Kim Morrissey has taught thousands to swim, not done yet
By Jennifer Lister
At any given swimming party on any given summer day, there’s a good chance that someone is staying afloat thanks to “Miss Kim.”
Kim Morrissey, a 69-year-old Wichita retiree who has been teaching swimming lessons in Wichita for four decades, estimates that she’s taught at least 5,000 people to swim, some from different generations of the same family.
For the last 33 years, she’s done it in a sparkling swimming pool in the backyard of her mid-century white brick home in the Sherwood Glen neighborhood, near 37th Street North and I-235.
For eight weeks every summer, Morrissey, with help from eight other hired instructors, offers two-week
Kim Morrissey works with 10-year-old Miles McCulley, who has been taking lessons with her since he was 3.
sessions of one-on-one lessons that happen for 30 minutes at a time, Mondays through Thursdays. By the end of each summer, 275 students will have come and gone.
The swimming lessons are a little
side hustle for Morrissey, who retired nine years ago from a long career as an educator, most of it spent teaching physical education in USD 259 elementary schools Stanley, Earhart
See Miss Kim, page 6
Important Notice:
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Heart disease remains leading U.S. killer
Family Features
While medical advances have helped people with cardiovascular diseases live longer, many of the risk factors that lead to these diseases continue to grow.
Fueled by ongoing increases in high blood pressure, obesity and other major risk factors, heart disease continues to kill more people in the U.S. than any other cause, according to the American Heart Association’s 2025 Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics Update. In fact, cardiovascular diseases including heart disease and stroke claim more lives than all forms of cancer and accidental deaths — the No. 2 and No. 3 causes of death — combined.
See Heart , page 10
‘The Girls in White’ tells story of trailblazing women doctors
By Joe Stumpe
As a medical student in the late 1960s, Anne Walling was required to read a book called “Boys in White.” It was the standard sociology textbok about medical students, and it completely ignored women. Walling didn’t forget.
When it came time to name her own book about the challenges facing women doctors of that era, she couldn’t help but call it “Women in Medicine: Stories from the Girls in White.”
“The whole idea was to try to get an honest picture of what it was like to go into medicine and live as a woman doctor at that time,” said Walling, a retired Wichita physician and educator.
The picture may be a little different than people expect. Published last month, “The Girls in White” is
now available in local bookstores and online.
In an interview, Walling said the book grew out of a research project that started with conversations among older female physicians in Wichita. The women had all entered medical school in the 1950s, ’60s and early ’70s, and were rightly viewed as trailblazers by a younger generation of female doctors, who said things to them like, “You were so brave! It must have been so tough!”
The actual consensus of the older physicians was less dramatic. “You know, it was tough, but it was a lot of fun, too,” Walling said. “We all had the feeling our history was being reinterpreted in sort of a negative way. We all had 50-plus years of good careers.”
“They didn’t deny there was a lot of prejudice against women,” she
Anne Walling has written about a book about what it was like to be a woman doctor before that was common.
See Girls, page 7
Win Music Theatre Wichita tickets
The Active Age and Music Theatre Wichita are giving away tickets to two MTW shows, “Something Rotten!” Aug. 20-24 and “A Grand Night for Singing” Sept. 3-7.
To enter our drawing, visit theactiveage.com and fill out the entry form near the top of the home page. Or, you can complete and mail or bring the form at right to The Active Age, 125 S. West St., Suite 105, Wichita, KS, 67213. Winners will be drawn Aug. 10.
Six winners will receive $161 gift certificates that will cover the cost of two Section 1 tickets plus the ordering
fee. One winner will receive a $34 gift certificate that will cover most of a Section 4 ticket, which is regularly priced at $36. The tickets can be used for any performance of “Something Rotten!” or “A Grand Night for Singing.”
“Something Rotten!” is described as a sidesplitting new take on Shakespeare while “A Grand Night for Singing” is a tribute to Rodgers and Hammerstein.
Name:
Address:
Phone number and/or email address: Please enter me in drawing for (check one) the $161 gift certificate __ or $34 gift certificate __.
When entering, specify whether you are seeking the $161 or $34 gift certificate. Good luck!
2025 Caregiver Summit
Your caregiving journey: Navigating, relationships, resources, and respite.
When: Aug. 27, 2025
Where: Wichita State Metroplex, 5015 East 29th Street North Wichita, KS
Time: 10 a.m. - 2 p. m.
Join AARP Kansas and the Central Plains Area Agency on Aging for a day of workshops and resources focusing on self-care, best practices, and networking with other caregivers
Scan for more information and to register for the event:
Riverside Park Pagoda to be reopened
Renovations of the Riverside Park Pagoda are set to begin this summer, but supporters are still seeking donations to finish the project. On July 19, the Friends of the Kansas Wildlife Exhibit held an ice cream social and tour of the building to publicize their efforts. About 100 people attended.
According to the Friends website, the pagoda was built in 1911 as a concession stand for the former Riverside Zoo and converted to a bathroom with waiting rooms two years later. Since 1938, it’s mostly been
used for storage, although it had a brief run as the Children’s Pagoda House in the mid 1960s as part of an effort to create interest in a new zoo.
The Friends want to use it as an educational and community space to support the adjacent wildlife exhibit, home to such popular critters as Keeper the golden eagle, Rufus the bobcat and Chuck the turkey vulture. The exhibit draws about 40,000 visitors a year.
The fundraising campaign is over half way to its goal of $200,000.
Checks can be mailed to: Friends of the Kansas Wildlife Exhibit, P.O. Box 2593, Wichita, KS 67201. Online donations can be made at kwefriends. org and PayPay. Donors are asked to indicate their gift is for the pagoda.
The Riverside Park Pagoda, built in 1911, is being made ready for visitors again.
Find your place. together
Age 18 or older
Upcoming Events
Hypertension diagnosis or medication
Interest in & readiness for the program
BP program offered
Significant cardiac event in the last 6 months
Atrial fibrillation or other arrhythmias
Diagnosis of lymphedema or risk of developing lymphedema
A hypertension awareness and prevention program called HAPp will kick off this month at the Sedgwick County Health Department, 1900 E. Ninth St. N.
The four-month program provides a free blood pressure monitor along with instruction on how to accurately self-measure your blood pressure at home, nutrition education workshops, biweekly meetings with a HAPp coach and tips for stress management and lifestyle strategies.
using the QR code at right. HAPp is being sponsored by the health department, K-State Research and Extension, the Kansas Department of Health and Healthy Hearts.
K-State Research and Extension is committed to providing equal opportunity for participation in all programs, services a activities Program information may be available in languages other than English Reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities, including alternative means of communication (e g , Braille, large print, audio tape, and Ameri Sign Language) may be requested by contacting the event contact, Sara Sawer, two weeks prior to the start of the even 316-660-0118 or sarasawer@ksu edu Requests received after this date will be honored when it is feasible to do so Language access services, such as interpretation or translation of vital information, will be provided free of charge to limited English proficient individuals upon request
Alzheimer’s walk gearing up
Pre-sales are going fast !
With several styles already gone, now’s the time to find your place.
Expansion Lunch & Learn: Your Future at Larksfield Landing
Tuesday, August 12, 11:30 a.m
Larksfield Place • 7373 E 29th St N, Wichita, KS 67226
Larksfield Place is nearly full, but Larksfield Landing is just beginning! Join us for lunch, meet our team, and discover how Larksfield Landing offers the perfect opportunity to plan ahead. Learn about exclusive Charter Member benefits and limited-time pre-construction price breaks.
Ready to move now ?
Limited availability. Call to learn more. Spacious, light-filled one-bedroom deluxe apartment homes are ready now—no waitlist, no delay. With open-concept kitchens, stunning lake or future courtyard views, and easy access to new outdoor spaces, they’re the perfect way to join Larksfield Place now.
To RSVP, scan the QR code or call 316-202-4074. Stay informed about upcoming events and expansion updates.
The initial meeting is from 5:306:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 21.
There is no charge for HAPp. To be eligible, you must be 18 or older and have a hypertension diagnosis or medication, a significant cardiac event in the last six months, atrial fibrillation or other arrhythmias or a diagnosis or risk of developing lymphedema.
For questions, contact Tara Sharon at (316) 660-7428 or HealthEducation@sedgwick.gov ; or Sara Sawer at (316) 660-0118 or sarasawer@ksu.edu. You can register
Several preliminary fundraisers for the 2025 Walk to End Alzheimer’s are being held this month. On Aug. 1, Mega Pines Mini Golf at 1802 U.S. 54 in Andover will donate some proceeds to the Walk and XY Bar at 235 N. Mosley St. in Wichita will host Bitchy Bingo to support the Walk. On Aug. 6 and Sept. 16, Picasso’s Pizza at 621 W. Douglas will donate 10 percent of proceeds to the Walk when customers mention it.
This year’s Walk will be held Oct. 25 at Wichita WaterWalk, 515 S. Wichita St. For more information, visit alz.org.
Thank You Recent Donors!
Honor Roll of Donors
Miss Kim
From Page 1
and finally Dodge Literacy Magnet.
The lessons are also one of Morrissey’s greatest passions, so much so that she moved to her current home in 1992 just because it had a pool where she could teach.
Over the years, Miss Kim’s little swim school has become one of Wichita’s most sought after, even though it’s never been advertised. Her first clients years ago were her elementary school students, and since then, her summer sessions have been booked to capacity with people who have been referred to her through word of mouth or Facebook.
Though Morrissey teaches all ages — including seniors who want to improve their skills — most of her students are younger children whose moms and siblings wait and watch under one of the many colorful umbrellas stationed around the pool.
Occasionally, Morrissey admits, she’s thought about retiring from teaching swimming, too. But it just never happens, she said with a laugh. She’s missed being around children, and the lessons give her a “kid fix,” she said.
