Welcome to the 2024 fall and winter edition of Baldwin City Living.
I’m so happy to be back in action with another great issue highlighting this busy and bustling city. Though Baldwin City is technically considered a small town, each issue proves to me that it is a city focused on continuing to build community and providing safe spaces for young entrepreneurs and artists to grow.
This fall, I hope you can get into the fall spirit and enjoy the plentiful events Baldwin has to offer, such as Hometown Halloween and the Festival of Lights.
In another story, get an inside look at the new community center the Baldwin City Recreation Commission and city council have been hard at work on this past year.
In our feature, we celebrate artist Lindsey Toot, whose work titled “In Bloom” was recently featured at the Lumberyard Arts Center and is on display until October 4. Also, learn about the work the LAC is doing to further young minds and their creative endeavors.
Special thanks to the Lumberyard Arts Center, Baldwin City Recreation Commission, Baldwin City Municipal Government and more for helping us make this issue possible.
Kalli Jo Smith, Editor
departments
Hometown Halloween Baldwin City’s spooktacular event is back
Caring for the Community Recreation Commission will bring new opportunities
Lindsey Toot is “In Bloom” Local artist and scholarship recipient showcases new exhibit
A Guide to Baldwin City
on the cover Local artist and scholarship recipient showcases her latest project titled “In Bloom.” Photo by Meagan Young
Baldwin City’s spooktacular event is back
Story by Debbie Leckron Miller | Photos by Pitts Photography
Mild-mannered and peaceful most days, downtown Baldwin City morphs into a spirited haunt come Halloween night. There’s the mayor manning the haunted city hall basement, Baker University students handing out candy from their car trunks on High Street, the Lumberyard Arts Center spinning spooky stories and, simply, all of downtown welcoming a costumed crowd of 800 for an evening of free, nottoo-scary fun.
The tradition started in 2017 when businesses and Baker students came together on blocked-off High Street for the first Hometown Halloween. The Baldwin City Chamber of Commerce took charge, and “it’s become a special event and attraction for the community, and has evolved and grown every year since then,” says Jeannette Blackmar, who was the chamber executive director during the event’s beginnings and today serves on the chamber board and as director of Lumberyard Arts Center.
Nowadays, from 5 to 7 p.m. on October 31, Spider Man, Minnie Mouse, Raggedy Ann, skeletons, an occasional gorilla and families roam High Street. Sacks fill up quickly with candy and prizes along Trunk or Treat row, where Baker students, assisted living residents, businesses and nonprofit organizations give out goodies. From there, more sweets await along downtown sidewalks during storefront trick-or-treating.
“It’s creatively fun. All the kids have costumes on, and they’re happy, laughing and playful. Everybody is enjoying their Halloween experience and out to have a great time.”
–Jeannette Blackmar
City hall, the public library and Lumberyard all get in on the Hometown Halloween fun. The long line-up outside city hall hints at how popular its haunted basement is. Kids creep down the spider-webbed and graffitied stairs to the black-lit underground. The glow-in-the-dark maze leads them past a jail cell and its handcuffed skeleton, a vault with haunting music or a movie playing, an apothecary with gross (but fake) eyeballs in jars, and other tiny, somewhat terrifying rooms.
“It’s pretty dark down there,” admits organizer Lynn Meador, communications director for Baldwin City Municipal Government, “but we do our best to make sure it’s safe.”
Parents are welcome to brave the haunted basement, too. “We leave it up to the parents whether they accompany their children or not,” Meador explains. “Kids are very different— what one three-year-old thinks is amazing, a 10-year-old might think is horrifying. Nothing jumps out at you, nothing will haunt you forever, but our haunted house is spookier than anything else we know of in town.”
“Hometown Halloween is a straight-up community event. It’s us.”
–Lynn Meador
And that’s Meador’s goal: to “up” the scare factor a bit from other activities. The unused cellar in the 1900s city hall is the perfect eerie venue for Halloween or any time. “The basement spooks all of us,” she laughs. “It’s creepy!”
