Topeka Magazine | winter 2022-2023

Reed and his Washburn University turtle trackers work to shed light on the habits, movements, and personalities of an understudied native reptile

Help is Here. Get the caregiving support you need when you need it. No one ever hopes to become a family caregiver. But it’s a role you and 300,000 others in Kansas play every day. No matter how much you love the person you’re caring for, being a caregiver can be a lot to manage.

AARP Family Caregiving is here to help. We can make it easier for you to get answers, help you connect with and learn from other family caregivers and guide you to useful resources online and close to home. To learn more, visit aarp.org/caregiving

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It takes more than love to care for a loved one.

Joint replacement specialists keep you moving.

Whatever your goals are for staying active, they certainly don’t involve persistent joint pain – or a long drive to see a joint specialist. At LMH Health OrthoKansas, we’ll relieve you of both. As the area’s only orthopedic center offering a

comprehensive approach to joint health, three of our nine physicians have elite training and extensive experience in joint replacement surgery, delivering the latest techniques, technologies and expertise right to you.

A partner for lifelong health

Richard G. Wendt, MD

Adam M. Goodyear, MD James C. Huston, MD

Editor Nathan Pettengill Art Director/Designer Alex Tatro

Copy Editor Leslie Andres Advertising Representative Angie Taylor ataylor@sunflowerpub.com (785) 832-7236

Photographers Andrea Etzel Nick Krug Bill Stephens

Writers Andrea Etzel Christine Steinkuehler Bill Stephens

The smoked salmon and cucumber tartine is one of our "must try" recommendations at the Salut brunch. Photograph by Andrea Etzel.

Welcome to the winter 2022 edition of TopekaMagazine!

Discovering your new favorite dish at a local restaurant is always a great idea—but doing so in winter is particularly nice when a cozy interior and a warm dish bring particular comfort. This winter we bring a new column focusing on this delight; Andrea Etzel’s “You Must Try This” celebrates great seasonal options. For our first one, she takes us out to brunch—hope you’re hungry!

In this edition, Bill Stephens introduces Ken Otte’s remarkable camera collection and talks with the rising musical/instrument-making star Rick Faris. At the end of this edition, Christine Steinkuehler and Nick Krug introduce Benjamin Reed and his ornate box turtle tracking program, an ambitious project based out of Washburn University that seeks to document the numbers, range, and habits of our state’s official reptile.

We hope you find something to delight and interest you in these pages as you spend a bit more time at home during the cold months. We’re honored to be spending some of it with you.

On the Cover A turtle is weighed and examined at Benjamin Reed's Washburn University laboratory before it is returned to the wild.

Photograph by Nick Krug.

—NATHAN PETTENGILL, EDITOR

DEPARTMENTS

10 AT THE START OF A ‘LONG HAUL’

Award-winning musician and celebrated guitar maker Rick Faris finds a balance, in his instruments and in his life focused around them 16 WHAT'S HAPPENING Winter events and what's happening in Topeka 18

CAMERA MAN

A childhood fascination with a James Bond spy gadget led to a growing vintage camera collection 20

YOU MUST TRY THIS! Stand-out dishes from Topeka restaurants and diners—in this issue, let’s do brunch

FEATURE 24

THE TURTLE TRACKER

A Washburn University professor monitors and documents an often-overlooked native animal, and you can help with the study

Our Turtles

As part of our feature story about Dr. Benjamin Reed’s turtle research (see page 24), our magazine is adopting two ornate box turtles through the Washburn University Adopt-A-Turtle program. Our turtles will be two previously untracked turtles (possibly juveniles) that will be identified during the spring field-research trips after the turtles emerge from their winter burrows. We’ll post news on our turtles—their movements and general updates, on our Facebook page.

Join Us?

to Care

As our publication continues to grow, we’re looking for new contributing writers to cover and submit stories about life in Topeka. Previous writing experience is highly preferred, but expertise in a subject field is also valued. If you are interested, send an email and resume to Topeka Magazine editor Nathan Pettengill at npettengill@ sunflowerpub.com.

Next Edition

The spring 2023 edition of Topeka Magazine arrives in early March and includes our next installment of the Topeka Family section and our usual range of stories concentrating on arts, culture, people, places and spaces of the Kansas capital.

At the Start of a ‘Long Haul’

Topekan Rick Faris, known for his line of Faris guitars, has also recently received international recognition as a bluegrass guitar player.

