Month: May 2019

Saturday events

Tractor cruise planned today
Vintage tractor enthusiasts and the Greater Kansas City Two-Cylinder Club will drive around the area in a 24-mile benefit ride for the National Agricultural Center and Hall of Fame, 126th and State, Bonner Springs. The event begins at 8:30 a.m. Saturday, May 4, at the Ag Hall, and then continues to Wyandotte County Lake and a stop for lunch at Cabela’s before returning to the Ag Hall.

Spring Fling planned at Bonner Farmers’ Market
Spring Fling at the Farmers’ Market is planned from 8 a.m. to noon Saturday, May 4, in Bonner Springs, Kansas. The event will include market vendors, magic shows, bounce houses, face painting, a balloon artist, henna artist and yoga in the park. The event will be at Kelly Murphy Park, 129 Elm St., in downtown Bonner Springs. For more information, visit https://bonnerlibrary.org/spring-fling/.

Rosedale Disc de Triomphe tournament today

Rosedale Park, 4125 Mission Road, will be the site of the third annual Rosedale Disc de Triomphe disc golf event beginning at 8:30 a.m. Saturday, May 4. The neighborhood fundraising event has more than 100 participants. Funds raised will help Rosedale neighborhood projects and the Rosedale Development Association.

Plant sale to be May 4
The Wyandotte County Extension Master Gardeners will have continue their plant sale May 4 at the Extension office, Wildcat Room, 2100 N. 79th St., Kansas City, Kansas. Hours will be 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. Vegetables, flowers and ornamental grasses will be for sale. Purchases may be made by cash or checks.

Polski Day to be May 4
The 35th annual Polski Day will be Saturday, May 4, at All Saints Catholic Church, 8th and Vermont Avenue, Kansas City, Kansas. The event will include a parade at 11 a.m., a Polka Mass at 5 p.m., a festival from 11 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., Polish food and live musical entertainment. For more information, visit https://polskiday.com/.

Sunflower Showdown in rowing at Wyandotte County Lake
The University of Kansas will play host for the Sunflower Showdown against Kansas State University in women’s rowing at 11 a.m. at Wyandotte County Lake at 91st and Leavenworth Road in Kansas City, Kansas. K-State will defend last year’s win. On the K-State roster are two students from Wyandotte County, Mikaela Bennett, a junior who attended Bonner Springs High School, and Maya Morrow, a freshman who attended Piper High School.

Family story time planned
Family story time is planned from 11 a.m. to noon Saturday, May 4, at the Main Kansas City, Kansas, Public Library, youth services craft room, 625 Minnesota Ave. The program is geared to children ages 2 to 6. There will be reading, dancing and singing.

Spanish singing lessons planned
 “Clases de Canto,” or Spanish singing lessons, are planned from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Saturday, May 4, in Conference Room B, South Branch Library, 3104 Strong Ave., Kansas City, Kansas. The Spanish language singing class is taught by Sandra Zamora.

S.T.E.M. program planned at library
 A S.T.E.M. (science, technology, engineering and math) program is planned from 1 to 2 p.m. Saturday, May 4, at the Main Kansas City, Kansas, Public Library, craft room, 625 Minnesota Ave. The topic will be “Weaving Makes Things Stronger,” and includes the designs of suspension bridges and Kevlar vests. Participants will make their own kente cloth craft. This program is designed for children and teens.

District playoffs in softball today at KCKCC
 KCKCC will play host to Cloud County in a best-of-three series in the six-team Division II District D playoffs at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. Saturday at KCKCC, 7250 State Ave., Kansas City, Kansas. If necessary, a third game will be played Sunday at noon. The Blue Devils, 34-18, are seeded No. 7, while Cloud County, 11-27, are No. 10.

Flyover concert to be May 4 at amphitheater
 The Flyover concert featuring Cardi B, Savage, Kodak Black, G. Herbo, Lil Mosey, YBN Cordae, Tobi Lou, Splurge, Blaatina and Yusee will be at 3:20 p.m. Saturday, May 4, at Providence Medical Center amphitheater, 130th and State Avenue, Bonner Springs. Doors open at 3 p.m. Tickets are available at Ticketmaster.com or at the box office.

Volunteers preparing for 35th annual Polski Day on Saturday

Cathy Kolenda-Smith, left, and her mother, Betty Kolenda, were very busy on Friday morning getting ready for Saturday’s Polski Day festival at All Saints Catholic Church hall, 8th and Vermont, Kansas City, Kansas. Polski Day begins with a parade at 11 a.m. Saturday at 12th and Central. (Staff photo by Mary Rupert)

by Mary Rupert

Volunteers were busy today getting everything ready for the 35th annual Polski Day on Saturday, May 4, at All Saints Catholic Church, 8th and Vermont, Kansas City, Kansas.

Tables in the All Saints parish hall have been decorated in preparation for Polski Day on Saturday, May 4. (Staff photo)

A small group of volunteers got tables and items ready for the annual celebration. Most of the volunteers were different generations in the Kolenda family, said Cathy Kolenda-Smith.

