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RaytownOnline.com will be broadcasting live this morning from garage sales in Raytown and the Retired Raytown Teachers scholarship fundraiser at Raytown South High. Click on the live video tab to check it out.
Westridge Gardens Nursing and Rehabilitation Center is hosting the 10th Annual Easter Egg Hunt on Saturday, April 7 starting at 2:30 p.m. The event is free and open to the public. Families can look forward to the Easter Egg Hunt, pictures with the Easter Bunny, food, and entertainment. Westridge Gardens is located at 11901 Jessica Lane, Raytown, MO 64138
Ann Weaver and Dianne Saltzmann, teachers from Little Blue Elementary in the Raytown School District, have been selected as Most Valuable Teachers by Pearson Science and Humanities for their work in the teaching of science.
Weaver and Saltzmann will be guests of Pearson at the National Science Teachers Association Conference in Indianapolis, Indiana in late March. Teachers from all grade levels, kindergarten through college, will be represented at the conference, sharing ideas about the teaching of science. Weaver and Saltzmann were recognized by Pearson for their superior efforts in the teaching of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Ray-South High School CafeteriaSaturday, March 3111-2:00 SHOP and EAT!400 Buy-It-Now Items: Fundraiser for college/trade school scholarships & dual enrollment tuition for RAYTOWN students Sponsored by Raytown Retired Teachers & School Personnel Association Lunch $6: Grand Drawing @ 2:45—tickets $1 each or 6 for $5 These photos come from School Board member Jerome Barnes. They were taken last week at the NCAA games in St. Louis.
The Democratic Caucuses will be held tomorrow (March 29th) at the meeting room in Hi-Vee. The caucus is open to Raytown Democrats and starts at 7:30. The doors will open at 6:30 and will close at 7:30. To participate, you must be there by 7:30.
Music students from the Raytown School District participated in the District Solo and Ensemble Festival on Saturday, March 24th. Band students from Raytown High School who earned a Superior I rating and who will be competing at the State Music Festival at the University of Missouri on April 27 are as follows: Jessica Aguilera, Clarinet Solo; Iwalani Rafaele, Horn Solo;Jonny White, Tenor Sax Solo; Cassy Mais, Flute Solo; Logan Anderson, Trumpet Solo; Joseph McCutcheon, Snare drum Solo; Michael Frojd, Snare drum Solo and Marimba Solo; DJ Plesser, Marimba Solo; Carl Von Sirls, Timpani Solo; Tristan Young, Jonny White, Crista Pinkston, Joseph McCutcheon, Saxophone Quartet; and Logan Anderson, Crosbie Jarrett, Iwalani Rafaele, Corey Prochaska, Mitchell White, Brass Quintet. Students who earned an Excellent 2 rating are as follows: Audrey Drace, Horn Solo; Hannah Treat, Horn Solo; Crosbie Jarrett, Trumpet Solo; Sally Farrand, Alto Sax Solo; Jade Elliot, Marimba Solo; Joe Straws, Marimba Solo and Snare Drum Solo; Reid Marple, Snare Drum Solo; Brandon Williams, Marimba Solo;DJ Plesser, Timpani Solo; Madison Barrett, Piano Solo; Hunter DeLaMare, Snare drum Solo and Marimba Solo; Nick Peterson, Marimba Solo and Snare Drum Solo; Nick Peterson, Snare Drum Solo; Shannon Xu, Xylophone Solo; Maurice Bruce, Snare drum Solo; and Iwalani Rafaele, Audrey Drace, and Hannah Treat, Horn Trio. Students from Raytown South earning a Superior I Rating were as follows: Deja Higgins, Clarinet Solo; Austin Hornbostel, Alysa Orchard, and Zach Shupe, Trumpet Trio; Elisha Ruhman, Tuba Solo; Austin Hornbostel, Trumpet Solo; Allison Freed, Flute Solo; and Jacob Adamson, French Horn Solo. Students receiving an Excellent 2 rating were as follows: Michael Keightley, Alto Solo; and Zach Shupe, Trumpet solo. Raytown High School Orchestra students who earned Superior I ratings and who will compete at the State Music Festival on April 27th are as follows: Zakiah Marshall, viola solo; Larry Hernandez, cello solo; Melody Olvera, violin solo; Monica Hernandez, viola solo; Hannah Scheerer, violin solo; Alex Accurso and Noel Miller, violin duet; and Hannah Scheerer and Emma Givens, violin duet. The following students received an Excellent II rating: Erin Konomos and Erin Kelly, violin duet; Briena Frost and Shona Young, string duet; Blake Shepheard and Samantha Causey, violin duet; Alexis Hartenstein and Megan Leuty, violin duet; Alex Accurso, Noel Miller, Monica Hernandez and Larry Hernandez,string quartet; Tristen Caudle, viola solo; Emma Givens, violin solo; Andrea Layton, violin solo; Rachel Propst, viola solo; Blake Shepheard, violin solo; and Evan Steele, piano solo and viola solo. Larry Edwards submittted photos from a car wreck on 350 Highway last week. The location is in front of the Dairy Queen.
