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Saturday events

Early voting in person continues today

Early voting in person continues Saturday, July 30, in Wyandotte County. Registered voters who want to cast a ballot in person in advance of primary Election Day may vote in person Saturday, July 3o, at four locations in Wyandotte County. The four locations are open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, July 30. The locations include the Wyandotte County Election Office, 850 State Ave.; the Joe Amayo – Argentine Community Center, 2810 Metropolitan Ave; the Eisenhower Recreation Center, 2901 N. 72nd St.; and the Kane Community Center, 3130 N. 122nd St. Registered voters can learn their district number and see what will be on their ballot at Voter View, https://myvoteinfo.voteks.org/VoterView. Election stories in the Wyandotte Daily can be found by clicking on the Election 2022 tab or visiting https://wyandotteonline.com/category/election-2022/. For more details, see
https://wyandotteonline.com/early-voting-in-person-starts-saturday/ or www.wycovotes.org.

Back-to-School party at Legends Outlets today

The Legends Academy Back-to-School party is planned from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday, July 30 at the Legends Outlets, I-435 and I-70 in Kansas City, Kansas. The event is sponsored by Kansas City Kansas Community College. In addition to back-to-school savings, the event features photo stations, giveaways, games, activities and live music. The event is free and open to the public. The photos stations will be open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on The Legends Lawn.
From 10 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., guests may text-to-win giveaways, texting the word btsgiveaway to Legends Outlets’ mobile VIP line at 877-321-2951 for their chance to win various prizes. Registration will open at 10 a.m. and end at 7:30 p.m. All prize winners will be notified via text message at 7:30 p.m. and can claim their prize at the Legends Outlets VIP tent located in The Lawn until 8 p.m.
Axe throwing is planned from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. between Off Broadway Shoe Warehouse and Buckle, with an inflatable Viking Axe.
Try to knock your opponent off an inflated pedestal by hurling a “wrecking ball” at them, from 3 to 6 p.m. in front of AMC theaters, for ages 8 and up.
Silent Disco is planned from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., enjoying music on The Lawn by DJ Joe through wireless headphones.
A foam party is planned from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. on The Legends Lawn, near the smokestack. Participants may play with beach balls, dance to music and party while foam shoots out from a cannon.

For more information, see https://legendsshopping.com/events/family/legends-academy-back-to-school-party/.

Sweet Corn Festival today at Ag Hall

The Agricultural Hall of Fame and National Center in Bonner Springs is planning a Sweet Corn Festival today. In advance of today’s event, an Amaizing Swwet Corn Glean-a-Thon was held where teams and individuals harvested as much sweet corn as possible to deliver to area food pantries and kitchens to help those in need. The festival from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, July 30, includes scarecrow contest, train rides, corn shucking and watermelon eating contests, as well as gleaning awards, kids games, face painting, and live music. Sweet corn may be purchased to eat. The admission to this event is free and open to the public, with $1 for each activity. For more information, see https://www.aghalloffame.com/events/.

Sporting KC at home tonight

Sporting KC plays Austin FC at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, July 30, at Children’s Mercy Park, Kansas City, Kansas. Tickets are available online at SeatGeek.com.

Fairfax history exhibit at Wyandotte County Museum

An exhibit on the history of the Fairfax industrial district is running through Sept. 24 at the Wyandotte County Museum, Bonner Springs. The Fairfax Industrial District 100th Anniversary exhibit will show the progression of the district alongside personal memories, and will include familiar and untold stories of people, places and events in the district. The Fairfax district is in the northeast area of Kansas City, Kansas. Visitors will see products made in Fairfax, together with items employees saved from their time in Fairfax. The Wyandotte County Museum is located in Wyandotte County Park, 631 N. 126th St., Bonner Springs, Kansas. It is open to the public, free of charge, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday-Saturday. The Wyandotte County Museum is operated by the Unified Government, with support from the Wyandotte County Historical Society and Museum Inc., a 501c3 non-profit. For more information about this exhibit visit the Wyandotte County Museum at www.wycokck.org/wycomuseum.

Two candidates run for Republican nomination for 33rd District, Kansas House

Two candidates are seeking the Republican nomination in the 33rd District, Kansas House.

Clifton Boje and Mike Thompson are running for the Republican nomination.

Boje, 44, of Bonner Springs, said he is seeking office primarily to deal with the abortion issue.

“I want to see it criminalized as murder, for putting to death God’s creation unjustly,” he said.

Boje said he would support a proposed law that would classify abortion of living children as homicide. Homicide laws already in effect then would take care of the process, he said. A bill has been crafted and already was introduced, and would be reintroduced next session, he said.

Boje said the proposed law would not apply to miscarriages, or to cases in which the child dies at some point that is not part of an abortion. He said it would apply if the child is being put to death on purpose.

He said he spends a lot of time in front of Planned Parenthood offices, trying to convince women to let them help. (A video of Boje’s protest at a Planned Parenthood clinic, with arguments back and forth on loudspeakers, has been posted on YouTube by those who support pro-choice at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m9QXcT4vA9Y.)

