‘This is the best country in the world’ Holland native, 88, eager to cast his first vote in America next month
By Sherry Graham Howerton
John F. Kennedy was leading the nation when Neal Bakker immigrated to the United States more than six decades ago. Twenty-four years old and speaking little English, Bakker arrived in Kansas under the sponsorship of a fellow Dutchman, Wichitan John Borst, to work in Borst’s greenhouse, Livingston Rose Garden & Nursery.
As Bakker evolved from employee to business owner, he raised a family and solidified an already deep-rooted work ethic. But while he embraced his adopted country and celebrated the opportunities it provided, gaining his U.S. citizenship was not top of mind.
“All of those years, I was just concentrating on making a living, and in a way, I’m kind of embarrassed,” Bakker said. “I was raising a family, and it just never really dawned on me. But I am proud to be an American.
This is the best country in the world.”
Then in 2021, he earned his citizenship with the help of close friend and Wichitan Peggy Griffith.
Griffith says that Bakker shared with her his desire to vote, but she knew that earning his citizenship
would be a challenge for Bakker based on logistics.
“He didn’t have access to or experience with computers and all of the technology it took to pursue citizenship. I was happy to help.”
A Different Path
Bakker, 88, owns Wichita Greenhouse at 3649 N. Arkansas. His customers span five generations and have sought his goods and expertise on everything from tulips — the flagship flower of Holland — to roses, vegetables and just about anything else that grows. His life might have been very different had he not made the United States his home.
The third child and the oldest son in a family of eight children, Bakker grew up in Voorhout, a village in south Holland. His father was a shoemaker and his mother succumbed
In search of twoheaded cows and stranger creatures
By Joe Norris
In Jackson Hole, Wyoming, there’s a beautiful town square park that you enter through one of two huge arches made of elk antlers. When huckleberries are in season, you can sit in the park and enjoy a huckleberry lemonade or one of several other tasty huckleberry concoctions. They’re crazy for huckleberries in that part of Wyoming.
A few summers ago, my wife and I were enjoying a huckleberry iced tea in Jackson Hole Park when a lady came striding through an antler arch and across the grass toward us. She was balancing a softball-sized scoop of huckleberry ice cream on a sugar cone. The lady we later came to know as Dolores turned and plopped down on the bench next to us.
“Yep,” she said, taking a big lick
See Two-headed, page 7
New Goddard Senior Center off to fast start
By Becky Funke
GODDARD — The Goddard Senior Center is on a roll.
What had been a group of older residents getting together informally cut the ribbon on the new Goddard Senior Center last month, days after the Goddard City Council approved $46,000 in funding for it ($6,000 of which came from Sedgwick County). This month, the center will start serving Friendship Meals and Meals on Wheels out of the center, which is located in the Goddard Community Center at 122 N. Main St.
The Senior Center has use of the community center from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday,
you are receiving
or
offering exercise programs, cards and games, educational programs and more. A partnership with Genesis Health Club in Goddard allows center members to also take part in Silver Sneakers exercise and water exercise programs there and will offer pickleball in the coming months.
Goddard Senior Center members start their morning with an exercise class.
Senior center membership has grown to about 250 people in a few months. Last month’s grand opening was held at the same
942-5385 or emailing joe@theactiveage.com.
time as a Senior Expo and Resource Fair at the center.
Joe Norris enjoys getting off the beaten track while traveling.
Upcoming Events
Diabetes fair offers free testing
Free testing for diabetes, flu vaccines, foot exams and more will be offered during the 8th annual Live Well with Diabetes Fair, held from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 2, at the Wichita State Metroplex, 5015 E. 29th St. N. Sponsored by the Great Plains Diabetes Center, the event also features the latest technology for diabetes control and speakers on diabetesrelated topics throughout the morning.
Free lunch will be offered to the first 100 people who register. Registration and more information are available at www.greatplainsdiabetes or by calling (316) 440-2802.
According to the center, one in three Americans over the age of 65 has diabetes, which can cause blindness and kidney disease and contribute to strokes and dementia.
The nonprofit diabetes center provides clinical care at 834 N Socora St., Suite 4, a day camp for children called Camp Live Well, educational programs and outreach at many area health fairs. It is supported by clinic revenue, donations and grants.
Open Streets returns
Open Streets ICT will be back Sunday, Oct. 13 when the city closes 4.1 miles of Douglas Avenue to motor vehicle traffic and instead encourages walking, biking, skateboarding and more. Lasting from noon to 5 p.m., the event features five major activity hubs, music, food and vendors. Douglas will be lcosed from Bluff Street in College Hill to Glenn Street in Delano.
A
little afternoon music
The Thursday Afternoon Music Club, now celebrating its 110th year, has several concerts scheduled for this fall and winter, including:
Oct. 3, 1:30 p.m. — Arts Capacity, Central Community Chapel, 6100 W. Maple.
Nov. 14, 1:30 p.m.—Brandon Rodriguez, clarinet, Larksfield Place, 7373 East 29th St.
Dec. 5, noon — Wichita Collegiate Madrigals, Larksfield Place (special lunch program, paid reservations required by calling (316) 744-2947.
The organization provides scholarships for music students at Friends University and Wichita State University.
Maize
alum banquet
MAIZE — The annual Maize High Alumni Banquet will be held Saturday, Oct. 12, at Maize Middle School, 4600 N. Maize Road. The cost is $25 per person. Reservations must be made by check to the Maize Alumni Association, 105 E. Academy, Maize, KS, 67101, by Oct. 5. Social hour begins at 5 p.m., followed by dinner and a program. For more information, email nscarpelli6850@gmail.com.
Andover book sale
ANDOVER — Friends of the Andover Public Library will hold a book sale Oct. 24-26 to benefit the children’s summer reading program and other library activities. Sale hours are 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Oct. 24, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Oct. 25 and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Oct. 26. A sneak peek for Friends members takes place Oct. 23. For more information, contact the library at (316) 558-3500.
Orchid show and sale
The Kansas Orchard Society will hold its fall show and sale from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 5, at Botanica. The event will feature over 100 blooming orchards, educational information and children’s activities, vendors and more. The show is free but admission to Botanica is required. For more information, email svcsjp@gmail. com or visit the society’s Facebook page.
Figure skating tickets on sale
Tickets to the U.S. Figure Skating Championships, to be held Jan. 20-26 at Intrust Bank Arena, are now on sale. The tickets, which start at $15 before taxes and fees, can be purchased at visitwichita.com.
Spooky speaker EL DORADO — Katie
Keckeisen will talk about spiritualism in the 19th century during the Butler County Historical Society’s Thursday Speaker Series. Her talk is at 6 p.m. at the Kansas Oil Museum, 383 E. Central Ave.
Life Enrichment Series
NORTH NEWTON — Music, photography and longevity are some topics to be explored in Bethel College’s Life Enrichment programs during October. The programs will be held each Thursday morning in October except for Oct. 2. For the full schedule plus information about cost and location, google “Bethel College Kansas Life Enrichment.”
Going paperless?
A free digital copy of The Active Age is now available. The digital copy can be “flipped through” like a regular newspaper, and the type can be enlarged on your phone or computer. To have the digital version emailed to you each month, call (316) 942-5384 or email joe@theactiveage.com.
Three new members have joined the board of directors of The Active Age.
