From the Publisher: A School Named Sue

The Park Hill Board of Education voted to name the district's 10th elementary school Tiffany Ridge at the regularly scheduled January 26 meeting of the Board. 

Lula Mae Ridge wouldn't
have sounded right.

From Nicole Kirby, PR rep for the District:

"This was the top choice of the naming committee after its second effort to narrow the list of community suggestions. The committee recommended this name because it referred to the historic Tiffany Springs township, which inspired the most name suggestions from the community, and because it combines the names of the two neighborhoods between which the school is located Autumn Ridge and Tiffany Place."

Works for us. We love Audrey Hepburn. And Tiffany Miller at the Main Street Inn and Piropos' Piano Bar. And Tiffany's. (Do you know you can't just walk in there and buy one of their signature turquoise boxes but that they will, indeed, engrave a ring from a Cracker Jack box for you? See the movie.) We also like many ridges and Ridges potato chips which, sadly, are not sold in the Kansas City market.

And for those gung ho daddies out there who lament the feminine name, relax....it's an elementary school. They don't have a football or wrestling team. Anyway, think of it in the terms of "A Boy Named Sue." This is a good thing.

Hey, my elementary school was called "Nut Swamp." Go ahead...take your time and have a little fun with that one.

Feature: The Ugly G's: Guilt and Grudges

Here's a hard hitting feature from the University of Missouri Extension Council: 

   Holding a grudge or feeling guilty can keep you from enjoying all that life has to offer.

Khaaaaaaaaaan!

   “Guilt is something we impose on ourselves,” said Vera Massey, nutrition and health education specialist for University of Missouri Extension. “We get into the ‘I should have done that,’ and the ‘shoulds’ keep us tethered to the past.”

   Carrying guilt can harm your mental and physical health, and drain your joy and happiness. Massey says to break free of the shackles of guilt you need to forgive yourself.

Chamber Releases Commerce Survey

From Amy Acock, director of the Parkville Area Chamber of Commerce:

"Thank you to everyone that participated in our 6th Annual Gala.  We can't thank you enough for all of the donations, participation and support for the Chamber.  We raised $4,000 for the Park Hill Clothing Center which will go along way to help support the youth of our community. "We would appreciate you taking just a few minutes to take the attached survey to assist us in how we can improve the event for 2013, as well as what you truly enjoyed."

 Click here to take the survey.

Municipal Election Slate Set

As previously reported in this space, there will be a contested race in Parkville for mayor and several aldermen seats this election season. The next election will be Tuesday, April 3.

Nan McManus

Incumbent Mayor Gerry Richardson will be stepping down after this term. Seeking to fill the void are Ward 1 Alderman Jim Brooks and Ward 4 Alderman Nan McManus. Brooks is a longtime volunteer perhaps best known for his restoration work in the city's downtown and oversight of the controversial Banneker School restoration project and serves on the city's finance committee. McManus is in her second term as alderman, having run unopposed last election. McManus has been lauded for her efforts on the city's economic development committee and is considered one of the driving forces behind the formation of the Parkville Economic Development Corporation.

Other -- some surprising -- candidates have also entered the fray this election cycle.

Romney Leads in Parkville GOP Donations

Source: Federal Election Commission

Collector Announces Quarterly Tax Payment Option

From Platte County Collector, Shelia Palmer:

"Sheila Palmer, Platte County Collector announced a new program which will give Platte County taxpayers the option of paying their real estate taxes in quarterly installments. The new option will become effective immediately with a deadline of March 15, 2012 to enroll. 

“Paying all of your taxes in one large payment at the end of the year can be very difficult for many of our taxpayers,” said County Collector, Sheila Palmer. “I am very pleased to offer another viable option.”

Park Hill Board Candidates Locked In

The ballot for the next Park Hill School Board election has been set and it features three Parkvillians:

A Sporting View: Ali Hurt More than Himself

By Mark Vasto

The "Drama in the Bahamas."                                                                        (AP)

   Burgundy carpet, beige couches and reheated pepperoni pizza from the night before, television tuned to WABC to watch the Wide World of Sports ... that was a typical Saturday spent with my father during the late '70s and early '80s. 

