Schoolhouse Home
Civil War Reenactors
Michelle Meade's Puppet Performances
Rescued Triple R saves skunks, birds &
other critters — great and small.
Salina area’s premier Magazine on People, Places & Style fall 2011 $3
Underthecover
The Fast and the Furry Our cover story for this fall edition focuses on the mission of Triple R Wildlife Rescue, a Salina-based volunteer organization dedicated to saving orphaned animals and returning them to the wild. At first, it would seem the nurturing nature of this organization is far removed from the work at the center of another feature story in this issue, a hot rod garage in north Salina with a long automotive history. Nevertheless, the fast and the furry have more similarities than differences. Most notably, both are self-started projects run by dedicated individuals with a dream, both become more than work for the people at the center of these endeavors and both create a physical space that is entirely dedicated to the owner’s mission. In fact, that theme of total commitment comes through in many of this issue’s stories—whether it’s about a businessman carving a race track from a wheat field, two sisters returning home to start up their dream venture, a doctor organizing dedicated Civil War history buffs or an actress sharing her talent with young audiences. So whether you are fast, furry, neither, both or somewhere in between—we hope you enjoy reading these stories of dreams made possible. And our best wishes as you pursue your own. Nathan Pettengill Editor
volume 02 / issue 03
Publisher Tom Bell advertising director Kim Norwood advertising sales managers Christy Underwood Kathy Malm Linda Saenger for advertising rates and information (785) 822-1449 Sales executives Sue Austin Natalie Pankratz Tina Campbell Leah Plumer Tiffani Emmel Jamie Stroda Brian Green Rachel Touchatt Tiffany Modlin Erica Wiseman Debbie Nelson Mary Walker Ad designers Jamie Jeffries Annette Klein Aaron Johnson photographers Lisa Eastman Larry Harwood Contributing writers Patricia E. Ackerman Chelsey Crawford Sarah Hawbaker Karilea Rilling Jungel
Production and editorial services for Sunflower Living provided by: Editor Nathan Pettengill Art Director Shelly Bryant Designer Janella L. Williams Chief Photographer Jason Dailey General Manager Bert Hull publishing Coordinator Faryle Scott e-mail Comments to sunflowerliving@sunflowerpub.com
www.sunflowerpub.com • a division of The World Company
Subscriptions to sunflower living $15 (includes tax) for a one-year subscription for subscription information, please contact: Salina Journal Circulation Department Christy West 333 S. Fourth, Salina KS 67401 (785) 822-1467 / (800) 827-6363 ext. 347 cwest@salina.com 4
Sunflowerliving
Fall 2011
departments
Fall2011
sunflower spaces 8
Back to School Couple renovate closed schoolhouse into a rural home and living museum of memories
12 A House for the Kids to Envy The land was not exactly a field of dreams, but it proved ideal for hosting a couple’s dream home (and offered up a few treasures along the way)
sunflower resumés 17 Shanna Rector The new principal for Salina High School Central
18
Julie and Robin Cates
The sisters and business partners behind On the Pot
19 Jonathan Dong and Tony Dong
Manager (Jonathan) and owner (Tony) of Martinelli’s Little Italy; co-owners of 111 Ultra Lounge
local profiles 20
Meade in Salina
When a performance artist turns to education, her plot involves supporting puppets, a scene-stealing dress and a garden on wheels
24 Rescued: Great and Small
Wildlife enthusiast dedicates her time to nursing and releasing orphaned animals
out & about 28
On the Rocks
A day trip to Minneapolis connects visitors to history, heroes and speed
on the cover: Christa Johnson of Triple R Wildlife Rescue cradles a baby skunk. Sunflowerliving
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features
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fall2011
Living History As the nation marks 150 years since the beginning of the Civil War, local reenactors work to bring that past alive with an emphasis on the Kansas experience Story by Patricia E. Ackerman
40
Always Autos A north Salina workshop takes on the character of the generations of autos and enthusiasts who have occupied it over the years Story by Karilea Rilling Jungel
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Sunflowerliving
Photography by Larry Harwood
Fall 2011
Photography by Larry Harwood
behind the lens
Larry Harwood, Sunflower Living photographer, graduated from photography school at Brooks Institute in Santa Barbara, California, Free Spirit Photography and began his career as a staff photographer at the University of Colorado. He currently runs Larry Harwood Photography and spends much of his time at his family home in Glasco adding to his portfolio. But even with decades of photography under his belt, this issue’s story on Triple R Wildlife Rescue marked the first time that Larry had the pleasure of an extended photo session with a skunk—a skunk, it should be noted, that had not been de-scented. “Apparently they don’t spray unless they are scared,” says Larry. “So I tried not to scare him.” In fact, the skunk turned out to be a laid-back, camera-friendly critter, which was not the case with some of the other animals. The deer, for instance, constantly bolted back and forth as Larry, working from inside a large cage and not quite as nimble, positioned himself to get a good image. “I got a lot of blurry-deer shots,” says Larry. “Finally, it went over and lay down and I got some good shots. One of the ones we used was a split second before it bolted off.” Those cages, covered by large tarps to keep the animals from being exposed to too much sunlight and heat, presented a problem for lighting. Larry used a small strobe light on his camera to fill in the “portrait” of the animals while Sunflower Publishing photo intern Jennifer Heeke chased the animals with a similar strobe light bounced through an umbrella. It was, by any standard, a hard-worked photo shoot. But it was also, Larry explains, incredibly easy. “Animals in general are easy,” says Larry, “because they are cute and if you get one good picture, everyone loves it."
