Youth program registration open for martial arts and cheerleading in Wyandotte County

ActivStars will offer youth programs open to boys and girls this fall.

The programs are sponsored by the Unified Government Parks and Recreation Department and offered through ActivStars.

Martial arts and karate class will offer skills such as anti-bullying tactics, abduction prevention and non-aggressive behaviors, and are taught by certified Black Belt instructors. There will be awards and promotions.

Martial arts and karate for ages 4 to 15 will be offered on Mondays from Sept. 10 to Jan. 14 at the Pierson Community Center, 1800 S. 55th St.; and Mondays Sept. 10 to Jan. 14 at the George Meyn Community Center, 126th and State Avenue, Bonner Springs.

Class times at Pierson are 6 p.m. for beginners; 7:15 p.m. for green and blue belts; and 6:45 p.m. for purple belts and above. Those attending should arrive 15 minutes early for registration.

Class times at George Meyn Community Center are 5:45 p.m. for white belts; 6:30 p.m. for green and blue belts; and 7:45 p.m. for purple belts and above. Arrive 15 minutes early for registration.

Fees for martial arts classes are $8 per week for a 45-minute lesson. A higher-ranking extended class fee is $9 per week for a 60-minute lesson. Uniforms are available for $33.

Cheerleading will be offered for ages 4 to 15. Skills learned will be safety awareness, cheers, chants, jumps and pom dance routines. There will be awards and trophies, and competitions.

The classes will be held Wednesdays from Sept. 5 to Jan. 23 at the Beatrice Lee Community Center, 1310 N. 10th St., Kansas City, Kansas.

Practice times are 6:30 p.m. for ages 4 to 6; 7:15 p.m. for ages 7 to 9; and 8 p.m. for ages 10 to 15. Those participating should arrive 15 minutes early for registration.

The cost of the class is $8 per week for a 45-minute lesson. The fee for ages 10 to 15 is $9 per week for a 60-minute lesson. Poms for the different levels are available for purchase.

Registration will be open the first three weeks, and the nonrefundable fee is $10. Participants may pay weekly or for the full semester. Registration will be taken online or in class. Parents or guardians must register their children.

Parents of children in the self-defense and karate class may enroll with their children.

In case of bad weather, registration will be held the next week.

For more information, call 816-994-2644. For online registration, visit https://us.activstars.com/.

Bonner library has several events planned in September

The Bonner Springs City Library, 201 N. Nettleton, has several featured events in September, including a Hispanic Heritage Month program.

Jack Granath, Bonner Springs Library director, said this will be the library’s first Hispanic Heritage Month program.

The event will be from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 15, at the Bonner Springs Farmers’ Market, 129 Elm St. There will be food, salsa dancing and a mariachi group. Admission is free.

“We’ve wanted to do this for a long time,” Granath said. “We hope that we’ll do this once a year at the Farmer’s Market.”

Oldest living ‘Yankee Dodger’ to speak Sept. 13

The guest speaker at the Bonner Springs Historic Preservation Society’s monthly speaker series Sept. 13 will be Fred Kipp, author of “The Last Yankee Dodger: From Brooklyn to LA and the Bronx.”

Kipp, 86, who was born in Piqua, Kansas, is the last living player for the Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Yankees.

The program will begin at 7 p.m. Sept. 13 at the Alden-Harrington Family Event Center, 218 Oak St., Bonner Springs. There is no admission charge.
Kipp’s son, Mark Kipp, serves on the Bonner Springs City Council.

Granath said he expected this program to be very well attended. For more information, visit http://www.bonnerlibrary.org/event/historic-society-fred-kipp/?instance_id=16306.

Open mic event planned

The Bonner Springs Arts Alliance Wordslingers, a writing group that meets at 6:30 p.m. every second Monday at the Bonner Springs Library, will hold a monthly open mic for writers at Third Space Coffee.

Teen and adult writers usually show up to participate in the open mic event, Granath said.

The open mic event will be at 6 p.m. Friday, Aug. 31, Sept. 28 and Oct. 26 at Third Space Coffee, 226 Oak St., Bonner Springs, Kansas. Participants are eligible for prizes.

For more information, see http://www.bonnerlibrary.org/event/open-mic-night-third-space/?instance_id=16307.

Mohr to lead writing workshop

A free writing workshop with Joshua Mohr, a Bay area novelist and writing instructor, will take place at 6:30 p.m. Monday, Sept. 17, at the Bonner Springs Library, 201 N. Nettleton Ave.

Mohr teaches writing at the University of San Francisco and will speak on “Plaracterization: Marrying Plot and Character.”

The program is sponsored by the Johnson County Library Foundation , Joan Berkley Writers Fund. For more information, visit http://www.bonnerlibrary.org/event/plaracterization-marry-plot-and-character/?instance_id=16302.

Book discussion of ‘Song of the Lark’ featured Sept. 18

A book discussion of Willa Cather’s “Song of the Lark” is scheduled at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 18, at the Bonner Springs Library.

Linda Lewis, a retired professor from Bethany College, will facilitate the discussion. Lewis was a professor of English for 27 years at Bethany College and is an expert in British literature. She also has taught courses about Cather previously.

Like Cather, Lewis is from Nebraska. Lewis moved to Kansas upon completing her doctorate degree at the University of Nebraska. Lewis currently is an editor and author.

The book talk is funded by Humanities Kansas as part of its Talk about Literature in Kansas series. For more information, visit http://www.bonnerlibrary.org/event/book-discussion/?instance_id=16308.

Tiblow Days parade celebrates Bonner Springs

The Clark Middle School cheerleaders marched in the Tiblow Days parade Saturday. (Photo copyright 2018 by Brian Turrel)

by Brian Turrel

The 2018 Tiblow Days finished Saturday with a parade and carnival. The annual festival celebrates the heritage and people of Bonner Springs.

The Gateway High Steppers of Kansas City, Kansas, performed at the pavilion after the parade. (Photo copyright 2018 by Brian Turrel)
Members of the Gateway High Steppers pulled Bonner Springs cheerleaders from the crowd to dance together. (Photo copyright by Brian Turrel)
Wyandotte County CEO David Alvey was on hand to watch the parade. (Photo copyright 2018 by Brian Turrel)
The Ancient Order of Hibernians (an Irish Catholic fraternal organization) marched in the parade. (Photo copyright 2018 by Brian Turrel)
The Gateway High Steppers performed in the parade. (Photo copyright 2018 by Brian Turrel)
Members of the White Tiger Tae Kwon Do club showed off their skills. (Photo copyright 2018 by Brian Turrel)
Performers from the Renaissance Festival marched in the parade. (Photo copyright 2018 by Brian Turrel)
Performers from the Renaissance Festival marched in the parade. (Photo copyright 2018 by Brian Turrel)
All ages enjoyed the merry-go-round at the carnival after the Tiblow Days parade. (Photo copyright 2018 by Brian Turrel)
The Bonner Springs High School marching band performed. (Photo copyright 2018 by Brian Turrel)
Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach, the Republican candidate for governor, rode in a vintage Army jeep during the parade. (Photo copyright 2018 by Brian Turrel)
Carnival rides were a popular attraction after the parade. (Photo copyright 2018 by Brian Turrel)
The Bonner Springs High School Dazzlers dance group performed at the pavilion after the parade. (Photo copyright 2018 by Brian Turrel)