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www.theactiveage.com September 2026 Kansas’ Largest Newspaper Printed at Valley Center, KS
Vol 47 No. 10
Show time again at the Orpheum
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raving about work that artisans have done to restore the original interior. “For the restoration, I know people are most excited for the seats, of course,” executive director Stacee Olden said. “I am most excited about showing off the original atmospheric design of the theater, which consists of the grand proscenium having plaster repair and decorative painting bringing it back to life, the original rare fire curtain that boasts a gorgeous art mural of a couple walking through a courtyard, as well as the twinkling starlight in the sky that will sweep across our ceiling once again.” After 15 months of interior renovations, a grand reopening and 104th In other words, the Orpheum may birthday party for the Orpheum Theatre will be held Sept. 4. not have looked this good since it first opened its doors in 1922. The Active Age include new seating on the main and Theater goers can judge for The Orpheum Theatre is back, and balcony floors, new sound and lighting, themselves this month. The Orpheum this time the venerable venue itself an upgraded HVAC system, renovated will host a Reopening and 104th may steal the show. dressing rooms and modern ADA Anniversary Celebration starting at Wichita’s oldest theater closed its accessibility features. doors in May 2025 to embark on a Those amenities, important as they 5:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 4. The event will feature live performances, self-guided 15-month renovation project to fully may be, are not what have Orpheum restore the interior. The improvements backers most excited. Instead, they are See Orpheum, page 7
Artist fascinated by human faces By Joe Stumpe If you possess an interesting face and happen to run into Patti Doll, don’t be surprised if she makes an unusual request. “I’ll stop people on the street if I think I want to do a picture,” Doll said. By picture, she means painting a portrait. “I’ve just been fascinated with portraits forever,” Doll said. An exhibit of portraits by Doll will run from Sept. 4 through Oct. 9 at the Envision Gallery, 535 W. Douglas Ave., Suite 160. It kicks off with a First Friday reception from 4-7 p.m. The 15 portraits feature residents of BelVilla Assisted Living in Andover. Doll’s mother, Rita Crossland, lived at Bel Vista for about eight months before her death in 2017. Doll said she decided to make current residents the
Patti Doll painted portaits of 15 residents of BelVilla Assisted Living in Andover, including this one of Debra Mitchell. See Portraits, page 6
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Wichita optometrist Dr. Patrick Pirotte has taken part in several foreign medical missions.
His vision: better sight for children By Melanie Jenney Usually when a Kansan heads to the Caribbean, it’s for beaches and a deck chair, fancy drinks and lots of sun. Dr. Patrick Pirotte derived an entirely different kind of enjoyment from his trip earlier this year — the satisfaction of bringing better vision to children in the Dominican Republic. Pirotte, a pediatric optometrist in Wichita, was one of six eye doctors from the United States who visited Santiago, the country’s second-largest city, on a weeklong medical mission. Pirotte said the experience “is kind of like ‘MASH,’ the TV series, in that you establish camaraderie quickly in doing the hard work and trying to see as many patients as possible.” The mission was a partnership of Creighton University and the Jesuitaffiliated Centro de Educacion para la Salud Integral (known in English as Mision ILAC), whose campus provides health care to low-income rural communities in the area. “Over the course of five days, we See Vision, page 6
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two reserved Exploration Place hosts free riverfront concerts get seats for all eight public performance of a modern electric guitar. “In world history terms, the first public performance of the electric guitar is one of the most important things that ever happened in Wichita,” said Adam Smith, president and CEO of Exploration Place. Here’s this year's line-up: Sept. 3 — Zach Person, blues rock Sept. 10 — Indigenous, Native American roots rock Sept. 17 — Carolyn Wonderland, Texas blues Oct. 1 — Sunny War, folk-punk acoustic soul
Oct. 8 — Danielia Cotton, Gospel-fueled rock and soul Oct. 15 — The Hooten Haller, swampy Missouri stomp Oct. 22 — Bonnie Whitmore, roots rock Oct. 29 — Steel Skarecrow, ’90s country and red dirt Gates open at 6 p.m., opening acts start at 7 p.m. followed by the headliner at 8 p.m. Guests are encouraged to bring blankets or cushions for seating. Some chairs will be available on a first-come basis. Food trucks will be on site. For a $200 donation, you can
34th Annual stle Ca th Apo e ol th
urch Ch ic
St. P ete r
Wichita digs electric guitars, and it’s paying off big-time with a threeyear series of free concerts along the Arkansas River. Last year, Exploration Place applied to the national Levitt Family Foundation for a grant to bring concerts featuring national touring acts to EP’s new riverfront amphitheater. The selection process involved online public voting, and Wichita finished in the top 10 among 108 communities applying. The grant proposal was built around a fascinating piece of history: In 1932, Wichita hosted the first
concerts, two complimentary drink tickets to use on the night of your choosing and a tote bag. Visit exploration. org and click on “special events” for more infomation. During the series, Exploration Place is also partnering with the Wichita-Sedgwick County Historical Museum to present Amplified, an exhibit of historic instruments, artifacts and photographs celebrating Wichita’s guitar heritage.
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Vision From Page 1
did 1,070 eye exams,” Pirotte said. The team treated many glaucoma patients and provided follow-up care to patients who’d had surgery performed by a previous mission team. Peace Corps volunteers provide translation between the doctors, local staff and patients. Due to Pirotte’s expertise in pediatric cases, younger patients were funneled his direction. Pirotte and another doctor also visited an orphanage one day and treated 88 kids, including a 2-year-old boy so severely near-sighted that he would not be able to function in school without prescription glasses. Perhaps the most memorable experience of the trip was the relief
Portrait
From Page 1 subject of a series of portraits last year. She started by getting to know them better, hoping her artwork would reflect lives “rich with experience, resilience, humor and wisdom.” One resident, Doll said, had spent eight months in a coma, only to wake up blind and “rebuild her life with remarkable determination.” “It’s just turned into a wonderful experience meeting the people there and painting their portraits,” she said. Doll figured she'd complete the project fairly quickly, but then she was diagnosed with macular degeneration
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and gratitude expressed by the mother of a boy whose vision Pirotte assessed. The child has cerebral palsy, and his mother thought he was also completely blind. Pirotte was able to show her that her son has some vision. That means she has another way to communicate with him and offers hope for his ability to interact with other people in the future. “Being completely blind is actually very rare,” Pirotte said. A Wichita native, Pirotte grew up in Indian Hills. He attended St. Patrick’s and Bishop Carroll, then the University of Kansas and Southern California College of Optometry in Fullerton, Calif. He trained in classical piano and, for fun, often plays Gershwin tunes, jazz and other music from the 1920s and ’30s for small groups. He’s also a self-proclaimed
gym rat, lifting weights and taking tai chi and water classes at the downtown YMCA. Pirotte founded Child and Family Eyecare in west Wichita in 1985 and has taken part in previous medical missions to Mexico. As he nears retirement, he said he has found his career rewarding. He likes to say that vision “is the queen of the senses, and when the queen is unhappy, no one in the castle can sleep.” According to Pirotte, over half of a person’s brain is directly or indirectly devoted to processing visual information, and visual perception is tightly intertwined with other brain functions such as memory, spatial awareness and motor control, all of which contribute to more engagement with life, careers and relationships. Pirotte said it’s gratifying to see
a baby’s face change when glasses suddenly allow the child to see clearly for the first time — no doubt why videos of it happening are popular on the internet. “The actual response you get,” he said, “is that the child will go completely silent and just look all around because of the overwhelming visual information they are experiencing for the first time.” But, for Pirotte, even that is overshadowed by the feeling he gets when a young patient comes back and reports acing a school test because he or she is finally able to see clearly. Small wonder he’s heading back to the Dominican Republic in January. For more information about Mision ILAC programs, visit ilac. org.do Contact Melanie Jenney at mjenney@gmail.com.
and glaucoma. She already suffered from chronic dry eyes. “I can’t paint for long periods of time because of that,” she said. “My eyes get tired. I paint for maybe 20 minutes at a time. I used to paint all day.” Nevertheless, she completed the portraits and unveiled them at BelVilla this spring. Experiencing low vision, Doll said, has given her an understanding that being seen “is more than being looked at — it’s being acknowledged, valued and remembered.” And she hopes people take a similar understanding away from her paintings. Originally from Kansas City, Doll and her husband, Mark, have been
married 53 years. “He’s been really supportive of this whole project. My dining room is my studio.” They have two children and five grandchildren. She worked as a homemaker, a social worker for Catholic Charities and the Salvation Army and a weight loss consultant with Jenny Craig. She started painting about 30 years ago and became more serious about it over the last decade. She’s a member of the Kansas Art Guild and serves as president of Wichita Fine Art Atelier, a nonprofit that offers classes and workshops at the Wichita Studio School, 751 George Washington Blvd. One of her portraits won Best of Show
in the 2022 Art is Ageless competition sponsored by Presbyterian Manors, and her painted sculpture of the Keeper of the Plains is on display at the Mid-American All-Indian Museum. But she hadn’t staged her own exhibition until now. “At 73, this is a first,” she said. Doll plans to give the portraits to their subjects after the exhibit. While she’s dabbled in other subjects, Doll leaves no doubt that her preferred object to paint is the human face. “You know, it’s the singularity of the face,” she said. “To me, it’s absolutely fascinating to see the different qualities in a face.”