For tamer fun, elementaryage kids can stop by the Lumberyard Arts Center for Halloween craft-making and story-telling by a theater group. “It’s creatively fun,” Blackmar says. “All the kids have costumes on, and they’re happy, laughing and playful. Everybody is enjoying their Halloween experience and out to have a great time.”
It is the same with the more child-focused Library Haunt at the Baldwin City Library.
“We decorate the activity room according to a theme, but it’s not really scary,” says library director Lisa LaFountain. After snacks, drinks and a visit to the haunt, youngsters can take home free pumpkins. “We collaborate with South Baldwin Farms and give away about 200 or so small pumpkins,” LaFountain says.
Meador adds that she loves fall, especially this homegrown event two weeks after the Maple Leaf Festival. “Hometown Halloween is a straight-up community event,” Meador concludes. “It’s us.”
Above Baldwin City residents take to downtown to enjoy the 2023 Hometown Halloween event.
FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS
Baldwin City’s merriest day, the Festival of Lights, begins with a jolly Breakfast with Santa and wraps up with the twinkling lighted parade. In between, gingerbread-house-making, a holiday crafts bazaar, and the Hallelujah Chorus Choir help ring in the season.
“It’s the kickoff for everything holiday,” says Lynn Meador, communications director for Baldwin City Municipal Government, about the annual celebration set for Saturday, December 7.
From 9 to 11 a.m., youngsters can join Santa for pancakes, sausages and pictures at the Elementary School Intermediate Center. The Lumberyard Arts Center helps kids create gingerbread houses in the morning, and the public is invited to vote for their favorite house and view the Lumberyard’s Itty Bitty Art Show (weesized works by local artists) that evening.
At the Holiday Bazaar at Vintage Park assisted living, a dozen or so vendors sell their knitting, jewelry, woodworking, soaps and jams from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Evening festivities include the community’s Hallelujah Chorus Choir concert and hot chocolate and craft-making at the city library. The star attraction, the Festival of Lights Parade, flickers on at 6 p.m. Glowing fire trucks, floats, antique cars, miniature horse and carriage, scout units and police vehicles proceed along 8th and High streets and deliver Santa and the mayor to city hall for the mayor’s Christmas tree lighting ceremony and pictures with Santa. Fireworks traditionally conclude the day’s merriment.
Caring FOR THE Community
Recreation Commission will bring new opportunities for Baldwin City
Story by Ian Brannan | Photos by Nick Krug
Anew community center is about to open in a building donated to the city. This center will provide muchneeded indoor space for hosting events and activities in Baldwin City.
According to Glenn Rodden, Baldwin City’s city administrator, the project was initiated six years ago. The building’s owner was a former council member whose heirs gave the building to the City after his death.
The community center will be the new space for the Baldwin City Recreation Commission, which will move into the building in late September. The recreation commission agreed to move into the new space to manage the building on behalf of the city. A ribbon cutting will likely occur in early October to celebrate the center’s opening.
Established in 1984, the Baldwin City Recreation Commission is a hub for activities and events for citizens of Baldwin City and surrounding areas. It provides community youth, adult, and senior programs and offers recreational sports leagues, special events, and childcare. With a new building, the Recreation Commission can do even more.
“This new building will allow Baldwin City Recreation Commission to program in some new ways we haven’t been able to before,” says Matt McClure, Baldwin City Recreation Commission director. “We will be able to add some new special events, particularly in the colder months. In addition, there will be a warming kitchen for catered events, an indoor, full-length hitting cage, a golf simulator as well as a gaming system, all for rent as part of the building.”
One and Two Bedroom Apartments
The aging building required maintenance and improvements, so fundraising for renovations became the city’s next task. The $2.4 million needed to complete the project came from various sources, including donations from individuals and state and local tax dollars.
“Because it is a historic building, we worked with the State Historic Preservation Office out of Topeka, and we’ve gotten tax credits for the building,” Rodden says. “The rest of the funding comes from an existing sales tax that we’ve had for what is commonly known as quality of life here in Baldwin City, and that was passed years ago. So, it’s not a new sales tax. We’re just using an existing sales tax money for that building.”
