June 1, 2022 | By Joe Stumpe
NEWTON — “Intergenerational interaction” is one of the hottest concepts around, based on the idea that people of different ages can learn and benefit from each other. It seems that Newton Presbyterian Manor anticipated the trend. The senior living community last month celebrated the 30th anniversary of opening the Apple-A-Day preschool inside its halls. Whether […]
| By Mary Clarkin
DERBY — Gloria Jaeckel found plenty of kindred souls when she joined the Community Quilters group at the Derby Senior Center. “Some of my best friends are people I met two years ago,” Jaeckel said. Those friends don’t think it’s unusual that Jaeckel drives south from her home in Wichita to the Derby center each […]
| By The Active Age
As a military kid, Jim Hall went to 14 schools before finishing high school in Derby. But his parents’ community involvement remained a constant. “They were always very active in some kind of volunteer activity no matter where they lived,” he said. Hall carries on that tradition today as a volunteer with ICT Food Rescue, […]
| By Debbi Elmore
It’d be hard to find a bigger fan and practitioner of sewing than Katrina Stockton. Which makes her the perfect person to open what she believes is Kansas’ first sewing history museum. “It had always been in my thoughts — and a dream,” Stockton said. Stockton opened the Sewing History Museum in a historic […]
| By Sherry Buettgenbach
Through our dining room window, my husband and I watched a variety of birds visit our backyard over the years. Robins, finches, wrens, even woodpeckers enchanted us with their beauty and songs. But we were never graced with a bluebird until we learned you have to draw them in. One spring day, Gary bought a […]
| By The Active Age
The Active Age won four Awards of Excellence in the 2022 Kansas Press Association contest. Mary Clarkin won first place for a health story on how mental illness is driving Wichita’s homeless crisis. Amy Geiszler-Jones won second place for a senior story on how grandparents are often drawn into domestic violence cases involving younger generations. […]
| By The Active Age
Wichita’s oldest pipe organ to be celebrated St. Anthony Church will mark the 100th anniversary of its pipe organ with a concert at 1 p.m. Saturday, June 25. The church is located at Second and Ohio streets. The public is welcome and there is no admission charge. According to the Catholic Diocese of Wichita, the […]
| By The Active Age
Donate at least $50 to The Active Age, and you could win a family membership to Botanica. The Active Age will hold a drawing for a family membership each month for the next six months from among people on our “Honor Roll” list of donors. The Active Age wishes to thank Botanica for providing the […]
| By Diana Breit Wolfe
Diana Breit Wolfe It’s hard to believe now, but this newspaper — in print since 1979 — nearly went out of business five years ago. The years of 2013 through 2015 were troubling ones for The Active Age. During that three-year period, our losses totaled $113,000. Even though advertising income had increased, expenses went up […]
| By The Active Age
Sedgwick County Commissioner Lacey Cruse is still hopeful that the county can find a use for some or all of $320,000 in contingency funds earmarked for senior-related services. Cruse disputed a report in the May issue of The Active Age that the county’s Department on Aging had returned the money to the county’s general fund. […]
| By Ted Blankenship
Three concerts this month will be the finale for Chamber Music at the Barn, nearly 30 years after Bob and Patsy Scott launched the music series at their Prairie Pines property on North Tyler Road. An accompanying youth music education program is also ending. “It’s not something we wanted to do, that’s for sure,” Bob […]
| By Ted Blankenship
If you watched a lot of basketball as I did during the NCAA Tournament, you’re likely confused by some of the terms used in the game. For example, there’s the airball. You might think it’s similar to air guitar, which is strumming an imaginary guitar. But it’s actually a shot that misses the rim, backboard […]
| By The Active Age
When Byron West was young, he took piano lessons for about three years before giving it up. “I wanted to be outside playing sports more,” he said, adding that he “thought I was going to be a professional athlete.” West remembers his father’s words: “You know, you’re going to regret that.” He did not become […]
