Manhattan Magazine, Spring 2017

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2017

MANAGING EDITOR Kelly Gibson

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You may have already noticed a big change in Manhattan Magazine. This year marks our 10th anniversary sharing stories of the people who live, work and play in the Little Apple. So we wanted to refresh the look of the magazine to reflect the changing landscape of the town. We’re changing the look, but the content is still the quality stories you’ve grown to expect from us: stories about you and the unique reasons why Manhattan is Manhappenin’.

It’s especially important to me as the new editor of Manhattan Magazine that I explore the community and acquaint myself with residents. I’m still learning the area, but already I’ve met some of the nicest people on the planet and been introduced to the rich culture here in the Little Apple.

DESIGNER/ART DIRECTOR Shelly Bryant COPY EDITOR Leslie Andres SR. ADVERTISING ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Ariele Erwine | (785) 832-7109 AD DESIGNERS Shelly Bryant Jenni Leiste CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Michael Henry David Mayes Luke Townsend

So I’ve dedicated this first issue of 2017 to the people of Manhattan—from farmers to fair traders to professors to lifelong Manhattanites. People who add texture to the fabric of the town. Here’s to people I’ve met, and to those I’ve yet to meet, and the adventures we’ll take in and around Manhattan. Who knows!

Maybe we’ll bump into each other while searching for a hidden geocache, or while enjoying a refreshing pint of Raspberry Jam on the Tallgrass Taphouse rooftop deck.

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Patricia Ackerman Kimetris Baltrip Anna Binder Megan Saunders Lucas Shivers Lou Ann Thomas

Wherever your spring adventures take you, I hope this issue inspires you to find a new hobby or make a new Manhattan friend.

GENERAL MANAGER Katy Ibsen

Until next time!

SUBSCRIPTIONS $25 (tax included) for a one-year subscription to Manhattan Magazine

Kelly Gibson

editor FOR SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT: Manhattan Magazine 645 New Hampshire St. | P.O. Box 888 Lawrence, KS 66044 (800) 578-8748 | Fax (785) 843-1922 Or e-mail comments to manhattanmagazine@sunflowerpub.com

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Manhattan Magazine is a publication of Sunflower Publishing, a division of Ogden Publications, Inc. sunflowerpub.com

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FEATURED

44 | Living History of Manhattan

“Manhattan is the only place I’ve ever lived. I didn’t know I would live this long to see Manhattan change and get this big.”

Take a look at Manhattan through the eyes of those who have seen the town’s evolution over the years.

52 | Float For Your Health

– ALMAJEAN BIRDSONG

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Sensory deprivation tanks may seem like a thing of the future, but the benefits can heal you by bringing you into the here and now.

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LIFESTYLE

10 | Connecting with Food

K-State’s student-run farmers’ market invites student entrepreneurs to grow food and interact with the community.

14 | A Fair Trade

Goods that tell an international story

18 | A Healthier Grocery Bill

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DEPARTMENTS

How to save $2,000 by cleaning out your refrigerator

IDENTITY

22 | Cacher on the Fly

This treasure-hunting hobby inspires adventure, exploration and unexpected friendships any time, anywhere.

26 | Making it Count

Everybody Counts brings local service groups under one roof to better serve the public.

28 | Artist Focus

Get to know Ann Warren, a henna artist

EXPERIENCE

31 | Little Apple Drinks

Select the perfect spring libation, according to Manhattan’s drink experts.

34 | Taste of Home

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Take a trip to Sugar Creek Country Store in St. Marys for a deli experience you won’t soon forget.

38 | Too Many Degrees

This highly educated band prides itself on eclectic style.

DIALOGUE

42 | Dr. Emilie McClellan

Dentist at Tooth Story

THE LAST WORD

58 | Importance of Understanding and Acceptance 42

ON THE COVER K-State’s farmers’ market allows for young entrepreneurs to experiment with goods and grow their businesses by connecting to the community. Austin Dugan started selling his cold-press juice at the K-State farmers’ market and now owns and operates 86 Cold Press in Wichita.

Conversation between Pastor Caela Simmons-Wood of First Congregational Church of Christ and Syed Haroon Bin Farrukh from the Islamic Center of Manhattan

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CORRECTION Gary Wood was improperly identified as Gary Cook in our story about barbershops in the winter 2016 issue.

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Connecting with Food K-State’s student-run farmers’ market invites student entrepreneurs to grow food and interact with the community.

STORY BY Lucas Shivers

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ith an eclectic assortment of handmade goods, homemade treats and local produce, the K-State Farmers’ Market features a wide array of student talents.

“It’s not your traditional farmers’ market,” says Megan Katt, registered dietitian and health educator with Lafene Student Health Center. “Vendors are all students, both individuals and on-campus organizations, and we let them bring anything handmade and homemade. It just makes sense to have a student market, being an agricultural school in Kansas.”

Since March 2016, K-State Farmers’ Markets have occurred twice per semester. In spring 2017, the market will be held at Bosco Student Plaza outside of the K-State Student Union March 29 and April 26 from 11 a.m.–1 p.m. The market promotes student organizations across campus, increases access to local foods and promotes wellness.

“Our initial goal was to offer a way to shop and eat local foods grown right here on campus,” Katt says. “They’re offered at a lower cost, which is great for students. We are also supporting peers, so there are endless benefits.”

“It just makes sense to have a student market, being an agriculture school in Kansas.”

COLLABORATION ACROSS CAMPUS Several K-State organizations came together to create the market.

“There were a couple groups on campus that had the same idea at the same time,” Katt says. “The Farm Club and Lafeen Health Center of the Wildcat Wellness Coalition formed a partnership with –MEGAN KATT Union Program Council to work together to get it started.”

Other clubs have joined since the market’s inception, including the pottery, horticulture and metals clubs. Individual students also supply everything from jewelry to homemade seasonal decorations.

“For the students and campus, we showcase their talents,” Katt says. “We have so many students with hobbies and ways to further their studies.”

For the 15 students who consistently work at the three-acre Willow Lake Student Farm inside Tuttle Creek State Park, the market allows a direct opportunity to interact with the community.

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OPPOSITE Student vendors share their goods at K-State’s farmers’ market in 2016. The market offers a way for young entrepreneurs to learn more about their products and connect with the community.

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“We get to connect with the food we eat and get time outside,” says Erin Bailey, farm manager and a graduate research assistant in the urban food system program. “It’s great because we have a lot of students interested in agriculture and doing it sustainably.”

The farm grows a variety of crops and sells them to students. The organically grown peppers, tomatoes, squash, leafy greens, carrots and turnips rotate at each market depending on the season.

“We get the business side and the whole process from seed to selling,” Bailey says. “It’s different each month due to the season, but it’s a nice opportunity to show an array of crops.”

One popular item includes microgreens, germinated seeds that are eaten root, seed and shoot. These edible, immature greens are harvested with scissors less than a month after germination and sold in bags.

“They are more nutrient dense and can be spread on salads or wraps,” Katt says. “They’re very popular with students.”

The market helps clubs get the word out to the community on new projects like community supported agriculture. Unique products such as microgreens are now being sold to area businesses and restaurants.

“They work hard to grow things all year, and then they get to sell it,” Katt says. “The coolest thing is seeing the talent of our students. They have so much to offer.”

Bailey says the Willow Lake Farm Club uses the market to educate people about sustainable methods of growing produce. The farm strives to provide healthy, high-quality, locally grown food.

“We’ve been in contact with other clubs to get to talk with them one-on-one,” Bailey says.

“That’s been really nice.”

EXPANSION TO NEW IDEAS The student market supports entrepreneurs like Austin Dugan, alumni from the K-State College of Business and founder of a business called 86 Cold Press, which produces, bottles and sells juices.

Dugan, who took part in the first market at K-State, sought to share his bottled juice with others and tell his personal story.

“I was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease at the age of nine,” Dugan says. “I was able to manage it through diet so I’ve always followed the research and latest findings on foods to help heal our bodies.”

Cold press juice is a way for dense forms of nutrients and vitamins to be readily absorbed.

“It’d be like eating four salads in one drink,” Dugan says. “It absorbs quickly, straight into the body, to help cure illnesses and take health to a new level.”

The cold press pulverizes the produce, folds it into a cloth and compresses it under two tons of pressure to fully release the juice. The cool temperature prevents breaking down live enzymes that are sensitive to heat. Dugan currently has eight employees and a Wichita storefront with steady customers seeking the best in nutritional support.

“It all happened so fast,” he says. “The purpose of the market back at K-State helped us create the eye-catching product and develop it even stronger.”

The market often serves as a springboard to expand student ideas and connect with customers in direct ways.

“From the surveys of the vendors, we’ve gotten great feedback that they sell more than they expected,” Katt says. “It’s a great fundraiser for student organizations. I hope students realize they can start small to learn about their product from customers and try to make profit from it.”

ABOVE Austin Dugan, owner of 86 Cold Press, got his start at K-State’s farmers’ market. Now with a storefront in downtown Wichita, Dugan says he learned about his audience from the market.

