Discover Eudora | fall and winter 2023

Jack Low and the Eudora School District Culinary Arts Program

Chef

We keep champions in motion.

Not just any champion – every champion. From competitive athletes to weekend warriors and those who just like to stay fit by staying active, the sports medicine experts of Kansas Sports Medicine will keep you moving forward. Our board-certified physicians, physician assistants, physical therapists and sports performance specialists are ready to help you overcome injuries and reach the top of your game.

Sports

Erik Henkelman, MD Emily Heronemus, DO Stephan Prô, MD

Jeffrey Randall, MD

Luis D. Salazar, MD

Douglass E. Stull, MD

EUDORA

FALL/WINTER ’23

Discover Eudora is an official publication of the City of Eudora, the Eudora School District and the Eudora Chamber of Commerce, with editorial, design and advertising placement provided by Sunflower Publishing.

City Liaison Kevyn Gero

Chamber Liaison Jannell Lorenz

School District Liaison Jaylie Postlewait

Editor Nathan Pettengill

Art Director Alex Tatro

Copy Editor Leslie Clugston Andres

Advertising Angie Taylor

Photographers Fally Afani

Jason Dailey

Writers Fally Afani

Cindy Higgins

President Anthony Brown

www.cityofeudoraks.gov

Mayor Tim Reazin

City Manager Kevyn Gero www.eudoraschools.org

School District

Superintendent Stu Moeckel

departments.

in this issue

06 | Meet & Greet with Olivia Pacheco

08 | Meet & Greet with Dr. Douglas Mateo

10 | Big on Main Street

Main Street Market wraps up a tremendous debut year with a mix of nostalgia and an eye toward the future

14 | Holy Family’s Hidden Art Revelation

A journeyman European artist left behind artistic treasures in Eudora before the outbreak of World War I

22 | Pickleball People

www.sunflowerpub.com

Director Bob Cucciniello

Publisher Bill Uhler

All material and photographs copyright Sunflower Publishing, 2023.

For editorial queries: Nathan Pettengill (785) 832-7287 npettengill@sunflowerpub.com

For advertising queries: Angie Taylor (785) 832-7236 ataylor@sunflowerpub.com

26 | The Taste of Success

Culinary education takes Eudora students on a journey of growth, one flavor at a time

in every issue. 18 | Calendar of Events 20 | Map of Eudora 33 | Chamber of Commerce Member Directory 39 | Quick Guide

on the cover. Jack Low, director of the culinary arts program at Eudora Public Schools, sits in the locker room off of his classroom kitchen.

meet & greet with… Olivia Pacheco

owner of 800 Main Salon

Where were you born?

I was born here, grew up here, and then moved out into the country. I moved back into Eudora with my fiancé in 2021.

What was your first job?

My first job was at Jasmin Restaurant in Eudora.

When did you begin doing business in Eudora?

The salon opened in September of 2022.

How would you describe your profession to a kindergarten class? We do all things beauty!

Please fill in the underlined parts of the sentence:

Many people think my profession is about playing with hair all day, but actually it is much more about listening to our clients and creating solutions to the problems they are facing.

Since I began my profession, I have realized that clear communication is an essential skill.

My three pieces of advice for someone just starting out in my profession would be:

1) Stay educated and inspired.

2) Be authentic.

3) Know your worth.

How will upcoming growth affect Eudora businesses?

I think it’ll be beneficial for Eudora businesses! We are currently expanding the salon’s space and services to include tox injections, skin-health-based esthetics, and nails in hopes that we meet the beauty needs for our growing town.

I started there my freshman year. Waitressing taught me so much about how to talk to people, which benefits me every day in my career! We do all types of haircuts and colors, and we will be doing nails here soon! Knowing how to communicate with your clients as a stylist is so important, especially since clients are looking to build a relationship with their stylist. Some people may have insecurities regarding their hair, skin, or nails. That vulnerability can create a lot of trust between a guest and a stylist.

Photograph by Fally Afani

Plus, it’s in the fall. Eudora is extra whencozy the air is crisp and the trees are colorful. Our town deserves a good breakfast place, but breakfast and cocktails would be such a hit.

This gives me hope that my salon can be what I dream it will be in the future—a one-stop-shop with a little bit of luxury in the heart of our small town.

What is the most promising trend you have seen in the Eudora business community since you have been connected to it?

I hear the phrase “shop locally” a lot. Many of our clients have mentioned dreading a drive to Lawrence or Overland Park for beauty services and they are excited to stay in town.

What is your advice for someone considering setting up a business in Eudora?

In a small community, word gets around like wildfire. That can be to a business’s advantage, or not. From the start, you better be open and honest, and you need to have fantastic customer service. It’s important to mold your business around the town, and be flexible in responding to people’s wants and needs.

What is your favorite event in Eudora?

Eudora Fest. It’s very nostalgic for me; I remember walking Main. St. and getting apple cider with my family as a kid. It’s extra-special now because it was the first event the salon participated in last year!

What is the one thing in Eudora that you would recommend visitors see/ do?

Go to Zeb’s Coffeehouse and walk the local shops downtown. If you need a bite to eat, Gambino’s is a must.

You are given a vacant lot in Eudora and several million dollars of investment. What business/attraction would you create?

My parents are in love with a breakfast restaurant that serves specialty cocktails like a customizable bloody mary or a fruit-flavored mimosa, along with some amazing breakfast. So, in their honor, I vote for something similar.

