Topeka, KS is now Google, KS

Today, Mayor Bill Bunten issued a proclamation temporarily changing the name of our city from Topeka, KS to Google, KS in the hopes of differentiating us from other cities competing to be Google’s test market for a new fiber optic network.  Think Big Topeka has taken the community by storm with more than 10,000 members of its Facebook group.  TransformTopeka is encouraged to see such a surge of community support.  Topeka, KS, oops, I mean Google, KS has not secured our place atop Google’s list yet.  Think Big Topeka needs your help.  Please become a member of the Facebook group and check back often for things you can do to support their effort.  Please also, submit a nomination as a member of this community to Google.  Let’s do everything possible to ensure Google chooses Google, KS for its test market, truly making Topeka, KS the Capital City of Fiber Optics.

More entertaining than a movie for about the same price

This weekend Aaron and I had the pleasure of attending a show at the Topeka Civic Theatre.  Neither of us had been there before (shame on us).  Topeka Civic Theatre was founded in 1936 and is the oldest continuously running community dinner theatre in the country. In July of 1999, it moved to its current location on 8th street inside the former Gage Elementary School.

We went to the show called Laughing Matters.  This show is a “fast-paced improvisational comedy” that reminded me of the TV show Whose Line Is It Anyway starring Drew Carey.  The host of the show leads the sketches (sometimes participating).  The audience assigns roles to some of the actors which results in a very hilarious show.  From the Newlywed Game, where the audience assigned roles to the men and the women had to guess what roles their “spouse” was playing to the game Hitchhiker, where the audience assigned roles to 5 actors and the driver had to guess what role their “hitchhiker” was playing, the troupe keeps the audiences attention and keeps them laughing.  My favorite was the game of gibberish telephone that was played.  The audience had to assign a situation (similar to the game of Clue): who was killed, where they were killed, and how they were killed.  Only 1 actor was aware of what the audience had assigned.  He had to communicate it to the next actor in 1 minute with charades and gibberish.  The 2nd actor had to communicate what the first actor communicated to him/her to the next actor in 45 seconds.  The 3rd actor communicates it to the 4th actor in 30 seconds, and the 4th actor communicates to the 5th actor in 15 seconds.  At the end of it, the message was very messed up and the results had the audience laughing.  I laughed throughout the entire show and hadn’t laughed this hard since watching the movie, The Hangover.

The show lasts approximately two hours.  The cost of each ticket is $10 (movies are around $9) and then you pay for your drinks, dessert, and tip.  It was a very entertaining evening and we will definitely be returning.

Christmas Bureau Update

We wanted to take a minute and provide an update on what we are doing for the 3 families we adopted from the Christmas Bureau.  We raised $605, and it is because of that generosity that we have been able to do so much for these 3 families (total of 16 lives we are touching).  We spent $122.35 at Toys R Us on toys for 9 of the 11 kids.  We spent $337.71 on clothes for each of the 11 kids, gift cards for 2 of the 11 kids, and gifts for the 5 adults.  We spent $82.99 at Hyvee to buy holiday meals for each family: 1/2 a Ham, potatoes, veggies, rolls, and pie.  We area also giving each family a $20 gift card to Dillons to meet any other needs they might have (e.g., food, diapers, soap, paper goods, etc).  Who knew $605 could do so much?

We will be making deliveries on Tuesday and Wednesday to the families.  I only wish we could do more for not only these families, but for all those in need this holiday season.  Thank you to everyone who donated money to help us help more in our community.

Kanza Bowl

So often I hear, as I stroll about Topeka, that there is nothing to do in this city.  I am disappointed when I hear this, because there are so many organizations working very hard to bring events and activities to Topeka.  The hard work of one of these organizations has paid off in 2009. 

On December 5, 2009 Topeka, KS will host a bowl game.  It is a Division 2 bowl game, but a bowl game nonetheless.  At 1pm, the first annual Kanza Bowl kicks off with Nebraska at Omaha playing West Texas A&M University at Hummer Sports Park, 501 Sports Park Drive, Topeka, KS. 

Not only do visitors and locals get to watch a great football game on Saturday afternoon, but they can also purchase tickets to attend a banquet on Friday December 4 at the Ramada Inn in downtown Topeka.  Read the rest of this entry »

Call for Action: Gage Park Pride Day

Volunteers are invited to join Keep America Beautiful for Gage Park Pride Day, October 17 to trim trees, and shrubs, to beautify, clean and improve the park.  They will be working in cooperation with Topeka Tree Team, so bring chain saws, lopers, pruners, and gloves if you have them.  Participating tree care sponsors are:  Custom Tree Care and Hultquist Landscapes.

 Volunteers will meet at 9:00 a.m. with a complimentary lunch at noon.  Meeting place is at the pool parking lot. 

 For reservations and more information contact Keep America Beautiful-Topeka/Shawnee County kabtopsh@sbcglobal.net or call Philicia 235-0845.

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