Courtesy of Erika Nelson.

By J. Basil Dannebohm

MUSCOTAH, Kan. May 21st, 2013 — Kansas is home to about 20 of the “world’s largest things.” In Greensburg there is the world’s largest hand dug well, Cawker City has the world’s largest ball of sisal twine and of course, there’s Big Brutus, the world’s largest electric shovel that’s still assembled.

While traversing the plains of the Sunflower State, thousands have stopped to pay a visit to these curiosities, taking time to snap a quick photo, often seeking the answer to one question: “Why?”

Photo Courtesy of the Kansas Sampler Foundation.

Sometimes there’s a practical answer; take for example Big Brutus or the “Big Well.” Sometimes it’s the result of a frugal Kansas farmer as was the case with the ball of twine, which has even received nods in pop culture. The twine treasure has been mentioned by Clark Griswold in National Lampoon’s Vacation as well as Dr. Sheldon Cooper on TV’s The Big Bang Theory. It was even the subject of Garry Trudeau’s comic strip, Doonesbury.

“These ‘World’s Largest Things’ serve as a touchstone for the communities that build and house them. Each one has a story, each one has a history, each one is a vehicle for a town to tell its own unique story,” said Erika Nelson.

Nelson, who is an expert on “World’s Largest Things,” is a member of the Board of Directors of the Garden of Eden in Lucas, Kansas, a Department Editor at American Road Magazine and a Lecturer for the Kansas Humanities Council. Nelson was on hand this weekend to welcome into the noble ranks another “World’s Largest Thing,” this one to pay homage to a baseball hall-of-famer.

In 1880, Joseph Tinker was born in the small Northeast Kansas town of Muscotah. Tinker would go on to make his hometown proud, becoming a legend of the great American pastime, baseball. Remembered most as a player for the Chicago Cubs, Tinker was elected into the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame in 1946.

A group of Muscotah residents were in search of a method to bolster tourism a bit – but how?

The answer was in the water tower.

Yes – the water tower. You see, several people observed that it resembled a baseball. Among them was Julie Roller, Development Associate for the Pottawatomie County Economic Development Corporation and a rural advocate.

As luck would have it, the tower was aging and the city acquired a grant to replace it. When the time came to erect a new one, an ambitious resident named Jeff Hanson requested that the top of the old water tower be left intact and brought to the ground. Contractors said it couldn’t be done but Hanson was determined.

His determination paid off. On January 27th, 2012, the town’s old water tower was brought to rest on a vacant lot.

Jeff Hanson
(Photo Courtesy of the Kansas Sampler Foundation.)

Hanson saw in the 20-foot diameter sphere a magnificent way to not only honor Joe Tinker but to create an attraction that would draw attention to the community of 200 residents.

Not just a dreamer but a do-er, Hanson began raising funds and working toward the dream of creating the world’s largest baseball complete with a museum inside.

The dream caught the attention of Marci Penner, Executive Director of the Kansas Sampler Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving, sustaining, and growing rural culture by educating Kansans about Kansas and by networking and supporting rural communities. Penner, along with her teammate, WenDee LaPlant, work tirelessly to make rural dreams a reality. Together they worked with Hanson to get the ball rolling (so to speak) and bring the Muscotah Project the attention and assistance it deserved.

The call was sent out to Kansas Sampler Foundation supporters to assist in any way possible. Through an innovative method of online collaboration, supporters were given the opportunity to contribute directly to the cause, both financially and through donation of goods, money or even volunteering for the project. It wasn’t long before people started purchasing items such as nails, paint, rebar, even meals for the volunteers through a pilot website, which, if successful, would benefit other dreams in other Kansas communities.

On Friday volunteers began descending on Muscotah to begin work on the project. The Barn Bed & Breakfast in a nearby town offered volunteers rooms at no charge as a token of their appreciation. News media were on hand to capture the story of how a dream became a reality thanks to a group of people who traveled from far and wide to transform a water tower into a lasting tribute.

Bob Topping.
Photo Courtesy of the Kansas Sampler Foundation.

Lawrence resident and longtime rural champion Bob Topping spearheaded the on-the-ground efforts of the weekend.

