It's time for Positively Kansas.

Coming up, sky high inflation leaves more Kansans struggling to afford the basic necessities.

But thanks to this place, Wichita, as poor and hungry get regular meals.

We recognize the 20th anniversary of the Lord's Diner.

Also, the arts get a boost in one small town as the community chips in to rebuild the local theater.

Plus, there are few people in America with the skills and knowhow of this new man.

Stick around to find out more.

And what's the story behind all these military tanks in north Wichita?

Learn all about them.

Stay tuned for those stories and more.

I'm Sierra Scott.

You're about to see another episode of Positively Kansas.

Positively Kansas is brought to you in part by before investing your hard earned money, make sure your financial advisor understands your objectives.

Mark Douglas CFP Serving our community for over 25 years, providing customized financial solutions that focus on the individual.

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas served more than 900,000 Kansans in various programs.

Independent member owned Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas.

An independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, proudly supports PBS's Kansas.

Program support provided by the F Price Kosman Memorial Trust and Trust Bank Trustee.

Bringing you the Kansas Wild Edge segments on Positively Kansas.

Food is one of those things you just can't live without.

And that makes the Lord's Diner in downtown Wichita a real lifesaver, literally.

The organization is marking 20 years of serving the hungry with nutritious food.

Anthony Powell shows us what drives this noble mission.

The idea for the Lord's Diner really began way back in 1983 when Bishop Eugene Gerber arrived in Wichita and began feeding the needy from his home kitchen in downtown, knowing he could only reach a fraction of the hungry.

He prayed for a way to help more.

And in February 2002, thanks to the support of the Catholic Archdiocese and the community, his prayers were answered with the opening of the Lord's Diner facility on Broadway.

Since its beginning, the downtown location has served 6 million meals.

There has never been a mistake of serving here.

Well, I'm thankful.

That it's here.

I mean, it helps a lot of people.

And I am one of them people.

That has helped me quite a bit several times.

And, you know, I just keep coming back.

Above all else, the Lord's Diner believes in treating the needy with dignity.

That's why folks like Mark Roland are called guests.

Roland has been coming here since moving to Wichita in 2011 and says the Lord's Diner provides him daily peace of mind.

Oh, they.

Help me every day.

I mean, I come down here and I get something in the mornings and sometimes I come down here in the evenings to get something and they give out blankets, socks and things like that.

The Lord's Diner could not have existed all these years without thousands of volunteers like Jim Simon.

Jim's been here since day one and says he could never repay the facility for the emotional rewards provided him.

He urges others to give it a try.

You can give as much as your time as you feel that you can.

So you can work one day a month.

You can work one day a week.

You can volunteer two or three days a week.

I don't think that there are any volunteers like the volunteers at the Lord's Diner.

They are so supportive, so generous of their time and their talents, and we could not do it without them.

Likewise, the facility could never have made it without the financial generosity of the Wichita community, which has allowed for continued growth for the facility and in turn helping more and more needy.

In the last 20 years, the Lord's Diner, a main facility here on Broadway, has undergone several expansions, including what they call the food pantry area.

Right behind me, this is where folks can walk up to a window and receive food or a drink during the week.

The pantries creation also allows for a massive food inventory storage space.

Donors generosity has also allowed the Lord's Diner to expand beyond its main downtown Wichita facility.

Over the years, three food trucks have been added and serve folks throughout the city.

A second brick and mortar location has also been constructed in southeast Wichita.

And other cities in Kansas, like Pittsburgh have been inspired to open locations.

Meanwhile, due to COVID, no major 20 year anniversary celebrations have been held, though it's hoped a big event could be planned for the future.

But when you help as many people as the Lord's Diner has.

Every day is a celebration.

It's an opportunity to give.

Back to the community, to help the.

People who are in need of nourishment.

And as important as feeding the hungry.

Food is the spiritual nourishment provided here over the last few decades has also been and continues to be so vital.

Being a faith based organization, the Lord's Diner helps ease the stress of the needy by reassuring them God is here for them and urges folks who are down to keep the faith.

And just don't give up.

You got to keep trying.

In Wichita, I'm Anthony Powell for Positively Kansas.

The Lord's Diner is currently in need of more volunteers.

