building and went into the hotel business, moving his family into the upper story and living there until 1916 when the family moved into a home on Wilman Court.

Community booster, anti-segregationist

From his early years, Wilhite was a community booster. Since he had

played baseball in the 1880s and 1890s, he continued his interest in managing town teams, specifically the Emporia Maroons. At a time when professional baseball was becoming more and more segregated from 1895-1899,Wilhite stood proudly for the skill of the player, regardless of the color of his skin. An African American student at the Normal School (ESU), Gaitha Adolphus Page participated in numerous activities, including debate, football, and baseball, as well as writing a weekly column for the Topeka Colored Citizen.

When one of the professors at the Normal objected to allowing Page to be on the traveling team representing the town, Wilhite responded firmly. While hosting an event at his hotel honoring the state champions, someone questioned whether Page should be served with the rest of the group.

Wilhite stated, “I guess if Page is good enough to teach my daughters up at the Normal, he’s good enough to eat with anybody in this crowd.”

The banquet was a big success, and the school and town gave Mr. Wilhite their hearty approval.

By 1899, however, troubles began to surface. Segregationists made it more and more difficult for good black players to be accepted on Kansas teams. Emporia, though, signed two African American players, one of them Page, for their 1899 professional team for the fourth time in five years.

When Emporia signed a new white player in the summer, the new man initiated a guerrilla campaign against his black teammates. He intentionally muffed several plays, in an attempt to sabotage the black players’ performances. Over time

he recruited several teammates and allied himself with some important members of the community, most significantly the town umpire.

With several Emporia players purposefully not playing defense, the team began to lose decisively.

Local press in Emporia was critical of the entire situation; eventually the Emporia team was dissolved.

Mit Wilhite consistently opposed segregation and advocated equal opportunities for black athletes, but most whites just became weary of the agitation and resigned to the exclusion of blacks.

Wilhite donated the original athletic field used by college football and baseball teams to Emporia State Teachers’ College in March of 1903.

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A parade travels down Commercial Street in front of the Mit-Way Hotel.

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Play ball

The original athletic field used by college football and baseball teams was donated to Emporia State Teachers’ College by Wilhite in March of 1903. Prior to this gift, the field, scene of many games, was called Mit-Way Park. Mit-Way Park was a combination facility probably situated along Merchant Street about where the Science Hall is today. A large grandstand stood in the southwest corner of the field.

To the north further along Merchant Street was a row of bleachers. In baseball season the ball diamond was laid out over the football field.

The grandstand was a regular corner

design with heavy “chicken wire” stretched over the front of it. For football games, spectators occupied both the bleachers and the stands.

The board of regents accepted the gift of Mit-Way Park, designating it “The Normal Field” in 1903.

Later in 1914, Wilhite again became interested in supporting town baseball when the Kansas State League ball team was brought to Emporia. He went to Soden’s Grove and built on bluegrass sod one of the finest minor league playing fields in the country. By 1930, though, Wilhite was complaining about the condition of the field.

“Two balls were lost in the high weeds back of first base Sunday,” he

reported in the June 24 Gazette.

“Gloves and balls are lost in right and center field. A fan living 15 miles away volunteered to bring in a mowing machine. No foul lines are marked, no flags are up, coaches’ boxes, if marked at all, generally are backwards. No batter’s box and no 45 foot line are marked, and home base and pitcher’s box need working over.”

The diamond was in shape by July 3, thanks to Wilhite.

“Mit Wilhite, friend and father of Emporia baseball, has taken over the grounds this week with the avowed intention of having the field in tiptop shape for the holiday series,” the Gazette reported.

As an avid gardener, Wilhite took his landscaping tools to the park every day to make improvements. He cut weeds bordering the fences, trimmed trees, cut out foul lines, and had the outfield mowed.

Using his influence, Wilhite arranged to have the city grader work the road around the grandstand. He had the infield gone over to remove pebbles, and with the help of friends and town craftsmen, base lines were staked out, coaching lines were drawn, and the pitchers’ mound and batters’ boxes were repaired.

In an amusing sidelight, Mit Wilhite also created a special cheerleading group called the Knothole Gang for this 4th of July weekend. With an eye to keeping unsupervised kids out of the grandstand and giving more room for adults, Mr. Wilhite had a special row of seats back of third base constructed for the gang.

All kids not accompanied by parents were requested to meet Mit at the scoreboard when the game began. They would not be admitted unless they joined Wilhite’s Knothole Gang. After the first inning the gang marched down to their new seats and gave a special yell taught them by Wilhite.

