December 2022

By Amy Geiszler-Jones

When Brian Byers’ wife of 29 years died suddenly in April 2014, he turned to a familiar activity — coaching football — to help work through his grief.

But it wasn’t enough.

“I was at a point where I realized I wasn’t in good shape, so I started losing weight and lifting,” said Byers, who coached football as well as track and field at Wichita East High School from 2006 to 2016. “I taught weights and coached, but I hadn’t lifted since my late 20s.”

He discovered that the more he lifted, the more his health statistics — his blood pressure numbers and cholesterol levels, for example — improved.

His new fitness routine also helped keep away the depression “and dealing with all those things,” he said.

Not long after he started lifting, Byers’ competitive nature kicked in, and at age 61, he started entering powerlifting meets.

The soon-to-be 67-year-old has been racking up

By Nancy Carver Singleton

NEWTON — Students at St. Mary Catholic School in Newton learn reading through the gentle, patient tutelage of a woman now in her 66th year of teaching.

Three hours each day, Sister Rosemary Sieg teaches first, third and fourth graders at the same school she attended. “I want to help children improve and do better with reading because that is so important,” Sieg said. For those struggling, she tries different methods. “I always think if a child has trouble, I will search and search until I can find a way to help them improve.”

Children bring her great enjoyment. “I love talking to them and listening,” said Sieg, who has taught at St. Mary since 1984. “They are so smart and so spontaneous.”

July 26 marked the 70th anniversary of her entry into religious life. Sieg is a member of Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph and lives in Newton. “I just did the ordinary and lived each day, and all of a sudden it has been 70 years,” she said.

Joshua Bargdill, who knew Sieg first through his children attending St. Mary, is now in his third year as its

Homeless vet village on hold

By Mary Clarkin

The pandemic has stalled plans to create a campus of cottages and services in south Wichita for homeless veterans.

“We started off with a pretty ambitious plan,” said Seth Brees, board member of the nonprofit Passageways Ltd., Wichita. The vision garnered praise and pledges of donations and in-kind aid. A Passageways’ Planned Unit Development for undeveloped acres near Seneca Street and I-235 won approval from the District Advisory IV Board, the WichitaSedgwick County Metropolitan Area Planning Commission and the Wichita City Council without a dissenting vote.

There’s a “massive amount of support within the community for

principal. “There is not a student I know who has not made progress with her,” he said. “But I think the more important thing they get from her is being with her on a

Sister Rosemary Sieg enjoys teaching younger students because they "want to do everything right, and they want to please you."

Photo by Amy Geiszler-Jones Wichita psychiatrist Rachel Brown says powerlifting is a good way to destress.

Kelly is state’s oldest governor — again

Kansas voters don’t appear to hold a little life experience against candidates.

In contrast to the national political scene, where concerns about President Biden’s age have been raised, Kansas voters last month made Laura Kelly, 72, the oldest person ever elected governor of the state.

The state’s second-oldest governor? Kelly, when she was first elected four years ago.

Although Kelly’s opponent, Attorney General Derek Schmidt, made plenty of attacks related to Kelly’s politics, he and other Republicans apparently never mentioned her age, according to a search of newspaper articles written during the campaign.

Kelly will turn 73 shortly after

being sworn in next year. She was born in New York City on Jan. 24, 1950.

Most Kansas governors have ranged in age from their mid-40s to mid-50s, although five of the state’s first six governors were in their 30s. The state’s youngest governor, Nehemiah Green, was 31 when he ascended from the lieutenant governor’s office in 1868 to fill his predecessor’s unexpired term.

After Kelly, the state’s oldest governor was its first female chief executive, Joan Finney, who was 66 when she assumed office in 1991.

Biden, 79, has been prone to verbal gaffes and a sometimes faulty memory, two traits not associated with Kelly.

Kelly isn’t the nation’s oldest governor. That distinction goes to Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey, 78, re-

elected last month with 67 percent of her state’s vote. Other septuagenarians occupying gubernatorial mansions include Henry McMaster of South Carolina, who’s 75; and Janet Mills of Maine, Mike DeWine of Ohio and Tom Wolf of Pennsylvania, all of whom are 74.

Courtesy photo Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly talks with Derby artist Skip Kreibach during an Art is Ageless event earlier this year.

Goddard’s

Serving an area of 65 square miles, the folks at Goddard Public Library were looking for a way to better reach patrons. Thanks to a couple of grants and local sponsors, the Goddard Mobile Library (shown at right) is now doing just that.

new mobile library rolling copying and

printing.

The mobile library is housed in a 30-foot, 2006 model RV that’s been retrofitted. In addition to books, the library offers WiFi, notary service,

The mobile library’s schedule is still being worked out. It will have a stop in west Wichita and at area schools, plus a monthly stop at Dove Estates senior living community. Residents will be able to pick up books they’ve put on hold.

For more information about the mobile library, contact Carrie Wharton at outreach@goddardlibrary.com.

101 S Webb Road, Suite 150 Wichita, KS 67207

Phone: (316) 708-8848 Office: (316) 684-4272 Fax: (316) 684-5212

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Briefs Christmas events on tap at school museum

Help offered for hearing aids, glasses and utilities

Eligible Sedgwick County residents can apply for financial assistance for hearing aids, eyeglasses and utility assistance. The money is available due to contingency funds approved for the Department on Aging by county commissioners.

For help in obtaining a hearing aid, call the Independent Living Resource Center at (316) 942-6300. For helping obtaining eyeglasses, call Cairn Health (formerly the Medical Service Bureau) at (316) 683-7559. For help with utility payments, call the Aging & Disability Resource Center at 1(855) 200-2372.

Previously, county officials said funds for the hearing aid program had been exhausted. However, more recently officials said some money is

The McCormick School Museum, 855 S. Martinson, will hold its Christmas open house the first weekend in December. Wichita school music groups will perform from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 2, with tours from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. On Dec. 3 and 4, tours will be available from 2-5 p.m.

The holiday fun continues from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 15 with a carol sing accompanied by pianist Tom Fleming. Admission to all events is free.

The museum has also launched its fundraising drive to cover utilities and other expenses of the museum. The 1890 school building, which is on the National Register of Historic Places, contains period school rooms, displays and a large archive of school district records. Donations can be mailed to: McCormick School Museum, Inc., P.O. Box 12881, Wichita, Kan., 67277

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In response to inflation and an increase in our postage costs, The Active Age has raised its 2022 fundraising goal to $100,000. Last year, readers generously donated $95,358. Please help us reach or exceed our new goal if you can. We are doing all we can to keep down the cost of producing and distributing The Active Age, while still striving to bring you a newspaper you enjoy each month.

Letters to the Editor

Editor’s note: Ted Ayres’ column about JC Penney in last month’s issue of The Active Age prompted letters and emails from several readers. Here are two: Enjoyed your article in Active Age about JC Penney and the Golden Rule stores. The first time you are in the Newton area stop by and check the tile entrance to our store: “Golden Rule.”

My grandfather, our founder, indicated this was one of JC Penney’s first Gold Rule stores in Kansas.

Excuse the handwritten note but I’m from the “old school.”

Phil Anderson III

Anderson Office Supply

I read your article in the Active Age today and wanted to say how much I enjoyed it. This one hit home with me a couple of different ways. I go by Hamilton (Missouri, Penney's hometown) almost every year on my way east to see family in Ottawa, Il., and really like taking US36 heading that direction.

The JCP part is that I started working at JC Penney in the Wichita Eastgate store for my first “real” job back in 1972 when I was a high school senior. At one point during the next three years the Wichita store was listed in the top ten in sales within the company. I helped to open the new Towne East store in 1975 and stayed with the company until 1984. I even went back for a short part-time job during Christmas of 2009 and stayed for another 4 years. It was always a good place to work and I met several life-long friends there.

Once again, thanks for your story!

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Ken Brodbeck An article in October’s issue of The Active Age gave an incorrect telephone number for Glenn Maier of the Kansa Travelers club. The correct number is (316) 350-6766.

Correction

Dwight Oxley Lois Pagenkopf

Peoples Karen Perkins

Donald Sbarra

Robert Schrader

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Terry Hardman

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Kenneth Pung

These readers recently contributed $50 or more to the 2022 donation campaign.

Lifting

From Page 1

powerlifting records on the state, national and world levels ever since.

