May 2023

Latinos face tough choice

Uphold cultural tradition or trust strangers to care for their parents?

By Stefania Lugli

Planeta Venus/The Active Age

Two tasks start Elizabeth Montes’ day: a morning prayer and a routine check to make sure her mother woke up, too.

Then: breakfast. Medication. Food. Shower. Hospice. More food. Standby in case her mother decides to make a trek for the kitchen. Bedtime. And, usually, a 2:30 a.m. wakeup call from Montes’ mother’s low blood sugar demanding attention.

“It gets very tiring. I can’t leave her by herself for a long time,” Montes, 63, said in an interview. “The other day she woke up, went to the bathroom [by herself] and I heard her yell out, ‘Help! Help!’ When I find her in the hallway, she goes, ‘I can’t find my room. Where is my room?’”

Evangelina Rubio, 88, laid on her side, quiet, keeping eyes trained on her

daughter as she divulged details of her mother’s recent years: health scares that took her to grave’s edge and back, a garden of orange pill bottles that’s grown by each passing spring and taking advantage of any resource that comes Montes’ way.

Latinos like Montes tend to shoulder the responsibility of caring after aging family members, which commonly forces adult children into a taxing position: to keep caregiving inhouse, they find themselves shut out from the rest of the world.

Montes was a priest at St. John’s Episcopal Church until the end of 2021, when both her and her mother got severe cases of Covid. They both recovered, but Montes never returned to work while her mother never returned to her old health.

Montes always knew, as the oldest of three, that any geriatric care would

ultimately fall on her shoulders.

“When you come from a traditional Mexican family, as the oldest, you’re it,” she said. “I have no regrets. But it gets lonely and frustrating, especially not being able to do all the things you want to do

or when I’m left wondering what my capabilities are outside of my mom’s care. A lot happens in your head when you’re in isolation.”

Montes also has soured relationships with both her sister and

WSU prof: Quivira civilization underestimated

ARKANSAS CITY — An early Great Plains civilization centered around the Arkansas River was much bigger and more influential than previously thought, says a Wichita State professor of anthropology.

Don Blakeslee, who's been conducting archaeological research here for a decade, said recent discoveries challenge the view of the Plains as being sparsley populated and less culturally advanced than other pre-Columbian societies.

In 2017, Blakeslee claimed to have confirmed the location of an ancient Native American settlement known as Etzanoa in a spot near Arkansas City where it had long been suspected.

Now, Blakeslee says Etzanoa was part of a nation called Quivira that totalled more than 200,000 people. Ancestors of today's Wichita tribe,

they traded goods across North America and even had a previously unknown common language, he says.

“It’s going to revolutionize our view of the Great Plains societies, and it already has for me and my students,” Blakeslee said in a news release from the school.

“Charles Mann wrote (in the book) ‘1491’ about the thriving Native American societies before the time of Columbus in South America, Central America and the American Southeast, but when

he talked about the Great Plains, he called them distant and sparsely

See Quivira, page 9

Photo by Fernando Salazar

As the oldest child in a Latino family, Elizabeth Montes says she knew it would be her responsibilty to care for her mother, Evangelina Rubio.

Photo courtesy of Wichita State University Wichita State University professor Don Blakeslee and students conduct an archaeology dig near Arkansas City.

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‘Aging Unbound’ is theme of Older Americans Month

By Monica Cissell

Older Americans Month — originally called Senior Citizens Month — was started in 1963 to honor senior citizens and raise awareness of the problems facing them.

Since then, the number of Americans 65 years and older has tripled to some 50 million.

This year’s theme, Aging Unbound, reminds us that life offers a wide range of opportunities and experiences as we age. Here are some ways you can unbind yourself from the stereotypical narrative on aging:

• Embrace the opportunity to change. Find a new passion, go on an adventure, and push boundaries by not letting age define your limits. Invite creativity and purpose into your life by trying new activities in your community to bring in more growth, joy and energy.

• Explore the rewards of growing

older. With age comes knowledge, which provides insight and confidence to understand and experience the world more deeply. Continue to grow that knowledge through reading, listening, classes and creative activities.

• Stay engaged in your community. Everyone benefits when everyone is connected and involved. Stay active by volunteering, working, mentoring, participating in social clubs and taking part in activities at your local senior center or elsewhere in the community.

• Form, re-kindle or maintain relationships. As an essential ingredient of well-being, relationships can enhance your quality of life by introducing new ideas and unique perspectives. Invest time with people to discover deeper connections with family, friends and others..

Sunday May 7, 2023 at 2:00p.m.

First United Methodist Church 330 N. Broadway St. Wichita, KS 67202

Shawn Chastain Conducts Broadway on Broadway

For more information: http://www.wichitachoralsociety.org

Tickets = $10 each

To celebrate Older Americans Month, the Central Plains Area Agency on Aging is hosting Wellness in the Park from 1-4 p.m. May 18 at Plum Shelter in Sedgwick County Park. The event will feature biometric screening services, a registered dietitian to answer nutrition questions, vaccine information, art, music and physical activities along with vendors and organizations.

CPAAA is also hosting the Aging is Living Podcast where community members will share their personal stories and tips for embracing change

and finding rewards in growing older. And CPAAA will present its annual Irene Hart award during the agency’s Aging Advisory Council meeting May 17, honoring a person who has positively impacted the lives of older adults in Buter, Harvey and/or Sedgwick County.

For more information on these events, check out CPAAA’s Facebook page, visit www.cpaaa.org or call 855200-2372.

Monica Cissell is director of information and community services for the Central Plains Area Agency on Aging.

125 S. West St., Ste 105 • Wichita, KS 67213 316-942-5385 • Fax 316-946-9180

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The Active Age, published the first of each month, is distributed in Butler, Harvey and Sedgwick counties.

Latinos

From Page 1

brother. She said that neither of them wanted the responsibility in Rubio’s care and cut her off after years of mounting tension.

“Sometimes I feel like dementia is a blessing to my mom. She doesn’t remember that they’re not calling, that they don’t care. As bad as it is that she has dementia, it’s a gift. She avoids the sadness,” she said. “She can look at photos of her kids in her room without knowing they’ll never call.”

The emotional tax

A 2018 survey conducted by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research documented Latino mistrust of long-term health services for seniors, with participants citing a lack of Spanish services and cultural accommodations.

The nationwide poll found that less than half of Latinos said it would be easy to find nursing homes, assisted living facilities and home health aides that speak Spanish. Research suggests that Latino families provide more intensive caregiving in terms of hours and level of care than other populations and are less likely to use nursing homes and hospice care.

“We come from a culture that is

self-sufficient. Or, at least, we think we are more self-sufficient,” Montes said.

“We hate to ask for help, and we’re ashamed when we do.”

Her mother, for example, refuses to let strangers see her in a wheelchair or using a walker. Rubio has suffered a heart attack, a near-fatal case of Covid, has had several falls resulting in injury, and has diabetes and dementia — none of which curbs her pride.

Rubio was born in Mexico and is now a naturalized American citizen while Montes was born in the U.S. Montes is fully bilingual, but her mother doesn’t speak English — yet another barrier for attaining quality health care on her own.

Montes’ love for her mother is evident. Her touches are gentle. She asks her mom if she’d rather sit up in a chair or lay in bed to watch TV — a subtle but important inquiry acknowledging Rubio’s own agency.

She’s poured all of herself into her mother’s health and comfort at the sacrifice of her own.

“Sometimes, when you take care of an elderly, you become… not sour, but you just lose connection with the outside world. You shut down emotionally and mentally,” Montes said. “You can become sicker than the sick person.”

A bad fall

Montes tried leaving her mother in a rehabilitative assisted-care facility after one of her hospital stays, but quickly pulled her out after a fall on Rubio's first night, in December 2021.

Montes had warned the staff that Rubio was a fall risk. She remembers that her mother was placed in a room at the end of a hallway, too many steps away from the nurses’ station. But she was assured of the facility’s abilities and sent home.

Hours later, while Montes slept, her mother would be rushed into a local emergency room for a CT scan.

“As soon as I came back (in the morning) I knew something was wrong,” Montes said. “I felt like people were hiding from me. Finally, the nurse in charge told them they had to send my mom to the hospital overnight ‘because she fell.’”

Once Montes rushed to her mom’s bedside, she noticed bruises wrapped around her arms and blooming across her face.

“God knows how long she was face down before someone noticed her,” she said. “(Staff) moved her to a room by the main desk but at that point it was too little too late.”

Montes also claims that the medical team was reluctant to give her mother crucial medications such as her insulin because no one on staff spoke Spanish. So she pulled Rubio out to

care for her on her own.

“For that first while I didn’t have anybody. That was very heavy for me, to take over everything (nurses) had done. I had to do it myself. It wore me out,” Montes said. “If there was a doctor’s appointment, I’d have to lift her into a wheelchair and carry her oxygen. Sometimes we’d lose our transportation so I was forced to cancel. It was a mess.”

