Hutchinson M aga z i n e
SUMMER 2015
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HANKIES
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Men Behind
THE MOUND
Hutchinson Volume 08 / Issue 01
Magazine
dear readers Publisher John Montgomery Advertising Director Dave Gilchrist Marketing Solutions Manager Anita Stuckey For Advertising Rates and Information
(620) 694-5700 ext. 222 sales Executives
Tammy Colladay Jade Piros de Carvalho Kyle Flax Rachel Hixson Tony Mascorro Lacie Nash Kevin Rogg Tom Sullivan ad designers
DeRay Gamble Kim Hoskinson Jessica Price Patrick Sweeley Nate Weaver Photographers
Aaron East Kristen Garlow Piper Deborah Walker illustrators
Brady Scott
Contributing Writers
Full disclosure: nothing could have kept me from putting that little guy on the cover. Sure, Tank the bulldog helped us preview this issue’s “Summer Poolside Guide” pretty perfectly by reminding us we can stay cool during those dog days of summer (thanks for the pun, Tank). But I was also ready to enlist him as our paw-sitively pawsome tour guide through the Reno County Farmers’ Market as we celebrate its 30th birthday this year. (Can you imagine Tank running a tractor? Next issue’s cover.) Tank belongs to Tom and Carol Ruesch, the owners of new Hutchinson sports bar and grill Smedley’s. They take us on a tour through their beautiful historic home, complete with a maid’s quarters — and eight English bulldogs. Besides pups, this edition highlights the vibrancy that is Hutchinson during sunny summertime. Fun Valley Sports Complex becomes a hot spot for baseball fans, so we get to know the men behind the masks — umpires. Look out for our Q&A with another local sports official, Wayne Unruh, who was recently inducted into the Kansas Collegiate Officials Hall of Fame. And our beloved Ye Old Mill celebrates 100 years at this year’s Kansas State Fair — the site of nostalgia for most. Join us for story time with four Kansas riders. We hope you enjoy all the summer edition has to offer, but let’s be honest: the cover has already sold you on it.
— nadia, Editor Follow us on twitter @hutchinsonmag find us on facebook: facebook.com/HutchinsonMagazine
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Amy Bickel Amy Conkling Kathy Hanks Edie Ross Richard Shank Patsy Terrell
Production and Editorial Services for Hutchinson Magazine provided by:
Editor Nadia Imafidon Designer Jenni Leiste COPY EDITOR Lauren Beatty GENERAL MANAGER Katy Ibsen Publishing Coordinator Jenni Leiste Editorial comments (866) 655-4262 Subscriptions
$25 (tax included) for a one-year subscription to Hutchinson Magazine. For subscription information, please contact:
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
Send your comments and suggestions to hutchinsonmagazine@sunflowerpub.com
Summer 2015
contents Features 40
Farm-Fresh Faces
48
one wild ride
Vendors share their stories in honor of the Farmers’ Market’s 30th anniversary.
It’s true—everyone has a story from riding 100-year-old Ye Old Mill.
departments Lifestyle
08
The Home with Many Stories
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Summer Poolside Guide
New Hutchinson business owners find dream historic home. In case of heat emergency, we’ve got four pools for a cool escape.
Profiles
18
Hankie Hall of Fame
24
Grace for Orphans
30
hutch illustrated
32
Behind the Plate
36
From the Archives
Ann Richardson is caretaker of an unusual collection of handkerchiefs. A local ministry welcomes foster children in church and new homes. Kokopelli Dance, Kokopelli Sing Unmasking the umps of Fun Valley. At the racetrack and taking a dip in Steven’s Swimming Pond.
Travel
52
Navigating the Alamo City
San Antonio is rich with history, adventure and the finest foodie spots.
Hutch Talks
58
Jocelyn Woodson
Artist
61 Wayne Unruh
Co-founder of First Team Sports
In Every Issue: 2 dear readers
62
the end quote
64
best bets
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departments
8..................................... Lifestyle 18................................... Profiles 52.....................................travel 58............................hutch talks
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Lifestyle
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The Home with
Many Stories New Hutchinson business owners find dream historic home
Story by Amy Bickel
Photography by Deborah Walker
In Tom Ruesch’s centuryold home, he often finds himself thinking: If the walls could talk, they’d have a story to tell. The three-story structure was built for another time, when carriages would pull up to the driveway, letting their passengers off at the home’s concrete stairs. This was a time when the lady of the home wore floor-length dresses and had a maid, who had her own quarters and a private staircase. It was once home to a respected lawyer, doctor, dentist and mayor. It was also a showcase, as Hutchinson’s wealthier folks flocked to the spacious third-floor ballroom in the 1910s and 1920s for a night of dancing. “You see the children running around, and you think about the other families who have transitioned through the home,” Tom says. But it’s those details that captivated him and his wife, Carol, who were looking for a home in Hutchinson after the couple opened Smedley’s, a sports bar and grill on Main Street. The intricate woodwork, hardwood floors and large expanse made
this home perfect for the family with four children. Moreover, he says, Carol had already decided she couldn’t imagine living anywhere else after touring the home last fall. “I already knew this was it,” Carol says. “I never fell in love with a home before, or a car or anything until I saw this house.” Loving the little things As new business owners, Tom and Carol Ruesch were commuting back and forth from Wichita to renovate and operate Smedley’s, which they opened last summer. But it was becoming too much. They decided it would be easier on the family if they moved to Hutchinson and Tom could commute to his job as a pharmacist in Wichita. The couple, who married in 2011, was living in a small duplex where their children—Ashton, 16; Jake, 15; Aulora, 14; and Logan, 3—shared rooms. Their new 4,600-square-foot home on 12th Avenue has enough rooms for everyone to have their own, plus an extra guest room for visitors.
Tom and Carol Ruesch—owners of new Hutchinson bar and grill Smedley’s—moved into a century-old home that was historically the scene of many ballroom dances full of socialites who arrived in horse-drawn carriages.
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Lifestyle Passing the baton
Joyce and David Razo— he a longtime city councilman and former Hutchinson mayor—lived just across the street from the old-style home built in 1910 by former lawyer, senator and judge Charles Branine. When the home went on the market in 1991, the Razos decided they couldn’t pass it up. “It was a lifelong dream,” Joyce says. The couple refinished the hardwood floors and had to fix the heating. The ballroom had been painted black when it was once home to a teenager. Joyce resurrected it into a master bedroom. “It was in a real sad state,” she says. “The floors were horrible. We ripped out carpet.” In fact, Joyce adds, there were projects going on all the time. Luckily, having owned the home across the street at the same time, they could transport tools and furniture over time as they transitioned into the new home. “It was a labor of love,” Joyce says. When they purchased the home, their children had already moved out, but they saw this spacious home as a place their children could come to with their own children. However, it soon became too much work for the retired couple and they ended up putting it up for sale in 2014 after more than 20 years at the residence. Over the years, the Razos had put together a book chronicling the history of the home and its owners— information they gleaned from county historical books and courthouse documents. They passed it down to the Ruesches, along with old photographs of another family who once owned the house. “We loved it dearly,” Joyce says of the home.
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A pool table sits in the front entry room, a happy reminder of a game that brought married couple Tom and Carol closer together during their early days of dating.
Besides the spacious setting, it’s the little things about the home that Carol Ruesch loves. There’s a laundry shoot in the historic maid’s quarters, along with a short claw-foot bathtub, which is perfect for washing the couple’s eight English bulldogs. The centuryold glass panes in Logan’s bedroom are cut to invite natural light into the room every morning with rainbows. A screened-in front porch on the second story is great relaxing spot on a spring or summer evening. An artist and
designer, Carol says the wraparound porch is a great spot for her to do sculpture painting. “You can sit out here and enjoy the thunderstorms and not get wet,” she says. They both fell in love with the woodwork, Tom says, adding that he is a fan of the do-it-yourself show New Yankee Workshop and dabbles in woodworking. “We’ve both refurbished furniture in our past lives,” he says, adding that he wants to restore the old woodwork in the kitchen where the wood is painted. “I can’t wait to see
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Lifestyle
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2 Maid’s quarters The mentality had been, “out of sight, out of mind back then,” says Carol, noting the home includes a separate maid’s staircase, along with sliding doors to create personal space away from the kitchen and the help. Carol, however, loves the laundry shoot in the maid’s closet. “She won’t let me take it out,” Tom says. Tall concrete stairs— These stairs off the side front porch were built specifically for the horse-and-carriage days.
ceiling clouds Previous owner Joyce Razo painted a blue sky with clouds on the ceiling of the ballroom turned master bedroom. Carol Ruesch doesn’t know if she’ll keep the mural, but the couple does plan to put a master bath in a portion of the large room in the future.
a few details
1 Billiards A pool table greets guests in the front entry. The Ruesches met when Tom filled in on a pool league for Carol’s mother, who was battling cancer, Tom says. “When she passed away, they had a memorial golf tournament.” They reconnected over pool and the golf event. “It’s my one night with my husband a week,” Carol says of the hobby.