In December, Byers and another senior record-holding powerlifter from Wichita, Dr. Rachel Brown, plan to participate in the two-day USA Powerlifting’s Kansas state meet, at Compelled Fitness and Nutrition, 9223 W. Kellogg Drive. Spectator admission is $10. The two are scheduled to compete Saturday, Dec. 10.

Sidelines to weight room

For Byers, losing his wife was hard. Deborah, who had been the financial aid director at Wichita State University, died a week before the couple’s daughter was to be married. While she had been diagnosed with cardiomyopathy, a weakening of the heart muscle, she hadn’t been unwell, so the death was unexpected.

After Byers left his East High job in 2016, he became an assistant coach at Friends University for a few seasons.

This past fall was the first time in 42 years that Byers, a former player for the Pittsburg State University Gorillas, wasn’t on the gridiron sidelines.

Now that he doesn’t have any coaching commitments, Byers is spending more time competing than he has in previous years when he averaged about three competitions a year. The December competition will mark his sixth this year. In July, he competed in another lifting association’s national meet in Las Vegas.

As of early November, Byers’ record tally included eight national records and one world record with the U.S. Powerlifting Association, America’s largest federation of lifters, and more than 15 state records with the USPA and USA Powerlifting combined. He was scheduled to compete in an USPA meet in Oklahoma City on Nov. 19 (after this issue of The Active Age went to print), where he hoped to set additional world records.

“I’m trying to chase records,” Byers

said of his active competition schedule this year. He usually competes in the 243-275 pounds weight category.

Among his records: lifting 530 pounds in the deadlift, 425 pounds in the squat and 342 pounds in the bench.

He lifts more weight in squats than he did as a college football player, he said, and feels he’s in better shape than when he was 40.

Because of his background in athletics, Byers develops his own workout program and lifts three times a week at the Northwest YMCA and also sometimes at his home gym since he acquired more equipment during the pandemic.

Matters of mind and body

Like Byers, Brown, who turns 66 in January, was a later-in-life entrant into competitive powerlifting.

She was 57 and an administrator with the University of Missouri’s medical school when she joined a group of women lifters in Columbia, Mo.

In 2018, Brown moved to Wichita to lead the psychiatry and behavioral sciences department at the University of Kansas School of MedicineWichita. The December competition will be the third she’s entered since moving to Kansas, although she’s continued to lift for the health benefits.

“I’ve always done something,” Brown said of staying active. She progressed from playing field hockey as a teen growing up in the United Kingdom to working out with Jane Fonda aerobics videos to taking martial arts classes in her 30s. By her early 50s, she’d earned two black belts.

She modestly downplays the fact that she holds Kansas powerlifting records for her age and weight class.

“There were no records before,” said Brown, who will be competing in the 65-69 age class at likely 181 pounds in December.

But there still is a sense of pride in being able to do what she does.

“Most women my age aren’t expected to be strong, so it’s very satisfying,” said Brown. The most she’s lifted is 250 pounds in squat, 143 in bench and 308 in the deadlift.

“Most of my successes are on the

Donate for chance to win

Donate at least $50 to The Active Age, and you could win a family membership to Botanica. The Active Age will hold a drawing for a family membership each month for the next six months from among people on our “Honor Roll” list of donors. This month's winner is Gerald Schmitt. The Active Age wishes to thank Botanica for providing the memberships. Valued at $65, the memberships allow unlimited visits

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professional level, so it’s nice to have something else I love that I’m good at,” she added.

For Brown — who spends about 50 hours a week at KU School of Medicine-Wichita job, which also includes seeing patients as one of the area’s few child and adolescent psychiatrists — lifting workouts are a good way to destress. Brown prefers to use a trainer to develop her workout program.

Health benefits

While Byer’s and Brown’s workouts have helped them achieve record-setting results, their fitness routines are also a good way to counter the effects of aging, both said.

Muscle mass starts decreasing after the age of 30 and the rate of decline is even higher after the age of 60, according to the National Institutes of Health.

More importantly, according to Jeremy Stallbaumer, a former spine surgeon who owns The Exercise Coach in Wichita, they are countering the loss of fast-twitch muscles. Our bodies are made up of primarily two types of muscles, slow-twitch and fast-twitch, and it’s well-researched that one loses the ability of fast-twitch muscles as one ages.

Weight and strength training is the best way to build up and maintain the fast-twitch muscles, which are the muscles that can react quickly and “kick in fast” if you trip or become unsteady, for example, said Stallbaumer.

Weight training also helps build bone density, countering the effects of

osteopenia and osteoporosis that make bones more brittle.

Before beginning a new exercise program, individuals should consult their physician. According to the American College of Sports Medicine guidelines, this is particularly important for anyone who doesn't exercise regularly and has certain medical conditions, such as heart issues.

Both Byers and Brown recommend that seniors who want to take up strength or weight training should find a trainer and not let themselves be intimidated or daunted by the prospect of starting such a program.

“Don’t be afraid to try it,” Byers said.

“You’re only competing with yourself to be better,” said Brown.

Contact Amy Geiszler-Jones at Algj64@sbcglobal.net.

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Courtesy photo

Brian Byers performs squats during a recent powerlifting competition.

Homeless

From Page 1

this,” said planner David Yearout at a 2019 MAPC meeting.

The first phase of Homefront Veteran Neighborhood called for at least 30 small one- and two-bedroom cottages. The campus would include a resource center, community center, chapel, memorial garden, storage facility, playgrounds and service animal park.

“Then COVID hit, and everything changed,” Brees said. Passageways and its partners experienced a rough economic wave. “Everybody was in the same boat together,” Brees said.

“We had to give the land back to the owner. We were paying for it in installments and we just couldn’t see spending that money on land,” said Susan Moellinger, co-founder of Passageways.

“We put it on the back-burner.”

But one part of Homefront Veteran Neighborhood stayed on the front-burner: Providing housing for homeless female veterans.

Female vets now focus

Over the last several years, Moellinger said, she has seen “a dramatic increase” in the number of female veterans coming to them for assistance. It caught her attention when female veterans appeared in the annual Wichita-Sedgwick County Point-in-Time Homeless Count, coordinated by United Way of the Plains and carried out on a single night in the winter. There used to be no female veterans in the count. A couple years ago there were four, Moellinger said. This year, there were seven, she said, adding that she believes the actual homeless number is higher.

Serving in the same capacities as their male peers, some female veterans are returning home with post-traumatic stress disorder, too. Women who experienced military sexual trauma are more likely to be at risk for PTSD, substance abuse and suicide. Passageways’ immediate focus is to acquire and operate a home for homeless female veterans, as it has owned and overseen a residential home for homeless male veterans in Wichita for about five years.

Ideally, it would be a ranch-style home, with three or four bedrooms, accessible for those with disabilities and located on a large lot in west Wichita, according to Moellinger. The home for male veterans is in a quiet neighborhood in west Wichita, within walking distance of Sojourner’s Coffee House, which reaches out to military members and veterans.

Also on the west side is Passageways’ Outreach Center in Towne West Square. It takes donated furniture and household items, which in turn are given to veterans or sold to raise money.

The men’s house has four bedrooms and can house eight residents — small enough that it did not trigger special zoning. The house rules: No drugs or alcohol can be consumed while in the program, no weapons, no visitors, a 9 p.m. curfew and attendance at a religious service at least once a week.

“We encourage them to find their own church home,” Moellinger said.

Passageways is determined to retain its faith-based roots. It also is not interested in copying the Veterans Community Project Village in Kansas City, Mo., where tiny homes for veterans range from 240 to 320 square feet.

“We have never, ever talked about doing a tiny home village,” Moellinger said. “That’s not good enough for our heroes,” she said, using Passageways’ word for veterans. The homes in Homefront Neighborhood Village would be 500 to 1,000 square feet, with stackable washers and dryers, kitchens and a bathroom doubling as a safe room, providing protection during a tornado and a refuge from loud noises that could spark haunting memories.

‘It saved my life’

Part of the intake process at the home for male veterans is determining the range of help they need. A mental health evaluation is standard. An individual plan is developed for each resident.

Housing, living, clothing, food and transportation expenses are covered by Passageways and donors.

“I showed up, and I had nothing,” said Tom Walker, who was a homeless veteran when he arrived at Passageways a few years ago. “They didn’t have a

huge set of rules,” he said. Unlike at some shelters, he wasn’t forced to leave during the daytime. He also didn’t face a deadline to move out.