Meanwhile, Wilhite succeeded in the hotel business, allowing for gradual improvements. He extended his 3-story structure back to the alley, and in 1900 he bought the lot to the south for the price of $10,000, at that time the highest price ever paid for an Emporia building site.

There he built the section of the hotel that contained the lobby and main dining room at a price of $50,000.

To the north was an old building operated as a billiard hall. About 1906 or 1907, he purchased this property and remodeled it to a modern billiard hall. The hall and a newsstand occupied the first floor, and on upper floors he added more hotel accommodations.

A city ordinance closed the billiard hall in 1914, but later it was reopened. The Mit-Way and the billiard hall stood at 510-514 Commercial until 1990 when they were razed. Flint Hills Eye Care now occupies those lots.

Emporia developer

Now here’s the important part: A short list of some of Wilhite’s projects includes being a central figure in the fight for a new courthouse in 1901; he led the fight for a bond election to bring the

of the legislative committee for Kansas that secured passage of important bills to protect hotel men from the no-funds check artists.

In his work for oil development, he rode thousands of miles throughout the county securing leases in an effort

In those days, 35 miles an hour was considered fast, but at times, Pete Newton had the car up to 50...The back of the front seat of the new car was scratched where Mr. Trigg braced himself.

Orient oil and gas production company to Lyon County; he was instrumental in getting Commercial Street paved; he worked to give a company a franchise to pipe natural gas to Emporia from the Chase County gas fields; plus, credit must be given to him for bringing streetcars in Emporia. In 1917 he was chairman

to shape up drilling blocks, and then he was influential in bringing the wildcatters who drilled the wells to Lyon County.

Eventually, he also worked for the Virgil fields, developing that territory.

When the “New” Santa Fe Trail was being designed, Mit Wilhite served as president of the highway 50S association.

The Mit-Way Hotel building way stood at 510-514 Commercial St. until 1990 when it was razed.

A love of music

Among Wilhite’s many interests was bands.

For years, he was the drum major of the old Second Regiment band.Toward the end of his life, he continued to lead the Emporia neighborhood band, “one of the best bands to be found this side of Sousaville,” the Kansas City Times reported.

He promoted favorable legislation and bringing expert musicians to town.

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As chairman of the Chamber of Commerce good roads committee, he saw the necessity of paving Highway 50 across the state.

Seeing the letting of the contract for the work across Chase and Lyon Counties was the realization of one of his fondest dreams. He himself painted and placed road signs virtually all the way from Emporia to Kansas City.

His interest in cross country driving began early. He once recalled a wild 300-mile auto ride he took in 1912 from Hutchinson to Kansas City over the new Santa Fe trail.

Newton Brothers car dealership of Emporia furnished a Buick touring car for the trip. Included as passengers were Gov. George Hodges; Ralph Faxton, president of the trail; Fred Trigg who represented the Kansas City Star; and Wilhite.

The goal was to show that dragged roads would permit a car to travel 300 miles in one day.

“In those days, 35 miles an hour was considered fast, but at times, Pete Newton had the car up to 50. The governor liked the speed, but Mr. Trigg, who sat in the rear seat, was frightened all the way. The back of the front seat of the new car was scratched where Mr.Trigg braced himself,” wrote Wilhite.

Later the Governor showed a pile of letters from people who condemned him for the ride which they said encouraged fast driving. The car beat the train making the same run that day.

Although not originally in favor of developing a Country Club in Emporia, once he put himself to it, Wilhite spent many days supervising labor gangs

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working to improve and landscape the property. Along with C.H. Newman, Wilhite then transformed a gravel hill and feed lot south of the Country Club into one of the most beautiful residential sections in Emporia In the midst of his community projects, Wilhite found time to raise a garden of blue-ribbon vegetables. Wilhite rescued his award-winning display of tomatoes, potatoes, radishes, sweet potatoes, carrots, parsnips, cucumbers, beets, pie plants and other vegetables when a strong wind hit the fair tents in 1921.

He also exhibited his collection of gold coins for a banking class at the Teachers’ College in 1929. His set included a $4 piece that never was officially issued and a $10 piece that was minted without the denomination stamped on it.

Lake Walnuts

In 1931, O.M. Wilhite was appointed assistant game warden for Lyon County with his appointment accepted by Alva Clapp, state fish and game warden.

Wilhite’s project this time was to oversee development of the Lyon County State Park and Lake Walnuts recreation area near Reading.

