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by Michael Smith When she’s in the circle, Grain Valley girls wrestler Sevreign Aumua said her toughest opponent is sometimes herself. That’s what she said after her semifinals victory during the MSHSAA State High School Girls Wrestling Championships at Mizzou Arena. She noted she needed to have a good mindset during her championship match against Cameron sophomore Justice Brewer Saturday. In that bout, she appeared to be calm on the mat as she got a pin in 3 minutes, 18 seconds to capture a state championship in the 149-pound weight division. “It feels really good and I am really proud,” said Aumua, who finished third at state last year. “It feels really great to see the improvement in my work and to see that I actually made it and that my work wasn’t done for nothing. “I wrestled pretty hard and worked hard to get that pin.” In the match and throughout the tournament, Aumua was take shots out of tie ups and it worked out for her throughout the event. “In club, I would always work on hand fighting,” Aumua said. “In youth, that was the only shot I took. I tried to expand that knowledge on taking shots. I have done it so much that people know I like to do that, so I try to change it up.” The sophomore finished her season with a 36-1 record and said she hopes to have more girls on the team after having Ava Kusick join her this season. “Our team is really good at supporting each other,” Aumua said. “We are family. They really are my second family. Once upcoming girls come to the team, they will realize there are people here that really care about you whether you win or lose. “The coaches make sure they are there for you and are proud of you. Girls should try it out and never give up. I had some thoughts that the coaches knew about and I have overcome them. That’s all because of my teammates and coaches.” Aumua said she felt relieved after it was finally over. “I hopefully don’t have to worry about weight anymore,” Aumua said. “It gets my anxiety up. I am definitely going to get some ice cream.” Joining her as state medalists on the boys side is Dru Azcona (126) and Tanner Barker (152). Azcona finished fourth after going 1-1 on the final day of the tournament to earn his second state medal. “Next year I am going to come back stronger and I am going to work harder,” Azcona said. “I am out for blood next year.” Barker fell in both of his wrestleback matches but still came away with his first state medal after taking sixth. “Didn’t really turn out how I wanted it to be. I didn’t come out on top,” Barker said. “I lost in the quarterfinals; I should have wrestled harder.” Sophomore Sevreign Aumua celebrates following her State championship win in Columbia on Saturday.
Photo credit: Michael Smith by Michael Smith One year removed from a third-place finish at the Missouri State High School Girls State Wrestling Championships, Grain Valley sophomore Sevreign Aumua has taken a big leap. For the 2021-2022 season, the sophomore has just one loss all season. It remained that way on Day 2 of the state tournament. Aumua defeated DeSoto’s Hannah Eberhardt 11-6 in the quarterfinals before pinning Mehlville senior Nadia Abdijanovic in 1:18 during the semifinals to advance to the championship round of the 149-pound weight division. She will face Cameron’s Justice Brewer in the title bout, whom she pinned in the district championship two weeks ago. “My goal was to get better and place higher than I did last year,” Aumua said. “I am in the finals this year and I have definitely improved. I put a lot of extra work in and got where I am today.” “After my match, I got goosebumps. I am just happy I got here.” For Aumua to win in the finals, she has to have the right mindset, she said. “My biggest opponent is myself and anybody that knows me can say that, too,” Aumua said. “I think I will be pretty OK as long as I wrestle my match.” Aumua said she had to fight hard for her pin against Abdijanovic. “She had a really strong base, and I knew she had her legs close to her head, so I got her in a cradle,” Aumua said. On the boys side, Grain Valley will have two wrestlers competing for state medals. Junior Dru Azcona (126) defeated Francis Howell Central’s Peyton Shepard 7-2 in the quarterfinals but fell to Christian Brothers College’s Kolby Warren 7-3. Azcona is still guaranteed a state medal, which goes to the top six placers in each weight division. He will compete in the consolation bracket today and will finish as high as third or as low as sixth. That will be the same scenario for junior Tanner Barker (152). He fell to Ozark’s Braxton Strick 3-2 in the quarterfinals but defeated Columbia Rock Bridge’s Owen Twaddle 8-3 and Marquette’s Tommy McBride 11-5 in the consolation bracket to guarantee himself a place on the podium. Brock Smith (120) and