Hutchinson Magazine Spring 2010 by Sunflower Publishing

A craftsmanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s heritage: Bontrager Harness Shop

Little-kid spaces big on style

Spring 2010

Remembering

the past,

One day at a time Spring 2010

$3.00

Storm tracker keeps his eyes on the sky

Hutchinson Volume 02 / Issue 04

Magazine

dear readers, The unforeseen joy of magazine writing is the opportunity to meet people, learn their stories and share them with readers. To spend a day with a subject and let them dictate the interview. To learn about their lives and feel as though you’ve almost lived it with them. It’s sometimes an escape, and sometimes the start of a friendship. The hardest part for a writer is putting the day into words—and a small number of words at that. This spring we may or may not have gone overboard with our profiles of interesting individuals. But in a community like Hutchinson, it can be hard not to. Artist and graphic designer Tom Hammersmith gives us a tour of his Hyde Park home and studio. Bursting with color, his floral prints make decorating natural. Northeast of Hutchinson, Mark Teter transforms what was once a hobby—his goats—into a career. At Teter Farms, the brood of goats (and their milk) have become an integral part of his popular soap business. Sports legend and entrepreneur Dick Strano takes us down memory lane. From his times of caddying on the golf course to outfitting a Western Texas Junior College team, his service has been more than recognized—it’s become legend. In a similar vein, Judge Steven Becker whittles away a day with us at Becker’s Bunkhouse. This treasure trove of Western memorabilia, peppered with a few of Becker’s stories, is enough to capture the attention of any historian or curious wanderer. Last spring, with the fauna in full bloom, we visited with Diana Beasley of Benton’s Greenhouse. After taking over her parents’ business, she managed to grow an empire of greenhouses. And it’s likely when storm clouds threaten that she has her radio tuned to KXKU’s Cliff Shank, master storm tracker. We learn of his passion to inform and protect others that spins with the tornadoes. We also tracked down one of Kansas’ harness sovereigns. David Knepp of Bontrager Harness Shop has become the proud proprietor of a family business and a treasured skill. Working on yokes and bridals, he spends his days creating a quality product for a traditional trade. Wrapping things up on a yummy note, we toured Hutchinson’s burger joints for a taste of America. From onion rings to a 3-pound burger, we made ourselves at home among the regulars and these dedicated owners (and cooks). Join us as we celebrate spring with these tales of success, sown right here in Hutchinson.

Katy Ibsen, Editor

Publisher John Montgomery Advertising Director Leslie Shea Advertising Sales Manager Darren Werth For Advertising Rates and Information

(620) 694-5700 ext. 210 sales Executives

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Hutchinson Magazine | Spring 2010

The Hutchinson News Circulation Department Elizabeth Garwood 300 W. Second | Hutchinson KS 67501 (620) 694-5700 ext. 115 | (800) 766-5730 ext. 115 egarwood@hutchnews.com

Contents

Departments

Spring 2010

hutchinson living

6 On his farm-fresh soapbox Teter Farms markets goat milk products that soothe and soften

Features

10 An artist studio, at

home The Hammersmiths’ cozy

abode inspires their creativity— and much more

14 House dance A passion for dancing inspires this historic home’s recent renovation

hutchinson business

24 Sport legend turned

entrepreneur Dick Strano

is the man for all things athletic, including new shoes

local profiles

34 A not-so-secret garden

Diana Beasley continues to cultivate her greenhouses with a personal touch

36 THE Storm Tracker

58 18

38 Western treasures await

Becker’s Bunkhouse is a hidden gem for those seeking an antique or genuine story from the good ol’ days

The burger joints

Burger dives in Hutchinson stand the test of time and taste buds

Cliff Shank dodges tornadoes while working on-air to keep Kansans safe

Harnessing a family business

Bontrager Harness Shop stands tall with its custom-made horse gear

health & fitness

40 Health Nut: Tony Ojeda This trainer helps people of all shapes and sizes move toward a healthier lifestyle at Elmdale Wellness Center

42 Getting healthy, one

Childhood design delights

Parents draw on creativity when decorating rooms for children

step at a time A new wellness program helps Reno County employees get into shape

travel ideas

46 Thumbs Up Get back to tranquil basics at Colorado’s Devil’s Thumb Ranch

family

In Every Issue On the Cover

Steven Becker and Jerry Shell pass the hours at Becker’s Bunkhouse. (Photography by Brian Lingle)

Hutchinson Magazine | Spring 2010

2 dear Reader 44 Q&A 64 best Bets

52 Unleashing the Jr. Zookeepers The Hutchinson Zoo caters

to children interested in helping care for the animals Correction

In our winter 2009 issue, Betty Hayes, member of the Hutchinson Town Club, was incorrectly identified as Julia Ehling in our opening photograph.

hutchinsonliving

On His Farm-Fresh Soapbox Teter Farms markets goat milk products that soothe and soften Story by R ichar d Shan k Photography by B r ian Li ng le

ark Teter has added new meaning to the terms “livestock producer” and “niche farmer” thanks to his herd of goats that roam the family farm southeast of Hutchinson near Haven. He was introduced to goats while growing up on a farm near Buhler. His father, a cattle producer, diversified by purchasing a goat and assigned Teter to care for it. Even as a teenager, Teter admits to

Hutchinson Magazine | Spring 2010

Teter Farms proprietor Mark Teter greets a Nubian goat early in the morning on his farm in Burrton near Haven.

Spring 2010 | Hutchinson Magazine

hutchinsonliving

being fascinated with goats, an animal somewhat uncommon to Kansas farm and livestock operations. “I find goats to be a curious and friendly animal, much like a dog,” Teter says. “They are very smart and can even learn how to open gates, but one in the herd always has to dominate.” He discovered that goats are also an efficient animal, which means that it takes less feed to raise them to maturity, a feature that all farmers with livestock operations hope to attain. With that knowledge and experience in mind, and after 16 years of employment with Gregory Inc., a Buhler sign company, Teter decided he was ready to take a leap of faith and join the ranks of local entrepreneurs. He resigned his position in 1999 to establish Teter Farms, where he raises goats. Soon, he discovered that the goat’s milk could be used to make soaps, lotions and other products so he began creating and selling those items. When making his soap, Teter mixes a combination of olive, canola and safflower oils with vegetable shortening, lye, glycerin and half a gallon of goat milk. He pours the mixture into a wooden mold with a plastic grid, similar to the old ice cube trays. After 30 days of curing, the soap is ready for packaging. In September, Teter becomes a vendor at the Kansas State Fair and markets thousands of bars of his homemade soap. He’s also become a regular at area home and craft shows, including the Wichita Women’s Show. Repeat customers are growing each year thanks to word-of-mouth advertising, and in

“The great reward to the business is producing a quality product.” – Mark Teter

Hutchinson Magazine | Spring 2010

hutchinsonliving

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT

Abby Teter helps on the farm, especially with newborns. A collection of Nubian, boer and LaMancha goats munch on hay. A baby goat learns to romp around. Bottle-feeding is a delicate process for the whole family. Teter Farms specializes in soaps made from goat milk.

2005 he developed a website once the farm became more than a hobby. Hutchinson resident Kim Easton tried Teter’s soap several years ago and admits that she is hooked on the product. “The soap has a moisturizing quality to it [that’s] lacking in other soaps,” she says. Every January, the Teter herd of 30 goats will double and sometimes even triple during the birthing season. After more new arrivals in April, there are as many as 100 goats of all ages on the farm for the start of the summer. The feeding and caring for the goats is pretty much a one-person operation, but his family is available to assist when the need arises. Teter’s wife, Barbara, and two of the couple’s four children, Zachary, 13, and Abby, 11, often help care for the goats. Barbara and the children also often work late into the night to package the goat milk products. “While he is on the road, the children and I assume responsibility for feeding the animals, and at times, I need to test my nursing skills,” Barbara says with a laugh and tells how she once oversaw the delivery of a set of goat triplets. Barbara beams with pride on the fulfillment that the venture has brought to Teter. “Mark’s goat operation started as a hobby and has advanced to the point that he even has names for all of the animals,” she says. Teter plans to continue expanding his herd and one day hopes to open the farm to agritourism so families can visit Teter Farms for what he calls a “day on the farm” to explore the operation and pet or even talk to his animals. But before that happens, Teter will be fine-tuning his next new product: goat cheese. “This business is a great challenge and I enjoy it a lot,” Teter says. “The great reward to the business is producing a quality product.” MORE INFO

Teter Farms 6615 S. Kent Road (620) 665-9922 www.teterfarms.com

Spring 2010 | Hutchinson Magazine

hutchinsonliving

An Artist Studio, at Home

The Hammersmiths’ cozy abode inspires their creativity—and much more Story by J ean et te Ste i n e rt Photography by De bor ah Walke r

ozy and charming are two words Tom and Megan Hammersmith use to describe their 1940s two-story Cape Cod-style house where they’ve lived for four years. They love the rustic location, the neighborhood activities and the fact that families are often enjoying the park across the street. “It’s sort of a Norman Rockwell feel,” says Tom. And just as Rockwell’s home in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, was inspiring, Tom, a graphic designer, finds his home in Hyde Park to be an equally creative space.