Steve Criser is one of the founders and owners of CGP Group, LLC, a tax and accounting firm. A Wichita native, he graduated from East High and Wichita State University.
Criser jokes that a job he held during college — drawing blood samples at Wesley Medical Center — “prepared me for giving bad tax news to our clients.”
He and his wife, Starla, have one daughter. Starla is a writer and volunteer with Senior Services, Inc.
Criser serves as a trustee of the Wichita-Sedgwick County Historical Museum. He is expected to take over as treasurer of The Active Age board in the near future.
“I am so thankful to the people in my life who have guided me and taught me,” he said.
Darnell Holopirek is the former institutional advancement director for Barton Community College, where she
led fundraising initiatives, oversaw marketing and communications and sat on the college’s board of directors. She and husband, Mel, who is now deceased, retired in 2014 and moved to Maize. She has two daughters, a son and three grandchildren. One of her daughters, Jemelle Holopirek, was a longtime television broadcaster for KAKE News and now works for Visit Wichita.
“My priorities in life are serving
my faith, family and friends,” Darnell said.
She hopes to contribute to The Active Age’s continued success “because so many people enjoy and appreciate the stories and advertisements.”
Jamee Ross served as director of development at Botanica for 21 years. She is currently chief
1841 N. Rock Rd. Ct., Suite 200
Wichita, KS 67206
Phone: 316-708-8848
Office: 316-684-4272
Fax: 316-684-5212
I’m a local Medicare and Retirement Specialist. Serving Wichita area Seniors for more than 7 years.
development officer for the Tanganyika Wildlife Foundation. Born in Wichita, she earned a journalism degree from the University of Kansas and a law degree from Washburn University. She and her husband, Mike, have two children who attend KU. She is active in Mark Arts, Designing Women, the Wichita Family Crisis Center, and Wichita Cancer Foundation.
“I just like supporting things that are good for the overall community,” she said. “I know how important The Active Age is.”
Medicare Changes and updates are here. Agent - Specializing in Retirement & Medicare swolcott@americanseniorbenefits.com www.americanseniorbenefits.com Let’s Talk!
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Dedicate necesary resources to the Sheriff, EMS, and 911 to keep our community safe and secure.
Fair Taxation
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Steve Criser
Darnell Holopirek
Jamee Ross
Thank You Recent Donors!
Carolyn
Robert
Sheila
Honor Roll of Donors
These readers recently contributed $50 or more to the 2024 donation campaign.
Connie
to $125,000.
The Active Age now accessible in audio form
The Active Age is now available in audio form through NFB-Newsline, a service of the National Federation of the Blind and State Library of Kansas. NFB-Newsline is intended to help those who are visually impaired or have difficulty because of a physical impairment or reading disability. There is no charge for the service, but users must create an account to use it. For more information or to create an account, visit nfb.org/programs-
services/nfb-newsline. Or you can call the Kansas Talking Books Regional Library at (620) 341-6280. Users can access Newsline through their telephones, computers and other means.
The state library recently took over as the statewide sponsor of Newsline, which provides access to over 500 newspapers, magazines and other publications. Kansas Talking Books, another service of the state library,
offers nearly 200,000 books. To learn more about it, visit library.ks.gov/ talking-books or call 1(800)362-0699.
“Kansas Talking books and NFBNewsline are invaluable resource that makes reading accessible to those who are blind and/or print disabled,” said Michael Lang, director of the state library. “We are excited to announce the addition of The Active Age to our local Newsline channel.”
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Bill Warren Marilyn Wilson Janet Wolcutt Old Timers Thursday Soccer Group
Voter
From Page 1
to pneumonia when she was 39.
Despite his teachers’ advice that the promising student attend high school, he had no choice but to drop out to support the family by working in the tulip fields. For $.30 an hour, he removed spent flowers from the bulbs for replanting the next year.
“I gave everything back to my family,” Bakker said.
His reward for hard work came after Sunday family meals when he was given a cookie, a few pieces of candy and 35 cents. He budgeted 15 cents to attend the local professional soccer game — grinning as he admits to sneaking into a few.
Bakker eventually attended night school to study horticulture and earn his diploma. In early adulthood, he served two years in the Dutch Army under the country’s mandated military service. When he was discharged, Bakker’s father hoped his son would follow him into the shoe business.
“But I didn’t want to go back to living at home under rules at age 21.”
Bakker was working at Floriade, an international exhibition and garden festival held in the Netherlands, when
he met Borst. Borst offered Bakker a job at his Wichita nursery earning $60 a week. The year was 1961, and Bakker eagerly accepted the offer. He learned English in part by listening to musical artists such as Elvis Presley and the Beatles.
While working for Borst he put every other check in the bank. When he received a call from a doctor in Holland informing him of his father’s failing health, he returned to his homeland and used his savings to take the elder Bakker on an extended road trip.
Freedom to sell
Back in the states, Bakker soon became the garden center manager at the Kmart then located on West Kellogg.
“The store manager turned me loose,” Bakker remembers. With freedom to choose the inventory, Bakker grew his department into Kmart’s second-busiest garden center in the country, at one point selling $1.3 million in live goods annually. Bakker also opened his own greenhouse to sell plants to the public during his days off from Kmart. That venture ultimately turned him into a wholesaler, too, as he would peddle his inventory back to Kmart — a good deal for both
operations because Bakker knew firsthand what his customers there wanted.
“I brought in fresh, blooming flowers every day, and I’d line the sidewalks of Kmart with blooming hanging baskets. Sometimes we would sell 50 to 100 baskets a day,” Bakker said.
But with the introduction of technology, Bakker saw the business at Kmart change. The chain began standardizing the inventory it wanted to buy and sell, often ordering goods with a one-size-fits all mentality to stock all of its stores. Bakker says he would often receive flowers and plants that weren’t suitable for the Kansas climate.
“I was losing the ability to sell the merchandise my customers had come to know and trust. I saw the beginning of the end.”
Loves to say ‘thank you’
After 33 years, Bakker opted to take an early retirement from Kmart and concentrate on his own business, Wichita Greenhouse. It’s a job he has slowly turned over to his son, Casey Bakker, and Casey’s daughter, Krysta
Bakker, although he maintains a presence in the nursery.
As Bakker reflects on more than 60 years living in the United States — through 15 presidential elections and 12 presidents — he says he should have pursued his citizenship and voting earlier but realizes it’s better late than never.
“This isn’t the country it was when I came here,” Bakker said. “As I’ve gotten older I’ve gotten more critical, but you can’t be opinionated if you’re not willing to participate in the process.”
He wishes more Americans would realize the opportunities they have without expecting a handout.
“I would like to see people be proud to be an American. Many people feel like the U.S. owes them something, but it doesn’t. You have to work to be successful,” Bakker said.
Bakker himself doesn’t like to ask for help. He’s always wanted to succeed on his own.
“I hate to say please, but I love to say thank you,” Bakker said.
Contact Sherry Graham Howerton at sgaylegraham@hotmail.com.
