Riding high
Floodwaters detour but can't dampen fun on steamboat cruise
By Ted Blankenship
If you’re thinking about a steamboat river cruise, I suggest doing it when the...
Newton store like stepping back in time
By Nancy Carver Singleton
NEWTON —In a world full of change, Newton shoppers have been able to count on one thing: Phil Anderson III will usually be there to...
Wichita’s ‘Coney Island’ featured in new documentary
By Amy Geiszler-Jones
Before there was Joyland, there was Wonderland, Wichita’s first amusement park built on a now long-gone island in the Arkansas River near downtown Wichita.
Cyclist gets ready for the ride of a lifetime
By Jim Mason :
For years, I dreamed about participating in Biking Across Kansas (BAK), an organized, annual group ride that spans our state from the west border...
Aging funds to be cut?
By Joe Stumpe :
The Sedgwick County staff has presented a 2020 budget that would cut spending on aging programs and services by 2.3 percent, from about $10.9 million...
State’s elderly low in food security
Kansas seniors experience food insecurity at a rate greater than the national average, according to a new report.
The report, by an organization called Feeding America, found that across...
Gardening to attract butterflies a sign of Nature Astonishment Syndrome
By Janice Sroufe :
I saw this cartoon on Facebook about Nature Astonishment Syndrome: the process where one by one, plants, soil, fungi, insects and bacteria become amazing to...
From captain to Admiral: Ken Atnip personifies Wichita
By Joe Stumpe :
Ken Atnip used to catch bad guys for a living. But no, those magnificent whiskers he sports weren’t some kind of undercover disguise. Nor did...
May Briefs
Photo by Joe Stumpe
Hundreds of seniors took part in a shredding/food donation event sponsored by AARP at the Sedgwick County Extension Center last month. Here, volunteers Lana Murphy...
Games of the heart
By Joe Stumpe
You could get tired just watching Claire Overstake at a track meet. Her specialty is running – especially sprints and hurdles – but she also throws...
Senior council shifts from advice to advocacy
By Joe Stumpe
A group of seniors charged with advising Sedgwick County commissioners is embracing another role – advocacy. Whether they can persuade the county commission to increase funding...
Book it: Volunteers move, spruce up library
By Teresa Bachman
LEON – What can a handful of senior citizens with a small budget in a tiny town do? They can mobilize a whole community and revitalize...
May Events
Pieces of nature
New York artist and LEGO wizard Sean Kenney brings his nature-inspired collection to Botanica May 10-Sept. 19. Each piece is created from thousands of LEGOs, from...
Ten years later, Wichitan looks back at Tiller’s death
the active age
Dr. George Tiller’s murder shocked Wichita and the world 10 years ago this month, not least of all because the controversial abortion clinic operator was gunned...
Kansas legislative session: Not much good for older adults
By Mitzi McFatrich
TOPEKA – The 2019 Kansas legislative session began with older Kansans facing a number of serious issues. Progress was made on a scarce...
Selling out: 10 tips for a successful garage sale
By Leslie Chaffin
Two sure signs of spring: we get that “itch” to re-organize and garage sale signs start popping up on street corners.
Pick a...
RSVP Volunteers feted for service
Volunteers with the RSVP were honored April 11 at the Sedgwick County Extension Center. Last year the program placed 320 volunteers at 45 different sites in Sedgwick County (including the active age)....
Blazing a trail
African American history mapped across Kansas
By Amy Geiszler-Jones
From stops on the Underground Railroad to the headquarters of abolitionist John Brown, a new history trail...
She leads ‘Wild Women of the Wilderness’
By Joe Stumpe
NEWTON – When Marlis Nickel was growing up, schools didn’t offer much in the way of sports for girls. So she’d jog to school carrying her...
April Briefs
O’Keeffe at WAM
The Wichita Art Museum is staging one of its most anticipated exhibits in years with Georgia O’Keeffe: Art, Image, Style.
O’Keeffe is best...
Back to work: Seniors train for new jobs
By Joe Stumpe
Larry Crosswhite got used to a certain kind of reception as he tried to re-enter the workforce.
“Most people, when I would appear...
Christmas decorations finally coming down . . . and down
By Joe Stumpe
Ragene Moore is one of those people who leave their Christmas decorations up long past the holidays. But in her case, it’s by popular demand. Hundreds...
