Carolyn’s Essenhaus: Ultimate home cookin’
how one Home defines small space
Spring 2011
STrike a pose
with Cody Jackson
Spring 2011
$3.00
May we introduce zoo families
Hutchinson Volume 03 / Issue 04
Magazine
dear readers, Magazines can be so unpredictable. However, that’s also what can fuel a great issue. With each edition, we take stock of what’s happening in Hutchinson as we plan the stories. Our writers and photographers do an excellent job of suggesting ideas that readers will enjoy, such as the story on Gibbo Pierson. Pitched by photographer Deborah Walker, a profile on Gibbo was a great idea, but there was only one angle to take: Gibbo is the most interesting man in Hutchinson. The choice to run the story was easy, but it’s never easy to see the story scooped in other media. So we go back and tweak the story more to make it unique. Meanwhile, writer Amy Conkling has become a bit of a resident health writer for Hutchinson Magazine. She suggests nearly all of our Health Nut profiles and manages a number of stories per issue. Her pitch on Cody Jackson was a great fit for the reoccurring feature, but we didn’t anticipate Cody’s busy schedule. Working in publishing, you learn to be flexible and resourceful. Photographer Aaron East tapped into social media as a means of reaching Cody, and it was well worth it—did you see the cover? As we planned this issue, I also knew it was time to cover the NJCAA men’s basketball tournament. The timing was perfect for the magazine, but we didn’t have photographs from last year’s event. So how could we portray an event that’s yet to occur? Richard Shank offered great collaboration for the story’s angle on a topic he knows well—tournament volunteers. This local profile truly reflects the spirit of Hutchinson and the magazine’s approach. About this time, we managed to avoid crisis when a new contributing photographer was unable to complete his assignments due to a busy schedule (as a lawyer). He serves as a prime example of our talented group of contributors, who are an anomaly to me. They are all accomplished in their fields, serve the community and really value the city. It just happens that in their spare time, they contribute to Hutchinson Magazine (and remain patient when the issue may not be). That said, photographer Deborah Walker was a champion in helping pick up these assignments (during a blizzard). Her help in photographing the Brooks house helped produce a beautiful feature that captures the home’s small-spaceturned-large atmosphere. We picked up the pieces and sailed through this issue with only a few hiccups. As I began proofing the near-final product, I was amused by the fact that this is our fourth consecutive issue with a male subject on the cover. We might have tried to avoid this. But the photo was so spectacular, we couldn’t resist. As I said, each issue proves to be unpredictable yet incredible. Katy Ibsen, Editor
Publisher John Montgomery Advertising Director Leslie Shea Advertising Sales Manager Darren Werth For Advertising Rates and Information
(620) 694-5700 ext. 210 sales Executives
Tammy Colladay Shelby Dryden Tyler Goertzen Mitch Hixson Heather Howard Anita Stuckey ad designers
Kim Hoskinson Scott Oswalt Rebekah Starkey Photographers
Aaron East Deborah Walker Contributing Writers
Amy Bickel Amy Conkling Gloria Gale Pam Lyle Richard Shank Jeanette Steinert Production and Editorial Services for Hutchinson Magazine provided by:
Editor Katy Ibsen Designer Shelly Bryant COPY EDITOR Susie Fagan GENERAL MANAGER Bert Hull Publishing Coordinator Faryle Scott Editorial comments (866) 655-4262 Subscriptions
$15 (tax included) for a one-year subscription to Hutchinson Magazine. For subscription information, please contact:
The Hutchinson News Circulation Department Elizabeth Garwood 300 W. Second | Hutchinson KS 67501 (620) 694-5700 ext. 115 | (800) 766-5730 ext. 115 egarwood@hutchnews.com
Send your comments and suggestions to hutchinsonmagazine@sunflowerpub.com Follow us on twitter @hutchinsonmag find us on facebook: facebook.com/HutchinsonMagazine
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Hutchinson Magazine | Spring 2011
Contents
Departments
Spring 2011
hutchinson living
6 Coming home A comfy cottage helps one young woman return to her roots
Features
hutchinson businesses 20 In it for a Long haul
Long’s clothing and Western wear marks 65 years
10
Humble home
local profiles
32 Nature, rediscovered Get Everyone Outdoors Month kicks off again
From small space to spectacular abode
health & fitness
44 Health Nut:
cody jackson Local yoga instructor shares his skill with others
48 For the love of
basketball Volunteers
24
help Hutchinson succeed as longtime host of the NJCAA men’s tournament
Carolyn’s Essenhaus
Where pies are served with a spoonful of hospitality
travel ideas
54 Steel magnolia
A bustling seaport city
filled with a lively past and quintessential Southern charm, Savannah celebrates historic preservation at its best
family
60 The family zoo
Blood related or not, these
animal families make up the crew at the Hutchinson Zoo
36
The most interesting man
Gibbo Pierson is a jack-of-all-trades with a heart of gold
In Every Issue On the Cover
Cody Jackson demonstrates the Virabhadrasana yoga pose. (Photography by Aaron East)
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Hutchinson Magazine | Spring 2011
2 dear Readers 52 Q&A 64 best Bets
hutchinsonliving
Coming home
A comfy cottage helps one young woman return to her roots Story by Amy Bicke l Photography by De bor ah Walke r
W
hile growing up, Kindra Whiteman admired a cottage-style home on West 19th Avenue. She lived down the street and passed by it almost daily. “I always loved the way it looked—its uniqueness,” she says of the two-story soft yellow home accented by a large chimney. It’s the sort of house one might see in a fairy-tale forest. “I always remembered it as being so cute.” But like many of Hutchinson’s youths, Kindra grew up, went to college and chased the bright lights of a bigger city. For 11 years she worked as a MRI technician in Kansas City, where she owned a townhome. However, five years ago she decided she wanted to be closer to her family.
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Hutchinson Magazine | Spring 2011
Kindra Whiteman grew up loving this adorable cottage that she now calls home.
Spring 2011 | Hutchinson Magazine
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hutchinsonliving 1.
“A lot of young people say they never want to come back,” she says. “But the more I thought about it, the more I liked the idea. And it has been better than I imagined.” Kindra searched the internet for Hutchinson homes on the market. With deep roots in the Hyde Park area, she fell in love with the home that was listed for sale just a block from the home of her parents, Joe and Suzanna McGuire. “It beat all the other houses I looked at by far,” she says. “I hit the jackpot.” Fitting their style
Kindra, 37, still works as a MRI technician, now at Promise Regional Medical Center. She lives in the home with her two greyhounds, Cookie Monster and Kati, and in December the family of three welcomed Kindra’s husband, Jules, whom she met after moving to Hutchinson. Jules, 37, spends part of his time in Hutchinson and the rest in Hays, where he is a radiologist. They’ve talked about moving, but neither Kindra nor Jules want to sell the cottage home they love. “I like the neighborhood,” Jules says. “I like this area.” “I have no reason to move,” Kindra says. “I like the location. I like that it is charming on the outside. And it’s cozy.” Built in the late 1920s, the four-bedroom, two-bathroom home needed a little modernization when Kindra purchased it. “Every room was a different color,” she says. So she brightened the rooms by repainting them in a “white rhino” paint color. Upstairs, she ripped out dark carpet and replaced it with a brighter cream carpet. Kindra accented her oak staircase with a crystal chandelier that once hung in the dining room. Adding modern conveniences, she converted the marble fireplace to a gas-powered unit. Décor throughout the house is a mixture of modern and antique, featuring family heirlooms as well as local artwork. Watercolors by a Hutchinson artist celebrate her love of running. A guest bedroom displays her great-grandmother’s sleigh bed, which was stored for years in her grandmother’s attic. A bedroom-turned-recreation/office space includes an array of the couple’s interests. Kindra purchased an old-style upright arcade system with games from the ’80s like Frogger, Burger Time and Pac-Man. “We played these games all the time as kids,” she says. But the room’s main feature is her grandmother’s floor-to-ceiling dance mirror. Kindra says she restored the century-old mirror
6.
THE DETAILS
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7.
5.
LIght
Game on
Refurbished
Hot
Shine
Woof
Beautiful sconces pepper the cottage
The arcade game has become a prized possession
An antique chest is beautifully restored
Modern accents update the kitchen
Kindra uses mirrors throughout
The fire hydrant purchased at a Cause For Paws benefit
Hutchinson Magazine | Spring 2011
hutchinsonliving CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT (1) Kindra and husband Jules share the space with their two greyhounds, Kati and Cookie Monster. (2) The couple blend their hobbies and passions in the office/rec room where Kindra has placed her grandmother’s mirror. (3) The kitchen was renovated to create a spacious atmosphere for entertaining. (4) After moving in, Kindra spent a great deal of time updating the design. (5) Developing an eye for details, Kindra incorporated items she loved into the home’s décor. (6) The home’s feel continues out back where the pups get plenty exercise. (7) The beautiful sleigh bed belonged to Kindra’s great-grandmother.
herself after the death of her grandmother, Dorothy Woods, a former Hutchinson dance instructor. “She got it from her dance teacher in Kansas City when she was a child,” Kindra says. “She had it in her dance studio. It’s amazing all the people I run into that say they have taken dance from her.” Learning to cook
2.