Make a plan for November election
By the League of Women Voters
Wichita-Metro
Whether you’re 19 or 99, you are an important member of our democracy. Be sure to exercise your right to vote in the November 2024 election. Here’s how to plan ahead. Check your registration
Go to KSvotes.org or call the Sedgwick County Election Office at (316) 660-7100 to see if you are registered and if your information is up to date. If you have moved or changed your name since you last voted, you must re-register, either online at KSVotes.org or get a paper registration form at the Election Office at 510 N. Main. Oct. 15 is the last day to register or update your registration. Apply for an advance ballot if needed
You can request an advance mail-in ballot if you do not want to wait in line at the polls, if you do not have transportation or if you’ll be out of town during the days the polls are open. You can request one from the election office or online at KSVotes.org. You can begin voting by mail as early as Oct.
16. The deadline to request an advance ballot to be mailed to you is Oct. 29 for the Nov. 5 election.
Be prepared if voting in person
Check on your polling location at www.vote411.org. It may have changed since you voted last time. You can also view your ballot there. All locations are open Election Day, Nov. 5, from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Be sure to take your driver’s license or government-issued ID with you to vote in person.
Consider voting early in person
If you wait to vote until Nov. 5 and illness or something else comes up that you can’t make it that day, you lose your chance to vote. Early voting starts at the election office Oct. 21 and at satellite locations Oct. 29. Early voting ends at noon on Nov. 4.
The League of Women Voters is a nonpartisan political organization encouraging the informed and active participation of citizens in government, including the voting process. For more information, visit VoterServices@lwvwichita.org or call 316-835-0001.
Two-headed
From Page 1
of her dripping cone. “This is the first time I’ve been out of Oklahoma in 17 years. Now, you may be wonderin’, ‘Well, why ain’t she been out of Oklahoma even once in all of that time?’”
Truth is, we weren’t wondering anything. We hadn’t even had a chance to say hello before she launched into her monologue.
Dolores’ husband, it turned out, had come to her a year ago and said he wanted a divorce — immediately — because he had met another woman online.
“And that woman? That online woman? She was from Canada!” Clearly, the international component had made her husband’s infidelity ten times worse for Dolores.
Her husband, by the way, had tried to come crawling back.
“But I said no. I’m drivin’ my daddy up to Yellowstone, ‘cause we always wanted to see it. He’s havin’ a nap in the hotel room right now, but I wanted an ice cream,” Dolores explained.
She took a reflective lick on her huckleberry ice cream and said with a sigh: “You know, my daddy, he had a midlife crisis, too, but he didn’t leave Mama. He just bought a convertible and a pair of bell-bottom pants.”
Characters like Dolores are in a category my wife and I call twoheaded cows. Back when we were both working, with two kids in school, we had a limited amount of time to take a road trip. So we always ended up driving 12 or 14 hours straight on the first day, trying to maximize our time at the vacation destination. But as we were racing down the highway, we’d zoom past little signs that said, “See the Two-Headed Cow!” or “See the World’s Largest Prairie Dog!” and we’d say, “Damn! We’d like to see a twoheaded cow!” But we never had the time to stop.
Now that we’re both retired, we do have the time to stop. And whenever we’re road-tripping, we stop to see every two-headed cow and every other cheesy roadside attraction along our route. We also take the time to have
a conversation with the people who are just as quirky as the tourist traps. Meeting those people is our favorite part of every road trip.
In Bandera, Texas, we met a gnarly old cowboy named Hoot Gibson who’d always wanted to attend the Calgary Stampede Rodeo in Canada. So he decided to just ride his horse all the way up there from South Texas. Two thousand miles of cross-country riding, camping and dodging semis. Hoot was a horseman, but he was also a twoheaded cow.
In Antonito, Colorado, the twoheaded cow was a guy named Cano who lived in a huge silvery castle that he’d built out of beer cans and scrap aluminum window frames. “All those cans?” he said. “I didn’t drink a one of them. Got 'em all from the city dump. I’m not a beer guy. But I did drink some of those wine bottles over there.”
In Hastings, Nebrasaka, we met a lady named Harriett, who has converted her entire house to a
Bigfoot Museum. It’s a hodge-dodge of tree branches, photos, artifacts and life-size Bigfoot figures. “Just look around, wherever you want!” Harriett told us. “It’s all here! I got nothing to hide! Some people don’t like the way I did my house, but guess what? I don’t care! It’s my house, and I’ll do it however I want!”
None of those conversations would have been possible back when we were doing the buttnumbing 14-hour drives. But we take our time on road trips now. We don’t drive every day. And when we do drive, we limit our windshield time to a maximum of five hours.
hurry and you’re open to conversation with a stranger, you can meet some people who will become the highlights of your road trip.
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There are a number of online resources we use to identify stops we want to make. Roadside America and Atlas Obscura are two of our favorites. You can search the websites by geographic area or by topic. That’s how we identified a couple dozen of the world’s largest things to map out the route for our recent World’s Largest Road Trip. The World’s Largest and Second-Largest Rocking Chair were both stops on that trip. So were The World’s Largest Popcorn Ball, The World’s Largest Concrete Gnome, The World’s Largest Perry Como Statue and The World’s Largest Mailbox.
We met some of our favorite twoheaded cows because they happened to live at the attractions we’d found on Roadside America. That’s how we met Clyde Wynia, a former lawyer in Wisconsin who sold his practice so he could weld gigantic dragon sculptures, then display them in his yard.
But other encounters were purely by chance. We weren’t expecting to meet anyone like Dolores when we sat down on the park bench in Jackson Hole, for example. And we had no idea that we’d run into Hoot Gibson as we were grilling our own steaks on the giant charcoal grills out behind the 11th Street Cowboy Bar in Bandera on Steak Night. But if you aren’t in a
A few years ago, we were having lunch at the counter in a tiny cafe in Gillette, Wyoming, when an elderly Native American man walked in.
“Howya doin’ Chief?” yelled the fry cook.
The old gentleman nodded agreeably toward him. They obviously knew each other, and both apparently understood that the “Chief” title was meant affectionately.
Chief wasn’t big on conversation, but he sat at the counter next to my wife and began explaining how he’d recently lost his own wife to an extended illness. My wife listened to his story and extended her sympathies. He thanked her for letting him ramble on. But he also wanted to show his appreciation in some more tangible way, so he told her, “I’ve never done this before, but I’m going to give you my secret family recipe for cooking elk neck.”
I won’t reveal the recipe here, because it’s secret. But if we ever find ourselves out in the woods, hungry, with a fresh elk neck, we’ll know exactly how to prepare it. Because we took the time to have a conversation with a two-headed cow.
Joe Norris is a writer and former Wichita marketing executive. He can be reached at joe.norris47@gmail.com.
The writer and his wife visited Jurustic Park in Marshfield, Wis., top, and the Big Shoe Made of Shoes in Clayton, Mo.
Joe and Marilynn Norris with Harriett,center, who runs a Bigfoot Museum out of her home in Hastings, Neb.
Goddard
From Page 1
“You can definitely tell it was long overdue,” said Amanda Treadwell, who’s been volunteering as the center’s director. “This month alone, we’ve grown 60 new members.”
The Senior Center has roots in Goddard Keen Klub, a group formed in the 1980s. The group met three mornings a week for exercise, held a monthly potluck lunch and other activities at the community center and other sites.
In December 2023, at a meeting of the Goddard Hub, a group of community leaders that met quarterly to share resources and address community needs, representatives of the senior group expressed a desire to bring a meals program to the community and expand services to meet the needs of older adults in the community.
