Topeka Magazine
beer dynasty
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a fav frittata
... thanks to the hens!
Fall ’ 13 | sunflowerpub.com | $5
nature's way
... is Betsy roe's way with art
Fall ’13
Vol. VII / No. IV
from the editor
Editor Nathan Pettengill designer/Art Director
Shelly Bryant
Jason Dailey
chief Photographer
COPY EDITOR
Deron Lee
advertising John Kramer representatives (785) 865-4091 Joanne B. Morgan (785) 832-7264
Ad Designer
contributing Photographer
Jenni Leiste Bill Stephens
Contributing Writers Melinda Briscoe 2013 James Carothers Anita Miller Fry Meredith Fry Jeffrey Ann Goudie Kim Gronniger Cecilia Harris Carolyn Kaberline Susan Kraus Vern McFalls Eric McHenry Cheryl Nelsen Karen Ridder Christine Steinkuehler Debra Guiou Stufflebean Barbara Waterman-Peters GENERAL MANAGER
Bert Hull
Subscriptions $22 (tax included) for a one-year subscription to Topeka Magazine. For subscription topekamagazine@ information, sunflowerpub.com please contact: Topeka Magazine is a publication of Sunflower Publishing, a division of The World Company. www.sunflowerpub.com Please contact us at topekamagazine@sunflowerpub.com for all comments, subscription and editorial queries.
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If you're looking to go from zero to sixty in under three seconds, then a scooter isn't your ride. But it doesn't try to be that. The appeal of tootling around on a scooter--as I understand it from reading Vern McFalls’ cover story in this issue and from talking with long-time scooter enthusiasts in Topeka—is that you enjoy speed and breezes without missing out on the scenery. And if you suspect that I'll turn that experience into a metaphor for Topeka Magazine ... well, you're exactly right.
The scooter sensation is precisely what we want to create with each issue of our magazine. Topeka Magazine zips along at scooter speed—we're the publication that aims for a sleek, stylish and authentic presentation of life in the Kansas capital without ever dipping into a boorish roar. Our profiles of people's lives, works and creations never aim for the octane of headline sensations, but they do attempt to take in the entire landscape of the city, to discover people and locations you might not yet know and to bring you new perspectives on familiar scenery. There are always new roads to take and new attractions appearing along familiar byways. Ride with us, will you?
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what's inside TOPEKAMAGAZINE
Fall ’13 Poet Eric McHenry stands under the projection of text from the works of his friend and mentor, Zula Bennington Greene.
notables
Meet & Greet Topeka Radio Personalities
10 Peggy and the Poet In midlife, a Topeka author rediscovers a beloved childhood neighbor who provides insights into words and life
26 29 30
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Art wALk guide
Granddad with a Disney Flair If Mickey had a grandpa, he might be a lot like Clyde Kensinger
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18 Frittata for Five In the Davis house specialty, Italy meets the backyard henhouse
22 B.D.’s Rods If your art can reel in dinner, chances are you have an Ehler piece in your hands
Marlena Adkison Jack Diamond John Lee Hooker
what’s happening? 35 Events around Topeka for september-november
41 Agrarian Artiste Betsy Knabe Roe brings her knowledge of the natural world into the studio
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TOPEKAMAGAZINE
Fall ’ 13
Topeka
Sunny Outlook Topeka meteorologist Tom Hagen is ‘zippity-do-da’ about life in the capital city
48 Moderately Fast and Pleasantly Furious Scooter enthusiasts zip around with capital style
Quarterly guide to participating venues
on the cover
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Magazine
Michelle Cox of the Topeka Scooter Riders club comes to a stop on her Honda scooter.
features 52 Brewing it ‘Blind’ Family legacies and novel experiments lead Blind Tiger’s brewmaster to a run of championship crafted beers
58 The Beast from the Garden Set free from lawn-care chores, garden tractors roar with power and pull for glory
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notables TOPEKAMAGAZINE
Fall ’13
S
ometimes you do get what you see. That seems to be the case with Tom Hagen, Topeka’s everbubbly weather guy. Not that I initially believed it. Truth be told, until we began preparing this issue of Topeka Magazine, the only Tom Hagen I knew was the consigliere from The Godfather. I had never seen the other Tom Hagen’s weather forecast, had never heard him deliver his signature “zippity-do-da” phrase and had never suspected that a local television personality would have such a cultish fan base. So when writer Anita Miller Fry began describing Hagen, his fans and his online personality … well, I—forgive me—doubted it all. Hagen seemed just a little too Mayberry. But that’s not Hagen’s fault. In an age when news (particularly television news) is full of cruel events and tragedies, a cheery persona can easily seem out of place. And he can seem more out of place if he is full-time genuine, which I’m now convinced is the case with Hagen. Fortunately, there are plenty of people in all professions who remind us that sometimes a pleasant smile is just exactly that—no irony or deception intended. I think there’s even a word for that: zippity-do-da!
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Peggy and the Poet
14
Granddad with a Disney Flair
18
Frittata for Five
22
B.D.’s Rods
26
Meet & Greet Topeka radio personalities
35 What’s Happening?
Tom Hagen's weather forecast called for rain and, by golly, there was rain ... at least in his backyard.
41
Agrarian Artiste
45
Sunny Outlook
48
Moderately Fast and Pleasantly Furious
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Photography by Jason Dailey Story by Karen Ridder
Peggy and the Poet In midlife, a Topeka author rediscovers a beloved childhood neighbor who provides insights into words and life
about the
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writer TOPEKAMAGAZINE
Fall ’ 13
Karen Ridder visits many interesting events as a writer for various publications, including Topeka Magazine and the travel blog for the Kansas Department of Travel and Tourism. She and her husband have lived in Topeka for eight years and they have three young children.
I
"So I loved her, and I feel to this day really, really, close to her still." — Eric McHenry on Zula Bennington Greene
Opposite Eric McHenry holds the memoirs of Zula Bennington Greene, which he edited, against projected text of Greene's writings.
ncidents from Eric McHenry’s life often showed up in print when he was growing up, courtesy of the woman who lived next door. These days, he is returning the favor. In 2012, McHenry finished editing and working to help publish the memoir of Zula Bennington Greene, better known to many Topekans as “Peggy of the Flint Hills.” Their story starts in McHenry’s childhood with the “clack, clack, clack” sound of Greene’s typewriter next door wafting through the windows on summer days. She often let McHenry play in her yard. Greene was a longtime columnist for the Topeka Capital-Journal and its predecessor, the Topeka Daily Capital. She faithfully wrote six columns a week for more than 50 years, marking world and local events ranging from Hitler’s rise to power and Gandhi’s funeral to Alf Landon’s run for the White House. She touched on local scandals and mused about what kind of flowers were blooming in the garden. She also wrote, on occasion, about the boy growing up next door. McHenry and Greene had an unlikely friendship, she being 77 years old when he was born. Greene was one of the best friends of McHenry’s mother, becoming almost like another grandmother to him. “So I loved her, and I feel to this day really, really, close to her still,” says McHenry, who graduated from Topeka High and went to Beloit College to study English and creative writing. While he was always interested in poetry, it was an internship at the Capital-Journal that drew him back home after college and gave him his first paid writing job. McHenry left for graduate school and became a freelance writer, developing a niche as a poetry reviewer for the New York Times Book Review. Later, he became the associate editor at the alumni magazine of the University of Washington. While working at this publication, his first book of poems, Potscrubber Lullabies, was published and won the 2007 Kate Tufts Award for poetry. He moved back home to Topeka four years ago to become an assis-
tant professor of English and creative writing at Washburn University. After McHenry moved back to Topeka, Greene’s daughter, Dotty Hanger, approached him about helping to edit and publish Greene’s memoir. Greene had died in 1988 when McHenry was just 16 years old. While he had vaguely known the memoir existed for a number of years, he had never read it. When he did, he was impressed at the care and expertise Greene put into stories that had taken place 70 and 80 years before she was writing them. The memoir, released as Peggy of the Flint Hills, pieces parts of Greene’s life together in a way that wasn’t possible in her columns. It offers some surprising clues as to why she was able to articulate a view of life that held so many readers captive and rang true for decades. She had a great love for her husband and many joys in her life, but also went through the devastating loss of two children, one to a kitchen accident and another to a heart weakness. The family also completely lost their home to fire. Of course, that was all many years before she began writing a newspaper column and became “Peggy.” McHenry says he was aware that she had gone through these life tragedies, but she rarely discussed them, choosing instead to focus on the immediate joys of the world around her. Those tragedies, though, gave Greene what McHenry calls a kind of “radical clarity” about life that made her work so appealing. In the memoir, Greene explains that for a year after the death of her son, she wanted nothing but to die. When she found herself surviving, she realized that she had nothing left to fear. She went on living, unafraid of social conventions or what others may have thought, and able to value and embrace life in a new way. The lyrical quality and attention to detail in Greene’s prose is something that McHenry says he aspires to in his work today. “Her writing is an example of how to live in an engaged, tuned-in, enthusiastic, generous-of-heart way,” he explains.
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McHenry describes his own work as ironic and humorous, qualities Greene often employed to good use. But McHenry is humble about any similarities between them because he is still in awe of Greene’s astute attention to detail and curiosity about the world around her. Writing was so interwoven into the fabric of her life that it was a reflex for her to take out a notebook and write down anything that interested her—and many things interested her. Zula Bennington Greene was not a poet, but she sometimes published lines that rhymed. She was not a novelist, but wrote enough to fill several books. She was a storyteller, whose life-story is now available a generation after her death thanks to the boy who grew up next door.
Eric McHenry offers
‘The Essential Peggy’
His selection of excerpts from material for Peggy of the Flint Hills
Peggy on Youth: There was no telephone to call anybody indoors, no television with a favorite program coming on, and we had never heard of clubs or committee meetings, motion pictures, or theaters. Parents sat in the summer dusk watching children catch fireflies. It was a small and wonderful world of glowing insects and music and slow-coming dark, so full of contentment it needed no praising. Peggy on Hens: A hen is not very bright, but she is faithful according to her instincts, and women have judged her unjustly by their own standards. She faithfully hatches chickens that have scant chance of being her own flesh and blood, then rushes off the nest and begins scratching to make them a living. Peggy on Falling In Love: Walking along in the dark, his arm through mine, I wanted it never to end. No word of love passed his lips, yet I felt as sure of it as though a ring was on my finger. … I had become eighteen and nothing, I knew, would ever be as glorious as that year of falling in love, and it never has been. Peggy on Simple Pleasures: Of all the things that grew, red raspberries were the best. I cannot trust myself to write temperately about red raspberries, eaten off the vine or with cream and sugar. Some fine adjectives enrich our tongue, but I have turned through the book and find none that begins to express the melting, ethereal delight red raspberries bring to taste, sight, smell, and touch. Peggy on the Prairie: The prairies are as patient as time and as mysterious as the stars, with as many moods as the wind, drawing you on, and suddenly you know that this is what you have wanted all your life.