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Orpheum
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tours and a reveal of the new First Street mural to cap the night. Tickets are $20. After catching its breath, the theater will host concerts by Billy Idol (Sept. 21), The Revivalists (Sept. 26) and Lady A (Sept. 27) in rapid succession. The Orpheum first opened on Sept. 4, 1922, with five live acts and an hour-long silent movie. The theater's designer was John Eberson, an Austrian-American architect who pioneered the atmospheric style of theater design, in which the audience was made to feel they were sitting outside — in the case of the Orpheum, in an ornate Spanish garden set under shimmering ceiling lights that mimick stars. The Orpheum is the second-oldest surviving example of the atmospheric stye. According to its website, 10 local investors put up $20,000 each to seed what eventually became a $750,000 project. When it opened at First and Broadway, the latter was still known as Lawrence Avenue. Iconic performers who appeared there in the theater’s early years include escape artist Harry Houdini, Ella Fitzgerald, Count Basie, Louie Armstrong and Mickey Rooney. The theater continued operating as a movie house, at one time showing adult films, until the advent of multiscreen theaters
caused it to close in 1976. After several other historic theaters were demolished here, preservationists stepped in to save the Orpheum. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places and eventually taken over by a nonprofit, but the interior had been stripped and fallen into complete disrepair by the time restoration began in the 1990s. As a stopgap measure, used seats were imported from another theatre and the City Hall auditorium. Although the seats became a common source of complaints, about 400 were sold to memorabilia seekers at $30 each before the just-completed renovation started. Early work concentrated on infrastructure such as the roof and gutters, heating, air and electrical systems, although the installation of a new neon marquee in 2001 brilliantly lit up the corner of First and Broadway for the first time in decades. Renovation of bathrooms on the mezzanine and restoration of the ornate lobby followed. In 2022, Orpheum backers announced the Second Century Campaign, with the goal of raising $9.5 million to complete the theater’s restoration. Retired architect Jeff Van Sickle, who sits on the Orpheum board with his wife, Janice, said he’s not surprised the fundraising campaign succeeded. “I think people consider the Orpheum kind of a gem,” he said. “People come back and tell stories of going to the theater as youngsters in
Wichita, or taking their kids there when it was not in the greatest of shapes.” In addition to admiring the original architecture and restoration work, Van Sickle said the theater provides the city with an important mid-size venue. “We need a theater of that scope and size,” he said, adding that Wichita “has proven itself to be a cultural town. The city just seems to be really on fire culturally. It was a good time for it.” Olden said one of the final pieces of the restoration was figuring out the best way to roll it out. With the help of the philanthropic This full-page advertisement ran in the Wichita and social group called Eagle on Sunday, Sept. 3, 1922, the day before the Grumpy Old Men, the Orpheum Theatre opened. the theater brought in phase was, ‘Let’s make this last for multiple Grammy winner John Legend another 100 years.’ So that was our to perform a special concert on Aug. effort going in, to have the foresight 30. Tickets quickly sold out. to think ahead and beyond those of us “Once we landed exactly where we here now, to make it a little easier for wanted with John Legend as our grand others to steward this historic building reopener, everything fell perfectly into down the road and keep the lights place,” Olden said. shining bright at First and Broadway.” At 104 years old, the Orpheum For tickets to the reopening visit will always have things to fix, she said. orpheumwichita.com or call 316-755“But I can tell you the theme around 7328. our design development planning
The Active Age The Wichita City Council last month adopted a plan for downtown that will guide development of the area for the next decade. The council first stripped the plan of any references to creating a new performing arts center. The arts center move came after supporters of Century II — the city’s current performing arts and convention center — objected during the Aug. 18 council meeting. They pointed out that in March, voters rejected a proposed 1-cent sales tax increase that would have paid for a new performing arts center by an 82-18 percent margin, and that in 2020, more than 17,000 voters
signed a petition in support of Century II. “How many times does the community have to beat this into oblivion?” Greg Kite, president of the Historic Preservation Alliance of Wichita-Sedgwick County, asked council members. The council vote was 5-2, with members Maggie Ballard and Joseph Shepard opposed to changing the plan. The rest of the plan was approved without modification. It does not allocate any city money for specific projects but sets out goals and strategies for meeting them. It was commissioned by the Downtown
Wichita organization and produced by Sasaki Associates, a Boston-based urban planning firm, and is the city’s first downtown plan since 2010. At the meeting, Heather Schroeder, executive director of Downtown Wichita, said the 2010 plan helped foster 119 projects totaling about $2 billion in the city’s core, including almost 2,000 new housing units and 1,300 hotel rooms. At the same time, she said, “We have only built 15 percent of the potential development in the planning area, which means we’re leaving a lot of tax base on the table.” The new plan lists four goals: a “connected downtown” that people can navigate on foot if desired; a “riverfront downtown” that makes the Arkansas River the city’s central gathering place; a “well-designed downtown” that makes the area feel welcoming; and a “full-service downtown,” with amenities such as a grocery store. Some of the plan’s proposals for achieving these goals include: • Removing motor vehicle traffic
From Page 1
City Council approves 10-year downtown plan
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lanes on Douglas Avenue from the river east to Washington Street and replacing them with more bicycle and pedestrian paths. • Creating new priority bike lanes on McLean, Market, Texas, William and English streets in addition to Douglas. • Converting First and Second Streets to two-way streets. • Starting a high-frequency downtown shuttle. • Creating a four-mile walking and biking loop connecting museums on the river to destinations downtown. • Developing eight downtown districts with unique identities and two new green spaces, planting 300 new street trees and hiring three full-time downtown ambassadors. • Activating the ground floor spaces of downtown buildings. • Creating 5,000 new housing units, one new grocery store and two new event spaces, while repurposing some of the 48 percent of downtown land now used for surface parking lots.
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Frugal wedding, fast Ford made for memorable day By Joe Norris If you’ve been to a wedding recently, you may have noticed that the production has become a bit more elaborate than the ones you remember. According to The Knot, a wedding planning website, the average cost of a wedding today is $34,200. Kansas celebrations average closer to $23,000. Still costly enough to melt a Visa card. But when my parents tied the knot in 1944, they spent less than it now costs the bride’s father for a bottle of champagne. Mom and Dad’s wedding took place on July 23 of that year. It was blisteringly hot. And because World War II was raging, many common items were rationed for American shoppers. My grandmother borrowed a cup of rationed sugar from a neighbor to bake a little wedding cake. It was quite small, but there were only a couple dozen guests, so everyone got a slice. Family members who lived further away sent their regrets and saved their rationed gasoline. There was no venue expense because the reception was held in my grandparents’ backyard. More specifically, in my grandmother’s rose garden. Live flowers were all around, so there was no need for any pricey floral arrangements. My mom wore a simple white dress and my dad put on his black winter suit. So there was no expensive bridal gown or tux rental. No wedding planner, either. No caterer, no photographer, no limo, no band, no mirror ball, no chicken dance and no honeymoon trip to an exotic location. In the wedding snapshot taken on someone’s box camera, Mom and Dad’s little homemade cake had become a bit
The writer's parents, Jimmy and Martha Norris, on their wedding day in 1944 and posing with Jimmy's V-8 Ford, which was later used to rush his best man to catch a train back to his wartime post in Houston. lop-sided from sitting in the direct sun. At the time, my grandfather’s health problems prevented him from operating the family farm, so my dad was designated to stay home and keep it running while his brother went to war. Most of Dad’s best friends were also somewhere overseas. But his buddy Warren Jacks, who had been a KU medical student, was now stationed at a Navy hospital in Houston. Dad asked him to be his best man, and Warren got a weekend pass to come home for the wedding. After the reception in the backyard rose garden, the newlyweds’ first priority was driving the Navy medic to the train station, so he could get back to his base before his pass expired. After finishing their slices of cake, the bride, the groom and the best man all climbed into my dad’s V-8 Ford and headed for the train station. But when
they got there, the train had already departed, and the next one wouldn’t get Warren back to Houston before the deadline. So they jumped back into the car and headed south to the next train stop, in Oklahoma. They nearly got to the station in time, but again missed the train by a few seconds. Dad’s V-8 still had half a tank of rationed gas. So they all piled back into it and burned rationed rubber to the next train station, further south in Oklahoma. The best man was at the wheel this time, mashing the accelerator to the floor, with newlyweds holding on for dear life in the back seat. They got there just in time. The train had just started moving out of the station. So Warren jumped
onto the nearest car, waved to the newlyweds and ducked inside. And that’s the moment when my dad realized that his car keys were still in the pants pocket of the Navy medic’s dress whites. Dad sprinted after the moving train and jumped aboard. Mom said he came walking back down the tracks half an hour later, looking a little disheveled in his hot black wedding suit. But he grinned and held up the car keys like a freshly won Olympic medal. The honeymoon had begun. And it continued for the next 70 years. Contact Joe Norris at joe.norris47@ gmail.com.
Central Plains Area Agency on Aging offers free, awardwinning mental health counseling to people who qualify. The agency’s InHome Counseling and Community Support Groups Program this summer received a 2026 Jessica Aging Innovations Award from USAging, Huber a national association of area agencies on aging. The program offers individual therapy for adults aged 60 and over and their family caregivers. CPAA also hosts a caregiver support group and a hoarding support group on the third Thursday of each month. The programs are headed by licensed clinical social worker Jessica Huber. Jennifer Lasley, CPAAA’s director of information and community services, said one innovative aspect of the program is its ability to serve people in their own homes. “We recognized that older adults are less likely to seek mental health care due to
stigma behind treatment, concerns about costs of service, insurance barriers, a lack of transportation to get to their therapy appointments or any physical or cognitive limits they might have that would prevent them from scheduling these appointments,” Lasley said. While the majority of people are served in their homes, they can also receive counseling virtually or in person at the CPAAA office located in the Ronald Reagan Building, 271 W. 3rd St. N., Suite 500 in downtown Wichita. Depression, anxiety, changes in health, loneliness and grief are common symptoms for older adults seeking help. Among caregivers, stress, difficulty in coping with change and decision-making, guilt, depression and burnout are common. Individuals can receive up to 12 free counseling sessions annually. From January 2021 through December of last year, the program served 213 seniors and 111 family caregivers in Butler, Harvey and Sedgwick counties. To sign up or get more information about CPAAA’s counseling or support groups, call (316) 660-5120 or 1-800-367-7298.
CPAAA offers award-winning counseling
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September 2026
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September quiz: Great names and moments in sports history Baseball’s longstanding color barrier when he took the field for the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947? 4. Who became the first gymnast in Olympic history to score a perfect 10 in an event in the 1976 Olympics? 5. Who used his brilliant “ropea-dope” strategy to knock out the undefeated George Foreman to reclaim his heavyweight championship in 1974? 6. Who clocked a mind-boggling 9.58 seconds in the 100-meter-dash at the World Championships in Berlin in 2009? 7. Who set the NBA single-game scoring record when he scored 100 points for the Philadelphia Warriors in a 1962 victory over the Knicks? 8. Who shattered the previous long jump world record by almost 2 feet, jumping 29 feet, 2.5 inches at the Mexico City Olympics in 1968?
Kechi Playhouse, 100 E. Kechi Road, Office Party. Comedy follows three friends as they do whatever is necessary to launch a new business venture. Curtain time 8:00 pm on Friday and Saturday nights with a ticket price of $18; Sunday matinees at 2:30 with a ticket price of $17. Walk-ins are welcome or call 316-744-2152 to reserve tickets. Mosley Street Melodrama, 234 N. Mosley. Wrestlemaniacs, by Ryan Schafer and Molly Tully. New musical revue follows. Now-Sept 5. Tickets, dinner and show $44; show only $33. 316-263-0222. Next at Mosley Street Melodrama, Tickle Me Chucky (this Melodrama is Child’s Play), written by Scott Noah. New musical revue follows. Tickets, dinner, and show $44; show only $33. Sept 18-Oct 31. 316-263-0222 Music Theatre Wichita, Century II Concert Hall, Les Miserables, Music by Claude-Michel Schönberg; lyrics by Herbert Kretzmer. Considered one of the most powerful musicals ever written, Les Misérables is an emotional journey through love, sacrifice,
feet)? 15. Who won the internationally televised “Battle of the Sexes” tennis match against former No. 1 player Bobby Riggs? Answers:
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September theatre By Diana Morton
9. What gymnast nailed a vault on an injured ankle at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics to help the USA win their first ever team gold medal? 10. Who “called his shot” and then hit a home run in the 1932 World Series? 11. Who revolutionized his event when he cleared the bar by “flopping” over backwards to win the Olympic gold in 1968? 12. What name was given to the 1992 U.S. Men’s Olympic basketball team that was the first to include NBA stars? 13. What American swimmer holds the record for the most Olympic gold medals (28) accomplished across four Olympic games? 14. Who holds the record for the most home runs hit in World Series history with 18 and also holds the record for the longest home run (634
redemption and the unbreakable human spirit. Sept 9-14. Call 316-2653253 for times and tickets. Roxy’s Downtown, 412 E. Douglas, cabaret-style theatre. Come from Away, Tony Award–winning musical that has moved audiences around the world with its powerful true story of compassion in the wake of September 11, 2001. 7:30 pm Aug 28-Sept 26. 316-265-4400. Wichita Community Theatre, 258 N. Fountain. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest by Dale Wasserman, based on the novel of Ken Kesey; directed by Joe Perrish. Famous as a 1975 movie starring Jack Nicholson, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest was first staged on Broadway with Kirk Douglas in the leading role. It follows charming rogue McMurphy, who contrives his short jail sentence in a mental institution rather than prison, a decision that will have tragic consequences. Contains adult themes. Tickets are $20 for adults, $18 for military/senior/students. There is a special ticket price for everyone of $16 for Sept. 3, and Sept. 10, opening night performances only. Contact Diana Morton at dianamorton12@sbcglobal.net
1. Miracle on Ice 2. Jesse Owens 3. Jackie Robinson 4. Nadia Comaneci 5. Muhammed Ali 6. Usain Bolt 7. Wilt Chamberlain 8. Bob Beeman 9. Kerri Strug 10. Babe Ruth 11. Dick Fosbury 12. Dream Team 13. Michael Phelps 14. Mickey Mantle 15. Billie Jean King
By Nancy Wheeler Since they keep score in sports, we’ll do the same with this month’s quiz. Follow these clues to name great names and moments in sports history. Ten correct answers qualify you as a casual fan (below that, better stick with pop culture). Thirteen correct answers mark you as a knowledgeable fan, ready for almost any barroom debate. Get all 15 right, and you're a super fan, ready for a spot on ESPN. The answers appear below. 1. What name was created in 1980 to describe the moment when a team of American college hockey players upset the Soviet Union national team at the Lake Placid Winter Olympics? 2. Who shattered Hitler’s myth of Aryan supremacy when he won four gold medals at the Berlin Summer Olympics in 1936? 3. Who broke Major League
A free digital copy of The Active Age is now available. The digital copy can be “flipped through” like a regular newspaper, and the type can be enlarged on your phone or computer. To have the digital version emailed to you each month, call (316) 942-5385 or email joe@theactiveage.com.