Award-winning musician and celebrated guitar maker Rick Faris finds a balance, in his instruments and in his life focused around them STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY Bill Stephens

Born in Ozawkie, Faris has traveled the world playing bluegrass music and was recently named Outstanding New Artist of the Year by the prestigious International Bluegrass Music Association. Faris is not only a top-tier musician but also a luthier of the highest order. His brand of “Faris” guitars are sought after by performance musicians who know that it’s rare to find an instrument crafted by a luthier who has mastered both the mechanics of construction and the techniques of playing the instrument. He is a unique builder because he has 20 years of experience in hand-crafting the instruments and can play at a professional level, giving him the perspective to understand how a superior guitar is supposed to feel and sound.

“I didn’t come to guitar building from a woodworker’s background but as a picker who was looking for a new level of instrument,” Faris explains.

Faris lives in Topeka and keeps his guitar workshop outside of the city. “I have converted the garage into my woodworking shop. With all of the tools and wood storage, things are a little cramped, but since I am the only employee, I get by just fine,” he says.

The Kansas countryside is reflected in the construction of many of Faris’ guitars. Though he builds instruments with the traditional woods of Adirondack spruce or responsibly sourced rosewood, mahogany, and Oregon myrtle—all woods known for their ability to provide acoustic resonance—Faris also works with locally sourced Kansas wood such as maple, walnut and cherry, which all provide a slightly different tone.

TOPEKANS

ABOVE: Rick Faris tests the sound quality on a guitar after he has applied an interior component known as a scalloped brace. The "thump" sound he hears will guide him in making further adjustments if necessary. OPPOSITE: Faris begins to apply scalloped braces into the inside of the top of the guitar. Many hours are put into shaping these braces, whose structure will greatly determine an instrument's voice.

Topekan Rick Faris is one of those individuals for whom the descriptions “home-grown talent” and “internationally recognized” apply equally well.

The type of wood is one of the greatest factors in how an acoustic guitar will sound, but there are other aspects in the construction process that also affect the instrument’s tone quality; these include the braces applied to the top and back of the instrument, the type of glue used, and the thickness of the finish. Faris makes his guitars with hide glue and finishes them with either nitro-cellulose lacquer or hand-applied oil varnish.

At any given time, Faris is working on 10–12 guitars at various stages of production. His clients know that a twoyear wait is standard for an instrument of this quality.

“When you factor in the wood selection, gluing, shaping, placement and tuning of braces on the top and back, sanding, filing, cutting and applying many coats of finish, I will have over 200 hours of work in each instrument,” Faris says, not counting the downtime when the instrument is set aside between steps of the process.

Faris learned to create guitars by spending years studying under various luthiers in Kansas. He began with setting up and repairing the instruments, which he says taught him a lot about the right and wrong way to go about constructing a guitar.

But his musical influences were even closer to home. His father, Bob, got him started playing the guitar when Rick was 7 years old. They picked out music books together and watched videos. Bob, who was a musician with Reba McEntire, taught Rick chord structures and picking styles.

Faris and his Rick Faris Band have played all over the U.S. at venues such as Silver Dollar City and Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium; he’s also played in Canada, Ireland, and Great Britain. Faris has also spent a lot of time in Germany, where he has taught at a bluegrass camp for several years.

“We have student and teacher concerts in the evenings to encourage and instruct by demonstration and get folks

Listening to Rick Faris

These three songs are a great starting point to become familiar with Rick Faris’ musical style and range. Recordings of these songs can be found online at various platforms (YouTube, Spotify, Bandcamp, etc.) and in a few versions, but we are focusing on the fuller performances from Faris’ 2021 release, The Next Mountain

“Deep River”

This haunting song tells the story of a man whose life has gone wrong. He begs, “Take the pain away, Deep River.” The mournful mood is conveyed perfectly through the standard bluegrass instrumental mix of 6-string guitar, mando (mandolin), 5-string banjo, bass, and fiddle. The banjo kicks off the song and provides many tasty licks while keeping up a steady yet subtle rhythm throughout. Faris brings several inventive guitar breaks between verses of “I hear the steamboat whistle and I shiver. I never thought I’d want to leave this little river town.” The tune strays from the standard 1-4-5 chord progression, but these journeys are always resolved by the end of the phrase.

“See You on the Other Side”

This classic bluegrass gospel song kicks off with a lightning-fast guitar intro followed by Faris’ tenorvoiced verse. Other voices join in, and the watertight harmonies work perfectly. The legendary Sam Bush sat in for this session and produces a mando break after the first verse that would make most any other mandolin player’s fingers sweat. The fiddle break after the second verse is equally fast paced. Sitting on top of the harmonies is the high-range vocal, perfectly executed and rounding out the four-part harmony.

