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St. Mary’s Medical Center, a member of Prime Healthcare received an “A” Hospital Safety Grade from the Leapfrog Group. This national distinction celebrates St. Mary’s achievements in protecting hospital patients from preventable harm and errors.
“I applaud the hospital leadership and workforce for their strong commitment to safety and transparency,” Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group said. “An ‘A’ Safety Grade is a sign that hospitals are continuously evaluating their performance, so that they can best protect patients. Your hospital team should be extremely proud of their dedication and achievement.” The Leapfrog Group is an independent national watchdog organization with a 10-year history of assigning letter grades to general hospitals throughout the United States, based on a hospital’s ability to prevent medical errors and harm to patients. The grading system is peer-reviewed, fully transparent, and free to the public. Hospital Safety Grade results are based on more than 30 national performance measures and are updated each fall and spring. Kelly Pearce, Chief Executive Officer, shares “I’m excited that the work of our dedicated staff and providers at St. Mary’s Medical Center is reflected in the “A” rating from Leapfrog. Quality and Safety are our top priority”. To see St. Mary’s Medical Center’s full grade details and to access patient tips for staying safe in the hospital, visit HospitalSafetyGrade.org and follow The Leapfrog Group on Twitter, Facebook, and via its newsletter. St. Mary’s Medical Center has received the American College of Cardiology’s NCDR Chest Pain ̶ MI Registry Platinum Performance Achievement Award for 2022. St. Mary’s Medical Center is one of only 240 hospitals nationwide to receive the honor.
The award recognizes St. Mary’s Medical Center’s commitment and success in implementing a higher standard of care for heart attack patients and signifies that St. Mary’s Medical Center has reached an aggressive goal of treating these patients to standard levels of care as outlined by the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association clinical guidelines and recommendations. To receive the Chest Pain ̶ MI Registry Platinum Performance Achievement Award, St. Mary’s Medical Center has demonstrated sustained achievement in the Chest Pain ̶ MI Registry for two consecutive years (2020 and 2021) and performed at the highest level for specific performance measures. Full participation in the registry engages hospitals in a robust quality improvement process using data to drive improvements in adherence to guideline recommendations and overall quality of care provided to heart attack patients. “It is an honor to award St. Mary’s Medical Center with the Platinum Performance Award for their valuable national leadership and dedication to meeting comprehensive performance measures in patient care,” Michael C. Kontos, MD, FACC, chair of the NCDR Chest Pain – MI Registry Steering Subcommittee, and cardiologist at Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center said. “The receipt of this award indicates that St. Mary’s Medical Center remains committed to providing top quality, guideline-driven care for heart attack patients. Their success ensures patients are receiving the highest quality cardiovascular care.” The Centers for Disease Control estimates that over 800,000 Americans suffer a heart attack each year. A heart attack occurs when a blood clot in a coronary artery partially or completely blocks blood flow to the heart muscle. Treatment guidelines include administering aspirin upon arrival and discharge, timely restoration of blood flow to the blocked artery, smoking cessation counseling and cardiac rehabilitation, among others. Chest Pain ̶ MI Registry empowers health care provider teams to consistently treat heart attack patients according to the most current, science-based guidelines and establishes a national standard for understanding and improving the quality, safety and outcomes of care provided for patients with coronary artery disease, specifically high-risk heart attack patients. The following information is derived from Grain Valley Police Department daily calls service log for the week of November 16-22, 2022.
