September 2021

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Vol 42 • No. 10

September 2021

Whose game is this, anyway?

AARP: Care homes should require shots

Pickleball explodes in popularity among all ages

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By Debbi Elmore A funny thing happened to the funny-sounding game called pickleball. Popularized by older players, pickleball has captured the attention of people of all ages while becoming the fast-growing sport in the United States.

The pop-pop-pop of paddles whacking plastic balls around the Wichita area indicates the trend has definitely reached here. So far, there appear to be enough pickleball courts to go around and longtime players say they welcome the influx of newbies.

“We realize that younger players are the future of our sport,” said Gregg Smith, who took up pickleball after his retirement six years ago.

At the time, Smith had just moved to Wichita from Atlanta and was looking for a way to keep busy. He found it in a listing for pickleball in the city’s Park & Recreation summer activity guide.

“I went to a session and was really amazed at how friendly and accepting the people were, and that night I got hooked on pickleball and ordered my first paddle,” See Pickleball, page 9

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Photo by Joe Stumpe

Lena Nguyen, 14, and Allan Antenen, 82, played pickleball together recently at the West Wichita Y.M.C.A.

The Active Age AARP is calling for mandatory vaccinations of Kansas nursing home staff and residents, citing a significant rise in COVID-19 cases among nursing home staff and residents.

Meanwhile, President Joe Biden has ordered that nursing homes require all employees to be vaccinated or lose federal Medicare and Medicaid funding.

“The high COVID death rates of residents and staff in nursing homes has been a national disgrace,” said Ernest Kutzley, AARP Kansas advocacy director. “As the new variants are emerging, facilities cannot let preventable problems be repeated. The key is to increase vaccinations, and do it now.”

See Vaccinate, page 10

Newton man keeps folks tapping away

By Nancy Carver Singleton NEWTON — Technology made Vernon Overman’s career as a typewriter technician obsolete decades ago. But he’s found his old skill in demand during retirement as people rediscover the joy of typing on something other than a computer.

Maybe it’s the clicking, the tactile sensation or seeing what they’ve written come out of something other than a printer.

But Overman is busier than ever, with little competition in sight.

Asked if he knows of others still working on typewriters, Overman said, “Everyone I knew has long since retired or passed away... People I used to buy parts, chemicals and cleaning supplies from have disappeared.”

Overman worked for IBM as a typewriter technician starting in 1973, then opened a Newton office equipment sales and service business in 1981. As computers began replacing typewriters, Overman kept his tools and maintained several local typewriters, including one for his wife, Janice.

Vernon Overman is one of the few typewriter See Typewriter, page 10 technicians still working on the machines.

Questions about services?

Central Plains Area Agency on Aging or call your 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

Page 2

the active age

September 2021

September Briefs Open Streets ICT returns Pedestrians and bicyclists can claim Douglas Avenue as their own when Open Streets ICT returns for its fourth year this month. Four miles of Wichita’s “main drag” will be closed to motor vehicles from noon to 5 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 19, from Delano to College Hill. Businesses on Douglas and food trucks will offer food and drink. Organizers encourage participants to follow COVID-19 precautions.

Sunset paddling

Slots are filling up fast for the city of Wichita’s last sunset kayaking tour of the season, to be held Sept. 22. The $35 tour includes photos at the Keeper of the Plains and a barbecue dinner. Single and tandem kayaks can also be rented at O.J. Watson Park for $10 an hour. For more information, visit wichita.gov/ parksandrec and follow the “Recreation” tab to “River Recreation.”

Butler CC Life Enrichment back EL DORADO — Butler Community College’s Life Enrichment program will meet in person this month for the first time since early 2020. On Tuesday, Sept.

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7, Tyler Nordman, associate athletic director at Butler CC, will discuss the Grizzlies’ fall sports outlook. Nathaniel Johnson, an attorney with Kansas Legal Services, will also speak. Life Enrichment meets at 9 a.m. on the first Tuesday of each month for speakers, a light breakfast and coffee. There is no charge. For more information, call Trisha Walls at (316) 218-6355.

See Spot swim Dog owners can bring their pets for a dip at College Hill Pool during the annual Dog Days of Summer event Sept. 7. Small dogs are welcome from 5:30-6 p.m., large dogs from 6-7 p.m. The suggested donation is $10 per dog, with a limit of two dogs per owner. Most proceeds go to the Kansas Humane Society.

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September 2021

the active age

Note to readers

We hope you enjoy a new feature in this month’s edition of The Active Age. “Extra! Extra!” is a 12-page, all-color second section of the newspaper that you’ll find tucked inside this section. In it you’ll find Bonnie Bing’s look at fall fashion, a guide to helpful golf gadgets, our Kansas State Fair ticket contest and more. Let us know what you think. We hope to do more editions of “Extra! Extra!” as circumstances permit.

Medicare options explained DERBY — Sedgwick County’s Kansas State Research and Extension Office is presenting a program on Medicare options in conjunction with Derby Friends Church. There also will be an update on Part D enrollment and changes for Medicare in 2022.

The program will be held at the church, located at 1034 N. Woodlawn in Derby, from 4:45 to 6:15 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 5.

Andover book sale ANDOVER — Friends of the Andover Library will host a book sale Sept. 30-Oct. 2. Proceeds go to the children’s summer reading program and other library activities. Sale hours are 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 30; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday, Oct. 1; and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday will be a sack sale, $5.00 per sack. A sneak peek for Friends of the Library takes place 6-8

p.m. Sept. 29. The sale will be held in the library at 1511 E. Central Avenue in Andover. For more information, contact the library at 316-558-3500.

Evergreen gets disc golf The city of Wichita has installed a new 9-hole disc golf course at Evergreen Park, 2700 Woodland. The course is open daily and free to play.

Orchard concerts ROSE HILL — Meadowlark Farm Orchard & Cidery is hosting concerts every Saturday from 5-7 p.m. this fall. The schedule features Kaw Creek, Sept. 4; Half-Home Rangers, Sept. 11; Just Tori, Sept. 18; Dennis Hardin, Sept. Sept. 25; Made from Scratch, Oct. 2; Tom Page Trio, Oct. 9; Mostly Good, Oct. 16; and Grody Riggins, Oct. 23. The orchard is located at 11249 SW 160th St.

Page 3

Wellness centers reopen NORTH NEWTON – Bluestem Wellness Centers, with locations at Schowalter Villa’s Lakeside Village in Hesston and Kidron Bethel Village in North Newton, reopened to the public last month. The centers had been restricted to residents during the pandemic.

There have been some changes in operating hours and some restrictions imposed due to COVID-19.

For more information, visit bluestemcommunities.org/amenities/ wellness.

Derby center in fashion DERBY — The Derby Senior Center is selling t-shirts to celebrate its 50th birthday. Sept. 30 is the deadline to order the shirts, which cost $16 each and are available in sizes from small to 4X. To order, call new activity coordinator Amy Bruso at (316) 788-0223.

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September 2021

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Page 5

That homeless man? He’s my son

Barbara Drewry Although I have always loved words, there are no words that adequately explain the feelings and the fear that go with being the mom of a homeless man.

In the August issue of The Active Age, I read a well-organized, comprehensive overview of the issues of homelessness and mental illness in Wichita (“Mental Illness driving homeless ‘disaster’ in Wichita”). I learned more from that article about services that are (and will be) available than I have from 20 years of being involved in ‘the system’ with my son, my work in COMCARE’s homeless program and being associated with many people who spend their days trying to figure out where they will sleep that night.

In the world of living and associating with others on the streets, in crappy, overpriced motels, in shelters, in hospital emergency departments or psychiatric units or in jail, nothing seems to hold still — not the people, not their belongings, not their emotions. If anything has monetary value at all, it can be lost, stolen, traded or sold. Social Security cards, I.D.s, Vision cards, cell phones are here today, gone tomorrow. Clothes have myriad and mysterious ways of disappearing. And other belongings?

There aren’t many, and only for the fortunate few who have figured out how to stay in one place for more than a night, or a week. Or for those who

Guest Column

push grocery baskets or carry multiple bags and blankets on their backs.

Drugs and alcohol? Yes, they are part of the problem. But as often as they provide a gateway to stupor and stupid choices, they also offer relief from pain and loneliness.

How can an addict or person with severe and persistent mental illness explain himself or herself ? And who would listen? Who would care?

I — an oftentimes scared, helpless mom — am a testament to the fact that even caring only goes so far. I have sat on the edge of life every day and night for years waiting for (and expecting) the phone call that would tell me my son is no longer alive. I have learned hard, almost impossible lessons about boundaries and about my own limitations. Navigating the world of mental illness, drug addiction and homelessness with my son has challenged nearly every certainty I ever had, including those about myself.

There have been times when it has felt like we would never make it through the darkness with our bond and hearts intact.

As of July, my son is no longer homeless. He is living in a studio apartment that Humankind (formerly Inter-faith Ministries) helped arrange for him. The problems, the issues, the heartbreak didn’t suddenly end when he was given the key to his apartment.

But the miracle is real. Hope has gotten a much-needed companion of tangible relief.

Wichita has been my home for all but four or five years of my life. I love our city. I am proud to be a Wichitan and happy to live in the heartland of America. With faith and, in my case, a lot of prayer, we can arrive at the heart of the matter. All of us, working together. Without a change of many hearts, whatever we do to help will fall short of achieving permanent change.

The ‘Us’ and ‘Them’ perspective of many is a false dichotomy. Surely one of the lessons many learned during the pandemic is that lives and fortunes can change in the beat of a heart, or the space of a day.

Barbara Drewry “There but for the grace of God go I” is an old saying, the meaning of which is timeless. Let’s do our best to take care of each other.

Barbara Drewry is a licensed social worker and single mom with six adult children, 12 grandchildren and two great grandchildren.

Congratulations to the winners of our drawing for tickets to the Wichita Wind Surge’s baseball game against the Tulsa Drillers at the new Riverfront Stadium on Aug. 29. We had no way of knowing who would win the game as this issue of The Active Age went to print, but we hope everybody had a good time.

The winners were: Donald Anderson, William Bayer, Carol Beat, Dennis Brunhoeber, Teresa Cook, Ruth

Anne Ellis, Larry Endecott, Brenda Ferguson, Mick Green, Fritz Henseler, Jay Hinkel, Larry Krier, Bob McKedy, Brenda Mueller, David Nachbor, Janelle Oliver, Dolores Pankratz, Richard Pelz, Kelvin Phillips, Bradford Reed, John Shay, Mary Shelley, Suzanne Shields, Hal Starkey, Mildred Stofet, Willie Wactor, James Wells, Kay Wiggins, Pam Woods and Allen Woolf.

Thanks to all the more than 200 readers who entered!

Wind Surge drawing winners

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Page 6

the active age

September 2021

Tips for managing the Medicare maze

By Monica Cissell Medicare can often seem like an endless maze. Although Medicare Open Enrollment is approaching quickly, there is still time to find a path to solution by learning how to DIY Medicare enrollment and part D review or by connecting with trained professionals or volunteers available in the community. Central Plains Area Agency on Aging (CPAAA) is here to help manage the Medicare maze.

In 2020, the Kaiser Family Foundation found there are 542,853 people in Kansas who are Medicare beneficiaries. Individuals new to Medicare through age or disability are often overwhelmed with trying to understand what Medicare is and what benefits are included. When Medicare Part D was implemented in 2006, it improved coverage. However; it also complicated the process. This coverage gave beneficiaries the power to make their own choices about their Medicare Drug Plans. Medicare is daunting enough, and most would rather sign up and be done with it instead of making decisions annually during the Open Enrollment period Oct. 15 through Dec. 7. However, by taking time and completing this review

of Medicare coverage annually, those Medicare beneficiaries enrolled in an Advantage Plan Drug Plan or a Part D plan can save $782 or more each year. Dedicating time to review options and possibly finding a more optimal plan can be worth it in dollars and sense. Ninety two percent of the drug coverage comparison tool users in 2019 would have saved money on their 2020 plan by enrolling in a more cost-effective plan. Also, keep in mind that during open enrollment anyone with Original Medicare (Parts A & B) can switch to a Medicare Advantage plan. For Medicare Advantage plan beneficiaries, open enrollment offers the opportunity to drop the current plan and switch back to Original Medicare (Parts A & B) or switch to a new Medicare Advantage plan.

Online enrollment is a great option for many who are comfortable with computers to review available plans. Medicare.gov is a great resource.

Tailored plans can be found here by logging into a personal account and inputting information such as your zip code and prescription medications.

Creating an online account is

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not mandatory, but it is recommended. On Medicare. gov, plan choices are available for review, and this is where the online enrollment process will start. The enrollment process is very easy once a decision has been made on a plan.