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A Fair Trade Goods that tell an international story

STORY BY Kimetris Baltrip

PHOTOGRAPHY BY Luke Townsend

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my Kay Pavlovich’s interest in fair trade began about 25 years ago, but her passion for it grew 15 years later when she saw the working conditions of coffee farmers living in Mexico, one of five countries she has visited.

Having grown up on a farm outside Junction City, she says she became aghast by the plight of Mexican farmers who were working without insurance, assistance or any government structure.

“I was really torn up … I felt so terrible that there was this broken system and I’d never really thought about it,” she says.

Departing the farmers’ meager coffee “place” on a 15-passenger van filled with college students is when Amy Kay had an epiphany: “I remember turning around and saying, ‘Praying is not enough. We have to do something.’”

And so, her entrance into fair trade surfaced on the border of Mexico. She bought coffee from the farmers who labored there and sold it in the U.S. Her purpose for delving into the business, though, tugged her into much more.

–AMY KAY PAVLOVICH “We had only coffee for a heartbeat and then expanded to chocolate and handicrafts,” she says.

Coffee, chocolates, nuts, beans, and cookie and dry soup mixes make up the edible goods situated behind a stretch of home décor, wearables and gifts in Connected, a gallery-like space at 327 Poyntz Avenue that holds merchandise and meaning. Every label in the store features a product’s country of origin and may include a backstory about its maker.

Pavlovich, who is an ordained minister, considers her earthy store to be symbolic of her vocation and her calling to serve “the least of these.”

One step across the threshold of Connected offers a glimpse of 47 countries from across the world.

“I remember turning around and saying, ‘Praying is not enough. We have to do something.’”

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ABOVE Amy Kay Pavlovich stands among her fair-trade wares, including food, coffee, jewelry and decorative home items. Pavlovich has dedicated her life to creating entrepreneurial equality for craftsmen across the world through fair trade practices.

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Deftly arranged handicrafts—some of them remnants of steel drums, banana leaves, native rocks or woven fabrics—create a transcontinental shopping experience for those who enter Pavlovich’s fair trade store, which opened in Manhattan last December.

The store’s products display a mosaic of colors that importers helped artisans and craftspeople tailor to suit domestic styles and tastes, says Pavlovich.

“Their job as importers is to help the makers produce things that are going to sell in North America,” she says.

A FAIR TRADE STORY With roots dating back to the mid-1940s, fair trade was established on the premise of helping artisans and craftspeople, collectively known as makers, receive appropriate compensation for the wares that highlight their cultural traditions or homegrown talents.

Fair trade supports the makers by ensuring that their earnings are based on actual production costs, according to a website for the Fair Trade Federation. The federation comprises “individual alternative trade organizations” that incorporated in 1994 to become the North American Alternative Trade Association, changing its name a year later.

“Price begins with what a fair wage is for the producers wherever they are,” Pavlovich says. “Added on to that is the skill level of the producers and the cost of the materials. The average middle-person is one to three people.”

As compared with “regular” retail where 10–13 people profit before a product reaches a consumer, Pavlovich says fair trade’s model of keeping just a few hands in the retail chain allows makers to earn more money so they can care for their families.

In most cases, the makers who create goods for fair trade live in abject poverty.

“Full fair trade stores are important because they provide an ongoing way for makers to sell their products and be paid fairly, and that’s what breaks the chain of poverty,” Pavlovich says. “Fair trade continues to be for developing parts of the world, but there are certainly suppressed populations of people in the U.S. and they call themselves social enterprises, and it’s basically domestic fair trade.”

A PASSION FOR PEOPLE Venturing into downtown Manhattan required a lot of self-talk and persuasion.

Renting commercial space here can be costly, Pavlovich says. Plus, she owns two more fair trade retail stores in Kansas, one in Lindsborg and the other in Salina.

“I was afraid to have a store here … It’s a five-year commitment,” she says, adding that when she finally had the confidence to start a store in Manhattan’s eclectic, college-town market, she spent a year finding a location and working through other details.

Another minister and close friend suggested years ago that she do her fair trade “thing” if she couldn’t find the right church. She outright rejected the idea.

“I was an ordained minister, but I would have never said I’m a business person,” she says.

But that was then. Now, shoppers can purchase a variety of items from Pavlovich, the minister and the businesswoman. She’s part fair trade ambassador, too.

“If you have a passion for people and a desire to work hard, there’s nothing that’s more fulfilling because it’s such close, tangible help for poor and impoverished people,” she says.

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A Healthier Grocery Bill How to save $2,000 by cleaning out your refrigerator.

STORY BY Anna Binder

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ow often have you seen this scenario in your own home? The week starts off with a well-stocked refrigerator filled with beautiful, fresh produce. A week or two goes by and that now wilted, sadlooking produce is thrown out to make room for more groceries. Good intentions gone to waste.

The USDA estimates that each year roughly 133 billion pounds of food goes to waste in the U.S. That averages out to $500 per person, or $2,000 for a family of four, annually.

What if we could save money, eat better, and help save natural resources with a few simple actions? It may sound too good to be true, but check out these simple steps for achieving all three goals.

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Avoid stockpiling perishable food like fruits and vegetables with the hopes that you’ll eat them. Scale it back and buy just what you need for the week. To help achieve this, put together a simple meal and snack plan each week. Start by writing down your dinner entrée options and pair them with a vegetable. Depending on your family size, add one or two additional fruit or vegetable varieties for easy snacking. Having a plan will help give purpose to everything on your grocery list and ultimately cut back on wasted items.

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Freeze anything you can’t use. Produce that you’re unable to use before it goes bad can easily be frozen. Simply wash and chop up produce. Then, spread it in a thin layer on a cookie sheet and pop in the freezer. Once fully frozen, empty produce into gallon-sized freezer bags or glass mason jars. Any fruit can be frozen and used for smoothies or thrown into a hot breakfast cereal. Frozen veggies can be added to soups or stir-fries. Single servings of leftover meals like soup, meatballs or enchiladas can also be frozen.

Think of freezing leftover entrées as creating your own homemade frozen dinners. They’ll be waiting right there in the freezer when you need a quick meal.

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Use all edible portions of your fruits and veggies. Cut off only the very ends of celery stalks, otherwise chop everything including the leaves and throw them in a soup or casserole. Add the remaining pieces to a gallon-sized freezer bag to save for making soup stock. Mushrooms stems can be diced and added to stir-fry. Grate lemon or lime peel and freeze in ice cube trays to use as zest in a later recipe.

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Pick one day of the week to “clean out the fridge.” This is best done later in the week like a Thursday or Sunday. Make use of any produce that is on the verge of going bad by making a “catch all” meal like soup or our Free Up the Fridge Frittata Cups (recipe below). This can be a day used to eat remaining leftover meals as well. The goal is to not throw away any uneaten food at the end of the week.

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Seek out “imperfect produce” at the grocery store and farmers markets. According to Matthew Kundert, produce manager for Manhattan Hy-Vee, more than 6 billion pounds of fresh produce nationwide go unharvested or unsold each year because they do not meet minimum quality standard requirements. These items are considered “imperfect,” thus not typically sold to retail stores.

Hy-Vee is doing something to change that. You’ll find imperfect produce being sold under the name “Misfits.” Here you’ll see potatoes that are either too big or too small, carrots that grew slightly crooked, or oranges that aren’t perfectly round. Imperfect produce is just as nutritious as conventional produce. If you’re willing to look past the cosmetic imperfections, you’ll save money because these items are sold at a reduced cost.

Free Up the Fridge Frittata Cups INGREDIENTS • 1 tablespoon olive oil • ½ cup diced onions • 7 large eggs • cup milk • ½ teaspoon salt • ½ teaspoon pepper • 2 cups cooked vegetables, fresh herbs, or pre-cooked meat of choice.

(This is a good opportunity to use leftovers.)

• Non-stick cooking spray INSTRUCTIONS 1. Preheat oven to 375° Fahrenheit.

2. In a small skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat.

3. Add onions and cook, stirring frequently, until soft and fragrant.

4. In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, salt and pepper.

5. Add onions and roughly 2 cups of veggies, fresh herbs or cooked protein of your choice to egg mixture.

6. Coat muffin tin with cooking spray. Portion egg mixture evenly into muffin tin, filling each cup until just short of full.

7. Bake in the oven until egg mixture puffs and has set up, about 18–20 minutes.

NUTRITION FACTS (Per frittata cup. Recipe made with 2 cups cooked vegetables) Makes 12 frittatas.

Calories 80, total fat 4g, sat. fat 1g, protein 5g, carbohydrate 5g, fiber 1.5g, sodium 152mg, cholesterol 109.

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This treasure-hunting hobby inspires adventure, exploration and unexpected friendships any time, anywhere.

STORY BY Megan Saunders

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PHOTOGRAPHY BY Michael Henry

ome couples choose to mark their engagement with a celebratory toast. Many families share their travels through postcards sent home. Yet others mark momentous occasions by hiding a logbook in a piece of PVC pipe under a bridge.

While this practice may sound unusual, geocaching—literally finding “earth containers”—is a real-world, outdoor treasure-hunting game, and Kansas is quickly becoming a hotspot. Using GPS-enabled devices, such as cell phones, participants apply satellite coordinates to find the cache hidden in that location.

