Month: December 2017

Faith news

To send in items for the Faith News, email information to [email protected]. Please include your name and contact information. In the event of inclement weather, contact the church or organization to see if the event is still being held.

Parkway Baptist Church, 12320 Parallel Parkway, will hold a Community Blood Center blood drive from 3 to 7 p.m. Monday, Dec. 11, at the church classrooms. To schedule a donation, visit www.esavealifenow.org or call 816-753-4040.

The Sanctuary Place, 3500 Dodson Ave., Kansas City, Kansas, will hold traditional, informal Christmas worship services in December, followed by a light meal. The worship services will be at 4 p.m. Dec. 10, 17 and 24, followed by a dinner at 5 p.m. The Sanctuary Place is a new congregation affiliated with the Presbyterian Church U.S.A. All are welcome.

The Chelsea Carol: KCKCC Winter Choral Concert, is planned from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 10, at St. Patrick Catholic Church, 94th and State Avenue, Kansas City, Kansas. KCKCC choirs will perform music from the Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, Romantic, 20th and 21st centuries, representing six countries. Composers include Binchois, Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Sviridov, Mealor and Whitacre. The guest soprano soloist is scheduled to be Joyce Steeby and the guest organist will be Jerry Pope. The Chelsea Carol will be the final number, with translation and a talk by Dr. Charles Anthony Silvestri. The concert is free and open to the public. Donations will be accepted.

The vestry, the official governing board at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 1300 N. 18th St., Kansas City, Kan., will meet at 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 14. The parish will observe the third Sunday in the Season of Advent at 10 a.m. Dec. 17. Members will celebrate the completion of its every member canvass with a luncheon following the service in the parish hall.

Send Faith News items to [email protected]. Please include your contact information.

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 about a week before the event if possible. In the event of inclement weather, call to see if the event is still planned.

Programs offered for Spanish-speaking women
Keeler Women’s Center, 2220 Central Ave., Kansas City, Kan., offers these programs for Spanish-speaking women: Grupo de mujeres: con lideres Mary Ellen Rodriguez y Ana Maria Sauer, los martes, 12, 19 de diciembre, 10-11 a.m.; La Hora Financiera con Brenda Mortell, Cada Segundo Jueves del mes, 14 de diciembre 10 a.m.-11 a.m.; Grupo de salud emocional para la mujer, ofrecido por MOCSA, contacte a Sinead McDonough, llame al 816-285-1349, los martes, 1-2:30 p.m. For more information or registration, call 913-906-8990.

KCKCC Winter Choral Concert planned Sunday, Dec. 10
The Chelsea Carol: KCKCC Winter Choral Concert is planned from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 10, at St. Patrick Catholic Church, 94th and State Avenue, Kansas City, Kansas. KCKCC choirs will perform music from the Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, Romantic, 20th and 21st centuries, representing six countries. Composers include Binchois, Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Sviridov, Mealor and Whitacre. The guest soprano soloist is scheduled to be Joyce Steeby and the guest organist will be Jerry Pope. The Chelsea Carol will be the final number, with translation and a talk by Dr. Charles Anthony Silvestri. The concert is free and open to the public. Donations will be accepted.

Parenting support group to meet
A parenting support group will meet from 1:30 to 3 p.m. Monday, Dec. 11, at the Keeler Women’s Center. The group members will collaborate in finding ways to connect with their children and form strong bonds. The group will be facilitated by Marqueia Watson. For registration or more information, call 913-906-8990.

Health fair planned Monday
Schlagle High School, 2214 N. 59th St., will hold a community health fair from 5 to 7 p.m. Monday, Dec. 11. The event includes information about nutrition and health, flu shots, dental screening, health screenings, vision tests, fitness class, sports physicals and information on signing up for KanCare and ACA. Preregistration for some health services such as flu shots is requested to https://tinyurl.com/SHSHealthfair2017. There will be other activities, such as help with college financial aid, information from an immigration attorney, a student projects exhibition, a bake-off, activities for children and refreshments.