   It's hard to understand now, in the SportsCenter and Yahoo Sports world, but for the sports fan of the Jimmy Carter era, it was Sports Illustrated, the back of your local evening tabloid newspaper if you lived in a town lucky enough to have one, and the Howard Cosell hovel that was ABC's Wide World of Sports. And there could be no Cosell without a peculiarly great heavyweight boxer by the name of Muhammad Ali. 

Park's Underground is No Secret

A press release from Hakes Real Estate, the agents assigned to the Commercial Underground last year...it's basically an advertisement but still interesting to learn about the situation down there: 

New leases and tenant expansions led to a net absorption of 58,615 square feet last year in the Parkville Commercial Underground in Parkville, Mo.

In August of 2010, Park University retained Hakes Real Estate to market and lease the vacant space in its 1-million-square-foot Parkville Commercial Underground. At the same time, Martin Properties became the property manager and is now responsible for tenant relations and management for the university’s underground asset.  Martin has worked with University employees to upgrade signage, support systems, safety and the appearance of the Parkville Commercial Underground.

Parkville Commercial Underground 1-million-square-foot business park located beneath the Park University campus.  The developed space in this underground is suitable for many uses ranging from warehouse and distribution to light manufacturing and back-office operations.

Governor Appoints Ferguson to Election Board

From Governor Nixon's Office:

Duly Noted

The Governor has appointed James Dallas Everett (D), of Platte City; and Marvin Ferguson (R), of Parkville, to the Platte County Election Board. The board oversees and directs elections in a non-partisan manner, providing direction for voting entities and procedures to assure that a fair and honest election is held for the residents of Platte County.

Dr. Everett, who holds his doctorate in education from the University of Missouri, is retired from serving as an administrator at Metropolitan Community College; he previously was on the faculty of the Platte County R-III School District. The Governor has appointed him for a term ending Jan. 11, 2015.

Ferguson has practiced law in North Kansas City for more than 30 years and obtained his law degree from the University of Missouri-Kansas City. He is an Army veteran who has served on the Parkville Board of Aldermen since 1971 (until this previous election - ed)and who also has served on numerous civic and local governmental boards. The Governor has appointed him for a term ending Jan. 11, 2013.

A Sporting View: The Wide World of Sports

By Mark Vasto

       NBC Sports used the “The Winter Classic” hockey game between the Philadelphia Flyers and New York Rangers to also officially announce the formation of their own sports network – the aptly named “NBC Sports Network.” 

As Costas said it, I remember thinking, “Well…what took you so long?” After all, NBC Sports has a good a legacy as any other network. Notre Dame football, the first to air the Super Bowl, and, if I recall, thanks to the physical prowess of “Buck Rogers in the 25th Century” star Gil Gerard, didn’t they win “Battle of the Network Stars” more than once? 

And then the camera panned to show the giant Comcast tower in downtown Philadelphia. “Ah, right,” I again said to myself (because nobody would watch the hockey game with me). “Comcast is the new majority owner of NBC. Comcast had the Versus network, and now that will become the new NBC Sports network.”

Commission Gives Budget a Makeover

Here's the County Commission's press statement regarding the 2012 budget:

   "Shortly after the scheduled 11:00 a.m. Administrative Session, the Platte County Commission passed an amended FY12 budget. With a vote of 3-0, the Commission unanimously approved several amendments to the proposed FY12 budget. Highlights of the new budget include funding both the Prosecutor and the Sheriff at their requested budgetary levels.
  " In addition, the amended budget will include an additional $142,500 for the Sheriff’s staffing request of three (3) additional deputies or raises to officers on the street."



Click here to see the entire statement.

Gomer's Takes the Wine Crown

Congratulations to Tom Stacey, who had the vision for the vineyards you see outside Gomer's. Turns out they make pretty good juice too: they just won the "Jefferson Cup" wine competition.