“I’ve said to all of my parents for the last three years, maybe four, ‘This might be my last year,’” Morrissey said. “And then I’m back in the pool. So I’ve come to the conclusion that I’m going to continue to do swim lessons as long as I like it and I can.”
A change in plans
Morrissey didn’t always plan on becoming a P.E. teacher. Initially, she enrolled at Kansas State University to become an interior decorator.
But she had a little too much fun her freshman year, she said, and she “pretty much flunked out.”
“I came back to Wichita, and my mom was a P.E. teacher for a short period,” she said. “And I thought, ‘You know, I think that’s what I’ll do.’”
She enrolled in Wichita State University, and when she started her career, she said, she fell in love with it.
Teaching P.E. made sense to Morrissey, who’d grown up in a family of athletes, most of whom went to college on athletic scholarships.
“I did not,” she said. “I was not an athlete. I was a girly girl. I did things like the pom pom squad. I was kind of a clutz. So when I became a P.E. teacher, I could help those kids that it didn’t click for. I understood what it felt like when you were not the best at throwing a ball, or you were not the best at playing basketball.”
Early in her career, Morrissey served as a swimming coach at West High School, and she taught her first swimming lessons to USD 259 summer school students. She had a knack for it, so she started offering private lessons to people at their own homes.
“And then I thought, ‘Well, this is stupid. I’m going to get a house with a pool,’” she said. “So I went house hunting particularly for a house that had a pool.”
When she first started her backyard swim school, she was the only teacher. Eventually, her daughter taught alongside her. Then her granddaughter joined in. Today, as many as five one-on-one lessons are often happening simultaneously in the pool, and her small staff includes two current and one other retired P.E. teachers.
When she first bought her house with the pool, the backyard was trashed, she said. But over the years, she’d use the money from swim lessons to fix it up.
Today, the bright pool is surrounded by potted flowers, pool umbrellas, lots of table-and-chair groupings and two striped canvas cabanas that her students can use to change clothes.
Colorful kickboards are piled on the edge of the pool as is a big assortment of dive toys.
There’s a water fountain burbling in one corner of the yard, and a small pergola is decorated with a sign that reads, “Keep calm and stay anchored.”
Parents, she said, have joked that all the pool needs to make it perfect are cocktails with little umbrellas.
“They really like to be back here,” she said. “They get 30 minutes of peace and really like being in the back yard.”
On a recent afternoon, Morrissey and one of her young instructors were in the pool, each giving a makeup swimming lesson. Morrissey was on
Morrissey with one of her young students, Kimberly Connell.
one end wearing a brightly colored two-piece swimsuit, her blonde hair in a bun on the top of her head. She was patiently helping a 6-year-old named Abraham how to improve his stroke.
“Big arms! Big arms!” she encouraged as his hands plunked into the water. “Lookie there! Give me five! You’re in the deep water!”
One-on-one help
At the end of the lesson, the boy’s pleased mother asked Morrissey if she taught children with special needs. She had an older child at home whom she thought could benefit from lessons.
Morrissey in fact, will teach anyone over the age of 2, and she’s had great success. Her one-on-one lessons, she said, are particularly good for people who would be overwhelmed by the group lessons that are most commonly offered around town.
“So if your child is one of those that is afraid of the water or might be special needs, they might need that extra help,” she said. “That’s kind of my part.”
Morrissey, who also just started another job as the co-executive director of the Kansas Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation & Dance, said that she feels lucky to have taught so many people in Wichita such an important skill.
In fact, she said, she’s taught so many people that it’s hard for her to go anywhere in Wichita without being recognized. It even happens when she’s out of town.
She tells a story about the time that a young man was helping repair her next-door-neighbor’s roof.
“And he looked in my back yard and he said, ‘I think I took swim lessons in that pool,’” she said.
Goal is 'more than 100'
Years ago, a friend sent Morrissey a YouTube video about a 102-year-old woman who was still teaching lessons at the YMCA. “This is you,” her friend commented.
“It’s my goal,” Morrissey said. “I want to be able to continue to do that. And I tell people all the time, my plan is to live to be more than 100.”
Teaching lessons has helped keep her young, Morrissey said, especially in her own mind. And she believes that the keys to longevity are not only movement but also socialization.
“And look at how much socialization I get,” she said.
Any senior interested in private lessons with Morrissey can call her at 316-641-6383.
Courtesy photo
Kim
Girls
From Page 1
said. “They pointed out that people nowadays don’t realize it was the ’60s and ’70s, and that was just the way the world was. The other thing (younger doctors) don’t realize is that medical school was tough on everyone. The men had a tough time, too.”
Walling’s experience differed slightly from her peers. A native of Scotland, she graduated from the University of St. Andrews School of Medicine in 1971 and moved to the United States with her husband, Dr. Adrian Walling, in 1980, taking a job with the University of Kansas School of Medicine the next year. At the time, she noted that women physicians were more common in Great Britain than here.
“The influx of women into medicine (in the United States) was just getting underway,”
Walling taught and held several other roles at the medical school before taking professor emeritus status in 2017. She’s a prolific writer on medical topics and has been an associate editor of the journal American Family Physicians since 1989.
In 2016, Walling got the ball rolling on an oral history project involving 23 senior female members of the Medical Society of Sedgwick County. It was called “The Only Woman in the Room.”
Then in 2019, she partnered with the University of Kansas Medical Alumni Association to contact women who’d earned their medical degrees before the influx of women into medicine in the mid-1970s. Walling interviewed 37 women doctors who’d practiced 13 different specialties in 16 states and several other countries. The oldest had graduated from KU’s medical school in 1948
“She was a great lady,” Walling said. “She was in a nursing home in North Carolina. She was determined to take part (in the research). She just
had a whole life of service to other people.”
Another participant, who was 88, “said she’d ‘promised (her husband) I’d retire when I was 90, but he’s dead.’ They all had a great sense of humor.”
The interviews were intended for a research project, so there was a set formula to the questions and the identities of the women are not revealed, but their personalities still come through at times. The book starts, for instance, with the tale of a 10-yearold Kansas girl watching as a boy who’s been seriously wounded in a hunting accident is brought into the office of her father’s rural medical practice. But her father is away delivering a baby, and her mother, a nurse, can only attempt to stop the bleeding before the boy is driven in a truck over unpaved roads to Wichita. The girl — one of Walling’s interviewees — decides on the spot to become a doctor.
The first opposition some women overcame to becoming a doctor was in the admissions process for college and medical school. After asking about pre-med courses, one recalled, she was told “girls don’t do pre-med. I just smiled sweetly at them and said, ‘What courses are required?’ And I did them.”
“They didn’t fight the system,” Walling said. “They kind of smiled sweetly and navigated the system.”
Women applying to medical school “were all asked about getting married and having children,” she added.
Once in medical school, they were a tiny minority. There were two female graduates in 1964 and four in 1968. “There was a lot of sexism that took a lot of different forms,” Walling said. “Everything from being touched and teased to the financial aspect when they tried to get loans to set up
practice.”
Once in practice, she said, “One thing that really got them was not being taken seriously as competent professionals — always having to prove yourself, work twice as hard as the men.”
Many of the women had young children early in their careers. One told a story of a babysitter becoming ill during her residency shift. She found someone to cover her shift, raced to the babysitter’s house to retrieve her child, sped to another babysitter’s house to drop the child off, then raced back to the hospital, getting pulled over by a police officer along the way.
“She said, ‘I burst into tears and told him what happened, and he said, ‘You got enough troubles, lady,’ and gave her an escort.”
“They all talked about having to have multiple backup systems when they had little kids.”
But with the exception of one participant, all said it was worth it.
“They all talked about the privilege of practicing medicine for 50 years and the intellectual challenges. They really loved what they did.”
Wichita radiologist Joy Darrah, one of the physicians Walling interviewed, was one of 20 women in the 1971 graduating class of 200. Darrah said Walling's research "introduces people to the way things were as opposed to the way things are now."
"I think all the adversities we met, you just kept plowing through to get to where you wanted to go."
Darrah, Walling and others like them helped usher in a new era of medicine. From a tiny percent in the 1960s, women now comprise a majority of the students enrolled at U.S. medical schools.
“They just did their jobs and made it credible for women doctors to be recognized as good doctors,” Walling said. “Without them, it wouldn’t have happened.”
Book talk at Watermark
Anne Walling will discuss "Women in Medicine: Stories from the Girls in White" at Watermark Books & Cafe, 4701 E. Douglas Ave., at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 21. Signed copies of her book are available at the store.
Trump’s ‘Big, Beautiful Bill’: The good and bad, according to AARP
The “One Big, Beautiful Bill’ signed into law by President Trump on July 4 will be a mixed bag for seniors, according to AARP.
“While we support several provisions in the (bill) that would provide meaningful relief, we oppose others that would put health coverage, food assistance, and financial security further out of reach for those already struggling,” Nancy LeaMond, AARP’s executive vice president, wrote in a letter to U.S. senators before the bill’s passage.”
Several provisions in the bill that
specifically benefit some seniors were endorsed by AARP. These include:
• A temporary increase in the senior standard deduction from $1,950 to $6,000 for people 65 and older, which will eliminate taxes that some older Americans pay on Social Security benefits. The full deduction is available to individuals with a modified gross adjusted income of up to $75,000 (up to $150,000 for couples filing jointly) and is phased out as a recipient’s income rises. The bonus deduction will expire in 2029 and does not benefit the 64 percent of Social Security recipi-
ents who now pay no income taxes on benefits.
• An expansion in the Section 45S tax credit for companies that offer paid family or medical leave to caregivers.
• Easing access for builders and investors to qualify for the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit, which could lead to more affordable housing for seniors on fixed incomes.
AARP opposed other elements of the bill, including:
• Work requirements for Medicaid that will reduce the number of people covered by it.
• Shifting a portion of the cost of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) onto states that may not be able to afford it. The bill also adds a work requirement for most people up to 64 years old.
