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December 2023
Hidden chapel is 'heart' of hospital
Pastor David Chiles
Church wants senior housing, not money By PJ Griekspoor and Bonita Gooch The Community Voice Pastor David Chiles of Paradise Missionary Baptist Church has a front-row seat to the explosive building spree on Wichita State University’s Innovation Campus and adjacent private property. Corporate offices are being built
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By Joe Stumpe There’s a reason why going from point A to point B in Ascension Via Christi St. Francis hospital can seem like a circuitous process: the Chapel of the Sisters of the Sorrowful Mother, which the hospital grew up and around over the decades. “The Sisters were so stubborn, they just refused to demolish the chapel,” joked Roz Hutchinson, marketing and communications manager for Ascension Kansas. “I like to think of it as the heart of the hospital,” added Tracey Biles, chief mission integration officer for Ascension Kansas. The size and impressive features of the chapel tend to take first-time visitors by surprise. As one blogger wrote, she’d always assumed the hospital was a “large cubic mass” until seeing a sign in a hallway for the chapel and discovering it was a standalone structure completely surrounded by wings of the hospital. “One can easily forget one is in a hospital, and the generic (chapel) sign outside seems ludicrously inadequate as an indicator of what’s in here,” she wrote.
The Chapel of the Sisters of the Sorrowful Mother as seen from an inner room of Ascension Via Christi St. Francis Hospital. “It’s unusual to have a chapel that’s basically the size of a cathedral in the center of your medical center,” Hutchinson said. The chapel was dedicated on Oct. 15, 1947, at a ceremony attended by more than 300 priests, nuns
and members of the Catholic laity, according to an article in the Wichita Eagle. Bishop Mark K. Carroll left his sick bed to bless the edifice, describing it as “the most beautiful chapel in See Chapel, page 6
Trains run in their families
Museum to restore locomotive No. 93 By Amy Geiszler-Jones Hanging around trains seems to be in Ed Pavey’s blood. No, the Valley City resident didn’t follow his father and grandfather to work for the railroads. Indeed, his father advised against it. “One of the things that Dad always told me was, ‘You can do whatever you want in life, but don’t go to work for them,’” Pavey recalled, noting that his father worked six days a week and found it hard to get consecutive days off. Instead, Pavey has volunteered for Wichita’s Great Plains Transportation
Museum since retiring from a long career in law enforcement in 2018. “If we don’t preserve the history, it’ll be gone,” said Pavey, who spent two decades as a Sedgwick County sheriff ’s deputy and nearly three with the Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center. Pavey is one of about two Photo by Amy Geiszler-Jones dozen active volunteers for the museum, which is located Ed Pavey, left, and Mike Martin volunteer at 700 E. Douglas across from at the Great Plains Transportation See Train, page 7 Museum.
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Page 2
Museum ornament offered The McCormick School Museum is selling Christmas ornaments to raise money for work on the historic school building. The ornaments are $20 and can be bought at the museum, 855 S. Martinson St., from noon-5 p.m. Sundays and from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Wednesdays. To have one shipped, send a check or money order for $27 to: McCormick School Museum, P.O. Box 12881, Wichita, KS, 67227. For more information, call Cindy Davis at (316) 708-0676.
the active age
December 2023
Celebrations Phyllis Lowery took her 93rd birthday to new heights by flying in the Sky Rider at Urban Air Adventure Park in Wichita. Actually, she rode it twice along with enjoying pizza and cake with family and friends. The Sky Rider is a zip line-like experience.
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Phyllis Lowery
December 2023
the active age
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Wichita pool Hall of Fame welcomes first female hotshot Julie Mason-Comitini was working the day shift at Merle’s Place in the 1980s when she started picking up a pool cue to pass the time. “I would just shoot pool by myself,” she remembers. “One of the guys said, ‘Hey, you play pretty good. Why don’t you play on our pool team?’” Mason-Comitini didn’t just help the team at Merle’s. She went on to win numerous individual and team championships, eventually turning pro and traveling the country full time to play. Last month, she became the sixth player and first woman inducted into the Wichita Pool Players Hall of Fame. “I am both honored and deeply humbled to be recognized by the Wichita Pool Players Hall of Fame as the first of what I’m sure will be many women chosen,” she said. “This honor in my home town will always be one of the most important events of my life.” Active in sports growing up, Mason-Comitini said she picked up pool naturally but also learned much by watching other players at past and present local billiards haunts such as
WPBA tour full time, living out of hotel rooms and traveling constantly. “If you wanted to be competitive, you had to be out there competing on different equipment all the time, so you could be sharp and acclimate fast,” she said. “You just had to be able to change and adapt really quickly.” She said she made “pretty good money” but quit the tour when she Julie Mason-Comitini couldn’t find a sponsor. She went to Rumors, Shooters, Club Billiards and school to study gemology. Today, she the Steven family game rooms. “I was always around great players,” and husband own a jewelry store in she said. “Wichita was great about that. Keller, Texas, where her husband is a Most of the time, I had a job in a pool watchmaker and she does appraisals room. That helped as well.” She won her first state tournament in Minnesota in 1989, going on to win others in Kansas, Missouri, Texas and New Mexico. She captured a half dozen national titles, including what she said was her biggest, the 1994 McDermott 9-ball championship in Las Vegas. She was named the national 9-ball tour points champion three straight years, reaching a world No. 24 ranking by the World Professional Billiards Association in 1999. The next year, she joined the
and custom designs. The Wichita Pool Players Hall of Fame, founded in 2015, is housed at Club Billiards, 925 W. Douglas, the city’s oldest pool room. While Mason-Comitini misses playing the game, she wasn’t sure she’d be picking up a cue again when she returned to Wichita for her induction into the Hall of Fame. “It’s really difficult because once you’ve done something for a living, and you’ve done it an elite level, it’s not fun to go miss balls you’re not supposed to miss.”
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December 2023
Arts Council salutes winners of 53rd annual awards A veteran group of artists and art advocates were recognized last month for making Wichita a better place to live — and a more prosperous one, too. “It’s obvious that our city benefits from the aesthetic beauty and cultural enrichment derived from artistic pursuits, but what you may not realize is that the arts are an important economic engine in our community,” City Council Becky Tuttle said in introducing winners of the Arts Council’s 53rd annual awards. Ann Garvey was named to the council’s Hall of Fame for 30 years involvement in Ballet Wichita, Music Theatre Wichita, the Tallgrass Film Festival, The Ann Garvey Kansas African American Museum, Symphony in the Hills and other organizations. “Ann’s efforts underscore two of her foundational beliefs: that investing in the arts can transform a community, and that Wichita artists, performers,
writers and musicians are worth celebrating,” Tuttle said. Martha Dooms received the arts educator award. Dooms has taught theatre in Wichita Public Schools for 34 years, producing Martha Dooms hundreds of shows. Sheila Kinnard was given the individual artist award. Kinnard, who recently retired from teaching drama at Mayberry Cultural Sheila Kinnard Arts Fine Arts Magnet Middle School, directed TKAAM’s recent production of "Canaan." Alan and Sharon Fearey, who have both served as Arts Council president, received the arts leadership award.
Rick Bumgardner, artistic director at Roxy’s Downtown, received the individual arts advocate award for his long Rick Bumgardner involvement in Wichita’s theatre scene.
Members of Designing Women
Designing Women were given the group arts advocate award for helping support Mark Arts since 1990. Last year, their Holiday Tables event raised over $120,000 for visual arts programs at Mark Arts.
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Tim Jones, associate concert master for the Wichita Symphony Orchestra and associate professor at Wichita State University, was given the Tim Jones individual music award. Other honorees included: Youth award — Athalia Altit, an East High senior, artist and summer intern at Mark Arts. Chris Cherches award — Chester I. Lewis Reflection Athalia Altit Square Park. Special project award — Woolsey Hall, home of Wichita State’s Barton School of Business, for its architecture and art collection.