Cathy Kolenda-Smith, who is in charge of the festival, was busy in the kitchen and around the church hall, while her mother, Betty Kolenda, was working with food at one of the main tables. Saracyewski Smith, Cathy’s daughter, was working at the T-shirt table this morning.

Saracyewski Smith, Cathy Kolenda-Smith’s daughter, prepared T-shirts on Friday morning for the Polski Day festival. (Staff photo by Mary Rupert)

The T-shirts at the table read, “Polish American and Proud,” “Polish Hill, Kansas City, Ks,” and “Polski Day, Polish Hill, KCK.”

Also helping out at the Polski Day T-shirt table on Friday was Jenna Dorsett. (Staff photo by Mary Rupert)

Polski Day commemorates the day that the Polish Constitution of Freedom was signed on May 3, 1791, and it celebrates Polish heritage and traditions.

Kolenda-Smith said that as the years go by, it has become more difficult to find volunteers, especially volunteers who can cook the authentic Polish food that is served at the festival.

“We love our Polish heritage, it’s just so hard to find volunteers,” Kolenda-Smith said. “When we first started Polski Day, there were 21 people on the committee, now there are eight. I absolutely love doing this, but we need more people.”

Cathy Kolenda-Smith said more volunteers are needed for Polski Day. (Staff photo by Mary Rupert)

Kolenda-Smith said on Thursday they cooked 280 pounds of Polish sausage and 350 pounds of sauerkraut to get ready for Polski Day. It has become second-nature to her to cook these specialties, she said. She has been in charge of the festival for about 15 years and working with it for 31 years.

Also on the Polski Day menu are golambki (cabbage rolls), pierogi, hot dogs, povitica, apple strudel, pohancie and cookies, and other items.

Most of the recipes for Polish foods served at Polski Day are on the website at https://polskiday.com/, she said, although she has cooked these dishes so long that she doesn’t need the recipes herself.

This year’s festival is dedicated to Mary Slezak Stark, one of the original founders of the KCK Polski Day, who died in 2018.

Proceeds from Polski Day go toward All Saints Church.

The festival on Saturday will include a parade that begins at 11 a.m. at 12th and Central Avenue and proceeds east to 8th Street, then to Vermont, ending at 8th and Vermont at All Saints Church, formerly known as St. Joseph’s Church at 811 Vermont. This year’s parade marshal is Ethel Golubski.

A festival will be held at the parish hall and grounds, with food service beginning at 11 a.m. Saturday. There will be ethnic foods, beverages, dancing and children’s activities until 4 p.m. An online auction will be held in conjunction with Polski Day.

From 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. inside the church hall, the Brian McCarty Band will perform, and from 3 to 6:30 p.m., Sheelytown Band is scheduled.

Outdoors, Sheelytown will perform from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and the Brian McCarty Band will perform from 3 to 6:30 p.m.

A Polka Mass will be held at 5 p.m. Saturday at All Saints Church. The Good Shepherd Church Choir, directed by John Rudzinski, will be featured. Special guests will be Sylvia Stoner, soprano, and Wayne Hawkins, pianist.

Water was delivered in preparation for the Polski Day festival, which will be Saturday, May 4. (Staff photo)

Legislators give KCKCC national champions a standing ovation

KCKCC’s national basketball championship team received a standing ovation from Kansas legislators on Friday in Topeka. (Photo from KCKCC)

Photo essay by Alan Hoskins, KCKCC

Photos from KCKCC

Highlighted by a standing ovation from Kansas state legislators, Kansas City Kansas Community College’s national basketball champions were honored at the State Capitol in Topeka Friday.

(Photo from KCKCC)

With State Rep. Valdenia Winn as host, head Blue Devil coach Joe McKinstry and assistant coach Timeka O’Neal brought the championship plaques to the podium for a photo opportunity before Dr. Winn was joined by other Wyandotte County legislators in saluting the team with a resume of the Blue Devils’ road to the national championship with special emphasis on playoff wins over Johnson County and Highland that earned a national tournament berth.

With the Wyandotte legislative delegation. (Photo from KCKCC)
(Photo from KCKCC)

Team members, from left, Diamond Williams, Lenaejha Evans, Lizzie Stark, Brodi Byrd, Lillie Moore, Carson Chandler and Caroline Hoppock watching from the front row of the gallery were then given a standing ovation by the legislators. Because of class commitments, five Blue Devils were unable to make the trip – Camryn Swanson, Nija Collier, Kisi Young, Caitlyn Stewart and Lexy Watts.

(Photo from KCKCC)

The visit also included a visit to the office of Gov. Laura Kelly by, from left, assistant coach Timeka O’Neal, Lenaejha Evans, Lizzie Stark, Lillie Moore, Diamond Williams, Brodi Byrd, Caroline Hoppock, Carson Chandler, head coach Joe McKinstry and Rep. Valdenia Winn.

(Photo from KCKCC)

And the trip to the State Capitol was complete with a team photo on the Capitol steps.