July 1, 2025 | By The Active Age
The Active Age is giving away a dozen pairs of tickets to this year National Baseball World Series July 24-Aug. 2. The tickets are general admission single-day tickets. To enter our drawing for a pair of tickets fill out the form below.
| By Joe Stumpe
It’s not true that every time someone cracks open a can of beer, a veteran gets his wings. But it is true that collecting and turning those aluminum cans in for recycling is helping send veterans to Washington, D.C., on Kansas Honor Flights. Last month, the Sedgwick County Commission honored two of the most dedicated […]
| By Joe Stumpe
It won’t be easy replacing Laurel Alkire, who’s retired after serving as executive director of Senior Services, Inc., for more than two decades. The nonprofit operates for Meals on Wheels, four senior centers and a senior employment program in Wichita. “She’s been the face of seniors and services in this community,” said Donna Johnson, chair […]
| By The Active Age
After spending her young adult life teaching English abroad, Leah Dannar-Garcia returned to Wichita in her late 30s to help care for her parents. And so began an unexpected second act. She fell in love with her childhood neighbor, put down roots in her hometown and immersed herself so completely in a new hobby — […]
| By The Active Age
If you didn’t already consider Kansas a birder’s paradise, a new book will clear up that misconception. “The Guide to Kansas Birds and Birding Hotspots” by Pete Janzen and Bob Gress is a comprehensive guide to the state’s feathered flocks — and a how-to for getting to know them. It’s just been published by the […]
| By Joe Norris
My great-great grandfather was a frugal man by necessity. He had no money and even less luck. His parents named him James Philip Norris, but he soon lost the “James” entirely. As a working farmer with a family, Philip Norris was already carrying enough of a load. He had no interest in lugging around an […]
| By Ted Ayres
In May, my review of “The Shadow of War,” Jeff Shaara’s novel about the Cuban Missile Crisis, appeared in The Active Age. Subsequently, I was copied on an email to Shaara from Dave Leiber, a Butler County resident who experienced the dramatic event up close as a young U.S. Marine. I reached out to Leiber to learn […]
| By The Active Age
Library book sale July 12 Get great deals on books, CDs, DVDs and more at the Friends of the Wichita Public Library sale from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, July 12. FWPL members can attend a preview sale from 5-6:30 p.m. Friday, July 11. Both will be held at the Advanced Learning Library, 711 […]
| By The Active Age
To mark the 100th anniversary of Travel Air Manufacturing Company’s formation in Wichita, Ed Phillips will give two days of talks about the pioneering airplane manufacturer this month. “Here’s the thing,” Phillips said. “You could do ten, but I’m going to be reasonable about it.” Phillips, an author and expert on general aviation, will speak […]
| By TyJuan Davis Community Voice
In a quiet Wichita home filled with memories and music, 90-year-old Henry Walker reflected on a life shaped by opportunity, hardship and perseverance. A lead guitarist who began playing at age 27, Walker never chased fame, but built a legacy through resilience. Walker’s entry into music came by chance. Asked to fill in for a […]
| By The Active Age
If you’re watching kids this summer on a tight budget, two programs could help. Free breakfasts and lunches are being offered to children at 33 locations as part of the Wichita Public Schools Summer Food Program. The program runs through July 25. The free meals are available to all children ages 1-18, not just WPS students or students who qualify […]
| By Jennifer Reyes
For many of us over 55, staying active and independent isn’t just a goal, it’s essential to our quality of life. Whether you’re recovering from knee surgery, managing arthritis or simply finding that balance isn’t what it used to be, you’re not alone. Millions of active adults discover that a mobility aid can be the […]
| By Tammara Fogle
Starla Criser dabbled in a number of careers before finding what may be her true occupation — volunteering with seniors. “They’re good people and I’ve enjoyed them all these years,” Criser said. In May, Criser was recognized as the 2025 Irene Hart Award winner. The award, named for a former director of Central Plains Area […]
| By The Active Age
Donate at least $25 to The Active Age and you could win a 14-carat white gold diamond necklace valued at $2,000. Talk about a way to lose those summer doldrums! The Active Age will hold a drawing Aug. 1 for a diamond necklace donated by Mike Seltzer Jewelers. Everybody who donates at least $25 between […]
| By Susan Armstrong
Memories of my childhood come flooding back every summer: bare feet on a hot sidewalk, the fragrance of freshly cut grass, hot dogs from a grill and endless games of “Annie, Annie, Over.” When I was around eight years old, we made a baseball diamond with cardboard bases on the empty lot behind our house, […]
| By Nancy Wheeler
As we celebrate July 4th, it’s time to review our knowledge of key figures in American Revolution. See if you can identify these personages from the clues given. The answers appear below. 1. What silversmith is known for his famous ride to warn the colonists that the British were advancing? 2. Who authored the pamphlet […]
| By Diana Morton
Kechi Playhouse, 100 E. Kechi Road. Charlie’s Aunt. Shows on Fri-Sat, 8 pm, Sun matinee 2:30 pm. June 6-29. Tickets are $17 on Fri and Sat and $16 on Sundays. For more information, call 316 -744 – 2152 Mosley Street Melodrama, 234 N. Mosley. Saved by the Bellhop by Carol Hughes, starring Jaslyn Alexander, Julia Faust, […]
| By Blaise Mesa The Beacon
Stacy Crow made sure to check the outdoor cameras at Shirley Crow’s house in Wichita every now and again. Stacy lived five hours away from her 85-year-old mother-in-law, and the video check-ins were necessary because Shirley had Alzheimer’s disease and needed regular medication. “We did like to just see her out on her porch drinking […]
| By Celia Hack KMUW
When Greg Thompson’s home was being built, he stopped by the construction site so much that some began calling him “the superintendent.” His palpable excitement stemmed from years spent doing construction work — and the fact that, in his 60s, this would be Thompson’s first time buying a home. The nonprofit HOPE Community Development Corporation built and […]
| By By Bonnie Bing
Eight decades into her love affair with ballet, Ruth White still performs every move with her students. Warming up a class recently, she sat on the floor and extended her legs in a wide V. “Back straight, now lean forward,” she said, stretching until her own forehead touched the floor. It’s no wonder the petite […]
| By Jim Miller
1. Essential Legal Documents All Seniors Should Have 2. Gravesite Care When You Can’t Get There 3. Does Medicare Cover Annual Physical Exams? 4. What Is a Spousal IRA? Essential Legal Documents All Seniors Should Have Dear Savvy Senior, What kinds of legal documents do I need to help my family take care of me […]
May 30, 2025 | By Joe Stumpe
Ariel Rodriguez remembers the day in 2021 that Gene and Yolanda Camarena attended the auction for the former Nomar Theater building in Wichita’s North End. At the time, the Empower nonprofit organization was only a few weeks old, without a real home of its own. Rodriguez is its executive director, while the Camarenas both sit […]
| By Sherry Graham Howerton
For more than half a century, Music Theatre of Wichita has delighted audiences with world-class performers, its renowned orchestra and sets that rival most anything seen on Broadway. And then there are the costumes — layers of colors that have brought to life characters in such shows as “Fiddler on the Roof,” “The Lion King” […]
| By The Active Age
Donate at least $25 to The Active Age and you could win a 14-carat white gold diamond necklace valued at $2,000. Talk about a way to lose those summer doldrums! The Active Age will hold a drawing Aug. 1 for a diamond necklace donated by Mike Seltzer Jewelers. Everybody who donates at least $25 between […]
| By Tom Schaefer
The alarm clock buzzed at 4 a.m. My one-hour workday began. Hurrying to the backyard, I mounted my one-speed Hawthorne bike and sped to the drop site at 15th and Knoxville, where 80 or so bundled newspapers awaited me. Thinner editions allowed for Frisbee-style tossing onto front porches, with varying degrees of accuracy. I zig-zagged […]