By Amy Geiszler-Jones
Carl Fry jokes he has “a long history of wasting money on cars,” going back to 1956 when as a 16-yearold he joined a Wichita East High School car club called the Gear Gents. In 2005, his love of cars and his connections to other car enthusiasts
See Fundraiser, page 8
By Sherry Graham Howerton
If souls ministered to translated into dollars earned, pastors Homer and Lois Smuck’s lives might be very different right now. The retired couple spent more than 40 years in ministry, serving hundreds of congregants across four states in predominantly rural communities and small churches. Making ends meet while raising three children was tough, and financial constraints along the way forced the Smucks to make difficult decisions upon retirement seven years ago — primarily, how to secure affordable housing with limited resources.
For most of their working lives, Homer, 74, and Lois, 72, lived in church parsonages, eliminating the opportunity for the couple to build equity as homeowners. Both were ordained ministers, humble in demeanor, dedicated to their flocks and selfless with their time, energy
A lifetime of work can't guarantee some older adults their own home and resources. In earlier years, Lois stayed home to care for her growing family, occasionally holding outside jobs to supplement their income. When Homer retired from the ministry at age 65, the couple moved from Osborne, Kan., to Wichita to be closer to family. For a time, Homer was employed at a lawn company and Lois worked in food service as they tried to build their Social Security base, a fund they hadn’t been able to contribute much to over the years while living on a pastor’s salary.
ARISE was formed in 1989 to keep alive the singing of spirituals.
By Joe Stumpe
A Wichita choir will perform spirituals at the American Embassy in Paris next month thanks to bit of serendipity.
The group is ARISE, which stands for African Americans Renewing Interest in Spirituals Ensemble.
If you are receiving duplicate or unwanted
942-5385 or emailing joe@theactiveage.com.The
Last year, four members of ARISE accompanied a group of middle school students from Gordon Parks Academy to the French capital as part of an arts program. While there, they happened to sing for a group that included staff of the American Embassy.
“The embassy representative said, ‘If the four of you sound that good, I want to hear the whole group,’” recalled Sheila Kinnard, who was part of the quartet.
More than a dozen ARISE members are expected to take part in February’s trip. They’ve received
See Spiritual, page 15
Top figure skaters from across the country will compete in the 2025 U.S. Figure Skating Championships Jan. 20-26, 2025, at Intrust Bank Arena — the first time the event has been held in Kansas.
“It’s an amazing opportunity for Wichitans and those in the region to see current and future Olympians compete right here in the heart of the country,” said Susie Santo, president and CEO of Visit Wichita. “Singlesession tickets are affordable, and Wichitans won’t want to miss the chance to cheer on the athletes you’ll
see represent Team USA in Milan, Italy, at the 2026 Olympic games."
U.S. champions will be crowned here in the women’s, men’s, pairs and ice dance events at both the junior and senior levels. Novice pairs and ice dance will also be contested.
Some single-session tickets are available for less than $20. These sessions last two to three hours.
Weekend tickets that include all six championship sessions are also available, with and without the Skating Spectacular Exhibition on Sunday afternoon. For full details and how to
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purchase tickets, visit www.visitwichita.com/ usfs-championships Reigning U.S. champions and World medalists are expected to compete here in what U.S. Figure Skating CEO Tracy Marek called “the most prestigious national skating competition.” In addition to the Olympics next February, the event also leads up to the International Skating Union World Figure Skating Championships in Boston this March.
Elite figure skaters from across the United States will compete and perform in Wichita this month.
According to Visit Wichita, the event has generated an $8 million
economic impact in previous host markets. NBC Sports plans four days of live coverage from the event.
By Chris Heiman
It was June 1974, and 17-yearold Sheri Pilkington had her entire life in front of her. Having just graduated from Southeast High, Sheri was enjoying her summer break and looking forward to community college in the fall. Described by friends and family as “funny, compassionate and outgoing,” Sheri possessed a special connection to senior citizens. She understood them and enjoyed their companionship.
Sheri was an active community volunteer, something instilled in her by her faith and family. Her mother, Marietta Pilkington, along with nextdoor neighbor Mary Booker, were regular Meals on Wheels volunteers. During times when one of the ladies was unable to assist, Sheri stepped in to help deliver.
This was the situation on Thursday, June 13, when Booker and Sheri set out to deliver a Meals on Wheels route. Just as the pair were about to deliver the last two meals, the car Mary was driving was struck by a train and pushed for three blocks. Sheri was pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital while Booker died a few hours later.
Sheri’s sister, Karen Pilkington Schmidt, still recalls the shock and sadness of that day. “I was living in Chicago but was on a plane headed to Wichita. I was coming to surprise my grandparents on their 50th anniversary and to give Sheri a graduation present. When I landed, it was our neighbors who picked me up, not my mother. They told me she was at the hospital and that Sheri had been killed.”
Fast forward 50 years to 2024. Inspired by her classmate’s life and premature death, Sheri Dawn Proctor decided to become a Meals on Wheels volunteer. “I think of Sheri every day I’m out delivering meals,” Proctor said. “In high school, there can be a lot of social cliches. If you
are not part of certain social groups, you can feel very isolated by your peers. But Sheri Pilkington was a friend to everyone. We all adored her.”
Proctor is a member of the planning committee for her Southeast High class reunions, including last year’s 50th Anniversary Reunion. Other classmates still fondly reminisce about Sheri Pilkington as well.
Sheri Dawn Proctor and other Southeast High alumni recently placed a plaque in honor Sheri Pilkington, above left, at the Meals on Wheels operations center. Pilkington died 50 years ago while volunteering for the program.
“Sherri was deeply devoted to the Lord, but she had an ornery side,” said Christy Hall Boyce, her best friend. “She declared we had to do certain things before becoming official graduates. She had us spray paint our initials in the driveway of the parking lot.”
“We also sneaked in the boys’ room and puffed on a cigar. I was so scared we would get caught!”
“Sheri made us both a best buddy card and we both pricked our fingers to sign it in blood. I still have those cards.”
Boyce also remembers the day her “best buddy” died.
“We were supposed to go shopping that day, but Sheri never called. When the phone finally rang, it was her dad who told me she had died. I was devastated.”
The Southeast High School Class of 1974 donated $500 to Meals on Wheels in memory of Pilkington. Last month, a plaque with her picture was hung in the program’s volunteer area, located at 200 S. Walnut.
Boyce reflected on the legacy Sheri left behind.
“When a loved one dies, people are sometimes hesitant to talk about them. When I bumped into Sheri Dawn at the reunion, and she told me she volunteered for Meals on Wheels because of Sheri, I was deeply touched. It warms my heart that she continues to inspire her classmates and friends.”
Schmidt is humbled by her sister’s legacy, too. “Sheri was a special person who lived to serve the Lord and others. To hear her classmates still remember her fondly is beautiful. My parents would be so touched.”
sought
Senior Services, Inc., which operates Meals on Wheels, marked its 56th year of service in November.
Stagnant funding and increased food prices have forced the Meals on Wheels program to reduce service from about 900 deliveries per day to about 800, while a waiting list of 250 seniors in need is maintained. To donate to Meals on Wheels, visit seniorservicesofwichita.com, or call (316) 267-0302, ext. 216, or mail your donation to Senior Services, Inc., 200 S. Walnut, Wichita, KS, 67213.
Chris Heiman is Development Director for Senior Services, Inc. This article was originally written for 55 Forward, the Meal on Wheels program’s donor newsletter.
NORTH NEWTON — The Bluestem U lifelong learning program at Bluestem Communities will launch its third year in 2025, featuring an expanded lineup of courses and a new schedule.
Upcoming courses for 2025 include astronomy, watercolor painting, STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Mathematics), aesthetics of theatre and the arts and bird-watching. Register or learn more at bluestemu.org.
“Through the first two years of Bluestem U, we paid close attention to course feedback and requests from the community to identify ways to expand the program and make it more accessible,” said Julie Miller, Lifelong
Learning Project Manager.
The new schedule offers various course lengths, including one-time classes and at least one free offering per year. For the winter/spring semester, the free course will be an author series featuring authors who live at Kidron Bethel Village.
Bluestem U offers lifelong learning opportunities to people 55 and older, and is a partnership between Bluestem Communities and its neighboring higher education institutions, Bethel College in North Newton and Hesston College in Hesston.