Players register through a common website, Geocaching. com, to find nearby treasures at corresponding coordinates. Once the cache is found, players sign the logbook and record their findings online.

Ryan Semmel is an Army veteran and perhaps one of Manhattan’s most enthusiastic geocachers. He and his wife, Lissa Semmel, became “cachers” during his service, particularly while stationed in Germany. When they returned to the U.S., the game had firmly taken root.

“Geocaching started as a hobby around 2000 when GPS became more mainstream,” Ryan says. “At that time,

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“When I was new to the area, geocaching allowed me to explore Manhattan in ways I wouldn’t have otherwise.”

–KRISTINA SCHMIDT

geocaching allowed me to explore Manhattan in ways there were only 75 caches in the world. Today, there are I wouldn’t have otherwise. I found great side trails in nearly 3 million.”

Warner Park and a cabin near Pillsbury Crossing.”

In fact, Kansas is home to one of the original 75 Even long-time Manhattan residents can uncover caches, located in Mingo, near Colby. Ryan says this cache new favorite spots and create lasting memories. Ryan is the oldest active cache in the world, made simply of a says many people will place caches in local landmarks or small PVC-pipe container with a logbook inside. in sentimental areas, like first-date locations or proposal “I know people who flew into Denver, drove four sites. Caches will often have personal stories or memories hours to see the Mingo cache, then drove right back,” written in the online description, and the cache itself may Ryan says. hold special items. These items, Avid geocachers are known as swag, can be a small passionate about hunting for knick-knack or a “trackable” like hidden locations. More than 400 a geocoin. A geocoin is a special caches are located throughout coin with a unique code.

Manhattan, and they are sought by A cache is any weatherproof container.

When a geocoin is found, young children, senior citizens— Ammo cans are popular, as are containers its code can be entered into the Lissa knows of a 96-year-old—and with locking lids. They can be as small website to track where it’s been. everyone in between. Fortunately, as a pen cap or as large as a five-gallon Geocoins, or their codes, can be geocaching is an inclusive, familybucket—or larger. Schmidt once found a found in the most unlikely places, friendly activity that evolves 55-gallon cache hidden under a fake air including bumper stickers and according to expertise. conditioner box, and Ryan found an entire necklaces, and even on skin.

“On the caching website, you shed. The main rule is to make sure your “I met a cacher who had a can see how difficult the terrain is cache is animal-proof, meaning no food code tattooed on his teeth,” Lissa for each location, and how difficult or scented items. Otherwise, a cache says.

“Some people have codes the cache is to find,” Lissa says. “It typically has a logbook for visitors to sign, tattooed on their bodies.

It works varies in levels. Some you can walk and sometimes contains trinkets, like the same; you just go online and up to, some may require equipment.” small toys, that can be exchanged. The enter the geocoin code. ” It was this sense of physical (caching) world is your oyster!

Sometimes, the trackable is adventure that hooked another simply there for the owner and cacher and friend of the Semmels, fellow cachers to track its path. Other times, it wants to Kristina Schmidt. She says she first became interested travel somewhere specific, like to zoos or on camping in geocaching after moving to Manhattan in 2012. trips. These are known as travel bugs.

Within months, she lost 20 pounds.

“The travel bug has instructions for where it ‘wants’ “It can add up to a lot of walking; caching is great to go,” Ryan says. “Once you’ve completed the mission, exercise,” Schmidt says. “When I was new to the area,

What makes a cache?

ABOVE Manhattan’s avid geocachers use GPS-enabled devices to locate hidden treasure troves. This spring, 1,500 geocachers from across the country will gather in Manhattan to attend the Midwest Open Geocaching Adventure conference.

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Geocaching enthusiasts share their geocaching tools: a GPS-enabled device, a writing utensil and some paper.

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As an experienced geocacher, Ryan is often alerted you place it into a new cache so it can keep traveling.” when a new participant is hunting, and it’s not unusual In 2005, Schmidt moved to Kansas from Arizona. for him to help guide them to the That same year, a good friend site. He’s met people from all over of hers moved to Pennsylvania. the nation who stop in Manhattan Since they could no longer have to cache. spontaneous adventures together, Ryan, Lissa and Schmidt are Schmidt made two small dolls • Register for a free account at so passionate about caching that that served as travel bugs. She Geocaching.com. they’ve enticed a major geocaching placed them in a local cache and • Don’t get frustrated—there’s a conference to Manhattan. The frequently checks the website to see learning curve like anything else. You Midwest Open Geocaching where they’ve been tracked. may not find a cache on your first try.

Adventure, or MOGA, will take “Through the dolls, we’ve been • Be mindful of your location. GPS place in Manhattan on April 22, and kayaking, hiking and camping in the signals can be thrown off by weather Ryan says he hopes to welcome as woods,” Schmidt says. “We get to live or heavy cover. It works best if you many as 1,500 people from all over vicariously through their travels and keep moving. the world. He is planting 105 new share in the fun.”

• Take lots of water, and don’t forget a cache sites to celebrate and can’t While Ryan considers geocoins pen to sign the logbook! wait to introduce new cachers to “Geocaching 201,” and not necessary the hobby. to participate, the connections can “I’ve always loved getting lost, and geocaching is all be made at every level. The Semmels met Schmidt one about getting lost in your surroundings,” Ryan says. “I’ve evening while looking for a cache. Schmidt jokes that seen amazing views of Kansas and unbelievable sky. It’s Ryan is the little brother she never wanted. an adventure.”

“I was the worst swag she ever found,” Ryan laughs.

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Making it Count Everybody Counts brings local service groups under one roof to better serve the public.

STORY BY Megan Saunders

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In just a few short years, the Everybody Counts event has grown from 30 community organizations to more than 50.

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n the fall of 2013, the Manhattan community learned that 250 children help provide a free community meal—the most recent event offered a free brunch—and local agencies like Harvesters and the Flint Hills in the school district reported being homeless. This followed several Breadbasket donated food to those in need. In just a few short years, the years of devastating statistics naming Riley County as having the Everybody Counts event has grown from 30 community organizations to fourth-highest poverty rate in the state. more than 50.

A group of Manhattan non-profit organizations decided it was time to “In 2014, at the first event, we served about 80 people at the take a stand. Now operating under the auspices of the Riley County Council community meal, and Harvesters gave food to nearly of Social Service Agencies, Everybody Counts was created 100 individuals,” Nuss says. “Last year, we served 150 to unite the efforts of area social service organizations and people at the meal, and Harvesters served nearly the ensure needs were being met within the community. same amount. We’re seeing a steady increase. Once “Approximately 25 percent of our population lives you do something well, people gravitate toward it.” at or below the poverty level,” says Debbie Nuss, chair of The next Everybody Counts event Nuss says the goal is to make social service Everybody Counts. “Even though many resources are takes place Saturday, Aug. 5, at agencies unnecessary. In Manhattan’s economy, available, those in need still do not necessarily know where the Douglass Community Center the living wage is at least $12 an hour, which many to go. There’s a need for coordination.”

(9th and Yuma), with groups businesses do not offer. Combined with a packed job This coordinated effort culminates in the from Topeka, Wamego and the applicant pool—due in part to Fort Riley families and namesake annual event for Everybody Counts. Each region. Learn about volunteer K-State students—and high housing costs, the cycle of year, the organization hosts a service fair, inviting the opportunities or provide ideas poverty proves difficult to break. community to learn more about available resources or via the group’s Facebook page, To counteract these challenges, Everybody volunteer their time.

Everybody Counts – Manhattan.

Counts focuses not only on its large events but also on “Social services agencies set up informational advocating for affordable housing and a secure food booths, as well as the health department and school supply. Nuss says they do this by acting as a voice for those who are often district,” Nuss says. “The Salvation Army and USD 383 FIT (Families in not heard.

Transition) Closet distributes clothing, and Hands On K-State has given “We’re a grassroots organization, and I think we do a good job of out hygiene kits.” reaching out,” she says. “We bring together volunteers and those who are Direct services also are provided at the Everybody Counts events, including dental hygiene checks and cleanings, on-site physicians, hearing struggling, and invite them to share a meal together and narrow the gap in understanding. No one should have to live in poverty.” and vision checks, and blood-pressure screenings. Nuss says small grants

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Ann Warren INTERVIEW CONDUCTED BY Kelly Gibson

PHOTOGRAPHY BY Luke Townsend

HENNA IS a plant from which the leaves are cut, dried and mixed with different ingredients to create a paste. That paste is also called henna, mehndi, or a dozen other names depending on where someone is from. The paste is applied to the top of the skin and left to sit for two to 24 hours. Once the paste is removed, the skin is stained and will remain stained for one to two weeks or more.

I NEVER henna without the right frame of mind. This is a job that demands a certain level of concentration, preferably no mistakes or stray lines, and to be given to my clients with a good attitude.

TO IMPROVE, I … watch YouTube videos and stay in contact with several other henna artists from all over the world through the wonders of Facebook. Some of them have been doing henna longer than I’ve been alive! These women are such a blessing to me because they are an absolute fountain of knowledge and wisdom. Any problem I could possibly face, someone has already faced it and solved it and all I have to do is ask for help.

