Blue Springs Journal Archives

Jags' Big 7 streak snapped

2008-03-29T20:49:00.000-05:00

By Jake Singleton
The Journal Staff

For three seasons, the Blue Springs South boys tennis team hadn't lost a Suburban Big Seven conference match.
But on Tuesday, when the Jaguars traveled to North Kansas City to face the Hornets, the conference-winning streak was ended as they lost 5-4.
South won the first three singles matches with No. 1 single Zach Kaltenbach, No. 2 single Caleb Jeff and No. 3 single Steve Bodenheimer picking up wins.
The Jaguars, who opened up the season with a 5-4 home win over conference opponent Liberty, dropped to 1-1 overall and 1-1 in conference.

Wildcats fall to Oak Park

2008-03-29T20:47:00.002-05:00

After edging out Park Hill South 5-4 on Monday, the Blue Springs boys tennis team suffered an 8-1 Suburban Big Seven loss to Oak Park and fell to 2-1 overall and 0-1 conference.Chase Gilgour and John Stigall picked up the Wildcats' lone win against the Blue Jays. Ryan Paxton won at No. 1 singles against Park Hill South and Stigall won at No. 6 singles. Gilgour and Stigall combined for a win at No. 2 doubles, as Christian Andrick and Corey O'Neil won at No. 3 doubles.

Frosty Greens

2008-03-29T20:47:00.000-05:00

By Jake Singleton
The Journal Staff

Blue Springs South boys golf head coach Mike McGown didn't have many words of comfort for his team to help them endure the cold temperatures and winds on Monday.
"It was miserable out there," said McGown as the Klint Andrew Invitational was post-poned 30 minutes to allow the greens at Fred Arbansas Golf Course to defrost. "I just tried to tell them not to let the weather upset them and let them know that everyone was in the same boat."
And with warm thoughts in their minds, the Jaguars finished fifth (333) in the 20-team tournament. Ty Thorp and John Sievers led South with rounds of 82, while Cody House shot an 84. Tyler Brown finished with an 85, and Drew Morrison shot a round of 87.
Blue Springs boys golf head coach Tom Round also wondered how his team would fare in the cold and windy climate.
"I think everyone was a little uncertain as to how their team would play due to the terrible spring we have had and then the very difficult conditions on Monday," Round said.
But Round's uncertainty did a quick turn-around as the Wildcats had three medallists and finished second in a scorecard playoff to Park Hill South as both teams shot a 323.
"I was pleased with the fact that we had four scores kind of clustered together around the top 10 to 15," Round said. "Anytime you do that, you have a chance to finish well team-wise."
Blue Springs' Ryan Clark finished in a three-way tie for third with a round of 79, Ben Hoog finished tied for sixth with a round of 80 and John Nance finished in a three-way tie for 10th with a round of 81.
"Ryan (Clark) played very well," Round said. "He ended up making a birdie on 18, which was a very difficult hole back into the wind."
Kyle Yancik and Tyler Hammontree rounded out Blue Springs' scoring with round of 83 and 93, respectively.
Blue Springs defeated Park Hill 151-166 on Tuesday. Yanick was the medalist with a round of 35 in the nine-hole dual at Blue Springs Country Club.

Fireballer

2008-03-29T20:46:00.001-05:00

By Jake Singleton
The Journal Staff

As the weather got colder, Blue Springs South senior pitcher Kellen Bartlett got hotter.
With temperatures below 30 and a 15 mph eastern wind blowing over Legacy Park on Wednesday as the Jaguars faced Lee's Summit, South's senior fireballer brought the heat in the 11-0 win over the Tigers.
Bartlett struck out 14, hit one batter, walked another and gave up one hit in six innings of work to record the win and move South to a 4-0 start.
But Bartlett wasn't just hot on the mound.
After three scoreless innings, Bartlett fired up the Jaguar's offense in the top of the fourth inning as his RBI double scored South's Jeff Lusardi, who singled then advanced to second on a Tiger error, to give the Jaguars a 1-0 lead.
And while one run would have done it, South added more.
The Jaguars went up 3-0 in the fifth off two walks and an RBI double by South's Ross Taylor. After Lee's Summit head coach James Mellody choice to intentionally walk Lusardi to put runners on first and second with one out, he replaced starting freshman pitcher Corbin Berkstresser with Nick Martin to face Bartlett.
Three straight wild pitches by Martin allowed Taylor to score, making it 4-0 and a fourth ball put Bartlett on, giving South runners on first and third with one out.
Mellody again made a pitching changing, going to Matt Norris. But Norris didn't fare any better.
After getting South's Robbie Payton to fly out for the second out of the inning, Martin gave up a two out, RBI single to South's Danny McMartrey that put the Jaguars up 5-0 after five.
While Bartlett continued to mow down the Tigers at the plate, the Jaguars offense continued to stay hot.
South tacked on three more runs off three hits and a walk to take an 8-0 lead in the sixth inning. South's Logan Moon led off the sixth with a triple, Austin Rodriguez drove Moon in with an RBI single and Bartlett and Payton added RBI singles.
In the top of the seventh, the Tigers turned to their fourth pitcher, Shaun Lauderback. But the results were the same.
Lauderback walked the first three batters he faced, gave up a single to Riley Reynolds, then walked in a run with a free pass to Taylor, making it 9-0. Lusardi's sacrifice fly made it 10-0 as Bartlett, who went 3-4 with three RBI, finished South's scoring with an RBI single.
On Monday, South defeated Lee's Summit West 14-3 after trailing the Titans 3-0 going into the bottom of the second. The Jaguars cranked out 13 hits against West, including six doubles and two home runs.
Wildcats walk-off with win over Tigers
The Blue Springs baseball team walked off with a 5-4, eight-inning win over Lee's Summit on Monday.
After failing behind the Tigers 4-0 in the top of the third, the Wildcats tied the game 4-4 with two runs in the fifth and sixth innings. And after a scoreless seventh, Blue Springs' Chris Guffey ended the game in the eighth inning with a walk-off home run.

Expand storage space with an outdoor shed

2008-03-29T20:46:00.000-05:00

By Alan J. Heavens
The Philadelphia Inquirer (MCT)

Where do you store your lawn mower, your gardening implements and other tools? If the answer is the garage or the basement, odds are your gear is hard to get to or tough to find when you need it.
An outdoor storage shed might be just the ticket - if you have the room.
Need to know: Whether your town has zoning rules about sheds. The information generally is available from municipal building departments. But even if there are no rules, consider your neighbors. Nothing creates ill will as quickly as a shed that blocks sunlight to the garden of the folks next door.
- Shabby isn't chic: If the shed looks shabby, it will make your yard look that way, too. If you're not willing to pay a bit more for quality, you might as well keep your equipment where it is. Typically, the difference between attractive and ugly is only a few hundred dollars. And remember, an outdoor shed is an investment in your property, like a kitchen or a powder room - you don't want to create a stumbling block to a quick and profitable sale in the future.
Sheds made of cedar siding are the most expensive, followed by those made of vinyl. Whichever you choose, the shed's design should complement the style of your house. If you live in a 1950s airlight rowhouse in Northeast Philadelphia, a Victorian-style shed will be more than jarring to the eye.
- Too cute: You don't want the shed to look too precious either - it's a utility structure, not a dollhouse. So skip the porch feature unless there's a critical need for a place where you and your lawn mower can get out of the sun.
What will it cost? Be ready to spend a minimum of $350 on a shed. Good quality and good looks can be yours for about $2,000.
- Material world: Some people consider metal sheds ugly, but one made of aluminum will hold up a long time. Steel tends to rust quickly, although some is coated to reduce, though not avoid, corrosion.
- Wood sheds - especially cedar - look better, so there are more of them available. They aren't fireproof, though, and are subject to mold and rot, so they need regular maintenance. Squirrels and other rodents can easily chew through wood, too. Cedar sheds should be recoated with a special sealer/preservative every other year to protect them from ultraviolet solar radiation.
Vinyl may not be everyone's cup of tea, but sheds made of it pretty much last forever and require little maintenance, except for an occasional power-washing to remove mildew in shaded locations. Unlike metal, vinyl doesn't dent or ding and seems to withstand extremes of weather, especially moisture, very well.
- Size matters: Make sure the shed you buy will accommodate your equipment. If you have a ride-on mower, you'll need to have an extra-large shed, so the machine can get in and out easily. If you have a regular-size mower, make sure what you store is organized carefully, so you can get everything else in and out. Consider shelves to hold pots and materials, hooks for rakes, shovels, etc., and a ramp and extra-wide doors.
- Firm foundation: Check with the manufacturer first, but sheds are typically placed on cinder blocks, concrete piers, a concrete slab, or crushed stone. Supports for the structure are usually made of pressure-treated wood.
- Room to grow: As you've learned with your garage and basement, there is never enough room - hence the need for a shed in the first place. But even a shed can be expanded with plastic add-ons costing a couple of hundred dollars. Check for them at the local home center.

(c) 2008, The Philadelphia Inquirer

Climbing roses add a unique vertical element

2008-03-29T20:45:00.001-05:00

By Norman Winter
McClatchy-Tribune News Service (MCT)

Climbing plants really add a vertical dimension to the landscape. Adding this new element to a garden causes a transformation that almost no other type of plant can accomplish.
Climbing roses are seeing an upswing in popularity for this very reason. One of my favorites is New Dawn, which certainly is not new. It originated from the variety Dr. W. Van Fleet in 1930, but New Dawn is a repeat bloomer. In a way, it seems new since many gardeners are just now discovering this terrific large-flowered climber.
Another climber that is riding a wave of popularity is Peggy Martin. This historic rose garnered nationwide attention by surviving 20 feet of salt water during Katrina's onslaught. It has gained attention among gardeners and rose lovers as a persevering plant. It reflects a spirit of renewal and hope in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina's devastating blow against those living and gardening in the Gulf Coast area. Since then, several large nurseries have introduced it for sale.
Bill Welch, author of "Antique Roses for the South" says, "Growers are generously donating $1 per plant to the Greater Houston Community Foundation, with the purpose of assisting in the task of garden restoration projects in New Orleans, Beaumont and other Gulf Coast locations. With its good looks and healthy vigor, the 'Peggy Martin Rose' is well on its way to becoming a classic garden mainstay for those wanting a mannerly climber that is thornless, with abundant pink clusters of small flowers. After it has become established, it re-blooms in the fall when the hot temperatures moderate."
Another must-have to consider is the Lady Banks rose. It is at the top of my list because it is among the most disease-resistant roses we can grow. You will probably never see blackspot or powdery mildew on this rose. It is also among the most drought-tolerant roses, able to withstand extended drought.
If you have ever tangled with a rose bush, you may feel as though you were on the losing end of a fight with a bobcat. You will never feel that way with Lady Banks because like the Peggy Martin, it is thornless.
The Lady Banks, or Rosa banksiae normalis, has been in cultivation since 1796. An improved double-flowered white form, Rosa banksiae banksiae, was found in 1807. Then in 1824 the double-yellow form, Rosa banksiae lutescens, was discovered.
The white-flowered forms have more fragrance than the yellow, but the yellow has become the most popular. To call this a large, spreading rose may be an understatement.
The largest rose bush in the world is a Lady Banks in Tombstone, Ariz. It covers more than 8,000 square feet. Because of its spreading nature, you will want to manage this rose. The Lady Banks is a long-lived rose; the one in Arizona was planted in 1855.
All varieties of climbing roses produce long canes and require some support to hold plants up off the ground. They don't really climb by themselves but must be tied or trained to the trellis, wall, fence or arbor. Climbing roses can be used on sloping banks to aid in holding soil. Climbers, like bush roses, are grouped into several types with much overlapping among types. Most rose nurseries list ramblers, large-flower climbers, ever-blooming hybrid teas, climbing polyanthas, climbing floribundas and trailing roses.
So why not try to "grow up" this year on a trellis, arbor or fence with a climbing rose?

(c) 2008, McClatchy-Tribune Information Services

Teenage std prevention

2008-03-29T20:45:00.000-05:00

Dear Editor:

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced this week that more than one in four teenage girls in the U.S. has a sexually transmitted disease. HPV, which is a virus associated with cervical cancer, was the most common STD infecting more than 18 percent of our young women and putting them at an increased risk of cancer.
There is a safe and simple vaccine that can prevent the most common strains of HPV. Thanks to a grant from the Health Care Foundation of Greater Kansas City and the REACH Healthcare Foundation, women ages nine to 26 can receive this vaccine for free at 33 clinics and health departments throughout the metro area. Those interested can call United Way 211 at 816-474-5112 or visit www.mohpv.org to find a location near you.
As a doctor, as a woman and, most importantly, as a mother, I encourage all parents and young women to learn more about this life-saving vaccine.

Dr. Bridget McCandlessJackson County Free Health Clinic

Going 'all in' for Easter

2008-03-29T20:44:00.000-05:00

Commentary by Charles Payne
Special to the Journal

Being an opinion writer I generally admire the skills of editors in putting together content for publication day after day. Sometimes I wonder how to keep things interesting on a weekly basis. But, the Shroud of Turin item recently on MSNBC is about as bad as old Charlton Heston movies. The Shroud issue was supposedly put to rest 20 years ago and everything indicates the Shroud is a fake. Now a fellow who for some reason wants to believe in the Shroud or make money brings the issue up and it makes the news for Easter 2008.
Who in Christendom would want to risk finding out the truth? Both the truth and reality can be hard to take. Sometimes something less is substituted for both.
Life is a gamble. There are times and situations where even though part of you doubts the outcome you have to bluff, call or say "all in." Winning is your hope, but losing may hurt you and others. Truth in a poker game is random and the players help decide the truth. Life is a gamble.
Consider in this time of Easter all you know about the Shroud of Turin. If it is the actual Shroud wrapped around Jesus when he was removed from the cross, it becomes a piece of hard evidence for the Christian religion and the event of the crucifixion. It's a potentially wonderful outcome, but the stakes are very high.
Mike Celizic wrote an MSNBC item on March 21, 2008 about why Barrie Schwortz, a photographer present when the Shroud was first examined, thinks the Shroud is authentic. Some of Schwortz's arguments seem plausible. Science has improved, not just in dating antiquities, but also in knowledge of DNA evidence. It just might be possible that the Shroud bears the image of Jesus.
So all Christians who search for and desire truth and meaning in their lives should press for the authorities in Turin to release the Shroud for complete scientific study and subject the results to extensive peer verification. This would be an "all in" decision. Turin might lose a little or gain a lot, but even a fake shroud would still be a draw. The consequences of the bet could be much more far reaching. What we have believed about Christianity could be on the line.
Dating the cloth to the time of Christ adds to its authenticity but does not prove that it was used to wrap the body of Jesus. The gamble exists in what any DNA evidence might establish. If you are a Christian, would you take the gamble and say "all in?" The rewards would be spectacular, but losing the bet might be crushing.
Consider the possible outcomes if the dating issue is overcome. The DNA could be inexplicably blank or it could only show that of a mother and then be blank because God's DNA is an unknown. This would support the virgin birth of Christ and would be an extraordinary revelation. Extreme care would have to be taken that missing DNA was not caused by some outside factor.
Conventional analysis showed the blood on the Shroud was apparently from a man. This could indicate the DNA is conventional. The DNA could show the transfer of a Y chromosome and thus indicate that the image had a father of this earth. Then the Shroud could be repudiated unless something unknown links it to the actual crucifixion and Mary's DNA becomes known. Is there evidence that is yet unknown or hidden somewhere?
Apparently the Catholic Church does not believe the Shroud is real. Whether a link to the actual crucifixion can ever be found does not appear likely but science keeps advancing. If a link is found, think what changes would happen if the image is of Jesus and the DNA proves he had an earthly father.
The Muslim view is also that Jesus, a messenger from God, was born to the Virgin Mary (www.soundvision.com/Info/Jesus/inIslam.asp).
What would Christians do if scientific evidence indicated Jesus had an earthly father? A few might lose their faith but, more likely, most would react as Muslims would and simply say that God is all powerful and can do whatever he likes including violating what we perceive to be natural law. In other words, God made the DNA appear to show there was an earthly father of Jesus. Perhaps this would be yet another test of faith. Thus the scientific analysis of the Shroud of Turin would only be relevant if it proved Christian beliefs.
The problem in this mystery is that God is known as a God of truth. So why would deviation from the truths mankind knows and is still finding be necessary? Perhaps the Shroud of Turin is just a few cards toward a possible inside straight. So what if Jesus was an important man with a father of this Earth. Would his teachings be any less important? Is it time to fold or say all in? Or will we have to wait until next Easter for another story on the Shroud of Turin?

Charles Payne, a Lee's Summit resident, is a guest columnist for the Journal. To respond to today's commentary, call the Journal's Rant & Rave line at 816-282-7020, or send comments via the Internet at www.lsjournal.com or to raven1939@netzero.com.

Sandwiches - New York style

2008-03-29T20:43:00.000-05:00

By Miranda Wycoff
The Journal Staff

For one reason or another, the food business has always interested Blue Springs business owner Chris Mancini.
Even after a career as a Grain Valley police officer for seven years, Mancini felt the business calling his name.
"I've always wanted to open my own business," Mancini said. "I've always liked this stuff."
In high school Mancini worked in the restaurant business and, after graduation, he said he participated in the Jackson County Chef's Apprenticeship program.
Years later, Mancini's brother owned and operated a few restaurants in the Mr. Goodcents chain. His brother has since sold the stores - but that's what revived Mancini's interest in the restaurant business.
So after careful consideration of different franchises and what the Blue Springs area was missing as far as food businesses, Mancini found the New York NY Fresh Deli.
"This was the closest franchise to what I wanted to do," he said.
And what interested him most was a sandwich shop with a "fast-casual" style.
"I've always liked the concept that Panera Bread had," Mancini said. "The nicer, but casual places. Customers can come in and be relaxed and get taken care of. You get a little moreout of it than fast food."
So, in November 2007, Mancini opened New York NY Fresh Deli at 719 N. Missouri 7 in Blue Springs.
"I grew up in Independence, been living in Blue Springs and have been a cop in Grain Valley for seven years," Mancini said. "(The deli) was something Blue Springs needed."
But don't mistake New York NY for a Subway-style sandwich shop. Mancini said its much more than that.
"It's a little more service-oriented," he said.
The customers come in and place their order at the register like a typical fast-food restaurant - but that's where the similarities end.
"We take it from there," Mancini said.
While the customers go and sit down, Mancini and his crew at New York NY are hard at work.
"We make the sandwich fresh right there," he said. "We steam the meats so the cheese is melted, nothing is pre-made. It takes us a little longer to get the sandwich out, but its made fresh to order."
And although the deli has only been open in Blue Springs for a few months, Mancini said customers are already claiming some sandwiches as the best in town.
"Word's getting around about our Rueben," Mancini said. "And we have some of the best corned beef in town."
He said 30 to 40 percent of all the sales at New York NY are from the Rueben.
Other popular sandwiches is the Bronc's Bomber - made with corned beef and pastrami - and the Tuscan Chicken Panini.
"We've been getting a lot of good response from Blue Springs," Mancini said. "It took a while for people to realize we weren't a Subway, but once that started happening, we've gotten a lot of good, positive feedback."
For more information on the New York NY Fresh Deli, call 816-229-4449 or visit the corporate Web site at www.newyorknyfreshdeli.com.

Candidates struggle to find balance

2008-03-29T20:42:00.001-05:00

By Russ Pulley
Special to the Journal

A major issue emerging in Blue Springs City Council races - again - is multi-family housing.
It was a campaign theme last year for Sheila Solon and Lyle Shaver, who won their first terms on the Council. The battle over who will control development of new housing in Blue Springs is showing up in candidate forums, editorials, letters, and Web sites.
In the mayor's race, Carson Ross is blasting his opponent, contending that Jeff Quibell has been part of a trend toward construction of too much multi-family housing, without a critical eye for quality.
The city shouldn't have approved the "barracks" on Adams Dairy Parkway, Ross said.
Quibell says he thinks the city has an acceptable balance of multi-family housing, but needs to be mindful as future projects are considered. He said the town homes like those on the parkway are important housing for residents who will later move up to more expensive homes.
Ross is endorsing Emil Spears and Ron Fowler, while staying neutral on the District 1 race between Ted Anderson and Jeanie Lauer. Quibell said he's philosophically more aligned with Kent Edmondson, Ken Billups Jr. and Lauer.
The nuts-and-bolts of the debate are complex, but at their core lies the question of how Blue Springs, as a booming Kansas City suburb, apportions its housing stock, the majority of which is single-family.
Multifamily zoning, by contrast, can result in apartments or in attached housing that is both owner-occupied and rental.
Candidates more accepting of additional multi-family say it will be needed for baby boomers or young professionals who want owner-occupied units that don't have yards to maintain.
Critics counter those town homes - also known as row houses - could be leased, and there are concerns that too many rental properties could affect overall property values and quality of life. Ross and his supporters point to projects where the Council was told the units would be owner-occupied but now are being leased, such as controversial units on Adams Dairy Parkway.
Currently, Blue Springs is nearly 73 percent single-family homes, while an October study by city staff showed that if all projects now approved are completed, the trend could take Blue Springs to just under 70 percent multi-family.
By comparison, Overland Park in July 2007 was 39.4 percent multi-family, according to a city report.
Since 2000, Blue Springs has been adding multi-family dwellings at a rate of about two units to each single-family home.
That pace is unacceptable to Ross and his supporters.
Many residents agree: A recent city survey showed that 72 percent of respondents think construction of multi-family housing is going "too fast" or "much too fast."
Quibell, however, says that statistic alone doesn't mean Blue Springs is destined to become a problem-ridden community. He contends that the additional construction has increased the overall balance by a single percentage point, from 26.5 percent multi-family units to 27.5 percent.

Blue Springs EDC teams up with area counterparts for business seminar

2008-03-29T20:42:00.000-05:00

By Miranda Wycoff
The Journal Staff

The Blue Springs, Lee's Summit, Grain Valley, Grandview and Independence Economic Development Councils will join forces to sponsor an informative seminar on state and local incentives to help bolster business in Eastern Jackson County.
The program will focus on resources for companies in the manufacturing, warehouse distribution, office, high-tech and medical-life science industries according to EDC information.
The workshop will be on April 1 from 8 a.m. to noon at the Hilton Garden Inn in Independence.
Jim Devine, president and CEO of the Lee's Summit Economic Development Council, said the regional EDCs are working collaboratively so that area companies will have the opportunity to learn how to use the state's economic development incentive programs.
Devine said the LSEDC played an important role in organizing and publicizing the event.
The seminar is free and will feature Mike Downing, co-director of the Missouri Department of Economic Development Division, according to the event's news release.
Downing will discuss the availability of tax, finance and training incentives available to eastern Jackson County companies. He also will detail state incentive programs and discuss how to qualify and apply for them. Additional topics of discussion will include how to utilize state funds to train new employees and improve productivity of current employees from Andrew Filla and Stan Fields, administrators of the workforce training program with the Metropolitan Community College Business and Technology Campus, and Skip James, from the Missouri Career Center.
Chris Guiterrez, president of KC Smart Port, will discuss the new certification training program for distribution employees.
And Tim Cowden of the Kansas City Area Economic Development Council will moderate as panelists from area cities discuss local incentives and answer questions. Panelists include Eric Johnson, city manager of Blue Springs, Gary Bradley, city administrator of Grain Valley, Alan Kenyon, economic development director for the city of Grandview, Robert Heacock, city manager of Independence, and Greg Foss, director of development with the city of Lee's Summit.
"We invite companies in these target industries to take advantage of this opportunity to learn about the business tools available to them directly from the experts who manage the incentive programs," said Teresa Evans, vice president of the Lee's Summit Economic Development Council. "By partnering with other economic development organizations in Eastern Jackson County, our collective goal is to grow business for the entire region in the face of increased competition."
Devine said he also will be talking about the Eastern Jackson County Workforce Training Corsortium, a training seminar for companies in Eastern Jackson County.
To attend this event, register by visiting https://www.123signup.com/servlet/SignUpMember?PG=1520554182300&P=1520554191156613800.
For more information or questions about this event, contact the Lee's Summit Economic Development Council by visiting its Web site at www.leessummit.org or call 816-525-6617.

Cheerleader earns chance to perform at Pro Bowl

2008-03-29T20:41:00.001-05:00

By Brett Dalton
The Journal Staff

What started as a "fun little hobby" has given a local teen the chance to take the trip of a lifetime.
Amber Moody, 13, of Lee's Summit was recently chosen as one of three girls to represent the GAGE Silver Dragons cheerleading team at the 2009 NFL Pro Bowl in Hawaii as part of the All American Cheer and Dance Pro Bowl Performance tour. Moody, who has been cheering since she was five years old, is in her first year with the Blue Springs-based Silver Dragons team.
A seventh-grade student at Pleasant Lea Middle School, Moody earned her chance to perform at the Pro Bowl at a national cheerleading competition that took place in Kansas City in December 2007.
When her name was called as one of the three girls chosen, Moody said her first reaction was disbelief.
"I wasn't really expecting it," she said. "It just kind of happened. They called the first two girls' name and then they called me. I was like, 'What?' I couldn't believe it."
However, in order for Moody to take advantage of this opportunity, she must raise a significant amount of money. According to AACD information, the cost of a doubles package - Moody and one parent or guardian - is a little more than $2,000. That cost does not include airfare and meals.
To help secure sufficient funds, Moody is currently seeking out sponsors and donations. She said her parents are talking with various businesses, as well as friends and family to try to raise the money.
Moody said raising the money and being able to perform in Hawaii would "mean so much" to her, especially because she's missed out on other opportunities due to lack of funds. Debbie Moody, Amber's mother, said her daughter has been nominated four times to travel with the People To People Student Ambassador Program, but lack of funds prevented her from going each time.
"I've been nominated to go to Australia," Amber said. "I've been nominated to go meet the president. But I couldn't ever go because I didn't have any sponsors and didn't have the money."
And being able to make the trip to Hawaii would mean more than simply having the chance to cheer in front of professional athletes and thousands of fans. According to AACD information, more than $37,000 worth of scholarships are awarded each year at the event - money Amber said would come in handy for her future plans.
"I plan to go to Harvard after high school," she said. "I want to be a lawyer."
Amber, who has cheered with various youth cheerleading teams in Lee's Summit, said she became interested in the sport of cheerleading at a young age for various reasons.
"I just loved the outfits and all the excitement," she said. "Plus, I was super hyper as a child but I didn't have any place to put it - so I put it in cheerleading."
Debbie Moody said anyone who would like to donate to Amber's Hawaii fund can call her at 816-853-5670 or send donations to her home at 111 S.W. Walnut St., Lee's Summit, MO 64063.
Moody's teammates who also earned a trip to Hawaii are Michelle Reddle and Katelyn Tormena.

Vehicle crashes into Blue Springs home

2008-03-29T20:41:00.000-05:00

By Brett Dalton
The Journal Staff

Earlier this week, a Blue Springs woman was sent to the hospital with serious injuries after losing control of her van and slamming into a house.
The accident occurred in the afternoon hours of Tuesday, March 25. Cindy L. Burton, 38, was driving northbound on Fifth Street in Blue Springs when she lost control of her van, ran through a T-intersection and smashed into a home at 421 Keystone Drive.
Nobody was in the home at the time of the crash and Burton, who was alone in the vehicle, was the only person injured in the incident, according to Jeremy Dickstein, officer in the investigations unit of the Blue Springs Police Department.
Dickstein said it's unknown what caused Burton to lose control of her vehicle. However, he said Burton's husband told police Cindy Burton has had medical issues in the past that caused her to have seizures. Dickstein said it's possible Burton had a seizure while driving, causing her to lose control.
"We're not ruling that out as a possibility," he said.
Burton's van ran into the siding and brick veneer of the home, which reportedly sits at the bottom of a hill. Brian and Dena Rinehart live in the home that was struck, however they could not be reached by the Journal as of press time.
Dena Rinehart told a local television news station Tuesday's incident was the first time a vehicle has came in contact with their home.
"We've never had any problems," Rinehart said, according to KCTV 5's Web site, "(but) the people next door, not even a month ago, had a car go into a tree. They come down the hill pretty fast."
Details of the extent of the damage to the home were not available as of press time. Police also aren't sure how fast Burton's van was traveling when it hit the home.Dickstein said police are treating the incident as a traffic accident and not a criminal offense. Burton was flown by helicopter to an area hospital after the crash.

Fast Start|Blue Springs boys and girls track and field teams begin season at UCM relays.

2008-03-22T14:34:00.000-05:00

By Jake Singleton
The Journal Staff
It was a good beginning to the season for the Blue Springs boys track and field team on Monday at the University of Central Missouri relays.Wildcat sophomore Jordan Dodd and senior Evan McCray finished second and third, respectively, in the 400-meter dash. Dodd's time of 51.08 and McCray's time of 51.96 were only bettered by Raytown South's Maurice Mitchell's meet-record time of 48.88. McCray earned all-state honors last year in the 400.Blue Springs senior Derwin Hall finished fourth in the 55 meter dash (6.68) and Dustin Burleson finished fifth (8.16) in the 55 meter hurdles. Junior Drew Matthews finished third in the 800 (2:08.20) and senior Philip Hickman took fourth in the one-mile (4:50.52).The Wildcats' defending state champion 1,600 relay team, which consisted of senior returners Carlos Anderson, Donnie Prather and McCray, took second (3:35.20) to Kansas City Central (3:33.80)."We hope to defend our district championship and will be in hot pursuit of a (Suburban Big Seven) conference championship," said Wildcat first-year head coach Joseph Cusack. "If we can get through the season healthy, we believe it could be a good one."While the district championship boys got off to a good start, the Blue Springs girls track and field team, who finished with the school's highest ever state placement last year finishing third, found out what life is like without last year's core."We lost a lot of talent with Bridget Kleine, Trista Elmore and Caitlin Laskowski graduating," said Wildcat head coach Jennifer Reeder. "I believe we were so successful last year because of the core of our team was so strong. Our theme this year is, 'Coming together is a beginning, keeping together is progress, working together is success.'"The Wildcats had four top-five individual finishes at the University of Central Missouri Relays and one top-two finish in the relays.The Wildcats' Mauri Lane took third in the 55 meter run (7.55), Melissa Fuerst finished second in the one-mile (5:40.15), Gabby Lovelace took fifth in the high jump (4-feet-8 inches) and Allison Harold finished fifth in the long jump (13-3.5)."Lane really made some noise at the state level last year and I expect her to use that experience to show the other girls on the team that hard work and persistence does pay off," Reeder said. "I look forward to Fuerst being successful in the distance events and to keep the standard high where Caitlin left it last year."Blue Springs' 800 relay team, which won state last year with Lane and Brittany Thomas returning, finished second (1:51.10) to Raytown South (1:49.70), as Trista Elmore and Bridget Kleine filled the other two voids on the team. The Wildcats also finished sixth in the 1,600 relay (4:34.60).Blue Springs' Frances Veneble cleared 7-6 in the pole vault to finish eighth and round out the Wildcats' top-10 finishes.