Rodden also says the building looks completely different from what it did just a year ago when they started the project.
Much of the work for the center is complete except for the finishing touches that are currently in progress. The building’s furniture will be delivered and assembled in late September.
609 High St. Suite A
Baldwin City, KS 66006
785-764-0442
Tracy Bennett Owner-Stylist
“Everyone has done a great job, and we’re looking forward to opening it up and using it,” Rodden says.
According to McClure, the building will host various events, ranging from small meetings to big gatherings. At approximately 10,000 square feet, it should accommodate about 150 people.
“It will enable a wide range of indoor programming, youth basketball and volleyball practices, pickleball, as well as indoor baseball and softball hitting cages,” McClure says. “It is also designed for professional luncheons, community or private meetings. It also allows for larger events such as public and private birthday parties, anniversaries and wedding receptions.”
McClure notes that while the building will be a great place for athletic activities, it will not have workout equipment or an indoor walking track.
Those interested in renting the space can contact Baldwin City Recreation by calling 785-594-3670, emailing info@ baldwinrec.org, or by visiting their website baldwinrec.org and clicking on ‘Contact Us’ at the bottom of the page.
From left Trevor Smith (assistant director of Baldwin City Recreation Commission), Casey Simoneau (mayor), Matt McClure (director of Baldwin City Recreation Commission).
Dandurand, P.E. InterNACHI Certified Professional Inspector royalinspectionskc.com RoyalHomeInspectionsKC@gmail.com
events
August 9–October 4
Lindsey Toot’s “In Bloom” Lumberyard Arts Center Gallery
Original exhibits featuring Lindsey Toot’s “In Bloom,” and Barry Fitzgerald’s “Bo(a)tanicals.” Available for viewing Wednesday and Thursday, 1–5 p.m., and Saturday, 10 a.m.–5 p.m.
September 20
Baker Bash
Baker University
Enjoy an outdoor party tailored to high school juniors and seniors. The afternoon includes pep rally welcome, student organizations, academic programs, prizes and more. 1–3:30 p.m.
September 20 & 21
Mum Sale
Baldwin City Library
Friends of the Baldwin City Library presents the annual Mum Sale. This community event is Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturday, 8 a.m. to noon. Mums will be $13 each for nonmembers and $10 for members.
September 28
Fundraiser Concert & Silent Auction
Sullivan Square & Lumberyard Arts Center
As part of the Third Friday Market, visitors can also enjoy a performance by The Wheatfield Rebellion from 7 to 9 p.m., as well as a silent auction from 6 to 8 p.m. Proceeds will support youth art scholarships.
October 5
Community Center Open House
Baldwin City Community Center
Join city officials and the Baldwin City Recreation Commission for the longawaited opening of the new community center. Tours will be available from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Ribbon cutting will take place at 2 p.m.
October 19 & 20
Maple Leaf Festival
Downtown Baldwin
Spend the weekend downtown at the annual Maple Leaf Festival. This highly anticipated event will feature an array of creative vendors, food, music and more.
October 26
Maple Leaf Gravel Grind
Downtown Baldwin
November 23
Holiday on High Lumberyard Arts Center
Baldwin City Players presents the Holiday on High event beginning at 7 p.m.
December 5–7
Charles Dickens’ Christmas Carol: A Radio Play
Rice Auditorium
Baker University presents an original adaptation of a classic tale by Trevor Belt, director of theatre, this fresh interpretation of Ebenezer Scrooge’s tale of redemption places the story in the hands of a group of actors recording a radio version of the play.
December 7
Christmas Parade & Festival of Lights 8th & High Street
Enjoy Baldwin’s most beloved Christmas event featuring an array of activities throughout the day and a parade beginning at 6 p.m. Flip to page 9 for more information.
December 7
Holiday Bizarre
New Life Assembly
September 28
Final Saturdays under the Stars (Third Friday Market)
Downtown Baldwin
Head downtown to support local businesses, scholarships, food, art and music at this community-driven event from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
The Baldwin City Recreation Commission presents the 6th annual Maple Leaf Gravel Grind. This event features 16-, 35- and 70mile route options. Register by October 9. After the race, stick around for the annual Beer, Wine and Spirit Fest event.