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4 English bulldogs Sure, the eight dogs that the Ruesches own didn’t come with the house, but they do demand some attention.
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what type of wood is underneath there and refinish it to its former glory.” They have plans other than the kitchen, Tom says, which includes renovating and restoring the home’s three bathrooms, along with adding a fourth bathroom to the master suite ballroom. Tom says his favorite room might be the dining room, which features built-in china cabinet and large windows. The centerpiece is a long wooden table. “It takes me back in time to a different era when families sat around the dining room table and had formal dinners,” he says. The Ruesches make sure to do just that. The family hasn’t lived there long, but it feels like a lifetime, Carol says. “I just love it,” she says. “I love the ballroom, the living room—I love the whole house.”
“I never fell in love with a home before, or a car or anything until I saw this house.” —Carol Ruesch
Tom and Carol Ruesch opened Smedley’s Tavern last summer. Tom served in the military for eight years as a Marine and decided to name the bar and grill after Smedley Butler, one of the most decorated Marines in U.S. history.
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Summer
poolside G u i d e
In c a se of he at emergenc y, we’ ve got four pool s for a cool esc ape
Story by Amy Conkling
Spl a sh i n to su m m er w i t h t h e se a r e a po o l s t h at a r e su r e to co o l yo u r fa m i ly o f f i n t h e s co rc h i n g K a n s a s su m m er . F r o m l a r g e w a t e r p a r ks w i t h a l l o f t h e a m e n i t i e s t o quiet neighborhood pools for a relaxing swim, we’ve got t h e spl a sh d ow n f o r wat er a dv en t u r e s t h i s se a so n .
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Safety First
Ultimate water works Salt City Splash, Hutchinson’s premiere water park, covers more than six acres of Carey Park with four pools, three large water slides, a diving well, lap lanes, a tiny-tot area and much more. A zero-depth entry pool is perfect for families with young children and features not only a large splash structure but also floating toys and smaller slides for children under 7 years old. A 50-meter pool includes basketball goals, lap lanes, a drop slide and a diving well with low and high dives. This main attraction for youth and adults alike includes two large twisting slides that drop into a small pool. It often attracts daycare groups and summer camps from around the region.
The Splashdown: ADDRESS: 1601 S. Plum St.
PHONE: (620) 663-6170
WEBSITE: www.saltcitysplash.com Lifeguards on duty Concessions available American Red Cross swim lessons available Offers a recreational swim team water aerobics, water jogging, lap swimming, plus several special events for youth and families throughout the summer.
American Red Cross lifeguards must take a 28-hour certification class that includes rescue skills, First Aid and CPR for the Professional Rescuer. Ted Nelson, superintendent of aquatics for Hutchinson Recreation Commission, says that his facility takes it a step further, partnering with the American Red Cross to undergo unannounced audits to test the quality of the lifeguards’ surveillance and emergency response skills. Parents, though, are the child’s best lifeguard in the facility–namely for those children 7 and younger, Nelson says. He says that constant and direct adult supervision is critical for this age group, as studies have shown over and over that serious danger can develop within seconds.
Open daily, 12:30-6:30 p.m. Admission rates: $5.25 for adults (18 and older); $4 for youth (8-17 years old); $2 for children (3-7 years old – must be with adult); 2 and under free (must be with adult); $4 for seniors (62 and older)
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Family time
Highlands Country Club offers a relaxed, family-friendly environment with a private-pool vibe. The club features a baby pool, diving board and 25 yards of open-lap swimming during the day for those looking for a killer workout. Despite being on country club property, it is open to the public to purchase family memberships to use the pool each summer.
The Splashdown: ADDRESS: 922 Crazy Horse Drive
PHONE: (620) 663-1279 (summer season)
WEBSITE: www.thehighlandsgolfclub.net
Hometown hoopla
Buhler Pool is located in the heart of the city’s park and features several extras as a hometown pool. Not only does the pool include a baby area and both high and low dives, but it also offers swim lessons each summer. The Buhler Barracudas recreational youth swim team—open to any interested young swimmer who can swim the length of the pool—also practices at this location. Adults may lap swim over the noon hour before the pool opens to the public. Water aerobic classes are also held weekly throughout the summer before or after pool hours.
The Splashdown: ADDRESS: 200 Parkside Drive Buhler
PHONE: (620) 543-6601
Lifeguards on duty Concessions available Open May 23 through mid-August | Open Tuesday through Sunday from noon to 7 p.m. Pool memberships are available for $200 (plus tax) for families
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Lifeguards on duty Concessions available Open May 23 through August | Open daily from 1-7 p.m. Admission: $2 for adults (13 and older); $1.50 for children (12 and under); baby pool is free for children (6 and under) when accompanied by adult. | Family season passes also available – call for details
Pool Pack List Ted Nelson, superintendent of aquatics for Hutchinson Recreation Commission/Salt City Splash, and Pam Neufeld, manager of the Buhler Pool, have your pool pack list covered.
Here are their top items to take for a day at the pool:
Pair of sunglasses that block UVA and UVB light Large bag with a change of dry clothes
One towel per person (extras if little ones are there)
Off the grid
Haven Pool offers a quiet escape for those wanting to get away from busier city pools. Haven features a slide and a diving board as well as a baby-pool area. Adults may enjoy water aerobics twice a week from noon-1 p.m., while youth can register for swim lessons at just $10 a session.
Comfortable sandals or flip-flops
Swim toys appropriate for the facility–call ahead, but smaller pools generally allow small toys such as diving sticks and squirt toys
Coast Guard-approved lifejacket for young swimmers who are still learning to swim in water more than chest deep. Most water professionals agree that “water wings” are not an effective flotation device and can stunt swim skills.
Wide-brimmed hat or visor
The Splashdown: ADDRESS: 110 N. Salina Avenue Haven
PHONE: (620) 465-2361
Goggles
Lifeguards on duty Concessions available Open May 23 (tentative date) through late August/early September | Open daily from 1-6 p.m. with Monday and Wednesdays expanded hours of 1-8 p.m.
Swim diapers for those not yet potty trained–most pools do not allow regular diapers when swimming because of health reasons. Frequent restroom breaks also are important for young swimmers to keep everyone at the facility healthy.
Sunscreen with SPF of 15 or above–reapply every 40 to 80 minutes, as there is no such thing as “waterproof” sunscreen despite what the label says A padlock to secure items in a locker
Admission: $2; 5 and under free Money for the concessions Summer 2015
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e i k n a e H am
F of ll a H
Ann Richardson is caretaker of an unusual collection of handkerchiefs. Story by Patsy Terrell
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Photography by Aaron East
Ann Richardson has a wide variety of signatures in her handkerchief collection, from dominant athletes to American pioneers. Autographs from left: The entire 1949 Brooklyn Dodgers team; Betty White; Dwight D. Eisenhower; and Amelia Earhart.