Hutchinson Magazine | Spring 2010

Spring 2010 | Hutchinson Magazine

hutchinsonliving (1)

“My home is my studio,” he says. It’s also his gallery, as 16 of Tom’s original artworks adorn the walls. The Cape Cod architecture coincides with the home’s comfortable interior, clean lines and main floor layout with a center hallway and adjacent stairs leading up to the second floor’s three bedrooms. A centrally located fireplace connects to the home’s other fireplace at the chimney. As for décor, the couple follow Tom’s art philosophy, which he describes as “a simple concept, simple design using basic principles of art, using color, shapes, just bare basics to create artwork.” Wall colors lean toward neutral shades like cream, tan or burlap. Just to the right of the hallway, the traditional living room with its oak floors and white fireplace is Megan’s favorite room. The sofa is a special piece that belonged to Megan’s grandfather. She had it reupholstered from an “old, old green” to a chocolate brown and affectionately calls it the “sleepy dust couch.” “The couch is extra long, and when you sit in it, you sit really far back. Everyone who sits in it seems to fall asleep, so [I always joke] there must be sleepy dust in the couch,” she laughs. A set of contemporary armchairs in muted greens and browns flank the fireplace. “What holds it all together is color. If colors go together, you can blend styles,” says Tom. Five of Tom’s floral prints garnish the room; among them are a splash of yellow daisies hanging by the fireplace, a burst of violet geraniums tucked in a corner near a tall chest and a close-up of white daisies above the antique sofa. The artworks’ floral hues look soft enough to be watercolor, but the medium is actually photography. Tom’s technique in Photoshop, using four or five digital filters to get the delicacy and subtlety of a painting, took almost a year to refine. He likes taking closeups of subjects to give a different perspective than what people are used to seeing. “When I exhibit on Third Thursdays downtown, I enjoy just listening to people as they look closely at my work and say to each other, ‘OK, now that’s a painting.’ But, no, it’s not,” says Tom. An art lover his whole life, Tom received a Bachelor of Arts in graphic design from Fort Hays State University. His diverse resume includes experience at Lowen Corporation in Hutchinson, Gear for Sports in Lenexa and five years at the Cosmosphere creating exhibit designs such as the Apollo Gallery. He also has taught art at Hutchinson Community College. A career change into sales for Network Management Group Inc. has been freeing. “When I worked all day with graphic design, when I came home at night I didn’t want to have anything to do with drawing or painting,” says Tom. “[Now] my mind is always going 100 miles an hour on painting, arranging and that sort.” A dark wood computer armoire serves as his creative station in the TV room, which Megan calls the bunker because it’s where they spend most of their time. It’s a cheerful room conducive to inspiration. While neutral shades cover the walls in most of the house, they decided to try something different in the bunker. Today it’s a lively tomato-soup red with white woodwork. “It took us a few days to

Hutchinson Magazine | Spring 2010

(4)

(6)

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(2)

(3)

(5)

(1) This is one of many artworks by Tom Hammersmith that graces the walls. (2) In the living room, Tom and Megan rest under another print on an antique couch. (3) A dining set with clean lines complements their traditional dining room. (4) Beautiful plants fostered by Megan serve as constant inspiration for Tom’s work. (5) Large and small, Tom’s art is peppered throughout. (6) The beautiful living room fireplace was updated by Tom when the couple worked on the family room. (7) Their Cape Cod home is near popular Hyde Park.

decide if we wanted to keep it,“ says Megan. “No one can decide what to call it.” Raised Roman shades let light in through the bay window, which serves as a great spot for Megan’s orchid, cactus, rubber and paddle plants. Megan works as director of the American Red Cross in Hutchinson, but gardening is one of her passions and she spends plenty of time outdoors in the summer. Some of her flowers, especially her roses, have been subjects for Tom’s art. Green marble-topped end tables with accent lamps in a soft pinkish-red flank the TV room’s navy blue plaid couch. Above the couch, a Hammersmith original of an orange hydrangea glows. Tom and Megan kept the formal dining room, just off the central hall across from the living room, as it was with its oak floors, rich floral striped wallpaper in shades of dusty tomato and muted olive green, floor-length drapes in olive and an angular chandelier. The dining set is special to Megan because it was their first purchase as a married couple. It took awhile to select. “I’m a bit more contemporary, he’s a bit more traditional. It sometimes takes a long time to settle on something, but when we make a decision it always seems to fit what is needed,” says Megan. Such was the case when the combo kitchen bar/dining area needed a sturdy high-top table with barstools. It took the couple six months to find the parquet-top wood table and cushioned stools now tucked into the dining nook under a Paris café poster. Tom continues his various arts but is also trying his hand at a new venture—pottery. In the basement workroom he paints, mats and dries the pottery. When water problems occurred in the basement after a 7-inch rain, the blue shag carpeting and wood paneling in the family room were replaced with subtle southwest shades of tan and brown and a granite tile fireplace built by Tom, his dad and brothers. Next to it, one of Tom’s abstract acrylics in mottled shades of brown with wisps of white evokes its name—Native Spirit. Another is a smoky abstract titled Fire in the Sky. In contrast, to the right of the comfy brown couch is a print of the tender greens and peach-tinged hues of a growing pineapple. Tom appreciates the creative atmosphere around him. “I have an understanding wife who puts up with me,” he says. And Megan appreciates life with an artist. “I enjoy that he is able to do his artwork at home,” she adds.

“I’m a bit more contemporary, he’s a bit more traditional. It sometimes takes a long time to settle on something, but when we make a decision it always seems to fit what is needed.” – Megan Hammersmith (7)

Spring 2010 | Hutchinson Magazine

hutchinsonliving

House Dance

A passion for dancing inspires this historic home’s recent renovation

Story by Amy B icke l Photography by De bor ah Walke r

t this century-old home in the Houston Whiteside Historic District, dance rules. Most wouldn’t know this upon first glance at the stately three-story, foursquare-style home on Sherman Street. Nor would this fact come to fruition when stepping through the threshold into a residence filled with artwork, books and sundry collections. Take a trip down to the basement, however, where on many an evening Jo and Brian Higgins are moving to a fox-trot or practicing a form of West Coast swing in their renovated cellar tailored around a love for dance that binds them. This, Brian says matter-of-factly, might be his favorite room—because it was through dancing that he met the love of his life. Jo was his dance teacher, he says, but adds, “I was hardly her star pupil.” While Brian was learning to waltz, their budding friendship developed into love.

Hutchinson Magazine | Spring 2010

Spring 2010 | Hutchinson Magazine

hutchinsonliving Nothing more charming

Since their marriage in June 2005, the couple have combined their lives in this unique home through their worldly treasurers—as well as dancing. “I wanted to make this his house as much as it is mine,” Jo says of the 12-room home, which has three bedrooms and three bathrooms, along with the dance area and a renovated attic space. She bought the house with her first husband in 1977. Jo and Brian considered moving and looked for similar homes across the Houston Whiteside district. None, however, had the same charm. “I like the overall character of this house,” Brian says. “I’ve always loved all the woodwork and the wood flooring.” He calls it an Arts and Crafts style home—intricate yet simplistic, typical for an upper-middle-class family living in Hutchinson at the turn of the 20th century. “It’s not as ornate, over the top as a Victorian,” Brian says. “It’s more made-by-hand, Craftsman style—more simple.”

For instance, the elaborate, dark-stained oak woodwork and flooring don’t appear on the second story. These less-public rooms are trimmed in pine that’s painted white. These original features remain, as well as windows with the diamond and cross patterns and an icebox outside the back door. The half bath adjacent to the kitchen was originally an icebox room, Jo says, noting they discovered this when the room’s pipes froze. The home has only a few closets, demonstrating how homeowners were once taxed for closet space, according to Jo. The exterior displays many of the traditional details of a foursquare home, such as narrow clapboard siding, a low-hipped roof with overhanging enclosed eaves and a large central front dormer with dormers on each side. The wide front porch spans the house. “You can’t duplicate a house like this,” Brian says. “[They] don’t have the same craftsmanship.” A home with a history

James Hettinger and his wife, Frances, purchased the home in 1908. Hettinger, a Hutchinson attorney, was one of the city’s movers and shakers. Hettinger’s end, however, showed his deep affection for his spouse. He was found at Fairlawn Cemetery at the grave of Frances, who died two weeks earlier from cancer. He fired one deadly shot behind his right ear. Ironically, Jo says, next to the house’s front door is a large “coffin window,” built so a coffin could fit through it. A Hutchinson News article states the funeral was at the Sherman Street residence. The house was eventually sold to Joseph Banz Jr. in 1929. Historic preservation

Jo and Brian Higgins enjoy their home dance studio.

THE DETAILS

The house wasn’t in bad shape when Jo and her first husband purchased it in the late 1970s. One project included peeling off five layers of wallpaper, covered by a coat of paint, in some of the rooms. Yet with limited income while raising two sons during the ’80s and ’90s, Jo worked on projects as she had time and resources. Some recent preservation projects include updating the windows with era-specific replacements. They’ve refinished hardwood, including a pine floor in a guest bedroom on the second floor. Old knob and tube electrical wiring, standard in many homes before 1950, was removed. Brett Boswell, owner of Boswell Home Improvement, did much of the work, including bigger projects like turning a fourth bedroom into a jade- and mint-hued bathroom with features like a black-and-white checked floor that accents a Jacuzzi bathtub and a walk-in shower. The most recent project was completed in the summer of 2009. Boswell turned an unused third story that had no finished flooring into a living area.

COLLECTION

CLOCK

VINTAGE

PHOTOGRAPHY

faith

COLLECTION

Brian’s shot glasses

Whimsical space clock

Antique doorknob

Jo’s father calling bingo

A display of Jo’s crosses

Green vases

Hutchinson Magazine | Spring 2010

hutchinsonliving

With new drywall and carpet, the room features space to lounge on its chocolate leather couches. The fireplace chimney, now covered with drywall, is the room’s central focus; window ledges were designed so the couple’s cat can perch and look outside. The tasks weren’t easy, Boswell says, noting a 100-year-old house settles and changes with time. “Houses give and sag, move and adjust, creek over time,” he says. “Being a remodeler, there are always challenges. No wall is ever true or floor level.” However, he adds of his work, which also included the downstairs dance room, “It is a lovely home. You don’t want to make it look brand-new. But you want to make it better as you go.” Intertwining lives

As they preserve the home, Jo and Brian also bring out the qualities they share. For instance, Jo, a librarian at Hutchinson Middle School 7, has filled the waist-high shelves lining the dining room with books. Brian, who works at Cessna, displays his heirloom crystal amid Jo’s antique glassware in the front room, which is centered on a brick fireplace. Because both have strong religious backgrounds, they display reminders of their faith, including a collection of crosses. Yet amid it all, dancing remains a strong tie. Jo teaches dance classes part time at Elmdale Recreation Center. But when the couple want to practice a step, they can go downstairs to their private studio, once just a normal basement with cinderblock walls and concrete floors. Now artwork of dancing and mirrors hang from the walls, accenting the floating hardwood floor. A surround sound system carries the music. Their love of dancing, which brought them together in the first place, now has a special place in their home.

“You can’t duplicate a house like this. [They] don’t have the same craftsmanship.” – Brian Higgins

ABOVE LEFT Jo chose a modern light fixture for the kitchen of her home in the Houston Whiteside district. ABOVE RIGHT Stainedglass windows highlight the home’s treasured quality. LEFT The mint green bathroom accentuates the home’s character. BELOW RIGHT Scamp takes a nap in the master bedroom. BELOW LEFT

Replacement windows maintain the home’s stately exterior.