“I was allowed to recover mentally,” said Walker. He has disabilities and now lives in a subsidized apartment. Of Passageways, he said, “It saved my life.”

The longest anyone has stayed in the Passageways’ home was about a year. A young man got a great paying job right off the bat, Moellinger said, but he had mounds of debt. When he left, he was completely debt free, she said. “We want them to be successful when they move out.”

The 106th graduate of the Passageways’ home left in October. A graduate has achieved stability and can transition into affordable housing. The Passageways’ Outreach Center ensures the veteran has a furnished residence.

The oldest resident of the home was in his 90s and a veteran of the Vietnam War, Moellinger said.

Retiree Ron Adame served in Vietnam and remembers eking out his existence when he first came back from Vietnam. He is a volunteer driver for Passageways, providing his own vehicle and gas to take residents to and from their jobs or to appointments. “They’re all very appreciative. In one ride, they thank you three or four times,” he said.

Brees said the military does not do a very good job prepping members for leaving the service. Passageways describes its role as giving a hand up, not a hand out.

Besides helping females who are homeless, Passageways aims to get female veterans out of unsafe living conditions and help them understand how they can provide for themselves.

The Homefront Veteran Neighborhood would allow veterans and their children to live on site, but children aren’t allowed at the home for male veterans, and nor will the home for female veterans allow children.

Passageways has raised about $58,000 for the women’s house, less than a quarter of what it’ll probably need. If one is acquired that needs work, several companies have offered to donate the work, Moellinger said. The men’s house is nearly paid off.

There is no set timeline for restarting the Homefront Veteran Neighborhood project. The land remains zoned for the development.

This article was produced as part of the Wichita Journalism Collaborative, a partnership of The Active Age and six other local news organizations. Contact Mary Clarkin and mary.e.clarkin@gmail.com

Times are uncertain. Your funeral plans don’t have to be. Call 316-682-4553 for information about pre-planning a funeral. www.dlwichita.com

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From Page 1

personal level. She takes such care and devotion in her work, but she does so by putting kids first.”

Children respond to Sieg, he said. “They enjoy their time with her. I have seen her firsthand turn a child’s day around.”

Sieg taught Barbara Bunting’s son, Robert, and daughter, Molly, in the 1980s and '90s. Bunting, who was Newton Area Woman of the Year in 2013, several times unsuccessfully nominated Sieg for the same honor.

“Her humility and lifelong professions of faith and teaching are not ‘sexy’ yet they are life-changing,” Bunting wrote in an email to The Active Age. “God’s sweetness through her breaks the stereotype of old people, nuns and teachers.”

Sieg grew up on a farm between Newton and Whitewater, the daughter of Cornelius and Mary Sieg. Her

father worked at a rail mill in Newton and brought his children to St. Mary. Classmates in early elementary grades knew she wanted to enter religious life.

“That is because I told everyone, I guess,” Sieg said with a laugh. “It is because I fell in love with the sisters.”

Sieg graduated from eighth grade at St. Mary in 1951. She then entered Mount St. Mary Convent in Wichita, receiving her habit at 15. Sieg completed high school there and started teaching even before earning a bachelor’s degree from St. Mary of the Plains College, as was permitted then. She later earned a master’s degree from Pittsburg State University along with special certification in reading and language arts.

Though she has taught kindergarten through eighth grade, first grade is her favorite. “They want to do everything right, and they want to please you. They are sweet.”

Prior to Newton, Sieg taught in Derby, Parsons, Wellington, Wichita, and Groves, Texas. After Sieg’s father

died, the head of her convent asked if she wished to teach at St. Mary to be closer to her mother.

Several hundred people attended an August parish reception for Sieg’s religious anniversary and teaching career. “It was really wonderful,” Sieg said. “I could not believe so many people” attended. Many sent in memories and messages, including Bishop John Brungardt of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Dodge City. Brungardt was a deacon at St. Mary Catholic Church in the summer of 1997.

Marcia Mathews, office assistant at St. Mary Catholic Church, said one especially poignant moment came when Lorraine Farnan of Newton brought in a tiny prayer card given to her by Sieg when the two graduated from eighth grade at St. Mary. Farnan wanted the 71-year old-card returned to Sieg for the reception. “When she handed it to me, I was afraid to touch it. I thought, ‘Oh my goodness, I think it could disintegrate because it is so

Save money by comparing Medicare plans

Family Features

Medicare Open Enrollment is your chance to compare your choices for the year ahead and to see if you could save money in 2023 on your health or prescription drug plans or even find extra benefits. Don’t delay – Open Enrollment ends December 7th.

Comparing Plans

Medicare plans can change their offerings every year – even your current plan may make changes. Medicare. gov makes it easy to compare coverage options, shop for plans and feel confident about your choices. You can do a side-by-side comparison of plan coverage, costs and quality ratings to help you more easily see the differences between plans. If you choose a new plan for 2023, you can enroll right there. If your current plan still meets your health care needs, you don’t have to do anything.

Things you’ll want to consider when shopping for Medicare coverage:

• Check if your prescriptions are included on a plan’s formulary and if your health care providers are in a plan’s network.

• Remember that a low monthly premium may not always be the best overall value for your specific needs.

• Review a plan’s estimated total costs to you, including deductible and other out-of-pocket costs.

• Check if Medicare Advantage plans offer extra benefits, like vision, hearing or dental coverage, if these are

services you need.

• If you take insulin, there is a new cap on your out-of-pocket costs. Talk to someone for help comparing plans.

Ways Medicare Can Help

To compare plans and find the best coverage to fit your needs:

• Find plans at Medicare.gov and do side-by-side comparisons of costs and

delicate,’” Mathews said.

Another tribute came when State Sen. Carolyn McGinn, R-Sedgwick, in August read a proclamation on the Kansas State Senate floor honoring Sieg. Then the Newton City Commission at its Sept. 27 meeting issued a proclamation noting Sieg’s contributions to religion and education.

Sieg has been part-time at St. Mary since the early 2000s. She wants to continue teaching as long as possible but said it depends on her health.

Along with her love of teaching and children, she enjoys the camaraderie at the school. “Everybody here is so kind to me, and I enjoy being with everybody so much, my fellow teachers and the staff.”

Bargdill said Sieg “gives all the staff someone to look up to and to emulate. I feel blessed she is here to work with the students, but I also feel blessed that I get to work with her and to learn from her.”

coverage.

• Call 1-800-MEDICARE. Help is available 24 hours a day, including weekends.

Medicare Open Enrollment ends Dec. 7. Act now if you want to enroll in or make changes to your Medicare health or prescription drug plans for coverage beginning Jan. 1, 2023. If your current coverage still meets your needs then you don’t have to do anything. Remember, if you miss the Dec. 7 deadline, you may have to wait a full year before you are able to make changes to your Medicare coverage.

Good Medicare news

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services recently announced that your Medicare Part B standard monthly premium will be lowered 3 percent ($5.20) from the current rate of $170.10 per month, to $164.90/ month in 2023.

The annual deductible for Medi care Part B will also be lowered $7 from $233 in 2022, to $226 in 2023.

And if you have a Medicare Part D prescription drug plan, the average premium in 2023 will be about $31.50, which is a 1.8 percent decrease from $32.08 in 2022.

Comfortable apartments with great amenitiesin a great small-town enviroment Larsen Apartments at Mt. Hope Nursing Center

December quiz and contest: Identify these vintage Christmas toys to win concert tickets

125 S. West St., Wichita, KS., 67213. Or email the answers to joe@theactiveage.com. Please put "Christmas quiz" in the subject line. Entries must be received by end of day Dec. 5. We will hold a drawing and notify winners Dec. 6. Entries must include your name and telephone number. The answers will appear in next month’s issue.

By Nancy Wheeler

1. What Hasbro product based on a vegetable was the very first toy to advertise on television in 1952?

2. In 1996, Tyco Toys created what ticklish Sesame Street sensation that sold out in the midst of the holiday shopping season?

3. Kids could pull, twist, throw, beat and bend him as they stretched the limbs of what iconic figurine up to four times their normal size?

4. Parents expressed concerns about safety after the 1963 debut of what small, working cooking device for kids?

5. Created by a French electrical

technician, what L ’Ecran Magique (magic screen) was renamed by Ohio Arts and shot to the top of Santa wish lists by 1960?