Each of the approximately 6,000 hankies in her possession has been autographed by celebrities— world leaders, historical figures, presidents and first ladies, men who have walked on the moon and actors and singers. Her grandmother, Cordah Hogan, started the collection in 1935 and gave it to Richardson 50 years later. Richardson has since doubled the collection. Signees include people from all walks of life, from movie star Judy Garland to India’s first female prime minister, Indira Ghandi. Some are sportsstar signatures including Babe Ruth and Jackie Robinson. One handkerchief has the signatures of the entire 1949 Brooklyn Dodgers team. “I’m just continuing the tradition,” Richardson says. Playing the game Upon a recent visit to Richardson’s home, a handkerchief autographed, “To Ann, Blake Shelton,” lay in the sun, waiting to be processed. This recent addition took six requests before the handkerchief she had sent in 2013 had finally returned with his signature. Richardson mails each celebrity a request that includes a handkerchief, making sure to date the return envelope so she knows when each was originally sent. The longest she has waited for someone to respond to an autograph inquiry was
eight years from Olympic skater Shani Davis. She sent requests in 2006 and 2010. In 2014, both of them were returned in the same envelope. Television journalist Andy Rooney took seven years. Shortly after she sent it to the man known for making commentary from a messy desk, she noticed his desk was cleaned off. A few years later she got the hankie back. She sent an inquiry to Billy Crystal 11 times before she finally heard back from him. She just wouldn’t give up. “It’s a game to me,” Richardson says. “I’m very competitive, and I like to win.” Sometimes she receives a returned handkerchief with a note saying that the person doesn’t sign anything. So many people sell autographs on eBay now that celebrities have become less willing to sign, Richardson says. Harrison Ford refuses to sign, despite Richardson’s best efforts. Down to a science Richardson sends about 500 requests a year and gets about 60 signed hankies mailed back. Authors are the easiest ones to get, she says, and athletes are some of the hardest. She researches management companies for celebrities, asks venues for help and will ask in person whenever she gets a chance. When Richardson was in Hawaii, she spotted Woody Harrelson talking to his daughters, but she
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Autograph by Babe Ruth
didn’t have a handkerchief with her. She doesn’t generally carry them because they get messed up her purse, even if she puts them in a plastic bag. On this day, a gentleman in the hotel was nice enough to go to his room and grab one for her. She approached Harrelson, waiting for him to finish his conversation before explaining her collection to him. He graciously said he’d love to sign for her. Richardson asks people to sign with Sharpies, because acid in ballpoint pen
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ink eats through the cloth over time. Her grandmother used to ask people to sign in pencil, but few people use pencils nowadays. Her grandmother also learned the hard way the consequences of starching the hankies. Silverfish ate the ones she had starched— one of which had the former Duchess of Windsor Wallis Simpson’s signature. The hankies are cataloged in alphabetical order. In a sheet protector, Richardson puts the handkerchief on one side and something about the person on the other. It may be a
newspaper or magazine article, a letter or a photograph they sent. They are separated by acid-free paper. She is fanatical about dating everything so the next caretaker will know when things were acquired. Who that caretaker will be is yet to be determined. “I signed a contract with my grandmother—paid her a dollar so it was a legal and binding contract—that it will always be passed down to family in her bloodline,” Richardson says.
More Hankie Hall-of-Famers: Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis, Jr., Dean Martin, Joey Bishop - The Rat Pack
Jonas Salk
- Developed the polio vaccine
William DeVries
- Performed the first heart transplant
Henry Heimlich
- Developed the Heimlich maneuver
Paul Tibbets
- Piloted the Enola Gay and dropped the first atomic bomb
Felix Baumgartner
– First skydiver to go faster than the speed of sound
Sandra Day O’Connor
- First female Supreme Court justice
Alf Landon
– Kansas governor defeated by Franklin Roosevelt in the 1936 presidential race
The 14th Dalai Lama
- Buddhist leader of Tibetan monks
Alex Haley
– Author of Roots: The Saga of an American Family
Maya Angelou - Poet
Carrie Chapman Catt - American Suffragette
Linda Brown-Thompson
- The plaintiff in Brown v. the Board of Education
Erin Brockovich
- Activist born and raised in Lawrence
Marcel Marceau
- World-famous French mime
Rube Goldberg
- Developed elaborate contraptions to perform simple tasks
James Earl Ray
“After the King family stated publicly that they didn’t believe James Earl Ray actually killed Martin Luther King Jr., I sent him a hanky in prison to sign. The prison didn’t allow him to receive the hanky so he made a copy of the article and signed it at the bottom and sent it back. If it is ever discovered that he wasn’t guilty, I’ll have his autograph.”
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How much for the hankies? The value of the collection is unknown. Ann Richardson’s grandmother had it insured with Lloyd’s of London for $20,000, but it would be worth far more than that today. Richardson was offered $1 million for the collection unseen, but turned it down.
“A million dollars wouldn’t give me near the pleasure doing the programs gives me,” Richardson says of the multiple presentations she gives annually. “I have no clue what they’re worth. It doesn’t matter what they’re worth. It doesn’t matter the value. I’m not selling them.”
Autograph by Oprah Winfrey
Talking hankies with Ann Richardson Hankies you still need: Tom Hanks, Garth Brooks, Jim Lovell
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The first signature your grandmother got: Opera singer Ernestine Schumann-Heink–signed July 16, 1935
A missed opportunity: I was on an elevator with Mike Tyson but didn’t have a handkerchief Hours spent: About five hours per week
Number of non-human “signatures:” Four. Toto, from Wizard of Oz; Buck, from Call of the Wild; Lassie; and ventriloquist dummy Charlie McCarthy.
Oldest hankie you own: An unsigned one from the War of 1812 Longest inscription: Ann Landers
But she is also considering gifting it to the museum in McLeansboro, Illinois, the small town where her grandmother lived and her grandfather ran the bank. The Handkerchief Lady It became more difficult to get signatures during the first couple months after the September 11 attacks in 2001. That year, Richardson sent about 500 handkerchiefs and only got three back. But it’s much easier to collect now in the Internet age, she says, than it had been for her grandmother. Cordah Hogan would send telegrams just to get an address to mail the hankie to. She wrote letters explaining what she was doing and included envelopes with postage attached for the return. A movie short was actually made about “the Handkerchief Lady” in the 1940s, and it was shown before feature films. Hogan would ask people to sign one of their own hankies and keep the one she sent as a replacement. Richardson has stopped doing that because so few people use handkerchiefs anymore. In fact, when Richardson does presentations about her collection she will ask people to donate any handkerchiefs they have that they don’t want. Some celebrities will go the extra mile. Betty White had her assistant buy a hankie with poodles on it because she’s such an animal lover. The package Richardson received back had the newly signed hankie, the hankie she had sent and a letter on Betty White’s stationery instructing her to send her original hankie to someone else. Of the thousands of signatures including those from Helen Keller, Amelia Earhart, Dr. Seuss, Edgar Bergen, Oprah Winfrey, Whoopi Goldberg and Sergeant Alvin York, Richardson’s favorite is a white handkerchief with embroidered pink flowers and a mother banner. “My grandmother’s is my most special autograph,” Richardson says. “When she died, I signed a handkerchief and they put it in her hand so I’ll always be with her and she’ll always be with me.”
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Hutchinson Magazine
grace for
Orphans A local ministry welcomes foster children in church and new homes Story by Edie Ross
Photography by Kristen Garlow Piper
Married nearly eight years, Bart and Amy Horton had long considered fostering children, with the hope of someday adopting. With three children of their own—ages 5, 3 and 1—the Hortons knew it wouldn’t be easy. In January, they welcomed a spunky 4-year-old girl into their family with the help of a local ministry. Grace for Orphans, a foster care and adoption ministry at Hutchinson’s Grace Bible Church, offered them exactly what they needed to take the plunge—training and the support from the ministry when times get tough. The Hortons, like many other area foster care families, can lean on other members of the church as an extended family for their little girl. “I am not always good at asking for help,” Amy says. “So, sometimes I do feel alone. But I know that if I even whispered, ‘Help,’ 10 people would be right here. I can’t imagine not having the church. I can’t imagine not having the option to whisper help.” A place for everyone According to St. Francis Community Services—an area organization responsible for foster care, adoption and reintegration in 76 Kansas counties—204 Reno County kids are in foster care, and about 78 have been placed outside of the community for lack of in-county foster homes. The need is great and the time for action is now, Bart says. “There is a definite contrast between the overburdened system and the under-involved church,” says Bart, who is also executive pastor of the church. “People need to know that they can fill these roles in the kids’ lives and they can be a tool for success physically, educationally and spiritually for these kids.”
With help from Grace Bible Church’s foster care ministry, the Horton family was able to welcome a 4-year-old, curly brownhaired girl into their happy home last January.
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profile The biggest initial obstacle in jump-starting the program in 2012, he continues, was debunking misconceptions about foster care programs run through a ministry. “There is a mentality that to be involved in any kind of foster care or orphan ministry means that we’re going to pull up the bus, the kids are going to unload and you are going to be expected to take two or three home,” Bart says. “And, that if you don’t, we’re going to shame you.” Grace for Orphans leadership began sharing the message that being involved in orphan care is more than fostering or adopting. “Not every one is going to foster a child in their home, but everyone is gifted to do something as it relates to caring for the fatherless,” says church member Scott Conklin.
