Ag Hall reopened today with events

A few showers did not deter visitors from visiting the Ag Hall in Bonner Springs, which reopened today with a Barnyard Babies exhibit. (Photo by William Crum)
A few showers did not deter visitors from going to the Ag Hall in Bonner Springs, which reopened today with a Barnyard Babies exhibit. (Photo by William Crum)

by William Crum

Recently, the Agricultural Hall of Fame in Bonner Springs got a new director of development. Her name is Dawn Gabel. She comes from an agricultural background.

“My goal for the upcoming year is to make the Agricultural Hall of Fame more of an educational experience the whole family can enjoy,” Gabel said. “Agriculture plays a major role in our economy; however a lot of people don’t realize the history behind it. In fact we have more items than the Smithsonian does. The reason is simple – we have more space than they do.”

Since she started a lot of new things are really starting to happen at the Ag Hall. For example, there is a new Bayer exhibit. An art display made of recycled materials, the “Leave a Better World” sculpture is in a large building at the Ag Hall. There are plans for more improvements in the future for the Ag Hall.

The Ag Hall reopened today with its core mission in place of educating people about farming and agriculture, while being a fun place the whole family can enjoy.

The National Agricultural Center and Hall of Fame hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday to Saturday and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. There is an admission charge.

For more information regarding hours of operation and other events, go to the website www.AgHallFame.com. They’re located at 630 Hall of Fame Drive {North 126th Street near State Avenue} in Bonner Springs, or call 913-721-1075.

Visitors to the Ag Hall today saw a Barnyard Babies exhibit. (Photo by William Crum)
Visitors to the Ag Hall today saw a Barnyard Babies exhibit. (Photo by William Crum)

A miniature ride gave rides to children today at the Ag Hall. (Photo by William Crum)
A miniature train gave rides to children today at the Ag Hall. (Photo by William Crum)

A miniature ride gave rides to children today at the Ag Hall. (Photo by William Crum)
A miniature train gave rides to children today at the Ag Hall. (Photo by William Crum)

A miniature ride gave rides to children today at the Ag Hall. (Photo by William Crum)
A miniature train gave rides to children today at the Ag Hall. (Photo by William Crum)

Old-time farm tractors are just some of the agricultural equipment on display at the Ag Hall. (Photo by William Crum)
Old-time farm tractors are just some of the agricultural equipment on display at the Ag Hall. (Photo by William Crum)

The Ag Hall explains the history of agriculture through displays, exhibits,  and artwork. (Photo by William Crum)
The Ag Hall explains the history of agriculture through displays, exhibits and artwork. (Photo by William Crum)

A new art exhibit at the Ag Hall, sponsored by Bayer, is made of recycled materials. (Photo by William Crum)
A new art exhibit at the Ag Hall, sponsored by Bayer, is made of recycled materials. (Photo by William Crum)

Community calendar

The Wyandotte Daily News is interested in news of your community event in Wyandotte County. Send information to [email protected] and include your name and phone number. Please send in planned events by about a week before the event if possible. In the event of inclement weather, call the sponsoring organization to see if the event will be held.

Exhibit on Prohibition to visit Wyandotte County Museum
“Spirited: Prohibition in America,” a National Endowment for the Humanities traveling exhibition, will visit the Wyandotte County Museum from April 6 to May 25. The exhibit covers the history of Prohibition, which started in 1919 and continued 13 years. The museum is at 631 N. 126th St., Bonner Springs. Hours of the exhibit are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 9 a.m. to noon Saturday. The exhibit is free to the public. For more information visit the website www.facebook.com/wycomuseum or call 913-573-5002.

Strawberry Hill Museum open on weekends
The Strawberry Hill Museum, 720 N. 4th St., Kansas City, Kan., is open on the weekends. The museum is open from noon to 5 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. The admission charge is $7 for adults, $3 for children 6 to 12, and free for children under 6. Special tours are available during the week for groups of 20 or more by calling 913-721-0081. The museum’s tea room is open from 1 to 4 p.m. on the second Saturday and Sunday of each month. For more information, visit www.strawberryhillmuseum.org/.

One-act plays to be presented at KCKCC
Theater students at Kansas City Kansas Community College are putting the final touches on the 17th-annual Original Student One Act Play Festival. The remaining festival performances include 7:30 p.m. April 18 as well as 2:30 p.m. April 19. Three plays are included in this year’s festival, all written, directed, acted and designed by KCKCC Theatre Students:
• “The Roman Tiger” – gangsters willing to do anything to an accountant to obtain a valuable secret.
• “Nothing Else Matters” – a young teenager faces the challenge of providing for her sisters and alcoholic mother.
• “Hell, LLC” – the Devil goes corporate and relegates the processing of souls to a new hire.

