(click here to learn how you can help)
|
Jun
19
2013
The Annual Shepherd’s Center Garden Tour (home 1 of 5)Posted by Michael Downing in Organizations, Raytown Photos, ServiceThe first home on the tour was Karen and Rex Block’s on Oxford. Click on a photo to open a larger version of it in a new window.
On June 4, 2013 the City of Raytown received a petition initiative with the question “Shall a commission be chosen to frame a charter?. Also, on June 4, 2013 and on June 5, 2013 individual petitions were received ordering names be placed on the official ballot for the elected position of Charter Commission Board Member. The petitions were taken to the Jackson County Election Board for processing. After the Charter question petition was checked by the Jackson County Election Board, the petition had 268 registered qualified voters who signed the petition. Additionally, the individual petitions each had the minimum of 36 registered qualified voters which had signed their petitions. On Friday, June 14, Tammy Brown, Director, Jackson County Election Board confirmed that is was the opinion of their Board Attorney, Brad Constance that the election for the Charter Commission would need to be held at the April 1, 2014 Municipal Election or the November 4, 2014 General Election Since receiving this confirmation, petitions have been created for the general public and are available at the City Clerk’s office. The Charter Commission itself will consist of 13 Charter Commissioners. The number of names on the ballot is unlimited; however, only the 13 members receiving the majority of the votes will actually be the Charter Commission. It will be necessary for the Board to establish some rules for this election. The City of Raytown uses the lottery systems for candidate filing, which decides placement on the ballot. According to the Article VI, Section 19, all necessary expenses of the Commission shall be paid by the City. It will be necessary to establish a budget for the elected Charter Commission. The Constitution states that the City will pay all “necessary fees” associated with the Charter Commission; however, the Board will need to define “necessary” in order to control expenditures. City Administrator Mahesh Sharma announced at last night’s Board of Aldermen Meeting that JMC Realty, realtor representative for Wal-mart,, acted on a clause in their contract for the land at 62nd Terrace and Blue Ridge to rescind their contract and get back their $5,000 deposit. The letter that was sent by JMC Realty is attached. They did not cite why they had decided to act on the clause to release their deposit but there had been opposition to the building and many conditions for building on the site. Click on the letter to open a window with an enlarged version.
Jun
18
2013
The Raytown Arts Council presents “THE SOUND OF MUSIC”Posted by Michael Downing in ArtsThe Raytown Arts Council
Tickets will be on sale beginning June 20th, 2013 at the RAYTOWN HY-VEE STORE, 9400 E 350 Hwy (intersection of 350 Hwy & Gregory Blvd.), Raytown, MO, 816-358-9940. Ticket prices are: $8 in advance, $10 at the door, and $5 for children 12 and under.
THE CAST:
BRIEF SYNOPSIS OF THE SHOW: “The Sound of Music,” set in pre-WWII Austria, is based on the romantic true story of Maria von Trapp, an aspiring nun who leaves the abbey to become a governess for the widower Captain von Trapp’s seven children and finds herself falling in love with her employer and questioning her religious calling. It premiered on Broadway in 1959, where it broke box-office records and won the Tony Award for Best Musical. The 1965 film version won the Best Picture Oscar. Today it is an evergreen classic — as popular in opera houses and outdoor amphitheaters as it is in high school auditoriums. “The Sound of Music” features a libretto by Howard Lindsay & Russel Crouse and a score by Richard Rodgers (music) and Oscar Hammerstein II (lyrics) that includes “My Favorite Things,” “Do-Re-Mi,” “Edelweiss,” and “So Long, Farewell.”
(Pictured from left to right) In a scene from the show, Patty Moore Armstrong as Sister Sophia; Sandee Gamet as Sister Margaretta; Wendy Bross as The Mother Abbess and LeAnn Burris as Sister Berthe discuss the convent’s newest postulate, Maria Rainer. (Front to Back) Pictured are the von Trapp Children: Kassie Sibbet,
Jun
17
2013
RAYTOWN DEMOCRATIC ASSOCIATION MEETING NOTICEPosted by Michael Downing in Events, Organizations, PoliticalRAYTOWN DEMOCRATIC ASSOCIATION Thursday, June 20th, 2013 at 7:00 PM Come early at 6:00 PM to dine and make new friends! Our speaker will be Scott Burnett and Jean Peters Baker Contact President Richard Tush at (816) 356-0003
Rocket Dog is a hotdog stand on the Northeast corner of Raytown Road and 95th Street. The hotdogs are Nathans on plain or Chicago style poppyseed buns. Above is a Neptune Dog (hashbrown potatoes and bacon) with some spicy musturd added and it is a mighty fine combination. I had to have two to make sure it was not just hunger that made the first one taste so good. Sorry for die hard Chicago fans, but there are no Vienna dogs, sports peppers, or neon green relish. There are a huge number of choices to customize your dog, just not those three. The dogs are big, grilled and cost $3.00 each or $5.00 with a drink and chips. The picture shows my second dog, as I just didn’t take time to snap a shot of my first one.
