KANSAS! Magazine | Summer 2019

SUMMER 2019

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VOL 75

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ISSUE 2

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KANSASMAG.COM

THE PERFECT

COME OUT AND PLAY IN OUR BACKYARD. Hike, bike and zip line prairie grasslands and woodlands. Float and fish tranquil waterways. Kick back at family-owned bakeries, coffee shops and diners. Find your family’s happy place in Manhattan.

Oh Manhattan !

Get your free Visitors Guide 800-759-0134

VISITMANHATTANKS.ORG

insurance and you could save.

geico.com | 1-800-947-AUTO | Local Office

Some discounts, coverages, payment plans and features are not available in all states, in all GEICO companies, or in all situations. Boat and PWC coverages are underwritten by GEICO Marine Insurance Company. Homeowners, renters and condo coverages are written through non-affiliated insurance companies and are secured through the GEICO Insurance Agency, Inc. Motorcycle and ATV coverages are underwritten by GEICO Indemnity Company. GEICO is a registered service mark of Government Employees Insurance Company, Washington, DC 20076; a Berkshire Hathaway Inc. subsidiary. Š 2018 GEICO

SUMMER 2019

inside

PHOTOGRAPH Jason Dailey

features

42

Celebrating Ike

Coinciding with the 75th anniversary of the D-Day landings during WWII, the Eisenhower Museum in Abilene reopens with new exhibits

50

A Rodeo that has a Reputation

With roots in the ranching community and a family of world-champion riders, Strong City’s Flint Hills Rodeo celebrates 82 years this summer

02 SUMMER 2019

KANSAS! MAGAZINE

Enjoy a weekend of festival fun!

FOOD VENDORS CAR SHOW KIDS ACTIVITIES FIREWORKS

Cody Johnson FRIDAY, JUNE 21 • 10PM

KAW NATION INTERTRIBAL POWWOW

S

AND MUCH MORE! Purchase Festival Entry Buttons Online

WASHUNGADAYS.COM Children 6+ require a button for festival entry.

EVENT OF

QUESTIONS CALL:620-767-5413

CONNECT WITH US:

Parker McCollum SATURDAY, JUNE 22 • 10PM

Live Music

#washunga19

Check out councilgrove.com for other fun area events such as Ladies Night Out and Evening on the Riverwalk.

Acorns Resort is the only Full-Service Lakeside Resort in Kansas.

Located near I-70 on U.S Hwy 77.

Cove Bar & Grill

Spectacular view, food and drinks!

Access by boat, car or foot.

www.acornsresortkansas.com 785-463-4000

WELCOME TO CLAY COUNTY, KANSAS

ALSO PERFORMANCES BY: Bri Bagwell, Lora McDonald, Savanna Chestnut, Bryton Stoll, The Lazy Wayne Band, Fast Annie and The Box Turtles

COME EXPERIENCE Zoo Museums Rodeos Festivals Milford Lake Water parks Hunting Kansas Landscape Arboretum

claycokansas.com | claycenterchamber@gmail.com | 785.632.5674

WELCOME TO OLATHE

YOUR ADVENTURE BEGINS AT VISITOLATHE.ORG

CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU

November 1 through January 1 170 victorian, antique Christmas trees and ornaments 10-5pm Wed-Sat | 1-5pm Sun (785) 887-6148 | www.lecomptonkansas.com

MOON MARBLE COMPANY Marbles

Traditional Toys and Games

Gifts

600 East Front St., Bonner Springs, KS 913-441-1432 www.moonmarble.com

ade!arbles! bleslM r fM a o M l See the Wa Showcase & ! es. om um Pick tfrour Musme Bathrleoodem mo tim i b r s u i a e V Mus bsite for m Call or

e visit w

SUMMER 2019

inside departments

07

In this Issue

08 10

From the Editor

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14

17

18

21

22

24

28

page

PHOTOGRAPHS (CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT) Shutterstock, Jason Dailey, Brad Neff, courtesy Everclear

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30 page

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Kansas Details | Cuisine Fine Food and Good Eats | Heartland People and Places that Define Us | How To Wise Tips from Friendly Kansans | Kansas Air The Freshness of Outdoor Life | Made in Kansas Must-have local items | Lens A conversation with KANSAS! photographers | Reasons We Love Kansas Celebrating Unique Attractions | Must See Upcoming Events to Enjoy

Wide Open Spaces 30 | Taste of Kansas: Milking Innovation and Tradition

A Kansas family dairy farming tradition since 1930, the Hildebrands expand their reach with a new on-site bottling plant

page

22

34 | A Roll Call of Treasures

Inside Fort Leavenworth, a new foundation works to preserve and share a rare collection of military artifacts from U.S. history and global allies 38 | ‘The Value of Life’

A Kansas-based group works to prevent military suicides across the nation

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58

KANSAS! MAGAZINE

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KANSAS! Gallery #KansasMag

ON THE COVER Jackson Nichols holds an American flag on a sunlit Kansas prairie.

Photograph by Doug Stremel.

05 SUMMER 2019

BED & BREAKFAST

ASSOCIATION www.kbba.com

Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism

Andrea Etzel

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

THE PHILIP HOUSTON HOUSE BED & BREAKFAST

HEDRICK’S B&B INN & EXOTIC ANIMAL FARM

www.shepherdstaff.org

hedricks.com

Rexford, Kansas

Nickerson, Kansas

785-687-2565

Laura Kelly GOVERNOR

Brad Loveless

KDWPT SECRETARY

888-489-8039 SUNFLOWERPUB.COM | LAWRENCE, KANSAS

DESIGN & PRODUCTION

Bill Uhler

Bob Cucciniello

Shelly Bryant

Nathan Pettengill

Joanne Morgan

Leslie Andres

PUBLISHER

SEASONS OF THE FOX

THE HISTORIC WOLF HOTEL

seasonsofthefox.com

historicwolfhotel.com

800-756-3596

620-617-6915

Lindsborg, Kansas

Ellinwood, KS

DESIGNER/ART DIRECTOR MARKETING, (785) 832-7264

DIRECTOR EDITOR

COPY EDITOR

KANSAS! (ISSN 0022-8435) is published quarterly by the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism 1020 S. Kansas Ave., Suite 200, Topeka, KS 66612; (785) 296-3479; TTY Hearing Impaired: (785) 296-3487.

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SUMMER 2019

in this

issue

PHOTOGRAPHS (FROM LEFT) Katie Moore, Bill Stephens and David Mayes

page

page

38 Poetry in Service

34 Military Art Archive

We are delighted to present two original poems from Annette Billings. The Topeka poet previously appeared in our magazine, contributing an essay on the legacy of Gordon Parks and the Fort Scott Gordon Parks Museum in our spring 2018 edition. For this issue, Billings met with U.S. military veterans from the MVP suicide prevention advisory group to hear firsthand accounts of their experiences in order to create poems about the hardships of post-service life and how to honor veteran service.

In this issue, we have interspersed several images of artwork from the collection of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College (CGSC) at Fort Leavenworth—and we could have added many more. Thanks to the archive’s leadership and staff, who took their time to open the vaults and guide photographer Bill Stephens on a two-day tour through the collection of objects that were sometimes beautiful, sometimes historical and often both. You can read our full story on page 34 for more information about this collection.

“We take care of them, but they take care of us … “

page

30 Dairy Paradise around the

state These are just some of the locations represented in this issue of KANSAS! magazine.

“It is somewhat unfair,” says Melissa Reed, the operations manager of Hildebrand Dairy, “when we do a tour, the cats often get more attention than the cows.”

Though cows are essential to the Junction City dairy (see page 30), the resident cats play a role as well.

Tracing their roots to three or four original rescue cats, the more than 20 cats thrive. “They come and go,” says Reed. “Some are more tame and get cuddled on, but they all are fed fresh milk and food twice a day.

We take care of them, but they take care of us—we rarely see a mouse at the farm since they arrived.”

34 30

Junction City

Leavenworth

38

Topeka

07 KANSAS! MAGAZINE

SUMMER 2019

SUMMER 2019

from the

editor

“The eyes of the world are upon you.”

–Dwight D. Eisenhower, D-Day Speech

I’m a self-proclaimed history geek, with a particular interest in genealogy. I believe it’s important to know where you come from. As a fifth-generation Kansan, I’m proud to know I come from a long line of pioneers, who, led only by their determination and faith, were willing to pack up their families and risk moving West.

Also, I’ve found through genealogy that finding family links to historical events feels more personal because you have a connection to that history. One such connection I’ve made is through my great-great uncle Hollis. After leaving the family homestead in the 1930s, my uncle created a life for himself in Los Angeles, California. Not for the glitz and glam, but for the love of a girl.

When the U.S. entered World War II, he enlisted in the Army. While details of his military career are not all known, I do know that on June 6, 1944—two days after his 32nd birthday—his battalion landed on Omaha Beach. I can’t begin to imagine how horrific that day must have been. Between Omaha and Utah Beach, more than 2,000 American soldiers lost their lives.

We are grateful my uncle survived the day and made it home after being honorably discharged in 1945. He lived out the rest of his years in California, working for the U.S. Postal Service. He passed away before I was born, but through genealogy and listening to family stories I feel like I knew him.

