famous African Americana
By Joe Stumpe
The first history Gerald Norwood got interested in was his own family’s, and who could blame him?
Norwood’s grandfather, Henry, spent his childhood enslaved on plantations in North Carolina and southwest Arkansas. Following the Civil War, Henry and his older brother made their way on foot about 130 miles north in Arkansas, settling near Fort Smith.
There, Henry became a respected member of the community — a landowner, father of twelve and noted hunting guide in the then wild woods
of northwest Arkansas and northeast Oklahoma (not yet a state). To be one generation removed from slavery, his grandson knows, is rare.
Today, old family photographs, marriage and death certificates, sharecropping records and other documents are among Gerald Norwood’s prized possessions. But his collecting has grown to include many aspects of what’s sometimes called African Americana — documenting the triumphant as well as tragic aspects of black life in the United States.
Many of the objects are available, by appointment, to scholars and the public at Wichita State University’s Special Collections Library and Tulane University’s Amistad Research Center in New Orleans.
“I was always interested in exposing people to new ideas and things they may not have come across,” Norwood said.
Norwood has collected historical documents such as a a contract signed by legendary singer Billie Holiday (above) and a bill for transportation of a slave (lower left).
That includes a receipt (in British pounds) for transportation of a slave via ship; a slave badge or tag, by which
Therapy dog Jax makes friends young and old
By Amy Geiszler-Jones
DERBY — On a cold January morning, it didn’t take long for Cleda Justice to make a heartwarming connection with the young male visitor seated next to her in the lounge of Brookdale Derby senior living community.
“He’s marvelous,” Justice said as she ran her hands along the soft, fluffy fur of Jax, a 2 ½-year-old golden retriever and certified therapy dog.
“I love dogs.”
That love was very evident during Jax’s visit. At one point, Jax gently pushed his 102-pound body against Justice’s leg as she leaned over to quietly talk to him and kiss the top of his head.
“Who needs a weighted blanket
when you have him?” asked Jax’s owner, Kathy Jewett, referring to the retriever’s version of pressure therapy, which feels much like a calming hug.
“You can see why I love him, too,” Jewett said.
“I’ve always had a heart for dogs and for serving others,” said Jewett, who retired in January 2023 from a nearly 36-year career as a human resources executive.
She’d started her career at the Coleman Co. and later worked at Foley Equipment Co., Kaman Composites and XLT Ovens. She continues to serve as a board director for Mid American Credit Union, the National Association of Workforce
See Jax, page 7
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New credit card charge now legal
The Active Age
Changes in Kansas law may have an effect on the daily spending habits of residents.
As of Jan. 1, Kansas merchants can legally add a surcharge of up to 4 percent on credit card transactions, as long as clear notice is provided to the customer before the sale.
According to a news release from District Attorney Marc Bennett’s office, K.S.A. 16a-2-403 has been amended to allow any person or retailer offering sales, services or lease transactions to impose a surcharge on credit card payments as long as the amount of the surcharge is disclosed through a “clear and conspicuous notice to the customer at the point of entry or the point of sale and in advance of such transaction.”
Before this change in the law, Kansas had what amounted to a ban
See Changes, page 6
Luella Lagsbon shares a moment with Jax, a therapy dog owned by Kathy Jewett (standing).
Gerald
Upcoming Events
Gardening workshop
The 2025 Design & Grow Workshop will be held Saturday, March 1 at the Sedgwick County Extension Center, 21st and Ridge Road.
The morning session will cover native plant design, floral
arrangements, resilient plant varieties and planning food gardens during droughts. Registration is $10 through Feb. 21; after that, it’s $15. Separate registration is required for the afternoon’s sessions on floral design, pest and disease identification and garden tool care and maintenance. For the complete schedule and registration, visit sedgwick.ksu.edu/events.
Love story served
EL DORADO — The Kechi Playhouse and El Dorado Elks Lodge are presenting a love story set during World War II for Valentine’s Day.
“Dear Jack, Dear Louise,” by Tony Award-winning playwright Ken Ludwig, tells the story of an Army captain and Broadway dancer who become pen pals before falling in love.
The show will be presented Feb. 14 and 15, with doors opening at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $25 per person with the meal and $15 for the show only. The Elks Lodge is located at 121 East
Pine Ave. For reservations, call (316) 321-9393 or (316) 775-5968.
West-side chili feed
The Wichita Northwest Lions Club will hold its annual chili feed from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 8, at Ability Point, 2919 W. 2nd St. (formerly The ARC of Sedgwick County). Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for children 6 to 10; children under 6 are free. The dinner includes all-you-can eat chili and toppings, a drink and dessert. Proceeds benefit various community service projects.
No joke: Local comedian relives rock and roll roots
By Carl Williams
Bucky Walters has been making people laugh since his days as a wise-cracking student at Wichita’s East High School in the mid 1950s. The recently retired hairdresser went on to tickle funny bones in comedy clubs, theater productions and the annual Gridiron show staged by local journalists.
But his first foray into show business was due to the arrival of rock and roll in Wichita. Like everywhere else it landed, music and culture changed overnight.
“I wasn’t the only one who was moved by the new music,” Walters recalled. “One of my best friends at East High was Robert Love, who also loved the new music.”
According to Walters, Love — who became patriarch of one of the city’s best-known musical families — took him to a club in the old Swallow Airplane factory on North Hillside to see touring rhythm and blues act Ike and Tina Turner.
“We got there early and heard them rehearse, and then we stayed for their show,” Walters said. “I was blown away with their music.”
“Two weeks later, Robert took me
back to that same club to hear B.B. King. By that time, I was so fired up, I knew I had to form my own band.”
After graduating from East High in 1957, Bucky enrolled at the University of Wichita — today’s Wichita State University — and with several friends formed The Premiers, one of the city’s first rock and roll bands. Walters was the front man, sang vocals and played bass guitar; John Holt played lead guitar; Fred Underwood, rhythm guitar; Gary Cocking was on drums; and Carlis Castle played saxophone.
The band became affiliated with radio station KFBI and started playing local engagements. One particularly memorable gig took place at Joyland, where the young musicians backed up Chuck Berry. Although it was a thrill to be his back-up band, Walters said, the star “thought it was below him to rehearse with us before the show. So, it’s a good thing we were good enough musicians to wing it and follow all his ad libs and unpredictability.”
Two weeks later, they were hired to be the back-up band for Jerry Lee Lewis. However, when Lewis cancelled at the last minute, his agent
booked recording artist Floyd Robinson (whose “Makin’ Love" was a somewhat controversial hit in 1959) as a replacement. Joyland advertised the event as “featuring Floyd Robinson and The Premiers,” which added to the band’s credibility.
In 1959 and 1960, the Premiers released a couple of 45s that can be still be found online, including “Younger Than You” and “Cruisin’,” both written by Walters.
As their popularity grew, The Premiers decided to try touring. Unfortunately, on their way to a booking in Minnesota, their trailer came loose, tumbled end over end and destroyed virtually all of their equipment. With help from families, friends and fans, they replaced their equipment and continued to tour — all while keeping up with their college classwork.
The following year, the Premiers went out on tour again, but this time with guitarist Jerry Hahn (later renowned as a jazz musician) and drummer Johnny Chiccarelli.
“Touring with a band sounds romantic, and you’d think it would be fun,” Walters said. “That is, until you are actually doing it.”
“Our agent didn’t pay attention at all to how far we had to drive between gigs. One time, after a gig in Rochester, Minnesota, he booked us into a club in Little Rock, Arkansas, for the very next night. We had to drive ten hours
to get there in the dead of winter. It’s a miracle we even made it to the gig. And, then we had to drive back to Minnesota for another gig a couple of days later.”
As tough as those times on the road were, they are among Walter’s most cherished memories. “I wouldn’t trade my time playing in a touring band for anything,” he said. “To be at the veritable birth of rock and roll and having the best seat in the house to watch — and be part of it — as it swept across the country, was a wonderful privilege.”
Hear The Premiers
Several recordings of The Premiers can be heard on this website: https:// rocky-52.net/chanteursb/bucky&p.htm
Courtesy photo
Bucky Walters poses in front of a poster for The Premiers, the rock and roll band he fronted in the 1950s.
Late artist's work is fashionable again
If you remember shopping at Henry’s department store, you’ll probably enjoy an exhibit and sale running through Feb. 7 at The Workroom.
