Spring 2018
T H E
C R E W S
T H A T
K E E P
AMERICAN FORCES FLYING PLUS!
Evocative Landscapes from Edward Balda A rosemary olive bread recipe from Grace Episcopal New astronomical research from the Ichabods
4
TOPEKA MAGAZINE | Spring 2018
FROM THE EDITOR SPRING 2018 | VOLUME 12, NO. 2
Editor Nathan Pettengill Art Director/Designer Jenni Leiste Designer Amanda Nagengast Copy Editor Leslie Andres Advertising Peterson Publications, Inc. Representative publish@petersonpublications.com (785) 271-5801 Ad Designers Jenni Leiste Amanda Nagengast Photographers Brian Goodman Nick Krug Katie Moore Bill Stephens
The Kansas Air National Guard 190th Air Refueling Wing first flew into Topeka’s Forbes Field in 1967 as an aerial photography and reconnaissance unit. As the wing’s official historian, Master Sergeant Bill Gilliland, notes, the group’s mission changed over the years, and by 1978 it began specializing in refueling other military craft in flight. In fulfilling this mission, the guard crews won national recognition at competitions sponsored by the Air Force and the National Guard. The wing was also given a hero’s welcome by several thousand Topekans when they returned from service in the First Gulf War. To this day, the wing continues refueling the nation’s military aircraft as its primary service. Our cover story for this spring edition highlights one mission by one crew on one morning flight. For the crew, it was simply another day at work.
For our editorial team, however, it was a once-in-a-lifetime event. The highlight, of course, was watching the plane rendezvous with the B-2 Stealth bombers and coordinate flight patterns to lower a fuel rod into the bomber. You can see a video of this by art director Jenni Leiste on our Facebook site and appreciate the skill involved in this one-of-a-kind “full service station.” What is perhaps not readily apparent and equally impressive about the flight, however, is that it is carried out by military personnel with full-time jobs and careers beyond this service. Though they are technically called a “reserve” unit there is nothing casual about the level of professionalism and training required of them in these missions. It was a pleasure to be on board with the 190th and to bring these images and our story to these pages.
— NAT H A N P E T T E N G I L L , E D I T O R
Writers Linda A. Ditch Mary R. Gage Kelly Gibson Carolyn Kaberline Michelle R. Terry Subscriptions $27 for a one-year subscription, including Topeka SR; order at sunflowerpub.com Production Manager Shelly Bryant Director Bob Cucciniello
Please contact us at topekamagazine@sunflowerpub.com for all comments, subscription and editorial queries.
Topeka Magazine is a publication of Sunflower Publishing, a division of Ogden Publications. Ogden Publications 1503 SW 42nd St Topeka, KS 66609
sunflowerpub.com topekamag.com
6
TOPEKA MAGAZINE | Spring 2018
WHAT’S INSIDE SPRING 2018 | VOLUME 12, NO. 2
TOPEKANS 10 THE PURPOSEFUL AMBIGUITY
OF EDWARD BALDA’S LANDSCAPES
Topeka artist paints striking, evocative scenes where memory shrouds the earth
16 ‘SOME SERENITY’
A long-standing prison gardening program benefits inmates, the facility and the city
20 RADIO ASTRONOMY IN THE CAPITAL CITY
A new telescope enables Washburn University researchers to conduct advanced astrophysics projects
APPETITE 24 THE BREAD CIRCLE
A rosemary olive loaf is one of the latest creations of a group dedicated to sharing the process of artisanal bread
LOCALE 28 WHAT’S HAPPENING
Selected Topeka events for the spring season
F E AT U R E S 32 THE ULTIM ATE HI G H-
FLY ING SE RVI C E C R E W
The Kansas Air National Guard 190th Air Refueling Wing flies out of Topeka to keep other military missions in the air, across the globe
40 MASTIFFS
AND MURDER
Topeka native and bestselling author Alex Grecian shifts from Victorian England to modernday Kansas in his new novel
Spring 2018
T H E
C R E W S
T H A T
K E E P
AMERICAN FORCES FLYING PLUS!
Evocative Landscapes from Edward Balda A rosemary olive bread recipe from Grace Episcopal New astronomical research from the Ichabods
On the Cover A flight crew from the Kansas Air National Guard’s 190th Refueling Wing, the “Kansas Coyotes,” stands on the tarmac of Forbes Field. Photograph by Brian Goodman.
8
TOPEKA MAGAZINE | Spring 2018
TOPEKA TALK
New Directions The Military Veteran Project and its founder Melissa Jarboe, featured most recently in our 10year anniversary edition, are now focusing full time on the mission of military suicide prevention. This means the group has also passed on responsibility for the Topeka Veterans Parade to a new organizer, Zach Haney of Zach Events in Topeka. Our best wishes to both groups in fulfilling their missions.
New Homes We were pleased to learn that the two shelter dogs featured in our fall 2017 story on shelter pets and seniors have found new homes. Justin Brokar from the Helping Hands Humane Society wrote to us that Cookie, the rat terrier mix, and Grizzley, the Pembroke Welsh corgi/Schipperke mix have both been doing well in their new homes.
The Monroe World Our winter 2017 feature story about the upcoming Brown v Board of Education mural mentioned Ms. Laura’s Café as a location where schoolchildren would buy treats. Former Topeka resident Prilla L. Stroman, who lived in the area and attended Monroe School, contacted us to provide more detail on the importance of Ms. Laura’s Café. Because the all-black school had no cafeteria for children (unlike the schools for white children at the time), students needed to bring their own lunches. A couple of times a month, mothers would organize a hot lunch, but on other days Ms. Laura’s Café was the best choice for students who needed a hot meal.
WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU
topekamagazine@sunflowerpub.com
Stroman notes other individuals in the neighborhood provided a loving influence. “The only black school nurse, Ida B. Norman, who serviced three black elementary schools, lived next door to Monroe School,” writes Stroman. “One of the Monroe school’s beloved teachers, Ms. Williams, lived behind the school on Quincy Street with her mother and sister until her sister married. During the summer when school was out and Ms. Williams was not traveling, she was on the porch reading and watching the neighborhood children play. She was happy to speak with us about her travels and what she was reading and encouraged us to do the same.”
facebook.com/topekamag
@TopekaMagazine
New Pastures Kiowa, the retired show horse featured in our fall 2017 edition, has now taken a second retirement after serving for a long time as a therapy horse. Now 29, Kiowa has been moved to an equine retirement barn where she will spend her final years. Caesar, the second former show horse featured in the same story, continues working at his secondcareer as a therapy horse. “He’s as good as ever,” says Chris Moran, clinical director and founder of Hope and Healing Academy (HAHA), of the now 24-year-old gelding used in the organization’s psychotherapy program. “He doesn’t need any supplements or anything else. He just goes about business as usual.”