Eventually, Montes, desperate for aid, found home-visit nurses and other medical practitioners to provide care she couldn’t, such as checking Rubio’s vitals.

Rubio now lives her final years with her daughter down the hall. The Montes household includes the pair, Montes’ husband and daughter, one cat and one dog.

Montes said that even if she assuaged her discomfort towards nursing homes, she could never afford it. Her mother is on Medicaid, which barely covers daily essentials such as adult diapers.

“Taking somebody to a place like a nursing home is very costly,” Montes said, referencing Wichita-based Larksfield Place, where a studio for one resident in assisted living is $5,600 a month.

“Regardless of price, there’s still a risk. After my mom’s fall (at the first facility), I knew it would happen again.

See next page

Photo by Fernando Salazar

Elizabeth Montes has been unable to return to her job as a pastor while carrying for her mother, who has multiple health problems.

Latinos

From previous page

And I don’t blame nurses or aides. I know they have too much on their plate and are tired,” Montes said.

“And even then, I go back to the same concern: How do you know they’re taking care of your own? The same way you’d take care of them? You don’t.”

Outreach and accessibility

In 2020, more than 55 million Americans were over the age of 65, with 5 million identifying as Hispanic, according to a 2022 report from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. By 2060, projections estimate a 148% increase for Latino seniors.

Latinos also live longer, despite showing poorer health and higher poverty levels. This, in combination with a cultural mistrust of outside help, can narrow the options available to a Latino family in need.

Montes thinks Latinos are also embarrassed to take advantage of resources outside of the community.

“Part of it is not knowing that these resources are out there for use. It’s not begging. It’s not wrong. It’s open to anybody,” she said, explaining that one of her first steps to overcoming that pride was when an

employee from the Sedgwick County Department on Aging called her after a social worker referral.

The department installed a ramp to the Montes home for Rubio’s wheelchair — free of cost. They got her a bed, a walker and guided her towards other resources such as the Medical Loan Closet, a mutual aid effort that loans families with medical, bedroom and mobility equipment for as long as it’s needed

The department provides services to Sedgwick County residents who are over 60 and is also part of the Central Plains Area Agency on Aging, which the state of Kansas designates as a service provider to Sedgwick, Harvey and Butler counties.

Monica Cissell, the director of information and community services for CPAAA, said the agency has connections with local hospitals, rehab centers and assisted living facilities that send referrals for long-term care when an elderly patient is discharged.

“Situations are really complex. If family members, neighbors or the individual themselves who needs help calls, they often tell us what’s going on without knowing what service to ask for,” Cissell said. “Our resource center

— Elizabeth Montes For help

counselors dig into their needs and ask questions to figure out what we can assist with.”

She also said that the resource center fields many calls from nonEnglish speakers. In those situations, counselors connect with an over-thephone translation service to complete a needs assessment.

Reasons to keep going

On hard days, Montes reminds herself that her mother’s days are numbered.

When she thinks about her own mortality, Montes said that if she gets to a point where she or her husband can’t take care of themselves, she’d want to be in a “community place” to feel safe and content in her placidity.

“I’m sure my oldest will tell me to come with them, and I think that would be nice, but with the way I value my independence I’d like my kids to be free and do what they need to do with their own families,” she said.

Montes chose to uphold the cultural expectations she felt as a Mexican-American to handle her mother’s care herself. It’s a responsibility she chooses every morning she wakes up and every night her mom’s low blood sugar shrieks for

If you need help caring for someone 60 and older, call the Central Plains Area Agency on Aging resource line at 1-855-2002372 or visit cpaaa.org. CPAAA serves Sedgwick, Butler and Harvey counties. The website is available in English only, but translators are available for people who call the resource line.

attention.

She doesn’t think, however, that her choice should stay the norm.

“Culture might say that the oldest takes care of the parents, but every family has a different dynamic. What’s important is that the parents get taken care of according to those dynamics and everyone figures out a way to make that happen.”

Stefania Lugli is a reporter for the Kansas Leadership Center Journal and Planeta Venus, a Spanishlanguage digital and print media source (planetavenus.online). This article was produced for The Active Age and Planeta Venus as part of the Wichita Journalism Collaborative, a partnership of 11 media and community partners. Contact Lugli and slugli@kansasleadershipcenter.org

Amelia Earhart museum opens at Atchison airport

By Julie Denesha KMUW

Atchison — Amelia Earhart’s hometown is celebrating the famous aviator’s life and adventures with a museum that opened last month.

The Amelia Earhart Hangar Museum showcases 14 interactive science and technology exhibits. Earhart was the first woman to fly solo

across the Atlantic Ocean. In 1937, she disappeared with her aviator while attempting to fly around the world.

Earhart’s great nephew Bram Kleppner said the history lessons in the 17,000-square-foot museum help bring Earhart’s legacy forward into the 21st century.

“People generally know she knew airplanes and that she disappeared, but

they don’t know about all of her work to create opportunities for women and girls in education and in aviation,” Kleppner said.

The Amelia Earhart Hangar Museum is located at the Amelia Earhart Memorial Airport, 16701 286th Road in Atchison. Find more information, visit ameliaearharthangarmuseum.org.

“How do you know they’re taking care of your own the same way you’d take care of them?”

Paying for crime a taxing proposition

By Ted Blankenship

By now you have no doubt sent your tax returns to the federal and state governments and are anxiously awaiting your check for paying the IRS more than you actually owe.

And, you’re not worried about going to jail for tax evasion because you’ve been honest about how much money you made during the year and you declared all of it on your return. Right?

Not so fast. Did you find a tendollar bill on the street? And did you pick it up and put it in your wallet? If you did, you’re guilty of tax evasion if you didn’t declare it.

Did you steal a car in 2022? Or take a bribe? If you did, the IRS says you must report it on your tax return.

If you’re selling illegal drugs, the IRS warns that you must report your earnings.

According to an article in USA Today, an IRS spokesman said he was not aware of the agency ever having published statistics on how many taxpayers actually report illicit income.

But if you do, said the spokesman,

May quiz: It’s game over!

By Nancy Wheeler

Every answer in this quiz features the letters “o-v-e-r” in the solution. The answers appear on page 24..

1. Medicines that can be purchased without a prescription are known by this three-word phrase.

2. New Year’s Eve celebrations may leave partiers with this achy result.

3. This vehicle carried Prince Phillip’s coffin in his funeral procession.

4. Shoppers looking for inexpensive furniture might check out this home decor website.

5. A devastating tornado hit this suburban Kansas town in April 1991.

6. The audience might hear this orchestral piece at the beginning of an opera, musical, or oratorio.

7. This gospel song became a protest song and a key anthem of the Civil Rights Movement.

8. Judy Garland made this song

the IRS won’t turn the information over to law enforcement.

These rules make me wonder about several possibilities that I don’t think I will ask the IRS about.

1. If I rob a bank, and a thief breaks into my home and steals the money I stole from the bank, can I declare it as a loss on my 1040?

2. If I buy stolen merchandise from a person who stole it, and sell it at a profit, who pays the taxes?

3. If I pay taxes on my income from illegal gambling, can I deduct the cost of gambling rehab?

It’s also interesting that some tax

famous in the 1939 movie, "The Wizard of Oz."

9. This pastry dessert is filled with sweetened apple pieces in a folded flaky crust.

10. This 1917 song by George M. Cohan was inspired by newspaper headlines of World War I.

11. People who prefer to avoid checking their bags stow their carry-on luggage in this compartment.

12. This region of English

May Theatre

By Diana Morton

Forum Theatre, at the Wilke Center, 1st United Methodist Church, 330 N. Broadway. Beehive, the 60’s Musical by Larry Gallagher. A rockin’ celebration of the era’s powerful female voices. 8 pm Thu-Sat, 2 pm Sun, May 25-June

11. Tickets $23-$25. 316-618-0444

Mosley Street Melodrama, 234 N. Mosley. Hard Times at Mary Dingle’s Mercantile, by Scott Noah. New musical revue follows. Dinner 6:15 pm, show begins 7:50 pm. Now-May13. Tickets, dinner & show $26-$30; Show only $20. 316-263-0222

No Weddings and a Funeral, written and directed by Tom Frye. New musical revue follows. Dinner 6:15 pm, show begins 7:50 pm. May 26-July 8. Tickets, dinner & show $26-$30; Show only $20. 316-263-0222

payers list their actual occupations on their returns, even if illegal.

In 2020, there were 324 tax fraud convictions, according to the U. S. Sentencing Commission, down from 595 in 2016. The “tax gap” — the difference between the taxes owed and taxes collected —runs in the hundreds of billions of dollars a year.

That doesn’t mean you should go out and steal something and pay the taxes on it to help out.

