Children + Pets
Children + Pets Issue!
Children and pets hold a special place in our lives, contributing immeasurably to our emotional well-being, personal development, and sense of joy. Their presence fosters a nurturing environment, encouraging qualities such as responsibility, empathy, and unconditional love.
For children, pets serve as companions, playmates, and confidants. They teach kids about compassion and empathy, as they learn to care for another living being. This interaction promotes emotional growth, helping children understand the importance of meeting the needs of others. Additionally, the responsibility of feeding, grooming, and ensuring the well-being of a pet instills a sense of accountability and discipline in kids, which can translate into other areas of their lives.
Pets also offer immense emotional benefits to adults. The simple act of petting an animal can release endorphins and reduce stress, leading to improved mental health. Pets provide a non-judgmental presence and unwavering loyalty, which can be especially comforting during challenging times. The bond between humans and their pets can alleviate feelings of loneliness and depression, offering a sense of purpose and routine.
For families, both kids and pets can strengthen familial bonds. Shared activities such as walking the dog, playing in the park, or caring for a pet can bring family members closer, fostering a sense of unity and teamwork. These interactions create cherished memories and traditions, enriching family life.
In essence, the inclusion of kids and pets in our lives enhances our emotional richness, teaching us about love, responsibility, and the beauty of simple, everyday moments. Their importance is profound, shaping us into more compassionate and resilient individuals. Our care, attention, and intention shapes how they are raised and who they become. We hope this issue inspires you to pour a little extra into the children and pets in your life this month.
I hope you have a great August – the Sunday of Summer!
Warm Regards,
TYLER JACKSON, PUBLISHER
August 2024
PUBLISHER
Tyler Jackson | tyler.jackson@citylifestyle.com
EDITOR
Heather Hoffman | heather.hoffman@citylifestyle.com
MARKET SUPPORT ASSISTANT
Cooper Deters | cdet112@gmail.com
STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Tim Sigle | siglephoto@gmail.com
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Kenny Whitis, Cooper Deters
Corporate Team
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Steven Schowengerdt
CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER Matthew Perry
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF HR Janeane Thompson
AD DESIGNER Mary Albers
LAYOUT DESIGNER Andi Foster
Come check out our carpet remnants in various sizes and colors
Small business, locally owned flooring store, operating for 25 plus years, contributor to the community, sponsors to the local Boys and Girls Club, Boy Scouts, Sunflower Casa, Member to the Co Op.
WHERE NEIGHBORS CAN SEE AND BE SEEN AUGUST 2024
city scene
1: Manhattan Brewing Company’s Jake Voegeli pours a beer at the Parking Lot Party on Poyntz 2: Cardboard boat races at the inaugural Star Spangled Spectacular on the 4th of July 3: Congratulations to Howie’s Recycling & Trash Service on 40 years in business! 4: The 2nd Annual Dock Dogs Little Apple Splash was a great success! 5: Aggieville Brewing Company’s Ryan Emley serves a brew during the Parking Lot Party on Poyntz 6: ‘Tis the season to beautify your yard at Blueville Nursery 7: Congratulations to Ashley Oliphant and Lemonade Aesthetics Spa & Clinic on their grand opening!
Want to be seen in the magazine?
TYLER JACKSON
TYLER JACKSON TYLER JACKSON
KENNY WHITIS
KENNY WHITIS
HOWIE’S RECYCLING & TRASH SERVICE
College Admissions Essay Workshop
Get a head start on crafting a compelling personal statement. Gain expert guidance and strategies to make your essay stand out in the competitive admissions process. Led by a Harvard graduate and former college scholarship reader, this event is ideal for rising high school seniors and their parents. Event details: No cost. September 3, 7pm. Manhattan Public Library: Groesbeck Meeting Room.
