​     The 2021-22 Grain Valley boys basketball team has a different look than last season’s squad.
     Last year, the Eagles centered their offense around 6-foot-6 forward Cole Keller, who often dominated the paint and would kick it out to teammates for open looks from the perimeter.
     This season, the Eagles don’t have a dominant big man that can do what Keller did, so head coach Andy Herbert has had to adjust his offense to involve more motion, cuts and screens to get shooters open.
     That formula worked at times against Platte County Friday night on the road. The Eagles’ 3-point shooting helped them make a late comeback against the Pirates, but it wasn’t enough in a 63-60 loss.
     “I am proud of our guys,” Herbert said. “It would have been easy to fold up and go away but we stayed resilient. We were down double digits multiple times, and we found a way to get back in the game.”
     “We had a focal point in the middle last year. Alex (Snyder) and Rhylan (Alcanter) are doing a good job there. We are going to have to make threes. That’s going to have to be part of who we are to win games.”
     The Eagles (1-2) had a chance to tie it in the final 15 seconds when they were down 63-60. Platte County heavily defended the 3-point line, which made it difficult for Grain Valley to get an open look. Senior Nick Hooper then got a sliver of space on the right wing and took a shot from the outside, but it was partially blocked by a Pirate defender as time expired.
     Grain Valley got off to a good start as it led 7-2 early in the first period. However, Pirate senior Jarrett Mueller helped his team tie it 17-all to end the quarter after he exploded for 10 points including two 3-pointers.
     Platte County started to pull away in the second period as it shot 5-for-9 from the 3-point line while swinging the ball around the perimeter using precision passing and off-ball movement to get open shots. Senior Jace Trimble led the Pirates in that quarter with eight points. They led 38-27 at one point but Grain Valley junior Avery Garmon found Alcanter under the basket for a layup to cut the lead to 38-29 at halftime.
     “They were speeding us up and we were playing at their pace,” Garmon said. “We just have to remember to play at our pace and play our style of basketball.”
     The Eagles started to make a comeback in the third quarter after starting on a 12-7 run to cut the Pirate advantage to 45-41 following a Garmon 3-pointer. However, four costly turnovers for the Eagles were created by an aggressive Pirate defense that got into passing lanes for steals helped them push the lead back up to 53-45 by quarter’s end.
     ‘They take calculated risks defensively,” Herbert said of Platte County. “They are smart about when they do that.”
     “We were a little careless with the ball, especially in the first half, but a lot of that had to do with (Platte County’s) defense.”
     In the fourth, Grain Valley slowly chipped away at the lead. Garmon hit a 3-pointer and junior Owen Herbert had two of his own, both of which came late with the last one cutting the Pirate lead to 62-60.  Eli Nelson hit 1 of 2 free throws to make it 63-60 and the Eagles were unable to tie it and send the game to overtime.
     Garmon helped keep his team in it with a game-high 22 points, which included five 3-point baskets. Herbert added 11 points, including two clutch 3-pointers and Snyder gave Grain Valley some interior presence by getting some baskets inside and chipping in with 10 points.
     “In warmups, my shot felt like it was the worst out of the three games,” Garmon said. “I got out and made the first one and I was like, ‘Alright. That one felt pretty nice.’ Coach has been talking a lot to me about confidence, and I was confident tonight.” 

     The Grain Valley Board of Education has named Dr. Brad Welle as Superintendent of Schools effective July 1, 2022. This decision follows the announcement from current superintendent Dr. Marc Snow last month that he will retire effective June 30 following 5 ½ years as superintendent and 21 years in the district overall.
     Welle has served as a school or district leader in Grain Valley for 14 years, having first served as the principal of Sni-A-Bar Elementary from 2007-2011 before being named assistant superintendent for academic and student services in 2011, and then deputy superintendent for student and community services in 2016.
     This year marks Welle’s 29th in public education overall. Prior to Grain Valley, Welle was with Liberty Public Schools for 15 years, serving as a paraprofessional and then social studies teacher at Liberty Middle School, then assistant principal at Franklin Elementary and Manor Hill Elementary, followed by principal for the opening of two new schools, Shoal Creek Elementary and Warren Hills Elementary.
     In a district email, Welle said, “It has been a great pleasure serving our school community the past 14 years and I am humbled by the opportunity to serve as superintendent. We have a remarkable team of educators and support staff who consistently put kids first. I have no doubt we can overcome any challenge as a school community to ensure student success and excel."
     "Dr. Welle has much knowledge of our school culture and community. We are very pleased he has accepted the role of Superintendent of Schools for Grain Valley," Board President Eddie Saffell said.