6. Founded in Illinois in 1917, what family-operated company began building wooden toy wagons but was forced to switch to stamped steel wagons in order to keep up with the demand?

7. In 1974, a Hungarian sculptor and architecture professor invented what 3D puzzle that proved insanely popular, selling 200 million worldwide by 1983?

8. In 1975, what name was given to the inanimate object that came in

custom cardboard boxes, complete with straw and breathing holes and instructions for care and feeding?

9. What colorful 40-inch plastic circles were marketed by founders of Wham-O toys in 1958?

10. Originally created as a wallpaper cleaner and soot remover, what malleable product rocketed to fame after it was repackaged by Rainbow Crafts and featured on the TV show "Captain Kangaroo"?

11. What miniature toy introduced by Mattel in 1968 because popular with hot-rod loving adults as well as young collectors?

12. What colorful children’s board

New trick? This old dog wouldn’t hear of it

By Ted Blankenship

It wouldn’t have happened if not for our cats, Cat One and Cat Two.

In a round-about way, they were responsible for our acquisition of a Brittany Spaniel that we hadn’t planned on acquiring.

We had taken the cats to the veterinarian, and as we were leaving, the vet mentioned that he had something we might be interested in.

I couldn’t imagine anything we would be interested in except maybe his adoption of one or both of the cats.

Before we could get out the door, he brought in a mournful-looking hound with a gray beard.

“He’s an orphan,” said the vet, and he needs a good home.”

“How old is he?” I asked.

The vet thought about it for quite a while then said, “Probably about seven.”

“We can’t adopt that dog,” said my wife.

“That’s age discrimination,” I said.

The dog rubbed his head against my leg and let out a mournful howl as only an old dog can.

I was smitten.

We took him home, and now we had Cat One, Cat Two and Zip.

Zip was a nice dog except for his fear of thunder and a tendency to get foxtail grass burrs between his toes.

I soon discovered, too, that Brittany Spaniels like to run and they do it in wide circles, often getting so far away that you can’t find them. When Zip encountered quail or other interesting birds, he would stand perfectly still and point.

I thought he should be taught to come to me when I called him, so I found a long piece of rope and took him to the pasture and let him do his wide circle. I called his name and jerked on the rope. He simply expanded his circle and ran a little faster.

Next, I bought a dog whistle, fastened the long rope to his collar and let him go. When he got quite a distance from me, I blew the whistle

game was named the most popular toy in the U.S. for the 1940’s by the Toy Industry Association?

13. What pre-compressed helical spring toy was invented by Richard James in the early 1940’s and was known to propel itself down a flight of steps?

14. In 1960, what talking doll operated with a pull-string mechanism connected to a simple phonograph record inside the doll so that the doll “spoke” eleven phrases?

15. What toy features prominently in the 1983 movie "A Christmas Story"?

and jerked on the rope. Zip paid no attention to me.

I blew a little harder, and still there was no response.

The vet apparently had forgotten to mention that Zip was deaf.

But when it came to storms, Zip had a kind of doggie ESP. He could feel it in his canine bones, and when he sensed a big one coming, he’d hightail it for Rose Hill, about a quarter of a mile south.

When it was over, he’d find a street corner, sit down and wait for the Rose Hill police.

When they saw him, they’d load him into the back of the squad car and bring him back to us. And we were always glad to see him.

Contact Ted at tblankenship218@gmail.com.

Roving Pantry to close without cash infusion

By Joe Stumpe

After failing to secure more funding from Sedgwick County, Senior Services, Inc. is scrambling to save a program that delivers groceries to older Wichitans.

In October, the nonprofit announced that the Roving Pantry program would shut down unless $50,000 can be raised by Dec. 15. About $20,000 had been raised as of mid-November.

The Roving Pantry program has been around for more than 40 years. It has served 101 people in 2022 and currently is helping 77, said Laurel Alkire, executive director of Senior Services.

Alkire said participants are “unable to shop for themselves and have no one to do it for them.”

“I don’t know what’s going to happen to them,” she added.

Bill Brewer, 88, who’s used Roving Pantry about a decade, was dismayed to hear it might not be around much longer.

“Oh god, yes,” Brewer said when asked if he depends on it.

Brewer said the program provides about 90 percent of his weekly grocery shopping. He uses an electric scooter to get from his apartment to the nearby Dillon store at 13th and West Street, but he can go only grab a loaf of bread or half gallon of milk on his own.

“Think of putting 12 toilet papers on that scooter,” he said.

Under the program, residents pay for their groceries, but Senior Services, Inc. employees pick up and deliver the food. Most residents pay two $3 fees — one to Senior Services and one to Dillon.

At its height, Roving Pantry served up to 250 people a year, with a stipend of $53,000 from the county. Alkire said participation started dropping in 2017 after the county required Senior Services to begin charging a sliding fee based on clients’ income. Some pay nothing while the most anyone pays is $5.

“Our numbers went way down and

they’ve never gotten back up,” Alkire said.

Then in 2020, the county required Senior Services, Inc. to start using Dillon’s online ordering system on behalf of participants. Alkire said Dillon charges $3 for that service.

Senior Services, Inc. asked Sedgwick County for $70,000 to run Roving Pantry next year. Instead, they were allotted $33,000. The money comes from the county’s aging mill levy, a portion of property taxes set aside for programs that serve older residents. County commissioners have steadily decreased the aging mill levy rate over the past decade, in effect leaving millions of dollars on the table each year.

Anette Graham, executive director of the county’s Department on Aging, said she knows of no program similar to Roving Pantry “except for those programs that most of the grocery stores offer where you can go online, place an order and get delivery.”

The programs offered by Dillon,

Holiday shows galore this month

December Theatre

By Diana Morton

Crown Uptown Theatre A Crown Holiday Spectacular! Madi White and Max Wilson emcee this Rockettesinspired Christmas production featuring a 7-piece band, high energy vocals, dancing and holiday cheer. 8 pm Th-Sat (doors open at 6:30), 2 pm Sun (doors open at 12:30), Nov 18-Dec 18. Dinner and show, $25-$45; Show only, $10-$30. 316-612-7696

Forum Theatre at the Wilke Center, First United Methodist Church, 330 N. Broadway. Elf, the Musical. Buddy, a young orphan, mistakenly crawls into Santa’s bag of gifts and is transported to the North Pole. Based on the beloved holiday film. 8 pm Thu-Sat, 2 pm Sun, now-Dec 1-18. Tickets $23$25. 316-618-0444

Mosley Street Melodrama, 234 N. Mosley, The Hallmark Channel Christmas Melodrama, a new melodrama written by Molly Tully and Ryan Schafer that lovingly parodies holiday television movies. Following intermission, enjoy a musical revue featuring some favorite holiday tunes and characters. Dinner 6:15 pm, show begins 7:50 pm. Tickets $24-$34; Show only, $24. now-Dec 23. 316263-0222

Prairie Pines Playhouse Mystery Theatre, 4055 N. Tyler Road. Demise at the Department Store…5 Shopping Days Until Murder, by Scott Noah and Christi Moore. It’s just days before Christmas, and Dullards Department Store is a frenzy of holiday activity. Who will live to shop another day, and who will see their credit limit slashed... for good? 8 pm Thur-Sun, Nov 18-Dec 23. Tickets $35.95. 316-303-2037

Roxy’s Downtown, 412 E. Douglas, cabaret-style theatre. A Cabaret Christmas. Sketch and musical comedy, from the minds of Christi Moore and Patty Reeder. Features Tom Frye, Jenny Mitchell, Ethan Crank, Austin Ragusin, Jasmine Hall and Andrew Walker. 8 pm Th-Sat, 6:00 pm Sun, now-Dec 23. Tickets $20-$30. 316265-4400

Wichita Community Theatre, 258 N. Fountain. Miss Bennett: Christmas at Pemberley by Lauren Gunderson & Margot Melcon. A witty continuation of Jane Austen’s much-loved novel, “Pride and Prejudice.” Lizzy and Mr. Darcy have decided to host Christmas at their estate, Pemberley, this year, and Lizzy’s sisters show up a few days early to prepare for the holiday. When Mr. Darcy’s cousin, Arthur De Bourgh, shows up at Pemberley to spend the holiday with them, Mary’s life suddenly gets more interesting. 8 pm

Walmart and Amazon vary in price and requirements but all appear to cost more than Roving Pantry participants pay.