Wildcat Scoopers Pet Waste Removal
Wildcat Scoopers Pet Waste Removal is a dedicated team providing efficient and reliable pet waste removal services. Founded by K-State student Luke Engel, Wildcat Scoopers serves the Manhattan area, ensuring yards, parks, and public spaces remain clean and safe for everyone. Their commitment to cleanliness and environmental responsibility makes them a trusted choice for pet owners. Wildcat Scoopers helps maintain a healthier and more pleasant environment for Manhattan's residents and their furry friends. wildcatscooper.com
Leads Pet Care
Leads Pet Care offers top-notch services for pets, including dog walking, pet sitting, and personalized care. Their experienced and compassionate team ensures pets receive the attention and exercise they need. With a focus on reliability and tailored care plans, Leads Pet Care provides peace of mind for pet owners. Committed to the well-being of every animal, they are a trusted choice for exceptional pet care in the Little Apple. leadspetcare.com
Photography by Wildcat Scoopers
Photography by Leads Pet Care
Transform Learning Spaces
Priorities have shifted in learning spaces and now more than ever we know the importance of place for kids. Versatility and adaptability are key to creating positive school environments. For 25 years, McCownGordon has helped schools realize their full potential in existing spaces and starting from the ground up.
Read more how we inspire and integrate students through our construction projects.
THE CLEANING METHOD WITH SUPERIOR RESULTS THAT LAST 4 TO 6 TIMES LONGER THAN TRADITIONAL PRESSURE WASHING!
FUNGUS & BACTERIA are not iust an aesthetics issue. These micro-organisms are actually eating and decomposing your surfaces at an alarming rate. SOFT WASHING IS THE SAFE ALTERNATIVE TO PRESSURE WASHING. We use water based biodegradable chemicals that emulsify dirt and grime as well as sanitize the surface they are bonded to.
GRAMMA
The title that almost never was for Aricca Wallace of Cat Cans Portable Services
ARTICLE BY TYLER JACKSON
PHOTOGRAPHY BY TIM SIGLE | SIGLE
PHOTOGRAPHY & PROVIDED
In a cozy, dimly lit hospital room, a newborn baby boy is cradled in his mother’s arms. The room is filled with joyful tears and smiles from family members. A pink and purple tie-dyed heart-shaped pillow sits nearby, while a birth photographer captures this intimate moment.
“It is so important to advocate for yourself.”
Friday morning, March 22, 2024, at 2:50 AM, the world welcomed a beautiful baby boy weighing eight pounds and five ounces. He was everything this family had been waiting for. From the moment Miller J. Rowan Wallace was born, everything changed. Mason and Michelle embraced their new roles as mom and dad. Marccus became an uncle. Across the room, Matt and Aricca experienced the joy of becoming grandparents for the first time time—a title Aricca had almost never expected to hold.
Aricca Crosson was born and raised in Minneapolis, Kansas, but attended high school in Dodge City. Her senior year, she began dating Matthew Wallace from the nearby town of Kinsley. After high school, they moved to Manhattan in 1995 to attend K-State. They got married and Aricca became pregnant with their first child, Mason. A few years later, their second son, Marccus, joined the family.
In 2010, Matt and Aricca took a leap of faith and started a new business, Cat Cans Portable Services of Manhattan. Matt ran the truck, while Aricca handled phone calls. In addition, she was Manhattan’s award-winning Aflac representative. They were
raising their boys and building a unique and important business. Everything was going according to the plan , until June 2011.
Cat Cans was getting prepared for their first Country Stampede, which was a big event for a company in its infancy. There, Arrica experienced symptoms that, although familiar over the past three years, had gone undiagnosed. This time, however, was different. Despite having these symptoms for a few years, her annual pap smear in April had come back normal. Initially, she attributed the issues to stress, but they worsened to the point of hemorrhaging. She called her OB-GYN, Dr. Mark Gros, for an immediate exam. On June 26th, a biopsy was performed. Then, on July 1, 2011, everything changed.
On that hot summer day, she received the coldest phone call of her life. She was with 12-year-old Mason and their wrestling club at the Auto Zone on Ft. Riley Blvd, hosting a car wash to pay for wrestling camp. She was told to come to the office, and it wasn’t good. The diagnosis was cervical cancer. Squamous cell carcinoma, to be exact.
