(Blog Saturday 2/5/2011)

February is the Wichita Public Library’s 23rd Annual African-American History Month Celebration and there’s a lot going on this week. At 1:30 p.m. on February 9 at the Central Library, the Senior Wednesday program is “The Dockum Sit-In: A Legacy of Courage,” featuring the KPTS documentary. Participant Dr. Galyn Vesey will be on hand to answer questions after the screening.

Wichita’s Griots storytelling troupe will present five programs for ages 3 and up at various locations this week: “Stories of Wit and Wisdom,” Thursday, February 10, 7:00 p.m. at the Rockwell Branch Library; “Storytelling in the Griots Tradition,” Friday, February 11, 7:00 p.m. (doors open at 6:30 p.m.) at The Kansas African American Museum; “The Days When the Animals Talked Out Loud,” Saturday, February 12, 10:30 a.m.; “African-American History Stories,” Saturday, February 12, 3:30 p.m. at Angelou Northeast Branch Library.

For 23rd Annual African-American History Month Celebration activities later in the month, see our calendar.

Advocate for the Arts: If you have been wondering how best to protest Governor Brownbeck’s short-sighted attempt to eliminate the Kansas Arts Commission by executive order, you need to go to the Kansas Citizens for the Arts website for information and, then, act on it. Seems to us that this is a perfect example of “penny wise yet dollar foolish.” Specifically, to “save” approximately $815,000 in general funds, the state would be losing about $1,200,00 in matching funding from other sources. Further State and local governments would lose a large percentage of the $15 million in revenue generated by the Kansas nonprofit arts and cultural sector.

If you are looking for things to do, please visit our events calendar.

(Blog Tuesday 1/4/2011)

Christmas is gone. New Year’s Day is done. We hope everyone had a good time. As of today, there are 355 more shopping days until next Christmas.

I seldom watch TV. For some reason I decided to watch a college football game on New Year’s Day. Is is par for me, I fell asleep about half way through, probably because I didn’t have any emotional investment in either of the teams that were playing. I woke just as the game concluded and sat up to, hopefully, watch another game. What I saw could best be summarized by this post I put up on my FaceBook page.

I know that I have mentioned (complained?) about this before, but it sure didn’t seem that TV programming was very influenced by either Christmas or New Years. For the most part it looked like business as usual. It seems to me that if people are running around looking to find those responsible for changing Christmas into Xmas, they might look at the TV networks.

If you have been following the news in Wichita, the argument over garbage collection continues unabated. I think that Wichita is unique among major cities. I have lived in communities in Florida (Miami), Illinois (La Grange), New Jersey (Orange, West Orange), New York (New City), and Rhode Island (Providence). In none of them have I ever had to personally contract with a trash hauler. Garbage was removed either by the local government itself or it was franchised to one hauler. In Wichita, each household is contracts with any one of a number of haulers that serve the city. The result is multiple trash trucks driving up and down city streets with consequent wear and tear where no more than one truck is really needed.

The result is also more expensive trash bills for the City’s citizens. Most of Wichita’s neighboring cities franchise trash collection with the result that on the average their citizens pay lower monthly fees and receive more services (particularly recycling). Our daughter lives in Andover and pays approximately $15 per month for service that includes recycling. Liz and I pay approximately $20 per month for the equivalent service here in Wichita.

The latest proposal would divide the city into zones with each zone being served by one trash service. This would meet the city’s objective of reducing the number of garbage trucks using city streets. What it apparently would not do is save money for many of the people that currently have to pay to have their trash hauled away. Liz and I would probably break even. Specifically, we would continue to pay about what we pay now.

The apparent justification for this differential is that none of the trash haulers currently serving Wichita would be put out of business which would happen if waste collection were to be franchised. In fact, city manager Robert Layton noted that protecting trash haulers is one of the proposal’s virtues. Well, excuse me Mr. Layton, but I am only interested in receiving the best possible garbage collection service at the lowest price. If that means franchising and a number of trash collectors go out of business, that’s competition American style. It doesn’t make any difference to me who collects my garbage as long the trash disappears once a week. Frankly, I am getting tired of City leaders pandering to special interest groups at the expense of average citizens, and this proposal is nothing more than letting the interests of the garbage collectors triumph over the general population.

While talking about trash, we need to note Pro Kansas and the Miller Recycling Center. This volunteer organization accepts a wider range of recyclables than does any trash collector in the Wichita area. The Center is open Tuesday and Thursday afternoons and most of the day on Saturdays.

