August 2022: Best of KC by Kansas City Magazine

C H ORUS GIRLS, STRAWBERRY RAN GO O N , WATE RM E LO N CHA MOY

AND 284 MORE OF KC’S GRE AT E ST T HI N G S

THE UNBELIEVABLE TRUE STORY OF HARRISONVILLE'S FORGOTTEN TOWN SQUARE MELISSA ETHERIDGE ON WHAT MAKES KANSAS SPECIAL

’22

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see the

Book Your Tour MissouriPenTours.com

History Home to the “Bloodiest 47 acres in America” Jefferson City’s dark side focuses on the old Missouri State Penitentiary – nicknamed “The Walls” because of the limestone walls surrounding it – which operated 1836 until 2004.

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History Located at Ike Skelton Training Site, the Museum of Missouri Military History houses many artifacts and weapons of war from the Revolutionary War to the present era.

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OUR MISSION

We love Kansas City like family. We know what makes it great, we know how it struggles, and we know its secrets. Through great storytelling, photography and design, we help our readers celebrate our city’s triumphs, tend to its faults and revel in the things that make it unique.

PUBLISHER

Kathy Boos kathy@kansascitymag.com

Beyond the Menu

EDITOR IN CHIEF

Martin Cizmar martin@kansascitymag.com ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Mary Henn mary@kansascitymag.com EDITORIAL INTERNS

Molly Higgins Liz Schroeder Olivia Augustine

ART DIRECTOR

Katie Henrichs katie@kansascitymag.com ASSOCIATE ART DIRECTOR

Makalah Hardy makalah@kansascitymag.com GRAPHIC DESIGNER

Kayla Masisak

DESIGN INTERN

Natalea Bonjour Heeral Patel

COPY EDITOR

Kelsie Schrader WEB COORDINATOR

Madison Russell SALES

Angie Henshaw angie@kansascitymag.com WRITERS

Dawnya Bartsch, Nina Cherry, Natalie Torres Gallagher, Hampton Stevens PHOTOGRAPHERS & ILLUSTRATORS

Zach Bauman, Chase Castor, Caleb Condit, Jeremey Theron Kirby, Vicente Martí, Chris Mullins, Rebecca Norden

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KANSAS CITY AUGUST 2022

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AUGUST 2022

52 BEST OF THE BEST

44 Holy Home

Stained-glass windows and other church-like design features give a Brookside home an ethereal feel.

KANSAS CITY AUGUST 2022

Doom Squared

Seaside in Brookside

The turbulent but true story of Harrisonville’s downtown square and the people who have tried to own it

Two new restaurants that offer seafood dishes this summer

PHOTOGRAPHY BY CALEB CONDIT AND REBECCA NORDEN

The city’s finest faces, spots and finds

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In This Issue AUGUST 2022

S WAY

T H E LO O P

Sinking Ship

The future of the River Market could look very different if the Arabia Steamboat Museum leaves.

TA S T E

Up & Dover

New bags made from neoprene make the perfect travel accessories.

Flash Face

Doggie Demand

Grand Glory

New technology scans your face and reveals the age of your skin.

How The Grooming Project is making a big local impact

44 24

Big Flex

With a Twist

How the Kansas City Zoo is working to save a population of local mussels

The aftermath of the surprsise tornadoes that hit the KC area this summer

Cathedral-style features give a Brookside home an eclectic yet cozy feel.

E V E RY I S S U E

34 Backbeat 104 Surreal Estate C H O R U S G I R L S , ST RAW B ERRY RA N G O O N , WAT E RM E LO N C H A M OY

A N D 2 8 4 M O R E O F KC ’S G R E AT E ST T H I N G S

08.2022

O N TH E C OVE R

TK | TK

Illustration by Makalah Hardy

THE UNBELIEVABLE TRUE STORY OF HARRISONVILLE'S FORGOTTEN TOWN SQUARE

’22

MELISSA ETHERIDGE ON WHAT MAKES KANSAS SPECIAL

kansascitymag.com

KANSAS CITY AUGUST 2022

SPECIAL SECTIONS

65 Best of Kansas City Readers Choice

A local chocolatier uses unique flavors like mole spices, maíz and lime.

Irish for Fish

Two new restaurants bring fresh seafood to Brookside.

Perfect Day

TJ Roberts brings love and coffee to Strawberry Hill.

Something in the Orange

Tiki Huna’s new seasonal drink creation has an unexpected ingredient.

100

Editor’s Letter

29 Calendar

Kahlo Cacao

102

Newsfeed

The latest in KC food news

’Cue Card

Krizman’s Sausage might make the world’s best BBQ links.

Private.

Gated.

E x t r a o r d i n a r y.

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FROM THE EDITOR

KANSAS CITY AUGUST 2022

Molly Higgins

EDITORIAL INTERN

Molly Higgins is a creative writer and educator at UMKC. She is currently earning her MFA and wrote the mini-feature on Harrisonville’s town square for this issue.

Dawnya Bartsch WRITER

Both the featured home in our Sway section and our Surreal Estate column at the back of the book were written by Dawnya Bartsch. A California transplant, she’s a seasoned journalist and art history buff.

Chris Mullins

PHOTOGRAPHER

The photos from this month’s featured home were taken by Chris Mullins, a former musician turned full-time commercial photographer. He’s an avid golfer, art enthusiast and coffee connoisseur.

ILLUSTRATIONS BY VICENTE MARTÍ & JOANNA GORHAM

or most issues of this magazine, we work a few months in advance. Right now, I’m doing research for October: making my long list of places to check out for our soup issue, exploring places I haven’t been and touching base with our trusted corps of contributors and those special civilians who just seem to know their stuff. The process for our annual Best of KC issue is a little different. For this issue, we work all year long on our editors’ picks. That’s because we try to make them something special—we’re not going to give you our takes on the best burger in town after spending the last five months running a reader poll with almost 500,000 votes. Instead, we use our space to tell you about things you probably didn’t know existed and that we find delightful. Most of our editors’ picks are not just the best but also the only—we aim for things that are one of one, like strawberry cheesecake rangoons (page 54) and a local broomsquire (page 58). So anytime I take note of something special around the city that’s not a fit for other coverage, I make a note to look into it before the following August. I’ve already got a handful of things to think about in 2023. Last month I was doing a last-minute check-in on one of those hastily typed ideas, a unique coffee shop in Brookside when I was smacked in the face by something else, something that exemplifies what we are going for in this issue. If you follow the news—locally or nationally—you probably saw the story about the defaced row of doors painted in rainbow inviting all comers to the United Church of Christ at 65th and Wornall. The vandalism was shocking and horrifying and understandably earned coverage in publications like the New York Daily News. But by the time those national stories went live, the graffiti had already been cleaned up. The church’s next-door neighbor, a man named Scott Switzer, sprung into action. His family is in the painting business, he told KCUR, so they just set to work painting over the hateful message. That’s the best of Kansas City if I’ve ever seen it. Not only are the neighbors inspired to help spread a loving message, but they’ve also got the skills to execute it in a matter of minutes. There are a few things with similar themes in this year’s editors’ picks package, including a tiny DIY food pantry in Overland Park complete with its own mini fridge (page 63) and a church band of refugees who play the music of the African diaspora with such amazing verve that their stand-in manager, a successful indie rocker in his own right, compared running across them in his neighborhood to “the first time I heard The Beatles” (page 62). You’ll find the results of our extremely popular readers poll on page 65. As always, they’re a fun window into where people stand on the great debates of local life— such as the city’s best burnt ends and best music venue. But, for my money, the spirit Martin Cizmar of kindness and warmth that makes KC so EDITOR IN CHIEF MARTIN@KANSASCITYMAG.COM great is hard to capture with any vote.

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COURTIER

NUMBERS FROM THIS ISSUE

The percent of mussels species threatened in North America, which the Kansas City Zoo is doing its part to reverse. PA GE 24

The number of Pulitzerwinning plays to be produced in the new season by KC Melting Pot Theatre. PA GE 3 2

The number of properties in Harrisonville’s downtown square that were given to Larry Rains for free when he bought two. PA GE 8 4

SHOUT OUT

IMPERIAL STRENGTH

The most talked about story in our July issue was the month’s Surreal Estate column, which explained why the landmark Imperial Brewery overlooking downtown Kansas City is destined to face the wrecking ball. Readers mostly wondered if more could or should be done to save the historic building. Oh, I have loved seeing this building driving into KC. I have always wondered what it was for and when it was built. I had hoped it could be restored and used like other buildings downtown. —Alex Villegas Crow Please just restore the building. If I see one more ugly grey apartment complex being built, I’m going to lose it. I’m so sick of these investors coming in from out of state and tearing things down for profit. —Tawny Jenkins Yep—the numbers don’t work even if they donate the building. Been in it and worked up a boutique hotel proposal about six years ago…. just not feasible given its current condition, unfortunately. —Jason D. Reece Another example of just because something is old doesn’t mean it’s historic enough to preserve. If we can’t find a new use for it after forty years, why should we keep it? —Justin Kidd

“

This month’s ’Cue Card on Krizman’s sausage sprung from a conversation with Dan Hathaway, manager of the Kansas City BBQ Store. He gave us a few more ideas, too.

I understand that this building serves no purpose, and renovating isn’t viable, but I’ll bet you anything I own that they turn it into apartments within three years. Which is just the last thing this city needs. —Josh Jenkins

BEHIND THE SCENES

Respectfully, nothing wrong with places to live, better than having people in tents, or have you been to LA or Portland, nothing wrong with making affordable housing. —Chloe Dinwiddie It’s so odd that people would rather see a vacant building sit for decades, being vandalized, broken into, and tagged, rather than be torn down and have something built that can actually be used. —Tyler Scott I used to go urban spelunking there when I was a teen. Good times. Long overdue— cleaning this place up would take A LOT of work. —Nick Befort

Caleb Condit shoots off a confetti cannon while photographing KC Canaries for our Best of KC feature.

Kansas City

P.O. Box 26823 Overland Park, KS 66225-6823 (913) 469-6700 EMAIL: editor@kansascitymag.com

I think we’re very special people. I think a lot of good can come out of Kansas, so I’m always hopeful.”

—ROCKSTAR MELISSA ETHERIDGE SPOKE WITH THE MAGAZINE BEFORE HER SHOW IN LAWRENCE THIS MONTH. LOOK FOR A LONGER VERSION OF HER INTERVIEW ONLINE AT KANSASCITYMAG.COM

KANSAS CITY AUGUST 2022

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ANCHORS AWAY After decades of threats, the Arabia Steamboat Museum finally seems ready to shove off from the River Market. BY O L I V I A AU G U S T I N E

KANSASCITYMAG.COM AUGUST 2022

T H E L O O P A N C H O R S AWA Y

The future of the River Market could look very different.

TA N D I N G

THE

SAME

the City Market is nearly as old as Kansas City itself. In the 1850s, over three hundred steamboats traveled on the Missouri River—including the Arabia before it sank in 1856. The Arabia is probably the bestknown steamboat of the era, at least in Kansas City, where for over thirty years its salvaged cargo has been on display at a museum in the City Market. The museum’s owner, Matt Hawley, has asked for more space from the city and says he was ignored. In May, he announced that he’d signed a letter of intent to move the museum when his lease expires in 2026. The announcement got widespread press coverage, with commentary from Hawley, but a loud silence from his neighbors and the city. “Unfortunately, I’m unable to comment on matters concerning our tenants’ lease agreements,” Sue Patterson, spokesperson for the City Market, wrote in an email to Kansas City magazine. Hawley has big plans for his museum. He wants to excavate a second sunken steamboat, the Malta, buried in a bend in mid-Missouri, and grow his business. In Hawley’s telling of the story, his museum helped make the area family-friendly. As he tells it, the area was called the “River Quay” and was overridden with organized crime until the ’80s. Hawley says moving to the location in 1991 was an uncomfortable gamble. “That’s why we could afford this much

L O C AT I O N S I N C E 1 8 5 7,

KANSAS CITY AUGUST 2022

space,” Hawley says. “It was cheap because nobody wanted to be here.” The River Market neighborhood was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1970. Shortly thereafter, developers Mel Mallin and Dana Gibson were working to repurpose buildings in the area into an artistic community. They turned old factories and warehouses into loft-style apartments inspired by New York City’s SoHo district. As the River Quay transitioned into River Market, remnants of Kansas City’s main mobsters were either jailed or passed away. The city started to look at the area as a spot for events—which did not match Hawley’s vision. Past stories with headlines like “Rock Concerts Moved to Appease Steamboat Museum” hint at old tensions. Hawley pushed to have a concert series at the River Market canceled because he claimed a Death Cab for Cutie show was so loud that it shook his building and could damage the artifacts. The city offered to pay his insurance if the concerts could continue, but he refused. “You can’t replace these things,” Hawley says. “It’s not like other venues where it’s like, ‘Hey, if something breaks, it’s insured, it’s covered.’” In another concession to Hawley, the city won’t allow any businesses in the building with the Arabia Steamboat Museum to have running water, which he says is important to his conservation efforts. Hawley says the city wants bars and restaurants in the Market.