Aricca, Miller, and Mason
Top: The early days of Cat Cans
She was referred to the Research Medical Center in Kansas City and the care of Dr. Verda (Hunter) Hicks. After an internal exam, she revealed to the 34-year-old Aricca she had a tumor the size of a newborn baby’s head on her cervix. Scans revealed that the cancer had spread to her lymph nodes, and it was a stage III diagnosis.
The doctors knew they couldn’t perform surgery because the tumor was too large. The first step was chemotherapy and radiation to try to shrink the tumor, with surgery scheduled to remove lymph nodes in her pelvis. The original plan was 12 rounds of chemotherapy, but it was boosted to 18 rounds.
In January 2012, new scans revealed that while the cancer was no longer in her cervix, it had spread to the lymph nodes in her lungs. Her next visit was to Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis, where they provided neither help nor good news. Seeking another opinion, she then went to MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. In February 2012, she was informed that while more chemotherapy could help control the cancer, it couldn’t be cured, and she was likely to have less than a year to live.
After receiving this news, Matt and Aricca sat in a parking garage in Texas, enveloped in a fog of disbelief. Suddenly, a woman appeared seemingly out of nowhere, offering a pink and purple tie-dyed heart pillow, and the comfort of a prayer. She gave Aricca the pillow, prayed with them, and then disappeared.
Before long, Aricca was back in Kansas City, starting a new chemotherapy regimen at Research Medical Center. Around mid-April, after Easter, Dr. Hicks suggested a recovery break. During this time, Dr. Christian Hinrichs, a researcher at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), reached out to Dr. Hicks. Dr. Hinrichs, a UMKC medical school graduate who had done a surgery rotation with Dr. Hicks at Research Medical Center, had been researching cervical cancer at the NIH, and had just received approval for a clinical trial. He needed a patient. Aricca was soon off to Bethesda, Maryland.
Bottom: Matt, Mason, Miller, Michelle & Aricca
“Get another opinion. Always get another opinion. Even if you haven’t been
diagnosed, but
you’re
still having symptoms, go to another doctor. Get another opinion—it could
save your life!”
The first step was to find a surgeon willing to take the risk of harvesting T-cells —the body’s “fighter” cells—from the tumor in her lung lymph nodes near her aorta.
While she went home to rest, the NIH team grew her T-cells in a lab, cultivating over a billion cells to fight the tumor as if it were a virus. When she returned in August 2012, she first underwent seven days of chemotherapy that decimated her immune system. Then, the medical team injected her with the T-cells, which launched a powerful attack on the cancer. After 23 days, her immune system had recovered enough for her to return home.
On September 16th, new scans were taken, and Dr. Hinrichs informed her that some tumors were 50% smaller, and some were completely gone. By December 19th, 2012, there were no
signs of cancer at all. After 11 and a half years, patient number two is still cancer-free.
She was able to witness Mason capture three state 6A wrestling championships for Manhattan High and fulfill his dream of becoming a Division I college wrestler at the University of TennesseeChattanooga. She saw Marccus graduate from high school as an outstanding baseball player. She helped Matt grow Cat Cans into a powerhouse business, with both sons now heavily involved in its operations. She co-founded the Bargain Boutique in downtown Manhattan. She enjoys spending time at their vacation home in South Fork, Colorado, where they are actively building a convenience store called Basecamp. She is still an advocate for always getting a second opinion. But above all, she cherishes being “Gramma A” to baby Miller—a title she fought with her life to earn.
Aricca and Marccus comfort each other in the hospital
Nicholas Duethman, MD, Trevor Gaskill, MD, Heidi Smith, DO, Bryce Palmgren, MD, Adam Chase, MD, and James McAtee, MD
FAVIAN GOMEZ EXPANDS ROBOTICS EDUCATION OPPORTUNITIES IN MANHATTAN
Coding the Future
ARTICLE BY HEATHER HOFFMAN | PHOTOGRAPHY BY TIM SIGLE | SIGLE PHOTOGRAPHY
“When I go to college and come back, I hope this (program) is still thriving!”