McHenry reenacts his childhood days, often spent playing in this Topeka yard. At the time, it was owned by his then-neighbor, a close family friend who was old enough to be his grandmother and busy writing eloquent newspaper columns under the name "Peggy of the Flint Hills."
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Photography by Bill Stephens Story by Debra Guiou Stufflebean
about the
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writer TOPEKAMAGAZINE
Fall ’ 13
Debra Guiou Stufflebean is the author of four novels and the director of the Shepherd’s Center of Topeka. She and husband, Mike, live in the College Hill neighborhood with their four dogs and can be found cheering at their grandchildren’s ballgames.
Let your SmiLe refLeCt the beauty of your SouL.
Granddad with a Disney Flair If Mickey had a grandpa, he might be a lot like Clyde Kensinger
C
lyde Kensinger distinctly remembers his first visit to Disneyland in 1966, 11 years after the park first opened. “I was totally in awe. To think, one man thought of this! I was in love with Disneyland, and the realization of Walt Disney’s rags-to-riches entrepreneurship was inspirational.” Decades later, the importance of that encounter can still be felt in Kensinger’s home, a museum in itself, filled with paintings, first-edition books, and Disney collectables. It is here that this highly creative man feels most in his element. “I’ve never forgotten what it’s like to be a kid,” says Kensinger, “which is why I identify so much with the most famous manchild of all, Walt Disney.” The ability to let one’s inner child out to play is not the only similarity between Clyde Kensinger and Walt Disney. Kensinger, too, came from humble beginnings. He grew up in Sapulpa, Oklahoma, about 15 miles outside of Tulsa. Being named an all-state high school football player was his ticket to the university life. A knee injury cut short that dream, but University of Kansas football coach Jack Mitchell offered him the position of head student manager. Kensinger became the first person in his family to graduate from college. Starting off Double-majoring in Roman history and radio-television wasn’t the smartest choice for finding postgraduation employment, Kensinger now admits. “I envisioned the president of General Motors waiting with a job offer after I marched from the Campanile to the stadium—that didn’t happen,” he recalls. Perhaps a smarter choice was asking Joanne Randall to marry him. “I asked Joanne to marry me on June 2, 1963; graduated June 3, 1963; received a
Opposite Clyde Kensinger displays some of the objects in his collection of Disney-theme memorabilia. Kensinger makes frequent presentations about Walt Disney and the entertainment empire he founded.
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draft notice June 4, 1963,” chuckles Kensinger. Joanne had gotten her degree in music education, followed by a job offer to teach at Hope Junior High in Topeka. It was this career track the two would follow after Kensinger received a draft deferment because of his knee injury and scoured job prospects at radio stations, only to find out that most couldn’t have cared less about his degree but wanted someone with experience working the graveyard shift. The couple married in December and moved to Topeka. Within a month, Kensinger began a career in life insurance. (It was on a training rep program for his business that he first visited Disneyland.) He quickly found the work suited him. Anyone who has met Kensinger knows he never sees a stranger. An engaging
"I was in love with Disneyland, and the realization of Walt Disney's rags-to-riches entrepreneurship was — Clyde Kensinger inspirational." conversationalist, his personality ensured his success working for Woodmen Accident & Life Insurance Company. In 1966, he became involved with Optimist International, going on to hold many positions including governor of the Kansas District. For 1983-1984, he was one of the organization’s eight international vice presidents who traveled throughout North America and Canada.
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But the Kensinger family vacations frequently included Disney parks. With their two daughters, Beth Ann and Tricia, and son, David, the Kensingers visited both Disneyland in California and the Magic Kingdom in Florida. “I was always thinking,” says Kensinger, “the hardest thing to sell is an intangible like insurance, but Disney had cornered the market on selling an intangible that was easy to sell, happiness.” The amusement parks were as educational for Kensinger, who learned about the art of selling intangible services, as they were fun for the children. In December 1986, Commerce Bank offered Kensinger a job in the trust department. He continued working with the bank through various promotions for 18 years, the last nine as a senior vice president, before retiring in 2005. Retirement allowed him to concentrate on a book project: a series of 33 children’s stories featuring a five-year-old boy named Saltless Brown, who has a medical condition that prevents him from eating salt. He hired illustrator Timothy Raglin to draw Saltless Brown to match his vision of the young boy. Kensinger says that Saltless may only be a legacy for his grandkids, but an important one. Kensinger is the primo of granddads with a Disney flair. In 2003, he and Joanne took their grown kids and spouses and four of their eight grandchildren on a Disney Cruise to the Bahamas, visiting Castaway Cay, Disney’s own island. Each year, he offers “Camp Granddad,” complete with matching T-shirts and a schedule of local adventures for his vacationing grandchildren. For the Kensingers, creating a home that awakens the senses and is an inviting place for their grandchildren to spend time is all that really matters in life. “Day-to-day issues are really inconsequential,” says Kensinger. “Nothing else matters when you feel a grandkid’s arms around your neck.” Like his hero Disney, Kensinger isn’t too shabby himself at selling the importance of happiness.
Kensinger's Disney collection includes commercial items such as these dwarf figurines as well as personal mementos such as these Disneyland ticket stubs.
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In the Davis house specialty, Italy meets the backyard henhouse
Story by Meredith Fry
Photography by Bill Stephens
Frittata for Five
about the
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writer TOPEKAMAGAZINE
Fall ’ 13
When Meredith Fry isn’t studying at Washburn University School of Law, she can be found in the garden growing her own food, testing out healthy recipes or pedaling her bike through Topeka.
S
imilar to an omelet or crustless quiche, a frittata is an Italian egg-based dish with endless variations of ingredients, from ham, sausage and steak to spinach and goat cheese. At the Davis home in central Topeka, frittata ingredients often include yellow squash, onion, carrot and garlic—but the eggs are the star ingredients, courtesy of the family’s hens: Eleanor, Sassafras, Edith, Cinnamon, Marilyn, Opal, Elizabeth, Mrs. Darcy, Sybil, Maggie, Chickadee and Pepper. Typically, these hens will provide at least a dozen eggs daily for the Davis family of five. Natalie Davis says her two young girls love eating eggs and her infant son is acquiring a taste for them too. They, and husband Aaron, all agree on frittatas, which Natalie, a Topekabased doula, started making several years ago when her family was on a vegetarian diet, though now she sometimes throws meat into the frittata mix. “There is no right way to make a frittata,” says Natalie. “Try different combinations of veggies for different meals like goat cheese and spinach, sausage and kale, or tomato and basil.” Natalie begins her frittatas by smashing and chopping garlic, which she says is “the best part, because I feel like a ninja in the kitchen.” She then puts a small amount of salt on the freshly chopped garlic to pull out its flavorful oil. Next, Natalie chops up yellow squash and adds it to the bowl with the garlic. A fresh bunch of carrots—so fresh they still have dirt on them and so sweet they do not require precooking—are washed and chopped, then added to other chopped ingredients. Natalie chops up an onion “small enough the kids can’t even tell it’s in there.” She finishes by grating cheese off a block. All of the fresh ingredients minus the eggs and salt and pepper are mixed together in a bowl. At this time, Natalie turns on her oven’s top burner to medium-high to melt homemade raw butter, greasing the skillet the frittata will be cooked in. Meanwhile, she cracks and stirs in nine eggs and adds the salt and pepper. The egg-and-vegetable mixture is fried on the stove top in a greased pan, but unlike with an omelet, the egg mixture is not turned. The eggs solidify along the edge of the pan and on the bottom in the 15 minutes they are on the burner. Natalie says she can “tell by my nose” when the frittata is ready for the next step: broiling in the oven. After the broiler is preheated, the almost-done frittata is placed in the oven for four minutes or until the middle of the frittata is solidified. Natalie takes the frittata out of the oven and spreads more shredded cheese on the top to melt. For a side, Natalie quickly pulls rainbow Swiss chard greens off the stalk and boils the greens in water, flavoring with a minute amount of salt. Once cooled, the frittata is sliced like a pie and served with a side dish of boiled greens. Natalie describes the dish as a family mainstay for a complete, nutritious, and kid-friendly meal. And it’s nutritious not only for the people in the Davis house, because the frittata scraps such as the carrot tops and Swiss chard stalks are fed back to the Davis chickens, who graciously share some with the children’s small horde of hamsters. So, actually, the frittata feeds five, plus a few beaks and furry faces.
Opposite Natalie Davis prepares a frittata from her home in central Topeka.
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recipe:
The Davis Frittata Preparation time 30 mins. approx. Feeds Five Ingredients: 9-10 fresh eggs 1 bunch fresh carrots 1 small onion ½ summer squash 2-4 garlic cloves ½-1 cup grated cheese (Natalie Davis recommends Monterey Jack, cheddar, provolone or Parmesan) 1 small handful fresh parsley or 1 tsp. dried parsley Salt and pepper to taste Butter (sufficient to grease an oven-proof pan or wok) instructions: 1) Grease a large oven-proof pan with butter and set on burner. Do not turn the burner on yet. 2) Chop up all of the veggies to the size of your liking and add them to a large mixing bowl. 3) Add grated cheese, reserving a handful to sprinkle on the top of the frittata after it’s done cooking. 4) Turn the burner to medium/high setting. Start cracking eggs into a mixing bowl. 5) Mix everything thoroughly, then pour mixture into the nowhot frying pan. Set timer for five minutes and do not mix or stir once it is in the pan. 6) After five minutes, allow frittata to cook for an additional 5-10 minutes, but check often as you proceed with the next step. 7) Place the oven rack at the very top, and turn the oven to broil. Once the frittata has cooked through, except for the very top center, place it in the oven, next to the broiler, for four minutes, or until thoroughly cooked. 8) Using oven mitts, remove the frittata from the oven. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top, and serve.
