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by John Unrein “Prove it.” That was the motto put forth by Grain Valley Eagles Head Football Coach David Allie and his staff in the week leading up to their game against the visiting Kearney Bulldogs. Prove that the team will not lick their wounds from the previous loss. Prove the capability to beat more than the team’s critics think you can beat on the schedule. Prove that we belong in this conference by defeating a physical and respected program with a tradition of winning. Allie’s team did indeed prove it with their win over the Bulldogs by a score of 15-7 on Friday, October 11th. Kearney came to Moody Murray stadium with a 4-2 record, eager to build off the success they had enjoyed this season within the Suburban Conference. The Eagles defense and special team units were opportunistic and stingy. Individual efforts abounded at key moments in the game that allowed Grain Valley to keep or shift momentum in their favor with key plays. Senior Defensive Back William Lanear was the first to answer the call with a critical interception to stop the Kearney drive at the goal line with 8:10 left in the second quarter. Lanear read the open receiver in the flat and darted from his safety position to secure the interception. Lanear had been a vocal leader on the Eagles sideline, keeping his teammates focused and in check during the time he missed with his injured left knee earlier in the season. That’s what made his contribution so special in not being able to hide his emotions after the game. “I was reading the quarterback on the interception and doing my job. Everything else was covered and I made the choice to floor it getting in front of the receiver. I tried to take it (the football) back and get every yard I could,” Lanear said. Senior Linebacker Seth Dankenbring was next in showing determination with his blocked punt at the 1:38 mark of the second quarter. Dankenbring was acrobatic in timing his leap over the trio of Bulldog shield punt protectors to end up horizontal in the air prior to extending his right hand. The block allowed the Eagles to take over possession of the football at the Kearney 37-yard line. “All season we have talked about looking for opportunities to change a game. Big plays on special teams changes the momentum of a game and can give your offense big opportunities. I saw the window for the block and went for it. I couldn’t have done it without everyone else,” Dankenbring said. Not to be out done by Lanear and Dankenbring was Junior Linebacker Hunter Newsom. Newsom put forth an acting effort worthy of Oscar Award winning consideration when he baited Kearney’s quarterback by staying back from the flat window after identifying that’s where the ball was headed. The outcome was an interception by Newsom as he stepped in front of the intended receiver and returned the football to Grain Valley’s own 48-yard line with 6:54 left in the third quarter. “Putting in the time before and watching film allows you to be prepared to make an interception like that. I knew when the running back came out that there would be a window to make a play and I had to time it by not showing in his sight (the quarterback) too early,” Newsom said. The last word in responding with big plays would come from Senior Defensive Tackle Steele Blackmon. Blackmon would sack Kearney Quarterback Ian Acosta on a huge 3rd down and 7 from the Eagles 41-yard line to stall Kearney’s drive dead in its tracks with 6:44 left in the game. Blackmon also displayed consistent leadership in walking away from extracurricular activity after the whistle on downs as well as not permitting his teammates to partake in trash talking that could lead to potential penalties. “The message all week was prove it. Coach was non-stop in communicating that to us. I wanted to do something big in helping us to win. The opportunity came with the sack late in the game,” Blackmon said. Allie was delighted to talk about the effort of his defense and the gem of a game plan produced by Defensive Coordinator Pete Carpino. “We have talked all season about the importance of turnover differential. Our defense handed us the football on multiple occasions. We were able to capitalize offensively on a couple of those. The play of our defensive line and our overall defensive unit in stopping the run was awesome tonight,” Allie said. “Offensively, we were able to throw the football in the flat and had success with short routes. Ultimately, there was determination by us to run the football through B gap. That happened with trap and ISO. We were able to get 15 points on the board.” The Eagles offensive efforts were boosted by the legs and right arm of Junior Quarterback Cole Keller. The eleven-minute mark of the 2nd quarter witnessed Keller keep the football on a mesh read in the backfield for a seven-yard scamper to the end zone. The ensuing two-point attempt was good on the handoff from Dankenbring to Senior Defensive Lineman Chance Pittman. Grain Valley would go up 8-7 and not surrender its lead. Later scoring by Grain Valley would include a touchdown pass from Keller to Junior Wide Receiver Parker Bosserman. Senior Jack Knust kicked the extra point. The ten-yard strike with :43 left in the first half would put the Eagles up 15-7. That would be all the scoring Grain Valley would need. The Eagles were able to drain the clock late in the game in part due to the rushing efforts of Senior Running Back Jamore Goulden. His 76 yards rushing on 14 carries were enough to help Grain Valley shorten the game. The win moves the Eagles to a 4-3 record on the season. The team will next travel to Ruskin High School on Friday, October 18th at 7pm. Senior Defensive Tackle Steele Blackmon and Junior Linebacker Hunter Newsom combine on the stop against the Kearney ball carrier. Photo credit: John Overstreet Left to right: Junior Linebacker Hunter Newsom, Senior Linebacker Seth Dankenbring, Senior Defensive Back William Lanear, and Senior Defensive Tackle Steele Blackmon.