SUBSTITUTE TEACHERS

• Enjoy a rewarding career helping our local students

Make your own schedule

• Receive weekly paychecks

Photograph by Fally Afani

meet & greet with… Dr. Douglas Mateo

owner of Mateo Chiropractic

We were in upstate New York at that time. My parents gave me a choice of working, playing sports, or sitting home and being grounded. So, I chose work and stayed there from when I was 15 to 21.It was amazing. I washed dishes, then prepped, then became a line chef. It taught me a lot about teamwork and communication. My wife still calls me “diner boy.” She’s the best cook that I know, but I do all the breakfast stuff. When we do pancake breakfasts here for the Eudora Lion’s Club, I have my mom send me the pancake batter that I used in New York.

When the nerve gets pinched, it creates a signal to the brain that says there is something wrong, creating the response of pain. My job is to do what’s called an adjustment, which is a quick pressure pulse to that spinal bone, restoring motion, and alignment to that vertebra. That adjustment frees the nerve from being pinched.

Where were you born?

New York City.

Where else have you lived?

I lived in New York City, upstate New York, in the Hudson Valley area, and I lived close to Lake Ontario when I went to SUNY Oswego. I lived in Kansas City when going to Cleveland chiropractic. We lived in Lenexa, and now we live in De Soto.

What was your first job?

My first job was a dishwasher, then a shortorder cook at a diner in New York.

When did you begin doing business in Eudora?

I began my profession in 2000 and started my practice in Eudora in 2006.

How would you describe your profession to a kindergarten class?

My job as a chiropractor is to locate and detect where spinal bones are twisted in the wrong position and are causing a pinch on a nerve.

Please fill in the underlined parts of the sentence:

Many people think my profession is about pain treatment, but actually it is much more about reducing the interference in the nervous system, allowing for the body’s internal ability to heal itself and maintain health.

Since I began my profession, I have realized that having great communication skills is essential.

My three pieces of advice for someone just starting out in my profession would be:

1) Master the technique of chiropractic adjustment.

2) Be grateful every day for the opportunity you have to help somebody in your community.

3) Get out in the community every day and meet somebody new.

What is the most promising trend you have seen in the Eudora business community since you have been connected to it?

In the past, many people left Eudora and went to other cities for services. Now more people are staying within the community and supporting local businesses.

What is your advice for someone considering setting up a business in Eudora?

Create a mission statement that supports who you are, what you do, and why you do it. Then go out into the community and show up at every event you possibly can and tell your story.

What is your favorite event in Eudora?

The homecoming day parade. The whole community comes out. We put together a Mateo Chiropractic float and get to toss treats to all of the community at this amazing event.

You are given a vacant lot in Eudora and several million dollars of investment. What business/ attraction would you create?

I would create a holistic healing center. It would have a multidisciplinary approach to health care, bringing in chiropractors, acupuncturists, nutritionists, yoga studio instructors, and mental health counselors.

Tell them your story and be open to listen to their story. We need that trend to continue to allow for increased opportunity to provide a service for our community.

Creating this space would allow healthcare providers to teach our memberscommunityholistic approaches to maintaining health from inside their own bodies.

Story by Nathan Pettengill

Big on Main Street

Main Street Market wraps up a tremendous debut year with a mix of nostalgia and an eye toward the future

Jerry Neis and Bill Reetz are holding a family reunion on the middle of Main Street, just south of the Ninth Street intersection. Neither of them planned or prepared for it. Neis, who lives in Eudora, was strolling down the street with a bag of popcorn. Reetz, who lives just outside of town, had stopped by the Kaw Valley Bank toward the end of the business day when he noticed hundreds of people filling the streets and decided to take a look. That’s when the two men ran across one another and happily caught up on one another’s lives. They are relatives who live close but hadn’t gotten to visit since a family funeral perhaps five years ago.

“Had it been that long?” one of them asked.

It had, they decided.

Five years.

Reetz and Neis continued talking for several minutes, paused for a picture, said goodbye, and then went on to stroll around the Main Street Market, surrounded by booths of craft artists, food trucks, nonprofits with info booths and sign-up sheets, a kids’ mini-golf course, and a musical performance in the heart of Eudora’s downtown.

Photography by Jason Dailey

Relatives Jerry Neis (left) and Bill Reetz ran into one another and caught up on family news at the September Main Street Market.

When the pandemic seemed to be winding down and the Eudora Convention and Visitors Bureau began discussing the need for a big, regular community event, it’s unlikely that they were thinking of facilitating a Reetz-Neis reunion. But by the time planning began in earnest in January and February 2023, the group was forming a vision of something that could allow for that. It would be a gathering like an old-time party in CPA Park, run the first Thursday evening of each month, open to all ages, and supported by a market of local and guest vendors.

“We were hoping for 25, maybe 30 vendors,” recalls Amy DeLaRosa, the event’s vendor coordinator. That goal was surpassed with the first market in June, when 34 vendors took up spots along Main Street.

“They showed and set up their booths. Main Street was packed, and people were dancing in the park,” DeLaRosa recalls of the first hours of that first gathering. “It was amazing to see.”

Since the first month, the numbers have grown, both in crowds and vendors. There is no official count of the attendance though several hundred is a safe guess according to organizers. The vendor numbers are more precise. There were 58 vendors, including several nonprofits and about half of those representing Eudora businesses or entrepreneurs who arrived for the September event. Some of these merchants are already requesting reservations for the 2024 cycle, which might run from May to October 2024, according to DeLaRosa.