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Sunflower spaces
Back to School Couple renovate closed schoolhouse into a rural home and living museum of memories
T
he town of Lindsey no longer officially exists in Ottawa County. And not since 1945 have children gathered at the one-room Lindsey schoolhouse just southeast of Minneapolis to learn and play. Ed and Vicki Lance stumbled upon this building in 1997, when it was a gathering place for meetings and 4-H functions.
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Fall 2011
story by Sarah Hawbaker
photography by Larry Harwood
Sunflower spaces
They had actually been looking for a schoolhouse or a barn—a potential home with good structural bones. “And those don’t come easy,” says Vicki. For the following three years, Ed, with the occasional help of friends, worked almost daily on the renovation. The Lances estimate that this project is not completely finished—but it is home, where their daily life comfortably intertwines with the past. Keeping tradition A framed print inside the home shows the building when it was a schoolhouse, complete with children playing in the schoolyard. It is a historical artifact and a testimony to the couple’s efforts to retain as much of the schoolhouse’s history as possible. Wanting to keep the feel of a traditional one-room
schoolhouse, Ed and Vicki decided not to add interior walls. An L-shaped half-wall separates their kitchen from the dining room and living room. Two additions, one to the north and one to the south, added two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a garage and a laundry room to make the home complete. The building’s original trim decorates walls and windows while the stunning original yellow-pine interior doors are used throughout. The original floor remains intact and uncovered. The school’s library is now a kitchen pantry and lesson books have been replaced by non-perishables and kitchenware. An office fills the space that once was a cloakroom for more than 30 years. Original coat hooks still hang just inside the front door. Half-hidden in a tree row in the rear of the property is one of the school’s two original outhouses. It’s still
Ed and Vicki Lance relax in the main room of their home that was once a one-room schoolhouse. The couple have changed the décor and built additions, but the house retains much of the original layout and relies on the school’s solid structural bones.
Sunflower spaces
[1]
It is a historical artifact and a testimony to the couple’s efforts to retain as much of the schoolhouse’s history as possible.
in relatively good working condition, attest the Lances, who relied on it during the early renovation process. Alterations Some history has been lost over the years. The exterior lacks one telltale piece—the bell tower that was struck by lightning and destroyed some years before the Lances purchased the building. Inside, Vicki has decorated the space with “my collections that don’t all gel together.” This includes many antique pieces such as an old wardrobe trunk, an Estate brand fresh air oven and the dining room table that her parents used when Vicki was a child. “What we see and like, that’s what we get,” Vicki explains. But the place that Ed and Vicki now call home is full of memories for former students. Over the years, many of them have stopped by for a tour, reminiscing about simpler days, standing in the spot where their desk once stood or noting the window that was once used as an escape route when a teacher was hot on the trail of a wayward student. Despite many changes in the renovation plans and a painful fall that broke both of Ed’s feet in the midst of it all, the couple is pleased with their near-finished product. “It’s been a good experience and a lot of fun,” Ed says, noting there haven’t exactly been arguments throughout the project, just many discussions. The Lances say they “love the history and character that comes with an old building”— which is fortunate, because their home is filled with the history, character and legacies of generations of students. 10
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[3]
[5]
Sunflower spaces
[2]
[4]
[1] Vicki Lance stands in the home’s kitchen, which is set off from the rest of the interior by an L-shaped half-wall. [2] A quilt made by Vicki’s aunt is draped over the stairwell leading to the home’s second floor. [3] Vicki purchased this working organ at a yard sale in Minneapolis. [4] Several vintage CocaCola products are part of Vicki’s collection of antiques. [5] Vicki uses this antique wardrobe trunk as decoration in the main room of the home.
TIN CONTAINERS nestle into the kitchen’s low wall
SPRING AND FALL BLOOMS decorate what was once a schoolyard
AN ANTIQUE PHONE reminds of a time when classrooms were free from cell phones
a Sharpening stone stands in the Lances’ garden
the
details
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Sunflower spaces
A House for the Kids to Envy The land was not exactly a field of dreams, but it proved ideal for hosting a couple’s dream home (and offered up a few treasures along the way)
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story by Karilea Rilling Jungel
photography by Lisa Eastman
Sunflower spaces
“Y
ou know, of course, that this was the city dump,” says Dotti Karcher. As husband Joe nods in agreement, Dotti continues to explain that the land where their house sits was one of the original municipal dumps that had been closed back in the mid 1940s. Home construction began on the territory just east of Channel Road in the mid 1960s, well before Joe and Dotti melded their families in 1976 and decades before they drew up blueprints for their current home in 1992. Now, there is nothing to suggest a dump. The home’s color palette is kept light and bright as a background for hanging Dotti’s oil paintings. Little touches such as a crystal chandelier in the dining room, soft curtains at the
windows and brilliant spots of color create a welcoming atmosphere. But there are memories of the land’s past, and fun stories start when Joe recalls the construction years when he sometimes found Dotti going through what they now refer to as the “treasures.” When the digging for the basement began, Dotti uncovered pieces of broken china, old inkwells, shoes, old-fashioned light bulbs, and glass shards. This worried Joe, who recalls joking that the city would “think this is an archeology dig and they’ll make us quit building,” but Dotti continued sifting through her finds. Dotti, who has created oil paintings for nearly 30 years, never used any of these items in her artistic work but has been inspired by recovered items. For example, af-
Dotti and Joe Karcher have lived and gardened at their Salina home east of Channel Road since 1993.