Kindra says she wasn’t the culinary type when she moved back to Hutchinson and spent little time in her kitchen and separate dining area. “Some of these old houses in the area had small dining rooms connected to a kitchen,” she says. But she prefers a more casual atmosphere and a place for conversation when entertaining family and friends. She decided to create a more functional space by removing the wall between the two rooms. She remodeled the area in warm browns hues, from the granite countertop to the wall tiles. New cherry wood cabinets with a mahogany finish complement new stainless-steel appliances. A breakfast bar now separates the dining room from the kitchen. For formal dining, however, she added a stainless-steel kitchen table. A 42-inch flat-screen television hangs on the wall and in the corner sits a grandfather clock, an antique she inherited from her grandmother.
“It beat all the other houses I looked at by far. I hit the jackpot.” – Kindra Whiteman
She and Jules do more cooking now than ever. “I really hadn’t cooked before, but now I’m trying and experimenting with new things,” she says. “We now use this space all the time.” Jules admits he wasn’t entirely in favor of the kitchen renovation. But now they’ve gone from cooking once a month to three or four times a week. Overall, they spend about a third of their time at home in the kitchen. Kindra even helped her father with the holiday dinner. Joe says, “We were having Christmas dinner [at our house] and our oven quit working. But all we had to do was take it to her house and finish it up. It’s great having her live just down the street.”
6.
3.
Close to home
4.
Joe was a bit surprised when his daughter called five years ago to announce she wanted to move back to Hutchinson. “The next thing I knew, she said she was coming back home for the weekend and had three homes she wanted us to look at. We looked at them on a Saturday, and by Sunday she had bought one,” he says. The move worked out in more ways than one, Joe says. It’s only a short walk to visit, making it easy to take care of each other’s pets if needed. And he’s pleased that a Hutchinson native came home. “It’s just great when kids want to come back to their hometown,” he says.
Spring 2011 | Hutchinson Magazine
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A unique light fixture adds a glow to the luxurious porch behind the home of Matt and Shelly Brooks.
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Hutchinson Magazine | Spring 2011
Humble home From small space to spectacular abode
Story by Amy Con kli ng
Photography by De bor ah Walke r
Spring 2011 | Hutchinson Magazine
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hutchinsonliving
“We took our time and mapped out three or four different layouts. A lot of time and planning went into every step of our home.” – Matt Brooks
W
hen Matt Brooks bought a house in northeast Hutchinson nearly 13 years ago, it wasn’t a home. It barely had enough room to be considered a house. At only 1,000 square feet, the 1950s house had two small bedrooms and a tiny bathroom. It hadn’t been maintained for more than 25 years. “I didn’t even live in it for the first year I owned it,” he says. During that time, Matt, who co-owns a local construction business, gutted the house and started fresh with plans to expand it. He worked evenings and weekends, completely redoing the plumbing and slowly remodeling the bathroom, bedrooms and small kitchen/living space. When he married his wife, Shelly, in 2000, the work sped up. “I had the plans,” Matt says. “She had the agenda.” Cottage ranch living Matt and Shelly both took off with their plans. Because of Matt’s construction background, he started with architectural design plans and layouts using a computer program. Shelly, meanwhile, perused hundreds of magazines, clipping pictures and articles of ideas she wanted to incorporate to make it more of a home. “I spent a long time looking through designs and would put them all in file folders,” Shelly says. “When we were ready to make final plans, I’d go back to the folder.” Matt says they both decided on a cottage ranch style for their home, keeping the cozy feel of the house but adding features to make it more spacious and sprawling. Now the house boasts 2,900 square feet—almost triple the original size—with
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Hutchinson Magazine | Spring 2011
hutchinsonliving
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP The living room is warm and inviting
for friends and family. The Brookses wanted the home to be open and accessible for their family of four. Before the remodel, the residence was only 1,000 square feet. OPPOSITE PAGE A gallery wall celebrates family and various memories.
Spring 2011 | Hutchinson Magazine
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hutchinsonliving
A facelift makes the kitchen ideal for a busy family.
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Hutchinson Magazine | Spring 2011
hutchinsonliving
three bedrooms, two and a half bathrooms, a basement and an enclosed porch that leads to the landscaped backyard. “It’s definitely our own style,” Shelly says. Unique features include wider hallways and doorways as well as a spacious entryway to the basement. “We took our time and mapped out three or four different layouts,” Matt says. “A lot of time and planning went into every step of our home.”
TOP Décor in the
house celebrates what is important to the Brooks family. CENTER Warm touches adorn the dining room. LEFT Shelly has accented the home with unexpected pieces of nature. RIGHT Homeowners Matt and Shelly Brooks.
Strategic spacing While they tripled their space, the Brookses still wanted to make the most out of every inch—knowing full well that they planned on adding to their family. Matt installed bookshelves throughout the house to add storage without sacrificing space. Shelly purchased wall cabinets for the kitchen and racks for extra storage in the bathrooms. Due to a lack of countertop space and cabinets in the kitchen, Shelly opted to hang the pots and pans from the ceiling. The couple decided to create easy access to the storage attic from the laundry room and dedicate the empty space under the basement stairwell for various home items and the children’s toys. They were grateful for the added space when they adopted their son Holden in July 2007. They were even more grateful for the space when they adopted their daughter Evie in May 2010. “We thought we had so much space before. But after two kids, we’re finding that space to be pretty tight,” Shelly says with a laugh.
Spring 2011 | Hutchinson Magazine
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Modern marvels As guests walk in, they notice the cardinal red cathedral ceiling that contrasts nicely with the beige undertones of the family room walls. Next door, in the kitchen and dining room area, light shines through the bay window. Both areas are painted and textured in a pale yellow color, accented with crimson floral curtains. The hallway guides guests toward the living quarters, with collages of family photos and mirrors displayed along the widened hallway. Matt and Shelly’s master bedroom and bath blend modern and country designs. The bedroom boasts cornflower blue
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Hutchinson Magazine | Spring 2011
walls with white furniture, including an heirloom armoire that Shelly refinished. Their bathroom displays the couple’s trendy side with chrome drop-down pendant lights, egg-shaped mirrors and a modern vanity between two sinks. Down the hall, Evie’s nursery, the latest addition, includes a bay window and mint green walls, echoing the calming hues of the other bedrooms. Perhaps the highlight of the home is found in the basement. A window and spacious stairwell create a feeling of openness. “We wanted it to feel more elongated instead of feeling like a dungeon,” Shelly says. Down the stairs to the right is the children’s playroom and Matt’s office. To the left is a geometric wonderland with harlequin diamonds carefully detailed on the walls in two contrasting shades of gray.
TOP LEFT A few fluffy friends hang out in the children’s catch-all area in the basement. BOTTOM LEFT Shelly displays Raggedy Ann dolls from her childhood. above Shelly designed the master bedroom around the showpiece rug.
Spring 2011 | Hutchinson Magazine
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hutchinsonliving Outside, the couple configured landscaping that provides curb appeal and a wall between their house and the busy street a few hundred feet away. “We wanted to use plants to take away some of the sound of the street and to also make the outside look nice,” Shelly says. In the backyard, a screened-in porch features bamboo-inspired fans and furniture perfect for a summer meal outdoors. French doors attach the porch to the master living area, great for when the couple want to spend a late summer evening on the patio together. It was a project more than 10 years in the making, but the final product is something the Brookses can truly call home. “It took a lot of work, and there were definitely days and weeks when I didn’t think we’d ever get done,” Shelly says. “But we did, and it’s a place where we now love.” The screened-in porch is a perfect place for relaxing.
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Hutchinson Magazine | Spring 2011
hutchinsonliving
How to survive a remodel We wanted to know more about how well Matt and Shelly Brooks endured their challenging remodel. 1. How did you and Matt survive each other while your house was torn apart? “We had to learn how to read each other and know when your partner had enough … a break was needed. We put The Castle Inn Bed and Breakfast on speed dial,” says Shelly. “We designated jobs ... Shelly was the ‘grunt’ job girl and Matt was the ‘project manager’ (under Shelly’s supervision).” 2. Tips or secrets to share with readers? Plan. Plan. Plan. Know your budget and expect setbacks/ changes. Know what you don’t want to try and tackle. Projects are always going to take longer than planned.
3. Anything you wouldn’t do now that you look back at your renovation process? How about 10? 1. Enjoy speaking to each other without any construction terms being used. 2. Vow never to add onto the house again. 3. Enjoy not wearing a tool belt as part of your daily attire. 4. Be excited to get reacquainted with friends and family when it’s over.
6. Recognize all weekends, federal and religious holidays as just that—holidays. 7. Enjoy the absence of sound coming from constant power tools in use. 8. Talk about anything other than the house project. 9. Enjoy your yard without the city Dumpster lawn ornament. 10. Avoid using the house as a construction site and a storage facility.