Photo credit: Valley News staff Tasha Lindsey, Executive Director of the Grain Valley Partnership, presented the Partnership’s annual report to the Board of Aldermen during the Board’s October 14th meeting. Lindsey recently celebrated her second anniversary with the Grain Valley Partnership in August. The Grain Valley Partnership is the result of a merging of the Economic Development Corporation and the Chamber of Commerce. The organization focuses on networking and professional development, promotion of businesses, business resources to promote growth, and government relations support. “We want to guide and mentor new businesses as well as providing them with the resources they need. Furthermore, I want new and existing businesses in our community to feel comfortable with asking questions. We have a wealth of people that I can reach out to in finding answers for businesses from start up to exit strategy. I want to be a part of your business journey,” Lindsey said. Lindsey reported she has started work to become a certified economic development director and highlighted accomplishments and existing challenges for the Grain Valley Partnership. Accomplishments listed by Lindsey included building trust with businesses, creating programs that have added value for partnership members, visibility of the organization within the community, and adding 50 new business partners over the last two years. “Due to previous struggles and transitions along with the merger of two entities prior to my joining the organization, trust had been lost. Without the trust of the community and business owners, our progress would be stalled. Much work has been done to push out our brand and establish or re-establish relationships within the community,” Lindsey said. “Programs that have been created offer additional value to partnership businesses. Instead of just having a monthly luncheon that our small businesses may not be able to attend, we have also started doing after hours get togethers and Coffee Connections that have seen great results. Social media has also allowed us to identify who we are and gain exposure to our community.” Lindsey continued that the Partnership’s relationship with the Missouri Economic Development Council is getting stronger and mentioned the Council has an interest in touring Grain Valley and meeting with city officials. Grain Valley has seen continued population growth and is nestled along one of the busiest interstates in the United States. As the tagline on its website explains, the Partnership bills the city as the “The Gateway of the Kansas City Metro”. “The Missouri Department of Economic Development serves the entire state, including large communities like Kansas City and St. Louis. If these people are seeing us as someone they want to come meet and a community they want to explore, that means we’re being talked about in Jefferson City. This may be due to promotion through our State Representative Jeff Coleman, as that is a responsibility he has undertaken,” Lindsey said. Retention of partner businesses and growing the base of business partners were noted as focus areas for the organization. Lindsey closed her presentation with thanking the board for the current positive rapport between the City of Grain Valley and the Grain Valley Partnership. “There’s a respect level that is mutual between us and aids approachability for both sides. We understand that we must work together to grow Grain Valley in a beneficial capacity,” Lindsey said. For additional information on the Grain Valley Partnership and its services for local businesses, visit www.growgrainvalley.org. In other news, the board unanimously passed the first readings of two ordinances concerning Planning and Zoning. The first ordinance formalizes the appointment, term, roles, and functions of the Planning and Zoning Commission and the appointment of members to the Board of Adjustment. The second ordinance establishes a process for owners of lands adjoining on both sides of a right-of-way or easement