10
TOPEKANS
TOPEKA MAGAZINE | Spring 2018 STORY BY
Barbara Waterman-Peters |
PHOTOGRAPHY BY
Bill Stephens
The Purposeful Ambiguity of
EDWARD BALDA’S LANDSCAPES Topeka artist paints striking, evocative scenes where memory shrouds the earth
TOPEKANS
Spring 2018 | TOPEKA MAGAZINE
11
12
TOPEKANS
TOPEKA MAGAZINE | Spring 2018
E
lusive, atmospheric and compelling, the paintings of Edward Balda resonate with mystery. Timeless and dreamlike, they simultaneously comfort and haunt. Working in a tiny studio in a corner of the basement of his home and surrounded by unfinished canvases leaning against the wall, the artist manages to depict monumental vistas even on modestly sized canvases. In person, Balda’s gentle and soft-spoken demeanor seems almost at odds with the inner strength he taps to grapple with the wide scope of his art. Balda has addressed this issue succinctly in his artist’s statement: “Working in various media compels me to confront my own strengths and weaknesses, an intense yet stimulating introspection. Memories, emotion and intuition are important elements in my search for subject matter. My art allows me to escape the real world of daily routines, yet often with elusive gratification. To know and understand one’s art is to truly know and understand the essence of oneself.” Citing J.M.W. Turner, the great British painter of the late 1700s and early 1800s, as an influence, Balda follows in the tradition of lost and found forms and dominant color. Balda’s works reflect the mood of Turner, who helped show the way for Impressionism with his investigation of light, color and soft focus. Using some of Turner’s techniques, Balda imbues his works with a search for something unattainable instead of discovering optical possibilities. Like Turner, Balda creates scenes beyond the physical world, where memory and emotion are constantly changing and hold few reference points. Even
the knowledge of perspective and an adherence to it, with its horizon lines and vanishing points, offer little in the way of guidance. While Balda’s work is reminiscent of Turner’s landscapes of fog and haze, it finds its roots in the shores of California and warmer climates. Palm trees, beaches, skies and mountains are some of the recurring elements in his works, but no specific location can possibly be pinned down. These enigmatic images drift across the viewer’s range of vision and leave a vague sense of recognition tinged with longing. But they do not slip into nostalgia or sentimentality; rather, through the inclusion of geometric shapes and angles, coupled with his treatment of the surfaces, these paintings represent an ongoing and serious exploration of landscapes, both around and inside us. Balda’s images reflect that endless, inner exploration. Paintings such as Lago San Pablo, Beyond the Clouds and Ayampe Sunset afford an opportunity to contemplate a representation of infinity that somehow retains a form. Balda’s strong sense of landscape structure allows him the luxury of using it metaphorically. His choice and use of color also plays a role. Very deep, dark tones anchor his work and also indicate shadows of memory. For an artist, memory can be a highly personal yet visually unreliable source of inspiration. But Balda’s artistic intuition helps to locate and interpret the memory into a landscape, creating a visual clue and representation of the event. Balda, who continues to work primarily in painting, says he has “finally found out what I can do with it. If you can get the skills and ideas to come together, you might have something.”
About the Writer: Barbara Waterman-Peters writes, paints, exhibits, teaches and manages Studio 831 in the North Topeka Arts District (NOTO).
TOPEKANS
Spring 2018 | TOPEKA MAGAZINE
The Career of Edward Balda Born in Kansas, Edward Balda grew up with his family in Stuttgart, Germany, and Santa Monica, California. One of his early jobs was running the projector in a movie theater, an experience that might have reinforced, subconsciously, his approach to depicting images. It certainly contributed to his use of luminosity as an artist. As a young student, Balda received encouragement from a priest who told him, “if you’ve been given a gift, you should use it.” Later, influenced by the dedication of artists such as Van Gogh, he “learned how to teach myself, to investigate,” and continued to do so in college. Balda went on to receive a bachelor of fine arts with a secondary degree in art education. Since 1970, he has taught advanced art courses first at French Middle School, then Topeka West, and later, Washburn Rural and Hayden High Schools, and art education and computer graphics courses at Washburn University. He currently teaches art and ceramics at Hayden High School in Topeka. Balda says he “tries to teach vocabulary in class.” Students must learn the language of art and be culturally aware if they are to do meaningful work. Along with his teaching, which includes an impressive list of skills (ceramics, metals, printmaking) he has created his own art in various media all through the years. “How can you have legitimacy if you don’t practice what you teach?” he asks. Balda, with his award-winning creations, sets a great example for his students, and wins the admiration of fellow artists. He continues to make and show his art and has a solo exhibit already in the works here in Topeka this year. Walking through his home, one is struck by the fact that Ed Balda also collects art and enjoys living with the works of other artists. Each piece has a story attached and it is enthusiastically shared. The art extends into his home’s yard, with a beautiful garden. Balda and his wife, Dolores, received recognition in the annual Topeka Beautification Association’s Landscape Contest in 2015, capturing first place in the Shade Garden category for the beautiful landscaping surrounding their home. He designed the plan and she carried it out with her love of gardening and flowers. Detail from Beyond the Clouds by Edward Balda.
13
14
TOPEKA MAGAZINE | Spring 2018
TOPEKANS
Balda and Turner “Using some of Turner’s techniques, Balda imbues his works with a search for something unattainable instead of discovering optical possibilities. Like Turner, Balda creates scenes beyond the physical world, where memory and emotion are constantly changing and hold few reference points.”