Hardeep Gosal, owner of Main Street Wines and Spirits, was one of the local business owners working a booth at the event—except he was there as an assistant, helping sell vegetarian samosas and chicken curry dishes made by his uncle, the owner of the popular Shagan’s Indian restaurant in Overland Park.

“It’s a chance to socialize and get his name out there,” explains Gosal. “And some people have never had this type of Indian food before, so it is a way to try it and then come back for more.”

One of the market’s return visitors is Wyatt Becker, who was enjoying the

Organizers hoped to draw some 25-30 vendors to the monthly Main Street Market. By the September market, 58 vendors were setting up booths. They are almost evenly divided between outside and local vendors. Some, like Hardeep Gosal (below, first from right), a local business owner who hosted his uncle's Overland Park restaurant, represent both.

scene of hundreds of people walking along Main Street from the comfort of his stroller, pushed by his mother, Emily Becker, and his great-grandmother, Nancy Bartlett, who is visiting from Chicago.

Wyatt is here for the ice cream, something he remembers from the previous month.

But his mother says the entire market is nice for the family.

“It’s awesome to be able to come down here and bring kids to something that is kid-friendly,” she says. “We have come every month.”

That ice cream stand, Main Street Scoops and Sweets, is doing a brisk business from a special kiosk set up in CPA Park. Here, the nonprofit groups—from Boy Scout Troop 64 to Habitat for Humanity—greet visitors while food trucks serve meals as people settle down at picnic tables and listen to live music.

Several of these tables are stacked with meats from the Barbwire Barbecue food truck run by Jay Musick, who says the location of the event has an emotional connection for him and other lifelong residents.

“This place means party and families,” Musick says between serving up orders from his truck and waving to people he knows in the park. “I remember coming down here, and we’d have bands playing and people dancing. This is where everyone came to get together and have a good time; it’s almost like a family reunion. People run into other people that they don’t always see …. Everyone’s life is so busy with sports and school and work, and then we see one another down here and it’s like, ‘Hey! I’ve been meaning to talk with you!’ This gives us an opportunity to run into one another; it’s that ‘friendly colliding,’ so to speak.”

And though Musick would have no way of knowing this, that is exactly what was happening with Reetz and Neis, and perhaps has happened again and again during Main Street Market’s first full year. After all, for those who know Eudora, this is the place to meet. There is something magical about the blocks around CPA Park and the gatherings that have been here.

“This was always the central part of Eudora—everything happened around that little building, the CPA Park gazebo,” says Reetz. “To me, that’s the way it should continue.”

With great-grandmother Nancy Bartlett, the Becker family of Eudora (above) attended the September Main Street Market, which included a live musical performance and martial arts demonstrations by students of Forge Martial Arts.

WE PUT THE YOU IN EUDORA

It doesn’t matter how many houses we sell. What matters is your house, whether you’re selling, buying, or both. We put in the time to understand your needs and how best to meet them. That’s our approach. Looking for an agent who will put you first? Let’s get started today! stephensre.com

Holy Family’s Hidden Art Revelation

A

journeyman European artist left behind artistic treasures in Eudora before the outbreak of World War I

Every town has a mystery or two, right? One of Eudora’s newest mysteries is not only a whodunnit but also a what-is-it.

This story starts with the current restoration of the original Holy Family Catholic Church at 911 E. Ninth Street.

Built in 1864, the church was used for weekly services until the congregation built a church in 1963 at 820 Birch Street. The 1864 Holy Family church shows its age. Fortunately, donations and grant funds have enabled needed tuckpointing and repair of its 18 stained-glass windows.

This new mystery involves the church’s interior walls paneled in 1946 with fiberboard. Removal of a few panel sections in 2022 revealed hand-painted designs. A look back at records shows only that a “Mr. Miller” painted “biblical scenes” on the walls in 1905.

Who was this artist?

A recent email from Gaby GreenwoodHamilius in Luxembourg provided the key “whodunit” clue: the artist’s correct name.

“While clearing a house of a distant relative, I came upon a letter dated 21 September 1905 sent to Luxembourg from Rosedale, Kansas, in which Eudora, Kansas, is mentioned. The letter is in German and it says that Jack Müller, a relative, was commissioned to do some painting inside a church in Eudora and that he would be paid $300.”

Müller, also known as Jack, Jacques, Jaki, Jak, J.V., Jacob, and Jakob with a surname spelled as Muller, Müller, Mueller, and Miller, studied painting in Belgium.

After ornamenting European churches, Müller left his hometown of Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg, at age 23 in 1904 to adorn Catholic church interiors.

“Church muralists were a specialty occupation then,” explains Stephen Enzweiler, a Catholic church historian. “They had to be part Michelangelo and part theologian with the capacity to create and deliver large scale mural projects while at the same time translating and expressing the divine through art. Kansas presented a host of new opportunities for an ecclesiastical artist. … Throughout the region, Catholic churches were springing up in cities like Omaha, Kansas City, Tonkawa, and Lincoln with few ecclesiastical artists to call upon.”

Within 10 years, Müller said he had adorned 27 churches with stenciled borders, medallions, gilding, marbleized columns, religious figures, and biblical scenes.