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September 2026
Closet cleaning time: Fewer clothes can actually make dressing easier
By Bonnie Bing It might still be hotter than you know where into early September, but before long we’ll be changing out our closets to fall and winter clothes. And with any will power at all, we’ll make decisions about what to keep, what to donate and what to toss out. This seasonal job is for all closets, but generally speaking women have the toughest assignment. It’s easy to be overwhelmed just thinking about it, so it’s important to come up with a plan. But first it helps to have motivation. Ruthie Williams, retired professional, went to a color and style consultant. She was amazed how many of the things she had bought but had never worn were not on her color chart or were not a style that was flattering. Williams said that definitely helped her know what could exit her crowded closet and never be missed. Next, she took a 12-week online course on decluttering your home. When she got to the section on clothes closets, she went to work separating everything, including accessories and workout clothes, into categories.
With each item she asked herself: Have I worn this in the past year? Is it the right style and the right color? Does it fit well? If the answer to any of these questions was no, she knew it should be discarded. “It makes it so much easier to see what you have in the closet when it’s not crowded. And it’s easier to decide what to wear,” she said. Beth Golay, director of marketing and digital content at KMUW radio, texted friends a photo of a neat pile of clothes showing she had started the culling process. Like Williams, Golay is taking the process by sections and blocking out time so it’s not so overwhelming. Like many people, she says she has been saving garments to wear when she loses weight or thinks, “I might need that.” Experts say the thing to ask yourself is, “Will I honestly ever reach for that, put it on, and wear it?” Another suggestion is to have a brutally honest friend help you by encouraging you to get rid of things
that need to go. Or do what some women are doing and ask ChatGPT. But the job isn’t over when your closet looks spectacular. What to do with all the rejects? Williams says Ruthie Williams she first thinks of someone who might want some of the pieces then asks them over to take a look. Some women enjoy a clothing swap where they trade clothes and accessories. You take something you don’t want anymore and go home with something you will actually wear. Other women price their clothes and have a private sale. Some add clothing items to a garage sale. You can also take nice pieces to consignment shops that take items. When the item is sold, you’ll receive a percentage of the price that can vary from shop to shop. And there are many charitable organizations you can donate women’s,
men’s, children’s and baby clothes to in Wichita. Goodwill has eight stores that accept drop-ff donations in Wichita plus others in Andover, Derby, Newton and El Dorado. Here are a few that have one location: Assistance League Thrift Store, 2431 E. Douglas. Helping Hands, 1441 E. 37th St. N. AbleLight Thrift Shop, 2523 S. Seneca. Thrift for a Cause, 767 N. West St. The Tree House (for baby clothes), 151 N. Volutsia Most thrift shops can’t make use of stained, torn or otherwise damaged garments, so unless you’ve been told otherwise, dispose of them yourself and save the shop the trouble. Regardless of where you decide to get rid of your rejects, do get rid of them right away. That’s when you get to pat yourself on the back. Reach Bonnie Bing at bingbylines@ gmail.com
Mother Nature’s hot flashes, a broken AC and more summer fun
By Bonnie Bing I hope by the time you’re reading this we will be having much cooler weather. As I write this, it is 103 degrees in Wichita, and it is 89 degrees in our house. No, we don’t set the thermostat that high. Our air conditioner is out. Done. Finished. Shot. Not working and will never work again. I know it was running nonstop for days and it is old, but I swear I heard it laughing and saying, “Ha! Work me to death, and this is what you get!” With my fingers crossed, I called a repairman, and bless his heart, he was able to come fairly quickly. With sweat dripping off of him, he explained he could fix it, but it would probably quit again very soon. We needed a new one.
This came at a bad time because the construction on a new drainage system in the basement also required a Bonnie Bing complete redo of the guest bedroom downstairs. And the personal computer I’m typing on says I need a new one because old faithful here is too old to get Windows 11. Oh, and one more thing, the washing machine is making an interesting clanking noise. But it is indeed the air conditioner that is the killer. I now have more empathy for the people in Europe, where air conditioning is rare. There have been thousands of heat-related deaths in Europe. In the United States,
Just Sayin' July was the hottest on record. Most of us are spoiled. We go from our cool houses to our hot cars that cool down fairly quickly. But Mother Nature is having some serious hot flashes.
Cox Communications sold, will be rebranded Kansas Reflector Charter Communications has acquired Cox Communications in a $34.5 billion deal, and Kansans will soon see their Cox products marketed under Charter’s Spectrum brand. Now the largest cable company in the country, with services across 45 states, Charter will rebrand Cox services to the Spectrum name, said Chris Winfrey, CEO and president of the Connecticut-based company, in a media call. Cox customers will see the brand
name shift to Spectrum beginning in September, which includes changing all building and truck signage. Winfrey said internet pricing will be “better” and new Cox Mobile customers can receive a free mobile line for a year, he said. “The value is higher for Spectrum products with more apps included, often better internet pricing,” Winfrey said. “The average pricing of internet is much lower with Spectrum, and mobile is lower, and video is also lower, but also has more value with the app.”
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Summer is like a severe paper cut. You forget the pain until you get another one. We forget the heat until the dreadful season rolls around again. Come on fall! You can bet I’m going to hug the first tree I see with colorful autumn leaves. Reach Bonnie Bing at bingbylines@gmail.com.
September 2026
the active age
Active Age thanks our volunteers
September 11 is National Day of Service and Remembance, and The Active Age salutes our volunteers, who help us bring you this publication all year round. Shown at left are volunteers (clockwise from top left) Fritz Hensler, Linda Jesseph, Melanie Wetta, Diana Dobbins and Carol King. Not pictured is Val Dettwiler. Our board of directors and many of our writers and editors also donate their time. We appreciate them all!
Did You Spend Time Near 29th & Grove? You May Have Been Exposed to TCE Without Knowing It.
TCE (trichloroethylene) was found in groundwater in the area. If you lived, worked, went to school, attended church, or spent time near 29th & Grove from the 1970s to today, consider getting tested. Free health testing is now available through Clearway Testing partners.
ClearwayTesting.org No insurance needed. Testing is free through December 31, 2026.
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September 2026
She delivers hot meals and friendship DERBY — Growing up, Loretta Hoffsetz admired her mother for volunteering to deliver Meals on Wheels in Atwood, Kan., a tiny farming community in the northwest corner of the state. Hoffsetz’s 50-year career as a hairdresser didn’t leave her much free time for volunteering, but she’s more than made up for it since retiring in 2010. She delivers hot meals to homebound residents here four days a week. “I always wanted to be a Meals on Wheels person,” Hoffsetz said. “I always loved it.” Hoffsetz, who also volunteers at the Derby Senior Center, was one of two volunteers recognized for logging more than 1,000 hours of service last year by the Sedgwick County RSVP program. She’s on track to do the same this year. Hoffsetz has lived here since 1985. She and her husband, Gary, have two
daughters and a grandson. She delivers meals Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, making between eight and 12 stops each day. Hoffsetz typically gets to the senior center about 9:30 a.m. to begin packing up the meals, and she’s done with her route no later than noon. She doesn’t just drop off the meals. For her, the value of the program is interacting with recipients. “I love the people and how appreciative they are,” she said. “Sometimes we’re the only ones they see. It just makes my day. I brought them something good, and they’re happy.” On those rare days when another volunteer does her route, she said, recipients “get really worried (and say), ‘Where’s Loretta?’” On several occasions, Hoffsetz has realized that a Meals recipient was in need of medical assistance and
summoned help. She became particularly close to one elderly woman who was living at The Greens apartments in Derby. “I kind of adopted her. She was like my mother.” Hoffsetz realized the woman was experiencing some cognitive decline, and became more concerned after finding smoke coming from her kitchen one day. With the woman’s consent, she helped set up a doctor’s appointment, and the woman eventually moved to assisted living. “I kept in very close contact with her, and she died just before she turned 100. That one was one of my really special times.” Hoffetz said being a Meals volunteer even provides a little exercise as she lugs meals from her Lincoln Nautilus to recipients’ front doors. “I just pray they have a handrail to go up the steps.” To learn more or review volunteer
Photo by Gary Hoffsetz
Loretta Hoffsetz delivers Meals on Wheels four days a week. opportunities, call (316) 660-5120. You can also visit Sedgwickcounty.org and type “RSVP” into the search box.
AmeriCorps RSVP to sponsor talent show and more A new talent show is one of several special events the AmeriCorps Seniors RSVP program has planned for the remainder of 2026. For more information about any of these, contact Jennfier Youngers, RSVP program for Sedgwick County, at Jennifer.youngers@ sedgwick.gov or by calling (316) 6605136.
Here’s the schedule Sept. 11 Kansas State Fair – Young at Heart Day Gate admission is $3 for people 55 and older. A “Seniors Got Talent” show will be held from 2-4 p.m. in Hansen Auditorium. Volunteers are also being sought to help with the talent show. The Kansas State Fair, which runs Sept. 11-20, also offers a $40 Senior Pack for any day that includes two admission tickets, $20
in food tickets, two railroad tickets and two round-trip Skyrides (a $61 total value). Limited qualities are available through Sept. 10 at KansasStateFair. gov or by calling the fair ticket office at (620) 669-3618. The Senior Pack costs $45 if ordered by phone. Sept. 15 AmeriCorps Seniors National Celebration This event, part of a nationwide celebration of RSVP volunteers, will be held from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the new
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Park City Senior Center. Oct. 1 – Nov. 10 Socks for Vets This year’s sock drive will benefit Passageways, a nonprofit that serves veterans. Donations may be dropped off at 271 N. Third St. N., Suite 500, in Wichita. Dec. 11, 2026 RSVP Christmas Party More details of this will be shared in the future.
