|
Jackson County Public Works Environmental Health Division inspects all restaurants, grocery stores, schools, mobile food and temporary food establishments in the City of Grain Valley. The following violations were reported in the last 30 days:
El Tequilazo Cocina Y Cantina LLC 522 S Main Street Multiple spray bottles were not labeled with the name of chemical inside. Corrected On:10/26/2021 Inside the ice machine had accumulation of black build up. Corrected On:10/26/2021 Observed ice buildup around the opening of the reach in freezer. Observed ice buildup in the back of the reach in cooler. Correct By:12/25/2021 Knives were observed stored in the crevice between the prep table and shelf. Knives were cleaned and sanitized and placed on clean portion of table. Observed bowls stored in several containers of spices, sugar, and flour. Corrected On:10/26/2021 Observed dishes stored in hand washing sink next to dish washer. Corrected On:10/26/2021 Observed several containers of food stored in the walk in cooler not covered. Correct By:12/25/2021 No paper towels available at the hand washing sink. Correct By:12/25/2021 Prepared food containers in walk in cooler were not dated with discard date. Corrected On:10/26/2021 Observed raw chicken stored above raw shrimp in the reach in cooler. Chicken was moved to the bottom of the shelf. Corrected On:10/26/2021 Price Chopper #325 -Kitchen /Deli/Salad Bar 1191 NE. McQuerry Rd. Noticed a lot of fruit flies in the kitchen sink area. Correct By:12/25/2021 Noticed that the smoke meats in the hot case did not have sell by dates on the packages. Corrected On:10/26/2021 Noticed empolyee jacket on package food. Corrected On:10/26/2021 Noticed that sanitizer buckets on the prep table near food. Corrected On:10/26/2021 Mactan Asian Market 1438 SW Eagles Parkway Observed several cases of food stored on the floor in the back storage area and on the floor in the service area. Correct By:12/25/2021 El Maguey Mexican Restaurant 102 Buckner-Tarsney Rd. Observed aluminum covering shelving in the reach in cooler and on the shelf in the beverage station. Cardboard was observed being used to cover shelving by the back door. Correct By:12/27/2021 Observed reach in cooler in the beverage area with accumulation of ice buildup. Correct By:12/27/2021 Under the cook top had accumulation of debris. Gaskets to the reach in prep table had accumulation of buildup and debris. Beer cooler shelving had accumulation of black build up. Correct By:12/27/2021 Observed two jugs of chocolate milk past discard date 10/24/2021. Corrected On:10/28/2021 Observed no temperature measuring device located in the tall reach in cooler by the beverage area. Correct By:12/27/2021 Observed gaskets to the tall reach in cooler with torn and broken gaskets. Correct By:12/27/2021 McDonald’s 712 N Main Observed liquid build up on the frappe machine nozzle. (cleaned and sanitized) Corrected On:10/28/2021 No temperature measuring device in the reach in cooler next to the egg cooker. No temperature measuring device in the prep reach in cooler next to the oven. Correct By:12/27/2021 Observed liquid spills/debris in the cabinet under the drink station in lobby. (next to the old ketchup dispenser) Observed liquid spill/debris in the cabinet under the frozen drink station. Correct By:12/27/2021 Shifting Gears Bar & Grill 511 Main Street No violations recorded. Country Oak Village 101 Cross Creek Dr No violations recorded. Valley Nutrition 201 N Main Temperature measuring device was missing from reach in cooler. Correct By: 1/1/2022 Iron Kettle Brewing 508 N Main Observed an unlabeled chemical bottle, chemical bottle was labeled. Corrected On:11/4/2021. The dish machine in the bar area has a black colored buildup. Correct By:1/3/2022 The following information is derived from the Grain Valley Police Department daily calls for service log for the week of November 10-16, 2021.