December 2023
the active age
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Thank You Recent Donors! Kim Alexander Larry Anderson Jean Artz Mary Barnes Diane Bebak Valerie Bernritter Donna Bickham Terry Blair Barbara Brack Larry Brookman
Dolores Brown Jan Brown Jane Burns Kenneth Cunningham Linda Destasio Anthandea Dreiling Sharon Eberspach Judith Elam Penny Elliott Theresa Elpers
Jennifer Babst Patrick Butler Nancy Crandall Elizabeth Cummings John Davis
Frazey Farms Joan Flynn Patricia Fortmeyer Lyla Keith Barbara Koch
Vernon Feil Christine Frangenberg Deborah Gerwick George Ground Gloria Hamil Donald Harding Bertha Hein Marjorie Hensley Barbara Hermanson George Hiss
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Martha Kipp Jo Harvey Koehn Lajune Lynch Nadine Mae Jackie Mansfield Timothy Marlar Shelly Mccammon Patricia McHenry Virginia Merriman Nancy Milner
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Carolyn Timken Wanda Tyson Sharon Van Horn Claudine Vandyke Connie White Mary Alice Wiard Rosalin Wickman Patricia Wirth Sondra Witsman Timothy Yde
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Belznickel, Kriskind and other memories of Christmases past
By Diana Breit Wolfe “A couple of walnuts and maybe an orange or piece of candy.” That’s what my dad said when I asked what he received as a Christmas gift when he was a kid. Diana Breit Wolfe Born in 1904, he was one of nine siblings who grew up on a farm in Pfeifer, Kan. My mom, born in 1908 on a farm in Yocemento, Kan., had other memories. She said “Belznikel” — a German word loosely translated as a nasty person wearing a fur coat — would howl and rattle chains outside their door and finally enter carrying a switch to punish children who misbehaved. My mom’s oldest sister, Molly, enjoyed playing the part of Belznikel, which allowed her to swat her seven younger siblings. They were also visited
Dear Reader
by Kriskind — Christ Child — who would give them a little candy or maybe some nuts. One of the younger children dressed as Kriskind. These Christmas traditions were passed down to my parents from their parents, Russian-born farmers of German descent (often called Volga Germans) who immigrated to America around 1900. Happily, these humble traditions did not pass down to me and my siblings. Oh, except for one: No mention of Santa Claus. All our gift giving and receiving was done on Christmas Eve, so there was no anticipation of Santa leaving anything to be found on Christmas morning. I never minded or felt deprived because of it. Christmas Day meant church, cooking, eating, visiting and being visited by friends and family. I asked some friends about their memories of childhood Christmas. My
friend Ann remembers Christmas in Florida, where her Air Force family was stationed when she was 7. An only child, she got a new bike as well as gifts from aunts and grandparents. I liked their tradition of singing Happy Birthday to Jesus on Christmas Eve. Jane tells how she and her younger sister would innocently rearrange the gifts under their family’s tree almost every day. If a package had a loose ribbon or tape (possibly from being rearranged so much), they could peek inside before fixing it. Clever idea. Nancy and her little brother decided they would stay awake to see Santa by counting together as high as they could. They fell asleep before they could catch old Saint Nick at work. Another friend, Diane, and her family always spent Christmas Eve night at her grandparents’ home in Olpe, Kan. One year she wanted to sleep with grandpa because his bedroom was next to the living room, and she wanted to make sure Santa
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would know where she was. Made sense to her at the time. When you’re with friends over the holidays, it’s fun to compare stories of how your families celebrated. And be sure to share memories your kids, grands and greats. I wish I had asked my parents, who have been gone for many years, more about how they celebrated. Speaking of celebrations, please help The Active Age have a merry Christmas by sending a donation. Your gift — no matter the size — will get us nearer our fundraising goal for the year, which is $100,000. We are close to that number. Your donation will help keep The Active Age going and — who knows? — maybe you’ll get some candy from Kriskind in return. Enjoy a blessed and joyous holiday season, and thanks for reading The Active Age newspaper! Diana Breit Wolfe is treasurer of The Active Age’s board of directors. She can be reached at dcwolfe2000@yahoo.com.
125 S. West St., Ste 105 • Wichita, KS 67213 316-942-5385 • Fax 316-946-9180 www.theactiveage.com Published by Active Aging Publishing, Inc.
The Active Age, published the first of each month, is distributed in Butler, Harvey and Sedgwick counties. To subscribe, call 316-942-5385, write The Active Age or visit theactiveage. com.
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Chapel From Page 1
America.” While he might have been biased, there’s no doubt that great care and expense went into it. In a 24-page commemorative issue of the Advance Register, the local diocese’s newspaper, the chapel was described in detail. The main entrance was then on Emporia, through a garden for patients. Otherwise, the chapel has changed relatively little through the years. The rough stone exterior, with arched windows and doorways and a tower, recalls the Romanesque style of Italy in the Middle Ages; the stone was imported from Wisconsin. Inside, the walls and vaulted ceiling combine several strains of Travertine marble and plaster. The nave, or main seating area, has no columns to obstruct views of the sanctuary, which features a bronze alter, statues, carved symbols and inscriptions and more marble. Stained glass windows let in daylight, and mosaics depicting the stations of the cross line the walls. A niche holds a statue of Saint Francis, patron of the hospital. With about 9,300 square feet, the chapel holds 50 pews, enough to seat 500 people. A choir loft contains a pipe organ and more pews. The chapel bell was moved from the previous chapel, where it had been in use for 41 years. The chapel was called the “pride
of the Order” of the Sisters of the Sorrowful Mother, a Rome-based order which had taken over the operations of St. Francis 58 years earlier. According to “A Tradition of Caring 1889-1989” by Hal K. Rothman, “In 1947, the entire administration of the hospital included only one person — the sister Superior, Sister M. Oswaldina Nutz. She conducted the business of the hospital out of one room measuring approximately 12 by 10 ft. and kept all the papers of the institution in one cabinet. The Board of Directors consisted of five other Sisters, Dr. V. Dean Schwartz remember, ‘and no one ever knew who they were. They held their meetings when Sister Oswaldina decided it was necessary — which was not very often. Sisters held every supervisory post in the institution. Every nursing floor had a Sister as a supervisor.’” The chapel was only part of an ambitious hospital expansion undertaken by the Sisters. The Advance Register noted that the hospital had been overcrowded for several years due to the influx of aviation workers during World War II. In 1936, for instance, the hospital had admitted 5,697 patients. In 1946, the number was 15,496. The improvements included new X-ray, obstetrical and operating departments along with a larger convent, new bakery, kitchen, laundry, powerhouse, cafeteria and dining room for nurses. The chapel also served Catholic nurses and other hospital personnel. Enrollment in the hospital’s
December 2023
School of Nursing was 140, and the Sisters were eager to recruit more. By the 1950s, the hospital was in the shape of a U, with the chapel at the opening. Eventually, it was completely surrounded by erection of the hospital’s south tower in 1979. In 1965, a mosaic adorning the dome over the main altar was completed with money donated by medical staff. A modern audio-visual system was installed, allowing services to be live streamed. Entrance is now made on the hospital’s mezzanine level. Last fall, a courtyard outside the chapel was added for use by hospital employees, visitors and patients. The chapel’s mission has changed in one significant respect. After merging with St. Joseph Hospital to form Via Christi Health in 1995, the Sisters of the Sorrowful Mother eventually turned over operation of the hospital to St. Louis-based Ascension Health, a Catholic nonprofit health system. But the chapel they built is still active. The hospital operates it under contract with the diocese, employing two priests, Fathers Matt Marney and Ken Schuckman. Masses are held daily, and a physician, Dr. Bassem Rouphael, often plays the organ. The altar will be decorated with a nativity scene for the Advent season, a “longest night” service will be held Dec. 21 and another on Christmas Eve. Biles said it’s common for visitors to see the chapel from one of the hospital’s rooms and find their way to
United Way needs 160 volunteers for income tax preparation services United Way of the Plains is recruiting 160 volunteers for the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program that will operate Jan. 31 through April 15 in 2024. The service is offered at no charge to households making $64,000 or less annually. The program is overseen by Sarah Crick Milligan, VITA Program Manager for United Way of the Plains. Milligan recruits volunteers who are then trained to become IRS
certified to file taxes and identify tax credits. More than 5,780 returns were prepared in 2023, valued at more than $7 million that was returned to the local economy. According to Milligan, many people in the area depend on the program that was originally established in 2003. “The refunds from this program have a stabilizing financial impact on the lives of our friends and neighbors,” she said. “Our volunteers are essential
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Tracy Biles says the size and architectural features of the Chapel of the Sisters of the Sorrowful Mother surprise many visitors. it. “They’ll come to mass or just come down for some quiet prayer.” One of Hutchinson's favorite nightime views of the chapel is from the hospital's second-floor infusion therapy center, where cancer patients and others are treated. “Just having those beautiful glowing windows gives them peace of mind." Contact Joe Stumpe at joe@ theactiveage.com. Chapel hours The Sisters of the Sorrowful Chapel is open to the public daily from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mass is held at noon Monday through Friday, at 4 p.m. Saturday and 8 a.m. Sunday. taxvolunteer for the program, which has locations in in Sedgwick, Butler, Cowley, Ford, Geary, Marion, Pratt and Sumner counties. For more information, contact Milligan at (316) 267-1321.