Story by Cindy Higgins

Holy Family in Eudora at about the time when Muller would have worked inside it.

The Müller family in Luxembourg. Muller is holding one of his children on the steps.

"J.V. Müeller" in an advertisement photo from 1908.

Besides two in Kansas City; one in Dighton, Kansas; a Denver cathedral; and Eudora’s Holy Family, records show he painted decorative elements for several Catholic churches in Kansas: St. Benedict (Atchison, 1906); St. Wenceslaus (circa 1907, Wilson); St. Francis Xavier (Burlington, 1908); St. Patrick (Emerald, 1908); St. John the Baptist (Doniphan, 1908); St. Joseph (Topeka, 1909); and St. Boniface (Tipton, 1910).

Some churches, such as Holy Family, required a few weeks of decorative painting. Others required far more time and labor. St. Benedict, for example, took a year and 320 gallons of oil paint for completion.

Often, Müller’s nephew, Jean-Baptiste Schmiedeler, assisted him. Sometimes, Müller hired apprentices. To decorate St. Joseph in Topeka, considered to be the most elaborate church in Kansas at the time, Müller brought on Theodore Braasch, who would go on to decorate several Catholic churches in Kansas and nationwide.

Braasch had that opportunity because World War I cut short Müller’s U.S. career. Müller happened to be in Europe with his family in 1914 when the war started. Travel restrictions initially forced them to stay in Esch-sur-Alzette, and they then decided to stay permanently.

While it’s known Müller decorated churches in Europe as well as Kansas, his artwork seems to have vanished.

“Unfortunately, at one point, there was no interest in preserving old buildings and their interiors, and a number of churches had their fresques [frescoes] simply painted over,” Greenwood-Hamilius writes.

The same proved true in Kansas. Most Catholic churches painted over Müller’s art in subsequent renovations. A few churches he adorned no longer exist.

“It would be ironic if you could come across a trace of Jack’s work in America hidden behind some insulation,” Greenwood-Hamilius wrote.

Traces of his work uncovered so far at the 1864 Holy Family have been stenciling patterns in crumbling remnants. Müller’s large biblical mural still lies behind paneling. However, that artwork, too, might be disintegrating.

Because of cost limitations, plans are to preserve a small framed section to show Müller’s colorful splendor in the style of German-Catholic American churches. Present remnants could be used to duplicate Müller’s art on the church’s repaired walls.

As further paneling is removed, the “what-is-it “ mystery will finally be solved—there could, for example, be more stenciling and scenes. View the ongoing discovery of Müller’s artwork by contacting Holy Family, 785.542.2788 or office@holyfamilyeudora.com, for a private appointment or to schedule a tour.

THE ARTIST SPEAKS

The 1908 Official Catholic Directory and Clergy List contains an advertisement stating:

“J. V. Mueller, Artist Painter, Kansas City, Mo. Original pictures and old masterpieces executed most carefully on all kinds of wall finish or on canvas. Frescoing done after celebrated schools by well trained artists under my own supervision and help. Because of my many studytrips through all parts of Europe, to the finest art galleries and to many famous churches, where I saw and copied the originals of the great old masters I’m able to fulfill any order in the line of ecclesiastical paintings. Estimates and sketches upon request.”

This is an example of some of Müller's stencil work being uncovered at Holy Family.

Calendar of Events

3

Monthly Coffee Connection

Eudora Chamber of Commerce hosts its monthly gathering of members and guests at Zeb’s Coffeehouse from 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. eudorakansaschamber.com

5

Main Street Market

Vendors and food trucks gather downtown for an evening of shopping and entertainment. Market runs 5:30–8:30 p.m. This is the last market of the season before it resumes in summer 2024. Look for Eudora Main Street Market Event on Facebook.

7 Eudora Fest

The city’s annual fall celebration with vendors and free musical performance runs all day downtown. Look for Eudora Fest on Facebook

7

Annual Great Kaw Adventure Race

A waypoint adventure race on bike, canoe and foot on a 25-mile course through Eudora and De Soto. greatkawadventurerace.com

14

Senior Fun Day

The Senior foundation of Eudora hosts a gathering from noon to 4 p.m. at the Parks and Recreation Community Room. www.eudoraparksandrec.org

17

Quarterly Member Mixer

Eudora Chamber hosts quarterly informal member gathering. 5:30-7:30 p.m.

19–20

No School

Eudora Schools USD 491 holds conferences and work days; no classes for elementary, middle and high school students.

28

Downtown Eudora Trunk or Treat Downtown merchants treat children to Halloween candies and goodies in a safe environment open to all. Look for Downtown Eudora Trunk or Treat on Facebook.

NOVEMBER 3 No School

Eudora Schools USD 491 holds professional development day; no classes for elementary, middle and high school students.

7 Election Day

7

Monthly Coffee Connection

Eudora Chamber of Commerce hosts its monthly gathering of members and guests from 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. eudorakansaschamber.com

16

Presentation on Eudora History

Eudora Area Historical Society offers a free presentation on the history of the community. Theme TBA. cityofeudoraks.gov/100/Eudora-CommunityMuseum

20–24 No School

Eudora Schools USD 491 breaks for Thanksgiving holiday.

DECEMBER 5

Monthly Coffee Connection

Eudora Chamber of Commerce hosts its monthly gathering of members and guests from 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. eudorakansaschamber.com

12

Quarterly Member Mixer

Eudora Chamber hosts quarterly informal member gathering 5:30-7:30 p.m.

