October 1, 2022 | By Ted Ayers
Michael Travis isn’t a native Kansan, but he probably knows as much about the state’s craft beer scene as anyone. A graduate of the University of New Hampshire, Travis spent the bulk of his career with Topeka-based Payless Shoes before a pandemic-induced career change gave him the flexibility to research and write “Celebrating Kansas Breweries: […]
| By The Active Age
Governor Laura Kelly and Attorney General Derek Schmidt responded to The Active Age’s gubernatorial candidate survey’s questions: 1. What do you think are the two or three issues most critical to seniors, and what do you propose to do about them? 2. What in your record suggests that you are the best candidate to serve […]
| By The Active Age
Three of five Sedgwick County Commission districts are being contested in this fall’s election. The Active Age asked each candidate to answer the following questions in 100 words or less: 1. Do you think the county’s current spending on senior-related services is adequate, and if not, what do you propose to do about it? 2. […]
| By the active age
Strike up the bands The Delano Jazz Orchestra and Delano Brass Ensemble kick off their 2022-23 seasons this fall with free concerts at the West Side Baptist Church, 304 S. Seneca. The 18-member jazz group will play a concert featuring compositions by Pat Matheny, Charles Mingus and others at 3 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 30. The […]
| By Ted Blankenship
When we had six heifers and their offspring on 20 acres north of Rose Hill, the veterinarian (a frequent visitor) gave me some advice that would have been very useful if I had followed it. “Don’t ever name your cows,” he said. “Oh, we won’t do that,” I replied. Unfortunately, we had already named them. […]
| By Ted Ayers
NEWTON — For a book lover, the long and intertwined histories of the Newton Public Library and Ladies Reading Circle of Newton are fascinating stuff. The reading circle came first, in 1880, making it one of the oldest continuously-meeting women’s groups in Kansas. The library opened in 1886, and many members of the reading circle […]
| By Nancy Wheeler
Halloween is coming, and candy will be flowing. How much do you remember about vintage candies that made their debuts decades ago? Send us the answers to the questions below and we’ll enter your name in a drawing for a $25 gift certificate to The Spice Merchant. To enter, mail your answers to The Active […]
| By Diana Morton
Crown Uptown Theatre, 3207 E. Douglas. The Rocky Horror Show, a cult classic like no other. Prop packs are available for $10 at the door for fans who want to participate. Doors open at 6:30 pm Fri-Sat; show at 8 pm. Sun, doors open at 12:30 pm; show at 2 pm. Oct 14-30. Tickets, dinner […]
| By Beth Bower
As a youngster, Janne Rowe used the Kansas State Fair as a kind of cooking school, trying out tricks and techniques she’d seen in Hutchinson on her family at home. “I liked to bake,” Rowe said. “I started baking for 4-H in grade school and found I sort of had a knack for it. As […]
| By Jim Miller
Free Online Hearing Tests You Can Take at Home Dear Savvy Senior, Can you recommend any good online hearing tests? My husband has hearing loss, but I can’t get him to go in and get his hearing checked, so I thought a simple online test could help him recognize he has a problem. What can […]
| By Joe Stumpe
Bill Reagan’s years at West High School were some of the best of his life. “All I remember are positives,” said Reagan, a member of the Pioneer class of ’64. “The teachers were great.” So when Reagan learned that the school’s graduation rate was languishing behind other Wichita schools, he decided to do something about […]
| By The Active Age
The sixth annual “Live Well With Diabetes” event next month brings together people dealing with the disease along with doctors, nurses, nutritionists and pharmacists who help them care for it. Sponsored by Great Plaines Diabetes, the free Nov. 5 event runs from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Wichita State Metroplex, 5015 E. 29th […]
August 31, 2022 | By Joe Stumpe
Dr. G.G. Brown moved his medical practice to Wichita in 1908 to serve the city’s black community. Although the days of segregated medicine are long gone, the need for black physicians such as Dr. Brown has never been more acute than it is now. “We really need to figure out how to get more minority […]
