WestSide Story April 2017

April 2017 - 2

I INSIDE

Volume 32 • Issue 6 April 2017

ON THE COVER A voice for public media | 8

WestSider Victor Hogstrom now leads KPTS Channel 8. He’s a newcomer to Wichita, but has a long history with public television.

Sam Jack/WestSide Story

Cuba: A promise of adventure close to home | 4

Features From the Publisher’s Files.........4 Movie Review................................6 Pet Smarts......................................7

W e s t S i d e S t o r y

Cook’s Library...............................9 Dateline........................................10 Focus On Business....................11

County wants to rename Big Ditch in honor of M.S. Mitchell | 20

Cinema Scene............................27 People & Places.........................28 Performing Arts Calendar......29

WestSide Story Editorial

Publisher Paul Rhodes Managing Editor Travis Mounts Graphics Abbygail Brown Reporters/Contributors Sam Jack, Jim Erickson

Sales & Billing

Sales Valorie Castor Billing/Circulation Briana Bade A Division of Times-Sentinel Newspapers 125 N. Main • P.O. Box 544 Cheney, KS 67025 Phone: (316) 540-0500 Fax: (316) 540-3283

Now in our 32nd year!

The WestSide Story is a monthly newspaper focused on the far west side of Wichita.

It is delivered free to most west Wichita homes within our coverage area, although distribution is not guaranteed. Single copies are available for free in west Wichita Dillons stores and at Times-Sentinel Newspapers.

Email story ideas and photographs to news@tsnews.com. Visit us on Facebook. © 2017 Times-Sentinel Newspapers

Warmer temps and passing moments

“#*&%!”

That was my reaction a few days before Daylight Saving Time began in early March. The time change had snuck up on me.

It seems like winter never really got here. There was that one December weekend. I remember it mostly because I was outside in that bitter cold to cheer on the Kansas City Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium.

But other than that, we never really had a winter.

I’m not sure what that means for this summer’s temperatures. A mild winter does not guarantee anything come July and August, although the lack of cold and now a lot of standing water will probably be a huge boost to mosquitos.

But spring’s early arrival does mean many of us are thinking about outdoor projects.

I’m not much of a home improvement guy. I’ve done the work. My current home has undergone tremendous work inside and out over the past few years, thanks in large part to the help provided by my parents. The repainting project still needs another coat.

But this year I do have a list of things I need to do.

I’ve got a wonderful screened-in patio that connects the house to the garage. It’s been a wonderful, bug-free way to enjoy nice days and evenings.

However, the interior walls aren’t finished, the concrete needs covering, and I think a TV and some kind of permanent cooler would be great additions.

I want to build an outdoor patio right next to the screened-in patio, for sitting out under the starts on those rare nights when the mosquitos and other bugs aren’t too bad. My grill and smoker need a better home than the

Travis Mounts | Managing Editor

driveway.

On the other side of the patio is a little grassy area. Well, it’s not really grass. Mostly weeds grow there.

I want to build a little garden that can serve as a small reminder of our dog, Maggie, who passed away last year. The spot sits close to where she used to nap in the flowers. She lost that space a few years ago when the driveway leading to the garage went in. She never complained – she just found a new spot to lay in.

I’ve got a handful of branches to trim and weeds to kill. The worst part of our mild winter and early spring means my yard already is past due for mowing. At least I have kids to do that work.

I don’t really mind the work – well, not too much. It’s the quick passage of time that I don’t like. I really feel like it needs to slow down, just a little.

Even when I am doing well enjoying the moments, the seconds, days and weeks tick off too quickly.

It seems I was just roaming the sidelines of football games, waiting for the weather to cool.

Now, spring sports are underway.

The first day of spring has come and gone, so it’s time to start working on your spring to-do list.

And do your best to slow down and enjoy the moment. Autumn will be here before you know it.

We’re Having A Party!!

Times-Sentinel Newspapers, LLC

Publisher of three community newspapers in the area and two monthlies in Wichita, is celebrating its

25th

Anniversary In celebration, we will be hosting a

Reader Appreciation Day

Sunday, April 23 at Tanganyika Wildlife Park

› Reduced Admission to Tanganyika $8 ALL Ages!! (3-89) Gates Open @ 10:30 am › FREE Lunch will be Served Starting at Noon

by Times-Sentinel Newspapers (First 800 Guests).

Serengeti Room: Hot dogs, chips, & pop

› Drawings for prizes!

SAVE the DATE! Sponsors Include:

April 2017 - 4

A trip to Cuba isn’t complete without a tour of Havana in one of the city’s famous classic cars. Driver Louis Miguel took Paul Rhodes and Kim Swansen on a tour of Havana in his 1954 Ford Mercury convertible.

W e s t S i d e S t o r y

Photos by Paul Rhodes and Kim Swansen

Cuba: A promise of adventure close to home From the Publisher’s Files

Paul Rhodes | Publisher

E

ver since returning from Cuba, my girlfriend Kim and I have had a running debate about whether this intriguing island nation is a good choice for firsttime international travelers, or better suited for more experienced adventurers.

Guess what? It’s actually perfect for both. And now that travel has become less restricted between the United States and Cuba, anyone who has an interest in traveling there should give it serious consideration.

It just takes some simple planning to get there, and

options are growing all the time. You can travel with a group if that fits your comfort level, or be a little more adventurous and book your own travel arrangements and accommodations.

For now, forget about your credit cards – they don’t work there. Just think cash, in proportions that seem to fit your lifestyle.

If you need a little luxury when you travel, then by all means book a nice hotel. The city of Havana is full of high-end hotels that will cater to your every need…for a price. For that, I would budget $300 a

See CUBA, Page 25 An evening view of the Capitolio in the heart of Old Havana. The building was modeled after the U.S. Capitol, and is under renovation.

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night, or a little more. There are hotels in Havana in all price ranges, but you’ll get what you pay for.

Kim and I, on the other hand, booked a one-bedroom apartment through Airbnb for $30 a night.

That’s right…one less zero.

Just remember, we were roughing it just a bit, in a less comfortable bed, and with a few quirks like a cantankerous toilet that needed to be babied and a daily climb up and down three flights of stairs.

But still, we had air conditioning, a well-equipped kitchen and the opportunity to live like Cubans for a week in an early 1800s apartment building.

It was worth every penny we saved.

We had many favorite spots in Old Havana, which was where we concentrated our week of travels in the city. We didn’t get out of Havana… but hey, that’s another trip! And yes, it was such a great experience, we hope to return.

Our location was perfect for exploring on foot.

We were just across the street from the Capitolio, which is under renovation. It was a great landmark for getting back home some days. Numerous buildings and monuments in Old Havana are currently being restored, which speaks to the anticipated

WestSide Story

April 2017 - 6

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In current films, Beauty goes 1-1 at taming Beast The famous final line of the original 1933 “King Kong” is, “’Twas beauty killed the beast.” Well, in the latest King Kong feature, “Kong: Skull Island,” the beauty (Brie Larson) neither kills nor tames the title ape.

In fact, “Skull Island” is not really a King Kong movie at all; Kong himself is definitely a supporting character, and most of his human touches from the original are neglected. Kong is never killed or taken off the island.

This version of Kong is too big to fit into the original story. When 1933’s Kong gripped Fay Wray in his fist, her head stuck out on one side so she could scream, and her legs stuck out on the other, so she could kick. But when this Kong gets the heroine in an identical grip across his palm, he can’t close his fist, because that would hide Brie Larson from view completely.

Kong does rescue Larson’s character a couple times, but never shows any particular affection for her.

With the romance angle mostly removed, what’s left is a pretty good adventure, traveling across an island of varying geography and truly frightening monsters, including one that appears to be a snake that developed forefeet and that vomits human bones.

There is also, very briefly, an unconvincing creature that suggests a pile of rotten logs, but all he does is run away.

There is an elephantine graveyard of ape bones that suggests that Kong is not very large for his species; a man makes a couch out of a jawbone.

Skull Island is more of an archipelago than an island, which allows aerial long shots to not match what we see on the ground. There are gaudily painted natives who are not particularly hostile.

The cast is stereotypical. In addition to Larson as the heroine, we have John Goodman as the scientist, Samuel L. Jackson as the military man and Tom Hiddleston as the hero. But none of them stand out. The island itself is the feature.

Disney’s live-action remake of “Beauty and the Beast” has a little trouble with the combination of real people, playing in stylized sets, and support

Movie Review

Jim Erickson

animations like a teapot, a candelabra, a clock and an armoire.

It starts with an origin story, like a comic-book movie, and takes forever getting to the Beast. But the backstory is eventually integrated into the main plot better than I expected, and in any case, things pick up with the appearance of the Beast in the second hour, which I enjoyed thoroughly.

Characterizations of the Beast and the Beauty are given time and pace for careful construction, and the acting is first-rate throughout; I won’t spoil the pleasant surprises when the closing credits identify who does the voiceovers for the animations.

Emma Watson and Kevin Kline are the only actors you are likely to recognize, but you can take everybody on faith as to acting and singing and dancing, though Kline’s part as Beauty’s father is under-written.

Special effects vary from CGI to stop motion with puppets to whatever techniques are used for the clock, which may be an actual mechanized puppet. But they are always done well, even if they at times draw too much attention to the comparison with real human faces. The teapot’s face, designed to appear as touches of paint, is very expressive. Nothing is overdone to show off the technology.

There are surprisingly few belly laughs, but there is a continual undercurrent of chuckles over human foibles; the relationship between Beauty and the Beast is carefully developed, though some reviewers thought the pair lacked chemistry. The ending battle is over-long.

But this is quibbling. I still don’t see the necessity for a remake of the original, animated “Beauty and the Beast,” but this is a good one.

Selected Container Trees Pick your tree now while they are blooming!