20–29 No School

Eudora Schools USD 491 breaks for winter holiday.

JANUARY 1–3 No School

Eudora Schools USD 491 breaks for winter holiday.

2

Monthly Coffee Connection

Eudora Chamber of Commerce hosts its monthly gathering of members and guests from 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. eudorakansaschamber.com

15 No School

Eudora Schools USD 491 observes Martin Luther King Jr. Day

FEBRUARY 6

Monthly Coffee Connection

Eudora Chamber of Commerce hosts its monthly gathering of members and guests from 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. eudorakansaschamber.com

16 No School

Eudora Schools USD 491 holds in service work day.

19 No School

Eudora Schools USD 491 observes Presidents’ Day

24

Annual Chamber Gala

Eudora Chamber of Commerce holds annual gala gathering for members. Event includes announcement of Business of the Year and Citizen of the Year awards.

MARCH

5

Monthly Coffee Connection

Eudora Chamber of Commerce hosts its monthly gathering of members and guests from 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. eudorakansaschamber.com

8 No School

Eudora Schools USD 491 holds teacher work day.

11–15 No School

Eudora Schools USD 491 holds spring break.

12–16

3rd Annual Eudora Chamber Easter Coloring Contest

Prize pickup and portraits with the Easter Bunny on March 28. Details to be posted at eudorakansaschamber.com community calendar of events page.

What & Where

Story by Nathan Pettengill

Pickleball People

Though it began as a niche sport for seniors, pickleball continues to attract new players from several generations—and Eudora is the place to play it

The score is tied at 6 all.

Henry Pratt, who had been struggling against the wind, is now serving downwind at the new outdoor pickleball courts of the Eudora Recreation Center. He winds up with his paddle and launches the ball across the court as a breeze runs through the holes of the bright yellow plastic ball and gives it a wicked spin as Jon Squire leans into the return and bats the ball back to Pratt. It’s a solid return, coming just over the net with a single bounce and plenty of speed as Pratt strains and stretches to reach it, barely able to tap it in time and give the ball a slight lift, which the wind picks up and daintily places right on the top of the net. The ball, with all eyes on it, dramatically spins before deciding to commit to Squire’s side in a quick drop, impossible to return.

As the plastic ball tink-tinks a few meager bounces and then rolls, Pratt and Squire roar with appreciation, as

do Gabe Campbell and Austin Moffitt, friends and fellow players who are watching from the sides.

“I hate that net,” Campbell jokes.

“It’s that wind,” Moffitt offers. “The other day we played with way more wind than this, and we were playing to see who could win first going against the wind—that was me.”

This is what pickleball is all about—finesse, physical exercise, a bit of bravado, and good times with friends.

What is unusual about this game is the age of the players.

Campbell, Moffitt, Pratt and Squire are all sophomores at Eudora High School. Collectively, they run cross-country, wrestle, play golf and other sports, but this is their casual game (as casual as a game can be among athletes once the competitive edge kicks in).

“We definitely compete,” Pratt explains, “but I wouldn’t say we take it as seriously as our other sports.”

“It’s mostly for bragging,” Squire adds.

Photography by Jason Dailey

LEFT: Henry Pratt and Jon Squire congratulate one another after a pickleball match. ABOVE: Gabe Campbell demonstrates a return technique that just might overpower the treacherous net.

Moffitt, who received a set of pickleball paddles and balls as a birthday gift in August, initiated the informal games—but the others knew about the sport or had played it before.

After all, pickleball has been around for about as long as these four have been alive—even if you combine all their ages.

Invented in 1965 as a variation of tennis with smaller courts, smaller paddles, and a whiffle ball that moves slower than a tennis ball, pickleball gained a strong foothold in parks and recreation programs across the nation in the 2000s and late 2010s. Now, the sport is going through another boom in popularity with the rise of professional leagues for young pickleball hipsters, national championships, and even one league’s highprofile dispute with the National Collegiate Athletic Association over naming rights.

Senior athletes, drawn largely by the sport’s lighter athleticism and social pairings, have always been behind the sport.

“The senior pickleball community is our biggest group of advocates,” explains Sally Pennington, director of Eudora Parks and Recreation.

Pennington says that while pickleball has been played in Eudora for over ten years, it has picked up in the last four or five years.Year-round, the department has dedicated space to four indoor pickleball courts at the recreation center. Morning sessions run 9–11 a.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, while evening courts are open 5–8 p.m. on Wednesdays. Usually, 15–30 players show up for the pickleball games during these open sessions. Most are seniors from Eudora, but some travel from neighboring communities and pay an entrance fee to play. Pennington calls this influx of outside players a “big compliment” for Eudora’s facilities and players who serve as de facto hosts.

David Stueve is one of those guests playing pick-up doubles at the Eudora Recreation Center. A real estate

Senior players and dedicated indoor court sessions have driven pickleball's popularity in Eudora.

agent from Gardner, he coached and played competitive tennis, but pickleball has been his sport since June 2023.

“It helps if you are an athlete or have a little more coordination, but it is great because it has people—particularly the older generation—out and moving,” Stueve explains. “It’s fun, and you can make it as competitive as you want.”