Boje teaches private music lessons and plays music for his church, Cornerstone Community Church. He is the founder of Acorn Performing Arts.

Boje has three associate degrees, including two in general studies and one in worship and music. His degrees were from Johnson County Community College and Kansas City College and Bible School, now called Kansas Christian College, in Overland Park. He studied music at the college level but did not complete his bachelor’s degree.

Besides his church membership, he is a member of Kansas Abortion Is Murder and Abolish Abortion Kansas.

Boje said the abortion issue is the main reason he ran, and he has been studying other issues that may come before the Legislature. He said he wants to see the government “doing its main job under what God has given it to do,” which is “to protect people and their personal property.” He also said people should be encouraged to be accountable in their actions.

See more information about Boje at bojeforkansashouse.mystrikingly.com.

Mike Thompson, 71, said he has lived a life of service, and now that he is retired, he would like to be of service to democracy.

That is one of the reasons he is running for office, he said.

Thompson served as an Army chaplain, and before that in the U.S. Navy as a SEAL. He retired as a lieutenant colonel.

“As a chaplain I’ve buried soldiers who have died for our freedom, and I do not take that lightly,” he said. “Instead of complaining, I always learned you get in and serve and work to make things better.”

Another reason he is running is that it’s time for a new voice in Wyandotte County, he said.

“What I can bring to the table is the new voice,” he said. His background demonstrates his integrity, honesty, commitment and loyalty, he said.

It also demonstrates the ability to relate to people of all diverse areas of life, being open-minded and listening to them, he said.

“Ninety percent of what I did in the hospital in the military was counseling, and I learned to listen and be open to both sides, and listen to what’s going on behind the presenting issues,” Thompson said.

As he goes door-to-door in the district, he hears people say they’re ready for a change, he said. The economy plays a role in that.

“If our community prospers, our citizens will prosper, and right now they’re struggling,” he said.

Thompson, who is not the meteorologist by the same name who serves currently in the Kansas Senate, is a retired military officer. He spent 22.5 years with the military, first in the Navy in the 1970s, where he served with the SEAL team, and later, returned to active duty with the Army as a chaplain at age 43.

He served as a command chaplain for the 82nd Airborne, and had different assignments through the years, retiring as garrison chaplain at Fort Leavenworth.

Between his Navy and Army service, he was a chaplain at several hospitals, doing a lot of grief counseling.

Thompson currently serves in his second term on the Bonner Springs City Council. One of his roles is liaison between Bonner Springs city and the Bonner Springs-Edwardsville area church ministers. He also volunteered at Vaughn-Trent Community Services and served as Tiblow Days car show chairman in 2012 and 2013.

Thompson has done undergraduate work at Pittsburg State University, then finished his degree at Dallas Baptist University. He has a Master of Divinity degree from Southwest Theological Seminary, Ft. Worth, Texas, and did internships at two hospitals.

Thompson currently teaches Sunday School at his church. He belongs to the VFW, American Legion and the UDT / SEAL Association. UDT stands for underwater demolition team, including Navy teams who dived in to help astronauts in space capsule recovery.

According to his campaign information, he also is a former Lenexa police officer and a former business owner of a welding shop in Oklahoma.

His campaign information also says he is in favor of growing jobs and wages, cutting wasteful spending, keeping neighborhoods safe, improving public safety, more funding for schools, more say for parents in education, putting families first, protecting constitutional rights and protecting the unborn.

He has endorsements from the Kansas Chamber of Commerce and Kansans for Life.

Campaign finance reports filed this week at the Kansas Governmental Ethics Commission stated that Thompson’s campaign had cash available of $25,062, raising $13,927.17 during the reporting period, expending $4,861.53 and having $20,200.47 cash on hand at the close of the period.

Boje’s campaign filed a statement that said he intended to receive or expend less than $1,000.

See more about Thompson’s campaign at https://thompsonforkansashouse.com/.

Voting details

Early voting in person is currently taking place in Wyandotte County.

Voting on Election Day, Aug. 2, is open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at assigned polling places.

For more information about voting, see https://wyandotteonline.com/early-voting-in-person-starts-saturday/.

Visit the Wyandotte County Election Office website at wycovotes.org or call 913-573-8500 for more details on times and places to vote.

To see an updated map of Kansas House seat boundaries in Wyandotte County, and determine what district you are in, visit https://www.wycokck.org/files/assets/public/election-office/kshouseofrep24x36clip.pdf. Some boundaries recently changed.

Registered voters also can learn their district number and see what will be on their ballot at Voter View, https://myvoteinfo.voteks.org/VoterView.

To see a story about the Democratic candidates for the 33rd District, visit https://wyandotteonline.com/33rd-district-attracts-three-democratic-candidates/.

To reach Mary Rupert, editor, email [email protected].