“I’m Asking You Today”

This Texas swing tune is a break from Faris’ traditional bluegrass format, and he carries the song’s mood and spirit with lyrics such as, “Won’t you be my one and only / Sharing in your joys and sorrows? / Where you lead I’ll surely follow ... I’m asking you today.” The vocals are backed by the mando, fiddle, guitar and banjo poking their heads up for a flourish here and there. The bass is a constant throughout, providing rhythm and also a direction for the chord progressions.

Faris marks the joint where he will connect the guitar's neck and main body.

past their stage fears or insecurities,” he explains. “There are also jams that we lead at various levels and speeds, and there’s always the option to catch us in a jam that’s just spontaneous. It’s really a blast and I love teaching. I feel it’s our job to further the music by passing what we have learned on. People did that for me when I was growing up and I’m happy to pay it forward.”

One place he hasn’t gotten to play, but looks forward to touring, is Eastern Europe. He notes that bluegrass music had a strange status during the Cold War—it wasn’t officially banned as decadent Western music, but it was also picked up by some dissidents behind the Iron Curtain as a form of protest music. He says the East European musicians embody the spirit of the music’s origins among the proud communities of the Appalachian Mountains.

“They really own that music in their hearts, which is what Bill Monroe, the father of bluegrass music, always wanted,” Faris says.

As to what the future holds, whether it will tilt to creating guitars or playing them, Faris doesn’t yet know.

“I feel like in five years I will find my balance, whether it’s more music or more building. I think I will always do both even if it’s just building for myself and full-time performing or if it’s weekend warrior–style gigs and full-time building. I’m in it either way for the long haul, and I am always trying to advance both callings,” Faris reflects. “Both are rewarding. Making music and being a positive force for reflection, entertainment and soul therapy is so much fun for me it almost shouldn’t be considered a job.”

Faris examines the finish on one of his starburststyle tops.

Faris constructs and repairs guitars, so he has a line of orders always waiting for him in his shop.

The inlay wood of a guitar is carefully chosen for sound and decoration. If you look closely, you can see that the grain of the dark wood almost depicts the face of a wolf or similar animal.

WHAT’S HAPPENING

DECEMBER

FEATURED EVENT TARC’s Winter Wonderland 25th Anniversary

December 1–31

A Topeka tradition—two miles of holiday lights strung across the Lake Shawnee campgrounds for families and friends to enjoy. Ticket proceeds benefit the mission of TARC, the city’s nonprofit dedicated to assisting individuals with intellectual, developmental and related disabilities. Suggested donation is $10 per car, and the display is open daily 6–10 p.m. winterwonderlandtopeka.com

December 1–January 15

Ruth Fisher

The Mulvane Art Museum presents the whimsical and extraordinary handcrafted books of Washburn graduate Ruth Fisher. mulvaneartmuseum.org/exhibitions 785.670.1124

December 1–22

(various dates)

Miracle on 34th Street

The Topeka Civic Theatre presents a holiday classic about friendship, a child’s trust, and the power of believing in holiday magic. Some performance dates include dinner and holiday cocktails. topekacivictheatre.com 785.357.5211

December 2–19

(various dates)

Songs of the Seasons

A range of musical groups— including school groups, woodwind quartets, flute ensembles and more perform seasonal songs in the rotunda of the Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library. All concerts are free. tscpl.org | 785.580.4400

December 2–28

Zoo Lights

Enjoy the garden landscape of the Topeka Zoo as it bathes in holiday lights and displays. The evening show calendar for December includes special theme nights, the opportunity to rent private party igloos and more. Children’s tickets are $9; adult tickets are $12–$14 depending on the night. topekazoo.org/zoolights 785.783.4264

December 3

Miracle on Kansas Avenue Parade Topeka’s annual holiday parade through the heart of downtown. The parade, which includes floats in holiday lights, kicks off from 5th and Kansas Avenue at 6 p.m.

