summer 2016
Front Yard The rise of urban farm practices in Hutchinson.
$4.00
Navy
Life
at h ome
learning from
chess
The MidCentury
menu
Hutchinson Volume 09 / Issue 01
Magazine
dear readers Publisher John Montgomery Advertising Director Jeanny Sharp Marketing Solutions Manager Anita Stuckey For Advertising Rates and Information
(620) 694-5700 ext. 222 sales Executives
Tammy Colladay Kyle Flax Rachel Hixson Tony Mascorro Kristine McKeown Lacie Nash Kevin Rogg ad designers
DeRay Gamble Kim Hoskinson Jessica Price Patrick Sweeley Nate Weaver Photographers
I’ve never had much of a green thumb. In fact, I’ve killed every plant anyone has ever given me, so I don’t even trust myself around other people’s gardens. But as a daughter of a dedicated gardener, I can appreciate the time and effort that go into planting and maintaining a backyard vegetable garden. When I discovered Maggie and Adam Pounds’ farming operation, right now in their front yard (and inside their home under grow lights), I thought, “Wow, the local food movement is changing all the time.” And it is! Because most of us enjoy eating fresh, organic produce and giving our money directly back to the community to the people who grow our food, the nature of farming is evolving to support this lifestyle. We’re seeing smaller scale farms in the middle of cities or in your neighbor’s front yard—like the Pounds’ Simple Abundance Farm and the Poultons’ Wholesome Meadows Farm. Learn more about these two Hutchinson food sources on page 42. Tomatoes fresh from the garden are a summer favorite of mine, but you know what’s even better than fresh veggies? Homemade ice cream. We tracked down an ice cream man who comes from a long line of ice cream makers (people, not machines). He offers us his expert tips and tricks for the perfect frozen treat and gives us a vetted recipe that won’t let us down. For those days it’s too hot to be outside, we can find summer fun in a game of chess with a friend—and walk away with lessons that can help us away from the board. At Hutchinson Community College, the chess club is growing and students are starting to see many advantages to playing. Concentration and strategy are just two benefits of playing this game that’s more than 1,000 years old. Find at least 10 benefits on page 28. And, of course, find some of our regular columns, like a beautiful illustration by Brady Scott to accompany the short story “Of Love and Cows” by Frances Johannsen. All of this and more in this summer issue. Enjoy!
— nadia, Editor Follow us on twitter @hutchinsonmag find us on facebook: facebook.com/HutchinsonMagazine
2
Hutchinson Magazine
Kalene Nisly Kristen Garlow Piper Deborah Walker illustrator
Brady Scott
Contributing Writers
Amy Bickel Amy Conkling Kathy Hanks Cecilia Harris Ann Parr Richard Shank
Production and Editorial Services for Hutchinson Magazine provided by:
Editor Nadia Imafidon Designer Jenni Leiste COPY EDITOR Leslie Andres GENERAL MANAGER Katy Ibsen Publishing Coordinator Jenni Leiste Director of Special Projects Bert Hull 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
“Fresh, healthy food, the energy of the greenhouse. It’s why we do this.” —Gary Poulton, Wholesome Meadows Farm
Summer 2016
3
Summer 2016
contents Features 36
The Little House
42
Neighborhood Farmers
A Yoder couple transforms a small, neglected home into a bed and breakfast that welcomes guests to experience a taste of Amish lifestyle.
The rise of small-scale, ethical and sustainable farming practices in Hutchinson.
departments Lifestyle
08
Maritime Masterpiece
14
Gelatin Surprise
A veteran builds his very own Navy ship cabin in the basement of his home. A look at mid-century cooking and recipes found in the Bride’s Cook Book in the Reno County Museum’s collection.
Profiles
20
Ice Cream Man
26
The Charm of Chess
62
When an instructor at Hutchinson Community College created a chess club, it sparked a wave of serious players.
64
30
hutch illustrated
32
From the Archives
In Every Issue 2 dear readers
the end quote best bets
With advice from the resident ice cream expert in Hutchinson, forget making trips to the grocery store for your next frozen sweet treat.
Of Love and Cows
Travel
52
Express Yourself
Head to Salina this summer for the Smoky Hill River Festival, and indulge your inner artist.
Hutch Talks
58 Ginger Lewman
Education consultant at ESSDACK
60 Ken Baker
General Manager at Radio Kansas summer 2016
Maggie and Adam Pounds started a small-scale urban farm in Hutchinson called Simple Abundance Farm. Photo by Kalene Nisly
Front Yard The rise of urban farm practices in Hutchinson.
$4.00
4
Navy
Life
at home
learning from
chess
the midCentury
meNu
Hutchinson Magazine
departments
8..................................... Lifestyle 20.................................. Profiles 52.....................................travel 58............................hutch talks
6
Hutchinson Magazine
Lifestyle
Maritime
Masterpiece A veteran builds his very own Navy ship cabin in the basement of his home.
Story by Amy Bickel
8
Hutchinson Magazine
Photography by Deborah Walker
If Kim Biery didn’t realize the immensity of her husband’s passion for his seafaring past, she couldn’t overlook it when he hauled a 300pound airtight World War II destroyer door from San Diego to Hutchinson. Bud Biery spent only four years in the Navy, but his time on the USS Wabash AOR-5—from 1976 to 1980—left a lasting impression. “It took me some years of being out to understand how important those years were,” says Bud, adding he was an 18-year-old kid, fresh out of high school, when he enlisted. “But they were the most important years of my life. You grow up a lot.” The door inspired Bud to transform an unused portion of the basement in the couple’s Hyde Park home into a Navy ship cabin. “The door started it all,” says Kim with a chuckle. Rekindling the Navy spirit Commissioned in November 1971, the USS Wabash was a replenishment oiler, Bud says. He spent his four years of service crisscrossing the equator. A petty officer second class, he worked in the ship’s boiler room. After Bud left the military in August 1980, the ship continued to sail for another 14 years. The Wabash was put to rest in 1994, finding a home in a ship junkyard in Suisun Bay, where it sat until 2012 when the military sold it for scrap. Long before then, Bud’s passion had reignited; he had been attending Wabash reunions every couple years. On the same trip he purchased the door in 2006, he and Kim were inspired to take a daylong excursion on a World War II naval ship, which took them close to the retired Wabash. “The hair on the back of my neck stood up when I saw my former ship,” he says. “This is the only ship I served on.” In 2012, as the ship was towed through the Panama Canal to Brownsville, Texas, to be scrapped, Bud called a Navy buddy and told him was going to see the Wabash for one last time. The two friends paid a shrimp boat captain to take them close to the ship. “We were 30 feet away—what a thrill,” Bud says. “This was the last opportunity we had to get close to our ship. I can’t describe the feeling to be that close.”
Bud Biery spent four years in the Navy on the USS Wabash AOR-5. Since leaving, he has been able to find and collect a few pieces of the ship, along with other Navy artifacts displayed on a table in his basement.
Summer 2016
9
Lifestyle
Making a ship’s cabin Sold for $2 million, the Wabash is gone. But Biery has been able to find and collect a few pieces of the ship, along with other Navy artifacts, over the past two decades. Many are displayed on table near the foot of the basement stairs. He has red lights off the USS Saratoga and a ship light used as a prop in the movie Titanic. Also among his collection are several instruments off the Wabash, including a wind indicator; a 70-pound chain link off the Wabash; and one of the original crests from the ship. “They made so many, then they broke the casting,” he says, adding the Navy eventually made a second casting (and he has one of those crests, as well). A Navy friend designed a replica Wabash out of steel that is 36 inches long and 12 inches tall, which he has on display. Of course, the focal point of his finds is the watertight door. He and a few friends lugged it down to the basement, hitting several stairs on the way down. “These are pretty rare,” Bud says of such doors. “I was searching for several years and now you can’t even find them.” However, step through the “six dog, zebra watertight door”— as Bud refers in Navy terms to fastening or “dogging down” the door to give the ship watertight integrity—and that’s where you’ll find the ship’s cabin he created. It resembles a Navy berthing compartment; he even has the bed quarters. “It’s 17 inches in between,” he says of the space
10
Hutchinson Magazine
Summer 2016
11
1
A Few Details 2
3
12
1
Watertight door Bud Biery says they are tough to find as the salvage companies and military now cut holes in them. This one is off a World War II destroyer. “I didn’t have the heart to paint it, with its rust and the dirt on it,” he says. “I want to keep the patina.”