Ready and Kicking

2008-03-22T14:33:00.001-05:00

By Jake Singleton
The Journal Staff
The Blue Springs South girls soccer team, which finished second in the Suburban Big Seven (9-3), upset St. Teresa's Academy 2-0 to win the Class 2 District 15 championship and ended the season 13-7 with a 3-1 loss to Liberty in the sectional qualifier, will miss the four senior starters they lost to graduation."We graduated four outstanding senior leaders last year," said Jaguar head coach Todd Finley. "These four positions will need to be filled and, more importantly, their skills and leadership."While South lost all-state recipients Kelsey Stokes and Alex Woolard, along with Tabby Davis and Logan Thorp, they will return all-state senior forward Sharaya Sidebottom and five other seniors with multiple years of varsity experience."Our team strength will be our five returning seniors bringing 11 years of varsity experience," Findley said. Along with bringing back three-year letter winner Sidebottom's 17 goals and 15 assists from her junior season where she earned not only all-state honors, but all-conference and regional honors as well, senior forward Taylor Irwin returns from a knee injury to provide the Jaguars with some added punch up front.South also returns senior forward Ashley Killian and sophomore forward Courtney Codilla."Team speed and forward depth will also be a strength," Findley said.On defense, the Jaguars return three-year senior letter winner Kelly Gardner and two-year letter winner Sam Thompson along with two-year letter winner, junior Brynn Abram and sophomore Marissa Robb.The midfield will be young for South this season as they return two sophomores, Casey Rausch and Ashleigh Kaberline.Cats return 18Only one player, forward Ryanne Miller, will be missing from the Blue Springs girls soccer team's roster from last season.Blue Springs, which finished 9-9-1 overall and 6-4-1 in the Suburban Big Seven last season, returns 18 and adds only one new player to the roster in Bailey Randol."Lots of players returning means they have a good idea of what to expect," said Wildcat head coach Douglas McLagan.But while the Wildcats only lost Miller, the loss was a big one as Miller Blue Springs in scoring last season with 10 goals.The Wildcats, however, returns its second leading goal scorer from 2007 in forward Mallory Malone, who scored eight goals and had five assists. The Wildcats also return forward Tara Beck, who scored six goals last season.Outside of Malone and Beck, Blue Springs' scoring disperses.The Wildcats returns four players - Jana Teague, Morgan Hafner, Synthia Padfield and Lindsey Byle - who all scored three goals last season. Lauren Pouche had four goals last season for Blue Springs while Ashli Gray, Brittany Gholson and Amanda Schwartz each finished with two goals.But out of the 18 returning players, the Wildcats have only four seniors, two of whom - Laura Creason and Jordan Joyce - will be Blue Spring's captains this year.In goal, Blue Springs returns senior Danielle Bennefeld and junior Catherine Bohanon.

Small business financial tune-up

2008-03-22T14:33:00.000-05:00

COMMENTARY By Jamshid Hoorfar
Special to the Journal

Like the name implies, a financial tune-up is a fresh look at how well your small business is working for you, the owner. Part of a tune-up is a re-consideration of the form of business entity you've selected for your business. There are several choices available for you to consider with your tax and legal advisors:- Sole proprietorship- Partnership- S Corporation- C CorporationLimited Liability Company Each form of business entity has advantages and disadvantages. What was right when you started your business may no longer be the best choice. Knowing your options puts you in control.Sole proprietorship The sole proprietorship is characterized by its ease of formation as compared to the other three legal "entities." A sole proprietorship and sole proprietor are unified in connection with: - Assets- Liabilities- Length of existence This means the sole proprietor is personally liable for the debts and claims of business creditors. Also, the sole proprietorship does not continue after the death, bankruptcy, or voluntary cessation of business by the sole proprietor. From a tax perspective, it means that profits and losses pass through to the sole proprietor and are reported on Schedule C of Form 1040.A major disadvantage to the sole proprietorship is its inability to attract investment capital. If you need additional capital for planned growth, it may be time to look at a different type of business entity. Another disadvantage is that the pass-thru of taxable profits directly to you, limits tax planning opportunities that are available with C and S corporations. Income cannot be shifted to other family members by making them owners of the business. Also, sole proprietors are unable to take full advantage of tax breaks associated with group health, disability, and group-term life insurance.Partnerships A partnership is defined as two or more co-owners carrying on a business for a profit. Partnerships take two forms: the general partnership and the limited partnership. Partnerships remain a prevalent form of business organization for long-established law and accounting firms, other professional practices, real estate development and the management of family enterprises. As in the case of the sole proprietorship, appropriate licensing and registration of a name, if the name used differs from that of the partners, are the only formalities that need be followed. Although advisable, a written agreement is not necessary to form a partnership and the partners may change their original understanding from time to time without notification of authorities. General partnerships share other characteristics with sole proprietorships. Unless agreed otherwise, each partner has co-equal management rights. Furthermore, unless otherwise agreed, the partners share equally in profits and losses. Also, each general partner, like a sole proprietor, is fully liable for the business operations and actions of the other partners who act within the scope of the business. In a limited partnership the general partners possess all the rights and responsibilities they have in a general partnership. Limited partners, on the other hand, enjoy the investment opportunity afforded by the limited partnership but possess no management control. Also, although a limited partner's investment is at risk to partnership creditors, personal assets are not. Profits and losses pass through to the partners, retaining their character as capital gain or ordinary income in the hands of the partners. Although partnerships do not pay taxes, they are required to file an informational return. The form, a K-1, reflects allocations of income and loss to the individual partners. Each partner receives a K-1 reflecting his or her allocable share of partnership profit or loss and identifying how to reflect these items on the usual Form 1040. As a trade-off to pass-thru taxation, partners lose the ability to receive the full tax advantages of certain employee benefits such as group health and group-term life insurance. C corporations Unlike the case with partnerships and sole proprietorships, state laws require certain formalities in the formation and operation of a corporation. At a minimum, the incorporators must file articles of incorporation with the Secretary of State and adopt bylaws. A corporation is a separate legal entity from its shareholders. Consequently, the owners of a corporation need not expose personal assets to corporate liability. Also, unlike sole proprietors and partnerships, C corporations are separate taxable entities. Most C corporations are subject to income taxes at rates ranging from fifteen to 34 percent. Because corporations are separate taxable entities there is more opportunity to shift income and appreciation away from an older, founding generation to a younger, succeeding generation. A disadvantage to the C corporation is the potential for double taxation, the taxing of earnings first at the corporate level, then at the personal level. It is this disadvantage that has led to the popularity of S corporations.S corporations Somewhat less common since the advent of limited liability corporations, are S corporations, which combine aspects of both C corporations and partnerships. From a legal standpoint, shareholders of S corporations enjoy the limited liability afforded owners of C corporations. On the other hand, S corporations are pass-thru entities (like sole proprietorships and partnerships) for tax purposes. There are, however, certain restrictions placed on S corporations: - No more than 100 shareholders.- Each shareholder must be an individual who is a citizen or resident of the United States, estate, certain trusts or certain tax exempt organizations.- The corporation must have only one class of stock. (However, voting differences are permissible.)- The corporation must use the calendar year as its fiscal year, unless there is a natural business year for the corporation or more than half the shares are owned by shareholders with the fiscal year end or there is a valid business purpose to a particular fiscal year end. - Not more than 25 percent of the corporation's income can come from passive activities, such as annuities, dividends, rents, royalties, etc. Many small businesses elect the S corporation form. Unlike unincorporated sole proprietors who pay self-employment taxes of 15.3 percent on net income up to $97,500 (2007 limit), S corporation owner/employees are subject to employment tax withholding on his or her compensation. Net earnings over and above a reasonable salary are included in income, but are not subject to employment taxes. Furthermore, while more than two percent shareholders are prevented from fully enjoying tax breaks associated with health insurance and other employee benefits, company paid health insurance premiums are not taxed to owners/employees.Limited liability company The Limited Liability Company (LLC) is a relatively new and increasingly more common type of business entity. Its most distinctive feature is that it can provide owners with the liability protection of a corporation and the tax benefits of a partnership. Furthermore, LLCs are not encumbered by many of the restrictions placed on S corporations. Most states require two owners (owners are also referred to as members) to form an LLC, but unlike the S corporation, there is no upper limit on the number of owners with the LLC. The members of an LLC enter into an operating agreement. This agreement controls how profits, losses, distributions, and management powers are shared among members. Like S corporations, management duties may be reserved solely for owners, or the owners may elect managers who operate in a role similar to a board of directors. Whatever business form you started with, it makes sense to reconsider your choice from time to time as profits and losses, tax laws, needs for additional capital, and liability risks change. Seek the guidance of financial and legal professionals to help you assess your needs and to implement any changes.Jamshid Hoorfar, Financial Planner, PhD, CHFC, LUTCF, CLTC, offers investment advisory services through Prudential Financial Planning Services, a division of Pruco Securities, LLC. He can be reached at jamshid.hoorfar@prudential.com and 816-525-0900.

COMMUNITY PULSE | Letter

2008-03-22T14:32:00.000-05:00

Dear Editor: As you (may) know, I have been active in the local business community for several years. I have also been a resident of Blue Springs, and I have been active in a number of civic groups, fundraisers, charities and citizen action groups. I have always been motivated by the many opportunities that exist to make our city a better community for its people and for its future. I am convinced that a strong local economy, a balance of commercial and residential development, the united effort of businesses and individuals, and cooperation between civic, private and public leadership will raise the quality of living in our town. I am confounded by local leaders who cast negativity at every opportunity, who offer criticism without participating in positive solutions and who attempt to throw obstacles in the way of progress for the sake of voting "no." We all need to support local leaders with vision to get beyond being a sleepy bedroom community that is satisfied with single-family housing development and fast food restaurants. We need leadership in our community that will streamline our government processes, modernize our approach to business and development, facilitate cooperation between our elected officials, city staff and the business community, and unify these groups in their goals and vision. We need fresh ideas and attitude, professionalism and results-oriented leadership in Blue Springs. I am writing because I want to see our community prosper - and I am supporting Jeanie Lauer in her race for District 1 City Council to help make that happen. Jeanie is a local entrepreneur. She owns her own management consultant business and has worked with Fortune 500 companies as well as "mom-and-pop" businesses to help them develop business processes, streamline procedures and develop leaders within their organizations. Wow - does that sound like what we need in our city government. Jeanie has proven her commitment to helping improve our community by serving on city commissions and co-chairing "Renew the Blue," our citizen-driven visioning process, and she is currently co-chairing the implementation phase of Renew the Blue to see through the process of those visions becoming reality. For her outstanding efforts and commitment, Jeanie was awarded the 2007 "Outstanding Civic Leader for Blue Springs" award. Please take the time to read about Jeanie, her accomplishments and her vision for the community at www.jeanielauer.com. Also through the Web site, you can contact the campaign about getting a sign, volunteering, contributing or otherwise helping with Jeanie's grassroots campaign. I have had the pleasure of working with Jeanie through Renew the Blue and a number of community activities. Jeanie Lauer has the vision for positive change for Blue Springs, and she is the proven professional leader this community needs. I am asking you to support Jeanie's campaign for District 1 City Council to make a positive difference in our city government and in our community. Please take an opportunity to meet Jeanie Lauer and find out more about what you can do to help make a difference in our city government.Bill EssmannBlue Springs

Don’t be left in the dark during the digital television transition

2008-03-22T14:31:00.000-05:00

Commentary By Claire McCaskill

Now that the writers’ strike is over, many of us are back to enjoying our favorite TV programs. My daughters can’t get enough of the suspenseful investigations on “Law and Order.” My mother loves to laugh at the witty exchanges between the characters in “Two and a Half Men.” And with the presidential primaries upon us, my husband and I are thrilled to watch the talented cast of “Saturday Night Live” capitalize on the supply of comedic ammunition.
The hiatus of new and interesting television programming during the writer’s strike made TV fanatics appreciate our favorite shows more and made us realize how much we take this reliable form of entertainment for granted.
Now imagine if you came home one day to fi nd out your favorite program was gone — permanently. Except instead of being forced to watch reruns and endless hours of lame reality shows as an alternative, your TV set no longer received a signal at all. It was blacked out. No local news, weather and traffic would be available morning, noon and night. No morning talk shows. No soaps. No sitcoms. Nothing.
That’s what stands to happen to over 400,000 households in Missouri in less than a year on Feb. 17, 2009. Don’t ask me why they picked such an odd date, but that is the day analog — over-the-air broadcast signals — will cease and digital will take over. The idea was to open up the analog frequencies to first-responders to use for communications systems and at the same time give consumers a crisp, clear TV picture. This complicated sounding process is simply known as the DTV transition.
That’s right. In less than one year, you’ll have four options: 1) buy a new TV that can receive a digital signal, 2) subscribe to satellite service, 3) order cable service, 4) or keep your old, analog TV and purchase a converter box that will allow you to receive a digital signal. A basic rule of thumb is this: If you use bunny ears to receive your signal on an older TV, after DTV you’ll need a converter box to make it work.
You’re probably thinking, “It just figures that the government would make me do something that’s only going to cost me money in the end.” Well, in this case, the government is actually trying to put your tax dollars to work. Each household can receive up to two $40 coupons to go towards the purchase of a converter box, the cheapest way for households to make the transition. The government isn’t subsidizing new TVs or cable and satellite service.
You can order a coupon now and once you receive it, it’s good for up to 90 days. The converter boxes are on their way to store shelves as you read. Not only that, but nearly every single Missouri broadcast outlet is sending a digital signal at this very moment, so a converter box will work just as soon as it’s installed.
So why the push to take care of this potential problem now if the deadline is looming more than 300 days in the future? There are 21 million households across the country that currently rely on an analog signal. With only about 30 million coupons available, and keep in mind that’s up to two per household, you can do the math and see that some folks might lose out in the end.
Another reason is that there is no motivator like the last minute. As the deadline approaches, it’ll be like the day before Christmas when malls are crammed full of people and the high-demand items are fl ying off the shelves. it’s a nightmare. This can all be avoided by getting ahead of the game and starting now (and get a head start on your Christmas shopping while you’re at it).
I understand that the idea of installing new technology to an older television is a lot like being asked to program your VCR the fi rst time. It’s intimidating and confusing to say the least. However, there is a lot of information out there to help. By either calling 1-888-DTV-2009 or visiting www.dtv2009.gov, you can order a coupon, find a retailer that carries a converter box, learn how to install your converter box and get more information about the transition to digital. People are standing by to answer your every question, and my offi ce is certainly happy to assist.
The bottom line is that it’s important to get started making the transition now because when it comes down to it, it may be something far more important that comes over those airwaves than just some good entertainment you’ll be missing out on. It may be emergency information you’ll need to know for the safety and well-being of your family. I ask Missourians that we all do our part by passing on the word so that no one is left in the dark on Feb. 17, 2009.
Claire McCaskill, Missouri senator, is a guest columnist for the Journal. To respond to today’s commentary, call the Journal’s Rant & Rave line at 816-282-7020, or send comments via the Internet at www.bluespringsjournal.com.

COMBATING THE AMERICAN HOUSING CRISIS

2008-03-22T14:30:00.002-05:00

Commentary By Kit Bond

Homeownership, the linchpin of the American dream, is turning into a nightmare for many families who can no longer afford their mortgages.
According to the Mortgage Bankers Association, mortgage delinquencies are at their highest rate in 23 years.
More than 57,000 homeowners in Missouri are delinquent on their mortgages, including a full 20 percent of subprime borrowers.
In some other states, the problem is even worse.
When people lose their homes, it has a devastating affect on the family, the neighborhood, the community, and multiplied many times over, on the economy.
We are already seeing a weaker economy led by the housing crisis, and the projections are for the situation to get worse before it gets better.
The best way to get out of the housing crisis is to avoid the foreclosures that throw families out of their homes.
We already have a problem with enough affordable housing in many areas. For those already in homes, doesn’t it make more sense to try to keep them where they are?
That is why I have joined with Sen. Johnny Isakson, Sen. Norm Coleman and several other colleagues to introduce the Security Against Foreclosure and Education, or SAFE Act of 2008.
Our SAFE Act authorizes state housing finance agencies to issue $10 billion in tax-exempt bonds and use the proceeds to help refinance subprime mortgages.
The new loans will have a much lower interest rate than the high, adjustable subprime rate now trapping so many families. Lower payments will be affordable and struggling families will be able to keep their homes.
Our legislation also expedites delivery of $180 million already approved by Congress in December for counseling help to families in distress.
Through this counseling, we hope to reach families with financial solutions before they fall too far behind in their payments.
Foreclosure not only hurts families, it hurts communities.
Other homeowners in the surrounding area see the value of their homes plunge. Vacant homes invite vandalism. Nearby schools and businesses suffer from fewer students and customers. Local governments lose tax revenue.
Our bill supports these struggling neighborhoods by providing $15,000 in tax credits for purchasing a home in or approaching foreclosure. This provision will help neighbors take down foreclosure signs and stop the slide in property values.
Many troubled homeowners complain that they feel victimized by mortgage brokers who promised lower payments without describing what would happen when the interest rates adjusted.
Homebuyers are hit with dozens of pages of legalese when they reach the settlement table. What they need to see on the first page in large type is information about their loan, in plain English.
That’s why our proposal includes new loan disclosure requirements for a prominent and plain-English explanation of key loan conditions.
Congress must act now to support homeowners. This legislation is an important step in “stopping the bleeding” for many families and communities.
But Congress must also do more to curb predatory lending practices to ensure that this does not happen again.
Kit Bond, Missouri senator, is a guest columnist for the Journal. To respond to today’s commentary, call the Journal’s Rant & Rave line at 816-282-7020, or send comments via the Internet at www.bluespringsjournal.com.

Expand storage space with an outdoor shed

2008-03-22T14:30:00.001-05:00

By Alan J. Heavens
The Philadelphia Inquirer (MCT)
Where do you store your lawn mower, your gardening implements and other tools? If the answer is the garage or the basement, odds are your gear is hard to get to or tough to find when you need it. An outdoor storage shed might be just the ticket - if you have the room.Need to know: Whether your town has zoning rules about sheds. The information generally is available from municipal building departments. But even if there are no rules, consider your neighbors. Nothing creates ill will as quickly as a shed that blocks sunlight to the garden of the folks next door. - Shabby isn't chic: If the shed looks shabby, it will make your yard look that way, too. If you're not willing to pay a bit more for quality, you might as well keep your equipment where it is. Typically, the difference between attractive and ugly is only a few hundred dollars. And remember, an outdoor shed is an investment in your property, like a kitchen or a powder room - you don't want to create a stumbling block to a quick and profitable sale in the future.Sheds made of cedar siding are the most expensive, followed by those made of vinyl. Whichever you choose, the shed's design should complement the style of your house. If you live in a 1950s airlight rowhouse in Northeast Philadelphia, a Victorian-style shed will be more than jarring to the eye. - Too cute: You don't want the shed to look too precious either - it's a utility structure, not a dollhouse. So skip the porch feature unless there's a critical need for a place where you and your lawn mower can get out of the sun.What will it cost? Be ready to spend a minimum of $350 on a shed. Good quality and good looks can be yours for about $2,000. - Material world: Some people consider metal sheds ugly, but one made of aluminum will hold up a long time. Steel tends to rust quickly, although some is coated to reduce, though not avoid, corrosion. - Wood sheds - especially cedar - look better, so there are more of them available. They aren't fireproof, though, and are subject to mold and rot, so they need regular maintenance. Squirrels and other rodents can easily chew through wood, too. Cedar sheds should be recoated with a special sealer/preservative every other year to protect them from ultraviolet solar radiation. Vinyl may not be everyone's cup of tea, but sheds made of it pretty much last forever and require little maintenance, except for an occasional power-washing to remove mildew in shaded locations. Unlike metal, vinyl doesn't dent or ding and seems to withstand extremes of weather, especially moisture, very well. - Size matters: Make sure the shed you buy will accommodate your equipment. If you have a ride-on mower, you'll need to have an extra-large shed, so the machine can get in and out easily. If you have a regular-size mower, make sure what you store is organized carefully, so you can get everything else in and out. Consider shelves to hold pots and materials, hooks for rakes, shovels, etc., and a ramp and extra-wide doors. - Firm foundation: Check with the manufacturer first, but sheds are typically placed on cinder blocks, concrete piers, a concrete slab, or crushed stone. Supports for the structure are usually made of pressure-treated wood. - Room to grow: As you've learned with your garage and basement, there is never enough room - hence the need for a shed in the first place. But even a shed can be expanded with plastic add-ons costing a couple of hundred dollars. Check for them at the local home center.
(c) 2008, The Philadelphia Inquirer

Climbing roses add a unique vertical element

2008-03-22T14:30:00.000-05:00

By Norman Winter
McClatchy-Tribune News Service (MCT)
Climbing plants really add a vertical dimension to the landscape. Adding this new element to a garden causes a transformation that almost no other type of plant can accomplish. Climbing roses are seeing an upswing in popularity for this very reason. One of my favorites is New Dawn, which certainly is not new. It originated from the variety Dr. W. Van Fleet in 1930, but New Dawn is a repeat bloomer. In a way, it seems new since many gardeners are just now discovering this terrific large-flowered climber. Another climber that is riding a wave of popularity is Peggy Martin. This historic rose garnered nationwide attention by surviving 20 feet of salt water during Katrina's onslaught. It has gained attention among gardeners and rose lovers as a persevering plant. It reflects a spirit of renewal and hope in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina's devastating blow against those living and gardening in the Gulf Coast area. Since then, several large nurseries have introduced it for sale. Bill Welch, author of "Antique Roses for the South" says, "Growers are generously donating $1 per plant to the Greater Houston Community Foundation, with the purpose of assisting in the task of garden restoration projects in New Orleans, Beaumont and other Gulf Coast locations. With its good looks and healthy vigor, the 'Peggy Martin Rose' is well on its way to becoming a classic garden mainstay for those wanting a mannerly climber that is thornless, with abundant pink clusters of small flowers. After it has become established, it re-blooms in the fall when the hot temperatures moderate." Another must-have to consider is the Lady Banks rose. It is at the top of my list because it is among the most disease-resistant roses we can grow. You will probably never see blackspot or powdery mildew on this rose. It is also among the most drought-tolerant roses, able to withstand extended drought.If you have ever tangled with a rose bush, you may feel as though you were on the losing end of a fight with a bobcat. You will never feel that way with Lady Banks because like the Peggy Martin, it is thornless. The Lady Banks, or Rosa banksiae normalis, has been in cultivation since 1796. An improved double-flowered white form, Rosa banksiae banksiae, was found in 1807. Then in 1824 the double-yellow form, Rosa banksiae lutescens, was discovered. The white-flowered forms have more fragrance than the yellow, but the yellow has become the most popular. To call this a large, spreading rose may be an understatement. The largest rose bush in the world is a Lady Banks in Tombstone, Ariz. It covers more than 8,000 square feet. Because of its spreading nature, you will want to manage this rose. The Lady Banks is a long-lived rose; the one in Arizona was planted in 1855. All varieties of climbing roses produce long canes and require some support to hold plants up off the ground. They don't really climb by themselves but must be tied or trained to the trellis, wall, fence or arbor. Climbing roses can be used on sloping banks to aid in holding soil. Climbers, like bush roses, are grouped into several types with much overlapping among types. Most rose nurseries list ramblers, large-flower climbers, ever-blooming hybrid teas, climbing polyanthas, climbing floribundas and trailing roses. So why not try to "grow up" this year on a trellis, arbor or fence with a climbing rose?(c) 2008, McClatchy-Tribune Information Services

Questions delay vote on property codes

2008-03-22T14:29:00.001-05:00

By Russ Pulley
Special to the Journal
The final vote on a proposed property maintenance code in Blue Springs is on hold. The City Council on Monday had its first reading on the ordinance containing the proposed regulations, which is the first official step toward passing the code. But the Council also voted to table a required second reading and vote until the city resolves a central issue: how to create a safety net for people who can't afford to fix their property. Councilwoman Sheila Solon said she'd prefer to see the city create a minor-repair program, similar to one in Lee's Summit that helps owners with lower incomes care for their property. She suggested the city could use annual grant money from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development that is intended to help lower- to middle-income neighborhoods. "I want this to be successful," Solon said. "I know we have many residents who put calls in to our codes department, and right now our codes aren't strong enough and are unenforceable. But we certainly don't want to go out and try to hurt people who are unable to fix their property up." Solon said she also wanted to see a more-definite plan for involving churches and other civic organizations to aid people who need help meeting the code. Councilman Jeff Quibell said he had been working on a maintenance code for three years, after he encountered a resident living next to a property in severe disrepair. But he agreed the city wasn't prepared to enact the code, because criteria were needed for deciding who could qualify for such an assistance program and the financing mechanism. He moved to send the issue back to the Property Maintenance Committee to get those components in place. The council agreed 4-2, with Ron Fowler and Lyle Shaver dissenting. Fowler said his concern was that it could be a lengthy delay in getting a repair program in place. Mayor Steve Steiner cautioned that during past years cities lobbied to keep that grant program intact. He said funding probably will continue for the short term, but it might not be there in the long run. Steiner, who has opposed the code because he was afraid of potential abuses and impact on senior citizens, said in an interview that he had decided not to veto it but would have allowed it to become an ordinance without signing it. Because of the Council's vote, it's likely the Council seated after April's election will complete the ordinance. The current Council by consensus agreed it wants some regulation, but it had varied concerns about clauses or language. Shaver said that based on comments from residents he thought the proposed ordinance was acceptable, with a few tweaks. At one informational meeting, a dozen residents had a few questions on whether the code definitions were specific enough and whether they could be abused in a neighborhood feud. The intent is for codes officers to enforce it on a complaints-only basis, except in severe cases. For example, Shaver wants to add a clause excluding materials normally used in landscaping, so residents couldn't be cited for having a pile of "four or five bricks" in their backyard. He also wanted to drop seeds, fruit and nuts from items that can't be composted.

Council approves final plat for shopping center

2008-03-22T14:29:00.000-05:00

By Miranda Wycoff
The Journal Staff
The Blue Springs City Council unanimously approved the final plat for the Southridge Shopping Center on Monday. The shopping center will be located at the southwest corner of M-7 and S.W. Meadowridge Drive. The 5.57-acre shopping center broke ground on Feb. 8 and, according to city information, construction has already begun. According to city information, the parcel of land is required to be platted before the applicant, Royal Investment Group, can obtain the building permits for the shopping center. The Council's approval of the final plat is contingent upon several conditions recommended by the city staff. These include the completion of the construction of the water line before building permits are issued, the sidewalk to be installed before the issuance of an occupancy permit and the approval of a Master Sign Plan by the Planning Commission before the placement of any signage on the property, according to city information. According to city documents, the building will feature clear windows on all tenant spaces intermixed with a brick applique and stucco wall and column finishes. Council also heard a presentation on approving the engineering and design services for the Sni-A-Bar Wastewater Treatment Plan upgrade and expansion to E.T. Archer Corporation. In addition, the Council approved a resolution awarding a contract for ditch repair at Hidden Valley Park and a resolution approving the Tax Increment Financing Costs Certification Services in their consent agenda. According to city information, the TIF Costs Certification Services would authorize the city administrator to enter into an agreement with Conchern, Head, Vick and Co., P.C. for the services. According to city information, TIF-reimbursable project costs must be certified by the city to ensure the expenditures meet the criteria for being reimbursable under the state TIF statutes. Once project costs are certified, any available TIF revenues may be reimbursed to the developer or, in the case of a bond issue, bond proceeds would be used to reimburse the developer. The city currently has three TIF plans that have started or will be submitting costs for certification in the near future. The Copperleaf Village TIF, M-7 and 40 Hwy. TIF, and Adams Farm TIF, according to city information.