December 3

Love Nails Me to the World Traci Brimhall, the incoming 2023–2026 Kansas poet laureate, presents readings and leads a poetry workshop at the Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library. Advance registration is required for the workshop. tscpl.org | 785.580.4400

December 4

Megan Birdsall Group

The Topeka Jazz Workshop presents vocalist Megan Birdsall with a host of regional jazz musicians such as Joe Cartwright, Rod Fleeman, Ben Leifer, Matt Otto and Mike Warren. topekaperformingarts.org topekajazz.com

December 6

Christmas Swing Dance

Celebrate the holidays with dance music and the chance to take swing lessons and immediately apply them to a good time at the Jayhawk Theatre. Tickets are $10 for entry, or $30 for a 4-lesson punch card. jayhawktheatre.org

December 7, 14

Noon Noels

The First Presbyterian Church of Topeka hosts high school choral groups for a concert of seasonal music, singalongs, and meal served before and after each performance. Attendance is free, and suggested meal donation is $5. fpctopeka.org/noon-noels-3 785.233.9601

December 9–11

Ballet Midwest Presents The Nutcracker

The 45th anniversary of Topeka-based Ballet Midwest’s performance of the family holiday dance classic. Special 4-pack family discounts are available through the box office. topekaperformingarts.org balletmidwest.net

December 10, 17

NOTO Holiday Market

Gather at Redbud Park 10 a.m.–3 p.m. for a holiday gift market of local arts and crafts. explorenoto.org

December 12

Medicare Advice

Volunteer experts with the nonprofit Jayhawk Area Agency on Aging provide guidance and suggestions for those signing up for Medicare for the first time, or for anyone who wants a refresher. The free event is held at the Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library and requires registration. tscpl.org | 785.580.4400

December 16

It’s a Wonderful Life Screening of the 1946 film portraying one despondent man’s angel-assisted holiday-time revelation of how he has affected and helped those around him. Tickets are $7, or $5 for students, seniors, and service members. jayhawktheatre.org

December 17–18

Kansas Ballet: The Nutcracker

Topeka-based ballet troupe pairs with the Topeka Symphony Orchestra and professional ballet artists to stage the holiday fairy tale. topekaperformingarts.org kansasballet.com

December 18

Sara Evans

Contemporary country musician Sara Evans brings her “Go Tell It on the Mountain Christmas Tour” to the Stormont Vail Events Center. saraevans.com/tour

December 20

Handel’s The Messiah

The Spire Ensemble presents this traditional holiday performance inside Grace Cathedral. greatspaces.org | 785.235.3457

Photographs: Shutterstock (4), Mulvane Museum of Art, and the Kansas Department of Commerce.

December 20

Snow Volcano: Snowy Science Science and erupting volcanoes are always in season! The Kansas Children’s Discovery Center invites young minds to create a snow volcano as part of the ongoing Snowy Science presentations. kansasdiscovery.org/events 785.783.8300

December 31

Groovy New Year’s Eve

The Beacon hosts a disco-themed ballroom dance night to ring in the new year. beacontopeka.com | 785.409.6715

JANUARY

January 6

First Friday Artwalk

Art galleries, artist studios, businesses, and more open for an evening of shows and performances. Repeats on the first Friday of every month in 2023. artstopeka.org

January 12

Tree Basics for Homeowners

Shawnee County Extension Master Gardener Gary Boutz provides an overview of trees that grow well in regional yards and how to care for them. Free event at the Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library. tscpl.org | 785.580.4400

January 13

Overland Station Ghost Hunt Ghost Tours of Kansas hosts a public ghost hunt (with EMF equipment) and channeling session at historic Overland Station on Friday the 13th. ghosttoursofkansas.org 785.851.0856

January 20–February 11 (various dates)

The

Play that Goes Wrong

The Topeka Civic Theatre presents the play about a group of thespians putting on a sensational new murder mystery … where most everything goes wrong. Part whodunit and part comedy. topekacivictheatre.com 785.357.5211

January 21

Book and Media Sale

Topeka Friends of the Library holds sale of high-quality donated books, CDs, and other media. tscpl.org | 785.580.4400

January 21

The Great Lover

The Topeka Symphony Orchestra continues its season of music dedicated to love and romance with a performance of Jean Sibelius’ Symphony No. 2, Chen Yi’s Romance and Dance, and more. topekasymphony.org | 785.232.2032

January 22

A Glimpse of Heaven: Sacred Treasures of the Renaissance Te Deum, the Kansas City–based choral group for sacred music, presents selected songs at Grace Cathedral. greatspaces.org | 785.235.3457

January 26

The Fab Four Beatles tribute group performs at Prairie Band Casino. prairieband.com | 785.966.7777

January 27

Real-World Parenting Family Service & Guidance Center of Topeka continues its monthly discussions of contemporary parenting challenges. Each month brings a series of short informational videos, culminating in a free, one-hour virtual Q+A session with experts. This month’s theme is childhood trauma. fsgtopeka.com/parenting 785.232.5005

January 29

On Your Feet!