He had helped get the state park for the county, and he was a stockholder in the development corporation for Lake Walnuts. Wilhite and H.W. Glass partnered in a dream of a playground adjoining the lake site to the south. The men purchased 240 acres from a man named Gillespie of Council Grove. Eighty acres fronted on Reading road that they saw as eventually being broken up into small plots for country homes.

Back of that 80 were 160 acres to be developed into a golf course with a lake as a water hazard. The north 80 acres contained the lake and cabin and camping sites. Featuring the highest hill for miles around, that 80 also afforded an excellent view of the surrounding country including the state lake site.

Wilhite and Glass expected to spend $8,000$10,000 on their project and were happy to break even as they created this recreation area. The dam for Lake Walnuts was begun in April of 1931 on the 240-acre tract.The earth dam was planned to be half a mile long (583 feet) and 21 feet high at its highest point. It was to back up water the length of an 80acre draw that ran through the property. It would have a surface area of between six and seven acres.

The dam was on the north edge of the property along the line of the township road that separated the Wilhite-Glass property from the state park site.

Pursuing a policy to employ Lyon County labor, the owners contracted with Sam Evans and James Newman of Reading to construct the dam.

Fifteen men and teams were on the job of the dam site in April.

Typical of Wilhite, he planted many trees on the site: several chestnut trees and 50 Chinese elms joined the many scattered trees, plum thickets, wild shrubs and vines, catalpas and mulberries, hackberries, walnuts and dogwoods already there.

He took care to clear away brush and trash, preserving all wildlife while cutting away only the trash. Plum thickets, wild grapes and gooseberries were preserved although sometimes transplanted to more suitable places.

July 9, 1931, saw 100 4-H campers enjoying club camp at Lake Walnuts. Since there were no buildings on the site yet, tents were used for quarters with girls high on the hill overlooking the lake and boys’ tents at the foot of the hill close to the new lake.

County agents from Lyon County, Chase County, and Morris County were in charge of the camp. Field study trips of the area accompanied much recreation in the lake. Boys visited nearby farms to judge livestock, and girls worked on demonstration teamwork.

Baseball leagues were organized for both sexes as well as daily swimming.Tents were rented from Emporia Tent and Awning, and 4-Hers slept on hay covered with canvass.

Later that month Wilhite and Glass celebrated the grand opening of the Lake Walnuts golf course where visitors were welcome to use the course free of charge. The greens were reported to be in perfect condition and the fairways well-mowed.

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Emporia Living | 91

Over 100 district golfers played during the day, and Wilhite and Glass paid $3 for each birdie made by amateurs. The course continued to be operated without fee charge until the final nine holes were completed. All players were satisfied that the course would develop into a beautiful 18-hole layout.

Singlehandedly, he posted more than 40 signs warning that anyone found carrying firearms or trespassing in the game refuge at the state lake would be subject to arrest. He had arranged to have 10 pairs of pheasants released on the state park property, and hoped that hunters would help protect the birds so they could get a good start.

He felt it was the duty of every person in Lyon County to get a fishing or hunting

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license. The state would then receive money to be put back into the park for improvements. He was dedicated to the development of the park.

Skirmishes with the city

Back in Emporia, a little bushwhacking episode Wilhite initiated involved skirmishing with the local chief of police, D.P. Cowan and the Mayor C.A. Bishop in 1931. Wilhite had been dissatisfied with the administration of the city’s police department for months.

After almost running over an opossum when driving home, he reported to all he met that the opossum was probably looking for a job on the police force.

Later, Chief Cowan hung a red tag on

Wilhite’s car parked in the alley behind the Mit-Way Hotel in violation of city ordinances.

Wilhite paid a $1 bond with the remark that the “opossum was pretty cheap at that.”

The next morning he wired a sign reading “OLD MAN’S HOME” to the railing near the city clerk’s office in the city building (which was then located on the northwest corner of the intersection of 5th and Merchant, across north from where the sheriff ’s department is today).

Wilhite had been asking the city to clean up the lot behind the city building to make it into a parking lot and a site for 4-H fairs and other attractions. At that time the lot was covered with brick bats, old ties, machinery, and other junk.

“I’ll bet I didn’t even get to first base,” Wilhite said when he finished appealing to the city commission over the idea. The mayor had answered,“It’s worse than that, Mit. You didn’t even get credit for a time at bat.”

