Westside story january 2015 by Travis Mounts

January 2015 - 2

Audiology & Hearing Aid Services Inc. 10209 W. Central, Ste. 1 T: 316-260-8990 F: 316-260-8993 8020 E. Central Ave., Ste. 100 T: 316-634-1100 F: 316-634-2928

Licensed Audiologists • Comprehensive Hearing Evaluations • Auditory Processing Evaluations • Programmable and Digital Hearing Aids • Complete after sales in-house service

WestSide Story

Haris Zafar, Ph.D., C.C.C.-A Irene Wagner, Au.D., F., A.A.A.

FREE 7 DAY PASS Take a few days to get to know Anytime Fitness

The passes are FREE, and there is no obligation on your part. One pass per person - Can only be used once - Must be 18 years or older

*Pass includes unlimited 24/7 access, free tanning, and fitness consultation*

5 Locations 215 S Maize Rd • Wichita, KS 67209 • (316) 260-1254 1812 S Seneca St • Wichita, KS 67213 • (316) 440-2771 1615 E 61 St N • Park City, KS 67219 • (316) 719-3883 217 W 7th Ave • Augusta, KS 67010 • (316) 775-9113 320 N Main St • Newton, KS 67114 • (316) 283-5000

Bring in this ad and sign up for one dollar! 5 Wichita Area Locations & 2,500 Locations World Wide www.anytimefitness.com

Mullens Carpet Cleaning Whole House Special*

ON THE COVER

$175

Looking for adventure: WestSider’s Peace Corps stint cut short by Ebola outbreak | 14

*Up To 1200 sq. ft.

Stairs are free and one free room of scotchgard!

Powerful Truck Mount · NO HIDDEN FEES

3 - January 2015

I INSIDE

Volume 30 • Issue 3

Call Now For An Appointment

316-519-9053

On a map of Sierra Leone, Jordyn Giddens points out the town where she had planned to teach English and grammar. She was evacuated before she could take up her assignment. Contributed photo

mullenscarpetcleaning@yahoo.com

Features

Lance Roop pursues his Paralympic dream | 22

Pet Smarts ....................... 6 Cinema Scene ................ 8 Movie Review................. 8 From the Publisher’s Files .................................... 9

Former WestSider heading to Hollywood for ‘American Idol’ | 23

316-667-2429 www.mounthopedental.com

Focus On Business......10 Dateline..........................16 Wichita Homes ............17 People and Places ......18

WestSide Story Editorial

Publisher Paul Rhodes Managing Editor Travis Mounts Graphics Abbygail Wells Reporters/Contributors Sam Jack, Dr. Ron Helten, Jim Erickson, Philip Holmes Sales Valorie Castor, Sherry Machek Billing/Circulation Tori Vinciguerra A Division of Times-Sentinel Newspapers 125 N. Main • P.O. Box 544 Cheney, KS 67025 Phone: (316) 540-0500 Fax: (316) 540-3283

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. Guaranteed home delivery by mail is available for $10 per year. 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. © 2015 Times-Sentinel Newspapers

WestSide Story

Sales & Billing

Now in our 30th year!

January 2015 - 4

WestSide Story 2014: Year in review January 2014

It was a buddy’s football injury that eventually landed Hugh Mason in themiddle-of-nowhere, Haiti. Mason, son of Leonard and Deanna Mason of west Wichita, found himself on an unexpected path in life when his close friend Allen Barker broke his leg in the pursuit of a football career. After the injury, Barker had to reevaluate his path in life. His quest for a new purpose led both men in search of water in the small Caribbean nation. Together, Mason and Barker founded the IFwater project, formerly known as Lighting the Dark, a non-profit organization that builds wells and holding tanks to supply clean water to rural areas in Haiti. “We traveled down to Haiti in 2009, before the earthquake, and saw the need was water,” Mason said. “So we decided to make that our focus.”

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

February 2014

The Sedgwick County Extension in Wichita has been reworked, remodeled and repainted, but Kansas State University Research and Extension’s Sedgwick County Director Bev Dunning won’t be hanging around to enjoy it much longer. On March 1, Dunning, a long-time prominent figure in Sedgwick County, is retiring from the Extension Service after 50 years of employment with the agency, and almost 18 years as director. March 2014

As customers arrive at The Artichoke Sandwich Bar, many glance around the parking lot in search of Patrick Audley’s red and white 1958 Chevrolet Impala. Audley is in high demand; his customers want to visit with him and enjoy his company. “He’s very charismatic,” wife Molly Audley said. “He’s humble, and he’s just genuinely a nice person.” Audley was recently inducted into the Kansas Bluegrass Association Hall of Fame for his support of bluegrass and acoustic music. He opened The Artichoke in February of 1984, and wanted to bring musicians in for weekend performances. “I didn’t want to be identified as a north end bar, or I didn’t want to be identified as a biker bar, or country bar,” Audley said. “I was just looking for an identity.” April 2014

Music was just going to be a hobby for Maize High School grad Kaleigh Glanton, but life has a way of taking unexpected turns.

That was certainly the case for The Voice contestant Glanton, as all four of the network television music competition show’s judges — Shakira, Adam Levine, Usher and Blake Shelton — turned their chairs around hoping to have her on their team for this season’s competition. In her audition, Glanton wowed the coaches with her cover of Creedence Clearwater Revival’s “Have You Ever Seen the Rain?” But after each judge made their case to Glanton, she decided on Shelton as her coach, based on the connection she felt in his eye contact. May 2014

WestSider Pete Reynolds lived his life in the clouds, setting records and earning significant accolades in the aviation industry. But to hear him tell it, he was simply a test pilot. “He was very sweet, and very humble,” Reynolds’ wife Becky said. “A lot of our friends didn’t realize how important he was in his profession because he never talked about it, he never bragged about it even though he was very good at it and a lot of people respected him.” In honor of his achievements, Reynolds was inducted to the Kansas Aviation Hall of Fame in April. Unfortunately, he lost his battle with cancer a few days shy of the ceremony at the Kansas Aviation Museum. June 2014

Maize Elementary School Principal Mike Mountain is retiring after 21 years with the district — and he’s going out with fanfare. “I might be the only principal that’s ever been flash mobbed for retirement,” Mountain said with a laugh. During the last week of school, students and a few teachers plotted to surprise Mountain with a flash mob farewell by planning a last minute tornado drill. Assistant Principal Kathy Woodward explained that the security chief wanted to see how the school used its FEMA shelter. “I thought that was kind of weird, but I said okay,” he said. The day grew stranger as Mountain received a call from the district’s media relations office explaining that they needed photographs of the tornado drill and a local news station would be recording footage for a story about FEMA shelters, Mountain explained. “So I get in there, we do the fire drill, it works great and all of a sudden the kids are all up and they’re doing a flash mob dance and I’m just flabbergasted,”

Mountain said. “It was really a surprise, and what was so unique is that the kids kept it from most of the teachers. A lot of them didn’t even know.” July 2014

WestSider Lewis A. Smith flew a Boeing B-17 for the last time on April 7, 1945. At the end of June, he took to the skies again as a passenger on the “Memphis Belle.” “It just brings back all kinds of memories, it’s a flood of memories, but the main thing is that I love to hear the engines,” Smith said. “The engines on a B-17 have a loud roar, and when you get ‘em synchronized they just sound so beautiful. There’s no airplane nowadays, except the 17, that has those kinds of engines and that kind of a roar.” Smith was a first pilot and a flight commander in World War II. When the Liberty Foundation’s 2014 Salute to Veterans brought the historic “Memphis Belle” to town for the public to tour, he jumped at the chance to ride in a B-17 again. August 2014

WestSide teenager Alexis Smith is a solo act, but she doesn’t really perform alone. Smith, a 15-year-old Northwest High School student, is a ventriloquist with nearly a decade of experience. She began performing ventriloquism as her talent in pageants, something she’s been doing since she was 6. Last month, she was the runner-up in the Sedgwick County Fair’s Got Talent competition in Cheney. She picked up the talent from her aunt Amanda, who also did ventriloquism at pageants. And she’s good at it. In addition to placing second at the county fair, Smith just returned home from the national Our Diamond Miss pageant, where she won the talent portion. That has helped land her a performing gig in Branson later this year.

September 2014

Parents of special-needs children must learn how to advocate for their offspring, and that doesn’t stop when the kids reach adulthood. Three moms started a business in Maize that also serves as a teaching tool and safe environment for their kids, who are employees. MOXI Junction opened in August at 319 S. Park in Maize. Joanna Kilgore, a WestSider whose son has autism, developed the idea to serve coffee and cookies, but the dream grew and recently became reality.

Kilgore owns MOXI Junction, and Scarlett Tully and Pat Leon are actively involved in the venture. Their children – Laren, 27, Kara, 25, and Chris, 23 – inspired the idea. October 2014

The Golden Eagles are celebrating their golden anniversary this year, and that led to a weekend of reminiscing and marking the occasion in September at Bishop Carroll Catholic High School. The school, located at 8101 W. Central, opened Sept. 8, 1964. The $1.5 million, 90-square-foot facility was an all-boys school. Bishop Mark Kenny Carroll, the fifth bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Wichita, spearheaded the establishment of the school. He also established the first Catholic boys’ high school in Wichita Diocese history, but that’s not the one named for him. That was Chaplain Kapaun Memorial High School, opened in 1957 and named for Emil Kapaun. Madonna High School for girls opened in West Wichita in 1966, but the students merged with the boys at Bishop Carroll school in 1971.

November 2014

Lacrosse isn’t among the most popular sports in Wichita, and some athletes laugh at lacrosse players – until they try it. “It’s the warrior sport, and it was used to train warriors in strength and stamina,” said Bob Kelly of the Spartan Lacrosse Club of Wichita. “Nowadays it can be used for the same thing. I pitched it to my football players as a way to stay in shape for the next football season.” Kelly said he had made some converts of those who doubted the sport’s validity. “They realize, ‘Hey, this is pretty tough,’ but they also really, really enjoy it,” he said.

