December 2021: Best New Restaurants

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9 great restaurants from a bold new era of Kansas City food

The Town Company

M U R DER M YST E RY A TROVE OF NEW DOCUMENTS SHEDS FRESH LIGHT ON THE CITY’S “STRANGEST AND MOST PERFECT” CRIME PAGE 98

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DECEMBER 2021

82 BEST NEW RESTAURANTS

Taco Naco

42

98

Relaxed Remix

Forever Unsolved

A Hallbrook home is renovated for style and comfort.

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KANSAS CITY DECEMBER 2021

Kansas City’s weirdest murder mystery

112 Milky Mallow

The company behind a candy classic

PHOTOGRAPHY BY CALEB CONDIT AND REBECCA NORDEN

Nine great restaurants from a bold new era of Kansas City food

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In This Issue DECEMBER 2021

S WAY

37

T H E LO O P

21

TA S T E

Sheer Bliss

There’s a new trend in socks.

40

Pressure Point A mother-daughter duo starts a wellness studio

Whitewood Wonder

Hallmark creative Sarah White’s unplanned abstract art collection

42 24

26

Refugees & Resettlement

School-at-Home Orders

One woman from Afghanistan shares her perspective on the current crisis.

How the pandemic fueled a surge in homeschooling

Mashup Makeover

A Leawood home is renovated with Charleston and Santa Barbara in mind.

E V E RY I S S U E

16 Editor’s Letter

Candy Coincidence

120 Backstory 12.2021

O N TH E C OVE R

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B E S T N E W R E S TA U R A N T S | C A N D Y & P O P C O R N

9 great restaurants from a bold new era of Kansas City food

W RESTAU NE RA ST

The Town Company

Restaurant of the year, The Town Company, shot by Caleb Condit and Rebecca Norden.

kansascitymag.com

M URD E R M YSTE RY A TROVE OF NEW DOCUMENTS SHEDS FRESH LIGHT ON THE CITY’S “STRANGEST AND MOST PERFECT” CRIME PAG E 9 8

KANSAS CITY DECEMBER 2021

SPECIAL SECTIONS

51 Super Lawyers 73 Guide to Aging Well 105 Holiday Gift Guide

A new OP taqueria brings a fresh beef cut out south.

How an old-time candy made in Merriam survives

114

Image Inclusivity

Tayanna Nelson starts a wedding photography business for all people.

116

Retro Espresso

A seventies-themed coffee shop pops up in OP.

117

29 Calendar 34 Backbeat

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112

Standing with Purpose What Native American protestors outside Arrowhead have to say

38

14

111

Cheeky Business

118

Newsfeed

The latest in KC food news

’Cue Card

Lawless Barbecue brings KC BBQ to the Wild West.

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FROM THE EDITOR

C O N T R I B U TO R S

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KANSAS CITY DECEMBER 2021

Natalie Torres Gallagher FOOD CRITIC

This month’s cover feature on the best new restaurants in the city was shaped by Natalie Torres Gallagher, a longtime food critic at Kansas City magazine.

Shayla Gaulding EDITORIAL INTERN

Fall editorial intern Shayla Gaulding wrote the news story about the steep increase in homeschooling that’s continued even after the pandemic.

Jeremey Theron Kirby PHOTOGRAPHER

Our news story about a group of Native American activists who protest outside Arrowhead Stadium features photography from esteemed contributor Jeremey Theron Kirby.

MARTIN CIZMAR ILLUSTRATION BY DAVID BABCOCK CONTRIBUTOR ILLUSTRATIONS BY JOANNA GORHAM

B

ack in the spring, when we were still plodding through the pandemic, I got a little desperate. I was running errands outside my normal range when I spotted a Vietnamese drive-thru. You don’t have to be an organic farmer to believe that drinking boiling liquids from single-serve plastic is a bad idea, but I was hungry, and a hot bowl of pho sounded great.

Foolishly, I approached that beef noodle soup just like I would a cheeseburger, pulling into a parking spot and using chopsticks to drop the tangle of noodles into the boiling broth. I, unfortunately, miscalculated the volume of liquid that the noodles would displace, scalding myself and soaking my jeans. Disgusted and in pain, I dumped the food out the window and threw the packages out at QuikTrip, where I lunched on a roller hotdog.

I made a note to myself then, which turned into an editor’s letter now: Remember to never take restaurants for granted again.

Returning to restaurants hasn’t stopped the minor calamities in my life— last month I locked my keys in my car while eating at the reborn Lazia (page 117). That mistake led to me chasing a sleeping possum from my garage with a garden hose while searching, in vain, for my spare house key. But, as I prepared to smash my kitchen window to break into my own house, it occurred to me that all of this wasn’t necessarily worse than doing dishes.

This month’s cover feature is a celebration of our nine favorite new restaurants in town. We’re defining “new” as having opened since the start of the pandemic since we tabled this issue last year in the face of the late-fall Covid surge.

It’s an impressive class, especially given the challenges of the past two years.

Spots like the new Jamaican place started by a Brooklyn transplant (page 89) and a great new taqueria in the heart of Johnson County (page 111) enrich the cultural life of the city. Out in Lawrence, a Chinese-American chef who grew up making dumplings is devising his own oddball creations (page 96).

Our restaurant of the year, Town Company, has already established itself as one of the best fine-dining restaurants in the city— which might be expected given that, as far as I know, Johnny Leach is the only chef in the city who presided over a Michelin-starred kitchen before moving here, to a city he gushes about (page 84).

Natalie Torres Gallagher, our longtime food critic, who helped us pick the top nine, previously shared her first experience at The Town Company in these pages—she ended her meal in tears, overcome with emotion upon experiencing something she missed more than she knew. I can’t guarantee you Martin Cizmar EDITOR IN CHIEF tears of joy from these nine new restaurants, MARTIN@KANSASCITYMAG.COM but I wouldn’t be surprised either.

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COURTIER

S H O U T- O U T NUMBERS FROM THIS ISSUE

10

Percentage of Kansas families who are now homeschooling.

It was just two and a half percent before the pandemic.

PA GE 2 6

20

The age at which forgotten jazz great Margaret “Countess” Johnson passed away.

PA GE 3 4

50

Gallons of oil you can hold in a can of Topsy’s popcorn—the holiday cans started as a way to upcycle oil buckets.

PA GE 12 0

E X- FAC TO R

Our most talked-about story over the last month was a web-only post in which we broke the news of former Chiefs superfan X-Factor “retiring.” X-Factor, whose real name is Ty Rowton, was involved in a high-profile scuffle inside Arrowhead during the Bills game, a fight that sparked discussion on social media and local TV news. Rowton says that he is in recovery for drug and alcohol addiction, but his motives and past behavior continue to be a hot topic in town.

Hopefully he will clean up his act and start taking care of his children. They should have been his main priority.

—Norene Place You have said this many times.

Just four years ago you went off your rocker. On your first interview after being knocked out you said you was sober for over four years and two days later say you smoked and drank. You need to stay out of the spotlight and stop lying to yourself. Your poor daughter has been through enough in her life and you just put icing on the cake. Get it together dude. Stop trying to be a Hollywood star. You’re not. Stop lying to yourself. —Melissa Hall I was once a superfan and got to hang out with the group many times and it’s sad to see he could never get his act together. —Cara Losh

“

One too many concussions?

—Willie W. Frank

You are always responsible for your actions no matter what.

Too many people use drugs and alcohol as an excuse for acting like an ass and it doesn’t matter, you are still accountable for what you do regardless of sobriety.

—Melvin Howell

A big thanks to the staff at the New York State Archives in Albany, who dispatched an intern to comb through microfilm for the documents that were key to this month’s feature story on an officially unsolved Kansas City murder.

BEHIND THE SCENES

I’m pretty sure the Chiefs retired him. But way to make himself feel like he’s going out on his own terms. —T.j. Oxley The only thing really missing from the title of this article are the words “Florida Man.” —Shane Pendleton This guy is an embarrassment to Chiefs Kingdom! He should be banned from all stadiums!

—Barrett Ballinger You either die a hero or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain.

—Juan Gabriel Raya He’d make a great Steelers fan… —Carter Morrish

Samantha Levi shoots Associate Editor Mary Henn and Art Director Katie Henrichs in sheer socks for our Sway section.

CONTACT US

Kansas City

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

They’re punch cards. What you would do is buy a Valomilk and you punch a hole out, and depending on how many punches you had, you’d get a free Valomilk or a whole box. The state deemed it gambling, and this is a picture of state troopers confiscating punch cards in Jackson County, Missouri.”

—RUSSELL STIFER TELLS THE STORY OF VALOMILK’S ILL-FATED LOYALTY PROGRAM

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KANSAS CITY DECEMBER 2021

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‘WE ARE ALWAYS GOING TO STAND HERE’

Why a group of Native American activists has ramped up protests outside Chiefs games

KANSASCITYMAG.COM DECEMBER 2021

21

T H E L O O P ‘ W E A R E A LWAY S G O I N G T O S TA N D H E R E ’

Protesters outside Arrowhead say they will continue protests until the Kansas City football team has a new name: ‘You can’t be a little bit racist.’

R

H O N D A L E V A L D O travels from Lawrence to Kansas City for every Chiefs home game, but she’s never actually been inside Arrowhead Stadium. Instead, she stands by a bus stop at the corner of Red Coat Lane and Blue Ridge Cutoff. Her team is a group of Native Americans. Their field is the grassy corner by the busy street. Their hope: to get the franchise to change its name.

On November 1, as the Chiefs played the Giants on Monday Night Football, eleven protesters stood outside on a rainy, wet and chilly forty-degree night holding signs: No honor in racism; Our culture is not for sale; Change the name and stop the chop.

Passing fans occasionally offered their own input.

“No racism! Yeah, baby,” one man yelled out his window as he passed the group. Another car honked its horn while the passengers cheered. “Thank you!” someone from the group yelled back. But not all the interactions were supportive. One person in a passing car yelled, “I’m not stopping the chop.

Go Chiefs!”

LeValdo has been protesting the Chiefs name since 2005, when she was a student at the University of Kansas. Now a professor at Haskell Indian Nations University, LeValdo has ramped up the protests, and for the past two years, she’s been protesting at every home game.

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KANSAS CITY DECEMBER 2021

The use of Native American imagery such as the arrowhead, the drum and the tomahawk chop does not honor Native American culture, LeValdo says. Rather, they stereotype and misappropriate it. LeValdo, who is Acoma Pueblo, helped create the Not in Our Honor Coalition, a group that advocates against the use of Native American imagery in sports.

“We need to make sure that Kansas City knows that we are always going to stand here and oppose what they are doing,” LeValdo says.

The group has been getting more interaction with fans this year compared to last year, according to Gaylene Crouser, one of the protesters and the executive director of the Kansas City Indian Center.

“Sometimes we try to keep a tally of the positive support versus the negative things that we’re getting,” Crouser, a citizen of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, says. “Pretty much by the end of the evening, it’s always the negatives that outweigh the positives.”

The group gets yelled at, cussed at, receives the bird and is brought into lively “discussions” about the origins of the team name.

“The team has a lot of PR and marketing people, and they can put on this big webpage and say they do this and say they do that and that they have all this support,” Crouser says. “So unless there’s somebody out here saying, ‘No, it’s not okay,’ then people believe that.’”

The Chiefs address their team name and actions they’ve taken regarding Native American imagery on

their webpage, “Celebrating American Indian Heritage.” The franchise established an American Indian Community Working Group in 2014, whose input has helped inspire changes such as banning headdresses and face paint at the stadium, retiring the horse Warpaint and introducing actions such as the blessing of the Drum and blessing of the Four Directions. But the Chiefs maintain that their advisory group is “clear and consistent that the franchise should not change its name.”

The Chiefs declined to respond to a media inquiry from Kansas City magazine about how many Native Americans are on their advisory group and how they respond to the protests that take place outside their stadium.

The Chiefs website does state that “early promotional activities relied heavily on imagery and messaging depicting American Indians in a racially insensitive fashion” but argues that it has “worked to eliminate this offensive imagery and other forms of cultural appropriation in their promotional materials and game-day presentation.”

Because the Chiefs have changed some of their promotional practices, LeValdo says the Chiefs know something is wrong, “so they should just deal with the whole situation.”

“They think that getting rid of one thing is going to help,” LeValdo says.

“You can’t be a little bit racist. You’re either racist or not.”

The Chiefs also note in their statement that the origin of the team’s name “has no affiliation with American Indian culture.” The team was named after H. Roe Bartle, mayor of Kansas City in the 1960s—he got the nickname “Chief” due to his association with the Boy Scouts of America and his creation of a fake Native American tribe called the Mic-O-Say, itself under intense scrutiny.

When people tell LeValdo that the team is not named after Native Americans, she asks them what they are named after: “If they’re named for police chiefs, then dress like policemen. If they are named for fire chiefs, then dress like firemen.”

“

It’s kind of a weird situation that we’re still the only minority group that people can make fun of and it’s OK.”

One of the reasons LeValdo says she is passionate about changing the Chiefs’ team name is due to the psychological effects Native American mascots can have on children. In 2005, the American Psychological Association called for the retirement of all Native American mascots, symbols, images and personalities in schools, colleges and other athletic organizations. This decision, the APA wrote, was based on research that shows Native American sports mascots have negative effects on the self-esteem and social identity development of young Native Americans.

LeValdo said they’ve ramped up protests in the past couple of years because cultural and racial issues have been at the forefront of the news. LeValdo, who is a Royals fan, says she’d “love” to become a fan of the football team, rooting inside the stadium instead of protesting outside.

“It’s kind of a weird situation that we’re still the only minority group that people can make fun of and it’s OK,” she said.

“So we wanted to make sure that last year we were out here and then this year, for sure, letting them know we’re not going to go away.”

KANSASCITYMAG.COM DECEMBER 2021

23

THE LOOP COMING TO AMERICA

AN UNKNOWN LAND One woman who fled Afghanistan in the ’90s shares her perspective on current Afghan refugees’ resettlement in the Midwest.

BY S O F I A T E W E L L

I F H E R L I F E H A D N ’ T B E E N I N D A N G E R in Afghanistan, Sina Baha wouldn’t be in Kansas City.

“Under normal circumstances, no one wants to leave their homes, their jobs, their family and move to an unknown land,” she says.

Baha’s father was an officer in the army under the nation’s republican government, participating in a plot to overthrow the new Communist government. In 1979, he was captured and imprisoned. Baha and her family never saw him again.

Baha and her family left their homeland in 1993, when she was eighteen years old, and moved to Australia. Two years later, Baha got married and moved to the United States. She and her husband eventually settled in Kansas, where she is a stayat-home mother of four children.

As a new wave of refugees flees Afghanistan following the Taliban’s takeover after the American withdrawal, twelve hundred have come to Missouri and about five hundred to Kansas. We spoke to Baha about her experience and how people can help.

How have your experiences formed you into the person you are today? I was born in a wartorn country. I was eighteen years old when we moved to Australia and left Afghanistan. I lost my father during the war. That was at the beginning of the war in the late seventies when the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan. The Communist government joined forces with the Soviet Union, and they were trying to withdraw the old government.

24

KANSAS CITY DECEMBER 2021

PHOTOGRAPHY BY BALEIGH THOMPSON

When you first came to the U.S., what surprised you? My experience when I first came to the U.S. is different from the majority of refugees who are arriving now in the sense that I was going to join my husband and had an idea of what to expect from previously living in Australia. Regardless, I missed my mom and my siblings terribly. I still do.

I arrived in the U.S. in the month of October, and those cold snowy winter days, oh my. Afghanistan has four seasons and it snows but not as much as it does here.

H OW TO H E L P ​​Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas

My dad was in the army after the previous government and, of course, he didn’t like what was happening in the country, so he was trying to organize an attack against the communist regime.

Unfortunately, they had a snitch in their group and he was caught. So he was taken to prison and we did not see him again. I was five years old when this happened, so my mother, a single mom, raised me and my siblings on her own. My childhood experiences made me into a strong, resilient and compassionate person.

Are you currently working with any families or agencies to help other Afghan refugees? I volunteer for Jewish Vocational Services. They are one of the three resettlement agencies that help refugees of any origin. Trying to find them new homes, resettlement and provide their basic needs. I also volunteer for Catholic Charities, I try to do translation for them. Most Afghan refugees can’t speak English, so I try to be the connecting point for them. I have recently met an Afghan family, trying to help with their translation. The lady was going through some medical issues, and I went to see her last night in the hospital. I’m just trying to do this and that, I’m trying to organize a drive in my car to collect some winter clothes for them—trying to do whatever I can.

What are some things that local Kansas Citians can do to help? First of all, I would like my Kansas Citians to realize that the Afghan refugees or any refugees have been forced to leave their homes. They have been driven by war to leave. They leave their homes, relatives, careers and family to pursue safety, to have a safe life. I would like my Kansas Citians to be compassionate and kind to these refugees. There are three resettlement agencies—Kansas Citians can make donations, they can find very detailed lists of needed items. If anyone has extra time, they can teach English, how to drive or take them to doctor appointments and help them stimulate society.

What are some ways we can make it more known that help is needed?

I think to talk about the refugees and their needs, kind of understand how they ended up here in Kansas. We need to understand that these people only come with a pair of clothes and their backpacks. They have nothing else. They’re escaping from a war-torn country where there has been a war for forty years. They would not have come to Kansas or anywhere in the U.S. if their lives were not in danger, so to try to understand and be compassionate and kind toward people.

Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas is providing resettlement services to Afghan refugees. They have already received twentyseven evacuees, with about a hundred to come. The ministry is accepting volunteers and monetary donations, as well as certain items to help furnish homes and provide transportation for refugees. “On average, we are receiving a two- to three-day notice of arrivals, which makes finding housing a challenge,” says Kasey Featherston, who runs the program. “We have limited free temporary housing available, but some evacuees are staying in hotels at their own expense, which comes from their $1,225 per-person one-time stipend from the federal government. We are seeking additional financial support to help offset this expense for these families.”

Della Lamb Community Center Della Lamb Community Center is a nonprofit organization also working to resettle Afghan refugees. The organization is currently accepting around four hundred and fifty refugees, with the number expected to rise. “Our needs vary by the family, but we’d encourage anyone who would like to connect with our volunteer or in-kind giving program to visit our website and add your name to our email list,” says staffer Cori Wallace.

“There are many assumptions about what refugees need, and it’s our pleasure to operate transparently and share with Kansas Citians who want to help how they might effectively do that.”

Jewish Vocational Services Jewish Vocational Services is a nonprofit organization in the greater Kansas City metro area working to resettle all refugees, including those from Afghanistan.

The organization accepts monetary donations. Kansas Citians can also get involved by joining one of JVS’s many volunteer opportunities.

—Shayla Gaulding

KANSASCITYMAG.COM DECEMBER 2021

25

THE LOOP SCHOOLED

STAYING HOME Homeschooling boomed in the pandemic— and many parents say they aren’t sending their kids back to class.

BY S H AY L A G AU L D I N G

W H E N T H E C O R O N AV I R U S PA N D E M I C H I T, Sammantha Ford Olliso knew it was unlikely she’d ever send her son back to public school.

Like many children, Olliso’s son, who attended elementary school in Lawrence, struggled with iPad learning during school closures. But that wasn’t the biggest problem.

“He has an autoimmune disease that presents as some severe behavioral problems, and it gets really bad when he’s sick, and he was always catching something at the school,” Olliso says. “When in-person school started up again and I saw many families actively trying to prevent masking, I knew it would be impossible to keep him safe and healthy.”

Olliso is not alone. School enrollment in Kansas has dropped by over fifteen thousand students since 2019 as virtual and homeschool enrollment has increased. Nationwide, enrollment in public schools has dropped by more than 1.5 million students during the pandemic, according to the U.S. Department of Education.

Olliso is one of many parents who says the unexpected shakeup has worked well for her family.

“Him being home and seeing how he healed and flourished and how we managed it as a family cemented it in our minds,” Olliso says.

As some students stay out of public school, they’ve turned to pandemic pods, traditional homeschooling and virtual learning, Before the pandemic, Kansas City Public Schools, which serves much of Kansas City, Missouri, would see between fifty and a hundred

26

KANSAS CITY DECEMBER 2021

students enrolled in its Virtual Academy. During the pandemic, that number skyrocketed—last school year, they started with three thousand students in the program, says its coordinator Leslie Correa.

While virtual schooling has increased significantly in the past couple of years and is beginning to level off, homeschooling is seeing a steady gain of interest.

Maureen Mulder, who runs a Facebook page called “So you want to homeschool in Kansas?” says she has worked with “tons” of families during the pandemic.

“Semi-homeschooling last year under the pressures of the Zoom calls was bad enough to have Kansans jump ship,” she says. “It also gave many the confidence to work with their own children at home.”

About two and a half percent of households in Kansas were registered for homeschooling in late April of 2020, and that number jumped to more than ten percent by late September, giving Kansas the sixteenth-highest increase of homeschooling in any state.

Missouri wasn’t far behind, jumping from about six percent to almost eleven.

So why are so many Kansas and Missouri families turning to virtual school and homeschooling? Many parents and guardians say they are simply fed up with how schools handled the pandemic. Others reacted to what they saw firsthand on Zoom.

Bobbi Nelson’s daughter attended Arrowhead Middle School before the pandemic and was one of many children who began learning on Zoom, a move that Nelson says led to her daughter being left behind.

“I knew before the pandemic that she was having problems with her teacher, as was a friend of hers in the same class,” Nelson says. “At first, I believed it was the kids making things up because they didn’t like how the teacher made them do some work—until the shutdown and everyone went virtual.”

Nelson’s daughter was a part of her school’s special education program. Seeing the reality of the classroom on Zoom changed her perspective.

“If my daughter didn’t respond to the teacher, she was kicked out of class or put in the waiting room, sometimes for hours,” Nelson says. “After dealing with all of that and getting nowhere, I pulled my daughter and started homeschooling.”

And students aren’t the only ones leaving. Teacher vacancies have increased by almost sixty-two percent from the fall of 2020 to October this year. With student to teacher ratios climbing, some parents feel their students are not getting the education they deserve.

The added flexibility can be isolating, though. Olliso, the Lawrence parent, says that while her son misses his friends, he is still enjoying homeschooling.

“As soon as he can be vaccinated, we’re going to join other homeschool families so he’ll have other kids to engage with and peers who are in the same school situation as him,” Olliso says.

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GERMAN SOLDIERS HAVE A ROLLICKING GOOD TIME WHILE WATCHING A DANCE. THE FEMALE-PRESENTING DANCER IS IDENTIFIED ON THE BACK AS A MALE SOLDIER WEARING A DRESS. PHOTO COURTESY OF NATIONAL W WI MUSEUM AND MEMORIAL.

WHERE YOU WANT TO BE IN DECEMBER

December

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GO: National WWI Museum and Memorial, Wylie Gallery, 2 Memorial Drive, KCMO. $10.

Through April 3, 2022.

ANOTHER ANGLE Most people tend to think of pulling a device from their pocket and snapping a quick photo as a recent phenomenon. But as Snapshots, the newest exhibit at the World War I Museum shows, it’s really not.

The 1914 Vest Pocket Kodak may be smaller than most modern mobile devices, but it allowed documentation of the first World War in a new way.

Snapshots was developed and designed entirely inhouse by the museum’s collections team and features over three hundred photographs. The exhibition will be at the museum until April 3.

Some of the images depict the brutalities of war, like death. Those images are hidden behind a dark gray wall in the back of the gallery. Much of the exhibit, however, shows soldiers outside of the trenches and offers depictions of everyday life. In several

photographs, soldiers are playing games, swimming or dancing. Those photographs remind us that, in some ways, the young soldiers of WWI were tourists in new countries.

“Imagine a young soldier from Kansas or Missouri who is traveling overseas for the first time,” says Karis Erwin, a museum spokesperson who helped assemble the show.

“They’re really seeing the world in a way that they hadn’t before. They’re seeing new cultures and new religions. I love that we get to see the world as they saw it.”