“We all had our roles, but they wouldn’t have found fruition without Bob’s direction. He was key to the weekend, coordinating pre-weekend construction, building plans, etc.,” said Nelson.

As the weekend progressed, the once silver sphere became white with red rebar stitching. Later this summer, a concession stand will be given a face lift complete with a Joe Tinker mural created by Nelson and her partner, Matthew Farley.

“Back when I was a framer working construction, if someone had said someday I would frame a sphere, I’d have said they were crazy. But that’s what we did. When we arrived, it was a water tower with some angled rebar welded to it. When we left, it was a baseball. Small towns need help, and I can help. So I do,” said volunteer Michael Eravi.

Lending a hand to rural communities in need, being stewards of the state and ultimately making history has been the common goal of a determined group of Kansas Explorers under the guidance of the Kansas Sampler Foundation. Supporters of the cause are eager to be part of something that goes beyond themselves and in many cases beyond their hometowns.

“Having the chance to be a part of that story is what brought a lot of us to Muscotah this weekend – in support of an amazing small town, with a big vision,” said Nelson.

Photo Courtesy of the Kansas Sampler Foundation.

And so, with the help of a group of rural advocates, Kansas is now home to the World’s Largest Baseball, a fitting tribute to Joe Tinker and to Muscotah.

Years from now travelers will remember fondly stopping in little Muscotah, Kansas, taking their photo in front of the world’s largest baseball and learning a bit about a Kansas boy who made his state proud.

Here’s to Muscotah. To Jeff Hanson, Bob Topping, Julie Roller, Marci Penner, WenDee LaPLant, Michael Eravi, Erika Nelson and the many dreamers, doers and supporters of Rural Kansas. Your work in Muscotah was a home run!

Here’s to many more rural grand slams.

###

Too often we overlook the importance of gathering around the table with family.

Basil would like to encourage readers at least once a week, to spend some quality time around the dinner table – put aside the cell phones, the meetings, sports practice and everything else and just sit and enjoy the pleasure of one another’s company over a delicious home cooked meal.

To help inspire you in the kitchen, Uniquely Basil is pleased to showcase some of Basil’s favorite recipes. These delicious dishes come from a variety of sources including social media and our readers. If you have a recipe you think should be featured please send it for consideration using the “contact” tab at the top of the website.

Today’s selection was submitted by a reader in Fowler, Kansas: French Silk Pie (The Pioneer Woman Recipe)

 
Ingredients:

• 4 ounces, weight Unsweetened Baking Chocolate
• 1 cup Salted Butter, Softened
• 1-1/2 cup Sugar
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 4 whole Eggs
• 1 package Baked Pie Shell

Instructions:

In small microwave safe bowl melt 4 ounces of unsweetened baking chocolate until stirrable (about 45 seconds on high). Set aside to cool.

In a large bowl with an electric mixer beat 1 cup (2 sticks) of regular (salted) butter and 1 ½ cups of white sugar until fluffy (about 1 to 2 minutes). When melted chocolate is cooled, drizzle it over the butter/sugar mixture. Add 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Beat the mixture thoroughly until combined (on a Kitchen Aid mixer, you will be using the whisk attachment).

Turn your mixer to a medium speed and over a period of 15 to 20 minutes add in the four eggs, one at a time, leaving about 5 minutes between each egg addition. Once the pie filling is well mixed, pour it into the baked pie shell, scraping every last speck of it out of the bowl. Smooth out the pie filling and place pie in the refrigerator to chill for at least two hours (preferably longer).

Plop a heap of whipped cream and garnish with a few chocolate curls if you’re feeling sassy.

By Karen La Pierre

In the early 2000s, like so many up and coming children of the prairie, Ellinwood native J. Basil Dannebohm, had the bright lights of the city shining in his eyes.

Intelligent, humble, educated, and energetic, those dreams of the big time seemed to be coming true.
He worked for the Lawrence Journal World before moving to the Rocky Mountain News in Denver, on to Boulder, and then on to California.

“I never thought I’d come back,” Basil said.

However, the now 31-year-old began having mysterious illness symptoms about four years ago, and the story written in the Book of Life for Basil took a dramatic turn. After years of spinal taps, nerve conduction tests, CTs, MRIs and drop table tests, a doctor finally looked at the bottom of his shoes.

