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by Marcia Napier, Grain Valley Historical Society During the 1980s, the good citizens of Grain Valley depended on area papers for their news. Often you would find Grain Valley stories in the Buckner Villager or the Oak Grove Banner. The Central and North Kansas City Star was a weekly insert in The Kansas City Star. It was during the late 1980s that the Independence Examiner seemed to expand their coverage to include more news from Eastern Jackson County.
For a year, possibly two years, around 1986 the Valley News was published in our community. I have not been able to learn very much about this newspaper. I contacted a few people to gather information; only one remembered the paper, others did not. I was only able to learn that the owner/publisher was Richard J. and Becky A. Rippe. I found an address on Vesper in Blue Springs. They were only married a few years from 1982 to about 1988. I believe the paper may have ended with the marriage. Among all of the papers from the 1980s, the stories all shared one central theme –the growth of Grain Valley. The real estate section in the want ads featured many new homes and acres of land for sale all around the town. If you lived in Grain Valley in the 1980s you may remember some of these stories. After a petition by a group of citizens, home mail delivery increased by 117 new locations. After the death of Ken Ramsey, Valley Fair Daze chairman, an attempt was made to build a horse show arena south of town. A flying club was established at the East Kansas City Airport and many local residents began flying lessons. In 1985 a group of citizens and the city fought to lower the cost of telephone service to the metropolitan Kansas City area. Residents were paying $8 more per month than Blue Springs residents for the same service. To meet the ever-increasing population a 1985 school bond issue added classrooms at Matthew Elementary and increase the size of the cafeteria at the middle school, junior high and high school. In 1988 the school purchased nearly 60 acres on AA Highway (now Eagles Parkway) from Steve and Debbie Gildehaus for $142,000. Don’t you wonder what that same land would cost today. Remember the acid leak from the railroad tanker car in April of 1985. Thirty-five homes were evacuated and the airport was closed until the acid could be cleaned up. In 1988 we almost got a weather station on Monkey Mountain. Not everyone was in favor! The weather station was built in Pleasant Hill. Of course, the Valley News always carried lots of high school sports. 1986 was an outstanding football season. We lost the Class 2A district title to Penney High School in Hamilton, MO. But I think my favorite story had to be, “New Neighbors Create a Stink in Grain Valley.” The story appeared in August of 1988. It appears that seeking food, a number of skunks had come to town. The subject was brought up and discussed by Winona Burgess, Ward 1 councilwoman at the monthly meeting. The city administrator sought advice from the Missouri Department of Conservation. It was decided that the homeowner would have to take care of the problem themselves. However, it was announced that skunks do not like to get their feet dirty. Therefore a mixture of roofing tar and creosote would discourage the skunks and once they left your property you should “plug up the holes in your foundations and sheds.” Next Week: The Pointe 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
After a successful career in the boating industry, Mary Jo Goettling felt a pull last year to make a change. With a heart to help others navigate through all the seasons of life, Goettling found a home with Farmers Insurance.
Goettling’s faith is important to her and it informs how she conducts her business. “We are here to walk alongside people in their lives. We celebrate victories with them and will be there for them in a time of loss. For us, this is about helping to build relationships with people and the business will come,” Goettling said. Goettling opened her agency last October, and is building an agency focused on the ever changing needs of her customers. “We are here to serve them whenever they need us—to celebrate an exciting change like a new car, home, or baby, or in bad times when there’s been an accident or loss.” Goettling selected Farmers after talking with family members who work in insurance and a fellow church member who works for Farmers. “What impressed me was what they do, not just for their agents, but for their customers. Farmers is first on the scene, whether it was Hurricane Katrina or the tornado in Joplin. They were prepared with boots on the ground, and were focused first on the basic needs of their customers, and then quickly took care of their claims. That’s what I want to align myself with,” Goettling said. While insurance advertising often focuses on cost savings, Goettling emphasizes families must consider their entire picture and understand that fast and cheap insurance coverage is often not good coverage. “I am more concerned about them as a person and taking care of the whole picture. Do we want to save them money? Absolutely we do, and Farmers has a wonderful variety of discounts to save customers money.” “We are very price competitive. There have been customers in the last week who saved half of what they had been paying with companies they had been with for years.” Goettling stresses the importance of regularly reviewing your coverage. “If you are not sitting down with your agent at least once a year and doing a review, then there’s a problem. One thing that Farmers really stresses is to be in a personal relationship with our clientele and to make sure that we annually do a review. We take the opportunity to sit down together and look at what has changed in your life in the past year that may need to be covered differently.” “We have to know what season of life our customers are in. If we’re not doing that, then we’re not doing our job.” Goettling’s agency is located at 628 NW Jefferson Street in Grain Valley, and can be reached by phone at 816-355-4747 or online at agent.Farmers.com/mgoettling. Sponsored advertisement, made possible through the Grain Valley Partnership. In addition to the regular food items, the Grain Valley Assistance Council pantry is running low on several items, including pancake mix, syrup, jelly and spaghetti.
