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by Tracey Shaffer, RD, LD We all would like to be eating better, but how do we translate that to our brown bag lunch? Why not try a salad in a jar?
Jar salads are quick and easy to make and can be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator. You only need to remember a few simple steps and the rest is up to you and your imagination. When building your jar salad, start with your favorite dressing on the bottom of a jar or container. This keeps delicate greens from getting soggy. The next salad layer may include a protein, like chicken or nuts, or more hardy vegetables or fruit such as celery, apples or pears. The third layer may include cheese, dried cherries or seeds. The fourth layer could include fruit such as berries, mandarin oranges or grapes. The final layer is salad greens. Leafy greens provide vitamins A, C and K. Vitamins A and C may play a role in skin health and immune function; vitamin K may be beneficial to bone health. Leafy greens like spinach, kale and Swiss chard may contain eye-healthy antioxidants. Baby kale is tender with a pleasant taste and gives any salad a nutritious boost with extra vitamins, minerals, fiber, and antioxidants. To save additional time, try using a bagged salad for your top layer. Your work week just got a little easier. No last-minute decisions about what to make for lunch, no vending machine lunch fare, and no trip to the nearest drive-through restaurant. Your jar salad is quick, easy and affordable. by Phil Hanson, President and CEO, Truman Heartland Community Foundation On Saturday, April 6th, students in the Youth Advisory Council (YAC) of Truman Heartland Community Foundation were once again out doing their part to feed the hungry in our community. Students from the 13 participating high schools were at four Hy-Vee locations in Eastern Jackson County from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Through their efforts and the generosity of people in our community, we estimate that our YAC students collected more than 40,000 food items and personal hygiene items for Community Services League, Lee’s Summit Social Services and Raytown Emergency Assistance Program. We are very proud of the students in our YAC program, one of the only opportunities for high school students from across the region to come together to work as a team to benefit the community. Any other time students from different high schools come together it’s about competition, not community building. Students see the value in this program, and membership continues to grow. Starting with just 12 students in 1998 to nearly 190 participants this year. We are forever grateful to Henri Goettel, the YAC volunteer Adult Facilitator, who has led this program since its inception. Henri is a great mentor for our students, and it is clearly a labor of love. Henri is the “secret sauce” that makes this program a success. Very soon we will be celebrating with our graduating YAC students, as they prepare for high school graduation and the future. At our annual Senior Recognition Dinner, attended by our Board and the parents of YAC students, these graduating students share their experiences in YAC. It is always inspiring to hear what they have learned about philanthropy and life as a result of their participation in YAC and the impact it has made on them. At the same time, we are welcoming new students to the YAC program. Prospective students and their parents recently attended orientation to learn more about the “school of philanthropy” at Truman Heartland. And in this school, there is no summer break. In fact, YAC students will be very busy this summer assisting our grants committee. YAC students review grant proposals from nonprofits seeking support through our competitive grants process, make on-site visits and then share their experience with our grants committee. Additionally, YAC students will award grants to youth-serving nonprofits from their self-fundraised endowment fund. We greatly value their perspective and contributions to our annual grants program. At your Community Foundation, we are grateful for the opportunity to educate and engage our students in fundraising, grantmaking and volunteering through our YAC program, helping these future community leaders see the value of coming together for a purpose greater than themselves and helping build community. Phil Hanson is the President and CEO of Truman Heartland Community Foundation. Truman Heartland Community Foundation (THCF) is a 501(c)(3) public charity committed to improving the communities in and around Eastern Jackson County through cooperation with community members and donors. THCF serves the region with assets of more than $47 million and annual grants surpassing $4 million. For more information on charitable giving, visit www.thcf.org or call Truman Heartland at 816.836.8189. The Grain Valley Partnership held its annual banquet to honor local businesses and business leaders on Friday, April 26th at the Adams Pointe Golf Club. Jan Reding received the Mary Strack Community Advocate of the Year award. Bright Futures Grain Valley was awarded Non-Profit of the Year. Retailer of the Year award was presented to Sandy Shaddox, owner of Sandra Dee’s Gifts, and Guthrie Family Dental received Business of the Year honors. Dr. Catherine Dowd, owner of Grain Valley Chiropractic, was presented with the Business Person of the Year award. For more information on these businesses and all the member businesses of the Grain Valley Partnership, visit www.growgrainvalley.org. Pictured left to right: Ryan Hunt, Grain Valley City Administrator; Dr. Garret Guthrie, DDS; Sandy Shaddox, Sandra Dee’s; Dr. Catherine Dowd; Jan Reding;