(Above) Detail from Lago San Pablo by Edward Balda (Left) Dalbadorn Castle by J.M.W. Turner
Is thatinsmile you? a s s i dy Orthodontics Creating beautiful smiles for you and your family 600 Governor View | Topeka, Kansas | 785.233.0582
16
TOPEKA MAGAZINE | Spring 2018
TOPEKANS STORY BY Michelle R. Terry | PHOTOGRAPHY BY
Katie Moore
‘Some
SERENITY’ A long-standing prison gardening program benefits inmates, the facility and the city
TOPEKANS
M
ary R., an inmate at the allwomen’s Topeka Correctional Facility, plunges her fingers into seedling soil and lifts clumps of loam to her nose. Mary was a gardener before coming to TCF, and now she’s a two-year veteran of the institution’s greenhouse program. Begun over a decade ago, the program currently includes 10-18 inmates. For the facility, it is a chance to provide a calming, demanding exercise with practical job skills for inmates when they reenter the community. For the inmates, the time spent planting and nurturing herbs and flowers has immense benefits. “Being a part of the greenhouse project brings me closer to my family and God. It makes me feel less homesick,” Mary explains. By the time spring arrives, students in the TCF horticulture and landscape program have spent five months working and gaining practical experience in a range of gardening and horticulture skills. Brad Metzler, project coordinator and instructor, leads the group through the complexities of landscape design, greenhouse production, and sales. Students grow everything from seed, take pre-orders from the community, and have blooms and botanicals production-ready for their annual plant sale every May. But from seeding and transplanting to watering and weeding, it’s a year-round process. Kevin Keith, the correctional facility’s services administrator, said when he relocated from Lansing in 2015 he didn’t have much experience with the program or plant sale event. Since the sale takes place near his office window, though, he quickly learned what a vibrant project it is as well as the support it provides to the facility.
Spring 2018 | TOPEKA MAGAZINE
“The money from the plant sale funds several of our self-help programs as well as the Pooches and Pals partnership,” says Keith. The Pooches and Pals partnership with Kansas Specialty Dog Services (KSDS) provides professionally trained guide dogs for people who need assistance. In the Pooches and Pals collaboration, women in the facility are taught to train puppies to become duty-ready. Funds raised from the plant sale support this ongoing partnership. “Our self-help programs couldn’t run without these volunteers and the funds they help bring in to sustain the groups,” says Keith. In interviews during the gardening process, the inmates repeatedly state that they hope the Topeka community understands there is more to the facility than the fences and concrete that confine them. There’s a natural friendship among the gardeners and a shared education in botanical science and practical application. Norma K., a program participant, banters with Mary as they work and teases her about making up her own words when identifying the plants. “Don’t let them fool you,” Jennifer Taylor, from the facility’s volunteer services, chimes in, “These ladies know their stuff.” That knowledge extends to being able to provide advice to shoppers who come to the plant sale. After all, the inmate gardeners who have nurtured their plants from seeds want these plants to thrive when they leave the prison walls. “We know whether to plant in the shade or sun and how much space it’ll take up. We can help decide which plants to choose and give advice on how to put it in the ground,” says Mary.
17
18
TOPEKA MAGAZINE | Spring 2018
Horticultural Therapy The concept of gardening as a mental health treatment has been widely accepted in U.S. academic circles since the early- and mid-1970s. Studies have tracked beneficial affects of horticultural therapy on various populations, such as at-risk youth, inmates and mentally disabled. A 2008 study in the Journal of Rehabilitation also suggested that horticultural therapy increased positive scores in a system measuring a prison inmate’s resistance to addiction.
TOPEKANS
TOPEKANS
And if they don’t know the answer to a stumper question, they consult Metzler or a horticulture textbook. Metzler, who has been directing the horticulture and landscape activities for three years, says the program continues to grow. In 2017, the project produced 24,000 plants (5,000 vegetables and 19,000 flowers). After seeding and starting in the greenhouse, the students planted the vegetables in a garden that generated over $10,000 worth of edible produce. The staff used the crops in the facility’s cafeteria—a genuine farm-totable program that included tomatoes, cucumbers, squash and a few fruits that Metzler—like any good gardener—points out with pride. “We had over 600 cantaloupes!” he says. “The ladies loved them.” The gardener inmates have also begun working with landscape projects on the facility. “Last year we drafted blueprints for the dorm landscaping,” Norma says. She says at first, she found it difficult to envision the transformation from paper to plantings, “but each day, there were more flowers and plants filling the space that used to be dirt.” “In a place where everything is burgundy and blue uniforms,” adds Mary, “the pop of color on a cloudy day is all a person needs to feel some serenity.” “When I came inside, I lost my name and became a number,” says Norma, wiping away tears as she speaks. “When I work in the greenhouse or at the plant sale, I become myself again. I get my name back and remember I am a daughter and a mother. You can’t imagine the peace that gives me.”
About the Writer: Michelle Terry is a registered dietitian. When she’s not working or wrangling her family, she is running, doing yoga, or managing an unruly garden.
Spring 2018 | TOPEKA MAGAZINE
Topeka Correctional Facility Plant Sale Facility grounds, near administration building, 815 SE Rice Rd Open to guests for the sale, May 7-13, 9 a.m.–3:30 p.m.
19
20
TOPEKA MAGAZINE | Spring 2018
TOPEKANS STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY
Bill Stephens
RADIO ASTRONOMY in the Capital City
A new telescope enables Washburn University researchers to conduct advanced astrophysics projects
Spring 2018 | TOPEKA MAGAZINE
21
A
new opportunity at Washburn University is providing Ichabod scholars with a crucial advantage in carrying out advanced astrophysics projects, access to an on-site, approximately 9-foot radio telescope, a crucial device for many advanced astrophysics projects (see side story on page 22). “Our radio telescope is used for basic instruction on how these instruments function and how they are used,” says Steve Black, a professor of physics and astronomy. “The first student, Kendall Golder who worked on the project built the original receiver, and he and I assembled and installed the dish and associated cables.” They evaluated three locations. The main campus seemed logical, but it was too close to cellphone and broadcast towers that would cause interference. The team considered the university’s biological research property northeast of Topeka, but it was also within a mile of radio and cell towers. Ultimately, they placed the telecscope on the property of the university’s public television station, KTWU.
“We intend to do as much research as can possibly be done.” —Steve Black “There is a powerful television transmitter at the same location,” says Gary Krohe, KTWU director of engineering and technology. “But we have total control over that transmitter and can be certain that all harmful interference will be filtered out before it reaches the radio telescope antenna.” With the location determined, Krohe and Steve Black, chair of the physics and astronomy department, began adapting the device for the Topeka location. Modifying the original design presented a number of challenges but ultimately resulted in a telescope Washburn could use for research and education. “We did some redesign of the receiver and were able to narrow the bandwidth by a factor of better than 10, meaning that unwanted signals were eliminated. We also modified the low-noise amplifiers to reduce receiver overload, resulting in greater sensitivity,” explains Krohe. (Opposite) Gary Krohe and Steve Black monitor the Washburn University radio telescope.