September 2026
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200 S Walnut St Wichita, KS 67213 (316) 267-0302 Thank you to the incredible volunteers who make Meals on Wheels possible. Each time you deliver a meal, you provide more than nutritious food; you bring a friendly face, a caring connection, and a vital safety check to homebound, isolated seniors in Wichita. Your kindness and dedication help our seniors feel valued, remembered, and connected to their community. Thank you for being the heart of Meals on Wheels! And thank you to the dedicated volunteers who make our Senior Centers vibrant, welcoming places for older adults in our community. Your time and commitment help create opportunities for connection, friendship, learning, and fun. We couldn’t do it without you! To learn more about volunteering with Senior Services of Wichita, visit our website: https://seniorservicesofwichita.org/volunteer/
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September 2026
All the garlic salad, all the time By Joe Stumpe Every time I think I’ve seen the last of garlic salad, it raises its uniquely Wichita-flavored head. During my tenure as the Wichita Eagle’s food editor (2000-2009), I received more requests for the garlic salad recipe from Doc’s Steakhouse on North Broadway than any other local dish. But Doc’s closed for good more than a decade ago, and its heyday actually occurred back in the 1950s, ’60s and ’70s. Garlic salad seemed more like a relic of the past than something people were interested in eating today. Then early this year, I met Jed Portman. He’s a Kansas City-based food writer who’d become intrigued by garlic salad during visits here. In preparing an article about garlic salad for the Washington Post, Jed was coming to town and wanted to talk since I’d once described the stuff as Wichita’s signature dish. I wasn’t sure any place except NuWay burger shops still served it. However, Jed had done some research and found it’s also available at Spear’s Restaurant & Pie Shop, B&C Barbeque, Leeker’s Family Foods in Park City and Haysville and the Oasis Lounge. We met at the Oasis,
Wichita’s signature dish gets national exposure
conveniently located around the corner from our office on West Street. The Oasis garlic salad was fine — a typical green salad with a garlicky dressing — but nothing like the one or two experiences I remembered from Doc’s; that version was dense and so rich with mayonnaise that it was usually eaten as a dip, with crackers. And, oh yeah, it packed a potent dose of garlic powder. Jed and I had a great talk, then he set off to sample the city’s other garlic salads. I was impressed by his thoroughness and concerned about his fat gram intake over the next 24 hours. About the same time as Jed’s visit, I happened to include garlic salad in a cooking class I was leading at Mark Arts called “Iconic Eats of Wichita.” I’d been given the recipe by Suzy Hill, daughter of Ken Hill, owner of a post-World War II supper club in north Wichita. Suzy believed it was the precursor of the one made famous by Doc’s. People in the class happily devoured it, but one participant, Peggy Foster, said she had a garlic salad recipe that was even better and that had been given to her older sister by an employee of Doc’s. When Peggy emailed me the recipe, I was surprised to see that it was
based on celery rather than lettuce or cabbage, as is typical. But having made it for dinner guests recently, I think it might be the best version I’ve tasted yet. The preparation was easy and the crunchy texture amazing. Only one person thought it was too garlicky. (But that’s the point!) Jed’s article in the Washington Post appeared in May and I thought
Ken’s Klub Garlic Salad
1 cup Hellmann’s mayonnaise 1–2 teaspoons McCormick garlic salt 2 tablespoons tomato juice 1 head lettuce 1 cup grated carrot and radish Garnish: sprig parsley, radish roses, paprika Crackers (Club or Ritz are recommended) Directions: Mix mayonnaise, garlic salt and tomato juice. Refrigerate. Remove outer leaves and core from head of lettuce (Outer leaves can be washed, drained and used to line salad plate or bowl). Chop remaining lettuce finely to fill 6 cups. Line a colander with paper towels, place lettuce in colander and top with more paper towels. Press down on lettuce to extract moisture. Remove lettuce from colander and place in plastic bag lined with more paper towels. Refrigerate several hours. Grate carrot and radish and pat dry. Refrigerate. Just before serving, toss chopped vegetables with dressing. Mound salad in bowl or plate and garnish with parsley, radish rose and paprika. Serve with crackers.
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he got it just right. He concluded that garlic salad is worthy of national attention but doesn’t get it. He told me later that he hadn’t received much response to the article. Apparently, it’s just our thing. I won’t write it off again.
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September 2026
Washington Post Garlic Salad
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Note: Jed Portman apparently developed this recipe from several versions of garlic salad he sampled in Wichita. I haven’t made it yet, but it appears to call for a little less mayonnaise than many recipes and healthy doses of garlic powder and garlic salt. 1 cup mayonnaise 1 tablespoon garlic powder 1 teaspoon garlic salt ½ small head green cabbage (12 oz. total), finely chopped into confetti-like pieces (about 3 cups) ½ large head iceberg lettuce (12 oz. total), finely chopped into confetti-like pieces (about 3 cups) 2 stalks celery (3 ½ oz.), coarsely grated 1 medium carrot (2 oz.), scrubbed and coarsely grated Crackers, such as Club crackers, for serving Directions: In a medium bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, garlic power and garlic salt until smooth. Cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes. Transfer cabbage, lettuce, celery and carrot to a large bowl and thoroughly blot with towels to remove as much moisture as possible. Toss to combine, then add chilled garlic mayonnaise and gently stir until greens are evenly coated. Transfer salad to an airtight container, cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours. Before serving, stir to redistribute the dressing. Serve in a large bowl with crackers for scooping. Source: Reprinted from The Washington Post
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Crunchy Celery Garlic Salad
Note: I thought chopping the celery in a blender with a little water sounded messy, but it actually worked well. Peg Foster, who provided the recipe, said this step can also be done in a food processor or chopper. 4 stalks celery, including tops, roughly chopped 1 carrot, peeled and shredded About 1/3 cup mayonnaise ¼ teaspoon garlic powder ¼ teaspoon garlic salt Ritz or Club crackers, for serving Directions: Place celery in a blender with about ¼ cup of water. Grind it finely. Drain in a colander, then wrap celery in paper towels or a tea towel and squeeze to remove remaining water. Combine celery with remaining ingredients and refrigerate until ready to serve. Source: Adapted from a recipe provided by Peg Foster.
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Thursday, Sept. 17 10:30 - 11:30 am 1655 S. Georgetown St. Wichita, KS 67218
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Upcoming Events
Find your
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Bluestem U courses scheduled NORTH NEWTON – Registration is open for a new semester of Bluestem U courses, the lifelong learning program of Bluestem Communities. Three six-week courses are offered: • “Chemistry 101: The Everyday Chemistry In and Around Us” taught by Jim Yoder, professor emeritus of Hesston College. • “Suing for Peace: A Guide to Resolving Life’s Conflicts,” teamtaught by experts in conflict resolution. • “Buggies, Bonnets and Boundaries: A study of Amish faith, life and culture,” taught by John Sharp, who taught history and Bible at
Prost! Join Us for an Oktoberfest Celebration Lunch
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15TH AT 11:00 A.M. Join us for good food, good company, and good old-fashioned fun. Enjoy German food, authentic German beer and live music.
If you’ve been thinking about what’s next, now’s the time to see it in person. Join us at Larksfield Place for a festive Oktoberfest lunch and discover what makes our community such a dynamic place to live well. See how The Four Pillars of Healthy Longevity — Physical Vitality, Social Engagement, Intellectual Journey, and Peace & Fulfillment — shape everyday life across the community.
Seating is limited, reservations are required. Scan the QR code or call 316-202-4074. larksfield.org • 7373 E. 29th St. North
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September 2026 Hesston College. The courses cost $50 each. For more information about classes, schedules and locations, visit bluestemu.org or call (316) 8364846. Heritage Square concerts set The Wichita-Sedgwick County Historical Museum will host free daytime concerts each Wednesday and one Saturday in September in Heritage Square, located behind the museum. The schedule is: Sept. 2: The Wonderers (vintage rock ’n roll) Sept. 9: Mariachi Jalisco (mariachi) Sept. 16: Intrepid Brass Band (showtunes) See next page
September 2026 Sept. 19: Grandpa Snazzy (oldtimey string sand) Sept. 23: The House Band (rhythm & blues) Sept. 30: Dear Friends (bluegrass, country, rock and folk) The hour-long shows start at noon except for the Sept. 19 concert, which begins at 2 p.m. Maple Grove tours offered Frank Lloyd Wright’s Allen House is hosting fall tours of historic Maple Grove Cemetery, highlighting stories of Wichita pioneers and others buried there. The tours start at 1 p.m., last about 1 1/2 hours and cost $22 per person. Tickets can be purchased online at flwrightwichita.org or by calling (316) 687-1027. Tours will be held Sunday, Oct. 11; Saturday, Oct. 17; Sunday, Oct. 18; Sunday, Oct. 25; Saturday, Oct. 31; and Sunday, Nov 1, which is a special tribute to veterans buried at Maple
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Grove. The cemetery is located at 1000 N. Hillside St. Proceeds benefit the nonprofit Allen House in College Hill, the only Frank Lloyd Wright-designed house in Kansas. Learn to square dance The Village Steppers club is offering square dance lessons for the next several months in addition to holding its regular dances. Starting Sept. 22 and continuing into early December, the lessons will be held every Tuesday and Thursday from 7-8:30 p.m. in the Oaklawn Elementary School, 5000 S. Clifton. The lessons cost a total of $25 per person, which also gets participants entry to the club’s regular dances. Those dances are held at 7:30 p.m. on the second and fourth Saturday of each month, starting Sept. 12 and ending in May at the Oaklawn Activity Center, 4904 S. Clifton. See next page
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Mike Huddleson, an instructor and the club’s “caller,” said the Village Steppers are one of many clubs in the area and that many start lessons in September. For a complete list of the clubs and their contact information, visit kansassquaredance.com. For more information about the Village Steppers, contact Huddleson at (316) 524-0997.
September 2026
Music Club shows announced The Thursday Afternoon Music Club has released its 2026 schedule of free concerts, including: Sept. 10: Courtney Long, WSU saxophone professor Oct. 8: Rob Tierney, Friends University trombone professor Nov. 12: Sylvia Coats and Judith Fear, TAMG member pianists All performances are held at Central Community Chapel, 6100 W. Maple, and start at 1:30 p.m. NEW TO SOUTHWEST — The city of Wichita last month opened a new fitness court at Osage Park, 2121 W. 31st St. Free to use, the court lets users leverage their body weight on seven exercise stations.
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September 2026
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Sedgwick County Senior Centers BEL AIRE 7651 E Central Park Ave 744-2700, ext 304 www.belaireks.org BENTLEY/EAGLE 504 W Sterling, 796-0027 CHENEY 516 Main, 542-3721
KECHI Kechi City Building, 744-0217, 744-1271 LA FAMILIA 841 W 21st, 267-1700 LINWOOD 1901 S Kansas, 263-3703 MCADAMS GOLDEN AGE 1329 E 16th, 337-9222
CLEARWATER 921 E Janet, 584-2332 DERBY 1315 S Rock Rd, 788-0223 www.derbyks.com DOWNTOWN 200 S Walnut, 267-0197 www.seniorservicesofwichita.org
MT HOPE 105 S Ohio, 667-8956
GODDARD 122 N Main, 785-398-1255 HAYSVILLE 160 E Karla, 529-5903
DOUGLASS 124 W 4th, 746-3227 EL DORADO 210 E 2nd, 321-0142
OAKLAWN 2937 Oa klawn Dr, 524-7545
TOWANDA 317 Main, 316-536-8999 Open 10:30 am-5 pm Mon, Wed, Fri
ORCHARD PARK 4808 W 9th, 942-2293
WHITEWATER Legion Hall, 108 E Topeka
PARK CITY 1811 Stuart Dr, 744-1199
Harvey County BURRTON 124 N Burrton, 620-463-3225 HALSTEAD 523 Poplar, 835-2283
Sept 23 10 am Wichita-Sedgwick County Historical Museum, 204 S. Main. Before the Hillcrest in College Hill by Mike Maxton 1:30 pm Mid American All-Indian Museum. 650 N Seneca (316) 3503340, $2 + tax admission; free for MAAIM members. Info not available. Sept 30 10am The Kansas African American Museum, 601 N Water. $3. “Children of the Promised Land,” a presentation and discussion by Angela Bates 1:30 pm Old Cowtown Museum. 1865 Museum Blvd $2 + tax; bers. Info unavailable.