2
Naval intercom system “My brother found this at a yard sale,” says Biery, adding his brother knew it was naval, but didn’t know exactly what it was. “I said ‘buy it.’”
3
Bunks Biery purchased the piece last year. Three beds high, and “It’s at 17 inches between and that is your space,” he says. There is a small compartment for a sailor’s few belongings.
4
Rescue In 1979, when Biery was on the Wabash, the Navy told its fleets in the South China Sea to help refugees fleeing Vietnam. Biery volunteered to help the refugees. Two years ago, they reconnected with a family, through Doan Ha, who was five at the time the Wabash picked up the family from their sinking fishing boat. They settled in California. “I remember it like it was yesterday,” Biery says. “It was one of the big achievements the Wabash had.”
Hutchinson Magazine
4
quote
“The hair on the back of my neck stood up when I saw my former ship. This is the only ship I served on.” —Bud Biery
between the beds, which are stacked three high. He slept on the top bunk. All his belongings had to fit in a cubby underneath his bed, says Kim. “This is your space—this is all you get,” says Kim, recounting details from Bud about the space Navy men and women had on the ship. A friend made a table that is typical of Navy quarters, complete with a checkerboard in the center of it. On the table is a lantern from the Wabash. The chairs came off another ship. A Navy flag hangs along the wall, as well as his honorable discharge. More recently, Biery found the Wabash’s deck department door, which still bears a cartoon painting of a recruiting office, likely left by a Wabash shipmate in the 1980s. He’ll eventually add a closet to the room, incorporating the door. A naval intercom system found at a garage sale hangs
on the wall, along with a merchant captain’s ship bell. A few portholes line the walls, which add to the special effects. Bud has i nvested much time recreating the environment where he learned some of his biggest life lessons. “Your time in the military is compressed,” he says. “You served four years, but you lived about 10. It was all worth it.” Kim has been picking up some lessons of her own as they couple travel to Wabash reunions. “They share a ship, they share a space, and even though they didn’t serve together, they have this link that is strong,” she says. “I had never seen real parts of a Navy ship,” Kim adds later. “For him to recreate where he slept and how tight that was and everything here—it gave me a new perspective for what men and women go through to serve our country.”
An image from The Keel, the Naval training center’s yearbook
Summer 2016
13
Lifestyle
surprise Gelatin
Th e A lo ok at nd i n u o f s n e mid - century B ri d cooking and recip e ct i o l e’s Co l o c ok b ook m’s in the Reno Count y Museu
Story by Kathy Hanks
14
Hutchinson Magazine
Photography by Deborah Walker
There are times when Jan Steen threatens his wife and children that he’s going to make aspic. Just saying the name conjures up an image of something congealed that the Dowager Countess of Grantham nibbled on in the dining room at Downton Abbey. Aspic is an unsweetened gelatin set with meat stock or consommé, usually with eggs and meat set in the gelatin. When cooled, stock made from meat congeals because of the natural gelatin found in the bones. “Nobody likes it,” Steen says. At least, no one in his family. So when he had chance to attend a potluck dinner hosted by the Reno County Historical Society, he jumped at the chance. Everyone who attended received recipes either from the Bride’s Cook Book (published in the early 1930s) or other cooking tomes from around the same period. Steen was to prepare a green pea salad—made with green peas, cheese, hard-boiled eggs and sweet pickles—and a Frito tamale loaf. And he was happy to discover another guest had prepared a chicken aspic for the meal. The Bride’s Cook Book, along with the other cookbooks used to find recipes for the potluck, had been donated to the Reno County Museum’s collection.
3
Tips for the Sick, The Bride’s Cook book
1 “Dishes for invalids should be served in the daintiest and most attractive
Shrimp aspic from the Bride’s Cook Book, prepared by Jan Steen.
way; never send more than a supply for one meal; the same dish too frequently set before an invalid often causes distaste, when perhaps change would tempt the appetite.
2 As a rule, an invalid will be more likely to enjoy any preparation sent to him if it is served on a pretty appointed tray and food served in small portions.
3 There are many small dainty dishes, also various drinks, such as milk, mush, sweet wine, whey and egg drinks.”
Summer 2016
15
Lifestyle
Clockwise from top: Jan (right) and his wife, Julie Siller Steen, enjoy a mid-century meal prepared from the Bride’s Cook Book. Find clips of advice throughout the book. The Bride’s Cookbook can be found at the Reno County Museum. Jan’s family, including his daughter Lucy, 8, isn’t found of gelatin dinners.
16
Hutchinson Magazine
A book for all brides In the 1930s, every man and woman who purchased a marriage license at the Reno County Courthouse received a gift of the Bride’s Cook Book. It was a trove of practical information for a simpler time, when weddings were often performed in a judge’s chambers at city hall. Published at the beginning of the Great Depression, the Bride’s Cook Book provided young wives with recipes, advice for caring for the sick and tips for maintaining a household and a budget. The cookbook was published and distributed by Hutchinson’s Women’s Civic Center Club, which was once housed at 925 N. Main Street, just north of the library. Along with savory aspic recipes, it was also filled with local advertisements from popular businesses at the time such as Pegues Wright Company and Rorabaugh Wiley Dry Goods. One advertiser (perhaps unexpected in central Kansas) was
Hutchinson’s Fish and Oyster market, where hou sew ives cou ld purchase the seafood to make a shrimp aspic for dinner. The introduction to the Bride’s Cook Book included coupons and a message encouraging the brides to patronize the advertisers. Family meals The Bride’s Cook Book reflects a time when families came together regularly for home-cooked meals. Life was not as hectic, and children were not involved in a plethora of activities. Dinner was time for the entire family to gather around the table to discuss what had transpired during the day. It was the meal a housewife would have labored over while her husband was at work. As a kid, Steen remembers sitting with his family every night at 5:30 or 6 p.m. when his dad got home from work. Dinner was often simple fare, and then family would catch up on how everyone was doing. “She would have
a hamburger patty and a can of green beans,” Steen says. He relishes memories of his grandmother’s cooking—especially her shrimp curry. “It was a big spread,” he says. To make the curry, there would be 15 different bowls of things like hard-boiled eggs, peanuts, shredded cheese, chutney, bacon bits. Steen tries to recreate that dish now for his family. In contrast, Steen and his wife, Julie, try to sit down with their kids for a meal at least once a week. Having three active children in high school, middle school and elementary school, most nights they are going in different directions with after-school and church activities. “The dinners don’t happen as often as when I was a kid, but we still make an effort to be together, to try new foods, learn about each other’s days, and have a good time as a family,” Steen says.
quote
“The dinners don’t happen as often as when I was a kid, but we still make an effort to be together, to try new foods, learn about each other’s days, and have a good time as a family.” —Jan Steen
Summer 2016
17
18
Hutchinson Magazine
Recipes from The Bride’s Cook book Salad
Shrimp Aspic
1 large can shrimp 1 large bunch watercress 2 cups of boiling water 1 package of lemon gelatin 1 tablespoon lemon juice Dissolve the lemon-flavored gelatin in the liquid ingredients, cool. Dip the crisp, dry watercress in the gelatin and line individual molds, which have been rinsed in cold water. Pour in a little of the gelatin, and when it begins to harden, add layers of watercress, shrimp and gelatin until filled. Place in refrigerator to congeal. Unmold on lettuce leaves and serve with mayonnaise.