With the 75th anniversary of D-Day approaching, we wanted to create a special issue that would recognize Kansas’ military history and its service members. Though it seems too small a gesture, I want to say thank you to all who have served, for your triumphs and the sacrifices.

facebook.com/KansasMagazine @KANSASMag

ANDREA ETZEL

EDITOR, KANSAS! MAGAZINE

KansasMagazine (get spotted; use #kansasmag to tag us)

08 SUMMER 2019

KANSAS! MAGAZINE

Proud Past – Brilliant Future Come Visit Eisenhower State Park Pomona State Park 785-528-3714 (Osage City Hall) www.OsageCity.com

Scott Bean Photography K A N S A S L A N D S CA P E A N D N AT U R E P H OTO G R A P H S

7 8 5 - 3 4 1 - 1 0 4 7 | S C OT T @ S C OT T B E A N P H OTO . C O M

www.scottbeanphoto.com

page

34

A Roll Call of Treasures Inside Fort Leavenworth, a new

foundation works to preserve and share a rare collection of military artifacts from U.S. history and global allies

Detail from painting We Will Never Forget, a gift to the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College from the graduating class of 1994.

page

24

PHOTOGRAPHS (CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT) Bill Stephens, Shutterstock, David Mayes, Jason Dailey

page

30

Welcome to KANSAS! magazine’s “Kansas Details.” Here we explore what’s new and buzzing throughout the state—from restaurants and shopping to cultural happenings and attractions.

12 Cuisine 14 Heartland 17 How To 18 Kansas Air 21 Made in Kansas 22 Lens 24 Reasons We Love Kansas 28 Must See Events

page

38

WIDE OPEN SPACES 30 Taste of Kansas: Milking Innovation and Tradition 34 A Roll Call of Treasures 38 ‘The Value of Life’

11 KANSAS! MAGAZINE

SUMMER 2019

cuisine

PULLMAN PLACE FAMILY RESTAURANT Leavenworth

Sound the alarm! Firefighter-themed restaurants remain a hot trend across the country, including one in Kansas paying homage to this worthy profession.

Bobbie Sauer opened the Historical Firehouse Café in 2011 after rescuing Hutchinson’s former Fire Station Number 4.

“It opened in 1900, and they used it until 1976 as a station,” Sauer says of the historic downtown one-rig firehouse. Still inside when she purchased the building was original equipment that motivated her to keep the exposed brick walls and decorate with a firefighter theme.

“Almost everything was pretty much original from when they left, and I kept it that way,” Sauer says of the décor. “When you walk in, old firefighter hats hang on the wall, and their uniforms and boots look like they just came in the door and took them off.”

She even stuffed a pair of pants and boots to give the appearance of a firefighter sliding down the original brass pole from the second floor.

Hoses, axes, ladders, a fire hydrant, framed historical photographs, and a mural painted by a local artist and featuring a Hutchinson firefighter all add to the ambiance.

Sauer serves breakfast and lunch every day except Tuesday, hooking customers with made-from-scratch, large portion menu items such as the Firemen’s Stack (pancakes), the Captain’s Meal (two eggs, two biscuits with gravy, bacon, sausage and pancakes) and the Firehouse Hose Dog (a foot-long, all-beef hot dog topped with chili, cheese and onions).

Look for “Hutchinson Firehouse Cafe” on FB | (620) 669-8836

12 SUMMER 2019

Leavenworth Hutchinson

Benton

Where in Kansas?

STEARMAN FIELD BAR AND GRILL Benton

Classic aircraft models hanging from the ceiling, an airport gas pump, and an outdoor covered patio in a former airplane hangar make Stearman Bar and Grill a first-class aviator-themed restaurant.

Find your seat to watch airplanes land nearby as you sample the two biggest sellers, the fried green beans appetizer with homemade ranch dressing, and the chicken fried steak. stearmanbarandgrill.com (316) 778-1612

facebook.com/pg/ pullman.place (913) 682-0200

Almost everything was pretty much original from when they left, and I kept it that way.”

–Bobbie Sauer KANSAS! MAGAZINE

ILLUSTRATION/PHOTOGRAPH Brent Rayl courtesy Historical Firehouse Café, Shutterstock

Fire Station Rescue

Chugging along with a railroad theme, Pullman Place features a miniature replica of Leavenworth with a train inside an eight-foot-long glasstopped shadow box table, original dining car china in shadow boxes, and other rail artifacts. A customer favorite on the extensive menu is the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe, a burger topped with an egg.

By Cecilia Harris

ONLY IN #TOPCITY Stay for that

Come for this

NHRA Summer Nationals Heartland Motorsports Park June 7 - 9

Evel Knievel Museum Tues. - Fri. 10 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.

Sat. 9 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Topeka365.com

23rd Annual

amelia earhart festival Atchison, KS July 19 & 20

Downtown Fair • Food & Live Music Children's Activities • Wagner's Carnival Aerobatic Performances • Awards & Presentations "Concert in the Sky" Fireworks Finale

LAKEFEST FRIDAY, JULY 19TH Starring Kip Moore

Featuring Kylie MOrgan & Devin Dawson

Tickets: $25 ($35 day of the show) Available online at visitatchison.com

Gates open at 4:00 pm, Show starts at 7:00 pm NO coolers permitted. NO re-entry.

VisitAtchison.com • 800-234-1854

heartland

By Cecilia Harris

Because those in the armed forces risk their lives to protect our nation, several volunteer nonprofit organizations, such as Horses and Heroes, Inc. in Lenexa, are on a mission to assist these individuals once they return home.

The wife and mother of Marine Corps veterans, Julie Baker understands the trials faced by those in the armed services and has met many veterans struggling with addiction, depression, and loss of purpose. She founded Horses and Heroes to improve the health and well-being of veterans and their families through equine-assisted psychotherapy.

The program unites horses suffering from emotional and physical traumas with military veterans and first responders in need of similar healing, according to Baker’s daughter, Nicole Lavine, a former Marine who serves as the organization’s marketing director.

“She was helping take care of some traumatized horses, and … realized there was this very strong correlation between how horses deal with trauma—they have a hard time trusting, they’re jumpy, they’re restless—and how … people deal with trauma,” Lavine says. “So she decided to bring the two together.”

Each outdoor therapy session takes a team approach with the client, a horse, a mental health specialist, and an equine specialist certified in understanding horse behavior.

“The whole point is to study the horse for your own healing,” says Lavine, adding that horses are an effective tool because they are social herd animals, are intuitive, and have emotional intelligence.

Horses and Heroes also offers any veteran the opportunity to interact with the horses on the farm by appointment.

horsesandheroes.org | (913) 210-5678

On Memorial Day Monday, there are a variety of remembrances at cemeteries across Kansas—from a 21-gun salute to the playing of taps to a color guard and the folding of the flag, Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) and American Legion posts pay homage to those who have died while serving our country. Often, current military personnel speak at these observances.

junctioncity.org (800) 528-2489

legion.org vfw.org

May 27

The whole point is to study the horse for your own healing.”

–Nicole Lavine Where in Kansas?

Lenexa

SUMMER 2019

As the Run for the Wall motorcycle brigade arrives in Junction City on May 19 on its way to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall in Washington, D.C., nearly 300 volunteers waving the American flag will line the streets prior to the 4 p.m. welcoming ceremony in Heritage Park. Started 30 years ago, the cross-country ride honoring current service members, military veterans, and those missing or killed in action makes several stops in Kansas.

May 19 Junction City

Junction City

14

MEMORIAL DAY SERVICES

KANSAS! MAGAZINE

PHOTOGRAPH Shutterstock

Veteran Equine Therapy

RUN FOR THE WALL

DerbyKS.com

By Mary R. Gage

how to

What does it take to offload 10,000 lbs. of jet fuel into a B-2 stealth bomber at 30,000 ft while hurtling over the Kansas prairie at 275 knots (400–500 mph)? Nine hundred or so Air National Guard members and several months of planning, according to Col. Daniel Skoda, vice commander of the 190th Air Refueling Wing.

Skoda has been a pilot with the 190th out of Forbes AFB in Topeka since 2004. Even though he has flown hundreds of refueling missions, he says each flight is still exciting.

Flights begin with months of training and coordination. In the air, the crew flies to one of the established linear and circular tracks located all over the United States, which are cleared or “deconflicted” with other airline flight routes ahead of time. The B-2 is one of many aircraft types the 190th refuels at these tracks.

The 190th crew members are capable of refueling everything in the U.S. inventory, Skoda notes, including Navy aircraft, as well as NATO aircraft.

“We initiate a rendezvous by bringing the aircraft within 1,000 feet of each other,” continues Skoda. “That allows the receiver pilot a safe margin to then close into our airplane when they can see us, and when our boom operator feels comfortable to clear them in. They get within roughly 40 feet of us.”

The boom operator guides the refueling boom into the B-2’s fueling port, and the fuel is offloaded. To stay proficient, the aircraft crews may practice several different types of refueling and disconnects, including emergency separations. After training concludes, the aircraft separate with altitude, and return to base or to continue on with a mission, the end of a huge undertaking by many people.

“Everybody contributes,” says Skoda. “Without everybody doing the job in total, nothing would happen.”

Flying into Forbes after a mission or a deployment, Skoda says the crew will first spot the long stretch of I-70 and then a familiar landmark of home, the Capitol. “You can see [the dome] from far out,” he says. “You just have a sense of home. We get to see it all.”

We perform air refueling for two major reasons. The first is for a wartime requirement. The other is for training and proficiency.”

–Daniel Skoda Where in Kansas?

Forbes Field, Topeka

PHOTOGRAPH Nick Krug

Refuel a Stealth Bomber

17 SUMMER 2019

kansas air

By Michael Pearce

Catching the most this season

Summer is prime time for catching channel catfish in Kansas. The whiskered fish thrive in thousands of waters, angling techniques are simple, and state wildlife officials are working to up anglers’ odds.