Dances El Dorado Live Music & Dancing, Senior Center, 210 E. 2nd. 4th Friday of the month at 6:30 pm. $5 entry fee. Linwood Golden Age, 1901 S Kansas. Every Saturday 7pm-9:30pm. Call Jim 316-945-9451 Minisa Golden Age, 704 W 13th. Info 617-2560. Every Thursday 7pm9:30pm. Call Rita 316-364-1702 Oaklawn Activity Center, 4904 S. Clifton. Contra Dance1st Saturday of each month. 7pm-9pm. Call Amanda at 316-361-6863. Orchard Park Golden Age, 4808 W 9th. Every Friday 7pm-9:30pm. Call Casey 316-706-7464 Prairie Wind Dancers: Plymouth
BENTON Lion’s Community Bldg, S Main St
ROSE HILL 207 E Silknitter, 776-0170
www.seniorwednesday.org
Sept 16 10 am Ulrich Museum of Art, 1845 Fairmount St. Bare It All | Curator Conversation with Vivian Zavataro
AUGUSTA 640 Osage, 775-1189
NORTHEAST 2121 E 21st, 269-4444
Senior Wednesdays
Sept 9 10 am Sedgwick County Zoo, 5555 Zoo Blvd. (316) 2668213, $4 Medical Mammals 1:30 pm Advanced Learning Library, 711 W, 2nd, (316) 261-8500, Free. Film Restoration with Shawn Rhodes
ANDOVER 410 Lioba Dr, 733-4441 www.andoverks.com
LEON 112 S Main, 745-9200 or 742-9905
VALLY CENTER COMMUNITY CENTER 314 E Clay, 755-7350
Sept 2 10:30 am Wichita Art Museum 1400 W. Museum Blvd., $2 admission. Sketching in the Galleries 1:30 pm Museum of World Treasures 835 E. 1st St. Freemasonry and Fraternity in the French Colonial Empire
Butler County Senior Centers
MULVANE 632 E Mulvane, 777-4813
EDGEMOOR 5815 E 9th, 688-9392 GARDEN PLAIN 1006 N Main, 535-1155
Page 19
Congregational Church, 202 N Clifton. Joyce, 683-1122. Village Steppers Square Dance, Oaklawn Activity Center, 4904 S Clifton. 2nd and 4th Saturday of each month September through May 7:30 - 10:00 pm. Info: Mike Huddleson 316-650-2469 Westside Steppers Square Dance, 1st and 3rd Sunday of each month, 6-8:30 p.m., West Heights United Methodist (entrance "D"), 745 N. Westlink Ave. Info: Sheldon Lawrence (316) 648-7590.
HESSTON Randall & Main, 620-327-5099 www.hesstonseniorcenter.com NEWTON AREA SENIOR CENTER 122 E 6th, Newton, 283-2222 www.newtonseniorcenter.com SEDGWICK 107 W. Fifth, 772-0393
Transportation
Sedgwick County Sedgwick Co Transportation, 6605150 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, 3224321; toll free, 1-800-279-3655. 48-hr notice required.
Harvey County Transportation reservations or information: 316-284-6802 or 1-866680-6802. Round-trip: $8 Newton (wheelchair only), $12 Harvey County, $20 outside Harvey County. AVI to Newton: Tue, 12:30-4:30 pm from Burrton, Sedgwick, Halstead, Hesston, Walton.
www.theactiveage.com
Community Meals
Here are the menus that will be used for Meals on Wheels and congregate meal sites at Huston, Linwood, Orchard Park, Northeast, Sheridan Village, Maple Gardens, Oaklawn and La Familia. WEEK OF SEPT 1 Tue: Honey Garlic Pork chop, sweet potato casserole, mixed vegetables, whole wheat roll, mandarian oranges Wed: All beef hotdog on wheat bun, macaroni & cheese, vegetable medley, applesauce Thu: Chicken fajita w/ fajita blend vegetables, corn tortilla, corn & black beans, apricots Fri: Shrimp & spinach tortellini w/ garlic parmesan sauce, whole grain roll, blackberry cobbler, tossed salad w/ variety dressing WEEK OF SEPT 7 Mon: CLOSED FOR LABOR DAY Tue: Blackened fish, southwest hominy, steamed broccoli, whole wheat roll, pears Wed:Biscuits & sausage gravy, mini veggie quiche, hash browns, fruited yogurt Thu: sloppy joe sliders, potato wedges, mixed vegetables, watermelon, craisins Fri: COLD- Chicken salad w/ lettuce on whole wheat bun, carrot raisin salad, diced mangos, wheat crackers WEEK OF SEPT 14 Mon: Chicken Enchilada w/ sour cream sauce, spanish rice, refried beans, mandarin oranges Tue: Sweet & sour pork, stir fry rice & steamed vegetables, spring roll, cherry cobbler Wed: Crab cakes, quinoa pilaf, succotash, whole grain roll, mixed fruit Thu: Sliced Turkey w/ dressing, peas w/ pearl onions, whole wheat roll, strawberry applesauce Fri: beef philly steak and cheese on wheat bun, Normandy vegetables, blueberry pie WEEK OF SEPT 21 Mon: Salisbury steak w/ mushroom & onions, butter noodles, brussel sprouts, whole wheat roll, peaches Tue: Rosemary chicken, scalloped potatoes, buttered corn, whole wheat roll, banana pudding Wed: BBQ pork riblet, twice baked potatoes, mixed vegetables, cornbread, tropical fruit Thu: Potato crusted pollock, garden blend rice, green beans w/ almonds, whole wheat roll, pineapple Fri: Turkey pot pie, peas & carrots, warm fruit, compote WEEK OF SEPT 28 Mon: COLD- Honey Ham & cheese on croissant, carrot raisin salad, papaya/ mango blend Tue: cheeseburger on whole wheat bun, curly fries, BBQ baked beans, mixed fruit Wed: Chicken fettuccini alfredo, broccoli, whole wheat roll, spiced apples * Milk or grape juice is served with all meals. Meals fall within the following ranges: Calories 650-750; protein 25 grams or higher; fat 20 to 30 percent of calories; calcium 400 mg or higher; sodium 1,000 grams or less; fiber 9 grams or higher. FUNDING MADE POSSIBLE THROUGH THE OLDER AMERICANS ACT, KDADS AND CENTRAL PLAINS AREA AGENCY ON AGING
Page 20
the active age
September 2026
Classified Advertising
F ACCREDITED HANDYMAN F
Elite Custom Construction L.L.C Handyman Services
BIG TO SMALL WE DO IT ALL Licecnsed & Insured
316-323-3290 F CEMETERY PROPERTY- FOR SALE F Lakeview Cemetery Garden of Memory. 6 plots: 2 spaces in Lot 60 adjoining 4 spaces in Lot 80. One companion marker with vase and 3 vaults. Valued @ $36k+ will sell for $22k OBO. Contact Nathan Howard at ndh74@icloud.com or 704-519-9552 Lakeview Meditation Garden two adjoining plots. $4,000. Seller pays transfer fee. 860-481-5921 Lakeview Cemetery in Garden of Meditation. Lot 157 spaces 5&6. Retail value $4,595. Will sell for $3,000 OBO. Seller pays transfer fee. 620-615-1647 Double depth plot w/ 2 opening/closing at White Chapel Lot 3D Space 1 and 1 companion marker. Present value $7,200 will sell for $4,000. Seller pays transfer fee. Cashier check or certified check only. Call 316-259-4741 Single plot located in the Garden of Prayer, Lot 137 D space 4. This is a plot only. Asking $3,900. Single plot located in the Garden of Prayer. Lot 62C space 3. Plot includes a vault (Delphi Airseal). Asking $4,900. Call 316-871-8850 4 plots White Chapel cemetery located in Good Shepherd Section. Lot 91a spaces 1,2,3&4. $3,000 each. Can sell separately. Buyer pays transfer fee of $499. 316-640-0480. Rare opportunity! Four adjacent burial plots in Lakeview Cemetery’s Garden of Meditation, Lot 251-A. $4,500 each. Call Donnie 816-273-3393. TWO plots in Lakeview Cemetery for $6,000, no transfer fee. Easy to find near private road and Good Shepherd and Lambs Statue. Contact kebarrier@msn.com @msn.com, 316-619-7836 Wichita Park, Old Mission In Lake View Cemetery. 3 plots side by side, valued at $15, 600 selling for $11,000. Accepting Offers. Lot #170 space 4 and lot #133 space 1&2. For inquiries call 325-6602312, leave a message, or email zickefooseb@ acu.edu Resthaven Garden of Freedom, Military section,double lawn vault, two openings/closings, granite base/installation, $10,000 OBO 209-507-1174, Curt.
F CERTIFIED SPECIALISTS F
F FOR SALE CONTF
Mom Can't Stay Home Alone? Senior Transition Specialists We'll help you understand care options, costs, and what to do with the house. 316-644-1984
Mary’s Retirement Home -FOR SALE Previously Home Plus. 4 bedrooms, 2.5 baths. 3,100 square feet. Oversized lot w/ Guest house. 316-390-9526.
F CLASS REUNIONF
Electric Chair with new battery and charger. Model "Jazzy Select". Cost new $3500.00, yours for $600.00. Call at 316-734-7865.
60 YEAR REUNION Redskins of 1966
GE dishwasher $125.00, 200 variety new & used CD $150.00. Lv msg 714-809-4141
For further information about registration go to www.north1966.org
Golden brand power lift recliner hair. 3 yrs old. Excellent condition. Paid $4,000 asking $1,500. Must pick up. 316-259-4918. Leave message
Dates: October 2nd & 3rd 2026
Facebook: info only: Wichita North High School Class of 66 Contact info: Cheryle Staats Olson 316-250-5936 Email: clo1998@cox.net
F COMPUTER SPECIALISTF
Mobility Elite Travelers Scooter. Can travel many terrains $900. Used only 3 times, stairlife, like new, $1000. Assorted new bath chairs and other mobility items. Call or text Trudy 316-393-5304
F DECKS & RAMPS F
F GARAGE SALES F
Handicap Ramps and Decks Showers and Storage Sheds Lots of references and pictures Free Estimate
Dennis Suitor 918-902-0742 Verified Lyft driver, conscierge courier, personal conscierge, dog walker/pet sitter. Clean record, insured. Former Wichita teacher, native Kansan. 316-461-9432
F ELECTRICAL F
F HAIR STYLINGF Hair Solutions by Sherry Perms * Cuts * Colors Men, Woman & Children 1 person Salon Rich autumn tones for a new season! Call for an appointment Sherry Brown 316-207-1760
Alpha Electric Dependable Electrical Service Call Greg at 316-312-1575 Insured, Lic. #1303
F FENCINGF FENCE BUILDING AND REPAIR - Wooden Privacy Fences - Rod Iron Fences - Chain-Link Fences -Dirt Work - Commercial / Residential
316-821-6341
F FOOT CARE F FOOT CARE IN YOUR HOME
2 spaces at Resthaven in Garden of the Cross. Retail $6,000 each. Asking $8,400 for both. Call or text 316-573-3006
$40: In-home, Sedgwick & surrounding counties Diabetic, thick toe nails, ingrown & callous care
• 316-312-2025 •
Benjamin Jones ~ CNAICR
• 316-932-8524•
F FOR RENT F ROOM for RENT Quiet Bel-Aire cul-de-sac. $500 a month . Single woman, non-smoker. No Pets. No cat allergies. Not handicap accessible. Includes utilities, Internet, and use of kitchen and laundry room Ruth 316-992-6988
F FOR SALEF Elderly or mobility challenged security pole with grab bar, floor to ceiling. Safely prevent falls and can be for transfers to/from chair, bed, bathroom anywhere. Easy to install, Like new. One graphite and one bronze. $80 each. 316-652-9943
F HAULING SERVICES F This month $25 off any junk removal job of $150 or more
Josh 316-350-9775 • Estate, Garage & Attic Cleanouts • Furniture & Appliance Removal • Donation Pickup & Dropoff • Brush / Yard Debris Removal
F HOME CARE F Private Duty Aide with light house keeping. Availability evenings and weekends. References upon request. Cynthia CNA/HHA 316-992-6711 PRIVATE DUTY AIDE: Are you looking for someone to take care of your loved one in your home. If so look no further ! 30 yrs of Exp. CNA, CMA, HHA, Companionship Light housekeeping, meal prep, activites of daily living, assist transportation, to appointments, specialized care w/ dementia, Alzheimer's patients. Hospice care. Palliative Care. Available Mon-Fri morning/evening shifts. Excellent refrences. Kimberly 316-409-7837
F HOME IMPROVEMENTS F
F DOMESTIC HELP F
Cheryl Rosine ~ The Foot Lady ICMT RN
Deadline for the Oct paper is Sept 15
5ftx8ft lawn trailer asking $800. Heavy duty 21in Toro lawn mower, used 2-3 times, asking $1,700. Heavy duty 32 in Toro lawn mower asking $400. 316-7089203 or 316-684-0419.