For a schedule, registration or to learn more, visit bluestemu.org.
The Friends of the Derby Public Library will hold their annual meeting at 10 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 18 at in the library’s Community Room. The meeting is open to the public and features a speaker, Will Haynes, Director of Engagement and Learning at Watkins Museum of History in Lawrence. His topic is “The Civil War in Kansas... A Story of Service and Struggle.”
The McCormick School Museum will hold its annual Kansas Day Chili Feed from 5-7 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 25. The dinner features chili and toppings, cornbread and cobbler, with folk songs for entertainment. Suggested donation is $10 for adults; $5 for kids under 12.
Sedgwick County is looking for a replacement for Annette Graham, who retired Dec. 13 as head of the county’s Department on Aging and the Central Plains Area on Agency. CPAAA, which is run out of the county aging department, also serves Butler and Harvey counties. The county hopes to fill the position this winter, according to a county spokesperson. Until then, Deputy County Manager Tim Kaufman will fill in for Graham along with the agency’s management team.
To mark The Active Age's 45th anniversary — and hopefully raise a little money toward future operations — we are holding a drawing for a diamond necklace generously donated by Mike Seltzer Jewelers. Everybody who donates at least $25 between now and Jan. 31 will be entered in the drawing. Each $25 donation gets you another chance at the necklace. You can find all the details in the advertisement on page 3 of this month’s issue.
The Active Age would like to say Thank you & Happy New Year to our readers, advertisers and contributors.
The Changing Nature of Warfare II: Ukraine and Sudan Politics and Culture of Latin America Global Public Health
How Do They Do That? The Magic of Technical Theatre 1856: A Nation Divided The Geology of Water Within and On the Earth
Join us at Larksfield Place for First People of Kansas with Beccy Tanner!
Stay tuned for more class information and full brochure! Call 316-978-3258 to get added to our mailing and email list today!
Jerrold
By Bonnie Bing
We made it!
If you’re reading this you survived the entire holiday season. It is officially over, even if you can’t seem to convince a couch surfing nephew it is time to hit the road.
Now it’s time to get those pine needles out of the carpet, clean out the fridge before any more left overs go bad and eliminate all the glitter that gets darn near everywhere.
Yes, it’s time to return gifts that didn’t fit, while investigating why this or that never showed up.
And, a big sigh here, it is time to pack up all the Christmas décor you so carefully displayed this season.
Personally, this is the part that
gets me down. And not just down in the back. It’s true I decorate our house until it looks a bit like a Christmas gift shop, but once it’s finished my husband compliments me several times. And that’s even when I don’t take his suggestions. I did, however, hear him tell someone he has to keep moving at home or he’ll get decorated. I don’t care what anyone says, six Christmas trees is not too many, and there’s nothing wrong with a wreath in the laundry room.
But now it all gets packed away. The lights, no matter how carefully you store them, will spend the summer getting tangled up in the box. Batteries in the flameless candles will go dead. And if you’re not careful when you store them, the Kansas summer heat will melt even the most expensive candles.
The sad part is the house looks so
plain with all the sparkle and shine gone. Besides, those festive items can hide all kinds of blemishes your house might have.
But speaking of sad, it's difficult to hang onto that wonderful holiday cheer when all the excitement of the season is over.
That’s going to be one of my goals for the New Year. Remain cheerful until December rolls around again. If you see me frowning, just say “cheerful,” and I’ll get the message.
In the meantime, Happy New Year! Let’s have fun in 2025 and do it all again next year. Maybe with seven trees?
Reach Bonnie Bing at bingbylines@ gmail.com
The Active Age, published the first of each month, is distributed in Butler, Harvey and Sedgwick counties.
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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.
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From Page 1
millions of U.S. adults 65 and older — and more than 15 percent of the 86,000 senior adults living in Sedgwick County — still face today as poverty rates collide with record high costs of housing, resulting in crisis for many. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services defines the poverty level as income of $15,060 or less annually for a household of one or $20,440 or less for a household of two, earnings that make home ownership, and sometimes even renting a home or apartment, unachievable. Older adults who may not have experienced poverty in their younger years can suddenly find themselves struggling when life changes such as retirement, declining health and the associated costs of medical care, or the loss of a spouse and their accompanying income, catapults them into a new and difficult reality redefining where they can afford to live.
While the Smucks have small pensions from two churches they previously pastored, even combined with social security, they fall below federal poverty levels.
“We looked at trying to buy a small home and being totally independent that way, but we could just never have afforded it,” said Homer Smuck. Additionally, Lois Smuck is battling Parkinson’s disease, restricting her mobility and increasing her need for housing that can accommodate disabilities.
For a while, the Smucks lived in a recreational vehicle in an RV park, but the lot and utilities rent of $400 per month became too costly. Moving in with family and contributing to those household expenses proved to be the only reasonable solution. After living for a time with their son and then a daughter, they were invited to live with Homer’s sister in El Dorado after she was widowed. While staying with family was not what they envisioned for their senior years, it is a solution they feel fortunate to have.
“I know housing would be a huge issue if we didn’t have the help from our family. We’re able to live as well as we are because we are blessed by God and by family,” said Homer Smuck. “My children and siblings have always said that we blessed others through our call to the ministry, and now they are willing to help us. I feel so much gratitude. God has been good.”
‘A new lease on life’
Working at the heart of the community’s need for affordable housing are local agencies such as Mennonite Housing, whose mission is to provide housing for people
who cannot attain such solutions elsewhere, said Byron Adrian, president/CEO. The organization manages approximately 25 properties comprising 1,300 apartment units in Kansas, including Wichita, Andover, Benton, Clearwater, Coffeyville, Derby, Newton and Valley Center. About two-thirds are rented by adults aged 55 and older on a graduated scale based on income. Rents can start as low as $250 per month ranging up to about $650 per month, which includes water, gas and trash; the resident pays only for electricity.
Linda Wesley is a resident at Riverfront Senior Residences, a Mennonite Housing property in north Wichita. Now 65, Wesley had experienced homelessness and health concerns and was referred to Mennonite Housing through another agency four years ago. The opportunity to move into affordable independent housing has been a positive experience, she said.
“It’s been a new lease on life, allowing me to be amongst a community,” said Wesley. “It’s not just a place to live, it’s home to me. I can feel proud to be here.”
There are different circumstances that drive the need for lower income housing for older adults, said Nancy Sanchez, property manager at Riverfront.
“The baby boomers are coming, and in addition to the older residents needing a community, the last couple of years I’ve noticed the residents around 55 (years old) starting to come in,” said Sanchez. “A lot of them are getting sick, losing a spouse, or a home or a job, having to cut down and downsize a lot. The first thing I hear is there is no affordable housing around. They are usually very surprised to see what we can offer.”
One of the challenges in finding affordable housing can be waiting times for availability, a reality not just unique to Mennonite Housing. Adrian estimates wait times of six months to a year if an applicant qualifies for housing through his organization.
The agency continues to add housing inventory as it can while striving to listen to the changing needs of its residents.
“Over the years, we’ve tried to develop properties that are in line with what seniors are looking for, with the kind of amenities they are looking for,” Adrian said. “What we’ve been doing more of lately are duplexes and fourplexes whenever we have land to do that. Seniors like having exterior entrances and garages. There is also still a strong desire for apartment buildings like Riverfront, and we recognize there is a need for both. I don’t see the need getting any less.”
An Exploding Need
The United States’ population ages 65 years and over has soared by 34 percent in the last decade, from 43 million in 2012 to 58 million in 2022, according to Harvard University’s Joint Center for Housing Studies. By 2035, it is expected that 50 million households — approximately one out of every three in the United States — will be headed by someone age 65 or older. In the coming decade, the fastest growth will occur among those over 80, when people are more likely to need accessible housing as well as services and support at home. The US, however, is not ready to provide housing and care for this surging population, according to national experts.
The same Harvard study states that more than 10 million households headed by someone 65 and over are “cost burdened,” paying more than a third of their income on housing. Half of these pay more than 50 percent.
Such statistics are not a surprise to Monica Cissell, Deputy Director of the Sedgwick County Department of Aging and Disabilities, an entity that oversees the Central Plains Area Agency on Aging. CPAAA’s area includes Butler, Harvey and Sedgwick Counties, encompassing more than 130,000 adults aged 60 and over.