Book club to meet Dec. 12
The Monthly Book Club will meet from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 12, at the Keeler Women’s Center, 2220 Central Ave., Kansas City, Kansas. The book for December is “Bookshop on the Corner” by Jeremy Colgan. Some books are available for club members by calling the office at 913-906-8990.

Program offered on creating greeting cards
“Create Beautiful Cards” will be offered from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, Dec. 13, at the Keeler Women’s Center, 2220 Central Ave., Kansas City, Kansas. Reservations are required. Space is limited. Supplies for Christmas, New Year’s, winter, birthdays, thank-you notes and other cards will be furnished. Carole Thrasher will lead the program. For registration or more information, call 913-906-8990.

Program to be presented on Medicare
A program on Medicare will be presented from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, Dec. 13, at the Keeler Women’s Center, 2220 Central Ave., Kansas City, Kansas. The class is for those new to Medicare who want information about their current benefits. The class will be in Spanish and English. For registration or more information, call 913-906-8990.

Women’s Chamber plans holiday meeting
The Kansas City, Kansas, Women’s Chamber of Commerce will hold its annual gift exchange at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, Dec. 13, at the Great Wolf Lodge, 10401 Cabela Drive, Kansas City, Kansas. The lunch will cost $20 for members and $25 for nonmembers. Members will exchange a gift valued at $25 or less. For more information, visit http://kckwomenschamber.org/ or call 913-233-3305.

Blood drive scheduled Dec. 14
Bonner Springs High School, 100 McDanield St., will sponsor a Community Blood Center blood drive from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Dec. 14 in the gym. To schedule a donation, visit www.esavealifenow.org or call 816-753-4040.

‘Pretty Nails’ program offered
Appointments for a “Pretty Nails” program will be offered from 10 a.m. to noon Thursday, Dec. 14, at the Keeler Women’s Center, 2220 Central Ave., Kansas City, Kan. In this program, nails will be shaped and painted by Ana Maria Price, volunteer. Those interested must call 913-906-8990 to schedule an appointment.

Recycling art program planned Dec. 14
“Recycling Art: Mod Podge” will be offered from 1 to 2:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 14, at the Keeler Women’s Center, 2220 Central Ave., Kansas City, Kansas. The presenter will be Jill Ellena Winters. Those attending may decorate a canvas with some recycled and some new materials. A large supply of materials may be provided, and participants may bring photos or mementos if they wish. For registration or more information, call 913-906-8990.

Legislative forum planned Dec. 18
A legislative forum will be held from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Monday, Dec. 18, at the South Branch, Kansas City, Kansas, Public Library, 3104 Strong Ave., Kansas City, Kansas. The event is held by the Wyandotte County legislative delegation. The public may attend, ask questions and express opinions on issues in the Kansas Legislature.

UG Commission to meet Dec. 21
The Unified Government Commission will meet at 7 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 21, at the Commission Chambers, lobby level, City Hall, 701 N. 7th St., Kansas City, Kansas. One of the items planned was a public hearing on the Legends garage and lawn green space, a Community Improvement District. An agenda will be posted at www.wycokck.org.

King Day celebration to be Jan. 15
“Continuing through Love and Peace in Times Like These” will be the theme of the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday celebration Monday, Jan. 15, at the Reardon Center, Kansas City, Kansas. Pre-service events start at 10:45 a.m. with the formal program beginning at 11 a.m. The Rev. Dr. Calvin O. Butts III of New York, N.Y., is the featured speaker. He is the pastor of the Abyssinian Baptist Church in Harlem. He and his church are active in civil rights, social justice and economic development. Since 1999 he has served as president of the State University of New York at Old Westbury. The event Jan. 15 will begin with a Motorcade for Hunger at 9 a.m. at Mount Zion Baptist Church parking lot, 4th and Richmond, leaving at 10 a.m. and arriving at the Reardon Center. Persons are encouraged to donate canned goods. Scholarships will be awarded at the event. For information on choir rehearsals dates and times contact Alicia Saunders at [email protected].

