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November 2023
Homestead refunds ‘here for us to take advantage of’ Mary Clarkin This year marked the rollout of Property tax refund options for older homeowners are growing thanks to new state and local programs. But homeowners must know about the programs and fill out the correct paperwork to take advantage of them.
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Teresa Harper, who lives in south Wichita, qualifies for a Homstead property tax refund.
Kansas’ property tax “freeze’’ for qualifying homeowners. Called the Seniors or Disabled Veterans Refund (SVR), it is designed to keep an eligible homeowner’s taxes from increasing year to year. Over 10,000 claims for this refund have been filed across the state in 2023, according to the Kansas Department of Revenue. The popularity of the SVR tax refund program will spread in 2024 as it becomes more widely known, predicted State Sen. Tom Holland, D-Baldwin City, chief architect of the property tax freeze legislation. Also in 2024, the city of Wichita will conduct a pilot property tax refund program to help low-income homeowners who receive assistance from one of the state’s Homestead tax rebate programs. The city’s contribution could reduce the property tax for some homeowners to zero. Spurring state and city tax property tax refund programs is the desire to enable low-income or See Homestead, page 7
ALW thrift shop volunteers include, left to right, Susan Ensz, Vicki Hye, Kay Saindon, Carla Cantrell, Connie Dietz, Mona Hobson and Susan Hussey.
Volunteers earn PhDs in retail By Joe Stumpe Susan Hussey finished her career in education as principal at Chisholm Trail elementary school. Then, she says, she got “a PhD in retail.” Hussey is chair of the Assistance League of Wichita’s thrift shop and one of about 50 volunteers who keep the store at 2431 E. Douglas running. At a time when some of the city’s
thrift shops are closing or struggling, the league’s operation is busier than ever. On a recent Thursday morning, a steady stream of people dropped off donated items at the store’s back rooms, where they’re sorted into labeled plastic bins for storage.
See Thrift, page 6
WWII vet keeps wheels turning
By Melanie Jenney Eighty years after enlisting to fight in World War II, Ralph Hall is still on the move. Well, in a manner of speaking. He goes bicycling just about every day, but these days he rides a stationary bike at the Downtown YMCA. His motivation? “Stay strong and healthy,” Hall, 97, said. For those who regularly spot him at the Y, Hall’s dedication to exercise is inspiring. For those who get to know him better, his tales of nearly a century of living are a reminder of life’s twists and turns. Hall was born and raised in
Attleboro, Mass., once known as “The Jewelry Capital of the World.” There wasn’t much money around during the Great Depression but his dad was creative, painting a dairy’s barn in exchange for milk and taking his seven kids skating when the low-lying swamps around Attleboro froze over. Hall’s mother, who’d been born in Newfoundland, worked in a laundry. At 16, Hall dropped out of school to operate a kick press in one of the town’s jewelry manufacturers (soon converted to producing gun parts and Purple Hearts). The next year, he was accepted into the U.S. Navy, following
Ralph Hall keeps fit at the See Fitness, page 8 Downtown Y.M.C.A
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