Month: June 2021

Juneteenth parade scheduled Saturday in KCK

A Juneteenth parade will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, June 19, at Quindaro Park, 3345 Sewell Ave., Kansas City, Kansas.

The parade travels on Brown Avenue, 27th Street, to Quindaro Boulevard, ending at 21st and Quindaro.

Chester Owens, historian, is the grand marshal of the parade.

It is sponsored by the Kansas City, Kansas, NAACP, Greater Kansas City Chapter of the Black Trade Unionists and the Vernon Multi-Purpose Center. For information, call 913-707-6862.

A Juneteenth Celebration is planned from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, June 19, and Sunday, June 20, at 18th and Quindaro Boulevard, Kansas City, Kansas.

The celebration will include music, shopping, a car show and food. For more information, go to webuyblack.com.

Avenue of Life is celebrating Juneteenth Freedom Day from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday, June 19, at 500 N. 7th St., Kansas City, Kansas.

That celebration will include free food, face painting and a bouncy house. Children are welcome.

In Kansas City, Missouri, Juneteenth events are planned Friday and Saturday. A Miss Juneteenth Pageant will be held Friday, June 18, at Union Station in Kansas City, Missouri.

The Juneteenth KC Reunion, Heritage Festival, will be held from noon to 9 p.m. Saturday, June 19, in the 18th and Vine historic jazz district of Kansas City, Missouri. There will be food, music and vendors.

An all-day Juneteenth festival will be held from noon to 9 p.m. Saturday, June 19, at Blue Hills Park, 5140 Brooklyn, Kansas City, Missouri. For more information on the Kansas City, Missouri, events visit https://kcjuneteenth.org/ and https://www.juneteenth-kc.com/.

Big Eleven Lake on public health advisory list

Big Eleven Lake, 11th and State Avenue in Kansas City, Kansas, is on a warning list of lakes to avoid because of dangerous blue-green algae.

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment on Thursday issued public health advisories for Kansas lakes because of blue-green algae.

Residents should avoid swimming and contact with the lake water.

When a warning is issued, KDHE recommends these precautions be taken:

• Lake water is not safe to drink for pets or livestock.
• Lake water, regardless of blue-green algae status, should never be consumed by humans.
• Water contact should be avoided.
• Fish may be eaten if they are rinsed with clean water and only the fillet portion is consumed, while all other parts are discarded.
• Do not allow pets to eat dried algae.
• If lake water contacts skin, wash with clean water as soon as possible.
• Avoid areas of visible algae accumulation.

South Lake in Johnson County is on the watch list for blue-green algae.

KDHE investigates publicly accessible bodies of water for blue-green algae when the agency receives reports of potential algae blooms in Kansas lakes. Based on credible field observation and sampling results, KDHE reports on potentially harmful conditions.

If you observe a scum, a paint-like surface on the water, small floating blue-green clumps or filaments, or the water is an opaque green, avoid contact and keep pets away. These are indications that a harmful bloom may be present. Pet owners should be aware that animals that swim in or drink water affected by a harmful algal bloom or eat dried algae along the shore may become seriously ill or die.

For information on blue-green algae and reporting potential harmful algal blooms, visit www.kdheks.gov/algae-illness/index.htm.

Monarchs achieve seven straight wins

In the bottom of the first, the Kansas City Monarchs wasted little time jumping out to an early lead after Jan Hernandez blasted a two-run shot into the bullpen in deep left-center for his fifth of the season on Wednesday.

On the hill, the Monarchs were led by newly acquired right-hander, Gregori Vasquez. Vasquez’s debut with Kansas City was one to remember as it came against his former team.

The hurler was persistent in the early going as he finished the first two innings without surrendering a hit. His performance stayed strong, only allowing five baserunners through his six innings.

Gary SouthShore was only able to scratch one run across on Vasquez, coming in the top of the sixth inning off Daniel Lingua’s groundout to first base that brought Tyler Van Marter home. Vasquez would finish his first start allowing just three hits, no walks, two strikeouts, and one unearned run.

Defensively, Gabby Guerrero helped his pitcher out by teaming up with catcher, Alexis Olmeda, to turn a score-preventing double play in the top of the fifth. Guerrero snagged a fly ball on the run in right field then immediately threw a missile to Olmeda, who tagged out Jesus Marriaga at the plate to complete the highlight-reel play.

Casey Gillaspie came up big for the Monarchs in the sixth inning, clobbering his sixth homer of the summer. The no-doubter brought in Hernandez and Guerrero, stretching the lead to four.

Cody Mincey, Elroy Urbina, and Brian Ellington worked together to finish the last three innings, only giving up one run in the eighth. The strong pitching performance, as well as the team’s two home runs served to be the recipe for success. The Monarchs notched their seventh straight win in 6-2 fashion.

Manager Joe Calfapietra spoke highly of his starter, Gregori Vasquez, saying, “You’re going to get a strike thrower, a guy that competes, and throws all of his pitches at any time in the strike zone.”
The Monarchs and RailCats will finish their three-game series at 7 p.m. Thursday at Legends Field. Kansas City will attempt a clean sweep. The game can be heard on the Monarchs Broadcast Network with the pre-game beginning at 6:40 p.m. and the video stream airing on aabaseball.tv.

Tickets to all Monarchs games can be purchased by calling 913-328-5618 or by visiting monarchsbaseball.com.

  • Story from Dan Vaughan, Monarchs