MediterraneanGrocery Wholesalers in Wichita, KS

When Staci Addison left her hometown of Wichita, she never could have imagined the kind of homecoming she will have on Saturday night.

The 1984 Kapaun Mt. Carmel graduate began working in marketing, first for the Salvation Army and then for Riverfest. She left for Philadelphia to become a fundraising consultant, then moved across the country to become an innkeeper in Carson, Washington (population: 2,349), then later in Tishomingo, Oklahoma. (population: 3,115). And somewhere in there, she even was a radio deejay at one point.

But Addison, at age 57 and with no prior experience, has recently found a new passion in life: breeding bulls.

In less than five years, Addison and her partner, Tommy Julian, have produced some of the top bucking bulls in the world in their 900-acre ranch tucked away in the southeastern corner of Oklahoma in a town called Broken Bow.

When the Professional Bull Riders’ Velocity Tour makes its 10th straight appearance at Intrust Bank Arena at 7 p.m. Saturday, Addison and Julian will have three bulls in the competition: Plowboy, Prince Charming and Precious Pup. It will be the first time Addison has returned to Wichita to showcase her new talents. Tickets to the PBR event are available starting at $28 through Select-A-Seat.

“It’s going to be extremely special because I never thought I would be doing this,” Addison said. “I’ve had a lot of different adventures and careers purposely in my life. I’ve done just about everything under the sun, but I am absolutely without a doubt having the most fun I’ve ever had before with this job. I can’t wait to come back to my hometown with these incredible animals and show what they can do and what I’ve learned to do.”

So how does a former marketing director, innkeeper and radio deejay become a prize-winning groomer of bucking bulls in less than five years?

It starts with the dream of Addison’s longtime partner, Julian, who was having success with his racehorses and felt like the natural evolution would be to start buying bucking bulls. Julian bought his first bucking bull and raised it on his business partner’s ranch. Before long, the bull won a $100,000 national prize and the couple was hooked.

They had attended rodeos before, but neither knew what they were doing when it came to the behind-the-scenes operation of breeding bulls. They figured eagerness and determination could make up for whatever they lacked in experience, so they branched out on their own, forming Julian Cattle Company, and started their own breeding program with the 22 cows and two bulls they owned.

Within five years, the ranch now features around 200 cows and 80 bulls.

“It was truly trial and error, but the great thing about the bull-bucking industry is that the people are genuine and very, very nice,” Addison said. “You watch what other people do, you read what other people do, you tour other ranches and just try to figure it out on your own. You try and you do it wrong several times, but eventually you get it right.”

Before diving headfirst into a whole new world, Addison had no idea the complexity behind breeding bulls.

The couple makes sure their bulls receive the best of the best: specifically-formulated food twice a day that includes between 18 and 22 pounds of grain, routine appointments with a chiropractor, regular deep-tissue massages, daily exercise and a friendly companion to play with in their pen.

“We treat all of our animals like they’re professional athletes,” Addison said. “There’s a whole science behind all of it.”

Addison became so invested in the sport that she soon became restless watching her bulls compete from the stands. She wanted to be a part of the action, so she started to learn how to “flank” her bulls in competition.

A flankman is the person at the back of the bucking chutes that places a padded strap around the flank, the fleshy portion of the bull between its rear leg and belly, which is what encourages the bull to buck when it leaves the chute.

“All that it does is cue the animal to buck, kind of like when you get your dog leash out and your dog starts spinning because they know they’re about to go on a walk,” Addison said. “A bull is the same way. You put the flank rope on and when they feel that, they know it’s time to buck.”

Addison bought her own bull to flank, a white one she named “Cool Whip,” and she didn’t win a dime in her first year competing. But one year later, once the pair gained experience together, Cool Whip won a world championship, finished runner-up another time and has won close to $400,000 in prize money. Cool Whip, which has fathered another promising bucking bull, aptly named Whipped Cream, currently competes on the PBR’s top series, Unleash the Beast.

While the majority of fans who pack inside Intrust Bank Arena on Saturday will be there to watch the greatness of veteran bull riders like Eli Vastbinder, Dener Barbosa, Marco Eguchi and Mason Taylor, stock contractors like Addison will actually be competing against each other in a less-publicized contest.

Their competition is between what is known as bull teams, as ranchers from all over the Midwest will haul in three bulls that will compete on Saturday and be graded — for their own separate performance and their performance with their rider. A contractor can win anywhere between $20,000 and $35,000 with a successful night.