The show features drawings by Della Riley, who was a fashion illustrator for Henry’s, Shepler’s and other Wichita clothing stores during the 1960s and 70s.
In December, Autumn Fortune, who has a booth at Paramount Marketplace and The Workroom’s Ballroom collective, was shopping at the Wichita Flea Market when she bought six boxes of materials from a seller there. They turned out to be the personal archives of Riley, including original drawings used as advertising proofs, prints and copies of newspaper advertisements.
“Reviving Wichita History: The Advertising Art of Della Riley” is the title of the show. Fortune called Riley’s style “quintessential mid-century modern.”
Fortune hasn’t been able to find out much about Riley, who died in 2008, but the show’s Jan. 10 opening attracted several people who knew her.
“We had a quite a few people who had worked Della or worked with her son at Shepler’s,” Fortune said. “I even had the niece of Harry Shelper come and buy some of her art.”
“And I had quite a few people talk about Henry’s and how it was so influential. That was the first place they rode an elevator, and that stuck with them. And how it was just the pinnacle of class and customer service.”
According to a short obituary in the Eagle, Riley was 88 when she died
and had been active in the Wichita Doberman Club, according to online comments on her obituary. One person wrote that a “sweeter kinder person would be hard to find,” while another remembered seeing Riley work upstairs at Shepler’s, then seeing her ads in the newspaper.
The pieces in the show are for sale from $30 to $100. The Workroom is located at 523 W. Douglas, on the first floor of the Eaton apartments building.
Riverfest Poster Chosen
Terry Twomey, a local graphic artist, has entered the annual Riverfest Poster and Artwork nine times over the years. This year, his design hit the right note with the judges –- bold, colorful and a bit nostalgic.
Twomey’s Riverfest design features hot air balloons and rowers in view of the Keeper of the Plains. Staff with Wichita Festivals and contest sponsor Emprise Bank unveiled the winning design last month. The artwork will be made into limited run posters, T-shirts and admission buttons for the downtown festival, which runs from May 30 to June 7. -KMUW
Courtesy photo
The fashion illustrations of Della Riley are being offered for sale at The Workroom.
Della Riley
Barbara
Sallie Barstow
Doug Aldrich
Jerry Allen
Nancy Anderson
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Margaret Arnold
Joan Ashworth
Pamela Bailey
Fina Barajas
David Barbosa
Peggy Barkus
Arjeeva Bashyakarla
Nancy Batt
Ruth Bell
Carrie Benjamin
Paul Beugelsdijk
Sally Bidleman
Anne Bilson
Flora Bishop
Jan Blosser
Alan Blough
Daisy Blue
Elizabeth Bower
William Brown
Elizabeth Carson
Charlene Charles
Kathleen Childs
Nancy Chinn
Janice Church
Milton Claassen
James Clark
Keith Claycomb
Shelley Closson
Scott Colby
Mary Corrigan
Janet Costin
Jim Crawford
Glenda Dart
Susan Davidson
Katherine Davis
Deborah Dean
Beverl Dilsaver-Millan
Rockelle Dooley
Thomas Ebben
Alfreda Elliott
Gale Engels
Daniel Etzler
Violet Fahler
Lynda Fichter
Laura Fisher
Dannie Franks
Jay Fritzmeyer
Betty Frost
Marilyn Galvan
Deborah Gdisis
Stan Gegan
Cynthia George
Judy Gomez
Mark Gordon
Donald Grabendike
Thank You Recent Donors!
Jelene Grady
Diane Griffin
W. Ben Grisamore
Karen Hall
Patricia Hall
Lori Hampel
Lorain Harden
Marlene Harvey
Jerry Haug
Stephanie Heard
Marlene Henkle
Dorothy Herr
Anita Hodge
JM Hoffman
Connie Holt
Sally Hoofer
Jesma Hopper
Pamela Horner
Wen-Chuan Hsiao
Patricia Hunter
Miles Jade
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Peter Janzen
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Honor Roll of Donors
Ginger Kraft
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Randolph Leonard
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Merle Maggard
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Vincent Marshall
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John Matrow
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Don McGee
Lois McKee
Cathy Mnkler
Bill Mohr
Elaine Moore
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Bruce & Dixie Pearson
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Diana Peck
Paul Pendleton
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Schrader
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Werth
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White Dale Widiger
Karen Williams
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Norma Wilson
Susan Wirths N. Woolley
Alice Woolridge
Carol
Americana
From Page 1
slaves in Charleston, S.C., were hired out by their owners; production records for a planation, showing how much cotton each slave picked; and several letters of manumission granting slaves freedom.
It includes a contact signed by jazz legend Billie Holiday for a show in Toledo, Ohio, three months before her death; a letter from actor-activist Paul Robeson to historian Carter G. Woodson; an invitation to the 1893 Columbia Exposition sent by Frederick Douglass (“His DNA is in there,” Norwood said); letters from inventor George Washington Carver and more.
Norwood has also assembled a sizable collection of Wichita artifacts, including paintings done by Academy Award-winning actress Hattie McDaniel; currency signed by Azie Taylor Morton, a one-time Wichitan who later served as U.S. Treasurer during the Carter Administration; and local black educators, businesspeople, religious and community leaders.
Norwood grew up in Wichita near Central and Wabash, then a thriving area of black-owned businesses. He attended the all-black Dunbar Elementary School in the nearby
McAdams neighbrohood centered around Ninth and Cleveland. Despite segregation, Norwood, whose father managed Midwest Sewing Center's repair department, remembers the era fondly as a time when his teachers were neighbors and role models, and the neighborhood hummed with activity.
He went on to earn a degree in religion from Wichita State University and to spend a long career as an account manager with Xerox Corp. He and his wife, Rachel, an educator, have two children, four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. He’s served on the board of the Wichita-Sedgwick County Historical Museum, among other community organizations, and put together a history of the Dunbar school called “It Took a Village to Raise These Children.” He’s a lifelong member of Progressive Missionary Baptist Church.
Norwood had collected glasswork, art and more before a chance find steered him toward African Americana: Perusing Wichita’s old Green Dragon Bookstore, he came across a rare 1896 edition of one of Booker T. Washington’s early books, a small collection of quotations and sayings called “Daily Resolves.”
“Uplifting” is how he describes the book, which contains well-
known Washington sayings such as, “Education is only valuable in proportion as it is used.”
Washington, most readily associated with the Tuskegee Institute, was considered black America’s preeminent leader during the late 1880s and early 1900s.
Norwood subsequently acquired a postcard and two letters bearing Washington’s handwriting and signature. In one, dated 1877, Washington acknowledges a $25 debt to the president of an educational institution he attended. In another, he discusses matters related to the National Negro Business League, which he helped found in 1900 (and which survives as the National Business League).
The poet and writer Paul Laurence Dunbar is another famous African American whom Norwood has researched and collected materials on, including a 1903 letter in which Dunbar gives an Illinois college permission to reprint one of his poems. Heavyweight prize fighter Jack Johnson is another favorite subject.
Typically, in addition to first editions, Norwood looks for letters, memos and other ephemera associated with noted figures, the institution of slavery and other elements of the black experience. “I only collect original material,” he said.
Norwood clearly enjoys the process of collecting — what he calls “chase, discover, collect and possess.”
“Once you get into the habit of collecting, it’s kind of like a bad disease,” he said, smiling. “The only cure is death.”
Rather than specialize, his goal has been to collect in “politics, music, military, poetry, every area there is.”
“It shows how diverse African American history is, just like American
Changes
From Page 1
on surcharges, allowing only for cash discounts on sales. In 2021, however, the ban was held to be unconstitutional in a federal case, finding it was a violation of the First Amendment. Although debit cards are not mentioned in the body of the new Kansas statute, adding a debit card surcharge remains illegal in all 50 states under federal law, specifically the Durbin Amendment to the Dodd-Frank Reform and Consumer Protections Act.
Similarly, because Kansas state law has no maximum surcharge, the maximum credit card surcharge allowed in Kansas is capped by federal law at 4 percent. According to the District Attorney’s office, it has no jurisdiction to enforce a violation
history.”
Indeed, Norwood sees no difference between the two beyond divisions based on politics and prejudice.
The objects have personal meaning for him. For a lover of history, the past is always present in some form, and the connections one makes in life build upon each other.
In the course of his collecting, he’s attended reunions of Booker T. Washington’s family and helped bring Washington’s granddaughter to speak at the Wichita Art Museum in the early 1990s.
