March 2023

Kansas’ Largest Newspaper

Happy Campers

Outdoor-loving couples find fun and friendships serving as camp hosts

The Active Age

A lot of people’s retirement plans include outdoor activities such as camping, hiking, whale watching and learning more about nature, but some people have found a way to do it for free or, in some cases, even get paid a little for it.

They are camp hosts. These campground workers are volunteers or people easing into retirement by still getting paid a small amount to do jobs such as greeting other campers, handling reservations and keeping campgrounds clean and safe.

Denice Bradbury at South Beach State Park in Oregon where they had a stint as camp hosts last year.

Portland, Ore.

Wichitans Susan and David Cohrs are paid camp hosts.

“What’s the downside?” said Denice Bradbury, who was in communications and public affairs when she lived in Wichita. “You get to stay in a park free for a month.”

She and her husband, Randy, a writer, along with their two cats and dog, now spend four months of the year volunteer hosting at various state parks not far from their home in

Big Read to focus on tough conversations

By Joe Stumpe

Since 2008, the Big Read has promoted literacy and meaningful conversations across the country by encouraging members of participating communities to read a selected book. This year, the book chosen by organizers in Wichita should resonate with readers of The Active Age.

“Can’t

We Talk About Something

“It’s more like minimum wage,” said Susan, who used to work for Visit Wichita. “We kind of call it semiretirement.”

She and David, a retired police officer and former trucker, used to camp a lot with their kids.

Seven years ago during a motorcycle trip the two took, they visited with camp hosts around a

See Campers, page 6

'Two for the price of one'

Officers' wives relished roles

By Patti Sullivan

When people say the military gets two recruits for the price of one, they are referring to military spouses. Although not officially part of the military, the military spouse enlists on the day she — and now sometimes he — says “I do.”

The Retired Officers Wives Club in Wichita is comprised of such spouses. All were married to officers who served in a branch of the Armed Services during the 1950s-70s. These women served alongside them.

Members have been meeting for lunch every month for more

than 50 years, enjoying friendship and memories forged by mutual experience.

The experience began with their husband’s first assignment as an officer. Incoming wives attended a welcome luncheon and were introduced to the other wives in their husband’s unit. They were expected to join the Officers Wives Club, attend regularly scheduled events and take part in social gatherings with other couples in the squadron. Some performed volunteer work on the base.

But the main role of the military

See Wives, page 8

More Pleasant?” is a graphic memoir by Roz Chast, a cartoonist best known for her work in The New Yorker magazine. The book is about her aging parents and the last several years of their lives. Those who’ve read it say it’s both funny and sad and most of all a reminder of the need for talking about subjects — including serious illness, dementia and death — most of us would rather avoid.

“It’s pretty poignant for sure,” said Nicole Rogers, a professor and chair of the Department of Public Health Sciences at Wichita State University. “She (Chast) goes through what every person who has a parent unfortunately

See Big Read, page 7

Sue Berk, pictured today and on the day in 1964 her husband, Terry, was promoted to captain. They were stationed in Germany at the time.

Susan and Dave Cohrs at Bryce Canyon in Utah where they had their first camp hosting stop last year.

Randy and

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Crocker and Sturns enter WSU college Hall of Fame

Elvira Crocker, a journalist, communications specialist and activist, and Louis Sturns, a Texas lawyer and judge, were inducted into the Wichita State University Fairmount College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Hall of Fame during a ceremony at the school last month. Both cited the pivotal role that higher education played in their lives.

Crocker grew up in western Kansas as the child of Mexican immigrants. She came to WSU as a transfer student from Garden City Community College. While at WSU, she worked in the school’s public relations office, graduating with a journalism degree in 1961.

Crocker worked as a reporter and women’s news editor for the Wichita Eagle and Beacon and also earned a three-month travel and study to Peru, where she wrote and headquarterd at Presna newspaper in Lima.

After moving to Washington, D.C., Crocker worked in communications for the National Council of La Raza, the U.S. Department of Education, the National Education Association and other organizations. She was a delegate to the historic 1977 National Women’s

Conference, worked on both of President Bill Clinton’s national campaigns and has been active in many state and national advocacy roles for women and Hispanics.

Crocker, who has won numerous journalism awards, is a former board member of The Active Age who helps edit the newspaper each month.

In remarks at the induction ceremony, Crocker said she was fortunate to come from a home in which education was emphasized.

Of her 10 siblings who survived childhood, half earned college degrees, including four of her sisters. Sturns came to WSU from Fairview, Texas, supporting himself by enrolling in the Army Reserve Officer Training Corps and working as a school bus driver. After receiving his undergraduate degree, Sturns earned a law degree from the University of Kansas, then served as a captain in the Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps. He returned to Texas to practice law with civil rights legend L. Clifford Davis. Sturns became the first African American to serve on the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, the state’s highest court for criminal cases; and the first African American President of the Tarrant County Bar

Association. Sturns presided over an inquiry into prosecutorial misconduct which led to major changes for rules of discovery in Texas. He has received numerous awards for his civic work, which has included serving on the Texas Department of Public Safety Commission and three other major state boards. He is active in Community Christian Church and serves on the board of Texa Weslyan University.

Sturns said he was unsure of his abilities when he arrived at WSU but left with the educational foundation needed to succeed in his career. While attending WSU, he lived with family members who had moved here earlier, several of whom attended the induction ceremony.

Elvira Crocker

Louis Sturns

After brief intermission, beat goes on for vintage drums

By Jim Kuhlmann

Once upon a time there was a fourth grader who took piano lessons for four years and, like most fourthgraders, did not practice much. A great-uncle loaned him a set of drums to try out.

Hello!

In fifth grade this kid bought his own trap set on layaway at Bennett’s Music Store on East Douglas in downtown Wichita on (he was working at Maul Drug store). This was a Slingerland Deluxe Radioking Black Diamond Pearl trap set: a snare, bass, floor tom-tom, small tom-tom, high hat and 14-inch and 18-inch cymbals — the envy of any 11-year-old-to-bedrummer in 1950.

He taught himself how to play drums by listening to Gene Krupa and Buddy Rich on 45 RPM vinyl records.

He made the band at Robinson Jr. High (those piano lessons paid off as he could read music). In the mid '50s, he was in the East High orchestra and marching band, playing in lots of assemblies and concerts, and served as drum corps leader and pep band director. He won state percussion firstplace awards twice, played various gigs in the East High Blue Aces “Hangar” and, of course, the battle of the drums in the Hangar.

In the late '50s he was in the KU marching band for one season, played in several combos in Lawrence and at the Sigma Chi House in Rock Chalk two times. Grad school provided little time for drumming. Later, he joined the Shrine marching band and provided cadence for the “foot patrol” upon return to Wichita.

Kids and grandkids always wanted to hear dad/grandpa play rhythms, solos and “battle of the drums” on the Black Diamond Pearl trap set, which was always set up in the family room. When the grandkids were old enough, he tried to give them the drum set but the parents refused the racket in their house.

So, when he and his wife, Jane, sold their home in Whitetail in 2018 to move to Larksfield Place, the Slingerland trap set was going to be in the estate sale. After a phone call to Midwest Drum and Percussion on East Douglas concerning the going price, Midwest said they would sell it on consignment. In October 2018, he said goodbye to his now vintage trap set of 68 years.

In January of this year, Meg Beck, music therapist/coordinator at Larksfield, called him and said she wanted to buy a drum set for the Larksfield band. Would he meet her at

Midwest Drum as an adviser?

And, unknown to them, there was his “Slingerland Black Diamond Pearl” trap, which they were selling for 10 times what he paid. Needless to say, it was emotional. They were his drums, the ones he banged on for 68 years!

And now they are back home, at no cost (thank you, Midwest Drums), being beaten by the young drummer boy — this writer, as you probably guessed — who never outgrew them.

Hello!

Contact Jim Kuhlman jimjaneky@ yahoo.com.

Courtesy photo

Jim Kuhlman was reunited with his 1950 Slingerland Deluxe Radioking Black Diamond drum set five years after deciding to sell it. He won’t make that mistake again.

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Campers

From Page 1

campfire in Santa Fe and talked to people in a KOA office and decided that lifestyle might be for them.

“We just kind of took baby steps,” Susan said.

Part of the appeal is that three of their four children live outside of Wichita, and camp hosting near the cities where they live allows Susan and David to be in their lives more than what a vacation could offer.

For instance, next winter they plan to be in Joshua Tree outside of Los Angeles where they have a daughter and three grandchildren.

Their son in Houston has asked them to time their hosting near there for when he and his wife have a baby.

Being in one place for an extended period also allows them to learn more about an area.

“You’re a local for that amount of time,” Susan said.

She and David started last year in Bryce Canyon, Utah, but when that campground was sold three weeks later, they moved six hours north to Bear Lake near Garden City, Utah.

Though their divided time was unplanned, David said, “You can do a short stint here and a longer one somewhere else. You’re not just a visitor because you’re there longer.”

Though hosts generally have to work weekends and holidays, Susan said schedules are flexible, which is important because she and David want to make sure they have the same schedules as each other.

“It’s pretty lenient with the time off.”