The exhibition, in part, juxtaposes photographs from soldiers documenting their travels with well-known, widely circulated photographs. Among them is an image of an unmasked soldier clutching his neck as his comrades continue crossing in a field behind him. It’s a staged photograph, yet it became one of the most famous images of WWI. “These photographs,” Erwin says, “transform the way we look at war.” —MARY H ENN

KANSASCITYMAG.COM DECEMBER 2021

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

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

Winter Magic November 2–January 2

A Christmas Carol November 19– December 26

The Grisly Hand

Create new holiday memories with a timeless Christmas tale, A Christmas Carol from Kansas City Repertory Theater. The show will run for more than a month this year at UMKC’s Spencer Theater, giving you plenty of time to schedule a night out with the family and Mr. Ebenezer Scrooge himself. Friday, November 19– Sunday, December 26. Times vary. Spencer Theater, 4949 Cherry St., KCMO. Prices vary.

December 3, 9 pm Local Americana act The Grisly Hand is playing the Ship to support the release of their new music video and third single from their upcoming album. Singer-songwriter Lauren Krum says “On The Same Side” was about her gratitude for community after the loneliness of quarantine, which is reflected in the video—shot and edited by local musician Clarke Wyatt—and shows the band performing at an intimate gathering in the Westside neighborhood. Friday, December 3. 9pm. The Ship, 1221 Union Ave. $10.

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The Nutcracker December 3–24 The Kansas City Ballet’s production of the Nutcracker is one of the quintessential productions of the year. Get immersed in the costumes, sets and enchanting melodies of Tchaikovsky as you and the family join the Nutcracker, Sugar Plum Fairy and the evil Mouse King on their journey through this epic holiday classic at the Kauffman Center.

Friday, December 3–Friday, December 24. Various times.

The Kauffman Center, 1601 Broadway Blvd., KCMO. $42.

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Tech N9ne December 4, 8 pm

Are you even from KC if you don’t like Tech N9ne, the genius behind major bangers like “Caribou Lou” and “Hood Go Crazy”?

Tech N9ne is doing a show at The Midland early this month with Rittz, King ISO, Maez310 and Jehry Robinson. If only Boulevard would bring back Bou Lou for the concert, amiright? Saturday, December 4. 8 pm. The Midland, 1228 Main St., KCMO. $35–$45.

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY RESPECTIVE VENUES

Cruise down the hill along Swope Park’s Oakwood Drive, and enter a world of holiday lights and cheer.

The Winter Magic experience takes you through one completely LED-covered mile of the park as you move through their twelve themed holiday light displays. Load your group up in a car, van or bus and enjoy a drive complete with a lighted canopy, toy workshop, stained glass nativity, spinning trees, zoo animals and more. Tuesday, November 2–Sunday, January 2. Various Times.

Swope Park, 8400 Blue River Road, KCMO. $20-$40.

Chiefs vs.

Broncos December 5, 12 pm The Chiefs have three home games in December as they look to make a playoff push in a crowded AFC. This game against the division rival Broncos is the easiest on the slate and should be a great time to tailgate and cheer.

Sunday, December 5. Noon.

Arrowhead Stadium, 1 Arrowhead Drive, KCMO. $105.

David Sedaris December 6, 7:30 pm Regarded as a master of satire and social critique, David Sedaris is a frequent guest on NPR and a humor writer whose work regularly appears in The New Yorker. Sedaris typically toured for a few months each year, engaging audiences with humor that’s only gotten drier since he decamped to live in West Sussex. After debating whether to read from his forthcoming collection of pandemic essays on his just-launched tour or to avoid the subject altogether, he’s settled on a middle ground. Monday, December 6. 7:30 pm. Muriel Kauffman Theatre, The Kauffman Center, 1601 Broadway Blvd., KCMO. Ticket prices vary.

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can catch Tomlinson live at the Uptown this month.

Saturday, December 11. 7 and 9:30 pm. Uptown Theater, 3700 Broadway Blvd., KCMO. $28–$138.

Old Crow Medicine Show

Lindsey Buckingham

December 16, 8 pm

“Headed down south to the land of the pines, and I’m thumbin’ my way into North Caroline…”

You know the words. You scream-sing them when the song comes on in a crowded bar and you’re a few brews deep. Familiar fun, right? Imagine that live.

Old Crow Medicine Show is coming to Uptown Theater, so get ready to strain your vocal chords. Thursday, December 16. 8 pm. Uptown Theater, 3700 Broadway Blvd., KCMO. $35–$75.

Handel’s Messiah December 10-12 The Kansas City Symphony and the Symphony Chorus are back at the Kauffman Center to bring you their performance of Handel’s Messiah. Enjoy the rapturous sound of nearly two hundred instruments and voices in the beautiful Helzberg Hall, and let the sound of Handel’s choral masterpiece enchant you into the holiday spirit.

December 15, 8 pm

Friday, December 10–Sunday, December 12. Various times.

The Kauffman Center, 1601 Broadway Blvd., KCMO. $28.

Taylor Tomlinson December 11

The very best Fleetwood Mac songs are either by Lindsey Buckingham (“Go Your Own Way,” “Second Hand News”) or about him (“Silver Springs,” “Landslide”). The legendary singer is out on his own for this tour—he also wrote “Holiday Road” from National Lampoon fame— which comes to the Uptown just before everything gets Christmassy. Wednesday, December 15. 8 pm. Uptown Theater, 3700 Broadway Blvd., KCMO. $35–$275.

If self-deprecating humor is your thing, then you might have seen Taylor Tomlinson’s recent Netflix special, Quarter-Life Crisis. If you didn’t see it and self-deprecating humor is still your thing, you

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TransSiberian Orchestra December 29

For a quarter century, this progressive rock group has been focused on their unique spin on the holidays, brought into the world via their album Christmas Eve and Other Stories. The Trans-Siberian Orchestra will return to the T-Mobile Center with hard rock twist on holiday classics, along with plenty of pyrotechnics and lasers for this multi-sensory anniversary experience. Wednesday, December 29. 3pm and 8pm. T-Mobile Center, 1407 Grand Blvd, KCMO. $46

Walker Hayes December 18, 5 pm Country singer-songwriter Walker Hayes recently gained fame for his new single, “Fancy Like,” which became an overnight TikTok sensation and birthed a dance trend.

The Alabama native will showcase his artistic talents at a twenty-one-and-older concert at Grain Valley’s MO Country. Saturday, December 18. 5 pm. MO Country, 401 S. Outer Road E., Grain Valley. 21+. $20.

KANSASCITYMAG.COM DECEMBER 2021

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T H E B E AT M A R K ET M AGIC

Christkindlmarkt at The Campground

Madison Place Elementary Holiday Market

Five holiday markets where you can snag local gifts this season

BY S H AY L A G AU L D I N G

a wrench in many people’s holiday shopping. What used to be trips to stores and markets with the family to find the perfect gift turned into Amazon wish lists and online gift cards.

This year, Kansas City is back, with holiday markets full of some of the best local artisan and crafters around bringing you unique and personal gifts for the people you love. We’ve cultivated a list for you so you can find the best of what’s local this holiday season.

T H E PA N D E M I C T H R E W

Holiday Swing at Merry Market

Strawberry Swing is one of the biggest and best organizers of local arts and crafts events, and this year’s Holiday Swing at City Market features almost a hundred local makers. Plus, there will be food, entertainers and holiday lights. On your way, you can catch KC Streetcar’s Holiday Jam live music series and hop off at any of the City Market shops or meet the Kansas City Museum’s Fairy Princess.

“Shopping local and handmade is so important,” says Katie Mabry van Dieren, owner of Strawberry Swing. “Our artists

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are highly curated, and you’re sure to find something for everyone, including kiddos, pets and significant others.”

Weekends at City Market in KCMO, Friday, November 26 to Sunday, December 19. Fridays 4–8 pm, Saturdays 9 am–8 pm and Sundays 9 am–4 pm.

Christkindlmarkt at The Campground

The Campground in the Stockyard District is holding its second annual Christkindlmarkt, modeled on the uber-successful Chicago version. It’ll be similar to the first round of Christkindlmarkt, with hot drinks, street food, festive music and vendors. But this year, the event will feature The Campground’s latest project, their patio renovation, which they’re intending to look like an urban forest. “We rezoned our front parking lot as an official patio extension, which will be outfitted with landscaping reminiscent of a campsite a la Wes Anderson,” owner Christopher Ciesiel says.

The Campground, Thursday, December 9–Sunday, December 12 and Thursday, December 16–Sunday, December 19, 5–9 pm.

Madison Place Elementary in Olathe, Saturday, December 4, 9 am–1 pm. ’Tis the Season Art & Craft Show

Hosted by Images by Davenport, this show in Lee’s Summit includes more than one hundred vendors selling art, quilts, ceramics, candles, home decor, jewelry, food and more. Santa and Mrs. Claus will make an appearance on Saturday, and customers can help spread holiday cheer through donations to the Ronald McDonald House of Kansas City.

“We are excited to give local artists and crafters the opportunity to share their passion and creations with others—especially after all five of our shows were canceled in 2020,” says Wanda Davenport of Images by Davenport.

The Pavilion at John Knox Village in Lee’s Summit, Friday, December 3, 11 am–7 pm and Saturday, December 4, 10 am–4 pm Heritage Holiday Mart 2021

The Heritage Holiday Mart in Liberty will feature over one hundred booths with local artisans and crafters selling everything from decor, apparel and home goods to pet and baby gifts and food.

New this year is a limited-access, by-ticket-only shopping event on Friday, December 10 in addition to the free, public shopping event on Saturday.

Heritage Middle School in Liberty, Friday, December 11, 9 am–4 pm. Open to the public.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY CALEB CONDIT AND REBECCA NORDEN

MARKET: GOODS

The Madison Place Elementary Holiday Market, hosted by the Olathe elementary’s PTO, aims to unite families and support local businesses. The market will feature local vendors, an auction, raffle and concessions.

“We have quite a few parents with small businesses participating and lots of local vendors offering everything from clothing to holiday items to gifts, and we’ll have hot cocoa and photo ops throughout the school during the event as well,” says PTO president Katy Porterfield. “What better way to show some holiday spirit than to support the people you and your kids interact with every day.”

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KANSASCITYMAG.COM DECEMBER 2021

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LOST COUNTESS Margaret ‘Countess’ Johnson—a pianist and bandleader—is a forgotten pioneer of Kansas City jazz.

BY N I N A C H E R R Y

F

O R E I G H T Y Y E A R S , a story has remained buried under the tales of the great men of Kansas City jazz, from Count Basie to Charlie Parker. Living and playing alongside them was another legend, pianist Margaret “Countess” Johnson, one of the first women to lead a career as a jazz musician in Kansas City.

Unfortunately, Johnson’s life was very short—she died at just twenty years old. Very little survives of Johnson today: only two identified photos; a handful of recordings from a 1938 session with Billie Holiday, including “The Very Thought of You,” that

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display her effortless phrasing; a few article clippings; and a couple of anecdotes passed down through the Johnson family tree.

So what do we know about Countess?

Margaret Johnson, who later earned the nicknames “Countess” and “Queenie,” was born in 1919 in Chanute, a small Kansas town roughly one hundred and twenty miles southwest of KC. Her family eventually relocated to KCK, and she graduated from Sumner High School in 1935.

Upon graduation, her career took off at a full sprint at just sixteen years old.

Johnson immediately formed her own big band in addition to playing piano for some of the most popular groups in the area. She quickly worked her way up the ladder, even subbing for Count Basie himself in the Count Basie Orchestra. For the next couple of years, Johnson strengthened her chops, steadily playing with a variety of groups, including her own.

In 1938, Johnson was given a bigger opportunity—to play with Andy Kirk’s Clouds of Joy, subbing in for her musical hero who had fallen ill, Mary Lou Williams. At the last minute, Johnson stepped in for a single gig, a fraternity party at MU. She had studied every recording by the Clouds of Joy, examining and memorizing the intricacies of Williams’s highly stylized playing. Andy Kirk was more than impressed. For the next four months, Johnson toured with the Clouds of Joy all across the country.

Jazz artists of the era lived notoriously hard and fast lives. Somewhere along the way, Johnson herself fell ill among all of the excitement and fatigue from road life. She continued to tour, even spending some time in New York City to record with Billie Holiday, the only commercial recording Johnson appears on.

After several months of declining health, Johnson died in KCK in July 1939 at the age of twenty.

While the loss of this young star was devastating to the community, with her funeral drawing hundreds of musicians to Westlawn Cemetery, her name and legacy quickly became forgotten.

Countess was just months older than a young Charlie Parker and was on a very similar trajectory. We’ll never know what she could have become—but we can at least remember what she was.

GO: To learn about more underrepresented figures in Kansas City

jazz, as well as listen to Johnson’s recordings with Billie Holiday, visit countessdatabase.com.

PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF AMERICAN JAZZ MUSEUM

B AC K B E AT FORG OT T EN FIGU R E S

Christmastime In Hermann

I

t’s no secret there’s holiday magic in Hermann—Missouri’s “Most Beautiful Town.” The charming village and merry activities create a picturesque Christmastime experience you’re sure to cherish. Join us this winter for family-friendly concerts and activities. Shop for unique hand-made gifts and foods in the many boutiques, antique shops, and traditional German-style markets. Linger over a relaxed meal and local wine, beer, or spirits. Walk the quiet streets to enjoy the many murals and display windows under the twinkling lights. No matter what you do, there’s just something special about Christmastime in Hermann. After all, it’s the most wonderful time of the year!

Plan your holiday getaway at VisitHermann.com

Scan the QR code to start planning your holiday getaway at VisitHermann.com or call 573-789-0771

KANSASCITYMAG.COM DECEMBER 2021

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Eat, drink & be merry at the Market 36

8750 Penrose Ln., Lenexa, Kansas | LenexaPublicMarket.com

KANSAS CITY DECEMBER 2021

C U R AT I N G A B E A U T I F U L L I F E

Vera Net Socks, $18, Available in black, ivory and wine, finefolk.com

NOT YOUR GRANDMA’S HOSIERY

PHOTOGRAPHY BY SAMANTHA LEVI

The latest footwear trend has nothing to do with shoes and everything to do with what’s underneath them: sheer socks. You might also call them hosiery that stops just above the ankle. New models of the timeless garment can be found at most stores now in varying patterns, designs and colors. Finefolk (finefolk.com) carries a few designs of sheer socks from the brand Swedish Stockings—the Vera Net Socks ($18) are a classic micro-net pattern and come in black, ivory and wine. But you can find more affordable alternatives at places like Target—I picked up a pair for under $5 while grocery shopping. Be warned: I managed to puncture one with my nail before getting them onto my feet, creating a run from one end to the other. Still, I’d give stylish sheer socks another try with a pair of kitten heels or booties. —MARY HE N N

KANSASCITYMAG.COM DECEMBER 2021

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S WAY W E ST SI DE W EL L N E S S

DETOX DUO A wellness studio wants to change the treatment of chronic stress through five-point acupuncture and nutrition support.

“When caring for patients in the ER, I saw and had to navigate acute

trauma with people from many walks of life,” Stacy says. “Similarly, there is no discrimination of who we treat at Taochemy. That is what sets us apart.”

The Tuckers aim to help patients manage their emotions and behaviors in a healthy way through acupuncture. “The five points in the ear correspond to the primary detox organs and are related to different fears, stressors, griefs and hardships humans deal with,” Stacy says. “By activating and manipulating those points, we are able to help patients find balance. It brings them to an open, meditative place where it’s easier for the body and soul to heal.”

In 2016, Kylie, who is currently a nursing student, joined Stacy to create Almeda Labs (almedalabs. com), a nutraceutical line consisting of supplements, superfoods and adaptogens. The two see the treatment of stress as directly connected to holistic nutrition, and the mind-body relationship is central to their practice.

“We designed Almeda products to be a whole-body nutrition system,” Kylie says. “Whether it be insulin resistance, fertility, thyroid issues, stress or malnourishment, we can curate a product regime for people based on their own health goals.”

PHOTOGRAPHY BY SAMANTHA LEVI

BY S U S A N C A N N O N

mother-daughter duo Stacy and Kylie Tucker opened a holistic health care studio on the Westside. The studio is called Taochemy, after Taoist philosophies of bodily harmony.

Stacy is a former trauma nurse, and the practice blends those philosophies with Western clinical practices. Her goal is to create an inviting and nonjudgmental space for effective stress relief treatment.

EARLIER THIS YEAR,

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S WAY I N T ERV I E W

ABSTRACT ACCIDENT

Sarah White was looking for a reasonably priced, large-scale piece of art for her dining room. When she couldn’t find what she wanted, she decided to pick up a paintbrush and make her own.

As her collection grew, White, a Hallmark creative by day, wanted a space to document her work. She turned to Instagram. At first, she was quiet about putting her artwork online. But now she has a few thousand followers on Instagram (@whitewoodcanvas), and her abstract paintings are being commissioned by people around the city and sold at stores like Golden & Pine.

We chatted about her abstract collection, her process, the pandemic and a few of her favorite spots around the city.

A FEW YEARS AGO,

Sarah White’s mission to decorate her dining room has turned her into a sought-after artist.

BY M A R Y H E N N

Tell me about your abstract collection. My pieces blur the lines between structured and organic.

I create with design-minded geographic shapes and patterns, purposeful color combinations and subtle texture. I work from both intuition and emotion. I compose as I go, which involves a lot of me successfully covering up a bunch of mistakes.

Where do you find inspiration?

I’m inspired by nature—specifically the ocean—a sad day, a happy day. I’m a huge fan of Cy Twombly and his combination of painting and drawing technique, repetitive lines and scribbles. I also love Helen Frankenthaler. Her large formats of fluid shapes and simplified compositions are breathtaking.

FAVO R I T E S P OT S Blackhole Bakery “Anything from them is to die for, but I was introduced to their Mochi Donut last year and it is my favorite breakfast indulgence.”

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The Lobby at Hotel Kansas City “I love sipping cocktails at Hotel Kansas City because I feel like I’ve been transported to a different era when I’m there. The rich architecture and history there is worth the visit alone.”

Urban Mining Vintage “My love for designing and composing goes beyond my paintings and bleeds into the way I style my environment. I’m constantly rearranging and styling the objects around me. I like to wander the curations at Urban Mining. In my opinion, they have the best selection in the city.”

Did the onset of the pandemic affect your art at all? The pandemic shifted all our lives so dramatically, but my painting has remained the same. It was the thing that kept me moored as we navigated the chaos of our family figuring out totally new patterns of school, work and play.

Also, the requests just kept coming in. I think people got bored with their walls and wanted to brighten their homes with new art, and I was happy to bring some joy during that time.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY NATALEA BONJOUR

What is the creative and physical process like for making your designs? When starting a collection, I usually work in a series, around ten to fifteen pieces at a time. I also set a release date even before I have any idea of what I’m doing. I work better when I have an end goal.

Above all else, I need solitude when creating. I need silence and time alone to process. At night, when the house is still and everyone is asleep, that’s when I paint. I listen to the same music over and over again and start.

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HALLBROOK RETREAT Kobel & Co. revamps a Leawood home from the late eighties with rubbed brass hardware and deep woods while drawing inspiration from Charleston and Santa Barbara.

BY DAW N YA B A R T S C H | P H OTO G R A P H Y BY N AT E S H E E T S

T

H E D E S I G N D U O A T K O B E L & C O . starts new project by asking lots of questions.

“We spend time up front,” says Elizabeth Bennett, who co-owns the firm with Mallory Robins. Before grabbing samples, sourcing furniture or developing a strategy, Bennett and Robins want to really understand how their clients live—and how they want to live.

“How do you want this house to feel? How do you want your guests to feel? What are some of your favorite places that you have been to that you love?” Bennett asks.

Then, armed with a bounty of intimate details, they christen each of their projects with a moniker, hoping it will help capture each project’s essence and guide them along in the design process.

It’s those questions that led the team to nickname their latest renovation project, a late-1980s home in the Hallbrook development of Leawood, “Charlebarbara,” after the homeowners’ two favorite places, Charleston in South Carolina and California’s Santa Barbara.

Although on opposite coasts, these destinations both have an elegant ease, a relaxed yet civilized take on living.

“Charleston is about southern hospitality, a little more formal,” Robins says, “and Santa Barbara, also about entertainment and food, is more casual. This home is a mix.”

This was the “vibe” that Bennett and Robins, who first met in college and then reconnected several years ago through their children’s school, were looking to create for homeowners Onalisa Winblad and Curt McGeeney.

With two young children and busy careers as physicians, the couple wanted their home to be a place where they could relax and enjoy the company of family and friends.

“We come home and we feel like we are on vacation,” says McGeeney, who adds that he and Winblad could not be happier with the renovation.

The family moved into the home in 2016, and McGeeney says that while the forty-four hundred-square-foot home was functional, it was a “hodgepodge” of furniture collected over the years and set against a dated background. They wanted something that was more pulled together and truly felt like a retreat—something that reflected who they are as a family.

Designers Bennett and Robins came in and completely revamped the home’s main floor.

a

1 THE KITCH E N Winblad and McGeeney like to cook and entertain, so the Kobel team expanded the footprint of the original kitchen, creating a larger island where food prep and entertaining can happen simultaneously. Innovative cabinets were added to conveniently store kitchen appliances and keep other gadgets out of sight.

The kitchen’s light and airy cabinetry is grounded by the deepbrown-stained wood floors and punctuated with rubbed brass hardware and lighting fixtures.

The Burchi quartzite countertops, marked with golden and dark gray veins that tie the space in with the rest of the house, were a crucial early find for the renovation, says Bennett.

The bar space mimics the kitchen tones and adds another place to entertain.

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2 F OR M AL DINING A more formal yet still fun approach was taken in the dining room. The designers infused color into the space with an ocean blue grasscloth wall covering and pale blue buffet, setting the space apart from the more neutral palette of the rest of the home.

4

3 CASUAL DINING In the “hearth space” adjacent to the kitchen, the Kobel team set the scene with a vintage rug. They found an antique table just a smidge lower than a normal dining table and used modern gray linen swivel chairs for seating, creating a relaxed space to not just eat but also visit, do homework or maybe play a board game.

4 ART WALL The Kobel team commissioned Josh Young, a Washington D.C.-based artist, to create a modern installation of sixteen small, neutral pieces for a specifically modern touch and to keep the space from becoming “too fussy.”

KANSASCITYMAG.COM DECEMBER 2021

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S WAY HOM E

5

5 THE MASTER BEDROOM A simple

monochromatic space make for peaceful nights of sleep. The room mixes more refined pieces, such as the burl wood nightstands, with organic shapes, like the large woven basket chandelier punctuating the ceiling.

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KANSAS CITY DECEMBER 2021

6 LIVING ROOM A bold blue and white flat-weave vintage rug adds color to the otherwise neutral palette in the living room. A massive mirror leans against the wall, reflecting the Josh Young art installation and adding depth to the space. The design team used performance fabrics throughout the house, including on the white sofas in the living room, to make them entertaining ready.

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KANSASCITYMAG.COM DECEMBER 2021

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SPONSORED CONTENT

B.E. Smith Family Center The B.E. Smith Family Center provides a modern learning environment for children of all abilities. The Center relies on support from AdventHealth Foundation Shawnee Mission and donors like you to support children with special needs in our community.

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KANSAS CITY DECEMBER 2021

SPONSORED CONTENT

T

he 62,000-square-foot B.E. Smith Family Center opened on AdventHealth Shawnee Mission’s campus in April 2019. The new facility greatly expanded educational and therapeutic offerings for

children through two programs: Britain Development, which provides therapy and education for children with special needs, and Early Learning, which provides faithbased child care for children of AdventHealth team members and physicians.

The B.E. Smith Family Center provides a modern learning environment for children of all ability levels.

The building features indoor and outdoor inclusive playgrounds, two aquatic therapy pools, the new Kyla Y. Hartong Memorial Sensory Garden and spacious classrooms and therapy rooms filled with natural light.

Multiple classrooms in the Britain Development wing feature the Variety KC Compass system, which allows children with mobility difficulties the opportunity to interact with peers while standing and walking with support from a harness.

The B.E. Smith Family Center fosters collaboration and connection between children, families and staff and promotes understanding and inclusion of children with special needs. Children needing Britain Development’s services are cared for regardless of their ability to pay, which is only possible through the generosity of our community in supporting AdventHealth Foundation Shawnee Mission. Visit AdventHealthKCFoundation.com today to learn more about how you can support children in our community.

7415 Grandview St., Shawnee Mission, KS 913.676.2055 AdventHealthKCFoundation.com

KANSASCITYMAG.COM DECEMBER 2021

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SEASONS

OF

View our SEAsons of Wonder activities happening from November 24-December 31 and purchase tickets at:

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DON’T MISS

SCUBA .

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DIVING AT WONDERS OF WILDLIFE THIS HOLIDAY SEASON!

