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Vol 40 • No. 4
Riveting Rosies
Senior funds lag behind
Women helped win war on homefront
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By Nancy Carver Singleton Connie Palacioz worked twice on the storied B-29 Superfortress known as “Doc.” As a teenager, she put rivets into Doc and hundreds of other B-29s during World War II. More than half a century later she was among hundreds of volunteers who helped restore the plane. In May 1943, Palacioz was just out of high school in Newton when she heard that the Boeing Aircraft Company needed workers. The 17-year-old trained two weeks as a riveter. During her first day at Boeing, Palacioz could not do her job because there was no available “bucker” another type of aircraft employee - to work in tandem with a riveter. The next day, she was told there was a bucker named Jerry Wordan whom nobody wanted to work with because she was African American. "I told my supervisor I don’t mind working with her," Palacioz, 94, said. “I’m a minority, too. She (Wordan) was the best bucker. Oh, she was so good. I could not have riveted without her as a bucker.” They worked on the first B-29 built at the plant. Palacioz and Wordan earned a reputation for being See Rosie, page 9
March 2019
Photo of Connie Palacioz courtesy of Doc's Friends/ Brett Schauf
By Joe Stumpe A Sedgwick County commissioner says more money is needed now for senior-related programs and services, along with a way to make sure that funding grows in the future. Jim Howell, who represents the 5th district, said the current system of allocating money for programs such as Meals on Wheels, in-home care and community senior centers has failed to keep pace with overall county spending and ignores the fact that the elderly population is growing rapidly. County budget figures provided to the active age by Howell show that from 2000 to last year, the amount of property taxes annually collected and dedicated to aging programs grew from $1,951,474 to $2,309,816. That’s about an 18 percent increase, or some half-million dollars less than if the growth had been tied to the average annual inflation rate of 2 percent. Meanwhile, total property taxSee Senior, page 2
Mexican melting pot draws US travelers By Rob Howes There are places in this world where cultures come together, mix their offerings and create a delicious array of food. One such locale is found in Mexico. Guadalajara, in the state of Jalisco, is the second largest city in Mexico. About 30 miles south of this metropolis lies freshwater Lake Chapala, stretching some 50 miles east to west and 10 miles north to south. Along the northwest shore lies a string of small villages: Chapala, San Antonio Tlacapan and Ajijic. These villages date back long before the Spanish arrived in the 16th century. The area has become a mecca for retirees from the United States and Canada, along with a few folks from other continents. Drawn to the area by the climate and relatively low
cost of living, many have put down roots. It has been said that old gringos go there and forget to die. Expose this group to local ingredients and recipes, let their cultures dance or bang heads and – boom! – a delightfully diverse cuisine emerges. I’ll start describing my Photo By Rob Howes culinary adventures A taco vendor works his magic on Lake Chapala in in the area by mentioning an Italian Mexico. there, one that stands out is a melon restaurant. It is owned and operated gazpacho, presented with two small by an Italian fellow and staffed VFRRSV RI PHORQ VKHUEHW ÀRDWLQJ by well-trained young locals. Of See Mexican , page 22 many outstanding dishes I’ve eaten
Questions about services? Central Plains Area Agency on Aging or call your county Department on Aging: 1-855-200-2372
Butler County: (316) 775-0500 or 1-800- 279-3655 Harvey County: (316) 284-6880 or 1-800-279-3655