 | Faye Graves, a native Wichitan, attended school at Friends and Wichita State, concluding at Midwestern Theological Seminary. He has been active in media for many years with Channel 12, KIRL, KFDI, KOOO AM & FM (Omaha), KFRM & KICT 95, as an owner, manager, producer, director and announcer. He has served as President of the Haysville Board of Education. He has also served on several national boards of the Southern Baptist Convention. Faye currently serves as Executive Pastor and Director of Administration and Education at Immanuel Baptist Church, 1415 S. Topeka, Wichita. You may contact Faye by e-mail fmgraves@amenibc.org, or by phone at (316) 262-1452. |
Nostalgia
2013-04-29 13:20:34
Do you remember?
Q-We always like to read about your memories. Got some for May?
A-I am always happy to provide them. Yes, I do.
The month of May is a grand month in many of our memories. For me I always think of the end of school for those years. Packing up my books to go into a bag, not a pack like everyone wears now, and walking out of the building for the last time that school year. It was a grand feeling to be free for three great months. There is something about how things smelled when you are walking away from the last day of school. It was great. After the graduation exercises, the summer fun began with swimming, picnics with the family and friends, boating, cook-outs, working on the lawn and vacation trips. The leaves had all grown back on the trees and the flowers bloomed again and we enjoyed all the beautiful things that God provided. (Song of Solomon 2:11-12) “For, lo the winter is past, the flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come.”
Do you remember the start of the River Festival? May is the month for River Festival. This year it runs from May 31st to June 8th. I remember when this event started. This year will be the 42nd year that our citizens and visitors come together to enjoy this great event. It was fun to watch the bathtub races on the river and the bed races in the street. My family was young then and I took the kids to the banks of the river downtown which were crowded and lined with people to see what was happening on the river. As I am writing this article, the river is very dry but when the festival starts this year, maybe there can be some events on the river. One of our family’s favorites was the Sundown Parade which began the week of events. There were bands, the Wind Wagon with the Wagon Masters, political and television personalities we watched all of the time like John Froome, Jim O’Donnel, Major Astro, Deputy Dusty, our mayor, sometimes the governor and many floats. There were concerts during the week and concluding with a concert in the front of Century II featuring the Wichita Symphony Orchestra with canons firing and then the big fireworks show. Other events we enjoyed were the Wurlitzer organ concert accompanying silent movies and the short comic operas at the Mary Jane Teal theatre. Food vendors were set up in the street, a free ice cream night, and so many activities to enjoy. We all look forward to the beautiful month of May and all it brings.
