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by Phil Hanson, President and CEO, Truman Heartland Community Foundation The new year is underway, and whether you were just happy to put 2020 behind you or approached 2021 with a laundry list of new year’s resolutions, I am certain we all are hopeful that things will get better this year.
Many of us know from experience that you are more likely to bridge the gap between where you are and the hope you have for the future by making a plan for how to get there. That is exactly how Willa Fancher and Martha Taggart approached life and why their estate plan is set to have a transformational impact on the future of our community. Longtime friends and Kansas City residents, Fancher and Taggart were inspired to leave a lasting legacy and provide support that would help nonprofits address the ever-changing needs of the community. Working with their trusted financial advisor, they included a generous $2.8 million unrestricted gift to Truman Heartland Community Foundation in their estate plans. The new Willa L. Fancher and Martha A. Taggart Endowment Fund, an endowed grantmaking fund, will benefit nonprofits serving our region. More than $65,000 in additional funding will be available this year for our competitive grants program, thanks to the Willa L. Fancher and Martha A. Taggart Endowment Fund. That means this year more than $320,000 will be available in community grants through the Community Foundation’s competitive grants program. As an endowed fund, their legacy will make a positive impact in the Eastern Jackson County community into perpetuity and is projected to make cumulative grants of more than $9.1 million in the next 50 years. That is the power of an endowment. For many, a planned legacy gift is a way to honor loved ones, establish a scholarship fund or by naming a child successor, make charitable giving a family tradition. Our community is blessed with many generous individuals and families who have a vision for the future of our community and have established plans to ensure that the causes they care about continue to receive the funding they need year, after year, after year. Our grants are an investment in our community and an important part of our plan to strengthen our region for the future. As nonprofits continue to navigate the financial and operational strains of the pandemic, this year’s competitive grants program offers critical funding for program and general operating support. We are hosting a free Competitive Grants Application Webinar on Thursday, February 4 at 1 p.m. to help area nonprofits learn about our grants programs, including deadlines and requirements. Visit www.thcf.org for more information about the competitive grants program and upcoming webinar. Phil Hanson is the president and CEO of Truman Heartland Community Foundation. Truman Heartland Community Foundation is a 501(c)(3) public charity committed to improving the communities in and around Eastern Jackson County through partnerships with donors and community members. For more information on charitable giving, visit www.thcf.org or call Truman Heartland at 816-836-8189. Missouri non-farm payroll employment increased again in December 2020, but a large increase in the civilian labor force sent unemployment higher. Employment, seasonally adjusted, increased by 10,400 jobs over the month, and over-the year job losses from COVID-19 shutdowns fell below 100,000.
The labor market still showed substantial losses from 2019 levels, and ongoing COVID infections pose a threat of continued economic challenges. Missouri’s smoothed seasonally adjusted unemployment rate increased by 1.3 percentage points in December 2020, jumping to 5.8 percent from a revised November 2020 rate of 4.5 percent. The estimated number of unemployed Missourians was 180,137 in December 2020, up by 45,701 from November’s 134,436. Despite the increase, Missouri’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate has now been either below or equal to the national rate for 69 consecutive months. The national unemployment rate was 6.7 percent in December 2020. Due to lingering layoffs from COVID-19 shutdowns, Missouri’s December 2020 rate was also 2.4 percentage points higher than the December 2019 rate. After record lows in 2018 and slow increases in 2019, the rate spiked beginning in March 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The rate peaked at 10.2 percent in April 2020 before decreasing slightly in May 2020, then moving strongly lower in June and July of 2020 as COVID-19 restrictions were eased. After a growing number of COVID-19 cases in August 2020 caused a small setback for the labor market, unemployment again decreased sharply in September 2020, followed by smaller decreases in October 2020 and November 2020, before an increase of 70,532 in the statewide civilian labor force in December 2020 caused a