July 1, 2024 | By The Active Age
Master Gardeners Sought The Sedgwick County Extension Master Gardener program will hold new training classes starting in September. Interested parties are encouraged to attend an informational meeting 2-4 p.m. July 18 at the county Extension Center, 21st and Ridge. Applications for the training program will be available at the information meeting and must be returned […]
| By WSU Strategic Communications
Shielding the earth from the sun seems like a good idea, in theory, to fight climate change, Wichita State University’s Dr. Nickolas Solomey and graduate student Kelly Kabler agree. Good ideas, they also agree, must be grounded in science. In early February, the New York Times reported that Asher Space Research Institute Physics Professor […]
| By The Active Age
The Junior League of Wichita kicked off its 100th anniversary celebration early by donating $2 million for Water Play Cascades, a centerpiece of Exploration Place’s planned outdoor expansion. The planned water feature is described as “an incredible multisensory learning experience promoting teamwork and collaboration. Many of the pumps and water wheels must be activated by […]
| By Jim Miller
Long-Term Care Benefits for Veterans and Surviving Spouses Dreading a Colonoscopy? There Are Alternatives Can You Stop and Restart Social Security Benefits? How to Find Reliable Health Information Online Long-Term Care Benefits for Veterans and Surviving Spouses Dear Savvy Senior, I understand that the Veterans Administration has a benefit that can help veterans and spouses […]
May 31, 2024 | By Joe Stumpe
Kay Goodnight is getting used to the look — that one where strangers recognize her but can’t quite figure out why. The retired optometrist’s assistant is enjoying semi-celebrity status, at least in the Wichita TV market, as one of four “grannies” featured in Spangles commercials hawking the fast-food chain’s cocktails. “The reaction has been unbelievable,” […]
| By Joe Stumpe
For Ted Blankenship, this time it’s serious. Blankenship, who started writing his “It’s Not Serious” column 67 years ago, says he may have filed his last one. Blankenship cited a combination of health problems and an uncooperative new computer for his decision. Then again, he’s not ruling out a return. “It’s Not Serious” has been […]
| By The Active Age
Kansas’ area agencies on aging are marking their 50th year in operation. AAAs such as Central Plains Area Agency on Aging (CPAAA) — which serves Butler, Harvey and Sedgwick counties — were established in the 1970s to plan community services for people 60 and older. They also provide or fund many of those services, coordinate […]
| By Joe Stumpe
When life gives you lemons, you can make a lot more than just lemonade. Sour, yes, but also bright as sunshine, lemons are an ingredient that seems to grow on cooks the more they use it. While some fans love the summery feel a lemon brings to dishes during the winter, I actually prefer the […]
| By The Active Age
Kansas Pond Society hosts tour June 15-16 The Kansas Pond Society will host its annual Water Garden Tour in the greater Wichita area June 15-16. Tickets are $10 per carload and are available at Johnson’s Garden Centers east and west locations. The ticket brochure includes a map and descriptions of ponds on the tour, which […]
| By Diana Morton
Forum Theatre, at the Wilke Center, 1st United Methodist Church, 330 N. Broadway. Words & Music: Stayin’ Alive: The Bee Gees. Get ready for some “Jive Talkin” with this show featuring songs by brothers Barry, Robin and Maurice Gibbs, who ushered in the era of disco and became the most successful trio in the history […]
| By Matthew Kelly The Wichita Eagle
When Kyra Cano got the call that she had been approved to move into the Central Landing senior housing community, she was overjoyed. “I got in by a miracle,” Cano, 84, said. She moved in in February as one of 16 applicants selected from a waiting list of more than 100 to live in a […]
| By Ainsley Smith KMUW
Families with children in pre-K through 12th grade can get free admission to more than 200 attractions this summer. Sunflower Summer provides a free ticket for each child and up to two adults at participating museums, state parks and other attractions across Kansas. The program is organized by Kansas Tourism, a division of the state’s […]
| By The Active Age