TOPEKA MAGAZINE | Spring 2018
TOPEKANS
What is a radio telescope? A radio telescope works on the same principles as a traditional optical telescope, but it is capable of picking up light signals at very faint frequencies, including the emissions of distant stars and galaxies. Also, unlike traditional telescopes, a radio telescope is not hindered by natural sunlight and can be used at any hour of the day. Because a radio telescope is designed to pick up the faintest signals, it will lock in on the source it is monitoring for hours or even days at a time (something similar to a camera lens set for a long time exposure). This allows for its computer to identify interfering noise signals and isolate the frequency of the source transmission. Structurally, a radio telescope resembles an antenna dish, with a support stand and dish that can be targeted in a chosen direction. Modern radio telescopes are able to continually monitor a wide range of frequencies and are often grouped together in “arrays� and linked by a super-computer that uses their distance from one another and slightly different data received to provide more precise information about the light emissions they are monitoring.
Photo: Shutterstock
22
Spring 2018 | TOPEKA MAGAZINE
23
Gary Krohe
“We intend to do as much research as can possibly be done,” says Black, who has also been instructing students in the basic operation of each component of the telescope, such as how the dish, the low noise amplifiers, and receiver function as well as concepts of beam width, effective dish area, and calibration of the signal received. With that basic introduction, advanced students are able use the telescope for their own studies. Blake Hunter, a Topeka senior in the physics department, has been involved in an independent research project, prompted by Black’s references to radio telescopes in his physics classes. He says the rare handson experience provides him a broad base of knowledge and a competitive advantage in the field of physics as he prepares to continue studies at Kansas State next year. “At first I found it difficult to get a picture of how a radio telescope functions, but the time I have spent using it and learning how to interpret the data has been time well spent,” he says. Black hopes that other student researchers can continue using the telescope for projects, such as studying the hydrogen part of the sun’s spectrum. About the Writer: Bill Stephens is a retired IT guru, veteran tech buff and photographer for Topeka Magazine.
24
APPETITE
TOPEKA MAGAZINE | Spring 2018
STORY BY
Linda A. Ditch |
PHOTOGRAPHY BY
Bill Stephens
The
BREAD CIRCLE A rosemary olive loaf is one of the latest creations of a group dedicated to sharing the process of artisanal bread
Spring 2018 | TOPEKA MAGAZINE
A
t Grace Episcopal Cathedral, a group gathers each first and third Saturday of the month to make bread. All are welcome—you don’t need to be a member of the church to participate. All you need is your apron, bench scraper, mixer (if you want) and something to package the bread in to take home. The ingredients are supplied by the group, thanks to the funds raised from a successful bake sale. All skill levels are welcome as well. Members take turns teaching classes. If someone has a bread recipe they want to share, they will lead the class. If not, one of the founders, Michael Deibler, will usually come up with a recipe. Deibler is a self-made gourmet. If he sees a recipe or cooking technique that interests him, he will try it until he masters it. Right now, along with making different bread styles, he’s testing his cheese-making skills. Feta is his focus at the moment. On a recent Saturday, Deibler led the group in making rosemary olive bread. In preparation, he rinsed the Kalamata olives to remove the oil and salt, and then set them to drain in a coffee filter-lined strainer. As participants started to create their dough, Deibler provided advice about adding more flour to the mix or allowing the dough to rise a bit more before moving to the next step. Another regular baker is Denise Eulert. She takes part on most baking Saturdays and comes to the group with plenty of cooking experience from her job as a baker at the Millennium Café in the Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library. She says she enjoys baking bread because she loves “the feel of the alive dough in my hands.” Once the batches of dough are shaped, have risen, and are ready for the oven, the bakers place them on unglazed terra cotta tiles that serve as baking stones. These stones are not required for successful bread, but they help the dough bake evenly and produce a nice crust. Diebler leads the group in a two-step process of adding water to the oven for steam, which also leads to a nicer finish on the loaf. “At first, the steam helps the rise,” Deibler explains. “All the rise will happen in the first ten minutes because after that the yeast will be dead. The additional steam helps the crust develop.” Throughout the preparation process, everyone pitches in with washing bowls and utensils and then wiping down floury countertops. Across the kitchen, the Saturday morning sack lunch group finishes making peanut butter and jelly sandwiches to put in paper bags with chips, fruit, and a sweet treat. The lunches will be given to needy folks who come by from the surrounding neighborhood. As the groups work and mingle, the loaves begin to fill the kitchen with a delicious aroma of rosemary and olives. Soon, they will be tested, tasted and taken home. But this moment—the fellowship and the smell of bread finely made and almost ready—is the true bread baker’s feast.
25
26
TOPEKA MAGAZINE | Spring 2018
APPETITE
Rosemary Olive Bread Makes: 2 large loaves Ingredients 6 to 8 cups (600–800g) bread flour 4 1/2 teaspoons (15g) instant (rapid) dry yeast (2 envelopes) 4 tablespoons honey 2 teaspoons (10g) salt 1 cup coarsely chopped Kalamata olives 1 tablespoon dried rosemary, finely chopped 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for the rising 2 1/2 cups warm water (110 degrees F) 2 tablespoons cornmeal
Instructions 1. In a large bowl, mix together yeast, honey, olive oil, and water. Let stand 5 to 10 minutes, until foamy. (If it does not foam, your yeast is bad. Start over with fresh yeast.) 2. By hand, or using a mixer with dough hook, mix in the flour. 3. Turn dough onto a floured board. Knead until smooth and elastic, 5 to 10 minutes (with mixer, 3 to 5 minutes; if kneading with mixer, you will need to add at least another cup of flour). Let rest 5 minutes, then knead in salt, olives, and rosemary. (You may need more flour if the olives are very wet.)