substantial jump in unemployment. by John Unrein The Grain Valley Lady Eagles basketball team took care of business during the opening round of the Sonic Showdown basketball tournament on January 25th. Sophomore point guard Grace Slaughter led all scorers during the contest with 32 points as her 2nd seeded Grain Valley team dispatched the 7th seeded Oak Park Lady Oakies by a score of 63-33. Lady Eagles head basketball coach Randy Draper used a carousel of defenses that included full court press, man to man, and the 1-3-1 zone to stymy the Lady Oakies offense. The formula worked as Oak Park was held scoreless during the first quarter. Sophomore guard Maddie Moore got her shot going as the game progressed and was Oak Park’s leading scorer with 10 points. Grain Valley found success attacking their opponents 2-3 zone defense by consistent movement without the basketball, driving the lane, and passing to open shooters behind the arc. Finley LaForge, Jordyn Weems, and Emma Thiessen were among the Lady Eagles who joined Slaughter in finding success behind the three point line. Another attribute of Grain Valley’s success was the rebounding and post scoring of Gabbi Keim and Ella Clyman. Both used box out positioning under the boards to arrive at successful outcomes in retrieving missed shots. Clyman would pull down 9 boards to go with her 6 points, 2 assists, and 2 steals. Keim would add 5 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals as well. “Our goal as a team is to get after it from the start of the game. We followed our plan on defense and pushed the ball on offense (in transition). This was fun tonight,” Weems said. Clyman added, “Our intensity was apparent tonight. We were quick moving the ball and that led to open looks.” Slaughter concluded, “My parents always remind me that if one thing is not working, you have to go to something else. My three point shot came on after I got my drive going to the lane. Open looks outside then allowed for entry passes to the post. All those things led to our success.” The all-around solid team effort permitted Draper to empty his bench with 5:42 left in the 4th quarter. Varsity starters for the Lady Eagles turned into a raucous bunch on the bench cheering on their teammates. The reward of rest and getting to be vocal was well received in a showing of team unity. “Our teammates are awesome for us and we enjoyed cheering for them late in the game. They give their all in practice to make us better,” Weems said. Clyman continued, “We are all family. Those on the court towards the end of the game work their butts off in practice. It is cool to see them have success.” Slaughter finished, “I am super proud of them. We are not nice to each other in practice. It is in an effort to make us all better. We love each other and watching them (my teammates) grow is fun.” Among those smiling from the bench was Draper. Smacking his knee and jovial head nodding were among the dead giveaways demonstrating Draper’s approval of his team’s effort. The maturation of his young varsity basketball team could not come at a better time as February basketball is fast approaching. “Our press defense got us off to a good start in getting us some easy baskets and disrupting them (Oak Park). We were able to play at the pace we prefer. The movement of the basketball continues to improve for us as well. It is making our zone offense better,” Draper said. “We got some kids in at the end of the game that are good basketball players. That last group played like they need to and had fun doing it. There was a point tonight I looked at the bench behind me and asked if they were alright due to the noise they were making for us on the floor. This team gets it. They have fun being together and it makes my job great.” “It is hard to keep Grace (Slaughter) from scoring. I like her mindset. She knew she was going to get going. Some players miss two straight shots, and they stop. Grace went and got some shots close to the basket. That turned around her shot from deep.” The Lady Eagles improve to a 9-3 record on the season with the victory. Competition in the Grain Valley Sonic Showdown basketball tournament will continue the week of January 25th. Sophomore point guard Grace Slaughter sinks a free throw. Photo credit: Valley News staff Pictured left to right: Jordyn Weems, Grace Slaughter, Ella Clyman. Photo credit: Valley News staff Senior guard Jordyn Weems steals the basketball. Photo credit: Valley News staff
