December 2016 – Page 74 – Welcome to Wyandotte Daily!

Saturday events

Four appearances by Santa Claus and one by St. Nicholas are among the events on Saturday in Wyandotte County.

The annual Christmas event at Grinter Place is scheduled this Saturday. Grinter Place, a state historic museum, is at 78th and K-32 in Kansas City, Kan. (Staff photo)

Annual Grinter Place Christmas event to be Saturday

Grinter Place’s annual Christmas event will be on Saturday, Dec. 3, at the historic site at 78th and K-32 in Kansas City, Kan.

According to Pat Spencer of the Grinter Place Friends, there will be a breakfast with Santa in the morning, then a Holiday with the Arts in the evening.

The breakfast will take place from 8 a.m. to noon Saturday at the nearby Grinter Barn at 1400 S. 78th. There will be three options for breakfast, depending on the number of pancakes and sausages desired. The prices range from $3 to $7.

Children may have their photo taken with Santa Claus, receive a bag of goodies and do a craft activity, Spencer said. There will be vendors with gifts and baked goods, and Grinter house will be open for tours from 9 a.m. to noon at a charge of $3 for adults and $1 for school-age children.

The evening event, Holiday with the Arts at the Grinter House, will be from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Dec. 3.
As of this morning, five artists, authors and musicians had signed up to be there, Spencer said.

Holly Zane of the Wyandot Nation of Kansas is scheduled for a beading demonstration and will have cultural items available for viewing.

Those attending may participate in a wine tasting and pairing, as well as a treasure hunt.
Tickets are $7 per person or two for $12.

Several runners competed in last year’s Santa Express 5K and Reindeer Route at the National Agricultural Center and Hall of Fame, 126th and State Avenue, Bonner Springs. The event will be held this year on Saturday, Dec. 3, at the Ag Hall. The event includes the 5K run, 1-mile walk, a visit with Santa Claus, a ride on the miniature train, games, crafts, cookies and hot chocolate. (File photo by Steve Rupert)

Santa Express 5K and Reindeer Route planned Saturday at Ag Hall

The National Agricultural Center and Hall of Fame, Bonner Springs, is planning the second annual Santa Express 5K and 1-mile Reindeer Route at 10 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 3.

The 5K race will start at the Ag Hall’s Smith event barn.

Funds raised by the race will go toward the support of historic buildings at the Ag Hall. Scheduled this year will be painting the one-room school from Piper that is on the Ag Hall grounds.

The race will include a Santa T-shirt, Christmas ornament finish medal, reindeer route antlers and a gift bag.

Awards will be presented for the most creative holiday outfit, Santa’s twin, and best Mrs. Claus.

The entry fee is $30 for the 5K, $25 each for a team of four persons or more entering the 5K, $20 for the Reindeer Route 1-mile, or $15 each for a team of four persons or more entering the Reindeer Route. The fee increases $5 on race day. Reindeer Route participants will receive antlers instead of a T-shirt.

There also will be reindeer games for kids, a visit with Santa Claus, free pictures with Santa and free train rides.

Visits with Santa Claus are scheduled from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 3, as well as Sunday, Dec. 4, Saturday, Dec. 10, and Sunday, Dec. 11, at the Ag Hall.

For more information, or to register for the race, visit http://www.aghalloffame.com/2016-events/santa-express-5k-run/.

St. Nicholas at the Strawberry Hill Museum. (File photo by William Crum)

Breakfast with St. Nick to be Saturday at Strawberry Hill Museum

Breakfast with St. Nicholas is planned from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 3, at the Strawberry Hill Museum, 720 N. 4th St., Kansas City, Kan.

Breakfast, a visit with St. Nicholas and one picture, will be $10.

For a picture without the breakfast, the cost is $5.

An adult breakfast will be available for $6. Breakfast will include pancakes, sausage, biscuits and gravy, fruit, coffee, tea or milk.

