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by Michael Smith The Grain Valley boys golf team had a season to remember in 2022. For the first time in program history, the Eagles qualified for the Missouri State High School Boys Golf Championships as a team when it finished second in the Class 4 District 4 Tournament with a score of 348, just two stroked behind first-place Sedalia Smith-Cotton. That wasn’t the only milestone either. Then junior Owen Herbert become the first Grain Valley golfer to earn all-state honors since Shane Collins did it 17 years earlier. Herbert took 11th place with a two-day score of 154. The squad now hopes to repeat of exceed that same success in 2023, with three of its top five golfers returning from that state team. With some talented newcomers expected to enter the mix, the Eagles could once against make some noise. “I think we have the talent to make it back to state and win the whole thing this year,” Herbert said. “We got some young guys who are good and some guys who have been in the program for a while. I am really looking forward to it. Herbert is one of the key three returners for Grain Valley along with junior Charles Aldred and senior Jaiden Wilson. Some other players will be counted upon to fill in the last two of the top five spots for Grain Valley. Some newcomers who could vie for those include Braxton Roach, Mason Morris, Eli Herbert, and Jack Hileman. “We are going to have some competition for those last two spots,” Aldred said. “They are all working to make varsity. I could see the people changing in those last two spots a lot.” That depth is something that should benefit the Eagles, according to head coach Andy Hebert. “We have as good of a group preseason as we have ever had,” Andy Herbert said. “We have a lot of depth and we have some kids who have dedicated their offseason to getting better. That is what it takes to be good. “For the first time, the number of kids who have bought in and pushed themselves is growing and that’s all you want. There are seven to eight kids who have a chance to be in that top five.” Owen Herbert will lead that group as he aims to be all-state for the second consecutive year. “Getting consistency back will be a big thing, especially with the irons,” Owen Herbert said. “I want to be all-state again this year. That is the goal.” Aldred, who finished 68th at the state competition last season, is working better preparing himself mentally this season. “In some of the smaller tournaments, I would do better,” Aldred said. “I am working on playing under pressure, so when I make it to district and state, then I can perform the way I want to.” “At state, I played well the first day, then I thought I needed to play better the next day, so I put pressure on myself. I am just working on taking the pressure off myself.” The Eagles will play in their first tournament of the season at the Truman Invitational at 9 a.m. Monday, March 20. Senior Owen Herbert, left, and Charles Aldred are two Grain Valley boys golfers returning to play in 2023 after qualifying for state for the first time in program history last season. Photo credit: Michael Smith
For the second time in the past year, the Board of Aldermen is considering a censure vote. In its March 13th meeting, the Board voted to bring up a formal censure of Alderman Dale Arnold at its next regularly scheduled meeting. The Board voted in April 2022 to censure then mayor Chuck Johnston for disclosure of executive session information on social media platforms. Arnold is facing censure after an admitted call to the Jackson County Election Board (JCEB) in the days following the judge’s decision in a recent suit between the City and JCEB regarding revised ward boundaries, and for allegedly disclosing executive session information related to the suit to former mayor and current Board of Aldermen candidate Johnston. Mayor Mike Todd opened the discussion by asking Arnold if he had contacted JCEB and when. “I just asked what their side of the situation was. I gave them nothing from our side,” Arnold said. Arnold stated he could not recall the date of the call, and believed that he only needed to wait 72 hours before making the call. City Attorney Joe Lauber clarified that this was incorrect, and that the 72-hour rule he referenced only pertained to employee matters. The concerns expressed regarding Arnold’s call to JCEB revolve around the fact that the Board had 30 days following the decision to decide on next steps, including an appeal of the judge’s decision in the case. Concerns were raised that the call to JCEB and subsequent leak of executive session information to Johnston could have jeopardized the City’s ability to act on an appeal. “It was clearly not final at that point,” Lauber said. “Private information was divulged during a private conversation. That information should not have been divulged,” Alderman Tom Cleaver said. “I guess the nagging question