The twelve children of his grandfather, Henry, were all noted for their singing ability. Today, Gerald and Rachel sing in ARISE, a group that performs Negro spirituals.
ARISE, which is performing in Paris in February as part of Black History Month celebrations, has also performed in northwest Arkansas, where Norwood has twice gone to research his grandfather, who’s made it into several histories written about the area. What he’s learned is that Henry Norwood “was probably like a community organizer” for black residents of that area following Emancipation. “He reminds me of (President) Obama. He could read and write, he could interpret information for those that couldn’t. That’s one of the reasons he’s remembered there.”
And here.
Norwood said the purpose of his research and collecting is to share what he finds.
Collectors “just can’t keep it to themselves,” he said.
“It is the hope of such individuals to make an impact on the world by discovering who we have been, who we are, and who we can become."
of the 4-percent cap. Instead, that enforcement rests with the Federal Trade Commission.
Under another change that took effect Jan. 1, Kansans are no longer been paying state sales tax on groceries. They still pay city- and countyimposed taxes, but the former state tax of 6.5% was gradually reduced to zero over the past two years.
A 2022 law set out a three-year plan to reduce the state’s sales tax on groceries, which was at 6.5% in 2022. In 2023, it was reduced to 4%, and in 2024 to 2%. When the bill was introduced, Kansas had one of the highest food sales taxes, second to Mississippi with 7%.
The 2022 law was passed with bipartisan support in the Legislature. It was estimated that eliminating the state sales tax would save a family of four over $500 per year.
Jax
From Page 1
Boards and the Workforce Alliance of South Central Kansas board.
With Ellie, her first therapy dog, Jewett made more than 200 visits to hospitals, schools and other settings between 2008 and Ellie’s death in 2017. Ellie had been the first dog allowed into Galicia Heart Hospital, which is now Wesley Woodlawn Hospital, Jewett said.
“It was the perfect thing to fulfill my desire to help others,” said Jewett about getting Ellie certified.
Retirement left Jewett ready to adopt and train another therapy dog. She also has Eddy, a Great Pyrenees and German shepherd mix, whose role is simply being the family pet.
With Jax, Jewett got him acclimated to people by making nearly daily visits to see her mother, who was living in Brookdale Derby. Her mom loved dogs, too. Jewett recalled that after her father died in 1975, her mom adopted a male dog, calling him “the best man I ever met.”
During Jax’s visits, “he would just lay at her feet,” Jewett said.
In August, shortly after Jewett’s mom died, Jax earned his certification through Therapy Dogs International.
To earn his certification, Jax was tested by a certified TDI evaluator on things such as his temperament, which needs to be stable and friendly, and his behavior around people who use service equipment like a wheelchair, cane and other items.
According to the website of UCLA Health, which has a therapy
program called People-Animal Connection, “When it comes to healing, dogs may be the best medicine.”
Studies have shown that petting animals helps release hormones, such as serotonin and oxytocin, that positively boost a person’s mood or stimulate the brain, according to the UCLA Health site. A visit with a dog can provide a happy distraction and help people relax. Physical benefits include lowering one’s blood pressure and helping reduce pain levels.
The early January visit to Brookdale Derby was the pair’s first since Jax became certified, While Jax spent most of that time with Justice, he also sat by Luella Lagsbon and patiently submitted to petting by Patti Payne.
In December, Jewett and Jax were
invited to visit some teens at Derby High School’s Panther Learning Center.
For Jewett — who also makes customized memory pillows and quilts, many of them commemorating pets — the school visit affirmed her belief in the beneficial effects of a therapy dog.
“One girl said, “This is the most peace I’ve had in a long time.’ Another said, ‘He makes me happy,’” Jewett said.
Jax had a similar effect on Justice.
“He got me calmed down,” she said.
She also responded positively to Jewett’s rhetorical question, “So, it will be OK if I bring him back?”
Contact Amy Geiszler-Jones at algj64@sbcglobal.net
Property taxes likely to be focus of 2025 legislative session
By Matthew Kelly and Jonathan Shorman
The
Wichita Eagle
Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly opened the door to property tax cuts this year, a top Republican priority, during her State of the State address last month, but demanded that any changes must pay for themselves and not endanger the state’s fiscal health.
The Democratic governor’s overture to GOP lawmakers came as Kelly insisted she wouldn’t support any proposal that “robs our schools” of needed funds. Kansas must “stay on the path to prosperity” as it moves through the rest of the 21st century, she said.
Halfway through her second term, Kelly again pushed for Medicaid expansion, urged lawmakers to approve free school lunches for thousands of students and called for more funding to address the state’s long-term water supply.
But property taxes are expected to dominate much of the 2025 legislative session. Republicans have been calling for property tax changes after the Legislature passed a tax cut package last year that included only a single property tax provision.
Kelly has less leverage over the Legislature than she did a year ago. Voters bolstered the Republican supermajorities in both the House and Senate, making it easier for GOP lawmakers to override the governor’s vetoes. While Kelly made clear she remains highly skeptical of additional tax cut proposals this year, she allowed on Wednesday that she wouldn’t reject every proposal out of hand.
“With all that said, let me add a caveat: While I would prefer that we postpone discussions about taxes until next session, when we’ll have a better
handle on the full impact of the tax cuts we passed last year, I will consider proposals to modify our tax structure that pay for themselves and don’t threaten the state’s long-term financial health,” Kelly said.
The Legislature passed, and Kelly signed into law, a package of tax cuts last year that included a modest reduction in income tax rates with expanded tax deductions and exemptions. They included only a single substantial property tax provision, which exempted the first $75,000 value of a home from the statewide mill levy. Previously, the first $40,000 was exempt.
Senate President Ty Masterson, an Andover Republican, has promised the Senate will work on a constitutional amendment to “put a lid on the outrageous processes that drive the tax hikes” – a likely reference to an amendment the chamber has previously passed that would limit annual valuation increases on properties.
Any amendment would take a two-thirds supermajority vote in the House and Senate, and would then face a statewide vote. Kelly would have no role in signing or vetoing the measure.
Kansas property taxes are driven by three major factors – the property’s appraised value, the percentage of the appraised value that’s taxed (the assessed value) and the mill levy. Counties, cities and school districts each set their mill levy, with one mill constituting $1 per $1,000 of a property’s assessed value. Kansas also has a statewide levy of 20 mills that helps fund public education, which generates upwards of $800 million annually. Some GOP lawmakers have called for a reduction in the statewide
mill levy and then making it revenueneutral in future years.
After Kelly’s address, Masterson said he was heartened by the governor’s apparent willingness to entertain tax reform proposals.
“I was actually encouraged by that. I felt like she was saying she’s open to some structural changes.”
Speaker of the House Dan Hawkins, a Wichita Republican, cautioned that finding common ground with Kelly on reform may still be an arduous process.
“She said she would support a reasonable tax cut. But whose eye is the beholder of that?” Hawkins said. “In our eyes, we think that we will be very reasonable in what we do. But it may not be in her eyes.”
He dismissed the governor’s notion that Kansas’ status as one of 10 states that has still not expanded Medicaid is costing it money that could have gone towards tax relief. “She undoubtedly hasn’t looked at what’s happened in other states,” Hawkins said, asserting that states with expanded Medicaid programs are paying on average 50% more than what they expected to.
Entering the final stretch Wednesday’s address came as Kelly embarked on her final two years in office. Would-be successors will begin jockeying for attention in the
months ahead, and the 2026 session will likely be consumed by electoral politics. Already, Kansas Secretary of State Scott Schwab has announced his Republican campaign for governor. Masterson is also widely believed to be preparing a run.
After Kelly threw herself into helping Democrats win statehouse elections last fall, even forming a political action committee to aid candidates, the results were disappointing for her party.
Republicans emerged with a stronger supermajority, controlling 88 of 125 House seats and 29 of 40 Senate seats. Republicans continue to have the power to override her vetoes if they stay united.
Republicans have also undercut Kelly’s influence in the budget process. Typically, the governor releases a budget proposal in tandem with the State of the State speech in January that serves as a baseline for a process culminating in the passage of a budget in the spring. But this time lawmakers developed their own proposal.”
This article was originally published in The Wichita Eagle. It’s made available here through the Wichita Journalism Collaborative.