December 2014

A Wichita broadcasting legend has left the airwaves. On Nov. 25, longtime photojournalist, reporter and anchor Larry Hatteberg – a longtime WestSide resident – anchored his last newscast for KAKE-TV, the only fulltime employer Hatteberg has ever known. He announced his retirement on Nov. 10 to members of the Downtown Rotary Club, where he was a regular attendee. The newscast capped a career of more than 51 years at the station, where he has held nearly every job in the newsroom – photojournalist, anchor, reporter, news director.

5 - January 2015

BCCHS seniors sign soccer letters of intent

Two Bishop Carroll Catholic High School seniors signed letters of intent on Dec. 10 to play soccer in college next year. Jami Reichenberger plans to attend Butler Community College. Her parents are Ron and Joni Reichenberger, and she plans to major in athletic training. Jordan Smith plans to attend Hutchinson Community College. Her parents are Chris and Bernadette Walter, and she plans to major in sports management. Their BCCHS soccer coach has been Greg Rauch, the HCC coach is Sammy Lane and the Butler coach is Adam Hunter. Reichenberger, left, and Smith, right, are pictured with their parents and Rausch, center. Contributed photo

Homes affected by groundwater contamination receive city water

WestSide Story

Homes affected by groundwater contamination in West Wichita who have requested connection to City of Wichita water have been connected. The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE), in partnership with the City of Wichita, successfully completed the connection of 197 residences to city water. In early 2014, KDHE began investigating groundwater contaminated with tetrachloroethylene (PCE), a volatile organic chemical commonly used in dry cleaning. KDHE identiﬁed two sources of the PCE found in an area to the south and southeast of Best Cleaners and the former Four Seasons Dry Cleaners near Central and Tyler in Wichita. Many homes in the area of concern had private drinking water wells, and KDHE conducted testing for elevated levels of PCE in these wells. Homes found with contamination levels above the EPA accepted safety standard, were provided with bottled drinking water and a carbon ﬁltration system, when necessary, until homes could be connected to City of Wichita water. KDHE spent approximately $2.5 million from the Dry Cleaning Trust Fund to connect homes to city water. The KDHE dry cleaning trust fund is funded by a solvent fee paid by dry cleaners when buying PCE and by a 2.5 percent environmental surcharge on each dry cleaning bill in Kansas.

January 2015 - 6

A pet’s New Year’s resolution

FACES

WANTED. At the WestSide Story, we’re already working on feature stories for upcoming editions. If you know of someone whose face (and story) should appear on these pages, please let us know!

As your pet, I don’t always do what is best for me. Like a child, I like to be spoiled with lots of attention, food that tastes good, and for you to spend all of your time with only me. In this new year, I resolve to make a few changes to help me be a healthier, more loved pet. Nutrition. I like table food, but I realize that if I eat people food I most likely will get fat and not live as long. Also, I have found out that soft food sticks to my teeth and soon I will have bad breath and teeth that need to be cleaned. I heard that involves sedation…YIKES! I vow to eat my dry food with maybe just a few treats added in. Exercise. I like to be lazy and lay around the house. If you will play with me or take me for a walk, I promise to sleep all night and not chew on your favorite house plant. Vaccinations and veterinary care. I

Pet Smarts

Dr. Ron Helten | Veterinarian

don’t like to get shots but I know that they are needed to keep me healthy. Blood work is not all that pleasant to have performed, but if health issues are found, they can usually be treated early so I will live longer and you will be able to spoil me longer, too. I know that resolutions can be hard to keep, but if you work with me, I know that we will both have a happy new year.

news@tsnews.com 316-540-0500 www.facebook.com/ TheWestSideStory

Garden classes offered in February Both beginning and advanced home food gardeners will ﬁnd something to interest them in the 2015 Grow Good Food Gardening Classes. The class series will be held on Tuesday evenings, Feb. 3, 10, 17, 24, and March 3, at the Sedgwick County Extension Education Center, Sunﬂower Room at 21st and Ridge Road in Wichita. Classes will run 7-9 p.m. The cost of the classes is $10 for the entire series. Register online at http://growgoodfood.eventbrite.com or call 316-660-0100. The topics are: Feb. 3, basic vegetable gardening; Feb. 10, planning and planting to preserve; Feb. 17, weed control and growing tomatoes; Feb. 24, season extension and fall gardening; March 3, growing grapes and blackberries.

WestSide Story

Vegetable growers workshop planned Locally grown vegetables are fresh, delicious, and can boost the local economy. The sixth annual Central Kansas Market Vegetable Growers Workshop, sponsored by Sedgwick, Butler, Harvey, and Reno County Extension, will give both beginning and experienced vegetable growers new skills to improve their production methods and marketing skills for selling their local vegetables, while meeting an increasing demand for locally grown produce. The workshop will be held Saturday, Feb. 7, from 8:45 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. in 4-H Hall at the Sedgwick County Extension Education Center at 21st and Ridge in Wichita. The cost of registration is $20 by Jan. 31 and $25 after that. The registration deadline is Feb. 5. Register online at http://2015ckmvgw.eventbrite.com or by calling 316-660-0100. The workshop will cover the basic vegetable and fruit production issues, as well as special topics related to beekeeping, growing cut ﬂowers, and wildlife pest control. The keynote speaker is Scott Thellman of Juniper Hill Farms in Lawrence. He will be sharing how the farm has grown through selling vegetables in outlets other than the farmers market. For more information, call Rebecca McMahon at 316-660-0142.

The City of Wichita has announced the promotion of Jim Mason as the director of Great Plains Nature Center (GPNC), effective Friday, Dec. 19. Mason replaced Lorrie Beck, who is retiring after two years in the post. Mason, a Wichita native, earned a bachelor’s in science degree in biology in 1975 from the University of Kansas. He has worked for Wichita’s Park & Recreation Department since 1978. He began working as a naturalist with the Wichita Wild program in 1988. Jim is the author of two local history books, published by Arcadia Publications: “Wichita’s Riverside Parks” in the “Images of America” series and “Wichita” in the “Postcard History” series.

He is co-author of the Great Plains Nature Center “Pocket Guide to Kansas Freshwater Mussels” and author of the GPNC “Pocket Guide to Common Kansas Butterﬂies.” He has written articles for the Kansas Sportsman and the Kansas Wildﬂower Society newsletter. GPNC, located at 6232 E. 29th Street North, is a partnership between the City, the Kansas Department of Wildlife, Parks and Tourism and the United States Fish & Wildlife Service. It provides programs, tours and other opportunities for residents to learn about natural resources, especially the wildlife and plant species inhabiting the Great Plains region. Mason will oversee seven staffers in addition to volunteers.

7 - January 2015

Great Plains Nature Center has a new director

Resolve to give blood this year Church, 2001 N. Maize Road. • Jan. 12, 3:45-6:45 p.m., Calvary United Methodist Church, 2525 N. Rock Road. • Jan. 14, 3-7 p.m., St. Patrick’s School, 2023 Arkansas. • Jan. 14, 2-6 p.m., Maize Recreation Center, 10100 Grady Avenue in Maize. • Jan. 18, 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., St. Catherine of Siena, 3636 N. Ridge Road. • Jan. 18, 12:30-3:30 p.m., Wichita Church of Christ, 4100 W. Memory Lane. • Jan. 24, 8:30 a.m.-1 p.m., St. Francis of Assisi, 861 N. Socora. • Jan. 25, 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m., St. Margaret Mary Church, 2635 Pattie. • Jan. 25, 10:30 a.m.-1:45 p.m. Bethany Lutheran Church, 1000 W. 26th St. S. • Jan. 25, 11:15 a.m.-2:30 p.m., Northside Church of Christ, 4545 N. Meridian. • Jan. 26, 3-7 p.m. Church of the Magdalen, 2221 N. 127th Street E. • Jan. 27, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Wichita State University Rhatigan Student Center, 1845 Fairmount. • Jan. 28, 3-7 p.m., St. Patrick’s School, 2023 Arkansas. The Wichita Blood Donation Center at 707 N. Main Street is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursdays: 10 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.; 7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Friday, and 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday.

WestSide Story

The American Red Cross is asking eligible blood donors to make a resolution to give blood regularly in 2015, beginning with National Blood Donor Month in January. National Blood Donor Month recognizes the importance of giving blood and platelets while honoring those who roll up a sleeve to help patients in need. It has been observed during January since 1970, and that’s no coincidence. Winter is an especially difﬁcult time to collect enough blood to meet patient needs. Unpredictable winter weather can result in blood drive cancelations, and seasonal illnesses, like the ﬂu, may cause some donors to be unable to make or keep blood donation appointments. Donors of all blood types are needed, especially those with O negative, A negative and B negative. With a shelf life of 42 days, red blood cells must be constantly replenished to maintain an adequate supply for patients. Individuals who come out to give blood Jan. 1 through Jan. 4 will receive a long-sleeve Red Cross T-shirt, while supplies last. To learn more about donating blood and to schedule an appointment, download the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visit redcrossblood.org or call 1-800RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767). Upcoming blood donation opportunities include: • Jan. 12, 1:30-5:30 p.m., Pathway

January 2015 - 8 W e s t S i d e S t o r y

‘Wild’ is latest of the ‘short walk’ movies “Wild,” starring Reese Witherspoon, is the latest in a minor genre series of movies that includes last year’s “Nebraska,” this year’s “Redwood Highway” with Shirley Knight and Robert Redford’s forthcoming “A Walk in the Woods.” Let’s call these the “short walk” movies (although “Nebraska” was by car to keep Bruce Dern from attempting to go on foot), in which one or two people go on relatively brief journeys for personal motives, in contrast with travel movies like “The Grapes of Wrath” which involved a small group as representatives of a large movement, or “quest” movies like the “Lord of the Rings” series, which involved a social purpose. Other “trip” movies range from “The Wizard of Oz” to “Easy Rider” to “It Happened One Night.” Americans are supposed to have a weakness for “movement” movies like these. In “Wild,” Reese Witherspoon acts out Cheryl Strayed’s memoir of her 1,000 mile hike along the Pacific Crest Trail – from the Mojave Desert through Oregon, to Washington State – in an attempt to get over the ravages of losing her mother, Laura Dern, and what flashbacks gradually reveal to have been a pretty shabby mess of a life.