We are fast approaching Easter, the most significant celebration on the Christian calendar. We celebrate Christ’s resurrection in many different ways.

Many of our favorite Easter traditions are also linked to several potential hazards to our family pets. Easter lilies, a favorite Easter symbol, can be fatal to cats. Chewing just a few Easter lily leaves, flower petals – even a bit of pollen or licking the water from the vase – can cause acute kidney failure.

Signs of Easter lily toxicosis may include lethargy, vomiting, diarrhea, excessive thirst and urination, foul breath, cessation of urine output, and eventually death. If you have a curious feline, you may want to reconsider bringing an Easter lily into your house.

Easter chocolates may also cause concern. Dogs love the taste of chocolate Easter bunnies and other chocolate-containing goodies. Chocolate contains caffeine and theobromine which, if ingested in small amounts, can cause restlessness and agitation.

Higher doses can cause muscle tremors, seizures, cardiac arrhythmias and death.

Exposure to any amount of any kind of chocolate may cause stomach and intestinal upset.

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Finally, avoid the temptation to offer your dog or cat food from the dinner table such as meat scraps or leftovers, as this can cause intestinal upset. Extreme cases may result in severe pancreatic inflammation which can lead to life-threatening vomiting and diarrhea, or even death.

Chewing on bones from the Easter ham can cause dental fractures; bone shards will seriously irritate the stomach and intestines, or if ingested in large enough pieces can cause stomach or intestinal obstruction. It’s best to keep your dog or cat well away from the dinner table or the garbage can.

Remember to take meat scraps and bones directly to your trash container outside. Dr. Heather and I wish everyone a very happy Easter.

WestSide Story

Many Easter traditions can be possible hazards to your pet.

Sam Koehn Mortgage Loan Officer 316-945-9600

7 - A p r i l 2 0 1 7

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April 2017 - 8

A voice for public media

WestSider leads KPTS Channel 8 Story

W e s t S i d e S t o r y

by

and

photos

Sam Jack

KPTS’s president and CEO, Victor Hogstrom, is a newcomer to Wichita and the WestSide, but not to public media. Channel 8 is the sixth public media entity he has led.

Heading a public TV station entails a mix of fundraising, advocacy and operational oversight, with the amount of time dedicated to those roles fluctuating, according to Hogstrom. With the mid-March release of President Donald Trump’s federal budget proposal, advocacy has leapt to the top of the priority list.

The president’s proposal would take funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) from $445 million in 2016, to zero in the fiscal year that starts Oct. 1. In 2016, KPTS received $744,555 in CPB grants – 34 percent of the station’s budget. The two public radio stations heard on Wichita airwaves – 90.1 KHCC and 89.1 KMUW – were granted a combined $366,992.

All together, the CPB allocated Kansas public media $3.14 million in fiscal 2016, supporting eight different radio and TV stations.

If CPB funding went away, Hogstrom said, it would mean a huge increase in the support his station would need from “Viewers Like You.” “We’d have to raise 98 percent of our budget (from private sources), and that’d be virtually impossible,” he said. “And if we couldn’t do that, we wouldn’t have public television. That’s the bottom line.”

Some observers have called for public stations to raise money by adding commercial breaks. But that would indirectly pressure programmers to add entertainment programming and cut back on education and arts content that does not draw as many eyeballs, according to Hogstrom.

“The quality programming would go away. The educational services would be gone, from “Wild Kratts” to “Nature”

In his office, Victor Hogstrom discusses the need for advocacy on behalf of public television and radio stations. State support for KPTS has declined considerably, and President Donald Trump has proposed eliminating funding at the federal level.

and “Nova,” shows that provide lifelong learning opportunities for people,” he said. “People will not like it when those programs are gone, which is why we’re encouraging them to call their congresspeople before it happens.”

Bold beginnings Hogstrom started to find the voice the voice he now uses for advocacy as a teenager in Monrovia, Liberia, where his father worked as a mining engineer.

After managers of a local radio station heard his baritone speaking voice, he was offered a part-time, after-school job.

“People didn’t know I was young,

because of the voice,” he said. “I did play-by-play in soccer, basketball. I had a program called ‘Sporting Magazine’ three times a week, and I also worked in the news department.”

Soon after his family moved home to New Jersey, Hogstrom’s father died unexpectedly, and Hogstrom realized he would have to put himself through college. With information harder to come by than it is in today’s Internet era, he nevertheless cast a broad net to look for the best deal.

“I had applied to various big-name schools, but the tuition was so high,” he said. “But Brigham Young University was about $450 a semester for non-Mor-

mons. When I saw that, I said, ‘What?’

With the caliber of school and quality of education, I said, ‘BYU, here I come.’”

When Hogstrom accepted a scholarship and offer of admission, he had never laid eyes on Utah or the Provo campus. Moreover, he accepted knowing that he would be one of a few dozen African-Americans on an overwhelmingly white 30,000-student campus.

He did not know, at first, that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints barred black men from becoming priests and participating in Mormonism’s most sacred rituals, a tenet that was overturned See VOICE, Page 23

“It might have been otherwise” is a line from a poem that reminds me how important it is to appreciate the ordinary. What a miracle it is that we are able to walk and talk and think, much less see and hear. When Jane Kenyon wrote those words, she doubtless felt their truth. She died of leukemia shortly after writing “Otherwise.” She was 47.

The idea that our time is limited can cause us to look at the world differently.

Even songs on the radio encourage us to live like we were dying.

A few years ago, I was diagnosed with an ovarian tumor. When I left on an icy January morning for surgery, I looked back at my living room and realized that the next time I saw it I would either be celebrating a new lease on life or preparing for the end of my life.

It’s not that we don’t all know our time is limited, but we can push it aside until we are forced to face it. I was forced. People ask how it changed my perception of the world. In all honesty, I’ve always had a sense that time is limited. I’m not sure why, but maybe it’s because I was born so late in my parents’ lives.

I was very fortunate. Although one doctor had told me, “The radiology looks bad. It looks very bad,” I got the

Cook’s Library

cause as the poem says, “But one day, I know, it will be otherwise.”

As summer approaches, you’ll no doubt have chances to gather with family and friends. This is a great accompaniment to any meal and requires no actual cooking.

Editor’s note: Patsy lives her ordinary life being grateful for the daily joys and anticipating more delights. See photos and read more at cookslibrarywithpatsy.com. While there sign up for her free monthly newsletter that has tidbits and photos.

Cole slaw like Grandma made Patsy Terrell

news that people pray for three weeks later. On a Tuesday evening, a surgeon delivered the most beautiful word, “benign,” during a brief phone call. I’m sure he had said it thousands of times.

It was the only time I’ve heard it in relation to me, and few things have ever brought such relief.

The ordinary may be a goodnight ritual, a stop at the neighborhood coffee shop or a favorite pen in hand. These are simple things, but they are the moments that make up a life. Few things are more precious than time with a loved one, and yet as the play “Our Town” reminds us, we don’t even take time to look at each other.

I’m challenging you this month to really look at someone. Really see them.

And appreciate some ordinary life be-

Cole slaw is one of those things that varies depending on the cook. I like it creamy with a touch of sweetness. If you prefer more tartness you can lower the sugar amount.

I confess I usually buy the bagged cole slaw ready for dressing, but if I’m chopping up my own mix, I keep it pretty simple.

Cabbage, chopped (about a pound – about half a head) 1 carrot, diced

Dressing 1 tablespoon distilled vinegar 1/2 cup mayonnaise 1 tablespoon white sugar 1/2 teaspoon celery seeds salt and pepper to taste

Whisk together and pour over cabbage and carrot mixture. Mix well. Letting it sit for about an hour in the fridge will meld the flavors. But it will get watery if you let it sit too long. I sometimes make the dressing and stash it in the fridge. Then I just mix up the amount of cole slaw I want at any given moment.

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Grandma’s cole slaw, and a sense of time

You can add onions, radishes or celery to your mix if you want, and adjust the sugar to make this more or less tart. Some like to add in a dash of cayenne pepper or even some horseradish for a little kick. I like my coleslaw sweet and creamy so I keep it simple.

WestSide Story

April 2017 - 10

April 5 – An Evening of Moviemaking and Martinis, presented by the Tallgrass Film Association, 6-9 p.m. at Abode Venue. Wine, beer and craft cocktails from local mixologists, food from The Flying Stove. Create an actual movie set that will be used by TFA’s student filmmakers when they make their group film in June.

Hosted by Tallgrass Film Festival alumnus and filmmaker Blayne Weaver. Tickets $65 online at www.tallgrassfilm.org or at the door.

Mon.-Fri. 7:30 am - 6 pm | Sat. 8 am - 12 pm

Have a blessed Easter!

He has risen, just as He said.

Matt 28:6

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April 5, April 12 – Budgeting basics, presented by K-State Research and Extension. Workshops will be at the Downtown Senior Services Center, 200 S. Walnut, from 1 to 2:15 p.m. Fee $10; register online at www.sedgwick.ksu. edu. Do you have control over how you spend your money? Can you live within your income – meeting expenses, putting money aside for emergencies, and meeting long-term goals? Participant will learn simple tools to start on the right financial path.

April 6, with additional dates on April 13, 20, 27, May 4, 11 – Women Investment Education Program, 6-8 p.m. at the Sunflower Room, Sedgwick County Extension Education Center, 21st Street N. and Ridge Road. The cost is $20. Register at www.sedgwick.ksu.edu or call 316-6600100, ext. 0127.

April 7 – Women’s Association of the Wichita Symphony’s spring luncheon, Crestview Country Club, 1000 N. 127th St. E. Check-in at 11:30 a.m. while members of the Wichita Youth Chamber Players perform. Lunch is at noon, followed by guest speakers Maestro Daniel Hege, WSO musical director and conductor.