by John Unrein The Grain Valley Eagles boys basketball team pulled off a win in dramatic fashion against the Fort Osage Indians on January 22nd by a score of 45-43. Eagle forward Cole Keller would block the final shot of the game as time expired, doing so with four fouls and timing the rejection so that his follow through would not put the shooter on the foul line. Joining Keller in late game heroics was Grain Valley guard Owen Herbert. The sophomore sank 2 three pointers late in the game along with making the back end of a two shot trip to the charity stripe to help seal the victory for the Eagles. “Ice Man” was a nickname being bounced around Herbert as he emerged from the visitor’s locker room after the game. “I continue to work hard on my shot in getting my timing and rhythm down. I knew someone had to step up and took advantage of the open looks (at the basket). We’ve been working hard in practice on things that will help us win on the court,” Herbert said. “I knew after I missed the front end of the two free throws late in the game that I let it go too hard on the first one and that I needed to take a deep breath and regroup. The second one went down. This was a big win for us on the road with our Sonic Showdown coming up.” Herbert would finish the contest with 13 points. Keller led all scorers during the game and produced a double-double that consisted of 19 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, and 4 blocks. At no point during the game did Keller let his foul trouble affect his aggressive play. The senior was not bashful about the mindset leading to his determination. “I got frustrated tonight because we’ve been in this situation before multiple times in the past and it has melted in our hands. When we slow down our focus and take it one possession at a time, things go so much better for us like they did in the first half tonight,” Keller said. “They (Fort Osage) grabbed the rebound prior to the shot I blocked at the end. Someone needed to step up to make a play and it was my time. I am glad it ended that way.” Keller’s frustration stemmed from Grain Valley struggling to keep the fifteen point lead they secured at the end of the first quarter. It was precipitated by the Eagles starting the game on an 11-2 run that forced Fort Osage to burn a timeout at the 3:30 mark of the opening period. Senior guard Jayden Yung has transitioned to running the point for the Eagles. Yung’s handling of the basketball and the Eagles push in the transition game accounted for the early scoring that permitted the Grain Valley lead to hold. Fort Osage under the direction of head coach Josh Wilson made valuable half time adjustments. The Indians came out of the locker room at the start of the 3rd quarter applying pressure to Yung on the inbound pass and denying outlet passes to the center and corners of the court as Grain Valley worked to defeat the press. The Indians also spread the floor during the final two quarters to get open three point looks at the basket. Junior Trent Hogland would reward Wilson’s adjustment by scoring all 14 of his points in the second half, including 4 three pointers. The stamina and determination displayed by the Eagles allowed them to turn back the momentum gained by the Indians in the second half. Grain Valley head basketball coach Andy Herbert conducted substitution by possession as the game progressed to keep the best matchup on the floor possible for his team. The reward for Herbert was his team scoring 28 of their 45 overall points in the second half. “We had taken turns panicking. Owen (Herbert) was the right guy in the right place and his teammates found him late in the game. It was good for us to win tonight. We needed that,” Herbert said. “We warned our guys at halftime that they were going to turn the heat up on us and that they would at some point start making more shots. We rode out their momentum and it was great for the youth of this team to get the victory.” Herbert finished, “Jayden (Yung) was tremendous tonight attacking downhill and getting to the basket. That allowed us to be the aggressor. The mindset switched in the second half with us trying to hold on and prevent them from taking the lead. You rely on your seniors to step up and make plays in that moment. Yung has been our ‘X Factor,’ and as he goes, we go. Keller’s block was huge as well.” “I am proud of our team. I have taught more in practice this season then I have in ten seasons probably. The hard work put in by this team has led to progress that does not always show up with wins and losses. Our team deserved this win tonight.” Pictured left to right: Sophomore guard Owen Herbert, head coach Andy Herbert, senior Cole Keller. Photo credit: Valley News staff Sophomore Keagan Hart looks to pass the ball to the post. Photo credit: Valley News staff
by John Unrein Jack Bailey has started along the offensive line for the Grain Valley Eagles football program since he was a sophomore. He earned his stripes in the Suburban Conference with the bumps and bruises that come from being an underclassman starting at the varsity level. The 6’ 2” 260 pound senior has since grown into a confident student athlete that was selected homecoming king by his peers and a 1st Team All-Conference offensive guard by coaches in the Suburban Conference.