Movie Review

Jim Erickson

She apparently just drifts with whatever tide carries her, dealing with problems by escaping them through alcohol and drugs, until she needs to “walk myself back into the woman my mother thought I was,” presumably by putting herself into situations where she can’t escape and has to struggle through mostly on her own. I think she also learns that the world is full of people who, while hardly in the heroic mold of Dern, are better than the pretty scummy ones in her life so far. And that’s really about all “Wild” consists of – a series of encounters with problems the protagonist has to solve either entirely on her own, or with what help she can get from strangers on the trail or at the prepared stops along the way, which range from mere camping

grounds to little cities. A young woman like Witherspoon ought to know better than to wander off into the wilderness alone, and there is a continual sense of danger that I’m not going to elaborate on, because I don’t want to ruin the suspense, which is considerable enough that I didn’t finish either my large buttered popcorn or my medium soda pop, the first time that has happened in I don’t know how long. Witherspoon’s immaturity and amateur status in the beginning are revealed by such foolishness as throwing her hiking shoes away in a fit of temper, and by her comical struggles with her over-heavy pack. Her most obvious development is in simple physical strength and ability to handle her tent and other equipment; these are not huge matters, but she is learning to take care of herself and nobdy is helping her. Even such a simple matter as camp-cooking her porridge is subject to improvement and personal satisfaction. Closing narration tells us what the future will hold for her, presumably as a result of what her long walk has taught her. Her unhappy past is revealed very gradually, in tiny memory flashes so short that they hardly suggest memory at

work; the intention may be to avoid the impression that she is brooding over her past. The flashes are out of chronology and not always clearly relevant to her present situation. I suspect that “Wild” is closer to Strayed’s real experience than is artistically desirable, but the slow development of the picture of a messed-up life has narrative interest and does not take the emphasis away from the story of the trip. The people along the way can hardly be deep studies, but they are all individualized, and some offer surprises. Scenery is beautiful, but kept subordinate to the walk itself: “Wild” does not indulge in extraneous elements. There is a fair amount of humor, mostly of the chuckle variety. The struggle with the pack verges on slapstick, and Witherspoon’s determination not to be taken for a hobo is one of my favorite bits, perhaps because it’s based on character. Witherspoon is totally convincing throughout, letting the situations carry the movie instead of indulging in acting tricks, glamorization or melodrama, even in flashbacks. And let me repeat: “Wild” is the only movie I’ve reviewed that kept me so involved that I didn’t finish my popcorn.

Reviewer admits he may be obsessed about ‘The Theory of Everything’ I have been forewarned of a cold reception to my supposed obsession with the sex life of Stephen Hawking, as represented by Eddie Redmayne in “The Theory of Everything.” My suspicions were based largely on Hawking’s physical position in his chair, the same in every picture I’d seen of him, which seemed to preclude normal intercourse. There were a number of shots and episodes involving his nurse. There was also a man I will call the Music Man because I don’t know the name of the actor (nor do I know the actress who played the nurse). Why was the nurse so consistently played as flirting with Hawking, and why was Hawking always shown to be appreciative of it? Why were they shown reading “Penthouse” together? I could imagine that we had four sympathetic characters trying to arrange a lifestyle allowing maximum happiness all around, with Hawking needing special attention because of his dreadful condition and his wife (Felicity Jones: I am not likely ever to forget about her) allowed consolation with the Music Man due to the inadequacies of her physical relationship with Hawking.

Cinema Scene

Jim Erickson

The movie, despite its deceptive title, is not about Hawking’s theories, and I’m thankful for that; I can’t read Hawking’s “A Brief History of Time,” or even “Scientific American,” and no two-hour movie could make me understand modern physics. The movie is about Hawking and his wife, and my questions arose naturally from it. But they kept nagging at me, and I got that one response to my review. And the movie had included a very unusual credit, to the effect that it was based on “Travelling to Infinity: My Life with Stephen Hawking,” by Jane Hawking, but that details had been “fictionalized” to the point that resemblances to real life might be purely coincidental.

I have never seen an end note like that before. My suspicion was that the movie had been censored, certainly after being written, maybe after being shot. So I finally bought the book, and while the line “our three handsome, well-adjusted, very loving children” pretty well eliminated my suspicions about paternity (a man in the audience suspected artificial insemination), most of my suspicions proved out. The wife did have a prolonged affair with the man corresponding to my Music Man. Hawking did have an affair with, and eventually married, his nurse, and, quoting Jane Hawking’s book, “I thought that we had achieved a balance whereby everyone could flourish.” “The Theory of Everything” would have been far more original, though far more difficult to make, if it had stuck to the facts of the book. ••••• The changes to “Theory” were probably intended to make the movie more inspirational. I’ll not venture into disputing historical facts, but what “Exodus: Gods and Kings” does to the details of its original is harder to understand. The story of Moses is well enough

known that little gaps in the telling may not be noticed. And I am familiar with efforts to explain the Bible’s several miracles in naturalistic terms, though I have never seen that these are contributions to Christianity, because they remove God from the picture. “Exodus” does not eliminate the supernatural; it even shows God as a human being. But a nine year old boy? I can’t see what that adds to Christianity or historical credibility or anything. And a plague of crocodiles? Moses doesn’t cause the parting of the Red Sea or warn the pharaoh about the plagues, at least before they are well under way. He also scratches the Ten Commandments onto a slab of stone while the nine-year-old God just sits in the background and watches – and that’s about where the story ends: no golden calf, no forty years in the wilderness. There is no interest in Moses or his story here; director Ridley Scott is only interested in visual spectacle. He prefers a pack of tornados to Charlton Heston waving a staff and commanding the water to recede, but he stills get the See ERICKSON, Page 9

By the time you read this column, the New Year will be upon us. Some would say it couldn’t have arrived soon enough, but I can honestly say this was a Christmas season to savor. I didn’t get into the holiday spirit until well into December, but that wasn’t an issue. Once the Christmas music started playing, so to speak, it never stopped. My holiday consisted of ample time with friends and family, some comfortable travels, and some gift exchanges that made me glow from the inside out. My immediate family found me to be a generous gift-giver this Christmas, but I also hope they found me to be a thoughtful shopper this year, as well. This was a year where my holiday travels put me into contact with lots of extended family members and friends, and I tried to be more of a mindful giver this year than an extravagant one. I am guessing that you probably know what I mean. If you truly spend even a few minutes thinking about a person upon whom you want to bestow a gift, and have been a halfway decent listener in terms of their lives, you can come up with a gift that matches either a lifestyle or an interest connected with that person. The resulting smiles can be very heartwarming. I got to experience that a few times on the giving end this Christmas… and on the receiving end, as well! Several thoughtful gifts were delivered my way this holiday season, and I am truly appreciative of those efforts. My daughters, cognizant of my healthy

Erickson Continued from Page 8

New location! 16213 NE 30th, Cheney

WE CAN FIX HAIL DAMAGE Paintless Dent Removal

From the Publisher’s Files

Call for a quote!

WATCH OUT FOR DEER!

Farrell’s Body & Paint Shop

Paul Rhodes | Publisher

cooking efforts following my heart attack earlier this year, gave me infused olive oils and no-salt spices that already have been used in my kitchen. A copy of a caricature I had done this past fall for my grandson, and loved, came back to me as a framed copy and as a Christmas ornament. And a friend who knows I like to wear leather bracelets gave me a new one to wear on special occasions. All of these gifts, and others, will be treasured…and remembered. Gifts that help create lasting memories just keep on giving, as they say, and I love it when that happens. Almost always, it has nothing to do with the amount of money spent on the gift. It’s all about the thought that went into designing, acquiring or crafting the gift. I hope your holiday season was ﬁlled with similar joys. And just as importantly, my wish for the New Year is that all of us can ﬁnd the freedom, joy and happiness in our lives that we so richly deserve. May 2015 be your happiest New Year ever!

will go along with you. Windy explanations won’t persuade anybody, so just give imaginations an excuse to go crazy and keep the action moving. Say that in another galaxy the laws of Earthly physics don’t apply and let it go at that, with a planet orbiting a black hole with gravity so powerful that light itself cannot get out. Picture a wormhole in space as big as the Holland Tunnel, but don’t discuss it. Audiences will accept anything in fantasy; don’t insult their intelligence by calling it science ﬁction. There’s no already-accepted story to get in your way, so enjoy your freedom.

(316) 540-3303 • (800) 774-7858 Ask about our full-car detail services

Esther Farrell, owner

Free towing • Free pick-up and delivery if necessary

HELTEN VETERINARY CLINIC New Clients Welcome! 10% Discount On First Visit Please Call For An Appointment

Call Helten Veterinary Clinic if your pet is not current on vaccinations.

942-1002

Mon-Fri 8am - 5:30pm Sat 8 - 11:30am

6630 W. Central

www.heltenveterinaryclinic.com

WestSide Story

spectacle and the widescreen masses of people he so adores. “Exodus” is about hugeness of crowds and buildings and statues and whateverall. The credits include an endless list of graphic artists who created it. ••••• “Interstellar” handles the extraordinary more sensibly. Just drop in a few words about the effect of gravity on time and then do what you want to; the audience

Farrell’s is still open!