Glass is Half Full|Stained-glass artist has new outlook on life after kidney transplant

2008-03-22T14:27:00.000-05:00

By Brett Dalton
The Journal Staff
Second chances are often a necessity in life. Nobody's perfect, as they say, and an opportunity to start anew may be just what a person needs to turn his or her life around.For some people, however, second chances are a privilege - a gift that can change one's life forever.Randy High, of Blue Springs, said his second chance was more than a necessity, more than a privilege - it was a miracle, and he and his wife Leslie could not be more grateful for it.High spent two days last week at the St. Paul's Episcopal Church on the corner of Fifth and Green streets in Lee's Summit. For the past three months, High and his friend, Bill Cosgrove, have been working to craft handmade stained glass windows for the church. High said some stained glass workers have found many shortcuts throughout the years to make their trade a little easier and a little cheaper. But cutting corners isn't High's style. He said he'd rather do it the old-fashioned way, which to him, results in a better product when it's all said and done. But it's not easy."Doing it old school is all hard," High said. "Every bit of it is hard work."But High will be the first to admit that installing 40 stained glass windows in a small church in the suburbs pales in comparison to the trials and tribulations he battled through five to six years ago.Lifelong conditionHigh, 54, said he's battled kidney disease since he was a child. He was diagnosed with Bright's Disease, which is described as chronic inflammation of the blood vessels in the kidneys, according to www.medicinenet.com. High said he was aware of his kidney condition and said he knew it may one day cause him some serious problems. Then one Saturday evening in February 2002, High finally received the news he knew may one day come."It got to a point where I didn't feel good, so I finally went in for a checkup," High said. "Then my doctor was moved to call me at home on a Saturday night. She told me I needed to get in to her office on that next Monday to start dialysis, because (my kidneys) finally quit."Leslie High said the doctor's phone call was a life-altering moment."Up until that point," she said, "ignorance was bliss. Before then, we thought he was just tired or working too hard. Our lives literally changed with that phone call."The night the Highs received the phone call, Leslie turned to her husband and told him she was going to donate one of her kidneys to him. But at the time, Randy said he didn't want to hear that kind of talk."Leslie had always said all along that she was going to be my donor," Randy said. "But I always thought, 'I'm a man,' and I wasn't going to allow someone to sacrifice like that for me. It makes you very uncomfortable to think about that."On the Monday following the doctor's call, Randy started the type of dialysis - a treatment that serves as an artificial replacement for failed kidneys - he could receive at home. He said he was on dialysis for 10 hours per day, most of them during the nighttime hours when he was asleep. High said life on dialysis wasn't the easiest he'd had it, but it was acceptable, as it was keeping him alive - or so he thought.'The final straw'On Oct. 6, 2002, Randy High was at home with his wife. He had just finished making her a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and the two were standing near each other having a normal conversation. Without warning, some-thing near Randy's heart went drastically wrong and he suffered what's known in the medical field as Sudden Cardiac Death."One minute you're standing, the next minute you're dead on the floor," Leslie said. "And that's how it was."Because his kidneys didn't function properly, High said platelets built up in the blood stream, clogging one of his heart's main blood vessels. Blood could no longer reach one side of his heart and he died in an instant.Fortunately, Leslie said paramedics were stationed just down the road from their home in Blue Springs. She said they rushed over and were able to eventually revive her husband using defibrillators. But it wasn't soon enough to prevent word from circulating that Randy had indeed passed away."I had already told my wife when she was out of town that Leslie was a widow," said Cosgrove, who has been the Highs' neighbor since 2000. "Then I came home that night and she wasn't."After being resuscitated, doctors performed heart surgery on Randy High and he remained in intensive care for 18 days. High said he has no recollection of those 18 days."But what I found out was life on dialysis, while it was acceptable, it wasn't really great," he said. "I had lifelong kidney disease, but ultimately that was the final straw."The giftMonths after her husband had literally been given new life, Leslie High, who works as the director of philanthropy at Truman Medical Center Lakewood, got the chance to make good on the promise she had been making to him for quite some time. Instead of living on dialysis, Randy High decided it was time for a transplant. And as it turned out, his wife was a perfect match."So basically after doing a lot of research, and talking a little more to Leslie, they did it," High said. Since July 30, 2003, Randy High has been using his wife's left kidney. He said it was surgically placed in the front and on the right side of his body, as doctors opted not to remove and replace his non-functioning kidneys. According to Leslie, she became one of 800 spouses in 2003 to donate an organ to a husband or wife.Leslie said it took some convincing on her part to get her husband to agree to take one of her kidneys, but added it was "the best thing I've ever done." She also said donating a kidney was much easier than witnessing her husband's near-death experience less than a year earlier."I would go through 10 kidney transplants if I didn't have to relive that day," she said. Randy, who also had a defibrillator surgically installed in his chest, said he hasn't had any major health issues since the transplant, although he has become insulin resistant since the surgery.And since the Highs' transplant was a success they, along with Cosgrove and other members of the Rotary Club of Eastern Independence, have been deeply involved with the Donate Life program, a national effort to encourage others to be organ donors.Randy High said their ultimate goal is to get Rotarians throughout the country and the world to sign up electronically to be organ donors."If we could sign up just the Rotarians, we wouldn't ever have an organ shortage in the world," Randy said. Their effort has paid off during the last couple years, as they have gotten more than 1,000 Rotarians to sign up as organ donors. They also had a chance to reach more than 18,000 Rotarians at the Rotary International Convention in Salt Lake City, Utah, in February 2007.Life is good Leslie High and Bill Cosgrove don't mind saying that Randy High "wasn't a people person" before that fateful day in October 2002. Cosgrove said High spent much of his time near the back of the shops he was working in and rarely moseyed up front near the crowds. But death can change a person, Randy said, and it certainly had an everlasting effect on him. "It made me appreciate things a lot more," he said. "I'd say to a very large degree, I lost my temper. I'm much more tolerant of people."Cosgrove said High is now "the most mellow man I know." "He calms people down just being with him," Cosgrove said, "because he's so appreciative of what's going on around him." The whole ordeal also had an effect on Leslie High. Before the transplant, Leslie said she considered herself somewhat of a "wimp." But after donating a kidney, she's realized she may be a little tougher than she gave herself credit for. "Now I know I'm a strong woman," she said. "There's just something that comes up from you and you do what you have to do. And I can do it. I now know that I can." Randy High's battle with his serious kidney condition forced him into early retirement from the auto industry. After recovering from the transplant, he began working in stained glass, a trade he began learning in the 1970s. High said it's more of a "dedicated hobby" than a job. He said he's installed stained glass on the Country Club Plaza in Kansas City, in private homes and at TMC Lakewood. Along with enjoying the trade, High said installing stained glass windows provides him the opportunity to give back to the society of which he's more glad than ever to be a part. "I figure I'm here now when I shouldn't be," he said. "So if I can do something to help some people, make them happy and occupy my time, I think that's a good deal." For more information about the Donate Life program, visit its Web site at www.donatelife.net.

Couple suspected of growing marijuana

2008-03-22T14:17:00.000-05:00

By Brett Dalton
The Journal Staff
The Missouri State Highway Patrol found what it suspects to be several marijuana plants inside a Blue Springs home on Tuesday. According to Dan Green, spokesperson for Troop A, the MSHP was notified by an unidentified source of a possible marijuana-growing operation at 2200 S.W. Walnut Street in Blue Springs. Green said the MSHP issued a search warrant, entered the home on Tuesday morning and found what the MSHP believes to be 75 marijuana plants and two pounds of processed marijuana. Green said the plants were confiscated as evidence and have been sent to the lab to confirm that they are in fact marijuana plants. The estimated value of the plants, which "look like marijuana and smell like marijuana," is between $40,000 and $50,000, Green said. A married couple in their 50s was at the home when authorities arrived, as was their 2-year-old grandson. No arrests have been made, Green said, and potential charges will not be filed until the lab test results are returned and sent to the prosecutor's office.

TOP 10 SCORERS

2008-03-15T14:49:00.000-05:00

The Journal Staff

Blue Springs' Bret Schwartzand South's Riley Reynolds finished season among top scorers in the area

Blue Springs’ Bret Schwartz (far left) and Blue Springs South’s Riley Reynolds (left) were among the top-10 scorers in the area this year. Schwartz ranked eighth on the list, scoring 372 points in 25 games for an average of 14.9 points per game. Reynolds ranked seventh, scoring 239 points in 16 games — the lowest amount of games played by any player on the list — for an average of 14.9 points per game.

SOLO Mission

2008-03-15T14:48:00.000-05:00

By Jake Singleton
The Journal Staff

Blue Springs South junior Nick Monaco forgoes high school season for USTA

Blue Springs South junior Nick Monaco felt it was the best decision for him. “It’s been a big toss up, high school tennis is a lot of fun,” Monaco said. “But your junior year is when college coaches start looking at you for athletics and that’s why I chose to play in the USTA Missouri Valley tournaments this year. It will get me more exposure and get my name out there better to college coaches than high school will.” Monaco, who has been undefeated in the Suburban Big Seven, was the district champion last year, finished sixth in the state in singles and helped guide the Jaguars to an eighthplace team finish at state, will not return to the court for South this year. Instead, Monaco, who was not allowed to play both high school and club tennis because of Missouri State High School Activities Association rules, will compete in the United States Tennis Association’s Missouri Valley tournament events. The tournaments consists of events held throughout the United States and is comprised of top boys tennis talent in the nation. “I’m not certain the number of matches I’ll get. It should be pretty even, but it depends on how I do in these tournaments,” said Monaco, who had a 24-4 overall record last season and went 3-2 in the state tournament. “And I’m going to try and play as much doubles as I can since you have to develop your double skills to be successful in college. But I’m trying to find someone who will be at some of the same tournaments I’m in.” And while Monaco is looking forward to testing himself in the Missouri Valley, he knows he will miss being a part of the Jaguars boys tennis team in he spring. “I think I took it harder than (my teammates) did,” said Monaco. “My teammates understood. I think they were disappointed, but I’m disappointed as well.” Jaguar boys tennis head coach Sheri Rehmer also took the news her top tennis player wasn’t returning relatively well. “I basically laid out my thought process and my decision and I think she understood,” Monaco said. “I’m pretty straight forward, but I’ll miss playing for her and the team.” “I respect his decision,” Rehmer said, “although I may not fully understand it.” Monaco began his Missouri Valley tournament schedule today in a USTA Futures Tournament in Tulsa, Okla.

Show-Me Showmen

2008-03-15T14:47:00.000-05:00

By Jake Singleton
The Journal Staff

Blue Springs’ Clarance Neely and Chris Chionuma help lead Missouri to a 32-24 win over Kansas in the 16th Annual U.S Army Metro Classic Dual.

Blue Springs seniors Chris Chionuma and Clarence Neely helped spark the Missouri all-star wrestling team to a 32-24 win over the Kansas all-stars in the 16th annual Army Metro all-star wrestling classic at Kansas City Community College. Chionuma, who was 33-4 overall and a state champion at 160-pounds, wrestled down a weight class to face Sabetha’s Jordan Meyer. Meyer entered the match 38-1 with his lone loss coming in state, but lost by technical fall (21-6) to Chionuma, who began a six-match winning streak by Missouri that allowed them to separate themselves from the order rivals. “Chris dominated his guy,” said Wildcat wrestling head coach Mike Hagerty. “It was truly a takedown clinic.” During the six-match stretch, Neely, who was 50-2 and a state champion at 171 pounds, kept things going with an 11-7 win over Leavenworth’s Phil Witt. Witt entered 42-8 overall and was a state runner-up. “Clarence dominated on his feet and struggled on the bottom against a guy who was very tough on top,” Hagerty said. Other Missouri winners included: Raymore-Peculiar’s Justin Forrest (119) 5-1 over Blue Valley’s Jake Tanenbaum; Kearney’s Colin Pierce (125) 15-8 over Blue Valley North’s Nathan McCormick; Platte County’s Tyler St. Louis (140) 8-5 over Gardner-Edgerton’s Aldon Isenberg; Oak Park’s Marcus Armato (160) 14-6 over Prarie View’s C.J. Randell; Oak Park’s Brent Hayes (189) 16-2 over Shawnee Mission’s Matt Baker; Oak Park’s Kolton Kono (215) 13-5 over St. Thomas Aquinas’ E.J. Walter and Oak Park’s Elijah Madison (285) 9-4 over Rossville’s Duane Zlatnik.

Chevy HHR SS handling, value good for performance

2008-03-15T14:45:00.000-05:00

By Mark Phelan
Detroit Free Press (MCT)

If there were ever a car to make you long for summer evenings, picnics and drives to the lake, it’s the 2008 Chevrolet HHR SS.
Particularly if you drive really, really fast on the way to the lake and appreciate good value and fuel economy.
The HHR SS is the amped-up performance model of Chevrolet’s compact retro wagon. Offering 260 horsepower, excellent handling, good fuel economy and a practical interior, it’s a beach party on wheels that delivers kick-in-the-pants power at a bargain price. The combination of funky looks, value and terrific performance make the HHR SS my favorite among the current crop of sport compacts.
It’s a spiritual successor to the surf wagons of yore, but with infinitely better handling and a 100,000-mile warranty on its high-output powertrain.
Prices for the 2008 HHR SS start at $22,375. All SS models come with a turbocharged 2.0- liter four-cylinder engine that produces 260 horsepower at 5,300 r.p.m. and an impressive 260 pound-feet of torque at 2,000 r.p.m. when linked to the standard five-speed manual transmission. The engine is detuned to 235 horsepower and 223 pound-feet when linked to an optional fourspeed automatic transmission.
I tested a well-equipped HHR SS with the manual transmission and a list of options that includes a limited-slip differential that virtually eliminates torque steer. It carried a sticker price of $25,604. All prices exclude destination charges.
The HHR SS competes with sporty compacts like the Dodge Caliber SRT4, Honda Civic Si sedan, Mazdaspeed 3 and Volkswagen GTI.
The Civic Si, Mazdaspeed 3 and VW GTI all beat the HHR SS handily on interior look and feel, but none of the cars can match its overall package of power, performance and value.
The Civic Si and GTI share the HHR SS’ dynamic virtues — clingy handling, good steering response and excellent brakes — but at 197 and 200 horsepower, respectively, neither approaches its level of brute force.
The Mazdaspeed 3 and Caliber SRT4 have the power, at 263 and 285 horsepower, respectively, but rampant torque steer makes both of them more work than play when driven hard.
The HHR SS also stacks up well in fuel economy. Its EPA ratings of 21 mpg city and 29 mpg highway essentially match the GTI and Civic Si and beat the Mazdaspeed 3 and Caliber SRT4. All of the cars require premium gasoline, due to the high output wrung from their four-cylinder engines.
I drove an HHR SS from Detroit to Chicago for the auto show and got a pleasant 27.2 mpg on a long, fast highway run.
The car acquitted itself equally well on sharp, twisting roads. The steering provided excellent feel and response and the sport-tuned suspension kept the HHR SS fl at and composed through highspeed curves.
The turbocharged engine revs freely and provides excellent power in all ranges from a full stop to high-speed passes. The manual transmission operates smoothly and the light clutch pedal won’t exhaust your left leg in stop-and-go city conditions. The detuned 235-horsepower engine mated to the four-speed automatic provides ample power, but lacks the excitement of the full-bore package.
The HHR SS is so stable and quick that it’s easy to lose track of your speed on the open road, as long as you have the optional 260-watt Pioneer stereo and like your tunes loud. Otherwise, the HHR transmits very noticeable road noise to the passenger compartment. Wind noise is minimal, however, and road noise is not an issue in city driving.
The interior offers the room and flexibility that helped make the HHR popular and adds sporty touches like a turbo boost gauge on the A-pillar.
Optional sport seats provide good support and comfort. They come in three color combinations and feature leather trim with mesh neoprene and suede seating surfaces. The doors also feature color-matched leather inserts, which look good, but do little to improve the comfort of the HHR’s hard armrests.
Hard plastic trim in a few other places, most notably the top of the door where you’re most likely to rest an elbow, are less appealing than the carefully crafted interiors of the Civic Si, GTI and Mazdaspeed 3.
Despite its minor shortcomings, though, the HHR SS is a blast, and a car anybody shopping for a affordable sporty compact should consider.

(c) 2008, Detroit Free Press

Inadvertent animal cruelty a side effect of Easter

2008-03-15T14:44:00.001-05:00

Special Easter pets are a part of the celebration for many families. That’s why
each year doting parents and grandparents race to the pet store or farm in search
of a baby chick or rabbit for the kids in their lives. Unfortunately, the joy of
those Easter bundles is often short-lived.
According to the American Humane Association, the vast majority of the baby bunnies, chicks and ducklings that are given as Easter gifts may only survive the first few weeks after the holiday. For animals that do survive, the novelty of the pet can wear off pretty quickly as cute babies turn into larger, adult rabbits, chickens and ducks. Here are some facts to consider:
The gift of a pet may be an unwelcome surprise. The recipient may not want or be permitted to have a pet.
Ducklings, chicks and bunnies are vulnerable animals. They require special feeding, care and consistent temperature control. They’re also very fragile. During the course of play, small children often unwittingly break the animals’ fragile bones and cause other fatal injuries.
If the novelty wears off, these animals are often released to animal control groups, where they could be euthanized. Other times, they’re simply left in the
woods or other area to fend for themselves.
This Easter, carefully weigh the options of bringing a bunny or chick into the house as a special pet for children. It may be better to substitute a stuffed animal in a real one’s place.
© 2008, Metro Newspaper Service

NINE WAYS TO CREATE ‘EGG’CEPTIONAL EASTER EGGS

2008-03-15T14:44:00.000-05:00

Special to the Journal

Easter egg coloring is one of the well-known traditions associated with the holiday Coloring eggs can be fun for children and adults alike.
As with many Christian holidays, some of the traditions associated with Easter are rooted in prior Pagan rituals or are influenced by European settlers to North America. Easter is a spring holiday, and spring is synonymous with fertility and new life. Eggs are thus linked to the festivities because of their connection to fertility. What’s more, according to History.com, German settlers in America are said to have brought over the tradition of a bunny named “Oschter Haws” who would visit houses on Easter eve, leaving colored eggs for children. Easter eggs were painted different colors to represent the sunlight of spring. Christians later used eggs to symbolize the rebirth of Christ.
For those who will be incorporating the magic of colored eggs in their festivities this year, there are several ways to adorn the eggs that go above and beyond the traditional coloring kits. Here are a few ideas to consider.
1. The well-known Paas coloring kit still remains a classic favorite, replete with dipping spoons and colored packets. Many companies have put their own spins on the coloring kit to include a brighter array of colors and even stickers and other embellishments.
2. There are shrink-wrap kits that feature plastic rings that shrink into place when the eggs are boiled. The rings are imprinted with an Easter design.
3. You can make your own egg dye with the following recipe: Combine 1/2 to 1 tablespoon of food coloring with 2 teaspoons white vinegar in a cup that can accommodate an egg. Add water to about the half-way point. Dip in the eggs with a spoon to color.
4. Tie-dye eggs can be created by wrapping rubber bands around eggs before dipping them into the dye. Remove the rubber bands after the dye has dried and see the designs that have resulted.
5. A similar technique can be achieved by using wax crayons and dye. Color designs onto the egg with the crayons, such as dots, lines or squiggles. When the eggs are dipped in the dye, the crayon will repel the dye and leave the designs in place. Those who don’t want to use dye with very young children can simply color in the eggs with the crayons.
6. ‘Egg’stra special designs can be made by using craft supplies to adorn the eggs. Make cute egg people or animals to display. How about an Easter bunny complete with cotton ball tail? Scour the craft store for stick-on jiggle eyes, fuzzy noses and more.
7. You can use regular acrylic paint to brush or sponge on designs. For safety’s sake, don’t eat any eggs that use a dye other than a natural food coloring.
8. Food and beverages can be used to create natural dyes. Boil eggs with beets, spinach, tea, blueberries and more to create the colors desired.
9. Use your imagination and rely on just about anything to make eggs dazzling. Glitter, markers, paints, stickers and so much more can help you to create one-of-a-kind eggs.

Hard-boil know-how

Of course eggs need to be hard-boiled before decorating. Place your eggs in a pot filled with cold water, covering the eggs. On medium-high heat, bring the water to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer the eggs for approximately 10 minutes. Place the boiled eggs in cold water to cool before coloring.

© 2008, Metro Newspaper

Cuddle up to Easter: Special lamb cake mold creates festive dessert

2008-03-15T14:43:00.001-05:00

By Donna Pierce
Chicago Tribune (MCT)

CHICAGO — Carole Kaempf of Westmont, Ill., was planning ahead when she
wrote to us requesting a recipe for a chocolate poundcake baked in a lamb mold — a set
of two cake pans that creates a three-dimensional dessert. We found more than the
recipe, which appeared in Good Eating in 2000.
We also found the 6-cup, two-piece cast-iron lamb mold that was used to bake it, hiding in the back of a test kitchen cupboard. We also found several of these super-sturdy pans on eBay, but you don’t have to get into a bidding war to find one for Easter.
Gretchen Homan, test kitchen manager at Wilton Industries, said that the company’s 6-cup, two-piece aluminum Stand-Up Lamb Pan mold is available for $13 online at wilton.com.

Holding on to summer

Last week, in the midst of yet another snowfall, Lambert Novak of Hammond, Ind., wrote us a welcome estament to the long-range benefits of growing a summer herb garden. Because he froze a batch of pesto he had made with his summer crop of basil, Novak was able to enjoy it throughout the winter.
“This morning,” he wrote, “I took out two frozen cubes of my pesto and let them thaw in the fridge.” Novak spread it on toast and, he added, “Now I am having the summer feast of my life.”
It’s not too early to begin planning a kitchen herb garden. Do any herb growers out there want to share their favorites to grow indoors, on the patio or in back-yard plots? Don’t forget to tell us how you use them.

Chocolate Easter lamb cake
Yield: 12 servings
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 1 hour

We used prepared frosting to decorate the cake; you also can make a batch of a favorite buttercream frosting. Because we had difficulty removing the cake from the two cast-iron molds we used, we rubbed oil in the interior of each before greasing and flouring — a strategy that did the trick. This recipe was developed in the Tribune test kitchen.
1 1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons plus
1 ½ teaspoons unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa
3 tablespoons each: boiling water, milk
1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/4 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract Vanilla buttercream frosting, sweetened flaked coconut, jelly beans
1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl; set aside. Whisk together cocoa, boiling water and milk; set aside.
2. Beat the butter with an electric mixer on medium speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the sugar gradually, beating until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating after each addition until mixture is smooth, about 5 minutes. Beat in the reserved cocoa-milk mixture and vanilla. Lower the mixer to low speed; add the flour mixture gradually, mixing just until combined.
3. Coat the interior of each half of the lamb mold with vegetable oil; let sit 5 minutes. Remove excess oil with a paper towel; grease and flour both interiors. Place the front half of the lamb mold face-down on a baking sheet. Pour batter to within 1/4 inch of rim. Place back half of mold on top. Bake 40 minutes. Remove the cake from the oven; turn the mold face side up. Return to the oven; bake until a tester tests clean, about 20 minutes.
4. Cool on wire rack 5 minutes; remove the front half of mold. Cool 10 minutes. Turn out the cake, supporting it with your hand and turning it faceside- up onto a wire rack. Cool completely before icing with frosting, using the frosting to cover any flaws in the cake.
Nutrition information per serving: 247 calories, 46 percent of calories from fat, 13 g fat, 8 g saturated fat, 83 mg cholesterol, 31 g carbohydrates, 3 g protein, 148 mg sodium, 1 g fiber
© 2008, Chicago Tribune

Try decorating Easter eggs naturally

2008-03-15T14:43:00.000-05:00

Special to the Journal

Decorating eggs is a traditional craft practiced by families and artisans around the world.
Some use decorating methods handed down over generations, such as the elaborately decorated pysanky of Slavic nations or the cascarones of Mexico. Others invent new ways to embellish their eggs each year — painting them, writing on them, turning them into funny faces, or trimming them with odds and ends from around the house. Many folks, though, prefer their eggs simply dyed in a rainbow of hues. For both children and adults, it can be fascinating to see the effects of dipping the eggs into different colored dyes.
You can decorate either hard-cooked eggs or empty eggshells. Hard-cooked eggs are a bit sturdier for children to use, while empty shells are best if you’re making an egg tree or want to keep the eggs on display for a considerable time. To dye your eggs, use commercial egg dyes, food coloring or dyes you make yourself from foods and spices. According to the American Egg Board, homemade natural dyes are easy to prepare and go well with all-natural eggs.
Simply toss your choice of a handful — or two or three —of one of the materials below into a saucepan. For spices, try a spoonful or two instead. Use your own judgment about quantity. This is an art, not a science. Add about a cup of water for each handful, so the water comes at least an inch above the dyestuff. Bring to boiling, reduce the heat and simmer from 15 minutes up to an hour, until the color is the shade you want. Keep in mind that the eggs will dye a lighter shade than the dye. Remove the pan from the heat.
To achieve the following colors, try these natural dye materials:
Pinkish red — Fresh beets, cranberries, radishes or frozen raspberries
Orange — Yellow onion skins
Delicate yellow — Orange or lemon peels, carrot tops, celery seed or ground cumin
Yellow — Ground turmeric
Pale green — Spinach leaves
Green-gold — Yellow Delicious apple peels
Blue — Canned blueberries or red cabbage leaves
Beige to brown — Strong brewed coffee or black tea
Brown-gold — Dill seeds
Brown-orange — Chili powder
Gray — Purple or red grape juice or beet juice
Through cheesecloth, a coffee filter or a fine sieve, strain the dye mixture into a small bowl that’s deep enough to completely cover the eggs you want to dye. Add two to three teaspoons of white vinegar for each cup of dye liquid. With a slotted spoon or wire egg holder from a dyeing kit, lower the eggs into the hot liquid. Let the eggs stand until they reach the desired color. For emptied eggshells, stir or rotate for even coloring. With the spoon or wire egg holder, remove the eggs to a rack or drainer. Allow the eggs to dry thoroughly. Within less than two hours, refrigerate hardcooked eggs that you intend to eat.
If you’d like a shiny finish, rub the dyed eggs with a bit of cooking oil. You can also use food-safe white glue to add natural decorations, such as beans, seeds, small pasta shapes or large pieces of spices. Be creative and experiment to express yourself in unique ways. For other eggdecorating ideas, visit www. IncredibleEgg.org.
Courtesy of ARAcontent

WHY SAVVY CONSUMERS KNOW THEIR SCORE AND MORE

2008-03-15T14:42:00.001-05:00

COMMENTARY by Jamshid Hoorfar

Are your personal files favorable? Your credit report and FICO tell only part of the story.
Do you pay your mortgage or rent on time? Are you in good health? It’s unlikely you will be asked these questions directly when you apply for a job, loan or insurance. But, those in a position to give you credit, health insurance or even a job are asking these questions and more, and answers come from a host of specialty consumer reporting bureaus that know a lot more about you than just your FICO score.
If you don’t know what’s in your files, it’s time to find out. Some simple sleuthing can help you confirm the accuracy of your reports, and put you in the driver’s seat when it comes to shopping for personal and financial services.

Start with your FICO

The “Big Three” national credit bureaus are Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax. These bureaus track your credit history and report a snapshot summary of it in a three-digit score known as your FICO. Higher scores earn you faster loan approval and better interest rates, among other perks.
It’s a good idea to request your report at least once a year and check it for accuracy. Contact the credit bureaus immediately with any disputes. If your score is low, consider working with a financial expert to learn what steps you can take to bring the number up.
Access your credit file by contacting:
Equifax (800-685-1111)
Experian (888- EXPERIAN)
Trans Union (800-916- 8800).
Beyond the big three

Specialty consumer reporting agencies operate much like the credit bureaus, and collect information about you from a variety of sources. Reports can offer detailed descriptions of your medical conditions, check writing history, homeowner and auto insurance claims, tenant history, criminal records and more.
Unfortunately there is no centralized place where you can access every available report, and not everyone has a file in every category. Still, it’s good to check, especially if you plan to apply for credit, private insurance, or if you’ve been the victim of identity theft.
Following are some bureaus that issue reports:
Insurance claim history:
ChoicePoint CLUE Reports: 1-866-312-8076.
A-Plus Reports: 1-800- 627-3487.
Medical history:
Medical Information Bureau for Medical History: 1-866-692-6901.
Resident History:
Tenant history: 1-877- 448-5732;
SafeRent: 1-888-333- 2413
Checking and savings account reports:
ChexSystems: 1-800- 428-9623.
Shared Check Authorization Network (SCAN): 1-800-262-7771.
Many consumers are in the dark about information in their credit file and other specialty reports. Don't wait until you’ve been denied a job, insurance or credit application. Do your homework now because when it comes to background and credit checks, knowledge really is power.
Jamshid Hoorfar, Financial Planner, PhD, CHFC, LUTCF, CLTC, offers investment advisory services through Prudential Financial Planning Services, a division of Pruco Securities, LLC. He can be reached at jamshid.hoorfar@prudential.com and 816-525-0900.

Former teacher starts in-home tutoring business

2008-03-15T14:41:00.001-05:00

By Miranda Wycoff
The Journal Staff

As a former teacher, Jayme Richardson has a passion for teaching that didn’t stop whenshe left the classroom to take care of her own three children.
That’s when she decided to get into the tutoring business.
Richardson, a graduate of Blue Springs High School, started a Club Z! in-home tutoring franchise for the Lee’s Summit, Blue Springs and Raymore areas in fall 2007. The tutoring began in Lee’s Summit, but Richardson has recently expanded into Blue Springs.
“Originally when I purchased the franchise, I purchased the Blue Springs area too,” she said. “I started in Lee’s Summit, but I wanted to expand into Blue Springs because it is close in proximity, a booming community and I grew up and graduated from there.”
There are more than 450 Club Z!s nationwide. but this is the first one on this side of Missouri.
When she found Club Z!’s Web site, Richardson said she fell in love with their philosophy based on nurturing self-esteem while working with curriculum provided by the students’ teachers.
She now has more than 25 tutors working for her, which include degreed professionals with prior tutoring experience and area teachers.
“I have tutors with Ph.D.s, professors at the local community college and teachers from the surrounding area school districts,”
Richardson said. “It’s amazing to me; all these people love children and they want to help people. I’m really excited about this.” Richardson said if an area student is interested in being tutored, she goes to the home and does a needs-assessment, comes up with goals for the child and looks at about how many hours per week he or she will need to work with a tutor. Then, Richardson matches the child with a tutor, not only based on geography, and schedules, but also based on shared interests and hobbies, she said.
“Its important that the child builds trust and a relationship with the tutor,” Richardson said. “They have a mentor they can count on to give them the special time and support needed to be successful in learning.”
The child works one-on-one with the tutor in the comfort of the child’s own home and works with the curriculum provided by the classroom teacher.
“We support the classroom teacher and we don’t give the child different work because we don’t want to confuse them,” Richardon said.
She said Club Z! tutors initiate communication with the child’s classroom teacher and get feedback from both the parents and the teachers on the student’s progress.
In addition to working with all parties — parents, teachers and students — Club Z! offers flexible month-to-month contracts.
“I taught for 12 years and no one can predict how long it is going to take a child to reach their goals,” Richardson said.
With the month-to-month contracts, students aren’t committed to paying for or receiving more than necessary, she said.
Since opening Club Z! for the Lee’s Summit area in August, Club Z! has serviced more than 35 families in the Blue Springs, Lee’s Summit and Raymore areas, Richardson said.
In addition to assisting students with their school’s curriculum, Richardson said Club Z! offers it’s own curriculum for “anyone who just wants to learn.”
This includes prekindergarten preparation, middle school and high school study skills, ACT and SAT preparations and foreign languages.
Richardson said the inhome component of Club Z! is important for both parents and students.
Parents don’t have to worry about providing transportation to a learning center, the tutor comes to them. The flexible schedules accommodate working parents and most tutoring is performed after normal business hours and on weekends.
Students, Richardson said, are able to learn in a secure, comfortable surrounding where they receive individual attention.
Club Z! offers tutoring services for pre-kindergarten to adult students in all subjects, including reading, math, science, computers, language arts, foreign languages and more.
Richardson said Club Z! is endorsed by the government for the No Child Left Behind Act and has forged partnerships with various social service programs to provide tutoring to those students who may not be able to afford it on their own.
“They focus on reaching all students and that’s what is really special about Club Z!,” Richardson said.
For more information on the Blue Springs-area Club Z!, call 816-965-0090 or visit the Web site at www.clubztutoring.com.