Hate calling random people or family about your computer and cell phone issues? Call Crista with abcd TECH instead! Call or text today 316.768.7832
CEMETERY NICHE Oversized (20x19x9") double cremation niche at Lakeview Cemetery. Glass, prime corner location. $9,000 plus transfer fees. Andrew: 316-516-2232.
Resthaven Garden of Sermon on the Mount. Lot 98A, spaces 3&4. $2,500 each. Seller pays transfer fee. 316-833-2855
Place an ad: 942-5385
F HANDYMAN SERVICES F
Dave’s Improvements General Contractor Lic #7904 Roofing, Siding, Gutters, Storm damage repair, Senior Discount. 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 miscellaneous,hauling dirt, sand, and rock/gravel upto 3.5 tons. What you need done I can probably handle. Call for HELP! Brian 316-217-0882. Free Estimates
HANDYMAN LIGHT I can take care of your light honey do list Reliable - Reasonable - Honest Call Jeff 316-734-4233
Cowboy Construction Remodeling, siding, decks, fences, windows, doors and more. 20 years locally owned. Free estimates. Senior discounts. Todd Wenzel 316-393-4488
PITTMAN'S HANDYMAN SERVICES, LLC • Interior/Exterior Painting • Room Additions • Basement Finishing • Kitchen & Bathrooms • Siding & Sheetrock • Hauling & Clean Up • Gutter Cleaning • Flood & Fire Damage • Repairs • Lawn Service • Plumbing • Electrical No Job Too Big or Small... WE DO THEM ALL! Call 316-409-7341
ALL AMERICAN CONSTRUCTION & RENOVATION • New Construction • Room Additions • Basement Finishing • Kitchen & Bathrooms • Siding & Sheetrock • Int/Ext Painting • Gutter Cleaning • Flood & Fire Damage Licensed & Insured We do all types of renovations Call 316-409-7341
Professional Handyman 20+ yrs. experience High Quality Work, Reasonable Rates, Dependable Landlord make-ready’s Painting * Sheetrock Repair * Trim work/ Woodwork Spring Clean-up Free Estimates - Insured Call Kevin 316-807-7271
Alpine Hauling and Junk removal Free Estimates
Serving Wichita and surrounding area
Call Dan 316-516-3949
www.theactiveage.com
HANDYMAN SERVICES 20+YEARS EXPERIENCE Reliable • Affordable •Experienced Over 20 years of trusted service in home repairs, maintenance, and improvements. Carpentry • Plumbing • Electrical Drywall • Painting • Assembly & More No job too small Satisfaction quaranteed! Call Andy at (316)833-1820 Free Estimates! Derby, Haysville, Mulvane, Rose Hill, Wichita. Exterior & Interior. House painting, siding, decks, and fences. Build, repair and stain ramps. Free Estimates. Be Blessed. Thank you. KC KIMBALL 316-250-2265
September 2026
the active age
Page 21
Classified Advertising
F HOME IMPROVEMENTS CONT F
F HOME IMPROVEMENTS CONT F
JD’s Handyman Services 25+ Years’ Experience Home Repairs Done Right Plumbing, Carpentry, Electrical Tv Mounting, Lock Changes Assembly Services Give me a call! 316-768-7080 FREE Estimates
- Water Heater Replacement - Water Service - Sewer Replacement -
MOBILE GLASS REPAIR Windows * Patio * Doors Windows won’t stay up, Crank Outs, Patio Rollers and Lock Latches, Morris Glass & Service, 316-946-0745 Tired Of Looking At An Ugly Driveway? Let us clean it, caulk in the gaps then spray it with waterproofing to preserve it. Free estimate! Call or text Driveway Restorations 316-516-3949 Home Improvement 20+ yrs. experience with total home makeovers. Master Quality Work Rental make-readies Reasonable labor rates for high quality work Free Estimates - Insured Call Kevin 316-807-7271 Hauling Handyman Trim * Cut * Remove Minor Fence & Deck Repairs NO JOB TO SMALL!! 316-807-4989
BRICK & STONE WORK OF ANY KIND Tuck-pointing, foundation & chimney repair. Insured. Free Estimates.
CALL DAN 316-516-3949
Ballard Plumbing ALL PLUMBING REPAIRS • •
FREE estimates Senior Discounts
Licensed & Insured Veteran Owned - Family Operated
Call Brad at 316-260-0136 www.BallardPHC.com
ALWAYS PLUMBING Residential Repairs
Call Phil 316-641-8741 Licensed & Insured
R FO ! K S SH JO
A
CRISPY CLE N
316-391-0597 HOUSEKEEPING OR NI NTS RESIDENTIAL E S COMMERCIAL OU SC INDOOR/OUTDOOR DI POST REMODEL MOVE IN/OUT GARAGE/SHED AND MORE
CALL FOR A FREE ESTIMATE
JS Guttering & Construction 5"-6" SEAMLESS GUTTER WHOLE HOUSE PAINTING SIDING & WINDOWS
Call Josh for an estimate
316-393-8921
F HOME IMPROVEMENTS CONT F
F LAWN AND GARDEN CONTF
PLUMBCO
Priced Right
Compare Our Prices Weekly Plumbing Specials
Ins/Lic #5803 316-942-1967
Lawn & Leaf Residential & Commercial Mowing
Leaf/Lawn Clean Up/Removal All Season, Military, & Senior Discounts - Licensed & Insured
(316) 258-6954
Tony Rich Landscaping
Mention this ad for $50 off Water Heater replacement
Landscape, Lawn Clean-Up, Tree Work, Gutters Cleaned, Dirt Work, Positive Drainage, Topsoil & Mulch Delivery
Nelsen Contracting General Contractor
Residential and Commercial
316-990-6897
Honesty, Quality, Integrity are Key! Maintenance / Remodel / New Build
Tony Gonzales
Free Initial Consultation
316-665-1644
• Grass Cutting • Edging/Trimming • Tree Trimming • Power Washing
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
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
FENCE BUILDING AND REPAIR - Wooden Privacy Fences - Rod Iron Fences - Chain-Link Fences -Dirt Work - Commercial / Residential
316-821-6341
SENIOR HELPING SENIOR FORSHEE MASONRY- 50 Years
WINTER REPAIRS AVAILABLE Any Brick, Block, Stone Repair Sidewalk Leveling Senior Discount
RICK 316-945-8751
CLEANING AND ORGANIZATIONAL SERVICES
Place an ad: 942-5385
Integrity Landscaping & Construction • Clean Ups/Haul Off • Fences • Power Washing
• Tree Work • Decking • Trimming
F LAWN AND GARDEN F 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 316-631-5984 WWW.JESUSLANDSCAPINGKS.COM Sharp Edges Lawn Care Service • Mowing • Trimming • Edging • Rake Leaves • And MORE Call/Text 316-640-6327 Molina’s Yard Clean up Weekend Residential Services Debris, Brush, Over grown vegetation, Cutting, trimming removal Garden maintenance Extra Services upon request Call Eric - 316-932-4011 Free Estimates Brush, Limbs, Debris, Hauling and Junk Removal. Pick up scrap metal for Free . Free Estimates. Call David at 316-213-8880. Henricks Lawn Care Owner/operator 35 yrs. experience. Lawn /tree & shrub care. Spring & Fall cleanup, gutter cleaning. Brush Cutting. Servicing West Wichita, Goddard, Cheney, Colwich areas. Toby Henricks 316-680-9183
Soto Landscaping Full Lawn Services * Active Aging Larry Massey David Massey * Plants & Flowers 316-210-5370 316-339-5205 * Tree Removal Proof Approval integrityluxurylawns@gmail.com * Weed Control More Please check your ad …and carefully 316-312-2195 or 316-260-0397 Text or Leave aboxes Message and check off the applicable **Anything Home Improvement**
and initialGROWFESSIONAL to indicate GARDENING Yard & Garden Clean Ups And Design yourPlease acceptance call Robert for leaf and garden bed clean up or any other gardening needs. ____ Check offer Also does Interior Painting Robert 316-932-4225 ____ Check name,Call address, phone ____ Check expiration dates ____ Proof Satisfactory Tree Trimming Junk Removal (no changes) Stump Grinding _____________ Advertiser initials Brock Eastman 316.765.1677 You can fax your approval or www.theactiveage.com corrections to us at 946-9180
MOWING
Reasonable Rates 316-779-6607
Youngster Mowing
Starting at $50 weekly/biweekly Yard Services Include: Mowing * Weed Eating * Edging * Air Blowing Non Toxic Weed Treatment
316-296-4250
Integrity Landscaping & Construction • Clean Ups/Haul Off • Fences • Power Washing
• Tree Work • Decking • Trimming
**Anything Home Improvement**
Larry Massey David Massey 316-210-5370 316-339-5205 integrityluxurylawns@gmail.com
F PAINTING F McCoy Painting 316-516-6443 Do you need any interior or exterior painting done? I’m your man. Free estimates, affordable rates. References available.. Tom’s Painting and Drywall Interior/Exterior Paint Fresh coat throughout. Remove old texture, blow back new. Sr. Discount. Licensed and insured Tom 316-258-0467
F ROOFING F
Dave’s Improvements Inc. Preferred Roofing Contractor Lic #7904
**FREE ROOFING INSPECTIONS** Storm Damage Repair • Roofing
• Siding
• Gutters
Senior Discount. 316-312-2177
F SERVICES F
Downsizing / Moving / Fall Cleaning We buy everything from individual items to whole estates. House cleanout service also available. Give us a call to learn more about all the services we provide Bud Palmer Auction 316.838.4141 BudPalmerAuction.com
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the active age
September 2026
Classified Advertising F SERVICES CONTF
HALSIG INSURANCE
Medicare Solutions Veteran Resources LongͲTerm Care Ins. Estate Preservation 316Ͳ207Ͳ2377 Medicaid Assistance
F TREE SERVICE CONTF
F TREE SERVICE CONTF
Bruce’s Tree Service ALL FARM & RURAL AREAS Over 30 years exp. Senior Discounts. Insured. Complete Tree Trimming & Removal Gutter Cleaning and Leaf Rake Trees * Shrubs* Hedgerows * Evergreens Firewood- Snow Removal Call 316-207-8047
• Tree Removal • Leaf Clean Up • Junk Removal • Firewood Delivery • Christmas Lighting Install • Snow Removal 316-990-6897
Mary Halsig, Ind. Agent, Veteran HalsigInsurance.com
STUMP GRINDING TREE TRIMMING Brock 316-765-1677
F TREE SERVICE F
Deadline for the Oct paper is Sept 15
Felipe Tree Service Evergreen trimming. Tree removal. Brush hauling. Splitting. Deadwooding. Free estimates. 12 years experience. 316-807-4419
Place an ad: 942-5385
TREE BOSS • Firewood
Robert Rodriguez Owner/ Operator
• Tree Removal • Trimming • Deadwood • Stump Removal • Gutter Cleaning FREE ESTIMATES
316-806-9592 Licensed & Insured
Switching Settings can simplify smart phones By Jim Miller Dear Savvy Senior, My 79-year-old mom just upgraded from a flip phone to a smartphone, but she’s having trouble figuring it out. Is there a way to make it easier for her to use? --Only Daughter Dear Only, Switching from a flip phone to a smartphone can be a big adjustment. What seems second nature to younger users can feel overwhelming to someone who’s never used a touchscreen. Even though the screen is bigger, the text can still be tiny, the buttons hard to tap, and one accidental touch can open an app or change a setting. Even simple tasks like texting or taking a picture can suddenly feel frustrating. The good news is that smartphones can be surprisingly senior friendly. Both iPhones and Android phones have built-in accessibility features that make them easier to see, hear and navigate. The exact steps vary depending on the phone, but here are some of the most helpful settings to look for. Apple iPhone If your mom has an Apple iPhone, start by opening the Settings app, then tap Display and Brightness. From there, she can make the text larger, turn on bold text, and use Display Zoom to
make icons, buttons and menus bigger. Even these small changes can make the phone much easier to use. Accessibility offers several helpful tools. VoiceOver reads whatever is on the screen aloud, Zoom enlarges small text or photos, and Voice Control lets her open apps or dictate messages simply by speaking. For a simpler home screen, try Assistive Access. It creates a clean layout with large buttons and fewer apps, and you can lock it with a passcode so it won’t accidentally switch back. For someone moving from a flip phone, this can make using the phone much less intimidating. Google Pixel If your mom uses a Google Pixel, open Settings, then Display, and select Display size and text. She can make words, buttons and icons larger and increase color contrast to make everything easier to see. Swipe gestures can be confusing for first-time smartphone users. Switching to the traditional threebutton layout brings back simple on-screen buttons for Home, Back and Recent Apps, making navigation much easier.