Something new just what the doctor ordered for our brains
By Leslie Chaffin
Our brains age just as our bodies do. But how they age depends on how we “exercise” them. Whether you’re still working or retired years ago,...
Wichitan named 2019 Ms. Wheelchair Kansas
By Joe Stumpe
The new Ms. Wheelchair Kansas plans to advocate for more than just people with disabilities.
“The policy that I’m trying to develop actually...
Barking up wrong tree just part of a dog’s job
By Ted Blankenship
They say (I don’t know exactly who) that the dog is man’s best friend. If it is a MAN’S friend, it’s not going to be a...
Riveting Rosies
Women helped win war on homefront
By Nancy Carver Singleton
Connie Palacioz worked twice on the storied B-29 Superfortress known as...
Senior funds lag behind
By Joe Stumpe
A Sedgwick County commissioner says more money is needed now for senior-related programs and services, along with a way to make sure that funding grows in...
Mexican melting pot draws US travelers
By Rob Howes
There are places in this world where cultures come together, mix their offerings and create a delicious array of food.
One such locale...
‘Oatmeal Twins’ Laurine and Florine turn 98
the active age
It was snowing that night in 1921 when a doctor rode out to an Oklahoma farmhouse to help a couple expecting their first baby.
The art of architecture
Editor’s note: Ronda Voorhis recently published an art book called "Drawing Wichita", which features 97 pen-and-ink illustrations of historical buildings and beloved sites in Wichita. The book is on sale for $27.99...
Digging into the seedy side of gardening can pay off
By Janice Sroufe
I am a notorious collector of seeds. It’s fascinating that a tiny, dead-looking speck of fiber or rock-like nugget can, with soil, light and water, turn into a huge plant
Little globs of...
New board member for the active age named
Julie Schaar of Valley Center has joined the board of the active age newspaper, bringing with her 23 years experience in health care.
“One of my first jobs was...
Cecil Riney is alive and, well, busy
Courtesy Photo
Cecil Riney and Lisa Hittle, a former colleague at Friends University.
By Joe Stumpe
Music brings generations together
By Joe Stumpe
“Rosy cheeks!”
“I want to see this little baby better!”
“I’m telling you, she’s going to be a drummer!”
When some young children come to make music for residents of the Caritas Nursing Center, they...
A second chance at love
By Amy Houston
There is life after divorce or the death of a longtime spouse. This Valentine’s Day, three couples will celebrate the new partners who helped them find love when they least expected it.
Rick...
‘Farm girl’ looks back on 107 years
By Joe Stumpe
Don’t expect Edna Hall to single out one remarkable day from her remarkably long life.
“My life was all pretty interesting,” Hall, who will turn 107 on Jan. 31, said. “I was a...
Friends U. prof retiring, but not from music
By Joe Stumpe
Lisa Hittle discovered jazz as a seventh grader in Winfield. It wasn’t just the swing and soul of what’s been called America’s only original art form, it was the chance to do...
Byblos’ best bites in new book
Editor’s note: This is an excerpt from “Cooking with Inspiration: Lebanese Cuisine” by Ilham Saad, who owned Byblos, one of Wichita’s most popular Lebanese restaurants, from 1989-2017. The book, which includes 124 recipes, can...
Dale Strattman brings ‘clusters of ideas’ to CityArts
By Mike Dwyer
Ten years ago, in Dale Strattman’s 65th year, CityArts held a retrospective of his black-and-white, silver gelatin print photographs. Since then, several exhibitions of a topical nature – on women, on children,...
Wichita Symphony Orchestra at 75: One fan’s view
By Helen Bullock
A classical violinist playing on stage in bright red shoes? What is this? Oh, yes, it’s the Wichita Symphony Orchestra’s “Wizard of Oz” movie/concert with its story of Dorothy trying to get...
‘Reality-based’ TV renovation shows mostly fantasy
By Ted Blankenship
Watch some of those cable shows where they “flip” houses (no they don’t toss them on their roofs), and you’ll discover that the laundry room is an important part of the modern...
New report examines how nursing homes are performing in region
The active age
Kansas Advocates for Better Care has released its annual report on health safety inspections of nursing facilities for 2018. Several area facilities appear in the report’s “good” or “poor” performance columns.
KABC, a...
A life in black and white: Secret lasted 70 years
By Joe Stumpe
Growing up in Newton, Verda Byrd felt lucky to be the daughter of Ray Wagner, an African American railroad porter, and his wife, Edwinna.