Also needed are the following: mac & cheese, canned corn, rice or pasta side dishes, spaghetti-o's or canned ravioli, canned tomatoes or tomato sauce, pork & beans, and boxed dinners (hamburger helper style). Food donations can be dropped off in the GVAC collection barrel, located just inside the entrance at the Grain Valley Community Center, any time during the regular Community Center hours. I was talking to my mom in Florida the other day when she said, “What’s that noise I hear in the background?” I smiled and said, “Oh, that’s the grandson singing.” He loves to sing and, in fact, sings all the time.
I love to hear him sing. Sometimes, he will be singing to himself in the back of the car. Sometimes he sings while he plays. Sometimes, the melodies are unrecognizable as he loves to make up songs. Other times, the songs are recognizable. They are tunes that he has picked up from one of the shows that he watches. Sometimes, we sing together and I make up songs that we sing. Music has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. Like most kids, I remember growing up listening to my mom listen to music. My mother loved to sing, and even plays a few instruments. I grew up loving music. I remember when the Glen Campbell show used to come on. As a little kid, I would run to my room and grab my kid’s guitar and play along (whether it had strings, I don’t remember). Eventually, I began to take piano lessons and enjoyed playing. I took lessons for a couple of years. It was a lot of work, but a lot of fun. Along the way, I discovered that playing the piano wasn’t cool. I’m not sure which one of my friends informed me of that. But, I recognized the need to move on to a more suitable instrument. As a teen, I think I initially wanted to play the drums. But my mom, extremely wise, knew this would probably not be the best choice for our family. Instead, we headed off to an old Sears store and I got an acoustic guitar. This was a monumental event. I took guitar lessons and found that learning to play was much harder than I imagined it would be. I remember the initial pain of my fingers as I tried to push the strings down on the frets to play notes and chords. But, despite the pain and callouses, I was hooked. With a lot of time and practice, I was able to get the hang of it. Playing guitar became a part of my DNA. I had a pretty good ear for music, a passion to play, and the discipline to practice. I would play for hours trying to figure out songs and making up my own. Doing my homework would have to take a back seat. Several years later, I began to meet other musicians and bounced around in several bands. I met a great friend, David, who was extremely talented. I became the backup guitarist for his band. David could play anything from Van Halen to Bach. He was versatile and could read music and play by ear. He helped me see the potential that I had and was extremely encouraging. He eventually went on to become extremely successful and was featured in several bands, eventually becoming a studio musician in Nashville. David and I played for several years until I decided that I wanted to be in the spotlight. After high school, I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life. I got into some trouble with the law and my mother was insistent that I do something with my life and suggested college. I enrolled in a local junior college and began to study music. After several semesters, I realized that college, at least at the time, was not for me. I was destined for greater things like becoming a rock star. I had the hair and the look. All I needed was the break. At the age of 19, I got my big break. I found my purpose in life and became a Christian. I sang a new song (Ps 96:1). I continued to play in a band, but because of my faith in Christ, everything changed. I’ll never forget that fateful band practice. My band was in the studio practicing for an upcoming show. As a rock band in the 80s, we played Boston, Rush, Van Halen, and even AC/DC. At that time, we were working on the AC/DC song, “Hell’s Bells” and Van Halen’s “Running with the Devil.” I had played these songs hundreds of times, but never thought about the songs before. They were just songs and I was going through the motions. However, as I began to play and our lead singer began to sing, the words of the songs became extremely clear. They weren’t just songs. They were messages. Hell’s bells were no longer chiming for me. I was no longer running with the devil. Now that my life was in tune, these songs were in the wrong key. I knew that this was my last band practice. I didn’t look back. I don’t know why I was surprised, but the Bible has a lot to say about music. For example, at creation, the angels sang (Job 38:7). If you are ever on Jeopardy and are asked, “who is the father of all those who play the lyre and pipe?” make sure to say Jubal—but make sure to say it in the form of a question (Gen 4:27). The Bible also mentions stringed instruments, percussion, wind instruments, and more. In fact, a whole book in the Bible is filled with songs. It’s called, Psalms. Did you know that when God descended on Mount Sinai, there was a loud trumpet blast? (Ex. 19:19-20). Also, when Jesus comes again, there will also be a loud trumpet blast (1 Thes 4:16). I wonder if there’s a coincidence. Jesus Himself sang with his disciples (Matt 26:30). God Himself sings. The Bible says, “he will exult over you with loud singing” (Zeph 