Helpful tips on what to look for in your plan choices: • The plan finder will sort the plans in order of least to most expensive prescription medications and the monthly premiums combined for the whole year. The first plan may have a higher monthly premium than the second plan on the list, but the prescriptions will cost less when you pick them up at the pharmacy, equaling a lower cost per year than the following plans.

• If insulin is needed, be sure to check the box labeled “Insulin Savings Program.”

• Pay attention to deductibles and prescription tier prices as well. If a high-end medication is not currently needed but it is possible it may be needed in the near future, make sure to look at the prices of the different tiers of medications in each plan.

For step-by-step instructions

on how to review Medicare Drug Plans, view CPAAA’s Part D Drug Plan instructional video on YouTube.

Simply search Central Plains Area Agency on Aging when in YouTube and once there search Medicare DIY or follow the link https://www.youtube. com/watch?v=JLv_YuBDY60.

Some people need help maneuvering through the enrollment process, understanding all of the available information and choosing the best plan for them. CPAAA has trained Medicare counselors on staff and volunteers who provide unbiased information about Medicare. Whether new to Medicare or reviewing plans during open enrollment, CPAAA’s Senior Health Insurance Counseling for Kansas (SHICK) program can help. Senior Center partners and the Sedgwick County Extension Center also offer this service. Call 1-800-8605260 for a local SHICK counselor, contact a local Senior Center or call CPAAA at 855-200-2372 to make an appointment.

For more information on this and other programs contact the Resource Center at 855-200-2372 or visit www. cpaaa.org for more information.

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

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September 2021

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Page 7

Pet peeve: Dogs not writer’s best friend

By Ted Blankenship Dorothy and I are unique in our new neighborhood in Bel Aire. We don’t own a dog. Most of our neighbors have at least one. For some, one is not nearly enough. Walk down any street and you will get barked at by smallbut-alert dogs, some of them several blocks away.

Small dogs have an enormous olfactory range. They consider anyone who enters a radius of eight to 10 blocks from their center of alertness an intrusion that requires serious barking.

There are poodles, several kinds of bulldogs, yappers of all kinds and a few that look big enough to remove an arm or leg.

It’s not that we don’t like dogs.

It’s that houses here are close together and dogs can go anywhere they please as long as they have an owner on the leash.

I’m going to get some nasty looks and maybe some heated criticism from friends who own little dogs, but as a serious journalist, I have to report the truth, and that is that small dogs and I don’t appreciate one another much.

What breeds are we talking about?

I would include the Dachshund, a hound with short legs and a loud mouth; Miniature Schnauzer (nothing miniature about his voice); Jack Russell Terrier and Boston Terrier; Basset Hound; Yorkshire Terrier (Yorkie for short and a master barker), Pomeranian; Beagle, and the champion with a high-pitched bark, the Chihuahua.

I’m well acquainted with Chihuahuas. My late mother-in-law, oblivious to how it reflects their own lives. 8 pm Fri–Sat, 2:30 pm Sun, Sept 3-26. Tickets $13-$15. 316-744-2152

September Theatre

By Diana Morton Forum Theatre at the Wilke Center, First United Methodist Church, 330 N. Broadway. Clue On Stage, based on the screen play by Jonathan Lynn. Murder and blackmail are on the menu when six mysterious guests assemble at Boddy Manor for a night they’ll never forget. Starring Ray Wills as the “Butler.” 8 pm Thu-Sat, 2 pm Sun, Sept 23-Oct 10. Tickets $23$25. 316-618-0444 Kechi Playhouse, 100 E. Kechi Road, An Impossible Pride and Prejudice. A troupe of actors mount a new play of Jane Austin’s masterpiece,

Mosley Street Melodrama, 234 N. Mosley, Petey’s Playhouse by Carol Hughes with a new Musical Comedy Revue. Dinner 6:15 pm, show begins 7:50 pm. Tickets $24-$34; Show only, $24. Now-Sept 4. 316-263-0222 HALLOWEEN: The Melodrama, written by Kyle Vespested, Monte Wheeler, and Steve Hitchcock with a new Musical Comedy Revue. Dinner 6:15 pm, show begins 7:50 pm. Tickets $24-$34; Show only, $24. Sept 17-Oct 30. 316-263-0222 Music Theatre Wichita at Capitol Federal Amphitheater in Andover.

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Manila Houts, had two or three of them at different times, all named Skippy.

Fortunately — at least as it relates to Skippy — Manila lived on a ranch in the lower Rio Grande Valley, a little more than 900 miles south. So Skippy and I saw each other only once a year when we visited on vacation. That was more than enough for both of us.

I didn’t like Skippy much, and he loathed me only as a Chihuahua can.

When I entered the house, he stood tall in the rear and low in the front and circled me while yapping in his highpitched voice until he was exhausted.

It was the same when a new Skippy came along. I think the old Skippy passed along the word: “You can’t trust this guy. Bark until he leaves.”

Over the years, the dog and I tolerated each other, but the truce

will have you dancing in the aisles. A tuneful ode to teenage angst and peer pressure. 8 pm Wed.-Sun, and 2 pm matinee show Sun. Sept 15-19. Tickets starting at $28. 316-265-3107 Roxy’s Downtown, 412 E. Douglas, cabaret-style theatre. Disaster!

The Catastrophic 70’s Musical. This jukebox musical comedy, written by Seth Rudetsky, pays homage to the 70’s disaster movies. Earthquakes, tidal waves, and infernos take center stage when New York’s first floating casino, The Barracuda, opens for its premiere.

8 pm Th-Sat; 2 pm Sun. Sept 9-26.

was always shaky. Yet the standoff lasted for several years until one Christmas when we drove to Texas to celebrate the season with Dorothy’s family.

There was a Christmas tree in the living room with a lot of packages under it. So when I had finished bringing in the luggage, I carried in the packages we had brought.

I put one under the tree and Skippy bit me on the hand. I whined to Dorothy’s Mom: “Hey, Skippy bit me.”

“Well, it’s his tree,” she said.

Skippy didn’t bark. He didn’t have to. He had won the battle.

My wife put the presents under the tree, and if a dog could smirk, he would have smirked.

Reach Ted at tblankenship@cox.net Tickets $20-$30. 316-265-4400 Wichita Community Theatre, 258 N. Fountain. New York by David Rimmer. This Pulitzer Prize finalist author originally wrote this play to raise funds for volunteer psychiatrists dedicated to helping the overwhelming number of patients psychologically affected by 9/118 pm Wed-Sat. 7 pm Sun, Sept 9-19.Tickets $15 or $13 for military/seniors/students. $12 opening night only. 316-686-1282 Contact Diana Morton at dianamorton12@sbcglobal.net

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September 2021

What you should know about COVID booster shots

By Alex Smith KCUR/Kansas News Service Biden administration officials announced plans for COVID-19 booster shots to be made widley available starting Sept. 20. But local health departments and experts are scrambling to keep up with the latest guidance and research.

The shots are meant to provide additional protection as the delta variant drives a new case surge.

However, some experts say data supporting the use of the booster is still limited, and health departments are scrambling to keep up with the changing recommendations.

Here’s what you need to know about booster shots: People would be eligible for booster shots starting eight months after they received their last shot, explained Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy, although the rollout would need to be authorized by federal regulators. Health care workers, nursing home residents and older people would get first access, and other groups would follow.

On August 12, the Food and Drug Administration authorized booster shots for people who have compromised immune

systems, and shots for these people are currently available in Kansas.

This group includes people receiving cancer treatment, organ or stem cell transplant recipients, people who have immunodeficiency, those with HIV, and people taking medications that suppress immune response.

The immunity offered by existing COVID-19 vaccines appear to decline over time, according to data presented by the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention on Wednesday. The studies indicate that, while the mRNA vaccines are still effective against hospitalizations, people who have received them seem to currently be more susceptible to infection than earlier research indicated.

That waning immunity may be due to the more-contagious delta variant, reduced efficacy of the vaccines, and/or people taking fewer precautions than earlier in the pandemic.

Real-world studies that show declines in immunity among vaccinated people make clear the need for additional protection, according to Dr. Mary Anne Jackson, infectious disease specialist and dean of the University of Missouri – Kansas City School of Medicine.

“It wanes by about 6 percent each

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MEDIATION: Two or more persons meet with an impartial person in an effort to resolve issues without the need of a trial.

month after being fully vaccinated. So we see that, even within the general population, there is utility to a third dose,” Jackson said.

Though the vaccines may not appear to be performing as well as initial research showed, they are still powerful tools for fighting the coronavirus, says Dr. Dana Hawkinson, infectious disease specialist at the University of Kansas Health System.

“Although they may not protect enough maybe against mild disease, what we’re really looking for is to decrease the burden of people missing work due to significant illness or the capacity issues with the hospitals,” Hawkinson said.

Many of the clinics and health departments that were already giving out first and second vaccine doses are now administering third doses for immunocompromised people.

Locations that have already announced they’re offering booster shots include pharmacy chains, such as CVS and Walgreens, and some public health departments.

The Biden administration’s new recommendations are for people who received the mRNA vaccines, which include the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines. The Johnson & Johnson vaccine is not an mRNA vaccine, and Hawkinson acknowledged on Wednesday that data regarding the J&J vaccine remains limited.

He said that while there’s no official guidance on J&J recipients getting an mRNA booster, this appears

to be safe.

“The official guidance is not to do anything,” Hawkinson said.

“Unofficially, yes. It is probably very safe, will not add any harm. But what is the benefit? We just don’t have that answer.”

No, booster shots don’t carry extra risks, according to Gene Olinger, science advisor with MRI Global.

“It’s the same risk you have with the original indications within the vaccine platform itself that you’ve received,” Olinger said. “Generally speaking, people can have various responses that are very similar to the original, or can actually be a lot less.”

Though the delta variant is currently the most urgent cause for concern, Jackson says that new COVID-19 variants will continue to emerge.

She says that the booster shots will likely provide sufficient protection from the delta variant, but it’s possible future versions of the vaccine may be developed to contend with the changing virus.

“I’m concerned about the next variant that’s out there,” Jackson said.

“That’s where I think we might see — although I don’t think it’s highly likely — a year from now, you’ll see a different vaccine.”

“ Researching Your Home and the People Who Lived There” presented by Humanities Kansas Speaker, Diana Staresinic Deane

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September 2021

the active age

Page 9

Pickleball

Pickleball primer

From Page 1

Smith said.

“As I got better at the sport I played in a couple of tournaments and realized that tournaments were few and far between, so I started hosting tournaments and got to the point where I was putting on six to seven per year.

Smith became a USA Pickleball Ambassador to Wichita in 2018 and is one of about 1,800 members of the Wichita Pickleball Facebook group.

He’s also behind Light Up Edgemoor, which is trying to bring lights to the pickleball courts at Edgemoor Park.

“We have had a lot of success in our goals but there is more to do,” he said.

This year, he noted, more than 200 physical education teachers for USD 250 will receive in-service training in the sport, so that they can in turn teach it to youngersters.

Pickleball was invented in 1965 by a trio of friends on Bainbridge Island, near Seattle, Wash., spreading first along the west coast and then south due to the migration of “snowbirds.”

(Even the sport’s inventors couldn’t agree on the origin of its name).

The first organized effort to bring it here occurred in the 1990s when the executive director of Senior Services, Inc., attended a conference on aging in Seattle.

“She saw pickleball played at the senior centers there and decided to bring it to Wichita so our male members had a sport they could play since they weren’t interested in yoga or aerobics,” said Chris Heiman, development director for Senior Services." She ordered the equipment and both staff and seniors started playing” — including many female members.

The game proved so popular that Senior Services added indoor pickleball courts to the Downtown Senior Center during its 2017-18 renovation. More recently the city installed outdoor courts at Seneca Park, located across the street from the center.

Nahola Fitness Center and Pickleball Club in west Wichita

Courtesy photos

Gregg Smith, left, and Matt Mayfield play pickleball at city courts near the Downtown Senior Center. “It’s a fun sport that anyone can play," Mayfield said. "You can compete competitively or just by finding different groups. Pickleball is also a social sport that is pretty easy to learn. One of the cooler things I have seen on the court is family members playing together.” was another early promotor of the sport, and Chicken N Pickle, an 8,000-square-foot entertainment complex centered around the game, opened on the east side in 2019.

A website called ictpickleball.com currently lists 18 different locations to play pickleball in Wichita, plus a dozen more in the surrounding area. Seven of the Greater Wichita YMCA locations offer it.

On many of these courts, it’s not unusual to see as many players in their teens and twenties as there are retirees and grandparents. According to USA Pickleball, about 4.2 million people in the United States played the game at least once in 2020, up 21 percent from just one year earlier. Players aged six to 54 make up the majority of players, probably due to the spread of the game in schools. However, 60 percent of “core” players — those who regularly play it — are 55 and older.