Spring 2010 | Hutchinson Magazine

The

Burger Joints

Burger dives in Hutchinson stand the test of time and taste buds Story by Amy Bickel Photography by Deborah Walker

hile chowing down on a quarter-pound cheeseburger, Robin Boltz admits to driving across town to satisfy a hankering. “I’ve been craving this all day,” she says with a grin as she bellies up to a small counter at Sacks 5th Avenue. “The burgers are just awesome.” It was the food and atmosphere at this tiny gas station18

Hutchinson Magazine | Spring 2010

turned-diner—with its classic music and racing décor mixed with the aroma of beef sizzling on a grill—that attracted Boltz on her short lunch break. In a state that ranks third nationally with 6.3 million cattle on ranches and in feedyards, there might not be anything more Kansan than a burger—served up in style in iconic little dives like these.

Spring 2010 | Hutchinson Magazine

Sherry Nevius prepares a mighty burger on the grill.

Sacks 5th Avenue There is plenty of memorabilia on the walls to remind customers that Sacks 5th Avenue is housed in a former gas station. There are posters of motorcycles and old Texaco advertisements. One picture shows a collage of old Hutchinson racing photos, and a framed poster promotes Evel Knievel’s jump at the 1971 Kansas State Fair. An oil service sign that still hangs above the kitchen entry is one of the only original items left from its gas station days. There’s even a scaled-down model of a 1941 Willys car hanging from one of the windows. “I like cars and rock ’n’ roll music,” owner Mike Nevius says, motioning to photos of icons like Elvis and Jimi Hendrix. Mike and his wife, Sherry, opened Sacks 5th Avenue in 2000 with Pete Egbert. The three Hutchinson residents renovated the gas station into a colorful diner. Sacks 5th Avenue Mike Nevius says they provide a 11 a.m.-3 p.m. good atmosphere along with good Monday-Saturday food. What the restaurant has 501 W. Fifth Ave. that many fast-food places don’t is made-to-order meals, he says, something that has helped keep business hopping. “Everything’s fresh,” he says. “We don’t use microwaves or anything like that. Nothing is precooked. That’s what makes the difference in the flavor.” Besides the traditional greasy-spoon eats, customers can find healthy items on the menu, says Don Paige, who eats at the diner several times a week. Patrons don’t even have to be beefeaters. “They have a good salad,” he says. “I’m a vegetarian.”

Hutchinson Magazine | Spring 2010

left Owners Charles and Pamela Wheeler take pride in their long-standing diner.

R-B Drive In They didn’t have much money, but as newlyweds in the

TOP Richard and Irene Keeler enjoy a burger and some homemade onion rings. ABOVE right A classic carhop radio is on display at R-B Drive In.

’50s Richard and Irene Keeler would go at least once a week to R-B Drive In to eat. “They always had good hamburgers, good onion rings, and the food was pretty cheap,” says Irene. More than 45 years later, the Hutchinson couple still make a trip to the drive-in as often as they can, ordering the same fresh hamburgers and made-from-scratch onion rings. After all, there aren’t many places like R-B anymore. Mom-and-pop diners that once dotted many a town across America are nearly extinct. In Hutchinson, however, this 62-year-old business still thrives. “This was the city’s first drive-in,” says Pamela Wheeler, who runs the operation with her husband, Charles. “People come in thinking about the memories.” Her father and mother, Lawrence and Dorothy Burgess, started R-B with Wheeler’s uncle in 1948. Instead of bags, food was brought out on trays. Burgess took over the business a few R-B Drive In years later. In 1984, when he decided 10:45 a.m.-4 p.m. to retire and put the diner up for sale, Monday-Thursday and his daughter quickly stepped up. Saturday, 10:45 a.m.-5:30 p.m. “I couldn’t stand to see it leave the Friday. (Homemade onion family,” Wheeler says, noting she’s rings offered Tuesday, worked at the diner since age 7. Friday and Saturday.) The 21st century R-B still has car201 E. Avenue A hops, but customers can order from the stainless-steel counter inside and take a seat at a table. The menu includes items like burgers and pork tenderloins, as well as curly fries, breaded okra and ice cream. Many items are made from scratch, such as the hand-breaded mushrooms and homemade onion rings. Joan Kaufman, 80, and husband Vic, 85, patronize R-B most Fridays to order homemade onion rings. The diner also is a favorite with Kaufman’s brother, Jay Hanselman, who lives in South Carolina and comes home to visit once a year, she says. “The first thing he always says when he gets here is, ‘We need to go get our homemade pork tenderloin and some onion rings.’”

Spring 2010 | Hutchinson Magazine

Shad Byard, owner of Oliver’s Burgers & Bait, puts some time in at the grill.

Oliver’s Burgers & Bait It’s Oliver’s sign that catches the eye: “Burgers & Bait.”

The words are enough to get people to stop and take a picture. Those who venture inside find what seems to be a normal, small diner thick with the smell of juicy burgers and all things deep-fried. Oliver’s, however, is one-of-a-kind. Behind the diner is a bait shop, which is frequented by area anglers headed to Kanopolis Lake or Cheney Reservoir for a day of fishing. A sign near the cash register advertises the fish bait—turkey livers, frozen frogs and perch. Owner Shad Byard also sells popular T-shirts that proclaim: “If we’re not cookin’, we’re hookin’.” Byard, 38, opened Oliver’s 15 years ago and named it after his dog. He thought it sounded better than Shad’s, noting back then he had no idea he’d someday be in the bait busiOliver's ness as well. Burgers & Bait A popular type of bait he sells in the bait shop out back is coinciden11 a.m.-5 p.m. (summer, 11 tally shad sides. An avid fishera.m.-8 p.m.) Monday-Friday man, he added the shop in and 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday 1228 E. Fourth Ave. 2001 so he’d have bait for himself on those chance moments he has time to slip away from the busy restaurant to go fishing. For the hungry customer, Oliver’s offers cuisine like burgers, chili cheese dogs, onion rings, cheese balls and ice cream. On the bait shop menu for anglers are fishing necessities like minnows, goldfish, worms and artificial lures. Hutchinson residents Patrick Hall and Bud Partridge stop by Oliver’s a few times a week strictly for the food. “I come down here because of the good flavor,” Partridge says. “It’s locally owned. The food is good, and everyone here is friendly. It’s kind of like being home.”

FROM LEFT Kevin Gentry, Shad and Michelle Richardson keep the diner running smoothly.

Hutchinson Magazine | Spring 2010

BIGGEST

BURGER Sacks 5th Avenue

3 lbs

Triple Dog Dare, a 3-pound cheeseburger for $14.05. Also available are the 2-pound Double Dare and the 1-pound Dare.

—

R-B Drive In 2-pound Double Beltbuster for $10. There is also a 1-pound Beltbuster.

2 lbs

—

Oliver's Burgers & Bait The Challenge for $8.50. It is 1½ pounds of meat and ¼ pound of cheese on an 8-inch bun ($7.50 without cheese).

1¾ lbs

—

Spring 2010 | Hutchinson Magazine

hutchinsonbusinesses

PLAY BALL

Sport Legend Turned Entrepreneur

Dick Strano is the man for all things athletic, including new shoes

Story by B r ad Eve nson Photography by A aron East

utchinson’s own Sport Shack is a business built on Dick Strano’s decades of sports memories. Before he became a Main Street proprietor, he made a name for himself. It’s likely that talk of Strano, 65, transports you back to the high school gym or a trip to buy your child new soccer cleats. Maybe you just remember his legend around town as a different kind of sports star. “Growing up in western Pennsylvania, it was just a hotbed for sports. It’s been with me my entire life. We spent numerous hours on the playground. It was something we always did,” says Strano. “Whether it was shoveling snow off the basketball court, we would do anything to play.” Childhood sports

Dick Strano with a photograph of friend and sports legend Chuck Daly.

Hutchinson Magazine | Spring 2010

Like many boys, Strano fell into the swing of America’s national pastime—baseball—while growing up in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. But few kids are able to say they played with future Cy Young Award winners, as Strano can with Sparky Lyle, the 1977 recipient. “[He] was a good friend in American Legion ball, and that relationship continued as he played for the Yankees,” Strano says. “He was wild and crazy but always a fun-loving guy.” Beyond baseball, Strano enjoyed playing golf and working at the course. Strano began caddying in the fourth grade and continued each summer through high school. “Golf kept us pretty busy in the summer since we caddied six days out of the week and they let us play on Mondays when the course was closed,” he says. “So we would play 36 holes every Monday that we could.” During his

Spring 2010 | Hutchinson Magazine

hutchinsonbusinesses A view of the Sport Shack where Strano spends most of his time.

“We’re a very sports-minded family, and it continues to be that way.” – Dick Strano young career on the golf course, Strano met Chuck Daly, his future high school basketball coach who would go on to become an NBA Hall of Fame inductee. “One of the greatest stories about Coach Daly is how he went from a beginning golfer during my freshman year to winning the city championship when I caddied for him following my senior year,” he says. “And you never saw [Daly] on the golf course that first year; he spent all his time practicing. But that’s just the type of guy he was: a perfectionist.” Strano credits Daly for lessons in patience, perseverance and practice as a young basketball player. Start of a career

Upon graduating from high school, Strano and two football teammates took the advice of one of their assistant coaches and enrolled at Southwestern College in Winfield. Strano graduated in 1966 and embarked on a two-decade teaching and coaching career in Strano keeps autographed items from many sports legends who are also his friends.