Bailey has recently announced his verbal commitment to continue his career as a student athlete at Quincy University. The private liberal arts university in Quincy, Illinois reported an enrollment of 1,148 students in 2020. As part of the Great Lakes Valley Conference, the Quincy University Hawks compete at the NCAA Division II level. Gary Bass is the head football coach at Quincy University and has made it a point to recruit players from the Show-Me State. Bailey will join 39 players who are currently on the Hawks roster from the state of Missouri. All games on the 2020 football schedule were cancelled for Quincy University due to the current pandemic. Bailey is looking forward to what lies ahead for him in the next step of his educational journey. “The coaches at Quincy were welcoming and my visit went well there. It was a small school with a big town feel that I liked,” Bailey said. “The biggest difference between high school and college football will be that I am living away from home and I don’t have two other sports, basketball or track to play.” “I have enjoyed that I already have future teammates reaching out to me and making me feel like part of the family already.” Among those that will be missing the contributions made by Bailey on and off the field are his position coaches, Gavin Grillo and Mike Tarrants. Both watched Bailey ascend to being a prominent part of the Eagles 10-2 record this season to coincide with a birth in quarterfinal state playoff round. Tarrants gruff voice could often be heard offering both constructive criticism and praise for Bailey as he worked through hitting the sled, shuffling through the steel chute, or perfecting a hook block against a hand shield during practice. “The thing that I am most proud of for Jack is that he is an awesome example of doing things right is always the right thing to do. Jack is a great person, a dedicated student, a hard working athlete, and a role model for others,” Tarrants said. “Other than being a terrific athlete, I believe Jack’s greatest attribute is his coachability. He is a true student of the game, who wants to be the best at his craft and can take coaching to learn. As a three-year starter at the right guard position, Jack always wanted to improve his technique, his football IQ, and his knowledge of line play.” “Jack is a protector. Jack is a very laid back, caring, kind and loyal person. He has a wonderful personality that shows some of the best qualities of humanity. However, on the football field, Jack assumes the role of protector or guardian. ‘Between the whistles,’ Jack taps into his protector role and is a very physical player.” “Someone who knows Jack outside of football would never guess the ability he has to physically dominate an opponent on the field. Jack is one of those players who will lay someone out and without a word, reach down and help them up after the play is over. In addition, Jack is one heck of a crappie fisherman,” Tarrants quipped with a smile. Bailey becomes a growing number of his senior class to choose pursuing college football after high school. His leadership and smile will no doubt be missed in the Eagles locker room. Among those to pick up the torch Bailey passes will be Cooper Terry and Connor Heitman. Terry is Bailey’s best friend and started along side him last fall at right tackle. Heitman saw his first taste of varsity football as a sophomore at left tackle this season. Exclusively Dogs will soon celebrate its second year of business, and while their daily focus is on our four-legged friends, owner Michelle Toczek knows the key to their success is the people who work with her.
“It’s a really great group. For me, it’s more about culture. We have plenty of business for however many dogs our groomers want to take on. I think that’s what makes it really fun and special here. There’s not that pressure of having to complete a certain number of jobs per day. That gives them some flexibility with their schedule, which is important,” Toczek said. “When I opened this business, that was my dream. One, of course, was to be around dogs. But, second, was to be able to offer a place where people like to work.” Toczek’s team includes Margarita Giannoutsos, who has been with Toczek since the business opened. “I feel like we wouldn’t have been successful without her It’s tough to join a new business when they are building up clientele, and she stuck it out with us,” Toczek said. Groomer William Kessler has been with Exclusively Dogs for about a year, bringing ten years of experience to the business. While grooming a very well behaved client, he said the hardest part of grooming is “not taking them all home.” When groomers were closed last spring due to COVID-19 related shutdowns, many dog owners were forced to tackle grooming on their own, and many gained a newfound respect for the work of professional groomers. “I quickly learned when I was learning that groomers make it look easy, but it is much harder than it looks. If you’re cutting a person’s hair, you can ask them to move their head and they can communicate their needs. With dogs, it’s a bit more of a negotiation sometimes,” Kessler quipped. Giannoutsos agreed. “A lot of clients after the shutdown ended would tell us, ‘We tried grooming our dogs at home, and we have so much more appreciation for you now’.” Vanessa Carnes recently joined Exclusively Dogs as a groomer, having completed her training recently with The Grooming Project. Carnes and Giannoutsos both received their training with The Grooming Project, a Kansas City based nonprofit which helps families in poverty by providing job training in the high demand trade of pet grooming. The grooming school program includes 644 classroom hours and three internships in local grooming salons. Students are paired with a volunteer mentor who they meet with regularly to work through household budgeting and parenting questions. The Grooming Project also coordinates with many local organizations to address medical service and mental health needs, life skills courses, and parenting and budgeting support. “Without them, I wouldn’t be here today. Their