4. Oil a large bowl with olive oil, turn dough into bowl, and turn the dough until all sides are covered with oil. Cover with a damp cloth or loose plastic. Set aside, and let rise about 45 minutes, until it doubles in size. 5. Punch down. Knead well again, for 3 to 4 minutes. Cover, and let rise for about 30 minutes, until it doubles in size. 6. Split into 2 pieces, and shape into loaves, placing them on an oiled baking sheet sprinkled with cornmeal. Let rise until double in size. 7. While the bread is rising for the third time, preheat oven to 450 degrees F. (If using a baking stone, it should be in the oven to preheat.) 8. Put a pan for steam in the oven and add a cup of boiling water to it. Spray the loaves with water and slash them with a knife or razor blade. Place the loaves into the oven. (If using a baking stone, gently transfer the parchment and loaves to the stone.) 9. After 4 minutes, add another cup of boiling water to the steam pan; at 10 minutes, remove the steam pan. 10. Bake the loaves for another 5 minutes. Then reduce the heat to 375 degrees F. Bake for 30 minutes more, or until the bread is done. (You can check by inserting an instant-read thermometer into the loaf. It should read 190 to 200 degrees. Or turn the bread over and give the bottom a thump. It should sound hollow.) Cool on a wire rack for at least 24 hours before wrapping.
About the Writer: Linda A. Ditch is a Topeka-based writer and writing workshop leader who specializes in culinary stories.
28
WHAT’S HAPPENING
TOPEKA MAGAZINE | Spring 2018
MARCH MARCH FEATURED EVENT
Project Forward March 24
Billed as a community empowerment event, the first Project Forward promises to be an all-day block party from 10 am-6 pm featuring free food, musical performances, basketball competitions, car shows, a car stereo competition and more. Event organizer and longtime Topeka resident SJ Hazim describes the project as a “multicultural celebration” to bridge social separations that exist between Topeka’s black, Latino and white communities. “The goal is to bring people together who might not normally be together,” says Hazim. I want to do this every year and make this a free event where people gather and have fun.” Project Forward is co-sponsored by several community groups including The Shawnee County Parks and Recreation Department, Grace Community Church, Top City Kustomz, Sports Moms United and Topeka Family and Friends of the Juneteenth Celebration. The event will be held at Hillcrest Community Center. For any last-minute weather updates, confirm with Hillcrest Community Center (785) 251-2956.
Photo courtesy, from top, Topeka Capital-Journal, Topeka Civic Theatre and Shutterstock.
March 2–3
March 11 & 25
Topeka’s NAHL home hockey team hosts the Amarillo Bulls for two nights of competition at the Kansas Expocentre. For more information and ticket reservations, go online at topekaroadrunners.com
Heartland Park hosts open trial runs ahead of the April NHRA-sanctioned racing season at the venue. For times and more information, go online at heartlandpark.com
Roadrunners
March 2–31 Mamma Mia!
Topeka Civic Theatre stages the ABBA-inspired romanticcomedy musical. For more information and ticket reservations, go online at topekacivictheatre.com
March 5
Sing a New Song Topeka Festival Singers presents a concert of original and commissioned songs. For more information and ticket reservations, go online at topekafestivalsingers.org
March 11
Kansas Poet Laureate The state’s poet laureate, Kevin Rabas, presents a workshop and open reading at the public library. For times and registration, go online at tscpl.org
March 11–15
Community NCAA Bracket Challenge Fill in your bracket for community-wide bragging rights as the Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library hosts competition and watch parties. To register or learn more, go online at tscpl.org
Test and Tune
March 16
Demolition Derby Kansas Expocentre hosts the Capital City Carnage Demolition Derby. For more information and ticket reservations, go online at ksexpo.com
March 17
St. Patrick’s Day Celebrations The state’s best St. Patrick’s Day parade plus the beloved bed-race, breakfast and Irish sing-along. Parade starts at noon through Downtown. All other event times and locations available at topekastpats.com
March 23–24
Jesus Christ Superstar Local talent takes center stage for a performance of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s rock-musical. Information and tickets available at topekaperformingarts.org
March 29
Moonlight Egg Hunt A traditional egg hunt, but with flashlights and glow-inthe-dark eggs, sponsored by the Shawnee County Parks and Recreation Department at the Shawnee North Trail and Fitness Loop. A $10 entry fee is required. For more information, go online at parks. snco.us
WHAT’S HAPPENING
Spring 2018 | TOPEKA MAGAZINE
APRIL
April 2
APRIL FEATURED EVENT
King Lear
April 20 – May 5
Topeka Civic Theatre’s artistic director Shannon J. Reilly was not a fan of the global-hit series Downtown Abbey, but when he first caught a glimpse of the Edwardian-era drama about a changing world eroding an aristocratic English family’s wealth, influence and traditions, he immediately thought of King Lear. One of the more popular and more widely staged of Shakespeare dramas, King Lear chronicles the downfall of an aged monarch and the familial subterfuge behind his succession. Those themes, Reilly believes, are readily brought out through an Edwardian-era setting. “King Lear is about a royal folly, which kind of describes the Edwardian era to a T. It was a time when a crown was losing its real power, where these big manor houses that were owned by important families were becoming impossible to maintain,” says Reilly. And while the Edwardian theme plays up the fin de siècle mood of the play, Reilly says he also hopes to bring out the production’s personal elements—particularly the interaction between Lear and his daughters and the strong female leads. “These are some of Shakespeare’s most absolutely delicious roles for women,” says Reilly. “What is cool about them is how absolutely certain the two older sisters are in their actions and in their blind greed, and how the audience kind of understands where they are coming from as they strip their father of his powers. And then there is the younger daughter, who loves Lear and in doing so refuses to play his game.” King Lear runs for nine performances. For more information and ticket reservations, go online at topekacivictheatre.com
Photo courtesy, from top, Nathan Ham Photography, Daniel Welch, Skillet
Exploring Topeka’s African-American History Free presentation and genealogical research workshop exploring Topeka’s and personal African-American history. Hosted by Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library, tscpl.org.