Contact Ted at tblankenship218@gmail. com

coastline facing France owes its striking appearance to its composition of chalk.

13. This is the capital and largest city of the German state of Lower Saxony.

14. This wet-weather protective footwear is also known as galoshes.

15. When the sun fails to appear, the weather condition is often described as dull, gray, and cloudy.

Music Theatre Wichita, Capitol Federal Amphitheater, Andover. Rock of Ages. A high-energy musical featuring the classic power ballads of Styx, Twisted Sister and more. l Patrons must be 5 years of age or older. May 31-June 4. Tickets, call 316-2653107

Roxy’s Downtown, 412 E. Douglas, cabaret-style theatre, Kiss of the Spider Woman. Tony Award-winning musical about the bond between a gay window dresser and the Marxist revolutionary with whom he shares a cell. 8pm FriSat, 2pm Sun, May 18-June 2. Tickets $20-$30. 316-265-4400

Wichita Community Theatre, 258 N. Fountain. Titus Andronicus by William Shakespere, directed by Dan Schuster. Murder and mayhem abound in Shakespeare’s bloodiest play. 8 pm Wed-Sat, 2 pm Sun, April 27-May 7. Tickets $14 or $12 for military/ seniors/students. Opening night ticket $10. April 27 only. 316-686-1282

Quivira

From Page 1

populated and occupied by hunters and gatherers. No. In its day, Quivira was probably the most important native political unit in what’s now the United States.”

The people who created Quivira are believed to have arrived in Kansas in the late 1300s, and Quivira was fully formed around 1450. The archaeological evidence shows that they grew crops and also hunted bison in huge numbers. Over 80 percent of the chipped-stone artifacts from the town of Etzanoa are specialized for processing bison products, and documentary evidence shows that these products were exported from coast to coast.

Quivira was visited by two Spanish expeditions that left records, led by Francisco Coronado (1541) and Juan de Onate (1601). By the time of the first French visit in 1719, the nation was already in a steep decline.

Blakeslee’s findings — which he presented at the annual Society for American Archaeology meeting March 30-April 2 in Portland — focus on three types of evidence discovered about Etzanoa and Quivira: documentary evidence, linguistic

evidence and the archaeological evidence.

Documentary evidence

Blakeslee estimates the population of Quivira to have been roughly 200,000. This number is extrapolated from Blakeslee's estimate of Etzanoa having a population of 17,000 to over 20,000 people and the presence of 10 or more large towns elsewhere in Quivira. Those numbers are at the high end of estimates made by other researchers. The town of Etzanoa was originally listed as 22 separate sites.

When recorded more accurately as a connected society of large towns rather than unrelated villages, Blakeslee says, it’s clear that Quivira was much more organized and far-reaching than anyone had previously thought.

The Quiviran people had hereditary chiefs, priests, interpreters and ambassadors they would send to neighboring nations, Blakeslee said.

“They were an organized society, one far different from the Hollywood version,” Blakeslee said. “But they have not been given any recognition at all in American history books.”

Linguistic evidence

Evidence in documents from the earliest expeditions to the southwest of the continent shows that some people in Quivira could speak Nahuatl, the language of the Aztec

empire. Additionally, Blakeslee has accumulated evidence showing that Nahuatl was the basis for a Lingua Franca, a shared language between speakers of differing native languages, that was in use from Galveston Island in Texas to California, and from Kansas deep into Mexico in prehistoric times. He calls it the first clear documentation of a pre-historic native Lingua Franca in North America.

Archaeological evidence

Blakeslee believes the land area of Quivira was at least as large as the Republic of Ireland, with the currently documented borders being from the Kansas River in the north; the town of Larned, Kansas in the west; east into Missouri; and south into Oklahoma.

Documents from the DeSoto expedition of 1539-1542 indicate large quantities of Quiviran bison products as far east as Florida, Georgia and South Carolina, including meat, robes and war gear such as rawhide shields, helmets and body armor. At the same time, other expeditions documented bison rawhide shields in use on the west coast of Mexico and along the Colorado River between Arizona and California. Tobacco pipes made by Quivirans have been found in sites created by the Apache, Pawnee, Missouria and Caddo tribes and in the pueblos of Pecos and Taos.

Map shows likely spots where Francisco Coronado reached Quivira in 1541 (its people called themselves Tancoa) and Juan de Ornate found Etzanoa 60 years later.

The people of Quivira received various items in return. The items that traveled the farthest are pieces of obsidian from central Mexico and Jalisco, far down the west coast.

Student experience

Blakeslee has taught at WSU since 1976. Wichita State students working on this research with him are receiving a hands-on learning experience.

Kait Carter is a WSU graduate student majoring in anthropology who has found a passion in uncovering and illuminating the history of the site.

“There’s so much knowledge out there that could be acquired, and just reconstructing history is extremely interesting,” Carter said.

Long search yields plenty of clues into area’s early inhabitants

The Active Age

By accident and design, Kansans have found many proofs of the early Native American people who inhabited this area in centuries past.

According to a 2012 publication by the Kansas Historical Society, one of the first to find signs of ancient peoples in this area was J.R. Mead, who opened a trading post between the Arkansas and Little Arkansas Rivers in 1864, six years before Wichita was founded. While plowing near Chisholm Creek, Mead found pottery, arrow points, axes and other tools scattered over at least 80 acres. Mead also saw mounds and artifacts uncovered by plowing along the Walnut and Whitewater rivers in Butler County. He believed the confluence of those rivers in presentday Augusta must have been densely populated in prehistoric times.

In 1879, A.R. Reinsch (sometimes spelled Reinch) excavated two mounds on the Walnut River in Cowley County, sending details to the Smithsonian Institution in Washington. The same year, Marion County resident Edwin Curtiss excavated mounds and rock cairns for the Peabody Museum at Harvard.

Between 1881 and 1886, John August Udden, an instructor at Bethel College in Lindsborg, explored 15

mounds along Paint Creek near that town, finding pipes, pottery and tools. Udden also found chain mail armor and two glass beads, concluding that the site had been visited by the Francisco Coronado expedition in 1541. Although not a trained archaeologist, his work was the first in the area to be scientifically described, and his book, “An Old Indian Village,” is considered a classic.

The late 1890s saw numerous amateurs excavating mounds along the Walnut River near Arkansas City, finding charcoal, pottery, tools and animal bones. A group of men even formed a company to exploit the finds. However, their collection perished in a fire.

A Southwestern College graduate, Charles N. Gould, discovered two aboriginal flint quarries in southeastern Cowley County, identifying them as the source of ancient tools near Arkansas City.

The search for the location of Quivira, the native American nation visited by Francisco Coronado in 1541, was started in earnest by a Minnesota geologist and archeologist, Jacob V. Brower, in the 1890s. Brower erroneously concluded the site was in Geary County in north central Kansas, but his efforts led to the discovery

of many artifacts and other sites.

It’s now believed that Coronado probably visited Rice and McPherson counties, an area roughly between the Arkansas and Smoky Hill rivers. In 1927, in a plowed field near Lyons, a horse stepped on an ancient pot in a plowed field that turned out to be full of artifacts. Paul Jones, editor of the local newspaper, publicized the find and wrote a book called “Quivira” in which he linked the site both to Coronado and the ancestors of the Wichita tribe.

Probably the best-known archaeologist to study the area was Waldo R. Wedel, a Newton native employed by the Smithsonian Institution. In 1940, Wedel focused his work on both the site of Quivira and the Arkansas City area.

In a 1942 interview with the Arkansas City Daily Traveler newspaper, Wedel said Coronado’s entrance into Quivira “probably took place in the Rice-McPherson county

locality,” and that Juan de Ornate’s visit to Etzanoa 60 years later “possibly took place on the Walnut River near the present Arkansas City, Kansas.”

Wedel was known to be more cautious about his claims than some archaeologists. Writing about his 1940 expedition many years later, he said: “I am not arguing the infallibility of archaeology or archaeologists. I cheerfully concede that no matter how flowery the rhetoric or how snowy the beard, our pronouncements are based on possibly fallible interpretations of imperfect and incomplete data.”

Noted archaeologist Waldo Wedel, far left, and colleagues on a 1930 dig.

Fan host finds fun, fodder for romance series at ballpark

By Cindy M. Amos

When the Wichita Wind Surge announced a hiring fair in the spring of 2021, I interviewed and landed a job as a fan host at Riverfront Stadium. In the blink of an eye, I became a part of the city’s sports community.

It was something new and at the same time familiar. Having played three sports in high school, plus being a walk-on third baseman at East Carolina University, I already possessed a strong working knowledge of sports. My first paying job was with the parks and recreation department in my hometown, prepping the ballfield, umpiring girls’ softball games and keeping the scorebook for the baseball league.

I relished the nightly pulse of the ballpark in Wichita, but I had no idea that baseball would permeate my writing endeavors, too. After the opening season, I penned “Home Run Hunter,” a romance novella about a sports management intern from Wichita State University working for a minor league baseball team.