Jun
17
2013
Police Blotter for the week ending 6/21/2013Posted by Michael Downing in Blotter, Police & Crime
Jun
16
2013
Herndon Career Center has a new directorPosted by Michael Downing in Raytown School District
The Raytown School District is pleased to announce the hiring of Cheryl Reichert as the new Director of the Herndon Career Center. Reichert holds a Bachelors, Masters, and Education Specialist degrees from the University of Missouri in Career and Technical Education-Business, and Marketing Education. Reichert is currently working on her Doctorate in Educational Leadership. Reichert began teaching in the District in 2001. During her tenure as a Marketing Teacher, she served as a sponsor for Distributive Education Clubs of America (DECA) and coached track. In the fall of 2010 she moved into the role of Assistant Principal at Raytown High School. According to the Assistant Superintendent of Secondary Education Dr. Steve Shelton, Reichert has a “strong background in Career and Technical Education having served on several committees related to the State DECA Board, District DECA Advisor, and Enhancement Grants.” “She envisions Herndon as preparing students to be immediately employable in high demand occupations and/or ready for rigorous college coursework with the understanding that education will be a life-long journey,” Shelton said. Reichert is a native and current resident of Raytown, Missouri. She attended Raytown Schools for her entire K-12 experience. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with family and friends and traveling.
Jun
15
2013
Raytown Schools adoption and implement Schoolwide Positive Behavior SupportPosted by Michael Downing in Raytown School District
Sixteen buildings in the Raytown C-2 School District will be honored for their successful adoption and implementation of Schoolwide Positive Behavior Support (SW-PBS) during the 8th annual Buildings to be honored include: Blue Ridge Elementary, Eastwood Hills Elementary, Fleetridge Elementary, Laurel Hills Elementary, Little Blue Elementary, New Trails Early Learning Center, Norfleet Elementary, Raytown High School, Raytown Middle School, Raytown South High School, Raytown South Middle School, Raytown Success Academy, Robinson Elementary, Southwood Elementary, Spring Valley Elementary, and Westridge Elementary.Schoolwide Positive Behavior Support Summer Training Institute. Raytown has the highest number of buildings in a single district represented. “We continue to be impressed with the hard work done by all our schools that have been recognized for their work on building a positive school culture and will continue to support these efforts,” said Associate Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction Dr. Janie Pyle. According to the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, “Schoolwide Positive Behavior Support is a systematic approach to creating safer and more effective schools by structuring the learning environment to support the academic and social success of all students.” The SW-PBS Summer Training Institute will be held at the Tan-Tar-A Resort in Osage Beach, Missouri on Wednesday, June 12.
The Prize winners in each age category are:
0-7 age category Biggest Stringer (4 fish max): Isaac Cutchlow – 69.5” of fish Second biggest Stringer: Liam Taylor- 51.25” of fish Biggest Fish: Liam Taylor- 19” catfish
8-15 age category Biggest Stringer (4 fish max): Aaron Wright – 74.5” of fish Second biggest Stringer: Elizabeth Holladay – 74” of fish Biggest Fish: Josh Gardner – 20.75” catfish
16+ age category Biggest Stringer (4 fish max): Clint Clayton – 75.25” of fish Second biggest Stringer: Mark Reffit – 73” of fish Biggest Fish: Jack McNeeley – 23” catfish
The following businesses and organizations deserve special thanks for their support and donation to the event. Applebee’s Raytown Rotary Club Dick Smith Ford Raytown Lee’s Summit Credit Union Friends of Raytown Parks & Recreation Sol-Pro Bass Club Jim G’s Doughboys Donuts Raytown Police Department
City Administrator’s Report FROM: Mahesh Sharma, City Administrator Public Works Public Works has assisted the Raytown Chamber of Commerce setting up for Summer Fest by weed eating, spraying weeds, sweeping the surrounding streets and setting up barricades. Wiedenmann & Godfrey Construction has started a sewer line replacement project at 85th and Ford to repair a partially collapsed sewer line. The Public Works crews are making good progress repairing asphalt in preparation for the asphalt overlay and light weight aggregate seal coat projects. The crews placed 11.5 tons of asphalt this week. The Public Works storm sewer crew placed 70 feet of storm pipe at Evanston and Gregory to help with a localized storm drainage concern.