5. Avoid frequenting home improvement centers five to six times a day.
Spring 2011 | Hutchinson Magazine
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hutchinsonbusinesses
Family business
In it for a Long haul Long’s clothing and Western wear marks 65 years
Story by R ichar d Shan k Photography by De bor ah Walke r
L
ong’s, the downtown Hutchinson clothing store, may carry one of the most time-honored stories of businesses. Having operated for 65 years, the store has only seen two managers— father and son. The business opened its doors in 1946, after World War II, as the Hutchinson Army Surplus Store. Art Long was named manager and would spend the next 49 years involved in the business. Originally owned by the Friedman family of Wichita, the store was sold to Art in 1960; in 1965 he changed the business name to Long’s. Seven years later, the business moved to its current location on North Main Street. At age 7 Art’s son, W.D. Long, worked alongside his father marking merchandise for the hefty sum of 25 cents per hour. Seven years later he was a regular employee. At 18, W.D. headed off to Lawrence for a fouryear stint at the University of Kansas. While there, he met his wife Linda, married in 1969 and proceeded to complete graduate work at Arizona State University. After a whirlwind tour of Mexico and Europe, W.D. and his wife made a decision to join the family business on June 1, 1971. Forty years later, as president of the corporation, W.D leaves little doubt that he made the right decision. Art remained active in the business until 1995; he passed away in 2001. W.D. isn’t sure who will take over after him, but he notes that it is not uncommon to sell to third-generation customers. Long’s closes its doors only eight days a year for major holidays. A recent survey of Sunday sales found that a vast majority Valued customer Earl McVicker often shops at Long’s in Hutchinson.
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Hutchinson Magazine | Spring 2011
PERSONALIZED FINANCIAL SOLUTIONS
HUTCHINSON • SOUTH HUTCHINSON S I N C E 19 07 • 6 2 0 . 7 2 8 . 3 0 0 0 • W W W. B A N KO F K A N S A S . CO M A S U B S I D I A R Y O F S O U T H W E S T B A N CO R P, I N C . • M E M B E R F D I C
hutchinsonbusinesses
“We actually sell more work boots than Western boots.” – W.D. Long
Long’s store inventory has grown from Western wear to include many desirable brands.
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Hutchinson Magazine | Spring 2011
of customers are from outside Reno County. Of course, Long’s has adapted with the changing times to become more than a place to purchase Western wear. Today, customers can pick from a selection of business suits, sport coats, women’s sportswear and even Izod and Arrow dress shirts. “We actually sell more work boots than Western boots,” W.D. says. And in 2010, he added a custom embroidery department. Celebrities who visit Hutchinson seem to find their way to Long’s. Comedian Red Skelton stopped here to shop while in town for an appearance at the Kansas State Fair. Coach Cotton Fitzsimmons, who visited the Salt City for the national junior college basketball tournament, also made an appearance. Heisman Trophy winner and Oklahoma State running back Barry Sanders stopped in during the late 1980s to sign autographs. Central Bank and Trust Co. CEO Earl McVicker relocated to Hutchinson in 1984 and has been a regular Long’s customer since then. He’s purchased everything from cowboy hats to boots to Wrangler jeans and has even rented a tuxedo from Long’s. “W.D. Long knows his market very well and provides quality merchandise with excellent customer service,” Earl says. “I commend him for his ability to retain key employees over a long period of time.” District Judge Joe McCarville could be described as an authority on Western wear. After shedding his judicial robes, he became a man straight out of the Old West replete with boots, hat and belt. Joe gained an appreciation for Western wear in his youth while working in his father’s clothing store in O’Neill, Nebraska. Following a 1978 move to Hutchinson, he soon found himself a patron
hutchinsonbusinesses
of Long’s and has remained a customer for more than three decades. “Long’s is a family store that markets good-quality merchandise,” he says. “They are interested in long-term relationships with customers and they listen to their customers, which means they sell you what you want.” Long’s four full-time employees have also tested time; each has worked an average of 25 years at the store. Several of the four left to pursue other endeavors but returned to Long’s. Ron Ebersole, who worked for five years before departing, is now in his 27th year of his second tour of duty at the store. “Long’s is a fun place to work, and every day is different,” Ron says. “I love this job very much as this is a family atmosphere.” Long’s business philosophy is simple. “I never asked an employee to do anything that I wouldn’t do myself,” W.D. says. “Nor do I ask them to work unreasonable hours, as I want everyone to have a life outside the business.” After 40 years at the family store, W.D. seems reflective as he peers toward the sales floor from his second-floor office. When asked what advice he might give a young person who aspires for a career in retail sales, he gets to the point. “If something is working, we don’t change it. And customer service is huge,” he says. “I have lived it all my life.” W.D. is quick to say that after more than half a century at Long’s, he loves this store and with it the opportunity to interact with his legion of customers. As some might expect, retirement is not an option. It is not even a word in his vocabulary.
top 1950s Levi’s posters still adorn the walls at Longs. CENTER Boots are a hot commodity, and Long’s is the go-to source. LEFT The loyal employees of Long’s are, from left, Shirley Parks, Linda Norquist, W.D. Long, Ron Ebersole and Danielle Musick.
MORE INFO Long’s of Hutchinson 110 N. Main St. (620) 663-1561
Spring 2011 | Hutchinson Magazine
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An Arlington institution, Carolyn’s Essenhaus.
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Hutchinson Magazine | Spring 2011
Story by Jeanette Steinert Photography by Deborah Walker
Carol n’s Essenhaus Where pies
are served with a spoonful of hospitality
T
he tales are true. Carolyn Bontrager, namesake of Carolyn’s Essenhaus, will go into the kitchen and whip up a pie on the spot just so a customer won’t be disappointed. Spring 2011 | Hutchinson Magazine
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“I spoil them,” admits Carolyn, who has owned the restaurant in Arlington (population around 450 about 15 miles southwest of Hutchinson) for more than two decades. “It’s a small place, and they kind of become like family. If it’s not in the middle of the lunch hour and if we can fulfill their wishes, then we’ll spoil them.” The pie Rancher Kelly Schmucker of Yoder, a lunch regular and strawberry pie connoisseur, confirms the customer-friendly atmosphere. “They make soups or pies or whatever it takes to keep the customers happy,” she says. Cynthia Geesling of Turon comes in looking for a three-berry pie and leaves with some extra peanut butter cookies. “How many people can say ‘I want this kind of pie’ and she goes and fixes it?” she asks.
ABOVE Proprietor, cook, baker
and pastry chef Carolyn Bontrager opened her restaurant 21 years ago. RIGHT The day’s large pie selection.
“It’s just basic home-style cooking. Even today, most everything we make is from scratch.” – Carolyn Bontrager Twenty-one years ago, Bontrager was working two jobs, one as a hostess for an area restaurant where customers continued to suggest that Arlington needed a good restaurant. “I’ve loved serving people ever since I was a child, and the local people encouraged me,” she says. These days she mostly manages and oversees 25 full and part-time employees, though on Saturday mornings she usually finds herself in the kitchen. Acclaim In 2009 Carolyn’s Essenhaus was one of 24 finalists in the Kansas Sampler Foundation’s 8 Wonders of Kansas Cuisine contest. Based on more than 100 nominations from the public, a panel of judges visited each restaurant to narrow the contenders to 24. “It was a surprise and an honor to be on that list even though I wasn’t one of the eight winners,” says Bontrager, who still seems amazed to have been selected. The Kansas Sampler Award
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Hutchinson Magazine | Spring 2011
ABOVE Connie Bontrager, Carolyn’s niece,
rings up a purchase for John Buser. BELOW Mary Ellen Bontrager, Carolyn’s
mother, rolls pie dough and does a fine job of keeping family recipes.
Spring 2011 | Hutchinson Magazine
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Lorinda Yoder serves some of the restaurant’s popular fried chicken. Customers come from near and far on Wednesdays for pan-fried chicken.
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Hutchinson Magazine | Spring 2011
BELOW Freshly baked bread is available at Carolyn’s Essenhaus. BELOW LEFT Jenni Yoder prepares the breakfast buffet, a popular Saturday attraction.
certificate and collage hang proudly in the dining room. What makes Carolyn’s Essenhaus (which is German for “meal house”) a wonder of Kansas cuisine? Plevna resident Emy Crose knows the answer. “Homey, good food, good service, good social time and excellent pies—as we all say 20 pounds later.” The best bites The menu offers a variety of pies daily featuring coconut, sour cream raisin, chocolate and peanut butter. Fruit pies include apple, apricot and blackberry. Bontrager is partial to the lemon meringue because it’s her grandmother’s recipe. But there’s no consensus on which is the customer favorite. Six different people give six different answers. Geesling thinks it might be the bakery items, especially the pastry buffet put out every morning from 6 a.m. to about 10 a.m. Customers simply choose their pastries and drop their money in a can. “I love coming in and can’t make up my mind,” she says. Saturday morning breakfast is “real food in a home-cooked atmosphere.” Working behind the scenes are Bontrager’s mother, Mary Ellen, and niece Connie Bontrager, who make all the piecrusts. Carolyn Bontrager’s 78-year-old father, Eldon, comes in at 4 a.m. to fill pies, fry doughnuts and make scones, cinnamon rolls and bienenstich (bee sting), a German custard-filled coffee cake topped with toasted coconut, another family recipe. And don’t forget the homemade breads, cookies and snacks, which customers can buy separately. “It’s just basic home-style cooking. Even today, most everything we make is from scratch,” says Bontrager. In addition to ever-popular menu items like hand-breaded country fried steak with cream gravy, hefty burgers, platefilling hot chicken or beef sandwiches, there are daily specials. She’s even been publishing a monthly calendar of daily specials in area papers for as long as she can remember.
