Month: December 2018

Saturday events

Santa’s Express planned Dec. 8-9 at Ag Hall
Santa’s Express is planned on Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 8-9, at the National Agricultural Center and Hall of Fame, 126th and State Avenue, Bonner Springs. Children may get their photo taken with Santa Claus in the train depot, ride a train and view the Christmas on the farm decorations. Cookies and hot chocolate will be served, and there will be visits to Santa. There also is a 5K run and 1-mile reindeer walk on Dec. 8. For more information, visit http://www.aghalloffame.com/events/.

Grinter Place to begin Second Saturday series on Dec. 8
Grinter Place will sponsor its Second Saturday Speakers Series this winter, beginning Saturday, Dec. 8. The program will begin at 9 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 8, and the topic will be “Coronado in Kansas” by Rudy Padilla. The historic Grinter House is at South 78th and K-32 in Kansas City, Kansas. In conjunction with the free program, there will be free doughnuts, coffee or juice. Each program will be about 35 minutes long. After the program, there will be the opportunity for questions and comments. Tours of the Grinter House also will be available, for an admission fee of $6 for adults and $3 for students. The Second Saturday Speaker Series will present educational programs about the history of Grinter House, the oldest home still standing in Wyandotte County, and the area. Grinter House closed for the winter on Oct. 13 and opens again on March 13. Regular hours from March 13 to Oct. 12 will be 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Wednesday through Saturday.

KCKCC to hold Breakfast with Santa 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. 8, in the Lower Jewell Student Center on the KCKCC Main Campus, 7250 State Ave., Kansas City, Kansas. The event is free for the entire family. While at KCKCC, each family will receive a free picture with Santa and be able to enjoy fun and interactive activities throughout the morning. The event will start with a parade of Santa’s helpers right before Santa makes his grand entrance. A few activities include – writing a letter to Santa at the KCKCC Lil’ Blue Post Office, cookie and ornament decorating, games, singing carols, Christmas card writing, a Lil’ Blue Christmas Store for the children to shop for their loved one, Inflatable Play Station for Toddlers and Preschoolers, Storytelling with Mrs. Claus and more. The event is free and open to everyone in the community. For more information about the Breakfast with Santa event, contact the Student Activities office at 913-288-7553 or 913-288-7652.

Blood drive planned Dec. 8
A Red Cross blood drive will take place from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 8, at Cabela’s, 10300 Cabela Drive, Kansas City, Kansas. To make an appointment or for more information, visit www.redcrossblood.org or call 1-800-RED-CROSS (1-800-733-2767).

Kids’ book sale planned
A Stocking Stuffer Kids’ Book Sale is planned from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 8, at the Main Kansas City, Kansas, Public Library, 625 Minnesota, Kansas City, Kansas. Used books for kids and teens will be for sale for $1 for hard cover books, 50 cents for used books or fill a bag for $5. “RU Dollars” from the summer reading program will be accepted. The book sale is in the second floor youth services craft room.

Winter paper craft program offered
A winter paper craft program will be offered from 2 to 3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 8, at the Main Kansas City, Kansas, Public Library craft room, 625 Minnesota, Kansas City, Kansas. A variety of easy paper crafts including cut snowflakes, woven hearts and origami wreaths, stars and boxes can be worked on. The program is for ages 8 to 18. All materials and instructions will be provided. For more library events, visit www.kckpl.org.

Amended American Royal bond issue receives unanimous approval

An amended STAR bond project for the American Royal was approved unanimously on Thursday night by the Unified Government Commission.

The commission approved the amended STAR bond project plan, issuance of sales tax special obligation revenue bonds for the project of up to $95 million, and an amendment to the American Royal development agreement.

The project was previously approved in October 2017, and some details were changed on Thursday. It is an approximately $160 million project in a STAR bond district of 550 acres near 110th and Parallel. The American Royal site plan is on about 112 acres in the district.

UG Administrator Doug Bach said the changes to the project are routine in nature.

Katherine Carttar, UG interim economic development director, said the STAR bond project had a requirement for a 50 percent private match. There would be an $80 million STAR bond issue plus an $80 million private match. The bond issue is expected to be about $95 million when all fees are added.

“The likelihood is that the project will get bigger,” Carttar said, adding that fundraising is continuing for the American Royal. The capital campaign began this summer. At this time the American Royal is completing the design and programming, she added.

The STAR bond district approved in October 2017 would give the state and local sales taxes back to the project, except in the northeast corner of the district, Plaza at the Speedway, where there would be only state contribution of sales tax.

The American Royal project includes a 5.000-seat livestock expo arena, a warmup arena, a livestock exhibition hall with space for 2,000 animals, office space including the headquarters of the American Royal, and an agricultural education center to be used for exhibits, a museum, meeting space and training.

Carttar said one of the changes in the amended agreement will be a $10 million drawdown for first use, to be used for the purchase of the property and infrastructure. The final $70 million would remain in an escrow account until the match is completed, when construction would begin.

The bond issuance timing was changed from late December to early January, she said, a change of about two weeks.

Infrastructure construction would begin in spring 2019, with the American Royal Complex construction beginning in late 2019, Carttar said.

Steve Allison of New Hampshire, who is the great-grandson of J.W. Perry, the original owner of the property where the American Royal will be built, appeared at the public hearing in support of the bond issue.

He said about two years ago, he talked with Cliff Illig about the possibility of the American Royal moving to his property. They set up a contract. The project was in contract, went out of contract and is back in contract again, he said.

“The business terms that we had established with the American Royal haven’t changed,” Allison said. He said the property owners are a partner with the American Royal and the UG.

Allison said he has spent time talking to transportation officials about the vision of the American Royal, including the idea of an ag tech incubator.

“We’re spending a lot of time trying to figure out how to make this much more than the American Royal, but rather a centerpoint for the agribusiness sector of the economy. That’s why I’m personally very excited about it and hope to see it come to fruition,” Allison said.

Grinter Place to begin Second Saturday series on Dec. 8

Grinter Place will sponsor its Second Saturday Speakers Series this winter, beginning Saturday, Dec. 8.

The program will begin at 9 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 8, and the topic will be “Coronado in Kansas” by Rudy Padilla.

The historic Grinter House is at South 78th and K-32 in Kansas City, Kansas.

In conjunction with the free program, there will be free doughnuts, coffee or juice.

Each program will be about 35 minutes long. After the program, there will be the opportunity for questions and comments.

Tours of the Grinter House also will be available, for an admission fee of $6 for adults and $3 for students.

The Second Saturday Speaker Series will present educational programs about the history of Grinter House, the oldest home still standing in Wyandotte County, and the area.

Future programs in the Grinter Second Saturday Speaker Series include:

• Jan. 12 – “How the Junior League Helped Save the Grinter House and How Volunteers Built the Grinter Event Space Barn,” presented by Georgia Howlett;
• Feb. 9 – topic and speaker to be determined;
• March 9 – “March Madness – James Naismith First Person Re-Enactment,” presented by Bill Nicks.

Grinter House closed for the winter on Oct. 13 and opens again on March 13. Regular hours from March 13 to Oct. 12 will be 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Wednesday through Saturday.

Information from Pat Spencer