You'll find information at the Lord's Diner, dawg.

There are many who dream of walking away from their jobs to pursue their passion.

Chris Frank introduces us to a man who left the world of finance to become one of the few people in the country to do what he now does.

Yeah.

You want to hear?

Mike Hatchet is an expert at getting music out of pianos.

I'm a piano artist.

Just don't ask him to play the piano, but I.

Don't know how to play the piano.

Like so many of us had never progressed beyond playing chopsticks.

I don't understand people that are wired to play pianos.

I just.

I don't understand that.

The ivory is.

What he is wired at, is using his hands to bring new life to old pianos so skilled musicians can make music with them.

I was built back during Civil War times.

The Civil War years, 1861 to 1865, which makes this piano about 160 years old.

That is real ivory covering the keys.

It's one of the older ones that I've worked on, and they always have beautiful rosewood cases and they're fun to work on.

And and it's a joy when you can restore them and get them playing again.

There's one right here in the middle that's worn completely down to the wood.

The ivory is all worn away right on the front, so you can tell it's had lots of use.

The thing that makes this so difficult is that there's no parts available at all.

For now, hence it has to get creative and make those missing parts.

If replacement parts can't be found in a small Newton shop hatch, it works on both conventional pianos and player pianos.

My main thing is player pianos.

But you don't have a good player piano if you don't have a good piano.

So I naturally get into piano work.

Very few do what he does and it sucks on a little nail.

There probably isn't, but three or four people in the United States that do what I do.

That handful remaining compares to what once numbered certainly in the hundreds and possibly the thousands in the U.S..

So one time I think there were 12 piano dealers in Wichita.

And.

I'm sure at least that many tuners.

A century ago, player pianos were quite the rage in American homes.

The self playing piano even outsold conventional pianos during the 1920s.

These pianos allowed people to enjoy music without even knowing how to play.

They work on a pneumatic system, internal bellows driven by foot pedals like Hanson is pedaling, build up air pressure to power the mechanisms air blows through the punch holes, engaging the pianos action to make the tones.

It's a simple way of explaining how they work.

Some players use electric motors to power the bellows.

This particular piano was made for the silent movie theaters before.

Before they had sound.

They would play the music to go along with the movie.

Hansen says this green colored player is rare, with only two remaining.

It's a combination piano and organ.

It was used in silent film theaters.

Its role could play forward and in reverse.

So the music didn't stop.

So the roll.

Is about twice as big as a normal piano.

Roll.

These player pianos can be played manually or from the roll.

You see, movie houses back then didn't always have a skilled player to tickle the ivories and add a musical dramatic effect.

While the film plays.

1925 was the peak of them.

Then the radio came along.

Other.

Other music machines, record players, movie theaters.

But the player piano never really went away.

Just far fewer were made.

A lot of these got put in into use in mortuaries after the talkie movies came out.

And they would use just the organ part of it for the most part.

It is now much more common to find electronic player piano systems moving the keys and making the music rather than the very old pneumatic mechanical systems.

Reports say nearly one in four new grand pianos is sold with an electronic player piano system installed instead of rolls with punched holes.

Owners like my son Matthew Fruits, shown here operate the piano with an app on a smartphone.

The electronics that operate the system are mounted on the underside belly of the piano.

Extra speakers can be connected to further amplify the sound.

As you can see, this piano has a normal piano action with the hammers striking the keys.

So a musician can play this grand when it's not being controlled by the electronic application.

And yes, Hanson also surfaces these hand should also used to build Calliope another type of pneumatic music maker.

One particular calliope shown here on a parade float called the Dolly Trolley, had hatchet going to Mardi Gras in New Orleans annually.

I'm just there to make sure that that Calliope that they bought for me plays during their parade.

Their parades are 4 to 5 hours long down there and serious business.

So they they want the music to play during that whole parade.

He has 15 fully paid Mardi Gras trips.

He's built Calliope for customers in Florida, New York, Texas and Oklahoma.

And he has customers from those states and more for his piano rebuilds.

When you clean it up, you can see how beautiful the wood is.

I can do about anything you want to do to a piano as far as rebuilding.

Some pianos are kept around his shop simply to cannibalize.

Parts from parts.

Are getting harder to obtain.