Planting a seed

During the pandemic, one thing the Bradburys could do regularly is camp in state parks. They met park hosts and started talking to them about what they do.

“That kind of planted the seed,” Denice said.

In Oregon, she said “it’s so competitive just to get into the parks.”

For the last three years, the Bradburys would have to get on the park system’s website a minute after midnight if they wanted to book a weekend at a campsite.

Also, Randy said there’s a 14-day

limit per campground stay within a 30-day period, and it’s difficult to find those days together.

So hosting “was kind of a nobrainer,” Denice said.

Randy said the experience is what they thought it would be — and more.

“The rangers are just absolutely amazing,” Denice said of the full-time staff members.

She said she and Randy have learned much from them.

“It’s kind of mind blowing.”

She said they did have concerns about how they might handle differences with other people, but she said hosting proved to be a good exercise in finding common ground.

“People seem to pretty much try to get along, and we do, too,” Denice said.

“It helps you — at least in my case — it helps me kind of put aside some superficial assessments that you may make about people and just be open to learning from them. It’s always a surprise, and it’s usually always remarkably positive and inspiring.”

She called them “little gems of human interaction and meeting interesting people.”

That includes a Medieval Italian poetry-loving ranger at South Beach State Park.

“He’s carrying on this highly informed, erudite conversation about ‘Dante’s Inferno,’ ” Randy said.

Meeting someone like that, Denice said, “It’s just really a gift.”

At Shore Acres State Park, Randy said a pianist played classical music on a grand piano outside for three days of shows called In A Landscape, which was next to breaking waves along a rocky shore.

“It was just like magic.”

And then there’s work

There are magical moments, and then there’s work — much of which isn’t all that bad either.

“Basically, it’s like working at a front desk of a hotel for me,” Susan said.

At Bear Lake, she managed a small retail store, advised campers on what to do in the area and checked them in and out of the campground.

“I really enjoyed it.”

David escorted guests to their campsites, showed them where the utilities were and brought them ice

and wood. He also did maintenance, such as lawn mowing, weed eating and raking debris.

There was a bit of policing like in his old job as he made sure everyone behaved. If guests drove too fast, David would give gentle warnings.

“It’s pretty much what I thought,” David said of the work.

“I did get stuck cleaning once, and I won’t do it again,” Susan said of bathroom detail. She said in fairness, she did volunteer to help, but she said, “It was too hard.”

At some campgrounds outside of Oregon, Randy said bathroom cleanup duties are fairly common and hard to avoid.

“And we’re not going to do that,” Denice said. “I’ll do a lot of things . . . but I did not work hard and retire to go clean a public bathroom.”

They did clean yurts and campsites at South Beach.

“There we did a little bit of everything,” Randy said.

At Shore Acres, they ran the information and visitors center and met people from around the world.

“That was really amazing,” Randy said.

With visitors to the whale watching center at Depoe Bay, he said, “We taught them how to learn to see whales.”

At Cape Foulweather, they also helped visitors spot whales from a 500-foot cliff. He called the panorama of the Pacific Ocean, headlands, bluffs and whales stunning.

It’s “probably one of the most beautiful views you’re ever going to see in your life.”

Tips and tricks

Both hosting couples have advice for others who may be considering it.

“Yeah, buy a condo in an urban area,” Randy said.

“It’s easy for us because we walk out and let the door close,” Denice said. “It would be harder if you have a

house.”

David and Susan have a condo, too.

Susan said a lot of hosts sold their homes, “And they went all in with their campers.”

Also, Randy said, “You pretty much have to have an RV.”

Some hosts use tents, but most have motor homes or trailers.

Susan advises taking the leap.

“It sounds scarier than it is,” she said.

There were 24 people working at Bear Lake, their second stop, most of whom were couples.

“We made some really great friends,” Susan said. “It was really a neat way to meet people.”

She and David intend to eventually be home only during November and December and host the rest of the time.

In five years, Susan said they may re-evaluate and decide to do it on a voluntary basis.

“I can see that down the line,” Susan said.

However, “Dave likes the work,” she said.

“It just gives you a little extra pocket change to play around,” he said. Randy and Denice hosted four months of last year and plan the same this year. They love their lives in Portland, but now they love hosting, too.

As Randy put it, “I can’t imagine not doing it."

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Photo by Randy Bradbury

The view from Cape Foulweather, on the coast of Oregon, where Randy and Denice Bradbury were camp hosts last year. For a gallery of photos taken by the Bradburys and Cohrses, visit theactiveage.com.

Big Read

From Page 1

more than likely will go through.”

Rogers and Savannah Cole of the Wichita Public Library wrote the application that generated $20,000 from the National Endowment for the Arts for this year’s Big Read. Organizers had about 15 titles to choose from, but the subject matter seemed pertinent given the growing older population.

“It’s the first time we’ve really focused on the theme of aging and senior care,” Cole said. “We really hope to demonstrate respect for those who experience age-related decline as well as the people that care for them.”

It’s also the first year the Big Read here has featured a graphic novel. The term refers to Chast’s illustrations in the book, not explicit subject matter.

“A lot of people haven’t read a graphic novel before so that’s exciting for them,” Cole said. “And people really love the title, even if they don’t know

anything about it. It kind of makes them chuckle.”

While it might seem like the book is geared toward older adults and their caregivers, Cole hopes the book will also give younger readers “a deep understanding of their grandparents’ and parents’ experiences.”

In addition to spotlighting the book, the Wichita library is partnering with WSU, Friends University, the Tallgrass Film Festival and many other organizations to present a number of related events. Here are some::

• Big Read Kick Off, Sunday, March 12, 2-4 p.m., Advanced Learning Library, 711 W. 2nd St. The launch party will feature music, dancers from Metropolitan Ballet Wichita and art by local cartoonist Richard Crowson. Free copies of the book will be given away while supplies last. Cole noted that it’s the first in-person kick off of the Big Read since 2019.

• Big Read Mini Film Fest, Thursdays at 5:30 p.m. starting March 16, Advanced Learning Library. Each free film portrays challenges presented

Cartoonist Roz Chast drew on personal experience for her 2014 book, "Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant?"

by caregiving. There’s a film chat at The Monarch, 570 W. Douglas, following each movie. The movies are “The Notebook,” March 16; “Robert & Frank,” March 23; “The Farewell,” March 30; “Supernova,” April 6; “The Upside,” April 13.

• Community Topic Discussion, Sunday, April 1, 10-11 a.m., virtual

event featuring a panel of physicians from the Medical Society of Sedgwick County.

• Keynote: Roz Chast, Saturday, April 16, 6-7 p.m., WSU Metroplex, 5015 E. 29th St. N. Chast will discuss her work as a cartoonist and author, with a book signing after. For more information, visit wichitalibrary.org.

Big Read book takes on not-always pleasant subject

“Can’t We Talk About Something Pleasant” by Roz Chast (Bloomsbury, 2014, $19)

By Ted Ayres

Originally published in 2014, “Can’t

We Talk About Something More

Pleasant” won Roz Chast a National Book Critics Circle Award for autobiography and was also a finalist for the National Book Award. Of course, awards are nothing new for Chast, a staff cartoonist for The New Yorker. Since 1978, she has published more than 800 cartoons in that magazine while also contributing to Scientific

American and the Harvard Business Review. In recognition of her work, the Comics Alliance listed Chast as one of 12 female cartoonists deserving of lifetime achievement recognition.

She was elected to the American Philosophical Society in 2010. In May of 2017, she received the Alumni Award for Artistic Achievement at the Rhode Island School of Design commencement ceremony. Chast also holds honorary doctorates from Pratt Institute, Dartmouth College and the Art Institute of Boston at Leslie University.

“Can’t We Talk” is Chast’s first memoir, focusing on the last years of

her parents’ lives. Chast grew up in the Flatbush section of Brooklyn, the only child of George Chast, a high school French and Spanish teacher, and Elizabeth Chast, an assistant principal in an elementary school. Her parents were children during the Great Depression and, as for many, this had a great influence on their lives and that of their daughter, who was born in 1954.

Illustrated with Chast’s distinctive cartoons, the bool addresses a very difficult subject matter in a candid, poignant, caring and honest fashion, leavened with art and her humor. That subject matter is, of course, watching the physical degradation and mental decline of people you love.

As Chast makes clear, the aging

is

and heartbreaking. If you have ever had a friend or a family member in an assisted living facility or a memory care facility, you will identify with Chast’s writing. Chast also spends time addressing the topic of sorting and disposing of the family possessions, the physical embodiment her parents’ life together.

Contact Ted Ayres at ted.ayres@ shockers.wichita.edu.

process

difficult, expensive, excessively worrisome

Wives

From Page 1

wife was to keep the family going. When husbands were away, which was often, the wives raised the children, dealt with school and medical issues and carried out the day-to-day running of the household.

Previously, many had never lived away from their families. Now, they found themselves in a totally new environment and one in which they often could not depend on their husband’s presence for support. That’s when they rallied together for one another.

They offered help, shared knowledge and resources, watched out for each other’s children and provided comfort in difficult times. Whenever Susan Norwood heard the phone ring back in those days, she reminded herself “to be sensitive to the fact that whoever was calling may not be having as good a day as I was.”

