The Grain Valley Aquatic Center hours will adjust effective August 24th. The pool will be closed Monday through Friday. Hours on Saturday and Sunday will be Noon—6:00pm until Labor Day. The pool’s final day for the season will be Labor Day, Monday, September 7th, from Noon—4:00pm.
     The Grain Valley Aquatic Center is located at 713 N. Main ST. Daily admission is $5; ages 4 and under are free.
 

     Bobwhite quail need quality places to feed, rear young, and hide from predators. The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) suggests late summer is a good time to evaluate quail habitat on farms and acreages. For more quail, or to keep “bob-white” whistles as a summer sound, check to see if vegetation meets quail needs now and for the winter to come.
     Be cautious about mowing grassy or weedy spots in field edges and pastures, as some may conceal young birds that will mature in winter. Avoid or postpone unnecessary mowing to boost quail numbers.
     “Oftentimes, it is this late summer season when people start mowing odd areas, and they wipe out decent cover,” Kyle Hedges, MDC wildlife management biologist said.
     Missouri quail research has shown that more than 35 percent of all quail nests are set to hatch in August. August is critically important for those adult birds that had a previous failed nest, or for whatever reason, they didn’t get around to nesting until late summer. Furthermore, many young broods from nests that hatched in July are feeding and growing.
     Late summer is a good time to evaluate the plant mix, whether it is a cover strip beside a field or an entire pasture. Does habitat have a good mix of forbs such as native wildflowers as well as grasses?
     The wildflowers host insects and provide seeds that broods and coveys need for food. They also provide openness at ground level that helps birds easily move around to feed or escape predators.
     “If the fields are all rank grass and lacking forbs, landowners can make plans for some dormant-season disking to improve the forbs next summer,” Hedges said.
     If both forbs and grasses are growing too thick for ground-dwelling birds to easily move about, late winter burns can create better conditions and boost brood survival the following summer. Late summer is also a good time to spot spray and eliminate invasive species such as sericea lespedeza. Landowners can note encroachment into grasslands of unwanted trees and make plans for removal.
     Another summer check is walking fields to see if the plant mix is hosting insects that quail feed upon.
     “If you walk through a field and don’t have insects bouncing off your pants, it’s probably no suitable brood rearing habitat,” Hedges said. “Almost always, the lack of insects is due to a lack of forb numbers or plant species diversity.”
     A late summer need for quail is thickets with shrubs that provide both shade and air flow at ground level, such as wild plum, sumac, rough-leaved dogwood or blackberry.
     “Quail need to escape the brutal temps of midday, and they need thickets or some surrogate like edge feathering to do that,” Hedges said. “Just having thickets isn’t enough, you need to look at those thickets and make sure they don’t have an understory of fescue or some other non-native making them worthless.  I want bare ground under there, so the birds can get some shade, but also have some air flow.”
     MDC staff can help private landowners with quail habitat. In some cases, cost share programs for habitat improvement are available.
     “I would much rather see a farm now than in December,” Hedges said. “I can get a better feel for what is lacking, which 99 percent of the time is good brood habitat.”
     To learn more about how MDC can help private landowners with wildlife habitat, visit https://mdc.mo.gov/property. For tips on bobwhite quail habitat management, visit https://short.mdc.mo.gov/Z8Q.
 

     The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) has modified the 2020-2021 waterfowl managed hunt process to assure the safety of hunters and staff during the COVID-19 pandemic.
MDC is committed to providing hunting opportunities on managed waterfowl hunting areas throughout the waterfowl season.
     To allow for flexibility to respond to the state of the pandemic, there will be no pre-season reservations for the 2020-2021 waterfowl season. There will also be no teal season or youth season morning drawings. Procedures for individual conservation areas will be posted on the MDC website closer to season.
     All reservations, including ADA blinds, will be allocated through the weekly in-season reservation draw. The first application period will open October 20 and results will be announced October 27. The weekly application period opens every Tuesday at 8 a.m. and closes the following Monday at 3 p.m.
     Throughout the season, hunters will be asked to follow precautionary guidelines to assure the safety of everyone at the site during the morning draw. There will be a sliding scale of procedural levels that could range from no staff-hunter contact at all to close to business as usual.
     At the start of the season, every conservation area will be assigned to a certain procedural level due to the status of COVID-19 in the county. The decisions will be made in consultation with the appropriate county health department. Throughout the season, an area could move to a more restrictive procedural level depending on the county health department or other COVID-19 related factors.
     Some details of the procedural levels are as follows:
Red Level (very high COVID-19 risk)
No staff-hunter contact.
No facility use.
100% allocation for Missouri residents only through in-season reservation draw.
Hunt positions will be pre-assigned.
No poor line or vacancy filling.
 