Attorney Richard Thompson is one. A friend and tennis partner introduced him to the game in 2017, although Thompson said he “put him off since I thought pickleball was an older folks’ game.”

“He drove to my hometown, Andover, and said we were going to play at the local rec center. He had me play in an advanced group my first time out. I lost most of my games, but

really enjoyed it."

Since then, Thompson has persuaded his wife and sons, aged 21 and 24, to pick up paddles.

“Pickleball is something that varied skill levels can play together and everyone has fun,” Thompson said. “Pickleball is easier on the body than my other main sport, tennis, is very social and easy to find pick-up games. You meet a diverse group of folks and 99 percent of them are there to just have fun and be friendly. Pickleballers are a very welcoming bunch and like to bring newbies into the pickleball fold.”

About that name The sport’s inventors gave conflicting stories about where the name “pickleball” originated. The best guess seems to be that it was named after one of the inventors’ cocker spaniel, Pickles, who would sometimes run off with the ball.

Basics Pickleball combines elements of tennis, badminton and ping-pong along with a few rules of its own. It’s played on a badminton-size court, with a wooden or composite paddle and plastic ball with holes, using a net that’s slightly lower than the one used in tennis.

Getting started ictpickleball.com, a website started by local pickleball enthusiast Ching Brubaker, is a great resource for information about where and when you can play pickleball in Wichita, classes, discounts and more.

There’s also a Facebook page called Wichita Pickleball that you can join.

Realtor Carolyn Timsah, above with son Max, started playing pickleball in 2018. She has made the sport into a family affair and also joined the ladies league at a country club. “Pickleball is now a major part of my life and a vast majority of my closest friends are those I have gained through pickleball,” she said.

Richard Thompson, center left, enjoys playing pickleball with his two sons.

Senior Services, Inc. launches Picklepalooza as fundraiser

Senior Services, Inc. is holding a weeklong festival centered around pickleball as its new signature fundraiser. Called Picklepalooza, the festival kicks off Saturday, Sept.

18 with opening ceremonies at the Downtown Senior Center on Walnut Street.

That will be followed by three days of pickleball matches at Chicken N

Pickle, held Tuesday, Sept. 21-Thursday, Sept. 23. The festival culminates with a party at Wichita Country Club on Saturday, Sept. 25.

“Our board of directors wanted a fresh idea for a new signature fundraiser,” Laurel Alkire, executive director of Senior Services, said. “There are a lot of charity tournaments so we thought it would be fun to organize a

festival centered around the love of the sport.”

The matches at Chicken N Pickle are not competitive and the festival is open to all ages and skill levels, from beginner to advance. Fidelity Bank is the festival sponsor.

To learn more about Picklepalooza visit https://seniorservicesofwichita. org/picklepalooza/. To purchase tickets

www.theactiveage.com

visit https://seniorservicesofwichita. weshareonline.org/ or contact Chris Heiman at 316-267.0302, ext. 216.

Senior Services is a private nonprofit organization which operates Meals on Wheels, the Roving Pantry, four senior centers in Wichita, a senior employment program and more.

Page 10

the active age

September 2021

Typewriter

outcomes when typewriter owners use WD-40. “It works OK for a short time, but then it gums everything up.”

Repairs are difficult since parts are unavailable. Overman keeps four or five Selectrics for their parts and with metal is sometimes able to weld a replacement or use high-strength glue.

Typewriters he sees are from the 1960s or newer. Manuals are generally easier to maintain than electrics.

“Most of the manuals were made well. We don’t get a lot of problems.

As long as people cared for them and didn’t drop them, they kept working.

They’re a simple machine with no electric motors or belts to break.”

Many manuals, he said, were made when manufacturing was still an art.

“They tried to make it as elegant as they could. They added things that were not necessary to make it a nice machine.”

Electric typewriters were mass produced overseas, with their belts and other components often later breaking.

Rubber parts deteriorated.

Where typewriters are stored also determines condition. “Most typewriters, if they were stored in a dusty, dirty environment — someone hauls it out to the barn —sometimes we can fix them, and sometimes we can’t.”

Anderson said Overman is meticulous. “With his experience, he is very capable of repairing different brands of typewriters. He is one of a kind. I believe there aren’t many left.”

Typewriters are left at Anderson’s store, and Overman returns them there.

An IBM Selectric was mailed to them from Phoenix, Ariz. All others were brought in and from as far away as Dodge City and Winfield. “Once they hear about us, we get calls,” Anderson said.

Overman was an Air Force aircraft mechanic on a C-130 Hercules and a C-141 Starlifter from 1966 to 1970.

After working at Cessna Aircraft, his technical skills helped him move to an IBM service center in Wichita.

The largest typewriters he worked

on were the typebar IBM Models C and D weighing between 40 and 50 pounds. They had 18-, 20- or 24-inch carriages allowing legal documents to be placed sideways. “A lot of trucking companies used them because they could type through eight or nine layers of carbon paper.”

Overman was transferred to Hutchinson and then Newton in 1976, where he has lived since. “They kind of spread us out so (technicians) would not have to drive so far.”

Most IBM typewriters were in businesses and schools. He went to a number of high schools since typing was still taught. “They would have 20 to 30 typewriters in a classroom, which the students loved to break.”

An IBM was made to be serviced three to four times yearly because they were used eight to nine hours a day, sometimes six days a week, Overman said.

When an IBM is no longer used, the grease and oil gum up. “That is the biggest thing with IBM typewriters, trying to get them unstuck, re-lubed and re-oiled so everything will perform as it is supposed to.”

Maintaining typewriters is now more of a hobby for him than a business. “I have the tools, and it is more keeping up with my technician status so I won’t forget it.”

Initially, he was concerned about his long break in servicing more than just a few typewriters annually. “You think you have forgotten. Then you begin to tear into it and say, ‘Yes, that is how this works.’ ” Overman compares it to working with old cars, which he also enjoys. “I still enjoy the mechanical machinery more so than the electronics. It is more satisfying to replace a mechanical component than an electric circuit board.”

Contact Nancy Singleton at ncsingleton@att.net.

Kansas have died from COVID-19 – representing around 39% of deaths, even though less than 1% of the population lives in these facilities.

While vaccination rates had increased several percentage points in the past month, they remain low compared to goals, at around 86.5% among residents and 56% among staff.

Only 14.4% of Kansas nursing homes had at least 75% of staff vaccinated, which is the benchmark goal the industry has set for vaccinations in facilities.

Under the new nursing home policy, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services will develop regulations to require vaccinations of nursing home staffers as a condition of participating in Medicare and Medicaid programs.

“I’m using the power of the federal government as a payer of health care costs to ensure we reduce those risks for our most vulnerable seniors,” President Joe Biden said during a news conference Wednesday.

“If you visit, live or work in a nursing home, you should not be at a high risk of contracting COVID from unvaccinated employees,” Biden added.

Neither Kansas nor Missouri has mandated COVID-19 vaccinations in nursing homes, but one chain with several locations in Kansas is requiring its employees to get vaccinated this fall or face dismissal.

Associations that represent Missouri and Kansas’ long-term care facilities said they support and encourage vaccinations among staff and residents, but expressed concern

that a mandate may impact staffing levels.

“One member said to me, specifically, when they heard of the mandate, ‘That we’ve now gone from crisis to catastrophe,’” said Nikki Strong, the executive director of the Missouri Health Care Association, which represents over 65 percent of Missouri’s licensed skilled nursing care facilities.

The organization’s Kansas counterpart has yet to discuss the issue, its president and CEO, Linda MowBray, said in an email.

“Staffing is already at a crisis level, and singling out nursing homes will only compound the issue,” MowBray said.

The Kansas Reflector contributed to this article.

From Page 1

Things started to pick up again around 2010. “People remembered us from the 1980s and started giving us calls that they had IBM typewriters that needed service, and they loved the idea of typing again.”

“They enjoyed sitting down and composing a letter or doing a business mailing on a typewriter as they had always done.” He serviced them in his free time. At the time, Overman was a field service technician working with copiers, faxes and printers. He retired in 2016.

Then he was asked by Phil Anderson III, owner of Anderson Book & Office Supply in Newton, to look at a customer’s IBM. Later, Anderson lost the person who serviced Smith Coronas, and Overman began maintaining those.

Overman maintains about 10 IBM Selectrics II and IIIs annually and roughly three to five Smith Coronas monthly. He gets a few Olympias and Remingtons each year.

Overman sees a number of Smith Coronas because Anderson sold them. Many IBMs are from people who bought or were given their office typewriters as computers were installed.

With an IBM, it may cost $125 to $150 to get it working. “For Smith Coronas, you may be looking at $50 or $60 as most people do not want to put a lot of money into it. So you try to get it functioning without a lot of expense.”

Cleaning is much of what he does.

“That is basically my job — remove the dust and dirt and clean them up.” Liquid paper and erasers leave residue. The proper chemicals to clean typewriters are expensive and sold in quantities most people would not want.

Overman said there have been bad

Vaccinate

From Page 1 “AARP is calling on nursing homes to require vaccinations for both staff and residents," Kutzley said.

"The low levels of staff vaccinations in particular create an unacceptable level of risk, since the disease spreads so easily in these environments. And facilities must ensure all residents are vaccinated, including providing vaccines to newly admitted residents.

Facilities must be open and transparent with how they are progressing toward the vital goal of vaccination for all staff and residents.”

As of June 30, 2021, 1,994 residents and staff of nursing homes and other long-term care facilities in

Courtesy photo

Vernon Overman started noticing more demand for typewriter repairs and maintenance starting about a decade ago.

www.theactiveage.com

September 2021

the active age

Page 11

Lights! Action! Sing!

Match these songs to their movies

By Nancy Wheeler Sometimes the plot of a movie inspires composer to create a signature song that becomes a major hit. Take a stroll down memory lane and try to match these famous movies and their remarkable songs.

USD 259 transferred ownership of the McCormick School Museum to the museum’s board for $1 in a ceremony on Aug. 14. Built in 1890, McCormick is Wichita’s oldest school building. Museum supporters say they need to raise $2 to $3 million to restore the building.

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a. “A Whole New World” b. “Climb Every Mountain” c. “Born to Be Wild” d. “Mrs. Robinson” e. “The Time of My Life” f. “I Will Always Love You” g. “The Power of Love” h. “My Heart Will Go On” i. “I Don’t Wanna Miss a Thing” j. “Lose Yourself ” k. “Wind Beneath My Wings” l. “How Do I Live” m. “Don’t You Forget About Me” n. “Eye of the Tiger” o. “Take My Breath Away” p. “Lady Marmalade” r. “Up Where We Belong” q. “Moon River”

HOME HEALTH • HOSPICE • PALLIATIVE PALLIATIVE HOME HEALTH • HOSPICE •

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1. Breakfast at Tiffany’s 2. Dirty Dancing 3. Armageddon 4. Top Gun 5. Conair 6. An Officer and a Gentleman 7. The Sound of Music 8. Moulin Rouge 9. Titanic 10. Aladdin 11. The Bodyguard 12. The Graduate 13. Easy Rider 14. 8 Mile 15. Beaches 16. The Breakfast Club 17. Rocky III 18. Back to the Future

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Home Health and Hospice of Kansas Home Health and Hospice ofHome Kansas Health and Hospice of Kansas Making Lives Better Making Lives Better “We started with Home Health

Making Lives Better Wichita State University is offering ten Lifelong Learning courses this fall. The courses are FREE WSU Announces Lifelong Learning Courses for Fall 2021

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Services with Home Health & Hospice of Kansas thinking mom would get stronger..until sheIn-person almost went down All course work will be offered in-person and online. classes will be onMetropolitan me and it was time for Hospice held at the Wichita State University Complex located at 5015 E. was aper smooth transition.

I 29th St. North and will meet from which 1PM - 3PM this schedule.

Students who believe how week they provided select the online option will receivecouldn’t a link via email each to view the class medscourse and everything she on their own device, and can watchthe thebed, recorded during each live session needed for her comfort. Anytime day or later at their convenience. or night they were ready to instruct me what to do or came out and helped me. The last night when mom was struggling the nurse came out and stayed past her shift to take From Melting Pot to Salad Bowl Shakespeare IIIcare of her.

I can never thank them Tuesdays: Aug. 3, 10, 17 & 24 Wednesdays: Oct. 13, 20, 27 & Nov. 3 enough for their kindness and helpfulness with her.”

Mass Extinctions: Are we in a Sixth?