Sunflower spaces
[1]
[2]
[3]
ter inheriting a cartrunk full of small China plates, Dotti decided to decorate them and pass them out as Christmas gifts, a tradition she has continued for the past four years. Joe’s concept of recycling focuses on water. He has placed a series of rain barrels along the home to catch runoff water. The property currently holds a 20-gallon barrel, five 250-gallon tanks and one 380-gallon tank. Joe estimates he has the capacity to collect 1,700 gallons at once, and that he retains approximately 6,000 gallons of water annually. He uses the water for his garden and hopes that others will adopt his approach. “Let’s face it,” says Joe, “water is going to be very, very valuable in the future because there are more people and less water all the time.” The permanent garden and the home of nearly ten years is a testament to the couple’s determination to settle down. Dotti says they moved frequently in earlier years and now realize that “all of our former homes culminated into this dream home.” As Joe examines the home’s original blue prints, Dotti tells about her priorities incorporated into the design: a first-floor art studio, space for a hot tub and a large kitchen “because that’s where everyone gathers.” And, she adds while smiling and nodding at Joe, “I wanted him to be on the other side of the house.” Joe says he had his priorities as well: an office, a garage that led directly to the kitchen and a master bath with an adjoining laundry room so he would not have “to carry the laundry forever.” Who would have known the house the Karchers moved into in February 1993 would turn out to be their dream home? Certainly not their children. “We had one of our kids tell us that we were crazy building this home, that it would never sell,” says Joe. “Now this same child says, ‘If anything happens to you, is there any way I can get this house?’” 14
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Fall 2011
[6]
Sunflower spaces
“All of our former homes culminated into this dream home.” — Dottie Karcher
[4]
[7]
[5]
[1] Joe’s garden flourishes on the water he provides from his rain barrels. [2] A watercolor of the home by artist Dixie Haddock hangs in the Karchers’ office. [3] Joe sits by a charcoal drawing of him and a granddaughter. [4] Rainwater that lands on the home’s roof flows directly into Joe’s rain barrels. [5] Dottie’s brushes stand in her first-floor art studio. [6] The home sits in a relatively new development with an unusual past as a dump, but the Karchers have worked to nurture the trees and plants that surround their home. [7] Several of Dottie’s works decorate the home. Sunflowerliving
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Sunflower resumé
a closer look at area business people
S
hanna Rector, the new principal for Salina High School Central, spent her high school years studying and competing on the Wichita Heights swim team. “I wasn’t a true athlete,” she notes, “it was more of a way to get involved.” Rector became interested in teaching after taking education courses at Wichita State University. She joined Central as a biology teacher in 2001, moved to the USD 305 administrative office in 2005, returned to Central as assistant principal in July 2008 and took up her new position this July.
Shanna Rector Occupation: Principal, Salina High School Central Job Location: 650 E. Crawford Birthplace: Wichita Name:
You are invited to Tweet a graduation speech. What are your words of wisdom in 140 characters or less?
The only direction is forward. Take what you learned in the past and move forward to a successful future.
Shanna Rector When I was a high school student, my hero was Now, my hero is
my grandmother.
my mother.
What are three things a successful CEO might learn from observing stellar high school principals?
How to build relationships with all levels of stakeholders. 2) How to stay focused on the mission of the organization. 3) How to multi-task. 1)
Did you have a part-time job when you were a high-school student? Waitress Stunt double
The Mustang retires. The school needs to name a new mascot before the fall homecoming game. A committee submits these ideas. Evaluate each name and rank them in order of preference.
Bass player in a rock band
The Bold Western Meadowlarks
Motorcycle parts and accessories salesperson
I think many people would be surprised by my mechanical knowledge.
The Fighting Gypsum Miners The Aviators The Salty Bisons
Mustangs don’t retire, they just go out to pasture. There will always be a young mustang galloping forward to save the day. Other
story by NATHAN PETTENGILL
photography by lisa eastman
Sunflowerliving
17
a closer look at Sunflower area business people resumé
Sunflower resumé
J
ulie and Robin Cates are the sisters and business partners behind On the Pot, Salina’s paint-your-own pottery studio. After growing up together in Salina, Julie and Robin went their separate ways as adults. But not entirely separate. One day they discovered that they both had recently painted at different pottery studios in Kansas City and Chicago. This coincidence sparked an idea to return home and start a similar venture, which they have owned and managed since 2002.
Julie Cates and Robin Cates Occupation: Owners, On the Pot Job Location: 111 North Santa Fe Birthplace: Kansas City, KS (both Julie and Robin) Name:
Who is the big sister, Julie or Robin?
Robin: Julie is older by exactly two years, two months and two weeks. Describe your sister’s personality:
Julie Cates and Robin Cates
Julie: Robin is the person you want if a decision has to be made or a compromise needs to happen. Big-picture thinker. Keeps all the balls in the air for our business.
What is your best business advice?
• If you don’t love it, don’t do it—because it shows. • You can’t just like the concept of your business, you have to like being a business person. • Have a real business plan and division of responsibilities … in writing!
Robin: Julie is a typical older sibling—follows rules and doesn’t like to get in trouble. Very kind heart. Wildly creative. Dreams about how to make things, wakes up and can do it. Fun-loving. Witty. Literal—read Animal Farm in high school and thought it was really about animals on a farm.
What are your sister’s secret talents?
Robin: Julie has amazing penmanship—even her grocery list is pretty.
What was your first job?