ONCE I COMPLETE A HENNA DESIGN, I feel good. I know it sounds simple or childish, but seeing the joy on the faces of my clients, whether it’s their first henna piece or fiftieth, never gets old. With henna I get the opportunity to celebrate with my clients their weddings, the arrival of a new baby, holidays, birthdays, and just because. I also get to help decorate the body of a cancer patient I enjoy creating beautiful who is going through a rough time, help a things, and I get a sense person decide what they want their next of fulfillment when I can tattoo to look like and try it out before it’s create something for my on permanently. And sometimes it’s just clients that makes them a pick-me-up for someone who has been happy. I bring this sense down or depressed. of service and creativity

I am an artist because ...

I FIND INSPIRATION from a lot of different things. I love to look at and study some of the traditional designs/patterns from not just the Middle East and India but from all over the world. I also look at things within nature, fabric, wallpaper patterns, music and random things that people bring to my attention.

into all areas of my life and relationships, and it makes me happy.

WEBSITE: veronicas-veil.com

I STILL would love to do a destination wedding and be able to travel a bit with this art.

MY RULE is you must have patience. You can always add more, but it can be difficult to take away or correct a mistake, so proceed with caution.

WORKING WITH HENNA is always a surprise!

I may make my henna the same way every time, but depending on the humidity in the air I may need to tweak it. I may need to add more fluids to the paste to keep it smooth to work with if it’s dry outside, or it may become a little runny because there is too much humidity that day.

CONNECTING WITH THE CANVAS—In the case of henna, skin is my usual canvas. I have to figure out how best to prep the skin to take the stain, how best the design is going to fit and flatter the part of the body they want decorated, how the body is going to move and aftercare for each individual client. However, I do apply my henna to actual canvas so people can buy and hang up the work wherever they want.

MY FAVORITE MANHATTAN LOCATION is either Radina’s in Aggieville or On the Wildside. I’ve been going to both places for years. Radina’s offers me a chance to see new local artwork every month. On the Wildside has given me the opportunity to offer henna to their clients for a couple of years now. I can’t say enough about their kindness.

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Ann Warren delicately traces a flower with henna onto a client’s hand. The impermanent dye is commonly used in Middle Eastern countries to decorate skin.

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Little Apple d r i n k s

Select the perfect spring libation, according to Manhattan’s drink experts.

STORY BY Lou Ann Thomas

PHOTOGRAPHY BY David Mayes

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s the weather warms, our food choices often shift from the hearty stews and hot dishes of winter to lighter fare such as salads and fish. So do our drink preferences also change with the season? We asked some of Manhattan’s leading mixologists, sommeliers and beer aficionados. Here’s what we learned.

4 Olives Spring Cocktail – Earhart

COCKTAILS Spring is all about blooming flowers and bright, vibrant colors, and those are the same things that inspire Scott Benjamin, owner of 4 Olives, when he creates the restaurant’s spring cocktails.

“We play off of the bright colors and earthy sweet smells inherent in spring and use more liquors with floral aromas, like rose petal or orange blossom liqueur,” Benjamin says. “We also bring the acidity level of drinks up by using more citrus and fruit juices.”

As the winter fades, we move from heavy fare to lighter foods. With warmer weather, drinks start to reflect our desire for crisper flavors and cooler, often iced, cocktails.

“Our tastes shift from heavier spirits, such as bourbon and Scotch, to the lighter spirits, like tequila and gin,” Benjamin says. He admits gin is his favorite liquor, so he enjoys using it for spring cocktails.

“Gin is bright and floral on its own, but when you add citrus and other light and fresh flavors to it, it becomes even more so,” he says.

The greater availability of fruits and produce and early season herbs, like basil, also help spring cocktails come alive with fresh zip and pops of color.

“Flowers are associated with spring, and making cocktails with bright, crisp tastes and cool colors is so fun,” Benjamin says.

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Put ice in cocktail glass to chill the glass Shake and fine strain: • 2.5 ounces Navy-Strength Dry Gin (like Plymouth) • 0.75 ounce simple syrup • 0.5 ounce Pavan orange flower blossom liqueur • 1 ounce fresh lemon juice Dump ice from glass, run lemon twist on glass rim Strain into glass

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Caleb Edwards’s suggestions for spring beer pairings • WHEAT BEERS, LIKE HEFEWEIZEN— Pasta salad • KOHLSCH-STYLE BEER OR A PILSNER— Seafood, such as cod or tilapia

Spring brews from Tallgrass Brewing Company • VELVET ROOSTER—available from February through April—is a Belgiumstyle Tripel with clean crispness, big fruit flavor, a slight peppery spice and hints of citrus.

• KEY LIME—available May through July— is an American sour blonde ale brewed with lime peel, which adds a sweet tartness. This is considered a session beer with an alcohol content of 4.2%.

• RASPBERRY JAM—available yearround—is another session beer with an alcohol content of 4.3%. This brew is a sour wheat ale that is light-bodied, crisp, naturally tart and balanced with raspberry.

BEER When the temperature warms, it’s time to get outside for an afternoon at the lake, or a long happy-hour gathering on the deck. That’s when, according to Caleb Edwards, co-owner of della Voce, session beers become more popular.

Session beers are relatively low in alcohol content, making them suitable for drinking for an extended period.

“Even though session beers are lighter in alcohol, they are now being crafted with equal taste to the heavier-bodied beers,” Edwards says.

Shandy-style beers, beer mixed with a soft drink or fruit juice, often lemonade, are also growing in popularity. In fact, Edwards says, last year one of the state’s newer breweries, Kansas Territory, in Washington, made Summer Breeze, a beer with fresh lemon juice added.

“It was very popular, and I think we’ll be seeing more varieties of this style of beer this year,” he says.

Although the beer and lemonade combination isn’t new, adding other fruit and juices to beer is a growing trend and creates lighter, brighter brews suitable for spring drinking. Edwards points to the popularity of west coast IPAs, which are brewed with bright hops and citrus.

“The success of these fruit-based IPAs has led to more fruit-based Kolsch, sours and gose types of beers, and I think we’ll see even more of them in the future,” he says.

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WINE Evan Grier, owner of Harry’s and a certified sommelier, says our taste in wine tends to move from full-bodied wines in the cooler months to more light, acidic and floral wines in the spring.

“Spring screams dry rosé of all kinds,” says Grier. “Also in the spring, certain varietals from Italy, like Nero d’avola and rosso, begin to hit my palate preferences.”

Spring wines to add to your shopping list KEITH SPRECKELS, WINE BUYER AT THE FRIDGE • Cuvée Louis White Blend—a clean, crisp blend of Colombard and Ugni Blanc from the Gascogne region of France.

• Mastroberardino Fiano—a white grape normally found in southern Italy’s Campania region.

• Broadbent Vinho Verde Rosé—a best-selling Portuguese rosé.

EVAN GRIER AND CRISTINA MILOSTAN, SOMMELIERS AT HARRY’S • Mulderbosch Rosé (South Africa) • Valravn Red Zinfandel (California) • Rotie Cellars Northern Red Syrah (Washington)

Both, according to Grier, go exceptionally well with the beginning of grilling season and happy hour on the patio.

Another good choice for warmer weather is a sparkling wine, which Cristina Milostan, the floor sommelier at Harry’s, believes is often underappreciated as a good food pairing.

“The bubbles and acidity in sparkling wines enliven the palate,” Milostan says.

“Spring cuisines, such as raw or light seafood with lemon, salads with vinaigrette and spring vegetables in a citrus sauce, are high-acid foods, so acidic wines, like a sparkling wine, pair well.”

And as the weather continues to warm?

“It is hard to beat a really good Côte Rôtie Syrah served at 60 degrees,” Grier says. That’s because Côte Rôtie is full bodied with hints of black pepper and ripe red fruit, making it a great choice with grilled or smoked meats.

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Taste of Home Take a trip to Sugar Creek Country Store in St. Marys for a deli experience you won’t soon forget.

STORY BY Lou Ann Thomas

I

PHOTOGRAPHY BY Sugar Creek Country Store

t’s a short drive to a simpler time when the neighborhood grocery store provided a place to shop as well as catch up with friends. Sugar Creek Country Store in St. Marys is reviving much of that experience.

The store, housed in a beautifully restored 130-year-old building in the downtown business district, has an old-fashioned general-store atmosphere. The Hohman family-owned business features bulk and specialty foods, as well as a New York-style deli, with freshly made and piled-high sandwiches and homemade sides.

Bulk items range from spices to a variety of flours, from soup and dip mixes to candy and nuts. There are even gluten-free, sugar-free and organic selections. And the large, meaty sandwiches feature Troyer meats and cheeses, another family-owned business in the heart of Ohio’s Amish country.

“Our commitment to quality foods and ingredients begins in our deli where we strive to deliver the best tasting sandwiches to every customer,” says Dan Hohman, who owns the store with his wife, Jen. One of the favorites in the deli is the Pullman Panini, with roast

beef, cream cheese, onions and jalapeños on a sourdough hoagie roll.

Or try the turkey club, a generously sized sandwich with smoked turkey, bacon, Swiss cheese, lettuce, tomato and mayo on toasted white or wheat bread. The deli also offers fresh breakfast croissants in the morning and homemade soups during the day. New items are always being added and monthly specials are also featured.