by John Unrein The Grain Valley Eagles hung tough during the first half against the visiting Fort Osage Indians on November 19th. A stingy Eagles defense forced three turnovers during the first two quarters of play. The trio of opportunities on the change of possession would not favor Grain Valley as they were turned away from points each time. Fort Osage would go on to win the Class 5 quarterfinal playoff game by a score of 35-0. The difference in the game was Fort Osage’s ability to move the football. The Indians would double their opponents’ total offensive output by amassing 381 total yards to the Eagles 191 total yards. Leading contributors for Fort Osage included Javen Hall who compiled 81 yards on the ground and a touchdown to match the efforts of Lorenzo Fenner who hauled in 6 receptions for 89 yards through the air. A determined Indians squad would emerge from the locker room at the start of the second half and run off 35 unanswered points in route to their victory. The win affords the Indians the right to advance to the State semifinal round against Holt on November 26th. Grain Valley leaned on the contributions of Caleb Larson and Keagan Hart throughout the contest. Larson would compile 55 yards on the ground, while Hart would provide 5 receptions for 65 yards. Defensively, the Eagles were led by Brody Baker, Gage Forkner, and Keagan Hart who attained 13.5, 11, and 4 tackles respectively. Hart showed determination on both sides of the football in not wanting his season to end. Hart was consistently in the right place during the first half as he would come up with a fumble recovery at the end of the first quarter. Hart would also add an interception at the 6:56 mark of the second quarter for good measure. Hart was aware of the toll that being on the field for 66 defensive snaps took on his team as he reflected on his team’s effort after the game. “We executed our defensive keys well early in the game. We wore out during the second half due to being on the field for a long time. There’s nothing we can do about that except bounce back, line up, and play hard,” Hart said. “We were determined to stay together. We are a family. This game as well as this season showed that we have each other’s backs and that we never give up on each other. We are not worried about what others think of us. I left it on all the field, and I am proud of that.” The emergence of Hart’s leadership, along with that of his teammates has helped to squelch the void left by the likes Cole Keller, Jack Bailey, Hunter Newsom, and Donovan McBride. Last year’s seniors who during the two previous football campaigns helped the Eagles win back to back district championships. Their loss left many outside of Grain Valley wondering if the cupboard would be bare. Head football coach David Allie is proud of what his squad has accomplished this season. A third consecutive district championship and continuity with new players at key positions like quarterback, linebacker, and offensive line are hallmarks of what can only be accomplished by a veteran coaching staff. This is something Allie did not take for granted as he offered final reflections of his team prior to exiting the field. “Our defense had a great game plan for tonight. We were unable to capitalize on the opportunities we had, or that may have been a different second half for us. Credit them (Fort Osage) for their play tonight in getting this win,” Allie said. “Us being able to replace as many starters as we did going into this (season) speaks volumes to the buy in of our players and their belief in this program. We have preached not to worry what anyone thinks outside of this locker room, and it shows. We had great senior leadership.” Allie continued, “I cannot say enough about this group of seniors and what they did in the face of doubters and people outside of our program who wanted to lower expectations. This group did not let anything phase them. They had great attitudes and worked hard while having fun at practice. We appreciate their contributions.” Junior Keagan Hart on offense turns to defense as he breaks up a near interception. Photo credit: John Overstreet An Eagles squad that had to replace an abundance of starters from last season cap off a successful campaign under Coach Allie’s leadership. GV finishes the season 8-4 after advancing to the Class 5 Quarterfinal Round of the playoffs. Photo credit: Valley News staff
In an email to district patrons and parents, Grain Valley Schools Superintendent Dr. Marc Snow has announced he will retire at the end of the 2021-2022 school year.
Snow has served as superintendent for the past five and one-half years, concluding a 30-year career in education, 21 of those years in Grain Valley. Snow was the first principal at Prairie Branch Elementary upon its opening in 2005. He was named superintendent for support services in 2009, overseeing the construction of multiple buildings and additions during an unprecedented period of growth in the district. The district stated the process to hire the next superintendent will begin in the next few weeks. by Michael Smith For the second consecutive year, the Grain Valley football team will play in the Class 5 state quarterfinals. After last Friday’s thrilling 37-36 overtime win against Suburban White Conference rival Raytown, the Eagles now find themselves facing off against another familiar opponent in conference foe Fort Osage. The teams will play against each other at 7:00pm Friday at Moody Murry Memorial Field. The last time the two teams faced off was Week 6 of the regular season when Fort Osage edged Grain Valley 9-8. Grain Valley head coach David Allie said he hopes his team can repeat the same success on defense that it had against the Indians last time. The Eagles held the Indians to just 148 yards of total offense in that one. Grain Valley senior middle linebacker Gage Forkner noted that it will be important to keep track of Fort Osage’s mobile quarterback Greg Menne, who has a strong arm and has the ability to take off with the ball on scrambles. The Eagles will have to deal with senior tackle Stevie Gabb, who was named co-offensive player of the year in the Suburban White Conference. “We have to stay disciplined, read our reads and force turnovers,” Forkner said. “We have to get the ball in our offense’s hands.” “(Gabb) on their O line is a monster. He gets after it. He got co-offensive player of the year (in the White Conference) which is crazy for an offensive lineman to get that.” His team will also have to look out for wide receiver Lorenzo Fenner, who is Menne’s No. 1 target. He’s a receiver with a lot of speed and elusiveness, as evidenced on a kick return he had against Grain Valley in their last matchup when he returned a kick to the Eagles 3-yard line. Running back