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Faith news

To send in items for the Faith News, email information to [email protected] or [email protected]. Please include your name and contact information. In the event of inclement weather, contact the sponsoring organization to see if the event is still being held.

The Cathedral of St. Peter, 416 N. 14th St., Kansas City, Kan., will serve as the host church for penance services during Lent for Catholic churches in Wyandotte County. The penance services may be held in conjunction with a Holy Door observance. The penance services will be at 10 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 27; 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 8; and 7 p.m. Tuesday, March 22.

First Christian Church of Bonner Springs, 148 N. Nettleton Ave., will be the host of Bread and Broth during the Lenten season. Lent is a time of reflection between Ash Wednesday and Easter. Bread and Broth is a simple meal of fellowship at 6 p.m. on Wednesday nights with a short service at 6:30 p.m. led by the pastor, Randy Beeman. The fellowship will help persons reflect on the importance of Jesus’ life, ministry, and his resurrection on Easter. This remaining dates for Bread and Broth are Feb. 24, March 2, 9 , 16 and 23.

The Greater Kansas City 55th annual Mayor’s Prayer Breakfast will be held at 7:30 a.m. Tuesday, March 1, in the grand ballroom of the downtown Kansas City, Mo., Convention Center. The nonprofit beneficiary will be St. James Place operated by the Bishop Sullivan Center. The event speaker will be Mindy Corporon, leader of the “Faith Always Wins Fund” – speaking in memory of her son, Reat, and her father, Dr. Willliam Corporon, who were killed in 2014. More than 30 area mayors are expected to participate in the breakfast. Tickets are $50 each. For information, visit http://kccmpb.org/ or call 816-863-0992.

Judson Baptist Church, 8300 State Ave., will have an interim pastor preaching at Sunday services through March 13. The 8:30 a.m. service will be suspended during this time. Sunday School will be at 9:45 a.m. and the regular Sunday service will be 11 a.m.

The Keeler Women’s Center, 2220 Central Ave., Kansas City, Kan., is planning a Scripture Group and Bible Study from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. Wednesdays. Bible sharing, reflection, lectio and journaling, will be led by Heather Neds, pastoral minister. Those interested in attending may call 913-906-8990 or register online at www.keelerwomenscenter.org.

Open Door Baptist Church, 3033 N. 103rd Terrace, is planning a Sweetheart Banquet at 6 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 20, at Wyandotte County Park, Bonner Springs, 126th and State Avenue. The cost will be $30 per couple. The registration deadline is Feb. 14. The theme of the event will be “Old Hollywood.”

Risen Lamb International Church of the Nazarene, located in the Turner area of Kansas City, Kan., has announced the opening of the Risen Lamb Prayer Room and Retreat Center. On location at their church at 5301 Metropolitan Avenue, the prayer room and retreat center is open to the public for daytime retreats. All individuals or small groups seeking a quiet, sacred space to gather, pray, meditate, journal or read resources about prayer are welcome. The prayer room provides a peaceful space for solitude or can be scheduled in advance for groups of up to eight people. Guests seeking spiritual guidance may schedule a time of spiritual direction with one of the pastoral staff, and groups may inquire about scheduling a member of the pastoral team to lead or speak at a retreat. Donations accepted but not required. For more information, or to plan a visit, contact the Rev. Philip Friday at [email protected] or call 913-287-9418.

A Lenten Day of Reflection is scheduled from 7:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. Feb. 27 at Sanctuary of Hope Retreat Center, 2601 Ridge Ave., Kansas City, Kan. There is a cost of $30 per person to attend, with a registration deadline of Feb. 22. For information, call 913-321-4673.

St. Anthony Catholic Church basement, 615 N. 7th St., Kansas City, Kan., will be the site of a Sweetheart Dance from 6 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 20. The German-American Edelweiss Society is the sponsor. The cost of the dance is $20 per person; $10 for age 6-11; and free for age 5 and younger. Admission includes dinner, drink and dance.

St. Patrick Catholic Church, 1086 N. 94th, Kansas City, Kan., is holding fish dinners from 4:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Fridays during Lent in the parish center. The church is planning a Lenten mission at 6:30 p.m. March 6, 7 and 8.

