Krome Kitties Ride Into Town

Sep. 21, 2005

You wouldn't think kitties and hogs would make a good combination, but you put attractive ladies on their Harley Davidsons and send them out on road trips and you've got the Krome Kitties from Wichita, coming to a website near you soon. Now, throw in a Sowboy (a monikor given to me 20-some years ago by my sister-in-law Marilyn) and you've got yourself a little zoo.

A couple of weeks ago, I received an e-mail from former residents of Hays, Sherry and Bernie Mermis. It seems that Sherry works with a lady in a Wichita law office named Janice who happens to be the co-leader of a group of 20 ladies who ride their motorcycles to different Kansas cities. Hays would be their first overnighter. They had already visited with Janet Kuhn at the Hays Convention and Visitors Bureau and were excited that the tribe would coincide with the Midwest Deutsche Oktoberfest.

Sherry was asking Dottie and me to be their contact in Hays. The irony is that I believe I am one of the very few 40-plus males who doesn't own a Harley, never will and has no desire to own one. I don't think HD will go broke as I am in a vast minority.

We have a group of couples that drive out to small burgs in the Hays area, so this group intrigued me. I explained that to Janice in our first phone call. After visiting with her, I decided to try and make their trip special.

Seven Kitties were planning to ride to Hays. With a strict club rule of no drinking and riding, we would need a vehicle that could haul around the Kitties, a sowboy (the hogs stay home - see above rule) and a designated driver (see Dottie). After a little research, I found that 15-passenger vans to rent are few and far between - unless you get in contact with Shelton Renz and Nancy Pfeifer at Priceless Rentals.

Shelton gave us a great rate and offered to help sponsor the trip. He was just one of several Haysites that would make this a memorable trip for the Krome Kitties. Leo Dorzweiler, chair of the fest, was given information on the group. Shari was treated to a polka with Leo. From the comments, I could tell the group had a great time and enjoyed the food and booths. They were equally impressed that Janet from the CVB met them at the motel and gave them packets of information about Hays.

Since the Horseshoe had all the elements required for our evening - beer, adult beverages, food and Karaoke - the van headed to Eighth and Vine. After introducing the Krome Kitties to proprietor Bob Huff, we settled in.  Bob and his staff were so gracious. After one of the ladies mentioned the horsehead lamps would look good in their clubhouse, Bob made sure a lamp would adorn said clubhouse. The Kitties also had their Karaoke debut, singing "Kiss This." Not only that, they annointed Dottie a honorary Krome Kitty, complete with an official t-shirt; I myself am now an honorary Tom Kat, which is the spouse of a Kitty.

To say the Krome Kitties have unbridled enthusiasm would be an understatement. They started in August 2004 with two members, soon grew to eight and now have 20. They range in ages from 23 to 55; most are married.  They pick their cities by alphabetical order. They have been to Abilene, Beaumont, Council Grove, Dexter, Elk Falls, Fort Scott and Goessel and now Hays. But don't look for the group to disband after "Z," they plan to "start over with the alphabet." There is some type of dues structure payable at the end of each ride.

Seven of the members made the trip to Hays, Janice, Lori, Donna, Deb, Shari, Jan and Pat. Their professions included law office legal administrator, probation officer, sales/marketer for a franchise restaurant, one self-proclaimed "domestic diva and business consultant," youth educator for botanical gardens, a computer software consultant, and a marketer for Coleman.

When asked if their Tom Kats had ever joined them on a ride, they answered in unison, "They are not invited." Donna (who dons a cowboy hat) had a Harley before her husband and he would ride on the back (being a family newspaper, I can't print what the rider is called - ask any Harley rider).  "He lifted his shirt at the appropriate times," she also added.  When Lori's husband lamented, "Thank you for stealing my hobby," she replied, "We made it better."

Many of their anecdotes have a chicken flavor. Such as the most memorable part of their trip to Abilene being a visit to the Brookville Hotel (this still kills me - the Brookville Hotel in Abilene). But their favorite chicken was on their trip to Goessel - except it was eaten in Cottonwood Falls, since there is "nothing to eat in Goessel."

Sunday morning, my mom and dad had the Krome Kitties over for breakfast. As they prepared for the ride back to Wichita, a Kitty remarked, "Hays has raised the bar." When one of the bikes wouldn't start, they were treated to the mechanical prowess of four generations of male Staabs - Roger with the battery charger and assorted tools, nephew Joey with the mechanical ability and knowledge, 18-month-old Jacob, who insisted on handing his father some tools, and me (I had the sense to stay out of the way - I know my limits). Finally, the newest Kitty pulled her pickup up to the bike (she's the member of our family with the jumper cables) and after a brief delay, the Krome Kitties headed home to Wichita.

And if they ever want to return, all I can say is: "Here Kitties, Kitties, Kitties."

Glenn Staab, a lifelong Hays resident and former city commissioner, sells insurance and real estate and is the Democratic Party chairman for Ellis County.

The following questions appeared in a follow-up article by Glenn Staab in the Hays Daily News on September 29, 2005.  This was part of a longer article that addressed various questions from readers.

Q. In the Krome Kitty column, what is a "berg" and a "Hay sites"? JK

A. Berg should have been burg (my fault) and Hay sites should have been Haysites (most likely a fault spellchec k). I also omitted Lori as co-founder of the group and changed Janet name back to her maiden name.  Another interesting tidbit is that Kim Pfannenstiel, HHS Class of 2000, is a Kitty. Her parents are Tim and Kathy Pfannenstiel and grandparents are Ron and Pat Lang.

A. As a matter of fact, I had emails from most of them. Here?s a random sampling on their thoughts of Hays. A couple of them remarked the "H" in Hays must stand for hospitality. Lori said simply, "Bookster Hooie!" Ask any Volga German for that interpretation. Shari said the highlight of her trip was "getting to polka with Leo Dorzweiler." Donna summed up their thoughts with "If I had one comment about my Hays experience it would be that the hospitality given is equal to what I have experienced in the South which is warm and genuine."