Transcending the Mundane With Art

Mystic Hills of Vieques, PR

Art and story by Michael Hooper

When you find yourself doing the same, dull thing day after day, you probably need to shake things up. Art can make a routine encounter interesting. I often find myself doing the same bicycle ride to the Sunken Gardens at Gage Park. Next time, I arrived with art supplies and painted the Sunken Gardens.

I love painting gardens. I painted a vase of flowers at the Medici Fountain in the Luxembourg Gardens in Paris, where I met a bohemian from San Francisco while I was painting en plein air. Years later, we still text each other once a week. 

Sitting on a hillside, I was drawing and painting the mystic hills above Esperanza, Vieques, PR. The view captured my soul, beauty never felt so good.

In the woods of northern Minnesota, I was sitting on a road, drawing and painting the light against the forest.

Water Cress Lane, Ponto Lake, MN

These are the moments that no matter what the outcome, the journey of connecting with nature is the reward, a memory worth documenting in art. Through the act of creation we transcend the mundane, elevating our authenticity, climbing to a higher level of productivity, a place where angels sing. Pavel Noga drew a picture of cats and people eating pizza in a park in Barcelona, in my diary; the drawing brings me back to the night we conducted an art show with our collections of postcards, slept in the park and shared breakfast in the morning. 

When I seriously began studying oil painting in 2019, I studied the nine levels of value from light to dark. I progressed slowly. I embraced a thought from David Bowie, "If you feel safe in the area that you’re working in, you’re not working in the right area."  He advised artists to "always go a little further into the water than you feel you're capable of being in. When you don't feel your feet touching the bottom, that is exactly where you can produce something exciting." I feel there is a lot of truth in Bowie's words. I challenge myself to get better with each painting.

In 2024 I took an oil painting class with Barbara Waterman-Peters. I had heard she was teaching the class at Washburn University and I got in just before it started. I was ready to take my painting to the next level and enjoyed learning how the finest painters in history used oil to paint their masterpieces. 

Barbara taught me how to reduce my palette to the essentials, including a dark yellow, a bright yellow, a dark red, a bright red and a dark blue and a light blue, along with titanium white, which we should use only sparingly. We painted in this grayscale, the underpainting, then add color, It was so educational and useful to train the eye to look for values and develop representational paintings of real objects, bowls, coffee cups and a cow's skull.

I learned to sit close to the subject and draw without the aide of photographs, trusting my eyes to see the composition. I love real life, I want to bring it alive with the same exhilaration that I feel in front of this subject, I immerse myself into this special moment: I sit next to the Seine in Paris and paint the river passing by. It is such a thrill, I cried, painting the Pont Neuf bridge in Paris.

I spend a lot of time mixing paint and preparing the brush for a specific brush stroke, making sure I get the right value and applying that stroke with deliberate care and accuracy, and then leaving it alone and moving onto the next brush stroke. 

Under Barbara Waterman-Peters, I studied John Singer Sargent and fell in love with his work and style and feel he is worthy of emulating.

I like his portrait work and his landscapes, Sargent could paint anything, and was brilliant water color painter in addition to being a master portrait painter with oil paint.

More than anything I have loved the magnificent extravagance in painting at all these beautiful places, including the Flint Hills of Kansas. I make some connection to nature as I set up easel, chair and painting supplies and work for two hours looking at a field of grass with hills in the background while a hummingbird checks me out. 

I felt that connection to nature recently as I painted on a hill near my home in Vieques, PR. Horses on the trail captured my attention. I painted them.

It's lush. It feels like a great memory worth saving in the form of a piece of art.

Horses on the Trail

A view of Esperanza, Vieques, PR

Bitcoin's Electricity Dilemma

Bitcoin miners

By Michael Hooper

I was an early believer in bitcoin. I started buying bitcoin when it was about $1000 per coin. Then I started mining bitcoin in summer 2017 with my son Reid.

We were earning about $4000 worth of bitcoin per month with about $640 worth of electricity, which powered four Antminer S9 15.5TH/s. At the time, these Antminer S9s were top of the line miners but are considered outdated today. Each machine required 220-volt power. I was so excited to be making money, about $135 a day, running these miners inside a room in my garage. I had an air conditioning unit in there to keep the place cool and I had special ear protection because the miners were extremely loud. And I have sensitive ears.