From The Midwest Wine Press:

Many wine enthusiasts are wondering about the he 2011 Honorary Jefferson Cup Invitational Wine Competition Award that went to “2008 My Three Sons Norton” from Missouri.   We can report that the wine was not produced by the late actor Fred MacMurray and has nothing to do with the 60′s television show of the same name, as a Google search would indicate.    So exactly what is the “My Three Sons”  that won such a prestigious award in a blind tasting by some of the country’s most discriminating palates?

It turns out that My Three Sons is produced by Gomer’s of Missouri,  a wine and spirits store with four locations in metro Kansas City.  More amazingly, the Norton vines from which the award-winning wine was made were grown on the side of a Gomer’s retail store in a commercial shopping center.   

 ”We have three distinct vineyard sites at our retail locations,” said Gomer’s owner Tom Stacey.  ”One of the sites has 18 vines and we call it “Sonic View” because it’s next to the Sonic fast food restaurant. ” According to Stacey,  growing vines in a strip mall has its advantages, like automated sprinklers and no grape eating deer.

For the rest of the story, click here.

For Your Convenience: Twenty-Two For 22

From the Platte County Prosecutor's office:

A Kansas man has been sentenced to 22 years in prison for the armed robbery of a Platte County convenience store.  Brandon Goodwin, 22, received the sentences on January 5 for robbing a clerk of the Trex Mart Convenience Store in Dearborn at gunpoint.

Platte County Prosecuting Attorney Eric Zahnd said, “This sentence sends a loud and clear message to those who would come to Platte County to commit violent crime:  You will be caught, you will be prosecuted, and you will be punished severely.”

Goodwin’s four accomplices have already been sentenced to prison.  Goodwin pleaded guilty on November 3.

Funeral Services for Chester MacDonald, Piropos Grille Co-Owner

Seems like another day, another obituary on the Luminary site. Many know Chester as the "cut-to-the-chase" co-owner of Piropos Grille in Parkville. A good friend to The Luminary, he will be missed. Our sympathies to his wife, Sheila. What follows is his official obituary:

Chester Stanley MacDonald, a resident of Weatherby Lake, MO, passed away on Wednesday, January 4, 2012 at St. Luke’s Hospital in Kansas City.

SUSPECT CHARGED IN SHIPPERT MURDER

From the Platte County Prosecutor's Office 
(*WARNING* This is an extremely graphic and upsetting report report.)


A Platte City man has been charged with the murder of a woman in May 2011 and the assault of another woman on December 26, 2011.  Quintin P. O’Dell, 22, is accused of murdering Alissa F. Shippert near the Platte River and assaulting another woman in Ferrelview the day after Christmas. 

Platte County Prosecuting Attorney Eric Zahnd said his office filed charges the evening of January 6, following an extensive investigation by the Platte County Sheriff’s Department. 

Commission Blinks on the Budget

After a few weeks of general bashing from Platte County staff, the Platte County Commission released the following statement last Thursday: 



"In response to the Platte County Prosecutor’s proposed plan to rescind the Platte County Park’s tax in favor of a law enforcement tax, the Platte County Commission has stopped all work on the planned expansions at both Platte County YMCA Centers.

"During Tuesday’s Commission Meeting, Platte County Prosecutor, Eric Zahnd, proposed rescinding the current Parks and Recreation Tax, advocated against expansion of the community centers and said the tax should be replaced with a law enforcement tax.

"After the budget hearing Tuesday, the Platte County Commission has decided to issue a stop work order until this budget debate is resolved. The construction management firm, J.E.Dunn, has been notified that all work and planning on the Community Centers is to be stopped until further notice. The Commissioners are in discussion with office holders to look at all possible options."