I have is why was the phone call made in the first place instead of checking with city staff, checking with our legal team before making your phone call. You could have got your answers from our staff, legal team and never divulged anything,” Alderman Rick Knox said. “It was a fact-finding phone call and nothing I ever thought would be a problem,” Arnold said. Alderman Ryan Skinner asked when the phone call was made to Johnston. Arnold could not recall the exact date but stated he believed it occurred after his call to the County. “The person we are talking about (Johnston) has a proven track record of disclosing executive session information, so we know that if it got to him, he wouldn’t have had an issue disclosing it, which bothers me even more that we’re having this discussion with a person who was censured less than a year ago for letting out executive session information,” Skinner said. Skinner referenced a social media post by Johnston in which he indicated he knew Arnold was the only “no” vote in a closed session vote regarding proceeding with the suit against JCEB. Skinner asked board members if they had had any conversations with Johnston regarding the vote. “No, and he somehow knew I voted yes,” Alderman Darren Mills said. “I didn’t have that discussion, so he got it from somebody,” Skinner said. “An assumption on his part,” Arnold said. “That’s a pretty good assumption when he puts out on social media that you were the only one who voted against it,” Knox said. “May have been,” Arnold said. “I’m very disconcerted that every answer is ‘might of been, could have been, I don’t know’. Were you advised to answer that way?,” Mills said. “I don’t want to get into a long discussion or debate about what I discussed with my attorney,” Arnold said. Alderman Shea Bass inquired about the timing and purpose of the phone call to JCEB. “As of right now, I’m failing to understand the purpose of the phone call,” Bass said. “You say you want to act in the best interest of the citizens…I totally understand that and I totally agree. I don’t know that contacting the Jackson County Election Board without speaking to City staff was necessarily in the best interest of the citizens that elected you,” Bass said. Lauber outlined the four options for the Board to consider: do nothing, issue a verbal admonishment, a written censure to be passed by the board at the next meeting, or impeachment. A motion was made for a written censure to be considered at the next board meeting. The motion passed with Arnold as the only “no” vote. Reached for comment, Tammy Brown, Director, Jackson County Board of Election Commissioners, stated she spoke with Arnold by phone. Brown does not recall exact date but believes it was after the judge’s decision. According to Brown, Arnold asked her why there was a lawsuit. “I said, I assumed it was because the Board of Aldermen okayed the suit,” Brown said. Brown also said Arnold asked about Board of Alderman Chuck Johnston in relation to the ward boundaries and the Election Board’s view of the issue related to the suit. “I explained to him it was very clear. We had asked for the lines by October 2021, and we did not receive them until November 14, 2022,” Brown said. Brown said she also reiterated that the Board advised Grain Valley to run candidate filings for the April 2023 election off the previous ward boundaries. Reached for further comment, Arnold said he felt “it would be inappropriate to comment, while (the issue) is still under discussion”. Reached for comment regarding conversations he and Arnold had regarding the lawsuit, Chuck Johnston stated, “That’s between Dale and the Board of Aldermen. I’m not involved.” In other business, the Board approved a resolution for United Service Company Inc. to provide maintenance services to the city owned water tanks and tower. The interior of the water tower will be sandblasted and painted as a part of this year’s maintenance work. The Board also approved a resolution to collect the City’s $85,867 allotment of Jackson County COMBAT tax funding, and a resolution continuing the cooperative agreement with Grain Valley Schools to provide school resource officers. The Board approved the first reading of an ordinance to amend the City’s Comprehensive Plan Future Land Use map, changing the zoning of 11.5 acres currently zoned for residential to light industrial to allow for two planned businesses to locate in the area near Creekside Village. The Board voted down the second reading of an ordinance to establish a Community Improvement District for Creekside Village, as no residents attended a planned meeting by the property owners to gauge interest in establishing the district to address maintenance of private roadways in the subdivision. The next scheduled Board of Aldermen meeting will be at 7:00pm on Monday, March 27th at City Hall. Orchid Delirium, held at Powell Gardens through April 16th, returns in 2023 with a vivid