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by Denise Sullivan, Nutrition & Health Education Specialist, University of Missouri Extension One of my favorite fresh vegetables to reach for in the midst of winter is broccoli. Though not a locally grown product - right now at least - broccoli is grown year-round in California. Broccoli is native to the Mediterranean region, where it has been cultivated since Roman times. The first commercial broccoli crop grown in the U.S. was started in California in the 1920’s, but broccoli did not become a significant crop until after World War II. Today, California grows more than 90% of the broccoli in the United States and is the third largest producer in the world.
Broccoli is a member of the Brassicaceae plant family, also known as cruciferous. Other familiar plants in the family include Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, and kohlrabi. The word broccoli comes from the Italian plural of broccolo, which means "the flowering crest of a cabbage". Broccoli is an excellent source of a multitude of vitamins and minerals, including vitamins A, C and K, manganese, potassium, and phosphorus. These nutrients are essential for eye, skin and bone health, heart health and cancer prevention. It is also a good source of folic acid, a nutrient important for pregnant women and the developing fetus. Broccoli is also rich in an assortment of phytonutrients, particularly glucosinolates and sulforaphane, which are being researched for their role in cancer treatment and prevention. All that nutrition is wrapped in a low-calorie package, as one cup of raw broccoli contains about 50 calories, and also provides 2.5 grams of fiber and 2.5 grams of protein. Unfortunately, a downside of cruciferous vegetables is that the sulphur-containing compounds can be bitter, especially when overcooked. Proper cooking can be the difference maker for the palatability of many vegetables, so consider your preparation methods carefully. For a quick and tasty preparation, try roasted broccoli. Simply toss florets with a tablespoon or two of olive oil and oven roast on a foil lined baking sheet at 400 degrees for 15 minutes. Top with a sprinkle with parmesan or squeeze of fresh lemon juice after cooking. If you have a little more time and are feeling inspired, the salad below is a beautiful combination of colors, flavors and textures. Denise Sullivan is a Nutrition and Health Education Specialist for MU Extension in the Urban West Region, covering Jackson and Platte Counties. For research-based nutrition and food safety information and programs, visit https://extension.missouri.edu/counties/urban-west-region The following information is derived from the Grain Valley Police Department daily calls for service log for the week of February 3-8, 2021.
by John Unrein Lady Eagles head basketball coach Randy Draper was excited to pose for a picture with the three seniors on his roster following his team’s victory against the Fort Osage Indians by a score of 61-29 on February 12th. Malia Gutierrez, Jordyn Weems, and Gabbi Keim were recognized prior to the game for their contributions made to the team as seniors. Their reward was sweet on two fronts, with the victory in hand against a Suburban Conference opponent and the cake that was enjoyed in a socially distanced reception following the game. Grain Valley was strong from the outset of the contest, winning the opening tip by Grace Slaughter, playing smothering defense, and continually looking inside the paint to score. Slaughter would lead all scorers in the contest with 34 points. The sophomore would add 7 rebounds, 1 steal, and 2 blocks to her stat line. Slaughter attacked the basket relentlessly by driving to the hoop. The effort afforded her three trips to the free throw line during the contest. The Lady Eagles were efficient as usual in swinging the basketball on offense. Their decisiveness in doing so led to the team pulling the trigger quicker on when to shot or attack the basket. Keim would add 5 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, and 5 steals while being highly active in the post. The senior move in from Wisconsin continues to display confidence in her quick hands that lead to turnovers going the other way for the Lady Eagles. Keim has been well received by her teammates and the feeling has been mutual. Gutierrez and Weems continue to contribute to their team in a manner that may not always be noticeable. Both tend to draw the defensive assignment of guarding the other team’s best scorers under Draper’s leadership. A task that both Gutierrez and Weems enjoy and take pride in as players. Weems would contribute 5 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists, and 1 steal in her team’s win. Gutierrez would put forth a well-timed assist and steal. Draper took a deep breath and collected himself prior to acknowledging what this senior class means to him and his team on senior night. “It’s funny about Gabbi, I feel like she’s been here for as long as anyone else on this team. It is really strange. It says a lot about her. It also says something about her teammates. She has fit right in, being a talented player who is unselfish. Our kids like winning and she has helped with that,” Draper said. “Weems and Gutierrez have been with us for what feels like forever. They have started on a team that played in the state quarterfinals. They have enjoyed some pretty cool moments