F TREE SERVICE CONTF
In Accessibility, TalkBack can read text aloud, Magnification zooms in on parts of the screen, Live Caption adds subtitles automatically, Sound Amplifier makes soft sounds louder, and Voice Access lets her control the phone by speaking. Samsung Galaxy If she has a Samsung Galaxy phone, start by turning on Easy Mode. Open Settings, tap Display, and turn it on. This enlarges text and icons, simplifies the home screen and adds a slight delay to reduce accidental taps. She can also adjust font size, screen zoom and switch navigation from gestures to buttons. Accessibility settings improve contrast, offer captions or hearing aid connections, and let her operate the phone with voice commands. Extra tips Clean up your mom’s home screen by removing apps she doesn’t use and placing her most-used apps — such as Phone, Messages and Photos — on the first screen. Choose a simple wallpaper, turn up the ringtone and alert volume, add favorite contacts for one-touch calling and increase the screen timeout so the display stays on longer. Remember, the goal isn’t to master every feature. Start with the basics
Times are uncertain. Your funeral plans don’t have to be. Call 316-682-4553 for information about pre-planning a funeral. www.dlwichita.com www.theactiveage.com
Ask about our Senior Discount! 316-737-8698 F WANTED F Needing low cost. Truck or Van. Utility Trailer. Mower. Rototiller. 316-807-4989
— answering calls, sending texts and taking photos — and give her plenty of time to practice. A little patience goes a long way. With a few simple adjustments, her smartphone can become a tool she actually enjoys using. Send your questions or comments to questions@savvysenior.org, or to Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070. Get more Savvy For more Savvy Senior tips, visit theactiveage.com.
Memorial and Celebration announcements Memorial and Celebration announcements can be emailed, sent by regular mail or delivered by hand. The email address is tammara@theactiveage.com, and we are located at 125 S. West St., Suite 105, Wichita, KS, 67213. Information should be submitted on or before the 15th of the month preceding publication. The Active Age is published on or before the first of each month. The Active Age will maintain Memorial notices online, organized alphabetically at theactiveage.com. Online Memorials may be longer than the printed version at no extra charge. The price of Memorial and Celebration announcements start at $50 for a 1-inch photo and up to 50 words. More information can be found by calling (316) 9425385 or visiting theactiveage.com.
September 2026
the active age
Page 23
Seniors on the Go calendar for September
By Starla Criser
Seniors On The Go will hold its monthly meeting at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 2 at Linwood Senior Center. Events that SOTG members plan to attend are boldfaced.
SENIOR DAYS/COFFEE CONNECTIONS Sep 10 – Th 10 am – Senior Thursday: @ Kansas Aviation Museum – Free 10 am – Empowered Seniors: The Untold Influences of Pop Culture: Shaping Modern Views on Aging @ Botanica - Free Sep 17 Th 9 am – Coffee with the Curator: The Dockum Drugstore Sit-In @ Museum of World Treasures - Free THEATRE SHOWS/CONCERTS Sep 6 Su 2 pm – One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest @ Wichita Community Theatre - $18 Sep 6 & 12 7 pm - Shakespeare in the Park: The Tempest @ Exploration Place, Wichita Foundation Amphitheater - Free Sep 7 Mo 6 pm – Live from the Whistle Stop – live music, monthly fundraiser @ Bartlett Arboretum, $75 donation Sep 10 to Oct 4 8 pm TFS; 2 pm Su - Million Dollar Quartet @ The Forum Theatre - $45 Sep 11 to Oct 4 2 pm - Office Party @ Kechi Playhouse - $14 (Fri-Sat), $12 (Sun) NOTE: SOTG attending Sep 27 Su Sep 27 Su 7:30 pm – Lady A @ Orpheum - $85.85 $322.10 Oct 4 Su 3 pm - Fate, Fury and Beethoven’s Fifth with Wichita Symphony Orchestra @ Century II Concert Hall – Tickets start at $29 OTHER LECTURES Sep 5 Sa 2 to 4 pm – Curator’s Corner: Wichita’s Earliest First Responders @ Old Cowtown Museum - $15. $5/members Sep 10 Th 6 to 8 pm – Cocktails & Conversations: How to Look at Contemporary Art @ Ulrich Museum of Art - $10 Sep 18 Fr 6 to 8 pm – WAM Night: Armstrong Photography Lecture: David Hornback @ Wichita Art Museum - Free OTHER EVENTS Sep 5 to 6 Kansas Doll Show – classes, contests, shopping, dolly bingo, giveaways, more @ Double Tree by Hilton Hotel Wichita Airport – Tickets at door Sep 5, 12, 19 8 am – Grape Harvest @ Grace Hill Winery, 6310 S Grace Hill Rd, Whitewater, KS - $12 (lunch, wine, sunglasses, more) Sep 8 Tu 6 to 10 pm – All-Center Baseball @ Equity Bank Park - $15 – NOTE: Only the first 20 can go. Sep 10 Th 1 to 3 pm – “TV Dinners & Old TV Shows” @ Linwood Senior Center Sep 10 to 13 8 am to 7 pm - Flora Kansas: Fall Native Plant Days @ Dyck Arboretum, 177 W Hickory, Hesston Sep 11 Fr 6:30 pm – WAM Nights: Dancing Docent in the Galleries @ Wichita Art Museum - Free Sep 11 to 13 Fr 6-9 pm; Sa 10 am to 7 pm; Su 10 am to 5
pm – Autumn Art @ Bradley Fair - Free Sep 12 Sa 9 am – Coffee & Dirt: “Birds of Riverside and the Plants They Love to Eat” with Dr. Nolan, from Hutchinson Community College @ Riverside Community Garden, 802 Amidon - Free 1 to 4 pm – Empty Bowls Wichita: Community Build-a-Bowl & Paint-a-Bowl @ WSU Henrion Hall – limited to 100 participants 2 to 9 pm – Wichita KS Intertribal Warrior Society Powwow @ Old Cowtown Museum Free 6 pm to midnight – Zoobilee @ Sedgwick County Zoo - $175 (early bird tickets) Sep 17 to 18 Th/Fr 8 am to 3:30 pm daily – 2026 Downtown Garage Sale @ Downtown Senior Center Sep 18 – 19 Fr/Sa 10 am – Kustomville USA Car Show – cars, music, painting, pinstriping @ The Cotillion – Tickets at gate Sep 19 Sa 12 pm – Local Author Meet/Greet: Haley Helm @ Derby Library - Free 2 to 4 pm – Farm Encounters: 19th Century Machinery and Tools @ Old Cowtown Museum - $5/members; $15/nonmembers Sep 22 Tu 2 to 4 pm – All-Center Birthday Bash @ Downtown Senior Center 6 to 7:30 pm – Artist Workshop: Introduction to the Art of Storytelling with Kate Compton @ Polk/Wilson Gallery, Ulrich Museum of Art, WSU Sep 25 Fr 1 to 3 pm – The Orchard Art Gala @ Orchard Park Senior Center 6 to 10 pm – Drone Show @ Exploration Place with Linwood Senior Center 6 to 8 pm – WAM Nights: Drop-In Artmaking and Music by David Lord @ Wichita Art Museum - Free Sep 25 to 27 Various times - Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Greatest Show on Earth @ Intrust Bank Arena - $31-$124 Sep 26 Sa 12 pm – Wagonmasters Downtown Chili Cookoff 2026 @ Douglas Ave - $5 1 to 3 pm – Powwow 101 – celebration and interactive workshop to understand powwow traditions and etiquette @ Mid-America AllIndian Museum 2 to 4 pm – Houseplants Galore: Info & Swap @ Westlink Branch Library Oct 3 Sa 10 am to 4 pm – Kansas Humane Society’s Woofstock @ Sedgwick County Park - $15 12 pm – Local Author Meet/Greet: B.P. Lindsey @ Derby Library – Free FOODIES/EATING WITH FRIENDS Sept 4 Fr 9:30 am – First Friday Coffee with Downtown Senior Center @ Crispy Donut, 460 N West St Sep 9 We 11 am – Linny Llama’s & Romeos with Linwood Senior Center @ Teppanyaki Grill & Sushi Buffet, 6701 W Kellog Dr Sep 10 Th 9 to 10:30 am – Egg-Cellent Breakfast Club with Orchard Park @ Huddle House, 1735 W 21st St #200 Sep 15 Tu 10:30 – Coffee Chat @ Orchard Park Sep 16 We 1 to 2:30 pm – Free Pie Day with Orchard Park @ Village Inn, 7020 W Central Ave Sep 21 Mo 1 pm – Lunch Bunch Social Club with Downtown Senior Center @ T. J. Burger, 1003 W Douglas Ave Sep 24 Th 11 am to 1 pm – Good Grub Lunch Club with
Orchard Park @ Old Chicago, 2240 N Tyler
FESTIVALS Sep 5 Sa 9 am to 5 pm – Midwest Monarch Fest @ Botanica - $10 senior 10 am – ICT Bee Fest – native plant and pollinator celebration, interact with bumblebees and butterflies, crafts, food, plant sells @ MidAmerica All-Indian Museum - Free Sep 12 Sa 11 am to 3 pm – Tea Fest Wichita – tea tastings, vendors, local artists, workshops @ Naftzger Park - Free 12 to 5 pm - Fiesta Hispana @ Exploration Place, Wichita Foundation Amphitheater – Free Sep 13 Su 11 am to 3 pm – Orie’s Garlic Fest 2026 – vendors, food artisans, garlicky products, more @ Old Town Plaza and area nearby - Free Sep 20 Su 12 to 5 pm – Open Streets ICT @ Douglas Ave from Bluff St to N Glenn Sep 26 Sa 9 am to 4 pm – Kansas Railfest 2026 @ Great Plains Transportation Museum, 700 E Douglas Ave - $10 Sep 26 to 27 Sa/Su 10 am to 6 pm – Fall Great Plains Renaissance Festival @ Sedgwick County Park - $14/day (advance) Oct 3 Sa 11 am to 11 pm – Nomar Fiesta @ Nomar International Market Oct 3 to 4 Sa/Su Sa 3 to 9 pm; Su 9 am to 9 pm – Vietnamese Fall Festival @ All Saint Church, 3205 E Grand St, Wichita – Free BOOK CLUBS Sep 1 Tu
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11 am – First Tuesday Evergreen Book Discussion: The Dutch House by Ann Patchett @ Evergreen Community Center & Library Sep 4 Fr 11:30 am – First Thursday Evergreen Book Discussion: Organizational meeting, no book to discuss @ Evergreen Community Center & Library Sep 8 Tu 11 am – Second Tuesday Prairie Moon Book Club: A Thread of Grace by Mary Doria Russell @ Downtown Senior Center Sep 9 We 1 pm – Rockwell WE ROCK Book Discussion Group: Day the World Came to Twon: 9/11 in Gander, Newfoundland by Jim DeFede @ Rockwell Branch Library Sep 11 Fr 9 to 11 am – Outside the Book Club: Guardians of the Valley: John Muir and the Friendship that Saved Yosemite by Dean King, Samantha Desz @ Great Plains Nature Center Sep 12 Sa 3 pm – MOWT Book Club: A Rome of One’s Own: The Forgotten Women of the Roman Empire by Emma Southon @ Museum of World Treasures - $4/members; $5+tax nonmembers Sep 15 Tu 1 pm – Third Tuesday Book Discussion: Book available for pick up one month before program @ Westlink Branch Library Sep 24 Th 5:30 pm - Book Club: Flight Behavior by Barbara Kingsolver @ Botanica - $10/members; $20/non-members (per session) Sep 28 Mo 1 pm – Rockwell’s Mystery Book Club Discussion: Devouring by James R. Benn @ Rockwell Branch Library
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September 2026
He steered the largest warship the world Reunion brings back memories of life aboard the USS Nimitz