November 16, 2022 1300 Block NW Sycamore Dr Parking Complaint 700 Block Main St Agency Assist - Fire 600 Block NW Woodbury Dr Runaway 400 Block SW Eagles Pkwy Alarm 300 Block SW Crestview Dr Citizen Assist 400 Block SW Cross Creek Dr Suspicious Vehicle 1400 Block NW Golfview Dr Alarm 600 Block Yennie St Possible 911 Call (Phone Pinged) 1200 Block NW Phelps Ct Agency Assist - Fire/EMS 800 Block SW Harvest Dr Agency Assist - Wenfro County SO November 17, 2022 1300 Block NW Crestwood Dr Agency Assist - Fire/EMS Duncan Rd / Dillingham Careless Driver 900 Block NW Lindenwood Dr Trespass PHQ UTV Inspection 1000 Block SW Christie Ln Go-Cart in the area 1100 Block NW Eagle Ridge Dr Alarm 1500 Block NE Erin Ct Motor Vehicle Accident 1200 Block NW Golfview Dr Suspicious Activity 200 Block James Rollo Dr Alarm 700 Block Main St Alarm 200 Block Aaron Ln Citizen Contact November 18, 2022 PHQ Attempt to Contact 300 Block Yennie St Disturbance 1100 Block SW Christie Ln Agency Assist - Blue Springs PD 900 Block NE Deer Creek Rd Agency Assist - Oak Grove PD PHQ Protection Order questions PHQ Citizen Contact 1100 Block NE McQuerry Rd Fight in Progress (Unfounded) 400 Block SW Cross Creek Dr Suspicious Vehicle 200 Block Barr Rd Verbal Disturbance 900 Block NW Hickory Ridge Suspicious Vehicle 900 Block NW Lindenwood Dr Harassment November 19, 2022 EB I-70 Ramp Agency Assist - Highway Patrol 1900 Block NW Hedgewood Dr Lost Dog 1000 Block S Barley Ln Agency Assist - Buckner PD 1100 Block SW Christie Ln Go-Cart in the area 100 Block E Jefferson St Agency Assist - Buckner PD Main St / US 40 Hwy Motorist Assist 2000 Block NW Catalpa Citizen Contact Main St / I-70 Check the Welfare 900 Block SW Shorthorn Dr Motor Vehicle Accident 400 Block S Outer Belt Rd Motor Vehicle Accident 200 Block Barr Rd Citizen Contact 400 Block SW Cross Creek Dr Suspicious Activity 2100 Block NW Megan Dr Suspicious Activity November 20, 2022 100 Block NE McQuerry Rd Alarm 900 Block NW Scenic Dr Verbal Disturbance 100 Block NE McQuerry Rd Alarm 200 Block SW Eagles Pkwy Vandalism 900 Block NE Deer Creek Rd Suspicious Person 1000 Block SW Ambush Ct Agency Assist - Fire/EMS 2300 Block NW Megan Dr Suspicious Activity 1300 Block NW Valley Woods Ct Check the Welfare - Animal November 21, 2022 300 Block Yennie St Disturbance 100 Block Barr Rd Alarm PHQ Citizen Contact PHQ Walk-in Report - Stolen License Plate 1000 Block Ryan Rd Agency Assist - Raymore PD 100 Block MCQuerry Rd Dealer's License Inspection November 22, 2022 600 Block SW Lakeview Dr Alarm 700 Block Main St Abandoned Vehicle PHQ Follow-up 1800 Block NW Rosewood Dr Verbal Disturbance 800 Block SW Meadowood Dr Unattended Death 1200 Block NW Golfview Dr Suspicious Vehicle 400 Block SW Cross Creek Dr Suspicious Activity 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 7 days:
Captain's Sports Lounge 301 SW Eagles Pkwy Sanitizing solution was too weak. Re-inspection required. Manager will manually mix sanitizing solution until the auto-mixer can be repaired. Casey's General Store #2209 1251 SW Eagles Pkwy Observed toxin stored hanging above make table. Corrected. All bottles were removed. MO Country 401 E South Outer Belt Rd Chemical dish sanitizing machine did not test for proper concentration of chlorine. Re-inspection required. Captain's Sports Lounge 301 SW Eagles Pkwy Employee was observed touching food bare handed at the bar. Corrected. Employee remade drink. Tongs were found to use for fruit at the bar. Food prepared on site was held over 7 days. Corrected. Food was discarded. Captain's Sports Lounge 301 SW Eagles Pkwy Multiple containers were not date marked. Corrected. Food was date marked if the cook knew the date it was cooked. All other food was discarded. MO Country 401 E South Outer Belt Rd Containers of chicken held over 24 hours were not date marked. Corrected. Manager date marked the containers. Subway 109 W Hwy AA The front reach in cooler is at 57*F and all product has been discarded. Re-inspection required. Temp-Stop #117 723 S Main St Observed shelled eggs stored above ready to eat foods, and observed raw grilled chicken stored above pasteurized eggs. Corrected. All foods were moved around to allow proper separation. Captain's Sports Lounge 301 SW Eagles Pkwy Employee was observed cleaning tables and then preparing food without washing their hands. Corrected through discussion. Jackson County has announced it is again waiving the online convenience and electronic check (ACH) fees for this year’s property tax payments.