and colorful display, celebrating form and shape. Drawing inspiration from the Victorian-era fascination with the flower that led to a collecting hysteria appropriately named Orchidelirium, this exhibit showcases hundreds of rotating blooms from the 2000-piece orchid collection cared for at Powell Gardens. As the kick-off to the Gardens’ spring season, this indoor botanical exhibit provides an immersive tropical oasis for all orchid appreciators. Tickets for Orchid Delirium may be purchased at Orchid Delirium - Powell Gardens, Kansas City’s botanical garden. An Orchid Symposium for orchid enthusiasts of all levels will be held Saturday, March 18th from 10:00am - 4:00pm. Event highlights include two presentations on orchids with a hands on kokodama demonstration. Attendees will receive a boxed lunch, non-alcoholic drink, and a kokedama to take home. Tickets for this event are $95 (10% discount for members). Visit Orchid Delirium - Powell Gardens, Kansas City’s botanical garden for more information. Pictured: Paphiopedilum. Photo credit: Powell Gardens
by Michael Smith The Grain Valley girls soccer team needed the learning experience according to head coach Brett Lewis. That is how he and his players treated Tuesday’s jamboree at home as they got to see their first action against outside competition. Lewis said it was much needed because some of the Eagles’ starters just finished their basketball season last Tuesday so some just started attending soccer practice last week. Grain Valley worked on establishing its chemistry as they played two 40-minute exhibition games – one against Oak Grove and one against Blue Springs. After witnessing his team play, Lewis said there are still some kinks to work out. “We are trying some different formation and putting people in different positions,” Lewis said. “It was a good learning experience for us. We are just a couple of passes away from making everything click a little bit better. We’re still not on the same page in terms of the attack.” “But once we figure that out, we are going to score a lot of goals.” Despite that, the Eagles scored one goal in 80 minutes of play and did not surrender any, having an overall successful day. They won the shot battle with Blue Springs 3-2 and had one goal against the Panthers when freshman Radleigh Childers stole the ball from an Oak Grove ball handler near the Panthers’ penalty box and scored on an open shot. “I was pretty excited and nervous,” Childers said. “I am glad I got it over with and got to experience this at home and being surrounded by family.” The Eagles were on Oak Grove’s third of the field most of the match and appeared to be even possession wise against Blue Springs in the other game. From a talent perspective, Grain Valley has multiple players who can score and make plays for their teammates. The offense appears it will be led by juniors Annabelle Totta and Emma Thiessen and Childers. On defense, the Eagles looked sharp, too. They didn’t allow any shot attempts from Oak Grove and only gave up to long shots on goal from Blue Springs, which were saved by freshman goalkeeper Alayna Maybell. She had two saves and multiple collections on balls that rolled into the penalty box. She showed the ability to be aggressive at the right times. At one point, she was able to thwart an opportunity for Blue Springs by coming up in the box and knocking a Wildcat pass out of bounds before they could get a shot off. “She played goalie before with her club team in the past, so she has experience there. She understands when to come out and when to stay back. She has a good IQ of the game. I think we are going to be fine back there.” While the Eagles looked solid at both ends of the field, they also showed that several players can be versatile as Lewis had his girls play at multiple different positions. It’s something that Thiessen said could be valuable to the team. “Coach Lewis has been able to find multiple sports for us to play in,” Thiessen said. “I played the 8, the 9 and 10. Everyone is pretty versatile. Everyone can go anywhere and that’s a pretty great skill to have.” The Eagles will play their first game of 2023 at the Platte County Invitational Saturday. Grain Valley junior Annabelle Totta shields off a Blue Springs player as she attempts to gather the ball. Photo credit: Michael Smith Grain Valley junior Emma Thiessen prepares to unleash a corner kick. Photo credit: Michael Smith
The Grain Valley Board of Education has placed a $32 million school bond issue on the April 4th ballot to fund the site development, construction, equipping, and furnishing a new high school gymnasium/fieldhouse addition as well as district-wide maintenance needs. According to the district, these projects are likely to include: heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems; replace roofing; upgrade athletic facilities; and address other repairs and improvements to existing facilities of the district.