The museum’s neighbors seem unphased by the Arabia’s likely relocation. A staffer at Dalia’s Silver Lining says she isn’t worried about the move, as most of her traffic filters in from the farmers market. She’s excited about the extension of the KC Streetcar. “It’s not the first time they said they were going to move and resigned their lease,” says John Stein, the owner of The Candy Wizard next door. Indeed, the museum has threatened to shove off upriver or down many times— starting way back in 1992, not even a year into business. Located underneath a Chinese restaurant and a fish market, the museum says it suffered water damage to many artifacts from leaks within the building. The Egregious Steamboat Journal reported in 1993 that the museum’s operators filed a lawsuit against Ja Chi King, who leased the space above them. In 2005, The Star reported that the Arabia Steamboat Museum was once again looking at relocating in order to accommodate exhibiting another excavation. They looked at moving to Union Station’s Science City space. Other areas of interest included Independence, Atchison and Leavenworth. In 2019, there were serious conversations about opening a museum in Jefferson City. Hawley says there have also been conversations about moving the museum to St. Joseph, Parkville, Independence, North Kansas City and Marshall. There was even mention of moving the collection to the Heinz Visitor Center in Pittsburgh. The museum’s current pending move is to achieve more space, too—this time for the excavation of the Malta. “At the end of the day, Kansas City folks said that they have so many other big things on the horizon they probably wouldn’t be able to fit us in with their plans moving forward, so we had to open up the search to the rest of the state,” Hawley says. The history of St. Charles fits neatly with Steamboat Arabia. Not only is the St. Louis suburb right on the Missouri River, but it was also once home to Captain John Shaw, who owned the Arabia in 1855. “I tell folks, if I was a betting man, I’d bet money on St. Charles right now,” Hawley says.

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MO MUSSELS How the Kansas City Zoo is working to restore the population of a littleunderstood aquatic animal BY L I Z S H R O E D E R

P E O P L E T H I N K O F M U S S E L S as something you find in the ocean and fry in France or boil in a black bean broth in China. But mussels are a broad category of bivalve mollusks found in rivers, ponds and lakes all over North America—or they should be, at least. Right now, scientists consider seventy percent of all mussel species to be imperiled, according to the Kansas City Zoo, which is working to change the situation by propagating and reintroducing local species in Missouri. “[Mussels] have a couple of things going against them, along with overfishing or over-collecting,” says Sean Putney, CEO and executive director of the Kansas City Zoo. “In this century, there’s less of a concern about overfishing, but there are still issues with water pollution, and so the healthier your waterway is, the better it is for the mussels. They’re your indicator on water quality.”

KANSAS CITY AUGUST 2022

ANY

Wildlife conservation is a priority at the Kansas City Zoo. From improving wildlife habitats in the Kinabatangan rainforest in Borneo to supporting the penguin population in Peru, the zoo’s efforts can be seen worldwide. “Zoos usually do a lot of conservation work on international animals,” Putney says. “I wanted to do something somewhat local.” According to the Kansas City Zoo, nearly half of Missouri’s mussels are threatened. So, since 2007, the zoo has been growing younger mussel species, either of endangered or threatened status, in a lagoon at the zoo. The efforts are directed by zookeeper Tracy Divis. “We’re talking freshwater mussels, not the mussels you eat in restaurants,” Divis says. “Everybody thinks, ‘Are these the ones you can eat?’ Well, if you’re starving, cover them up with every condiment you love. Only eat them if you’re really hungry.” “Since Kansas City is a cow town,” Divis explains, “it’s like we get a calf that’s just been weaned, and the lagoon is the feedlot. We get the calf to grow up to market size, and then it gets shipped back to its original river.” The zoo lagoon’s FLUPSY, Floating Upweller System, keeps the mussels clean and fed. Mussels are filter feeders. They eat by catching tiny food particles from the water around them, “algae, bacteria, things that float through the water,” Divis says. Then, they filter the waste back out through a different tube. The program is simple and cost-effective. The mussels live in a small setup of bins in the zoo lagoon. The biggest costs are “time, a little bit of electricity and making sure we have appropriate pumps that can run the system,” Putney says. “Our system is pretty simple, but it works.” It’s also effective. As of January 1, 2017, the project had reintroduced more than nineteen thousand specimens across four states. Mussels can accumulate pollutants from their environment. “I’ll call them the canaries in the coal mine,” Divis says, because a mussel’s presence is often a sign of a healthy river. “They’re an indicator species to how ecosystems are thriving or not,” Putney says. “If you don’t have a lot of mussels in your waterways, chances are something’s wrong. They’ll pass away with poor water quality.” Analyzing mussels can help scientists understand which chemicals are affecting our water sources and lead to better protections for all Missourians. The Kansas City Zoo works with the Missouri Department of Conservation and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to release the mussels back into appropriate water sources. “It’s easy to talk about pandas and rhinos while an ordinary-looking clam is a little harder to talk about,” Divis says. “It’s nice to have an institution that supports something like this.” Putney adds: “This is one of the original programs the zoo committed to. Everybody likes to point to the cute and fuzzies, but the animals that nobody sees aren’t any less important.”

PHOTO PROVIDED BY THE K ANSAS CITY ZOO

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THE LOOP FLASH TWISTERS

SPIN CONTROL Surprise tornados ravaged the Kansas City area this summer. Here’s what it all means. BY M O L LY H I G G I N S

R O U N D 1 A M on a Wednesday in early June, large swaths of south KC were awakened by phone notifications and screeching sirens. The forecast had called for a dark and stormy night, but a tornado warning came seemingly out of nowhere. It was no false alarm, as a storm caused damage from Marysville to Leawood, where a tornado skirted 95th Street. Among the households hit was Sue and Jack Grant’s of old Leawood. “I was in bed,” Sue says. “I heard a noise hitting the window, and I looked out the window and things were just swirling. It was blowing so hard immediately. I believe that tree went down and took the power line down, too.” The douglas fir tree in the Grants’ backyard lost its top twenty feet, which scattered debris over their yard, and the powerful winds tore shingles off their home’s roof and ripped off their electrical box. Their house, along with most of their neighborhood, was without power for four days Friday morning. The tornado was caused by a line of thunderstorms called a “squall line,” says Neville Miller, meteorolo-

KANSAS CITY AUGUST 2022

“

It’s a good reminder to our community that it can happen... Anytime we have a severe storm come through, it shouldn’t be taken lightly.”

gist for KMBC. A squall line is a line of severe thunderstorms that form along or ahead of a cold front. These squall lines can stretch for hundreds of miles and produce destructive winds, hail and tornadoes along their path. Most tornadoes around KC strike between the months of April and June, so the timing was what you’d expect. However, the storm was stronger than you typically see in this area. “It happens this time of year, but it is unusual to have it happen so quickly without warning,” Miller says. “The overnight timing of the storms can add an element of surprise, even when forecasted ahead of time.” Most of the storm’s biggest effects were not in Leawood but in parts of Marysville and Manhattan, which caused structural damage to power lines, residences and two Kansas State University sororities. Aaron Wintermote, the spokesman for the Riley County Police Department, estimates that there was $9.74 million worth of damage, including three homes that were declared completely destroyed. Wintermote says straightline winds, which can reach over a hundred miles per hour, caused the bulk of the damage. “Typically, there are many more reports of damage from straight-line wind than tornadoes,” Miller says. Straight-line wind damage tends to be more widespread and blows storm debris in one direction, as opposed to the concentrated swirl of a tornado that spreads debris in all directions. When these surprising weather patterns emerge, it’s important that people stay up to date with local forecasts. Wintermote urges people to sign up for severe weather alerts to keep up to date on weather patterns happening in their area. Wintermote also cautions people to stay in shelters, preferably a basement or local storm shelter, to be prepared before severe weather even hits. “[It’s a] good reminder to our community that it can happen, and it’s not only tornadoes that can cause significant damage,” Wintermote says. “Anytime we have a severe storm come through, it shouldn’t be taken lightly.”

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PHOTOGRAPHY BY ELIZABETH MIRANDA

WHERE YOU WANT TO BE IN AUGUST

August

GO: Sunday, August 14. 8 pm.

Liberty Hall in Lawrence.

‘FOR THE LAST TIME’ While out on tour, Melissa Etheridge often finds herself heartbroken about the unrest she sees across the country. “I feel for my country, my people,” Etheridge says. The Leavenworth-bred Etheridge’s people are, specifically, Kansans—she’s always thought of her home state as “neutral.” She remembers her high school as an accepting place, where people were judged on their character more than their ethnicity or political stance. Etheridge says it’s no coincidence that Kansas has been involved in other landmark cases, like Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, which ended racial segregation in public schools. The country’s eyes are again on Kansas in the runup to the August 2 election,

which, in the wake of the overturning of Roe v. Wade, will determine whether abortion will remain legal in the state. “I think we’re very special people,” Etheridge says. “I think a lot of good can come out of Kansas, so I’m always hopeful.” There are still incredibly good people [in Kansas] who really believe in the live and let live.” Etheridge has also found herself examining her own past in her 2021 album, One Way Out. With more time during the pandemic, she began revisiting old songs that missed the cut on previous albums. “The songs are full of that twenties and thirties angst of mine and that sort of hunger that I don’t indulge in so much anymore,” Etheridge says. —MOL LY HI G G I N S READ THE FULL INTERVIEW AT KANSASCITYMAG.COM

KANSASCITYMAG.COM AUGUST 2022

Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo August 2, 8 pm

Breakaway Musical Festival

August 5-6, 4 pm

August 8, 7 pm

This festival began in Ohio in 2013 and has since exploded as a touring event throughout the Midwest for electronic-music lovers who don’t want to travel far for a weekend-long festival. The two-day rave comes nearby to Azura Amphitheater, with a rotating cast of EDM acts, along with local food trucks and vendors, silent disco and more. Friday, August 5, and Saturday August 6, 4 pm. Azura Amphitheater.

Australian indie rocker Courtney Barnett is arguably the last, best hope for the slacker strain of jangly garage rock. This summer, she’s Lollapaloozing with her own touring manifest, dubbed “Here and There,” which features a rotating cast of like-minded acts including Overland Park’s own Waxahatchee and mid-pandemic breakout Wet Leg. KC’s date at the Arvest Bank Theatre at The Midland features Lucy Dacus and Quinn Christopherson. Monday, August 8. 7–9 pm. Arvest Bank Theatre at The Midland.

Rock icon Pat Benatar and her husband of forty years Neil Giraldo are on tour playing old favorites like “We Belong,” “Love Is a Battlefield” and “Heartbreaker.” After over thirty-five years together, the duo still has chemistry. Tuesday, August 2, 8 pm. Uptown Theater.

Tivoli Under the Stars August 5 In its second season, Tivoli Under the Stars is still offering something for everyone. Every Friday night continuing into the fall, you can cozy up and catch a movie on the Nelson-Atkins lawn. Each ticket purchase includes dedicated lawn space to seat up to four people, movie tickets, museum admission and garage parking. The first two in August are Guardians of the Galaxy on August 5 and Rear Window on August 12. Friday, August 5, 12, 19 and 26. Screenings start 10-15 minutes after sunset. Nelson-Atkins.

KANSAS CITY AUGUST 2022

Courtney Barnett

KC VITAs Summer Series 2022 August 5 & 7 Contemporary classical music isn’t an oxymoron—as evidenced by the more than four hundred new works submitted for consideration by the Kansas City Vibrating Internal Thyroarytenoids, or KC VITAs. The group of professional singers exists to promote brand new choral and chamber music, and this show will feature four premiere performances. Friday, August 5 and Sunday, August 7. St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, KCMO. $15 in advance, $20 at the door. kcvitas.org

Innovation Festival August 6, 11 am In an unexpected combination, BioKansas presents an event that turns your classic summer festival

of drinks and music into a networking opportunity that will blow agricultural scientists away. With music from the Black Pumas, The Greeting Committee and The Regrettes, the festival also celebrates the science of the fermentation industry, with beers brewed from all over the Midwest. The Innovation Festival doesn’t just stop at the party: There will be two networking events at which innovators, scientists and manufacturers can mingle. Saturday, August 6. 11 am. Crown Center Square, KCMO.

Strawberry Swing Indie Craft Fair August 6, 9 am Described as Kansas City’s “original maker’s market” and established in 2011, The Strawberry Swing brings the handmade moment to life—and to Powell Gardens. This indie craft fair is

PHOTOGRAPHY PROVIDED BY RESPECTIVE VENUES

W H AT YO U WA N T TO D O T H I S M O N T H

August

T H E B E AT C A L EN DA R

KC pop-up tradition at its finest, featuring our local artisans and vendors. Come for the quality goods, stay for the quality plants. Saturday, August 6, 9 am–7 pm. Powell Gardens.

Imagine Dragons August 9, 6:30 pm Vegas-based pop-rock band Imagine Dragons has been taking over the radio, putting out annoyingly catchy songs throughout the past decade. They are now on the road for their Mercury World Tour, promoting Act 2, the follow-up of their album released last year, with 2010’s white rapper one-hit-wonder Macklemore opening. Tuesday, August 9, 6:30 pm. T-Mobile Center.

KC Sunflower Fest August 12, 4 pm With Kansas being the Sunflower State, there’s no better way to break in the season’s change from summer to fall than KC Wine Co’s Sunflower Fest. This is the perfect event for growing families, with activities spanning from “giant” yard games to a ninja course to human foosball. There will also be music, food trucks and, of course, unlimited opportunities for the classic sunflower pictures. Friday, August 12, 4–9 pm. KC Pumpkin Patch.

The Lumineers August 13, 7 pm The Denver-based band returns to KC for their rescheduled show with fellow folksy crooners Gregory Alan Isakov and Daniel Rodriguez. Super popular throughout the 2010’s, you can still hear them play at least once an hour on 96.5 not-the-buzz. Saturday, August 13, 7 pm. T-Mobile Center.

RuPaul’s Drag Race Werq the World Tour August 14, 8 pm All finalists from the most recent season of RuPaul’s Drag Race, plus fierce favorites from past seasons (Kameron Michaels, Rose, Vanessa Vanjie Mateo and Yvie Oddly), lip-sync and deathdrop their way through iconic past eras in history in the hopes of finding their way back to the present. Sunday, August 14, 8 pm. Uptown Theater.