We both started working when we were 12 years old at Jim’s Chicken. We were in the back room because we weren’t allowed to work out front until we were tall enough to be seen over the cash registers. 18
Sunflowerliving
Fall 2011
Julie: Robin is a pretty good roller skater, but that is not as helpful in our current work.
story by CHELSEY CRAWFORD
photography by lisa eastman
Sunflower resumé
a closer look at area business people
T
ony, the older brother, came first. After managing a restaurant in Beloit, he arrived to Salina in 2001 to open Martinelli’s Little Italy. Jonathan followed him a month later, stepping in to manage the kitchen of the restaurant and catering business. As their venture at the corner of Walnut and Santa Fe thrived, the brothers decided to open 111 Ultra Lounge in 2007.
Jonathan Dong and Tony Dong Occupation: Manager (Jonathan) and owner (Tony) of Martinelli’s Little Italy; co-owners of 111 Ultra Lounge Job Location: 158 S. Santa Fe (Martinelli’s) and 111 S. Santa Fe (111 Ultra Lounge) Birthplace: Bryan, Texas (both Jonathan and Tony) Name:
What was your first job? Pizza delivery boy
Dog walker
Rodeo clown
Dishwasher
Jonathan Dong and Tony Dong What is your best business advice?
Jonathan: Surround yourself with good/talented people. Tony: Do what you love. People tend to thrive at vocations that they enjoy. You are stranded on a deserted island and can choose one item. It is …
Jonathan: My daughter. Tony: My iPad Touch. Tell us a secret of your teenage years?
Jonathan: I went out for debate only because my mother thought I should follow Tony’s example. I mostly stuck to wrestling. Tony: Prepare yourselves ladies: I was a teenage debate champion and Dungeons & Dragons fanatic. story by CHELSEY CRAWFORD
photography by lisa eastman
Both Jonathan and Tony’s first job was washing dishes at River Road Restaurant in Concordia, Kansas. What’s something most people don’t know about your brother?
Jonathan: How old he is—Tony’s the oldest. He was also a great college wrestler. Tony: He’s a three-time high school state wrestling champion. If you weren’t doing your current job, you would be …
Jonathan: Working in Las Vegas, Denver or some resort area. Tony: I hope I would be coaching wrestling.
local profiles
Meade in Salina When a performance artist turns to education, her plot involves supporting puppets, a scene-stealing dress and a garden on wheels
W
Michelle Meade performs a scene from Arden’s Garden with the puppet Arden.
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Fall 2011
aking from a dream, a young boy finds himself looking into the bright blue eyes of a marionette with his exact same face, hair and clothing. Puppet Arden invites boy Arden on a magical garden adventure, and the audience of children joins the journey as they rattle wind chimes to create garden sounds, mimic the flapping of butterflies and tiptoe together to pick colorful vegetables and flowers. This performance is the brainchild of Michelle Meade and her nine-year-old son Arden. The two co-wrote the original production of Arden’s Garden and toured it in Arty the Art Van as part of the Salina Art Center’s 2011 Artist Exchange. Rounding out the family contributions, Michelle’s husband Richard Esvang wrote and recorded original music for the performance. “The idea for the Arden’s Garden show has been percolating for a long time,” says Michelle, who built a prototype Arden puppet after attending a workshop at the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center in Constory by Patricia E. Ackerman
photography by Larry Harwood
local profiles
necticut. “There’s a lot of sculpting and artwork involved in building marionettes,” says Michelle, adding that her goal was to create a puppet that looked half-real and half-marionette. The performance was also inspired by a time Michelle and Arden spent together gardening, which she developed it into a children’s book. It formed the basis for the puppet play and the illustrations supplied a large backdrop during live performances.
“There’s a lot of sculpting and artwork involved in building marionettes.” — Michelle Meade
Local seamstress Marlys Tillman added another layer of magic working to customize Michelle’s stage costume. “Inside the skirt of my dress there is an entire back stage area for the puppet show,” explains Michelle. “A bamboo frame allows me to pull out props for scenery. It’s kind of a Marie-Antoinettemeets-Mother-Nature design.” As a girl growing up in Smithtown, Long Island, Michelle loved making dolls, puppets and fairy sculptures. “My family was very thrifty, working-class folk and I learned to make toys out of found objects,” she recalls. “My very first puppet was a blue fairy marionette, which my mom still keeps tucked away in the closet of my old room.” Michelle’s love of puppets stayed with her as she attended college in New York and began a professional acting career with the unlikely combination of a mime and a voice-over artist. One of the most exciting moments in her early career occurred while attending an open casting where young union actors were allowed to select one professional artist to meet in person. Michelle chose Jane Henson, who co-founded The Muppets with husband Jim Henson. This meeting led to workshops offered by the Hensons’ teams, including classes taught by the actor who portrayed
Handmade marionettes, such as these above, convey an image of fantasy and make-believe. Other puppets are created to seem more realistic. Michelle designed the Arden puppet to resemble her son Arden, left.
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local profiles
Michelle performs Arden’s Garden in a specially designed dress, above, that she describes as “a Marie-Antoinettemeets-MotherNature design.” One of the stars of Arden’s Garden, the puppet Arden, was created specifically for the production. A double-faced puppet, following page, allows for one character to display two emotions to the audience.