Philosophy of Humor ~Janice Schroeder, Fridays: Aug. 6, 13, 20 & 27 Thursdays: Oct. 14, 21, 28 & Nov. 4 daughter of Laneta Alderson

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The Geology of Kansas State Parks Fridays: Oct. 15, 22 & Nov. 5 & 12

Services “The with Home Health & Hospice services received give us, the “We started with Home Health of Kansas thinking mom would get Services with Home Health &parents Hospice family, great relief to know our stronger..until she almost wentmom down of Kansas thinking would get are treated with respect, careful on me and it was and time gentle for Hospice stronger..until she almost went down attention, encouragement whichwhile wasme a we smooth I tofor on and was time Hospice areittransition. attending other issues in couldn’t believe how provided which was a they smooth transition.

I our busy lives.

Thank you for your help the bed, meds everything shethey couldn’t believe how provided and care.and Always polite and professional, needed formainly her comfort.

Anytime day Wallace the bed, meds and everything she but caring.” ~Linda or night they were instruct Anytime day needed forready her to comfort. me what toam do or came out and or“I night they were ready tophysical instruct 76, after surgery, the helped me.medial The last night when mom me what to do of or came out and and care Home Health & was struggling came out helped the me.nurse The last night when Hospice helped and encouraged memom to and stayed past heras shift to take care was the nurse out do asstruggling much possible, but came stopped of her.

I can neverI thank them and stayed past her shiftWith to take care me before did too much. their enough theirI kindness andcaring of for her. can never thank Ithem encouragement and recovered helpfulness with her.”their enough for and much quicker than kindness I had thought ~Janice Schroeder, helpfulness withrecommend her.” possible.

I would their daughter of LanetaSchroeder, Alderson ~Janice services to anyone in need of physical daughter Laneta Alderson and health needs.” of ~Doris Klontz

Making every dayone... our priority for your loved one...

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Page 12

the active age

September 2021

How to slow down those nonstop car warranty robocalls

Better Business Bureau Take a back seat, “Rachel from card services.” According to the Federal Trade Commission, vehicle warranty robocalls have become the number one call complaint from irritated consumers. “We’ve been trying to reach you regarding your vehicle’s warranty” has become a punchline and fodder for memes online. To help you cope, your Better Business Bureau (BBB) is “trying to reach you regarding your vehicle warranty” robocalls, if you’ll pardon the expression. Here is some BBB information that can help prevent you falling victim to persistent car warranty scammers.

How can they do that?

If you’re wondering why you get the calls in spite of the fact that you have your number listed on the national do-not-call registry, it’s simply because scammers are crooks. They couldn't care less about obeying the law. They’re guessing that you own a vehicle since most Americans do and that you may have concerns about being protected in the event expensive repairs arise.

They also know that they can slip themselves into the mix with legitimate vehicle warranty callers.

(The business from which you purchased your car could legitimately call you about extending its warranty.)

Scammers are making random calls by the millions, knowing there’s a chance they can strike pay dirt at least every now and then.

How should you respond Your best response is none. Usually, the recording will prompt you to press a number in order to speak to a “representative” or to “opt out.” Never do this. Any response from you at all is telling the scammer that they have reached a working number. It will result in your getting even more calls.

Even answering their call is risky for the same reason. A verified working number will attract crooks like flies to honey. It’s wise to never even answer a call from a number you do not recognize. Legitimate callers will leave a voice mail message.

Car warranty scammers are after either your money or your private information, or both. They may “sell” you a completely worthless “extended warranty” that pays you nothing when you try to use it for a car repair.

Make the most of your phone's features The days of trusting your phone’s caller ID readout are long gone.

Scammers have the capability to spoof area codes and numbers so that you may think the call is local or from a specific company. Instead of answering, look up the number online for possible

information as to its origin. But there are features on your phone that can help a bit.

Consider using your phone’s ability to silence all calls from callers not in your contacts list. For an iPhone, go to the phone settings and select “Silence Unknown Callers.” For Android phones, go to your phone settings and select “block numbers,” then turn on the “block unknown callers” feature.

They're at it by mail as well BBB is also getting reports of crooks trying to sell worthless warranties through mailers. With a sense of urgency, they can claim your service contract is about to expire and urge you to call immediately. They may give you a deadline date. Then comes the hard sell as they try to talk you into a new contract.

A few quick tips: • Research any business with BBB by visiting bbb.org to see its BBB Business Profile.

• Research the company online as well by entering its name and words like “complaints” and “reviews.”

• Beware of any pressure to make a quick decision.

• “Bumper-to-bumper” coverage can have conditions, disclaimers and exceptions.

• Avoid duplicate coverage by reading your manufacturer’s warranty and by calling your dealer to inquire whether you need the additional coverage.

• If you have an existing auto warranty and have any questions regarding the coverage or making a claim, be sure to contact the company directly by calling the number on your paperwork.

For other questions or concerns you may have regarding extended car warranty offers, contact your BBB at (800) 856-2417 or visit bbb.org.

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September 2021

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Page 13

Plan a memorable family reunion Family Features Family reunions are sure to take on special meaning as families reunite after months apart.

Organizing such a momentous event may feel like a lot of work, but thinking of it in smaller pieces can make it easier to manage.

Finding a date that works for everyone may be the biggest hurdle.

Once that essential detail is set, start planning your family gettogether with these tips from the travel experts at Vrbo: Decide on a celebration style. Family reunions come in all shapes and sizes. You might plan a gathering for a single day with a big meal and plenty of time for chatting with relatives or it may be a multiday affair filled with activities that get all ages involved.

Pick the place. The location of your reunion depends on many factors. In some cases, families plan for a location that’s easily accessible for the majority, like a midway point or a city where a large branch of the family tree is rooted. Other families build reunions around the

head of the family and plan the location around where the eldest members of the family reside. Still other reunions are destination getaways with multiple households in one vacation location.

Choose where you’ll stay.

Figuring out what kind of lodging best suits your reunion depends on a variety of considerations, but the larger the group, the more challenging it can be. A vacation rental home may be an option when you’re bringing multiple families together under one roof or plan to stay for several days.

Many vacation rentals even offer amenities like pools or hot tubs that can be enjoyed privately rather than shared with the rest of the resort or hotel guests. A tool like Vrbo’s Trip Board of reunion-friendly homes can help you find inspiration for a perfect place.

Plan activities. Depending on your family’s style, planning how everyone will pass the time may be a scheduled itinerary or a loose list of potential things to do.

Either way, leave time for casual

• Home Health Aides / CNAs • Agency Direct Service • Medication Dispensers • Nursing Services • Overnight Support Health Aides Alerts / CNAs Nursing Services •Home Medical Home Health Aides / CNAs Nursing Services

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conversation and simply enjoying a few moments together as well as lots of entertainment to keep kids occupied while the adults catch up.

Create a menu. From potluck to catering and everything in between, there are numerous options when it comes to feeding a reunion crowd. You might have everyone bring their own food, ask each family to take turns serving meals or plan easy bar-style meals like tacos or walking nachos.

care



Agency Direct Aides Service Home Health / CNAs  Agency Direct Service  Dispensers Medication Agency Direct Service  Medication Dispensers  Medication Dispensers   

Overnight Support Nursing Services Overnight Support Medical Alerts Overnight Support  Medical Alerts  Medical Alerts

     

People you can TRUST People Peopleyou youcan canTRUST TRUST

We provide a customized plan of care.

The well-being, safety of our clients is our priority.

We provide aacustomized plan of Wedignity provideand customized plan ofcare. care.

The Thewell-being, well-being,dignity dignityand andsafety safetyof ofour ourclients clientsisisour ourpriority. priority.

TRUST HomeCare, LLC TRUST HomeCare, LLC 6224 Shadybrook St., Wichita, KS 67208 TRUST HomeCare, LLC 6224 St., 6224Shadybrook Shadybrook St.,Wichita, Wichita,KS KS67208 67208 316.683.7700 316.683.7700 info@trusthomecare.com www.trusthomecare.com 316.683.7700 info@trusthomecare.com info@trusthomecare.com

www.trusthomecare.com www.trusthomecare.com

info@trusthomecare.com www.trusthomecare.com

M O V E

W I T H

Confidence Our NUMBER ONE priority is the health, safety and comfort of our residents.

• Move-in health screenings • Specialized infection prevention • Video & phone visitation • Regular monitoring of CDC, state and local health dept. updates

We’re there because

never closes.

The intimate care offered by our devoted service team ensures that your loved one will always be surrounded by a familiar face to provide comfort and hope in even the most challenging times.

For more information, call 316.652.6212 or email sgoertz@pmma.org.

HeartAndSoulHospice.org www.theactiveage.com

721 West 21st Street Andover, KS 67002 AndoverCourtRetirement.com

143277

Call 316.733.2662 to learn more.

Page 14

the active age

September 2021

Recipe for You or Two: Bean Salad

Gretchen Fox is the winner of a $25 gift certificate to the Spice Merchant for submitting this recipe. Fresh garden produce such as herbs, Gretchen Fox tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers can be added and salsa can substitute for the Rotel, Fox said.

“Mine is a little different every time.”

To enter your Recipe for You or Two, mail it to The Active Age, 125 S. West St., Suite 105, Wichita, KS, 67213, or email joe@theactiveage. com. Please put “recipe contest” in the subject line.

Bean Salad

1 can (15 oz.)

Black Beans, rinsed and drained 1 can (15 oz.)

Garbanzo Beans, rinsed and drained 1 can (10 oz.) Rotel diced tomatoes 1 medium onion, chopped 1 medium jalapeno, chopped and seeds removed 1/2 cup of Italian dressing Directions: Mix all ingredients together and let sit for at least 1½ hours before serving for best flavor. Serve atop fresh lettuce or spinch if desired.

RSV VACCINE

RSV IS MUCH LIKE THE FLU OR THE CORONAVIRUS FOR ADULTS 60 YEARS & OLDER. LEARN MORE!

RESEARCH STUDY

Do you qualify to Also ask us about Formerly Heartland participate? Find out Research Associates referring a friend for by calling AMR Wichita this study to receive East, AMR Wichita West, $100.00.

AMR Newton or AMR El Dorado.

Terry Evans' Spring Bur Oak

Environment explored at Ulrich Two exhibits built around environmental themes have opened at the Ulrich Museum of Art. Love in the Time of the Anthropocene, which looks at how humans shape the earth, and Look, its daybreak, dear, time to sing, which portrays human-bird interactions, are showing through Dec. 4. The museum, located at Wichita State University, is open 11 a.m.-5 p.m.

Monday-Saturday. Admission is free.

Saturday, September 25 An exhibit of Bror Julius Olsson Nordfeldt’s work (right) opens at the Wichita Art Museum with a festival paying tribute to his Swedish heritage.

From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 25, visitors can walk the gallery and enjoy Swedish food, music and dancing in the Family Plaza outside.

At 1 p.m., curator Barbara Thopmson will discuss Nordfeldt, who made frequent trips to Wichita to see artist friends.

Botanica drawing winner announced

Frances Laughlin of Wichita is the winner of our drawing for a family membership to Botanica.

Her name was drawn from a pool of 58 supporters who donated $50 or more to The Active Age last month. We will hold three more monthly drawings from

among our Honor Roll donors.

A family membership to Botanica, valued at $65, lets you visit Botanica as often as you like. It’s good for two adults in a household plus all children and grandchildren under 18. It also comes with two one-day guest passes.

Wichita East - 316.689.6609 Wichita West - 316.838.7700 Newton - 316.283.0828 El Dorado - 316.600.5127 www.heartlandresearch.com

Therapy for Every Patient A behavioral health hospital for seniors ages 65+, with a goal of returning to their community in a short period of time.

The Choice is Yours Heal after surgery at 5-Star Medicare Rated Communities

Canine

Art

Music

Recreational

Individual

Group

Trauma

Find Your Closest Rehab Today ChooseYourRehab.com East and West Wichita, Derby, and the Andover area

Admissions: (316) 869-0507 2114 N. 127th Ct E., Ste 100, Wichita, KS 67206 www.St-AnthonysHospital.com www.theactiveage.com

September 2021

the active age

Page 15

Letters to the Editor climate crisis. If our country does not solve this, the cities will be destroyed as creative, productive centers.

Novelene Ross, Wichita Thank you for your great story on Bill Fry (“France says ‘merci’ to WW pilot) in August 2021. He was my neighbor for seven years before I moved to Shepherd’s Crossing. A great guy!

Dana Gythiel, Bel Aire

The report by Mary Clarkin on “Mental illness driving homeless disaster” (August 2021) is excellent. I appreciated the background info about federal action and about the Four County approach. It is encouraging to hear that Wichita is going to attempt a better approach through enlargement of ComCare.

This is such an important topic.