Javen Hall will be another player Grain Valley will have to account for. He’s a player who runs hard between the tackles and showed some burst against the Eagles. “As soon as you focus on their running back, their quarterback will pull it because he can run with it,” Grain Valley head coach David Allie said. “We also have to keep an eye out on Fenner on jets and end arounds, we have to contain him. We know about how fast and athletic he is from the first time we played them.” “We have to contain those guys and force them into situations where they have to throw the ball down field.” The Eagles have the defense to repeat the success they had in Week 6. Grain Valley has surrendered just 19.09 points per game and has been consistent throughout the season. “Our defense played lights out (against Raytown),” Allie said. “We gave them seven free points on the scoop and score at the end of the first half. If we take care of business in that situation, we’re probably not going to overtime. Raytown went for it on fourth-and-1 inside our red zone and our defense stopped them. Our defense continues to play at a high level.” On offense, Grain Valley struggled against Fort Osage, gaining just 138 yards from scrimmage. Allie noted that defensive lineman Brock Branstietter gave his offensive line fits last game and was a big part of limiting the Eagles’ ground game. Linebacker David Jacquez is someone Grain Valley will have to keep an eye out on as well. He’s an all-state linebacker who has made big plays for the Indians all season. “We might have to throw two or three guys on him because he’s such a force or run away from him,” Eagles junior safety Keagan Hart said of Branstietter. “We also have to run away from No. 33 (Jacquez) because he’s a stud player. He was all-state last year. If we execute our keys, we will be fine on offense.” Added Allie: “Branstietter really disrupted our run game. He tore us up. Our pulling guard couldn’t pull because he got so much penetration.” While Grain Valley (8-3) is a run first team, the X-factor could be the passing game led by quarterback Caleb Larson, who has been solid throwing and running with the ball all season. He led his team to a game-tying touchdown with no time left in the game against Raytown when he completed 5 of 7 passes for 55 yards, capped by a 11-yard touchdown pass to Hart. “We feel like we have some ways to throw the ball against these guys,” Allie said. “They are going to be aggressive up front. They stunt, they blitz. We’re going to have to do a good job in pass pro to throw the ball down the field. “We’re going to have to play solid, fundamental football on both sides of the ball. It’s going to be a great game.” The Eagles held Fort Osage to just 148 yards in their last game with the Indians. The effort was led by senior linebacker Gage Forkner (#7 right foreground), who had 10 tackles and junior defensive end Jack Allen (#20) who had a team high 1.5 sacks.
Photo credit: John Overstreet by Michael Smith In last week’s Class 5 District 7 championship game against Raytown, the Grain Valley football team was missing a key part of its offense. Senior wide receiver Logan Pratt, who has been a top target for quarterback Caleb Larson, played a few snaps before having to sit out because of his ankle injury. Pratt was the Eagles main deep threat as he is one of the if not the fastest players on the team, so that took away an element of the offense. Someone had to step up. Enter junior Keagan Hart. The junior is one of the few players for Grain Valley who plays on both offense and defense, and he stepped up when his team needed him most against the Blue Jays. Operating out of the slot receiver and tight end positions, he caught four passes for 92 yards and two touchdowns to help lead the Eagles to a 37-36 victory. That performance aided the Eagles in advancing to the Class 5 quarterfinals for the second consecutive year and they will play Fort Osage at 7:00pm Friday at Moody Murry Memorial Field. With Pratt being potentially sidelined another game, there’s a good possibility Hart will play a big role on offense once again. “Keagan is a great leader and he’s very coachable,” Grain Valley head coach David Allie said. “He does what we ask him to do, and he knows what the opponent is going to do. He just has great instincts.” And he was able to do that against Raytown despite playing through a broken finger on his left hand that has gotten better, he said. It caused him to miss the final regular season game against Belton and the first playoff game against Sedalia Smith-Cotton. “There is a little bit of stiffness in there, but other than that, it’s fine,” Hart said. “Every once in a while, it’s a little sore after taking a hit. But I have learned to play through the taped fingers and with the braces on.” Hart has been used more on the defensive side of the ball than offense, but he’s been able to contribute in a big way on both sides. As a wide receiver and tight end, Hart 11 catches for 284 yards and three touchdowns. “He’s exceeded expectations on offense,” Allie said. “We knew he was a great athlete, but he can catch the ball, run routes and do a lot of things. When you get the ball in his hands, he can do something with it.” The junior has had a good connection with junior quarterback Caleb Larson. The duo have been close friends for a long time and have played multiple sports together, which has helped their chemistry on the gridiron, Hart said. The Eagles have the defense to repeat the success they had in Week 6. Grain Valley has surrendered just 19.09 points per game and has been the most consistent unit on the team. “We have always been super close friends,” Hart said. “From playing baseball and playing football all year, our connection has always been there and we can always rely on each other.” On defense, Hart has been a valuable piece to the Eagles’ secondary. So far this season, he has 32 tackles, three for a loss and three interceptions. While Hart has been exceptional in coverage in the secondary, he’s expanded his game since last season to be a run stopper, as well. “Last year, the game was so fast for me, so I feel like the game has slowed down for me this year,” Hart said. “Last year, I stayed deep and played the ball. This year, I expanded my game to be more of a run stopper, too.” And Hart’s versatility could continue to boost an Eagles team that is just one win away from making the state final four. “Keagan is a ball hawk and he comes down and hits people, too,” Grain Valley senior linebacker Gage Forkner said. “He’s good at reading the ball and playing the ball as a safety. He’s also just a really smart player. He watches a lot of film.” Junior Keagan Hart celebrated a last second score in last week's District Championship game vs. Raytown.