Basil was diagnosed with young onset Parkinson’s disease at the same age as Michael J. Fox. There is no cure. The young man counts as a blessing that those who have young-onset Parkinson’s don’t have dementia.

“To live out my life with certain symptoms associated with Parkinson’s is not something I wanted, but losing my mind would have been devastating,” he said.

He is grateful that he is not confined to a wheelchair and that he can partake in his love of fine wine. Basil is also grateful that he inherited a whole host of supportive “moms” that have come into his life.

At one time, Basil considered becoming a priest, attended Catholic schools and moved to Hays to attend Thomas More Prep high school. He eventually chose to become a layperson, although he is still a person of profound faith.

Illness has not touched his spirituality, and Basil is grateful for the experiences he has already had. “My life has been so ridiculously blessed,” he said. “I try to uplift people.”

After experiencing a serious wreck in California in 2012, Basil decided it was time to return to the home of his heart. A place where there are wide open skies, dramatic rain and thunder storms, and on the back roads, drivers take the time to wave.

“I decided to come back and give back,” said Dannebohm. He is currently living in Meade and writing a book.

So, doing the best he can with his life, Basil focuses on exercise, taking care of himself, writing his book, and taking on limited number of speaking engagements. He has lost 45 pounds since December, and rests more. The book he is writing will be about the prairies of Kansas, and how wonderful they are.

“Now I am discovering amazing things I never knew about,” he said. “I’m becoming a Kansas explorer and have learned to appreciate rural.”

Basil likes this quote by Marcus Aurelius. “When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive – to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love.”

“I get time to appreciate smaller things in life,” said Basil. “Some of these places are gems on the prairie. Life has slowed me down, and now I see these things.”

“I really love this state now,” he said.

Basil would like to encourage readers at least once a week, to spend some quality time around the dinner table – put aside the cell phones, the meetings, sports practice and everything else and just sit and enjoy the pleasure of one another’s company over a delicious home cooked meal.

To help inspire you in the kitchen, Uniquely Basil is pleased to showcase some of Basil’s favorite recipes. These delicious dishes come from a variety of sources including social media and our readers. If you have a recipe you think should be featured please send it for consideration using the “contact” tab at the top of the website.

Today’s selection: German Chocolate Pie

Ingredients:

•1 refrigerated pie crust
• 1 package (4 oz) sweet baking chocolate, chopped
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 can (12 oz) evaporated milk
• 1 and 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 and 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
pinch of salt
• 4 egg yolks

For the topping:
• 1and 1/2 cup flaked coconut
• 1 and 1/2 cup chopped pecans

Instructions:
Heat oven to 375° degrees. Place pie crust in 9-inch pie plate as directed. In a 1 quart saucepan, heat chocolate and butter over medium to low heat until melted and mixture can be stirred smooth. Remove from heat, gradually stir in milk.

In medium bowl, mix sugar, cornstarch and salt. In small bowl, mix egg yolks, vanilla and almond extract. Gradually add chocolate mixture to egg mixture, stirring whisk. Add chocolate, egg yolk mixture to cornstarch mixture, stirring with whisk. Pour filling into crust.

In small bowl, mix coconut and pecans together and sprinkle over top of pie.

Bake 45 to 50 minutes or until puffed and almost set.

Cool completely on cooling rack, about 5 hours or longer.

Together we unite our voices as Your people in the drought ridden areas of Kansas, humbly asking that You send us rain in abundance.

We beseech You to refresh, O Lord, the parched prairie through Your Divine Hand. Make the rivers and streams flow again, for You alone are the Life Giving Spring.

Help us, Almighty Father, to be good stewards of Your creation. May rain, a symbol of new life, wash us clean, refresh our spirits and bring new life to the land.

For every good gift comes down from above and to You do we send up Glory, Honor and Worship – to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit now and always. Amen.

(By J. Basil Dannebohm)

Under the direction of J. Basil Dannebohm, the Bake Off at High Noon was a huge success. The Dalton Gang Hideout was abuzz with activity from mid-morning until after 5 pm on Saturday, April 27th, with vendors, buyers and samplers.