The Kitchen is Closed: The (Rejected) Obituary for my Grandmother

Most journalists start their careers, ironically, by writing obituaries. I started in the "toy department" (sports) and avoided that task. When my grandmother passed away yesterday, my mother made the mistake of asking me, Mark Vasto, to write the obituary. I consulted editors from around the country, studied famous obituaries and did a lot of soul searching. How do I encapsulate the life of the matriarch  of our family? The love of my life? It could be so easy to just write her off as a "homemaker" but she was so much more to us. And it's not like anyone else is ever going to write her life story, so what follows is her obituary, as written by me, as totally REJECTED by my mother and sister. Oh well...what can you do? Salud.


THE KITCHEN IS CLOSED


Virginia Rossi Tamburello, the doting matriarch of a family that included 10 brothers and sisters, two daughters, four grandchildren and three great-grandchildren, passed away Tuesday, January 3, 2012 of natural causes. She was 94.

Virginia was born in Newark, New Jersey on April 11, 1917; only a few days after the country declared war against Germany in WWI. Despite the ensuing Great Depression, Virginia and her family lived a good life and their hard working father even managed to secure a summer home on the Jersey Shore in Long Branch. Throughout her life she never strayed too far from the beach.

She met Michael Tamburello at a dance while on a date “with another fella.” Michael fell in love at first sight and asked her to dance. Virginia spurned his repeated requests but eventually Michael’s persistence paid off and she agreed to the dance. She did not like the way Michael danced, describing his moves on the dance floor as “jerky.” Michael managed to score a date with her and soon enough, but not without a great deal of charm and convincing, he won her heart. She became his adoring, loyal, lifelong companion.

Sheriff Flips Out On Commission Budget

From the Platte County Sheriff:

Platte County Sheriff Richard L. Anderson along with several other Platte County elected officials testified against the Platte County Commission’s proposed 2012 Budget at the public hearing on the 2012 budget held earlier today. 

Sheriff Anderson stated that the Commissions’ proposed 2012 budget would result in the Sheriff’s Office having fewer deputies, higher turnover, less experienced deputies and a less reliable fleet. Sheriff Anderson said that, “[t]he priorities established by this budget are not in the best interest of the people of Platte County and are not what the people have clearly said they want.”  The Sheriff discussed two professional surveys conducted in 1997 and again in 2007 where the citizens of Platte County were surveyed by the Commission about what their priorities for county service were. Public safety and emergency preparedness were listed by the citizens as their first priority.

Zahnd Slams Commission for 2012 Budget

The following is a press release from the Platte County Prosecutor Eric Zahnd:  

Platte County Prosecuting Attorney Eric Zahnd testified against the Platte County Commission’s proposed 2012 Budget on January 3, 2012. 

Zahnd criticized the proposed budget for requiring “draconian cuts to the core functions of government while spending millions upon millions on frills such as massive expansions of community centers including water slides and Olympic-sized swimming pools.”

He asked the County Commission to reject the proposed budget and rescind the ½ cent sales tax for parks, replacing it with a 1/8 cent sales tax for parks and a ¼ cent sales tax for law enforcement.

Zahnd said, “If you do that, you will give everyone who lives, works, and shops in Platte County a well-deserved tax cut.  They will pay 1/8 cent less on every purchase they make in Platte County.  And you will also realign our budget with the priorities of the people:  the core governmental functions of law enforcement over indulgences like walking trails and swimming pools.”

Parkville Police Report 12/30/11 - 1/1/12

Updated every Monday, except holidays.

Exit Stage Right

When I was a saloon singer in New York, among the best pieces of advice I received were as follows: "Know your keys, hit your marks and know when to get off the stage." (It also helped if you could sing a little.)

In theater, the term "exit stage left" means that a character leaves a scene quietly, without a lot of noise. Naturally, we'll be exiting stage right -- we're iconoclasts. We've been leaving for, like, weeks. 

As of last week, The Parkville Luminary ceased publication after nearly eight years of continuous publication. The business decision was easy to make, but not for the reasons you're probably thinking. Creatively, journalistically (is that even a word?), and from a community service standpoint it was pretty hard to let go.