9 - January 2015

Delivering smiles through the holiday season

January 2015 - 10

Featured this month Kitchen Tune-Up........................... Page 10 Angels Care Home Health.............Page 11 Meschke Dental............................. Page 12

WestSide Story

FOCUS ON BUSINESS

Auburn Spirits................................ Page 12

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.

New year, new kitchen! You’ve wanted it for years but just couldn’t pull the trigger. But now is the perfect time of year to get that new kitchen you’ve always wanted. Maybe it’s just a few updates, or maybe it’s a whole new remodel. Whatever you want, get it done now so you can be ready to enjoy it all year long. Kitchen Tune-Up has remodeled hundreds of kitchens and baths since Jim and Arlene Phillips started the business in 2005, and the company’s services range from One-Day Restoration “Tune-Up” of cabinets or any interior wood surfaces, to cabinet refacing projects, to complete custom kitchens and bathrooms. This beautiful kitchen from Kitchen TuneUp (pictured at right) could be the new look for your new year. Classic, dark glazed-maple cabinets are accented with a distressed black island and hood. Furniture legs and unique Lapidus granite give this space a high-end feel while the over hang on the expansive island makes a perfect cozy spot for homework or a cup of coffee. State-of-the-art appliances like the gas cooktop, convection oven, microwave and double dishwasher drawers make cooking and cleaning a breeze. Ready to make your kitchen life even better? Organizational cabinets like the recycling bins, appliance garage, Lazy Susan, cookie

sheet drawers and extra deep drawers for pots and pans make finding things a snap. A custom travertine backsplash, pot rack over the island and apothecary drawers on the buffet finish off the space with outstanding detail. Whether you are looking for classic traditional, cool contemporary, shabby chic or somewhere in between, Kitchen Tune-Up can help create the kitchen you deserve this New Year. Tune-Up or reface your existing cabinets for a fresh new look. Switch out your laminate for a maintenance friendly quartz or granite. Cook in comfort with quality built custom cabinets. All of Kitchen Tune-Up’s refacing and new construction options can now come to life at the company’s new design workroom at 4057 N. Woodlawn, Suite 1. Inside the design workroom, dreams become a reality as clients share their ideas. Designer Rachel Phillips helps match up those ideas with the right materials and products to get the job done. Kitchen Tune-Up has the solution for your space and your budget to get 2015 off to a great start. Consultations are free, so call 316558-8888 to schedule today! You can 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 (Jim and Arlene Phillips)!

This beautiful kitchen from Kitchen TuneUp could be the new look for your new year. You can check out the company’s extensive BEFORE/AFTER portfolio on Facebook.

Angels Care Home Health is a Medicare-certified home health agency that is owned and operated by AngMar Medical Holdings, Inc., a privately held family company based in Mansfield, Texas. AngMar operates a network of agencies with 64 locations in nine states, including Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, Ohio, Oklahoma and Texas. The companies that serve patients under the AngMar umbrella include: Wichita’s Angels Care Home Health, Angels Above Us, Angel Care Health Services, Family Care of Texas, Crown Health Services and Specialty Nurses. Since 2000, AngMar’s team of health care professionals has served an estimated 88,000 patients. Those numbers continue to grow, fueled by the specialized, patient-centered care that the company provides and by its commitment to excellence in serving its local communities. Angels Care Home Health admits patients 24 hours a day, seven days a week. When its patients are first admitted onto service, they receive more visits from nurses and therapists in the first two weeks than is typical of the average home health agency. This extra support in the initial healing process is crucial in assisting the patient to quickly regain their confidence and independence. Education through its disease management programs also distinguishes Angels Care from other home health agencies. Whether patients are coping with chronic illness, healing from an injury or relearning lost skills, they have the resources to help them manage their condition and enjoy quality living at home. “Receiving medical care at home from Angels Care allows our senior patients to become more involved in the management of their condition, experience a higher level of independence, and recover more quickly,” said Carmen Deffenbaugh, Administrator of Angels Care

Home Health. Angels Care Home Health provides skilled nursing care, restorative therapy and medical social services to patients in their homes or wherever they may reside, including assisted living facilities and retirement communities. Under the direction of the physician, Angels Care administers medical services to the patient while strictly adhering to the physician’s plan of care. “Angels Care’s services are beneficial because we create a continuum of care throughout the disease process,” adds Deffenbaugh. “We emphasize patient and family education, which empowers the patient to take an active role in the management of their condition.” Through its disease management and other specialty programs, Angels Care provides supportive care education of the disease process to the patient, family and caregivers. Education is a powerful tool in helping patients modify their lifestyle behaviors and optimally manage their condition. The goal of Angels Care Home Health is to make it possible for seniors to receive quality health care at home so they can remain independent and continue to lead safe, healthy and productive lives. Angels Care’s skilled nursing and therapy staff is comprised of Registered Nurses, Licensed Vocational/Practical Nurses, Physical and Occupational Therapists and Speech Language Pathologists.

Angels Care strives to not only deliver its core services, but to teach its caregivers and patients about their disease. This approach empowers them to take control of the disease, reducing the need for emergency care. “Home health care is a cost-effective method of receiving health care services and patients have a choice,” said Deffenbaugh. “When given a choice, the seniors in our communities want to age in the comfort of their homes where they can

enjoy the support of family and friends – and feel confident with the skilled care they receive from nurses and therapists dedicated to helping them live better and more independently.” To schedule an evaluation or learn more information about the benefits of Home Health care, contact Angels Care Home Health in Wichita at 316-6364000 or visit www.angelscarehealth.com/ Wichita. At Angels Care Home Health, we serve patients! Angels Care Home Health is a Medicare-certified home health agency that is owned and operated by AngMar Medical Holdings, Inc., a privately-held family company with a network of 64 locations in nine states.

WestSide Story

Physical therapy is one of the many services offered by Angels Care Home Health.

The staff at Angels Care Home Health is ready to admit patients 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

1 1 - J a n u a r y 2 0 1 5

Angels Care Home Health puts patients first

15 questions for you in 2015 1) Do you believe you will live to see another major stock market downturn?

8) If you want protection for your portfolio if the market crashes, how will you know when to take defensive steps to protect your investments?

2) Do you remember: a) when the technology bubble burst and we had a three year bear market (2000 – 2003)? b) when the housing bubble burst and we had a ﬁnancial crisis and a two year bear market (2008 – 2009)?

9) If you use a ﬁnancial advisor, are you conﬁdent that your advisor has both the metrics and the mindset to make timely defensive moves? Did your advisor do so in either 2000 or 2008? If not, what do you think will be different the next time?

3) Do you understand that Federal Reserve monetary policy was the primary contributing factor for these bubbles?

10) Can you imagine how much money is typically left in harm’s way when markets crumble?

4) Do you realize that since 2008 the Fed has massively increased the size of its balance sheet from roughly $850 billion to about $4.5 trillion today and that these actions dwarf what the Fed did prior to the other bubbles?

11) Would an investment approach (not annuities!) that allows occasional modest declines but actively seeks to protect your portfolio from major drops appeal to you?

5) Can you accept the premise that the vast amount of “quantitative easing” and the extended artiﬁcially low interest rates may ultimately herald either a bubble-producing liquidity buildup or rising interest rates, either of which could derail the economic recovery?

12) Do you know your own risk score, the implications of your risk score, and how to compare it to the risk score of your portfolio? 13) Do you want your portfolio decisions to be made in the context of a personal ﬁnancial plan which reﬂects your goals and concerns and is updated annually?

6) Have you noticed that when the stock market is doing reasonably well, many investors and advisors can feel comfortable and be complacent?

14) Are you interested in learning how the tools and techniques of Coe Financial Services might work for you?

7) When you think about what the Fed and other major central banks around the world have done (a very dangerous and massive experiment of unprecedented magnitude), do you think there is any realistic chance that this party will end well?

15) Would you be willing to invest an hour of your time for a no obligation meeting to learn more about what we do and why? If so, this is your opportunity to call Richard Coe at 689-0900 or email him at jrcoe@CoeFinancialServices.com.

Financial advisors Jim DeKalb, left, and Richard Coe help build strong and lasting relationships with their clients. The keys to maintaining those relationships are communication and service.

City of Wichita officials have announced a new interactive website that allows citizens to track the location of the city’s snow plows. All 50 of the city’s snow plows are equipped with GPS and will provide real-time data to citizens to determine which streets and areas have been treated. “This is our latest effort to improve how we respond to snow events and also provide citizens with the information they need to travel safely during these events,” said Alan King, the Director of Public Works & Utilities. Residents can follow the plows during winter events at www.wichita.gov/snowremoval. Should significant accumulation occur, city crews will operate all 50 snow plows roundthe-clock in an effort to clear the streets. Around 100 city truck drivers and equipment operators will be on standby to work 12-hour shifts should accumulation occur. These crews will first focus on 1,500 lane miles of emergency priority routes, and then will transition to secondary and school routes.

13 - January 2015

City launches snow plow tracking

Follow the city of Wichita’s snow plows online at www.wichita.gov/snowremoval

“Convenient Quality Dentistry In A Caring Environment”

New Patients Always Welcome

• Complete Family Dentistry • Cosmetic Dentistry • Most Insurance Accepted • Nitrous Oxide • Root Canal Therapy • Periodontics (Gum Disease) • Teeth Whitening • Dentures & Partials • Crowns & Bridges

Short Season Leagues Forming Now!

