Beth Lipoff, Freelance Journalist Profile

Articles

Unique wheelchairs allow more youth to enjoy Olathe's pools and lake

6 days ago | kansascity.com | Beth Lipoff

Thanks to a grant from Variety KC, more youth will be able to enjoy Olathe's pools this year. The city recently purchased water wheelchairs for all of its pools, as well as for Lake Olathe. Courtesy photo Thanks to a grant from Variety KC, more youth will be able to enjoy Olathe's pools this year. The city recently purchased water wheelchairs for all of its pools, as well as for Lake Olathe.
Countless citizens find fruit free of charge at The Giving Grove's orchards

1 week ago | thepitchkc.com | Beth Lipoff

It began as a search for a sustainable solution to provide healthy food to those in need. Now, 12 years after The Giving Grove's first planting, more than 250 urban orchards dot the metro area. Even more are growing in other cities across the country via programs that have found their roots with a little help from The Giving Grove. Each orchard has volunteer stewards from the community who oversee and maintain it. Many of the orchards used to be vacant lots.
Silver Clovers started during pandemic. Program continues to enlighten older adults

2 weeks ago | kansascity.com | Beth Lipoff

Master Food volunteer Melissa McGuire gives some pointers during a Silver Clovers cooking class as fellow volunteer Carol Roeder-Esser dishes up samples of a tuna and white bean salad. Special to The Star Cooking, retirement planning and health are just a few of the topics you can learn about through Silver Clovers. The program, operated by Johnson County Extension, aims to provide a variety of classes for those 50 and older in the county.
World's first Museum of BBQ opens April 12

2 weeks ago | thepitchkc.com | Beth Lipoff

Like a home-cooked meal, the Museum of BBQ is a tasty labor of love from founder Jonathan Bender. Located on the second floor of Crown Center, the 4,300 square-foot museum opens April 12. What Bender craves more than a dinner of smoky burnt ends is the chance to interact with people and share stories of the cuisine's past and present from all over the country. "I like the idea of kind of being your barbecue best friend," Bender says. It's a concept that's been marinating a long time.
Solve a mystery at this Edgerton museum's escape room

1 month ago | kansascity.com | Beth Lipoff

One Johnson County Museum is providing a unique way to engage with history. The search for a missing schoolmarm is the focus of an escape room experience at the Lanesfield School, a historic one-room schoolhouse in Edgerton. Leah Palmer, curator of education for the museum, says the aim is to draw a new audience. "The Lanesfield School has done one-room schoolhouse field trips for many years - for decades, actually," Palmer said.
Strawberry Week syncs sanitary solutions

1 month ago | thepitchkc.com | Beth Lipoff

Having enough pads or tampons each month is something you might take for granted. For those who don't live this luxury, Strawberry Week is there to help. Since December 2021, the local non-profit has been combatting period poverty by collecting and distributing sanitary supplies to people who need them. Much of Strawberry Week's inventory comes from organized drives or gets purchased via cash donations.
App for visitors at Shawnee Town 1929 relies on true stories

1 month ago | kansascity.com | Beth Lipoff

Shawnee Town's new audio-visual tour has many photos, like this one of a Stilwell telephone operator, to enhance the experience of touring its grounds. Courtesy photo For Hannah Howard, the new app guiding visitors through Shawnee Town 1929 is like a real "choose your own adventure" book. "They (visitors) love the ability to tailor their own experience based on their interests," said Howard, the site's curator of education.
What goes into running open-air museums like Shawnee Town or Mahaffie? Find out here

2 months ago | kansascity.com | Beth Lipoff

Cecelia Roper, 6, gets a lesson in how to sew on a button from historical interpreter Kim Payton at the Mahaffie Stagecoach Stop & Farm Sept. 1. Special to The Star If you've ever wondered what goes into designing programs or maintaining collections for living history properties like the Mahaffie Stagecoach Stop & Farm and Shawnee Town 1929, jot March 6-8 on your calendar. The two nonprofits are jointly hosting the Midwest Open Air Museums Coordinating Council's conference.
What goes into running open-air museums like Shawnee Town or Mahaffie? Find out here

2 months ago | yahoo.com | Beth Lipoff

If you’ve ever wondered what goes into designing programs or maintaining collections for living history properties like the Mahaffie Stagecoach Stop & Farm and Shawnee Town 1929, jot March 6-8 on your calendar. The two nonprofits are jointly hosting the Midwest Open Air Museums Coordinating Council’s conference. The public can hear the pros talk about their beloved museums, but the final date to register for tickets is Feb. 28 (visit momcc.org/conferences).
Feathered friends get a much needed lift off at Beak n Wings

2 months ago | thepitchkc.com | Beth Lipoff

From parakeets to macaws, when birds need help, Beak n Wings is there. The Lenexa-based bird rescue looks after feathered friends large and small. Since 1999, the rescue has not only been housing birds but it has also been providing instruction for the care of these animals. "People needed educating because of the things people were doing to birds. It's lack of knowledge," Beak n Wings Founder Dean Tyson says. He's heard of people getting their diets wrong and not practicing proper hygiene.