“I love it. I’m addicted. I’d play every day if I can,” adds Debbie Carrier, who is waiting in the recreation center for her next match to begin. An Olathe resident and retired college basketball coach, she keeps active by running, working out, and—for nearly the past two years—playing pickleball. “From littles to older people, it’s a great lifelong game,” she adds.

Pickleball player and Eudora resident Diane Chrislip says the recreation center has demonstrated its commitment to senior players by hosting pickleball tournaments, keeping courts reserved at times convenient for retired residents, and more.

“We have to value seniors as well as young people,” Chrislip explains when she talks about the balance of city recreation programs. “But it’s not all seniors anymore. … Now it’s a lot of ages— sometimes even some teenagers, and that’s always fun because when the teenagers come up and see us, they think: ‘Oh, we’re going to whoop up on them,’ and then they realize we have a lot more experience.”

Tonight, at least, the pickleball-playing teenagers aren’t scheming to take down their elders. If anything, when they talk about the senior games going on near them, they recall how some of them learned to play with “the older folks,” and they’re thinking about how the sport might play out in their own future.

“Another thing that dragged me into pickleball is that I’ve always wanted to get somewhat good at sports that are lifelong sports, that you can play from the time you are 9- or 10-years-old to when you are 75 or 80,” Squire says. “It’s like golf—you can play it almost the rest of your life.”

Austin Moffitt plays a game with Gabe Campbell at the city's outdoor pickleball courts.

Jack Low, culinary instructor at Eudora Schools USD 491

The Taste of Success

Culinary education takes Eudora students on a journey of growth, one flavor at a time

Story by Fally Afani | Photography by Jason Dailey

For many, the idea of a restaurant kitchen conjures images of scruffy and tattooed television celebrity chefs sweating it out over the stove and preparing dishes amid a frenzy of activity. Jack Low knows a version of that life. With years of restaurant work behind him, including more than ten years at Free State Brewery, he understands the skills and dedication it takes to succeed in a successful commercial kitchen. But as the brains and head instructor behind Eudora’s Culinary Arts program for high school students over the last decade, Low has also created another version of a professional kitchen—a place where high school students can learn about professional culinary careers as well as about life and themselves, even if they never become chefs.

Part of the high school’s hospitality and tourism curriculum at the Eudora-De Soto Technical Education Center, the four culinary classes immerse students in an industry-standard kitchen environment that requires coordinated teamwork, planning, leadership, and preparation skills—from fundamental knife skills to more advanced equipment use.

“When people think of culinary arts, they think of just food, but what I teach is all aspects of food from the industry viewpoint,” Low says. “It’s a lot of learning how to cook through restaurants, using industry stoves, ovens, fryers, stuff we have at restaurants.”

As students learn to use this equipment, they also learn how to interact with their customers. “I also teach them a basis of customer service, front and back of the house, catering ideals and a little bit of hotel restaurant,” Low explains.

This training is done during and beyond classroom hours. If you go to an event in Eudora, whether a wedding or a sporting event, there’s a good chance Low and his crew of culinary students are behind the tasty dishes. “For different clubs that have big meets, most of the time schools will go out and order 50 pizzas whereas we will cater something different for them depending on

the group,” he says. “One year we did mac and cheese and fried chicken tenders. After that, all the kids were like ‘Can we go to Eudora for the meet?’”

The Eudora culinary students have catered weddings, cocktail hours, concessions for the games, and events both inside and outside of the school. They’ve crafted everything from pulled pork tacos to chipotle rice bowls and Chinese buffets.

As the students expand their repertoire of dishes, they also study themes of nutrition, sourcing, and healthful eating.

“Everything that we cook for the most part is from scratch,” Low notes. “The difference is showing how the ingredients can be nutritious and how they can taste better when they don’t have all these fillers and chemicalized ingredients that you can’t pronounce on the back of the bottle or can.”

Those lessons are applied to unfamiliar dishes outside most students’ comfort zones, as well as to comfort food standards, which might also be a new experience for some.

“I offer them such a wide variety that I feel that they learn there’s a lot of food out there that they don’t know about,” Low says. “I have kids who make cheddar ale soup who’ve never had it—and after we have it, they’re like, ‘Can we make that again? Can we make that more often?’”

SENDING THEM OFF WITH …

When students leave the culinary program, they carry several intangible rewards—a sense of accomplishment, confidence, culinary skills, confident creativity, and more.

As for objects or gadgets that graduates might require in the future, Low says it really comes down to two fundamental tools.

“Two things I would say you need, a good knife that you like and you can keep sharp, and a good sauté pan,” he advises. “If you have a good pan you like, you can manipulate it into different types of cooking styles and I think that’s the most important part of any kitchen, being adaptable.”

JACK LOW’S CHEDDAR ALE SOUP

INGREDIENTS

3 tablespoons salted butter

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/4 cup minced yellow onion

1/4 cup small diced red bell pepper

1/4 cup small diced green bell pepper

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 cup brown ale, IPA, or water

3 ounces cream cheese

2 cups milk

1 cup cream

2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon white pepper

1 teaspoon hot sauce

Fresh parsley and thyme

Salt and pepper to taste

8 ounces grated Alma white or yellow cheddar cheese

INSTRUCTIONS

In 1 tablespoon butter, cook onion, peppers, and garlic until onion is transparent. Add remaining butter and flour, stir well and continue stirring on med-low heat for 2 minutes.

Add ale or water in small increments, mixing smooth after each addition. Cut cream cheese into smaller chunks and add to mixture.