As the officers’ careers advanced, so did the responsibility of the wives. During the three years that Nancy Brace’s husband served as base commander at McConnell Air Force Base, she was placed in a more formal support role. “I acted as an advisor along with the wing commander’s wife and the vice wing commander’s wife. We attended lots of meetings, shared information and made sure that all the wives were taken care of.”

Adapting to new living environments was a frequent challenge. Living quarters varied greatly with assignments depending on the country, the size of the military installation, timing and luck.

When available, military housing at the larger installations had its advantages. Spouses rarely had to leave the base as everything they needed was there. Medical care was readily available at the base hospital. Child care was available at the nursery, space permitting.

‘On the economy’

Some assignments meant living “on the economy”(military parlance) in off-base rentals that varied in comfort, convenience and amenities. This was taken in stride by the military wife who, in no time, made it home. But experience taught them not to get too comfortable. The next assignment would come with a new set of challenges.

Twila Cosentino remembers a four-and-a-halfyear stretch at Glasgow AFB in Montana where she learned to deal with frigid temperature and snow up to the rooftops. With their pilot husbands gone during the winter months, survival was a group activity. Peering out the window to see whose driveway looked the most promising, the wives met at the chosen home and shoveled enough snow to get one car out. Then, they all piled in to run errands together.

Another memorable assignment was when Twila accompanied her husband to the Royal Air Force base in High Wycombe, England. Although they lived in an older rental home requiring they lay down on their backs under the staircase to insert shillings in the meter to keep the gas stove operating, she nevertheless has fond memories of the experience. They especially enjoyed travelling to London by train, even though they were required to dress up wherever they went. She remembered, “This meant wearing high heels to the zoo.”

Cultural immersion

Sue Tanner moved more than 10 times with her school-age children. Her greatest concern was how these moves affected them. Mothers happily discovered that most children were quite resilient, adapting quickly to new schools and friends. In fact, Sue’s daughter, who graduated from high school in Germany, still keeps in touch with her classmates through Facebook.

Susan Norwood’s family spent three years north of Edinburgh, Scotland with few Americans nearby. The experience was a true cultural immergence. Her two children

attended school with the local children and soon sported Scottish accents. “We even came to understand the humor,” she said. Sharing meals with the RAF families was fun. But when Susan entertained, it often meant travelling a distance to the nearest U.S. Naval Base to obtain American staples like peanut butter and mayonnaise (not available in the little village) so her dishes would taste like those back home.

Long-lasting friendships developed. Some still keep in touch to the present day with a Christmas card, visit or get-together at military reunions.

Marilyn Beaver spent time in Morocco with her husband and developed a friendship with a next-door neighbor that has lasted over 50 years. Each year, Marilyn visits her friend in Sarasota, where they attend several operas together.

In case you are wondering, during this period of time, officers’ wives generally didn’t work. As Susie Moran explained, “Our job was being an officer’s wife.” Even as late as the 1970s, Sue Berk recalls the reaction when a colonel’s wife got a degree and full-time job. “It was the talk of the post” she said.

However, this wasn’t true in all cases. Pat DeVoss held nursing positions at local hospitals, working around her husband’s schedule. Flexible hours enabled her to attend scheduled events on base. “I never received any negative feedback. I think it depended on the type of work you did. Being a nurse was acceptable.”

Volunteer opportunities were plentiful. Typically, it was working in the nursery or thrift shop or decorating the Officers Club. However, some

opportunities were quite unique. While volunteering at the Ft. Sill Military Museum, it was discovered that Sue Berk was knowledgeable in the care of saddles. She was quickly transferred to the restoration department, where she restored Civil War saddles in the museum’s collection.

Tent City

Sue also remembers a time when the dentists at Kitzingen Army Airfield in Germany were desperate for dental assistants. They trained several of the officer’s wives and gave them regular part-time shifts. “No pay, of course,” she answered.

Nancy Brace will never forget April of 1975 when the fall of Vietnam caused thousands of refugees to flee to Guam. There, she and her husband were part of the all-out effort to build Tent City, housing thousands of refugees waiting to be resettled in the United States or elsewhere. The wives were vital in providing food, clothing and comfort to these families.

Remembering these and other experiences, the military wives of our Wichita Club all agree that these were wonderful years. Despite the hardships and being away from their husbands for long periods of time, most said they wouldn’t change a thing. They learned to become strong, independent women while enjoying the closeness that comes when neighbors become family.

Patti Sullivan is a board member of The Active Age and member of The Retired Officers Wives Club in Wichita.

The Retired Officers Wives club, seen here at Rolling HIlls Country Club, has been meeting for over 50 years.

Susan Norwood

Marilyn Beaver

Twila Consentino

Lack of wheels drives lifestyle changes

By Ted Blankenship

I am one of the few Americans not concerned about the cost of gasoline because the eye doctor told me I should give up driving. What? Just because I can’t see the road?

What can an old guy like me do when he needs a bolt or some nails? Send his wife to the store? Nope. She can’t drive either.

Maybe I could buy a horse. You don’t need a license to ride a horse I wonder if they took away a cowboy’s horse back in the Old West when the cowboy developed macular degeneration?

I quit driving about two years

ago and my wife about a year ago and we depend on neighbors, our grown children unfortunate enough to live near us, and county transportation to get us to and from appointments. We buy groceries in large amounts so we won’t run out of food, then run out anyway. It saddens us to look in the garage and not see any cars. But according to my wife, there’s more room for boxed Christmas decorations, the heaviest on the top shelves and the light ones on the bottom, of course.

Now that we’re walking “seniors,” Dorothy has fallen back on her favorite pastime, showing me where to move the heaviest rocks.

And now she plants stuff in big pots that seem heavier than they used to. She talked the grounds people into bringing in a big rock, which happily I have not yet had to move.

That’s because we gave away the crowbar, a gift from Dorothy’s Dad. It was a beauty, made from the drive shaft of some long-forgotten farm implement. It was heavier than most of the stuff we used it on.

When we’re not moving pots or begging someone to take us

March quiz: Name the name in that tune

By Nancy Wheeler

Identify the key person’s name that is mentioned in the following tunes. The answers appear on page 16.

1. “You got me rockin’ and a rollin’/ Rockin’ and a-reelin’” (Beach Boys).

2. “I’m begging of you please don’t take my man” (Dolly Parton).

March Theatre

By Diana Morton

Forum Theatre, at the Wilke Center, 1st United Methodist Church, 330 N. Broadway. Murder on the Orient Express. Ken Ludwig’s clever adaptation of the Agatha Christie classic boasts all the glamour, intrigue and suspense of her celebrated novel, with a healthy dose of humor to quicken the pace. 8 pm Thu-Sat, 2 pm Sun, now-Mar 5. Tickets $23-$25. Opening night ticket $18, Feb 16 only. 316-618-0444

3. “Take a sad song and make it better” (Beatles).

4. “Hang down your head, ____/ Hang down your head and cry” (The Kingston Trio).

5. ”Hands, touching hands/ Reaching out, touching me, touching you” (Neil Diamond).

Guild Hall Players, St. James Episcopal Church, 3750 E. Douglas. Three Sisters by Anton Chekhov. One of Chekhov’s four major plays, it chronicles three and a half years in the falling fortunes of the four children of a recently deceased colonel in the Russian army. 8 pm Thu-Sat, Mar 23-25, 7 pm Sun, Mar 26. Tickets $12, students $10. 316-683-5686 Mosley Street Melodrama, 234 N. Mosley. Beauty School Melodrama by Carol Hughes. It’s time again for the Dippity-Do Off, the annual contest

6. “Wake up, _____/ I think I got somethin’ to say to you” (Rod Stewart).

7. “Help me, _____/ Get her out of my heart” (Beach Boys-Brian Wilson).

8. “Well, if I ever have a boy, I’ll name him Frank or George or Bill or Tom” ( Johnny Cash /Shel Silverstein).

hosted by Mr. B’s Beauty School of Beauty. With their careers on the line, Barry, Bonnie, Pixie and Paul must survive three very tough competitions. A new musical comedy review, “Sock Hop and Soda Shop,” follows. Dinner

6:15 pm, show begins 7:50 pm. nowMar 18. Tickets $24-$38; Show only, $20. 316-263-0222

Roxy’s Downtown, 412 ½ E. Douglas, cabaret-style theatre. Two Gentlemen from Verona. Winner of Tony and Drama Desk Awards, this rock musical is a bawdier look at Shakespeare’s comedy of the same name. It beat out Grease and Stephen Sondheim’s Follies for Best Musical.

somewhere, we’re answering calls from the Philippine Islands or India, folks wanting to sell us health insurance.

It’s kind of confusing because other TV commercials urge us to sell our insurance policies for cash.

I can’t feel too sorry for myself about not driving, though.

As an anonymous ex-driver once said, “A car’s weakest part is the nut holding the steering wheel.”

Contact Ted at tblankenship218@ gmail.com

9. “All the lonely people/Where do they all come from?” (Beatles).

10. “But he could play a guitar just like a-ringin’ a bell” (Chuck Berry).

11. “Freedom is just another word for nothin’ left to lose” (Janis Joplin/ K. Kristofferson).