Easy French Bread 2 tablespoons sugar 2 tablespoons oil 2 teaspoon salt 21/2 cups hot water 2 tablespoons instant yeast 71/2–8 cups high-gluten flour Combine first four ingredients. Mix yeast with 4 cups of the flour and mix into the liquid mixture. Add the rest of the flour. Let rise until double; punch down and let dough set for 15 min. Shape into two long loaves on a 12- by 17-inch baking sheet. Make diagonal slashes across the top if desired. Let rise until double and brush with mixture of 1 beaten egg and 1 tablespoon milk just before baking. Bake for 15 minutes in a convection oven at 350 degrees or 20 minutes at 400 degrees in a regular oven.
“This bread is delicious when sliced and buttered with garlic butter. We toast it on the grill and serve with our homemade LasagnA and Goulash. It’s wonderful with our Spaghetti soup also.” – Carolyn Bontrager Spring 2011 | Hutchinson Magazine
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Hot Fudge Cake 2 cups Hudson Cream flour 1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon. baking powder 11/2 cups sugar 1/2 teaspoon salt 4 teaspoons cocoa 1 cups milk 1/4 cups melted margarine 2 cups brown sugar 1/2 cup cocoa Combine dry ingredients in bowl. Stir milk and margarine into dry ingredients. Spread in to a greased 9- by 13-inch pan. Combine brown sugar and cocoa and pour over batter. Pour 31/2 cups hot water over all and bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes (check for doneness in the cake part) The cake will rise to the top and the fudge layer will stay on the bottom after baking. Serve warm with ice cream.
30th Street
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Hutchinson Magazine | Spring 2011
“I first served this one year on my birthday, and then by popular demand it landed on the regular cake list.” – Carolyn Bontrager
11th & Main
It’s a family affair, as Carolyn works at the restaurant with her mother Mary Ellen and father Eldon.
The specials Kansas Sampler Foundation director Marci Penner’s favorite Essenhaus special is verenike, a Mennonite dish consisting of cottage cheese-filled pocket noodles with ham gravy. “Carolyn’s is one of only about four restaurants in the state that have verenike,” she says. “If you find any more, let me know.” For a while Bontrager offered the specialty just Friday evenings, but by request, she also now serves it all day on the first Friday of the month. Another traditional favorite, sausage and sauerkraut, is also available on the first Friday. Today is Wednesday—golden-crusted, pan-fried chicken day. On a busy day, with four skillets working, the restaurant can go through 18-24 birds at lunch and around 16 for dinner. Clare Royce, 95, of Langdon has been coming for Bontrager’s chicken since 1991. “I like fried chicken,” he says simply. Bob Pankratz of Plevna enjoys the “the culture and the downhome Amish Mennonite hospitality,” something he has shared with friends visiting from Idaho. “I saw some people from Arizona in here awhile back. Turns out they stop by every year when they come through,” he says. People come to the Essenhaus from all over south-central Kansas, and the restaurant is a popular destination for antique car clubs or other groups. “Even though the 8 Wonders award was two years ago, we still get people who are eating at every place on that list,” says Bontrager.
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localprofiles
Nature, rediscovered Get Everyone Outdoors Month kicks off again story by Amy Con kli ng Photography by De bor ah Walke r
J
im Smith and Mary Clark noticed a troubling trend in 2009. Hundreds of preschool and grade school students would visit Dillon Nature Center and have no clue about their natural surroundings. While doing an upper pond study, Clark would ask grade school students what lived in the water. Sharks topped the list, Clark says. Fish, turtles and other obvious answers didn’t seem so obvious to the students. Smith remembers a similar instance, only this time with clouds. “One day while doing cloud shapes, I had the kids look up at the clouds and tell me what they saw,” Smith says. “They simply said ‘clouds.’ They couldn’t see anything else. Kids are losing their imaginations.” Smith and Clark began to realize that kids’ knowledge of the great outdoors wasn’t so great, so they decided to do something about it. A humble beginning
A family gets outdoors at Dillon Nature Center. The center spearheads Get Everyone Outdoors Month in April.
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Hutchinson Magazine | Spring 2011
Smith, superintendent of Dillon Nature Center, and Clark, chief naturalist at the facility, brainstormed ways to get children outdoors. They found a possibility with the Children and Nature Network, a national organization, but tweaked the idea to better fit the Hutchinson community.
localprofiles
“They were designating a Children and Nature Awareness Month in April. We decided to go a step further and not just include children, but parents and adults as well.” – Jim SMith
“They were designating a Children and Nature Awareness Month in April,” Smith says. “We decided to go a step further and not just include children, but parents and adults as well.” Then they opened it to the entire Hutchinson community. In December 2009, they invited several Hutchinson agencies and organizations to come together and create events for the upcoming April event, appropriately called Get Everyone Outdoors Month. More than 20 organizations responded, and the founding of a monthlong outdoors event began. The Nature Center, along with groups ranging from the Reno County Museum to the Hutchinson Public Library to the Hutchinson Zoo, created fun, outdoor events geared toward children and adults—all free or low cost to attend. “We had a wide range of people interested, which somewhat surprised us,” Clark says. The Hutchinson News jumped on board and published daily tips to get the family outdoors during April. LogicMaze, a local web design and marketing business, offered to set up a website linked to the GEO Month Facebook page. The Children and Nature Network website even added the month to its database system, so the Hutchinson event garnered national attention.
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localprofiles
“We were one of the few who had a community-wide effort going on,” Smith says. Successful start
Activities featured in last year’s GEO Month were a huge hit. Hutchinson Recreation Commission and the YMCA offered a GEO Month Trail Run/Walk at the Dillon Nature Center, with proceeds going toward youth scholarships for both organizations. The public library hosted outdoor book reading sessions for preschoolers, while the Hutchinson Zoo scheduled various activities. The Dillon Nature Center offered a variety of preschool and youth classes and touted Earth Day activities. This year it will offer a similar slate of activities. A community vitality team, which stems from the Reno County Growth Coalition, offered a free hike at Sand Hills State Park led by enthusiast Ryan Diehl. “I’m a big fan of Sand Hills State Park, and there was a desire to have an event out there,” Diehl says. About 20 people joined the north-south hike at the park. “Events like this build our community,” Diehl says. “The neat thing about Hutchinson, and Kansas for that matter, is the diverse environment. Too many of us take that for granted.” Clark says this year she’s heard of organizations doing arts in the outdoors and activities like Frisbee golf. “We’re wanting a wide range of events,” Clark says. “If it’s outdoors, it qualifies.” ABOVE Jim Smith and Mary Clark of the Dillon Nature Center helped plan the 2010
events and look forward to an even bigger response in 2011. BELOW Ryan Diehl, member of a community vitality team with the Reno County
Growth Coalition, leads hikes at Sand Hills State Park.
“The neat thing about Hutchinson, and Kansas for that matter, is the diverse environment. Too many of us take that for granted.” – Ryan Diehl 34
Hutchinson Magazine | Spring 2011
localprofiles
Jill Goertzen and her son Jesse love the nature center and look forward to more opportunities to get outdoors. Spring 2011 | Hutchinson Magazine
35
Story by
Pam Lyle
Photography by
Deborah Walker
Gibbo Pierson is a jack-of-all-trades with a heart of gold
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37
Gibbo’s Saddle & Leather Shop 734 Cole Ave. (620) 663-8486 Open 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Friday unless he’s bicycling, motorcycling, camping, fishing in Mexico, whittling bows in Alaska, cruising in Vietnam, building homes in Paraguay for Habitat for Humanity, on a Windjammer taking care of the sails …
TOP Gibbo Pierson displays his custom-made belts and saddles. bottom Mike Lucia shows off his leather badge made by Gibbo.
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“I’ve been on vacation for over 43 years. I just might have to get a job soon,” Gibbo Pierson says with a hearty laugh as he leans back in his chair and starts reminiscing about his life.
RIGHT Gibbo dons
his “Road Warrior Jacket,” a cherished possession. BELOW A picture of Gibbo on his 1946 Harley-Davidson.