Nothing seemed to run smoothly as the Wind Surge’s second season got underway, which led to my second ballpark-based romance, “Season Two Snafu.” The book’s theme was doing your best despite circumstances, and that’s what ballpark employees were doing. My post was at the gate of the Dillon’s Picnic Patio, frequently used for company parties. Some of my fellow employees include a retired athletic director, a retired corporate pilot and a retired aircraft designer. Rest assured we’re not in it for the monetary compensation. Most of the staff return each year because of the

satisfaction felt by achieving a common goal. Plus, there’s a great game going on down on the diamond!

Occasionally, our routine is shaken up. Take rain delays. Although we only had to tarp the infield once during our first season, the 2022 season experienced several torrential spring downpours. When the umpire suspends play, fans crowd into the covered concourse in good-spirited mayhem. People take photos with the team mascot, and bursts of impromptu entertainment help pass the time.

On another night, I discovered a woman lying prone on a food buffet cart and had to get her immediate assistance, which entailed rolling her out of our location along the right field foul line and into a driving rain with her draped in my poncho. By the time her friends drove around to pick her up at the Maple Street gate, a significant chain of Good Samaritans had produced a medical escort, an umbrella rescued from lost and found

and a gathering of well-wishers who cheered as she departed the stadium safely. I often refer to the goings-on up in the stands as the game-within-thegame, and that night we lived out a real drama with tremendous success.

What’s in store for season three? The team got off to a good start in the win-loss column, so a league championship isn’t out of the question. And an attendance record was set on the night of the home opener, so maybe more Wichita area residents will discover how much fun it is to spend a night at the ballpark rooting for the home team.

And I guarantee that a certain fan

host at Dillon’s Picnic Patio will be formulating the plot of Book 3 of her Romance at Riverfront Park series, in which a baseball museum will serve as the setting for a budding romance. Because at the ballpark, anything is possible.

Cindy M. Amos lives in west Wichita with her engineer husband and cat, Clover, who thinks he’s a guard dog. Her backlist of 47 books can be found on Amazon.com, or by visiting her website at http://cindymamos.wixsite.com/ natureink. Amos currently teaches two writing classes for the Maize Recreation Department.

Enter contest to win Wind Surge tickets

The Active Age and Wichita Wind Surge are giving away 25 pairs of tickets to Wind Surge games at Riverfront Stadium. They can be used for any home game during the regular season, which ends Sept. 17.

To enter our drawing for the tickets, tell us who your favorite professional baseball player of all time is and why (in 100 words or less). We

will hold a drawing and notify ticket winners in early May. Entries must be received by May 10.

Enter by emailing joe@ theactiveage.com (please put “Wind Surge” in the subject line); or mailing your entry to The Active Age, 125 S. West St., Suite 105, Wichita, KS, 67213. Please include a telephone number and/or email address.

Museum to show 16 mm films from collection

The McCormick School Museum, 855 S. Martinson, will show a series of 16 mm educational films from its collection at 5 p.m. Saturday, May 13. Popcorn and lemonade will be served. Admission is by donation at the door.

Courtesy photo

Cindy Amos and a ballpark full of fans enjoyed the Wichita Wind Surge's opening night win.

Call for an Appointment with Wichita’s most experienced fitter today. We file insurance!

Call for an Appointment with Wichita’s most experienced fitter today. We file insurance!

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‘Walk with me, Grandma’

Overseas trip to see grandson leaves her heart full

By Teresa Schmied

I’ve heard the phrase “trip of a life” many times. I even consider myself to have taken a few trips that were especially memorable. However, nothing compares to the one I took last fall see my grandson, Dexter, in Germany.

I’m blessed to be the grandmother of 10 grandchildren, or “my littles,” as I call them. Dexter is an IVF baby and the first-born of my daughter, Erica, and her husband, Mark, a weatherman in the U.S. Air Force. They moved to Germany when Dexter was almost two. He’s now four, and it’s taken a lot of Facetime and trips to the post office to build our relationship. I’m happy to say it’s paid off. Dexter was excited to see his grandma and even shared his room with me.

As for me, I was anxious to the point of getting no sleep the night before departing and none on the flight over. Dexter came to the Frankfurt airport with his parents, and the wait for luggage was awful, knowing his

smiling little face was on the other side of the wall.

My first meal in Germany was at Chipotle. Not my choice, but Dexter didn’t mind, eating and watching me at the same time. He kept saying, “I’ve been so ready for you, grandma.” We made up for it with a traditional German dinner that night, at the historic Burgschanke Hotel & Restaurant near the airbase.

After some sleep that night, the adventure really took off. We took a cruise on the Rhine River, and even though it was a rainy, chilly day, Dexter and I were quite taken with the castles we saw. Grandma had some hot chocolate, and then we went to the deck of the boat and took some photos in the rain.

My daughter and I had some time to ourselves during a quick train trip to Paris, taking in the Eiffel tower — magical when lit up at night — and the Palace of Versailles, another item on my bucket list.

Then it was back to my daughter’s

2023 SUMMER CAMPS 2023 SUMMER CAMPS AND CLASSES AND CLASSES

home in Machenbach for a couple days of rest and fun with Dexter before our next excursion. During this time, we made cupcakes. Dexter is quite the little chef and even has his own chef’s cap. We played with Legos, visited a castle and listened to a lot of music. Dexter loves music and dancing.

Next, we visited Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland. Whatever image of a small chalet in the Swiss Alps you can visualize in your mind, the reality is 100 percent better. Fresh mountain air, babbling brooks and the sound of cow bells. It was one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been to.

Dexter and I shared a room in our Chalet and on the first morning we

woke up to rain. Parking is somewhat different in the Alps than we are used to here. My son-in-law had left our car parked almost a mile down the mountain. If you’ve ever had the experience of having a knee replaced, you will understand when I say you

See Grandma page 14

What bad knees? Teresa Schmied and her grandson, Dexter, enjoyed a rainy walk in the Swiss Alps.

Create a summer of unplugged fun

Family Features

For all the positive aspects of technology, there can also be a desire for children to have stretches of unplugged learning and participate in educational activities that do not require a screen.

Here are three tips from KinderCare’s education team:

• Get Outdoors. Make time as a family to get outside and explore, even if it’s simply a walk around the block after dinner. Help children notice the little things like a bug on the sidewalk or the way the sun filters through tree leaves to make patterns on the ground.

• Read Together. This could mean going to the library to check out new books or exploring your family’s bookshelves for old

favorites. Talk about the story or even act out favorite parts to help your children actively participate in story time, which may help them better understand the story’s concepts.

• Encourage Creative Thinking. Help children expand their ability to think creatively by working together to make a craft or project. For example, the next time a delivery box arrives at your home, encourage your children to turn it into something new using craft supplies on hand. For more tips to encourage unplugged learning this summer, visit kindercare.com

Grandparents' Guide to Summer Fun

plan your steps accordingly. The thought of walking down that slope in the rain was more than I could

envision. So, I was thrilled to hear that my son-in-law was going to retrieve the car and pick us up.

However, Dexter is not really a wait-around type of child. He’s on the move from the minute his eyes open until he goes to sleep. Our umbrellas were open, and we had been standing outside about 10 seconds when I heard, “Grandma, walk with me.” Without missing a beat, I took off with him.

This was as quiet as I’ve seen Dexter. We walked and discussed the sights and sounds, and my heart was full. My daughter was able to grab a

quick photo of us walking in front of her. That image and moment will forever be treasured by this grandma.

I hope the memories planted on that trip will last Dexter a lifetime, as I know they will me. He is now five and finally a big brother to 2-monthold Grant, the youngest of my littles. I can’t wait to create memories with him some day.

Teresa Schmied is advertising director of The Active Age. The trip to Germany was her first overseas. She can be reached at teresa@theactiveage.

Old Fashioned never goes out of style

Old Fashioned

2 ounces bourbon or rye

One teaspoon sugar or maple syrup

Angostura or aromatic bitters

Orange bitters, peel or liqueur

Luxardo cherry

Build drink over ice; give it 20-30 stirs to make colder and add a bit of water to the drink.

By David Kamerer

There are many paths to the Old Fashioned, one of the oldest cocktails. Traditionalists use rye, which makes a slightly spicier drink. Bourbon makes a more buttery drink. Both are excellent.

For sweetening, you can use sugar, which is traditional, or warm up the drink with maple syrup.

An Old Fashioned likes some

orange, which can come in the form of orange bitters, orange peel, or a splash of orange liqueur.

A dash of bitters and a Luxardo cherry, along with some juice from the jar, completes the drink. Forget about those bright red maraschino cherries you grew up with; this is a cherry that went to finishing school.

Sip and savor. It gets better as the ice melts and your body clock slows down to the pace of the drink.