to file application for said area to be vacated. The final ordinance establishes an application fee of $250 for vacation of right-of-way and utility easements. Assistant City Administrator Theresa Osenbaugh also reported on the upcoming Grain Valley Community Campus meeting to be held at Sni-A-Bar Elementary on October 29th from 6:30pm – 7:30pm. Osenbaugh indicated that Sapp Design’s updated master plan would be shared and city staff would be present to answer questions from community members. Childcare will be provided. “This campus is the community’s campus. The importance of this meeting is to look at the master site plans and give residents the chance to give feedback and help us decide what is most important to them. This is their chance to give that feedback before we move on to designs,” Osenbaugh said. Residents who are not able to attend the community meeting are welcome to ask questions and share feedback via www.envisiongrainvalley.com. Flyers regarding the Community Campus meeting will also be handed out at the city’s Trail or Treat event on Friday, October 25th. The next meeting of the Board of Aldermen will be held Monday, October 28th at 7:00pm. Tasha Lindsey, Executive Director of the Grain Valley Partnership, presented her organization’s annual report to the Board of Aldermen on October 14th.
Photo credit: Valley News staff The following information is derived from the Grain Valley Police Department daily calls for service log for the week of October 1-8, 2019.
by Marcia Napier, Grain Valley Historical Society In the late 1940s and early 1950s many small towns had men’s basketball teams allowing young alumni a chance to play on a recreational team. Some of these teams formed on their own and others were sometimes sponsored, usually by local merchants. Referred to as “town teams,” they would schedule games with other nearby towns. By 1950 my father, in his late thirties, was too old to play so he was the “coach.” I use the term loosely because today they would probably be described as a “pick-up” team. Most of his players had been outstanding high school players, and there were two or three that had played some small college basketball. Their designed plays were usually made up in the huddle and could more likely be thought of as “trick” plays. Grain Valley’s town teams were usually successful, often defeating their opponents from Blue Springs, Buckner, Levasy, Lone Jack, Oak Grove, Hardin, Polo and the likes. Then, during the 1953-54 season a women’s basketball team was formed. Known as Red Ridge Runners, I can remember twelve different women who played with the team at various times. They would practice in the school gymnasium one or two nights each week. Mildred and Charlie Napier owned the hardware store in town and sponsored the team, which meant they bought the pretty red uniforms with white belts and numbers, and they paid the league and tournament fees, occasionally with help from other merchants. Charlie was the coach and I believe Mildred could best be described as the team’s business manager. They joined a league which played at the Armory in Kansas City on Sunday afternoons. In 1955 they won the league play and earned the right to participate in a national tournament held at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City. Although Grain Valley lost in the first round, Louetta Snodgrass was the National Women’s Basketball Queen. Visit the Grain Valley Historical Society’s website at www.grainvalleyhistory.com and follow them on Facebook @grainvalleyhistory. Front Row: Virginia Ruth Tate, Doris Reeder, Naomi Fay Webb, Patsy Uptegrove Row Two: Charlie Napier, coach, Aleen Corn, Doris Jean Brown, Louetta Snodgrass, Mary Ellen Brown, Alice Anderton and Mildred Napier, manager. Photo credit: Grain Valley Historical Society The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education released results of the 2019 Annual Performance Report for districts on Thursday, October 17th, and Grain Valley once again received high marks.