Often the best place to catch summer catfish is near the scores of fish feeders Wildlife and Parks has floating in lakes and reservoirs.

18 SUMMER 2019

Glen Elder Reservoir Milford Reservoir

Where in Kansas?

When

About every impoundment and stream in Kansas holds channel cats. They naturally thrive in major reservoirs.

Kansas’ scores of state and community lakes are always good because they get the majority of the about 500,000 channel cat stocked annually by the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism.

Some 200 community lakes and ponds are also opened for catfishing through leasing by the state’s Community Fisheries Assistance Program.

Kansas catfish can be caught year-round, but cold fronts often slow the fishing considerably.

Long periods of stable heat and even drought are usually good.

The first and last two hours of daylight are often productive, but go when you can any time of the day or night.

Gear About any rod and reel that will cast will work. Ideally use something with 8–14 pound test line. State law allows you to fish two poles at the same time. A permit can be purchased for using a third.

Buy a selection of hooks that include size 1 and 1/0 regular hooks and #6 and #8 treble hooks. Weights should include pea-sized clamp-on split-shot and ¼-ounce to ½-ounce egg sinkers.

Bait Natural baits such as worms (hand-dug rather than bait shop), grasshoppers and dead minnows work well.

Spoiled shrimp, turkey and chicken livers remain popular.

Fresh-cut hunks of bluegill, green sunfish and shad can be great. Chunks of cheap hot dogs will work as will chicken breast soaked in Kool-Aid and/or garlic. Most bait shops carry smelly, paste-like “dip” baits. Be sure to buy the special hooks it takes to fish with dip baits.

How Most baits should be fished on the bottom, where catfish primarily feed. The best rig is to slide an egg sinker down the line and lightly clamp a split-shot about 18” from the end of the line. You want the line to flow easily through the sinker so fish don’t feel resistance. Use the treble-hook for things like liver, and special “dip” hooks for that bait. A regular J-shaped hook works well for other baits.

Go with a Pro Kansas has dozens of professional fishing guides, many of whom specialize in catfish. Rader Lodge runs charter boats all summer (and for reasonable prices) on Glen Elder Reservoir. raderlodge.com (785) 545-3476 At Milford Reservoir, Merlyn Johnson’s Bluecatter’s Guide Service goes for blue catfish, which get much bigger than channel cat. Johnson likes to release all blues over about 10 pounds to protect the resource but will clean fish under 10 pounds for clients.

(316) 772-3982 For more information on catfishing in Kansas, go to ksoutdoors.com and type “catfish” into the main search bar.

KANSAS! MAGAZINE

PHOTOGRAPH KDWPT

Summer Catfish

Where

Lakeside Advice Don’t assume the channel cats are in the middle of the lake. Often they’re near shore, especially if brush or weeds are nearby. If using more than one rod, cast to different locations until you find fish.

After a rain, fish where inflow might be bringing food to the fish. Better yet, go to where you know the fish are being mechanically fed. Often the best place to catch summer catfish is near the fish feeders floating in lakes and reservoirs.

Most throw food pellets at least twice a day to concentrate the catfish and keep them feeding. If you are near a feeder but not getting results fishing on the bottom, then try dropping bait about two feet below a float since the catfish are getting most of their groceries near the surface.

KANSAS’ BIGGEST COMMUNITY PARTY • DOWNTOWN WICHITA

FOOD • CONCERTS • FIREWORKS • FAMILY FUN $10 Wichita Symphony Twilight Pops Friday, May 31

Los Lobos Saturday, June 1

Granger Smith Sunday, June 2

Gospelfest w/ Yolanda Adams Monday, June 3

Talib Kweli Wednesday, June 5

Trombone Shorty Thursday, June 6

Gogol Bordello Friday, June 7

Spirit AeroSystems Rockin’ on the River

$5

AGES 6-12

Sublime with Rome Saturday, June 8

Admission Buttons and Details at WichitaRiverfest.com

FLAT?

MUST BE THINKING OF A DIFFERENT KANSAS

first timer

history buff

culture craver

outdoor adventurer

sports fan

foodie

Re-discover yourself in the majestic Flint Hills. Cycle, hike or horseback ride through one of the last tallgrass prairies in the world.

visitemporia.com | 800-279-3730

k

made in kansas

By Katy Schamberger

liberty-candle.com

Olathe Paola

For James Dressler, founder of Liberty Candle Company in Olathe, candle-making is more than a creative outlet—it’s also part of his identity. And he credits the Air Force for helping him discover his true self.

“Being in the Air Force showed me how to serve something bigger than myself as a vocation,” he says. “I built a brotherhood and a crew around me. I had a mission, was part of a bigger picture that I was fulfilling. Honor, service and sacrifice were inherent to the work.”

Dressler separated from the Air Force after seven years of service and countless moves around the country. He took on civilian jobs in corporate industries to find career satisfaction and eventually found that making candles was a unique way to combat burnout.

“While I was in the Air Force, I made candles and we would sell them at the Omaha farmers market,” he says. “I started out making candles for my wife, then gave some as gifts. Then I started getting requests for different colors and scents.”

With each candle sold, James makes that much more progress toward his goal: helping veterans.

“Our candles are better quality than what’s out there, and they help others,” he says. “I can’t solve another soldier or airman’s PTSD. I can’t walk them through therapy. But darn if I can’t do whatever I can to financially back them to help solve that need.”

Recently, Dressler teamed up with several Kansas-based, veteran-owned businesses, launching a new endeavor in April at the Lenexa Public Market. Vendors and artisans include: • Beefy Wood—Handmade, wood-burned crafts created by Air Force veteran Matthew Moyers • HandiCappin—Acrylic finished bottle cap art

by Army veteran Ezekiel Crozier • Crocheted and knitted blankets and crafts— made by Air Force veteran Gina Hewitt Dressler and his veteran business-owning counterparts will also offer apparel and gear that supports two local veterans’ organizations: Warhorses for Veterans and Veterans Community Project.

Topeka

Lighting the Way

Where in Kansas?

CALLING KANSAS WOODCARVERS! Now–November

The Kaw Valley Woodcarvers is accepting entries for its 40th anniversary show. Prizes are awarded in more than 30 categories.

Many of the entries will be available for purchase at the gathering in Topeka from November 23–24. For detailed information on the contest, exhibition space or the anniversary event, go online at kawvalleywoodcarvers.org/annual-show

I can’t solve another soldier or airman’s PTSD. I can’t walk them through therapy. But darn if I can’t do whatever I can to financially back them ... ” –James Dressler

MINIATURE ART SHOW July 1–August 2 | Paola

The Heartland Art Guild holds its 15th annual international show of miniature carvings, paintings and other works of art at the Miami County Historical Museum in Paola. All exhibited works are for sale, making this the perfect opportunity to pick up a stunning canvas under 50 square inches. artkc.com/heartland_art_guild.htm

21 KANSAS! MAGAZINE

SUMMER 2019

lens

Jason Dailey A conversation with KANSAS! photographers about their work and the iconic images of our home state Originally a Texan, Jason Dailey was raised in Air Force communities and moved to Kansas in 1984, which he notes was “just in time to see the Royals win it all.” After attending the University of Kansas, he began working as a professional photographer in 2003. For the last 10 years, he has contributed extensively to KANSAS! magazine while also shooting a range of commercial and editorial projects. Now based in Lawrence, Dailey writes that his profession “has been a way for me to connect with people, a way to find common ground in the fleeting time we have together.”

What was the moment you wanted to become a photographer?

There wasn’t one moment, but a series of moments. The beginning was when I was about 27, studying architecture at the University of Kansas and I enrolled in a photography course.

PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY Jason Dailey

What was your first camera?

My first camera was my father-inlaw’s Olympus OM-2n. The negatives were so rich coming from that camera, I think it must have been the way I worked with that old internal light meter.

Who is a Kansan you have never photographed, but would like to?

I’d love to photograph Rob Riggle or Paul Rudd. They’d keep it weird.

In a good way.

What is the most common photography advice you share?

Shoot what you know and be persistent.

KANSAS! MAGAZINE

What is your favorite Kansas landmark to photograph?

I spent time at Little Jerusalem Badlands last summer—that was interesting.

What is the hardest thing to photograph badly? To photograph well?

Horses, mostly graceful, are hard to mess up. People are hard to photograph well.

If you had to describe your photography in terms of a color wheel, where would you fall on it?

I lead with my emotions. So, teetering on the outside edge.

I prepare as much as I can, expecting things to change.

There’s a bit of chance in every photo.”

–Jason Dailey

What have you learned about life from being a photographer?

There’s always next time, you’ll get a chance to use what you learn.

23 SUMMER 2019

reasons

By Cecilia Harris

Overland Park Wamego Junction City Haysville

Hays

Kansas

Where in Kansas?

Hugoton

We

IN THIS ISSUE Resounding Independence Day Celebrations

A marching band representing Fort Riley’s First Infantry Division (The Big Red One) parades through Wamego as part of the local Fourth of July celebrations.

CELEBRATE FREEDOM

Wamego Locals sometimes call Wamego “Boomtown U.S.A” because of the town’s long-running Fourth of July fireworks display. For the past 40 years, the display has been combined with various celebrations, now billed as “Celebrate Freedom” and featuring an antique tractor show, hot wheel races, car show, music concert, carnival, beer and wine garden, and food vendors. A decorated bicycle parade precedes this year’s 147th annual Independence Day Parade at 6 p.m., then classic rock band Departure performs before and after the fireworks. Officials advise that the best place to view the display is at the city’s open-air recreation complex. Free shuttle rides are provided from the parking lots of the Wamego High School football field and Wamego Middle School. visitwamego.com | (785) 456-7849

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SUNDOWN SALUTE

PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY (CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT) Visit Wamego, Shutterstock, The Hugoton Hermes, Shutterstock, Noe Palma, Everclear

Junction City Billed as the largest free multi-day Independence Day celebration in Kansas, Junction City’s Sundown Salute runs each day from July 3–7 in Heritage Park and includes nightly concerts. Daytime activities include a car show, carnival, craft and food vendors, a Fort Riley ceremony, a church service and a Fourth of July parade.