CULTIVATING ECONOMIC GROWTH FOR MISSOURI

2008-03-15T14:41:00.000-05:00

COMMENTARY by Matt Blunt

As governor, I have worked to cultivate economic growth and make Missouri
a state of opportunity by enacting pro-jobs, progrowth initiatives.
Before I took office, the state was losing jobs at an alarming rate, 34,000 in the previous four years. Missouri state government faced a $1.1 billion budget deficit. Education funding had been cut and withheld and we were suffering from a legal system tilted in favor of personal injury lawyers. As a candidate, I pledged to change the way state government operates and to improve the business climate in our state.
I am very pleased to report that our changes are working and our state economy is on solid financial ground. This is in vast contrast to what many other states are experiencing. According to a survey conducted by the National Governors Association, 19 states are projecting a shortfall for fiscal 2008 in the amount of $14.6 billion and 22 states are projecting shortfalls for fiscal 2009 in the amount of $32.2 billion.
Due to the positive changes we have made, Missouri is not projecting a shortfall this year or next year, and instead, is projecting growth. With the help of your elected representatives we have turned an inherited $1.1 billion budget deficit into three consecutive surpluses in a row. We have dramatically increased spending on education, and we have implemented meaningful lawsuit reform that has leveled the playing field in Missouri courtrooms.
We also enacted the Missouri Quality Jobs Act that provides Missouri communities with new tools to attract high paying jobs to Missouri. To qualify for the incentives under the Quality Jobs Program potential employers have to provide a competitive wage in the county and have to provide health benefits to their employees. Our state is already witnessing a very real impact from the Quality Jobs Act. Since its creation, Quality Jobs has helped create more than 22,000 new jobs across Missouri.
Most importantly, by changing our state’s business climate, we have helped Missouri entrepreneurs, small businesses, and large employers to create 94,700 jobs in our state since I took office in January 2005.
While our state economy is growing and improving, concerns over the national economy and housing markets are creating worries for families. Rising gas prices make commutes even more onerous for Missourians. Rising food prices is cutting into family budgets. That is why it is so important to Missouri families for us to continue on our path of increasing jobs, lower taxes and efficiency in state government.
While we are helping grow Missouri’s economy, we are also shrinking the size of state government. A recent survey released from the Pew Center on States and Governing magazine confirmed that the positive changes my administration has made are working.
According to Pew, Missouri tied for fourth in the country in the management of state government and received a higher grade than all eight surrounding states. Missouri received a “B+,” the second highest grade issued to states this year by Pew. The magazine article about the survey stated, “Missouri has a track record of extremely conservative fiscal management and currently is in strong structural balance.”
Missouri’s excellent showing is another sign that effective management has put our state back on the right track and we have done it by putting Missouri families, Missouri values and Missouri taxpayers first. Our sound economic and management policies are paying dividends for Missourians.
With the dedication of Missouri’s working men and women, together we are letting businesses know that Missouri is open for business. Our changes are working and Missouri’s families are benefiting from sustained economic growth at the state level.

Matt Blunt, Missouri governor, is a guest columnist for the Journal. To respond to today’s commentary, call the Journal’s Rant & Rave line at 816-282-7020, or send comments via the Internet at www.bluespringsjournal.com.

Pondering the three presidential candidates still standing

2008-03-15T14:40:00.001-05:00

COMMENTARY by Mick Mithelavage

We still have several months in which to make up our minds about who should be our next president, but now might be a good time to remind everyone what we’re trying to accomplish. This prolonged Democratic primary period is starting to get a bit stale, and we need to stay focused on the objective.
There’s no doubt the current Republican
administration has made some historical blunders, but then, what administration hasn’t? No matter who’s in office, no matter what party controls Congress or how strong or weak the economy is at the time, every past president has had his share of self-inflicted wounds. Stuff happens. So let’s put aside the personal biases and political agendas and find someone for the Oval Office who we the people can look up to. Unlikely? Perhaps.
Impossible? I hope not.
The reason why it’s so hard to find such a leader is not because we don’t have excellent candidates. It’s because the best candidates are not willing to subject themselves to the public ridicule and personal attacks. Why should they?
Add the meager salary, and only an ambitious politician would take the job. Until our country returns to a more caring, more courteous, more understanding nation,
all the heroic leaders, the top-notch managers and the most savvy decision makers
will continue to swap CEO positions among their Fortune 500 corporations. The Catch-
22 is that we won’t become a more caring, more courteous, more understanding nation
until we find that one-of-akind leader to take us there.
So, as it turns out, our current electoral system has left us with these three folks from whom we can choose: a) a female lawyer, b) a young black man, and c) an old white guy. And believe it or not, some Americans will place their vote based solely on these simple descriptions. Forget the knowledge; ignore the leadership qualities; disregard the issues. Just vote for the person who most resembles yourself. If only there was a Lithuanian running for the job, my decision would be much easier.
So, for those who want a quick look at the last standing politicians who want to take over for Dubya, here’s my view.
Hillary Clinton: Some people actually accept Hillary’s claim that living in the White House while her hubby was president qualifies as “experience” for leading our nation. No doubt she had some unique experiences during those eight years, but experience to be Commander-in-Chief?
Don’t think so. To a huge section of America, her most attractive qualifier is her gender. If she was a man with the same resumé, would she be in the running? Doubt it.
Barack Obama: He truly is a fabulous public speaker, and he has served about half of a full term in the U.S. Senate. And then there’s… well… there’s the… hhhmmm… end of story I guess. Oh, there is one other thing. His late father was Kenyan. That one fact alone will be enough for millions of Americans to vote for him. If Barack were Hispanic, would Oprah have endorsed him? Doubt it.
John McCain: Forty years ago, his Air Force jet was shot down from under him. The same thing happened to George H.W. Bush, but that didn’t make him a good president. The fact that McCain had the misfortune of being captured by the enemy and withstanding years of agony is testament to his stamina and strong will, but leadership? He’s been in Washington D.C. for 25 years, and he says he can change things now. Why did he wait so long?
As we listen to the rhetoric and the bickering and the school yard whining about each other’s paid political announcements, let’s keep in mind one thing: We have hundreds of men and women taking up space in the U.S. Capitol and, as a whole, they all need to move in step to get us anywhere. The person we select to lead this batch of professional politicians needs to have that very rare talent of leadership. As of right now, I would not feel comfortable following Hillary or Barack anywhere, and I’m not too sure about the old white guy either.

Mick Mithelavage, a Lee’s Summit resident and author, is a guest columnist for the Journal. To respond to today’s commentary, call the Journal’s Rant & Rave line at 816-282-7020, or send comments via the Internet at www.bluespringsjournal.com.

NEWS BRIEFS

2008-03-15T14:40:00.000-05:00

Forensics tournament winners

Brittany Hill Middle School competed in its first forensics tournament of the year on March 7 at the Blue Springs Middle School tournament. The squad of seventh- and eighth-graders placed third overall.
Individual winners were: Taylor Carr and Tyler Eisenreich — first place humorous duet interp; Anson Long-Seabra second place prose; Mary O’Neal and Megan Meadows — second place duet improvisational acting; Marissa
Gallego — third place oratory; Kierstin Benefi el and Sarah Hamar — third place dramatic duet acting; Miranda Pratt and Megan Goss — third place duet improvisational acting; Taylor Carr and Anna Brooks — fourth place dramatic duet acting; Ida Alalew — fourth place impromptu speaking; Tyler Eisenreich and Amanda Trosen — fifth place duet improvisational acting; Kierstin Benefiel — fifth place prose; Rebekah Singleton
— fifth place oratory; Mason Hawk and Michelle Byers — fifth place humorous duet acting.
Their coaches are Fran Keal, Janifer Alpers and Katie Schmidt.

Centerpoint Medical Center Receives re-accreditation as a chest pain center

We’re proud to announce that Centerpoint Medical Center has received full accreditation from the Accreditation Review Committee of the National Society of Chest Pain Centers. Centerpoint was an accredited Chest Pain Center upon opening and went through a re-accreditation survey several weeks ago. Accreditation expires in 2011.
Heart attacks are the leading cause of death in the United States, with 600,000 dying annually of heart disease. More than five million Americans visit hospitals each year with chest pain.
The goal of the Society of Chest Pain Centers is to significantly reduce the mortality rate of these patients by teaching the public to recognize and react to the early symptoms of a possible heart attack, reduce the time that it takes to receive treatment, and increase the accuracy and effectiveness of treatment.

LET THEM EAT CAKE

2008-03-15T14:39:00.001-05:00

Special to the Journal

On Feb. 29, students at Delta Woods Middle School were served cake during lunch by PTSA members Jennifer Guinty and Ava Payne, in collaboration with the library media center, to celebrate Dr. Seuss’ birthday March 2.

Domo arigato, Mr. Roboto

2008-03-15T14:39:00.000-05:00

Special to the Journal

The Blue Springs High School Robotics Team 1996 recently earned the Motorola Quality Award at FIRST Robotics regional competition in Kansas City. The BSHS robotics team earned a spot in the finals at the regional competition. Team 1996, comprised of 20 BSHS students, is in its second year of existence. The Kansas City regional competition took place from March 6 to 8.

BS man sent to prison for identity theft

2008-03-15T14:38:00.000-05:00

The Journal Staff

A Blue Springs man was sentenced more than a year in prison last week for stealing the identity of an Army major who was stationed in Kuwait.
Richard Stanley, 34, of Blue Springs, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Gary A. Fenner on March 4 to one year and six months in federal prison without parole.
The court also ordered Stanley to pay $36,475 in restitution to several victims and to forfeit to the government three laptop computers, seven cell phones, 27 computer hard drives, and 96 American Cash Advance cards and assorted credit cards in other people’s names, financial documents in other people’s names and a birth certificate in another person’s name.
On Sept. 13, 2007, Stanley pleaded guilty to identity theft. Stanley admitted that he obtained identity information of other people by searching through trash dumpsters, then opening credit card accounts — usually by applications submitted over the Internet — which were used to make purchases and ATM withdrawals.
Victims who had charges made to accounts in their names included more than 10 people but less than 50 people. The total sustained loss was at least $36,475. Among the identity theft victims is an Army major who was stationed in Kuwait at the time of the offense. Stanley admitted that he made at least six purchases on a credit card in that victim’s name, totaling $1,822.
The case is being prosecuted by Executive Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel M. Nelson. It was investigated by the U.S. Secret Service and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.

BLUE SPRINGS PLANNING COMMISSION RECOMMENDS RECYCLING CENTER PLAN

2008-03-15T14:37:00.000-05:00

By Russ Pulley
Special to the Journal

Blue Springs might get a recycling center, run by a private company that intends to open a trash-transfer facility in the city.
The Planning Commission on Monday recommended approval of a concept plan for a “materials recovery facility” proposed by Evergreen Reclamation and Recycling Inc. The local company wants to build on a 12-acre site along Missouri 7 at the north end of town, on the east side of the highway, between Pink Hill Road and Argo Road.
Blue Springs residents would be able to drop off sorted recyclable materials for free. The facility also could take yard waste, but there might be a fee.
Commissioner George Abbott, who also is a member of the city’s Solid Waste Commission and an environmental engineer, said the city for some time has wanted to make a recycling center available to residents.
“This is an exciting concept, if it’s done right,” Abbott said.
The material recovery facility’s money-making potential comes from providing trash haulers with a more efficient way to get rid of refuse they pick up in neighborhoods.
“Packer” trucks aren’t designed to carry trash long distances on highways. At the proposed facility, they could pull those trucks into the building, dump the load on the floor, where high-loaders would move it into 18-wheelers to be taken to a landfill.
The company also plans to eventually extract recyclable materials from the trash. That could start in six months to three years, when volume has reached a point to make that economically feasible, said Roy Browne, an architect representing Evergreen.
In that phase, the trash would go onto a conveyer and workers would take out cardboard, aluminum and other valuable material to be baled and sent to recyclers. The remaining trash — its volume reduced by about 25 percent — is trucked to a landfill.
Altogether, proponents say, it can save wear and tear on city streets and trucks and save and reduce the volume of trash going to landfills. And that would help hold down the price of residential trash collections, Browne said. Individual Blue Springs residents could sort their own recyclables. If they desire, they also could dispose of other trash for a fee.
The proposed facility would be in an area zoned industrial and next to a construction waste landfill that was once a junkyard.
Commissioners questioned Browne and company owner Aaron Day about various aspects of its operations, such as possible odor and noise and traffic on Missouri 7.
Browne noted that the nearest house was 760 feet away and the site was about one mile from the nearest subdivision.
No trash would be stored on site. Instead, it would be hauled away daily, after being transferred to tractor-trailers inside the building, so the company anticipats no odor problems. There also would be a long driveway from the highway to the building.
“I don’t think you’d be aware of the noise,” Browne said.
No residents spoke at the commission to oppose the project.
Commissioner Keith Sullivan, who cast the single vote against approval, asked whether the facility would draw more trash trucks from outside Blue Springs.
Browne said the plan was to have trucks from the region use the facility, with the traffic on state highways. But the number of trips packer trucks make on Blue Springs residential streets should drop, he said.
The Planning Commission voted to recommend that the City Council approve the facility.
There are more regulatory steps the facility must clear before it opens.
It will have to submit plans to the city for controlling storm water, litter and odors. The Missouri Department of Transportation will have to approve its design for
the entrance, to make sure it is safe for motorists on the highway. And it needs permits from the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.
It is expected to take six months for approval of the drop-off recycling portion of the project and a year to get approval for the transfer station, Browne said.

Parks and Rec Department outlines goals

2008-03-15T14:36:00.001-05:00

By Miranda Wycoff
The Journal Staff

It has been eight years since the city of Blue Springs has updated its Parks and Recreation Strategic Plan, but last week a new plan was presented to the City Council.
According to city information, there was a Parks Strategic Plan created in 1995 and updated in 2000. Each plan was intended to last five years.
As a part of the strategic plan update process, a citizen’s committee was formed and, according to Roscoe Righter, director of parks and recreation for the city of Blue Springs, more than 40 citizens attended each meeting.
The parks and recreation department, the citizens group and the consulting firm hired to create the new plan identified three areas that the plan should address: people, places and progress.
According to the city information, citizens of Blue Springs want their parks and recreation department to something for everybody, provide strong leadership and good staff, look after the health and well-being of the
community and keep people happy and in Blue Springs.
In the place category, the citizens want the parks department to provide new and unique places and open spaces, provide a long-range
view for the facilities, provide good programs and parks and invest in the maintenance and
development of new parks, according to city information.
In order to progress, the consulting group found that the citizens want the parks department to be able to support the growing
needs of the community, provide creative and diverse programming, invest in the community’s quality of life and expand the reach of the department.
To address these needs, the strategic plan is outlined by five general goals.
The first goal addressed by the updated strategic plan is to build new and maintain current facilities to serve the growing needs of the community.
According to city information, a survey done during the parks strategic plan update process shows that
citizens satisfaction with the maintenance of city parks and park equipment has declined
approximately 10 percent since 2000. In addition, the survey shows that satisfaction
with athletic fields other than Hidden Valley has decreased, from 71 percent in 2000 to 51
percent in 2007.
In order to address these concerns and to reach the first goal, the parks strategic plan outlines several objectives. These include providing aquatic facilities, providing facilities to house performing arts and community activities and providing a facility for outdoor athletic activities to accommodate people of all ages and people with special needs, according to city information.
The second goal outlined is to provide the city with parks and open spaces that would meet the city’s parks and recreation standards.
According to city information, resident
satisfaction with the number of city parks has declined from 80 percent in 2000 to 76 percent in 2007.
To address these concerns the strategic plan states that the parks department would
like to acquire parkland in the southern and eastern areas of the city, develop appropriate facilities for open space and continue to update and revise parks and open space
standards.
The third goal outlined in the strategic plan is to provide programming that meets the
needs of all age groups and persons with special needs.
To achieve this goal the strategic plan suggests providing opportunities for intergenerational interaction, identify future programming needs, provide health- and wellness-focused programs, more youth sports programs and programs for people with special needs.
The fourth goal is to adequately fund planning, land acquisition, design, construction, operation and maintenance of the current and future facilities and services.
The last goal outlined by the plan is to enhance and promote the image of the Blue Springs Parks and Recreation Department.
In order to achieve this goal, the strategic plan states that the department needs to achieve accreditation and programming accreditation, make the city an area leader in unique programming services, implement and fully fund the
marketing plan and create and install signs to educate the public regarding the facilities.

The Final Shots

2008-03-08T14:00:00.001-06:00

The Blue Springs girls basketball team fell 58-52 in the Class 5 sectional to undefeated Hickman Mills.

On the Money: Finding the best price on gas

2008-03-08T14:00:00.000-06:00

By Chuck Myers
McClatchy-Tribune News Service(MCT)

It's become a broken record over the past several years: Gas prices are going up - again.Finding the lowest gas price in your area can prove challenging. A spin on the information highway before heading out on the paved roads, however, might save you time, effort and a bit cash at the pump.Several good Web sites provide drivers with comparative gas prices information in specific areas. Here are a couple of those locales:- Automotive.comwww.automotive.com/gas-prices/index.htmlCheck gas prices in a specific area by selected a state or by entering a zip code.- FuelMeUp.comwww.fuelmeup.comLocate gas prices in a specific area by city and state, or zip code.- GasBuddy.comwww.gasbuddy.comSelect a U.S. state or Canadian province to begin search for lowest local gas prices by zip code.- GasPriceWatch.comwww.gaspricewatch.comUse an interactive map to find gas stations and prices in your area, or enter zip code or street names for price results.- Motor Trendwww.motortrend.com/gas (underscore) pricesDig for lowest gas prices by searching down through a state, county and city.(c) 2008, McClatchy-Tribune Information Services

FORD, GM, TOYOTA SELL FEWER CARS IN FEBRUARY

2008-03-08T13:59:00.001-06:00

By Shawn Langlois
MarketWatch(MCT)

SAN FRANCISCO - Ford Motor Co., General Motors Corp. and Toyota Motor Corp. on Monday all reported declines in February U.S. sales, reflecting the tough climate for consumers during the persistent housing slump and credit crunch.Dearborn, Mich.-based Ford said that it sold 196,681 cars and trucks last month, down 6.9 percent from 211,150 a year earlier. Another drop in fleet sales offset a strong showing on the retail side from the Focus sedan and the Edge crossover.November 2007, which marked the end of a yearlong losing streak for Ford, was the last time the maker of the Blue Oval brand reported a year-over-year increase.Ford's longtime best-selling F-Series pickup saw a 4.9 percent drop to 52,548 trucks, with demand stung by the decline in construction. Overall, trucks fell 5.6 percent while cars declined 9.3 percent.There was one more selling day in February 2008 than during the same period a year ago.The automaker also cut its second-quarter production plans by 10 percent to 730,000 to reflect the current economic weakness.The industry is in a "crisis, but a crisis is both good news and bad news," Dave Cole, Chairman for the Center for Automotive Research, said. "Crisis is bad news because it's very, very uncomfortable, but it's good news because it helps create a sense of urgency to make the fundamental changes required." Analyst Itay Michaeli pointed to the weak housing market, Ford's "relatively older product lineup" and worsening consumer credit as just some of the hurdles the company faces in 2008.General Motors reported a 12.9 percent decline in light vehicle sales to 308,411 cars and trucks. The car side fell 1.2 percent while light trucks dropped 19.2 percent. Cadillac, boosted by its car lineup, was the only GM brand to show a year-over-year improvement. Saturn took the biggest hit, down 33.4 percent.Chevy, GM's flagship brand, saw sales drop 11.2 percent to 166,166 cars and trucks.GM also cut its second-quarter production forecast 5 percent to 1.08 million vehicles."We think there's going to be a lot of stimulus in the economy in the second half of the year, and we're banking on that," GM sales analyst Mike DiGiovanni said in a conference call following the results.The company also named Frederick "Fritz" Henderson president and chief operating officer and Ray Young chief financial officer. Most recently, Henderson served as vice chairman and chief financial officer, while Young served as group vice president of finance.Elsewhere, Chrysler also blamed a pullback in fleet business for its 14 percent drop in sales to 150,093 vehicles even as the car side came in with a 9 percent increase. Truck sales dropped 22 percent.Toyota reported that February U.S. sales fell 2.8 percent to 182,169 vehicles, down from 187,330 last year.The Japanese giant's Toyota-brand division posted sales of 160,892 cars and trucks, down from 164,812 last February, while its luxury Lexus division saw a decline to 21,277 units from 22,518 a year ago.Sales of the Corolla sedan dropped to 21,202 vehicles from 28,321 last year, and Camry sales increased to 34,914 vehicles from 32,148 a year ago.Honda Motor Co. posted an improvement from a year ago, selling 115,397 vehicles compared with 110,026 in February 2007. Both the car and truck side handed in gains. Sales in the luxury Acura division, however, declined.Nissan Motors said sales rose 1.2 percent to 86,219 vehicles from 85,218 a year earlier. Nissan brand sales climbed to 76,151 from 75,514 while Infiniti division sales also gained to 10,068 from 9,704.Car sales increased to 42,012 from 41,249 while truck sales dropped marginally to 34,139 from 34,265 during the period.Separately, Daimler AG said sales climbed 7.3 percent to 18,564 vehicles. Sales of C-Class vehicles gained 49.5 percent to 5,781 units from a year ago.However, sales of the E-Class saw a drop of 16.6 percent to 2,547 units and S-Class sales fell 28 percent to 1,533 vehicles.The industry raised incentives by 8.4 percent from a year ago, bringing the level of promotional spending back to where it was before automakers vowed to move away from the strategy that tends to erode profits and devalue brands, according to Edmunds.com."To combat this soft market, automakers are once again putting remarkably generous dollar amounts on the hoods and ironically reestablishing consumer expectations that they will be offered dramatic deals," Edmunds.com analyst Jesse Toprak said. "It's a car-buyer's market, and that will likely be true for months to come."General Motors showed the biggest increase to $3,315 per car from $2,694 a year ago, thanks mostly to the Saab and Cadillac brands.Chrysler spent the most overall at $3,579 per vehicle, with Ford not too far behind at $3,297.All three Japanese carmakers raised their spending as well. Nissan's incentives jumped to $2,159 from $1,788 a year earlier, while Toyota and Honda spend more than $1,000 each.(c) 2008, MarketWatch.com Inc.

Window boxes bring out container gardening

2008-03-08T13:59:00.000-06:00

By Norman Winter
McClatchy-Tribune News Service (MCT)

Container gardening has exploded in popularity with about 47 percent of American households admitting to some form of container gardening.There are a lot of great reasons to garden in containers, in addition to the fun. Compared to fighting tight, heavy clay in the landscape, it's also easier to provide a good environment when it comes to soil or planting mixes for your plants.One form of container gardening starting to increase in popularity is the window box planting. I recently visited a decorating store that was full of reproduction paintings. One painting obviously done in Europe in the 1800s really caught my eye. The narrow streets were lined with window-box plantings and created an almost festive look. It was clear that even way back then, people knew a lot about design using thrillers, fillers and spillers.The reasons that people garden in containers vary, but almost half claim to garden for decoration. They want to enjoy the beauty of the flowers and have them enhance the appearance of the home's outdoor environment. So it makes sense that the window box is seeing a revival, too.The rules for window boxes are similar to other types of container planting. Other than making sure you have holes in the bottom of your container or box for drainage, the most important consideration is a good, lightweight potting mix. It seems like wherever you look there are ads promoting the $1.49 special for a 40-pound bag of potting soil. As you pick it up, it even feels like you are getting 60 pounds for the same price.Truthfully, this heavy product seldom yields happiness with container-grown plants. It is prone to holding water, which will inevitably prove fatal to your flowers.Good lightweight potting soils are usually not sold by the pound but by the cubic foot. Though the bags are twice as large as the $1.49 special, they are easy to pick up and load. Many have controlled-released fertilizer mixed in. These bags are more expensive, but you will need fewer of them, and in the end you will have thriving plants.Window boxes actually can be wooden boxes, brick and mortar boxes, or containers resting in iron frames. The end result, with flowers hanging over the rims, will be beautiful no matter what the boxes are made of.You can stick with the recipe of "thriller, filler and spiller" for your window box, although I think the spiller takes on a slightly more important role.The thriller plant (usually the tallest and planted in the middle) reaches out and grabs your interest with its texture or incredible beauty. In a window box, it can be a tall, colorful flower, or it can be a plant giving a grass-like texture, such as an African iris, a soft rush or an actual grass.Spiller plants fall over the edge and can give a strong vertical element in the container if allowed to reach several feet. Here you might try a variegated vinca like Wojo's Gem, English ivy or even a sweet potato. You also can have blooming spillers like trailing verbena.The filler plants may be greenery, colorful foliage or even flowers like Diamond Frost euphorbia, but they fill up the pockets in between the thriller and spiller plants.Remember that as you water daily during the summer, your window boxes will quickly leach their nutrients, meaning you need to fertilize more often.Container gardening - whether it's in window boxes or large pots - allows you to be the Monet of your project. Have fun.(c) 2008, McClatchy-Tribune Information Services

SOUND OFF

2008-03-08T13:57:00.000-06:00

Do you think teens need to practice what to do in emergency driving situations, or should they be taught how to avoid those types of situations?

Let us know your thoughts. Call the Journal’s Rant & Rave line at 816-282-7020.

Supporting our institutions of higher learning

2008-03-08T13:56:00.000-06:00

COMMENTARY By Matt Blunt
Special to the Journal

When I ran for governor I promised to make education my highest priority. I fought to change the old way that had allowed education funding to become a pawn in budget battles. Students, teachers and classrooms suffered under the way things were. When education was just an afterthought, education funding was cut and withheld to cover out-of-control spending in other areas. We kept our promise never to cut or withhold education funding. In fact my budgets represent the largest increase in education funding without a tax increase. Over the last three years we have put Missouri students first. It is my goal for students in Missouri to know that they can receive a world class education in Missouri and that the opportunities available at Missouri colleges and universities will serve them well through life. Higher education is an investment and students who choose to attend a college or university in Missouri can be assured that they will receive a high-quality education that has a good return on their investment. With cooperative and productive relationships with higher education officials and presidents across the state, we secured a historic higher education package that will provide Missouri students with unprecedented assistance in attending quality higher education institutions in Missouri. We have more than doubled scholarship funding for students, have increased funding for higher education and are providing $335 million for state-of-the-art learning centers for students through my Lewis and Clark Discovery Initiative. One of the higher education institutions that is benefiting from the changes we have enacted is the University of Missouri system in Columbia, Kansas City, St. Louis and Rolla. The University of Missouri is one of the nation's largest and most prestigious public research universities, with more than 63,000 students on four campuses. They are on the cutting edge of forward-looking research in field such as the life sciences, and a partner in our efforts to help students learn and apply skills in math, engineering, technology and science. I am looking forward to working with its new president, Gary Forsee, who I believe shares my commitment to the University of Missouri and higher education in our state. His leadership capabilities and deep roots in Missouri will bring valuable expertise and experience to the four campus system and I believe he will serve our state and students well. The Missouri General Assembly recently passed two important priorities for the system, my funding proposal for the Ellis Fischel Cancer Center at the University of Missouri-Columbia and the University of Missouri-Kansas City's Pharmacy and Nursing Building with the passage of House Bill 2019. The Ellis Fischel Cancer Center will receive $31.2 million from the Lewis and Clark Discovery Initiative to help deliver high-quality, comprehensive cancer care in a new, state-of-the-art facility and help to increase the capacity of cancer clinics to accommodate projected increases in new cancer patients due to an aging population. The University of Missouri-Kansas City will receive $15 million through the initiative to provide needed space for new educational and instructional areas in nursing and pharmacy with enhanced student services and state-of-the-art classroom and clinical simulation laboratory spaces. Through the Lewis and Clark Discovery initiative we are also completing important projects at UMR, UMSL and UMC's agricultural research facilities. University of Missouri students are also benefiting from the Access Missouri Scholarship program we created to level the playing field for scholarship applicants and ensure that Missouri's neediest students receive the support they need to make an investment in their future. The Access Missouri Scholarship program is providing more than 38,000 students with scholarships including 8,074 University of Missouri students, and has distributed more than $51 million in needs-based assistance so far this school year. Of course, in addition to its many achievements in academic excellence, the University of Missouri is also home to the Mizzou Tigers who had a tremendous season winning the Big 12 North Championship, defeating the Kansas Jayhawks to earn a national No. 1 ranking and beginning this year with a victory over Arkansas at the Cotton Bowl. Missouri is home to many great colleges and universities such as the University of Missouri System. To support these institutions of higher learning we have changed the policies of the past by ending the education funding cuts and withholdings and supporting the students who attend these colleges and universities.Matt Blunt, Missouri governor, is a guest columnist for the Journal. To respond totoday's commentary, call theJournal's Rant & Rave line at816-282-7020, or send comments via the Internet atwww.bluespringsjournal.com.