“They loved me,” Verda said. “They were my world....
Ironman: ‘I don’t do it for fun. I do it to win.’
By Joe Stumpe
Dale Bing hadn’t run on a regular basis since junior high school when his 11-year-old son asked him to jog alongside him in the 1998 5K River Run.
“I thought it was pretty...
Wichita shows new face to world in 2019
Artist GLeo, left, may be camera shy, but there’s nothing quiet about the mural she’s painted on the east side of the Beachner Grain Elevator. The mural can be seen from 1-135 and E....
Sweet! State’s best pies star in new cookbook from KPTS
Beth Bower hit the highway to map Kansas’ pie ways. Bower, a food writer and freelance editor, hosted “The Pie Way…Kansas Style,” a documentary which debuted on KPTS-Channel last month, and also wrote the...
Play it again, Doris: Pianist has dazzled Wichita since the ‘40s
By Ted Blankenship
Drop in for a nightcap at the Wichita Country Club and if you’re lucky, you’ll hear the sweet sound of traditional jazz coming from a grand piano. Delicately touching those 88 keys...
Telling Stories
By Leslie Chaffin
When Sharon Brown read to her grandchildren, she often found herself “thinking that I could write a better story.”
Today she’s the author of three children’s books and is at work on a...
Free monthly series to help seniors take ‘positive actions’
By Amy Geiszler-Jones
A seminar about downsizing and senior living options was just the “incentive” that Joe and June Miller needed.
With information gleaned from that seminar, the Millers felt more confident about making the decisions...
Toilet paper more than a little good bathroom reading
By Ted Blankenship
When you penalize your friends, they ought to be able to retaliate, and they often do. Consider Canada, Australia and Mexico. Our President slapped tariffs on the import of some of their...
The White Sack
Editor’s note: Reader Rita Hephner came across this story of Depression Era Wichita while going through some family papers. It was written by her mother, Lela Eitel, and presented to Lela’s siblings at Christmas...
Lunch ladies
By Joe Stumpe
When members of the Thursday Afternoon Cooking Club first got together 127 years ago, they surely didn’t anticipate that some of their great-granddaughters would be carrying on the tradition today.
Yet that’s what...
Oh lordy, the active age turns 40
By Fran Kentling
The active age marks its 40th birthday this month.
Strike up the band, blow out the candles and celebrate!
First, let’s thank the mother of the active age, the Older Americans Act (OAA).
It was...
Election may boost seniors
The active age
The 2018 election could lead to improvements in health care, the legalization of medical marijuana and other changes sought by seniors at the state and local level.
Democratic Gov.-Elect Laura Kelly favors expanding...
Awards for the active age
The active age won awards for general excellence and four other categories of work in the 2018 North American Mature Newspaper Publishers Association competition. Competing in Division C, for newspapers with circulations between 50,000...
Toy exhibit ranges from ray guns to rockets
By Amy Geiszler-Jones
In the early 1930s, children suddenly began asking Santa for a new kind of Christmas gift: space toys, popularized by the first science fiction radio show and fueled by marketing gimmicks. Later,...
Halstead Harvey Girl looks back on “elegant experience”
By Nancy Carver Singleton
Helen Collins of Halstead was volunteering at the Halstead Heritage Museum & Depot one afternoon when each of the three couples who visited wanted to meet “The Harvey Girl.” They were...
Rider, 77, still blazing trails on two wheels
By Jim Laney
I seem to have a knack for riding on two wheels, with or without a road to follow. As a kid in the country I rode on dirt roads and trails through...
Setting sail
Wichitans asked to help support new ship bearing city’s name
By Joe Stumpe
A new Navy ship called the USS Wichita will soon be patrolling foreign seas, and a retired rear admiral from Derby is raising...
Try this tariff theory of Ted’s on for size
By Ted Blankenship
President Trump says his tariffs will punish the Chinese without hurting Americans.
The Chinese-naturally-enacted retaliatory tariffs on American agricultural products, cars and industrial goods. Then they began talking about buying airplanes from the...
Looking for Earl in a haystack
RoseAnn Kirkpatrick just wants to know one thing:
What happened to Earl?
I doubt I can help her find the answer, but here goes anyway:
Kirkpatrick was reading through a stack of old Reader’s Digest magazines recently when she...
