“Thanks, I appreciate it, but from now on call me Steve and stay seated when you see me.”
– Boeing Wichita site manager Steve Wade’s comment when former Air Force Capt. Michelle Nalley became site communicator and kept calling him and others “sir” and “ma’am” and standing when she saw them
WICHITA — The Loyal Order of the Moose 138 is going to be leaving its home of 20 years behind Club Rodeo on East Kellogg.
“It’s hard getting in and out of this place,” says lodge administrator Tom Chendorain.
The lodge has been in various places around Wichita since 1952. The international fraternal and service organization, which supports a number of charities, was founded in 1913.
Chendorain says most of the Wichita members are between ages 60 and 90, so he’s wanting a place with easier access.
Also, the group owns its current 12,800-square-foot building and is looking for something a little smaller that it could at least initially lease.
“The utilities are killing us – and taxes,” Chendorain says.
Still, not all members are happy with the upcoming move.
“A lot of them are sad because we have the second-biggest dancing floor in the city, Chendorain says.
WICHITA — A Bicycle Service owners Richard Bledsoe and Eric Patterson are preparing to open their third shop, this time in Andover.
The two opened their first store in 1,400 square feet in Derby in 2008.
A month ago, they opened an 1,100-square-foot store in El Dorado.
“It’s doing good,” Bledsoe says. “We can’t keep bikes in there.”
The new store will be in 2,200 square feet at 620 N. Andover Road.
“It’s just basically to make it convenient for the customer,” Bledsoe says.
The stores service bicycles and sell brands such as KHS, Manhattan, Torker and several lines of BMX bikes. They also have skateboards and related merchandise and Monster products, such as helmets and apparel.
Tony Utter of Utter Commercial Real Estate and Dave Lewis of Weigand-Omega Management handled the deal. Lewis also did the deal in El Dorado.
Look for the Andover store to open sometime next week.
WICHITA — Fresh Market president and CEO Craig Carlock has been coming to Wichita for years, but not to scout locations for the North Carolina-based grocery store, which opens at Bradley Fair June 20.
He’s been coming for family reunions.
His mother, Myrna, and his late father, Ron, were graduates of East High School.
Carlock’s grandmother, Margaret Iddings, still lives here.
So is Iddings responsible for the chain’s arrival in Wichita? Has she been pestering her grandson about finally bringing one?
“No, no, no, no,” Carlock says. “We’re coming for professional reasons.”
He says, though, “There’s an element of personal excitement here.”