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MISSOURI & KANSAS KANSAS CITY CONSUMER

2021

THE ANNUAL LIST OF TOP ATTORNEYS

Left to Right: Nick Hinrichs*, Joshua Scott* *Selected to Rising Stars

HINRICHS & SCOTT INJURY TRIAL LAWYERS Trial Instinct. Legal Insight.

The attorneys at Hinrichs & Scott Injury Trial Lawyers know personal injury law inside and out, having worked in many aspects of the field. Their expertise and experience give them—and their clients—a powerful edge when battling trucking, insurance and construction companies.

Nick Hinrichs served as a prosecutor for several years and focused on cases involving involuntary manslaughter vehicular crimes. Joshua Scott worked as a senior insurance adjustor and insurance defense attorney for more than 10 years.

Hinrichs and Scott, who were both named to Rising Stars in 2018-2021, prepare every case for trial and have successfully tried dozens of cases before judges and juries.

1100 MAIN ST., SUITE 2600 KANSAS CITY, MO 64105 (816) 876-2600

THE CHOICE OF A LAWYER IS AN IMPORTANT DECISION AND SHOULD NOT BE BASED SOLELY UPON ADVERTISEMENTS.

S P E C IAL ADV E RT ISIN G SE C T ION

LEFT TO RIGHT:LEFT TO RIGHT: Kassie Vargas, Robin Koogler, Kevin Baldwin*, Wendi Bridges, Eric Vernon*, Sylvia Hernandez *Super Lawyers Honoree

BALDWIN & VERNON, LLC Advocating for Workers and Employment Rights Protecting the rights of employees is our priority, and we are proud to fight for workers in Kansas and Missouri and across the Kansas City metro area. Employees rely on us for dynamic representation in cases involving sexual harassment, hostile work environments, workers’ compensation claims, and discrimination based on gender, age, disability, race, religion and national origin. We also represent service members who have faced discrimination due to their military status and whistleblowers who have suffered retaliation.

Partners Kevin Baldwin, a former prosecutor with high-profile trial experience, and Eric Vernon, a former public defender, collaborate with their seasoned litigation team to help clients achieve the best possible outcomes in municipal, state and federal court and before government agencies.

The Baldwin and Vernon litigation team works to ensure that workers’ rights are protected and that those who violate the laws are made to answer for their actions.

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SUPERLAWYERS.COM

108 S. Pleasant St. Independence, MO 64050 PH: (816) 842-1102 FX: (816) 842-1104

baldwinvernon.com

THE CHOICE OF A LAWYER IS AN IMPORTANT DECISION AND SHOULD NOT BE BASED SOLELY UPON ADVERTISEMENTS. ATTORNEYS SELECTED TO SUPER LAWYERS AND RISING STARS WERE CHOSEN IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PROCESS ON PAGE S-4.

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SUPER LAWYERS MISSOURI & KANSAS / KANSAS CITY CONSUMER 2021

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SELECTION PROCESS Super Lawyers selects attorneys using a patented multiphase selection process.

Peer nominations and evaluations are combined with independent research. Each candidate is evaluated on 12 indicators of peer recognition and professional achievement. Selections are made on an annual, state-by-state basis.

The objective is to create a credible, comprehensive and diverse listing of outstanding attorneys that can be used as a resource for attorneys and consumers searching for legal counsel. Since Super Lawyers is intended to be used as an aid in selecting a lawyer, we limit the lawyer ratings to those who can be hired and retained by the public, i.e., lawyers in private practice and Legal Aid attorneys.

The Super Lawyers selection process involves the steps outlined in the graphic below.

OUR PATENTED SELECTION PROCESS U.S. Pat. No. 8,412,564

NOMINATIONS Diverse list of the top attorneys nominated by their own peers

INDEPENDENT RESEARCH Evaluated by third-party research across 12 key categories

PEER EVALUATION Reviewed by a highly credentialed Blue Ribbon Panel of attorneys

2.5%

• April 2, 2013

LEARN MORE SuperLawyers.com/SelectionProcess

QUESTIONS?

FINAL SELECTION of attorneys selected to Rising Stars

• System and method for identifying excellence within a profession

SL-Research@thomsonreuters.com

5%

of attorneys selected to Super Lawyers

visit SuperLawyers.com Search for an attorney by practice area and location, and read features on attorneys selected to our lists.

DISCLAIMER: The information presented in Super Lawyers Magazine is not legal advice, nor is Super Lawyers a legal referral service. We strive to maintain a high degree of accuracy in the information provided, but make no claim, promise or guarantee about the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of the information contained in this magazine or linked to SuperLawyers.com and its associated sites. The hiring of an attorney is an important decision that should not be solely based upon advertising or the listings in this magazine. No representation is made that the quality of the legal services performed by the attorneys listed in this magazine will be greater than that of other licensed attorneys. Super Lawyers is an independent magazine publisher that has developed its own selection methodology. Super Lawyers is not affiliated with any state or regulatory body, and its listings do not certify or designate an attorney as a specialist. State required disclaimers can be found on the respective state pages on superlawyers.com.

© 2021 Super Lawyers, part of Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved.

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S PE C IAL ADV E RT ISIN G SE C T ION

TOP 50 KANSAS CITY

AN ALPHABETICAL LISTING OF THE LAWYERS WHO RANKED TOP OF THE LIST IN THE 2021 MISSOURI & KANSAS SUPER LAWYERS NOMINATION, RESEARCH AND BLUE RIBBON REVIEW PROCESS.

Adams, Robert T., Shook Hardy & Bacon, Kansas City

Goza, Kirk J., Goza & Honnold, Overland Park

Angles, Christopher J., The Angles Law Firm, Kansas City

Griffin, James D., Scharnhorst Ast Kennard Griffin, Kansas City

Bartimus, James R., Bartimus Frickleton Robertson Rader, Leawood Bath, Jr., Thomas J., Bath & Edmonds, Leawood Bautista, Jose M., Bautista LeRoy, Kansas City Becker, Timothy J., Dollar Burns Becker & Hershewe, Kansas City Boulware, Brandon J.B., Boulware Law, Kansas City Burns, Jeffrey A., Dollar Burns Becker & Hershewe, Kansas City

Redfearn, III, Paul L., The Redfearn Law Firm, Lee's Summit Regan, Kevin E.J., Regan Law Firm, Kansas City

Griggs, Annette, Griggs Injury Law, Kansas City

Robb, Gary C., Robb & Robb, Kansas City

Hershewe, Thomas, Dollar Burns Becker & Hershewe, Kansas City

Robertson, Susan Ford, The Robertson Law Group, Kansas City

Hobbs, James R., Wyrsch Hobbs & Mirakian, Kansas City

Rose, Jared A., The Law Office of Jared A. Rose, Kansas City

Johnson, Todd, Votava Nantz & Johnson, Kansas City

Rottinghaus, Thomas A., Wagstaff & Cartmell, Kansas City

Jones, Kimberly A., Seyferth Blumenthal & Harris, Kansas City

Ruprecht, G. Steven, Brown & Ruprecht, Kansas City

Cannezzaro, Nikki, Franke Schultz & Mullen, Kansas City

Ketchum, Amanda Pennington, Dysart Taylor Cotter McMonigle & Brumitt, Kansas City

Cartmell, Thomas P., Wagstaff & Cartmell, Kansas City

Martucci, William C., Shook Hardy & Bacon, Kansas City

Scharnhorst, Todd A., Scharnhorst Ast Kennard Griffin, Kansas City

Crawford, William (Clay), Foland Wickens Roper Hofer & Crawford, Kansas City

Mayer, David M., Monsees & Mayer, Kansas City

Schiavone, Anne W., Holman Schiavone, Kansas City

Meyers, Martin M., The Meyers Law Firm, Kansas City

Schultz, John G., Franke Schultz & Mullen, Kansas City

Morris, Jeffrey D., Berkowitz Oliver, Kansas City

Sternberg, Jonathan, Jonathan Sternberg, Kansas City

Dirks, Eric L., Williams Dirks Dameron, Kansas City

Nail, Roger D., The Nail Law Firm, Kansas City

Turner, John E., Turner Sweeny & Seaton, Kansas City

Dollar, Tim, Dollar Burns Becker & Hershewe, Kansas City

Norman, Phyllis, Norman & Graves, Kansas City

Votava, Brett T., Votava Nantz & Johnson, Kansas City

Emison, J. Kent, Langdon & Emison, Lexington

Playter, Eric S., Playter & Playter, Kansas City

Wendt, Samuel M., Wendt Law Firm, Kansas City

Foster, Shawn G., Preuss | Foster Law, Leawood

Presley, Kirk R., Presley & Presley, Kansas City

Frickleton, James P., Bartimus Frickleton Robertson Rader, Leawood

Rader, Michael C., Bartimus Frickleton Robertson Rader, Leawood

Williams, Michael A., Williams Dirks Dameron, Kansas City

Cruciani, John J., Husch Blackwell, Kansas City Cullan, MD, Samuel K., Cullan & Cullan, Kansas City

MISSOURI & KANSAS

GRANT L. DAVIS*

SCOTT S. BETHUNE*

THOMAS C. JONES*

WES SHUMATE*

TIMOTHY C. GAARDER*

JOHN S. CARROLL**

TED RUZICKA

KEVIN D. BUCHANAN

JARED BROWN

*CHOSEN TO SUPER LAWYERS

**CHOSEN TO RISING STARS

THE CHOICE OF A LAWYER IS AN IMPORTANT DECISION AND SHOULD NOT BE BASED SOLELY UPON ADVERTISEMENTS.

DAVIS BETHUNE & JONES, LLC

TOP 100 Grant L. Davis Scott S. Bethune Thomas C. Jones

DBJ attorneys are personally invested in the outcomes we deliver for our clients because we only take on cases we believe in. Our competitive fire comes from the desire to help restore balance to the lives of our clients. We work strategically to ensure every party is held accountable to maximize results for our clients and referring attorneys. For DBJ, it’s about more than just obtaining the largest result; it’s about demanding accountability for the people or causes we stand behind. DBJ congratulates its attorneys selected to 2021 Missouri & Kansas Super Lawyers and Rising Stars.

1100 Main St., Suite 2930 | Kansas City, MO 64105 PH: (816) 421-1600 | FX: (816) 472-5972

dbjlaw.net SUPER LAWYERS MISSOURI & KANSAS / KANSAS CITY CONSUMER 2021

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MISSOURI & KANSAS KANSAS CITY CONSUMER 2021 Bankruptcy: Consumer..................................S-6 Civil Litigation: Plaintiff .................................S-6 Civil Rights .....................................................S-6 Class Action/Mass Torts ...............................S-6 Construction Litigation .................................S-6 Consumer Law...............................................S-6 Criminal Defense ...........................................S-8

THE ANNUAL LIST

BY PRIMARY AREA OF PRACTICE The list was finalized as of May 17, 2021. Only attorneys who data verified with Super Lawyers for the current year are included on the list that follows. All current selections and any updates to the list (e.g., status changes or disqualifying events) will be reflected on superlawyers.com.

Names and page numbers in RED indicate a profile on the specified page. Phone numbers are included only for attorneys with paid Super Lawyers or Rising Stars print advertisements.

Criminal Defense: DUI/DWI........................S-10 Elder Law .....................................................S-10 Employment & Labor ..................................S-10 Employment Litigation: Plaintiff ................ S-12 Estate & Trust Litigation ............................. S-12 Estate Planning & Probate ......................... S-12 Family Law................................................... S-13 General Litigation........................................ S-15 Immigration ................................................. S-15

BANKRUPTCY: CONSUMER SUPER LAWYERS

Herring, Chelsea S., The Law Offices of Tracy L. Robinson, Kansas City Robinson, Tracy L., The Law Offices of Tracy L. Robinson, Kansas City RISING STARS Ellis, Coleman R., Ghafoor Cook Ellis, Independence

Personal Injury General: Plaintiff................ S-15

Gould, Hunter C., The Law Offices of Tracy L. Robinson, Kansas City

Personal Injury Medical Malpractice: Plaintiff...................................................... S-19

Hoorfar, Camron L., Law Offices of Camron Hoorfar, Lee's Summit

Personal Injury Products: Plaintiff ............. S-20 Real Estate ................................................. S-20

CIVIL LITIGATION: PLAINTIFF

Social Security Disability ............................ S-20

SUPER LAWYERS

Workers' Compensation ............................. S-20

Litecky, Meghan A., Dysart Taylor Cotter McMonigle & Brumitt, Kansas City

CLASS ACTION/MASS TORTS SUPER LAWYERS Barton, Eric D., Wagstaff & Cartmell, Kansas City, 816-701-1167

Bertram, J. Scott, Bertram & Graf, Kansas City Clevenger, Nicholas S., Peterson & Associates, Kansas City, 816-888-8888 Pg. S-7 DeGreeff, David C., Wagstaff & Cartmell, Kansas City, 816-701-1100 Dirks, Eric L., Williams Dirks Dameron, Kansas City Pg. S-5 Edgar, John F., Edgar Law Firm, Kansas City George, Tracey, Davis George Mook, Kansas City Hodgson, Michael A., The Hodgson Law Firm, Lee's Summit Kronawitter, Joseph A., Horn Aylward & Bandy, Kansas City Kuntz, Jeffrey M., Wagstaff & Cartmell, Kansas City, 816-701-1100 Lytle, Matthew W., Miller Schirger, Kansas City McInnes, Jack, McInnes Law, Prairie Village Paul III, Richard M., Paul, Kansas City Peterson, David M., Peterson & Associates, Kansas City, 816-888-8888 Pg. S-7 Sharp, Rex A., Sharp Law, Prairie Village RISING STARS Cooper, Sean, Paul, Kansas City

Edwards, Tanner J., Stueve Siegel Hanson, Kansas City Evans, Adam M., Brenes Law Group, Kansas City Feierabend, Joseph M., Miller Schirger, Kansas City

Robertson, III, Edward (Kip) D., Bartimus Frickleton Robertson Rader, Leawood, 913-266-2300

Fellows, Laura, Paul, Kansas City

RISING STARS

Kinsman, Robert, Krause & Kinsman, Kansas City

Goodwin, Andrew, Joseph Hollander & Craft, Kansas City

Leftridge, Crystal C., Stueve Siegel Hanson, Kansas City

Nely, Ryan, Turney LG, Kansas City

McClellan, Abby E., Stueve Siegel Hanson, Kansas City

Schermerhorn, Andrew, The Klamann Law Firm, Kansas City Thrasher, Robert, Monsees & Mayer, Kansas City Woody, Marshall, Patton Wagner & Associates, Liberty, 816-792-2020

Jackson, Amy R., Williams Dirks Dameron, Kansas City

Moore, J. Austin, Stueve Siegel Hanson, Kansas City Schwarz, Ashlea, Paul, Kansas City Stout, Courtney, Williams Dirks Dameron, Kansas City

MARSHALL WOODY PATTON WAGNER & ASSOCIATES, P.C. Liberty • 816-792-2020

www.pattonwagner.com

CONSTRUCTION LITIGATION SUPER LAWYERS Estes, Daniel C., McCormick Gordon Bloskey Poirier & Hughes, Overland Park

CIVIL RIGHTS SUPER LAWYERS

Baker, David S., Fisher Patterson Sayler & Smith, Overland Park Woody, Teresa A., The Woody Law Firm, Kansas City Zmijewski, Daniel R., DRZ Law, Leawood

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CONSUMER LAW SUPER LAWYERS Anderson, Lee R., Civil Justice Law Firm, Kansas City

Bell, Bryce B., Bell Law, Kansas City CONTINUED ON PAGE S-8

THE CHOICE OF A LAWYER IS AN IMPORTANT DECISION AND SHOULD NOT BE BASED SOLELY UPON ADVERTISEMENTS. ATTORNEYS SELECTED TO SUPER LAWYERS AND RISING STARS WERE CHOSEN IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PROCESS ON PAGE S-4.

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SUPER LAWYERS MISSOURI & KANSAS / KANSAS CITY CONSUMER 2021

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MISSOURI & KANSAS KANSAS CITY CONSUMER 2021 CONSUMER LAW SUPER LAWYERS CONT’D FROM PAGE S-6

Leyh, Gregory, Gregory Leyh, Gladstone, 816-283-3380 Waddell, A. Scott, Waddell Law Firm, Prairie Village RISING STARS Rapp, Michael, Stecklein & Rapp, Kansas City

CRIMINAL DEFENSE SUPER LAWYERS Angles, Christopher J., The Angles Law Firm, Kansas City, 816-471-5777 Pg. S-5, S-8

Bath, Jr., Thomas J., Bath & Edmonds, Leawood Pg. S-5 Bell, David S., Wyrsch Hobbs & Mirakian, Kansas City Benjamin, Christopher E., KC Road Lawyers, Lee's Summit Benjamin, Kim, Missouri DWI & Criminal Law Center at the Benjamin Law Firm, Belton Billam, Jason B., Billam & Henderson, Olathe Brown, Christopher T., Gyllenborg & Brown, Olathe Cornwell, Carl E., Attorney at Law, Olathe

Dodge, Cynthia M., Attorney at Law, Lee's Summit

Pettlon, III, N. Trey, Law Offices of Pettlon & Ginie, Olathe

Fann, Traci, The Law Office of Traci Fann, Lee's Summit

Picerno, John Anthony, Attorney & Counselor at Law, Kansas City

Fowler, Robin D., Bath & Edmonds, Leawood Garretson, Tyler P., Garretson & Toth, Olathe Ginie, Ryan S., Law Offices of Pettlon & Ginie, Olathe Gyllenborg, Scott, Gyllenborg & Brown, Olathe Harvell, John E., The Law Office of John Harvell, Olathe Henderson, Courtney T., Billam & Henderson, Olathe Keller, Marilyn Brady, Wyrsch Hobbs & Mirakian, Kansas City Lurie, David M., Attorney at Law, Kansas City Morgan, Melanie S., Morgan Pilate, Kansas City Nouri, Lisa G., Nouri Law Office, Kansas City O'Connor, John P., Wagstaff & Cartmell, Kansas City, 816-701-1100 O'Connor, Matthew J., The O'Connor Law Firm, Kansas City

Cramm, Paul D., Paul D. Cramm, Overland Park, 913-322-3265

O'Connor, Patrick J., Wagstaff & Cartmell, Kansas City, 816-701-1100

Davies, Brandan, Roth Davies, Overland Park

Peter, Joshuah, Solomon & Peter, Kansas City

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SUPERLAWYERS.COM

Putnam, Tamara I., Carter & Putnam, Lee's Summit Regan, Kevin E.J., Regan Law Firm, Kansas City Pg. S-5 Scherff, Dionne, Joseph Hollander & Craft, Overland Park Solomon, Garrett M., Solomon & Peter, Kansas City Stone, Gary D., Stone Law Office, Kansas City Talge, Andrew S., Richard T. Bryant & Associates, Kansas City Thomas, Zach V., The Law Office of Zach V. Thomas, Olathe Toth, W. Scott, Garretson & Toth, Olathe Vernon, Eric E., Baldwin & Vernon, Independence, 816-842-1102 Pg. S-2 Watt, Greg, The Watt Law Firm, Kansas City Wood, Ronald P., Clyde & Wood, Overland Park RISING STARS Alsobrook, Luke, Alsobrook Law Firm, Kansas City

Aramjoo, Paemon, Aramjoo Law Firm, Liberty Burton, Stephanie M., Law Office of Stephanie M. Burton, Kansas City CONTINUED ON PAGE S-10

THE CHOICE OF A LAWYER IS AN IMPORTANT DECISION AND SHOULD NOT BE BASED SOLELY UPON ADVERTISEMENTS. ATTORNEYS SELECTED TO SUPER LAWYERS AND RISING STARS WERE CHOSEN IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PROCESS ON PAGE S-4.

S P E C IAL ADV E RT ISIN G SE C T ION

THE CHOICE OF A LAWYER IS AN IMPORTANT DECISION AND SHOULD NOT BE BASED SOLELY UPON ADVERTISEMENTS.

SUPER LAWYERS MISSOURI & KANSAS / KANSAS CITY CONSUMER 2021

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MISSOURI & KANSAS KANSAS CITY CONSUMER 2021 CRIMINAL DEFENSE RISING STARS CONT’D FROM PAGE S-8

CRIMINAL DEFENSE: DUI/DWI

Christensen, Sara Hofeditz, Lathrop GPM, Kansas City Duma, Michael C., Duma Law Offices, Olathe, 913-782-7072

MICHAEL C. DUMA DUMA LAW OFFICES Olathe • 913-782-7072

www.dumalawoffices.com

ELDER LAW

SUPER LAWYERS

SUPER LAWYERS

Carter, J. Denise, Carter & Putnam, Lee's Summit

Janssen, Stacey L., Kennyhertz Perry, Mission Woods

Eastman, Jeffrey, Keleher & Eastman, Gladstone Guilfoil, J. Matthew, Guilfoil Law Group, North Kansas City Kane, Brandon L., Kane Law Office | KCticketlaw, Kansas City, 816-229-2708 Pg. S-21

Reaves, Craig C., Reaves Law Firm, Kansas City Shepherd, Samantha L., Shepherd Elder Law Group, Overland Park

Ferguson, Trevor L., Your Traffic Ticket Lawyer, Kansas City

Kirby, Denise, The Law Offices of Denise Kirby, Kansas City

Francis, Jane E., Law Office of Jane Francis, Kansas City

Leininger, Brian L., Leininger Law Offices, Overland Park, 913-648-7070 Pg. S-16

SUPER LAWYERS

Hunt, Justin C., KC Defense Counsel, North Kansas City

Nigro, Ross C., Nigro Law Firm, Kansas City, 816-753-4830 Pg. S-22

Dickson, Athena M., Siro Smith Dickson, Kansas City

Meek, Casey, Joseph Hollander & Craft, Kansas City

Norton, Jay, Norton Hare, Overland Park

Donelon, Brendan, Donelon, Kansas City

Sloan, Taylor, Sloan Law Office, Independence

Powell, Russell L., Monaco Sanders Racine Powell & Reidy, Leawood

Holman, Kirk D., Holman Schiavone, Kansas City

Spradlin, Tracy, Spradlin Kennedy Law Firm, Kansas City

Sakoulas, Steven G., Sakoulas Law, Kansas City

Watson, Jordan R., KC Defense Counsel, North Kansas City

RISING STARS

Wichman, Kevin, Wichman Law Firm, Kansas City, 816-787-1529 Pg. S-22 Zigtema, Catherine A., Zigtema Law Office, Overland Park

Gigstad, Robert C., Gigstad Law Office, Overland Park Kennedy, Daniel, Spradlin Kennedy Law Firm, Kansas City Stolte, Adam D., Stolte Law, Overland Park

EMPLOYMENT & LABOR

Ardebili, Amir, Monsees & Mayer, Kansas City

Kingston, Kristi L., Employee & Labor Law Group of Kansas City, Overland Park Meyers, Martin M., The Meyers Law Firm, Kansas City Pg. S-5 Schlozman, Heather J., Dugan Schlozman, Overland Park Thornberry, Steve, Thornberry Brown, Kansas City CONTINUED ON PAGE S-12

MISSOURI & KANSAS

TOP 100 KANSAS CITY

TOP 50

Paul L. Redfearn, III

Michael D. Wallis

Paul L. Redfearn, III

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SUPERLAWYERS.COM

THE CHOICE OF A LAWYER IS AN IMPORTANT DECISION AND SHOULD NOT BE BASED SOLELY UPON ADVERTISEMENTS. ATTORNEYS SELECTED TO SUPER LAWYERS AND RISING STARS WERE CHOSEN IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PROCESS ON PAGE S-4.

S PE C IAL ADV E RT ISIN G SE C T ION

Puzzling legal problem?

We’ll put it together.

We have negotiated settlements and won verdicts in excess of

$1 billion dollars for our clients.

OUR DEDICATED TEAM Top Row L to R: Buford L. Farrington*‡ Andrew K. Smith* Lauren E. McClain** Jonathan M. Soper* Second Row L to R: Colin W. McClain Kevin D. Stanley* W. Benjamin Kasey Michael S. Kilgore*† Third Row L to R: Timothy J. Kingsbury** Scott A. Britton-Mehlisch Nichelle L. Oxley** Steven E. Crick†

Fourth Row L to R: J’Nan C. Kimak Daniel A. Thomas* Chelsea McClain Pierce Paul D. Anderson Kenneth B. McClain*‡ * Selected to Super Lawyers **Selected to Rising Stars † 10-Year Super Lawyers Honoree ‡ 15-Year Super Lawyers Honoree

THE CHOICE OF A LAWYER IS AN IMPORTANT DECISION AND SHOULD NOT BE BASED SOLELY UPON ADVERTISEMENTS.