Singers performance
The Wichita Broadway Singers are calling themselves the “Off-Broadway Singers” for this year’s December Dreams concert. That’s because they’re opening with “Try to Remember” from The Fantasticks, which has the longest run of any...
Holiday spirit at WAM
The Wichita Art Museum hosts two free family-oriented events this month.
From 2-4 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 2, WAM’s annual Holiday Open House offers refreshments, live music, dance performances and a chance to visit with...
New Nutcracker
Photos Courtesy of Dr. Joseph Myers
Friends University is presenting a new, full-length production of The Nutcracker that "is not your grandma’s Nutcracker."
Andrea Vazquez-Aguirre, new director of the dance program, has choreographed the work to...
Wichita takes pass on centers
Photo by Joe Stumpe
Northeast Senior Center in Wichita has run out of mats to hide carpet stains.
By Joe Stumpe
A new library for $32 million. Up to $81 million for a minor league ballpark....
River Castle ‘BBQ’ Campbell left mark on city
By Jack Kellogg
Few buildings in Wichita provoke more curiosity than Campbell Castle, the 17-bedroom, feudal-style mansion overlooking the Little Arkansas River at 11th Street and North River Boulevard. As it turns out, builder...
Stroke can’t stop love of music
By Amy Houston
When Lisa Shorter walked into a keyboard class for adult beginners last year, it took all her courage and patience. After all, she was the only student who’d be forced to play...
CHILI CHAMPS
Red Hat Society members claim trophy on first try
By Joe Stumpe
It took Sandra Whittemore five years to persuade her fellow Red Hatters to enter the Wichita Wagonmasters Downtown Chili Cookoff.
Maybe next time they’ll listen.
Members...
First letters, then love for pair
By Debbi Elmore
Don and Ona Bates met through the written word – the old-fashioned, pre-Internet written word. In 1993, Don responded to an article in The Wichita Eagle looking for people interested in corresponding...
Andover trail on the wild side
By Joe Stumpe
ANDOVER - Don’t be surprised if you spot some furry friends while checking out Andover’s newest biking and walking trail. Scaly ones, too.
The four-mile extension of the Redbud Trail, from Prairie Creek...
Wichitan advises candidate to ham it up
William T. Davitt thinks the upcoming gubernatorial election could all boil down to ham. If only a certain candidate would take his advice.
Davitt copied the active age on a letter he sent to Democratic...
Navigating Alzheimer’s focus of conference
By Amy Geiszler-Jones
With no single test, scan or exam for the disease, getting a diagnosis for Alzheimer’s can be a challenge, Caregivers and patients often have to become advocates if they suspect the disease.
“Some...
‘Gentleman farmer’ airs beef with cattle
By Ted Blankenship
I tell people that I grew up out in the country and they usually assume I was raised on a farm. I did see an occasional haystack and every spring our house...
Alternative market ‘makes a little difference in the world’
Tammy Tidwell went from shopper to volunteer at the annual Wichita Alternative Gift Market.
“Whether you are here to buy or work a booth, we are all here to make a little bit of difference...
The long and short of it
By Joe Stumpe
At 6 feet tall, Samajae Haynes-Jones isn’t exactly short. Until, that is, you stand him next to Asbjorn Midtgaard, his 7-foot-tall Wichita State basketball teammate.
At last month’s Shocker media day, we asked...
Brain freeze Senior blips funny and frustrating
By Elvira Crocker
We’ve all experienced them at one time or another. Those lapses in memory that can often be either embarrassing or hilarious.
Though they can happen at any age, they do seem to happen...
Back on the Racks Again!!!
Active Age is back at Dillons on a regular basis, convenient for readers and offering great visibility for our advertisers. And don’t forget to pick up our annual +55 Resource Guide, THE comprehensive source...
Project Wichita collects seniors’ views
By Joe Stumpe
Older residents appear just as interested as younger ones in helping chart the area’s future, according to results of the Project Wichita survey. Of 13,907 people took time to fill out the survey,...
Almost 5 Million Fed
By Joe Stumpe
Marc Mourning cooks with a wooden spoon the size of a canoe paddle. When you’re preparing food for a couple thousand people per day, everything gets bigger.
“This is like a workout,” Mourning,...