A community fireworks display is also held on July 4. sundownsalutejc.org | (785) 238-2885

WILD WEST FESTIVAL

PARK DAY

Hugoton Hugoton’s Park Day celebrations kick off on July 4 with the Little Miss/Mr. Hugoton Pageant for children ages 3 and under and continue until 1 p.m. with turtle races, frog jumping contests, an egg toss, and sack races. Vendors will offer other games, crafts, and food leading up to the community fireworks display. stevenscountyks.com | (620) 544-4305

Hays Hays marks the 25th anniversary of its Wild West Festival with concerts by A Thousand Horses on July 3, Neal McCoy on July 5, and Everclear on July 6 at Hays Municipal Park. Activities will include a Golden Egg Hunt with clues announced each day, a carnival, a baseball tournament, a 5K run/walk, and a special exhibition at the Hays Arts Council. On July 4, free activities at the Hays Aquatic Park and a spectacular fireworks show are planned.

Wildwestfestival.com | (785) 623-4476

FOURTH OF JULY CELEBRATION

Haysville Activities for all ages highlight Haysville’s Fourth of July Celebration that will begin with an Independence Day Parade at 8 a.m. on Grand Avenue.

A fishing derby, frog races, and a Stars and Stripes obstacle course for children will follow at Riggs Park. In the afternoon, the city swimming pool hosts raft races and a water carnival featuring games and other activities.

Before the evening fireworks, be sure to catch the coed sand volleyball tournament, food trucks, and a free concert by The Banned. haysville-ks.com | (316) 529-5922

STAR SPANGLED SPECTACULAR

Overland Park Kansas City area native and country/Southern rock musician Noe Palma headlines Overland Park’s Star Spangled Spectacular on July 4. State Line Drive, a regional country band, will open for Palma, kicking off with a 6 p.m. concert at Corporate Woods Founders’ Park. Overland Park has been holding this celebration for more than 30 years. The 2019 event will also include food trucks and a 30-minute fireworks display. opkansas.org | (913) 344-8656

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my reasons with ...

Kara Holle

Growing up in Liberal, Kara Holle went on to earn two degrees, one in correctional administration and one in social work, from Kansas State University in Manhattan. Her social work degree program set her up with an internship in Wamego, where she decided to set her roots and has remained for the past 30 years.

“Growing up in southwest Kansas and then moving to northeast Kansas made me aware of just how diverse this beautiful state is,” Holle says.

Currently working as Wamego Area Chamber of Commerce’s and CVB’s event and tourism coordinator, Holle says a benefit of her job is seeing how first-time visitors react to her home state. “I don’t think people understand what Kansas has to offer. A lot of people come into Kansas and are surprised by the arts, the beauty of the landscape and how friendly people are to visitors.”

Holle, of course, encourages tourists and Kansans to visit Wamego but says rural communities across the state are underrated attractions.

Small towns are thriving in Kansas. You don’t have to go to a big city to be entertained.”

–Kara Holle Holle advises visitors to choose an area, and then contact the local visitors bureau for recommendations and even personalized itineraries.

“I know I am happy to greet people and even guide them around town,” Holle says. “I think most small town chamber and CVB offices will do that for visitors.”

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“There is beauty in the flat lands where you can see for miles, and there is beauty in the Flint Hills with its wildflowers and grasses.”

“Everyone is so friendly and helpful.

Strangers wave at strangers.”

including Indigenous heritage, Underground Railroad stops and railroad communities across the plains.

“The cost of living is very reasonable, and your dollar goes a long way in Kansas.”

“From big cities to small towns, Kansans take pride in supporting local businesses and each other.”

Diverse landscape.

The People.

A Rich History.

The Economy.

Community Pride.

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PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY Kara Holle

As for living in Kansas, Holle is quick to provide her top five reasons.

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must see Summer 2019

BROWN V. BOARD OF EDUCATION ANNIVERSARY Various dates, May–August | Topeka

SWING INTO SUMMER FEST June 14–15 | Stockton Stockton hosts visitors and residents for a twoday celebration with car shows, cruise night, live entertainment and more. stocktonks.com

The Brown v Board of Education National Historic Site hosts a series of events, lectures, tours and more to commemorate the 65th anniversary of the U.S Supreme Court ruling that marked an end to legalized segregated public education in the nation. nps.gov/brvb

KICKER COUNTRY STAMPEDE June 20–22 | Manhattan Midwest’s largest country music festival. countrystampede.com FLICKS ON THE BRICKS June 21 (and other dates) | Fort Scott

DIRTY KANZA June 01 | Emporia

Come for the Gordon Parks Museum and Fort Scott National Historic Site, then stay for free outdoor showing of family movies. visitfortscottks.com

It’s a grueling 200-mile gravel road bicycle endurance race for the crowd of international competitors and a festive downtown street party for guests and supporters. dirtykanza.com

LIGHTS ON THE LAKE June 29 | Osawatomie

NATIONAL BIPLANE FLY-IN June 01 | Junction City

Celebrate Kansas history and enjoy food trucks, live entertainment and a fireworks display. ozlightsonthelake.com

Pilots from across the nation converge at Freeman Field as guests enjoy rides, a pancake feed and more events. junctioncity-ks.gov

MERIDEN THRESHING SHOW July 19–21 | Meriden

Carnival rides, music and more to celebrate the town’s historic frontier heritage. visitshawneeks.com WOMEN’S FREEDOM RIDE June 10–15 | Topeka Organizers attempt to set a record for the largest group of female motorcyclists. Ride captains lead groups from across the United

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States, culminating in June 15 group ride in Topeka. The event is open to all interested women riders. For more information, details about charity organizations being supported and registration fees, look for Women’s Freedom Rally 2019 or Women’s Freedom Ride on Facebook. womensfreedomride.org

EMANCIPATION DAY CELEBRATION August 01–04 | Hutchison As they have done since 1899, citizens of Hutchinson gather to celebrate the anniversary of the ending of legal slavery in the United States.

Hutchinson Emancipation Day on FB

FIND MORE EVENTS AT TRAVELKS.COM/EVENTS Because all events are subject to change, confirm with organizers before finalizing plans.

KANSAS! MAGAZINE

PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY National Park Services

Meriden holds its 43rd annual celebration with a tractor parade, threshing contest, blacksmith demonstrations and more. meridenthreshers.org

OLD SHAWNEE DAYS June 06–09 | Shawnee

America’s Bread Baking Championship

WE LIKE IKE ...

AND MAMIE TOO! Visit the all-new exhibits unveiling in 2019 at the Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum.

Commemorate the 75th anniversary of D-Day while

National Festival

Breads

June 8 | 8:30 a.m.- 4p.m.

Manhattan Hilton Garden Inn Bread Baking Workshops | Free Samples | Food Trucks Family Fun Activities | Military Appreciation Gift*

nationalfestivalofbreads.com *Gift limited to first 200 families with Military ID

learning Ike and Mamie’s story in their own words.

Stay a few days and celebrate Abilene’s 150th anniversary!

Abilene & Smoky Valley Railroad Old Abilene Town Great Plains Theatre Dickinson County Heritage Center Greyhound Hall of Fame Seelye Mansion Unique specialty shops & restaurants

Smithsonian Magazine’s Best Small Town to Visit AbileneKansas.org

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Taste of Kansas

Milking Innovation and Tradition A Kansas family dairy farming tradition since 1930, the Hildebrands expand their reach with a new on-site bottling plant

By Meta Newell West | Photography by David Mayes

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uccessful entrepreneurs often think outside the box. For the Hildebrand brothers Alan and David, third-generation farmers in rural Junction City, this meant combining innovation with tradition as they added an on-site bottling plant to their dairy and expanded their retail sales to 125 Kansas stores. According to Melissa Hildebrand-Reed, plant and marketing manager and fourth-generation farmer, this was an opportunity to take a cue from the past and to sell milk in glass bottles once again.

Those iconic bottles of Hildebrand milk stand out on refrigerated grocery shelves and beckon customers such as Verl and Kathy Coup of Talmage. Verl swears the milk tastes better because the bottles keep it ice cold. And Verl is right. Glass is an insulator, so it does keep milk colder than plastic bottles do. The glass also helps preserve its flavor and its shelf life. Hildebrand-Reed explains that the date on their bottled milk indicates an 18-day shelf life, but she says it “often will last for 25 days if properly refrigerated.”

To Verl, the milk tastes like milk he grew up drinking at his family’s farm.

The Hildebrands credit the difference not only to their signature bottles but also to the quick turn-around time, with milk often going from cow to stores within 24 hours.

It’s not just the bottle that has customers exchanging empties for more Hildebrand milk each week, it’s

For the Hildebrand family, Hildebrand Farms Dairy is a lifestyle that has endured since 1930.

also their unique offerings. Strawberry and root beer are two of Hildebrand’s sweeter milk flavors, but they also offer jugs of full-fat milk with cream on top, ice cream mixes and glass jars of churned butter including a cinnamonsugar variety ready to slather over toast.