October 31
Hometown Halloween
Downtown Baldwin City
Celebrate Halloween downtown from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. This year’s festivities will include Trunk or Treat, a haunted house in City Hall’s basement, crafts at the Lumberyard Arts Center and more.
Get into the Christmas spirit with cookies and hot cider while shopping handmade gifts from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Santa Claus will appear at 1 p.m.
January 17
Opening Reception
Lumberyard Arts Center Gallery
The LAC presents an opening reception with Theresa Shetler. 5:30 p.m.
February 25
Live on High Lumberyard Arts Center
The LAC presents the Baldwin City High School Jazz Band. 7 p.m.
PHOTO Meagan Young
Lindsey Toot is
Local artist and scholarship recipient showcases new exhibit
Story by Lucas Shivers
Photos by Meagan Young
Coming back home, local artist Lindsey Toot
showcased a new exhibit at the Lumberyard Arts Center (LAC). The show, titled “In Bloom,” runs from August 9 to October 4 at the LAC.
Toot is both a 2020 Baldwin City High School graduate and a 2024 graduate from KU School of Architecture & Design with an emphasis in animation.
“As I have gotten older, I have realized how important it is to take time for family, friends and new experiences,” says Toot. “It really does help with my creative process and gaining new knowledge and ideas for projects.”
As a four-year scholarship recipient from LAC, Toot’s full circle back home highlights the community and her growth.
“For this project, I wanted ‘In Bloom’ to capture the visual variety of the seasons throughout the 12 months of the year,” Toot says. “Each month features different organic shapes, color schemes and textures.”
“Each work embraces the diverse personalities of life, accepting change and rebirth as we move into the next month or season,” says Toot. “I chose to present these illustrations as vibrant Risograph prints (a technique best described as a digital screen printing), where each reproduction of the image is layered differently, mirroring nature’s organic imperfections.”
For now, Toot plans to take on freelance work to stay in the area. She also plans to show and sell her work at the Maple Leaf Festival. This year the event is set for October 19 and 20.
“I’m connecting with the art people around a bit more and hoping to keep getting my name out there,” she says.
The “In Bloom” opening reception and welcoming event at the LAC on August 16 drew dozens to share in the new show and greet a hometown artist.
S. Main St., Suite 103, Ottawa, KS 66067 • 785-856-5100
“It was a great turnout with so many people coming out to support me with old friends and college connections,” says Toot. “It’s so great to have the support and shows I’m on the right track. The community gets what I’m trying to do, and it’s so nice.”
More on “In Bloom” At the show, Toot’s featured Risograph printing is a unique, eco-friendly printing method combining screen printing and digital offset.
“It uses soy-based inks and a stencil-like process to transfer designs onto paper,
which involves creating a master for each color and layering them to achieve vibrant, rich prints,” she says.
The Risograph technique is known for its affordability and speed. It produces a distinctive, slightly imperfect aesthetic, making it popular for art prints, zines and limited edition works.
“The process is particularly valued for its ability to create bright colors,” says Toot. “It has low environmental impact compared to other printing methods.”
In a work titled “January,” Toot’s process allows each color to receive its own master layer.
“I started with the bottom layer of yellow, focusing on the broader areas of the illustration,” says Toot. “Next, blue ink is layered over the yellow on the leaves and stems, creating a medium green. Orange and pink are added last, focusing only on the petals.”
Toot’s linework was also created during this step.
“Overall, it is important to consider negative space and color theory when layering colors in Risograph illustrations,” she says.
Homecoming
As a Baldwin City native, Toot draws on her upbringing to inspire her work and others.
“I grew up in Baldwin City, and I always loved drawing from a very young age,” says Toot. “I had shower markers my mom gave me to draw on the bathtub, which was lots of fun when I was younger.”
Her time in art classes throughout USD 348 provided opportunities for diverse experiences and mediums.
“I always loved my art classes growing up and really wanted to pursue it more once high school came around,” says Toot. “One art teacher named Ms. Weaver really helped me through that time.”