The deli is what brings Susan Scofield, Topeka, back to Sugar Creek.

“The food is so good, and it’s a great place to meet friends for lunch together,” Scofield says. “You can grab a sandwich and pick up some grocery or specialty items you may not be able to find anywhere else.”

–KATHY PERRY For Kathy Perry, Silver Lake, the food is also a draw, but the friendly service is another big plus.

“They have a wonderful staff here. They are all so friendly. It’s like you’re part of the family,” she says.

And most of the staff at Sugar Creek Country Store is family. Five of the 10 Hohman children work in the store alongside their parents, Dan and Jen.

“They are all so friendly.

It’s like you’re part of the family.”

P A G E Only a short drive from Manhattan, Sugar Creek Country Store in St. Marys offers unique goods and deli sandwiches.

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Make Your Own Taste of Home Dan Hohman, owner of Sugar Creek Country Store, remembers his mother making chipped ham barbeque for special occasions when he was a child.

Pittsburgh Chipped Ham Barbeque INGREDIENTS • 1 cup water • 1 cup Heinz ketchup • 1 Tablespoon brown sugar • 1 Tablespoon cider vinegar • 1 pound chipped (shaved) ham • 6 rolls or buns

INSTRUCTIONS 1. Mix together first four ingredients in a large saucepan.

2. Let the mixture come to a boil, then simmer on low heat for 20 minutes.

3. Slowly add shreds of ham to the mixture and heat throughout.

4. Serve hot on hamburger buns.

The store is open and inviting with the original limestone wall exposed on the west side behind tables for dining in. More seating is available along the big windows in the front as well.

The shelves and cold cases are well organized and invite leisurely exploring and shopping. Here you will find a variety of pastas and baking supplies — who knew there was a raised donut mix? There are also Jake & Amos jarred vegetables, salsas, sauerkraut, chowchow, fresh coffee beans, Hazel Hill chocolates and a wide variety of items made in Kansas.

“We wanted to be different and to offer a unique experience,” Dan says.

And he and his family have done just that.

“The variety of items, fresh meats and cheeses, large-sized sandwiches and this beautiful building,” Scofield says. “It’s a short drive to spend some time in such an enjoyable setting.”

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Too Many Degrees This highly educated band prides itself on eclectic style.

STORY BY Patricia Ackerman

PHOTOGRAPHY BY Michael Henry

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other artists, Micah Peacock and Matt Brower. Five years ago, he started s a child, Sean Cochran grew up listening to his father, Robert, playing with Too Many Degrees. Cochran says lately he’s been working making music with his friends. The elder Cochran was a professor on his stand-up bass skills. in K-State’s College of Animal Sciences and Industry. He also “That’s been kind of fun,” Cochran says. performed music at local coffee shops. Musical Most members of the group have minimal gatherings in the Cochran home have brought formal training in music. Grieger, Carnes and Sean full circle as he now performs with his Johnson picked up their guitars as college father’s colleagues in a band, known as Too students, both for entertainment and stress relief.

Many Degrees, while earning his master’s degree Despite their lack of music training, they are in modern languages at K-State. certainly formally educated. Academic prowess “Hearing these guys over at my parents’ abounds, ranging from physics to language. It’s house when I was this tall, I grew up around part of what makes the group unique. music,” Cochran says as he gestures. “My dad –SEAN COCHRAN David Grieger, a professor at K-State’s played guitar, my older brother played violin, Animal Sciences & Industry Department, plays and in fourth grade I started on violin, taking guitar and harmonica. He also provides vocals. He began playing music private lessons.” with current lead vocalist Kevin Carnes, a research professor in physics, Cochran picked up other instruments through the years, including during gatherings at the Cochran home. cello, bass and guitar. As an undergraduate, Cochran toured with two

“Hearing these guys over at my parents’ house when I was this tall, I grew up around music.”

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“Kevin played guitar, and Cory Stamper [ former K-State veterinary school student] played the fiddle,” Grieger says. “Kevin and Cory knew some bluegrass music, and I joined in. A dozen years ago, the three of us formed a bluegrass group, outside of our day jobs, and began to play for fun.”

Grieger’s wife, Yvonne, came up with the name Too Many Degrees when her husband and Carnes began playing with Gerard Kluitenberg, a professor in agronomy, and Chris Reinhardt, a professor in animal sciences. Grieger and Carnes have carried the band Too Many Degrees forward as other members have moved on.

According to Grieger the group is composed of “a lot of interchangeable parts,” including bass player Matt Goss, and drummer Nate Kluitenberg (son of Gerard Kluitenberg). Cody Toll, director of Manhattan’s Gold Orchestra, also joins the group on fiddle when his schedule allows.

The group plays numerous gigs each year and practices as the performance schedule demands. They’ve played at wedding receptions and university events. They recently performed a benefit concert for autism at the Lazy T. Ranch.

“We have talented people, but we all have day jobs and are very busy,” Grieger says.

Members of the group agree that they would travel outside of the Manhattan area if they were asked.

“To be a credible band, it seems we should take at least one significant road trip,” Grieger jokes.

Regarding their musical repertoire, Carnes points out that their “song choice is pretty eclectic.” In addition to bluegrass, the group’s style ranges from red dirt music, country rock, folk and Celtic.

“We do covers of old classic rock-and-roll songs like “Jumpin’ Jack Flash,” “Brown Eyed Girl,” and occasionally Lynyrd Skynyrd [songs],” Carnes says. “We like to cross genres, and occasionally David will even pull out his electric guitar.”

Carnes recently acquired an accordion and would like the group to expand its Celtic catalogue.

Jessica Johnson came to K-State to pursue a Ph.D. in animal sciences. As a younger member of the group, Johnson admits that her appreciation for musical genres has widened since joining this group two years ago.

“I have had the opportunity to sing a lot of music I had never even heard before,” Johnson says.

Fellow band members enthusiastically proclaim that Johnson has the perfect voice for singing songs from the late Patsy Cline.

Members of Too Many Degrees continue to balance the rigors of their academic professions by sharing music with one another, as well as with audiences who appreciate an eclectic musical mix.

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How Many Are Too Many Degrees?

Kevin Carnes (Mandolin, guitar, lead vocals) • Ph.D., Physics, Purdue University • Master of Science, Physics, Purdue University • Bachelor of Science, Physics & Math, Purdue University

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Cody Toll

Sean Cochran (Bass, stand-up bass, drums, keyboard) • Master of Arts, Second Language Acquisition, Kansas State University • Bachelor of Arts, English Creative Writing, Kansas State University

(Fiddle) • Bachelor of Arts, Music Education, Kansas State University

Nate Kluitenberg (Drums) • Bachelor’s degree, University of Kansas

Jessica Johnson (Guitar, vocals) • Ph.D., Stress Physiology, Kansas State University • Master of Science, Reproductive Physiology, Northwest Missouri State University • Bachelor of Science, Animal Science, College of the Ozarks

David Grieger (Guitar, harmonica, vocals, electric guitar) • Post Doctoral Fellowship, Toronto, Ontario • Ph.D. Animal Science, Washington State University • Master of Science Animal Science, Purdue University • Bachelor of Science Animal Science, Purdue University

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The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommends that a child visit the dentist by age one. So that’s one thing we want to create here is a dental home.

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D e n t i s t

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Dr. Emilie McClellan INTERVIEW CONDUCTED BY Kelly Gibson

PHOTOGRAPHY BY Michael Henry

YOU HAVE A VERY UNIQUE APPROACH TO DENTISTRY. TALK TO ME A LITTLE ABOUT THAT. We create an environment that’s very welcoming to children. I love to read to kids, we have a lot of books here. It’s part of our name: story. We use a lot of distraction, so when kids come here we want to make it the best part of their day. It sounds kind of funny—going to the dentist is the best part of your day—but we really try to achieve that by reading stories or telling stories. We have special events and dress up and decorate and watch movies and just have a lot of fun.

WHAT WOULD YOU SAY SOME DIFFERENCES ARE BETWEEN PRIMARILY WORKING WITH KIDS VERSUS WORKING WITH ADULTS? Kids—their teeth are less gross than adults’. Just kidding! Working with kids is dynamic. Every kid is different. I like the speed of working with children versus working with adults. With adults there are a lot of time-consuming, long procedures, but with kids you have to be really quick because kids don’t have the attention spans. We have a lot of fun doing dentistry as quick as we can and as fun as we can.

Dr. Emilie McClellan’s dental practice,

Tooth Story, is not your typical dentist’s office.

A toy room and prize tent welcomes her tiny patients as they walk in the door. Her focus is on children and young adults to encourage healthy oral hygiene habits from a young age. Manhattan Magazine sat down with Dr. Emilie to discuss dentistry for kids and her experience as a new business owner and medical professional.

WHEN SHOULD KIDS START VISITING THE DENTISTS? The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry recommends that a child visit the dentist by age one. So that’s one thing we want to create here is a dental home. A place for kids to come and that is their dentist. We want to talk to moms about the importance of hygiene. We answer questions like what should my child be eating?