It has the same urgency for me as the

FINALLY! Affordable Stairlifts for your Home Zero Down Payment! No Interest or Payments until 2022

Peace

• • • • • • • • • • •

of Mind

Memory Care and Assisted Living in West Wichita

Local Hometown Dealer Fast Installations 350-600LB Weight Limits Extra Wide Seats Powder Coated Rails American Made Limited Lifetime Warranty No Charge Yearly Maintenance Financing Available Free Quote for Service All of South Central Kansas

Affordable Home Elevator and Stairlift Company 316-304-2845

Rest assured knowing your loved one is in our care. Our memory care is designed for safety and comfort with outstanding amentities.

www.affordablehomestairlft.com Fully Licensed and Insured

Schedule a Tour! (316) 361-2500 ASSISTED LIVING & MEMORY CARE At Rolling Hills

629 S. Maize Ct., Wichita, KS 67209 www.AvitaRollingHills.com

Live Here!

Why live at Derby Assisted Living? → Spacious private apartments → Tight-knit community → Bring your own furniture → Delicious meals → Social activities → Compassionate caregivers Kansas Health Care Association National Quality Award Winner

SATURDAY, SEPT. 11 • 3-7 PM Larksfield Place, 7373 East 29th St. North Free Admission • $20 Car Registration Fee

Schedule a Tour! (316) 260-4447 719 Klein Cir, Derby, KS 67037 www.DerbyAssistedLiving.com

• Local car clubs displaying classic cars • Your favorite food trucks • Crosstown Traffic playing hits from the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s For more information visit larksfield.org or call 858-3910

www.theactiveage.com

Page 16

the active age

Celebrations

September 2021

Wichita’s Original Gourmet Coffee Roaster

Spice Merchant 4 Blocks East on Douglas Open Monday - Friday 9am - 5:30pm & Saturday 9am - 5pm

Spices • Tea • Gifts

50th anniversary

John and Barbara Palmer will be married 50 years on Sept 19. He served in the Air Force, then worked for Beech Aircraft until he retired.

Barbara retired from Goodwill Industries. They have two sons, Drew and David, and eight grandchildren.

1300 E. Douglas | (316) 263-4121 Does your Does your Does your smartphone, smartphone, smartphone, computer, printer computer, printerprinter computer, or other or tech other tech have orhave other tech have for friendly tech help that you frustrated? you frustrated? you frustrated?

Call 768-7832

105th birthday

Imogene Tice will celebrate her 105 birthday on Sept. 13. Cards may be sent to: Imogene Tice, 10665 W. 13th St. N., Apt. 341, Wichita, KS. 67212.

can solve your problem!

Ask for Crista

th

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For friendly tech For friendly tech help Forhelp friendly tech help Smartphones, computers, printers *Mention this ad for 15% off of a *Mention this ad for 15% off of a *Mention this ad for 15% off of a weservice can Good make itGood easy for2/28/19 you! service call.

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www.theactiveage.com

September 2021

the active age

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

Calendar of Events Sedgwick County Senior Centers

Note to readers: Senior center schedules and other events normally listed on this page are expected to be affected by the coronavirus through September.

For information, call the numbers listed below.

BEL AIRE 7651 E Central Park Ave 744-2451, ext 121 www.belaireks.org BENTLEY/EAGLE 504 W Sterling, 796-0027 CHENEY 516 Main, 542-3721 CLEARWATER 921 E Janet, 584-2332 DERBY 611 N Mulberry Rd, 788-0223 www.derbyks.com DOWNTOWN 200 S Walnut, 267-0197 www.seniorservicesofwichita.org EDGEMOOR 5815 E 9th, 688-9392

GARDEN PLAIN 1006 N Main, 535-1155 GODDARD 120 N Main, 794-2441 HAYSVILLE 160 E Karla, 529-5903 KECHI Kechi City Building, 744-0217, 744-1271 LA FAMILIA 841 W 21st, 267-1700 LINWOOD 1901 S Kansas, 263-3703 www.seniorservicesofwichita.org MCADAMS GOLDEN AGE 1329 E 16th, 337-9222 MT HOPE 105 S Ohio, 667-8956

Butler County Senior Centers ANDOVER 410 Lioba Dr, 733-4441 www.andoverks.com AUGUSTA 640 Osage, 775-1189

CASSODAY Cassoday Senior Center 133 S. Washington, 620-735-4538

BENTON Lion’s Community Bldg, S Main St

EL DORADO 210 E 2nd, 321-0142

DOUGLASS 124 W 4th, 746-3227

Senior Wednesdays

NOTE: DUE TO CORONAVIRUS, THE SENIOR WEDNESDAY SCHEDULE FOR SEPTEMBER IS INCOMPLETE. FOR MORE INFO, CHECK SENIORWEDNESDAY.ORG OR CONTACT THE HOSTING VENUES. September 1 September 15 10 am Wichita Art Museum 10 am Ulrich Museum of Art. A Sesquicentennial History of 10 a.m. refreshments, 10:30 a.m.

Wichita and Sedgwick County.” program. Kelly Yarbrough: Founder of $2, free for museum members. the Tallgrass Artist Residency. Free.

September 22 September 8 10 am Wichita-Sedgwick 10 am Sedgwick County Zoo. County Historical Museum Emu: Learn about these Turn it up to 90: History behind the amazing birds. $4. electric guitar. Museum Director Eric 1:30 pm Advanced Learning Library.

Cale presents the history behind the Reflections on 9/11. Registration required instrument’s genesis and explores it for this free program, which will be held ascent to become the world’s most online via Zoom. Call (316) 261-8500 or popular instrument. Reservations register online at wichitalibrary.org/events. recommended; call (316) 265-9314 or email tours@wichitahistory.org. Program also available via Facebook Live. $2.

Dances

Derby Sr Center, 611 Mulberry.

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

Goldenrod Golden Age, 1340 S Pattie.

Linwood Golden Age, 1901 S Kansas.

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

Mulvane, 101 E. Main (Pix Community Center Second Tuesday of every month at 7-9pm.

Oaklawn Activity Center cafeteria, 4904 S Clifton. Info: iamgary48@yahoo.com.

Orchard Park Golden Age, 4808 W 9th.

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

www.seniorwednesday.org

Augusta Sr Center, 640 Osage. . Info: 755-1060

MULVANE 632 E Mulvane, 777-4813 NORTHEAST 2121 E 21st, 269-4444

Park City Sr Center, 6100 N Hydraulic. Info: 755-1060 Prairie Wind Dancers: Plymouth Congregational Church, 202 N Clifton. Joyce, 683-1122.

Oaklawn Activity Center, 4904 S Clifton. Info: Nick, 529-2792, or Mike, 650-2469. wichitacontra.org.

Westside Steppers Square Dance, 1st and 3rd Sunday of each month at the Sedgwick County Extension Building at 21st and Ridge Road. Contact: Sheldon Lawrence (316) 648-7590 or countrycaller@cox.net for furher information.

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

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

Page 17

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 316-681-4440

Friendship Meals Aging Projects serves a hot, nutritious meal weekdays for persons 60 and older in Sedgwick, Harvey and Butler counties.

Reservations are necessary. For locations and reservations, call 620-669-8201.

WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 1 Wed: Scalloped Pot w/ham, mixed vegetables, applesauce, ginger snap cookie.roll.

Thu: Chick & pasta salad, tomato slices, pickled beets, peaches, bread.

Fri: Hamburger on a bun w/ set up, baked beans, potato wedges, cantaloupe WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 6 Mon:Holiday.

Tue: Mexican Pork stew, hominy, watermelon, orange juice, cornbread..

Wed: Creamed chicken over a bisquit, broccoli/caul salad, peaches, snickerdoodle cookie.

Thu: Meatloaf, potatoes au gratin, green beans, mixed fruit, peanut butter cake, roll.

Fri: Baked fish w/ tartar sauce, macaroni & cheese, copper pennies salad, mixed melon, roll.

WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 13 Mon: Swiss steak over rice, parslied carrots, watermelon, bread.

Tue: Turkey roast w/ gravy, mashed potatoes, lima beans, cranberry salad, wheat roll.

Wed:Cheesy mac chili, green beans, pears, orange juice, cornbread.

Thu: BBQ Pork on bun, potato wedges, cole slaw, banana, vanilla pudding.

Fri: Chick & broccoli pie, tomato slices, mixed fruit, pineapple bread(pudding).

WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 20 Mon: Ham salad on bun, mediterranean salad, sliced tomatoes, peaches, gingerbread.

Tue:Cheeseburger soup, crackers, green beans, strawberries, gelatin.

Wed: Chicken fajita salad, mexican rice, cantaloupe, cinnamon roll.

Thu: Liver & onions in gravy or beef cutlets in gravy, mashed potatoes w/ gravy, peas, blushing pears, roll.

Fri: Ham & egg bake, broccoli/ cauliflower, banana, cranberry swirl cake.

WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 27 Mon: Goulash, corn, peaches, apple crisp, cornbread.

Tue: Baked chicken , cabbage au gratin, tomato slices, mixed melon cup, wheat bread.

Wed: Ham & beans, potatoes & onions, combination salad, dressing, plums, cornbread.

Thu: Beef roast, mashed potatoes w/ gravy, savory carrots, pears, roll. * Milk is served with all meals.

FUNDING MADE POSSIBLE THROUGH THE OLDER AMERICANS ACT, KDADS AND CENTRAL PLAINS AREA AGENCY ON AGING

Page 18

the active age

September 2021

Classified Advertising

Place an ad: 942-5385

F CEMETERY PROPERTY FOR SALE F

F ESTATE SALES F

F FURNITURE F

Lakeview lots. Everlasting Life Lawn Crypt. C-4 space 10. Sold out area in Lakeview. $4,500.

316-839-2301

KC ESTATE SALES Complete estate & moving sale services. We can do the sale at your residence or place your items with another sale. Expert pricing, selling & cleanup. Packing & moving services available. Excellent results. Free consultation. Call Carolyn Moshier.

316-634-0040

Downsizing?

Don't have an Auction, or Estate Sale.

We Buy Entire Estates, Storage Units, Garages, Barns, Sheds.

Call Kelly 316-283-8536.

Furniture Warehouse 200 Main Newton, KS

Two Mausoleum Crypts plots, Lakeview Gardens (K-96 and 13th) Peace Garden, Level D, Space 3&4. $4,995/each OBO Please call 316-641-7199 Single Plot – Resthaven Cemetery – Garden of the Cross 46A1 $5000 OBO Email: arkpegram@cox.net OR 479-644-6680 Serious inquires only

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

Resthaven Garden of Gospels double lawn crypt with bronze marker. Value $10000 sell $6000. Seller pays transfer fees.

Call 316 293 9442

IPK Enterprises Estate Sales.

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

Plot in White Chapel. It has a vault already paid for. Asking $500 and buyer pays $500 Catholic cemetery 1640 N. Maize Rd Wichita, Ks 67212. Niches # 53&54. Call 316-258-4118.

Companion Niche at Resthaven. In Rose Columbarium East. Sell for $3,895 includes transfer fee. Call for details. 316-214-7273 Resthaven Garden of the Cross 2 plots 32C-1 & 32C-3. Will sell together or apart. $1800 each OBO. I will pay your transfer fees.

704-957-3645 or wendyellisnc@gmail.com 2 plots at Resthaven. Current value $9,390.

Will sell both for $6,500. Seller will pay transfer fees. 303-641-5147 for info.

HAVING TO DOWNSIZE? MAKE MONEY DOING IT! TOP Wichita Auction Dave Dvorak * 316-641-5690 www.topwichitaauction.com

F EVENTSF Indoor Flea Market: Friday, September 10th, 2021 8:00am-3:00pm We will be having a pulled pork sandwich lunch that will include sandwich, chips and drink for $6.

So come hungry and ready to shop.

F FOOT CARE F

White Chapel, Garden of Devotion. Lot 49-B, plot 4. Buyer pays $299 transfer fee. Asking $2,000. Call/Text 316-655-6667

Cheryl Rosine ~ The Foot Lady ICMT RN

F CLEANING SERVICESF

Benjamin Jones ~ CNAICR

Wendell's Cleaning Service Small Office Cleaning 720-254-3557

$40: In-home, Sedgwick & surrounding counties Diabetic, thick toe nails, ingrown & callous care

FOOT CARE IN YOUR HOME • 316-312-2025 • • 316-932-8524•

Foot Care in home.

Home visit $40.00 Call Francine at 316-943-4360.

Leave a message.

F FOR SALEF Perfect Sleep Chair. Sleep/Recliner/Lift. Full Recline, Heat & Massage settings. Battery backup. Microfiber, Chocolate Color. Call for details.

620-617-7988.

