in-land-we-trust

In Land We Trust: The Platte Land Trust’s Founders May Be Intent On Curating The Area’s Coveted Expanses, But It’s About More Than Just Tree-Hugging.

Article Alicia McGarry | Photography Christine May of Click Photography As a boy growing up in Suburban Chicago, Bill Quitmeier spent much of his time exploring Cook County’s vast forest preserves, and remembers well how the natural expanse seemed to stretch infinitely before him. “I could go down Salt Creek and just wander for miles–I …

View full post
peddlers-wagon

Peddler’s Wagon: Where The Art of Quilting Is Still Thriving

Article Elizabeth Rosenberger | Photography Christine May of Click Photography “Over The River and through the woods to grandmother’s house we go” may be a forgotten tune in today’s generation, but at Peddler’s Wagon, the same artisan ambiance is thriving. Located in the historic riverfront community of Parkville, surrounded by bluffs and wooded vistas and …

View full post
on-with-the-show

On With The Show: How the Community Saved the Northland’s Coolest Theater

Article Alexandra Bush Photography Christina Sandberg In nearly a century of existence, the theater at 408 Armour rd. in North Kansas City has seen its share of name-changes, hand-changes and conversions. Its doors have opened and closed and opened again, and were threatened once more this year. Armour Theater began as a silent movie house in …

View full post
downstream-parkville

It’s All Downstream From Here: Parkville grows from deep roots planted on the banks of the Missouri River

Article Matt Smithmier | Photos Christine May & Courtesy City of Parkville As a town grows up, it often wrestles with its own identity. Do I want to hold on to my quaint and old-fashioned atmosphere? Do I want to expand and grow? Do I have anything to offer new residents? Parkville is working on …

View full post
tom-stein

A Master of Creativity and Illusion

Article Katherine Bontrager | Photography Christina Sandberg & Supplied Tom Stein is adept at magic—both the slight-of-hand and illusion variety. One he uses to wow customers at The Drop in Martini Corner; the other he uses to transform wood to creatively “hide utility in elegance.” Stein is a true Renaissance man, one whose story is …

View full post
underwater-and-back-in-time-belize

Underwater and Back in Time | Belize and Guatemala offer rich educational opportunities for kids and parents alike

Article Rachel C. Murphy | Photography Aaron Leimkuehler All parents struggle with vacation planning. How do you balance fun and learning opportunities? And even more than that, how do you make it fun for yourself as well? Luckily, there’s a world of opportunities for learning without ever sitting the kids in a classroom or cracking …

View full post
defining-success

Defining Success On And Off The Court: Coach Leads Team To Record Year

Article Lisa Allen Photos Provided by St. Pius X High School Winning seasons seem to boil down to numbers. Wins versus losses, points scored and awards won can all be counted, and when all is said and done, it’s the bottom line that gets recorded, celebrated and memorialized. Unless you’re Chad Wright, Head Men’s Basketball …

View full post
kates-kitchen

Kate’s Kitchen: Heaping Helpings of Hospitality

Local breakfast joint serves up smiles and eggs with equal aplomb Article Rachel C. Murphy | Photography Christine May of Click Photography If there’s a flurry of activity at 8002 north Oak Trafficway between 6:30 a.m. and 2 p.m., it’s justified. The constant stream of cars in and out of the parking lot is a …

View full post
the-andersons-are-welcomed

The Andersons Are Welcomed Home: “716” Doesn’t Look A Day Over 100: The Andersons Revamp Century-Old Liberty Home

Article Cristin Walters | Photography Christina Sandberg While 716 W. Liberty Drive may be well-hidden from passers-by, the home nestled on the hill couldn’t hide its charm and potential from the Anderson family. Steve and Becki, their two daughters, Anabelle, 6, and Vivienne, 4, and the newest addition, a puppy named Mavis, call this century-old …

View full post
In Land We Trust: The Platte Land Trust’s Founders May Be Intent On Curating The Area’s Coveted Expanses, But It’s About More Than Just Tree-Hugging.Peddler’s Wagon: Where The Art of Quilting Is Still ThrivingOn With The Show: How the Community Saved the Northland’s Coolest TheaterIt’s All Downstream From Here: Parkville grows from deep roots planted on the banks of the Missouri RiverA Master of Creativity and IllusionUnderwater and Back in Time | Belize and Guatemala offer rich educational opportunities for kids and parents alikeDefining Success On And Off The Court: Coach Leads Team To Record YearKate’s Kitchen: Heaping Helpings of HospitalityThe Andersons Are Welcomed Home: “716” Doesn’t Look A Day Over 100: The Andersons Revamp Century-Old Liberty Home

Origins Montessori Offers Summer Camp

Is your child ready to explore this summer? We invite your child to experience a summer like no other! Your child can be one of a select group of summer “campers” at Origins Montessori Academy for a Summer to Remember. The program features a small, multi-aged group, hands-on arts and crafts, science experiments, math challenges and a flowing daily schedule.