Our associate publisher Gia McFarlane and I agreed to shut the paper down this past September. We had outlined a comprehensive plan to move our media brand forward. It was a stunning plan, all laid out there on a table at Piropos, her and I looking down upon it like the Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces and Gia McFarlane. Then we looked at each other and asked, "do we really want to do any of this?" 

That was nearly 80 days ago. I could have gone around the world in that time.Instead, I went to Indiana. (That's another story.) Anyway the answer was no. I had wanted to close the paper after our fifth year, and all I did was complain about the all-nighters. I tried to form an alliance with a Platte City paper but nobody from either staff seemed to get it. It was time to do something else.

Yet, there we were in racks the next week as "The Luminary Lite." This was due to a sudden interest from a regional publisher. In order for the newspaper to remain "legal" in the postal sense, we needed to keep hitting the press or there could be no deal with that publisher. Last week, the talks fell through.

Stabbing at Ferrelview

From the Sheriff:

On December 26, at approximately 3:34 a.m. Platte County Sheriff’s deputies responded with Ferrelview Police Department to the Unicorn Apartments at 12208 ½ NW Heady Ave. Ferrelview, MO in reference to a stabbing.  Brittany A. Costello, 21 year old w/f, is being treated at an area hospital.  Sheriff’s investigators are speaking with a person of interest in this case.

Goodbye, Parkville Luminary (No Flowers, Please)

NOTE: The following is the "obituary" I wrote in the last edition of my hometown newspaper, The Parkville Luminary, which was one of the best weekly newspapers anywhere. Thanks, editor/publisher Mark Vasto, for giving me, and peace journalism, a voice.


NO FLOWERS, PLEASE
By Steven Youngblood
Luminary Columnist Emeritus


There’s nothing I hate worse than our society’s death rituals, which run the gamut from maudlin to nearly barbaric.


I, for one, refuse to walk past an open casket to see the dead guy. I’d prefer to remember the live person, thankyouverymuch, even though everyone at a funeral always comments on how good the corpse looks. In fact, my aunt and I have a macabre pact. Whoever goes first, the survivor is required to march past the stiff and then pronounce, very loudly, “man, he looks like sh&*.” 


I also hate the custom of wasting hundreds (thousands?) of dollars on flowers. Although I like flowers as much as the next guy, I do not want them when I am dead, since I will not be able to enjoy them as much. If you’d like to send me flowers now, I’ll gladly accept them (Park University, Copley Hall, room 210). However, if you waste one cent on flowers for me when I’m vertically challenged, I’ll haunt you.


Overall, our death rituals make a bad situation worse. Keeping this in mind, I will neither send flowers nor stroll past the casket as we say goodbye to our good friend The Parkville Luminary this week. Instead, in the spirit of a good Irish wake, I’d prefer to remember the good times.

Everything Big Starts Small

By Sarah Handelman

Luminary Reporter Emeritus

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about Ida Lake. 

If you don’t know who she is, you’ve probably seen her anyway. She’s been working the Parkville farmer’s market for decades. Six years ago, when I graduated high school, Ida was the first subject I interviewed as a “practicing” journalist. Ida was amiable and patient. In our hour-long interview at her market stall, she bequeathed years of her stories — each one like the perfectly ripe, juicy fruit around us. As I scribbled her every word into my pocket-sized reporter’s notebook, I remember thinking, “Hey, this is kind of fun.”

The interview ended. We exchanged goodbyes. Happily, I drove up Crooked Road, giving myself a pat-on-the-back for reporting well done. I could practically see my name in print. My first story in the Parkville Luminary.

December 21-25 Police Report

Parkville resident benefits as St. Luke's performs their first liver transplant

Charles Jones, 54, has a lot to be grateful for this holiday season.

Jones, who was diagnosed with hepatitis C, cirrhosis of the liver and liver cancer, received a liver transplant at Saint Luke’s Hospital on Nov. 19. He’d struggled with debilitating fatigue since his diagnosis, and took medical leave from his job at the GM plant in January.

In August the Parkville, Mo., resident was put on the transplant list. He’s the first patient to undergo liver transplantation at Saint Luke’s since the hospital launched its program earlier this year.