33rd District attracts three Democratic candidates

With Rep. Tom Burroughs not running for re-election to the 33rd District, Kansas House, the primary has attracted five candidates, including three Democrats.

Burroughs served in the Legislature for 26 years, including a role as minority leader in 2015.

Three Democrats and two Republicans now are running for their party’s nominations in the Aug. 2 primary.

Taylor R. Dean, Bill Hutton and Mathew Reinhold are running for the Democratic nomination.

Clifton Boje and Mike Thompson are running for the Republican nomination.

Early voting starts Saturday in person in Wyandotte County. For details on early voting, see https://wyandotteonline.com/early-voting-in-person-starts-saturday/.

Taylor Dean is a Turner resident and union laborer who supports a minimum wage of $15 an hour, improved working conditions, legalizing cannabis and expanding Medicaid, he said.

“You hardly ever hear of too many politicians at the national or state level who really care about appealing to workers and prioritizing the policies advocated by the labor movement, and I wanted to bring those ideas into the public discourse,” Dean said.

Dean, 28, is a community activist and member of the Wyandotte County Young Democrats. From Junction City, Kansas, he has a degree from Kansas State University. His bachelor’s degree is in history with a minor in political science.

He moved to the Kansas City area in 2018 to work on the Proposition A campaign in Missouri, and he said he discovered that Wyandotte County was the place in the metropolitan area that most appealed to him. He said he had been involved with campaigns before, but never realized the amount of work that takes place.

Dean originally filed for the 37th District this spring, but redistricting lines later were drawn that placed him in the 33rd District. His home was one block away from the new redistricting line. He then decided to refile for the 33rd District after hearing that Rep. Burroughs would retire.

Dean is an eight-year member of Laborers Local 1290, and in his free time he likes to volunteer at KC Farm School on Gibbs Road and also is active in his union.

Another issue Dean would like to work on is local control, to get more home rule authority for local communities in the state, he said.

For more information, see https://www.taylordeanforkansas.com/.

Bill Hutton, Kansas City, Kansas, is an attorney who has served as the municipal court judge for Bonner Springs since 2003. He also served as municipal court judge in Kansas City, Kansas, from 1996 to 1999, and as a hearing officer for the Kansas City, Kansas, Housing Authority since 2018.

Hutton, 67, attended Washington High School and has degrees from Kansas City Kansas Community College and the University of Kansas, where he received a bachelor’s degree and law degree.

Hutton cited Burroughs’ retirement as a reason for running. “I felt my community-wide experience and interest and involvement would be an asset to the state legislature,” he stated in a questionnaire for the Wyandotte Daily.

Hutton’s three top issues are Medicaid expansion, a push for a statewide vote on the Medicaid issue in 2023; elimination of the sales tax on food, fast-tracked to eliminate it as early as 2023; and full funding of the public schools, supporting legislation to encompass special education, school safety and technology in the upcoming session.

If elected, Hutton stated he would seek to forge alliances across the aisle in the Legislature, working with Democrats and Republicans alike on common goals.

Hutton is active in the Wyandotte County Historical Society, Downtown Shareholders of KCK, Wyandotte County YMCA Advisory Board, Union Station volunteer, SMID Board and Wyandotte County Bar Association.

Hutton has been endorsed by the Kansas National Education Association, the Tri-County Labor Council, Firefighters Local 64, the Greater Kansas City Building and Trades Council, the Kansas Contractors Association and KC BizPAC.

Hutton previously ran for the state Senate in 2016, in a district that was 60 percent Leavenworth County and 40 percent Wyandotte County, losing in the general election by less than 1 percent of the vote.

For more information, see https://www.facebook.com/BillHutton33rd.

Mathew Reinhold said he is running on a working class platform of utility reform, trying to end the state ban on rent control for local municipalities, and end the state ban on local wage reform. He is in favor of a $15 minimum wage. He also favors rebuilding the local ad valorem tax relief fund to get tax relief to people.

He said he has seen friends and coworkers working multiple jobs but not able to keep their heads above the water. The Legislature needs to focus more on bread-and-butter issues, he said.

Reinhold, 24, is seeking office for the first time. His current occupation is cook. He said he decided to run just in the past six months, when it seemed like times were harder and politicians were out of touch with that reality.

He was raised in the Leavenworth area and spent the last three years of high school at Lansing High School, he said. He studied linguistics at the University of Kansas, where he finished coursework but has not yet received his degree, he said.

Reinhold said if elected, he wants to be a very visible member of the community, attending events and local meetings, and be accessible.

He said he wanted to hold town hall meetings and take the input back to Topeka. He added he would like to actively fight for his platform in the Legislature.

For more information, see https://mathewreinhold2022.wixsite.com/website.

A story about the Republican candidates for the 33rd District is planned next week. Thompson is a Bonner Springs councilman, and is not the former weatherman by the same name who is serving in the Senate. Boje is the founder of Acorn Performing Arts.

To contact Mary Rupert, editor, email [email protected].