Then halving occurred in May 2018. Our profits were cut down substantially and the price of bitcoin had fallen from a high of $20,000 in December 2017 to around $7000 per coin. Plus more people got into mining, thus reducing the amount paid out to miners. Essentially I was breaking even in the business, I spent $640 a month in electricity and I earned about $640 a month in bitcoin. I decided to shut down the mining business, partly because of the amount of electricity that I was consuming. I was consuming enough energy to power six houses; that is a staggering amount of electricity going through just four machines. As you can imagine, global consumption of electricity for bitcoin mining grew substantially over the next nine years, creating a huge dilemma for bitcoin mining.

Bitcoin is currently trading around $78,300, down from a high of $126,198.07 on October 6, 2025.

Today bitcoin's global electricity consumption is estimated between 155 to 204 Terawatt-hours (TWh) annually. This power draw is roughly equivalent to the annual energy consumption of mid-sized nations like Pakistan, Poland or Switzerland, according to crypto.com.

The consumption of energy is driven by bitcoin’s proof-of-work mechanism. The miners essentially verify transactions on the block chain.

Some large-scale mining companies have converted their electricity use to renewable sources, including wind power and solar power to save money and to save the planet. Some experts estimate that about 50% of the power used by these miners comes from renewable sources.

Technically, bitcoin miners could reduce the number of miners substantially; a lower number of miners reduces the overall cost to conduct proof-of-work on the network, but a lower number of miners would make the network slower, the difficulty would drop and make it easier for the remaining miners to add a new block of transactions to the blockchain.

There is only going to be 21 million bitcoin. This number creates scarcity because bitcoin is owned by people all over the world. Bitcoin is a world market. Currently there are about 20 million bitcoin in circulation. But experts estimate that up to 3 million to 4 million bitcoin in circulation may be permanently lost due to lost passwords or discarded hardware. You may have heard about the bitcoin millionaire whose girlfriend threw away his computer, which ended in a dump, and the computer was never found. Many tears have been shed over lost bitcoin. Personally I never lost any bitcoin because I have kept my crypto in secure wallets.

Experts estimate that bitcoin will be mined for another 114 years, with the last bitcoin mined around the year 2140.

Roughly every four years or every 210,000 blocks of transactions, the reward miners receive for validating transactions is cut in half. This is what happened to me in May 2018 when my reward for mining was cut in half. The most recent halving occurred in April 2024, and the next event is projected to happen in 2028.

After all bitcoin has been distributed, miners will still have incentive to continue mining because they will receive fees paid by users for validating transactions.

Some critics believe that bitcoin has no future because electricity will become too scarce and force the miners to quit mining. This could happen. A country or state could outlaw mining to conserve energy.

I expect the last remaining miners to convert to 90% to 100% renewable energy, using their own wind power and solar power to generate electricity. Bitcoin's electricity dilemma is real, but I believe technology will solve this problem and bitcoin mining will continue indefinitely.

The Transcendence of Gary Woodland

Gary Woodland  Photo courtesy of PGA Tour

By Michael Hooper

Gary Woodland, who grew up in Topeka, recently won again on the PGA Tour after struggling to rebuild his career after brain cancer surgery.

In an emotional interview after he won The Houston Open on March 29, 2026, Woodland acknowledged it’s been a long road back to victory. 

“We play an individual sport out here, (but) I wasn't alone today... I've got a lot of people behind me — my team, family, this golf world," Woodland said on NBC-TV. "Anybody that is struggling with something, I hope they see me and don’t give up. Just keep fighting.”

The victory was his fifth of his career and earned him a trip to the Masters in April. He played pretty well in the Masters, he made the cut and finished tied for 14th. In his fourth round he shot a stellar six under 66. This round probably meant a lot to him because Woodland sometimes faltered on the weekend, but instead he finished strong. 

The greatest moment in his career was winning the US Open at Pebble Beach by three shots in June 2019. I remember watching this because I was in Vieques, Puerto Rico, at the time and I had to go to the Lazy Jack's bar to watch the golf tournament because there was nothing on television at my hotel. The bartender was kind enough to change the channel on one of its televisions so that I could see Woodland win his first major.

After that, Woodland's career started to slide and he fell to 142nd in the Official Golf World Ranking in 2022. Then in August 2023 he announced his brain tumor diagnosis. In September 2023 he underwent brain surgery that removed part of the tumor.

Woodland returned to action on the PGA Tour in January 2024, but he struggled the entire year to post a top 10 finish, finally reaching it at the Shriners Children’s Open in October 2024. But by January 2025 he had fallen out of the top 200. Then earlier this year he announced he’s been suffering from PTSD.

