East wichita news october 2015

October 2015 - 2

I INSIDE

Volume 32 • Issue 10 October 2015

ON THE COVER All-American girl | 12

Lily Wu, KAKE-TV reporter and anchor, and president of the Wichita Asian Association, is proud of her cultural heritage – American, Chinese...and even Latino.

Italy trip impacts East Wichita painter | 4

w w w . e a s t w i c h i t a n e w s . c o m

The Independent School celebrates 35 years | 24 Wichita Asian Festival to celebrate 35 years | 27

Features Dateline.......................................7 People and Places...................8 Performing Arts Calendar................................... 10 Eastside Homes..................... 11 Focus On Business................ 16

Win tickets to the Field of Screams! See Page 15

Movie Review......................... 22

East Wichita News

From the Publisher’s Files............................................ 30

Editorial

Publisher Paul Rhodes Managing Editor Travis Mounts Production Abbygail Wells Reporters/Contributors Sam Jack, Amy Houston, Jim Erickson, Philip Holmes

Sales & Billing

Sales Paul Rhodes, Valorie Castor 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 © 2015 Times-Sentinel Newspapers LLC

Cinema Scene........................ 23

Now in our 32nd year! The East Wichita News is a monthly newspaper focused on the people and places on Wichita’s East Side. It is delivered free to most 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 in a variety of Eastside locations. Visit our website for more - www.eastwichitanews.com. Email story ideas and photographs to news@tsnews.com. Visit us on Facebook.

Open your mouth for a little culture This fall has been a great time for culture in the Wichita area. Last month’s Autumn & Art at Bradley Fair drew record crowds. Fall festivals have been popping up all over the metro area. Andover Days and the Goddard Fall Festival are the first weekend of October. Later in the month are fall festivals in Maize and Haysville. On Oct. 24 is a festival many Wichitans may not be familiar with, even though this year’s event will be the 35th edition. It’s the Wichita Asian Festival, and if you’ve never been, you need to go. If you go for only one thing, then go for the food. Some of it’s very familiar, some of it’s a bit adventurous, but it’s all really good. And there’s a lot of it. I went to the Asian Festival for the first time a few years ago. Even though I’m a native Wichitan and have spent most of my life in the area, I was not familiar with it. My youngest son, Aaron, and I went and had a great time. We ate a lot of good food, tried of couple of things we didn’t really like (hey, that’s part of being adventurous) and just had a great time. Last year was our second trip after missing a couple of festivals. Lily Wu – the current president of the Wichita Asian Association, which sponsors the festival – asked me to be a judge of the Miss Asian Festival scholarship pageant. That was a new adventure for me, too. You should know Lily from her work on KAKE-TV, but you probably don’t know her personal story. I’ve become friends with her over the past year and it was a pleasure to write the story, which appears on Page 12. She also raved about the food and said that food is a great way to share your culture and to learn about somebody else’s culture. And the food is varied. First, you have to drop any preconceptions of what “Asian” means. Many of us hear “Asian” and think about east Asian countries like China and Japan and Korea, or southeast Asian nations like Vietnam, Laos, Thailand and Cambodia. But India, Pakistan and Afghanistan are just as Asian. So is Mongolia and the larg-

Travis Mounts | Managing Editor

est part of Russia. And much of what we call the Middle East also is part of Asia, including Lebanon and Israel, Syria and Saudi Arabia, and about half of Turkey, which stradles Asia and Europe. The food is as varied as Asia itself. When my duties with the pageant were completed last year, I went looking for my son and dining partner, who had spent a large part of the festival with a friend. It was difficult to find him. You’d think finding a 6-foot-tall blonde kid of primarily German heritage would be easy at an Asian festival, but it’s not. That’s playing into stereotypes a bit, but that’s my point – when we think of Asia, we often think of just a slice of the world’s largest continent. We categorize each other all the time. Ask somebody from Colombia or Costa Rica or Uruguay how often an American assumed they were Mexican. And those of us from European backgrounds are in the same boat. We’re often “white” to other white people and people of color. But when you follow the blood lines back, we’re Italian, Czech, Scottish, English, German, Swedish and more. The real reason I couldn’t find my son is that 6,000 people had filled up the largest parts of Century II. Food and other vendors are on one side, and the entertainment is on the other. Admission is free, but bring money for the wonderful eats and other vendors. And bring an open mind. Learn about somebody else’s culture. And be willing to share about your own, whatever it is. One of the great things about America is we all come from somewhere else and we all have a story to share.

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Italy trip impacts East Wichita painter Story

by

Amy Houston

Ernest Vincent Wood III, a native Wichitan, has studied art in Italy and Ireland. Now the Eastsider is raising a family in his hometown, and he was the featured artist last month at Autumn & Art. “As a kid, I was always drawing,” Wood said. “Painting kind of came later.” He enjoyed drawing cartoons, action heroes and cars. He served as a cartoonist for the school newspaper at Wichita North High, and he was an editorial cartoonist for the campus newspaper at Wichita State. That’s where Wood’s future began to take shape. He had enrolled in a drawing class at WSU, and his instructor – Jill Eggers, an associate professor of painting – told him he should take her painting class the following semester. Wood painted for the first time in the class in 2000. It was a milestone event in his life. However, it wasn’t easy. While drawing came naturally to Wood, he had to learn to use oil paint and how to mix. “That’s when it first became a challenge,” he said of art. Even so, he decided to stick with it and earned a fine arts degree in painting with a minor in art history. After Wood graduated in 2006, he applied through the Koch Cultural Trust to visit Italy and participate in an artist residency. His time in Italy forever impacted his career. “I was never the same after that,” he said. Wood met Irish painters and an Irish gallery owner in Italy. “They really liked my painting and they asked me if I would be willing to travel to Killarney with them. I said yes,” Wood recalled. “I didn’t really know those people at all,” he admitted, “and I just went with them. They could have kidnapped me and done bad things to me.” Fortunately, Wood was safe. He left the artist residency early and stayed with painter Ted Jones, who became a mentor, in Ireland. In addition, Declan Mulvany of Killarney Art Gallery offered to host an art show featuring

Ernest Wood III is known for his ability to create light, such as in this painting, “Take Heart Daughter.”

Wood’s work. “Those were good times,” Wood remarked. He traveled between the United States and Ireland, creating more art so he had a body of work to display at shows. The Killarney Art Gallery hosted shows for him in 2007, 2008 and 2009. “I didn’t know much about painting until I started painting for that gallery in Ireland,” Wood said. “That’s when I felt like I finally got good at what I was doing. It was through that repetition, through that discipline, day in and day

out. I painted every day. Maybe one day a week, I would not paint.” However, the recession affected numerous aspects of the economy, including the art world. Wood did commissions, and he supported himself as a waiter in Wichita. He also got married and then spent two years working as an administrative assistant for a pastor who was planting a new church. He decided to resume painting full time a year and a half ago. “When I think about my vocation and where I was given my gifts and abilities, I need to be painting,” Wood said.

East Wichita painter Ernest Wood III mans his booth at the recent Autumn & Art festival at Bradley Fair. Wood was chosen as this year’s featured artist. Travis Mounts/ East Wichita News

He described his work as traditional, classical oil painting. He uses tenebrism and a method called indirect painting. “There’s almost a grayscale image underneath your final piece,” Wood explained. “It works really well with painting flesh. … You can kind of utilize those layers, create some cooler colors underneath some warm skin tones.” The other method that Wood prefers is alla prima, which means “wet on wet.” “You’re really just painting wet paint on top of wet paint,” he said. “You’re working quickly.” That gives his creations a more real feel, he added, because the brush strokes are looser. Wood’s favorite artists are Vermeer, Rembrandt, Caravaggio and John Singer Sargent. Wood’s inspiration includes color and light – “the small little beautiful things that light does,” he said. “Some of the work is based on biblical narrative,” Wood continued. “Some of it just comes from the joy of creation, so when I’m doing still life or landscape, I’m just taken with the beauty that I see.” Wood’s work is displayed at Hue Gallery on Commerce Street in Wichita. His paintings have been viewed at art festivals in Kansas City, Denver, Houston and Des Moines.

another is planned for October 2017 at the Birger Sandzen Memorial Gallery in Lindsborg. Wood and his wife have a 5-week-old son, Ernest Vincent Wood IV. They are relying on their faith as Wood continues to paint full time. “Things are comfortable, but I never know how it’s going to go,” Wood said. “Most of my life I’ve been risk averse, so I think this is part of a growth that He has in mind for me and my family.”

5 - October 2015

“I apply to shows all over the U.S., and sometimes they’re not interested in my particular work and sometimes they are,” Wood said. “It kind of depends on who’s on the jury and if they enjoy the work.” Wood felt honored to be the featured artist during Autumn & Art at Bradley Fair, especially since it was the first time he applied. One of his art shows will take place in early 2016 at Carriage Factory Art Gallery in Newton, and

Festival draws record crowd This year’s Autumn & Art festival at Bradley Fair – the sixth edition of the annual art show – drew a record crowd, according the organizers. Teri Mott of Wichita Festivals, Inc., said the crowd was estimated at 25,000 for the three-day event, an increase of 7,000 people from 2014.