Kansas that took him from Southwestern to Osborne, Arkansas City and finally Hutchinson in 1976 while serving in a combination of head and assistant coaching positions in football, basketball and golf. “I was fortunate to work with a lot of good coaches,” Strano says of the experience. While Strano has received accolades in sports and business, none are as memorable as the respect and praise that the perfectionist Daly held for him. Hutchinson eighth-grade boys basketball coach Dan Naccarato retells Strano’s proudest moment. “In an interview at a coaches clinic in Las Vegas, Daly said, ‘Isiah Thomas was the best player I ever coached, but there’s a former player of mine in the audience named Dick Strano who ran the St. Bonnie weave better than anyone I ever coached,’” Naccarato says. Coach Phil Anderson of Hutchinson High School invited Strano to attend the conference as soon as he heard Daly would be featured on the panel. “When you play for someone like Chuck Daly and Daly brags about you—and after being an Olympic coach and being an NBA coach—those stories are just absolute classic stories,” Anderson says. After the game

Transitioning his focus in sports, Strano and two business partners opened the Sport Shack in 1978 in its first location at Avenue A and Main Street. “We really felt that there was a need for an athletic supply store in Hutchinson. In the last couple of years at Hutch High, I was fortunate where they let me teach half time and came down to the store at noon and still coach for a few years too,” Strano says. While most business is fairly normal at the Sport Shack—shoes, uniforms, fan apparel and more—Strano remembers a few special orders over the years. “In 1980, Coach Nolan Richardson brought in his Western Texas Junior College national champion team to get shoes for the whole squad. We were able to get them all, and I remember him standing there calling back to the school, just trying to secure a purchase order,” Strano says. Another such order was actually not an order at all, but rather sound business planning and going the extra mile, Naccarato says. “During March Madness in 2008, Dick personally drove to Lawrence to pick up 200 University of Kansas T-shirts immediately after the Jayhawks won their Elite Eight game and qualified for the NCAA Final Four. He knew his customers would want them in the store the next morning.” Despite all the hard work and dedication to business and civic affairs through the years, Strano keeps his priorities straight. His two daughters live in Hutchinson and Lawrence, and he now has seven grandchildren. “We’re a very sports-minded family, and it continues to be that way. Now my grandkids are getting to the age where they are in events and competition,” he says. “That is an exciting thing.”

Hutchinson Magazine | Spring 2010

Spring 2010 | Hutchinson Magazine

story by edie ross

photography by brian lingle

harnessing a family business Bontrager Harness Shop stands tall with its custom-made horse gear

Hutchinson Magazine | Spring 2010

Spring 2010 | Hutchinson Magazine

David Knepp, owner of Bontrager Harness Shop, applies black dye to a harness strap.

Hutchinson Magazine | Spring 2010

“My dad-in-law and the guy before him really pushed quality.” – david knepp

David learned the beautiful craftsmanship of constructing bridles, yokes and harnesses from his father-in-law. Their eye for detail is what sets Bontrager a part.

David’s precision is evident in these harness straps.

sign on the door of Bontrager Harness Shop alerts visitors to the fact that a new owner is in charge: “New Owners David and Katie Knepp.” March will mark two solid years since David assumed ownership of the shop. But considering that the previous owner had it for a quarter century, the young Amish man is still proving that the shop’s good reputation is safe in his capable hands. “This was all new to me when I started,” David says. “A lot of what helps me is that I’m visual. If I can see something, I can reproduce it.” Inside the workshop, visitors are greeted with the scent of leather mingled with oil, David’s amiable smile and a baritone welcome. Bontrager Harness Shop is one of the few of its kind left in the western United States. Although most people have no use for its services, it’s an absolute need in Yoder and similar communities. Keeping with the practices of their religion, Amish men and women use animal-powered transportation instead of automobiles.

a tour of the shop To the right of the entrance, in one corner of the workshop, 27-year-old David displays his handiwork. Black and brown leather harnesses are laid out as the centerpiece. The harnesses are made up of four main parts: the hame, which sits at the horse’s neck and shoulders atop the collar; the back band, which goes around the animal; the breeching, which sits across the horse’s rump and back legs; and the trace, which hooks the harness to what the horse will be pulling, whether it be a buggy or a plow. Surrounding the harness display are other products for sale, including harness collars and pads, which David orders, and nylon halters and leads, which he makes himself. Left of the door is David’s working space—neatly arranged with everything in its place—that serves as a testament to his

eye for detail. A wood stove keeps the shop warm; for light, David uses natural gas lamps rather than electricity. Harnesses start as one big slab of leather that he orders from Kentucky. To make a harness, David begins by taking two measurements of the buyer’s horse: its head and girth. Using tools of the trade, he whittles the leather into shape and stitches it with a Landis No. 16 needle-and-awl sewing machine—a tool older than David himself considering that the model was discontinued in the ’60s. Typically it takes 30 to 40 hours to complete a harness. David’s main product is the harness, made for agricultural and recreational uses. He can create them for teams or individual horses in just about any size, “from miniature ponies to draft horses,” he says, smiling. All harnesses are custom-made and can be as fancy as the buyer wants. Repairs of harnesses and saddles make up about 50 percent of the business.

Spring 2010 | Hutchinson Magazine

tradition of quality

meeting a need

David bought the shop from his father-in-law, Sam Bontrager, on March 1, 2008—the 25th anniversary of Sam’s purchase of the shop from a distant relative, Harry Bontrager. “It’s been a part of this community for a long time,” David says. The shop’s longevity makes him feel even more accountable for its continued success. “My dad-in-law and the guy before him really pushed quality, and I think [my father-inlaw] still kind of looks over me and makes sure I’m doing it right,” David says. According to at least one longtime client, the quality of a Bontrager harness continues to be unparalleled in this part of the state. Winston Sommerfeld, owner of Country Boys Carriage east of Newton, has used Bontrager Harness Shop for his harness and repair needs for more than 20 years. “If you look at [David] sewing and the straightness of his seams and such, the quality really speaks for itself,” Sommerfeld says. “He’s kind of a perfectionist, I’d say, and his work shows that.”

Although David grew up with a passion for horses, he didn’t have much experience in harness-making. So he apprenticed under his father-in-law for several months before taking the reins of the business. While Sam operated the shop in a larger building on Greenfield Road in Haven, David, for now, has moved it to a singlewide trailer with a hitching post out front. The trailer sits between the Knepps’ home and a horse corral on Trail West Road north of Yoder. So far, customers have been able to find him, David says— not only locals, who like to stay and chat a while, but also those from other states. “I’d say over half of my customers come from Texas and Oklahoma,” he says. “I have some in Nebraska, but my out-of-state people are mostly from the south, where there aren’t many harness shops.” For David, the harness shop has fit well into his life. It is another way he stays connected with his community, and he knows his work fills a need. Plus, he just enjoys it. “I’ve had a love for horses my entire life,” he says. “This is just another way of being around them.”

bontrager harness shop 4311 Trail West Road, Haven 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Thursday and Friday, 8 a.m.-noon Saturday. Answering service at (620) 664-5676

Hutchinson Magazine | Spring 2010

Bob Smith plows a field with his Belgian horses outfitted in Bontrager harnesses.

“A lot of what helps me is that I’m visual. If I can see something, I can reproduce it.” – david knepp

Spring 2010 | Hutchinson Magazine

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A Not-So-Secret Garden Diana Beasley continues to cultivate her greenhouses with a personal touch story by E di e Ross Photography by A aron East

iana Benton Beasley wanders through the long aisles of her greenhouses, lingering every now and then at a plant in need of attention. Her fingers move quickly and gently over the leaves, pruning dead pieces without harming the healthy growth, and then she moves on. She feels the sun break through the translucent roof, warming her face and shoulders, and smells the wet dirt that nourishes the plants mingling with flowers that are beginning to bloom. And almost unconsciously she smiles—this is home. The conservatories that make up Benton’s Greenhouse in South Hutchinson are connected to Beasley’s childhood home. For more than 40 years, Beasley’s life has revolved around growing and selling flowers. Legacy

TOP Diana Beasley, owner of Benton’s Greenhouse, checks over her flowers. She continues to run the family business that began more than 60 years ago.

Hutchinson Magazine | Spring 2010

Beasley’s parents, Farren and Maxine Benton, began the business in 1946 when her father returned from World War II and began cultivating strawberry plants under a lean-to against their garage. The business began to gain popularity, and he added greenhouses to keep up with demand. Three decades after starting the business, the couple opened a second location in North Newton. “Those two had a major love for plants and for each other,” says Beasley. “I’ve never seen anything like it.” Beasley and her three brothers—two older, one younger— grew up helping with the family business. “We were a tightknit family,” she says. “And as kids we learned to have a strong work ethic.” Beasley started as a weed puller, a job that she seldom enjoyed. But eventually her passion for plants grew. By age 18, after working a couple of other nondescript jobs, Beasley decided she wanted to make the family business her career. Her husband, Steve, and two adult children, Nathan Miller and Michelle Stoecklein, support Beasley’s passion for the greenhouses but are not involved in the business. Beasley gained her education in flowers by working alongside her father, who passed away in 2002. “We worked really well together,” she says. “I learned everything from him. I still miss him.”

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Her 85-year-old mother, Maxine, still lives in Beasley’s childhood home and can be found helping around the family’s greenhouse, but the business is now fully under Beasley’s control. It’s run with a commitment to excellence that is driven not only by a loyalty to Beasley’s customers but also to the legacy her parents began more than 60 years ago. Dedication

Some say that running a greenhouse is more work than running a dairy. And Beasley would agree. Downtime is not often an option at Benton’s, which operates 11 greenhouses that alternate between growing and retail functions. The planting season begins in December with geraniums, her father’s favorite and a Benton’s classic. Before they are sold, they go through five cuttings, which account for their robust size. In January, perennials and annuals are planted. During the winter and early spring, seeds are nursed into shoots and then into full plants in the warm, moist greenhouse atmosphere. The care during this phase of growth is paramount. “Plants can be touchy,” Beasley says. “Like vinca—if it’s watered on a cool evening, it can die overnight. You really have to watch it. It’s a lot of work.” The initial rush of customers usually shows up the first week of April, and from then until early June the greenhouse crew works long days, pushing like mad to keep plants at the highest quality and ready for customers. “It’s crazy,” Beasley says, laughing. “It’s hard for a lot of people to understand why we put so much time into it. But when you start from a seedling and see it become what it is supposed to be, it is very satisfying.” It’s also a chance to reconnect with old friends. “Seeing the customers again is like having a reunion,” Beasley says. “I get really apprehensive at the beginning of the selling season, wondering if people will come back. They always come back. Always.” Mary Burns and her three sisters, Ruby, Ruth and June, are some of Benton’s longtime customers. “Oh my goodness, we’ve been going there for years,” Burns says. “After all, I’m 88 years old. Every year we girls go out and buy all our geraniums and ferns and hanging baskets. “We really look forward to it every year.” Teamwork

Seeing the trust her customers have in the business pushes Beasley to care about every detail. “It’s an enormous responsibility,” she says. But having an excellent crew of co-workers helps her shoulder it. Carol Rush, a customer and now seasonal employee, sees how much Beasley cares about the business. “It’s a wonderful place to work,” she says, adding that Beasley treats her co-workers with the utmost respect. Even with a fleet of dedicated employees, the greenhouse business is demanding. However, it is also a business that offers built-in stress relief. “I can have really bad days and come in here and smell the flowers and smile,” Beasley says as she stands in a greenhouse packed with plants. “Or when it’s winter and everything is dead outside, you can come in here and have color, and it smells good and you can feel the sunlight. It’s really uplifting.”