Favian Gomez is on a mission to share free coding and robotics resources with the students of the Little Apple. A rising junior at Manhattan High School, Favian was inspired to first explore coding in the fifth grade when he was captivated by BattleBots, the competition television series where robots battle in an arena. Due to the lack of free, local coding education programs, Favian began teaching himself to code using Scratch, a block-based coding language created at MIT.
Now a member of the MHS “Little Cyborgs” robotics team, Favian was motivated by this lack of opportunities in his childhood to expand robotics education to local elementary schools. To pitch his idea, Favian approached several elementary schools in person. Understanding the busy schedules of school principals, he believed this approach had a higher likelihood of success than competing for attention in their already crowded email inboxes. After receiving multiple rejections, his bold approach paid off, and Bergman Elementary welcomed the new club last year.
Receiving the green light to organize the club was the first step; funding the club was the next hurdle. Favian took the initiative to send out 130 fundraising letters to area businesses, receiving eight responses. Despite three polite declines, supporters like Koehler Orthodontics, BHS Construction, and Nico’s Little Italy provided the necessary funding for LEGO robotics sets. Favian credits his father for being the backbone of the initiative, offering advice and support throughout the school recruitment and fundraising process.
The Bergman robotics club, which uses a LEGO app for its projects, enables students to build and program
their own LEGO robots. Initially, Favian planned to carefully guide each lesson, but he discovered that providing a framework and allowing the students to explore creatively yielded better results.
The club has quickly become a favorite among its attendees, which roughly represents the diversity of Bergman Elementary. Favian emphasizes the importance of gender balance, noting that about 40% of the club’s members are female. “I was hoping to get good female representation,” he says.
Favian has big hopes for the future. As the Youth Outreach Coordinator for the MHS robotics team, he aims to expand the robotics program to 4-5 local elementary schools next year. Notably, some schools have already approached him to implement the program with their 3rd to 5th graders.
The impact of the robotics club extends beyond its attendees. Favian’s friends who serve as the club mentors also benefit from the experience. By guiding the students, helping them debug their code, and witnessing their excitement as they explore, these mentors gain valuable teaching skills and a deeper understanding of robotics.
Favian has his sights set on attending MIT to become a mechanical engineer, but he remains open to many opportunities. He finds joy in bringing technical projects to life and hopes to pass leadership of the program on to one of the mentors after he goes to college. As Favian reflects on his experience in creating and leading the club, he feels proud of what he has accomplished and hopeful about the future of the program, stating, “When I go to college and come back [to visit], I hope this is still thriving.”
Now a member of the MHS “Little Cyborgs” robotics team, Favian was motivated by this lack of opportunities in his childhood to expand robotics education to local elementary schools. “
DIAPERS TO Graduation
THE MANHATTAN BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB’S NEW EARLY LEARNING CENTER
ARTICLE BY COOPER DETERS | PHOTOGRAPHY BY TIM SIGLE | SIGLE PHOTOGRAPHY
The Boys and Girls Club of Manhattan has opened their brand new Early Learning Center on Dempsey Lane. The former Hope Lutheran Church will significantly enhance the services offered by the club. The new facility spans approximately 12,000 square feet on twelve acres, accommodating up to 156 children. This state-of-the-art daycare center recently underwent over $100,000 in renovations. While the club has always supported children from ages five through graduation, CEO Hannah Coash-Frye, and Chief Development Officer Brady Armstrong have long considered expanding their services to include infants. This approach will provide parents with peace of mind through comprehensive care from “Diapers to Graduation.” “It had always kind of been in the back of our heads as an option,” Coash-Frye explains. “When the Hope Facility decided to close down, we got brought in back in February to look into it. After many discussions with our board, we decided that it was a good avenue to impact more kids and catch families even earlier in the process.”
CONTINUED >
“It’s a way to engage parents differently, offering support if they’re struggling with behaviors at home.”
Currently, the Boys & Girls Club of Manhattan serves over 1,300 youth from kindergarten through 12th grade. Focused on its mission of empowering young people to reach their full potential, the organization offers engaging before and after school programs, as well as summer activities, centered on developing students into healthy, responsible, empathetic, and productive citizens. The club’s programming is based on its three pillars of youth development: healthy lifestyles, academic success, and character development. By providing adult mentors and a nurturing environment, the Boys and Girls Club seeks to foster growth and opportunity. With the addition of the new facility, the club will be able to extend its reach even further.