The adjusted debt service levy of the School District is estimated to remain unchanged at $1.7000 per one hundred dollars of assessed valuation of real and personal property upon passage of the bond issue. If approved, the bond will allow the district to continue with Phase 6 of the GVHS Masterplan, which includes additions to the southwest corner of the existing building. This fieldhouse and student activities addition will include a new fieldhouse gymnasium that seats 2,000, renovation to the existing smaller gymnasium which will become the auxiliary gym, renovations to PE and varsity locker rooms, a new weight room, new student and activity entrance with student attendance office, and renovations to the existing commons/lunchroom. Demolition to the existing weight room, rooms previously used for band and choir, and the northwest corner of the existing gymnasium will make room for the new fieldhouse gymnasium and a wider Eagle Way student and activities entrance. If passed, work would begin late spring/early summer, with a temporary weight room set up near the locker rooms and the exiting weight room and rooms previously used for band and choir would be removed. During the 2023-2024 school year, the new fieldhouse gymnasium, weight room, and student entrance with attendance office would be constructed. During the summer of 2024, renovations would occur to PE and varsity locker rooms, as well as to the existing gymnasium. Renovations would also occur in the commons area in the summer of 2024 as an alternate bid. Work on phase 6 is expected to be completed in time for the start of school in August of 2024. For more information on the issues and candidates on the April ballot, visit our Voter Resources page.
A rendering of the exterior of the proposed addition to be completed as a part of the bond issue on the April 2023 ballot. Photo credit: Grain Valley Schools
Video credit: Grain Valley Schools
MODOT crews with the bridge replacement work along Interstate 70 at Route AA/BB in Grain Valley will close Route AA/BB (Main Street) at I-70 beginning at 6:00am on Saturday, March 18, until approximately 5:00am on Monday, March 20, for bridge demo work. There will be a signed detour for Route AA/BB.
During this time, crews will also close the left lane of westbound and eastbound I-70 at mile marker 24 in Grain Valley. This work will cause delays in the area. Motorists are encouraged to plan ahead and seek alternate routes if necessary. All work is weather permitting. This project will be constructed over the course of three phases in the next year. Phase 1 includes bridge work and work within the median and is scheduled to be completed by early summer 2023. Phase 2 will address the westbound side of the project and Phase 3 will address the eastbound side. The project is anticipated to be complete by winter 2023. Motorists are reminded to slow down and pay attention while driving in work zones. Not all work zones look alike. Work zones can be moving operations, such as striping, patching or mowing. They can also be short term, temporary lane closures to make quick repairs or remove debris from the roadway. For more information about MoDOT news, projects or events, please visit our website at www.modot.org/kansascity. For instant updates, follow MoDOT_KC on Twitter, or share posts and comments on our Facebook at www.facebook.com/MoDOT.KansasCity/. MoDOT Kansas City maintains more than 7,000 miles of state roadway in nine counties. Sign up online for workzone updates or call 888-ASK-MODOT (275-6636). The Jackson County, Missouri Assessor’s Office will host four community meetings in coming weeks where property owners can learn more about the county’s property assessment process. A representative from the Assessor’s Office will be present at each meeting to share information and to answer questions about the following:
For more information, visit jacksongov.org/Government/Departments/Assessment. by Marcia Napier, Grain Valley Historical Society Although this photograph is labeled Grain Valley, 1933, I cannot be sure exactly when it was taken. It appeared in a book entitled “Results of County Planning” published in 1933. In the late 1920s, Harry Truman was the Presiding Judge of Jackson County. Scarcely known outside Independence, he had the vision and foresight to plan and then to push to completion a county road system which had few equals in the entire nation. On May 8, 1928, the voters of Jackson County authorized a $6,5000,000 bond issue to finance the first portion of the proposed road construction program. During the next few years, 166 miles of concrete roads and 52 miles of secondary roads were built or improved in various parts of the county. In May 1931, a second bond issue was approved for an additional $3,500,000 to complete the road program. At the same time bonds were approved for other capital improvements which included improvements in the county’s park system. Throughout this period, Judge Truman remained the leader and chief architect of the county planning activities. In May 1932, the road program had been virtually completed and a celebration was held at Sni-A-Bar Farms in Grain Valley. Judge Truman and other members of the County Court published the 125-page book, “Results of County planning,” to show the voters of Jackson County as well as state and highway officials throughout the country the beneficial results that the county had achieved as the result of careful planning. To look at the book and the newspaper article about the Celebration of Roads, visit the Grain Valley Historical Society, opened on Wednesdays from 10 AM to 3 PM or by appointment. Contact: gvhistory1878@gmail.com or call Marty @ (816) 686-7582. (Thanks to Allen Lefko for bring this photo to my attention!) Downtown Grain Valley, 1933. Photo credit: Grain Valley Historical Society
As I open my computer to prepare for my monthly column, I sometimes find myself struggling to think of a topic that I haven’t already discussed. That’s not to say that repetition is a bad thing…we typically need to say or do things more than once for them to become a habit. With a new vegetable or fruit, we also need repeated exposure and experiences. If we didn’t like the way something was prepared, a different recipe or preparation method might increase the appeal. This month, I’ve decided to focus on how herbs and spices can enhance your mealtime experience.