Sister Act August 16–21, 8 pm The iconic 1992 movie adapted into a Broadway musical is coming to Starlight Theatre. No one expects a “disco diva” to find herself as a nun in a convent, but that is exactly what happens to Deloris Van Cartier in Sister Act after she is put into protective custody after witnessing a murder. This comedic story is sure to grant

Ethnic Enrichment Festival August 19–21

One of the largest festivals of its kind anywhere in the U.S., this annual celebration takes over the large field on the west side of Swope Park, with booths representing sixty nations and ethnic groups. Most booths offer food for sale, and some sell handmade goods. The large picnic shelter at the park houses a dance floor where group performances run back-to-back for most of the three-day event. Friday, August 19–Sunday, August 21. Swope Park.

a much-needed laugh on these summer nights. Tuesday, August 16–Sunday, August 21, 8 pm. Starlight Theatre.

Taylor Swift Night August 20, 8 pm Have you ever attended a concert without the actual artist being there? That is essentially what you’ll find at The Taylor Party, a “Taylor Swift-Inspired Dance Party.” Spend hours surrounded by other Swifties, dancing to nothing but Taylor’s most popular discography––and there’s a lot. Saturday, August 20, 8 pm. The Truman.

Jazzoo Kendrick Lamar August 21, 7:30 pm After losing a Grammy to Macklemore and winning a Pulitzer, Compton rapper Kendrick Lamar is back from a five-year hiatus to promote his widely critically acclaimed and intensely introspective album, Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers. He is joined on tour by his cousin, ultra-talented rapper Baby Keem. Sunday, August 21, 7:30 pm. T-Mobile Center.

August 26, 7:30 pm The wildest fundraiser of the summer, Jazzoo’s “creative black tie” soiree brings local restaurants and entertainment together to support the Kansas City Zoo, its animals and its educational programs. Party animals must be of drinking age and ready for some outdoor fun because this event is rain or shine. Friday, August 26, 7:30 pm. Kansas City Zoo.

Alan Jackson August 27, 7 pm With over thirty years performing a mix of honky-tonk and country-pop sounds, Alan Jackson is coming to Kansas City on his newest tour, “Last Call: One More for the Road,” after revealing his serious health diagnosis last year. Jackson isn’t letting it stop his love of fun, down-home music and timeless performance. Shine your pickup and grab a beer because Jackson still knows “a lot about livin’ and a little ’bout love.” Saturday, August 27, 7 pm. T-Mobile Center.

Alicia Keys August 28, 8 pm It’s hard to believe it’s been twenty years since Alicia Keys burst onto the R&B scene fully formed with Songs in A Minor. As with most artists whose debuts sell ten-plus million copies, she’s never transcended that success nor strayed too far from that formula. Keys, her new double album released back in December, opens with traditional “Original” arrangements before presenting most of the same songs with moodier, heavier beats on the “Unlocked” side. Wednesday, August 28. 8 pm. Starlight Theatre.

KANSASCITYMAG.COM AUGUST 2022

T H E B E AT FOL LOW SP OT

KC Melting Pot Theatre aims to share stories of Black joy, resilience and resistance. BY M O L LY H I G G I N S

ANSAS

CITY

THE-

has an important question to ask itself: Is diversity actually important, or is diversity being implemented solely as a means for earning grant money? This is the question that Linda Williams of KC Melting Pot Theatre wants the Kansas City art scene to reckon with. Williams is the general manager at KC Melting Pot, a professional theater company based in Kansas City that is about to stage its second theater season directed entirely by Black women. Melting Pot’s upcoming season begins this September and features four plays focusing on Black family life spanning from the beginning of the twentieth century to the present. “Black people are not excited about plays that depict them as servants or tell the stories of slavery,” Williams says. “We want to see our real lives depicted on stage just like everyone else does.”

AT E R

KANSAS CITY AUGUST 2022

Founded nearly a decade ago, Melting Pot got its name from its desire to represent all artists. After employing local folks for all positions within the theater, it began to turn its focus to Black theater and Black stories because, according to Williams, there was a void locally. “Theater in KC is kinda stuck in the same old shows,” Williams says. “That’s what we’re trying to break.” Every performance hopes to move audience members and open dialogue within the Kansas City community. Dr. Nicole Hodges Persley, the artistic director of the Melting Pot, says, “We aim to bring you the best theater that we possibly can, telling stories from a Black perspective that invites everybody into the conversation.” The season starts with Mother/son, set in the midst of the Covid pandemic and Black Lives Matter movement. It’s a dark comedy drama about a mixed race man and his white mother in denial about her own racism and addiction. Mother/son is written by KC native Lewis Morrow and will be directed by Nicole Hodges Persley.

The second and third shows are Pulitzer winners: The Piano Lesson by August Wilson and Fairview by Jackie Sibblies Drury. The Piano Lesson is part of Wilson’s century cycle set in the thirties while Fairview is a 2018 comedy. Both are must-see shows that address historic and modern tensions surrounding race relations in America. “[Fairview] takes an interesting look at various views of race and ethnicity and the misconceptions that are accepted purely based on stereotypes,” says director Lynn King. The final show of the season is 2021 Pulitzer Prize finalist Zora Howard’s Stew, set in a kitchen as four generations of women come together to prepare a special meal for an annual celebration. As with all other shows, it will feature talk backs and themed community events that celebrate the long history of family and reunion in Black culture. “The kitchen is the heart of the home,” Stew director Ile Haggins says. “That’s where everything happens, that’s where conversations occur, where connections are made. [Stew] unpacks their dreams, their struggles, some turmoil that they’re faced with and the violence that’s in their community that creeps into their home.”

PHOTOGRAPHY BY THOMAS KIMBLE

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THE REEL DEAL Instagram-famous jazzman Xavier Foley moved to KC from Jersey. BY N I N A C H E R R Y

bassist and composer Xavier Foley is quickly gaining a following on Instagram (@ xavierfoleybass). He now has over forty thousand followers on the platform, where he shares Reels of himself playing his own compositions on solo bass in his West Bottoms apartment. While solo bass music may not be your go-to genre, Foley has gained a following for a reason. His videos don’t just showcase the versatility of the instrument. They also show Foley’s versatility as a performer and composer. “I’m influenced mostly by R&B and soul, but a little bit of everything,” Foley says. That “little bit of everything” is especially prevalent on his Instagram feed, where he has shared compositions heavily influenced by 1980s pop music, traditional Irish music, tango, metal, country

A N S A S C I T Y- B A S E D

KANSAS CITY AUGUST 2022

and beyond. Foley defies genre, combining his sprawling influences, adventurous writing style and impeccable technique. Although Foley is most frequently labeled as a classical musician, his music is influenced by an array of popular styles, and his followers represent this array. While there are quite a few listeners and music lovers in the mix, much of Foley’s following includes fellow performers, from prolific jazz artists to orchestral musicians. But Foley is doing a lot more than creating content on Instagram. The sought-after performer and educator has had quite the summer traveling across the country. In the past few months, Foley has been a featured artist at music festivals from coast to coast, including the prestigious Bravo! Vail Music Festival in Colorado, where he performed alongside the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra. His schedule isn’t dying down anytime soon. This month, Foley will be a featured artist with the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra, performing his own concerto for double bass and orchestra, as well as Giovanni Bottesini’s Concerto No. 2. But in his downtime (which has been limited lately), Foley is glad to call Kansas City his home base, where he does much of his composing and practicing. He has been living in KC for nearly a year now—he first made his way here when, tired of New Jersey, he went on a road trip. “I made a stop in Kansas City and decided to stick around,” Foley says.

PHOTOGRAPHY PROVIDED BY X AVIER FOLEY

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It seems like we’re all looking for a summer getaway—and whether you’re traveling near or far, the right baggage is essential. We’ve had our eyes on the neoprene collection from Dagne Dover (dagnedover.com) for a while. Neoprene is a high-tech, water-resistant and washable fabric. It’s also insulating and shock-absorbent, which means it’s durable for those extra long weekend trips. Our favorites from the collection are the Landon Carryall Bag ($110-$230), Dakota Backpack ($145$200) and Micah Crossbody ($100). The Landon comes in five sizes and is the perfect weekender bag with optimal organization on the inside. If you don’t want to carry around a bunch of baggage, the Dakota Backpack is a good option for day trips. The Micah Crossbody is another must because it’s super lightweight and great for a casual night out. We like the Micah in the limited-edition goji color, a bright red that makes a statement. We’re also fans of the other seasonal color, violet. But if you want a classic color, you can’t go wrong with the ultra-sleek dark moss. —MARY HENN

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PHOTOGRAPHY BY NATALEA BONJOUR

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KANSASCITYMAG.COM AUGUST 2022

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LIGHTS, CAMERA, SKINCARE Plaza Aesthetics and Wellness is using a high-tech skin analysis system to determine the “age” of your skin based on eight tell-tale signs. BY M A R Y H E N N

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especially during these humid days when nobody has time to sweat off a face full of foundation. That means getting your skin regimen locked down is key, and it can be difficult to know which products and procedures are best for your skin just by looking at the surface. A deeper look at your face can tell you which areas to treat—pores, wrinkles or brown spots— and how to treat them. Ashlee Campbell, a medical aesthetician at Plaza Aesthetics and Wellness, is used to looking at faces and coming up with targeted skincare plans and treatment options. But lately, she’s been using a relatively new machine called the Visia Skin Analysis System to help her provide a more accurate and thorough consultation.

KANSAS CITY AUGUST 2022

It’s a quick process. After putting your face in the Visia, it rotates around your head to capture a series of images of your skin’s surface and subsurface. The images pinpoint textured areas, UV and brown spots, pores, wrinkles, porphyrins (bacteria excretions), blemishes and red areas. Then the system analyzes the images to indicate which parts of your skin need work. It also tracks your skincare progress over time. “You know, it’s hard when you look at yourself every day to see the progress of using good skincare,” Campbell says. “This is a really good tool to help you see improvements deep within your skin.” Campbell says that with the Visia machine, it’s easy to have direct, honest conversations with people about their

skin. “It’s clinical,” she says. “It’s not just making up random things. Sure, it can be used as a selling tool, but it’s not a gimmick.” While images from the Visia reveal what’s happening below the surface of the skin, they also mark problem areas that are visible to the eye. If you know you have texture on your cheeks, for instance, the images will highlight those areas while also coming up with a treatment plan and product recommendations for improving your skin’s texture. The machine has a few fun features, too, like the advanced aging simulation, which gives you an idea of what your face might look like from your current age to eighty years old. There’s also the injectables simulation feature, which generates a picture of what your face would look like after receiving Botox, filler and other injections. After reading your face, the Visia system analyzes the images and gives you the age of your skin. So while you might only be thirty-two years old, your face age could be forty-five. Of course, age is just a number—but in this case, the number might tell you that all those years of forgetting to apply sunscreen are catching up with you. And it’s better to know the truth, right?

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I N TERV I EW

GROOMING GLOW UP The Grooming Project helps families become self-reliant through pet grooming. Now Natasha Kirsch is expanding it into new headquarters. BY L I Z S C H R O E D E R

you see an impeccably groomed dog, it might be the work of a graduate from The Grooming Project, a program founded by Natasha Kirsch. The Grooming Project is expanding into a new headquarters this year, and just in time: The program received more than three hundred applications but can currently only accommodate fifteen students at a time, Kirsch says. “We’re renovating a building two doors down from our current location which has triple the square footage,” she says. That means triple the number of students grooming triple the number of animals—plus an on-site doggie daycare. It will help train people in underserved areas for available jobs. “Our new location will also attract more new clients and business to the east side of Troost, a historically red-lined part of Kansas City,” she says. “At any given point, there are more than one hundred openings for grooming or pet care jobs in Kansas City.” Most for-profit job-placement organizations charge students for their programs. That’s not so at The Grooming Project, where students are given free tuition and a monthly stipend. Special attention is also paid to outside skills like financial literacy and customer service. We talked to Kirsch about her work and starting The Grooming Project, her success and the students she’s served around the city. THE NEXT TIME

KANSAS CITY AUGUST 2022

What drew you to this work? I started working with homeless families in Kansas City about twelve years ago, and every day I left work devastated because I couldn’t help. Yes, they had a shelter to live in, but they also had no way out. The bigger problem, which I finally understood clearly for the first time in my life, was generational poverty. How do you choose students from the applicant pool? Students accepted into The Grooming Project are parents with multiple barriers to employment such as trauma, unfinished education and homelessness. They receive hands-on, individualized training in the trade of pet grooming. Why do you think The Grooming Project has taken off the way it has? The Grooming Project is successful because we coordinate fulfilling basic family needs like housing, childcare, food and mental health wellness with training in a high-demand, high-wage trade. We have trained our grooming instructors in traumainformed care and support them with a team of social workers. We work more than forty hours a week with our families for seven months before placing them in a job and helping them navigate off of welfare. We problem solve with parents who are overwhelmed with so many obstacles that they cannot see a way out. We can see the way out. Our job is to get parents to trust us and let us walk alongside them for support. And it turns out that pet therapy is no joke. Grooming has been very therapeutic for our students who have survived severe trauma and abuse. How has the community helped with the project? Donations help with student stipends and emergency assistance. We pay each student a stipend of $500 a month so they have some money to live on while they are in our program. This is not much at all, especially for a mom with two or three kids, but we are able to do it because of people in the community that contribute to this fund. You can schedule an appointment for your pet at The Salon, our Lee’s Summit Location. The Salon is entirely run by graduates of our program who earn fifty percent commission or more, and the rest of the profit is funneled back into our school on Troost.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY NATALEA BONJOUR

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KANSASCITYMAG.COM AUGUST 2022

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KANSAS CITY AUGUST 2022

COTTAGE MEETS CATHEDRAL A Brookside home with a large stained-glass window is designed to feel both cozy and grand. BY DAW N YA B A R T S C H | P H OTO G R A P H Y BY C H R I S M U L L I N S

S O A R I N G C A T H E D R A L C E I L I N G and a wall punctuated by a large stained-glass window make this Brookside living room feel as if it were originally a church, not a cozy family home. The grand living room is just one of many unique and quirky architectural features that made Janette Yost confident the late-Jazz Age Tudor revival would be the perfect canvas for her eclectic design style. “I really love old homes and the base they create to add modern touches and come up with a design that is both familiar and unfamiliar,” says Yost, who was handed the 1928 home’s original blueprints along with the keys. Yost, who grew up on a Kansas wheat farm but spent years living in San Francisco, and her husband Jeff Larison had been looking unsuccessfully for an older home that could accommodate their soon-to-be family of four. Yost had become resigned to the idea that they would most likely live in what she calls a “boxy” newer home with a “predictable” floor plan. Then this house came along. “We saw it in the morning, and I saw that high ceiling, and we put an offer on it that afternoon,” Yost says. Over the past several years, she has been redoing the home, taking inspiration from its history as well as her own life adventures. “At a certain point, it becomes an obsession to find the right things,” Yost says of decorating. Some of her regular haunts are Urban Mining, an antique mall open only the first weekend of the month, and Industry West, an online furniture retailer. Yost, founder of the marketing firm Nous Studio, has found inspiration from vintage photos of the Country Club Plaza developed in 1923, just a few years before her house was built. “This home feels like there are some Spanish and Moroccan influences,” she says, pointing out the home’s various archways and original gold sconces—which she rubbed with black washable kid’s paint to tone down the finish—sprinkled throughout the house.