221 W. Lexington Ave., Suite 400 | Independence, MO 64050

PH: (816) 836-5050 | FX: (816) 836-8966

hfmlegal.com

SUPER LAWYERS MISSOURI & KANSAS / KANSAS CITY CONSUMER 2021

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MISSOURI & KANSAS KANSAS CITY CONSUMER 2021 EMPLOYMENT & LABOR CONT’D FROM PAGE S-10

Meeks, Rowdy B., Rowdy Meeks Legal Group, Prairie Village

Middleton, Marc N., Cornerstone Law Firm, Kansas City

RISING STARS Smith, Ryan D., Arnold Newbold Sollars & Hollins, Kansas City

Osman, Matthew E., Osman & Smay, Overland Park

Myers, Katherine E., Edelman Liesen & Myers, Kansas City

Paulus, Ryan M., Cornerstone Law Firm, Kansas City, 816-581-4040

Roe, Camille, Jackson Lewis, Overland Park

Thoenen, Brad K., HKM Employment Attorneys, Kansas City

EMPLOYMENT LITIGATION: PLAINTIFF SUPER LAWYERS Atwell-Soler, Ashley, Holman Schiavone, Kansas City

Baldwin, Kevin, Baldwin & Vernon, Independence, 816-842-1102 Pg. S-2 Bratcher, Lynne Jaben, Bratcher Gockel Law, Independence Brown, Sarah A., Brown & Curry, Kansas City Crimmins, Virginia Stevens, Crimmins Law Firm, Independence Galloway, Lewis, LG Law, Kansas City Gockel, Marie L., Bratcher Gockel Law, Independence Graham, Gene, White Graham Buckley & Carr, Independence

Schiavone, Anne W., Holman Schiavone, Kansas City Pg. S-5 Smith, Eric W., Siro Smith Dickson, Kansas City Williams, Michael A., Williams Dirks Dameron, Kansas City Pg. S-5 Woodworth, Sophie, Holman Schiavone, Kansas City Ziegelmeyer, III, John, HKM Employment Attorneys, Kansas City RISING STARS Ahlbrandt, Thomas, The Ahlbrandt Law Firm, Kansas City

Ballard, Noah, Doyle & Associates, Kansas City Bruce, Robert, Doyle & Associates, Kansas City Dake, Raymond, Siro Smith Dickson, Kansas City Hardinger, Heather, The Meyers Law Firm, Kansas City

Stiles, Megan L., Cornerstone Law Firm, Kansas City

ESTATE & TRUST LITIGATION SUPER LAWYERS Kirkland, Aaron, Kirkland Woods & Martinsen, Leawood

Pond Hendrickson, Anne L., Complete Estate & Probate Law, Kansas City Wheeler, Daniel P., Kirkland Woods & Martinsen, Liberty

ESTATE PLANNING & PROBATE SUPER LAWYERS Anderson, Christopher J., Dysart Taylor Cotter McMonigle & Brumitt, Kansas City

Betterman, James B., Lathrop GPM, Overland Park

Kinney, Kenneth D., Ralston Kinney, Kansas City

Blakesley, Scott E., Spencer Fane, Kansas City

Lawrence, Erin, Boulware Law, Kansas City, 816-492-2826

McDowell, Jessica M., Cornerstone Law Firm, Kansas City

Counts, Heather, The Counts Law Firm, Prairie Village

McClelland, Ryan L., McClelland Law Firm, Liberty

Mehl, Brittany Coughlin, Cornerstone Law Firm, Kansas City

DeGraeve, Amy, The Counts Law Firm, Prairie Village

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THE CHOICE OF A LAWYER IS AN IMPORTANT DECISION AND SHOULD NOT BE BASED SOLELY UPON ADVERTISEMENTS. ATTORNEYS SELECTED TO SUPER LAWYERS AND RISING STARS WERE CHOSEN IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PROCESS ON PAGE S-4.

S PE C IAL ADV E RT ISIN G SE C T ION

MISSOURI & KANSAS KANSAS CITY CONSUMER 2021 Ewan, James E., McElligott Ewan & Hall, Independence

DeWoskin, Joseph A., Joseph A. DeWoskin, Kansas City

Farmer, Frederick B., Attorney at Law, Overland Park

Driskell, Erica A., Berkowitz Cook Gondring Driskell & Drobeck, Kansas City, 816-753-5000 Pg. S-21

Gaughan, Christopher M., Gaughan & Connealy, Overland Park Kirkland, Robert K., Kirkland Woods & Martinsen, Liberty

Elliott, Nathalie Corda, Levy Craig Law Firm, Kansas City

Gordon, Robert E., The Gordon Law Firm, Kansas City Hannah, Mark A., Attorney at Law, Olathe Hansen, Lisa A., The Law Office of Lisa A. Hansen, Lee's Summit

Fink, Christopher, Fink Law Firm KC, Kansas City

Hare, J. Ryan, Norton Hare, Overland Park

Martinsen, Scott K., Kirkland Woods & Martinsen, Leawood

Fisher, Nicole M., Fisher Law, Kansas City, 816-471-7008 Pg. S-12

Hare, Lindsay A., Norton Hare, Overland Park

Nail, Molly, Chinnery Evans & Nail, Lee's Summit, 816-525-2050 Pg. S-15

Galamba, Susan Saper, McDowell Rice Smith & Buchanan, Kansas City, 816-340-6715

Haynes, Melanie A., Haynes Law Firm,

Price, Jr., H. Joseph, Dysart Taylor Cotter McMonigle & Brumitt, Kansas City

Overland Park

Goodenow, Stephanie E., Goodenow Law, Lenexa

CONTINUED ON PAGE S-14

Smith, P. Glen, Lifescape Law & Development, Liberty Sullivan, Emily, Peak Litigation, Kansas City Ward, Melinda M., Spencer Fane, Overland Park Woods, Richard D., Kirkland Woods & Martinsen, Leawood Zellmer, Kimberly S., Zellmer Law Firm, Prairie Village RISING STARS Alfano, Megan, Alfano Law Firm, Kansas City

Bayes-Weiner, S. Lynn, Thomas & Bayes-Weiner, Overland Park Esry, Joseph, Parman & Easterday, Overland Park Falk, Rochelle B., Polsinelli, Kansas City Harper, Clayton S., Creative Planning Legal, Overland Park Haseltine, Alice, Kirkland Woods & Martinsen, Leawood Knopke, Christina M., Creative Planning Legal, Overland Park

DEAN NASH

BRIAN S. FRANCISKATO*

RANDY W. JAMES*

Nazir, Samara, Parman & Easterday, Overland Park Rome, Erik, Sage Law, Overland Park *SELECTED TO SUPER LAWYERS

FAMILY LAW SUPER LAWYERS Anderson, Maggie, Law Office of Maggie Anderson, Kansas City

Bernhardt, Jacquelyn P., Thilges & Bernhardt, Overland Park Bressel, Jerold A., Jerold A. Bressel, Overland Park Burke, Anne E., Burke McClasky Stevens, Overland Park, 913-242-7522

ANNE E. BURKE

BURKE MCCLASKY STEVENS Overland Park • 913-242-7522

www.bmsfamilylaw.com Carmody, Sarah, Sarah Carmody Law, Overland Park

LITIGATION FOCUSED. RELATIONSHIP DRIVEN. The attorneys at the Nash & Franciskato Law Firm have dedicated their careers to helping people who are seriously injured by others. Our practice is nationwide and includes cases involving automobile and trucking accidents, wrongful death, class actions, products liability, and defective drugs and medical devices.

Dean Nash, Brian Franciskato and Randy James bring over 80 years of combined legal experience helping clients. We have gained local and national recognition and are routinely asked by other attorneys to act as lead counsel or co-counsel in complex cases against some of the world’s largest corporations. We have the technology and resources of much larger firms, enabling us to be successful against multibillion-dollar corporations, while still providing the individual attention to each client.

The lawyers, paralegals, assistants and other staff at Nash & Franciskato all strive to build trusted relationships with every single client, from day one. Our clients are more than an inventory. Each client is given individual attention as we help guide them through the legal process, so they can focus on their recovery.

Clevenger, Katherine, ParksClevenger, Overland Park, 913-951-4545 Colgan, Chadler E., Colgan Law Firm, Kansas City Conkright, Jason C., Attorney at Law, Prairie Village Cutrera, Nick A., Law Offices of Nick A. Cutrera, Lee's Summit, 816-525-5226 Pg. S-21 THE CHOICE OF A LAWYER IS AN IMPORTANT DECISION AND SHOULD NOT BE BASED SOLELY UPON ADVERTISEMENTS.

2300 MAIN ST., SUITE 170 | KANSAS CITY, MO 64108 PH: (816) 221-6600 | FX: (816) 221-6612

nashfranciskato.com SUPER LAWYERS MISSOURI & KANSAS / KANSAS CITY CONSUMER 2021

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MISSOURI & KANSAS KANSAS CITY CONSUMER 2021 FAMILY LAW SUPER LAWYERS CONT’D FROM PAGE S-13

Hill, Elizabeth, The Hill Law Firm, Overland Park, 913-381-1500

ELIZABETH HILL

THE HILL LAW FIRM, P.C. Overland Park • 913-381-1500

www.hilllawfirm.com

Hoffman, Larry C., Attorney at Law, Overland Park Hough, Roya R., Hough Law Firm, Kansas City Jackoboice, Jill C., Jackoboice Law Firm, Kansas City Jakobe, Michelle E., Jakobe Law Firm, Overland Park Jeffers, Mark, Jeffers Law Office, Overland Park Kaiser, Ryan F., Kaiser / Lawless, Kansas City Kincaid, Gregory D., Kreamer Kincaid Taylor Lipsman Arney Wait & Bottaro, Overland Park Kuhl, Abraham, Law Office of Young Kuhl & Frick, Lee's Summit

McFarland, Tiffany A., McDowell Rice Smith & Buchanan, Kansas City, 816-753-5400

Sorensen, Shannon A., Lawson Norris Sorensen, Kansas City

McIntosh, Michael C., Schaffer McIntosh & Effertz, Independence

Stevens, Shea E., Burke McClasky Stevens, Overland Park

Moore, Valerie, Vinton|Moore, Lenexa

Swall, Larry V., Gates Shields Ferguson Swall Hammond, Overland Park

Morrison, Eric A., Morrison Law, Overland Park Nelson, Ronald W., Ronald W. Nelson, Overland Park O'Donnell, Hugh F., Attorney & Mediator, Kansas City Outlaw, Dana, Law Office of Dana M. Outlaw, Blue Springs Parks, Dana L., ParksClevenger, Overland Park, 913-951-4545 Reecht, Christopher M., The Law Office of Christopher M. Reecht, Olathe Reynolds, William "Bud", The Reynolds Law Firm, Kansas City Richart, R. Scott, Albano Richart Welch & Bajackson, Independence

Landon, Heather, Landon Law, Olathe

Rieke, Colby L., McDowell Rice Smith & Buchanan, Kansas City, 816-753-5400

Lawson, Leslie, Lawson Norris Sorensen, Kansas City

Rodarte, Anita I., Leonard Rodarte Siegel, Lee's Summit

Lucansky, Michael W., Law Offices of Michael W. Lucansky, Overland Park

Rundberg, Ronald C., Rundberg Law, Overland Park

Mann, Scott M., MannTuckerMuir, Leawood

Scaglia, Patricia M., Scaglia Law Firm, Independence, 816-221-7224

Manson, T. Bradley, Manson Karbank McClaflin, Overland Park

Schroeder, Melissa, The Kelly Law Firm, Lenexa

Thilges, Amanda A., Thilges & Bernhardt, Overland Park Tucker Muir, Stephanie, MannTuckerMuir, Leawood Veit, Tamara A., McElligott Ewan & Hall, Independence Waits, Courtney B., Waits Law Firm, Independence Walker, H. Reed, Reed Walker, Overland Park, 913-721-8889

H. REED WALKER

REED WALKER, PA Overland Park • 913-721-8889

www.reed-walker.com

Wullschleger, Stacey, Fisher Law, Kansas City, 816-471-7008 Pg. S-12 Young, James H., Law Office of Young Kuhl & Frick, Lee's Summit RISING STARS Aramjoo, Ashley, Aramjoo Law Firm, Liberty

Aubrey, Geoffrey, The Reynolds Law Firm, Kansas City Bajackson, Erin B., Albano Richart Welch & Bajackson, Independence Barnds, Christopher, Barnds Law, Overland Park Binder, Kelisen, The Binder Firm, Kansas City Broussard, Beau, Broussard and Ruhlman, Kansas City Crozier, Justin M., Crozier Law, Kansas City Fahey, Dana L., Boothe Walsh Law & Mediation, Olathe Fairbanks, David W., Norton Hare, Overland Park Frick, Jared T., Law Office of Young Kuhl & Frick, Lee's Summit Geib, Amber, Geib Law Group, Lee's Summit, 816-908-9676 Pg. S-18 Higgins, MaKenzi D., Juris Law & Mediation, Olathe Isaacs, Amberlynn M., Thilges & Bernhardt, Overland Park Jacobs Alexander, Kristin K., Jacobs Alexander Law, Kansas City Kivett, Amanda Baker, The Kivett Law Firm, Kansas City Mathews, Lindsay, The Gordon Law Firm, Kansas City McClain, Brandi, Gagnon Law Firm, Plattsburg Miller, Christina, Reproductive Family Law Center, Kansas City Moreno, Anthony, Moreno Law, Kansas City Peters, Matthew M., Cordell & Cordell, Independence Sader, Samantha, Fisher Law, Kansas City, 816-471-7008 Pg. S-12 Siegel, Kristin D., Leonard Rodarte Siegel, Lee's Summit

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SUPERLAWYERS.COM

THE CHOICE OF A LAWYER IS AN IMPORTANT DECISION AND SHOULD NOT BE BASED SOLELY UPON ADVERTISEMENTS. ATTORNEYS SELECTED TO SUPER LAWYERS AND RISING STARS WERE CHOSEN IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PROCESS ON PAGE S-4.

S PE C IAL ADV E RT ISIN G SE C T ION

MISSOURI & KANSAS KANSAS CITY CONSUMER 2021 Spitaleri, Angela L., Spitaleri Law Firm, Independence Tafreshi, Dana P., Tafreshi Law, Olathe

RISING STARS Breckenridge, James, Levy Craig Law Firm, Kansas City

VanFleet, Lindsey M., Buccero & VanFleet, Independence

Kopit, Michael, Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith, Kansas City Nelson, Christopher B., Lathrop GPM, Overland Park

Whitsitt, Rachel, Whitsitt & Whitsitt, Overland Park Yarnell, Ashlyn, Ronald W. Nelson, Overland Park

Palmer, Brian L., Brown & Ruprecht, Kansas City, 816-292-7000 Saighman, Marc Alan, Saighman Law, Kansas City

GENERAL LITIGATION

Roberson, Zach, Roberson Law, Olathe Sprout, Valerie, McCrummen Immigration Law Group, North Kansas City

PERSONAL INJURY GENERAL: PLAINTIFF SUPER LAWYERS Adams, David S., Adams Cross, Olathe

Adler, James F., Adler & Manson, Kansas City Barnes, Kenneth E., Barnes Law Firm, Kansas City

SUPER LAWYERS Adams, Robert T., Shook Hardy & Bacon, Kansas City Pg. S-5

Bartlett, Eric E., Northland Injury Law, Kansas City

IMMIGRATION

Bender, Thomas V., Horn Aylward & Bandy, Kansas City

SUPER LAWYERS Sharma-Crawford, Rekha, Sharma-Crawford, Kansas City, 913-385-9821 Pg. S-22

Bethune, Scott S., Davis Bethune & Jones, Kansas City, 816-421-1600 Pg. S-5

Sharma-Crawford, W. Michael, SharmaCrawford, Kansas City, 816-994-2300 Pg. S-22

Foland, W. James, Foland Wickens Roper Hofer & Crawford, Kansas City, 816-472-7474 McClain, II, Kenneth B., Humphrey Farrington & McClain, Independence, 816-836-5050 Pg. S-11

RISING STARS Alberti, Genevra, The Clinic at Sharma-Crawford, Kansas City, 816-994-2300 Pg. S-20

Rew, Jason K., Oswald Rew, Blue Springs

Galicia, Megan, Martinez Immigration Law, Kansas City

Roper, Joseph J., Foland Wickens Roper Hofer & Crawford, Kansas City, 816-472-7474

Hernandez, Carlos A., Hernandez Legal, Kansas City

Stanley, Kevin D., Humphrey Farrington & McClain, Independence, 816-836-5050 Pg. S-11

Irish, Kathleen E., The Law Office of Kathleen E. Irish, Kansas City

Wirken, Christopher B., Wirken Law Firm, Kansas City

Nguyen, Ronald, The Law Office of Ronald Nguyen, Kansas City

Baughman, Lance, Wright & Baughman, Lee's Summit Beaver, Chad C., Beaver Law Firm, Kansas City Becker, Timothy J., Dollar Burns Becker & Hershewe, Kansas City, 816-876-2600 Pg. S-5 Birch, Matthew E., Shamberg Johnson & Bergman, Kansas City Bradley, Douglas R., Bradley and Bradley, Kansas City Brady, Maureen, McShane & Brady, Kansas City Buckley, Brendan C., Edelman & Thompson, Kansas City Burgess, Mitchell L., Burgess Law Firm, Kansas City CONTINUED ON PAGE S-16

Providing High-Quality Legal Advice For Over 50 Years Chinnery Evans & Nail has a reputation as one of the Kansas City area’s most trusted law firms. Founded in 1967, our firm has a passion for preparing and protecting our clients in the areas of Estate Planning, Business Law, Real Estate Law, Probate and Trust Administration, and Litigation. We provide the following: • Concentration. We listen closely and hone in on your needs.

• Consultation. We take a consultative approach to providing legal counsel. We advise you, your family and your company throughout the entire legal process.

• Competency. Our attorneys have nearly 125 years of combined experience in the practice of law and provide legal services of the highest caliber.

• Confidentiality. We strive to maintain a comfortable and confidential relationship at all times. We want each client to know they can trust us as their legal advisers.

THE CHOICE OF A LAWYER IS AN IMPORTANT DECISION AND SHOULD NOT BE BASED SOLELY UPON ADVERTISEMENTS.

Chinnery Evans & Nail 800 NE Vanderbilt Ln, Lee’s Summit, MO 64064 Office: (816) 525-2050 Fax: (816) 525-1917

chinnery.com

Back Row L to R: Molly Nail*, Corey Henry, Nancy E. Blackwell, Jason Jacoby, Adam Teel Front Row L to R: Casey Crawford**, Carl Chinnery, Andrew Felker, Gayle Evans *Named to Super Lawyers **Named to Rising Stars

SUPER LAWYERS MISSOURI & KANSAS / KANSAS CITY CONSUMER 2021

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MISSOURI & KANSAS KANSAS CITY CONSUMER 2021 PERSONAL INJURY SUPER LAWYERS CONT’D FROM PAGE S-15

Burns, Jeffrey A., Dollar Burns Becker & Hershewe, Kansas City, 816-876-2600 Pg. S-5 Cambiano, Joseph A., Rubins Kase Hager & Cambiano, Kansas City Campbell, John Harl, Law Offices of John Harl Campbell, Kansas City Carr, William, White Graham Buckley & Carr, Independence Cassidy, Dennis J., Hunter & Cassidy, Kansas City, 816-421-1377 Cloon, Bryson R., Cloon Law Firm, Leawood Crabb, Michael T., Kuckelman Torline Kirkland, Overland Park Crabtree, James M., Jim Crabtree Law, Overland Park Crow, Michael P., Crow & Associates, Leavenworth Cusick, John M., Barnes Law Firm, Kansas City Davis, Brett, Davis George Mook, Kansas City Davis, Grant L., Davis Bethune & Jones, Kansas City, 816-421-1600 Pg. S-5 Del Percio, Laura L., The Horn Law Firm, Independence

Foster, Shawn G., Preuss | Foster Law, Leawood Pg. S-5

Johnson, Lynn R., Shamberg Johnson & Bergman, Kansas City

Frickleton, James P., Bartimus Frickleton Robertson Rader, Leawood, 913-266-2300 Pg. S-5

Johnson, Todd, Votava Nantz & Johnson, Kansas City Pg. S-5

Funk, Andrew, Funk Law, Kansas City

Jones, Thomas C., Davis Bethune & Jones, Kansas City, 816-421-1600 Pg. S-5

Gaarder, Timothy C., Davis Bethune & Jones, Kansas City, 816-421-1600 Pg. S-5

Jouras, Jr., Peter A., Law Offices of Peter A. Jouras Jr., Overland Park

Gorny, Stephen M., The Gorny Law Firm, Kansas City, 816-756-5071

Kanatzar, Jill A., Dollar Burns Becker & Hershewe, Kansas City, 816-876-2600

STEPHEN M. GORNY THE GORNY LAW FIRM, LC Kansas City • 816-756-5071

www.gornylawfirm.com Green, Blake P., BG Law, Kansas City Griggs, Annette, Griggs Injury Law, Kansas City, 816-474-0202 Pg. S-5 Hankins, Thomas E., Hankins & Conklin, Kansas City Holtsclaw, Rick D., Holtsclaw Firm, Kansas City, 816-221-2555

RICK D. HOLTSCLAW HOLTSCLAW FIRM Kansas City • 816-221-2555

www.holtsclawfirm.com

Ketchum, Amanda Pennington, Dysart Taylor Cotter McMonigle & Brumitt, Kansas City Pg. S-5 Kilgore, Michael S., Humphrey Farrington & McClain, Independence, 816-836-5050 Pg. S-11 Kuckelman, Michael, Kuckelman Torline Kirkland, Overland Park Kurtz, John W., Hubbard & Kurtz, Kansas City Lawler, Christopher, The Lawler Firm, Kansas City Madden, Brian J., Wagstaff & Cartmell, Kansas City, 816-701-1100 Marvel, Michelle, Bartimus Frickleton Robertson Rader, Leawood, 913-266-2300 Mayer, David M., Monsees & Mayer, Kansas City Pg. S-5

DeMarea, Andrew M., Forsgren Fisher McCalmont DeMarea Tysver, Kansas City

House, Aaron M., House Law, Kansas City

McCreight, Scott A., Ketchmark and McCreight, Leawood

Dollar, Tim, Dollar Burns Becker & Hershewe, Kansas City, 816-876-2600 Pg. S-5

Hunter, Scott A., Hunter & Cassidy, Kansas City, 816-421-1377

McShane, Lucy, McShane & Brady, Kansas City Mook, Ben, Davis George Mook, Kansas City Morefield, Richard W., Morefield Speicher Bachman, Overland Park Nantz, Andrew J., Votava Nantz & Johnson, Kansas City Noland, Douglass F., Noland Law Firm, Liberty Norman, Phyllis, Norman & Graves, Kansas City Pg. S-5 Nutter, Scott E., Shamberg Johnson & Bergman, Kansas City Parisi, John M., Parisi Law Firm, Overland Park Peddicord, Eryn M., Peddicord Law, Kansas City, 816-842-3200 Pg. S-18 Perkin, Erica, The Perkin Law Firm, Overland Park Playter, Eric S., Playter & Playter, Kansas City Pg. S-5 Preman, Vance C., Vance C. Preman, Bucyrus Presley, Kirk R., Presley & Presley, Kansas City, 816-931-4611 Pg. S-5, S-19 Preuss, Thomas J. (TJ), Preuss | Foster Law, Leawood Price, Timothy P., Timothy P. Price, Gladstone Protzman, Andrew B., Protzman Law Firm, Leawood Rader, Michael C., Bartimus Frickleton Robertson Rader, Leawood, 913-266-2300 Pg. S-5 Randles, Rebecca M., Randles Mata, Kansas City Riemann, Tim J., Riemann Injury Litigation, Kansas City Robb, Anita Porte, Robb & Robb, Kansas City, 816-474-8080

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SUPERLAWYERS.COM

THE CHOICE OF A LAWYER IS AN IMPORTANT DECISION AND SHOULD NOT BE BASED SOLELY UPON ADVERTISEMENTS. ATTORNEYS SELECTED TO SUPER LAWYERS AND RISING STARS WERE CHOSEN IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PROCESS ON PAGE S-4.