Two blood drives planned April 20-21
Two Community Blood Center blood drives are scheduled April 20 and 21. From 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. April 20 and 21, a blood drive is scheduled at the University of Kansas Francisco Lounge, 3901 Rainbow Blvd., Kansas City, Kan. From 12:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. April 20, a Community Blood Center blood drive is scheduled in the parking lot of the Chiropractic Healing Center, 8437 State Ave., Kansas City, Kan. For more information or to schedule an appointment, call 816-753-4040 or visit www.savealifenow.org.

Wyandotte High School to transform into Nightmare High School (for theater production)
Teenagers, zombies and fearsome teachers will be roaming the auditorium at Wyandotte High School next week as the Wyandotte Theatre Department presents its spring musical, “Tales of Terror from Nightmare High School.” Performances will take place at 7 p.m. April 21 and 22. More than 50 students will be participating in the production, and all of the music will be live. Tickets are $4 and will be sold at the door both nights of the show. The school is located at 2501 Minnesota Ave., Kansas City, Kan.

Jazz Summit planned April 22-24 at KCKCC

Jazz music will be the focus as dozens of students arrive on the Kansas City Kansas Community College campus for the 2015 Kansas City Jazz Summit. The summit is 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. April 22, 23 and 24 in the KCKCC Performing Arts Center, 7250 State Ave. The event, which is produced by the Kansas City Jazz Alliance, is free and open to the public. For complete schedules for all three days of the event, visit www.kansascityjazz.org/kansascityjazzsummit.html.

Bus tour planned for museums and historical sites in Wyandotte County
The Wyandotte County Museums and Historical Sites bus tour will be held from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday, April 23. The tour begins with check-in from 8:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. at the Wyandotte County Historical Society Museum, 126th and State. Some of the stops on the bus tour are these museums: Clendening History of Medicine at the University of Kansas Medical Cener, Strawberry Hill Ethnic Museum and Cultural Center, Old Quindaro Museum. For ticket information, call the Kansas City, Kan., Convention and Visitors Bureau at 913-321-5800.

Swearing-in ceremony April 23 for new UG commissioners
A swearing-in ceremony will be held at 5 p.m. Thursday, April 23, at City Hall, Commission Chambers, lobby level, 701 N. 7th St., Kansas City, Kan. The full commission will meet at 7 p.m. April 23 at City Hall in the Commission Chambers. An agenda may be found a few days before the meeting at www.wycokck.org.

Grinter Place to hold quilt show April 24-26
Grinter Place State Historic Site will hold its 39th annual quilt show Friday – Sunday, April 24 – 26. Friday and Saturday hours are 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.; Sunday hours are noon – 4 p.m. Local quilts will be on display. Quilting materials and craft items will be available for purchase. Visitors can see and make a donation for a chance on this year’s opportunity quilt, hand-quilted by the Grinter Place Quilters. At 1 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Patti Winkler will present “Quilts in the Classroom: How Quilts Tie into History.” Admission to the quilt show is free. Admission to tour the house is $3 adults, $1 students. Kansas Historical Foundation members and children 5 and younger admitted free. Grinter Place is at 1420 S. 78th St., Kansas City, Kan. For more information, call 913-299-0373 or visit kshs.org/grinter_place.

Special memorial service and candlelighting for homicide victims to be April 27
The 16th annual Memorial Service and Candlelighting for Crime Victims’ Rights Week will be held on Monday, April 27. The event will bring the Wyandotte County community, families of fallen victims and community officials together to remember those who have lost their lives to homicide in 2014, a spokesman said. The event is free and open to the public, a spokesman said. The Crime Awareness Coordinating Effort (C.A.C.E.), a program service of Friends of Yates Inc., and co-sponsored by the Wyandotte County District Attorney’s Victim Services Unit, will sponsor the event, which will be held at the Forest Grove Baptist Church, 1417 N. 9th St., Kansas City, Kan. The Rev. Desmond Lamb is pastor of the church. The event begins with a light dinner from 5 to 6 p.m., followed by the program from 6:30 to 8 p.m.

Town Hall meeting planned for 8th District on April 29
An 8th District Town Hall meeting is planned from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday, April 29, at the Eisenhower Community Center, 2901 N. 72nd St., Kansas City, Kan. The meeting will be held by UG Commissioner Jane Philbrook, 8th District. Residents may learn about developments in the 8th District and talk about their ideas and concerns.

