August 31, 2020 | By Amy Geiszler-Jones
A profound sense of faith and seemingly boundless energy propel Teresa Molina through life. The daughter of a grocery store owner whose shelves were stocked with Mexican food and folk art, Molina moved to Wichita as a single mom of two. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Spanish and education in 1989, then spent 25 […]
| By Joe Stumpe
David Welch watched as his father, sister and cousins suffered from Alzheimer’s. So when the Wichita businessman started having memory problems at age 60, he had a pretty good idea of the source. He also knew the problem was bigger than himself — as big, in fact, as the 5.4 million Americans currently estimated to […]
| By Mary Clarkin
When Mary Malone turned 61 in March, family members couldn’t come closer than the other side of a nursing home window. Malone, a nanny and housekeeper described as the “glue” of her family, lay in a bed at Watercrest at Victoria Falls in Andover, a skilled nursing home and rehabilitation center that had been locked […]
| By Debbie Elmore
Just when you think Bill Goffrier might have painted every notable structure in Wichita, there he is at a First Friday art gallery crawl or Old Town Farmer’s Market with another colorful rendering. And no plans to stop. “My list is long,” he said with a laugh. Goffrier has been painting since he was a […]
| By The Active Age
Century II and Wichita’s old Main Library were recently nominated for spots on the National Register of Historic Places by citizens trying to save them from the wrecking ball. There are nearly 200 buildings on the register from Sedgwick, Butler and Harvey counties. Using the clues below, find the names of a dozen of them […]
| By Lotti Eichhorn
I was born and raised in Switzerland. By 1960 I was in my mid-twenties and ready for a change. I was not escaping but I needed something new. So, I applied for a visa to the United States. In October 1961, I traveled by train to Germany and in Bremerhaven I boarded the SS Bremen […]
| By Mary Clarkin
Up until six months ago, 91-year-old Donna Schirer enjoyed what she calls a “very, very active lifestyle.” A resident of Prairie Homestead Senior Living community in southwest Wichita, Schirer has her own independent living duplex but ate some meals in Prairie Home’s dining room, took part in monthly social gatherings and joined other residents on […]
| By Mitzi McFatrich
Kansas Advocates for Better Care Unlike the rest of us, adults in nursing homes have no say in how or when they will see family and friends or gather for a meal. Their legal rights, while not formally suspended, are suspended in practice by the policies and decision-making protocols issued by government agencies managing the […]
| By Ted Blankenship
It’s the age of political correctness and it’s also pretty hot out this time of the year, so when we get a little overheated we shouldn’t say things like, “Gosh, I’m sweating like a pig.” First, we don’t want to offend any pigs. Worse, the statement would be inaccurate. That’s because pigs don’t sweat. Why? […]
| By Beth Bower
We all have memories of a favorite dessert: Grandma’s warm cherry pie, Mom’s lopsided chocolate cake, Aunt Mae’s rainbow-layered Jell-O salad and our first soufflé that didn’t fall. All good … but not necessarily quick or easy. In these trying times, an old-fashioned “dump” recipe is the answer for those of us looking for a […]
| By Patrick Joseph O’Connor
Kirby’s Beer Store, located across 17th Street from Wichita State University, has served as a hangout for individualists and anti-establishment types since the early 1970s. So naturally Randall Parker felt at home there. Parker, after a stint in the U.S. Merchant Marine, began his career as a news film reporter for KAKE, channel 10. He […]
| By The Active Age
The battle over Century II and the former downtown library continues. In January, a private-public group proposed tearing down the structures to redevelop the riverfront area. By July, a group called Century II collected more than 17,000 signatures trying to force the city to put the buildings’ future before voters. However, the city challenged that […]
| By April Holman
On Aug. 4, Missouri voters went to the polls and passed a referendum to expand Medicaid. Just a month earlier, voters in Oklahoma did the same. Now that Missouri and Oklahoma have joined Colorado and Nebraska to become expansion states, Kansas truly stands alone as the last holdout in our region. Since 2014, all states […]
| By Carole Neal and Barbara Bell
The League of Women Voters Wichita-Metro expected a busy 2020. In addition to being an election year, it’s the 100th anniversary of the LWV and the 19th Amendment, which granted women’s suffrage. What we didn’t expect was COVID-19. The LWV works very hard to reach out to the community to register voters and encourage them to vote. Our usual in-person outreach […]
| By Julie Doll
The 2020 presidential campaign looks a lot like the 2016 campaign. Only one of the names has been changed. Like four years ago, many voters will have to decide who they dislike more: incumbent Republican Donald Trump or former vice president and Democrat Joe Biden. Although polls show Trump with high disapproval ratings, they also show a large […]
| By Nancy Wheeler
The 1990’s was a time of change with Kansas electing its first woman governor and the Royals facing the 1994 player’s strike. How much do you remember about Wichita happenings during this decade? 1. Sections of Haysville, southeast Wichita, McConnell Air Force Base, and Andover were struck by an F5 tornado in April of what […]
July 29, 2020 | By Joe Stumpe
Imagine traveling to a foreign country to stay in the home of strangers, eat their food and be escorted around by them. And then returning the favor when they come to visit. That’s the idea behind Friendship Force, an international organization whose 100-member Kansas chapter is going strong after nearly 40 years. “They know their […]
| By Nancy Carver Singleton
As a child, Phil Uhlik was fascinated with the musicians at wedding dances. “The folks could find me up by the band stand, hoping I could someday be up there doing the same.” And the instrument that intrigued him most was the accordion. Although it’s the target of kidding by other musicians today (“What’s the […]
| By The Active Age
We love it when a dog sticks its head out of a car window almost as much as the dog does. And few look better doing it than Sushi, the winner of our pet photo/story contest. Sarah Snell calls Sushi “a 3-pound puff of good cheer” and “my best buddy during the coronavirus pandemic.” “At […]
| By The Active Age
Pet Stories Below DELYLA Delyla is a 2½-year-old Yorkie. She is energetic and very curious. During the pandemic, my husband and I got bronchitis and pneumonia at the same time. We were in bed for four days and she came and laid between us, never asking for anything. She occasionally licked our hands and cheeks […]
| By Joe Stumpe
By Joe Stumpe The Butler County War – an explosion of vigilante violence and intimidation unique in Kansas history – actually started in Sedgwick County. And its immediate cause was a mule. One day in November 1870, a 22-year-old named James Crawford rode the animal in question into Wichita. Four armed men relieved him of […]
| By Amee Bohrer
Denise Ziegler is an optimist by nature, a trait that illuminates her conversation and artwork. “During this, the Covid, the gift of art is that I’ve had plenty to do,” Ziegler said in her studio in Artists at Old Town. She is one of 10 artists who are part of the collective, which leases space […]
| By The Active Age
Charles McAfee knew something was up when family members started showing up from out of town last month. A few days later, the Wichita City Council renamed the pool at McAdams Park for the award-winning architect, who designed it in 1969. McAfee said the park and Dunbar School were the only places where black children […]
| By Mary Clarkin & The Active Age
Sedgwick County has spent a small percentage of nearly $109 million it’s receiving from the federal government for COVID-19-related expenses while officials make broad plans for using the rest. County officials say they’re trying to move quickly due to the Dec. 30 spending deadline for CARES (Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security) Act money set […]
| By The Active Age
COVID-19 cases, clusters and deaths rose throughout the Wichita area last month as public officials in some cases adjusted their response to the pandemic. As of July 29, Sedgwick County reported 3,790 cases – of which 2,442 remained active – 24 clusters and 38 deaths. Clusters are non-household locations with two or more confirmed or […]