Kavery's

House cleaning services

Melissa Keefe 316-200-7157

Daily g Weekly g Bi weekly g Monthly g One time

F COURIER SERVICESF 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

1933 Farmer- Stockman map of Oklahoma, 35" X 27 1/2".1920-30 Census, Us Highways, Presidents thru Roosevelt. Six inch rip. $20 plus cost of this ad. 316-941-4318

F FOR SALE-MEDICAL EQUIPMENTF Merits EMI-RFI electric wheel chair. Arms lift, swivel seat, head/foot rest, InvaCare 24v battery charger. Clean $599. Stairlift $450. Call 316-558-1968.

Jazzy Elite ES Mobility chair. 1 year old. Asking $1,800. 2005 Grand Caravan w/Bruno Chair Lift. Asking $2,500. Call for details 316-6484532.

2004 Pride Go-Go.3-wheel scooter, breaks down $300. 2011 Jazzy Select scooter w/ joystick control. $1,100. New batteries a year ago. Call 316-680-8180

F GARAGE SALE F Garage Sale September 1&2 2221 N Minneaplois Wichita,Ks 67219 Beautiful large clothes size 18-24, dolls, and lots of miscellaneous items.

F HOME CARE F Private Duty Aide with light house keeping.

Availability evenings and weekends.

References upon request.

Cynthia CNA/HHA 316-992-6711

F HELP WANTEDF ATTENTION JOB SEEKERS AGE 55 & BETTER – The Senior Employment Program can assist you in your job search. We offer referrals, job lists and other valuable services. We advocate for the older worker, helping hundreds of people find work each year! For more information call 316-267-1771 or email – cheriew@seniorservicesofwichita.org.

Retail Store, answering phones, waiting on customers, run errands Call 316-945-4722 The Wichita Music Academy at Garten's Music is hiring qualified part-time voice, drum and violin instructors.

Must be available after 3:30 p.m.

To apply, please send your resume to info@gartensmusic.com.

EARN BIG COMMISSION

Outside Sales Rep Wanted in Butler & Harvey Counties We are looking for a self motivated person who would like to make some extra $$$ promoting the active age.

Must be comfortable with cold calls.

Call Mike at 613-3547 or email mike@theactiveage.com

F HELP WANTED-VOLUNTEER F 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-onwheels/ and fill out then submit the application online at the bottom of the page. No walk ins please. All volunteers must be prescreened prior to delivering routes.

F GROOMINGF Professional Dog Grooming Over 5 year experience with certification Single owner/operator One-on-one with pet Call or text 316.243.6020

F HOME IMPROVEMENTS F Dave’s Improvements Painting—interior/exterior. Doors and windows replaced, grab bars, wheelchair ramps. All general repairs. Guaranteed lowest rates. Senior citizen discount. Lic #7904.

316-312-2177 Molina Electric - Wichita Lic #1364 Comm. or Residential wiring. Service calls. New electric service. Troubleshooting. Cell 316-461-2199.

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, ect, what you need done I can probably handle. Call for HELP! Brian 316-217-0882. Free Estimates

Ballard Plumbing ALL PLUMBING REPAIRS • FREE estimates • Senior Discounts

Licensed & Insured Veteran Owned - Family Operated

Call Brad at 316-260-0136 www.BallardPHC.com

Cowboy Construction Remodeling, siding, decks, fences, windows, doors and more. 20 years locally owned.

Free estimates. Senior discounts.

Todd Wenzel 316-393-4488 VERY AFFORDABLE Walk-in Showers & Tubs Bathe Safe & FEEL SAFE!!

"Tub to Shower Conversion Specialist" CALL 316-633-9967 - SENIOR DISCOUNTS www.bathroomheadquarters.com

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.

MOBILE GLASS REPAIR Windows * Patio * Doors Windows won’t stay up, Crank Outs, Patio Rollers and Lock Latches, Morris Glass & Service, 316-946-0745 Macy Maintenance 21 years of reliable maintenance.

Technician experience in plumbing, carpentry, heating and air conditioning, and painting. Reasonable rates.

(316) 390-7247.

K & A Maintenance Experts We specialize in the following

Wheel Chair Ramps • Landscaping • Remodeling Decks • Safety Hand Rails

FREE ESTIMATES

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

Place your ad today! Call 316-942-5385 Deadline for the October issue is September 15. www.theactiveage.com

September 2021

the active age

Page 19

Classified Advertising

Place an ad: 942-5385

F HOME IMPROVEMENTS CONT F

F HOME IMPROVEMENTS CONT F

F INSURANCE F

SENIOR HELPING SENIOR

Beard & Son Concrete Construction

Turning 65 ???

Looking For A Better Rate?

FORSHEE MASONRY- 50 Years Any Brick, Block, Stone Repair Sidewalk Leveling Senior Discount

RICK 316-945-8751

PLUMBCO

Compare Our Prices Weekly Plumbing Specials

Ins/Lic #5803

316-942-1967

S & V Concrete

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

JS Guttering & Construction

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

Licensed * Bonded * Insured

I bid’em to get’em!

30 Years Experience

Medicare Supplements

Theresa Newby Independent Independent Agent Agent 30 Years Experience theresanewby@aol.com theresanewby@aol.com

316 655 5943

Supplements Supplements Life Ins - DentalMedicare PoliciesMedicare - Cancer Policies

Annuities Annuities Fixed - Index

Life Ins - Dental Life Ins Policies - Dental - Cancer PoliciesPolicies - Cancer Policies Fixed - Index Fixed - Index LIFT-RITE GARAGE DOORS Medicare Supplements Annuities Scheduled maintenance, repair,

- Dental Fixed - Index salesLife on allIns garage doors. Policies - Cancer Policies F LAWN AND GARDEN F *Springs-Torsion & Extension *Garage Door Openers, Doors & More Paul Williams (316) 650-8807

Bruce Smith Roofing & Siding Protect your home from the elements of the weather!

35 Years Exp. Locally owned & operated

FREE ESTIMATES

All types of roofing, siding, handyman work, hauling, clean-ups & other exterior projects

316-640-3155 Licensed & Insured

Jesus Landscaping Complete lawncare.

Spring clean-up * Aeration * Over Seeding Gutter cleaning * Fencing * Landscape install/maintain * Shrub/tree trimming/removal Call for a free estimate!

316-737-3426 or 316-708-7236 WWW.JESUSLANDSCAPINGKS.COM Mike E. 316-708-1472 MOWING BRICK, BLOCK AND STONE repair.

Garage clean out, gutter cleanup, hauling, roto-tilling.

APPLIANCE REMOVAL. All Season Clean Up Lawn Care Quality Lawn Care • Yard Clean Up Tree Trimming • Gutter Cleaning Fall through Spring raking.

Free estimates, senior discounts.

316-409-8780.

Heating/AC, Plumbing Light Electrical, Drywall, Painting, Tile, Basic Home Repairs Licensed & Insured 25% Senior Discount

BRICK & STONE WORK OF ANY KIND

AGAPE CONSTRUCTION

Grandpa’s Plumbing

Tuck-pointing, foundation & chimney repair.

Insured. Free Estimates.

CALL DAN 316-516-3949

Repairs, Free estimates

316.312.4391

Free Estimates

www.agaperoofingandconstruction.com

AGAPE ROOFING Siding - Guttering - Windows

Roofing – Windows – Siding A Reliable General Contractor Senior Discount

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“Buffalo Soldiers: From Slave to Soldier” presented by Alexander / Madison Chapter

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Savvy Senior: how to replace important documents Dear Savvy Senior, Can you tell me what I need to do to replace a variety of important documents?

Our house burned down a few months ago, and we lost everything including our home property deed, car titles, old tax returns, Social Security, Medicare and Covid vaccine cards, birth certificates, marriage license and passports.

Stressed Seniors Dear Stressed, I’m very sorry for your loss, but you’ll be relieved to know that replacing important documents that are destroyed, lost or stolen is pretty easy once you know where to turn.

Here are the replacement resources for each document you mentioned.

Birth certificates: If you were born in the United States, contact the vital records office in the state where you were born (see CDC.gov/nchs/w2w/ index.htm for contact information).

This office will give you specific instructions on what you need to do to order a certified copy and what it will cost you — usually between $10 and $30.

Car titles: Most states offer replacements through a local department of motor vehicles office.

You’ll need to complete a replacement title application form and pay the application fee, which varies by state.

You’ll also need to show ID and proof that you own the car, such as your vehicle registration or your licenseplate number and VIN (vehicle identification number). To get an application, go to DMV.org, pick your state and print it or fill it out on the site.

Property deed: To access your house deed, contact your county clerk’s office, where deeds are usually recorded. You may be charged a small fee to get a copy.

Marriage certificate: Contact the vital records office of the state you were married in to order a copy (see CDC. gov/nchs/w2w/index.htm). You’ll need to provide full names for you and your spouse, the date of your wedding, and the city or town where the wedding was performed. Fees range from $10 to $30.

Social Security cards: In most states (except in Alabama, Minnesota, Nevada, New Hampshire, Oklahoma and West Virginia), you can request a replacement Social Security card online for free at SSA.gov/myaccount.

If you live in a state that the online service is not available, you’ll need to fill out form SS-5 (see SSA.gov/forms/ ss-5.pdf to print a copy) and take it in or mail it to your nearby Social Security office along with a number of

evidence documents that are listed on this form. For more information or to locate the Social Security office that serves your area, call 800-772-1213 or see SSA.gov/locator.

Medicare cards: If you are enrolled in original Medicare, you can replace a lost or damaged Medicare card by calling Medicare at 800633-4227 or by logging into your MyMedicare.gov account. If, however, you get Medicare health or drug benefits from a Medicare Advantage Plan, such as an HMO, PPO, or PDP, you’ll need to call your plan to get your card replaced.

COVID-19 vaccination card: Your first step is to go back to your vaccination site and see if they’ll give you a replacement. Bring an ID, and try to recall the date you were vaccinated. If that’s not feasible, contact your state health department immunization information system (see CDC.gov/vaccines/programs/iis/contactslocate-records.html) where you should be able to print a replacement sheet.

Tax returns: To get copies of old tax returns, start with your tax preparer, who usually keeps copies of your returns on file. You can also get copies of federal returns directly from the Internal Revenue Service. You’ll need to fill out and mail in IRS form 4506.

To download this form, go to IRS. gov/pub/irs-pdf/f4506.pdf or call 800829-3676 and ask them to mail you a copy. The cost is $43 for each return requested.

Passports: You can apply for a replacement passport at a Passport Application Acceptance Facility.

Many post offices, public libraries and local government offices serve as such facilities. You can search for the nearest authorized facility at iafdb.travel.state. gov. The fee is $145.

Buying a blood pressure monitor

Dear Savvy Senior, I just found out I have stage 1 hypertension and my doctor recommended I get a home blood pressure monitor to keep an eye on it. Can you offer me any tips on choosing a good one?

Hypertensive Helen Dear Helen, It’s a smart idea! Everyone with elevated or high blood pressure (stage 1 and higher) should consider

getting a home blood pressure monitor. Home monitoring can help you keep tabs on your blood pressure in a comfortable setting.

Plus, if you’re taking medication, it will make certain it’s working and alert you to a health problem if it arises. Here are some tips to help you choose a good monitor.

Types of Monitors The two most popular types of home blood pressure monitors sold today are automatic arm monitors and automatic wrist monitors that are electric and/or battery powered.

With an automatic arm monitor, you simply wrap the cuff around your bicep and with the push of one button, the cuff inflates and deflates, automatically giving you your blood pressure reading on the display window in a matter of seconds.

Wrist monitors work similarly, except they attach to the wrist. Wrist monitors are also smaller in weight and size, which makes them more portable and a bit more comfortable to use than the arm monitors, but they tend to be a little less accurate. To help you choose the best monitor for you, here are several things to check into: Make sure it fits: Be sure the cuff fits the circumference of your upper arm. Using a cuff that’s the wrong size can result in an inaccurate reading.

Most arm models have two sizes or an adjustable cuff that fits most people.

Wrist models also fit most people.

Choose one that’s easy to use: Be sure the display on the monitor is easy to read and that the buttons are large.

The directions for applying the cuff and operating the monitor should be clear.

Consider what extra features you want: Many automatic monitors come with additional features such as irregular heartbeat detection that checks for arrhythmias and other abnormalities; a risk category indicator that tells you whether your blood pressure is in the high range; a dataaveraging function that allows you to take multiple readings and get an overall average; multiple user memory that allows two or more users to save their readings; and downloadable memory that lets you transmit your data to your computer or smartphone.

Where to Buy You can find blood pressure monitors at pharmacies, medical supply stores or online, and you don’t need a prescription to buy one. Prices typically range between $40 and $100.

In most cases, original Medicare will not cover a home blood pressure

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monitor, but if you have a Medicare Advantage plan or a private health insurance policy, it’s worth checking into because some plans may provide coverage.