The old time Main Street at the Hideout was the backdrop for day with everything from cheesecake to zwieback being available for tasting and purchase. Based on a vendors head count, an estimated 700 people attended the event, many of which spent the entire afternoon enjoying the festivities amongst the cottonwood trees.

“The entire event, from the music and melodrama, to the baking and generous donations, highlighted the great things about rural communities! It was such a great event that the community of Meade and all of Southwest Kansas should be proud of!” stated Simone Cahoj, Wichita County Economic Development Director and contestant.

The Friends of the Meade Library put a tremendous amount of labor into their booth, decorating it with black, red and white and making desserts with book themes, and it paid off. They not only made some extra money for the library, they spent the day promoting it to the local citizens and visitors.

“We really enjoyed the friendly competition and the opportunity to get out and support the community,” Meade Friends of the Library member Marshann Padgett stated. “This was an event that everyone could enjoy, something that families could do together. It is wonderful to be part of a group of people who believe in rural living…past, present, and future!”

The line at the Smoke Hoss ‘booth’ was constant and the smell of smoked brats, smoked meat and hamburgers enveloped the Hideout Park. Attendees were treated to great customer service and the local 4-H club and Boy Scout Troop quenched thirsts with sales of water and soda.

“It was great to be a part of such an awesome event. Seeing the community come together to support the Historical Society is what makes Meade County special,” Smoke Hoss owner JR Doney commented. “We’re already looking forward to next year’s “bake-off,” filled with even more food, music, fun, & fellowship!”

The crooning of Wes Passmore, Jeff Padgett, George Lucas and Larry Padgett entertained attendees throughout the afternoon with sounds of the old west. The kids inflatable fun zone, sponsored by the Fowler State Bank provided an endless supply of fun for kids of all ages. The two inflatables were broke into age groups, allowing the younger kids to enjoy one bouncy house with one being restricted to older kids.

As a judge of the event Kansas State Senator Garret Love enjoyed the day greeting and connecting with contestants. “It was a great day with amazing food, music and, most importantly, friends made for a fun environment that I enjoyed taking part in.”

Love was just one of a host of dignitaries from across Kansas who gave of their time to judge all the tantalizing treats. Local judges included author Liberty Valance, Mayor Richard Knott, Blake Carter, Buck Friesen, Janice Smith and Tom Kuhns.

State Representative of the 125th District Reid Petty noted, “I had a great time attending the bake-off and participating as a judge. Hopefully it will be the beginning of a new tradition in Meade that people can enjoy for years to come. I look forward to attending again in the future.”

Two local organizations benefited from the event: The Meade Chamber of Commerce and Meade County Historical Society.

The Kansas Sampler Foundation, an organization dedicated to promoting and preserving rural Kansas, applauded the event, “Even though we weren’t able to attend the Bake Off, it clearly energized everyone involved. Whenever you have an event that showcases regional skills and brings together people of all ages, then you’ve got a winner. Meade, you found the winning recipe for a bonding event,” said Marci Penner, Executive Director.

At the end of the day Marshall Allen Bailey served as emcee of the awards ceremony. Dignitaries made the presentations of a $50 check, donated by Meade State Bank, and a rolling pin engraved by the Meade High School shop students. Winners are as follows:

• Cake: Cheesecake Ranch – Mary Kaltenbach

• Bread: Martha Friesen

• Pie: The Country Oven – Ashlynn Nightengale

• Pastry: Martha Friesen

• Cookies: Leah Dannebohm and Stacy Cordes

State Representative Ron Ryckman summed the day up perfectly. “The Bake Off was wonderful and such a great way to showcase Meade. It was refreshing to see the community come together for what proved to be a first class event. All our guests from out of town were treated to quite an enjoyable day.”

By Kevin Murphy of Reuters

With technology, companies can operate online from small towns, which offer lower costs and dedicated workers.

BALDWIN CITY, Kan. — Young people have been leaving rural America for decades, but Mike Bosch, 34, is happy to swim against the tide.

Instead of moving his fast-growing information technology services company to his hometown of Dallas last year, Bosch chose to stay in Baldwin City, Kan., population 4,515. The business, Reflective Group, sits between a car repair shop and post office on a quiet cobblestone street.