Bike tour planned
A Tour de Cyclone Country is being planned Sunday, May 3, in Kansas City, Kan. The bike tour through Kansas City, Kan., neighborhoods is a fundraiser for the student scholarship fund at Bishop Ward High School. For information about the event, visit wardhigh.org/cycling2015.

Workshop to be offered May 8
A workshop, “How the Stigma of Mental Illness in the African-American Community Impacts Treatment,” will be presented from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. Friday, May 8, at the Faith Deliverance Family Worship Center, 3043 State Ave., Kansas City, Kan. The free workshop is presented by Mental Health America of the Heartland. The workshop presenter will be Dara Gill Fletcher, a psychotherapist at Truman Medical Center Behavioral Health. Continuing education units are available. Registration by May 6 is required to [email protected] or 913-281-2221, Ext. 112

Cinco de Mayo parade and festival planned May 9
A Cinco de Mayo parade and festival is planned at 11 a.m. May 9 in downtown Kansas City, Kan. The festival runs until 11 p.m. May 9. The event is sponsored by Brotherhood Bank and Bonito Michoacan. The parade floats will line up at 4th and Minnesota Avenue. The parade route is along Minnesota Avenue from 4th to 18th Street. Judges will be at the Bonito Michoacan Restaurant at 14th and Minnesota. Floats must be entered in advance of the parade.

Rosedale Retro Run planned
The Rosedale Retro Run, a 5k-fun run, will be held Saturday, May 9. There also will be a community trail work day and a mountain bike jam. There will be a finish line party at Fisher Park. Race registration will be $20 per person in advance and $25 on the day of the race. Kids may participate for free. For more information or to make reservations, email Ahnna at [email protected].

Bike rodeo returns May 16
The Kiwanis West Bike Rodeo returns to the Schlitterbahn parking lot Saturday, May 16. The ninth annual event will be held from 9 a.m. to noon May 16 at the Schlitterbahn waterpark, 9400 State Ave. Tips on cycling safety, free bike safety helmets, T-shirts and a look at Schlitterbahn attractions will be the highlights of the day.

Counseling offered
Keeler Women’s Center, a ministry of the Benedictine Sisters of Mount St. Scholastica, 2220 Central Ave., Kansas City, Kan., offers individual and couples counseling to women and men who might otherwise not be able to afford counseling. Nothing is billed. Donations are accepted. Call 913-906-8990 for information or to do an intake and schedule an appointment.

Sporting KC opens two-game road trip tonight in California

Sporting Kansas City faces the LA Galaxy in Carson, Calif., on Saturday in the first of a two-game road trip.

The reigning MLS Cup champions are in the midst of a 25-game unbeaten streak at StubHub Center including their 2-1 victory over the New England Revolution in the MLS Cup final last December.

Saturday’s match is scheduled to kick off at 9:30 p.m. and can be seen locally on KMCI’s 38 the Spot and SKCTV across the Midwest with coverage beginning at 9 p.m. The match will also be available on Sports Radio 810 WHB (English) and La Grande 1340 AM (Spanish).

Sporting Kansas City leads MLS with 30 road wins since the beginning of 2011 but has lost their previous two road matches against LA, last beating the Galaxy at StubHub Center on Aug. 28, 2010. Sporting KC earned a 2-1 victory against the Galaxy in the lone meeting of 2014 and Peter Vermes maintains a 3-2-2 head-to-head advantage against LA Galaxy manager Bruce Arena.

The Galaxy enter Saturday’s contest with some momentum after defeating the Seattle Sounders 1-0 in their last outing courtesy of an Alan Gordon header in the 23rd minute and 10 saves from goalkeeper Jaime Penedo. The performance earned Penedo MLS Player of the Week honors.

The Galaxy also feature Ireland international striker Robbie Keane who has scored 55 regular season goals in 88 games since joining LA after a 15-year career in Europe. Keane is questionable on the club’s injury report after missing last Sunday’s victory with a groin injury.

With the victory, LA moved to 2-2-2 this season and sits just one point behind Sporting KC (9) in the Western Conference standings.

Sporting KC is coming off a scoreless draw against Real Salt Lake at Sporting Park and are riding a four-game unbeaten streak, the second longest active streak in MLS.

Sporting Kansas City centerback Ike Opara suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon in the 84th minute of last week’s match against Salt Lake and will be unavailable this weekend.

Seth Sinovic (left groin strain), Chance Myers (left Achilles) and James Ansu Rogers (left knee strain) are also listed as questionable on the injury report for this weekend’s match.

In-game updates will be available at SportingKC.com/GameOn and via Twitter at @SKCGameday (English) and @SoySporting (Spanish).