Asked about the impact of the county-mandated fee, Graham said: “There was a small fee but we have been very flexible with them on that. I think it’s just that they’ve been challenged with trying to modernize and update the program, and they have fewer people using it. That could be for a variety of reasons.”

Brewer said he knows that Dillon stores offer grocery delivery but the requirement of ordering online “is too technical for me. I’m old and you’ve got to have a computer.”

Alkire said Roving Pantry goes beyond what supermarkets offer. Senior Service employees carry deliveries into participants’ homes, often return and exchange wrong items for them and sometimes even put the groceries away. Brewer agreed, saying the employees “do a bang-up job. They’re all very commendable.”

Th-Sat, 2 pm Sun, Dec 1-11. Tickets $15 or $13 for military/seniors/ students. Opening night ticket $11, Sept 8 only. 316-686-1282

Wichita Foot & Ankle Wound Center, LLC

Wichita Foot & Ankle Wound Center, LLC

Wichita Foot & Ankle Wound Center, LLC

Wichita Foot & Ankle Wound Center, LLC

Christopher Surtman, DPM

Christopher Surtman, DPM

Christopher Surtman, DPM

Christopher Surtman, DPM

316.652.5251 office 316.652.9913 fax

316.652.5251 office 316.652.9913 fax

316.652.5251 office call for an appt. 316-652-9913 fax

316.652.5251 office call for an appt. 316-652-9913 fax

Call for an appt - we are now scheduling appt for Fridays

Podiatric Services & Wound Care

Podiatric Services & Wound Care

Call for an appt - we are now scheduling appt for Fridays

Heel Pain, Arch Pain, Corns & Callouses, Fungal & Ingrown Nails, Ulcers

www.theactiveage.com

Podiatric Services & Wound Care

Podiatric Services & Wound Care

Heel Pain, Arch Pain, Corns & Callouses, Fungal & Ingrown Nails, Ulcers and much more.

Try our NEW LIGHT ORTHOTICS, wear them home

Heel Pain, Arch Pain, Corns & Callouses, Fungal & Ingrown Nails, Ulcers and much more. Try our NEW LIGHT ORTHOTICS, wear them home the same day.

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220 Hillside, Suite B

220 Hillside, Suite B

220 Hillside, Suite B

220 Hillside, Suite B

(located behind the Neurology Center of Wichita)

(located behind the Neurology Center of Wichita)

940 N. Tyler Suite 206

(located behind the Neurology Center of Wichita)

(located behind the Neurology Center of Wichita)

Savvy Senior: Free online hearing tests you can take at home

Dear Savvy Senior, Can you recommend any good online hearing tests? My husband has hearing loss, but I can’t get him to go in and get his hearing checked. What can you tell me?

Loud Talking Linda

Dear Linda, There’s actually a growing number of very good online and app-based hearing tests available.

If your husband uses a smartphone or tablet, two of my favorite appbased hearing tests are the hearWHO app created by the World Health Organization, and the Mimi Hearing Test app. Both apps are free to use and are available through the App Store and Google Play.

HearWHO allows users to check their hearing status and monitor it over

time using a DIN test, while Mimi uses pure-tone and masked threshold tests to give you a detailed picture of your hearing abilities.

There are also a wide variety of online hearing tests your husband can take on a computer.

Some top online tests – all offered by hearing aid manufacturers – for speech-in-noise or DIN tests can be

accessed at ReSound (resound.com/enus/online-hearing-test) and Mircle Ear (miracle-ear.com/online-hearing-test).

And some good online hearing tests for pure-tone testing are available by Signia (signia.net/en/service/ hearing-test); Ergo (eargo.com/ hearing-health/hearing-check); and MD Hearing Aid (mdhearingaid.com/ hearing-test).

Wichita West 9125 W Central Ave, Wichita, KS

Wichita West 9125 W Central Ave, Wichita, KS 67212 (316)779-8700

Derby 824 N Baltimore Ave, Derby, KS 67037 (316)425-0057

Wichita West 9125 W Central Ave, Wichita, KS 67212 (316)779-8700

Central Wichita 739 W 13th St N, Wichita, KS 67203 (316)262-6703

Derby 824 N Baltimore Ave, Derby, KS 67037 (316)425-0057

Central Wichita 739 W 13th St N, Wichita, KS 67203 (316)262-6703

Derby 824 N Baltimore Ave, Derby, KS 67037 (316)425-0057

Beechwood neighborhood lives on, sort of

The Beechwood neighborhood, hastily built to house aircraft workers during World War II, survived longer than previously thought. Or at least some of its barracks-like housing units did.

Unlike Planeview and Hilltop Manor — Wichita’s two other “temporary” WWII neighborhoods that remain in existence today — Beechwood was cleared and the site along East Douglas is now occupied by an office building that once housed Pizza Hut’s headquarters.

But after former Beechwood resident Donald Willis’ article about the place ran in our September issue, another former resident, Candace Gilbert, got in touch to let us know that her father, Tom Small, had bought and moved several of the units to a neighborhood just northeast of the intersection of Central and Webb Road, visible from the old Beech plant. Another Active Age reader emailed Willis that some other Beechwood

buildings were moved to the Sunview area south of MacArthur Road, where they survived until the 1970s.

Tom Small rented his three buildings out as apartments. Gilbert said her father sold them in 1995; she made a special card for him to mark the occasion. She and Willis took a drive to the area and discovered the units are still standing, although they appear to have been abandoned for some time.

Gilbert said her father worked for Beech Aircraft before joining the Navy.

He served as an officer in World War II, then was called back as a member of the reserves when the Korean War broke out. Beech held his job for him, and he ended up working for the company for 42 years.

Gilbert said the apartments were kind of a family business. “My Saturdays were out there helping,” she said. Back then, she said, the nine twostory units were well maintained.

“A lot of my friends started out (living) there. A lot of my relatives,

www.theactiveage.com

Candace Small Gilbert found old Beechwood buildings converted into apartments by her father still standing, but in poor shape.

Today, the surrounding neighborhood of modest homes — some inhabited, some not — is known in some quarters as “Dogpatch,” and Gilbert wouldn’t mind seeing the apartments torn down.

But if that happens, she hopes the

four huge oak

she planted in the front yard decades ago can be saved.

“They’re quite beautiful now,” she said. “I was hoping if they do tear it down, they could turn it into a park. But they won’t.”

The Active Age office will be closed for the holidays begining noon on Wed. Dec.21 and will reopen on Wed. Jan 4 Happy Holidays from The Active Age

Tale of stray more than “just a cute doggie story”

The Active Age

Cathy Feemster never forgot her grandmother’s story about a stray dog. Now she’s turned the tale into a children’s book, “My Friend Rachel by Shep, the dog.”

Feemster’s grandmother, the late Rachel Brooks Coates, is a main character in the book along with her brother, Jake. Shep, a stray dog the siblings adopt, narrates the story.

“Friendship is the main theme of the book,” Feemster said. “This isn’t

just a cute doggie story.”

The story, set in 1901, follows the Coates family as they move from Burden, Kan., to Wichita so Jake can be treated for an injury by Dr. Andrew Fabrique, a medical pioneer whose office now sits in Old Cowtown.

“He was under Dr. Fabrique’s care for a long time because his leg never got well,” Feemster said, adding that she met her great uncle when she was a teenager.

“There is a certain amount of sadness in the story, but with an uplifting ending,” Feemster said.

Feemster is the former owner and managing editor of the East Wichita News. The book, which retails for $11.95, was illustrated by Dominique

Manga of Andover.

Feemster intends the book for children aged 5 and older. A book launch and signing party is planned for 2-4 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 3, at Grace Presbyterian Church, 5002 E.

Douglas. For more information, visit myfriendrachel. com

Cathy Feemster

Caregivers can find joy in the season

By Juliette Bradley

Families who are caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s disease may want to consider practical modifications to celebrate the holidays. Doing things like planning ahead and including the entire family in a meeting to discuss expectations for everyone is a good place to start.

The Alzheimer’s Association suggests that families consider multiple, smaller gatherings instead of one large gathering, sharing responsibilities among family members, and scheduling events earlier in the day to avoid further agitation during the “sundowning” part of the afternoon and early evening when individuals with dementia can be easily disturbed.