| By The Active Age
A small slice of the 2023 Sedgwick County budget set aside for senior-related services generated the longest and most contentious debate of any section before county commissioners approved the spending plan Wednesday. The back-and-forth came after 5th District Commissioner Jim Howell suggested adding $125,000 to the Department on Aging budget, a move seconded by 4th […]
| By Bob Rives
There’s a lot of wow factor in Wichita’s newest museum. Now open as part of the Riverfront Stadium complex is the Wichita Baseball Museum, a 3,000-square-foot, $1.8 million showcase that not only is exciting but free to visit. Jordan Kobritz, a part owner and chief executive officer of the host Wichita Wind Surge minor league […]
| By Donald Willis
Editor’s note: This is the longer version of Donald Willis’ article on the World War II era Beechwood housing project that appeared in our September issue. I have enjoyed reading the articles in The Active Age from the “Wichita Old Neighborhood Project” overseen by Patrick O’Connor. I would like to tell of my old neighborhood, […]
| By James Bower
Recently, I called my local VA Medical Center to see about getting in to see my primary care doctor. Imagine my surprise when a real person not only answered the phone but was ready to help. As I spoke with Cindy, the nurse that answered my call, it became evident that the VA had launched […]
| By Janice Van Sickle
Do you know that we have a nationally recognized film festival right here in Wichita? The Tallgrass Film Festival has been named one of the “Top 50 Film Festivals Worth the Entry Fee” by MovieMaker magazine seven times. The festival’s motto — “Stubbornly Independent” — seems to be working. This year, the festival celebrates its […]
| By Nancy Carver Singleton
FURLEY — A program that introduces children to the responsibilities and rewards of caring for calves is back after a two-year hiatus caused by the pandemic. Kid-n-Calf provided six children between the ages of 8 and 12 with calves this summer. On Saturday mornings from late May through mid-August, they learned to take care of […]
| By Tammara Fogle
The Lifelong Learning program at Wichita State University shows that a lot of people love that back-to-school experience. The program, which is free for residents 60 years and older, started eight years ago with 68 people enrolled in one class. This fall, 10 courses are being offered, and enrollment totaled 1,364 through Aug. 17, according […]
| By Tammara Fogle
Learn how you can help prevent suicide and raise community awareness of the issue during a workshop at the Advanced Learning Library from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 13. Dr. Jessica Provines, a psychologist and assistant vice president for wellness at Wichita State University, will present evidence-based suicide prevention training. The workshop is […]
| By Ted Blankenship
I wasn’t a great athlete in school. I wasn’t even a bad athlete. So, I never imagined that years later I would play in an actual game. Football with a bunch of gridiron hunks? Basketball in an arena full of adoring fans? No, softball in a back yard full of chiggers and fox tail grass […]
| By Nancy Wheeler
1. What famous young outlaw fought in the Lincoln County War before he was fatally shot at the age of 21 by Sheriff Pat Garrett? 2. What Army scout and Pony Express Rider took part in California’s Gold Rush before he launched his colorful cowboy-themed Wild West show in 1883? 3. What hunter, soldier, and […]
| By Diana Morton
Crown Uptown Theatre, 3207 E. Douglas. Calendar Girls, a musical by Gary Barlow; book by Tim Firth. Based on the true story of eleven older women who posed nude for a calendar to raise money for the Leukemia Research Fund. 8 pm Fri, Sat; 2 pm Sun, now-Sept 18. Tickets, dinner & show, $40-45; Show […]
| By Ted Ayers
“The Lethal Elixer,” by Dennis Ross (Archway Publishing, 2021, 273 pages, $18.99) Dennis Ross is a Wichita nephrologist and clinical professor at the University of Kansas Medical Center who has written one previous novel, “The Perfect Match.” “The Lethal Elixer” is a sequel to that book. This book is certainly topical as it includes references to terrorism, global […]