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TOP: Joanna Messamore of East Wichita, 3, plays one of the kids’ games at the Autumn & Art Festival at Bradley Fair. ABOVE: Performers from Safira’s Center for World Dance were among the entertainers. Travis Mounts/East Wichita News

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Several East Wichita youth will take part in Music Theatre for Young People’s production of “Footloose,” Oct. 9-11 at Century II’s Mary Jane Teall Theatre. Tickets are available by phone at 316-303-8100 or online at www.wichitatix.com. Pictured, front row from left: Katriana Kisner, Thomas Higgins, Addie Stultz and Cameron Vance. Back: Elise Mendoza, Lacey Wellemeyer, Clare Heathman, Jonah Bann and Jacob Kramer. Not pictured: Tyler Treat, Trevor Mahan and Melissa Reida. Travis Mounts/East Wichita News

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Coleman goes green

‘Coleman Goes Green’ was held on Saturday, Sept. 26, at Coleman Middle School as staff members and volunteers, including students and parents, planted 100 trees on the school’s campus. Contributed photo/USD 259

Oct. 2-3 – Midwest Beerfest at Century II EXPO Hall. Sponsored by the American Institute of Wine and Food, Wichita Chapter, features craft beers, ales, lagers and more from your favorite breweries and microbreweries from around the world. Monies raised benefit the AIWF-Wichita Chapter’s Terry Palmer Memorial Culinary Scholarship Fund for local food and beverage students, chefs, or those in the food and beverage industry pursuing continuing education. Visit www.midwestbeerfest. com or call 316-682-5502. Must be 21 years of age to attend. Oct. 2 and 9 – Museum of the Undead 3: Safe Zone, 7-11 p.m. For adults 21 and older. Back by popular demand! Third time’s a charm, or is it? Roam throughout the museum to develop survival skills and prepare for a zombie apocalypse – you may need them sooner than you think! Witness a zombie dissection, use mirrors to trick zombies, build a miniature tower and wall and test your immunity to the zombie virus. $15 in advance, $25 the day of the event ($20 members). RSVP at www.exploration.org or call 316-660-0620. Oct. 2 – “Merchants of Doubt,” First Friday Alternative Film Series, 7-9 p.m. at Murdock Theater, 536 N. Broadway. Suggested donation $8. The 2014 film documents those who present themselves as scientific authorities – but who actually aim to minimize known public threats such as toxic chemicals, pharmaceuticals and climate change. Oct. 3 – Jan. 5 – Design Zone, a traveling exhibit at Exploration Place. See how architects, engineers, video game developers, music producers, roller coaster designers and more use math and science to create their crafts. Go behind the scenes and put these real-world concepts to the test in this interactive, hands-on exhibit. Included in general museum admission, free for members. Oct. 6 – East Wichita Caregiver Support Group, 3-4:30 p.m., Prairie View, 9333 E. 21st Street North. Topic: Handling caregiver criticism, presented by Sharie Quattlebaum. Group meets the first Tuesday of each month. For information call 316-634-4700 or visit www.prairieview.org.

Oct. 10 – Let’s Move Kansas 5K run and 1.5mile walk, sponsored by the Kansas Academy of Family Physicians Foundation, at Sedgwick County Park. Online registration available at https:// runsignup.com/Race/KS/Wichita/LetsMoveKansas or call 316-721-9005. Oct. 10 – Wichita Genealogical Society’s fourth annual conference, “Opening Up to New Discoveries,” 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Eugene M. Hughes Metropolitan Complex, 5015 E. 29th Street North.

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Upcoming events in and around Wichita Keynote speaker is Diane C. Loosle, director of FamilySearch. Pregistration is required. Visit www. wichitagensoc.org. Oct. 14-18 – 13th annual Tallgrass Film Festival. More than 200 films from more than 35 countries will be presented, and more than 50 guests including Stephen Lang, James Lafferty, Teresa Palmer and more indie filmmakers. For information on movies, tickets and more, visit www.stubbornlyindependent.com. Oct. 15 – Project Beauty October Luncheon, 12:30 p.m., Wichita Country Club, 8501 E. 13th. Guest speaker will be Dr. Patricia McDonnell, director of the Wichita Art Museum. Cost for lunch is $17; your check is your reservation. Mail Jean Wellshear, 6411 Marjorie, Wichita, KS 67206. Oct. 17 – Blondes vs. Brunettes Wichita, a powder puff football game to help tackle Alzheimer’s. Tailgate at 3 p.m., kickoff at 4 p.m., at Wichita Collegiate School. For more information visit www.alz. org/cwkansas/ or call 316-267-7333. Funds raised benefit the Alzheimer’s Association. Redheads are free agents and can play on either team.

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Oct. 28 – Game On, part of Senior Wednesday, 1-4 p.m. Participate in the modern world of board gaming with Dr. Patrick Ross, board game collector and amateur designer. View some of his diverse collection and the progression of games beyond Monopoly, Risk and Yahtzee. Ross will also share his personal game designs inspired by his work as an animal behaviorist. Admission $4 plus tax. Upcoming blood drives: • Oct. 4, 8 a.m. - 1 p.m., St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church, 1321 Stratford Lane. • Oct. 5, 8:30-11:45 a.m., Via Christi Village on Ridge, 3636 N. Ridge Road. • Oct. 8, 8-11 a.m., Social Security Administration, 3216 N. Cypress Street. • Oct. 10, 8-11 a.m., Dillons at 37th and Woodlawn. • Oct. 10, Bel Aire City Hall, 7651 E. Central Park Ave., Bel Aire. • Oct. 11, 8-11 a.m., Dillons, Central and Maize. • Oct. 12, 1:30-5:30 p.m., Westwood Presbyterian Church, 8007 W. Maple. For information on blood drives later this month or to download the American Red Cross Blood Donor App, visit www.redcrossblood.org. Call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) to make an appointment or for more information. All blood types are needed to ensure a reliable supply for patients.

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Oct. 9 – Wesley Friends’ Autumn Garden Stroll, 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Botanica Gardens, 701 N. Amidon. Attendees can participate in a half-mile stroll around the gardens or just sit and relax. Festivities include live music, food, drinks, a photo booth and a scavenger hunt within the gardens. Admission is $8 at the door. For more information or to register call the Wesley Friends office, 316962-8400.

Dateline

7 - October 2015

October 2015

October 2015 - 8 w w w . e a s t w i c h i t a n e w s . c o m

East Wichita News People and Places • The Rotary Club of East Wichita has announced its officers and directors for 2015-16. The officers are: president Joe Goetz, retired from Newman University; vice president and president-elect Fred Heismeyer, Career Dimensions; past president Chris Kibler, SMG Intrust Bank Arena; secretary Scott Holder, Neighborhood Senior Living, Inc.; and treasurer Steve Peterson, CrossFirst Bank. The board members are: Susan Addington, Koch Industries, Inc.; Todd Bailey, Transworld Business Advisors; Burke Jones, Howard & Helmer Architecture; Ely Luna, Lee Aerospace, Inc.; Don Schierer, WealthMatters, Inc.; Terry Wiggers, Schaefer, Johnson, Cox, Frey Architecture. The East Wichita Rotary Foundation officers for 2015-16 are: president Scott Jensen, Bever, Dye LC; vice president Celeste Balog, Starkey, Inc.; treasurer Schoen Fitzgerald, Schoen C. Fitzgerald CPA, PA; and secretary John Alefs, Lusco Brick Scott Jensen & Stone. Board members are Phil May, retired from Wichita State University; Kevin Rathert, State Farm Insurance; and John Vetter, Stinson Leonard Street LLP. Rotary Club of East Wichita was founded in 1984 and has 119 members. It supports its own foundation to award annual scholarships to Sedgwick County high school students attending Kansas colleges. For more information, visit www.eastwichitarotary.org. • Joy Vigilius of Andover has joined Garten’s Music and the Wichita Music Academy as a piano instructor. She is an experienced piano teacher who holds a bachelor of arts degree in music. • Rachel Groene has joined the Wichita Metro Chamber of Commerce as the Manager of Business Services. A

graduate of Wichita State University, Groene brings more than five years of marketing and brand experience to her new role. Chamber director of business services Angie Elliott hired Groene after an intensive search for someone with relationship management and special event experience. Elliott was recently promoted from the manager of business services to the director of business services by Chamber president and CEO Gary Plummer. Elliott started her Chamber career in 2008, and is a graduate of the Institute for Organizational Management (IOM), a professional development program of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation. Elliott holds a B.A. in business/ marketing from Friends University and an MEd in sports administration from Wichita State University. • Armstrong Chamberlin has announced that Caroline King has been named to the position of project manager. The position involves managing project timelines and budgets, working with outside vendors and coordinating traffic instructions to the media. She graduated magna cum laude from Wichita State University in 2015 with a bachelor of arts in integrated marketing communication. Dayna Hoock has been added to its creative team as a production artist. A 2015 graduate of Wichita State University with a bachelor of fine arts in graphic design, Hoock most recently worked as a graphic designer for the Wichita State Marketing Department. • Friends University President Amy Bragg Carey, Ed.D, has announced that Ken Faffler, M.A., has been named the new vice president for enrollment management at the 117-year-old institution. • Air Force National Guard Airmen Alyssia Logan, Haley B. Grinstead and Donshea S. Henderson graduated from basic military training at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, San An-

tonio, Texas. The airmen completed an intensive, eight-week program that included training in military discipline and studies, Air Force core values, physical fitness, and basic warfare principles and skills. Airmen who complete basic training earn four credits toward an associate in applied science degree through the Community College of the Air Force. Logan is the daughter of Jenny Reyes of Wichita. She is a 2011 graduate of Southeast High School. Grinstead is the daughter of Brad J. and Susie M. Kumpf of Andover. She is a 2012 graduate of Andover High School. Henderson is the son of Travis E. Carter of Oklahoma City, Okla., and Demetria S. Henderson of Wichita, and grandson of Pamela G. Henderson and nephew of Isha L. Haynes, both of Wichita. He is also the brother of Da’dariyus A. Adams, Deonte D. Brown and Marqual A. Jackson., and husband of Raven L. Moore. The airman graduated in 2012 from Southeast High School. • Three hundred sixty-seven candidates for graduation crossed the stage to receive their degrees during Jacksonville State University’s Summer 2015 Commencement exercises on Friday, Aug. 7, at JSU Stadium. Graduates included Logan Poole of Wichita. • Via Christi Clinc has added four new specialists to its medical staff. They include urologist Surendra Kolla, M.D.; invasive cardiologist Andre Saad, M.D.; ENT/otolaryngologist Shaundra Rodriguez, M.D.; and orthopedic hand surgeon and plastic surgeon Joshua Linnell, M.D. • Wichita State’s Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity has received its national organization’s most sought-after award: The Buchanan Cup. This award of highest distinction, announced at the national convention, is given to only 30 of the 230-plus chapters in the nation every two years. The Kansas Eta chapter won three consecutive Buchanan Cups from 2001-2005.