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Santa Express Midland Railway Historical Association
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Join us for a train ride -bring the whole family! Normal excursioN traiNs Midland Railway Historical JuNe Association - october
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1515 W. High Street Baldwin City, 66006-0005 • RailKSFest Phone (913)Halloween 721-1211 Train • Haunted Depot (785) • Santa594-6982 Express www.midlandrailway.org
• Easter Bunny Train
The Midland Railway operates excursion trains on a line originally constructed in 1867. Train rides feature an over 20mile round trip from Baldwin City via “Norwood, Kansas” to Ottawa Junction, Kansas, traveling through scenic Eastern Kansas farmland and woods via vintage railway equipment. The Midland Railway is a completely volunteer-staffed, non-profit 501c3, common carrier railroad operated to preserve and display transportation history as an educational demonstration railroad. Join us for a train ride – bring the whole family! We are in easy reach of Kansas City, Overland Park, Olathe, Ottawa and Lawrence, Topeka, and nearby communities. Normal excurions trains June-October every year.
1515 High St. Baldwin City, KS Phone (913) 721-1211 Depot (785) 594-6982 www.midlandrailway.org
Special Events Include; Easter Bunny Train Thomas the Tank Engine Haunted Halloween Train Santa Express
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Photography by Bill Stephens Story by Carolyn Kaberline
B.D.’s Rods If your art can reel in dinner, chances are you have an Ehler piece in your hands about the
22
writer TOPEKAMAGAZINE
Fall ’ 13
Carolyn Kaberline’s freelance-writing career began in 2006 when she wanted to show her journalism students that she wasn’t asking them to do anything she couldn’t do. Since then her articles have appeared in local, regional and national publications. A full-time high school teacher, she enjoys reading and working with her horses.
H
e calls himself “The Rod Doc,” and while he does repair many a fishing rod each year, B. D. Ehler is best known for customizing fishing rods into functional works of art. Ehler’s interest in fishing began more than 50 years ago when a friend asked him to come to Lake Shawnee to learn how to cast a fly line. Before long, the teenager began working part-time to save up for a Monkey Ward’s fly rod, reel, line and flies. Once Ehler had the equipment, he walked the three miles from his house to Lake Shawnee as often as possible to fish, learning new stages of the hobby by necessity. “One day, a fly I bought for 19 cents came untied, so I rewrapped it and put fingernail polish on it to set it,” Ehler says. “Then I got interested in ‘popping bugs.’ They looked like bugs but were made of cork to float on the surface—I used to catch and release lots of fish with those.” When a guide on his rod broke one day, Ehler replaced it. Noting that the finish on the rod had allowed the guide to come undone, he figured out how to replace that as well. The next step was to make his own rod. “I figured if I could rewrap a fly, rewrap the guide, make my own lures and tie flies, I could make a rod,” he says. When he found an ad in a catalog for a rod-building kit, Ehler immediately sent for it. “It was a real thrill,” Ehler recalls. “I can’t tell how satisfying it was to put together a rod and catch fish with it.” Ehler has duplicated that satisfaction thousands of times, through his days at the University of Kansas studying pharmacology and a stint in the Army, as well as raising three children with Mary, his wife of 56 years. His rods were “discovered” when he purchased a pharmacy on Gage Boulevard in 1971 and offered a few for sale. They sold within the week. Since then, his rods have been in constant demand, and he has won numerous awards for his designs. Using a fiberglass base for the rod, Ehler embellishes it with weavings and wooden handles to improve its look and feel, without affecting its performance. In many ways, the rods are
OPPOSITE AND ABOVE B.D. Ehler prepares customized fishing rods from his basement. The retired Topeka pharmacist is often joined by his wife, Mary, who picked up the fishing-craft hobby along with her husband.
TOPEKAMAGAZINE
Fall ’ 13
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his way of sharing the first great love in his life with others. But when Ehler says his first love is fishing, he is speaking chronologically. He notes he met his second love, Mary—the girl who would become his wife—in art class at Highland Park High School. “Our art teacher liked to play matchmaker and had us working together on some art projects,” Ehler says. “I suddenly realized the hormones were flowing, and I discovered there were other things in life than fishing. I asked Mary to the junior-senior prom and that was the beginning of the end.” Although Ehler says they both knew they wanted to spend the rest of their lives together, he also feared the love of his life and his love of fishing could clash. When he took her fishing at Lake Shawnee, however, she “liked it and has been my fishing buddy since.” Ehler tells of his wife’s fishing prowess with pride: “Many times I’ve brought her fishing with others because I know fish will be caught. She can outfish most guys. She’s also
A sign on the door going into B.D. Ehler’s two-room basement workshop reads:
Fishing Pox!
Once inside the “dirty room,” as Ehler calls it because of the noise and dust present, visitors will note an assortment of tools—a metal lathe, a wood lathe, a table saw, a chop saw and a band saw—and several cubicles full of wood, including a 40,000-year-old piece of kauri wood collected by a friend. To create his customized fishing-rod handles, Ehler prefers using pieces which come from root or disease burls—often manifested as bumps extending away from the tree—because of some of the unusual patterns seen in them. While he likes using hard woods—oak, walnut, Osage orange, and Japanese katsura, among others—that make a rod more sensitive, Ehler keeps soft woods such as cork on hand as well.
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TOPEKAMAGAZINE
Fall ’ 13
very good at backing the boat and trailer down the ramp at loading time.” In addition to her fishing, Mary has put together a rod of her own and has made rod socks to protect the rods her husband creates. Many of the rods that Ehler has made have documented events in his and Mary’s lives. For example, he created one rod for Mary with the words “I Love You” on the handle; he made another for his son, an avid KU fan, with a Jayhawk on it. He’s also created several rods for members of the Armed Forces with their branch of service shown in a weave design, often in campaign colors. Considered a pioneer in the field of custom rod work, Ehler, now retired and living on Lake Pomona, continues to make and repair rods and to educate others in the characteristics of building a good rod for different fish species. “Building rods is my hobby,” he says. “I do it because I love making something beautiful out of anything. I like having people enjoy them.”
Very Contagious to Adult Males Some Females Are Not Immune Especially Dangerous, April thru October
Once Ehler harvests a piece of wood, he first soaks it in water for at least six months to remove all impurities, followed by at least six more months of drying. Next, he uses a table saw to cut off a piece of the wood, using an average of a foot of wood for a rod. Ehler uses a wood lathe to round off the corners of the wood piece, then drills a hole for the rod, also called a blank. Although he explains that some customers want a “plain Jane” rod which can be completed in a few days, others prefer woods glued in intricate patterns, which can often take four to six weeks to finish. At this point, the wood is sent to the “clean room” for assembly: The blank is placed in the handle, followed by the guides and the addition of any thread cross-wraps, weaving or decals.
After an epoxy finish is applied to the threadwork, a gunstock finish is applied to the wooden handle. The rod is then placed into a drying cabinet to rotate until dry. Finally the reel is added, and each completed rod is tested for its action. Before sending the rod to its new owner, Ehler saves all information about it—including materials used, measurements and photos—for future reference. Ehler often simultaneously works on as many as 10 rods, each in a different stage of the building process. His goal for all of them, he says, is that they be “lightweight, sensitive and balanced.”
Ehler points to some of the patterns he has customized onto fishing rods. Many of these are customized for specific occasions or customers.
meet&greet
Marlena Adkison
Topeka’s Radio Personalities
On the air: KTPK-Country Legends 106.9, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. “I wasn’t a country music fan at first. I just wanted my foot in the door,” says Highland Park high school graduate Marlena Adkison, explaining how she was first hired by KTPK-Country Legends in 1976. With a broadcast degree and her Federal Communications Commission license she obtained for the Kansas State University student station, Adkison fit the “we need a woman” requirement as a part-time disc jockey to fulfill an Equal Employment Opportunity obligation in the wake of a female DJ’s departure. But she’s never left. Thirty-seven years after her serendipitous start, Adkison spends time on air and works behind the scenes as a producer and production director. “I love the variety in my job,” she says. “I never know what might happen or who I might meet.” One of her favorite fan encounters took place during set-up at a concert venue, when she had a casual conversation over a glitch she’d noticed with a person she presumed was an employee but who was actually Garth Brooks, his unassuming demeanor and pitch-in mentality masking his star stature. An Air Force brat, Adkison listened to 1960s pop favorites produced by The Dave Clark Five and was a fan club member of Herman’s Hermits. Today, she prefers Linda Ronstadt, The Oak Ridge Boys and Alan Jackson. Each weekday at noon she delves into an hour-long exploration of a country legend, sharing backstory bits between playing their hits. Technology has evolved through the years, but the need to remember that “you’re always on” never goes away, she says. “You’re always selling yourself and the station and have to remember that whatever you say or do has an impact, good or bad.”
