February 2024

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February 2024

Grins and wins

Their beloved coach gone, a softball team plays on

A sleep aid made with cannabis, which is illegal in Kansas.

‘Bandit’ imports cannabis for arthritis, sleep

By Amy Geiszler-Jones Susan, a retired nurse in her 60s, is tired of being what she calls “a bandit” whenever she crosses into Kansas carrying what the state classifies as cannabis contraband.

But the gummies have been the only thing that has helped her get nighttime relief from the rheumatoid arthritis she’s lived with for the past 30 years or so. Her husband recalls her saying the morning after she tried

Nonprofit Organization U.S. Postage PAID Wichita, KS 67276 Permit 1711

See Cannabis, page 7

By Joe Stumpe For years, Denise Johnston’s life followed a familiar pattern. Come spring, she and her husband, Rusty, would start preparing for women’s senior softball tournaments.

A roster would be assembled, practices held and the team would travel to tournaments from California to Florida.

Denise played and Rusty coached.

Their team was known as the P’Nut Batters, for their favorite snack on these road trips.

In 2019, Rusty Johnston died after a long battle with multiple sclerosis. Rather than hang up her bat and glove, Denise decided to keep the team going in his honor.

There have been only a couple of changes. For one, the team is now called Team Rusty P’Nut Batters.

And two, Denise and a handful of longtime teammates are in charge.

“It’s a joint coaching thing,” she said. “No way I could do it all.”

In truth, honoring her late husband wasn’t the only motivation for keeping the team together.

“The beauty of this is not softball,” she said. “This is about love, laughter, fun. Celebrating each other.”

But make no mistake, they like softball — and winning. Their most recent victories came in October at the Huntsman World Senior Games

Deanna Polly-Faulkner pounds out a hit for the Team Rusty P’Nut Batters. Below, left to right, team members Karen West, Faulkner, Judy Shideler, Debbie Kendrick (front) and Denise Johnston prepare to fly to a tournament in St. George, Utah.

in St. George, Utah, where they brought home a silver medal in the 65+ age division.

"I just love getting back on the field and playing again — the competitiveness of it," said Deanna Polly-Faulkner, who joined in 2022.

Women’s senior softball, played by women 45 and older, is enjoyed by thousands of women across the United States, according to Senior Softball-USA. The rules include a few modifications for player safety. For instance, sliding is not allowed, and there are two first bases and two home plates so that runners and fielders may avoid collisions.

Rusty and Denise met at West High School, where Rusty played on the school’s powerhouse football teams of the mid 1960s. The couple played in co-ed softball leagues as young marrieds — until Denise remembers him telling her after one play, “I just saw three balls.” He was diagnosed with MS in 1982. The illness eventually ended his 13-year career as a Wichita firefighter, and he went to work at Ray Sales Company, which was started by Denise’s parents, Ray and Nahia Farha.

Rustry "kind of fell into" coaching but quickly discovered he loved it, Denise said. The job was complicated See Softball, page 6

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Oh no, not another QR code! Relax, get out your phone

By David Kamerer You’re at a restaurant and have just been seated. But there are no menus in sight. Instead, there’s a square graphic somewhere on the table with black and white dots.

It’s a QR code, short for Quick Response code. Invented in the 1990s, these codes proliferated during COVID when we decided to minimize touching physical objects

like menus.

But don’t let them rattle you.

Instead, follow these steps: 1. Open the camera app on your phone and point it at the code; 2. Wait until the phone recognizes the code (give it a few seconds); 3. Tap on the URL, or web address, that pops up on your screen. This will take you to a web page linked to the code — such as a

See QR Codes, page 8

Questions about services?

Central Plains Area Agency on Aging/Sedgwick County Department on Aging: 1-855-200-2372

Butler County: (316) 775-0500 or 1-800-279-3655 Harvey County: (316) 284-6880 or 1-800-279-3655

Page 2

the active age

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February 2024

the active age

Play pickleball for The Active Age The Active Age is looking for a pickleball team to represent us at Picklepalooza, to be held at Chicken N’ Pickle on Friday, June 12.

The event, which annually raises money for Senior Services, Inc. and the Alzheimer’s Association, allows pickleball players to compete in day-long round robin play based on skill level (beginner, recreational and advanced). There’s also plenty of time for socializing in a fun atmosphere.

We will hold a drawing in early

May to pick a doubles team — mixed or regular — to represent The Active Age. Both team members should be of approximately the same skill level.

The winning entry will have their $250 entry fee covered, plus receive lunch and drink tickets.

If interested, please visit our website, theactiveage.com, and fill out the entry form near the top of the homepage. We will accept entries through April 1.

Oil Museum weather re-dos EL DORADO — Two events originally scheduled for January at the Kansas Oil Museum have been delayed until this month because of weather. The museum’s annual Family Fun Day will be held from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday, Feb. 3. It’s free for members and $1 for non-members.

The museum’s Volunteer Fair starts at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 24 and will provide information about positions that are available.

Heartland seeks volunteers Heartland Home Health & Hospice is seeking active seniors and other volunteers to help support hospice patients.

For more information, contact volunteer coordinator Abbie Hutson at

Did you know the Kansas Oil Museum has events for the whole family?

February 3rd Family Fun Day - Free for Members or Museum Admission $2.00 ~ 10:00-2:00 p.m.

February 3rd KOM 1920's Fundraising Gala - Reservation Required February 8th~Thursday Speaker Trish Eklund “Abandoned Farms & Homesteads of Kansas” ~ Photographer & Author takes us on a journey across Kansas with her camera 12:00 - 1:00 p.m. Refreshments provided. Free for members or with a Museum Admission, others $5 383 E Central - El Dorado, KS 67042 316-321-9333 www.kansasoilmuseum.org

Page 3 abbie.hutson2@promedica.org or visit https://www.gentivahs.com/services/ hospice-care/heartland-hospice/.

Meatless Mexican back for Lent Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church, 2409 N. Market, is again offering meatless Mexican dinners on Fridays during Lent, from Feb. 16 through March 22. Enchiladas, chile rellenos, tacos and more prepared by parishioners are sold from 5-7 p.m., for dine in or carry out. Proceeds support Catholic school scholarships.

Love talk at Botanica “The Truth About Love, Intimacy and Shacking Up” is the theme of the next Empowered Seniors seminar at Botanica, which is scheduled for 10 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 8. There is no charge.

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the active age

February 2024

and country music shows — has All cats, even feral, feel the love at ‘fancy’ show rock helped reinvigorate the event.

The Active Age It’s a festival for fawning over fetching felines for sure, but the Wichita Cat Fancy Show is something more, too.

Every year, organizer Mary Beth Wegele notices the crowd around the Friends of Felines’ booth. The Friends are dedicated to helping the area’s population of feral and abandoned cats, which according to some sources is at a crisis level.

“They can answer people’s questions on how to get traps set up to get them neutered and spayed,” Wegele said of the Friends. “They don’t really relocate (cats) usually, but they can help figure out solutions.”

Cat fanciers interested in pedigrees will find plenty of Persians, Siamese and the like at the show. More than

Admission is $5 for adults, $3 for kids and $10 for a family pass.

Many of the pedigreed cats on display are shown by people from around the country who are trying to earn status points awarded by the international Cat Fanciers’ Association.

There are four rings set up for simultaneous judging, each with its own judge (also flown in). Additionally, there’s a cat costume show, vendors and adoption organizations at the show.

Wegele’s favorite category is for house pet cats, the kind she grew up Whiskers, who was abandoned in with.

Riverside, was spayed with help “That’s always a fun category with Friends of Feline. because it’s just your everyday cat.

100 cats representing at least 30 breeds People will say, ‘I have a cat like that.’” will be shown. The event takes place Wegele, who’s been running the from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Feb. 3-4 at show for 20 years, said its move to The Cotillion, 11120 W. Kellogg Dr. The Cotillion — a venue known for

“The younger generation is kind of taking interest. We’ve got to keep this alive.”