The Missouri School Improvement Program (MSIP) was established in 1990 and is finishing its fifth cycle. The MSIP 5 Performance Standards are designed to recognize the achievement and growth of all Missouri students and are used as the basis of the Annual Performance Report (APR). The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education cites that one of the purposes of the APR is to meaningfully distinguish the performance of school buildings and school systems. For public school districts, the APR is important when considering accreditation. For charter schools, the APR is part of the sponsor’s renewal decisions. Until 2019, the MSIP 5 APR has used measures of student performance and a points system to distinguish the performance of school districts and charter schools. The points system provides a concise way to summarize the performance of public schools in the form of percentage of points earned. The format of the 2019 APR is both quite familiar and quite different from prior years. The APR continues to evaluate school performance against the performance standards previously used. Additionally, the calculations are the same as in the past. However, this year’s APR release will display both statistical and visual representations of how districts and charter schools perform rather than point totals and percentages. Each school district in Missouri has received feedback on five standards: Academic Achievement (includes Growth, Status, and Progress measures in aggregate summary); Subgroup Achievement (includes those subgroups that have historically performed below the state total – this is a single count of students from the following subgroups: Black, Hispanic, low income students, students with disabilities, and English learners); College and Career Readiness (college and career assessment data, college credit attained, and post-secondary placement); Attendance (attendance targets use the individual student’s proportional attendance rate and set the expectation that 90 percent of the students are in attendance 90 percent of the time); Graduation Rate (the four-, five-, six-, and seven-year graduation rates are calculated based on graduation year cohorts, and the better of the four is used for APR determination. The 2019 APR includes three years of data for each of the rates). Statistical and visual representations received by school districts across the five standards are provided in three key areas. They are growth (are students making gains over time), status (what levels are students achieving now), and progress (is the school, district, or charter making improvement over prior years). The idea being that feedback provided and reported does not stand on status alone. Status expectations are rated across four levels with the metrics reported to school districts by DESE. They are in ascending order “Floor, Approaching, On Track, and Target.” The Grain Valley School District received “On Track” status results for academic achievement and subgroup achievement in both English Language Arts and Mathematics for their 2019 APR report. Furthermore, the district received the result of “Exceeding” (the highest level possible) for Growth within Academic Achievement for English Language Arts. The school district’s APR results were rounded out with receiving the status result of “Target” (the highest level possible) for all three College and Career Readiness Subgroups, Attendance, and Graduation Rate. Dr. Marc Snow, Superintendent of the Grain Valley School District shared his overall thoughts on the school district’s performance. “We are pleased again this year with the performance of our schools and district on Missouri's Annual Performance Report (APR) measures. The APR reflects many practical predictors of student success and our schools again received high marks from the state in student academic performance, attendance, and measures of success after high school (labeled College and Career Readiness),” Snow said. Snow continued with how the district’s ongoing efforts are reflected in the results. “Our schools offer a well-rounded learning experience for students that includes an emphasis on the arts, athletics, and other extra-curricular activities, in addition to academic success. The state APR does not assess everything we value in Grain Valley, and we would not expect it to, but our students' performance in core academic subjects is very important to us and is reflected in the state report. Our students' performance in English/Language Arts was exceptional again in 2019. Subgroup achievement in English/Language Arts for students experiencing at-risk factors also met learning expectations in 2019. Mathematics achievement was solid again and, along with English/Language Arts, out-performed state averages. Although also assessed on Science in 2019, only individual student results in Science are available and are not yet included in the APR as these assessments are new. The attention our teachers and school administrators place on success after high school are again reflected in the state's feedback. The 2019 report shows 93.6% of our high school graduates are employed, in the military, or seeking further education six months after graduation. The scores also reflect high marks for the emphasis placed on student attendance, participation in rigorous advanced placement courses, and in developing the skills needed for success after high school.” School districts across Missouri are encouraged by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to examine their APR and assessment data in looking for opportunities for improvement. Snow remarked on how the Grain Valley School District is already involved in that process. “We will use the results of the APR to find ways to improve in the areas measured. We have curriculum work underway at this time and these teams of teachers will use the performance data from last spring to influence what and how we teach core subjects,” Snow said. “The individual needs of students extend well beyond state assessments. Consistently achieving results like our teachers and schools produce requires the full attention of a community of adults to the needs of our young people and to the personal challenges they face. We believe that when our students feel safe, challenged, and cared for, their attendance improves, and their full learning potential can be realized. Ongoing improvement is needed in our ability to identify the individual needs of each student and to respond accordingly. Continued growth in meeting the needs of the whole child is expected to translate in continued high academic achievement in state and other measures.” Snow also emphasized there is more to educating a child than just assessments and data. “We feel blessed to have supportive partnerships with our families and community to guide the young people in our schools trying to navigate their way into adulthood. As has been mentioned, no state report can tell the whole story, but it can reveal the general health and strength of a school district. The 2019 APR affirms for us that the state of our school district is strong.” by John Unrein Jorge Soler helped the Kansas City Royals make Major League Baseball history this past season. His 48 home runs allowed the organization to have their first American League Home Run Champion.