The Missouri State Supreme Court has finally made a rulling that the State House District map is valid.
Raytown is almost totally in the 28th District now and three candidates have filed for that seat, one Republican and two Democrats. Ward II Alderman Jim Aziere has filed as a Republican, State Representative Tom McDonald and former Alderman Pat Reihle have filed as Democratic candidates. Both Aziere and Reihle have run for State legislature in the past. Aziere lost in the general election and Reihle did not make it past the primary. Raytown has been hit with a wave of recent home break-ins. Four homes were broken into on Sunday and Monday. On Sunday the thieves broke the front door of a home on the 5300 block of S Hunter Ave. On Monday three more homes were broken into in the 5800 block of Harvard Ave, 5300 block of Laurel, and the 8600 block of Kentucky.
Click HERE for a channel 9 story and video on this subject. Westridge Gardens Nursing and Rehabilitation Center is hosting their first monthly Community Coffee Club on Wednesday, April 4th from 8:00 – 9:00 am. There is no cost to join the coffee club, and it is open to the public. The coffee club is an opportunity for you to mix and mingle with others from the community. Please join us at Westridge Gardens, 11901 Jessica Lane, Raytown, MO 64138.
Kris Baughman, Raytown C-2 Library Media Specialist for Eastwood Hills and Southwood Elementary Schools, along with Rebecca Marcum Parker, Kansas City Missouri School District Librarian have had their third book chapter, “Programs, Signage, and the Kitchen Sink: Attracting Multicultural Patrons,” accepted for publication in Library Services for Multicultural Patrons to Encourage Library Use with Scarecrow Press. A publication date has not been announced.
7329 Hardy Ave, Fri & Sat March 30-31, 8-3
 Raytown High School Seniors Alexandra Accurso and Anthony Gonnello have been selected as Honorable Mention 2012 Missouri Scholars 100. Missouri Scholars 100 is a statewide program that honors 100 of Missouri’s top academic students in the graduating class of 2012.
The Missouri Association of Secondary School Principals (MASSP) sponsors the program. Schools across Missouri are invited to nominate candidates for this statewide recognition. The selection is based primarily on a formula using the student’s grade point average and ACT or SAT score. Each student nominated has to first meet the criteria of an “Academic Decathlon,” which included ten “events” designed to assure the academic strength of the student. To meet the decathlon requirements, the students must have a minimum Grade Point Average of 3.750, a minimum ACT score of 29 or a minimum SAT score of 1900, be ranked in the upper ten percent of the class, and have taken upper level courses in mathematics, science, English, and foreign language. The student must also have excellent attendance, be an exemplary school citizen, and be involved in the school activity program. Jim L. King, Executive Director of the MASSP said, “Students who are selected to this program have taken a rigorous course of study and have maintained the highest academic standards. The MASSP wants to celebrate the achievement and success of these students and their schools.” 
A 27-year-old Kansas City man has been charged in drive-by shooting in Raytown last month in which another man was shot in the head, Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker announced today. Augustus T. Webb III was charged with Unlawful Use of a Weapon and Armed Criminal Action. According to court records, in late February, the suspect chased a car filled with people who had had an encounter with him at a nearby park. On 55th Street near Blue Ridge Cutoff, the suspect fired a number of shots at the vehicle, striking the victim in the left temple. He survived the injury. The suspect’s vehicle was noticed weeks later and police later arrested the suspect. Prosecutors recommended a $200,000 cash bond.