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Elmo. Michelle won spots in several productions, including a public service announcement with Jim Henson and John Denver as well as scenes for the 20th anniversary show of Sesame Street. In 1994, Michelle and Richard moved to Kansas to help establish the Great Plains Theatre Festival in Abilene, where they produced 80 Actors' Equity shows in addition to several children’s productions in the period of 12 years. In 2006, they moved to Salina after Richard accepted a position as assistant professor in Kansas Wesleyan’s Department of Communication Studies and Theatre Arts. For Michelle, the move to Salina shifted her identify from being a live theatre artist to “more of an independent teaching artist.” Arden’s Garden reflects that emphasis on education with its themes of healthful eating and outdoor exercise for children. As a teaching artist, Michelle says she hopes to inspire children’s imaginations with her knowledge, talent and enthusiasm. “I tend to be a very whimsical person, trying to live in that magical space between reality and fantasy, where a child’s imagination resides,” says Michelle. “I had a teacher tell me once he hoped I would never lose that quality.”
local profiles
“I tend to be a very whimsical person, trying to live in that magical space between reality and fantasy.” — Michelle Meade
local profiles
Rescued: Great and Small Wildlife enthusiast dedicates her time to nursing and releasing orphaned animals
W
Christa Johnson, founder of Triple R Wildlife Rescue, holds a skunk that was rescued in the spring of 2011.
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Fall 2011
hen raccoons began visiting her north Salina workplace about seven years ago, Christa Johnson simply put water out for them. “It’s just something I have always done,” Johnson says. “Ever since I was a kid, I dragged home every hurt or abandoned thing I found.” Eventually, Johnson’s reputation as a kind heart to creatures of all types caught up with her. Friends and strangers began bringing Johnson orphaned baby wildlife animals. “I spent an inordinate amount of time researching,” Johnson says of her quest to learn how to care for these animals, which have run the gamut from possums, squirrels and raccoons to shrews, deer and even a bobcat. “It doesn’t really matter what kind of critter it is,” Johnson explains. She takes in all of them. Intent on providing proper care, Johnson became certified by the International Wildlife Rescue Council. She received a rehabilitation permit from the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism and has her cages inspected by the game warden. She also sought out like-minded advisors, finding a supportive network of “rehabbers,” as she calls them, on the internet and two Salina-based veterinarians who offer their expertise at a discount rate. Dr. Kenneth Ewy and Dr. Kendell Michel of Ewy Animal Hospital say they have done a lot of learning alongside Johnson. Michel explains the animal hospital is able to treat most wildlife based on the staff ’s experience with domestic and exotic companion story by SARAH HAWBAKER
photography by LARRY HARWOOD
local Profiles
“Ever since I was a kid, I dragged home every hurt or abandoned thing I found.”
— Christa Johnson
animals, but occasionally they have to consult with a board-certified wildlife veterinarian or other wildlife rehabilitation specialists. “Of course we are more cautious with wildlife because they are unpredictable and the stress of treatment can be detrimental to their health,” Michel says. She adds that some diseases, like rabies, are more common in the non-vaccinated wildlife population. Typically, Johnson houses and rehabilitates wildlife from March through July, with the intake of new animals slowing in June (though sometimes it has continued as late as September). Johnson assesses each animal she admits to her home and then bathes them. After the bath, Johnson gives the animals the for-
mula Pedialyte to rehydrate and cleanse their system and so the animals are more accepting of formula. Johnson uses either goat’s milk or a manufactured animal formula, and she adds ingredients such as honey, crushed calcium or yogurt depending on the animal. Caring for the animals is a round-the-clock task, as each baby animal must be fed every two hours, 24 hours a day. Johnson says by the time she cleans up from each feeding it is time to make fresh formula and start the process all over. Once the babies are weaned, Johnson says she limits contact with the animals because they need to “wild up.” “Once I put them outside I have little to
do with them other than cleaning and offering food,” Johnson says. And because it takes a solid month or more for a released animal to establish a feeding territory, Johnson likes for the animals to have a healthy reserve of weight before she releases them, ideally with favorable weather. This fall, once all her animals have been returned to the wild, Johnson plans to spend the season, as well as the winter and early spring, cleaning and repairing her pens to prepare them for more animals, whatever they might be. “The first calls are about birds and bunnies in early spring,” explains Johnson. “But then you never know what call is going to come in.” Sunflowerliving
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local profiles
To the Rescue …
Christa Johnson’s Advice for What to Do (and What Not to Do) after Finding a Baby Animal DO NOT – Immediately rescue. Sometimes an animal that seems abandoned is not truly abandoned. The mother sometimes returns within six to eight hours. Birds, says Johnson, are an exception. Because they are vulnerable to cats and predators on the ground, birds should be placed in a cardboard box (“large enough so they cannot jump or fall out”) and the box should be placed high up in a tree. “The mother will find them and she can get them out,” says Johnson. DO – Move the baby animal out of direct sun while keeping it close to the spot where you found it. DO – Take in the baby animal if you are certain that the mother has not returned after six-eight hours. DO NOT – Use a towel when moving the baby animal because claws or other parts can easily entangle in the material. DO – Move the animal with a cardboard box and then line the box with an old T-shirt or fleece to keep the animal warm. DO – Give a companion. Johnson says putting in an old stuffed animal in the box with the rescued animal is a good idea because it seems to provide warmth and comfort. DO NOT – Try to feed the animal. DO – Give the animal a small portion of Pedialyte. Birds might require a few drops. “Birds will open their beak if they want more,” says Johnson. Mammals will require more, but they also will show a lack of interest once they have had enough. Severely dehydrated animals, Johnson notes, require small amounts over a long period of time, perhaps as much as an entire day. DO – Contact Christa Johnson at (785) 826-5864 or through the family’s business, TPJ Cycleworks, at (785) 820-9230.