Each week will contain a variety of activi- ties that are sure to stimulate your child and enhance their creativity. Each day’s schedule will include indoor activities, practical life skills, dedicated reading opportunities, relaxing time and much more. For information about registration, visit OriginsMontessori.com.

New Investment Policy for Platte County

Platte County Treasurer Rob Willard an- nounced a new comprehensive investment policy for the county effective April 1. Missouri law gives the County Treasurer authority to invest county money “not needed for current operations.” The policy’s objectives are safety, liquidity, yield and local investment. The Commission acknowledged the policy and entered it into the record at their meeting on April 1st.

“Platte County will strive to increase county funds in local banks and in local investments,” Treasurer Willard says, making Platte County’s economic development an investment priority for the first time. “I’m confident that local banks like the Bank of Weston, Platte Valley Bank or UMB will do a better job of keeping tax dollars invested in Platte County than J.P. Morgan or Goldman Sachs.”

The new policy is much more detailed than the previous investment policy and prohibits transactions with financial institutions that received funds as part of the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) under the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008.

“The cornerstone of this investment policy is safety and investing in institutions that minimize credit risk,” Willard says. “I can’t put the citizens’ money in jeopardy in banks that took extreme risks.”

Park Hill Students Score Perfectly

Congratulations to Park Hill South High School juniors Joe Philpot and Emerson Lee, who earned perfect scores on their college entrance exams this year. Philpot scored a perfect 36 on his ACT, making him one of only 781 of the more than 1.66 million students to earn a perfect composite score. Lee scored a perfect 2400 on his SAT. Approximately 1,000,000 students take the SAT each year and on average, only 20 of them get a perfect score.

Hot Spot pools & Spas announces BBQ Expansion

Hot Spot Pools & Spas in Liberty has been Kansas City’s premier dealer and service center of Jacuzzi hot tubs and the area’s foremost Big Green Egg dealer since 2008. They are now expanding to become the one stop source for everything you need to transform your backyard into an outdoor oasis. The Northland’s largest showroom selection of grills, smokers, BBQ accessories, spices and rubs, sauces and all things BBQ related will be at Hot Spot Pools & Spas and fly under the banner of The Kansas City BBQ Source. They are now proud to announce the addition of the world’s top brand names in quality grills and smokers including Weber, The Good One, Traeger pellet cookers, and Fornetto Pizza Ovens.

The expansion includes the area’s largest permanent classroom kitchen dedicated exclusively to spreading the joy of grilling, smoking, and cooking delicious meals. From Pool School to Competition

BBQ Secrets, they will offer the most extensive calendar of classes available in the metropolitan area, making you an expert at outdoor entertaining. Hot Spot Pools & Spas and The Kansas City BBQ Source is located at 2101 Kara Ct., Liberty, Mo., 64068. Contact them at 816.781.8884 or go to LibertyHotTub.com

Local Student Advances in Geography Bee

The National Geographic Society has announced that Anna Merkel, an 8th grader at Antioch Middle School in the North Kansas City School District, is a semifinalist for the 2013 Missouri Geographic Bee, sponsored by National Geographic Society, Google and Plum Creek. Merkel is the daughter of Dean and Karen Merkel of Gladstone.

Students in grades 4-8 first begin participation in the competition at their home school to determine each school’s Bee winner. School winners then take a qualifying test, which they submit to the National Geographic Society. Tests are scored, and the top 100 scoring students in each state become semifinalists, eligible to compete for state honors.

Merkel competed in the 2013 Missouri Geographic Bee on April 5 at the Moberly Area Community College in Moberly.

National Geographic Channel and Nat Geo Wild will air the final round of the 2013 National Geographic Bee, moderated by Alex Trebek, on May 23.

To learn more about the National Geographic Bee and the up- coming national competition, visit their website at NationalGeographic.com/GeoBee.