If you are hosting a holiday gathering, a few tips to remember when planning are to use nametags,

host in a quiet location with the lights on and the TV off and music low, and plan for breaks or allow the person with dementia to rest.

Caregivers must support themselves, which can be hard to do, but is extremely important. Give yourself permission to say “No” when you need to. If you decide not to send out a holiday card, it is okay to skip this year. Decide which traditions are most important to you and stick to them. Try to maintain a regular routine and be sure to maintain your own health by exercising, getting good nutrition and rest. For help, call the Alzheimer’s Association 24/7 Helpline at 1(800) 272-3900.

Juliette Bradley is Kansas director of communications for the Alzheimer’s Association.

Celebrations

103rd birthday

The family of Kenneth D. Rupe will gather with him to celebrate his 103rd birthday on Dec. 3rd.

93rd birthday

Dorsey Nichols celebrates his 93rd birthday on Dec. 15. Birthday wish es may be sent to 6530 S. Madison, Wichita, Kan., 67216.

The Active Age needs your help updating our calendar! Please call Joe at 316-942-5385 or email joe@theactiveage.com with your current schedule.

Calendar of eventS

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

GARDEN PLAIN 1006 N Main, 535-1155

GODDARD 120 N Main, 794-2441

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 www.seniorservicesofwichita.org

MCADAMS GOLDEN AGE 1329 E 16th, 337-9222

MT HOPE 105 S Ohio, 667-8956

Butler County Senior CenterS

ANDOVER

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

Senior wedneSdayS

www.seniorwednesday.org

December 7th

Holly, Jolly Holiday at the Wichita Art Museum

This is the big Senior Wednesday event for December. Admission is free and you’ll be entered into a free drawing to win prizes from participating Senior Wednesday organizations. Enjoy live music and special discounts at the Muse Café and Museum Store.

Here’s the schedule:

11 a.m. to 4 p.m.: Wichita Art Museum Museum Store offers discounted shopping

11 a.m. to 2 p.m.: The Muse Cafe serves up special discounts

11:30 am to 1:30 pm: Live holiday music from B-Side (part of the “Taste of Jazz” series supported by Wichita Jazz Festival) in the S. Jim and Darla Farha Great Hall

danCeS

Augusta Sr Center, 640 Osage. . Info: 755-1189

Derby Sr Center, 611 Mulberry.

El Dorado Jam & Dance, Senior Center, 210 E 2nd.

Goldenrod Golden Age, 1340 S Pattie.

Linwood Golden Age, 1901 S Kansas.

Minisa Golden Age, 704 W 13th. Info 617-2560.

Mulvane, 101 E. Main (Pix Community Center

Second Tuesday of every month at 7-9pm.

Oaklawn Activity Center, 4904 S Clifton. Nick, 529-2792. Info: iamgary48@yahoo.com.

Orchard Park Golden Age, 4808 W 9th.

Park City Sr Center, 6100 N Hydraulic. 1st and 3rd Saturday 7-9:30 p.m. Info: 755-1060

Prairie Wind Dancers: Plymouth Congrega tional Church, 202 N Clifton. Joyce, 683-1122.

Village Steppers Square Dance, Oak lawn Activity Center, 4904 S Clifton.

Westside Steppers Square Dance, 1st and 3rd Sunday of each month at the Sedgwick County Extension Build ing at 21st and Ridge Road. Inf: Shel don Lawrence (316) 648-7590.

Wichita Solos Square Dance, For Info email: Curtis, wichitasolos@yahoo.com.

MULVANE

632 E Mulvane, 777-4813

NORTHEAST 2121 E 21st, 269-4444 www.seniorservicesofwichita.org

OAKLAWN 2937 Oaklawn Dr, 524-7545

ORCHARD PARK 4808 W 9th, 942-2293 seniorservicesofwichita.org

PARK CITY 6100 N Hydraulic, 744-1199

VALLEY CENTER VC Community Center 314 E Clay, 755-7350

LEON

112 S Main, 745-9200 or 742-9905

ROSE HILL 207 E Silknitter, 776-0170

TOWANDA 317 Main, 776-8999 Open 10:30 am-5 pm Mon, Wed, Fri WHITEWATER Legion Hall, 108 E Topeka

Harvey County

BURRTON 124 N Burrton, 620-463-3225

HALSTEAD 523 Poplar, 835-2283

HESSTON Randall & Main, 620-327-5099 www.hesstonseniorcenter.com

GRAND CENTRAL 122 E 6th, Newton, 283-2222 www.grandcentralseniorcenter.com

SEDGWICK 107 W. Fifth, 772-0393

tranSportation

Sedgwick County

NOTE: AGING PROJECTS, INC. PLANNED TO MAKE FRIENDSHIP MEALS AVAILBALE THROUGH PICK UP AND DELIVERY IF NECESSARY. FOR INFORMATION, CONTACT YOUR LOCAL MEAL SITE OR CALL 316-686-0074

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 620-669-8201

WEEK OF DEC. 1

Thu: Easy turkey & broccoli pie, carrots, pineapple, sweet muffin.

Fri: Goulash, combination salad, dressing, apricots, garlic bread.

WEEK OF DEC. 5

Mon:Mexican pork stew, hominy, strawberries, cornbread.

Tue: Scalloped chicken, broccoli, pickled beets, cinnamon applesauce.

Wed: Cowboy beans, cole slaw, mixed fruit, bread.

Thu: Meatloaf, baked potato/margarine, green beans, mandarin oranges, white cake,roll.

Fri: Ham & Beans, potatoes & onions, parslied carrots, blueberries, cornbread .

WEEK OF DEC. 12

Mon: Oven fried chicken, mashed potatoes w/ gravy, mixed vegetables, peaches, roll .

Tue: Tuna, pattie w/ tartar sauce OR Oven fried fish, spinach, macaroni salad, strawberries .

Wed: Chili, combination salad, dressing, stewed apples, cinnamon roll, crackers.

Thu: Pork and noodle cass., cooked cabbage, plums, cornbread.

Fri: Cranberry meatballs, baked potato/ margarine, green beans, Ambrosia fruit salad, wheat roll.

WEEK OF DEC. 19

Mon:Ham Chowder, broccoli, pears, apple crisp, cornbread.

Tue: Hot turkey sandwich (mashed pot, bread, gravy), peas, cranberry sauce, gelatin fruit.

Wed: Chicken fajita salad (lettuce, tomato, cheese, chips), confetti rice, strawberries, sugar cookie.

Thu: Beef stew, corn relish, mandarin oranges, bread.

Fri: HOLIDAY.

WEEK OF DEC. 26

Mon:HOLIDAY .

Tue: Liver/onions in gravy OR beef cutlet in gravy, baked potato/margarine, broccoli, pears, wheat roll.

Wed: Pork patty on a bun sandwich set up, pinto beans, mandarin oranges.

Thu: Chicken & noodles, over mashed potatoes, green beans, mixed fruit, sweet muffin.

Butler County Transit

3655. 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.

www.theactiveage.com

Fri: Split pea tortilla soup, carrot pineapple salad, peaches, crackers.

* Milk is served with all meals. Meals fall within the following ranges: Carlories 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 AMERICANS ACT, KDADS AND CENTRAL PLAINS AREA AGENCY ON AGING

Classified advertising

Lift

F CEMETERY PROPERTY FOR SALE F

Resthaven, 2 plots for sale in Bruce Newton Masonic Section 15, Lot 60-A, Spaces 1&2. $4,000 each. 785-632-1915

4 lots at Resthaven Sermon on the Mount. $1,900 per lot or $7,500 for ALL. Seller will pay transfer fee. Call 903-277-4140.

2 plots in Garden of Gethsemane, Sermon on the Mount., $1,200 for both, Includes transfer fee. Call 316-942-1866

Lakeview Gardens, Garden if the Apostles. Lot #34 spaces 7&8. $1,500 each. Call 316-993-6834

Old Mission, Garden of Devotion, adjoining plots, $2,000/each or $3,800/both OBO Seller will pay transfer fee. (316) 684-4230

2 plots, White Chapel Memorial Gardens, Garden of Valor. Lot 41B spaces 1&2. 2 opening/closing & 1 casket. Buyer pays transfer fee. Call for details. Do NOT contact with unsolicited services/offers. 316-305-1446

Foot Care in home. Home visit $40.00 Call Francine at 316-943-4360. Leave a message.