“People need to know that they can fill these roles in the kids’ lives and they can be a tool for success physically, educationally and spiritually for these kids.” —Bart Horton A family at home and in church At a Wednesday night meal served at Grace Bible Church, Amy and the children are welcomed with smiles, hugs, hair tussles and fist bumps. Amy’s foster daughter blends right in—which didn’t happen overnight. (Editor’s note: foster child’s name can’t be released as part of program policy.) During her first visit to the church, she clenched Amy’s hand with both of hers. Her lips remained clamped tight and her eyes were wide and startled. Now she is just another Horton kid. This is her home and these are her people. “She feels secure at the church,” Amy says. “I have to tell her all the time, ‘Don’t run off without me.’ That never would have happened in the beginning. The people who know her love her like they love my own kids. I love that.” The process of bringing her into home hasn’t been without its challenges. On her first night in the house, the Hortons learned she had never slept in a bed as she sat on the floor of her room crying and pulling out clumps of her hair. They ended up making a bed on the couch and turning on the television to make her feel more comfortable. Over the next few nights, they eventually worked on getting her to sleep in a bed.
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Executive pastor of Grace Bible Church Bart Horton holds his foster daughter who has found a new home in the Horton household and in their extended church family.
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Whether it’s adjusting to a new family dynamic or understanding any of her particular needs, it’s a lot of work, Amy says. “The ‘work’ is me realizing things like, it was just her and her mom for years— together all the time,” she says. “She is going to want more one-on-one time with me than my own kids do.” Getting the night off The ministry chartered new territory for its partner St. Francis Community Services in June of last year when it suggested a hosting a “respite night” for families to take a break from the work of foster parenting. Respite nights give foster parents an evening of free entertainment, food and fellowship. Volunteer church members provide on-site care for the foster children. “When they approached us about a respite night, I didn’t even know legally if we could do that,” says John Young, St. Francis resource recruiter for foster care homes. “It took some time to get it all ironed out and make sure every one had a background check.” Now, Young says, other churches want to model what Grace for Orphans has done. “We have churches in Wichita asking, ‘How do we set this up at our church?’ ” he says. Grace for Orphans has since hosted a second respite night and is planning a third this summer. It will continue to host training classes and respite nights at the church with hopes of having 40 to 50 people within the church certified to work with foster care children—whether fostering in their own homes or supporting the families who do. Currently about 20 have been certified. “One thing Grace has really helped with is to get rid of some of the negative perceptions people have of foster care,” Young says. “By them having the respite evenings, a lot of people see that these are good kids just put in bad situations.”
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by the numbers
204
Children in out-of-home placement in Reno County today
78 Children are placed outside of county because of a lack of foster homes
Bart and Amy Horton have four children—including their foster daughter—and are expecting another child in November. They lean on other members of the church who happily offer any support they may need.
forty
six 46
Licensed foster homes in Reno County
45
Number of additional foster homes needed in Reno County
980
Children available for adoption statewide
twe nty 20 Children in Reno County available for adoption
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on ld t t e o S h Sc y m i a ra d ill W yB by n b r y tio t e ra Po ust Ill
www.bradyscott.weebly.com
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Kokopelli Dance, Kokopelli Sing Lyrics by Sharon Scott | Illustration by Brady Scott
Kokopelli came to our camp Wearing flowers of every hue, His flute tunes called butterflies And painted our sky blue, Then he spread his magic blanket And he smiled the people close, Gave us shells and turquoise bracelets, And some shining rainbow corn, And he traded for some stories He would carry down the trail with him next morn. Kokopelli came to our camp, Danced the sunshine’s golden glow, Long feathers in his hair that came From birds we did not know, Then he spread his magic blanket And he smiled the people close, Gave us charms and seeds for squashes, Pots with brightly colored glaze, And he traded for some stories He would carry down the trail for several days.
About Sharon Scott: Sharon Scott is a landscaper, tai chi instructor, photographer, model, artist and musician. On her song: “Our timeless human urge to culturally connect with one another through arts and food echoes thousands of years the kokopelli deity connected all the little places humans made their homes, and on Third Thursdays we are magically connected to that tradition.”
Kokopelli came to our camp By the yellow cottonwood, Beaded pack on his strong back Held arrowheads and food, Then he spread his magic blanket And he smiled the people close, Gave us larger seeds for sunflowers, Bright beans speckled red and white, And he traded for some stories And we called: Kokopelli dance, Kokopelli sing, Kokopelli flute make the prairie ring, Kokopelli tales fill this starry night, Kokopelli love brings the morning light.
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profile
behind the
mask the umps of Fun Valley Story by Kathy Hanks
Photography by Aaron East
Without protective masks, vest and hats, Marty Ramirez and Jeff Conaway look like normal guys hanging around the dugout. But once the teams begin playing ball, it’s obvious these masked men are nothing short of heroic. They put on protective gear and become the umpires of Fun Valley Sports Complex. Their jobs are to make crucial split-second decisions, such as whether a baseball player is safe or out on the plate.
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These guys are trained, tested and certified to call “out” or “strike,” and stick to their guns when a player, coach or fan comes to a contradicting conclusion. Baseball wouldn’t happen without these officials of the game. While it might sound like a thankless job, Ramirez and Conaway have been at it for years and love what they do. Their calls may be questioned and critiqued—by kids under the age of 10, no less— but by employing the tricks of the trade, Conaway assures, “umpiring is fun.”
Making it official By day Jeff Conaway is a sales representative for a Kansas food distributor. On evenings and weekends, he’s free to umpire. He played baseball as a kid, coached his two sons through the Hutchinson Recreation Commission and started playing slow-pitch softball in his adulthood before moving behind the plate as an umpire.
“I felt I was getting older, so instead of playing softball I decided to go to umpiring for extra income,” Conaway says. Marty Ramirez has been playing sports for as long as he can remember. He also stayed in shape by working for 34 years in a Dillon’s warehouse. Upon retiring in 2007, Ramirez started officiating games as a way to keep busy.
Both men followed the same process to become umpires. They learned the ins and outs of the umpire rule book and took the test administered by the United States Specialty Sports Association. Now, every year they pay a registration fee of $65 every year. “You can make that back in three games,” Conaway says.
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profile
Jeff Conaway, left, and Marty Ramirez, right, are the umpires of Fun Valley Sports Complex. They make the official calls during baseball games, often causing a stir in crowds of spectators.
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They also have an annual review of the rules—as these “You have to be focused on the task,” Conaway says. “You can change year-to-year to make the game safer for players have to be very attentive and listen. And you have to sell the and coaches—followed by a group test. call on the close plays.” “It’s a verbal test, so we know everyone’s answers and During baseball season these men spend all of their agree on the answers before we move on to the next question,” free time officiating at tournaments, with as many as six to Conaway says. eight games on a Saturday. This requires lots of sunscreen, For those who want to umpire in the major leagues, Gatorade and the ability to tune out shouts from the crowds. they begin officiating at the high school level, says Randy “Through the years you have to be thick-skinned,” Carter, the athletic coordinator of the Hutchinson Recreation Ramirez says. “Once they smell blood in the water then Commission. They can go on to the college level through they know they got you.” more camps and training, and work their way up to the major A bad attitude won’t serve an umpire well; neither will leagues where they can earn up to six figures. getting upset by any inevitable critiques. “It’s like going on to be a Division I athlete,” Carter says. “You don’t get yelled at every game,” Ramirez says. After 35 years umpiring, Carter says he prefers helping Though, he’ll admit, he does get yelled at about 50 percent facilitate training sessions and acting as crowd control during of the time. tournaments. When something negative happens, he and Conaway both “I really enjoy being behind the scenes working with the agree, its best not to respond. One time Ramirez heard, “Hey blue, clean your glasses,” yelled umpires on rules and mechanics,” Carter says. “Parents are the from the stands. Umpires are ones that I have to deal with in sometimes called “blue” for the tournaments because they are traditional jersey color they usually not informed about the rules wear as part of their uniform. He didn’t take the critique of the game.” personally. Meanwhile, both Conaway and Ramirez prefer umpiring girl’s fast “If you do, you have been beat,” Ramirez says. pitch games. While the games are over quicker than men’s baseball, Another time a spectator the balls do come hurling at them at shouted that he made a bad call, Ramirez once again 60 to 70 mph. That’s why Conaway wears a hockey-style face mask ignored the complaint. But on — Marty Ramirez umpire helmet for protection. the next call he turned toward The strategies that the coaches the bleachers and asked, “How use during the game are fun to did I do?” observe, Conaway says, but the biggest thrill is to watch a A voice in the crowd says, “You made the right call.” young player begin at age 10 and then watch her develop her Umpires can gain respect from coaches and fans by skills to qualify for collegiate programs. hustling out on the field, Ramirez says. This means remaining “You do make acquaintances,” Conaway says. “You know energetic and running to the bases to call “out” or “safe.” who they are throughout the years. It’s nice to see them go Umpiring a recent 10-and-under girls baseball game, through the hard work and get a college scholarship.” Conaway called a ball that the catcher didn’t agree with. Conaway recalls the young girl saying, “I think it was a strike, Turning the other cheek blue. Can I ask the other umpire?” Sometimes these guys can’t get any respect, often dealing He had to tell her “no” to move on with the game. It’s with booing or hissing in response to close calls. important to remain firm, even with little girls, Conaway says. It does take a certain personality to do the job, Conway It’s the job of the umpire to be decisive on the tough calls. says, but the most important thing about officiating is to “We have the final word,” Ramirez says. know the rules of the game.