The fees will be waived now through December 31, 2022 for those who pay their property taxes online through County’s official portal myJacksonCounty. Residents are strongly encouraged to pay online to avoid long wait times in person due to limited staffing at the downtown County Courthouse and Historic Truman Courthouse in Independence. “One of our many priorities is to provide a safe and easy way for residents to conduct business with us and waiving these fees is an effective way to do that,” Jackson County Executive Frank White, Jr. said. “I encourage everyone to take advantage of this opportunity by making their payment using our contactless online system.” “We have made the decision to waive the $2.00 convenience fee and $1.25 ACH fee within myJacksonCounty to incentivize our residents to pay online,” Department of Collection Director Whitney Miller said. “myJacksonCounty is an incredibly user friendly and secure way to pay your property taxes, all without having to leave the house. Online credit card payments will still incur a 2.75% fee.” How to pay Jackson County property taxes online:
Other contactless payment options: Exterior drop boxes for property tax payments are located at the west door of the Jackson County Courthouse in Kansas City (415 E. 12th St.) and at the south door of the Historic Truman Courthouse in Independence (112 W. Lexington). Taxpayers can also mail their payment to the address on their bill. Payments must be received, or USPS postmarked by December 31 to avoid penalty. by Michael Smith For one reason or another, the state quarterfinal game has been a thorn in the side of the Grain Valley football program. Coming into Friday’s Class 5 quarterfinal contest with Fort Osage, the Eagles had lost in the same round of the playoffs the past three years. Grain Valley fell to Platte County in 2019 and 2020 and lost to Fort Osage 35-0 in 2021. Could the Eagles reverse their fortunes against the Indians this time around? Not this time. Three turnovers and a big kickoff return for a touchdown spoiled yet another state quarterfinal appearance for the Eagles as they fell 29-10 to end the season at 9-3, snapping their eight-game winning streak. Grain Valley (9-3) got off to a slow start as junior wide Anthony Greco fumbled on the opening kickoff, which was recovered by Fort Osage at the Eagle 38-yard line. Luckily for Grain Valley, the defense was able to prevent the opposition from scoring as Xander Shepherd missed a 35-yard field goal. Fort Osage still managed to race out to a 13-0 lead thanks to a 67-yard touchdown pass from senior quarterback Greg Menne to sophomore running back Ryver Peppers, who took advantage of a Grain Valley defender falling down on the play at the 6:20 mark in the first period. With 5:47 remaining in the first half, Grain Valley quarterback Caleb Larson had the ball knocked out of his hands on a run up the middle and Fort Osage defensive back Roman Tillmon picked up the fumble and returned the ball 14 yards for a score and a 13-point lead. “You can’t beat yourself against teams like that,” Allie said. “If you make a mistake, teams like that make you pay for it.” The Eagles responded on the ensuing drive, however. They utilized linebacker Brody Baker and defensive end Jake Allen in the run game, which jump started the offense. That game plan eventually led to a Caleb Larson 7-yard scoring run with 1:58 left to narrow the gap to 13-7. Larson ended the game completing 7 of his 19 passes for 94 yards. He also had 59 yards on 16 carries. However, on the ensuing kickoff, place kicker Austin Schmitt had his kick land in the hands of senior Lorenzo Fenner, who is arguably the best kick and punt returner in Missouri. That proved to be costly as the Fort Osage senior returned the ball 90 yards for the score to make it 20-7. “When I see the ball fly through the air and hit Fenner’s hands, I just think, ‘Oh God. I bet the coach on the other sideline is praying.’ said Fort Osage senior quarterback Greg Menne. Grain Valley head coach David Allie said Schmitt tried to kick the ball into the end zone for a touchback, but the “ball died.” “I wish I could say (Schmitt) slipped like he did last year, but we didn’t slip,” Allie said of last year’s regular season game against Fort in which Fenner returned a kickoff to the Grain Valley 2-yard line. “The ball went right to (Fenner) and that’s not good. He’s electric. It was not designed to go to him.” The Eagles had a chance to get a touchdown before the end of the half. They nearly had the ball at the Fort Osage 10-yard line with just under 20 seconds left. Larson threw a perfect pass that hit wide receiver Brek Sloan between the numbers. However, Fenner got his hand in there at the last moment to knock the ball away and force an incomplete pass. The team had to settle for a 31-yard field goal from Schmitt to go into halftime down 20-10. “I feel like we came in here with a game plan and heart,” Grain Valley senior Rhylan Alcanter said. “That’s what you need to win games like this, but we killed ourselves at the end of the day. The things that killed us, we could have controlled.” Grain Valley’s offense sputtered the rest of the way as it gained only 37 of its total 177 yards of offense in the second half. The Indians also forced three turnovers on special teams and