Wegele is one of those cat lovers who’s found herself caring for feral and abandoned cats in her west Wichita neighborhood. In fact, she’s entered two in the show after successfully socializing them.

“One won best household pet — Ozzie,” she said.

She knows that public opinion on feral cats is divided, but she has become passionate about them.

“They have a deep place in my heart because they’re so full of love, and they’re so appreciate when you finally take them in and socialize them, and they’re lying in their bed. They just want to be safe.”

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Page 5

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These readers recently contributed $50 or more to the 2024 donation campaign. with postage Help keep The Active Age strong and But other costs

By Al Higdon As a regular monthly reader of The Active Age for many years now, I’ve noticed the quality of articles and its overall content unquestionably getting better and better. Perhaps, like me, each issue you’ve found yourself gravitating to your favorite author(s)

and first seeing what he or she has to say that month.

Consistently producing high quality news and feature articles of interest and importance to seniors is a challenge, one I know The Active Age editor and staff attack with enthusiasm each month.

Donate at least $50 to The Active Age, and you could win a family membership to Botanica. The Active Age holds a drawing for a family

membership each month from among people on our Honor Roll list of donors.

This month's winner is Susan

continually increasing, there’s a price to pay for what we receive free. The nonprofit publication looks to us, its readers, to help offset these costs with Al Higdon contributions in whatever amount

we’re comfortable providing — $10, $50, $100 or, if you would be so kind, joining me at the $200 (or more) level.

This will help ensure our interest and need to be informed is met throughout this year ahead. Thank you.

Al Higdon joined The Active Age’s board of directors in 2021.

Donate for chance to win Botanica family membership Davidson.

Donations may be made by calling 316-942-5385; through our website, theactiveage.com; by mail

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Serving Wichita area seniors for more than 6 years.

Annual Enrollent is right around the corner.

Let’s Talk!

to The Active Age, 125 S. West St., Suite 105, Wichita, KS, 67213; or in person.

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.

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Page 6

the active age

Softball

From Page 1 by the fact that there isn’t a senior women’s league here, so there were no local games to be played and only a small pool of players.

There are, however, numerous tournaments that draw teams from across the United States, and the P’Nut Batters started playing in them.

The core of the team has always been Denise and several other local women — including Karen West, Debbie Kendrick, Judy Shideler, Terry Fowler and Margene Wiehe — who’ve played together since the 1990s. The

Johnstons filled out the roster with players from across the country and Canada, who would meet the Wichitans wherever the tournament was to be played.

“He (Rusty) Rusty Johnston was so good at understanding who could do what,” Denise said. "It was a gift."

One year, with Rusty as coach, the P’Nut Batters lost their first game of a tournament, then won their way out of the loser's bracket to take the

For Deanna Polly-Faulkner, there’s no off-season for exercise. PollyFaulkner, who joined the Team Rusty P’Nut Batters in 2022, stays active year-round in the great outdoors and a basement workout room that would do a personal trainer proud (see photo at right).

“In cold weather, I work out at home. I try to get in at least an hour of aerobic and some weights. In the summer, I love walking outside. I try to get a fast-paced walk for four miles. I

don’t pay attention to steps, I just try to get in that time and intensity.”

Hooking up with Team Rusty was a no-brainer for Polly-Faulkner, who played softball through high school, college and beyond, then transitioned to slow-pitch leagues until she “just got real busy with what I was doing.”

That included helping start the women’s intercollegiate athletic program at Friends University in 1979. After a year as head basketball coach, head softball coach and assistant

championship.

“That was one of our greatest moments,” Denise said.

Just to get in some tournaments was a win. When registration for the Huntsman World Senior Games tournament in St. George, Utah opens, Denise said, “If you’re not online and waiting at midnight, you can’t get in.”

Last year, some 32,000 attended the event.

Other tournaments have taken them to Tennessee, Texas, Arkansas, Nevada, New Mexico and Missouri.

For a time they competed in a Topeka league.

When Rusty’s MS left him unable

February 2024 to walk, he bought a Segway electric scooter and used it to keep with his players. “They called him Segway man,” Denise said of her teammates.

She said Rusty loved her teammates and the feeling was mutual.

“I could go with each girl and tell you a story with them and Rusty. He always told me, ‘I don’t go for the ball.

It’s all about the hugs.’”

It appears the P-Nut Batters will go on hugging a little longer. Denise intends to enter tournaments in 2024.

“We should be grateful because everybody can’t do it,” she said of playing softball into her 70s. “These ladies, they’re my family.”

No slacking off during her offseason

‘Granny down’ but not out

A Wichita Granny Basketball team was in the international sports spotlight last month thanks to a little improvisation by one of its members.

The ICT AeroBelles were playing an exhibition game during halftime of the Jan. 5 Wichita State Shockers game at Koch Arena when AeroBelle Carolyn Hatfield “flopped” — a basketball term for trying to draw an offensive foul on an opposing player by falling to the ground. Hatfield didn’t just go down, she rolled over several times for added emphasis.

The next day, a video of Hatfield’s flop was played on ESPN to laughter from the segment’s host and Kendrick Perkins, a former player for the Boston Celtics. “Wichita State — how about the flop here?” the host said. ESPN airs in some 200 countries around the world.

Hatfield later explained that she

A screen shot from ESPN shows Carolyn Hatfield's epic "flop."

A video is available on the ICT Aerobelles Facebook page. was simply having a little fun with “granny down” — a Granny Basketball rule that stops play whenever a player falls down.

“I thought if I’m going to do a granny down today, I’m going to make

volleyball coach, she was made women’s athletic director.

She went on to a long career in the insurance business. For the last couple years, she’s coached fifth- and sixth-grade girls basketball at Trinity Academy.

Polly-Faulkner said missing workouts for a couple days leaves her “fit to be tied. I just don’t feel right. I get grumpy. It’s something I try to do every day.”

Not that she’s immune to the same

temptations everyone faces.

“It’s kind of hard as you get older, and then I have a sweet tooth,” she said. “It’s hard to stay away from ice cream. It’s a never-ending battle.”

it count. Little did I know it was going to be a little more than that.”

The AeroBelles’ regular season started Jan. 27 and will feature games against teams in Kansas and Oklahoma. The team also plans to play in the Granny Basketball National Tournament, to be held Aug. 2-4 in Kansas City, Kan. Hatfield started playing with the AeroBelles about a year ago.

“I thought either I’m going to like it or I’m not,” she said. “I love it.”

Another member has also drawn

attention: Pat Conners, 91, the country's oldest Granny Basketballer.

Other members include Hatfield, Tanya Hein, Teresa Butler, Gina McNeal, Beve Schneider, Lorrie Beck, Kim Thompson, Susan Carpenter, Linda Kibbe, Janice Urban, Denise Johnston, Sue Nyberg, Karen Baxter, Jennifer McFarland, Debbie Puga, and Tim Nyberg.

Granny Basketball is open to women 55 and older. If interested, contact Karen Baxter at klbaxter@sbcglobal.net.

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February 2024

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Cannabis

From Page 1 gummies for the first time that it was the best sleep she’d had in years. She’s also found relief by using a cannabis lotion she’s purchased out of state.

Ken, a 66-year-old retired businessman, said he’d rather take gummies than the more addictive opioids he’s been prescribed in the past for chronic back pain.

“I don’t have the side effects that the normal painkillers would give me (like constipation), and it’s a natural product,” he said.

He also suffers from neuropathy in his feet. Taking half of a 25-milligram gummy each night, when the nerve pain is at its worst, helps him sleep.

When he can’t travel out-of-state to get his supply, he makes do with hemp-derived gummies available from CBD shops locally, but they aren’t as effective, he said.

Both hemp and marijuana are cannabis plants, but the levels of THC, the psychoactive compound, are significantly lower in hemp plants compared to marijuana. Hemp-derived cannabis products can be bought in Kansas, thanks to a federal loophole created with the 2018 farm bill that legalized hemp.