Development & Public Affairs Andy Boyd, Building Official, Ray Haydaripoor, Neighborhood Services Supervisor, and James McKay, Neighborhood Services Specialist I, completed the Local Government Customer Service Certificate Program. They each had been working on obtaining this certification since last fall. The Board of Zoning Adjustment met on Thursday, June 13th to consider an application for a variance to the location requirements for chicken coops as specified in Section 1-9.11 of the Raytown Zoning Ordinance. The property to which the application applies is located at 8806 E. 57th Street. The applicants want to install a chicken coop on their property in which four hens will be kept. The chicken coop, regardless of where on the property, can’t be located within 100 feet of a structure that is or may be occupied by humans on an abutting property. After hearing from the applicant and holding a public hearing on the application the Board approved the variance. Information Technology Services Request for service included; 35 computers, 2 telephones, 2 government channels, 1 door lock, and 1 website update. The network, server, telephone, government channel, electronic security doors and website are at optimum functionality. Board, Committee and Commission Meetings, and Events The Raytown Fire Protection District Board met on June 11th at 9:00 am. The first 5 minutes of the video has some discussion on the proposed Fire Board take-over of Raytown’s Emergency Medical Services. The rest of the video mainly focuses on the change over to having the Kansas City Fire Department dispatch Raytown’s Fire Fighters and equipment.
RaytownOnline.com thanks KSHB 41 for providing the code to embed this video.
Jun
13
2013
Raytown Democratic Annual PicnicPosted by Michael Downing in Events, Organizations, PoliticalRaytown Democratic Association Annual Fundraiser Picnic
C. Lee Kenagy Park 79th and Raytown Road (79th Street Entrance) Tickets are $10.00 per meal plate Choice of hamburger or hotdog
Contact President Richard Tush at 816-356-0003 Vice President Fred Hartwell 816-353-4431
Archive Photos of Past RDA Annual Picnics  Congressman Cleaver & Jeremi Barnes
 Committeewoman Joyce Downing & Baby Fletchall
 Former Raytown Alderman Jerry Briggs, State Representative
 Genaro Ruiz, Committeeman Michael Downing, and
 Jackson County Sheriff Mike Sharp
Jun
13
2013
Raytown School District press release concerning a recent Missouri Supreme Court rulingPosted by Michael Downing in Raytown School DistrictRaytown School District press release concerning the recent Missouri Supreme Court ruling that requires a suburban school district to accept St. Louis School District students.
Supreme Court Enters Order Declaring Student Transfer Statute Constitutional as to Clayton and St. Louis School Districts; Kansas City Area Accredited School Districts Will Proceed with their Challenge of the Statute
The Supreme Court issued a ruling today on an appeal concerning whether RSMo. § 167.131 is constitutional as to the Clayton School District and the St. Louis Public School District. The Court determined that the statute is constitutional as to those school districts, a ruling which gives students residing in the St. Louis Public School District the unconditional right to transfer to surrounding accredited districts, including the Clayton School District. The Court found that the transfer statute does not violate the Hancock Amendment to the Missouri Constitution in that it does not impose any new or increased duty on the Clayton School District. Although the facts underlying the Clayton and St. Louis School Districts’ appeal are somewhat similar to the facts underlying a currently-pending appeal involving Kansas City Area Accredited School Districts, there are crucial differences between the cases and the Supreme Court’s recent opinion does not necessarily foreshadow how the Court will rule on the Area School District’s appeal. Critically, prior to the trial concerning the Kansas City Area Accredited School Districts, the State stipulated that RSMo. § 167.131 imposes a new mandate on accredited districts and that there is no State funding for the new mandate. In a lawsuit filed on December 23, 2011, the Kansas City Area Accredited School Districts (Blue Springs, Independence, Lee’s Summit, North Kansas City, and Raytown School Districts), and taxpayers from those district, asserted that the transfer statute is unconstitutional under the Hancock Amendment. The trial of the case took place from August 6, 2012 to August 8, 2012. Prior to the trial, on August 1, 2012, Judge Brent Powell of the Circuit Court of Jackson County, Missouri issued an order concerning portions of the Area School Districts’ Hancock Amendment claim. Contrary to the