defense. Fort Osage shut down Grain Valley’s bread-and-butter inside run game between the A and B gaps. “They took away our trap and came in, we knew that’s what they were going to do,” Allie said. “We didn’t block very well to hit those other edges. “That’s how teams play us. They pinch their defense and make us bounce it outside to the C gap. Their D line is really good, obviously.” Xander Shepherd made a 28-yard field goal and Menne scored on a 1-yard TD run to cap the scoring for Fort in the second half. Grain Valley’s defense continued to play well as it gave up just 288 yards and 16 points. It also bottled up Peppers in the run game as he hadjust 43 yards on 25 carries. “I am definitely going to look back at this with my children in the future,” Alcanter said. “I am going to talk to them about the friendships I made on this team and playing on this defense. We came into this season with no expectations and we left here with some pride.” Eagles quarterback Caleb Larson on a 7-yard scoring run with 1:58 left in the first half to narrow the gap to 13-7. Photo credit: John Overstreet Senior kicker Austin Schmitt made a 31-yard field goal at the end of the first half, bringing the gap to 20-10 at halftime. Photo credit: John Overstreet Photo credit: John Overstreet Photo credit: Clara Jaques
Owner Jared Montgomery is excited to open the doors at 8:00am on Monday, November 21st and bring Scout's brand, which is focused on coffee and kindness to Grain Valley. "I've been in coffee awhile. It started out by hanging out in coffee shops or working in coffee shops, but it seemed I always had to go to Kansas City for a good atmosphere and a good cup of coffee. So, eventually I wanted to bring that to my own community," Montgomery said. Montgomery grew up in Blue Springs with family ties to Grain Valley, and after a decade of scouting out the best coffee shops in the metro area, decided to open his first shop in downtown Blue Springs in 2019. The shop developed a reputation as a community gathering space with great locally roasted coffee and latte creations. Montgomery had his eye on expanding to Grain Valley for awhile, and jumped on the space at 101 W. Walnut when it became available. "We're excited about revitalizing downtown districts, and we're excited about the potential here. The coffee shop is really about high-quality coffee, and an inclusive space for everyone." "We want to serve the best coffee in Kansas City and create a welcoming community." In addition to their coffees, lattes, and tea selections, the shop offers a variety of breakfast items and food offerings throughout the day. A full selection of Scout Coffee merchandise can also be found at the new shop. With the expansion of Iron Kettle Brewing's event space just west of Scout Coffee, Montgomery said the possibilities to expand their product line to accommodate new guests to downtown are endless. The Grain Valley location will be open 6am - 5pm Monday - Friday, 7am - 5pm on Saturday and closed on Sunday. The shop will open its doors for its grand opening at 8am on Monday, November 21st. Scout Coffee is located at 101 W. Walnut in downtown Grain Valley. Order online for store pick up at Scout Coffee, and follow them on social media: Facebook (Scout Coffee | Blue Springs MO | Facebook) and Instagram (Scout Coffee (@scoutcoffeekc) • Instagram photos and videos). Barista Abbey Hansen (above) and her mother created the Scout Coffee mural (pictured below) inside the new Grain Valley location. Photo credit: Valley News staff Photo credit: Valley News staff
by Michael Smith The Grain Valley wrestling team has a new coach and the numbers are better than ever for the program. Former head coach Jeff Bowman stepped down and Donald Horner takes over a program that lost just one senior from last season’s team. Horner was an assistant coach for the Blue Springs South wrestling team last year and gets his first crack at leading a team that has a whopping 77 students trying out for the final roster. On the girls’ side, the Eagles will go from having two wrestlers to 11, so they will now be able to field a full team for girls and boys. “We’re still missing a lot of kids because the football team is still playing,” said Grain Valley assistant coach Chad Benshoof. “We still have experience in the varsity lineup and they are getting better every day. That is out motto.” Senior Brock Smith said he was excited to have so many people try out for the team. “It’s a good problem to have,” Smith said. “You want to have a lot of kids out. It builds the team and gets everyone better every single day. It’s unfortunate for us, but we have a good football team here at Grain Valley. We got 20 kids who don’t plan on coming in this Friday. They plan to keep winning.” The increased numbers will especially be a benefit to defending state champion Sevreign Aumua and the girls team. “I feel really good about it,” Aumua said. “Me and Ava (Kusick) are glad to not be the only girls in the room. “It is great to see that not only is the girls (team) getting bigger but Grain Valley is in general. I am glad to be someone they can look up to.” The Eagles return their lineup from last year on the boys side except for OT Frederick, who graduated. Of those returning Dru Azcona (132) and Tanner Barker (165) come into the 2022-23 