MORE INFO

Benton's Greenhouse 209 S. Valley Pride Road (620) 662-5591 www.bentonsgreenhouse.com

Spring 2010 | Hutchinson Magazine

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Storm Tracker

Cliff Shank dodges tornadoes while working on-air to keep Kansans safe story by R ichar d Shan k Photography by A aron East

Cliff Shank serves as Hutchinson’s own storm tracker. Photo illustration by Aaron East

Hutchinson Magazine | Spring 2010

he mere mention of Cliff Shank’s name in Hutchinson may invoke a wealth of stories about live broadcasts by this radio magnate, urging his listeners to take cover from a tornado bearing down on their community. Shank is quick to point out that he is a “storm tracker,” not a “storm chaser.” A storm chaser, according to Shank, practices the trade for the entertainment value, while a storm tracker is doing his part to protect people from a natural disaster. As a tracker, Shank’s fascination with radio and tornadoes started at an early age while growing up on a farm in rural Saline County. Fishing near Solomon on an otherwise clear and sunny afternoon in 1965, his mother told him and his sister that she had a bad feeling about the weather, and they returned home. Hours later, a powerful tornado wreaked havoc on area farmsteads. Then on a June morning one year later, Shank recalls how he asked his mother what would happen if a tornado were to strike the Kansas Statehouse in Topeka. The following day, June 8, 1966, a major tornado ravaged Topeka, damaging the Capitol building. As the all-too-frequent storms made their way through northcentral Kansas in those days, the Shanks would find themselves clustered around a radio listening to broadcasts over KSAL radio station. With his interest spiraling, Shank chased his first tornado in 1969. Four years later, while attending Kansas State University, he traced the path of a tornado that struck Clay Center after pounding the area near his old neighborhood near New Cambria. Arriving in Salina late in the day, Shank stopped at KSAL. After telling the station manager about his travels, he was put on the air for a live broadcast. For a senior project at K-State, he surveyed the state’s radio stations for their storm coverage methods and procedures and in the process developed a blueprint for storm tracking that he would use in his professional life. “In some cases, I learned how not to cover a tornado,” Shank says. After graduation, he would find the opportunity to pursue his passion for storm tracking at several of the state’s radio stations. In those days prior to cellular telephones, it was not uncommon for

“I learned early on that if the tornado is getting bigger, it is coming at you.” – Cliff Shank him to stop at service stations to make his reports on pay phones or even knock on residential doors to use a home phone. By 1981, Shank was general manager for radio station KXKU in Hutchinson. His first executive decision was to enroll all of his employees in tornado-spotting school. Nine years later, while driving near Haven, he would see an EF5 tornado on its way to destroying much of the town of Hesston. “It was massive and looked like a black cloud on the ground, and then I saw something falling out of the sky—a fullgrown tree that was dropping from thousands of feet in the air,” Shank says. That day, he did a live report from the front porch of a home in Buhler before taking cover. “I learned early on that if the tornado is getting bigger, it is coming at you,” he says with a laugh. Cellular telephone service was available in Hutchinson by 1991. Shank was one of the first customers in the city, just in time for what locals will remember as the Willowbrook tornado. “I had a feeling that afternoon that something was about to happen and drove to Rayl’s Hill west of the city,” he says. Soon he would find himself following and reporting on a tornado that he calls “Hutchinson’s closest call.” After destroying much of Willowbrook, the tornado lifted over the Highlands Country Club and continued through rural Reno County as Shank followed close behind. Hutchinson banker Russ Reinert, a longtime friend of Shank, nicknamed the city’s most famous storm tracker as Cliff “Go to Your Basement Now” Shank. Vicki, his wife of 35 years, has yet to ride with her spouse on one of his storm-tracking endeavors but, nonetheless, remains his strongest supporter and listens to all of his broadcasts. “I for one have never seen a tornado, but I don’t worry about Cliff in that I know that he knows what he is doing,” she says. And why does this 58-year-old continue to pursue storm tracking? “Radio broadcasters are licensed to serve the public and save lives,” he says. “It is a helpless feeling to observe a tornado hitting a home. “I am incredibly proud of my profession and how radio serves the public in times of emergency,” Shank says.

Spring 2010 | Hutchinson Magazine

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Western Treasures Await Becker’s Bunkhouse is a hidden gem for those seeking an antique or genuine story from the good ol’ days Story by Pam Lyle Photography by B r ian Li ng le

s you near the small town of Medora, an old two-story building stands tall. A large “open” sign hangs above the entry, and a metal statue of a cowboy leaning on a post with his hat tilted greets visitors. Near the front door, a buckaroo sits patiently in his well-worn hat, ABOVE Former judge Steven Becker takes a load off with Jack the dog at Becker’s boots and vest while his dog sleeps beside him. Bunkhouse. BELOW Located in the historic Ranson Hotel at Medora Junction, Here is retired judge Steven Becker, proprietor of Becker’s BunkBecker’s Bunkhouse has become a bit of a treasure chest. house, who looks into the sun, smiling and deep in thought. Those who know Becker know his characteristics: the moustache, the weathered look, the lanky walk and the methodical way his conversations take you back to the era he loves. When asked what brought him to this period in his life, Becker says, “I drove by this place, saw it was for sale, always liked the building and wanted to save it, so bought it. It’s an easy, recognizable landmark.” Becker purchased the building housing the Ranson Hotel, a gas station, a country market and a rumored Becker’s Bunkhouse one-time brothel seven years ago when his collectis open 10 a.m.ibles began to outgrow the “man cave” at his home. 4 p.m. Thursday, Friday He wanted a place to display, play with and possibly and Saturday, Becker says, sell some of his Western memorabilia. “unless something else Becker says his wife, Sarah Sweet-McKinnon, comes up.” chief public defender for Reno County, looks at the items as an “obsession” while he sees it as a “collection.” Both were anxious to find a new home for the memorabilia. As he leans back in his chair, Becker reminisces about being a child on the farm and how he loved Westerns and cowboy characters of the ’50s. Becker laughs as he says, “I got away from it for a while and tried the ‘Biff’ thing but returned quickly to playing cowboy and dressing up.” Becker grew up on a farm east of Buhler and has lived on that same farm all his life except for his college years. He attended Washburn University for his undergraduate degree and continued at Washburn Law School, graduating in 1975. He returned to Hutchinson to practice law for five and a half years before becoming a judge, and served 26 years on the bench before retiring in January 2007. Becker speaks of his judicial career as an honor.

— —

Hutchinson Magazine | Spring 2010

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Offering a tour, the slowmoving, slow-talking Becker entertains with stories about his travels to big auctions. “Being a judge was such an honorable position, and I was in awe of it,” he says. “It was as simple as that.” Starting as a judge at 33, he remembered it was extremely difficult; he had so much to learn but was encouraged by those close to him to pursue the bench. Becker relates the profession’s inherent challenge of not showing emotion and how hard that can be, but says there were rewards. “You walk out of the courtroom after a long day and a difficult case, and you know you did it right,” he says. Today, the wooden screen door of Becker’s Bunkhouse slams and Jack, the 3-year-old Australian shepherd, raises his head from his afternoon nap. A bearded gentleman enters the Bunkhouse, and Becker laughs as the gentleman snarls about a lack of coffee as he rummages through the merchandise. Becker explains that the Bunkhouse was built around 1907 as a part of the Medora Junction at the railroad crossings coming from the north, south, east and west. It was established to accommodate railroad passengers and had an upstairs lobby with six guest rooms. Through the years, with the changes in the building’s use, most owners lived upstairs. As the only original Medora Junction building remaining, Becker’s Bunkhouse is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Offering a tour, the slow-moving, slow-talking Becker entertains with stories about his travels to big auctions in Macon, Missouri, and Amarillo, Texas, to search for bargains and treasures. He still enjoys local farm sales but finds that antiques and Western memorabilia are not nearly as plentiful as in the past. Old saddles, authentic cowboy clothes, boots and hats, and the cowboy pictures are displayed throughout the building. He admits that a lot of times he finds it hard to let go of a Bunkhouse treasure because he only furnishes the inventory with items of his liking. Becker and friend Jerry Shell of Inman have started to offer another service at the Bunkhouse. The “Top Bunk” eatery occupies the upstairs of the Bunkhouse where the hotel rooms once were. Shell, who ran a restaurant in Inman for years, does most of the cooking. The rustic rooms with the wood floors and barn wood walls are set up to feed as many as 30 people for various occasions, including a recent book-signing. “We served cowboy stew, Sarah’s biscuits and brownies,” says Shell. “We had a great crowd, and the author ended up selling about MORE INFO 50 books. It was a great day for the Bunkhouse.” Becker's Bunkhouse Retirement suits Becker. “It’s great 4918 E. Main St. with a hobby like this, and the free- Medora (620) 543-6444 dom is wonderful,” he says.

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP

A view of the old hotel. Becker sells antiques like old Western wear and harnesses. As a collector, Becker often finds it hard to let go of some items. Becker’s inventory reflects his status as a self-proclaimed cowboy. Becker reviews an old photograph with customer Carl Ghere.

Spring 2010 | Hutchinson Magazine

health&fitness 3 | HEALTH NUT We continue our series of articles on “Health Nuts” from Reno County

These individuals, young and old, seek a healthier lifestyle through many forms of well-being and exercise. Our third installment focuses on Tony Ojeda, personal trainer.

Health Nut: Tony Ojeda This trainer helps people of all shapes and sizes move toward a healthier lifestyle at Elmdale Wellness Center Story by Amy Con kli ng

Members of Elmdale Wellness Center participate in a class taught by personal trainer Tony Ojeda.

Hutchinson Magazine | Spring 2010

Photography by L ar ry Caldwe ll

ears ago, Tony Ojeda began attending classes at Hutchinson Community College with hopes of pursuing a medical career. In 2003, the 53-year-old Hutchinson resident graduated from Wichita State University with a bachelor’s degree in exercise science. He didn’t become a doctor; instead, he became a man who strives to help people avoid them. “Exercising is preventative medicine,” he says. “I’m still in the medicine field in a way.” A lifelong exerciser, Ojeda now dedicates his life to helping clients have healthy, fulfilled lives through his work as a personal trainer at Elmdale Wellness Center in Hutchinson.

health&fitness Known to be a training marvel, Ojeda leads many sessions with clients such as Kathy Bowman.