Toot says she found additional inspiration from traveling and nature.
“I enjoy expanding on themes and imagery I enjoyed as a kid into adulthood. A fantasy illustrator named Mary Barker, who has created lots of fairy and garden [art], was a big
Artist Lindsey Toot stands in front of her recently opened exhibit.
inspiration for my ‘In Bloom’ series,” says Toot.
Toot plans to continue as a freelance artist and illustrator and allow her art to take her to even more places while maintaining her connections to Baldwin City.
“I would like to work in preproduction for animation studios, but I would be content making a living doing anything creative,” she says. “Time management is still a huge learning curve for me, but going through KU’s illustration program has helped me understand to take breaks during your creative process to stretch and not injure yourself.”
Scholarship Support
Toot was one of the few students who received the LAC’s Laura Dickinson Youth Art Scholarship.
“LAC really helped me solidify what I wanted to study at KU with a solid hometown support system,” says Toot. “I was so grateful for the scholarship, and it really helped to ensure I stayed on track and kept up my studio work all four years at KU. It kept me in touch with the LAC and community with strong connections.”
Toot says the LAC’s support and opportunities over the last several years have been a highlight of her experience at KU.
“At KU, many talented and wellestablished artists visited, allowing us to network and get one-on-one critiques from professionals,” Toot says. “I have definitely made great connections and friendships through the arts at KU and the Lawrence art scene.”
LAC’s long-term vision is to work with KU School of Architecture & Design to build the unfinished space at the LAC that will serve, in part, as a creative studio for other high school students to apply their graphic design skills.
“We couldn’t be more excited for the timing of Lindsey’s exhibit,” says Jeannette Blackmar, executive director at the Lumberyard Arts Center. “It serves to kick off a longer-term partnership with KU School of Architecture & Design.”
The vision of an apprentice mentorship that guides the
Lumberyard’s Laura Dickinson Youth Art Scholarship Program
Current Recipients
• Sierra Breedlove music education major at Washburn University
• Ellis Conover creative writing major at University of Kansas
• Kaleigh Griffith arts education major at Benedictine College
• Jewel Marsh arts education major at University of Kansas
• Ainsley Weiss graphic design major at Allen County Community College
development of young artists and the KU partnership will bring together student design ideas, fabrication, and execution of a new building space.
“It is exciting to think that students will be designing creative spaces for young artists of the future,” Blackmar says.
LAC will also host a fundraiser concert and silent auction to support the youth art scholarships with a local band known as Wheatfield Rebellion on September 28 at the Third Friday Market from 7 to 9 p.m. All proceeds support the youth scholarship program.
“Donations are the primary source of revenue supporting our arts scholarship program,” says Blackmar. “We are thankful for the generosity of our community.”
Sisters Karly (left) and Lindsey Toot stand in the Lumberyard Arts Center gallery together.
RESOURCE
CITY SERVICES
Douglas County
DOUGLAS COUNTY SERVICES
douglascountyks.org
Douglas County Sheriff dgso.org (785) 841-0007
Douglas County Fire & Medical lawrenceks.org/fire-medical (785) 830-7000
Douglas County Health Department ldchealth.org (785) 843-3060
Douglas County Youth Services douglascountyks.org/depts/youth-services (785) 331-1300
Bert Nash Community Health Center bertnash.org (785) 843-9192
Baldwin City Chamber of Commerce baldwincitychamber.com
Baldwin City Library baldwin.mykansaslibrary.org (785) 594-3411
Lumberyard Arts Center lumberyardartscenter.org (785) 594-3186
POST-SECONDARY EDUCATION
PUBLIC SCHOOLS – USD 348
Baldwin High School usd348.com/schools/bhs/
594-2725 Baldwin Junior High usd348.com/schools/bjhs/ (785) 594-2448 Baldwin Elementary School Intermediate Center usd348.com/schools/besic/ (785) 594-2446
Baldwin Elementary School Primary Center usd348.com/schools/bespc/ (785) 594-2444
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Gabe and Katelyn Spurgeon, with their three children Grayson, Thomas, and Olivia at South Baldwin Farms