Through it all, Woodland continued to work hard. His trainers helped him, his coaches helped him and his caddy, Brennan "Butchie" Little, stayed with him. Most important, his family stayed with him, his wife, Gabby, and their three children, and of course, his parents, Dan and Linda Woodland of Topeka, all supported Woodland through his health struggles.

Woodland missed the cut a few times this year but tied for 14th in the Valspar Championship on March 22.  He placed eighth in the RBC Heritage on April 19. Woodland finished his final round in the RBC Heritage with a stunning eagle 2 on the par-4 18th hole, holing out from 204 yards.

Woodland tied for 38th in the Cadillac Championship May 3. He played great in his first two rounds in the Cadillac Championship, with scores of 68 and 69, which left him in the top 10 but his third round 77 was pretty bad. Yet he redeemed himself on Sunday with a final round 70.

Woodland's swing is a compact 3/4 swing, with a moderately slow take back, which helps him build up energy, then he comes down through the ball with tremendous speed and power, driving the ball over 300 yards. He is one of the longest drivers of the ball on the PGA tour. He stays down through the swing long enough to keep the ball going straight. He remains flexible even though he will be 42 years old on May 21. 

Woodland attended Shawnee Heights High School and became a four-year letterman in both basketball and golf. As a senior, he became the first All State basketball player at Shawnee Heights averaging 18 points per game for the season including 26 points in the state title match. Woodland attended Washburn University on a basketball scholarship, but left after his freshman year to attend the University of Kansas in Lawrence on a golf scholarship. He decided to switch to golf because he felt he wasn’t fast enough for basketball.

In February 2025, Woodland was awarded the PGA Tour Courage Award in recognition of his recovery from surgery. The surgery did not fully remove his brain tumor and the residual tumor sits near his amygdala, which controls his emotions. Woodland said that during the second round of the 2026 Houston Open, he battled the last 10 holes, thinking people were trying to kill him.

When going through a crisis, it is hard to keep your head up. The people who are able to carry on and rebuild their life back to what it was and even go a step further, reaching the winner's circle, have reached a state of transcendence. They have transcended their pain and agony and turned it into something good, something beautiful. This is the transcendence of Gary Woodland.

Whenever you see Woodland on TV, you might notice he's wearing a shirt with a Security Benefit logo. Security Benefit, a longtime Topeka insurance and retirement company, began its partnership with Woodland in 2020 and has continued to support him through his recovery from brain surgery and return to the PGA Tour.

Woodland is one of the most popular golfers on the PGA Tour, he’s highly respected by his peers and he has a lot of fans around the country.

Topeka should be proud that one of its own has reached such tremendous heights.

Writer's note: One of the reasons I wrote this story is because I miss the writing of Brent Maycock, former sports writer of The Topeka Capital-Journal, who wrote extensively about Gary Woodland on the PGA Tour. One year Maycock went to the Masters to cover him and won the press lottery to play the Master's course on the Monday following the tournament. I don't think Maycock broke 100 but he got to play on one of the greatest golf courses of all time.

Stocks For 2026 and Beyond

By Michael Hooper

I have been an investor in the stock market since 1993. I’ve owned hundreds of different stocks over the years, but I have paired it down to a core holding of about 22 stocks, mutual funds and ETFs. I rarely sell. And I rarely buy new stocks, but if I want to stay relevant, I have to be open to the possibility of new stocks in my portfolio.

To that end, I’ve been adding shares in several companies lately, including Yesway (YSWY). Yesway is a Fort Worth-based convenience store operator with about 450 stores across nine states, mostly in the Midwest and Southwest United States. I’ve been an investor in convenience stores for a long time having great luck with Casey’s General Stores (CASY). I continue to own Casey’s stock, but I think it’s a little overpriced right now. Yesway recently had an IPO at $20 per share, selling 13.9 million shares. Most of the proceeds will be used to pay down debt. I bought shares at an average price of $21.94 per share. Casey’s has about 3000 stores in the Midwest mostly in small towns. Yesway is a much smaller company and has a lot of room to grow. I may add to my YSWY share count in the near future, although the stock has already been moving up and recently closed at $24.23 per share.