In Our Office: Only Registered Hygienists Clean Teeth Discount When Paid In Full On Day Of Service

Dr. Sabina May Dr. Jeff Smith 749 N. Ridge Rd. Dr. Brent Carpenter 942-5358 Dr. Richard Clark Monday-Thursday • 8 am - 9 pm Friday • 8 am - 5 pm Saturday by Appointment

Members of ADA, KDA, & WDDS

444 N. Ridge Rd. • Wichita Just south of Central www.dentalassociatesks.com

WestSide Story

722-5211

Flexible Payment Plans Care Credit With Approved Credit

January 2015 - 14

Looking for adventure Jordyn Giddens, kneeling second from left, is pictured with other Peace Corps volunteers and residents of a village on the outskirts of Bo, Sierra Leone.

Ebola ends WestSider’s Peace Corps trek WestSider Jordyn Giddens’ journey to Sierra Leone as a Peace Corps volunteer began with a high school career test and ended, in the face of an increasingly severe Ebola epidemic, with a hasty evacuation after two months in the country. Giddens was looking for an adventure, she said, and an adventure was what she got – but not the adventure she was expecting.

WestSide Story

Joining up “Peace Corps sort of became the endgame for me after a career test said I should go into humanitarianism,” said Giddens. “I remember talking to the counselor and asking what that would entail, and she suggested the Peace Corps. After the Haitian tsunami, earthquake and all that stuff, I looked into it more seriously.” Giddens graduated from Goddard High School in 2009 and went on to the University of Oklahoma, where she studied advertising and graphic design. “After college, the job market wasn’t really there for advertising, so I decided to apply (to the Peace Corps),” said Giddens. “The application was a really long process. You had to submit your background check, your references and a couple papers, and then there was an interview. Then you got your nomination, which didn’t necessarily mean you were in yet. I got my invitation to teach in Sierra Leone in February, and I had applied almost a year before.” Giddens’ ﬁrst reaction to the news of her selection was to locate Sierra Leone on a map and learn some

STORY

SAM JACK

CONTRIBUTED

PHOTOS

basics about the coastal West African country, a democratic nation with a third the land area of Kansas and a population of about six million. According to the United Nations Development Program, it is the poorest country in the world. “My whole family and most of my friends are teachers, and I had been trying my entire life to avoid teaching, yet I got a teaching assignment. Actually I was pretty excited, because it was going to be literature and grammar and stuff that I enjoyed,” said Giddens. It was a 27-month commitment, entailing three months of training followed by two years working as a volunteer in the country. Giddens could not hold back from immediately accepting the Peace Corps’ offer, but she waited around two weeks to tell family and friends that she was joining up and heading to Africa. “My family wasn’t excited. They were not excited,” said Giddens. “I think they were happy I was doing something I would really love, but they knew about Ebola, it was a serious thing even before we left, so they were nervous about that.” Ebola has caused over 8,000 deaths worldwide since Guinean health officials first identified the epidemic in late March of 2014. The World Health Organization reported the first Sierra Leonean cases on May 26. The disease causes widespread internal and external bleeding, and the fatality rate averages 50 percent, according to the W.H.O.

Giddens boarded a ﬂight to Freetown, Sierra Leone, on June 15. Five days after her arrival, the W.H.O. reported more than 150 cases of Ebola in the country.

Touching down Giddens and her fellow volunteers had already completed online study modules about the Peace Corps’ core values, and they received a single day of in-person training before leaving for Africa. But the Peace Corps approach is to deal with most of the “culture shock” while immersed in the culture itself, Giddens explained. “We landed on a dirt runway. We got off the air-conditioned plane in our nice clothes and were greeted by sweltering humidity, like nothing I had ever experienced before. Every newspaper in the country was there to welcome us, because the Peace Corps is a huge deal in Sierra Leone,” she said. A cultural liaison was there to greet the new arrivals. “The guide told us to keep our bags close, that people would offer to help with them but would really be trying to steal them,” said Giddens. The group of Americans spent their ﬁrst week at a gated compound in Freetown, the nation’s capital and largest city, receiving a crash course in Sierra Leonean culture, language and mores. Though English is the ofﬁcial language, it is not widely spoken outside of urban areas, Giddens said. Krio, a hybrid of English and indigenous West African languages such as Yoruba, is the lingua franca, uniting almost all Sierra Leoneans.

The bulk of Giddens’ training took place in Bo, a city of about 300,000, 100 miles southeast and inland from the coastal Freetown. Instead of living in a gated compound, Giddens was placed with a host family, a local woman named Memunatu Morisana and her son Sori. With her Peace Corps stint cut short before she could take up her teaching assignment, Giddens looks back on the experience of living in a Sierra Leonean home as her most significant contact with local people and culture. “The host family had its ups and downs,” said Giddens. “I got pretty lucky, because my host family was more well off. They had tile floors and an indoor bathroom, so I didn’t have to worry about going outside and getting into trouble at night.” Every morning, Morisana, who Giddens called her “host mom,” roused the household at 6 a.m. to sweep the floors and say daily prayers. “I’m not a morning person, so that took some getting used to,” said Giddens. “I loved my little host brother. That was probably one of my favorite experiences of the whole thing. He was 11 years old, and he would be so excited that his ‘big sister’ was home, and we’d play soccer and this game called stone ball.” A phone call is expensive, but Giddens has kept in touch with her hosts by sending Facebook messages to Sierra Leonean teachers still in the country and having them hand delivered. “They’re doing well and avoiding the whole Ebola thing, which makes me sleep better at night,” said Giddens. The training program that took up Giddens’ days was intense. Sierra Leone has a standardized national curriculum, and instruction generally relies heavily on

rote memorization. “One of the main education goals was to teach them to actually learn it and be able to apply it instead of just memorizing. So we were learning different ways to teach, learning cultural differences. Most of us had never taught before, so we were learning the culture and learning to teach in this one big session. It was a lot to take in,” said Giddens. Giddens’ days were filled with training, and her limited free time was taken up by socializing with her host family and “taking time,” as the local expression put it, with her colleagues and Sierra Leonean friends. “To be honest, we didn’t really know much (about the epidemic). We had a wall in our training center that was dedicated to updates on W.H.O. reports, but it was really just numbers in the country about where Ebola was. It wasn’t like, ‘Here in your neighborhood, watch out for this house or this house.’ It wasn’t always entirely accurate or updated. “We would have community meetings and sit down as a training class, to talk about what to watch out for, washing hands, stuff like that, but we didn’t realize how big the epidemic was until we got out,” said Giddens. On July 14, the first case of Ebola in Bo District, near Giddens’ Peace Corps training center, was reported. By July 17, 442 cases of the disease had been reported nationwide.

Getting out “Sierra Leone is such a social country that every morning as we would walk by on the way to the training center, probably 100 or more people would call out and say hello,” said Giddens. “When we first got there, they would come up and shake your hand. As Ebola got

more serious, people would touch elbows instead, or just wave. It’s such an outgoing culture that to box it in because of fear of a disease – we saw a whole different side of the country than people that had been there a year before.” The volunteers got used to the smell of bleach; hand washing with bleach water was often mandatory prior to entering shops or public buildings. Medical checkpoints and quarantines, which in the months since Giddens’ departure have moved observers to liken areas of Sierra Leone to prison camps, were not yet in great evidence around Bo. The only time Giddens was checked for symptoms of disease was just before boarding a plane to leave the country. “We were starting get suspicious, because they stopped doing as much training with us as they had been. We started to get worried that they were trying to make the decision of whether or not to pull us out,” said Giddens. On Monday, July 28, Giddens finished a day of training and walked with friends to another volunteer’s house to “take time.” The group got simultaneous texts from the program manager, calling them back for a meeting. “We knew at that point that there’d be no reason to call us back if we weren’t getting evacuated,” said Giddens. Giddens believes the risk posed by Ebola itself was not at the top of the list of reasons for the evacuation. Hospitals around the country were beginning to fill up with Ebola victims, threatening to make medical care difficult or impossible if a volunteer broke a leg or came down with the flu. And talk of closing the airport made evacuation seem like a “now or never” proposition; the U.S. government did not want to be in the position of having to use military planes to get volunteers out. “At the meeting, they told us to pack our stuff and be ready to leave. The next day, we went through the See GIDDENS, Page 23

WestSide Story

Peace Corps organizers posted updates on the Ebola epidemic at the training center. Notices piled up as the crisis accelerated in the days before the volunteers’ evacuation.

Giddens, right, stayed with host family Memunatu and Sori Morisana during her Peace Corps training in Bo, Sierra Leone. The family rose at 6 a.m. every day for prayer, Giddens said.

1 5 - J a n u a r y 2 0 1 5

Moving inland

January 2015 - 16

Dateline January 2015 Jan. 13 – The Mid Kansas Texas A&M Club and Chancel Choir of East Heights United Methodist Church will host the “Voice of Aggieland,” the Texas A&M Singing Cadets. The Texas A&M Singing Cadets Concerts will be at 7 p.m. in the East Heights United Methodist Church Sanctuary. Free will donation. Jan. 17 – “The Table of Brotherhood,” Martin Luther King, Jr., celebration. 8 a.m., pancake breakfast at Christian Faith Center, 1130 S. Broadway; 10 a.m., parade from Christian Faith Center to Chester I. Lewis Reflection Park; 11 a.m., community project at The Kansas African-American Museum, collecting books for children in West Africa, 601 N. Water; 7 p.m, MLK celebration and program, Chapel Hill United Methodist Church, 1550 N. Chapel Hill Drive (across for east Warren Theatre), admission is a $3 button available at Quik Trip (Broadway & Kellogg, Broadway & Murdock, Seneca & Douglas, 13th & Oliver, Central & Oliver), P&P Seed and Bait, St. Mark UMC Church and The Kansas African-American Museum.

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

Jan. 17 – Discovering your family on the

members worked to provide wadding for the guns, or food and laundry services for the soldiers, or fought on the front lines.