S PE C IAL ADV E RT ISIN G SE C T ION

MISSOURI & KANSAS KANSAS CITY CONSUMER 2021 Rose, Jared A., The Law Office of Jared A. Rose, Kansas City Pg. S-5 Roth, Jason P., Roth Davies, Overland Park Russell, Brian C., Meyerkord Russell & Hergott, Kansas City Sanders, Stephen, Sanders.Law, Kansas City Schmitt, Ben T., Schmitt Law Firm, Kansas City Shetlar, James R., James R. Shetlar Law Offices, Overland Park, 913-648-3220 Pg. S-22 Shumate, Wes, Davis Bethune & Jones, Kansas City, 816-421-1600 Pg. S-5 Siro, Rik N., Siro Smith Dickson, Kansas City Skeens, David M., Walters Renwick Richards Skeens & Vaughan, Kansas City Smith, Andrew K., Humphrey Farrington & McClain, Independence, 816-836-5050 Pg. S-11 Smith, Rachel E., Smith Mohlman Injury Law, Kansas City Soper, Jonathan, Humphrey Farrington & McClain, Independence, 816-836-5050 Pg. S-11 Speicher, Andrew L., Morefield Speicher Bachman, Overland Park Stout, David C., Stout Law, Kansas City Streen, Steven, Attorney at Law, Kansas City Stuart, Daniel E., Law Office of Daniel E. Stuart, Leawood Sweeny, Christopher P., Turner Sweeny & Seaton, Kansas City Terril, Ryan, Terril Law Firm, Kansas City Thomas, Daniel A., Humphrey Farrington & McClain, Independence, 816-836-5050 Pg. S-11

TRUSTED ADVISERS. STRONG ADVOCATES.

Townsend, Michael D., Townsend Law, Overland Park Turner, John E., Turner Sweeny & Seaton, Kansas City Pg. S-5 van Zanten, Hans H., Van Zanten & Onik, North Kansas City Vandever, Wm. Dirk, The Popham Law Firm, Kansas City Votava, Brett T., Votava Nantz & Johnson, Kansas City Pg. S-5 Wallace, Brian, Foster Wallace, Kansas City Wallis, Michael D., The Redfearn Law Firm, Lee's Summit, 816-421-5301 Pg. S-10 Wendt, Samuel M., Wendt Law Firm, Kansas City, 816-531-4415 Pg. S-5 White, Bryan, White Graham Buckley & Carr, Independence Williams, Brett A., Brown & Crouppen Law Firm, Kansas City Wright, Larry D., Criterion Law, Kansas City RISING STARS Barnett, Samuel, Samuel Barnett Law Firm, Kansas City

Becker, Josh, Dollar Burns Becker & Hershewe, Kansas City, 816-876-2600 Belew, Kyle, Barnes Law Firm, Kansas City CONTINUED ON PAGE S-18 THE CHOICE OF A LAWYER IS AN IMPORTANT DECISION AND SHOULD NOT BE BASED SOLELY UPON ADVERTISEMENTS.

Ted J. McDonald

Selected to Super Lawyers

McDonald Veon, P.A. is a law firm of litigation and consulting attorneys and clinicians with special expertise serving medical institutions, professionals and long-term care providers in Kansas, Missouri and Arkansas.

- Long-term Care Civil and Regulatory Defense and Consulting - Medical Malpractice Defense - Products Liability - Trucking/Transportation - Construction Litigation - Insurance Coverage

9300 W. 110th St., Suite 470 | Overland Park, KS 66210 | (913) 647-0670 | mcdonaldveon.com 210 N. State Line Ave., Suite 303 | Texarkana, AR 71854 | (870) 774-7390 SUPER LAWYERS MISSOURI & KANSAS / KANSAS CITY CONSUMER 2021

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AMBER GEIB

MISSOURI & KANSAS KANSAS CITY CONSUMER 2021

Selected to Rising Stars

PERSONAL INJURY RISING STARS CONT’D FROM PAGE S-17

GEIB LAW GROUP

Biesterveld, Caleb, Biesterveld & Crook, Overland Park

4971 NE Goodview Circle, Suite B Lee’s Summit, MO 64064 PH: (816) 908-9676 FX: (816) 478-4646 amber@geiblaw.com

www.geiblaw.com

Boden, Rachel, Rouse Frets White Goss Gentile Rhodes, Leawood Budden, Richard, Shamberg Johnson & Bergman, Kansas City Burns, J.J., Dollar Burns Becker & Hershewe, Kansas City, 816-876-2600 Carroll, John S., Davis Bethune & Jones, Kansas City, 816-421-1600 Pg. S-5

FAMILY LAW | CRIMINAL DEFENSE | BANKRUPTCY: CONSUMER Amber Geib is the founder and principal attorney of the Geib Law Group.

While attending law school, Amber received the coveted invitation to become a member of Phi Delta Phi, the oldest and most prestigious legal honor society, and made the Dean’s Honor List every semester. She graduated six months early from the University of Missouri–Kansas City School of Law with a family law emphasis.

Amber represents clients in multiple family law areas, including divorce, paternity, child support, child custody and modifications.

Amber is a zealous advocate on behalf of her clients and their goals. She is compassionate and understands the emotional and financial challenges that come with family law issues.

Coppage, Brett J., Edelman & Thompson, Kansas City Crook, Dustin, Biesterveld & Crook, Overland Park Cross, Jordan, Adams Cross, Olathe Dandurand, Christopher, The Gorny Law Firm, Kansas City, 816-756-5071 Dickerson, Chelsea, Dickerson Oxton, Kansas City Dickerson, Thomas, Dickerson Oxton, Kansas City Dollar, Lauren, Dollar Burns Becker & Hershewe, Kansas City, 816-876-2600 Foster, Michael, Foster Wallace, Kansas City Frickleton, Kelly Clare, Bartimus Frickleton Robertson Rader, Leawood, 913-266-2300 Friesen, Ben, Kuckelman Torline Kirkland, Overland Park Gray, II, Gerald, G. Gray Law, Kansas City Heath, M. Blake, Heath Injury Law, Kansas City, 816-931-0048 Pg. S-21 Hinrichs, Nick A., Hinrichs & Scott Injury Trial Lawyers, Kansas City, 816-876-2600 Pg. S-1, S-14

NICK A. HINRICHS

HINRICHS & SCOTT INJURY TRIAL LAWYERS Kansas City • 816-876-2600

www.hinrichslawfirm.com

Hobbs, Michael K., Sanders Warren Russell & Scheer, Overland Park Hodges, Alex, Alex Hodges Law Firm, Kansas City Hyde, Jack, Wagstaff & Cartmell, Kansas City, 816-701-1100 Johnson, David, DiPasquale Moore, Kansas City Jones, Kevin A., Law Office of Kevin A. Jones, Liberty Kenney, Bill, Bill Kenney Law Firm, Kansas City Leiker, Jarrett, Leiker Law, Kansas City Lucas, Todd, DiPasquale Moore, Kansas City Martens, Phillip Reed, Monsees & Mayer, Kansas City McElderry, Ryan, House Packard McElderry, Liberty Meyer, Mike, Bartimus Frickleton Robertson Rader, Leawood, 913-266-2300 Noland, Kate E., Noland Law Firm, Liberty Oxley, Nichelle, Humphrey Farrington & McClain, Independence, 816-836-5050 Pg. S-11 Paczkowski, Ross W., Peterson & Associates, Kansas City, 816-888-8888 Pg. S-7 Regan, Charles, Regan Law Firm, Kansas City

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SUPERLAWYERS.COM

THE CHOICE OF A LAWYER IS AN IMPORTANT DECISION AND SHOULD NOT BE BASED SOLELY UPON ADVERTISEMENTS. ATTORNEYS SELECTED TO SUPER LAWYERS AND RISING STARS WERE CHOSEN IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PROCESS ON PAGE S-4.

S PE C IAL ADV E RT ISIN G SE C T ION

MISSOURI & KANSAS KANSAS CITY CONSUMER 2021 Schendel, Andrew C., Castle Law Office of Kansas City, Kansas City Schmiemeier, Nicholas, Preuss | Foster Law, Leawood Scott, Joshua, Hinrichs & Scott Injury Trial Lawyers, Kansas City, 816-876-2600 Pg. S-1 Swift, Matt, Pospisil Swift, Kansas City Templin, Nickolas C., Schmitt Law Firm, Kansas City Terry, Emmalee M., Miller & Terry, Lee's Summit Tourigny, Greg, Tourigny Law, Kansas City Van Erem, Elizabeth, Edelman & Thompson, Kansas City Vaughn, C. Brett, Hollis Law Firm, Overland Park Whitham, Tylor B., Schmitt Law Firm, Kansas City

PERSONAL INJURY MEDICAL MALPRACTICE: PLAINTIFF SUPER LAWYERS

Bartimus, James R., Bartimus Frickleton Robertson Rader, Leawood, 913-266-2300 Pg. S-5 Buckley, Robert, White Graham Buckley & Carr, Independence Cullan, Gene, Cullan & Cullan, Kansas City Cullan, MD, Samuel K., Cullan & Cullan, Kansas City Pg. S-5 Dempsey, Leland F., Dempsey & Kingsland, Kansas City

MISSOURI & KANSAS

Eisenmenger, Spencer, Fowler Pickert Eisenmenger Norfleet, Kansas City, 816-832-4688 Fowler, Ryan C., Fowler Pickert Eisenmenger Norfleet, Kansas City, 816-832-4688 Honnold, Bradley D., Goza & Honnold, Overland Park, 913-451-3433 Pg. S-21 Kenner, Nancy E., The Kenner Law Firm, Kansas City Nail, Roger D., The Nail Law Firm, Kansas City Pg. S-5

TOP 100 KANSAS CITY

TOP 50

Presley & Presley, LLC is a Kansas City law firm backed by the skills and experience of over 30 years of representing the most significantly injured and their families in the areas of aviation, care and truck crashes, catastrophic injury and premises liability, with emphasis on the complex insurance coverage and bad faith liability issues that often arise.

Kirk R. Presley

Norfleet, Robert G., Fowler Pickert Eisenmenger Norfleet, Kansas City, 816-832-4688 Norton, John (Jack), Norton & Spencer, Kansas City Ricket, Ashley L., Ricket Law Firm, Kansas City Rollins, John, Rollins/Kavanaugh, Kansas City Ronan, III, William P., The Ronan Law Firm, Overland Park, 913-652-9937

Kirk R. Presley

Kirk R. Presley*, Jill Presley, Matt McCoy *Selected to Super Lawyers

WILLIAM P. RONAN, III THE RONAN LAW FIRM Overland Park • 913-652-9937

www.theronanlawfirm.com Sexton, Michael L., Sexton & Shelor, Westwood Spencer, Kathryn A. (Katie), Norton & Spencer, Kansas City

Presley & Pr Presley, LLC 480 4801 Main St. Suite 375 Kansas City, MO 64112 PH: (816 (816) 931-4611 FX: (816) 931-4646 presleyandpr presleyandpresley.com

CONTINUED ON PAGE S-20 THE CHOICE OF A LAWYER IS AN IMPORTANT DECISION AND SHOULD NOT BE BASED SOLELY UPON ADVERTISEMENTS.

SUPER LAWYERS MISSOURI & KANSAS / KANSAS CITY CONSUMER 2021

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S P E C IAL ADV E RT ISIN G SE C T ION

MISSOURI & KANSAS KANSAS CITY CONSUMER 2021 PERSONAL INJURY PRODUCTS: PLAINTIFF SUPER LAWYERS Allen, Lauren Perkins, Lauren Allen, Kansas City

Bertram, Benjamin A., Bertram & Graf, Kansas City Brose, David, Langdon & Emison, Lexington Cartmell, Thomas P., Wagstaff & Cartmell, Kansas City, 816-701-1100 Pg. S-5 Delaney, Brennan, Langdon & Emison, Lexington Emison, J. Kent, Langdon & Emison, Lexington Pg. S-5 Franciskato, Brian S., Nash & Franciskato Law Firm, Kansas City, 816-221-6600 Pg. S-13 Goza, Kirk J., Goza & Honnold, Overland Park, 913-451-3433 Pg. S-5, S-21 Graves, Adam W., Norman & Graves, Kansas City Haigh, Burton S., Accurso Law Firm, Kansas City James, Randy W., Nash & Franciskato Law Firm, Kansas City, 816-221-6600 Pg. S-13 Kieffer, Jonathan P., Wagstaff & Cartmell, Kansas City, 816-701-1100 Kuhlman, Bradley D., Kuhlman & Lucas, Kansas City

RISING STARS Brand, Nick, Kuhlman & Lucas, Kansas City

Campbell, Patricia, Langdon & Emison, Kansas City Kingsbury, Timothy, Humphrey Farrington & McClain, Independence, 816-836-5050 Pg. S-11 Matyszczyk, Blair, Bertram & Graf, Kansas City McClain, Lauren E., Humphrey Farrington & McClain, Independence, 816-836-5050 Pg. S-11 McGreevy, Joe M., Kuhlman & Lucas, Kansas City Osborn, Austin T., McCartney Stucky, Kansas City, 816-994-8244

AUSTIN T. OSBORN MCCARTNEY STUCKY LLC Kansas City • 816-994-8244

Monsees, Timothy W., Monsees & Mayer, Kansas City Parrish, Mark E., Boyd Kenter Thomas & Parrish, Independence Redfearn, III, Paul L., The Redfearn Law Firm, Lee's Summit, 816-421-5301 Pg. S-5, S-10 Schnieders, Christopher L., Napoli Shkolnik, Leawood Thompson, James T., Edelman & Thompson, Kansas City, 816-561-3400

Selected to Super Lawyers

Mark, Keith, Mark & Burkhead, Mission, 913-677-1010 Pg. S-9 RISING STARS

Mark, Anna Michelle, Mark & Burkhead, Mission, 913-677-1010 Pg. S-9 Mark, Jacob, Mark & Burkhead, Mission, 913-677-1010 Pg. S-9 Mark, Zachary K., Mark & Burkhead, Mission, 913-677-1010 Pg. S-9 Starke, Vanessa M., Starke Law Offices, Blue Springs

www.mccartneystucky.com Scarcello, Lindsey, Wagstaff & Cartmell, Kansas City, 816-701-1100 SORTED ALPHABETICALLY

REAL ESTATE SUPER LAWYERS Anderson, Julie, The Law Offices of Anderson & Associates, Kansas City, 816-931-2207

LeRoy, Andrew S., Bautista LeRoy, Kansas City Lucas, Chad C., Kuhlman & Lucas, Kansas City

Doyle, Daniel L., Doyle & Associates, Kansas City

SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY RISING STARS Sanford, Kyle M., Peterson & Associates, Kansas City, 816-888-8888 Pg. S-7

WORKERS' COMPENSATION SUPER LAWYERS Burkhead, Leah B., Mark & Burkhead, Mission, 913-677-1010 Pg. S-9

Selected to Super Lawyers

Selected to Rising Stars

GENEVRA ALBERTI

THE CLINIC AT SHARMACRAWFORD ATTORNEYS AT LAW 515 Avenida Cesar E. Chavez Kansas City, MO 64108 Tel: 816-994-2300 Fax: 816-994-2310 genevra@theclinickc.org www.theclinickc.org IMMIGRATION

Genevra Alberti, an attorney and fearless litigator, has worked on a wide array of complex and nuanced immigration cases since becoming the attorney for The Clinic, a nonprofit. She has focused her practice on representing low-income noncitizens— detained and non-detained—facing removal proceedings in the Kansas City Immigration Court. She has also presented on a variety of immigration-related topics at multiple national and local conferences, frequently provides “Know Your Rights” presentations in the community, and is a contributing author to the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) Litigation Toolbox, 5th Ed. (2016) and 6th Ed. (2019). Genevra graduated cum laude from the Washington University in St. Louis School of Law in May 2011.

Selected to Super Lawyers

SCOTT R. BROWN

CHERYL L. BURBACH

ERIC W. COLLINS

10801 Mastin Boulevard Suite 1000 Overland Park, KS 66210 Tel: 913-647-9050 Fax: 913-647-9057 srb@hoveywilliams.com www.hoveywilliams.com

10801 Mastin Boulevard Suite 1000 Overland Park, KS 66210 Tel: 913-647-9050 Fax: 913-647-9057 cburbach@hoveywilliams.com www.hoveywilliams.com

1010 West Foxwood Drive Raymore, MO 64083 Tel: 816-318-9966 Fax: 888-376-8024 ecollins@collinsjones.com www.collinsjones.com

HOVEY WILLIAMS LLP

HOVEY WILLIAMS LLP

COLLINS & JONES, P.C.

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY LITIGATION INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

BUSINESS/CORPORATE BANKING REAL ESTATE

Scott has handled a variety of intellectual property litigations as lead trial counsel, including patent, trademark, trade dress, unfair competition, copyright, and trade secret actions. He has significant expertise in patent infringement actions, representing plaintiffs and defendants in all aspects of such disputes. His experience includes a wide range of technologies, including digital and computer hardware, digital signal processing, software, agricultural implements, complex mechanical machines, medical devices, and chemical and bio-technology based disputes. He has played a leading role in a variety of successful patent enforcement and licensing campaigns. Scott is a fellow of the Litigation Counsel of America, a national trial lawyer honorary society composed of less than one-half of one percent of American lawyers.

Cheryl Burbach has extensive experience in the field of trademarks, copyrights, and related intellectual property matters. For several years, Cheryl has been identified by Managing Intellectual Property as one of the Top 250 Women in IP and has been selected for inclusion in Missouri & Kansas Super Lawyers. Her business counseling practice has involved a wide range of issues involving trademark clearance searches, trademark application prosecution, and assistance in legal matters broadly concerning branding, social media, marketing, and licensing. She counsels clients on managing international trademark portfolios intellectual property policies and agreements that maximize their rights and protect their assets.

Eric Collins has represented clients ranging from entrepreneurs and small businesses to large corporations, including banks, real estate developers, contractors, business owners, officers and shareholders both for general business and for-profit and not-for-profit organizations. Born and raised in Osceola, a small town in southwestern Missouri, Eric attended Osceola Public Schools until his graduation in 1990. After high school, he attended Missouri State University, receiving a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry, with a minor in Biology. He received his law degree, magna cum laude, from the University of Missouri–Kansas City School of Law. Eric and his wife, Angie, have two children and currently reside in Raymore, Missouri.

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SUPERLAWYERS.COM

THE CHOICE OF A LAWYER IS AN IMPORTANT DECISION AND SHOULD NOT BE BASED SOLELY UPON ADVERTISEMENTS. ATTORNEYS SELECTED TO SUPER LAWYERS AND RISING STARS WERE CHOSEN IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PROCESS ON PAGE S-4.

S PE C IAL ADV E RT ISIN G SE C T ION

MISSOURI & KANSAS KANSAS CITY CONSUMER 2021

SORTED ALPHABETICALLY

Selected to Super Lawyers

Selected to Rising Stars

Selected to Super Lawyers

NICK A. CUTRERA

CHRISTOPHER W. DAWSON

ERICA A. DRISKELL

10801 Mastin Boulevard Suite 1000 Overland Park, KS 66210 Tel: 913-647-9050 Fax: 913-647-9057 cdawson@hoveywilliams.com www.hoveywilliams.com

4420 Madison Avenue Suite 100 Kansas City, MO 64111 Tel: 816-753-5000 Fax: 816-753-3641 ericad@berkowitz-cook.com www.berkowitz-cook.com

FAMILY LAW PERSONAL INJURY GENERAL: PLAINTIFF GENERAL LITIGATION

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY LITIGATION INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

FAMILY LAW

Nick Cutrera is an accomplished attorney with outstanding success representing both domestic law and personal injury clients. He has been recognized by his peers with practice awards and with his selection to both the Eastern Jackson County, Cass County and Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association’s Board of Directors.

He has received several professional excellence awards. Nick has secured large settlements for personal injury clients in all types of cases, including auto accidents, premises liability, and dog bites.

Chris represents clients through all phases of intellectual property procurement and enforcement. Currently, his practice focuses on patent, copyright, and trademark litigation, where he represents clients before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board, in federal district court, and before the U.S. Courts of Appeals. Chris also prepares and prosecutes utility and design patent applications in the mechanical, electrical, and business-method arts, and prepares non-infringement and invalidity opinions. Prior to joining Hovey Williams, Chris served as a judicial law clerk to the Honorable Nancy L. Moritz on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit.

Before that, he was an associate in the Washington, D.C. office of a national intellectual property law firm, where his practice focused on patent prosecution.

Erica Driskell is a partner with Berkowitz Cook Gondring Driskell & Drobeck. She has been practicing family law exclusively since her admission to the bar in 2006. As a strong litigator and comprehensive attorney, Erica has worked extensively in matters involving divorce, custody, child support, maintenance and prenuptial agreements and is known for her ability to navigate through complex legal issues and high-conflict situations. Erica earned her J.D. from University of Missouri–Kansas City (UMKC) School of Law in 2006 and is licensed in both Kansas and Missouri.

Erica is currently serving as an adjunct professor at UMKC School of Law, where she co-teaches a family law course.

LAW OFFICES OF NICK A. CUTRERA, LLC 212 Northeast Tudor Road Lee’s Summit, MO 64086 Tel: 816-525-5226 Fax: 816-525-1555 NCutrera@cutreralaw.com www.cutreralaw.com

Selected to Super Lawyers

BERKOWITZ COOK GONDRING DRISKELL & DROBECK

HOVEY WILLIAMS LLP

Selected to Rising Stars

Selected to Super Lawyers

KIRK J. GOZA

M. BLAKE HEATH

BRADLEY D. HONNOLD

9500 Nall Avenue Suite 400 Overland Park, KS 66207 Tel: 913-451-3433 Fax: 913-839-0567 kgoza@gohonlaw.com www.gohonlaw.com

4700 Belleview Avenue Suite 200 Kansas City, MO 64112 Tel: 816-931-0048 Fax: 816-931-4803 blake@heathinjurylaw.com www.heathinjurylaw.com

9500 Nall Avenue Suite 400 Overland Park, KS 66207 Tel: 913-451-3433 Fax: 913-839-0567 bhonnold@gohonlaw.com www.gohonlaw.com

GOZA & HONNOLD, LLC

HEATH INJURY LAW, LLC

GOZA & HONNOLD, LLC

PERSONAL INJURY PRODUCTS: PLAINTIFF CLASS ACTION/MASS TORTS PERSONAL INJURY MEDICAL MALPRACTICE: PLAINTIFF

PERSONAL INJURY GENERAL: PLAINTIFF INSURANCE COVERAGE

PERSONAL INJURY MEDICAL MALPRACTICE: PLAINTIFF CLASS ACTION/MASS TORTS PERSONAL INJURY GENERAL: PLAINTIFF

Kirk Goza is a founding partner at Goza & Honnold, LLC, where his focus is representing plaintiffs in products liability, medical malpractice and pharmaceutical/medical device litigation. Kirk has over 30 years experience trying lawsuits and managing significant pieces of litigation including class action claims of consumer fraud, antitrust violations, pharmaceutical and other mass tort product liability, toxic torts, professional negligence claims and general business litigation. Kirk is a member of the American College of Trial lawyers, the International Academy of Trial Lawyers, the International Society of Barristers and the American Board of Trial Advocates.

Blake Heath has dedicated his career to representing individuals injured by others’ negligence. He has experience helping clients in complex personal injury suits, product liability claims, medical malpractice lawsuits, insurance coverage disputes and class action litigation. Blake understands that each case comes with its own unique circumstances and most clients have never before faced severe injuries or the loss of a loved one due to someone else’s conduct. To help assist clients through the difficulties of personal injury litigation, Blake maintains a constant line of communication so the client always knows what is going on with their case.

Brad Honnold has practiced personal injury law in the Kansas City region and nationally for 30 years. His trial practice focuses on medical malpractice, pharmaceutical and medical device cases.

He has worked extensively on cases involving defective prescription drugs and unsafe implantable medical devices including blood thinners, pain medications, diabetes drugs and hip and knee implants. Mr. Honnold has served on court-appointed attorney leadership committees to prosecute cases in large, multi-district litigations including Xarelto, PPI medications and 3M Combat Arms Earplugs. He is a frequent speaker on trial practice and litigation strategy issues.

