Author: Ward

New officers chosen for BPU board

Mary Gonzales
Members of the Kansas City, Kan., Board of Public Utilities elected new officers to the board.

New officers include: Mary Gonzales, president; Robert L. Milan Sr., vice president; Tom Groneman, secretary.

Before being elected board president, Mary Gonzales served as vice president. She has been on the BPU Board of Directors since 2001.

Gonzales retired from teaching school in 2006 after a 33-year career. For many of those years she was an eighth-grade language arts teacher at Piper Middle School.

She served as president from 2005 to 2007. She also served previously as vice president and secretary of the BPU board.

Besides her BPU Board and other community activities, she serves on the Board of Directors of El Centro and City Vision Ministries. She also is a member of the American Public Power Association and the American Water Works Association. A graduate of Leadership 2000, she was also District 5 coordinator in the successful effort to consolidate the Wyandotte County-city governments, and served on the advisory board of the Wyandotte County Library. In addition, she is past president of Delta Kappa Gamma International Educational Society.

Gonzales has a Bachelor of Arts degree in education from the University of Montevallo in Montevallo, Ala., and a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction from Emporia State University. She is married to John Mendez and has three sons and two step-daughters.

Other elected officers include Robert L. Milan, vice president and Tom Groneman, secretary. Milan has served on the board since 1991. Groneman has served on the board since 2013. Both Milan and Groneman will work closely with Gonzales in their new roles.

Leppke graduates from Creighton

Brandon Leppke of Bonner Springs, graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts from the College of Arts and Sciences during Creighton University’s commencement ceremony on May 17, at the CenturyLink Center, Omaha, Neb.

Creighton University, a Catholic, Jesuit institution located in Omaha, Neb., enrolls more than 4,100 undergraduate and 3,200 professional school and graduate students.

Spring tornadoes are an important reminder to prepare

The Kansas City, Kan., Fire Department is offering suggestions for what to do before, during and after a tornado:

Before:
• Maintain an emergency kit or check list of emergency items to take with you.
• Develop a family communication plan in case your family is separated.
• Identify a safe shelter location. A basement is best, followed by interior rooms on the lowest level of the building away from windows. Mobile homes are often unsafe in a tornado – identify a neighbor’s house or public shelter where you can go if a tornado warning is issued.
• Obtain a NOAA Weather Radio to receive alerts about impending severe weather.
• Sign up for reverse telephone alerts for your county, and don’t forget to include your cell phone.
• Make sure you have sufficient insurance coverage – including flood insurance, which is separate from your homeowner’s policy.
• Photograph or video the contents of your home in case you need to file a claim.
• Store copies of your important documents in another location, such as a bank safe deposit box.
• Consider building a safe room inside your home.
During:
• Immediately go to your pre-identified safe shelter – there is no time to gather possessions.
• If possible, crouch under a sturdy piece of furniture, such as a table. Cover your head and neck with your hands and arms.
• If you are outside and no other shelter is available, get in a vehicle and drive to shelter if possible. Keep in mind that you won’t be able to outrun a tornado.
• If you must use a vehicle for shelter, keep your seatbelt on, cover your head and keep it below the window level.
• Do not use an overpass or bridge for shelter.
• If no other shelter is available, lie in a low spot and cover your head, but be alert for water filling the location.
After:
• Avoid downed power lines and leaking gas lines – report them to your utility company.
• Watch for broken glass, nails, and other sharp objects.
• Avoid damaged buildings until they are declared safe by officials.
• Notify your family that you are safe – phone lines may be down, so be prepared to send text messages.
• Check property for damage and contact your insurance company to file a claim, if necessary.