Eagle Days to be Jan. 20-21
The 17th annual Eagle Days will be held Jan. 20 and 21 at the Mr. and Mrs. F.L. Schlagle Library, 4051 West Drive, in Wyandotte County Lake Park, 91st and Leavenworth Road. Hours will be 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Jan. 20 and noon to 4 p.m. Jan. 21. The event is free and open to the public. It is for all ages. The event will take place simultaneously at the Davis Hall at Wyandotte County Lake, as well as the Schlagle Library. The American bald eagle and birds of prey will be on exhibit at the event. Operation Wildlife will give presentations on live birds of prey at both locations. There will be a children’s craft area at the library, a binocular checkout and a spotting scope station to view migrating birds that visit Wyandotte County Lake in the winter. For more information, visit http://kckpl.librarymarket.com/17th-annual-eagle-days-0.

Counseling available
The Keeler Women’s Center, 2220 Central Ave., offers counseling services for men and women. Individual counseling and couples counseling is available. Nothing is billed and donations are accepted. Call 913-906-8990 for information or to schedule an appointment.

Wyandotte County Museum
The Wyandotte County Museum, 631 N. 126th St., Bonner Springs, is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. There is no admission charge. For more information, call 913-573-5002 or visit https://www.facebook.com/wycomuseum/.

Strawberry Hill Museum
The Strawberry Hill Museum, 720 N. 4th St., Kansas City, Kansas, has reopened after being closed for holiday decorating for an “Olde World Christmas.” The museum is open for tours from noon to 4:15 p.m. on the weekends. Admission is $10 for adults, $5 for children 6-12 and free for children under 6. For more information or for custom tours call 913-371-3264 or visit www.strawberryhillmuseum.org.

Grinter Place Museum
The Grinter Place State Historic Site, 1420 S. 78th St., Kansas City, Kan., is one of the oldest homes in the area, built in 1857. For more information about hours and days it is open, call 913-299-0373 or visit http://www.kshs.org/p/grinter-place-plan-your-visit/15857.

Old Quindaro Museum
The Old Quindaro Museum is at 3432 N. 29th St., Kansas City, Kan. For more information about the museum, call 816-820-3615 or visit https://www.facebook.com/ccoqmuseum/.

Davis looks to build on 2014 showing for win in Congressional 2nd District

Paul Davis, the former Democratic leader in the Kansas House, is running for the 2nd District Congressional seat in Kansas. In the 2014 governor’s race, Davis carried the district by six points over Gov. Sam Brownback. (File photo, Kansas News Service)

by Jim McLean, Kansas News Service

Political forecasters attempting to gauge the chances for a power shift in Congress are watching several key 2018 races across the country, including two in Kansas.

In the 3rd District (which includes Wyandotte and Johnson counties), several Democrats are competing for the right to challenge four-term Republican Kevin Yoder, and in the 2nd District, a former Democratic candidate for governor hopes to claim an open seat.

Democrats challenging Yoder have the advantage of running in a district that Hillary Clinton carried over President Donald Trump in the 2016 election, albeit by a single percentage point.

Paul Davis, the former Democratic leader in the Kansas House, has what might prove to be a bigger advantage in the 2nd District, which covers roughly the eastern third of the state. He carried it by six points in his unsuccessful 2014 bid to unseat Republican Gov. Sam Brownback.

That strong showing and the fact that at the end of the first reporting period Davis had raised more campaign cash than his Republican rivals combined suggests that he is capable of winning the seat, said University of Kansas political scientist Patrick Miller.

“Clearly Paul Davis showed that he could appeal to some of those right-leaning voters in 2014,” Miller said. “His challenge is to replicate that and really get back that center-to-right support that can carry him over.”

Davis, a partner in a Lawrence law firm, is hopeful but cautious.

“Obviously I wouldn’t be in the race if I didn’t believe we had a good opportunity to win,” Davis said. “I also know that I’m a Democrat in Kansas and things are never easy.”