Should they have a pacifier still? Should they be on the bottle? Can I nurse still? All those questions are so important, and we like to talk to moms about that. So we like to offer free exams to every child before their first birthday so we can start educating at a really young age.

Hopefully we can prevent as many cavities as we can because unfortunately cavities are very, very common in kids.

OPPOSITE Dr. Emilie McClellan dedicates her practice to informing children and young adults about the importance of oral hygiene. She also devotes her time to community outreach.

WHAT ARE THE TOP 3 TIPS YOU CAN GIVE A PARENT TO ENCOURAGE HEALTHY ORAL HYGIENE HABITS FOR THEIR CHILDREN? We encourage using an app on their phone to brush with your favorite character—your favorite Disney character, your favorite super hero—you can watch them brush. We recommend not having juices and candy and soda and things like that—sports drinks—so we talk about that and having those at mealtime only. Another thing is we have fun names for things so that makes it more fun. Like sealants, we call them little white stars.

AS A FEMALE DENTIST, TELL ME A BIT ABOUT INTERACTING IN THE MEDICAL FIELD AS A WOMAN. I feel like it’s getting better. I know you hear horror stories about how women weren’t respected 20 or 30 years ago. I got to go to school in Chicago, and we were all welcome, any skin color and sex. We were all welcome. Coming back to Kansas it has been a bit of a backward step, but I’ve been able to connect with other female dentists in the area and medical professionals. We’ve formed a group here where we get together, we talk about dentistry and being moms and balancing that, and having working husbands and how to balance all of that.

I feel that by working with kids, a lot of moms are very trusting because they know I’m a mom, so it plays into my favor.

WANT TO TALK ABOUT BEING A NEW BUSINESS OWNER? Sure! My husband thankfully left his career to help me with this venture. I think having two children at the same time has been hard. We want to provide the best care that we can. We try to do community service, go to schools and educate the community.

We also try to do scholarship programs for kids who have needs. We try to partner with youth organizations and do a lot of education outreach. That’s our extension to serve and get ingrained in our community.

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Living History of

STORY BY Kimetris Baltrip

PHOTOS BY Michael Henry

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Take a look at Manhattan through the eyes of those who have seen the town’s evolution over the years.

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usic often filled the four-bedroom home that Dr. LaVerne L. Baker shared with her parents and nine siblings. She was a violinist in a string quartet completed by her three sisters, but “all of us played some kind of instrument,” she says.

LaVerne grew up playing violin and string bass, and at 82, she is taking piano lessons. However, it was her voice that crystallized her musical acclaim. About 14 years ago, a pastor asked her to sing in church.

“I don’t know how that happened,” she says. “I don’t know who told her I could sing.”

For nearly every year over the past decade, LaVerne has headlined a concert of Negro spirituals at the local First United Methodist Church.

“That’s the only music I do,” she says.

Her childhood home on Yuma Street is a short walk from a place she frequented to enjoy various types of music during her teenage years.

She remembers weekends of dancing at “Teen Town”—then the U.S.O. for African-American soldiers. The U.S.O. building was later donated to the city and called the Douglass Community Center.

“The Douglass Center was all black. Now, everybody goes there. I think that’s wonderful,” LaVerne says. “I think diversity is better. I would like to see Manhattan become more diverse because I want everyone to feel like this is their home.”

LaVerne

L. Baker

“I think you have to have a belief in God and have a deep faith.

You have to know you are God’s child … If I wasn’t God’s child, I wouldn’t be alive today.”

—Dr. LaVerne L. Baker, 82

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“I’m the oldest pilot flying in Kansas,” says 97-year-old Grice Sexton, who owns a Cessna 140 that he’s flown as recently as last summer.

For Grice, a retired major who spent 12 years serving in the U.S. Navy and Air Force during World War II, flying is “easy” because of the countless experiences he’s logged in over seven decades as a pilot.

He loves the skies where “nothing’s holding you up,” and on a whim, he will still drive to the Manhattan Regional Airport to board his plane stored in a hangar there.

Aside from tales about his adventures in an aircraft, some of Grice’s fondest memories date back to his childhood, long before he ever resided in Manhattan.

“My grandmother in Abilene lived out in the country, and she had a buggy,” Grice recalls from the days when he was about 5 years old. “Her and her daughter used the buggy all the time, and I’d ride with them.”

Moving to Manhattan in 1946 was quite a change.

“It was the big city,” Grice says, mentioning shopping trips to the local Duckwall’s, a discount variety store that sold “anything you wanted” and was originally opened on Poyntz Avenue in 1909. The store’s popularity led to a second location in Aggieville.

Grice says Manhattan has been a nice place to live over the years.

“I always did like it,” he says.

Grice

Sexton

“Faith in God. It’s the only answer I have.”

—Grice Sexton, 97

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Porcelain figurines, ceramic trinkets, stuffed animals and black dolls sit across the breadth of Almajean Birdsong’s living room.

“If it was in boxes, you would think I was a hoarder,” she says.

Taking one step into her home, though, reveals her personal taste.

“I just like the way it’s made or I like the way it looks,” Almajean says, explaining her preference for the meticulously placed selections. “Sometimes, I’m thinking I can rearrange it.”

Almajean, 86, has been collecting items in her home since she moved into it in 1980. Part of her possessions, particularly the black dolls, are carryovers from her mother’s collections. One of her sons has even adopted the hobby.

“Some of the stuff he collects, I wouldn’t collect,” she says. “Some of the stuff he collects, I would like to have.”

A mother of nine children, Almajean traces the room’s perimeter with a finger to point out hangings on its walls. They are her dearest belongings—framed photos displaying generations of her family.

“Manhattan is the only place I’ve ever lived,” she says. “I didn’t know I would live this long to see Manhattan change and get this big.”

For Almajean, the city’s growth has made driving in it unfamiliar; it’s motivated her to curtail her habit of shopping at local stores and yard sales, too. Her children usually navigate the city with her nowadays, allowing her to relax as a passenger.

“I get lost in Manhattan now,” she jokes. “We’ve got streets I don’t know about unless I read the paper.”

Almajean

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Birdsong

“Become a good Christian and accept life as it is. You can’t dwell on something too much.”

—Almajean Birdsong, 86

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Earl and Kathryn Baugher

“Keep busy. Have something to do.”

—Earl Baugher, 89

“Friends are very important.”

—Kathryn Baugher, 83

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If Earl Baugher, 89, and his wife, Kathryn, 83, have been hard to find over the past two decades, it’s likely they were somewhere living in a tent or a camper.

“It was fun,” Earl says, reminiscing on their travels from Texas to Arizona and “all places in between.” In the late 1990s, they spent almost 18 months camping full time after selling most of their belongings and storing what remained.

One of their earliest escapades in their “motel on wheels” was a visit to Wolf Creek Pass in Colorado.

“I thought it was crazy,” Kathryn says. “We were freezing to death and we were out here on the top of a mountain with children wanting to take a shower.”

The couple, who are members of the Konza Kamper Sams camping group, now enjoy weekend camping six months out of the year. They also spend much of their time as regular volunteers at the local office of the North-Central Flint Hills Area Agency on Aging.

There, the Baughers interact with peers who might share similar memories of Manhattan.

“When we came into town for the first time … there was a sign that said how many miles it was to reach ‘Big Dam Foolishness,’” Earl recalls, referring to the Tuttle Creek Dam and local controversy surrounding its construction.

After residing in Manhattan for nearly 50 years, the Baughers have witnessed a lot of change, which Earl says was first notable to him when Bluemont Avenue transformed from a two-lane street with a green canopy of overarching trees to a four-lane bustling thoroughfare.

And for Kathryn, Scenic Drive on the city’s west side is no longer the scene that she treasured.

“It’s just a mess of houses out there,” she says. “Some of the changes are good and some of them are not so good, but if you don’t grow, you stagnate and eventually go downhill.”

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FLOAT FOR YOUR HEALTH Sensory deprivation tanks may seem like a thing of the future, but the benefits can heal you by bringing you into the here and now. story by lou ann thomas

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t looks like a giant egg, but raise the hatch and inside is a foot of water, infused with 1,200 pounds of Epsom salt, a mixture similar in make up to the Dead Sea. This is a float tank, also known as a sensory deprivation tank, and is a health service offered around Manhattan.

Float tanks are being used by athletes, notably Stephen Curry, NBA point guard for the

photos by david mayes

A “floater� rests in a sensory deprivation tank. The therapeutic experience allows for deep relaxation and can eliminate or reduce chronic pain and anxiety.

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The general atmosphere at Quantum Health encourages a relaxing float experience.

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Golden State Warriors, to help with muscle recovery.

They are also helpful for anyone who wishes to reduce stress, anxiety and tension. But there are other benefits of flotation therapy.

According to Dr. Suelyn Hall, owner of Quantum Health & Wellness, flotation therapy also improves concentration and memory. It is energizing and can stimulate creative thinking and problem solving. Other medical benefits include relief for arthritis, migraine headaches, back pain, fibromyalgia, pre-menstrual tension, postnatal depression and jet lag.

“It also helps speed up healing and increases pain relief,” Hall says. “It helps you sleep better, and because of its ability to decrease stress, tension and hypervigilance, it is also a big help in relieving symptoms for PTSD sufferers.”