​     Grain Valley lost two of its best wrestlers to graduation from the 2020-21 season, including state champion Hunter Newsom.
     In that season, Grain Valley was a solid team, qualifying five wrestlers for the state tournament. And even after losing two high-quality wrestlers, it looks like Grain Valley could meet or exceed the success it has last season.
     In their first dual of the season, it doesn’t appear that the Eagles have lost a beat. Grain Valley got five pins as a team and cruised to a 58-21 victory against Suburban Middle Six Conference for Oak Park Wednesday at home.
     “I was really happy,” Grain Valley coach Jeff Bowman said. “When you look at what Oak Park did to us last year, it was really bad. Today, the tables were turned.”
     “There are still a lot of things we need to work on. Our first move off the whistle, especially from bottom, is not satisfactory. On top, we are waiting for guys’ reactions before even doing anything.”
     Andrew Czeschin (285) was one Grain Valley wrestler that waited for his opponent to do anything. He got a quick takedown and pinned Ever Melendez in 25 seconds in his first year as a full-time varsity competitor.
     Last season, he got a little bit of varsity experience when heavyweight Donovan McBride was out with an injury. This year, Czeschin is getting his opportunity to make an impact for the Eagles.
     “I went to a snapdown. I was trying to move to a shot, but I couldn’t get down far enough,” Czeschin said. “I tried to go for a cradle, but my arms are honestly too short, so I just rolled him with a half (nelson).”
     Brock Smith (120) was another Eagle to get a pin. He just missed out on going to the state tournament last season when he lost to Van Horn’s Ethan Moses 4-2 in the third-place match. He’s hoping to get there this season and he looked capable of doing that in his match with Anthony Cherco.
     He used an armbar to roll over his opponent into a pin that he got in 3:29.
     “I used a power half with my legs. It’s something we work on every day in the room,” Smith said. “Being able to use it shows how hard we practice in the room.”
     “I was feeling him out a little bit. I knew what he was going to do. I knew if I could stay clear of his two and ones, the match was mine.”
     Kollin Hanshuld (!38) also got an impressive victory for Grain Valley. He overcame a 5-2 deficit against Cole Counts-Davis, by getting a reversal and a pin in the third period.
     “I noticed halfway through the match that the guy was getting tired,” Hanshuld said. “I used that to my advantage. I waited it out and played it safe and then eventually do what I needed to do.”
     Dru Azcona (126) got a pin against Jamison Tunstill in 4:35; Tyler Groves (132) earned a fall against Adrian Aguirre in 2:44; Tanner Barker (152) controlled his match from start to finish in a 18-4 major decision vs. Brent Compton; Evan Reich (160) won by forfeit; and Aven Aumua (195), Colston Parks (106) and Gavin Parks (113) won by forfeit for the Eagles.
 
     For Oak Park, Paul Hernandez (182) and Josh Gant (220) earned pins; Jacob Wooten (145) won by forfeit; and Karl Knaack earned a 7-1 victory against Jace Worthington.
​