Selected to Super Lawyers

Selected to Super Lawyers

Selected to Super Lawyers

MICHAEL B. HURD

JOSHUA P. JONES

BRANDON L. KANE

10801 Mastin Boulevard Suite 1000 Overland Park, KS 66210 Tel: 913-647-9050 Fax: 913-647-9057 mbh@hoveywilliams.com www.hoveywilliams.com

270 Chestnut Street Osceola, MO 64776 Tel: 417-646-2245 Fax: 888-463-4813 jjones@collinsjones.com www.collinsjones.com

HOVEY WILLIAMS LLP

COLLINS & JONES, P.C.

KANE LAW OFFICE | KCTICKETLAW

111 West 10th Street Kansas City, MO 64105 Tel: 816-229-2708 Fax: 816-229-7278 brandon@bkanelaw.com www.kcticketlaw.com

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY LITIGATION INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

BUSINESS LITIGATION FAMILY LAW CRIMINAL DEFENSE

CRIMINAL DEFENSE: DUI/DWI BUSINESS/CORPORATE CRIMINAL DEFENSE

Michael Hurd specializes in intellectual property litigation, patent and trademark prosecution and client counseling. Michael has held a wide range of positions in IP law, including in-house patent counsel for a pharmaceutical company, and founding member of a patent department within a large, general practice firm. He has successfully handled hundreds of patent, trademark, copyright, trade dress, domain name and false advertising litigation matters in courts across the country. He has been recognized by his peers for outstanding legal work by receiving Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory’s highest AV Preeminent rating for lawyers.

Josh represents clients in their most important litigation matters.

He focuses his practice on commercial and business litigation of all kinds, representing banks, developers, entrepreneurs and large and small businesses. Josh was previously a transactional/ corporate partner at an AmLaw 100 firm in Houston, Texas, and that experience gives Josh a unique perspective on commercial disputes. Josh also devotes a significant portion of his practice to family law and criminal matters. Josh previously served as the elected prosecutor of rural St. Clair County, Missouri, where he tried dozens of serious felony cases. Josh graduated from Yale University in 1994 and received his law degree from Vanderbilt University School of Law in 1997.

Mr. Kane is an award-winning lawyer with more than 15 years of legal experience, focusing on criminal and corporate law. He obtained his J.D. at the University of Kansas, and was an Editor on the Law Review, top 10% graduate, national Moot Court member, and taught business law. He practiced for nearly a decade with Polsinelli, an AM Law 100 law firm. Mr. Kane has years of extensive experience in aggressively defending DUI/DWI charges and other felony and misdemeanor criminal charges throughout Missouri and Kansas. He has assisted thousands of clients with speeding tickets and other traffic violations. Additionally, his practice also focuses on general business and litigation for business startups and small/ medium-sized businesses, and he acts as outside general counsel for many small businesses.

THE CHOICE OF A LAWYER IS AN IMPORTANT DECISION AND SHOULD NOT BE BASED SOLELY UPON ADVERTISEMENTS.

SUPER LAWYERS MISSOURI & KANSAS / KANSAS CITY CONSUMER 2021

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S PE C IAL ADV E RT ISIN G SE C T ION

MISSOURI & KANSAS KANSAS CITY CONSUMER 2021

SORTED ALPHABETICALLY

Selected to Super Lawyers

Selected to Rising Stars

Selected to Super Lawyers

MARK T. KEMPTON

THOMAS BRODY KEMPTON

PATRICK D. KUEHL

KEMPTON AND RUSSELL, LLC 114 East 5th Street Sedalia, MO 65302 Tel: 660-827-0314 Fax: 660-827-1200 mark@kemptonrussell.com www.kemptonrussell.com

RIMON LAW

KEMPTON AND RUSSELL, LLC

633 East 63rd Street Suite 220 Kansas City, MO 64110 Tel: 816-839-7471 patrick.kuehl@rimonlaw.com www.rimonlaw.com

GENERAL LITIGATION PERSONAL INJURY GENERAL: PLAINTIFF CRIMINAL DEFENSE

PERSONAL INJURY GENERAL: PLAINTIFF

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY LITIGATION

Mark T. Kempton focuses his practice on litigation in a variety of matters, including personal injury, medical malpractice, product liability, commercial and business claims, professional liability claims, insurance claims and bad faith. A graduate of the University of Missouri – Columbia (B.A., 1973; J.D., 1976), Mr. Kempton was awarded the Lon O. Hocker Memorial Trial Lawyer Award by the Missouri Bar Foundation in 1984. He is a fellow and former Missouri State Chair of the American College of Trial Lawyers. He is also a member and former chapter president of the American Board of Trial Advocates and a member of the International Society of Barristers.

Brody Kempton concentrates his practice on personal injury, medical negligence, and commercial litigation. He earned his B.A. and J.D. from the University of Missouri, Columbia. Mr. Kempton is licensed to practice law in the state of Missouri, the United States District Court for the Western District of Missouri, and the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals. He is a member of the Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association, the Missouri Bar, and the Missouri Association of Trial Attorneys. This is his 5th consecutive year as a Rising Stars honoree.

Patrick Kuehl, a registered patent attorney and litigator, advises clients when they are accused of infringement or when theft or misuses of intellectual property threaten their enterprise’s hard-earned advantages. Corporations and individuals trust his advice in the prosecution and defense of trademark, copyright, patent and trade secret matters. He represents clients in Inter Partes Reviews before the Patent Trial and Appeal Board, and in trademark cancellation and opposition proceedings before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Patrick counsels companies in the areas of Internet domain name disputes and software litigation. In his business litigation practice, he represents clients in state and federal courts in breach of contract, false advertising, business disparagement, defamation, right of publicity and fraud.

Selected to Super Lawyers

114 East 5th Street Sedalia, MO 65302 Tel: 660-827-0314 Fax: 660-827-1200 brody@kemptonrussell.com www.kemptonrussell.com

Selected to Super Lawyers

ROSS C. NIGRO

SHEILA L. SECK

606 West 39th Street Kansas City, MO 64111 Tel: 816-753-4830 Fax: 816-753-3234 nigro@nigrolawfirm.com www.nigrolawfirm.com

7285 West 132nd Street Suite 240 Overland Park, KS 66213 Tel: 913-815-8481 Fax: 800-976-9425 sseck@seckassociates.com www.seckassociates.com

NIGRO LAW FIRM, LLC

SECK & ASSOCIATES LLC

Selected to Super Lawyers

REKHA SHARMACRAWFORD

SHARMA-CRAWFORD ATTORNEYS AT LAW

515 Avenida Cesar E. Chavez Kansas City, MO 64108 Tel: 913-385-9821 Fax: 913-385-9964 Rekha@Sharma-Crawford.com www.sharma-crawford.com

CRIMINAL DEFENSE: DUI/DWI CRIMINAL DEFENSE CRIMINAL DEFENSE: WHITE COLLAR

BUSINESS/CORPORATE MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS

IMMIGRATION

Ross C. Nigro is a top-rated criminal defense attorney. Mr. Nigro is licensed to practice Missouri and Kansas. He appears regularly in federal, state, and municipal courts throughout the Kansas City metropolitan area. Ross C. Nigro has earned a reputation for providing high quality and aggressive legal representation.

He has earned his reputation by providing his clients with the highest standard of diligence and professionalism. Mr. Nigro is known for his knowledge of the criminal justice system and his willingness to fight to protect the rights of his clients. Mr. Nigro is an attorney committed to ensuring positive results for his clients and is known for his strong work ethic, honesty, integrity, negotiating skill and legal competency. Mr. Nigro has an AV Preeminent rating from Martindale-Hubbell.

Sheila Seck is a top rated business attorney in Missouri and Kansas and founding partner of Seck & Associates LLC. She focuses on helping clients launch their startups, acting as outsourced general counsel, protecting intellectual property and representing clients with mergers and acquisitions. Ms. Seck attended graduated from Washington University in St. Louis School of Law. Ms. Seck was selected to Super Lawyers for 2016-2021.

Rekha Sharma-Crawford’s expertise and advocacy for immigrant’s rights and immigration law puts her in the local, national, and international spotlight having taken on many complex, high-profiled cases. Rekha is an Elected Director for the AILA Board of Governors, 2019-2023 and on the Board for the National Immigration Project of the National Lawyers Guild, 2020-2023. In 2017, the Missouri Bar Association bestowed her with the Pro Bono Publico Award and in 2018, the Kansas Bar Association honored her with the Courageous Attorney Award, for having displayed exceptional courage in the face of adversity. In 2021, Rekha was nationally recognized by the American Immigration Lawyers Association by being awarded the Edith Lowenstein Memorial Award, for excellence in advancing the practice of immigration law.

Selected to Super Lawyers

W. MICHAEL SHARMACRAWFORD SHARMA-CRAWFORD ATTORNEYS AT LAW

515 Avenida Cesar E. Chavez Kansas City, MO 64108 Tel: 816-994-2300 Fax: 816-994-2310 michael@sharma-crawford.com www.sharma-crawford.com

Selected to Super Lawyers

JAMES R. SHETLAR JAMES R. SHETLAR LAW OFFICES, P.A.

Santa Fe Law Building 8000 Foster Overland Park, KS 66204 Tel: 913-648-3220 Fax: 816-842-1195 james@shetlarlawfirm.com www.shetlarlawfirm.com

Selected to Rising Stars

KEVIN WICHMAN

WICHMAN LAW FIRM, LLC

1001 Westport Road Kansas City, MO 64111 Tel: 816-787-1529 k.wichman@wichmanlawfirm.com www.wichmanlawfirm.com

IMMIGRATION

PERSONAL INJURY GENERAL: PLAINTIFF WORKERS’ COMPENSATION PERSONAL INJURY, AUTO ACCIDENT: PLAINTIFF

CRIMINAL DEFENSE

W. Michael Sharma-Crawford is an aggressive litigator and compassionate advocate of fairness in immigration law. As a former law enforcement officer, Michael has a deeper understanding of the challenges of immigration law enforcement, detainment issues and litigation. Michael handles complex immigration proceedings where current statutes require greater experience and understanding. He frequently lectures at the AILA national and mid-year conferences. He has also lectured about immigration law to the Kansas and Missouri Bar Associations, and Kansas and Missouri Public Defenders. Michael was one of the attorneys who was counsel on the successful Supreme Court Appeal, Mellouli v.

Lynch 135 S. Ct. 1980 (2015). He has also successfully argued other cases before the Circuit Courts of Appeal.

James R. Shetlar is a partner in the law firm James R. Shetlar Law Offices, P.A. and exclusively practices in the medical legal area, representing individuals and families. Jim has dedicated his practice for 40 plus years to representing individuals who have been injured. He is a member of AAJ, Kansas Trial Lawyers Association, and Missouri Association of Trial Lawyers. He has an AV rating from Martindale-Hubbell and has been listed in The Best Lawyers in America (consumer guide), Kansas City Business Journal’s Best of the Bar, The National Trial Lawyers: Top 100 Trial Lawyers, and WILG Top 100 Injured Workers’ Attorneys, and as a Missouri & Kansas Super Lawyers honoree.

Kevin Wichman is nationally recognized as one of the top criminal defense trial attorneys in Kansas and Missouri. For over 11 years he has helped people all over the KC metro area and surrounding counties accused of crimes, traffic offenses, and orders of protection for abuse and/or stalking, all with tremendous success. He has accumulating a stellar 5-Star rating from clients and boasts over 100 reviews online from happy clients. Mr. Wichman is involved in local and national bar associations to stay abreast of any changing laws and procedures, and he enjoys crisscrosses through town and across state lines to various municipal, state, and federal courthouses daily, achieving wins at motion hearings and trials, dismissals, and acquittals for all walks of life.

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SUPERLAWYERS.COM

THE CHOICE OF A LAWYER IS AN IMPORTANT DECISION AND SHOULD NOT BE BASED SOLELY UPON ADVERTISEMENTS. ATTORNEYS SELECTED TO SUPER LAWYERS AND RISING STARS WERE CHOSEN IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PROCESS ON PAGE S-4.

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

It’s time to embrace a new outlook on aging.

Guide to

AGING WELL

Embark on a fresh adventure.

Take care of yourself physically, emotionally and spiritually. Now is the time to live on your terms. Our all-encompassing Guide to Aging Well has plenty of resources and tips to help you navigate this chapter.

K

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KANSASCITYMAG.COM DECEMBER 2021

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GUIDE TO

Aging Well

Get Your Hugs In

By Nicole Kinning

Science says you can leverage joy to live longer and lower your risk of dementia.

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KANSAS CITY DECEMBER 2021

W

hat if we told you that gardening could help you live longer? Or a long hug with a friend, or listening to positive affirmations, or spending time with your grandkids?

Seems almost too good to be true, but Dr. Carolina Aponte Urdaneta is not one to argue on that. Urdaneta specializes in geriatric psychiatry, and before the pandemic, she and her business partner, Christina Henry, started a program called Healthy Aging Revolution, where small groups of older individuals would gather to talk about ways to better this chapter of their lives.

“We would walk through things that people really need to be doing to have these years be more present, more abled, healthier and fulfilled,” Urdaneta says.

As the program was growing legs, the pandemic hit and her patients could no longer gather for these sessions, but she hopes that sessions can restart soon.

The concept of happiness prompting a longer lifespan isn’t new: A Harvard study began tracking the health of two hundred and sixty-eight Harvard

sophomores—one of which was future president John F. Kennedy—in 1938.

The eighty-year-long study dove into the participants’ health and life conditions like career, marriage and family and showed that close relationships and contentment led to a longer lifespan than fame or wealth.

Long life isn’t just attributed to happy relationships, though.

Urdaneta points to epidemiologist David Snowdon’s famed Nun Study, which found that nuns, who live homogeneously and to serve others, had a low risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s.

Positive sentiments were found in the diaries of the healthy nuns in the study; less positivity in diary writings correlated with greater mortality.

In his book Aging with Grace, Snowdon says that habitual anger and hostility are known risk factors for heart disease, and depression is a risk factor for both heart disease and stroke.

Urdaneta recommends finding purpose in life: “Purpose can look like a job. It can also look like a grandmother taking care of her grandchild, or a husband tending to the garden for his wife, or volunteering at an animal shelter,” she says.

Urdaneta also recommends being intentional: When the time comes to gather with friends and loved ones again, you should immediately schedule the next gathering. “People get busy,” she says. “You have to put in the time.”

Although she doesn’t prescribe religion, Urdaneta has patients who find solace and community in their churches, places of worship or in whatever sense of spirituality they might observe. “If that’s a part of your makeup, it has definitely been shown to bring fulfillment and joy and some resiliency in life,” she says.

The final way to spark joy might be a hug. “When people are nurtured and are physically touched, we release oxytocin, which helps us get to a homeostatic state,” Urdaneta says. “This, in turn, means that your blood pressure and heart rate are controlled and that your brain is not getting inflammatory responses to anxiety.”

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KANSASCITYMAG.COM DECEMBER 2021

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GUIDE TO

Aging Well

The Right Moves

By Anne Kniggendorf

A corrective exercise specialist shares moves to keep muscles relaxed and the body aligned.

E

ven if you haven’t begun feeling the pangs of aging yourself, you’ve likely seen parents or grandparents lose their perfect posture and move differently than they once did. No one stays young forever, but with the right exercises, a lot of the stiffness and discomfort associated with aging can be allayed.

Ray O’Kelly is the owner of Superior Fit Body in Waldo. He holds a Corrective Exercise Certification through the National Academy of Sports Medicine and has been training older clients for thirteen years.

“They know they need to stay active,” O’Kelly says. “If they stay active, it helps their posture, it helps their core, it helps their range of motion, mobility, lifestyle.”

When he meets a client, one of the things O’Kelly has the person do is stand with her heels and head against a wall. Can she raise her arms straight out in front of her? Some people can do it but then can’t raise their hands straight above their heads in the same position.

The inability to do either tells O’Kelly that the muscles along the front of the person’s body are too tight, or overactive, and need to be stretched—a lot—and the muscles along the back are underactive and need to be strengthened.

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KANSAS CITY DECEMBER 2021

“Your body should be a straight line,” O’Kelly says.

“When you raise your arms up above your head, your fingertips should line up all the way through your heels.”

And, often, the older a client is, the less straight that line is.

So O’Kelly starts with dynamic stretching, not weights or aerobic activity—his goal is to regain some range of motion and strengthen the core.

“When someone says ‘core’ they automatically think, ‘Oh, let’s work our abs,’” O’Kelly says.

“It’s not about that. It’s about working your balance. I have a lot of my clients sit on a balance ball, balance on one leg, do things on unstable surfaces.”

He says that consistency is key, so he urges people to see him three or four times a week and continue doing

their “homework” on days when they’re not with him, which often means taking a walk, balancing or doing arm raises.

For one eighty-five-year-old client, the homework is simply to lie on a hard surface until his muscles relax enough to allow his head to rest on the floor, which sometimes takes as long as three minutes.

He says what causes the tightness is not only inactivity but also many years of hunching forward at a desk or even wearing high heels too often; the muscles are out of balance with each other.

With the right exercise, a lot of that balance can be regained.

“If I can help someone get up from a chair without any assistance or even to roll over in bed, then I’m doing something right,” O’Kelly says.

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ay Fit St. Thomas More Fitness Center provides an active lifestyle for residents of St. Anthony’s Senior Living.

No buy-in fee plus a $3,000 move-in bonus!* Call 816.846.2200 today to schedule your personal tour or visit StAnthonysKC.com to view our lifestyle video.

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GUIDE TO

Aging Well

The Century Diet

By Anne Kniggendorf

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ooking for that one superfood that will keep you fit and healthy well into old age? Let us know when you find it. Experts agree that whether you’re thirty years old or eighty, the key to good health and longevity is a variety of healthful foods.

“If you like having an apple a day, by all means, have an apple a day—but also have some broccoli, have some grapes, have some whole grains, have a little bit of everything,” says Dr. Nick Marchello, a registered dietitian and professor at Northwest Missouri State University and the University of

Kansas Medical Center.

He says one of the things that does change with age is calorie needs. Diet and exercise regimens—or lack thereof—often fossilize in the first few decades of life, and once injury or aging makes activity more difficult, a naturally slower metabolism and that lack of activity create a drop in caloric requirements.

Marchello says his mother had been fairly sedentary since her early thirties and had subsisted on what he calls the “Midwestern diet” of meat, potatoes, corn, peas and little else.

Diabetes runs in the family, and

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his mother was diagnosed at age sixty-six.

To improve her health, Marchello helped his mom set goals that were specific, measurable, realistic and timebound. Instead of saying she wanted to lose one hundred pounds, she aimed for twenty, lost them within a year and is now off medication. “It can be done,” he says. “Is it a cake walk? No. It requires making some changes.”

Annie Nelson agrees. She’s worked in nutrition for almost fifty years and is retired from the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services.

“I tell people that there is really no bad food,” Nelson says. “We just should eat in moderation but limit empty

calorie foods as much as possible.”

Nelson recommends eating different colors and types of vegetables and fruits, whole grain cereals and breads, seeds, nuts, avocados and salmon and limiting saturated fats.

If you’re looking to eat a low-sugar diet, don’t be fooled by the “sugar-free” label. Nelson says those products tend to contain a lot of carbohydrates.

“If [an older person is] eating healthy, getting variety from all the food groups and increasing the fiber in their diets, I don’t see a big change they’d need to make as opposed to someone that’s younger.”

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GUIDE TO

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Aging Well

COMMUNITIES Saint Luke’s Bishop Spencer Place 4301 MADISON, KANSAS CIT Y

A distinctive retirement community near the Country Club Plaza with access to culture, cuisine and adventure.

The community offers options for independent and assisted living, skilled nursing and private caregiving. Residents are energized by countless recreational and cultural activities and conveniences both within the facility and the surrounding community.

There are many programs, events and classes and opportunities to maintain a fulfilling lifestyle. New residents choose from a variety of beautiful apartment homes that are pet friendly. And, if you ever need healthcare a full continuum of care is available on sight.

Lakeview Village 9100 PARK ST., LENE XA

While some senior living communities resemble a housing complex, Lakeview Village looks more like a neighborhood. The charming village is nestled in suburban Lenexa and offers a scenic 100-acre

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community complete with tree-lined streets with an impressive selection of villas, garden cottages, twin homes and apartment residences.

Exclusive to the community is Lakeview LifeCare™, an allinclusive plan covering a maintenance-free lifestyle, plus unlimited access to assisted living and long term care nursing care for a modest increase in the independent living expense.

Recognized by US News and World Report as one of the best shortstay facilities in the United States.

Maggie’s Place at Colonial Village 12610 W. 137TH ST., OVERLAND PARK

Kansas City’s newest memory care facility has taken extraordinary care to create a place that feels like home. There are five cottagestyle homes with 12 bedrooms in each, all with a private en suite bathroom and built around a main street meant for exploration and connection. The staff is well-trained in helping with home chores, medication and physical needs customized to the individual’s unique cognitive concerns.

KANSAS CITY DECEMBER 2021

Meadowbrook Senior Living 9300 PARKSIDE DRIVE, PRAIRIE VILLAGE

Located on the southwest corner of what was the 136-acre country club known as Meadowbrook Golf Course is a boutique community; this new property offers a desirable location for roomy independent, assisted and memory care living environments surrounded by beautiful trees, walking trails and water features within Meadowbrook Park.

This worry-free retirement community features elegantly designed common areas, chef-prepared culinary experiences, private underground parking and an array of other amenities to ensure residents ‘love the way they live.’

Senior Care Authority SENIORCAREKANSASCIT Y.COM

Offers senior clients valuable information regarding independent living, assisted living, and memory care at no charge by evaluating area communities and finding the best living solutions for them. They also provide consulting services to help seniors

and their families navigate the complex systems of healthcare.

St. Anthony’s Senior Living 1000 E. 68TH ST., KCMO

A new gated, resortstyle retirement community that offers one- and two-bedroom senior apartment homes in independent residential as well as assisted living and memory support.

The soaring high-rise building offers scenic views with floor-toceiling windows in the independent living homes and is fully staffed with a skilled care team in the assisted living and memory care units. It is a Catholic-faith based community designed

to help seniors enjoy aging. Residents have access to chefprepared, restaurantstyle meals, fitness classes, community engagement and life many forms of life enrichment activities.

Silvercrest at College View 13600 W 110TH TERRACE, LENE XA

Independent, assisted and memory care living options including services catered uniquely to people living with Alzheimers and dementia.

Residents experience full days of purposeful and meaningful engagement opportunities that are designed for a worryfree lifestyle.

WELCOME TO

BETTER

Memory Care

NOW ACCEPTING RESERVATIONS!

Maggie’s Place at Colonial Village is a new memory care community unlike any other. Our unique village concept is designed specifically for those who desire the latest and best in memory care support in an environment that is safe, comforting and stimulating—a home where your loved one can continue to live life to its fullest.

Amenities & activities designed for living: • Private room & bath in cottage-style home • Safe, secured doors & fenced courtyard • Central “main street” & walking paths • Medical & care staff with specific Alzheimer’s & memory care training • Group & individualized activities • Outdoor clubhouse with patio • Many other specialized amenities

LEARN MORE AT MaggiesPlaceKC.com (913) 730-3700 12610 W 137th Street Overland Park, KS 66221

HOW WE MADE THIS LIST

For this list, we looked at restaurants that opened since March 2020.

We paid our own way and did not announce ourselves. Advertisers were not favored.

Restaurants of every type were considered. We picked restaurants that offer an exceptional dining experience and enrich the city’s cultural landscape.

WORDS MARTIN CIZMAR, NATALIE TORRES GALLAGHER, MARY HENN

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Great restaurants from a bold new era of Kansas City food.

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1228 Baltimore Ave., KCMO

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t’s a wet and dreary Monday morning, and it couldn't be cozier inside Sister Anne’s on the northern edge of Hyde Park. The barista at the coffee shop-cum-record store is spinning jazz poet Gil Scott-Heron’s “Home is Where the Hatred Is” and pulling shots of espresso as two regulars in knit beanies grab a table by the windows up front.

These regulars are chefs Johnny and Helen Jo Leach, the husband and wife duo behind The Town Company in Hotel Kansas City. In a more normal era, you’d probably have heard much more about the Leaches and their outstanding opening run at the most exciting new restaurant the city has seen in years.

The Leaches moved to KC just as the pandemic was beginning, bringing their young daughter and impressive resumes.