The vestry, the official governing organization at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 1300 N. 18th St., Kansas City, Kan., will meet at 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 25. The parish will hold the Stations of the Cross at 6:30 p.m. Fridays during Lent; a soup supper will follow. The third Sunday in Lent will be observed Feb. 28; a study session will be held at 9 a.m.; the service in English will be at 10 a.m. and in Spanish at 7 p.m.

Wyandotte United Methodist Church is planning a joint worship service with Resurrection Life Church at Resurrection Life, 6650 Leavenworth Road, at 6 p.m. Feb. 27. There will be a covered dish meal. Wyandotte United Methodist Church is holding a Community Blood Center blood drive from 2:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 1, at the Wyandotte church fellowship hall, 7901 Oakland Ave., Kansas City, Kan. For more information or to schedule an appointment, call 816-753-4040 or visit www.savealifenow.org.

Saturday events

Democrats to meet Saturday
The Wyandotte County Third Saturday Democratic Breakfast will meet Saturday, Feb. 20, at The Dotte Spot Bar and Grill, 8123 Parallel Parkway, Kansas City, Kan. The speaker will be State Rep. Kathy Wolfe Moore, D-36th Dist., chair of the Wyandotte County legislative delegation. Also speaking will be representatives of the Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders presidential campaigns. The breakfast buffet will be available at 8:15 a.m. and the program will begin at 9:15 a.m. All Democrats are invited to attend. The cost of the breakfast is $10; or $6 for students and those on limited incomes. Those attending are not required to purchase breakfast. Reservations are important for those planning to attend, especially for those purchasing a breakfast, but are not mandatory to attend. To make a reservation, email [email protected].

Bank to offer free tax classes
Enterprise Bank and Trust is offering free tax classes to help small business owners prepare their 2016 returns at the bank’s full service bilingual location at the Prescott Plaza, 151 S. 18th St., Kansas City, Kan. The sessions are offered on four Saturdays, beginning Feb. 20, and will feature an Enterprise Bank and Trust financial adviser and a local tax professionals. The informational sessions will be in both English and Spanish. Presentations will begin at 9:30 a.m. Saturday in the branch lobby, followed by a brief question-and-answer period. The other sessions are at 9:30 a.m. on March 12, March 19 and April 2. For more information, call 913-693-2790.

Learn how marbles are made
A marble-making demonstration is scheduled from about 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 20, at Moon Marble Co. store, 600 E. Front St., Bonner Springs. Demonstrations begin around 10 a.m. or 10:30 a.m. and end at about 3 p.m., provided a glass artist is available. For more information, see www.moonmarble.com/.

Winter nature hike planned
A Boy Scout Bear Adventure winter nature hike is planned from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Feb. 20 at the Mr. and Mrs. F.L. Schlagle Library at Wyandotte County Lake Park. The hike will cover requirements for the Bear program, including looking for animal signs, observing birds, talking about plants and planting some herbs. Registration is necessary in advance to 913-299-2384 or online at www.kckpl.org/schlagle.

Storytime planned at library
A family storytime is planned from 10:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. Feb. 20 at the Main Kansas City, Kan., Public Library, 625 Minnesota Ave., Kansas City, Kan. Children of all ages may attend to hear stories and rhymes and sing songs. For information, call 913-279-2128.

KCKCC women to play Brown Mackie
The KCKCC Lady Blue Devils basketball team will play at 2 p.m. Saturday at home against Brown Mackie.

Poetry event planned Feb. 20
A poetry event is planned from 2:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 20, at the Main Kansas City, Kan., Public Library, 625 Minnesota Ave., Kansas City, Kan. The event is in conjunction with Black History Month. The presenter and poetry reader will be Sherri Hall, an area gospel poet.

KCKCC men to play Brown Mackie
The KCKCC Blue Devil men will play Brown Mackie at 4 p.m. Saturday in a basketball home game.

Sweetheart dance planned
St. Anthony Catholic Church basement, 615 N. 7th St., Kansas City, Kan., will be the site of a Sweetheart Dance from 6 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 20. The German-American Edelweiss Society is the sponsor. The cost of the dance is $20 per person; $10 for age 6-11; and free for age 5 and younger. Admission includes dinner, drink and dance.

Live music offered
Live music by the Late for Dinner Band is planned at 7 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 20, at Jazz: A Louisiana Kitchen, at 1859 Village West Parkway at The Legends Outlets, at I-435 and I-70 in Kansas City, Kan.