Stock contractors are competing against one another throughout the season, as scores are tracked and the best teams advance to the finals held in Corpus Christi, Texas, in May.

“I can’t wait to come back home and show people how special these animals really are,” Addison said. “To be able to come back to Wichita and flank my bull at Intrust Bank Arena, it’s just super cool.”

This story was originally published April 19, 2024, 6:03 AM.

One of the appeals of bringing affiliated baseball back to Wichita was the opportunity to watch future big-leaguers play at Riverfront Stadium.

As the Wind Surge embark on their fourth season in downtown Wichita, the Double-A organization in the Minnesota Twins’ farm system has already produced its fair share of MLB talent.

A total of 28 players and two coaches who have spent time with the Wind Surge have reached the majors since the opening pitch at Riverfront Stadium in spring 2021. The Wind Surge (2-10) are currently hosting the Tulsa Drillers in a series that will conclude this weekend with games at 7 p.m. Friday, 6 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday.

The most famous Wind Surge graduate, however, no longer plays for the Twins’ organization, as Spencer Steer was traded to the Cincinnati Reds in 2022. Steer was a breakout star in 2023, smashing 23 home runs with 86 RBIs and 74 runs scored; he is currently hitting .302 with three homers and 18 RBIs, good for third-most in the National League, as the Reds’ everyday left fielder this season.

Christian Encarnacion-Strand, who was involved in the same trade as Steer, has also become an everyday player for the Reds and is hitting .192 this season with two home runs and 12 RBIs at first base.

Yennier Cano, a 2021 Wind Surge graduate, has become a trusted reliever for the Baltimore Orioles. He recorded 31 holds and eight saves with a 2.11 ERA last season, while he currently owns a 1.93 ERA in nine appearances this season out of the bullpen.

Of the 28 Wind Surge graduates who have reached the majors, 14 of them are currently still playing at the major-league level with eight of them currently on the Twins’ active roster. Those are infielder Jose Miranda, second baseman Edouard Julien, outfielder Austin Martin, catcher Jair Camargo and pitchers Josh Winder, Cole Sands, Louie Varland and Kody Funderburk.

Miranda was the Wind Surge’s first breakthrough player in the majors, hitting 15 homers with a .268 average and 66 RBIs in his rookie year in 2022. He has since become a part-time starter around the infield for the Twins.

Julien is currently the starting second baseman for the Twins, hitting .175 with four homers and five RBIs. Varland is currently in the starting rotation and has made 18 starts over the last three years in Minnesota, while Sanders (1.17 ERA) and Funderburk (1.29 ERA) have excelled out of the bullpen this season. Meanwhile, hitting coach Derek Shoman and pitching coach Luis Ramirez have also been promoted to the big leagues.

More help from Wichita could be on the way soon for the Twins, as the Wind Surge currently feature top outfield prospect Emmanuel Rodriguez, who has already hit four home runs in his first 11 games for the Wind Surge with a sparkling .510 on-base percentage. He is rated as the No. 3 overall prospect in the Twins’ farm system.

This story was originally published April 19, 2024, 5:02 AM.

The Great Plains Renaissance Festival

I’m all for experiencing new things and one event I’ve been meaning to visit over the years is The Great Plains Renaissance Festival.

Located at Sedgwick County Park, this two-day event takes place twice a year. There’s a spring festival and another one in the fall.

For my first Great Plains Renaissance Festival, I stopped by the spring event. I had no idea what to expect and when I arrived, I was surprised at the sheer number of people in attendance. Many of whom were dressed up. I think there were more people dressed up than not dressed up.

This event had it all, jousts and jets, bagpipes, fire breathers, fairies, knights, horses, war… everything. While this type of event isn’t necessarily my thing and most of what went on was over my head, I came in with an open mind to experience something totally outside my comfort zone.

The first thing that I came across was vendors. There were so many on hand selling everything one would ever need, swords, helmets, masks, walking canes, jewelry, and more.

While walking around Sedgwick County Park, I came across Crazy Boy Coy, a very entertaining fire breather with plenty of jokes.

I think my favorite part of the festival was the Highland Games. I couldn’t even tell you all the events they were doing. But it was a ton of fun to watch, featuring incredible feats of strength.

Then I saw lots of sword fighting, fencing, and what I believe to be Live Action Role Play (or larping).

Moving on, I came across the the talented ladies of Amira Dance Productions.

And then there was the food, which may have been the busiest area of The Great Plains Renaissance Festival.

I spent $18 on a large turkey leg which ended up being my meal for the day.