If you have hazardous materials that are not accepted elsewhere, you should be aware of the Sedgwick County Household Hazardous Waste Facility. This facility will accept hazardous waste from citizens of Sedgwick County at no charge. It is open Tuesday through Saturday.

If you are looking for things to do, please visit our events calendar.

(Blog Tuesday 12/21/2010)

Well, Christmas is right around the corner! I find this to be a strange time of year. Ostensively, for the majority of Americans this is a time to celebrate the birth of Christ and all that means. Unfortunately, common practice suggests that many devote this time of year to a celebration of materialistic greed. Advertisements abound telling us to spend, spend, spend. We have been reminded since mid-October how important X-mas (I used this name for the holiday intentionally here) sales are to the national economy. We are bombarded with recommendations for the perfect gifts for people who probably don’t NEED them. Houses are decorated with stuff that we could all live without (I am constantly fascinated that most of the Christmas decorations available today come from China, a country which at best tolerates a form of Christianity that is controlled by the government.).

Don’t get me wrong. I, too, participate in this madness. I have spent more than I should have on gifts for family members and co-workers. With the possible exception of one, I do not know of any who absolutely NEEDED what I purchased for them. Problem is that I don’t want to be seen as an Ebenezer Scrooge.

Maybe our community would be better off (and more of a community) if more of the money that goes for unnecessary gifts actually went to address NEED. I would hesitate to dictate to which charitable organization or organizations that one supports.

Having said that, the following is a list of organizations that Liz and I have supported with donations over the past several years.

• Arts Partners
• Kansas Food Bank
• Kansas Humane Society
• Lifeline Animal Placement and Protection
• Lord’s Diner
• Substance Abuse Center of Kansas

Other worthy organizations which could also use your financial assistance include.

• American Red Cross
• Catholic Charities
• Episcopal Social Services
• Heartspring
• Salvation Army
• United Way
• Inter-Faith Ministries
• Rainbows United
• Starkey, Inc.
• United Methodist Urban Ministry
• Wichita Children’s Home
• YWCA

In terms of what Liz and I have been up to since we last posted, several weeks ago we attended an office Christmas party at the Diamond W Chuckwagon. After a tasty barbecue, the group performed a series of mostly Christmas oriented western songs. The tight singing and humor of the Wranglers made for a show that could be enjoyed by the whole family will enjoy. The result was a really good show!

This last Saturday, Liz and I took in a performance by the Crowsons at Watermark Books and Cafè. The group consists of Richard Crowson (vocals, banjo, dobro, guitar), Karen Crowson (vocals, guitar, mandolin), Haley Crowson (vocals, violin), Phil Burress (acoustic bass), Dennis Hardin (vocals, guitar, mandolin) and Rob Loren (violin, viola, mandolin, hammered dulcimer). Stylistically the music was mostly bluegrass. They performed several songs from their new CD. The group performs at Watermark on the third Saturday of each month except in September when they are singing at the Walnut Valley Festival.

Wrapping up, Liz and I would like to wish everyone Happy Holidays with the hope that the next year is better for all of us.

If you are looking for something to do during this holiday season, please visit our events calendar.

Time just seems to fly whether you are having fun or not. In our case, we have mostly had fun since our last post. We particularly enjoyed the Thanksgiving weekend which in my (Dennis’) case was five straight days off from work.

Liz and I took the opportunity of this last weekend to take in two movies, Morning Glory and Tangled.

We went to see Morning Glory because it looked like a cute movie in the reviews. That it was! The show stars Rachel McAdams, Harrison Ford and Diane Keaton. McAdams plays an “up-and-coming” young producer who is trying to salvage a morning news show despite in the face of two less than cooperative anchors played by Ford and Keaton. The plot involved a somewhat predictable “rags-to-riches,” or rather “failure-to-success” story, but maybe given today’s climate that’s what we needed. Overall, Liz and I would characterize this as a feel-good movie. Certainly we both felt better for when we left the theatre.

Tangled was on the agenda because Liz and our ten year old grand daughter wanted to see it. For me the fascination was 3-D. The first, and to this point last, 3-D move I had seen was Creature From The Black Lagoon which was produced in the 1950s. 3-D technology has certainly improved in the last 50 years. For those not in the know, Tangled is a Disney variation of the German fairy tale, “Rapunzel.” We all enjoyed the movie. I must confess that I enjoy, and own many of Disney’s feature length animations. In fact, the first movie I ever took Liz to see was Lady and the Tramp.