Wichita connection looms large in noir novelist’s books
Scott Phillips
is one of the most acclaimed writers to emerge from Wichita — a place featured prominently in some of his fiction.
The author of eight novels and a short story collection in the noir literary genre, Phillips is probably best known for “The Ice Harvest,” which won several awards and was turned into a movie. His most recent novel, “The Devil Raises His Own,” was published last year. Phillips lives in St. Louis with his wife and daughter. This interview has been lightly edited.
Can you talk about your background in Wichita and if there was anything in it that led you to become a writer of hard-boiled crime fiction?
“Well, my mom was — before true crime was really a genre — my mom was just obsessed with crime. She would deny that, but she talked about it all the time. We would pass a house and she would say, ‘That’s where a murder happened.’ I guess I picked that up from her.
“The teachers I had were a mixed bag over the years, but I never had a bad English teacher. Every English teacher I ever had encouraged me.
“My freshman year at Wichita State, I had James Lee Burke (author of the Dave Robicheaux series) for freshman comp, and later I had him for creative writing. He was always very encouraging. I think he was with everybody.”
At what age did you write your first full-blown story?
“I wrote a novel when I was in my 20s which was pretty terrible and never got published. I just didn’t know how to write a novel. But I realized
the idea of a writing a manuscript that was 200 pages or more was no longer daunting. I could do that. After that I got into screenwriting. I had a friend who was a well-known actor in France at the time, and we started writing screenplays together.
“I made my first movie after I got to Los Angeles. It really was a terrible process. I thought, ‘I’m done with this. I’m going to go back and write another novel.’ I guess I had learned enough through screenwriting that I was able to write a good one, and that was ‘The Ice Harvest.’"
According to your bio, you’ve had some interesting jobs, both here and after leaving Wichita. Can you talk about a bit about that?
“I worked for a number of years at B. Dalton Booksellers, which is a great job for anybody who wants to write books. You see what kind of books sell and what kind of books don’t sell. Plus, we could take books home — borrow them and sign them out. You read a lot of stuff you might not have ordinarily discovered.
“I worked at Moler’s Camera for a long time, and that led me to get jobs as a photographer. I did weddings and stuff like that. I did real estate photography for the (Wichita) Eagle, which led me to take on architectural photography as a hobby. I got into photography because I wanted to make movies.
“I used to take students from Wichita to Strasbourg (France) in the summers. That allowed me to go on a paid trip to Europe every summer for about eight years. At the end of that, I ended up just staying five years. I was a translator, a teacher, then I started writing screenplays.”
You feature Wichita in some of your books. Can you talk about how the city plays into your fiction?
“The first two are explicitly set in Wichita. The third has some Wichita
Diamond necklace drawing set for Feb. 9
The Active Age thanks everybody who donated at $25 for a chance to win a diamond necklace donated by Mike Selzter Jeweler’s. We plan to continue receiving entries for the drawing through Jan. 31. We will hold the drawing on Feb. 10 and notify the winner as soon as possible.
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stuff in and the collection of short stories has lots in it.
“Wichita is always a place I go back to in my mind, just because I know it really well. It’s easy for me to imagine stories that happen here. I know a lot of people there, I know a lot of stories.”
Do you have a favorite writer or writers?
“I have a lot of them. Charles Williford is a favorite. Georges Simenon — a Belgium writer — I read a lot of his stuff. I like Charles Portis, an Arkansas writer. I’m reading a book right now by Tim O’Brien, who wrote ‘The Things We Carry.’ Patricia Highsmith, I should say."
Most people aren’t criminals. What is our enduring fascination with them in books, TV shows and movies?
“It’s because they do things that are forbidden. One of my best friends is very religious, but he writes these stories about criminals really doing vile things. Often the stories are quite dirty. But he’s fascinated, being a very moral person.
“A little bit of it is like slowing down whenever you drive by a wreck. You want to see how it happened.
“And here’s one reason I like characters who are bad. It’s the same thing an actor will tell you; they love to play villains. You get to imagine doing things you’d never do.”
You drew a big crowd to Watermark (for a book signing last fall). Do you still have many friends and family here?
“Not much family anymore. I have an aunt and some cousins. But I do have a lot of friends and still think of that as my hometown, no matter where I end up living. I go back a lot. I was one of those kids who couldn’t wait to get away, and now I take every excuse to go back.”
Do some Wichitans think they
Passageways fundraiser back on
recognize themselves in your books?
“Not recognizing themselves, but (Wichita friend)
Dan Rouser is always coming up to me and saying, ‘Remember this story?’ He always knows if I’m writing about something real. Occasionally, I’ll have somebody think I based a character on them. I have to tell them it came out of my head — not that I’m proud of that (laughs).”
Tell us a little about your most recent book, “The Devil Raises His Own.”
“The Wichita connection is there’s a murder in the prologue to the book that actually happened in Wichita. It’s based on a transcript I bought on eBay. It was a typed murder confession, typed by a stenographer, from about 1920. This woman was confessing to having murdered her husband. Charges were not filed. She was freed. I found the story fascinating.
“I set it in an apartment above the Marple Theatre. I used to work there as a projectionist. There’s blood dripping down into the projection room. It’s a story about the early days of Hollywood and the birth of the dirty movie industry.”
You might find it surprising how many of our readers decide to write books, including novels. Any advice?
“Sit down and start writing. That’s really the best advice. Don’t think about the marketplace. Write something that you would want to read. That was the thing that changed my career. I had been trying to write things that would appeal to some imaginary movie producer or whatever.
“The main thing is to sit down and write, and don’t worry if it’s not brilliant immediately. Just keep working on it.”
HAYSVILLE — A fundraiser for Passageways, which provides housing for homeless veterans, will take place March 8 at the Prairie Trail Cowboy Church, 552 S. Broadway. A disc golf tournament from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., lunch, a concert by the Grassroots Trio from 6:30-8:30 p.m. and a raffle drawing at 8:15 p.m are scheduled. Donations will be accepted. For more information, call (316) 640-7853 or email jimgrassroots32@ gmail.com
Scott Phillips
Honor guard pays tribute to nurses
Kathy Campbell says a group that honors deceased nurses is not unlike some American Legion groups that pay tribute to fallen veterans.
“We just don’t have motorcycles,” she said.
What the Nurses Honor Guard of Wichita does have are outfits that recall Florence Nightingale and a belief in the importance of nursing.
“I think it’s an important profession that needs to be recognized from beginning to end,” said Campbell, a nurse for 50 years who started volunteering with the group last year.
The honor guard performs a brief tribute at the funerals or memorial services of nurses who have died.
“It’s kind of a like a military service or for law enforcement,” said Sandy Moray, the group’s state coordinator and nurse for more than 50 years. “We do a call to duty at the end, then release her as a nurse.”
The group, part of a nationwide
organization, formed in 2022 and now has about 50 members. They’ve taken part in services for about 140 nurses and had several more planned in February. They dress in white uniforms and hats “like it used to be,” Moray said, along with the blue cape with red lining made famous by Nightingale, considered the founder of modern nursing.
The group has been in contact with local funeral homes, which let the families of nurses know that the service is available. In addition to churches, the group has paid tribute in cemeteries and even bars where celebrations of life are held. They generally operate in a 50-mile radius and have helped start new chapters in Hutchinson and Emporia.
To volunteer with the honor guard or inquire about the honor guard service, call Moray at (316) 316-3933093 or Brenda Cook at (316) 3201624.
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Members of the Nurses Honor Guard of Wichita have paid tribute to more than 140 nurses.
Couple funnel love of art into gallery
By Connie Kachel White
The Shout
Visitors to Wichita’s Mid-America Fine Arts, at 2601 E. Central Ave., can get comfortably lost in the warren of hallways and rooms filled to the brim with art of nearly every description — with one exception.
“I’m not really an abstract person,” Courtney Ruthven says as she mentally surveys the art pieces she and her husband have spent decades collecting and, since 1973, selling out of various gallery spaces. “Well, I may be an abstract person,” she adds with a laugh, “but I’m not much of an abstract art person. What I like are more realistic representations of people and places I could have actually seen and things I could have done.”
Les Ruthven, too, gravitates toward representational art, not only as a collector and art dealer, but as an amateur artist himself. “I draw a little,” he says. He especially likes drawing the human figure and appreciates the artistry of those who can do that well.