Justin Deweese (160) were eliminated from the tournament. Aumua defeated DeSoto’s Hannah Eberhardt 11-6 in the quarterfinals before pinning Mehlville senior Nadia Abdijanovic in 1:18 during the semifinals to advance to the championship round of the 149-pound weight division. She will face Cameron’s Justice Brewer in the title bout, whom she pinned in the district championship two weeks ago. Photo credit: Clara Jaques Junior Tanner Barker (152) fell to Ozark’s Braxton Strick 3-2 in the quarterfinals but defeated Columbia Rock Bridge’s Owen Twaddle 8-3 and Marquette’s Tommy McBride 11-5 in the consolation bracket to guarantee himself a place on the podium. Photo credit: Clara Jaques Junior Dru Azcona (126) defeated Francis Howell Central’s Peyton Shepard 7-2 in the quarterfinals but fell to Christian Brothers College’s Kolby Warren 7-3. Azcona is still guaranteed a state medal, which goes to the top six placers in each weight division. He will compete in the consolation bracket today and will finish as high as third or as low as sixth.
Photo credit: Clara Jaques The Board of Aldermen met briefly on February 14th, approving a laundry list of resolutions and ordinances, including an ordinance amending the current ordinance pertaining to golf carts and UTVs on City streets and highways.
Resolutions approved include the authorization of an annual contribution to the Central Jackson County Fire Protection District for emergency management services, an approval to purchase a mower for use on steep grades, an authorization for the City Administrator to purchase computer equipment to replace existing desktops, laptops, and equipment per the City's replacement program, and an authorization to enter into an agreement with Superior Bowen Asphalt Co. for edge mill and asphalt overlay to streets identified in the City's pavement replacement program. The Board also approved an ordinance amending an ordinance pertaining to golf carts and UTVs to allow neighborhood vehicles and utility terrain vehicles to operate on City streets and highways with posted speed limits at 35 miles per hour or less, once properly registered and permitted with the City. Applications to register are available on the city’s website and a representative from the police department will be available for visual inspections (required for registration) on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1:00pm - 3:00pm. When registering, please have the following available:
The next meeting of the Board of Aldermen will be held at 7:00pm on Monday, February 28th at City Hall. Photo credit: Grain Valley Schools Seven Grain Valley students participated in a National Signing Day ceremony at the high school on February 16th. Students signing to continue their careers as student athletes at the college level include:
Volleyball: Josh Duett, Missouri S&T Kyra Mueller, MCC Longview Olivia Williams, MCC Longview Kellie Overturf, Fontbonne University Softball: Mikayla Chairez, South Dakota State University Baseball: Kaden Jeffries, MCC Maple Woods Football: Ethan Schaaf, Ottawa University by Marcia Napier, Grain Valley Historical Society Homer Clements will probably best be remembered as the coach for Grain Valley’s only undefeated football team. Ironically, the feat was accomplished in the fall of 1928 (1928-29 school year) which was also Coach Clements first year as the Superintendent of Schools. I cannot tell you when he first came to our school, but I do know that he was the superintendent for four years – 1927-28, 1928-29, 1929-30 and 1930-31. He was also the Superintendent in Buckner, and he taught in Lone Jack and Greenwood before becoming Jackson County Superintendent in 1940. Homer McKinley Clements was born in Lone Jack, Missouri, on September 20, 1901 to Milton and Lottie Clements. He graduated from the University of Kansas and received his Master's Degree from the University of Missouri. On December 26, 1926, he married Nellie Fae Johnson of Buckner, Missouri. They had two daughters. My dad always referred to Mr. Clements as his favorite teacher, but I’m thinking he was probably his favorite coach. While the football team was not overly successful following their undefeated 1928 season, dad was the Eagles’ quarterback and had a lot of stories about the “trick plays” Coach Clements taught them. I think the rules were probably pretty vague in those days adding to the chaos from the uneven and sometimes muddy and poorly marked football fields. In 1940, Homer Clements followed LeRoy Blackburn as Jackson County School Superintendent, a position he held for 22 years. During his tenure, the schools underwent reorganization. In 1949 the 86 community and rural schools in Jackson County were reduced to 14 districts. Grain Valley went from Consolidated District No. 3 to Reorganized District No. 5. After nearly 40 years in public education, Mr. Clements retired and like many retired educators, he spent 4 years in the Missouri House of Representatives on behalf of Missouri’s 12th District. For more than 39 years, the Clements family lived on his wife’s family farm near Buckner. Farmer Clements grew trees. In his later year’s he also served as president of the Missouri Christmas Tree Producers Association. Mr. Clements was long gone from Grain Valley when I was a student, but I do recall buying Christmas Trees at Santa’s Tree Farm! The 1928-29 Freshman Class