The Coups recommend the chocolate milk, their preferred flavor to stock for visits from their grandkids.

“When they visit us, the refrigerator is one of the first places they go,” Kathy adds. According to Hildebrand-Reed, a self-proclaimed “milk nerd,” their chocolate milk is some of the best because it goes through a three- to fourhour caramelization process. It’s so thick and creamy that she suggests heating it for an instant cup of hot cocoa.

Past to Present In 1930 Arnold and Rose Hildebrand started with four cows, selling their milk in glass bottles door-todoor in Junction City. As they prospered, they purchased 120 acres on the site of the current dairy. When their son Carl married Margaret in 1949, the business was passed to the second generation.

Margaret can certainly attest to the hard work that goes into running a dairy, and she remembers being initiated into the lifestyle almost immediately. Married on a Sunday, the young couple made a quick trip to Kansas City, but they were back milking cows on Tuesday. “Sixteen years later we finally went on our honeymoon,” Margaret says.

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When Margaret’s sons, brothers Alan and David, took over the farm in 1974 they slowly acquired additional land, added a new milking parlor, shop, grain storage system and a new free-stall barn. Even then the farm was mostly self-sustainable, growing the majority of the feed for a herd of between 120 to 150 Holstein cattle.

With an eye to the future, the brothers eventually expanded further. Their first thought was to acquire additional cows so they could produce more milk, but as the herd grew, two of their three wells would deplete in dry years. It became apparent that their well system efficiently supported just 150 cows. “When you think dairy, you must think water, too,” Melissa says. “Cows drink an average of 150–200 gallons of water per day.”

Research continued, and by 2006 the family began exploring the possibility of an on-site bottling plant. After an extensive feasibility study, they moved forward with that idea and the plant officially opened in September 2008. They also added a farm store where customers can shop for dairy products, Hildebrand-raised beef and other Kansas products such as cheese, free-range eggs, honey, sausage, chicken and pork. Store manager Kathy Hildebrand, David’s wife, notes that their soft-serve ice cream, with an array of toppings, is another attraction.

Continuing with their forward-thinking approach, the family also decided to add farm tours as a way to educate the public. Tours begin in the farm store and then move outdoors where guests view fields of prairie hay, soybeans and corn. Then visitors move into the milk barn and calf pens. As they enter the back of the plant, they view the commercial cleaner where returned bottles are soaked and sanitized. Then, they move on to the actual processing area where the milk flows from separator to pasteurizer to homogenizer and eventually to the bottle filler.

It’s an opportunity to see how science, technology and business come together to produce a bottle of farm-fresh milk. Tours end with samples of flavored milk and an ice cream cone.

For the Hildebrand family, Hildebrand Farms Dairy is a lifestyle that has endured since 1930.

Brothers Alan and David’s commitment, vision and planning provide day-to-day success, but they also hope their efforts will pave the way for future generations to continue the family legacy.

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Hildebrand

Mac & Cheese Melissa Reed at Hildebrand Dairy describes this as her go-to mac and cheese recipe, one her family eats year round. She always makes it with whole milk and often uses a variety of cheeses in order to vary the flavor.

However she clarifies, “I always use block cheese, never bagged as it just doesn’t melt as well.” Sometimes she even uses a half block (4 ounces) of cream cheese to make this comfort food even creamier.

Ingredients • • • • • • • • • • •

1 lb. elbow macaroni pasta ½ cup Hildebrand sweet cream butter 2 teaspoons minced garlic ½ cup all-purpose flour 1 ½ teaspoons kosher or sea salt 1 ½ teaspoons black pepper 4 cups Hildebrand milk 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard 6 cups freshly shredded sharp or white cheddar 2 tablespoons Hildebrand sweet cream butter ½ cup panko bread crumbs

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Butter or spray a 9 x 13-inch baking dish.

2. Boil pasta in salted water according to package directions; drain.

3. Melt ½ cup butter in large saucepan over medium heat.

Add garlic and heat just until it becomes aromatic; watch carefully to avoid burning.

4. Sprinkle in flour and whisk; cook 2 to 3 minutes.

Add salt and pepper.

5. Slowly pour in milk and mustard whisking until smooth.

Continue to cook on medium heat, whisking until sauce is thick and bubbly. Sauce should be thick enough to coat a spoon.

6. Lower heat and stir in cheese until well combined.

7. Add hot pasta to prepared baking dish. Pour cheese mixture over the top and stir to combine.

8. In a small skillet set on medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons butter. Add in panko bread crumbs, stirring constantly 3 to 5 minutes or until golden brown.

9. Sprinkle breadcrumbs over mac and cheese.

10. Bake in preheated oven for 12 to 15 minutes until bread crumbs crisp.

Yield one 9 x 13-inch casserole

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A Roll Call of Treasures

Inside Fort Leavenworth, a new foundation works to preserve and share a rare collection of military artifacts from U.S. history and global allies

By Kim Gronniger | Photography by Bill Stephens

Detail from painting The Staff Ride, a gift to the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College from the graduating class of 1981.

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ince 1894, more than 8,000 officers from 165 countries have attended the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College (CGSC) at Fort Leavenworth. When they have finished what is now the 44-week course on military leadership and strategy, many of the guests have honored their U.S. Army hosts by leaving behind a graduation gift. Over the years, this tradition has resulted in a trove of international military headgear, statues, plaques and other memorabilia totaling about 4,000 pieces.

Currently, the base’s Lewis and Clark Center rotates a public display of these world-class cultural and artistic tributes to military service and preserves the rest of the items on site.

“It’s like living in a home furnished with gifts received not only by your parents and grandparents but also your great-grandparents,” says Jeff LaMoe, a retired Army colonel and director of operations and support for the affiliated Army University. “The gifts may be touristy souvenirs or great art, but we don’t have the training to make those determinations. And what may have been a carnival trinket 100 years ago, depending on who and when it was given, could be invaluable today.”

For example, a simple wooden plaque bestowed by Polish officers may have had little monetary value, but after Soviet forces murdered

The U.S. government has made a significant investment in students’ education, and the artwork throughout this first-class building reinforces that they’re now tied to our proud history too.”

–Jack Kem

these same officers in the 1940 Katyn Massacre, the officers’ gift became imbued with considerable emotional and historical significance.

Gift displays throughout the building change every six months to reflect the culture of inductees into the International Hall of Fame, which was established in 1973.

Students and visiting delegations walk past portraits of alumni, 27 of whom have gold stars on their frames to designate reaching the highest level of leadership in their countries, including a classmate of LaMoe’s who became president of Indonesia.

Plaques listing the names and nationalities of students throughout the years reflect the arc of America’s relationships with other countries.

Traditional allies such as Great Britain, Australia and Canada typically have students listed for every year in the institution’s history, but various conflicts and events affect the lineup of guests. For example, Iran had several students before 1979, but none since the revolution and seizure of power by anti-American forces that year. After the fall of the USSR, officer-students began to arrive from former Soviet bloc nations such as Bulgaria, Latvia and Poland. In recent years, officers representing newly formed countries such as South Sudan and East Timor have attended the program.

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The 2018–2019 class includes 110 international students and 1,000 Americans representing all branches of the military and several agencies.

Throughout the program’s history, 13 international female officers have graduated, with Bulgaria sending the first group. There are currently 3 international female officers in the current class. Officers who wish to add a gift to the archives privately present their item to the commandant or deputy commandment at an appointed time before graduation.

Archived items, often wrapped in paper or stored in their original packaging, are placed in cubbies with a laminated flag of the country, the gift number and the names of the giver and the recipient. Ranging from plain to plumed, headgear is a popular present, from an Australian stout hat adorned with miniature koala bears to a fancy feathered Italian Bersaglieri one.

While the Army is the grateful recipient of these artifacts, it was not originally staffed to preserve and promote this collection or to research an item’s worth or cultural relevance, says Rod Cox, president and CEO of CGSC Foundation Inc., a nonprofit that has begun the work of preserving these items. One of CGSC Foundation’s main goals is to create “The Art of War, Gifts of Peace” initiative to curate the archive and make it more widely available to the public through outreach programs, exhibits and a book and documentary about the collection.

These international gifts are just one aspect of the aesthetic bounty in the Lewis and Clark Center. Jack Kem, associate dean of academics and a professor at the college, has been instrumental in converting available space in the center into an exhibit celebrating diverse depictions of duty.

“We think that every section of the school is a place of honor and a place to learn,” he says. “The U.S. government

HOURS AND TOURS Fort Leavenworth’s Visitor Control Center’s hours are 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

Art and artifacts can be viewed independently in the Lewis and Clark Center, or tour arrangements can be made by calling (913) 684-5428.

has made a significant investment in students’ education, and the artwork throughout this first-class building reinforces that they’re now tied to our proud history too.”

That history includes President Dwight D. Eisenhower, who graduated from the college; President Harry S. Truman, who lectured here; and every American four- or five-star general, including Missourian Omar Bradley.

On the main floor, visiting dignitaries conduct business beneath a portrait of Gen. Douglas MacArthur, surrounded by his personal furnishings and seated at the desk he used in his New York City office after retiring from the Army.

Opened in 2007, the center features refurbished three-story stained-glass windows depicting every U.S. campaign from the Revolutionary War to the Gulf War. Oil paintings commissioned as class gifts for the past 70 years highlight various aspects of the service experience, from training and battles to pensive moments and homecomings.

An alcove saluting women in the military includes a painting of Molly Pitcher taking her injured husband’s place in loading artillery during the Battle of Monmouth in 1778. A replica of the Women in Military Service for America Memorial in Washington, D.C., graces the area along with a Claire Parent watercolor of women veterans and other works. Many items complement classroom discussions, including military uniforms and weapons.