After a 4.5-hour surgery, Jones spent just six days in the hospital. He’s a little sore, but feels like he’s been given a new lease on life. He’s slowly building his strength.

“Before the transplant, all I wanted to do was sleep all the time. I was confused - now my mind is clear. I feel a lot better than I did. Things are looking up. I’m getting my life back.”

Jones should be able to return to work in 6 months or so, according to his medical team. He doesn’t know who his liver donor is, but he’s grateful for the second chance. “I’m very appreciative to the donor family. They saved my life.”

The Parkville Christmas Special, Vol. 1

Click here to donate please!

For more than 10 years, Gale Bay helped raise more than $500,000 for Parkville through her volunteer efforts, including an 8-year run as the Christmas on the River Chairperson. Gale was recently diagnosed with breast cancer and now, lung cancer. She does not have adequate insurance.

While a small token, a few Parkvillians recorded a few songs -- two of which are featured here -- for your Christmas enjoyment. Clicking the album cover above will take you to a website where you donate money via paypal. Anything you can spare helps keep the spirit bright. Thanks.

Brian Ruskin

Silent Night (right click and save the mp3 file)

Largely considered to be one of Kansas City's finest guitarists, Ruskin is a familiar face to anyone who frequents The Phoenix downtown, where he usually holds court with The Ruskin Quartet. Ruskin also hosts a weekly Open Mic on Tuesdays at Cafe Cedar. When we told Brian about the project, he graciously recorded this song in less than an hour as a donation. It's a truly beautiful rendition of the song. 

Learn more by visiting him on Facebook: Brian Ruskin. 

Carolyn Elwess

Christmas Carols (right click and save the mp3 file)

Most of you know Carolyn Elwess as the Park University archivist and the author of the "From the Fishburn Archives" series of features in The Parkville Luminary. Carolyn plays the fiddle, but I knew better than to ask. So I asked if she had any old recordings in the archives. She did one better. 

This is a recording we made of a song roll played on her vintage Duo-Art player piano. Originally played by Dion Kennedy, this roll features 1. Hark! The Herald Angels Sing, 2. The First Noel, 3. God Rest ye Merry Gentlemen, 4. O, Little Town of Bethlehem. 

Click below to download the bonus track:

Parkville Police Report, Week of December 12, 2011

This week's report of major incidents occurring in the Parkville area, as reported by the Parkville Police Department. Exact addresses have been exchanged for the block of the reported incident for privacy and freedom of information reasons. All suspects, in each report, are innocent until proven guilty.  

Note:  The Luminary, nor do the Parkville Police

in this instance, report common traffic infractions.

Seasons Change

     In a press release, the Parkville Economic Development Corporation (PEDC) confirmed – mostly – what was reported by The Luminary in her last episode ( “Common Health,” Vol. 12, Ep. 8). But upon closer look, it's a bigger story, with a major development regarding Parkville's future that even The Luminary failed to turn into a major production.

      But it's a development worth taking a closer look at, because despite the small headline it garnered in the print edition, it is enormous news for Parkville's future.

"The Parkville Christmas Special" - A Benefit Album For Gale Bay

LATEST UPDATE: Many of the recorded songs will be thrown up here, and you can download them, but we ask for a donation to the cause. I regret to inform all that I was unable to learn an entire new industry in a few days, so we'll just go with the karma and build on it for next year. Now give me a chance to finish the cover art and figure out how to distribute these files online. Hang in there, Gale!

UPDATE: Ok, we have all the tracks we need (and then some) but the idea was to get this done by Christmas on the River -- which despite the quick notice -- could have been done. Wither way, we want to see this through (even though we could probably just give her the $50 bucks it'll make at happy hour somewhere) because it's the reason for the season and all that. More later (which is quickly becoming our newspaper's motto)...

Watch this space for an update to the article in this week's Luminary brand newspaper regarding the Parkville Christmas Special album...we're in weekend mode, so we're even wonkier than usual.
Thanks,
Mark Vasto
Publisher