I was surprised this morning to read Cal Thomas’ column in this morning’s Wichita Eagle. The column’s sub-title, “Time for a part-time, term-limited Congress” gives a pretty good overview of what he had to say. Now, I don’t agree with Mr. Thomas all that often, but I think that he was sure right on target today. If you are interested in returning the Federal government to the American people, you might want to read the Thomas column.

If you are looking for something to do during this holiday season, please visit our events calendar.

(Blog Monday 10/18/2010)

Recap: This past week Dennis attended the Kansas Association of Addiction Professionals Fall Conference in Salina, Kansas. This annual event featured a number of speakers on topics relevant to drug and alcohol counselors. The keynote speaker was Terance T. Gorski who spoke on “Proven Systems for Recovery and Relapse Prevention” and “Cognitive Restructuring for Addiction.” The other major speaker was Mark Gornik who presented “Effective Treatment of Offenders: What Works and What Doesn’t Work.” The conference offered a major learning opportunity to drug/alcohol and related workers.

Saturday was Liz’s birthday. We celebrated with a meal at Sweet Basil. As usual, the food was outstanding, particularly the shrimp cocktails. Liz had the meat lasagna while I enjoyed their fettuccine with red clam sauce. With dinner came a discussion of an appropriate birthday gift. Somehow a Barnes and Noble gift certificate won out over a new vacuum cleaner.

Comment: Earlier today the Parallax Board of Directors announced that all facets of the program will cease operations on Friday, October 22. Reasons for closure may be found in the a series of recent articles published by the Wichita Eagle. Addiction and Prevention Services, Value Options of Kansas, and Substance Abuse Center of Kansas are helping current Parallax clients transition to new facilities so that they may continue their paths to recovery. The program offered outpatient, social detox, inpatient, and reintegration services at two locations in Wichita. The loss of these services, particularly the residential ones, will, at least in the short-term, leave a significant gap in the drug and alcohol treatment capacity in Wichita and south central Kansas. In particular, the reduction of social detox services will likely result in more clients unnecessarily accessing overburdened hospital emergency rooms and/or the Sedgwick County Adult Detention Facility. As a drug/alcohol counselor, no as a knowledgable citizen, I hope that the appropriate funding agencies can move in as timely a manner as possible to fund and implement appropriate replacement services. Failure to do so will have significant negative human and financial consequences.

What’s Coming October 18 – October 24, 2010: Events of potential interest going on in Wichita and surrounding communities this week.

First off, on Tuesday, there is a fund raiser for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. It is the First Annual Wichita Wine Opener and will be held at Botanica from 6:00 to 9:00 pm. Sip fun wines, savor great cuisine, discover the marketplace and enjoy fun auctions and great entertainment! From wine novices to wine enthusiasts, the Wine Opener is a casual and fun evening for all experience levels. Additional information is available by phone at (913) 384-8997.

Also on Tuesday evening, Carrie Underwood will be appearing at the Intrust Bank Arena.. Showtime is 7:30 pm. Ticketing information is available at the Arena’s website.

On Thursday evening the The Wailin’ Jennys will be performing at Bethel College Memorial Hall. Showtime is 7:30 pm. Ticketing information is available at (620) 327-8158.

For opera fans, Wichita State University is offering Albert Herring, a comic chamber opera in three acts by Benjamin Britten. Performances are at 7:30 pm Thursday through Saturday in Wilner Auditorium. Ticketing information is available at (316) 978-3360.

The annual Tallgrass Film Festival will be held Friday through Sunday. The Festival’s multiple events/showings will be held at various downtown Wichita locations including the Orpheum Theatre, Garvey Center, Wichita Scottish Rite, and Bank of America Center. See the Festival’s website for more information.

Friday through Sunday the Sedgwick County Zoo offers Night of the Living Zoo. The event offers eeveral ghoulish activities, like pumpkin bowling and beanbag tosses, can be found throughout the Zoo. You can take a stroll down jack-o-lantern lane, creep up to candy stations and let your spirit come alive! Additional information is available at the Zoo’s website.

On Saturday, support the Friends of the Wichita Public Library and the Wichita Public Library Foundation by attending the Barnes & Noble Bookfair at the Bradley Fair store. When you make your purchases, make sure you tell the cashier you want your purchases to go towards the group’s Bookfair totals.

Lastly, on Sunday afternoon, the Kansas African-American Museum offers a lecture by Dr. J. Edgar Tidwell entitled “The Harlem Renaissance.” Start time is 3:00 pm at the Museum. This presentation is part of the Wichita Big Read.

There are still more things to do! Check the All About Wichita calendar for additional events and exhibits that we didn’t have the room to list here. In the meanwhile, have a good week.