Board President Emily Wehling, a parent herself, expresses her excitement: “As a parent of young children, I see the impact that childcare providers make in educating and shaping the lives of young children. I am thrilled that the Boys & Girls Club of Manhattan will be able to expand into these services and continue to positively impact the youth in our community!”
The club’s mission extends beyond just helping children; they aim to support families as a whole. The organization plans to offer additional parenting classes. Coash-Frye elaborates, “We’ll provide financial literacy classes for parents, Parenting 101, and behavior management courses. It’s a way to engage parents
- Hannah Coash-Frye
differently, offering support if they’re struggling with behaviors at home.”
Although over $200,000 is needed for security and playground improvements, the club has plans to fundraise and secure grants. These plans include events such as an adult Casino Night and the popular annual Duck Dash. Coash-Frye is particularly excited to meet with corporate and individual donors to spearhead their fundraising efforts. “I think it’ll be really important to keep our fees reasonable for the families attending out there,” Coash-Frye says. “[We’ll] continue to apply for grant funding and then look for some of those corporate and individual sponsors too, to really get on board with that project and be excited about it.”
The operating costs are significant, with an annual $1.5 million budget needed to run the new location, and $3 million required for all locations in Manhattan. “It adds up fast,” Armstrong acknowledged, “but the kids are worth it, and we want them to come into a nice, clean, safe, and comfortable environment.”
If you would like to support The Boys & Girls Club of Manhattan, volunteer, or enroll in their services, please visit bgclubmanhattan. com. To apply for a daycare spot in the Early Learning Center, visit bgclubmanhattan.com/ earlylearningcenter. You may also visit in person at 3560 Dempsey Road, Manhattan, KS, between 7am and 6pm.
MEET YOUR CO-OWNER, JEREMY MEEK
-Born in Clay Center and moved to Manhattan in 1987
-1998 MHS Graduate
-Kstate graduate with bachelor & master’s degrees
WHY SHOP AT TOP SHELF CBD?
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CANDLEWOOD SHOPPING CENTER
Whether your pup has the obedience of a dog show finalist, or social behavior that makes you want to play dead around others, you can develop more owner confidence with help from this expert trainer.
ARTICLE BY LISA MOYER | PHOTOGRAPHY BY JANIE JONES | STYLED BY ANGELA BROOCKERD
DOG
SOCIALIZING
“Socializing your dog is beneficial for both dogs and their owners,” says Taryn Tyler, a certified dog trainer. “It creates confidence for both dogs and owners and displaces the anxiety we feel when our dogs aren’t behaving like we want them to.”
Taryn stresses that teaching a dog to sit or stay is less about tricks and more about the relationship that builds between animal and owner. “We all love our dogs, but they can be stressful when they can’t seem to click in our home environments.
• Socializing is more than taking your dog in public. A guy can dump a bunch of mulch in your driveway and spread it, but he’s not a landscaper until he’s following a plan. When the doorbell rings or a visitor comes into the house, what’s our expectation for the dog? When we’re in public and the dog’s attention is diverted, what’s our plan to refocus them? Socialization is 99% working on small steps as part of a larger plan.
• Socializing isn’t about our dogs being the center of attention in public. Everyone loves seeing a dog, but our best outcome for the dog is to go unnoticed. Sitting by our side, ignoring external stimuli, remaining calm—those are things we strive for when socializing a dog.
• When socializing dogs with other dogs, start small. Take a walk with another dog to get them to just exist in the same vicinity. Once they’re able to not be excited by the other dog, work on limited playing in controlled environments.
• If someone comes into your home, let them know what boundaries you’re working on with your dog. You can even suggest asking them to carry a few treats and work on some of the behaviors your dog is already comfortable with.
