Month: August 2015

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.

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/.

Wyandotte County Museum open
The Wyandotte County Museum, 631 N. 126th St., Bonner Springs, is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, and 9 a.m. to noon on Saturdays. It is closed on Sundays and holidays. For more information visit the website www.facebook.com/wycomuseum or call 913-573-5002.

KCK school board meeting scheduled
A special Kansas City, Kan., Board of Education meeting is scheduled at 2 p.m. Monday, Aug. 3. The next regular school board meeting will be at 5 p.m. Aug. 11 at the district’s Central Office, 2010 N. 59th St., Kansas City, Kan.

Free summer movies offered Aug. 4 to 6
Free family-friendly movies will be offered on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays at 10 a.m. at the Legends 14 Theatres in Kansas City, Kan. The free movies on Aug. 4 to 6 will be “Space Chimps,” rated G, and “Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb,” rated PG. Doors open at 9 a.m., all ages may attend. Seating is limited to availability on a first-come-first-serve basis. The schedule is subject to change. Current feature films are not included in the free admission.

NAACP to meet Aug. 4
The Kansas City, Kan., Branch NAACP will meet on Tuesday, Aug. 4, at the Bethany Medical Office Building, 21 N. 12th St., Kansas City, Kan., in the second floor meeting room. The Executive Committee meeting will start at 6 p.m., followed by the general membership meeting at 7 p.m. The WIN (Women In NAACP) committee is scheduled to meet in the same room at 5 p.m. For further information, call 913-281-7900, or fax 913-281-7847.

Night Out Against Crime program to be Aug. 4
A Night Out Against Crime program will take place from 5 to 8:30 p.m. Aug. 4 at the Kansas National Guard Armory, 18th and Ridge, Kansas City, Kan. This year there will be a “Remembering Our Fallen Exhibit,” which pays tribute to soldiers who were killed in action while serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. The first responders from Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kan., elected officials, Livable Neighborhood groups, and informational booths plan to be represented. Target is providing food for the event.

Blood drive scheduled Aug. 5
A Community Blood Center blood drive is scheduled from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Aug. 5 at the Turner High School Commons Area, 2211 S. 55th, Kansas City, Kan. For more information or to schedule an appointment, call 816-753-4040 or visit www.savealifenow.org.

Yoder to speak at Fairfax group meeting
U.S. Rep. Kevin Yoder, R-3rd Dist., is the speaker for the Aug. 6 luncheon meeting of the Fairfax Industrial Association. The meeting will be from 11:15 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 6, at Central Solutions, 401 Funston Road, Kansas City, Kan. The cost of the luncheon is $15 for members and $20 for nonmembers. Those interested in attending should send in a reservation to Melissa Clark by 5 p.m. Aug. 4 to [email protected].

Ethics Commission to meet Aug. 6
The Unified Government Ethics Commission is scheduled to meet at 4 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 6, at the second floor, Wyandotte County Courthouse, Division 18, in the old county commissioners’ chambers, 710 N. 7th St., Kansas City, Kan.

Yoder plans coffee and conversation meeting Aug. 7 at KCK City Hall
Rep. Kevin Yoder, R-3rd Dist., will hold a coffee and conversation meeting from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. Friday, Aug. 7, at Kansas City, Kan., City Hall, lobby level, 701 N. 7th St., Kansas City, Kan. The meeting is open to the public.

Carnival scheduled Aug. 8 at library
An end-of-summer carnival is scheduled from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 8, at the Mr. and Mrs. F.L. Schlagle Library at Wyandotte County Lake Park, 91st and Leavenworth Road. There will be a magic show, silent auction and refreshments. For more information visit www.kckpl.org.

UG Commission scheduled to meet Aug. 13
The Unified Government Commission is scheduled to meet at 7 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 13, at the Commission Chambers, City Hall, lobby level, 701 N. 7th St., Kansas City, Kan. An agenda for the meeting should be posted a few days in advance at www.wycokck.org.

Blood drive scheduled Aug. 17
A Community Blood Center blood drive is scheduled from 1 to 6 p.m. Aug. 17 at the Chiropractic Healing Center parking lot, 8437 State Ave., Kansas City, Kan. For more information or to schedule an appointment, call 816-753-4040 or visit www.savealifenow.org.