Dr. Brad Welle, Grain Valley Schools/Bright Futures; Tasha Lindsey, Executive Director, Grain Valley Partnership. Photo credit: PC Photography by Marcia Napier, Grain Valley Historical Society Originally named Latimer School, Murphy School was renamed for the road beside which it was located. John B. Campbell donated the land for the school, located north of Truman Road and east of Buckner Tarsney Road in the late 1800s. In 1948 when Jackson County schools were reorganized, Murphy School was positioned in the Fort Osage R-1 School District. However, the actual school was within 4 miles of the Grain Valley High School, over 5 miles from the Buckner High School and more than 10 miles from Fort Osage High School. Since many of the students had lived south of the school, they came into Grain Valley for their high school education. Murphy School was a white frame building with plenty of windows for light. The students shared a cloakroom at the entrance and a big stove with a metal jacket sat in the back of the classroom. A teacher’s platform and chalkboards were in the front. The teacher did most of the janitorial work with help from the older students. There was a well for drinking water near the entrance, a hitching post for the youngster’s horses, a coal shed for fuel and, of course, outdoor toilets for girls and boys. The teachers generally followed the state course of study, so four days each week were used for regular classroom work, but on Fridays there were spelling bees, geography matches, and math races. One of the most popular teachers at the school was Mr. Robert Cary who went on to teach at both Buckner and Fort Osage High Schools. Dorothy Stump Wolfe was one of the last teachers at Murphy School (1940-43, 1945-46) prior to reorganization. These were the years of World War II. In addition to regular classroom activities the children collected old newspapers, had scrap-iron drives and supported wartime conservation in every way possible. Another special project was the printing of a school newspaper with the aid of a Hectograph kit. Visit the Historical Society Museum, and you can read a copy of one of the Murphy School newspapers. (Some of the information for this article came from “In the Beginning,” a book complied by members of the Fort Osage Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution) Next Week: Learn about Round Grove School. Above: A teacher’s contract for Dorothy Stumpp. Below: An undated photo of the Murphy School. Photos courtesy of the Grain Valley Historical Society Museum, located at 510 Main Street.
by Jodi Vogler, Asst. Branch Manager, Mid-Continent Public Library Grain Valley Branch Did you know that May is Get Caught Reading Month? Established in 1999 by the Association of American Publishers, Get Caught Reading Month aims to promote the enjoyment of reading as a part of our daily lives.
Get Caught Reading Month is supported by the Lois Lenski Covey Foundation and Every Child a Reader. You can find more information and fun resources at everychildareader.net. Your friendly neighborhood staff at the Mid-Continent Public Library – Grain Valley Branch want to support you throughout May as you make every effort to get caught reading everywhere you go. Here are some helpful tips for this month (and the other 11 months, too!): Always have a magazine tucked into your bag, backpack, or briefcase. Did you know that MCPL branches offer magazines for checkout? Back issues of popular periodicals such as Forbes, Magnolia Journal, and others are available to check out just like books. Take your selections to the front desk to check out, then drop them in our book return when you’re finished. Not really one to carry a bag? You can read digital editions of magazines using MCPL’s online resources, including RBdigital and Flipster, which are also available as apps for your phone or your tablet. Is the news more your style? Try PressReader. Like getting your national news each day, but can’t afford the subscriptions to the papers you enjoy? We’ve got you covered. You can read 2,000+ daily and weekly newspapers from all over the world through PressReader, another online resource from MCPL that is available as an app. (And if you prefer our local news, we have hard copies of Valley News, too!) Got littles? Kids can get caught