     A board workshop meeting on December 8th with the stated goal of discussing renovation options for the current City Hall facility went off course as discussions revealed the majority of the Board of Aldermen do not support the proposed site for the new police station. This revelation puts in jeopardy a planned April 2021 bond issue to build a new police station, the preliminary plans for which were to be unveiled in a December 14th Community Public Open House.
     City staff began the meeting by presenting options to reconfigure the space within the current City Hall facility to accommodate City staff once the police department moved into its proposed new site. The board was asked to provide guidance regarding the level of renovations to be scheduled in the site, as staff remained unclear regarding the timeline the Board envisions for either a City Hall renovation or move to a new facility.
     The cost for the options provided range from $800,000 - $1.2 million to renovate the current City building, including the repurposing of space currently occupied by the police department. The Board generally agreed that renovations to the City Hall space be postponed until clarity is reached regarding the new police station and whether City Hall offices will remain in its current location, or a new location will be sought. A ten-year life span for the current building was generally agreed upon.
     The option to set aside funding for such renovations over the next few budget years was proposed as an alternative to approaching citizens with a bond issue.
     “We can start budgeting for that now. When the police building is built, if that comes, then you’re already two years into funding this (City Hall),” Alderman Bob Headley said.
     The potential to open up the land currently occupied by the City Hall building for commercial development was once again raised, with the option to move city hall and the community center to the former Sni-A-Bar Farm property currently owned by the City.
     This suggestion provoked the ire of Mayor Chuck Johnston, who asked, “How are we getting back to the farm? That has been voted down. The people said they wanted to maintain this land. I don’t know how we’re getting back to going back there.”
     “I can tell you that if we’re voting in January to move the police department back there (behind the Community Center), if that’s going to go on the ballot. I can tell you today, I’m going to vote no for that. I don’t think the location is the right location,” Alderman Jayci Stratton said.
     “I feel like whoever has pushed all of this through so quick to have all of these meetings in December and have the vote in January didn’t listen in the beginning. Because we said could it be feasible to get back there, and that is what we were hoping to find out. Not to say, here it is, put it on the ballot,” Stratton said.
     “To me, our police station needs to be inviting. Back there, where are you going to see it?”, Alderman Rick Knox said.
     “I figured the design team would come back and say ‘nah’ you’re landlocking yourself in. You’ll have issues coming in and out. They’re already talking about building a separate road for PD to come in and out on their own,” Knox said.
     “If you put it back there, thirty years from now, the people sitting up here are going to be saying, ‘What were they thinking?’”
     Several board members stated they believed the study was just to determine if the site behind the community center was even feasible for a police station, and that an actual plan to present to voters was not a part of what was approved.
     The City’s bid notice from June 2021 states “After multiple workshops and a citizen survey, the Board has directed staff to solicit proposals from design firms for the feasibility, design and construction of a new police station on the former football field directly behind the pavilion which is city owned property.”
    The discussion of what exactly board members expected from the feasibility study continued, with members reiterating that while it may be feasible, they do not support a police building being located at the proposed site behind the current community center building.
     “Alright, so it’s feasible. We’ve got feasibility decided. So now we’re just changing completely because of what?,” Johnston said.
    “It’s been no secret from me that I have not felt that location was a good location. That’s been my stance the whole time,” Stratton said.
     “I honestly, to tell you the truth Mayor, I thought the designers would come back and say ‘what are you thinking’?”, Knox said.
     “I’ve been quiet this whole time. I’m embarrassed the way this is going. What I hear is the aldermen saying they don’t want this. I hear that we don’t want it there. We’re all in agreement,” Alderman Darren Mills said.
     “We were elected by the people to represent and that is what we need to do.”
     “I don’t know why we wasted money on a feasibility study back there when you knew you didn’t want it back there,” Johnston said.
     “Well, Mayor, we need to get it right,” Knox said.
     “I understand that,” Johnston said.
      “No, you don’t seem to,” Knox said. “We have all decided that we have checked that, but we don’t think it is the best for the City now or 50 years from now.”
     Johnston once again pressed why the board voted to approve a feasibility study knowing they did not want the station located behind the community center.
     Knox interjected, “To appease you, because we always voting against you. So we said alright, let’s let Chuck…”.
     “So, you spend money on a feasibility study for something you don’t want,” Johnston interjected.
     “We actually figured…they’d tell us ‘no’”, Knox said.
     “Good reason to spend money on a study,” Johnston said.
     A citizen’s study group, consisting of two representatives from each of the City’s three wards and one at-large member, has been working with architectural design firm Hoefer Welker in multiple meetings over the past month to develop plans for the new station. The group toured the current station with Grain Valley Police Chief James Beale, went on site visits to stations throughout the metro area, and met over several evenings to develop a plan in preparation for the planned December 14th open house event.
     City Administrator Ken Murphy brought up the planned December 14th meeting, inquiring if the meeting should proceed given the current discussion.
     “I think we cancel that meeting,” Johnston said.
     “If you could relay (my gratitude) to this team of people. Because I greatly respect the amount of time and thought and consideration that they put into everything,” Stratton said. “I don’t want them to feel that their time is wasted, because I think their input is still valuable.”
     Murphy said the work completed by the committee could still inform future planning for a police station, as the board does agree that the need for a new facility exists.
     Reached for comment following the meeting, Mayor Johnston stated, “I’m extremely disappointed. If they were going to vote in a feasibility study and don’t like the way it turns out, why waste money on it? We originally voted that we wanted to see if it is feasible. The only reason to see if it is feasible is if we’re going to do it, not to appease me. The citizen survey we did said that the voters wanted us to try to use this land rather than waste the money elsewhere. Now we’re back to this same garbage again. I’m trying to do what the voters want and think. They’re elected by the voters. The voters said what they wanted to do. We spent a lot of money once they said they wanted to see what was feasible there. If they did that to appease me, that was not the right thing. Their reasoning was wrong,” Johnston said.
     Knox reiterated his stance after the meeting, “I just don’t feel that it is the best location for the taxpayers money.”
     Asked whether the planned December 14th community meeting to discuss the police station would proceed, City Administrator Ken Murphy stated, “TBD” (to be determined). “I’ll be making some phone calls tomorrow morning.”
 