The musical biography of Latin pop stars Emilio and Gloria Estefan comes to the Topeka Performing Arts Center. topekaperformingarts.org 785.234.2787

FEBRUARY

February 17

Earth, Wind & Fire (Legacy Reunion) Alumni of the legendary band Earth, Wind & Fire reunite on the stage of the Topeka Performing Arts Center. topekaperformingarts.org 785.234.2787

February 18

Relationship Status: It’s Complicated

Now that we’re past Valentine’s Day, the Topeka Symphony Orchestra helps us explore the difficult aspects of love with music by Barber, Puccini, Strauss, and Wagner. topekasymphony.org | 785.232.2032

February 19

Hidden Gems by Women Composers

Véronique Mathieu, artistic director and founder of the Overland Park artistic collective NAVO, leads a program paying tribute to women in music over the past 300 years. greatspaces.org | 785.235.3457

February 24

Real-World Parenting Family Service & Guidance Center of Topeka continues its monthly discussions of contemporary parenting challenges. Each month brings a series of short informational videos, culminating in a free, one-hour virtual Q+A session with experts. This month’s theme is childhood depression. fsgtopeka.com/parenting | 785.232.5005

Camera Man

Three years ago, Topekan Ken Otte asked his wife, Rebecca, if she would mind if he purchased a few old cameras to display on a shelf. She did not mind, so Otte began collecting “a few” models. That was more than 80 cameras ago.

Otte has purchased most of his cameras online, but he sometimes finds cameras at estate sales or the increasingly rare swap meets.

Sometimes he purchases a camera and then researches information about it. At other times, he seeks out a specific model.

“When I was a youngster, I saw the 1969 James Bond movie On Her Majesty’s Secret Service where Bond was using a Minox camera not much larger than a pack of gum. I imagined myself as a spy, dressed in a tuxedo, sipping a martini and capturing secrets with my spy camera. I knew then that I wanted to have one of those cameras because I would become cool,” he recalls.

Decades later, Otte made sure to add this camera to his collection. The Minox cameras were manufactured primarily in Germany, Russia, France, Japan and the United States.

A childhood fascination with a James Bond spy gadget led to a growing vintage camera collection

STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY Bill Stephens

Ken Otte holds a Fuji-film GW 680 studio camera, which shoots a 6x8 cm image on film and was used for studio and fine art photos. It is a heavy camera, weighing in at around 10 pounds.

Most of Otte’s models are larger than the Minox, but not unusual in size—the majority are standard handheld size. But some are larger, such as the Graflex, the standard press camera of the 1930s, which is about the size of a shoe box with a folding viewer that unfolds out of the top and requires the photographer to look down into it to focus and frame an image.

Some of Otte’s more unusual cameras are ones designed to take stereo photographs, a technology in use since the late 1800s, but popular in commercial cameras shortly after World War II.

“They have two lenses side by side, as far apart as human eyes,” Otte explains. “When you click the shutter button, two images are recorded on the film, taken from slightly different angles. When viewed through a stereo viewer, the images have depth and really look lifelike.”

A few of the cameras in Otte’s collection do not even have a single lens. These are pinhole cameras operating on a design that dates back to the 1600s and features a tiny pinhole which, when uncovered, permits a small amount of light to pass through to stored film. After many seconds, the exposure creates an image on the film that can be developed.

Like most of us, Otte happily relies on his cellphone’s digital camera for daily use or to take photos when traveling, but collecting and sometimes using the old or antique cameras give him joy.

“You can follow the development of technologies as you trace the camera evolution. Viewfinders were added, then faster and more versatile shutters, then interchangeable lenses, then special coatings on the lenses to enhance the lens’s performance,” Otte says. “There is something about the romance of the era before digital that attracts me.”

Otte Recommends

If you are interested in old cameras, then Ken Otte recommends a visit to the Leubs Camera Collection inside the Washington County Museum in Washington, Kansas, just 40 minutes northwest of Topeka. The museum’s collection focuses on cameras that would have been used by the average consumer in the United States and displays approximately 650 models, each labeled by name, model and date of manufacture. More information about the collection can be found at wchistoricalsociety. org or by calling the museum at 785.325.2198.

Cameras in Otte's collection include (above from left), the Soviet-made Sputnik stereoscope camera, a 16mm film Minox spy camera, and a Graflex press camera from the 1930s.