All but two of the company’s 17 employees are under 40, and half of them live in Baldwin City, about 45 miles southwest of Kansas City.

Bosch is part of a Kansas group called PowerUp, a social and business network that touts rural life for the under-40 crowd and lets them know they are not alone.

“There isn’t a 20 to 30 year old out there who isn’t going through some struggles in these towns,” Bosch said. “We started educating people on why small towns can be better than big towns, and what resources exist out there.”

Bosch is revamping the group’s website, ruralbychoice.com, to share the success stories of young people in small towns. “We really want to target and champion our age group,” Bosch said.

Some 1,200 people across Kansas are in the PowerUp movement, including those who stayed in rural areas or moved away and came back.

Most young people choose to live in urban areas because there are far more jobs and cultural amenities, said Laszlo Kulcsar, a Kansas State University associate professor who studies population trends.

Those factors, coupled with the steady decrease in the number of family farms, have sapped populations of the young in rural regions, he said.

In 1970, 23 percent of the 18-to-29 age group lived in rural areas, according to the U.S. Census. By 2010, only 14 percent of people in that demographic lived in rural areas, defined as communities of 2,500 or fewer people.

PowerUp member Julie Roller said only about 30 of the 88 graduates of her 2002 high school class in Chapman, Kansas, still live in that area. The population of Chapman is 1,343.

“A lot of it is the message they received in high school – that you have to go away to make something of yourself,” Roller said. “I think we are starting to shift away from that. We have a good number of people who are coming back.”

One example is Travis Peter, who moved back to Tribune, Kan., population 741, from Utica, N.Y., last summer after his wife, Zoe Clark-Peter, got a teaching job. Peter grew up in Tribune in far western Kansas and runs a financial planning service there. He said he likes knowing most of the folks in town, and that Tribune is safe and has a good local school.

“You have things to do here … or, you don’t have to do anything,” Peter, 31, said. “We have a 3-year-old daughter, and she can play in the backyard, outside or inside the fence, and we don’t have to worry about it.”

The wide open spaces were an eye-opener for his wife, a New Jersey native, Peter said.

“I think her first comment was ‘I can’t believe how big the sky is,’” he said.

Drawing young people like Peter has helped keep Tribune vibrant, said Christy Hopkins, community development director in Greeley County, where Tribune is located. Unlike many other small towns, Tribune has no empty storefronts, said Hopkins, a PowerUp member.

“We got the last one,” Peter said.

PowerUp is the creation of Marci Penner, a central Kansas resident who heads the Kansas Sampler Foundation, which exists to preserve and sustain rural culture. Penner said that, in her travels around Kansas, she saw how young people mattered in a small town’s survival.

“I thought that if we could connect these people they’d be happier and more likely to stay,” Penner said. “A lot of people living in these rural areas feel isolated.”

PowerUp was formed about 2½ years ago and Penner said she knows of no such group in any other state.

PowerUp plays to the comfort zone of its 21-to-39 age group because it relies on technology to keep them connected through a Facebook page, Twitter and other social media, Penner said. The group also has meetings occasionally and recently held a Legislative Day at the state capitol.

Roller said housing as well as jobs can be a hurdle for young people in small towns. Housing stock is often old, there are few rental properties, and building a new house is difficult because contractors might be far away. Gas prices can also be an issue if people in small towns have to drive a long way to jobs in other communities, she said.

Towns such as Baldwin City, which are relatively close to larger cities, are in the best position to draw and keep young people, Bosch said. But even the draw of downtown Kansas City, 45 minutes away, does not take Bosch out of town that often, he said.

“Yes they have a lot of great venues and great restaurants — and $6 beers — but I’d have to drag my friends out there,” Bosch said. Baldwin City has dining and culture of its own, he said.

Bosch and several Reflective Group employees said they like Baldwin City for the short commutes, friendly people and surrounding countryside. Bosch earned a master’s degree from Baker University in Baldwin City before starting his business.