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December 2023
Train
From Page 1 Union Station. The two-story museum, which opened its doors to the public in 1986, has indoor exhibits of railroad items such as signs, lanterns and tools, while outdoors on the railroad tracks it showcases different rolling stock. The museum is run entirely by volunteers, who spend time guiding visitors and operating the reception and gift shop areas when the museum is open and doing upkeep in the museum at other times. The museum is open on weekends April through October and on Saturdays from November through March. “There’s a lot of sweat equity that goes into working on this equipment and maintaining this equipment,” said Mike Martin, who became an active volunteer when his career in public relations brought him to Wichita in 2010 to work for Cargill. Martin spent the first 20 years of his PR career
Housing From Page 1
on Innovation Campus and hundreds of new market-rate apartments have been built in the Fairmount area just south of the campus. But some residents feel the development has done little to enrich the surrounding neighborhoods. Paradise Missionary sits in the middle of a large slice of land from Oliver to Belmont on 17th Street, directly across the street from the campus. The offers keep coming to buy its land, offers that Chiles says he has simply thrown into the trash. He has a bigger vision, one that helps the community and helps the church. They’ve been courted by developers, including one who offered to build Paradise a new church building in another location. Instead of selling the land and turning it over to the new property owner to do what they like with it, they’re looking for a developer who will partner with them to build senior citizen housing on their empty acres. While the offers to buy the land are plentiful, so far they’ve only received one offer to partner with the church. Four years ago, they were working with an Arizona developer on a shared development concept, but the developer died of COVID during the pandemic, leaving the church back where it started. Wichita developer Bernard Knowles introduced Chiles to that
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working for the BSNF Railway. Pavey and Martin have personal connections to the museum’s two largest displays: Santa Fe steam locomotive No. 3768 and Santa Fe diesel-electric locomotive No. 93. As a rail yard engineer, also known as a hostler, Pavey’s grandfather would move locomotives between tracks to keep the trains organized and on schedule. Not long ago, Pavey found a photo published in a railway magazine of his grandfather in the cab of No. 3768. As a BSNF Railway PR director, Martin went to its San Bernadino, Calif., plant in the early 1990s to photograph No. 93 when it was painted in a historic red, silver, black and yellow paint scheme that BSNF revived. The paint scheme, which had first been used on the Santa Fe’s Super Chief passenger train locomotives between 1937 and 1971, was referred to as the Warbonnet scheme. The Lionel model train company applied
it to its models in the early 1950s, helping it gain popularity and recognition. Martin’s connections are now coming in handy as he and Pavey cochair the museum’s recently launched campaign to cosmetically restore the No. 93. The elements have not been kind to the locomotive, resulting in fading, peeling paint and patches of rust. The museum has enlisted the help of actor Michael Gross, perhaps best known for his role as Steven Keaton on the “Family Ties” TV series, to be what museum president John Deck is calling “the face and voice of our efforts to restore 93.” The fundraising goal is $193,000. Martin got to know Gross in the 1980s when the railroad enthusiast did some promotional work for the railway company. Martin accompanied the actor and his family on a private train ride. “He had done some pro bono
video work for Santa Fe training videos, and he only asked for an opportunity to ride one of our private passenger cars, from LA to Chicago and back, with his family.” Martin also culled his collection of Santa Fe Warbonnet merchandise from when the paint scheme was revived to put together a second-floor display case in the museum to help showcase the fundraiser campaign. His son, Matt, is a trainmaster at the BNSF Railway’s Amarillo, Texas, freight yard. “My son’s also a big model railroader, and now our 5-year-old grandson has become enamored with chugs, as he calls them. So, yeah, it’s kind of become a family thing now.” For more information on volunteering or supporting the Great Plains Transportation Museum, visit www.gptm.us, call 316-263-0944 or email info@gptm.us. Contact Amy Geiszler-Jones at algj64@sbcglobal.net.
developer. He said he’d like to help the church, but has projects of his own that keep him busy. “I knew the Arizona developer and thought he’d be able to help. And they were making progress toward that before he got sick,” Chiles said. He said that plan called for building a new church building on the east end of the property close to Oliver Street and using the remainder of the property for the housing, which he described as “on the order of Larksfield Place.” With an aging congregation, Chiles says he sees how the community can benefit from a quality, communitycentered senior housing project. It’s an approach that allows the church and the community to invest in itself.
With the church and the land debt free, the congregation could simply sell and walk away with a big check, but its debt-free position allows it the freedom to wait and shop for the right opportunity. “You can sell property and get a one-time income,” Chiles said. “If we develop the land, we get a revenue stream for generations to come.”
In more simplistic terms, Associate Pastor Dexter Sutton said, “Once you give up the cow, you can’t get no more milk.” Instead of the developers reaping all of the long-term revenue, Pastor Chiles says the Paradise congregation will be holding out for the milk. This article was published with permission of The Community Voice.
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December 2023
Ted: I don't like spiders and snakes the east end at the Verdigris River. The whole place was Ozarks-like. We were waiting for dinner and the preacher and I were sitting in the living room. There was a four-byeight-foot planter built into the floor. The preacher was gazing at the flowers. “That looks like a really big spider,” said the preacher. It was a tarantula, and he (or she) was reared up on his or her hind legs, a sign of spider pique. Entomologists say the spiders aren’t usually dangerous, and their bites are seldom fatal, but can be very painful.
December quiz a kingly pursuit checkerboard? 8. What name is given to the By Nancy Wheeler Answer the following questions that all have the word “king” embedded in them in some way: 1. What American Baptist minister was a prominent leader of the Civil Rights Movement and was assassinated in 1968? 2. What American singer and jazz pianist is perhaps most famous for his rendition of “Unforgettable?” 3. What Saturday morning television show from the 1950s featured an aviator turned rancher who used his plane, the Songbird, to chase down bad guys?