Photo credit: John Overstreet The Board of Education previewed conceptual drawings for a new district administrative office building during a workshop session on November 4th. Funds for the new district office site, at an estimated cost of $5.5-6 million, would be paid for using funds designated for capital improvements and remaining bond funds from the recent high school addition approved by voters in June 2020.
In an email announcing the plan to parents and district patrons on November 12th, the district made mention of concerns regarding teacher and staff pay, explaining that capital and bond funding cannot be used for payroll, and that the Board and leadership are “committed to improved pay and expect to have a plan in place soon for addressing pay over the next few years.” The district, anticipating the need for a new space, has set aside capital improvement funds for the past several years, and a bond balance of $3 million from the recent high school addition made the project possible at this time. The proposed district office will be located on property the district owns at the intersection of Eagles Parkway and Sni-A-Bar Boulevard, directly south of the district transportation center. The current district office building, located in a former home and family business on Pink Hill Road was acquired by the District along with adjacent land in 2004. The original home on the south end of the unique property was built in 1942. North Middle School, the Early Childhood Center, and a maintenance facility are located on the land acquired in 2004, and the district has purchased adjacent property for future schools. While the current building has served the district well for several years, lack of space, accessibility issues, and a long list of costly repairs guided district leadership to pursue a new space, according to Dr. Brad Welle, Deputy Superintendent for Student and Community Services. Welle stated the district had sought options to build onto the existing building and address needed repairs, but were advised that an addition could not be tied to the existing structure, and the cost to address needed repairs and ensure ADA compliance would be impractical to pursue. “At that time, their initial look was that it was going to cost at least a million dollars just in renovations to the existing building,” Welle said. While constructing a new building next to the current building is a possibility, architects consulted indicated it would be too costly and impractical to tie the two buildings together. To adjust as growth has occurred, the district has moved departments to other buildings. The technology department was moved to North Middle School and operations staff office out of the transportation building. “As we grow, we have to boot another department out of the building. Just from the standpoint for planning. we’ve outlived the capacity of what this building can do for us.” The proposed district office will not return those departments to central office due to cost concerns. “It is a strict replacement of the current function of this building,” Welle said. Beyond the space limitations of the current building, there are a number of costly structural issues common to older structures. The basement of the building floods consistently, and items stored in the basement have been raised on pallets to attempt to alleviate any damage when water seeps in. Large sections of drywall have been removed from the bottom of walls along the basement due to water damage. Significant settling outside and cracks along the foundation in the basement are evident, along with visible cracks along the brick exterior of the building. The project is scheduled to go out for bid in January. The Board will vote once bids are available, and if approved, construction would begin March 2022 with a target completion date of late 2022. The existing building will be razed with the future use of the space to be determined. A talented cast of singers and dancers supported by an equally talented crew will present Grain Valley High School’s (GVHS) fall musical, Curtains, to audiences this weekend.