• Delaying the implementation of new nursing home standards that AARP says “will perpetuate unsafe conditions in many facilities across the country.”
• Changes in how Affordable Care Act plans are administered that will reduce the number of people covered and increase out-of-pocket premiums.
Second-year medical students Lisa Jenkins, Mary Ann Lauver and Eva Roeder prepare for a pathology class in 1972. Photo courtesy of University of Kansas Medical Center Archives, Kansas City, Kan.
August Theatre
By Diana Morton
Kechi Playhouse, 100 E. Kechi Road, Much Ado About Nothing. The Bard’s most popular play about…nothing? Well, let’s just say it’s about the complexities of being in love. After 42 years, this comedy is Kechi Playhouse’s first staged Shakespeare script. Fri-Sat, 8 pm, Sun matinee 2:30 pm. Aug 1-24. Tickets are $17 on Fri and Sat and $16 on Sundays. For more information, call 316 -744 - 2152
Mosley Street Melodrama, 234 N. Mosley. Forgetting the Titans by Ryan Schafer and Molly Tully followed by a new musical review. Aug 25-Sept 6. Tickets, dinner, & show $36-40; show only $26-30. 316-263-0222
Music Theatre Wichita, Century II Concert Hall. Disney’s Newsies. July 30-Aug 3.
Next: Something Rotten! Humorous new take on Shakespeare, Aug. 20-24. And A Grand Night for Singing. Songs from Rogers and Hammerstein, Sept. 3-7. Contact box office for times and prices. 316-265-310. ASL provided,
Saturday, August 2nd @ 2:00pm.
Roxy’s Downtown, 412 E. Douglas, cabaret-style theatre. The Play That Goes Wrong. This Tony winning farce portrays the doomed opening night of a play. 7:30 pm Wed-Sat, 2 pm Sat & Sun, through Aug 10. Tickets $40. 316-265-4400
Next: EVITA. Tony-winning musical charts Eva Peron’s meteoric rise from illegitimate child to ambitious actress to wife of Argentinian president Juan Peron before her death from cancer at age 33. 7:30 pm Thur - Sat, Aug 22Sept 27. Tickets $40. 316-265-4400
Wichita Community Theatre, 258 N. Fountain. The Cottage by Sandy Rustin and directed by Mary Lou Phipps-Winfrey. Sylvia and Beau find themselves in an English countryside cottage for their yearly rendezvous when their spouses arrive. Sept 4-14; 8 pm Thur-Sat, 2 pm Sun. Tickets $1618. 316-686-1282
Contact Diana Morton at dianamorton12@sbcglobal.net
August quiz: Arm chair traveling
By Nancy Wheeler
In this prime season of vacation traveling, see if you can name the countries where these famed manmade and natural attractions are located. The answers appear on page 20.
13. Positano, Lake Como, Amalfi Coast_____________
14. Uluru, Sydney Opera House, Gold Coast__________
15. Sapporo, Mount Fuji, Okinawa___________
The Little House on the Prairie really is … little
By Joe Norris
I never read any of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s books when I was a kid. I wasn’t intentionally trying to avoid the lady, I was just more into The Hardy Boys. My wife and I never tuned into the “Little House on the Prairie” TV series, either. Nothing against Michael Landon or his luxuriant forest of hair, but we were probably watching “MASH” instead. We both love Kansas history, though, and the prairie where Laura’s little house stood is right here in our state. So we decided to take a day trip down to the Little House on the Prairie Museum, near Independence.
As we drove up to the Ingalls’ homestead, I imagined that I was seeing Laura’s book come to life. There’s a pretty little white farmhouse with a hand-dug well outside. Nearby is a small log building that I’m thinking is some kind of shed. A buckboard wagon stands in the yard, ready to be loaded with supplies. And there’s a sleepy-looking donkey who ambles up to the corral fence to greet us. He quickly loses interest when he sees that we have no snacks, then wanders back toward the big red barn with the colorful mosaic above the hayloft door.
“That’s not a mosaic,” explains Rhonda Stephen, the museum director. “That’s a quilt pattern called Doves in the Window. It’s the pattern Laura used to make her wedding quilt.”
People who’d read the books or watched the TV show might have recognized Laura’s quilt pattern and might not have called it a mosaic, but Rhonda isn’t judging. She’s cordially greeting guests and answering questions inside the little white 1885 farmhouse that I’d assumed was the famous Little House on the Prairie. It isn’t. It’s the gift shop.
Teeny-Tiny House
The Little House where Laura lived is actually the little log building that I’d mistaken for a shed. It’s a replica, built to match Laura’s descriptions of the family’s one-room dwelling. It’s definitely little — only a fraction of the size of the little white farmhouse. In fact, Laura might have more accurately named her book “The Teeny-Tiny House on the Prairie.” The interior doesn’t look large enough to accommodate Michael Landon’s blow dryer and collection of hair care products, let alone a family of five. It’s sparsely furnished with an antique cradle and spinning wheel, a narrow bed that sags in the middle, a crude homemade table with tree bark still on the legs, and some smaller period pieces. There are no luxury items.
Above, the writer's wife stands in front of the Little House replica to provide scale. Top right, one-room schoolhouse brought to museum from Wayside, Kan. Center right, a half-awake mule tries to cadge an apple or carrot from visitors. Bottom right, Charles and Caroline Ingalls. The producer of the "Little House on the Prairie" television series quit over star Michael Landon's refusal to wear a bear like Ingalls.
“They suffered cold and heat, hard work and privation as did others of their time,” Laura wrote.
The Little House is a replica, but the other buildings here are legitimately historic, dating back to the Ingalls’ time. The 1885 post office and the 1872 one-room school were both moved here from the nearby town of Wayside when they were earmarked for demolition. Inside the Sunny Side School, it’s like you’re transported back to 1872 and class is ready to begin. The student desks have period textbooks open for study. The scarred wooden desktops are equipped with inkwells and the straight-backed wooden seats are built for concentration, not comfort. The teacher’s small oak desk sits up in front of the blackboards, beneath the framed portraits of George Washington and Abe Lincoln. Her wooden-handled bell stands ready to start the school day, and her hurricane lamp can be fired up if there’s insufficient light from the windows on cloudy days. There was no electricity, of course. The world globe sitting on top of the old upright piano reflects some of the changes our planet has seen since 1870. Ceylon is called Sri Lanka now. There’s no longer a Kingdom of Prussia. And the U.S. has more than 37 states.
The only man-made structure here that Laura would recognize is the water well. Her Pa, Charles Ingalls, dug it by hand outside the little house. It was back-breaking work. Pa shoveled down
Fifth in a series about day trips around Kansas
ten feet before calling in a neighbor to help. They finally hit water at 20 feet down.
“That well is how we are 99-point-99 percent sure that this is the exact spot where The Little House stood,” Rhonda tells us. “We have the 1870 census, showing that Charles Ingalls and his family were living here in Rutland Township, in a home with a hand-dug well. Rutland is very small, only 3 miles square, and there were only two other homes in this township at the time. This is the only one with a hand-dug well that’s carbon-dated back to that time period.”
Aug. 2 celebration
Charles and Caroline Ingalls and their daughters moved here from Wisconsin. They loved the vast open prairie. But like a number of other homesteaders, they were illegally squatting on Osage territory. So the Ingalls were forced to move back to Wisconsin after only a year and a half. But they were here in Kansas long enough to build a little house, dig a well and make a baby. Laura’s little sister Caroline Celestia Ingalls was born here in the little house on August 3, 1870. They called her Carrie. And here at the museum, they celebrate Carrie’s birthday every August. This year’s Carrie Days celebration will be on Saturday, Aug. 2.
“We’ll have some cake and probably some watermelon,” Rhonda tells us. “But there won’t be any ice cream at this birthday party. It’ll be
August in Kansas, after all.”
There’s a small admission fee to explore the grounds of the museum. But it offers a glimpse back into Kansas life on the prairie in the late 1800s that’s well worth the price of admission and the two-hour drive. The address is 2507 County Road 3000, Independence, KS. It’s about 15 miles southeast of Independence, just off of US-75. Picnic tables are provided if you want to bring a lunch to enjoy before your slice of Carrie’s birthday cake. Bring your own water, too. Pa’s well is permanently sealed to prevent accidents.
“As you read my stories of long ago,” Laura wrote, “I hope you will remember that things truly worthwhile and that bring you happiness are the same now as they were then. It’s not the things you have that make you happy. It is the love and kindness and helping each other and just plain being good.”
There’s a lot of wisdom in that quote. Maybe I’ll actually break down and read one of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s entire books someday.
Contact Joe Norris at Joe.norris47@ gmail.com
Photos by Joe Norris
Couple finds navigating these obstacles enjoyable
By Joe Stumpe
When Sharon and Hank Brillhart started dating, they found they had a few things in common.
For one: “We like to drive fast,” Sharon said. But not recklessly.
Today, the Brillharts are regulars in the Sports Car Club of America’s Autocrossing events. In Autocross, drivers compete to see who can complete an obstacle course in the fastest time.
“We just have a lot of fun doing it and have met so many good people.”
But competition is definitely part of the appeal.
“We have a lot of young kids that think they can drive,” Sharon said. “Then you have somebody like me and Hank come along and beat them. Then they want to come ride with us and see how it’s done.”
The Brillharts met through a dating app after both lost their spouses to cancer. Hank spent his career at Beech Aircraft, and Sharon is the former owner of the Yoder Market. They’ve been married 11 years.
Hank has been a car guy his whole life, with an affinity for British sports cars. Sharon’s first husband rebuilt and showed American hot rods.
The Brillharts belong to SCAA’s Wichita region, which holds its events at the former Hutchinson Naval Air Station south of Yoder (the old runway is also leased by glider and parachuting enthusiasts), as well as the Salina region.