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Triple R Formally, it is not Christa Johnson but Triple R Wildlife Rescue who has rescued and cared for hundreds of orphaned animals. But, then again, Christa Johnson is the force behind Triple R Wildlife Rescue. “We’re a 501c organization, but in Salina there are no volunteers other than my husband,” she says with a laugh. Triple R, which stands for “rescue, rehab and release,” does have volunteers in Wichita, Pretty Prairie and Liberal, but in Salina all the work is carried out by the Johnsons. They are also the organization’s funders, dipping into their personal pockets for cages, medicine, medical treatments, food and supplies. Because Johnson receives no outside funding for her efforts, her wish list is lengthy. Although the animals don’t care what their cages look like, Johnson would “love to have nice-looking cages.” She also would like to install an in-ground pond, sprinkler system and power washer to ease care for the animals. Johnson tries to enrich the animals’ temporary environment the best she can with makeshift hammocks, swings and dens. She says she often “dumpster dives” for old carpet remnants, construction fencing and lumber. And while she must buy food formula, Johnson says she is fortunate to receive past-sell-date vegetables from a local grocery store to help feed the animals. Despite the cost of it all and the fact that her own home’s renovation projects sit undone, Johnson says the animals come first. “My house is just a thing, not a living, breathing entity.”
local profiles
out & about
On the Rocks A trip to Minneapolis connects
visitors to history, heroes and speed
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story by NATHAN PETTENGILL
photography by larry harwood
out & about
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Rock City board president Janel Kirn-Pieschl, right, works with other Minneapolis residents to continue public access to the town’s unique rock formations, previous page, above and below.
oe Perry remembers joining groups of other children from Minneapolis and riding his bicycle past the city limits, to the end of the roads and up to the boundary fence of the Morris farm. There, he and his friends would lay down their bikes and hike across the rough prairie until they came to the group of one dozen circular sandstone formations simply known as “the rocks.” This was in the late 1930s and early 1940s and in that time period “Rock City” seemed to exist for no other purpose than to be climbed. The old-school playground of rocks barely survived much past Perry’s childhood. At that time, there were other priorities. First, there was a war to fight and then the community struggled to keep young generations in the rural area once the highway system seemed to speed the world past, and well south, of Minneapolis. “I don’t think people were too interested in preserving it,” says Perry. “The story goes that some people wanted to buy the rocks from the Morris family and crush them up and gravel the road with them.” But the Morris family refused to sell, and in the late 1960s they deeded the land and the rocks to a newly formed non-profit preservation group, the Rock City board of directors. A few years later, in 1978, the national park service designated the formations as a National Natural Landmark. Janel Kirn-Pieschl, president of the Rock City board of directors, says the landmark designation was a major feather in the cap for those who wanted to preserve the formations. But, she adds, her organization continually faces an attitudinal barrier about whether the congregation of rocks serves any purpose “if you can’t mow it or hoe it.” The Rocks One can only imagine what indigenous Kansans or early European settlers made of the rocks when they first came upon them as they traveled through the Solomon River Valley. The formations, one as large as 20 feet in diameter, appear to have been thrown across the landscape after having been half-sculpted into curious formations. Over the years, individual rocks have been given the names “Twin Sunflowerliving
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out & about
“It’s a unique set of circumstances that led to this—first to create it in the sub-surface and then expose them and leave it in place.” —Shane Lyle, Kansas Geological Survey
Sisters,” “Turtle,” and “Bathtub” to describe their shapes. The accepted scientific explanation goes that the rocks are “concretions” formed millions of years ago on the beach regions of dried seas and as the result of erosion and the cementation of sand with calcium carbonate. “It’s a unique set of circumstances that led to this—first to create it in the sub-surface and then expose them and leave it in place,” explains Shane Lyle of the Kansas Geological Survey. And it is also unique, notes Lyle, as one of the few geological sites that continues to double as a playground—an interactive, climbing link to Cretaceous Kansas. In many ways, Rock City as a tourist destination is a throwback to an era when access to sites was considerably more open. Graffiti—an honored tradition in the 19th- and much of the 20th-century that has left its mark on the rocks—is no longer tolerated, but climbing is still allowed. Decades after Perry powered his bike to the biggest exhibit in town, he’s serving on the community board with other members, sharing the mission to keep the rocks open for other generations to explore.
Wildflowers and grass grow in areas of the rock, but scientists say the formations should easily survive the effects of plants and even visitors who might want to climb to the top of the rocks.
Rock City Located 3.6 miles southwest of Minneapolis (look for sign markers in town), Rock City is open year-round to visitors with an admission/donation fee of $3 for adults and 50 cents for children. A gift shop is open on the premise from May to September.
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out & about
Carver It isn’t known if one of the rock climbers included a young man who would become known as one of the premier American botanists of the late 19th- and early 20th-century—but it is a possibility. George Washington Carver spent much of his teenage years in Minneapolis—after having been born to slavery in Missouri and before he left to enroll for college. Carver’s connections to Minneapolis, and his legacy as a scientist whose pioneer work in crop rotation and plant research would merit his induction into the National Agricultural Hall of Fame, is narrated in the “Carver corner” of the Ottawa County Historical Museum in Minneapolis. The museum has a strong collection of military uniforms and artifacts, sports memorabilia, arrowheads and an exhibit on the Silvisaurus condrayi dinosaur, whose fossil was discovered in Kansas by Warren Condray, father of museum director Jettie Condray. But the Carver corner, says Condray, is the leading exhibit and the museum is keen to emphasize the community’s connection to him. “Over the years, there have been community news articles about Carver, but I think Carver’s legacy had been forgotten to a degree,” says Condray. “A lot of people in this region are still really surprised that he lived here.” This fall, the museum is working with the NAACP of Salina to host “Carver Day” to commemorate the scientist’s life. Visitors are invited to the museum on the morning of October 29 and then to the Presbyterian Church of Minneapolis for music, fellowship and lunch. For Condray, this is part of long-deserved praise for one of his town’s outstanding citizens. “Carver was a world-famous scientist and a humanitarian,” says Condray, “he cared a lot about people.” The “Carver corner,” top, is one of the primary exhibits at the Ottawa County Historical Museum, above. Director Jettie Condray, right, says part of his museum’s mission is to popularize George Washington Carver’s long-neglected connection to Minneapolis.