Dateline

Upcoming events in and around Wichita

Internet, 10 a.m., Midwest Historical & Genealogical Society Library, 1203 N. Main. Discover the most efficient way to find and organize your family data, and the quickest way to access historical records. On-going digitization of documents makes it economical and immediately available for the researcher. Jan. 17 – Ancestors in the American Revolution, 1 p.m., Midwest Historical & Genealogical Society Library, 1203 N. Main. Finding your family who was in the military or provided other support in the American Revolution? Sandi Bush and Lucille Williams of the Daughters of the American Revolution will help you find your ancestors. Maybe one of your family

Jan. 27 – Tuesdays Together, a benefit for LifeVentures, makes its debut this month in time to celebrate Kansas’ 154th birthday. Discover the uniqueness of Kansas historically, along with who and what makes up this country’s heartland. Ken Spurgeon, local historian, author, filmmaker, popular speaker and educator, will be the featured presenter. The luncheon menu includes smothered chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans, homemade rolls and birthday cake. After-lunch entertainment will be provided by Northfield School’s Mixed Ensemble, directed by music director Lauren Johnson. Hours for the event, sponsored by LifeVentures, are 9:45 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., in Hedrick Hall inside East Heights Methodist Church, 4407 E. Douglas. Tickets, available to the public, are $12.50 and need to be purchased by Jan. 21. Call event coordinator, Sara Jones at 316-682-5209 for ticket sales and additional information. Now in its 25th year, LifeVentures is a nonprofit organization providing educational

programs and enrichment activities for active seniors in the greater Wichita area. Jan. 30 – The Women’s Association of the Wichita Symphony will hold its winter luncheon at 11:30 a.m. at Wichita Country Club, 8501 East 13th Street N., Wichita. Following lunch at noon, a musical program will be presented by Time for Three. Before the luncheon at 11:30 a.m., the Wichita Youth Repertory Orchestra will perform. The cost of the lunch is $17. Call Janet Elliott at 316-265-4492 by Jan 26 to make reservations. Guests are welcome. Jan. 31 – Spring gardening classes, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. at Sedgwick County Extension Center, 21st and Ridge. Sponsored by Sedgwick County Extension Master Gardeners. $10 registration fee covers five classes. Register online at http://2015springgardenclasses. eventbrite.com or register by mail by sending name, contact information and fee to Sedgwick County Extension Center, 7001 W. 21st St. N., Wichita, KS 67205. Make checks payable to Sedgwick County Extension Council. To register by phone, call the EMG program coordinator at 316-660-0138.

West Wichita Family Physicians, P.a. Providing complete, comprehensive, accessible, primary medical care to west Wichita and the surrounding area… Total Family Healthcare Newborn/Children’s Care Women’s Health: Digital Mammography, Bone Density Testing, Breast MR Diagnostics: CT (Computerized Tomography) MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) Ultrasound/Sonography • Nuclear Medicine Laboratory • X-Ray • Surgery Center Certified Diabetic Education Classes Aesthetics: Skin Care • Laser Treatments • Cosmetic Injections Medical Grade Skin Care Products

Kirk R. Bliss, DO

Paul W. Huser, MD

Alison K. Raymond, MD

Joe D. Davison, MD

D. Scott Kardatzke, MD

Ronald J. Reichenberger, MD

Larry A. Derksen, DO

Kimberly D. Kenas, DO

Gary W. Reiswig, MD

Jody A. Elson, MD

David K. Lauer, MD

Jeffrey S. Reiswig, MD

Rick W. Friesen, MD

William C. Loewen, MD

David A. Robl, MD

Robert Gonzalez, MD

Michael G. Ludlow, MD

Michael C. Scheve, DO

Kris L. Goodnight, MD

John N. May, MD

Dirk M. Smith, MD

Rebecca L. Green, MD

Stan A. Messner, MD

Edward J. Weippert, MD

Sheryl R. Hemmen, MD

Todd A. Miller, MD

Yao Y. Yang, MD

Mark A. Hilger, MD

Tobie R. Morrow, DO

8200 West Central • Wichita, KS 67212 www.wwfppa.com For Appointments Call:

721-4544

Business & Insurance:

722-6260

If No Answer Call:

262-6262

Minor Care Clinic:

721-4910

Lamps not only provide lighting, they also are a very important decorative accessory. The lampshade will determine the lamp’s overall appeal, so avoid making a big design mistake by pairing up a really nice lamp with a cheap looking or ill-fitting shade. The perfect lampshade is not always easy to go out and find. The process can be really frustrating. For one thing, your shade is going to have very specific requirements. It is not like buying batteries, where you have relatively few sizes to choose from. You need to start by knowing the technical requirements for the lampshade. This involves actually measuring and taking note of the lamp’s unique features. From that point, there are basic guidelines to help. You will need three measurements to begin with if you are replacing a shade: the diameter of the top, the diameter of the bottom and the height along the side. It also is important to know the height from the lamp base to the socket. As a rule of thumb, the bottom of the shade’s diameter should be approximately equal to the base height of the lamp (plus or minus 2 inches). The height of the shade really be-

The WestSide Church Directory

Wichita Homes

Philip Holmes | Interior Designer

comes a function of the harp that holds the shade. The shade should cover the harp and socket completely at eye level. This deﬁnition is a little tricky because it may imply a person standing. You also need to consider eye level when sitting. Nobody wants to sit on your sofa and look at the inner workings of your lamp. As important as the size of the lamp is the lampshade ﬁtting. You need to know how the shade attaches to the lamp. There are many ways that shades are attached to lamps, so it is important that you know what you are looking for, because they are not interchangeable. Some of the more common means of attachment include a clip-on, a harp, and those that attach at the base of the socket. Keep in mind the wattage you would

prefer because it is the shade, not just the lamp, that determines how high your wattage can be. Personally, I go for the highest wattage possible and then use a dimmer device to control the light as needed. It is better to go with a shade that is a little bigger than one that is too small. The color and fabric will also affect how the light is diffused, so keep that in mind when you consider your lighting requirements. And ﬁnally, as a safety precaution, the shade should rest at least a couple of inches from the bulb. Once you have determined the technical requirements of your needed shade, the search narrows to ﬁnding the best style and color to complement your lamp. Lampshades are constructed from a variety of materials. Don’t settle for a plastic or paper shade that could cheapen the look of your lamp. The shade needs to be in the same style as your home’s interior, and therefore the same genre as the lamp base. The shape that you select should primarily be determined by the characteristics of the lamp base. And it should compliment the shape of the lamp. In most cases it should imitate the same shape as the base: for example, a square base is complimented by a square shade.

Worship at the Church of Your Choice Aldersgate United Methodist Church - 7901 W. 21st St. N. (west of Ridge Rd.), (316) 722-8504, www.aldersgatechurch.org. Sunday morning services at 8:15 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 familycentered ministries. Asbury Counseling Center information can be found at www. AsburyCounselingCenter.com Beacon Community Church - 810 N. Casado, Goddard; 794-2424; 10:45 a.m. Sunday Service; Sunday School at 9:25 a.m.

…is for you and your family

Goddard United Methodist Church – 300 N. Cedar, Goddard; (316) 794-2207 • 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. Worship • Children’s church during both services • Nursery Available • 10 a.m. Sunday School • Steve Morgan, Pastor • Eric Wilson, Youth Pastor • Children’s Pastor, Kassie Taylor Good Shepherd Episcopal Church – 8021 W. 21st St. N., Wichita; (316) 7218096; Saturday 5:30 p.m. Spoken Worship; Sunday 8:45 a.m. Contemporary Worship; 11 a.m. Traditional Choral Worship; Church School - Children 9:50 a.m., Adults 10 a.m.; Children’s Chapel 8:45 & 11 a.m. Harvest Community Church – Worship at 8340 W. 21st in Wichita Sunday at 10:30 a.m.; Senior pastor Rev. Dr. Dave Henion; www.wichitaharvest.com.

There are many factors for making sure that a lamp shade matches a lamp.

Heritage Baptist Church – Corner of 135th St. & 13th St. N., Wichita; (316) 7292700; Sunday School 9:45 a.m.; Morning Worship 10:45 a.m.; Evening Worship 6 p.m.; Wednesday Adult Bible Study/Prayer Time 7 p.m.; Wiseguys 3 yrs.–6th grade 7 p.m.; Nursery provided at all services. “Your neighborhood church just around the corner.” Email: swede132@sbcglobal.net; Website: heritage4u.net. Hope Christian Church – Meeting 10:30 a.m. Sunday mornings, NEW LOCATION - 1330 E. Douglas. Worship is casual and encouraging. Online at www.hope4wichita.org and on Facebook. Pastor Mark McMahon. markm@ hope4wichita.org. 316-648-0495. West Heights UMC – 745 N. Westlink Ave. (Just north of Central on Westlink); (316) 722-3805, Email: westheights@westheightsumc.org. Sunday services 8:15 and 10:30 a.m. (Traditional/Blended); Sunday school 9:15 a.m.; Wednesday meal (during school year) 5:30 p.m. fun classes and study for all ages; nondenominational preschool, host to the Shepherd’s Center of West Wichita providing dynamic activity for the Classic Generation, full children’s programming, and an active youth program challenging today’s generation, website: www.westheightsumc.org. Pathway Church – Following Jesus/In Community/For Others – 316-722-8020; www.pathwaychurchonline.com; Westlink Campus, Saturdays at 5 p.m., Sundays at 9:10 and 10:45 a.m.; Cafe Campus, Sundays at 10:45 a.m., 2001 N. Maize Rd. (21st and Maize), Wichita; Goddard Campus, Sundays at 10:30 a.m., Goddard High School (2500 S. 199th St. W.). 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 Westlink Church of Christ – 10025 W. Central, Wichita; (316) 722-1111; Sunday 9:30 a.m. Bible Classes, 10:30 a.m. Worship, 6 p.m. Devotional; Wednesday 6 p.m. Meal (during school year), 7 p.m. Bible Classes; Gary Richardson, Minister; Nick Miller, Youth Minister; Website: www.westlinkchurch.org. Westwood Presbyterian Church – 8007 W. Maple, Wichita; (316) 722-3753; “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.