Autocrossing course are typically one-half to one-mile long, with the twists, turns and straightaways marked by orange rubber traffic pylons. The half-mile-long Yoder course takes most competitors about 45 to 60 seconds to complete, depending on how it’s been arranged. Knocking over a cone
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According to the update, nearly 47% of U.S. adults have high blood pressure, more than 72% are at an unhealthy weight, nearly 42% are obese and more than half have Type 2 diabetes or prediabetes.
The annual report published in “Circulation,” the peer-reviewed, flagship journal of the American Heart Association, shows the prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors are projected to worsen over the coming decades.
“Although we have made a lot of progress against cardiovascular disease in the past few decades,
adds two seconds to a driver’s time, so control is important since many wins are decided by a second or less. Drivers get between three and six attempts at the course to post their best time.
Vehicles used in autocrossing don’t have to be race cars. Cars are divided into classes with similar abilities. For instance, a stock Camaro would be matched against stock Firebirds and Mustangs. There are other classes for modified cars.
The SCAA emphasizes both safety and a welcoming attitude. Vehicles must undergo a technical inspection checking such things as their brakes, steering, seatbelts and tires before racing, and drivers must wear helmets (loaners are available for people who don’t own one). Drivers must sign an insurance waiver, and rules are in place to keep the track clear of anyone not driving.
There’s no training required for first-time participants but they must sign up ahead of time at wichitascca. org. The cost of a meet is $30 for SCAA members and $50 for nonmembers. There’s no charge for audience members, and drivers are known to take onlookers for nontimed rides.
Since SCAA is an all-volunteer organization, participants are required to help out in some way, whether it’s collecting cones at the end of the day or working the registration table. Meets are held one weekend a month March through November, and there’s an awards banquet in January. SCAA claims more than 50,000 members and 100 regions nationwide.
The Wichita region also sponsors Street Survival, a defensive driving course for young drivers that teaches them how to brake, change lanes and do some basic car maintenance. The
there is a lot more work that remains to be done,” said Dr. Dhruv S. Kazi, head of health economics and associate director of the Richard A. and Susan F. Smith Center for Outcomes Research in Cardiology at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and associate professor at Harvard Medical School. “If recent trends continue, hypertension and obesity will each affect more than 180 million U.S. adults by 2050, whereas the prevalence of diabetes will climb to more than 80 million.
Over the same time period, we expect to see a 300% increase in health care costs related to cardiovascular disease.”
next one is set for Saturday, Sept. 28.
The speeds reached in autocrossing aren’t dangerously high, topping out at about 60 miles per hour due to the slalom-like course. The goal, Hank said, is to “get back into acceleration as soon as you can” after each turn and anticipate the next set of cones, and the ones after that. “If you look right in front of you, you’re going to miss your next turn,” Sharon said.
The Brillharts have also taken part in SCAA meets in Nebraska, Oklahoma and Missouri. “Every time we go, the course is set up differently, so it is a new experience each week,” Sharon said.
The Brillharts say autcrossing also helps them do a better job at everyday driving. Hank recalled being run off the road onto the shoulder by the errant driver of a pickup truck coming back from Salina one day. He brought his vehicle back safely onto
Prevalence for major risk factors varies across sex and race:
• Black women had the highest rate of obesity at 57.9%, compared to the lowest rate of 14.5% among Asian women.
• Hispanic men had the highest rate of diabetes at 14.5%, compared to the lowest rate of 7.7% among white women.
• Black women had the highest rate of high blood pressure at 58.4%, compared to the lowest rate of 35.3% among Hispanic women.
The prevalence of these risk factors – obesity in particular – is growing among young people globally. As many as 40% of U.S. children have an unhealthy weight
the highway.
“It keeps you altert to what’s going on,” he said.
“I think it helps you be more in tune to the situation so you don’t panic,” Sharon added.
Sharon currently holds family honors for fastest driver. “She’s beaten me for the last few years,” Hank said. “I’m just the mechanic.”
That may be an understatement. In addition to the 1999 Miata (Hank’s) and 2003 Toyota MR2 Spider (Sharon’s) they drive in autocross, he maintains six other family cars. “Our insurance and our tag office love us,” Sharon said.
Upcoming meets
The Wichita region Sports Car Club of America has several more autocrossing meets scheduled this year near Yoder: Aug. 23-24, Sept. 21; Oct. 5; and Oct. 25-26. For more information, visit wichitascca.org.
with 20% having obesity. Nearly 60% of adults globally have an unhealthy weight.
Long considered one of the leading preventable causes of death in the U.S. and worldwide, tobacco use is also trending down. Smoking rates have steadily declined among both adults and youth since the U.S. Surgeon General’s first report on the dangers of smoking from 51% of men and 34% of women in 1965 to 15.6% and 12%, respectively, in 2018.
To find the full report and more advice for healthy living, visit heart. org.
Hank and Sharon Brillhart pose with Sharon’s Toyota MR2 Spider during an autocrossing meet in Independence, Kan.
Quiet houseguests worked their way into her heart
By Teresa Schmied
This spring, we took on four of the smallest — and quietest — houseguests I’ve ever had. They weren’t invited, but they were certainly welcome.
It all started when a stray cat gave birth beneath our house in the Sonoran Desert. I never saw much of her — just quick glimpses as she darted from shadow to sun. Then one day, she simply stopped coming. Coyotes roam these parts, and I fear she became one of their many unseen victims. Left behind were four tiny kittens, barely five weeks old, suddenly orphaned and alone.
We couldn’t just ignore them. So, I began feeding them, gently and consistently, three times a day. I’d spread out a big beach towel on the ground and sit there, 3 or 4 times a day, just to be down on their level. At first, I used a soft, high-pitched voice to help them get used to me. I still use that same voice when I call them to eat. All I have to do now is say one word: “Babies.” As soon as they hear it, they come running.
They earned their names from the way they’d emerge — always in the same order — from beneath the house to eat. Numbers 1, 2, 3 and 4. Simple, but it stuck. Those four numbers have
Meet our Paws-itive Vibes Winner
Ms. Monroe is the winner of The Active Age's Paws-i-tive Vibes photo contest. Owner Denise Jackson Simon snapped a picture of Ms. Monroe with her sculpture piece entitled "Paper Bag Reimagined." Ms. Monroe is 9 years old.
Thanks to everyone who sent in their pet pictures. To see all the entries,visit theactiveage.com and click on Sections, then Local Interest. Thanks also to the Spice Merchant for providing the winner witha $50 gift card.
become a cherished part of my daily rhythm. Now nearly four months old, they’re healthy, playful, and still living under the house. During the long, hot desert days, they stay tucked beneath it where it’s cool and dark, wrestling and playing with each other in their own little shaded world. When the sun finally dips and the desert heat loosens its grip, they emerge like clockwork — usually around 6:45 p.m. — trotting up to the front porch for dinner, where I’ve started feeding them in the evenings. They’ve become a steady, silent part of my life. And when I say silent, I mean it. None of them meows. Whether it’s instinct or just their
Clockwise from top are Numbers 3, 2, 1 and 4. nature, their quiet presence is part of what makes them so special.
They’ll all be spayed or neutered, a promise I made to their mama, wherever she may be.
We don’t always choose the things that show up at our door — or in this case, under our floor — but sometimes, the smallest lives bring the biggest blessings.
Teresa Schmied is advertising director of The Active Age. She can be reached at teresa@theactiveage.com.
Photo by Teresa Schmied
Eggplant parm delivers summer flavor
By Joe Stumpe
Skipping one step in the traditional method of preparing eggplant parmesan saves time and mess and makes for a tastier result, at least if you really want to savor the star ingredients. That step is breading the eggplant before
Eggplant Parmesan
2 medium eggplants
Olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can (28 oz.) tomato sauce
1 can (6 oz.) tomato paste
1 fresh tomato, chopped
About 1/3 cup dry red wine, optional
Handful fresh basil leaves, minced
Salt, sugar and pepper, to taste
1 lb. fresh mozzarella, sliced
2/3 cup to 1 cup grated parmesan
Fresh bread crumbs
Directions:
sauteing it. Generally, that breading is just a soggy mess by the time the dish is assembled and baked. Instead, this version is topped with fresh bread crumbs, which stay crunchy and let the fresh produce in this dish shine.
The second recipe here is for Caponata, a Sicilian specialty used to top bruschetta, pasta, polenta and more.
Peel eggplant and slice about ½ inch thick. Season with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in large skillet and saute eggplant on both sides about 3-5 minutes, or until lightly browned and softened. Set aside on paper towels.
In same skillet, heat more olive oil. Saute onion about 3 minutes, or until soft, adding garlic near end of cooking time. Add tomato sauce, tomato paste and a tomato paste can full of red wine, if using. Bring to a boil, then reduce and simmer about 10 minutes. Add basil and season to taste with salt, pepper and sugar.
To assemble, spread about ¾ cup tomato sauce in the bottom of a 13x9 baking dish. Top with eggplant slices, cutting pieces to fill any gaps. You just want one layer. Top that with mozzarella slices, the remaining tomato sauce and parmesan. Bake at 400 degrees about 30 minutes or until bubbly, covering with foil if bread crumbs start to brown too much.
Caponata
1 lb. eggplant, cut into cubes
Extra virgin olive oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 small celery stalks, thinly sliced
1 cup crushed tomatoes
2 tablespoons capers
¼ cup each: raisins and chopped green olives
½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 cup balsamic or red wine vinegar
Salt, pepper and sugar, to taste
Chopped fresh herbs (such as basil or parsley)
Directions:
Coat eggplant pieces with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast in 425-oven about 30 minutes, turning once, until browned and tender.
In a skillet, saute onion and celery until soft. Add roasted eggplant and remaining ingredients. Cover and simmer about 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt, pepper and sugar. Serve warm, cold or at room temperature.
so many activities to take part in. The staff is awesome & so helpful. I am so glad I made the move to Oxford Villa.