“One of his strengths is his ability to provide individualized attention to members of varied abilities.” – Ted Nelson Ojeda found his love for exercise in the early ’70s. While a teen- in the field. He keeps his body in check with a weight workout four ager, he followed in the footsteps of his older brother Johnny and to five times a week, as well as martial arts and cardio sessions. learned martial arts from popular Hutchinson instructor Sam Price. He even practices what he preaches by helping his family memIn 1971, though, Johnny passed away. It was an event that shaped bers with their fitness, from leading his 98-year-old father John his life and future career. “He really inspired me,” Ojeda says. “I through simple flexibility, strength and cardio moves to teaching remember starting martial arts because he did it, and I wanted to his 6-year-old grandson, Keegan, and 9-year-old granddaughter, be like him.” Marisa, martial arts. Ojeda picked up on martial arts quickly, earning his purple belt Ojeda’s daughter and son-in-law, Raquel and Corey, and son, Joe, in goju-ryu and years later a black belt in mixed martial arts. He all live in Wichita and remain fit through exercise and sports. The competed throughout Kansas, Oklahoma and lifestyle extends to his girlfriend, Linda, who surrounding states. stays active with workouts at Elmdale. MORE INFO A decade later, as a nontraditional student He also helps Phillip Caldwell of Hutchinson at HCC, Ojeda began pursuing other forms Learn more about wellness programs at teach various forms of martial arts, including of exercise through his courses. His love for http://hutchrec.com/ecc/wellness goju-ryu, kali and kenpo. Ojeda trains alongside weightlifting quickly emerged. “I was intrigued 400 East Ave. E his students as they prepare for tournaments with the muscles and bones, so I started doing (620) 663-6170 and says it’s a great way to stay in shape. weights with my martial arts,” Ojeda says. “The But the most important element to his life, diversification of both exercises was nice. I Ojeda says, is the health of his clients—from enjoyed learning different things about the body as far as the the new martial arts student to the baby boomer who just became range of motion.” a member of Elmdale Wellness Center. His mission is to keep bodThat passion spurred him to assist fellow members at Elmdale Well- ies healthy through motion and movement, regardless of a perness Center, where he spent hours working out. When an employee son’s age. asked if he would start training people part time, he quickly agreed. “If I can help keep people off of insulin or blood pressure mediA few years later, Ojeda found himself with a full-time personal train- cine, then I’ve done a good job. It’s a lifelong journey,” Ojeda says. ing job at the center—and plenty of pleased customers. “I want to commit my talent and work on child and adult obesity, “Tony is one of the best assets of the wellness center,” says Ted especially in this community. I want to improve overall health in Nelson, Elmdale superintendent. “One of his strengths is his abil- Hutchinson.” ity to provide individualized attention to members of varied abilities. He takes the time to understand each member’s current level of abilities and limitations, and then he provides them a safe workout routine.” Ojeda teaches a handful of classes, including martial arts, weightlifting and body toning, as well as a popular high-intensity boot camp. He is the center’s go-to expert for members and finds ways to get involved with health among youth, the elderly and those who are recovering from surgery or other medical procedures. That’s where his background in martial arts plays a role, he says. “Martial arts really help kids and baby boomers alike. For the older ones, it helps with their flexibility and keeps their minds sharp,” he says. “And for the kids, it offers endurance, flexibility and mainly discipline.” Ojeda keeps his mind sharp by researching new exercise regimens and trends and plans to pursue a master’s degree

Spring 2010 | Hutchinson Magazine

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Getting Healthy, One Step At a Time A new wellness program helps Reno County employees get into shape Story by Faryle Scot t

Reno County employees walk the front steps of the courthouse for exercise during a break.

Hutchinson Magazine | Spring 2010

Photography by L ar ry Caldwe ll

onna Patton pulls her car into a spot at the far end of the parking lot. She gathers her things into her arms and begins her trek to the front door of her office. “I’m averaging more steps than when I started the program,” she says proudly. Patton, deputy county clerk, and 170 other Reno County employees have pledged to become healthier, happier people with the help of Virgin HealthMiles, a wellness program implemented in 2009. The employee health program pays people to get active by combining the simplicity of exercise and eating right with technology. Each participant creates a web-based profile and wears a pedometer that records each step taken. At any time they can connect

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Reno County Health Department employees Pam Adrian and Kathy Winger walk around the block during their break.

“A lot of people are out walking and encouraging other people to go out. When you take those breaks, you can kind of revamp your day.” – Katie Smith

the pedometer to their computer’s USB port to log their progress The Reno County wellness committee plans and executes several programs throughout the year. In 2008, it sponsored a “Crazy Fruit on their site. “Wellness is a real focus for us with all our employees,” explains Day” when unique or unusual fruits were brought in to encourage Renee Harris, human resource director for Reno County and a mem- people to eat more fruits and vegetables. The committee also periber of its wellness committee. “We’ve had fairly good participation odically rewards small prizes to employees who are caught wearing with past programs, but not great. We started their pedometer during the workday. talking about how we needed to do something “We can do inside challenges with your friends different to get more participation.” or with other Virgin HealthMiles in the commuWhen the county’s wellness committee memnity,” says Harris. They also can participate in bers received the idea of Virgin HealthMiles from challenges with other counties across the United its health insurance provider, they jumped at the States. In late 2009, members challenged Shachance to get more active through a different type wano County in Wisconsin to a healthy competition of program. “It’s something for them to check their to see who could get more people walking. Reno own progress and see where they are,” says Katie County employees fell just short of their WisconSmith, health educator for the Reno County Health sin counterparts. Department and chairperson of the wellness com- Pedometers keep track of a The wellness committee is seeing a change participant’s progress. mittee. “I think that’s been a positive thing.” among all employees. While the program is based The program is based on the concept that exeron the individuals, a community has taken shape cise and healthy eating can help reduce conditions that often boost among those participating. “A lot of people are out walking and health care costs and insurance premiums. Participants set their encouraging other people to go out,” says Smith. “When you take own goals, measure their blood pressure, weight and body fat per- those breaks, you can kind of revamp your day.” centage, and take part in challenges presented by HealthMiles and Employees are taking the stairs instead of the elevator, walking Reno County to earn rewards. the long way to their destination and spending their breaks walk“It isn’t major bucks, but it’s kind of neat to know that you’ve ing around the block. “I am now exercising more and participating reached those goals. Depending on the program you’re on, there’s in office programs,” says Garcia. between 50 and 150 bucks for reaching that level,” says Harris Whether it’s maintaining or losing weight, lowering blood pressure of incentives from the HealthMiles program. “It’s enough to get or just learning more about getting healthy, the Virgin HealthMiles people motivated.” program is helping Reno County employees become more active. Money isn’t the main reward. “I have dropped my blood pressure “People have been able to go off medication. They’ve lost weight. down 20 to 25 points,” says Frances Garcia, Reno County commis- They say their stress is less,” says Harris. “Everyone just feels sioner. “And that is quite an achievement.” better.”

Spring 2010 | Hutchinson Magazine

Q&A Photography by L ar ry Caldwe ll

Q&A with Chamber of Commerce leader

Lisa Gleason

HM: How did you come to work with the Chamber and H-Factor? lg: I was asked to be on the Chamber board three years ago, and I’m very honored by

that. I was the store manager at Dillard’s in the Hutchinson Mall. I had been employed by Dillard’s for 23 years and had been the store manager for 12. … I wanted to make sure that I could contribute in certain ways to help and make a difference to my community. It’s something that’s really important to me. Now, I have since left Dillard’s, but my focus hasn’t really left the whole arena of spending local, shopping local. That’s always been one of my passions. HM: How does H-Factor encompass all of that? lg: We really wanted it to be an awareness initiative. I wanted the focus to not just be on

isa Gleason cannot hide her love for Hutchinson. It’s a relationship that began

as she grew up in the area. Here she continues to raise a family, build successful careers and contributes to community endeavors. In many ways, she has earned the honorary title of “Miss Hutchinson.” “I’ve had lots of opportunities to move away from Hutchinson, and lots of good opportunities, but just wanted to make this my home,” says Gleason of her attraction to the area. After serving in 2009 as chair of the Hutchinson/Reno County Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, Gleason continues to put her years in Hutchinson to service. She and other Chamber members are promoting the H-Factor program—a spend-local initiative designed to keep dollars in the community. “It’s not just shopping local, it’s spending local. It’s looking at all our resources that we have in Hutchinson and Reno County,” says Gleason. “Can I get it here? Can I use it here? Can I purchase it here?” Gleason, who works as the director of guest relations at Promise Regional Medical Center, shares more about how the H-Factor is making a difference.

shopping local. Certainly that’s important, and I want us to make sure that’s a part of the focus. … Look here first, and then if you can’t find it here, go online or drive on down the road. You can buy insurance from a little green frog, so I just want to make sure that people understand that if you spend outside your community, those dollars are lost to this community. By spending in the community, it really goes back into [to the community]. Twenty-five cents of every local tax dollar pays for fire, police and emergency services. … People want great streets, parks and trails, and if you’re shopping local, then we’re going to have those sales tax revenues to go back into that. Not all of it, of course, is beneficial from sales tax revenues. If you’re doing medical or doing insurance … it does help to continue to foster community pride, creates and sustain those local jobs and wages. It just builds relationships among the community members if you’re shopping local, spending local, doing your business locally. You get to know those people. … If you’re involved in your community, putting effort into our community, you’re going to reap it also. HM: What do supporters of H-Factor hope the outcome will be? lg: Hopefully our natural outcome from all of that will be growth for our community. [We’ll]

be able to bring more resources in. I’m a firm believer that if you have or say you’re going to create healthy competition, there’s going to be more opportunities for people to try things and be entrepreneurial, and that will make for a fabulous community for everyone to live in around here. HM: How can individual businesses promote this? lg: They can run a radio spot along with their schedule if they run radio ads. … We have a

10-second tag that they can add on to their radio spot as well. They can put the H-Factor logo into their print ads or on their website. We can make a link to their website through the H-Factor website [via www.hutchchamber.com]. They can hang H-Factor posters in their area. We have window clings that they can put up. We ask everyone if they have any kind of message or reader or electronic sign to put something about H-Factor on it. If they have any mailing statements, they can also put a message about H-Factor on it. HM: What do you enjoy most about promoting the H-Factor? lg: It really just makes me feel good to see the pride that’s going on in our community

and people really trying to pull their resources together to continue to make this a great place to live.