“Through the years you have to be thickskinned. Once they smell blood in the water then they know they got you.”
Umpire salaries
Youth leagues (7to 12-yearolds):
Babe Ruth (13- to 18-yearolds):
$15 to $30 per game
$30 to $50 per game
High school leagues: $40 to $70 per game
NCAA: $150 per game
Minor league:
Major league:
about $30,000 to $40,000 a year
about $120,000 to $300,000 a year
Source: umpireschoolhg.com
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profile
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from the
Archives Text by Ashley Maready Images courtesy Reno County Historical Society and Reno County Museum
(Left) In this photo, Hutchinson race car driver Henry Ellington shows off his trophy for winning the 50-lap race at the 10th Annual National Modified Jalopy Championships. The races were held on the half-mile racetrack at the Kansas State Fairgrounds on July 31, 1966, and attended by 15,200 spectators (more than 2,000 were turned away). Henry is sitting on the right rear tire of the winning no. 76 jalopy-type race car, which was owned by Angel Construction of Hutchinson. He won $1,139.50 in prize money for the race. (Above) This cheerful summer photo shows sisters Bernice and Madge Goudy learning how to swim in Steven’s Swimming Pond in Hutchinson in 1917. This swimming complex stood at 1st Avenue and Lorraine Street (where Moose Lodge 982 stands now), and was a busy hub for summer fun during the first half of the 20th century. The Goudy sisters are dressed quite a bit differently than a modern swimmer, in full-skirted swimsuits with short sleeves, plus cloth bathing caps. Summer fashion has really changed!
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features
40................................. Farm-fresh faces 48....................................... one wild ride
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m r aF
h s e r F -
C A F S
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by A y r to
ckel i B my
a otogr h P |
S E
or ah W b e D y phy b
alker
On any given Saturday morning, the aroma of fresh-baked breads and fruit pies tangle with homegrown green beans and tomatoes, spicy sausage and kettle corn on Second Avenue and Washington Street. In fact, the Reno County Farmers’ Market is a scavenger hunt of farm-fresh food. Browse through gluten-free baked goodies and meet vendors selling honey, in-season sweet corn and farm eggs. It’s never too early to grab a cookie or sample a savory sausage, compliments of Sharon Younkin’s old family recipe. With the market turning 30 this year, we’re prepared a tasty treasure hunt, with treats to nibble on while you get to know your local vendors.
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D
D d an
Like an old-time medicine man, 80-year-old Bill Drews touts the benefits of honey. He notes that burn units have used honey as a way to heal severe burns, and because it contains pollen, it can also help those with allergies. In fact, he recommends taking a spoonful a day to keep the ailments away—or at least, every evening to fully benefit from its soothing effects. “It soothes your throat,” Drews says. “It just makes you feel better.” For half of his life, he has been a bee farmer—at one time gathering honey from more than 400 hives and marketing it to stores like Dillons. He calls it D and D Honey, or Drews and Daughters, as his six daughters helped with the business while growing up in Hutchinson. Today, Drews sells his wares at the farmers’ market every Saturday, hauling jars and jugs of alfalfa honey in his 1950s model Willys Jeep Station Wagon painted to resemble a yellow bee, with eyes, wings and a stinger. His bees collect nectar from surrounding alfalfa fields, which makes an amber honey that customers and chefs love, largely for its mild aroma and gentle flavor. “Depending on which part of the season that the bee gathers the nectar the honey ranges from light and mild to a wonderful rich aroma and larger flavor,” Drews says. He’s been at the market for about seven years, which has been one sweet deal for Drews. He can sell 50 to 60 pounds of honey any given Saturday. “The fact that I can provide honey to customers, plus being part of the market and watching it grow, I’ve really enjoyed all of it,” he says. “It gives people a better opportunity to get fresh foods and fruits and everything under the sun.”
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Polk’s
You don’t need to apply pressure to see if Earl Polk’s peaches are ripe. Unless, that is, you want to get under his green thumb. “That’s my biggest pet peeve—squeezing my peaches,” says Earl, an original vendor at the farmers’ market and one of its founders in 1985. Earl and his wife, Pam, know what they are doing. Earl has been truck farming for more than 55 years, following in the footsteps of his grandfather, Earl Stoughton, who ran Riversbanks Orchard for half a century. As a youngster, Earl began learning the ropes from his grandfather. Today, the Polks—with the help of their daughter, Sparkle Faidley—grow nearly everything. Among the produce are watermelons, tomatoes, beans, squash and radishes. And of course, the fruits of his labor: peaches and apples. Sparkle, a fifth-generation produce farmer, is following in her father’s footsteps with both the farm and the market. She serves as the market’s president. “I feel like farmers’ markets are great for any community, not only for economic development but to help out local growers, producers and crafters,” Sparkle says. “As a customer, you learn how your product was raised or cooked, what pesticides or organic material is used and, above all, make lifelong friends.” Sparkle says some of her first memories on the farm are driving the tractor to help her father plant potatoes and helping put apple cider in jugs in the fall. “What I love about helping out is the family bond we have,” Sparkle says. “Even with our different opinions, we make this family business work with lots of labor, laughter and love.” Now her children are learning the same work ethic and gardening skills she learned as a child. Earl says he had his 8-year-old granddaughter Sophia driving the tractor for him as they planted potatoes this past spring. “I’ve been doing this for 57 years and now I’m teaching my grandkids,” Earl says.
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S&Y’s It’s the customers that bring Ron Smith and Sharon Younkin to the market every Saturday. You’ll find the former Cessna Aircraft employees behind a counter, offering taste tests of German and summer sausage. “We will stand there for 10 or 15 minutes and talk to our customers, tell them how to cook it, give them our recipe book,” says Ron, who adds he was Sharon’s boss at Cessna for 16 years. “Now I tell her she is the chief executive officer and the chief financial officer,” he says with a chuckle. “I’m just the salesman.” The idea to go into business together bloomed when the friends retired from the Wichita airplane manufacturer. “We aren’t ones to sit around,” Ron says. Five years ago, Sharon told Ron about her family recipe for German sausage so they started making some together and sampling them. She and Ron each invested $250 into their fledgling business, S&Y Enterprises. Sharon’s mother is of German descent so she grew up eating and preparing these foods. The German sausage has been popular seller, Sharon says. They pride themselves in offering an extremely lean product. This year they’re expanding their menu, adding summer sausage, beef jerky and snack sticks. Ron says they entered the snack sticks in a Kansas Meat Producers Association contest in March and won reserve grand champion. “We’ve been happy with the way it has all turned out,” Sharon says. “When we started it, it was a way to keep busy and have a little fun on the side and now it has turned into something much more.”
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Only in Reno County Look out for these nontraditional finds while scouting the scene for farm-fresh foods. Rex’s Metal Art – Rex Mathias crafts unique creatures and critters using tools and metal. Sapere Aude – Denise Gerhart sells BugzGo, a natural insect repellent that doesn’t harm plants, pollinators or pets.
German
Schultz’s Buffalo Ranch – Fred Schultz provides fresh bison meat. Clinton’s Herbs – Clinton Peirce uses more than 60 local plants to craft medicines to “heal the mind, body and soul.” Double Trouble Yard Art – Twins Margie Hook and Mary James sell concrete yard mosaics while wearing tutus.
The Making of the Market For 30 years, the Reno County Farmers’ Market has been providing area residents fresh, homegrown and homemade products. The market, located at Second Avenue and Washington Street, was an idea that began in 1985 out of the need for a centralized place in Hutchinson for local vendors to sell produce and other items, says one of the market founders, Earl Polk. They started as a nonprofit and began selling their products at the First National Bank parking lot. A few years later, Reno County’s Ontjes family offered to build a market venue for the growing group, Polk says. They had seen similar setups during their travels. “It was the first permanent structure in Kansas for a farmers’ market,” Polk says. As of 2014, the market had about 60 vendors. The market operates from 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Saturdays starting on May 16 and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesdays beginning June 10. The market will run through the end of October.
