November 2015 – Page 58 – Welcome to Wyandotte Daily!

Credit union opens its first freestanding location in Wyandotte County

The ribbon was cut today for the new CommunityAmerica Credit Union building at Wyandotte Plaza at 7714 State Ave., Kansas City, Kan. The grand opening started at 5 p.m. and included refreshments. (Staff photo) — The ribbon was cut Tuesday for the new CommunityAmerica Credit Union building at Wyandotte Plaza at 7714 State Ave., Kansas City, Kan. The grand opening started at 5 p.m. and included refreshments. (Staff photo)

CommunityAmerica Credit Union launched its first freestanding building in Wyandotte County Tuesday with a ribbon-cutting at Wyandotte Plaza, 7714 State Ave., Kansas City, Kan.

The credit union, which has 27 branches in the Greater Kansas City area, with headquarters in Kansas City, Mo., is well known as the sponsor of the CommunityAmerica Ballpark stadium where the T-Bones play baseball in the Village West area in Wyandotte County.

The new branch employs six persons, and the branch manager is Christy Setter.

A spokesman said the layout of the new building is part of the credit union’s strategic focus to advance its high tech – high touch concept, allowing more time for valuable, consultative conversations with members.

The new 2,700 square-foot Community Financial Center has an open floor plan including breakout spaces for conversations and multiple self-serve options with a human touch.

“You won’t see a traditional teller line between the member and teller anymore. We are here to have meaningful conversations about how to make your financial life better,” said Rick Schier, chief sales officer at CommunityAmerica Credit Union. “Our research indicates that while people are willing to do more simple transactions digitally, they still want a physical branch nearby for financial education and support opening new deposit and loan accounts from financial relationship consultants.”

The Community Financial Center is full of digital devices, where members and non-members alike can scroll through information at their leisure. There is an area designed specifically for children where they can use touchscreens to play fun, educational games so their caregivers are free to explore financial solutions. Video Tellers in the drive-through lanes connect members with a live-teller during regular business hours, who is housed in CommunityAmerica Credit Union’s Corporate Office. The interactive teller can handle the majority of daily transactions, including deposits, cash back and general account questions. The member has the option to forego interaction with a live teller and simply use ATM services.

“Our unwavering dedication to member service will remain unchanged. Members will see the same smiling faces at our branches and our staff will stand ready to assist them with new technology every step of the way,” Schier said.

The technology shift isn’t strictly at the branches. CommunityAmerica Credit Union has moved into mobile technology platforms as well. The addition of biometrics, such as EyePrint ID and Apple Touch ID, to online banking have made it more convenient to login. CommunityAmerica is also one of the first in its industry to implement wearables with an Apple Watch app.

CommunityAmerica will open another branch in west Olathe early 2016 featuring the same tech-forward design.

– Information from CommunityAmerica Credit Union

A grand opening was being held Tuesday for the new CommunityAmerica Credit Union building at Wyandotte Plaza at 7714 State Ave., Kansas City, Kan. The grand opening started at 5 p.m. and included refreshments. This photo was during construction in October. (Staff photo)[/caption] — A grand opening was being held Tuesday for the new CommunityAmerica Credit Union building at Wyandotte Plaza at 7714 State Ave., Kansas City, Kan. The grand opening started at 5 p.m. and included refreshments. This photo was during construction in October. (Staff photo)

A grand opening is being held today for the new CommunityAmerica Credit Union building at Wyandotte Plaza at 7714 State Ave., Kansas City, Kan. The grand opening started at 5 p.m. and included refreshments. (Staff photo)[/caption] — A grand opening was held Tuesday for the new CommunityAmerica Credit Union building at Wyandotte Plaza at 7714 State Ave., Kansas City, Kan. The grand opening started at 5 p.m. and included refreshments. (Staff photo)

The inside of the lobby of the new CommunityAmerica Credit Union at Wyandotte Plaza includes some references to familiar places in Wyandotte County. A grand opening is being held today for the new CommunityAmerica Credit Union building at Wyandotte Plaza at 7714 State Ave., Kansas City, Kan. The grand opening started at 5 p.m. and included refreshments. (Staff photo) — The inside of the lobby of the new CommunityAmerica Credit Union at Wyandotte Plaza includes some references to familiar places in Wyandotte County. A grand opening was held Tuesday for the new CommunityAmerica Credit Union building at Wyandotte Plaza at 7714 State Ave., Kansas City, Kan. The grand opening started at 5 p.m. and included refreshments. (Staff photo)

‘Coaching Boys into Men’ event planned Wednesday

by Kelly Rogge

A workshop for coaches and aspiring coaches who want to turn their athletes into young, responsible men will be held Wednesday.

“Coaching Boys Into Men” is from noon to 1 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 11, in Room 2325 of the Lower Jewell Center on the Kansas City Kansas Community College main campus, 7250 State Ave. Brian Porch and Andre Tyler are leading the workshop, and the hosts are the KCKCC Women’s Resource Center of the Counseling and Advocacy Center; the KCKCC Athletic Department and the American Association of University Women. Light refreshments will be provided.