together.” “Freshman who enter this program think that they have forever. I encourage them to talk to the seniors because it goes by so fast. We spend a lot of time talking about not wasting opportunities and not letting a day go by without practicing hard and being ready to play.” Draper continued, “Those two (Weems and Gutierrez) are energy givers. They are tough and athletic. When we size up an opponent and pick out how we are going to guard people, we start with those two for a reason. We will miss the personality and ability of all three of our seniors.” “Slaughter was fantastic tonight. We have worked as a team on our pace and I think was evident tonight. That frees things up for Grace as she can attack an opponent that is broken down (not set up to play at the other end of the court). Getting from ‘O’ to ‘D’ quicker will only continue to make us better.” Slaughter would seek out each of her senior teammates after the contest to congratulate them and thank them for what they have done for Lady Eagles basketball. The sentiment was reciprocated towards Slaughter as Neil Diamond played over the speakers with the group exiting the court. “Every game means a lot, but senior night is a must win. We left it out there on the floor. I will miss the pranks we play on each other,” Gutierrez said. Weems added, “Senior Night means that the end is coming (of the season at some point), but that makes you realize you should play each game like it is your last.” Keim continued, “Seeing our team come together is special. This underclass group has been very supportive of us as seniors. My team pumps me up. It has meant everything to move to a new school and be so accepted.” Slaughter finished, “I cannot do any of this without my teammates. Draper has been pushing us in practice to get our speed up with the tempo of how we do things. We know his emphasis is for what’s coming in the remainder of our schedule. We want to continue to grow in how we score and defend.” Junior guard Heather Chiesi would tally 7 points as the leading scorer for the Indians. Senior teammates Katelyn Ward and Brooklyn Gilpin would each add 6 points for Fort Osage in trying to keep pace with Grain Valley. Grain Valley (10-5) will face Raytown and William Chrisman the week of February 15th. Left to right: senior Jordyn Weems, senior Gabbi Keim, head basketball coach Randy Draper, and senior Malia Gutierrez. Photo credit: Valley News staff Sophomore Grace Slaughter attempts a free throw. Photo credit: Valley News staff
by John Unrein The Grain Valley Eagles boys basketball program witnessed seniors Cole Keller, Keeton Maxon, and Jayden Yung leave the floor winners on senior night. A total team effort from start to finish led to a 59-44 win over Suburban Conference rival Fort Osage on February 12th. The Eagles outscored their opponent each quarter while successfully pushing the ball in transition and making critical free throws down the final stretch. Grain Valley was sound in defeating the full court pressure applied by the Indians that stalled the Eagles offense at times during their previous matchup on January 22nd. Communication was also paramount for Grain Valley head coach Andy Herbert’s squad as they did not lose defenders in Fort Osage’s motion offense, due to effectively calling out switches on defense and mirroring the movement by the Indians. “Against the press we’ve worked to train our eyes to look past the pressure. It sounds simple in that if you two guys are guarding you, then someone is open. The first time we played them (Fort Osage) at their place we panicked against the pressure. Obviously, we have worked on that since then,” Herbert said. “We have told this group if you keep pushing you will see the light and we are getting closer to that all time.” “This game is about everyone having a role of some sort. You become a good team when everyone flourishes in their role. Not everyone is going to score 24 points and have 9 rebounds, but we have guys like Nick Hooper who is the ultimate ‘glue guy’ to me. He takes two charges on defense. Avery (Garmon) sinks a three and makes two free throws. Alex (Snyder) and Keagan (Hart) have been back with us now two days and Snyder makes two key layups.” Herbert concluded, “Our seniors played well, we won, and they got a curtain call at the end. I feel bad in a way that their senior year has been this in playing in front of limited capacity and their friends not getting to watch them compete. This group of seniors has made the most of their opportunities. Every player that plays four years for us is special in some way.” “Cole (Keller) got to the varsity stage as a sophomore. He missed his junior year due to injury. He has battled adversary to come back and be extremely productive this season. Jayden (Yung) has shown a level of toughness after going between being a varsity and junior varsity player last year. He had the intestinal fortitude to realize that if he worked on getting better, he would be rewarded and that has been the case. Keeton (Maxon) did not get to play a varsity second until his senior year. A lot of kids in this day and age would have quit and instead he stuck with it and is starting to see the fruit of his work.” The scoring 24 points and having 9 rebounds was a reference to Keller who also chipped in 2 assists and 6 blocks on senior night. Keller was all smiles after the contest, eating blue icing cookies with his teammates and dawning a senior t-shirt. Keller’s