Among their credits, Leach ran the kitchen at David Chang's Momofuku Ko in New York. Helen Jo was the longtime pastry chef at Le Pigeon, Portland’s best restaurant of the past decade. Pressed a bit, the Leaches will tell stories of the old days, but what they really want to talk about is the micro-farms dotting the city—places with names like Prairie Birthday and Sacred Sun, plus one called Green Willow in Lee’s Summit where a former line cook “grows all these really esoteric Japanese ingredients.”

“Just down the street at Woodland and 36th, you’ve got some of the dopest farmers, Lisa and Neil,” Johnny says.

“They’re part of a movement—urban farmers trying to take derelict plots and create these amazing farms. I try as hard as I can to buy as much as I possibly can from them. There’s some really cool shit going on around the area.”

It’s not rare to hear chefs geek out about produce. But the tenacity with which the Leaches talk about tracking down specific growers at farmers' markets sets them apart. Then again, it’s the animating idea behind Town Company, an eclectic

fine dining restaurant where these highly skilled chefs can riff on an Italian-ish lamb sausage with garlic scapes and an Asian-influenced duck with wild plums and shiso. To add a little intrigue—and get some flavors you can’t easily summon with a steel pan—they cook on a live-fire hearth on Missouri white oak.

“The food at Town Company is not really informed by a certain idea,” Johnny says. “It’s more: What do we got from the people who we want to work with?”

It’s a great way to work if you’ve got the juice to do it. The Leaches most certainly do, which is why we are naming Town Company our 2021 Restaurant of the Year. The restaurant immediately joins Antler Room and Corvino in the grand debate over the city’s best fine-dining experience.

It’s a nice turnaround for Johnny, who moved from New York back to his native Portland to start his dream restaurant, only to watch it fail. That spot was a high-end Mexican place called Chalino, which focused on ceviches, tostadas and drinks. A lot of things went wrong, he says, and many lessons were learned—things the couple still talk about “on a weekly basis.”

“For chefs, there’s kind of this idea about a career trajectory that you have where you’re like, ‘I’m going to do this for so many years and then I’m going to have my own place,’” Johnny says. “But when you open your own place, what you’re doing is really something that’s a totally different skill set than what you’ve built over the years.”

Johnny spent some time in Kansas City on a business trip in 2019 and says he was immediately impressed with a city that “reminds me of a northside Chicago, or like Portland circa 2008, in all the right ways.” When the Town Company gig popped on his radar, Johnny was

consulting on another hotel project and Helen Jo was working catering gigs. Their daughter, Perri Yoon, hadn’t started school. The chance to work together full time was a huge draw. The Chiefs’ win in the Super Bowl on the weekend the couple was making their final decision iced it.

“The timing was right, and we got to reset here,” Helen says. "There are incredibly talented people in this community, and the bigger picture for us is to really nurture and support that and be part of that growth in a respectful way.”

“We’re not here with our arms crossed, flaunting experience— we’re here to be part of something,” Johnny says.

To do that, they’re learning the region’s micro-seasons and sampling items like foraged paw-paws. Talking to the Leaches as Gil Scott-Heron moves on to “When You Are Who You Are,” it’s somewhat striking that they seem to take things one dish at a time. They each talk about their “wins”—which often seem to find their way directly onto the Town Company menu.

“Like, we had this farm, Cultivate, that had a huge flat of spring garlic, and they say ‘No one wants this, can you take it?’ and we bought it and made a really cool spring garlic ranch to dress spinach from Thane Palmberg Farm,” Johnny says. “We take what they have and cook it— that’s the concept, dude. Nothing outside that.” —MARTIN CIZMAR

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never trust a label avowing something as “spicy.” I have too often been disappointed by wimpy grocery store salsas and fancy hot sauces emblazoned with danger warnings. As I considered the salsa options in Taco Naco’s cold case, I plucked out three that sounded flavorful: creamy jalapeno, peanut macha and roasted fuego. Later, when I set these offerings out on the grazing table at a gathering, I would regret the lack of a disclaimer. Chef Fernanda Reyes’ fuego salsa—made with roasted habaneros, garlic and tomatoes—was, indeed, on the fiery side. My friends were taken by surprise.

Most of what you find at Taco Naco takes you by surprise. The casual counter-service taqueria and market in Overland Park is colorful and festive.

Beyond the grab-and-go case stocked with salsas and margarita mixes, there are house-roasted spices, Mexican candies and fresh fruit paletas.

But most people come for the tacos: Reyes’ slowcooked cochinita pibil (aromatic shredded pork), barbacoa that melts in your mouth, the vegan potato with mole pipian. (A lot of folks come for the fortifying breakfast burritos, too.)

Since it started just before the pandemic in 2020, under a tent at the nearby Overland Park Farmers Market, Taco Naco has always done Mexican food just a little bit differently. Reyes’ tacos, served in artisanal Yoli Tortilleria tortillas, are not street tacos. Then again, though Reyes is from Durango, she has never considered her food to be “authentic Mexican.” She gets granular on this: Guajillo peppers here, she says, aren’t quite red enough, or the texture is off, so she’s not going to build a dish around them.

“Sometimes you want to follow the tradition but you don’t find the right ingredients because we’re not in Mexico,” Reyes says. “So I give it a twist. I don’t change things, because I like to respect the traditions, but I move things around.

We’re adapting to what Kansas City offers us. If I’m making tamales, I go to the market and I see different ingredients and I get ideas. What happens if I add zucchini or squash blossom? As a chef, it’s about two things: what your customer wants and the ingredients you have at that moment.”

Pro tip: The passion fruit margarita mix is the only thing missing from your party. Use it as a mixer with tequila or your favorite spirit.

december '21

—NATALIE TORRES GALLAGHER

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o place surprised me this year as much as Va Bene did.

The Italian eatery quietly opened one year ago in the Corinth Square shopping center in Prairie Village, sliding into a space vacated by Urban Table, next to the Salty Iguana. At a glance, the decor (a dining room with a subway-tiled wall and red dining chairs, a small bar with crowded seating) and menu (all the usual pasta and pizza suspects) did not seem all that remarkable. But it's been drawing packed crowds most nights, and I quickly came to understand why.

Va Bene is owned by local restaurateur Whitney VinZant, who owns two other spots in the shopping center, Taco Republic and BRGR. Chef Nathan Deters came from Overland Park’s North Italia to open Va Bene, and when he left Va Bene in August, sous chef James Landis took his place at the helm of the kitchen.

Landis was most recently at Ragazza and Blue Grotto. Since taking over Bene’s menu, he’s made a few tweaks­. He took the house-made pappardelle and paired it with a traditional Piedmontese braised beef. Arancini larger than golf balls are stuffed with fresh mozzarella and garnished with pickled mushrooms, an echo of the porcini broth used to cook the risotto. The Sicilian pork ragu—delicate pork braised in red wine, chiles and sofrito and served over parmesan polenta— is his, too.

But it was the salmon, rubbed with toasted fennel and coriander and served with a welcoming goat cheese-polenta cake and a walnut pesto, that gave me a moment of wonder.

“I wouldn’t be here if I just wanted to serve a spaghetti meatball plate and say, ‘This is what we do and if you don’t like it, go somewhere else,’” he says. “I want someone to come in here and be blown away because we serve really good food at a really good price.”

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Pro tip: Wednesday night features half-priced wine bottles. Get there early to grab a table.

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t wasn’t until Tanyech Yarbrough traveled the world with her family—Paris, Ethiopia, Tanzania and Zanzibar—that she realized she wanted to quit her job as district manager for Marshalls and open a restaurant. “Traveling made me look at my life differently, like, ‘I’ve got this stressful job, and I no longer enjoy it’,” Yarbrough says. “I missed a lot of years with my family and my kids.”

When Yarbrough returned from her travels, her partner—who is Nigerian—took her to Fannie’s West African Cuisine in Hyde Park.

Yarbrough was introduced to the owner, Fannie, who convinced her to rent a storefront for her own restaurant. So Yarbrough found a spot on Troost and renovated it top to bottom, making it a bright, clean and cozy space.

Having moved from Jamaica to the Crown Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn in 1983 when she was eight years old, Yarbrough grew up on Jamaican food, so that part of her menu came naturally. Wah Gwan, which means ‘What’s up?’ in Jamaican Patois, serves Jamaican comfort foods like jerk chicken and curry goat.

Yarbrough’s jerk chicken is ultra-tender and

cooked with a perfect balance of tang and spice.

The curry goat is peppery and creamy, and at Wah Gwan, it’s made with coconut oil. “I believe in using healthier oils, and I don’t steam down my cabbage either because you lose a lot of nutrients that way,” Yarbrough says.

It wasn’t just Jamaican food Yarbrough had her eyes on, however. She wanted to put Nigerian and Caribbean-West African fusion dishes on the menu, too. On the Nigerian side of the menu, you’ll find chicken stew, jollof rice, egusi and fufu.

The chicken stew is made with a thick tomatobased sauce, garlic and peppers, then poured over jollof rice. Egusi is similar to gumbo and made with melon seeds, African spices and goat or chicken. It’s served with fufu, a dough-like ball made from cassava, which serves as the perfect vehicle for Yarbrough’s rich egusi.

Yarbrough doesn’t call herself a chef, and she doesn’t really feel like the term “cook” fits, either. “I like to look at it as I'm somebody's Auntie or grandma because I want you to feel like you just had their cooking,” she says. “When I'm here, when I'm creating these dishes, it's about the love.” —MARY HENN

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Pro tip: Sunday brunch is a chance to try Middle Eastern breakfast items you won't see elsewhere in town, like the Turkish egg dish menemen.

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lay and Fire needed a chef. Brent Gunnels coveted a Westside building.

And in the crazy days of the pandemic, it all came together at this most unexpected of Near Eastern restaurants.

The backstory: Developer Adam Jones specializes in rehabbing historic buildings and has owned a little house on top of the hill in the Westside neighborhood for two decades. Before the coronavirus hit, he’d tapped Turkish restaurateur Orcan Yigit.

Gunnels is a talented chef who, before the pandemic, was running a backyard pizza pop-up called Cult of Pi from his house just down the street from Clay & Fire.

“I’ve approached him so many times about this space because I just love this space,” Gunnels says. “It’s one of my favorite restaurant spaces in this city.”

And so, when things got hairy—and with the help of Skype tutorials on Turkish dishes—Gunnels found himself manning the restaurant’s clay oven.

Clay and Fire opened in August 2020, and while the menu is part collaboration with Jones, it’s also deeply personal for Gunnels.

Start with the mezze. If you are with a group, get “the whole shebang”—an order that will overwhelm your table with a barrage of small snack plates and homemade flatbread. We love the garlicky baba ganoush—Gunnels roasts the eggplants on coals until they turn black—and the peppery pop of the guajillo hummus.

Snow-white Bulgarian yogurt could be

mistaken for luxury face cream (only in texture, not in taste—it’s all tang). And if you spot butter-poached radishes on the menu, order doubles: Gunnels slowly ladles hot butter over skinned radishes until they are just cooked through, sublimely textured and as precious as the pearls they resemble.

For the kebab, Jones’ Iranian-born wife, Noori, gave Gunnels a hands-on tutorial on the legacy of the dish. Gunnels rolls minced lamb and beef into happy meatballs seasoned with tomato, cumin, mint and—if you opt for the spicy version—a blend of half a dozen chili peppers that may be from Gunnels’ own garden.

—NATALIE TORRES GALLAGHER

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Pro tip: Save room for the dessert.

Get the carrot cake featuring twenty-four ingredients, none of them raisins.

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himself has just arrived home.

Some have called Tailleur a French bistro, taking cues from the name—the French spelling of Taylor—and a menu that centers on classics like steak frites, mussels and steak tartare. The owners see it as more broadly continental and say the menu will change seasonally.

What has made it such an immediate success is the fact that the classics are done well here. Domingo’s food is rustic—and occasionally old-fashioned, but in a way that soothes, like an endearing relative who still decorates with doilies.

The rack of lamb is rubbed in a bounty of garlic and thyme, roasted to a perfect medium-rare and finished with a cheerful demi-glace that accentuates the robust, earthy protein. An enormous pork shank is braised slowly in bold red wines that you would be proud to serve at a dinner party, and you hardly need a fork to separate it from the bone; one stern look will do. The mussels marinières are an indulgence. There is nothing secret about the sauce—it is the standard white wine, butter and garlic, plus a spice rack of dried herbs—but it is a good example of the honest, time-tested cooking that Tailleur leans on. —NATALIE TORRES GALLAGHER

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or many old-style European cafes, the food is nothing revolutionary. The magic is in the indubitable comfort of these spaces: Sitting in one of the wellworn seats, feeling the weight of tarnished antique silver in your hand, leaning across the aisle to knock your glass of wine in a merry salute with your neighbor’s. This is the vibe Tailleur (pronounced: Taylor), the new Midtown sister restaurant from the team behind The Russell, is going for.

Owners Heather White and Amante Domingo planned this restaurant during the pandemic, over eighteen long months. It opened in mid-August and has been popular since—maybe you’re not yet ready to book a trip to Europe, and Tailleur gets you close.

White and Domingo painstakingly remodeled a 1928 building, painting the walls a rich naval blue, laying hexagon tile and hanging warm brass chandeliers from the domed ceiling. The details are precise and intimate down to the black sequined equestrian show jacket hanging from a coat hook and the riding boots propped on the stairs, as though Ralph Lauren

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The Year of the ‘And Market’ MAYBE IT’S THE PANDEMIC, maybe it’s nesting millennials finding their way around the kitchen, or maybe it’s just a function of entrepreneurs looking to maximize on each customer.

Whatever it is, it’s clear this era has birthed The Year of the “And Market,” as some of our favorite restaurants also sell ingredients, sauces and the like to-go.

Out of our top nine new restaurants, Taco Naco and Baba’s Pantry both stand out for their well-appointed cold cases, both of which could conceivably outfit you with groceries for a few days. Clay and Fire has an extensive "bodega" menu of to-go sauces, spices and speciality produce from black salt to Turkish peppers. And they’re not alone. In Midtown, Billie's Grocery has won a devoted following with gluten-free baked goods and some of the tastiest lemon curd you’ll ever eat.

In KCK, Caribe Blue—temporarily closed as of our deadline— makes a mean mofongo roll and shredded skirt steak but has a small selection of provisions behind the register. It’s a trend you’ll even find in Grandview, where a new barbecue spot called Lueck's is also a “General Store” with house-made canned goods, jerky, smoked cheese and baked goods.

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The New Restaurant Row? GREAT NEW RESTAURANTS often come in clusters. In most cities, you’ll find the most energy for fresh new food concepts in what real estate agents tend to call “emerging areas”—or what some others call gentrified areas.

The corner of 63rd and Troost, where three of our top nine new restaurants live within a few blocks, is an outlier. There are a few modernist apartment blocks down the street, sure, but not many, and not especially close.

There’s an ancient, struggling shopping mall and several large brick buildings that are mostly or entirely unused. There’s no nightlife to speak of—the only bars east of Charlie Hooper’s keep limited hours.

But along with Baba’s Pantry, Wah Gwan and Mattie’s, you’ll find the best small brewery in the city (BKS Artisan Ales), an excellent bakery (Heirloom) and several other establishments that maintain a loyal clientele.

When three of the best new restaurants in the entire metro area sit so close, it certainly seems fair to call it a Restaurant Row, even if the corner of Troost and 63rd seems like an odd spot for the title.

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—NATALIE TORRES GALLAGHER

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eating with our families,” Woods says.

Going back to her previous diet wasn’t an option. “I love food, but I don’t want high cholesterol and high blood pressure. In African-American communities, you don’t see healthy food available often. We wanted to help people who look like us or eat like us but who want to eat well.”

So Woods and Pernell searched for creative ways to satisfy their cravings for comfort food. They worked on cinnamon rolls, developed a gooey mac and cheese with seitan buffalo bites and a marinated barbecue brisket sandwich made with tofu. In September 2020, they opened Mattie’s Foods—named for their grandmother—in a bright space on 63rd Street on the east side of Brookside, across from Unbakery and Juicery. Though the restaurant’s menu is entirely plant-based, the duo left “vegan” off signage.

“We don’t brand ourselves as a vegan restaurant,” Woods says. “It’s good food made smart. We wanted to be a bridge for people. Most of our customers are vegan or what we call ‘vegan allies.’ But we want to be accessible to everyone.

We’re just here to serve good food.”

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isters Arvelisha Woods and India Pernell insist there is no butter in their vegan Mattie bon, and I want very much to believe them. But the thing is, I’ve had that cinnamon roll. I once carried half a dozen of them—these gorgeous pastries as big as a sleeping kitten and just as soft—in an air-tight cooler on an eighthour drive so that my vegan sister could experience flavors she hadn’t tasted in years. And as she held that coveted center bite between her fingers, she raised an eyebrow at me and demanded to know if I had tricked her into eating a Cinnabon.

“We worked hard to make it taste suspicious,” Woods says. “There are some very good vegan kinds of butter out there.”

When Woods and Pernell transitioned to a vegan diet in 2015, they went from eating whatever they wanted to feeling like they had limited choices. For them, food and family went hand-in-hand.

Suddenly, they couldn’t enjoy the same meals with the people they loved.

“When we went vegan, we were separated from everything great about

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t Lucky Seb’s in Lawrence, Will Soo serves a mind-bending dumpling special every weekend.

There have been stroganoff dumplings stuffed with tender beef and smothered with mushroom gravy, lamb and beef gyro dumplings with hummus and feta, and dumplings filled with whipped potatoes and eggs and topped with gravy, bacon and cheese.

Each week, the special sells out. And it’s not just the novelty appeal: Soo’s creations are genuinely superb. In my hangriest moments, I summon visions of his birria dumplings—plump darlings filled with soft, slow-roasted, stewy brisket and served with a slurpable consommé dipping sauce.

The menu at Lucky Seb’s, a slender space with not many more seats beyond what the bar can hold, is small but mighty. Beyond the weekly dumpling special, Soo offers a handful of dishes that juxtapose global flavors. See: the lox rangoons filled with house-smoked salmon and cream cheese and the grilled chicken entree served with homemade rotis, curry sauce and salsa verde. His fried chicken sandwich is particularly popular, and the twenty-four-hour marinade it receives—a mix of fish sauce, lime juice, soy sauce, achiote paste and orange juice—is a mashup of Asian and Mexican influences.

What do you call a restaurant like this?

“Fusion” went out of fashion in the early aughts, and Soo doesn’t feel like that’s accurate anyway.

“I tell people it’s an American establishment because the food we’re creating is, for lack of a better term, butchered dishes, a lot of them Asian,” he says. “That’s what American food ends up being sometimes. You’re taking a dish from wherever your family is from and it evolves into something that doesn’t really resemble the dish back home, like pizza.” —NATALIE TORRES GALLAGHER

Pro tip: Lucky Seb’s is only open weekends, and it’s a small space that can get crowded—there’s plentiful outdoor seating on nice days.

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mar Kamal has a gleeful laugh as he recalls the empty shelves lining his father’s pantry. It was his fault, he confesses—along with his brother, Kamal Yahia. As college students, they’d head home on the weekends for dinner and raid the kitchen like hungry pirates.

“We’d take all his harissa and his spices, sometimes leaving him with nothing,” Omar says.

That’s where Baba’s Pantry began. The restaurant, which occupies a small space on 63rd Street in Brookside, is part-market, part-cafe and all charm.

Yahia, Omar’s father, is Palestinian (“baba” is Arabic for father). Although Omar and his siblings were born in the U.S., the Kamal family lived in Palestine for most of the nineties. There, immersed in their father’s homeland, they came to understand Palestinian food.

On the surface, the most widely known Palestinian dishes are indistinguishable from the broader Levant: hummus, falafel, tabbouleh. But there is something else, too. It’s not easy to pinpoint—Omar describes Palestinian food as “simple, with fresh ingredients and beautiful colors”—but you can find it in the falafel at Baba’s, where the filling is as vibrantly green as fresh parsley. It’s there in the shatta, a chili paste found on every Palestinian table. It’s made at Baba’s with fermented green jalapenos and walnuts.

When you are seated comfortably inside Baba’s Pantry and forming craters in that silky hummus with your pita, you’ll find portraits of the extended Kamal family and beloved Palestinian artists watching you peacefully from their places on the bright walls. And perhaps this is the most important thing Baba’s Pantry offers, this expression of identity and experience of sharing it. —NATALIE TORRES GALLAGHER

december '21

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1019 E. 63rd St., KCMO

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Baba’s Pantry

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Pro tip: Don’t sleep on the lemonade of the day, fresh squeezed and always with a unique twist.

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98 WORDS BY MARTIN CIZMAR ILLUSTRATIONS BY KATIE HENRICHS

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The Owen Case

SOLVE IT We've made hundreds of never-before-released documents available on our website.

The gruesome torture-murder of Artemus Ogletree in a Kansas City hotel has a mythical status among true crime geeks. We obtained access to the complete police case file for the first time.

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eep in the downtown headquarters of the Kansas City Police Department, there’s a roll of microfiche that spits out a stack of copy paper a full five inches thick. The file is marked “Roland T. Owen” and dated by hand, “1-4-35.”

This is the file for the unsolved murder of a man who wasn’t named Roland T. Owen. He died at the old General Hospital a day after his nude, battered body was discovered by a bellboy in room 1046 of the President Hotel in downtown Kansas City. “It’s really something,” says Sergeant Jake Becchina. “There’s really nothing here that I would compare to a modern incident report.”

The dead man’s real name was Artemus Ogletree. At age nineteen, he was really more of a boy—an adventurous kid who’d set off hitching across the country with a buddy. His brutal murder has long fascinated true crime writers and podcasters, probably because the facts are so bizarre—a victim who used his last breaths to deny being beaten to death, a mysterious man named Don Kelso who was later tied to another gruesome slaying, letters sent to the victim’s mother after he died but before she knew of his passing, and a mysterious donor who paid for a grave and a dozen roses with a card that read “Love for ever, Louise.”

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Otto Higgins, the city’s police chief at the time, is quoted in an interdepartmental memo saying the case “came nearer to being the perfect crime than any other murder Kansas City has seen in his quarter-century as a detective.”

Police worked hard to solve the high-profile case: corresponding with departments from New York to Los Angeles, conducting dozens of interviews, interrogating prostitutes, strapping an Olathe man who’d been convicted of “crimes against nature” to a lie detector and sending handwriting samples to the FBI. Records show the department worked the case until December 1950, when the FBI cleared the “degenerate” whom the lead detective had been “satisfied” was guilty.

Fifty years after the case went cold, Kansas City magazine reviewed more than five hundred pages of witness statements and investigation records from the police department’s “Owen” case file which have never before been released to the public. The file offers a unique look into society and police work just before the Second World War and exposes some inconsistencies among the clues that have obsessed amateur sleuths from the days of detective magazines right up through the true-crime podcast era. It also shows that Ogletree‘s mother, Ruby, who very likely interacted with her son’s killer after his death, had nagging suspicions about a suspect who’s never been mentioned in other accounts of the case.

Along with this story, which attributes every detail included to the original police documents so as to strip away possible embellishments that have accumulated and been repeated over the years, we’re making newly released and organized police documents available on our website in the hopes that someone out there might solve this almost mythical murder case.

I

n December 1933, Prohibition ended across the United States.

That didn’t matter much in ‘Kaycee,’ where locals had simply opted out of the amended Constitution, turning the city into a haven for debauchery and organized crime. Thirteen months into the new American era, Kansas City was still notorious as a “wide-open town,” where jazz clubs stayed open until dawn and vice ran rampant in a city controlled by boss Tom Pendergast.

Then-police chief Higgins was mobbed up, later serving time in Leavenworth on tax evasion charges. Higgens still casts a shadow on Kansas City—his corrupt reign caused the city to lose control of its police department to a board appointed by the governor.

Kansas City was, in other words, the type of place that would draw a nineteen-year-old from Birmingham, Alabama, who was known to be “the adventurous sort.” His name was Artemus Ogletree. He left home with a friend named Joe Simpson in April of 1934 to hitchhike across the country. They made it to Los Angeles, where they went separate ways, according to Simpson’s account, recorded in his letters to a disinterested homicide detective and to Ogletree’s very suspicious mother.

According to Ogletree’s mother, the teen arrived in Kansas City in the middle of August. At first, he stayed at the St. Regis Hotel at the corner of Linwood Boulevard and The Paseo, which still stands today as an apartment complex. At several stops, police later learned Ogletree was in the company of a man who signed the hotel registry as “Don Kelso.” Around the start of the New Year, his circumstances changed.