At 83 years old, Gibbo ranks among the most interesting men in Hutchinson. His endless stories span the world, his interests are bountiful and his spirit infects those he’s met. Simply put, he’s Gibbo. He might be best known as the eldest—and longesttenured—member of the Prairie Pups Motorcycle Club. Gibbo still owns three motorcycles and rides weekly, whether it’s on his Harley-Davidson 883 or his Honda Magna. He is one of six organizers of the Toys for Tots charity ride for Christmas and organizer of the 2011 New Year’s Day ride, which he joined despite the chilly temperatures. “Last year we rode 26 miles in 26-degree weather,” he says. One might assume he has a history with motorcycles, considering this dedication. Proudly putting on his jacket, Gibbo walks into the room where his bikes are carefully stored. “I was given the 1946 Harley and drove 3,000 miles from Mexico to home to start its restoration,” he says. Gibbo confirms that riding motorcycles in 13 countries and over 800,000 miles in 67 years is one of his best accomplishments. Weekly, Gibbo meets the Romeo riders at various Kansas towns where they enjoy meals and conversation at unique restaurants. Even riding a two-wheel bicycle is a new interest for Gibbo. When the weather is nice, he rides it every day. “I hop on and ride the bike trail over by my house. In the summer it will take an inch off around my waist,” Gibbo says. When he’s not out riding or traveling, he spends his time at Gibbo’s Saddle and Leather Shop. This institution is immaculate, organized and clean, where the smell of new leather is ever-present. Gibbo’s shop is next door to the house—a space that’s been converted into a hub of leather making activity. “All my siblings and I were born right here where I live and where the shop is located, not in a hospital,” he says. “This was my grandfather’s farm, and I moved back here in 1970.” Gibbo has done leatherwork for 60 years thanks to some marital inspiration. “My wife of 63 years, Georgia, went to
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ABOVE Lucia displays
many items made by Gibbo, including the knife. LEFT Yards and yards
of leather are stocked to accommodate any kind of project.
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Hutchinson Magazine | Spring 2011
Arizona and visited an aunt. She made a billfold and came back and got me started doing leather. Another year she went and made a ring, and that’s how I started making jewelry.” Their relationship is in sync. “I start it, Georgia does the tooling, dyeing and staining and then brings it back to me, and I finish the piece,” he says. Pride shows through as he demonstrates his hand-sewing skills on one of the many saddles in the shop, explaining his trade and pulling out the handmade leather thimble he’s been using for years. Sitting in the room are three sewing machines, one built in 1911 and one in 1915. Both work well, according to Gibbo. A mammoth antique cash register from another leather shop dates back to 1915. The display cases overflow with his works of art: rings, necklaces, knives made with handles from elk horns, belt buckles, Bible covers, harnesses and wallets. “I made braided suspenders and a guitar strap this year as customized Christmas presents for a customer,” he says proudly. Mike Lucia and Gibbo became friends in the early 1970s, when Mike was teaching an easy lesson in leather craft to the Boy Scouts. “He’s been teaching me or advising me or we’ve been exchanging products ever since,” Mike says. Mike, who is a detective in the Reno County Sheriff’s Department, also dabbles in leatherwork. But it’s Gibbo who has crafted badge, gun holders, belts and other leather duty supplies for years for the department. Mike admires his friend’s craftsmanship and knows other customers do too. “I believe it’s because of his ethics and how he gets things done. People just continue to come back years later and they usually want patches or items fixed, not replaced, on things Gibbo has made.” Gibbo’s handiwork extends to repairs at the leather shop, Mike says. “Several of the machines needed to do the work in his shop, he’s made himself,” he says. “When a part breaks, he makes the part.” Life experiences have made Gibbo a natural teacher. He has shared these skills by working in the community and offering instruction on leather crafts and archery. He’s always seen his work—with leather, archery bows or anything else—as a means to enjoying a world of possibilities. “At the Kansas State Fair I was in the same location for 25 years, made $200,000,” laughs Gibbo. “I bought camping vehicles, went to Mexico every year, traveled the world and just enjoyed it.” He smiles as he talks of his most recent backpacking trip with his nephew through Mexico. He admits that sitting still is just not his thing.
The motorcycle figurine that rests on top of the antique cash register was originally on top of Gibbo’s 82nd birthday cake.
“I was teaching an easy lesson in leather craft to scouts back in the ’70s and needed some leather dye, and that’s how I met Gibbo.” – Mike Lucia
Gibbo pays close attention to every single detail in his work and hobbies.
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What makes Gibbo Pierson one of the most interesting people in Hutchinson? “He’s amazing, so many adventures, so many stories to tell, so talented. He’s one of a kind. He can take leather and put his personal twist to it and make the most unique items. He has made both of my grown sons’ leather hunting journals that I’ve given them for Christmas that look like they are old and antique, one of a kind.” — Dennis Radke, former captain for Reno County Sheriff’s Department “He’s been about everywhere there is to go, built houses with President Carter, through the Panama Canal, motorcycle tours through Europe. He had the time and did the adventures.” — Steve Pierson, nephew of Gibbo “I’ve known him for years. Anything we needed fixed, repaired, designed in law enforcement needs in the leather line, Gibbo could do it. Very talented and good at what he does.” — Dick Heitschmidt, Police chief for Hutchinson Police Department “Too many stories, just makes me laugh. He’s a great guy. I’ve know him over 40 years and had the privilege over 20 years ago to pack up and ride motorcycles with him to Mexico for over a month. Everywhere we
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stopped going down, everyone knew Gibbo. He’d done it for years and continued taking friends down there for years after, just living on the beach. He’s done so much for people behind the scenes. He’s a worker-just keeps things going.” — Dale Horn, retired businessman “I’ve had the privilege of knowing Gibbo for over 50 years. He’s one of the neatest individuals you’ll ever meet and one of the most community-oriented people I’ve known. He’s made me saddlebags for my horses and we’ve spent time together at rendezvous’.” — Trey Owston, retired Hutchinson Police officer “Tall tales, unbelievable stories, no such thing, that could never happen, Gibbo doesn’t speak in a forked-tongue. I have traveled at least eight times to old Mexico with Gibbo, sleeping on the beach, camping out in bedrolls. Everyone knew Gibbo. I remember a boat floating by one day and a guy standing up and yelling ‘Hey, Gibbo’ and then another time out of the blue, a man running out of a store and yelling ‘My friend Gibbo,’ and pointing to a glass showcase with a fake dollar bill in it with Gibbo’s picture on it. He called Gibbo
‘Grande Begota,’ mustache. Stories go on. and on, I could write a book.” — C.J. Lett, retired businessman and friend “I’ve known him forever, since 1956. There is no one like him. I’ve taken several motorcycle trips with him. What is this part of the country going to do when he quits doing leatherwork? There is no one that can do it like him.” — Elward Altwater, retired businessman “I went to school with his daughter, and Gibbo has been Gibbo forever. He is a friend to a cowboy and a friend to a banker, makes no difference. The badge case I carry daily, he made and means a lot. He’s one of most talented leather people around.” — Scotty Powell, Reno County Sheriff’s Office “He’s the most interesting person and such a good friend. He loved the rodeo and the horses, was a true fan; always came and had two daughters, loved the Western activities. Such a good friend to my husband, who passed away 13 years ago.” - Lola Rumford, Abbyville Kansas Big Rodeo
Oddly enough, the doctor’s office is a popular attraction at the Kansas Kids Museum.
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health&fitness 7 | HEALTH NUT We continue our series of articles on “health nuts� from Reno County.
These individuals, young and old, seek a healthier lifestyle through many forms of well-being and exercise. Our seventh installment focuses on Cody Jackson, a yoga advocate.
Health Nut: Cody Jackson Local yoga instructor shares his skill with others
Story by Amy Con kli ng
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Photography by A aron East
health&fitness
“I think the key element of yoga is mindfulness. That’s what I try to teach in my classes.” – Cody Jackson
A
s a teenager, Cody Jackson remembers acquiring a taste for yoga. He thanks his upbringing—early on, it was his father who introduced him to yoga and a spiritual part of life. But it was Jackson’s own desires that helped him flourish as a yoga student and instructor. “My dad was able to introduce us to a mystical aspect of life, which is what yoga is about,” Jackson says. As a senior at Nickerson High School, Jackson practiced Buddhist meditation. More than a decade—and several life experiences—later, the Hutchinson resident teaches yoga three times a week at Elmdale Wellness Center. Learning to instruct
Shortly after graduating from high school, Jackson moved to Lawrence, where he attended the University of Kansas. But the books and traditional classrooms didn’t pique his interest as much as the wide array of yoga and other spiritual practices. “When I went to KU, there were many opportunities to study yoga and meditation there,” Jackson says. “I remember at just 18 I was introduced to meditation by a Japanese Zen master.” He taught various yoga classes in Lawrence until moving back to Hutchinson about five years ago. Jackson’s love for teaching continued as he taught at a local yoga loft. A year ago, he moved to teaching classes at Elmdale Wellness Center. “I’ve been blessed to have done a lot of my studying with excellent teachers,” Jackson says. Jackson is a certified trainer in Relax and Renew yoga, a form that emphasizes the use of props and places the body in positions to open the breath and relax the nerves. He is also certified in Sivananda Yoga, a five-point system based on proper breathing, exercise, relaxation, diet and positive thinking/meditation. “I think the key element of yoga is mindfulness,” he says. “That’s what I try to teach in my classes.”
