Feature Stories

Loving It

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The tantalizing aroma of fresh pomme frites wafted through
the air outside the swanky glass and steel entrance of Wichita’s hottest new
restaurant. My inveterate dining companions Etienne and Hercule, just arrived
back from their annual trip to Martinique’s incomparable Tour de Yoles Rondes,
practically shivered with anticipation of the gastronomic delights to come. Hercule
insisted on wearing his positively sumptuous Lanvin gloves for the occasion. “Darling, one must meet excellence with excellence,” he
explained. Of course, Hercule’s English is so heavily burdened with his
Champenois French accent that Etienne quickly insisted he switch back to the mother
tongue for the rest of our evening together.

Columns

WICHITA MATTERS: Some Notes on the First Mayoral Debate

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The story of Tuesday night’s debate is one of offense and defense. For better or worse, Mayor Jeff Longwell–at least at this early point in the race, and at least on the basis on this remarkably well-attended debate (Roxy’s was absolutely packed) — is running entirely on defending his record of the last four years. With the exception of one very slight snark about how the city’s budgets always balance, unlike the state’s (where his challenger Brandon Whipple has served in the Kansas House since 2013), the mayor never attacked Whipple at all. Whereas Whipple went on the attack frequently. Though not always effectively; there were points where Whipple could have forced out into the open some important differences between the candidates, but chose not to, and there were other points where he picked fights over pretty unimportant, even silly stuff.

Featured in Category

Wanda’s Tunnel

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Chris Johnson seemed the same as the trees and the light poles and all the barking dogs in our neighborhood. What I mean to say is when a kid is always around riding his bike you don’t think about them too much. He was just a kid. We knew he was poor as hell because Daddy told me his dad couldn’t hold a job and his momma is a cracked-head. Sometimes Matt’s mom would give them their dinner and that meant Matt would go to bed hungry.