According to Adkison
DJ
a successful
needs:
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TOPEKAMAGAZINE
Fall ’ 13
one. Flexibility two. Interest in “the pulse of what’s going on in the world” three. Ability to be gracious with listeners who want to interact
Story by Kim Gronniger Photography by Jason Dailey
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Jack Diamond
meet&greet Topeka’s Radio Personalities
On the air: WREN, Wednesday-Friday, 1 to 4 p.m. Growing up in San Diego, California, Jack Diamond listened to his favorite Top-40 station spin the hits of Elvis, Little Richard and Fats Domino. “The same guys I play on the radio now,” he says. That station also gave him his first glance into the industry when he won a contest offered by a disc jockey. “There were lots of wacky contests, and for this one whoever guessed the number farthest from the DJ’s age could buy him dinner,” he says. “I guessed googolplex. I think we went to Perkins.” At 14, wearing satellite headphones, he discovered Motown artists that DJ Wolfman Jack played out of a station in Tijuana, Mexico, the early impetus for Diamond’s pursuit of a broadcasting degree from Brigham Young University. “I wanted to become a DJ because I knew the work would be fun,” he says. “I never wanted to do a job that would bore me. I wanted something that I would love doing, and this is it.” Diamond worked for stations in Utah and Kansas City, including WHB and KUDL, before joining his friend “Louie Louie” Lou Constantino in Topeka. Although he has only worked at WREN a few months, he’s been a DJ for 30 years. “It took me a little while to develop the gift of gab to the point where things could just roll off my tongue,” he says. Diamond still loves the oldies, but his taste in music has evolved into a more eclectic appreciation for blues and jazz, and even Hawaiian music when he wants to relax. According to Diamond
DJ
a successful
needs:
Story by Kim Gronniger Photography by Jason Dailey
one. A good speaking voice two. Gift of gab three. Starbucks coffee
TOPEKAMAGAZINE
Fall ’ 13
29
meet&greet
John Lee Hooker
Topeka’s Radio Personalities
On the air: KMAJ, weekday mornings John Lee Hooker grew up listening to Kansas City DJs like Phil Jay and Johnny Dolan on WHB, a Top-40 station, and later followed Mike Murphy with KMBC. The Beatles and British invasion bands provided the soundtrack of his youth. Eventually Hooker realized that “other than being the San Diego Chicken, being a DJ would be a great job, especially for someone allergic to manual labor.” Beginning his career in 1970 at radio stations in Missouri, Iowa, Oklahoma, Texas and Arkansas, he once shared a meal with Bill Clinton, then a relatively unknown state politician. “I was working in Fayetteville and recorded all his political tapes,” says Hooker. “He told me he was going to run for president, and I told him if he ran I’d vote for him. And all those years later, I did.” Though chatting over lunch with a future world leader was a highlight, Hooker got to conduct the “most impressive” interview of his career with Ray Charles. “He was a hero to me, one of the neatest people I’ve ever met,” he says. Hooker joined Topeka’s V-100 in 1982 before joining KMAJ in 1984. He’s enjoyed building rapport and relationships with “third-generation listeners” when he’s on the air or out and about in the community. “My kindergarten teacher always told me my mouth would get me in trouble someday,” says Hooker, laughing. “If she could see me now!”
According to Hooker
DJ
a successful
needs:
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TOPEKAMAGAZINE
Fall ’ 13
one. Confidence to be oneself two. Ability to share anecdotes about his or her life on the air three. Computer skills
Story by Kim Gronniger Photography by Jason Dailey
Pull-Out Guide
Arts Connect of Topeka
Detail from Judi Geer Kellas’ Pink Lotus, part of the artist’s show “Waterflowers” at The Collective Art Gallery, 3121 SW Huntoon, for the October 4 ArtWalk.
Official First Friday ArtWalk Map and List of Participants
September-November
Rusty Haggles antiques
826 N. Kansas 785.221.0167 www.rustyhaggles.com
4 giRls’ gaRage
837 N. Kansas 785.220.4129 Find us on Facebook
Sports Center Golf Complex
S.W. Gage Blvd
S.W. Fairlawn Rd
S.W. 6
S.W. 10th Ave
S.W. Huntoon St
60
54
47
48 49 S.W 46 50 S.W. H 59
S.W.Oakley
S.W. 17th St
West Ridge Mall
63
SW 21st St
S.W
44
64
S.W. Gage Blvd
61
S.W. Fairlawn Rd
Colmery-O’Neil VA Medical Center
S.W. 29 St
42
th
Provided By:
S.W. 37th St
Sherwood Lake
Berkshire Country Club
N O RT h TO p e k A ( N OTO ) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
Riverfront Station 802 ......................... 802 N Kansas Ave Topeka, KS Rumba Club ........................................ 816 N Kansas Ave Topeka, KS Serendipity .......................................... 820 N Kansas Ave Topeka, KS Gravity Gallery & Shops ..................... 820 N Kansas Ave Topeka, KS Megan Rogers Photographie ......822 1/2 N Kansas Ave Topeka, KS Two Days Market ................................ 824 N Kansas Ave Topeka, KS Rusty Haggles/Stonewall Art Gallery 826 N Kansas Ave Topeka, KS 4 Girls’ Garage .................................... 837 N Kansas Ave Topeka, KS Southwest Traders .............................. 830 N Kansas Ave Topeka, KS Studio 831 ........................................... 831 N Kansas Ave Topeka, KS Kaw River Mercantile .......................... 833 N Kansas Ave Topeka, KS Foole’s Dream Studio ...................833 1/2 N Kansas Ave Topeka, KS Two Wolves Studio & Artist Den ....837 1/2 N Kansas Ave Topeka, KS REWIND Antiques .............................. 840 N Kansas Ave Topeka, KS Robuck Jewelers ................................ 845 N. Kansas Ave Topeka, KS Eclective .............................................. 900 N Kansas Ave Topeka, KS Generations Antiques & Collectibles .... 918 N Kansas Ave Topeka, KS Yeldarb Gallery, Inc. ............................ 909 N Kansas Ave Topeka, KS Vintage Vibe ....................................... 920 N Kansas Ave Topeka, KS NOTO Community Arts Center ........ 922 N Kansas Ave Topeka, KS
66608 66608 66608 66608 66608 66608 66608 66608 66608 66608 66608 66608 66608 66608 66608 66608 66608 66608 66608 66608
(785) 249-6329 Sun - Tues by appt Wed - Fri 10am - 6pm Sat - 9am to 5pm
dOWNTOWN TOpekA 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32
S.W.
S.
S.W.Oakley St
Sept 6 | October 4 | November 1
congratulates this year’s winners of the 2013 ARTSConnect Arty Awards: Deb Bisel, Diggingers’ Foundary, Phil Grecian, Mulvane Art Fair, Betty Sisk and the Yeldarb Gallery. And a special thanks to all Topekans who support the arts!
W
S.W.Wanamaker Rd
ARTSConnect First Friday ArtWalk
pull-OuT Guide
Topeka Magazine
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Kansas Ave Market ................................................. 628 S KS Ave Topeka, KS Bottega 235............................................ 7th & Quincy, 3rd Floor Topeka, KS Constitution Hall.................................. 429 S Kansas Ave Topeka, KS 66603 Brown Vs. Board of Education ..................... 1515 SE Monroe St Topeka, KS Break Room...................................................... 911 S Kansas Ave Topeka, KS Boho Mojo ........................................... 728 S Kansas Ave Topeka, KS 66603 Celtic Fox ............................................................118 SW 8th Ave Topeka, KS First Presbyterian Church ................................. 817 SW Harrison Topeka, KS Cloister Gallery @ Grace Cathedral ......701 SW 8th Ave Topeka, KS 66603 Hazel Hill Chocolate ........................................ 724 S Kansas Ave Topeka, KS Black Door Gallery.............................. 913 S Kansas Ave, 2nd Fl Topeka, KS
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18 17 15 19 16 11 13 14 10
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8
7 9
Phillip Billard Municipal Airport
6
W. 12th St
Huntoon St 57 58
S.E. 6th St
Capitol Building
25
S.E. 21st St
S.E. Adams St
S.W. Washburn Ave
51
Topeka Country Club
S.E. California Ave
Kansas Expocentre
53
For Great Fine Art
S.E. 29th St
S.E. Adams St
Shawnee Golf Club
S. Kansas Ave
S.W. Topeka Blvd
.W .B url ing am eR d
. 29th St
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The Collective Art Gallery
Art Restoration & Repair
Fine Art Since 1987 Join us on the First Friday Art Walk!
3113 SW Huntoon (In the Westboro Mart)
Wednesday-Friday 12-5 Saturday 10-3
785-233-0300
We’re On Facebook! 3121 SW Huntoon, Topeka, KS 66604 785-234-4254
(and during our regular business hours)
Lake Shawnee
S.E. California Ave
W. 21st St
N.E. Seward Ave
S.E. Bran ner S t
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3 4 5
1 22 37 29 S.W. th 24 6 Av e 32 34 23 31 38 56 28 33 S.W. 30 41 39 10th 27 36 26 Ave 35 65 40
S.W. Lane St
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S.E.Q uincy S t
6th Ave
S.E. nd 2 A ve
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pull-OuT Guide
N.W. Tope ka Blv d N. Ka nsa sA ve
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Lake Shawnee Golf Course
beauchampsart@cox.net
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33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41
Merchant .......................................................... 913 S Kansas Ave Topeka, KS NexLynx ...............................................................123 SW 6th Ave Topeka, KS Prairie Glass Studio ............................................. 110 SE 8th Ave Topeka, KS Upstage Gallery/Jayhawk Theatre .................. 720 Jackson Ave Topeka, KS Warehouse 414 ...................................................... 414 SE 2nd St Topeka, KS Lupita’s ............................................................ 723 S Kansas Ave Topeka, KS Ramada .................................................... 420 SE 6th Ave Topeka, KS 66607 Swinnen & Associates ....................921 SW Topeka Blvd Topeka, KS 66612 H&R Block ............................................ 726 S Kansas Ave Topeka, KS 66603
WeSTbORO / midTOWN 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60
Alice C. Sabatini Gallery (TSCPL) .........1515 SW 10th St Topeka, KS 66604 Beauchamp’s Frameshop & Gallery ..............3113 SW Huntoon Topeka, KS Collective Art Gallery .........................3121 SW Huntoon Topeka, KS 66604 Edward Jones ..................... 3100 SW Huntoon, Ste 101 Topeka, KS 66604 Firestation #7 .........................................1215 SW Oakley Topeka, KS 66604 Glass Expressions ..................................1250 SW Oakley Topeka, KS 66604 Great Mural Wall................................................. 20th & Western Topeka, KS Legacy Community Arts Center ................ 1315 SW 6th St, Ste D Topeka, KS Mulvane Art Museum & ArtLab...............1700 SW College Ave Topeka, KS SoHo Interiors .....................................3129 SW Huntoon Topeka, KS 66604 Topeka Fiber Arts District ..................... 400 S Washburn Topeka, KS 66606 Topeka High School .................................... 800 SW 10th Topeka, KS 66612 Burger Stand @ College Hill ........................... 1601 Lane Topeka, KS 66604 PT’s Coffee (Flying Monkey) ............... 17th & Washburn Topeka, KS 66604 Westboro Window Fashions..............3119 SW Huntoon Topeka, KS 66604 Whitehall Fine Gifts & Collectibles ...............3401 SW 10th Ave Topeka, KS
SOuTh, WeST & eAST 61 42 43 44 62 63 64
Topeka Art Guild ............................ 5331 SW 22nd Place Topeka, KS 66614 Southwind Gallery .................................3074 SW 29th St Topeka, KS 66614 Colorfields ..................................... 6825 SE Stubbs Road Topeka, KS 66409 Paint Therapy Uncorked ............5130 SW 29th St, Ste B Topeka, KS 66614 House 2 Home Lighting & Décor ...........5612 SW Topeka Blvd Topeka, KS The Toy Store ..................................................... 5300 SW 21st St Topeka, KS Offices That Work .................................................. 3615 SW 29th Topeka, KS
SWINNEN & ASSOCIATES Attorneys at Law
921 SW Topeka Boulevard Topeka, Kansas 66612 (785) 272-4878 (HURT)
Join us every First Friday from 5 pm-8 pm for 10% off 5331 SW 22nd Place Fairlawn Plaza | Topeka, KS 66614
pull-OuT Guide
Bryce Cameron Liston’s “An Aura of Fragrances” will be one of the works competing for prizes in the Western Regional Exhibition of the Oil,Painters of America. This exhibit is open to the public at SouthWind Art Gallery, 3074 SW 29th Street, from September 6 - October 26, with special presentations during the September and October ArtWalk events.