For Ken and Susan, who live in Sedgwick County, consuming cannabis products isn’t about getting high.

It’s about getting relief from chronic medical conditions, even if it means breaking the law in Kansas where the Legislature has resisted efforts to legalize medical marijuana or decriminalize any form of marijuana use. (The Active Age is not using Ken and Susan’s real names for their legal protection.)

Susan and Ken aren't alone when it comes to embracing cannabis use as they age.

Americans over the age of 65 are now the fastest-growing demographic of cannabis users, according to the annual National Survey on Drug Use and Health, a federal study that has been gathering data for more than a half-century on the use of tobacco, alcohol and illicit drugs.

Usage among seniors has tripled since 2009, when 11% were using, to 32% in 2019, according to the survey

numbers released in fall 2023.

The attitudes and legal status of marijuana are changing across much of America.

As of 2023, 38 states had legalized medical marijuana, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. In 24 of those states, including Kansas’ neighbors Colorado and Missouri, recreational use is also legal.

There might even be some federal government changes regarding marijuana.

A Food and Drug Administration medical review, released in midJanuary, supports reclassifying marijuana as a less-risky drug.

Right now, it’s a Schedule I drug, which is the Drug Enforcement Administration’s category for the most dangerous controlled substances that have no medical value and a higher potential for abuse.

The FDA is recommending to the DEA that marijuana be classified as a Schedule III drug. That classification is for drugs with lower or moderate potential for abuse and addiction, like Tylenol with codeine. The review also found that there is credible evidence of some therapeutic uses of marijuana.

It wasn’t news to Cheryl Kumberg, a registered nurse for more than 45 years, that cannabis has medicinal value. A member of the American Cannabis Nurses Association, Kumberg is the current president of the Kansas Cannabis Coalition, which is an advisory group for cannabis reform in Kansas. Its advisory board includes doctors, nurses, a hemp grower, a legislator and Barry Grissom, a former U.S. attorney.

“There’s been so much success with healing and symptom relief … and a lot of advances made in research.

There’s a lot of data that is just so supportive of cannabis and its uses,” she said.

She and fellow registered nurse Amy Reid, the past president of the Kansas Cannabis Coalition, created Green Healing Solutions in 2019 to be an education source about the medical use of marijuana for patients, health care professionals, caregivers and others.

Part of their education is to remind anyone who decides to use cannabis

Page 7

products to do so “low and slow.”

One of the things Ken finds useful when he shops at an out-of-state dispensary is that staff will visit with customers about the strength and usage of products.

Many advocates for legalizing medical marijuana have been either impacted personally or have seen the benefits of allowing medical use themselves.

Reid said she became an advocate when she saw how using cannabis dramatically changed her aunt’s final days as she dealt with a terminal illness.

“She went (from) being in extreme pain, nauseous and very anxious to her old self. She was able to tell stories, enjoy meals and relax again,” Reid said in an interview posted on the coalition’s website.

Chuck Schmidt, a former representative for Kansas’ 88th District and the current speaker pro tem for the Kansas Silver Haired Legislature, said he’s heard similar stories.

One man told him that his cancerstricken daughter, who had been able to get a cannabis product under Texas’ strict medical use program, had to live out her final days in extreme pain when she returned home to Kansas to be with family.

Taking steps to legalize medical marijuana is one of the resolutions that the Kansas Silver Haired Legislature forwarded to the Kansas Legislature for this current session underway.

So far, the Kansas Legislature has shot down efforts to legalize any form of marijuana. While the Kansas House passed a bill to legalize medical marijuana in 2021, the Kansas Senate didn’t take action, which killed the bill. In 2022, it convened a special committee on medical marijuana.

“The biggest problem that I see

in Topeka is that they’re not able to separate creating a medical program from recreational,” Kumberg said. “A lot of (legislative) testimony has dealt with recreational issues and not about having a controlled program.”

“They don’t understand that little old people need this law passed,” said Susan. “Some people can’t even hold a cup of coffee without their hands hurting. People don’t realize that it can help with those kinds of things, and we’re not using it to get stoned.”

Susan understands that marijuana use has long carried a stigma. When her husband initially suggested she try cannabis for her pain, she resisted, remembering how as a teenager she’d believed marijuana users tended to be high school dropouts.

Whenever Ken wears his “Legalize It” sweatshirt with the image of a marijuana leaf, “it’s a conversation starter.”

He said many people tell him they want to see the same action.

“So, I tell them, ‘It’s up to you.

You have the opportunity to make this happen.’ I just don’t know why we can’t get the right people in power to make medical marijuana legalized.”

From his experience dealing with the Legislature, Schmidt said he doubts that medical marijuana will be legalized in Kansas this year.

“We’ve been on this for quite some time. What we’ve done is our resolution (from the Kansas Silver Haired Legislature) asks for them to form a medical cannabis advisory board to study the legalization of medical cannabis.”

Meantime, Susan and Ken say they'll continue to import their own supply, legal or not.

Contact Amy Geiszler-Jones at algj64@sbcglobal.net.

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the active age

QR Codes From Page 1

menu, in the case of a restaurant.

Restaurants and other businesses like QR codes because they now have one less item to print and can easily update digital pages so they’re always current. For example, a restaurant’s daily special can always be current.

While QR codes may seem like a hassle, using them is much easier than the alternative — typing in those long web addresses.

Check your software If you have a recent Apple or Android (Samsung, Google, LG, Motorola, Nokia) phone, your phone can read QR codes with the camera app. Snap away!

QR Code reading is turned on by default on the iPhone. If you’re having issues, check to see if has been turned off at Settings > Camera > Scan QR Codes.

If you have an older Apple phone (before iOS 11, released in 2017) you’ll need to install an app and use that instead of the camera. A simple app is

“QR Reader for iPhone,” available in the Apple store.

Some other apps have QR scanning built in, including Snapchat, Shazam, Pinterest, WhatsApp, Linkedin and Facebook Messenger.

But most people find a dedicated QR app more convenient to use.

If you have an earlier Android phone, it’s more complicated to get the right software. For Samsung phones (the most popular Android option) look for “Bixby Vision” inside the Camera app and enable it. Alternately, you can turn on QR reading as an option in the Samsung Internet app.

If you have a different Android phone, hold down the Home button, and see if Google Lens appears. If it does, you can use that to read the code. If none of these options work, you’ll have to do some research to find the best solution.

Make your own QR codes It’s easy to make your own QR codes. Why would you want to? Let’s say you are hosting a group sing. You could find the appropriate songbook online and create a code for it. Then everyone could simply scan the code to read from the same songbook. No

printing, no wasted paper.

One popular option for creating QR codes is https://www. qrcode-monkey.com. Another, with more options, is https://www.flowcode. com. For both, simply copy and then paste the destination web address into the form and answer a few questions.

The site then creates your custom code (be sure to test it). From there, just save, download and print.

Happy scanning!

Longtime Wichitan David Kamerer is currently on loan to Chicago, where he is a professor in the Communications Department at Loyola University.

Editor’s note: This article was suggested to us by a reader who encountered QR codes installed by the city on parking around Century II. If you have an idea for an article, please contact us at (316) 942-5385 or email joe@theactiveage.com.

The first $5,000 will remain forgivable, and additional assistance will be in the form of a zero-percent interest deferred loan with a 10% homeowner match.

Homeowners must be the owner of record and the home must be their primary residence. Additionally, property taxes must be current, homeowners must present proof of home insurance, and households must be at or below 80% of Area Median Income (AMI). That ranges from $47,000 for a one-person household and $54,500 for a two-person household up to $89,900 for an eightperson household.

Eligible types of projects include furnace and HVAC replacements, water service line leaks or re-piping water lines, sewer line leaks or collapses, electrical shorts or updates, water heater replacements, accessibility updates and roof replacements.

All program assistance is secured with a lien on the property for the amount of the assistance provided. The

forgivable portion of the mortgages are released after the assisted homeowner has remained in the home throughout the five-year forgiveness period.