The Strawberry Hill Museum also is featuring an Olde World Christmas, with tours of the museum decorated for the holidays available. The museum is open on weekends.

Nighttime tours of the Strawberry Hill Museum are being offered from 6 to 8 p.m. Dec. 2 and 9. The museum will be illuminated by Victorian oil lamps and Christmas lighting. Refreshments will be served. The cost of the tour will be $20, and pre-registration and pre-payment are required.

For more information, call 913-371-3264 or visit http://www.strawberryhillmuseum.org/.

KCKCC to hold breakfast with Santa event Saturday

Kansas City Kansas Community College Student Senate is holding the college’s annual Breakfast with Santa event this weekend.

The event is from 9 to 11 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 3, in the Lower Jewell Student Center on the KCKCC Main Campus, 7250 State Ave. The event is free for the entire family.

“Children and their families will be able to eat a free breakfast and listen to great stories from Santa,” said Andrica Wilcoxen, director of student activities at KCKCC. “Each year, families bring their children, grandchildren and even great grandchildren to meet Santa at KCKCC.”

While at KCKCC, each family will receive a free picture with Santa and be able to enjoy fun and engaging activities throughout the morning. A few activities include – writing a letter to Santa at the KCKCC Lil’ Blue Post Office, decorating Christmas cookies and ornaments, games, a live storyteller, singing carols and more.

“My grown children have fond memories of having breakfast with Santa with my parents at KCKCC, and I have continued the tradition by taking their children, my grandchildren, to breakfast with Santa,” said Charlene Plotycia, an alum of KCKCC. “This tradition is being passed down from generation to generation and provides our KCKCC families and community members with opportunities to share enjoyable memories with each other.”

For more information about the Breakfast with Santa event, contact the Student Activities office at 913-288-7652.

Piper craft show planned

The Piper winter craft show, along with Breakfast with Santa, is planned from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 3, at Piper High School, 4400 N. 107th, Kansas City, Kan. The show features handcrafted items for sale, with food concessions available. It is sponsored by the Piper High School robotics team.

Other activities on Saturday include:

Make a cinnamon stick tree ornament

A children’s craft class on making a cinnamon stick tree ornament will be held from 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 3, at the Main Kansas City, Kan., Public Library, craft room, 625 Minnesota Ave. All materials are provided. The craft program if for ages 5 to 12. Advance registration and reservations are required to 913-279-2216.

Canteen dance and concert planned

A 1940s canteen dance and concert is planned to commemorate the 75th anniversary of Pearl Harbor at 7 p.m. Dec. 3 at the West Wyandotte Library, 1737 N. 82nd St., Kansas City, Kan. The Kansas City Jazz Orchestra will perform. Those attending may wear 1940s attire if they choose. For more information, visit www.kckpl.org.

McCuller-Banks second half surge lifts KCKCC to 77-55 win

KCKCC guard Kellen Turner is sent sprawling as he takes a charging foul from Wentworth’s Quoyai Shorter in the Blue Devils’ 77-55 win Wednesday while KCKCC defenders Lane Hartley (5) and Donald Metoyer (40) look on. (KCKCC photo by Alan Hoskins)

by Alan Hoskins, KCKCC

Getting season-best performances from a trio of Blue Devils, Kansas City Kansas Community College surged to a 77-55 win over Wentworth Military Academy Wednesday night.

The win was the first in 10 starts for the Blue Devils, who are right back in action at home Friday at 7 p.m. against North Arkansas and then again next Tuesday against Iowa Western.

Freshman Artavious Banks and sophomores Garrick McCuller and Donald Metoyer combined for 32 points and eight rebounds in their best efforts of the season. More important was when they scored.

Leading 38-28 at the half, the Blue Devils had their lead cut to 50-44 with 12 minutes left when McCuller and Banks stepped front and center, combining for 18 of KCKCC’s 19 points in a 19-9 run that opened a comfortable 69-53 lead. McCuller had a pair of 3-point plays and Banks one to start the pivotal surge. Scoreless in the first half, Banks scored 12 in the second half while McCuller added nine of his 11 in the final 20 minutes to go along Metoyer’s career high nine points.