• Wichita area students were named as National Merit Scholarship semifinalists in September. The academically talented high school seniors will have an opportunity to continue in the competition for some 7,400 National Merit Scholarships worth more than $32 million to be offered in the spring. To become a finalist, the semifinalist and his or her high school must submit a detailed scholarship application with academic record information, participation in school and community activities, examples of leadership abilities, employment, and honors and awards. Following are the East Wichita students honored, listed by high school. Andover Central: Grant A. Karber, Renton J. Williams. Andover High School: Hanna E. Watson. East High School: Rachael L. Baskins, Kelly P. Bye, Oscar J. Clark, Charles K. Edgar, Andrew F. Figueiredo, Amir Lankarani, Megan R. Sinik, Emily R. Smith, Tyler D. Thomas. The Independent School: Casey R. Shaw. Kapaun-Mount Carmel: Samuel Drouhard, John Duong, Nathan L. Hostert. Trinity Academy: Bliss C. Baird, Luke D. Marquardt. Wichita Collegiate School: Leen Bakdash, Lillian M. Clark, William E. Locke, Hasan S. Raffi. • Wesley Medical Center has named Heather Gloede, RN, its new medical-surgical nursing director. Gloede, who most recently served as the director of the neurovascular, stroke and gastroenterology units at Emory Saint Joseph’s Hospital in Atlanta, will lead the nursing activities of Wesley’s medical-surgical tower, focusing her efforts on patient satisfaction and quality initiatives. A native of Iowa, Gloede began her career as a medical-surgical registered nurse at Mercy Medical Center in Des Moines, Iowa, where she also was a telemetry unit clinic instructor at Mercy College of Health Sciences. Since then, she has held a variety of nursing positions, including travel nurse, cath lab and interventional radiology clinician and internal medicine unit nurse manager.

• Galichia Heart Hospital, a campus of Wesley Medical Center, is being renamed Wesley Woodlawn Hospital & ER to better illustrate both its diverse service line offerings and its importance to the Wesley system of care. Galichia has recently expanded its service lines to include orthopedics, robotic and general surgery, advanced imaging and bariatrics, among others. It also has become the first hospital in Kansas to earn NICHE – Nurses Improving Care for Healthsystem Elders – senior-friendly certification. • Susan Addington and Gaylyn McGregor have joined the Wichita Center for the Arts Board of Trustees. Addington, a Wichita native, is the arts and culture program manager at Koch Industries, Inc. She is an active

community leader and serves on the boards of Music Theatre Wichita, East Wichita Rotary, Wichita State University Student Athletic Scholarship Organization (SASO), Junior League of Wichita - Wit & Wisdom, and serves as co-chair of Wichita State University Gamma Phi Beta sorority’s capital campaign. She is a graduate of Wichita State University and lives in Wichita with her husband, Chris. McGregor is the executive vice president for The Commerce Trust Company. She is a sustaining member of the Junior League of Wichita and currently serves on the board for the Shocker Athletic Scholarship Organization (SASO). She is a graduate of the University of North Dakota and lives in Wichita with her husband, Duane, and their two children.

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Through Oct. 31 – Hitchcock’s “Psycho Motel,” Mosley Street Melodrama. A hilariously creepy new melodrama that pays loving homage to some of Alfred Hitchcock’s most classic movie moments, followed by a spooky twist on popular hits of yesterday and today. Featuring the music of Hall & Oates, Lady Gaga, Blondie and more. Call 316-263-0222 for reservations. Oct. 2-31 – “Evil Dead, The Musical,” Roxy’s Downtown, 412-1/2 E. Douglas. Shows on Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. Based on Sam Raimi’s 1980s cult classic films, “Evil Dead” tells the tale of five college students who travel to a cabin in the woods and accidentally unleash an evil force. Campy songs and lots of farce. Show tickets $25, dinner $15. Advance reservations recommended. Call 316265-4400.

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Oct. 3 – Wichita Chorus of Sweet Adelines International’s 64th annual show, 7:30 p.m. at the Wichita Scottish Rite Center. Under the direction of Melynnie Williams and fresh off a firstplace win in Division A at 2015 regional competitions, the 30+ member chorus will present songs in traditional fourpart barbershop harmony. Joining the chorus on stage are two internationally ranked quartets, Rio! and Vocality. The Midian Shrine Bourbon Street Band will also be performing. Tickets are $15 and can be purchased at http://wichitachorus-happytogether.brownpapertickets. com or at the door. For more information call 316-530-3519. Oct. 3-4 – “13 Ways to Screw Up Your College Interview” and other artistic choices, presented by Northeast Magnet’s drama department. Shows at 7 p.m. Oct. 3 and 2:30 p.m. Oct. 4. Admission $5. Oct. 3-4 – Wichita Symphony Orchestra welcomes critically acclaimed violin virtuoso Sarah Chang. Concerts at 8 p.m. Saturday and 3 p.m. Sunday in Century II Concert Hall. Tickets start at $25. Visit WichitaSymphony.org or call the box office, 316-267-7658. Oct. 9-10 – “Junie B. Jones, The Musical,” Wichita Children’s Theatre and Dance Company, 201 Lulu. Featuring a tremendously lovable character and

Performing Arts Calendar

October 2015

fun-filled songs, “Junie B. Jones” will capture audiences’ hearts, just as the books captivated an entire generation of students. The first grade has never been more exciting. Shows are at 7 p.m. Friday and 2 p.m. Saturday. Admission $6, reservations requested. Call 316262-2282. The production is recommended for youth ages 5 and up. Oct. 9-11 – “Footloose!” Music Theatre for Young People, 7:30 p.m. Oct. 9-10 and 2:30 p.m. Oct. 11, Century II Mary Jane Teall Theater. Tickets $12 in advance, $15 at the door, $10 for students. Call 316-303-8100 or buy online at www.wichitatix.com. Oct. 14-25 – “An Inspector Calls,” by J.B. Priestly, Wichita Community Theater, 258 N. Fountain. Set in 1912 and first performed in 1945. A respectable British family is subjected to interrogation following the suicide of a young girl in an English industrial city. Performances at 8 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday and 7 p.m. Sunday. Tickets $14, $12 for military/senior/ students. Special opening night pri-e of $10 on Oct. 14. Call for reservations, 316-686-1282. Oct. 24 – Rockin’ the Roundhouse fundraising event at Charles Koch Arena. The theme is “From Field to Fork” and will showcase some of Wichita’s best-loved restaurants and their unique spins on local food sources. There will be live and silent auctions and entertainment from WSU students. Purchase tickets at www.rnrwsu.com. If you have something to include in the November edition of the East Wichita News, submit by email to ewn@eastwichitanews. com. Submissions must be received by Oct. 15.

Eastside Homes

• Sidewalks • Patios • Slabs • Curbs • Small Jobs

FACES

WANTED. At East Wichita News, 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!

Philip Holmes | Interior Designer

leave the manufactured veneer vulnerable to certain chemicals. On the plus side, it is generally lighter weight than natural stone, which may be preferred in some applications. The best idea is to educate yourself, realizing that there are different qualities within all product categories. Veneer is more cost effective compared to full dimensional stone because it is lighter weight and is adhered to the wall without the need for a support ledge. Natural stone veneer is competitively priced with the best artificial stone due to industry investment in cutting technologies that have enabled quarries to produce new products. Stone veneer is ideal for interior and exterior features like arches, fireplaces, bar fronts, and window or column accents. It also works well for wainscot and gable features to replace siding or to reface existing masonry. When selecting a stone, first consider the style of rock you prefer. Ledge stone, linear block and random pattern are the most common profiles. Then consider the colors and textures within that profile. It’s best to stick with profiles and colors that coordinate with the overall character of the home. It should look like it belongs there. In order to make the optimum decision, it’s best to bring home some samples and compare them. When determining what product is best for your specific needs, do your homework and consult with an expert.

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Nothing compares to the beauty of natural stone in or around the home. From use outside as a siding material to being placed inside on fireplaces or accent walls, stone eludes a warm, earthy ambiance and texture. Natural stone itself, however, can be costly. Installation of natural stone can also be expensive because of the need for strong support and the fact that the stones lack uniformity. There can also be considerable waste in the process. Stone veneer has become a popular option for those reasons. Its popularity may be obscured due to the difficulty in distinguishing it from natural stone, in some cases. And like natural stone, it can be both protective and decorative. There are two types of stone veneer products: artificial and natural. Most artificial stone products on the market today are tested and approved to meet the requirements for international building codes. The best products offer the most selection, colors, fine detail and have minimal pitting on the face. Stone veneer can be made from natural stone as well as manufactured stone. Natural stone veneer is actual stone that has been collected and cut to the desired thickness for application. It can also be produced as a thin layer of stone that is attached to a composite backing. Manufactured stone veneer can be produced in a number of ways. It can be made with a concrete mix poured into forms and then painted to look like the real thing. Manufactured stone can also be made from polymer for a much lighter-weight product. Critics of manufactured stone will point out that while the product may cost less up front, there are maintenance issues. If manufactured stone gets chipped, the damage is quite evident. Also, the coloring process may

No job too small...

