There are exactly three things to do in Hutchinson, unless you count going to the mall as a thing to do – Cosmosphere, Kansas Underground Salt Museum and watching the prairie dogs. Both museums are excellent, probably among the best in Midwest, but it’s the prairie dogs who put everything in perspective.

Prairie dogs represent the eternity.

This might cheer up some KU fans who are feeling down these days.

In January of 1957 Life Magazine published a report on Wilt Chamberlain who was recruited by KU in 1955.

What it took to get Wilt

Old recruiter, army of workers, rich alumni helped Kansas land star.

The University of Kansas has had the finger of suspicion pointed at it ever since it enrolled 7-foot-tall Wilt Chamberlain, who was sought by a hundred campuses and is now the most spectacular of all college basketball players. Every time Kansas wins with “Wilt the Stilt” (it has lost only once this season) gossipy stories of how he was recruited grow stronger – of under-the-table deals, of a trust fund of $10,000 (or $25,000) which waits for the big fellow when he graduates.
It sometimes takes money in one form or another for a college to get a greats star today. Because one college can usually offer as much as the next, it often takes something else. In this case it took the man talking to Wilt, aggressive, crafty Dr. Forrest C. (“Phog”) Allen, who for 39 stormy years had survived as coach in Kansas. How he mapped the strategy that brought Wilt to Kansas and led the small army that carried out is told on the following pages. The triumph turned to ashes for Allen last year when, kicking like a steer, he was forced to quit as coach at the compulsory retirement age of 70. When he is asked what he used to recruit Wilt, Phog has a blunt answer: “Of course I used everything we had to get him. What do you think I am, a Sunday school teacher?”

But first, presenting the original and still the best photo of a screaming KU fan.

The City Hall was built in 1937, under the influence of Tom Pendergast (who owned a concrete company that built the city hall), the “political boss” of Kansas City at the time. It was built to “counter” the effects of the great depression on Kansas City, and was part of a series of other government buildings, which include the Jackson County Courthouse. Both buildings were designed by Wight and Wight.

If you’ve ever squinted trying to see the reliefs on the City Hall building in Kansas City,MO you are not alone. So I thought I’d present to you some close-ups of all four sides of the building, brought to you by my lunch walks and short attention span. Some scenes I could interpret, probably incorrectly, other ones seemed more mysterious. If you know what they mean, fell free to comment.

Major episodes in the city’s history are depicted in a frieze of 16 panels directly above the sixth story. Sculptures on the building’s exterior were done by C. P. Jennewein, Ulric H. Ellerhusen, and Walker Hancock.

*it was sunny, I had to make photos a little darker to make detail more visible.

…still waiting for the women.

During my conversation with George Detsios he mentioned that his restaurant had a very short menu which included stuffed peppers and stuffed cabbage. Stuffed peppers are not hard to make and if you purchase the peppers at the City Market like I did for 3-for-a-dollar they are also very inexpensive. I am not sure if they will be as good as George’s but you wouldn’t know any better anyway.

First, assemble the ingredients and equipment. You will need 6 peppers, lean ground beef, a carrot, few stalks of celery, an onion,a handful of rice, a can of tomato juice, cooking (olive) oil, salt, pepper, large pot to hold the peppers, smaller pot to boil tomato juice and a skillet. If you have a choice pick the peppers other than green, they are sweeter.

Put a handful of rice into a small pot of water, heat it up until it just boils then rinse. Remove the tops from the peppers, clean out the seeds and wash the peppers inside and outside. Do not discard the tops.

Chop an onion, and saute on the skillet with (olive) oil until translucent and soft. Shred a carrot into the skillet and continue sauteing on the low heat.

During that time boil a pot of water, turn off the heat, put peppers with tops in the pot and let them soften up for a few minutes. Drain the water and remove peppers.

While the peppers are cooling, boil tomato juice. Adjust salt/sugar levels to taste.

Mix ground beef, onions and carrots from the skillet, shredded celery and a couple of handfuls of water. Add salt if needed.

Stuff the mixture into peppers. Do not try to fit as much meat into a pepper as you can, this is not a meat-stuffing contest. Place peppers into an empty pot and cover with tops.

If you still have leftover meat  – roll it into a meatball and place it in the pot with peppers.

Pour boiling tomato juice over peppers, bring to boil, then simmer for 20-30 minutes. The goal is to have the stuffing cooked without letting the peppers disintegrate.

Serve with sour cream.

Here are the rest of my photos.

Disclaimer:this blog assumes no responsibility if the words “stuffing meat” got you excited. Please move on.