Longtime Wichitan David Kamerer is on loan to Chicago, where he teaches at Loyola University.

Choral society cues up Broadway tunes

The Wichita Choral Society will present “Broadway on Broadway” at 2 p.m. Sunday, May 7th at First United Methodist Church, 330 N. Broadway. The show features music from Rogers and Hammerstein, Andrew Lloyd Webber and more. Tickets are $10.

Aviation pioneer honored by city

By Joe Stumpe

As a young mother, Mary Aikins led family getaways that looked a little different than most.

“I’d put the kids in a plane and take off for California,” Aikins remembers.

In a plane she piloted, that is. Allowing for fuel stops in Albuquerque and Needles, Calif., the trip to her mother’s home in Palm Springs took about half a day.

Of her three children, Aikins said, “I just told them they had to behave because I was going to be busy.”

Aviation was both a passion and career for Aikins, who gave flying lessons, competed in cross-country races, mastered aerobatic flying and helped many other Wichitans get their private pilots' licenses.

In March, Wichita Mayor Brandon Whipple presented Aikins a key to the city during her 97th birthday party. It came at the request of Ben Sauceda, executive director of the Kansas Aviation Museum, who said she had “accomplished a great deal and represented our city well.”

Aikins grew up in Wichita and on a farm outside Derby her parents bought as World War II approached. There she helped raise a garden, turkeys and other livestock “so we didn’t need food (ration) stamps” during the war.

Planning to follow her father, William Ainsworth, into the oil

business, she majored in geology and geography at the University of Kansas. But her plans changed after meeting a pre-dental student named Charles "Todd" Aikins. They married before her senior year, she finished her degree at the University of Missouri-Kansas City, and her husband went into the oil business with a partner, Bill Owen, in Wichita.

After the partners decided to buy a small plane, Aikins said, “His wife and I decided that if they were going to be flying that plane around, we better learn how to land it.”

That was 1962. And as it turned out, Aikins became the main pilot in the family.

In the 1960s, she was a regular in the Powder Puff Derby, a transcontinental race for female pilots. In 1964, Aikins and her second cousin, Mary Ann Noah of Mission Hills, Kan., teamed up to win the race, which ran from Fresno to Atlantic City that

year. The next year, they repeated their win on a route from El Cajon to Chattanooga, flying a Piper Cherokee both times.

By then, she had also taken up aerobatic flying, performing loops and rolls in a Pitts Special, a light biplane. As she turned the plane upside down on her first solo effort, she recalls, the engine cut out and wouldn’t start again.

“I had to dead stick it” — slang for a landing with no power — “and land at the airport, which was right below me. That was scary.”

Mary Aikins says her key to the city is surprisingly heavy. Hanging behind her is her painting of a New England church.

delivered a Cessna to Santiago, Chile. In all, she logged some 10,000 flight hours.

She became proficient enough to give lessons in aerobatic as well as regular flying. Aikins was also tapped by the FAA to help certify private pilots through test flights, a job some might consider as scary as flying upside down. Although most passed, Aikins said those who didn’t “usually figured it out themselves” that they weren’t cut out to be pilots.

It was an exciting time to be involved in aviation here. “There was just so much of it,” she said.

Aikins flew in and out of Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean and once

In 2012, Aikins published a book, “Flying High, Flying Far,” about her aviation adventures and other interests, which include gardening and artwork. A half-dozen of her paintings line the hall outside her apartment at Larksfield Place.

Aikins is a member of the Kansas Aviation Hall of Fame and a part of the Women in Aviation exhibit at the Kansas Aviation Museum. Not surprisingly, she’s never understood people who are afraid of planes.

“Well, they’re made to fly,” she says matter-of-factly.

As was she.

Bicycling group riding off into the Sunset (Trail, that is)

The Active Age

Come

Wednesday, Mim Hiesterman is ready to roll. As a member of WOW — Women of Wednesdays — she joins a group of female bicyclists for a midweek excursion that offers much more than just exercise.

“Every Wednesday, I know that I am going to enjoy myself because it is biking, friendships, healthy and outdoors,” said Hiesterman, the group’s senior member at 86. “It’s just a precious time, and I’m getting exercise at the same time.”

The group, which has gone by several different names, was started in 1989 by Bob Holliday, who owned the Bicycler Pedaler with his wife, Ruth. Between running the store and raising kids, Ruth was having a hard time finding time to get outside and ride.

Ruth took it over two years later and has been overseeing the ride since.

The group meets every Wednesday morning, riding 5 to 12 miles in cold weather and 20 to 25 miles when it’s warm. If the weather is too unpleasant,

members park their bikes and trikes and meet for brunch. They ride around 10 miles per hour and require each rider to wear a helmet. The group makes sure that nobody is left behind.

Between 10 and 25 people usually show up. Members range in age from their 30s to their 80s, with at least one member representing each decade. Some are retired and others plan days off on Wednesdays so they can ride.

Holliday and some of the other more experienced riders often teach basic biking tips to the less experienced ones, and periodically Holliday will teach bike maintenance workshops to the women.

They plan their rides around safe routes, usually alternating between the east and west sides of Wichita but sometimes meeting at Exploration Place for a cruise along the Arkansas

River. The Redbud Trail, which runs east from downtown, and Prairie Sunset Trail, from west Wichita to Goddard, are typical routes.

They also like to change things up. Last October, they met at Hiesterman’s College Hill home and did a daytime tour of the Halloween-decorated homes in the area before finishing with a potluck lunch at Hiesterman’s home.

Cindy Thompson has been riding with the group since 1989. Thompson is a 63 year-old oboist in the Wichita Symphony and teaches the instrument at Friends University and Bethel College.

“It’s a great group of friends,” said Thompson. “A lot of these women that I ride with I’m not sure I would’ve met had it not been for WOW, and that’s been very enriching for me and my life.”

To be included in the group’s weekly emails, contact Ruth Holliday at bicyped@gmail.com. You can also find the group on Facebook at WOW - Wichita.

Women of Wednesdays gather after a recent ride. “The idea is to get you out biking and enjoy the experience, get you outside and be able to have company with fellow women,” Ruth Holliday said.

Mary Aikins is shown during her flying days.

NOTE:The Active Age is printing regularly scheduled senior center activities as space permits. Please email Joe at joe@theactiveage.com to have your center’s activities listed.

Calendar of eventS

SedgwiCk County Senior CenterS

BEL AIRE

7651 E Central Park Ave

744-2700, ext 304

www.belaireks.org

BENTLEY/EAGLE

504 W Sterling, 796-0027

CHENEY

516 Main, 542-3721

CLEARWATER

921 E Janet, 584-2332

DERBY

611 N Mulberry Rd, 788-0223

Mon, Wed, Fri: 8:10am Cardio, Core & More

Tue & Thu: 8:10am Weight Strength

Mon, Wed, Fri: 9:10am Exercise with Purpose

Tue & Thu: 9:10am Fitness & Flexibility

Mon: 10am Bible Study

Tue & Thu: 10am Intermediate Tap

Tue & Thu: 11 am Advanced Tap

Thu: 1pm Line Dance Workshop; 2pm Advanced

Line Dance; 3pm Beginning Line Dance

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

Mon, Wed, Fri: 9:00-9:30 am Exercise

1st and 4th Tue: 10am-noon Dominoes

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

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

May 3

10:30am Wichita Art Museum 1400 W. Museum Blvd., $2 admission. Envision Art Gallery.

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

May 10

10 am Sedgwick County Zoo, 5555 Zoo Blvd. (316) 266-8213, $4 May

Flowers Need More Than Rain.

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

May 17

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

1:30 pm Great Plains Nature Center, 6232 E 29th St N. Info unavailable.

May 24

10am Wichita-Sedgwick County Historical Museum, 204 S. Main. From Stonewall to Small Town Kansas by Brandon West.

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

May 31

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

danCeS

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

Derby Sr Center, 611 Mulberry. 1st & 3rd Tuesday 7pm-9:30pm.

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

Goldenrod Golden Age, 1340 S Pattie.

Dances every Wednesday 7pm-9:30pm.

Linwood Golden Age, 1901 S Kansas. Every Saturday 7pm-9:30pm. Call Jim 316-945-9451

Minisa Golden Age, 704 W 13th. Info 617-2560. Every Thursday 7pm9:30pm. Call Rita 316-364-1702

Mulvane, 101 E. Main (Pix Community Center

Second Tuesday of every month at 7-9pm.

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

Park City Sr Center, 6100 N Hydraulic. 1st and 3rd Saturday 7-9:30 p.m. Info: 755-1060. Line Dance every Wednesday 2:30pm. Call Madison 316-744-1199. Square dance 2nd & 4th Sunday 6pm-8:30pm.

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.