The murder mystery musical was selected by GVHS theatre teacher and director John O’Neil for its fun premise and the challenge it presented for students. “I wanted something that was going to be a little bit of a challenge but was also going to be something fun, and something they (the students) would enjoy, so I figured this murder mystery musical would be a good choice,” O’Neil said. Audience members should prepare for a lively evening. “We have a lot of great dance numbers. There will be a lot of fun characters, and a very large set.” “The students have been working hard since mid-September. They are excited to share this with an audience.” Junior Maddux Hughes plays Lt. Frank Cioffi, a homicide detective with a passion for musical theatre. “I sing a few numbers. There is one where I get to do a really long dance, which is fun,” Hughes said. Hughes has acted in several GVHS productions, and says it is the friendships that come from working together that is most satisfying. “I like reacting with my fellow actors on stage and the cliché family that forms when you’re working on a production.” “It’s a challenging show, but we’re doing it really successfully.” Looking beyond high school and the theatre, Hughes is planning to attend college to become a history teacher, citing his middle school social studies teacher Mr. Perry and high school teacher Mrs. Carmer as influencing him to pursue a career in education. Senior Jack Temples is also a seasoned actor at GVHS. Temples plays Christopher Belling, who he describes as the “sassy British director of this show within a show”. One of Temple’s favorite numbers is “Show People” where the entire cast is singing and dancing away. “This cast and crew of people are just gelling so well. You can see it in our performance and in the awesome sets,” Temple said. “Shout out to our crew, there is lots of awesome lighting in the show, and lots of great special effects.” Temples is heading to KU after graduation to major in biochemistry, with the long term goal of becoming a pediatric gastroenterologist. The show runs Thursday—Saturday in the Jerry Mueller Performing Arts Center at GVHS. Tickets are $8 for adults, $6 for students and may be purchased online at www.grainvalleytheatre.org. Tickets will also be sold at the door. Note: Due to a home football game on Friday evening, guests for the Friday performance are encouraged to arrive by 6:30pm to allow ample time for parking. Last year, Grain Valley resident Kevin Simpson was disappointed to hear a city holiday lights contest would not be held. Kevin took action, organizing a contest and raising several hundred dollars for the Grain Valley Assistance Council (GVAC).
We love it when residents see a way to build community and take action. So, we're partnering with Mr. Simpson this year to expand the Grain Valley Holiday Lights contest and help even more of our families in need. To enter the contest, visit https://www.grainvalleynews.com/lights-contest.html, and pay the $25 entry fee. Email a photo of your decorated home to news@grainvalleynews.com. Deadline to enter is December 10th. All entry fees will benefit Grain Valley Assistance Council. From December 11th - December 30th, residents may "vote" for their favorite home by making a donation online to benefit Grain Valley Assistance Council. Winners will be announced December 31st. Prizes include a $100 Price Chopper gift card for the first place winner, a $50 Price Chopper gift card for second place, and additional prizes to be announced. Let's light up the town and support our families in need! by Marcia Napier, Grain Valley Historical Society This week, again looking through the newspaper files entitled “Guide to Grain Valley,” my eyes were drawn to a special 8-page insert entitled “Bank of Grain Valley – 100 years.” (April 20, 2005 edition of The Pointe.
I became interested it an article about what it was like back when the Bank of Grain Valley opened? (1905). Some highlights of the article included the following: Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt had been elected President without a single female vote. Only 14 percent of the homes in the U.S.A. had bathtubs and only 8 percent had telephones. There were only 8000 automobiles in the United States. The flag had 45 stars, since Arizona, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Hawaii and Alaska had yet to be admitted to the Union. States such as Alabama, Mississippi, Iowa and Tennessee were more heavily populated than California at the time. Only five percent of all physicians had a college education, but most attended some sort of medical school, many of which were thought to be substandard. The average life expectancy was 47 years. Ninety-five percent of all births took place within the home. The five leading causes of death were pneumonia, tuberculosis, diarrhea, heart disease, and stroke. The average wage in the United States was 23 cents per hour, but that number is misleading; much of the commerce took place with bartering and trading. A three-minute phone call from Denver to New York cost $11.00. (What would that be today?) Sugar was 4 cents a pound, eggs were 14 cents per dozen, and a child could purchase an entire sack of candy for just a penny! Products like marijuana, heroin and morphine were sold over the counter at drug stores. The population of Grain Valley, Missouri exceeded that of Las Vegas, Nevada, which had 30 residents, but Grain Valley was by no means a “big” city. I can add to these facts that in 1905 Grain Valley had three churches, and the first Grain Valley School had been built on Capelle Street in 1890. Postage stamps cost 2 cents. The population in 1890 was 193 people. However, the recorded population in 1910 was only 133. These were the recorded numbers and I have no account as to why the number decreased. The Grain Valley Historical Society at 516 Main Street has 2021 Christmas Ornaments for sale with a picture of the Bank of Grain Valley. Drop by or Wednesdays between now and Christmas; we’d love to sell you one! We also have available 2022 Historical calendars. Both make great gifts! |
Categories
All
Archives
March 2024
|
Grain Valley NewsGrain Valley News is a free community news source published weekly online. |
Contact Us |