3:17). As the years went on, I began to play in church and, for many years, played in a praise band. Having the opportunity to play was fun and the times of worship were meaningful. Playing in the praise band was also a challenge. There were times that I played for God. However, there were other times that I played for me. It was a delicate dance. My sacrifice of praise was not intended to be for my personal enjoyment, but for God’s ultimate glory. There is a difference. At times, I had the wrong audience and needed to remember that my greatest joy is found in making sure God is in the spotlight, not me. Initially, I really thought that God would use me in music ministry. Although, I did work in Christian radio for decades, and got paid to listen to music, it was all behind the scenes. I really thought I would play. Apparently, God, the Master Conductor had other plans for my life and He called me to preach. The instrument has changed, yet, the song remains. I still love to play and sing. I sing to myself, sometimes singing out loud. I’ve even been known to sing when I preach. As the old gospel song goes, “there’s within my heart a melody.” I think all of us were created to sing. God has given us a wonderful gift in the gift of music. We all have a song in our heart. But, like an old 45 rpm record, there’s a A side and a flip side (you might need to Google that). For the believer, it’s the song of the redeemed (Rev 14:3). It’s a song of hope, joy, peace, and fulfillment. There’s no other song like it. The wonderful thing is, even if you can’t hear the tune right now, there’s plenty of room in the choir. Dr. Wayne Geiger Pastor of First Baptist Grain Valley, an Adjunct Professor of Speech, and freelance writer. by Cathy Bylinowski, M.S., Horticulture Instructor, University of Missouri Extension It might be hard to believe now, but the icy, freezing winter weather will be over in the weeks to come. It will be time to start thinking about spring vegetable gardening! Begin the garden season with some planning.
You can use the MU Extension Vegetable Planting Calendar to help guide you to success- https://extension.missouri.edu/publications/g6201 This publication will help you know what to plant when and other helpful gardening planning information. If you want to start your own cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, or Brussels sprouts transplants, now is the time to begin. These cold tolerant cole-crops (cabbage-related crops) take about 5-8 days to germinate when in a warm (75-77 degrees) conditions. As soon as they germinate, move the seedlings to a well- lit location. You will need a sunny south window, fluorescent lights set up on shelving units to create a bright propagation area, or a greenhouse. Seedlings that do not get enough light, get too tall and often fall over. They will not mature into plants that produce good crops. If you do not have adequate light to start your own transplants, you can wait and purchase cabbage, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and cauliflower transplants at garden center stores soon. In Central Missouri, transplants for cole-crops can be planted outside in a sunny spot in the vegetable garden, from mid-March through mid to late April. If temperatures well below freezing are predicted, you can cover them with newspaper, sheets of plastic, even bed sheets overnight for protection. Or you can cover the plants with floating row cover that can be kept on to help keep insect pests out. Floating row cover is a spun polyester fabric that lets light and rain in and creates a microclimate underneath next to the soil that is several degrees warmer than the outside temperatures. When the snow and ice melts, and garden soil is moist and crumbly, you can direct-sow cold tolerant crops such as arugula, lettuce, radishes, and sugar snap peas outside. Onions are a good spring crop, too. They will be available at garden centers in early spring, as onion sets, which are small onion bulbs, or as onion plants. Early spring is also a great time to plant ornamental cabbage and kale, pansies, and violas. These visually attractive plants love the cool weather and can be planted along flower bed borders, among the vegetables, and in containers. They will provide a wide range of color until the temperatures get hot in late June and July. Do you have more gardening questions? Field Specialists in Horticulture will hold the next free Horticulture Town Hall on March 10, 2021. Here is the link to register- https://ipm.missouri.edu/townHalls/ Choose the horticulture option to join in an informative discussion on many gardening topics. The Gardener Hotline is another way to get reliable gardening information. It is staffed by trained Extension Master Gardener Volunteers of Greater Kansas City. The phone number is 816-833-TREE (8733). You can also email gardening, landscaping, and other horticulture questions to them at mggkc.hotline@gmail.com. Feel free to contact Cathy Bylinowski, MU Extension Horticulture Instructor, bylinowskic@missouri.edu, if you have more gardening questions or need more information on MU Extension Horticulture programs. Is the latest diet trend really that healthy? How many carbs should I be eating daily? Can a detox diet work in my favor? Whether or not you’ve fallen for nutrition myths in the past, it can be hard to decipher fact from fiction when your favorite fitness influencer makes a claim on social media.