April 5
Grandpa’s Tomatoes Shawnee County Extension’s Master Gardeners group presents best tips and advice for growing perfect, oldfashioned tomatoes. Free and open to public; for mor information, see the event page a tscpl.org
April 5–20 Tulip Time
Approximate dates to see best blooms of thousands of tulips across Topeka parks, particularly Lake Shawnee gardens. For more information, go online at parks.snco.us
April 13
United States Air Force Academy Band Free concert by nation’s military group at Topeka Performing Arts Center. For more information, go online at topekaperformingarts.org
April 14
After the Revolution Topeka Symphony Orchestra features Hannah Porter Occeña on the flute for a concert featuring the music of Zhou Long and Beethoven. For more information and ticket reservations, go online at topekasymphony.org
29
April 14 Skillet
Heavy-metal Christian rock group performs at Kansas Expocentre. For more information and ticket reservations, go online at ksexpo.com
April 19
History and Environmental Fair Kansas History Museum and Shawnee County Conservation District host Earth Day celebration for students grades 4-6. For free registration, go online at kshs.org
April 21
Bridge2Bridge 5K Race through Topeka’s downtown regions in this USATF-certified event. For registration and more information, go online at cityspin.com/ northeastkansas
April 21–23
Romeo and Juliet Ballet Midwest performs to Prokofiev’s score. For tickets and more information, go online at topekaperformingarts.org
April 28
Roar and Pour Wine Fest Topeka Zoological Park invites adult guests for wine samples and musical concerts on the zoo grounds. For tickets and more information, go online at topekazoo.org
30
TOPEKA MAGAZINE | Spring 2018
WHAT’S HAPPENING
MAY MAY FEATURED EVENT
May 4
May 16
Topeka Symphony Season Closer
Topeka’s art galleries and art venues open to visitors for performances, exhibitions and opportunities to meet local artists. Held on the first Friday of every month; for a full listing of venues and showings, go online at artsconnecttopeka.org
One of Topeka’s (and the state’s) most prolific and accomplished writers joins a Kansas Humanities Council program to discuss his novel of a chef exploring LatinoAmericana food combinations, Secrets of the Tsil Café. Part of the ongoing “Food for Thought” event series at the Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library. For more information, go online at tscpl.org
May 5
The city’s hometown orchestra closes its 2018 season with a performance of Broadway hits including a suite from Hamilton, selections from Les Miserables and more. The selections are a nod to the 2017-2018 theme of “musical revolution,” highlighting epochs of history and music that ushered in a radical rethinking of politics or culture. Entering its 72nd year of performances, the symphony will have its 2018–2019 line-up of concert performances and guest musicians established by March 2018. For season or individual performance ticket information, go online at topekasymphony.org
First Friday
May 5
River Cleanup Friends of the Kaw host a volunteer cleanup session along the Topeka weir of the Kansas river, the raised portion near the river access point. For more information, go online at kansasriver.org
May 9
Improving Access to Kaw River Special one-hour lunch presentation as part of the “All About the Kaw” lecture series hosted by Great Overland Station. For more information on all events in the series, go online at greatoverlandstation. com/events
May 11
Operation Petticoat Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library hosts free screening of World War II comedy-adventure as part of their ongoing classic movie series. For more information, go online at tscpl.org
May 12
Capital City Classic A Topeka disc golf tradition, this early-summer PDGAsanctioned tournament kicks off the competitive season at Crestview Park. For registration, go online at discgolfscene.com
Photo courtesy, from top, Topeka Symphony Orchestra/Michael C. Snell, public domain, Shutterstock
Thomas Averill
May 18
Wild Kratts Live Martin and Chris Kratt, stars of the education-adventure Wild Kratts television series, present a multimedia stage show for children about animals and nature. For more information and ticket information, go online at topekaperformingarts.org
May 18–20
National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) Nationals Topeka’s Heartland Park hosts two days of top-level drag racing. For a full schedule and ticket information, go online at heartlandpark.com.
May 26–28
Memorial Day Weekend Veterans honored with Memorial Day Tribute Wall at Penwell-Gabel Cemetery. For more information, go online at penwellgabelcemetery.com
May 29
Golden Giants Opener Loaded with a roster of hometown talent, Topeka’s 2017 Mid Plains League champions open up their season to defend their title in the summer collegiate ball league. Times and more information available online at topekagoldengiantsbaseball.com
Spring 2018 | TOPEKA MAGAZINE
FEATURES
32
THE ULTIMATE HIGH-FLYING SERVICE CREW
40
MASTIFFS AND MURDER
31
32
TOPEKA MAGAZINE | Spring 2018
T H E U LT I M AT E H I G H - F LY I N G
SERVICE CREW
Spring 2018 | TOPEKA MAGAZINE
The Kansas Air National Guard 190th Air Refueling Wing flies out of Topeka to keep other military missions in the air, across the globe Story by Mary R. Gage | Photography by Brian Goodman and Nick Krug
33
34
TOPEKA MAGAZINE | Spring 2018
Spring 2018 | TOPEKA MAGAZINE
T
he earth, 29,000 feet below me, is a patchwork of fields pierced by ribbons of rivers under a clear blue sky. I’m lying prone, peering through the rear window of a KC-135 Stratotanker and spotting a B-2 stealth bomber only a few dozen feet below. Both of our aircraft are traveling around 400 mph (260 knots) in tandem and approaching ever closer on what is a breathtaking, but perfectly standard, in-flight refueling mission for the Air National Guard’s 190th Air Refueling Wing based out of Forbes Air Force Base in Topeka. Beside me, Chief Master Sergeant Jim Spurlock monitors the B-2 sliding closer to us under our plane’s tail and guides a long tube known as a refueling boom into the B-2’s fuel port located on top of the bomber. Spurlock’s job is much more than dropping a gas hose. He is piloting the boom, which is equipped with two sets of drag rudders and air brakes to maintain precise positions despite its speed and the turbulence it encounters. To make the connection, Spurlock also relies on the tanker pilots, Colonel Chuck Remboldt and Captain Adam See, who keep the KC-135 at a steady speed and altitude while Spurlock communicates with the pilot of the B-2. When the refueling boom connects to the B-2’s refueling receptacle, Spurlock precisely offloads 10,000 pounds of fuel to the aircraft below, freeing the B-2 to continue its exercise. In combat, the ability to provide this high-altitude refueling enables the bomber to achieve longer ranges while keeping at a safer distance from enemy fire. The Topeka-based 190th has provided this crucial service since 1967, when the wing was relocated to Forbes from the Hutchinson Naval Air Station. Dubbed the “Kansas Coyotes,” the wing has nearly 1,000 personnel; one-third are full-time and the rest are part-time. And while they specialize in refueling, the wing is also called on to provide state, national and international emergency relief when needed. Some duties close to home include backing up the Topeka and Shawnee County fire departments. In 2017 alone, the base’s fire department assisted the community more than 24 times. Statewide, the unit responds to tornados, floods, fires and search-and-rescue missions, and it is tasked with protecting peace and public safety. Internationally, the unit supports ongoing military missions in the Middle East, Asia and Europe. Additionally, medical missions are performed throughout the country and the world, providing both emergency relief and basic health care, such as a disaster relief assistance after the devastating 2010 earthquake in Haiti. Base Commander Colonel Jarrod Frantz notes his crews have carried out humanitarian assistance in places throughout Central and South America and beyond. He says the wing’s medical unit has performed dental treatments, immunizations and over 17,000 eye exams.