Keeping our kids safer at school

2008-03-08T13:55:00.001-06:00

COMMENTARY By Brian Yates
Special to the Journal

Too often in the media, we hear of teachers having inappropriate relationships with their students. Last week in the capitol, my colleagues and I in the Missouri House approved a bill that would play a key role in increasing the safety of our children while they are in school. House Bill 1314 will give parents peace of mind by ensuring that inappropriate conduct by faculty or staff will be dealt with more quickly and with stricter guidelines.Under current Missouri statutes, when a school employee is reported as a possible child abuser, the school board receives reports from the juvenile officer investigating the case as well as from its own investigator, after which the board determines whether the claims of abuse are substantiated. Only then would the claim be reported to the Children's Division of the Missouri Department of Social Services. Under HB 1314, any allegation of sexual misconduct would have to be reported to the Children's Division within 24 hours of school officials receiving the complaint, so that it can be dealt with immediately.The bill also creates the Office of the Child Advocate, which offers mediation services when allegations of abuse arise. And if a school district allows an employee to resign after a claim of abuse has been filed, the district must disclose the allegations to any district that hires that employee in the future.Communication between teachers and students also is addressed in HB 1314. By Jan. 1, 2009, all districts must have a policy in place that outlines when verbal and non-verbal communication would be deemed inappropriate. Policies must also be established governing a teacher's use of social networking sites, such as MySpace and Facebook, and any work-related Web site would be prohibited unless it is readily available to parents and school administrators.Sexual misconduct in the second and third degrees, and sexual contact with a student on school property are added to the list of offenses that would cause a teacher's license to be revoked or denied. Non-certified school employees who are required to have a background check prior to employment would have to be re-checked every year. And most importantly, the 20-year statute of limitation on sexual offenses involving a person 18 or younger would be repealed.I am hopeful that this legislation will pass through the Senate without opposition. This bill will protect children at school and stop the cycle of abuse that can occur when school employees don't receive thorough investigation or move to a new district.This weekin the capitolMany thanks to Stephanie Roush and Mayor Don Reimal of Independence for coming down to Jefferson City to visit in support of Missouri tourism, and to Keith Asel of Commerce Bank for stopping by my office. Thanks also to James Freeman, Kathy Hofmann, Ron Williams, Steve Arbo, Brian Scott and Bob Hadley of the city of Lee's Summit for their recent visit.If you have any questions or comments about this week's report or any other issue, write to me by mail at my capitol office, call 573-751-0907 or e-mail Brian.Yates@house.mo.gov.Brian Yates, District 56 state representative, is a guest columnist for the Journal. To respond to today's commentary, call theJournal's Rant & Rave line at 816-282-7020 or send comments via the Internet at www.bluespringsjournal.com.

Disney flair coming to Chapman Farms?

2008-03-08T13:55:00.000-06:00

By Russ Pulley
Special to the Journal

Blue Springs may see a project that echoes Disney's famous Celebration subdivision in Orlando, which would be built in the Chapman Farms development in the south side of the city.The City Council on Monday approved rezoning and concept plans for nearly 200 acres at M-7 and Wyatt Road to pave the way for new proposals from developer Tom Williams. He is planning projects for two tracts: a 160-acre project called The Village of Chapman Farms at the southeast corner and catty-corner on the northwest, a 60-acre project called Chapman Woods Village.The Village project was to include restaurants and retail buildings along Missouri 7 and Wyatt Road. In a second tier from the highway would be two-story buildings with first-floor commercial space and residences or offices above. Still farther back would be 110 brownstone-style row houses for single-family residences. Also it would include "mansion home" apartments, which externally have the appearance of an estate house, but inside contain four to six units. That project totaled 469 dwelling units and 710,000 square feet of commercial space.Prices for the row houses could run from $150,000 to $600,000, said attorney Kim Roam, speaking for the developer.Farthest from the highway, the developer intends to add traditional-style neighborhood housing, with alleyways and rear-entrance garages.In Chapman Woods Village, there would be a community for senior citizens, with 20 single-family cottages, duplexes and assisted-living apartments and a skilled-nursing facility. It also includes 57 row houses, some duplexes, office buildings and retail.Councilwoman Sissy Reed praised the project, saying it would be an exciting addition to the city. "Not subdivisions that all look alike," she said.The other council members agreed they liked 90 percent of the overall plan, but disagreed on technical points of the zoning request, throwing the council into several hours of debate.Council members Shelia Solon, Ron Fowler and Lyle Shaver had serious misgivings about using Central Business District zoning as a choice to allow construction of the row houses. Another concern was whether the city could require phasing to assure that businesses were built as well as the housing. It cannot.Solon suggested that multifamily zoning was more appropriate, saying the overlay concept plan also being considered Monday night would still allow the row houses.Solon, Fowler and Shaver voted against the Central Business zoning, causing a tie when Jeff Quibell, Sissy Reed and Joe Stubblefield voted for it. Mayor Steve Steiner broke the tie, approving the zoning.Williams, to persuade the council to support his plan, said it was in Chapman Farms' best interest to complete the entire project. The retail component allows the developer to make the most money, he said.Williams said previous projects by other developers that didn't live up to expectations were haunting the Council, but he would deliver what was being promised."Your goal for a quality project and our goal for a quality project is the same," Williams said. "Our reputation is at stake, but more importantly, our pocket book is at stake."

Blue Springs rocker still cookin' on 'Idol'| Friends, family not surprised by Cook's success in talent competition

2008-03-08T13:54:00.000-06:00

By Miranda Wycoff
The Journal Staff

Each week Blue Springs native and "American Idol" contestant David Cook has impressed both fans and the judges with his talent and creativity. In week one he made "Happy Together" by the Turtles a rock tune and on Tuesday, as judge Randy Jackson put it, he "made a slightly 'emo' song out of a very pop Lionel Richie song," and the judges loved it. "David, that was a very brave thing to do - and I loved it," said the panel's harshest critic, Simon Cowell.But to his friends, family and former teachers, Cook is just showing what he can do."Having seen David perform in the past, he's equally capable in all genres," said Cook's stepfather, Grenvell Foraker on Tuesday. "He can do things other than just rock - and do them well."Although Foraker has only known Cook since he and Cook's mother began dating while Cook was in high school at Blue Springs South, Foraker knows him well enough to know he has the experience, the talent and the stage presence to succeed in "American Idol.""He has the experience, he's been singing since the second and third grade and he truly enjoys performing," Foraker said. "And he's a very talented and capable musician.""American Idol" viewers know that Cook can sing and play the guitar, but Foraker said Cook's musical capabilities have exceeded even Foraker's expectations. A few years ago Cook put together a small album and on one song Cook played almost all the instruments himself - including the piano - Foraker said. Foraker did say that Cook hired a percussionist to come and record that portion of the song for him."I didn't even know he knew how to play the piano," he said. "He's pretty adept with instruments."Cook's interest in music really began in the second grade with a teacher Cook credited in his official "American Idol" biography - Fredalyn Gentry of Thomas Ultican Elementary.In high school Cook built on that love of music and performing as a cast member for several musicals - including "Singing in the Rain" and "West Side Story" and as a member of the debate team.Cook even qualified for the National Speech Tournament in both his junior and senior years of high school, said Cook's former forensics coach, Georgia Brady."His creativity and stage presence were incredible from the beginning," Brady said. She said as a junior he made it to the semi-finals at the national tournament performing humorous children's poetry and his senior year he and his partner, Ben Williams, performed a duo interpretation, "Greater Tuna.""Every time I think of that performance I laugh out loud - it was hilarious," Brady said. In high school and throughout college at Central Missouri State University in Warrensburg, Mo., Cook was the lead vocalist in the Kansas City-area band, Axium. After graduating from Central with a bachelor of science in graphic arts management in 2006, and after Axium "ran its course," Foraker said David moved to Tulsa to play with the Midwest Kings, a Tulsa-based band."He's a bright young man," Foraker said, "And he can adapt quickly to whatever situation he finds himself in."And perhaps that ease to adapt is what helped him succeed at the "American Idol" auditions in Omaha.Foraker said that originally Cook was just going to Omaha to be there for his younger brother, Andrew. "Actually, it was Andrew who had an interest in going to Omaha to audition and David came up to be supportive of Andrew," Foraker said. But the boys' mother, who has been in Los Angeles for each of David's "Idol" performances, encouraged Cook to audition, too. "I'm not sure David even had an interest in "American Idol" until he had success in Omaha," Foraker said. But even though Andrew didn't see his "Idol" hopes come to life in Omaha, he has been supportive of his brother's success every step of the way - helping to organize David Cook watch parties at Central and doing everything he can to get people to vote, Foraker said. And so far, Cook's fans, and of course his talent, have taken him far in the popular singing competition.But as the weeks go by and more contestants are voted off, the performance arena gets more serious."Right now on 'American Idol' they are performing in a relatively small studio, and here in the next few weeks they will be moving to a very large venue," Foraker said. But that should actually help Cook along, he said. "I've seen David perform in large venues before and he is very capable of taking it on," Foraker added. "I'm absolutely confident he will handle it with ease and he won't be intimidated by it."And for Cook, Brady said, the more people watching, the better."David thrived in being in front of an audience," Brady said. "And he was also willing to try new ideas and see if it would work in a performance." And that was evidenced by Tuesday night's rendition of "Hello.""You usually have to take some risks to experience success," Brady said."American Idol" airs at 7 p.m. on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays on Fox.

Driving course helps educate new teen motorists

2008-03-08T13:53:00.001-06:00

By Brett Dalton
The Journal Staff

Losing control of one's vehicle for any reason is often unpredictable and almost always a little bit scary. But it's how the driver reacts in that situation that could be the difference between a minor miscue and a serious accident.Later this month, the Precision Driving Center on the campus of Metropolitan Community College-Blue River in Independence will host the Tire Rack Street Survival school, a one-day course aimed at teaching teenagers how to handle potentially dangerous circumstances on the road.The program, which is offered nationwide and authorized by the BMW CCA Foundation, will take place from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, March 29. The course costs $60 per student. Mark Dalen, lead instructor of the course, said on Tuesday there are 13 spots still available for the March 29 course.Dalen said the program will include some classroom instruction, but the main focus of the course is giving students hands-on experience in loss of vehicle control. He said the students will drive their own vehicles through activities that will induce skidding, hydroplaning and other loss-of-control situations. He said the students will perform the activities at relatively low speeds and will be taught the proper way to correct one's vehicle.Dalen said the purpose of the course is to help teen drivers learn how to manage potentially dangerous situations without overcorrecting their vehicles. He said overcorrecting is often the cause of many serious accidents, such as the accident in Lee's Summit on Feb. 27 that left three teenagers with serious injuries."Everybody is going to lose control of his or her vehicle at some point," Dalen said. "But, with new drivers especially, some people have no experience in how to properly react in those situations. Often times on the road something minor will happen, a teen driver will overcorrect and that is when the loss of control happens. So we're teaching skills on how to deal with that situation."Dalen said the course is offered in a safe manor, as it takes place on the driving center's skid pad, an open, paved surface with nothing around the students could hit, such as light poles or trees. He said the skid pad also will be covered in water during the course which will teach students how to handle hydroplaning.Dalen said the open area at the Precision Driving Center allows for "three to five times the space you would actually need." He also said the facility "was built for this kind of training."The students, who will be accompanied in their vehicle by instructors, also will be taught skills in emergency lane change, Dalen said. That aspect of the course will provide lessons on how to properly swerve in either direction, if necessary. Dalen said that drill is conducted by having the driver approach three lanes and at the last second, the instructor will say which lane to take - left, right or straight ahead. "That part is important," Dalen said, "because a lot of drivers - young drivers, especially - don't know how hard they can swerve. Many will end up swerving too hard and lose control."To squash any concern students or their parents may have about what Dalen called "the 'R' word," he said the course in no way teaches students how to race on a highway or any other road. He said the course is strictly for educational and safety purposes."We're teaching them to drive safely and get out of trouble," Dalen said. "We just might save a few lives and help teen drivers avoid major accidents."For more information about the course or to sign up to attend, visit Street Survival's Web site at www.streetsurvival.org.

High school student killed in car wreck

2008-03-08T13:53:00.000-06:00

By Brett Dalton
The Journal Staff

A Blue Springs teenager and one of the top debaters at Blue Springs High School died on Tuesday from injuries suffered in a one-vehicle accident along Interstate 70.At around 3 p.m. on Tuesday, 18-year-old Garrett Clark, a senior at BSHS, was exiting westbound I-70 at Woods Chapel Road when his 1999 GMC Sonoma left the left side of the exit ramp. According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, Clark's vehicle traveled through the grassy shoulder, went airborne, struck a concrete bridge pillar and then struck a guardrail. Clark, who was not wearing a seatbelt, was pronounced dead at the scene.Brandon Brashear, a trooper with the MSHP who worked the crash, said it is unknown why Clark's vehicle left the exit ramp onto the grassy shoulder. He said witnesses reported seeing Clark's vehicle traveling at a high rate of speed before leaving the ramp. "We can't come up with any good reason that would cause him to veer off the ramp like that," Brashear said. Brashear said - although he was speculating - one possibility is Clark was driving at a high speed, saw traffic stopped at the stop light on Woods Chapel Road and began to veer left in an attempt to avoid contact with other vehicles. He added, based on the markings at the scene, Clark did not quickly swerve onto the grassy shoulder, but rather made a gradual veer onto it. Brashear said evidence shows Clark's vehicle's left tire left the roadway 46 feet past where the fog lines on I-70 and the exit ramp split, while the right tire left the roadway 107 feet past the split.Also, based on witnesses reports, Brashear said neither foul play nor a medical condition were factors in the crash.Just hours after the accident, many of Clark's friends, as well as his sister, Madison Clark, created a memorial group to him on Facebook, a social networking Web site. Jessica Hannaman, a Blue Springs South High School student who created the Facebook group, wrote on the group's page about Clark's sense of humor and joy for life."It (stinks) because less than three days ago I saw him and he was laughing and happy," she wrote Tuesday evening. "He turned everything into a joke and was really funny. It's not fair. It couldn't have been his time. It was too soon."Madison Clark, Garrett's sister, also wrote on the group's page and said she appreciates all the support her family has been receiving and said she will always remember how her brother grinned "like a little kid.""Garrett was my big brother and he was taken from us too soon," Madison Clark wrote on the Facebook group. "He will never be forgotten. We all have those memories of him laughing and we all have those memories of him being a big help. He had all the potential in the world. None of us will ever understand why he was taken from us at only 18."Garrett Clark was one of the top debaters and tennis players at BSHS.

Cuttin' a Rug

2008-03-08T13:52:00.000-06:00

Dianne and Larry Plumberg of Blue Springs enjoy themselves on the dance floor at the John Knox Village Pavilion. The Plumbergs were part of the more than 300 dancers who attended the Journal's Senior Ball on Tuesday.

Blue Springs seeks public input on proposed property maintenance codes

2008-03-01T16:50:00.001-06:00

Special to the Journal

A proposed ordinance to put Blue Springs in the business of policing the exteriors of buildings is getting a mixed reaction from the City Council. Mayor Steve Steiner opposes the ordinance, saying he’d rather the council vote on it during the next mayor’s watch. He said he’s concerned
that it’s too general, worried about the impact on elderly residents and is too close to “big brother” government. “How are we going to prevent a vindictive neighbor from using it as a tool?” Steiner asked. But council members support at least presenting it to the public for comments and then having a “first reading” March 17, a step toward adopting the regulations. The city will hold informational meetings on the codes from 6 to 8 p.m., next Wednesday and March 12 in the multipurpose room of Howard L. Brown Public Safety Building, 1100 S.W. Smith St. Several council members said residents want the code to clean up problem buildings, prevent blight and protect property values. “All of our neighboring communities have a maintenance code, and a lot
of our residents think we do, when we don’t,” Councilman Lyle Shaver said. “As the city gets older it becomes more significant.” A recent community survey asked whether the city should have a stronger maintenance property code. The result: 67 percent of respondents were supportive, 24 percent didn’t know and 9 percent were not supportive. At last week’s council meeting, one resident spoke in favor of such a code. Anthony Barulich said he lives next door to a house that
has been vacant four years. The water and natural gas have been shut off, but the electricity is still on. The absentee owner keeps the lawn mowed, he said, but it hasn’t been painted or stained in many years. He said he stayed up July 4 for fear a bottle rocket would catch that house
on fire. Squirrels have gnawed holes in the wood siding to make nests inside, and should
they bite through electrical wiring they could cause a fire, he said. “The siding is like tinder
now,” Barulich said. “I could light the siding with a match.” At the March meeting the council could offer amendments to the code and vote, although Steiner hinted he might use his power
to set agendas to delay its enactment. Scott Allen, director of community development,
said that under the city staff’s plan, a code-enforcement officer would do inspections primarily based on complaints and wouldn’t be “patrolling” streets looking for violations. The violation would be “truly egregious,” he said. The city would need an additional codes-enforcement officer, office space and a vehicle to put the program in effect, at a cost of nearly $89,000 for startup costs,
with about $50,000 ongoing expense, Allen said. He anticipated a July start date for enforcing the codes. Council members Sheila Solon and Jeff Quibell said the city should consider setting up a program to help elderly people who can’t afford fixing up their homes. Solon said Blue Springs could set up a minor-home repair program similar to one in Lee’s Summit. That community uses a portion of its annual federal grant from the Department of Housing and Urban Development that is intended to aid low- and moderate income residents. The city also could contact churches and civic groups to help such residents. Councilman Ron Fowler said he also is concerned about the vagueness of the ordinance. He said that if city officials were strict enough many buildings would be considered in violation. He said his own home didn’t meet the proposed code for street numbers. Fowler said he does support a maintenance code and wants to keep the issue moving
forward, but he also wants rules to be clear so that they address serious defects. “Somewhere between a cracked driveway and an abandoned house no one has lived in for 10 years, that we
want to go out and get,” he said.

Camps offered to hone performing skills

2008-03-01T16:50:00.000-06:00

By Brett Dalton
The Journal Staff

At Bravo! Academy of Performing Arts in Blue Springs, the instructors aren’t merely concerned with teaching their students how to sing and dance. The purpose of the studio, according to its Web site, is to “develop each student’s potential as a performer,” which involves enhancing the students’ skills while also improving their confidence to use those skills. “The cool thing about this studio is it teaches the students techniques and confidence they can use in everyday life,” said Meg Tucker, Bravo! marketing director. This summer, Bravo! is taking its instruction a step further by offering various musical theater camps aimed at teaching the students everything there is to know about musical theater production. From July 7 to Aug. 1, Bravo! is conducting “The Pirates of Penzance” musical theater camp for students entering the sixth through 12th grades. The camp will offer instruction on aspects of theater, such as vocal training, acting, staging, and
dancing. The camp also will cover behind-the-scene aspects such as makeup, auditioning skills, sets and props. “We aren’t interested in just teaching the kids how to sing and
dance,” Tucker said. “So while they are learning to do that, they also will learn everything involved
musical theater. We want to hone their skills with both techniques and encouragement.”
On July 31 and Aug. 1, the students will take the lessons they learned and put them to use in performances of the “Pirates of Penzance,” a comedic opera that made its offi cial premier in
New York City in 1879. Tucker said “if all goes well at the camp,” the troupe will have the
chance to compete in Atlanta, Ga., in the Musical Theater International competition.
Bravo!, which opened in October 2007, also will conduct another camp from July 7 to Aug. 1 for younger students entering first through fifth grades. The “Disney Cinderella” musical theater camp will instruct the students on various aspects of musical theater, but on a lower level at which young children can comprehend, Tucker said. Those students also will take part in a production of “Cinderella” at the Aug. 1. Their performance and the production of “The Pirates of Penzance” is tentatively set to be located at the North Springs Methodist Church in Blue Springs, Tucker said. Tuition for both camps is $90 per week or a $350 onetime payment. The first week’s tuition is due to reserve a spot in the camp. Also, from June 9 to 13, Bravo! is conducting a camp for students entering the sixth through eighth grades who have a desire to be in a rock band. Tucker said a band of high school students will teach the students all that goes into becoming a garage band. At the end of the camp, the students at the camp will have the opportunity to play in a studio and record a CD. For more information about Bravo!, the camps or to sign up for the camps, contact Bravo! at 816-220-9100 or visit its Web site at www.bravo-academy.com.

RENEW THE BLUE REPORTS DEEDS TO COUNCIL

2008-03-01T16:49:00.000-06:00

By Miranda Wycoff
The Journal Staff

Renew the Blue is continuing efforts to fi nd ways to improve Blue Springs. Last week Renew the Blue co-chairs made a presentation to the Blue Springs City Council on the progress they have
made over the past six months. The Renew the Blue group is made up of residents and business owners to identify what the city of Blue Springs should look like 10, 15 and 20 years from now.
Every six months the group presents their findings and progresses to the City Council.
“Renew the Blue co-chairs Jeannie Lauer and Dave Wright reported the great strides the Renew
the Blue group has made over the past six months particularly in the areas of education, economic development, quality of life, government and community planning,” said Blue Springs
Mayor, Steve Steiner in his weekly newsletter. According to city information, when the group began in May 2006 it identified five key performance areas including economic development,
education, government, planning and re-development and quality of life. In terms of economic
development, the group identified four areas to develop business technical and research parks, expanded educational choices and expanded healthcare availability. Accomplishments cited
with the business technical and research parks included identifying available land and the Blue Springs EconomicDevelopment Council has met with several potential developers regarding the
development of the parks. Within the realm of economic development for education, Renew the Blue reported to the Council that Graceland University is now offering classes in Blue Springs, William Woods University has visited the city and is considering opening a campus in Blue Springs and the R-4 School District has purchased the Metropolitan Community College Blue
River Campus. Renew the Blue also reported that it met with St. Mary’s Hospital and Children’s Mercy Hospitaland Robin Schluter, CEO of St. Mary’s, has agreed to join Renew the Blue to help
direct the group’s healthcare initiatives. In terms of education, the group identified three strategies, post-secondary education needs, early childhood development needs and educating the community on all the educational opportunities available. As for progress made in this area, Renew the Blue said they have brought together several existing groups within the community for
beginning talks concerning a performing/ visual arts center in Blue Springs. Future plans for education include building the performing/visual arts center and bringing early childhood
and adult educational opportunities to the area that reflect the needs and wants of people in the community. Goals and strategies for the government in Blue Springs included aligning the postal boundaries, improving the functioning of all city commissions, enhancing the flow of communication between the government and the citizens and educating the citizens of the financial issues and needs facing the city. In these areas, Renew the Blue spokespersons said they have gotten the zip code for the south M-7 area to utilize the city of Blue Springs
name, among others. The group’s representatives said they hope to have a proposal to the City Council concerning postal codes by summer 2008 and proposing a plan for developing
a Citizen’s Advisory Committee that will assist in informing citizens on how the Blue Springs government works and their financial issues, among others. As for planning and redevelopment,
Renew the Blue presented to the Council that they have developed a transportation proposal
which takes advantage of existing resources in the community. According to Renew the Blue information, the proposed plan will provide an alternative to the congested roadway system
in Blue Springs and other communities in Eastern Jackson County. Future plans for planning and re-development include contacting the Mid-America Regional Council to provide a service plan to meet various commuter needs, increasing the number of commuter bases and routes, creating
high-occupancy vehicle and car pool lanes and establishing a light rail and commuter routes to Johnson County work centers, among others. Finally, the group presented accomplishments in
enhancing the quality of life for Blue Springs residents. The group’s representatives said they have worked with six community groups to develop a land and water conservation grant application to build a disc golf course. In addition, they said they helped promote the need for
citizens to provide their input on the recent pool feasibility study. As for future plans to enhance the quality of life in Blue Springs, Renew the Blue representatives said they hope to meet with the Blue Springs Police Department and the Blue Springs Parks and Recreation Department to assess the need of security in parks. For more information on Renew the Blue and its six-month presentation, visit its Web site at www.renewtheblue.com or the city’s Web site at www.bluespringsgov.com.

Flu may have killed elementary teacher

2008-03-01T16:48:00.000-06:00

By Brett Dalton
The Journal Staff

The family of a Blue Springs woman who died unexpectedly last weekend
believes she died from the flu.
Stephanie Bentele, 46, died during the early morning hours of Sunday, Feb. 24. She was diagnosed with the flu just days before her passing, said Leo Bentele, Stephanie’s father.
Leo Bentele said on Wednesday afternoon the family had yet to see the death certificate and didn’t know, as of press time, the exact cause of death. Leo Bentele said he is convinced his daughter died from the flu.
“She was diagnosed with the flu, and she was prescribed (an antiviral) drug called Tamiflu and that’s what she was being treated for,” Leo said. “I don’t know what else it would be.”
Stephanie Bentele spent 10 years in the Lee’s Summit R-7 School District and taught at Hawthorn Hill, Cedar Creek and, most recently, Summit Pointe elementary schools. She also served as the K-6 Science Curriculum Specialist for the R-7 School District.
Prior to teaching in the R-7 School District, Stephanie Bentele taught at St. Bernadette’s School, a parochial school in Kansas City.
Heather Kenney, principal of Summit Pointe, said in a letter sent to parents that Bentele was popular and well-liked among students and staff.
“She was well known for her love of students and her irresistible enthusiasm for science,” Kenney said. “Ms. Bentele was never without a smile and had a kind word for everyone. She will be dearly missed by her current and former students, as well as her co-workers at Summit Pointe and throughout the school district.” To honor Stephanie Bentele’s memory, her family, in cooperation with the Lee’s Summit Educational Foundation, has created a scholarship in her name. Contributions can be sent to the Lee’s Summit Educational Foundation, designated to the Stephanie Ann Bentele Scholarship Fund, 301 N.E. Tudor Road, Lee’s Summit, MO 64066.

Out of Reach|Wildcats can’t hold late lead against undefeated Hickman Mills

2008-03-01T16:08:00.000-06:00

By Jake Singleton
The Journal Staff

Blue Spring junior Jocelyn Price didn’t think she’d shed a tear over Wednesday’s 58-52 Class 5 Sectional loss to undefeated Hickman Mills at Municipal Auditorium.
But she was wrong.
“I didn’t think I was going to cry because it was only my junior year,” Price said. “But once I got in the locker room I started cry.”
And Price wasn’t the only wet-eyed Wildcat. Tears ran down the faces of all, and rightfully so, as the No. 2 state-ranked Wildcats fought the No. 1-ranked Cougars to the very end.
“I thought we were going to come out and at least win by five,” said Wildcat junior Drew Roberts. “I thought we came in ready this time.”
It was the Cougars, however, who came out aggressive.
Hickman senior Jaleshia Robertson hit a three to open the game, and the Cougars controlled the offensive and defensive glass as they opened up a 9-2 lead.
“It wasn’t very good,” said Wildcat head coach Tony Armstrong. “Robertson making the three was one of the things we didn’t want, and we left her open two or three times. And they are really good on the offensive boards. You know they can shoot it well — the things that underrated about them is their ability to rebound.”
Robertson scored 12 of her 18 points in the first quarter, and the Cougars grabbed five offensive rebounds as they took a 19-11 lead into the second quarter.
And while they trailed after the first, a late offensive surge by Robertson, junior Bryonna Snow and freshman Cee Cee Burius gave the Wildcats confidence.
“We figured we’d come out slower than they would because we were still a little intimidated,” Price said. “We called time out and gathered ourselves and, after the time out, I figured, ‘Why are we scared of them? We watched film. We played them once. There’s nothing to be intimidated about.’”
Price and the Wildcats showed no fear in the second quarter.
Price hit two three’s, senior Megan Best had a three and freshman Jamesia Price hit a three at the buzzer to pull Blue Springs within three at halftime, 33-30.
Not only did the Wildcats carry the momentum into the second half, but the presence of Snow and Burius underneath had slowed the Cougars on the offensive and defensive glass while Roberts looked to lock down Robertson.
“We hadn’t played (Snow and Burris) a whole lot together, but tonight, because of (Hickman’s) size, we needed the height inside to defend and rebound,” Armstrong said. “And we finally got guarding Robertson down.”
Hickman scored only eight points in the third quarter after posting 19 first-quarter points and 13 second-quarter points.
Roberts found Snow underneath for four of her seven points and scored five of her 17 points to help give Blue Springs a 42-41 lead going into the fourth quarter.
“I thought once we had the lead we were going to keep it,” Roberts said.
But Blue Springs didn’t keep its lead for long.
The two teams traded leads early and, with 3:30 remaining in the game, were tied 49-49. And after the Cougar’s went on a 6-0 run to open up a 56-49 lead with 21 seconds remaining, it was over for the Wildcats.
“We didn’t make as many plays in the last four minutes as they did — that’s the way these games are supposed to be played,” said Armstrong as the Wildcats ended their season 19-3 overall.
But with only one senior gone from its starting five, the loss to Hickman could have just served as fuel for the Wildcats next season.
“We are ball hungry for it and we are starting our workouts before the rest of the girls,” Price said. “We want to win state our senior year.”
“I think it’s a key wake up call,” Roberts said. “We want state so bad next year — our senior year — we are just going to come out hard and not give anything up.”