“Coaching Boys Into Men” is a program from the Futures Without Violence organization. Futures has been providing programs and campaigns for more than 30 years with the purpose of ending violence against women and children.

Athletic coaches play an important role in mentoring young men, according to the sponsors of the program. In addition, coaches tend to be in a unique position when it comes to influencing how young men both think and behave, whether they are on the field during a game or off the field in school or in the community, according to the sponsors.

The goal of the Coaching Boys Into Men Program is to provide coaches with the necessary resources to promote respectful behavior in athletics wherever they are in their lives. In doing so, it is the hope that relationship abuse, harassment and sexual assault can be prevented, according to the program’s sponsors. The program is the only evidence-based prevention program that works with coaches to teach their athletes about healthy relationships, according to a spokesman.

For more information about KCKCC’s Coaching Boys Into Men workshop, call 913-288-7193. For more information about the Coaching Boys Into Men program, visit www.coachescorner.org.

Kelly Rogge is the public information supervisor at Kansas City Kansas Community College.

Veterans Day events planned in area

Several Veterans Day events are planned in the area.

Last Saturday, Nov. 7, the Wyandotte County Veterans Day Commemoration was held at the Salvation Army Harbor Light Village at 67th and State Avenue, Kansas City, Kan. For a story and photos from the event, visit https://wyandotteonline.com/vietnam-veterans-honored-at-veterans-day-commemoration/.

Bus fares free on Nov. 11 to veterans

According to an announcement, bus fares will be free to veterans on Veterans Day, Nov. 11. To honor area veterans, KCATA, Johnson County, Unified Government Transit and IndeBus will offer free fares to veterans on Wednesday, Nov. 11. Veterans should show their Department of Veterans Affairs VIC (Veterans Identification Card), United States Uniformed Services Identification Card or a Missouri or Kansas driver’s license or state-issued identification card displaying “Veteran” on the back of the license.

6th annual KCKCC Veterans Speak program

Veteran students, faculty and staff will look at their experiences as a veteran briefly, and then entertain a few questions from the student audience from 9 to 10 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 11, at the Jewell Student Center, Room 2325, KCKCC, 7250 State Ave., Kansas City, Kan.

On the program are Officer Robert Blanchard, a campus police officer, and Alan Van Hoozer, a KCKCC student. The group plans to discuss the POW-MIA Remembrance Ceremony and history about the Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers in Washington, D.C. The event is sponsored by Students for Global Peace, Ralph Bunche Society, Intercultural Center and the KCKCC Library.

Leavenworth Veterans Day parade scheduled Wednesday

The 96th annual Leavenworth Veterans Day parade will begin at 10:30 a.m. Nov. 11 in downtown Leavenworth.

This year’s parade theme is “Honoring All Who Served in Times of War and in Times of Peace.”

More than 250 participants have been invited to participate with more than 175 committed entries. The 2015 Parade Grand Marshal is Vietnam Navy veteran N. Dan Smith representing Disabled American Veterans Chapter 7, with parade chairman Vietnam Navy veteran Larry Burns, representing American Legion Byron H. Mehl Post 23. With this being the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam War, this parade is dedicated to the many Vietnam War veterans with appearance from the Centaurs, Troop D (Air) 3rd Squadron, 4th Cav, and Troop F (Air) 4th Cav, in Vietnam from March 1967-February 1973, Manhattan, Kan. Navy Band Great Lakes, Great Lakes, Ill., will be marching in parade and will also give a free concert performance, open to the public, at 7 p.m. Nov. 10 at Fort Leavenworth Post Theater.

The Washington High School Air Force JROTC from Kansas City, Kan., will be participating in the Leavenworth parade.

The parade will start at 4th and Cherokee Street and will go through downtown Leavenworth, east to Esplanade, north to Delaware, south to Cherokee, and will end at 5th and Cherokee Street, Leavenworth. For more information, see http://www.lvvetsparade.com/.

Johnson County to hold Veterans Day observance

Johnson County will honor all war veterans at its annual Veterans Day observance. Special recognition is planned for World War II veterans in commemorating the 70th anniversary of the ending of that war, and for Vietnam veterans in celebrating the 40th anniversary of when that war ended. About 50 World War II and 35 Vietnam veterans are expected to be in attendance.

Johnson County’s Veterans Day observance takes place from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Nov. 11 at the Lenexa National Guard Armory, at 18200 W. 87th St. Parkway in Lenexa, Kan. This year’s speakers include Brig. Gen. Victor Braden, with the Kansas National Guard and U.S. Sens. Jerry Moran and Pat Roberts. U.S. Rep. Kevin Yoder, R-3rd Dist., also is expected to attend the Johnson County Veterans Day observance.

Ceremony to be held at Veterans Memorial

The Rev. Peter Jaramillo, a military chaplain who is the pastor of Holy Family, St. John the Baptist and St. Mary-St. Anthony churches in Kansas City, Kan., will give a tribute to veterans at 2 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 11, at the Veterans Memorial, Resurrection Cemetery, 83rd and Quivira, Lenexa, Kan. There will be a flag-raising ceremony. Music will be by the American Legion Band at 1:30 p.m.