Noting that less than 1 percent of the nation’s citizens serve in the military today, LaMoe perceives the foundation’s work with “The Art of War, Gifts of Peace” initiative as an integral resource in educating the public about the military’s history and service.

“We’re the Army, and the Army belongs to taxpayers, so we want to share what we have as broadly as we can,” he says.

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ENTRY TO FORT LEAVENWORTH Since the Lewis and Clark Center is located on Fort Leavenworth, visitors without Department of Defense ID will need to stop by the fort’s Visitor Control Center, 1 Sherman Avenue (intersection of Metropolitan and Fourth Street). Here, the driver of a vehicle must show a valid license, registration and proof of insurance. All visitors 16 and over must show a photo ID. After these steps, visitors will receive a Temporary Pass and instructions to enter the installation. “Don’t be intimidated by our access procedures,” writes Harry Sarles, public affairs officer for Army University. “Fort Leavenworth encourages visitors to our historic post and you are welcome here.”

Anyone with questions about entry can call Fort Leavenworth’s Customer Service helpline at (913) 684-3600.

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By Kelly Gibson | Photography by Bill Stephens

Melissa Jarboe stands with military personnel and volunteers of the MVP Project. Photograph by Jason Dailey

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‘The Value of Life’

A Kansas-based group works to prevent military suicides across the nation

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or Melissa Jarboe, every day is Veterans Day. Jarboe, founder of the Topeka-based Military Veterans Project, is driven to ensure service members and their families have the support they need before, during and after service. Most recently, the organization has focused the majority of its work on one clear mission: prevent military suicide through research and treatment.

Jarboe , who grew up in Holton, is driven to duty by her personal connection to the military. Her husband, Staff Sgt. Jamie Jarboe, was wounded by sniper fire on April 10, 2011, in the Zhari district of Kandahar province in Afghanistan, while assigned to 4th Squadron, 4th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division. The bullet severed his neck, shattered his trachea, injured his spinal cord and left him paralyzed from the chest down.

“Before he left he promised me he would return home,” Jarboe says.

Jamie fulfilled that promise though his path to recovery would be difficult.

He endured more than 100 surgeries and medical procedures over the course of 11 months. Nearly one year after the attack in Afghanistan, Jamie Jarboe succumbed to his wounds. His death rocked the community.

Six A group of us surrounds our friend’s gravesite, where relatives might be, but we are the only ones who showed, the sum total of family.

We stand with our shoulders squared up despite the dead weight of pain, any tears we might accidentally shed will be disguised by the steady, cold rain.

Three days ago, our buddy considered options and felt the options were few then desperately decided suicide was as good a choice as any.

Thoughts course jaggedly through our minds about our group’s broken, collective trust, we worry that on some future day, the vet to inter will be another one of us.

We know our individual recoveries Won’t be due to any quick fix, so we look one another dead in the eye and swear to guard each other’s six.

– Annette Hope Billings

Thousands of online readers from across the world had followed the couple’s rehabilitation through online postings.

While her husband’s death was crushing, Jarboe says, he gave her one final gift before he died: he made her promise to continue helping veterans and their families.

“He taught me the value of life,” Melissa says. “He wanted me to take care of our soldiers and show them unconditional love.”

Jarboe has made that mission a reality by forming a network of office holders, service personnel, nonprofit groups and dedicated veterans.

“We try to reach out to veterans, but the next step is taking an educational standpoint by reaching out to family, friends and strangers,” Melissa says.

“They can all make an impact in suicide prevention and help us save a life. Military suicide is epidemic, no doubt about it, so let’s talk about military suicide.”

A way the group gets Topeka and surrounding communities talking is through the Military Suicide Awareness #22ADAY movement—which takes its name from the alarming statistic that 22 U.S. military veterans attempt suicide each day.

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Military Veteran Project’s national work on preventing military suicides has been shaped by volunteers, Kansas military veterans and their family members such as (from left) Carrie Cook, Ryan Newell, Gilbert Ramirez and Brooklynne Mosley.

wide open spaces To combat this threat to veterans, community ambassadors host events, share statistics and offer their communities the chance to see the faces of military service members and veterans who died by suicide.

This way, Melissa says, they are able to show the impact of military suicide.

“People may look at headlines or photos and say ‘well that doesn’t directly affect me or my family,’” Melissa says. “The hardship of it is that someday it might. This is something we believe in, something I wasn’t given the luxury of knowing about.

This is something we all have to do together.”

MVP’s advocacy is based not only on helping veterans but also on drawing from the strength of veterans—often the group’s most effective volunteers.

Carrie Cook and her husband, Ryan Newell, are two of many advocates for MVP’s work. Between volunteering for the organization, running their own veterans service-related organization and caring for six children, Cook and Newell find time to attend VA appointments and acquire necessary paperwork to prove disability as Newell, an Army veteran, recovers from wounds sustained from an IED during his fourth tour in Afghanistan.

“The burden of proof is on veterans when they come home,” Cook says. “They fight. They are fighting for medical care.

So to be able to have to have this baseline health information, they can say, ‘You broke me, now fix me.’”

Some of Newell’s wounds are visible.

The double amputee had planned to be a “lifer” in the Army, but after stepping on a 100-lb homemade explosive, his plans changed. He returned home, was released from duty, and struggled to cope with the reality that his dream of full-time employment with the Army was no longer possible. MVP has been a useful tool as he seeks resources to cope with his new existence.

Banding together, the members of MVP have created a comprehensive list of resources to offer veterans and their loved ones that can help educate them on treatments beyond what they might receive at their local VA. MVP accepts veteran volunteers and matches veterans to current PTS and TBI treatment studies

The Offer We glance through stories of veteran suicides then tsk tsk our tongues and shake our heads.

We react as if we’ve heard a bad forecast— Suicide, weather—how much can be done because aren’t veteran suicides the expected jetsam of military duty?

Satisfied with “yes,” we put the statistics down and go on about our lives, acknowledging all gave some and some gave all.

But our inaction convicts us.

We are among those who gave none.

We mistakenly think service discharge lifts the weight of the world from a soldier’s shoulders and too little thought is given to how hard it is to be flanked by despair, to guard against the ambush of worthlessness, to withstand battles of memory and trauma.

How many veterans would trade a hundred parades to be fully heard, to pinpoint the location of misery, to quiet the war inside, to resist suicide’s seduction?

The best “thank you for your service” comes with “How may we help?”

– Annette Hope Billings

in order to provide veterans with access to newer or even experimental treatments.

One such treatment is hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT), which is used for healing decompression sickness, radiation injury and severe infection.

By increasing air pressure, HBOT facilitates healing as heightened oxygen levels move through a patient’s body.

There is research available that shows it could have positive effects for veterans suffering from PTS and TBI. Currently, MVP has completed pilot research, which includes a 30-panel blood draw to highlight inconsistent hormone levels, and has prepared a case study to help make such alternative therapies available through the VA and create necessary change.

“It would be beneficial for the VA to have accessible, alternative treatments available to treat the source, not the symptoms,” says Melissa.

Currently, some 50 veterans from across the country can receive alternative treatments for TBI and PTS in Kansas.

MVP has developed partnerships with private medical facilitates in Wichita, Kansas City, Shawnee Mission and Topeka.

“If a veteran is steps away from a crisis and treatment is available, it should be available immediately,” Melissa says.

She says she is happy to have the support in Kansas to help guide research and change how veterans receive medical care. Melissa also serves on the Coalition to Heal Invisible Wounds, encouraging lawmakers in D.C. to give veterans necessary medical assistance to reach speedy and proper diagnosis.

Back in Topeka, MVP continues to work with the community as a way to honor veterans and build partnerships.

Melissa says one goal is to bring all veteran service organizations together to streamline communication and services.

“We are all on the same mission for the greater good of our veterans,” Melissa says. “We’re trying to unite these organizations moving forward. We know MVP has been successful, but I can only imagine the success level we could have if we all worked together toward a common goal.”

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Love art.

Eat your fill.

DOWNTOWN SCULPTURETOUR

MARTINELLI’S LITTLE ITALY

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1.877.725.4625

ART IS TRULY EVERYWHERE IN SALINA See the full event calendar at

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Plan your Salina experience at

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MARYSVILLE CREATIVIT Y. CULTURE. COMMUNIT Y.

C E L E B R A T I N G

Coinciding with the 75th anniversary of the D-Day landings during WWII, the Eisenhower Museum in Abilene reopens with new exhibits

Story by Cecilia Harris | Photos Courtesy of the Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum

From small-town Kansas boy who loved fishing and football to five-star military general and president of the United States, Dwight D. “Ike” Eisenhower never forgot his humble roots.

He wasn’t alone in his remarkable journey; his wife, Mamie Eisenhower, supported him unconditionally, following him from one military base to another and eventually to the White House, where she gracefully welcomed international dignitaries.

The lives and legacy of Ike and Mamie Eisenhower unfold inside the newly renovated museum scheduled to reopen this summer at the Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum in Abilene.

“We are telling the personal story of Ike and Mamie through their own words, using their quotes throughout the museum,” Eisenhower Library director Dawn Hammatt says of the museum’s complete redesign, which uses technology to bring the couple to life for all visitors—especially a 21st-century audience.

“The goal for these new updated exhibits is to bring this man, this time period, and this administration to a new generation, to people who haven’t had a personal experience with any of these topics.”