What’s Happening in
September Jazzin’ It Up in Downtown Those tall buildings in downtown Topeka make great acoustics for live concerts. That’s one reason Downtown Topeka, Inc. has decided to expand musical offerings on Kansas Avenue this fall with “Jazzin’ it up in Downtown.” The September 21 event brings several live bands to restaurants on the 700 block of Kansas Avenue. The music starts at 2:30 p.m. with inside concerts by the Bram Wijnands Trio, the Ryan Simpson Group and Latin group Stan Kessler and the Sons of Brasil. At 5 p.m., the Jazz Disciples start of the headliner street concert. Downtown Topeka’s Edie Smith explains the event as a natural progress of downtown musical happenings such as the brown bag lunch concerts and live summer Friday-night music. “We’re just finding that music fits very well down here, and when you put music in these buildings, it’s an amazing sound.” Tickets for the “Jazzin’ it up in Downtown” event can be purchased through Downtown Topeka, Inc.
Text by Karen Ridder
September 4-5 | Oil Painters of America master workshops, part of the September 6 – October 26 Oil Painters of America Western Regional Juried Exhibit and Sale at SouthWind Art Gallery | for information on the master class and/or exhibition, call (785) 273-5994 or go online at www.southwindartgallery.com September 6 | (and the first Friday of every month) | First Friday Art Walk | enjoy art, music and food at dozens of venues across town | free event September 6-8 | Huff ’n Puff Hot Air Balloon Rally | featuring dozens of balloons with tethered night “glows" and several launchings | Lake Shawnee | free event, www.huff-n-puff.org September 7 | DART and DARTtini, Downtown Adventure Race Topeka: a multileg race with challenges to test physical and mental skills, benefits Lets Help, Inc. | registration info at www.dothedart.com September 14 | Movies on the Lawn | The Goonies shown under the stars; bring a blanket or chairs | State Capitol Lawn | free event
September 20-22 | Book Sale: Annual Friends of the Library used book sale featuring 100,000 titles at the Kansas Expocentre Ag Hall | free admission September 21 | Kansas WildLifer Challenge: An opportunity for kids to learn about nature, build self-confidence and have fun in an outdoor setting at the Kansas Children’s Discovery Center | free event, www.kansasdiscovery.org September 21-22 | Cider Days Fall Festival: carnival, arts and crafts festival, food, music and other activities at the Kansas Expocentre | for ticket information call (785) 230-5226 or go online at www.ciderdaystopeka.com September 21 | Bruce Whaley Spirit Ride: A 25-mile memorial bike ride and 6.5mile family-fun ride benefiting The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society | starts at Lake Shawnee Shelter House #2 | for registration information call (785) 379-0534 or go online at www.kvbc.org/whaley.html September 21-22 | Quilt Show sponsored by Kansas Capital Quilters Guild | 5221 SW West Dr. | ticket information at www.kscapitalquilters.com
September 15 | Ricky Nelson Remembered; a musical tribute to the rockabilly legend at the Topeka Performing Arts Center | for tickets and full fall schedule, call (785) 234-2787 or go online at www.tpactix.org
September 25 | Opening of 30th Annual Kansas Senior Olympics | for full event schedule and registration information call (785) 368-3798 or go online at https://kansas.nsga.com
September 19 | Jerry Seinfeld at Topeka Performing Arts Center | for tickets and full fall schedule, call (785) 234-2787 or go online at www.tpactix.org
September 28 | Zoobilee: Annual adultonly reception and fundraiser supporting the Topeka Zoo | for tickets call (785) 368-9180 or go online at www.topekazoo.org
TOPEKAMAGAZINE Photographs courtesy, from left, Cindy Krallman, Topeka Magazine and Topeka Performing Arts Center.
Fall ’ 13
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What’s Happening in
october A New Leader for the Symphony The first concert of the Topeka Symphony’s new season also affords the opportunity to enjoy the work of its new conductor, Kyle Wiley Pickett. His public debut as the head of the symphony is scheduled for October 5. Last year’s calendar of concerts served as a search season, with Pickett beating out 125 other applicants. He is only the fourth permanent conductor in the symphony’s 68-year history. Pickett will also serve as the new conductor for the symphony in Springfield, Missouri, but is expected to be a major part of the Topeka arts community. Working in two cities is nothing new for Pickett, who will also spend the 2013-2014 season wrapping up his work as the conductor for the Juneau Symphony in Alaska and the North State Symphony in California. “We were very fortunate when it came time to choose the Topeka Symphony’s new music director and conductor that the evaluations from the musicians, the search committee and the audience were aligned in selecting Kyle,” explains Kathy Maag, general manager for the Topeka Symphony. “We will always maintain our core mission to play great classical works,” says Pickett. “There is always room for Beethoven, but there are other pieces to reach people and we will explore the many ways to reach people.” His opening concert on October 5 will start with some of those classics, featuring Beethoven, Puccini and Respighi. For information about tickets or the season’s full schedule, call (785) 232-2032 or go online at www.topekasymphony.org
Text by Karen Ridder
36
October 4 (and the first Friday of every month) | First Friday Art Walk | enjoy art, music and food at dozens of venues across town | free event
October 13 | College Hill Tour: Openhouse tours of historic homes in the College Hill Neighborhood
October 5 | James Cook: The Painted Image exhibit opening featuring recent paintings of James Cook | Mulvane Art Museum | free
October 17 | November 19 | Dia de Los Muertos celebrations across the city to preserve and nurture Latino art and culture | for a full calendar of events go online at www.ddlmtopeka.com
October 6 | 34th Annual Apple Festival with historic building tours, pioneer demonstrations, and folk arts and crafts | Old Prairie Town | free
October 18-20 | Sesame Street Live at the Kansas Expocentre | for ticket information call (800) 745-3000 or go online at www.ksexpo.com
October 10 | Johnny Appleseed schooltime theater program open to the public: Topeka Performing Arts Center | for tickets and full fall schedule, call (785) 2342787 or go online at www.tpactix.org
October 19 | Jeepers Creepers, a Halloween carnival, pumpkin derby race and pumpkin launch at the Paris Community Center | free event
October 11-12 | Smoke on the Water, a sanctioned Kansas City Barbeque Society contest and state championship featuring entertainment and activities | Lake Shawnee Campgrounds | for registration call (785) 291-2610 October 11-20 | The Legend of Sleepy Hollow at the Topeka Civic Theater | for tickets call (785) 251-5990 or go online www.topekacivictheatre.com
October 24 | Trail of Haunts, a thrillhike on the nature trails at the Shawnee North Community Center | free event October 25 | Sumptuous Evening Gala, a taste of local fare benefiting Meals on Wheels | tickets available at (785) 295-3989 or online at www.meals-on-wheels-inc.org October 26 | Glow Night on the Shunga Trail with music, food, glow sticks and other family activities at Oakland Shunga Trail | free event
October 12 | Children’s Library opening with a ribbon cutting and celebration of renovations in the children’s reading area at Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library | free
TOPEKAMAGAZINE
Fall ’ 13
Photographs courtesy, from left, Topeka Magazine and Shutterstock.
What’s Happening in
november Zoo Thanksgiving Feed yourself, then feed your sense of adventure on Thanksgiving night at the Topeka Zoo. The zoo will be open until 8:00 pm on November 28 for a “Thanks and Giving” night with the animals. Admission is half-price from 5:30-8 p.m. This is just one of the many new activities available at the zoo on a regular basis for visitors to enjoy the animals in different ways. One of the most popular is the chance to feed a giraffe every Saturday and Sunday at 1:30 p.m. for $1. The program generates money to support conservation programs around the world. Manager of Zoo Operations Fawn Moser says these types of programs are “able to give a person a totally different view of the animals.” The zoo’s popular Polar Ice Cap is also scheduled to open in November. Even if the weather doesn’t cooperate, visitors can strap on ice skates and twirl around the simulated ice skating ring under the zoo’s pavilion.
November 1 (and the first Friday of every month) | First Friday Art Walk | enjoy art, music and food at dozens of venues across town | free event November 1 | Benefit meal for Family Service and Guidance Center at Outback Steakhouse | for tickets, call (785) 232-7902 November 2 | Tails on the Trail, a 5K walk and run at Shawnee North Park to benefit the Helping Hands Humane Society | registration information at (785) 286-0676 or www.hhhstopeka.org November 6-9 | United Rodeo Association Finals at Kansas Expocentre | for ticket information call (800) 745-3000 or go online at www.ksexpo.com November 8-16 | August: Osage County at the Topeka Civic Theater | for tickets call (785) 251-5990 or go online at www.topekacivictheatre.com November 9 | Jamfest: Cheer and dance demonstrations and competition open to the public | Kansas Expocentre | for ticket information call (800) 745-3000 or go online at www.ksexpo.com November 11 | Veteran’s Day Parade at 11a.m. on Kansas Avenue in Downtown Topeka | free
November 21 | RAIN: A Tribute to the Beatles at Topeka Performing Arts Center | for tickets and full fall schedule, call (785) 234-2787 or go online at www.tpactix.org November 22-23 | Holiday Festival of Crafts: a holiday craft show at the Shawnee North Community Center November 22-23 | Laugh Lines, an improvisational comedy show at Topeka Civic Theatre | for tickets call (785) 251-5990 or go online at www.topekacivictheatre.com November 23-24 | CASA Homes Tour: Open-house tours of homes decorated for the holidays, various locations | for tickets call (785) 215-8282 or go online at www.casaofshawneecounty.com November 23 | Holiday Bazaar of handmade and commercial craft and gift items at the Garfield Community Center November 27 - December 31 Winter Wonderland, a drive-through holiday light show at Lake Shawnee Campground to benefit TARC November 30 | Miracle on Kansas Avenue tree lighting and Christmas Parade from 5-6 p.m. at Kansas Avenue, Downtown Topeka
Text by Karen Ridder
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Photographs courtesy, from left, Karen Ridder, JAMfest and Topeka Performing Arts Center.