With the newly remodeled Community Center opening in early 2024, it seemed the time and place was right. In March, representatives of the senior group and the city met with representatives of Aging Projects, Inc., of Hutchinson, which provides Friendship Meals to senior centers and home-delivered meals to home-bound residents in 13 counties in central and southcentral Kansas. Plans began to bring meals here. Start-up funds were secured from private donations and the City of Goddard.
Over the spring and summer, a grassroots effort spearheaded by Karen Keithley and Amanda Treadwell worked to build an active group with meaningful programs and services. The duo researched what was available in the community, visited other senior centers and started talking to seniors to find out what kind of programs they wanted.
Keithley has been a part of the senior group since 2019. After her husband’s death, Phyllis and David Curtis encouraged her to join the exercise group. Then she joined a group that played dominoes several times a month. After Covid, Phyllis Curtis decided she no longer wanted to lead the exercise group, so Keathley stepped into that role.
From there she has become the
self-described “boots on the ground,” for the Senior Center, helping register new members, planning programs and activities, keeping participation records and becoming a cheerleader among her peers.
She values the friendships she has built, and she joked, “it gets me out of the house where my refrigerator is.” She enjoys meeting new people and seeing them involved in the center’s activities and supporting each other.
“It’s hard to be depressed when you come to even one or two events a week,” she said. “We’re sharing each other’s joys and challenges.”
Treadwell, whose grandmother, Sandra, is a member, has devoted many hours to getting the center started, a role that grew from an offer to help with social media and grant administration. “Little did I know this journey would lead me to become the volunteer director of the Goddard Senior Center,” she said.
The start of Friendship Meals/ Meal on Wheels this month is the culmination of nearly a year of research, meetings and groundwork by Treadwell. “Seniors have a dedicated place to enjoy healthy, hot meals, connect with others, participate in activities and access services and resources,” she said. “Our goal is to empower them to live healthy, active lives.”
Pam Dayhuff started participating in the exercise group a few years into retirement and is a member of the center today. “Too many seniors hole up and soon find themselves isolated,” Dayhuff said. When a widowed neighbor needed some support, she become involved in the effort to bring a meals program to Goddard. She’s become an advocate for the center, speaking before the City Council and helping to sign up new members.
Mayor George Liebe has also become a vocal supporter (and member) of the senior center. “It’s a vital, necessary service,” Liebe said. “It’s important to take care of the seniors in our community.”
He said the camaraderie among the group is evident during the activities. “You see people getting to know each other, helping each other, inviting other people. It’s building a sense of community.”
In the next few months, Goddard Senior Center plans to open an office and resource center in a downtown building next door to the Community Center and hire a part-time director. Because the community center is used by other groups at night, Treadwell said, she has arranged with Goddard Senior Homes, 501 Easy St., to use its community center to offer evening activities.
Ultimately, she hopes to help bring Goddard a stand-alone senior center and more senior housing. But for now, the new senior center is proving a major hit.
For information on the Goddard Senior Center, contact Keithley at (785) 398-1255 or Amanda Treadwell at 316-461-6962. The Goddard Senior Center is on Facebook, and regular updates about activities can be found there.
Becky Funke is a former editor of The Active Age. She can be reached at Rfunke3@cox.net.
State to provide grants to unpaid dementia caregivers
The state of Kansas will begin this fall to provide $1,000 to about 600 unpaid caregivers caring for someone with Alzheimer’s or another dementia, it was announced last month. The Kansas Respite for Alzheimer’s & Dementia Program (K-RAD) will be administered by Area Agencies on Aging (AAA). According to a news release, to be eligible for this program, the following criteria must be met:
The caregiver must be a family member or other informal caregiver, 18 years of age or older, providing care to an individual of any age living with Alzheimer’s or another related dementia.
The individual being cared for must have a probable diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease or a related dementia.
The caregiver must live in Kansas in the same home as the care recipient (persons residing in long-term care communities are not eligible.) In case the caregiver does not live with the recipient, an exception may be requested through KDADS.
The $1,000 grants can be used on adult day care, overnight care, inhome care, and homemaker services. The grants will be given on a firstcome, first-serve basis and generally in the form of payments to respite care providers.For more information, contact the Central Plains Area Agency on Aging at 1(855) 200-2372. Currently, 89,000 individuals are caring for more than 54,000 individuals over the age of 65 with Alzheimer’s in the state of Kansas.
Amanda Treadwell, left, and Karen Keithley helped start the Goddard Senior Center.
City’s first shopping center turns 75
Here are some facts you might not know about Lincoln Heights Village, which became Wichita’s first shopping center when it opened in 1949. It was named for Abraham Lincoln, whom realtor and developer Walter Morris greatly admired.
Morris bought the property at Douglas and Oliver in 1926 from a wealthy St. Louis financier, Harry F. Knight, who financed Charles Lindbergh’s transatlantic flight the next year. (So maybe some of Morris’ $110,000 fueled “The Spirit of St. Louis.”)
It was part of an 80-acre parcel then located east of the city limits.
Morris and his son, William, spent 25 years working on plans for the shopping center by visiting other centers across the country. The two
also developed the nearly Sleepy Hollow, Park Hollow, Crown Heights and Lincoln Heights residential neighborhoods.
J.C. Nichols, builder of Kansas City’s Country Club Plaza, visited and offered suggestions about the mix of tenants that would offer complementary services. When it opened, “The Village” contained a drug store, florist, grocery, shoe store cleaners, barber and beauty shops, dentist and doctor's office and more. Morris liked that customers could attend to their shopping and medical needs in one trip.
The center’s most recognizable feature is its 50-foot tower. But plate glass window fronts, a roof structure that allowed for flexible store sizing and paved front-door parking were
Lincoln Heights Village is seen above in the 1950s (photo courtesy of the WichitaSedgwick County Historical Museum). Martha Gregg, right, is a great granddaughter of its founder.
all considered local innovations at the time.
The Village is still filled with a variety of locally owned businesses, including Watermark Books & Café, Extraordinaire Salon & Boutique, Oliver’s Lounge, Livingston’s Cafe, Village Barber & Style Shop, The Vault Collection, Sanneman Insurance Agency, Alliance Hearing, Inc., and Vigilias, LLC
Walter Morris died in 1951 at age 91. William Morris carried on the business until his death in 1963; and his three daughters, Eloise McMurtry, Carolyn Beckett and Mary Boyd, now all deceased, continued in the family real estate business with their families, who own and operate the property and the company today. Founded in 1888, Walter Morris & Son is the oldest real estate company in Wichita.
Coyotes more interested in chickens than man’s company
By Ted Blankenship
If you are a genuine Kansan, say born in Bazaar, you probably already know this. But if you’re a native of, say, Dallas or Minneapolis, you probably grew up mispronouncing the name of a native Kansas animal, the coyote. It’s co-yote, not co-yot-ee. The frustrating part of this is that people who put the “ee” on the end of the word insist they know more about coyotes than people who have actually seen one.
I was once one of four editorial writers on a metropolitan newspaper. Two of us wrote columns as part of our tasks. The editor, our boss, ordered one or the other of us to write a “mood
piece” once a week. A mood piece was a column of mostly fiction meant to entertain.
We both refused to do it and secretly made fun of the weekly mood pieces, which the editor had to do himself. We eventually pronounced “mood piece” with the accent of Inspector Clouseau in the Pink Panther movies.