12. “Heaven holds a place for those who pray/Hey, hey, hey” (Simon & Garfunkel).

Thur-Sat, 8:00 pm, Sun, 2 pm, nowMar 3. Tickets $20-$30. 316-2654400

Wichita Community Theatre, 258 N. Fountain. Radium Girls by DW Gregory Tragic yet ultimately inspiring story of American female workers in the early twentieth century who endured some of the worst corporate negligence imaginable. 8 pm Th-Sat, 2 pm Sun, Mar 16-26. Tickets $15 or $13 for military/seniors/ students. Opening night ticket $11, Mar 16 only. 316-686-1282

Contact Diana Morton at dianamorton12@sbcglobal.net

How to cover dental care in retirement

Dear Savvy Senior, I had dental insurance through my work for many years but lost it when I retired and joined Medicare. Where can retirees find affordable dental care?

-Uninsured Al

Dear Al,

Unfortunately, about two-thirds of U.S. retirees don’t have dental insurance today. Without coverage from traditional Medicare, and with private dental insurance typically costing too much to be feasible, most seniors are stuck paying full out-ofpocket prices every time they visit a dentist. While there’s no one simple solution to affordable dental care there are a variety of options that can help cut your costs. Here’s where to look.

Medicare Advantage: While dental services are mostly excluded under original Medicare, many Medicare Advantage plans do provide coverage for dental care, but it’s usually very limited. Medicare Advantage plans are government-approved health

plans (usually HMOs and PPOs) sold by private insurance companies that you can choose in place of original Medicare. To shop and research Advantage plans in your area visit Medicare.gov/plan-compare or call 800633-4227.

Dental insurance: If you have gum problems and need extensive dental care, a dental insurance plan may be worth the costs versus paying for care yourself. Monthly premiums for individual plans range from about $20 to $80. A typical plan includes two or three cleanings and checkups per year, but these plans will likely have a waiting period — anywhere from a few months to a few years — before coverage for more expensive procedures kicks in. To find dental plans in your

area, see eHealthInsurance. com

Dental savings plans: While savings plans aren’t as comprehensive as insurance, they are a good option for those who don’t have dental insurance. How this works is you pay an annual membership fee — around $80 to $200 a year — in exchange for 10 to 60 percent discounts on service and treatments from participating dentists. To find a savings plan, go to DentalPlans.com (or 888-632-5353) where you can search for plans and participating dentists, as well as get a breakdown of the discounts offered.

Veterans’ benefits: If you’re a veteran enrolled in the VA health care program or are a beneficiary of the Civilian Health and Medical Program (CHAMPVA), the VA offers a dental insurance program that gives you the option to buy dental insurance through Delta Dental and MetLife at a reduced

Get to know the Kansas Silver Haired Legislature

By Monica Cissell

The Kansas Silver Haired Legislature is an important group of advocates in the state of Kansas. It’s composed of 125 representatives from across the state who work on behalf of adults 60 years and older during their two-year term.

The KSHL develops bills and resolutions which are presented to the Kansas Legislature and governor as recommendations for state policy. It also provides an educational experience in the political process for participants.

All are over 60 and are elected from the counties where they live. Most counties have a single representative except for Wyandotte, Johnson, Shawnee and Sedgwick counties, which have five additional delegates.

Several individuals in our tricounty area have expressed interest in serving in the 2023-2024 KSHL. This year, none of KSHL seats in our area are contested so there will be no election required. Appointments can still be made to the seats that are vacant.

Here are the candidates:

Sedgwick County

District 1 — Charlie King. Areas of interest include the legalization of marijuana, fully funding KPERS, expanding Medicaid, better local public transportation for older Kansans, protecting Medicare and the environment.

District 2 — Vacant

cost. The VA also provides free dental care to vets who have dental problems resulting from service. To learn more about these options, visit VA.gov/dental or call 877-222-8387.

Cheaper dental care: Because prices can vary by dentist, one way to ensure you get a good deal on your dental care is to call multiple provides and compare prices. To get an idea of what different dental procedures cost in your area, see FairHealthConsumer. org. If you’re paying cash, it’s also perfectly reasonable to ask your dentist for a discount.

There are also a number health centers and clinics that provide lowcost dental care to those in need. And all university dental schools and college dental hygiene programs offer dental care and cleanings for less than half of what you would pay at a dentist’s office. Students who are supervised by their professors provide the care. See TeethWisdom.org to search for a center, clinic or school near you.

Get more Savvy Senior by visiting theactiveage.com. Topics his month include:

District 3 — Vacant

District 4 — Jeanne Shove. Areas of interest include advancing legislation that would improve the well-being of older Kansans and offer affordable, convenient transportation.

District 5 — Donna Lehane. Areas of interest include supporting older Kansans so they have a voice in the issues that affect them the most At-large — Chuck Schmidt. Areas of interest include serving in the KSHL and advocating for older Kansans.

Butler County

Leroy Burton. Areas of interest include reducing property tax, eliminating sales tax on food and making high-speed internet affordable.

Harvey County Vacant

Your donations can help fund the KSHL’s advocacy efforts. Representatives are volunteers whose advocacy efforts are funded through their own contributions and donations. Expenses include travel to the annual conference for KSHL delegates, accommodations and educational materials.  Donations can be sent to CPAAA (Central Plains Area Agency on Aging), 271 W. 3rd st N., Suite 500, Wichita, KS 67202. Checks should be made out to KSHL.

Call 1-800-432-3924 to be added to CPAAA’s advocacy email list. Call 1-855-200-2372 for information on the KSHL and other programs or visit www.cpaaa.org

• How Much Do You Have to Make to File Taxes?

• Retiring Abroad? Tips and tools to help you make an informed decision

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

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

Enter contest for chance to win tickets to Cash-Diamond tribute show

The Active Age is giving away four pairs of tickets to the Johnny Cash & Neil Diamond tribute show at the Orpheum Theatre on Saturday, March 25. To qualify for the ticket drawing, correctly answer the following questions:

1. What song written by Neil Diamond became a hit both for him and Johnny Cash?

2. On what TV show did Neil Diamond perform alongside Johnny Cash?

Working Statewide So Communities Are Livable for People of All Ages

By 2030, one out of every five people in the United States will be age 65 or older. By 2034, the nation will have more older adults than children under 18 for the first time ever. That’s why AARP is working with local leaders nationwide to help towns, cities, counties, rural areas and even entire states become more livable for people of all ages. Learn more about AARP Livable Communities by visiting aarp.org/livable.

Mail your answers to The Active Age, 125 S. West St., Wichita, KS, 67213; or email them to joe@ theactiveage.com. Please put “tribute contest” in the subject line. Answer must be received or

postmarked by March 10. We will hold a drawing and notify winners soon after that date. Please include a telephone number where you can be reached.

Certified Senior Housing Professional ~ Committed to Seniors Call

Let me know how I can help you with Downsizing & Relocating. You have options & I would be glad to go over them with you. Give me a call today....Experience and Knowledge is Everything!

1. Barbara Ann 2. Jolene 3. Jude

4. Tom Dooley

6. Maggie May

7. Rhonda

8. Sue

9. Eleanor Rigby

10. Johnny B. Goode

11. Bobby McGee

12. Mrs. Robinson

Marketer, author Susan Armstrong joins board of The Active Age

It’s been a “year of firsts” for Susan Armstrong, and now she’s notched another one: She’s joined the board of The Active Age.

“I’m excited,” she said. “I really do love The Active Age.”

Armstrong retired recently from Armstrong Chamberlin, the marketing firm she started 40 years ago, and has now launched a new career as a writer of cozy mysteries. Since about this time last year she

has signed with a literary agent, landed a five-book deal with a publisher and has seen her first title, “Doomed by Blooms,” published.

Joining the Active Age board reconnects the Wichita native with the early part of her career, when she worked for the Hays Daily News after studying journalism at Fort Hays State. She worked for two Wichita firms before starting her own, which counted banks, universities, hospitals, nonprofits and many other organizations among its clients. She has served on the boards of Catholic Charities, Big Brothers Big Sisters and the Wichita Regional Chamber of Commerce.

Armstrong and her husband,

Lifelong Learning

Wichita State University is o ering six new Lifelong Learning courses this spring. The courses are FREE* for Kansas residents 60+ years old, if enrolled by February 8, 2023.

All courses will be o ered in-person and online. In-person classes will be held at 1-3 pm at the Wichita State University Metropolitan Complex located at 5015 E. 29th St. North. Online classes are available. Students who select this option will receive a link via email each week to view the class on their own device. Students can choose to watch the link live during the class time or can watch the recording at their convenience.

Bruce, have two sons, a grandson and granddaughter. In addition to enjoying travel, Armstrong said spending time with her grandchildren “is the real

pleasure. As we get older and have a little more time, those are the things we really treasure because life goes by so fast."

Art

that Divide the U.S.? | Tuesdays, Feb. 28 & March 7, 21, 28

Foreign Policy | Wednesdays, March 1, 8, 22 & 29 When

The Geology of Earthquakes| Fridays, March 10, 24, 31 & April 7 The Origins of Musical Storytelling: A Global Perspective | Mondays, April 10, 17, 24 & May 1

The History of Detective Fiction | Tuesdays, April 11, 18, 25 & May 2

Susan Armstrong

The Active Age needs your help updating our calendar! Please call Joe at 316-942-5385 or email joe@theactiveage.com with your current schedule.