11 - October 2015

Designing with stone: Depth, value and appeal

October 2015 - 12 www.eastwichitanews.com

(AllAmerican girl)

Lily Wu shares her immigrant tale STORY

BY

TRAVIS MOUNTS

“I love it when people ask where I’m from.” Lily Wu has just finished anchoring and producing the Saturday morning news at KAKE-TV. She’s sitting in the lobby of the station, located on West Street, talking about her heritage as a Kansan and an American, as a woman of Chinese descent. And as a Latina? Yep, born in Guatemala – the Chinese Kansan from Antigua. More on that later. “When I’m out in the community, I want people to see my face. I’m not your typical Kansas girl, but I’m not your typical Chinese girl,” she says. While the question “Where are you from” can often be offensive to some – especially to Americans whose families immigrated generations ago – it’s one that Wu welcomes. “There’s nothing wrong with asking someone’s ethnic background. It’s better to ask than to assume something,” she says. “I’m fully Chinese, and I’m Asian American.” She is not, however, Oriental. Rugs are Oriental, she says, not people. “That word really bugs me.” Wu loves to celebrate culture – her culture as well as those of others. She is active in promoting all kinds of Asian cultures as the president of the Wichita Asian Association. Her two-year term is coming to an end, but she will continue to be actively involved in the organization that has been part of her life since middle school. The Wichita Asian Association stages the annual Wichita Asian Festival. The 35th annual festival will be held 5-10 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 24, at Century II. Wu’s first exposure to the festival was as a performer in middle school. She then volunteered at the festival from time to time. In high school, she sold food with the Asian student group at East

Eastsider Lily Wu is well-known to many Wichitans from her work on KAKE-TV. She’s also active in the Wichita Asian Association, which helps promote Asian culture.

The Wichita Asian Festival will be held 5-10 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 24, at Century II. Read more about the festival – which is celebrating its 35th year – on Page 27. High School. “The moms did all the cooking. It’s a family affair. It’s a chance to show your Asian pride and the best way is with food,” she says. In her late teens, she was asked to host the Miss Asian Festival scholarship pageant and continues to do that. During college, she became more involved with the pageant and now organizes it each year, as well. She says the festival is for everybody, not just Asians. After 35 years, she’s surprised at how many people remain unaware of the festival, which celebrates all of Asia. That includes celebrating the heritage of places in east Asia like China, Japan and Korea, as well as southeast Asian countries like Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand and Laos. It includes central Asia nations like Indian, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, and the Pacific cultures of the Philippines, Indonesia, Singapore and Malaysia. During her time as president of the

Wichita Asian Association, Wu has worked to expand the group’s reach to include people whose heritage comes from western Asian nations like Israel, Lebanon, Turkey, Iran and Saudi Arabia, and from places in north Asia like Russia, Mongolia and Kazakhstan. “I really want to celebrate cultural diversity,” Wu says. She wants people to realize the continent is not just south and southeast Asia. She faced some resistance even within the organization to expand to include the entire continent. “We need to be inclusive to celebrate cultural diversity,” she says. Her own story is one of cultural diversity. It starts in southern China, where her parents met and married. In 1983, they left China for Guatemala. It was there that Lily and her younger brother, Carlos, were born. In 1993, the family came to Wichita as legal immigrants, completing a journey that took a decade. Wu says her parents sacrificed a lot,

ABOVE: The Wichita Asian Festival received a Leader in Diversity award for a nonprofit organization this spring from the Wichita Business Journal, and Lily Wu, second from left, was one of five people to receive an individual award. She is pictured with her brother, Carlos, left, and her parents, Anna and Wing Wu. Contributed photo LEFT: Lily Wu anchors the morning news with meteorologist Tanner Swift on a recent Saturday at KAKE-TV. She began her television career as an intern at KSN. Also as a teen, she hosted a show called “Kidding Around Wichita with Lily Wu” on a low-power television station. Travis Mounts/East Wichita News

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See WU, Page 29

1 3 - O c t o b e r 2 0 1 5

both during the journey to Wichita and after they arrived. She says it created a feeling that she needed to carry her own weight. That started with helping care for Carlos. “I became an adult very fast,” she says. Wu was only 8 years old when they arrived in the U.S. She began school at Lawrence Elementary in April 1993. “I didn’t speak any English and I was already taking statewide assessments. I didn’t understand what the students were saying, what the teachers were saying. I was so confused,” she says. She was crying and wanted to go home to Guatemala. “My mom sat me down and said, ‘This is your home.’” Wu says there is a Chinese saying very similar to the American phrase “You have to pull yourself up by your bootstraps.” That’s what she did. She learned English by watching the 6 p.m. news with her grandparents and would watch “Wheel of Fortune” after that. She fell in love with journalism by learning English. “I fell in love with this business (journalism) because I learned about American culture and language by watching TV,” she says. She eventually went to Woodman Elementary and then to Truesdell Middle School. An advisor in the gifted program introduced her to the baccalaureate program at East High School. “I had really great mentors,” she says. The application process included an essay and an interviewing process. She was told to expect to struggle in some classes because of the difficulty and because English wasn’t her native language. She graduated high school with all A’s. “I love people saying ‘no’ to me because I want to prove them wrong,” she says. After graduating from East High in 2003, Wu attended Wichita State University. She graduated in 2007 with a degree in international business and marketing from the Barton School of Business and an integrated marketing communication degree from the Fairmount College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. She also minored in Spanish. Wu then attended college at the University of Hong Kong, where she

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October 2015 - 16

Featured this month Chelmsford Tea.............................. Page 16

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FOCUS ON BUSINESS

Gross Tile & Concrete Design...... Page 17 Wichita Grand Operea................... Page 19

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.

Kitchen Tune-Up........................... Page 20 Farris Wheel................................... Page 21

For tea lovers, Chelmsford Tea is simply paradise Kelly Finnegan came to love tea in the most appropriate way possible – she was immersed. That may sound like a pun, but it’s true. Finnegan, who now manages Chelmsford Tea & Gifts in East Wichita, started working at the tea shop three years ago. It was love at first sip. “I promote tea because I love it,” said Finnegan. “And our current owner is a real tea lover. The family’s teapots help decorate the shop.” Finnegan is originally from Wisconsin and also is a student at Wichita State University. She is completing a degree in marketing and is thrilled with her recent promotion to manager at Chelmsford Tea. “I love Wichita…and I love this shop,” she said. Chelmsford Tea is Wichita’s premier location for loose leaf and bagged teas, and every tea accessory imaginable. But more than that, the tea shop is a fountain of information for anyone who wants to learn more about tea. “This isn’t just a retail shop,” said

Chelmsford Tea is a great location for tea lovers. If you’re not a tea lover yet, manager Kelly Finnegan can help introduce you to tea and to integrate it into your daily life.

Finnegan. “We introduce people to tea and how to integrate loose-leaf tea into their daily lives.” That step in a person’s relationship with tea can seem a little daunting, considering the fact that Chelmsford Tea regularly offers 200 or more loose-leaf teas in its shop at 9747 E. 21st Street, Suite 129. The shop is conveniently located in the Cambridge Market shopping center at 21st and Webb Road. The shop’s mission is simple: to provide customers with the widest possible

selection of high-quality teas from around the world at reasonable prices. Finnegan said she and other staff members can help customers find just the tea or teas they are looking for. “We sell quantities from 2 ounces up to a pound,” she said. “With 2 ounces, you can make 25 to 30 cups, and not spend a lot of money.” Online reviews for the tea shop rave about its knowledgeable staff members, the shop’s extensive selection of teas and the affordable prices.

Chelmsford Tea has been in its current location for the past 11 years, and the shop also features tea infusers, teacups and tea sets. The shop carries the Republic of Tea brand, offering the largest selection in Wichita, as well as a large selection of Big Train Chai, which is a popular instant tea. Many customers love the shop’s “Tea of the Day” mug program. Once you have the mug, you can stop by Chelmsford Tea and get a free mug of tea every day. A holiday open house is being planned for Nov. 6-8, and next year’s mugs will be on sale beginning then. Chelmsford Tea is open seven days a week. Hours are Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; and Sunday, noon to 5 p.m. For more information, call 316-2603191, or visit the shop’s website, www. chelmsfordtea.com. Better yet, plan a visit to Chelmsford Tea & Gifts, meet Kelly Finnegan and her staff members, and share a cup of tea. You’ll be glad you did.

Homeowners thrilled with bathroom makeover

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The Nestelroads’ old bathroom and vanity, at left and below, included a shower that was cramped, a tub that they never used and a vanity that was too low.

FOCUS ON BUSINESS

“Welcome to our incredible new bathroom.” If there ever was to be a new sign over the door of Steve and Karen Nestelroad’s master bathroom, that’s probably what it should say. The Nestelroads are still getting used to the final results, which were skillfully completed by Mark Gross and his team at Gross Tile and Concrete Design. From beginning to end, Steve and Karen were impressed with the professionalism that Gross Tile brought to the job site. There were many reasons for those first impressions to be positive as the Nestelroads unveiled their plans for a total renovation of their master bathroom. They already knew they were meeting with an industry leader in the Wichita area, and Mark Gross was immediately able to visualize the clients’ ideas and get the ball rolling on this all-important home renovation. “This is exactly what we wanted,” said Steve, as he proudly talked about the finished project. “It really turned out nice.” Gross Tile had been recommended to the Nestelroads after they were dissatisfied with the high price of another quote they had received. A glass company that was familiar with the Nestelroads’ proposed project suggested Gross Tile as its top recommendation for the renovation work. What the Nestelroads wanted for their master bathroom was a totally accessible walk-in shower system with a “curbless” entry to replace their existing tub and small shower. The tub never got used, and the shower wasn’t comfortable or safe for either Steve or Karen.