So in a lot of cases, we just have to make our own.

It's ready to go home.

Customers from across the country continue to lean on Hanson's skills of keeping these pianos in playing condition.

So the music doesn't fade away.

Recording for Newton and that cool.

This is Chris Frank.

For Positively Kansas.

Hanson started working on pianos right after moving to Newton in 1968.

He went full time with his piano repair work in 1984, creating a dynamic cultural hub in the heart of Winfield.

That's the goal of some folks who are overseeing a massive renovation of the historic Marquee Performing Arts Center.

Anthony Powell took a tour and shows us how the project could transform the small towns downtown.

For decades, the Fox Theater on Winfield's main street was a destination entertainment location.

Local folks and those in nearby towns coming to watch their favorite movies in this state of the art facility.

Very, very few theaters were built in the 19.

Fifties, only.

200 in all of the United States from 1945 to 1955.

So this is really unusual that they would build in this style.

So that is why it's so unique.

But over the years, movie sales sagged.

Ownership changed.

And finally, in 2004, the one two vibrant Fox theaters shut its doors.

But a group of local residents saw a window of opportunity today and in 2005 created an organization dedicated to reopening the theater and renaming it the Marquee Performing Arts Center.

The end goal would be to pay for this performing arts space to become the hub of downtown Winfield for cultural, social, artistic and business gatherings.

Yes, we can show movies here, but somebody could have a wedding here.

There could be a business meeting here.

There could be school concerts that happen here.

But as the old saying goes, you have to walk before you run.

And marquee board members have walked countless miles since they came together in 2005, chipping away at various improvement projects like a new roof.

That's lowest.

That's enabled periodic productions to be put on hear.

Person from the wrong side.

Of the tracks.

The lobby has also been spruced up, allowing for various events to be held on occasion.

But the big game changer came when the theater was named to both the Kansas and National Register of Historic Places.

Sites.

A two year process.

Thousands of hours of research.

The honors not only allowed for access to state and federal grants, but perhaps more importantly, gave Winfield residents the confidence that the renovation project could become a reality.

A number of things that we're doing visit town and say like, Oh, wow, look what this can be.

So we're in the process of right now finishing architectural design plans for the tearing that will come in here.

And we bought the building next door also so we can build contemporary restrooms and a bar right there that goes through so people don't have to leave a concert in order to go get a drink.

We're also very interested in maintaining the integrity of the original design of the building, but taking it into the 21st century.

We want the space to be state of the art, but we want to have that mid-century feel about the space, the blond wood.

Hopefully bringing back the original carpeting.

But of course, all this takes more money than state and federal aid can provide.

So the board is continuously fundraising, looking to the community and businesses for financial help.

The goal is to raise a few million dollars in hopes of opening the performing Arts Center in 2025.

This provides a hub for the community to come together in downtown Winfield.

It would create a new kind of energy in downtown Winfield, a place where where people could gather and could bring families.

I am a huge supporter of it.

John Lawrence is the director of Gallery 1001, just a few doors down from the proposed Marquee Performing Arts Center.

LAWRENCE says the need has never been greater for a project like this center.

It should help downtown, period, monetarily, because we've lost so many businesses over the last couple of years for various reasons.

And downtown needs to be revitalized.

And having the marquee renovated, it would be a huge benefit to getting people downtown.

When there is a successful space and entertainment space, it grows commerce.

People go out to eat before they come for the entertainment.

Individuals buy clothing in order to go to the entertainment.

Transforming a theater that for decades has been a Winfield landmark.

Creating a diverse entertainment space for local and surrounding residents of all ages to enjoy and helping stimulate the downtown Winfield economy.

These are some of the many reasons marquee performing Arts Center board members are urging the public to donate to the project as they and others say.

It's a win win.

Situation in Winfield or Winfield.

I'm Anthony Powell for Positively Kansas.

Once renovations are completed, it's hoped the theater will become a regular venue for Winfield's Walnut Valley Festival, which draws major talent from across the country each year.

If military history is more your thing, this may trip your trigger.

It's a museum of military tanks tucked away in an unassuming location in north Wichita.

The place is not widely known, but Anna Spencer discovered it and paid a visit.

It's not every day that you see a full sized tank parked in front of a Wichita warehouse.