Homeowners who sell or transfer the home within this period are responsible for repayment of the full loan amount, and all deferred loans are due upon sale or transfer. Homeowners must maintain hazard insurance on the home as long as they have an active city mortgage.

To avoid households becoming over-mortgaged under this program, assistance will be limited to once in a five-year period. Households will become eligible for additional assistance once they have fulfilled the forgiveness period for existing forgivable mortgages.

For additional program information or to apply, please visit wichita. gov/420/Home-Repair. Program questions may be directed to Home Repair staff members at (316) 4623713.

February 2024

Try out our QR code

The QR code on page 1 will lead you to the The Active Age homepage. It was created with qrcode-monkey.com.

Wichita relaunches home repair program The city of Wichita has revamped its Home Repair program and will open applications and the wait list on Feb. 1. The Home Repair program assists low- and moderate-income homeowners with critical home repairs to achieve two main goals: 1) Stabilize homeowners within their primary unit of residence, assisting with the goal of sustaining affordable homeownership, and; 2) Assist with critical repairs for existing affordable housing units to maintain and sustain these units as affordable housing stock in the city.

According to a news release, qualified Wichita homeowners can receive up to $5,000 in forgivable assistance with critical home repairs, such as water service and sewer line updates, furnace and water heater replacements or other key upgrades.

Homeowners with larger projects or multiple identified needs may work with program staff to receive up to $25,000 in city assistance to complete more comprehensive work.

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February 2024

the active age

Classic hat styles are brimming with history

By Ted Blankenship If you’ve watched an old movie recently, you’ve seen men wearing hats.

And I don’t mean a cap with the bill pointed backward, but a fedora.

Don’t know what a fedora is? Then you aren’t an old codger.

A fedora is a felt hat with a wide brim, indented crown and ribbon above the brim. Daring wearers may sport a colorful feather tucked in the ribbon. Fedoras are usually black, gray, brown or tan.

Most of us who have worn them associate them with businessmen and actors, gangsters and tough guys like Sam Spade, the fictional character and protagonist of Dashiell Hammett’s 1930 novel “The Maltese Falcon.”

There was more than one Sam Spade in the movies, but most of us remember Humphrey Bogart, who played in a lot of tough-guy movies

and wore a fedora in most of them.

Despite all the macho men who have covered their heads with them, the first fedora was worn by a woman.

That happened in an 1882 play written for actress Sarah Bernhardt.

Bernhardt played Princess Fedora Romanoff, the production’s heroine.

During the play, Bernhardt, a noted cross dresser, wore a centercreased, soft brimmed hat. Women liked it, and the women’s rights movement adopted it as a symbol.

Edward, Prince of Wales (later the Duke of Windsor) started wearing a similar hat in 1924 and it became popular among men. Harrison Ford and Frank Sinatra are among the famous people who have worn them,

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and a new generation of hipsters have adopted them as well.

I wore them in high school and later what I thought was another quite fashionable head covering — a pork pie hat. Similar to a fedora, it sports a thin brim creased all the way around a short, flat-topped crown.

Its name comes from its resemblance to the Melton Mowbray pork pie, an English pork-filled pastry from the late 1800s. Aficionados of the hat often joke that they don’t know whether to wear ‘em or eat ‘em (pork pie wearers aren’t very funny).

Pork pie hats range in price from $40 to $150. A real, edible pork pie is only about $8 imported from England.

So obviously, it’s a lot cheaper to wear a hat made from a genuine pork pie.

The problem is that real pork doesn’t last very long and you run the risk of an owl or some other predatory bird swooping down and eating your hat.

Nevertheless, it’s worth a try if you’re on a budget, though you may anger the hat makers and possibly a few pigs.

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Page 10

the active age

February 2024

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February 2024

the active age

Page 11

Senior Resources

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Page 12

the active age

Name these famous lovers, win chance at chocolate

By Nancy Wheeler Valentine’s Day is quickly approaching. Correctly answer this quiz and The Active Age will enter you in a drawing for chocolate donated by The Spice Merchant.

To enter, email the answers to joe@ theactiveage.com (please put "February quiz" in subject line) or mail to: The Active Age, 125 S. West St., Suite 105, Wichita, KS, 67213. Entries must be received or postmarked by Feb. 5.

The answers will appear in next month's issue of The Active Age. 1. What notorious lovers were among America’s most-wanted criminals in the 1930s, suspected of murder and bank robbery?

2. What Queen of Egypt and Roman general fell in love, with both eventually commiting suicide?

3. What legendary cinematic stars had a 26-year affair and made nine movies together, including “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner? “ 4. What king of England gave up his throne in 1938 to marry a twicedivorced American socialite?

5. What pair of country singers married in 1968 and had a love that

was described as a “burning ring of fire, hotter than a pepper sprout”?

6. What Queen of England and her German first cousin were married in 1840 and had nine children before he succumbed to typhoid fever?

7. What early president of the United States and wife were married for 50 years and wrote more than a thousand letters to each other?

8. What famous pair from the early 1900s shared a love of science that led ultimately to the discovery of both polonium and radium?

9. What leading duo met while filming “To Have and Have Not,” married in 1945 and played love interests in movies such as “Dark Passage” and “Key Largo”?

10. What beautiful American movie star and dashing Prince of Monaco were married after she gave up her career?

11. What red-headed American comedienne and her real-life husband played opposite each other in an American sitcom that won five Primetime Emmy Awards?

www.theactiveage.com

February 2024

February 2024

the active age

Page 13

How to fight back against age discrimination

Dear Savvy Senior, What are the steps to take to fight against age discrimination in the workplace, and where can I turn to for help if I think I’ve got a case?

— Passed Over Paul Dear Paul, If you believe your age has cost you in the workplace — whether it’s a job, a promotion, or a raise — you have options for fighting back.

ADEA Protection The Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) is your first defense against age discrimination.

This is a federal law that says an employer cannot fire, refuse to hire or treat you differently than other employees because of your age. Some examples of age discrimination include: • You were fired because your boss wanted to keep younger workers who are paid less.

• You were turned down for a promotion, which went to someone younger hired from outside the company, because the boss says the company “needs new blood.”

• When company layoffs are announced, most of the persons laid off

were older.

• Before you were fired, your supervisor made age-related remarks about you.

• You didn’t get hired because the employer wanted a younger-looking person to do the job.

The ADEA protects all workers and job applicants age 40 and over who work for employers that have 20 or more employees.

If your workplace has fewer than 20 employees, you may still be protected under your state’s anti-age discrimination law.

Steps to Take If you think you are a victim of employment age discrimination, you may first want to talk to your supervisor informally or file a formal complaint with your company’s human resources department.

If that doesn’t resolve the problem, you should then file a charge with the Equal Employment Opportunity

Commission (EEOC) within 180 days from the date of the alleged violation, but it may be extended to 300 days.

You can do this online, by mail or in person at your nearest EEOC office (see EEOC. gov/field-office) or call 800-669-4000.

If you do file, be prepared to provide the names of potential witnesses, your notes about age-related comments and other episodes.

The EEOC will investigate your complaint and find either reasonable cause to believe that age discrimination has occurred or no cause and no basis for a claim. The EEOC will then send you their findings along with a “noticeof-right-to-sue,” which gives you permission to file a lawsuit in a court of law.

To find a lawyer who specializes in employee discharge suits, see the National Employment Lawyers Association at NELA.org or your state bar association at FindLegalHelp.org.

If you lose your job in a group termination or layoff, you should consider joining forces with other

colleagues. There are advantages to proceeding as a group, including sharing costs of the litigation.

Another option is mediation, which is a fair and efficient way to help you resolve your employment disputes and reach an agreement. The EEOC offers mediation at no cost if your current or former employer agrees to participate. At mediation, you show up with your evidence, your employer presents theirs, and the mediator makes a determination within a day or less.

Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book.

Get more Savvy For more Savvy Senior tips, visit theactiveage.com. Topics this month include: 1. How to Close Social Media Accounts of a Deceased Loved One 2. Essential Topics You Need to Discuss with Your Aging Parents 3. Are You at Risk of Developing Glaucoma?

