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1 al e r 2 r c e 20 ne len inn e l G ce W x d E ar w A
Vol 42 • No. 12
All-female biker club rides for fun and friendship
ACTIVE AGING PUBLISHING, INC 125 S West St., Suite 105 Wichita, Ks 67213
Nonprofit Organization U.S. Postage PAID Wichita, KS 67276 Permit 1711
By Amy Geiszler-Jones When Janice Friedman saw four women bikers roll up to a HarleyDavidson dealership in Wyoming, she was intrigued. “I’d never seen women Harley riders before. But I was the last person you would ever guess would do that,” Friedman said. “I won’t lie, I was kind of high maintenance.” In fact, she didn’t even enjoy riding as a passenger on her husband’s bike. “It messed up my hair,” she said. But there was something about seeing women in command of all that horsepower that resonated with her. She turned to her husband, who had bought his first motorcycle in the 1990s, and told him she intended to learn to ride her own bike. His response: “You only want to do that
www.theactiveage.com Kansas’ Largest Newspaper
November 2021
Heels on wheels
Members describe the club, which started in 2004, as a fierce support group that enjoys organized rides, social gatherings and charitable work. “I have sisters, but the Krome Kitty club has brought another set of sisters that I didn’t know I needed,” said Jennifer Patterson, one of the newest members of the group. “The support is unreal.” Creating the club Friedman signed up for a motorcycle safety course not long after visiting that Harley dealership in Wyoming. “Some people take to it naturally,” said Friedman, who retired as manager of the Hite Fanning & Honeymoon law firm in 2015. “I was not that girl.” After a few months of riding, however, she was hooked. Photo by Joe Stumpe “I just can’t describe the The Krome Kitty Motorcycle Club gathered in Derby last month. satisfaction and empowerment,” Friedman said. biker wardrobe, she also founded and for the cute clothes.” In 2004, Lori Gibbs, a neighbor leads an all-female biker club, the In the 18 years since, not only has See Kitty, page 12 Krome Kitty Motorcycle Club. Friedman accumulated an impressive
Social media? Yes, with reservations
By Debbi Elmore After more than a decade on Facebook, Flossie Alexander can speak with experience about the good and bad aspects of social media. “In the beginning, I was drawn to Facebook as a means to promote my business as a life fitness coach,” Alexander, who joined in 2009, said. “I soon discovered that I enjoyed getting to know people from all over the United States. In the early days, Facebook was less political and more focused on establishing connections. I was amazed at how willing people were to share details of their lives with people they would likely never meet in person. Maybe knowing they would never meet in person made it easier to share. In the beginning, I would spend three or four hours a day on Facebook. Today, I would say I spend only three to five hours per week on it.” Alexander, who has almost 5,000 Facebook friends, also uses Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat from the time to time, Retired school administrator Rod Milne said social media is too political but good for a "few See Social, page 14 laughs from memes."
Questions about services?
Central Plains Area Agency on Aging/Sedgwick County Department on Aging: 1-855-200-2372
Butler County: (316) 775-0500 or 1-800-279-3655 Harvey County: (316) 284-6880 or 1-800-279-3655