Ottawa County Historical Museum 110 South Concord St.; Minneapolis The museum is open Tuesday-Saturday from 10 a.m.-noon and 1-5 p.m. Admission is free. For more information about the museum or for details about the Carver Day celebration on October 29, call (785) 392-3621.
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out & about
Rock Speed While Rock City and the museum are about history and permanence, the Minneapolis Raceway on the south side of town is the exact opposite. The dirt speedway opened in 2006 by Terry Robins, who describes the entire process as a “field of dreams” type development. “We took a wheat field, I stood on a pickup and we drew it up on a notepad,” says Robins. “My sons were deeply involved and it was a huge do-it-yourself project.” Certified as an International Motor Contest Association (IMCA) venue, the Minneapolis Raceway hosts a series of races each Saturday night from April to September. Some of the racecar categories are designed for low-cost entries, such as the 5/8 scale “mod lights” that operate on motorcycle engines or the “sports compact” racing class that Robins describes as “glory for a grand” cars because their expenses are so low and even an amateur driver has a shot at the top prize. On the other end of the spectrum are stock cars that can cost approximately $200,000, excluding upkeep. The more expensive classes tend to attract the more serious drivers. But Robins says the speedway announcers and staff work under the assumption that a good portion of their audience might be viewing a race for the first time. For this reason, the race commentary includes explanations of the rules, race day brochures tell about the drivers and the types of cars on show that night and the races are intermixed with prize giveaways and the dirt track equivalent of halftime shows. 32
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out & about
“We took a wheat field, I stood on a pickup and we drew it up on a notepad.” — Terry Robins
Robins owns Robins Manufacturing in Minneapolis and has lived in the town his entire life, save a few years spent with the armed forces in Vietnam. He says his hometown is a natural match for racing enthusiasts—most of the drivers come from a range of 80-90 miles and the racing traditions are strong in northcentral Kansas. Just outside of Robins’ speedway sits a “Welcome to Minneapolis” sign that reads: Minneapolis, Kansas: Home of Rock City, George W. Carver and Miss Kansas, 2007. When pressed to pick the most important of the three star attractions, Robins is as diplomatic as a community ambassador should be. “Well, if you were taking her on a date she would be most important, though the rocks will last longer—but the word ‘Minneapolis’ is most important,” says Robins. “It’s a great community and people help one another. We’re not going to just come up to you and hug you if you’re doing fine, but we’ll help you if you need it.”
Racing of various car categories is the primary entertainment for visitors to the Minneapolis Raceway, but the Saturday night events also feature entertainment shows, games and fireworks.
Minneapolis Raceway Just south of Minneapolis off I-35 The Minneapolis Raceway season runs from April-September. For complete schedule, including racing categories and ticket prices, see www.minneapolisraceway.com Sunflowerliving
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Living story by
PATRICIA E. ACKERMAN
photography by
larry harwood
As the nation marks 150 years since the beginning of the Civil War, local reenactors work to bring that past alive with an emphasis on the Kansas experience Sunflowerliving
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s a boy, Boo Hodges read stories of Civil War soldiers becoming so disoriented during battle that they mistakenly fired on their own troops. He never understood how this could happen until he participated in a reenactment of the 1864 Battle of Wilderness, deep in the woods of Virginia. There, Hodges stood in the middle of two 3,000-man armies firing at one another from both sides. “Black powder smoke from our muskets filled the woods and just hung there,” recalls Hodges. “It became so thick that troops on both sides were disoriented. We were totally messed up and surrounded by chaos. It was in that moment of confusion that I truly understood the stories I had read.” Hodges, a partner doctor at Salina Women’s Clinic, says he became “hooked” on Civil War reenactments on a family vacation in 1988, when he saw the 125th anniversary reenactment of the Battle of Mobile Bay at Fort Morgan, Alabama. Upon his return to Kansas, Hodges joined the nearest reenactment group, at that time in Missouri, before he founded the Eighth Kansas Volunteer Infantry in 1989. After just two years, he helped co-found the larger Frontier Brigade and then helped it organize within the First Division reenactment group in 1994. Since then, Hodges has traveled to reenactment and demonstration events in Murfreesboro, Middleton, Gettysburg, Manassas, Vicksburg, and Nebraska, Arkansas, Missouri and Oklahoma. Hodges frequently serves as Colonel and Chief of Artillery Reserve for the First Federal Division. Both his sons, Ted and Grant, have served as drummer boys for the Eighth. Hodges and his sons have stood in the ranks with several Salina-area residents throughout the years. Retired Lutheran pastor Frank Pekarek and his son had a memorable first outing with the Eighth Kansas Volunteer Infantry in 1994. “Our first reenactment lasted nine days, deep in the woods of Louisiana. It was Easter and it
Tony Bell and Boo Hodges. Frank Pekarek, photo courtesy Kim Bear Photography
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Kim Bear Photography
To Arms! To Arms! If you are interested in enlisting or learning more about the Eighth Kansas Volunteer Infantry, you can attend their meetings on the first Thursday of each month at 7 p.m. in the Prescott Room of the Salina Public Library.
