FROM THE EDITOR
C O N T R I B U TO R S
16
KANSAS CITY AUGUST 2021
Sam Taylor
ILLUSTRATOR
This month’s pinball-themed cover was drawn by London-based illustrator Sam Taylor, who has done work for Nike, Nickelodeon, Bloomberg, The Guardian and The New Yorker.
Evan Musil
EDITORIAL INTERN
The news story on the future of bars in Johnson County was written by Evan Musil, an intern majoring in magazine journalism at the University of Missouri. He enjoys learning Spanish and misses going to concerts.
Susie Whitfield WRITER
The feature on the upcoming Killers of the Flower Moon film was written by Susie Whitfield, a retired English teacher who has previously written about Mercury 13 astronaut candidate Sarah Ratley, tenant rights advocacy and the financial crisis facing caregivers for adults with disabilities for Kansas City magazine.
MARTIN CIZMAR ILLUSTRATION BY DAVID BABCOCK CONTRIBUTOR ILLUSTRATIONS BY JOANNA GORHAM
W
hen it comes to parking, I’m a cheapskate. I spend money on plenty of things others might find frivolous, but given my suburban Midwest roots, I just can’t understand why I should have to pay money to leave my car anywhere that’s not Manhattan. When staying at a boutique hotel, I’ve been known to find a street spot in a dodgy area a few blocks away. There’s a quiet, shady street in Portland, Oregon, where the neighbors hung bootleg “no airport parking” signs after I helped popularize it as an ideal spot to leave your car and take the light rail to the airport. Which brings us to Kauffman Stadium, where they now want twenty American dollars to park your car in the endless asphalt ocean. My first time out to the ballpark this year, I paid. But by the second time, I was looking for an angle. I ended up calling restaurants, hotels and gas stations in the vicinity, only to be told I’d be towed. Then I found Jesus—specifically, a church across from the K that, in the spirit of goodwill to all men, lets you park for free during Royals games. For Chiefs games, they do charge twenty bucks, which they use to fund outreach ministry. Destiny Life Center Ministries exemplifies the generosity and good vibes that make Kansas City such a wonderful place to live. As its senior pastor Cynthia Kivett told me, the building has been a blessing to the church, and they’re happy to share that blessing with others. The church has a strong focus on helping people who’ve struggled, and its motto is that it’s a place “where every child of God is destined for greatness, regardless of their past.” It’s a good reminder that oftentimes it’s those people who’ve walked the roughest road who are quickest to lend a hand to others—even if it’s just something small, like helping a family work a night at the ballpark into their budget. This year’s Best of KC package is full of people and places like Destiny Life Center— those doing their part to make this city a better, friendlier and more interesting place to live, from a soccer club that focuses on mentoring refugee children to a creative reuse center that serves as a thrift store for arts and crafts supplies. We’re proud to highlight these folks as Best of KC editors’ picks alongside the results of our readers choice poll, which drew a record 550,000 votes in the final round. Our annual Best of KC issue is a project we work on basically all year long, and we hope Martin Cizmar this year’s installment helps you celebrate the EDITOR IN CHIEF spirit of the city—and maybe saves you a few MARTIN@KANSASCITYMAG.COM bucks on parking along the way.