The float tank experience at Quantum Health & Wellness can be booked for 60- or 90-minute floats.

Floaters can choose to close the tank door or to leave it open, especially if they might feel claustrophobic. The

room is kept at the same temperature as the water, 92 degrees, so there is no worry about getting cold even with door open.

Doug Harper, Army veteran and physician, was sold on the benefits of floating after his first experience, years ago in Whistler, British Columbia, Canada. He is now a regular floater at Quantum and enjoys the relaxation and help with post-exercise soreness.

“I thought it looked weird when I first saw one and I wasn’t sure about trying it, but when I did I was hooked,” Harper says. “It provides a full body relaxation, and since I exercise a lot, it really helps me with muscle recovery.”

That deep relaxation can go beyond what some experience from regular meditation.

“You feel very safe in the tank,” says Chris Downy, an Army staff sergeant. “It allowed me to turn off my brain and tune out everything I was worried about.”

Downy had read about flotation therapy before trying it, and he says that the instruction offered by the staff at Quantum Health & Wellness helped to prepare him

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HEALTH EVOLUTION

for the experience. However, he was still surprised at how deeply he relaxed and what surfaced when he did. As he floated and tuned out the everyday worries and stress, a long-forgotten childhood memory resurfaced.

“I remembered, in vivid detail, a trip I had taken to Yosemite when I was little with my dad and brother,” Downy says. “Although I had seen pictures of the trip, I didn’t really remember being there until I floated. I really like that I’ve been able to reclaim such a fun time.”

After showering, floaters lie in the tank on their backs in a relaxed position with earplugs to keep water out of their ears. The level of Epsom salt in the water allows floaters to feel weightless and will prevent them from rolling over even if they fall asleep.

The private, earth-toned tiled float therapy room has a shower and toilet, as well as blackout shades on the windows so those who wish to keep the tank door open still experience no light distractions.

“The environment is tranquil and comfortable,” Harper says.

Floaters experience increased endorphins that help control pain. The temperature also helps the body release toxins. According to Dr. Hall, the high concentration of Epsom salt in the water can increase magnesium levels in the body, which is crucial to all cell function.

“It’s something you should try before judging,” Harper says.

Quantum Health & Wellness specializes in comprehensive, preventative healthcare solutions for a healthy body, mind and soul.

COMPLETE HEALTH ASSESSMENT

More than a typical physical exam, it integrates hormones with nutrition, exercise, weight loss and toxin release.

HORMONE REPLACEMENT THERAPY

For both women and men, Bio-Identical Hormone Therapy replaces natural hormones, those that are biologically identical to what your body makes, but have decreased because of natural or surgical processes.

NUTRITION SERVICES

A nutritionist provides consultations to help patients sort through confusing diet and nutrition information and help with weight management, food allergies, sports nutrition and the management of many chronic diseases.

PRP FACIAL REJUVENATION

Platelet Rich Plasma Facial Rejuvenation therapy helps improve and restore skin and rejuvenate facial tissue without surgery.

MASSAGE THERAPY

Whether it’s deep tissue massage, Swedish massage or relaxation massage, massage therapy offers a wide range of health benefits from increased joint flexibility to the release of endorphins.

PERSONAL TRAINING

A detailed fitness assessment followed by a customized program can up your fitness level and provide you with extra motivation to reach your goals.

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Importance

of understanding and acceptance Conversation between Syed Haroon Bin Farrukh from the Islamic Center of Manhattan and Pastor Caela Simmons-Wood of First Congregational Church of Christ

INTERVIEW CONDUCTED BY Lou Ann Thomas CAELA (C): How has your experience been here in Manhattan regarding acceptance and tolerance?

HAROON (H): It has been pretty good.

Generally when there are geographical distances or when you only connect with the media it does not provide you the whole picture. Until and unless you go and meet people, and be with them, then you understand them better. I happen to have met some people in anthropology, and

PHOTOGRAPHY BY Michael Henry

they told me two important terms. One is ethnocentrism and one is relativism.

Ethnocentrism is when you make an opinion about someone based on stereotypes.

Relativism is when you go and meet people and try to understand why they do what they do. That makes me think very highly of American values. For example, when people smile when they meet me. That is also in Islam. Islam teaches us to smile at other people. When you smile at people it is considered a charity.

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C: Nice. That’s very cool.

H: Yes. For example, the concept of charity is not just in Islam or confined to giving money. It is also about helping others; removing an obstacle from the road is also considered charity. I believe this is common to Christianity also.

C: Yes. H: So feeding the poor—that’s also considered charity and also common to Christianity.

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C: Yes, definitely. We talk about not just giving your resources but also giving of your time and energy. Hospitality is also important in Christianity. And in Judaism that Christianity flowed out of. I think all three of our faiths share that. It may be one of the few things that’s consistent among all of our holy scripture— hospitality, always, especially for the stranger and those who may be different from you.

H: When you consider hospitality, that takes us back to the history of Islam. Islam was mostly welcomed and given space to flourish by Christianity. For example, according to Muslim traditions, when the prophet Muhammad received the first revelation, he became very afraid. It was a terrifying experience for him.

Then his wife took him to a Christian who was a scholar of Torah and the Bible, and he had sacred words for him and prophesied that he would become a prophet. And when there was persecution of the Muslims in Mecca they found refuge in Abyssimia, which was Christian country at that time. When the people of Mecca went to Abyssimia to ask the king to extradite these Muslims out of Abyssimia, the king was very nice and listened to the Muslims. Then the Christian king, he listened to both sides and gave the verdict that he would not kick these people out of his country. He gave them refuge and honorable status in his country. So Christianity has been supportive of Islam since the beginning of Islam.

C: That’s wonderful. I think both of our faiths, and many of the major religions of the world, have at their core this value of welcoming the other, finding common ground and being accepting. But I think, in Christianity, what may have happened are some secular values or the wider culture, like what we’re seeing in the United States happening is that when people become afraid and are not able to act out of their best selves. I think even people of faith forget or twist what their faith has taught. It is inconceivable to me that there are Christians who don’t want to allow refugees into the country from Syria. I’m like, “What Bible are you reading?” I think it is really, really clear what we should be doing here, but I think when they are afraid they draw inward and are not willing to engage with other people.

H: Yes, I agree with you. I don’t think this is just among Christians, but is a human reaction.

When we are afraid of something and we don’t get to meet the people themselves, then there is a border, an invisible border, which creates a fear of the unknown. So I think this is human nature, and if we provide people forums to meet each other, they grow in understanding. I would like to draw your attention to the words of Prophet Muhammad. He says, “Creation is the family of God, and God loves those who are good to His creation.” And when you get to the term “creation,” it is not unique to Muslims or non-Muslims, but to animals, too. So if someone is good to all, they are liked and loved by God. I think this is also a common feature in Christianity, and when you find these commonalities—and there are many— they can serve as a strong force for us to move ahead together.

C: Yes, and I think what you said earlier about how people need to get to know each other is so important. Unfortunately, especially here in the US, we are so segregated into group of people who are just like us. I think there are many people in Manhattan who may have never met a Muslim or a Jew, so for them it’s abstract and misinformation and they don’t realize how much we have in common. Then when people speak hatefully or spread untruths they don’t have someone they can check with for the truth.

I think it all comes down to relationships, which is also the core of our faiths. Relationships and hospitality are at our core.

H: One of my professors used to do relief work and teach leadership. He wanted to build a hospital in Afghanistan. He went to purchase land for the hospital. It was an underdeveloped area and the weather was cold. In addition, it was not safe to travel at night. So the people in the village advised him to stay with them for the night and begin the return journey in the morning. He stayed with a family there and was sleeping in another room when he woke up to see a buffalo inside his room. He thought, “What kind of people are they to have put a buffalo in the bedroom of their guest?” He was unable to go back to sleep because of the smell and the noise. When he got up, he complained P A G E

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to host. They told him it was their tradition to put a buffalo in the bedroom of someone they respect. Since they didn’t have heaters, they brought the buffalo inside his bedroom for heat.

But they didn’t have a buffalo in their village so they brought one from another village for him.

C: Wow! They really went out of their way. Now, that’s some hospitality right there.

H: Yes. So you see, that is how when you meet people you get to experience their world. I also have another story for you. In 2006, I was a schoolboy in a country that was mostly Muslim.

At that time, there was not very good media, so we didn’t get to hear about other parts of the world. We had stereotypes about Indians, whom Pakistan had fought three wars against.

We also had stereotypes about Israel, too. Not just the country itself, but the people living in those countries. So, in 2006, I came to the United States for a Seeds of Peace camp, which was sponsored by the State Department. It was for youth from countries that had had conflict with each other. They made us sleep in one compound together. They made us share our meals and do group challenges. We could not do any challenge until all in the group worked together. So for those few weeks I was at camp, I made so many friends from Israel and India.

So much so that the people from India at the camp came and lived in our homes, and we went and lived in their homes, too. I tell you this to emphasize if we let people meet each other, if we let people get along with each other, they understand each other, and they might realize these are human beings like us. We might have different ideologies, but we have the same basic needs and the same basic longing for peace.