Another stock that has become attractive to me is Reddit (RDDT). Reddit is a social media platform that hosts more than 100,000 active communities or subreddits organized around a variety of topics. I missed out on Facebook as an investment, but I think I might have an opportunity in Reddit. The company had $2.5 billion in cash at the end of 2025 and no debt. In fiscal fourth quarter 2025, the company reported earnings topped expectations and revenue rose 70% year-over-year to $726 million in fourth-quarter 2025. Advertising revenue grew 75% year-over-year. In 2025 revenue rose 69% to $2.2 billion. Earnings per share in 2025 were $2.62 per share after the company posted a loss of $3.33 per share in 2024. Reddit will share first quarter earnings on Thursday, April 30, 2026.

Reddit does not require its users to disclose their identities. You see a lot of people bragging about their financial gains in their portfolios under the subreddit r/a race to 1 million, so you don’t know if these people are real or fake. Nevertheless, I enjoy conversations with these other investors on Reddit. The subreddit r/wallstreetbets is the main online community of retail investors who coordinated to buy GameStop (GME). I am an old guy compared to these young investors out there but a shrewd investor will always keep an open mind to new ideas and I find a lot of them on Reddit.

I continue to own Banco Popular (BPOP). I previously wrote about this stock here. The company is the largest bank in Puerto Rico, where the economy has been improving in recent years since the destruction of hurricane Maria in 2017. Banco Popular is the main source for retail banking customers for deposits and loans for things like cars and houses. Earnings at Banco Popular continue to improve at every quarter and yet the stock is relatively cheap with a forward price-to-earnings ratio of 10 and a trailing P/E of 12.2. Many of its banking peers trade at much higher multiples.

I am fond of Berkshire Hathaway (BRK/A) (BRK/B), which I have owned since 1996. Ever since Warren Buffett announced a year ago that he will no longer be chief executive officer in 2026, the stock has fallen and hasn’t done much. Indeed the stock is down 9.9% from a year ago as of April 29, 2026. The new CEO Greg Abel is expected to address people Saturday, May 2, 2026, at the annual meeting of shareholders in Omaha. First quarter earnings also will come out Saturday, May 2, 2026.

Earlier this year Greg Abel announced that the company was buying back stock in Berkshire Hathaway and at the time the B shares were around $480 per share. So I think if you could buy the stock at or below $480 per share, you probably will do OK, I expect the stock to reach $500 per share again some day. Nevertheless it’s a good hedge against a crisis, every portfolio needs defensive stocks, especially when there’s a war in the Middle East going on and we have a president, Donald Trump, who doesn’t operate with any rational precision, instead, he’s impulsive, angry, full of vengeance and extremely unpredictable.

Well, there you have it folks, some stocks you may want to consider for 2026. Some caution here is warranted. The S&P 500 is near an all-time high, so there is an argument to be said that stocks in general are overvalued. With this war going on against Iran, you may want to just dip in with your toes first into the water before plunging in deep. I’m a big fan of dollar cost averaging. Buy a little stock today and buy a little stock next week or next month but don’t put your entire farm into one stock, diversify to reduce your risk.

Editor's note: Michael Hooper owns stock in YSWY, CASY, RDDT, BPOP and BRK/B.

Saying Good-bye to an Old Friend

 

Kurt Bailey

Art and Story by Michael Hooper

About 20 years ago, I saw this blind man walking up and down my street. Finally, one day I said hello to him and we became friends, sharing a love of music, The Wizard of Oz, and dogs.

His name was Kurt Bailey, he had become blind as a young child, but did not seem bitter about it, rather he adapted to his condition and found a way to live independently in his own house. 

Some people overlook people with disabilities; I knew one "Christian" couple who refused to give Kurt a ride home because they feared he would become dependent on them. How sad. If our yardstick for helping others is whether or not they become dependent on us, then we may never help anybody. I helped Kurt over the years, I’d given him rides, I fed him and we hung out together, but he never was dependent on me.

Indeed, we went on some adventures together, including one time when we got in my car and drove to a house where a man was selling well over 10,000 records. We had a blast going through the record collection and buying numerous records and then listening to them together. Old Crosby Stills Nash and Young, Seals & Crofts and the band Kansas. I told Kurt that I had seen the band Second Chapter of Acts when I was a young man in Montana in 1982, and he later found an album by this band and gave it to me. How wonderful, thank you Kurt.

Kurt Bailey contacted me recently because he was dying. We had a long and sad conversation. His kidneys were going, he was told he could go on dialysis or hospice, he chose hospice. This broke my heart, but it was his choice. We shared a few tears, knowing that we had shared many good times together, and that our time together was near its end.