season as state medalists from last season. Azcona finished fourth at state last season with a 42-6 record. He will being a good amount of experience and success to the team as he’s a two-time state medalist and three-time state qualifier. “The goal every year is to win the state championship,” Azcona said. “I also want to help the team win a state trophy before I leave and I want to leave a legacy for the program.” Barker has had similar success to Azcona as he’s a two-time stat qualifier and a 2022 state medalist. He said he’s been working on his ties and go behind moves in practice and the offseason as he’s looking for bigger and better results in 2022-23. “I want to win to win state this year,” Barker said. “I am looking to score more points this year because that’s what separates the good kids from the really, really good kids.” Smith (126) and Justin Deweese (150) were also state qualifiers last season that will provide a boost to the Eagles. Deweese began last season on the junior varsity team but worked his way up to varsity and ended up taking third at the Class 4 District 4 Tournament to qualify for state for the first time in his young career. “I am excited because last year I was giving up some weight,” Deweese said. “This year, I should be more competitive. “I have been working on my single (leg takedowns), my high crotches and some outside shots and a little bit of double leg (takedowns). “I am hoping to place at state this year and get into the top three.” With so many wrestlers returning for Grain Valley, the team has set some high goals. “We want to win (the Suburban White Conference) as a team and we want to bring home the state trophy,” Smith said. “We have the squad to do it so be on the lookout.” For the girls, Aumua said she is excited to work with all of the incoming newcomers and freshmen. The junior admitted she hasn’t had a lot of time to work on wrestling in the offseason as she also plays soccer and rugby in the spring and summer. But she has been working hard the last two weeks on her wrestling and has been looking to improve on her sweeps and increasing her stamina. “I am hoping to go back to state and hopefully place first,” Aumua said. “I am also hoping to help the other girls and work with them to also maybe qualify for state with me.” Horner declined to comment on the upcoming season. Grain Valley senior Brock Smith prepares to do a squat during wrestling practice Thursday. Photo credit: Michael Smith Grain Valley assistant coach Chad Benshoof looks on as a group of Grain Valley wrestlers do sit-ups. Photo credit: Michael Smith
Three Grain Valley residents were among 100 welcomed as new U.S. citizens during a ceremony hosted by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and the U.S. District Court Western District of Missouri at the Kansas City Public Library’s downtown Central Branch on Tuesday, November 15th. Ana Laura Best, Gabe Cross, and Thalia Celina Orendain Ortiz were among the 100 candidates originating from 39 countries who participated in Tuesday's ceremony. For Gabe Cross, who came to the United States with his family at age 16 from Australia, his citizenship journey began in earnest with his marriage to his wife Grace. Cross moved from Brisbane, Australia in 2015 with his family, settling in Nashville. Cross met his wife in Nashville and the couple settled in Grain Valley, as her family resides in the area. Cross works in the creative field, working in social media and photography for Kansas City's MADE MOBB, and loves the vibrant creative community in the area. "They are all about supporting each other," Cross said. Speaking with Cross prior to the ceremony, he said it felt like a "monumental moment" in his life and was proud to become a U.S. citizen. For Ana Laura Best, originally from Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, it was a chance meeting at church that brought her to the United States. Her future husband was visiting the church as part of a missionary group, and the two met in the cafeteria as she helped her mother in the kitchen. "The whole thing has been God’s plan," Best said. "You've heard the phrase, 'Tell Him your plans, and he will laugh', and this is true. I had no intention of coming to the United States, and had dreamed of traveling to Italy. But God had a plan. Now, here I am in the United States, married to an American," Best quipped. Best and her future husband kept in contact for about a year after they met and then began traveling back and forth to visit each other. After they married, Best began the process to become a citizen. "The hardest part (of the visa process) was the 1-year waiting period when you cannot travel outside the country. It was hard not being able to see my parents." Best also said the process to find employers to take a chance on someone with a green card or work visa can be daunting. Best found work with First American Title and has worked with the company for two years. She praised her boss for the opportunity. "I'm really grateful for her," Best said. While she had heard stories about how difficult the interview process as a part of the citizenship requirements would be, Best said she had the opposite experience. "The officers were really kind, and the process was quick. They were really nice. It was such a blessing, and