Calendar of eventS

SedgwiCk County Senior CenterS

Note to readers: Senior center schedules and other events normally listed on this page are expected to be affected by the coronavirus through March. For information, call the numbers listed below.

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

GARDEN PLAIN

1006 N Main, 535-1155

GODDARD

120 N Main, 794-2441

HAYSVILLE

160 E Karla, 529-5903

KECHI

Kechi City Building, 744-0217, 744-1271

LA FAMILIA

841 W 21st, 267-1700

LINWOOD

1901 S Kansas, 263-3703

www.seniorservicesofwichita.org

MCADAMS GOLDEN AGE

1329 E 16th, 337-9222

MT HOPE 105 S Ohio, 667-8956

Butler County Senior CenterS

ANDOVER

410 Lioba Dr, 733-4441

www.andoverks.com

AUGUSTA

640 Osage, 775-1189

BENTON

Lion’s Community Bldg, S Main St

CASSODAY

Cassoday Senior Center

133 S. Washington, 620-735-4538

DOUGLASS

124 W 4th, 746-3227

EL DORADO 210 E 2nd, 321-0142

Senior wedneSdayS

www.seniorwednesday.org

March 1

10:30am Wichita Art Museum

1400 W. Museum Blvd., $2 admission. Fashioning Art from Paper.

1:30 pm Museum of World Treasures

835 E. 1st St. Railroaded with Leo Oliva with Free admission.

March 8

10 am Sedgwick County Zoo, 5555 Zoo Blvd. (316) 2668213, $4 ArachNOphobia.

1:30 pm Advanced Learning Library, 711 W, 2nd, (316) 2618500, Free. Bird Watching 101

March 15

10 am Ulrich Museum of Art, 1845 N. Fairmount. Ksenya Gurshtein: Curating Nature in the Floating World. March 22

10am Wichita-Sedgwick County Historical Museum, 204 S. Main. Info unavailable.

1:30 pm Mid American All-Indian museum. 650 N Seneca (316) 3503340, $2 + tax admission; free for MAAIM members. Info unavailable

danCeS

Augusta Sr Center, 640 Osage. . Info: 755-1189

Derby Sr Center, 611 Mulberry.

El Dorado Jam & Dance, Senior Center, 210 E 2nd.

Goldenrod Golden Age, 1340 S Pattie.

Linwood Golden Age, 1901 S Kansas.

Minisa Golden Age, 704 W 13th. Info 617-2560.

Mulvane, 101 E. Main (Pix Community Center

Second Tuesday of every month at 7-9pm.

Oaklawn Activity Center, 4904 S Clifton. Nick, 529-2792. Info: iamgary48@yahoo.com.

Orchard Park Golden Age, 4808 W 9th.

Park City Sr Center, 6100 N Hydraulic. 1st and 3rd Saturday 7-9:30 p.m. Info: 755-1060

Prairie Wind Dancers: Plymouth Congregational Church, 202 N Clifton. Joyce, 683-1122.

Village Steppers Square Dance, Oaklawn Activity Center, 4904 S Clifton.

Westside Steppers Square Dance, 1st and 3rd Sunday of each month, 6-8:30 p.m., West Heights United Methodist (entrance "D"), 745 N. Westlink Ave. Info: Sheldon Lawrence (316) 648-7590.

Wichita Solos Square Dance, For Info email: Curtis, wichitasolos@yahoo.com.

MULVANE

632 E Mulvane, 777-4813

NORTHEAST

2121 E 21st, 269-4444

www.seniorservicesofwichita.org

OAKLAWN

2937 Oaklawn Dr, 524-7545

ORCHARD PARK

4808 W 9th, 942-2293 seniorservicesofwichita.org

PARK CITY

6100 N Hydraulic, 744-1199

VALLEY CENTER

VC Community Center 314 E Clay, 755-7350

LEON

112 S Main, 745-9200 or 742-9905

ROSE HILL

207 E Silknitter, 776-0170

TOWANDA 317 Main, 776-8999

Open 10:30 am-5 pm Mon, Wed, Fri

WHITEWATER Legion Hall, 108 E Topeka

Harvey County

BURRTON

124 N Burrton, 620-463-3225

HALSTEAD 523 Poplar, 835-2283

HESSTON

Randall & Main, 620-327-5099

www.hesstonseniorcenter.com

GRAND CENTRAL

122 E 6th, Newton, 283-2222

www.grandcentralseniorcenter.com

SEDGWICK

107 W. Fifth, 772-0393

tranSportation

Sedgwick County

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

Butler County Transit

Weekday transportation in El Dorado, Augusta and Andover. Rides to Wichita on Wed, Thu. Information: Augusta, 775-0500; El Dorado, 322-4321; toll free, 1-800-2793655. 48-hr notice required.

Harvey County

Transportation reservations or information: 316-284-6802 or 1-866-6806802. Round-trip: $8 Newton (wheelchair only), $12 Harvey County, $20 outside Harvey County. AVI to Newton: Tue, 12:304:30 pm from Burrton, Sedgwick, Halstead, Hesston, Walton.

www.theactiveage.com

NOTE: AGING PROJECTS, INC. PLANNED TO MAKE FRIENDSHIP MEALS AVAILBALE THROUGH PICK UP AND DELIVERY IF NECESSARY. FOR INFORMATION, CONTACT YOUR LOCAL MEAL SITE OR CALL 316-686-0074

Friendship Meals

Aging Projects serves a hot, nutritious meal weekdays for persons 60 and older in Sedgwick, Harvey and Butler counties. Reservations are necessary. For locations and reservations, call 620-669-8201

WEEK OF MARCH 1

Wed: Turkey slice, mashed potato w/ gravy, three bean salad, pears, roll.

Thu: Goulash, corn, pineapple, garlic bread.

Fri: Tuna patty w/ tartar sauce, creamed peas & pot, strawberries, wheat roll.

WEEK OF MARCH 8

Mon: Creamed chicken over biscuit, broccoli, peaches, dry fruit w/ walnuts.

Tue: Ham & beans, potato w/ onions, parslied carrots, plums, cornbread.

Wed: Beef noodle casserole, green beans, mandarin oranges, bread.

Thu: Swedish steak, baked potato/ margarine, combination salad, dressing, stewed apples, oatmeal cake.

Fri: Chicken patty or fish set up with tartar sauce, bun, cole slaw with carrots, mixed fruit, brownie.

WEEK OF MARCH 15

Mon: Turkey hash, mixed vegetables, pineapple, bread, pistachios.

Tue: Liver & onions in gravy or beef cutlet in gravy, peas & carrots, mixed fruit, roll.

Wed: BBQ pork on bun, baked beans, broccoli salad w/ raisins, peaches.

Thu: Baked chicken, ,cauliflower w/ cheese, green beans, blushing pears, roll.

Fri: Tuna pasta aslad, combination salad, dressing, mandarin oranges, apple crisp.

WEEK OF MACRH 22

Mon: Meatloaf, mashed potato w/ gravy, parslied carrots, peaches, roll.

Tue: Mexican pork stew, crackers, hominy, apricots, cornbread.

Wed: Southwest chicken bake, peas, mandarin oranges, roll.

Thu: Sloppy joes on bun, potato wedges, bean medley salad, pineapple.

Fri: Cheesy potato & egg bake, broccoli, mixed fruit, coffee cake w/ cherries.

WEEK OF MARCH 29

Mon: Ham chowder, green beans, mandarin oranges, cornbread, dry fruit w/ walnuts .

Tue: Taco salad (lettuce, tomato, cheese, chips) salsa, banana, pineapple.

Wed: Scalloped chicken, broccoli, pickled beets, peaches.

Thu: Calico beef and beans, cole slaw w/ carrots, pears, roll.

Fri: Oven fried fish w/ tartar sauce, macaroni & cheese, spinach, strawberries, molasses cookie.

* Milk is served with all meals. Meals fall within the following ranges: Carlories 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

F

CEMETERY PROPERTY FOR SALE F

Single Plot – Resthaven Cemetery –Garden of the Cross 46A1 $4500 OBO

Email: arkpegram@cox.net OR 479-644-6680

Serious inquires only

Resthaven, Garden of the Cross. 2 plots, last plots in area, side by side. $2,900 each plus trans-fer fee. 316-641-0889

White Chapel, Nativity area, Single plot $1,000 plus transfer fee. 316-641-0889

Lakeview Gardens, Masonic Section. Lot #113Block B - Graves 1 & 2 side by side. Selling Together for $2,895 ($5,790 regular) Seller pays $295 transfer fee. 316-393-8798. If no answer leave a message.

2 adjoining plots at Resthaven in Garden of Love, Lot #106. $5,795 each includes transfer fee. Cash or certified check only. Call Shelly 316-841-5891. Lakeview Gardens, Garden of the Apostles Lot 16, spaces 5&6 along with 2 Eternal Rest caskets $4295- Transfer fee included (316-648-1338)

Two Lakeview burial. Located in Apostles Garden. Two spaces #5&6 w/ 2 eternal rest caskets(deluxe). Sold together $7,400. Call 316-209-6905. Leave Message. Serious inquires only.