Steve and Karen Nestelroad stand inside their newly renovated bathroom. Mark Gross and the team at Gross Tile and Concrete Design took Steve’s design and did the work in turning their old bathroom into a stunning new bathroom. The highlight is a walk-in shower system with curbless entry. They also have a new double-sink vanity in the master bathroom. See photos below.

In addition, the double-sink vanity in the master bathroom needed to be raised to a more comfortable height for both of the homeowners. “I designed this project and it really is satisfying to see a final product that looks so great and is perfect in terms of function,” said Steve Steve said that Mark Gross obviously “has his business down to a ‘T.’” That isn’t surprising, considering Mark’s extensive experience in the business and track record working with customers. Over the years, Gross Tile has grown from a respected flooring company into a leader in bathroom and kitchen renovations, as well as a total remodeling company. It’s a transformation that Mark Gross relates back to customer satisfaction. “We found that over the years, we had clients who liked our work and wanted us to tackle other projects for them, and we expanded into those areas,” said Mark. “That’s really how we started getting into bathroom makeovers, and then kitchens, too.” The company’s showroom is located in West Wichita at 10680 W. Maple. Mark’s daughter, Jenna Hill, also is an integral part of the business. She has years of experience working with clients at the Gross Tile showroom. Right from the start, Mark and the Nestelroads were able to picture the same end result for this important project. They shared ideas, and the plan got even better. Steve has some neuropathy issues that make an easier-access shower and a higher vanity important for the future. Gross Tile specializes in curbless showers, and a double showerhead design makes the new walk-in shower system beautiful, comfortable and functional for the Nestelroads – now and in the future. For more information about everything Gross Tile has to offer, call 316-773-1600, or stop by the showroom at 10680 W. Maple, near Maple and Maize Road in West Wichita. You can also find Gross Tile on Facebook.

17 - October 2015

Gross Tile provides ‘expert knowledge of the industry’

October 2015 - 18

New Navy ship to honor Wichita The next Freedom-variant littoral combat ship was named USS Wichita (LCS 13) during a naming ceremony at Wichita City Hall in September. The selection of Wichita honors Kansas’ largest city and will be the third ship to bear the name. The first Wichita was commissioned right before the start of World War II. It had a long history of service that included patrolling in Hampton Roads and the Caribbean, and conducting exercises in Guantanamo, Hampton Roads and Culebra, Puerto Rico. It also earned 13 Battle Stars during the war for performing such missions as providing surface and air protection for minesweepers off the coast of Okinawa. The second Wichita, commissioned in 1969, earned four Battle Stars for supporting combat ships and conduct-

ing replenishment voyages off the coast of Vietnam. A fast, agile surface combatant, the LCS provides the required warfighting capabilities and operational flexibility to execute a variety of missions in areas such as mine warfare, anti-submarine warfare and surface warfare. Wichita will be built with modular design incorporating mission packages that can be changed out quickly as combat needs change in a region. These mission packages are supported by detachments that deploy both manned and unmanned vehicles, and sensors in support of mine, undersea, and surface warfare missions. The ship will be 388 feet long and capable of traveling at speeds in excess of 40 knots. The construction will be led by a Lockheed Martin industry team in Marinette, Wis.

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A monster hit since its premiere, and still a hit today

Wichita Grand Opera’s final production of the season will be a new production of Offenbach’s comical opera, “The Grand Duchess,” Oct. 16 and 18 at Century II.

get anything she wants... but she can’t really get everything that she wants,” said Kaitlyn Costello, who will make her debut in the title role with WGO. “That’s the idea behind it: You may have everything in the world, but you can’t buy happiness, and happiness is key.” A classically trained dancer as well as an accomplished singer, Costello earned high praise for her Florida appearance in “West Side Story” last season. “She’s always in the moment, always energetic and engaged, always brightening and galvanizing the stage ... this performer is the real deal,” a rave “Broadway World” review read. WGO audiences have previously enjoyed Costello’s comedic gifts as Rosina in last season’s “Barber of Seville,” and as Cherubino in 2013’s “The Marriage of Figaro.”

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have been managing their tiny country for years but are growing concerned that the Duchess, now 20 years old, is growing bored. She has shown no interest in making a strategic marriage match with Prince Paul, and if she turns her attention to running the country it will be disaster – particularly for Puck and Boom. To distract the Duchess, they declare war on a neighboring country. Their plan backfires when the Duchess spots an army private named Fritz and becomes infatuated with him. Hoping to win his favor, the Duchess makes Fritz the new commander in chief. But it’s not enough to woo him away from his girlfriend Wanda. “She’s a woman who has a huge amount of power and thinks she can

The role of Fritz will be sung by tenor Cullen Gandy, who recently made his Los Angeles Opera debut in “A Streetcar Named Desire,” opposite star soprano Renee Fleming. The International Music Review called his performance “flawless.” Gandy covered the role of Fritz a few years ago as part of Santa Fe Opera’s prestigious apprentice program. “I think Fritz is the most heartfelt and most naïve character of the operetta,” said Gandy. “A naïve guy, but a really well-meaning one. When he becomes commander-in-chief, the power goes to his head somewhat, but he comes out all right.” Powers described the role of General Boom as the “comic relief ” for an opera that is already comedic straight through. “He’s very pompous and thinks that the world revolves around him. He’s entertaining simply because he takes himself so seriously, when everybody else around him does not,” Powers said. Powers sang the role of Don Basilio in WGO’s “Barber of Seville” last season, and sang King Philip II in last month’s “Don Carlo.” His career has included world premieres of Penderecki’s “Paradise Lost” for Lyric Opera of Chicago, and of Harbison’s “The Great Gatsby” for the Metropolitan Opera, plus performances with renowned opera companies in Washington, D.C., San Francisco, Paris and dozens more. Tickets for Offenbach’s “The Grand Duchess” are $95, $60 or $40, with 20 percent senior and student discounts available. Special group and corporate discounts are also available, offering savings of up to 40 percent. For students, WGO has the “Day at the Opera” student package, offering a 75 percent discount as well as a backstage tour for groups of 20 or larger. Tickets can be purchased through the WGO Box Office at Century II, by phone at 316-262-8054, online at selectaseat.com or in person at Century II or Select-A-Seat ticket outlets. For more information, visit www.WichitaGrandOpera.org.

FOCUS ON BUSINESS

By Sam Jack Wichita Grand Opera will close its 15th anniversary season with a new production of Jacques Offenbach’s “The Grand Duchess” at Century II. The production, performed in an English translation, opens Friday, Oct. 16, with a second performance Oct. 17 at the McPherson Opera House followed by a matinee Sunday, Oct. 18, at Century II. A master of parody, Offenbach, referred to as the King of the “CanCan,” was known for taking the most popular melodies of the “serious” opera world and reusing them in ridiculous ways, such as setting the lyrics “Your coat has split down the back” to a patriotic, martial melody. “He wrote nearly 100 operettas, and at one point in time, he had multiple shows running simultaneously in Paris,” said William Powers, who will add the blustering General Boom to his repertoire of more than 100 opera roles. “He was the Andrew Lloyd Webber of his day. In fact, he bought theaters in order to put his shows on. People were just crazy about him.” At the height of Offenbach’s popularity, the composer decided to create a new production for the opening of the 1867 Paris Exposition. As a subject, he decided to poke fun at Russia’s Catherine the Great and her notorious appetite for handsome young lovers. The result, “The Grand Duchess,” satirized squabbling Prussian states and got in some jabs at the foibles of grand opera along the way. Many of Europe’s upper crust felt that they had to be seen attending the production: If they were laughing, then clearly Offenbach’s barbs were directed at somebody else. Napoleon III, Emperor Franz-Joseph of Austria, King William I of Prussia, Otto von Bismarck, Tsar Alexander II and King Edward VII attended the first performances, and “The Grand Duchess” became an instant hit. As the opera begins, we are introduced to the Duchess’ chief advisors: General Boom and Baron Puck. They

19 - October 2015

Offenbach’s ‘The Grand Duchess’

October 2015 - 20 FOCUS ON BUSINESS www.eastwichitanews.com

Out with the old…

Latest modern style transitions to ‘pure chic’ The experts at Kitchen Tune-Up have done it again, and the proud Wichita homeowner is thrilled with her kitchen transformation. A little over a year ago, Suzanne moved into her new home in Wichita, which was a spacious but outdated townhome that just needed a little attention. “I moved here to be closer to my kids, and once I got settled in it was time to turn this into my home,” said Suzanne. First, she did simple, modern updates throughout the house…except for the kitchen. She knew the kitchen was going to be a more difficult challenge, and she knew she was going to need some serious help. “I knew from the start that the kitchen was going to need to be totally remodeled,” said Suzanne. “It had an old, cramped pantry area, and a peninsula that jutted out into the kitchen space and had the stove in it.” All of that needed to go, and instead Suzanne wanted an island for seating and a kitchen workspace. In addition, she wanted to relocate the stove, and create a cooking area that was comfortable and convenient. “It was time for a totally new footprint for the kitchen,” said Arlene Phillips, who with her husband Jim owns and operates the local Kitchen TuneUp franchise. Jim and Arlene launched Kitchen Tune-Up in Wichita in 2005, and since then they have remodeled hundreds of kitchens. The company’s services range from One-Day “Tune-Up” of cabinets or any interior wood surfaces, to cabinet refacing projects to complete custom kitchens. With Suzanne’s kitchen, designer Rachel Phillips focused on a modern style that was taken to transitional levels that could work in any setting…even traditional homes. Rachel used lots of grey and white in the new kitchen design, including custom maple wall cabinets, painted in light grey, custom maple cabinets for the island that were stained dark grey, grey painted walls, white quartz countertops with swirls of

AFTER

grey and a white subway tile backsplash. All color choices are a neutral backdrop for the pops of color in Suzanne’s art collection. New stainless steel appliances completed the look, and the new custom cabinetry was designed to meet Suzanne’s specifications. Those touches include extra wide and deep drawers for pots and pans, a tall pantry and rollout trays. “This was an awesome experience, and I love the results,” said Suzanne. “And everyone worked so well together. “It was a little unnerving for me to start such a big project, but it turned out exactly the way I wanted it to be.” Kitchen Tune-Up in action All of Kitchen Tune-Up’s refacing and new cabinet options are now available to see at the company’s new design center in East Wichita. The new design center is located at 4057 N. Woodlawn, Suite 1, and is a cornerstone to the services that make Kitchen Tune-Up the best solution for your next home remodeling project. “We’re excited to start the process with clients at the new design center,” said Arlene. “This facility helps us make the process comfortable and hassle-free for all of our clients.”

