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The U.S. Census Bureau currently has staff in the field in the Kansas City region working to verify addresses in advance of the 2020 census that will take place next spring.
If homes in your area are visited by someone from the Census Bureau, here are some ways to verify the individual is a Census Bureau employee. The field representative: Must present an ID Badge, which contains a photograph of field representative, Department of Commerce watermark and expiration date. Will provide you with supervisor contact information and/or the regional office phone number for verification, if asked. Will provide you with a letter from the director of the Census Bureau on U.S. Census Bureau letterhead. May be carrying a laptop and/or bag with a Census Bureau logo. For the first time, the U.S. Census Bureau will conduct the decennial electronically. The move to online forms offers many benefits, including significant cost savings. However, many people have concerns about privacy and the possibility of fraudulent activity. The Census Bureau is taking many measures to protect your information, but there are also ways you can help protect yourself. First, remember that official census workers will never ask for: Your full Social Security number Money or donations Anything on behalf of a political party Bank or credit card account numbers Your mother’s maiden name If you get an email request that you’re not sure about: Do not reply, do not click on any links and do not open any attachments. Forward the e-mail or website URL to the Census Bureau at ois.fraud.reporting@census.gov Delete the message. The Census Bureau will investigate and notify you of the findings. If you get postal mail that causes you to suspect a scam: Check that the return address is Jeffersonville, Indiana. Call the Regional Office for Missouri (1-800-865-6384) to verify whether it is legitimate. An estimated 40,000 to 50,000 adults in the United States die from vaccine-preventable infectious diseases or their complications each year. During August’s National Immunization Awareness Month, the American Lung Association reminds adults of the recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for vaccination against potentially serious lung diseases such as influenza (the flu) and pneumococcal pneumonia.
As a preventive healthcare measure, vaccines work by teaching the body's immune system to recognize and defend against harmful viruses or bacteria before getting an infection, and reduce the chance of getting certain infectious diseases. Most vaccine-preventable diseases are spread from person to person, which means that if one person in a community gets an infectious disease, they can spread it to others. Different than a bad cold, influenza and pneumococcal pneumonia are potentially serious infectious diseases that may be prevented by vaccines. Pneumococcal Pneumonia, the most common type of bacterial pneumonia, is often spread through coughing. The symptoms of pneumococcal pneumonia can come quickly and may include high fever, excessive sweating and shaking chills, coughing, difficulty breathing, shortness of breath, and chest pain. Influenza, commonly known as the flu, is a highly contagious virus that is usually spread through coughing or sneezing. Symptoms can impact the entire body and may include fever, headache, muscle aches, a dry cough, sore throat, and nasal congestion.13 “Older adults and those with weakened immune systems or certain chronic health conditions—like asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)—are especially vulnerable to infectious disease,” Albert Rizzo, MD, Chief Medical Officer for the American Lung Association said. “In fact, for adults 65 and older living with COPD, the risk for contracting pneumococcal pneumonia is 7.7 times higher than their healthy counterparts, and those with asthma are at 5.9 times greater risk.” The American Lung Association, in partnership with Pfizer, is urging adults to talk with their healthcare provider about pneumococcal and influenza vaccinations, with more information available at Lung.org/pneumococcal and Lung.org/influenza, or call the American Lung Association’s Lung HelpLine at 1-800-LUNGUSA. Grain Valley High School’s (GVHS) Blue and White Day will be held Saturday, August 17th at the high school. Fall sports activities will hold scrimmages, team pictures, and parents meetings.
The GVHS Booster Club will host a pancake breakfast by Chris Cakes from 7:00am to 10:00am for $5 (includes pancakes, sausage and drink). The booster club’s first general meeting will take place at 11:00 am in the high school auditorium. Grain Valley spirit apparel will be available for purchase during the event. Heading into their second year in the Suburban Conference, GVHS Athletic Director Brandon Hart is looking forward to building on last year’s successes. “I think what I look forward to the most is seeing our growth within the Suburban Conference. We had a successful 1st year in the conference, but I am excited to see what kind of gains we will make between year 1 and 2,” Hart said. “Last year was our first year in the conference, and everything was new. We were playing larger schools in new venues, and our learning curve was fairly steep for many of our programs. With a year of experience under our belts, I think our programs will be more prepared this year. I expect they to be more familiar with the level of competition and have a better understanding of what it will take to be successful in the Suburban Conference.”
by John Unrein Five o’clock in the morning may come awful early for some. It’s just another start to practice for the Eagles Boys Swimming Team. Sixteen student athletes complete laps in the pool and attempt complex twists and turns from the diving board at the Blue Springs YMCA in preparation for the upcoming season. The Grain Valley High School Swim and Dive program is led by head coach Kara Liddle.
“I’m super excited that we are starting the season with a group of kids that have swam a year. Building good habits in the pool by correcting little things that will allow us to go faster is our focus. We are weeks ahead of were we were last year at this time,” Liddle said. “Swimming is a mental sport. You are in your own head a lot. Learning how to push yourself to get past pain is significant. Same goes with diving. I couldn’t get up there and throw myself off the board the way they do. I think in both arenas of this sport you have to be mentally tough.” A third-place finish in the Suburban Conference last season, along with three state qualifiers is the momentum the program would like to seize and build upon. Eli Hendricks finishing 4th in Class I Diving along with Wyatt Huffman finishing 14th in the 100-meter breaststroke were positive catalysts for a new program. Senior Swimmer Jase Tipton along with fellow Senior Diver Jonathan Bailey are excited about the possibilities of the new season. “Many of us were on the State cut by only being points or seconds off last year. That’s a big motivator for our team is to have as many of us as possible make State cut this year,” Tipton said. Bailey agreed with Tipton’s assessment. “We are here to improve from last year and our coaches are pushing us harder,” Bailey said. Both Tipton and Bailey are enjoying the friendships and the insights gained through swimming and diving. “You get to meet a lot of new people and can make lifetime friends. I have buddies that swim at Park Hill that I met at a meet. We’ll go work out or get a burger together,” Tipton said. “I like how we can get tips on diving from other competitors. Someone may have more experience than you and they will usually share,” Bailey said. Encouragement can be heard both by coaches and fellow teammates during practice over the multitude of splashes and movement of feet on both the concrete and diving board. It seems to provide a sort of serene chaos for those who compete in this arena. Getting up at 4:30 am or practicing multiple times a day are all challenges that roll like water off a duck’s back. “I love getting to share my love for the sport. I went to Grain Valley and this is what I grew up doing. Being able to start and continue this program is a joy. We get to spread the love for being in the water,” Liddle said. The Grain Valley High School Boys Swim and Dive Team will kick off their season with their first meet on Wednesday, September 4th. by John Unrein Grain Valley High School Senior Max Chapman recently decided to continue his career as a student athlete with the Wichita State Shockers. The Sunflower State and perennial powerhouse NCAA Division One baseball program has some of the best facilities in the nation. The Eagle southpaw pitcher is planning to major in education in the fall of 2020 at Wichita State due to his love for helping kids. Chapman credits an abundance of teachers who have influenced him, and he would like to be someone that students eventually look up to as well. Eagles Head Baseball Coach Brian Driskell was quick to offer praise of both Chapman brothers he has coached as skipper of the Eagles. “I’ve had the pleasure of coaching both Chapman brothers (Max as well as his brother Mitch who graduated with the Class of 2017). Their character and work ethic are of the highest level. Anytime I needed help, they were the first to respond. You won’t find anyone who has anything but positive things to say about them both. That says a lot about the way they were raised.” “Max has an ability to work hard and be funny with his teammates. He is usually at the center of hard work and having fun. He will certainly be missed a year from now,” Driskell said. Chapman drew the attention of local college coaches who watched him pitch and play for the Eagles this spring. It would not be uncommon to see a coach with a radar gun behind the fence at home plate when Chapman was pitching, or timing Max with his speed from the batter’s box to first base when up to bat. The velocity Chapman possesses with his fastball and where he can place it in the strike zone consistently were on display. Both Driskell and Chapman have appreciated the moment. However, they have not lost sight of the upcoming season. Chapman has established a goal he would like to see come to fruition. “An area I’d like to improve in is being able to throw all three of my pitches for a strike 80% of the time. I’ve had successful outings this past year. I need to take my game to another level,” Chapman said. Driskell’s enthusiasm was apparent when asked about Chapman’s growth and what it meant to have a student athlete from the team recruited to a program the stature of Wichita State. “He has grown a lot. Most of that growth has just naturally occurred from his maturing as a baseball player and as he has gotten older. We recognized as a coaching staff his abilities the first time we saw him a few years ago. The tools were there, and he has definitely put in the work to develop those tools. It’s been fun to watch and be a part of.” “Honestly, I’m excited for any of our guys that get an opportunity to play after high school. What it means to me is that we were fortunate enough as a program to have Max be an Eagle while he got to realize a dream of reaching his goal of playing college baseball,” Driskell said. Having the ability to graciously reflect on those who have been of support is a humbling attribute for a teenager to possess. Chapman was quick to offer praise for those who have helped him get to this point along with what it means to him to be a student athlete at Grain Valley High School. “There’s been so many people who have helped me get where I am today. I can’t credit just one person but to name a few: My parents, Blair Johnson my pitching coach, Coach Driskell, and my teammates and friends who believed in me.” “Being a student athlete at Grain Valley can be challenging. Our staff here is always trying to push us (academically) to our full potential and get the most out of all of us. It’s also nice because they understand the workload we take on during our season. You really can’t complain about our staff as they’re some of the best,” Chapman said. The Eagles baseball program will begin year two of competing in the Suburban Conference in 2020. The team returns a roster abundant with talent after only losing Christian Lynn and Jesse Scholtz last season to graduation. Max Chapman has decided to continue his career as a student athlete at Wichita State University.
Photo credit: John Overstreet by Wayne Geiger “You gotta use the magic words, papa!” my grandson said as he defiantly blocked the doorway into the dining room—his arms and legs spread to prevent my access. “I don’t know the password,” I protested. “You have to guess,” he said.” Somewhat frustrated, I tried several phrases to no avail until eventually, upon my continual prodding, he surrendered the secret information and allowed me in.
When I was a kid, like most kids, I was fascinated with magic shows and magicians. I even learned various card tricks, mastered some sleight of hand with coins, and even bought a fake fingertip and colored handkerchief to amaze my friends. For a while, I even dreamed of becoming a magician when I grew up. For some reason, every magician needs to use the “magic words.” These words vary from person to person. According to sources, magic words have been around for many years and there are many variations of words that are used. Probably the most famous of them all is abracadabra. Its usage can be traced back to the second century. Although the study of the word is fascinating, no one really knows how it came into being. There are also magical words or phrases that must be uttered to gain access to secret places. In the story, “Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves,” for example, the secret phrase that opens the mouth of a cave to reveal hidden treasure is the phrase, “Open Sesame.” That’s the first one I tried when my grandson blocked the doorway. In Lord of the Rings, the Fellowship of the Ring sought entrance into a secret passage that opened the West Gate to Moria. Gandalf was able to remember the phrase, "Mellon", which means friend in Sindarin, and the Doors opened. All you need are the magic words. I could not guess the magic words from my grandson. However, my grandson knows the magic words. He simply needs to remember a simple, two syllable word in order to gain immediate access. The word is “papa”. Sometimes, he says, “my papa.” That simple phase unlocks my home and my heart. When he utters the phrase, my heart melts. I am currently training for a long-distance run. Last Saturday, I was lying on the couch. I had just finished a 15-mile practice run, showered, and was chilling out. My body and mind were spent. I had no energy to do anything. My grandson said, “Papa, I want a red juice.” He was making reference to a cardboard boxed drink in a red box. He has his own little drawer in the kitchen which contains drinks and snacks. My wife makes sure these are accessible and healthy. She also counts them to make sure I don’t take any. “Go get one,” I said. And the verbal ping pong game began. “I’m afraid,” he protested. “What are you afraid of?” I asked. “It’s dark in there,” he said, making reference to the kitchen that was about twenty feet away. For the next several minutes, I tried to convince him that it was the middle of the afternoon and it was daytime. I also reminded him that the kitchen has windows, there is no such thing as monsters, and I would be right here to help if I was wrong on the monster thing. Nothing worked. He wouldn’t budge and he wasn’t giving in. “Please Papa,” he pleaded helplessly, “I’m scared.” I peeled my broken and depleted body off of the couch and limped slowly into the kitchen. I couldn’t help it. “Thank you, my papa,” he said. I smiled and said, “You’re welcome.” One of the most famous prayers in the Bible is the “Our Father” prayer. The prayer is not intended to be a magic formula, nor was it intended to be uttered repetitiously or indiscriminately. But it does remind us of a few important things. The first line, from the old poetic, King James, says, “Our Father, who art in heaven; hallowed be thy name.” It provides us with the who, where, and what. God, of course, is Father. The phrase, “who art in heaven” reminds us of God’s strategic location, sovereign dominance, and spatial separation. The term “hallowed” means “holy,” “sacred,” or “revered.” The most important phrase in the prayer is “Our Father.” If you can’t get past the “Father” part, you can’t pass go and collect $200. The word, Father, both demands and invites a relationship. It’s a relationship based upon love, intimacy, and divine mercy. One of the interesting things about Jesus’ prayer is that in the Old Testament (Before Christ), although God is referred to in various ways, the Jews would never refer to God as Father. The concept was unheard of. He of most often referred to as Lord. But the rabbit hole goes a little deeper. If you gloss over some biblical passages that refer to God as “Lord”, you’ll find something very interesting. There are two variations of the word. Sometimes God is referred to as “Lord” (capital L, but lower caps). This is the Hebrew term, “Adonai”, and is descriptive. We might translate it as “master.” At other times, God is referred to as LORD (all caps). This is known as the Tetragrammaton and is the four-letter biblical name of God translated into the English as “Yahweh.” The fascinating thing about the name of God in the Old Testament is that the Jews felt that God’s name was so holy that they would never completely write it out—nor would they say it. So, they handed it down in print, but unfortunately with no vowels or YHWH. Even today, there are some who write God’s name as G-D. This is done, generally by those of Jewish origin, out of respect for God’s name. So, when Jesus used the phrase, “Our Father”, it was extremely forward and radical. What Jesus was saying is, the scary God who manifested Himself in fire and smoke upon the mountain—is not as scary as you think, and He wants to be your Father. This truth is reiterated in the Bible in Galatians 4:6 which says, “And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, ‘Abba! Father!’” The word, “Abba”, is not meant to reference the Swedish singing sensation of the ‘70s. Instead, Abba, is an Aramaic term of endearment from a child to a father. It only has four letters and two syllables and would be easy for a child to say and, indeed, that’s the case. Abba can be translated as dada or even papa. In my personal relationship with God, I try, respectfully, to think of my relationship with God in human terms—in some ways like my relationship with my grandson. I want my grandson to honor and respect me and to treat me properly. On the other side of the coin, I want him to know that he has immediate and full access to his papa—merely for the asking. There are no magic words when it comes to a relationship with God. It is meant to be a relationship based upon deep reverence, utter dependency, intimacy, and transparency. Once that happens, a beautiful door opens wide and the shift in mindset can be made from “Our Father” to “My Papa.” Wayne Geiger is the Pastor of First Baptist Grain Valley, an Adjunct Associate Professor of Speech, and freelance writer. He can be reached at waynegeiger.com. A good roof over your home or business protects your investment in many ways. A healthy roof shelters you from the elements along with preventing unwanted rot and mildew. Using quality products to assemble your roof that provide ventilation and insulation adds value to your property along with saving money on heating and cooling costs. Your roof is something that may be rarely thought of but is one of the most important components of any building you own. Jeff Butler is the President of Commercial Roofing in Grain Valley. He’s been in business since 1992. Butler is proud that his address and phone number has stayed the same during the duration of his business over the last 27 years. Clients originally sought out Butler as a construction consultant until they also kept asking him to do the roofing work as well. Butler eventually decided to go the construction route and the rest is history. Commercial Roofing provides services to the perimeter of the Greater Kansas City Metropolitan Area. From St. Joseph and Chillicothe to Marshall, Sedalia, and Warrensburg along with Jackson County, Butler has done numerous jobs in many areas over the years. Butler and his family call Eastern Jackson County home. “This (Eastern Jackson County) is home. It would be better for us to be centrally located in downtown Kansas City. I like the small-town feel though. I grew up in a small town near farm fields in State Center, Iowa. The Blue Springs and Grain Valley area is home and makes sense. I’m not a big fan of traffic either. It’s nice to have ten-minute drive to work,” Butler said. Commercial Roofing emphasizes value and purpose. Cutting corners to attain being the lowest price offered is not of interest to Butler. He also does not want to be the highest bid either. Understanding the purpose of delivering what people pay for is a goal Butler has for his team. Doing the job right the first time and leaving the structure better than it was initially or something that will last is what Butler strives for with his business. Underscoring that you get what you pay for is the message that Commercial Roofing shares with its customers. Butler cited Duro Last, GAF Corporation, John Mansville Roofing, and Atlas Shingles among products of value used by his business. “Atlas Shingles contain more copper than limestone filler. Atlas has also teamed up with 3M and added Scotch Guard to their product to help protect against some of the weathering marks or stains you see on roofs from limestone filled shingles,” Butler said. Any business venture that has lasted for nearly three decades has faced its share of successes and challenges. Commercial Roofing is no exception. Butler indicates that finding room for expansion and the economic downturn of 2008 as challenges they have had to overcome. Butler credits the City of Grain Valley for being cooperative in supporting expansion of his business after considering the Blue Springs area as a place for growth. “We ran into the logistics of just not having enough room and Grain Valley was accommodating in allowing us to purchase land behind us and the building next door so we could expand. Making sure you have the room you need to grow is important,” Butler said. “Business was good prior to 2008. Even 2008 and 2009 were not that bad for me. The recession then kicked in and caused the coffers to dwindle. Luckily, we had saved and were able to get through that period prior to the business getting back to growing.” Commercial Roofing’s longevity and success have been built on hiring quality people. Butler does not hesitate in the slightest when describing how important they are to the wellbeing of what he does. “You try to do right by your clients. Word of mouth is the best advertising. If you do something poorly, people are going to talk. Ten percent of people will compliment for what you do well. Ninety percent of people aren’t going to hesitate to talk if they have a bad experience. You don’t want people in your community, family, and church to be talking about a bad experience with their roof,” Butler said. “We want to treat people like family. How you treat people matters. I tell our team members all the time to be aware that they are wearing our shirts and driving our trucks whether they are on or off the clock. We emphasize who you are and how you act matters. Do the job like you are doing it for a member of your family. Hopefully, we have delivered what the customer has paid for. That’s important.” Not ignoring leaks and taking preventative measures are two ways to make your current roof last according to Butler. He encourages people to keep their gutters clean as well as being aware of any vegetation growing in or around their gutters. Trees overhead left untrimmed can provide a bridge for animals to have access to your roof as well. Annual inspections of your roof, especially if you’ve experienced a storm with hail or high winds, are also a way to avoid costly headaches later on. Commercial Roofing Services is located at 315 James Rollo Dr. in Grain Valley, MO. You can reach them via phone at 816-228-5588 or www.commercialroofingsvc.com. Sponsored advertisement Jeff Butler, President of Commercial Roofing Services, has served customers from his Grain Valley location for the past 27 years.