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Leonard Yoder is a farmer, former banker and, perhaps, Hutchinson’s reigning king of pop. Popcorn, that is. The Yoder-area man and his wife, Marilyn, operate a successful hobby business called German Kettle Corn, along with the help of his daughter, Dedra, and son-in-law, Steve Sawatzky. After helping a friend operate a kettle corn business at the Kansas State Fair for several years, Leonard bought a used cast-iron kettle corn maker and started making his own fresh-popped corn sweetened with sugar. He’s been selling it at fair festivals and at farmers’ market for the past four years. “It’s good, and the customers are steady,” Leonard says. “I have customers who look forward to seeing me every Saturday. I have my regulars.” Kettle corn is nothing like traditional popcorn drenched in butter, Leornard says, but he fell in love with the sweet and salty flavor of kettle corn long ago and can’t imagine better festival and fair food. “I pop it right in the kettle right at the site,” Yoder says. The kettle corn concoction is handmade and packaged by the Yoder family. Microwavable packages pale in comparison, Leonard says. “You have to have the real stuff—the real kettle corn,” Leonard says. “You know, there is nothing like the real stuff.” He enjoys working with his family, including his six grandchildren. He also appreciates the many faces he comes across at the farmers’ market. “I get to meet so many people—even see friends from years ago when I used to work at a bank and even lots of friends from the state fair,” Yoder says. “The farmers’ market is a good place that offers fresh wholesome foods.”
E d n a s t h n e i r l ’ r s a M During the summer season, Esther Yoder rarely has a day off. It’s obvious from the savory fragrance that floods her kitchen Monday through Friday. She sets aside Wednesdays for making peppernuts and Fridays for pies, cinnamon rolls and anything else made with yeast. The remaining days of the week are filled with baking cookies, sweet breads, cakes, noodles, brownies and peanut clusters. This is no simple quest. The volume she and her husband, Marlin, produce shows the couple’s popularity at the farmers’ market. She bakes 30-some loaves of banana bread alone—their most popular bread—along with another 50 to 60 loaves of other sweet breads like strawberry, zucchini, pumpkin and sweet potato. And then there’s white bread, whole wheat bread, oatmeal bread and cinnamon raisin bread, along with 50 dozen cookies, pastries and sweets. “As the oldest girl growing up in a family of 15 children, yes, my mother taught me to cook and bake,” Esther says. “I really enjoy it,” the 70-year-old adds. “I would rather do this than work outside.” The Yoders live on a 30-acre farm near Partridge where Esther, Marlin and their son raise a few cattle, in addition to running the baking business. They have been selling their products at the market for the full 30 years. “One of the first board members said they needed someone to do cinnamon rolls and bread,” Esther says. “We decided to do it, and it’s been good for us. It is not a get rich quick, but it has helped us make a living.” The kitchen gets hot, but she doesn’t mind. Those who do can simply make requests, and she’ll pop homemade treats in her oven for them. “It’s always fun to pull a nice looking pie out of the oven,” Esther says. “It gives you satisfaction.”
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one Wild Ride
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It’s true— everyone has a story from riding 100-yearold Ye Old Mill Story by Richard Shank | PHOTOGRAPHY courtesy Kansas State Fair
The ever-popular Kansas State Fair ride Ye Old Mill was first described as “an opportunity for lovers to travel through gloomy caves in gleesome gladness with occasional scenery lit by light.” So it should come as no surprise that this long-standing amusement ride has been the site of first dates, first kisses and—rumor has it—marriage proposals. On Sept. 17, Ye Old Mill will mark an elusive milestone of 100 years in continuous operation, with no end in sight. It is estimated that 2.5 million fairgoers have ridden Ye Old Mill. And with a century of rides, we deliver a small sampling of a century’s worth of stories, from terrified one-timers to family-frequenting fanatics.
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TIMELINE OF EVENTS 1911-12: The first Old Mills were built in Little Rock, Arkansas, and Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. 1913: The Kansas Legislature designated Hutchinson permanent home of the “Official” Kansas State
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Fair. The Old Mill saw its origin at Riverside Park.
1915: Ye Old Mill was moved and debuted at the Kansas State Fair. A 1,000-foot-long channel of water powered by a mill wheel would take riders on a scary ride lasting no
Hutchinson HutchinsonMagazine Magazine
more than a few minutes. Someone from that era dubbed the ride “Ye Old Mill” and the name stuck and remains to this day.
1923: The ride was gaining in popularity, and fair officials renovated the walls of the
structure to be concrete with a wooden roof.
nearly identical to statistics from the 2014 fair.
1937: The original wooden boats were replaced by boats manufactured from steel. It was reported that 25,000 fairgoers rode the ride this year, a figure
1999: A third
party consulting group declared that Ye Old Mill was beyond repair and was not even a candidate for restoration.
2006: Former
Hutchinson Correctional Facility Warden Louis Bruce and 10 inmates started to work for months to bring the Old Mill back to its original appearance, saving the ride from being demolished.
Sept. 11, 2015—The
103rd annual Kansas State Fair opens, and thousands of fairgoers are expected to mark the milestone by riding Ye Old Mill.
“One of the last remaining mills…” In 1999, a consulting group surveyed the aging Kansas State Fairgrounds and decided that the Old Mill was beyond repair and wasn’t even a candidate for restoration. When word circulated of the impending demise of the Ye Old Mill, fairgoers from across the state rose up to protest and soon the State Fair Board of Directors voted to allow additional time to study other options. Fair-lover Louis Bruce was startled when he heard on the radio that Ye Old Mill was destined for a wrecking ball in 2006. Then warden of the Hutchinson Correctional Facility, Bruce arrived on the fairgrounds with 10 inmates. Together, they rolled up their sleeves alongside a construction crew who worked for months replacing concrete, ref inishing, painting and cleaning, and together brought the Old Mill back to its original appearance. Then they transported the boats back to the prison where another group of inmates refinished each one. “During my time at HCF, we tried to give back to the community,” Bruce says. “When the inmates are released from prison, they can take their families to the Kansas State Fairgrounds and point with pride to a project they helped make happen.” All went so well that Bruce returned later that year with another group of inmates who re-designed the famed Beer Garden, barely
a stone’s throw from Ye Old Mill. “It’s truly an honor for the Kansas State Fair to be home to one of the last remaining mills in the country,” says general manager of the Kansas State Fair Denny Stoecklein. “It wasn’t that many years ago that the future of the Old Mill was in doubt, but thanks to the support of our partners at the Hutchinson Correctional Facility, many future generations can continue to enjoy the nostalgia of Ye Old Mill at the Kansas State Fair.”
“It scared the dickens out of me…” As a child growing up in Beloit, Carter File fondly remembers an almost annual ritual of climbing into the car with his family for a 120mile trip down Highway 14 to the Kansas State Fair. These days, the president of Hutchinson Community College laughingly refers to the trips as “pilgrimages.” “On one of my first visits to the fair, I boarded Ye Old Mill for my one and only ride,” File says. “Soon, everything became dark and there were things that came out of the ceiling to touch me.” After purchasing a ticket and boarding the boat, a rider is greeted by a skeletal character with a spear in hand who growls and with a burst of energy grows in size from 8-feet-tall to about 13 feet. A strobe light appears out of nowhere during an otherwise dark ride. A floating ghost moves back and forth while moaning. Soon, a dragon appears, as
if it were to devour those on the ride and turns its head towards the boat while breathing smoke. After making its way past a few other creatures, the boat arrives at the in front of an evil clown that shoots water from its nose toward the boat, followed by maniacal laughing. “Let’s just say it scared the dickens out of me,” File says. As a result of that experience about 50 years ago, File has yet to return for an encore ride. But that could change in honor of the anniversary. “This fall, I just might take another ride on Ye Old Mill to see how the ride will be the second time around,” File says.
anniversary at the Beer Garden on the Kansas State Fairgrounds. As the event went on, everyone was invited to take a ride on Ye Old Mill. On that evening, the entire Gottschalk family was on board at Ye Old Mill for a nostalgic ride together. “Since 1974, when my dad became the assistant manager and then general manager soon thereafter, the Kansas State Fair has been filled with so many wonderful memories for our whole family,” Reimer says. “After nearly 40 years riding, Ye Old Mill is a must and a small trip back in time.”
“A nostalgic ride…”
Ha rla nd P r idd le remembers visiting the state fair in the late 1930s with his two sisters. Ye Old Mill was a must-stop on that September day when they waited in a long line before finally boarding for the first time. “I was very young and it was very exciting to ride one of the fair’s top rides,” Priddle recalls. “As the ride started, we wondered when those scary things would drop down in our face.” This depression-era ride was the first of many for Priddle, as he remembers the thrill of taking more than one date for a ride on those haunting boats. With a hearty laugh, Priddle shares that the darkness created an opportunity for young people on dates to discreetly move closer together. He adds, “It was both a scary and a romantic ride where we could hold hands and not be seen.”