The artifacts, texts, visuals and videos were purposefully chosen to address the different learning styles and interests of visitors of all ages and to portray Eisenhower as a man whose Abilene roots served him well on the world stage.

“It’s this Kansas background, this upbringing, that was the foundation of who he became,” Hammatt says. “You can see it in his reaction to things, his attention to detail, his honesty, his humility, his faith.”

How Eisenhower further developed into a successful military leader and president is explained in the Becoming Ike and Mamie electronic exhibit organized both chronologically and by subject.

“His educational opportunities were about leadership, planning, international relationships, and logistics,” she says.

The exhibit also explores Mamie’s life as it paralleled her husband’s role in the world, Hammatt says, adding that Mamie saw her duty to her husband and the nation as paramount. More about Mamie’s years as a military wife and first lady, including her influence on 1950s culture with her unique hairstyle and pink gowns, is found in her gallery.

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D-DAY: 75TH ANNIVERSARY Standing on Normandy’s Omaha Beach in 1964 during the filming of a television program marking the 20th anniversary of D-Day, Kansas native General Dwight D. Eisenhower reflected on World War II and the anxious hours of June 6, 1944, when the Allied Forces under his command invaded occupied France to liberate Western Europe from Nazi Germany’s control.

“I devoutly hope that we will never again have to see such scenes as these; I think and hope and pray that humanity has learned more than we had learned up to that time. We must find some way … we need to gain an eternal peace for this world,” Eisenhower said during the interview with newsman Walter Cronkite.

Dawn Hammatt, director of the Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum in Abilene, says Eisenhower’s statement demonstrates the importance of observing the 75th anniversary of this historic event. The library will host a D-Day 75 Commemoration Week June 1–6 in partnership with the Eisenhower Foundation.

The week’s activities begin with the annual Symphony at Sunset D-Day Commemoration Concert, which honors all veterans and active military and features music by the 1st Infantry Division Band from Fort Riley and the Salina Symphony. Prior to the concert on June 1, the WWII Show and Tell Pop-Up Museum gives visitors the opportunity to share World War II stories, photos, memorabilia and artifacts—except for weapons, which are not allowed on the grounds under federal law, according to Hammatt.

Re-enactors, a military equipment display, food vendors, and other activities for all ages also are planned.

The Eisenhower Foundation’s IKEducation D-Day programs will be presented to the general public that day and all during the Commemoration Week, according to Meredith Sleichter, the foundation’s executive director. IKEducation programs provide elementary through high school students age-appropriate lessons on topics related to Eisenhower using primary sources from the library and museum.

Guest speakers, panel discussions, films, and other educational programming also will be part of the week’s activities.

On June 6, the anniversary date of the D-Day invasion, a remembrance ceremony will include retired U.S. Air Force General Richard B. Myers, who is currently the president of Kansas State University, as the keynote speaker. Fort Riley and Fort Leavenworth military personnel will join with veterans groups for a wreath-laying ceremony at Eisenhower’s grave in the Place of Meditation, and additional activities are planned.

“The commemoration is a great way for us to recognize our World War II veterans and thank them for their service,” Sleichter says, adding there will be a “Thank a Veteran” reception. “It was a worldwide war that had a huge impact on history.”

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Ike’s childhood in Abilene is explored in the first gallery visitors enter, titled “I come from the very heart of America,” a statement Eisenhower made in a speech. The next gallery follows his military career and includes a table, for the first time extended with all the leaves in place, around which the D-Day invasion was planned. The expanded Presidential Gallery presents new scholarship regarding Eisenhower’s accomplishments, including ending the Korean War, signing the Civil Rights Act of 1957 and of 1960, and establishing the interstate highway system and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

The renovation was made possible through private donations to the Eisenhower Foundation’s Dwight D. Eisenhower: A Legacy of Leadership multimillion dollar fundraising campaign, according to Meredith Sleichter, the foundation’s executive director. The foundation was established in 1945 to create a memorial to Eisenhower, who insisted the museum bearing his name honor all World War II veterans. It opened in 1954, and its current mission is to honor of the life and leadership of Eisenhower and champion its relevance today through compelling programs and events that celebrate his legacy.

“It is vital that we continue to educate current and future generations so our own Kansas children will continue to look to Ike as a role model,” Sleichter says. “If our children can see what a barefoot boy from Kansas can accomplish when he works hard, it will inspire them to become leaders and heroes in their own way.”

Eisenhower never forgot he came from the heart of America, choosing to establish a library for his presidential papers in his hometown and to be buried not far from the house in which he was reared with five brothers. In a homecoming speech on June 22, 1945, he stated, “The proudest thing I can claim is that I am from Abilene.” eisenhower.archives.gov | 877 RING IKE/(877) 746-4453 eisenhowerfoundation.net | (785) 263-6771

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Civil War

World War I

World War II

Korean War

Vietnam War

Gulf War

Medal of Honor

Killed in Action

Kansas Military Legends to Know

PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY U.S. Army and Library of Congress

General Lewis W. Walt General Lewis Walt was born in Wabaunsee County in 1913. He was commissioned in the Army Field Artillery Reserve before accepting an appointment as a Marine second lieutenant. Walt went on to win combat decorations in World War II, Korea and Vietnam and rose to the rank of four star general. Over the course of his long military career, General Walt earned nearly 40 medals and decorations, including two Navy Crosses, the Purple Heart and the Silver Star Medal.

Lieutenant Colonel Stanley Taylor Adams Originally from De Soto, Lieutenant Colonel Stanley T. Adams of the U.S. Army served in three major conflicts: World War II, Korea and Vietnam.

He was awarded the Medal of Honor for his leadership in the Korean War. In the early morning of February 4, 1951, Adams and his platoon were attacked. He responded by leading13 of his men against approximately 150 enemy combatants in a protracted close-quarters battle, which left him with a bullet wound to the leg. In the end he and his men, against far superior numbers, routed the enemy and saved their platoon.

Chaplain Emil J. Kapaun

Nurse Emily M. Morgan

Father Emil Joseph Kapaun grew up in the small farming community of Pilsen. In 1940, he was ordained as a priest in the Catholic Church and went on to serve as an Army chaplain in World War II and in the Korean War. It was in the aftermath of a battle in Unsan, Korea, that Fr. Kapaun showed his immense bravery. Facing defeat and certain capture, his unit was ordered to retreat. Father Kapaun chose to remain behind to provide comfort to the wounded.

Kapaun, who died as a prisoner of war, received the Purple Heart and the Medal of Honor.

Emily Morgan was born in Leon in 1878 and received her nursing degree in 1905 before joining the Army Reserve Nursing Corps in World War I. After this military service, she took an assignment as a public health nurse with the American Red Cross in Nome, Alaska. When a diphtheria epidemic hit Nome in the winter of 1925, Morgan, herself a childhood diphtheria survivor, worked tirelessly in the freezing Alaskan blizzard, walking to surrounding villages to inoculate residents. For helping to stop the spread of the deadly disease, Emily Morgan, known as the “Angel of the Yukon,” was inducted into the Alaska Women’s Hall of Fame.

Kansans have a lot to be proud of, but two of our greatest sources of pride are the Sunflower State’s service and sacrifice in times of war. In honor of these men and women, we give you a roster of ten great Kansas military legends.

By Thaddeus Haverkamp

Private First Class Chester Nez

Specialist Fourth Class Danny J. Petersen

First Lieutenant George Seanor Robb

In 1942, while only in the tenth grade, Chester Nez lied about his age to enlist in the Marine Corps and become one of the first 29 Navajo tasked with developing an unbreakable code from their native language. After serving his country as one of the first Code Talkers, Private First Class Nez volunteered for two more years during the Korean War. Nez earned his high school diploma at what is now Haskell Indian Nations University, attended the University of Kansas and received an honorary degree from the university. For their service, Nez and his fellow original Navajo Code Talkers were awarded the Congressional Gold Medal in 2001.

Specialist Fourth Class Danny J. Petersen of the U.S. Army was born in Holton.

Petersen served in Vietnam, fighting in the Tay Ninh Provence in the country’s south. On January 9, 1970, while serving as an armored personnel carrier commander, Sp4c Petersen’s carrier was disabled and taking fire from North Vietnamese forces. With his men pinned down, Petersen maneuvered his carrier between the disabled vehicle and the enemy, providing cover for the crewmen, but sacrificing his life for his fellow soldiers. For his bravery, Sp4c Danny J. Petersen was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor.

Originally from Assaria, 1st Lt. George S. Robb enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1917 and was deployed to France when America entered World War I. On September 29, 1918, near Sechault, Robb was injured by machine gun fire but remained with his platoon. Early the following morning, Robb was injured yet again. Again, Robb remained in command of his platoon.

Later that same day Robb sustained two more wounds. After an enemy shell killed both his commanding officer and two other officers, Robb assumed command of his company. For this tenacity and bravery, First Lieutenant George S. Robb was awarded the Medal of Honor.

Private Cathay Williams

Lieutenant Commander Laura M. Cobb was born in Atchison in 1892. She joined the Navy to serve as a nurse through both World War I and World War II, and was with a group of Army and Navy nurses captured by Japanese forces in the Philippines. These women become known as the “Angels of Bataan” and remained POWs for four years. Cobb led them as they cared for both American POWs and injured civilians. For her bravery and compassion, Cobb was awarded the Bronze Star, Gold Star, Defense of the Philippines Ribbon, a Distinguished Army Unit Citation and the Asiatic-Pacific Theater Ribbon with two Battle Stars.