The best automatic arm monitors as recommended by Consumer Reports include the Omron Platinum BP5450 ($75), Omron Silver BP5250 ($50) and the Omron 10 Series BP7450 ($100); A&D Medical UA767F ($45); and Rite Aid Deluxe Automatic BP3AR1-4DRITE ($37). And the top wrist monitors are the Omron 7 Series BP6350 ($80); and the Equate (Walmart) 4500 Series ($40).

After you buy a monitor, it’s a good idea to take it to your doctor’s office to check its accuracy and learn the proper techniques of how and when to use it.

You can also get more detailed information on how to accurately measure your blood pressure at home at Heart.org/HBP. Click on “Learn How to Monitor Your Blood Pressure at Home.”

Dear Savvy Senior, Can you offer any tips on choosing a good adult day care provider for an elderly parent? My 81-year-old father, who just moved in with me, has dementia and needs attention during the day while I’m at work.

Need Assistance

Finding Adult daycare Dear Need, Adult day care services can be a great option for caregivers who work or for those who just need a break during the day. Here’s what you should know, along with some tips to help you find and choose one.

How to Choose Your first step in shopping for an adult day center is to determine the kinds of services your dad needs and you need as a caregiver. After you do that, here are some tips to help you locate and choose a good provider.

Start by contacting your Area Agency on Aging (call 800-6771116 to get your local number) to get referrals to adult day service programs in your area. You can also search the National Adult Day Services Association (NADSA) database at NADSA.org/locator.

Once you have a list of a few centers, call them to find out their eligibility criteria, if they offer the types of services your dad needs, if they are accepting new clients, their hours of operation, if they’re licensed and/ or registered with a state agency (this is not required in all states) and what they charge.

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September 2021

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Extra! Extra!

By Annie Calovich While many Wichitans have recently been battling armyworms that have eaten their front lawns brown, Mui Peng has been oblivious to their upheaval amid a brimming diversity of herbs, vegetables, fruits and flowers burying her Midtown front yard in green.

In fact, when asked about insects bugging her plants, her daughter Minh goes on the hunt to find some evidence, finally spying some grasshopper holes in a few leaves, but that’s about it.

Minh Peng burns anti-mosquito coils to keep the skeeters off her mother, who is 90, but her mother doesn’t like the burning citronella smell.

“I don’t worry about mosquitoes,” Mui says through her daughter's translation. “I bite 'em back.”

The alchemy of mint basil, Thai peppers, lemongrass and scads of other aromatic plants must be the recipe for keeping bugs at bay in this organic garden. That and the constant nurturing of the plants by a woman originally from Laos who has created a healthy, old-fashioned neighborhood gathering spot in what used to be a typical American monoculture of a front lawn.

Four-time refugee Mother and daughter have lived next door to each other in a duplex on North Fairview for 30 years, and Minh owns several rental properties in the vicinity where the garden expands to exotic fruit trees ranging from jujube to Asian pear to donut peach. Mui was born in 1930 and is a four-time refugee who finally made it to the United States in 1975, when Minh was 10 years old. Mui witnessed famine, lived through bombings and endured the loss of freedoms and homes. She speaks Vietnamese but makes frequent use of the words “thank you” in English.

“I grew up with seeing my friends and family going through hardships with the war and how to survive,” Mui says. She didn’t start gardening until about 12 years ago, when easing family demands gave her time. She has three children, four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

“It comes naturally. It’s a pretty simple thing to do,” she says of gardening. “I grew up seeing other people planting.”

Her garden is an adventure and an experiment, a constant source of wonderment and discovery. First came the addition of a white picket, then the removal of a declining tree, which opened the yard to full sun.

‘Which one is that?’

“She started out with flowers …

what’s going on.

Friends also take bunches of herbs from the yard to use for medicinal purposes. The herbs seem to work as a preventative for Mui. “I don’t have any pain. I eat a lot of vegetables. I exercise every day.”

The gardening gives her the chance to get up and down from a small plastic child’s chair that she moves around the yard, and she rides an exercise bicycle set up on the front screened-in porch that gives her a good view of the garden.

Turning her front yard into a garden isn’t the only unconventional thing Mui has done. She draws birds to it by scattering not seed but cooked rice in water on the ground around her plants. She says the rice also helps feed the plants.

So do egg shells, which spill out Photos by Annie Calovich of a plastic grocery bag and get put Mui Peng feeds friends and family out of her garden in Midtown. on vegetables and fruits maybe once a month when they start to flower. When Mui plants, she works in Miracle-Gro potting soil and tucks peat moss around plants as a fertilizer.

All while wearing gloves, of course.

She keeps her fingernails beautifully and now she’s like, ‘We might as well mint,” Mui says. manicured. get herbs going and cucumbers going The Pengs get some seed from The basil reseeds, and the mint and tomatoes, okra,’” Minh says. “It’s friends, and Mui tends to plant stalks spreads, and early spring sees Mui out hard to keep up with what she’s decid- and seeds from foods she gets at Thai moving the new plants to the right ing to plant next. She would eat the Binh Supermarket on West 21st Street. places for the growing season. fruit from the store and plant the seeds, Friends and neighbors “I’m happy. It’s like tending to it and it grows. We’ve got chives growing Mui herself doesn’t cook but eats and seeing how it grows. I didn’t realize like crazy, garlic, Asian spices. the leaves of herbs on salads. But she how one little pepper could create over “Cantaloupe, cherry — she puts grows as much or maybe even more for 100 plants.” them down and then she’s trying to others than she does for herself. Her ‘It’s rewarding’ figure out which one is that?” when the basil tops one friend’s pho, and her That means she not only gives out plants finally appear. mint is tucked into another’s spring produce, she gives out plants. When The garden is economical and elrolls. She gives her bounty to neighbors cold weather threatens, and the pepper emental. At one time there was a path and friends, who often stop by. plants are still popping with peppers, through the yard, but it has become “We’ve got great neighbors here,” she digs up the plants, pots them up rough-and-tumble, with invasive mint Mui says. “Everyone’s like a big famand gives them away. The mail carrier growing alongside refined clematis. An ily. … I enjoy the neighbors coming will be one recipient. Mui also puts arbor of grapes creates a shady tunnel around. People walk by in the morning peppers through a food processor and leading up the front walk. and admire. That makes me happy.” freezes them. In the winter, when some “Everything is the same things I They will find Mui out early, waof those peppers can provide a warmused in my country: basil, lemon balm, tering. Minh has set up a few different ing reminder of summer, she knits hoses so her mother doesn’t have to instead of gardens. drag them far. A big black-and-white “She shares the other seeds when cat named Tommy keeps tabs on it’s ripe,” her daughter says. “So everyone she knows has more plants.”

The garden creates a healthy circle of life both physically and emotionally. Mui's social front yard allows her to reminisce with others of her generation, “and the younger generations like her stories,” her daughter says.

Mui Peng and her daughter, “It’s rewarding that you can share,” Mui says. “It makes me feel good that Minh Peng, harvest grapes from people enjoy it.” the arbor over her front walk.

Contact Annie Calovich at For Minh's chicken salad recipe acalovich@att.net. featuring fresh herbs, visit theactiveage.com.

Front-yard garden opens door to happy life

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the active age

September 2021

Rich color, cozy layers arrive for fall

By Bonnie Bing Remember all those fall and winter clothes you didn’t wear last year? Make room for some new pieces for the season.

Looking at the trends it seems there is something for everyone.

Dresses with sleeves are here for fall.

Pick a subtle print or go wild with a colorful retro print. The ease of onepiece dressing is going to be one of the important options for fall.

Layering is the answer for that time of year when it’s cool in the morning and warm in the afternoon, and it’s certainly the answer to staying warm when the temperature dips.

To be ready for those temps, a wide range of cozy sweaters and unlined wrap coats come in everything from animal print to basic gray and black to fall colors and even a few brights.

Faux fur is back for another season.

Leather and faux leather come in myriad colors in slacks, skirts, vests, jackets and coats.

Vests are still in, especially quilted ones carried over from the past several winter seasons. Vest styles come in a variety of lengths, from cropped to below the knee. Sweater versions are long and wrap; shorter ones zip.

Wear with a long-sleeve T-shirt or the popular plaid flannel shirt this fall.

Hemlines are absolutely your choice. Maxi length, midi and kneelength, and if you care or dare, the mini-length is available.

If you want to play it safe, the straight leg pant is a good bet and available in a variety of fabrics and

A gray animal print wrap jacket of polyester is on trend, by Mud Pie, $94. A magenta scarf adds a pop of color, $18, all at Frou Frou.

Photos by Bonnie Bing

A vest that is reversible and washable by Karen Hart, $52, tops a white, long-sleeve T-shirt, $26, also

by Karen Hart. Cream color, stretch cotton, twill jeans by Slim-sation, $69. Short metallic boot by Boutique-by Corkys, $84. All at Ann’s Fashions. Photos taken at Botanica, The Wichita Gardens. colors. If you’re a fan of the full-leg pant, you’ll be happy to know it's back for another season as are the very narrow legs.

Don’t shy away from denim or jean styles because the stretch fabric and the variety of colors make these a versatile wardrobe staple. And of course blue denim is an all-American classic. And note, a basic jean jacket is a must-have.

Other trends you’ll be seeing: Rich fall colors, but also a few you don’t usually associate with the colder months, such as pink and lilac.

Knits. Some are hefty, but others are lighter weight and perfect to layer.

Pleats, especially knife pleats.

A popular item for fall will be the pleated, mid-length skirt. Several designers presented box pleated, kneelength skirts.

Patchwork, reminiscent of the '60s and '70s, adds a little punch to a vest, coat, skirt or even a handbag.

Regardless of your plans for fall and winter, get a lift by adding some trendy pieces to your wardrobe.

Reach Bonnie Bing at bingbylines@ gmail.com

Perfect for the transition from fall to winter, a cozy pink wrap sweater by Me Moi, $62, tops a long-sleeve cotton-stretch T-shirt by Charlie B., $44, and charcoal denim jeans by Charlie B., $78. Necklace with pink stone, $18. All at Frou Frou.

www.theactiveage.com

Rust tones say fall. This rust-and-gold print blouse of a viscose blend is by Aprey, $85, worn with brown, cotton twill, stretch jeans by Slim-sation, $69.

All at Ann’s Fashions.

Model courtesy of Models & Images.

September 2021

the active age

Page 3

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Page 4

the active age

September 2021

Golf gadgets can help older golfers

By Jim Miller There is a wide variety of adaptive golf equipment that can help older golfers who struggle with injuries, arthritis or loss of mobility. Here are several golfing products that may help with different needs.

Gripping Solutions Gripping a golf club is a very common problem for seniors with hand arthritis or those who have hand or elbow injuries. To help alleviate this problem, there are specially designed golf gloves and grips that can make a big difference.

Two good gloves are the Bionic Golf Gloves (BionicGloves.com) that have extra padding in the palm and finger joints to improve grip. And the Power Glove (PowerGlove.com) that has a small strap attached to the glove that loops around the club grip to secure it in your hand. These run between $20 and $30.

Another option is to get oversized

grips installed on your clubs. These can make gripping the club easier and more comfortable and are also very good at absorbing shock. Oversized grips are usually either one-sixteenthinch or one-eighth-inch larger in diameter than a standard grip and cost around $10 per grip. You can find these grips and have them installed at your local golf store or pro shop.

Or, for a grip-and-glove combination fix, check out Quantum Grip (QuantumGrip.com), which incorporates Velcro material recessed in the golf club grip, and a companion golf glove that has mating Velcro material in the palm. Cost: $25 per grip, and $40 a glove.

Upright Tools For golfers with back, hip or knee problems, there are a number of different tools that can eliminate the repetitive bending and stooping that comes with playing golf. For example, for teeing up the ball without bending over, consider the Tee-Up Foldaway

by Zero Bend Golf. This is a 34-inch long-handled tool that has a trigger-

style handgrip and a jaw that holds the ball and tee for easy placement. It costs $70 at ZeroBendGolf.com.

For other stoop-proof tee-up solutions, see the Tee Pal Pro ($70, TeePalLLC.com) and Joe’s Original Backtee ($25, UprightGolf.com).

ZeroBendGolf.com and UprightGolf. com also offer ball pickup tools and magnetic ball marker products that cost under $15.

Or, if you just want a great allaround golf picker-upper, consider the Graball GrabAll Jaw — sold through Amazon.com for $10 for a package of two. It attaches to the handle end of your putter and chipper and is designed to pick up golf balls, flagsticks, putters and green side chippers.

Reflective Golf Balls If diminished vision makes locating the ball challenging, Chromax golf balls (ChromaxGolf.com) can help.

These are reflective colored golf balls that make them appear larger and brighter. Cost: $10 for a three-pack.