Mr. Homer Clements, Superintendent In the photo Mr. Clements is on the far right. At only 28 years of age, he did not look much older that his students. Photo credit: Grain Valley Historical Society In the middle of a Midwest winter, finding locally grown produce is a bit of a challenge except for maybe some hold-over winter squash. This is the time of year when I’m thankful for growers across the country and world that continue to provide us with tasty and nutritious fruits and vegetables. While the temperatures might be chilly in our zone, southern regions can keep tropical style fruits stocked in the produce section of our supermarkets. One of my favorites to look for is pineapple, and it’s also one fruit that I don’t even mind reaching for in the canned section all year round.
Pineapple is believed to have originated in the Brazilian rainforests. They were harvested by the native tribes and spread throughout South and Central America. When Christopher Columbus landed in the new world, the Spaniards named the fruit “piña” due to its resemblance to a pinecone. Columbus returned to Spain with pineapple, where the fruit became very popular with Queen Isabella. The English added the word “apple” to the end of piña, which associated the new fruit with other delicious fruits. When thinking of pineapple production, most people think of Hawaii, where commercial production was introduced in the 1800’s. However, production declined in the 1970’s and most of the pineapple that we enjoy now comes from the Philippines and Costa Rica. When choosing a fresh pineapple, select one that is heavy and fragrant with firm shell and green leaves that are firmly attached at the crown. Pineapples can be stored at room temperature if used within two days, but should be refrigerated if stored longer, up to five days. Cutting a pineapple can be intimidating to some people but doesn’t need to be. Start by cutting off the bottom and the crown, and then remove the shell by ‘carving’ down the sides in sections, being sure to remove the prickly eyes. Once the peel is removed, the fruit can be cut into slices or cut lengthwise in half and then quarters and then cut into chunks. Most people like to remove the core, which can be a little tough (but that is my husband’s favorite part). There are also specialty tools that can make cutting and coring easier, as well as a tiktok hack that I didn’t have much success with. If you are feeling adventurous, you might save the crown of the pineapple and try to grow your own, like a friend of mine recently did. To try this, cut it off the crown, about an inch below the leaf cluster. Trim away the outer fruit portion and a few of the leaves, leaving some of the inner core. Allow the wound moisture to dry up for a week to discourage rotting, then plant in a large pot with moist, well-drained soil and place in a window with bright, indirect light. When the weather warms, move it outside for the same lighting conditions. Then, be prepared to move the pot in and out of the house for 2-3 years – or more. My friends moved their plant in and out for 7 years and were finally rewarded with a delicious pineapple! Pineapples are a rich source of vitamin C, an assortment of B vitamins, fiber, manganese, magnesium, and potassium. Pineapple is also a source of bromelain, an enzyme compound that helps to break down collagen fibers in meats and is often used in marinades. That same compound will also inhibit gelatin from setting up, so fresh pineapple should not be used, however canned pineapple is fine because the bromelain has been deactivated during canning. Bromelain also aids in digestion and acts as an anti-inflammatory agent which can be beneficial in chronic disease management. One of my favorite things to do with fresh pineapple is to dehydrate it…it tastes as good as candy to me! Instructions for dehydrating can be found at the MU Extension website at https://extension.missouri.edu/publications/gh1563 I like to keep crushed pineapple on my shelf to make the tasty muffin recipe below…it’s a favorite at my house and our Cooking Matters classes! Carrot Pineapple Muffins (Makes 12 muffins) 1 medium carrot, grated (about ¾ cup) 1 cup canned crushed pineapple with juice 4 Tablespoons canola oil ¼ cup cold water 1 Tablespoon white distilled vinegar ¾ cup all-purpose flour ¾ cup whole wheat flour ½ cup light brown sugar, packed 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon ¼ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg ½ cup chopped walnuts (optional)