Interview conducted, condensed and edited by Katy Ibsen.

Hutchinson Magazine | Spring 2010

Spring 2010 | Hutchinson Magazine

travelideas story by G lor ia Gale Photography courtesy of Devi l’s Th umb R anch

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Thumbs Up

Devil’s Thumb Ranch Tabernash, Colorado (800) 933-4339 www.devilsthumbranch. com

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Get back to tranquil basics at Colorado’s Devil’s Thumb Ranch

R 46

ocky Mountain resorts brim with places to kick back and put up your boots. While Aspen and Vail’s legendary reputations draw crowds and more than the lion’s share of attention, Devil’s Thumb Ranch in Tabernash also strives to transport, but far more serenely.

Hutchinson Magazine | Spring 2010

Spring 2010 | Hutchinson Magazine

travelideas 

Devil's Thumb Ranch Tabernash, Colorado

Deemed “a true slice of raw Colorado” by owners Bob and Suzanne Fanch, Devil’s Thumb Ranch offers

guests an experience that is environmentally sensitive and mindful of its historic roots. Honoring the Ute and Arapahoe tribes who named the area Devil’s Thumb, the Fanches have embraced and revitalized the 5,000-acre expanse since purchasing the spread in 1999. Capitalizing on sustainability, the environment and historic preservation, the Fanches pride themselves on maintaining an eco-friendly approach. “Devil’s Thumb Ranch is a special, magical place with lots of history,” says Suzanne. “We seek to preserve the integrity of the land and its history, while making Devil’s Thumb Ranch a welcoming, self-sustaining, year-round mountain ranch, spa and corporate retreat.” Based at the foot of the Continental Divide just two hours west of Denver, the ranch has seen its share of colorful characters, from ranchers to poets and cowboys to hardy city folk. But you’d hardly know it considering that solitude and privacy prevail. After spiraling down mighty Berthoud Pass, visitors arrive to find that Devil’s Thumb shares space with the towering Indian Peaks and meandering meadows, a perfect setting for a ranch that’s been around since the l930s. A few days on this quiet ranch provide just enough time for a stay that soothes the senses.

Hang Your Hat The ranch’s focal point are 52 guest rooms within the base

area’s main lodge built to honor the “parkitecture” style of national park lodges. Gussied up with a hexagonal stone fireplace, cascade arches and Douglas fir posts and beams, the lodge is also home to Western-style dining, a non-electric game room, a saloon and a wine cellar. Opt slightly off-center from the lodge for one of 16 ridgetop log cabins that pamper with just the right touch of rustic. Tucked into the woods, each cabin features geothermal radiant heated floors, EPA-approved wood-bu r n i n g fireplaces and individually themed décor that pays tribute to the ranch’s colorful history.

Hutchinson Magazine | Spring 2010

Giddy-up Though Devil’s Thumb gives you every reason not to leave your room, the menu of

activities entices. Year-round the ranch cajoles guests to embrace the outdoors. Tie one on and throw a line into the property’s clear, cold streams that jump with trout. Zigzag through miles of trails in the Arapaho National Forest, best seen from the saddle of a horse. Pull up your britches at Cabin Creek Stables equestrian adventures and become a cowpoke, barrel racer or rodeo star for a day. Whether the day trek is on horseback, foot or mountain bike, Devil’s Thumb will be happy to supply the grub and information. Walk with intention on the miles of trails. Both Nordic and nature walks are available. Or grab a guide and go rafting on the Colorado River. Golf, soar in a hot air balloon or try a scenic chairlift at nearby Winter Park Resort. Experience the grandeur of Rocky Mountain National Park—a must-see just 45 minutes west of the ranch. Come evening, take a dip in geothermal Rachel’s Pool or simply relax. Once you’ve lassoed in all that blue sky, indulge in Ranch Creek Spa. Encompassing 12,000 square feet, the spa boasts eight treatment rooms featuring massage, scrubs and soaks, aromatherapy and reflexology. Follow with a steam or sauna or a bit of good old retail therapy in the ranch’s mercantile. And that’s just on the first floor. Upstairs fitness classes include strength, yoga and Pilates, all enhanced by a treetop room with unparalleled views of the Continental Divide and surrounding wilderness areas.

Spring 2010 | Hutchinson Magazine

travelideas Altitude Adjustment All this fresh air rustles up quite an appetite.

Executive Chef Ken Ohlinger is committed to sustainable, indigenous and natural foods. Even the drinking water comes straight off the ranch. Jump-start the day at Hallowed Grounds Coffee Shop for a quick continental breakfast, coffee, tea or smoothie. Heck’s Tavern, named for the hexagonal stone fireplace in the main lodge, is open for three square meals daily featuring casual and contemporary American fare. Ranch House Restaurant and Saloon have built a reputation in Grand County for a rustically elegant yet romantically

Western dining experience. Complement that with a visit to John Ls’ Wine Cellar and Private Dining Room that provide cloistered dining and exceptional wine tasting for any special occasion. Once you’ve had your fill of all the activities Devil’s Thumb has to offer, the rest is easy. It’s time to relax. After all, the point of getting away is to leave the usual behind—exactly the ranch’s intent.

Hutchinson Magazine | Spring 2010

family Taylor Lipford holds a western hognose snake during her Jr. Zookeeper session at the Hutchinson Zoo. (Photo by Charlotte Poepperling)

Unleashing The Jr. Zookeepers The Hutchinson Zoo caters to children interested in helping care for the animals STory by An n e Ma x we ll

Hutchinson Magazine | Spring 2010

Photography by A aron East

family

t isn’t always easy being little. When there’s fun to be had or work to be done, pre“I wanted to develop a schoolers are typically told, “You have to wait until you’re big enough.” program that was really Charlotte Poepperling sought to change that. The Hutchinhands-on. I wanted them to son Zoo director envisioned a program where young children would not only learn more about animals and the day-to-day be able to do the things a operations at the local attraction but also actually perform those zookeeper does in a safe duties. The Jr. Zookeepers program was born in 1996 and continues today. manner.” “I wanted to develop a program that was really hands-on,” says - Charlotte Poepperling Poepperling. “I wanted them to be able to do the things a zookeeper does in a safe manner.” Sessions are offered each June and July for children ages 4 to 6. Each session runs for one week, with participants learning at the zoo for one hour on three days during that week. While participants enjoy caring for the more than 150 animals that call the zoo home, it’s business right from the start. After clocking in, the young zookeepers’ first task is a dose of reality when it comes to caring for animals. “We start with the basics of zoo keeping: manure scooping,” Poepperling says with a smile. In addition to getting in on the fun, the children also learn reasons behind the scooping: reduction of flies, improved esthetics and collection of fecal samples for parasitic testing. “They get to use the same equipment that Hutchinson our zookeepers do; it’s just smaller for them,” Zoo she says. 6 Emerson Children are divided into groups of three to Loop East allow each a lot of activity during the session, (620) 694-2693 and receive one-on-one instruction from zookeepers, staff and volunteers. While one group might learn to bottle-feed white-tailed fawns with tawny soft coats, another group could be cutting bananas and managing diets for some of the zoo’s animals. Yet another group has the opportunity to prepare and present a live animal program. They’ll handle live snakes, birds or mammals, depending on what’s available, and offer a presentation about that particular animal to their peers. “We’ve had them work with everything from an opossum to a baby beaver,” Poepperling says. The reactions of the children are almost as entertaining as the presentation. Wide eyes and cautious looks are found on some of the zookeepers-in-training when certain species are introduced, while others approach a live snake with gusto and giddy excitement. “Some of them embrace it, and some are more leery,” she says. One of the more popular activities is working with capture equipment used by zoo staff. A demonstration of nets, squeeze cages and snares is given before the young keepers are able to try their hand at the task with smaller versions of the gadgets on stuffed animals. Jr. Zookeepers has been a success, with more than 300 children participating since it began. As a result, Jr. Zookeepers II was initiated. Children ages 5 to 8 who have completed the first class are eligible for the advanced course, which expands their zookeeping ABOVE Hutchinson Zoo director Charlotte Poepperling holds knowledge with popular activities, such as firing the tranquilizer Wilma the groundhog. gun and creating an animal enrichment program.

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Hutchinson Magazine | Spring 2010

family Jr. Zookeepers, from left, Taylor Lipford, Sterling Winkler, Cassandra Lueck and Bennett Turner learn to groom and care for the miniature horse Sea Biscuit. (Photo by Ryan Witmer)

Spring 2010 | Hutchinson Magazine

family Sabrina Hinkle bottlefeeds a white-tail fawn. (Photo by Cheryl Field)

Jr. Zookeeper Bennett Turner holds a young Virginia opossum on mammal day. (Photo by Charlotte Poepperling) below

Last summer, the Survivor Program was launched for 10- to 12-year-olds. Featuring a format based off the popular television show, the youngsters spend 26 hours at the zoo and compete in individual and group challenges. Many of the participants were graduates of the Jr. Zookeepers program, including Bailey and Garrett Bartel. Their mother Shelly says the experience broadened the rural Buhler youngsters’ knowledge about animals and expanded their understanding of what it takes to care for the zoo residents. “It’s funny now because we go to the zoo and they know the animals’ names. They have a personal connection with the animals,” Shelly says. “Living in the country, my kids have always been ‘wildlife kids,’ but I don’t think they ever realized what it does take to care for them.”

“What makes it so special is that they are working with zookeepers and staff doing what the zookeepers actually do.” - Charlotte Poepperling Bailey, 12, says the zookeeping course helped her approach animals she used to avoid. “I wasn’t so sure about snakes, but now I will actually touch them,” she says, noting one of her favorite experiences of the Jr. Zookeepers course was “watching the python eat the chicken.” Garrett, 10, enjoyed firing the tranquilizer gun and relished the opportunity to hold a western bullsnake. The initial excitement created from working with animals often leads to sustained interest for the children. “What makes it so special is that they are working with zookeepers and staff doing what the zookeepers actually do,” says Poepperling. “It gives them an appreciation for wildlife that goes with them their whole life.” After watching the program come full circle in the past 14 years, Poepperling says the impact is easy to see. “The kids who did [Jr. Zookeepers] come to the zoo regularly and are more involved in the programs,” she says. “It’s been said, ‘You appreciate what you love.’ If you get personal interaction with wildlife at a young age, you are more likely to enjoy it as an adult.”