Soler shattered the past Royals record Mike Moustakas set of 38 home runs during the 2017 season. Moose had previously broken a landmark that stood for 32 years when he surpassed the 36 home runs struck by Steve Balboni during the 1985 season. The Hank Aaron Award is given every year to best overall offensive performer in each league. The award was introduced in 1999 to mark the 25th anniversary of Hank Aaron breaking Babe Ruth’s all-time home run record. Aaron along with a panel of fellow Hall of Famers will combine with a fan vote to determine this year’s winner for each league. Soler will be competing for this prestigious award with other notable American League names like Mike Trout, Alex Bergman, DJ LeMahieu, and Nelson Cruz. The winners of the 2019 Hank Aaron Award will be announced during the 115th World Series. Bringing home this prestigious award would be a first for any Kansas City Royals player. Being first is not something lost on Soler, as he topped Rafael Palmeiro for hitting the most home runs in a season by a Cuban born player. What makes Soler’s contention for this award so impressive is not that he has battled injuries in previous years in staying healthy (he played in all 162 games in 2019). And that he lacked significant protection in the lineup to avoid being pitched around until late in the season when Ned Yost moved him to the number two spot in the batting order sandwiched between names like Merrifield, Gordon, or Dozier. Nor that his OPS (on base plus slugging percentage combined) at .922 was the highest of the 27-year old’s major league career. Perhaps what makes Soler’s season so special was that he played 82 games at Kauffman Stadium. The home of the Royals ranks second in overall fair territory at 118,500 square feet per FanGraphs. The only other ballpark that’s larger in Major League Baseball is Coors Field with 119,200 square feet. Adding to Soler’s extraordinary season is that he hit 21 of his 48 home runs within the confines of Kauffman Stadium. FanGraphs cites that “Playing surfaces of the new generation of ball parks have generally contracted in size. There appears to be little argument about that – and the data supports it. The trend is thought to have played a role in the increasing rates of home runs due to tighter ballpark dimensions.” Modern baseball stadiums have greater amenities, less obstructed views, and wider concourses. However, they are also much more hitter friendly and pitcher adverse. That’s what makes Soler’s season so sensational. He hit almost half of his home runs at Kauffman Stadium. Adding to Soler’s remarkable season would be the plate discipline he developed as the season progressed along with the exit velocity of baseballs coming off his bat. Kansas City’s right fielder and designated hitter had a 107.3 MPH exit velocity during the 2019 season per MLB Statcast, good for the 13th best overall average in all of baseball. This propels Soler higher into elite company. His 117 Runs Batted In or RBI’s don’t hurt either. Many of these were sparked by the right-hand batter’s ability to lay off balls that were down and away in the strike zone during the second half of the season. Soler’s 73 walks were also the highest of his career. No doubt they were helped by his 679 plate appearances. Soler’s power is special. Yost