MCADAMS GOLDEN AGE

1329 E 16th, 337-9222

MT HOPE

105 S Ohio, 667-8956

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 316-686-0074

WEEK OF MAY 1

Mon: Mexican Lasagna, pinto beans, confetti rice, mandarin oranges.

Tue: Creamed chicken over a biscuit, broccoli, glazed cherries, pistachios.

Wed: Sloppy Joe on a bun, potato salad, carrots, mixed fruit.

Thu: Pork roast w/ gravy, california mash, bean medley salad, cinnamon applesauce, roll.

Fri: Creamy chicken & veggie casserole, tomato salad, pears, garlic bread.

WEEK OF MAY 8

Mon: Chicken & noddles over mashed potatoes, pickled beets, stewed apples, wheat roll.

Tue: Calico beef & beans, combination salad, salad dressing, pineapple, bread.

Wed: Tuna & pasta salad, cabbage salad, banana, roll.

Thu: Chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes, cream gravy, green beans, mixed fruit, oatmeal cake, roll.

Fri: Ham & beans, potatoes w/onions, parslied carrots, plums or cherries, cornbread.

WEEK OF MAY 15

Mon: Swiss Steak,baked potato/ margarine, peas, mixed fruit,roll .

Tue: Chicken fajita salad( chix, lettuce/ tom, cheese, chips), salsa, mexican rice, pineapple, cinnamon roll.

Wed: Cranberry meatballs, cauliflower, pears, roll.

Thu: Ham salad on bun, cream of tomato soup, sunshine salad, spiced peaches, crackers.

Fri: Chicken & cheese casserole, combination salad, salad dressing, cherries, garlic bread.

WEEK OF MAY 22

Mon: Oven fried fish w/ tartar sauce, macaroni & cheese, spinach, strawberries.

Tue: Liver & onions in gravy OR Beef cutlet in gravy, mashed potatoes w/ gravy, mixed vegetables, peaches, roll.

Wed: Baked chicken, scalloped corn, hot beets, mandarin oranges, wheat roll.

Thu: Spaghetti w/ meatsauce, broccoli, pears, garlic bread.

Fri: Ham & egg casserole, cole slaw w/ carrots, apricots, pistachios.

WEEK OF MAY 29

Mon: MEMORIAL DAY

Tue: Swedish Steak, baked potato/ margarine, mixed vegetables, pineapple, wheat bread.

Wed: BBQ pork on a bun, pinto beans, macaroni salad, peaches.

* 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

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Walk-in Showers & Bathtubs

Huge Discount Pricing Safer Bathing! 316-633-9967

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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

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.

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.

RARE AVAILABILTY NICHE

Old Mission Mortuary, Mission chapel Mausoleum. Northwest gallery, Row C Level 5, $2,250 Plus transfer fee of $299. Call for details 316-258-8822.

Resthaven Garden of The Cross, Lot 70 B-1. Close to a nice shade tree. $4,000 plus transfer fee. Call 316-683-5410.

White Chapel, Sermon on the mount. 4 adjoining plots, $2,800 plus transfer fee OBO. Will seperate. 316-461-1383. Leave message

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.

F

Like New - PURPLE Hybrid Premier 4 Mattress & Adjustable Base w/ remote control.

TWIN XL. Securely fits in new Wesley Allen Aged Iron headboard and footboard with side rails. Comfortably adjust your head, knees, feet, and bed height. New 9/2022 - used 4 months. Tencel smooth mattress protector incl. $3,000 for all316-641-5688 – pictures to email

3 Beautiful Indian Style Dresses for Sale. For $250

40 Ft 2008 Winnebago tour, diesel pusher. 25,000 miles. New tires. Sleeps 6. Leave a message 316-204-0499. Washer /Dryer Combo. Convectin Microwave

1950 Ford 2 Door Custom. Restored. 316-648-4167. Leave message with call back number

FOOT

F FOOT CARE F

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

F HELP WANTED CONT F F HOME IMPROVEMENTS CONT F

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

Administrative Assistant - Wichita

M-F 8:00 am-12:00 pm. Wichita Senior Meal program hiring administrative assistant. Clerical duties, detail oriented, work with computers, needs ability to use email. Proficient in math and has people skills. High school diploma or GED required. Limited benefits available. Send resume and references to:

Aging Projects Inc.

940 N Tyler Suite #209, Wichita KS 67212 Call 316-686-0074.

Email: vickiek@agingprojectsks.org EOE

Sub Transporter – Wichita Area

Meals On Wheels/Friendship Meals

M-F 8:15 am – 12:15 pm. Current driver’s license required as well as good driving record. Must be 18 years old and able to lift 40 lbs. High school diploma or GED required.

Apply: 940 N Tyler, Ste 209, Wichita KS Call: 316-686-0074 EOE

Cook – Hesston

Meals On Wheels/Friendship Meals

M-F 7:00 am – 2:00 pm. Experience with food service purchasing and preparation helpful. Scratch techniques desirable, some benefits available. High school diploma or GED required.

Apply: 112 W Sherman, Hutchinson KS Email: apitediger@gmail.com Call: 620-669-8201 EOE

Frank's Golden Girls & other programs

Ballard Plumbing

ALL PLUMBING REPAIRS

• FREE estimates

• Senior Discounts

Licensed & Insured

Veteran Owned - Family Operated Call Brad at 316-260-0136 www.BallardPHC.com

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

BRICK & STONE WORK OF ANY KIND Tuck-pointing, foundation & chimney repair. Insured. Free Estimates. CALL DAN 316-516-3949

Come join us with our new programs that we offer Job Openings Include: Home Healthcare Aide Tree Trimmers

316-263-7179

Resthaven, Garden of Last Supper, plot 43C, Spaces 3&4, $32,500 each plus transfer fees.

Resthaven, Garden of Freedom, 2 plots side by side, 2 vaults, Headstone. $15,000 OBO.

316-777-1487

Resthaven Garden of Acacia. Double plot, last in area. Spaces 29 A3 & 29 A4. $5,000 for both, includes transfer fee. Email sallykinzy@gmail.com or text 920-217-6569

2 Stackable side by side cemetery plots at Resthaven, Garden of Devotion. Price includes transfer of deed. $3,600 for both OBO.

Diabetic, thick toe nails, ingrown & callous care

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

Transportation Driver Yard Maintenance House Cleaning

K & A Maintenance Experts

We specialize in the following Wheel Chair Ramps • Landscaping • Remodeling Decks • Safety Hand Rails

F FURNITURE F

Downsizing?

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

Please Contact us at franksmedicalstaffing@gmail.com or 316-333-8038

F

Dave’s Improvements General Contractor Lic #7904

316-516-1820

Prairie Home Scattering Garden Cremated Remains Only Natural County Setting Scattering( $2,000) or Inurnment ($3,250)

316-734-7545 slt.ks.usa@gmail.com www.sunflowerlandtrust.com

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

Alpha Electric Dependable Electrical Service Call Greg at 316-312-1575

Insured, Lic. #1303

F HAULING/JUNK REMOVAL F

Alpine Hauling and Junk removal

Free Estimates

Serving Wichita and surrounding area Call Dan 316-516-3949

F HOME CARE F

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

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.

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

Steps, porches, patios, sidewalks, driveways & garage floors. Also 4-inch steps with 18-inch landings for seniors.

Licensed, bonded, insured. Free estimates Steve 992-6884

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

Licensed & Insured 25% Senior Discount

All General Maintenance and Repairs Please call Jesse at 316-854-7642 F COURIER SERVICES F

AGAPE ROOFING Three Generations of Local Roofers Quality Work – Fair Prices Residential & Commercial Siding - Guttering - Windows 316-807-8650 Call for Free Roof Inspection Locally Owned by Pastor Steven Blalock Licensed & Insured AGAPE CONSTRUCTION Total Concrete Services Locally Owned by Pastor Steven Blalock 10% off Senior/Military Discount 807-8650 www.agaperoofingandconstruction.com Page 20 the active age May 2023

316-806-2492

Professional

316-518-8553

One call does it all!

LIFT-RITE GARAGE DOORS

Scheduled maintenance, repair, sales on all garage doors.

*Springs-Torsion & Extension

*Garage Door Openers, Doors & More Chris (316) 619-1196 or Linda (316) 841-5252

Beard & Son Concrete Construction

Drive ways, sidewalks, patio and landscaping. Dirt work and more.

Skid Loader/Mini Skid Loader Services

Licensed * Bonded * Insured

I bid’em to get’em!

Steve 316-259-0629

Dylan 316-734-6134

Christian Lawn Care Mowing-starting at $20, verti-slicing, core-aerating, over-seeding, new lawns, mulching flower beds, fall cleanup, leaves, shrub trimming and removal, gutter cleaning, hauling. Pampas trimming & clean-up.

Senior discount.

Steve 316-685-2145

Westside Lawn Service

SPRING CLEANUP Mowing

Bush and hedge trimming, bed work, mulching, odd jobs and hauling. Free estimates. 316-339-4117.