Entrees
Chicken Mousse
1 cup white meat (cooked and chopped) 1 cup stock 3 egg yolks, beaten 1 tablespoon granulated gelatin ½ pint whipped cream Salt Paprika Mix chicken and stock, and lightly stir egg yolks into the mixture. Add salt and paprika to taste. Cook the custard in a double boiler. Just before removing from fire, add one tablespoon granulated gelatin which has been softened in a little of the cold stock. Pour this custard over the chicken and stir over ice water till it begins to set, then fold in cream whipped. Turn mixture into a mold to stiffen and served garnished with parsley. Serves six or seven people.
Cheese and Rice Croquettes 1/2 cup raw rice 1/4 cup grated cheese 1/4 cup cracker crumbs 2 egg yolks Salt/pepper to taste 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Cook rice in salted water. Add cheese, cracker crumbs, yolks and seasoning. Form into croquettes (balls). Dip into egg, then roll in to crumbs, and deepfat fry. Serve with a tart jelly.
Dessert
Bread pudding
1¼ cup sugar 3 cups scalded milk 2 cups stale breadcrumbs 2 eggs ½ teaspoon salt 1½ teaspoon vanilla Put one-half cup sugar into sauce pan and melt over slow fire. Add gradually three cups scalded milk and when blended, add bread crumbs and let soak until soft. Beat eggs and about three-fourths cups sugar, salt and vanilla. Combine with first mixture. Add generous pieces of butter. Turn into buttered baking dish and bake slowly for 1 hour and 30 minutes. Serve with whipped cream.
Summer 2016
19
profile
ice m crea
n a M
With advice from the resident ice cream expert in Hutchinson, forget making trips to the grocery store for your next frozen sweet treat. Story by Amy Conkling
20
Hutchinson Magazine
Photography by Deborah Walker
Take one look at Sid Wiens, and you might not immediately guess one of his favorite hobbies. The Hutchinson resident and president of Wiens & Company spends countless hours during the day working at his construction business, and his deep voice likely can be heard from hundreds of feet away. But when the weather warms up, Sid can be found after hours in his home kitchen, churning and concocting ice cream flavors that have made him famous among his friends and family. A family of ice-cream makers Sid fondly remembers hand-cranking ice cream as a child with his parents, Simon and Sally, and sister, Sue, in Inman. It was the family’s favorite summertime sweet treat. Most of them would enjoy it on its own—except his mom, who would have a couple of saltine crackers on the side “so the salt from the saltines would complement the sweetness of the ice cream,” Wien recalls. Sally would call on her son to churn the ice cream machine. It was a hard job, but with each crank of the handle, Sid picked up a trick or two on how to make the best homemade ice cream possible. The ice had to be extra cold. “We used to make the ice out of gallon milk jugs when I was a kid,” he says. And the ice cream’s consistency comes from the perfect rock-salt-cold-ice ratio that can only be mastered in time without exact measurements. “Lots and lots of rock salt sprinkled with just enough water to get the brine going,” Sid says of his technique. His family also taught him how to make one of his most requested flavors, Grape-Nut. Yes, the high-fiber, small-pebbled crunchy cereal that many people skip past in the grocery aisle is a flavor-filled punch when added with the basic vanilla ice cream flavor, according to the Wiens family. “It was our favorite flavor growing up and the most common one we made,” Sid says. The unique concoction holds plenty of nostalgia, too, as it was a flavor passed down from his great-grandparents, who first made the Grape-Nut flavored ice cream in the 1930s. Making his own mark Sid has played with his family’s recipes over the years and uses a base recipe that a family friend found— combined with his own touches, of course. His mother’s original recipe had seven eggs in it, compared to the four eggs Sid now uses for a six-quart batch. Throughout the years his flavors have expanded from vanilla and Grape-Nut to include strawberry, peach, latte/ espresso, and a few experimental cookie-candy mixes such as Oreo, Butterfinger and Snickers.
Sid Wiens has been cranking ice cream since he was a kid when he used to prepare his favorite summertime dessert with his parents. His favorite flavor to eat is strawberry ice cream (pictured right).
Summer 2016
21
profile
Strawberry (top) and Grape-Nut flavored ice cream.
“All of the flavors start with the same base recipe and the ingredients are added in,” Sid says. His taste-testers are his favorite customers—his wife, Tammy, and his three grown children, Bryson, Bryant, and Krysta, as well as their spouses, friends, extended family, and church members. Tammy says she enjoys all of the concoctions, but the latte flavor tops her list. Bryant, meanwhile, loves strawberry, with Grape-Nut a close second. “Whenever we had the high school youth group over, the first question my friends would ask is whether or not Dad was making his famous ice cream,” Bryant says, joking that some of his friends based their attendance on whether or not his dad’s ice cream would be making an appearance. Sid’s days of hand-cranking the old-fashioned ice cream machine are over, too, as he now has options on what machine to use depending on the audience he serves. For smaller batches, Sid uses a six-quart White Mountain machine that he found at the local hardware store. Several years ago, though, Sid says he purchased a five-gallon ice cream maker powered by a John Deere motor that is mounted on its own trailer. It came recommended by a vendor at the Kansas State Fair who operates the popular homemade ice cream stand. The John Deere machine has come in handy in recent years as the family has prepared larger quantities for graduation parties for their children and friends, youth group get-togethers and church ice cream socials—some events requiring as many as 30 gallons. But when it’s just the immediate family enjoying the ice cream—they simply do that. Enjoy the ice cream. No pie, no brownie, no cake (or saltine crackers) on the side. “When we make homemade ice cream, we eat homemade ice cream— that’s all you need,” Sid says.
22
Hutchinson Magazine
Traditional Vanilla Ice Cream makes
1.5 gallon batch
ingredients
4 eggs 2 ½ cups of sugar 1 pint whipping cream 2 tablespoons vanilla Pinch of salt 3/4 gallon whole milk
Instructions
Beat eggs and sugar together until thick. Add next four ingredients and mix thoroughly. Pour into freezer and add milk (allow for expansion). Notes: If additional flavorings are desired mix in before pouring into freezer. And always taste the mix after the milk is added; frozen ice cream will taste less sweet than the mix.
Tips from the Pro
It’s important to use plenty of sugar. While some may scoff at the amount of sugar in his recipe, Sid says the ice cream blend needs to be extra sweet because its coldness numbs the taste buds.
Bagged ice at the grocery store isn’t cold enough. Often times Sid will purchase the bagged ice and then put it in his freezer and pull it out right before he starts the ice cream maker.
Measure out the rock salt your machine needs—and then add some more. “You need lots and lots of rock salt, and then sprinkle it with water to get the salt activated and the brine going,” Sid says. The consistency of the ice cream comes down to the brine.
“season” the wood If using a machine that has a wooden bucket, make sure to “season” the wood. Soak the wood bucket in water so it will expand and not allow the brine to leak out.
The higher the fat content, the better, Sid says. Reduced-fat recipes that don’t use as much whole milk tend to have more air, which causes more expansion during the churning process and problems with the ice cream’s consistency.
Summer 2016
23
profile
Cream
mastermind Sid Wiens also is master at making homemade whipped cream—another recipe and tradition passed down from his mother, Sally. Growing up, Sid recalls using a hand beater to perfectly whip cream for holiday desserts. It’s a simple recipe—“just some vanilla, sugar, cream” (1 quart heavy cream, 1.5 to 2 cups sugar, and 2–3 tablespoons vanilla), he says—but through the years Sid has put his own touch on a spiced-cream version, adding pinches of cloves and pumpkin pie spice to make quite the concoction in holiday desserts and coffee drinks. Recently Sid’s daughter-in-law, Kaci, used it in a Christmas coffee event that she hosts at their church each year. The whipped topping has become such a sought-after item that Kaci has had to give Sid warnings. “She jokes with me not to make too much so the guests will eat the other desserts being served, and not just the whipped topping,” he says.