4. What Rodgers and Hammerstein musical was made into a film starring Deborah Kerr as the governess and Yul Brynner as the stubborn King Mongkut of Siam? 5. What British actor won the Academy Award for Best Actor in 1982 for his role in "Gandhi"? 6.What Bohemian ruler is featured in a Christmas carol as he “looked out on the Feast of Stephen?” 7. What phrase is uttered by a checkers player when his piece has made it across the entire
archaeological area in Egypt where rock-cut tombs were excavated for pharaohs and powerful noblemen for a period of nearly 500 years? 9. What name is given to a family of brightly colored birds found most often in the tropical areas of Africa and Asia? 10. What name is given to the 2010 movie about Prince Albert overcoming his stammer when his brother suddenly abdicates the throne to marry Wallis Simpson? 11. What nursery rhyme character was a “merry old soul” who called for his pipe, bowl and musicians? 12. What town and county in Kansas was named for a chief justice of the Kansas Supreme
Court during the 1860s and 1870s? 13. What American television sitcom featured a delivery driver (Kevin James) and his wife (Leah Remini) and was a spin-off from Everybody Loves Raymond? Answers:
1. Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. 2. Nat King Cole 3. Sky King 4. The King and I 5. Ben Kingsley 6. King Wenceslaus 7. “King Me!” 8. Valley of the Kings 9. Kingfishers 10. The King’s Speech 11. Old King Cole 12. Kingman 13. The King of Queens
By Ted Blankenship At a recent dinner party, I mentioned that when Dorothy and I lived in Coffeyville, we not only had to contend with copperhead snakes but large, hairy spiders, too. I was referring to tarantulas. “Ah, we don’t have tarantulas in Kansas,” said someone at the table. Well, it turns out that we have lots of them, especially in the prairie and wooded hills of southeast Kansas, where Coffeyville is located. I have had at least two encounters with these arachnids, one real and another maybe imaginary. The first was on a Sunday after church. The preacher and his family were visiting us for dinner. We lived on a hilly seven acres that ended on
In my daydream reverie, I saw another spider dancing the Texas twostep, which took him several hours I decided to err on the side of because he used all eight legs. caution, ran to the back porch and As I noted above, we had grabbed a two-by-four. I didn’t ask how copperhead snakes in Coffeyville, too. the preacher felt about taking a spider’s Everyone told us that when they were life. I just squashed him (the spider). annoyed, you could smell them. But Just so you’ll know, the tarantulas they didn’t say what they smelled like. that inhabit Kansas are Texas Browns. So, one day when Dorothy was Some of them visited me one lazy looking for rocks for her garden, she afternoon in the same house. I was came running toward the house. She gazing at the living-room planter when said she had smelled a copperhead. It I heard what sounded like a tiny steel turned out to be a gas yard light that guitar. was leaking gas. A large, hairy spider was at a little People in the know, say the snakes microphone singing a song I could just smell like cucumbers. barely hear: I’ve always wondered whether a Oh, I’m a rootin’ tootin’ Texas Brown, big bunch of copperheads would smell And I just came into town, like a salad. I hope I don’t find out. Don’t mess with me, you Dude, Contact Ted at tblankenship218@ I can turn you into food, gmail.com. I’m a rip snortin’ Texas Brown
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Kansans speak:
What residents think about the economy, marijuana, Medicaid and more Each year since 2009, the Docking Institute of Pubic Affairs at Fort Hays State University has surveyed Kansas adults regarding various issues. Here are findings of the 2023 Kansas Speaks fall survey, which was conducted from Sept. 20 to Oct. 10, 2023. A representative panel of 485 Kansas residents age 18 and older were surveyed online. Overall Quality of Life in Kansas • 43% of respondents indicated Kansas is a “very good” or “excellent” place to live, and 11% said Kansas is a “poor” or “very poor” place to live. The rating in 2023 was less positive compared with 2021 and 2022. Economy • 19% of respondents felt the state economy is “very good” or “excellent” this year, slightly higher than in 2022 but still lower than in 2021. 20.% felt the economy is “poor” or “very poor,” much higher than in 2021 and 2022. • 19% of respondents are “very concerned” about the future economy threatening their own or their family’s welfare, and 27% are “moderately concerned,” not very different from 2022. Government, Politicians & Election • 38% of respondents were satisfied with the performance of Governor Laura Kelly, and 33% were dissatisfied. • 22% of respondents were satisfied with President Biden, and 63% were
dissatisfied. • 23% of respondents were satisfied with the Kansas legislature, and 35% were dissatisfied. • 10% of respondents were satisfied with the U.S. Congress, and 65% were dissatisfied. • 54% of respondents were confident that the reported winners of the elections in Kansas are actually the candidates that most Kansans voted for. 11% were not confident, 26% were neutral, and 9% said “don’t know.” • 41% of respondents felt fraud is generally not a problem in Kansas elections. 23% felt fraud is a problem. Public Policy Issues • 64% of respondents agreed that expanding Medicaid would help rural Kansas hospital remain in business. 9% disagreed. • 70% of respondents supported expanding Medicaid in Kansas. 9% disagreed. • As they decide who got their vote to represent them in the Kansas Legislature, 49% of respondents felt the issue of Medicaid expansion in Kansas is highly or extremely important, 35% slightly important, and 8% not important at all important. • 67% of respondents supported legalizing recreational marijuana for individuals 21 and older to allow state taxation; 17% are opposed. • 64% of respondents are “highly” or “somewhat likely” to vote for a
candidate who supported medical marijuana legalization as they decided who to vote to represent them in Kansas Legislature; 15% are unlikely. • 63% of respondents agreed that women are in a better position than politicians to make their own choices about whether to get an abortion; 12% disagreed. • 51% of respondents agreed that “the Kansas government should not place any regulations on the circumstances under which women can get abortions,” while 27% disagreed. • 68% of respondents agreed that Kansas should develop a state energy plan that would set forward-thinking energy policy for the state; 9% disagreed. • 66% of respondents were very or moderately concerned that Kansas might be running out of water, and another 18% were “slightly concerned.” 7% were not concerned at all. • 62% of respondents agreed that Kansas farmers would need to make changes to their farming practices due to declining water levels; 4% disagreed. • 57% of respondents felt climate change is a crisis or major problem in Kansas, and 32% felt it is a minor problem or not a problem at all. • 82% of respondents agreed that buying locally grown food is more helpful to the area’s economy. 77% of respondents felt locally grown food had better quality.
• More than 70% of respondents favored using locally produced foods in senior centers and K-12 school systems. Between 50% to 70% of respondents favored supporting local food systems by offering business supports for farmers, producers and distributors, offering consumer support, and implementing/expanding composting initiatives. • Protection, hunting, and second Amendment right/Constitutional right were thought to be the three most important reasons for owning a gun or rifle. Housing • 72% of respondents were concerned about the cost of housing in their communities. • About 60% of respondents felt that lack of affordable houses (both for purchase and also for rent) are having negative impacts on their community. • 23% of respondents agreed that their community is adequately addressing housing issues. 39% disagreed. • 48% of respondents believed more government spending is needed in their community on services for the homeless. 23% did not believe so. • 63% of respondents felt that they would have difficulty affording to buy a home in their community.
Exploration Place has opened “Whispering Woodlands,” an immersive sound and light environment staged in its picnic grove and accessible by a seldom-used bridge. During the day, sound will emanate
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at dusk. “In recent years, immersive art installations have captivated audiences worldwide,” he said. Whispering Woodlands is open through Jan. 7. Exploration Place will
The cost to visit Exploration Place, which includes admission to Whispering Woodlands and Arctic Adventure, is $12 for adults, $10 for seniors, $10 for youth and free for ages 2 and under.
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December 2023
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December 2023
Crew prepares Wichita State for its springtime tulip show By Kylie Cameron KMUW Wichita State University is known for its iconic tulip beds across campus during the spring — especially around the beloved Millie the millipede statue near the Ulrich Museum of Art. But to make that happen, the university’s landscaping crew begins its work on the tulip beds in October. “So this year we’re planting just over 9,000 bulbs,” said Lowell Kaufman, a landscape supervisor at WSU. To get the tulips lined up in a pattern, the crew pounds stakes into the ground and threads strings across them to set up a grid. Before the crew even gets to this point, it has to pull and preserve some of the native plants the crew tended to during the summer. Then, the crew tills the garden bed and moistens it for planting. “It’s about a … probably six-week process between when we start pulling stuff out to finish tulip planting, depending on the weather,” Kaufman said. Tulips on Wichita State’s campus have been a tradition since the 1970s. Planting the bulbs in October allows
time for the bulbs to root. “Different areas of campus have their own traditional tulip colors. Red tulips are always planted around Millie; yellow for some of the entrances onto campus, which also happens to be one of the school colors. But the crew also likes to find different varieties to try from its supplier in Holland. “We know which ones do well where,” Kaufman said, “but … we’re trying out a couple of new varieties this year.” Experimenting and learning is part Red tulips are traditionally planted around Tom Otterness' "Millipede" of the job. Most of the people helping sculpture at Wichita State University. to plant near the entrances this year are new, including Cass Standley, who graduated from WSU with a degree in me here was I just remember how good hosta?’ They’re like, ‘This plant right here.’” it looked. And I want to work with strategic communications. Bowman’s parents were also in plants.” “I was working an office job, and the military, which means she lived in Dallas Bowman works alongside I was like, ‘Man, I kind of just want several different states and countries Kaufman and Standley. She said she’s to be outside. I want to like, be active growing up. She said working with the only been on the job for a couple of and spend more time … around plants, months. Before joining the landscaping tulips reminds her of those times. around nature,’” Standley said. “I actually grew up in Europe, I team, she was stationed at McConnell “As someone who went to school was a military brat,” Bowman said. “So Air Force Base. here, that was one of the things that we did go see the tulips in bloom on “It’s kind of therapeutic working stuck with me was … all the plants, vacation one time, and there’s like … with the plants,” Bowman said. “I like the landscaping is always so a deep red (tulip) and that just kind of mean, I kind of felt like I was a little beautiful,” she said. “And so, I think reminds me a little bit of home because dumb at first because they’re like, ‘Put I even said that in my interview, that it by the hosta.’ I’m like, ‘What’s a that was one of the things that drew See next page
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I’m from New Mexico. So, like the deep red sunsets over the mountainside.” As for Kaufman, he’s been with the university for years. He said the newer faces and people he works with have an impact. “When the new students come on campus, it’s like it’s a new world to them. Photo by Hugo Phan And it’s fun to see,” he Landscape worker Cass Standley said tulips said. “I guess … as I get were part of what drew her to WSU as a student. older, it makes me feel probably like grandkids, for sure, younger being around … young maybe even great-grandkids age people that are almost.”