A-n-A Lawn Care

Providing services to Wichita & surrounding areas.

Commercial & Residential.

Family owned and operated. Over 25 years. Insured. Free estimates. 316-312-6174 or 316-390-5758

Analawncare.org

Place your ad today!

Call 316-942-5385

F LAWN AND GARDEN CONT F

Clean Cut Lawncare

Single owner with over 9 years’ experience.

Residential/Commercial Mowing

Spring/Fall Cleanup

Mulching/Rototilling, Landscaping, Scalping, Tree & Shrub Trimming Fence building and repair

316-821-6341

Serving west Wichita, Goddard and Cheney

MOWING

Tree Trimming Junk Removal Stump Grinding

Brock Eastman 316.765.1677

Sharp Edges Lawn Care Service • Mowing

Call/Text 316-640-6327

EZ Care Lawn Service.

Making your lawn care easy and affordable for you. Serving Wichita & surrounding area anywhere from Haysville to Valley Center. Please give us a call at 316-312-0128.

Impact Lawn Care

Residential/ Commercial Mowing SPRING CLEAN-UP • MULCHING

LANDSCAPING & HANDYMAN SERVICES

Call now for an estimate for the upcoming season! Small family owned and operated with over 30 years experience and fully insured! 316-737-4890

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

Strongback 24 Mobility Lightweight Wheelchair. Ergonomically designed for postural support and comfortable sitting position. Large wheels for maneuverability. Footrests easily removed. 18” seat. Can email pictures. 316-641-5688. New 09/22 - $950. $450 sale price.

Carousel Sliding Shower Chair Tub Transfer Bench. Only used 5 times! Swivel Seat for easy in and out. Padded seat and arms. Effortless sliding and pivoting for safe easy transfers for showers. Can email pictures. $200. 316-641-5688

F SERVICES F

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

Downsizing / Moving / Fall Cleaning

We buy everything from individual items to whole estates. House cleanout service also available. Give us a call to learn more about all the services we provide Bud Palmer Auction 316.838.4141 BudPalmerAuction.com

F TREE SERVICE CONT F

Bruce’s Tree Service Complete Tree Trimming & Removal

Gutter Cleaning and Leaf Rake Trees * Shrubs* Hedgerows * Evergreens

Senior Discounts. Insured. Over 30 years exp. ALL FARM & RURAL AREAS

Firewood Call 316-207-8047

STUMP GRINDING Brock 316-765-1677

TREE BOSS

• Tree Removal

• Trimming

• Deadwood

• Stump Removal

Robert Rodriguez

Owner/ Operator

316-806-9592

FREE ESTIMATES

Licensed & Insured

Felipe Tree Service

Evergreen trimming. Tree removal. Brush hauling. Splitting. Deadwooding. Free estimates. 12 years experience. 316-807-4419

Alfred's Superior Tree Service

316-522-9458

www.alfredstreeservice.com

pruning - tree removal - stump grinding - debris/ brush haul off - chemical sprays - emergency services - firewood - consultations - demolitions

Professional & Insured

• Certified Arborist

Residential & Commercial

Kansas City fountains worth exploring

By Libby Hanssen KCUR/Kansas News Service

Kansas City is known as the “City of Fountains,” and it’s earned the name with more than any city other than Rome. There are over 200 fountains in the greater Kansas City area, spanning classical to modern, realistic to whimsical.

Here are some more facts about the fountains:

Every April, the city celebrates Greater Kansas City Fountain Day, when 48 publicly owned fountains are officially switched on for the season. This year, that happened on April 14.

The oldest fountain in the city is the Nelson-Atkins Museum of

Art’s Fountain Basin, which includes a Roman marble bowl some 2,000 years old. Visitors throw wishing coins into the surrounding pool, which are collected and donated back to the museum.

Dyeing fountains is a Kansas City tradition, bringing attention to different causes and events around town. There’s a whole lot of protocol around what type of dye and how the process works, which you can learn about at kcparks.org.

Installed in 1910, the Fountain at Mill Creek Park is one of the city’s most photographed places, with rearing horses that represent four of the world’s mightiest rivers (the Mississippi — that’s the one with the

alligator — the Volga, the Seine, and the Rhine), frolicking children, and spouting fish. It's shown above. Just across the street is the Seville Light Fountain. It is an exact replica of Plaza de Los Reyes Fountain in sister city Seville, Spain. Its grotesque faces make for entertaining selfie spots if you’re exploring the Country Club Plaza.

Advocates want KanCare tweaked to better serve seniors

By Joe Stumpe

TOPEKA — Kansans are being forced into nursing homes prematurely because of a flaw in KanCare, the decade-old program that administers Medicaid, an advocacy group says.

Kansas Advocates for Better Care is calling for the state to return to an independent case management system to serve seniors who qualify for KanCare. Under that system, employees of the state’s 11 area agencies on aging helped qualifying seniors find housekeeping, cooking, bathing and other services that allowed them to stay in their homes. The Central Plains Area Agency on Aging performed that role in Sedgwick, Butler and Harvey counties.

In 2013, the state changed to a managed care system, contracting with insurance companies to coordinate health care for Kansans enrolled in Medicaid in what then-Gov. Sam Brownback billed as a more efficient

approach. Employees of those companies — United Health Care, Sunflower and Aetna — took the place of area agencies on aging employees.

Dan Goodman, executive director of KABC, said the conflict of interest is obvious.

“They try to discourage costs whenever possible,” Goodman said, adding that seniors “sometimes are given advice that’s not necessarily in their best interest. We feel like a professional needs to be there to help them navigate and negotiate problems with their best interests in mind.”

Goodman, who previously headed the Johnson County Area Agency on Aging, said some of the insurance companies’ case coordinators have “huge territories” with caseloads of 200 people.

“You can imagine trying to manage that. Individuals who need help don’t typically get timely assistance, nor do coordinators usually have a good sense

WULF-AST MORTUARY

of what’s available in any town.”

The result is that Kansans are leaving their own homes for long-term care facilities, where they encounter a whole other set of well-documented problems, Goodman said. “For a lot of reasons, the facilities are not well staffed. Their provider-to-resident ratio is not good. We’re forcing them into facilities where they don’t want to be to receive poor care. We prefer for them to be in the community with the services they need.”

According to the United Health Foundation report last year, Kansas had the third-highest percentage of people living in nursing homes with a definition of “low-care need resident” of any state.

About 6,800 people who qualifiy for KanCare under the “frail elderly” waiver are without independent case management services, according to KABC. People who qualify for the “physical disabled” or “brain injuriy”

waivers are also affected by not having this waiver.

The issue is surfacing now because the state is preparing to request proposals from companies who want to manage KanCare starting in 2025. Goodman said returning to a case management system would not cost the state additional money, since the necessary money could be pulled from the upcoming contracts. KABC unsuccessfully lobbied Kansas legislators to make the change. The decision now rests with the heads of the Department for Aging and Disability Services and the Department of Health and Environment.

“They answer to the governor,” Goodman said. “It’s an administrative decision.”

KABC is urging Kansans to let state officials know how they feel by contacting Amy Gajda at KDHE at kancarerenewal@ks.gov

LLC

Heel

Christopher

Christopher Surtman, DPM

316.652.5251 office call for an appt. 316-652-9913 fax

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Podiatric

Podiatric Services & Wound Care

Heel Pain, Arch Pain, Corns & Callouses, Fungal & Ingrown Nails, Ulcers and much more. Try our NEW LIGHT ORTHOTICS, wear them home the same day.

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(located behind the Neurology Center of Wichita)

Six travel tips for going it alone

Family Features

Whether you’re a lone wolf at heart or looking to broaden your sense of independence, traveling solo can be a richly empowering and satisfying experience.

Setting out on your own has many practical advantages. You’re not worrying about accommodating another’s schedule, interest or needs, and you’re free to decide what you want to do and when. Solo travel also elicits some mental and emotional benefits, as you experience a unique sense of freedom, liberation and selfsufficiency.

If you’re considering a solo journey, consider these tips from the book “101+ Tips for Solo Women Travelers,” which is offered by Overseas Adventure Travel in free digital and print editions.

Make sure your passport is updated

Many countries now require your passport to be valid for six months after your return to the United States. If you don’t have a passport, or need to renew one, apply for one as soon as possible. Ideally you should have your application in six months before you

depart.

Look for trips with no single supplement

Often, quoted rates are “per person, based on double occupancy.” This is because travel hosts know they can make more from a couple traveling than an individual. You can avoid paying a single supplement premium by being willing to match with a roommate or traveling with a tour company or cruise line with free or low-cost single supplement fees.