Supreme Court’s opinion in the Breitenfeld case as to the Clayton and St. Louis school districts, Judge Powell determined that the transfer statute does impose a new mandate on the Kansas City Area Accredited School Districts to admit a new population of students from the Kansas City School District. Judge Powell further determined prior to the trial that the State had failed to make a specific appropriation to finance the costs of the new mandate. Following the Judge Powell’s August 1st Order, the only issue that remained for trial was whether the transfer statute would impose increased costs on the Area School Districts. Prior to trial, the State stipulated that (1) the mandate to admit non-resident students residing in unaccredited school districts was a new mandate created by an amendment to RSMo. § 167.131 in 1993; and (2) the Area School Districts would not receive any specific funding directly from the State to finance the costs associated with admitting and educating KCPS students. After hearing evidence at trial concerning the increased costs that the transfer statute would impose on each of the Area School Districts, Judge Powell issued a split ruling on August 16, 2012 declaring that the statute was unconstitutional as to the Independence, Lee’s Summit, and North Kansas City School Districts, and not unconstitutional as to the Blue Springs and Raytown School Districts. Taxpayers of the Kansas City Area School Districts will proceed with their challenge of the student transfer statute. The Taxpayers and Area School Districts agree with the stipulation of the State of Missouri that the transfer statute imposes a new mandate on accredited school districts in that it requires accredited districts to admit a new population of students which they were previously not required to admit. In their continued challenge of the statute, the Taxpayers and Area School Districts will highlight that the complete absence of any funding from the State for non-resident transfer students is violative of the Hancock Amendment, which protects citizens from tax increases.
Jun
12
2013
Jackson County COMBAT will be canvassing in RaytownPosted by Michael Downing in Events, Police & CrimeJackson County COMBAT will be canvassing in Raytown on Friday, June 21st, for our Anti-Violence campaign” Step Up, Speak Up” and we are in need of volunteers. If you or someone you know, would like to volunteer, please let me know. We will meet in front of Raytown City Hall, located at 10000 E. 59th Street, at 11:00 a.m. Hotdogs, water and t-shirts will be provided for volunteers while supplies last. RaytownOnline.com thanks KCTV5 for providing embeddable video about this Anti-Violence campaign
Jun
12
2013
Letter to the Editor on EMS transfer to the Fire DistrictPosted by Michael Downing in City Government, Raytown EMS, Raytown Fire DepartmentAttached is the Raytown Fire Protection District’s proposal to the City Remember that all of the parties involved are public servants and will I want to urge the citizens of Raytown not to take this matter lightly. You can find news paper articles that go back almost 30 years that show – * Editor’s note: Mr. Bledsoe did email a copy of the document that he obtained before the document was released on the Fire Districts blog. The document linked in the previous post is the Fire District’s blog version. It was chosen as it is not a scanned copy of the document and therefor clearer.
Jun
12
2013
Fire District proposes taking over Raytown’s EMS service (ambulance)Posted by Michael Downing in City Government, Raytown EMS, Raytown Fire Department
Last month the interest in the proposed Wal-Mart in the “Green Space” created the largest audience the FaceBook part of RaytownOnline.com has ever seen. 13,210 unique individuals saw a FaceBook post of RaytownOnline.com between 5/16/2013 and 5/22/2013. Most just looked at the FaceBook posts, but 1,109 people visited the website and looked at 1,641 pages of information on the website during that time frame. The increase spanned a period from the 9th to the 30th. A couple weeks later everything settled back down to the 200 to 500 people that track RaytownOnline.com on FaceBook. We thank everyone who shared the articles with their friends, as that is the only way circulation could have jumped so high.
The Raytown Summerfest starts Friday, June 14th at 2:00 pm with Bingo in the Big Tent. Details are in the flyer below. If the print is too small, just click on the flyer to open a larger version of it in a new window.
Jun
10
2013
Police Blotter for the week ending 6/14/2013Posted by Michael Downing in Blotter, Police & Crime
Jun
09
2013
Former Raytown Alderman Melinda Kay Bunyard passed away ThursdayPosted by Michael Downing in Obituaries
|
|
|
Entries (RSS)