stellar output was joined by his fellow Eagles closing out the contest. Yung would score a transition layup with 2:32 left in the fourth quarter to push Grain Valley’s lead to 12 at 50-38. Yung would continue being clutch down the stretch once Fort Osage started fouling to extend the game. Yung would step to the free throw line and drain both attempts with 1:04 left in the game, extending his team’s lead even further. Yung would finish with 9 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals. Junior forward Nick Hooper also made a free throw and took a charge under the Fort Osage basket with under a minute left in the game. Hooper would contribute 6 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists as part of his stat line. Garmon’s sinking of two free throws with under 30 seconds left in the game sealed the victory for the Eagles. “For sure my favorite part on senior night is the solid team win. We have comradery on the court and enjoy hanging out with each other outside of basketball as well,” Keller said. Maxon added, “I stayed in my box tonight and it led to four points for me. Coach always encourages us to stay in our box. I have fun being around Jayden and my teammates.” Yung finished, “We have been pressed a lot by our opponents recently. Beating it like we did tonight leaves us playing five on three basketball and that is fun.” Leading scorers for Fort Osage included juniors Trent Hogland and Arthur Wyatt who racked up 12 and 14 points, respectively. Grain Valley (6-11) will face Raytown, William Chrisman, and Truman the week of February 15th. From left to right: Senior Keeton Maxon, senior Jayden Yung, Eagles head coach Andy Herbert, and senior Cole Keller. Photo credit: Valley news staff Junior Nick Hooper completes a contested layup for the Eagles.
Photo credit: John Overstreet Registration for students beginning Kindergarten in August 2021 is now open. Students must turn 5 years old on or before July 31, 2021 to begin school next August.
To enroll, parents will need to establish a log in with the PowerSchool portal on the Grain Valley Schools website, www.grainvalleyschools.org. The following items are needed for registration: Certified Birth Certificate (state-issued with seal) Immunization Records Proof of Residency: must include parent/guardian name and address printed on the paperwork (water, electric or gas bill no more than 30 days old) The Board of Aldermen met virtually February 8th, approving the establishment of the Mercado Community Improvement District, the first reading of a conditional use permit for a vehicle tow yard, and the purchase of two new patrol cars for the police department.
The Board approved an ordinance, allowing for a the establishment of the Mercado Community Improvement District located west of S. Buckner Tarsney Road and abuts the north side of NE McQuerry Road. The district covers approximately 12 acres with properties assessed at a value of $131,849. STAR Acquisitions, Inc. and the City worked on the development incentive program which is expected to provide 85,000 square feet of fast food, retail, office, and industrial use. Construction is expected to begin by December 2021 and be completed by December 2024. The Board, in its first of two readings, overruled a recommendation by the Planning and Zoning Commission to grant a one-year conditional use permit for a vehicle tow yard operated by Kustom Cruzers Collision Center, instead extending the permit for three years. The second reading of the recommendation will be heard at the next scheduled meeting on February 22nd. Kustom Cruzers was granted a conditional use permit in 2004 to operate salvage/tow yard at 704 Squire Court. Shortly thereafter, the business moved to 350 NW Jefferson and continued to operate the tow yard under the assumption that the prior conditional use permit was active. City code states otherwise, necessitating a the new application. The Board approved the purchase of two new patrol cars for the police department, at a cost of $82,168.88. The capital item was approved previously as a part of the 2021 budget. In other business, the Board approved a resolution authorizing the Parks and Recreation department to submit an application for grant funding to install an all-inclusive playground at Armstrong Park. The Board also appointed Mike Switzer to the Park Board for a three year term. The next scheduled meeting of the Board of Aldermen will be held Monday, February 22nd at 7:00pm at City Hall. (Correction: This article was updated 11:25am on 2/11/2021 to further clarify the tow yard recommendation was approved for its first reading.) While trivia this week should probably mention the 1970 KC Chiefs who defeated the Minnesota Viking by a score of 23-7 to win the 1970 Super Bowl IV, I will also mention Larry Dean Young, a walker from Sibley, Missouri who won a silver medal in the 1964 Olympics in Mexico City. Fifty years ago (1971) in Columbia, Missouri, he set the American record for the 30 mile walk in 4 hours, 11 minutes, 59.4 seconds.
by Marcia Napier, Grain Valley Historical Society Following the demise of The Jackson County Democrat (1955-1966) ,The Jackson County Sentinel began publishing Grain Valley news. Just under the paper’s name we see the statement “Jackson County’s oldest newspaper – Since 1866.” According to the Missouri State Historical Society, this date refers to The Independence Sentinel which began publication in 1866.