However, several days later the lot was cleaned, and the city had installed a catch basin to give the lot drainage. As for the sign, Wilhite’s fight was with the head of the police force “who only fills the chair with his trousers,” claimed Wilhite. The mayor tore down the sign as he turned red in the face. Wilhite was always looking for a way to improve the town, while also wielding a tongue-in-cheek retort.

for 13 years. What happened to Wilhite’s grand dream for this property? Had the Great Depression stepped in to shut off the flow of money for recreation?

That same year, Wilhite was asked to reprise a part he had played 33 years earlier as judge of a cake-walking contest staged by Bert Rich.

Ten colored couples from neighboring towns cakewalked as part of Billie Williams’ “Cotton Pickers Revue.” Rich had organized the 1931 show featuring several new numbers, blues singers, and a chorus all to be presented on stage at Emporia High School. Wilhite was chief judge of the event.

time. I can’t work in the garden or at the hotel. I don’t want to become a care – this is the best way out. All the family have been good to me, and Nannie is the best woman on earth. Goodbye, Papa.”

The letter was found by Mayor Frank Lostutter, son-inlaw of Mr. Wilhite.

In an old incident, Mr. Wilhite had shot himself while at his home in 1918.The bullet missed his heart and lodged in the spine after penetrating his stomach.

He underwent an operation to remove the bullet, but the attempt was unsuccessful. It was feared he would die or be permanently paralyzed, but the paralysis eventually left him.

Nannie, my leg is gone. I have tried to forget it, but constant pain keeps me nervous all the time. I can’t work in the garden or at the hotel. I don’t want to become a care – this is the best way out. All the family have been good to me, and Nannie is the best woman on earth. Goodbye, Papa.

Register of Deeds records show that a Sept. 19, 1932, sheriff ’s deed foreclosed on the Lake Walnuts property, and Wilhite and Glass issued a quit claim deed to Silas Davis.

The Lake Walnuts Improvement Company also quit claimed to Silas Davis.

The next day the land was sold to Emma Kennedy with a mortgage to Silas Davis; the following year she sold the land to H.W. (Hod) Farrow who then owned the land

The battle over a legacy

But pain was to end the life of this man who had given his community so much. On March 31, 1933, his body was found in a sand trap west of No. 8 green at the Country Club with a .38 caliber pistol by his side.

A letter to the family stated, “Nannie, my leg is gone. I have tried to forget it, but constant pain keeps me nervous all the

Years later in 1932, he underwent a second operation to extract the bullet. Upon examining the 15-year-old wound, the surgeon decided serious complications might develop. Mr. Wilhite was left in excruciating pain.

His death took one of the town’s most picturesque characters and a man who had touched the town in so many ways. Tributes were planned to honor the memory of “Mit” Wilhite.

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Although the $600,000 city hall and civic auditorium could not be dedicated to any one individual, a letter testifying to the fact that Wilhite had always worked for the good of the town and was one of the leaders who laid the groundwork making the building possible was sealed in copper and placed between the bricks of the south wall of the new building.

Mrs. Wilhite was proud of this tribute because she said he had selected this site on the block bordered by 5th and 6th and Market and Mechanic as the perfect place for an auditorium.

The letter was placed on the south elevation between the first and second courses of face brick in the angle of the building between the fire and police departments.

Following his death in 1933, it was proposed that Lyon County State Lake be named Lake Wilhite in memory of his commitments as a road booster and as fish and game warden.The naming was approved by Governor Alf M. Landon and the head of the fish and game commission.

Civilian Conservation Corps workers built the dam which held back the water covering 150 acres. By 1937, though, little more had been done. The Gazette was wondering about the use of Federal funds for state parks. Since Lake Wilhite was a state lake, perhaps a national forest ranger could superintend the planting of the area around the lake with CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps) boys doing the planting.

With the county commissioners’ intervention, a warden from the state game department could police the park and make it a beauty spot to attract people from all over this part of Kansas, the Gazette reasoned.

A 1939 Gazette editorial argued that the lake should be known as Lake Wilhite since O.M. Wilhite worked so hard for securing the location of the lake. The editorial claimed, “The game department once officially designated the lake north of the Reading road as Lake Wilhite, and Lake Wilhite it should be, with no nonsense about it,” but there was resistance from folks in the Reading area.

Nevertheless, in 1940 a group of Wilhite’s friends erected a white stone memorial on the south shore of the lake. Measuring 7 feet high and 3 feet square, the monument had a bronze plaque memorializing Mr. Wilhite. Today the monument still stands in a rather remote area, but the plaque has been pried off. No one even remembers that the lake was once known as Lake Wilhite.