It was certainly interesting to experience and take in. Like I said, it’s not really my type of event, but I wanted to check it out seeing as though I don’t recall ever going before.

To learn more about The Great Plains Renaissance Festival, you can either visit their website or Facebook page.

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Do you miss all you can eat crab legs in Wichita? I do. But did you know that it’s available, thanks to a short hour drive (or less) outside of Wichita at Rock & Brews Casino in Braman, Oklahoma?

The promotion, which has been going on for over a year now, takes place every Friday at Rock & Brews restaurant from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. for $59.95.

=========== 9525 US-177, Braman, OK 74632 580-385-2440

Restaurant Hours Daily: Noon – 9pm

Website | Facebook Cash/Card Accepted ===========

I’ve been wanting to go forever and was surprised with a trip to Braman over my birthday weekend by my better half to cross this off my foodie bucket list.

The drive to Rock & Brews, for us, was just under the hour mark. Probably could have been faster if it weren’t for construction.

When we arrived to Rock & Brews, we didn’t smell cigarette smoke as we walked in. It was crab legs. It was a popular place with nearly every table taken around 6:30-7pm.

As we were seated, our server asked if we wanted to start off with a salad or get straight to the crab legs. Megan asked for a salad, but I wanted to save all the room in my belly for the latter.

Within a few minutes, I had my first platter of crab legs in front of me. It was piled high with corn and potatoes underneath. Megan enjoyed the salad, noting they had high-quality ranch (which I get is important to a lot of people). And she also really loved the corn.

Like the salad, I didn’t touch the corn or potatoes as it took my eyes off the prize.

I was in pure bliss with the all you can eat crab legs and started going to town on them. They were warm, delicious and the meat came out with little effort.

There was a gentleman walking around with a cart full of crab legs refilling people’s plates.

His name was Bruce and was a joy to speak with. Apparently he’s also the GM of the place, but enjoys working on the Fridays and conversing with customers. He told me over 80% of customers that come in on Fridays are from Wichita.

Rock & Brews did a fantastic job of going around and making sure no plates were empty. The service was quick and pretty much any server we encountered was so positive.

After multiple refills, I was full, but was told the only way to get the full experience was to end my night with the complimentary ice cream available to all customers. The option was vanilla with either chocolate or caramel drizzle.

After our meal, the temptation came on to do a little gambling. While I’m not a fan of slot machines (I stick to table games), I caved in and dabbled a bit.

And thanks to one of the machines, I turned a few twenty dollar bills into this:

What a wonderful way to spend a Friday evening.

If crab legs aren’t your thing, here’s the menu to order from:

Happy Dining, Eddy

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Kansas stargazers will get the chance to see a full “pink” moon peak soon.

The pink moon gets its name not from the hue of the full moon, but because wildflowers bloom in April. Specifically, the flower “moss pink” inspired the name, according to the Old Farmer’s Almanac.

Along with the pink moon, April’s full moon is also referred to as the sprouting grass moon, egg moon, fish moon and other names, according to NASA.

Here’s when to catch a glimpse this year in Wichita.

The pink moon will peak at 6:49 p.m. Central Daylight Time Tuesday in Wichita, but you might catch a better view later as the sun sets at 8:12 p.m.

The moon will appear full from Monday morning to Thursday morning, NASA reports.

The National Weather Service forecasts Tuesday night will be partly cloudy in Wichita, with a low around 47 degrees Fahrenheit.

The Kansas Astronomical Observers will hold a meeting from 3 to 5 p.m. Saturday at Lake Afton Public Observatory, and visitors are welcome. You can search for more local astronomy events online at the Night Sky Network.

We are sharing some of our favorite tips for capturing the moon at its best using your iPhone - It's actually way more fun than you might think! Learn about each moon phase here: https://t.co/DosGImJUY6 pic.twitter.com/50t9ZTDN3h

— The Farmers' Almanac (@FarmersAlmanac) April 15, 2024

Kansas stargazers will get to enjoy a meteor shower in early May when the Eta Aquarids make their way across the sky. The meteor shower will peak the night of May 4, according to publication Space.com, and should be more visible than the 2023 Aquarids because the moon won’t interfere as much.

If you don’t get a chance to see this month’s pink moon, you’ll still have eight more opportunities to see a full moon in 2024.

Here’s this year’s full moon calendar, with information from Space.com:

Full moons have multiple names, and many come from Indigenous cultures. The Farmers’ Almanac uses Indigenous moon names, along with monikers from colonial America and other North American sources.