Nutrition information: Calories: 167, Total Fat: 8g, Saturated Fat: .6g, Sodium: 161mg, Carbohydrates: 22g, Fiber: 2g, Protein: 3g Recipe adapted from Cooking Matters, analyzed by verywellfit.com Denise Sullivan is a Nutrition and Health Education Specialist for MU Extension in the Urban West Region, serving Jackson and Platte Counties. For research-based nutrition and food safety information and programs, visit https://extension.missouri.edu/counties/urban-west-region MU Extension is a partnership of the University of Missouri campuses, Lincoln University, the people of Missouri through county extension councils, and the National Institute for Food and Agriculture of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Visit our website at: https://extension.missouri.edu/counties/urban-west-region by Dan Zarlenga, Missouri Department of Conservation Breeding season for coyotes begins in February, which makes them more active this time of year. The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) says it’s important to be vigilant of pets during this time in areas where coyotes are known to live. Unlike many other kinds of wildlife, coyotes adapt particularly well around human development and coexist with people in many places. These areas can include municipal parks and other urban green space, golf courses, cemeteries, suburban wooded common areas, and even within subdivisions themselves. As a result, it’s possible for encounters to occur between these wild canines and people’s pets. Coyotes have also been known on occasion to attack small dogs. Coyotes may attack family pets not as a food source, but instead because they see them as territorial competition. One of the secrets behind the coyote’s survival success is their diet. As scavengers, coyotes will eat just about anything, including foxes, groundhogs, mice, rabbits, squirrels, fruits, vegetables, birds, insects, carrion (dead animals) and common household garbage. Coyotes typically breed in February and March. Females give birth to four or five pups about 60 days later. Because food requirements increase dramatically during pup rearing, April through May is when encounters between humans and urban coyotes are most common. At that time, coyotes are on the move more seeking food, and may act more aggressively toward any animal they see as potential competition, like family dogs. So how can encounters between coyotes and people be minimized? These three things are key: food, scare tactics, and vigilance. Firstly, ensure that your yard or property has no food sources readily available to coyotes. If food is deliberately or inadvertently provided by people, adult coyotes and their pups quickly learn not to fear humans and will develop a dependency on these easy food sources. MDC urges dog and cat owners not to leave pet food outside, to securely cover all trash containers, and consider waiting to put trash containers out as close to pick up time as possible. Think about bird feeders too. While coyotes are usually not interested in bird food, bird feeders attract rodents, especially squirrels, which in turn attract coyotes. MDC recommends the use of scare tactics to instill fear of humans into coyotes. If a coyote should approach or be seen in the yard, homeowners should do everything possible to make it feel unwelcome. This could include yelling or making other loud, threatening noises, throwing rocks, spraying garden houses, or blowing air horns. If its encounter with humans is unpleasant, a coyote will be less likely to come back. Finally, vigilance regarding pets is extremely important. MDC cautions that pet owners should not leave their pets outside unattended, especially during the hours of dusk, nighttime, and dawn. These are the periods coyotes are most active. Owners should be with their pets and have them in constant view during these times. Installing a fence around yards may also help. Fences should be at least six feet high and dug into the ground six inches deep, so the agile and resourceful canines cannot jump or dig under them. More information on dealing with nuisance coyotes can be found at https://short.mdc.mo.gov/Zaa, or in a free brochure obtainable by writing: Controlling Conflicts with Urban Coyotes in Missouri, PO Box 180, Jefferson City, MO 65102. Or e-mail pubstaff@mdc.mo.gov Photo credit: MDC
A sweet friend of mine recently posted a really cool cleaning hack. She suggested using a pillowcase to clean a ceiling fan. Just slide a blade into the pillowcase, wipe down the blade, turn the pillowcase inside out, shake off the dust and wash it. Brilliant.
