The administrative offices and customer service lobby of the Kansas City, Kansas, Board of Public Utilities will be closed on Monday, Jan. 17, in observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
Although BPU’s business offices are closed on holidays, emergency service is available seven days a week, 24 hours per day. For power emergencies, customers should call 913-573-9522. The water emergency number is 913-573-9622 from 8 a.m. to midnight on weekdays, and 913-573-9522 from midnight to 8 a.m., and during weekends and holidays.
Most Unified Government offices also will be closed on Monday, Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The UG Health Department’s former Kmart location at 7836 State Ave. will be open for COVID-19 testing from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday.
Also open for COVID-19 testing on Monday will be the Kansas National Guard Armory, 100 S. 20th St., from 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday.
A bald eagle was on display during Eagle Days in January 2020 at the James P. Davis Hall at Wyandotte County Lake Park, 91st and Leavenworth Road, Kansas City, Kansas. The event is scheduled this year for Saturday and Sunday at the Mr. and Mrs. F.L. Schlagle Library and the Davis Hall at Wyandotte County Lake Park. (File photo by Steve Rupert)
The annual Eagle Days will take place Saturday and Sunday, Jan. 15 and 16, at Wyandotte County Lake Park, 91st and Leavenworth Road.
The annual event is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, according to a news release from the Board of Public Utilities, which is one of the event sponsors.
Events will take place at the Mr. and Mrs. F.L. Schlagle Library at the lake, and also at the James P. Davis Hall at the lake. There are some changes to the event format this year due to COVID-19 protocols.
The free family-oriented program will provide those who attend with an opportunity to see eagles and birds of prey at each location. There are educational programs in connection with the viewing. Birds of prey from Operation WildLife Rehab Center will be on display.
Hours for Saturday are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, noon to 4 p.m. Masks will be required.
Spotting scopes will be available outside for birdwatching around the lake. Visitors should bring binoculars and cameras to take advantage of the scenic views and beautiful winter landscapes.
According to information from the Kansas City, Kansas, Public Library, the program will offer 15-minute live bird viewing this year with species such as owls, hawks and a bald eagle instead of a one-hour formal presentation.
Each guest will need a free ticket to view the live birds at both the Schlagle Library and Davis Hall, according to library information. The ticket will allow a 15-minute time slot to take pictures, ask questions and enjoy watching the birds of prey indoors. There will be different bird species at both buildings and those who attend may reserve a time slot at both buildings.
Those who arrive without a reservation ticket will have to wait until there is a vacancy, according to the library information. While they wait, people may participate in crafts, wild bird spotting stations and outdoor activities.
Those who attend may re-enter the live bird viewing area more than once during the event as long as there are spots open, according to library information.
Eagle Days at Wyandotte County Lake are offered in partnership with Operation WildLife, the Mr. and Mrs. F.L. Schlagle Library; the Kansas City, Kansas, Board of Public Utilities; the Kansas City, Kansas, Public Library; Kansas City, Kansas, Public Schools; the Unified Government; and Burroughs Audubon Society of Greater Kansas City.
State Sen. David Haley, D-4th Dist., took the oath of office, joining the Board of Public Utilities on Wednesday night, while pledging to represent the voice of the people.
Sen. Haley, who will represent BPU at-large, position 2, said he hoped to continue the proud legacy of his family in service to Wyandotte County and “to represent people over profits.” He also continues as a state senator in Wyandotte County. Three BPU members who won election in November took the oath of office at the BPU meeting Wednesday, Jan. 5.
During two campaigns for the BPU board, Haley committed to greater accountability and transparency. In his speech Wednesday, he discussed holding the Unified Government accountable for the charges it places on the BPU bills. He also said he supports allowing BPU ratepayers to compare practices and policies with investor-owned utilities in Kansas, having the BPU better reflect policies, and being fair and consistent to the ratepayers.
Haley also said he expected to be quiet during his first few months at the BPU board while he is learning about the utility.
Haley is serving his sixth term in the Kansas Senate, and is currently the longest-serving member of the Senate. He also served in the Kansas House from 1994 through 2000. He is a graduate of Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia, and Howard University Law School in Washington, D.C. He is a real estate developer and a public affairs counselor.
Mary Gonzales
Re-elected to the BPU board was Mary Gonzales, vice president of the board, and at-large, position 1. She thanked family, friends, BPU employees and voters for their support.
Campaigning this year was different, with virtual forums, and many candidates were not able to shake hands and visit with voters, but had to rely on doorhangers and signs, she said.
Gonzales said the public utility was defined by local control, with decisions taking place closest to the people the utility serves. Decisions such as approving expenditures and hiring a manager are made by the body the community has selected, she said.
She said she knows the importance of every decision and does not take any of them lightly.
She added it is always her concern to serve Main Street and not Wall Street, and during the next four years, she pledged to serve with integrity and honesty.
Gonzales is a retired teacher. She retired after a 33-year career, and for many years, taught language arts at Piper Middle School.
Gonzales, who was first elected to the BPU in 2001, has served on many community boards, including the Rosedale Development Association, and is a former board member of El Centro and City Vision Ministries.
She has a Bachelor of Arts in education from the University of Montevallo, Montevallo, Alabama, and a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction from Emporia State University.
Tom Groneman
Also re-elected to office was Tom Groneman, 2nd District.
Groneman said the past two years of the pandemic have been a challenge for individuals and the utility, and he didn’t think it would end any time soon.
He pledged to work together as a board to make sure they do everything they can to make the utility competitive and the rates as low as they possibly can be. He was first elected to the BPU in 2013.
Groneman, a native of Wyandotte County, holds a bachelor’s degree in business and economics from Bethany College, Lindsborg, Kansas. After military service with the U.S. Navy, he worked in the probation office for the Wyandotte County District Court.
He was appointed Wyandotte County register of deeds in 1975, then was elected to seven terms as register of deeds.
He served as director of Alcoholic Beverage Control for the state of Kansas under Gov. Kathleen Sebelius and Gov. Mark Parkinson, until 2011.