Cody Jackson helps Jan Bruce and Trish Rose practice their poses at the Elmdale Wellness Center.
Instructing to learn
Jackson aims to add variety to his classes, which meet Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. Tuesday’s class is a mixture of slower-paced postures, while Thursday is a
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health&fitness
if you go
Cody Jackson teaches yoga from 11:15 a.m. to noon Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays at Elmdale Wellness Center, 400 E. Avenue E. For more information, call (620) 663-6170.
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Hutchinson Magazine | Spring 2011
restorative class that focuses on just four positions. Saturday is a faster-paced class for more of the intermediate levels. His weekday classes are most popular. “I put the body through a variety of restful, healing positions,” Jackson says. His students agree. Chris Brady took yoga years ago but injured herself. She gradually moved back into it and says she has enjoyed the slower movement of Jackson’s classes. “Before, I always seemed to get hurt. My neck hurt all the time because I was trying too hard,” Brady says. “But this type of yoga is restorative, and we’re not doing things where you could get hurt.” Brady says Jackson’s strength is explaining the poses and movements to his class, which usually ranges from five to eight students. “He goes through the class and looks at our moves, helping us with various positions and making sure we’re doing it correctly,” she says. That’s what Jackson wants out of his classes, too. His teaching style is to introduce basic poses and allow students to choose whether to advance to an intermediate stage. He also uses props, such as mats and comfortable blocks, to assist in the body’s positioning and alignment. Ultimately, Jackson wants his students to know that yoga is about body awareness. Physical benefits—including stretching, toning and improving posture and blood and nerve circulation—come next. “I’m here to teach yoga to people so they can hopefully practice on their own,” Jackson says. “I’m emphasizing education on the yoga method rather than getting a sweat on. I want people to walk out of my class with more self-confidence, self-awareness, and to feel better about their bodies and calmer in their minds.”
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health&fitness
For the love of basketball Volunteers help Hutchinson succeed as longtime host of the NJCAA men’s tournament
Story by R ichar d Shan k
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Hutchinson Magazine | Spring 2011
Photography by A aron East
health&fitness
T
his spring the National Junior College Athletic Association Division I men’s basketball tournament, the Salt City’s version of March Madness, will bring together teams, fans and volunteers in celebration of the 64th consecutive event. Tipping off March 15 at the Hutchinson Sports Arena, the five-day tournament depends on 200 volunteers representing American Legion Lysle Rishel Post No. 68. Getting to Kansas
The first NJCAA tournament was held in 1948 in Springfield, Missouri, with less than satisfactory results. In attendance was Charles Sesher, basketball coach at what was then called Hutchinson Junior College. Disappointed, he later submitted a proposal to the NJCAA suggesting the 1949 sporting event be moved to Hutchinson, where the American Legion would act as host. Sesher and a small group of Legionnaires, including Guy Holt, Bob Gilliland and Bud Obee, drew up a blueprint to host the tournament in Hutchinson on a permanent basis. In March 1949, the second annual tournament tipped off at Hutchinson’s Convention Hall, now known as Memorial Hall. And when a team from New York failed to appear, Hutchinson Junior College filled in as a replacement and almost stole the show, finishing second. Soon, a groundswell of support swept through Hutchinson to build a city-owned sports arena that could serve as a permanent home for the tournament and provide a venue for Hutchinson Junior College (now Hutchinson Community College) games and other community events. A bond election succeeded, and in 1952 the NJCAA tournament moved to its new and permanent home. Behind the scenes
These days Jerry Ricksecker, the tournament chairman, could be referred to as CEO of this national event. Joe O’Sullivan, the tournament director, is in charge of the games. During the final month of preparations, these two Hutchinson attorneys find their volunteer responsibilities to be a full-time job. Together, they oversee 200 volunteers who donate thousands of hours year-round to make the event happen. “This tournament is a big deal for Hutchinson,” Ricksecker says. “It is important to our economy and to our basketball-savvy fans that live here.” As Ricksecker says, “The volunteers donate their time because they want to. Everyone who volunteers is dedicated to what they do and work their jobs diligently.” Ricksecker and O’Sullivan have volunteered for 35 and 33 years, respectively. Their leadership pedigree comes from a small bloodline, as only three other people have served as tournament chairman or director. Ricksecker is quick to point out that preparations for the 2012 tournament will start on the final day of the 2011 event. “We will meet at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday [March 19] for a breakfast meeting to critique the tournament and prepare a list of things that we might do to make next year’s tournament even better,” he says. Each February, Ricksecker personally thanks the volunteers at an appreciation dinner at the American Legion as final preparations get under way. The American Legion also hosts a pancake feed to raise money for Hutchinson Community College scholarships, expanding on its commitment to service.
“The volunteers donate their time because they want to. Everyone who volunteers is dedicated to what they do and work their jobs diligently.” – Jerry Ricksecker
OPPOSITE PAGE Hutchinson Sports Arena has become the
home of the National Junior College Athletic Association Division I men’s basketball tournament. TOP The tournament moved to Hutchinson in 1949. In 1952 a bond was passed to build the arena that seats 7,000. ABOVE Kevin Brening has continued to volunteer at the tournament as a team host.
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health&fitness Over the years
ABOVE Jerry
Ricksecker, left, tournament chairman, and Joe O’Sullivan, tournament director, are the masterminds behind the operation. LEFT The 2011 tournament marks the 62nd anniversary of the Salt City’s own March Madness.
MORE INFO
For more information on the 2011 tournament, visit www.njcaabbtrny.org.
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The tournament has produced a wealth of great stories worth repeating. In 1982, the Midland, Texas, Community College team could muster only nine players for the tournament. The team’s coach asked O’Sullivan, who was volunteering as a team host, to scrimmage with the team. During a practice session, future NBA star and 5-foot-6-inch Spud Webb, then a Midland standout, literally leaped over O’Sullivan while driving for a layup. The tournament runs like a well-oiled machine due in part to 12 subcommittees that oversee everything from marketing to entertainment to ticket sales. In the months leading up to the tournament, volunteers fan out across the city to sell advertising in the tournament program. Area high school bands and dance groups sign on to provide halftime entertainment. Kevin Brening, 47, an insurance claims manager, will be on the sidelines again this year for his sixth tournament as a team host. “We meet the team when they arrive in Hutchinson and show them around town,” Brening says. Other duties include coordinating team practice sessions, attending interviews with the media, driving players to doctor’s appointments and pointing out the location of local restaurants. As the games tip off, Brening will find himself seated on the bench cheering on his new favorite team. Sam Butterfield, 90, arrived in Hutchinson in 1957 to start his 10-year coaching career at Hutchinson Junior College. He fielded four teams in the tournament and later assumed the role as the school’s athletic director. For the past 53 years he’s been involved with the NJCAA tournament. Today he oversees a committee of 25 volunteers who are in charge of scorekeepers, clock operators and timekeepers. “One of the tournament officials attributed the success of the tournament to the fact that Hutchinson is the only place in America where hundreds of volunteers will work a week for nothing,” Butterfield says with a hearty laugh. Hutchinson Community College has competed in 16 of the NJCAA tournaments and won national championships in 1988 and 1994. Mary Ellen Leicht, executive director of the NJCAA, says Hutchinson is synonymous with the NJCAA basketball championship—and for good reason. “Once you attend, you never forget the experience,” Leicht says. “As the longest-standing national championship host in the NJCAA, Hutchinson, Kansas, has provided ‘never to be forgotten’ moments for hundreds of thousands of players and fans.” The fans
Many Hutchinson area residents have watched tournament games from the same seats for decades. Among them is Russ Reinert, chief financial officer for Central Bank and Trust Co., who will return this year for his 36th tournament. “I enjoy watching the players that later make it big, including Spud Webb,” Reinert says. “Also, it is enjoyable to watch my minister deliver the invocation, the choir director sing the national anthem, and to watch the children of friends entertain us at halftime.” The American Legion creed mandates its members to commit themselves to the betterment of the community, state and nation. In Hutchinson, the NJCAA tournament is living proof that the American Legion members here practice what they preach.
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Spring 2011 | Hutchinson Magazine
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Q&A Photography Courtesy of C yn de e Cam pb e ll
My 93-1 DJ
Cyndee Campbell
C
yndee Campbell is one of few radio personalities left who truly found herself charging up the ranks. As a My 93-1 DJ, the radio starlet fuses experience and respect in a profession that requires plenty of quick-witted moments. Raised in the southeast part of the state, Campbell caught the radio bug early on from her father. “[He] was big into amateur, or ham, radio. He pushed me into getting my license, which of course I resisted. But I soon became the youngest licensed amateur radio operator in the world,” she says, “a title I’ve since lost. But it makes me happy to have made my dad proud.” Now she manages Hutchinson’s hit music airwaves every weekday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
HM: What have you learned from being on the radio? CC: Oh man, I cut my teeth in radio. I’ve learned
so much, and it’s such an honor. I’ve learned about business, developing relationships, a whole lot about celebrities. But most of all, I’ve learned that people are inherently good. We really come together in times of need. It’s an overwhelming feeling to be a part of. HM: Why do you think community is important? CC: The neatest things happen when people
come together. As individuals we are so empowered and capable, and as a community we make larger strides. It is what makes the world a better place. HM: What do you enjoy most
HM: How did you find yourself on
about Hutchinson?
the radio?