Peggy Smith isn’t sure how many quilts she’s made over the years. She stopped counting at 100. Multiplied by the time each required, that’s the equivalent of years of full-time work. Smith considers it time well spent. “It’s something I taught my daughter to do,” Smith, of Haysville, said. “I’m getting ready to teach my […]
May 3, 2024 | By The Active Age
If you’ve got a grandchild looking for something to do, the Wichita Public Library’s summer reading program returns from May 23-August 1, 2024. Toddlers, kids, teens and adults are invited to read books, participate in programs and activities and win prizes all summer long. Pre-registration begins online on Monday, May 6. The summer reading program […]
May 1, 2024 | By The Active Age
Editor’s note: An earlier version of this article contained the wrong date for the re-dedication of the Keeper of the Plains. The correct date is Saturday, May 18. Wichita’s Keeper of the Plains will be re-dedicated with a big party May 18 to mark its 50th anniversary. Here are some things to know about the […]
| By Beth Bower
WHITEWATER — Natalie Sollo calls it a learning curve. Dave Sollo is blunter about the couple’s wine-making skills when they started Grace Hill Winery in 2004. “We didn’t know what the hell we were doing,” he said. But Dave, a retired anesthesiologist, and Natalie, a pediatrician, learned by doing. Their winery 30 minutes northeast of […]
| By Bob Rives
A young Tom turkey has turned a busy intersection in east Wichita into his personal playground since earlier this year, catching the attention of motorists, businesspeople and others in the area with his antics. He’s called Mr. G — for Gobbler — by employees at the Wheat State Credit Union, where he sometimes hangs out, […]
| By The Active Age
A trio of bicyclists who enjoy riding around Wichita spotted a disheartening trend: more homeless people than ever camping near the city’s bike paths that run along the Arkansas River. “You just notice more and more homelessness in the area, and it’s like, ‘Oh my gosh,’” avid cyclist Marty Johnson said. Now Johnson and two […]
| By The Active Age
ANDOVER — The Foster Grandparent Program needs a lot more people like Rita Grimes. Grimes spends several hours each day at Sunflower Elementary School helping kindergarteners with their letters, science projects and just generally being an encouraging older figure. A grandparent, in other words. “I try to show the kids, even in kindergarten, about being […]
| By The Active Age
Skilled gardeners prove you can pull up roots and still be successful. The last time Everett and Michelle Price were on the Sedgwick County Garden Tour, in 2014, they showed off a sunny yard in Haysville. Now they live on the former Brown Nursery property in west Wichita, where they inherited about 65 trees, including […]
| By Tammara Fogle
McCormick Museum movie Local film buff Rick Every will host the McCormick School Museum’s third annual showing of 16 mm educational films, complete with popcorn and lemonade, at 5 p.m. Saturday, June 1. Every is a former projectionist at the Orpheum Theatre and technician at KAKE-TV and Century II, plus a collector of reel-to-reel films […]
| By Diana Breit Wolfe
Last month, I attended the AARP Smart Driver Course. I’ve been driving Wichita streets and U.S. highways for 66 years, since I was 14. But I was still impressed with how much new stuff there is to learn about our roads, signs and car safety. The husband-and-wife volunteer presenters —Tom and Brenda Gibson — keep […]
| By The Active Age
Mary Clarkin took first and second place in the Seniors Story category of the 2024 Kansas Press Association awards for articles in The Active Age. Clarkin won first place for “How old is too old?” (July 2023), a look at how older voters view the leading presidential candidates, and second place for “Seniors grapple with […]
| By Monica Cissell
The Central Plains Area Agency on Aging (CPAAA) celebrates the theme of this year’s Older Americans Month, “Powered by Connection,” by focusing on the impact that meaningful connections have on our well-being. “It’s not only about having someone to chat with, it’s about the potential that connections have in enhancing mental, physical and emotional well-being,” […]
| By The Active Age
Remember that time Festus broke some of Quint’s equipment, and they rode to Wichita to get it fixed only to fall for the same saloon girl who happened to be on the run from a jealous boyfriend? You might if you were a fan of “Gunsmoke,” the longest-running western in TV history. Although primarily set […]