The gallery has works by so many artists, the Ruthvens have an online index from A (starting with James Allen) to Z (ending with William Zorach). Price tags range from several
Mid-America Fine Arts reflects the longstanding passion Courtney and Les Ruthven have for collecting. Photo by Connie Kachel White.
hundred on up to between $25,000 and $35,000 for works by such artists as John Steuart Curry, Donald Roller Wilson, Bruce Moore, Henry Varnum Poor and Phillip Pearlstein.
The Ruthven’s appreciation of art began well before they met as psychology students at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville. Raised in Chattanooga, Courtney grew to love
art from her mother, who had been drawing and painting since she was 14 years old. Les, who grew up in New York City, learned to appreciate artistic expression from his father, an amateur painter. “We would go to Central Park, and he would paint,” Les says. “That’s how I was exposed to art.”
The Ruthvens moved to Wichita in 1965, after she earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology and he a doctorate in clinical psychology from the University of Tennessee in 1963, followed by an internship at the VA Psychiatric Hospital in Salisbury,
Is it time to buy new shoes because your feet are changing?
North Carolina. As Les began private practice in Wichita, Courtney continued her education, graduating from Wichita State University with a master’s degree in 1972 and then, in 1974, from Oklahoma State University with a Ph.D. In 1987, they founded the national behavioral health management firm Preferred Mental Health Management. In the dedication of his 2005 book, Antidepressants: Science, Magic or Marketing, Les thanks his “wife-colleague” and writes, “Courtney, this Tennessee country gal with a giant intellect, among other assets, and this transplanted New Yorker began a very good thing together in the 1960s. We have shared much together since, probably more than many couples since we share a career in common.”
And art, of course. Now retired, the Ruthvens can concentrate fully on work at Mid-America Fine Arts, although they say they’ve never considered dealing with art as work on any level. “It’s just something we enjoy doing,” Courtney says, while Les adds, “Did you see the sculpture by Bruce Moore – 'Nymph with Dolphin'? We have pottery, too…”
Reprinted with permission from The Shout, a digital publication that covers arts and culture in the Wichita area. A longer version of this article can be found at shoutwichita.com.
When was the last time you saw a doctor for the pain in your feet?
‘Life’s Essential 8’: Ways to live healthier in 2025
Family Features
The last decade has seen a surge in cardiovascular risk factors such as uncontrolled high blood pressure, diabetes and obesity, each of which raises the risks of developing heart disease and stroke. These trends are leading researchers to conclude that the prevalence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) will continue to rise.
More than 60% of U.S. adults will have some type of CVD by 2050, according to forecasted projections
from the American Heart Association, which is celebrating 100 years of lifesaving service as the world’s leading nonprofit organization focused on heart and brain health for all.
Additionally, total costs related to CVD are expected to nearly triple in that time to more than $1.8 trillion.
The increase will be driven by an older, more diverse population, but these risk factors are rising even among children and adults.
“We recognize the landscape of
cardiovascular health will change over the next three decades because of the coming tsunami of rising health care costs, an older population living longer and increasing numbers of people from under-resourced populations,” said American Heart Association volunteer Karen E. Joynt Maddox, M.D., M.P.H., FAHA. “Yet these are still leading causes of death and disability in the U.S.”
While continued systematic changes are needed in science, policy and health care, the majority of CVD is preventable at an individual level. You can help turn the tide on the dire outlook of CVD while improving your own health by following and encouraging others to follow the American Heart Association’s “Life’s Essential 8.” Eat better. Aim for an overall
healthy eating pattern including whole foods, fruits and vegetables, lean protein, nuts, seeds and cooking with olive and canola oils.
Be active. Adults should get 2 1/2 hours of moderate or 75 minutes of vigorous physical activity per week. Kids should have 60 minutes every day, including play and structured activities.
Quit tobacco. Use of inhaled nicotine delivery products, which includes traditional cigarettes, electronic cigarettes and vaping, is the leading cause of preventable death in the U.S.
Get healthy sleep. Most adults need 7-9 hours of sleep each night. Children require 10-16 hours for ages 5 and younger, including naps; 9-12 hours for ages 6-12; and 8-10 hours for ages 13-18.
Manage weight. Achieving and See next page
maintaining a healthy weight has many benefits. Body mass index is a useful gauge. Optimal BMI is less than 25, but less than 18.5 is considered underweight. You can calculate it online or consult a health care professional.
Control cholesterol. High levels of non-HDL, or “bad,” cholesterol can lead to heart disease. Your health
care professional can consider nonHDL cholesterol as the preferred number to monitor, rather than total cholesterol, because it can be measured without fasting beforehand and is reliably calculated among all people.
Manage blood sugar. Most of the food you eat is turned into glucose (or blood sugar) your body uses as energy. Over time, high levels of blood sugar
can damage your heart, kidneys, eyes and nerves.
Manage blood pressure. Keeping your blood pressure within acceptable ranges can keep you healthier longer. Levels less than 120/80 mm Hg are optimal. High blood pressure is defined as 130-139 mm Hg systolic pressure (the top number in a reading) or 8089 mm Hg diastolic pressure (bottom number).
Find more ways to manage your health in the new year and beyond at heart.org.
OVERNIGHT TRIP!
SILOS AND STOCKYARDS – A TRIP THROUGH CENTRAL TEXAS
Friday, April 4 - Saturday, April 5
This fall we are excited to o er our first overnight trip! We will head south to Central Texas to explore Waco, the Magnolia Silos, the Fort Worth Stockyards and many other sites along the way, including a pit stop at Buc-ee’s!
YOGA FOR ACTIVE SENIORS
Saturdays, Feb 22 - Mar 22 & Apr 5 - 26 | 11:15a-12p | WSU Metropolitan Complex Yoga for active seniors is an exploration of movement utilizing a combination of seated and standing postures. This class will emphasize foundational poses that help with stability and mobility.
DINING WITH DENISE: DENISE COOKS THE INTERNET
Mondays, Feb 17 - Mar 24 | 6-8p | Zoom
Join the Wichita Eagle’s Denise Neil for the next installment of her popular virtual cooking class. Denise will dive into some of the most popular dishes and explore new viral food trends. Together, we’ll break down each recipe and perfect them in a fun, interactive cooking environment.
DOTS, BAMS AND CRACS, OH MY! LEARN AMERICAN MAH JONGG
Tuesdays & Thursdays, Feb 11 - 20 & Mar 4- 13 | 6-8p | WSU Metropolitan Complex
Discover the world of American Mah Jongg, a captivating rummy-like game played with symbolled domino-like tiles. This class introduces you to the strategies and intricacies of the game, where the challenge lies in selecting the optimal winning strategy based on the tiles dealt to you. & MANY MORE at wichita.edu/communityeducation
‘Chiefsaholic’: Documentary traces super fan gone wild
By Eric Thomas Kansas Reflector
On Dec. 24, Amazon Prime released “Chiefsaholic: A Wolf in Chiefs Clothing,” charting the fame of Xavier Babudar, who rose to celebrity as a Kansas City Chiefs fan costumed each game as a wolf, before being arrested for bank robbery. The story became only more bonkers after his arrest: allegations of serial bank robberies on the way to Chiefs away games, an escape from law enforcement and more than $1 million in gambling to launder stolen money.
“Chiefsaholic,” like most contemporary documentaries, relies on access. The producers persuaded Babudar to sit for interviews and to observe his life after he is released on bail. The camera watches him as he cheers for the Chiefs in the 2023 Super Bowl. He’s desperate for a win, both to see his favorite team crowned champions, but also to cash in a lucrative sports gamble for them.
In these moments, he reveals himself as profane and immature, trash talking his imagined doubters with
tirades pointed at the camera.
We meet Michael Lloyd, the mercurial and indefatigable bondsman who is on the hook for $80,000 if he can’t track down the suspect. The woman who stood at the end of Babudar’s fake pistol during his final bank robbery in Oklahoma, Payton Garcia, is a vulnerable and moral counterweight to the sports-fueled bravado of Chiefsaholic and his fellow self-proclaimed superfans.
Only Babudar’s mother, Carla Baduban, and her other son keep the camera distant.
The program delivers upbeat moments as well. Backed by TechN9ne’s song “Chiefs Kingdom,” game footage and social media screenshots remind us of the events leading to the Chiefs’ rise and
Babudar’s fall.
Besides the connection to our favorite NFL team, the movie offers other connections to Kansas. Babudar claims to have graduated in 2016 from Kansas State University, although no one in the documentary seems to believe that. Babudar often visits Kansas casinos, making wagers on the Chiefs and, the FBI alleged, laundering the money from his bank robberies.