“Housing costs are a concern when you are retired and only receive a small Cost of Living Adjustment from Social Security but otherwise do not
get raises annually like the rest of us,” Cissell said. “It is high on our list of topics that people call about.” CPAAA offers a variety of programs and information to support older adults or their caregivers who are navigating the complex system of aging services. Staff can field phone calls or walk-in visitors to discuss resources on housing ranging from independent living (including lowincome options), to assisted living, long-term care and in-home support. The same information and detailed lists of housing options are also available on CPAAA’s web site. For more complex situations, the agency offers a service called Options Counseling, which provides a deeper dive into the resources available to families for multiple aspects of senior care.
“We try to guide people to what their needs are, whether that is independent living, assisted living or apartments, including low-income apartments,” Cissell said. “Or, maybe the older adult would benefit from inhome services or a safety assessment. We are here to listen to what the scenario is and provide guidance and options.”
While solutions to the challenges of poverty, aging and navigating the cost of housing don’t have easy answers, seeking expertise from sources such as Mennonite Housing, CPAAA and others are good places to start. The Active Age also publishes a 55+ Resource Guide on its website, bringing together hundreds of entities from government, nonprofits and businesses that can offer valuable insight into services for the older-adult community.
Smuck said that having family who supported him and his wife through the exploring and decisionmaking process was invaluable, and he is grateful for family who opened their doors and shared their homes.
“Needing to live with others wasn’t really what I expected in my older years, but God has peace for us no matter what we go through,” Smuck said.
Resources listed in this article: Mennonite Housing
Web address: mhrsi.org
Phone: 316-942-4848
Central Plains Area Agency on Aging
Web address: cpaaa.org
Phone: 855-200-2372
The Active Age 55+ Resource Guide
Web address: theactiveage.com
Contact Sherry Graham Howerton at sgaylegraham@hotmail.com This article is funded by Wichita Journalism Collaborative.
By Joe Stumpe
Laurie Dove’s first novel beat the odds. Not only is it rare for a novelist’s maiden effort to see print, Dove’s book was chosen out of more than 5,000 others submitted to Penguin Random House, the nation’s largest publisher.
“It really felt like winning the lottery because the odds of that are pretty unbelievable,” Dove, of Valley Center, said.
Then again, a lifetime of professional writing proceeded “Mask of the Deer Woman,” which will officially be released Jan. 21. The book, set on a Native American reservation in Oklahoma, is described by its publisher as “a powerful thriller that explores the epidemic of missing and murdered indigenous women.”
Dove, who is of Native American heritage, grew up on a farm near Furley. She got her first paid freelance writing job at 18. She graduated from Bethel College, where she was editor of the paper and worked for the Newton Kansan. She went on to write for the Hutchinson News, Wichita Business Journal and Wichita Eagle.
Longtime readers of The Active Age may remember her articles appearing in this publication in the early 2000s.
“I met some of the most interesting people I was able to interview” while writing for The Active Age, Dove said. “My husband’s grandmother cut out the articles and made scrapbooks of them.”
In her 50s, Dove earned a master’s degree from Harvard in literature and creative writing, turning her attention to made-up stories.
“Mask” grew out of a short story Dove wrote for a suspense writing class around 2018.
“I had this scenario and character pop into my head so clearly. I thought, ‘There’s a lot more to this story.’”
With her novel’s ending written, Dove cranked out 60,000 more words in a few days. She spent another three years writing and re-writing it. She was in the process of trying to find a literary agent when she saw an announcement that Berkley, an imprint of Penguin, was having an open submission program, created for writers who were not represented by agents and whose work was the type
not typically chosen by mainstream publishers.
Dove submitted the requested 10page excerpt but didn’t get her hopes up. In fact, she was more concerned about working on her second novel.
“My whole focus is to do the work,” she said. “I can’t control the results, but I can control my efforts.”
Her book wound up being one of four chosen for publication.
Dove drew on her background in creating her protagonist, a Chicago detective named Carrie Starr. “After her daughter’s death, she’s steeped in grief. She takes a job on a tribal reservation in northeast Oklahoma. Her father was raised on the
Book launch
Watermark Books will host a book launch for Laurie Dove’s “Mask of the Deer Woman” at 6 p.m. on Jan. 23. Preorders are now available at watermarkbooks.com.
reservation, but to her knowledge, she’s never been there. She was removed from this part of her cultural heritage.”
Dove, who was adopted and raised by a non-indigenous family, portrays Starr as “an outsider to this reservation because in no way did I want to write this as if these were things I knew from lived experience.”
The book also explores the “deep feelings we have for children as they grow and move into the wider world on their own” and the issue of missing and murdered indigenous women. “According to the FBI, there are 5,500 indigenous women who are missing,” Dove said. “The numbers are estimated to be much higher because it’s underreported.”
Dove and her husband, Chad, have five children, all grown except for their youngest daughter, a junior in high school.
Dove has also dabbled in local politics, serving as mayor of Valley Center for four years and on the City Council for two years before that. But she’s focused on the literary life now. Berkley has bought two more books from her as part of a projected series featuring Starr. Refering to Penguin’s well-known logo, she said, “It’s really neat that, after seeing that little penguin all these years, to see it on my book.”
From Page 1
took a philanthropic turn as he organized a July 4th car show in downtown Wichita to benefit AbilityPoint, a service organization then known as The Arc of Sedgwick County that helps youth and adults with intellectual and development disabilities.
Over the next several years, he continued organizing annual fundraising car shows — sometimes as many as three a year — held in various locations throughout Wichita, including the Sedgwick County Zoo and Exploration Place.
By 2011, he was one of five local car guys who purchased the well-known annual car show that customizer Darryl Starbird had held in Wichita since 1957.
The buyers — Fry and his brother, John, father and son Tom and Tim Devlin and Dick Price — redeveloped the show into the major fundraising event of their nonprofit, Cars for Charities, with proceeds benefiting AbilityPoint and Starkey, another local nonprofit serving a similar population.
Through the years, Fry has shown some of his cars in the shows, including the 1965 Buick Riviera that was the first major purchase he and his wife, Bonnie, made when they got married in June 1966, a custom 1970 Chevy El Camino and Bonnie’s 1959 Nash Metropolitan they nicknamed Pinky because of the subcompact’s two-tone paint job.
The driving force
For Fry, now 84, the driving force behind organizing the car shows has been his daughter, Stephanie, who was diagnosed with Down Syndrome when she was born in 1978.
As a young teen, Stephanie started attending AbilityPoint’s Youth Education Summer Socialization Program (YESS) that helps avoid summer learning loss and continue skill development for students ages 5 through 21. She continues to attend programs and events run by AbilityPoint.
Stephanie also receives residential and transportation services through Starkey, which promotes the development and independence of adults living with intellectual disabilities.
“One of my personal goals is using the show as an opportunity to talk about the services available to the disabled community because of my daughter, her friends and others who are underserved,” Fry said. “I guarantee that the thousands of people who have come through the show now know about Starkey and AbilityPoint and can get help for their relatives or friends who need the services.”
“The reason the car show has grown to what it is is because of Carl,” said AbilityPoint executive director Kevin Fish. “It’s his heart and his passion that brings them in the door.”
The show — which takes over three exhibition halls in Century II and includes a free kids zone with activities ranging from face painting to jewelry making to building model cars and more — has raised as much as $150,000 in one year.
In 2021, when the car show was canceled because of the COVID pandemic, Cars for Charities raised $90,000 through an appeal campaign alone.
Leaving a legacy
In 2003, Carl’s wife, Bonnie, asked him to join her on the AbilityPoint board, which was planning to start an endowment fund, called the Legacy of Hope, through the Wichita Community Foundation. The foundation was offering a matching $200,000 grant.
One of “the big conversations” at the time, Fish said, was that the individuals AbilityPoint serves are living longer and their caregivers are aging as well.
“We wanted to have funds available to us to continue developing programs to meet the changing and future needs of our families,” he said. “We’re one of the few organizations who serve both youth and adults. … They never age out, so they really do transition with us.”
The car show has become the major fundraising vehicle for the endowment fund, which has generated more than $500,000 over the past 20 years for AbilityPoint programs and services.