KANSASCITYMAG.COM AUGUST 2022

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1 LIVING ROOM The living room is awash in bright white paint, creating a light and cohesive feeling despite the heavy, almost Medieval features. From the thickly plastered fireplace and built-in nooks to the vaulted ceiling and stained-glass crest sitting high above French doors, the living room could feel rather heavy and foreboding, but the light color lends an airy, modern touch. Using the white paint as a unifying element, Yost brought in black and brown colors with furniture, textiles, some trim and art, creating a graphic look and a layer of modernity. Yost was having a hard time finding artwork that fit her living room aesthetic and opted to create her own large brown and beige graphic piece on canvas, which is hanging proudly opposite the fireplace wall and builtin window seat. Not sure what to do with an outward sloping wall above the fireplace, Yost decided to dangle a mobile just a few inches in front of the mantel. It moves delicately and looks rather graceful when a fire is lit, she says. Yost says she discovered a note on the home’s original documents suggesting a banner of a knight in the living room might make a good addition, presumably adding a layer of authenticity to the other castlelike features. So far, Yost hasn’t gone in that direction. “I find that so funny,” she says. “But, hey, you never know, I might find the perfect banner.”

KANSAS CITY AUGUST 2022

2 DINING ROOM A large, sturdy table by local custom furniture maker Unruh proudly anchors the dining room. The white walls are accented by a Moroccan-style arch painted partially black, adding drama along with an almost-black flat-weave rug. Other graphic elements in the dining room include black and beige block prints created by every family member. The one pop of color in the dining room is a large red-and-pink-toned abstract painting by artist and family friend Christine Cover, who just recently moved from Kansas City to Washington D.C. “To me, having artwork with stories is so meaningful,” Yost says. She is determined to fill her home with pieces that have meaning to her family.

3 KITCHEN In the kitchen, Yost kept the black granite countertops but painted the oak-colored cabinets white and installed a white subway tile backsplash and a few floating shelves. In the kitchen’s breakfast nook is a fireplace that is believed to be a 1980s edition. Inspired by her favorite San Francisco coffee house, The Mill, Yost created a banquette eating area near the fireplace using a church pew and a French-style bistro table.

KANSASCITYMAG.COM AUGUST 2022

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4 NURSERY Yost wanted her son’s nursery to be calm but with a little more color than other parts of the home, so she introduced muted colors into the room by lime-washing one wall in a muted gray and using textiles and furniture with colors found in the vintage Persian rug anchoring the nursery. The nursery also had a fireplace not original to the home that Yost thought needed a little bit of an update. With the help of her father-in-law, they turned the traditionallooking fireplace into a more organic focal point using a Roman clay plaster finish and handmade tiles.

KANSAS CITY AUGUST 2022

5 5 U PSTAIR S B ATH R OOM Yost updated the upstairs bathroom with a fresh coat of white paint and black trim, just as in other parts of the house. She used modern yet classic wall-mounted brass hardware and a simple mirror.

6 CHILD’S ROOM The one room in the house that veers from a neutral palette is that of Yost’s ten-year-old daughter. After being granted some artistic license, Yost’s daughter chose pink walls and brightly colored bedding, which Yost tied together with a colorful rug. Although a slight departure from the rest of the home’s design, the simple modern furniture makes the room still feel as if it belongs with the rest of the house.

KANSASCITYMAG.COM AUGUST 2022

CHORUS GIRLS, STRAWBERRY RANGOON, WATERMELON CHAMOY AND 284 MORE OF KC’S GREATEST THINGS

Photography by Zach Bauman, Chase Castor, Caleb Condit and Rebecca Norden

BEST CHORUS GIRLS

Kansas City Canaries Amanda Bernice was already an avid member of the KC swing dance community when she attended the Ultimate Lindy Hop Showdown in New Orleans in 2013. Swing was not the thing she left thinking about—it was a competition featuring vintage chorus girl troupes. “I didn’t think that was a thing that still existed outside of the Rockettes,” Bernice says. Two years later, Bernice decided to start a modern chorus girl troupe of her own, the Kansas City Canaries (kccanaries.com). “I thought: ‘I don’t have to be a Rockette. We can have a team here,’” Bernice says. What began as fun and casual performances with just three dancers for the local swing dance community gradually grew. In 2017, they began a monthly engagement at The Phoenix alongside A La Mode, which continued until the pandemic hit in March 2020. In the past year, the Canaries have reemerged and are more active than ever, performing with Lost Wax at the Midland and the

Kansas City Jazz Orchestra at the Kauffman Center and for the member opening of the Nelson-Atkins’ “American Art Deco” exhibit. Now, the Canaries are forming a band to back them up, led by saxophonist Brett Jackson. “This year has been a big year for us,” Bernice says. While jazz music in KC has been heavily documented and preserved, the same cannot be said of jazz dance, but one thing is for sure: Chorus girl troupes were prevalent in the rollicking heyday of Kansas City jazz and greatly contributed to the club culture of the time. The Canaries don’t only want to keep this art form alive; they want to amplify and reclaim it. “We’re really trying to stay as true to the culture as possible,” Bernice says. This reclamation of the chorus girl troupe, nearly a century later, now comes with greater freedom of expression. “The jazz and dance communities were friendly to the LGBTQ+ community back then, but people couldn’t be out at the time,” Bernice says. “It’s really great having a team that can do this and be a hundred percent ourselves.” —Nina Cherry

BEST TWITTER FEED

Kansas City Tweets from 1922

BEST STRAWBERRY CHEESECAKE RANGOONS

Tao Tao If you haven’t been to Tao Tao (taotaokck.com), go now and thank us later. Chef Annie Der has been operating the Chinese joint for more than five decades, and it’s remained a staple of the KCK community. Tao Tao serves dishes like authentic Springfield cashew chicken, shrimp fried rice and crab rangoon. In fact, Tao Tao boasts eight different flavors of crab rangoon, including a strawberry cheesecake rangoon. The strawberry cheesecake rangoon is, frankly, genius. Using, of course, a cream cheese base, Tao Tao adds fresh strawberries and sugar to the filling. After being pulled from the fryer, the rangoons are topped with powdered sugar and served warm. Tina Der, Chef Annie’s daughter who helps run Tao Tao, says that coming up with different flavors of crab rangoon was her brother’s idea. “It’s taken a while to perfect the recipe," Tina says. "When we first started adding fresh fruit to the rangoon, they were too watery. Now we are working with a recipe that keeps the filling intact.” —Mary Henn

What would Twitter have been like a hundred years ago? Besides, that is, lots of competing outrage over the scandals of Warren G. Harding? You don’t have to wonder with Kansas City Tweets from 1922 (@KansasCity100), a novelty account posting news, jokes and advertisements from a century ago. Creator Jim Wright got started while listening to radio shows and looking at old newspapers as part of research for a mystery story. He kept drifting back until he got to the 1920s, realized he was seeing news from exactly a hundred years in the past and decided it would be fun to post "real-time" updates from the last century. On any given day, you might see a glimpse of Babe Ruth’s career, instructions on how to use one of those fancy new rotary dial telephones or updates on the construction of the beach at Swope Park. The ads are always entertaining. Cigarettes for fifteen cents a pack seems like a sweet deal. The jokes are fun, too, especially when the punch lines are utterly lost on modern readers—gags about lazy horses and the like. Not everything is so lighthearted, of course. Suffice to say, The Star’s coverage of the Tulsa Race Riots was less than egalitarian. Generally, though, Wright has been pleasantly surprised by what he found. "Before I started doing this project, I kind of assumed that people were less intelligent back then. But now, when I go through this old paper, I’m like, ‘These people had magnificent solutions for the problems that they were facing.’" He cites a story about the city council looking for a better way to handle garbage. There was an idea to feed anything organic to hogs. He also spoke of their clearly superior mass transit. "My biggest shock was the streetcar system,” he says. “Three hundred and eighteen total miles of track, with interurban lines to Independence, Olathe, Excelsior Springs and Leavenworth. When they had the dedication ceremony for groundbreaking on Liberty Memorial, there were over seven hundred streetcars in use for three days running." Some things, though, don’t ever seem to change, especially in regards to transit. A few weeks ago, for instance, Wright found a story about Congressional hearings on the high price of gasoline. —Hampton Stevens

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BEST SHOP DOG

Ramen Noodle Most people go to the liquor store for one thing—or multiple bottles of that thing. But if your preferred vendor is Mike’s Wine & Spirits (mikeskc.com), you’ve got an extra incentive in the friendly face of Ramen Noodle, the resident shop dog. The five-year-old goldendoodle was adopted as a puppy by Andy Doohan, son of the eponymous founder of Mike’s stores, Mike Doohan. Ramen accompanies Andy to work, so you’ll find him six days a week at the Westport location and sporadically in Brookside and Waldo. He cuts a big, fluffy figure, but Ramen is light on his feet: He’s avoided any destructive incidents, with the exception of a stack of tequila bottles in 2018 (don’t bring it up, he still feels pretty bad about it). He roams the shop freely and is, all in all, a Very Good Boy: He greets customers without barking or jumping, he’ll offer you his paw to shake, and he has solid recommendations on wines that pair best with kibble. Of course, Ramen has his own Instagram account (@ramen_noodle_the_doodle). And over the years, he’s garnered his own social circle—of which he is the obvious star. “I have kids show up and ask if Ramen is in, which is super funny because, you know, it’s a liquor store,” Andy says. “I’ve walked into a brewery before and had people know Ramen and I’ve never seen them in my life. When people recognize him, they get very animated and excited… and I cease to exist.” —Natalie Torres Gallagher

BEST FLOUR

Marion Milling Not all flour is created equal. Marion Milling (marionmilling.com), located in Kansas City’s West Bottoms, is proof of that. Founded in 2020 by baker and miller Will Berndt, Marion Milling uses traditional stone milling techniques to create flavorful and nutritious flour for your baked goods. Unlike the commercial roller milling process, stone milling retains a high percentage of the original wheat berry. “It’s much more of an identity-preserved flour,” Berndt says. “Roller milling creates a uniform product where it’s mainly just starch and proteins.” While commercial flour operations have the advantage of creating mass amounts of product, Berndt prefers his quality, high-extraction and nutrient-forward flour. “I like stone milling—it’s pretty minimally processed grain.” Marion Milling sources their wheat from nearby farmers, a somewhat novel practice for flour mills. “It’s not normal to be using grain locally and then selling grain locally as flour,” Berndt says. “It seemed kind of silly that we have people growing grain all around us and we’re not utilizing it here.” Marion Milling highlights their fair pricing policies when it comes to grain producers, heralding those collaborations as one of the reasons behind their success. Every bag of Marion Milling flour is freshly milled to order for bakeries and consumers. “Right now, we’re just doing the Brookside and Overland Park farmers markets,” Berndt says, “but we’re hoping to get the online store set up soon.” —Liz Schroeder

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BEST GUITARIST

Nate Gregory

BEST TURKEY CLUB YOU CAN GET AFTER MIDNIGHT

The Lunch Box You know what they say: West Bottoms, best bottoms. So it shouldn’t come as a surprise that the best turkey club sandwich you can get after midnight (actually, from 6 am–1:30 am, Monday– Sunday) is in the heart of the best bottoms. Over on the corner of W. Ninth Street and Genessee, you’ll find The Lunch Box (lunchboxkc.com), a corner store that sells everything from tall boys to cat food, if you’re interested in feeding the West Bottoms kitties while you’re there. Upon entering the small corner store, you might wonder if you’re in the right place to find some of the best sandwiches in the city. But go on back to the counter and you’ll find the divey diner menu with everything from a pork tenderloin sandwich to a breakfast burrito to a fried bologna sandwich. But our favorite is the classic turkey club with bacon and cheddar cheese served on grilled wheat bread. While The Lunch Box has long been a staple for construction workers and truck drivers passing through the Bottoms, it’s also a popular late-night spot for some folks after a visit to 9th & State and/or The Ship, two other popular neighborhood joints. The Lunch Box has a sister location in, you guessed it, the East Bottoms (aka the second-best bottoms). This location, while it is only open for breakfast and lunch, does have tables, so you don’t have to eat your food on the go. You can’t do that at the West Bottoms location unless you want to sit on one of the concrete slabs outside the store, which we don’t recommend but have done after a late night of enjoying the Bottoms. —Mary Henn