Send information about events happening in Wyandotte County or involving Wyandotte County people to [email protected]. Be sure to include your contact information.

Some legislators not in favor of using STAR bonds for American Royal to move to near 126th and State

UG hoping legislative dislike for American Royal STAR bond project doesn’t affect current projects underway at 98th and Parallel

by Mary Rupert

A preliminary plan to use sales tax revenue (STAR) bonds on moving the American Royal from the Kemper Arena area in the Kansas City, Mo., bottoms to an area near 126th and State Avenue in Wyandotte County met with some opposition in the Kansas Legislature today.

Mike Taylor, Unified Government lobbyist, said some legislators opposed the idea of the American Royal project using STAR bonds today because they believed the money from future sales taxes that will expire at The Legends Outlets should go back to the state’s general fund.

About $42 million is expected to become available to the state in sales taxes when the Legends Outlets STAR bonds are paid off within the next year.

The proposed American Royal site is not yet firm, according to Taylor. Under discussion but without an agreement yet, is a site near Wyandotte County Park, Bonner Springs, at 126th and State, and also near the National Agricultural Hall of Fame, the former Sandstone Amphitheater (now called Providence Medical Center Amphitheater), the Wyandotte County Museum and the Renaissance Festival site.

A proposed amendment today was worded in a way that it might delay any future use of STAR bonds, according to Taylor, and the UG is currently studying it to see if it would have any effect on auto dealerships and the U.S. Soccer complex being built with STAR bonds near 98th and Parallel Parkway.

That project is separate from any proposal for the American Royal. The dealerships and U.S. Soccer training complex are currently under construction, and use STAR bonds previously approved for the Schlitterbahn complex, according to Taylor.

Taylor said he didn’t think the car dealership and U.S. Soccer projects would be affected, but the UG is reviewing the language of the amendment to see what would be affected.

“No one denies that Village West and the Legends area was hugely successful,” Taylor said. “Wyandotte County per se is not being targeted.”

Instead, some legislators are focused on the amount of money that the state might be giving up if it approves the STAR bond project, he added.

“They’re in such desperate income situation because they cut income taxes so deeply, they want every dime they can find,” he said. Some legislators don’t want government to divert the funding to another project, they’d rather have it in the treasury to fill the budget hole, he added.

Schlitterbahn’s STAR bonds were approved at least eight years ago, and were not issued until just recently, according to Taylor. Schlitterbahn had planned a large retail development, but when the economy tanked in 2008, Schlitterbahn decided to scale back its plans, adding development a little bit at a time and privately financing it, he added.

Current laws do not require legislative approval of STAR bond projects, but the Legislature now is taking an interest in the STAR bond projects, Taylor said.

The American Royal project became public this morning when a legislative committee weighed in on a Department of Commerce financing proposal. Previously, it was kept under wraps by the state government. Details of the plan were contained in a story from the Associated Press that said the project included a 5,000-seat hockey arena, children’s museum, hotel, stores and restaurants. The American Royal is a horse and livestock show, with a rodeo, that traces its history to 1899.

Taylor said it wasn’t a Unified Government idea, but the UG has been listening to the proposal and working with the state government and American Royal on it.

“It wasn’t our idea, not something we proposed, but we agreed to sit down and have discussions with the state and American Royal officials about how it would work,” he said. Those discussions are still going on, he added. The UG has not committed yet to do anything or to make the deal happen, he said.

He added that the UG does not want to use its portion of the local sales taxes that would come off the Legends Outlets for the American Royal project, but wants that local portion to go back to the community projects and uses that are currently under discussion by Mayor Mark Holland in his series of town hall meetings with the public.

That $12 million to $13 million in local sales tax revenues will not be considered for this project, Taylor said. “That money has to come back to the citizens of Wyandotte County as their pay off for the project they’ve done out there,” Taylor said.

But the state is a different question, he added, and it could do the project without the UG STAR bond local sales taxes, he added.

The American Royal project would have to go through some sort of local agreement or resolution at some point to move forward, and it is not at that point yet, he added.

One Wyandotte County legislator, who requested to remain nameless, was for the American Royal project in general and thought it would be a good addition to the county.

Calls to other sources, including the Department of Commerce and other legislators, were not returned in time for this story.