Technology allows companies such as Reflective Group to operate virtually anywhere. This works in favor of small towns, which also have the advantage of lower costs and dedicated employees. Bosch said. Bosch said there is a “moral competitive advantage” for companies in small towns that employ young people with rural backgrounds.

“They have an amazing work ethic and strong values,” he said.

Roller, an associate at the Pottawatomie County Economic Development Corp. in Wamego, Kan., said a lot of young people are looking for jobs that will bring them closer to their rural roots. That was the case with her in moving to Wamego, a town of 4,372 in northeast Kansas.

“I like the area, my family is an hour’s drive away, I feel very fortunate,” Roller said. “I don’t plan to go anywhere else.”

Too often we overlook the importance of gathering around the table with family.

Basil would like to encourage readers at least once a week, to spend some quality time around the dinner table – put aside the cell phones, the meetings, sports practice and everything else and just sit and enjoy the pleasure of one another’s company over a delicious home cooked meal.

To help inspire you in the kitchen, Uniquely Basil is pleased to showcase some of Basil’s favorite recipes. These delicious dishes come from a variety of sources including social media and our readers. If you have a recipe you think should be featured please send it for consideration using the “contact” tab at the top of the website.

Today’s selection: Strawberry Cream Cheese Cobbler

1 stick ( 1/2 cup) butter
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 cup milk
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 quarts whole strawberries, capped and washed
4 ounces cream cheese, cut in small pieces

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt butter and pour into a 9-by-13-inch glass baking dish. In a small bowl, mix together the egg, milk, flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Pour directly over the butter in the baking dish, but do not stir.

Add the strawberries, arranging in a single layer as much as possible. Sprinkle cream cheese pieces over strawberries. Place in preheated oven and bake for 45 minutes, or until top is golden brown and edges are bubbling.

© 2013 Uniquely Basil. All Rights Reserved.

No part of this entry may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission.

(The following speech was given by Representative Ronald W. Ryckman, a Kansas House Republican from the 115th District. Representative Ryckman introduced the House Resolution (HR6021) declaring April as Parkinson’s Awareness Month in Kansas.)

Thank you Mr. Chairman.

Thanks for reading the Resolution on Parkinson’s Disease declaring April Parkinson’s Awareness Month in Kansas.

The U.S. Senate designated April as Parkinson’s Awareness Month for the first time on March 26th, 2010 when S. Res. 474 was passed by unanimous consent.

Today we join with our nation and other states in showing our support of those who suffer from Parkinson’s Disease. Committed to a cure, we stand with patients, family members, friends, advocates and caregivers.

On your desk you will find a pen and three handouts explaining the disease.

As many as 1 million Americans have the disease including thousands of Kansans.

There is no cure for the disease and while research continues to advance, today’s best Parkinson’s drug was discovered in 1967.

In the fight against Parkinson’s, we as Kansans can be proud. The University of Kansas Medical Center’s Parkinson’s Disease Center which was established in 1987 was designated a National Parkinson Foundation Center of Excellence.

So as we recognize April as Parkinson’s Awareness Month, we are mindful of those who struggle and pledge our support and encouragement to them in their fight against this terrible disease.

Joining me on the floor today are:

• Angela Lawrence, the executive director of the National Parkinson’s Foundation Heartland chapter. NPF Heartland serves Kansas and Western Missouri, dedicated to improving the quality of life for people affected by Parkinson’s disease through programs, education, advocacy and research.

• Lisa Reser from Ellinwood, Kansas. Mrs. Reser is a fifth grade teacher suffering from Parkinson’s Disease. Though she faces the daily challenges of living with the disease, from the time she started her career as a child care provider to the present day as an educator, Lisa has been committed to the well being of Kansas children for more than 25 years. As a matter of fact, one of those children is an adult now and the next individual I have the pleasure of introducing.

• J. Basil Dannebohm, my friend, a writer, who after living in Colorado and California, chose to return to his home state and utilize his professional talents for the service of rural Kansas communities. Mr. Dannebohm resides in Meade Kansas – and while he lives each day with Young Onset Parkinson’s Disease, he remains committed to serving Kansas.

If any of my esteemed colleagues on the floor of this house has the disease or has a friend or loved one with Parkinson’s, I invite you to stand and show your support for those who suffer from this disease, hopeful for a cure.

