January 31, 2025 | By Diana Morton
Forum Theatre, at the Wilke Center, 1st United Methodist Church, 330 N. Broadway. Bridges of Madison County. In this musical based on the best-selling novel, Francesca builds herself a home in Iowa, raising two children and settling into a steady but unremarkable routine. Then, one day, she meets a charismatic photographer who awakens her passion […]
January 29, 2025 | By Joe Stumpe
The first history Gerald Norwood got interested in was his own family’s, and who could blame him? Norwood’s grandfather, Henry, spent his childhood enslaved on plantations in North Carolina and southwest Arkansas. Following the Civil War, Henry and his older brother made their way on foot about 130 miles north in Arkansas, settling near Fort […]
January 1, 2025 | By The Active Age
To mark The Active Age’s 45th anniversary — and hopefully raise a little money toward future operations — we are holding a drawing for a diamond necklace generously donated by Mike Seltzer Jewelers. Everybody who donates at least $25 between now and Jan. 31 will be entered in the drawing. Each $25 donation gets you […]
| By Joe Stumpe
A Wichita choir will perform spirituals in Paris next month thanks to bit of serendipity. The group is ARISE, which stands for African Americans Renewing Interest in Spirituals Ensemble. Last year, four members of ARISE accompanied a group of middle school students from Gordon Parks Academy to the French capital as part of an arts […]
| By Amy Geiszler-Jones
Carl Fry jokes he has “a long history of wasting money on cars,” going back to 1956 when as a 16-year-old he joined a Wichita East High School car club called the Gear Gents. In 2004, his love of cars and his connections to other car enthusiasts took a philanthropic turn as he organized a […]
| By Tammara Fogle
U.S. Figure Skating Championships glide into town Top figure skaters from across the country will compete in the 2025 U.S. Figure Skating Championships Jan. 20-26, 2025, at Intrust Bank Arena — the first time the event has been held in Kansas. “It’s an amazing opportunity for Wichitans and those in the region to see current […]
| By Chris Heiman
It was June 1974, and 17-year-old Sheri Pilkington had her entire life in front of her. Having just graduated from Southeast High, Sheri was enjoying her summer break and looking forward to community college in the fall. Described by friends and family as “funny, compassionate and outgoing,” Sheri possessed a special connection to senior citizens. […]
| By Joe Stumpe
Laurie Dove’s first novel beat the odds. Not only is it rare for a novelist’s maiden effort to see print, Dove’s book was chosen out of more than 5,000 others submitted to Penguin Random House, the nation’s largest publisher. “It really felt like winning the lottery because the odds of that are pretty unbelievable,” Dove, […]
| By Joe Stumpe
Turns out Bob Bayer isn’t the only person interested in jailhouse artist Ernest Aspinwall. Since an article about Bayer and the creative criminal appeared in The Active Age in August 2022, he’s been contacted by several people who either knew Aspinwall, knew somebody who did or possessed one of his paintings. Aspinwall made front-page news […]
| By Bonnie Bing
We made it! If you’re reading this you survived the entire holiday season. It is officially over, even if you can’t seem to convince a couch surfing nephew it is time to hit the road. Now it’s time to get those pine needles out of the carpet, clean out the fridge before any more […]
| By Ted Ayres
“The Bookshop: A History of the American Bookstore,” by Evan Friss (Viking, 2024, 403 pages, $39.99) Did you resolve to read more in 2025? Congratulations on such a thoughtful resolution and here’s a book that might help with it. Evan Friss’ “The Bookshop” is an homage to reading and those who make books available to us. […]
| By Nancy Wheeler
Can you identify these actors, singers, and sports figures who shared their talents with us before passing away in 2024? The answers appear below. 1. What legendary basketball center, known as The Big Redhead, was a two-time NCAA champion with UCLA before winning two NBA championships? 2. What stand-up comedian known for his deadpan manner […]
| By Jim Miller
What You’ll Pay for Medicare in 2025 How to Talk to Your Doctors – and Get Them to Listen What Happens to Your Debt When You Die? Be Wary of Winter Heart Attacks What You’ll Pay for Medicare in 2025 Dear Savvy Senior, I know there will be a small 2.5 percent cost-of-living increase in […]
| By Steve Criser
In my 50 years of practicing tax and accounting as a CPA, I never imagined a time when communicating with clients solely through email and texting would become the norm. The trust you place in your tax advisor, lawyer, financial planner or other professional must be earned. Looking someone in the eye or hearing […]
| By The Active Age
Sedgwick County is looking for a replacement for Annette Graham, who retired Dec. 13 as head of the county’s Department on Aging and the Central Plains Area on Agency. CPAAA, which is run out of the county aging department, also serves Butler and Harvey counties. The county hopes to fill the position this winter, according […]
| By Diana Morton
Forum Theatre, at the Wilke Center, 1st United Methodist Church, 330 N. Broadway. Words & Music: What the World Needs Now. The words and music of Burt Bacharach. Jan 11, 8 pm; January 12, 2 pm and 7 pm. Tickets: $27-$30 each. 10% military discount and half-price price student tickets with a valid student ID […]
| By Jennifer Lasley CPAAA
Are you at least 60 years of age and interested in being an advocate for older adults and older adult issues? If so, the Kansas Silver Haired Legislature may be right for you. The Kansas Silver Haired Legislature is a unicameral legislature composed of 125 representatives from across Kansas. All delegates are 60+ years old […]
| By The Active Age
TOPEKA — The Kansas Silver Haired Legislature has approved a list of legislative priorities for 2025 that closely mirror those of previous years. The KSHL, made of more than 50 delegates from across the state, convened here for their annual session Oct. 8-10. The resolutions adopted were: KSHLR #4200 – Urging the Kansas Legislature to […]
| By Family Features
All across the country, AmeriCorps Seniors connects people aged 55 and older with opportunities to volunteer in their communities. The program matches each volunteer’s interests and skills with local nonprofit organizations. More than 140,000 older Americans serve their communities yearly through three core programs – the RSVP Program, the Foster Grandparent Program and the Senior […]
| By Family Features
Respiratory viruses are common in the fall and winter months. Flu, COVID-19 and RSV can surge during the cooler weather and keep people from gathering with family and friends. They cause many people to get very sick or even to be hospitalized. “We know that getting vaccinated is the best defense against severe illness and death […]
December 30, 2024 | By Sherry Graham Howerton
If souls ministered to translated into dollars earned, pastors Homer and Lois Smuck’s lives might be very different right now. The retired couple spent more than 40 years in ministry, serving hundreds of congregants across four states in predominantly rural communities and small churches. Making ends meet while raising three children was tough, and financial […]
December 1, 2024 | By Amy Geiszler-Jones
Jamming and blocking her way around a roller derby rink, Bonny Patrick looks every bit the part of her nickname — the Sweet Assassin. Surprisingly, she didn’t take up skating until 14 years ago, when she turned 49 and was looking for a new hobby. “It was that or ride a motorcycle … and road […]
| By The Active Age
Michelle has a special needs child and recently had difficulty finding a daycare provider that could accommodate the child’s needs. Michelle had to miss several days at work because of the daycare situation. Unfortunately, this led to her eventually losing her job. Immediately, Michelle began to look for a new job but got behind on […]
| By Rose Conlon KMUW
Wichita businessman Chock Chapple ended his journey on the reality dating show “The Golden Bachelorette” engaged to the show’s lead, Joan Vassos. Chapple is a longtime Wichita insurance executive who grew up in Garden Plain. Over the course of the ABC television show, he beat out 23 other men — ranging in age from 57 […]
| By Amy Geiszler-Jones
Beginning in the 1970s, Wichitan Sylvia Jackson started collecting vintage miniature Christmas trees that she decorated with small ornaments and other tiny, often handcrafted, items in themed vignettes. In 1991, she loaned her collection to the Wichita-Sedgwick County Historical Museum, which usually exhibits select trees from the collection around the Christmas holiday. Occasionally, like this […]