Turner Days to include parade, entertainment, food, car show

A parade will open Turner Days events at 10 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 14, with parade entries lining up near Turner High School, 2211 S. 55th St., Kansas City, Kansas.

According to Vikki Mullins, publicity chair for the Turner Days event, the parade is the “don’t miss” event of Turner Days. It is a two-day event.

“There’s a little of everything, it shows things going on on the festival grounds, some cars from the show and different school groups,” she said.

The Little Mister and Miss Turner float is part of the parade.

“This year’s theme is ‘Dream Big,’ and it’s interesting to see how the different school groups interpret the theme,” she said.

The parade will travel from the high school parking lot to 55th Street on Inland Drive. Afterward, events will be held at Steineger Field.

“Turner’s a real community, it’s our 33rd annual festival, and we hope to see people in our own community, as well as alumni and our surrounding neighborhood,” Mullins said.

Other Turner Days events include a breakfast, 5K run, Turner Walk of Fame inductees, a car show on Sunday, and entertainment by school groups. There is also a pumpkin decorating contest and a costume contest for preschool to second grade, and pumpkin chucking for older children.

Bands that are scheduled to perform include Stone Breakers and the Wood Band.

Mullins said food will be available for purchase from several vendors and will include Philadelphia cheesesteaks, funnel cakes, kettle corn, hamburgers and hot dogs.

The car show traditionally is a very large part of Turner Days, she said. Registration opens at 8 a.m. on Sunday and the car show runs until 3 p.m.

Hours of the event are from after the 10 a.m. parade until 5 p.m. on Saturday, and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday. Turner Days will be held rain or shine, with no rain date.

Admission is free to Turner Days events, and any funds raised will go toward community projects, Mullins said. There are several Turner area projects and groups that will receive funds, including Project Grad and scholarships.

The Turner Days schedule is on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/turnerdaysofficial/.

Some of the events on the schedule include:

Saturday, Oct. 14:

7:30 a.m. – 5K begins
5K Awards Assembly to follow
8 a.m. – 10 a.m. – Turner Middle School PTSA Breakfast Concessions
9 a.m. – Little Mister and Miss Turner candidates meet at Turner Elementary
10 a.m. – Parade begins (Parade runs north on South 55th Street from Douglas to Inland)
Booths to open following parade
11 a.m. – National Anthem by THS Choir
1:30 p.m. – Parade Award Presentation
Lil Mister and Miss Turner
Walk of Fame Inductees
2:30 p.m. – Magician
3 p.m. – Stone Breakers
5 p.m. – Booths close

Sunday, Oct. 15:
8 a.m. – Car Show entry parking begins
8 a.m. – noon – Car Show Registration
9 a.m. – Olive Branch Ministries Service
10 a.m. – Booths open
10 a.m. – Church of the Risen Lamb
11 a.m. – Preschool – 2nd grade free Halloween activities (Pumpkin decorating and Costume Contests)
Noon – Sixth Grade Academy Singers
12:30 p.m. – Preschool – 2nd grade free Halloween activities (Pumpkin decorating and Costume Contests)
12:15 p.m. – Car Show judging begins
1:30 p.m. – Kansas City Tsuruoka Karate
2 p.m. – Campfire Songs by Midland Trail Elementary
2 p.m. – Preschool – 12th grade free Pumpkin Chuckin’ Contest
2:30 p.m. – Car Show Awards, and Silent Auction
2:30 p.m. – Kansas City Tsuruoka Karate
3 p.m. – Car Show ends
3 p.m. – Wood Band
5 p.m. – Booths close

Fairfax Festival

The Fairfax Festival had good weather and a good turnout on Thursday afternoon at Kaw Point Park in Kansas City, Kansas. The event was sponsored by the Fairfax Industrial Association. (Staff photo)

Games such as a bean bag toss were part of the Fairfax Festival on Thursday afternoon at Kaw Point Park in Kansas City, Kansas. (Staff photo)

A few historical re-enactors attended the Fairfax Festival Thursday at Kaw Point Park in Kansas City, Kansas. (Staff photo)

The band, Chapter 5, entertained Thursday at the Fairfax Festival at Kaw Point Park in Kansas City, Kansas. (Staff photo)

Boat rides on the Missouri River were part of the Fairfax Festival on Thursday afternoon at Kaw Point Park in Kansas City, Kansas. (Staff photo)

Kansas lawmakers choose not to recommend legislation on payday loans

by Stephen Koranda, Kansas News Service

Kansas lawmakers considered tighter rules on payday lending during a committee meeting Wednesday, but they ultimately decided not to recommend more regulations for the short-term loans.

Republican Senate Vice President Jeff Longbine chairs the Special Committee on Financial Institutions and Insurance. He said Kansas officials should wait to see the effects of federal regulations recently released on the issue.

Some members of the committee weren’t happy with the lack of action. Rep. Randy Powell, an Olathe Republican, said the industry needs more regulation.

“I’m not a big government guy. I don’t like to see unnecessary regulation, but when you’re looking at 270 percent, 330 percent interest … they walk into these things having no idea what they’re getting into,” Powell said.

The committee could have recommended legislation for lawmakers to consider when the session starts in January. The bill before them to cap interest rates and add other requirements to short-term loans will still be available for consideration.

Alex Horowitz, a research officer with the Pew Charitable Trusts, told the committee that small loans can be a useful service for people — within limits.

“They can help people get through difficult stretches, but only if structured appropriately at affordable prices,” Horowitz said.

He noted that the short-term loans often carry high interest rates, which can mean that, for example, someone borrowing $300 for a five-month period would have to pay back a total of $750. It was pointed out to him that there are other types of loans, like Auto Title Loans, that people can use in order to get fast money that don’t have the same high interest rates as payday loans do so it’s their choice if they to go somewhere with higher interest rates.

Claudette Humphrey used short-term loans in the past. She now works with Catholic Charities of Northern Kansas on a program that helps people get out from under that type of debt.

“People who live on fixed incomes and limited incomes are our most vulnerable,” Humphrey said. “I understand that maybe they didn’t pull themselves up by the bootstraps as some people think they can, but sometimes you don’t have bootstraps.”

Brad Smoot is with Anderson Financial Services, which runs LoanMax Title Loans. He said the bill the committee was considering could kill the industry, taking away an option for people who need short-term cash.

“It’s a good alternative to other lending options or no lending options, which unfortunately some people are faced with,” Smoot said.

Whitney Damron, who spoke to the committee on behalf of the Kansas Consumer Financial Services Association, said decisions about the loans should be left up to Kansans.

“Customers of payday loan lenders are qualified to make financial decisions for themselves without government interference,” Damron said.

Longbine said one issue people often don’t recognize is that ballooning interest costs are usually caused by having the short-term loans reissued over and over. Some borrowers find that they are unable to keep up with repayments and aren’t sure where to make a complaint or to get help if they have such an issue.

“Oftentimes, the companies are blamed for the cost of the loan, when had the loan been repaid on schedule, the cost would have been minimal,” Longbine said.

Stephen Koranda is Statehouse reporter for Kansas Public Radio, a partner in the Kansas News Service. Follow him on Twitter @kprkoranda. Kansas News Service stories and photos may be republished at no cost with proper attribution and a link back to kcur.org.

See more at http://kcur.org/post/kansas-lawmakers-choose-not-recommend-legislation-payday-loans.