4. What You Need to Know About Medicare Spouse Coverage

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the active age

February 2024

Celebrate New Year again at memorable feast

By Joe Stumpe It’s hard for Vietnamese food to stand out in Wichita because: 1.There’s so much of it.

2.Virtually all of it is so good.

Nevertheless, the annual Vietnamese New Year’s dinner at St. Anthony Catholic Church manages the feat thanks to scores of parishioners who combine their culinary skills for a unique event.

From noon to 11 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 2, dozens of booths in the church’s activity center will serve up pho, banh mi, bun cha, fried rice, summer rolls and other sweet and savory delicacies amid New Year’s decorations and souvenirs, games and music.

It’s a little like being dropped inside a food hall in Da Nang where a good portion of the crowd is wearing Kansas City Chiefs gear.

The food sale resumes at 10 a.m.

Saturday, Feb. 3, culminating in an elaborate multicourse seated dinner for reserved tables of eight in the center’s upper hall. The evening also features a dragon dance, auction, raffle and more music. Tables for this dinner will all be taken by the time you read this, but there’s always next year! (And plenty of food available outside the main hall late into the night).

Dragon dancers are part of the festivities at St. Anthony Catholic church this month.

St. Anthony, located just east of downtown at the corner of Second and Ohio, was established in 1886 for German Catholic families in the area.

Today, it primarily serves Vietnamese Catholic immigrants and their families, although English masses are also offered. The current church, completed in 1905, underwent extensive renovations starting in 1999 and has received several historical preservation awards.

Mai Lee was one of the parishioners who suggested the dinner and food sale in 2018 as a way to raise money for the church. One of the “boat people” who came to Wichita in 1982, she works on the assembly line at Textron Aviation, which perhaps prepared her for coordinating an event with so many moving parts.

“We have a lot of people helping us cook — not only one or two days,” she said.

To produce the big dinner, Lee said, parish cooks divide up in five groups of 15 to 20 people. Last year’s dinner featured nine courses, starting with crab and asparagus soup and ending with a perfectly ripe kumquat.

A few weeks before this year’s event, 80 people showed up to help make mung bean rice cakes, which can be frozen until they’re needed. Lee said as many as 1,000 bowls of pho, a noodle soup,

LIFELONGLEARNING

Wichita State University is offering six new 0.5 credit-hour (non-degree) courses that are FREE for students 60+ years old if enrolled by February 7, 2024. We are once again offering in-person and online options for participation. All classes will take place from 1-3 p.m. All in-person classes will be held at Wichita State University’s Metropolitan Complex located at 5015 E. 29th St. N., Wichita, KS 67220. If you choose the online option, you will receive a link via email each week to view the class on your device at your convenience.

The Storytelling Beneath the Screen: Film Composers Mondays, February 26, March 18, 25 & April 1

The Border War: Conflict in Kansas and Missouri during the Civil War Tuesdays, February 27, March 19, 26 & April 2

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may be served over two days.

The dinner and sale have been discovered by non-Vietnamese. Lee estimates they make up about 20 percent of attendees.

“I couldn’t be any prouder of all my parish volunteers,” said Father Ben Nguyen, the church’s pastor. “They are extremely dedicated to providing the best food for the church community and all those who come to our doors.”

See recipes next page

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February 2024

the active age

Bun Cha (Vietnamese Meatballs)

Here’s a popular Vietnamese dish. Try making it yourself, then compare to the version available at St. Anthony.

1 lb. ground pork 2 tablespoons fish sauce 1 tablespoon sugar ½ finely chopped green onions 3 cloves garlic, minced ½ teaspoon salt Freshly cracked black pepper Directions: Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Shape into 12 meatballs. Bake on a lightly greased pan in a 400-degree oven about 25 minutes or until done, turning once.

Serve with nuoc cham (see accompanying recipe) and cooked rice or vermicelli noodles, cilantro, bean sprouts or other garnish.

Note: Fish sauce is available in Asian markets and the Asian aisle of some supermarkets.

Page 15

Nuoc Cham

3 tablespoons sugar 3 tablespoons fish sauce 2 tablespoons vinegar (preferably rice or apple) 2 tablespoons lime juice 1/3 cup water 1 jalapeno, serrano or thai chile, seeded and finely chopped 3 cloves garlic Directions: Stir together all ingredients in a bowl until sugar is dissolved.

Going paperless?

A free digital copy of The Active Age is now available. The digital copy can be “flipped through” like a regular newspaper and the type can be enlarged on your phone or computer. To have the digital version emailed to you each month, call (316) 942-5384 or email joe@theactiveage.com.

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Page 16

the active age

February 2024

One reader’s year in books — 157 of them

By Ted Ayres Since 1993, I have been keeping (and sharing with friends and family) a yearly list of the books read during the previous 365 days. Last year, I read 157 books, an all-time high for me (my previous high total was 141).

I enjoyed some favorite authors such as David Baldacci, C.J. Box, Scott Turow, Michael Connelly, Rinker Buck, David Grann, David McCullough, Jeannette Walls, John Irving, Richard Russo and Robert Goldsborough. I discovered new-tome authors such as Robert B. Parker (I really like his protagonist, Spenser, and I enjoy his books’ setting in Boston), Donald E. Westlake, Katherine Hall Page and Dorothy Belle Hughes.

My “classic” reads included “Rebecca” by Daphne du Maurier; several books by Agatha Christie; “Showboat,” “Cimarron” and “So Big” by Edna Ferber; “The Complete Sherlock Holmes, Volume 2”; and “The Fixer” by Bernard Malamud.

The majority of the books I read in 2023 came from the Wichita Public Library’s Ford Rockwell Branch.

Other sources included loans from friends and family, the Little Free

Public Library on 29th Street (which beautifully models the nearby University Congregational Church) and independent bookstores such as Watermark Books in Wichita, Flint Hills Books in Council Grove and The Dustry Bookshelf in Lawrence.

For what it is worth, my personal “Top Ten” reads for 2023 were (listed chronologically as read): “Marley and Me,” by John Grogan “Life On The Mississippi,” by Rinker Buck “The Path Between Two Seas,” by David McCullough “Half American,” by Matthew F. Delmont “The Wager,” by David Grann “Furious Hour,” by Casey Cep “And Hell Followed With It,” by Bonar Menninger “Lessons In Chemistry,” by Bonnie Garmus “Kingdom Quarterback,” by Mark Dent and Rustin Dodd “American Prometheus,” by Kai Bird and Walther J. Sherwin In one way or another, all fit author Anne Bogel’s definition of a good book: “A good book allows me to step into another world, to experience peo-

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ple and places and situations foreign to my day-to-day existence.” Buck’s book, for instance, shared the perils of piloting a boat down the Mississippi in modern times.

The most disappointing reads of 2023 were two books from my own library: “The Goss Women,” by R.V. Cassell and “Wealth and Poverty,” by George Gilder. Cassell's story line was stilted, unbelievable and tacky. Gillder is a “supply-side” economist whose book I found racist and sexist (in fairness, it was copyrighted in 1981).

As we race into 2024, the following books are in the queue: “The Old Lion,” by Jeff Shaara; “Founding Partisans,” by Dr. H.W. Brand; “Goodbye Eastern Europe,” by Jacob Mikanowski; “Astor,” by Anderson Cooper; “Oath and Honor,” by Liz Cheney; “Empire Falls,” by Richard Russo; and “The Expendable Man,” by Dorothy Belle Hughes.

Happy reading to you and yours in 2024!

Ted Ayres has been reviewing books for The Active Age since 2020. He can be reached at tdamsa76@yahoo.com.

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SCHOWALTER VILLA HESSTON, KS

COMMUNITIES bluestemks.org

888-388-7445 | bluestemks.org/lakeside

February 2024

the active age

Page 17

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

Harvey County

www.seniorwednesday.org

February 7 10:30 am Wichita Art Museum 1400 W. Museum Blvd., $2 admission.