24
Hutchinson Magazine
“Whenever we had the high school youth group over, the first question my friends would ask is whether or not Dad was making his famous ice cream.” —Bryant Wiens
Summer 2016
25
profile
the charm of
chess When an instructor at Hutchinson Community College created a chess club, it sparked a wave of serious players. Story by Ann Parr Photograph by Kristen Garlow Piper
26
Hutchinson Magazine
“Chess is a teaching and learning instrument older than chalkboards, printed books, the compass, and the telescope,” David Shenk writes in The Immortal Game, a book about the history of chess. Duane Schmidt began playing chess at a young age. “My growing up years were difficult, and I found a meaningful escape in chess,” he recalls. “When I first thought about introducing chess at HCC, I had hoped it would catch on, but I had no idea it would grow like it has.” Schmidt, part-time work ethics instructor at Hutchinson Community College, started a chess club at the college three years ago, but little did he know how popular it would become. Introducing chess to 12 students in his work ethics class three years ago, Schmidt has since incorporated chess as part of his regular curriculum, and now the chess club boasts a membership of nearly 30 members. Anyone—students, community members, and beginners—is invited to play chess in the student union, Mondays from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Thursdays from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Schmidt loves to watch the young people as they for hours sit silently over a board with 64 black and white squares and sixteen chess pieces. All participants reap the benefits of learning the game: concentration, memory enhancement, social skills of winning and losing, and strategic ability. “We talk about being successful by following the rules—both in chess and in the workplace,” he says. “Then clearing their minds to concentrate on the game only.” And they readily accepted the challenge. They became so ingrained in the intricacies of strategy they couldn’t bear to give up on any opportunity finish the game strong—another lesson learned as a result of playing. Schmidt had to implement another rule. “The students soon got so involved in chess, I couldn’t get them to stop playing at the end of class time, so I incorporated clocks, limiting the amount of time per play,” Schmidt says. “They didn’t like that at all, but I related the clocks to their working life also. They can’t do their jobs only as they’d like to.” Ryan Scherich, a HCC student, can attest to the many benefits he’s gained from regularly playing chess. “I stay involved with the chess club because it improves my memory, it’s fun, and I get time to teach highschoolers,” Scherich says. “It’s really increased my concentrating.”
Want to join?
The Hutchinson Community College Chess Club meets during the spring and fall semesters on Mondays from 11 a.m.–2 p.m. and Thursdays from 5 p.m.–8 p.m. in the Walnut Room, Parker Student Union. Come and go as you please.
Summer 2016
27
profile
Chess Wisdom Duane Schmidt, part-time instructor at Hutchinson Community College, passes along 10 life lessons you can take away from learning and playing chess. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.
Have a plan, but be flexible. Get involved with people (put that cell phone away). Learn to delay gratification. Be a good winner/loser. You can improve IF you will work at it. Spend your time wisely. Always think two moves ahead. Evaluate different ideas. Persevere. Learn to delay gratification. 10. Recognize patterns.
28
Hutchinson Magazine
With the help of Duane Schmidt, English teacher Tracey File brought chess to Nickerson High School.
The game soon found its way to the local high school. English teacher Tracey File wanted to bring some of these benefits of chess to Nickerson High School, so she reached out to Duane and Ryan to help introduce chess to the students. “I begin by just casually discussing chess with my classes, and I usually get a handful of students to bite, and even light up,” she says. “From the very start, kids just came pouring in. Students must have all Cs or better to attend our chess club, and I have seen a number of students get and keep grades up to be able to attend.” It also drives students away from their cell phones, tablets and computers, and into the real world where they can have in-person interactions with their peers, Schmidt points out. These days, students need that push.
“In a digital age where people are increasingly isolated from face-to-face contact, this is very important,” Schmidt says. “Many students comment favorably on it and appreciate it a lot.” The HCC Chess Club made a cameo appearance at this year’s Kansas State Fair in Hutchinson, where hundreds witnessed a timed “Chess Blitz” exhibition by HCC students. Many, playing simultaneously, focused and concentrating, demonstrated the charm of timed chess in spite of the noise level and wild breezes. They set up an oversized game board for the public to view. Schmidt polled his chess club members, curious about what they gained from the experience. Focus, patience, and critical thinking were noted from one member. Another wrote that chess teaches them to “‘Think before you act.’ This will help you in the workplace and more
important, it will help you in the real world.” Chess ties history together in surprising and compelling ways. Chess seems to have been present in every place and time in history, and to have been used in every sort of activity. Kings threatened with it; philosophers told stories with it; poets created new understandings with it; moralists preached with it. It sparked and settled feuds, facilitated and sabotaged roma nces, a nd spu r red literature. “You don’t have to become an expert to appreciate the connection between the game and the human brain,” Schmidt says. “Even observers benefit from watching a serious chess game and develop an appreciation for the benefits of well-developed strategic skills.”
Summer 2016
29
hutch illustrated Illustration by Brady Scott www.bradyscott.weebly.com
30
Hutchinson Magazine
Of Love and
Cows
“Hold this,” Wilson indicated toward a silvery chain he held in his bare hand, covered in blood and amniotic fluid. Before I could protest, he curled my fingers around the center links. He snugged the free ends above and below the calf’s fetlocks, which afterward retreated back into the cow’s vulva. “Hold tight till I get back with the puller,” he said as he jogged away, leaving me alone, standing in the dimly lit palpation cage. I grasped the chain with my cashmere-lined leather gloves that I bought at Bergdorf’s just last week, anxious to hand back my charge as soon as Wilson returned. Yesterday, I had a bird’s eye view of Central Park from my 49th-floor office on 57th Street in New York City. I had welcomed Wilson’s invitation to spend a week in the country for a much-needed break from a city still coping with the 9/11 attacks. I had envisioned whiling away my time in idyllic pastures, a straw of Kansas wheat tucked behind my ear and a pen in my hand, writing pastoral poems to the rhythm of cows lowing and birds chirping. Instead, I stood in a manure-spattered chute staring at the tail end of an Angus cow in the predawn hours of a brisk morning on a ranch in Little River. The cow let out a guttural moan. The chains slackened. Two feet, nostrils and a tongue appeared. I leaned back and prayed that the cow’s head was securely wedged in the head gate. “Shouldn’t we call a doctor?” I said to the darkness. The
cow groaned in reply. My arms trembled. The cow contracted. The calf’s muzzle emerged. She contracted again. Now I saw the calf’s eyes. “The baby’s coming!” Wilson came back with a large horseshoeshaped metal contraption. He looked at the calf, then at me and smiled. “Don’t need this.” He set the tool on the ground and helped me pull the chain in a downward motion. The cow widened her stance and strained, the calf now exposed up to its ribcage. “Hold up.” He cradled the calf in his arms and rotated it onto its side. “Keeps it from hip locking,” he explained. “Pull ’er now.” The cow pushed. I pulled. Out slid the calf, and with it a Niagara Falls of blood and viscous fluid. Wilson tore the placenta off its head and pinched the columella between the calf’s nostrils with his thumb and forefinger. It sneezed. “Good thing it’s a heifer,” he said. I looked at him puzzled. “Bulls get castrated and sold. Heifers stay here to breed.” I followed him into the adjoining barn where he placed the heifer onto a pile of straw. She sat upright and surveyed her new home. “Give her a name,” he said. She pressed her wet nose to my pants leg then licked it. I leaned down and addressed her: “Hello, Kibou.” “Kee-bow?” he pronounced with a drawl. “It’s Japanese for hope.”
Author’s Bio Frances Johannsen relocated from New York City to Little River, Kansas, where she and her husband, Kenny, own a cow-calf ranch. When she’s not tending to her cows, you can find her on the campus of Hutchinson Community College teaching English composition and literature.