reading, too! Picture books are shaped funny for a reason -- those thin-yet-oversized picture books are the perfect size to slide into the backs of the seats in your car for road trips. If your little digital native has a tablet or device for traveling, try the BookFlix and TumbleBooks apps using your library card. These are specifically designed for kids and give your little one access to all the titles it will take to get to Grandma’s house and beyond. Listen to books anywhere with streaming audiobooks. Phones and tablets have made books even more accessible. Using the OverDrive and Libby apps, you can download a complete audiobook and play it while you work, work out, or during that morning commute. We’ll be glad to show you how to set up these resources on your device. Can’t get to the library for health reasons? We can bring it to you. Mid-Continent Public Library offers a service we call Library-By-Mail for our customers who can’t physically get to the library. With this program, residents can receive library books, movies, and music at no charge through the U.S. Postal Service. Visit mymcpl.org/Library-By-Mail to learn more and sign up for this service. Operating on a tight schedule? Set a reading reminder on your phone. We are all cramming as much into our hours as possible, and reading is a great way to un-stuff our brains at the end of the day. To make sure you’re always taking the time to read a few pages every day, try setting an alarm on your phone. When you sit down to enjoy your book, start your phone’s stopwatch so you’ll know when it’s time to do something else. (Or don’t. We won’t judge.) Create a reading nook for enjoying books at home. A designated reading spot complete with a cozy blanket, fluffy pillows, and your favorite novel can melt away the stress of the day. Create your reading nook, then take ten minutes for yourself every night after dinner or before bed. The reading spot is a great place to put a laundry basket for the kids to keep their library books in so they stay in one place. You can use the basket as a book bag when you come to the branch to get more books! You don’t have to break up with your love of reading at the end of the month. We want to make sure you have all the resources you need to keep enjoying the news, novels, and other reading materials you love throughout the year. Stop by and see us at the Grain Valley Branch so we can find the perfect delivery method or app for you to get caught reading everywhere! The familiar hum of race cars on the south side of Grain Valley is a sure sign that summer is on its way. The track, an oval 1/3 mile dirt track, was built in 2004. Dennis Shrout, owner of Valley Speedway, purchased it in 2008. “I sold my motorcycle dealership after 30 years, and I wasn’t ready to stop yet, so I thought this would be fun. It’s a lot more work than I thought it was going to be,” Shrout said. Shrout can be found at the track in the days leading up to the event, prepping the track and working with his staff to get ready for weekend crowds. “On race day, we’ll have around 20 staff members on site,” Shrout said. The season begins in April and runs through September. Racers of all types compete at Valley Speedway. “I’ve had kids as young as 10 years old and guys in their 70’s on the track,” Shroud said. “We’ve had Tony Stewart race here before. The top racers in the country will come in for our specials,” Shrout said. Admission is $13/adults, $11/seniors, students, and military, and $6/for kids 6-12. Parking is free, and concessions are available. Gates open at 6:00pm, and races begin at 7:00pm. “We’re usually done by 10:00pm. We try to be good neighbors,” Shrout said. First-timers to the track are encouraged to bring ear plugs, but the race track has ear protection available if you leave yours at home. Shrout offers another tip for first-timers: watch out for dirt clods flying in the stand. “A lot of people don’t mind that. A bit of dirt is all just part of racing.” Results from the Valley Speedway points race on April 26th: Valley Speedway 4/26/2019 Pure Stocks 1. Bobby Ohrenberg #23 2. Logan Headley #23X 3. Cody Ohrenberg #01 4. David Schirlls #10 5. Austin OBryan #25 Valley Speedway 4/26/2019 Dirt Demons 1. Richard Mccaulley #19 2. Gene McCaulley #1 3. Robert Loegering #20 4. Eric Schmidt #121 5. Will Guthrie #78 Valley Speedway 4/26/2019 E Mods 1. Trevor Hand #236 2. Kit Bailey #77 3. Shawn Burns #28 4. Jeremy Curless #33 5. Jeff Jackson #81 Valley Speedway 4/26/2019 Valley Powri Outlaw Midgets 1. Pat Schudy #7S 2. A.J. Gilbert #2 3. Brad Wyatt #41 4. Dustin Gilbert #3 5. Heath Murry #7M Valley Speedway next hosts the Powri National Midget Show featuring some of the top Midget drivers in the country on May 3rd. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit www.valleyspeedway.com. Valley Speedway is located at 348 E. Old 40 Hwy, Grain Valley.
Visit www.valleyspeedway.com for racing schedule. Photo credit: Valley News staff
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