Mash and stir cream cheese until it is completely melted into mixture.

Gradually add milk, mixing smooth after each addition. You may want to use a whisk at this point.

Add cream and seasonings, stir, and heat to 160 degrees, being careful not to heat beyond this temperature.

Add cheese in 3 increments, stirring smooth with a whisk after each addition.

If cheese is not melting after 30 seconds, check temperature and add back to heat if necessary.

If soup is thin, add more cheese. If soup is thick, add milk.

Add hot sauce and thyme, season to taste.

Finish with parsley

That adaptability and openness to new tastes and sensations are key parts of the culinary program. Low believes getting students to try new things in the kitchen will set them up for exploring new paths the rest of their lives. “They tend to cook more at home. They experiment at home,” he says. “I’ve actually witnessed kids getting other kids to try things. Kind of opening their minds, and that was the point. Trying to develop a new palate in a child can be very hard and discouraging at times, but to me I remember that they don’t have a palate and they’re still developing as a person.”

This process is what helps Low change their minds, one flavor at a time. “I feel that I’m opening a lot of kids’ minds to something new for them … a new food, or a new flavor. Which is always, for me, that’s why I do this. To get them to try new things, or for them to tell me they love something new.”

Eudora Chamber Directory

A

Adler Pelzer

Laura Engels

laura.engels@adlerpelzer.com

(785) 760-4396

Alpha Roofing

Yvonne Ruder office@alpharoofers.com

(785) 550-5114

AlphaRoofers.com

Ameriprise Financial

Tana von Achen Ahlen vestana.ahlen@ampf.com

(913) 239-2512

ameripriseadvisors.com/vestana.1.ahlen

AmyDeL Designs

Amy DeLaRosa amydeldesigns@gmail.com

(620) 290-1691 facebook.com/amydeldesigns

ATEC Services

Aaron Thakker atec-services@gmx.com

(785) 304-3904

facebook.com/ateccontractingservices

Attic Storage of Eudora

Kelly Dunkel atticeudora@atticmgmt.net

(785) 542-1515

attic-storage.com/locations/kansaslocations/attic-storage-of-eudora

BBarbwire Barbecue

Jason Musick smokin@barbwirebarbecue.com

(785) 856-0877

barbwirebarbecue.com

Black Swan Media Solutions LLC

Craig Watson craig@blackswanmediasolutions.com

(785) 269-9554

blackswanmediasolutions.com

BlueJacket Crossing Winery

Pep Selvan bluejacketcrossing@gmail.com

(785) 542-1764

bluejacketwinery.com

Brightway Insurance, The Thakker Agency

Katie Lewis

katie.lewis@brightway.com

(785) 727-4212 brightwaythakker.com

City of Eudora, KS

Kevyn Gero kgero@cityofeudoraks.gov

(785) 542-2153 cityofeudoraks.gov

Cornerstone Property Management

GW Weld info@cornerstoneproperties.us

(785) 542-0101 homewithcornerstone.com

Cornwell Beef East, LLC

Jake Cline jake_cline@yahoo.com

(785) 371-7354 cornwellbeef.com

Country Road Farms

Jamie Knabe countryroadfarms@yahoo.com

(785) 615-1290

facebook.com/2014countryroadfarms

Cox Homes, LLC

Lewis & Meagan Cox coxhomesks@gmail.com

(785) 979-0469 facebook.com/coxhomesks

DDahlicious Hair, LLC

Mindy Dahl mindydahlicious@gmail.com

(785) 424-5103

Document Products, Inc. (DPI)

Brenda Johnston brenda@dpi.bz

(785) 841-8041 dpi.bz

Ecogene, LLC

Russ Seybert russ.seybert@gmail.com

(913) 544-9959

EcogeneEHS.com

Eudora Area Historical Society

Ben Terwilliger eudorahistory@gmail.com

(785) 690-7900

cityofeudoraks.gov/100/EudoraCommunity-Museum

Eudora Chamber of Commerce

Jannell Lorenz admin@eudorakansaschamber.com

(785) 592-1920 eudorakansaschamber.com

Eudora Community Library

Carol Wohlford carolw@eudoralibrary.org

(785) 542-2496 eudorapubliclibrary.org

Eudora Dental

Logan Mallicoat info@eudoradental.com

(785) 542-2993 eudoradental.com

Eudora Giving Garden

Laura Smith

serenelaura@yahoo.com

(316) 207-7241 eudoragivinggarden.org

Eudora Public Schools USD 491 Jaylie Postlewait

jayliepostlewait@eudoraschools.org www.eudoraschools.org

(785) 542.4910

Eudora Schools Foundation

Shanda Hurla

shandahurla@eudoraschools.org eudoraschoolsfoundation.org

(785) 542.4905

Eudora United Methodist Church

Dean Manwaring eudoraumc@gmail.com

(785) 542-3200 eudoraumc.org

Farm Bureau Financial Services

Anthony Brown anthony.brown@fbfs.com (785) 331-5003 anthonybrown.fbfsagents.com

Forge Martial Arts Eudora

Tonya Bolte tkboltefitness@gmail.com (785) 633-0013 forgema.com

Frenzel's BBQ and Catering

Bill Frenzel bbqbill@sbcglobal.net (913) 915-5086 frenzelsbbq.com

Fuse Candle Bar Emily Young hello@fusecandlebar.com (913) 687-7310 fusecandlebar.com