CC: The people. Nice people rock, and this town
CC: One day, walking up the hill to campus [at the University of Kansas], I was listening to my little Walkman and heard 98.9 The Rock out of Kansas City broadcasting. They were collecting supplies to send to Wichita after a big tornado; the emotion they conveyed inspired action in me. After class, I drove all over town picking up donations from friends and then to KC to drop all the stuff off. I didn’t even get out of the car before volunteers emptied my trunk and thanked me for coming. I was too invested to go home, so I parked and got out to help. The broadcast was a huge success, and they decided to carry it over to the next day. … [I was] still wearing the clothes from the day before. That’s when The Rock staff noticed me, looking me up and down asking, ‘Weren’t you here yesterday?’ I got to talking to the promotions director, and she offered me an internship. Best. Day. Ever. My second semester into the internship I became the promotions director for the KU radio station [KJHK]. The next semester I interned at a pop station in KC [Mix 93.3]. After that, the music director for The Rock was launching a new station and brought me on board. I worked at 96.5 The Buzz for a year and a half before joining Eagle Communications, which I adore.
HM: How deep is your crimson and
blue pride?
is full of them. I am also so intrigued by the Salt Museum. I daydream about sneaking in and snooping in all the files and artifacts down there.
CC: I grew up envious of my sister for being at
KU—she made it sound so cool. My parents wanted me to go to Pitt[sburg] State, but I just had to go to KU. I’m thankful that I had the opportunity. HM: Any funny stories you care
HM: What about Kansas inspires
you? CC: It is home. I’ll never again find relationships
like the ones I’ve been blessed to have in Kansas. I’m telling you, Kansas people are something special.
to share? CC: My very first interview was with The Smash-
ing Pumpkins. I was working double duty at the KU station and The Rock when they decided to open their Machina tour in Lawrence. Sharon Osbourne was their manager at the time and kept flip-flopping over which radio station would get the interview. Finally, she decided that just the college station would get it, and that meant me. The Pumpkins were my favorite band, and I could hardly contain myself. The Rock had all this nice equipment and, well, not so much for KJHK. … I’d lean over to look at the meters and could see my hair bouncing because I was shaking so much. Billy Corgan is super tall, by the way. He was sitting on a stack of boxes and was still looming over me.
HM: Do you have a bucket list of
things you hope to accomplish? CC: I hope to return to the most beautiful place
I’ve ever been, the Pacific Northwest. I’d love to have fireworks at my wedding, to travel to Europe. I feel I have lived my life to the fullest. Sure, there are things I want to do. But most of all, I hope to stay in radio, to settle down and relax a little bit and just enjoy life day by day. HM: What is your favorite rock
’n’ roll movie? CC: Almost Famous. It’s inspiring and crazy at the
same time.
Interview conducted, condensed and edited by Katy Ibsen.
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travelideas
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Hutchinson Magazine | Winter 10/11
travelideas
Steel magnolia A bustling seaport city filled with a lively past and quintessential Southern charm, Savannah celebrates historic preservation at its best story by G lor ia Gale
L
Photography courtesy of the Savan nah CVB
isten closely and you will hear the syncopated rhythm that underscores Savannah, considered one of the South’s most attractive destinations. Beneath live oaks dripping with curtains of Spanish moss, the clip-clop of horse-drawn carriages taps out a languid pace in Georgia’s first city. History reveals that Savannah has long been a place to linger, a fact enjoyed by the 6.5 million annual visitors who stroll the impeccably maintained cobblestone streets. Sav Englishman James Oglethorpe decided this was an ideal place to settle when he an C onv nah A founded the city in 1733 along the Savannah River. ent rea Vis i His vision of city planning reflects remarkably forward thinking: Oglethorpe divided i sava tors B on & the settlement into a series of 24 grids, or squares, intertwined with wide-open streets nna urea hvis and islands of lush green space. it.co u m
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travelideas Begin your 2.5-mile journey in the historic district at Savannah’s Riverfront, the eastern seaboard’s third-busiest seaport behind New York and Boston. As you watch the enormous cargo ships ply the Savannah River, stop for fresh seafood before visiting the Cotton Exchange and Factors Walk. This nine-block brick concourse of 18th century warehouses is filled with art, shopping and Low Country cuisine. On the way back into the heart of the district, scour chic Broughton Street. This hip and trendy area of fashionable boutiques serves as a delightful stop before dinner at Garibaldi Cafe, the classically romantic Southern restaurant known for its sumptuous, crispy flounder. Southern sampler
Forsyth Park Fountain
Growing with history throughout the Revolutionary and Civil wars, the city holds stately mansions including Italianate, Gothic and Victorian styles. General William T. Sherman found this gilded seaport so beautiful he spared scorching it on his March to the Sea. Nearly ruined by decline in the mid-1950s, this beautifully preserved city shines today. Much to the delight of preservationists everywhere, a massive campaign regentrified more than 1,200 historically significant monuments, homes and buildings in Savannah, yielding the largest historic landmark district in the country. River Street rendezvous
Factors Walk
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Functioning as a living open-air museum, Savannah is best viewed on foot, but trolley or carriage are equally accessible. Thanks to painstaking renovation, visitors find three centuries of residential architecture, statues and gardens on display around every bend.
Hutchinson Magazine | Spring 2011
Enjoy breakfast at one of two Savannah traditions, B. Matthew’s Eatery or Clary’s Cafe. Later catch any 90-minute trolley tour departing from the depot at Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. Jump on and off at will as you visit the historic district squares filled with heritage sites. Must-sees for the history, art and cultural buff include the Mercer Williams House Museum (setting for the film adaptation of Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil), Owens-Thomas House (featuring authentic slave quarters), Telfair Museum of Art (oldest public art museum in the South), Juliette Gordon Low Birthplace (founder of the Girl Scouts), Savannah College of Art and Design and Colonial Park Cemetery (hauntingly beautiful). Once you’ve built an appetite, lunch at one of the European-style open-air cafes in the bustling City Market or Paula Deen’s The Lady & Sons Restaurant. After lunch, wander among the dappled beauty and grand aesthetics of nine notable squares between Bull and Abercorn streets leading to Jones Street. This is perhaps Savannah’s prettiest area, where magnolias and cobblestones complement elegantly restored row homes—a true snapshot of the Old South. Nearby, catch a slice of life in Forsyth Park at Bull and Gaston streets. This 30-acre park, considered a signature landmark, is home to a cast-iron fountain designed to resemble the grand fountain in Paris’ Place de la Concorde. As dusk falls, relax on a moonlit carriage ride before dinner. Savannah offers a mélange of enticing offbeat bistros serving Low Country fare. Linger a while and listen to live music featured at these establishments.
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travelideas Known to be one of America’s “Most Haunted Cities,” Savannah has tales to tell. End your evening with a ghost tour by hearse, walking lantern tour or carriage ride. Sandcastles and Sea turtles
Savannah Magazine considers Sunday morning brunch at the casual Firefly Cafe one of the best in the city. After brunch, make the 20-minute drive to Tybee Island, Savannah’s sun-kissed beach on the Atlantic coast. Spend the day kayaking, dolphin touring, deep-sea fishing or exploring two of Georgia’s historical forts and its oldest and tallest lighthouse. Fresh seafood and a moonlit stroll are in store at day’s end as you trundle back to Savannah and wrap up your stay with a memorable dinner in the Colonial cellars of Alligator Soul. You’ll walk away with a lasting impression—history hasn’t tarnished this beguiling Southern belle in the least. Historic District Trolley Tour
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family Paco the macaw helps the administrative staff at the Hutchinson Zoo.