From the photographer Brian Goodman
Shooting with a Nikon D-800
What surprised me the most was how old-school the plane was. I expected digital displays throughout, but the cockpit controls were all old-style manual. This made for interesting photos, but also affected how dark everything was inside the plane. There were only a few portholes in the plane to let the light in, so everything was fairly dark. I had to use a flash in the cockpit and in the back at the refueling port; otherwise, the light coming in from the windows would have blown out everything else. So I had a fullpowered flash and turned it to bounce the light off the walls. This enabled me to counter the effect of the light coming in and allowed the photograph to capture both the interior and the exterior details. But because the light was bouncing off all this greyish-green metal, it reflected that color. In order to warm up the scene and counter the unnatural tint, I used a CTO gel, an orange gel commonly used when you are shooting under tungsten lighting, and I keep several of them velcroed around my flash. By putting on this gel, it restored the scene to a natural tone, what I was seeing with my eyes. I was concerned that the flash would affect the crew and asked them about it. They said it was fine and were entirely nonchalant about going about their work as my flash went off at full power. They simply went about their job, filling up these massive B-2 planes and piloting this huge military craft.
35
36
TOPEKA MAGAZINE | Spring 2018
“When I joined in 1985,” says Frantz, “the Air National Guard was more of a strategic reserve arm. Desert Storm changed all that. Now it’s an operational reserve seamless with our active duty counterparts.” Frantz, who also works as a commercial airline pilot, adds, “The camaraderie and working on a team with a mission make this job more satisfying.” Frantz commands twelve aircraft at the base. The tanker we are flying in is roughly equivalent in size to a Boeing 707, but quite a bit different in purpose and design. The jump seats lining the wall of the aircraft may not be as comfortable as the seats of a commercial airliner, but they do have ample leg room. (Actually, they might be more comfortable than a standard commercial flight.) The cleared deck is often used to haul cargo as well as passengers and allows for movement of the crew once we’re in the air. We take off from Topeka and soon find ourselves roughly above Dodge City, where the pilots make a 180-degree turn and begin the rendezvous with three stealth bombers from Whiteman Air Force Base near Knob Noster in central Missouri. Initially, the B-2s appear as tiny specks on the horizon, and when one edges closer, the action switches to Spurlock and the second boom operator, Master Sergeant Jon Swinney. Together, the crew refuels all three of the B-2s and, 30,000 pounds of jet fuel lighter, the tanker heads back to Forbes. Before landing, the crew reflects on some of the experiences they’ve had as a part of the 190th Refueling Wing and their journey into the pilot’s seat. Remboldt started as a part-timer on the maintenance crew while going to college. That was over thirty years ago. Now all three of his grown children, two of them in college and one a recent college graduate, are members of the unit. “I never realized the Guard was even around or what a great opportunity it was until after I started college,” he says. “Kids from Kansas can get a full ride for college expenses, plus get trained for a marketable career while working here part time. It’s a great deal.” It’s worked out well for Remboldt, who’s traveled the world and participated in some memorable operations like helping rescue Air Force pilot Scott O’Grady when he was shot down in the Balkans during the Bosnia Conflict and piloting the KC-135 as an air ambulance from an active theater of war in Afghanistan. “The most rewarding missions are when we’re able to help the troops on the ground,” he says. “When the air cover is running low on gas and we can increase the chance of a successful outcome by refueling the aircraft, that’s very satisfying.” Soon, our plane is preparing to land back in Topeka. During the morning mission, we have ranged from Dodge City to Columbia, Missouri, and we’ll still return to Topeka in time for a late lunch. It’s simply a normal, half-day’s work for the 190th.
From the photographer Nick Krug
Shooting with a Canon 5D Mark IV
Looking out the back window of the refueling plane wasn’t so much unlike looking out the window of a commercial flight as far as viewing the landscape below. You’re lying there in this cramped little area, waiting and waiting and then all of a sudden, this billion-dollar plane comes out of nowhere as swiftly and smoothly as possible, and in a matter of seconds, it’s 10 to 15 yards from you. I was shooting with a super wide lens in the refueling area where the boom operator works, partly to be able to see the whole operation, but also because space was really tight. For most of the photos, I had my camera within an inch or two from the side of the boom operator’s head, who was totally cool with it and unfazed by my presence. It still doesn’t seem possible that such an event could be pulled off, but it happened and it was truly impressive.
Spring 2018 | TOPEKA MAGAZINE
37
38
TOPEKA MAGAZINE | Spring 2018
(From Left) Colonel Chuck Remboldt, Captain Adam See, Master Sergeant Jon Swinney, Chief Master Sergeant Jim Spurlock
Spring 2018 | TOPEKA MAGAZINE
“When the air cover is running low on gas and we can increase the chance of a successful outcome by refueling the aircraft, that’s very satisfying.” —Colonel Chuck Remboldt
39
40
TOPEKA MAGAZINE | Spring 2018
Mastiffs and
Murder Topeka native and bestselling author Alex Grecian shifts from Victorian England to modern-day Kansas in his new novel Story by Kelly Gibson | Photography by Michael C. Snell
Spring 2018 | TOPEKA MAGAZINE
41
42
TOPEKA MAGAZINE | Spring 2018
N
ew York Times bestselling author Alex Grecian has had Kansas on his mind for much of his writing career. But it wasn’t until after his successful run of novels set in late 19th-century England that Grecian found space to write a thriller set in his home state. “I never meant to write five books about Victorian England,” Grecian says of his acclaimed series. In fact, after writing The Yard, the first novel in the series Scotland Yard’s Murder Squad, Grecian thought he was done with it. Then his phone rang. “My agent called and asked if I had a sequel in mind. I didn’t. I had started on a book set in Kansas. So I got a two-book deal out of The Yard. As soon as I turned in the second book, I thought I would go back to Kansas. I’ve ended up writing five.” While Grecian, a Topeka native, is grateful for the success of Scotland Yard’s Murder Squad series, he is excited to return to his Kansas roots. “This book was a surprise,” Grecian says. “I had a little time in my schedule. I wanted my next book to be this.” And so he wrote The Saint of Wolves and Butchers, a thriller whose Kansas location is a marked departure from England during the time of Jack the Ripper, but one that retains the dark writing Grecian’s fans know well.