the opposite of what many told us it was." Best said Tuesday's ceremony was "pretty emotional". "One of the speakers commented that even though we were becoming citizens of the United States, you do not forget about where you come from. You keep your roots. You may have come to different country, but you still are who you are. No matter where you are. I kept this in my heart." Thalia Celina Orendain Ortiz, originally from Jalisco, Mexico, came to the United States in 2012 with her husband Adrian Armenta. "We made the decision to enter the U.S.A. with the hope of being able to have a better quality of life, a permanent job, and a more stable economic solvency. In short, we were looking for the American dream," Ortiz said. "After living in this country for 10 years, with my 2 children Adrian and Emmanuel and my husband, who are now American citizens, I decided to choose the U.S.A. as my country, and not because I felt excluded. On the contrary, my roots and my language have never been a reason to feel discriminated against, each inhabitant here makes me feel part of them, they make me feel at home." "I made the decision to become a citizen one year ago. Actually the process is super easy and fast, although due to my little knowledge of English, it was a bit difficult for me to study the questions, but nothing is impossible, because I finally made it. I chose this country, and this country accepted me with open arms, and I admit it, it was exciting to see so many people at the ceremony. 100 people, 39 countries and one dream come true for each of us." John Herron, library chief executive, gave opening remarks at the ceremony and spoke to the importance of active engagement as citizens. "The promise of America works only with an active and engaged citizenry. It is now part of your responsibility to ensure that the ideal remains valid for every citizen. It is no small obligation. But it is required to ensure that you and your children get access to the benefits of our national system," Herron said. U.S. Bankruptcy Chief Judge Brian T. Fenimore presided, and Paige Wymore-Wynn, court executive, administered the Oath of Allegiance. Denesha Snell, library board member, delivered congratulatory remarks to the newly minted citizens. The citizenship candidates originated from 39 countries: Afghanistan, Australia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Canada, China, Colombia, Congo (Kinshasa), Cuba, Ecuador, Ethiopia, Finland, France, the Gambia, Ghana, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hong Kong, India, Iraq, Jamaica, Jordan, Kenya, Mexico, Morocco, Netherlands, Nigeria, Pakistan, Samoa, Senegal, Somalia, South Sudan, Syria, Tanzania, Thailand, the United Kingdom, Venezuela and Vietnam. USCIS.gov provides information and resources for those considering U.S. citizenship. Specificallyuscis.gov/tools and uscis.gov/citizenship. Other resources can be found at the USCIS YouTube page, including the “Applying for Citizenship Online” video that helps someone fill out the online application to become a U.S. citizen. Those preparing for the civics test can practice by downloading the USCIS Civics Test Study tools app. Tuesday's ceremony can be viewed online at : https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=7Sk0Dd-RipM Ana Best, with husband Cody Best and daughters Allisa and Milena. Photo credit: Ana Best Grain Valley resident Thalia Celina Orendain Ortiz, originally from Jalisco, Mexico, became a citizen Tuesday during the ceremony held at the downtown branch of the Kansas City Public Library. Photo credit: Thalia Celina Orendain Ortiz
Last weekend was a historic one for Grain Valley High School. The football team soundly beat Raytown to clinch the District Championship on Friday night. The Grain Valley Marching Eagles traveled to Indianapolis for the Bands of America National Championships, making it to semifinals and placing 26th out of 100 bands. A landmark weekend for sure, and one student managed the Herculean feat of participating in both events, racking up nearly 2,000 travel miles in the process. GVHS Senior Jackson Doolin has been a Marching Eagle and on the football team all four years of his high school career, and has become adept at managing the two activities in the fall. But this year presented a unique challenge when he looked at the calendar this past summer. “Back in May, we first realized both events were on the same weekend and it was finalized in July,” Doolin said. Doolin sat down with his parents to come up with a game plan. “It’s his senior year. How are we going to do both and can we commit to both? We looked at flights, but it made the most sense to drive,” Doolin’s mom Julie Pexa said. As the football team continued their run of success throughout the season, their travel plans became real. On Thursday, Doolin boarded one of the buses with the band and headed to Indianapolis. A series of traffic headaches caused the band to not arrive at their hotels until late that evening. The band members caught a few hours of sleep and headed to Lucas Oil Stadium early Friday morning for their preliminary performance at Nationals. Pexa left Thursday morning as well, picking up her husband Greg Pexa, who flew from work in Phoenix to Indianapolis to join them. Right after the band’s preliminary