Sunflower State aging gracefully

sunflowerMany a Kansas schoolchild knows that today is Kansas Day, the 147th anniversary of the Kansas’ entrance into the Union as a free state. The older folks among us tend to think of it as an excuse for Kansas Republicans to party (which they did over the weekend in Topeka). But Kansans of all ages could be better acquainted with their fascinating state, which is more than the sum of its “bleeding,” cattle-herding, wheat-growing, planemaking and ball-playing parts.
We’ll get a good gauge of what Kansans value most about the Sunflower State today, when Gov. Kathleen Sebelius and the Kansas Sampler Foundation announce the Eight Wonders of Kansas, as chosen by more than 24,000 people online.

15 Comments

  1. Regular
    Posted January 29, 2008 at 7:18 am | Permalink

    They should also include the eight blunders of Kansas.

  2. ghotiphaze
    Posted January 29, 2008 at 8:15 am | Permalink

    Any birthday after 25 when your insurance goes down needn’t be celebrated.

  3. lindainks55
    Posted January 29, 2008 at 8:19 am | Permalink

    Only eight, huh? Oh yeah, we’re still back there in some former century and still have time for many more…

  4. Pleefer
    Posted January 29, 2008 at 8:53 am | Permalink

    With the mentality of some folks in this state, it is kinda like we’ve never left 1861.

  5. george
    Posted January 29, 2008 at 9:08 am | Permalink

    I like this podunk state and I’m getting old right along with it.

  6. American Way
    Posted January 29, 2008 at 10:53 am | Permalink

    Why does this have to be a republican/democrat thing?

    Can’t you just report the news without taking a swipe at one party?

    Do you have to be so divisive? You do more to talk down and divide our nation and our state than any politician can.

    We are all Kansans!

  7. American Way
    Posted January 29, 2008 at 10:59 am | Permalink

    test2

  8. American Way
    Posted January 29, 2008 at 11:11 am | Permalink

    Why does this have to be a republican or democrat issue?
    Can’t we celebrate our states history without the newspaper
    turning a positive into a negative?

    Why must you be so divisive? You are helping to create
    hate and division and fanning the flames.

    We are one state for pete’s sake. One people. The national
    media has already torn apart the nation.

    Why must your paper attempt to ignit the people of Kansas
    against each other? Is it hate?

  9. American Way
    Posted January 29, 2008 at 11:11 am | Permalink

    test 3

  10. American Way
    Posted January 29, 2008 at 11:11 am | Permalink

    Test 10

    Why does this have to be a republican or democrat issue?
    Can’t we celebrate our states history without the newspaper
    turning a positive into a negative?

    Why must you be so divisive? You are helping to create
    hate and division and fanning the flames.

    We are one state for pete’s sake. One people. The national
    media has already torn apart the nation.

    Why must your paper attempt to ignit the people of Kansas
    against each other? Is it hate?

  11. ghotiphaze
    Posted January 29, 2008 at 11:59 am | Permalink

    Any birthday after your 25th, when your insurance takes that whopping drop, isn’t worth celebrating.

    I never remember mine until the family reminds me (don’t remember any of their’s, either). I spent 3 years being 42 before someone pointed this out and I actually did the math.

  12. ghotiphaze
    Posted January 29, 2008 at 11:59 am | Permalink

    Any birthday after your 25th, when your insurance takes that whopping drop, isn’t worth celebrating.

    I spent 3 years being 42 before someone pointed this out and I actually did the math.

  13. ghotiphaze
    Posted January 29, 2008 at 12:00 pm | Permalink

    Any birthday after your 25th, when your insurance takes that whopping drop, isn’t worth celebrating.

    I never remember mine until the family reminds me (don’t remember any of their’s, either).

  14. Vaughn Tolle
    Posted January 29, 2008 at 1:31 pm | Permalink

    AmWay,

    I didn’t see anyone trying to turn the state’s birthday into a political issue in the header. It recognizes the traditional time for the GOP to meet, which seems the only overt political reference in the header.

  15. Kansas
    Posted January 29, 2008 at 6:43 pm | Permalink

    Kansas is a great state!