Seventeen-year-old Nate Gregory (instagram.com/n8_gregory) plays a little bit of everything—some bass here, some drums there, even some singing—but the guitar is where he really hits his stride. Earlier this year, Gregory headed down south to compete in a guitar competition at the Dallas International Guitar Festival, the largest and oldest guitar festival in the world. There, he took home first place with his rendition of Merle Haggard’s “Workin’ Man Blues.” Would you believe me if I told you this was his first time in a guitar competition? “I didn’t have a band until less than a week before, and I met the bass player there the day before, so it was honestly pretty stressful going into it,” Gregory says. “But after I won, it was amazing because I’ve put so much time into the guitar, so it’s nice to have something to really show for it now.” Gregory first picked up a guitar that he randomly came across moving between houses at age eleven, and he’s yet to put it down. While he’s mostly self-taught, Gregory started playing with the Grammy-winning guitarist Redd Volkaert, who played for Haggard. Gregory says that Volkaert has been a great mentor. You can find him showing off his skills in the Kansas-side suburbs, Jerry’s Bait Shop in Lenexa among them. He can’t wait to keep playing, hopefully for the rest of his life. “I don’t feel like I’ve really done much yet,” Gregory says. “I feel like I’m just getting started. I hope that I can keep playing guitar and I don’t have to get a day job. I hope to be playing with someone mildly successful, but just to make a living at the guitar I think is the goal now.” —Olivia Augustine BEST POP SHOP

KC Soda Co. Walk into KC Soda Co. (kcsoda.com) at the City Market on any given day and be met with a flavorful rainbow of shelved bottles lining each wall. With eight hundred to a thousand flavors in stock at a time, you would be hardpressed to find any other soda shop with such variety. KC Soda Co. has any flavor imaginable as an option for customers, from a classic root beer to a unique mango-flavored drink to flavors as bizarre as pickle and ketchup. If it

exists, it’s probably somewhere on their shelves. Owner Lucas Thompson grew up in Louisburg, where he enjoyed drinking the Lost Trail Soda at Louisburg Cider Mill. After realizing the plethora of local sodas made in different parts of the country, Thompson became passionate about bringing them all into one space. But that isn’t all he loves about owning the shop: He loves the accessibility of it, too. “It’s something that every person can enjoy,” he says. “It’s not alcohol where you have to be twenty-one. Kids can drink it, all the way up to people ninety-nine and older.” —Olivia Augustine BEST WATCH PARTY

Missie B’s It’s Friday night at Missie B’s. Chatty bartenders pour heavy for customers taking advantage of the three-dollar drink specials during happy hour. Tonight is a RuPaul’s Drag Race Watch Party, and one of the hosts for the event, KiYanna Uchawi, orders herself a tequila and sprite with a splash of grenadine to help with pre-show jitters. The self-proclaimed “thick and juicy throwback queen of Kansas City” walks around the crowded bar, greeting fellow drag performers and customers alike. With just a few minutes before the show begins, the co-host of the evening, Karmella Uchawi, walks up to the bar and orders a round of Fireball shots. Karmella is unmistakable—her beautiful, feminine makeup stands starkly against her full beard, which is now her signature look. “I try to be the prettiest bearded girl you’ve ever seen in your life.” Going to a Drag Race Watch Party at Missie B’s is like coming over to an Uchawi party, both queens tell me. “You can yell at the TV like you’re at your house and get you a drink. It’s never anything too formal because we’re sitting there and talking shit,” KiYanna says. The popularity of RuPaul’s Drag Race has given local drag performers more opportunities to reach a bigger audience and form a community that might have otherwise not been exposed. “All drag in Kansas City is valid and different," KiYanna says. "Where I see us going is just everyone kind of creating their own life for themselves, like, yeah, everyone has a seat at the table.” —Molly Higgins

BEST BROOMS

Amanda Lee An everyday kitchen broom may seem like an average cleaning tool, but look into its past a little further and unleash a world of rich history. This is what made Amanda Lee (instagram.com/ pleasesendword) fall in love with the craft of broom making and become the city’s only broomsquire. In a cozy studio she built from the ground up on Virginia Avenue in KCMO, Lee spends her days dedicated to the many steps that go into creating a handmade broom. She cures found driftwood from the banks of the Missouri River to make broomsticks and dyes a fiber called broom corn with walnut shells to make the brush. Unlike plastic brooms, Lee’s handmade creations are compostable and recyclable. Because she works so hard to create quality broomsticks, they can be reused while only replacing the brush at the bottom. With all the thought that goes into these beautiful brooms, they can make great gifts for housewarming parties, weddings or even your grandmother’s birthday. “As a woman, I sort of ran from anything that looked like domesticity,” Lee says. “I was like ‘Oh, hell no, that is not for me.’ To arrive somewhere in my life where the job that I’ve built for myself is making brooms, which in and of itself is inherently domestic, is really powerful and is really healing.” —Olivia Augustine

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BEST DOLL HOSPITAL

The Doll Cradle On Johnson Drive in downtown Shawnee, there’s a small building bursting with a neon sign in the window that reads “Doll Hospital.” This is The Doll Cradle (dollcradle.com), and it’s where Connie Harrell and her children tend to the repairs of all kinds of dolls, from your toddler’s favorite toy to precious porcelain antiques handed down by your great-grandmother. Harrell opened The Doll Cradle in November of 1970 with her mother and now runs her business alongside her son and daughter with the same founding values in mind: to care for others’ dolls as if caring for her own family while conserving the artistry and history of the dolls. “When you look at dolls, they’re just very, very interesting,” she says, noting their place in twentieth-century history. ”There were lots of things that went on during the world, but dolls were still made and maintained all that time. They reach every person—men, women, children, babies, grandmas. Everybody has a way to connect to a doll.” The Doll Cradle is the oldest such shop in the Midwest, and one of very few. Customers come from all over to have their dolls repaired—Harrell says she has dolls sent to her from as far as England and Italy. Whether your dog made a chew toy out of your child’s favorite Barbie doll or you noticed a chip in a doll from Grandma’s porcelain collection, this hospital can fix it. –Olivia Augustine

BEST CHIEFS CAKES

McLain’s Bakery Walk into McLain’s Bakery (mclainskc.com) during NFL season and you might wonder if Andy Reid got a little too close to the treats. Behind the glass, you’ll see meticulously detailed deserts, sometimes including a cake that looks so much like Big Red that you might think it’s looking forward to the challenge of feeding your watch party. McLain’s was opened in Waldo in 1945 and has been under the management of Greg Hirleman and his children Jeff Hirleman and Mollie Lothman for the last eight years. They’ve since extended the business to four other locations around Kansas City. McLain’s first noticed the popularity of sportsthemed baked goods in 2015 after the Royals won the world series, Lothman says, and they have been a staple of the business ever since. McLain’s cake department is responsible for coming up with creative designs that grace the bakery display case, mostly inspired by current Chiefs players and things happening in the city that relate to the team. Some have even prompted superstition, she says, where people will order the same cake for every game. “It’s really fun for us to be able to provide fun treats that go along with whatever’s happened in the city, specifically the Chiefs the last few years,” Lothman says. “We love game days at our stores because there’s just an energy in the air. People are coming in and they want anything that’s Chiefs-related or anything that’s red, white, yellow.” —Olivia Augustine

BEST CHAMOY

BEST INTUITIVE CHANNEL

Carmona’s Chamoy

Quinn Kavanaugh

Although co-owner Erik Carmona is a first-generation Mexican-American, the inspiration for Carmona’s Chamoy (carmonaschamoy.com) came from an unlikely place: TikTok. “I kept seeing it on TikTok, and I was like, what is this?” chef-owner Paley Carmona says. Chamoy is sometimes referred to as Mexico’s favorite condiment and is most often used in Mexican candies. It is made from tamarind, which is turned into a paste, and a mix of spices such as chili powder, salt, sugar and lemon juice. After tweaking the TikTok recipe, the Prairie Village couple brought their homemade goodies back for a family event where, Paley recalls with a giggle, and her relatives started eating the chamoy “straight out of the container.” Now, Carmona’s Chamoy comes in the original tamarind flavor, along with mango, watermelon and, their specialty, hibiscus. Paley considers this their unique standout. “We’re the only one with the hibiscus flavor of chamoy, so it makes Carmona’s stick out just a little bit more.” The bestselling mango is a bit spicier than the others, with a familiar mouth-puckering sourness. Paley and Erik plan to start a mobile bar this year, with eventual plans to open a brick-and-mortar store. “I come from an immigrant family, so my parents came here with nothing—not a cent to their name,” Erik says. "Now it has been fifteen years since they started their company. I always tell myself, ‘If they started with nothing, why can’t I do something with all of my resources?’” —Molly Higgins

If you think tarot is too woo-woo for you, it’s probably because you’ve been going about it wrong. There’s a veritable tarot renaissance flourishing right now, with the most prominent voices heralding the cards not as an occultist apparatus but as a tool for self-care. If your only experience with tarot has been a sidewalk reading done by a pale imitation of Miss Cleo, consider the elegant ministry of one Quinn Kavanaugh (instagram.com/quinn.medicine). Aside from the flowy knits she’s partial to wearing, there’s nothing particularly witchy about Kavanaugh. She has warm, dark eyes that crinkle at the corners when she smiles, and she’s usually smiling—especially when she’s sitting in front of a deck. “Popular culture tends to trivialize things that help us build our self-confidence and connect to ourselves,” she says. “I like to approach the tarot from a practical, everyday life perspective, and when you think about it in that way, it’s less about the mystical and more about introspection and accountability.” Kavanaugh is no fortune teller: Her clients do not ask for winning lottery numbers or the names of future lovers. Rather than an academic reader—someone who interprets the cards by the book—Kavanaugh channels her intuition and helps clients tap into their own. “It isn’t about knowing, it’s about feeling,” she says. In a one-hour session, Kavanaugh pulls from multiple decks—some tarot, some other—and incorporates elements of energy healing, herbalism and meditation. Often, clients book readings with Kavanaugh as an addendum to psychotherapy sessions. "I address the cycles and patterns that we experience in life,” she says. “You would come to me because you’re ready to level-up in some way. It’s not prescriptive. I like to say that tarot isn’t read to you, it’s for you.” —Natalie Torres Gallagher

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BEST ALLIGATOR SANDWICH

Fish Market in South Liberty The Fish Market in South Liberty (facebook.com/ FishMarketLiberty) is a small blue building that looks like an old bait shop, long famous for its catfish and hush puppies. Legend has it that, years ago, The Fish Market was in fact a fish market where you could buy fresh-ish fish to cook at home. And while you can still buy ten pounds of catfish in bulk, The Fish Market is now more of a seafood diner that offers things like crawfish meat pies, frog legs and fried alligator. If you’ve never had alligator, you might be surprised. It’s only mildly fishy. At The Fish Market, it’s seasoned and tender, and you can get it as a sandwich. The seafood sandwiches are served po’ boy-style—fully dressed, Crystal Hot Sauce included, on a hoagie bun and with Zapp’s chips. You can also get the gator in taco form, thrown in a shell and topped with corn, cilantro, avocado and a cream sauce. The Fish Market makes a handful of zesty sauce in-house, too, so you can top or dip your fried alligator and catfish in at least six different varieties. Don’t forget to pair your gator with The Fish Market’s famous hush puppies and a cold beer served in a big, icy schooner glass. —Mary Henn

BEST MINIATURES EARRINGS

EARationale It’s hard to see self-proclaimed “roaming jewelry nomad” Chrissie Small’s earrings and not smile. The miniature objects on the earrings include extremely detailed snacks, such as Pringle containers with tiny chips inside, packages of Oscar Mayer bacon strips complete with a tiny label and redwrapped Babybel cheese wheels, among others. Small also keeps her inner child in mind with her designs, featuring objects such as Magic 8-Balls, vintage gaming systems and My Little Ponies still in their tiny plastic boxes. Small creates unique earrings with her brand EARationale (etsy.com/shop/EARationale) that turn miniatures of everyday objects into wearable jewelry. Her interest in jewelry started when making friendship bracelets as a Girl Scout. It wasn’t until she was in college, trying to find ways to manage her panic attacks, that she returned to jewelry making. At an event at Park University, she talked to a fellow artisan about the value of working with your hands. “That’s how I started back up making jewelry—as a way to work out my anxiety,” Small says.