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Kansas Battery Blair’s Artillery Group
rained all week,” reports Pekarek. But father and son stuck it out, because, Pekarek explains, “reenactors want to feel as close to what the Civil War troops felt as possible.” Pekarek went on to serve six years as coordinator for the Civil War Roundtable of Salina, a meet-up and historical discussion group for reenactors and Civil War enthusiasts. Pekarerk also lectures on Civil War themes in addition to putting on his uniform for reenactment events. “It’s better than just reading books,” says Pekarek. “We feel some of the things they did: the sweat and even some of the battlefield trauma.” Pekarek recently handed over roundtable coordination duties to John and Jennifer Tillman. John, who works as a civil engineer in real life, regularly portrays a major in the Frontier Brigade and trains four to six mules to pull artillery cannon for the Kansas Battery Blair’s Artillery Group. “It’s quite a trick to work with mules,” explains Tillman. “They’re smarter than a horse and it requires more intelligence to train them than you would need with a horse.” John credits his love of history as his primary reason for participating in Civil War reenactments. Through genealogical research, he learned that two of his great grandfathers fought on opposite sides of the war and he now owns both of their Civil War rifles. He attended his first reenactment in 1987, and he met his wife Jennifer through reenactments. A CFO of a local medical clinic, Jennifer serves as a member of the Frontier Brigade’s medical corps where historical accuracy and modern medical knowledge are equally valued. “We use real swords, knives, and bayonets,” adds John, “so medically trained personnel are essential. We also experience occasional heat-related incidents and black-powder burns.” But it’s worth the small risks, say the Tillmans. For them, some of the most memorable events occur when their roles bridge the past and the present. John proudly recalls that in 2003 the Eighth Kansas Volunteer Infantry presented a posthumous Medal of Honor to an Abilene family whose Civil War era ancestor never received his award. “It got the man the honor he earned, allowed his family the prestige of being Medal of Honor descendants,” says John, “and it made me proud to be a presenter for such a high honor.”
Tony Bell John Tillman
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story by KARILEA RILLING JUNGEL photography by LARRY HARWOOD
A north Salina workshop takes on the character of the generations of autos and enthusiasts who have occupied it over the years Sunflowerliving
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Previous Page A remade 1929 Ford Model A stands in the showroom of Calvin Customs. above Calvin Culp sits outside his garage with his customized “Tubester.�
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There are buildings whose character never changes over time. Maybe it’s the grease and oil that has permeated the walls and paint, or the concrete floor that’s seen a lot of rubber cross its surface, or the weight of awesome automobiles, or it could be the whine and grind of automotive tools that carries to the rafters. Some buildings seem to do one thing best. In the case of the building at 325 N. Santa Fe, that one thing is to behold the ingenuity of automobile enthusiasts. Auto Connection Autos first made their home here in the late 1940s when Edward, Morris and David Bell put up a building to sell and repair autos, including early Kaiser Frazer models as well as Studebakers, American Motors and Dodge cars. The Bell family kept the auto business until the late 1980s and then the building was used for various purposes until an auto center opened in 2009. Calvin Culp, the current tenant and owner of Calvin Customs, walks through the main portion of the building dedicated to auto work. Here, lifts hold vehicles either in the process of being restored or temporarily lodged until such time as the owner of the vehicle is ready to pursue the old car’s “dream”—new lines, new look, new paint.
“We really haven’t done much with the building, just added some light fixtures, paint, and ceiling sheet rock,” says Culp. He has rebuilt some interior walls, mostly as a practical measure to separate the heavy bodywork with its dust and grime from the work with tubes and plugs that demands a cleaner environment. The cars, after all, aren’t fussy about décor. Hot Rod Central Culp’s automotive work began as a pizza restaurant manager. “The drivers would break down and I would fix their cars so they could work their regular shift,” he explains. Eventually, Culp started modifying cars in his spare time. He could not afford to commission someone for his remodeling ideas, so he got a welder and grinder and dove into his dreams. For the past two years, Culp has been working 10-12 hour days on cars while welcoming customers, visitors and the curious passersby. Sometimes there are 15 visitors a day, and that’s without a sign out front pointing people in to where the action is. Guys drive by, see a little action, wonder what’s going on, and walk in. Several of the older drivers come in to chat, pull up a chair and reminisce. Culp’s Garage is where enthusiasts bring in their ideas for the ’78 Suzuki motorcycle that really
Culp works in his shop with painter/fabricator Tim Brown.
Even the garage decorations, such as this one, have a “hot rod� attitude.
wants to be a low rider, the ’55 Chevy Hardtop that came in as a basket case or the ’67 GTO whose owner wants to make sure that it’s all put together correctly. Over on the side, there is a ’51 Mercury–the most run-down of all–on its flat tires waiting for its head to be chopped and its body brought down to a height of 42 inches. There is also a ’49 Cadillac that was stored in a garage since 1968. “Cads are terrible,” says Culp. “You can’t find parts for them–everything has to be made by scratch.” But in talking with Culp, you begin to suspect that this prospect of a complete rebuild doesn’t actually seem too “terrible” for him. Culp’s own car, a ’49 Chevy pickup that had been chopped down and then abandoned by someone else, has been transformed over time. It even inspired Culp’s first “coloring and design contest” with paper models. After selecting a color scheme, he applied and then removed layers from top to bottom before placing a 190-foot round tube around the frame, adding a firewall and cowl area and then a fiberglass frame and “bright work,” known to most people as “chrome.” He then applied and painted lime green against a black background, his “Tubester” literally glows from all sides against the backdrop of garage and the local auto history it contains. 46
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An early 1930s Plymouth, above, sits in the shop.