The Maple Weekly - June 5

WEEKLY

A BALDWIN CITY NEWSPAPER

TREASURES FROM THE KANSAS ROOM INTRODUCING THE

OUR LOCAL HISTORY SERIES CITYWIDE CLEANUP

The Baldwin City Public Library (BCPL) and the Santa Fe Trail Historical Society of Douglas County (SFTHS) receive many requests for information about the history of Baldwin and the surrounding area. These two organizations have formed a partnership and created a new program called “Our Local History.” Information about local history will be presented in a variety of formats throughout the year! This program will be ongoing and open to the public.

Information about the “Our Local History” series can be found in several locations. The Baldwin City KS Public Library Facebook Page is a great place to find information. If you would like to receive emails about the programs that will be offered at the library, please contact Angie, the BCPL Adult Activity Coordinator, at circdesk1@baldwin.lib.ks.us and ask her to put you on her email list. Information will also be posted on the Santa Fe Trail Historical Society website each quarter. The SFTHS web address is www.santafetraildouglas.org.

Local interest in history appears to be very high as the first “Our Local History” event (about life along the Santa Fe Trail) was very well attended. In fact, the library has ordered more chairs for future events!

HERE IS A LIST OF EVENTS:

Black Jack Cabin (at the SFT wagon ruts and Ivan Boyd Prairie) is open all Saturdays in June from 1-4 p.m. Located 3 miles east of Baldwin on US 56.

Historic Coal Creek Library in Vinland is open Sundays from 1-4 p.m. now through September.

• Saturday, June 13 – Guided Bus Tours (Free)

• 9 a.m. – Tour the Santa Fe Trail through the Baldwin area

• 11 a.m. – Tour the Vinland Valley

• Buses meet along 7th St. between Grove & High St.

• Seating limited.

Third Fridays in Downtown Baldwin: Activities related to Pioneer Life (Free)

• June 21 – July 19 – Aug 16 – Sept 20: 6-9 p.m.

• Make Yarn Dolls, Paper Lanterns, Big Dipper Constellation, Art Activity

Vinland History Presentation at library – August (TBA)

Local History Stories from a Long-time Lone Star Resident at library – Fall (TBA)

Free Guided Bus Tours of Local Historic Sites – October at Maple Leaf Festival

Plans for 2025 are in the works! Let us know what you’re interested in!

Please come visit The Kansas Room at the Baldwin City Public Library if you are interested in local or Kansas history. The Kansas Room is open to the public. It contains books, articles, pictures, scrapbooks, genealogies, yearbooks, and more about the history of Kansas, Baldwin City, and its surrounding area. Items are available for check-out, reading, reference, and research. Contact Librarian Shara Stephenson with any questions at baldwinksroom@gmail.com

The Santa Fe Trail Historical Society of Douglas County, headquartered in Baldwin City maintains local historic sites such as: Signal Oak, Black Jack Cabin with SFT wagon ruts and Ivan Boyd Memorial Prairie, the Vinland Grange Hall, Clearfield One Room Schoolhouse, and the Santa Fe Train Depot. SFTHS provides tours and information about the local history of the Baldwin, Vinland, and Southern Douglas County area and the SFT. They have been in operation since 1967. Visit their website at www.santafetraildouglas.org.

Hope to see you at Coal Creek library, Black Jack Cabin, the ruts, on the bus tours, at Third Fridays or at the library!

8AM-2PM 1015 ORANGE STREET

QUESTIONS? CALL

CLEANING UP BALDWIN CITY

Published in The Maple #4, summer 2023

Story by Lynn Meador

Citywide Cleanup is a Baldwin City event that’s as much a tradition as the Maple Leaf Festival, in its own way. Always the second Saturday of June, the Saturday right after Citywide Garage Sales, this ritual goes back at least 25 years, and we suspect much longer.

Public Works Director Rob Culley recalls doing curbside pickup for the twice a year event back in 1988, when he started working for the city. Back then, the world was a different place. Baldwin City was little more than half the current size, at around 2,900 folks living here. Regulations regarding solid waste disposal were a little less specific. Curbside pickup is no longer possible for Citywide Cleanup, but the event remains an important part of Baldwin City life.

Mattie Robertson, Administrative Assistant for Public Works and Oakwood Cemetery, has worked for the City for about five years. That means she’s planned ten Citywide Cleanup events now, and is our resident expert on the subject. I sat down with her recently to talk about how the day happens and what the behind-the-scenes looks like.

LM: How long has the city hosted this bi-annual cleanup day?

MR: Since at least some time before 1988, according to Rob. Maybe always? [laughter]

LM: How is Citywide Cleanup Day staffed? Are workers scheduled? MR: City staff works the event on a paid volunteer basis.

LM: What kind of items do you accept and what if someone brings things you can’t dispose of?

MR: No construction materials are allowed in the burn/brush pile, because any disallowed materials discovered by the state of Kansas would result in the city losing their ability to burn brush permanently. No tires, no construction items, no hazardous materials. We do provide information on how to dispose of those items properly. Appliances are accepted; trash is accepted; all sizes of batteries are accepted and recycled; construction debris is not. Small homeowner projects are fine, but the city can’t be responsible for professional construction companies and large-scale remodeling projects (whole house rug removal, etc).

LM: Where do the trash, recycling, and batteries go?

MR: Ottawa Sanitation hauls off the trash. Haskell Recycling handles the metals, including appliances. Batteries are also recycled. The dumpsters are usually donated by Ottawa Sanitation, but the city pays to haul off the trash. Recycling is the same — Haskell Recycling donates the dumpsters. The recycled metals and batteries do generate some revenue

which offsets the total cost to some degree. Oh, an important note: We can accept electronics, like computers and such, but they do not get recycled.

LM: A few people seem to think city staff should still do curbside pickup. Can you talk about why that doesn’t work anymore?

MR: Oh yes, some people still ask why the city doesn’t do curbside pickup, why it isn’t a whole weekend instead of a 6 hour event twice a year. The main reason why not is lack of available staffing. The volunteers are actively working the entire time — compacting trash, burning the brush pile, helping unload large items, etc. Dedicating 6-8 people per day is not possible on a normal work day — that’s most of the main public works staff, who all have a full load of other duties to accomplish. Brush pick up after storms is still a curbside service the city tries to dedicate staffing to whenever possible. This is not done for more than a week after a storm, again because of staffing scarcity. If someone wants to be sure their brush gets picked up during that week after a weather incident, call public works and you will be added to the brush pickup list.

LM: Tell me about how the day works and what happens to the items brought in.

MR: The hours we’re open are pretty well set in stone, because it’s a long hard day. The guys show up by 7:30am at the latest to get everything ready for the 8am open. We do what we can ahead of time, up to two months before the event. Prep work like putting out barriers, laying out the zones, contacting trash and recycling companies, getting out flyers and advertising materials — that gets done before the actual day. But then on the day itself, there’s brush to burn and manage, trash to compact, metal to put in the recycling dumpsters.

LM: What’s the general atmosphere of the day for workers and also for people dropping off items?

MR: We try to have fun. It’s a Saturday. The city purchases lunch for the guys, we pray for decent weather. I try to streamline the day as much as possible so people don’t need to leave for lunch or to run errands. People follow the rules pretty well — not very many people try to bring items that just can’t be accepted. Myself and at least one other volunteer meet people at the gate to help people know where to go in the maze that is the public works grounds, and we try to keep it lighthearted.

COMMUNITY

UNDERSTANDING POLITICAL INCUMBENCY AND ITS CHALLENGES IN REDISTRICTING

A political incumbent is an individual who currently holds a particular public office and is running for re-election to that same office. Being an incumbent usually provides several advantages, such as name recognition, an established political network, and a track record of experience that can be leveraged during their campaign. If you were not an elected official the year before, you are not considered an incumbent. Incumbency specifically refers to the status of currently holding office at the time of an election. Therefore, a candidate running for office who was not holding that office previously, or has not been continuously in that position, is not an incumbent. This distinction is important in political discourse and analysis, as incumbents often face different challenges and advantages

compared to challengers or new candidates.

However, every 10 years, significant changes occur due to redistricting. In Kansas, many districts, both senatorial and representative, have changed significantly.

According to the Kansas Legislative Research Department, the recent redistricting in 2022 led to substantial changes in district boundaries to reflect population shifts identified in the 2020 Census. For example, in Baldwin City, the districts have changed so dramatically that the new district has a completely new senator claiming incumbency. This senator has never run in three of the four counties prior to this election, yet she is using her elected status from other regions to claim to be the incumbent.

This situation raises an important question: Are elected officials truly incumbents if they

are new to the majority of the area they now represent? If the residents, parents, teachers, and other stakeholders of the region do not know the elected official, can that official rightfully claim the advantages of incumbency? Or is this a title that an elected official takes to wave in front of people’s faces as if to say, “I’m now your new senator or representative”?

Gerrymandering, the practice of manipulating district boundaries to favor one party or class, further complicates the issue of incumbency. When district lines are redrawn to create an advantage for a particular political party, it can displace current representatives and introduce new ones into unfamiliar territories. This practice has been widely criticized for undermining the principles of fair representation. In Kansas, the 2022 redistricting process has led to accusations of gerrymandering, with critics arguing that the new maps favor certain political outcomes over others.

This issue is particularly relevant in the newly formed 9th Senate district, where there are 42,000 new constituents. In such a case, is there truly an incumbent? This scenario challenges the traditional concept of incumbency and suggests that the benefits associated with being an incumbent might not be as clear-cut in newly redrawn districts. As we examine this topic, we must consider whether incumbency is a meaningful advantage in districts where significant portions of the electorate are unfamiliar with the official claiming that status. This discussion will help us understand the true nature of incumbency in the context of redistricting and its implications for democratic representation. The advantage of being able to say you’re the incumbent has a significant influence on the voting population. In fact, it has such significance that if you are the incumbent, you’re invited to certain political rallies, parades, and speaking engagements. But if you haven’t truly represented the townships, cities, and counties, should you get the advantage of saying you represent these people when they have never voted you into that office? We must be very careful when we start giving advantages to elected officials who have never been the incumbent. When we change the voting districts every 10 years,

maybe it might be something to recognize if you have not represented 90% of the new district, you are no longer considered the incumbent. This way, people understand that redistricting is changing significant areas. Also, what about the other elected officials who used to represent that area? Do they not still represent those organizations, schools, churches, people, and businesses up until the actual election in November? We must be fair to the current representation as they are also currently the incumbent to a certain area. Specifically here in Kansas, there have been certain districts that have undergone incredible changes affecting the population and representation. When significant changes have occurred to representation, the public should be educated on those changes.

In this article, we are specifically talking about the new 9th Senate district. One of the major reasons this is significant is that there were four senators that represented this new district. For the region, Baldwin City, we were represented by one senator, and now that senator has been moved into a different area, and a senator that had never represented the Baldwin area is now claiming to be the incumbent. This is a challenge for people as they have never recognized her name, and we believe that it’s important for our readers to understand the challenges and the potential new representation and what the potential new senators might represent.

Later on in our series of reports on elections, we will actually get to interview the three candidates currently running for the new Kansas 9th Senate district. But we are going to do something unique as we are also going to interview the senator who currently represents the area of Balwin city until November to understand how he sees the changes to the new district. This way, we will get a complete understanding of the three new candidates and the current Senator whom represent Baldwin City until after the November elections. We will also potentially reach out to other senators who used to represent different areas in the new Kansas 9th senate district to provide a comprehensive view.

This comprehensive understanding of incumbency in the context of redistricting will help us appreciate the complexities and implications for democratic representation in Kansas and beyond.

SWEET FRIENDSHIPS

By Jeanine Ross

I’m not a person that has a lot of friends. I mean, I’m social and I know people, but friendship is a sacred thing to me so it doesn’t come quickly or easily. But when it does, for me, it’s for a lifetime. No matter if we move away from each other and there are miles between us, or if life takes us in opposite directions following our dreams, or if we have a falling out over something. For me, we are friends forever. I am loyal to my friends no matter what shape our friendship takes and I never forget them or what they mean to me.

I have a friend that lives in Kansas City, and we’ve been friends now for thirty two years! Our kids dated each other in high school and that’s how we met. Even after they broke up and went their separate ways, we had forged a bond that could not be broken. Sometimes we go for years without talking to each other, then one day we do and it’s like we pick up right where we left off! Her name is Pam and no matter what we’re going through, when it gets too much to carry on our own, we’ll call each other. Or when

the joy is so great you have to share it. Or if the issue is weighing us down, we only call each other. It’s like nobody else will do and nobody else could possibly understand. That’s powerful!

Recently, I’ve been thinking about what makes a bond like that. Is it things we have in common or our similar word view or our compatibility? I think it is all of those things but I also think it is a shared energy that can not be broken by any powers of this world. It is a spiritual connection that binds our hearts to each other so it beats as one.

Like I said, I’ve been recently thinking about it so I don’t have all the right words but the connection is strong and gentle and consistent and unyielding. I truly treasure her and get comfort from just knowing she’s on this earth and I have access to her.

I felt that way about my husband too, so when he died, I was lost and broken and nothing made sense. I think it was his energy that helped to pull me back together and give my life direction. He was my best friend.

Whatever the magnetism that creates a sweet friendship, if you have ever had it or if you have it now, you are truly blessed and highly favored. Thank God for this very special bond and know you are loved!

So, if you see me around town and you want to know what I think “Just Ask Me, I’ll Tell You!”

FREE SUMMER LUNCHES FOR KIDS RETURN TO LAWRENCE INTRODUCING “HOME ON THE VINES” AT Z&M TWISTED VINES

Food and fun were both on the menu Monday as free summer lunches for kids returned to the Lawrence Public Library and launched at the Lawrence Arts Center.

Kids ages 18 and younger can eat free lunches at both sites on weekdays in Lawrence. Lunch programs are funded by the federal Summer Nutrition program.

Lunches will be offered Mondays through Fridays until Friday, July 26:

• 11 a.m. to noon at Lawrence Public Library, 707 Vermont St.; and • noon to 1 p.m. at Lawrence Arts Center, 940 New Hampshire St.

Sites will be closed on June 19 and July 4 and 5 for holidays. The arts center site will also be closed June 14 and July 19.

Kids eat free, and adults can purchase meals for $5 each. Lunches must be eaten onsite. See a menu for the library at this link and for the arts center at this link.

Once a week, families can also pick up five days of breakfast and lunch kits to prepare meals at home. Kits include five breakfasts, five lunches, five cartons of 1% plain milk and five cartons of 1% chocolate milk, according to a registration form for families. Meal preparation instructions will be attached.

Kits will be available for pickup on Tuesdays from June 4 through Aug. 6 at Youth Sports Complex, 4911 W. 27th St. in Lawrence.

Registration is required by noon on the Friday before the intended meal kit pickup so that organizers can prepare. One form can be filled out per family. Sign up via this Google form. (The form will reopen at noon Tuesday, June 4 to register for next week.)

Bryan Zesiger and Dr. Gina Montalbano Zesiger, the owners of Z&M Twisted Vines Vineyard, are excited to announce a new concept that will redefine the Vineyard and Farm experience. Nestled on approximately 100 acres in the heartland of Kansas, our vineyard is already a destination for wine lovers, but we’re ready to take it a step further.

Our innovative idea, “Home on the Vines,” twists the traditional concepts of “farm-to-table” or “barn-to-door” living. Instead of having food shipped to you or traveling to a farm, why not live directly on the vineyard? Inspired by the lifestyle of those who live on golf courses to enjoy the game, we propose a similar model for wine enthusiasts.

Imagine waking up to the sight of lush vines, participating in the winemaking process if you wish, and having exclusive access to the vineyard and its wines. This unique living arrangement offers a deep connection to agriculture and the vineyard lifestyle, providing both a serene home environment and a sustainable way to support the vineyard.

In addition to this immersive living experience, we plan to develop a small, yearround farmers market on-site. This market will give residents direct access to fresh, locally grown products, further enhancing the farm-totable ethos.

Stay tuned as we continue to innovate and get “Twisted on the Vineyard.” “Home on the Vines” promises to be a unique, enriching way to live and engage with the vineyard lifestyle.

COMMUNITY

ENHANCING MEAL TIME EVENTS EVENTS

One of my favorite things is enjoying a meal with family or friends at the table. If food is drama, then the table is the stage, like a stage backdrop. Setting the table or creating a tablescape (the latter usually involves a centerpiece) sets the mood and creates the atmosphere for the meal. Adding simple and sweet (K.I.S.S.) decorative touches enhances the meal gathering.

As a Homekeeper , your efforts to create a haven may not immediately be noticed by family or guests. Initially, these efforts may seem insignificant, but over time they become meaningful.

Meal times are a product of everything that makes us human, time, and attention, involves all the senses and sensations especially true when shared in companionship* My mother once said having a meal together is one of the key aspects of developing human socialization habits.

The table can take many forms: could be on a picnic blanket outside a cozy spot in front of the fireplace, or even finger food on a coffee table. (Tip: Dishes don’t have to match but for cohesiveness try for one similar color somewhere in the setting.)

After a month at a Colorado camp that served delicious home-cooked meals (including weekly Cordon Bleu!), I asked my kids on the drive home what they wanted for their homecoming meal. The choice was fast food, or frozen food fast. Chagrined, I agreed.

When I managed to gather everyone for a meal, I cooked a 3-course meal featuring the food groups. They would sit in front of their plate and move the food, not eating it, all the while telling me it was good. I would catch them later sneaking into the kitchen later for a PB&J. During meal time, I subtly introduced some rules of etiquette: hats off, no screens time, mouths closed when chewing and napkins used. Dining at home is a safe place to learn the differences between cafeteria-style and eating at a restaurant.

Home evening dinners together in my house were served sparingly due to schedules. When the stars lined up and everyone was present, I would set the table the night before to create anticipation which ended up becoming a cue for my daughter. She initiated a volunteer effort, turning it into scavenger hunt to dress the table.

She’d look for flowers and greenery, or add some seashells collection, pinecones, small votive candles for set on the upper side of each plate , would use brown wrapping paper as a table runner drawing hearts and stars on it. Sometimes forgetting space for the food! That’s when we served buffetstyle, using the pass-through window counter from the kitchen to the dining room for entrees.

Speaking of buffets, I like to carve fruit. I did an eatable tablescape display for a celebration at a 90-year-old grandmother’s birthday buffet spread. At home I usually will carve maybe one piece of fruit and plate so it will be eaten). Once while staying at a shabby rustic (!) beach cabin in a setapart designated area we ate alfresco. I brought along twinkling lights to hang (saw the cabin picture beforehand) and carved up watermelon. Not into carving, the internet is full of suggestions to plate fruit and vegetables in colorful (sometimes funny) displays.

My oldest son works in the hospitality business on the East Coast. He knows dining etiquette and can serve food with flair. I’ve learned from his expertise and often incorporate restaurant presentation ideas at home. This same guy at his wedding rehearsal meal served only appetizers from nosh, hors d’oeuves, crudities and decadent dessert bites, making sure there was enough for each guest to have three.

Recognize that your home, with all its uniqueness, is a gift. Cultivating a welcoming space doesn’t have to take a lot of money, just a little intentionality. And that’s something we’ve all got. And, if like me, you eat alone), stay tuned for the next topic on solo dining.

Until then Warmest Regards. Cathenry.ch@gmail. com

P. S. It can seem fleeting but every good meal experience is a memory. (*Marcel Rouff)

June 5

Annual BHS Blood Drive

2-6pm | Baldwin High School Cafeteria, 415 Eisenhower St

June 8

Bulldog Hold’Em

7pm | Baldwin City Beer Co, 520 High St, Baldwin City, KS 66006 Email BEF@usd348.com to reserve your seat.

June 8

Citywide Cleanup 8am-2pm | 1015 Orange St

June 8

Touch a Truck and Summer Library Program Kickoff 10am-12pm | Baldwin City Library, 800 7th St

June 12

Creating TogetherReverse Painting

5:30-7:30pm | Lumberyard Arts Center, 718 High St.

June 14

Baldwin City Chamber of Commerce Golf Tournament

12-6pm | Baldwin Golf Course, 1102 Main St.

June 15

Our Local History Bus Tour

9am | Baldwin Golf Course, 1102 Main St.

Our Local History series, Bus Tour at 9 am Santa Fe Trail Tour and 11 am Vinland Tour. Tour will begin at the First United Methodist Church.

June 14 & 15

Baldwin City’s Got Talent

7pm | Sullivan Square, 718 High St.

DEAR HOMEKEEPER

By Cat Henry

PASSING ALONG TRADITIONS

TIMELESS STITCHES

By Sharon Vesecky & Liz Granberg-Jerome

The Quilt Capital of Kansas, the collaboration between the Lumberyard Arts Center and Quilters’ Paradise to promote quilting and textile arts, applied for and received a Natural & Cultural Heritage grant from the Douglas County, Kansas Government that will allow us to fully fund classes offered for free to youths in 6th through 12th grades for a year. Our youth classes have been popular in the past; however, we knew there were youths who could not afford to attend the classes. This funding helps us bridge that gap and reach more young people as we make an effort to pass along our love of quilting and textile arts to the next generation.

As I think about sharing my love of quilting, I have only to look back over the past ten years or so when I taught

several of my grandchildren to quilt. First up was my granddaughter, Jordyn, who made her first quilt when she was 9 with her other grandma in California. Jordyn and I had driven together from Kansas to California to deliver her to Nana & Papa for a summer visit. Along the way, she collected fat quarters at each quilt shop we stopped at along the way… and there were many! When she returned to Kansas from her visit, she made her Road to California quilt under my supervision. I did all of the cutting for her, but she did every bit of the sewing!

The following summer, Jordyn and her then-14-year-old brother took roadtrip to California and back over two weeks. Again, we collected fat quarters at each shop and, after the first one, Joe asked if he could get one, too. I told him yes, along as he agreed to make a quilt when we got back. We visited lots of quilt shops on our roundtrip and each grandchild chose one fat quarter for their collection at each stop. Joe was old enough to use the rotary cutter, so he cut out and sewed together his entire quilt top under my supervision. I did add a border to it before quilting it as he was already nearing 6 feet tall and needed a longer quilt than the pattern created. While Joe was busy with his quilt, Jordyn had raided my stash for some Christmas fabric and made a disappearing 9-patch that she later gifted to another family member.

Their little sister, who will be 10 this summer, is now gaining interest in learning to quilt and will be spending time with both Nana in California and me in Kansas later this summer. You can bet we will be working with her to make her first quilt, just as we did with big brother and big sister.

My own memories of sewing with my grandmother are of learning to hand embroider. I made so many gifts over the years using that skill, as well as decorating my jeans in the 1960s with embroidered doodles. My dad’s eldest sister taught me to sew on the sewing machine, which led to over 50 years of making clothes for myself, my children, my mom, and even making some commissioned garments.

While my elders weren’t quilters, they did share their love for the textile arts that eventually evolved into quilting for me. The hope is that by having teachers who are passionate about sharing their quilting and textile art skills with the younger people, we can light the spark of interest and maybe passion for them to carry these skills on into the future and beyond. Be sure to learn more by going to the Quilt Capital of Kansas Facebook page to see the events or go directly to the

Quilters’ Paradise website to sign up online for the free youth classes! Don’t forget to check out the adult classes as well… The parents may find something that sparks their interest as well!

Quilt Capital of Kansas on Facebook: www.facebook.com/profile. php?id=100089142318056

Quilters’ Paradise website—classes: www.quiltingfabricsupply.com/classes

WORD SEARCH WORD SEARCH

ready to embark on a journey through the vibrant pages of our latest issue as you search for words reflecting the stories, headlines, and themes that make our newspaper unique. From local events to global news, our puzzle is packed with words that capture the essence of this week’s edition. Challenge yourself, sharpen your mind, and enjoy the thrill of discovering familiar words amidst the grid. Let the hunt begin!

CREATE YOUR OWN FUTURE