was on record this season with saying the organization is not sure on the ceiling for his offensive potential. He definitely broke through any impeding barriers this season. It will be interesting to see what lies next for Soler and the Royals, including whether a contract extension will be in the works this offseason. by Michael Switzer, Pathways of Honor Local community groups supported the Homestyle Chili Cook-Off Competition held this past weekend at the Grain Valley Community Center Pavilion with nine teams in the competition. The teams were local businesses like “The Pest Chili Ever Team“ of Kevin Girtz, Nic and Samantha Bennett from Moxie Pest Control, local charity Purple Peace Foundation and Superwoman Stacey Perry, local resident Tiffany Null as “Team Tiffany” and Dave Null with the Deer Creek Sportsman Club. The “Blue Wave Team “was Chief James Beale, Capt. Scott Hedger, Sgt. Curtis VanderLinden and Kevin Bellmyer from our fine GVPD. City bragging rights were on the line so Mayor Mike Todd entered a team made of his wife Tosha and daughter Harper. The Central Jackson County Fire Protection District (CJCFPD) Team was also seeking bragging rights. Sni-Valley Fire District heard about the competition so Kenny Beal entered the “Beans 911 Team” and “Bonds Dream Team”. The judges Tasha Lindsay, Theresa Osenbaugh and Shelia Jones were ready with their spoons, cups, milk, water, crackers and enthusiasm to select the Champion, All-star and the Best Flavor Trophies. After tasting samples from all nine teams the Champion Trophy was awarded to the CJCFPD Team of Mark Clark, Glenn Helverson, Chris Helverson, Chief Jeff Grote. They awarded the All-Star Trophy to Deer Creek Sportsman Club Team, Dave Null. The Best Flavor Award was the most difficult for judges so they did a second taste off with two samples and the final judge’s trophy went to “Team Tiffany” Tiffany Null. The sponsors of the Chili Cook-Off, OOIDA and Valley Tax Service gave the Showmanship Trophy to “Team Tiffany” for Kansas City Chiefs themed booth. Everyone who purchased a tasting ticket could vote for the People’s Choice Trophy. After tasting the chili at the cook-off they marked their favorite team’s number on back of tickets and deposited the can at ticket desk. The People’s Choice Trophy was awarded to Mayor Mike Todd’s Team. Grain Valley Chiropractic LLC and Pathways of Honor feel fortunate that the predicted rain held off until the Chili Cook-Off was finished. A final reminder all funds raised by the event will go to finish construction of the Legacy Plaza Veterans Tribute here in Gran Valley Missouri. A Homestyle Chili Cook-Off was held Saturday, October 5th at the Pavilion at the Grain Valley Community Center to raise funds for the completion of the Legacy Plaza Veterans Tribute. The Champion Trophy was awarded to the CJCFPD team of Mark Clark, Glenn Helverson, Chris Helverson, Chief Jeff Grote.
Photo credit: Pathways of Honor by Marcia Napier, Grain Valley Historical Society While perhaps not a “household” name, Steven A. Beebe is known worldwide in “communications” circles. Steven, Muriel and Russell Beebe’s third of five children, was born September 19, 1950. He grew up on his family’s farm on Little Road, north of Grain Valley; attended Grain Valley schools K-12 and graduated from GVHS is 1968.