Senior Golf Memberships

Golfers ages 62+ can enjoy a membership to four courses for a low monthly fee! golfwichita.com

Recreation Programs Enjoy fitness and leisure classes for ages 55+ • • • • • • • • • • •

Pickleball Indoor Tennis Drop-In Doubles Zumba Gold Stretch & Tone Fitness Gentle Yoga Cooking Technology and Photography Needle Arts Drawing & Painting Walking Book Club Golden Age Club & Senior Dances wichita.gov/parkandrec www.theactiveage.com

Easy Carts There also are ergonomically designed golf carts that can help older golfers tote their clubs around the course. If you like to walk, CaddyTek (CaddyTek.com) and Clicgear (Clicgearusa.com) has a variety of three- and four-wheeled push/pull carts that are highly rated for function and foldability. Costs typically range between $150 and $300.

Or, for severe mobility loss, the SoloRider specialized electric golf cart (SoloRider.com) provides the ability to play from a seated or standingbut-supported position. Retailing for $10,500, plus a $600 shipping fee, this cart is lightweight and precisely balanced so it can be driven on tee boxes and greens without causing any damage. Federal ADA laws require that all public golf courses allow them.

September 2021

the active age

www.theactiveage.com

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the active age

September 2021

Wichita’s own Field of Dreams

Vintage baseball comes alive at Cowtown

By Bob Rives When Major League Baseball staged a game last month in the Iowa cornfield where “Field of Dreams” was filmed, it became one of the mosttalked-about regular season contests in decades.

Something similar plays out in Wichita when the city’s two vintage baseball teams square off at Old Cowtown Museum. Baseball is now rivaled in popularity by several other sports, but none invoke nostalgia like the original “America’s game.”

Wichita has two vintage teams that keep the game alive as it was played in its early days. Their names — the Bull Dozers and Red Stockings — belonged to real teams in 1879 that were among the first to represent Wichita.

“The Bull Dozers may have played only one game,” Cowtown volunteer and baseball fan Gary Lee said. “Then they became the Red Stockings.” The Dozers’ name did not come from big earth moving machines. “It was apparently meant to intimidate,” Lee says. “A bull dozer in the 19th century

Photos courtesy of Old Cowtown Museum

The Bull Dozers and Red Stockings are Wichita's two vintage baseball teams. Opposite page, players are not allowed to use gloves. was someone who tried to run over you,” added Steve Sheahan, who played until his knees gave out and now keeps score.

Vintage vs. modern The modern versions date to 2004 when Lee and friends Vance Davis and Paul Klinkhammer organized them to play at Wichita’s living history museum. Since then, some 200 players have been on one roster or the other.

Most are fans of the sport and local history.

The game at Cowtown is similar to modern baseball but with differences: • Players do not wear gloves.

The exception are catchers — called behinds — who sometimes wore thin gloves.

• There are no called strikes. Only swinging and missing counts as a

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There are 12 GraceMed locations around Wichita, so you can color us close by, too. We also have people who can coordinate referrals and access to other community services should you need them. All of which makes GraceMed the gold standard in healthcare for your golden years.

www.theactiveage.com

strike.

• All pitching is underhanded, and there is no windup. In spite of this limit, some pitchers can throw as hard as a fast-pitch softballer and even manage curves.

• The distance between pitcher and batter is 45 feet, not 60 feet, 6 inches as it is now.

• There is no pitching mound.

• Catching a hit ball after one bounce counts as an out as does catching it on the fly.

• The ball is bigger and softer than a modern baseball but not as big as a modern softball.

• No base stealing and no sliding.

‘Cranks’ Differences extend to the stands as well. In the 1870s, spectators at baseball games were called “cranks.”

The term “fan” came along later. So the players at Cowtown are cheered by cranks.

Players of all ages suit up. Some are still in school. Lee, Klinkhammer and Davis are in their 50s. Others, such as Don Alvord, a former district court judge who now lives in Halstead, are playing in their 60s.

Several women and girls have See next page

Learn more about how we care for our senior patients. Call (316) 866-2000 and ask for our Senior Services brochure.

September 2021

Baseball From previous page

played. The Cowtown contests even helped spark one romance. The woman at second base married the man who played shortstop.

All players on the teams have nicknames, as was the case when the sport first was played here. Davis is Bull. Clinkhammer is Colonel. Lee is Dixie, not for the South but for Dixie Lee, the infamous real-life madam for whom Cowtown’s can-can dancers are named. Is Gary related to Ms. Lee? “I don’t know,” he joked. “I need to check into that.”

The nicknames usually come from the other players. Sheahan is called Fingers because, as Lee said, “Steve was not a gold glove fielder.” Alvord’s nickname, Chilly, stems from the time another player poured a bucket of ice water over his head during a hot summer game.

Road games In addition to Cowtown, the teams play at historic sites such as Fort Larned, the Eisenhower Center in Abilene and the Tinker Museum in Muscotah, Kan., hometown of Joe Tinker, who is in the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y. They once played the El Dorado

the active age Broncos, a semipro team that often contends for the championship in National Baseball Congress tournaments. The NBC and its president, Kevin Jenks, are supporters of the vintage teams, Lee said.

They’ve played in Texas, Missouri, Nebraska and in a large tournament in Columbus, Ohio, where they were unbeaten. But the best travel site was at the aforementioned Field of Dreams in Iowa. “We walked in through the corn just as they did in the film,” Lee said.

Vintage baseball is most popular back east. At the moment, only Emporia and Topeka have similar clubs in Kansas.

‘A gentleman’s game’ Sheahan points out that the clubs are careful to protect players through measures like the no-sliding rule.

Games are usually scheduled for nine innings but are cut to seven if the day is too hot. “Very early, we often played a double header of two seven-inning games, but that become too much for some of the players,” Lee said. “So we now typically play one nine-inning game every two weeks unless we’re in a tournament.”

The teams also try to protect expensive equipment. The specially made baseballs are recovered if fouled out of the park — even if they go over the backstop and into the Arkansas

River. Uniforms — based on original 19th century designs — are also pricey.

The Cowtown teams have four sets.

If someone comes to a game wanting to play, the team will get one from a storage building near home plate. They also take uniforms when going to other towns in case the locals don’t have them.

The games attract a following.

Their covered grandstand along the first base line holds a hundred or more cranks. Chief among them is Francene Sharp, known for her cow bell. She comes by her role naturally. Her mom, Ernestine Davis, was well known to Wichita baseball followers from years of cheering — and ringing — on the city’s minor league and semipro teams.

“She was a lifelong baseball fan who saw her first games on Ackerman Island,” Francene says of her mother.

Now Francene brings the same excitement to Cowtown.

In one other change from modern baseball, there’s often no umpire for cranks to heckle since the games are regularly played on the honor system.

“We play a gentleman’s game,” Sheahan said.

Bob Rives wrote the book on baseball in Wichita — “Baseball in Wichita,” published by the History Press in 2004.

He can be reached at bprives@gmail.com.

www.theactiveage.com

Page 7

To play or see vintage baseball New players are welcome. “Just show up and let us know you’d like to play,” Cowtown volunteer Gary Lee said.

The teams will play at Cowtown at 1 p.m. on Sept. 19 and host visiting teams at 10 a.m. on Oct. 2.

There is no charge for the games, but a Cowtown ticket is required to enter the grounds. However, on the third Sunday of each month through this fall admission is free.

For more information, visit www. cowtownbaseball.org.

Page 8

the active age

September 2021

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the active age

September 2021

Meet some of our volunteers

By Joe Stumpe Volunteers play a vital role for many nonprofits.That is certainly the case at The Active Age. So when Jennie Benitez, RSVP program coordinator for Sedgwick County, asked me what our RSVP volunteers had been up to, I was more than happy to fill her in.

Our RSPV volunteers continued to pitch in throughout the pandemic — working from home when necessary — helping us in several ways.

As they have for years, a core group of volunteers help us mail thank-you letters and solicitation letters to donors each month. These donations supply a substantial percentage of our operating revenue; we could not publish The Active Age in its current form without

From the Editor them. The volunteers also helped us mail more thank-you letters than usual over the past 12 months as we sought to make sure that smaller donors knew we appreciated their donations, too.

One volunteer, Melanie Wetta, called all the area senior centers to find out whether they had reopened and, if so, what services they were offering.

That allowed us to keep our readers who visit those centers up to date.

Melanie also helped us enter a large amount of data into our system so that we could identify residents who are 60 and older and not currently receiving our publication. We are now in the

process of expanding our circulation to those residents as time and funds allow.

We also benefit from volunteers who are not part of RSVP. They include Delores Burris, who has kept our subscription list updated for years; Dave Gear, a part-time advertising representative for us who helps me with all kind of development work on his own time; Linda Matney, an Active Age board member who also helped with the senior center updates; Ted Blankenship, our humor columnist; Ted Ayres, our book reviewer; Bob Rives, our baseball expert; and Nancy Wheeler, who creates our monthly puzzles and quizzes.

Elvira Crocker and Susan Hill are former Active Age board members

who volunteer their expertise in copy editing the paper most months along with my wife, Wichita Eagle columnist Carrie Rengers. Our volunteer board members give us much invaluable guidance. For instance, our treasurer, Diana Wolfe, uses her background in accounting to help keep an eye on our books.

The last piece of our volunteer puzzle are those readers who voluntarily contribute to The Active Age. As I said above, the publication would be much different without them, and not in a good way.

Contact Joe Stumpe at Joe@theactiveage.com

The Active Age Board of Directors

Julie Schaar, Harry Clements, Sharon Van Horn, Mary Corrigan, Shana Gregory, Tim Marlar, Diana Breit Wolfe, Linda Matney, Lona Kelly (not pictured)

Fritz Hensler Length of RSVP service: About 12 years.

Why I volunteer: I like doing the mailing for The Active Age because I like reading the paper, and in this way I try to get more seniors to donate and get the paper.

Valerie Dettwiler Length of RSVP service: At least 5 years.

Why I volunteer: To be helpful in the community.

Other interests: Quilting, sewing at church.

RSVP volunteers Melanie Wetta Length of RSVP service: Since 2016 or 2017.

Why I volunteer: I worked in an office setting my whole career, so I enjoy helping out where

needed.

Other interests: I enjoy spending time with my four grandchildren and traveling with my husband.

Linda Jesseph

Joann Hackerott Length of RSVP service: At least 10 years.

Why volunteer: I think The Active Age is a good paper, and I want

to help it.

Other interests: Computer, reading, television, genealogy.

Carolee Muller Length of RSVP service: A couple of years Why I volunteer: It gets me out of the house, gives me something to do, and I’m glad to help.

Other interests: Gardening, flowers, traveling.

Margaret Murillo Length of RSVP service: A couple years.

Why I volunteer: It gives me something to do and gets me out of the house Other interests: Sewing.

Become a RSVP Volunteer The RSVP Program offers a wide range of volunteer opportunities.

For more information call 1-855-200-2372.

Editorial and administrative volunteers

Elvira Crocker: Time as Active Age volunteer: Wish I could tell you.

Why I volunteer: I think it’s important for citizens of all ages to receive information of all kinds that is pertinent to their well being.

Susan Hill: Time as Active Age volunteer: Since January 2013.

Why I volunteer: Primarily because I have worked in the newspaper field in various capacities a long time. I am thrilled to be associated with a fine publication.

www.theactiveage.com

Delores Burris Time as Active Age volunteer: Since April 2009 Why I volunteer: I was looking for volunteer work and saw an ad in the paper for someone to maintain the mailing list, which is right down my alley.

September 2021

the active age

WIN TICKETS TO THE KANSAS STATE FAIR! The Active Age and Kansas State Fair are giving away 100 free tickets to this year’s fair, which will be held Sept. 10-19 at the State Fairgrounds in Hutchinson.

To be entered in a drawing for the tickets, visit our website, theactiveage.com, and fill out the entry form. The only information required is your name and address, and your information will NOT be used for any other purpose. Entries will be accepted through Sept. 7, the drawing will be held the next day and tickets will be mailed the day after that.

Each name drawn will receive two gate admission tickets, an $8 to $14 value.

You must be a subscriber to enter the drawing. To subscribe, visit theactiveage.com or call 316-942-5385.

New events at this year’s fair include an outdoor auto show on Sunday, Sept. 19; the 1st annual pub crawl, from 4-8 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 16; a “mutton bustin’ state championship featuring 50 youth from across Kansas at 6 p.m. Friday, Sept.

10; and “Shop ‘Til You Drop” on Wednesday, Sept. 15, when many vendors will offer discounts on merchandise.

As always, the features midway rides, competitive events, livestock, free entertainment and food vendors.

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Keep your kids, and everyone at home, COVID-free this school year.

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Vaccinate.

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Page 11

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the active age

September 2021

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