John Beal

John Beal is a contributor to The Shawnee Dispatch, Bonner Springs Chieftain and Basehor Sentinel. He retired in February 2008 as editor of those newspapers.

Recent stories

John Beal: Childhood catastrophes live in communion with church observation: By John Beal; September 21, 2011; Memory is a funny, fickle thing. It’s strange how the faintest suggestion — a few bars from a half-remembered song or the smell of the earth or the sounds of the night — can trigger a trickle, then a flood of memories.
Enjoy the fall season before winter kicks in: By John Beal; October 7, 2010; We are connoisseurs of fall at our house. Not long after the autumnal equinox, we plant the chrysanthemums and put out pumpkins and other seasonal accoutrements.
Empty pool a sad sight: By John Beal; September 29, 2010; It is one of life’s ironies that places that are supposed to be the very locus of happiness can have the opposite effect if conditions aren’t just right. If you’ve ever wandered onto a deserted playground or ventured into an empty theater you probably know what I mean.
Photo acts as reminder to live in the moment: By John Beal; May 13, 2010; An old black-and-white photo hangs above my desk. The image has faded some over time, but its focus is sharp and you can still see it plainly.
Springtime has sprung: By John Beal; March 11, 2010; It’s amazing what a difference a few days make.
Beal: Spring has sprung: By John Beal; March 9, 2010; It’s amazing what a difference a few days make. A few days, that is, when the temperatures begin to rise and you begin to get the feeling that spring will really come again this year.
United States has many reasons to give thanks during approaching holiday: By John Beal; November 25, 2009; Like the fellow said, when you’re up to your hips in alligators, it’s a little hard to remember that your initial objective was to drain the swamp. OK, he didn’t say hips, but you get the drift
Indoor perspective best for embracing the cold: By John Beal; November 18, 2009; It’s been so nice for so long, I guess we can be excused for being surprised when Old Man Winter finally blows his frigid breath down the backs of our necks.
Beal: With grandkids gone, it’s back to dieting: By John Beal; November 3, 2009; The vision of a new, slimmer me beckons, of no longer having to shop in the “big and tall” sections. Now, maybe if I eat just one or two bites of that cheesecake …
Blazers squeak past Braves in 5A soccer regional playoffs: By Nick Bates & John Beal; October 29, 2009; On a gloomy night in Gardner, the Bonner Springs boys soccer team collected a gloomy result.

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Recent photos

Splash Cove is closed now that the children have all put away their carefree, summertime pursuits and returned to school.

Longtime Shawnee civic leader and funeral home director Gene Amos died Friday at age 78. Among his many memberships was with Shawnee’s Peter Smith American Legion Post, where he served as a member of the post’s honor guard, which conducts military observances for deceased veterans.

Darrel Donahue discusses his World War II memorabilia with Brad Harrington, left, Mary Ann Allen and Sheila Miller (in green coat). The large map at left traces Donahue's progress through German with Gen. George S. Patton's Third U.S. Army.

Slaves huddle in fear in this scene from "Underground," presented last weekend at the Lyric Theatre by Culture House. Among them are Jamaica Tomlin, left, and her brother, Montero, right, students at Clark Middle School.

James Clark serves up a sausage order to Scout Matthew Taylor at Boy Scout Troop 149's pancake feed Saturday at Bonner Springs United Methodist Church. Meanwhile Allen Holder, center, dispenses coffee.

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