After graduation, Steven attended Central Missouri State College which became Central Missouri State University in 1972, the year he obtained his B.S. Ed in Communications. He continued his studies there and receive a Masters of Arts before moving on to the University of Missouri in Columbia where he completed his Doctorate of Philosophy. In 1975 he received an Outstanding Teaching Award at Mizzou and in 1976 he was recognized for Scholastic Achievement (Perfect 4.0 Grade Point Average on all graduate course work) at the University. Dr. Beebe was a tenured member of the communication faculty at the University of Miami for 10 years prior to joining the faculty at Texas State University in 1990. There he has served as chair of the Department of Communication Studies for 29 years and concurrently as associate dean of the College of Fine Arts and Communication for 26 years. He has been a visiting scholar at both Oxford and Cambridge Universities and was elected a permanent member of the Common Room of Wolfson College, Oxford University. Other leadership roles for Beebe include serving as president of the National Communication Association, the largest professional communication association in the world, founding member of the Russian Communication Association and co-director of the first Russian Communication Association conference held in Pyatigorsk, Russia. He has also served as president of the Florida Communication Association. Dr. Beebe is considered an authority on C. S. Lewis. He made international headlines when he discovered a manuscript written by Lewis that was the partial opening chapter of a book that was to be co-authored with J. R. R. Tolkien about communication (Language and Human Nature. ) while examining Lewis' documents in the Oxford University Bodleian Library. In 2016 he discovered an unknown poem by Lewis. He is author and co-author of 12 books and more than 55 articles and book chapters, plus more than 160 papers and presentations at professional conferences. Steve’s research, with a focus on instructional communication and skill development, has appeared in such journals as Communication Education, Human Communication, Communication Research Reports and several Russian academic journals. His alma mater, the University of Central Missouri, named him a Distinguished Alumni in 2010 and the National Speaker’s Association has named him Outstanding Communication Professor in America. In 2003, he and his wife, Susan J. Beebe, set up a scholarship at their alma mater, the University of Central Missouri, for communication students who are also involved in the forensics program. Dr. Beebe is a member of the Grain Valley Education Foundation. If you wish to know more about Steve, just Google him. In this short article I’ve only had space to mention a few of the many honor and awards he has received over the past 40 years. October 3rd marked the beginning of a new business opening its doors in Grain Valley. Valley Nutrition is owned by Destiny Young. Its purpose is to be a small business with a big vision to help the community become healthier and happier. Young grew up in Eastern Jackson County and was inspired to open her business in Grain Valley due to the number of people she knows that reside in the community. One of Young’s motives for opening her business was wanting people to be happier by living healthier through good nutrition. “In smaller towns there’s sometimes not an abundance of healthier options in finding a good selection of teas, shakes, or coffees. Our meal replacement smoothies offer 20 grams of protein and are under 250 calories. They are delicious and have received positive feedback so far from our customers,” Young said. “We also offer energizing teas and protein coffees, which is helpful in boosting your metabolism and providing clean energy without all the sugar and carbs. Less crashing occurs from this type of energy boost along with providing additional vitamin B6 and B12 to your diet.” Valley Nutrition also has comfortable seating options for friends and neighbors to socialize. There are stools in front of the wood accent bar as well as couches and tables. Ambiance is provided by the soft rock played in the background and the welcome sign that greets you upon entry. The menu includes a three-step approach to building your ideal drink. Step one is an aloe shot to help with digestion and nutrition absorption. Step two is selecting your tea. Options abound in flavor from original to peach, lemon, raspberry, and cinnamon. You may upgrade your tea to include an energy boost or collagen beauty enhancer. Step three is to select your flavor of shake from the variety of flavors offered under the umbrellas of chocolate, peanut butter, and coffee. Prices of menu items vary from $2.50 to $18 depending on your taste and appetite. Colorful names scatter the menu from superheroes to creative spellings of flavors and ingredients to draw interest. “We want people to feel powerful and energized when they leave; that they can conquer the day,” Young said. Being a new small business owner has a wide range of responsibilities. It can be both risky and rewarding. Young is carrying out a dream she’s had for a long time with the opening of Valley Nutrition and is appreciative of the support she has received from the Grain Valley community so far. Young offered, “If people come in and check-in with us on Facebook or tag us on an Instagram story, then they get a free protein ball in their drink for helping us promote our business.” Saturday, October 26th will be the grand opening and ribbon cutting for Valley Nutrition from 9am to 3pm. Giveaways, door prizes, and samples will be provided to the public. Valley Nutrition is located at 201 N Main St., Suite B in Grain Valley. They may also be found on Facebook or reached by phone at 863-602-0519. Destiny Young, owner of Valley Nutrition (right) with Dakota Young (left) her brother and partner in the business.
