Serving Kansas City (Wyandotte County) Kansas for over 50 years!
Piper High School – girls basketball at Eudora (updated bracket attached
– Piper varsity 50, Wellsville 40
– Play tonight at 5 p.m. Eudora Middle School gym vs. Paola
Piper High School – boys basketball at Ottawa starts at 4:30 tonight with freshmen, followed by junior varsity, then varsity
– From Doug Key, Piper High School activities director
by Murrel Bland
Joe Maderak recalls when State Avenue was a narrow dirt path called New Reidy Road. Today, State Avenue has advanced as a major roadway that continues to be a significant thoroughfare for retail commerce.
Maderak, who was born in Kansas City, Kan., more than 91 years ago, has lived most of his life just a few blocks from 78th Street and State Avenue. He was the founder of Maderak Construction, a masonry contractor. He also was a residential homebuilder and, along with his family, a property owner in the State Avenue Corridor.
Maderak also founded the Business West organization in 1985. Today he continues to serve the voluntary association as a member of its board of directors and as chairman of the State Avenue Corridor Planning and Marketing Committee.
The State Avenue Committee will have its annual meeting at 11 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 9, in the building that once housed the Payless Shoe store at 7714 State Ave. All interested persons are urged to attend. Those attending will learn of the progress in the corridor and plans for future growth.
Maderak will tell of the evolution of State Avenue and how recent activity has renewed the interest in commercial property along the corridor. There is development on the western end of State Avenue as the Schlittterbahn water park expands its development efforts to make way for two auto dealerships; other retail announcements are expected soon. Other activity is apparent as the Clifford Dale family clears property just west of Meadowlark Lane.
Business West is leading the effort to establish a community improvement district that would stretch along State Avenue from 94th to 64th streets and 78th Street from State to Riverview avenues. A quarter-cent sales tax would fund the district; its three main functions would center on security, appearance and marketing. Security persons, probably on bicycles, would complement officers from the west patrol and the community police unit. A “clean team” would pick up debris in the right-of-way. A committee of property and business owners would develop a marketing program.
Persons wanting to attend the annual meeting should telephone 913-766-4300 or 913-406-6266 (cell) or e-mail murrel@mcbconsultinginc.com.
Murrel Bland is the former editor of The Wyandotte West and The Piper Press. He is the executive director of Business West.
by Mary Rupert
Local health authorities are seeing a big spike in flu cases in the past week, according to Larry Franken, chief epidemiologist at the Wyandotte County Health Department.
Franken said on Monday afternoon that there have been more than 40 cases of health-care reported flu in Wyandotte County. That includes reports from the hospitals and clinics here, along with other hospitals where Wyandotte County residents have gone, he added.
A lot of flu-like illnesses aren’t reported and the patients are just sent home, Franken said. These 40 cases are the ones that actually are tested.
“We’re starting to see the flu season hitting,” he said.
He said he was also starting to see an increase in the number of fevers at Wyandotte County schools in the last week. Schools don’t test for the flu, and fevers are used as a good indicator of the flu, he said.
Franken, who holds a doctorate degree, said that now is a good time to get a flu shot if you haven’t received one yet. The flu shot takes a couple of weeks to take effect, and getting a flu shot now will give residents a few weeks before they are at holiday gatherings or traveling to other places.
There was some concern expressed last week that the flu vaccine this year doesn’t match up perfectly with the strains of the flu. But there probably will be different strains of the flu that persons are exposed to during the flu season.
“It’s still better to get the flu shot,” Franken said. “Even if it’s not a perfect match, you still will get some protection, it’s more likely to lessen the effects. You still want to get the vaccine.”
For people who have severe cases of flu, doctors can prescribe Tamiflu within the first 48 hours to lessen its effects.
The best advice for residents is to get a flu vaccine, stay home when you’re sick, continue good hand-washing practices and cover that cough, he said.