City Administrator’s Report Community Development The building permit for construction of the third house that will be built through the Neighborhood Stabilization Program No. 3 (NSP3) grant was issued this week. The structure to be located at 5428 Sterling Avenue will be a ranch style house, replacing the house that was demolished in February. Economic Development The City has received formal plans for Phase 2 of the Gregory Square Development. A 5,500 square foot building will be constructed at the corner of 350 Highway and Gregory Boulevard adjacent to the recently opened Aldi store. The new building will feature three retail tenants. To date, two of the three tenants have submitted interior finish plans to the City. Those tenants include GameStop – a national retailer specializing in console and computer-based video games and Chipotle Mexican Grill. The building shell is anticipated to begin construction in April 2012 with tenant move-in and opening to occur this fall. An announcement of the third tenant is anticipated to occur in the coming months. Chipotle Mexican Grill has been, perhaps, the most requested restaurant suggested by our residents over the previous two years. After many months of contacting the firm and local development companies, we are pleased to have successfully garnered the attention of Chipotle and their desire to establish a presence in Raytown. Public Works After 38 years of service Steve Wright will be retiring at the end of the month. Staff will be hosting a reception for Steve next Friday starting at 2:00pm, at the Public Works Building located at 6417 Railroad Street, please join us in recognizing Steve’s years of service and wishing him a wonderful retirement. Public Works attended a training session regarding alternative fuels for vehicles. Compressed natural gas is gaining support from manufacturers and aftermarket vendors as a preferred fuel choice due to cost considerations and clean burning nature of natural gas. The cost to equip a vehicle to run on compressed natural gas is not insignificant but is generally offset by the savings in fuel cost. The payoff time period varies upon the vehicle and usage of the vehicle but is generally between 2 and 6 years. The major issue that must be resolved is the high initial cost of the refueling equipment because there are very few public accessible refueling stations. Today staff attended the second Community Advisory Group meeting regarding the study of improvements to I-70 from Paseo Boulevard to Blue Ridge Cutoff. An opportunity to submit comments and participate in on-line town hall meeting is available at www.metroi70.com. Interested parties can participate in the discussions regarding ideas for improvements. The area has received over 2” of rain in the last two days and Public Works is glad there have been no reported backups in either the sanitary or storm sewer systems. This is a result of the efforts the city has made to improve the physical capacity and the maintenance of both the storm and sanitary sewer systems. Just a statistic for maintenance: Public Works has removed 600 cubic yards, or 60 cement trucks, of debris from the storm sewer system so far this year. Board, Committee and Commission Meetings, and Events March 27 – Planning and Zoning Special Meeting; Council Chambers, 7:00pm Raytown, Mo Police made 2 DUI arrests during the March 16th through 18th, 2012 Drunk Driving Crackdown. Officers also issued 5 speeding citations, 2 drug arrests, 1 Careless and Imprudent Driving, 2 seatbelt and 1 No Insurance ticket. There were also 6 violation warnings given.
Law Enforcement agencies throughout the State participated in getting drunk drivers off the streets, making Missouri roads safer. The sobering fact is that impaired driving contributes to nearly 30 percent of all Missouri traffic fatalities. In 2011, 220 people were killed and 916 seriously injured in crashes involving an impaired driver.
Editorial: Drunks kill more people every couple months in this country than we lost on 9/11. Maybe we need to expend more in support of our local police catching drunk drivers.  Simon Messmer, MSW, Senior Director, Advocacy & Recovery Services has worked for Mental Health America of the Heartland (MHAH) for six years. He has played a critical role in the development of specialized housing programs for persons with mental illness, while also overseeing MHAH’s consumer-run programs and providing training and support to the agency’s many consumer staff members. Simon holds Bachelor’s Degrees in both history and psychology and a Masters of Social Welfare from the University of Kansas.