WestSide StoryDe

This empty seat…

For HIS Glory Church – 2901 W. Taft St., Wichita • (316) 794-1170 • Worship Sunday 11:00 a.m. • ChurchForHISGlory@gmail.com • Family integrated full Gospel church where all ages worship and study God’s word.

As a general rule, the more basic the lamp, the more varied the shade can be. Having said that, it is also good to experiment a little bit. Rules of thumb are good guidelines, but creativity paired with good taste can develop ingenious alternatives. In the ﬁnal analysis, the criteria are how the shade works with the lamp and how the shade performs its role of diffusing light.

17 - January 2015

Made with a shade

January 2015 - 18 W e s t S i d e S t o r y

WestSide Story People and Places Concordia University, Nebraska celebrated the Christmas season with its annual Christmas at Concordia concerts Dec. 5-7 at St. John Lutheran Church in Seward. Christmas at Concordia weekend also included the 20th annual Scholarship Parade of Homes and a community reception. Students participating in the concerts included Molly Goltl, a freshman from Wichita who played alto saxophone in symphonic band, and Sloane Crawshaw, a sophomore from Wichita who sang Alto I in the women’s chorale. The concerts featured the university a cappella choir, university symphonic band, male chorus, handbell choir, women’s chorale and university brass ensemble. The groups performed traditional hymns of the season and requested audience participation throughout the concerts. Scripture readings and original music from Concordia students and faculty were also part of the celebration. The following local residents recently were initiated into the honor society of Phi Kappa Phi, the nation’s oldest and most selective collegiate honor society for all academic disciplines. Alec Maly of Wichita was initiated at Kansas State University. Olivia Armstrong of Wichita was initiated at Kansas State University. They are among approximately 32,000 students, faculty, professional staff and alumni to be initiated into Phi Kappa Phi each year. Membership is by invitation and requires nomination and approval by a chapter. Only the top 10 percent of seniors and 7.5 percent of juniors, having at least 72 semester hours, 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. One hundred and two Kansas Wesleyan University students have been named to the president’s honor roll for the fall 2014 semester. Full-time students with a semester grade-point average of at least 3.75 and no incompletes are listed on the President’s Honor Roll at the end of each semester. WestSiders on the honor roll include Shelby Craig of Wichita and Taylor Elkinton of Wichita. Three WestSiders are among more than 1,200 students included on the Harding University dean’s list for grades achieved during the fall 2014 semester. The students are Christine Rende of Wichita, a senior English education

major; Joshua Wertz of Wichita, a sophomore Bible and family ministry major; and Garrett Koehn of Wichita, a junior biochemistry major. Harding is the largest private university in Arkansas. The following WestSide students are among approximately 950 Bob Jones University students named to the dean’s list for grades achieved during the fall 2014 semester. To qualify for the dean’s list, students must earn a 3.00-3.74 GPA. The students are Oliva Goertz of Wichita, a junior piano pedagogy major; Nicholas Heald of Wichita, a sophomore information technology major; and Angelea Hughes of Wichita, a senior early childhood education major. Wesley Medical Center has promoted Cheryl Bolton to market director of oncology services and clinics. She currently oversees Wesley’s five primary and specialty WESLEYCare clinic locations and will now add oversight of Wesley’s cancer prevention and treatment services to her responsibilities. Bolton began her career with Wesley in 1992 working as a patient accounts manager. Since 2010, she has served as the director of Wesley’s WESLEYCare clinics. Prior to joining Wesley, Cheryl was the business office coordinator for Wichita’s KU School of Medicine. Bolton graduated from Wichita State University and received her master’s degree in healthcare leadership from Friends University in Wichita. Goodwill Industries of Kansas, Inc., has announced that Angela Bascue has joined the organization as vice president of retail operations. Bascue comes to Goodwill with more than 30 years of retail and staff development experience. She spent the past 17 years as a regional sales manager for Claire’s Accessories, overseeing 155 retail stores in eight states. Bascue attended Chadron State College, in Chadron, Neb., and majored in Fashion Merchandising and Psychology; she is also a graduate of Brown Mackie College, Salina. Bascue joins Goodwill to oversee and grow the operation, which currently has 18 physical store locations across the state of Kansas, along with an online store, shopgoodwill.com. All sales of donated goods are used locally to educate and

employ Kansans with disabilities and other barriers to employment. Wesley Medical Center has named Angela Gragg its new director of pediatric services. Gragg began her career in 1983 working as a hospital pediatric nurse. Since then, she has held a variety of nurse management positions in different clinical areas, including home health, hospice, case management, patient services and pediatrics. Her most recent position was as a consultant for the American Case Management Association, and she has been an adjunct nursing instructor at Tabor College since 2011. Wesley Medical Center has named Tim Barker its new rehabilitation services director. Barker began his career with Wesley in 1999, serving for 10 years as an outpatient occupational therapist. His most recent position was as an occupational and physical therapy rehabilitation services manager for Wesley. Barker graduated from Wichita State University with a bachelor’s degree in pre-physical therapy, and he also earned a bachelor’s degree in occupational therapy from Newman

University in Wichita. The Regional Economic Area Partnership (REAP), a voluntary council of governments in a nine county region in South Central Kansas, has announced the appointment of Kelly Bergeron as executive director and Keith Lawing as senior advisor. The two led REAP through an organizational restructure in 2014 with plans to expand membership and activities in 2015. Lawing previously served the organization as the chief executive officer from 1999 through 2005 and again as the executive director in 2014. Bergeron served as the assistant director in 2014. Both Lawing and Bergeron have backgrounds in city and state government and nonprofit administration and hold masters of public administration degrees. More than $3.72 million in scholarship funds are helping more than 1,600 Emporia State students from Kansas, 17 other states and 16 foreign countries realize their educational dreams during the 2014-15 academic year. Students from this area who received scholarships are: Izaak Fichter of Goddard, Hornet, Foundation, Presidential, Transfer Scholarship Jenna Kinnett of Goddard, McPherson Family Scholars Katelyn McCosh of Goddard, Teacher Education Promise Scholarship Caitlyn Scott of Maize, Albert E. and Beulah H. Woodruff Scholarship; Hornet, Foundation, Presidential, Transfer Scholarship

Do you have a submission for People and Places? Email information to news@tsnews.com by Jan. 15 for the February edition of the WestSide Story

Faces wanted. At the WestSide Story, we’re already working on feature stories for upcoming editions. If you know of someone whose face (and story) should appear on these pages, please let us know! news@tsnews.com 316-540-0500 www.facebook.com/TheWestSideStory

Thank you, West Wichita. From everyone at Times-Sentinel Newspapers, LLC, publisher of the WestSide Story, we want to say “thank you.” Last year was ﬁlled with great opportunities, a few challenges and many, many rewards. It was our pleasure to produce your neighborhood newspaper, and we could not have done it without the generous support of our advertisers and the loyal following of our readers. We have great expectations for the new year and look forward to your input for what you want to see on these pages during the next 12 months.

Thank you, and best wishes for a happy and prosperous new year!

WestSide Story

January 2015 - 20

Would your kitchen pass a restaurant inspection?

Before

After

Go first class with

S&S Limousine Service

A Kansas State University food safety expert has cleaning tips on how your home kitchen could pass a restaurant inspection. When it came to inspecting a kitchen, Bryan Severns, food programs and services director at Kansas State University Olathe, said he looked at cleanliness, sanitation, food preparation and storage. One cleaning mechanism that causes confusion: soapy sponges. They may clean dirt off your dishes, but they won’t keep away the bacteria. “Soap is a surfactant, which means it loosens dirt,” Severns said. “A soapy sponge and water help pick up the dirt and carry it away, but the sponge does not kill anything. Unless you are replacing your sponge constantly or sanitizing it, it is an incubator for bacteria and dirt.” You can sanitize a sponge by boiling it, microwaving it or sanitizing it in the dishwasher on the sanitize setting. Instead of using a sponge, Severns suggests using dishcloths, which need to be changed daily. Another important tip: Wipe down all counters, handles and surfaces with a disinfectant — even the cutting board. “Cutting boards often have cracks and grooves that will hold bacteria,” Severns said. “The board needs to be disinfected after every use and let it air dry so the sanitizer sets in.” As for storing your food, where you place your raw meats could be a critical violation. Raw meats need to thaw on the bottom shelf to avoid dripping meat juice onto other foods and potentially contaminating ready-to-eat food. When it comes to putting leftovers from a meal in the fridge, allow time for them to cool ﬁrst. “A lot of people will take their spaghetti, for example, put it in the container, put the lid on and pop it in the fridge,” Severns said. “That lid and plastic container acts as an insulator and the food will stay warm longer than it should and start to get bacterial growth. Cooling the food off as fast as possible is safer and will improve the shelf life of the food. If the food is above room temperature, put the leftovers in the fridge without the lid, then cover when cool.” Meat and poultry products typically have a shelf life of about four days, while fruits and vegetables last longer. Leftovers should be eaten in three to four days to avoid bacteria growth, and always label your leftovers with the date it was made and the date it needs to be thrown out. “We have to build that culture of food safety where everyone is thinking about taking care of each other and their food,” Severns said.

WestSide Story

Check out our website snslimo.com or call 316-641-5670

Wipe down all counters, handles and surfaces with a disinfectant – even cutting boards. The cracks and grooves can hold bacteria.