From left: Pat and Greg Perkins attending the USS Nimitz reunion; Greg with Rear Admiral Bryan Compton, the Nimitz's first captain; Greg tries his hand at the ship controls; and his Master Helmsman's hat, which he's had signed by numerous past and present officers. By Greg Perkins I recently attended a reunion of sailors who served aboard the USS Nimitz, once the largest warship in the world. It was the last such reunion before the aircraft carrier is decommissioned next year, and it brought back a shipload of memories. I grew up in the College Hill neighborhood of Wichita, about as far from any ocean as you can get. I attended Catholic schools, played sports and graduated from high school without any real plans beyond reporting for work at the Cessna Aircraft Co. One day, I ran into a former classmate who’d joined the U.S. Navy out of high school. He liked it and had been sent to what sounded to me like exotic places — San Diego and the Great Lakes — for training. At 19, I had not traveled more than one state away from Kansas. I met with a Navy recruiter and told my family I was enlisting. My dad had been a navigator on B-25 bombers during World War II, completing 16 missions after being shot down on his first one. My older brother served in Vietnam, one younger brother became an Army Ranger and another served 25 years in the Air National Guard. At boot camp, I was asked to select an enlisted position. I chose Quartermaster Navigation school. After completing that, I was assigned to a WWII destroyer, the USS Charles R. Ware, in Galveston. It was decommissioned seven months later, and my new orders were to report to the Nimitz pre-commission unit at Norfolk, VA., also the site of
our reunion. The Nimitz was being completed at the nearby Newport News shipyard. Each morning we took a 5 a.m. ferry across the bay to the shipyard to help set up the Nimitz’s navigation department. The Nimitz was more than three football fields long, nearly one field wide and stood 15 stories high. It accommodated 85 to 90 aircraft and just over 6,000 military personnel. At the time of its commissioning in May 1975, it was the world’s largest warship, with a top speed of 30 knots (about 35 miles per hour). In the navy, helmsmen steer the ship in open waters, but only a Master Helmsman steers in restricted waters, such as a shipping channel, and while receiving fuel and supplies from a supply ship (called underway replenishment). I volunteered for extra helmsman duties during the Nimitz’s shakedown cruises and, under the watchful eyes of our chief and assistant navigators, soon qualified as a Master Helmsman. Here I was, a young guy from Kansas who’d never operated a motor boat, row boat or canoe, steering the biggest warship in the world. Over the next two years I steered the Nimitz in and out of foreign and domestic ports, usually anchoring in deep water because of the ship’s size. Some countries required us to anchor 12 miles out because the Nimitz was nuclear powered. I stood watch on the bridge when dignitaries from every country we visited were brought on board and watched thousands of aircraft take off and land in every kind of weather. One dramatic incident stands out.
One morning we were taking on fuel from an oiler about 60 miles south of Cuba when the captain ordered a course change while we remained hooked up to the oiler with fuel hoses and lines. Within minutes the yelling commenced. “You’re going to hit my @#$%^& ship!” our captain screamed over the radio to the other ship’s captain. Our navigator came around the corner shouting, “Sound the collision alarm! Announce emergency breakaway!” The alarm and six loud blasts followed. It became obvious that the refueler was turning much quicker than the Nimitz, sending its bow toward our starboard side. Deck hands uncoupled the fueling hoses, which plunged into the ocean with fuel still pouring out of them. Then I got an order to stop the ship’s swing by holding steady on a course our compass was already moving past. So I did it the only way I knew how, by executing what’s known as a hard right rudder. The navigator appeared again, demanding to know what I was doing. I told him and he left again, presumably to tell the captain. We did not collide with the refueler. The job retrieving the fuel hoses began. The captain appeared, accompanied by the navigator and another officer. He let out a nervous but quiet laugh and said it had been a close call. I continued steering the Nimitz and training other helmsmen until my discharge. I came home and earned a political science degree from Wichita State University while working as
a surgery scrub nurse at St. Francis Hospital. I met Pat, my wife of 44 years, at St. Francis. We have two sons, two daughters-in-law and two grandchildren. I went on to work in contracts at Boeing until retiring. The Nimitz is being used as a training aircraft carrier until it is decommissioned next year. It will take years to remove nuclear materials and equipment before the Navy decides what to do with the structure. Pat and I attended our first Nimitz Association reunion in Biloxi, Miss., in 2019. The guest speaker was Rear Admiral Richard Gaskill, the second captain I served under on the Nimitz. After dinner, I showed him my Master Helmsman recertification certificate and asked him if he recognized the signature approving it. It was his. He died last year. Over four hundred members of the original Nimitz crew attended this summer’s reunion. That included Rear Admiral Bryan Compton, my first captain on the Nimitz. He was warmly greeted by the men he’d commanded and their spouses. Going back on board after all these years, seeing shipmates we’d forgotten and being treated like royalty by the current Nimitz crew was an emotional experience. But for me, the most important moment was being reunited with my captain, now a rear admiral, and him remembering who drove his ship safely for him. Greg Perkins is a resident of Augusta. He can be contacted at gfperkins55@ gmail.com.
"Here I was, a young guy from Kansas who’d never operated a motor boat, row boat or canoe, steering the biggest warship in the world." www.theactiveage.com
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Senior Services, Inc. raises money for Pet Pals program
A Meals on Wheels recipient named Brent can’t say enough good things about the program, which delivers hot meals to homebound residents each weekday. If his pets could talk, they’d probably say the same thing. In 2022, Senior Services, Inc., which operates Meals on Wheels, launched a project called Pet Pals with start-up funds from the national Meals on Wheels America organization and volunteers from the Wichita Animal Action League. The volunteers deliver pet food and supplies to 100 Meals on Wheels recipients each month. “If it wasn’t for Senior Services, I wouldn’t be able to keep my pets,” Brent said. “The flea-and-tick medication is extremely helpful.”
Brent and his dog, Precious, both depend on the Meals on Wheels program.
Because ongoing funding isn’t guaranteed, Senior Services, Inc., must raise money to keep Pet Pals going each year. This year’s fundraiser, called Bow Meow Bingo, will be held on Saturday, Sept. 19, at the Downtown Senior Center, 200 S. Walnut. To learn more or to get tickets, visit: https:// seniorservicesofwichita.org/bowmeow-bingo/. Brent, who suffers from chronic diabetes and other health issues, moved to Wichita to take care of his mother, a pet lover. “When mom died, I had to rehome some of her pets but was able to keep a couple for myself.” He considers his dog, Precious,
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and cats — Little Man, Frick and Frack — more like family than pets. Studies have shown that four-legged companions are crucial to the health and well-being of their owners. Brent is one of 880 people currently receiving Meals on Wheels through Senior Services. “The meals are exceptionally good, especially the roast beef,” he said. “I am grateful Meals on Wheels provides fruit cups and milk. Those items are too expensive for me to buy.” He also appreciates the daily visits from volunteers. “They check on me every day and are wonderful, caring people.”
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September 2026
Kidron’s roots go back 100 years
NORTH NEWTON — Kidron Bethel Village is celebrating a century in the senior care and living industry this summer. What is known today as Kidron Bethel Village began in 1926 as the Bethel Home for the Aged, an auxiliary ministry of the Bethel Deaconess Hospital. The need for such a community had been evident for Kidron Bethel Village residents Linda Koppes nearly two decades. and Vern Bowers spent more than six months Since the hospital’s preparing a presentation on the community’s opening, requests had history. Koppes is a former employee of the steadily grown for both Harvey County Historical Society, and Bowers temporary and long- is a former law enforcement officer and pastor. term care for older adults. In 1977, a group led by John Esau, By the early 1950s, state who today is an independent living regulations for nursing homes became resident at Kidron Bethel Village, more stringent. Bethel Home for the proposed a new type of retirement Aged worked to remain in compliance community. The group pursued a loan with evolving standards and licensure See next page requirements.
SO VEGAS, SO CLOSE See for yourself why GILLEY’S GAMBLING HALL is where Wichita Goes to Win.
PLAYGILLEYS.COM 1500 E. 77th St. N • Park City, KS 67147 www.theactiveage.com 106276_GC-128.indd 1
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from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to develop low-income rental housing here. The name Kidron, Inc., was chosen. The subsidized housing apartments of Kidron, consisting of six four-plexes and 55 apartments in a central building, were completed in 1982. By then, Kidron and the Bethel Home for the Aged were having discussions regarding bringing the operations of both missions under the same organization. The first two independent living duplex units were constructed in 1985. By 1989, plans were in place for eight duplex townhomes and the 36-unit apartment building of Village Heights,and a long-term care unit. Bethel Health Care Center opened Sept. 12, 1991, and 59 residents from Bethel Home for the Aged moved in a single day to the new community.
Today, Kidron Bethel Village is home to more than 350 residents across three levels of care – independent living, assisted living and long-term health care and also serves the wider community through Bluestem Therapy, short-term rehabilitation, the Bluestem Wellness Center and The Local Table restaurant. A longer version of this article originally appeared in The Post, which is published by Bluestem Communities.
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Wichita State University Lifelong Learning Fall 2026 Program
ONLINE CLASSES Free for those ages 60 and above! Registration ends September 9 Explore topics like: - The 1970s & 1980s - American Serial Killers - English Literature - Women in Theatre - Russian History
Learn from new and returning professors! - Francis Connor - David Dahl - Gretchen Eick - Katie Lanning - Brent Mai
- Christin Manning - Jay Price - Tim Relph - Ken Spurgeon
Find us online at wichita.edu/LifelongLearning or call 316-978-3258 www.theactiveage.com
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