“A great team win,” said KCKCC coach Kelley Newton. “It felt good to see our kids get stops on the defensive end. We did a great job defending and rebounding that allowed us to get a few easy buckets. And I thought we did a good job getting to the free throw line and putting pressure on them on the offensive end.”

Sophomore center Jon Murray led the Blue Devils with another big night, scoring 25 points on 8-of-11 shooting and came up just one rebound short of a double double with nine; Kellen Turner grabbed eight rebounds, scored nine points and had five steals; and Mike Lee Jr. dished out a game high seven assists along with five points and three steals.

While edged on the boards 36-31, the Blue Devils committed just five turnovers (one the first half), forcing the Red Dragons into 20 turnovers and also shot a crisp 48.2 percent from the field while limiting Wentworth to 37 percent.

The win came just 24 hours after a 99-77 loss at Penn Valley when the Blue Devils were torched by a spectacular shooting performance by guard James Byrd. A 6-2 sophomore guard, Byrd was a perfect 9-for-9 from three-point range and 14-of-18 from the field in a 42-point performance.

“He was on fire,” said Penn Valley coach Marcus Harvey.

Jon Murray led the Blue Devils with his eighth double double of the young season, 17 points and 10 rebounds. Kellen Turner led the scoring with 18 points while Daniel Kingcannon had a career high 11 points and Mike Lee nine points and seven assists.

14 three-pointers help KCKCC avenge North Central loss 88-67

by Alan Hoskins, KCKCC

Kansas City Kansas Community College’s Lady Blue Devils followed up one of their most disappointing losses Wednesday with one of their best performances of the season, a near record 14 three-point field goals in an 88-67 win over North Central Missouri.

The win avenged KCKCC’s season-opening 79-63 loss at North Central and boosted the Blue Devils’ record to 7-3 heading into a home game against Saint Mary JV Monday at 7 p.m. The contest is KCKCC’s last home game in December although the Blue Devils will play four on the road before the semester break.

Six Blue Devils had three-pointers as they came within two treys of the all-time record of 16 set against Sterling in the second game of the 2015 season. Aeriel Holiday was 5-of-8 and Brie Tauai 4-of-8 to lead the three-point assault while Ky’Ana French added two and Whitney Hazlett, Millie Shade and Brooklyn Wagler one each.

Tauai led the scoring with 26 points along with seven rebounds while Wagler added 18 points and eight rebounds, Holiday 17 points and four rebounds; and French 14 points and four rebounds.

The win was highlighted by the best ball-handling of the season – just five turnovers while 23 assists on 28 field goals. Point guards Valencia Scott and Kayla Horn led with five assists each while Wagler added four.

“I think it was evident from the very beginning that we had come into this game focused and ready to play after some soul-searching and readjusting our mindset after losing at Penn Valley,” said KCKCC coach Joe McKinstry. “I thought our execution, ball movement and unselfishness were all very big parts of tonight’s game – 23 assists on 28 made baskets is great. I think it’s the first time all year that everyone has scored. Hopefully, it will build some momentum going into our five remaining games before the holiday break.”

The win came on the heels of a 64-63 loss at Penn Valley Tuesday night that avenged KCKCC’s 80-76 home court win Nov. 12. Horn led the Blue Devil scoring with 11 points while Holliday and Tauai added 10 each, Shade 9 and French 8. Wagler, Tauai and Shade each had five rebounds but the Blue Devils were dominated on the boards 51-23 with 21 of the Scouts’ rebounds off the offensive boards.

“This may be a game that we look back on and want to kick ourselves. We weren’t prepared and it showed up,” McKinstry said. “When you only shoot the ball 49 times to Penn Valley’s 67 attempts and then give up 21 offensive rebounds and 18 more boards, it’s pretty easy to see where they game was lost. And still we were within one or two possessions.”