May 2, 2019 | 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 the shotput and javelin, competes in the 200, 400 and 800-meter events and learned to pole vault when she was 50. “Everything, I guess,” Overstake said when asked to […]
| 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 for aging services after years of flat budgets or small increases remains to be seen. At the last two monthly meetings of the Sedgwick County Advisory Council on Aging, […]
| 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 a local resource. Leon sits in southeast Butler County just off US 400. As with most small towns, it struggles to make a positive impact in the lives of […]
| By 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 down in church. Lori Lohrenz was one of many Wichitans who felt the killings personally, although she wasn’t personally acquainted with Tiller. The retired microbiologist and mother of three […]
| 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 few of them, although there is the possibility that more will be done when lawmakers return for the May wrap-up session. Many important legislative protections for older adults did […]
| 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 Date—Not only does this give you a goal for your re-organizing efforts, it also allows you to advertise ahead of time. Dozens of communities have citywide garage sale days. Take advantage of […]
| By The Active Age
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). They put in a total of 71,206 hours – saving nonprofit organizations an estimated $1.7 million. Ten volunteers were recognized for individually logging […]
March 29, 2019 | By Amy Geiszler-Jones
African American history mapped across Kansas From stops on the Underground Railroad to the headquarters of abolitionist John Brown, a new history trail in Kansas spotlights sites that shaped history in Kansas and the nation. The Kansas African American History Trail launched earlier this year at its Wichita site: The Kansas African American Museum (TKAAM), […]
| 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 trombone and books. Fast forward about seven decades and Nickel hasn’t slowed down much. At least four mornings a week, she and friend Sue Olsen can be found at […]
| By The Active Age
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 known for her iconic paintings of enlarged flowers and New Mexico landscapes. But the exhibit, organized by the Brooklyn Museum, also delves into the portraits and personal style of […]
| 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 of people toured her mammoth collection of Department 56 Snow Village scenes, set up inside her home in west Wichita. Just how big a collection is it? More than […]
| 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, staying socially engaged, tackling challenges that make your mind “stretch,” eating healthy and being physically active help slow brain aging. “Do something you enjoy, and try something new,” said […]
| 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 is for personal care attendants,” Andrea Romero of Wichita said. “They’re the ones who get us up, get us dressed, help us with our daily needs. Currently under the (Kansas) Work Healthy […]
| 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 little yapper or a Poodle. It’s going to be in the size range of a Great Dane or at the least a German Shepherd. Man and dog have been […]
March 1, 2019 | By Nancy Carver Singleton
Women helped win war on homefront Connie Palacioz worked twice on the storied B-29 Superfortress known as “Doc.” As a teenager, she put rivets into Doc and hundreds of other B-29s during World War II. More than half a century later she was among hundreds of volunteers who helped restore the plane. In May 1943, […]
| 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 the future. Jim Howell, who represents the 5th district, said the current system of allocating money for programs such as Meals on Wheels, in-home care and community senior centers […]
| 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 is found in Mexico. Guadalajara, in the state of Jalisco, is the second largest city in Mexico. About 30 miles south of this metropolis lies freshwater Lake Chapala, stretching some 50 miles […]
| By 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. Everybody was in for a surprise. Laurine Endres (now Moeder) arrived first, followed three minutes later by Florine (now Seely). Someone joked that Florine pushed her identical twin out and has […]
| By Ronda Voorhis
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 at The Workroom and Doo Dah Diner, and can also be ordered at DrawingKansas.com. Voorhis is giving a free presentation about the book at […]
| 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 fluff, dry particles, tiny cones or weird-looking winged things find their way into my pockets, my camera bag or the bottom of […]
| By The Active Age
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 as a nurse’s aide in long-term care,” Schaar said. “That just cultivated my passion for not only health care but taking care of seniors — taking […]
| By Joe Stumpe
Courtesy Photo Cecil Riney and Lisa Hittle, a former colleague at Friends University. I’ve made my share of mistakes as a journalist but hadn’t caused any actual physical harm until last month when I prematurely killed off Cecil Riney, surely one of the best-known folks in Wichita. I put “late” in front of […]
| 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 definitely find a receptive audience. In fact, most of the residents – who are Catholic Sisters of the Adorers of […]
January 30, 2019 | 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 and Faye Thornton It took time after they met – and some good-natured pushing from friends – for Rick and […]
| 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 farm girl and there wasn’t anything I couldn’t do on a farm.” She might keep a walker handy these days, but Hall […]