AUGUST 3RD
Water Safari & Water Matters Day
Sunset Zoo, 2333 Oak St, Manhattan, KS | 12:00 PM
Sunset Zoo and the Manhattan Konza Rotary present Water Safari & Water Matters Day! Sunset Zoo will be open 9:30am - 5pm with programming between 12 pm-4:30 pm. Konza Rotary's signature event, Water Matters Day, raises and donates funds to support vital water-related projects both in Kansas and abroad.
AUGUST 10TH
Just Tri It Youth Triathlon
City Park Pool, 1220 Poyntz Avenue, Manhattan, KS | 6:00 AM
Just Tri It Youth Triathlon is a fun 3-event race with swimming, biking, and running. Created for kids ages 5-14, Just Tri It is the perfect introduction to the sport, all within the safe confines of City Park. This year, there will not be an adult race. Visit jtimhk.com for more information.
AUGUST 24TH
Flint Hills Festival of Wines
K-State Alumni Center, 1720 Anderson Ave, Manhattan, KS | 6:00 PM
The Flint Hills Festival of Wines is the largest annual fundraiser for the Good Shepherd Foundation. Enjoy dinner, wine pairings, a live auction, and access to an online silent auction from Aug 19 - Aug 25. Funds raised support Good Shepherd’s dedication to compassionate care and their vision to provide services for all, regardless of ability to pay. goodshepherdhh.org/our-events/flint-hills-festival-of-wines
AUGUST 30TH
Purple Power Play
Blue Earth Plaza, Manhattan, KS | 5:00 PM
Kick off the fall sports season with Purple Power Play 2024! Enjoy live music from the Lazy Wayne Band, food trucks, inflatables, and performances by the Pride of Wildcat Land and the Classy Cats. Meet members of K-State Nation, including cheerleaders, coaches, and players from K-State teams. The on-stage host is Tyler Jackson, publisher of Manhattan City Lifestyle.
AUGUST 31ST
All My Sons
Manhattan Arts Center (MAC), 1520 Poyntz Ave, Manhattan, KS | 7:30 AM
In Arthur Miller's "All My Sons," protagonist Joe Keller seeks to secure his legacy for his son Chris, while his wife Kate hopes for their son Larry's return from war. Directed by Dwight Tolar. Performances: Friday, August 30 - Sunday, September 1 & Friday, September 6 - Sunday, September 8.
AUGUST 31ST
K-State Football vs. University of Tennessee at Martin
Bill Snyder Family Stadium, 2201 Kimball Ave, Manhattan, KS | 6:00 PM
K-State Athletics Hall of Fame Weekend: During induction weekend in Manhattan, K-State will honor the 14th class of the K-State Athletics Hall of Fame. A special presentation celebrating the inductees will take place during halftime of the game.
Dr. David Wichman, MD
Dr. Aveekshit Tripathi, MD
Ethel Akongnui MSN, APRN,PMHNP-BC
ORGANIC SPORTS DRINK
ingredients:
• 4 cups fresh watermelon, cubed & de-seeded
• 1 cup coconut water
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup (optional)
• Pinch of sea salt
This drink is best enjoyed fresh, but can be stored in the refrigerator for up to two days.
Cut the sugar and maximize your hydration with this natural, homemade sports drink
directions:
Step 1. Blend the watermelon cubes until smooth.
Step 2. Strain the watermelon juice through a fine mesh sieve into a pitcher to remove pulp.
Step 3. Add coconut water, lime juice, and honey/ maple syrup (if using) to the watermelon juice.
Step 4. Stir in a pinch of sea salt.
Step 5. Chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour before serving.
Step 6. Pour into a glass, add ice if desired, and enjoy!
DONATIONS SUMMER DONATIONS SUMMER
While school is out for the summer of 2024, the Educator of the Month award is going to look a little different. Instead of choosing an educator to award, The Fridge will be making donations to the USD 383 FIT Closet!
The USD 383 FIT Closet & Clothing Exchange assists McKinney-Vento qualified/FIT students enrolled in the USD 383 school district by providing what they need to successfully integrate into school as well as find success in their educational journey. This assistance comes in the form of (but is not limited to) school supplies and school-appropriate clothing.