It wasn’t until last September when a friend reached out to Small about showcasing her jewelry at KC Night Market at the Crossroads Hotel that Small first went public with her new miniatures designs. “When I did my first Night Market, people were in love with my miniatures,” Small says. In particular, “they really, really loved my food-brand miniature earrings.” Now, in addition to Night Market, Small sells her EARationale jewelry at other pop-up events and festivals such as Strawberry Swing and Downtown Days. She takes inspiration from anything from dollhouses to her nine-year-old son, Cameron, who often recommends different toys she could include in her designs. Small says her most popular items are the ones that make buyers feel like kids again, including her ultra-popular tiny replicas of nineties favorites such as Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark and R.L. Stine books. —Molly Higgins

BEST NEW BAND

Salvation Choir

It’s early afternoon on Saturday. The thermometer says it’s 92 degrees, and it’s humid. It feels even hotter inside the repurposed garage. A small box fan in the corner tries its best to move the air, struggling against the warmth of the nearly thirty bodies inside. This is the Salvation Choir’s weekly practice for their biggest gig yet, Boulevardia. Members of this group, which plays the music of the African diaspora including reggae and rumba, fled from violence in the Congo, moved to Tanzania and then Florida before settling in Kansas City. The band started in 2019 and performs traditional gospel music at Messiah Lutheran Church in Independence every Sunday. Choirmaster Pastor John Wilondja leads the band, including seven of his children, along with various cousins, uncles, aunts and neighbors. Since its beginning, the band has expanded. “We can do any style, but we mostly do seben, rumba and reggae,” says Jeune Premier Silambien, songwriter, guitarist, fellow choirmaster and son of John. Seben is a type of instrumental bridge played on electric guitar and is a central element of Congolese rumba. “It’s a style we used to do in Africa," says Lohi Wilondja, daughter of Pastor John. "Because if we compare, rumba and seben are different. Rumba is slow, and seben is a little bit fast. It’s a traditional style, but we combine all of them.” Although they started as a gospel choir and still perform in church every Sunday, the Salvation Choir has expanded its audience by performing at bigger venues like The Ship and Boulevardia. Philip Dickey, frontman of indie band Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin and stand-in manager for the Salvation Choir, describes the first time he heard them playing in the garage in their neighborhood in the historic Northeast: “It was like the first time I heard The Beatles. My wife was there and we just, like, looked at each other and our jaws dropped. This is the best music we’ve heard in our life.” After their performance at The Ship in late May, Dickey recalls hearing an audience member saying, “I feel like a witness to the beginning of something legendary.” —Molly Higgins

Kansas City . Aug . 22 63

BEST TINY FOOD PANTRY

Tiny Pantry As the pandemic began to overstay its welcome in September of 2020, Jennifer and Adam Parker knew they wanted to do more to help those in need—so they converted what was once a tiny library in their front yard into a tiny food pantry, which has since been rebuilt to be as large as a typical kitchen pantry, even including a mini fridge for perishable items. Standing tall in front of the Parker home on W. 71st Street in Overland Park, the tiny pantry has flourished to the point where Jennifer and Adam have more donations than they know what to do with. Jennifer says they’re moving between two and three tons of donations a month. “We currently have the pantry occupying not only the front of our house, but one full bedroom, three-fourths of the garage and now it’s cramped into my family room,” Jennifer says. In the first two weeks it operated, Jennifer worried they would go bankrupt trying to fully supply the pantry. But after discovering and gaining a following through the Nextdoor app, the tiny pantry was self-sustaining within two months, and the Penny Pantry Times support group was formed––now standing at six hundred and seventy members. Of all that she’s accomplished with the tiny pantry, Jennifer is most proud of the community she has seen come together and the people she would have never met otherwise. “We have now hundreds of people that we have met that are either donors or recipients or in some cases both, and it has been so rewarding to see how they are relieved,” she says. With such exponential growth in the past two years, Jennifer and Adam have realized they don’t have the space in their home to hold such a generous amount of donations. “It’s a wonderful problem to have,” Jennifer says. —Olivia Augustine

THANK YOU! THANK YOU KANSAS CITY FOR VOTING DR. QUINN THE BEST PLASTIC SURGEON!

913.492.3443 QUINNPLASTICSURGERY.COM 6920 W. 121ST ST., SUITE 102, OVERLAND PARK , KS

20 22

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HEATH & WELLNESS

BEST PERSONAL TRAINER

Fusion Fitness

Starlight Theatre

BEST ACUPUNCTURIST

Donna Tatum

BEST CHIROPRACTOR

Vita Chiropractic

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Leopold Gallery

Loch Lloyd

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American Shaman BEST ORTHODONTIST

Fry Orthodontics BEST GYM

BLUSH Boot Camp BEST MARRIAGE AND FAMILY THERAPIST

Amanda Hindson BEST COUNSELOR

Kelsey Foss

BEST LOCAL SPORTS STORE/OUTFITTER

Scheels

Missy Wilt-Roland

Emma Woods

BEST BIKE SHOP

Erik’s Bike Shop BEST DENTIST

Hildebrand Estivo Dental BEST YOGA STUDIO

Megan’s Yoga Tribe BEST CYCLING STUDIO

CycleBar Leawood

BEST CLIMBING GYM

RoKC

BEST FITNESS CLASS

Katie Brock

The Counseling Collaborative

Knuckleheads Saloon BEST CLUB DJ

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Uptown Theater BEST JAZZ & BLUES CLUB

DJ Ashton Martin

Green Lady Lounge

BEST PILATES STUDIO

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State Your Line

Pilates by Kahley

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Floating KC

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Jen Ciszewski (Inspire Health by Jen)

BEST RUNNING EVENT

ARTS & CULTURE BEST LOCAL VISUAL ARTIST

Emily Reinhardt BEST CULTURAL EVENT

Plaza Art Fair

BEST MUSICIAN

Brandon Miller

KANSAS CITY AUGUST 2022

BEST ART GALLERY

BEST BOOKSTORE

Rainy Day Books

BEST CROSSFIT

MC Crossfit

Hospital Hill Run

BEST MUSIC VENUE

Knuckleheads Saloon

BEST LOCAL ACTRESS (LIVE THEATER)

Vanessa Severo

BEST LOCAL ACTOR (LIVE THEATER)

John Rensenhouse BEST ARTS FESTIVAL

Plaza Art Fair

BEST LOCAL THEATER COMPANY

Kansas City Repertory Theatre BEST COMEDY CLUB

Kansas City Improv BEST LIVE THEATER VENUE

Starlight Theatre

BEST LOCAL AUTHOR

Candice Millard

BEST LOCAL PODCAST BEST VOCALIST

Mikey Needleman BEST JAZZ ACT

Lonnie McFadden

Thank you! For VoTing us The BesT home Builder in kansas CiTy BaCk-To-BaCk

RodrockHomes.com 913.851.0347

READERS CHOICE

BEST WEEKEND GETAWAY SPOT

Lake of the Ozarks BEST FUNDRAISER GALA

Jazzoo

BEST RECORDING STUDIO

Avenue Record Company

BEST LIVE THEATER PRODUCTION

A Christmas Carol

BEST TRIBUTE/ COVER BAND

Elton Dan & The Rocketband BEST ART INSTRUCTION

Kansas City Art Institute BEST ARCADE

Up-Down KC

BEST JAM NIGHT

Knuckleheads Saloon BEST MUSIC FESTIVAL

Boulevardia

FOOD BEST GLUTEN-FREE RESTAURANT

SPIN! Pizza

BEST FOOD TRUCK

BEST MOVIE THEATER

B&B Theatres

BEST LOCAL BAND

Fast Times

BEST ROCK MUSIC CLUB

Knuckleheads Saloon

KANSAS CITY AUGUST 2022

BEST RESTAURANT WHEN SOMEONE ELSE IS PAYING

The Capital Grille BEST PHO

Vietnam Cafe (Columbus Park) BEST SUSHI

Blue Sushi Sake Grill FEATURED CATEGORY

BEST PIZZA Minsky’s Pizza Waldo Pizza

BEST MEXICAN RESTAURANT

Ponak’s Mexican Kitchen

Bibibop

BEST FRENCH FRIES

Garozzo’s

Cafe Gratitude

BEST BURRITO

BEST GYRO

Martin City Brewing Company

Town Topic

BEST BURGER BEST FARMERS MARKET

River Market

Jack Stack BBQ

BEST SANDWICH SHOP

BEST SMOOTHIE/ JUICE BAR

Corner Cafe

BEST GREEK

Mr. Gyros

BEST PATIO

Chicken N Pickle

Joe’s Kansas City Bar-B-Q

BEST INDIAN

BEST HOT DOGS

BEST COFFEE SHOP

Taj Mahal

Smoothie King

QuikTrip

BEST ITALIAN

Ponak’s Mexican Kitchen

On the Hook Fish and Chips

Mr. Goodcents

BEST GELATO

Betty Rae’s

Joe’s Kansas City Bar-B-Q

Mr. Gyros

BEST RIBS

BEST KOREAN

BEST VEGETARIAN/ VEGAN RESTAURANT

SPIN! Pizza

Providence Pizza

BEST CHOCOLATIER

Christopher Elbow Chocolates

BEST CINNAMON ROLLS

BEST BARBECUE SAUCE

The Roasterie

FEATURED CATEGORY

BEST BARBECUE Joe’s Kansas City Bar-B-Que Jack Stack BBQ Q39 Gates Bar-B-Q Slap’s BBQ

Thank you for voting us

Best Interior Designer

ML Designs (913) 413-0088

14221 Metcalf Ave., Suite #101, Overland Park, KS

@mldesignskc

mldesignskc.com

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Voted Best Hotel in Kansas City Book your stay for luxurious accommodations and vintage charm at our boutique hotel. BEST THAI

Lulu’s Thai Noodle Shop FEATURED CATEGORY

BEST BAKERY McLain’s Bakery Dolce Bakery Blackhole Bakery

RAPHAELKC.COM 816-756-3800

Heirloom Bakery & Hearth Baking with a Bass

BEST LOCAL DOUGHNUT SHOP

LaMar’s Donuts

thanks for voting us... BEST WEDDING FLORIST! wildhillflowers.com | info@wildhillflowers.com | 913.337.5526

BEST STEAKHOUSE

The Capital Grille BEST DINER

Corner Cafe BEST FOOD POP-UP

Cafe Cà Phê

BEST BARBECUE RUB

JDQ Rub

BEST RAMEN

Boru

BEST BRUNCH SPOT

First Watch

BEST BREAKFAST

First Watch

BEST BARBECUE SANDWICH

Z-Man at Joe’s Kansas City Bar-B-Q BEST PUB FOOD

The Peanut BEST PIE

Tippin’s Pies BEST HOSPITALITY PROFESSIONAL

Christina Corvino BEST TACOS

Margarita’s

BEST BURNT ENDS

Jack Stack BBQ

@wildhillflowers

KANSAS CITY AUGUST 2022

BEST FOOD BARGAIN

Mi Ranchito

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BEST CHEF

BEST BARBERSHOP

Michael Smith

Noggins Men’s Shop

BEST NEW RESTAURANT

Skyline Salon

BEST HAIR SALON

Taco Naco KC

FEATURED CATEGORY

BEST SPA

BEAUTY BEST LASHES

Lux & Rye

BEST NONPROFIT

Luminare Aesthetics & Wellness

KC Pet Project

BEST HAIRSTYLIST

Wayside Waifs

Trevor Drenik

BEST TATTOO PARLOR

Big Brothers Big Sisters

BEST MEDSPA

Revelation Tattoo

BEST DUI ATTORNEY

Rico Robinson

Laura Murff

Luminare Aesthetics & Wellness

Della Lamb Community Services

BEST MAKEUP STUDIO

BEST COSMETIC DENTIST

ScrapsKC

BEST INJECTOR

Dr. Anna Wilson

Dani Jo Bell Makeup Artistry

BEST LOCAL TV NEWS STATION

BEST EYEBROW WAXING

BEST PLASTIC SURGEON

KMBC 9

BellaBrows KC

Dr. John Quinn

BEST MICROBLADING

BEST ESTHETICIAN

Kassie Sowle

Christina Frazier, AesthetiCare Medspa

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CITY LIFE

BEST NAIL SALON

BEST MISSOURI SUBURB

AesthetiCare Medspa Nail Society

BEST TANNING SALON

BEST JOHNSON COUNTY CITY, VILLAGE OR TOWN

Prairie Village

Lee’s Summit

BEST COUNTRY CLUB

Recreating Rays

BEST LOCAL COACH

Andy Reid

Kansas City Country Club

BEST DISABILITIES NONPROFIT

The Golden Scoop

Voted Best Bridal Shop in KC

Thank you to our Kansas City True Brides for making us the best destination for the ultimate bridal experience! Explore our two destinations: LENEXA 15500 W. 113th St. 913-317-8981

truesociety.com

KANSAS CITY AUGUST 2022

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@truesociety_bellevogue

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STUNNING DIAMOND HOOPS

STATEMENT RINGS

SHOW STOPPING DIAMONDS

NEW! LE VIAN COLLECTION

TIMELESS LINK NECKLACES

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FOPE BRACELETS

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FEATURED CATEGORY

BEST LOCAL LANDMARK Union Station World War I Memorial Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts The Scout Tension Envelope

BEST RADIO PERSONALITY

Johnny Dare

BEST PHILANTHROPIST

Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation BEST FINANCIAL INSTITUTION

Community America FEATURED CATEGORY

BEST LOCAL METEOROLOGIST Gary Lezak

BEST LOCAL BLOG

Nick Bender

KCtoday

Bryan Busby

BEST PERSONAL INJURY ATTORNEY

Joe Lauria

Mark Grover

Karli Ritter

BEST LOCAL TV ANCHOR

Kris Ketz

BEST ATHLETE

Patrick Mahomes

BEST LOCAL POLITICIAN

Quinton Lucas BEST INSURANCE AGENCY

Jenkins & James Insurance

VOTED BEST DOG

BEST FESTIVAL

Boulevardia

TRAINER IN KC!

BEST PLACE TO WORK

Burns & McDonnell

BEST COMMUNITY ACTIVIST

We can correct any issue

Scott Poore

BEST CAR DETAILER

JP Autobody and Detailing

• Walking dog on a loose lease (no pulling) • Potty training • End jumping, barking, and digging • Commands to regain control • Socialization skills • Boundary skills • Basic behavior modification

BEST MORNING TALK SHOW

The Morning Drive with Mike Kellar + Jenny Matthews on Q104 BEST LOCAL MASCOT

KC Wolf

BEST LOCAL TV SPORTS ANCHOR

Len Jennings

BEST LOCAL TV COMMERCIAL

Continental Siding

THANK YOU FOR CHOOSING MUST LOVE DOGS DOG TRAINING AS 2022’S BEST DOG TRAINER IN KANSAS CITY!