AFTER

An old, cramped kitchen with a peninsula, right and below right, was totally transformed by Kitchen Tune-Up. The revamped kitchen, above, now has an entirely different footprint with an island for seating plus a kitchen workspace as well as a relocated stove, above right, which replaces the old pantry space.

Your local Kitchen Tune-Up team includes Jim and Arlene’s daughter-inlaw, Rachel, who helped Suzanne with her project. She, as the designer, is the “creative mind” on the staff, and works directly with clients, first at the design center and then in their homes, to make their dreams and ideas come to life. Today, Kitchen Tune-Up specializes in kitchen and bath remodeling projects. Rachel’s design services are always in high demand. She has a strong background in design and customer service. “My goal for each customer is to design the most amazing space possible for their budget and then make the whole remodeling process as relaxing as possible,” said Rachel. “Great customer service is the cornerstone to our success. My clients know I will take care of them and their space won’t look like everyone else’s on the block.” For more information or to schedule a consultation, call Kitchen Tune-Up at 316-558-8888 or visit kitchentuneup/

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BEFORE

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Ed Farha, right, is pictured with his father, Farris Farha, namesake of Farris Wheel Candy Company, which is now in a new location at 21st Street and Webb Road.

“We are so excited about the new location,” said Ed. At the previous location at Central and Rock, the business shared its space with a popular restaurant, and now The Farris Wheel Candy Company can flourish with its own storefront and identity. The store’s new address is 9747 E. 21st Street, Suite 107. It is located directly east of Deano’s Grill & Tapworks. The store’s traditions will continue

at the new location, right down to the custom candy cabinets that were the centerpiece of the old location. The shop sells candy, nuts and chocolates by the pound, and can create unique gift boxes for personal and business gifts. “We have the best gourmet chocolates in the area,” said Ed. “What makes us different is that we can personalize any of our gift items and boxes.” Farris Wheel does a lot of corporate gift boxes, and the approaching holiday

season is a booming time of year for the candy company. Personal Christmas gifts are a trademark for Ed and his staff. “Smaller orders can be filled on the spot,” said Ed. “And larger orders just take a little longer.” The move to the new location was completed in late September, and now The Farris Wheel Candy Company is at home in Cambridge Market. Stop by and sample the company’s extensive line of chocolates, candies and nuts, and start making your holiday gift plans. “Whether it’s for a personal gift or a business gift, we can make it very special,” said Ed. “We can help with colors that you want, and we can add your business cards or personal messages and we ship all over the United States.” Chances are, you won’t be able to resist a little sweet present just for yourself. For more information, call 316-6853000 or visit www.thefarriswheel.com. Or, simply come visit the new location at 21st and Webb Road. Hours are Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sundays from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

FOCUS ON BUSINESS

Don’t bother telling Ed Farha that the name of his business is spelled wrong. He’ll just smile and tell you why it’s actually spelled correctly. The Farris Wheel Candy Company, a Wichita landmark in the candy business, was started by Ed’s father, Farris Farha, and his wife, Karen. Karen enjoyed the play on Farris’ first name and when it was put to a vote, it was Karen “yes” and Farris “no.” With a laugh, Farris enjoys telling everyone who gets their way between the two of them. Ed got involved with the business when he moved back to Wichita a couple of years after Farris and Karen launched the business. He had grown up working for his father and always enjoyed those experiences. “Working together with my father was always easy,” said Ed. “He’s one of the greatest guys in the world.” When Farris and Karen wanted to retire, Ed took over operations. The business has done well, and now Ed hopes it will flourish even more at its new location in the Cambridge Market shopping center at 21st and Webb Road.

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A sweet move: Farris Wheel Candy Company now at new location

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Review: ‘Black Mass’ “Black Mass” is a first-rate, Oscar-bait movie if you aren’t offended by language and violence and aren’t easily depressed. It’s about a real-life partnership between the FBI and semi-organized crime, it claims to be a true story, and it offers neither hope nor inspiration. Its characters are not sympathetic, no problem in it is really solved, and the world shown by it is not one you want to live in. But as a work of art, it offers a lot of satisfaction. Perhaps the greatest satisfaction is the performance of Johnny Depp. He is all but unrecognizable under no prosthetics other than a false nose, and he plays a stone-faced character without giving the impression of an actor acting stone-faced. How he does it is impossible to detect, but he comes across as a man who simply lacks normal human responses beyond a very limited feeling for his boychild. His gangster character is not oldschool like James Cagney, or of the new member-of-family-much-like-yourown in modern mafia movies. He is so totally a moral freak that he takes away a good deal of whatever moral message “Black Mass” may have wanted to convey. There is nothing society can do about such horrors as James “Whitey” Bulger (the real-life counterpart) is alleged to have inflicted, and there probably aren’t enough such moral cripples as to make much of a social problem, anyway. But questions remain about what is shown to have been done by the law establishment, especially the FBI. Even if Depp’s FBI lieutenant is right in claiming that the Depp/FBI operation did clean South Boston of the mafia – a claim the movie neither supports nor denies – one can wonder whether this is progress if it simply replaces the FBI with Depp’s Winter Hill Gang, and there is no suggestion that it accomplished any more than that. One also wonders whether the law had any resources except informants. It is satisfying that Depp’s Bulger is not granted any special qualities except maybe courage, which doesn’t seem particularly admirable in a character with no detectable emotional life at all; his success is no great achievement un-

Movie Review

Jim Erickson

der the protection of the FBI and the government’s curtailing of any criminal investigation that might have involved him. He is supposedly an informant for the FBI, but characters on both sides of the law say he never gave the FBI any information it could use. He insists to the end that he never divulged anything that could harm his family or friends, but this means little when we can see the enormous damage he does to both, whether through informing or not. And the damage he does to both individuals and the establishment itself is not only clear but closely parallel to what he does to his own criminal world. In my case, at least, there was only one likable character and that one was only in a single episode not much involved with the main plot, and we don’t see enough of him to be sure he is much different from the rest (the new superintendent). But it’s refreshing to see a crime movie in which the protagonist is in no way a hero, in which the multitudinous killings are not shown to be essential to any important cause, in which the action does not include long car chases and big orange explosions or James Bond gadgets and stunts, and in which no sets, interior or exterior, imply wealth or luxury. Still, “Black Mass” lacks certain things I would have liked to have seen. I kept wondering how Bulger could have kept the FBI working for him if the information he gave was worthless and why the underworld didn’t detect what he was doing and take action against him. His brother, played by Benedict Cumberbatch, was a state senator; there must have been some kind of electoral story about that. I kept wondering what became of the son See REVIEW, Page 26

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opening newsreel told us in sufficient detail that the outcomes of the various situations are not matters of suspense, and also, transitional material can be much reduced because we can always tell where we are in the story. Whether this undercutting of our emotional involvement is desirable is up to the individual viewer to decide, but it is one of the unusual qualities of the movie that limits its usefulness as a model for other movies and, let’s face it, dilutes our desire for other movies like it. But back to our Thatcher section on Kane’s public career. After a very sour “Merry Christmas” from Kane, the camera cuts to a closeup of a significantly aged Thatcher, the first in which we can’t tell whether he is formally dressed, and he says “And a happy New Year” in an equally insincere way. Time has passed. Obviously relations between Kane and Thatcher have not improved, and we later learn that Kane has been off to colleges and has been kicked out of a number of them. I suspect that this is jumped over because it would be too tempting for the audience, which would like to see the fun, details of which are not necessary for what Welles wants to achieve, which is a concentration on the major stages of Kane’s life. “Citizen Kane” is almost as notable for what it leaves out as for what it includes. It’s remarkable how few really intimate scenes there are, and how few scenes there are of Kane’s personal life. And some people have been unhappy that it shows so little of the exact methods used in his public career, whether as a journalist or as a politician. Which is what we will start with next time. Do you begin to see how my film appreciation classes spent nine class hours in shot analysis?

