May 2016 – Page 91 – Welcome to Wyandotte Daily!

Streetcar returns to Kansas City, Mo.

by William Crum

Remember the days when streetcars were around. It was 50 years ago when they were removed. Today, they started again in Kansas City, Mo.

I can remember them as a young child, when my dad worked for Jack Borings Appliances on Troost Avenue. How I loved watching the streetcars go by while my mom and I visited my dad.

When I was 13 the streetcar lines were replaced by buses. For a number of years the issue of whether to bring the streetcars became a heated political issue. Kansas City is so spread out and people here are to driving their cars. On the other side of the coin is the gasoline prices – when will they go up? No one really know.

There were studies that if you ride a streetcar or bus you are more relaxed and when you get to work you’re more productive. It will be interesting to see how everything pans out regarding this issue.

Widespread recall of frozen vegetables, fruits due to listeria risk

A recall of frozen vegetables and fruit because of Listeria fears has been widened to cover more than 350 different products sold under 42 different brand names.

The recall affects all 50 states plus several Canadian provinces. The CDC has identified seven people from three states who became ill and were hospitalized due to Listeria.

The recall covers dozens of brands — including Wild Oats, True Goodness, Great Value, Signature and Trader Joe’s — and goes back to 2014.

All affected products have the best by dates or sell by dates between April 26, 2016 and April 26, 2018.

To view a video of Dr. Dana Hawkinson, an infectious disease physician at The University of Kansas Hospital, discussing what the disease is and its effects on the body, visit https://youtu.be/Bzh1ZRjShas.

To see a list of the products recalled, visit http://crffrozenfoods.com/recall-press-release/.

New race dates for 2017 may mean more drama at Kansas Speedway

The Kansas Speedway, which will hold a NASCAR Camping World truck race tonight and a Sprint Cup race tomorrow night, has announced a schedule that will make racing more dramatic next season.

In 2017, the Hollywood Casino 400 will become the cutoff race for the second round of the Chase for the Sprint Cup Series.

The race will be Oct. 21, and drivers will have one last chance to qualify for the third round of the chase with a win.

“Every race is important in NASCAR, but having a cutoff race will make the competition even more exciting at Kansas Speedway next fall. Kansas City certainly understands the excitement that surrounds a “Game Seven” type of atmosphere, and that is what a cutoff race provides in the Chase,“ said Kansas Speedway President Patrick Warren, in a news release. “Kansas Speedway’s Chase race has played such an important part in deciding the championship since the Chase was instituted and I look forward to seeing how not only our 2017 races plays a part in deciding the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion, but also the important part that both of our 2016 races will play in determining this year’s champion.”

In addition to the Oct. 21, 2017, Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Hollywood Casino 400, Kansas Speedway will hold the Kansas Lottery 300 NASCAR XFINITY race on Oct. 20 as part of the NASCAR XFINITY Series Chase for the Championship.

In May 2017, Kansas Speedway will again be host of the Go Bowling 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race under the lights on May 13 and the Kansas 250 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race on May 12.

Tickets for 2016 races can be purchased online atwww.kansasspeedway.com or by calling 866-460-RACE (7223), including this weekend’s Go Bowling 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race on May 7 and the Toyota Tundra 250 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race on May 6.

In October 2016, the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series returns with the Hollywood Casino 400 on Oct. 16. The Kansas Lottery 300 NASCAR XFINITY Series race will take center stage on Oct. 15, while the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards championship race will run on Oct. 14.