The fund has helped AbilityPoint underwrite costs for 200 families who needed to establish legal guardianship of their adult children, hire staff who oversee the more than 60 schools and more than 2,800 students participating in the Circle of Friends mentoring program that matches special education students with regular education peers, and host events like
“The Bookshop: A History of the American Bookstore,” by Evan Friss (Viking, 2024, 403 pages, $39.99)
By Ted Ayres
Did you resolve to read more in 2025? Congratulations on such a thoughtful resolution and here’s a book that might help with it. Evan Friss' “The Bookshop” is an homage to reading and those who make books available to us.
As Friss writes in the introduction, “Readers, writers, and literature are
shaped by how and where we buy our books.”
Friss writes about booksellers of the past such as Benjamin Franklin; James Fields, who operated The Old Corner Bookstore in Boston, which Friss calls “the birth of the American bookstore”; and Marcella Burns Hafner, manager of the bookstore located in the Marshall Field’s Department Store in Chicago
— “the first book superstore.”
He covers bookshops that catered to the gay community, black readers and American Nazis.
I enjoyed reading about bookstores I have visited, such as The Strand in New York City, Powell’s in Portland, Shakespeare and Company in Paris, and the Barnes & Noble on Fifth Avenue in New York. As I read about the ups and downs of Barnes & Noble, I recalled my part-time job helping to open the first Barnes & Noble in Topeka in 1995.
its recent Thankful feast and dance that drew more than 1,100 clients and their families.
“It’s the gift that keeps on giving,” Fish said of the fund.
Fry’s interest in cars keeps going, too.
“I go to every swap meet I can because my goodness, I might find a muffler I need,” Fry said. “And I still putter around with cars, just not like I used to.”
Contact Amy Geiszler-Jones at algj64@sbcglobal.net
The next Cars for Charities Rod and Customs Charities Car Show runs from 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 18, and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 19, in Century II, 225 W. Douglas. General admission tickets are $18 for adults, $17 for military and seniors, $10 for ages 12-17, and free for kids 11 and younger. Tickets may be purchased through Select-A-Seat online (selectaseat. com) or its box office inside Intrust Bank Arena. Discounted tickets are available through Wichita area QuikTrip stores. Proceeds will benefit AbilityPoint and Starkey. More information is available online at carsforcharitiesshow.com.
Cars for Charities also organizes a car swap meet to benefit AbilityPoint. The Kansas Sunflower Swap Meet is scheduled for 8 a.m.5 p.m. Friday, March 7, and 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, March 8, at Century II. Admission is $10, free for kids 11 and younger.
It was also fun to read about authors who became booksellers, such as Ann Patchett. Her store in Nashville, Parnassus, is a mecca for fledgling booksellers, including a friend of mine who subsequently opened her own independent bookstore in a small community here in Kansas.
As Friss notes, there were already some 350 books about bookstores of them before his book appeared. He calls them places “full of discovery, of chance, of wonder” — not unlike his book.
Contact Ted Ayres at tdamsa76@ yahoo.com.
By Nancy Wheeler
Can you identify these actors, singers, and sports figures who shared their talents with us before passing away in 2024? The answers appear below.
1. What legendary basketball center, known as The Big Redhead, was a two-time NCAA champion with UCLA before winning two NBA championships?
2. What stand-up comedian known for his deadpan manner starred as a Vermont innkeeper on his own tv series?
3. What female sex therapist revolutionized the way Americans spoke about previously taboo subjects?
By Diana Morton
Forum Theatre, at the Wilke Center, 1st United Methodist Church, 330 N. Broadway. Words & Music: What the World Needs Now. The words and music of Burt Bacharach. Jan 11, 8 pm; January 12, 2 pm and 7 pm. Tickets: $27-$30 each. 10% military discount and half-price price student tickets with a valid student ID availalbe. 316618-0444
4. What country singer released his chart-topping debut single, “Should’ve Been a Cowboy” in 1993?
5. Who was the wife of Senator Robert F. Kennedy, who bore him 11 children during their 18-year marriage?
6. What Canadian writer won the Novel Prize for Literature, named a “master of the short story” for stories like “The Bear Came Over the Mountain”?
7. What Hall of Fame Heisman Trophy winner was acquitted of stabbing his wife, Nicole, and her friend Ronald Goldman?
8. What Emmy-winning talk show host married Marlo Thomas and hosted his own audience-participation
Roxy’s Downtown, 412 E. Douglas, cabaret-style theatre. [title of the show]. [title of show] really is the title of the show, a humorous and heartfelt journey of two friends on a mission to create a musical about, well, creating a musical. Packed with wit, humor, and toe-tapping tunes, this self-referential gem is a love letter to the theater and a reminder that everyone has a story to tell. Doors open at 6:30pm; show begins at 7 pm Wed and 8 pm Thur – Sat. 8:00pm. Tickets $40. 316-265-4400
talk show from 1967-1996?
9. What “Say Hey Kid” made an over-the-shoulder catch in Game 1 of the World Series that is one of the most famous baseball plays of all time?
10. What country music singer/ actor won a Golden Globe Award for his performance in A Star is Born in 1976?
11. What often parodied American fitness enthusiast hosted his own exercise show and promoted various weight-loss programs?
12. Whose breakout role as Brenda Walsh in Beverly Hills, 90210 propelled her to stardom?
13. What American record producer and composer produced the
Wichita Community Theatre, 258 N. Fountain. Fiddler on the Roof. Beloved story of the small, tradition-steeped town of Anatevka, Russia, where Jews and Russians live in delicate balance. During the course of the show, the time-honored traditions of Anatevka are both embraced and challenged by Tevye and his colorful community, as they witness his daughters, Tzeitel, Hodel, and Chava, grow up and fall in love in a time of extraordinary change. Fiddler's Broadway premier became the longest-running Broadway musical in history. Features such
iconic songs as the beautiful “Sunrise, Sunset,” “If I Were a Rich Man” and “Matchmaker, Matchmaker.”
Performances open January 23, 2025 at 8 p.m. It runs Thurs through Sat with Sun matinees Jan 26 and Feb 2, 2025 starting at 2 p.m. Tickets are $18 for adults, $16 for military/senior/ students. There is a Special ticket price of $14 for everyone for the Thursday opening night’s performance. Tickets are $18 for adults, $16 for military/seniors/students. 316-686-1282
Contact Diana Morton at dianamorton12@sbcglobal.net
All across the country, AmeriCorps Seniors connects people aged 55 and older with opportunities to volunteer in their communities. The program matches each volunteer’s interests and skills with local nonprofit organizations. More than 140,000 older Americans serve their communities yearly through three core programs – the RSVP Program, the Foster Grandparent Program and the Senior Companion Program.
Many older adults look for variety, flexibility and benefits when searching for a way to volunteer.
“Since it was established in 1971, our RSVP program has been one of the nation’s largest older adult volunteer programs,” said Atalaya Sergi, national director, AmeriCorps Seniors “The program has a wide variety of service opportunities that allow volunteers to help address our nation’s most pressing challenges. For our volunteers, RSVP takes the guesswork out of choosing how and where to volunteer their time and energy.”
Opportunities vary by city and state, but the RSVP program offers volunteers diverse ways to serve through local organizations. Examples include packaging meals for people with disabilities or other older adults, working in a call center for fraud victims, coordinating poetry workshops at a community center to stimulate the minds of those participating or transporting
cancer patients to medical appointments. Service could also involve workforce development and job training or providing disaster preparedness assistance.
There are even select programs specifically designed to support veterans.
Mark Piscatelli volunteers at veterans’ coffeehouses. Coordinated through his local AmeriCorps Seniors RSVP program, the coffeehouses allow veterans to gather and socialize with each other and with volunteers. The social setting creates a safe space, fostering community and stability for everyone involved. Guest speakers frequently visit and provide new and updated information to attendees on local and national veterans’ services.
“AmeriCorps Seniors has created a wonderful opportunity for me to learn about veterans, veterans’ issues, what they’ve experienced, what they currently experience and what some of their concerns are going forward,” Piscatelli said.
Older adults need volunteer programs that fit their lifestyles and allow them to choose how, where and the frequency of their service. Commitments range from a few hours to 40 hours per week. Volunteering is more than a way to fill time, however. Research from sources such as the National Institute on Aging suggests that older adults who are engaged in social and community activities maintain mental and physical
health longer than those who are not.