Intrust Bank Arena – Cirque du Soleil presents “Varekai.” Jan. 14-18. Tickets $42-$152. Visit www.intrustbankarena. com. The Forum Theatre Company – “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner,” Jan. 15-31. Shows at 8 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday. $25 for Friday and Saturday shows, $23 for Thursday and Sunday. The regional premiere of a new play by Todd Kreidler based on the screenplay by William Rose. The beloved ﬁlm of the 1960s starring Sidney Poitier, Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn has now been adapted for the stage. A progressive couple’s proud liberal sensibilities are put to the test when their daughter brings her ﬁancé home to meet them. Personal beliefs clash with the mores of the late 1960s in this poignantly funny and profoundly moving adaptation which challenges us to not only believe but to act. Starring Tom Frye, Gina Austin, Karla Burns, Robert Barnes, Chelsey Moore, Lando Hawkins and Sheila Kinnard. Tickets: www. forumwichita.org or 316-618-0444. Wichita Symphony – Tchaikovsky’s Second, 8 p.m. Jan. 17 and 8 p.m. Jan. 18, Century II Concert Hall. The melodies of Borodin, Saint-Saëns, and Tchaikovsky will warm your heart in this concert of romantic masterpieces. Pianist Andrew Russo takes center stage to dazzle with

Performing Arts Calendar

Shop Indian Hills Ace Hardware for America’s Most Trusted Brand!

21 - January 2015

Wichita Children’s Theatre and Dance Center – “The Wizard of Oz.” Shows Jan. 14 at noon (pizza at 11:30 a.m.); Jan. 15 at 10 a.m. (no pizza) and noon (pizza at 11:30 a.m.); Jan. 16 at 10 a.m. (no pizza), noon (pizza at 11:30 a.m.) and 6:30 p.m. (pizza at 6 p.m.); Jan. 17 at noon (pizza at 11:30 a.m.). Dorothy, with help from Glinda the Good Witch, Scarecrow, Tinman and the Lion, must defeat the Wicked Witch so that the Wizard can help her get back to Kansas. This adaptation is based on the original novel, not the MGM ﬁlm. Tickets $6 for show only, $7.50 for pizza show. Group rates available. Evening performances are PJ performances. Children are encouraged to wear their PJs and bring their favorite stuffed animal. Call 316-262-2282. 201 Lulu.

January 2015 Saint-Saëns’ Fourth Piano Concerto. Time For Three, 8 p.m. Jan. 30 (blue jeans concert, general admission), 8 p.m. Jan. 31 and 2 p.m. Feb. 1, Century II Concert Hall. Time for Three is back in Wichita by popular demand. Hear TF3 on a work written for the guys by Jennifer Higdon, her “Concerto 4-3.” For the rest of the program, hear high-energy ﬁddle, bluegrass, pop, and tunes from many genres listeners have come to know and love. Tickets $25-$67 ($25 only for the blue jeans concert), www. wichitasymphony.org.

2439 W. 13th • 942-9059 Mon – Sat 8 a.m.-8 p.m. • 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday

The Orpheum – The Fab Four, a Beatles tribute, 7:30 p.m. Jan. 21. Advance tickets $29.50-$42.50. Ricky Skaggs, 8 p.m. Jan. 23. Tickets $35-$45. School of Rock triple header, 4 p.m. Jan. 24, featuring the music of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Guns ‘N Roses vs. Motley Crue, and a progressive rock mix. Tickets $12. www.wichitaorpheum. com or 316-263-0884. Roxy’s Downtown (formerly Cabaret Oldtown) – “Always…Patsy Cline” opening Thursday, Jan. 29, running through March 28. Shows at 8 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, Sunday matinees at 2 p.m. Based on the true story of Patsy Cline’s friendship with Houston housewife Louise Seger, the show combines humor, sadness and reality. It offers fans who remember Cline while she was alive a chance to look back, while giving new fans an idea of what seeing her was like and what she meant to her original fans. Tickets $25, advance reservations suggested. Call 316-265-4400. 412-1/2 E. Douglas.

FACES WANTED. news@tsnews.com 316-540-0500 www.facebook.com/TheWestSideStory

WestSide StoryDe

At the WestSide Story, we’re already working on feature stories for upcoming editions. If you know of someone whose face (and story) should appear on these pages, please let us know!

January 2015 - 22 W e s t S i d e S t o r y

Roop pursues Paralympic dream Story

Sam Jack

Contributed

photos

Nobody wants to be defined by his worst day. That certainly goes for WestSider Lance Roop. His worst was probably the autumn 2007 day he broke his spine. “I was just on my way to school, and I was driving on a dirt road. There were about six-foot ditches on each side,” said Roop. “I looked up and saw a dog coming out of the ditch. Out of instinct I just swerved, and I ended up paralyzed.” Roop had been active in athletics prior to the accident, playing quarterback for the Campus High School football team and outfield for the baseball team. The abrupt end of those opportunities during his junior year must have been disappointing, but Roop did not want to talk about discouragement. “You’ve got to just have a positive mind and make the best of the day,” he said. Roop will soon graduate from the University of Central Oklahoma. As a student, he found renewed use for his athletic talents in adaptive sports, including wheelchair basketball and track. Then the US Adaptive Bobsled and Skeleton Association came calling. “Basically, I was invited to try out for the US adaptive bobsled team and ended up making the team with the fastest time,” said Roop. To defray his costs, Bobsled was off the radar for a guy Lance Roop is requesting from flatland Kansas, but adaptive bobsled is a Paralympic sport on the make. donations from the According to Roop, the USABSA is aggressively looking for talented athletes community. Visit http:// to train on bobsled, with the goal of inwww.gofundme.com/ clusion as an exhibition sport at the 2018 Winter Paralympics. ib4mkg to contribute. “We’re trying to get it to be a medal sport eventually,” said Roop. “We’re not quite there, but we’re trying to get there.” The “adaptations” of adaptive bobsled do not amount to much. A roll cage prevents injury, and at the top of the icy chute, Roop throws his weight forward to get rolling, instead of taking a running start. “You want to be under a minute if you’re coming from the top,” said Roop. “If you’re coming from ‘damen,’ where girls are starting, you want to be definitely under 45 seconds. There’s about eight or nine turns from damen, 14 if you go from the top. You’ve got to feel the rhythm, feel the ride. “You just want to go as fast as you can. They add up all your times from three or four runs, and the winner has the fastest total time. You can cross the finish line upside down, if you’re still in your sled.” Roop leaves for his first international competition on Jan. 15, traveling to Austria and Switzerland. He has had the opportunity to train with top figures in the sport of bobsled, including head coaches from Canada, the United States and even Jamaica. Roop relies on supporters to make his participation possible; Paralympic athletes are responsible for a much larger portion of the costs of training and competition than Olympic participants. “I have to pay out of pocket for all my training. Ten grand is what it’s costing me for equipment, plane tickets, food, hotels, train tickets, maintenance. It’s rough,” said Roop.

Faces

wanted.

Lance Roop, above, inspects his bobsled as he prepares for a training run in Canada. The Campus grad was selected for the US adaptive bobsled team, pictured below, and will compete in Europe this month.

At the WestSide Story, we’re already working on feature stories for upcoming editions. If you know of someone whose face (and story) should appear on these pages, please let us know! news@tsnews.com | 316-540-0500 www.facebook.com/TheWestSideStory

Continued from Page 15

motions of training, and that night we got the text that said, ‘We’re leaving in the morning, people are coming with vans to get your stuff.’ The next morning, we were on a bus to Freetown,” said Giddens.

Back home About 40 percent of her Sierra Leone

Giddens, foreground center, wore festive Sierra Leonean garb at a Peace Corps welcome party soon after her arrival.

WestSider advances on ‘American Idol’ Another WestSider, another nationally-televised singing competition. Cameron Bedell, 26, is a former Wichitan and a Maize High graduate. He’s also a contestant on “American Idol” who has punched his ticket to the next round in Hollywood. Bedell appeared in the Jan. 7 broadcast of the Fox television show. He performed Ray LaMontagne’s “You Are the Best Thing,” playing guitar and singing. His performance earned a “yes” vote from all three celebrity judges, Keith Urban, Jennifer Lopez and Harry Connick, Jr. Bedell graduated from Maize High School in 2007 and then attended Butler Community College, where he met his wife, Anna. She greeted him following his audition, which took place in Nashville. Kansas City also hosted auditions, so it’s possible more singers from the Sunflower State could be competing against Bedell. Bedell’s parents are Gary and Linda Bedell. Bedell’s interest in music Cameron Bedell really took off while attending Butler Community College. In 2010, a song he composed was used in a Spangles commercial. In 2011, he won a car and a singing contest sponsored by a local car dealership. He moved to Nashville to study songwriting and music at Belmont University, graduated in 2012 and continues to live in Nashville. See Cameron Bedell’s WestSider Kaleigh Glanton, another “American Idol” audition: Maize High graduate from Wichita, https://www.youtube.com/ appeared last year on “The Voice,” which airs on NBC. She turned all four judges watch?v=dYBo4ofDgKc chairs and won a battle round before being eliminated. After leaving the show, Glanton performed an extended stay in Corpus Christi and has continued to write music and perform around the Wichita area.

2 3 - J a n u a r y 2 0 1 5

Giddens

colleagues have reapplied and will serve elsewhere, Giddens said, but she has no immediate plans to follow that route. “For right now I want an American job, a job in my field. Not necessarily settled down, but just getting a feel for a quieter lifestyle,” said Giddens, who is currently taking advantage of her unplanned liberty to travel in the States and pursue personal interests. “I mean, Peace Corps will take people at any age, so hopefully it’s something I can do again when I retire, or if I need a sabbatical halfway through my career. “It was an experience I’d never trade for anything, no matter how hard it was. I’ll always have the story.”

WestSide Story

January 2015 - 24 WestSide Story

Need your taxes done right? Books done well? I can help!