September 8, 2022 | By The Active Age
On Monday, Sept. 12, 2022, at 3 p.m. Sedgwick County and the City of Wichita will take part in an unprecedented test of the Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA) system, according to a news release from the county. WEAs are part of the public alert structure that is used for emergency information to residents’ phones. Examples of WEA […]
August 1, 2022 | By Joe Stumpe
More mornings than not, Bill and Carrie Van Sickle can be found gliding along the Little Arkansas River in one or two kayaks, enjoying the exercise and scenery. They usually cover between four and seven miles, their oars and sleek craft barely rippling the mirror-like surface. “This river is basically a hidden gem,” Carrie said. […]
| By Joe Stumpe
If you own a painting by Ernest Aspinwall, Bob Bayer wants to talk. Aspinwall is hardly a household name, but he was something of a criminal celebrity in Wichita in the 1940s and ’50s. Charged with kidnapping a Wichita taxi driver in October 1940, Aspinwall escaped from the Sedgwick County Jail three months later and […]
| By The Active Age
Spending by Sedgwick County’s Department on Aging won’t keep up with the current level of inflation under a proposed budget for 2023. The department, which is the primary provider of senior-related services in Wichita and the rest of the county, would see its budget rise 3.2 percent to $13.95 million next year. Commissioners David Dennis […]
| By The Active Age
NORTH NEWTON — Growing up in western Kansas, Diane Sorensen’s first experience with chickens was at her grandparents’ house. While it was fun to gather the eggs, she said, “What I remember is how scary the rooster was.” Today, she not only raises chickens, she’s made one the title character of a children’s book — […]
| By The Active Age
You know that heart-tugging scene at the end of “It’s a Wonderful Life” when the whole town shows up to save George Bailey from financial ruin? His wife, Mary, opens the door to one townsperson after another. Uncle Billy dumps a basket of cash on a living room table and says, “Isn’t it wonderful? . […]
| By Ted Blankenship
I am sitting in my office staring out the window at the field north of our house for inspiration. But all I see is a bunch of big, round bales of hay and Bel Aire’s water tower. Neither of these things is very funny. The tower is important, though, because it’s full of water and […]
July 1, 2022 | By The Active Age
Editor’s note: This month we’re running Dear Reader columns from two of our board members — one about the heartening response to our current plight, and the other about our continuing need. By Diana Breit Wolfe I am totally impressed. You like us — you really, really like us! I know that because after my […]
| By The Active Age
The 7th annual Farm to Fork event in Butler County celebrates agriculture in Kansas’ largest county with eight days of events. Here are highlights of the schedule with prices of individual events. A full festival pass good for all events and meals is available for $150. July 16 — Family “Agventure” Day, 8 a.m. to […]
| By Ted Blankenship
These days parents are deciding what books their kids can read in school. And, each parent has a different idea which books are dangerous for juvenile brains. So what about nursery rhymes that have been around for a long time and may have affected a lot of little brains? If we modify these nursery rhymes, […]
| By The Active Age
1. Alaska, Texas, California, _____________ 2. Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Charles, Prince William, __________. 3. Johnson, Sedgwick, Shawnee, ____________. 4. Washington, Adams, Jefferson, ____________. 5. Alpha, Beta, Gamma, ______________. 6. Missouri, Mississippi, Yukon, ______________. 7. New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, ____________. 8. Kingdom, Phylum, Class, ______________. 9. 2, 3, 5, 7, 11, 13, _______. 10. […]
May 2, 2022 | 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 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 Tammara Fogle
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 […]
| By The Active Age
About 30 percent of Kansas nursing home employees have avoided a required COVID-19 vaccination by claiming religious or medical exemptions, an industry representative said. The federal government set a March 15 deadline for nursing home staffs to be fully vaccinated or else the facilities where they work would risk losing Medicaid and Medicare funding. However, […]
| By Laurene Gast
This is a story my friends Mary and Gene Brand told me about their wedding and her dress. They got married on Feb. 9, 1957, at Christ the King Catholic Church. The church wasn’t built yet, so the ceremony was held in the gymnasium. Mary bought the dress at Henry’s Department Store for $200. That […]
| By Michael Roehrman
Now that Kansas has an official state fruit, try Wichita Eagle editor Michael Roehrman’s recipe for sand plum jelly. Sand Plum Jelly About 5 lbs. sand plums 1 cup water 8 cups sugar 1 box Sure-Jell pectin Stem and thoroughly wash the plums. Place in a heavy bottomed pot and add water. Bring to a […]
| By Ted Ayers
“The Old Philosopher” by Bob Walterscheid (Walterscheid Productions, 2021, 55 pages, $12.00). Available at Watermark Books and theoldphilosopher.com. Bob Walterscheid enjoyed a career in sales and advertising in Wichita that spanned over 50 years. During that time, he made the first TV commercial for Pizza Hut, training films, infomercials and a full-length feature motion picture. He was […]
| By The Active Age
Senior centers in Sedgwick, Butler and Harvey counties could receive a boost from money sent to Kansas as part of the America Rescue Plan Act, the $1.9 trillion federal stimulus package passed last year in response to the coronavirus pandemic. “We think we will be able to use some of those ARPA dollars in help […]
| By The Active Age
Sedgwick County Commissioners are once again sparring over spending geared toward older residents. At their April 6 meeting, 5th District Commissioner Jim Howell reiterated an argument he’s made in the past, that the commission is ignoring the will of county residents and underfunding those Department on Aging services and programs by millions of dollars. In […]
| By Tammara Fogle
Carrying on The article “Carry Nation: Reconsidered” by Gina Kaufman (February 2022) was excellent. There has been a long chain of successors to Carry Nation in Kansas. The efforts were active for decades and had a significant influence. I cannot trace the chain back all of the way, but my memory goes back to the […]
April 4, 2022 | By Tammara Fogle
The head of Kansas’ largest philanthropic organization has abruptly resigned after less than a year on the job. Teresa Miller, president and CEO of the Kansas Health Foundation, resigned effective Friday, April 1, KHF said in a news release issued today (April 4). The news release did not say why Miller resigned or what her […]
March 31, 2022 | By Debbi Elmore
Positive aging and its nemesis — ageism — can happen anywhere. With that in mind, Wichita State University is hosting a conference next month that aims to tackle both topics. Called University Community Innovations for Positive Aging, the event’s stated purpose is “promoting positive aging and combating ageism within the University and the broader community,” […]