BEST KCMO NEIGHBORHOOD

Brookside

BEST FOUNTAIN

Meyer Circle Sea Horse Fountain BEST FUNDRAISING EVENT

Big Slick

BEST FAMILY LAW ATTORNEY

Suzanne Hale Robinson BEST PLACE OF WORSHIP

913.530.9044 | MustLoveDogsKC.com 74

KANSAS CITY AUGUST 2022

Church of the Resurrection

BEST GREEN BUSINESS

ScrapsKC

BEST LOCAL RADIO SHOW

Dana and Parks BEST AUTO REPAIR SHOP

KC AutoWorx BEST LAW FIRM/LAWYER

WM Law

BEST RADIO STATION

Q104

BEST TOUR COMPANY

Urban Hikes Kansas City BEST CAR DEALERSHIP

Hendrick Automotive Group

PETS BEST VETERINARY PRACTICE

Eagle Animal Hospital BEST DOG TREATS

Three Dog Bakery BEST DOGGIE DAYCARE

Woof’s Play & Stay

The Aquatic Specialist

Thank you for voting us the best pool company in Kansas City!

Blue Springs, MO • SwimThings.com • 816-224-2600 •

READERS CHOICE

BEST GIRLS NIGHT OUT BAR & BEST DANCE PARTY Funky Town KC

BEST DOG TRAINER/SCHOOL

Cellar Rat

BEST ER FOR PETS

Hannah Jones

BEST DOG PARK

Missie B’s

Must Love Dogs

BluePearl Pet Hospital Bar K

BEST WINE SHOP BEST MIXOLOGIST BEST LGBTQ+ BAR BEST SPEAKEASY

Swordfish Tom’s BEST DRAG SHOW

Hamburger Mary’s Kansas City BEST COCKTAIL

BEST PET PATIO

Bar K

BEST PET GROOMER

Brookside Barkery & Bath BEST PET STORE

KC Night Train Party Bus and Limousine Service BEST SOMMELIER

Christina Corvino

NIGHTLIFE

Pierpont’s at Union Station

BEST COCKTAIL PROGRAM

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Bier Station

BEST LIQUOR STORE

Lukas Wine & Spirits BEST KARAOKE

OffKey Karaoke Lounge & Suites BEST GIRLS NIGHT OUT BAR

Funky Town KC BEST BAR WITH LIVE MUSIC

Knuckleheads Saloon

KANSAS CITY AUGUST 2022

BEST LIMO/PARTY BUS COMPANY

Land of Paws

Corvino Supper Club & Tasting Room

Old Fashioned at Corvino Supper Club & Tasting Room

BEST BLOODY MARY

BEST POP-UP BAR

Miracle Kansas City BEST HOTEL BAR

XR at Crossroads Hotel

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BEST FLORIST

Hy-Vee

BEST CAR WASH

Charlie’s Car Wash BEST POP-UP SHOP

The Strawberry Swing Indie Craft Fair BEST WOMEN’S BOUTIQUE

BEST WEDDING CAKE

Sugar Whipped Bakery

BEST WEDDING BAND

Twice On Sunday BEST WEDDING STATIONERY

Script Your Event BEST BRIDAL SHOP

The Razzle Bee Boutique

True Society by Belle Vogue Bridal

BEST RECORD STORE

BEST PLACE FOR REHEARSAL DINNER

Mills Record Company

Lidia’s

BEST WEDDING DJ

Fernando Productions

BEST BACHELOR PARTY VENUE

J. Rieger & Co. BEST LOCAL CLOTHING STORE

Halls

WEDDING BEST TUXEDO SHOP

FEATURED CATEGORY

Chicken N Pickle

BEST HAPPY HOUR

Third Street Social BEST CASINO

Meierotto Jewelers Tivol

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Joslin’s Jewelry

BEST DANCE PARTY

Funky Town KC

SHOPPING BEST HARDWARE STORE

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BEST WEDDING FLORIST

Wild Hill Flowers

River Market Antiques

BEST GROCERY STORE

Pryde’s

BEST BUTCHER SHOP

Fareway Meat Market & McGonigle’s KC BBQ BEST HOME GOODS STORE

The Porch Swing

KANSAS CITY AUGUST 2022

BEST WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHER

Mary Kate Krause Photography

BEST WEDDING CATERER

Brancato’s

BEST WEDDING PLANNER

The Perfect Touch KC

FAMILY FUN BEST WATER PARK

Oceans of Fun

BEST ANTIQUE/ VINTAGE STORE

BEST CLOTHING RESALE STORE

The Bunker

The Farmhouse

Wedley Weddings

Mazzarese Jewelry

Hy-Vee

BEST MEN’S BOUTIQUE

BEST CRAFT STUDIO

ScrapsKC

BEST WEDDING VIDEOGRAPHER

Shane Co.

Westlake Ace Hardware

Savers

Family Tree Nursery BEST JEWELRY STORE

Ameristar Casino Hotel Kansas City Ponak’s Mexican Kitchen

BEST PLANT STORE

Script Your Event

Enlow Productions

BEST WEDDING VENUE

BEST TRIVIA NIGHT

BEST HAND LETTERER

Tip Top Tux

Missie B’s BEST HAPPY HOUR Third Street Social

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Emily Hart Bridal

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Blue Valley Vision of Overland Park

BEST DAYCARE

Hillcrest Christian Early Learning Center BEST PRESCHOOL

A Better Choice Preschool, LLC

BEST RESTAURANT FOR KIDS

BEST GARDEN SUPPLY/NURSERY

Fritz’s

BEST SHOE STORE

Loose Park

Family Tree Nursery KC Running Company BEST HOTEL

The Raphael Hotel

BEST PUBLIC PARK

BEST PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Olathe School District

READERS CHOICE

FROM HUGS TO HIGH-FIVES TO VOTES, THANK YOU FOR SHOWING US YOUR LOVE! WE APPRECIATE YOU! 8 SE 5th St, Lee’s Summit, MO 64063 | 816.246.6562 | abcpreschoolsite.com

BEST PRIVATE SCHOOL

Rockhurst High School

BEST FAMILY-FUN CENTERS

BEST HAUNTED HOUSE

Science City

BEST LIBRARY

Johnson County Public Library BEST TRAVEL AGENT

Sarah Sullivan of Jetset World Travel BEST TOY STORE

Fat Brain Toys

BEST SWIMMING POOL

Summit Waves

KANSAS CITY AUGUST 2022

BEST MUSEUM

The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art

The Edge of Hell

BEST CHRISTMAS ATTRACTION

Country Club Plaza

BEST SUMMER CAMP

Wonder Camp at Regnier Family Wonderscope Children’s Museum of Kansas City

HOME

BEST APARTMENT COMPLEX

BEST ROOFING COMPANY

44 Washington

BEST CHIMNEY CLEANER

Ryan Lawn & Tree

Buck Roofing & Construction LLC

Chimney Medic BEST CUSTOM COUNTERTOPS

RockTops Granite & Stone Fabrication BEST INTERIOR DESIGNER

ML Designs

BEST LAWN MAINTENANCE COMPANY

BEST SENIOR LIVING FACILITY

Tallgrass Creek Senior Living Community BEST BASEMENT WATERPROOFING

BEST PLUMBER /COMPANY

MVP Air Conditioning, Heating, Plumbing & Electric BEST GENERAL CONSTRUCTION

JE Dunn Construction

BEST NEIGHBORHOOD COMMUNITY

Brookside

BEST REAL ESTATE AGENT

Jonas Barrish BEST HOME SECURITY COMPANY

ADT

BEST MORTGAGE COMPANY

Prosperity Home Mortgage BEST PROPERTY MANAGEMENT COMPANY

Price Brothers Management Company

Foundation Recovery Systems

BEST ELECTRICIAN /COMPANY

MVP Air Conditioning, Heating, Plumbing & Electric

FEATURED CATEGORY

BEST REAL ESTATE TEAM GRID/Jonas Barrish & Betsy O’Brien Malfer & Associates Keck Real Estate Group Cami Jones Collaborative Roberts Team KC - ReeseNichols

BEST PEST CONTROL

Blue Beetle Pest Control

BEST HOME INSPECTION

BEST POOL COMPANY

Swim Things BEST REALTY COMPANY

ReeceNichols BEST HOME BUILDER

Rodrock Homes

Legacy Home Inspections BEST LANDSCAPER

Summit Lawn & Landscape BEST MOVING COMPANY

You Move Me Kansas City

THANKS FOR VOTING! Visit kansascitymag.com to view all the runners-up.

jedunn.com

KANSAS CITY AUGUST 2022

Savor the Season

THREE COURSE MENU

HAND CRAFTED COCKTAILS

A Seasonal Culinary Event

The Savoy at 21c Thursday, August 4th Doors Open: 6:00 Dinner: 6:30-8:30 COURSE ONE Heirloom Watermelon Arugula, Anise Hyssop, Feta

COURSE TWO Duroc Pork Eggplant, Zucchini, Tomato

COURSE THREE Dark Chocolate Graham Cracker, Marshmallow

‘hussong’s silver tequila, muskmelon, blanco vermut, marseille vermouth aloe’

‘ben holladay bottled-in-bond bourbon, tomato, vanilla, lemon, basil, fino’

‘five farms irish cream, cacao, italian fernet, irish whiskey, mint,’

Limited Tickets Available!

Limited Seating Available H O ST E D BY

PURCHASE TICKETS AT EVENTBRITE.COM

Extend Your Night $149 room rate at the 21c Museum Hotel

Call 417.840.9493 or visit https://events.kansascitymag.com

WORDS

Molly Higgins

‘Trailer-park millionaire’ Del Dunmire’s big vision for Harrisonville blew up in a small-town feud. Can the downtown square finally be revived by new owners?

8 6 KA NSAS C ITY . A UG UST 22

IT’S 5 PM ON A MONDAY NIGHT

in downtown Harrisonville. Only one other car is parked in the square. The clock tower that sits atop City Hall strikes five times, and tiny American flags are planted six inches apart on the ground below, hanging limp in the humid air. An unseen motorcycle’s revving engine is the only noise puncturing the eerily quiet town square. Nearly every building in the square is closed—not only tonight but every night. Once, the downtown square in Harrisonville aimed to be the “Westport of South Kansas City.” At least, that’s what was envisioned by Delbert Dunmire, an eccentric millionaire who casts a long shadow over Cass County. After long feuding with city planners, Dunmire faced lawsuits and bureaucratic red tape that eventually caused him to abruptly leave town and close the doors to all of his properties—eighty percent of the square—literally overnight. Six years after his death, forsale signs are still taped crookedly across dusty windows. JT’s Steak and Seafood, which claims to have the largest outdoor patio in Missouri, is the only place open in the square this evening. Inside, on-the-clock employees talk to the only customers—off-the-clock employees sit at the bar. Larry Rains owns JT’s, one of a dozen properties on the square that were once owned by Dunmire— Rains purchased them in a “buy two, get ten free” special. Rains started out as a school teacher, then became a social worker, but he’s

always thought of himself as having an “entrepreneurial spirit.” He got into real estate before the economic crash of 2008, which sent him back to substitute teaching and led him to open JT’s in the former Younger’s bar, one of the few Dunmire properties that was actually completed. Rains jokes about JT’s chef and steak master, Tad Lee, a seeming reflection of the restaurant itself: “He might not be crap on the Plaza, but, dammit, down here he’s everything.” And that seems to be the sentiment for everything around Harrisonville. It’s certainly not booming at the level of Kansas City or its close-in suburbs. The town is composed mainly of pastureland and strip malls along a small intersection of highways, but there’s always been hope from its people that it could someday be more. Rains is also a big booster of the town he now owns a big chunk of, and while JT’s is his only property in operation, he’d like to see more up and running. However, that isn’t so simple. The buildings in the square have been boarded up and abandoned for almost a decade. It will likely cost millions to renovate them. To understand why so much of the square has remained closed for so long, it’s important to know the rocky history of Harrisonville’s downtown square—and the equally rocky history of Del Dunmire, the man who once owned almost all of it.

arrisonville is a town of about ten thousand people, the vast majority of whom are white. Only fifteen percent of the population of adults has a four-year college degree. It has historically been a place of farmers who pride themselves on their salt-of-the-earth attitudes. Throughout the Civil War, Cass County was caught between border warfare. The Union army occupied Harrisonville and repurposed city hall as a stable for their horses. Ownership of Harrisonville’s downtown square has historically been a symbol of who holds power in Cass County at any given moment. The square was easy to take without

much of a fight and easily discarded when a battle ended. And Del Dunmire was not the first man with fantastical visions of making Harrisonville his idea of paradise only to come to ruin.