Kurt was not self-loathing, he was able to see a greater world outside of himself despite his blindness. One time, on his own, he took a plane somewhere and attended A Wizard of Oz reunion and met several dwarfs who played the Munchkins in the movie. He talked about that for days, he was so grateful for his adventure. The Wizard of Oz is a deeply meaningful and inspiring movie, especially in Kansas.

When you see a person with disabilities, don’t just assume they’re going to become dependent on you just because you talk to them or help them. They might provide something to you that you might not have ever thought of before, Kurt's insights and compassion are intrinsic values that lie deep in my memory, they are values that are greater than money or possessions. 

Kurt used to take his guitar down to a pizza place and perform songs to the crowds there. He loved karaoke. He corresponded with people all over the world, using cassette pens. He loved the Lord and found peace in praying together with other believers.

Kurt lived with his dog, Snowball. Their companionship was real, they needed each other. He liked my dog Willy too, and they became friends.

A few years ago, I decided to paint Kurt’s portrait. He sat for me while I took some pictures and drew some sketches. I worked on this portrait for a long time, it shows his contemplative countenance, but Kurt was not an unhappy man, rather he was a generous and kind man who liked to laugh, listen to music and share stories.

Kurt died April 8, 2026 at age 59. He was a good soul and a great friend and I’m going to miss him. Rest in peace Kurt. I hope some day to reunite with you "somewhere over the rainbow, (where) skies are blue and the dreams that you dare to dream really do come true."

Topeka: Life Is What You Make It

Backyard Beauty 

Art and story by Michael Hooper

I was with a group of friends, when we were talking about our favorite places in the world, like Paris, Rome, New Orleans, and Vieques, Puerto Rico. Chris Wright said, "why not Topeka, I like it here."

In 1999, I asked that question — why Topeka?— and decided yes and moved here. I took a new job as a reporter at The Topeka Capital-Journal covering business. We had been living in Grand Island and Kearney, Neb. Kearney had a terrible selection of real estate, mostly split-level houses, ours had five levels, I hated it. Heather and I wanted an English cottage, but there was none in Kearney. 

When we first arrived in Topeka, we were impressed with Collins Park, Potwin, and Westboro neighborhoods, we were like gaga, here’s some cool neighborhoods and classic houses. We found a charming limestone cottage with three bedrooms, surrounded by 18 trees, near Gage Park. We made a new life for ourselves.  

Living next to the 140-acre Gage Park with shopping nearby with a 15-minute commute everywhere in town. Easy access to the interstate. Could go west to Salina or east to Lawrence or Kansas City pretty quick. You can fly to any place in the world from Kansas City. Lawrence is only 25 minutes away. It’s like wow people, you don’t realize how good you got it right here. Great real estate, professional jobs. Cost of living is reasonable.

Heather and I raised our son Reid and daughter Hannah in Topeka. We are proud of their history and accomplishments at Randolph Elementary, Landon Middle School and Topeka High School. My son played 12 years of soccer in Topeka and made lifelong friends. Our daughter has been living in Hawaii but plans to move to Colorado where our son lives today.

After the 2008-2009 financial crisis, speculative building of homes stopped in Shawnee County. Overtime the real estate market recovered from the financial crisis. But Shawnee County ended up with short supply of real estate. In recent years, after 15% annual increases in property values, I think prices have plateaued. The Fed raised interest rates so now the cost of a 30-year mortgage is more expensive than it used to be. This may slow sales, but I still see young people buying homes and fixing them up.

Topeka is a better city in some ways than I found it in 1999. The NOTO Arts District didn't exit. Today, NOTO is a thriving arts district with more than 30 practicing artists there in studios, with thousands of visitors on first Fridays with music and entertainment in the Red Bud Park.

Topeka lost big employers like the Menninger Clinic, and Payless ShoeSource, but has gained Advisors Excel and a new generation of entrepreneurs building Topeka in their businesses and organizations. The spirit of kindness and acceptance of the mentally ill is still here, the legacy of the Menninger family. Hence the Menninger pocket park in downtown Topeka. Across the street the Evergy Plaza at Seventh and Kansas is a great place for music and entertainment. The Jayhawk Theatre continues to dazzle and entertain. I’m so impressed by entrepreneurs like Debra and Randy Clayton and the chocolate people Nick and Terry Xidis.