Rear admiral to speak at scholarship award meeting of KCK Women’s Chamber
Rear Admiral Rebecca McCormick-Boyle will be the guest speaker at the Wednesday, Aug. 19, meeting of the Kansas City, Kan., Women’s Chamber of Commerce. McCormick-Boyle is the commander of Navy Medicine Education and Training. She also serves as the Navy Nurse Corps director. The program will include scholarship awards. The KCK Women’s Chamber will award four scholarships this year. Recipients are Kendra Lawrence, Cecilia Ndungu, Lacy Davidson and Melissa Cooper. A fundraiser will be held, with donations going to the scholarship fund. The meeting will begin with networking at 11:30 a.m. Aug. 19 at Kansas City Kansas Community College Technical Education Center, 6565 State Ave., Kansas City, Kan. Lunch and the program will be from noon to 1 p.m. The cost for lunch is $20 for members, $25 for nonmembers and $15 for students. Guests are welcome, and reservations are required by emailing Ardith Deason at [email protected], telephone 913-233-3305.

TedxWyandotte event to be Sept. 15
The TedxWyandotte event scheduled for Saturday at Kansas City Kansas Community College has been postponed and rescheduled. The event will now be at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 15, at KCKCC, 7250 State Ave. It will feature approximately six presenters speaking on the theme of “Breaking Through: Confronting the barriers that divide us and challenging ourselves to move beyond them.” Tickets already purchased will be valid for the new date in September. However, if you cannot attend at that time, a refund can be requested by contacting 913-288-7644. Refunds must be requested by Tuesday, June 16. For more information, contact Shari L. Wilson, TEDxWyandotte curator, [email protected] or Marisa Gray, [email protected]. Information is also available by visiting TedXWyandotte’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/TEDxWyandotte or website at www.tedxwyandotte.org.

Bishop Ward plans 37th annual auction
Bishop Ward High School, 708 N. 18th St., Kansas City, Kan., is planning its annual auction Sept. 26. The event kicks off at 5:30 p.m. and will have a “There’s No Place Like Ward” theme. It will include a silent auction as well as food from several local restaurants and live music. At 7:30 p.m., the live auction begins. The Nigro Brothers will be in charge of the live auction. The charge for the annual event is $60 per person. For more information, visit wardhigh.org/auction2015.

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.

Back-to-School Fair gets thousands of kids ready for school

A volunteer gave out backpacks to children today at the annual Back-to-School Fair at Kansas City Kansas Community College. The fair also was held at another location, the Boys and Girls Club in Kansas City, Kan. (Staff photo by Mary Rupert)
A volunteer gave out backpacks to children today at the annual Back-to-School Fair at Kansas City Kansas Community College. The fair also was held at another location, the Boys and Girls Club in Kansas City, Kan. (Staff photo by Mary Rupert)

by Mary Rupert

Thousands of Wyandotte County students will be ready for the first day of school, thanks to the efforts of hundreds of volunteers today at the Wyandotte County Back-to-School Fair.

The Back-to-School Fair was held Saturday morning at Kansas City Kansas Community College and the Boys and Girls Club of Wyandotte County.

Andrica Wilcoxen, director of student activities at KCKCC, said the turnout this morning was great.

“We have supplies for 5,000 students in Wyandotte County, with backpacks filled with school supplies, for prekindergarten to 12th grade students,” she said.

“’Every child ready Day One’ is our slogan,” she said. It is a positive and empowering event for everyone involved, she said.

Kids who go to school with all the supplies and everything they need the first day tend to be more successful and have less behavioral problems in school, she said. It’s also better for the parents, as it prevents parents from feeling embarrassed at not having everything ready for the children, which in turn could lead to parents staying away from interacting with teachers and school groups. If the kids are ready the first day of school, the parents are more likely to be connected, she said.

The fair was for all children in Wyandotte County. The first day of school in the Kansas City, Kan., Public Schools is Aug. 10 for prekindergarten to fifth grade, sixth grade and ninth grade students and Aug. 11 for all other students in the district.

The fair also included free sports physicals, vision screening, dental screening, and immunizations. There was also a free lunch for everyone attending. There were 70 exhibitors providing information from the community, Wilcoxen said. Some included free resources and giveaways.