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Just like old home week, isn’t it? Back with “Citizen Kane.” Don’t be discouraged; at the rate we’re going, we should be done sometime next spring. The section on Kane’s childhood ends with the same white screen it started with, as falling snow slowly covers the abandoned sled Rosebud and a retreating train whistle carries Kane away from the childhood he eventually dies dreaming about. But the white turns into wrapping paper, which is torn away to reveal a very expensive sled, obviously an effort to replace what was really valuable with something merely flashy, very nearly the theme of Kane’s life as a whole. Kane’s face shows dissatisfaction. The next shot is of Thatcher, the lawyer/guardian, shot from very low, the point of view of the child. Such low-angle shots normally make human figures look huge and powerful, again the point of view of the child. But much later we will see a shot from so low an angle that as a man passes by, we catch a glimpse of the bottom of his shoe sole. And it occurs in the sequence after Kane has lost the election, roughly the moment when his rising action ends and he enters his slow descent into failure and lonely old age. My suspicion is that Welles wants us to feel that Kane is still a highly significant figure, whether any character in the movie thinks so or not. And this might be a good time to put in a note on the use of point of view in “Citizen Kane.” We have, not counting the opening newsreel, five different narrations of Kane’s story: Thatcher the guardian’s, Bernstein the manager’s, Leland the friend’s, Susan the second wife’s, and very briefly Raymond the butler’s, each presenting a specific period of Kane’s life. Welles is not totally devoted to what we might expect regarding points of view. For example, Leland, supposedly Kane’s only close friend, reports things he must have learned from Kane because he certainly did not witness them himself. But the introductions by each narrator suggest the main developments of Kane’s character that each section will illustrate, and – perhaps unfortunately – keep shifting our feelings about Kane and forcing us to study the character and, thus, the theme, instead of getting fully absorbed in the plot, which the

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On and on with ‘Citizen Kane’

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The Independent School celebrates 35 years School founder Jean Garvey honored Story

by

Sam Jack

Thirty-five years ago on Sept. 2, The Independent School opened its doors to its first eight students. Staff, alumni and 530 current students marked the anniversary last month, honoring the school’s founder and principle benefactor, Jean Garvey, by renaming the Upper School in her honor. Garvey saw a need for an affordable private school option, and she convinced her husband, builder and businessman Willard Garvey, to join her in support of the venture. Jean Garvey remained intensely involved with the school until her death in 2012, and her family is still very supportive. “The day before (the anniversary), I wrote a little note to her daughters, thinking about what was happening 35 years ago on the day before the school started,” recalled admissions director Beth Sturm. “The response I got back from one of her daughters was that she was probably on a ladder, painting. That’s who she was.” The Independent School’s first building was a repurposed former retirement home on South Bluff, but the school soon outgrew that space. “One day, she was standing on the front porch of her house, trying to figure out what to do, and she started looking across her field,” said board of trustees chair Jane Shaw. “They decided to put a building on the opposite end from their house, so that they’d still have a big, open field.” That first building, which now houses the Lower School, opened in 1985, and by 1989 the rest of the available space had been filled by the Upper School, the Wichita Swim Club and athletic fields and facilities. The Garveys not only gave land and buildings to the school but also a basic approach to education, emphasizing individualism, emotional support and, true to the school’s name, independence. “We don’t want to label anyone, because individuality is the strength of

Jean and Willard Garvey’s six children visited The Independent School Sept. 2. On the occasion of the school’s 35th anniversary, the Upper School was renamed in honor of Jean Garvey. Contributed photo

each one of us. We stand on our own; we are independent, free to do what is right in the field of education,” Jean Garvey said, according to Shaw. “What is right” includes high standards, creative curriculums, small class sizes and detailed attention to the needs of each student. “We talk about our goal being that we would have successful, happy, contributing members of society,” said Mel Dougherty, head of school. “What that looks like, going into the future, may look a little different. We have done things to partner with Exploration Place, for example. It’s about giving kids the opportunity to experience the world here in Wichita. Kids are interning with a high-tech group downtown. Sometimes kids don’t know exactly

what they want to do, and giving them this outside-the-classroom exposure can be really inspiring.” Though it has grown a lot from the first eight students, class sizes at The Independent School are still small. The Upper School’s 2015 graduating class included 55 students. Those few students do a lot. In late September, Upper School students were preparing a production of the musical “Oklahoma!,” participating in a full range of varsity sports and engaging in a dizzying variety of other clubs and extracurricular activities. “I realize public schools have a different environment, but because of realities they face, they will often cut an art program or a sports program,” said Dougherty. “We add more than we

subtract. Our art program, for instance, continues to expand. We’re always looking for new ways to tie kids into the community and give them opportunities.” Independent’s new media resource center, which serves the Lower and Middle School, is charged with supporting both the curriculum and extracurricular efforts in a variety of ways. “It provides a multitude of opportunities for different activities, to host larger events as well as cross-division activities between students,” said librarian Michelle Bolin. “Right now we have a person back here speaking to advertisers for our ‘Oklahoma!’ playbill, and someone else is here working on the playbill in InDesign, and then a class working on computer applications.

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The Independent School has more than 500 students in grades Pre-K through 12. ABOVE: Juniors Graham Potter and Rose Palmer handle science teacher Lin Andrews’ tame pet snake, Monty Python. LEFT: Lower School music teacher Ben Rivers leads students in a song and dance. Staff photos/Sam Jack

to see how they affect the American students because they can tell them so much about how things are done differently where they’re from. They contribute that global perspective.” Independent’s yearly tuition ranges from $5,200 to $10,600 per year, depending on grade level. About a quarter of students receive tuition assistance. “It was important to Mrs. Garvey to give kids opportunities to be successful, and to be supportive of families that need some assistance,” said Dougherty, who has three children attending Independent. “I would say to people, don’t assume that because it’s a private school, you can’t be here. It doesn’t cost you anything to come talk to our admissions department and see whether it’s a good fit for you.”

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Having a facility of this size can allow all these different people to come in at once.” Seniors Sarah Mayer and Emme Goodin, who were working in the library, said Independent had been a second home to them since pre-school days. “We’re always a family here at Independent, and I think we’ve really grown together well,” said Goodin. In addition to Wichita natives, Independent makes a special effort to welcome international students. Many stay with host families from the Independent community. “This year we have Chinese, Vietnamese, South Korean and German students,” said Abby Koch, director of academic support. “It’s been interesting

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Botanica ZEN fundraiser earns $75,000 to support garden growth After revitalizing and rebranding its annual outdoor fundraiser last year, Botanica’s ZEN: An Alfresco Event welcomed another year of growth and success for the Wichita garden. Attracting more than 700 donors, enthusiasts and partygoers, Botanica said the event raised upward of $75,000 for the garden, which relies heavily on monetary gifts to fund its annual events like the holiday light display Illuminations and the family-focused fall festival BOOtanica. The “Alfresco” event itself has been a tradition for many years at Botanica, but last year the garden’s event team opted to breathe fresh air into the fundraiser by capitalizing on the impending opening of Botanica’s Chinese Garden of Friendship. With Asian-themed activities and food, the event was redubbed “ZEN” and the response was overwhelmingly positive. “Not only is ZEN our premier fundraiser but it’s also our chance to share with our benefactors the results of their generosity,” said Jamee Ross, Botanica’s Director of Development. “But beyond that, people really seemed to have a fabulous time – hanging out in the gardens, enjoying food and drinks with friends. It’s easy to forget you’re at a fundraiser.” This year, the Chinese Garden was finished and hosted its grand opening in June, but the theme stuck. ZEN

seemed like a natural fit for the peaceful gardens, Ross said. “This place is on fire,” said Bill Rowe of Blue Moon Catering, whose company supplied the flame-kissed hibachi meals served during ZEN. “Between ZEN, the Chinese Garden and the Children’s Garden, the growth at Botanica has just been dynamic. They’re on a roll!” In 2014, Botanica served more than 200,000 visitors, includin 70,000 who came through the doors during the holiday season for Illuminations, which begins Nov. 27. In addition to the Chinese Garden opening in 2015, Botanica began renovations to its Pavilion area to transform it into a warm indoor respite for serving hot drinks and snacks during the sometimes frigid monthlong light display. “I want to just keep growing,” said Marty Miller, Botanica’s executive director. “I’d love to see 100,000 people for Illuminations this year.” Topping Miller’s list of growth projects is Botanica’s upcoming capital campaign to finalize the restoration of the Joyland Merry-Go-Round donated by Margaret Nelson Spear last year. The Botanica Carousel Project will also include fundraising to erect a new home for the horses adjacent to the Downing Children’s Garden. Next year’s ZEN fundraiser has been slated for Sept. 9.

Review

covers, and “Black Mass” is not extra long. If it lacks the complexity of what I take to be modern realism, it also lacks the feeling of sprawling confusion that too many modern movies produce. I suspect that what a lot of people prefer about the old studio movies is a matter of classical simplicity of character, plot and theme. (That includes the old notion of stardom; I doubt that the old studios would have allowed Johnny Depp to depart so far from his established persona.) As it is,” Black Mass” is a masterpiece of modern crime drama.

Continued from Page 22

who seemed to be the only thing in the world Bulger cared about. Covering all these things would certainly have diluted the movie’s concentration on its monstrous protagonist, and in any case no movie even of abnormal length could have covered every aspect of such subjects as “Black Mass” (what does that title mean?)