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December 2023
In the ‘UFO capital of Kansas,’ a celebration of the weird and wonderful
By Max McCoy Kansas Reflector GENESEO, Kan. — Welcome to Dimension G. Once you enter the Geneseo City Museum, it takes a few minutes to adjust to the high strangeness contained within. Never mind the creepy ventriloquist dolls in the corner staring at you with their dead eyes. What you’ll really want to concentrate on is the UFO Room, where you’ll find hair of a dog from Venus, spring water preferred by interplanetary travelers, and blueprint-
like drawings from an entire fleet of craft from Venus, Mars and beyond. At least that’s what the man who collected these things believed, and the museum has done its best to preserve the imagination and personality of Elmer D. “Doc” Janzen. He was a chiropractor, minister, ventriloquist, inveterate collector and fervent believer that Earth was visited frequently by interplanetary beings, who happened to look just like us. “We knew this collection was really unique in the state of Kansas,” said Jim Gray, a local author and historian who is chairman of the
museum board. “We began to search around for the idea whether there was such a thing as a UFO capital in Kansas, and no one was claiming it, so our City Council did a proclamation in 2022. So off we went.” The museum is a time capsule of the UFO craze of the 1950s and 1960s, See next page
Photos by Max McCoy
Local historian Jim Gray welcomes a visitor to the Geneseo City Museum.
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when popular culture was heavily influenced by science fiction films like “The Day the Earth Stood Still.” Flying saucers had been a national obsession since 1947, when private pilot Kenneth Arnold reported nine crescent-shaped objects flying over Mt. Rainier. Arnold’s story was widely carried in newspapers, and journalists transformed his description of the objects into “flying saucers.” It wasn’t long before ordinary Americans also reported seeing unexplained flying objects, but their shapes varied widely. It’s these unusual shapes you’ll find depicted at the museum, including some that look like fish. A cult hero of 1950s flying saucer lore was Buck Nelson, a farmer from Mountain View, Mo., who lived alone with a white shepherd dog and an old horse and claimed aliens gave him rides on their spaceships to the moon, Venus and Mars. The UFO Room has plenty of Nelson memorabilia, including a slim book Nelson wrote that claims Christianity is common in the cosmos and boasts a couple of commandments we don’t have down here. Janzen opened the museum in 1964. After his death in 1977, at age 75, the museum passed to the city. Gray, the local historian, told me every inch of the house was crammed with city history, and even the walls were covered with thumb-tacked photographs of ordinary people who had lived in Geneseo. Geneseo is a town of about 200 people 90 minutes northwest of Wichita, founded in 1886 during the expansion of the Missouri Pacific. Artifacts of the city’s railway past are found throughout the museum, including the town sign from the original depot. “Most people in Geneseo thought the whole (alien) idea was crazy and
thought Doc was a crackpot for giving it any credence,” Gray said. “After he was gone, they respected the fact that he had collected so much stuff, and it was still on his walls, but no one talked about it. So it was kind of like the Geneseo secret.” There is an enigmatic marking in the concrete outside the museum, Gray said, that was discovered when they were preparing for the first World UFO Day. It’s in the curbing that was likely poured in the 1940s, he said, and it resembles a compass, with a UFOshaped object pointing the direction of Roswell, 500 miles away. I examined the “Roswell Compass” but was unsure if it had any special meaning. It could have been an asterisk or a marking for buried utility lines or just the result of boredom and wet concrete. The interpretation of the symbol, like the rest of the museum, is highly subjective.
December 2023
The Geneseo City Museum was started by E.D. Janzen N.D. Naturopath, a local chiropractor. After the Council declared the town the UFO capital, several hundred people attended a local event for “World UFO Day” on July 2. Annually, Gray said, the museum has a couple thousand visitors, and donations from out-of-towners are much needed. “We’re not going to survive with community money,” he said. “We just won’t.” The museum, at 907 Silver Ave., is open from 2 to 5 p.m. the second Saturday of each month. Its next scheduled opening is Nov. 11, but Gray said the museum also opens by appointment. The number to call is (785) 531-2058. Don’t forget to grab a “Dimension G” t-shirt on your way out. A longer version of this article can be found at kansasreflector.com.
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Donate for chance to win Botanica family membership
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 Rose Marie Mintz. Donations may be made by calling 316-942-5385; through our website, theactiveage.com; by mail to The Active Age, 125 S. West St., Suite 105, Wichita, KS, 67213; or in person.
Receiving duplicate copies?
Is your home receiving more than one copy of The Active Age? If so, please let us know by calling (316) 942-5385 or emailing joe@theactiveage.com. Every duplicate copy that we can eliminate will save us on printing and postage costs.
Going paperless?
Page 16
Resource Guide arrives The active age's new 2023-2024 Resource Guide is now available. The FREE publication lists hundreds of organizations and businesses that serve seniors. Copies can be picked up at The Active Age office, 125 S. West St, Ste. 105, local senior centers, libraries and 150 locations around Wichita.
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) 942-5384 or email joe@theactiveage.com.
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NOTE:The Active Age is printing regularly scheduled senior center activities as space permits. Please email Joe at joe@theactiveage.com to have your center’s activities listed.
CSalendar of Events C S C edgwick
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
ounty
enior
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
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
enters
MT HOPE 105 S Ohio, 667-8956
MULVANE 632 E Mulvane, 777-4813 NORTHEAST 212 1 E 21st, 269-4444 OAKLAWN 2937 Oaklawn Dr, 524-7545
LA FAMILIA 841 W 21st, 267-1700
ORCHARD PARK 4808 W 9th, 942-2293
LINWOOD 1901 S Kansas, 263-3703
PARK CITY 6100 N Hydraulic, 744-1199
MCADAMS GOLDEN AGE 1329 E 16th, 337-9222
VALLY CENTER COMMUNITY CENTER 314 E Clay, 755-7350
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 DECEMBER 6 10:30 am Wichita Art Museum 1400 W. Museum Blvd., $2 admission. Info unavailable. 1:30 pm Museum of World Treasures 835 E. 1st St. Info unavailable. DECEMBER 13 10 am Sedgwick County Zoo, 5555 Zoo Blvd. (316) 2668213, $4 Info unavailable. 1:30 pm Advanced Learning Library, 711 W, 2nd, (316) 2618500, Free. Info unavailable.
DECEMBER 20 10 am Ulrich Museum of Art, 1845 N. Fairmount. Info unavailable. 1:30 pm Great Plains Nature Center, 6232 E 29th St N. Info unavailable. DECEMBER 27 10 am Wichita-Sedgwick County Historical Museum, 204 S. Main. Info unavailable. 1:30 pm Mid American All-Indian museum. 650 N Seneca (316) 3503340, $2 + tax admission; free for MAAIM members. Info unavailable.
Derby Sr Center, 611 Mulberry. 1st & 3rd Tuesday 7pm-9:30 pm. El Dorado Jam & Dance, Senior Center, 210 E. 2nd. Goldenrod Golden Age, 1340 S Pattie. Dances every Wednesday 7pm-9:30pm. 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 Mulvane, 101 E. Main (Pix Community Center Second Tuesday of every month at 7-9 pm. Oaklawn Activity Center, 4904 S. Clifton. Contra Dance1st Saturday of each month. 7pm-9pm. Call Amanda at 316-361-6863.
WEEK OF DECEMBER 1 Wed: Tuna pasta salad, tomato salad, applesauce, crackers. WEEK OF DECEMBER 4 Mon: Glazed chicken, mixed vegetables, pears, wheat roll. Tue: Sloppy Joe, whole grain bun, coleslaw, pineapple. Wed: Mexican pork stew, hominy, tropical fruit, cornbread muffin. Thu: Scallop potatoes and ham, peas, peaches, breakstick, chef's choice birthday cake. Fri: Chicken salad, croissant, copper pennies salad, mixed fruit.
BURRTON 124 N Burrton, 620-463-3225 HALSTEAD 523 Poplar, 835-2283 HESSTON Randall & Main, 620-327-5099 www.hesstonseniorcenter.com NEWTON AREA SENIOR CENTER 122 E 6th, Newton, 283-2222 www.grandcentralseniorcenter.com SEDGWICK 107 W. Fifth, 772-0393
WEEK OF DECEMBER 18 Mon: Christmas meal: Holiday ham, sweet potato casserole, ambrosia fruit salad, dinner roll. Tue: Turkey and broccoli pie, three bean salad, mixed fruit, garlic breadstick. Wed: Beef cutlet, mashed potatoes, calico salad, wheat roll. Thu: Creamed chicken, whole grain biscuit, mixed vegetables, pineapple. Fri: Beef hot dog, bun, baked beans, coleslaw, peach crisp.