I've gained wonderful friends: thoughtful intellectuals in my book and art clubs. The Topeka and Shawnee County Library and its brilliant minds and books have cultivated and enriched my mind. I just loved digging into the art of Mary Huntoon with the help of Sherry Best and others at the library.

It is worth studying the lives of these three Topekans: Mary Huntoon, Cyrus Holliday, Karl Menninger. They all show us vision, persistence, genius and character. Mary Huntoon studied art in Topeka, New York and Paris before returning to Topeka to work as an art therapist for Dr. Karl Menninger at the Menninger Clinic. Holliday is co-founder of Topeka and The Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway, and, Dr. Karl Menninger was author of The Human Mind and co-founder of the Menninger Clinic.

My motto for Topeka: Life is what you make it. Make it great. How? Surround yourself with people of high character who are ambitious. You want to be a published author? Hang around other published authors. You want to be a better artist, take an art class at Washburn University, join an art club.

You want to be a successful real estate investor? Study and emulate successful real estate investors. You want to own a great business? Surround yourself with profitable business owners, people who own a house cleaning service or car washes, laundromats and candy machines or staffing firms (stay away from owning bars and restaurants because of their long hours and high failure rate). You want to be a great stock investor? Study Warren Buffett and join an investment club. You can be anything you want to be in Topeka. There's an expert here in just about everything.

Ken Daniel Builds Fortune in Roofing Business, His Company sold for $67.2 million in 2021

Ken Daniel

By Michael Hooper

Ken Daniel, a Topeka businessman who founded Midway Wholesale and The Topeka Independent Business Association, died March 25, 2026, at the age of 80, according to his obituary.

In 1971, Ken Daniel founded Midway Sales and Distributing in Topeka (later called Midway Wholesale) which went on to be his life's work until his retirement in 2019. Midway is a supplier of building and roofing supplies.

Beacon Roofing Supplies bought Midway Wholesale for $67.2 million in November 2021, according to a  SEC filing dated May 6, 2022. Beacon said the deal to purchase Midway Wholesale valued the company at $28.7 million in goodwill, and $38.5 million in tangible assets, for a total of $67.2 million, said David Tangeman, Houston accountant.

At the time of the sale, Midway Wholesale had 170 employees and $130 million annual sales in 10 stores in Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska. Founded by Kenneth Daniel in 1970, Midway Wholesale was incorporated in 1974 at 218 SE Branner, Topeka.

Beacon distributes roofing supplies and building products in 400 locations in 50 states. In 2025, Beacon was acquired by QXO, Inc. (QXO), a conglomerate of roofing and building supples. I wrote about the sale of Ken Daniel's company in this article.

I interviewed Ken Daniel multiple times over the years. He is a founder of the Topeka Independent Business Association. He supported efforts by small businesses to increase access to health insurance.

Ken Daniel was elected to Junior Achievement's Topeka Business Hall of Fame. He is widely regarded as one of the sharpest minds in business.

Ken was a personable man who excelled at sales and management. He hired the right people and promoted them.

But in the beginning, it was just Ken Daniel in a tiny office at 218 SE Branner. He told me he started in 1970 as a manufacturer's representative in Topeka, a position that grew into forming his own company.

One time, Ken actually took me inside the tiny room, where he got started. It was a dusty old room with gray walls, more of a storage area when I saw it. He said as business got bigger, he took over more and more space inside the old building, eventually acquiring the entire building. Midway Wholesale's Topeka operation is next to the BNSF Railway tracks. To expand operations, Midway Wholesale purchased some land from BNSF.

In 2008, Kenneth Daniel, chairman, retired as chief executive officer at the company's annual stockholders meeting. Bruce H. Myers, president since 1999, was elected chief executive officer and president. John D. Ossello has been vice president since 1999.

Midway Wholesale originally started out as a roof coating business for the elevator industry. The business transitioned into a commercial roofing distributor. And later expanding into construction materials. Now the company sells products for both residential and commercial properties. "Buildings can now have Midway Wholesale materials all the way from their foundations to their rooftops," the company says.

Midway Wholesale's other locations are in Lawrence, Manhattan, Garden City, Overland Park, Salina, Wichita, St. Joseph, Mo., Joplin, Mo., and Grand Island, Neb.

Ken Daniel was a great leader, businessman and mentor. A Celebration of Life will be held at Countryside United Methodist Church in Topeka on Saturday, April 25th at 2:00pm with a reception immediately following.