Summer 2016
31
profile
32
Hutchinson Magazine
from the
Archives Text by Ashley Maready Images courtesy Reno County Historical Society and Reno County Museum
(Left) Here’s a Hutchinson landmark some readers may remember! Greek immigrant Constantine “Gus” Leonida’s Hollywood Grill restaurant was a downtown fixture for more than two decades, standing to the east of the Fox Theatre. It was very popular, a place where customers were often greeted by name. Gus himself became a Hutchinson “celebrity,” gaining national recognition during World War II for selling more war bonds than any other individual in the United States. By the end of the war, the Hollywood Grill had served more than 18,000 free meals to customers who purchased Defense, War, or Victory Bonds of at least $100. Gus also gave generously to other charities, such as the Red Cross, and even mailed fruitcakes and candy to Reno County service men and women in 1944, to thank them. Gus Leonida died in 1961, but the good he did for Hutchinson and for the American war effort will never be forgotten. (Above) This little group is having fun in this cheery slice-of-life photo. Taken in 1918, it shows a slumber party at the home of one of the women. The women have been identified as Ruth Frame, Lura Ferguson, Etta Hartford, Pearl Bell (Lee), Osee Painter Mitchell, Esther Frame Sullivan, Gertrude Shawhan Goldner, Charlotte Robinson Jones, and May Hartford. Unfortunately the children’s names have been lost to history.
Summer 2016
33
34
Hutchinson Magazine
features
36..................................... the Little house 42......................Neighborhood farmers
Summer 2016
35
e l tt i L e Th
H
36
Hutchinson Magazine
e s u o H
e
sy
at
yP
yb
or
St
ll
rre
Te | y
isl eN
en
al yK
yb
ph
ra
tog
ho P
le p u o c der o Y A e s m m o h or f trans , neglected fast ll ak a e r m b s d a an d e ts b s e a u o g t in es m o of c l e e t s w a t t a tha e c n rie e p x e e. l y to t s e f h li s i m A
Summer 2016
37
38
Hutchinson Magazine
The Little House, nestled on Lawrence Street in the quiet Amish town of Yoder, has had many lives over its more than 120-year history. And unlike most structures, it hasn’t always been in its present location. Once a “Dawdy Haus” (or “Grandpa House”) on a farm outside of town, it was functioned much like a “mother-in-law suite” does today. It was then moved into town in 1943. Today, it’s a bed and breakfast that hosts visitors who find it listed as a rental on Airbnb. Mark and Kendra Horst began renovating the space in April of 2015 and opened it as a bed and breakfast just four months later. When the Horsts moved in next door to The Little House four years ago, Kendra immediately started to think about redoing The Little House. It had been a storage shed for 40 years—and it showed. All the windows were broken, and it was overgrown with vines. But Kendra saw past the cosmetic problems. “I had it renovated in my head years ago,” she says. Her husband, Mark, was not convinced. But when they had the opportunity to buy it last year, they went in with Mark’s parents and made the purchase. “I’m always the dreamer, and he’s the realist,” Kendra says. Fortunately, the foundation was solid, so they began renovations. “We worked really hard to preserve the integrity and age of the house but to have all the modern conveniences,” Kendra says. For instance, the Little House has flat screen TVs and dim-able lights, but the plank walls and floor are original. The siding had to be replaced, so while it was removed, they redid the plumbing and electrical, and added insulation from the outside. It allowed them to keep all the original wood inside the house intact.
Kendra and Mark Horst moved in next door (home pictured) to The Little House four years ago. The proximity was helpful when renovating the space and raising their two young sons, Evan and Lincoln.
Summer 2016
39
Because the home is only 580 square feet, they were able to buy surplus materials—and even found the siding on Craig’s List. This resulted in a quick turnaround with all four of them—Kendra, Mark, and his parents, Kurt and Elaine Horst—working on it. Even with two young children, Kendra made time to work on the house and even found small tasks the boys could do. Evan is now two and half years old and Lincoln is a one-year-old; they were too young to do any hard labor, but they would go around picking up nails. Town folks also rallied around the project, Kendra says. “The community was so interested in seeing this little house fixed up,” she says. “We were in a fish bowl.” But they didn’t mind at all. The Horsts had an open house on Yoder Days, the last Saturday in August. Hundreds of people came to see The Little House in its new life. It is a “landmark in the community, preserving some of the oldest local history” Kendra says. One of the visitors that day was from Arkansas and went home to mail them a 1940s photo of the house from her scrapbook. This visitor provided them with the only photo they have of the house in its early years. Rod Fry, owner of Yoder Hardware, had never been inside until the open house. His great-grandfather used to own the house, but he died in 1945, years before Rod was born. Much of the house’s history is unknown, and Fry says, “Everybody that would have known is gone.” But he loves that the house now has yet another life—no small feat for a structure built around 1894. The Horsts got their first reservations during the Kansas State Fair in early September and have been booked almost every weekend since, as well as many weekdays. “People from all over love sitting on the front porch and watching the horses go by,” Kendra says. Things that are second nature to the Horsts often surprise guests.
40
Hutchinson Magazine
They have commented that the sheets smell like sunshine after they are hung up to dry outside. Kendra’s parents live on a farm nearby and supply guests with fresh milk, eggs, homemade cheese and bread. One of their guests told them, “You are renting out an experience, not just a place to stay.” Kendra says they love to be part of residents’ lives in this way. Prior to The Little House project, the Horsts managed the Sunflower Inn in Yoder. She says this venture brings in a different crowd. Because they do all their booking online through Airbnb, they get a younger group overall. “They’re all unique,” Kendra says. They’re people who are choosing to not stay in a hotel and who are looking for a more intimate experience with a community. People have come to reconnect with long lost family, enjoy area events and just relax. They will sometimes leave for their homes with cinnamon rolls from Carriage Crossing. The Horsts love to hear from guests that their experiences were meaningful. One guest from California came to introduce his son to family he hadn’t seen in many years.
“The community was so interested in seeing this little house fixed up.” —Kendra Horst “It’s so touching that we were a part of his experience reconnecting with his roots,” says Kendra. “It makes you feel good that you can have a little impact on somebody else’s life.”
Little-known facts In Reno County a structure has to be at least 600 square feet to be considered a house; The Little House misses the mark by 20 square feet. Because the house was built before the 600-foot restriction, they are grandfathered in and are able to insure it as a house. Previously it had been insured as a shed. When the woman who previously owned the property came to the open house, she automatically went to the back door because that’s the only way she could enter the house for many years. The mugs and plates used by guests were handcrafted by Mark Horst. The Horsts have the renovation bug! They are now transforming a chicken coop in their backyard into Mark’s new office.
Summer 2016
41
feature 2
42
Hutchinson Magazine
Neighborhood
The rise of small-scale, ethical and sustainable farming practices in Hutchinson Story by Amy Bickel
•
Photography by Kalene Nisly
Summer 2016
43
Amid a community of traditional, well-groomed green front yards, Maggie and Adam Pounds are going against the grain. They ripped out their front yard and planted tomatoes, peppers and other vegetables in the tilled earth. They call it Simple Abundance Farm and are selling their produce at farmers’ markets, as well as to a few restaurants. Meanwhile, across town, former barbecue restaurant owner Gary Poulton was yearning for some local and sustainable food options. Instead of retiring to Arizona like he and his wife, Tami, originally planned, he decided to construct an aquaculture greenhouse on the corner of 56th and Monroe on the outskirts of Hutchinson. Wholesome Meadows Farm recently opened to the public—selling vegetables year-round. Crop fields may surround Hutchinson, but farming isn’t just for producers with big tractors anymore. Urban farming is a growing movement that is sweeping the nation. Whether it is on balconies or rooftops, in greenhouses or front yards, farming is making a home for itself in the city. In fact, around 15 percent of the world’s food is now grown in urban areas, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. And more people, says Adam Pounds, want locally grown produce. They want to know where their food comes from and they want to keep their dollars in the community. Moreover, this farm-to-table concept is making a big difference in the livelihoods of small-scale farmers like Adam and Maggie. “We really like the idea of providing a service to our community here in Hutchinson—providing healthy, wholesome, local fresh food,” Adam says.