The family zoo
Blood related or not, these animal families make up the crew at the Hutchinson Zoo
STory by Amy B icke l Photography by De bor ah Walke r
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family
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amera in hand, Greg Wood traipses through the Hutchinson Zoo during his lunch break, hoping to get a few photos of animals in action. On this particular day, the Burrton resident focuses on the bobcats, which are playing around their pen. “I’ll walk through here every now and then and look for the critters that come out,” he says. “I like to take pictures of them.” Across several acres in the southeast corner of Hutchinson, a colony of families exists at Hutchinson Zoo. Some are tiny, just a few inches in length. Some are as big as bobcats. Most families have been meshed together by fate rather than blood, yet they have all bonded like any brood as they make a home here. “We have more than 200 animals living here,” says Kiley Buggeln, who has been the zoo’s curator for 15 years. “The zoo’s theme is Kansas native animals.” Some families are part of the Species Survival Plan, which was developed by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums to help manage the population of selected species across the globe, most of which are threatened or endangered in the wild. Cotton-top tamarin
The biggest Hutchinson Zoo family of all is the cotton-top tamarin, with each weighing in at less than a pound. They are also blood relatives. As one of the zoo’s Species Survival Plan animals, the cotton-top tamarin is an endangered species native to Colombia. In the middle of the reptile and amphibian exhibit area is tamarin Jenny, the 18-year-old mother of Robin Hood, 10; 9-year-old twins Drew and Davy Jones; and Jackson 3. Jenny’s mate Justin died about a year ago. Jackson was a bit of a mistake, Buggeln admits with a laugh, but notes the youngest-born drew lots of attention from visitors as a baby. Zookeeper Marcy Krause notes he was a favorite in his family and that most cotton-top tamarin groups raise a newborn together. That’s exactly what Jackson’s family did. “Jackson was quite a baby,” Krause says. “He’d steal their food, and they’d let him.” Jackson doesn’t get away with snatching food as much now, but family is still important to these creatures. Visitors can see their close bond, whether the tamarins are playing together or scrunching into the same tiny sleeping box at night. The otters
It doesn’t matter if it’s cold and windy or if the sun is shining. The zoo’s otter family is always ready to entertain. Willy, 18, and Kyra, 8, splash around from one end to the other of their habitat area—a place that consists of a little pool and plenty of rocks and branches for climbing. A periscope, built and donated by an Eagle Scout, allows visitors to watch the otters’ continuous movement underwater as well. It’s possible that the otters, native to Kansas, might be the most popular attraction at the facility. “They’re active and they’re cute,” says Buggeln. According to a 2006 study by the U.S. Forest Service, at one time river otters could be found along all major rivers and streams in Kansas. However, while the North American river otter is abundant across much of the continent, unregulated
Marcy Krause works with the cotton-top tamarins.
“She’s an unstoppable type, much like the Energizer Bunny.”
– Toyla Frondorf
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family
fur harvesting and habitat destruction have caused the species to decline in the Midwest. Their numbers are starting to rise again. Bobcats
Bob isn’t an exotic feline or even an endangered species, but he grabs attention from his audience when he can. The 10-year-old bobcat plays with his snack, a dead mouse, like a kitten. He bats it playfully with his paw and accidentally knocks the morsel out of the cage, prompting a laugh from Krause. “He’s always sweet,” she says. “He’s fun to watch.” The Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks confiscated Bob about a year ago from an area residence. In his new home, he is joined by female bobcats Kimba, 9, and Savanna, 7. “Sometimes people think they can make pets out of these animals, not knowing fully what they are capable of,” Buggeln says. For now, Bob is separated from the other two bobcats in order to make sure the three will bond. “We’re taking it slow, especially since he doesn’t have claws to defend himself,” she says. Abundant in Kansas, the bobcat’s territory ranges from Mexico to Canada. Bobcats are named after their tail, which has a bobbed appearance, and males can weigh up to 20 or 30 pounds. Females weigh 15 to 20 pounds. Swift fox
If all goes well, Buggeln hopes to have newborn swift foxes to show the public this spring. “We have hopes, anyway. In late April, early May, maybe we’ll have as many as three or four,” she says. Because of the foxes’ elfish appearance, pointy ears, slender body and bushy tail, the zoo named the 10-year-old female Galadriel after a Lord of the Rings character. Her mate Mike is also 10. “They’re one of our SSP animals because coyotes have really wreaked havoc on them,”
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Buggeln says. “They just don’t have the habitat they need anymore.” The swift fox is native to western Kansas, surviving on the short-grass prairie. They are the smallest member of the canid family in North America. “They typically are the size of a common housecat,” Buggeln says. Swift foxes are nocturnal and perform much of their hunting at night. They are burrowing animals, as they sleep and store their food underground. As a result, the pair have dug every which way inside their habitat at the zoo. “They dig like crazy,” Buggeln says. Baby lizards and turtles
In the back room of the reptile building, Krause lifts the lid on a Styrofoam cooler that serves as an incubator. Inside, five three-toed box turtle eggs and a couple tiny fence lizard eggs are maturing. In addition to the swift foxes, the zoo will have baby turtles and lizards this spring. The turtles’ mother is about 30 years old, while the father is about 10. The mother buried her eggs in her cage earlier this winter, and zoo staff dug them up to monitor. Turtles, after all, aren’t family-oriented. “They don’t really care about the babies,” Buggeln says. “They’re like the big sea turtles that come out of the ocean and lay their eggs and never look back.” The turtles will be born in March. The fence lizards, only a couple inches long from snout to vent, hatched in February. The fence lizard typically lives on open prairie and is native to Kansas. “People are used to going to zoos and seeing tigers, lions and other exotic animals,” Buggeln says. “But like the fence lizards, there are things here people don’t know exist in our state.”
MORE INFO
The Hutchinson Zoo 6 Emerson Loop East • (620) 694-2693
bestbets
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mar-may 2011
march March 1-31 | Parade of Quilts. Soak in the quilting tradition of Yoder’s
Amish community during the 11th annual event. Delight in quilts of all patterns, colors and sizes displayed at participating businesses throughout town on a self-guided tour. Each quilt is hand-stitched by ladies from the community and other Amish and Mennonite communities across the country; each is for sale and ready to take home and become a part of your family tradition. Free admission. (620) 727-4720. www.YoderKansas.com
March 12-13 | Home and Garden Expo. Learn about the latest in
products and services for your home, inside and out. Area businesses from and Hutchinson and Wichita will be showcased at the event, sponsored by Hutchinson Home Builders Association and The Hutchinson News. 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday at the Kansas State Fairgrounds Meadowlark Building. Admission is $3 for those 12 and over.
March 13 | Kansas: Home on the Range Concert. Celebrate Kansas’ heritage at Fox Theatre, where several Kansas artists will be featured in a sesquicentennial musical salute. 2 p.m. Tickets start at $20. (620) 663-5861. www.hutchinsonfox.com
March 15-19 | NJCAA Division I men’s basketball tournament. Over five days, 26 games will feature the best junior college men’s basketball teams in the nation. Sessions begin at 10 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday, 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. Wednesday and Friday, and noon and 6 p.m. Saturday. For more information, see www.njcaabbtrny.org or call (620) 669-9846.
March 19 | Monster of a Garage Sale. Hosted by The Hutchinson News,
this reoccurring event features unbelievable deals at more than 120 booths. 7 a.m.-2 p.m., Kansas State Fairgrounds Meadowlark Building, 2000 N. Poplar St. (800) 766-5704.
March 19 | Family Geocaching. Learn the basics of geocaching and try your
luck at finding treasures with your GPS at the Dillon Nature Center. The event is free, but call to reserve a spot. (620) 663-7411. www.hutchrec.com/dnc
april April 8-9 | Kansas Mennonite Relief Sale. The 42nd annual Kansas
Mennonite Relief Sale offers families the opportunity to enjoy food, crafts and auctions. Events start at 5 p.m. Friday and 6 a.m. Saturday at the Kansas State Fairgrounds. Free admission and parking. (620) 665-7406. www.kansas.mccsale.org
April 16 | Heart Walk 2011. The American Heart Association’s annual Heart Walk helps raise money for building healthier lives, free of cardiovascular disease and stroke. Hutchinson’s Heart Walk takes place at Kansas State Fairgrounds. Events start at 9 a.m. http://heartwalk.kintera.org/faf/home/ default.asp?ievent=426451
April 21 | Taste It Downtown. Eat your way through downtown and
the popular Third Thursday as you sample cuisine from Hutchinson’s most celebrated establishments. Tickets on sale the end of February, $15 each. 5:30 p.m.-9 p.m.. (620) 694-2677
April 26 | “Ghost Houses” Photo Exhibit. Master photographer Dave
McKane from Dublin, Ireland, showcases his exhibition of abandoned Kansas farmhouse photos at the Hutchinson Public Library. Exhibit open April 26-May 27. (620) 663-5441, ext. 132. http://hutchpl.org
may May 5-6 | Brewmasters Dinner and Main Street Hops for TECH.
Enjoy a five-course gourmet dinner paired with specialty craft beers all while a brewmaster discusses beer and brewing processes. On May 6, enjoy an upscale sampling event at 15 downtown businesses with hors d’oeuvres from local restaurants and premium beers from all over the world. Tickets for each event go on sale March 30. Tickets can be purchased at TECH or by calling (620) 663-1596.
May 7 | Cinco de Mayo celebration. Annual festivities in downtown
Hutchinson include children’s activities, entertainment and a custom car show. 11 a.m.-10 p.m.. (620) 663-1081.
May 21 | Reno County Farmers Market. The Saturday market opens May
21 and runs until October 30. Second Avenue and Washington Street. 7:30 a.m.12:30 p.m. (620) 669-0033.
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Please submit event information to: hutchinsonmagazine@sunflowerpub.com (Dates and times subject to change)