Save a lot of money by buying gently used

2008-03-01T16:07:00.000-06:00

By Donna Birch
McClatchy Newspapers (MCT)

MODESTO, Calif. — When Kristin and John Webb were ready to buy furniture for their home, they didn’t go to a showroom or big-box store in search of brand-new pieces.
Instead, they headed to Crow Trading Co., a Modesto, Calif., store that sells antique and vintage furniture, decor, accessories and collectibles.
Money was a concern for the first-time homeowners, who recently moved from Los Angeles to Turlock, Calif., Kristin Webb’s hometown.
With a new mortgage and a 15-month-old toddler, “we were trying to find things we can afford,” said Kristin Webb, 36. “It’s not like we have money to burn.”
At the store, they found a “really cool” 100-year-old solid wood Asian buffet-style cabinet.
“We’ll backlight it and put all of our wine and martini glasses in it,” she said.
Webb loves its unique look and that it’s a multifunctional piece that can be used in any room.
“It’s not that I won’t buy new pieces,” she said. “But from a design standpoint, I don’t want my whole house looking like a Pottery Barn catalog.”
With uncertain economic times ahead and high prices on everything from food to gasoline, many consumers are watching their hard-earned dollars more carefully.
Unable — or unwilling — to plop down hundreds of bucks on brand-new couches, beds, armoires, coffee tables and such, shoppers are taking a fresh look at consignment, antique and used-furniture stores.
Used furniture can be found all over: in thrift shops such as Buy-Rite and charity-affiliated stores such as Goodwill, the American Cancer Society’s Discovery shops and Community Hospice’s Hope Chest. There also are consignment stores.
How a typical consignment store works: An employee evaluates the merchandise a person wants to sell and assigns a fixed price based on its condition. The piece is then displayed in the store for sale.
When someone buys it, the store keeps a previously agreed-upon percentage, which can range from 40 to 60 percent of the selling price. The rest goes to the original owner. Consignment is an option for people with gently used furniture to sell who don’t want to deal directly with potential buyers or haggle over price as they would at a garage sale.
J.S. West Bargain Annex and K.P.’s Consignment are two Modesto stores that buy and sell pieces on consignment.
K.P.’s, in business since 2004, carries everything from armoires and chaise lounges to sectionals and dining-room sets.
J.S. West’s Bargain Annex, which carries used and new discount furniture, has offered consignment services since the early 1980s, according to store manager Donna Sinchak.
“We get customers who want gently used furniture,” she said. “Sometimes people get tired of their homes having the same old look but they don’t want to spend a lot” to redecorate.
There are also those who come there to sell their stuff.
“We get people who are downsizing,” Sinchak added, “including retirees moving into smaller quarters.”
The Bargain Annex does a 50-50 split with its consignees. If a piece doesn’t sell in 90 days, the owner receives 50 percent of the final marked sale price.
Ellen Bobian of Modesto has been a regular at the Bargain Annex store on Eighth Street for about 10 years.
“I don’t buy anything new anymore,” said Bobian, 62. “Why, if you can find something just as good — if not better — at a lower price?”
Bobian said she likes to change her furniture often, so she buys and sells items on consignment at the Bargain Annex all the time. Previous acquisitions include a Victorian-style settee with a matching chair, a Flexsteel couch and a buffet.
“I paid $600 for the Flexsteel couch,” Bobian said. “I saw the same couch in a store and it was $3,000.”
There have been occasions when she waited to buy an item to see if the price would be reduced, and her patience paid off. But a few times, she delayed too long and missed out. But that comes with the territory, she said.

Just for kids

Stores such as Once Upon a Child and Little Ones, both in Modesto, Calif., specialize in children’s merchandise.
Katie Hansen opened Little Ones in the Roseburg Square shopping center in June. The store is different from a typical consignment store because it buys items outright, said Hansen.
“It’s a good business to be in because babies are always being born,” she said.
In addition to clothing, toys and strollers, the store has infant and toddler furniture: cribs, bassinets, high chairs, beds and bookshelves. The store’s furniture inventory varies depending on what people have brought in.
People come into the store “looking for good deals because they’re tired of the high prices in regular stores.”
“A lot of people are struggling,” she said. “Everybody wants to save a penny.”
The most requested items are cribs, she said.
Hansen said she gets a lot of business from grandparents who want a whole setup for their own house — a crib, changing table, high chair, swing, etc. — for their grandchildren when they visit.
Shops that sell used children’s furniture, especially nursery items, usually have strict requirements regarding what they will and won’t accept.
“It has to be clean and in good, resale condition,” Hansen said. “No broken or missing pieces, no rips.”
She’s also likely to turn away furniture that is six or more years old because of safety concerns.
Parents who want to sell their gently used nursery furniture should do a bit of homework.
“Customers should call first to make sure we’re accepting what they want to sell,” Hansen advised.
They should also have the item’s manufacturer, make and model information on hand. Store employees will check to make sure the item has not been recalled.
Hansen said any used item brought to her store should be assembled so she can verify its condition. And, she added, potential sellers should have realistic expectations about pricing. She prices nothing in her store over 60 percent of retail value.

Nothing beats a bargain

Kristin Webb of Turlock, Calif., said that although she does have some newer furniture, when it comes to substantial pieces — such as the buffet cabinet from Crow Trading Co. — she prefers old over new any day.
“It lasts forever and is visually interesting,” she said. “To get what we got, if we went into a store and bought something similar brand new, we would have paid double the price. I felt like I got a great deal.”

Decorating tips

Jennifer Williams of Crow Trading Co. shared some tips on decorating with vintage or antique pieces:
Decorate with pieces you love. Go with what you like and will work for your lifestyle.
Don’t be afraid to decorate in an eclectic style, mixing styles and ages of furniture. “A clean-lined red painted antique Chinese cabinet can look great with your great-grandmother’s Victorian chair.”
Families with children can incorporate antique furniture into their decor, too. “Some people think of antiques as being too fragile for an active family,” she said. “Many of the pieces we sell have been around for generations and have many years of use and enjoyment left.”

(c) 2008, The Modesto Bee (Modesto, Calif.)

COMMUNITY PULSE - Aquatic center

2008-03-01T16:06:00.000-06:00

The aquatic center in Blue Springs: Their plan looks really good to me except for the fact that they are neglecting the inside pool where water aerobics for those with arthritis and other disabilities practice. And it doesn’t seem that there is any plan in there whatsoever to help some of the problems. The main problem is they have six showers, one works in the ladies room. They need some work on the plumbing in there very badly. And also they need some kind of a regulator on the heat of the water. It can range from 78 sometimes below that up to 82. It should be at 82. But complaints are made when it gets down to 78. They’ll say someone forgot to turn it back on or things like this — there’s just kind of a sloppy attitude, I think, of maintaining the pool that we have. The pool itself is very nice — large enough for exercising and so on. But it would be I think better for those who use the pool for therapeutics, a little better if we could maintain the water somewhat better.

Agreeing with Dan Hall on legislature

2008-03-01T16:05:00.000-06:00

COMMENTARY By Mick Mithelavage
Special to the Journal

In the Feb. 23 edition of the Journal, Dan Hall’s commentary struck some very fine chords. He suggested we contact our representatives to let them know how we feel about the proposed legislation he identified. Well, here’s my personal input: I agree.
Regarding the concept of granting immunity to school employees for reporting possible child abuse, why should it be limited to school employees? There is some logic to the legislation in that most children attend schools, but singling out school employees is short sighted. Children also go to theaters, bowling alleys, skating rinks, grocery stores, neighbors’ homes and churches. The proposed legislation should apply to every citizen who reports abuse — not just school employees. On the issue of false, vindictive allegations, simply add appropriate language to the bill that would punish the false accuser. Giving immunity is fair treatment for honest, caring people who might not have the inner strength to speak out publicly, and issuing a summons is fair treatment for those who speak out with malice.
On a related topic, when will our national leaders draft legislation to punish the almighty press for their lies and unwarranted character assassinations? And I’m not referring just to those slimy paper rags at the checkout line at Wal-Mart. A few days ago, The New York Times printed a front page article suggesting Sen. John McCain had a “romantic” relationship with a female lobbyist. No basis of fact, no details, no corroborating witnesses — just rumor. In his commentary, Hall mentioned the damages done to the Duke lacrosse players for the horrible lies told about them; I’m sure he would add John McCain to his list of victims.
I agree with Hall on not amending the state constitution to reduce the number of votes needed for passing school bond issues. Lee’s Summit and other progressive, well-managed cities and school districts are doing just fine with the system we have, thank you. Lowering the bar to accommodate weaker, inefficient, poorly managed districts is not the answer to their problems.
Issuing tax credits for donations to educational foundations is fair and reasonable. Everybody pays for public schools because that’s the law — it’s not because those schools generate the best results for the public. People who voluntarily give additional funds for private education should receive recognition for their generosity and foresight. After all, private schools produce results that benefit the public too — results far greater than many public schools. I again agree with Mr. Hall.
Cell phones: what a scourge that invention has been. Not only are they an additional risk factor for teenage driving, they have totally eliminated peace and tranquility. I was playing in a Texas Hold ‘Em tournament for charity this past weekend, and one guy at the table was talking on his cell phone and trying to deal at the same time. How inconsiderate is that? Here I was, trying to lose my money for a good cause, and this dweeb could care less. If we can stop people from smoking in public, we can keep cell phones out of the hands of inexperienced and lousy drivers. After all, more people are injured and killed in auto accidents than in smoke-filled poker rooms.
Finally, but most importantly, is the topic of capital punishment. I could not agree with you more, Mr. Hall. Capital punishment has been applied to who knows how many innocent people, and financial status has always been a factor in who receives and who doesn’t receive the ultimate sentence. Capital punishment is legalized murder — same as abortion. Thank you, Dan, for speaking plainly and openly.

Mick Mithelavage, a
Lee’s Summit resident and author, is a guest columnist for the Journal. To respond to today’s commentary, call the Journal’s Rant & Rave line at 816-282-7020, or send comments via the Internet at www.bluespringsjournal.com.

Steam, cream and a dream

2008-03-01T16:04:00.000-06:00

By Miranda Wycoff
The Journal Staff

For Blue Springs native Garin Bledsoe, owning his own business in the food industry has always been a dream.
He practically grew up in the restaurant business, and always wanted to be a chef.
On his path to realizing his dream, Bledsoe started as a dishwasher and worked his way up. And by the age of 17 he was kitchen manager at a steak house in Blue Springs.
But during his senior year in high school at Blue Springs, he felt an urge to step away from the restaurant business.
“As a senior I decided I wanted to part ways with the food industry,” Bledsoe said. “I wanted to have time to do the senior activities and not come home all greasy every night.”
From then on he worked the normal part-time jobs of a teenager until graduating college.
After college he pursued a very different career path — working with financial and mutual funds for DST for 10 years.
But a few years ago the restaurant industry began calling him back into the business.
He talked with his wife, Anne Bledsoe, also a Blue Springs graduate and teacher in the Independence school district, and they decided to open their own business.
But the restaurant business wasn’t exactly the path that the Bledsoes took.
“Owning a restaurant is a huge risk,” Garin said. “So we began looking at some other type of venture to entertain.”
That’s when they began to look into the coffee industry.
“We looked into it and discovered that a locally owned coffee shop could survive in a Starbuck’s suburbia,” Garin said.
As a result, Garin and Anne opened the Steamin’ Bean Coffee Co. at 1875 N.W. M-7 in Blue Springs.
“It was the right time and it’s the right location,” Garin said.
The Steamin’ Bean officially opened on the first of the year, held its Blue Springs Chamber of Commerce Ribbon Cutting Ceremony on Feb. 14 and will hold its grand opening celebration the week of March 17 through 21.
The grand opening will consist of a fundraising event with the local 4-H club and a canned food drive for the Community Service League in Blue Springs.
The Steamin’ Bean offers a variety of frozen drinks, espresso, coffee, cappuccino and other hot drinks. In addition, the coffee shop serves 16 flavors of gelato — Italy’s version of ice cream made with significantly less butterfat than American ice cream, according to the company’s Web site.
Garin said he started making gelato as a hobby for the past year.
“I had a chance to sample some gelato the other day while I was on the Plaza and I feel very confident in my product,” he said.
Garin said the gelato is made on site daily.
In addition to drinks and gelato, the Steamin’ Bean serves lunch from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. daily.
“I serve a sandwich of the day, a wrap of the day and a salad of the day and two soup options,” Garin said. “So if you like one certain thing, you know to come in and eat lunch at the Steamin’ Bean on that day.”
The coffee shop also serves cookies, pastries and muffins. And very soon Garin said it will be offering a new line of breakfast items.
The Steamin’ Bean is open Monday through Thursday from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., Friday from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m., Saturday from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. and Sunday from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.
For more information on the Steamin’ Bean Coffee Co., visit its Web site at www.thesteaminbean.com or call 816-220-BEAN (2326).

Not Enough - Wildcats crown two individual champs, miss second-place team finish by half point

2008-02-23T11:09:00.000-06:00

By Jake Singleton
The Journal Staff

Most years, 139 team points, two state champions and seven state placers would have been enough to win a Class 4 Missouri State High School Athletic Association wrestling championship. But the Blue Springs wrestling team found out on Saturday that those stats wouldn't garnish a team title in 2008."There have been many years where 139 points, two state champs and seven state placers would have won the team title," said Wildcat head coach Mike Hagerty. "It just so happened that this was not one of those years."Even with all the individual success, Blue Springs found themselves .5 points behind second-place Park Hill (131.5-131) and well behind Class 4 state champion Oak Park (235).Like Blue Springs, the Trojans boosted two state champions (sophomore Alan Waters, 112-pounds and sophomore Kaleb Friendly, 125). But while the Wildcats brought home two third-place finishes (freshman Keenan Hagerty, 112 and sophomore Josh Howk, 135), two fourth-place finishes (junior Luke Greco, 125 and junior Tyler Thompson, 130) and a fifth-place finish by senior Chris Howk, 145) Park Hill's other five state placers finished second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth to help edge the Wildcats.Oak Park walked away with four individual state champions (freshman Cody Brewer, 103; senior Dylan Joiner, 145; senior Brent Haynes, 189; and senior Kolton Kono, 215) to go along with its state team title.The Northmen also had two second-place finishes, a third-place, three fourth-place finishes and a fifth-place finish.But despite being .5 points away from a second-place team finish, Hagerty was pleased with his team's performance."I'm extremely proud of this group," Hagerty said. "It was one of the most rewarding years of coaching in my career."

Three out of Four - Blue Springs girls swimming and diving team wins third state team title in four years

2008-02-23T11:08:00.000-06:00

By Jake Singleton
The Journal Staff

With state titles in the 200-yard medley relay, along with the 200 and 400 freestyle relay and individual state titles in the 50 and 100 freestyle and 100 butterfly, the Blue Springs girls swimming and diving team easily captured its third state title in four years."It was a good weekend," said Wildcat head coach Bill Shalley as Blue Springs defeated second-place Glendale 328-206.5. "We hoped to go faster, but horse racing took over."Two of the top races of the weekend for the Wildcats came in the 50 and 100 freestyle.Blue Springs senior Tarin Corwin completed her four-year sweep of the 50 freestyle and won the 100 freestyle for the third time in four years, but it wasn't easy."The 50 and 100 were two of the best races I've seen recently at state," Shalley said. "Both girls scrambled from the start and we had more heart."Corwin found herself pushed by Eureka junior Amber Green, who entered both events favored ahead of her. But in the end, the senior won the 50 over Green with a time of 23.61, .32 second off her own state record time of 23.39 set in 2006 and also edged Green in the 100 with a time of 51.45. The two wins gave Corwin seven individual state title, to place her second on the Wildcats' all-time individual state title list behind Molly Brammer's eight.While Corwin picked up two individual state titles, anchored Blue Springs' 200 medley relay team of junior Elanor Pruitt-Thomas, junior Kristie Fries and senior Abby Nelson to a state-title time of 1:48.40 and led off the Wildcat's state champion 200 freestyle relay team of sophomore Shelby Bolin, Fries and senior Shaida Solimani who finished with a time of 1:38.43.In fact, the only state titles that didn't involve Corwin were the Wildcats' the state champion 400 freestyle relay team of Nelson, Pruitt-Thomas, Bolin and Solimani (1:09.4) and Nelson's individual state title in the 100 butterfly (57.40).But state titles weren't the only things scoring points for the Wildcats.Solimani finished second in the 200 freestyle (1:54.3) and 100 backstroke (57.23) while Nelson and Pruitt-Thomas took fourth and fifth respectively in the 200 individual medley (2:09.1, 2:09.85).Bolin finished seventh in the 200 freestyle (1:56.3), Fries took ninth in the 50 freestyle (25.04) and Pruitt-Thomas finished third in the 500 freestyle (5:06) just ahead of Bolin, who finished fifth (5:07.8). Blue Spring's junior one-meter diver Molly Menefee finished third (403.2) to round out the Wildcats' all-state finishers.While top-eight earned all-state honors, Blue Springs also had several swimmers and divers just shy of the all-state mark.Fries finished 11th in the 100 breaststroke (1:09.4), sophomore diver Merly Pampolina finished 12th (331) and junior diver Jennifer Wedericdt finished 18th (236.15). Junior Ashlan Higgins finished 12th in the 100 freestyle (55.01) and junior Abby Stanley finished 14th in the 100 backstroke (1:02.21).The Blue Springs South girls swimming and diving team finished 30th with 14 team points, all of which came from South seniors Erin Casper and Aubry Shoemaker. Casper finished seventh and earned all-state honors in the 100 butterfly (1:00.47), while Shoemaker finished 15th in the 500 freestyle (5:23.25).

Gardening 101: You can make a garden

2008-02-23T11:07:00.001-06:00

By Beth Botts
Chicago Tribune(MCT)

CHICAGO - You've got most of the boxes unpacked and the bedrooms painted. The new house is starting to feel like it's yours. But what about the yard?Is it foreign territory? Maybe you're moving from a downtown high-rise and you've never had a blade of grass to call your own. Maybe your new outdoors is a high-rise balcony and you've never had a houseplant.We're here to help, whether you find yourself in the middle of a blank expanse of sod in a brand-new subdivision or in the former home of an avid gardener, surrounded by mysterious brown stalks.When Claudine Holaska and her family moved to Homewood, Ill., last summer, the former owner told them, "Oh, this is a wonderful perennial garden. You won't have to do anything to it."She believed him. So she didn't set foot in the garden until October, when she noticed the plants weren't blooming anymore and the flower beds were thick with weeds. "It's starting to look pathetic!" she wrote in an e-mail. "I am having a difficult time figuring out what to pull, weed and cut back."We're here to help. Our "Gardening 101" series will offer season-appropriate articles throughout the year on what you need to know to become a gardener. We'll be talking to new gardeners and seasoned ones and giving you the best advice on topics such as soil, lawns, and buying plants. Today, the question is: What are the first steps?Wait. The urge to redo the landscape may be as strong as the desire to get rid of that 1970s wallpaper. But it's a good idea to go slow. If you let some time go by - even a year - before making major changes, you can answer some essential questions about your property.You'll know what kind of sun, shade, soil and wind you have so you can choose plants that are likely to thrive. A well-planned garden that suits its site and your needs will be much easier to care for and more enjoyable than one you rushed into.Watch. "It's going to surprise you," says designer Brian Shea of Voltaire's Gardener in Chicago. Maybe the previous gardener planted bulbs that will pop up in spring. Shrubs or perennials may bloom at different times. There may be a lot more shade in summer, with leaves on the trees, than in March. As the year goes by, take photos and make notes (with dates).Learn. Now, while it's still winter, get a good all-round gardening book. and read at least the introductory chapters. Leaf through garden magazines. Tear out pictures of gardens you like and ones you hate, and think about why. Are you drawn to formal gardens? Do you like looser, more natural landscapes? Find a good garden center with a knowledgeable staff. Ask them lots of questions.Take a class: Many garden centers, public libraries and park districts offer free or inexpensive seminars and talks on such topics as lawn care, houseplants and choosing perennials. Live. As you spend more time in your home, you will discover what kind of landscape your life requires: where you walk, where the kids want to play, where you'd like a screen for privacy, where the hot summer sun blasts your afternoon barbecues, where you'd like something interesting to see out a window in winter.Does merely mowing the lawn bore you to death or keep you rushed? Maybe you need to keep your landscape simple.Sneak peeks. Walk around your neighborhood and others and look for yards you like, especially those that seem to have the same kind of site as yours. Take a friend and talk it over. Go on garden walks. And make those notes.Keep up. Sorry, but the maintenance-free yard is a fantasy. "There is no easy fix for weeding," says landscape designer Eileen Klehr of Lakemoor, who specializes in helping new gardeners make a plan. "They have to be pulled. By hand." You will have to mow the lawn and water too.Keep up with these few basic chores and your landscape will stay in shape while you settle into it. Neglect them, and you may have a monster to tame.Plant. To really own your garden, you have to get your hands in the dirt. So plan to plant a little something this spring. A good bet: pots. They are small enough to master and can be moved to find the sun.Place a couple of pots near where you think you'll want to sit. Invest in quality containers and ask the garden center for help choosing potting mix and plants. "You have some flowers, you have some beauty that you are happy with until you are ready to tackle the rest," says Linda Sarb, who coaches new gardeners through her business, Gardening Angels in Lisle.It's not just flowers: Herbs and some vegetables thrive in big enough pots; even some varieties of tomatoes are suitable.Don't overcommit the first year; you may end up overburdened or create problems down the road by installing garden beds or big plants in the wrong places.Identify. Even in a brand-new subdivision landscape, you will have mystery plants (what are those spindly saplings?). Different plants have different needs and will develop in different ways. Even knowing what kind of grass you have can make a difference (yes, there are different kinds).Photos - of leaves, flowers and the plant's overall shape - will be key to a good ID. The library has garden books and the Internet is chock-full of plant information.Don't whack. Many people assume all bushes must be sheared into neat geometric shapes. But most shrubs look better and are healthier if they are allowed to keep their natural form, and one pruning technique doesn't fit all. Prune some shrubs wrong and you may never see flowers. So don't trim your hedges until you have identified the plants.Compost. What matters most in your landscape is what you can't see: the soil below, and all the organisms that should be thriving in it. On their health and happiness everything else depends. There is nothing better for your soil than plenty of compost - decayed plant matter that gives all kinds of goodness back to your garden. And if you make it yourself, it's free.Stake your claim to a future of great soil by starting a compost pile (or buy a bin) and getting in the habit of putting the right stuff in it. For more information, see www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/compost.Make friends. Take some cookies or a jar of jam and knock on the door of the best-looking garden in the neighborhood. That gardener may be willing to help you learn about the plants in your yard. Better still, you may find a mentor (and a source of free plants).Dare. You'll try, you'll fail, you'll learn. Jessica Rinks plunged right into her new yard in Forest Park last year, building raised beds for vegetables, moving perennials, making big plans. "I'm not afraid to plant things and just see what happens," she says. When a plant dies, she says, "it makes me sad but it doesn't stop me." Expect some attrition.Nobody gets it right all at once. Let gardening grow on you instead of expecting instant perfection, and whether you end up with a simple easy-care landscape or become an avid gardener, you'll have an outdoors that works for you.Claudine Holaska got some advice and went to the library last fall. Then she and her husband, Jim, did some weeding. They cut back the perennials (which had stopped blooming because it was their time to shut down for winter) and shredded fallen leaves for the compost pile (which they had been calling "the mysterious yucky corner of the yard.") They had taken lots of photos last summer, so they were able to identify many of the perennials and figure out what was a weed and what wasn't.Now, she says, "mainten-ance should be a lot less daunting, and a bit more fun."(c) 2008, Chicago Tribune

Struggles continue for GM

2008-02-23T11:07:00.000-06:00

By Sarah A. Webster
Detroit Free Press(MCT)

DETROIT - Despite a historic new labor agreement, a garage full of new products and $9 billion in cost-cutting over the last two years, General Motors Corp.'s release of its worst-ever annual financial results last week shows that its North America division is still struggling to post the profits that Wall Street expects.GM Chief Financial Officer Fritz Henderson acknowledged "there are still a number of near-term challenges," but overall he seemed positive about the progress GM has been making.GM, which celebrates its 100th anniversary this year, last week reported the worst loss in automotive history - $38.7 billion, compared with $2 billion in 2006.The world's largest automaker is forecasting improved sales and pretax earnings this year, mostly because of strength in emerging markets. Non-U.S. sales now make up about 60 percent of GM's revenues.But GM's performance in North America is causing some analysts to reevaluate where the automaker stands in its turnaround and examine how the company might really fare in the tough U.S. economy this year. Consumers haven't been much in the mood to buy new cars and trucks with a housing and credit crisis underfoot."Something's happening that continues to erode GM's earnings power faster than the restructurings can offset," Peter Nesvold, an auto analyst with Bear Stearns, told the Detroit Free Press.He said that seems to put GM, and Detroit's auto industry, "stuck in restructuring mode" until it can achieve some more meaningful improvement.Much of the retiree healthcare savings from the new UAW contract don't really kick in until 2010, and investors are getting impatient.The automaker also announced a new, beefed-up buyout program to get an undisclosed number of workers to voluntarily take themselves off the payroll, among other actions.Much of GM's loss - a whopping $38.3 billion of it - was the result of a complicated noncash accounting charge that does not exactly relate to the fundamentals of the company's operations.Excluding those special charges, GM posted a much smaller pretax loss of $1.4 billion for the year, compared with a pretax profit of $628 million a year ago.GM's deterioration in operating results wasn't the fault of sales.The automaker's sales increased 3 percent, or 277,000 units, to 9.4 million vehicles last year, making it the second-best sales year in GM history. That, along with favorable currency exchanges, helped GM's core automotive business generate record revenue of $178 billion, a $7 billion improvement from the prior year.Rather, GM's poor performance in pretax adjusted results fell on the shoulders of GM's North America division for the United States, Canada and Mexico. GM North America posted an adjusted pretax loss of $1.5 billion last year.Much of that performance was explained by three factors: lower demand, big incentives on vehicles such as the Chevrolet Silverado and a tough closeout for 2007.In the fourth quarter alone, results for GM North America deteriorated by $931 million."They had to start giving away pickups," explained David Healy, an automotive analyst with Burnham Securities.That contributed to poor fourth-quarter results on the corporate level.In the fourth quarter, GM posted adjusted net income of $46 million, or $0.08 a share. Excluding a big tax benefit, though, the automaker posted a $1.6 billion loss.In the fourth quarter of 2006, GM posted adjusted net income of $180 million, or $0.32 a share.The net loss for the quarter was $722 million, compared with a profit of $950 million in the fourth quarter of 2006.Given that GM has cut $9 billion in structural costs out of its operations since 2005, Wall Street had been expecting much, much better results.Jonathan Steinmetz, an auto analyst with Morgan Stanley, called the results "very weak ... significantly worse than expected."What's more, several experts noted, the performance was on the back of two of GM's most important vehicle platforms - one for its full-size pickups and SUVs, which underlie the new Chevrolet Silverado, and the other a new crossover platform, which underlies the Buick Enclave."The product cadence does start to slow from here," Nesvold noted, "and that will make it more difficult for them, unless demand starts to rebound."Healy said he was shocked by GM's performance in the fourth quarter, but he still believes GM can return to profitability in 2009.GM, he noted, has about $30 billion in cash to help it get to 2010, which is when GM gets a big - $4 billion to $5 billion - lift from its new four-year labor contract with the UAW.While GM will release more details on its buyout program in the weeks ahead, most of those who accept a deal are expected to leave by July 1, the company said.GM's new program seems to mirror one announced by Ford Motor Co. last month. Ford is hoping to get 8,000 of its hourly workers to take a deal.GM won't say how many workers it hopes to shed. But economist Sean McAlinden of the Center for Automotive Research said last month that under its new contract with the UAW, it could replace up to 20,000 workers doing non-assembly jobs with new employees who will be paid half the old wage of $28 per hour.GM had been offering buyouts to about 5,200 UAW workers at service and parts operations and some closed plants since December, but those workers now are eligible for the new, sweetened offer, which raises the incentive payments for retirement-eligible workers by $10,000 for production workers and $27,500 for skilled workers.Production workers will be offered $45,000 and skilled workers will be offered $62,500 to retire with their full pension and health benefits. Those workers can take the money in a lump-sum payment or take it as monthly payments. They also can roll the money directly into a retirement account or 401(k).GM is giving less than Ford, which is offering up to $70,000 in lump-sum payments, but GM said its offer is comparable because workers who roll the money into a retirement account won't have to pay as much in taxes.(c) 2008, Detroit Free Press

Brawny Xterra off-Rogue player from Nissan

2008-02-23T11:06:00.000-06:00

By Jim Mateja
Chicago Tribune(MCT)

Rogue and Xterra. Beauty and the beast - both from Nissan.Rogue is blessed with a clever name as well as tantalizing styling on a new compact crossover derived from the Sentra sedan.Xterra with its rugged looks and truck-based platform is blessed with the ability to tread where Rogue shouldn't go - off-road through deep snow, thick sand and steep hills. If Rogue should venture off the pavement, Xterra has a 4WD low setting to pull the little one back.After having tested the fashionable Rogue, had to check out the functional Xterra. Each caters to a different buyer.Nissan says Xterra appeals to those who like outdoor activities. It skews more toward male (53 percent) than female buyers. It's about 50/50 for Rogue, a more urban lifestyle vehicle to take you from here to there, looking good all the way. Buyers who consider Xterra often cross-shop the Toyota FJ Cruiser and Jeep Liberty and Wrangler.Rogue cross-shops are with the Toyota RAV4 and Honda CR-V. Owners are more likely to move up eventually into a midsize Nissan Murano crossover derived from the Altima sedan than into a mid-size truck-based Pathfinder SUV.Rogue comes with front- or all-wheel-drive, holds four and offers only a 2.5-liter 4-cylinder; Xterra offers a choice of rear- or four-wheel-drive, seats five and has only a 4-liter V-6.We tested Xterra in the 4x4 Off Road version, which presents an immediate problem: High clearance for off-roading means high step-in/step-out height. Side steps aren't offered, in order to keep from scraping things when traveling off-road.Then there's the narrow rear-door opening. You have to slip over the wheel well to get in, then find knee room is snug. Running boards wouldn't help this; a low-carb diet would.The cargo hold is ample. Rear seats fold flat for more room - after you remove headrests. There's also some stowage capacity under the cargo floor and side pockets in the cargo walls. Too bad in ensuring so much cargo space someone didn't pay a little more attention to knee room in back.And as for paying attention, placing a first aid kit in the rear liftgate is noble, if misguided. Someone needing first aid must pull off the road and walk around to the back to lift the gate to get a bandage. Time would be saved and use simplified if the kit was under a seat.Nice touches include a pair of cupholders and an iPod/cell phone-holder in the center console along with a power plug under the center armrest (one in the dash, too). The seats are covered in a thick, rugged cloth ideal to roughhousing. Too bad they don't offer more side support.Xterra is powered by a 4-liter, 261-horsepower V-6 with a 5-speed automatic. Good power for smooth launches from the light or up an incline, but you pay at the pump - 14 mpg city/20 mpg highway with 4WD.When snow buried the subdivision, however, 4WD maneuverability was only a twist of the dial low in the dash away. Stability control and traction control helped, of course. If the snow gets very deep or the hill very steep, you can go 4WD low.It's another story on dry roads, where there's unnecessary suspension bumpiness not noticed on snow. That high ground clearance also comes with some lean in turns and corners you probably wouldn't pay attention to on snow.The Xterra 4x4 Off Road starts at $27,330. All Xterras offer power windows/locks/mirrors, anti-lock brakes, traction control, remote keyless entry and cruise control, as standard.(c) 2008, Chicago Tribune

Vesper Hall will lose an inspirational figure when volunteer Edith Weber parts company

2008-02-23T11:05:00.001-06:00

By Russ Pulley
Special to the Journal

Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, a leprechaun and more characters, a.k.a. Edith Weber, are deserting eastern Jackson County for Virginia.Weber, 63, is known for the whimsical costumes she wears at Blue Springs' senior center, Vesper Hall, and all over town.She is going to live with her daughter this spring, and the many costumes are packed away, waiting for the moving van. So this year Weber won't be the Easter Bunny.And she'll be missed.Her story is of a woman overcoming grief by offering joy to others.In January she was recognized as Outstanding Individual at Vesper Hall."I was shocked," said Weber, who lives in Grain Valley. "There are so many more deserving volunteers, who work more hours.""She keeps people laughing," said Jeannine Bray, 75, who nominated her. She said Weber's antics and generosity have touched many.Bray said Weber has taken her and others on many errands, for doctor appointments or shopping. At Christmas, she once baked 23 dozen cookies to take to shut-ins, Bray said."She's helped I don't know how many people," Bray said. "We're going to really lose somebody when she moves."I just dread it."At Vesper, Weber, 63, gives rides to seniors, serves meals, helps keep records and serves on the site council, which advises the center administrator.She also sings in the Vesper Hall Choir, which entertains at the center, nursing homes, day-cares and facilities for the disabled.Since Christmas 2001 she's anonymously prowled Blue Springs, visiting restaurants or stores to give away thousands of small gifts - food and stuffed toys.This phase of her life began in 1997, when she moved to Blue Springs to care for an ill sister. Coming with her from Steelville, Mo., was her husband, who was disabled.Weber was very shy, she said, not knowing many people.A doctor had suggested the couple visit Vesper Hall, but her husband didn't want to.Her sister died two years later, and her husband died the next year. Her son-in-law died next.Grief overwhelmed her.Alone and hurting, she finally listened to the advice of a neighbor, Molly Hollett, who also urged her to go to the center."You know, I'm tired of crying and being blue," she recalls thinking. "No one knows me at Vesper Hall. I'm going to go there, act smiling and happy and try to make someone smile every day."That Christmas, in 2001, she started playing Santa, borrowing a suit from a nephew.Grain Valley has a tradition, she said, where merchants put together food baskets - fruit and such - delivered to seniors. Hers was more than she could use. She split it into smaller packages, added stuffed toys she'd accumulated as a grandmother, and gave them away."You don't know what a feeling you get when you see kids and old people smiling from someone giving them a stuffed animal," she said.She started buying stuffed toys, on sale, at second-hand shops, then laundered and stowed them away. In her van, decorated with greenery and ornaments, she dressed Hollett as an elf, and off they'd go each holiday season, randomly visiting parking lots or restaurants. Kids mobbed her.People began to leave bags of toys on her doorstep. Or gave her money to buy more.Sometimes she'd also play Santa at nursing homes. "Women would want to sit on my lap; they thought I was a man," she laughed.At Vesper Hall, she earned a reputation as a cut-up. She began adding other personas.The choir director was always urging her to perform individually. She was too shy.But she hatched a scheme.One of the choir's numbers is "Aba Daba Honeymoon," an old ragtime novelty hit about a monkey and chimp getting married. For one performance, Hollett and Weber arrived early, wearing monkey masks and faux hair on their arms, with Hollett carrying a bouquet. They hid and waited.During the song they lumbered out, mimicking apes.For another tune, the Louis Armstrong hit "When You're Smiling," she bought the choir fake, ugly teeth. She instructed them to subtly put them in their mouths at the end of the song.And then to give a huge smile.When an Elvis impersonator performed at Vesper Hall, she tossed an oversized pair of underpants at him. Made him forget the words.April Fool's Day, she donned angel wings and a halo.She had other personas: a clown, a turkey for Thanksgiving - "Has anybody seen my brother Tom?" she'd say - a leprechaun, a flapper."I put on something and it makes me braver, I guess," Weber said.Usually, she asked for nothing.This year, because she had thought she'd be moving sooner, she gave away toys at Halloween. Dressed as an M&M, she gave away about 500 stuffed toys to trick-or-treaters who came to Vesper Hall.She'll be moving when the addition is ready at her daughter's house, perhaps in May. The thought of leaving Vesper Hall dismays her."This was a life-saver for me," Weber said, tearing up. "It really was."

