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2009-11-20

2009-11-18

2009-11-05

Agriculture

Lifestyles

Wednesday, November 04, 2009 12:00 PM

Photo by Elliot J. Sutherland/The Ottawa Herald

Bob Fahnestock and Keteri Fleet have been married nine years. The couple met while living in California and recently relocated to Ottawa. The two decided to move back to be closer to family members living in the area.

Couple finds different way of life in Ottawa

By VICKIE MOSS, Herald Public Affairs Editor

For Bob Fahnestock, Ottawa was almost like coming back home.

For his wife, Keteri Fleet, it’s been a completely new experience.

Fleet, born and reared in California, has seen thunderstorms and the changing colors of autumn for the first time. She’s preparing for her first winter with snow.

“This is the weirdest weather I’ve ever seen,” she said. “One day it’s 75, the next it’s 30.

“I’ve never had autumn, never had leaves that change. It was prettier than I thought it would be.”

Fahnestock and Fleet moved just outside the Ottawa city limits in September. They wanted to experience a more rural lifestyle close to Fahnestock’s family in the Kansas City area.

They are part of a growing number of people discovering Ottawa and Franklin County, a local tourism advocate says.

“The location really draws people in,” Kristi Lee, director of the Franklin County Convention & Visitors Bureau, said. “It’s close to Kansas City and we have all the amenities of a large city but you can still live in a rural environment.”

Since the Bureau launched a new Web site, www.visitottawakansas.org, in July 2008, about twice as many people have requested information about Ottawa, Lee said.

Finding Ottawa

Fahnestock grew up near Butler, Mo. He retired from a career with the U.S. Navy that took him all over the world. He went back to school for a degree in social work and worked for the Veterans Hospital in Leavenworth. Eventually, he ended up in Hawaii and then California.

After retiring in 2005, Fahnestock wanted to return to a small community.

“California is a nice place, but it’s very crowded for a country boy like me,” Fahnestock said.

They discovered Ottawa while driving around eastern Kansas near Lawrence.

The town struck them both immediately, they said.

They were drawn to historic downtown Ottawa, especially because it was a Main Street city. Benicia, Calif., where they previously lived, also was a Main Street city and the couple knew that meant Ottawa was invested in its downtown.

Its proximity to Kansas City and Lawrence also was a big draw, especially for Fleet. She’s a physician and graduated from the University of California, Berkeley. Lawrence reminds her of Berkeley.

Fahnestock, who earned his master’s degree in social work at the University of Kansas, also is familiar with Lawrence.

They fell in love with an Ottawa property. Just outside the Ottawa city limits in the 2600 block of Louisiana Road, the house and 10 acres features breathtaking views and gives their two dogs plenty of room to run.

“This place just felt right,” Fahnestock said.

Welcome home

Fahnestock and Fleet moved to Ottawa Sept. 7, although they purchased the property more than two years ago.

They moved in on a Monday and, on Wednesday night, visited the Potter’s Wheel Coffeehouse, 205 S. Main St. Fahnestock, a musician, sat down with other local musicians during an open bluegrass jam session.

“I met this monster guitar player, Larry Lintner,” Fahnestock said. “I’ve been having a really good time playing with Larry on Wednesday nights.”

The couple also joined a church and spent quite a bit of time at the Ottawa Library. Soon, they met many people in Ottawa.

Fleet admitted she was concerned she wouldn’t fit in with conservative Midwestern folks, but found a warm welcome even from people with different political beliefs and backgrounds.

“People have been much more welcoming and open than I expected,” she said. “I didn’t think I’d fit in so quickly.”

Both said they have enjoyed living in Ottawa more than they anticipated.

“I knew I would like it, but I didn’t know I would like it this much,” Fahnestock said. “It’s much more beautiful, much more peaceful. I’m very happy here.”