Cost is $18; call Janet Elliott at 316-2654492 by April 4 to make reservations.

Guests and newcomers are welcome.

April 11 – Riverfest button kickoff, 2 p.m., Cox Solutions Store, 2556 N. Maize Road in New Market Square. Join Mayor Jeff Longwell, Admiral Windwagon Smith XLIV Wendy Johnson, and the Wichita Wagonmasters. Discounted tickets are $7 for adults and $3 for children, and are available only through May 4. More information online at www.wichitafestivals.com.

April 11 – Wichita Rose Society presentation and meeting, 7 p.m. at Botanica, The Wichita Gardens, 701 Amidon. Social and meet-and-greet at 6:30 p.m. Floanna Crowley will speak about creating beau-

Dateline

Upcoming events in and around Wichita tiful rose arrangements. She is a K-State Extension master gardener and National Garden Clubs master judge. Admission is free, guests are welcome.

April 15 – Wichita Genealogical Society, 1 p.m. at Lionel Alford Library, 3447 S. Meridian. This month’s program is “Internet indices can help find your ancestors.”

Wild cards will be discussed and show how they can help you find a lost ancestory. For more information, visit www. wichitagensoc.org.

April 20 – Project Beauty annual basket party, noon at the Catholic Spiritual Life Center, 7100 E. 45th St. N. Lunch is $20, RSVP by April 13 to Pat Whitney, 3222 N. Clarence Circle, Wichita, KS 67204, or call 316-838-3608. Guests are welcome.

April 22 – Wichita Golden Wheat Chapter of American Historical Society of Germans from Russia; Genealogy Roadshow Workshop, 10 a.m. at Immanuel Lutheran Church, 909 S. Market St. The program will examine the history of Germans from Russia, researching Germans from Russia, and a slide show of a recent visit to Russian villages. Information will be provided concerning the local Golden Wheat Chapter; personal genealogy help if needed. Call 316-634-0353 for further information.

April 23 – Delano Chamber Brass Ensemble, 3 p.m. at West Side Baptist Church, 304 S. Seneca. Free, donations accepted.

The 28-piece orchestra will feature the trumpet section in Leroy Anderson’s “Bugler’s Holiday.” The concert will last about an hour, and a reception will follow.

April 27 – Passport to Nature, fundraiser for the Great Plains Nature Center. Event runs 6-9 p.m., with local food vendors, a wine pull, outdoor recreation demonstrations, entertainment, and a live and silent auction. Cost is $50. Purchase tickets and get more information online at www.gpnc.org.

11 - April 2017

Featured this month Kitchen Tune-Up............................Page 11 Wichita Festivals, Inc..................... Page 12 Wichita Grand Opera..................... Page 13 Gross Tile & Custom Remodeling... Page 14 Yes for 265 Kids........................ Pages 16-17 Lawn Buddy................................... Page 19

A ‘perfect transformation’ thanks to Kitchen Tune-Up to call Kitchen Tune-Up! Now that spring is here, you can be working in the yard while Kitchen Tune-Up transforms your kitchen.

The experts with Wichita’s Kitchen Tune-Up team can provide customers with finished projects ranging from easy and inexpensive to breathtaking and cutting edge.

Kitchen Tune-Up has remodeled hundreds of kitchens since the local franchise was launched in 2005. The company’s services range from One-Day Restoration or

“Tune-Up” of cabinets or any interior wood surfaces, to cabinet refacing projects to complete custom kitchens.

For more information or to schedule a free consultation, call Kitchen Tune-Up at 316-558-8888. You also can find more information at www.kitchentuneup.com.

Be sure to check out the company’s extensive BEFORE/AFTER portfolio on Facebook! When you visit the local Kitchen Tune-Up Facebook page, be sure to ‘LIKE’ Kitchen Tune-Up, Wichita.

Kitchen Tune-Up can produce dramatic results for your home, like this spectacular kitchen transformation that gave its owners the perfect space to cook and entertain.

WestSide Story

When a Wichita family started sharing their dreams about the perfect kitchen, the experts at Kitchen Tune-Up were there to listen.

In the end, Kitchen Tune-Up was able to give the homeowners everything they wanted in a kitchen… and more.

“This was all about making their kitchen easy to cook in and entertain in,” said Rachel Phillips, who owns and operates the local Kitchen Tune-Up franchise with her husband Adam. “This was a family referral, and they loved what we had done with their family member’s kitchen.”

This project started with removal of the wall between the kitchen and dining room. That opened up the feel of the kitchen, and from there Rachel found a rustic, comfortable look that was perfect for the client.

“We went with a French country look,” said Rachel. The kitchen got all new cabinets, including three pantries with roll-out trays. A wine rack and serving bar area was added, as well as large pots and pans drawers and a spice rack.

Completing the kitchen’s unique look is a large medallion over the cook top, surrounded by stone.

There also is a custom hood with ornate details.

“This is a space where the family can hang out together,” said Rachel. “It’s both functional and beautiful.”

If you’re ready to transform your kitchen, it’s time

FOCUS ON BUSINESS

Focus On Business is a monthly feature offered to area advertisers. If you would like your business featured here, please contact our sales office at (316) 540-0500.

April 2017 - 12 FOCUS ON BUSINESS WestSide Story

Get your Riverfest button early and save It’s that time of year when Wichitans ask their neighbors, “When do discounted Riverfest buttons go on sale?”

The answer is this month at Cox Solutions Stores in Wichita and Derby. The colorful buttons, which provide admission to the festival and all concerts for nine days, will be available at a discount for a limited time, April 10 through May 4. Adult buttons during this early-bird period are $7, with children’s buttons (for kids 6-12 years old) available for $3.

Starting May 5, adult buttons will be $10 and children’s buttons will be $5. Little ones under five enter free.

“We are so excited that we can offer a nineday party at a price that’s affordable for all,” said Teri Mott, director of marketing and communication for Wichita Festivals, Inc. “Even at full-price, the entertainment value of a Riverfest button is unbeatable, but the early-bird discount makes Riverfest even more

accessible, especially for families. ” The public is invited to a Button Launch Party to celebrate early-bird sales. A terrific opportunity to pick up your buttons, the event will feature appearances by Mayor Jeff Longwell and Admiral Windwagon Smith XLIV Wendy Johnson, news about this year’s festival and Riverfest-related fun. The festivities will take place starting at 2 p.m., Tuesday, April 11 at the Cox Solutions Store at 2556 N. Maize Road at New Market Square.

Discounted buttons can be purchased – cash only – at the following Cox Solutions Store locations: 2240 N. Rock Road, 446 S. Ridge Road and 2556 N. Maize Road at New Market Square in Wichita and at 1636 N. Rock Road in Derby. Wichita Festivals, Inc., at 444 E. William, and the Intrust Bank Arena box office will also carry early-bird buttons.

Buy online at www.selectaseat.com.

“This is one of your first chances to buy the

2017 button and show your Wichita pride.

We expect to see this adorable design on a lot of lapels this spring and summer,” said Mott, referring to the artwork created by local artists, Rebekah Lewis and Josh Tripoli.

Wichita Riverfest 2017 runs June 2-10, and includes 120 events for all ages and interests in and around downtown Wichita. A Riverfest button is required for entry. More than 455,000 festival fans attended in 2016.

Business owners, community groups and big families might want to consider buying group buttons. Orders for 20 or more buttons can be placed by calling WFI at (316) 267-2817, and if placed by May 22, can be delivered for free.

The discount price applies to group buttons, too, during the sales early-bird period. Those purchasing 20 or more buttons are also eligible to reserve a shaded table for 20 or more guests in the Century II Food Court, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. weekdays during the festival.

Story

by

Michael Berglund

Princess Aurora and Prince Desiré dance together for their wedding festivities.

WestSide Story

Princess Aurora’s parents react in despair as the evil fairy’s curse takes hold.

FOCUS ON BUSINESS

“Sleeping Beauty,” a tale of a young princess and her kingdom put to sleep by an evil fairy, only to be awoken 100 years later by “true Love’s kiss,” is synonymous with Walt Disney, whose animation studio produced one of the most iconic versions of the fairy tale.

However, 70 years before Disney’s version first appeared on screen, Russia’s greatest composer, Tchaikovsky, and Russia’s greatest choreographer, Marius Petipa, joined forces for the first time to redefine the art of ballet.

Wichita Grand Opera opens its 2017 Spring Season on Sunday, April 23, 2017 at 6:30pm in the Century II Concert Hall, with Tchaikovsky and Petipa’s definitive version of “The Sleeping Beauty” as performed by the famed Russian National Ballet Theatre (RNBT).

Direct from Moscow, the RNBT is described by The Washington Post as “the real thing,” and “a cut above many of (their) rivals.” Using traditional Russian ballet training and choreography, the RNBT works to keep the grand traditions of Russian Ballet alive. Their specialty is bringing the choreography of Marius Petipa, widely considered to be the most influential ballet master and choreographer in ballet history, to the world outside of Russia itself.

Stories such as “The Sleeping Beauty” and “Swan Lake” come out of long traditions of family storytelling, and because of this background, the story of “Sleeping Beauty” is simple, profound, charming, and perfect for the whole family to enjoy together. In celebration of Princess Aurora’s christening, the King invited the entire kingdom, with the exception of the evil fairy Carabosse. She turns up anyway, fuming, and puts a curse on Aurora. When she turns 16, the Princess will prick her finger and die. But the good Lilac Fairy comes to the rescue, and reduces the curse to 100 years of sleep. On her 16th birthday, the curse comes true and the kingdom falls into a century long sleep. In 100 years, the dashing Prince stumbles on the old castle where Aurora slumbers. He kisses her, breaking the spell.