Private Cathay Williams, born in 1844 in Independence, Missouri, was the daughter of an enslaved mother and free father. On November 15, 1866, Williams—posing as a man and going by the name “William Cathay”— enlisted in the all-black 38th United States Infantry, Company A at Ft. Leavenworth. In 1868, during medical treatment, a surgeon discovered the truth of Williams’ identity. She was honorably discharged but had already become the first black woman known to have enlisted in the U.S. military.

William Matthews and the First Kansas Colored Volunteer Infantry In 1862, William Matthews was tapped to recruit a regiment of black soldiers, a majority of them former slaves. Due to resistance on both the state and federal level, it would be five months before the 1st Kansas Colored was accepted into service, and Matthews would be denied formal command. But in October 1862, Matthews led his group against Confederate forces at the battle of Island Mound in Missouri, the first known instance of black Union troops facing down their enemy and a pivotal moment of self-liberation.

PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY U.S. Army and Library of Congress

Lieutenant Commander Laura Mae Cobb

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that has a Reputation’ With roots in the ranching community and a family of world-champion riders, Strong City’s Flint Hills Rodeo celebrates 82 years this summer

H

eritage, dust and grit almost always accompany the Flint Hills Rodeo in Chase County’s Strong City. Except for that one year when dust gave way to mud and the rodeo was nearly rained out.

“We had torrential rains, just horrible,” Arlene Bailey says, recalling the 2004 rodeo. “We had such bad rains that we postponed the bareback riding by a half-hour. The arena was absolute slop, but we went ahead and had the full rodeo. We didn’t cancel anything.”

Bailey, who was serving her first term on the rodeo board that year, learned something about the event and the people supporting it—Kansas’ oldest consecutive rodeo always goes on. Without fail.

The Flint Hills Rodeo legacy and tradition are powerful. The annual event is one of Kansas’ finest examples of how hard work, ranching skills, discipline and talent come together each year—causing Chase County’s population of 2,700 to triple for three nights. For 150 years, the cattle business has been a major factor of the economy in this area. Even now, cattle and horses outnumber people in this area of tallgrass prairie at the heart of the Flint Hills. From this culture, at the height of the Great Depression, the rodeo was born on Emmett Roberts’ pasture west of Strong City, with a family that dared to ride anything.

“The father would buy a carload of wild horses in Colorado, and the kids would break the horses and sell them to local farmers and ranchers,” says Jim Hoy, award-winning author and Flint Hills ranching historian.

The Roberts family held the first impromptu rodeo in 1937. By 1938, their Flint Hills Rodeo was on its way to becoming a tradition. In those early years, the featured attractions were the Roberts family members. Three of the children—Marge, Gerald and Ken—would become world-famous rodeo champions. Marge Roberts won the women’s saddle bronc riding at Cheyenne, Wyoming, in 1940. She died in 1982 and in 1987 was inducted into the National Cowgirl Hall of Fame. Gerald Roberts was the first Kansas cowboy to become a World Champion All-Around cowboy in 1942 and, again, in 1948. He died in 2004. Ken Roberts was a World Champion Bull Rider in 1943, 1944 and 1945. He died in 1975.

But descendants of the Roberts family are always at the rodeo.

“I still call Strong City my hometown,” says 68-year-old Jim Roberts, who runs a western store, Roberts Cowboy Outfitters, in a Salina mall. Each year, he goes to the rodeo in Strong City, where the grounds display pictures of his family, including his father, Gerald.

“He had three different careers,” Jim says of his father. “He was a world champion cowboy. He got into movies out in Hollywood, and then he started a manufacturing company. He was successful at all three.”

Jim grew up with his father in Hollywood and recalls traveling to Madison Square Garden in New York City and hanging out with Roy Rogers.

Publicity like this helped put the Roberts’ Flint Hills Rodeo on the map.

Partly because the rodeo was created by world champions and partly because volunteers pour countless hours into the event each year, it continues to attract world champion competitors.

“I forget how many world champions have competed there,” Hoy says. “But when Emmett Roberts died, they held his funeral at the rodeo arena. They had hundreds of people there. There must have been half a dozen or more former world champions in the crowd. “It’s a rodeo that has a reputation.”

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Military Honors Each year, the Flint Hills Rodeo Friday night program honors military personnel and retired veterans with free admission. On Saturday, the parade usually features a color guard from Fort Riley.

“We try and have as much military involvement as possible,” says rodeo board member Dow Wilson.

In fact, during the 2018 rodeo, a missile launcher was brought to the parade and used to open the rodeo. That, says Wilson, was “a big outfit.”

Flint Hills Rodeo

2019

WHEN May 30–June 1 COST Children under 12 are given free admission on Family Night, May 30.

Tickets range in price from $11–$17 per night, with discounted rates by advance purchase. Call (620) 341-1505 or go online at flinthillsrodeo.org for a full list of ticket booth locations or to purchase tickets online.

WHERE TO STAY Hotels, private rooms and guest houses fill up quickly for the event.

For a list of locally owned options, see the “Lodging” section of the Chase County Chamber of Commerce page at ChaseCountyChamber.org or call the chamber office at (620) 273-8469.

What Else to Do WATCH THE PARADE The Flint Hills Rodeo parade starts Saturday 2 p.m. in Cottonwood Falls and travels north down K-177 highway, ending on the north side of Strong City.

JOIN THE DANCE A community-wide dance is held on Friday and Saturday nights following the rodeo competitions. “Everyone who comes back to the rodeo gathers at the dance,” says Toni Schneider, director of the Chase County Chamber of Commerce.

EXPLORE THE REGION Leave time for the art galleries of Cottonwood Falls, the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve, a short ride or stroll on the Flint Hills Nature Trail State Park, a tour of the Chase County Courthouse and more. Go online to travelks.com/flint-hills and look for links, information and reviews of attractions in the Chase County region.

The World Stops Because It Is “Rodeo” Flint Hills Rodeo officials talk about what the event and the sport mean to them BAILEY LEWIS My father, Jason Lewis, served 17 years on the rodeo board and was the Flint Hills Rodeo president for 4–5 years. My entire family was involved helping out, in some way, all of those years, and I was competing in it before I was of age. I competed for about 3 years total so that there were enough kids to compete. I won on my fourth year when I was old enough to compete, became the Flint Hills Rodeo Princess in 2010 and have been in the opening acts ever since. There is literally so much time and effort that go into the rodeo. It is definitely a community event, and everyone in our small town has likely been a helping hand in the rodeo’s success. During the rodeo, I have met and become very close with several families. These people who travel to help us put on our rodeo come and spend time with my family on our ranch. We have made connections and lifelong friendships because of the rodeo.

BINION CERVI I was born into the rodeo business and am blessed to have been doing it my entire life. I have a horse stock company in Colorado that provides rodeos with horses and am on the road 10 months a year [because] we go as far west as San Juan Capistrano, California, and as far east as Louisville, Kentucky. The rodeo life is long hours on the road, but lots of rewards, full of wonderful experiences and friendships.

ALEXIS LUCE I have been riding horses ever since I was a little girl. When I was old enough, I joined 4-H and was active in the 4-H Horse Program. Then, I met a rodeo queen who encouraged me to run at a pageant, and that is how I began competing in rodeo queen pageants for four, going on five, years now. I’ve held the title of Miss Rodeo Topeka, Miss Rodeo El-Kan, Miss Rodeo Phillipsburg and Miss CPRA [Central Plains Rodeo Association]. My strangest experience was at the Fillmore County Fair and Rodeo in Geneva, Nebraska, where this clown act of Whistle Nut and Ole had trained a bull to ride around the arena—so I got to try a new steed and now I get to say I have ridden a bull. Rodeo is for the entire family, and it has preserved that family atmosphere that everyone can be a part of and have fun. It’s a life I am proud to be a part of.

TONI SCHNEIDER I was crowned Miss Rodeo Kansas in 1988 and traveled all over the United States and Canada promoting rodeo. The people in rodeo life are the best. No matter how far you travel or whether they know you, they treat you like family and are always there to lend a helping hand if you need it. After my sons were born, I became a stay-at-home mom and traveled less. In 2014, a good friend of mine was on the Flint Hills Rodeo board and asked if I could help keep an eye on a booth of historical photos for part of one performance. I ended up being there all night, every night, and 2018 was my fourth year volunteering.

I help plan the opening ceremonies around the national anthem and develop the theme for the rodeo history museum. Preparing for the next year’s rodeo starts the minute the current rodeo is over. Before rodeo time rolls around, I have picked up meat for the sponsor meal and stored it in my freezer, helped proof the rodeo program, cleaned out the museum building and more. During the rodeo I am outside the arena getting the opening ceremony together. I make sure the young ladies carrying the flags have the right one and know when to go into the area. I am the official “hat pinner” who puts bobby pins through the sweatband of the flag girls’ hats and into their hair so their hats don’t fly off in the arena. I help outside guests such as the national anthem performer, the dignitaries and the guardsmen be where they need to be. Last year, I helped at one of the beer stands because they were short-handed. I have made sure there was toilet paper in the ladies room and I have occasionally plunged a toilet. It is an honor to be a part of a rodeo that is an 80-plus-year tradition. Here in Chase County, rodeo weekend is like a family reunion. No one leaves towns or makes other plans; family members come back to attend and spend time with friends. The world stops because it is “rodeo.”

–Interviews conducted, transcribed and edited by Jason Dailey

Bailey Lewis

Binion Cervi

Alexis luce

Toni Schneider

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BRAD NEFF | OSAGE COUNTY

BRUCE HOGLE | CHASE COUNTY

KATHLEEN OTTO | DOUGLAS COUNTY

RIC WESTMAN | GOVE COUNTY

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