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11:37 AM 2 blocks west of 6th & 4/8/13 Wanamaker
Betsy Knabe Roe brings her knowledge of the natural world into the studio
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Betsy Knabe Roe displays some of her work outside of her NOTO studio.
etsy Knabe Roe has curated many projects in her artistic career, and one of the most recent of these is a small garden oasis behind her new studio in the North Topeka Arts District. Here, a volunteer tomato plant stands in the center of the green space which Roe has protected with a small circle of bricks. Gentle breezes weave through drying paper “ladders,” which Roe has supported by threading fishing line through an open wooden frame. It is a small intersection of art and agriculture that has long been a part of this Topeka artist’s life. Roe grew up in Mission, Kansas, a community she describes as a “suburb with large farms.” Allowed to roam as a child, she climbed trees, created rock families and, in her words, “got to know things” in nature. She rose early to spend time in her parents’ garden and annoyed an older sister who had to escort her home from kindergarten because the little Roe often managed to get dirty along the way. Initially, Roe planned to study botany at the University of Kansas, but that idea “didn’t stick,” she explains, in the era of “back to nature, live off the land.” So, Roe a set up a farm in the Ozarks along with her husband, four kids and dairy goats. Roe homeschooled her children because she wanted them to be “excited about learning.” When they protested that Mom didn’t “know everything,” she readily agreed and proceeded to teach them how to learn from dictionaries, Yellow Pages, personal contacts and letters. She set them off with a zest for knowledge to pursue their own projects as she began some of her own, such as a series of sculptures at the side of a nearby trail. At that time, she didn’t consider herself an artist. Eventually, the family moved to Columbia, Missouri, where Roe worked for several years as florist, learning to present natural materials and design. “It was very good for me,” she recalls. But, when only two children were left at home, Roe saw an opportunity to revive her dream of studying botany. She enrolled at the University of MissouriColumbia College of Agriculture, taking a few art classes on the side. Those classes proved transformative, as an adviser
Photography by Jason Dailey Story by Barbara Waterman-Peters
Agrarian Artiste
about the
writer
Barbara Waterman-Peters writes, paints, exhibits, teaches, manages STUDIO 831 in the North Topeka Arts District (NOTO) and is part-owner of the Collective Art Gallery.
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noticed her interest and suggested she pursue art instead. She did, and she recalls feeling that she had landed in her element. Here, in 1999, Roe received her first grant to create an installation piece, which she called “Release,” incorporating handmade paper and willow branches along with other natural materials into a large sculpture. This set her into the genre of installation art, which is usually large-scale work placed in a gallery to create an effect from its size or unexpected location—natural materials lend themselves perfectly to this mode of expression. Roe continued these themes as she took her BFA and then MFA in 2004, taught at various institutions and accepted a unique three-year appointment at Washburn University that required both university teaching and outreach. To meet these goals, Roe worked with elementary and junior high students across northeast Kansas in a series of collaborations she recalls as “great fun because of the different environments and people.” Some of the projects she taught included weaving grasses, printmaking with natural materials, making baskets, sculpting and dyeing. One of her ideas throughout these projects was to ensure that the students’ teachers also participated so they could then pass the sessions and ideas on to others. The approach was characteristically large-scale, from an artist who doesn’t shy from the gigantic in her own work, be it scale or idea. “I love large-scale,” says Roe. “I am thrilled with what you can do in a large space.” An example of this is her latest exhibit in Topeka, which opened in August at NOTO’s Stonewall Art Gallery. Working with
fabric and text, Roe created a work involving size, time, motion and synchronicity—that creative moment—as two distinct colors came together and blended during the course of the opening night—hence the project’s name, “Flow.” This creation, like most others of Roe’s, taps natural materials, which requires a certain open-ended attitude toward planning. She says in working with handmade paper that she loves the texture, the organic feel, as well as the randomness and surprise that comes from natural materials. “I am thinking, mulling, while I am doing, because it helps to solidify what I’m trying to say,” says Roe. Even when Roe has definite ideas on the meaning of a project and integrates constructed material, such as in “Empty Dresses”—a series of dresses, three of which are made of welded nails, addressing the feminist idea of women taking back their images—she allows the process to help shape the creation. “It’s all about relationships with nature,” she says. And in this relationship, Roe says she cannot be— nor does she want to be—rigid, but rather accepts the “gifts of the process.” This Topeka artist and core figure in NOTO is excited about the chance to be “in on the ground floor” of the reviving art community. Other cities, she notes, have established art districts, but it is a rare and special gift to help shape one and guide its installation. And of course, Roe is joining the process in her signature style—providing workshops from her studio and a chance to sample a small piece of the farm life and the natural world that has shaped her life’s work.
The Artist’s Bio:
Betsy Knabe Roe Creations: Roe specializes in large-scale installation art and sculpture, often using natural fibers such as tree branches. Training and Education: Roe took her BFA and MFA in fibers and sculpture at the University of Missouri-Columbia and then held visiting lecturer positions at three different universities before accepting the Catron Professorship at Washburn University in 2005. She has since continued to teach at Washburn, as well as at the Kansas City Art Institute. Currently, Roe is the museum educator for the Sabatini Gallery and Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library. Awards and Showings: Roe has exhibited her work in solo and group showings across the United States, as well as in France and Ireland. In Topeka, she has recently opened the installation “Flow” at Stonewall Art Gallery in NOTO. Mentors and Influences: Roe is heavily influenced by her early interest in botany and agriculture. She credits her primary professor at the University of Missouri-Columbia, Jo Stealey, who specialized in paper sculpture, for helping to initiate her work with fibers and clay.
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Roe's work, such as this ongoing project, “Core Reamains,” often taps handmade paper and natural materials.
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Topeka meteorologist Tom Hagen is ‘zippity-do-da’ about life in the capital city
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here’s no camera focused on Tom Hagen at his backyard in central Topeka, but the television meteorologist still seems to have weather on his mind. The thing is, Hagen explains, a shower has rolled through Topeka and it wasn’t even on the radar when he made his early-morning on-air predictions as the Storm Track meteorologist for Kansas First News. Even when he doesn’t call the storm with 100 percent accuracy, Hagen is certainly consistent—on-camera and off-camera—with his attention to the sky, with his unflappable disposition and his signature one-liners such as: “Like a library or my Prius at a stoplight, this weather pattern is quiet,” or “Zippity-do-da day!” Hagen says his on-air personality is the real Tom— chatty, laughing and upbeat. And that seems the case even in his off-hours. At home, he is the same animated speaker, using his hands to emphasize what he is talking about. He generally is positive, though he says he has bad days just like everyone else. The difference is that his on-air training allows him to “paint that smile on” during down days. Meet Mr. Always-Sunny.
Tom Hagen does his best Mary Poppins imitation at his home in central Topeka.
Story by Anita Miller Fry
Sunny Outlook
Early riser Born in Chicago, Hagen lived for a brief stint in Montana before moving to Kansas City with his family. As a youngster, Hagen drew weather maps. By the 7th grade, he set his career goal that didn’t waver through high school physics, calculus and other upper-level science, as well as through his years at the University of Missouri. Shortly after he graduated in 2005, Hagen started as a meteorologist at Kansas First News, Topeka’s NBC, ABC and Fox affiliate, working his way up to the morning show cohost spot alongside Hillary Mullin. Hagen’s exuberant delivery style, punctuated with words like “wowza” and “awesome,” combined with his clever weather sayings, quickly made him a fan favorite.
about the
writer
Anita Miller Fry is no stranger to Topeka and Topekans. She has been writing about them for many years. Even so, she still finds there is much to discover about her hometown.
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tom and the
Zippity-Do-Daists Emerald: Do you have any tips for being as chipper as you are in the morning? Tom: Don’t hit the snooze button. Get up and get started. After my first cup of coffee, I’m in a good mood. Yvonne: How do you take your coffee? Tom: We have Folgers at work, but a photographer and I mix it half with Starbucks (dark French roast). I drink coffee up until when the show starts at 5 a.m., then it’s water. Emerald: Has being a meteorologist always been your dream job? What were some of your other dream careers? Tom: I always liked space, and I wanted to be an astronaut. I still like space. Yvonne: What was your first job? Tom: My very first job was at Osco Drug, like a Walgreens. My first TV job was doing fill-in work at KOMU-TV in Columbia, Missouri. I was a sophomore [in college] and was really, really bad and nervous. My very first day on-air was Thanksgiving morning. Emerald: Where did you get the saying “double nickels” for 55-degree weather? Tom: In 7th grade. It was Mr. Daniels’ 55th birthday and he said that he was “double nickels.” I thought that was fun. Yvonne: What other interests do you have besides weather? Tom: I like jogging in my neighborhood. I like reading and doing yard work. I love to cook. I go to our library a lot and rent movies and TV shows. Also, I have rented their karaoke machine and slot machine! Yes, they have those and you can check them out! Emerald: What genre of books do you enjoy reading? Where is your favorite place to read? Tom: I read a lot in the summer. I read six, seven or eight books. I like classic books that everyone should have read in high school, and I like to read young adult books, like Hunger Games. My backyard is my favorite place to read. Emerald: What would your dream day off involve? Tom: It would be a zippity-do-da day. I’d like my grandmother to be here—she lives in Chicago—and my new twin nieces, and we’d have a BBQ out on the back patio. Then I’d have a fun party with all of my friends in the evening and we’d do karaoke. Yvonne: What's your favorite season? Tom: Fall. I love the cool crisp weather, Halloween, Thanksgiving, shorter days, changing leaves, sunny skies. Fall is my fav season in Kansas.
Justin Bieber has Beliebers. Carly Rae Jepsen has Jepseners. So why can’t Tom Hagen have Zippity-DoDaists? Maybe he does. And even though they’ve never met Tom in person, zippity-do-daists Yvonne Etzel and Emerald Peters both watch Tom’s forecasts most weekday mornings and agreed to pose their burning fan-base questions to him. Thanks to them, and to Tom, for this zippity-do-da Q+A.