Transportation Sedgwick Co Transportation, 660-5150 or 1-800-367-7298. Information: 8 am-5 pm, Mon-Fri; closed most holidays. www. sedgwickcounty.org/aging.
Orchard Park Golden Age, 4808 W 9th. Every Friday 7pm-9:30pm. Call Casey 316-706-7464 Park City Sr Center, 6100 N Hydraulic. 1st and 3rd Saturday 7-9:30 p.m. Info: 755-1060. Line Dance every Wednesday 2:30pm. Call Madison 316-744-1199. Square dance 2nd & 4th Sunday 6pm-8:30 pm. Prairie Wind Dancers: Plymouth Congregational Church, 202 N Clifton. Joyce, 683-1122. Village Steppers Square Dance, Oaklawn Activity Center, 4904 S Clifton. 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.
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.
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
Sedgwick County
Dances
Friendship Meals
WEEK OF DECEMBER 11 Mon: Fish sandwich, tartar sauce, corn relish salad, apricots, pistachios. Tue: Chicken and cheese casserole, peas and carrots, flavored applesauce, garlic bread. Wed: Creamy turkey and veggie casserole, green beans, blushing pears, wheat bread. Thu: Calico beef and beans, combination salad, pineapple, cornbread muffin. Fri: BBQ pork riblet, hoagie roll, scalloped potatoes, cinnamon apples.
Harvey County
www.seniorwednesday.org
NOTE: AGING PROJECTS, INC. PLANNED TO MAKE FRIENDSHIP MEALS AVAILABLE THROUGH PICK UP AND DELIVERY IF NECESSARY. FOR INFORMATION, CONTACT YOUR LOCAL MEAL SITE OR CALL 316-686-0074
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.
www.theactiveage.com
WEEK OF DECEMBER 25 Mon: Closed for holiday. Tue: Closed for holiday. Wed: BBQ chicken, green beans, tropical fruit, wheat roll. Thu: Tuna salad, croissant, cuke and tomato salad, pears. Fri: Cowboy beans, combo salad, apricots, cornbread muffin. * Milk 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 AMERICANS ACT, KDADS AND CENTRAL PLAINS AREA AGENCY ON AGING
Page 18
the active age
December 2023
Classified Advertising
F CEMETERY PROPERTY FOR SALE F
4 plots in Resthaven in Rose Garden. Section 62 lots C1,C2,C3 & C4. 1 marker, 2 vaults, 2x-opening/closing. $19,900 for all or will sell separately. Transfer fee included. Call 316-992-1931. 2 burial spaces and 1 vault at Resthaven. One sealing vault, one opening and closing and one bronze makrer. Located in the Garden of Christus. Selling both spaces and the vault for $11,000 OBO. 240-338-9743. Garden of the Praying Hands, Resthaven, Lot 38D, Space 2, $4,000. 785-478-4015
F ELECTRICAL F
Alpha Electric Dependable Electrical Service Call Greg at 316-312-1575 Insured, Lic. #1303
F ESTATE SALES F IPK Enterprises Estate Sales. Know your options, you have many. Please call us for a free consultation. 316-806-3435.
FOOT CARE IN YOUR HOME
Cheryl Rosine ~ The Foot Lady ICMT RN
ESTATE SALE: White Chapel Memorial Gardens. 1 burial plot, valued at $1,899 sell for $1,500. 541-840-0783
$40: In-home, Sedgwick & surrounding counties Diabetic, thick toe nails, ingrown & callous care
• 316-312-2025 •
Benjamin Jones ~ CNAICR
• 316-932-8524•
Foot Care in home. Home visit $40.00 Call Francine at 316-943-4360. Leave a message.
F FOR SALEF
2 lots, nice location. Lakeview, Garden of Meditation. Retail $4,195 each. Sell both $3,000 plus transfer fee. Steve 316-305-9657, jazzyspoppop@gmail.com
Multi use patient transfer chair for sale, New $450 obo, call (316) 200-3395 for more information.
Lakeview Gardens, Garden of Gethsemane II, two spaces valued at $3,195 each. Asking $3,500 total OBO. 719-649-4307.
Downsizing? Don't have an Auction, or Estate Sale. We Buy Entire Estates. Call Kelly 316-283-8536. Furniture Warehouse 200 Main Newton, KS
2 plots at Resthaven cemetery. Sermon on the Mount garden. Lot 95-C spaces 3&4. $4,500 each or $8,000 together. Transfer fee paid. 316-734-0660. Leave message. White Chapel, Garden of Gethsemane, 2 plots w/ vaults, side by side. $2,800 plus transfer fee OBO. 913-558-0486 Lakeview. Apostle’s Garden. Lot 8 spaces 3&4. Near chapel. $3,000 both. Seller pays fee. 316-655-8644 2 plots at Resthaven. In garden of Bruce Newton. Lot 58D spaces 1&2. Asking $5,095 plus transfer fee. Call 620-629-5665. Lakeview Garden of Apostles Lot 91 Space 12 with 2nd Right of Inurnment. Retail $5500 asking $5000. Seller pays transfer. 316-253-0655 2 plots in Resthaven Garden of Memories, Garden of Gethsemane, $5,500 each, includes transfer fee. Contact Kay 785 614 2775, or kreed@cloud.edu Resthaven, Sermon on the Mount, 2 plots, Section 96 lots 3&4. Spaces only. Buyer pays transfer fee. $4,000 for both OBO. 316-932-5627
F CLEANING SERVICESF Experienced and reliable house cleaning. Offering thorough cleaning with attention to detail. Local references available. For a spotless home call or text 316-518-7078 or 316-779-6217.
F COMPUTER SPECIALISTF Tech got you down? I can help with computers, Macs, smartphones, setting up Roku etc… abcd TECH cell 316.768.7832
F HOME CARE CONT F
F HOME IMPROVEMENTS CONT F
BIG OR SMALL JOBS WANTED Need help cleaning your home, grocery shopping, etc. Call Roberta 316-587-4414. I am honest, dependable and caring. Budget friendly. References available. 28 YR EXPERIENCED LICENSED HOME HEALTH AIDE Providing rides to Dr etc. Home Health Care Specializing in Dementia/Diabetes. Ref avail. Kay 316-882-9127
PAINTING • SIDING • SEAMLESS GUTTERING • DECKS
316.807-5180
F FOOT CARE F
2 burial plots - Lakeview Cemetary Everlasting Life Double-Depth Lawn Crypt - C-11 Space 10. Retail $7500, asking $4000. Call Scott 213-798-8689
Lakeview Everlasting Life Lot 102 Spaces 3 and 4. Will sell both for $3800. Seller pays transfer fees. Cash, cashiers check or certified check only. Call 316-259-4446
Place an ad: 942-5385
F FURNITURE F
F HAIR STYLINGF Hair Solutions by Sherry Perms * Cuts * Colors Men, Woman & Children 1 person Salon
GIFT CERTIFICATES AVAILABLE
Call for an appointment Sherry Brown 316-207-1760
F HAULING/JUNK REMOVALF Chilo s Hauling & Junk Removal WILL HAUL ANYTHING!! Mon-Fri- Before Noon Weekends- All Day Free Estimates 316-618-4037 FALL CLEAN UP Leaf & Flowerbed Cleanup Trim, Cut and Remove MISC. ODD JOBS, NO JOB TOO SMALL Honest & Reasonable. 316-807-4989.
F HOME CARE F Private Duty Aide with light house keeping. Availability evenings and weekends. References upon request. Cynthia CNA/HHA 316-992-6711 Male & Female Caregivers. 4-6 hrs/Day (20 hr week min), 15/hr. Can cook, clean, run errands and take to doctors’ appointments. Call 316-516-2149 or 316-249-0372 Looking for Companion Care? Will do light housekeeping, meal prep, run errands. 316-652-5737 Needing someone to clean home. Willing to pay $20/hr. 316-889-1426.