Though we tend to say herbs and spices in one breath, botanically speaking, herbs are leafy and plant-like, while spices come from the roots, buds, seeds, berries or fruits of plants or trees. Some plants produce both herbs and spices, like dill which produces both dill week and dill seed; and cilantro which produces the herb used in southwest cuisine and the dried seed known as coriander. While herbs and spices are widely known for their culinary uses, they are also known for their cultural and economic roles in history. Spices in particular were valued for monetary and trade values when European and far eastern travel routes expanded. Both herbs and spices have also been important in healing and cultural rituals for centuries. Recent science has revealed that there indeed are specific health benefits for a great many herbs and spices. One of the primary health benefits of incorporating more herbs and spices into culinary use comes from reducing excess salt and sodium. Simply replacing some or all of the salt with a complementary herb or spice in food preparation can have positive effects on high blood pressure, a condition affecting almost half of adults in America. Other spices, like ginger and turmeric can help with inflammation that accompanies many chronic health conditions. As with all plants, herbs and spices contribute a variety of phytonutrients that function as antioxidants, which can help prevent diseases like heart disease and cancer. Spices tend to grow in tropical climates, hence, most of the spices we use are in dried form. Herbs, however, are widely available in both fresh and dried from. Herbs are also simple to grow, both indoors and outdoors. For information on growing your own herbs, MU Extension has a publication available here: http://bit.ly/3l97YKA One of the biggest questions that people have when starting or expanding their culinary use of herbs and spices is "what flavors go with what foods"? While taste is a very personal thing, our colleagues at Arizona Extension have an excellent publication called Season for Health that gives some excellent suggestions; you can find it here: http://bit.ly/3DzLLvh If you have eaten Mediterranean style food, you may be familiar with a salad known as Tabbouleh. The recipe below is a favorite at my house. Fresh parsley and mint are used in abundant quantities for flavor as well as bulk. Bulgur Wheat Salad (Makes 6 servings) Ingredients: ½ cup bulgur wheat 1 cup boiling water 1 teaspoon za’atar seasoning* 2 cups flat leaf parsley, chopped ½ cup mint, chopped 2 tomatoes, seeded and chopped 1 English cucumber, seeded, and chopped 2 green onions, finely chopped 3 Tablespoons olive oil ¼ cup lemon juice Salt and pepper to taste Directions:
Nutrition information: Calories: 120, Total Fat: 7g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Sodium: 20mg, Carbohydrates: 13g, Fiber: 2g, Protein: 3g Recipe from North Carolina Extension Med Instead of Meds, 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. St. Mary’s Medical Center, a member of Prime Healthcare, today announced that it has been recognized by Healthgrades as a 2023 Patient Safety Excellence Award™ recipient. This distinction places St. Mary’s Medical Center among the top 5% of all short-term acute care hospitals as evaluated by Healthgrades, the leading marketplace connecting patients and providers.
For the eighth year in a row, Prime Healthcare, one of the nation’s leading health systems, had more Patient Safety Excellence Award recipients than any other health system, according to Healthgrades. “St. Mary’s Medical Center is invested in clinical quality and patient care. As we approach the third anniversary of COVID-19, we continue to prioritize patient safety. This award is the result of the contributions of all our staff, providers and leaders and we are honored to be recognized," Kelly Pearce, CEO at St. Mary’s Medical Center, said. During the 2019-2021 study period, 164,592 potentially preventable patient safety events occurred among Medicare patients in U.S. hospitals. * Healthgrades found that just four patient safety indicators accounted for 74% of all patient safety events: hip fracture due to an in-hospital fall, collapsed lung resulting from a procedure/surgery, pressure or bed sores acquired in the hospital, and catheter-related bloodstream infections acquired in-hospital. Healthgrades’ analysis also revealed that patients treated in hospitals receiving the Healthgrades 2023 Patient Safety Excellence Award were, on average:
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