The fair’s major sponsors were the Kansas City, Kan., Public Schools, Kansas City Kansas Community College and the Board of Public Utilities, and it also had many other sponsors and volunteers, Wilcoxen said.

The event is run by community volunteers from different organizations across Wyandotte County, who come together to make this happen, Wilcoxen said. They are volunteering their time on top of their regular jobs, she added.

She particularly cited Arlana Coleman, chairman of the Back-to-School Fair, as having volunteered the most hours for this effort.

State Sen. Pat Pettey, a retired teacher in the Turner Public Schools, helped distribute backpacks today at the annual Back-to-School Fair. (Staff photo by Mary Rupert)
State Sen. Pat Pettey, a retired teacher in the Turner Public Schools, helped distribute backpacks today at the annual Back-to-School Fair. (Staff photo by Mary Rupert)

Children attending the Back-to-School Fair today could receive free books from the Kansas City, Kan., Public Library. Staffing a booth for the library, at the KCKCC fair location, were Maria Munoz and Joseph Smith, from the West Wyandotte Library branch. (Staff photo by Mary Rupert)
Children attending the Back-to-School Fair today could receive free books from the Kansas City, Kan., Public Library. Staffing a booth for the library, at the KCKCC fair location, were Maria Munoz and Joseph Smith, from the West Wyandotte Library branch. (Staff photo by Mary Rupert)

Children attending the Back-to-School Fair today could receive free books from the Kansas City, Kan., Public Library. Staffing a booth for the library, at the KCKCC fair location, were Maria Munoz and Joseph Smith, from the West Wyandotte Library branch. (Staff photo by Mary Rupert)
Children attending the Back-to-School Fair today could receive free books from the Kansas City, Kan., Public Library. Staffing a booth for the library, at the KCKCC fair location, were Maria Munoz and Joseph Smith, from the West Wyandotte Library branch. (Staff photo by Mary Rupert)

Connor Clarkston, left, and Abbey Elsbernd, first-year medical students at the University of Kansas School of Medicine, were among the volunteers today at the annual Back-to-School Fair at KCKCC. The volunteers helped with taking patient histories and physicals. (Staff photo by Mary Rupert)
Connor Clarkston, left, and Abbey Elsbernd, first-year medical students at the University of Kansas School of Medicine, were among the volunteers today at the annual Back-to-School Fair at KCKCC. The volunteers helped with taking patient histories and physicals. (Staff photo by Mary Rupert)

Regina McKinney, right, was handing out information about the KidZone before- and after-school enrichment program today at the annual Back-to-School Fair at KCKCC. (Staff photo by Mary Rupert)
Regina McKinney, right, was handing out information about the KidZone before- and after-school enrichment program today at the annual Back-to-School Fair at KCKCC. (Staff photo by Mary Rupert)

The Healthy Communities Wyandotte coalition and the Wyandotte County Health Department were promiting the "1-2-3-4-5 Fittastic" program Saturday at the annual Back-to-School Fair at KCKCC. Staffing the table were Joanna Sabally, left, program coordinator Healthy Communities Wyandotte, and Danielle Landrum, healthy food access advocate for Healthy Communities Wyandotte. (Staff photo by Mary Rupert)
The Healthy Communities Wyandotte coalition and the Wyandotte County Health Department were promiting the “1-2-3-4-5 Fit-tastic” program Saturday at the annual Back-to-School Fair at KCKCC. Staffing the table were Joanna Sabally, left, program coordinator Healthy Communities Wyandotte, and Danielle Landrum, healthy food access advocate for Healthy Communities Wyandotte. (Staff photo by Mary Rupert)

Police investigating death in 500 block of Minnesota Avenue

Kansas City, Kan., are investigating a death in the 500 block of Minnesota Avenue, according to a police spokesman.

Police responded to the scene on Saturday morning around 9:04 a.m. and found an unresponsive female, who was deceased by unknown means, the spokesman said.

At this time the Police Department is giving the incident its full attention until it can determine a cause of death, the police spokesman said.

The incident is under investigation by the Kansas City, Kan., Police Department’s Criminal Investigations Division, which is encouraging anyone with information to call the TIPS hotline at 816-474-TIPS.