44
As more people want to eat local, smaller urban farms are popping up, including two in Hutchinson. From left: Shane Caley, Tami Poulton and John Wiens stand in front of a freshly painted mural (by Brady Scott) at Wholesome Meadows Farm (pictured left). Hutchinson Magazine
Summer 2016
45
Wholesome Meadows Farm On a cold spring day, green is already showing at Wholesome Meadows Farm. There are a dozen types of lettuce, chard and basil. Tomatoes are planted, along with cucumbers, peppers and squash. That’s one of the best things, says Gary. Even in the coldest months there will be produce ripe for the picking. “We plant about a day’s harvest every day,” he says. “We won’t have one day a month where we have thousands of head of lettuce and nothing to do with them. Instead, we will have a harvest, fresh produce, every single day.” Yet, this isn’t the typical greenhouse. There’s no dirt under Gary’s fingernails, or in the greenhouse, for that matter. Here, fish and plants grow together in the same recirculating water system called aquaponics. It might seem like an unusual venture for a man who spent 15 years in the barbecue business and didn’t have much time to hone his green thumb. But watch him amid his growing greens—kale, chard and lush lettuce—or hear him talk lovingly about his tilapia, which swim around in several large tanks (separate from the plants; the water circulates through the system), and it’s easy to tell he has found his life’s calling. Gary started Hog Wild Pit Barbecue in 1998 in Hutchinson, expanding it into Wichita before selling it four years ago. He married longtime girlfriend, Tami, two years ago, and the couple planned to move to Arizona. But, in the end, he didn’t want to leave his daughter Amber and son-in-law, Shane Caley, and his two grandchildren. Thus, a new venture was born. About the time he sold Hog Wild, a friend told him about aquaponics, an aquaculture system where the waste produced by fish is used to create nutrients for plants. Gary began researching the concept, then went to Wisconsin for more training with aquaponics company Nelson and Pade. Gary discovered this method was what he was searching for—local produce without chemicals and additives. “It’s more organic than organic,” says Gary. “With organic, you can use some fertilizers but we can’t. We’re just using fish waste.” They purchased an empty lot, built a home and began to build a greenhouse in fall 2014. This winter, it began to bud with green. In early April, the Poultons opened an on-site market to sell their produce. “This will be like a grocery store,” says Tami of the couple’s suburban enterprise. “There will be produce all year long. We are both passionate about growing food.” Tami
46
Hutchinson Magazine
“We won’t have one day a month where we have thousands of head of lettuce and nothing to do with them. Instead, we will have a harvest, fresh produce, every single day.” —Gary Poulton
grew up on a Kansas farm, and her parents had a big garden. “We raised everything we ate.” They’re also taking action to reduce their carbon footprint. “The neat thing about aquaponics is it is sustainable,” says Gary, adding that it only takes 10 to 15 percent of the water required to grow crops outside. When it is fully operational, Wholesome Meadows Farm will produce roughly 45,000 heads of lettuce a year, Gary says. But his ambitious business plan goes beyond vegetables in a greenhouse. Among the market offerings will be tilapia on occasion, and free-range chicken and fresh eggs in the future. He also plans to plant an orchard and five acres of melons. Leftover produce will be donated to the Reno County Health Department. Eventually, he wants to give tours to students and customers to show them where their food comes from. “Fresh, healthy food, the energy of the greenhouse. It’s why we do this; it’s the part of what I enjoy,” Gary says. “And we want the market to have a variety of offerings for people.”
Wholesome Meadows Farm
Open Monday through Friday 9–6 and Saturday 8–noon. 310 W. 56th Ave. Facebook: facebook.com/WholesomeMeadowsFarmLLC
Summer 2016
47
The Pounds sell their greens to a few food stores and restaurants in the area, including Jillian’s.
“I want people to know about growing their own food. It creates a more vibrant, more well-rounded local food shed, and I think that is more important than anything.” —Adam Pounds
48
Hutchinson Magazine
Simple Abundance Farm From their dining room table in their modest home on Cleveland Street, Adam and Maggie Pounds admit their concept is a bit unconventional for Hutchinson. Take a look across town, and one is hardpressed to find another front lawn where the Bermuda has been replaced by vegetables. But the Pounds’ yard is a tasty exception. “We fell in love with farming,” Adam says. They both grew up in Reno County. But young and with no children to tow, they spirited across the nation, starting in Key West, Florida, where Adam was an eco-tour guide on a sailboat, and Maggie worked at an organic juice and smoothie cafe. Their travels eventually took them to the state of Washington, where they apprenticed on an organic farm for a year. It gave them time to reflect, says Maggie, noting they have been married about two years. They discovered a love for supporting the locals, building strong communities and living sustainably. “We thought about what kind of life we wanted to cultivate from here as we go forward,” Maggie says. “We both felt a calling that we needed to move back to
Hutchinson. Farming really encompassed all the things we really hold dear.” They moved back in November into Adam’s parents’ duplex rental. In the basement under grow lights, they began growing radish microgreens and sunflower and pea shoots, along with wheatgrass. Producing about 35 pounds a week, the couple produces enough greens to have a small side business—selling their product at farmers’ markets in Hutchinson, South Hutchinson and Wichita. They also sell to a handful of health food stores and restaurants, including Jillian’s in downtown Hutchinson, where they both work. Jill Brown, who owns Jillian’s with her husband, Gary, says she is always looking to buy local when she can. The couple called her about their career path when they were still in Washington. Brown says she pairs the greens with her monthly wine dinners, which is a perfect opportunity to introduce microgreens. They also incorporate the greens, when available, with other dishes during the week. “We are very excited to have them,” Brown says.
Summer 2016
49
Growing in a small space Even with tight space, Adam Pounds says, residents can find a way to have an outdoor garden. Adam shares with us these basic tips for creating a raised-bed garden, a project he calls “squarefoot� gardening, or the practice of dividing the growing area into small, square sections.
1 With a raised bed, you can do a lot in a small area, Adam says. Take boards and create a foot-tall border.
2 Fill the space with good compost and soil. By doing that, Adam says, you have nutrient-rich soil and can plant more crop per square foot, which shadows out the weeds.
3 Raised beds work well by layering the crops. Plant the back with crops like tomatoes, which can vine up on a trellis behind it. In front of the tomatoes, try growing eggplant or carrots. Finally, finish it off with a quick growing crop. That could be radishes, which mature in 25 days, or turnips, which mature in 30 days.
50
Hutchinson Magazine
Some day, Maggie and Adam want to urban farm fulltime. They already have a plot of land in South Hutchinson. They will plant a cover crop on it this year in an effort to improve the soil health and build up organic matter and then begin planting it next spring with a variety of vegetables and greens. They will also have a greenhouse to help extend the growing season. For now, they have their front-yard urban farm, which Adam hopes will be a conversation piece for the neighborhood. “It will be for us and the community to share it, to give it away,” says Adam of their space. “That is the beauty of frontyard gardening. People are either inspired or just curious about it. It starts a conversation. “I want people to know about growing their own food. It creates a more vibrant, more well-rounded local food shed, and I think that is more important than anything.” It’s the little miracles of gardening, says Maggie, calling it a magical experience. “For us, farming is such a spiritual act.”
simple abundance Farm
You can purchase their produce and greens at the Reno County Farmers Market on Saturdays and the South Hutchinson Farmers Market on Tuesdays. Facebook: facebook.com/simpleabundancefarm Website: simpleabundancefarm.com
Summer 2016
51
travel
express yourself Head to Salina this summer for the Smoky Hill River Festival, and indulge your inner artist. Story by Cecilia Harris
Photos courtesy Salina Arts and Humanities
In the shade of a huge oak tree on a warm summer day, plop down in your lawn chair and unwind as you sip sweet tea and tap your toes to jazz, folk, rock and more performed live by a different band every hour at the Smoky Hill River Festival in Salina—65 miles northeast of Hutchinson. Surround yourself with the artistry of expressive face masks hanging from the tree limbs above, multi-hued millstones floating in the slow-moving stream nearby, and the plush green grass of the riverbank serving as the canvas for a swirling yellow, purple, orange and blue abstract mural.