Downsizing?

Don't have an Auction, or Estate Sale. We Buy Entire Estates. Call Kelly 316-283-8536.

Furniture Warehouse 200 Main Newton, KS

Center Manager – Park City

Meals On Wheels/Friendship Meals

M-F 9:00 am – 1:00 pm. Wonderful opportunity working with older adults. Experience with food service helpful, some record keeping. High school diploma or GED required. Some benefits available. Apply: 6100 N Hydraulic, Park City Call: 316-744-0751 EOE

Cook – Hesston Meals On Wheels/Friendship Meals

M-F 7:00 am – 2:00 pm. Experience with food service purchasing and preparation helpful. Scratch techniques desirable, some benefits available. High school diploma or GED required.

Apply: 112 W Sherman, Hutchinson KS Email: apitediger@gmail.com Call: 620-669-8201 EOE

Sub Transporter – Wichita Area Meals On Wheels/Friendship Meals

M-F 8:15 am – 12:15 pm. Current driver’s license required as well as good driving record. Must be 18 years old and able to lift 40 lbs. High school diploma or GED required.

Apply: 940 N Tyler, Ste 209, Wichita KS Call: 316-686-0074 EOE

ATTENTION JOB SEEKERS –

AGES 55+

The Senior Employment Program’s Job Club is meeting in person again. EVERY TUESDAY at 1:00pm. Call 267-1771 for details.

Dave’s Improvements

General Contractor Lic #7904

Roofing, Siding, Doors, Gutters, Windows, Storm damage repair, Senior Discount. 316-312-2177

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

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Family Features

Another cough and cold season calls for healthy preparation. Reduce the chances you’ll contract a serious illness this cold season by following these tips:

Make handwashing a priority. Preventive measures like washing your hands often can significantly lower your odds of getting sick. In

fact, handwashing is such a powerful tool against germs that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention compared it to a “do-it-yourself vaccine.” Wash regularly with soap and water for about 20 seconds, especially when handling food, caring for someone sick or after using the restroom.

Make overall wellness a way of

life. Adopting healthy everyday habits means your body is in better condition to fight off potential attacks by germs and combat an illness more effectively if you do get sick. A well-balanced diet that includes moderate portions from each of the major food groups can help ensure you’re getting the nutrition and nutrients your body needs. Staying physically active can help promote

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a stronger immune system. Getting enough sleep and making sure you’re drinking enough water can also ensure your body is ready for whatever the season brings.

Stock up on necessary supplies. If you do get sick, the best place for you is at home, where you can nurse yourself back to health. That means having the essentials on hand, like over-the-counter medications to treat

Don’t turn up your nose at these foods

By Joe Stumpe

Some years ago, I had a great idea for a food club that would lead to a best-selling cookbook that would lead to a hit Food Network show, lucrative product endorsements and so on.

For some reason, the Stinky Food Club never took off. In fact, my wife and myself remain its only two members.

Still, our enthusiasm for odiferous

eats remains strong, and I suspect many other cooks and diners feel the same, at least to some degree. Because our sense of taste is intimately tied up with our sense of smell, it only stands to reason that the stronger the smell, the stronger — and better — the taste.

Throw open the windows, try a couple of these recipes, and see if you agree. The Stinky Food Club has plenty of openings.

Roasted Garlic

Roasting garlic mellows its flavor. Spread the roasted cloves on a piece of bread or toast like you would a pat of butter.

1 head garlic

Olive oil

Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper

Directions:

Using a sharp knife, cut about ¼ inch off the top of the head of garlic, exposing a bit of each clove. Don’t peel the rest of the head; once roasted, the cloves will easily slip out of the papery exterior.

Set the garlic on a piece of aluminum foil. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper and wrap the foil around the head. Roast in a 400-degree oven about 30 minutes or until the point of a knife easily penetrates a clove.

Chicken Liver Pate

Organ meats aren’t for everyone, which is probably why chicken livers remain one of the best bargains in supermarket. The sauteed and flambeed livers in this recipe are also delicious eaten on toast or bread before being processed into pate.

1/2 lb. chicken livers

1/2 stick butter

1/4 cup shallots, minced

Kosher salt and pepper

2 tablespoons brandy, vermouth or other liqueur (or to taste)

Directions:

Heat butter in skillet, add livers and shallots, cooking until livers are lightly browned on all sides, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat, add liqueur and ignite with a lighter, letting the flames burn down. Cool slightly, then process in a blender until smooth, adding more melted butter and/or brandy if a creamier texture is desired. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Chill or serve with bread at room temperature.

Caesar Salad

A classic Caesar Salad dressing contains three strongly scented ingredients: garlic, parmesan cheese and mashed anchovies. My wife likes to take it over the top by adding a few whole anchovy filets to the salad as well.

1 tin anchovy fillets packed in oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 large egg yolk, coddled (see directions)

Juice of 1 small lemon

3/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard

5 tablespoons olive oil, divided use, plus more for tossing croutons

3 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan

1 half loaf good bread, torn into pieces

1 large head romaine lettuce, rinsed, drained and torn into pieces

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

To coddle the egg yolk: Bring a small pan of water to boil. Carefully lower the egg into the water and cook for 1 minute. Remove egg and place in an ice bath for 2 minutes.

To make croutons: Toss bread pieces with enough olive oil to lightly coat. Toast in a 400-degree oven for 5 minutes or until lightly brown and slightly crunchy.

In a bowl, mash anchovy fillets. Add garlic, egg yolk, lemon juice and mustard. Whisk in olive oil 1 tablespoon at a time. Stir in grated Parmesan.

When ready to serve, toss together lettuce, croutons and dressing. If desired, use a vegetable peeler to carve off thin slices of Parmesan as a garnish.

Clay Pot Salmon

This recipe uses what’s probably the most pungent ingredient in our kitchen — nuoc cham, or Vietnamese fish sauce — delicious when mixed with sugar, lime juice, chiles and other ingredients. The dish’s title refers to the type of cooking vessel traditionally used in Vietnam; any heavy-bottomed pot with a lid with work. The recipe’s caramel sauce also makes an excellent marinade for grilled pork with the addition of two cloves minced garlic.

Salmon or catfish filets

1 teaspoon chile paste, such as sriracha

Caramel sauce:

1/3 cup sugar

1/4 cup fish sauce (available in the Asian section of many supermarkets)

Freshly ground black pepper

4 shallots, minced (or 1/4 onion)

Directions:

To make caramel sauce: In a small heavy skillet or saucepan, cook sugar over low heat, stirring frequently, until brown. Remove from heat and stir in fish sauce, being carefully to guard against splattering. Return mixture to heat and gently cook until sugar is completely dissolved. Remove from heat, add shallots and pepper.

Add sauce to large heavy bottomed pan with chile paste and enough warm water so that there’s about ¼ inch sauce in pan; stir to combine. Add fish filets. Bring sauce to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer about 20 minutes or until fish is done and flaking easily, turning fish in sauce once. Serve with rice.

What woman would willingly move to Afghanistan?

Editor’s note: Last year’s chaotic withdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan prompted these recollections by Wichitan Gail Goolsby. The Taliban, whose legacy Goolsby found so destructive in the mid 2000s, are again in control of the south Asia nation.

By Gail Goolsby

I never wanted to live outside the United States and particularly not a place like Afghanistan. I saw the photos from my husband’s 2002 and 2003 trips to this desperate place, and I thought, “This is no place for a woman, definitely not for me.”

But I found out there was an American private school opening, and because I’m an educator, I was overwhelmed by the chance to be part of such a great gift to a country where education had been diminished under the Taliban.

So in July 2005, my husband, Michael, and I moved to the war-torn country to open the International School of Kabul (ISK). We left behind our three young adult children and a network of family and friends.

A USAID grant in early 2005 funded the smaller original school, changing its trajectory to become a larger, college-prep, U.S.-accredited K-12 school. There were immediate needs upon arriving in country, like developing admissions policies for English Language Learners and remodeling the Kabul rented row of dilapidated homes to staff housing and classroom buildings.

ISK was ready in September 2005 to welcome 190 children of Afghan nationals as well as children of international families who had come to help rebuild the country. A good education was mandatory in restoring this nation, and as principal of ISK, I was determined to do my part to make it happen.