City launches new Web site

2008-02-23T11:05:00.000-06:00

The Journal Staff

Last week the city of Blue Springs launched its newly designed city government Web site for public access at www.bluespringsgov.com.The new Web site is designed to increase the functionality andavailability of government information for the residents and visitors of Blue Springs. The new site will offer a number of service and feature enhancements notcurrently available on the city's Web site, as well as many of the amenities the former Web site offered. Some of these features include:n The ability to view streaming video of the City Council and Planning Commission meetings.n Continued access to online utility bill pay.n A number of new service features including "Notify Me" which gives site users the ability to sign-up for e-mailing lists and notifications from various departments in order to keep up to date on city events and information.Other features will include online service requests, the availability of Geographic Information System maps of the city, online registration for Parks and Recreation activities and a document center containing important city forms and applications commonly used by residents.Visitors to the homepage of the new site will be greeted by an assortment of appealing features including a clickable city calendar indicating upcoming meetings and events and a photo gallery slide show showcasing the amenities Blue Springs has to offer. The "News Flash" feature, also located on the homepage provides timely messages and news updates, enabling viewers to have access to city information that is both accurate and conveniently accessible. Representatives from every city department worked together to gather information about city services, create and redesign pages and develop a variety of frequently asked questions for the Web site. The site contains more than 250 pages of city news and information that will be continuously reviewed and updated by the City Communications office. In September 2007, the Blue Springs City Council approved a contract with Web site consultant and designer CivicPlus for an amount not to exceed $20,000. CivicPlus specializes in municipal government Web sites and communication.

Yates discusses healthcare improvements in Missouri

2008-02-23T11:01:00.000-06:00

By Miranda Wycoff
The Journal Staff

While healthcare coverage is a big talking point in the national arena for the country's presidential candidates, it is also something on which the state government has begun to focus on. "Insurance is on the minds of a lot of folks these days," said Rep. Brian Yates, R-District 56 during the February luncheon of the Lee's Summit Chamber of Commerce on Friday. "Seven hundred thousand Missourians are not covered, and the large bulk of those people simply cannot afford it."Yates said there is a decline in the number of employers who offer healthcare coverage to their employees in Missouri. "Small businesses simply can't afford it," he said. "And employers have to find coverage elsewhere."As chairman of the Insurance Policy Committee in the Missouri House of Representatives, Yates said the lawmakers in Jefferson City are looking to address many of those concerns this session. One such measure is Gov. Matt Blunt's Insure Missouri Program. The program, which was officially announced in the fall of 2007, has the potential to improve healthcare access to many of the uninsured Missourians.Blunt wants to implement the program through three phases, with phase one to be available for working parents and families with an income of up to 100 percent of the poverty level - $20,650 for a family of four, according to insuremissouri.org. According to Yates, the program was created by Blunt without legislative input, and if all three phases are implemented the way the governor has outlined, Insure Missouri could cost a total of $416 million - with $233 million coming from the state of Missouri. Yates said phase one is to go to Secretary of State Robin Carnahan's desk for approval.From there, she could send it to the legislature. However, he said that even if that happens, phase one is still likely to pass. Phases two and three, are yet to be determined. In addition to the governor's Insure Missouri program, Yates said there are a number of other bills filed in the Missouri House and Senate that, if passed, are likely to improve the state of healthcare coverage in Missouri. He said while Missouri lawmakers are not likely to head toward a universal healthcare system, instead they are working toward putting patients in charge of their healthcare options and increasing competition among providers, which could result in greater access, lower costs and more innovation, Yates said.In addition, there is legislation filed that could ease the requirements to create associations. Yates said small businesses can create associations to share risks and lower costs of healthcare coverage. Currently there is a two-year establishment requirement, but Yates filed legislation to remove that stipulation. "Unfortunately it did not make it last year, but I'm hoping for this year," Yates said. He said it would level the playing field between large corporations and small businesses to provide coverage for their employees.For more information on insurance bills going through the Missouri General Assembly, visit the Missouri House of Representatives Web site at www.house.mo.gov or the Missouri Senate's Web site at www.senate.mo.gov. For more information on the Insure Missouri Program, visit its Web site at www.insuremissouri.org.

BS man charged with burglary in Grain Valley

2008-02-23T11:00:00.000-06:00

By Brett Dalton
The Journal Staff

A Blue Springs man may have been responsible for a series of 10 residential burglaries that tookplace in Grain Valley last year.According to a news release put out last week by the Grain Valley Police Department, Jacob M. Donovan of Blue Springs was arrested on Aug.21, 2007 in connection with one of the 10 burglaries that occurred during the month of August. Donovan, 24, was charged with first-degree burglary and was sentenced to five years in the state penitentiary by the Circuit Court of Jackson County, according to a news release.Terry Ford, detective with the GVPD, said police aren't certain Donovan is connected to all the burglaries that happened in Grain Valley last August, but said Donovan possessed credit cards and other pieces of property that were taken from various properties."We can't prove he was connected to all of them," Ford said. "But we suspect he did all of them."Donovan also is suspected to be involved in all of the burglaries, as they were similar in nature. According to the GVPD, all the burglaries that occurred in August 2007 took place during the evening hours, with entry through unlocked or partially opened garage doors. According to a media report by an area television news station, items stolen from the various residences included power tools, wallets and cars.

Adams Dairy Landing project to expand

2008-02-23T10:59:00.000-06:00

By Miranda WycoffThe Journal

StaffAfter acquiring two new properties to the Adams Dairy Landing project, RED Development announced that a third large retail anchor will be addedto the develop-ment.The announce-ment was made during an update presentation to the Blue Springs City Council on the project. Dan Lowe ofRED Development said that although he could not announce which store will serve as a third major retail anchor to the shopping center, the company is in final negotiations with a major "soft" retail store."We've modified the project a little bit," Lowe said. "We've expanded the property boundaries to provide more flexibility."He said the added flexibility allowed RED to bring an additional large anchor to the project.With the expanded property boundaries and the addition of another anchor, Lowe said the southeast portion of the project plans have changed significantly since RED last presented to the Council. In addition to the expansion, Lowe said the Transportation Development District approved by the Council to help fund the project has since changed. Lowe said RED convinced Wal-Mart and Home Depot to contribute to the TDD.Since both stores already existed, their participation was not required. But since some of the off-site road improvements to be made by the TDD funding would improve access to both stores, they decided to participate. Off-site improvements to be made include the four major intersections surrounding the project - the two intersections at Interstate 70 and Adams Dairy Parkway, Adams Dairy Parkway and Cornado and R.D. Mize Road and Coronado.Scott Cargill, traffic spokesperson for the development, said all the improvements will increase the level of service a complete grade - for example, from grade D to grade C - or decrease the delay time at the intersections. Cargill said the improvements on R.D. Mize will essentially set up the road as a secondary access to the development site to help facilitate the traffic on Adams Dairy Parkway.Other improvements will include the expansion of lanes on the roadways, raising Coronado Road and lowering R.D. Mize by about 15 feet each."At the end of the day these improvements are not only a benefit to the shopping center, but a benefit to its patrons. And not only a benefit to its patrons, but a benefit to (citizens of) Blue Springs," Cargill said. For more information on the Adams Dairy Landing Project, visit the city of Blue Springs' Web site at www.bluespringsgov.com.

Wrestling: Lucky 13

2008-02-16T16:51:00.000-06:00

After winning the Class 4 District 3 championship, 13 Wildcats went for individual and team gold at the Class 4 MSHSAA wrestling tournament in Columbia, Mo.
“The team performed very well. All 13 wrestlers qualified, with three firsts, six seconds and three thirds.” Mike Hagerty, Wildcats Head Coach

Wildcats eye third state title in four years

2008-02-16T16:50:00.000-06:00

By Jake Singleton
The Journal Staff
After winning back-to-back state titles in 2005 and 2006 last year’s Blue Springs girls swimming and diving team’s second-place state finish was a bit disappointing for the Wildcats. “After two state titles and a third-place finish the previous three years, it did made a second feel small somehow,” said Wildcats head coach Bill Shalley of Blue Springs’ second-place finish in 2007. “But we have gotten beyond that to focus on what we can do this year.” And the Wildcats have the talent and depth to earn their third state crown in four years. Blue Springs will be led by senior Abby Nelson, 10-time all-American and seven-time state champion, senior Tarin Corwin, 12-time all-American and nine time state champion and senior Shaida Solimani, six time all-American and four-time state champion. Nelson, who has a full-ride scholarship to Michigan State, won her state titles in multiple events including the relays. Corwin, who has a full-ride to Texas A&M, is the current state record holder in the 50- and - 100-yard freestyle and Solimani is a four-time state relay champ and has been all-state in six events over the last three years. But the Wildcats have more than three talented seniors. Blue Springs junior Molly Menefee finished third in the one-meter dive at state last year, and junior Eleanor Prewitt-Thomas is a state qualifier in every event this year. Sophomore Shelby Bolin received all-state honors last year in the 400 and 500 freestyle relays, junior Kristi Fries was an all-American in the 200 medley relay, junior Kelsea Floyd has been a state qualifier in the 100, 200 and 500 freestyle races the past two years, and sophomore Abby Stanley was a state consolation last year in the 100 backstroke. Sophomore Meryl Pampolina will go to state as Blue Springs’ only first-time state qualifier and will compete in the one-meter dive. But even with a wealth of experienced talent, the Wildcats aren’t pressuring themselves to take home a state title. “If our best is good enough, then great. If not, then great. We just want to have a great time doing our best,” Shalley said. “We believe Glendale, Springfield and Lafayette of St. Louis will be very tough again this year, as will Parkway South. It is our belief the Kansas City area, especially the Suburban Conference, will score strong at state. We believe Oak Park and Lee’s SummitWest will have a great shot at the top five or six teams, and Liberty and Lee’s Summit North will also score well and have a great shot at the top 10 to 12 teams.” Corwin is currently ranked second in the 50 (23.95) and 100 (52.11) freestyle, fourth in the 200 freestyle (1:56.74) and sixth in the 100 butterfly (1:00.39). Solimani is ranked first in the 100 backstroke (59.09), second in the 200 freestyle (1:55.82), sixth in the 50 freestyle and third in the 100 freestyle (53.01). Nelson is ranked first in the 100 butterfly (57.97), third in the 200 individual medley (2:09.53) and fi fth in the 100 freestyle (54.37). Bolin is ranked ninth in the 200 freestyle (1:59.56) and fifth in the 500 freestyle (5:16.28). Pruitt-Thomas is ranked second in the 500 freestyle (5:08.96) and fourth in the 200 IM (2:11.54). Fries is ranked seventh in the 100 breaststroke (1:10.35). The Wildcats are ranked first in the 200 freestyle relay (1:40.43), first in the 400 freestyle (3:37.16) and first in the 200 medley relay (1:50.34). Blue Springs South athletes making the trip to state include, senior Erin Casper in the 50 and 100 freestyle (26.21, 57.21), the 100 butterfly (1:01.44), the 100 backstroke (1:05.51) and 200 IM 2:20.20); senior Aubrey Shoemaker in the 200 freestyle (2:04.81) and 500 freestyle (5:25.40) and 200 IM (2:19.53) and sophomore Anna Marie Lajoie in the 100 butterfly (1:04.09). South also qualified in the 200 freestyle relay (1:47.70) and the 400 freestyle relay (3:59.09).“After two state titles and a third-place finish the previous three years, it did make a second feel small somehow.” Bill Shalley, Wildcats Head Coach

Schwartz and Sweet

2008-02-16T16:43:00.001-06:00

By Jake Singleton
The Journal Staff
Blue Springs’ senior Bret Schwartz’s three second-half threes help Wildcats fend off Broncos.
Blue Springs junior guard Bret Schwartz was hearing voices. “I hear guys in my ear yelling, ‘Hit it,’ when I go up to shoot the ball,” Schwartz said. And in the second half of Tuesday’s Suburban Big Seven road game against Lee’s Summit North, Schwartz listened to those voices. With North up 28-26 at halftime, Blue Springs senior Arron Ray’s seven third-quarter points helped the Wildcats keep pace with the Broncos until Schwartz sank the first of three second-half three point shots with three minutes remaining in the third quarter to put Blue Springs up 42-37. “I haven’t been shooting the ball as well,” Schwartz said. “But my teammates kept believing in me, and it helped to know they still have confidence in me. And the coaches were in our ears telling us to keep shooting it.” A rebound and lay up by Schwartz with 55 seconds remaining in thethird quarter put Blue Springs up 44-33, before North senior Landon Fall converted on a three-point play and junior Aaron William’s jump shot cut the Wildcats’ lead to 44-41 at the end of the third quarter. But early in the fourth quarter, Schwartz kept shooting. “After I hit that first three, I felt good and the others just fell,” Schwartz said. Schwartz, who finished with 13 points including three threepointers, hit two threes in the opening minutes of the fourth quarter, and senior Carlos Anderson hit a three as Blue Springs opened up a 55-48 lead. But even with the three threepointers and four points by Ray, who finished with a team-high 17 points, the Broncos continued to stay close. “(North) was a lot more physical this time and they looked like they believed in each other a lot more,” Schwartz said. “They seemed like they knew what they were doing and that they wanted to win a lot more.” Fall scored 10 of his 14 points in the fourth quarter. North senior Jordan Simmons, who finished with a team-high 18 points, hit one of his two second-half threes in the fourth quarter as the Broncos within two points, 57-55 with 45 seconds remaining. That’s when Blue Springs senior Michael LaHue made a play that would cause the Broncos to question their will to win. “There’s 45 seconds left, we’re down by two points and there’s a loose ball and we don’t jump on the floor and they do,” Simmons said. “So we clearly didn’t deserve to win that ball game if we don’t have the heart to dive on the floor for a loose ball when we are down by two with 45 seconds left.” LaHue, however, dove for the loose ball, came up with it and passed it to Anderson. Anderson, who scored seven of his 15 points in the fourth-quarter, went coastto-coast for the lay up to put the Wildcats up 59-55. North never recovered from the loose ball-turned-easy lay up as theWildcats went on to win 62-59. After finishing up its regular season with a conference home game against Big Seven frontrunner Oak Park, the Wildcats will face Fort Osage at 6 p.m. on Tuesday in Class 5 District 13 tournament play at Truman High School.
“My teammates kept believing in me, and it helped to know they still have confidence in me.” Bret Schwartz, Wildcat Senior

Audi brings Europe to America with the S5

2008-02-16T16:42:00.001-06:00

By Rick Popely
Chicago Tribune (MCT)
Beautiful, sophisticated and dynamic, the 2008 Audi S5 sport coupe is the car that fi nally fulfills Audi’s promise. The powerful coupe’s sleek styling and superb handling lay the groundwork for a line of new Audis that may challenge BMW as the premier luxury-performance brand. The S5 is the V8-powered performance version of Audi’s new A5 coupe, which in turn is the two-door version of the German brand’s great-looking new A4 sport sedan. The A4 is to go on sale this fall as a 2009 model. The S5 and A5 are available now as 2008 models. Prices for the S5 start at $50,500. Audi’s Quattro allwheel-drive system, a 354-horsepower, 4.2-liter directinjection gasoline engine and a six-speed manual transmission are all standard on the S5. Quattro also is standard equipment on the A5, which gets Audi’s 265-horsepower, 3.2-liter, direct-injection V6 and starts at $39,900 with a manual six-speed. A six-speed automatic transmission adds $1,300 to the price of the S5 or A5. All prices exclude destination charges. The S5 competes with performance coupes like the BMW 650i, Jaguar XK, Mercedes-Benz CLK 550 and the upcoming 2009 BMW M3 coupe. The V6-powered A5 will compete with lesspowerful models from the same automakers, such as the Mercedes CLK 350. The Cadillac CTS coupe, which caused a stir when unveiled as a concept car at the recent North American International Auto Show in Detroit, should join the competitive pack when it goes on sale in the next year or two. I tested a nicely equipped S5 that stickered at $57,240, including a $1,300 gas-guzzler tax but excluding destination charges. The S5 is extremely well equipped. The only options on the car I tested were wood trim, a navigation system, a technology package that includes pushbutton start and a backup camera and a crystalline Bang & Olufsen stereo. Soft leather upholstery is standard, as are beautifully shaped front sport seats that cup their occupants like a catcher’s mitt. The rear seats are equally attractive, but while the front provides ample space, rear legroom is minimal. The power window switches had a mind of their own, occasionally rolling a window down when I pulled up, but they always mended their ways the second time I pulled the switch. The whole interior is logically laid out and covered in attractive materials. Poor cupholders and the lack of power operation for the tilt and telescoping steering wheel were the only disappointments. The center console has two cupholders, but only one is sized to hold anything much larger than a small-caliber Red Bull can, and the spring-loaded clips tend to crush paper cups. Luxury coupes exist to be beautiful and graceful, not practical, however, and the S5 fits the bill perfectly. Wide and low, it is by far the best-looking big car ever from Audi. The sophisticated exterior can look simple, almost bland, at first glance, but it abounds in details that grow more appealing every time you see the S5. The subtle, sweeping shoulder line that sweeps down the S5’s sides from stem to stern has an elegant simplicity seldom seen in cars today, while the long hood and wraparound fenders promise power and performance. The fade-away roofline follows the formula of the classic sport coupe. Audi was so enamored of the roof that it fitted the S5 with a large glass sunroof that tilts upward slightly but does not slide open. The designers thought having the glass panel slide back would spoil the car’s lines. They were right, but they should have ranked the driver’s pleasure above that of bystanders admiring the S5 as it sweeps by. A sunroof that won’t open is not much better than no sunroof at all. Shortcomings like the cupholders and sunroof become minor indeed when the V8 rumbles to life and the S5 takes to the road, however. The free-revving directinjection engine, which requires premium gasoline, spins up effortlessly, providing 325 pound-feet of torque rom 3,500 rpm and providing excellent acceleration in all gears. The shifter is a bit notchy and the slightly heavy clutch effort gets tiresome in stop and go traffic, however. Thanks to a new chassis it shares with the upcoming A4, the S5 is among the bestbalanced Audis ever. The 5\9 distribution of weight between the front and rear axles keeps the car planted on the road through fast, fun curves.(c) 2008, Detroit Free Press

Star attractions: Shiny new SUVs

2008-02-16T16:42:00.000-06:00

By Rick Popely
Chicago Tribune (MCT)
CHICAGO — Out of more than a dozen models unveiled last week the Chicago Auto Show, the one likely to attract the most buyers is a big SUV. Surprise. Amid fuel-price shocks and all the talk of the latest hybrid, Chevrolet used the show to bring out the Traverse, an eightpassenger SUV that measures even a few inches longer than the Chevy Tahoe, a full-size, truck-based sport-utility. But General Motors is quick to point out that Traverse weighs 500 pounds less than Tahoe, is powered by a V-6 instead of V-8 and will get better gas mileage. With its smallest V-8, Tahoe averages 16 miles per gallon. EPA ratings aren’t final for Traverse, but the similar Buick Enclave averages 19. Expect Traverse to top that. “We aren’t stupid,” Mark LaNeve, GM’s sales and marketing chief, said bluntly. “We know that things have changed dramatically and that consumers want their vehicles to be more fuel efficient. That means, over time, the mix of vehicles we sell will shift.” What hasn’t shifted is consumers’ demand for space, performance, living-room comfort and a low price. In other words, everything they have now, but with better gas mileage. The upshot is that despite increasingly stringent fuel economy standards, large SUVs and pickups and big sedans will continue to be a major part of the automotive landscape in the U.S., absent a catastrophe such as the supply of foreign oil drying up. “You’ve got all the utility of a Tahoe in a more efficient package,” Aaron Bragman, a research analyst at industry forecaster Global Insight, said of Traverse. “It may not be that much more efficient, but these are the kinds of gradual steps, the small improvements, they will make. “No amount of legislation is going to change what people want,” Bragman added. “There will not be a sudden shift to subcompacts.” The auto show runs through Feb. 17, and throughout McCormick Place carmakers are showing vehicles that refl ect the conflicting demands of rising gas prices and consumer desire for speed, style and convenience. Lincoln, for example, will launch the Chicago-built MKS in July as its new flagship sedan, but the car will have a V-6 instead of the V-8 typical of luxury models. “People driving a big vehicle with a V-8 can feel guilty about it, like everyone’s against them,” said Lincoln car marketing manager Peiwen Hsu. But MKS won’t lack for performance. The standard engine cranks out 270 horsepower, and next year Lincoln will add a turbocharger, boosting horsepower to about 350. Toyota is displaying theVenza, a four-door hatchback/ wagon based on the Camry sedan with SUV styling cues. It’s smaller than either of Toyota’s current midsize SUVs, the 4Runner and Highlander. But the leader in hybrids also trotted out a revamped Sequoia, a full-size, V-8-powered SUV that gets 15 mpg. It expects the fresh design to drive sales up from last year’s 23,000. “Our job is to provide the customer what they want,” said Executive Vice President Don Esmond. “The market (for big SUVs) will probably get smaller, but there are still a lot of people who tow boats or go on camping trips,” so it won’t disappear.(c) 2008, Chicago Tribune

Puzzled By Seed Packets? Here’s How To Read Them

2008-02-16T16:41:00.000-06:00

By Beth Botts
Chicago Tribune (MCT)
CHICAGO — Starting vegetable seeds at home can be rewarding in many ways: It’s cheap. You can find a much wider range of varieties in seed packets than you can as plants in garden centers in spring. And you can make sure that your food is raised without pesticides, which is better for you and the environment. But if you are new to the seedstarting game, even choosing seeds can be confusing. Seed packets and descriptions in catalogs and Web sites may be full of flowery adjectives but omit essential facts, or they may consist of insider shorthand that seems like it requires a cryptographer. And there’s no one key: “The only standard is that there’s no standard,” says Nona Koivula, executive director of the National Garden Bureau, a trade association in Downers Grove, Ill. Here are some tips to help you crack the seed-starting code: Get a book or find acomprehensive Web site. No catalog or seed packet will tell you all you need to know about growing vegetables; most make it hard for beginners by assuming you already know a lot. So have a good broad reference handy. Learn about broccoli, beans or basil in general before you try to choose a specific variety. Know your conditions before you start shopping, know where you are going to plant, how much light the site gets (most vegetables require at least eight hours a day of sun), where you will get water and what kind of soil you have (or can get). Hang onto the catalog. Often some essential information is in the catalog description (or on the Web site) and the rest is on the packet. You may need to refer to both. Check definitions. Many terms and codes vary from catalog to catalog or from plant to plant. Catalog companies may have idiosyncratic codes for different methods of germination, for example. And watch out for the slippery meaning of a phrase such as “65 days,” indicating the days until you can harvest mature fruit. Sometimes it means 65 days after you plant the seed. But sometimes — even for a different plant in the same catalog — it may mean 65 days after you transplant seedlings that you started indoors several weeks earlier out to the garden. Descriptions usually don’t specify the meaning because catalog companies assume you know that peas and radishes are best sown outdoors but tomatoes need to be started indoors. If you have any doubt about a catalog term, call or email and ask. Don’t expect precision. Seed descriptions are fairly general. Depending on your conditions, the weather, the care you give them and many other factors, plants and fruits may be a somewhat different size than stated or not quite follow the schedule. Don’t let it throw you; as you gain experience, you’ll have more control and a better idea what to expect. Seed packets deconstructedHere are some key terms and concepts you may encounter on vegetable seed packets or in catalog descriptions. Terms and codes are not standardized, so find the legend in each catalog or Web site and ask about anything confusing. For more terminology, see the glossary of the Mailorder Gardening Association Web site, www.mailordergardening.com Bush or pole: Refers to plant habit, such as beans. Bush varieties are more compact and bushy; pole varieties are long and sprawly, requiring more support. Cool-season: Indicates seeds will germinate and grow in cool weather in spring or fall; usually can withstand light frost; likely fails in summer heat. Date: Indicates year in which producer intended seeds to be planted and grown. Extra seed can be saved, but how long it will remain usable depends on plant, packaging and storage. Days: Generally, indicates “days to harvest.” Specific meaning varies: It may mean from when you sow seed or from when you transplant seedlings outdoors. Determinate or indeterminate: Indicates whether plants (such as tomatoes) grow to a certain size and then stop, producing all their fruit in a short time (determinate) or grow continuously (indeterminate) and produce until frost, needing more space and support. Direct-sow: Refers to sowing seed outdoors in the place where it will grow. Disease resistance: Indicates whether variety has been bred to resist or tolerate certain diseases (especially of tomatoes). May be stated as a code, such as V for verticilium wilt and TMV for tobacco mosaic virus. Codes vary. F1 hybrid: Identifi es a first-generation cross between two purebred strains. These tend to be vigorous but will not produce seed with the same characteristics, so you have to buy new seed each year. Open-pollinated: Refers to plants that will produce seed with the same characteristics, allowing you to collect seed for next year. Germination method: Indicates method for getting seeds to sprout; varies with species. May be spelled out or stated in a code or icons. Check legend. Heirloom: Generally refers to an older variety, 50 years old or more. A wider range of fl avors, sizes and shapes is available among heirloom varieties, though newer hybrids or selections may be more vigorous or disease-resistant. Light: Indicates how much sunlight is needed. Full sun means at least eight hours a day. Half a sun usually means part sun, or about four to six hours a day. “Partial shade” is less light than “part sun.” But check legend. Organic: Indicates seed from plants grown without herbicides or insecticides acccording to federal regulations. Not a characteristic of the plant variety. Start indoors: Indicates seeds need to be started indoors in small pots, usually under lights, starting in late winter or early spring. Transplant outdoors several weeks later, usually after danger of frost is past. May be shown as an icon; check legend. Treated: Indicates seeds are treated with pesticides to control disease. Organic seed should be untreated.(c) 2008, Chicago Tribune