As a junior high student in 1978, Maribeth Gottschalk Reimer rode the Old Mill as many as three or four times each year. Now it’s a family tradition. By the time each of her four children turned 2, the Reimer children had experienced Ye Old Mill. Reimer’s father, Bob Gottschalk, former general manager of the Kansas State Fair, would often accompany them on this adventure. “Ye Old Mill is a nostalgic ride that is historic and has gone through some recent upgrades over the past several years, but they still try to maintain that ‘scare factor,’” Reimer says. All of her children remember being scared on it at one point or another. In 2006, the Gottschalks held their 50th wedding
“A scary and romantic ride …”
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Navigating
the Alamo City San Antonio is rich with history, adventure and the finest foodie spots Story by Richard Shank Photography courtesy San Antonio Visitors Bureau
On a 1925 visit, humorist Will Rogers dubbed San Antonio the nation’s most unique city. Nine decades following Rogers’ pronouncement, this bustling and thriving metropolitan area is all that and more. The dining, recreational and entertainment options are endless so let’s take a fast-paced trip around the city and cover as much territory as is possible in a short stay.
The River Walk, or Paseo del Rio, is 15 miles of museums, the King William Historic District, 300-yearold Spanish missions, hotels, shops and restaurants.
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travel
Summer Lovin’ Fiesta Noche del Rio is an outdoor performance held each May on the River Walk featuring songs and dances from Mexico, Spain, Argentina and Texas—an annual event that has raised millions for local children’s charities. The event was established 58 years ago and to date has attracted millions of visitors from around the globe. For a cool summer outing, tourists may want to stop at Splashdown San Antonio, a 20-acre waterpark for family fun, just three minutes north of the downtown area. In July, visitors can take in music at the Balcones Heights Jazz Festival on Friday evenings at the Amphitheater at Wonderland of the Americas. Jazz fans have been known to bring blankets to the scene of the festival in the early morning to claim their spots on the lawn for a night under the stars. Vendors sell food and beverages out of booths all day. At Sea World, located in the northeast section of the city, visitors can come face to face with alligators, penguins and dolphins. Then experience funfilled rides at the 200-acre Six Flags Fiesta Texas. For spontaneous summer fun, be on the lookout for musicians and troubadours performing on street corners or in parks.
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The Alamo (pictured left) now serves as inspiration for liberty since the Texas Revolution. For 13 days in 1836, close to 200 Texas defenders held the Alamo from more than 1,000 of General Santa Anna’s troops from Mexico. Just steps from the Alamo, the River Walk (pictured top and bottom right) is the perfect site to get to know the heart of the city by riding a river cruiser, renting a bicycle or traveling by foot.
Remember the Alamo Spanish settlers arrived in San Antonio the 17th century and set about constructing five missions, located three miles apart and surrounded by six-acre compounds. All remain fully operational to this day as houses of worship, excluding the Alamo, which saw its final destiny as a military outpost. The Alamo is preserved much as it was on that fateful day in 1836 when Mexican soldiers attacked the installation, resulting in a loss of life totaling more than 800. History buffs should stay at the Menger Hotel—barely a stone’s throw from the Alamo. This is the spot where Teddy Roosevelt organized the Rough Riders in anticipation of the Spanish-American War. It is restored to its original appearance including brass spittoons, and its Colonial Room Restaurant has welcomed U.S. Presidents Ulysses S. Grant and William McKinley, in addition to Robert E. Lee, Gen. George Patton and Oscar Wilde. Try its famous mango ice cream, served at both of President Bill Clinton’s inaugurations. Take a walk No visit to San Antonio is complete without a tour of the River Walk, or Paseo del Rio—a 5-mile stretch of walkways 20 feet below street level in the city’s downtown area. Seventy-five varieties of trees beautify the River Walk. Millions of tourists descend a set of stairs and walk down cobblestone streets each year or take a boat ride under 25 arched stone bridges. Pass open-air venue Arneson River Theatre—scene of live drama and music performances—and hear the local sounds of folklorico and flamenco music during the summer. Historic preservations, hot shopping spots and tons of cuisine await tourists. Colorful umbrellas shade riverside tables where visitors can find classic Tex-Mex, barbecue, traditional Italian and contemporary Southwestern fare in the cafés, restaurants and bistros.
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At a panadería, or bakery, sample a variety of traditional Mexican pastries such as turnovers filled with sweet potato, pineapple biscuits, sugar-topped croissants and cookies of all varieties.
Local eats Although San Antonio has no short supply of chain restaurants, one is never far from a homegrown dining option.
Texas BBQ The Granary ‘Cue and Brew opened its doors in 2012 and offers a wide assortment of slow-smoked beef brisket with housemade pastrami. And if you want to get a little adventurous, order deep fried grits sprinkled with ham salt. The owners claim to have brought the recipe across the ocean from an eatery in Italy. 602 Avenue A Historical hub and pub The Esquire Tavern has earned a reputation of resembling a hipster Brooklyn bar, with swanky craft cocktails and an Old West feel. Opened in 1933 to celebrate the end of Prohibition, it’s a popular watering hole for lunch, dinner or late-night libations. The kitchen also churns out deviled eggs
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peppered with flowery pink peppercorns, along with fried fish and shrimp. 155 E. Commerce St. South of the border Open 24 hours, Mi Tierra Café Y Panaderia offers Tex-Mex combination plates complete with homemade tortillas, fresh-baked sweet breads, cold beers and 150 tequila varieties for major margarita fans. Expect live music from strolling artists who will serenade you for $5 a song. Texan regulars and tourists alike enjoy a meal or snack at any time—it never closes. 219 Produce Row Pizza—the real deal Reputed to be San Antonio’s top pizzeria, Dough Pizzeria Napoletana offers
farm-fresh cuisine and wine from southern Italy. Before opening, owners Doug and Lori Horn crossed the Atlantic in search of an authentic wood-burning pizza oven, which they had shipped to San Antonio. Cooking for a quick 90 seconds at above 800 degrees, each Neapolitan pizza is perfection. 6989 Blanco Road Dining at New Heights And finally, if you prefer an aerial view of San Antonio while dining, take an elevator ride 750 feet in the air to the Tower of Americas, a prominent city landmark left standing following the 1968 World’s Fair. The Chart House restaurant offers an extensive seafood menu, with a featured fresh fish daily, as well as a hearty prime rib.
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hutch talks
How did you go from greeting cards to full-sized paintings? I took some cards to a friend’s dinner party, and he really liked one particular card. He said, “Could you make it any bigger?” and I hadn’t thought about that. Usually it’s 2 inches by 2 inches at the most. He brought me a canvas that was 4 feet by 4 feet. So I transferred the card onto the canvas. It was really liberating to do such a large thing. It feels restrictive to do a card now that I’ve done things where you more or less use your whole body to swipe the color across the piece.
Was the first time challenging? It seemed like a big deal before I started, but once I got started, it was freeing. And I worked on canvas for quite a while, but then I came back to Hutchinson to be with family, and there was a lot of wood, as a result of my great grandmother’s house getting torn down. So I got a few pieces of that wood and started painting on it. That’s when I got connected to the feeling of wood and the idea of it and the history of it. For me, it’s more alive than canvas. Really that’s all I use now.
Why didn’t you take any formal art classes? When I was in high school I took a class with wood where you’re carving out a bowl. As simple as it sounds, just carving a bowl, the teacher was very strict on how this bowl could be. It really turned me off as far as how an art class is because the idea seemed to be her teaching me how to do what she did. Rather than doing what you felt artistically drawn to do.
What inspires you to create? It’s hard to say what inspires me. As an artist just being observant helps you find that most of the things around you can be transformed. Inspiration comes in waves. You get to a point when you feel like you’re doing the same thing, but that’s what you’re drawn to. Does that bother you? Well, I’ve done shows a couple of times with this person who paints this girl who has an umbrella and she’s kind of flying. And that’s what she does—the girl with the umbrella—that’s her whole booth. Whenever I feel stuck, I think about her, and I think, you know what, I’m doing what I do and the people who like what I do, find me.