Veteran honored to lay wreath at Tomb of the Unknowns
By Tom Schaefer
When John Person of Wichita boarded a 737 in June at Eisenhower National Airport, he had several surprises awaiting him.
Person, who served in the Air Force from 1971-1993, arrived in Washington, D.C., on an all-expense-paid charter flight with more than 100 other military veterans.
They were part of the 13-year-old Kansas Honor Flight program. Since its inception, more than 4,400 veterans from World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War have visited memorial sites in the nation’s capital.
As part of their Kansas Honor Flight experience, John Person, left, and Kent Ifland of Junction City helped lay a wreath with a sunflower at the top at the Tomb of the Unknowns.
Lavonna Schlageck, who coordinates the schedules and flights for the veterans, also asks four veterans to lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns. “I get a good feeling about a veteran,” she said before she chooses.
colonel who lives in Virginia, makes the wreaths for the Kansas flights.
Using grapevine from a vineyard he owns, he adds a small Kansas sunflower to the top of it.
What Person also didn’t expect when he arrived at the tomb was meeting his nephew, Derek Person, who’d been alerted by John’s wife, Kathy. He hadn’t seen him in 30 years. “That was a personal highlight,” Person said.
Returning to Wichita, Person was among the group of veterans greeted by cheering family and friends. There
Person said he was surprised when Schlageck asked him to lay the wreath but “jumped at the chance.”
The wreath itself also has a Kansas connection. Neal Johnson, a former Colby, Kan., resident and retired Army
was one more surprise for him: In addition to his wife, their daughter, Kristin, and grandchildren came from Topeka to welcome him back and thank him for his service.
Why was it important for him to go on the Kansas Honor Flight? “To pay homage to those guys who died,” he said.
For more information about Kansas Honor Flight, go to kansashonorflight.org
Tom Schaefer is a former editor and columnist at The Wichita Eagle. Contact him at tomary70@cox.net
Masterson, Schmidt running for governor
Two elected officials from the Wichita area have entered the Republican primary race for governor. Kansas Senate President Ty Masterson of Andover and Insurance Commissioner Vicki Schmidt of Wichita declared their candidacies last month.
Masterson started his political career on the Andover City Council 20 years ago, going on to serve in the Kansas House and Senate. He became Senate leader in 2021.
Schmidt is a graduate of Wichita
South High School and worked as a pharmacist for more than 40 years. She served in the Senate from 2005 to 2019 and won election as insurance commissioner in 2018 and 2022.
The primary will be held in August 2026. Others seeking the party’s nomination include Secretary of State Scott Schwab, former Gov. Jeff Colyer and former Wichita school board member Joy Eakins.
Thank you to my patients for the opportunity to serve you over the last 20 years.
Every day my team and I are dedicated to providing the best care for your feet in the region and we look forward to serving you for many years to come!
Dr. Weaver
Ty Masterson Vicki Schmidt
Her glass works are ‘imperfectly beautiful just like you and me’
By Kerry Kennelly
A lot of times when people buy art, they’re looking for the perfect piece to, say, hang above their mantel or the perfect color to match their dining room walls.
However, for artist Becky Manson, her glass creations are about celebrating imperfections.
Her Imperfectly Beautiful line is “imperfectly beautiful just like you and me,” she said. “But it’s still beautiful.”
Manson has created a lot of pictures on clear glass featuring flowers, trees and whimsical buildings that are fun to put in windows so light can shine through them.
She also makes plant stakes, including some that look like mushrooms, which was someone else’s suggestion.
The glass holds up well outside, she said.
Manson always has dabbled in crafts, though never seriously until she retired six and a half years ago.
She’d been a physical therapist for almost four decades when she had to stop at age 62.
“I retired because my body was giving out on me. That’s a pretty physical career.”
She didn’t have specific plans for retirement, but Manson had kept artistic pursuits in mind. Even before
creating anything or having a plan for a particular medium, Manson had an idea of what she wanted the outcome to be.
“I always thought it would be fun to make something that somebody else wanted,” she said. “It’s always been my dream to have somebody buy something I made.”
She took some CityArts glass classes that she said were a lot of fun. When the pandemic hit, and CityArts
had to close, Manson still wanted to create, so she found a half-priced kiln, which she and her husband picked up from a woman in Tulsa who’d never taken it out of the box, and got to work.
“It was something kind of unique that a lot of people didn’t do,” Manson said.
A lot of artists keep their kilns outdoors, but Manson keeps hers in her basement.
“When I first got it and turned it on, it blew a fuse.”
She now has a dedicated plug for it. On hot summer afternoons, she can be in the cooler basement working.
She buys glass in sheets in all different colors. She also buys small pieces called frit. Then, she starts designing what she’ll fuse in the kiln.
“It’s just kind of creative. It’s just kind of what you want to do?”
A hazard of the trade is getting cut, Manson said.
“The little pieces will cut your fingers, and you don’t even notice it until you’ve got blood on something.”
She now keeps Band-Aids in the basement, and when she’s taught classes there, she makes sure participants wear closed-toe shoes.
She and some friends began selling their works in a variety of places, such as the Church of the Magdalen’s bazaar.
“It was really a rush. It was really exciting when people started buying it.”
Her glass ornaments have been popular there.
She’s also done artisan fairs at Grace Hill Winery.
“Those are really fun to do, too.”
Some of her pieces are in the Workroom on consignment and at the
See next page
Courtesy photo
Becky Manson said it was "really a rush" when people started buying her glass creations.
Wildflower Mercantile in Delano.
Manson said she gets checks once a month.
“It’s really cool. I’ve made some pretty good money over the months.”
She’s also sold her work at the Holiday Galleria and at the Women’s Fair. She said she’d like to do more craft shows, too.
Manson finds a variety of inspirations for her glass pieces.
“It’s just life sometimes gets busy.”
Manson creates glass works usually about four days a week as her schedule allows.
She said she’ll take commissions. For instance, one person requested the K-State logo on glass. Manson said she always cautions buyers that her creations are one of a kind, and she can’t simply duplicate them. That’s all
part of what makes them Imperfectly Beautiful.
Manson doesn’t have a website, and she admits she’s not so good about keeping up her Facebook page.
The various places she does find to sell are enough for her at this point, she said.
“It’s just nice to support my habit.”
City clarifies tree planting plans
In response to concerns raised by community members, Wichita City Manager Robert Layton says the city’s 2026-27 Forestry Division budget will contain money for tree planting. Below is the email Layton sent to one member of the pro-planting group ICT Trees:
“Thank you for the email. There is some misinformation circulating about the 2026 and 2027 tree planting budget that should be addressed. Although preliminary budget discussions included an elimination of tree planting for those two years, the City Council asked for a reconsideration of that action. As a result of that feedback, my
recommended budget will restore the tree planting funding for both years.
I hope that this will address your concerns. I would appreciate your help in sharing the message.”
Another member of that group told The Active Age that the city has access to non-potable groundwater so maintaining young trees should not affect the city’s supply of drinking water.
Providing More Than Care.
The preferred choice of patients & families for more than 40 years.
To understand George Theoharis’ quirky quests, it helps to know something about him.
He’s not afraid to put it out there, is one way to put it.
For instance, when comedian Jay Leno visited Wichita in May for a show at the Orpheum, Theoharis sent a message offering to pick Leno up at the airport, put him up in his basement and serve as his personal valet.
For some reason, he never heard back from Leno.
But his persistence occasionally pays off, and this is a story about two of those times.
Shortly after Lily Wu became mayor of Wichita in January 2024, Theoharis conceived of a plan to obtain photos of himself with her and another Mayor Wu — Michelle Wu of Boston, Mass., probably best known for tangling with President Trump over immigration enforcement.
Why? Well, it has something to do with the fact that George and his wife, Janet, are proud graduates of Wichita State University.
Catching up with Wichita’s Wu was no problem. Theoharis and his wife snapped a picture with her at a neighborhood association meeting.
But when Theoharis visited Boston earlier this year, he found that access to its Mayor Wu was more limited. Or, as he says: “I played hell trying to get a picture with her.”
George and Janet were staying at the hotel in Boston’s former Custom House, located a few blocks from City Hall. “I just kept pushing, ‘Come on. Please. Please.’”
Theoharis has some experience pushing the levers of municipal government. In Wichita, he's served on the city's bicyclng and animal control advisory boards — stirring a little
controversy on both — is president of both the Grandview/Meadowlark and Mead neighborhood associations and has been known to speak his mind at City Council meetings.
Also, Theoharis grew up in Haverhill, Mass., about 35 miles north of Boston, and still sounds like it. So his dropped r’s would have been right at home in Boston City Hall.
A word about Janet Theoharis’ patience in all this seems appropriate. Michelle Wu “is far, far left” politically, Theoharis said. “My wife is right. Not far, but right.”
Finally, Theoharis got word that Michelle Wu would be attending an event outside City Hall and he might snag a photo with her if he was willing to wait. Which he was.
“We hung around for about an hour and a half but I got my picture.”
There wasn’t much time for small talk, but Theoharis did learn that Michelle Wu knew about her counterpart in Wichita and had in fact called Lily Wu to offer condolences after the Jan. 29 crash of the American Eagle airplane in Washington, D.C., that killed a dozen Wichitans earlier this year.
By contrast, Theoharis heard plenty at his next stop — the Boston home (actually, a modest condo in Brookline, Mass.) of the oldest living presidential candidate, Michael Dukakis.
As Theoharis tells it, he simply called Dukakis to make an appointment, then jumped on the subway the next day. “I’m a seat-ofthe-pants kind of guy. He’s still got a phone, a landline, and he answers it.”
Dukakis, who lost the 1988 presidential election to George W. Bush, was also the longest-serving governor of Massachusetts and, after former Vice President Spiro Agnew, the only Greek-American governor in
U.S. history. Theoharis guesses his own last name “is the only thing that got me in the door. I was a Greek guy.”
