December 1, 2022 | By Gail Goolsby
Editor’s note: Last year’s chaotic withdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan prompted these recollections by Wichitan Gail Goolsby. The Taliban, whose legacy Goolsby found so destructive in the mid 2000s, are again in control of the south Asia nation. I never wanted to live outside the United States and particularly not a place like Afghanistan. […]
| By The Active Age
Christmas events on tap at school museum The McCormick School Museum, 855 S. Martinson, will hold its Christmas open house the first weekend in December. Wichita school music groups will perform from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 2, with tours from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. On Dec. 3 and 4, tours […]
| By Ted Blankenship
It wouldn’t have happened if not for our cats, Cat One and Cat Two. In a round-about way, they were responsible for our acquisition of a Brittany Spaniel that we hadn’t planned on acquiring. We had taken the cats to the veterinarian, and as we were leaving, the vet mentioned that he had something we […]
| By Diana Morton
Crown Uptown Theatre. A Crown Holiday Spectacular! Madi White and Max Wilson emcee this Rockettes-inspired Christmas production featuring a 7-piece band, high energy vocals, dancing and holiday cheer. 8 pm Th-Sat (doors open at 6:30), 2 pm Sun (doors open at 12:30), Nov 18-Dec 18. Dinner and show, $25-$45; Show only, $10-$30. 316-612-7696 Forum Theatre […]
| By The Active Age
The Beechwood neighborhood, hastily built to house aircraft workers during World War II, survived longer than previously thought. Or at least some of its barracks-like housing units did. Unlike Planeview and Hilltop Manor — Wichita’s two other “temporary” WWII neighborhoods that remain in existence today — Beechwood was cleared and the site along East Douglas […]
| By The Active Age
Cathy Feemster never forgot her grandmother’s story about a stray dog. Now she’s turned the tale into a children’s book, “My Friend Rachel by Shep, the dog.” Feemster’s grandmother, the late Rachel Brooks Coates, is a main character in the book along with her brother, Jake. Shep, a stray dog the siblings adopt, narrates the […]
November 1, 2022 | By Joe Stumpe
McConnell Air Force Base has served many missions through the decades, from training bomber crews and maintaining intercontinental ballistic missiles to its current focus on air refueling and military intelligence. No task proved more perilous to the pilots stationed there than its stint as a home to fighter squadrons during the Vietnam War. “It was […]
| By Bob Rives
They called Frederic Remington a lot of things — fun-loving, lazy, football player, boxer and above all an artist. And for two years, they also called him a Kansan. Remington was born in Canton, N.Y., in 1861, and for his first four years his dad was away. The senior Remington was a Civil War Union […]
| By The Active Age
By now, you’ve probably seen a plethora of polls and heard plenty about what’s wrong and which candidate is going to fix it. The Active Age conducted a different, very unscientific kind poll at last month’s AARP Kansas food truck/voting rally in Grandparents Park, asking participants what they were happy or grateful for.
| By Joe Stumpe
A program that deliveries groceries to older Wichitans will shut down unless $50,000 can be raised by Dec. 15, according to the nonprofit that operates it. The Roving Pantry program has been around for more than 40 years. It has served 101 people in 2022 and currently is helping 77, said Laurel Alkire, executive director […]
| By The Active Age
AUGUSTA — There have been times when Lynda Maier looked at the weather forecast and reconsidered her plans for a weekend camping trip. Then she thought of the Koontzes, Barnetts and other members of the Kansa Travelers club and knew she didn’t want to miss their company. “When you go with a club, you go […]
| By Ted Ayers
Over the years, when asked where I was from, I would answer: “Hamilton, Missouri.” Occasionally I would add: “It’s the birthplace and hometown of J.C. Penney!” There was a time when ninety-nine percent of those I was in conversation with at least knew J.C. Penney, the store, if they did not actually know there was James Cash Penney, […]
| By Beth Bower
Tailgating is a social gathering at which an informal meal is served from the back of a parked vehicle, typically in the parking lot of a sports stadium. Lots of fun, for sure, but then so is enjoying football, food, friends and family in the comfort of your home. And now that approach has its own name: Homegating. […]
| By Ted Blankenship
When I was a senior at Eureka High School in 1945, I put together a seven-piece jazz combo made up of a couple of school friends and some older musicians. The instruments were tenor sax, alto sax, trumpet, trombone, piano, rhythm guitar and drums. We were able to rehearse only about once a week because […]
| By Nancy Wheeler
Around Veteran’s Day, we often remember those who served in the military, but how much do we know about the big one — World War II? Test your knowledge on these questions—some easy, some harder. The answers appear page 30. 1. Which two countries were the first to declare war on Germany? 2. From which […]
| By Julie Hying
DERBY — Rhonda Kemp knows the pain of losing a loved one too soon. Her daughter, Lacy, died of a prescription opioid overdose in 2014, at age 30. Now Kemp hopes to help others deal with loss through a book and support group. Her 2021 book, “Remarkable You: Revisiting Love, Regrets and Celebrations,” presents writing […]
| By Diana Morton
Crown Uptown Theatre, 3207 E. Douglas. A Crown Holiday Spectacular. Inspired by the Radio City Hall Rockettes, this show features a big band, singing and a kick-line sensation. Doors open at 6:30 pm Fri-Sat; show at 8 pm. Sun, doors open at 12:30 pm; show at 2 pm. Nov 18-27. Tickets, dinner & show, $40-45; […]
| By The Active Age
The Active Age’s newest board member brings with her a varied business background and love of learning. Patti Sullivan was voted onto the board during its September meeting. Sullivan earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology and business administration from the University of Massachusetts and a master’s degree in education from Arizona State University. A Wichita […]
| By The Active Age
Veterans parade to honor female vets By James Bower Organizers of this year’s Veterans Day Parade in Wichita are encouraging female veterans to take part in this year’s event. “Honoring Women Veterans” is the theme of the Nov. 5 parade. The idea came to Vietnam veteran Herb Duncan two years ago but was delayed by […]
| By Sharon Van Horn
Although we might like to keep retirement funds in our account indefinitely, according to the IRS one generally has to start taking withdrawals from an IRA, SIMPLE IRA, SEP IRA or retirement plan account upon reaching the age 72. However, starting at age 70 1/2, one option is to take a Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD), […]
October 1, 2022 | By Amy Geiszler-Jones
When Lori Hein turned the legal voting age of 18, not only did she cast her vote in her first eligible election — she also worked the polls in Harvey County as a volunteer. That was back in 1976 — the year America celebrated its bicentennial — and the 64-year-old Hein has worked almost every […]
| By The Active Age
There’s no shortage of local residents needing hearing aids. A Sedgwick County program that will provide hearing aids to people closed almost as soon as it opened last month after 63 applicants quickly accounted for all the available money. The program is being administered by the Independent Living Resource Center, a Wichita nonprofit. “That has […]
| 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. […]