"After one year of service, 88% of our volunteers reported a decrease in feelings of isolation," Sergi said.
If you’re 55 or older and looking
for the right volunteer opportunity, visit AmeriCorps.gov/YourMoment to explore opportunities near you.
By Joe Stumpe
Turns out Bob Bayer isn’t the only person interested in jailhouse artist Ernest Aspinwall. Since an article about Bayer and the creative criminal appeared in The Active Age in August 2022, he’s been contacted by several people who either knew Aspinwall, knew somebody who did or possessed one of his paintings.
Aspinwall made front-page news here and elsewhere during the 1940s and '50s as a habitual criminal who was talented with a paint brush. Bayer’s wife, Dora, inherited 15 of Aspinwall’s paintings from her first husband, Lou Timmerman, a Wichita lawyer appointed to defend Aspinwall. The paintings now hang in Bayer’s home in north Riverside.
Aspinwall was charged with kidnapping a Wichita taxi driver in October 1940 but escaped from the Sedgwick County Jail and wasn’t returned to face trial here until a decade later. In the interim, he served time in the Missouri and Louisiana state penitentiaries. Convicted of the kidnapping, he was sentenced to life in the Kanas State Penitentiary at Lansing prison as a habitual criminal, but that was later commuted. A newspaper article reported that Aspinwall completed 30 works of art while awaiting trial here and several of works — including two 25-by-25 foot his murals — remain at Lansing, which is now open for historical tours. Bayer has visited the prison twice while researching Aspinwall.
After reading The Active Age’s article online, Andrea Hathaway, collection services manager for the Olathe, Kan., public library, sent Bayer a photo of an Aspinwall painting that the library owns. The library calls it “Prairie Woman” although there’s no title on it.
As Bayer describes it, “It looks like this woman who is standing out on the prairie, and she’s got a hoe in her hand. And there’s nothing else in the picture to tell you where it was. She’s just standing out on the prairie, and she’s kind of windblown.”
Hathaway said she doesn’t know how the painting came into the library’s possession.
Bayer obtained Aspinwall’s portrait of the chaplain at the Missouri state penitentiary — where Aspinwall served time — from a resident of the St. Louis area who’d also seen the original article. “That was the only portrait that he did,” Bayer said.
He also heard from former Wichitan Bruce Underwood, whose father, Jim, was chief of detectives for the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office when Aspinwall was brought back to stand trial.
“I think my dad was the one who put him back in jail,” Underwood said. “He told dad he was an artist and asked if he could get some supplies. My dad did get him a bunch of supplies.”
In return, Aspinwall gave him three paintings. One was called “The Chalice Diablo.”
“Aspinwall could be kind of dark,” Underwood said. “It was a silver goblet with a man immersed in it, screaming in agony. I guess if you looked at the pupils of his eyes with a magnifying glass, they were inverted crucifixes, so my mother wouldn’t let that in the house. I don’t know whatever happened to it.”
The third, painted on silk, portrayed Aladdin and a genie coming out of a lamp. Underwood had it framed after his father’s death.
“It’s a pretty large piece, like 42 inches wide and 32 inches high. It’s a really nice painting. It hangs above my
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bar right now.”
Bayer also tracked down the son of a parole officer who’d been mentioned in an old Kansas City Star article that ran with a photograph of one of Aspinwall’s paintings. “It took about a year but we finally got together,” Bayer said. “I told him we had about 15 paintings that Aspinwall had done and he said, ‘Do you have room for one more?’ And he gave me that painting.”
In that work, Aspinwall copied Picasso’s well-known Don Quixote sketch.
Bayer also heard from Albuquerque resident Harry Klemfuss, who painted a colorful word picture of the artist’s time in New Mexico following his release from Lansing.
“I spent a lot of time with Ernie Aspinwall in Albuquerque over a three-month period in early 1973,” Klemfuss wrote in an email. “I sublet a room with kitchen privileges from a group of Scientologists trying to start a drug abuse treatment center called Narconon. Ernie showed up a week or so later from Phoenix; he apparently knew a female Scientologist there, and it is my understanding that the Albuquerque group gave him a free room and offered to train him to use Scientology procedures for treatment.
“He was a small, thin old man, soft-spoken with a gentle manner, but even before I knew of his past I could sense that he was tough on the inside. I got occasional temp jobs when I could to pay for food and rent. He worked on commission selling cactus plants in Albuquerque’s Old Town. Neither of us earned much.
Making a “splash” in his black cape and earring, Aspinall “occasionally would score some free drinks for us” in local bars.
“He did not sell many cacti and he lost that gig, but he claimed a nice spot on the Old Town Plaza and did charcoal portraits of tourists. When I was not working I served as a shill; he must have done 50 or 60 charcoal portraits of me over three months. I gave one to my parents that they hung in the living room. No idea where it is now."
Klemfus ended his email by saying he “thought of him often since then.”
Slight and darkly handsome in his youth, Aspinwall spoke with an upper-crust Boston accent and reportedly came from one of New England’s oldest families. The last apparent mention of him in the media came in 1977, when Aspinwall was reported by United Press International to be working as a street artist and art therapist for a San Francisco mental health center. He was described as a “rather colorful figure, in fancy clothes and white shoulder-length hair. The image is topped off by Matt, his Afghan hound.”
Bayer is in the process of writing a book about the artist. Asked what interests him about Aspinwall, he said, “Well, just the the subject matter of all these paintings that I have. Aspinwall was in a real — you might call it a weird state of mind — when he was in the jail here in Wichita, because he knew he was facing long-term prison. He had already had four major crime convictions, he was one above the limit where he could go to jail for the rest of his life.”
To learn how we can help, visit hynesmemorial.org or call 316-265-9441.
Dear Savvy Senior, I’ve heard that people with heart problems need to be extra careful during the winter months because heart attacks are much more common. What can you tell me about this?
AFib Alan
Dear Alan,
Everyone knows winter is cold and flu season, but many don’t know that it’s also the prime season for heart attacks too, especially if you already have a heart condition or have suffered a previous heart attack. Here’s what you should know, along with some tips to help you protect yourself.
In the U.S., the risk of having a heart attack during the winter months is twice as high as it is during the summertime. Why? There are a number of factors, and they’re not all linked to cold weather. Even
people who live in warm climates have an increased risk. Here are the areas you need to pay extra attention to this winter.
Cold temperatures
When a person gets cold, the body responds by constricting the blood vessels to help the body maintain heat. This causes blood pressure to go up and makes the heart work harder. Cold temperatures can also increase levels of certain proteins that can thicken the blood and increase the risk for blood clots. So, stay warm this winter and when you do have to go outside, make sure you bundle up in layers with gloves and a hat, and place a scarf over your mouth and nose to warm up the air
before you breathe it in.
Studies have shown that heart attack rates jump dramatically in the first few days after a major snowstorm, usually a result of snow shoveling. Shoveling snow is a very strenuous activity that raises blood pressure and stresses the heart. Combine those factors with cold temperatures and the risks for heart attack surges. If your sidewalk or driveway needs shoveling this winter, hire a kid from the neighborhood to do it for you, or use a snow blower. Or, if you must shovel, push rather than lift the snow as much as possible, stay warm, and take frequent breaks.
New Year’s resolutions
Every Jan. 1, millions of people join gyms or start exercise programs as part of their New Year’s resolution to get in shape, and many overexert themselves too soon. If you’re starting a new exercise program this winter, take the time to talk to your doctor about what types and how much exercise may be appropriate for you.
Winter weight gain
People tend to eat and drink more and gain more weight during the holiday season and winter months, all
of which are hard on the heart and risky for someone with heart disease. So, keep a watchful eye on your diet this winter and avoid binging on fatty foods and alcohol.
Shorter days
Less daylight in the winter months can cause many people to develop “seasonal affective disorder” or SAD, a wintertime depression that can stress the heart. Studies have also looked at heart attack patients and found they usually have lower levels of vitamin D (which comes from sunlight) than people with healthy hearts. To boost your vitamin D this winter, consider taking a supplement that contains between 1,000 and 2,000 international units (IU) per day.
Flu season
Studies show that people who get flu shots have a lower heart attack risk.
For more Savvy Senior tips, visit theactiveage.com. Topics covered this month include:
• What You’ll Pay for Medicare in 2025
• How to Talk to Your Doctors –and Get Them to Listen
• What Happens to Your Debt When You Die?