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This month, the Wichita Asian AssoAnd 11 contestants will compete for ciation will hold its 35th annual Wichita the title of Miss Wichita Asian Festival Asian Festival. 2015. It was created in 1981 at Wichita Wu became host of the pageant State University to let non-Asians know while still a teenager and became more about Asian cultures and for Asians to involved while in college, even though celebrate their cultures. After 3-1/2 de- she never competed. cades, there are still many people who “I love organizing the pageant,” she don’t know about the event, which now said. “I’ve grown up around Asian fills both Convention Hall and ExhibiFestival. It’s part of my experience in tion Hall at Century II, covering more Wichita.” than 97,000 square feet. Wu said one of the biggest misconLily Wu, reporter and anchor at KAceptions is what “Asian” means. Many KE-TV, is a longtime participant in the non-Asians think of southeast and festival. She is finishing a two-year term south Asia. The continent stretches as president of the from Pacific Ocean Wichita Asian Assocountries like the Wichita Asian Festival ciation, and each year Saturday, Oct. 24 • 5-10 p.m. Philippines (where she emcees and orgaSpanish and English Century II nizes the Miss Asian are among the most Free admission Festival pageant. She common languages) was a performer as a north to Russia, Monmiddle school student, and as a stugolia and Kazakhstan, through Central dent at East High School she helped Asian countries like Iran and Afghansell food at East High’s Asian student istan to western Asia – what is often group booth. called the “Middle East” – and counWu said the festival is a wonderful tries like Turkey, Israel, Syria and Saudi bridge between cultures, especially for Arabia. This year’s pageant will include non-Asians. a Miss Lebanon for the first time. “It gives people that first taste of “This is the one time of year people Asia,” she said. get to wear their traditional attire…their The festival now draws 6,000 people Chinese dresses, their Indian saris. It’s of all cultures. Food, a major part of so exciting to see,” Wu said. the festival, is what draws many people The Wichita Asian Festival is free to in for the first time – and keeps them attend, but you should bring cash to coming back. This year more than 40 spend with food vendors and at other vendors will be selling food or merbooths. The festival is Saturday, Oct. chandise from 12 different countries, 24, and runs 5-10 p.m. at Century II. including India, Vietnam, Japan, Pakistan, Taiwan, the Philippines, Indonesia, China, Lebanon, Malaysia, Korea and Bangladesh. Food booths generally fall into one of three categories: local restaurants, community groups such as churches and high school student groups. Wu was involved with the Asian student group at East High. She said the food is amazing. “The moms did all the cooking,” she said. “It’s a family affair. And it’s a chance to show your Asian pride, and the best way is food.” The St. Anthony’s Lion and Dragon There will be 17 cultural arts perforDance Team performs during the 2014 mances from seven different countries. Wichita Asian Festival.

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Wichita Asian Festival to celebrate 35 years

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All About Her celebrates third anniversary October marks an important milestone for All About Her, a local retailer specializing in fashion and mastectomy bras and other apparel for women. This month is the third anniversary of business for All About Her, located at 536 S. Bluff Street in Wichita. The business was launched by Lisa Wayne, who is quick to note that it’s “a family affair,” both in operations today and in her training background. “There’s not many of us who are involved in this business,” said Lisa, who operates the specialty shop with her stepdaughter Kyla Wayne. Lisa, who has been a certified mastectomy fitter since 2009, got her initial training working with her mother-in-law, who also is involved in the fashion and mastectomy bra business. “People are in need of services like this, and we’re here to help,” said Lisa. All About Her offers mastectomy bras, breast prosthesis, swimwear and fashion bras. “In addition to helping mastectomy patients, we carry an extensive line of

in-stock bras in hard-to-find sizes,” said Lisa. “Our facility is accredited, and most insurance plans help with coverage. And we take care of filing claims for our clients.” The process for mastectomy patients begins with a prescription from their doctor or surgeon. “We try to make the process as easy as possible,” said Lisa. “We work by appointment, primarily, and usually there’s no waiting and it’s a private fitting process.” Lisa said she and Kyla enjoy the services they are able to provide women, and enjoy working together. Kyla is working toward her certification, as well. The All About Her location is located in a quiet Wichita neighborhood, in a former dentist office. Lisa was able to acquire the building three years ago and branch out on her own. The facility has a comfortable office area and several fitting rooms for the privacy of clients. For more information, call 316-2609608, or visit www.allaboutherbras.com.

For information about listing your health-related business, product or service, contact East Wichita News at 316-540-0500 or ewn@eastwichitanews.com

All About Her is owned and operated by Lisa Wayne, right. Her stepdaughter Kyla Wayne, left, also is involved with the business, which specializes in fashion and mastectomy bras and other apparel for women. Contributed photo

29 - October 2015

Lily Wu emcees the Miss Asian Festival pageant during last year’s festival, which is held annually at Century II. This year’s event will be on Oct. 24. Contributed photo

Wu Continued from Page 13

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earned a master’s degree in journalism. She was in Hong Kong during the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. “When I came back, I wanted to learn more about myself and help other people share their culture,” she says. “I want people to reconnect with their cultural background. Everyone comes from somewhere culturally.” Wu is fluent in English, Spanish and Cantonese. She says when you learn someone else’s language, you learn their culture. (Mandarin is the primary Chinese language. Cantonese is spoken primarily in the cities of one southern province and in Hong Kong. It’s also spoken in a lot of China towns in the U.S., since many of the original immigrants came from Cantonese areas. Wu says the languages are different orally but the same in written form.) Wu is full-blooded Chinese, but she

can relate to those from a Latino background since she spent the first eight years of her life in Central America. “I’m fully Chinese and I’m Asian American,” she says. “I’m a little bit of everything.” Because she is an immigrant to both America and Guatemala and didn’t grow up in the land of her cultural heritage, she says it’s easy to feel like an outsider at times. That puts more emphasis on family ties. “In my (Chinese) culture, education is No. 1. It’s the key to everything,” she says. “It makes me very emotional thinking of the sacrifices my parents made for my brother and me to have success. And they knew America was the country to make that happen.” Wu’s voice begins to crack but she reins it in. She doesn’t apologize for her misty eyes. “My brother and I are very proud of them. It takes a lot of courage to leave your family behind. I don’t have cousins here or aunts and uncles. It’s only us,” she says.

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Balancing old traditions with new adventures My annual trek to the Walnut Valley Festival in Winfield was a de- From the Publisher’s Files lightful mix of traditional happenings spanning several decades and new experiences that were savored for the first time. The Walnut Valley Festival celebrated its 44th year this fall, and I’ve been a regular at the music festival since 1975. That was the year I ventured down to the festival from Paul Rhodes | Publisher Kansas State University where I was a first-year student, slept in the back of my Vega hatchback, and got hooked on this unique experience. Since then, I’ve done everything from more solo sojourns to the festival up to huge camps filled with dozens of family members and friends. There is no right or wrong way to experience the festival…well, as long as you’re following federal, state and local laws. This has, and always will be, a family-oriented festival, and I appreciate that aspect of the event. Still, there are energy levels that differ across the massive expanse of the festival’s camping areas, and that has to be figured out by each individual camper. Similarly, there are varying energy levels across the lineup of entertainers at each year’s festival. That was obvious this year as we took in performances ranging from regulars with years of experience at the festival to groups performing for the first time ever at the Walnut Valley Festival. I took a chance this year and for the first time ever I set up my camper in a new location. For decades I had camped in an area that was more congested and a little more energetic, but this year I was looking for something different. I found it in a secluded area devoid of electrical hookups but rife with large pecan trees. For a change, we weren’t crammed together like sardines in a giant tin…and we had shade. Wow. Shade. You’ve gotta have shade when you’re camping, and for so many years I had to create my own with structures and tarps. This was a pleasant turn of events. Next on my list of new adventures, I vowed to listen to as many new acts at the festival as possible. My girlfriend, Kim, and I saw several traditional performances over the course of four days filled with music, but we also experienced some incredible bands that were first-timers at the festival. One such band was Theory Expats, comprised of young college students who rocked the festival with their youthful take on traditional bluegrass and folk tunes, and wowed audience members of all ages with their fresh and hip original tunes. I had a chance to interview the band’s members during a break in their performance schedule at the festival, and it was such a treat to hear their perspectives on music, stage performance…and life in general. That experience was just one reminder why I keep returning to the Walnut Valley Festival each year, and I’ll share more on those adventures – and the interview with Theory Expats – in a separate story (See Page 31).

ABOVE: John McCutcheon, who has performed at the Walnut Valley Festival for dozens of years, sings during one of his performances last month. LEFT: A crowd enjoys McCutcheon’s performances. BELOW: The five-woman band Della Mae performs for the first time at the festival. Staff photos/Kim Swansen, Katie Rhodes and Rob Hornstra

STORY AND PHOTO BY PAUL RHODES There’s a simple story as to why three young musicians call their band Theory Expats. “We were all in a college music theory class together, and now we’re together as a band,” said singer and fiddle player Sadie Gustafson-Zook. “So we’re expats from the music theory class.” Talent overflows from this band of young musicians, and the trio took the recent Walnut Valley Festival in Winfield by storm. This year’s lineup of bands and solo performers numbered just over 30, and Theory Expats was one of several new bands this year. The rest the band consists of singer, songwriter and guitar player Andrew Pauls and mandolin player Ethan Setiawan. Pauls was a newcomer to the festival, and Setiawan made a name for himself at the Walnut Valley Festival last year when he won the National Mandolin Championship. The three musicians were students in the music theory class at Goshen College in Indiana, where Pauls and Gustafson-Zook continue to study. She is a vocal performance major, and he is working on a degree in peace studies. Setiawan is now studying at Berklee College of Music in Boston and has nothing but musical aspirations in his future. He said the chance to perform at this year’s festival was amazing – and

it didn’t end with the band’s shows. On Saturday night, after the popular band Steel Wheels performed on the festival’s main stage, the band made an appearance on Stage 5 in the campgrounds. That show in the campgrounds drew rave reviews…and a guest performance for Setiawan, who was asked by Steel Wheels front man Trent Wagler to join the band on stage. It was an experience of a lifetime for Setiawan and likely will be followed by many more magic moments. Gustafson-Zook is more of a festival regular, having grown up in a family band that previously performed at the Walnut Valley Festival. Her father won the International Autoharp Championship a few years ago during the festival. “I’m still thinking about what I want to do,” said Gustafson-Zook. While she loves performing, she knows the future could take her in other directions. Pauls also knows that life could pull him in another direction. That mix of performance-driven artists and those who might let their talents hang more in the shadows has helped define the Walnut Valley Festival over the years. While headliners like John McCutcheon and Tom Chapin continue to return to the festival year after year, new acts like Theory Expats breathe new energy into the event. And whether they return or not another year isn’t as important as the fact that they left their mark at some point.

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Theory Expats took this year’s Walnut Valley Festival in Winfield by storm. The bluegrass festival has been held in Cowley County for more than four decades.

31 - October 2015

Young band – and its young members – bring new energy to music festival