In the grand wedding scene, everyone dances and celebrates, joined by fairy tale characters from different stories.

In addition, one of the many charming aspects of bringing ballet to Wichita audiences is the opportunity to see many younger audience members in attendance of the production. So many little girls dream of being the princess and young boys dream of being the dashing prince, and by bringing the Russian National Ballet Theatre to Wichita, parents can let their children dream and become fascinated by the story on stage. To aid in this, the Wichita Grand Opera offers a special Day at the Opera educational outreach program. For more information on this program, call the WGO box office at 316262-8054.

Tickets for this beloved ballet range in price from $85 to $37, with senior, student, group, and corporate discounts are available. To purchase tickets for “The Sleeping Beauty,” call the WGO box office at 316-262-8054, buy online at www.SelectASeat.com, or in person at Century II, or the Select-A-Seat Box Office at Intrust Bank Arena.

For more information about the 2017 spring season, visit the WGO website at www.WichitaGrandOpera.org.

13 - April 2017

‘From Russia With Love: The Sleeping Beauty’ with the Russian National Ballet Theatre

April 2017 - 14 FOCUS ON BUSINESS

Back to their roots

Gross Tile is moving to the Delano District It’s true: you can go back home.

Mark Gross, founder of Gross Tile and Custom Remodeling of Wichita, smiles about that prospect as he surveys the finishing touches being done on his company’s new showroom at 1528 W. Douglas in the historic Delano District of downtown Wichita.

This showroom will be Gross Tile’s new home as it moves from West Wichita to better meet the needs of customers all across Wichita. The current showroom near Maple Street and Maize Road has been sold, and showroom in downtown Wichita will bring a new level of customer service for clients in the midtown and eastern areas of the city, while still serving clients in the western half of Wichita.

“We are so excited about this location,” said Cathy Gross, Mark’s wife, as she talked about the work that has been done to convert the historic brick building on the northeast corner of Douglas and Fern streets.

There’s a high volume of traffic in the renaissance business neighborhood, and it is easily accessible from all across the city of Wichita.

And, there’s a little something else just across the intersection to the southwest: An important slice of Gross Tile history.

“See the Wichita Fish Company?” Mark asks as he points to the landmark business location. “Their restaurant space was my first showroom.”

Gross Tile was located there beginning in 1997.

From there, the company moved to Tyler and Maple for a few years before building the Gross Tile showroom at 10680 W. Maple, near Maple and Maize Road.

But Mark’s history in the flooring and remodeling industry goes back much further.

WestSide Story

Decades of experience Mark Gross grew up in Wichita, and after attending North High School he started working on his business degree at Wichita State University. While in college, he started working in the flooring business.

Gross Tile and Custom Remodeling owners Mark and Cathy Gross are excited about their move to the Delano District.

Gross Tile’s new showroom in the Delano District is opening this month at 1528 W. Douglas.

“I was installing hard-surface flooring and countertops for a company here in Wichita,” he said. “I was working with vinyl and tile flooring, and was doing old-time plaster showers with concrete walls.”

Mark loved the work, and stayed in the industry after earning his business degree from WSU. He opened a floor-covering store with a partner in the early 1980s, and later did installation work as a private contractor before he and his wife Cathy – also a Wichita native who graduated from West High and Newman University – opened the first Gross Tile Location at Fern and Douglas. Now, all these years later, they’re back.

“There’s such a good energy in this area, and a lot of locally owned and operated businesses,” Cathy said. “We think this will be a great location for us and our clients.”

“We’ve got a lot of satisfied customers, and we want to continue to focus on our remodeling work, especially with bathroom renovations and custom curbless showers,” said Mark. “I love it when I can share my ideas with clients and give them the ‘wow’ factor they’re looking for.”

As the new showroom is being completed, Gross Tile can schedule appointments there on request. By the end of April, the Gross Tile team hopes to be completely moved into the Delano District location.

Making dreams happen Gross Tile has been bringing fresh ideas and exciting new products to the table for the past three decades, and his excitement level to meet customers’

needs isn’t diminishing. One of those great ideas is the concept of “curbless showers,” which can accomplish many things for new and remodeled bathrooms.

While the concept has been around for some time, Gross Tile is making a name for itself as a leader in curbless shower designs for today’s homes. These highly individualized shower designs offer roomier spaces for homeowners, modern looks, and easy access for handicapped individuals.

“Imagine a shower that is both beautiful in design and also has easy walk-in access as well as the ability to move a wheelchair in and out of the shower,” said Mark. “It’s a perfect solution for both those who want that kind of look and design, and those who need to address accessibility issues.”

Customers also can take advantage of Gross Tile’s extensive lines of quartz and concrete countertops.

Gross Tile specializes in complete kitchen and bath remodeling projects, and will be running numerous specials once they are in the new showroom.

For more information about everything Gross Tile has to offer, call 316-773-1600, or visit the company’s website, www.grosstileremodeling.com.

You can also find Gross Tile on Facebook.

1 5 - A p r i l 2 0 1 7

The WestSide Church Directory

…is for you and your family

Aldersgate United Methodist Church - 7901 W. 21st St. N. (west of Ridge Rd.), (316) 722-8504, www. aldersgatechurch.org. Sunday morning services at 8:00 a.m. (traditional), 9:30 a.m. (blended), and 11 a.m. (traditional).

Wednesday night activities. Nursery available for all services. Sunday school each week at 8:15 a.m. for adults and at 9:30 a.m. for all age groups. Youth group and youth worship on Sunday evenings. Bible studies, children’s activities, and different fellowship events available throughout the year.

Asbury Church – Administrative Offices - 2810 W. 15th St., Wichita (one block north of 13th on St. Paul) (316) 942-1491. Two locations across the Wichita Metro Area. Sunday Services: Central Campus – 15th & St. Paul. Traditional Service at 8 a.m., a Praise Service at 9:15 a.m. and a Blended Service at 10:45 a.m.

West Campus – 119th & Pawnee.

An Upbeat Praise Service suited for the whole family at 10:45 a.m. Visit www.asburychurch.org to learn more about Asbury’s many family-centered ministries. Asbury Counseling Center information can be found at www.

AsburyCounselingCenter.com For HIS Glory Church – 2901 W. Taft St., Wichita • (316) 794-1170 • Worship Sunday 11:00 a.m. •

neighborhood church just around the corner.” Email: swede132@sbcglobal. net; Website: heritage4u.net.

ChurchForHISGlory@gmail.com • Family integrated full Gospel church Hope Christian Church – Meeting where all ages worship and study 10:30 a.m. Sunday mornings, NEW LOCATION - 1330 E. Douglas.

God’s word.

Worship is casual and encouraging.

Goddard United Methodist Church Online at www.hope4wichita.org and – 300 N. Cedar, Goddard; (316) 794- on Facebook. Pastor Mark McMahon.

2207 • 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. Worship • markm@hope4wichita.org. 316-648Children’s church during both services 0495.

• Nursery Available • 10 a.m. Sunday School • Josh Gooding, Pastor • West Heights UMC – 745 N. Westlink Haley Bieter, Youth Pastor • Children’s Ave. (Just north of Central on Westlink); (316) 722-3805, Email: westheights@ Pastor, Nicole Rbya westheightsumc.org. Sunday services Good Shepherd Episcopal Church 8:15 and 10:30 a.m. (Traditional/ – 8021 W. 21st St. N., Wichita; Blended); Sunday school 9:15 a.m.; (316) 721-8096; Saturday 5:30 p.m. Wednesday meal (during school year) Spoken Worship; Sunday 8:45 a.m. 5:30 p.m. fun classes and study for all Contemporary Worship; 11 a.m. ages; nondenominational preschool, Traditional Choral Worship; Church host to the Shepherd’s Center of School - Children 9:50 a.m., Adults 10 West Wichita providing dynamic a.m.; Children’s Chapel 8:45 & 11 a.m. activity for the Classic Generation, full children’s programming, and an Harvest Community Church – active youth program challenging Worship at 8340 W. 21st in Wichita today’s generation, website: www.

Sunday at 10:30 a.m.; Senior westheightsumc.org. pastor Rev. Dr. Dave Henion; www.

Pathway Church – Westlink Campus, wichitaharvest.com.

Saturday at 5 pm, Sunday at 9 am & Heritage Baptist Church – Corner 10:30 am • Café Campus, Sunday at of 135th St. & 13th St. N., Wichita; 10:30 am • 2001 N Maize Rd (21st (316) 729-2700; Sunday School 9:45 & Maize), Wichita • 316-722-8020 • a.m.; Morning Worship 10:45 a.m.; Goddard Campus, Sunday at 9:30 Evening Worship 6 p.m.; Wednesday am, 11 am & 5 pm • 18800 W Kellogg, Adult Bible Study/Prayer Time 7 p.m.; Goddard • 316-550-6099 • www.

Wiseguys 3 yrs.–6th grade 7 p.m.; pathwaychurch.com • Following Jesus/ Nursery provided at all services. “Your In Community/For Others.

The Altar – 321 S. 162nd & West Maple, Goddard • 316-550-6777 • www.thealtar.church • Pastor Marty Freeman • Sunday Service 10 am, Wednesday Service 6:30 pm • Nursery & Children’s Service Provided • Radical Worship. Radical Obedience.

Trinity Reformed Church (RPCNA) – Come glorify and enjoy God with us. 3340 W. Douglas Ave., Wichita, KS 67203 • Sunday worship 9:30 a.m.

• Sunday School 11 a.m. • Evening services 5 p.m. • Pastor Adam King • www.trinityrpcna.org • 316-721-2722 Westwood Presbyterian Church – 8007 W. Maple, Wichita; (316) 7223753; “Simply making disciples who walk with Jesus, grow to become like Jesus, and live for Jesus by loving others.” Worship Sunday 9 a.m. with Praise Team, 10:30 a.m. with Choir; Fellowship and coffee between worship services; Sunday school for all ages 9 a.m. Nursery open 8:45-11:45 a.m.; www.westwoodpc.org.