52
Hutchinson Magazine
www.riverfestival.com
Summer 2016
53
“Eight craft demonstrators will discuss, share and demonstrate the making of art.” —Brad Anderson, executive director of Salina Arts and Humanities
Celebrating its 40th anniversary this year June 9–12, the festival—set on the banks of the Smoky Hill River in Oakdale Park—immerses visitors in a fun, art-filled environment. “We have four stages of live entertainment, 130 visual artists exhibiting work, 33 food booths, a huge, free activity area for children and 20 site-specific art sculptures throughout the park,” says Brad Anderson, executive director of Salina Arts and Humanities. This year’s anniversary event will have fresh entertainment, a number of new artists exhibiting, and more personal ways for the public to engage in the art, Anderson adds. Pick up festival buttons—good for all four days—for $10 each between May 2 and June 6 right here in Hutchinson at Radio Kansas, 815 North Walnut, Suite 300, or visit the website for other ticket outlets throughout Kansas. Purchase buttons for $15 each at the gate; children age 11 and under are free. Then follow our suggested Saturday itinerary for this family-friendly event. riverfestival.com
Saturday, June 11 Embrace the Arts/10 a.m.
Cross one of the five entrance foot bridges and claim your spot if you’ve brought your own lawn chairs. If not, don’t fret—there’s plenty of park benches on which to rest. Open your map and start exploring the grounds, taking note of the 20 commissioned, site-specific pieces of art. Last year visitors found fabric-wrapped trees that added color and whimsy to the area while blending in with the park’s natural surroundings. Look for live exhibitions, such as nationally renowned Kansas City graffiti artist Gear, who will finish his spray paint mural on this day while you watch. Anderson says Gear is a “festival favorite.”
54
Hutchinson Magazine
Child’s Play/11 a.m.
Got kids? They’ll love Artyopolis, the interactive children’s area, where youngsters can create their own art projects (like a beaded bookmark and a decorated hat), have their faces painted and turn their artwork into buttons to pin to their shirts. Acrobats, puppeteers, jugglers, clowns and other kid-friendly performers appear hourly on the nearby children’s stage. Consider grabbing a ticket at First Treasures Art, where your kids can return to purchase an original piece of art created by an artist or craftsperson at the festival for $5. The young shoppers are encouraged to find the artist in his or her booth after buying the piece to discuss how it was created.
Culinary Art/noon
Sink your teeth into festival fare such as flowering onions, pulled pork sandwiches, fresh squeezed lemonade and chocolate-covered frozen cheesecake from vendors on Food Row. Or try something bold like alligator-on-a-stick or a Mediterranean wrap with homemade root beer.
Fine Art and Craft Shows/1 p.m.
Stroll underneath the trees and check out artist booths showcasing paintings, mixed media, raku pottery, hand-blown glass vessels, jewelry and photography at the Fine Arts Show. Then meander over to the Four Rivers Craft Show featuring handmade wearable art, leather goods, yard art, stoneware and more. Prices range from $3 to $10,000, Anderson says.
Summer 2016
55
travel
Can’t make the festival?
Plan a visit to Salina to enjoy any of these attractions and activities throughout the year.
• Waterworks
Hop on a raft for a ride down the Green Monster adventure slide that drops nearly 320 feet into the plunge pool at Kenwood Cove, an aquatic park featuring six other slides, a wave pool, lazy river, water obstacle course, lap pool and children’s play area. kenwoodcove.com
• Wildlife adventures
Feed a giraffe, see a rare white camel and hear a lion roar at the world-class Rolling Hills Zoo, where more than 100 species of wildlife live in naturalistic environments in the 65-acre zoological park. And there’s more to see! Inside the expansive Wildlife Museum, more than 200 species of mounted animals, real waterfalls and animation bring to life the seven ecosystems on display. rollinghillswildlife.com
• Theatrical delights
See nationally recognized musicians, comedians, dancers, or the Salina Symphony at the Stiefel Theatre for the Performing Arts in a restored, historic venue. Watch a musical, comedy, drama, mystery or other theatrical or dance program performed live at the Salina Community Theatre. stiefeltheatre.org, salinatheatre.com
• Museum exploration
Explore Smoky Hill Museum, which currently features a special exhibit about the ’60s; a new hands-on children’s area called The Curiosity Shop opens this fall. Learn how to make a rope and touch the blade of a plow at the Central Kansas Flywheels Yesteryear Museum. smokyhillmuseum. org, yesteryearmuseum.org
• Good eats
Sit on one of the six porcelain bar stools and order a half dozen, onion-laden mini-hamburgers at the historic Cozy Inn. Choose from more than 150 flavor combinations of shakes at Bogey’s, sample a chai latte at Mokas Bistro and Bakery or choose from an array of local restaurants such as Martinelli’s Little Italy, Gutierrez Mexican, Jim’s Country Style Chicken, Bayard’s Café, Russell’s Restaurant, Heart of Dixie or Hickory Hut BBQ. salinakansas.org
• Beer break
Sip a Fire Engine Red ale or a Dirty ‘Ol Stout at Blue Skye Brewery and Eats. blueskyebrewery.com
• Lodging
Sleep soundly at the End Iron Inn, an early 20th-century home. Or, as you head home to Hutchinson, stop just five miles south of Salina at C&W Ranch, where you can watch cowboys at work and relax in the country atmosphere before turning in for the night. endironinn.com, cwranch.com
56
Hutchinson Magazine
Musically Inclined/3 p.m.
Sit a spell for some live music. “The two art shows are divided by Stage II, a more intimate setting for the main stage performers to play,” Anderson says. Except for the headliners, he adds, visitors can see their favorite bands up close and personal on Stage II and watch a second performance on the much larger main stage.
Interacting/4 p.m.
Need to stretch and move around? Head to the popular Poetry Wall, an ever-changing canvas of words that visitors configure into statements. Or try Hot Draw—a feature Anderson says gives festival participants the opportunity to draw with molten aluminum as part of an evolving exhibition.
Demonstrations/6 p.m.
Watch an artist at work. “Eight craft demonstrators will discuss, share and demonstrate the making of art,” Anderson says. “Wood, ceramic, mixed media, metal and basketry will be demonstrated throughout the day.” Then grab some dinner from a vendor, and stop back by the arts and crafts fairs to pick up one or two more souvenirs.
Grand Finale/8:30 p.m.
Catch the headline act, The Rocketboys (from Austin, Texas), playing alternative rock on the main stage. “Find a shady spot, roll out the blanket, and get ready to take in the evening of energetic music on the main stage until 10 p.m.,” Anderson says.
Summer 2016
57
hutch talks
Ginger Lewman
e d u c at i o n c o n s u lta n t at ESSDACK Ginger Lewman is an education consultant and keynote speaker with ESSDACK, a nonprofit education service center based in Hutchinson. She specializes in project/problem-based learning, maker education, technology integration, and working with gifted and high-ability learners. Ginger strives to help educators rethink what teaching and learning can be in today’s world.
58
Hutchinson Magazine
How did you get interested in project-based learning? In 2006, ESSDACK hired me to start a project-based learning school that was also very technology rich. I knew very little about either topic, but I was well versed in working with kids who wanted to learn but who were, for some reason, not learning in our current system. The truth is I had been that kid my entire life.
You travel a lot. Tell us about a memorable moment. I will never forget not having luggage in Detroit for four days and getting to stand on stage in front of 5,000 people. You want to talk about a harsh dose of humility, trying to be a professional with my greasy hair and multi-day pair of underpants!
downtime or vacations with my husband, everything—and I mean everything—is a teachable and learning opportunity. Something to archive. Something to save and share later. So how many hours a week do I work? About 120 hours, depending on the week. Sometimes more.
What inspires you about your work? It amazes—and sometimes worries—me that sharing my experiences as a learner and educator can change the outlook of a teacher and therefore impact potentially hundreds or thousands of children’s lives. It is a responsibility I do not take lightly.