Printmaker Marco Hernandez.

1:30 pm Museum of World Treasures 835 E. 1st St. Info unavailable.

February 14 10 am Sedgwick County Zoo, 5555 Zoo Blvd. (316) 2668213, $4 Polar Bear Plunge.

1:30 pm Advanced Learning Library, 711 W, 2nd, (316) 261-8500, Free.

Children of the Promised Land.

February 21 10 am Ulrich Museum of Art, 1845 N. Fairmount. Info unavailable.

1:30 pm Great Plains Nature Center, 6232 E 29th St N. Blooming Roots: Cultivating the Benefits of Native Gardens.

February 28 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.

Dances

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.

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

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

Transportation Sedgwick County

Sedgwick Co Transportation, 660-5150 or 1-800-367-7298. Information: 8 am-5 pm, Mon-Fri; closed most holidays. www. sedgwickcounty.org/aging.

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.

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

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

Friendship Meals Aging Projects serves a hot, nutritious meal weekdays for persons 60 and older in Sedgwick, Harvey and Butler counties.

Reservations are necessary. For locations and reservations, call 316-686-0074.

WEEK OF FEBRUARY 1 Thu: Cowboy beans, combo salad, apricots, cornbread muffin.

Fri: Turkey pasta salad, cauli-brocc-raisin salad, pineapple, garlic cheddar biscuit.

WEEK OF FEBRUARY 5 Mon: Sloppy Joe on bun, corn relish salad, cinnamon apples .

Tue: Scalloped potatoes & Ham, peas & carrots, blushing pears, garlic toast.

Wed: Breaded chicken patty, mashed potatoes, cream gravy, ambrosia fruit salad, wheat roll.

Thu: Creamed chicken over biscuit, mixed vegetables, mixed fruit, chef's choice birthday cake.

Fri: Poor Boy Stew, three bean salad, peaches, cornbread muffin.

WEEK OF FEBRUARY 12 Mon: Swiss Steak, cream peas & potatoes, applesauce, wheat roll Tue: Chicken/Shrimp Jambalaya, cajun corn maque choux, tropical fruit, garlic toast.

Wed: Loaded Ita;ian veggie pasta, green beans almondine, apricots, breadstick.

Thu: Glazed chicken, scalloped potatoes, pineapple, wheat bread.

Fri: Pimento cheese spread on croissant, cream of tomato soup, mixed fruit.

WEEK OF FEBRUARY 19 Mon: HOLIDAY. Tue: BBQ Pork on bun, baked beans, sliced apples.

Wed: Calico beef & beans, dried carrots, pears, cornbread muffin.

Thu: Turkey w/ noodles, peas, spiced peaches, garlic toast.

Fri: Broccoli & Rice Casserole, mixed vegetables, pineapple, breadstick.

WEEK OF FEBRUARY 26 Mon: Ham Chowder, green beans, apricots, cornbread muffin.

Tue: Cheeseburger pie, mixed vegetables, pears, wheat bread.

Wed: Cranberry meatballs ,mashed potatoes, tropical fruit, wheat roll .

Thu: Chicken & Cheese casserole, combo salad, mixed fruit, breadstick. * 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

February 2024

Classified Advertising

F CEMETERY PROPERTY FOR SALE F

F COMPUTER SPECIALISTF

2 burial plots - Lakeview Cemetary Everlasting Life Double-Depth Lawn Crypt - C-11 Space 10. Retail $7,500, asking $3,500 OBO. Call Scott 213-798-8689

Tech got you down? I can help with computers, Macs, smartphones, setting up Roku etc… abcd TECH cell 316-768-7832

ESTATE SALE: White Chapel Memorial Gardens. 1 burial plot, valued at $1,899 sell for $1,500. 541-840-0783 Lakeview Everlasting Life Lot 102 Spaces 3 and 4. Will sell both for $3,800.

Seller pays transfer fees.

Cash, cashiers check or certified check only.

Call 316-259-4446 Lakeview, Garden of Meditation.

Lot 185-A 1 & 2. Sell both, $ 2,500.00 total.

Seller pays transfer fee. fowlesteve0918@gmail.com Steve 316-305-9657 2 plots at Resthaven cemetery. Sermon on the mount garden. Lot 95-C spaces 3&4. $3,500 each or $7,000 together. Transfer fee paid. 316-734-0660. Leave message.

2 plots w/vaults, side by side At White Chapel Memorial Gardens in the Garden of Gethsemane, Wichita, Ks. Valued at $6,500.

Sale price $2,600 plus transfer fee OBO. 913-558-0486 Lakeview Garden of Apostles Lot 91 Space 12, Holds 2 urns .

Asking $4,500 OBO . Seller pays transfer fee.

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 1 double depth lawn crypt at Resthaven, in Bruce Newton Garden, Lot 198 D space 1.

Includes 16x24in granite marker. Current value $12,600 asking $ 7,900. Seller pays transfer fee. Call 316-833-9644.

Resthaven single plot available in Garden of Freedom. Plot #62 C-3. Paid $4,695 sell for $4,000 OBO. Call 316-993-2223.

Single Plot – Resthaven Cemetery – Garden of the Cross 46A1 $5000 OBO Email: arkpegram@cox.net OR 479-644-6680 serious inquires only Two ground burial spots at Lakeview Gardens Cemetery. Section: Garden of the Holy Rosary Lot 30. $2800 each Contact C Mansaw 316-942-4291xt 2165 mansawc@newmanu.edu Lakeview Gardens, Meditation Section, 4 spaces. Sell all 4, $6,000 plus transfer fees.

Cashiers check or certified check only.

Call Kendra 405-623-5687 pwfjr@sbcglobal.net

F HOME IMPROVEMENTS CONT F

Nolimit Hauling & Delivery Kevin Oliver

MOBILE GLASS REPAIR Windows * Patio * Doors Windows won’t stay up, Crank Outs, Patio Rollers and Lock Latches, Morris Glass & Service, 316-946-0745

nolimit12g@gmail.com

316-300-9371

F HELP WANTEDF

Alpha Electric Dependable Electrical Service Call Greg at 316-312-1575 Insured, Lic. #1303

CNA will care for your loved one; experienced w/ Dementia+ALZ, companion care, transportation to and from medical, dental, salon or general appointments, light cleaning, pet/plant care.

References available.

Cristi 316-779-4269

F ESTATE SALES F

F HOME CARE F

IPK Enterprises Estate Sales.

Know your options, you have many. Please call us for a free consultation. 316-806-3435.

Needing someone to clean home. Willing to pay $20/hr. 316-889-1426.

F FOOT CARE F FOOT CARE IN YOUR HOME

Cheryl Rosine ~ The Foot Lady ICMT RN

• 316-312-2025 •

Benjamin Jones ~ CNAICR

• 316-932-8524•

$40: In-home, Sedgwick & surrounding counties Diabetic, thick toe nails, ingrown & callous care Foot Care in home.

Home visit $40.00 Call Francine at 316-943-4360.

Leave a message.

F FOR SALEF 2011 Chrysler Towne & Country mini-van completely wheel chair accessible. 60,000 miles. Good Condition. $20,500. Call Sandra 316-390-4650 Rubicon Ultra-Light Weight Electric Wheelchair. Less than a year old. Asking $500.

316-833-8446 Homeplus Business for Sale.

Care home 3010 sq ft. 4 bedrooms, 2.5 baths and Guest House.

316-390-9526

F FURNITURE F Downsizing?

Don't have an Auction, or Estate Sale.

We Buy Entire Estates.

Call Kelly 316-283-8536.

Furniture Warehouse 200 Main Newton, KS

F HAIR STYLINGF Hair Solutions by Sherry Perms * Cuts * Colors Men, Woman & Children 1 person Salon

Double depth lawn crypt at Resthaven.

16*24 marker. Traditional opening and closing. Current value at $17,000. Accepting offers. Call 316-651-7217.Leave message with contact info.