Horror in the Heartland Much of Grecian’s work has been shaped by a real-life case that took place in Topeka in 1981, when Grecian was between 10 and 11 years old. Five-year-old Jackie Hay disappeared from her front yard, and to this day no one knows what happened to her. “For a while, her case dominated the news cycle, and she was all we kids talked about,” Grecian says. “My father hosted a radio show at the time, and he dedicated an entire episode to the mystery of Jackie’s disappearance. I was always surprised when each day ended and she hadn’t been found. I didn’t know her, I never met her, but her disappearance pushed my imagination to dark and dangerous places.
Whatever had happened to her, I feared it might happen to me, too. All of my books have touched on the idea of people disappearing or hiding. It’s a theme I come back to again and again, and if even Jackie Hay is someday found alive and well (and I hope she is), people will no doubt go on disappearing in my books.” There are also shades of the state’s grimmer aspects throughout Grecian’s works—a feeling of solitude and isolation that resonates with the darker of the state’s landscape. Most of The Saint of Wolves and Butchers takes place in small towns where residents are dubious of outsiders who ask questions. Characters drive two-lane highways and work under skies that are simultaneously endless and suffocating. The isolation of rural Kansas, to Grecian, seemed like the perfect place to hide a ruthless criminal. “I took a road trip to scope the area around Hays and up to Phillipsburg,” Grecian says. “I started thinking, if I were wanted for a crime, this would a great place to hide.” The antagonist in Grecian’s upcoming novel, set to release in April, is by every definition chilling. A former Nazi doctor and concentration camp administrator, Rudolph Bormann flees Germany and assumes a new identity and a new home in rural central Kansas to avoid capture and arrest for his war crimes. But his inclination toward violence and murder doesn’t end as he grows roots (and gathers a cultish following) in the heartland. On the hunt, Dr. Travis Roan—a mysterious badass who makes his life’s work hunting down people who have committed genocide or crimes against humanity—is joined by his sidekick, a mute Tibetan mastiff named Bear. They are on a mission to locate Roan’s missing father and bring Bormann to justice. Roan finds an ally and friend in Kansas Highway patrolwoman Skottie Foster, who recently moved from Chicago with her tween daughter, Maddie. Together, Roan and Foster work to break apart a commune full of horrors. Grecian says the timeliness of the book’s Nazi element was unintentional, but Kansas’ history with German POWs influenced some of the story.
44
TOPEKA MAGAZINE | Spring 2018
Some 300,000 German prisoners of war were detained at camps across the state, including small camps from Topeka to Cawker City. Camp Concordia was one of the largest—holding just more than 4,000 prisoners at its peak—and closed in 1945. The camp is only 100 miles from Phillipsburg, where Grecian based much of the novel. But the fugitive in Grecian’s book is particularly upsetting not only because he is a Nazi but also because he easily transplants the worst aspects of his racist ideology into the fabric of a Kansas community—in part because he finds an accepting, enthusiastic congregation to welcome him, his ideas and his crimes.
Authentic Writing Using his home state as a setting wasn’t the only personal element Grecian used as he worked on this new book. His own son provided a solution to particularly difficult passage for Grecian. “There is a scene in the book when Skottie’s house is broken into and her daughter is in jeopardy,” Grecian says. “I rewrote it a dozen times in a dozen different ways. I was trying to force the plot along and wasn’t paying attention to the characters. I finally got it to work by letting Maddie be a little girl, and thinking about what my son might do in this situation.”
Grecian says he had to cut some elements of the new book that would further envelop the reader in the wide-open space of Kansas from an outsider’s perspective. “I had a whole long segment with Travis Roan arriving at KCI and driving across the state, including landmarks on the highway and giving a sense of what Kansas feels like,” Grecian says. “But we needed to get to the action. We needed to get to Skottie quicker.” Also on the chopping block was Bear, Roan’s dog and, often, backup in harrowing situations. Luckily for readers, Grecian kept the canine cohort. “Bear is my favorite character,” Grecian says. “It’s tricky having an animal in a thriller. They get lost in the shuffle, they’re extraneous, and they’re cute. But when I finished writing the book, my editor let me keep the dog.” Bear will reunite with readers because Grecian has begun plotting out a sequel, this time taking place in Kansas and Alaska, but again setting murder and danger in the path of his heroes. Fortunately, Dr. Roan, Deputy Foster and the giant mastiff will have each other to track down any nightmares Grecian sends out after them.
Spring 2018 | TOPEKA MAGAZINE
TopKansas Authors
AccordingtoAlexGrecian 1
Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood demonstrated that Kansas can be a brutal and chilling locale. That book has influenced my own work, most obviously in The Harvest Man and The Saint of Wolves and Butchers.
2
I just wrote a piece about Rex Stout for KANSAS! magazine in which I extol his virtues at length. I still feel his influence when I sit down to write.
3&4
Laura Ingalls Wilder and L. Frank Baum were beloved authors when I was a child. I’ve had the profound pleasure of reading their books aloud to my son, and they were wonderful all over again.
5
The fact that Clare Vanderpool lives and works in Kansas ought to be the first bullet point in our tourism brochures. She’s a brilliant writer, and I feel lucky to have participated in an author event or two with her.
6
Kansas City-native Bruce Jones wrote masterful short comic book stories that have stuck in my head since childhood, including my all-time favorite Talk to Teddy, in which a stuffed bear mysteriously returns to its young owner after being destroyed.
45
Catch a Reading April 20, 7 p.m. @ Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library
Read Like Grecian Want to know what a bestselling author reads? Here are a few of Alex Grecian’s favorite authors: • • • • • • •
Kate Atkinson Michael Chabon Jeffery Deaver Graham Greene John Grisham John Irving Anne Tyler