"I love the cool, crisp weather: Halloween, Thanksgiving, shorter days, changing leaves, sunny skies. Fall is my fav season in Kansas." — Tom Hagen A local celebrity of sorts, part green-screen heartthrob and part kidbrother, he is often asked by people to have their photos taken with him, and he is regularly recognized at the grocery store. He was voted the best on-air personality in the Topeka Capital-Journal’s “Best of Topeka” in 2012. Hagen, wearing a business suit each weekday morning, tells viewers it’s going to be a “sunny delight today,” or that they may see a “cotton-ball sky.” In Hagen’s lexicon, storms “bubble up” or “pop.” A really cold Thanksgiving in the forecast means viewers should watch for “quivering cranberries.” And, at other times, a freezing day is simply: “polar-bear perfect.” Hagen constantly looks for slogans to add to his weather repertoire. He gets inspiration from old country songs. One of his favorites came from a Donna Fargo song, “The Happiest Girl in the Whole USA”: Shine on me sunshine / Walk with me world / It’s a skippidity do da day. Hagen changed that to “zippity-do-da day,” which he defines as the perfect weather day: blue skies, mild temperatures and low humidity. The zippity-do-da fan base Hagen’s upbeat morning presence is a draw for regular viewers. “He sets the tone for my day and makes me smile,” says Topekan Yvonne Etzel, who rarely misses a morning. Emerald Peters has been watching Hagen’s weather forecast for about three years. “I catch it as often as I can and even try to schedule my workouts so I can watch him at the gym TVs in the mornings,” Peters says. “Tom’s forecast has become part of our household morning ritual. My husband and I make our morning coffee and turn on Tom and Hillary. Their upbeat attitudes help to bring calm to my morning before I go teach my high school students.” Being a meteorologist in Topeka has been a great experience, Hagen says, because of the variety of weather that the area experiences. “There are days when I wonder, ‘Why can’t I work in San Diego where it’s sunny and 88 every day?” Hagen jokes, but he says
he enjoys the challenge in Topeka and takes his job seriously. “We are doing a lot more tracking, and it’s my job to make sure Topekans are safe,” he says. Hagen can make the switch from fun-loving meteorologist to authoritative source for potentially lifesaving information and advice during volatile weather. Stormy weather means extra on-air duty for Hagen, as well as providing important weather alerts through social media. Daily routine The early-morning weather gig gives Hagen a jump-start on the day. His alarm goes off at 12:18 a.m. and he gets to work by 1 a.m. He starts by checking the radar and current conditions, and then begins forecasting and doing weather models. The morning show on NBC and ABC, which he cohosts with Mullin, airs from 5 to 7 a.m., then the pair move to Fox Network from 7 to 9 a.m. Once the on-air work is complete, Hagen does some prep work for the next day and gets off work around 10 a.m. To make the schedule work, he sticks to a regimen. Breakfast with coffee is at 1 a.m., lunch at 7 a.m. and dinner at noon. After he gets off work mid-morning, he may go grocery shopping, work out, go to the library, or prepare dinner. “I love cooking,” he says. “I really like making rice and soups.” He also enjoys reading in his backyard, where he has done extensive landscaping and gardening. Much of the backyard transformation was a joint project with his parents, who live in Kansas City. On work days, Hagen is usually in bed by 5 p.m. “If I’m up past 5 p.m., it’s too late,” he says. On weekends, an afternoon nap makes it possible to have an evening out with friends. When he’s around town, Hagen gets good-natured ribbing if his forecasts are off. He notes that meteorology is an inexact science and, not surprisingly, even has a signature saying for this: “Some people are weather-wise. Some are otherwise.” Despite any occasional misses, Hagen is definitely one of the weather-wise.
OPPOSITE Tom Hagen says he loves fall and loves yard work—so it is little surprise that he seems happy raking leaves from his yard. And, upper right, he seems to love "weather."
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Scooter enthusiasts zip around with capital style Story by Vern McFalls
Photography by Jason Dailey and Vern McFalls
about the
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writer TOPEKAMAGAZINE
Fall ’ 13
A former community organizer, reporter, producer and digital media instructor, Vern McFalls’ newly modified life slogan is: “We scoot in beauty!”
… while providing all the thrills of open-air rides.
I
t’s hard to get an exact count. After all, they never hold still. There a several regulars, but the Topeka Scooter Riders are mostly a fluid group whose members come together for particular trips. And that’s perfectly in sync with the informal character and laidback approach of the hobby that unites them—motoring around on the (mostly) two-wheeled vehicles that go fast (but not too fast) while providing all the thrills of open-air rides. The only admission ticket, if you will, is to have a scooter. And that leaves a wide variety of possibilities. Member Mike Phillips relates how the first scooters, the Vespas, came from a converted post-World War II Italian war factory. The new product created a mode of transport that could navigate the war-damaged roads but featured a step-through design allowing riders to arrive at their destination free from the water and mud splash associated with a typical motorcycle. They became a symbol of post-war Italy and to this day retain a bit of old-world glamour, even though modern variations have upped the speed capabilities and follow the design of slick motorcycles. Many scooters are now manufactured in China and India. The consensus among the Topeka riders is the Chinese may be all right, the Indian ones perhaps not so much. A smaller-engine Honda model costs only about $2,100, while an Aprilia 850SRV Maxi-Scooter will run up to $17,000. The Vespa, however, is still regarded by many as something like the golden standard of scooters. “They hold their value best,” says Topeka Scooter member Michael Brinks. “A slick ’60s one can bring a couple of thousand dollars.”
The type of scooter determines what particular rides a member might do. All the scooters can join in for the many in-town rides. And most scooters are capable of keeping up for group rides to nearby destinations such as Lawrence, Burlingame, Cottonwood Falls, Dover, Eskridge and Alma. But the group also heads off on longer trips with Kansas City being a popular destination—the goal of riding by at least 150 of the city’s approximately 200 fountains. “We still have lots of fountains to go,” says member Scott Steward. Another popular destination, particularly in early spring, is the Flint Hills. “It’s a real treasure out there, especially when things are turning green,” says Steward. And then there are the super rides—long trips through back roads. “Last summer we did four states: Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa and Missouri. In one day. The whole four-corner area,” says Dale Putney. The group was on the road by 9 a.m. and headed to the Nebraska border and back that evening by approximately 6 p.m. Another all-day favorite destination is Lincoln, Nebraska. It’s about three to four hours to Lincoln at reasonable (for scooters) speed and with stops. And stops are important—in the scooter culture, the coffee and conversation breaks are part of the experience. Nowhere is that more apparent than in the regular Lake Shawnee rides, in which the Scooter members zip through the park and then frequently gather for a grand ending … with ice cream. If you’re looking to find what defines a scooter experience, that might best sum it all up.
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features TOPEKAMAGAZINE
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H
ere’s some safe bets for you about the coming fall season in Topeka: This autumn you will probably see scaffolding on the Capitol Dome, you will likely notice at least one October day that feels like June and others that feel like December, the apple festivals will pour some great cider … and Blind Tiger Brewery is probably preparing a new line of beer that is bound to win one competition or another. Since it was founded, Topeka’s hometown brewery has been amazingly consistent in its roundup of national prizes for its original beers. In this issue, writer Cheryl Nelsen profiles the brewmaster largely responsible for that string of success and tells how his personal story delightfully intersects with his craft. If you don’t drink beer, the Blind Tiger experience still holds many lessons from the perspective of building a business or reviving an old craft. And if you do drink beer on occasion, then you don’t have to take our word on the brewery’s success—the proof is in the pint. What we want to know from you is this: Does Topeka Magazine read better with the Holy Grail Pale Ale or the Tiger Raw Porter? Take your time, enjoy the tastes, the stories … and let us know.
52 Brewing it ‘Blind’ Family legacies and novel experiments lead Blind Tiger’s brewmaster to a run of championship crafted beers
58 The Beast from the Garden Set free from lawn-care chores, garden tractors roar with power and pull for glory
TOPEKAMAGAZINE John Dean, brewmaster for Blind Tiger Brewery, holds his day's labor in his hands.
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Family legacies and novel experiments lead Blind Tiger’s brewmaster to a run of championship crafted beers
story by Cheryl Nelsen photography by Jason Dailey
“ I
don’t feel like a master of anything. I’ve been humbled in the brewhouse too often to be feeling like the master of anything,” says John Dean—the same man who holds the distinction of helping to win 16 national and international beer awards in the past 12 years with Blind Tiger Brewery, 417 SW 37 Street. His interest in and experience with brewing beer started years before he made his way to Topeka. John Dean’s father, Bob, passed on a legacy of stories about home-brewed beer and a few exploding catastrophes as well as a taste for good beer—not “the yellow, fizzy stuff”, but beers that reminded him of those he tasted while based in West Germany with the Air Force. When John was 24, and found the “good stuff” imported from other countries in liquor stores to be expensive, he began making his own. Without realizing it, he was on his way to becoming part of a craft beer movement that started in 1978 when President Jimmy Carter signed into law a repeal of federal restrictions on home brewing. Distribution laws, however, were left to individual states. Kansas allowed commercial brewing only in 1989 as Chuck Magerl’s Free State Brewery in Lawrence became the first legal microbrewery in Kansas for more than 100 years. The Blind Tiger Brewery in Topeka followed in 1995 with John coming onboard as brewmaster in 1999. This year, John became a part owner of Blind Tiger, along with Tim Swietek and majority owner Jay Ives. These are the beer experts behind Blind Tiger’s championship runs. Every two years, John and Jay decide which beers will be entered in competitions, including the presti-
John Dean
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gious Great American Beer Festival and the World Beer Cup competitions. Blind Tiger’s Maibock beer is the current Gold Award holder from the World Beer Cup, selected from 799 breweries in 57 countries and 45 states. The Capital City Kölsch beer won a Gold Medal at the Great American Beer Festival in 2012. “To win among my peers of such excellence really makes me feel good,” says John, who adds that the level of competition has improved over the past years with several worldclass entries in a particular category. But craft-style beer is about more than awards to John. “One of the lures of this job is you can wake up in the morning and create something that nobody on earth has ever tasted before.” The craft also holds memories of John’s father, and the festivals that the father and son attended. “People loved seeing him at these festivals because he was the spittin’ image of Wilford Brimley. They thought they had a star to talk to whenever he was around. My mom said she got ripped off because when she married him he looked like —John Dean Rock Hudson, and then she ended up with Wilford Brimley,” John says. John crafted a beer he called Old Bob’s Barley Wine for his father. It was a one-time beer, so he didn’t write the recipe down, and it won’t be brewed again. Most of his beer recipes, however, are meticulously recorded. “John has a very careful way of recording all his recipes on a form,” explains Jay. “What was the temperature of the mash? What were the temperature steps in the mash? How long did they last? There’s a plethora of
“ I don’t feel like a master of anything. I’ve been humbled in the brewhouse too often to be feeling like the master of anything.”