Dukakis, he said, “talked to us for an hour and 15 minutes.” Theoharis barely got a word in, which is uncharacteristic.
When it came time for a photo, Theoharis said, “I gave him a little slap on the shoulder and said, ‘You better be smiling.’ He’s an old Greek guy so his smile isn’t exactly what I’d call a smile, but we got it done.”
The Dukakis photo gives Theoharis a photo of the only Democratic presidential candidate he remembers voting for. As for the photos of George, Janet and two Mayor Wus, Theoharis explained that he and his wife are big fans of the Wichita State mascot, WuShock, a sort of humanoid bundle of wheat.
So the photos are going on his mantel as — maybe you guessed it — “bookend Wu Shockers.”
Michelle Wu, naturally, “is going to be hanging off the left side.”
That might have been the end of
the story except that Theoharis was recently informed that there are more than two Mayor Wus. Indeed, a quick Google search found two more in California alone.
“Now I’ve got to fly out to California,” he said.
Evergy Kansas agreement would raise residential rates 9.6% if approved
By Morgan Chilson Kansas Reflector
TOPEKA — A settlement agreement filed last month at the Kansas Corporation Commission would raise Evergy Kansas residential base rates by 9.6%.
A residential customer using about 900 kilowatt hours would see a net increase of about $9 per month on their bill, said Evergy spokeswoman Gina Penzig.
The next move is in the hands of the three-member KCC board, which is holding hearings on the rate case. The board is required to sign off on the agreement and may make changes. Multiple parties intervening in
the case signed off on the agreement, including attorneys representing industrial consumers, school districts, Walmart and businesses.
Jim Zakoura, representing the Kansas Industrial Consumers Group, raised concerns about how Evergy customers are seeing rates go up consistently.
“While we worked hard, along with others in the case, to reduce the amount of Evergy’s rate increase, because Kansas law permits increases to be based on spending levels by electric utilities, a rate increase on retail ratepayers could not be prevented,” Zakoura said in a statement.
Evergy recently won KCC
approval to build two natural gas plants and a solar plant, which expected to increase residential rates by another 9.3% starting in 2029. Consumers saw increases of 3.6% in 2023 and 5.98% in 2025.
“This is ‘rate shock’ not seen by Kansans since Wolf Creek began operation in 1985,” Zakoura said. “The extraordinarily high spending levels of Evergy, and the extraordinarily high spending levels directed by the Southwest Power Pool, will continue to require even higher retail electric rates for EKC retail ratepayers in the future.”
The Southwest Power Pool is the regional transmission organization that ensures reliable power supplies and
infrastructure.
Since the company's formation in 2018 — when Westar Energy and Kansas City Power & Light merged — it has kept rate increases “well below the rate of inflation,” Penzig said. The company was not allowed to ask for any rate increases for five years after the merger.
Americans for Prosperity-Kansas criticized the proposed rate increase in a statement, calling it “a money grab by a state-backed energy monopoly” and urging lawmakers to “introduce reforms that allow for true competition and lower prices.”
Courtesy photos
George and Janet Theoharis are shown with Wichita Mayor Lily Wu, above left, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, above right, and former Democratic presidential candidate Michael Dukakis, below.
Where to find senior discounts in 2025
By Jim Miller
Dear Savvy Senior,
My husband and I are in our 50’s and would like to know what resources you recommend for locating senior discounts, and what age do they kick in?
Frugal Fay
Dear Fay,
One of the great perks of growing older in America is the many discounts that are available. There are literally thousands of senior discounts on a wide variety of products and services including restaurants, travel and lodging, entertainment, retail, health, grocery stores, automotive services and much more. These discounts — typically ranging between 5 and 25 percent off — can add up to save you hundreds of dollars each year.
So, if you don’t mind admitting your age, here are some tips and tools to help you locate the discounts you may be eligible for.
Always Ask
The first thing to know is that most businesses don’t advertise them, but many give senior discounts, so don’t be shy about asking.
You also need to know that while some discounts are available as soon as you turn 50, many others may not kick in until you turn 55, 60, 62 or 65.
Search Online
Because senior discounts
frequently change and can vary depending on where you live and the time of year, the internet is the easiest way to locate them.
A good place to start is at
TheSeniorList.com (click on the “Money” tab), which provides a large list of discounts in restaurants, grocery stores and retail stores, and for prescription medications, travel and more.
You can also search for discounts by provider. Go to any standard search engine like Google or Bing and type in the business or organization you’re curious about, followed by “senior discount” or “senior discount tickets.” Or use an AI tool like Chat GPT or Gemini to do a search.
If you use an iPhone, you can even use the “Senior Discounts & Coupons” app (available in the App Store), which categorizes discounts by age and type.
Join a Club
Another good avenue to senior discounts is through membership organizations like AARP, which offers its members age 50 and older a wide variety of discounts through affiliate businesses. See AARP.org/ ViewMyBenefits.
Active Age changes going into effect this month
By Joe Stumpe
In our July issue, we asked readers to contact us if they were receiving copies of The Active Age addressed to someone else. Thanks to everyone who did so for helping update our subscription list. A bonus was hearing from many people who let us know they enjoy the publication and want to keep receiving it.
With the updated list and help from the U.S. Postal Service, we’ve been able to identify a significant number of households that have been receiving The Active Age despite subscribers no longer living there. (Our office manager, Tammara Fogle, has worked long hours on this.)
Starting with this month’s issue, those households will no longer receive the publication. That will save us money on postage and printing and help us keep delivering The Active Age to people who want it.
Unfortunately, the postal service also announced an overall 7.4 percent rate increase last month — the seventh
From
the Editor
postage hike since 2021. We are now paying more than twice as much to mail The Active Age as we did in 2021.
If you are in a position to do so, please consider making a donation to the active age to help us defray the rising postage cost. The Active Age is a 501(c)(3) organization that relies on donations for an important portion of our revenue — about 25 percent last year. Without your gifts, we simply could not continue publishing the active age in its present form.
Our goal is to continue bringing you The Active Age for as long as we can. It’s been a part of the community since 1979, and the readership it serves has never been a bigger or more vibrant part of that community.
Let’s stay active together!
Have a question, comment or story idea for The Active Age? Contact Editor Joe Stumpe at joe@theactivegage.com
If, however, you don’t like or agree with AARP, or don’t want to pay the $15 membership fee, there are other organizations you can join that also provide discounts like the Association of Mature American Citizens (AMAC. us), the American Automobile Association (AAA.com), or for retired federal workers, the National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association (NARFE.org).
Types of Discounts
Here’s an abbreviated rundown of some of the different types of discounts you can expect to find.
Restaurants: Senior discounts are common at restaurants and fast-food establishments – like Chili’s, Denny’s, Golden Corral, Outback Steakhouse, McDonald’s and Sonic – ranging from free/discounted drinks to discounts off your total order.
Retailers: Many thrift stores like Goodwill and the Salvation Army, and certain retailers like Joann, Kohl’s, Michaels, Ross, Petsmart and Walgreens stores offer a break to seniors on certain days of the week.
Supermarkets: Many locally owned grocery stores offer senior discount programs, as do some chains, which offer discounts on certain days of the week.
West High class of ’56 reunion
Members of the West High School Class of ’56 are trying to determine if there’s interest in holding a reunion later this year. For more information, call Barbara Love at (316) 650-7254.
Quiz answers from page 8
Travel: American, Delta and United Airlines provide discounted senior fares for select destinations in the U.S. to passengers 65 plus, while British Airlines offers AARP members $65 off economy seats. Amtrak provides a 10 percent discount to travelers over 65. Most car rental companies give discounts to 50-plus customers or AARP members. Royal Caribbean, Norwegian and Carnival cruise lines offer senior rates to cruisers 55 and over. And, most hotels offer senior discounts, usually ranging from 10 to 30 percent.
Entertainment: Most movie theaters, museums, golf courses, ski slopes and other public entertainment venues provide reduced admission to seniors over 60 or 65. And the National Park Service offers a lifetime senior pass for those 62 and older for $80.
Send your questions or comments to questions@savvysenior.org, or to Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK, 73070.
Get More Savvy
For more Savvy Senior tips, visit theactiveage.com. Topics for August include:
• How to Find a Great Handyman
• Tips and Treatments for Restless Leg Syndrome
• Does Medicare Cover Ambulance Rides?
seDgwick county senior centers
BEL AIRE
7651 E Central Park Ave 744-2700, ext 304 www.belaireks.org
BENTLEY/EAGLE 504 W Sterling, 796-0027
CHENEY 516 Main, 542-3721
CLEARWATER 921 E Janet, 584-2332
DERBY 611 N Mulberry Rd, 788-0223 www.derbyks.com
DOWNTOWN 200 S Walnut, 267-0197 www.seniorservicesofwichita.org
EDGEMOOR 5815 E 9th, 688-9392
ANDOVER
GARDEN PLAIN 1006 N Main, 535-1155
GODDARD 122 N Main, 785-398-1255
HAYSVILLE 160 E Karla, 529-5903
KECHI Kechi City Building, 744-0217, 744-1271
LA FAMILIA 841 W 21st, 267-1700
LINWOOD 1901 S Kansas, 263-3703
MCADAMS GOLDEN AGE 1329 E 16th, 337-9222
MT HOPE 105 S Ohio, 667-8956
MULVANE 632 E Mulvane, 777-4813
NORTHEAST 2121 E 21st, 269-4444
OAKLAWN 2937 Oaklawn Dr, 524-7545
ORCHARD PARK 4808 W 9th, 942-2293
PARK CITY 6100 N Hydraulic, 744-1199
VALLY CENTER COMMUNITY CENTER 314 E Clay, 755-7350
Butler county senior centers
410 Lioba Dr, 733-4441 www.andoverks.com
AUGUSTA 640 Osage, 775-1189
BENTON Lion’s Community Bldg, S Main St CASSODAY Cassoday Senior Center 133 S. Washington, 620-735-4538
DOUGLASS 124 W 4th, 746-3227
EL DORADO 210 E 2nd, 321-0142
LEON 112 S Main, 745-9200 or 742-9905
ROSE HILL 207 E Silknitter, 776-0170
senior weDnesDays
Aug 6
10:30 am Wichita Art Museum 1400 W. Museum Blvd., $2 admission. Info not available 1:30 pm Museum of World Treasures 835 E. 1st St. The Accidental Fossil and Other Stories.