Jocelyn
Woodson Artist
For Jocelyn Woodson, art wasn’t something she could be taught—she just did it. “Some people are doodling all the time—that’s me,” Woodson says. “I’m always painting, drawing or something. My mom has a greeting card that I made for her in third grade.” Greeting cards became her ticket to success. For years, Woodson would attend dinner parties and instead of bringing a bottle of wine—as someone who doesn’t drink—she’d design a dozen greeting cards for the host. A shop owner came across Woodson’s cards at one party and asked if she’d like to sell them in-store, pushing her to design them by theme. Within three to four months, they were picked up by an agency in northern California, where she lived in 1984. Woodson’s latest works include vibrant acrylic paintings of flowers, wheat and a series of working women. Her path to these larger works is as serendipitous as her greeting-card career.
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Where can we find your work? I try to do about 10 shows each year. Before October, I’ll have a show in Hutchinson, then in Tulsa, Brooklyn, two in Baltimore, two in Chicago and another in Overland Park. In the winter, I’m inside doing what I need to do so that when spring comes, I have whatever I need to have painted to do these shows. Sometimes the shows are weekend-to-weekend. How have you seen the Hutchinson art community evolve? It’s a bird of a feather kind of thing. I spend a lot of time in my house painting, but Jennifer Randall drew me into third Thursday events. Then by doing that, I got to see other artists and at some point, people would make sure I knew about art shows going on. So for me, I’m now seeing the amount of artists in this town and the idea of showing has become a thing. People you didn’t realize are in this town who are really good artists are now beginning to show their work.
Interview conducted by Nadia Imafidon Photography by Deborah Walker
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hutch talks
Wayne
Unruh co-founder of First Team Sports Starting a new company has its challenges. But self-starter Wayne Unruh saw a void in the sports equipment industry and this sharp observation has turned him into quite the successful businessman. Along with business partner Jeff Roth, Unruh saw an opportunity to provide quality, durable basketball equipment to the residential market. Together they started Hutchinson-based production and sales company First Team Sports in 1996. “Height adjustable basketball goals were a novel idea at the time, and we found a large demand for equipment that was built to endure for an aggressive type of play that included dunking and hanging on the rim,” Unruh says. Unruh’s life has long been heavily sports-focused, his resume boasting positions as an assistant football coach at Hutchinson High School and administrative assistant for the National Junior College Athletic Association. When the NJCAA moved its headquarters to Colorado Springs in 1985, Unruh became the assistant athletic director at Hutchinson Community College. Twelve years in Hutchinson with his wife, Helen, and two kids, Bradley and Emily, and he couldn’t bring himself to leave. Now it’s been 42 years. “Helen and I appreciate this community with many treasured friends, our church and a great quality of life,” Unruh says. Just recently, Unruh was inducted into the Kansas Collegiate Officials Hall of Fame. What does it take to be a good official (referee)? An official must be willing to study and have a thorough knowledge of the rules and implementation of those rules. In most sports, especially basketball, physical conditioning must be maintained to keep pace with the young players of the game. Sports officials must have the ability to make immediate decisions, communicate those decisions and be willing to commit time away from family and business.
What is the most challenging part? Each game is important to the players, coaches and the fans. All deserve an official who is giving undivided attention to the contest. There are also challenges of being consistent from the start to the finish of the contest: keeping calm in a heated situation, gaining the confidence of the players and coaches and maintaining fairness to both teams involved.
Sometimes being an official means making a controversial call. What is the most interesting response you’ve heard shouted out from the crowd in response? One of the more interesting comments came from my son Brad who was in middle school at the time. When I had a game at KU, Helen, Brad and Emily came along. One of Brad’s favorite players was KU’s Darnell Valentine. After calling a foul on Valentine—this is Helen’s report—Brad stood up and yelled, “Dad, Dad, you’re wrong!” Helen told him to sit down, not yell at the refs and not call me Dad. Another time, I took our daughter Emily—a fifth-grader at the time— to a game in Cincinnati. I found her a seat behind the bench of one of the teams. After the game she said, “I think I heard some words I shouldn’t have.”
If you could be any athlete, who would it be? Two people
What non-sports activities do you like to do? I have
who come to mind are Ben Heeney, who played football at Hutchinson High School and University of Kansas, and Kevin Durant, who plays for the Oklahoma City Thunder in the NBA. I have admiration for any athlete who trains, sacrifices and takes his or her God-given talents to perform at the highest level of competition.
been privileged to serve as president of the Rotary Club of Hutchinson. I like outdoor activities including gardening and leisure biking. Helen and I enjoy traveling to visit our daughter Emily who lives in New York City and our son Brad who lives with his fiancée, Erica, and our grandson, Lucas, in Los Angeles.
Interview conducted by Nadia Imafidon Photography by Deborah Walker Summer 2015
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the
end quote
Dear Editor, How surprising to open your spring 2015 edition to page 31 and see a picture of my nephew, Rodney Fred Krey. The “fishing fever” was successful as Rodney retired after 37 years with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Rod is now living in Grand Lake, Colorado and still fishing. His parents were living ½ mile west of the Brownlee Farm (featured in “Art and Whimsy” on page 8) when he was born. I graduated from Sylvia High School with Don Brownlee in 1940. The grandmother of Michael Murphy, the present owner of the home, was my first cousin. Small world. Max Krey, Grand Junction, Colorado April 27, 2015
8
number of bulldogs involved in the making of this issue
“People you didn’t realize are in this town who are
really good artists
are now beginning to show their work.” — Jocelyn Woodson
“It’s like going on to be a division I athlete.”
4
Happy
100 Birthday,
th
Ye Old Mill! “It’s truly an honor for the Kansas State Fair to be home to one of the last remaining mills in the country.” —Denny Stoecklein
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number of sports officials in this edition
“It’s always fun to pull a nice-looking pie out of the oven. It gives you satisfaction.” — Esther Yoder
one million dollars
— Randy Carter, on umpiring in the major leagues.
value of featured autograph collection
“I never fell in love with a home before, or a car or anything, until I saw this house.” — Carol Ruesch
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best bets
It’s time to take the family out for a fun-filled day with Hutchinson Zoo’s finest furry friends. For a $5 contribution, you get a meal, movies, games, train rides and plenty of other family-bonding activities. Proceeds go to the zoo improvements. (620)680-2119
June 13 Summer Garden Tour The Reno County Extension Master Gardeners once again celebrates magnificent gardens and gardeners in the area. Tour six Hutchinson gardens and enjoy educational programs at each location. Tickets are $8 in advance and $10 on day of tour and available at various locations. (620) 662-2371
june
20-21 Smallville Comic-Con
It’s time for the second annual Comic and Pop Culture Convention in Superman’s hometown, Smallville, Kansas. See artists, writers and celebrities such as Kathy Garver, Billy Dee Williams, Lee Meriwether, Katrina Law and more. Held at the Kansas State Fairgrounds, tickets available at www.smallvillecomiccon.com. All dates and times are subject to change
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Participants will get to take a flat and fast-paced run along the Jim Martinez Trail in Carey Park as part of this fundraiser. Contributions go directly back to the community through Hutchinson Recreation’s programs and the Hutchinson Downtown Kiwanis Club who work to provide quality youth programming. (620) 663-6170
July 3-5
Family Day at the Zoo
Firecracker 5k Run
HutchFest 2014 The annual HutchFest celebrates 26 years with festivities surrounding the Fourth of July. Expect fireworks, live music entertainment, games, contests and other family-friendly activities.
July 15-18 Pretty Prairie Rodeo The Pretty Prairie Rodeo, Kansas’ Largest Night Rodeo, celebrates more than 75 years of events. Held in the Booster Club Arena, the event is sanctioned by the Professional Rodeo Cowboy’s Association. Begins at 8 p.m. www.pprodeo.com
July 31 - August 2
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june
June 27
Hutchinson Emancipation Celebration 2014 Kick off this meaningful celebration with music, followed by a parade, picnic in the park and an ice cream social. See full schedule for times. For more information call (620) 663-6673.
August 8
summer 2015
Salty Dog & Salty Pup Triathlons The Hutch Rec Race Series continues with this community and family-friendly favorite—the Salty Dog & Salty Pup Triathlons. Event begins at Care Park. www.hutchrecraceseries.com
August 9 Stage 9 Live
The Vogts Sisters take the stage for the Hutchinson Theatre Guild’s Fundraiser Concert Series. Enjoy the fluid harmonies of the Americana sister duo who impress crowds with covers of the classics and songs of their own. www.hutchtheatre.com
august
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Murder in the Mine Strataca turns into the location of a mystery with Murder in the Mine! This interactive mystery dinner theatre is a unique way to see the mine. Tickets are $55. www.underkansas.org
August 25 Tea in the Garden Join the Reno County Master Gardeners in the demo garden and sample teas made from herbs and flowers plucked straight from the garden. You’ll walk away with tips on growing plants for tea and some great recipes to try out on your own. (620) 662-2371.