training is challenging, but it is a good program. They offer great assistance in placement,” Giannoutsos said. Carnes was referred to The Grooming Project by a local nonprofit, Journey To A New Life. “I went down a wrong road in my life, and came to Kansas City for something new. Journey to a New Life recommended The Grooming Project, and their employment specialist helped me find this position. Michelle was really welcoming and really great about giving me a chance,” Carnes said. “I’ve always felt at ease working with dogs, and it is a great career. Many people who have made mistakes in their lives don’t think that they can ever have a career. I definitely think grooming is a great skill to develop, and there are many great opportunities.” According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (2018), employment for animal care and service workers is projected to grow 22% through 2026, faster than the average for other occupations. Exclusively Dogs has certainly experienced this growth, and according to Toczek, the key to their success is their team. “The biggest challenge is finding the right fit when recruiting groomers. It’s always your people that make the difference,” Toczek said. “We all get along really well and work really well together,” Kessler said. “We all enjoy each other and joke around a lot,” Giannoutsos said. At the end of the day, Giannoutsos says it’s the reaction of their human customers that makes their work so enjoyable. “I love dogs and I love being creative. I really enjoy making the customers happy, and I enjoy seeing their reaction when they see their puppies when our work is done.” This is a great industry to be a part of,” Carnes said. “People just really love their pets, and it makes it fun.” Exclusively Dogs is located at 1060 NE McQuerry Road, Ste. F, Grain Valley. For appointments, call 816-721-5486 or visit www.exclusivelydogskc.com. For more information on The Grooming Project, visit www.thegroomingproject.org. Good News: Missouri COVID-19 case numbers down as lawmakers begin work on pandemic-related bills1/21/2021
by Rudi Keller, Missouri Independent Amid signs that COVID-19 is loosening its grip on Missouri, the state Senate this week will hold hearings on coronavirus liability protections while the state House is home as leaders attempt to control a Capitol Building outbreak.
The Department of Health and Senior Services on Tuesday reported 1,357 new COVID-19 infections and it marked the third consecutive day of reporting fewer than 1,500 cases since the first week of October. And the 7-day positive rate on tests, 12.7 percent, is down 4.7 percentage points over the past week. Republican leadership in the House didn’t detail how many lawmakers are sick or in quarantine from exposure when they canceled this week’s session. There were 11 members absent last week during a roll call vote that defeated a proposed rule change to require masks in the House chamber. The leadership has not stated whether regular sessions will resume next week. On the Senate side of the building, the Judiciary and Civil and Criminal Jurisprudence Committee will hold hearings Tuesday on two bills shielding employers and business owners from lawsuits alleging they allowed exposure to COVID-19. That will be followed Wednesday with hearings in the Senate Health and Pensions Committee on bills limiting the scope and duration of local health orders. One bill, sponsored by Sen. Rick Brattin, R-Harrisonville, scheduled for a hearing Wednesday would exempt religious worship services from health restrictions and barring lawsuits from people who contract COVID-19 during services. Senate hearings will have audio streaming but no online video. The indicators that the pandemic is easing in Missouri as it rages elsewhere have been visible in several indicators in recent weeks. The lower daily counts are driving down the 7-day average of reported cases, which fell below 2,000 per day for the first time since late October. There are also fewer local health jurisdictions reporting new cases. Of 117 local jurisdictions listed on state reports, there were new cases in 89 on Tuesday, the second day with new cases in fewer than 100 health departments since early October. Missouri’s rate of new cases has been below the national average for eight consecutive weeks. The result is that the overall per capita infection rate in the state, which rose above the national average on Oct. 10, fell below the national average on Saturday. As of Monday, Missouri had an overall infection rate of 7,150 cases per 100,000 residents. The national infection rate was 7,244 per 100,000 people. The vaccines being administered are already having a positive effect for the health care workers who were first in line, Springfield’s CoxHealth CEO Steve Edwards wrote in a Monday tweet. He reported that 6,658 of the company’s 12,500 health care workers had received a first dose and those employees would start receiving their booster shots on Tuesday. “Total daily employee infections are already down 50%!” Cox wrote. According to data from the CDC, Missouri has administered about one-third of the 528,000 doses received so far, with about 153,000 people receiving a first dose. Hospitalizations, which health experts consider a lagging indicator, are also showing some improvement. The total number of inpatients stood at 2,392 on Saturday, the first time the tally has been below 2,400 since Nov. 10. Rudi Keller covers the state budget, energy and the legislature. He’s spent 22 of his 30 years in journalism covering Missouri government and politics, most recently as the news editor of the Columbia Daily Tribune. Keller has won awards for spot news and investigative reporting. www.missouriindependent.com by Marcia Napier, Grain Valley Historical Society The Sni-A-Bar Voice offered limited national and state news along with the local news to Grain Valley beginning in 1901. D.C. Herrington, the founder and publisher sold his interest in 1912 to W. L Hall and his wife, the paper’s editor at the time. Records indicate this newspaper continued to be published in Blue Springs until 1923.