Become a Jr. ZOOKEEPER Preliminary applications for Jr. Zookeepers are taken until February 28. A lottery system is used if necessary to reduce the number of applicants.

Hutchinson Magazine | Spring 2010

Jr. Zookeeper II participant Kennedy Davis cuts twigs for the deer. (Photo by Cheryl Field) Jr. Zookeeper Abbie Bartel with a small owl. (Photo by Cheryl Field)

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1 Cost of Jr.

2 Cost of Jr.

3 For more

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Zookeepers is $40 for Friends of the Zoo members; $80 for others.

Zookeepers II is $15 for Friends of the Zoo members; $25 for others.

information, contact the Hutchinson Zoo at (620) 694-2672.

Spring 2010 | Hutchinson Magazine

childhood design delights 58

Hutchinson Magazine | Spring 2010

parents draw on creativity when decorating rooms for children Story by Amy Conkling

Photography by De bor ah Walke r

Spring 2010 | Hutchinson Magazine

Samuel Brensing goes on safari in his kid space. The murals were done by his dad Abe, with some backup from mom Margie.

TOP left and right

BOTTOM left and right

With air hockey, video games and a toy workbench, there is plenty for Blake and Brock Ellis to enjoy.

hen Margie Brensing envisioned a nursery for her son, she thought her hus-

band, Abe, would paint a simple mural on the wall. She was looking for a safari theme and knew her husband, an art teacher for the Inman school district, would want to add his special touch. She just didn’t know how much of a touch he actually wanted to add. The Brensings aren’t the only ones decking out their children’s rooms. Across Hutchinson, parents are kicking it up a notch when it comes to nurseries, bedrooms and toy rooms— spending hours planning, painting and adding the finishing flair to make their tiny tykes’ spaces extra special.

full-size safari

the effect of grass, and a lifelike tree appears to be growing out of an open corner in the room. “I knew how to draw animals like this because of my grade school art students,” Abe says. “But I did have to do some research on the tree. Once I figured out how I wanted it to look, the rest came together.” All this adorns a room that is far from big but appears so with the larger-than-life mural and an open closet that takes up a majority of the room’s fourth wall. The Brensings matched the walls inside the closet with the light green hues of the surrounding walls. Samuel’s belongings are stored in hand-me-down wooden cubicle units that were once Abe’s. He updated them with a coat of light green paint and black decoupage frogs, insects and trees that perfectly match the room’s theme. “I knew with Abe doing the work it was going to be pretty amazing,” Margie says. “But this exceeded my expectations by far.”

Abe Brensing knew from the time he learned of his

wife’s pregnancy back in 2007 that he would paint the nursery—a nursery that, after a few short weeks, was transformed into a colorful safari that covered three of the room’s four walls. “I couldn’t have a safari with small animals,” Abe says. “They had to be big.” And big they are. Abe and Margie’s 2-year-old son, Samuel, goes to sleep each night in a safari complete with a lion, crocodile, monkey, zebra, giraffe, and baby and mother elephants, all ranging from 2 to 4 feet in height. Each animal was hand-sketched and detailed by Abe, although his family helped with the basic painting of the animals. “It was like painting by numbers,” Abe says. “I told them what color to paint where, and then filled in with the shadows and details.” Shades of mint green and light lemon complement the dominant bright yellow, orange, green, blue and red of the safari characters. Darker green shades were used to create

Hutchinson Magazine | Spring 2010

total boy time Blake and Brock Ellis like their sports. And at 5 and

3 years old, they’re all boy, all the time. Parents Richie and Michele turned a small room in their basement into a fitting toy room for two young boys—all with simple coats of paint and a few hours of handiwork. It’s nothing fancy, but it’s perfect for the two boys who love NASCAR, sports, tools and racecars. The room is dark blue with a contrasting lighter blue shade above a wooden chair rail on the walls. Toys fill the room, including a plastic table saw tool set, an air hockey table, a basketball goal that drapes over a closet door and the main draw—a flat-screen television built into the wall. The television provides entertainment for the boys with video games and movies. “It’s a great room for them to play in while we lounge down here,” Michele says.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;It was like painting by numbers. I told them what color to paint where, and then filled in with the shadows and details.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x201C; abe brensing

Spring 2010 | Hutchinson Magazine

“I have two princesses who have lived in this room.” – bethany krafels

Hutchinson Magazine | Spring 2010

bright and bold

a princess and her castle

Kati Hagley’s 7-year-old daughter, Jaden, wanted

Inspiration came in the form of a handmade quilt for

bright colors when she helped her mom design her bedroom. Kati hired a professional painter to help design and paint Jaden’s bedroom, connecting bathroom and playroom. The space features mint green walls with different shades of pink polka dots in various sizes. Pottery Barn bedding with pink and green geometric shapes provides the perfect match for the circular designs across the walls. The brightness doesn’t stop in Jaden’s bedroom. The connecting bathroom explodes in bright pink. It’s a shade so bright one might need sunglasses when they step in there. “It’s definitely pink,” Kati says with a laugh. A few feet away, Jaden’s playroom features bright purples, yellows and pinks across the walls in a zigzag design for contrast. Her plush pink lounge chairs give a splash of color in the center of the room. A painted chalkboard in the corner of the room provides constant entertainment as Jaden and younger sister Layni, 2, can scribble and doodle on the wall all they want with easy cleanup.

Bethany Krafels when deciding how to decorate her daughter’s nursery. During the latter months of her pregnancy, Bethany received a quilt from her mother that featured shades of pinks with a stitched castle in the middle. “I definitely liked the princess idea,” Bethany says. And after flipping through a magazine and seeing a castletheme room, she knew it was feasible. Bethany enlisted the help of her husband, John, a former professional painter, and the pair spent several hours and late nights sponging and hand-painting light gray bricks halfway up the walls. Directly above the bricks, light green hills gently roll and cascade across the room with small castles on the peak of each hill. Cloudy blue and white paint creates a special sky effect on the room’s ceiling. “Instead of creating an actual castle or building, I thought the bricks would be neat in that we would feel like we’re inside looking out,” Bethany says. A canopy over the crib plus a chandelier in a corner above a pink plush seat provide the finishing princess touches. Unique details for each of Bethany’s daughters, Natalya, 3, and Taylin, 18 months, include a slight change from pinks to purples. “I have two princesses who have lived in this room,” Bethany says. “I had my pink princess with Natalya, and now I have my purple princess with Taylin.”

The comfy pink chair has rocked many a princess to sleep.

TOP Castles from a quilt inspired the Krafels room. ABOVE The bright, bright pink Hagley bathroom is fit for two princesses. TOP left and right Natalya Krafels enjoys the view from the nursery castle. With bright pinks and greens peering over the countryside, the room is punctuated with a chandelier and mesh canopy. BOTTOM left and right Two-year-old Layni Hagley finds plenty of inspiration in her playroom. The Hagley girls have a soft spot for pink—bright pink.

Spring 2010 | Hutchinson Magazine

bestbets

mar-may 2010

march March 1-31 | Parade of Quilts. Browse an array of hand-stitched creations

in various patterns, colors and sizes during the 10th annual Parade of Quilts in Yoder. Find them displayed at participating merchants throughout this Amish community. Participating businesses will feature quilts made by women in Yoder and other Amish and Mennonite communities across the United States. (620) 465-2777. www.yoderkansas.com

March 12-14 | Fox Winter Film Series. Take advantage of the Fox Theatre’s buy-one-get-one-free ticket deal and see The Soloist starring Jamie Foxx and Robert Downey Jr. Show starts at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday. Tickets $5. (620) 663-1981. www.hutchinsonfox.com

March 14 | The Messiah. Hutchinson Community College Choral Music teams

with the Reno Choral Society to present The Messiah at the HCC Stringer Fine Arts Center. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for children. Event begins at 3 p.m. (620) 665-3503.

March 16-20 | NJCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament.

Consisting of 26 games of the best junior college men’s basketball in the nation, the tournament runs for five days. Games are played at the Hutchinson Sports Arena. (620) 669-9846. www.njcaabbtrny.org

March 29 | Dillon Lecture Series. Hutchinson native Fred Kaplan will share

his experience as a journalist covering international relations and U.S. foreign policy. Hutchinson Community College Stringer Fine Arts Center. $5 admission at the door. (620) 665-3387.

april April 9 | Old Mill Theater. Buhler’s Old Mill Theater brings cowboy poet and singer Baxter Black to its stage. He looks at ordinary situations in a different way—with humor. For tickets, call (620) 960-6455 or visit www. theoldmilltheater.com.

April 10 | Diane Schuur at the Fox Theatre. The Fox Theatre’s Setting

the Stage Season brings American jazz singer and pianist Diane Schuur to Hutchinson. Schuur, blinded at birth, has headlined at many of the world’s prestigious music venues, including Carnegie Hall and the White House. Ticket prices start at $25. 7:30 p.m. (620) 663-1981. www.hutchinsonfox.com

April 22 | Hutchinson Symphony Concert. Works from Mendelssohn and Brahms round out the 2009-2010 Hutchinson Symphony series in “The Really Big, Really Grande Finale” at the Fox Theatre. Concert talk at 7 p.m., concert at 7:30 p.m. (620) 663-1981. www.hutchsymphony.org

April 24 | Earth Day and Arbor Day at Dillon Nature Center. Enjoy a horticulture club plant sale, tree sale and electronic equipment recycling collection. Events start at 7:30 a.m. (620) 663-7411. www.hutchrec.com/dnc

may May 1 | Downtown Cinco de Mayo Celebration. Occurring at various

downtown businesses, the annual Cinco de Mayo festivities include children’s activities, Guadalupe dancers and a custom car show. Events start at 11 a.m. (620) 663-1081.

May 8 | Hutchinson Annual Outdoor Art Fair. The 48th Outdoor Art Fair, sponsored by the Hutchinson Art Center, has downtown booths where local and regional artist display their works to the public. Free admission. Events begin at 9 a.m. (620) 663-1081. www.hrah.org

May 14-15 | Abbyville Frontier Days Rodeo & BBQ. Enjoy the annual Abbyville Rodeo starting at 8 p.m. Friday night. Come back Saturday to take in the morning parade, games and entertainment. A barbecue kicks off the Saturday evening rodeo. 100 E. Avenue F, Abbyville. (620) 727-4569.

Hutchinson Magazine | Spring 2010

Please submit event information to: hutchinsonmagazine@sunflowerpub.com (Dates and times subject to change)