Resthaven, Garden of the Lord’s Prayer, lot 6-C spaces 3&4. $3,500 each plus transfer fee. Call 316-650-4196

4 lots at Resthaven Sermon on the Mount. $1,900 per lot or $7,500 for ALL. Seller will pay transfer fee. Call 903-277-4140.

Rare Availability of Two Spaces in Old Mission Mausoleum, Wichita Both spaces in Room “L”. Value $15,000 each, priced to sell quickly at $7,500 each OBO. Call Jim 704-791-9111, email jtodd815@me.com

Double stacker plots w/stone at Lakeview Cemetery. Purchased for $8,000. Asking $5,000. Buyer Pays transfer fee of $295. Call 316-665-7445.

Lakeview. 2 lovely side by side plots in Garden of Holy Rosary. Spaces 11&12 lot 25. Asking $3,000 each. Call 281-253-1991, leave message.

NICHE Old Mission Mortuary, Mission chapel Mausoleum. Northwest gallery, Row C Level 5, $2,500 Plus transfer fee of $299. Call for details 316-258-8822.

Old Mission Cemetery, Garden of Devotion; 2 adjoining plots Section A Row H Spaces 25&26; $2,000 OBO. (316) 684-4230

Resthaven, Garden of Last Supper, plot 43C Section 6, Spaces 3&4, $3,000 each. 2 cement Crypts $600 each plus transfer fees. 316-263-7179

Lois Thompson

Serving families for 30 years with preneed arrangements at all Dignity Memorial Locations

316-516-8815 316-722-2100

Prairie Express Courier and Delivery Services

• Will deliver packages, crates, parts, etc.,

• Transport people for errands such as grocery store, airport, doctors’ appointments, etc. Call/Text 316-640-6327

CUSTOMIZED ESTATE SALES GREATER PROFITS WITH LESS STRESS Insured with 20 years experience Free Consultations 316-806-7360 Julie

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

Derby, Haysville, Mulvane, Rose Hill, Wichita

Exterior & Intereior. House painting, siding, decks, fences. Build, repair and stain. Free Estimates and references. See us on angieslist.com.

Keith Kimball 316-250-2265 or 316-789-9639 Be Blessed. Thank you

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

Vintage 36” cherry drop down desk, 1890’s era. 4-drawer, very nice appraised at $2,500

Sell $1,250

3 Wheel scooter with charger & cord, 300lb. max, 5 mph, excellent condition $850

Call 316-733-1050

FOOT CARE IN YOUR HOME

Cheryl Rosine ~ The Foot Lady ICMT RN

• 316-312-2025 • Benjamin Jones ~ CNAICR

• 316-932-8524•

$40 : In-home, Sedgwick & surrounding counties

Diabetic, thick toe nails, ingrown & callous care

Foot Care in home. Home visit $40.00 Call Francine at 316-943-4360. Leave a message.

Downsizing?

Don't have an Auction, or Estate Sale. We Buy Entire Estates. Call Kelly 316-283-8536. Furniture Warehouse 200 Main Newton, KS

Hauling Handyman Brush, Junk /Trash Removal MISC. ODD JOBS, NO JOB TOO SMALL Honest & Reasonable. 316-807-4989.

Alpine Hauling and Junk removal

28 YR EXPERIENCED LICENSED HOME HEALTH AIDE Providing rides to Dr etc. Home Health Care Specializing in Dementia/Diabetes. Ref avail. Kay 316-882-9127

Private Duty Aide with light house keeping. Availability evenings and weekends. References upon request. Cynthia CNA/HHA 316-992-6711

Private Care Wanted Registered nurse with 30 yrs medical experience 18 years hospice case managment experience 316-612-2997

CNA-Home Health Aide Will do personal care & household duties, Grocery shopping & transport to appointments. Reasonable Rates. 316-516-2149

F HELP

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED TO DELIVER MEALS ON WHEELS

Routes are open each weekday to deliver a lunchtime meal. Thursday & Friday has the most open routes. If interested please visit our website at https://seniorservicesofwichita.org/ meals-on-wheels/ and fill out then submit the application online at the bottom of the page. No walk ins please. All volunteers must be prescreened prior to delivering routes. F

Retail Store, answering phones, waiting on customers, run errands. Call 316-945-4722

Looking for help: Companion Care only, days and/or overnights, no work duties just companionship, 1 or more days a week. Also looking for part time driver, afternoon or early evening, 3 days a week. College Hill Area. Cmurphy9973@icloud.com

WANTED F F HOME IMPROVEMENTS F

Dave’s Improvements

General Contractor Lic #7904

Roofing, Siding, Doors, Gutters, Windows, Storm damage repair, Senior Discount.

316-312-2177

Handyman RX- We have a remedy for almost all of your “fix-it” jobs! Light carpentry including deck and fence repair, indoor misc. repairs and installations, lawn mowing “LG or SM”, Yard & Garage clean-up, mulching, hauling miscellaneous,hauling dirt, sand, and rock/gravel upto 3.5 tons. What you need done I can probably handle. Call for HELP!

Brian 316-217-0882. Free Estimates

Cowboy Construction Remodeling, siding, decks, fences, windows, doors and more. 20 years locally owned. Free estimates. Senior discounts. Todd Wenzel 316-393-4488

S

LIFT-RITE

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.

FENCING

Professional fence install and fence repair. Call or text 316-821-6341

Serving west Wichita, Goddard and Cheney

FOOT CARE F

F EVENTS

BRICK & STONE WORK OF ANY KIND

Tuck-pointing, foundation & chimney repair. Insured. Free Estimates. CALL DAN 316-516-3949

Jesus Landscaping Complete lawncare. Spring clean-up * Aeration * Over Seeding Gutter cleaning * Fencing * Landscape install/maintain * Shrub/tree trimming/removal Call for a free estimate! 316-737-3426 or 316-631-5984

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All Season Clean Up Lawn Care Quality Lawn Care • Yard Clean Up Tree Trimming • Gutter Cleaning Fall through Spring raking. Free estimates, senior discounts. 316-409-8780.

Hauling Handyman Brush, Junk /Trash Removal MISC. ODD JOBS, NO JOB TOO SMALL Honest & Reasonable. 316-807-4989.

Christian Lawn Care

Mowing-$20, verti-slicing, core-aerating, overseeding, new lawns, mulching flower beds, fall cleanup, leaves, shrub trimming and removal, gutter cleaning, hauling. Pampas trimming & cleanup.Senior discount.

Steve 316-685-2145

Westside Lawn Service Fall cleanup. SNOW REMOVAL Bush and hedge trimming, bed work, mulching, gutter cleaning, odd jobs and hauling. Free estimates. 316-339-4117.

Mike E. 316-708-1472 SNOW REMOVAL BRICK, BLOCK AND STONE repair. Garage clean out, gutter cleanup, hauling, roto-tilling. APPLIANCE REMOVAL

Next Generation Landscaping

Lawn Maintenance * Fence Install/Repair * Leaf Clean-up * Gutter Cleaning. Landscaping* Tree Trimming * Household Repairs Free estimates, senior discounts. Se Habla Espańol Luis 316-550-2682

Twin Brothers Lawn Service

Including Home Repairs/Handyman Service. Mowing, scalping, tree trimming, bushes, complete Fall/Spring clean-up, PAINTING, power washing, haul off, weekly maintenance/free estimates. 28 years of experience.

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Sharp Edges Lawn Care Service

• Mowing

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• And MORE Call/Text 316-640-6327

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Clean Cut Lawncare:

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Freedom Lawn Services

Residential/Commercial Weekly/Bi Weekly Mowing Spring/Fall Leaf Cleanups

• Hedge trimming • Mulching

Locally owned and operated with over 15 years of combined experience. (316) 670-3023

Affordable Painting

F SERVICES F

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We buy everything

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Residential & Commercial

F WANTED F

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Abilene’s Eisenhower Presidential Museum worth a new look

By Beccy Tanner KMUW

ABILENE — For decades, a trip to Abilene offered visitors a chance to see how Dwight Eisenhower rose through the military ranks to become one of the nation’s top generals and later, the nation’s 34th president.

But now, after undergoing the first major renovation of its permanent galleries and exhibits since 1971, the Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum in Abilene has a new look and feel. Decades after the Eisenhower administration, “I like Ike” is taking on new meaning.

The library and museum annually attract more than 200,000 visitors, making it one of the top Kansas tourist destinations. But many of its visitors were born long after Eisenhower’s lifetime and may not always understand his prominence in the world.

“At the end of the war, (World War II), Ike is thinking globally,” said William Snyder, the Eisenhower Museum’s curator. “He was all about involving everyone and being friends with everyone — even if they were your adversaries. (Eisenhower believed) there had to be common ground and a way that we could live together.

“During his administration, the standard of living is dramatically raised in the United States. It really demonstrates what an effective leader he was and that much was done behind the scenes.”

Civil rights were advanced in the Eisenhower administration, NASA was founded, and the interstate highway system was started.