But just wait until you step inside.

Welcome to the House of Tank Museum.

Home to several time period exhibits and over two dozen tanks nearly a decade in the making.

This private collection is now open to the public.

Actually, a local he's a neurosurgeon here in town.

This is his private collection.

He's been collecting, from what I understand, maybe eight or nine years.

And he decided after he filled up a museum north and then he would open it up to the public.

Since I've been working here this past year, I found out there are a lot of tank enthusiasts in Wichita that I had no idea that it was such a big hobby.

Visitors will find the tank displays divided into two parts, with a room set aside for World War One tanks and a larger warehouse area with tanks up to the modern era.

Nearly all of the tanks are drivable and have been acquired from around the world.

During the past year, the museum has seen a wide variety of guests.

I do get a lot of history buffs, tank enthusiasts, and then younger kids that play video games.

I found out that a lot of video game players come in and they they know of a very broad stream of information, I guess, for for tanks just from video games.

But the House of Tank draws in more than locals.

Riley says just last week, visitors from Pennsylvania, Missouri and Alabama came to see the massive exhibit.

For some, the opportunity to see military vehicles up close and in person is eye opening.

Here, tank enthusiasts can inspect the tanks from top to bottom, learn about the history of the vehicles, and occasionally hear firsthand accounts from veterans themselves.

Many who haven't seen these vehicles since their military days.

Riley says there's something for all ages.

Within the museum exhibits.

My favorite facts are that we have the tank from the movie Fury.

That's my favorite one.

And it has like a chair in front of it.

So you could see, like, how they filmed it.

There's a tank in the World War One room that you can actually see the bullet indentations in each of the plates.

And I like to point that out to people to go look at.

In addition to the tanks, visitors can see a miniature tank display through various sized shells and learn identifying tank features.

The museum is decorated with military tank prints and posters.

It's a callback to an important time in our country's history and one visitors won't soon forget in Wichita.

I'm Anna Spencer for Positively Kansas.

The house of Tank is open to the public Tuesday through Saturday.

You can find more details online if you Google it.

They're highly sought by hunters.

Pheasants are an important part of the Kansas outdoors heritage, but they're also just plain fun to watch.

As Mike Blair shows us in this week's Kansas Wild Edge report.

You get a hard overnight norther that drops temperatures 50 degrees and it changes wildlife behavior in a hurry.

Extra food is needed to stay warm and birds and animals may suddenly change habits and collect in unusual numbers like these pheasants, which suddenly ganged up at a small grassland near a house where hunting was not permitted.

The few acres of thick prairie next to good feet created a new winter setup.

And now, even from the warmth of a car along a county road, I could easily film these wary birds where a sparse population normally made things tough.

That's one good thing about winter.

A few days later, a snowfall came and melted.

I checked the pheasant hotspot again in Kansas, known for these colorful game birds.

They're given several years of drought and pheasant nesting difficulties.

I haven't seen many for some time around here, so it was a surprise when I found the small pocket of a couple of dozen birds.

And this evening, a snow melt it off.

They were especially hungry and easy to film and tonight I got some good film of the birds picking corn for mares that escaped the combine using feed beaks, they shucked and stripped the kernels right off the cobs and busy like that.

They paid little attention to me or nearby traffic.

It was a fun half hour as the late sunset on a winter day.

After filling his crop, one rooster at a daiquiri of frozen snow.

That's not bad.

When there's nothing else to drink.

Then he hit the road for tall grass nearby, where he could hunker down against Coyote in another cold night.

I'm Mike Blair.

Four Positively Kansas.

Well, that's a wrap for this week.

Email us at positivelykansas@kpts.org if you have a question, comment or story idea.

Im Sierra Scott, thanks for watching.

We'll see you again soon.

Positively Kansas is brought to you in part by program support provided by the F Price Cossman Memorial Trust and Trust Bank Trustee bringing you the Kansas Wild Edge segments on Positively Kansas.

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas serves more than 900,000 Kansans in various programs.

Independent member owned Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas, an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, proudly supports PBS Kansas.

Before investing your hard earned money, make sure your financial advisor understands your objectives.

Mark Douglass CFP Serving our community for over 25 years, providing customized financial solutions that focus on the individual.