Sloppy Joes
Fajita seasoning, Worcestershire sauce and two kinds of sugar make Sloppy Joes at The Lord’s Diner “the best Sloppy Joes I’ve ever had,” in one volunteer’s opinion.
1 lb ground beef
1/2 Tbs fajita seasoning such...
Minor league baseball back
By Bob Rives
William H. Hemp is no longer a household name.
Even the colorful nickname, Ducky, he got while playing baseball here, is lost in time.
But in 1887, the 18-year-old from St. Louis was a...
Election spotlight: candidates address senior issues
The active age sent questionnaires to political candidates last month to get their views on issues affecting seniors. All the candidates were asked questions No. 1 and 2. Additionally, candidates for governor were asked...
Fire deaths hit elderly
By Joe Stumpe
Two recent deaths highlight the risk posed to seniors by house fires, a danger that increases during cooler months.
In September, a 65-year-old Andover man died after being trapped in a house fire....
Highland hoopla: Historic cemetery sparks book, renovation
This is adapted from the author’s introduction to “Walking With The Wichita Pioneers: A Guidebook to Highland Cemetery” by Barb Myers. The book sells for $20, with all proceeds going to renovate Highland Cemetery.
By...
Walk to End Alzheimer’s coming to arena
Show your support for the fight to end Alzheimer’s by taking part in the Wichita Walk to End Alzheimer’s on Saturday, Oct. 13, at Intrust Bank Arena.
Or even better, put together a fundraising team...
Panda-monium at EP
Exploration Place presents Pandas: A Journey Home, a new documentary in its digital dome theater starting Saturday, Oct. 20. Filmmakers “were granted unprecedented access to the Wolong Panda Center in China,” according to a...
Civil War Women
Did you know that during the Civil War, hundreds of women cut their hair and donned men’s clothes so they could report to Union and Confederate army recruiters? And that others served as scouts...
Jackie Brown in town
Actress Pam Grier will receive the Ad Astra Award when the Tallgrass Film Festival returns for its 16th year this month.
“Pam Grier is someone that Tallgrass has sought to bring to Wichita and...
Native American Day
A dance exhibition, talks by Native American groups and free traditional meal are on tap for The Native American Celebration Day on Saturday, Oct. 6 at the Mid-America All-Indian Center.
The free event runs from...
Gardening ideas for fall and beyond
By Janice Sroufe
Although summer with its hot weather is my favorite time of year, the cooler temperatures and beautiful colors of fall are comforting and sometimes a relief. This year we have had nice...
Project Beauty looks forward at 50
By Joe Stumpe
Project Beauty, Inc. may be down in numbers, but it’s not out. President Sue Boewe admits to an ambitious goal for the 50-year-old group founded to spruce up Wichita.
“I’m hoping we’re going...
Wanted: Poll workers for Sedgwick County
You can help promote democracy and make a few bucks in the bargain.
With this year's elections rapidly approaching, the Sedgwick County Election Office is recruiting poll workers. The Election Office is increasing the number of...
Bow wow! ‘Theo’ is a hero
By Joe Stumpe
A tiny dog named Theodore is turning out to be worth his weight in gold.
Mary Enstrom acquired the 2.3-pound Teacup Yorkie as a sidekick for her ministry serving nursing home residents.
Theodore ended...
‘Fireball’ Jackson inspires book
By Debbi Elmore
Gerald McCoy was a boy when he saw Isaiah “Fireball” Jackson pitch in Wichita’s National Baseball Congress tournament. Jackson’s explosive fastball wasn’t the only remarkable thing about him. There was also the...
Centers for seniors see funds frozen
By Joe Stumpe
Sedgwick County commissioners have again decided to keep funding for area senior centers at 2010 levels, frustrating users and supporters. The centers serve thousands of residents with meals, recreation, educational activities and...
Lazy, luscious lasagna
By Joe Stumpe
Easy isn’t the first thing that comes to mind when making lasagna. But a couple of shortcuts will put this dish on your table in about an hour, with little mess to...
Small town realizes big dream
Valley Center’s old library sat so close to railroad tracks that it used to shake when a train passed.
“We didn’t know whether it was an earthquake or train,” the library’s office manager, Terry Foster,...
Volunteers, ‘old farts’ and the active age
From The Editor:
By Joe Stumpe
I picked a good day to attend my first meeting of the Sedgwick County Advisory Council on Aging. The council was hearing how local tax dollars are being distributed to...
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