      Candidate filing for the April 5, 2022 municipal election began December 7th. As of December 8th, three candidates have filed:    
     Chuck Johnston - Mayor 
     Rick Knox - Alderman, Ward II
     Dale Arnold - Alderman, Ward I
    The seats currently occupied by aldermen Bob Headley (Ward III) and Jayci Stratton (Ward I) are both up for election and neither have filed as of December 8th.
     The last day for candidate filing will be Tuesday, December 28th at 5:00pm. Candidates date and time of filing will be recorded and shall appear on the ballot in that order.

 

​     Purple Peace Foundation and the Mudd Family invite you to bring your friends and family to explore the beauty of the Mudd Family’s home Christmas display this weekend. Located at 7809 S Arnett Road, Grain Valley, the setting is perfect for a leisurely stroll and the perfect holiday selfie.
 
Friday, December 10th from 4:00 pm- 8:00 pm
Saturday, December 11th from 4:00 pm- 8:00 pm
     The grounds are lit, but guests are encouraged to bring a flashlight to light your way as you walk, as the ground can be uneven.
     This event is free although donations to the Purple Peace Foundation may be made on-site if you wish.
     For more information, please contact Stacey at 816 847-6856 or [email protected] or Holly at 816 489-2220 or [email protected].
 

​     Happy New Year everyone! With the new year, I'm sure you want to make positive changes in your life. With resolutions, we always tend to focus on improving our relationships, finances, and health. 
     With technology playing a big role in our lives, you need to consider changes to your digital life as well.  The good news is that you don't have to be a technology expert to resolve to get better with the tech in your life.
     Not sure where to start? Well, I've put together a list of tech resolutions that will help you get more from the technology you use at home and work.

1. Get Serious About Cyber Security.    
     Cybercrime was huge in 2021 and it's only going to get worse in 2022. First, understand that all of your devices have the protection you need against threats on the internet. As long as you keep your devices up to date, you are protected.  
     Most of the scams and viruses require user interaction in order to cause problems, so be cautious of websites you visit and emails that show up in your inbox. If your information was leaked in a data breach, make sure you take action immediately, by changing your passwords for your online accounts. If you don't, your accounts can become susceptible to 'credential stuffing' which is where criminals use your information leaked in data breaches to take over your online accounts.

2. Be Kind To Your Data. 
     If you love your data, you will want to make sure you are backing up your precious data automatically ... to the cloud.  External hard drives are great, but if you're like most people you don't hook them up to your devices all of the time to perform a backup. Cloud backup offers the ability to have your device information saved as a backup as soon as you create it on your device.

3. Keep Your Devices and Accounts Secure. 
     You want to make sure your computers and smart devices are password protected and your accounts have different passwords.   If you haven't enabled 2-factor authentication for your online accounts, you need to do it immediately. 
     This way, if your accounts are compromised, criminals can't get access to your information.

4. Show Your Devices Some Love.
     Upgrade to Windows 10. Microsoft is ending support for Windows 7 this month. 
     If you have a Mac, you need to update to High Sierra, Mojave or Catalina. Make sure your smartphone, tablets and your smart home devices have the latest security updates installed to keep you safe from all of the bad things and people on the Internet.

5. Unclutter your Devices and get Rid of Old Tech.
     Yes, you spent money on those devices, but when they are obsolete it's time to get rid of them. Take them to your favorite recycling center or give them away to someone who can still use them. 
     Some places like Amazon offer trade-ins on old technology. While you're trashing your old tech, delete those old programs and files to keep your devices clutter-free.

6. Set Boundaries with Yourself and Your Family. 
     Don't let your digital life take over your real life. Modern technology is designed to keep you and your family plugged in so you become addicted to your devices. Most adults have the brainpower to switch off technology, but if you have younger members in your household, it can be hard for their brains to disconnect.
     Choose times and areas in your house where technology use isn't allowed. Life is short, make sure you're making the most out of it.

     If you follow these tech resolutions for the new year, you should have a worry-free and enjoyable digital lifestyle for yourself and your family.