One of the editor’s mood pieces featured “the noble Flint Hills coyote, standing atop a grassy knoll, nostrils flaring.”
In my experience, coyotes don’t show themselves often or for long. I’ve seen light gray, dark gray and an occasional yellow coyotes, but never their flared nostrils. If they were flared, I would never have known because by the time I sighted him, the coyote would have been long been gone, along with his or her nose.
If you do see a coyote, it will usually be the animal’s rear end as he heads for his or her den.
On our 20 acres north of Rose Hill, we had six chickens, all of which gradually got eaten by coyotes except for one. She taught herself to fly on top of the old garage and stay there until the coyotes were gone.
Only once was I close enough to a coyote to see its nose. It was winter, and I chanced to see one up against a corner of the horse barn. He was dark gray and I was definitely too close to him.
He growled at me as if to say, “This is my place, and I’m cold. Go away.”
He was either cold or rabid. Maybe I should have shot him. I decided it best to leave him alone.
He may still be chasing chickens, nostrils flaring from the top of a grassy knoll. For the sake of the chickens, I hope not.
Contact Ted at tblankenship218@ gmail.com
‘Wichita Blues’ is history from
“Wichita Blues: Music in the African American Community” by Patrick Joseph O’Connor (2024, University Press of Mississippi, 282 pages, $30 on Amazon)
By Lynn Avants
The traditions and history of the blues as a music form have been well-documented in some regions of the United States. The new book “Wichita Blues” does the same for the genre in our area.
Author Patrick O’Connor is a blues musician, researcher and lecturer in the Wichita area dating back to the late 1960s. Over the last 30 years, he interviewed 19 African American musicians who contributed to the formation and development of the early Wichita music scene. The interviews have previously been incorporated into an exhibit at The Kansas African American Museum and articles in The Active Age. After a foreword by blues scholar David Evans of the University of Memphis, the book starts with the early influences and origins of blues music. Details of social and economic trends have been included to help explain the systematic migration
those who lived it
of the genre across the country. The book also documents early musical performances in Kansas, including the touring minstrel and black cowboy shows that existed prior to blues.
The first blues and jazz shows in the area were touring acts that had short engagements. In time, blues musicians started moving to Wichita for a variety of reasons. Interviews with musicians who were present from the 1930s through the 1960s describe this history. These performers provide insight into the motivation and personal interactions that each personally experienced.
The interviews also document details about the clubs, proprietors, promoters and booking agents active during this era. Some of the local talent of that time managed to gain the attention and interest of touring artists and recording labels. Some were hired to perform with these acts, and a few managed to have their music recorded. A few well-known artists who stayed in Wichita for periods of time during this era are mentioned as well.
The north side of town had a vibrant club scene that began to integrate during the 1960s. Many of the interviewed musicians played roles in the integration of the Wichita
music scene and mentoring young musicians in subsequent decades. The book concludes with interviews from a number of area musicians who were active in later decades and provides insight into their experiences performing in Wichita in the post1960s era.
The book comes alive once it gets into the interviews and was an entertaining read from that point forward. It will be enjoyed by fans of Wichita history and anyone interested in the origins and development of the local music scene.
O’Connor has book readings and signings scheduled from 2-4 p.m. Oct. 13 at the Wichita-Sedgwick County Historical Museum and at 7 p.m. Nov. 22 at the new westside Barnes &
The
photographs
Noble, 2441 N. Maize. Lynn Avants is a Wichita musician.
The Blues Corner, which operated at 13th and Hydraulic, is picture on the cover of "Wichita Blues."
book contains more than 30
of musicians such as Albert Tucker, above right (photo by Arthur Kenyon).
Dig deep: Chicago-style pizza
Hunger-inducing. That’s one good description of a Chicago-style deep-dish pizza when it’s pulled out of the oven.
The fact that it takes only a handful of inexpensive store-bought ingredients to put together makes it even more appetizing. -Joe Stumpe
Chicago-style Deep-dish Pizza
Olive oil
1 bag (16 oz.) refrigerated pizza dough, brought to room temperature
1/2 to 3/4 lb. fresh mozzarella, sliced 1/4 inch thick
1/2 to 3/4 lb. ground Italian sausage, browned and drained
1 jar (14 oz.) pizza sauce
3 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
Directions:
Brush an 8- to 10-inch cast iron skillet with olive oil. Stretch the dough enough so that it covers the bottom of the skillet and comes up the sides an inch or two. Arrange mozzarella slices over bottom. Top with browned sausage, then pour over the pizza sauce and sprinkle with parmesan. Brush exposed edge of dough with olive oil.
Bake at 350 degrees about 30 minutes, or until crust is golden brown and sauce is bubbly. Serve the pizza from the pan or slide it out with a spatula after letting it rest for a few minutes.
•
•
•
If
October quiz: Consult your crystal ball for these answers
By Nancy Wheeler
Paranormal events are phenomena whose existence cannot be explained by science. As Halloween approaches, let’s review our working knowledge of these reported occurrences. The answers appear on page 22.
1. What name is given to the colorful spiritual energy that surrounds a person’s physical body and indicates a person’s emotional or physical well-be-
By Diana Morton Forum
Theatre, at the Wilke Center, 1st United Methodist Church, 330 N. Broadway. Dial M for Murder. A jealous husband, his wealthy wife and the seemingly perfect crime are at the center of this new version of
ing?
2. What term is used to refer to a gathering or secret meeting of witches?
3. What French phrase is used when a person experiences an uncanny sensation of familiarity to a place or person despite no previous encounters?
4. What name is given to a ritual or religious practice meant to drive out devils or demons from a possessed person?
November Theatre the celebrated murder mystery that inspired Alfred Hitchcock’s film masterpiece. Oct 31- Nov 17. 8pm; Tickets $34 – $44 each; 10% military discount and 1/2 price student tickets with a valid student ID. 316-618-0444
Kechi Playhouse, 100 E. Kechi Road, Dear Jack, Dear Louise by Ken Ludwig. A military doctor stationed in Oregon begins writing to an aspiring actress
Discover a community that encourages connection, comfort, and independence! We’re committed to enhancing your golden years with resort-style services, indulgent dining, and vibrant social living – all wrapped up in one monthly payment. With everything taken care of by our expert team, you can focus on celebrating the moments that matter.
5. What label is applied to the act of rising from the ground and hovering in mid-air through magical powers that seem to defy gravity?
6. What do we call the person who claims to be able to act as a messenger between the living and the dead, passing on messages often to loved ones?
7. What board game is used to spell out letters and thus messages from beyond?
and dancer in New York City hoping to meet her someday, but war threatens to end their relationship before it even starts .8 pm Fri–Sat, 2:30 pm Sun, Oct 4-27. Tickets $16-$17. 316-744-2152
Mosley Street Melodrama, 234 N. Mosley. Halloween the 13th: Michael vs Jason, a thriller that will keep you laughing, followed by a new musical revue, Now-Oct 26. Tickets, dinner,
8. What name is given to a sitdown meeting where participants try to make contact with the spirits of the dead?
9. What acronym is used to describe a scientifically unexplainable and mysterious flying object observed in the sky?
10. What supernatural entity or creature appears in a magically reanimated dead body and feeds by sucking the vital essence or blood of humans?
and show $36-40; show only $26-30. 316-263-0222
Roxy’s Downtown, 412 E. Douglas, cabaret-style theatre. Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors. Sink your teeth into a hilarious night with Dracula, the reluctant vampire, and his crew of ghoulish friends. Now-Oct 12; Tickets $40. 316-265-4400.