One more thing we have in common. This is the letter of the Prophet of Islam. He wrote to the King of Abyssimia, who was a Christian.

This is the main thing he says: “I bear witness that Jesus, the son of Mary, is the spirit of Allah (Allah is the name used for God) which He casts into Mary the Virgin, the Good, the Pure, so that she conceived Jesus. Allah created him from his spirit and from his Breathing as he created Adam by his hand.” This is the respect for Mary and Jesus from the Prophet of Islam.

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C: Yes. Like when you spoke about smiling earlier.

C: Yes. I knew that Jesus was highly regarded

by Islam, but that is exactly what Christian scripture says. That is really amazing.

C: Exactly. They learn that this person has a family like I do, they have things they enjoy doing; they have favorite TV shows and foods.

H: If we just educate each other and let people get along together, we can build so many things.

As I have seen in America, there are a lot of community centers and churches, and a vital part of the church is to feed the hungry, to dress the naked, to help the poor. They are helping even in Islamic countries as well. I propose that Muslims and Christians can create a forum to do this work together. That would probably help bridge the differences, or help bridge the lack of communication between people.

H: Yes, and we have to exchange cultures.

We have to exchange foods and these kinds of things. The thing I like the most is acknowledgement of diversity. I go into a classroom, and I’m not the only person sitting there. Along with Americans, there is a Chinese person sitting there, an Afghan sitting there, an Indian sitting there and a Pakistani also sitting there. We get to acknowledge each other. The skin color might be different. The appearances might be different. The dress might be different, but the human being inside is the same.

Then there is the diversity of opinions. So when we accept and acknowledge that we are the same, then we can share the diversity of opinions, which can now be exchanged in a free and open environment. That creates common ground, which we can use to go forward.

C: Definitely, because then people are coming together to actually do something of value that they can share while helping humanity.

I think one thing that is important about getting to know someone who is across some kind of boundary or is different than you is that there’s not just quantity of time being together, but also the quality of time and how you engage with the other person. So I think sometimes we need relationships where you can feel free to ask dumb questions and share things about your own background and faith. But it helps to have some background and knowledge, so go to the library or the Internet to learn some basics about another’s faith, country, culture. Then when you interact with an actual human being, you will be able to understand enough to find the commonalities.

H: I think interacting freely is the most important thing. People must be able to do that to get to know the human being first. People must acknowledge that this person is the same person as I am and they want the same things I do.

C: Yes, and that delicate dance where we find the things we have in common, but also finding the differences we have and celebrating them, too. I think sometimes it’s human nature to get confused and think that you can only like and love someone who is the same as you.

Which is silly. You can recognize that someone has different experiences, background and opinions and still love and appreciate that person, not in spite of those differences, but because of them. That richness adds to our human experience. It would be a really sad thing if we were all the same.

H: The best way to get into the heart of someone is to be kind to that person.

T W I N VA L L E Y

H: Yes. And small acts of kindness. A smile on your face, helping someone load or unload his or her car, helping someone move, cook something to share with your neighbor, do community service.

The best things you can do are those acts. I remember a friend of mine who I was going to for advice, and during the conversation he invited me to go get some ice cream. We had chocolate ice cream and then he told me, “You won’t remember my advice, but you will remember this ice cream.”

Believe me I still remember that double chocolate ice cream from five to six years ago.

C: Do you remember his advice?

H: No. (laughter from all) So these are the things that can help us develop good understanding between us.

C: At our church we have Second Helping, which is a free community dinner we have every Sunday night. We’ve been doing it for almost 20 years now, and it takes a lot of volunteers to make it happen. While you’re cooking and serving you have time to talk to others there, so if there are folks at the Islamic Center who would be interested in partnering with us to do that that would be a really cool thing to help people begin to get to know each other.

H: That is a very good suggestion, and I really like it. We are hoping to do a Red Cross blood drive, and we would like to have you join us.

Muslims and Christians can both come to donate their blood.

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C: That would offer great symbolism, too, that we are all the same on the inside with the same blood flowing through our veins.

H: Yes. It will all be human blood.

C: That’s a great idea.

H: And we could volunteer together for Habitat for Humanity. I think it’s important for us to work together for the betterment of the Manhattan community. I suggest we gather together and decide what are the most important ventures we can do to meet a necessity here.

C: Another thing I think would be good to do is get our children together, to learn and share their faith. That would really help the children at my church learn to come together, get to know people of another faith, but to also speak about their own faith. One of the things I really love about interfaith work is it forces me to think about what really are the values of my own faith and my own teachings. It would be so wonderful for our children to come together to learn about each other.

H: That is a really wonderful idea and that would be not only an educational venture, but

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also a leadership opportunity. It could help teach how to get along with people who have a different ideology than you. And I suggest a camp. We could have an interfaith camp.

C: That would be similar to your experience at Seeds of Peace camp. I think there is something so special to going away and having a concentrated period of time together.

H: We could not only have team challenges and share meals, but also have dialogue.

C: That would be so cool.

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Prairie Chicken Booming Tour FLINT HILLS DISCOVERY CENTER March 25, April 1, 8, 15, 5 a.m.-9:30 a.m.

Pick one of four early mornings this spring to witness the greater prairie chicken’s annual booming season. Flint Hills Discovery Center staff describes the experience as a “dance for dominance.” The excursion is $45 for nonmembers, and includes breakfast. Only seven participants can take part in each trip, so book your spot early. flinthillsdiscovery.org/240/Workshops-Field-Experiences

Silent Book Club ARROW COFFEE COMPANY

march

Royal Bunny Tracs 5K and Kids Rabbit Dash with Easter Egg Hunt NORTHEAST COMMUNITY PARK April 8

Lace up your running shoes in support of Royal Family KIDS of Manhattan. The Royal Bunny Tracs 5K Race and Easter Egg Hunt includes a 5K race and three kids races: 200 yards, a halfmile race and a mile fun run. Early registration for the 5K race costs $25. Registration after April 1 is $30. The Kids Rabbit Dash is $5.

The Easter egg hunt begins at 11:15 a.m. All proceeds will help fund yearlong mentoring and summer camp for children in foster care. royalbunnytracs5k.com

March 29, 8-9 p.m.

Ever wanted to hang out with a group of friends while you all read together … silently? Silent Book Club might be for you. Marketed as a “book club for introverts,” the Silent Book Club, hosted at Arrow Coffee Company, is a joint venture by the Manhattan Public Library and Arrow Coffee to allow readers of all ages to meet other book lovers, discuss books and set aside time to read. For more information, contact Gigi Holman at vholman@manhattan.lib.ks.us

6th Annual Pink & Purple Polyester Party

A Pour for a Paw Wine and Cheese Fundraiser

Dig out your polyester bell-bottoms and platform shoes, and boogie down with Kansas City band Disco Dick & the Mirrorballs.

Guests can enjoy snacks, a cash bar, photo booth and costume contest. Proceeds benefit the Johnson Cancer Research Center at Kansas State University. kstatefightscancer.com/ collections/pink-and-purple-polyester-party

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Earth Day Celebration SUNSET ZOOLOGICAL PARK April 22, Noon-4:30 p.m.

Take part in the family-friendly fun to commemorate Earth Day with Sunset Zoo. For more information, call (785) 587-2737.

Second Saturday Selections: Slow Art Day MARIANNA KISTLER BEACH MUSEUM OF ART May 13, 1-3:30 p.m.

The staff at the Marianna Kistler Beach Museum of Art will take your artsy questions pertaining to the museum’s permanent collection or current exhibit. Spend an afternoon learning about the gallery and featured artists.

Flint Hills Festival

HOLIDAY INN ON CAMPUS, 1641 ANDERSON AVE.

FLINT HILLS DISCOVERY CENTER

April 9, 7 p.m.

May 20, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

Looking for a chance to enjoy wine and cheese for a good cause? Look no further than A Pour for a Paw, the second annual fundraiser for the Riley County Humane Society to take place at the Holiday Inn on Campus. Apart from providing fine refreshments, the event will include a live auction, silent auction and raffle.

Tickets available at https://rchsks.ticketleap. com/p4p2017/.

For just the typical cost of entry to the Flint Hills Discovery Center, you can celebrate the Flint Hills with live music, food vendors, beer, wine and children’s activities. Come “feel the Flint Hills!”

K-STATE ALUMNI CENTER April 7, 7 p.m.

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FHDC Fifth Anniversary FLINT HILLS DISCOVERY CENTER April 14, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

Who doesn’t love a birthday party? This year, the Flint Hills Discovery Center turns five and invites you to join the celebration! Enjoy cake and live music, and be sure to take advantage of $5 daily admission for adults all weekend.

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Bill Snyder Highway Half-Marathon and 5K May 20

What better way to see Manhattan than to take part in the Bill Snyder Highway half marathon?

The race follows seven miles of the Bill Snyder Highway, and then loops through downtown, City Park, Aggieville and K-State’s campus. This year’s race benefits No Stone Unturned Foundation, Katie’s Way, CASA, Snyder Leadership Fellows Program and Hospice House. Register for the 5K race, which starts and ends at Bill Snyder Family Football Stadium. billsnyderhighwayhalf.com