F HELP WANTED F FITTINGS FOR YOU Help Wanted Retail Store, answering phones, waiting on customers, run errands Call 316-945-4722
F HOME IMPROVEMENTS F 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. 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 Derby, Haysville, Mulvane, Rose Hill, Wichita. Exterior & Interior. House painting, siding, decks, fences. Build, repair and stain. (SEE REVIEWS)- KC KIMBALL DERBY KS ANGI Free Estimates. Be Blessed. Thank you. 316-250-2265
LIFT-RITE GARAGE DOORS
Scheduled maintenance, repair, sales on all garage doors. *Springs-Torsion & Extension *Garage Door Openers, Doors & More
Chris (316) 619-1196 or Linda (316) 841-5252
S & V Concrete
Steps, porches, patios, sidewalks, driveways & garage floors. Also 4-inch steps with 18-inch landings for seniors. Licensed, bonded, insured. Free estimates
Steve 992-6884
K & A Maintenance Experts We specialize in the following
Wheel Chair Ramps • Landscaping • Remodeling Decks • Safety Hand Rails
FREE ESTIMATES
All General Maintenance and Repairs Please call Jesse at 316-854-7642
MOBILE GLASS REPAIR Windows * Patio * Doors Windows won’t stay up, Crank Outs, Patio Rollers and Lock Latches, Morris Glass & Service, 316-946-0745 Dirt Dr LLC Dirt Work • Landscaping Needs Junk Removal • Tree Trimming Dirt Dr specializes in all your landscaping needs, seasonal yard clean outs, and junk removal. Give us a call or text for a free estimate at: 316-351-8863 Nelsen Contracting General Contractor Honesty, Quality, Integrity are Key! • Home Improvements/Repairs • Upkeep Maintenance Free Initial Consultation. 316-665-1644
Bruce Smith Roofing & Siding Protect your home from the elements of the weather!
35 Years Exp. Locally owned & operated
FREE ESTIMATES
All types of roofing, siding, handyman work, hauling, clean-ups & other exterior projects
316-640-3155 Licensed & Insured
www.theactiveage.com
AGAPE CONSTRUCTION
Total Concrete Services
Locally Owned by Pastor Steven Blalock 10% off Senior/Military Discount
807-8650
www.agaperoofingandconstruction.com
AGAPE ROOFING Three Generations of Local Roofers Quality Work – Fair Prices Residential & Commercial
Siding - Guttering - Windows
316-807-8650
Call for Free Roof Inspection Locally Owned by Pastor Steven Blalock Licensed & Insured
316-945-9473
Senior Citizen Discounts
• Residential and Commercial • Painting for Interior and the active age Exterior • Power Washing • Some Home Improvements
December 2023
Classified Advertising F HOME IMPROVEMENTS CONT F
Professional Handyman Services General Contractor
Jesus Landscaping Complete lawncare. Spring clean-up * Aeration * Over Seeding Gutter cleaning * Fencing * Landscape install/maintain * Shrub/tree trimming/ removal Call for a free estimate! 316-737-3426 or 316-631-5984 WWW.JESUSLANDSCAPINGKS.COM
Affordable Painting
Sharp Edges Lawn Care Service • Mowing • Trimming • Edging • Rake Leaves • And MORE Call/Text 316-640-6327
Free Estimates * Senior Citizen Discounts Art Busch
316-518-8553
**Anything Home Improvement**
5"-6" SEAMLESS GUTTER WHOLE HOUSE PAINTING SIDING & WINDOWS
Call Josh for an estimate
316-393-8921
Beard & Son Concrete Construction
Drive ways, sidewalks, patio and landscaping. Dirt work and more. Skid Loader/Mini Skid Loader Services Licensed * Bonded * Insured
I bid’em to get’em! Steve 316-259-0629 Dylan 316-734-6134
Place an ad: 942-5385
F PAINTING CONTF
Integrity Landscaping & Construction
JS Guttering & Construction
• Clean Ups/Haul Off • Fences • Power Washing
• Tree Work • Decking • Trimming
David Massey Andrew Massey 316-339-5205 316-553-6177 integrityluxurylawns@gmail.com
West Side Lawn Service FALL LEAF CLEANUP Hauling & odd jobs Free estimates. Perry 316-339-4117. FALL IS UPON US! Please call Robert for leaf removal, raking, and garden bed clean up or any other gardening needs. No job too big or too small. Free estimates. 316-932-4225 FALL CLEAN UP Leaf & Flowerbed Cleanup Trim, Cut and Remove MISC. ODD JOBS, NO JOB TOO SMALL Honest & Reasonable. 316-807-4989.
LEAVES
Tree Trimming Junk Removal Stump Grinding
Brock Eastman 316.765.1677
Ballard Plumbing
316-945-9473
Spring Specials 10% off • Residential and Commercial • Painting for Interior and Exterior • Power Washing • Some Home Improvements
www.affordablepaintingwichita.com 316.990.7039 artbuschwichita.com artbusch@plazare.com
Call Brad at 316-260-0136
Senior Real Estate Specialist
Easch office is independently Owned and Operated
Art Busch 316.990.7039 artbuschwichita.com Artbusch@plazare.com
Art Busch
316.990.7039 Art Busch artbuschwichita.com 316.990.7039 artbusch@plazare.com artbuschwichita.com artbusch@plazare.com Senior Real Estate Specialist
Each office is independently Owned and Operated
F ROOFING F
Improvements Inc. SeniorDave’s Real Estate Specialist Easch officeisisindependently independently Each office Ownedand and Operated Owned
Preferred Roofing Contractor Lic #7904 Easch office is independently Owned and Operated
**FREE ROOFING INSPECTIONS** Storm Damage Repair • Roofing • Siding • Doors
• Gutters • Windows • And more
Senior Discount. 316-312-2177
FORSHEE MASONRY- 50 Years Any Brick, Block, Stone Repair Sidewalk Leveling Senior Discount
RICK 316-945-8751
PLUMBCO
'Let us Help you- Medical Loan Closet!' Call 316-779-8989
Downsizing / Moving / Fall Cleaning We buy everything from individual items to whole estates. House cleanout service also available. Give us a call to learn more about all the services we provide Bud Palmer Auction 316.838.4141 BudPalmerAuction.com
Compare Our Prices Weekly Plumbing Specials
Ins/Lic #5803 316-942-1967
~ Google Reviewer
Medicare Solutions Long-Term Care Living Trusts Medicare & Medicaid Veteran Resouces
Partnering with LT Care Solutions
F ORGANIZATIONS F
My mission is to serve others through education, consulting, problem-solving, and advocacy My pledge is continued support with their insurance and related services to help them stay as healthy as possible.
F PAINTING F McCoy Painting 316-516-6443 Do you need any interior or exterior painting done? I’m your man. Free estimates, affordable rates. References available..
316-806-9592 Licensed & Insured
Alfred's Superior Tree Service 316-522-9458
www.alfredstreeservice.com pruning - tree removal - stump grinding - debris/ brush haul off - chemical sprays - emergency services - firewood - consultations - demolitions
Professional & Insured • Certified Arborist Residential & Commercial Owner/Tree Expert
F SERVICES F
Assistance With:
Join the best networking group to expand your business Call Kathy Adkins for more information 316-807-8293 www.rivercitynetworking.biz
Robert Rodriguez Owner/ Operator
• Tree Removal • Trimming • Deadwood • Stump Removal • Gutter Cleaning • Firewood Specials FREE ESTIMATES
Matthew Farley
Mary Halsig, CLTC, Veteran
SENIOR HELPING SENIOR
TREE BOSS
Senior Real Estate Specialist
Mary has both the knowledge and compassion to help others make informed decisions about health insurance, medicare, and long-term care.
www.BallardPHC.com
Bruce’s Tree Service PROMPT IMMEDIATE SERVICE Complete Tree Trimming & Removal Gutter Cleaning and Leaf Rake Trees * Shrubs* Hedgerows * Evergreens Senior Discounts. Insured. Over 30 years exp. ALL FARM & RURAL AREAS Free Estimates Firewood Call 316-207-8047
F REAL ESTATEF
FREE estimates Senior Discounts
Licensed & Insured Veteran Owned - Family Operated
F TREE SERVICE F
"We've Been Covering The Town For 30 Years!"