When the Eisenhowers returned to Abilene following the end of World War II, the couple was approached by town leaders who wanted to create a museum telling the story of Eisenhower — how he attended West Point and became the supreme commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force in Europe. Eisenhower, however, thought the museum’s focus should be more of a memorial honoring those who had served during the war.

Later, the 22-acre complex also became the site of his Presidential

Library.

The new exhibits showcase Mamie and Dwight Eisenhower as a couple.

There were Mamie bangs – the first lady’s signature hairstyle — Mamie Pinks, for her favorite color. Ike’s passion for painting and his love of golf also are on display.

“He was always working, even on the golf course,” Snyder said. “You look at his appointment schedule and you see he is talking with other world leaders, other political leaders.

“The other thing about golfing is that he was showing that the president of the United States is comfortable enough going out on the course. You can’t live your life in fear. This was the Cold War and people lived in fear of the Soviets dropping the bomb on us.”

Several of the iconic Eisenhower artifacts are still showcased. Visitors can still see the electric car that belonged to Ike’s mother-in-law, Elvira Doud. They can see his staff car used through World War II and into his presidency; the collection of pearl necklaces and earrings that belonged to his wife; the table Eisenhower used to plan strategy as the commander of the D-Day invasion at Normandy, France; and the Order of Victory medal he received from the Soviet Union.

There is even a piece of the Eisenhower’s wedding cake from July 1, 1916.

“It was found in Mamie’s parents’ home in the attic when her mother passed away in the early 1960s,” Snyder said. “It had been preserved all those

years.”

The renovation closed the museum in the spring of 2018 and when it was finished, much of the nation was in shutdown because of the Covid-19 pandemic. Now, things are back in full swing.

Snyder said that since the Eisenhowers left the White House, their popularity has risen as more classified information has become unsealed and released to the public. Simply put, more information is available to tell the Eisenhower story.

The Eisenhower campus has five buildings: the library, the museum, the visitors center, Eisenhower’s boyhood home and a chapel.

A man of profound faith, Eisenhower started the National Prayer Breakfast and added two words to the Pledge of Allegiance — “under God.”

Visitors learn how proud Eisenhower was of being a hometown boy from Abilene, the Kansas town that shaped and made him into the man he was.

They see he came from a poor family of all boys and that Mamie came from an affluent family.

And there is more about Mamie,

inclThere is a campaign video encouraging women to vote for Ike because a vote for Ike meant Mamie would remain in the White House.

“The women of our country swept Dwight D. Eisenhower into office four years ago,” a voice-over on the ad says. “They will probably decide the election, and they like Ike, and here’s somebody else they like: Ike’s beloved Mamie, whose smile and modesty and easy natural charm make her the ideal First Lady. Let’s keep our First Lady in the White House four more years.”

And then, there is a special gallery exhibit called By-The-Numbers.

“As you may know, President Eisenhower was a hobby painter, something he didn’t take up until a couple of years before he was elected president … maybe at the urging of his good friend Winston Churchill, who was also a hobby painter,” Snyder said

Friends and celebrities often gave the Eisenhowers completed paintby-number works. The collection is impressive.

There is even reference to an Eisenhower scandal at the White House.

“So, you’ll see the … large color photograph of what the Eisenhowers used as the Master Bedroom in the White House,” Snyder said. “They caused a bit of a scandal because Ike and Mamie not only slept in the same room but the same bed together.

“Mamie saw all the raised eyebrows in D.C., and she’s like, ‘We have spent so much of our married life sleeping apart, that we’re going to sleep together, and I basically don’t care what anybody else thinks.’ ”

If you go: The Eisenhower Presidential Museum and Library is open Tuesdays through Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

It is closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day.

Briefs

‘Old school’ potato bake on way

A St. Patrick’s Day potato bake is planned to raise money for the McCormick School Museum from 5-7 p.m. Saturday, March 18.

The menu includes baked potatoes with toppings, salad and a variety of crisps and cobbers for dessert. The suggested donation is $10 for adults, $5 for children under 12. Music will also be featured at the dinner will be held in the historic museum building, which located at 855 S. Martinson.

Organizers plan to bake the potatoes in the building’s boiler room, which was the traditional way of preparing them when the school was

in operation. RSVPs are encouraged to mccormickmuseum@gmail.com or cdavie@cox.net. For information, call (316) 558-5804 or (316) 708-0676.

Meatless Mexican dinners back

Meatless Mexican dinners prepared by parishioners at Our Lady of Perpetual Help, 2409 N. Market, will be sold each Friday during Lent through March 31.

The menu includes cheese and onion enchiladas, tostadas, potato tacos, chile rellenos and more. Proceeds support scholarships to send parish children to area Catholic schools.

The meals are available for dine in or carry out from 5-7 p.m..

The Eisenhower Presidential Library features new exhibits.

Documentary explores how Wichita plane crash left families (like mine) frozen in time

By Mark McCormick Kansas Reflector

After a fully fueled KC-135 military tanker crashed into what was then a segregated Wichita neighborhood, my sister Chan chose not to believe our 5-year-old cousin, Tracy Randolph, had died in the fiery 1965 disaster.

Chandra McCormick, weeks from her 12th birthday, watched soap operas with our great-grandmother, Jessie Pearl Holloway, whom we called Big Mama. Chan borrowed a common storyline from the shows and told herself Tracy had just lost her memory. When her amnesia lifted, Tracy would come home.

But that Saturday morning crash — still considered Kansas’ deadliest air disaster — killed 30 people, including Tracy, our grandmother Mary Daniels (we called her Little Mama), our uncle C.L. Daniels and our cousin Clyde Holloway.

Documentarians Kevin Harrison, Riccardo Harris and Kenneth Hawkins want to re-examine the grief of survivors from that Jan. 16 morning — people either carrying that grief and continuing to live, or those who coped by existing because living felt impossible.

Interviewing them convinced me that I needed to look no further than my childhood household for various expressions of grief, though my mother and my aunt almost never spoke of it.

The tanker had just left

McConnell Air Force Base outside Wichita but struggled to climb. As a crash seemed imminent, the crew began dumping fuel, but the plane dived into a vacant lot. A cascade of 32,000 gallons of jet fuel and fire incinerated a dozen homes.

The entire crew died. The crash gouged a crater 15 feet deep. The emotional trauma ran deeper. Several children died, as did an entire family. The accident left others homeless.

A Kansas Historical Society article praised the initial disaster response but said “that help started to wane.” It described the temporary survivor housing as “rundown and unsafe.”

It described the legal settlements as “disappointing.”

“One family received just $400,” the article said, while the average settlement stood at $13,000, minus the 20 percent that went to attorney fees.

1841 N. Rock Rd. Ct., Suite 200 Wichita, KS 67206

Phone: (316) 708-8848

Office: (316) 684-4272

Fax: (316) 684-5212

Many survivors wondered whether the payouts would have been more substantial had they been white.

Segregation, according to D.W. Carter, author of “Mayday Over Wichita,” forced Black people into a small area, boosting the death toll. Wichita then ranked as one of the nation’s most segregated cities. The documentary intends to excavate all this ground.

“My interest in this story increased as I learned more about the victims,” said Harris, who is my cousin and executive director of GEAR UP at Wichita State University. I attended KU with both him and Harrison in the late 1980s. “I hope the unheard voices of the victims — those who died and those left behind — can finally be heard and understood.”

Harrison, an assistant professor for the Cohen Honor College at WSU, said previous books and films about the crash didn’t sufficiently examine survivors’ emotions.

“Every rung of Maslow’s ladder expresses the desire to be heard and understood,” Harrison said, referring to the model of basic human needs. “This project was an opportunity to give a voice to the voiceless.”

Harrison said previous projects identified victims’ names and addresses. He intends to dig deeper.

“Stories give us power,” he said. “I want to explore real emotion.”

A $10,000 Kansas Humanities Council grant funds the project, along with a partnership with Omega Psi Phi Fraternity. Robert Weems Jr., a professor of Business History at WSU, serves as project consultant. They plan to screen the film at the park near the crash site this spring.

I wasn’t born until 1967. Still, the

Guest Column

crash never seemed far away.

I was an adult, for example, before learning from my sister that my aunt Laura Faust, Tracy’s mother, doted over every boy-child in the family, but never had much to do with the girls, who likely reminded her too much of Tracy. Much of what I know, my sister shared.

Chan shared a particularly cruel story about witnesses claiming to have seen a child, engulfed in flames, running from one of the homes and collapsing. Someone asked our aunt if that child was Tracy.

Horrified, I asked how she replied.

“She didn’t,” Chan said. “She just closed her eyes and lowered her head.”

When loved ones die, "what ifs” and our memories can act as comforting counterweights when pain starts to circle. But with a child, the what ifs must seem gargantuan because of what the child never had a chance to become. My aunt suffered quietly, dying at 65.

My sister planned to visit our grandmother’s house that morning but overslept.

She awoke to my aunt leaving to drop Tracy at Little Mama’s. Chan started walking there later, but along the way, the ground shook and black smoke filled the air. Where our grandmother’s house stood, she saw a lake of fire.

“I was numb,” she said. “It didn’t seem real.”