In August of 1941 a tragic accident on the lake claimed the lives of two Emporia boys. Four

Wilhite was an anti-segregationist at a time while professional baseball was becoming more and more segregated.

Wilhite proudly stood for the skill of the play, regardless of the color of his skin.

young men had been boating on the lake when a sudden gust capsized the boat, throwing all into the water.

Two made it safely to shore, but exhausted from the effort, they were unable to help their friends.

The loss of life stimulated the Reading Postmaster W.R. Jones to write a letter to the director of the State Forestry Fish and Game Commission asking why action had not been taken to improve the park and lake. Although blueprints had been drawn up two years earlier, nothing had been done about

construction of projected bathing beach, boat docks, and bath houses.

Leslie Fitts, editor of the Reading Herald, pled for improvements and supervision and protection of lake users.

“For years it has been standing out there – a potential death-trap,” he wrote. “Once in a while a game warden visits it – otherwise, there is no supervision… There is nothing at hand for help. Perhaps it suits the public better for the lake and grounds to be wild and untamed, but we must not be shocked at tragedy if that is so.”

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Mr. Fitts did not blame the boys.

It was their right to be there. But he did feel the blame lay with the people of Reading, Lyon County, and the state of Kansas for not demanding protection at public lakes.

He even claimed the Reading Herald should accept a share of the blame because they never went to press in the eight years of the lake’s existence to demand supervision.

In Fitts’ editorial, he continued with the controversy over the lake’s name. He pointed out that the Gazette always referred to it as Lake Wilhite, but his point was that no one could separate Mit Wilhite from Emporia; however, the lake is in Reading territory.

Wilhite was no longer alive, and although the writer had the utmost

respect for the man as a sportsman and a man who always played by the rules, even Mr.Wilhite would probably turn over in his grave every time he viewed the neglected and dangerous lake and park he helped promote.

In response, the Gazette wrote that the people of Reading could never have swung the influence to get the lake without Wilhite’s help. Wilhite was public spirited to an exceptional degree, wrote The Gazette, and because of his efforts, the lake should continued to be known as Lake Wilhite.

Even as late as 1958, in his “Museum Notes” Orville W. Mosher, Lyon County Museum Curator, still referred to Mit’s value to the town of Emporia. “He marshaled parades, drew conventions to town, managed

baseball teams and bands with great skill, developed the north end of town, planted fruit trees everywhere, and triggered the interest in establishing at Reading the lake that Governor Woodring christened Lake Wilhite.”

As William Allen White wrote even before Wilhite’s death, “O.M. Wilhite has done more effective public work for this town than any other citizen. If he should be paid at the rate of even a dollar a day for the countless days he has spent working for Emporia unselfishly, wisely, and paying his own way as he went, he would be today one of the richest men in town. For 40 years through thick and thin, Mit Wilhite has been Emporia’s champion, her best citizen.

He can be depended upon to be unselfish.” 

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Choose Newman for Your Comprehensive Cardiology Care ❤ Heart disease is the No. 1 killer of women. ❤ Heart disease kills more women than all forms of cancer combined, but is often undiagnosed. ❤ Cardiovascular disease kills more women than men.

According to the American Heart Association, cardiovascular diseases cause one in three women’s deaths each year, killing approximately one woman every minute. 90% of women have one or more risk factors for developing heart disease. Since 1984, more women than men have died each year from heart disease & stroke.

Today, there are ways to significantly lower your chances of developing heart disease, reverse the effects of a current heart condition you may or may not be aware of, and start promoting a healthy heart. With two Interventional Cardiologists and an experienced Cath Lab team, Newman Cardiology and the W.S. & E.C. Jones Cardiovascular Lab provide comprehensive cardiology care through a full-spectrum of cardiovascular diagnostic and interventional services, including: ❤ 24/7 Heart Catheterization--involves placing a small straw-like catheter into vessels to locate blocked arteries. ❤ Stent Placement- small metal scaffolding used to help keep blocked arteries open. ❤ Pacemaker/ Defibrillator Placement and Management ❤ Peripheral artery disease screening and management— treatment of leg cramps, pain when walking or non-healing wounds on the legs. ❤ Cardiac Rehabilitation- Regimented exercise program geared to return patients to optimal function.

To schedule an appointment, call 620-342-HART (4278)

Newman Cardiology 1301 W. 12th Avenue, Suite 207 Emporia, KS 66801 620-342-HART(4278) www.newmanrh.org

Dr. Mulgeta Fissha

Dr. Roger Roberts