Gene's Heartland Foods

Lance Handley geneshfeudora@hotmail.com (785) 542-2727 eudora.heartlandfoodsstores.com

Glass Consulting LLC

Edwina Glass edwina.glass@cpa.com (785) 727-4305 glassconsultingllc.com

Great Apparel Printing & Design

Karen Price gapdscreenprinting@gmail.com (913) 375-2629 GetGAPD.com

Guardian Mortgage

Michelle Fales michellefales@gmc-inc.com (785) 331-7589

Hershey Salty Snacks jtuttle@hersheys.com (260) 846-1066 thehersheycompany.com

Homestead Of Eudora

Dawn Hill dawhill@homesteadofeudora.com (785) 363-5150 homesteadofeudora.com

Howell Chiropractic Kendrea Howell drhowell@drhowellchiropractic.com (620) 544-6582 drhowellchiropractic.com

J Jannell Lorenz CMT LLC Jannell Lorenz jannell.lorenz.cmt@gmail.com (785) 592-1920 jannelllorenzcmtllc.booksy.com

JayHawk Dental

Amy Jankowski

jayhawkdental@sunflower.com

(785) 843-9122

jayhawkdental.com

Jenny Jolley Photography LLC

Jenny Jolley

hello@jennyjolleyphotography.com

(913) 215-8827

jennyjolleyphotography.com

John H. Hay DDS, Inc.

eudoradentalcare@johnhhaydds.com

(785) 542-9105

johnhhaydds.com

Js Wellness

Julie Skinner

jswellness01@gmail.com

(913) 398-1623

Linktr.ee/jswellness01

K

Keller Williams Integrity

Theresa Seiwald theresaseiwald@kw.com

(785) 917-0036 L

Long Lasting Lighting & Landscaping

Jacqueline Araiz-Long longlastinglighting@gmail.com

(913) 514-4565

longlastinglighting.com

M

Main St Scoops and Sweets

Stacie Blubaugh mainstscoopsandsweets@gmail.com

(785) 542-0398 mainstscoopsandsweets.com

Main Street Wines & Spirits

Hardeep Gosal

mainstreetwinesandspirits@gmail.com

(913) 687-9268

McGrew Real Estate

Kelly Long and Caren Rowland

kellylong@askmcgrew.com

(785) 766-2569

askmcgrew.com

Mid-America Bank

Dave Hill

dhill@mid-americabank.com

(785) 766-1306

mid-americabank.com

Movement Mortgage

Deborah Becker

deborah.becker@movement.com

(785) 760-2522

movement.com/deborah.becker

Mutual Savings Association

Zachary Brummer

zachb@mutualmail.com

(913) 758-4448

msa.bank

One Alliance Property Management

Gary Pratt

onealliancepm@gmail.com

(913) 205-4984

Plans For Good 2911

Mark Chrislip

mark@plansforgood2911.com

(785) 331-8247

plansforgood2911.com

ReeceNichols

Crystal Dechant crystal.dechant@reecenichols.com

(913) 526-8421

crystaldechant.reecenichols.com

Rock Family Chiropractic office@rockfamilychiropractic.com

(785) 542-2118

rockfamilychiropractic.com

SD Home Team, LLC

Shelly Milburn sdmilburn17@gmail.com

(913) 709-4425 facebook.com/SDHomeTeam

Senior Foundation of Eudora

Belinda Rehmer sfeudora@gmail.com

(785) 331-6909 Sfeudora.org

SERC Physical Therapy Eudora

Nikki White nwhite@serctherapy.com

(785) 542-3333

serc.urpt.com/locations/eudora

St Paul United Church of Christ

Dr. Robyn Kelso

drrobynkelso@gmail.com

(785) 550-5536

facebook.com/St-Paul-United-Church-ofChrist-106878917855050

Sunflower State Dance

Rachel Weitekamp admin@sunflowerstatedance.com (785) 690-7200 sunflowerstatedance.com

Sweet Acres Inn

Sue Howig sweetacresinn@gmail.com (785) 542-2466

sweetacresinn.com

TThe Willow Domestic Violence Center

Christy Imel

christyimel@willowdvcenter.org

(785) 331-2034

willowdvcenter.org

WWarrior Wellness, LLC

Dee Howell

dee@warriorwellnessks.com

(785) 615-0366

facebook.com/WarriorWellness01

Well Bellies & Babies, LLC

Stephanie Novacek

stephanie@wellbelliesandbabies.com

(913) 231-8581 wellbelliesandbabies.com

Well Wilderness Kids Therapeutic NaturePlay Center

Stephanie Novacek

wellwildernesskids@gmail.com

(913) 231-8581

wellwildernesskids.com

Westerhouse Heating & Cooling Inc.

Aaron Westerhouse westerhouse@westerhouse.com

(785) 542-2707 westerhouse.com

ZZ&M Twisted Vines Wines and Winery

Bryan & Gina Zesiger zmtwistedvines@gmail.com

(531) 600-8187

zmtwistedwines.com

Zeb's Coffeehouse

Kathy Weld

kathy@zebscoffeehouse.com

(785) 542-0103

zebscoffeehouse.com

SFE Board of Directors: Sally Pennington; Pam Schmeck, Treasurer; Belinda Rehmer; Luann Pascal, Secretary; Ruth Hughs, President; Annie Bryant; Caren Rowland.

quick guide.