ALL PLUMBING REPAIRS • •
Free Estimates
F LAWN AND GARDEN F
Drywall Repair & Popcorn Removal Repair/Replace Windows & Doors
Home Improvement & Repair
Page 19
www.halsiginsurance.com (316) 207-2377
F ROOMMATE WANTED F Christian retired man has room to rent. $320 a month. Furnished. W/D, 2 baths, carport, direct tv & internet available, garden, patio and okra. NO smokers/ heavy drinkers. Proof of steady income required. South Wichita. 316-200-2451
F TREE SERVICE F Felipe Tree Service Evergreen trimming. Tree removal. Brush hauling. Splitting. Deadwooding. Free estimates. 12 years experience. 316-807-4419
www.theactiveage.com
316-932-5654 treeonesix2023@gmail.com
Yard Clean Ups
TREE & STUMP TREE &REMOVAL STUMP REMOVAL
Advantage • Fast &Home Reliable Services • Free for316-518-8553 Qualified Licensed & Insured Seniors
Stan 316-518-8553 Advantage Home Services Licensed & Insured
Place your ad today! Home Improvement & Repair Kitchens, Bathrooms, Roofing & more Call 316-942-5385 One call does it all! 316-518-8553 Deadline for the Jan paper is Dec 10
December 2023
the active age
Page 20
Savvy Senior: Look out for misleading Medicare Advantage ads Dear Savvy Senior, I’m currently enrolled in original Medicare but have been thinking about switching to a Medicare Advantage plan during the open enrollment period. Many of the Medicare Advantage ads I’ve seen offer lots of extra benefits beyond what traditional Medicare offers with no monthly premiums. What are your thoughts? — Considering a Switch Dear Considering, Be very leery of the Medicare Advantage ads on TV, radio, social media and that come in the mail. While many of these ads may tout free vision, hearing, dental and other benefits with zero monthly premiums, they aren’t always what they claim to be. Advantage Basics Medicare Advantage or MA plans (also known as Medicare Part C) are government-approved health plans sold by private insurance companies that you can choose in place of original Medicare. The vast majority of Advantage plans are managed-care policies such as HMOs or PPOs that require you to get your care within a network of doctors in a geographic area. You can sign up for one of them during open-enrollment season from Oct. 15 through Dec. 7. MA plans have exploded in popularity in recent years as insurers
have flooded the airways with advertisements, often by celebrity pitchmen, that promote low-cost options with lots of extra benefits. But be aware that the Federal government has deemed many claims in MA ads fraudulent and misleading. Some ads imply that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services endorses or prefers a specific plan. Others promise more cost savings than you really get. And if you choose the wrong plan, your doctor may not be a member of that plan’s network, or you may end up paying out-of-pocket for medically necessary care. This past September, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services began cracking down on these ads, but you still need to practice self-defense. Here are some tips to help you make a good decision. Cover your needs: When evaluating MA plans, make sure the ones you’re considering cover the doctors you like and the health care facilities you normally go to. Also, make sure all of the prescription medications you take are on the drug plan’s formulary.
To help you compare plans, a good first step is to call the office managers of the doctors you use and find out which Advantage plans they accept, and which ones they recommend. Then go to the Medicare Plan Finder tool at Medicare.gov/plan-compare to compare plans in your area. Understand the details: Some MA plans promote no monthly premiums, but the reality is that you are still responsible for your original Medicare costs including your Part B premium and deductibles and copays for covered services. Moreover, you may have to pay more out of pocket if you see a doctor outside the network. Also, if the plan is an HMO, it generally doesn’t cover non-emergency care out of network, so an individual may be responsible for full costs. A PPO, on the other hand, allows people to go out of network, but they generally have to pay more to do so. Do some digging: Many MA plans tout free vision, hearing and dental benefits that are not covered by traditional Medicare, but these benefits are often limited. For example, a plan
that offers free dental coverage may cover only cleanings and x-rays. Extensive procedures such as root canals or caps may not be covered, or the plan may limit the dollar amount it pays. Find out the coverage details so you’re not surprised later. Get help: Reach out to your local State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) at ShipHelp.org or call 877-839-2775. These are nonprofit programs that provide unbiased one-on-one Medicare counseling and assistance. You can also report any misleading MA claims to the Senior Medicare Patrol Resource Center at SMPResource. org or by calling 800-447-8477. Get more Savvy Visit theactiveage.com for more helpful information from the Savvy Senior. Topics this month include: 1. How seniors can get help paying for everyday needs. 2. How an incentive trust can influence your heirs. 3. How a health savings account can boost your retirement savings.
STOP WASTING RETIREMENT INCOME on High Credit Card Payments
MARATHON ALL 6 SEASONS
Call Broc Whitehead,Wichita Bankruptcy Lawyer at (316) 263-6500 for a FREE telephone consultation on Chapter 7 Federal Bankruptcy Bankruptcy discharges Credit Cards, Medical Bills, Personal Loans, etc. Kansas Bankruptcy Lawyer filing for debt relief under Bankruptcy Code
BEGINNING TUESDAY, DECEMBER 26 @ 6AM Lawyer Broc E. Whitehead 310 W Central Ave. #211 Wichita, KS 67202 www.brocwhitehead.com
kpts.org • 316-838-3090 www.theactiveage.com
December 2023
the active age
Page 21
Qualified Charitable Distributions are a great way to help charities By Diana Breit Wolfe During my working years I contributed to a Traditional IRA. If you did the same, then you know we have a Required Minimum Distribution amount we will receive at the end of each year—whether we want the money or not. IRS rules make us do this when we turn 701/2 because Uncle Sam wants his tax money from us. We didn’t pay taxes on the money we invested in our Traditional IRAs so now we must pay tax on the distribution we get at the
end of the year. I already donate to my church and to local non-profits like The Active Age, Botanica, Orpheum, Cowtown Museum, etc. and now I can reduce my taxable income by the amount I donate. This is a big advantage because most of us can’t itemize deductions on our tax returns because of the high standard deduction allowed right now (about $31,000 for seniors filing jointly and about $15,000 for single seniors). These Qualified Charitable Distribution gifts become tax-free
only if they’re paid directly from your IRA account to an eligible charitable organization. To donate to your charities and to have these donations decrease your taxable income for 2023, call your IRA trustee now to be sure donations are made before the end of the year. All you have to supply is the amount you want to donate and the
name and mailing address of where it’s going. It’s simple to do, I’ve been doing this for several years. And I would love it if your first QCD gift will be to The Active Age! Diana Breit Wolfe is treasurer of The Active Age’s board of directors.
Don’t just dream it, see it!
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Social Security belongs to you, not politicians. Get what you earned. You work hard and pay into Social Security for your future. So it’s only fair for you to get the money you’ve earned. It’s your money, not a piggy bank for politicians. But Social Security is facing a funding shortfall that must be addressed so it can be protected for you and every American. If politicians don’t take action in the next 10 years to save Social Security, your Social Security could be cut by 20%, an average of $4,000 a year. AARP is urging Washington to find a solution to protect and save Social Security, so you get the money you’ve earned.
Learn more at aarp.org/YouEarnedIt facebook.com/AARPKS | @AARPKS | aarp.org/KS www.theactiveage.com
Paid for by AARP
December 2023
the active age
Page 22
Holiday ham a home run YMCA opens pickleball center
Family Features Ham is the versatile holiday meal that keeps on giving. This glazed ham is perfect for a family meal, office potluck or cocktail party hors d’oeuvre. The leftovers keep well and may be even tastier than the first time around in a sandwich, salad or omelet.
Brown Sugar Honey Glazed Ham
The Greater Wichita YMCA last month opened the “Pickle Center” inside the West YMCA. The West Y’s gym has been converted into four 28-foot by 60foot indoor pickleball courts. The new pickleball flooring is a professional-
1 fully cooked bone-in spiral ham (7-9 lbs.) 1 cup packed brown sugar 1/2 cup honey 1/2 cup unsalted butter 1/4 cup Dijon mustard 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves Directions: Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Remove ham from packaging and place in roasting pan with flat side down. Bake ham about 1 hour until heated through to internal temperature of 130 degrees with meat thermometer inserted into thickest part of ham. In medium saucepan, combine brown sugar, honey, butter, Dijon mustard, apple cider vinegar, cinnamon and cloves. Cook mixture over medium heat, stirring frequently, until butter is melted and ingredients are well combined. Brush about half of glaze over ham, making sure to fill crevices or scored cuts. Return ham to oven and bake 30-45 minutes, or until glaze is bubbly and caramelized with internal temperature of 145 degrees. Baste ham with pan juices and glaze every 10-15 minutes while baking. Remove from oven and let rest 10 minutes before slicing and serving. Recipe source: ColemanNatural.com
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grade durable pickleball surface that exceeds industry and tournament standards. According to a news release, the new pickleball hub will provide courts for open play, classes, workshops and tournaments.
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