Therefore, before you implement dietary rules, a chat with a registered dietitian may be worth your time – and possibly your health. Hy-Vee dietitians can crack the code to many myths surfacing the web. Check the facts below to see what’s true and what’s trash. Do carbs make you gain weight? Carbohydrates are often demonized as the weight gain devil. But do you have to cut carbs out entirely to lose a few pounds? Carbs – especially complex carbs – are important for energy, brain function and even weight loss. Complex carbohydrates include whole grains, beans and vegetables, which are rich in belly-filling fiber. Simple carbs are those high-sugary foods and processed grains, which lead to unsatisfying meals causing us to overindulge later. Keep in mind, any food you eat in excess will cause you to gain weight; therefore, don’t point fingers at one of the major food groups. Think about the selections and portions with carb choices and make room on your plate for more whole-grain varieties. Is snacking throughout the day bad for my health? There’s a fine line between a smart snack and grazing, and the difference between the two can make or break your health goals. A smart snack is one that is planned, consumed when true hunger strikes, and includes nutrient-dense foods, such as fruits, veggies, whole grains and protein. It can help bridge the gap between meals to ensure we don’t overeat later. Grazing, on the other hand, is frequent eating of an undefined portion of food. More often than not, grazing can include the consumption of high-caloric and nutrient-poor foods, leading to weight gain. When done correctly, snacking is a healthy habit to incorporate in our everyday routines. Just be smart about it. Can certain foods burn calories? In short, no. Caffeine and spicy ingredients can increase metabolism, yet not enough for significant calorie burn or weight loss. The secret solution? A combined effort with diet and consistent exercise. Are fat-free or low-fat versions of foods healthier? When a product claims it contains low or no fat, be sure to consider the sugar content. It’s common for manufacturers to replace fat with this taste-enhancing nutrient to make it more palatable since fat provides food with flavor. In addition, we may eat more of a low-fat product because fat takes longer to digest. Therefore, our attempt to save on calories by choosing this alternative is essentially a wash. Does eating at night lead to weight gain? It’s been shown that high-caloric foods like ice cream and chips are indulged after dark, contributing to a wider midsection. You can guess that ingesting excess calories at any time of the day would have the same effects on the body, but we tend to do more mindless eating watching television or surfing the web at the conclusion of our day. If you’re hankering for a late-night snack, choose one that includes protein and fiber like a fruit and yogurt parfait, as you’ll be more satisfied and less likely to go back for more. If you fall in the 78% of people who encounter conflicting information about what to eat, consider contacting a Hy-Vee dietitian. These professionals undergo several years of schooling, must pass a licensed examination, and keep up with continuing education every year to stay relevant with the ever-changing world of nutrition. Don’t believe everything you read on the internet, and get the facts from the professional. The information is not intended as medical advice. Please consult a medical professional for individual advice. Megan Callahan is one of your Hy-Vee Corporate Dietitians. She is dedicated to helping people live healthier and happier lives. Megan received a bachelor’s degree in dietetics from Missouri State University. She completed her dietetic internship at the University of Kansas Medical Center, where she also received her Master of Science degree in dietetics and nutrition. Megan has been working with Hy-Vee full-time for 10 years. Megan lives in Lee’s Summit with her husband Matt, and their 2 children Kennedy (4) & Carsyn (2). The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), announced a Special Enrollment Period (SEP) for individuals and families for Marketplace coverage in response to the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency, which has left millions of Americans facing uncertainty and exceptional circumstances while millions of Americans have experienced new health problems during the pandemic.
This SEP will allow individuals and families in states with Marketplaces served by the HealthCare.gov platform to enroll in 2021 health insurance coverage. Beginning February 15, 2021 and through May 15, 2021, these Marketplaces will operationalize functionality to make this SEP available to all Marketplace-eligible consumers who are submitting a new application or updating an existing application. The SEP will be offered to consumers applying for new coverage or updating an existing application through HealthCare.gov, the Marketplace call center, or through direct enrollment channels. Some consumers may already be eligible for other existing SEPs, Medicaid, or the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) – they can visit HealthCare.gov now to find out if they can enroll in the meantime. Starting February 15, consumers seeking to take advantage of the new SEP can find out if they are eligible by visiting HealthCare.gov. Jackson County Health Department will offer the following COVID-19 testing locations February 22—26:
Monday: Lee’s Summit This is a Drive-Thru 505 NW Blue parkway, Lee’s Summit 64063 Registration link: https://jacohd.jotform.com/210315584614855 Tuesday: Grandview This is not a drive-thru clinic The View: Grandview- The View Community Center 13500 Byars Rd., Grandview MO 64030. Registration link: https://jacohd.jotform.com/210316527514852 Wednesday: Blue Springs This is not a drive thru clinic Vesper Hall 400 NW Vesper St. Blue Springs Registration link: https://jacohd.jotform.com/210324896314858 Thursday: Lee’s Summit This is a drive-thru 505 NW Blue Parkway, Lee’s Summit 64063 Registration link: https://jacohd.jotform.com/210316333014842 Friday: Independence Not a drive-thru Independence Uptown Farmers Market- 211 W Truman Rd., Independence MO 64050 Registration Link: https://jacohd.jotform.com/210324687414857 |
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