Don’t miss your chance to become a Priority Member!
Learn more at one of these events:
Jan. 9, 3 p.m.
Jan. 16, 3 p.m.
Jan. 23, 3 p.m.
Larksfield Place is expanding, and we want you to join our Life Plan Community. This is your last chance to sign up for Priority Membership, which gives you access to exclusive benefits, like first pick of our new apartments. Find your place at Larksfield Place.
me
“ You feel like family — that connection is what I get here at Larksfield.”
— Phil Ernzen, resident.
Stay informed about upcoming events and expansion updates by scanning the QR code, or call 316-202-4147
From Page 1
invitations to perform at the embassy, which was the first diplomatic mission established by the United States and located on the famed Place de la Concorde; St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, an English-speaking congregation with parishioners from 40 different countries; and the Villes des Musqiues du Monde, or World Music Festival. It’s the 28th year that the month-long festival has been held in and around Paris.
ARISE was formed in 1989 by Josephine “Jo” Brown, Kinnard’s mother and the first black woman elected to the Wichita USD 259 Board of Education. Brown has said she was concerned that knowledge of spirituals was slipping away. Spirituals are usually described as a genre of music melding Christianity and the African American experience of slavery.
“Wade in the Water,” “Hold On” and “Rockin’ Jerusalem” are some of the best-known ones in the ARISE repertoire.
“The goal is to educate through song, using Negro spirituals and keeping those spirituals alive that helped the people during that time — really to educate how they survived
ARISE members Prisca Barnes, Sheila Kinnard, Sharon Cranford and LaTonia Kennedy before a performance.
through those songs,” said Angela Smith, a digital media manager who helps with ARISE’s publicity.
Kinnard said her mother is “still kicking. She’s 95 years old, so she’s not going to Paris with us, but she follows us very closely to make sure we’re sticking to the tenets on which we were founded.”
people that are not of color love being in ARISE. It really speaks to who we are and what we sing about — the message and the music.”
ARISE has performed for many schools, churches, civic groups and other organizations through the years.
In November, they were part of an event in Topeka featuring a descendant of abolitionist and former slave Frederick Douglass. And in 2023, they travelled to Washington, D.C., for a performance, singing “One Nation, One Dream,” which was written by member Cherrie Dennis Baldon.
The Paris trip will be the group's first abroad, capping a busy couple of weeks. On Monday, Jan. 20, ARISE hosts and will perform at the 9th annual Martin Luther King Heroes and Sheroes Scholarship Awards Breakfast in the Rhatigan Center at Wichita State University. Tickets cost $30 and
Although mostly comprised of retirees, the group is open to all ages and includes white as well as black members. Kinnard said the group even thought of modifying its name but “the
are available by calling (316) 258-2749. ARISE members will have time for a little sight-seeing in Paris, but mostly, ARISE President Gerald Norwood said, “It’s an opportunity to bring harmony to the world.”
Family Features
Respiratory viruses are common in the fall and winter months. Flu, COVID-19 and RSV can surge during the cooler weather and keep people from gathering with family and friends. They cause many people to get very sick or even to be hospitalized.
“We know that getting vaccinated is the best defense against severe illness and death caused by flu, COVID-19 and RSV,” said Nirav D. Shah, MD, JD, principal deputy director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Respiratory virus season is here and now is the time to get your updated vaccines so you can focus on what matters most: spending quality time with friends and family.”
Vaccines help people risk less serious illness, so they can do more of what they enjoy. Everyone 6 months old and older should get this season’s flu and COVID-19 vaccines. Adults ages 75 and older, adults 60-74 years old who have certain health conditions and adults age 60 and older who live in nursing homes should get an RSV vaccine if they have never been vaccinated against RSV. Pregnant people should also get an RSV vaccine
to protect their babies from severe RSV disease in their first six months.
Getting vaccinated can be easy, and in many cases, it’s free. Here’s what you need to know.
Where Can You Get Vaccinated?
There are many places to get vaccines against flu and COVID-19, as well as RSV if you’re eligible. It’s OK to get all of these vaccines in one visit.
You can get vaccinated at some doctor’s offices, local health centers or most pharmacies. To find pharmacies near you, visit vaccines.gov. Your state or local health department may also be able to tell you where you can get vaccinated in your area. Are the Vaccines Free?
If you have insurance: If you’re covered by Medicaid, or if you qualify for it, you can get the vaccines at no cost. People with Medicare (Parts B and D) or Medicare Advantage can also get the vaccines for free. If you have private insurance through your job or your state’s marketplace, most plans fully cover the flu, COVID-19 and RSV vaccines through in-network doctors.
If you are uninsured: If you don’t have health coverage, your state or local health department or a local
community health center may offer the flu, COVID-19 and RSV vaccines at no cost. Companies that make these vaccines may also offer them for free or at a lower cost through their patient assistance programs. Look for information on their websites.
To explore insurance options and affordable health plans, visit HealthCare.gov or see if you can get covered through Medicare or your state’s Medicaid program. Get Vaccinated Now Vaccines give you the best
protection against getting very sick from flu, COVID-19 and RSV. Getting vaccinated soon means you’ll be ready for upcoming winter gatherings.
Visit cdc.gov/RiskLessDoMore to learn more about the flu, COVID-19 and RSV vaccines. Also, you can order free COVID-19 test kits (four per household) at COVIDTests.gov. Talk to your doctor about which vaccines are right for you or visit vaccines.gov to get started today.
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By Celia Hack KMUW
The rise of Instagram-famous food bloggers didn’t skip Wichita.
Erin Clarke graduated from Kapaun Mount Carmel in 2004. She has gone on to amass millions of readers on her Well Plated blog and more than 400,000 followers on Instagram, where she shares easy, healthy recipes for home cooks.
Clarke now lives in Milwaukee but returned to Wichita this fall on a book tour for her second cookbook: “Well Plated Every Day.”
The following interview has been edited for length and clarity.
I understand you grew up in Wichita. So tell me a little bit about how Wichita kind of influenced your interest in recipe development and your career.
I grew up on my grandmothers’ wonderful, classic, stick-to-your-ribs Midwestern cooking: you know, pot roast, macaroni and cheese, things like that. And so that just kind of love of comfort food combined with — I feel like in the Midwest, we have a great sense of practicality — and those two things have become really big influences on my cooking.
When I first got into cooking for myself, I found myself really missing my grandmothers’ recipes living away from home, so I started calling them to get the recipes. And they’re very indulgent, like classic food that your grandma makes that you love, and I wanted to see if I could find ways to make tweaks to make them more nutritious so that we could enjoy them more regularly.
(Editor's note: Clarke's grandmothers were Sondra Reber and Dorothy O'Neill.)
Like what?
One of my most popular recipes on my blog, and one of my husband’s favorites, is a homemade Hamburger Helper. And I hear from people all over the country that love this. Their kids love it. But it has a couple of little touches in it, like there’s a little bit of Dijon mustard, there’s a little bit of hot sauce, even though it’s not spicy. It makes it — and I know that this sounds like a hilarious word to apply to Hamburger Helper — but it makes
it a little bit gourmet. It gives you that feeling of nostalgia that you grew up with, but it’s made with all simple, wholesome ingredients.
When you started your cooking journey and this blogging journey … where were you in the world?
I was actually in Madison, Wisconsin. … When I got married, my husband started law school. He’s from Wisconsin, and I found myself just in a job where I was really lacking creativity.
I was just so bored, and I really wanted a challenge. And one of my friends said, ‘Well, why don’t you start a blog?’ And I said, ‘What is a blog?’
So your business is really cool because it’s really ranging over media platforms. You have a blog, you have social media accounts. Now you have two cookbooks. So can you tell me … what are you excited for about this latest cookbook?
For me, this new cookbook is really reflective of where I am on my journey with Well Plated. So I started in this place where I was cooking in a teeny tiny kitchen on a budget, and I didn’t have a ton of time. I didn’t have a ton of money to spend on ingredients, but I still wanted to eat really well. And I started sharing those recipes, and they started gaining popularity.
Over the years, I have gotten better and better to the point that I am now proud to call myself, like, a professional recipe developer. My recipes are meticulously tested. They’re easy to follow, and I just feel like this — I’ve been writing recipes now for 13 plus years, and these are the best recipes I’ve ever written.