Will all of you join me in giving encouragement to these individuals, their loved ones and all Kansas with Parkinson’s disease?

Thank you.

Mr. Speaker, I ask that these remarks be spread across the journal.

“Their magic must be very powerful or she wouldn’t want them so badly.” –Glinda the Good Witch

To wear the ruby slippers is indeed a magical experience and a great honor. Just ask Dorothy Gale … or Dorothy Gale … or Dorothy Gale.

“Our Dorothys are teenage girls who go through very extensive training in the summer,” said JoAnne Mansell, Executive Director of Seward County Historical Museum, home of Dorothy’s House.

Each year young ladies are selected to don the attire made famous by Dorothy Gale in the MGM movie “The Wizard of Oz” and serve as ambassadors of the museum, the state of Kansas and their home in the Southwest Kansas town of Liberal.

Earning the slippers, however, does not come easily. To earn the Dorothy title a young lady must have the brain of the Scarecrow, the heart of the Tin Man and the courage of the Lion.

“They have to go through a little bit to even get interviewed,” said Mansell.

She continued. “They have to fill out an application, write an essay about why they want to be a Dorothy, make good grades, have a teacher recommendation, and then have to pass the interview.”

The process doesn’t end there. Once a candidate successfully completes the interview process, she must pass a test that requires a knowledge of the history of Kansas, Seward County, the city of Liberal and of course … The Wizard of Oz.

Should a young lady be accepted into the prestigious ranks she is paid a stipend to work at the museum as a docent. But just as earning the slippers isn’t easy, neither is retaining the title.

“It’s a requirement that they give back to the community,” said Mansell.

While the ladies have service projects throughout the year, the holidays are particularly busy. In 2012, the Dorothys chose to prepare dinner and treats for local firefighters. Other years the ladies have done projects for Big Brothers/Big Sisters that included giving gifts to children in need. Of course, no Yuletide season is complete for the Dorothys without a visit to the nursing home to sing Christmas carols.

Just as Dorothy Gale once said, “There’s no place like home,” the Dorothys take deep pride in Liberal, Kansas.

“Our Dorothies really promote our community, not just the Wizard of Oz,” said Mansell.

In March 2013, the Dorothys had a chance to promote Liberal at the State Capitol building in Topeka, Kansas. Far from Aunt Em and Uncle Henry’s farm, Dorothy Gale times twelve found themselves rubbing elbows with everybody from the Chief Justice to the Attorney General. The Dorothy contingent even received standing ovations from both the House and the Senate.

The Dorothys would like to take another trip over the rainbow to a place that could be far more curious than Oz … Washington, DC. But getting there requires more than clicking one’s heels together three times.

Almost every weekend, the girls are doing some kind of fundraiser, making their way closer to a trip that would showcase Kansas to our nation’s capital. I, for one, am cheering them on every step of the way.

You see, I’ve had a chance to meet a few of these Dorothys – to see them in action, to witness their passion for Rural Kansas and to hear some of their favorite memories. These young ladies represent a great deal more than a museum. They are living examples of what it means to be a Kansan. These young ladies and their director are equally as enchanting as Dorothy Gale herself. What they do and what they represent is pretty special. I believe their good work deserves to be celebrated.

The warm welcome they gave me to Southwest Kansas even inspired me to forge a lasting memory by purchasing a brick along the museum’s Yellow Brick Road alongside such legends as Liza Minnelli and Ronald Reagan.

While the trip down the yellow dashed road to Liberal may seem long and perhaps out of the way, you’ll be greeted with a hospitality that seems to say, “We know you’ve traveled far – we’re glad you’re here.”

“The people in Liberal are so friendly! They act like they know you,” said Mansell.

The Dorothys and everyone else you meet in Liberal, Kansas are wonderful examples that there truly is no place like our home on the range. Sometimes life is a little more wonderful when you journey off the yellow brick road and take a little time to smell the sunflowers.

If you would like to support the Dorothy Gales in their mission to share their love for Kansas in Washington, DC, you can contact the Seward County Historical Society at 620.624.7640.

© 2013 Uniquely Basil. All Rights Reserved.

No part of this entry may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission.