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by Wayne Geiger As I walk into the room, there are chairs in a circle. I take my place among them. One by one we begin to introduce ourselves. “Hi, I’m Wayne,” I say. “I’m a micromanager.” “Hi Wayne,” the group says in monotonic unison.
As the discussion begins, I study the agenda as a scientist would study bacteria in a petri dish. I notice several grammatical mistakes that make me wince. I also notice that points two and three would work better if they were flipped. “I’m sure it was a simple error” I say to myself, and add excitedly, “Hey, maybe they need someone to help with the agenda!” The energy in the room is electric and conversation is in high gear. We’re all getting along well. However, at some point, the dialogue begins to wander off topic. I cannot help myself. An uncontrollable urge incites me to lift my hand and say to our leader, “I feel like we’re wandering off topic and won’t make it to point 3 by the end of our session. Do you think we should try to get back on task?” My enthusiasm is not shared by the group. Such is the life of a micromanager. It’s a blessing and a curse. I’m happy to proclaim, I’m a recovering micromanager. There are many problems with being a micromanager. Here’s what I feel are the top three: The problem of pride: As a recovering micromanager, I used to think to myself, “Nobody can do it like it needs to be done. I just have to do it myself.” What I was suggesting was, “I’m the one who sets the standard for excellence.” That’s an extremely prideful declaration. Over time, I learned that my attitude was the problem. I got one of those emails recently that I just love. It was from one of the guys on our tech team. A dedicated volunteer who works with our audio podcast and video and content upload. As a former manager of a radio station, I have a passion for these things and helped with the audio editing and upload. The gist was, “Hey Wayne,” he said, “I just wanted to let you know that we’ve integrated the audio and video and it’s something that I can do on a weekly basis.” At first, I thought, “I really love helping in this area and will miss it.” And then I thought, “Wow! I don’t have to do this anymore!” I was truly overwhelmed and thankful that someone was able to take this task off my plate—especially since they have the passion and gifting to do it better than I ever could. In truth, I don’t always have the best idea. Thus, I have learned the value of teamwork, brainstorming, and delegating. Lots of people working together means lots of good ideas. I love it when everyone can brainstorm an idea and then everyone can share the credit. As Pink Floyd says, “All and all we’re just another brink in the wall.” Being a brick in the wall is a good thing. Thinking you are the only brick, not so much. The problem of productivity: You’ve probably seen the trick of someone attempting to spin several different plates on top of sticks. It’s fun to watch. The challenge is keeping all the plates spinning so that they don’t wobble and fall. This takes constant maintenance. The person must run from plate to plate and the maintenance never stops. According to a November 2014 Harvard Business Review, “While micromanaging may get you short-term results, over time it negatively impacts your team, your organization, and yourself.” The plates come crashing down. As a recovering micromanager, I found that when I micromanaged, I would have to pull myself away from something I was doing to perform a task that someone else was supposed to be doing. This led to frustration, anger, and resentment. There are some things that I am responsible for and only I can do. For example, as the pastor of First Baptist Church, I am responsible for general oversight. This can be a daunting task. I’m thankful for caring and qualified folks who love the Lord and lead various teams. They ensure that the work gets done and that God gets the glory. There are some things that I do that no one else is responsible to do. For example, every Sunday morning, I am called and commissioned with the privilege to address our congregation with a lesson from the Bible. That’s my calling—my work. The research and preparation take hours each week. That’s a task that only I can do. If my week is filled with doing everybody else’s job and I have not adequately done my job, I have only myself to blame and everyone suffers. The plates come crashing down. The problem with people: There’s a phrase that I picked up some years ago and have incorporated into my daily life: “Many times, people are not the problem. The problem is the process.” I truly believe this. You may object and I understand. For years, I worked in management. I truly understand that sometimes, people in an organization just won’t or can’t complete a task that they are given. At times, these are great people that are just on the wrong seat on the bus. At other times, people are just on the wrong bus. But, as a recovering micromanager, I found that oftentimes, the problem was the process. By doing a task that someone else should be doing, I prevented them from growing to their full potential. I just didn’t know it. In fact, I didn’t even really realize I was doing it. According to one survey, 79% of employees said they'd been micromanaged on the job. However, 91% of their managers were unaware that they were micromanaging. I wasn’t trying to be mean. As a control freak, I just felt it would be quicker if I just did it myself rather than having to teach someone else how to do it. I thought I was being nice. This led to misunderstanding, mistrust, and hard feelings. Thankfully, over time, I learned to invest myself in people and empower them with the time and resources necessary to complete the task. Now, I’ve learned rather than fixing it myself or by beginning with the solution and saying, “Please fix this thing this way and do it by Tuesday;” I’ve reframed by language by saying, “Here’s the issue we’re facing. In the past, this is what we have done. What ideas do you have of how we can fix the issue?” Oftentimes, the solution is better than I could have ever imagined. It’s a team effort and a win/win. It’s impossible to discuss modern civilization without talking about the influence of the Romans. Most of the time, when we think of ancient Rome, we think about the military, the roads or political structure. There’s another contribution the Romans have made that deserves mention: Roman architecture. One of the things that the Romans gave us was the arch. Before Rome, like in the times of the Greeks, buildings were impressive on the outside, but they used columns and lintels for support. The structure was simple, and the interior was not impressive because it was limited by support. The Romans, however, began to experiment with the use of arches and different types of concrete. By using arches, the weight was not upon the lintels, but was evenly distributed among the individual bricks. Each brick supported another brick—thus distributing the weight evenly. Their buildings showed amazing strength and beauty. And such is the value of a team: evenly distributed responsibility, amazing strength, and a beautiful product. Micromanagers often say, “I just have to do it myself.” As a recovering micromanager, I understand that I can’t do it alone—nor am I meant to. I choose to involve others in the process and I no longer have to bear the burden. Overcoming micromanagement is not easy, but it is worth it. It produces more friends, a better product, and it saves a lot of money in having to buy new plates. 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. by Cathy Allie I recently read an entry from a blogger who had done a take-off on the old Then God Made a Farmer, and called it Then God Made a Coach’s Wife. I felt my eyes mist over, and I looked around to see if anyone would witness my tears. It was not that I was so moved by the blogger’s words, but I was so hysterical with laughter, I had reached the point of tears.
The beautiful story tells how the wife smiles with pride at her husband as he coaches, greets family and friends at the game, and prays with him over dinner for the success of his team and for his profession. I suppose I have done each of those things once or twice, but the life of a coach’s wife is a little different from my perspective. Most people assume that it is like Friday Night Lights, where Coach Taylor and Tammy breeze through the season with reckless abandon to win a championship despite romanticized hardships. Or perhaps people were fans of the Craig T. Nelson sitcom Coach, and assume my husband is just a dumb, fumbling jock. Most seasons don’t really end in championships, and most coaches are actually very smart tacticians. Through it all, coach’s wives build a resume and skill sets no one could ever imagine. High on the resume would be the ability to bite through one’s tongue to keep from speaking out of turn. I have holes the size of craters in mine, but I also have some failures at holding back. I have successfully NOT expressed my opinion to my husband on offensive strategy and special teams play, to 6th grade parents who tell me about the future Division I athlete who lives with them, and to the uninformed friend who believes there is an off-season. And for the MOST part, I have not replied to the bleacher critics who throughout more than 23 seasons have called my husband everything except tall. A couple of my comebacks to critics would have earned me a sideline warning for sure. I have also had to tell the truth to the adorable, perky girlfriends of the young coaches, who don’t yet realize this life is not for the faint of heart. “Run! Run like the wind! Get out while you can!” I whisper in their naïve ears, as they don jerseys and wave pompons despite the perils that await them. Also high on the resume would be the ability to pack a car for everything from 95 degree game starts to freezing weather. Once when my husband’s team was deep in the playoffs, there were actually cattle warnings, which to those of us not from rural areas means your cows could die if you leave them out. I can visualize their hooves frozen to the ground as I write, a piece of icy grass cud breaking off one of their molars. But I watched that game from start to finish because that is what coach’s wives do. I have waterproof clothing, blankets in school colors, blankets with thermal linings, seat liners, cleaning wipes, waterproof boots, extra stocking caps and hand warmers. Likewise, I have cooling towels and fans that attach to cell phones. I have an assortment of seats ranging from cushioned to pop up to canvas chairs, as you just never know what you will need. My favorite football accessory is an umbrella hat. Yep, a hat with an attached umbrella, in my current team’s colors. On my resume you will also find the ability to double and even triple recipes and use a crock pot to make enough food to feed coaches and their families most weeks following the game. This means my house has to be clean on Fridays, after a full week of everybody dropping clothes and bags on every available surface. Whose house is clean on Friday? It takes away all the joy of making everybody hustle around on Saturday mornings to clean up, like my mom did back in the day. I never knew my sharp elbows would come in handy, but they are now on my resume, as I have used them in the following manner during football season: to elbow my way into a crowd rushing for seats at the state championship when my daughter was in a stroller, to push my way forward at the meat counter to grab enough pork tenderloin to feed 25, and sadly, to keep my husband awake at church on Sundays, because frankly we love Jesus, but the season is a tiring grind. There are some perks to being a coach’s wife for sure. You never have to worry about whether there will be enough space on your DVR to record any shows you want to watch because A.) it is already full of games he is recording, and B.) you are home alone enough to be able to watch whatever you want whenever you want. Another perk is exercise. Most weeks I climb the full height of the bleachers to find the one space where when the wind is just right, I cannot hear all the bleacher coaches. My calves are fabulous! Being a coach’s wife has developed my sense of humor, as well. I crack up at the shirts that say things like Dibs on the Coach, It’s a Coach’s Wife Thing, Mrs. Coach, or Bleachers and Bling, I Wear the Coach’s Ring. No coach’s wife I know really wants to have her identity known. We are just walking around hoping not to be recognized by the smell of testosterone that clings to us from kissing and hugging the coach goodbye that morning so he can head off to spend another 8 hours with somebody else’s kid (this is where a sarcasm font would be so handy). On a somewhat related note, I have had a recurring dream lately where I am opening my front door, and I let my husband in and introduce him to our daughter. “This is your father,” I say in a Darth Vaderish voice, because he has hardly seen her since Tuesday. She finds it very funny, and he does not. I also find humor in those moments like during the NCAA basketball tournaments when the camera zooms in on the coach’s wife during a particularly close game or an overtime contest. I just wish they would show the thought bubble above the wife’s head, because I already know her internal dialogue. “Are you serious? Regulation time is not enough time to get this done?” or “I can shoot better than that kid!” or “I cannot remember if hubby’s contract has bonuses for the next round, but it isn’t looking good”. One of the best laughs I have had about coaching was when once upon a time, a now defunct local sports station did a feature on a coach’s wife, and how it felt to be in the midst of all that excitement. Her husband was having a record-setting, winning season and was receiving accolade after accolade. She was so cute, and all her kids were dressed in appropriate spirit wear. The interviewer asked her if it felt good to be reaching such a lofty goal. She didn’t miss a beat, surprising the interviewer when she said, “Well, that’s my husband’s goal. I am just trying to get the kids on regular schedule for bed time and get laundry done.” Hilarious! And that was during a winning season. If you want a juicy interview, come see me some time when we are in the throes of a 3-6 campaign. My second best laugh happened just a week or so ago, when a friend forwarded me a funny quote from Coach Elroy “Crazy Legs” Hirsch, a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and an actor (go figure). He said, “Hollywood made a movie of my life. In one scene, they had me proposing to my wife on the football field. I would never misuse a football field that way.” My husband isn’t quite as much of a fanatic as Crazy Legs, but when he complained about our annual family picture being taken in beautiful wooded settings or against an urban feel brick wall, I let him choose our next photo shoot location. Once I convinced the photographer that we were actually taking our photos at the football field, she did a great job of capturing the 50-yard line and goal posts for the perfect contrast to our smiling faces. I have some fond memories from my years as a coach’s wife. When my husband used to have to maintain an old grass field, and sometimes place the white yard lines on it himself, he would strap our daughter’s car seat to the field liner with elastic ties, and the two of them would set off to make the marks. They were a funny and heartwarming, if not janky, sight. Many of my husband’s former players are now coaches, and I love seeing them in action. Tons of fall Saturday afternoons have been spent road-tripping to see a college game of a former player, and for many years I kept a scrapbook of newspaper clippings which we flip through once in a while. My husband’s glass-half-full-optimist attitude has served him well and made me proud. At a football field far away, a wife is sitting in the bleachers, smiling down at a coach and waiting patiently for him to look up at her and wave. Dramatic, movie score quality music is playing in the background, when he turns and sees her, and she sheds a tear which she quickly wipes away with a rally towel from the Booster Club. The musical score hits a discordant note as we realize it’s an assistant coach who is waving, and her husband is already in the locker room. Better luck next season, Tammy! Cathy is a retired public school English teacher and Public Information Officer. by John Unrein The Grain Valley Eagles Football team attained a running clock with a 35-point lead during the third quarter against the Ruskin Eagles in route to their 35-0 victory on Friday, October 18th. The Eagles defense was relentless in their shutout effort. Grain Valley forced Ruskin to punt the football eight times during the game prior to time running out during their ninth and final possession.
A familiar wrecking crew among the Eagles defense was responsible for the dominance. Senior Linebacker Seth Dankenbring had two tackles for loss in the first half. Not to be outdone was his counterpart in Junior Linebacker Hunter Newsom, who also recorded a tackle for a loss during the first half that he teamed with a quarterback sack at the seven-minute mark of the third quarter inside Ruskin’s own ten-yard line. Newsom also chipped in on special teams as he weaved his way through Ruskin’s blocking on a punt return at the nine-minute mark of the second quarter. The heady play by Newsom off Junior Parker Bosserman’s 50-yard punt pinned Ruskin at their own four-yard line. Also present for the party was Senior Defensive Tackle Steele Blackmon who provided two quarterback pressures on Ruskin’s quarterback. Including a pass rush at the two-minute mark of the second quarter that directed Ruskin’s signal caller into the waiting arms of Grain Valley defenders. Eagles Head Football Coach David Allie was delighted with the way his defense performed under the direction of Defensive Coordinator Pete Carpino. “Our defense had them schemed correctly. Looking back at film last year, we would hold them and then they would break a big play against us. We prevented them from having that big play tonight. Us smothering them in the passing game helped tremendously as well. We swarmed to the football tonight,” Allie said. Grain Valley’s offense was also assertive early on during the football game. The Eagles took advantage of Ruskin’s aggressive two high safety look, using play action passing to their advantage. On two separate occasions Grain Valley would fake the run to have Ruskin’s play side safety fill downhill. This allowed Eagles wide receivers to run open down the seam of the defense. Junior Quarterback Cole Keller and Junior Wide Receiver Parker Bosserman would be the beneficiaries of what Allie had noticed from watching film in game planning for Ruskin. Keller would connect with Bosserman on play action passes for 49- and 41-yard touchdown completions during the first and second quarters respectively. Grain Valley’s quarterback confidently delivered the football on the evening. Keller would go 6 for 9 through the air with 123 passing yards and two touchdown strikes. Furthermore, he would also add 40 yards rushing on the ground and a touchdown. Jet sweep option is one of Keller’s favorite running plays that is a staple of the Eagles offense. Keller’s accurate read of the defensive end man on the line of scrimmage allowed him to boldly scoot down hill for a 16-yard touchdown run with 4:13 left in the second quarter. “We knew that Ruskin was going to come out and expect us to run the football. That’s been our identity. Their safeties bit on our run action. I knew that Parker is good enough to beat the corner and threw it up to him so he could do his thing,” Keller said. “Jet sweep option is also a really good play for us. It’s been successful all year. We have a seventy five percent efficiency rating on it. The end defender on the line for them is in a bind in who he should take, and I get to read it correctly. Our offensive line does a good job of getting up to the second level of the defense and away one of us (the slot receiver or myself) goes. I’m a big giraffe who’s not real shifty. I’m fast but not quick. I like to make one cut and run vertical.” Bosserman’s contributions in the victory were also notable. The slot receiver for the Eagles would haul in four passes for 109 yards and two touchdowns. Bosserman would also add one rush on the ground off jet sweep good for 15 yards. “I believed in my teammates coming into this game. It’s all about confidence. Tonight, we had it and did our jobs,” Bosserman said. Other impactful offensive performers for the Eagles included Running Back Jamore Goulden. The senior ball carrier would contribute 127 yards on 16 carries and a touchdown on the ground. It was the second week in a row that Goulden’s efforts would help his team rack up the time of possession advantage in aiming to control the tempo of the game. Allie was satisfied with the way his team maintained focus and executed throughout two halves of play. “We threw the football like we practiced throughout the week tonight. We were also able to run the football outside against a speedy defense. Jet sweep option was good to us in providing chunks of yardage,” Allie said. Grain Valley improves to a 5-3 record on the season with their win. They will next travel to Raytown South to face the Cardinals on Friday, October 25th. The Class 4, District 7 matchup will have implications in helping to determine who will be Grain Valley’s Week 10 opponent based on Missouri State High School’s Activities Association (MSHSAA’s) computer formula. by John Unrein Senior Night was made memorable for Senior Setter Jessica Slater due to her individual effort as well as the determination of her teammates. The Grain Valley Eagles Girls Volleyball team bettered their communication, tempo, fundamentals, and execution during the last two sets of play to come back and win 2 games to 1 against the visiting Winnetonka Griffins on Wednesday, October 23rd.
Slater expressed her gratitude for her teammates and the win she enjoyed on her home court during Senior Night. “Tonight, I just wanted to go out and give it my all. It’s my last game ever played in Grain Valley on this court. I knew my teammates had it in them to come back and make sure we win. I just approached tonight with an open mind knowing anything can happen,” Slater said. “I am so thankful for this season and to get to play with such a great group of girls. I will miss this team. This group is so young, it’s been fun to watch them grow and they have improved throughout the season.” Slater was successful in masking where she would set the ball throughout play. The senior would use her peripheral vision to identify the approach of her teammates to the net and not give away which direction she would set the ball with the axis of her body until impact on her hands. Slater kept an even keel during competition with upbeat body language and positive words for her teammates. Other solid contributors for the Eagles included Junior Setter Tabitha Kerns and Sophomore Outside Player Olivia Williams. Lady Eagles Head Volleyball Coach Kelsey Carver was thrilled with the way her team fought back on their home court as well as the grit showed by Slater, Kerns, and Williams in their victory. “It makes a big difference for our offense to have setters like Jessica and Tabitha. If your setter gives away where they’re going with the ball too early it makes it all the more difficult for your attackers to score,” Carver said. “Both of those girls are quiet leaders who really pull the team together out there. They lead by example and behind the scenes with their actions and positive words. It’s not a loud outspoken thing. More a display of their confidence and determination.” Williams toughness was on display as it was a game time decision if she would participate due to an injury to her ankle. The sophomore battled through pain to obtain numerous digs on the floor and spikes over net until the redness of her face matched the marks on her legs. Williams also held serve for the Eagles for three and four points during the second and third sets respectively. Carver was complimentary of the resilience displayed by Williams. “Olivia was not full speed tonight. She was hurting and showed a lot of perseverance. It can be easy to shut down when your injured, especially towards the end of the season. She did not want to sit out and you couldn’t tell that she was injured if you didn’t already know. I applaud her toughness and the contributions she put forward to help us win,” Carver said. Blocks at the net and getting them closed along with continuing to improve serves are areas Carver would like her team to continue to focus on prior to their next match against the Truman Patriots on Monday, October 28th. An evening of spooky fun is promised for trick or treaters at the annual Trail or Treat event sponsored by the City of Grain Valley on Friday, October 25th at Butterfly Trail Park. The free event will be held from 6:30pm—8:30pm. Attendees are encouraged to bring non-perishable food items and personal care items for the Grain Valley Assistance Council. According to Grain Valley Assistance Council Site Director Donna Compton, the organization is in need of the following items: shampoo/conditioner body wash deodorant shaving cream paper products, including paper towels, toilet paper, Kleenex. jelly in plastic jars canned meat boxed dinners canned fruit More than 30 local businesses and organizations will be stationed along the trail distributing treats. Attendees can also enjoy a haunted hayride, silly slides, the gruesome graveyard, and more. Parking is available in several areas at the trail site. In addition, overflow parking is available at OOIDA (see page 5 for event parking map). For more information on the Grain Valley Assistance Council, visit www.grainvalleyassistancecouncil.org. The City of Grain Valley’s Trail or Treat event returns to Butterfly Trail Park Friday, October 25th from 6:30pm—8:30pm. Attendees to this free event are asked to bring non-perishable food or toiletry items to benefit Grain Valley Assistance Council. Photo credit: City of Grain Valley Overflow parking for the October 25th Grain Valley Trail or Treat event will be available at the OOIDA parking lot. The image above identifies parking lots and trail entrances for the event which begins at 6:30pm. The event is free; attendees are asked to bring canned goods or personal care items for Grain Valley Assistance Council. Image courtesy: City of Grain Valley.
Central Jackson County Fire Protection District (CJCFPD) and the American Red Cross partnered on Saturday, October 19th on a detector blitz in two areas in Blue Springs and Grain Valley, installing 85 smoke alarms. Volunteers replaced old detectors at no cost to the homeowner.
In two separate houses, volunteers encountered smoke alarms from the mid-’70s and mid-’80s. Fire officials recommend all smoke alarms be replaced every 10 years. Residents who were not located in this years targeted areas but need smoke alarms may call 816-229-9118 and schedule an installation with the CJCFPD Community Risk Reduction Bureau-Fire Division. Residents should note that CJCFPD cannot switch out or replace electric smoke alarms. The Grain Valley Police Department is hosting a National Drug Take Back and document shredding event on Saturday, October 26, 2019 at Grain Valley City Hall, 711 Main Street.
The shredding event will be held from 9:00am—Noon for Grain Valley businesses and residents. Up to three bags or boxes may be turned in for secure shredding. Proof of residency is required. The National Drug Take Back event will be held at City Hall from 10:00am—2:00pm. All prescription and over-the –counter medications will be accepted for safe disposal. No syringes will be accepted. No questions will be asked. For more information on the Drug Take Back or shredding event, call 816-847-6250 or email info@cityofgrainvalley.org. Adding a gate to the front of your property may be about more then just aesthetics. A gated entrance increases a home’s value in many ways. The curb appeal created by the design and craftsmanship of a fence with a gate that provides a sense of safety tends to catch the eyes of a passerby. That’s why investment by property owners in a quality fence and gate maximizes the value of a home.
Realty Times cited in February of 2017 five ways a gate can enhance your home’s appeal: Greater curb appeal. You only get one chance to make a first impression, which is why curb appeal is so important. Anyone who pulls up to your home will immediately form an opinion about your property, usually in those first few seconds after arrival. What they’ll notice is an overall sense of style and quality created by the combination of factors like landscaping, property maintenance and so on. You can greatly enrich your curb appeal with a gated entrance. Thanks to its eye-catching, commanding nature, a gated entrance becomes the first thing new visitors see. When chosen to complement your home’s architecture and overall property design, it can also be a wonderful finishing touch to your exterior appeal. Increased property security. Enclose your property with fencing and a gate, and you immediately create a physical deterrent to unauthorized visitors. This means before someone — solicitors, political campaigners, marketers or other uninvited individuals — can walk on your driveway or approach your front door, he or she must get past the gate. Likewise, a gated entry communicates an investment in security that many guests will assume extends to more security measures inside. This sense of enhanced security further adds value in the minds of potential buyers, who recognize the protection a gated entrance provides. A prestigious feel. It’s hard to put a price on the luxury feel a gated entrance gives your home. Because it’s a high-end feature typically afforded only to high-priced homes, a gated entrance tends to communicate an upscale feel. This likewise adds a sense of value to your home, bumping it into the ranks of estates and luxury properties. Protection for kids and pets. Just as important as keeping unauthorized visitors out is keeping your pets and little ones in. A gated entrance helps you do just that: It keeps your children and pets from accidentally running into the street or being approached by strangers, by creating a barrier from the world outside your property. More privacy. Whether you already live in the country or are in the middle of a hectic city, adding a property fence with an entry gate is an excellent way to increase your home’s privacy. Enjoy time on your lawn without worrying about everybody watching. Step outside without having to talk to the neighbor who’s walking by. To give yourself greater privacy at home, a gated entrance is an excellent choice. Christopher Williams and Kathryn Zumwalt started Williams Gates Services in Grain Valley in April of 2018. Both Williams and Zumwalt grew up in and are residents of Eastern Jackson County. Their regard for this community, geographical knowledge of the area, and the people they know and have met is why they wanted to establish their roots here. Williams has been involved in the gate industry since 2005. He first started his professional career working for a garage door and fencing company during the day and working at a restaurant at night. Falling in love with the access control portion of the gate automation section of the fencing industry is what first sparked the idea in Williams that he might want to start his own business in the trade at some point. Further confidence was provided from growing up on a farm and learning how to mend or replace fencing at a young age. “The automation control and gate access of fencing has intrigued me because there’s almost always something new you encounter every day. I’ve learned a lot and continue to do so a decade later in this business. I’m still as excited about what I do now as when I first started,” Williams said. “Having an automated gate keeps out undesirable trespassing. Gates and fencing provide people with a sense of security and convenience with the push button aspect of automation when opening and closing a gate. Property value increases with a good looking gate that may also display a sense of pride one has in their family name or something unique about their property they want to display.” Ornamental or custom gates and fencing are the most popular item Williams Gates Service sells. Williams has options that fit most budgets and examples can easily be found on their website or within their portfolio. Options available to customers include everything from prefabricated to custom built gates (a host of options abound from tube style farm gates, pivot gates, to chain link fencing). “There’s an abundance of gate operator manufacturers. They are all in competition. It’s kind of like buying a car or washing machine. A vast variety exists to choose from,” Williams said. “The newer electromechanical machines will have D/C motors in them with battery backup built in already. So, if you have a power outage, you’re not losing security as your gate will still function for a certain amount of cycles. A lot of the machines we sell like the high security