Tell me a little bit about recipe development. What’s your process like? How do you develop these recipes?
As I get into cooking it, I take notes along the way, and that’s kind of where some of the art comes back in again. I’ll taste it and be like, ‘Something isn’t quite right.’ Say there’s a soup, and I recognize that it’s missing a little pop of acid. I’ll ladle the soup into four different bowls. I’ll try one with lemon juice. I’ll try one with red wine vinegar. I’ll try one with white wine vinegar, one with balsamic. And I’ll kind of taste and decide, ‘OK, this
is the one that I like the best.’
Your grandmas, who you said were so passionate about cooking, what do you think they would think if they knew that your business was cooking and recipe development, but it was all done through the internet?
Well, I’m lucky. My Grammy lived to see my business, and there was no one that was more proud of me. It was difficult for me to explain to her why I could not print off my entire blog to give her. But she subscribed to the emails; like they were very, very proud and also very excited when I would give them credit as it was rightfully due for their recipes, too. … You know, my Grammy’s lemon cream pie has hundreds of comments, and the fact that the internet made a way for so many people to enjoy her recipes is really, really cool.
A longer version of this interview originally aired on KMUW, Wichita’s public radio station.
1 pie crust, homemade or store-bought
3 large eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 3 large lemons)
1 tablespoon freshly grated lemon zest
12 oz. full- or low-fat cream cheese, softened to room temperature
For the homemade whipped cream:
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 tablespoon powdered sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Fit crust into a 9-inch-wide pie plate. Line crust with aluminum foil or parchment paper, then fill with dried beans or pie weights. Bake until the edges begin to turn golden, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove foil/paper and weights and continue baking until bottom looks lightly golden and the edges have browned, about 5 to 8 additional minutes. Let cool completely.
Place heatproof bowl over a pan of lightly simmering water to create a double boiler. Add eggs into bowl and beat with hand mixer on medium speed until thick and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes. Slowly add sugar, then lemon juice and zest. Continue cooking over simmering water untilit forms a smooth custard, about 8 minutes. Let cool to almost room temperature.
In a large mixing bowl or standing mixer, beat cream cheese on mediumhigh speed until soft and smooth, about 3 full minutes. Reduce speed to medium, then gradually add lemon custard to the cream cheese until no white streaks remain. Pour the mixture into baked pastry shell and refrigerate until fully chilled.
To prepare whipped cream: In a large mixing bowl or standing mixer, beat cream at medium speed. When it starts to thicken, add powdered sugar and vanilla, increase speed to high and beat until soft peaks form. Spread over the chilled pie, slice and serve cold.
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
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
January 1
10:30 am Wichita Art Museum 1400 W. Museum Blvd., $2 admission. CLOSED
1:30 pm Museum of World Treasures 835 E. 1st St. Info not available.
January 8
10 am Sedgwick County Zoo, 5555 Zoo Blvd. (316) 266-8213, $4 Down Unda. 1:30 pm Advanced Learning Library, 711 W, 2nd, (316) 2618500, Free. Give Me a Home Where The Buffalo Roam!
January 15
10 am Ulrich Museum of Art, 1845 N. Fairmount. Info not available.
1:30 pm Great Plains Nature Center,
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
6232 E 29th St N. Info not available.
January 22
10 am Wichita-Sedgwick County Historical Museum, 204 S. Main. Info not available.
1:30 pm Mid American All-Indian museum. 650 N Seneca (316) 3503340, $2 + tax admission; free for MAAIM members. Info not available.
January 29
10am The Kansas African American Museum, 601 N Water. $3. Info unavailable.
1:30 pm Old Cowtown Museum. 1865 Museum Blvd $2 + tax; bers. Info unavailable
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
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 JANUARY 1
Wed: HOLIDAY.
Thu: Ham and beans, potatoes O'brien, blushing pears, corn muffins/butter. Fri: Bierock casserole, parslied carrots, apple.
WEEK OF JANUARY 6
Mon: Salmon loaf, macaroni & cheese, green beans, peaches, cheddar dill bread. Tue: Glazed chicken, creamy rice, mixed vegetable, bananas in orange juice, dinner roll/butter.
Wed: Broccoli cheese soup, ham sub sandwich w/tomato,lettuce and mayo, mixed fruit.
Thu: Meatloaf, mashed potatoes/gravy, corn, glazed cherries, wheat bread/ butter.
TOWANDA
317 Main, 316-536-8999
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.newtonseniorcenter.com
SEDGWICK 107 W. Fifth, 772-0393
Sedgwick Co Transportation, 660-5150 or 1-800-367-7298. Information: 8 am-5 pm, Mon-Fri; closed most holidays. www. sedgwickcounty.org/aging.
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.
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.
Fri: Pork cutlet, brown rice, broccoli, pineapple, drop biscuits/butter.
WEEK OF JANUARY 13
Mon: Harvest turkey soup, egg salad sandwich, ambrosia fruit salad.
Tue: Easy lasagna, creamed peas, pears, garlic bread stick.
Wed: Ham & swiss broccoli bake, glazed carrots, easy fruit cobbler, dinner roll/ butter.
Thu: Tater tot casserole, broc. cauloflour salad, peaches, sweet muffin/butter, carrot cake.
Fri: Chicken fajita salad, mexican rice, mixed fruit, corn chips
WEEK OF JANUARY 20
Mon:HOLIDAY.
Tue: Hot turkey sand, creamed spinach, banana.
Wed: Cranberry meatballs, rice, cauliflower/cheese, pineapple, dinner roll/butter.
Thu: Chili w/ beans, garden salad, strawberries & peaches, cinnamon roll.
Fri: Biscuit w/ hamburger & sausage gravy, scrambles eggs, potatoes o'brien, orange.
WEEK OF JANUARY 27
Mon:Poor boy stew, harvest beets, apricots, corn muffin/butter.
Tue: Soft taco w/ lettuce, tomato/cheese, corn O'brien, applesauce.
Wed: Barbecue chicken, potato salad, baked beans, mixed fruit, wheat bread/ butter.
Thu: Tomato soup, pimento cheese sand., mandarian oranges.
Fri: Madison's pizza, combination salad, blushing pears.
* 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.
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
White Chapel Memorial Gardens, Garden of Nativity. Single plot. $1,000, buyer pays transfer fees. 316-838-5611
Resthaven Garden of Freedom, Double Depth Crypt. Marker, double occupancy, bronze memorial, granite base, retail $8,900, sell for $5,500. Call 316-992-0627
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. 316-6446149
Thompson Serving families for 30 years with preneed arrangements at all Dignity Memorial Locations 316-516-8815 316-722-2100
Alpha Electric Dependable Electrical Service Call Greg at 316-312-1575 Insured, Lic. #1303
F FOOT CARE F
Rosine ~ The Foot Lady ICMT RN
$40 : In-home, Sedgwick & surrounding counties • 316-312-2025 • Benjamin Jones ~ CNAICR • 316-932-8524•
Diabetic, thick toe nails, ingrown & callous care
Private Duty Aide with light house keeping. Availability evenings and weekends. References upon request. Cynthia CNA/HHA 316-992-6711
29 YR EXPERIENCED LICENSED HOME HEALTH AIDE Providing rides to Dr etc. Home Health Care Specializing in Dementia/Diabetes/Hospice. Ref avail. Kay 316-882-9127
HHA Looking for Private Duty Care Many years’ experience Call Jodie 316-807-8308 Caregivers for Elderly. Personal care assistance, bathing, meals, light housekeeping. Full or part time. 316-390-9526
Dave’s Improvements General Contractor Lic #7904 Roofing, Siding, Doors, Gutters, Windows, Storm damage repair, Senior Discount. 316-312-2177
Handyman RX- We have a remedy for almost
upto 3.5 tons. What you need done I can probably handle. Call for HELP! Brian 316-217-0882. Free Estimates
Mulvane, Rose Hill, Wichita
MOBILE GLASS REPAIR Windows * Patio * Doors
Windows won’t stay up, Crank Outs, Patio Rollers and Lock Latches, Morris Glass & Service, 316-946-0745
Molina Electric - Wichita Lic #1364 Comm. or Residential wiring. Service calls. New electric service. Troubleshooting. Cell 316-461-2199.