Orange Level (high COVID-19 risk)
Limited facility use and social distancing employed.
100% allocation for Missouri residents only through in-season reservation draw.
Hunt parties will be able to select hunt location.
No poor line or vacancy filling.
 
Yellow Level (moderate COVID-19 risk)
Limited facility use and social distancing employed.
100% allocation for Missouri residents only through in-season reservation draw.
Hunt parties will be able to select hunt location.
Poor line only for reservation no-shows.
 
Green Level (low COVID-19 risk)
Facility use as guidance allows and social distancing employed.
50% allocation through in-season reservation draw.
Hunt parties will be able to select hunt location.
Poor line for no-shows and 50% of hunt positions.
 
     Throughout the season, procedures could change with limited time to notify hunters. In order to receive updates as quickly as possible, please subscribe to the “Waterfowl” email update list at public.govdelivery.com/accounts/MODC/subscribers/new. 
     Interested hunters can also refer to the MDC website as information is available, at huntfish.mdc.mo.gov/hunting-trapping/species/waterfowl/waterfowl-managed-hunts.
     While this process means a significant change from what hunters are used to, MDC has no plans to make the changes permanent. Back in May, an interdisciplinary team was created to look at the draw procedures and determine the best path forward, keeping hunters and MDC staff safe.
     This team made the best recommendation they could that balanced hunting opportunity with keeping staff and hunters safe.
     MDC has designated staff to help answer any questions hunters may have about the changes to this year’s waterfowl season. Please contact the following staff members at the numbers below:
Statewide-
Lauren Hildreth 573-522-4115 ext. 3259
Joel Porath 573-522-4115 ext. 3188
 
North Zone-
Chris Freeman 660-646-6122
Craig Crisler 660-446-3371
Mike Flaspohler 573-248-2530
 
Middle Zone-
Luke Wehmhoff 573-624-5821 ext. 4662
Gary Calvert 636-441-4554 ext. 4180
 
South Zone-
Lauren Hildreth 573-522-4115 ext. 3259
 

     Fishing is fun, and the first steps to catching a fish are getting basic tackle ready to use and knowing where and how to present lures and bait in the water.
     The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) will offer a virtual fishing clinic at 10:00am on Saturday, July 18th. Instructors from MDC’s Kansas City and Northwest regions will cover topics such tackle, casting, fish identification, regulations, and ethics.
     This clinic is an excellent opportunity for people to learn the basic fishing skills and gear needed to get started and catch fish. Experienced anglers also may find a tip or two that helps them catch more fish or a new species. Western Missouri has a variety of waters to fish in, from farm ponds and small streams to large rivers and lakes.
     Besides instruction, this virtual session will offer question and answer interaction for participants. This clinic will help anglers learn skills from the comfort of home that they can take outdoors and go fishing.
     MDC is offering some in-person outdoor programs in the coming weeks with safety protocols as a precaution against the COVID-19 virus. But staff will also offer virtual programs as an easy way for people to connect with the outdoors and learn lifetime skills.
     Participants are asked to pre-register for the virtual clinic by July 16th by visiting https://short.mdc.mo.gov/Z8p. They must register with a valid email address. A link will be sent via email for them to join the clinic online on July 18th.
     Missouri offers a wide variety of fishing opportunities for anglers whether fishing from shore or a watercraft. To learn more about fishing, visit https://huntfish.mdc.mo.gov/fishing.
 