If Davis can get by Kelly Standley, a small-business owner from St. Paul, in the primary, he plans to court independent and moderate Republican voters by pledging to cross the aisle to forge compromise solutions on health care, taxes, the environment and a host of other key issues.

“You know, we’ve got plenty of people on both sides of the aisle in Washington that are just sitting on the end of the political spectrum, just providing more and more noise,” Davis said. “What we need right now are people who are going to be Kansans and Americans first and not Democrats and Republicans.”

GOP field lacks big names

When Congresswoman Lynn Jenkins decided not to run for a sixth term, she expected that several high-profile Republicans would jump into the race to succeed her.

That didn’t happen.

Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach opted to run for governor instead. Attorney General Derek Schmidt considered a run but decided instead to seek re-election.

State Sen. Steve Fitzgerald of Leavenworth announced his bid for the GOP nomination in the 2nd District in July. (File photo, Kansas News Service)

To ensure that the GOP fielded its best candidate, state Sen. Steve Fitzgerald, from Leavenworth, was willing to defer to any number of higher-profile Republicans. But when none stepped forward he jumped into the 2nd District race, saying it was essential for Republicans to hang on to the seat to help thwart an attempt by Democrats to gain control of the U.S. House.

“Bernie and Hillary’s Democrats are desperate to retake Congress and resume their death march to socialism,” Fitzgerald said at his July campaign launch. “We cannot let that happen.”

Fitzgerald said if elected he would help President Donald Trump further his agenda for tax cuts, tougher border security and the rollback of Obama-era environmental regulations.

“The puddles in your backyard are no longer ‘waters of the United States’ to be regulated by the federal government,” he said, before also praising Trump’s decision to withdraw from what he called “the international climate scam.”

Five now in GOP field

Similarly, state Sen. Caryn Tyson, from Parker, highlighted her support for the Trump agenda when she joined the race in August.

“We need to embrace the president’s call to repeal and replace Obamacare, secure our borders and pass comprehensive tax reform to cut taxes,” Tyson said in her campaign announcement.

Republican state Sen. Caryn Tyson of Parker highlighted her support for President Donald Trump’s agenda when she joined the 2nd District race in August. (File photo, Kansas News Service)

In a recent interview, Tyson, who manages a Linn County ranch with her husband, described herself as a “reasonable conservative,” which she defined as someone willing to engage in debate and compromise to get things done.

As she campaigns, Tyson said she has not detected any buyer’s remorse from 2nd District voters who supported Trump.

“A majority of people, I think, tend to take the attitude that they wish he wouldn’t tweet so much,” she said. “But they agree with the agenda that he campaigned on.”

State Rep. Kevin Jones, a former Green Beret from Wellsville, Basehor City Councilman Vernon Fields and Topekan Matt Bevens round out the GOP field.

Former Kansas Commerce Secretary Antonio Soave recently withdrew from the race amid reports that Brownback fired him for, among other things, awarding state contracts to friends and business associates.

Race seen as competitive

Davis’ 2014 performance and his early fundraising prowess have put the 2nd District race on various watch lists. The seat is one of several that prognosticators believe Democrats could flip if there is a substantial midterm backlash against Trump.

Recently, Sabato’s Crystal Ball, a website run by University of Virginia political scientist Larry Sabato, adjusted its prediction on the Kansas 2nd District race, moving it from the “likely Republican” column to “Republican leaning.”

It’s a slight change, but one that signals that campaign watchers expect the race to be competitive, said KU’s Miller.

“I don’t think that either side has a clear leg up,” Miller said. “The strengths of Paul Davis versus the Republican tilt of the district — we don’t really know how that will come out.”

Jim McLean is managing director of the Kansas News Service, a collaboration of KCUR, Kansas Public Radio, KMUW and High Plains Public Radio covering health, education and politics. You can reach him on Twitter @jmcleanks. 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/democrat-davis-looks-build-2014-showing-win-kansas-congressional-race.