You Must Try This!

Stand-out dishes from Topeka restaurants and diners—in this issue, let’s do brunch

STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY Andrea Etzel

Salut Wine and Cocktail Lounge

Salut, the newly opened Westboro neighborhood wine and cocktail lounge, is all about creating a comfortable spot for friends to gather for food and drink. So it seems only fitting that the idea for this venue began between friends, over drinks. During the pandemic, Marc and Katie Sonderegger would often get together with friends Matt and Larissa Slimmer. “When we couldn’t go out anywhere, we ended up in each other’s backyards,” Katie Sonderegger shares. She recalls the two couples talking about how they wanted a place in Topeka “where you can sit and chat and enjoy good food and drinks … someplace that wasn’t the bar scene but not too exclusive.”

The couples didn’t have a background in the restaurant business—the Sondereggers are both elementary school principals while Larissa Slimmer is an elementary school counselor and Matt owns a residential/commercial plumbing business—but they did have a clear idea of what they wanted to see: a venue with an open and inviting

Recommended brunch dishes at Salut include (clockwise from top) the crème brûlée French toast, the almond croissant, and the smoked salmon and cucumber tartine.

atmosphere, a neighborhood spot where customers could come as they were. A place to relax.

Then last December, Josey’s Bakery announced it was closing its doors in the Westboro Mart. The Sondereggers and Slimmers, who both live nearby, saw an opportunity to bring their idea to life, and in their own neighborhood. By July, after consultations, a Kickstarter campaign, and plenty of work, the business partners opened their venue as “Salut.”

The name, pronounced as “sah-loo” with a silent “t,” is used in French as a friendly greeting as well as a way to say “cheers” with drinks.

“We were joking that the most famous neighborhood bar is Cheers,” says Katie, recalling the popular television comedy show, “and so we thought we could name it ‘Cheers’ because we want everyone to know your name.”

During the evenings, Wednesday through Sunday, Salut is a wine bar and cocktail lounge serving French-flair small bites that change seasonally, with a speakeasy “The Principal’s Office” hidden away below

the restaurant. Both areas offer a global wine list, as well as a collection of signature and classic cocktails. Salut partners with numerous Topeka businesses, including local breweries Happy Bassist, Norseman, Iron Rail, and Blind Tiger, as well as Blue Jazz Coffee and Hazel Hill Chocolates.

On Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Salut welcomes diners to experience its approach to brunch, and that’s where we joined them for these “must-try” selections.

While Salut’s brunch menu features several customer favorites, the crème brûlée French toast is a must-try for cold winter afternoons. It’s as rich and decadent as you might imagine but has a slight twist on the traditional take. It begins with French bread, which is layered with a house-made caramel sauce and topped with custard before being baked. “We flip the French toast so the caramel layer is on top and broil to order until the top is bubbly and caramelized,” explains Marc Sonderegger, who oversees the venue’s cuisine and cocktails. The caramelization adds a delicious

crunch, and more texture and taste are provided from the cup of fresh fruit and the thick slices of bacon that round out the dish.

For a lighter option, go with the smoked salmon and cucumber tartine with a side salad of mixed greens lightly dressed. Tartines are Salut’s take on a flatbread, a common element found on French menus.

There is also the vanilla yogurt parfait with mixed berries and granola for a lighter option.

And on the other end, with plenty of butter in the mix, end is one of Katie Sonderegger’s personal favorites, the almond croissants, made by Marc’s mom. “She’s done those for years. We’ve always had them at Christmas or special occasions. They’re the quintessential, perfect French brunch item.”

And, drawing on their provisions as a wine and cocktail lounge, Salut provides several brunch cocktails such as Bloody Marys or Bloody Marias—the difference is vodka is used in a Bloody Mary and tequila in a Maria. Other brunch drink options include the Kir royale, mimosas, and Bellinis.

Iron Rail Brewing

Iron Rail is a triple “B” venue: brews, barbecue, and brunch. Its brunch menu reflects a preference for hearty options. They offer classics like biscuits and gravy, omelets, and chicken and waffles. Outside the box, there are options such as BBQ mac and cheese, hot chicken and biscuits, or fish and chips. And then Iron Rail has a few brunch dishes that are somewhere between classical and daring—if this is your style, try the brisket hash, which features chunks of smoked primed brisket on top of a bed of crispy breakfast potatoes, mixed with sauteed peppers and onions for a little heat. Next, it’s smothered with a creamy white sausage country gravy and served with two eggs.