Budget Blinds Move Into Larger Space at Briarcliff Village

Budget Blinds of the Northland and Kansas City has moved, but the “Two Blind Girls” haven’t wandered far. Still located in Briarcliff Village, now at 4149 N. Mulberry Drive, across from Latte Land, their new larger showroom lets you feel, operate and visualize how the window covering will look in your home. Explore their wide choice of fabric options for your drapery needs. Set your free in-home consultation where you can match style and colors in the comfort of your home. Don’t be blind when shopping for blinds, let Budget Blinds of the Northland and Kansas City open your eyes to all the possibilities. For more information, call 816.505.5515 or go to BudgetBlinds.com/Northland 

MCC-Maple Woods Awarded $2,000

MCC-Maple Woods has received $2,000 in funding support from the Public Education for Peacebuilding Support initiative of the United States Institute of Peace (USIP). The support enabled MCC-Maple Woods to host a conference on April 26 around issues of post-conflict resolution in Rwanda following the 1994 genocide.

“USIP is pleased to support organizations like MCC-Maple Woods and their contribution to the national conversation around international conflict–and methods for resolving those conflicts nonviolently,” says USIP President Jim Marshall.

Two Recovery Groups Continue At Tri-County

Northlanders who struggle with mental health and substance abuse problems are invited to join one of two groups meeting at Tri-County Mental Health Services. Both are free, five-week programs that can be joined at any time. “Team Recovery” meets Mondays at 10 a.m. It is designed to help make progress toward recovery from both mental illness and substance abuse. The group will use discussion, interaction and education.

“Recovery Connection” meets Fridays at 2 p.m. It is designed  to answer questions about how to improve one’s functioning, learn about the latest research on brain chemistry, develop symptom management skills, and learn how substance use interferes with good mental health. Both meetings are held in Room 1140 at Tri-County Mental Health Services, 3100 NE 83rd Street, Kansas City. Participation is limited and anyone interested is asked to call Ginny Lessenden, therapist with Tri-County’s Integrated Treatment for Co-occurring Disorders program at 816.877.041

Andrew J. Somora Foundation Golf Tournament Raises More Than $25,000

More than 140 golfers turned out at Tiffany Greens Golf Course on a beautiful Friday afternoon to have a great time and raise money for an even better cause. The Andrew J. Somora Foundation, which helps families cope with the burdens of a colon cancer diagnosis, was able to raise over $25,000 in their first year. The event included a golf tournament and lunch sponsored by H&R Block, Shook, Hardy & Bacon LLP, Stinson Morrison Hecker LLP, Husch Blackwell LLP, Ferns, Matile, Perryman & Moore, M.D., P.C., Personal Financial Group, and Polsinelli Shughart PC. Additionally, Personal Financial Group and H&R Block generously provided the t-shirts and visors provided to each golfer.

Marriott Courtyard Briarcliff Opening September 8

If Briarcliff Village is your perfect destination, all that’s missing is a place to stay the night. Starting September 8, visitors can turn their destination into a “staycation,” with the opening of the Marriott Courtyard at Briarcliff. This modern, state-of-the-art hotel boasts an upscale Courtyard design, premium banquet space, and a unique location between Downtown and the airport. According to sales manager Audrey Vollbracht, it’s already filling up with reservations and conventions for the fall. “We’re really excited that Mary Kay has chosen us for their national convention in October,” Vollbracht says. “We’ll have about 250- 300 women, and we plan to shuttle them up to Briarcliff shops and restaurants so they can enjoy the full experience.” That’s just the beginning, Vollbracht says. She’s been working with The National Golf Club, a popular spot for weddings, to provide accommodations for out-of-town guests. Corporate travelers doing business downtown are taking advantage of a new, convenient option that means less driving, both to work and to the airport. In addition to an amazing location, the Marriott Courtyard at Briarcliff boasts a fresh, updated look that Marriott is implementing in its high-traffic properties across the country. An open lounge mixes workspace with entertainment space, and the decor is eye-catching blues and reds. And best of all, everything is green–as in the first LEED certified hotel in all of Kansas City. “From more green areas to better energy efficiency…even plug-ins for electric cars…this hotel is definitely looking to the future,” Vollbracht says. To watch their progress in pictures and stay in the loop about upcoming events, connect with the hotel on Facebook: Facebook.com/ CourtyardByMarriottKansasCityAtBriarcliff.

Older posts «

» Newer posts