Thursday, October 24 from 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Deciding which Medicare policy is right for you can be tricky. Luckily, LTC Solutions is here to help! Join us for a talk going over everything you need to know. RSVP by October 22
October Events Haunted House Trick or Treat
Thursday, October 31 from 6:00 - 7:30 p.m.
How to assess what you need in a walker
Dear Savvy Senior,
Can you give me some tips on choosing an appropriate walker for my elderly father? He has some balance issues along with arthritis in his hips and could use a little more help than a cane provides.
Dear Wobbly,
When it comes to choosing a walker, there are several styles and options to consider, but selecting the best one for your father will depend on his needs as well as where he’ll be using it. Here are some tips that can help you choose.
Types of Walkers
There are three basic types of walkers on the market today. To help your dad choose, consider how much support he’ll need. Then, pay a visit to a medical equipment store or pharmacy (see Medicare.gov/medicalequipment-suppliers) that sells walkers so he can test-walk a few. Here are the different types he’ll have to choose from.
Standard walker: This is the most basic style of walker that has four legs
with rubber-based feet (no wheels), is very lightweight (5 to 6 pounds) and typically costs between $30 and $100. This type of walker must be picked up and moved forward as you walk, so it’s best suited for people who need significant weight bearing support, or who are walking very short distances.
Two-wheeled walker: This has the same four-leg style as the standard walker except it has wheels on the two front legs that allow you to easily push the walker forward without lifting, while the back legs glide across the floor providing support while you step forward. These are best for people with balance issues and are priced at around $50 to $150.
Rollator: This is a rolling walker that has wheels on all (three or four) legs. Four-wheel rollators typically come with a built-in seat, basket and hand-breaks and are best suited
for people who need assistance with balance or endurance inside or outside the home. Some rollators even come with pushdown brakes that engage with downward pressure and will lock if you sit on the seat. Or, if your dad needs to navigate tight spaces at home, three-wheel rollators, which don’t have a seat, are a nice option. Rollators typically run between $60 and $250.
Other Tips
After deciding on the type of walker, there a few additional things you need to know to ensure it meets your dad’s needs.
First, be sure the walker’s height is adjusted appropriately. To do this, have your dad stand with his arms relaxed at his sides. The handgrips of the walker should line up with the crease on the inside of his wrist.
If your dad is a large person, verify that the walker’s weight capacity will support him, and if he chooses a fourwheel rollator, that his body can fit between the handgrips when sitting. Heavy duty (bariatric) rollators with higher weight capacities, bigger wheels and wider seats are also an option.
Your dad also needs to test the handgrips to make sure they’re comfortable and be sure to purchase a walker that folds up (most do) for easier storage and transport.
There are also walker accessories that can be added for convenience such as food tray attachments, tote bags for carrying personal items, oxygen tank holders, and tennis ball walker glides that go over the feet of a standard walker to help it slide more easily across the floor.
For more tips on how to choose and use a walker, visit Mayoclinic.org/ healthy-lifestyle/healthy-aging/indepth/walker/art-20546805. It’s also a smart idea to work with your dad’s doctor or a physical therapist, and be sure to get a written prescription, as Medicare will cover 80 percent of the cost.
Get More Savvy
Find more tips from Savvy Senior at theactiveage.com. Topics this month include:
* Health insurance options for early retirees
* How to find legal help when you can’t afford a lawyer
* What are the early signs and symptoms of diabetes?
WE NEED VOLUNTEERS – LIKE YOU – THIS TAX SEASON!
Help households with low-to-moderate income gain financial stability by volunteering to help them file their taxes for free. Last year, volunteers filed nearly 6,000 returns, putting $7.1 million in refunds back into the pockets of local residents. You can be part of this impact!
• Volunteer as a site greeter or tax preparer. No experience is needed! Bilingual volunteers are encouraged to sign up.
• Learn valuable new skills and become IRS-certified with our free training (virtual or in-person).
• Flexible commitment: Choose your site, shift and role (February to April).
• Full support every step of the way. You’re never on your own.
Paid, seasonal site coordinators are also needed! Learn more at unitedwayplains.org/job-openings.
Popluar pickleball teacher serves up own line of paddles
By Carla Eckles/KMUW
From the time Noi Sourinthone unpacked his bags in Wichita, he was on a mission: Making friends and teaching pickleball.
“When I moved here, I just fell in love with the city,” Sourinthone said. “The people were amazing; [the] pickleball community here accepted me and really helped me thrive.”
Sourinthone is now looking to sell pickleball paddles that he helped create as part owner of his company.
“The company brand is called Flight," he said. “Obviously, Wichita is known for aerospace, and so we wanted to keep everything ‘Wichita.’”
What makes these paddles different from other pickleball paddles?
“I wanted to have different models (for) so many different types
of players,” Sourinthone said. “There (are) people that like to hit really hard, there (are) people that love (a) soft game. So to be able to develop multiple models to make sure that we (can) accommodate all of the players was ultimately what we were striving for.”
Sourinthone was also intentional about selecting the colors for the paddles.
“It’s the Wichita State colors,” Sourinthone said. “That’s why it’s the black and yellow.”
Sourinthone can only hope his paddles are as well-received as his teaching.
“I find it impossible to find someone as good as [Sourinthone] is. He’s excellent,” said Susie Beattie, one of the pickleball players at Riverside’s Tennis Center.
"[Sourinthone] is very patient, particularly with beginners. But what he does ... he really forces you to your next level, to not be satisfied with where you’re at today, but where you
can be tomorrow and to get out of the bad habits. It’s better to lose than to develop bad habits. So, I would never be the level I’m at without [Sourinthone’s] help. He’s been fantastic.”
Sourinthone gives that love back to the local pickleball community.
“Here in Wichita, we have developed a community now where some of your higher levels, borderline pros, are playing with 70-, 75-, 80-year-old males or females, and it’s been wonderful that they’re willing to give back their time. It speaks a lot about the people here; the community here and just in general how we view people.”
More information about the paddles can be found at flightpb.com.
Janet Huck Ward
Dealing with a serious illness?
We are here for you providing Comfort, Support, and Peace of Mind.
Photo by Carla Eckles
Noi Sourinthone, right, discusses the finer points of pickleball with another player at Riverside Tennis Center.
Records set straight for two Wichita big leaguers
By Bob Rives
Like their Major League careers, the news was welcome but a bit late for two Wichita baseball stars.
Earlier this year, Major League Baseball announced that Negro League statistics would be considered big league stats. For Bob Thurman, who started a Major League career at age 38 after three seasons of Negro League play, and Bob Boyd, who began his at 31 following two Negro League seasons, the change improved their career statistics, but neither was here to enjoy it. Thurman died in 1998 at age 81 and Boyd in 2004 at 84.
Both men had felt the sting of the big leagues’ segregation policies that were not loosened until after World War II and even then only slowly. Still, Thurman played five years for the Cincinnati Reds and Boyd was in the majors for 11 years, mostly with Baltimore where he hit over .300 four times.