She’s probably got a million other hacks to share, I hope not all based on the idea that I regularly clean things. She has me thinking about all the geniuses out there, just hacking away. Need to know how to sharpen an eye liner pencil without a sharpener? An emery board or the bottom of a ceramic pot on the unglazed portion will do in a pinch. Want to chop onions without crying? Hold a piece of bread loosely between your lips, and the bread will absorb some of the fumes before they reach your eyes. A quick Internet search says put a rubber band vertically around a paint can and swipe the brush against it to remove excess paint from a brush as it is pulled from the can. Chill wine with frozen grapes. Cut cinnamon rolls with dental floss. Mark the end of transparent tape with a paperclip. All usable, common-sense loaded, clever hacks. I wish I could reciprocate by sharing a hack with my friend. Frankly, I’ve got a list of things for which I only wish I had a hack. Wouldn’t it be handy to know a hack that made hamburger taste like steak? That made hot fudge sundaes not count against the day’s calories? I would trade lots of daily hacks for a single seasonal hack which confirmed snow fall amounts, rather than taking us on a weekly journey to the grocery, prepping for what could be the next blizzard or only a dusting. “Go to bed because you WILL have school tomorrow,” I would say. The kid would whine and ask how I know. “It’s a hack! I stuck the meat thermometer with a toothpick wrapped in electric tape at the bottom into the ground at a right angle and it measured at 30 degrees," I would say. “You know it has to be 25 or below for the snow to accumulate. Good night, dear!” Kitchen and food hacks have taken on a life of their own, flooding talk shows and even newscasts. Since somebody already hacked packing a bagel sandwich in an old CD container, I need to think of one of my own for food storage. How can I repurpose an Altoids tin to keep my arugula lettuce fresh? Pay no mind to those marginal hacks like storing natural peanut butter upside down so the oily part doesn’t separate. I am currently puzzling my way through a hack to dispense just the right amount of catsup to match each French fry in my pile and one to help me select the bag of Original Guy’s snack mix with the most cashews. Set aside the tired hack of using a pool noodle or a dustpan to fill a bucket that won’t fit under the faucet. That’s old news. What we need right now is a hack for figuring out which grocery store line to get into to avoid a fellow shopper who needs a price check, or worse yet, is writing an actual check. Forget dropping the kid’s Legos into a laundry bag and running the whole bag through the dishwasher to sanitize the toys. We need a hack like the one for solving the Rubik’s cube, but for dish placement inside the dishwasher, so that it automatically aligns and holds exactly what we have left in unwashed dishes for that night. Think no more of using a staple remover to separate and spread apart the rings on a tight key ring to allow us to put on a new key. We need a hack that just helps us find the dang keys when we are in a hurry. Once we follow a hack on social media, or reply to someone who has posted a video hack, we are inundated with hack ideas, most of which we don’t need. I don’t have to know how to save a pair of flip flops with a plastic bread bag tab, because I can buy a new pair of flip flops for less than a loaf of bread. Oh no! You are looking this one up, aren’t you? I also don’t need a hack for measuring for nail holes when hanging pictures. I am just going to eyeball it and let my husband find a hack for filling the multiple inaccurate nail holes I made. He needs to be kept busy. A hacker who shared that she removes “all” the blood from her family’s clothes by rubbing bar soap over the affected areas is truly experiencing much more significant trauma than I want to, if she has had to use her hack more than once. If this same lady had a hack that helped keep me from cutting my fingers into bloody stumps when chopping veggies--that doesn’t involve wearing five thimbles--I might be more interested. I started to say I didn’t have much interest in a laundry hack I recently saw. The author used a dry erase marker to write a note about clothes in that load that should not be dried, right on the top of her washer, since the finish on the washer is like a white board; in hindsight, that one might actually have been helpful to have known when I shrunk the last pair of jeans I didn’t have to lay down on the bed to zip with an ill-timed wrinkle removing tumble. After a great deal of thought, I determined I had to go all the way back to my college years to provide readers with perhaps one usable hack. It’s a little-known fact that the metal part on seat belts can be used as a bottle opener. Don’t ask, don’t tell is our path for how I know this hack, folks. In the immortal words of Hank Williams, Jr., let’s just say that a country boy—and this country girl--can survive. The following information is derived from the Grain Valley Police Department daily calls for service log for the week of February 9-15, 2022.