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Numbers
behind the Blind Tiger Brewery: The number of gallons in one barrel
1, 1 00 3,580 14 3 The number of pounds of hops Blind Tiger uses annually
The number of full-time brewers at Blind Tiger: brewmaster John Dean, head brewer Alvaro Canizales and brewer Victor Mera
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10 , 000 78,000 1,200 12 3 The number of pounds of malted wheat Blind Tiger uses annually
The number of barrels in Blind Tiger’s brewhouse The number of pounds of malted barley The Blind Tiger Brewery uses annually
The number of barrels of beer produced annually by Blind Tiger
The number of take-home half-gallon growlers Blind Tiger sells annually The number of beers usually available on tap at any one time
The number of Blind Tiger owners: Jay Ives, John Dean and Tim Swietek
those kinds of things, and they all get recorded on the sheet that is the record of that particular brew.” Jay praises John for his mastery of the brewing process; “He has a very well developed palate. There are many characteristics for a good brewmaster. That’s one of them. Another one is being realistic about your own creations. He can taste his own beer and say, ‘Yes, I think this one is quality enough to enter in the national championship.’” And once John reaches a level of satisfaction, he leaves a brew alone. For example, he says he sees no need to alter the recipes for the Kölsch, the Maibock or the Pale Ale. Other flagship beers, particularly the ones distributed to restaurants in the area, are also at “that level of happiness that it just doesn’t need to be messed with any more.” And there are always new beers that have just been developed. Based on the equipment available in the brewery, the Blind Tiger usually keeps about a dozen beers on tap. John finds the seasonal beers to be the most fun because of the experimentation that takes place in creating them. Occasionally, the Blind Tiger brewers, who include John, head brewer Alvaro Canizales and brewer Victor Mera, like to collaborate with other breweries to create new beers. This year “Smoke on the Wheat” was created by brewers from the Blind Tiger, as well as Lawrence’s Free State and 23rd Street breweries. Jay refers to beer brewers as a fraternity, and John uses the word brotherhood. “All the Kansas brewers have a close relationship. We don’t consider other craft brewers as competitors,” Jay says, adding that Blind Tiger trades yeast back and forth with Free State in Lawrence, Boulevard in Kansas City and Tall Grass in Manhattan. In fact, Jay notes, “the first bigger batch of the Tall Grass ale was brewed at the Blind Tiger, and we sold it as Jeff’s Chestnut Ale.” John has a simple explanation for this camaraderie: “Craft beer drinkers are just good people. That’s all there is to it. They’re the kind of folks you’d want for neighbors.”
Medals and awards received by John Dean and the Blind Tiger Brewery at National and International Competitions: Capital City Kölsch Blind Tiger Maibock Capital City Kolsch County Seat Wheat Munich Dunkles County Seat Wheat Blind Tiger Maibock Smokey the Beer Java Porter Blind Tiger Maibock Java Porter Tailwind Rye Tailwind Rye Raw Wheat Tailwind Rye Smokey the Beer
Gold Medal Gold Award Bronze Medal Bronze Medal Bronze Award Gold Medal Silver Award Gold Medal Silver Medal Gold Medal Gold Medal Bronze Award Silver Medal Gold Medal Silver Medal Silver Medal
Great American Beer Festival 2012 World Beer Cup 2012 Great American Beer Festival 2011 Great American Beer Festival 2010 World Beer Cup 2010 Great American Beer Festival 2009 World Beer Cup 2008 Great American Beer Festival 2007 Great American Beer Festival 2007 Great American Beer Festival 2006 Great American Beer Festival 2004 World Beer Cup 2004 Great American Beer Festival 2003 Great American Beer Festival 2002 Great American Beer Festival 2002 Great American Beer Festival 2001
Jay Ives
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The Beast from the Garden
Set free from lawn-care chores, garden tractors roar with power and pull for glory Story by Carolyn Kaberline
Photography by Jason Dailey
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Certainly, a garden tractor can mow a lawn or shovel snow. But if a garden tractor were to dream, it might dream of glory, power and speed. It might dream of tractor pulling, the highly competitive sport something akin to a 4-H meeting with a NASCAR soundtrack. The sport features garden tractors from almost any year and make. Of course, there are a few modifications needed before these tractors are pull-worthy: The mowing deck is removed, wheelie bars are added for stability, and everyday tires are changed for high-traction tires. In competition, there are different categories based on engine size, tires, weight and alterations. The “modified” division, for example, is basically a showcase of souped-up minimonster hotrods. Regardless of category, all competitions follow the same general rules. The pull begins when a tractor is hitched or “hooked” to a weight sled at the beginning of a track. On signal, the tractor begins to pull the sled; the run ends when the tractor can go no farther and the red flag comes down. The winner is the driver and tractor that go the farthest with all ties decided by additional runs. There are garden tractor pulling competitions most every summer and fall weekend within driving range of Topeka featuring core groups of regular competitors. Enthusiasts describe the sport’s appeal as simple: familyfriendly and competitive. Plus, it sure beats mowing the lawn.
The caravan leader Phil Parsons of Scranton became interested in garden tractor pulling approximately eight years ago.
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“I heard about it from a friend of ours who was doing it, so we went to watch him, asked a few questions, and there we were,” Parsons says. That “we” for Parsons includes his brother, his wife, his two kids, his father and even his new son-in-law. “It’s more of a business now; our whole family’s involved,” he says. “We have a 14-foot U-Haul type truck that holds four tractors, a 20-foot trailer that hauls two tractors and the sled, and an SUV that hauls other equipment, the PA system, and the paperwork. It’s quite a caravan.” The caravan regularly heads off to weekend competitions in Manhattan, Gridley, Bonner Springs, Lane, Ottawa, Effingham and Overbrook (to name just a few), and leaves shortly after Parsons finishes his night shift at Goodyear at 7 a.m. “I’m willing to give up sleep to go to the tractor pulls,” says Parsons. Although he owns more than 20 garden tractors, Parsons says he has one for mowing, one for pushing snow and only one for pulling. “I just like fixing them up and using them.” Parsons’ tractor of choice for competition is a 1974 Sears brand tractor that he’s nicknamed “Going Bananas” because of its yellow and white color. Usually running in the 1,000- and 1,200-lb. classes, he and Going Bananas compete alongside many generations of drivers. “We have kids who are four and five up to those who are 81 or 82 competing,” says Parsons, who thoroughly understands the sport’s ageless appeal. “It’s the adrenalin rush, the feel of riding on a tractor and seeing how far you can go down the track.”
“And one led to another” You could say Keith Moody was pestered into the sport. “My great-nephew was into pulling garden tractors, and I went to watch him,” says Moody. “He kept saying ‘Uncle Keith, you need one of these,’ so I finally bought one, and one led to another,” he explains with a chuckle as he shows off his collection of more than 200 garden tractors, most housed in a 50-by-100-foot building on Moody’s property on the southwest side of Topeka. Of these tractors, six—that’s all that will fit on his trailer—are used for competition. The others are used for parts or for their history. Although it may be a bit of a cliché, since beginning the sport in 2006 Moody has no doubt forgotten more about garden tractor history than most people will ever know. He points out some of the special ones in his collection and tells about their background. There’s the Ariens tractor that he built with parts from 10 other tractors and the Brillion that’s one of only seven still existing in the United States and Canada. There’s also one of the first Cub Cadet tractors ever made, as well as two Homesteader tractors, a J.C. Penney tractor, and a PorterCable tractor. “Porter-Cable still builds saws, drills and shop equipment, but they were the first to make the Massey Ferguson Executive before the Massey Ferguson Company took it over,” Moody says. He also notes the history of other companies such as Colt, which used a rear-end hydraulic drive on its tractors, and Jacobsen Chief, which at one time built Ford, Oliver and White tractors.
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“Bragging rights”
Moody’s competition tractors, many of which were found abandoned in fields or behind buildings, also have rich histories. Take, for example, the 1971 Sears he uses in competition. “It sat behind a building for three and a half years, then was parked behind another building for 12 years,” Moody says. Competing in a variety of stock classes, depending on the tractor he uses and the sled, Moody admits that he’s “won quite a bit.” However, it’s obvious that his interest in garden tractors is about more than just the competition. “I buy them, trade them and play with them,” he says. “It’s just a hobby.”
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Although he’s always been around tractors and agriculture, Russell Lavin of Perry has only been involved with garden tractor pulling for about six years. “A friend’s boys were doing it, so we went to a tractor pull to watch them,” Lavin says. “My son Austin thought it might be fun. He got a free tractor from his grandfather, and we began to go to the meets.” They called that first tractor “Can I Drive It,” says Lavin, “because Austin was always asking that—we even had it stenciled on the hood.” And though it wasn’t ideal for competition, it brought the father and son to the sport. Lavin and Austin now compete with eight-horsepower, early-1970s Sears models while Lavin is busy building a garden tractor. “I found a 1980s International Cub Cadet for little or nothing,” he explains. “I put in an engine—it was missing one. I don’t know how it’s going to turn out, but I hope it will be competitive one day.” While he would “really like to compete” in regular tractor pulls, Lavin says the garden tractors are much more affordable, ranging from $250 up to $1,000. Part of that cost is dependent on how much work the owner wants to do himself. “The most I’ve ever paid is $450,” he says. “It can be a cheap sport if you let it be; it can be expensive too.” But Lavin adds that money doesn’t necessarily translate into winnings. “Quite a bit depends on the driver, on how to read the track and on how to drive it.” Lavin, who works for Leander Health Technologies in Lawrence, goes to meets as often as he can. He and friends John “J.R.” Porter and Roy Dunnaway have purchased a sled of their own, so they can hold informal competitions against one another. “It’s fun to pull against each other,” he says. “It’s more fun than anything to pull for bragging rights.”