Aug 13
10 am Sedgwick County Zoo, 5555 Zoo Blvd. (316) 2668213, $4 King of the Plains 1:30 pm Advanced Learning Library, 711 W, 2nd, (316) 261-8500, Free. FA Decade of Harvester Arts w/ Kristin Beal.
Aug 20
10 am Ulrich Museum of Art, 1845 Fairmount St. Info not available. 1:30 pm Great Plains Nature Center, 6232 E 29th St N. Many Hands Make Light Work: Keeping Litter Out of the Arkansas River
Aug 27
10 am Wichita-Sedgwick County Historical Museum, 204 S. Main. Homeownership, History, & Humor: The Register of Deeds Office Has It All! 1:30 pm Mid American All-Indian museum. 650 N Seneca (316) 3503340, $2 + tax admission; free for MAAIM members. Info not available.
Dances
Derby Sr Center, 611 Mulberry. 3rd Tuesday 7pm-9:30 pm. El Dorado Jam & Dance, Senior Center, 210 E. 2nd.
Linwood Golden Age, 1901 S Kansas. Every Saturday 7pm-9:30pm. Call Jim 316-945-9451 Minisa Golden Age, 704 W 13th. Info 617-2560. Every Thursday 7pm9:30pm. Call Rita 316-364-1702 Oaklawn Activity Center, 4904 S. Clifton. Contra Dance1st Saturday of each month. 7pm-9pm. Call Amanda at 316-361-6863. Orchard Park Golden Age, 4808 W 9th. Every Friday 7pm-9:30pm. Call Casey 316-706-7464
Village Steppers Square Dance, Oaklawn Activity Center, 4904 S Clifton. 2nd and 4th Saturday of each month September through May 7:30 - 10:00 pm. Info: Mike Huddleson 316-650-2469 Westside Steppers Square Dance, 1st and 3rd Sunday of each month, 6-8:30 p.m., West Heights United Methodist (entrance "D"), 745 N. Westlink Ave. Info: Sheldon Lawrence (316) 648-7590.
Friendship Meals
Aging Projects serves a hot, nutritious meal weekdays for persons 60 and older in Sedgwick, Harvey and Butler counties. Reservations are necessary. For locations and reservations, call 316-686-0074
NEWTON AREA SENIOR CENTER 122 E 6th, Newton, 283-2222 www.newtonseniorcenter.com
SEDGWICK 107 W. Fifth, 772-0393
transportation
Sedgwick County
Sedgwick Co Transportation, 660-5150 or 1-800-367-7298. Information: 8 am-5 pm, Mon-Fri; closed most holidays. www. sedgwickcounty.org/aging.
Butler County Transit
Weekday transportation in El Dorado, Augusta and Andover. Rides to Wichita on Wed, Thu. Information: Augusta, 775-0500; El Dorado, 322-4321; toll free, 1-800-2793655. 48-hr notice required.
Harvey County
Transportation reservations or information: 316-284-6802 or 1-866-6806802. Round-trip: $8 Newton (wheelchair only), $12 Harvey County, $20 outside Harvey County. AVI to Newton: Tue, 12:304:30 pm from Burrton, Sedgwick, Halstead, Hesston, Walton.
Wed: Ham & broccoli casserole w/ biscuit, carrots, peaches.
Thu: Sloppy Joes on bun, potato salad, peas, mixed fruit.
Fri: Pork cutlet w/ mushroom onion sauce, brown rice, green beans, banana. WEEK OF AUG. 18
Fri: Hamburger and sausage gravy, corn, spiced apples, dropped biscuits.
* Milk or grape juice is served with all meals. Meals fall within the following ranges: Calories 650-750; protein 25 grams or higher; fat 20 to 30 percent of calories; calcium 400 mg or higher; sodium 1,000 grams or less; fiber 9 grams or higher.
FUNDING MADE POSSIBLE THROUGH THE OLDER
Classified advertising
Resthaven, 2 side by side plots Located in Garden of the Cross. $4000 each seller pays transfer fee. 316-734-3292
2 lots at Resthaven & Gardens of Memory, Sermon on the Mount, lot 123d, spaces 3&4. $10,900 for both. 817-905-2277- Pete Thomas
Old mission cemetery at Hillside and 21st. One crypt in Mausoleum. Opening/closing negotiable. Call 316-253-9905.
Single Plot – Resthaven Cemetery – Garden of the Cross 46A1 $5000 OBO Email: arkpegram@cox.net OR 479-644-6680 Serious inquires only
Lakeview Cemetery Garden of Meditation, Lot 201A, Sp 5 & 6. $7,500. Seller pays transfer fee. 615-572-9257
2 spaces side by side at Lakeview in Garden of Gethsemane. 1 two-piece vault. Seller Pays transfer fee. Asking $10,000. 316-522-1659
2 plots at Lakeview cemetery. Garden of memory Lot 113 spaces 1&2. Asking $3,500. 524-3140.
Two plots, side-by-side, at Wichita Park Cemetery in the coveted Acadia D Annex, Lot 140, Spaces 1 & 2. Both plots $5,100 (retail value $9.400). Transfer fees $295. Cash in USD, cashers check, or certified money order only accepted at the time the ownership papers are provided. Contact Allen, 316-252-7700.
Two prime Plots, side-by-side, at White Chapel Cemetery in the Garden Sermon on the Mount, Lot 460A, Plots 3 & 4. Both plots $3,400 (retail value $9,400). Transfer fees $295. Cash in USD, Cashiers Check or Certified Money Order only accepted at the time the ownership papers are provided. Contact Allen, 316-252-7700.
2 adjoining plots at Resthaven in Garden of Love, Lot #106. $5,000 each includes transfer fee. Cash or certified check only. Call Shelly 316-841-5891.
Lakeview - two adjacent cemetary plots, located in Garden of Memory. Asking $6,000 for both. Seller pays transfer fee. Call 316-650-9481
ROOM for RENT in Quiet Bel-Aire cul-de-sac $500 a month . Single woman, non-smoker. Not handicap accessible. Includes utilities, Internet, and use of kitchen and laundry room Ruth Haithcock 316-992-6988
Active single senior lady looking to care for someone. Can live in. Good cook, housekeeper lots of TLC. Reasonable and References. Call 316-259-5035.
Mobility Wheelchair, less than a year old. Aux Storage. Needs new batteries. Cost $1,000 new. Selling for $200. 316-246-5565.
NEW IN BOX Aluminum Threshold ramp. 5 in rise. 700 lbs. capacity. Call for details 316-230-3217.
F HAULING/JUNK REMOVAL F
10% senior discount
• Estate, Garage & Attic Cleanouts
• Furniture & Appliance Removal
• Donation Pickup & Dropoff
• Brush / Yard Debris Removal Josh 316-350-9775
Private Duty Aide with light house keeping. Availability evenings and weekends. References upon request. Cynthia CNA/HHA 316-992-6711
LEGACY HOME HEALTH
316-755-8785
Providing in home skilled care when ordered by your Doctor or Nurse Practitioner. Specializing in Memory Care with Speech Therapy who can take the frustration out of communication challenges!
316-312-2177
Molina Electric - Wichita Lic #1364 Comm. or Residential wiring. Service calls. New electric service. Troubleshooting. Cell 316-461-2199.
Handyman RX- We have a remedy for almost all of your “fix-it” jobs! Light carpentry including deck and fence repair, indoor misc. repairs and installations, lawn mowing “LG or SM”, Yard & Garage clean-up, mulching, hauling miscellaneous,hauling dirt, sand, and rock/gravel upto 3.5 tons. What you need done I can probably handle. Call for HELP! Brian 316-217-0882. Free Estimates
Cowboy Construction
Remodeling, siding, decks, fences, windows, doors and more. 20 years locally owned. Free estimates. Senior discounts. Todd Wenzel 316-393-4488
Brush, Limbs, Debris, Hauling and Junk Removal. Leaf removal. Free scrap metal pickup. Free Estimates. Call David at 316-213-8880.
MOBILE GLASS REPAIR
Windows * Patio * Doors Windows won’t stay up, Crank Outs, Patio Rollers and Lock Latches, Morris Glass & Service, 316-946-0745
Handicap Ramps, Decks, and Storage Sheds. Basic or Very Custom. Lots of references and pictures. Free Estimate. Dennis Suitor 918-902-0742
Derby, Haysville, Mulvane, Rose Hill, Wichita
Exterior & Interior. House painting, siding, decks, fences and guttering. Build, repair and stain. Free Estimates. Be Blessed. Thank you KC KIMBALL 316-250-2265
Home Improvement
20+ yrs. experience with total home makeovers. Master Quality Work Rental make-readies
Reasonable labor rates for high quality work Free Estimates - Insured Call Kevin 316-807-7271
Mention
Laundry Love brings people together, one load at a time
By Suzanne Perez KMUW
Every second and fourth Tuesday of the month at Spring Clean Laundry in west Wichita, volunteers from local churches set up tables and hand out piles of quarters to anyone who needs help — no questions asked.
As the washers churn and dryers spin, people line up for the monthly outreach effort called Laundry Love.
“There’s a big need, as you can see with all these people here, so I just want to help out,” said Deb Barngrover, who attends Good Shepherd Episcopal Church.