WHAT: 1.5 hour educational program WHEN: Thursday, April 5, 2012; 6:00 – 7:30 p.m. WHERE: St. Matthew’s Episcopal Church, 9349 E. 65th Street, Raytown, MO 64133 WHO SHOULD ATTEND: This workshop will be of benefit to persons with depression and related mental health conditions, their families and significant others, as well as care providers. The community and healthcare professionals are welcome to attend. After attending this program the participant will be able to: Explore the definitions of hope and recovery and their implications for those with depression Describe ways that persons with depression and techniques can combat stress. Understand firsthand the disabling power of a psychiatric diagnosis and wisdom gained from a lived experience of recovery REGISTRATION: Program is free. CEU’s (Certificate of Attendance) available. Click HERE for the brochure that includes a registration form. chuck-hee awr law
City Administrator’s Report
Community Development The Steering Committee for the Downtown Streetscape Project met on Tuesday, March 13th to review refinements to Phase 1 of the proposed streetscape design. The Steering Committee also reviewed the estimate of probable construction costs and different streetscape amenities for Phase 1. The city’s project consultant, Confluence, will present the Phase 1 design concept developed by the Steering Committee at the March 20th Board of Aldermen Work Session at 6:00 pm. As required the Transportation Enhancement Grant that the City received for construction of the Phase 1 streetscape improvements final construction plans will be submitted to the Missouri Department of Transportation (MODOT) for their review and approval by the end of April. Following approval of the plan by MODOT, the city will release a request for bids, which is anticipated to occur this summer with construction of the Phase 1 improvements beginning early this fall. Presentation to the Board of Aldermen is set for Tuesday, March 20th, during the scheduled work session. Economic Development Raytown Plaza, Bowen Apartments and Blue Ridge Plaza have been purchased by a regional real estate developer with the intent to renovate each property to a higher standard of operation. Much of the work to be completed on the properties is cosmetic (paint, windows), but will also include many system upgrades. The commitment of the new ownership team will undoubtedly usher a greater opportunity for new businesses and additional tenants to reinvigorate the commercial areas. The former Laurel Lanes bowling alley has been purchased by an entrepreneur planning on converting the building into a youth baseball training facility. The building may also host a golf swing analysis program. In general, economic development activity and interest in Raytown is brisk in the first quarter of 2012. We anticipate that such preliminary interest will yield real projects and business expansion later in the year. Finance Two staff members attended a full day of training at the Mid America Regional Council (MARC) office. They were able to complete two of the seven courses required to receive a Customer Service Certificate awarded by MARC. It is one of the departmental goals to have all sewer and accounting clerks complete the certification program. The Finance Director and Senior Accounting Analyst have been conducting interviews for the open Accountant position over the past few weeks. Several excellent candidates have been interviewed and staff is hopeful that the position will be filled soon. The past week the finance department processed 164 credit card and e-check payments, 67 of which were walk in customers and 97 were web transactions. The sewer department also issued 152 welcome letters to new customers and issued 62 water shut off notices. At the County Tax windows staff handled 444 transactions for walk in customers. Public Works The Missouri Local Technical Assistance Program hosted a light weight aggregate seal coat best practices training program on March 14th at the Clay County Highway Department. Staff attended the training to reinforce knowledge and learn more proper methods in calibrating oil distributors and aggregate spreaders. Staff will met with MODOT this afternoon in Lee’s Summit to interview the 350 Highway Preliminary Design project finalists. Federal authorization for funding of transportation is set to expire in the coming months. Congress has addressed the issue several times in the past by passing extensions to the existing transportation bill. This week the Senate passed a 2-year $109 Billion transportation bill that would end the extensions of the existing bill and enact a new bill. The 2-year bill is much shorter in time frame than the 5-year bills that have been in place in the past. The House of Representatives must approve the senate’s version of the bill before it can be sent to the President for consideration. The transportation bill is important to Raytown as the transportation bills are the source of funding for the grants the city has been receiving for projects such as the bicycle/pedestrian trails and intersection improvements at 350 Highway and Raytown Road. Board, Committee and Commission Meetings, and Events March 19 – Park Board Meeting; Park Office, 7:00pm
The Raytown Parks and Recreation Dept. is now offering adult softball leagues for the spring/summer. Different skill levels are available for Men, Coed and 50+ teams as well as double header leagues available in the men’s ‘C’ division. No other leagues can beat our prices. Raytown provides ASA umpires, an official scorekeeper, fields drug and lined daily, and rainout line. The season starts in April 1 for men’s leagues, and coed starts April 12th. Games will be played at Colman, Little Blue Trace, or Kenagy Parks for the spring/summer season. The season will run for 7-10 weeks, double header leagues also available. Leagues will be played every night in Raytown’s Parks so there are plenty opportunities for all ball players interested.
For more information about the upcoming softball leagues call the Raytown Park Office (5912 Lane) at 358-4100.
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