​     Baseball fans rejoiced June 23rd following Major League Baseball’s announcement of a deal reached to begin the season July 23rd or 24th. Players are expected to report July 1st for training.
     “Major League Baseball is thrilled to announce that the 2020 season is on the horizon. We have provided the Players Association with a schedule to play 60 games and are excited to provide our great fans with Baseball again soon,” Commissioner of Baseball Robert D. Manfred, Jr. said in a statement released June 23rd.
     The proposed schedule will largely feature divisional play, with the remaining portion of each Club’s games against their opposite league’s corresponding geographical division (i.e., East vs. East, Central vs. Central and West vs. West), in order to mitigate travel. The vast majority of Major League Clubs are expected to conduct training at the ballparks in their primary home cities.
     At home in Grain Valley, an opportunity to train the next generation of players will be offered through an Instructional T-Ball program hosted by Grain Valley Parks & Recreation.
     The program begins Saturday, July 11th and runs for 6 weeks. The program is open to boys and girls 3 to 5 years of age, and focuses on skill development and fun. Participants will rotate through stations that focus on major skills of the game. Non-competitive games will be played the last three sessions of the program. A $45 fee covers the 6 week session and includes a t-shirt and medal for each player.
     To register for the Instructional T-Ball program, call 816-847-6230 ext. 9, stop by the Community Center, 713 S. Main, or register online at grainvalley.recdesk.com.
    
 

     A bit of normalcy has resumed at City Hall, the Community Center, and city parks with the reopening of some facilities and programs. The Grain Valley Aquatic Center opened Saturday, June 13th, and City Hall reopened June 15th. The Community Center resumed normal hours of operation on June 8th.
     “We still have some programs/classes that we just are not able to offer due to social distancing restrictions but the Fitness Center and Gymnasium are open again and we are taking room rentals,” Parks and Recreation Director Shannon Davies said.
     “The first weekend of the pool went really well. We never reached capacity, but we had a nice steady flow of patrons both Saturday and Sunday and are really appreciative of everyone's patience with the COVID-19 restrictions that we had to implement.”
     While playgrounds remain closed, all other park amenities are currently open to the public with some restrictions per Phase 2 of Jackson County's Recovery Plan. Davies is hopeful playgrounds can reopen in Phase 3 of the County’s plan.
     Baseball/softball field rentals have been very popular this month, according to Davies.
     “We can allow practices on our fields in Phase 2, just no tournaments. So several of these youth teams have been practicing in preparation for tournaments scheduled in surrounding counties where tournaments are allowed.”
     One popular program not returning in the near future are the monthly senior luncheons. The July senior luncheon has been canceled, and future luncheons have been postponed until further notice.
 

     With concerns about COVID-19 continuing, the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) announces it has extended its cancellation of programs and events at nature centers and other Department locations through June 30th.
     To help continue to connect people with nature, MDC will be offering more of its nature-focused programs through online formats.
     According to MDC, the online offerings will make it more convenient and comfortable for people to attend the programs virtually from wherever they are in the state -- and beyond.
     MDC typically provides hundreds of public programs each year at its various nature centers and other locations around the state. Due to the threats of COVID-19, MDC cancelled its public programs and events in March and has extended the cancellations through June.
     Find MDC offerings of online programs at mdc.mo.gov/events-s3.
Programs will be added as they become available. Participants in MDC online programs will be required to register online and will be emailed a program survey and other information after the event. Programs will typically be 30 minutes or less and participants will be able to ask questions online.
 

     Residents hoping to kick off the summer season this Memorial Day weekend with a dip in the pool will have to wait a few weeks longer. Grain Valley Parks and Recreation announced the opening of the pool will be delayed until June, contingent on the restrictions provided in Phase 2 of Jackson County’s Recovery Plan for outdoor aquatic facilities. Aquatic programs, including swim lessons, are contingent upon Phase 2 restrictions.
     The Fitness Center inside the Grain Valley Community Center reopened on Monday, May 18th. The gymnasium and all other common meeting space have remained closed, with just the Fitness Center open to the public. 
     “We are thrilled to once again see members of our community coming in to exercise.  Even though we are not ‘completely’ open yet, the Fitness Center is a step in the right direction to once again provide opportunities for health and wellness to our residents,” Shannon Davies, Grain Valley Parks and Recreation Director said.
     The Center will be open 8:00am – 5:00pm Monday – Friday through at least May 25th, and will not be open on Memorial Day.
     “We hope to reopen the building in its entirety soon and resume our normal hours of operation, 7 days a week.  This will be contingent on Phase 2 of Jackson County’s Recovery Plan, which we have been told will be issued between now and May 25th,” Davies said. 
     The Center is open to current members and those wanting to purchase a membership or day pass.
     Davies explained the Community Center has implemented several safety measures in response to COVID-19, including:
 