Photo credit: Valley News staff by John Unrein The Grain Valley Eagles Football team could not overcome the speed and size they faced when they traveled to play the Raytown Blue Jays on Friday, October 4th, falling to the Jays 33-7. Raytown utilized an unbalanced formation with sweeps to speedy Senior Wide Receiver Dontae Manning along with deep fade passes by Senior Quarterback Joe Campbell to put up 33 points on the scoreboard. Defensively, the Blue Jays stacked the box with eight defenders against the Eagles in slowing down their running game and applying heavy pass rush pressure. The Eagles were able to move the football between the twenties throughout the first half. Drives would stall inside the red zone, including as time expired in the second quarter at the six-yard line following a 20-yard strike through the air from Junior Quarterback Cole Keller to Junior Wide Receiver Parker Bosserman. Grain Valley would go into halftime trailing 13-0 after amassing 134 yards offensively. The start of the second half witnessed the Eagles recovering one of three Blue Jays onside kick attempts for the game. Grain Valley would capitalize on the good field position and drive 42 yards for their only score. Keller followed the lead blocking of Senior Fullback Seth Dankenbring on a six-yard sweep to the end zone. Raytown would score three more touchdowns during the final two quarters of the game against a tired Grain Valley defense. The Eagles fought hard to contain the Blue Jays offense. Junior Linebacker Hunter Newsom made several key tackles in space and with his teammates. Both Newsom and Junior Defensive Tackle Quincy Jones made tackles for loss during the first half of play at critical times. Newsom’s gutsy effort continued into the second half as took on blocks against Raytown’s large offensive line in continuing to set the edge for the Eagles defense. This was done despite being hobbled by an injury to his leg. “We had a plan that we executed defensively and practiced all week. We did our best. Later in the second half we lost momentum. We need to work to get better,” Newsom said. “We have to play our ball game next week and moving forward without letting an opposing team influence us. If we take care of what we can take care of, we will come out with a win.” Other Eagle defenders showing continued growth on the night included Junior Cornerback Trent Knox and Freshman Safety Keegan Hart. Raytown continually tested Knox during the second half on long pass plays his way. Knox responded by flipping his hips and maintaining coverage against Blue Jays receivers, including an incomplete fade pass that saw play spill out on to the stadium track with Knox landing hard prior to getting up for the next down. Hart has been thrust into action as a freshman due to injuries. He has responded by being consistent in his reads and not backing down from taking on larger upper classman who he must tackle. Hart has used leverage to wrap up opponents and turn them in his tackle successfully despite being outsized. Head Coach David Allie reflected on his team’s efforts after the game. “We had success, but they were able to stop us at the right times, and we dealt with penalties on drives. I love the way my team competed against a bigger class school. We would’ve liked to be on the winning side of things. However, I am happy with the way these players fought to the very end and no one gave up or conceded defeat,” Allie said. “We will evaluate film and look to fix our inconsistencies. Offensively, we didn’t stay ahead of the chains like we did last week. We had success running iso and down. We must score more, though. We were not able to throw the ball the way we wanted tonight against their man coverage and the pressure they were able to apply. Defensively, we bent but hustled and fought. They had some big plays against us.” The Eagles move to a 3-3 record on the season. They will next host the Kearney Bulldogs on Friday, October 11th at 7pm in a Suburban Conference matchup. Kearney will roll into Moody Murray Stadium with a 4-2 record, fresh off a victory the previous week against the Belton Pirates. Allie identified keys to victory heading into the game. “We can’t lick our wounds. We have to come out and play. Hopefully, we will be better health wise heading into the game against Kearney. They are a good team and a conference opponent. We can’t let one (loss) turn into two. Our kids our tough and will learn what they need to from the loss against Raytown before we get back on track and capture momentum heading into the end of the season,” Allie said. Junior Linebacker Hunter Newsom and a flock of Eagles smother Raytown’s quarterback. Photo credit: John Overstreet Junior Quarterback Cole Keller keeps the ball on a quarterback sweep en route to the end zone.
Photo credit: John Overstreet |
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