Lift Master, Allomatic, or Door King have manufactured their operators with D/C motors so that is has ample power while being able to convert to solar as well.” Williams Gate clients have included local property management companies, farms, lawn companies, and private residences. Service calls, maintenance plans, as well as installation makes up the case load. Williams is a certified IDEA Gates System Designer and Gates Operator Installer. Williams Gate Services may be found online at www.williamsgateservices.com or at 621 NW Valley Ridge Circle, Suite C in Grain Valley. They may also be reached by phone at 816-355-0327. by Marcia Napier, Grain Valley Historical Society Charlie Richard was inducted into the Baker University Athletic Hall of Fame in 1995, the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame in 1995, the College Football Hall of Fame in 2004 as a coach, and the Grain Valley Sports Hall of Fame in 2017. He quarterbacked Grain Valley to a winning record in 1958 and William Jewell College to a 9-1 conference championship and national ranking in 1962. After coaching at Odessa and Moberly high schools, he was an assistant coach at Central Missouri State while he completed his master’s degree and Educational Specialist. In 1976, Richard became the football coach, track coach and athletic director at Highland (Kansas) Community College. Then, in 1980, Charlie became the head football coach at Baker University in Baldwin City, Kansas and, as they say, the rest is history. Charlie built the football program at Baker into one of the best small college programs in the nation compiling a 14-season record of 123-28-1. He led Baker to 11 Heart of America Athletic Conference championships, 10 NAIA playoff appearances and a victory in the 1985 Sunflower Bowl. Richard’s team won nine games nine times and, at the end of the 1994 season, had been ranked in the NAIA Top 25 for 128 consecutive weeks. He produced 32 All-Americans, 25 Academic All-Americans and was named the conference coach of the year six times. Charles Allen Richard was born on May 30, 1944 to William D. “Dub” and Charlene Stephenson Richard. He was the oldest of their three sons and grew up on the family dairy farm on Nebgen Road, south of Grain Valley. His roots run deep as the Richard family tree can be traced back to the Dennis and Martha Costigan, one of the first families in Eastern Jackson County. Charlie’s mother was the youngest of the Stephenson family. Her oldest sister taught at Oak Hill School in 1913 & 14. Les and Lloyd Stephenson (Stephenson’s Apple Orchard and Restaurant 1946-2007) were first cousins. Charlie graduated from Grain Valley High School in 1959. In perusing the 1959 Treasure Chest yearbook, his photo turned up on many activity pages. Charlie was on the newspaper staff, the yearbook staff, student council vice-president, National Honor Society vice-president, the senior play, football, basketball, track and Lettermen’s Club. In addition to all of these activities, perhaps his greatest high school accomplishment, Charlie was valedictorian of the Class of 1959. The Grain Valley Historical Society Museum is located at 506 South Main Street and online at www.grainvalleyhistory.com. Charlie Richard, a 1959 GVHS graduate, was inducted in the College Football Hall of Fame in 2004 and the Grain Valley Sports Hall of Fame in 2017.
Photo courtesy Grain Valley Historical Society. $200,000+ in Scholarships Available for Students in 2020; Application Deadline December 31st10/24/2019
Truman Heartland Community Foundation (THCF) invites applications for the more than $200,000 in scholarships available for students.
“In addition to stand-alone applications, students can submit a general scholarship application and we will match them with more than 200 scholarships that they may be eligible to receive,” Rachael Cassiday Watkins, Truman Heartland’s Director of Programs and Donor Services said. The deadline for Truman Heartland’s general scholarship application is December 31, 2019. Applicants have until February 1st to submit additional documents for each scholarship that is a potential match. Scholarships may require additional items, including, but not limited to, transcripts with final fall 2019 grades, essays, letters of reference or statements about participation in certain activities. Some scholarships are not included in the general scholarship application. Deadlines and requirements for these stand-alone scholarships vary. In 2019, Truman Heartland awarded $319,000 in scholarships to 214 local students. Scholarships are available for students pursuing undergraduate, graduate, and technical degrees. Visit https://www.thcf.org/Scholarships to learn more and begin the application process. For questions or assistance with scholarships, please contact Rachael Cassiday Watkins at watkins@thcf.org or 816-912-4185. |
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