Sunflowers and Stories

This Saturday, September 28, the Independence Public Library presents Sunflowers and Stories, an event for the whole family. Starting at 10:30, hear "pioneer folktales" with professional storyteller, Rosie Cutrer, followed by outdoor activities starting at 11:30. Activities include crafts, snow cones, flower bingo, sidewalk chalk art, free books, a sunflower seed spitting contest, a plant giveaway sponsored by Hassellmen's, and AWOL cats and dogs you can adopt. Attendees will receive a coupon for 1 free pie pumpkin from Reichenberger's Farm's Corn Maze. At 1:00pm, adults can attend a Storytelling Workshop with Rosie Cutrer. Sunflowers and Stories will go on rain or shine.

Rosemary Cutrer has been telling stories professionally for the past seventeen years at festivals, schools, libraries and museums. She has been a performer at the Cape Girardeau Storytelling Festival, Downs Storytelling Festival, the Choctaw Land Run Festival, the Homestead National Monument and the Kearney Area Storytelling Festival. Before becoming a full time storyteller she was an elementary classroom teacher for twenty-three years. Rosie learned the art of storytelling from participating in workshops throughout the U.S. and has received personal coaching from national storytellers Bill Harley and Milbre Burch.

Kansas Brewers and Breweries

The Independence Public Library will host "Kansas Brewers and Breweries," a presentation and discussion by Cindy Higgins on Tuesday, September 24th at 7:00pm. Members of the community are invited to attend the free program. Contact the Independence Public Library at (620) 331-3030 for more information. The program is made possible by the Kansas Humanities Council.

As settlers streamed into Kansas, brewers set up their mash tun and wort kettles when making beer was still an art and state prohibition a bemusing notion. Higgins will discuss these brewers of early Kansas, their role in their communities, and how they have influenced Kansas brewers today.

Cindy Higgins is a journalist and Kansas historian whose research interests focus on Kansas industry before technological mechanization dramatically changed work and labor in the early 20th century.

"Predominantly German, the first Kansas' brewers were more than beer makers," Higgins said. "They were culture custodians and entertainment sponsors who fostered a sense of community within the State's many German enclaves."

"Kansas Brewers and Breweries" is part of the Kansas Humanities Council's The Way We Worked Speakers Bureau, featuring presentations and discussions examining the theme of work and working in Kansas and how these stories help define us.

The Affordable Care Act and What It Means for You

Thursday, September 19th at 6:00pm the Independence Public Library will host Sheldon Weisgrau from the Health Reform Resource Project: funded by Kansas Grantmakers in Health, to speak on the Affordable Care Act (ACA). With the nationwide sign-up for the ACA just around the corner it is important to know what the ACA means for you.

 

Mr. Weisgrau states: "It’s been more than three years since the passage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA).  In that time, the Supreme Court has weighed in and a national election has been held.  And yet, with much of the ACA scheduled to take effect in January 2014, many people still do not understand the law or how it will impact them.  Here’s a chance to lower the political heat and shed some light on the issue.  Sheldon Weisgrau will discuss health care, health insurance, and why health reform is an important public policy issue.  Sheldon will talk about the ACA, how it may (or may not) address problems in the health system, and the impact of the law on consumers, health care providers, and businesses.  After attending this session, you’ll have a much clearer picture of what’s in the law (and what’s not), how it affects you and your community, and what we can expect in the coming months. "

Sheldon Weisgrau is "the Director of the Health Reform Resource Project, a foundation-supported initiative to provide education and technical assistance to consumers and other stakeholders in the implementation of health reform and the Affordable Care Act in Kansas.  Sheldon has 30 years of experience in health policy and has worked effectively in the public, private, and non-profit sectors to ensure the delivery of health care services in rural and underserved communities and to enhance the knowledge and engagement of health care consumers, providers, and policymakers.  Sheldon earned his undergraduate degree from Cornell University and a master’s degree in health policy and management from the Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health."