Rolling Hills Community Church (Church of God, Cleveland, TN) – 8605 W. Maple, Wichita; (316) 7221251; Sunday Christian Education Classes 9:30 a.m.; Sunday Worship Service 10:30 a.m.; Wednesday Recharge Service 7:00 p.m. Pastor Mark Ingram; www.rhcc.church and Facebook. ‘We love God, love people, and help people love God.’ Come join us.

WestSide Story

This empty seat…

Worship at the Church of Your Choice

April 2017 - 16 FOCUS ON BUSINESS WestSide Story

Vote ‘Yes’ for safety, security and reinvestment in Goddard USD 265 On April 25, the Goddard USD 265 Board of Education (BOE) will ask voters to step up to the plate and cast a “yes” ballot for three important reasons.

In January, the Goddard BOE unanimously approved a $52 million bond resolution that will address three areas of concern across the district’s 13 facilities: safety, security and reinvestment.

The bond issue, if voters approve it on April 25, will pay for capital improvements at every Goddard school, allowing the district to provide a safer learning environment for students and extending the useful life of all of their schools.

“We wanted the tornado shelters to be usable, educational spaces, depending on the needs of each building,” said Ruth Wood, president of the Goddard Board of Education. “The recent tragedy in Moore, Oklahoma, just brought to light the immediate need for building these shelters. It’s our obligation to vote yes to protect our 5,800 students and more than 1,000 staff members.”

The tornado shelters would serve as classroom or multi-purpose spaces and allow existing classrooms to be reconfigured or repurposed to better serve the needs of today’s students and create a 21st century safe learning environment in all schools.

The most prominent change would be at Discovery Intermediate, where the building’s circular classroom modules – which no longer adequately meet the needs our students – would be renovated into more modern, rectangular classrooms that are more conducive for learning. The school library, secured entryway, and heating and air conditioning systems at Discovery would also get major overhauls, bringing the total upgrades to Discovery to $9.3 million.

At Goddard High School, which is now more than 20 years old, the bond issue calls for two FEMA-rated tornado shelters, one serving as additional classrooms on the northwest corner of the building and one connected to the gymnasium to serve as a new weight room and classrooms.

Eisenhower High School, which opened in 2011, already has FEMA-rated tornado shelters and is slated for important parking improvements.

“Across the district we will be adding about 1,000 parking spaces, and about half of those will be at Eisenhower High School,” said Wood. “The parking lot improvements, including new LED lighting fixtures, will really help improve safety at big school events.”

Challenger Intermediate School and Oak Street Elementary School are the two oldest schools in the district. Both will be receiving significant infrastructure enhancements and FEMA-rated tornado shelters to help extend their useful life.

LEFT: At most schools in Goddard USD 265, students have to take cover in the hallways in case of tornados.

ABOVE: The proposed bond issue would provide funding for substantial parking lot improvements, as well as additional parking spaces.

Additional bond issue funds, if approved, will add: • Efficient heating and air conditioning upgrades at every building, reducing energy costs.

• Dehumidification systems at three schools: Apollo Elementary, Eisenhower Middle, and Eisenhower High.

• Energy saving LED lighting across the district.

• Intruder locks on all classroom doors in the district, which will allow teachers to more quickly secure their classrooms, potentially saving lives in the event of an emergency.

• Renovation of the Goddard District Stadium Field House, providing dedicated Eisenhower High School and visitor locker rooms. Space will be freed up in the field house by moving the existing weight room into the new Goddard High School addition, also improving safety for students.

“It’s our time to do what’s best for our kids,” said Wood. “We can’t look back and regret this moment.”

Thirty-one percent of the $52 million price tag would be paid for with state funds, leaving local property taxpayers to cover $35.88 million. The bond would require a levy of 1.9 mills for the next 17 years, and that translates to an additional $1.82 in monthly property tax on a $100,000 home in the Goddard school district.

Before voting to approve the bond resolution, six months of work went into planning the proposed improvements. Work began with input from each school building about its needs, and evaluation teams helped finalize the bond proposal.

“The Goddard Board of Education has been very aggressive in paying down previously issued bonds,” Board member Kevin McWhorter said, “We have also refinanced existing debt with lower interest rates, ultimately decreasing the bond and interest mill-levy in recent years.”

In Fiscal Year 2015, the bond and interest mill-levy was 24.804 mills. The BOE lowered the mill levy in Fiscal Year 2017 to 18.512 mills, a decline of 6.292 mills or 25.4 percent. This bond if passed, will only increase the mill levy to just 20.412 mills total.

“We believe the tax payers of our district will find this increase to be a small price to pay for each child, teacher, staff, and visiting parent and patron to our schools to have a safe and secure learning environment,” McWhorter said.

Board president Wood echoed those sentiments.

“This is an opportunity to protect every child in the Goddard School District,” she said. “We have to do something, we can’t wait any longer.”

Yes for 265 Kids

www.yesfor265kids.com yesfor265kids@gmail.com (316) 768-7265

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ONForAPRIL 25! only $1.82 a month,

17 - March 2017

VOTE

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Safety.

Security.

Reinvestment.

9** of our 12 schools will receive a storm shelter to use as a dedicated educational space and keep ALL USD 265 students safe.

Every classroom door in the district will have intruder prevention door locks to keep ALL USD 265 students safe.

*Mill levy cost per month on a $100,000 home. **Apollo Elementary, Eisenhower Middle, and Eisenhower High School were built with adequate storm shelter space.

Paid for by Yes for 265 Kids Campaign, Marlo Dolezal, Treasurer.

WestSide Story

50% energy savings with new LED light fixtures to be installed throughout facilities will put more dollars in the classroom. 1000 new parking spots added to make lots more safe and secure.

April 2017 -18

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We are a Physician led organization providing compassionate, comprehensive, accessible medical care to those we serve.

Kirk R. Bliss, DO Jennifer R. Callison, DO Joe D. Davison, MD Larry A. Derksen, DO Rick W. Friesen, MD Josh P. Froese, MD Cassandra R. Gerlach, MD Robert Gonzalez, MD Kris L. Goodnight, MD Rebecca L. Green, MD

Sheryl R. Hemmen, MD Mark A. Hilger, MD Paul W. Huser, MD D. Scott Kardatzke, MD Kimberly D. Kenas, DO David K. Lauer, MD William C. Loewen, MD Michael G. Ludlow, MD John N. May, MD Stan A. Messner, MD

Todd A. Miller, MD Tobie R. Morrow, DO Alison K. Raymond, MD Ronald J. Reichenberger, MD Gary W. Reiswig, MD Jeffrey S. Reiswig, MD David A. Robl, MD Dirk M. Smith, MD Edward J. Weippert, MD Yao Y. Yang, MD

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WestSide Story

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Wichita Symphony Orchestra presents

Mahler 7

FOCUS ON BUSINESS

onelink.to/lbnewspaper

19 - April 2017

... it's time to use

April 8/9 | Century II Concert Hall Mahler’s transcendent 7th Symphony concludes the Wichita Symphony’s 2016-2017 Classics Season!

BUY TICKETS TODAY AT WichitaSymphony.org | 316.267.7658 WestSide Story

Andrew von Oeyen, piano

April 2017 - 20 W e s t S i d e S t o r y

Big Ditch prevents WestSide floods

County wants to rename it in honor of M.S. Mitchell Editor’s note: Wichita engineer M.S. Mitchell, a motive force behind the creation of the Big Ditch, died Saturday, March 11, at the age of 91.

County and city officials have started discussions about renaming the ditch – now officially called the Wichita-Valley Center Floodway – in honor of “Big Ditch Mitch.”

Though he initially signed on to help the City-County Flood Control office for just six weeks in the early 1950s, Mitchell ended up working in flood control for more than 20 years.

The Big Ditch works by allowing the Arkansas and Little Arkansas rivers to flow naturally, but directing water that would otherwise create flood conditions through miles of channels, control structures and levees.

The WestSide Story looked back on Wichita’s pre-Big Ditch history of flooding in this April 1987 article, titled “Big Ditch job: Putting an end to Wichita’s history of major flooding.”

By Marlene Smith-Graham Our heavy rains over the past month may have been an inconvenience to those of us driving along low-lying areas, or watching our basements dampen to varying degrees; but since the Big Ditch was built, we’ve seen nothing like the heavy flooding that was once fairly common in the city – as late as the early 1950s.

Most people know that the Ditch is there for flood control, although a few WestSiders claim it was actually dug out to separate West Wichita from the rest of the city. But most people don’t know the extent to which that Ditch, which many of us routinely cross at West Kellogg, Maple, Central, 13th, 21st and K-96, has helped to prevent flood damage.

According to computations the Corps of Engineers made in 1980, $123,557,000 in flood loss had been prevented by that year. Based on the

ABOVE: M.S. Mitchell and his crew do survey work in a photo from March 1951.

Mitchell was nicknamed “Big Ditch Mitch” for his visionary work on the Wichita-Valley Center Floodway, commonly known as the Big Ditch.

LEFT: A sign from the early 1950s argues against the creation of the Big Ditch.

Courtesy photos/www.wichita.gov

21-year-average since completion of the project, the estimate through 1986 would be approximately $158 million.

[Note: That works out to $386 million through 2016, even before accounting for inflation and increasing property values in the surrounding area.]

That amount has been saved, along with, undoubtedly, many lives, for there was a time in our history when heavy rains braced the city for much more than flooded basements.