show on Friday morning, Doolin switched out of his band uniform, jumped in the car with his family and girlfriend Erica Buchanan, and drove back to Grain Valley. “I was a few minutes late. I was supposed to be at the high school at 4:35pm, and I think I arrived at 4:37pm,” Doolin quipped. Doolin and his teammates proceeded to trounce Raytown 43-0 on a bitterly cold evening at Moody Murry stadium, clinching the District championship. Meanwhile, back in Indianapolis, the Marching Eagles were announced as one of the bands who would proceed onto semifinals competition on Saturday morning. So, after a quick shower, and a stop at McDonald’s for dinner on the way out of town, Doolin, his parents and girlfriend were back on the road overnight through sleet and snow to Indianapolis. “It was go time,” Pexa said. Doolin made it back to Lucas Oil Stadium at 6:20am, meeting the band trailers as they pulled in. “And then it was go time again,” Doolin said. The band competed in semi finals, finishing 26th out of 100 bands in national competition. Doolin enjoyed the rest of the weekend with his band mates, returned home Sunday, and was back in class and off to football practice on Monday this week. Looking back on the whirlwind weekend, Doolin was quick to give credit to his parents, girlfriend, and coaches for their support. “My mom and stepdad have been extremely supportive and watch me do it all. Since I was in pee wee football, my mom has hardly missed a game or a band performance. And my stepdad’s been there to support me. He left work in Phoenix, flew to Indianapolis, and traveled with us all weekend before returning to Phoenix on Monday. I’m very appreciative of both of them for that. And my girlfriend has been there supporting everything. She did all the traveling too.” “(Coach David Allie and Director of Bands Travis Barzee) are the supporting cast. Both of them are very supportive of what I do. They don’t necessarily make it easy, but they’ve always been supportive of me.” Barzee expresseed his pride in Doolin’s efforts this year and over the past four years. “Jackson has completed four successful seasons dual participating in band and football and has set the standard for how to handle such a challenge. His commitment to both activities was seen in full force as he successfully made both the band's BOA Grand Nationals competition and the football team's home playoff game against Raytown. Jackson came to me months ago and laid out a plan for what the weekend could look like for him should the football team make it that far into the playoffs. His ability to effectively communicate to both myself and Coach Allie to coordinate and advocate for his ability to succeed in two activities that he is passionate about sets Jackson apart. I am very proud of him for finishing out our season in all the right ways and look forward to cheering him on as the football team continues through the playoffs,” Barzee said. Coach David Allie agreed. “As Mr. Barzee said, Jackson has been a dual participant in band and football for all four years his high school career. Both programs require an enormous time commitment during the school year and in the off-season as well, particularly during the summer, and Jackson never wavered in his dedication to either one.” “He always communicated with Mr. Barzee and me to ensure that he was able to spend time in both endeavors, and I know both programs benefited from his participation.” “I feel that it is important to assist and encourage our students to participate in multiple activities, and I am glad that we are at a high school where other students and program leaders, like Mr. Barzee, can work together to provide the most positive experiences possible for our young men and women.” “One of the core values we promote is family and the idea of sacrificing for the good of others; Jackson clearly exhibits this trait with the most recent travel to Indianapolis for Grand Nationals, back to Grain Valley for our District Championship game, and then returning to Indianapolis after the game to participate in the band's historic performance in the Grand National Semifinal competition. He will be an inspiration to future participants in both programs!” “He’s faced a lot of adversity in life. He exerts his energy on positive things instead of focusing on negative things,” mom Julie Pexa said. “All the communication honestly has been him. When it’s communicating between the coaches and the band director, It’s been up to him.” Even though Doolin is not planning to continue band or football at the college level, he says the lessons he’s learned participating in both activities and learning to manage his participation in both programs will serve him well in the future. Doolin plans to attend Missouri Western after high school and study business. “It’s all been emotional, too. I’m super grateful. It’s something I couldn’t imagine myself not doing,” Doolin said. Doolin and his supporters celebrating the Eagles District championship win on Friday evening before heading back to Indianapolis. Photo credit: Julie Pexa Doolin, foreground with bass clarinet, performing with the Marching Eagles in national competition at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. Photo credit: Julie Pexa
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