We quickly recognized that ISK could assist families who wanted to be together as the parents served Afghanistan. Without quality education, the children and perhaps mothers would be sent to another country.

One challenge was to help the Afghan families understand the differences between the American

styles and standards of education and local schools. As an example, the Afghan schools placed more emphasis on end-of-year tests, while ISK stressed daily attendance, ongoing assignments, quizzes and projects as well as exams. The curriculum included a full balance of language arts, math, science, history, physical education and the fine arts, which were at first debated by Afghan parents. The Taliban had forbidden music and art and left families confused at the value of such instruction to student brain development and quality educational pedagogy.

ISK offered tuition incentives for female students, in direct contrast to the times of forbidden education for girls under the Taliban. Although both genders were welcome to public education after 2001, the opportunities remained limited and insecure, especially in the villages where fear and illiteracy abounded. The typical Afghan school lacked books, teachers, libraries, science labs and other essentials of learning. Teacher salaries in Afghanistan averaged only about $50 a month and drew from a pool of poorly educated professionals following decades of war and instability.

In 2008, ISK received full U.S. accreditation and recognition by the Afghan government. Afghan Minister of Education Hanif Atmar remarked that ISK was the most prestigious school in the country. Sadly, due to continued security issues, ISK closed its doors January 2015, not quite ten years after opening, leaving almost 400 students with few alternatives to quality education in Afghanistan.

Working and living in Afghanistan was difficult, especially for a woman. In a chaotic and impoverished city of four million, there were not enough resources to handle the large influx of returning war refugees. We lived with the ISK staff behind the walls of a heavily guarded, secure compound.

I never drove a car for seven years or went anywhere by myself off ISK campus. Sometimes, I had an armed guard along with my driver in an armored vehicle, depending where I was headed. Except in the privacy of my own apartment, I covered from wrist to ankle and always wore a cumbersome headscarf.

Occasional mortar blasts and threats of uprisings or terrorist activity such as vehicle bombs were a part of regular life. Daily inconveniences, such as low internet activity and loss of electricity for hours at a time, no central heat in bitter winter temperatures or air conditioning in summer desert heat, and constant dust,

air pollution and homesickness became a new normal.

I felt like I had two lives for those years. Coming home to Missouri at Christmas and during summer breaks gave me wonderful reprieves from Kabul and time to connect with my children and friends but often made returning more painful. I usually booked my next flight home soon upon re-entering Afghanistan to give me that inspiration on tough days.

I began working through our Kabul years with counseling after we returned to Missouri in 2012. I selfpublished “Unveiled Truth: Lessons I Learned Leading the International School of Kabul” (available at gailgoolsby.com) in 2019 with the goal of showing people a side of

Afghanistan and encouraging them to reflect on their own life lessons.

I ended the book with this challenge to readers: “When an opportunity comes along to help humankind, no matter how scary or crazy or dreadful you might think it is, take the time to consider if it might be your own Afghanistan — a hard time of trial that reaps you more rewards than you could possibly dream — and if it is, commit to it wholeheartedly, trusting that God will be beside you, helping you improve the world by, most importantly, helping you become a better you.”

Goolsby and her husband, a pastor, live in Wichita, where she’s a counselor, speaker and life coach. She can be reached at gail.goolsby@gmail.com

Gail Goolsby

The author worked with students at the International School of Kabul from 2005 to 2012.

Seeking the mystical experience of the Arikaree Breaks

By Beccy Tanner KMUW

ARIKAREE BREAKS — In the far northwest corner of Kansas, Brent Rueb is using his hands and mouth to practice a forgotten skill.

He’s attempting to re-create the sounds of a wounded rabbit and a howling coyote.

There is drama in the sounds — heartache on the wounded cries; euphoria on the jubilant coyote whoops.

The calls come at sunset on one of those autumn evenings where sounds bounce in the wind. And the cacophony is highlighted by the Arikaree Breaks — known for its rugged landscape of canyons, caves, valleys, creeks and mesas.

Rueb is a lifelong resident of Cheyenne County, which is home to 90 percent of the Arikaree Breaks. He admits he’s in love with this land.

“Farmer most of my life, hunted this area all my life and have come to love the Arikaree Breaks for its natural beauty and its awesomeness — how big it is,” he said.

The Breaks are only two to three miles wide but stretch miles from Rawlins County into Cheyenne County and into Colorado and Nebraska — all created by wind, water and loess soil deposits eons ago.

And although the Breaks are located on private land, visitors can travel the backroads to experience the unique and rugged beauty without trespassing. Some have compared it to a mini-Grand Canyon.

“It’s like the moon in reverse,” Rueb said. “Instead of humps and stuff above the surface of the ground, this is all negative stuff below the surface of the ground. As you come up to the Breaks, you’re on flat farm ground –and then, you see all these vast crevices, creeks and draws.

“Most of them you can’t even walk up. They are so steep and everything, and I still know that there’s places out there that man’s never even walked on yet. It’s so big.”

An appreciation of the region

The area in and around the Breaks is rich with history.

The stories include Cheyenne Indians gathering there in 1864, shortly after the massacre at Sand

Creek, to heal and mark the site of their prayer grounds. And of the Pike’s Peak Express stagecoach line bringing more than 100,000 people through the area on the way to the Colorado gold fields.

Pastures are filled with yucca or soapweed. Sage grows abundantly, as do native grasses.

It is rugged country, and the country, in turn, makes the people who grow up here rugged.

Janet Carman of St. Francis is one of those people.

“Awesome is such an overused word,” Carman said. “But they are mysterious — in a way.

“My brother and I have taken long walks through them. And there’s

New museum shines light on forgotten Kansas artist

By Lori Brack Kansas Reflector

LINDSBORG — Clara Hatton is “arguably the most important forgotten Kansas artist of the 20th century,” and if you doubt it, Bill North is out to change your mind.

The daughter of Russell County farmers, Hatton was educated in Kansas, Michigan and England in ceramics, bookbinding, calligraphy and letterpress, engraving, weaving, and jewelry making. Today, her legacy is protected by the Clara Hatton Center,

the newest art venue in downtown Lindsborg, and what appears to be the only museum in Kansas dedicated to a woman artist’s work.

“In this one-room museum, everything that happens in a big museum will be here,” North, its founder and director, said.

The museum’s current exhibit “Clara Hatton and the British Arts and Crafts Movement,” runs through Jan. 29. Hatton’s book bindings, wood and copper plate engravings, calligraphy, and letterpress will be part

of the exhibit.

Many of the works of art were collected and preserved by Hatton’s niece Ora Hatton Shay of Austin, Texas. She has dedicated years to finding works by Hatton that were sold in a Salina auction after her death there in 1991.

Hatton’s practical Kansas work ethic and her ability and achievements as a creative polymath have a home in a small museum not much larger than the one-room prairie schoolhouse where she taught as a teenager.

something mystical about the Breaks. I just love being out there and walking, and you never know what you are going to see.

“A rattlesnake might crawl in front of you. The other day we were walking and a coyote jumped out in front of us … It’s just that when you are really out there by yourself, you feel pretty small.”

Which brings us back to coyote calling. Rueb is somewhat of an expert. For 20 years beginning in 1997, he helped organize the Midwest Coyote Calling Contest in the Breaks.

He has a great deal of respect for the coyote.

“They are just like the Breaks: They will appear out of nowhere,” he said.

“You’ve looked at an area and you turn your head — there he stands. I call them the Ghosts of the Prairie.

“Coyotes can be very elusive. They use every piece of terrain — foliage, yucca plants, soapweeds — everything to hide.

“The coyote has my respect.”

Every once in a while, Rueb likes to go out to the Breaks and try calling a coyote — just because he can.

“You don’t have to take an animal to enjoy them,” he said. “You can call them in to see them, fool them a little bit and take pictures.

“It is actually something that you can do for fun and entertainment, and it doesn’t hurt the animal one bit.”

None came the night we watched the sun go down on the Breaks.

But it was still exhilarating to hear a forgotten skill carried by the wind, echoing across the Breaks.

“We

said North, who previously ran much larger museums in Manhattan and Salina. “Clara’s on my shoulder all the time. I ask ‘What would Clara do?’

Photo by Beccy Tanner/KMUW

The rugged landscape in the far northwest corner of Kansas entranc es visitors and local residents alike.

Clara Hatton self-portrait

really have to think about new and different ways to do things,”

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