“Chiefsaholic” showcases the trapping of superfans: the extravagant makeup, the social media trash talking, the customized buses, the curated online profiles. It investigates why these people are driven to embrace a team so completely. However, it can only hint at the answer to that question, and only for one person: Babudar.
The most revealing scene with Babudar comes as he watches the 2023 Super Bowl. He talks gently about how he must provide for his mom and brother. But then, fueled by the Chiefs gear he is wearing and the game on the TV, his persona swerves as he revs up
to game mode. For the benefit of the camera and thousands of miles from the actual game, he is “Chiefsaholic” again.
As one Chiefs fan says in the movie: “I don’t have any problem with these people having alternate personas. The problem is when the persona becomes the purpose. Versus the purpose being the game.”
In another scene, Garcia, the bank teller who was threatened by Babudar, explains her frustration at people supporting Chiefsaholic by believing his innocence. By the end of the movie, we wonder how much sympathy we should have for Babudar
We know that he will be arrested, that he will flee and that he will be found again. But we don’t know how we will feel about him, and where we will place the blame for this bizarrely American story of true crime tangled with sports.
Eric Thomas teaches visual journalism and photojournalism at the University of Kansas in Lawrence. A longer version of this article can be found at kansasreflector.com.
• Does your vision make it difficult to
• Has your eye doctor told you eyeglasses can no longer be made stronger?
The surprising dangers of earwax
Dear Savvy Senior, I’ve heard that excessive earwax can cause serious health problems in elderly seniors. What can you tell me about this?
Caregiving Daughter
Dear Caregiving,
It’s true! Excessive amounts of earwax can indeed cause problems in elderly seniors including hearing loss or ringing in your ears. Some people experience vertigo, which increases the risk of falling. And there’s also a correlation between hearing loss and cognitive decline and depression.
Earwax – which is not really wax at all, but a substance called cerumen that binds with dirt, dust and debris – is normally produced by the body as a way to clean and protect the ears. In most people, the self-cleaning process works fine. But in others, including more than 30 percent of elderly people, the wax collects to the point where it can completely block or impact the ear canal.
Those that are most affected are elderly seniors, especially those living in nursing homes or assisted living centers that provide substandard hygiene. And those highest at risk are hearing-aid users because the devices push wax down into the canal. Earwax Removal
Usually, earwax moves up and out on its own so the best way to control it is to leave it alone. But that advice can backfire for those who accumulate excessive amounts of earwax.
The symptoms of an earwax problem can include an earache, a feeling of fullness in the ear, hearing loss, tinnitus, dizziness, an ear infection, ear itchiness, or cough due to pressure from the blockage stimulating a nerve in the ear.
If you or your elderly loved one’s experience any of these symptoms, try using a softening agent to help the wax leave the ear or to remove it more easily.
If you prefer the natural route, try baby oil or mineral oil. Using an eyedropper, apply a drop or two into your ear, tilting your head so that the opening of the ear is pointing up toward the ceiling. Stay in that position for a minute or two to let the fluid flow down to the waxy buildup. Then tilt your head in the opposite direction to let the fluid and wax drain.
Or try an over-the-counter earwax removal solution or kit, which are sold in most pharmacies. Solutions may contain oil or hydrogen peroxide, and some kits include a bulb syringe that you squeeze to flush your ear with warm water, if needed.
You may need to repeat this wax-softening and irrigation procedure several times before getting rid of the
Wichita 7th most affordable place to retire
Wichita has been named the 7th most affordable city to retire in the United States.
The ranking by GoBankingRates financial website analyzed the nation’s 100 biggest cities based on annual income needed to cover basic costs such as housing, healthcare, groceries, transportation and utilities. Cities were also given a “livability” score and only considered if seniors comprised at least 10 percent of their population.
Wichita’s profile included:
• Total annual expenditures: $42,547
• Percent of population age 65 and older: 15.8%
• Livability score: 60
“Wichita’s housing costs are 44.9%
lower than the national average,” the study stated.” Due to inexpensive homes and relatively low grocery, and transportation costs, Wichita makes the cut for one of the best cities to retire rich.
The top 10 cities, in terms of affordability were:
Toledo 2. Cleveland
Memphis
Fort Wayne, Ind.
Lubbock, Texas
Winston-Salem, N.C.
Wichita
El Paso
Tulsa
Greensboro, N.C.
excess earwax. If, however, the symptoms don’t improve after a few treatments, you need to see an audiologist or ear, nose and throat (ENT) doctor to have the wax removed.
Earwax removal is one of the most common ENT procedures performed. They have a variety of tools that can remove hard, stubborn earwax.
It might be tempting to poke a cotton swab, bobby pin, pencil or finger into your ear to get the gunk out, but don’t go digging. Yes, it’ll remove some of the wax, but it may also push the rest deeper into the ear canal and increase your risk of injuring your eardrum and making the problem worse.
Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior.org. 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 covered this month include:
• How Long to Keep Tax Records and Other Documents
• How to Help a Hoarding Parent
• Does Medicare Cover Talk Therapy Services?
• How Seniors Can Get Help Lowering Their Grocery Bills
seDgwick county senior centers
BEL AIRE
7651 E Central Park Ave 744-2700, ext 304 www.belaireks.org
BENTLEY/EAGLE 504 W Sterling, 796-0027
CHENEY 516 Main, 542-3721
CLEARWATER 921 E Janet, 584-2332
DERBY 611 N Mulberry Rd, 788-0223 www.derbyks.com
DOWNTOWN 200 S Walnut, 267-0197 www.seniorservicesofwichita.org
EDGEMOOR 5815 E 9th, 688-9392
ANDOVER
GARDEN PLAIN 1006 N Main, 535-1155
GODDARD 122 N Main, 785-398-1255
HAYSVILLE 160 E Karla, 529-5903
KECHI Kechi City Building, 744-0217, 744-1271
LA FAMILIA 841 W 21st, 267-1700
LINWOOD 1901 S Kansas, 263-3703
MCADAMS GOLDEN AGE 1329 E 16th, 337-9222
MT HOPE 105 S Ohio, 667-8956
MULVANE 632 E Mulvane, 777-4813
NORTHEAST 212 1 E 21st, 269-4444
OAKLAWN 2937 Oaklawn Dr, 524-7545
ORCHARD PARK 4808 W 9th, 942-2293
PARK CITY 6100 N Hydraulic, 744-1199
VALLY CENTER COMMUNITY CENTER 314 E Clay, 755-7350
Butler county senior centers
410 Lioba Dr, 733-4441 www.andoverks.com
AUGUSTA 640 Osage, 775-1189
BENTON Lion’s Community Bldg, S Main St
CASSODAY Cassoday Senior Center 133 S. Washington, 620-735-4538
February 5
10:30 am Wichita Art Museum 1400 W. Museum Blvd., $2 admission. Artist Talk | ARTISTSAPLUSB: TWINVERSE
1:30 pm Museum of World Treasures 835 E. 1st St. More Than You Ever Thought We Could Know about South Iraq in 2100 B.C..
February 12
10 am Sedgwick County Zoo, 5555 Zoo Blvd. (316) 266-8213, $4 Can You Feel the Love Tonight?. 1:30 pm Advanced Learning Library, 711 W, 2nd, (316) 261-8500, Free. Censorship In Early Hollywood
Derby Sr Center, 611 Mulberry. 3rd Tuesday 7pm-9:30 pm. El Dorado Jam & Dance, Senior Center, 210 E. 2nd.
DOUGLASS 124 W 4th, 746-3227
EL DORADO 210 E 2nd, 321-0142 LEON 112 S Main, 745-9200 or 742-9905
ROSE HILL 207 E Silknitter, 776-0170
February 19
10 am Ulrich Museum of Art, 1845 N. Fairmount. Curating Spring 2025 Exhibitions with James Porter, Jo Reinert, and Vivian Zavataro. 1:30 pm Great Plains Nature Center, 6232 E 29th St N. Info not available.
February 26 10 am Wichita-Sedgwick County Historical Museum, 204 S. Main. “Color Me Wichita” Documentary Screening. 1:30 pm Mid American All-Indian museum. 650 N Seneca (316) 350-3340, $2 + tax admission; free for MAAIM members. Indians in Aviation Film Screening.