What’s the coolest thing you’ve been able to do as a result of your job? Traveling across the United States and abroad is a pretty cool thing for a geography nerd like myself. But the coolest thing? The coolest thing is watching a teacher reawaken and reignite after forgetting how much she used to believe in kids. Nothing is better than that.
What challenges do you face? Helping struggling teachers realize they are not alone. That they are needed. That they are essential to the future of this country. And to help them find many ways to make music with their kids in a too often tone-deaf world.
How many hours a week do you work on average, including travel time? To be clear, teaching is not a job; it’s a calling. If I’m awake, I’m thinking about teaching and learning, and how I can take an experience back to both my adult and kid learners. Even during
What are your hidden talents? The fact that I talk very quickly is not a hidden talent. But it does surprise people when I tell them that I come from three generations of auctioneers. Joe Davenport was my maternal grandfather, and I’m quite proud of that community heritage. I used to be able to sing. In fact, I have sung solos in Westminster Cathedral in London and the Church of the Madeleine in Paris. But now I just sing for fun. Interview conducted by Patsy Terrell Photography by Deborah Walker
Summer 2016
59
hutch talks
ken
baker G e n e r a l Ma n a g e r a t Ra d i o K a n s a s Ken Baker is the general manager at Radio Kansas, the public radio station from Hutchinson Community College. Born at St. Elizabeth’s Hospital and raised in Hutchinson, he attended both HCC and the University of Kansas. He started working at Radio Kansas in high school and became manager in 2009. He is married to Mary Lynn (Pyle) and they have one son, Alexander. His life credo: “Anything that can be chocolate should be chocolate.”
60
Hutchinson Magazine
What is the importance of radio? Whether it’s KWBW, KSKU or 90.1, radio stations bring amazing information and entertainment into your car, home and office without subscription fees and without eating up your data plan or internet bandwidth. As people do listen more on the web, they still want to stay in touch with local events. As for public radio, we’re creating programming for worthy audiences that we haven’t been able to serve on FM. Right now we have three extra stations online and on-air using digital technology—a fulltime folk station, a jazz station and a contemporary instrumental station— each powered by the requests and musical tastes of Hutchinson residents. How do you spend your time away from work? I’m doing what I love, so I spend about half of each evening on the internet exploring topics related to work. My wife is doing pretty much the same thing next to me, so it’s pretty awesome. I think of myself as a cyclist but don’t get out like I should. My most prized possession and main exercise is my mid-1950s Scotts Silent Deluxe push reel mower. I’m not a cook, but I am a baker (pun intended), and I enjoy
spending time in my kitchen baking cookies, brownies and cakes for my staff. Drop by the station any random day, and there may be some left. Editor’s note: On our way! What do you never have enough time for? Travel. With such a small staff, it’s hard for me to get away for long. My son, Alexander, attends Northwestern University in greater Chicago, and I haven’t been able to visit like I’d hoped. Skype is a poor substitute for a real hug. What do you love about Hutchinson? About the only thing wrong with Hutch is you can never go to the store in ratty clothes without running into someone. Other than that, the size is just about perfect. The Cosmosphere, Strataca, Siemens (and soon the Arena) all make it easy to remind my college friends that, yes, I moved back to my hometown, but what a town! How do you think the world will look in 25 years? When we were kids, we all thought the world would be somehow different after the year 2000. That didn’t happen so much. Now I
see political changes that I think are going to stick. I hope and pray that we can prepare our kids to live in the new economy. I think our jobs will become more integral to living and less like a career that’s separate from ourselves. Are you a neat freak? I’ll have you know that you can sometimes see the color of my desk! Seriously, though, I enjoy cleaning, organizing, vacuuming, mowing and applying grease when needed, and I’m not going to let just my wife use the great appliances we bought! What do you collect? I collect good ideas. Why? They don’t take up space in our tiny blonde brick home. Seriously, I love reading about original thinking. Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Elon Musk and even Mark Zuckerberg are heroes not because of their hardware, but their ideas. Interview conducted by Patsy Terrell Photography by Deborah Walker
Summer 2016
61
end
quote
— Ken Baker, General Manager at Radio Kansas
13 number of contributors in this issue
5
recipes in this issue
the
“I collect good ideas. Why? They don’t take up space in our tiny blonde brick home.”
“People from all over love sitting on the front porch and watching the horses go by.” —Kendra Horst, on The Little House in Yoder
weight of WWII destroyer door in Bud Biery’s home
300 pounds
45,000 predicted heads of lettuce produced per year by Wholesome Meadows Farm
“We both felt a calling that we needed to move back to Hutchinson. Farming really encompassed all the things we really hold dear.” —Maggie Pounds, Simple Abundance Farm
“I had envisioned whiling away my time in idyllic pastures, a straw of Kansas wheat tucked behind my ear and a pen in my hand, writing pastoral poems to the rhythm of cows lowing and birds chirping.” —Frances Johannsen, Of Love and Cows
62
Hutchinson Magazine
Summer 2016
63
best bets
june
21
hutchinson municipal band concerts Bring your lawn chair, a blanket to set up in a shady spot, and enjoy the weekly concert by the Hutchinson Municipal Band. Concerts are held at 8 p.m. on Tuesdays in June and July. hutchinsonmunicipalband.org
june 25
robinson’s summer craft show Enjoy Hutchinson’s second largest craft show with 70 vendors—second only to the Robinson craft show in December. Find jewelry, woodwork, knit items and more! Begins at 9 a.m. at the Domestic Arts Building on the fairgrounds. (620) 665-7049.
Friday and Saturday events will be held at the Fairgrounds. On Sunday evening, attend the Gospel Sing downtown in DCI Park. And cool off at the swim at Salt City Splash in Carey Park. Monday, July 4th, will start downtown with a pancake feed, race and a parade to follow at 10 a.m. In the evening, enjoy car races prior to the fireworks. (620) 259-9434.
time stands still Stage 9 celebrates the resilience of the human condition with performances of Time Stands Still, a contemporary drama of Sarah and James, a photographer and journalist, who tell stories from across the globe. Performances are Thursday–Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. at Stage 9. stage9hutch.com
Hutchinson Magazine
salty dog and salty pup triathlons It’s time for the 15th annual Salty Dog & 10th annual Salty Pup triathlons, a family-favorite event in Hutchinson! Pick your race. The Salty Dog is a 400m swim in Salt City Splash, 10.5-mile bike ride around Carey Park Golf Course and 5K run along Jim Martinez Trail in Carey Park. The Salty Pup is a 100m swim, 4.2-mile bike ride, and 1-mile run. All proceeds benefit Hutch Rec’s youth scholarship fund. hutchrec.com/races.php
august 19
downtown hutch uncorked with tech
Downtown Hutch Uncorked is an upscale food and wine tasting event held in several venues in Downtown Hutch. Each location will offer samples of red and white wines with hors d’oeuvres.techinc.org
27
Yoder Heritage Day
july
Join several thousand people who flock to the small community of Yoder to celebrate Yoder Heritage Day. Visitors and locals are entertained by tractor pulls, horse-drawn events, the annual parade down Main Street, quilt auction, buggy races and more. Begins at 6 a.m. with the pancake feed. yoderkansas.com
pretty prairie rodeo
september 4
20–23
Kansas’ largest night rodeo is held in the Booster Club Arena and sanctioned by the Professional Rodeo Cowboy’s Association. This Pretty Prairie tradition is in its 79th year. pprodeo.com
All dates and times are subject to change
64
august 13
The third annual comic and pop culture convention in Superman’s hometown is back—and on Kansas State Fairgrounds. See celebrity guests including Helen Slater, Eric Roberts, Tommy Lister and Derek Stephen Prince. smallvillecomiccon.com
hutchfest 2016
august
smallville comiccon
1–4
july 14
11–12
july
june
summer 2016
annual hutchinson mall charity car show It’s time for the 6th annual car show, where 60 cars line up at the Hutchinson Mall, 1500 E 11th Avenue. Awards will include Top 58, People’s Choice, Best of Show and Dash Plaques. hutchinson-mall.com