“They might spend their money on food instead of doing laundry, and this helps them get both.”
Laundry Love is a nationwide network that provides free laundry services to low-income people. There are at least five Laundry Love locations in Kansas, including in Wichita, Newton and Hutchinson.
The effort was launched more than 20 years ago by Greg Russinger of Portland, Oregon. Russinger was spending time with unhoused people in California when he was inspired to help.
“We asked a gentleman by the name of Eric, ‘What would it look like for us to walk alongside you?’” Russinger said. “And he just said, ‘You know, if I had clean clothes, I think people would treat me as a human being.’”
Russinger started showing up at
a laundromat and paying for other people’s laundry. While the washers and dryers did their thing, Russinger and other volunteers chatted with their neighbors and got to know them.
“People who were once strangers become acquaintances, and from acquaintances they become friends,” he said. “It’s in the returning where life really happens inside of the laundromat.”
If you have a washer and dryer at home, you probably take doing laundry for granted. You might even gripe about it.
But for Kim Robertson, Laundry Love seemed too good to be true.
Two years ago, she was living in a travel trailer with no way of doing laundry. She visited Spring Clean on a Tuesday night and noticed the sign.
“So, we started taking advantage of having a little help,” Robertson said.
Clean clothes can get expensive. Robertson does about five loads at a time, which costs at least $3 a load. Add several more dollars for the dryer, and that adds up.
Rosetta Rodriguez agrees. She recently lost her job and doesn’t have ready access to a washer or dryer. Having someone pay for her laundry means she has a little extra cash for food, gas or medicine.
“If you don’t have soap and bleach, they provide it for you. So, it helps a lot,” Rodriguez said.
It’s often church groups who commit to financing and staffing
Laundry Love locations. At the west Wichita location, it’s Good Shepherd Episcopal and Aldersgate United Methodist Church.
Volunteers take their cue from the biblical parable of the Good Samaritan, who takes an injured man to an innkeeper and promises to pay any expenses necessary to care for him.
Russinger, the founder, said Laundry Love isn’t a charity. Rather, it’s a chance for people to spend time together and form friendships.
“The community helps with people dealing with isolation. There are opportunities to help tutor children and help with job placement or housing possibilities,” he said. “There’s so many different things that can
happen inside of a laundromat.”
Robertson said Laundry Love takes care of a critical need and also offers dignity and hope.
“I’m hoping that once I get caught up on everything, I’m able to give back to the program because they helped me so much,” she said. “That’s my goal.”
Laundry Love programs are twice monthly at the west Wichita Spring Clean location, 416 N. Ridge Road, starting at 6 p.m. every second and fourth Tuesday.
To start a Laundry Love site or to make a donation, visit the Laundry Love website, laundrylove.org.
This article is reprinted with permission of KMUW.
Senior jobs program stops, restarts, now ‘partially operational’
A local jobs program for seniors was paused, then quickly restarted in response to action on the federal budget in Washington, D.C. Its operating agency now call it “only partially operational.”
The Senior Community Service Program, run by the Workforce Alliance of South Central Kansas, tries to help unemployed, low-income workers rejoin the workforce by paying them to work for nonprofit agencies with the hope that they will go on to
find a job in the nonprofit or private sector. It typically serves about 100 people a year in Sedgwick, Butler, Harvey, Cowley, Harper and Sumner counties.
According to a statement from the alliance, the U.S. Department of Labor instructed it to pause the federally funded program on June 30. That day, the alliance laid off 67 participants at 37 employers. On July 1, the Labor Department granted the program a 30-day extension for existing
participants. Later that same day, the Labor Department said the program would be funded through June 30, 2026. The alliance said it can’t enroll any new individuals until it receives “official guidance and the formal grant agreement.”
“We are optimistic that full program operations could resume by the end of July, pending official guidance and the release of grant agreements, however if there is a delay, there is still a possibility of
Congress cuts funding for public TV and radio
Congress last month approved a Trump administration plan to rescind all funding for NPR, PBS and their member stations.
Locally, it was reported that PBS Kansas would lose about $1.1 million and KMUW about $225,000 per year as a result of the cuts.
Voting in Congress was nearly totally along party lines, with all
Democrats, two Republican senators and two Republican House members opposing the cuts.
Polls have shown that a majority of U.S. residents support funding of public radio and TV, but some conservatives have long charged that those outlets are biased toward liberal viewpoints.
U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall,
R-Kansas, told Fox News that public media outlets “are getting out a leftist message. These public broadcasts have been turned into another tool of the leftist socialists. Yes, they’ve got some good programs, but we don’t want to use government funding for such a program as this. There are better things to do with the money.”
Victor Hogstrom, president and
another program pause on 8/1/25,” the statement said.
The Trump administration described the Senior Community Services program as ineffective, saying it “has difficulty transitioning even one-third of its participants into unsubsidized employment.”
But Amanda Duncan, the alliance’s vice president and chief development officer, called it “a really impactful program that has served thousands of workers.”
CEO of PBS Kansas, said in an interview with KWCH that the station “has done nothing wrong to deserve this. We have not produced one-sided programming because that is against our philosophy and our policy.”
KMUW, in a Facebook post, said it is “fighting back” against the cuts and urged listeners to support it. “For many stations, this means going dark. Not KMUW. We’re still here, because of you.”
Photo by Suzanne Perez/KMUW
Deb Barngrover, right, attends Good Shepherd Episcopal Church and volunteers with the church’s Laundry Love outreach program.
New head of county, area aging agencies hired
By Joe Stumpe
Stephen Shaughnessy has been hired as executive director of the Sedgwick County Department on Aging and Disabilities and the Central Plains Area Agency on Aging. The post has been vacant since longtime director Annette Graham’s retirement in December. CPAAA, which is administered by the county, also works with aging departments in Butler and Harvey counties.
Shaughnessy has spent most of his career working for nonprofit organizations focused on human services.
“I fell in love with the work — the mission of supporting people to live the life they want to live,” he said.
Shaughnessy grew up in Topeka, where his father worked for city and county government and his mother raised money for nonprofit organizations. He earned a bachelor’s degree in political science and government from Benedictine College in Atchinson and a master’s degree in public administration from Wichita State University. While studying at WSU, he started work at KETCH as director of employment and day
services for the nonprofit, which serves adults with disabilities.
After eight years at KETCH, Shaughnessy moved to the Denver area and worked for several nonprofits. He worked as executive director at Mosaic, which serves people with intellectual and developmental disabilities; director of life skills and a veterans housing program at Rocky Mountain Human Services, which provides a wide range of services to children, adults and veterans; and chief services officer at Imagine!, which also serves people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
The Sedgwick County aging and disabilities department has about 73 employees and a budget this year of $20.6 million. About 70 percent of its budget is used serving older residents, with the rest split between people with intellectual and physical disabilities.
Shaughnessy said there’s “a fair
amount of uncertainty” regarding future funding for services the department provides, much of which comes from the federal government. According to news reports, President Trump has proposed keeping funding level for the Older Americans Act but wants to reduce the size of the Department of Health and Human Services, which administers it.
“We’re just not sure at this point what the impact is going to be,” Shaughnessy said. “I try to view the challenge as an opportunity.”
In addition to services the department provides directly, it will spend over $13 million this year contracting with other entities to provide nutrition programs, community-based and in-home services, transportation and services to people with developmental and physical disabilities. (CPAAA has
used some OAA money to help fund The Active Age since the newspaper began in 1979). If funding is disrupted, the agency will have to find “more creative ways we can work together” to continue serving its clients, Shaughnessy said.
“We’re here to serve them, and we want to make sure their needs are met.”
Shaughnessy said he and his husband, Jason, decided to return to Wichita after 13 years to be able to spend more time with friends and family, noting the lower cost of living as another plus. “And I don’t miss the traffic at all,” he said. They enjoy spending time outdoors and cheering the Kansas City Chiefs, and they visited Wichita frequently while living in Colorado.
“I feel like Wichita has come so far as a city in the last 13 years.”
Stephen Shaughnessy
Apply for SS benefits up to four months in advance
Want to start receiving your Social Security benefits as soon as you are eligible or ready to claim them? The Association of Mature American Citizens advises submitting your application several months in advance of that date.
In a recent column, AMAC advisor Russell Gloor said Social Security “allows you to submit your application for benefits up to 4 months prior to the month you wish benefits to start (you will specify your desired benefit-start-month on the application).”
Thus, to have your benefits begin in January, you can submit your application as early as September. Gloor said that “will give SS plenty of time to get your benefits started on time. Remember, though, that SS pays
benefits in the month following the month earned, so if you start benefits in September, you will receive your first SS payment in October (on the 3rd Wednesday).”
In response to a question about possible delays, Gloor said Social Staff reductions “have not included “front line” agents (those who handle applications), so the SS recent staff adjustments should not likely delay processing your application. Although some back-office staffing turmoil currently exists at SSA, they have been moving more people to frontline positions to try to improve their service. Just be aware, however, that it normally takes the SSA about 2 to 3 months to process new applications, which is why they allow applications up to 4 months in advance.”
Let me help you make the next chapter of your life easier.
Gloor said Social Security “will pay you starting with the month you requested, even if they must do so retroactively.”
You can apply for Social Security in person by making a telephone appointment to do so at 1.800.772.1213, or you can apply online at www.ssa.gov/apply. To apply online, you need to have first created your “my Social Security” online account at www.ssa.gov/myaccount Here is a video which explains the online application process: www.ssa. gov/hlp/video/iclaim_r01.htm
Going paperless?
A free digital copy of The Active Age is now available. The digital copy can be “flipped through” like a regular newspaper, and the type can be enlarged on your phone or computer. To have the digital version emailed to you each month, call (316) 942-5385 or email joe@theactiveage.com.
Certified Senior Housing Professional Committed to Seniors. CALL me today for a FREConsultation 316-644-5457