(StatePoint) February is International Correspondence Writing Month (InCoWriMo) -- a challenge to handwrite a piece of correspondence each day of the month -- meaning there’s no better time to tap into the power of the handwritten word.
“With our many digital forms of communication, we have gained immediacy but lost intimacy,” says Ariann Langsam, vice president of marketing for Pilot Pen, whose background is in biology and neuroscience. “But handwriting is scientifically proven to solidify both cognitive connections needed for learning and comprehension, as well as emotional connections between individuals. We can make a powerful impact on the lives of others by connecting through the written word, and there are neurological and social benefits that keep writing by hand relevant not only during International Correspondence Writing Month, but all year long.” It’s Good for the Soul In an era when digital devices and social media seem to dominate how we connect with loved ones, the art of letter writing has become rare. But sitting down to write correspondence by hand can be a much more personal way to connect than modern modes of communication. A recent study conducted by Pilot Corporation of America reinforced the emotional social benefits that come from putting pen to paper. A remarkable nine out of 10 respondents perceived cards with handwritten messages as more thoughtful and heartfelt than cards with printed messages. Even more respondents (92%) shared that they have saved handwritten cards or letters from a loved one as a cherished keepsake. When asked what emotions they felt when receiving a handwritten card, respondents reported they felt “appreciated,” “touched,” “cared for,” and “recognized”. We could all use a bit more of these feelings. This month, consider taking a few minutes to send a handwritten note to a loved one or friend. It’s Good for the Brain The benefits of handwriting are firmly grounded in principles of learning and memory. For children, learning to handwrite letters plays a role in fostering the transition to literacy. Mounting evidence suggests that handwriting practice, particularly in preschool and early elementary school, may provide children an advantage in learning this vital skill. Writing by hand serves students well beyond those early years. Researchers at Princeton and UCLA discovered that college students who took handwritten notes outperformed students who typed their notes. The study authors believe this is because typing notes lends itself to taking down information word-by-word. Taking notes by hand, however, required students to think more deeply about the lecture content and be judicious in what they wrote down. You may no longer be in school yourself, however you still likely need to record information. Whether it’s instructions from your boss, recommendations from your doctor, or thoughts before book club, consider jotting things down by hand to help you better synthesize information. Make it Count To impress your pen pals during the month of correspondence and make your InCoWriMo challenge a success, you’ll need to gather some supplies: stationery, envelopes, stamps and a trusty pen. To take on a month-long writing challenge, Pilot suggests the G2, America’s number one selling, longest-lasting gel ink pen. You’ll be able to glide well beyond 28 days of penning handwritten letters, taking notes, tackling to-do lists and anything else that comes across your desk. For tools and inspiration, visit PowerToThePen.com. From the classroom to correspondence and beyond, rediscover the art of handwriting and make a bigger impact by putting down the digital device and picking up a pen. |
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