In 1913 a separate newspaper, The Grain Valley Herald, was introduced to the citizens of Grain Valley. Information from the mast head revealed the paper was published every Friday by W. L. Hall & Son of Blue Springs, Missouri. The owner and editor of the paper was J. W. Snodgrass of Grain Valley and he received a mailing permit on June 20, 1913. Volume 1, Number 1 would have been published at that time. This information came from Volume 4, Number 29, which was published on January 4, 1918. Robert and Earlene Mueller, long-time residents of Grain Valley had the edition put under Plexiglas and gifted it to the Historical Society. Here are some highlights from the edition: The cost of a subscription was $1 per year or $ .50 for six months. Evidently, when people subscribed, it was printed in the paper, as I learned that “Miss Grace Johnson (later Mrs. Ellis Storms) left a renewal dollar at the Herald office on New Year’s Day with instructions to send our paper during the year 1918 to her uncle, J. H. Daniels at Tempe, Arizona.” I wonder who paid to mail the newspaper and if the cost of postage would not have been greater than the price of the newspaper! “The Red Cross Christmas drive for membership resulted in about 300 new members in and near Grain Valley.” This may have been part of the war effort. “There are a few cases of smallpox in Grain Valley, but all are under strict quarantine and it is not believed that the disease will spread further. The contagion appears to be in a very mild form, as no one has been seriously ill with it.” The year was 1918, however, there was no mention of the flu pandemic which was making headlines through the U. S. A dinner was held at the Busy Bee Café following an event at the Grain Valley Masonic Lodge which was attended by Masons from Mount Washington and Blue Springs. One headline read “Two More Boys Across” and stated cablegrams had been received by the parents of Thomas Storms (stationed in England) and Hurst Shrout (stationed in Paris, France) letting them know both boys had “reached the other side of the Atlantic.” “Otis Williams, Riley and Mark Lynch are training near London, England. Joe Graham was last heard from near Morrison, Virginia. These four boys are members of aviation squadrons.” The newspaper also has wedding announcements, a birth announcement and some obituaries along with a page of agricultural news (mostly about sheep and fowls), and a chapter from a book which I can only assume was a weekly feature. I found it interesting that along with the Spanish Flu, there was also no news regarding WW I. I’m guessing at least some citizens must have subscribed to The Kansas City Times and/or The Kansas City Star for state, national and world news. And one final note, from The Kansas City Times, Saturday, December 7, 1918: The Grain Valley Herald Quits The Grain Valley Herald, a weekly newspaper at Grain Valley, has ceased publication. R. C. Hague, editor and proprietor, gives two reasons—the high cost of white paper and the fact he is ill of influenza. He has sold his subscription list to The Oak Grove Banner and will edit a “Grain Valley page” in that paper. The Herald was established five years ago by J. W. Snodgrass, who four months ago sold it to Mr. Hague, a mail carrier. Next week: Highlights from the Grain Valley page in The Oak Grove Banner Visit the Grain Valley Historical Society at 506 S. Main on Wednesdays or visit us online at ww.grainvalleyhistory.com and Facebook (@grainvalleyhistory). by Marcia Napier, Grain Valley Historical Society Missouri Senator Thomas Hart Benton (1782-1858) was the great-great uncle of Thomas Hart Benton (1889-1975) the painter from Neosho, Missouri. His paintings were part of several movements including Realism and Modern Art, but he was at the forefront of the Regionalist Art movement.