Information from the January 7, 1971 issue of the Sentinel (50 years-ago) stated that it was published weekly by Kansas City Suburban Newspapers, Inc. and the publisher was Lois Lauer Wolfe. A couple of years later, Information from the mask head of the Jackson County Sentinel, published on February 8, 1973 reads as follows: Published weekly by KANSAS CITY SURURBAN NEWSPAPERS 1105 Main St., Blue Springs, Mo., 64015 Second-class postage paid at Blue Springs, Mo. 64015 (combined with and continuing the Jackson County Democrat, Blue Springs Herald, Buckner Record, Sni-A-Bar Voice and Wellington Free-Press. All legal and mailing rights reserved.) The conclusion I have drawn from my research is that community newspapers in many small towns went from syndicated stories of state and national news with some “local news” and “gossip” to an area newspaper written by professional journalists. The Sentinel carried stories of interest to all of Eastern Jackson County but you could no longer learn who had dinner with whom on Sunday, who spent the day shopping in Independence or which relatives were visiting from out of town! One of the big stories in 1973 was in regard to Missouri Attorney General John Danforth’s 8-point ruling for school districts who charged fees for classes such as industrial arts, home economics, and art supplies in elementary school. The ruling also covered rental of uniforms such as band, cheerleading, and sports, and the requirements for soft-sole shoes in physical education classes. “The right to receive free instruction at a free public school,” said the opinion, “extends only to the right to be free from required charges imposed as part of the curriculum.” At the same time, students could be held responsible for library fines, lost books or destruction of property. And on a lighter note, the January 7, 1971, edition had this photograph and story of Konstantine Kotzambasis, the Greek American Field Service foreign exchange student at Grain Valley High School during the 1965-66 school year. Over the past 55 years, Costas has made several trips back to Grain Valley, and members of the Doty family have visited him in Greece and Australia, his current home. While on vacation in 2017 several members of the Grain Valley community visited with Costas and his children in Sidney. In the 1971 article he said, “If anyone would like to come, I would like then to know they should feel welcome and find me. I will do my best to make them feel at home and have a good time.” As one of those travelers, I can assure you that he indeed did just that! Next Week: Rippe’s Valley News Visit the Grain Valley Historical Society at 506 S. Main on Wednesdays or visit us online at ww.grainvalleyhistory.com and Facebook (@grainvalleyhistory). Crosetti Health and Wellness will open February 15th 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. 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. Centerpoint among top 5 percent of hospitals for clinical outcomes according to Healthgrades2/11/2021
Centerpoint Medical Center — part of HCA Midwest Health, announced they have achieved the Healthgrades 2021 America’s 250 Best Hospitals Award™. The distinction places Centerpoint Medical Center in the top five percent of nearly 4,500 hospitals assessed across the U.S. for its superior clinical performance according to Healthgrades, the leading resource that connects consumers, physicians and health systems.
“This national acknowledgment of Centerpoint Medical Center’s best-in-class quality and clinical excellence for our patients is truly an honor,” Centerpoint Medical Center Chief Executive Officer Bret Kolman, FACHE, said. “To receive this recognition during the pandemic is a testament to the extraordinary contributions and dedication of our exceptional team of clinicians and staff who are deeply committed to delivering high-quality and compassionate care to patients. I am grateful to work beside them and it is a privilege for us to serve patients and their families every day, during their greatest time of need.” From 2017 through 2019, patients treated in hospitals achieving the award had, on average, a 27.4 percent lower risk of dying than if they were treated in hospitals that did not receive the award, as measured across 19 rated conditions and procedures for which mortality is the outcome. Centerpoint Medical Center’s recent quality achievements include: Recipient of Healthgrades 2021 Pulmonary Care Excellence Award™ One of Healthgrades America's 100 Best Hospitals for Orthopedic Surgery™ in 2021 One of Healthgrades America's 50 Best Hospitals for Vascular Surgery™ in 2021 Recipient of Healthgrades 2021 Critical Care Excellence Award™ Recipient of Healthgrades Vascular Surgery Excellence Award™ for 2 Years in a Row (2020-2021) Fall 2020 Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade ‘A’ Get With The Guidelines® Heart Failure Silver Plus Recipients of the Healthgrades America’s 250 Best Hospitals Award stand out for overall clinical excellence across a broad spectrum of care. During the 2021 study period (Medicare Fiscal Years 2017-2019), these hospitals showed superior performance in clinical outcomes for patients in the Medicare population across at least 21 of 32 most common inpatient conditions and procedures — as measured by objective performance data (risk-adjusted mortality and in-hospital complications). |
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