When Negro leagues statistics
Bob Boyd, left, and Bob Thurman both played baseball in Wichita before their Major League careers began (Boyd photo courtesy of NBC World Series).
were added to their Major League totals in May, it raised Thurman’s lifetime big league batting average from .246 to .275. For Boyd it meant 53 hits added to his major league total.
Thurman was born in Wichita, played semipro baseball here and then went into the Army in World War II. He signed with the Negro Leagues after his discharge and also played during the winter in Puerto Rico. It was there he once played in the
outfield with Willie Mays and Roberto Clemente, two Hall of Fame members. After playing for the Reds, Thurman became a scout. The baseball field in McAdams Park is named for him.
Boyd was from Mississippi and came to Wichita in 1964 to drive buses and play for the National Baseball Congress champion Dreamliners, a team sponsored by the city bus company. In winter league baseball he was nicknamed “The Rope” or, actually, “El Ropo” for the laser-like line drives he hit. He was a first baseman who ran a 10-second 100-yard dash.
Recognizing Negro League statistics had a profound effect on many Major League records. Many of the records held in the past by white players yielded to the new numbers. For example, Ty Cobb had been the lifetime batting average record holder. But the Tigers’ center fielder now is in second place behind Pittsburgh Crawfords catcher Josh Gibson, whose lifetime average beat Cobb .373 to .366. Gibson hit over .400 seven times while Cobb did that just three times.
Former Wichitan T. J. Young's stats are also now part of the records. Young apparently was the first black
player to break the color line locally by catching for Mulvane in the Oil Belt league in the early 1930s.
For 10 years, mostly with the Kansas City Monarchs, Young hit .297 in Negro League play and made the all-star team in 1933.
The Major Leagues had resisted including Negro League stats with those of the American and National Leagues for years for several reasons. One was black baseball records were not complete and those that existed were sometimes scattered. Too, Negro teams played fewer games against toplevel competition. However, continuing research has updated many Negro League numbers, making them more comparable to those of the American and National Leagues.
In an interview shortly before his death, Boyd put it all in perspective. “Players in the black leagues were major league quality players. I don’t mean double A or triple A but major league. Guys like those were playing when I was. Some were too old to be have a chance, but they were still major league quality.”
And now the records reflect it.
Bob Rives is the author of “Baseball in Wichita” (Arcadia Publishing, 2004). He can be reached at bprives@gmail.com.
KIDRON BETHEL VILLAGE North Newton
SCHOWALTER VILLA Hesston
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 www.derbyks.com
DOWNTOWN
200 S Walnut, 267-0197 www.seniorservicesofwichita.org
EDGEMOOR 5815 E 9th, 688-9392
ANDOVER
GARDEN PLAIN 1006 N Main, 535-1155
GODDARD 120 N Main, 794-2441
HAYSVILLE 160 E Karla, 529-5903
KECHI Kechi City Building, 744-0217, 744-1271
LA FAMILIA 841 W 21st, 267-1700
LINWOOD 1901 S Kansas, 263-3703
MCADAMS GOLDEN AGE 1329 E 16th, 337-9222
MT HOPE 105 S Ohio, 667-8956
MULVANE 632 E Mulvane, 777-4813
NORTHEAST 212 1 E 21st, 269-4444
OAKLAWN 2937 Oaklawn Dr, 524-7545
ORCHARD PARK 4808 W 9th, 942-2293
PARK CITY 6100 N Hydraulic, 744-1199
VALLY CENTER COMMUNITY CENTER 314 E Clay, 755-7350
Butler county senior centers
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
LEON 112 S Main, 745-9200 or 742-9905
ROSE HILL 207 E Silknitter, 776-0170
October 2
10:30 am Wichita Art Museum 1400 W. Museum Blvd., $2 admission. Sacred Black Womanhood: Benny Andrews’ Portrait of His Mother.
1:30 pm Museum of World Treasures 835 E. 1st St. The Americas First Successful Slave Rebellion: Panama 1581
October 9
10 am Sedgwick County Zoo, 5555 Zoo Blvd. (316) 266-8213, $4 Talk about Hoofstock.
1:30 pm Advanced Learning Library, 711 W, 2nd, (316) 261-8500, Free. Larry Hatteberg- A Personal Retrospective
October 16
10 am Ulrich Museum of Art, 1845 N. Fairmount. Build a Bowl or Glaze a Bowl
1:30 pm Great Plains Nature Center, 6232 E 29th St N. Exploring our Water Quality with Wichita
October 23
10 am Wichita-Sedgwick County Historical Museum, 204 S. Main. Museum Docents Present Their Favorites
1:30 pm Mid American All-Indian museum. 650 N Seneca (316) 3503340, $2 + tax admission; free for MAAIM members. Harvest Festivals
October 30
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
Derby Sr Center, 611 Mulberry. 3rd Tuesday 7pm-9:30 pm. El Dorado Jam & Dance, Senior Center, 210 E. 2nd.
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 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
Village Steppers Square Dance, Oaklawn Activity Center, 4904 S Clifton. 2nd and 4th Saturday of each month September through May 7:30 - 10:00 pm. Info: Mike Huddleson 316-650-2469 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. senior
NEWTON AREA SENIOR CENTER 122 E 6th, Newton, 283-2222 www.newtonseniorcenter.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.
NOTE: AGING PROJECTS, INC. PLANNED TO MAKE FRIENDSHIP MEALS AVAILABLE THROUGH PICKUP 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 OCTOBER 1
Tue: Goulash, green beans, apple sauce, slice of wheat bread.
* Milk is served with all meals. Meals fall within the following ranges: Calories 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.
Classified advertising
Resthaven Freedom Garden. Double-depth lawn crypt. $7000.00, transfer fee included Contact Erin at 316-941-3746
Resthaven Garden of Prayer. Valued at $5,400. Sell for $3,500. Call/Text 316-293-8593
Lakeview Garden of Apostles Lot 91 Space 12 with 2nd Right of Inurnment. Retail $5500. MAKE OFFER. Seller pays transfer. 316-253-0655.
2 adjoining plots at Resthaven in Garden of Love, Lot #106. $5,795 each includes transfer fee. Cash or certified check only. Call Shelly 316-841-5891.
2 burial plots - Lakeview Cemetary - Everlasting Life Double-Depth Lawn Crypt - C-11 Space 10. Retail $7,500, asking $3,000 OBO. Priced to move. Call Scott 213-798-8689
Double depth plot w/ 2 opening/closing at White Chapel Lot 3D Space 1 and 1 companion marker. Present value $7,200 will sell for $5,500. Will pay transfer fee. Cashier check or certified check only. Call 316-259-4741
Steve’s masonry repair No job too small! Brick, Block & Stone *Mailboxes* 316-339-6092
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
Molina Electric - Wichita Lic #1364 Comm. or Residential wiring. Service calls. New electric service. Troubleshooting. Cell 316-461-2199.