Dances
Prairie Wind Dancers: Plymouth Congregational Church, 202 N Clifton. Joyce, 683-1122.
Linwood Golden Age, 1901 S Kansas. Every Saturday 7pm-9:30pm. Call Jim 316-945-9451
Minisa Golden Age, 704 W 13th. Info 617-2560. Every Thursday 7pm9:30pm. Call Rita 316-364-1702 Oaklawn Activity Center, 4904 S. Clifton. Contra Dance1st Saturday of each month. 7pm-9pm. Call Amanda at 316-361-6863. Orchard Park Golden Age, 4808 W 9th. Every Friday 7pm-9:30pm. Call Casey 316-706-7464
Village Steppers Square Dance, Oaklawn Activity Center, 4904 S Clifton. 2nd and 4th Saturday of each month September through May 7:30 - 10:00 pm. Info: Mike Huddleson 316-650-2469 Westside Steppers Square Dance, 1st and 3rd Sunday of each month, 6-8:30 p.m., West Heights United Methodist (entrance "D"), 745 N. Westlink Ave. Info: Sheldon Lawrence (316) 648-7590.
NOTE: AGING PROJECTS, INC. PLANNED TO MAKE FRIENDSHIP MEALS AVAILABLE THROUGH PICKUP 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 3
Mon: Fish sticks, mac & cheese, spinach, pear, roll.
Tue: Chicken & cheese cass, green beans, apricot, honey wheat roll.
Wed: Cranbeery meatball, mashed potatoes, garden salad, pear, roll.
Thu: Mac & cheese, little smokies, stewed tomato. spiced apples.
Fri: Chicken salad/bun, set up PLT, cole slaw, peach.
WEEK OF FEBRUARY 10
Mon: Spaghetti w/ meat sauce, green bean, pineapple, garlic sticks.
Tue: Scalloped potato w/ ham, harvard beets, pears, wheat roll.
TOWANDA
317 Main, 316-536-8999
Open 10:30 am-5 pm Mon, Wed, Fri
WHITEWATER Legion Hall, 108 E Topeka
Harvey county
BURRTON 124 N Burrton, 620-463-3225
HALSTEAD 523 Poplar, 835-2283
HESSTON Randall & Main, 620-327-5099 www.hesstonseniorcenter.com
NEWTON AREA SENIOR CENTER 122 E 6th, Newton, 283-2222 www.newtonseniorcenter.com
SEDGWICK 107 W. Fifth, 772-0393
transportation
Sedgwick County
Sedgwick Co Transportation, 660-5150 or 1-800-367-7298. Information: 8 am-5 pm, Mon-Fri; closed most holidays. www. sedgwickcounty.org/aging.
Butler County Transit
Weekday transportation in El Dorado, Augusta and Andover. Rides to Wichita on Wed, Thu. Information: Augusta, 775-0500; El Dorado, 322-4321; toll free, 1-800-2793655. 48-hr notice required.
Harvey County
Transportation reservations or information: 316-284-6802 or 1-866-6806802. Round-trip: $8 Newton (wheelchair only), $12 Harvey County, $20 outside Harvey County. AVI to Newton: Tue, 12:304:30 pm from Burrton, Sedgwick, Halstead, Hesston, Walton.
Wed: Mexican pork stew, corn & pepper blend, stewed apples, corn bread.
Thu: Hamburger on bun, set up PLOT, potato salad, mandarian oranges.
Fri: Tuna noodle casserole w/ peas, carrots, banana
WEEK OF FEBRUARY 17
Mon:HOLIDAY.
Tue: Chicken patty/bun, set up PLOT, potato wedge, tropical mixed fruit.
Wed: Pork roast with gravy, buttered noodle, mixed vegetables, fresh orange, honey wheat roll.
Thu: Ham & swiss broccoli pasta, a[ricot, ambrosia salad.
Fri: Mexican lasagna, hominy, peaches.
WEEK OF FEBRUARY 24
Mon:Easy beef stroganoff, garden salad, mixed fruit.
Tue: Baked chicken, rice, creamed corn, pears, wheat roll.
Wed: Ham salad, wheat bun, vegetable soup, peach.
Thu: Meatloaf, baked potato, buttered corn, mixed fruit, sliced bread, cake. Fri: Broccoli cheese soup, turkey w/ cheese sandwich, banana.
* Milk or grape juice is served with all meals. Meals fall within the following ranges: Calories 650-750; protein 25 grams or higher; fat 20 to 30 percent of calories; calcium 400 mg or higher; sodium 1,000 grams or less; fiber 9 grams or higher.
FUNDING MADE POSSIBLE THROUGH THE OLDER AMERICANS ACT, KDADS AND CENTRAL PLAINS AREA AGENCY ON AGING
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White Chapel, Memorial Gardens, Garden of Nativity, Section 288D, spaces 2, 3 and 4. Value $6,000. Sell $3,500. Seller pays transfer fee. 785-259-2224
Single Plot – Resthaven Cemetery – Garden of the Cross 46A1 $5000 OBO Email: arkpegram@cox.net OR 479-644-6680 Serious inquires only
Single burial plot in Garden of Gethsemane at White Chapel. Asking $2,000. 316-644-6149
Burial space and vault at White Chapel in Nativity Garden. Retails for $3,500 sell for $2,300. Text 316-990-6823 for details.
2 Burial lots in Garden of Love at Resthavenlocated near Statue of Love - Beautiful location. $6,500 for both. Call 316-208-7213
Resthaven Garden of The Cross, Lot 70 B-1. Close to a nice shade tree. $4,000 plus transfer fee. Call 316-683-5410.
6 plots and 4 vaults at White Chapel Memorial Gardens. Two plots and 2 vaults in Valor Lot 23A space 3&4, granite base, VA bronze Headstone & bronze vase. Value $10,500,Sell $5,000 OBO. Four Plots in Sermon on the Mount. Lot 326A spaces 1,2,3,4 with 2 Vaults, 1 Headstone. Value $13,490,Sell $7,500 OBO
Resthaven, 2 side by side plots Located in Garden of the Cross. $4995 each. 316-734-3292
2yrs old. In excellent condition $750. (2) 4 wheel walkers, (1) blue, (1) red in excellent condition $35 each. 316-708-6307
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Nice apartment. $895/month. Riverside Area. 2bd, adult apartment. 316 -358-7079
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
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Remodeling, siding, decks, fences, windows, doors and more. 20 years locally owned. Free estimates. Senior discounts. Todd Wenzel 316-393-4488
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Exterior & Interior. House painting, siding, decks, fences and guttering. Build, repair and stain. Free Estimates. Be Blessed. Thank you KC KIMBALL 316-250-2265
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February quiz: Female stars of the big screen
By Nancy Wheeler
See if you can name these actresses who lit up the big screen in Hollywood hit movies.
1. What strong-willed, sophisticated actress won four Academy Awards for Best Actress, a record for any performer?
2. What trained ballet dancer rose to stardom in the romantic comedy “Roman Holiday” and then dazzled audiences in “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” and “My Fair Lady”?
3. What stunning beauty starred in “Country Girl,” “Rear Window” and “To Catch a Thief” before she married Prince Ranier of Monaco?
4. What blonde bombshell became the most popular of the sex symbols of the 50s and 60s, starring in “The Seven Year Itch” and “Some Like It Hot”?
5. Who steamed up the screen with Humphrey Bogart in “Casablanca” and went on to win three Academy Awards
for “Gaslight,” “Anastasia” and “Murder on the Orient Express”?
6. What tap-dancing child star charmed audiences during the Depression in movies like “Heidi” and “The Little Colonel”?
7. What actress, singer and dancer achieved international fame in “The Wizard of Oz” when she was only 16?
8. What deep-voiced, big-eyed Hollywood star had her breakthrough playing a vulgar waitress in “Of Human Bondage” in 1934?
9. What British-American actress is often remembered for her role in Cleopatra as well as for having married the same man twice?
10. What actress, model, and dancer appeared in over 80 films but may be best remembered as Victoria Barkley in the television show “The Big Valley”?
11. What British actress won Academy Awards for her role as
1841 N. Rock Rd. Ct., Suite 200 Wichita, KS 67206
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Blanche DuBois in “A Streetcar Named Desire” and as Scarlett O’Hara in “Gone With the Wind”?