The fluid, sculpted figures in his paintings showed everyday people in scenes of life in the United States. His art hangs in museums including The Met in NYC and on murals at UMKC, the Kansas City Library and the Nelson-Atkins Museum. But, did you know that in 1939, 20th Century-Fox commissioned Benton to design and paint the promotional poster art for their motion picture Gone With the Wind? A recent drive down Main Street in Grain Valley will reveal a new blue store awning. Crosetti Health and Wellness is set to open in February at 510 N. Main St. Prescription medication, over the counter drugs, medicine delivery, adjunctive therapy, a lactation support room, and attracting health specialists (from podiatry to dermatology) to work out of his store is the goal for Dr. Sean M. Crosetti.
A Grain Valley resident, Crosetti earned an MBA (Master of Business Administration) and worked in the mutual fund industry for 20 years prior to heading back to school to learn the pharmaceutical industry. His motivation for the career change came out of a desire to help people in a meaningful way and the influence of his parents. Both Crosetti’s father and mother worked in the health care system. His Dad was a dentist for the VA (Veteran’s Administration) for 39 years. His mother worked in hospital administration for the VA prior to being appointed to a government position near retirement. “With my Dad being a practitioner and Mom being in administration, I came to understand both sides of health care. It definitely made dinner conversations interesting growing up. Both of my parents were proud of their profession and wanted good things for people,” Crosetti said. Upon graduating from UMKC in 2014, Crosetti spent five years as the Pharmacy Director at Lafayette Regional Health Center in Lexington, MO. Crosetti’s interest in retail pharmacy grew during that time along with the idea of being a small business owner. As Crosetti considered locations for his business, Grain Valley came to the forefront through his work at Hil’s Pharmacy prior to their closure. “The friendly nature of people I encountered through my work at Hil’s Pharmacy was nice. Residents in this community praised the school district and seemed willing to take the time to talk and get to know people,” Crosetti said. “My conversations with people from city government led me to believe that they were focused on the development of community, instead of just economic growth.” “There is a definite need for a pharmacy in Grain Valley. I chose to become a pharmacist over being a doctor because it would lead for the potential of having non time constrained interactions with customers.” Crosetti concluded, “Being a clinical pharmacist compared to a retail pharmacist are two different creatures. It is like an eagle being compared to a penguin. They are both birds and that is about it. I know what I’m getting into and hope to build relationships with patients so that continuity of care may be provided.” Attention to detail has been paid to the layout and design of Crosetti Health and Wellness. Reclaimed 100 year old pine shelving is being used for product demonstration. Consideration has been given to ease of movement for the customer with an open floor plan, wide counters, and 360 degree displays. Bright fluorescent lighting makes things easy to see and find. The blend of light blue paint and dark stained wood provide a color contrast that is warm and inviting. Much akin to the one point place of care pharmacies you would find during the 1950’s, 1960’s, and 1970’s. Time and elbow grease have been provided by Crosetti and his family in trying to make their vision come to life. Business hours will be 9am-7pm Monday through Friday, and 9am-1pm Saturday. Crosetti Health and Wellness can be reached by phone at 816-847-6930. “The idea behind our store hours is so that people who live in Grain Valley but commute out of town to work may get their prescription needs fulfilled without breaking the law by speeding to get home. We will have an emergency phone number as well so that if a customer makes an unintended late night trip to the emergency room, they can get the prescription they need without having to wait,” Crosetti said. “This journey (opening a business) has taught me patience I didn’t know I had. I continue to try and find win, win situations for myself and others as we go through the hurdles of trying to open a pharmacy during a pandemic. I am looking forward to the reward of helping people make educated decisions for accurate, evidence based care.” |
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