No need to plow a fortune into your garden

2008-02-16T16:40:00.000-06:00

By Virginia A. Smith
The Philadelphia Inquirer (MCT)
PHILADELPHIA — Sharon Barkhymer uses words like“thrifty” and “frugal” to describe her penny-pinching gardening style, but other people call her just plain cheap. “I’m not cheap,” she protests. “I’m responsible.” Let’s add “smart” to this list of adjectives. Seen a “hot new plant” catalog lately? You can spend $50 for a hosta — or you can fi ll your car with gas. So the beleaguered Barkhymer’s onto something: You don’t have to spend your inheritance to have a beautiful garden. In that spirit, here are some ideas — all of them thrifty, responsible souls who occasionally veer into cheap — to help you plan your 2008 garden: Barkhymer, who lives in North Coventry Township, Pa., recognizes that “you can easily spend a fortune on annuals.” So she does mostly serial perennials: peonies and irises to bloom in spring; yuccas, blackeyed Susans and conefl owers in summer; sedums like ‘Autumn Joy’ in late summer and fall. She scouts out lesser-known, less-expensive plant nurseries in rural Lancaster County, Pa. She pots up ‘Angel wing’ begonia, basil, rosemary and bay leaf in fall, takes them indoors and reuses in spring. She saves seeds, cruises through Craigslist. And she propagates with cuttings: rhododendron and azalea in seedstarting mix and angel’s trumpet in water. “I can’t believe people pay so much money for those,” Barkhymer says of the pendulous trumpets that grow as annuals here. “I just lop off a branch and pop it in water.” She looks for plants that reseed — cleome, cosmos, bronze fennel — and participates in a perennial-plant swap with friends every spring. They load up on each other’s irises, ground covers, poppies and small shrubs. “I’ve gotten a lot of stuff I didn’t have before, and it didn’t cost me a cent,” Barkhymer says. Many of the swapped plants resulted from dividing, another reason to go the perennial route — and an easy way to economize. Susan Dannenberg of Elkins Park, Pa., is the kind of gardener who, were she not so kind, would shame us all. “Before you go out and buy anything,” she says, “think about what kind of garden is suited to your area. Think of the long haul.” In other words, fashion a garden that’s tended with wellmade tools, enriched with organic compost and shreddedleaf mulch, and filled with native plants, such as phlox and maidenhair fern. Natives need less water, fertilizer, coddling and time. “All of this pays off in the long run,” she says. Dannenberg also likes perennials like the underappreciated hosta, which grows easily, spreads nicely, has hundreds of varieties and usually costs far less than $50. And “Sorbet” violas, which look like baby pansies. Despite faces no bigger than a quarter, and names like “Blackberry cream” and “Lemon chiffon,” they’re tough. Ornamental grasses are Joe Blake’s delight. The East Falls, Pa., playwright and freelance editor has had great luck popping into Home Depot every week and scooping up tired-looking blue fescues and maiden grasses for a song. “I get them for $2 or $3, and sometimes they just give them to me,” says Blake, who theorizes that the impatiens-buying masses pass on grasses because “they look too diffi cult to take care of” — and the stores are happy to be rid of them. Blake always checks the roots. “When the foliage starts to go bad up top, they discount deeply,” he says of the big-boxes stores, “but most of the time, the roots are fine.” Linda R. Barry, mastergardener coordinator for Penn State Cooperative Extension in Delaware County, and her coworkers promote the use of water barrels to collect rain, and compost bins for household garbage. Both are sometimes given out ree at workshops. And “don’t fill the whole planting area at one time,” Barry suggests. “Plant the basics first.” Doris Stahl, who coordinates master gardeners for Penn State in Philadelphia, scans the shelves in Chinatown for inexpensive seed packets of Asian vegetables and winter squash. She trades seeds with friends, too. “You don’t have to plant the whole packet,” she says, citing one of those “duh” gardening rules so often forgotten. Stahl and others scour tag sales and fl ea markets for cheap, unusual alternatives to the costly containers sold by garden centers. You might find adaptable chamber pots and spittoons, baskets and cast-iron kettles, washtubs, children’s wagons, Granite Ware cookware, colanders or, as Dannenberg once did, a soup ladle, which she filled with pansies and hung on the wall. “It all depends on your aesthetic,” says Stahl. “Just make sure whatever you get has — or you put in — drainage holes.” Despite winning a wagonload of ribbons and honors from the Philadelphia Flower Show, Art Wolk’s aesthetic couldn’t be more down to earth. A former librarian, he now makes his living as a gardening writer and speaker who likes to poke fun at our horticultural foibles. “Glorious Gardens for Pennies” is a favorite topic. And he walks the walk. For years, Wolk grew 5,000 seedlings annually for customers and himself. He still grows seedlings for himself and forces bulbs big time in the cold frames and greenhouse at his Voorhees home. Starting seeds indoors in winter is, hands down, the smartest penny-pinching trick — about one-fi fth the cost of buying vegetable and flower seedlings, says Wolk. And another thing: “I love annuals,” he declares, knowing full well some plant snobs feel otherwise. In fact, he grows so many from seed, he can afford to plant wavy drifts throughout his garden. You can toss some of those seeds right into the ground come Mother’s Day (May 11) — marigolds, nasturtiums, tithonia, sunflowers and alyssum, lettuces, beans, parsley and cilantro. Seriously now, besides the savings, growing from seed is “a bit of nature’s magic,” Wolk says. Not to be missed, if you can manage it. Penny-pinching gardeners are just like other gardeners; we just work harder to spend less. Here’s a shortcut to more information, some of it free and all of it a good investment in your garden: “Rodale Institute’s All-New Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening” ($29). At 704 pages, worth its weight in compost. Go to www.rodale.com or www.organicgardening.com. Burpee’s “The Complete Vegetable & Herb Gardener: A Guide to Growing Your Garden Organically” by Karan Davis Cutler, Barbara W. Ellis and David Cavagnaro (Wiley, $39.95). Also “The Complete Flower Gardener: The Comprehensive Guide to Growing Flowers Organically” by Cutler and Ellis (Wiley, $34.95). The National Gardening Association’s “Gardening Allin-One for Dummies” (For Dummies, $29.99). Though they admit it only under duress, even A-plus gardeners sometimes consult this little tome. Horticultural handbooks ($10) from Brooklyn Botanic Gardens, www.bbg.org/gar2. “The Well-Tended Perennial Garden” by Tracy DiSabato-Aust (Timber Press, $23). Also” The Perennial Gardener’s Design Primer” by Stephanie Cohen and Nancy J. Ondra (Storey, $24.95), both respected local horticulturists. Taylor Gardening Guides. They’re all 400 pages, loaded with color photos and solid information, and only $23 each. Go to www.houghtonmifflinbooks.com/taylors. Now that’s a bargain. Speaking of bargains, university cooperative extensions are the ultimate. See www.extension.psu.edu/Hort.html for Penn State and http://njaes.rutgers.edu/garden for Rutgers. We penny-pinching gardeners just can’t resist free information. And we spell that S-M-A-R-T(c) 2008, The Philadelphia Inquirer

Prosper Now And Pay It Forward

2008-02-16T16:38:00.001-06:00

Commentary by Jamshid Hoorfar
Estate planning is an important component of your retirement equation. You want to help ensure your wealth is protected while you are still alive, and that the maximum amount possible goes to designated beneficiaries upon your death. Because there are many demographic, economic, and social trends impacting the nature of retirement in America, that goal could be more complex than you think. The “four pillars of U.S. retirement” concept has its origins in the traditional “threelegged stool” of retirement security: Social Security, Employment-Based Plans, and Personal Savings. The fourth pillar of the framework, retirement choices, focuses on the signifi cance of lifestyle and financial choices as the nature of retirement in America has changed. According to a white paper released by Prudential Financial entitled “The Fourth Pillar: Retirement Choice in 2007,” increased longevity coupled with an abundance of lifestyle choices, such as where and how to live and whether to continue working, will greatly infl uence your available retirement resources, and your ability to transfer wealth to loved ones or charity. Since you can expect your retirement years may be longer than previous generations, one thing you’ll want to help guard against is the prospect of outliving your assets. Some considerations: Plan long term. Americans in their mid-60s, on average, can expect to live about another 18 years (U.S. Census Bureau, “Statistical Abstracts of the United States,” Table 98, December 2006), so an investment strategy needs to help provide funding for these years. Clearly, the longer your savings have the potentialto grow, the better. Pay yourself first. Socking away at as much as you can into a company matched 401K or Individual Retirement Account can be money well spent. For example, if you are 25 years old and you save only $5 per day (or $150 a month), in 40 years your nest egg would be worth $1.2 million before taxes, assuming a 10-percent rate of return. Invest for growth. A well-diversified, balanced portfolio that has the potential to produce current income and growth for future needs is essential for a long and secure retirement. In terms of transferring your wealth, a number of tools can help protect your hard-earned assets: Wills. Your will is the foundation of your estate plan and designates how and to whom property will be distributed after death. Trusts. A trust can be set up to facilitate the transfer of property to a trustee for the benefit of your benefi ciaries. A trust helps avoid costs and delays of probate. Life insurance. A life insurance death benefit can often provide a guaranteed amount to heirs, generally income tax free (See IRC Section 101(a)), and could help provide for aging parents or other family needs in the event of a premature death. If an estate includes non-monetary assets such as real estate or a business, life insurance proceeds can provide desirable liquidity to help pay any estate taxes incurred. Of course, there are tradeoffs to make involving how much you spend in retirement and how much you set aside to transfer to your heirs. Living extravagantly in retirement may result in having less than desired to transfer to heirs. Yet, planning for a larger transfer of wealth may result in an unnecessarily cramped lifestyle in retirement. Now is the time to begin thinking about the lifestyle choices, investment strategies,and financial tools that can help maximize your retirement funding. A licensed financial professional can help you develop the strategies you need to help ensure your wealth provides for you and your designated heirs.

Teacher by day…designer by night

2008-02-16T16:38:00.000-06:00

By Miranda Wycoff
The Journal Staff
Most second grade teachers go home each evening and prepare for the next day’s class. But Julie Thayer, William Yates Elementary School teacher, goes home and designs handbags for her line, JulieBeth. “It’s all so new to me — although it is fun to tell people I’m a designer, because I am. I’m a designer,” Thayer said, seemingly in disbelief of the fact herself. The company officially began a year ago when Thayer and her best friend and business partner Beth Younger met with a New York City manufacturer to create their designs. The high-end handbags sell for $520 to $1,200 and are made from a multitude of leathers including Italian lambskin and authentic African gazelle fur. “We have always loved bags — accessories really, purses and shoes and things like that — so we’ve always been talking about (starting the business),” Thayer said. Thayer and Younger grew up together in the small town of Tomball, Texas. Thayer said Younger and her family moved to town around the same time that she did, and the girls became inseparable. After high school, Thayer and Younger both got basketball scholarships, but at colleges states away from each other. Younger went to play for Auburn while Thayer went to Hastings College in Nebraska. After college Thayer found herself teaching in a small Nebraska town, while Younger was finishing up her M.B.A. in Cleveland. Both were ready to leave the cities they were at and wanted to move on to bigger and better things. “We decided we wanted to live together in a city,” Thayer said. “I don’t know why we decided on Kansas City, but that’s where we ended up.” Once they were roommates, the sketches and the ideas for their future handbag company took off. “I would come in with an idea for a handbag and she wouldn’t understand what was saying so I would have to draw it out — it just kind of went from there,” Thayer said. Last February Younger moved back to their hometown of Tomball, while Thayer stayed in the Kansas City area to continue her job as a second grade teacher in Blue Springs. But the distance hasn’t hindered their business; in fact their company has taken off. In August 2007, JulieBeth held the official launch party in Austin — so the bags haven’t even been on the market for a full year. “We make (the distance) work. We talk constantly. I actually just got off the phone with her,” Thayer said on Tuesday. And in the summer, when Thayer is on vacation from school, the women find a lot of time to get together and work on new designs and new ideas. Thayer said for Younger, JulieBeth is her full-time job, which makes it easier for Thayer to continue teaching in Blue Springs while her friend runs the business from Texas. The bags can be found in designer stores in Colorado, Texas and Wyoming, but there is a possibility that they could soon be found in the Kansas City area. Thayer said they are trying to get their line sold in stores in Overland Park, Kan., and in Liberty, Mo. But for now, those interested in JulieBeth designs in the area will have to order online. “ Most of the people who buy the bags around here are the people that know me,” Thayer said. “That’s one of the hardest parts — getting the brand out there.” To see all the designs of JulieBeth’s 2007 collection or to order a JulieBeth original handbag, visit the Web site at www.julie-beth.com.

Where did I come from, where am I going?

2008-02-16T16:35:00.001-06:00

Commentary by Ann Scheer
As I become more and more familiar with the city of Blue Springs, I become more and more familiar with how diffi cult it is for me to get around town. I don’t know if this defi ciency is due to a poor layout of the streets or my own sense of resilience to fi nd shortcuts to my given destination, no matter how much longer it takes me to get there. But I do know this — I like street signs. A well-placed street sign to label Vesper Street on a recent trip to the R-4 School District’s Gale T. Bartow Administration Services Center would have saved a lot of grief for me and a couple trusty reporters and our publisher who was following us in a second car. We had excellent directions from the very nice receptionist at Valley View High School — the place I drove us to first after pulling the wrong address for the administration offices. Go to Woods Chapel turn right, follow that over the train tracks, turn left on Vesper and bam — you’re there. Sigh. If only it were that easy for me. How my now not-so-trusty reporters must loathe me — or at least my driving abilities (although truth be told it was one of them who was supposed to be the navigator, but hey, I’m not here to place blame). I lost count of how many times we went over the railroad tracks, how any side streets we weaved through and how many times our boss (who also must not be very trusting of my driving skills now) gave me weird looks as we passed him at one of several turn around points. (By the end of it all he had more of a resigned look as if he was thinking, “I’m just glad to be alive.”) The problem was not the street — it was right where they told me it would be. But it didn’t have a sign on it and, to the untrained eye like mine, it appeared to be part of the park area bordering the roadway. I’m not blaming the curiously missing street sign on my navigator or the city — perhaps the sign was stolen as a prank by some rowdy high school kids. But before my next excursion through the streets of Blue Springs, maybe a stop at Google Earth, with its 3-D, satellite photos of the landscape, will be helpful in locating a particular street by landmarks, if not a sign.

Decoding The Ganster DNA Mystery

2008-02-16T16:35:00.000-06:00

Commentary by Charles Payne
One might define gangsters as a rule-bending group that uses intimidation, coercion, bribes and force to get what they want regardless of the needs of others. What was the name of that rich cartoon duck that would go swimming in gold coins oblivious to the world around him? What about rich healthcare organizations that are more concerned about profits than they are with people’s health? If you have not seen Michael Moore’s movie “Sicko” because you believe it to be propaganda you are making a huge mistake. This movie made me cry. This movie made me mad. This movie has within it a sketch of what America has the potential to be. By the way, it is not about people without medical coverage. It is about people with coverage. The Minutemen organization is a superfl uous group with a patriotic name trying to use intimidation in order to make up for the abject failure of the U.S. government to protect its borders. Their tactics smell like something that died in a tar pit. These gangsters are sticking to and fouling the Statue of Liberty. Would you join this organization to express your humanity and patriotism? Is Frances Semler really your hero? The U.S. government is responsible for our borders. Our say in this responsibility is through our elected representatives. I did not and will not vote for what the Minutemen stand. They do not represent me or the people of the United States. I say to them, pack up your lawn chairs, guns and binoculars and go home and vote. As for the stupid fence along our southern border — it is a stupid fence and a crime against taxpayers. It does not address the real problems that exist in Mexico and other countries. These are problems we had a large part in creating. This country needs Mexico and Canada. The government of the compassionate conservative State of Oklahoma is proud to buy into intimidation. They killed a 2 month old child of illegal immigrants (MSNBC AP story of 1/25/08). Oklahoma is not so OK any more. Perhaps most of the really compassionate Oklahomans moved to California during the dust bowl era. Can someone from this part of the Bible belt explain to me why crushing illegal immigrants is a good thing according to the teachings of Jesus Christ? The Sunflower gangsters are trying to steam roll Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius so they can get profits their way. These people do not give a hoot about the planet or the people living down wind from the cancerous power plants they want to build. They only give lip service to clean air. They want to tamp out the wind generators and pollute the Kansas prairie. Everybody down wind from this proposed turn of the century pollution source should encourage the governor of Kansas to stand fast. Money and jobs for a few do not out weigh the damage these plants will cause. Lee’s Summit is downwind from Kansas. Walt Disney had “It’s a Small World.” PBS has a cartoon sloth in a rainforest that sings about a big, big world. I think it is a tiny, tiny world. The gangsters in Brazil are destroying the rainforest in order to raise sugar cane for ethanol. The whole planet needs the rainforests. Apparently the DNA for these gangsters is similar to those in Kansas. China is working overtime to provide products for the West. In the process, they are burning coal and polluting the Pacific Ocean with mercury and other chemicals. What do you think of mercury in your tuna? Geology teaches us that winds from China brought loessial deposits to the Midwest. Lee’s Summit is down wind from China. By now China knows we do not want lead paint on the toys for our children because it is a health hazard. What about the children of other countries? Have you seen anything from China showing concern for the world’s children? Are there manufacturing gangsters in China? Are profi ts controlling a communist nation? Could there be a branch on the human tree of evolution that causes gangster mentalities in people among us. At some point in any decision ethical “deciders” must rationally consider the impact on the living creatures of this Earth. Mike Huckabee is a personable guy you might like to have a beer with were it not for the fact he believes in the tooth fairy. Pardon my poetic license. Huckabee professes to believe creation occurred only 10,000 years ago. Does he believe in nuclear fission and gravity? Faith substituted for rational thought is about as stupid as a fence on our southern border, the coal powered plants in Kansas and China, and the clearing of the rainforest. If Huckabee doesn’t really believe the creation myth then he is working a con. He may not be a gangster, but he has no business outside of the pulpit. What do you think about the gangster element? Let the Journal know or drop me a line at raven1939@netzero.com Charles Payne, a Lee’s Summit resident, is a guest columnist for the Journal. To respond to today’s commentary, call the Journal’s Rant & Rave line at 816-282-7020, or send comments via the Internet at www.bluespringsjournal.com.

News Brief - St. Mary’s

2008-02-16T16:33:00.000-06:00

St. Mary’s starts support group for parents of NICU babies
St. Mary’s Medical Center is starting a weekly support group for parents of babies being treated in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).It’s estimated almost 10 percent of babies born require NICU services of some type. After her experience as a mother with a baby in the NICU at St. Mary’s Medical Center, Sherry Pratt, a volunteer nurse at St. Mary’s, organized the support group. Her son, Benjamin spent more than six weeks in St. Mary’s NICU. Pratt organized the group to help other moms who are going through what she has been through. The NICU support group meets every Thursday, 6:30 to 8 p.m. in St. Mary’s Birthing Center. Moms delivering at other facilities are welcome. For more information, call 816-655-5574, option 5.

St. Mary’s accepting scholarship applications forstudents going into healthcare
St. Mary’s Medical Center Auxiliary is now accepting scholarship applications available to students living in the medical center’s service area and entering the medical field. This year, 10 $1,000 scholarships are being awarded. St. Mary’s auxiliary and medical staff have awarded scholarships toward college study since 1982. Applicants must declare their interest in entering a health care profession recognized by St. Mary’s Medical Center. Applications must be postmarked by Friday, March 21. Applications are available through high school counseling offices and the St. Mary’s Medical Center Foundation. For more information or to request an application, call Peggy Person at 816-655-5366.

Local Soldier Volunteers To Deploy With Friends

2008-02-16T16:31:00.000-06:00

By Michelle Key
Special to the Journal
When Pfc. Kyle Wright of Blue Springs found out two of his best friends from basic training were being sent to Iraq with the 205th Area Support Medical Company, he immediately put in to transfer to their unit. Missouri Guardsman Wright was reunited with his battle buddies Pvt. Travis Stahl, of Blue Springs, and Pfc. David Woods, of New York, before deployment. “With the three of us back to together again, we’ll make sure that we’re all taken care of,” Woods said. “We have accountability for one another, and we’ll all come home together, too.” Since meeting at the military entrance processing station in Kansas City, Wright, Stahl and Woods have spent nearly their entire military service training together. “We got to know one another at boot camp,” Wright said. “But when we all showed up in Texas for training, we were glad to see a familiar face. We were put into the same platoon, so we really got to know each other.” After basic training at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., and advanced individual training as medics at Fort Sam Houston, Texas, the three returned to Missouri. Stahl and Woods joined the 205th while Wright was assigned to the 1-135th Aviation Battalion. When Wright found out that Stahl and Woods were going to deploy in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Wright quickly volunteered to join them. Stahl and Woods gave Wright some advice to help him get through predeployment training. Stahl told Wright to remember that there are good times and bad throughout training, but they’ve all been through it. He also told Wright to listen to all the soldiers who have deployed before and take their advice. Stahl and Wright recently completed their pre-deployment training at Camp Shelby, Miss. Wright will join his fellow soldiers after he completes his pre-deployment training. “I am so used to wearing the uniform, I knew volunteering was the right thing to do,” Wright said. “I’m ready to serve and I knew I couldn’t let my buddies go without me. It’ll be great to be together throughout our first deployment.”

Council hangs up on T-Mobile's cellular tower plans

2008-02-16T16:29:00.000-06:00

By Russ Pulley
Special to the Journal
“Stealth” cell-phone towers can look like fl agpoles, bell towers or clock towers. And telecommunication companies are looking for more opportunities to place them in Blue Springs neighborhoods. The City Council last week rejected a proposed ordinance change that could have allowed T-Mobile to build a bell tower at the Duncan Road Baptist Church, where it could co-locate communications equipment. The request was for an amendment to allow the new stealth towers in a residential zone. The current regulations allow structures such as bell or clock towers to be built only as an accessory use for churches or schools in a residential zone, not for leasing space to telecommunication companies. The council asked staff members to prepare an amendment close a loophole that could be exploited for new towers. The council also decided it should seek a study of the city’s long-term need for such towers. At last week’s City Council meeting, Katrina Robertson of Selective Site Consultants said that by using “stealth” technology, carriers disguise towers as commonplace structures to provide necessary coverage. She said it is increasingly important for carriers to have no dead spots because many younger people — one in four — choose not to have land lines. For that reason, coverage needs to be excellent in residential neighborhoods to provide enhanced 911 service, she said. Robertson said the company wants to “infi ll” that area. The company prefers to co-locate on existing towers because it is more economical, she said. City Attorney Bob McDonald said the city’s telecommunications ordinance was written to promote colocation of equipment. “It has worked and has been satisfactory for a lot of the providers,” McDonald said. While the city slammed the front door to such towers in residential areas, opponents near the church fear the back door might be cracked open. A loophole in the current city ordinance could allow a company to come back and place the equipment, if the church built the tower on its own first. And there is no height restriction for such accessory bell or clock towers for a church or school. T-Mobile had wanted to build a 100-foot bell tower without jumping through safeguards in city ordinances — such as requiring a company to prove that its needs cannot be met by co-locating on an existing tower. Still, the city can approve a special exemption for towers once required studies have been made. For example, Blue Springs allowed cellular equipment to be installed in an existing steeple at the Plaza Heights Baptist Church, near 19th and Clark streets. Scott Allen, director of development, said the city gets inquiries every month or two about locating telecommunications facilities. The city staff and the Planning Commission recommended the Council keep the current rules. The commission suggested adding a height restriction to limit those accessory uses — like a bell tower. The Council agreed to that step. Without the restriction, churches or apartment complexes could add tall structures — out of proportion to their buildings — to lease spots for antennas. Richard Felix, a neighbor and critic of the proposed tower, said that unless those height restrictions are tight enough, the bell tower still could be built. He said TMobile’s plan was for a 100- foot tower. “So tall, so high it will be obnoxious looking,” Felix said. He said there also was concern about falling ice. Felix said 20 to 30 neighborhood residents opposed T-Mobile’s proposal. “They make good laws, then nobody wants to abide by them, they’re going to work their way around it,” he said. At the commission meeting, the Rev. Larry Chapman said several carriers had approached the church. It was not interested until T-Mobile proposed a bell tower because that would be consistent with the church mission. The church was not interested in something detrimental to the neighborhood, he said. Allen said the city code offers a hierarchy of options. First, the company needs to look at co-locating on city towers or buildings, then private towers or buildings and as a last resort a new tower. In discussing T-Mobile’s proposed amendment, Councilman Lyle Shaver suggested the city approach the major telecommunications companies serving Blue Springs, asking them to bankroll a study of tower sites and future needs. City Administrator Eric Johnson said the city might be able to extend a study it’s already undertaking for its police radios to include that aspect. Shaver noted that when he visited Europe, cell phone coverage was much better than in the United States, and he asked the city staff if anything could promote more cooperation. “Each one would like to say they have more towers,more coverage,” Shaver said. Shaver and other members noted wireless use for personal computers is becoming prevalent and said the city should be preparing for regulations that can meet residents’ need for those services. Shaver said the city needs a third-party study. “We need an overall plan from someone who has expertise.”

Sheriff not seeking third term

2008-02-16T16:27:00.000-06:00

By Brett Dalton
The Journal Staff
After 30 years with the Jackson County Sheriff’s Offi ce and what will be eight years as sheriff, Tom Phillips is ready to try something new. Phillips, whose second term as Jackson County sheriff ends on Dec. 31, will not seek re-election this fall. He said it was a difficult decision to make, but was one he and his family agreed upon. “Me and my wife sat down and started to discuss whether I’d run for a third term,” Phillips said on Tuesday. “We decided there are more opportunities outside of the Sheriff’s Office that I would like to explore. We just thought this is probably the right time for me.” Phillips, who began his career with Jackson County as a patrolman in 1978, was honored for his 30 years of service by receiving his 30-year pin on Monday afternoon at the Jackson County Legislative meeting. Phillips, who said he’s the first Jackson County sheriff in modern history to work his way up through the ranks to become sheriff, first occupied that position in 2000 after the death of then-sheriff Jim Anderson. After finishing out Anderson’s term, Phillips was elected to the position in November 2000 and again in 2004. While Phillips said he won’t miss the politics involved in running for office, he added he will miss the people he worked with and met while serving the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office. “Really the best thing is that there’s so been so many opportunities to meet and get to know so many people from different walks of life,” he said. “I’ve had the chance to meet people from all over the world and develop relationships with all these people. No one can take that from me. They really are my second family.” He said the decision to not seek a third term was difficult because “you always feel that you’re not finished with what you tried to accomplish.” But although he’ll be 55 this year and can draw his county retirement, Phillips said he doesn’t plan on “sitting on the porch watching cars go by.” He said he’s looking into opportunities in the private sector, including potential security director positions or a role in homeland defense. During his career, Phillips graduated from the FBI National Academy and the National Sheriff’s Institute, according to a news release. He also has been the detective division commander, emergency response team commander, officer in charge of the Jackson County Drug Task Force and president of the Missouri Chiefs and Sheriffs Association. He is currently a board member with the Jackson County Drug Task Force, Eastern Jackson County Youth Court, Metropolitan Community College–Blue River Advisory Board, Missouri Peace Officers Association, FBI National Academy Executive Board and the United Way. Also, Jackson County Executive Mike Sanders chose Phillips as a member of the Ethics Task Force for Jackson County.

New pool recommended for Baumgardner

2008-02-16T16:23:00.002-06:00

By Miranda Wycoff
The Journal Staff
Although the roof of the indoor pool at Baumgardner Park has a life span of less than five years, according to Water’s Edge Aquatic Design of Lenexa, Kan., it is the outdoor pool that the consulting company recommends replacing at this time. During the Blue Springs City Council meeting last week, Water’s Edge presented the preliminary fi ndings and recommendations of the Aquatic Center Feasibility Study to the Council. The study, which began in July, evaluated the conditions of the current pools in Baumgardner Park, compared costs and options and took into consideration the community’s comments and thoughts through surveys and focus groups. Although many residents voiced their desire for a new aquatics center to be built in the south central region of Blue Springs, Water’s Edge found that Baumgardner was still considered a good location for the pools. In addition, according to the firm’s presentation, there is currently no land available in the south central area of the city to build an aquatic center. Since a second pool location was out of the question, Water’s Edge evaluated the conditions of the current pools and came up with six options for the city. Three were involving the indoor pool, and three involving the outdoor pool. For each pool, the firm looked at renovating the pool, building a new, medium-size pool, or building a new, large pool. Although renovating the pools was the cheapest option — about $2.5 to $3 million for each pool — the firm recommended to the Council that these options were not in their best interests. “We do not recommend renovating the indoor pool at all,” said the spokesperson for Water’s Edge. “We recommend you take some time to plan for funding to replace it.” According to the consulting firm, simply renovating the indoor pool would be a shortterm fix to the problems it already suffers, which include poor building structure and air quality, a poor recirculation system and filter room, and inadequate storage, seating and deck space. As for the outdoor pool, the company did not recommend renovation because it is a smaller pool with basic features and no diving area and the renovated life span would still be limited by the pool’s structure. Because of these reasons, and feedback from residents on what they want in both indoor and outdoor pools for Blue Springs, Water’s Edge recommended to the Council to replace the outdoor pool with a new 20,000-square foot pool, which would cost an estimated $6.5 to $8 million. The outdoor pool the company recommended would include a lazy river, shortcourse lanes, diving, a shallow pool and slides. The outdoor pool would be built on the existing site around the indoor pool. In addition to the immediate recommendation of replacing the current outdoor aquatic facility, the consulting firm also recommended for future consideration of the Council to build a new 25-yard/meter indoor pool. This would cost an estimated $14 million to $18 million. The recommended new indoor facility would include new pools — a diving pool, 25-meter, eight-lane lap pool, warm-water therapy pool and a shallow play area — a new building, good seating and would allow for short-course competition. The other options for the pools included a new 50-meter indoor pool for $19 million to $22 million and a new 28,000-square-foot outdoor pool for $10 million to $12 million. However, due to funding options and the willingness of the residents to vote for tax increases for the funding, Water’s Edge recommended building the smaller pools. “It’s not all ideal,” the spokesperson said. “The swim team would love to have a 50-meter pool.” At this point the city is still in talks with the consulting firm and the school district about which direction to take. Roscoe Righter, director of parks and recreation for the city of Blue Springs, said it could be months before a decision is made. For more information on the aquatic center feasibility study visit the Web site at http://www.wedesignpools.com/Projects/BlueSprings/Home.htm.