Newspaper headlines in the early 1900s through the 1950s tell the story: • “Flood waters of two rivers will join here, considerable damage may result in low parts of city” (Beacon, June 8,

1921) • “City’s worst flood struck Wichita nine years ago Tuesday” (Eagle, June 11, 1930) • “Danger: Entire county force is waging desperate battle to save West Wichita from destruction by flood” (Beacon, June 4, 1935) • “Big Arkansas dike gives way, flooding threat to west suburbs seen; Floodwater rolls toward Wichita on Big Arkansas” (Eagle, July 17, 1951) Floods didn’t happen all the time, of course, but when they did, the folks just pulled out their rowboats, tried sandbagging, built stilt sidewalks, did what they could to ensure their safety,

and more or less were forced to grin and bear it.

According to a Wichita Eagle article in 1940, Wichita’s earliest recorded flood was in 1867. During that year, the river “was bankfull except when it overflowed the valley,” according to James R. Mead, Indian trader and one of the first city boosters.

At that time, Mead had a trading post at Towanda, and traded with the Indians in the Arkansas River Valley. He recalled that during this flood period, the Wichita Indians crossed the river “in tubs made of a single buffalo hide.”

The first real flood of Wichita was the one in May 1877. According to

Everglades. Slowly, the business district began filling up with water, an inch at a time. An account about that period says, “stores which dealt in rubber boots were soon sold out, and owners of these boots, feeling themselves to be plutocrats, waded proudly through the water.

But in the end, the joke was on them.

The water rose above the tops of the boots, and they were of no more value than so many pairs of Oxfords.”

Automobiles were still a novelty at the time, so vehicle travel – meaning buggies – was unsafe. Water depths were reported from seven to 20 feet deep along North Topeka Street.

There would be more floods ahead, including one in 1923. And a 1944 headline revealed, “Riverside has its worst flood.”

Following the disastrous floods of 1944 and 1945, the city requested that federal authorities begin studying methods of flood protection. On Aug. 14, 1945, the city adopted a resolution whereby the city furnished all assurances required by the Flood Control Act of 1936 for the Wichita-Valley Center Flood Control Project.

Agreement was reached by the city and county to modify the proposed flood control works so that additional areas outside the city would be given flood protection. The county adopted its resolution, identical to that of the city, on March 26, 1948.

Construction on the Big Ditch began

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articles, many frame buildings and wooden sidewalks were swept away. On the day of the 1877 flood, townspeople were alerted by the ringing of the town fire bell, which called the entire male population of Wichita to man the shovels.

The citizens threw up levees, but it just wouldn’t hold back the flood waters, and in a short time, the entire town was covered with water.

Supposedly, at this time, the first sightseeing bus appeared in Wichita.

It seems a man living north of town hitched a team to his wagon, piled the neighborhood boys in, and went to look at the flooded areas up close.

Following that flood, stories began circulating throughout the country that the city was subject to overflow and should be avoided by settlers “subject to malaria or seeking a satisfactory location.” It’s interesting to note that “city fathers” back then, just like today, wanted to encourage all the new business into the city that they could, so they resolved to “refute the slander,” issuing a statement showing that Wichita was “as safe from flood as a place located on Pike’s Peak.”

The statement talked about how the Arkansas River was so “curiously” constructed that it just couldn’t overflow.

The second big flood was in 1903.

Some accounts say 1904. It began as a sunny day; then the skies clouded over and the rains came, and came, and came.

Riverside Park was likened to the

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WestSide Story

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April 2017 - 22

WestSiders to appear in MTYP’s ‘Annie’ Music Theatre for Young People will wrap up the 2016-17 season later this month with the classic musical “Annie.”

The beloved story features several WestSide youth:

Brydan Akin, Lexye Collins, Kelsey Crews, Zoey Ellis, Payten LaPoint, Jaxson Mannis, Kinsley Scott, Lauren Stremel, Grace Terhune, Lauren Voigt and Aailyah Williams.

The show will be April 28, 29 and 30 at the Mary Jane Teall Theatre in Century II. Tickets go on sale April 10.

Advance tickets are $12 for adults and $10 for students, and can be purchases at the Century II box office, online at www.wichitatix.com, or by calling 316-303-8100. Tickets at the door are $15.

Showtimes are 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, April 28-29, and 2:30 p.m. Sunday, April 30.

Based on the popular comic strip by Harold Gray, Annie has become a worldwide phenomenon and was the winner of seven Tony Awards, including Best Musical. The beloved book and score by Tony Award winners, Thomas Meehan, Charles Strouse and Martin Charnin, features some of the greatest musical theatre hits ever written, including “Tomorrow.”

W e s t S i d e S t o r y

Jaxson Mannis

Continued from Page 8

via apostolic decree a few months after Hogstrom graduated in 1978.

“When I was a boy in Liberia, I saw black people in charge, and I guess I was naive, because coming back to America, I didn’t even think about the fact that there was racism or discrimination in this country. I believed I could be anything I wanted to be; I had seen the role models,” Hogstrom said. “I was not intimidated, going to BYU.” Hogstrom recalled that after he aced an exam in one of his mass communication classes, his professor had him stand and be singled out for praise in front of his classmates, who were all white.

“He was trying to communicate to his Mormon colleagues that black folks also have brains,” Hogstrom said.

Heading out While he was still in college, Hogstrom got his first public media job in

America, serving as nightly news anchor on KBYU, the university-run public television affiliate. He was the only African-American on television in Utah at the time. After graduation, he moved on to Salt Lake City’s CBS affiliate, where he stayed for about a year.

From there he transitioned into management, focusing mostly on nonprofit stations. His career took him to Pensacola, Fla., then Rockford, Ill., where he got his first general manager job.

The Rockford station was an experiment: America’s first public station to be offered exclusively on a cable system, not over the airwaves. By the end of his two-year tenure, the fledgling organization was financially stable.

Next came a station in Redding, Calif., with studios and offices located in a small former meat locker. By the time Hogstrom moved on to take what became a 15-year job at Chattanooga’s public station, Redding’s organization had quadrupled its budget and built a new, state-of-the-art headquarters, all while retiring its debts.

At Chattanooga and Kansas City stations, likewise, Hogstrom helped

pull stations out of debt and modernize facilities and equipment.

As he pursued his career, he also made time for family. He and his wife, Lovest Hogstrom, have twin boys who are now attending medical school together, as well as a daughter in elementary school.

Plans for KPTS KPTS is in better shape than some organizations he has led in the past, but Hogstrom says it still needs help and support. The station’s annual budget, once $3.5 million per year, is now down to $2.4 million, and the staff, once around 30, is now down to to 16.

Viewers still see the PBS mainstays they expect, but the community is missing out on both local content and educational outreach.

A good chunk of the decline is due to reduced support from the state of Kansas. Legislators appropriated $3.8 million for the state’s public media stations in 2008, but today support is measured in thousands, not millions, and KPTS gets less than $50,000 from See HOGSTROM, Page 24

Victor Hogstrom’s weekly interview show, “One on One,” airs Thursdays at 7:30 p.m. on KPTS Channel 8.

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Voice

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April 2017 - 24 W e s t S i d e S t o r y

Hogstrom Continued from Page 23

the statehouse.

“This station doesn’t have any debt – but it’s broke,” Hogstrom said. “It has no money to do anything with. If our transmitter were to fall apart right now, we would be in trouble. If something were to need replaced and upgraded, we don’t have the money to do it.

“My directive here is to build the image, the viewership and the support level, and I believe those things will come,” he said.

Since Hogstrom took over in October, he has made the rounds of business and groups within KPTS’s coverage area, seeking feedback and partnership opportunities as well as financial support. Like leaders of other nonprofits that have seen state and county support slashed or zeroed out, he is also making the rounds of city halls and asking local officials to consider the value Channel 8 provides to their constituents.

Regardless of what happens on the

Longtime public television executive Victor Hogstrom took over as CEO and president of KPTS Channel 8 in October. Hogstrom, left, interviews retired Wichita news anchor Larry Hatteberg on his program “One on One.” Hatteberg is hosting a new version of “Hatteberg’s People” on KPTS, re-airing old segments and following up with former interview subjects.

level of corporate and government sponsorship, “Viewers Like You” will remain the largest source of support for KPTS. To serve today’s audience, Hogstrom and his staff are making efforts to bring programs to viewers online as well as on the airwaves. KPTS’s locally produced programs, including Hogstrom’s weekly interview show “One on One” and a new, weekly edition of “Hatteberg’s People,” are now

viewable on the KPTS YouTube page and on the PBS website and app.

Planned documentaries and children’s programs the station is working on will also go up online, for on-demand viewing. Additionally, the transition to digital broadcasting has allowed the station to offer auxiliary channels 8.2 and 8.3 – KPTS Explore and KPTS Create.

“We’re a bit behind the times, technologically, but we’re catching up,”

Hogstrom said.

Over the course of his life, Hogstrom has learned to make his home anywhere, but his family has gotten comfortable in Wichita more quickly than usual, and found a warm welcome from the community.

“It’s a beautiful place, and I love living on the WestSide,” Hogstrom said.

“I’ve learned already that WestSide is best side.”

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Continued from Page 5

increase in tourism there.

Every morning, we were greeted with new and incredible scenes as we hit the streets of Old Havana…everything from breathtaking buildings and landscapes to the sandwich maker on the corner. He was usually making hamburguesas, which is a Cuban hamburger made from sausage and served on a homemade bun with catsup and mustard.

Lluvia de Oro, a popular restaurant and bar in Old Havana, was a perfect hangout. We would eat and dance there, or just stop in to dance a bit with the nightly live band. We met some great folks there…especially other tourists.

By our estimate, U.S. tourists were about half Baby Boomers like us, and half young travelers in their 20s and 30s. It certainly represented two distinct levels of fascination with the country.

See RHODES, Page 30

ABOVE LEFT: Kim Swansen and Paul Rhodes at the Gran Teatro, just before a performance of Giselle by the Cuban National Ballet.

ABOVE RIGHT: Street food is a mainstay in Havana. Here, a street chef prepares hamburguesas – Cuban hamburgers served on buns with catsup and mustard.

LEFT: The Havana skyline, showing parts of Central Havana and Modern Havana.

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April 2017 - 26

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The Big Slough-Cowskin Creek crossing of the floodway at U.S. Highway 54, as seen in 1954.

Ditch Continued from Page 21

in May 1950. As building continued through the early 1950s, so did the floods.

A bulletin in 1951 put out a call for 500 men to help fight the raging waters of the Big Arkansas River at Maize. The water was heading toward Orchard Park and the Westbreeze addition.

During the October 1955 flood, projected construction on the Big Ditch still was not far enough along to contain flood waters of the Little Arkansas.

The Big Ditch was completed in June 1958. Cost of the project was about $20 million. Additions to the project were built until 1963.

In general, the project extends from near Derby, upstream about 33 miles along the Arkansas River through West Wichita and into the vicinity of Valley Center. It consists of floodways, diversions and a system of levees along the Arkansas and its tributaries. The complete system has five control structures, 97.3 miles of levee, 50 miles of channels, and 146 drainage structures.

The project diverts the flood flows of the Little Arkansas into the Big Arkansas River by means of the Big Ditch floodway, beginning about two miles northwest of Valley Center and extending southward to the Arkansas River

about nine miles north of Wichita.

The flows of Chisholm Creek and its west, middle and east branch tributaries are collected by a system of levees and channels beginning about nine miles north of Wichita and diverted across the Little Arkansas into the Arkansas about two miles northwest of Wichita.

At this point, all of the combined and confined flows are diverted through a floodway west of the city, following the course along the Big Slough and Cowskin Creek.

The floodway system is designed to handle two to three times the flood of record. Control structures permit normal low flows to continue in the rivers and creeks, with diversion taking place only when these flows exceed a safe level.

The Arkansas River diversion, just off 25th and the I-235 bypass, is the largest control structure in the project, costing in the neighborhood of $1 million and requiring 13 major railroad relocations.

So the next time a big rainfall occurs, we can keep in mind that although pockets of flooding still exist and probably always will because of the flatness of the city, most of Wichita and many other Kansas towns would be underwater a lot more often if it wasn’t for the Big Ditch we WestSiders have been entrusted with.

A special thanks to Gerri Lynde of the City Flood Control Office for her help in researching this article.

Cinema Scene

Jim Erickson

elements there are – like the question of whether Batman is a suitable father for Robin and the long-abandoned questions of sexual deviance – don’t get enough attention to relieve the familiarity. The urge for parodic completeness leads to multiple apparent endings, just one more example of redundancy.

In a very different spin on an aging franchise, we have “Logan.” Played by Hugh Jackman, the title superhero, better known as Wolverine, is 150 years old, and is feeling his age to the point that, while he can still take on a whole street gang and win, he takes a hell of a beating doing it.

“Logan” is a movie that, while not as corpse-jammed as the reviews suggested, emphasizes wounds and pain and gory suffering to a greater extent than I enjoy.

Wolverine is depressed and discouraged at the futility of vigilante action against the wholesale evil of the world, and has pretty much retired into poverty and alcoholism while an entire generation of mutant superheroes seems to be dying off (though you will not be surprised at later evidence that the whole series is about to start over in the woody mountains of North Dakota).

Logan and the semi-invalid Professor Xavier (Patrick Stewart) are about all that remain. The Establishment is too rotten at core to be changed one villain at a time, and the X-Men (and other comic-book supercreatures) have never been much like Martin Luther King in terms of starting larger social movements.

In the world as “Logan” presents it, there is little, over the long pull, that Wolverine et al. can do.

There is a welcome realism to this, but “Logan” is too much a genre movie See CINEMA, Page 31

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This month, I had to go to a handful movies I did not really want to see – but I enjoyed all of them.

Maybe I am getting acclimated to the new concepts of movies, or maybe I am overcoming some of my prejudice in favor of the old-fashioned. In any case, here we go with my reactions.

Despite my intense dislike of comic-book movies, so many of my friends urged us to see “The Lego Batman Movie” that I finally broke down and checked it out.

After all, it’s an animated parody of the whole superhero genre, so how annoying could it be?

Well, I’m glad I went, though my hesitation was a little justified. It was fun, for a while, and to some extent all the way through. At its worst, it didn’t take itself or the genre too seriously.

The animation was consistently enjoyable, and surprisingly effective, considering that the faces were almost all just paint on what appeared to be blocks of wood.

I suspect a lot of computer graphics and very little use of actual Lego construction toys, but there seem to be a variety of animation techniques – whatever worked for the individual scene or even the specific shot.

There isn’t much concern with detailed characterization, just stereotype role identification. But parody doesn’t usually allow for character study, and comic-book movies don’t indulge in it much, if my limited experience allows me to make generalizations at all.

And while my limited knowledge of the genre ensures that I missed a lot of the parodic references, even an interloper like me can’t miss King Kong, Godzilla, Superman, Wonder Woman, Star Wars, Ben-Hur, Jurassic Park, Dracula, the Mummy...well. Even I could go on and on. The musical score sounded familiar, too.

Parodies that are as long as the thing parodied are seldom entirely successful; even “Young Frankenstein” stepped outside its parody for a sojourn into show business. And “The Lego Batman Movie” shares too many of the shortcomings of what inspired it.

It is all one pace-less rush of one action scene after another, like a trip down Fury Road, and what original

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Movies I unwillingly enjoyed

April 2017 - 28 W e s t S i d e S t o r y

WestSide Story People and Places Wesley Healthcare has named Scott Barnett its new market director of cardiovascular services. He will oversee all cardiovascular services, cath labs and electrophysiology labs at all campuses, including Wesley’s Heart Valve Clinic and structural heart program. Barnett began his career in health care in 2002 working as a pharmaceutical sales representative at Schering-Plough. Since then he has served in a variety of physician relations roles from outreach manager to surgery specialist for the Wichita market. He most recently served as HCA’s Continental Division Care Assure program director in Denver. He received his bachelor’s degree in business management from Rockhurst University in Kansas City, Mo., and his master’s degree in healthcare leadership from Friends University in Wichita.

Kayd Byers of Wichita was recently initiated into The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi, the nation’s oldest and most selective all-discipline collegiate honor society. Byers was initiated at Kansas State University. Byers is among approximately 30,000 students, faculty, professional staff and alumni to be initiated into Phi Kappa Phi each year. Membership is by invitation only and requires nomination and approval by a chapter. Only the top 10 percent of seniors and 7.5 percent of juniors are eligible for membership. Graduate students in the top 10 percent of the number of candidates for graduate degrees may also qualify, as do faculty, professional staff and alumni who have achieved scholarly distinction.

Creative agency Sullivan Higdon & Sink (SHS) has announced leadership changes to the 45-year-old, employee-owned company that was formerly led by a group of managing partners. The changes include the promotion of four vice presidents: Tony Rob-

inson is now chief financial officer; Jim Vranicar is chief operating officer; and Lathi de Silva and P. Scott Flemming are now managing directors of the agency’s Wichita office. The group was cited for their abilities to influence and grow the SHS business and have been working closely together. All four report to Co-CEOs Ali Mahaffy and John January. The news follows the February retirement of Rand Mikulecky, the agency’s only remaining managing partner, who served the agency for 35 years. Vice presidents de Silva and Flemming have been promoted to managing directors, taking on the role of leading the day-to-day operations of the 40-person Wichita office. In addition, both will continue in their cross-office roles providing oversight for each of their areas of expertise. Flemming remains executive creative director for all of SHS. De Silva will maintain leading the reputation management and public relations discipline for the agency.

Toni Porter has been promoted to director of government relations for the Wichita Regional Chamber of Commerce. In her new position, Porter will lead the Chamber’s government relations efforts. She originally joined the Chamber in 2015, in a part-time position as the government relations project manager. Also announced was the departure of Barby Jobe Myers from the Chamber. Myers joined the organization in 2008 and has most recently served as the vice president of government relations. Her last day at the Chamber is April 28. Myers is relocating to Oklahoma to join her family.

Amber Beck has been named account manager in charge of marketing and new business development for Wichita

Amber Beck

Judy Conkling

Women’s Initiative Network. She most recently had been executive director of Children’s First: Children’s Educational Opportunity Kansas, Inc. Judy Conkling has been named development director for Wichita WIN. She most recently had been communications coordinator for Via Christi Health in Wichita.

WestSider Colin Adams has been named to the dean’s list in the College of Letters and Science for the fall semester at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Students must complete a minimum of 12 credit hours.

Wichita author Cindy M. Amos had “Everglades Entanglement” selected to debut a novella collection commemorating the 100th anniversary of America’s National Parks. A project of Winged Publications out of Surprise, Ariz., the romance collection will also feature fictional stories set in Yellowstone, Rocky Mountains, Glacier, Voyageurs and Hot Springs national parks. Everglades Entanglement was inspired by the work of two Kansas herpetologists, Joseph and Suzanne Collins, who researched how invasive pythons were altering the fragile Everglades ecosystem.

The series is available on Amazon.

Alexandra Johnson, a native of West Wichita, has been named to the University of Iowa’s dean’s list for the 2016 fall semester. Undergraduate students in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the College of Engineering, and the Tippie College of Business who achieve a grade point average of 3.50 or higher on 12 semester hours or more of UI graded course work during a given semester or summer session are recognized by inclusion on the dean’s list for that semester.

Do you have an item for People and Places?

Send your submission to news@tsnews.com by the 20th of the month for consideration.

April 8-9 – “Mahler 7,” Wichita Symphony, Century II Concert Hall. Soar to great heights with Mahler’s Seventh Symphony. Tickets $25-$70, purchase online at www.wichitasymphony.org.

April 18-20 – “Dirty Dancing,” Theater League, Century II. Featuring the hit songs “Hungry Eyes, “Hey Baby, “Do You Love Me?” and “(I’ve Had) The Time of My Life,” Tickets starting at $45, www. wichitatix.com.

April 21-May 20 – “Six Women with Brain Death, or Expiring Minds Want to Know,” Roxy’s Downtown, 412-1/2 E. Douglas. To the expiring mind of a modern American woman, life can read like a tabloid headline. “Six Women With Brain Death” is a wild and very left-of-center view of the world from an entirely feminine standpoint. Shows Thursday-Sunday, tickets $20-$30, dinner $15; call 316-265-4400.

More information at www.roxysdowntown.com.

Performing Arts Calendar

April 2017 April 22 – “The Music of John Williams,” Wichita Symphony, Century II Concert Hall. Music from John Williams’ most iconic film scores. Tickets $30-$70, purchase online at www.wichitasymphony. org.

April 23 – Tchaikovsky’s “Sleeping Beauty,” performed by the Russian National Ballet Theatre. Wichita Grand Opera, Century II Concert Hall, 6:30 p.m. Tickets $37-$85, $20 for students. Tickets at www.selectaseat.com.

March 31-May 20 – “The Dukes of Haysville,” Mosley Street Melodrama, 234 N. Mosley St. Written by Jeff Gates and Tom Frye, directed by Tom Frye. Followed by “Motown and More” musical comedy revue, written by Patty Reeder, musical direction by Karla Burns. Shows Thursday-Saturday. Tickets $30 for dinner and show, $20 show only, call 316-263-7999.

Additional information at www.mosleystreet.com.

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April 3 – Friends University Concert Band spring concert with Robert Buckley, special appearance by the Baker University Concert Band, 7:30 p.m. Buckley is a renowned composer of wind band repertoire, and has conducted his music throughout the world. Tickets $6, seniors and students $4; call Friends University at 316-295-5677. The concert will take place in Sebits Auditorium, 2100 W. University Ave.

Wichita Jazz Festival | Events run April 4-16

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• April 4 – Wichita Jazz Festival panel discussion, 8-10 p.m., Fisch Haus. Free.

• April 9 – Jazz brunch with the WJF Sessions Band, 11 a.m.-2 p.m., Wichita Art Museum. Free.

• April 10 – Kickoff party featuring Daydream and Odisea, 5:30-7 p.m., ICT Pop-Up Urban Park.

• April 10 – WJF coffeehouse crawl, 7-10 p.m. Free music from students bands, featuring Wichita State University at KMUW radio, Bethel College at Reverie Coffee Roasters, Hutchinson Community College at Mead’s Corner, and Friends University at R Coffeehouse.

• April 11 – Guest author talk with Paul Youngquist, 6-7 p.m. at Watermark Books. Free.

• April 11 – WJF jazz jam session, 8-11:59 p.m. at Mort’s Martini and Cigar Bar. Free, 21+.

• April 12 – Ad Astra Night featuring Alaturka, 8-11 p.m. at Roxy’s Downtown, tickets $10 ($5 students) available at www.wichitajazzfestival.com.

• April 13 – Beyond Borders Night: The Kandinsky Effect, 8-10 p.m., Roxy’s Downtown, tickets $10 ($5 students) available at www.wichitajazzfestival.com.

• April 14 – WSU Jazz Invitational, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., WSU Duerksen Fine Arts Center, featuring top high school and college bands in a juried competition. Free.

• April 14 – Big Band Night: Deborah Brown with the WJF All-Star Big Band, 8-10 p.m. Roxy’s Downtown, tickets $15 ($8 students) available at www.wichitajazzfestival.com.

• April 15 – A jazz celebration with KMUW’s Chris Heim, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m., Watermark Books. Heim discusses top new books about jazz followed by a performance from the WJF Sessions Band. Free.

• April 15 – Headliner concert: Pat Metheny with Martin Wind and Matt Wilson, featuring the Wichita State University Orchestra, 8-9:30 p.m., Orpheum Theatre. Tickets $47.50-$67.50, www.selectaseat.com.

• April 15 – Afterparty at Barleycorn’s featuring The Kandinsky Effect and Odisea, 9:30-11 p.m.

• April 16 – Jerry Hahn Trio, 4-6 p.m., Bartlett Arboretum, Belle Plaine. Tickets $10, www.wichitajazzfestival.com.

April 2017 - 30

Rhodes Continued from Page 25

One of our favorite days was a car tour of the city. We rode in a 1954 Ford Mercury convertible with a driver who spoke English and was having fun with us…we saw the sights, including the unique statue of John Lennon, the Memorial of the Revolution, and prominent governmental buildings.

A favorite night was the Cuba National Ballet performing Giselle at the Gran Teatro – a vintage 1830s theater

that’s in immaculate condition inside and out. It was a spectacular performance, and a wonderful night.

We also had a favorite bakery that we visited almost daily for coffee and pastries, and we thoroughly enjoyed the museums we toured. But mostly, we just enjoyed walking the streets, dining in wonderful (and inexpensive) restaurants, and savoring the exciting Cuban nightlife. We also were able to do lots of shopping – and yes, you can bring home Cuban cigars, rum and coffee, all within certain limits.

But there was no limit on the amount of fun you can experience while in Cuba, and for that…we were grateful.

W e s t S i d e S t o r y

Wichita plays key role in history of Chisholm Trail The Chisholm Trail, celebrating its 150th anniversary in 2017, played a significant role in creating towns in Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas after the Civil War. The cattle markets were in Kansas and so was the railroad, which shipped the beef back East. Beginning in 1867, vast herds of cattle were driven up to the Chisholm Trail from Texas to Wichita and other cowtowns of Kansas.

Many believe that, without the cattle drive, Wichita might not have developed into the thriving city it is today. The trail is named after Jesse Chisholm, who had a trading post in Wichita and frequently traded with American Indian tribes throughout much of the region.

To acknowledge the legacy of the trail, Wichita, along with many other cities in Texas and Oklahoma, are holding events throughout the year.

“With attractions like Old Cowtown Museum and the Wichita/Sedgwick County Historical Museum, there are opportunities year-round to take in the history of the Chisholm Trail,” said Susie Santo, president & CEO of Visit Wichita. “We’re thrilled that the 150th anniversary brings even more opportunities to learn about the trail and its significance to Wichita.”

Cowboy music, Chisholm Trail Camp-ins, book club readings, or even drinking a sarsaparilla with a cowboy in the saloon at Cowtown, are all ways you can celebrate the milestone in Wichita. In October, the Delano Fall Fair will honor the anniversary. The historic Delano District in Wichita is known for its history as a place where cowboys – after collecting their pay at the end of a cattle drive – could patronize its many saloons. For a full listing of the many ways to experience “The Year of the Chisholm Trail” in Wichita, visit www.VisitWichita.com/chisholmtrail-150.

In addition to events, the city of Wichita and Sedgwick County have issued proclamations honoring the trail. To learn more about the history of the Chisholm Trail, read information from the Kansas Historical Society here or visit the Wichita/Sedgwick County Historical Museum and Old Cowtown Museum to experience the history as it comes to life.

Two Wichita high school seniors have won the 2017-18 Professor Fran Jabara Scholarship in Entrepreneurship at Wichita State University.

The winners, Zaena Helm and Riley Webb, will each receive $25,000 over four years to attend Wichita State.

The scholarship is one of the most prestigious at WSU and one of the largest entrepreneurship scholarships nationally. To qualify, a student must have a minimum ACT score of 24, a minimum high school GPA of 3.5 and be a declared entrepreneurship major, admitted to WSU by Feb. 1.

The scholarship is named for the late Fran Jabara, who served on the Wichita State faculty for 40 years. He was dean of the College of Business Administration for seven years and founded the Center for Entrepreneurship at WSU, the first of its kind. He received the Faculty Lifetime Achievement Award in 2001 and

the President’s Medal in 2002.

Jabara’s son, Harvey, will represent him at the reception, along with WSU president John Bardo, Barton School of Business dean Anand Desai, faculty and staff.

Riley Webb Webb is a senior at Bishop Carroll Catholic High School, and plans to major in entrepreneurship.

He has participated in cross country, Madrigals Elite Choir, theater and track and field.

Webb has volunteered at Park West Retirement Community and is an altar server and usher at St. Anne Catholic Church. He serves at the Lord’s Diner and works as a gardening coordinator at Stucky Middle School. He was recognized as an outstanding German student and received a Golden Eagle Academic Achievement Award and a National Honor Society Award.

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WestSider Riley Webb, left, and Zaena Helm are the winners of the Professor Fran Jabara Scholarship in Entrepresneurship at WSU.

Cinema Continued from Page 27

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to do much with it. The villains, in fact, are forming the kind of organization that the heroes should be but aren’t.

Like other movies of its type, “Logan” suggests no solution to social problems other than violence – mostly slugfests, despite the razor sharp claws Wolverine and his protege X-23 can extend from their clenched fists.

The newest, and possible best, single

element in “Logan” is the 11-year-old newcomer who portrays X-23, Dafne Keen. Keen has almost no lines in English, but has a menacing, alert charisma that rules the screen and promises a long career in the kind of movies Hollywood feeds on. She offers the only reason I might hope that present trends do not entirely die out too soon.

And unlike almost anything major studios release, “Logan” allows some relaxation between battles and bouts of reckless driving. It’s a reminder that in an effective action movie, the descriptor “pacing” does not always need to be preceded by “breakneck.”

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WestSider is a Jabara Scholarship winner

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