Limiting the # of patrons in the Fitness Center at one time.  Patrons are encouraged to call the Community Center (816-847-6203) before arriving to see if there will be a wait.
 
Certain pieces of cardio equipment and weight machines are “out-of-service” to ensure that the 6-feet of distance between individuals is adhered to.
Patrons must sign-in when they arrive, and sign-out when they leave.  This includes name and contact information.  This allows for tracing by the Jackson County Health Department should the need arise.
 
Patrons are not allowed to use the Fitness Center if they are showing any signs of illness.
 
Patrons are required to wash their hands before entering the Fitness Center and required to wash their hands before leaving the facility.
 
Patrons are required to wipe down any fitness equipment immediately after they are done using it with anti-bacterial/alcohol wipes provided at the center.
 
Center staff is required to wear facemasks when interacting with patrons who come to exercise.  Staff are to not come to work if they are exhibiting any signs of illness.
Facemasks for patrons are recommended when visiting, but it is not required.
 
Center staff sanitizes commonly used areas each day before opening and more frequently depending on volume.
 

     With many traditional entertainment options closed due to stay-at-home orders related to COVID-19, families have taken advantage of the limited outdoor recreation spaces open during this time. Their options will expand in the coming weeks as Grain Valley Parks and Recreation pushes forward with plans for the summer, including the opening of the Grain Valley Aquatic Center in late May.
     The Grain Valley Aquatic Center will open for the season on Saturday, May 23rd. Pool season passes can be purchased once the Grain Valley Community Center resumes normal operational hours. Registration for group and private swimming lessons as well as water aerobics is now open on the City’s website. Residents may also register for Parks and Recreation programming by calling the Community Center, 816-847-6230 ext. 9 from 8:00am – 5:00pm Monday – Friday.
     Shannon Davies, Parks and Recreation Director, is not yet certain what changes in terms of capacity will need to be implemented at the pool. “We will know more once Jackson County provides their recovery plan,” Davies said.
     Residents should expect some changes when utilizing parks facilities and participating in programming.
      “As our parks and recreation facilities start to open back up to the public, initially there will be changes with regard to limiting the number of registrants, maintaining social distancing, and the PPE’s utilized by staff.  We should be getting guidance from Jackson County this week on what this will look like.  Some facilities will open sooner than others but the ‘gathering’ restrictions the County provides will dictate what programs we can still offer and what programs we will have to cancel or postpone.  Of those programs that we can still provide, we will have to limit the registration count to maximize social distancing,” Davies said.
     The Parks and Recreation Department will offer a Youth Tennis program and Pre-K Instructional T-Ball program this summer, as well as popular programs such as Popsicles in the Park and Movies in the Park.
     The first Movie in the Park program will be held Friday, June 5th at the Armstrong Park Pavilion. The June 5th event will feature the movie Abominable and will begin at dusk (approximately 8:30pm).
     The past few weeks have proved to be an interesting challenge for Parks and Recreation staff, and helping families stay active while most parks facilities are closed has required creativity.
     “We have tried to do more things through social media.  For example, our “Boredom Busters” activity through Twitter.  Each day, we post an activity that kids can do at home inside or out in their yards and ask that they post pictures of them in action or of their completed activity.  With playgrounds, park shelters, and other park amenities being closed to the public, we have seen a huge increase in trail usage,” Davies said.
     “With the warmer weather and people tired of being cooped-up at home, our trails have been a true asset for people to spend time outdoors and exercise.  We have seen a marked increase in trail use at Armstrong Park and Butterfly Trail Park.  Our new Blue Branch Creek Trail has been very popular over the past several months.  We are also seeing people use our open greenspace areas to play on and picnic, which is really great to see.”