Derby, Haysville, Mulvane, Rose Hill, Wichita
Exterior & Interior. House painting, siding, decks, fences and guttering. Build, repair and stain. Free Estimates. Be Blessed. Thank you KC KIMBALL 316-250-2265
MOBILE GLASS REPAIR
Windows * Patio * Doors
Windows won’t stay up, Crank Outs, Patio Rollers and Lock Latches, Morris Glass & Service, 316-946-0745
ALL AMERICAN CONSTRUCTION & RENOVATION
• New Construction
• Room Additions
• Basement Finishing
• Kitchen & Bathrooms
• Siding & Sheetrock
• Int/Ext Painting
• Gutter Cleaning
• Flood & Fire Damage
Licensed & Insured We do all types of renovations Call 316-409-7341
Sharp Edges Lawn Care Service
Mowing
Trimming
Edging
Rake Leaves
And MORE Call/Text 316-640-6327
HAULING HANDYMAN
Trim • Cut • Remove Fence Repairs • Odd jobs NO JOB TOO SMALL
Honest & Reasonable. 316-807-4989.
FALL IS UPON US
Please call Robert for leaf and/or acorn removal, raking, and garden bed clean up or any other gardening needs. No job too big or too small. 316-932-4225
Henricks Lawn Care
Owner/operator 35 yrs. experience. Lawn /tree & shrub care. Spring & Fall cleanup, gutter cleaning. Brush Cutting. Servicing West Wichita, Goddard, Cheney, Colwich areas. Toby Henricks 316-680-9183
West Side Lawn Service FALL CLEANUP
LEAVES*LEAVES*LEAVES
Hauling & odd jobs Free estimates. Perry 316-339-4117.
Weed Trimming and Edging Tree & Shrub trimming Leaf Mulching
316-640-6561 Or 316-799-6118
25+yr experience *Free Estimates
EJ’s Lawn & Sprinkler Service 316-990-1958
Winterization/ Sprinkler Blow out
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Orpheum to close in 2025 for major renovation
Leaders of Wichita’s Orpheum Theatre last month unveiled plans to fully restore the interior of the historic venue.
“We are proud to announce that the Second Century Campaign launched during our 100th anniversary (in 2022) is at 73 percent of its $9.5 million goal,” said Glen Nilsen, chairman of the Orpheum Performing Arts Centre board. “Our success to date allows us to also announce that restoration of the historic theatre will begin in June of 2025.”
Restoration plans cover the interior — stage, main auditorium and grand balcony. Artisans will restore the ceilings, walls and floors. New seats and HVAC, along with improved sound and lighting, are included in the project.
“There has been significant hidden infrastructure work done over the years and it is now time to restore the theatre’s interior including all new seats,” Executive Director Stacee Olden said.
“We are working against the
clock,” Olden said. “To complete the restoration, the Orpheum will be closed for 12 months. We must begin the restoration in June 2025. That only leaves us nine months to raise the remaining $2.6 million for the Second Century Campaign.”
The Orpheum is one of only 17 Orpheums standing in America. A century ago, more than 100 Orpheum theatres were in operation. The Wichita Orpheum is the last one to be restored, said board member Janice Van
County closes Swap & Shop during expansion
Sedgwick County is doubling the size of its Household Hazardous Waste Facility at 801 Stillwell and adding parking to the east side. According to a news release, the $1.9 million project is needed to handle growth in customer usage and to facilitate tours and school field trips in the future.
Meantime, the facility’s Swap &
Shop (featured in last month’s issue of The Active Age) is closed until at least December 2024. Watch for construction updates on Sedgwick County’s website Customers can continue to drop off hazardous materials at HHW. Signs and orange cones will direct traffic to the south gate entrance.
City continuing drought restrictions
As Wichita’s drought continued, city officials said last month they would step up enforcement of water use restrictions — including the levying of fines when warranted — and may discuss prohibiting all outdoor watering in the future.
“All water customers are urged to continue to find ways to cut back on water usage,” a news release from the city stated. “Even though outdoor irrigation season is coming to a close, there are many ways to save water through small habit changes throughout the house. To date, 302 warning letters have been issued
to water customers who have been reported to have been watering outside of their allotted outdoor watering day.”
Wichita has continued to see a decline in levels at Cheney Reservoir, which now sits less than 59% full overall and less than 67% of the 12-month average of the conservation pool. The city is now in its Stage 2 drought response, which limits most users to watering once a week. Stage 3 of the drought response will be
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Since the facility opened in 2022, the amount of unused household chemicals, cleaners and other hazardous materials dropped off has more than tripled, to about 1.3 million pounds annually. More customers now also use the Swap & Shop, taking home up to 10 free items per month.
discussed should water levels within Cheney’s conservation pool reach a 12-month average of below 50%. In stage 3 of the drought response plan, all outdoor watering for non-exempt customers is prohibited. This would include lawn and non-vegetable garden watering, private pool use and more.
Tuesdays typically see the biggest spike in water usage across the community. After seeing an initial drastic decline the first several weeks of drought restrictions, community water use started to inch back up. Before stage 2 restrictions, weekly highest water use was around 74 million gallons a day (MGD). The first week of restrictions, weekly highest water use was just over 55 MGD. Last week, the highest water usage was 64 MGD. During the last two months, efforts on education were prioritized over issuing fines. Going forward, staff plans to increase enforcement, including issuance of fines if warranted, while still continuing educational efforts on ways to cut back on water use.
More tips and information on Wichita’s drought response may be found here.
In 2022, nearly 10,000 customers reclaimed 327,109 pounds of products and saved Sedgwick County $72,942 in disposal costs.
For more information, contact the Sedgwick County Household Hazardous Waste Facility at 316660-7464 or visit https://www. sedgwickcounty.org/environment/ household-hazardous-waste-facility/.
Sickle. "We are in the home stretch and encourage everyone to join the effort."
Donate for chance to win Botanica membership
Donate at least $50 to The Active Age, and you could win a family membership to Botanica. The Active Age holds a drawing for a family membership each month from among people on our Honor Roll list of donors.
This month's winner is James Byrum.
Donations may be made by calling 316-942-5385; through our website, theactiveage.com; by mail to The Active Age, 125 S. West St., Suite 105, Wichita, KS, 67213; or in person.
September Quiz Answers from page 13:
7. Ouija Board
8. Séance
9. UFO
10. Vampire
Celtic Thunder ticket winners
Congratulations to Alan Jay, Kenneth Frey and Melanie Yernes, who won pairs of tickets to the Celtic Thunder concert this month at the Orpheum Theatre. Nearly 100 readers entered our drawing for the tickets.
Find your place. strolling
to become a priority member!
Larksfield Place is expanding, with new spaces coming soon to our vibrant senior living community. Join our Life Plan Community for peace of mind, comprehensive care, and a thriving social environment. Priority membership is now open on a first-come, first-served basis, offering early access to our new apartments and amenities. Secure your future home today.
Be a part of our growing family and embrace a lifestyle nearby where every day is designed for your well-being. Find your place at Larksfield Place.
Stay informed about upcoming events and expansion updates by scanning the QR code, or call 316-202-4074
Calendar art choosen
Vera Jane Davis, seen with her “Sunset on the Farm,” and Naomi Ullum, pictured with “Peonies-Sunlit Luminescence,” are among artists chosen to have their work featured in the 2025 Art is Ageless calendar, postcards and greeting cards produced by Presbyterian Manors of MidAmerica. Others include Patt Sharpe, for “Catus;” Paulette Mattingly, for “Giraffe Fabric Collage”; Deb Thomas, “The Healing Power of the
Drum”; and Judi Michaelis, “Summer’s Splendor.” “Determination Afghan” by Liz Hicks is part of the calendar’s honorable mention gallery. More than 180 entries were received in the juried competition for artists 65 and older.