Call for an appointment Sherry Brown 316-207-1760

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 HAULING/JUNK REMOVAL CONTF

F ELECTRICAL F

Lakeview Gardens Everlasting Life. Lot 53 Spaces 3&4. Retail $3,695 each, Selling both for $4,500. Seller pays transfer fee.

Call 316-393-6054

F CLEANING SERVICESF

Place an ad: 942-5385

TREAT YOUR HUNNY!

F HAULING/JUNK REMOVALF MISC. ODD JOBS Fence, Paint, Sheet Rock, Yard, Clean- Up. Hauling Handyman NO JOB TOO SMALL Honest & Reasonable. 316-807-4989.

Place your ad today! Call 316-942-5385 Deadline for the March paper is February 10

Nelsen Contracting General Contractor Honesty, Quality, Integrity are Key! • Home Improvements/Repairs • Upkeep Maintenance Free Initial Consultation.

316-665-1644 Tree Trimming, clean ups & clean outs, haul offs and snow removal.

Call L. Hayden 316-806-2591.

Private Duty Aide with light house keeping.

Availability evenings and weekends.

References upon request.

Cynthia CNA/HHA 316-992-6711 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

Caring Home Care Need help cleaning your home, grocery shopping, etc.

Call Roberta 316-587-4414.

I am honest, dependable and caring. Budget friendly. References available.

316.807-5180

Mary's Elder Care Caregiving for the Elderly. Personal care assistance, bathing, meals, light housekeeping.

Full or part time.

316-390-9526

F HOME IMPROVEMENTS F

CLEAN CUT FENCING

Dave’s Improvements General Contractor Lic #7904 Roofing, Siding, Doors, Gutters, Windows, Storm damage repair, Senior Discount.

316-312-2177

Professional fence install and fence repair.

Call or text 316-821-6341

Serving west Wichita, Goddard and Cheney

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

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

Cowboy Construction Remodeling, siding, decks, fences, windows, doors and more. 20 years locally owned.

Free estimates. Senior discounts.

Todd Wenzel 316-393-4488 Molina Electric - Wichita Lic #1364 Comm. or Residential wiring. Service calls. New electric service. Troubleshooting. Cell 316-461-2199.

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

George’s Dryer Vent Cleaning •Prevent dryer fires •Clothes dry faster •Saves on energy

www.theactiveage.com

95

$49.

Please leave a Google Review about us

Our price increased by $10 due to gas prices.

In case of severe weather, service will be rescheduled.

Call George 316.305.6067

February 2024

the active age

Page 19

Classified Advertising

Place an ad: 942-5385

F HOME IMPROVEMENTS CONT F

F HOME IMPROVEMENTS CONT F

F LAWN AND GARDEN CONTF

Professional Handyman Services

Bruce Smith Roofing & Siding

Integrity Landscaping & Construction

35 Years Exp. Locally owned & operated

David Massey Andrew Massey 316-339-5205 316-553-6177 integrityluxurylawns@gmail.com

General Contractor

Drywall Repair & Popcorn Removal Repair/Replace Windows & Doors

Home Improvement & Repair

316-518-8553

JS Guttering & Construction 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

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

SENIOR HELPING SENIOR FORSHEE MASONRY- 50 Years Any Brick, Block, Stone Repair Sidewalk Leveling Senior Discount

RICK 316-945-8751

PLUMBCO

Compare Our Prices Weekly Plumbing Specials

Ins/Lic #5803 316-942-1967

Protect your home from the elements of the weather!

FREE ESTIMATES

All types of roofing, siding, handyman work, hauling, clean-ups & other exterior projects

316-640-3155 Licensed & Insured

Ballard Plumbing ALL PLUMBING REPAIRS • •

FREE estimates Senior Discounts

Licensed & Insured Veteran Owned - Family Operated

Call Brad at 316-260-0136 www.BallardPHC.com

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

F LAWN AND GARDEN F

• Clean Ups/Haul Off • Fences • Power Washing

• Tree Work • Decking • Trimming

**Anything Home Improvement**

Affordable Painting

MOWING

Senior Citizen Discounts Tree Trimming Junk Removal • Residential and Commercial Stump Grinding • Painting for Interior and Exterior Brock Eastman 316.765.1677 • Power Washing

F PAINTING Free F Estimates

• Some Home Improvements

McCoy Painting 316-516-6443 Do you need any interior or exterior painting done? I’m your man. Free estimates, affordable rates. References available..

Affordable Painting "We've Been Covering The Town For 30 Years!"

316-945-9473

Spring Specials 10% off • Residential and Commercial • Painting for Interior and Exterior • Power Washing • Some Home Improvements

ASC Complete Lawn Care * Yard Clean Up * Tree Trimming * Gutter Cleaning.

Fence Repair * Decks * Home Repairs * Flooring Free estimates, senior discounts.

316-807-8649

Clean Cut Lawncare Single owner with over 9 years’ experience.

Serving west Wichita, Goddard and Cheney Residential/Commercial Mowing Spring Cleanup Mulching/Rototilling, Landscaping, Scalping, Tree & Shrub Trimming Fence building and repair

316-821-6341

Partnering with LT Care Solutions

Medicare Solutions Long-Term Care Living Trusts Medicare & Medicaid Veteran Resouces 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.

Mary Halsig, CLTC, Veteran

(316) 207-2377

Felipe Tree Service Evergreen trimming. Tree removal. Brush hauling. Splitting. Deadwooding. Free estimates. 12 years experience.

316-807-4419 STUMP GRINDING

Brock 316-765-1677 Free Estimates

TREE BOSS

F REAL ESTATEF

Senior Real Estate Specialist

Senior Real Estate Specialist Art Busch 316.990.7039 artbuschwichita.com Artbusch@plazare.com

Dave’s Improvements Inc. Senior Real Estate Specialist 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

www.halsiginsurance.com

F TREE SERVICE F

www.affordablepaintingwichita.com 316.990.7039 artbuschwichita.com artbusch@plazare.com

Easch office is independently Owned and Operated

~ Google Reviewer

Assistance With:

Free Estimates * Senior Citizen Discounts Art Busch

• Gutters • Windows • And more

Senior Discount.

316-312-2177

Brush, Limbs, Debris, Hauling and Junk Removal. Leaf removal. Free Estimates.

Will pick up scrap metal FREE of charge Call David at 316-213-8880.

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

Mary has both the knowledge and compassion to help others make informed decisions about health insurance, medicare, and long-term care.

316-945-9473

Easch officeisisindependently independently Each office

MISC. ODD JOBS Fence, Paint, Sheet Rock, Yard, Clean- Up. Hauling Handyman NO JOB TOO SMALL Honest & Reasonable. 316-807-4989.

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

"We've Been Covering The Town For 30 Years!"

Jesus Landscaping Complete lawncare.

Spring clean-up * Aeration * Over Seeding Each office is independently Art Busch Gutter cleaning * Fencing * Landscape Owned and Operated 316.990.7039 install/maintain * Shrub/tree trimming/ Art Busch artbuschwichita.com removal 316.990.7039 F ROOFING F artbusch@plazare.com Call for a free estimate! artbuschwichita.com 316-737-3426 or 316-631-5984 artbusch@plazare.com Senior Real Estate Specialist WWW.JESUSLANDSCAPINGKS.COM West Side Lawn Service SPRING CLEANUP Hauling & odd jobs Free estimates. Perry 316-339-4117.

F SERVICES CONT F

F SERVICES F Need help on your electric scooter, power or lift chair, stair or platform lift or hand controls? Call Howard Distribution at 316-648-1694. Howard is a certified service center and dealer for Best Bath walk-in tubs, Bruno, EMC, Golden Tech, Pace Saver, Pride and Ricon. Working for you since 1987.

'Let us Help you- Medical Loan Closet!'