The grief stricken can find themselves locked in a moment, compressing a traumatizing incident into perhaps its worst instant.

A child might do what my sister did, create a magical narrative as a means of coping.

An adult might do what my aunt Laura did — hold it in, withdraw, and struggle through life existing because she couldn’t peel back enough of the grief to really live.

People grieve differently, doing their best to move from one moment to the next and secure some semblance of safety and control.

In 1965’s segregated Wichita, neither our family nor our neighbors — however we grieved — really had much of either.

Mark McCormick is former executive director of The Kansas African American Museum, a member of the Kansas African American Affairs Commission and deputy executive director at the ACLU of Kansas. This piece first appeared at kansasreflector. com.

a local Medicare and Retirement Specialist.

Wichita area seniors for more than 6 years. Annual Enrollent is right around the corner.

Mark McCormick's aunt and mother are shown in a new documentary about the 1965 crash of a fuel tanker in a Wichita neighborhood. His 5-year-old cousin, Tracy Randoph, was among those killed.

McCormick

Four-square fitness

Strength, endurance, balance and flexibility are all important

By Joe Stumpe

When it comes to exercise, my super-fit mother-in-law follows a simple philosophy: Some is better than none, and more is better than some.

I think that’s one reason why she survived a life-threatening medical scare in her mid ‘80s and is back to walking several miles a day (some other good habits, such as eating right and following her doctors’ advice, no doubt helped).

The “more” in her approach to physical activity refers not just to volume or duration but to variety of exercise, a strategy that’s been promoted for several years by the National Institute on Aging. By engaging in exercises that specifically target four different attributes — endurance, strength, balance and flexibility — we can achieve better overall fitness than by focusing on, say, just endurance.

This is not to say that you can’t continue to enjoy one type of activity as your primary form of exercise. If you love walking, bicycling, golfing or gardening, there’s no need to cut back; that enjoyment is the best guarantee you’ll stay active. Instead, the idea is to add in at least a bit of what your favorite particular activity lacks.

Walking and biking, for instance, both require endurance and balance but little in the way of upper body strength or flexibility. However, after you’ve finished a walk or bike ride is the perfect time to spend a few minutes on strength and flexibility exercises since your body is already warmed up. Even swimming — considered the “perfect” exercise by some — lacks balance and flexibility components that a few minutes outside the pool can address.

Joining a gym, taking part in group exercise or engaging a personal trainer can jump-start your fitness quest, but there’s plenty you can do in the privacy of your own home. Here are some exercises and tips from the NIA for

finding “four-square” fitness: ENDURANCE

By their nature, endurance exercises require the most time. They are arguably the most important of our four groups since they improve our cardiovascular health and ability to enjoy life while also helping prevent diseases such as diabetes and cancer.

Goal: Build up to at least 150 minutes of activity per week that elevates your heart rate and makes you breathe moderately hard. It’s not necessary to get all your daily activity at one time. In fact, breaking it up may help you avoid sitting for long periods at a time, which is not good for the health. Follow the usual safety precautions such as drinking enough water and stopping if you feel unwell.

Good endurance exercises:

• Brisk walking or jogging

• Yard work (mowing, raking)

• Dancing

• Swimming

• Biking

• Climbing stairs or hills

• Playing pickleball, tennis or basketball

STRENGTH

Sufficient strength makes everyday activities like climbing stairs and carrying grocery bags easier and can help prevent falls, both indispensable for independent living.

Goal: Exercise all your major muscle groups at least two times a week (but not two days in a row). Increase the weight or number of repetitions performed if they become too easy, and don’t forget to breathe throughout.

Good strength exercises (do two sets of each):

Overhead lift: Press light weights, water bottles or soup cans over your head 10-15 times, starting with your arms at a 90-degree angle and pausing briefly at the top of each repetition before lowering.

Curl: Curl light weights, water bottles or soup cans 10-15 times,

starting with your arms by your side, palms facing out, and pausing briefly when the weights reach your shoulders.

Wall Push-ups: Stand about an arm’s length from a wall, lean your upper body towards the wall and push yourself back to your original position with your arms. Repeat 10-15 times.

Hand squeeze: Squeeze a tennis ball 3-5 seconds for 10 times with each hand.

Chair dips: Sitting in a sturdy chair with arms, use your triceps and leg muscles to lift yourself out of the chair, then slowly lower yourself back onto the chair. Repeat 10-15 times.

BALANCE

Improving your balance can help prevent falls, a frequent cause of serious injuries to older adults.

Goal: 4-5 times weekly.

Good balance exercises: One-foot stand: Stand on one foot for 10 seconds while holding onto a chair with one or two hands, your fingertips or no hands. Repeat 10-15 times with each foot.

Balance steps: While holding your arms straight out to the side, slowly walk forward while lifting your knees waist high for 20 steps.

Heel-to-toe steps: Place the heel of one foot directly in front of the toe of your other foot and repeat for 20 steps, using a wall for balance if needed.

Tai Chi, an ancient form of self-defense developed in China that involves shifting the body slowly and gently. Online and in-person classes

are widely available.

FLEXIBILITY

The ability to move freely makes it easier to tie your shoes, swivel your head while driving and perform many other routine tasks.

Goal: 4-5 times weekly (preferably after other form of exercise).

Good stretching exercises:

Back stretch: Sit in a chair equipped with arms, turning until one hand rests on your opposite knee and the other hand on the chair’s arm; hold for 10-30 seconds and repeat 3-5 times both sides.

Inner thigh stretch: Lie on your back with your legs bent and feet on the floor; let one leg one drop as far to the side as comfortable, hold for 10-30 seconds and repeat 3-5 times with each leg.

Ankle stretch: Sit in a chair with your legs stretched in front of you and your feet resting on their heels. Point the toes of one foot away until you feel slight tension, hold for 10 seconds, then point toes straight up for 10 seconds. Repeat with both feet, singly and together, 3-5 times.

Hamstring stretch: Lie on your back with one leg bent and one leg straight. Raise straight leg as high as possible, bending as necessary, and grab behind the calf with both hands. Hold 10-30 seconds, repeating with each leg 3-5 times.

For videos of exercises and more information, visit nia.nih.gov

Family Features

Meat your new healthy dinners

Eating right doesn’t mean giving up meat and other favorite foods. What it really means is enjoying them in moderation, prepared in ways that don’t add excess calories or fat (but still qualify as tasty!). Follow other common-sense steps — such as getting exercise and plenty of sleep, avoiding stress and not smoking — and dishes like these fit right into a healthy lifestyle.

Greek-style Flank Steak with Tangy Yogurt Sauce

Marinade:

1/4 cup lemon juice

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 teaspoons fresh oregano, chopped (or 1 teaspoon dried)

1 tablespoon garlic, minced (2-3 cloves)

Salt and pepper, to taste

1 beef flank steak (12 oz.)

Yogurt Sauce:

1 cup cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped

1 cup nonfat plain yogurt

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 tablespoon fresh dill, chopped (or 1 1/2 teaspoons dried)

1 tablespoon garlic, minced (2-3 cloves)

1/2 teaspoon salt

To make marinade: In large bowl, combine lemon juice, olive oil, oregano, garlic, salt and pepper.

Lay steak in flat container with sides and pour marinade over steak. Marinate several hours, occasionally turning.

To make yogurt sauce: Combine cucumber, yogurt, lemon juice, dill, garlic and salt. Set yogurt sauce aside at least 15 minutes to blend flavors. Sauce can be prepared up to 1 hour in advance and refrigerated.

Grill, broil or pan fry steak over medium high heat about 5 minutes per side, or until internal temperature reaches 130 degrees for medium rare (140 for medium well). Let rest, covered, 5 minutes before slicing across grain. Serve with yogurt sauce. For a gyro, serve in pita bread with lettuce and tomato.

Baked Pork Chops with Apple Cranberry Sauce

Pork Chops:

4 boneless pork chops (about 3 oz. each)

Salt and pepper, to taste

1 orange, divided use

1/2 tablespoon olive oil

Sauce:

1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth

1 medium apple, peeled and grated (about 1 cup)

1/2 cinnamon stick

1 bay leaf

1/2 cup dried cranberries

1/2 cup orange juice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

To prepare pork chops: Season pork chops with salt, pepper and zest of orange.

In large saute pan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add pork chops and brown on both sides. Remove pork chops from pan, place on nonstick baking sheet and bake about 8 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 145 degrees. Remove from oven and cover to keep warm when done.

While pork cooks, add chicken broth to saute pan and stir to loosen brown bits from pork chopsco. Add grated apples, cinnamon stick and bay leaf and cook until apples begin to soften.

Add cranberries and orange juice. Bring to boil then lower heat to gentle simmer. Simmer about 10 minutes, or until cranberries are plump and apples are tender. Remove cinnamon stick and bay leaf.

Peel orange and cut into eight sections.

Serve one pork chop with 1/4 cup sauce and two orange segments. Recipes adapted from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.

When a loved one is facing the end of life, make the most of the time you have.

Lean on Heart & Soul Hospice. Our care team sets the benchmark for excellence when it comes to intimate and compassionate patient-focused care.

Don’t delay. Let us provide the care you need.

The time (to come together) is now.

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