Use the ATM

As an affordable and convenient way to get cash, you can avoid wasting time in line at a bank or currency exchange bureau by visiting an ATM. While you’ll likely incur a fee for using an ATM that’s not part of your bank, it is often less than the commission you’d pay at an exchange bureau. Plus, you can avoid additional fees by calculating how much you’ll need for the trip and making one withdrawal as opposed to multiple smaller withdrawals.

Download entertainment before you leave.

When traveling, Wi-Fi can be expensive, slow or just not available. Before you leave, download music,

I am a Caregiver

e-books, podcasts, favorite tv shows or movies to enjoy while you’re en route or during down time.

Join Group Tours

Once you reach your destination, you may enjoy joining small groups for excursions or to explore local cuisine. Or you can make your entire journey a group experience. A small group adventure with Overseas Adventure Travel has many benefits, and built-in dining companions is just one of them.

Take precautions in your hotel room

When you check in, ask the receptionist to write your room number down instead of announcing it so everyone can hear. Make sure your room’s locks work on both the door into the hallway and the balcony. Never let any repair person or staff member into your room without confirming with the front desk first. Bring a rubber

doorstop, which makes a hotel room door nearly impossible to open. Finally, have an exit plan: Know where the nearest exit is located and the route from your room.

Make new friends

For some, making friends seems to happen naturally while traveling alone by chatting with strangers at a neighboring restaurant table or striking up a conversation while waiting in line at a store. If those situations don’t occur naturally, there are useful apps that can connect you with local people as well as fellow travelers.

Find more tips to prepare for your journey at oattravel.com

‘The money is gone': Woman loses $140,000, man $35,000 in scams

The Active Age

Two older Wichita residents recently lost a total of nearly $175,000 to scammers, Sedgwick County District Attorney Marc Bennett said.

In the first case, a Wichita man in his late 70s received a pop-up warning on his computer that his bank account had been hacked. The scammer instructed the man to wire over $35,500 to another bank account to “keep his money from being stolen and to catch the hacker,” he told investigators. The money was wired and the scammer requested an additional $20,000. But his Wichita bank blocked the wire transfer and it was then that the victim knew he had been scammed.

In the second scam, a Wichita woman in her mid 70s received a pop-up warning that her computer had been hacked. When she called the number on the screen, a woman who said she was with Microsoft answered and asked for authorization to log into her computer. The woman told the victim someone had withdrawn $20,000 to purchase pornography. The victim was told she could be charged with money laundering and having pornography.

The scammer convinced the woman to make several withdrawals from her Wichita bank, resulting in just under $139,700.

In both cases, Bennett said, “The money is gone.”

Bennett added that these kind of scams are common. The largest his office handled approached $1 million. Asked why the bank in the second case didn’t block the withdrawal, Bennett said it’s not unusual for scammers to coach their victims into lying to their banks about the reason for large cash withdrawals. If someone tells you to lie to your bank about the reason for a withdrawal, you are being scammed, Bennett added.

The district attorney also offered these tips to avoid being scammed:

• Never call the number in the text, email or pop up. Always look up the company if you are concerned. Call the number directly from the company website.

• If someone you have never met asks for cash, gift cards or cryptocurrency, it is a scam.

• Legitimate companies do not use pop up messages on computers to contact their customers. If you receive such a message, telephone call or cell phone text, it is a scam. Hang up the phone or just disregard the pop-up message.

Bennett has signed inquisitions from his Investigations Division requesting bank records as part of the probe into the scams.

My husband can’t drive anymore, I take him where he needs to go.

Savvy Senior: Fun part-time job idea for retirees

Dear Savvy Senior,

As a 68-year-old retiree, I’m interested in finding a fun part-time job that can occupy some of my time and generate a little extra income. Can you write a column on low-stress part-time jobs that are popular among retirees?

Part-Time Retiree

Dear Retiree, Working part-time in retirement can be a terrific way to occupy your time and earn some extra income. The key, however, is finding the right gig that’s fun and satisfying for you. While there are literally hundreds of different part-time job opportunities out there for retirees, here are a few possibilities to explore.

Pet Services: If you love animals, consider pet sitting and/or dog walking. Pet sitters, who attend to a pet’s needs when their owner is away, can earn $15 to $40 per visit. Dog walkers can make $10 to $30 for a 30-minute walk.

To find these jobs, advertise your services in veterinarians’ offices or online at sites like Craigslist.org or Care. com. Or, if you’d rather work for an organization that offers these services, visit Rover.com.

Teach or Tutor: Depending on your expertise, you could substitute

teach or tutor students privately on any number of subjects. Substitute teachers typically make between $75 and $125/ day, while tutors can earn between $15 to $30 per hour.

To look for substitute teaching positions, contact your local school district to see if they are hiring and what qualifications they require. To advertise tutoring services, use websites like Wyzant.com and Tutor.com

Or, if you have a bachelor, master or doctoral degree, inquire about adjunct teaching at a nearby college or university.

Drive: If you like to drive, you can get paid to drive others around using Uber or Lyft apps, or become a food delivery driver through Instacart or Uber Eats. Drivers make around $15 per hour.

Babysit: If you like kids, babysitting can be a fun way to put money in your pocket. Hourly rates vary by location ranging anywhere from $10 to $40 per hour. To find jobs or advertise your services, use sites like as Care.com and Sittercity.com

Tour guide: If you live near any

historical sites or locations, national parks or museums (anywhere that attracts tourists), inquire about becoming a tour guide. This pays anywhere from $10 to $40/hour.

Write or edit: Many media, corporate and nonprofit websites are looking for freelancers to write, edit or design content for $20 to $60 per hour. To find these jobs try FreelanceWriting.com, FreelanceWritingGigs.com and Freelancer.com

Consult: If you have a lot of valuable expertise in a particular area, offer your services as a consultant through a firm or on your own through freelancer sites like Upwork.com, Fiverr.com, Freelancer.com or Guru.com.

Translator or interpreter: If you’re fluent in more than one language you can do part-time interpretation over the phone or translate documents or audio files for $20 to $40/hour. Try sites like Translate.com, ProZ.com or Gengo.com to locate translation jobs.

Public events: Sporting events, festivals, concerts and shows need ticket takers, security guards, ushers, concession workers and more. The pay is usually $10 to $20/hour. Contact nearby venues to apply.

Build in protection when hiring contractors

By Jason Roach

Each spring, many people make improvements around their home. At the Consumer Protection Division of the Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office, we want you to avoid being victimized by contractors. Of nearly 500 complaints we received last year, more than 16 percent involved home improvement. The most

common complaint arises when a homeowner gives a contractor money upfront, before work begins, and the project either is not completed to the homeowner’s satisfaction or, in some cases, never started. When a contractor walks away with your money, it makes getting the project completed difficult and it may be impossible to get your money back.

Here are some suggestions to protect yourself:

Get any contract or bid in writing. The contractor should list explicitly what they are offering to do and the price they are going to charge. If they claim to be licensed and insured, make them provide you proof before you give them any money or let them start the job. If the contract is in writing it better protects you and gives you the ability to hold the contractor accountable.

Never pay until the work is completed. Once you give the contractor your payment, you lose leverage to get the work completed on time and on budget. Some disreputable contractors will offer big discounts if you pay upfront. But beware: If the price is too good to be true, it likely is.

If you have to make a down payment, pay with a credit card. Then if a dispute with the contractor occurs, you can dispute the charge with your credit card company. A contractor who

Answers from page 8

Tax preparer: If you have tax preparation experience or are willing to take a tax prep course you can find seasonal work preparing tax returns at big-box tax firms like H&R Block or Jackson Hewitt for around $17 an hour.

Bookkeeper: If you have a finance or accounting background you can find freelance bookkeeping gigs at sites like Upwork.com and Fiverr.com, or through firms like BelaySolutions.com

Librarian assistant: If you love books, public libraries hire part-time workers to shelve books, send out overdue notices, help patrons, etc. Contact your local library to see what’s available.

If you don’t find these options appealing, try FlexJobs.com, which lists thousands of flexible work-at-home jobs from more than 5,700 employers. Membership fees start at $10.

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only wants cash should be a red flag to you. Cash payments are impossible to trace and, absent a verified receipt, you may have a hard time proving the payment was ever made.

Before hiring a contractor, do your research and check references. Many people use contractors that recommended by friends or family. While that can be a great way to find a contractor, you should still only hire properly licensed and qualified contactors to make sure the work is done to code. Some work requires permits and inspections to make sure the work is done safely. You can also check the Better Business Bureau to see if the contractor has a history of complaints.

If you have questions or complaints, feel free to contact the Consumer Protection Division of the Office of the District Attorney at 316660-3600 or by email at consumer@ sedgwick.gov

Jason P. Roach is a Sedgwick County Assistant District Attorney in charge of the office’s Consumer Protection Division.

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.

We believe that everyone deserves a safe, decent and clean place to live regardless of income, age, or ability. We are committed to improving the communities where we live and work by providing quality affordable housing, delivering the highest standards of property management, and supporting our residents.