     Want to ask me a tech question? Send it to [email protected]. If you prefer to connect with me on social media, you can find me on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter and watch great tech tip videos on our  YouTube channel. I love technology. I've read all of the manuals and I want to make technology fun and exciting for you.
     If you need on-site or remote tech support for your Windows\Macintosh, computers, laptops, Android/Apple smartphone, tablets, printers, routers, smart home devices, and anything that connects to the Internet, please feel free to contact my team at Integral.
     My team of friendly tech experts is always standing by to answer your questions and help make your technology useful and fun. Reach out to us a www.callintegralnow.com or phone at 888.256.0829.

     Jackson County announced that it is once again waiving the online convenience and electronic check (ACH) fees for this year’s property tax payments.
     The fees will be waived through December 31, 2021 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.
     “With the pandemic ongoing, we still have a responsibility to provide a safe way for residents to conduct business with us,” Jackson County Executive Frank White, Jr. said.
      “We know that waiving these fees is an effective way to do that and encourage everyone to take advantage of this opportunity by making their payment using our contactless and easy 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,”  Whitney Miller, Director of Collection 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:
Visit payments.jacksongov.org
· Create an account or continue as guest
· Link account and search by name, address or property account number
· View and pay your bills
· Print or digitally store your receipts
 
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.
 
     As a reminder, all County locations and the online payment vendor’s offices will be closed on December 31, 2021 in observation of the New Year.
 

​The following information is derived from the Grain Valley Police Department daily calls for service log for the week of November 24-30, 2021.
 

​     I wrote a portion of this week’s article for The Voice, a monthly Historical Society newsletter, back in 2017. I find that today, 4 years later, while my memories are still fresh, I still haven’t been able to learn “who was that man behind the beard?”
     Who doesn’t have memories of Christmas, regardless of your heritage? Whether it’s Christmas, Hanukkah, Ramadan, or any number of secular or religious holidays, they all share a common thread...family!!
     How did/does your family spend the holidays? After nearly twenty-one months of some type of Covid “lockdown,”  Grain Valley residents are looking forward to celebrating with family and friends. One common thread seems to be Christmas will be spread out over several days as different children and grandchildren will be arriving at different times. Some responded with, “this is the year our son/daughter will be spending Christmas with their wife/husband’s family.”
     It made me think back to the 1950s and 1960s and a less mobile society. Some families might have two Christmas dinners, but they were usually on the same day and only a few blocks or miles apart. ! I suspect growing up in Grain Valley in those days was quite similar to many small towns. From Thanksgiving until December 25, the routine was much the same each year.
     At school, our music teacher began rehearsals for the annual! Christmas pageant. I do not recall many specifics about those years, but I do remember in first grade that all of the girls in my class were dolls. I wore a white frilly blouse and a red taffeta skirt. My mother attached bows on the ruffle with tiny bells that jingled when I danced. Each year the pageant had a theme and every grade performs along with the high school choral groups and the band. We probably had a cast of 250 students.
     By the late 1950s we had grown so much we had to have two programs, one for the elementary students and one for the junior high and high school. Did any of you take part in one of the pageants?
     Sometime in the mid 1950s, Tom Heidelberger planted an evergreen tree on the southwest corner of Front Street and Main. In those days that was the City Park. We still had the old railroad station where mail was delivered until about 1960. The city park was also the site of “free shows” in the summer. !
     Each year in early December, Tom would sting the tree with colored lights. It became the town Christmas tree and remained so well into the 1970s. What began as a little tree about 5 or 6 feet tall, grew to be quite large.  For many years, Tom provided more and more lights to the growing tree. Does anyone recall when the tree was cut down?
     On the last Saturday before Christmas, Santa arrived in town to pass out candy and ask the age-old question, “What do you want Santa to bring you this year?”!
     At that time there were only three churches in Grain Valley, but each one prepared for the holiday. Three of the biggest cedar trees in the area were chopped down as each Church add a tree to their sanctuary and a wreathe to the front door. Each of the churches had a Christmas Eve service. The Christmas story was acted out by the young people complete with Mary and Joseph, shepherds, wise men and, of course, angels, which were always girls! And then, after the scriptures and singing, there was Santa Claus! 
     Santa always came to school, too. He visited the all-school assembly and he made it to the elementary classrooms, too. Do any of you remember the “faces” of Santa? I’ve been trying to remember and have asked several people. If you are reading this story and can give me an answer, I would love to know.
     Also, if you have photographs of Christmas in Grain Valley PLEASE consider sharing some with the Historical Society. Scan the photo and email to me at [email protected]. Or get them to me and I will scan and return the original. Remember, they don’t have to be “old” to be historical. 2021 will soon be “history” to future generations. Please help us to preserve that history.