Call 316-779-8989

Robert Rodriguez Owner/ Operator

• Tree Removal • Trimming • Deadwood • Stump Removal • Gutter Cleaning FREE ESTIMATES

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

Yard Clean Ups

TREE & STUMP REMOVAL

TREE & STUMP REMOVAL

Advantage • Fast &Home Reliable Services • Free for316-518-8553 Qualified Licensed & Insured Seniors

F WANTED Stan 316-518-8553 Advantage HomeFServices Licensed & Insured Someone to carve a five-foot Home Improvement & outdoor Repair statue. Call 316-243-7312.

Kitchens, Bathrooms, Roofing & more

One call does it all! 316-518-8553

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.

www.theactiveage.com

Page 20

the active age and Speece-Language-Hearing Clinic, WSU Tech’s health care program and the Wichita campuses of KU School of Medicine and KU School of pharmacy into one location. Construction is expected to begin this spring and be completed by the end of 2026.

Campus plans revealed Wichita State University has released renderings of the Wichita Biomedical Campus to be built downtown. The 8-story, 350,000-square-foot building is a joint project between WSU and the University of Kansas. It will combine WSU’s College of Health Professions

Cash tribute ticket winners Congratulations to Katie & Tony Christenson, Ron Turner and Cindy Claycomb, who won tickets to the Johnny Cash Experience at the Orpheum Theatre in our drawing.

Corrections Betty Graham was misidentified in an article about a cooking club in last month’s issue of The Active Age. The initials of the BNSF Railroad were transposed in an article in the December issue of The Active Age.

February 2024

February Theatre

By Diana Morton Forum Theatre, at the Wilke Center, 1st United Methodist Church, 330 N. Broadway. The Full Monty, Unemployed steelworkers in Buffalo, N.Y., decide to make some quick cash by imitating the Chippendale Dancers.

8 pm Thu-Sat, 2 pm Sun, Feb 22-Mar 10. Tickets $23-$25. Opening night ticket $18. 316-618-0444 Wichita Community Theatre, 258 N. Fountain. Arsenic and Old Lace. Classic black comedy about the only thing more deadly than poison: family. 8 pm Thu-Sat, 7 pm Sun, Jan 25-Feb 4.

Tickets $14-18. 316-686-1282

Mosley Street Melodrama, 234 N. Mosley. Anchorman by Carol Hughes.

Cast includes Jaslyn Alexander, Julia Faust, Injoy Fountain, Kyle Vespestad, & Andrew Walker. Followed by a new musical review. Dinner 6:15 pm, show begins 7:50 pm. Feb 2-Mar 16.

Tickets, dinner, & show $26-$30; Show only $20. 316-263-0222 Roxy’s Downtown, 412 E. Douglas, cabaret-style theatre. Jekyll and Hyde.

Musical version of the classic story in which a devoted doctor accidentally unleashing his inner demons. 8pm Thu-Sat, 2:00 pm matinee Sat, Feb 22Mar 16. Tickets $40. 316-265-4400 Contact Diana Morton at dianamorton12@sbcglobal.net

For the safety of clients and staff, I do telephone appointments.

Senior Law

Wills & Trusts • Durable Power of Attorney • Advanced Directives • Grandparents Rights • Business Law • Traffic Estate Probate • Guardianships & Conservatorships Divorce/Legal Separation/Annulment 316-789-0909

Arlene M. Burrow ATTORNEY AT LAW

1259 N. Rainbow Dr. ~ Suite 300, Derby, KS ~ www.arleneburrow.com

The Choice is Yours Heal after surgery at 5-Star Medicare Rated Communities

Find Your Closest Rehab Today ChooseYourRehab.com East and West Wichita, Derby, and the Andover area

www.theactiveage.com

February 2024

the active age

Page 21

Memory Care

“Early detection gave us time to adapt together as a family.”

If you are noticing changes, it could be Alzheimer’s. Visit a doctor together.

ALZ.org/TimeToTalk 24/7 Helpline: 800.272.3900

The Active Age is the Proud Print Media Sponsor of Picklepalooza 2024 www.theactiveage.com

Page 22

the active age

Sleep and good health connected

By Monica Cissell Sleep is as essential to good health as diet and exercise. Lack of sleep can raise the risk of disease and disorders and can impact cognitive functioning.

But experiencing good sleep can become more difficult as we age.

Understanding the importance of sleep and learning tips for better sleep may help you stay healthier and have better brain performance.

Check out these tips:.

• Stick to a sleep schedule. Regular bedtime and wakeup routines are important.

• Get some exercise every day. But

don't engage in strenuous exercise right before bed.

Go outside. Prioritize getting outside and being in the natural sunlight for at least 30 minutes every day.

• Avoid nicotine and caffeine. These stimulants can hinder sleep quality.

• Don’t take naps after midafternoon. Keep naps short — 20-30 minutes is the ideal length to help you feel refreshed and avoid falling into a deep sleep.

• Avoid alcohol and large meals before bedtime. Deep, restorative sleep

February 2024

can be hindered by both.

• Limit electronics before bed. Reading, listening to music, stretches or meditation are all more calming options.

• Create a good sleeping environment. Cool temperature,.

Decrease light distractions and phone interruptions to set your environment.

Silence your cell phone.

• Don’t lie in bed awake. If 20 minutes has passed and you can’t fall asleep, try a relaxing activity such as yoga, meditation or journaling your thoughts to calm the mind.

• See your health care provider if nothing you try helps. Addressing sleep issues such as sleep apnea and

insomnia can help and provide you better quality sleep.

Adults over 60 need seven to nine hours of sleep each night. There are many reasons aolder adults may not be able to sleep, such as some medications, pain and feeling sick. If you feel tired and unable to do your normal activities for two to three weeks, call your doctor.

Central Plains Area Agency on Aging is here to help. Call 855-2002372 for information on services and programs available to older adults and caregivers.

Monica Cissell is director of information and community services for CPAAA.

Hope for those with vision loss

FREE SAFETY GRAB BAR

EXPERIENCE THE SPA-LIKE BATH YOU HAVE BEEN DREAMING OF. Plus Receive a FREE Safety package with your purchase of a shower or bath package

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• Is it difficult to read regular print in newspapers, magazines or books?

• Does your vision make it difficult to watch TV or recognize faces?

• Has your eye doctor told you eyeglasses can no longer be made stronger?

If so, call Envision for an appointment or schedule an education presentation in your senior living facility.

$1,500 OFF

VISION REHABILITATION CENTER

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Financing Available

No Payments No Interest until 2021

Call for your FREE quote and save today!

316-685-1700

Call us today at 316-440-1600 We accept Medicare, Kancare and most commercial insurance plans.

www.theactiveage.com

envisionus.com

February 2024

the active age

Page 23

THE CARE YOU NEED

The Respect You Deserve At Homestead, our team helps seniors remain independent while providing quality care in a friendly environment. Participate in a variety of activities while we take care of homecooked meals, housekeeping and linen service, and more. Let our team help you find the right care solution for your family.

HOMESTEAD OF AUGUSTA*

HOMESTEAD OF CRESTVIEW*

HOMESTEAD OF DERBY

HOMESTEAD OF EL DORADO*

HOMESTEAD OF HALSTEAD

HOMESTEAD OF WELLINGTON

HOMESTEAD OF WICHITA*

HOMESTEAD ESTATES OF WICHITA

316-799-3927

316-816-9579

316-747-8439

620-293-6564

316-816-1428

316-365-8229

316-600-7865

316-217-8982

LEARN MORE AT SENIORLIVINGWICHITA.COM

*These communities also offer memory care for residents with Alzheimer’s and other memory-related diseases.

www.theactiveage.com

Page 24

the active age

February 2024

LET’S CELEBRATE 3 YEARS OF WINNING!

MARCH 2024 – ALL MONTH LONG! Come in on select days in March for your share of prizes, food, drinks and fun!

Complete event details will be released on our website on February 1st so save the date because we can’t wait!

IT WON’T BE A PARTY WITHOUT YOU!

777 Jackpot Way

I Park City, Kansas 67147 I crosswindscasino.com www.theactiveage.com