Leave room for dessert. The housebaked bread pudding ends the meal on a sweet note.

What sets Iron Rail’s brunch drinks menu apart are the mimosa flights with nine different flavors to choose from, including ginger mango, blueberry lemon, Hawaiian, and strawberry grapefruit. One flight provides a choice of four options, so you can create a flight board of mimosas ranging from sweet and tart. If you’re really up for an adventure, you can mix and match to create new flavors.

Iron Rail serves brunch on the weekends, 9 a.m.–2 p.m.

Iron Rail Brewing

705 S. Kansas Ave. 785.215.8123

ironrailbrewing.com

The Turtle Tracker

STORY BY Christine Steinkuehler PHOTOGRAPHY BY Nick Krug

A Washburn University professor monitors and documents an often-overlooked native animal, and you can help with the study

An ornate box turtle at Benjamin Reed's lab hides, then emerges from its shell.

The ornate box turtle, the official reptile of the State of Kansas, is thought to have once roamed in large numbers across the Midwest, and even had a far greater population only a few decades ago.

“Anecdotally, older Kansas residents say they used to see turtles all the time, and now they don’t as much,” says Dr. Benjamin Reed, a turtle biologist at Washburn University. “We know the ornate box turtle population in surrounding states has been shown to quantitatively decline, as have turtle populations across the States, but we are just working on gathering and monitoring data to check whether the population is stable, increasing, or decreasing in Kansas. They are an understudied species, in general, and in Kansas specifically.”

Reed, who earned his PhD at the University of Nebraska and has worked and taught at Washburn University since 2018, recalls having an interest in turtles since he was 5 and has devoted most of his academic career to studying them.

Because so much of the research on box turtles is connected to their habitat and how they interact with it, to be a scholar of box turtles means to be a scientist who is often in the field, quite literally. Reed monitors three turtle populations at three separate habitats,

two in Kansas and one in Nebraska. The habitats are different landscapes; one is a forest field, another a tall grass prairie, and the third a short-mixed prairie. While the distribution of turtles in these three sites is about the same, the turtles vary physically from one landscape to another; for instance, the forest site turtles are significantly larger than turtles from either of the prairie sites.

Reed notes that in addition to the differences in overall population, box turtles within a population seem to differ greatly from one to another. Some prefer to remain close to one location, while others roam considerable distances, even crossing into territory that is home to another box turtle. There is no scientific consensus on the breakdown of turtles who are inclined to roam versus turtles who seem to prefer to stay put. Reed, whose dissertation focused on how individual turtle characteristics affected these tendencies, notes that it is as if box turtles have their own distinct personalities: explorers and risk-taskers, as well as those who are cautious or even lethargic. Reed says that while box turtles are not generally considered social creatures, he has observed that some turtles will share burrows during the winter.

Ornate box turtles are kept safely on the tops of cups and platforms while Reed records their measurements in his lab.

Identifying an Ornate Box Turtle

Ornate box turtles are easy to identify, thanks to their yellow-lined shell. They are generally 4 to 6 inches in diameter. Male box turtles often have red markings on the legs. One of the unique traits of a box turtle is that they have a hinged shell. Like most turtles, box turtles can suck their head and legs into their shell, but their hinged opening allows them to bring the front part of their shell— roughly from their shoulders forward—up like a drawbridge to cover their head.

Identify & Share

Box turtle shells are easy to identify even though each has a unique pattern. This is what Dr. Benjamin Reed relies on to identify individual turtles for his study. Just as facial recognition software allows a person to confirm a unique human identity, turtle shell identification software allows Reed to confirm the identify of a turtle.

If you see an ornate box turtle in the wild around Topeka and Lawrence, you can take a picture of its shell and upload it to https:// tinyurl.com/ypwbnrxv.

Reed takes this information to help identify the movement of known turtles and to identify unknown turtles in the total regional population count.

Box turtles do not hibernate in the winter, but because they are cold-blooded and cannot regulate their own body temperature, they do go through a near-hibernation state known as brumation. In Kansas, brumation for ornate box turtles generally begins in October and ends around April, although this timeline can change depending on weather.

“This year, they started emerging from brumation in the third week of March and didn’t go back into brumation until the first week of November 2022,” Reed notes.