“I once asked him, ‘Was it the money that drove you crazy, or was it the fact that you were crazy that made you the money?’” In 1972, the square became the site of boiling tensions between townspeople and a group of hippies who saw the area’s cheap land as a potential utopia. A rag-tag group of young men led by twenty-five-yearold Charlie “Ootney” Simpson—an acolyte of Henry David Thoreau who sported long, greasy hair as a middle finger to the townies—occupied the courthouse square for most of the spring. The group was mostly forgotten, uncared-for Vietnam veterans and men who had seen time inside cell blocks. After many run-ins with the local cops, they had developed a defiant, aggressive attitude toward locals stuck in the “old way of thinking.” Ootney and his gang of misfits were determined to make a better life for themselves and, like Dunmire, had constant run-ins with authority as they resolved not to do as they were told. Ootney became disgruntled after being forced to give up the funds he had saved for a few acres he planned to turn into an idealistic “Walden-like” escape. He used his remaining cash for friends’ bail after bogus arrests to keep them in check and out of the townies’ business. The situation ended in tragedy as Ootney pulled up to the square’s bank wearing old army fatigues

and fatally shot two policemen and a bystander before killing himself. Joe Eszterhas, a journalist turned screenwriter who penned zeitgeisty scripts like Basic Instinct, was so fascinated by these bizarre events in the tiny town that he wrote about Ootney’s rampage and the events leading up to it in his book Charlie Simpson’s Apocalypse. After that, future projects started expanding outward, toward the highway. Due to decades of bad PR, the nearly empty square was “ripe pickings” for Dunmire, a native of an eastern Pennsylvania mining town called Cloe. Dunmire landed in Kansas City after founding his business, and he was eager to buy up the empty, cheap real estate in Harrisonville that he thought had been underutilized for decades. “They were looking for somebody to save them and, you know, get the square back to its good old days,” says Jennifer Reed, director of the Cass County Historical Society.

early everyone in Harrisonville has a story to tell about Del Dunmire, and every person says the same thing about him: You either loved or hated him. There was no gray area. Dubbed the “trailer-park millionaire,” Dunmire’s ascent into ultra wealth is unbelievable. After dropping out of college at the University of Buffalo, Dunmire served a short stint in the air force before being sent to prison for robbing a bank in the small town of Abilene, Kansas, to pay off gambling debts. After being released from prison for good behavior, Dunmire returned to college at KU and studied aeronautical engineering. He went on to found his own company, Growth Industries Inc., which sold essential aviation parts. In the aerospace industry, he quickly acquired more money than he knew what to do with. The rest of Dunmire’s life was dedicated to spending his fortune in bizarre and indulgent ways. “I once asked him, ‘Was it the money that drove you crazy, or was it the fact that you were crazy that made you the money?’” recalls Tad Lee, the chef at JT’s Steak and Seafood and a former drinking buddy of Dunmire’s. Lee met Dunmire when he dined at Lee’s family restaurant. The day Lee met

him, Dunmire was passed out at one of their tables. Lee asked his mother if she wanted him to throw Dunmire out. Instead, she told Lee to make a pot of coffee for him. The stories of Dunmire that dominate his legacy are filled with blowing his fortune in extravagant ways, on lavish parties and getaways. He invited all of Kansas City to his second wedding to Debbie, a former secretary who was two decades his junior, in 1986 at Barney Allis Plaza. He gifted his bride a carnival merry-go-round, rented over a thousand rooms in nearby hotels for guests and spent more than one million dollars on the night. Evel Knievel was one of his groomsmen and had to be bailed out of jail before the ceremony for soliciting a prostitute. For Dunmire’s thirty-fifth high school reunion from Pennsylvania’s Punxsutawney High School, he took his graduating class to the Bahamas for a three-day cruise. Dunmire’s other charitable donations include gifting hundreds of assault rifles to the Missouri Highway Patrol and a short-lived prairie dog exhibit for the Kansas City Zoo. He was also an avid collector. He often went to estate sales and antique stores and bought up entire collections. Dunmire even went as far as buying the Hyde Park home where serial killer Bob Berdella killed six young men. When he didn’t have enough storage for all of his collectibles, he bought a Walmart in Harrisonville and renamed it “Bizarre Bazaar” to be used as a giant flea market to resell his vast array of items. The sign is still up, but the space never opened to the public. Joni Mabary, a lifetime resident of Harrisonville, friend of Dunmire and owner of Joni Fashions in the square, fondly remembers Dunmire’s obsession with collecting. Mabary is somewhat of a collector herself—she is now in her mid-eighties, and her shop is crowded with vintage tuxedos, sparkly prom dresses and frilled wedding dresses. There’s no shortage of shoulder pads in the inventory. Mabary recalls a memory of admiring the palm trees at Dunmire’s bar. She said she wanted one of her own, and Dunmire told her where he had gotten them. The next day she drove to the store, only to find that they were sold out. The salesperson said some man—they didn’t know who it was—had bought up every palm tree in stock. “It was Del,” Mabary says with a laugh.

“He was ornery.” Even if Dunmire didn’t want something, he would get it out of spite. “You never wanted to be at an auction when Del was there ’cause if he found out that you wanted something, he'd just run the bid up,” Mabary says. “That's the way he was.” However, the project that was closest to Dunmire’s heart was revitalizing Harrisonville Square. One of Dunmire’s friends called his visions for it “fantastical.” Dunmire wanted the area to be like Westport—with a busy nightlife, restaurants, bars and art galleries. The shooting of '72 left the square a ghost town. The aging owners of the local businesses of yesteryear were eager to get out of what looked like a sinking ship. That’s when Dunmire came in and saw an opportunity. “He offered all the mom-and-pop shops money for their buildings, and they jumped on it as quickly as they could to get off the square and retire,” says David Atkinson, historian and co-author of Harrisonville. By the early nineties, Dunmire was buying up all the properties in the square. It’s said that he spent more than ten million dollars buying up property around Harrisonville, often at the asking price or above—it wasn’t worth it for him to haggle. “He gave them more money than what their building actually was worth because that’s the way the man was,” Mabary says. “He was a very giving person, and he had a lot of good ideas for the square, but he could never get the city to go along with things he wanted to do.” Mabary credits her decades-long friendship with Dunmire to his providing her a good deal on the coveted space for Joni Fashions. “I kept saying, ‘Del, I want to buy this building.’ And he said, ‘You’ll get that building one of these days, and you’ll get a really good price, too.’ And I did,” Mabary says. Joni Fashions is the only original business bought by Dunmire that is still open for business in the square. There are many stories like this from Harrisonville natives—of Dunmire walking around his factory and around the square, handing out hundred dollar bills to the people he passed. Several friends of Dunmire remember a New Year’s Eve party in which he released innumerable balloons from the ceiling at midnight filled with

money ranging from one-dollar to hundred-dollar bills. Everyone was free to pop the balloons and collect the cash inside. Mabary remembers that New Year’s Eve celebration fondly: “I’m running around popping balloons like crazy, and I get a one-hundred-dollar bill. Well, I bought the whole table drinks, you know? I mean, it was New Year’s Eve—it was fun. But that’s the way Dunmire was. He was very generous.”

8 8 KA NSA S CITY . AUG UST 2 2

ith all of his generosity and party-animal inclinations, Dunmire also had trouble being told what to do, and he often wanted the last word, both in business and in his personal life. Tad Lee recalls a night when he and Dunmire went out drinking and Dunmire handed Lee the key to his Porsche—just a single key on what Lee describes as “the biggest safety pin I’d ever seen in my life.” The Porsche was filled with brown paper bags. Dunmire wrote down seemingly every thought he had on these bags, “His whole car—and it didn’t matter which car, he had several—was stuffed full of these brown paper bags,” Lee says. Dunmire always wanted to surround himself with people who were smarter than him, Lee says. He would jot down notes during conversations or drawings of his idealistic future metropolis on scattered bags

that would inevitably find their way into the console of his car or one of his property’s dumpsters. Several friends remember his cars being filled with trash—trash that actually contained his hasty plans for a future empire that never was. Once, Dunmire sketched out his “entire vision for the square” on a ten-foot cardboard lumber box that Lee kept as a keepsake in his shed for years. Lee remembers finding a blank signed check among the paper bags in Dunmire’s Porsche. “I look down and I realize I’ve got a signed blank check from Del Dunmire, the richest man around. I can’t just leave that sitting in his car.” Lee recalls getting up early and beating on Dunmire's door to wake him up, thinking, “Hell, he’s about to give me a thousand dollars for giving this back to him.” When Dunmire opened the door that morning, he only snatched the keys from Lee’s hands and slammed the door. On another occasion, Dunmire retaliated out of jealousy because Lee was dating one of the bartenders from his restaurant. “I woke up one day and my front door was gone,” Lee says. “Just a hole where my front door was. And on one of his famous brown paper bags, he wrote, ‘You embarrassed me.’ I had that thing for years, too. I wish I still had it.”

ith the vast amount of money he had, Dunmire also expected to have everything in Harrisonville he desired. That

started a feud that ended with him leaving town. “Dunmire didn’t like to be told what to do,” Rains says. “He had poured millions of dollars into the square, blew through a lot of his money so he could be the big fish in a little pond down here. That was important to him.” As Dunmire began renovating more of his properties on the square, he began to continually run into problems with the coding department and other city bureaucracies. “He had to fight tooth and nail to get anything done,” Lee says. “And of course, they would wait until he finished the project—like, Pearl Street Grill, for example, the first restaurant that Dunmire opened on this side of the square—and then say the overhang was two inches too wide.” Lee and other Harrisonville natives say city officials would wait until Dunmire’s projects were nearly complete before pointing out flaws he needed to correct, which would set Dunmire back several weeks or months on his timeline and cost a small fortune to fix. When city officials and citizens were concerned with Dunmire’s developments and renovations on the square, they went to City Hall and got the buildings marked as historical landmarks to curb Dunmire’s attempts at change. “The square was put on the National Register of Historic Places, meaning that Dunmire technically couldn’t come in and change everything and tear stuff down without permission,” says Atkinson, co-author of Harrisonville. Dunmire didn’t like being told no. Atkinson remembers times when Dunmire would get to work on buildings at 7 o’clock on a Sunday morning when the square was quiet and people were still asleep. By Monday morning, city officials would reprimand the unsolicited changes. “They’d say, ‘You can’t do that,’ and he’d say, ‘Well, I did, so what are you gonna do about it?’” Atkinson recalls. That’s when things started going downhill. The dream of building a “Westport of south Kansas City” seemed to be drifting further and further away. After one feud with city officials, Dunmire retaliated by placing “thousands” of yard signs around

Harrisonville calling the then-mayor, Kevin Wood, a carpetbagger— despite the fact that he was from Adrian, Missouri, twenty miles south of Harrisonville. Joni Mabary says Dunmire had “great visions for the city, but he could just never agree with the people who worked for the city. He couldn’t get along with the city administrator—he couldn’t get along with anybody.”

his standoff culminated when Dunmire tried to take over the town, using Mabary as a proxy by running her for mayor on his dime. Weary of the red tape, Dunmire marched into Joni Fashions and told Mabary to lock up the store and get her purse because they were going to City Hall. He said, “You’re running for mayor, and I’m going to back you,” even though Mabary had no political experience and had been running the boutique in Harrisonville for several decades. Dunmire financially backed Mabary, putting up red and white “Joni Fashions Mabary for Mayor” signs all across town. “People in this city were scared to death that I was going to get in,” Mabary says. “I had more signs than anybody.” Since Dunmire couldn’t get along with the city, he hoped a new mayor—a friend of his—could help him finally get his buildings opened. “If I were mayor, then maybe he could get some of the stuff done that he wanted to do,” Mabary says. “But it doesn’t work that way in Harrisonville.” The multitude of colorful signs and Dunmire’s financial backing weren’t enough. A third candidate entered the race, split the vote, and Mabary ended up in second place. After Mabary’s loss, things continued to go downhill for Dunmire. After buying so much property, Dunmire promised big results for the people of Harrisonville and their historic square “but then got sideways with some of the city leaders and just held [the properties] hostage,” Reed, the historian, says. “Basically he

decided that he was just going to let some of these buildings he owned on the square disintegrate. They’re in such bad repair. It will literally take a million, if not more, to salvage them, which is so sad because of the history that’s in them.” Finally, one day Dunmire locked up his buildings and escaped the mess he had created by heading down south to Texas with a new girlfriend. For nearly ten years, no one in Harrisonville heard from or saw Dunmire. The buildings he once owned sat empty, awaiting his return.

ost of the buildings sat vacant for nearly a decade, from around 2008 to 2016, with everything still inside them from the day Dunmire left. Papers on desks, never-used grills and cobwebs hanging from chandeliers. When Larry Rains took over several of Dunmire’s restaurant properties, he described the equipment inside as a twenty-year-old car with no miles on it. It wasn’t the newest stuff, but it had never been used—faux marble columns, crystal chandeliers, an ornate host stand with hand-carved figurines dancing around it. Unfortunately, because these spaces were left vacant for so long, they were victims of vandalism and looting. Broken glass now sparkles between dust and crumbling ceilings. Dunmire had retucked brick and relaid foundations before he left. He had fixed so many of the structures, but after a decade of being untouched, roofs started to cave, water got in and natural damage occurred. Once Dunmire passed away in 2016, his children were eager to finally sell the decrepit spaces on the square. But major investments will have to be made to the spaces to get them up and running after nearly a decade frozen in time. “They are going to have to find someone who has a passion for bringing old buildings back to life,” Reed says. “And it’s not necessarily going to make economic sense in the short term, but it might in the long term.”

nce the king of the square, the big fish in a little pond, Dunmire now has virtually no remains in Harrisonville—except for the larger-than-life stories surrounding his short-lived visions for an empire and defunct buildings like the Bizarre Bazaar, which have sat vacant in a town that has struggled to keep up with the times. Rains, like others in the square, is hopeful to renovate and remodel Dunmire’s old properties to give new life to Harrisonville’s square and continue Dunmire’s vision of a bustling nightlife. Along with JT’s, the square currently has several lawyers’ offices—the only spaces Dunmire didn’t buy up—a cafe, wine bar, event space and, of course, Joni Fashions. Katie Phelps, who works for the codes department and lives on the square, says, “I’m excited about the way things are going, especially living here. I don’t have to go anywhere else.” She and other Harrisonville locals are hopeful that soon there will be destinations on all four corners of the square, that more properties will be bought and renovated after a decade of boarded-up storefronts. The square remains an underused, historically significant spot with lots of untapped potential. However, the people of Harrisonville think the future is looking brighter than it has in a long time, with more buildings being bought and renovated and more community events like the farmers market bringing folks to the square. Many Harrisonville locals are also quick to point out that while Dunmire’s feuds got in the way of his visions of a bustling downtown, he did a lot to preserve the buildings in the square. “To his credit, the first thing he did was checkpoint the buildings and put a new roof on them,” Atkinson says, “And frankly, if he had not done that, they all would have collapsed. So while he did do quite a bit of damage to the square, at the same time, in my opinion, he saved most of it.”

KANSAS CITY AUGUST 2022

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