12. What voluptuous actress and singer starred in vaudeville as well as Hollywood despite frequent run-ins with censors?
13. What actress, known for her trademark bangs and her velvety voice, took home the Oscar for her role in “It Happened One Night”? Answers:
Katharine Hepburn
Audrey Hepburn
Grace Kelly
Marilyn Monroe
Ingrid Bergman
Shirley Temple
Judy Garland
Bette Davis
Elizabeth Taylor
Barbara Stanwyck
Vivien Leigh
Mae West
Claudette Colbert
February Theatre
By Diana Morton
Forum Theatre, at the Wilke Center, 1st United Methodist Church, 330 N. Broadway. Bridges of Madison County. In this musical based on the best-selling novel, Francesca builds herself a home in Iowa, raising two children and settling into a steady but unremarkable routine. Then, one day, she meets a charismatic photographer who awakens her passion and changes her life forever. Feb 13-Mar 2. 8pm; Tickets $34 – $44 each; 10% military discount and 1/2 price student tickets with a valid student ID. 316-618-0444
Guild Hall Players, St. James Episcopal Church, 3750 E. Douglas. The Shadow Box by Michael Cristofer. Pulitzer Prize-winning drama follows three families dealing with the chal-
lenges of having one of their loved ones in hospice. 8 pm Thu-Sat, Feb 13-16, 7 pm Sun. Tickets $12, students $10. 316-683-5686
Mosley Street Melodrama, 234 N. Mosley. Desperate Housewives of Sedgwick County by Carol Hughes, followed by a new musical comedy revue. Feb 7–Mar 22. Tickets, dinner, and show $36-40; show only $26-30. 316-263-0222
Roxy’s Downtown, 412 E. Douglas, cabaret-style theatre. Once. Tony Award winner tells the story of an Irish musician and a Czech immigrant who connect through their shared passion for music and a once-in-alifetime love. Doors open at 6:30pm; Show begins at 8:00 pm. Feb 19–Mar 8. Tickets $40. 316-265-4400
Wichita Community Theatre, 258 N. Fountain. Fiddler on the Roof. Book by Joseph Stein, Music by Kevin Con-
nors, directed by Misty Maynard. In small, tradition-steeped Russian town, Tevye must adapt as his daughters Tzeitel, Hodel and Chava grow up and fall in love. Features such iconic songs as “Sunrise, Sunset,” “If I Were a Rich Man,” and “Matchmaker, Matchmaker.”
Now – Feb 2 at 8 pm with Sat and Sun matinees, 2 pm. Tickets $18 for adults, $16 for military/senior/students. 316-686-1282
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The Changing Nature of Warfare II: Ukraine and Sudan
Mondays, February 24, March 3, 10 & 24 | 1-3p Politics and Culture of Latin America
Tuesdays, February 25, March 4, 11 & 25 | 1-3p Global Public Health
Wednesdays, February 26, March 5, 12 & 26 | 1-3p How Do They Do That? The Magic of Technical Theatre
Mondays, April 7, 14, 21 & 28 | 1-3p 1856: A Nation Divided
Tuesdays, April 8, 15, 22 & 29 | 1-3p The Geology of Water Within and On the Earth
Wednesdays, April 9, 16, 23 & 30 | 1-3p
NEW THIS SEMESTER
Join us at Larksfield Place for First People of Kansas with Beccy Tanner!
Fridays, March 7, 14, 21, 28, April 4 & 11 | 1-3p
A couple of super bowls for the season
By Joe Stumpe
As I write this, Wichita is flirting with its record for most consecutive days with snow on the ground. At least one local family has erected a working igloo.
Soup weather, in other words.
The accompanying soup recipe is hearty enough to serve as a meal and guaranteed to warm your insides. It’s similar to the many copycat recipes for the Olive Garden’s Zuppa Toscano that are making the rounds.
The other major culinary task facing us in February is eating our way
through another Chiefs Super Bowl victory on Feb. 9. When it comes to football food, my go-to is another ball — the store-bought meatball, a tasty, versatile, inexpensive shortcut that lends itself to all kinds of deliciousness. The accompanying recipe for Super (Meat) Balls might be the first “recipe” — with all of three ingredients! — I ever consciously learned, thanks to the mother of a good friend. Grape jelly is traditional with this retro favorite, but I’ve experimented successfully with Kansas sand plum jelly and other
Zuppa Toscano
1 lb. ground Italian sausage (hot recommended)
1 medium onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 ½ lbs. Yukon Gold potatoes, diced
5 to 6 cups chicken stock
3 to 4 cups chopped fresh kale
1 cup heavy whipping cream
Salt and pepper, to taste
Grated parmesan, for optional topping
Directions:
In a pot, cook sausage and onion together, breaking up sausage, until meat is browned and onion is soft; add garlic during last minute of cooking. Drain off any excess grease.
Add potatoes and chicken stock; bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer about 10 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Add cream and kale and continue simmering about 5 minutes or until kale is tender. Season to taste with salt and pepper, garnish with parmesan if using, and serve with crusty bread.
Note: For a lighter version, leave out the sausage and/or heavy cream. Saute the onion and garlic in olive oil, adding some diced carrot and celery, and add a 16-oz. can of cannellini beans (drained) with the potatoes. Mash some of the potatoes and beans to create a creamier texture and add some Italian seasoning with the salt and pepper.
We
flavors.
What else can you do with meatballs? Simmer them in spaghetti sauce and serve up in meatball subs. Substitute them for ground beef or pork in the meat sauce for your favorite lasagna. Substitute them for the Italian sausage in the Zuppa Toscano recipe. Will they taste as good if, by some stroke of misfortune, the Chiefs don’t reach and win the Super Bowl? No, but they’ll still taste good.
Super (Meat) Balls
1 bag (32 oz.) pre-cooked meatballs (no need to defrost if frozen)
1 jar chili sauce (mild, such as Heinz)
10 oz. favorite jelly or jam
Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer about 45 minutes, stirring just enough to keep meatballs from sticking. Serve with toothpicks out of the pot, from a slow cooker or bowl fitted with a lid to keep them warm.
Find your place.
A love letter to The Active Age’s readers
Dear Reader,
Since February is the month of love, I’ve been thinking about the lost art of writing love letters. I still remember my grade school days when we drew hearts and flowers onto construction paper Valentines and carried them proudly home to our parents.
For many generations, before email and text messaging gave us instant access to those we love, people relied on handwritten letters to express their deepest emotions. They hurried to their mailboxes to retrieve each envelope, and then poured over every word with undivided attention.
One of the oldest documented love letters in the English language was traced back to 1477, when Margery Brews pledged her love to her fiancé John Paston, of England. Featured in an article published on Valentine’s Day, 2011, in My Heritage Blog, the letter also alluded — with some agitation — to dowry arrangements for their impending marriage.
In more recent centuries, collectors have shared love letters written by famous couples, all expressing their devotion to their soul mates. Among them are soldiers, actors, politicians and authors.
“I more than love you, I’m not whole without you” – Ronald Reagan, aboard Air Force One, wrote to First Lady Nancy Reagan on their 31st Anniversary.
““If I can only succeed in making
Dear Reader
you happy — I will have succeeded in the biggest and most difficult thing there is — that is to make one person completely happy. Your happiness means my happiness.” – Marilyn Monroe penned to Joe DiMaggio
No doubt, hundreds of thousands of love letters have been written by everyday people, living ordinary lives, but separated by their jobs, their military service or simply the distance between them. Long-forgotten letters written by our parents, or grandparents, can be a treasure to share with our children.
With all of these letters spinning through my head, I was inspired to write one to you.
Dear Reader, no words can express our gratitude for your devotion. Each time you open our pages, you reaffirm our purpose. Without you, we could not exist. Happy Valentine’s Day – from The Staff and Board of The Active Age.
After all we have been through together in this last year, despite rising costs and tighter budgets, we’re still here. Thanks to your generous donations, the postage monster did not devour us, as we feared it might. We are truly grateful for your continued support.
Haysville resident Susan Armstrong is a board member of The Active Age, former marketing executive and author of the Anna St. John cozy mystery series. She can be reached at susan.armstrong7@ gmail.com
Larksfield Place is expanding, and we want you to join our Life Plan Community. Act now to reserve your preferred apartment, enjoy Charter Member benefits and take advantage of preconstruction price breaks. Find your place at Larksfield Place.
“You feel like family — that connection is what I get here at Larksfield.”
— Phil Ernzen, resident
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