ALL AMERICAN CONSTRUCTION & RENOVATION
• New Construction
• Room Additions
• Basement Finishing
• Kitchen & Bathrooms
• Siding & Sheetrock
• Int/Ext Painting
• Gutter Cleaning
• Flood & Fire Damage
Licensed & Insured We do all types of renovations Call 316-409-7341
ALWAYS PLUMBING
Residential Repairs
- Water Heater Replacement- Water Service and Sewer ReplacementLicensed & Insured Call Phil 316-641-8741
Chuck’s Flooring Carpet Installs Tile, Laminate re-stretching, repairs and more 316-553-6080
By Diana Breit Wolfe
As I turned over my treasurer’s duties at The Active Age last month, I thought back to my shaky start with numbers.
It was in the seventh grade when Sister Catherine traumatized me over my failure to do a math problem on the blackboard. Two years later, I barely passed Sister Edwina’s ninthgrade algebra class.
By the time I graduated high school, the nuns had me convinced I’d never make it in college. So, when Sister Irene announced in my Secretarial Practice class an office job opportunity, I was all over it. Got the job paying $1 an hour. With timeand-half working all day Saturday, $52 a week! I bought my first car for $400 — a 1953 green Chevy Bel-Aire — and hung out with my
girlfriends at Dearmore’s, The Flame and the Penthouse. Mostly we used up our 19-cent-per-gallon gasoline by dragging Douglas from the Continental to the T & C on South Hillside.
Marriage and two kids came along so I gave up shuffling paper in various office jobs. But in 1975, I started working again for Wichita Area VoTech, teaching shorthand to adults at nights at South High. Soon, I was doing the same at East High. Then they needed an accounting teacher, so I did that, too. I decided this was fun, so I began classes at WSU at age 33 and graduated nine years later with an accounting degree.
Along the way, I got divorced, became a single mom for several years and then remarried. My new husband was also an accountant and tax preparer. I think he must have won me
over with our romantic conversations about accruals, depreciation and liquidity…sigh. He encouraged me to start doing accounting for small businesses. Since I had nothing else to do besides attend college, teach night school and keep track of my kids, I thought “why not?”
My nighttime teaching soon turned into full-time for the Wichita Area Technical College, teaching business classes with accounting as my forte. Oh, if the nuns could only have seen me then. I went on to get a Masters in Human Resource Development from Pittsburg State.
In 2003, I retired from teaching. Most of my accounting clients had either retired or died. This freed up much of my time and, after my husband’s death, I had to learn to live by myself for the first time in my life. I focused on three areas: physical health by going to aerobics or yoga every day; spiritual health by attending church regularly and doing lots of volunteer work there; and social and
The Active and you could win a family
The Active a drawing for a family membership each month from among people on our Honor Roll list of donors. This month's winner is Sara
mental health by sticking close to family and friends (my two kids and two step-kids have blessed me with six grandchildren), going to lots of wine tastings and attending Shocker basketball games.
Then in 2014, I accepted Elma Broadfoot’s invitation to become treasurer of The Active Age’s volunteer board of directors. I like to think those nuns underestimated my interest in numbers.
Speaking of numbers, readers were incredibly generous with their donations to The Active Age in 2024. As of mid-December, we had received about $126,000. But please don’t think we don’t need your help in 2025. Our cost of doing business, especially postage, will certainly go up in 2025. If you enjoy the newspaper and can manage a donation, please do make one. And thank you on behalf of The Active Age. Diana Wolfe is treasurer of The Active Age's board of directors. She can be contacted at dcwolfe2000@yahoo.com.
Botanica membership Bearden. Donations may be made by calling 316-942-5385; through our website, theactiveage.com; by mail to The Active Age, 125 S. West St., Suite 105, Wichita, KS, 67213; or in person.
By Steve Criser
In my 50 years of practicing tax and accounting as a CPA, I never imagined a time when communicating with clients solely through email and texting would become the norm.
The trust you place in your tax advisor, lawyer, financial planner or other professional must be earned. Looking someone in the eye or hearing the tone of their voice is how, as humans, we build trust in a relationship. In my job, I experience the value of this every day.
For example, a few years ago, a wonderful client named Martha called to invite me to her wedding. I was thrilled for her — she was in love for the second time in her life and happier than I had ever known her to be. Martha excitedly shared that the wedding was set for New Year’s Eve in Hawaii. “It’s so romantic,” she said, “to start the new year as a married couple.”
As her friend and CPA, I congratulated her but asked if I could call her back in a few minutes.
Knowing Martha’s unique financial and tax situation, I did some quick calculations. When I called her back, I asked, “Martha, do you know what would be even more romantic
than a New Year’s Eve wedding?”
She was puzzled, and perhaps a bit irritated, when I said, “A New Year’s Day wedding!”
Martha hesitated, explaining that everything was already arranged, including the minister. I gently explained that, given her specific tax circumstances, waiting just one more day to tie the knot could save her more than $3,500 in income taxes.
Though I wasn’t able to attend the ceremony, just after midnight on New Year’s Day, a blessed wedding commenced. Two beautiful people were happily wed — and a significant portion of the wedding expenses were offset by their tax savings.
The takeaway?
Having a trusting relationship with your advisors can be incredibly valuable, even life changing. Trust doesn’t come from emails or texts alone — it’s built through sincere communication and genuine human connection. Sometimes, even boring accountants can bring a touch of romance to the table.
Steve Criser is a Certified Public Accountant and member of The Active Age’s board of directors.
By Jennifer Lasley CPAAA
Are you at least 60 years of age and interested in being an advocate for older adults and older adult issues? If so, the Kansas Silver Haired Legislature may be right for you.
The Kansas Silver Haired Legislature is a unicameral legislature composed of 125 representatives from across Kansas. All delegates are 60+ years old and are elected from their county of residence. The Central Plains Area Agency on Aging represents Butler, Harvey and Sedgwick Counties and will accept filing applications from all three counties. Butler County has one delegate, Harvey County has one
delegate and Sedgwick County has six delegates (one is designated at-large).
The Silver Haired Legislature provides an educational experience in the political process and delivers an opportunity to identify priority concerns of Kansas’ older adults. It develops bills and resolutions which are presented to the Kansas Legislature and the Governor as recommendations for state policy.
“Within the last two years as a SHL, I have been able to make a lot of new friends, meet a lot of senior citizens, talk about their problems and investigate ways to resolve their
concerns,” said Leroy Burton, the Butler County delegate.
The 2025 Kansas Silver Haired Legislature elections are scheduled to be held in the spring across Kansas. Any Kansan age 60 and over who is a registered voter may file for candidacy. The term of office is two years and members may be reelected continuously.
The CPAAA deadline for filing as a candidate is Monday, Feb. 10, and the final elections for candidates being contested will be held on Wednesday March 12. Voting options will include ballot by email, postal mail and at
limited in-person locations.
You can find more information about the Silver Haired Legislature on CPAAA’s website at www.cpaaa.org. Contact Jennifer Lasley at CPAAA at Jennifer.Lasley@cpaaa.org or by phone at 316-660-5128 for additional details or to request a candidate application packet.
Jennifer Lasley is director of information and community services for the Central Plains Area Agency on Aging. CPAAA is here to help when you need us. For information on resources to assist older adults and caregivers call 316-6607298 or visit www.cpaaa.org
TOPEKA — The Kansas Silver Haired Legislature has approved a list of legislative priorities for 2025 that closely mirror those of previous years. The KSHL, made of more than 50 delegates from across the state, convened here for their annual session Oct. 8-10.
The resolutions adopted were:
KSHLR #4200 – Urging the Kansas Legislature to establish a medical cannabis advisory board to explore and make recommendations
regarding the expanded medical use of cannabis.
KSHLR #4201 - Supporting the expansion of Medicaid in Kansas.
KSHLR #4202 - Urging the Legislature to enact legislation converting Kansas Public Employees Retirement System (KPERS) Tier 3 members to Tier 2, and abolish Tier 3, as well as provide a cost-of-living adjustment.
KSHLR #4203 - Increasing current funding for the Senior Care
Act to meet the rising costs of services and growth of the aging population requiring those services while keeping current statutory eligibility requirements.
KSHLR #4204 - Supporting and funding collaborative community-
based transportation for senior citizens.
KSHL members say they will contact state representatives and senators in hopes of gaining support for these measures during the 2025 legislative session.