During these months, box turtles will dig about 3 feet down (which happens to be the historic frost line in Kansas) and burrow. At this point, their body temperature, heart rate and respiratory rate all drop. Some studies have indicated that turtles in brumation might emerge on warmer days to find water, but Reed says all of his data so far has shown that the turtles he has monitored have burrowed into brumation and remained there until spring.

By tracking where turtles burrow and roam, Reed hopes to help further understanding of

Reed's studies show that individual turtles vary greatly in their habits and personalities and that these traits affect the range of their territories in the wild.

Turtles & Roads

Road crossings can be fatal for turtles. If you see a turtle crossing a road, feel free to assist. But make sure you bring the turtle in the direction it was heading. Turtles have a distinct sense of direction and are moving toward an area for a purpose (which is clear to them, at least). Putting them in an area opposite the direction they were heading will only result in the turtle eventually turning around to its original destination and risking a repeated crossing.

Reed, shown here, uses tracking equipment to locate and check up on turtles with transmitters.

ornate box turtle populations, including their numbers and whether they are at risk. At this point, Reed notes, the scientific community does not have sufficient data to determine if ornate box turtles are endangered or at risk, though he suspects they might be. While ornate box turtles have a life span of 35–50 years in the wild, illegal poaching, accidents with lawn mowers and farm equipment and people hitting them while driving, all put them at significant risk. A bill in the Kansas legislature introduced in January 2022 would have made the capture or possession of ornate box turtles illegal. Though the bill died in committee, conservationists and the Kansas Department of Wildlife & Parks have called for this legislation to be passed. Reed, who testified in support of the bill, notes that preserving box turtles also benefits the land and natural ecosystem as box turtles consume carrion, disperse seeds and spores, help remove pests and weeds, and are part of the food chain.

Having worked with turtles for over 10 years, Reed is beginning to encounter turtles who are second- and even third-generation turtles from those he originally observed, and he plans to begin applying a new model of transmitter that will allow him to monitor juveniles (ornate box turtles who are 1-6 years of age).

“There have not been any studies on tracking a juvenile turtle: what its range is, where it goes, how far it goes,” Reed says.

Like much about the ornate box turtle population, this, too, is unknown—but with the hope and plan that it soon will be better understood.

Become a Bit of a Turtle Scholar Yourself

Dr. Benjamin Reed teaches vertebrate zoology and biology of behavior at Washburn University. His research projects are focused on allowing his students to gain field experience and knowledge. But Topeka residents can also audit his classes, either for one lecture or an entire semester. If you are interested in assisting with field research, Reed welcomes and will train committed volunteers. When doing field research with Reed, expect to walk as many as 5 to 10 miles per day. During this time, you will be tracking turtles that have location-monitoring devices and looking for other turtles without them. Once you find a turtle, you will be checking its overall health and making a series of other observations. Contact Reed through the department’s website: wu-turtle. weebly.com

A new generation of transmitters will soon allow Reed to tag and then track down juvenile ornate box turtles.

This map shows the territorial range of individual ornate box turtles on one of the prairie locations that Reed monitors. Each closed, colored circle represents the area where one turtle spends at least 95% of their time. Notice the vast difference in shape and size. Reed says these differences are determined by the environment, but also very much by the traits of individual turtles.

Adopt a Turtle

One great way to support Dr. Benjamin Reed’s research and the ornate box turtle population in Kansas is through Washburn University’s Adopt-A-Turtle Project. When you adopt a turtle, you get a certificate in the mail that has a picture of your turtle and a few facts about them; you will also receive newsletters that update you on your turtle and on Reed’s turtle research. I adopted a turtle several years ago, and, to my amazement, when I mentioned her name to Reed, he knew her and was immediately able to tell me where she was last located. My turtle is a mover—sometimes she travels up to 30 miles each month. This presents a problem for Reed when he wants to track her because she often crosses multiple property lines; while turtles don’t need to respect property laws, Reed does need to identify and contact all landowners for permission before tracking a turtle on their property.

In adopting a turtle, all of your funds go to research. The current requested adoption rate of $100 goes more than half-way to purchasing a transmitter, which costs roughly $190. But Reed says smaller donations are also appreciated and can be used to purchase equipment such as transmitter batteries and other equipment that would allow him and his students to conduct tracking research.

Currently, Reed is tracking about 90 turtles, but the more turtles he can track, the more complete his research will be and the more knowledge he can share with other scientists, conservationists, land owners and government agencies.

To adopt a turtle, go to wu-turtle. weebly.com or wualumni.org/turtle.

Dr. Michael Michel DDS, PA

Dr. Carson Baltazar DMD