Photo credit: Valley News staff by Marcia Napier, Grain Valley Historical Society Within an 8-mile radius of Grain Valley there are no less than sixteen cemeteries of which I am aware. In addition, there are a few family plots which I’ve only heard about in conversations with some of the long-time “locals.” About half of the cemeteries are fairly large, but some are quite small. I suspect the smaller ones were originally family plots with a few neighbors or close friends among the gravesites.
Except for two, all of the local cemeteries have graves which date back to the mid-1800s. Therefore, they would all be “historical,” as early pioneers are buried within their gates. In Pearl Wilcox’s book, Jackson County Pioneers, one can learn about the early settlers to this area. They came mostly from North Carolina, Virginia and Kentucky to settle in spots like Sibley, Pink Hill and Stony Point. Green’s Chapel Cemetery is located northeast of Grain Valley on Steinhauser Road. Established in 1834, I believe it to be one of the oldest cemeteries in the county. It was established adjacent to Green’s Chapel Methodist Church which existed more than 40 years before the Methodist Episcopal Church South at Pink Hill. The original stone church was falling down so it was replaced in the late 1800’s. When the property was sold, the church was moved to a location on the south side of Highway 24 just east of Fort Osage High School. The current owner of the property, Mr. Stanley, was told that slaves were buried in unmarked graves next to the stone wall on the east side of the cemetery and across the road by the church on the south side of the cemetery. Samuel Dickinson appears to have been the first person buried at Green’s Chapel Cemetery in 1834. He was born in Virginia in 1797 and came to Missouri with his wife Nancy (Pollette) in 1820. After his death Nancy, and their six children moved to California. Other gravesites in the cemetery bare the names of some of Jackson County’s earliest pioneers. Among the names are Adams, Campbell, Harra, Grubb, Hanna, Neer, and Murphy. St. Clair Cemetery is in a field at the top of a hill on East Holloway Road, north of Grain Valley. The little cemetery is no more than 20 feet square and appears to have fewer than 20 gravesites. The first grave is that of Mary Elizabeth St. Clair McFarlane (1833-1853) who died from childbirth. She was the eldest child of Robert and Elmira St. Clair. Robert St. Clair (1807-1869) and his wife Elmira (Hewett) were married in Bedford Virginia in 1832. The St. Clair family (Robert, Elmira, and six children) drove from Roanoke County, Virginia, to Jackson County in the fall of 1843. They located in a one-room log cabin with a loft where the children slept. Eventually St. Clair obtained five land patents totaling 1000 acres one mile north of Pink Hill. They increased the family to 10 children (5 boys and 5 girls) and built a 12-room house which was destroyed by fire when the Kansas Red Legs burned most of the town following Order No. 11. Three of the sons, Charles, J. H. and Harvey, served with the Confederate army during the Civil War. Harvey was killed during the Battle of Port Gibson, Mississippi. Mrs. St. Clair died in 1865, just one day after the elder two sons returned home from the war. Mr. St. Clair died on April 10, 1869 from gangrene. His arm had to be cut off after he was shot just above the elbow. Perhaps that’s a story for another time! Next Week: Is William Quantrell’s wife buried near Grain Valley? The following information is derived from the Grain Valley Police Department daily calls for service log for the week of July 31 - August 6, 2019.
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