| By Diana Morton
Crown Uptown Theatre, 3207 E. Douglas. The Addams Family. A kooky comedy for all ages. 8 pm Fri, Sat; 2 pm Sun, June 3-26. Tickets, dinner and show $40-45; Show only) $25-$30. 316-612-7696 Kechi Playhouse, 100 E. Kechi Road, Play On! by Rick Abbott. A theater group tries desperately to put on a play in […]
| By Monica Cissel
Most people are aware of the risk of falling due to snowy and icy conditions. But there’s another weather phenomena — high winds — that also pose a threat. On April 23, Wichita recorded sustained winds of 29 miles per hour, with gusts up to 54 miles per hour around noon. On that day, an […]
| By Robert Miller
While dementia affects people differently, there are common milestones. Knowing them may help families prepare for each step. Start with acceptance In an ideal scenario, families have conversations earlier than the onset of illness. If you’ve noticed a loved one being forgetful, foggy or behaving in unusual ways, it’s important not to dismiss those moments […]
| By The Active Age
Two Derby artists were recognized for their work in the Art is Ageless calendar produced by Presbyterian Manors of Mid-America. Skip Kreibach, above with Gov. Laura Kelly, exhibited a painting titled Lamp and Tea Kettle, part of the 2020 calendar. Mark Ward, above, displayed a painting called Fresh Start, included in the 2021 calendar.
| By Tammara Fogle
Dear Savvy Senior, Can you recommend any businesses or services that specialize in helping seniors downsize and relocate? I need to find some help moving my mother from her four-bedroom home – where she’s lived for nearly 50 years – to an apartment near me. Overwhelmed Daughter Dear Overwhelmed, The process of downsizing and moving […]
May 2, 2022 | By The Active Age
The Sedgwick County Department on Aging returned $320,000 to the county’s general fund this year, disappointing some people familiar with the needs of older residents. County commissioners created a $500,000 contingency fund for the department in August and directed staff to determine if and how the money should be used. That came after commissioners adopted […]
| By Bob Rives
One hundred years ago this summer, Wichita celebrated the opening of a baseball park unlike any seen here before or since. Located at 12th and Mosley streets, Monrovian Park was built and named for Wichita’s entry in the Colored Western League. They were a black counterpart to Wichita’s Izzies, who played in the white class […]
| By The Active Age
Early on in the pandemic, three veteran Wichita musicians decided there was no need to sit home playing tunes alone. “We just decided we could probably socially distance in Doug’s spacious basement,” Dan Monnat said of Doug Webb’s home. Phil Snow rounds out the trio – called, appropriately, the House Band – which will have […]
| By Cecilia Green
The process of dying can be lonely and scary. Family members may be distraught and overwhelmed. Friends and relatives stop calling and visiting, not knowing what to say. The isolation is soul crushing. This was the situation within my own family when my son Michael in Denver stopped treatment after two years of brutal chemotherapy […]
| By The Active Age
The traditional center of Wichita’s Hispanic population now has a photographic history of its own. “Mexican Americans of Wichita’s North End” was published earlier this year by Arcadia Publishing and has been selling briskly. The book is a collaboration between Anita Mendoza, a real estate agent who grew up in the North End; Jay Price, […]
| By The Active Age
Veteran honored Retired Brig. Gen. Arthur Bloomer was awarded a Commendation Medal by the Mary Draper Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution. Bloomer was a Marine and Naval aviator for 31 years, serving in Japan, Vietnam, Hawaii and elsewhere. He lives at Wichita Presbyterian Manor with his wife, Sue, who received a handmade […]
| By The Active Age
Members of The Active Age staff were honored to take part in delivering Meals on Wheels to help commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Older Americans Act Nutrition Program. We salute the employees of Senior Services, Inc. and volunteers such as Don Martinson, right, who make Meals on Wheels possible. The first 17 Meals on […]