After a short stay at the Muehlebach Hotel, where he used a different fake name, Ogletree checked into the downtown hotel now known as the Hilton President hotel in the early afternoon on January 2, 1935.

A registration card shows his name as Roland T. Owen of Los Angeles. He used what a bellhop described as “good language.” His clothing was clean and nice, but his only luggage was a black comb, a black hairbrush and toothpaste.

He requested a room without a window facing the street, at least a few floors up.

He was shown to 1046 by a bellboy.

Over the next few days, bellboys and cleaning ladies reported strange behavior.

A maid named Mary Soptio reported the guest let her into his room and combed his hair while she was cleaning, then left, asking her to leave the door unlocked because he was “expecting a friend in a few minutes.” “My impression of this man from the expression on his face and his actions was that he was either worried about something or afraid,” the maid told police.

Later that afternoon, Soptio returned to the room with towels and found the guest sitting on the bed with the shades drawn and the lights off, fully dressed.

She returned the next morning and found the door locked but the guest inside, again in the dark. This struck her as odd: Based on the way the locks operated, if the guest had locked the door from the inside she would not have been able to open the door. “The man had been locked in the room from the outside,” she told police. On the room’s writing desk was a note, written in pencil, that read, “Don, I will be back in 15 minutes—wait.” While Soptio was cleaning, the man received a call. He told the caller, who he called Don, “I don’t want to eat, I am not hungry, I just had breakfast.” (Donald Kelso, as mentioned, was the name given by his companion at other hotels.)

When Soptio returned again that same day—hotel housekeepers were apparently far more attentive to towels in those days—she heard two men inside arguing. A man she described as having a “rough” voice told her they didn’t need any towels, and she left.

According to witnesses, the arguing continued into the night. A guest later told police that she heard “a lot of noise” that sounded like both male and female voices “talking loud and cursing.”

In the night, the hotel’s switchboard operator discovered that the phone in room 1046 was off the hook, so he dispatched a bellboy to alert the inhabitant. The bellboy knocked on the door and was invited in by a person he described as a man with a deep voice.

The door was locked, and the man inside didn’t let the bellboy in, instead telling him to “turn on the lights.” The bellboy kept knocking. The man never opened the door. The bellboy yelled

through the door, “Put the phone back on the hook!” He assumed the man inside was drunk.

The phone remained off the hook until the next morning when phone operator Della Cole took over the board.

At about 7:10 am, a different bellboy was sent up. He yelled through the door and received a response: “‘All right’ or something like that.” The phone stayed off the hook.

Around 8:30 am, with the phone still off the hook, another bellboy, Harold Pike, was sent up. There was no answer when he knocked, so he let himself into the room. This bellboy saw the guest in bed, naked, breathing heavily. He saw a dark spot on the sheets, which he thought was a shadow. The bellboy believed the guest was passed out drunk, and so he put the phone back on the hook and left.

About two hours later, another bellboy went to the room—the phone was again off the hook—and discovered the guest on his knees near the door, with blood coming out of his head. "[I] saw blood on the walls, on the bed and in the bathroom," he later told police.

The bellboy ran downstairs to alert the assistant manager. A doctor and the police were called. The doctor arrived first and made his way up to the room with the assistant manager and the bellboy. According to the doctor’s statement, when they entered the room they found that the guest was in the bathtub, with his legs sticking out.

A clothesline has been tied around his neck, ankles and wrists, and he had been stabbed in the chest multiple times. His lung had been punctured and his skull was fractured by at least three blows to the head. Based on his dried blood, a doctor estimated the first wounds were six or seven hours old. According to a KCPD interdepartmental memo, all of the man’s clothing and other belongings were missing from the room, save a label torn from a cheap necktie, a hairpin, an unsmoked cigarette and “a glass bearing a woman’s fingerprints.”

With his last words (some witnesses called it unintelligible mumbling) the guest known as Roland T. Owen indicated that “nobody” had hurt him and that he’d simply fallen “against the bathtub.” He slipped into a coma and passed away the next morning.

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f the circumstances surrounding the murder itself weren’t bizarre enough, what followed certainly was. It didn’t take long for Kansas City police to determine that no one named Roland T. Owen lived in Los Angeles. The body was kept at McGilley Memorial where, according to police, “thousands” of locals came to see it without anyone identifying the victim. KC cops launched a national search for his identity. Detectives corresponded with departments all over the country to find a missing man with a large hexagon-shaped scar on his head.

According to the interdepartmental memo from when Ogletree was finally identified, when police announced that the unidentified man would be buried in a potter’s field, an anonymous male caller instead asked that he be buried in Memorial Park.

“I’ll pay for it,” the caller said. (In most published accounts of the killing, the caller also mentions paying for a plot near his sister’s—but if that detail was ever recorded by police detectives, it’s missing from the case file.)

The caller was asked about his connection to the case. “Owen hadn’t played the game fair, and cheaters usually get what’s coming to them,” the caller said, according to the KCPD memo. The money for the grave was sent. At the funeral, thirteen American Beauty roses arrived with a card that read “Love for ever, Louise.”

Kansas City police sent out letters across the country to try to match the victim to a missing person case.

Letters poured in from Sturgis and Newark and Missoula—missing sons, missing brothers.

After the case was featured in American Weekly and Official Detective Stories magazines as “America’s strangest and perfect murder crime,” dozens and dozens of letters poured in containing tips and theories, many of them with purple prose and oddly detailed theories. A woman in Los Angeles wrote a letter that reads like a screenplay treatment about a young man who gets caught up with a mobster’s girl. An Iowa man wrote to implicate a civil engineer as the killer based on the shape of the “r” in

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a signature police tied to the killer. “I am positive of this and I cannot be mistaken,” the amateur sleuth stated.

A Seattle man said that he was certain the victim was his boyhood friend and that his father had been “a high official in the German Army,” suggesting that the murder “might by chance tie in with some spy work.”

But, in this case, what actually happened was even weirder.

Someone—presumably the killer— began corresponding with Ogletree’s family in the nearly two years between his death and when he was finally identified. According to his mother, Ruby, in January, just weeks after his death, she got a typewritten letter from her son saying that he was going to New York City. The text of the letter struck her as odd, as did the fact that it wasn’t handwritten, given her son didn’t know how to type. In April, another typed letter arrived, this one saying Ogletree was sailing for France. On August 12, 1935, eight months after her son’s murder, she got a long-distance call from Memphis, Tennesee, from a male caller purporting to be a good friend of her son. The caller identified himself as Godfrey Jordan and said that he’d met Artemus Ogletree in Cairo, Egypt, where Ogletree had saved him from a “band of thugs.” The conversation lasted forty-five minutes and left Ruby unsettled.

The text of the letters sent to Ruby after his death, presumably by his killer, has never before been made public and didn’t seem of interest to detectives. Ogletree’s handwritten letters home, and the typewritten ones sent after his death, were among the materials Kansas City magazine was able to access for the first time.

The letters in Ogletree’s hand, sent while he was staying in the St. Regis Hotel on the Paseo, are simple and focused mostly on his job prospects.

The flourishes in his stories are minimal: “I think that fellow I told you about was going to open a business and give me half interest in it has definitely made up his mind to open in the spring. He is about the best friend I have. He has a big Cadillac [unreadable] we are going to Excelsior Springs next week in it.”

The typewritten letters sent after his death, on the other hand, are rich with outlandish detail and period slang: “I got poisoned on something I ate in some dump. I was laid up for a few days and my stomach pained me a lot but I finally got over that. Then I got the flu and had to go to bed for almost 9 weeks and I guess I was pretty sick.”

Also unreported until now is how his mother responded. By November 1935, she had written to the state department to see if her son had a passport; to customs authorities to see if he’d set sail without a passport; to the American consulate in Cairo; and to the FBI. In January 1936, a year after her son was killed, she even wrote to President Franklin Roosevelt. “I fear he has fallen into some gang, or something has happened to him,” she wrote. “He has always been a good boy and has high ideals. I simply must find some trace of him, if he is in trouble I want to know.”

It took until November 1936, almost two years after the slaying, for Roland T. Owen to finally be confirmed as Artemus Ogletree. His photo had by then been in numerous national publications. He was identified by the large, distinctive scar on the side of his head, which his mother revealed to have been the result of a grease burn when he was eleven months old.

T

rue crime bloggers who’ve taken up the Ogletree case have repeatedly said that there was never a suspect in the case, but that’s not remotely true.

Because detectives—and many of the people writing letters to the detectives after reading about the case in detective magazines—believed there was an aspect that suggested “sexual deviancy” men across the country were fingerprinted, questioned and asked for hand-writing samples.

In 1940, a man named Thomas Wilbur Barlow, who had been convicted of “crimes against nature” in Little

Blue, Missouri, was investigated by detectives “having in mind a murder supposedly committed by a sex maniac in 1935.” The arresting officers thought his signature looked like the signature of “Donald Kelso” in the hotel registry. He was questioned for ten hours before “giving several conflicting stories.”

Police eventually chalked up his confusion—after ten hours of questioning—to syphilis.

The point man on the case, chief of detectives T.J. Higgins, was preoccupied with a lead in New York, a convicted killer named Joseph Ogden, and eventually proclaimed himself “satisfied” Ogden had committed the crime.

Not in question is the fact that Ogden committed a gruesome murder of Oliver George Sinecal. Ogden shot his victim then dismembered him, cutting off a distinctive tattoo, then stuffed his nude body into a steamer trunk bound for Memphis.

The suspicious trunk was held up at Penn Station where the body was discovered. The case was widely covered, including in the pages of The New Yorker’s January 8, 1938 issue, where a Reporter At Large feature followed the NYPD’s homicide division as it solved the killing.

Ogden’s admission records to Sing Sing prison, obtained by Kansas City magazine from the New York State Archives, show he served time in several prisons and two insane asylums—including one in Birmingham, Alabama. The admissions documents note that he’d escaped prison and had “a history of homosexuality.”

Among Ogden’s many aliases was Donald Kelso—a coincidence that convinced KC cops, and The New Yorker’s editor, he was the guy.

“From samples of [his] handwriting, Kansas City police identified him as Donald Kelso who had strangled a waiter named Ogletree in 1935, leaving the body nude, in a hotel room,” The New Yorker wrote.

“For two years after this murder ‘Kelso’ wrote periodically to the victim's mother in the South assuring her that her son was in good health and traveling in Europe.”

Except the handwriting didn’t match—at least not according to the FBI, which reviewed the case in 1950: “It was concluded that the signature of ‘Donald Kelso’ on the hotel registration card was not written by Joseph Ogden,” An FBI report states.

Their prime suspect cleared by the G-Men, and the murder now fifteen years old, Kansas City cops seem to have stopped working the case.

In reviewing the documents, it’s striking that the detectives didn’t seem to put much faith in Ogletree’s mother’s intuition—or those odd letters sent after Ogletree’s death, seemingly designed to confuse the family into believing he was fighting “thugs” in Cairo.

Letters from Ruby to KCPD show that she suspected Joe Simpson, the boy her son had left home with. She went so far as to obtain his school records from Phillips High School.

She spent years trying to meet up with him in Birmingham, being stood up several times. Cops politely assured “Mrs. L.E. Ogletree” that Simpson had been duly interviewed.

Ruby finally confronted Simpson on December 28, 1939 and became even more certain. “In talking with the boy, Joe Simpson, I was reasonably convinced that he is the person that talked to me from Memphis, Tennessee, seven

months after my son was killed,” she wrote to KCPD detectives.

Ruby related her conversation with Simpson “as near word for word as I can remember.” The details are striking: “He did say he did believe the case would never break, as there were no clues and left nothing for the G-Men to work on. I said, ‘Kansas City can well boast of it being the perfect crime.’

He laughed and said ‘It is, they’ll never get the ones who killed him.’”

Ruby says she eventually “looked [Joe] square in the eyes and told him I would know the voice that talked to me from Memphis.”

“He turned red, dropped his eyes and was nervous,” she says.

Perhaps most damningly—if Ruby’s account is accurate—Simpson promised to pass Ruby a letter from Artemus Ogletree to him, which he claimed had been “badly typed.” He never showed up at the appointed time to hand over the letter he claimed he had. But, of course, Artemus never learned to type. His last letters home before his murder were all handwritten.

The typed letters only started arriving a few weeks after he’d been killed—presumably, they were sent by someone who knew that Artemus Ogletree was dead.

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E AT I N G A N D D R I N K I N G W E L L I N K A N S A S C I T Y

A LITTLE CHEEKY

Perhaps I’ve had cachete tacos in Kansas City before and not realized it. They go by a couple other names—cabeza, barbacoa. In Spanish, cachete means “beef cheeks” (one part of the cabeza) and it is typically steamed, barbacoa-style. But Taqueria La Nueva (12561 Antioch Road, Overland Park) is one of the few places that gets specific on its menu, and that was reason enough to beat the lunch rush at this bustling new south

Overland Park taqueria. I like offal, and I’m particular about it (don’t give me chopped and fried lengua, I want that braised and shredded). But as far as left-of-mainstream tacos go, cachete is big, beefy and easy to love, especially when you’re getting it for under three dollars a taco. Here, beef cheeks—one of the toughest parts of the cow thanks to all that chewing—are braised for several hours until the meat is as delicate as a flower petal, then piled into double corn tortillas and loaded with cilantro and onions.

—NATAL IE TORRES GALL AGH ER

KANSASCITYMAG.COM DECEMBER 2021

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TA S T E R E V I E W

THE MILKY WAY Kansas City’s Valomilk candy is made with one part marshmallow and two parts perseverance.

BY N ATA L I E TO R R E S G A L L AG H E R P H OTO G R A P H Y BY C A L E B C O N D I T & R E B E C C A N O R D E N

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USSELL SIFERS HAS RECITED

the history of the Valomilk thousands of times. Sifers is an entertaining storyteller, and thanks to years of rehearsing, he knows just when to pause for effect, giving his audience a wink or a conspiratorial look over his gold wirerimmed glasses. He has a shock of white frizz above his ears—from a distance, he resembles Bernie Sanders—and as he talks he leans back in his office chair at his family-owned candy company’s headquarters and factory in Merriam.

The story of Valomilk is good material, too, full of oddness and perseverance. The one-of-a-kind Kansas City candy was invented by accident ninety years ago and continues to carry on thanks to loyal fans, even as it lost its prized spot by the register at QuikTrip. (Sutherlands Hardware is a good bet.)

For the uninitiated, Valomilks are, as the name implies, milky. They’re Reese’s-shaped chocolate cups with a thick shell that offers a satisfying crunch. The filling is less like a marshmallow and more like a runny meringue.

Sifers’ story starts ninety years ago in Iola, Kansas where, according to legend, an employee named Tommy snuck too many nips of the alcohol used to dilute candy flavorings in those days (getting drunk at work was a time-honored tradition for most of this nation’s history). Tommy’s “bad batch” of marshmallow would not set when cool. Harry Sifers, grandfather to Russell, decided to experiment, dipping scoops of the runny marshmallow into chocolate cups. The resulting candy was messy to eat—“You know it’s a Valomilk when it runs down your chin!”—but an instant success. During

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its heyday, Sifers Candy Co. made three versions of Valomilk: regular marshmallow, chocolate-flavored marshmallow and crunchy (studded with crushed peanuts).

After some twists and turns— more on that in a minute—today the Sifers candy empire has shrunk to a small factory and office in Merriam. Officially, Russell has been retired for two years, but he still comes to the office once a week, just to check the pulse.

His son, Dave Sifers, runs the show now. Dave gives me a brief tour of the manufacturing space: Here is where the marshmallow is cooked up, here is where the chocolate is tempered, here is where racks of freshly dipped Valomilk cups are laid out to dry. He is wearing a chocolatesmudged white coat and a hairnet.

Dave is the fifth generation of the family in the business, but he says

“none of the kids or grandkids have shown an interest” in taking over yet.

At the factory, a narrow hallway leading to Russell’s office has the look of a budget museum: Yellowing newspaper clips and hand-written memos are thumbtacked to the wall, interspersed with plaques, framed photos and Valomilk relics. He is seated behind a heavy oak desk as large as a twin bed, which once belonged to his grandfather, Harry. He remembers growing up with it, along with the raggedy oriental rug beneath it—one of several that his grandfather bought from the formerly wealthy during the Great Depression.

“It’s very threadbare, but it’s a remnant of the past,” Russell Sifers says. There’s a sort of Santalike twinkle in his eye, and you get the sense he’s talking about more than just a carpet. And as

he revisits the curios around his office, they become props for his oration.

He points to a black and white photo of Samuel Mitchel Sifers, his greatgrandfather who founded the company in 1903 in Iola. Back then, the business was in bulk penny hard candy. In 1916, Samuel’s son, Harry Sifers, moved to Kansas City and began producing the first nickel candy bars made in the Midwest. (Harry was a natural marketer, often naming these bars after events of the day: When Tutankhamun’s tomb was discovered in 1922, he christened a caramel, nougat, peanut and chocolate creation as the Old King Tut bar.) Harry also introduced handdipped chocolates to the company’s

portfolio. At one point, this held a delicious assortment. During World War II, facing chocolate rations and shortages, Sifers Candy Co. opted to focus production solely on Valomilks, the company’s bestseller. Following the war, the company reintroduced their boxed chocolates, but by that time, another Kansas chocolatier—Russell Stover—was running that corner of the market. Production on Sifers boxed chocolates ceased around 1960.

There is a mountain of memorabilia, including something that looks a bit like a bingo card from around 1940.

“What you would do is buy a Valomilk and you punch a hole out, and [you could] get a free Valomilk or a whole box,” Russell Sifers says. The state deemed this promotion gambling, and he points to a picture of Missouri state troopers confiscating the cards.

In 1971, Hoffman Candy Co., a Los Angeles-based corporation, took over Sifers Candy Co. In 1980, Russell left the company, frustrated with management. A year later, Hoffman halted production.

When the Hoffman deal busted, so did the family business. Until—at this point, Russell gestures to a copper kettle and iron scissors on the wall—

he himself dug into the artifacts at the former factory in downtown Kansas City.

“I thought if I could remember how they did it by hand in the old days, I could bring Valomilks back,” Russell says. “My dad knew what I was doing.

He told me, ‘If you bring Valomilks back, bring them back the best way you know how and don’t worry about the cost.’”

That was 1985. Two years later, the Sifers family relaunched the candy.

I ask Russell how business is doing today. He grins and, with a theatrical flair, pulls a paper accounting ledger from a file cabinet and opens it to the most recent entry. He runs a finger down a column and gives me the numbers: Like most, sales nosedived in 2020. (Many of the mom-and-pop candy shops that stocked Valomilks went out of business, and that was hard for Russell to watch.) But this year, he says, it looks like they’re going to pull ahead of the 2019 profit. Cracker Barrel is the Sifers’ largest account, along with a handful of online novelty candy retailers (candyfavorites.com, oldtimecandy.com). And now and then, you’ll find Valomilks at a smalltown pharmacy or some independent shop. The package always contains two one-ounce cups, and it’s usually priced between two and three dollars.

Of course, you could inquire about picking up a box of Valomilks directly from the source. The factory, which is not open to the public for tours due to regulations, is just steps from Russell’s office. Entering it feels like crossing the threshold into another realm— or, rather, it smells like it. I take in gulps of warm milk chocolate air and tell Russell this is what heaven must smell like, and he smiles, setting aside his showmanship.

“This is what work smells like.”

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HEY, TAY Photographer Tayanna Nelson is on a mission to photograph folks who look like you.

BY DA N I E L L E L E H M A N W H E N TAYA NNA N EL SO N and her husband started looking for a wedding photographer, they searched high and low for an inclusive photographer.

“Everywhere I turned, people in our city had a stacked portfolio, but it was full of thin, white and conventionally attractive folks,” Nelson says.

The frustration from that experience inspired her to leverage her portrait photography skills and launch Hey Tay, a Midwest-based and LGBTQ+-focused wedding photography business. She serves as a self-proclaimed “hype person” for all types of clients, and her mission is to provide a safe space for marginalized couples to express their love.

Last year, Nelson ramped up her other photography business, Good Bodies, where she provides boudoir photography sessions for all folks “without shame.” In just five years since the KC native left her corporate career to go freelance, she has empowered countless humans to feel worthy of photography, and she’s just getting started.

When did you first pick up a camera? I started photographing people in high school because a friend of mine was constantly taking these impressive self portraits. I tried that, but I wasn’t nearly as good at it, so I tried photographing other people instead and fell in love with it.

KC FAVO R I T E S First, Brunch “I usually hit up Third Street Social for a good brunch. Their drink menu is amazing, even without the bottomless mimosas, but on top of that, their biscuits and gravy is drool-worthy.”

Coffee Break “I’m not a very sophisticated coffee person, but the best coffee I’ve ever had has been either at the Wild Way coffee cart, who made it so accessible to a noob like me, or Messenger Coffee” Fries for Lunch “I was recently taken to Ça Va for some drinks and what were literally the best french fries of my life” Steak for Dinner “I will go anywhere on earth for dinner that has a good steak. That used to be ’37 Steak, but the Gordon Ramsay restaurant [replaced that]. Avenues Bistro did have an amazing pineapple marinated steak that I loved, but Covid has me searching for a new favorite steak place. If you read this and know where I should be, I’d love you forever.”

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What inspired you to leave your corporate job and pursue your photography business full time?

When my husband and I started dating, I looked everywhere for a photographer who photographed people who looked like me, and it was impossible. I knew then that I had an easy niche to fill.

People were too scared to do it themselves because there’s some myth that you have to pose people differently. You truly don’t.

People just want to be treated like humans and want to feel worthy of photos.

Tell us more about the Good Bodies project. I’m super open

about the fact that I have arthritis and live with daily and very serious chronic pain. I casually started photographing boudoir in 2015, and then during the pandemic I thought for my safety I’d need to focus more on things I had control of, so I ramped up my boudoir business. I found out how good I feel sharing images with folks, letting them see themselves through my lens, and meeting people from such diverse backgrounds with such different reasons for getting a boudoir session. It was the perfect companion to weddings.

What gets you most excited about being a Kansas Citian right now? I’ve found it very easy to make friends who are likeminded, and there are a lot of people who just want to see each other win. We’re all pretty open and excited for what’s to come.

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MITTEN ME Jinkies! Coffee and Hangout breaks holiday tradition with its unexpected latte.

BY A LYS S A S H I K L E S

as the winter chill hits and the Christmas lights blink on, I welcome back peppermint mochas and chestnut praline lattes like long-lost friends. The flavors are comforting, reliable and, well, a little predictable.

Maybe that’s why my tastebuds seemed to awake from a coma after discovering the Funky Mittens latte from Jinkies! Coffee and Hangout, a seventies-themed coffee shop that opened in Overland Park this past January.

The Funky Mittens is a unique holiday special latte that combines s’mores and raspberry flavoring, then gets topped with toasted marshmallows, chocolate sauce and red drizzle. With a creamy chocolate texture and lingering berry, the limitedtime drink is a concoction that screams festivity and originality.

The Funky Mittens latte isn’t the only specialty drink from Jinkies that breaks the mold. Owners Lisa and Madi Dombrowski, a mother-daughter duo, pride themselves on their one-of-a-kind seasonal flavors, such as their cereal milk- and popcornflavored lattes featured this past summer.

“We knew we wanted to come up with something that people could only get here and not any other place,” Madi says.

Jinkies’ unusual drinks aren’t its only selling highlight. The shop is covered in seventies decor and references, from the Scooby Doo-named lemonades to the vintage records hanging on the walls— which belonged to Lisa’s late father.

If you want to escape your Starbucks slump, it might be time to twist tradition with the Funky Mittens or one of the shop’s seven other winter specials. You might just make a new holiday friend.

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PHOTOGRAPHY BY NATALEA BONJOUR

EVERY YEAR,

TA S T E B I T E S

NEWSFEED

WHAT’S NEW IN KANSAS CITY FOOD & DRINK

PHOTOS COURTESY OF RESPECTIVE VENUES

One After 303 The owner of Westport’s Bistro 303, a popular gay cafe and nightspot, is opening what a press release describes as an “eclectic new restaurant [that] offers diverse cuisine from a variety of ethnical cultures” next door.

The Peacock will be in the original Ragazza spot at 301 Westport Road.

It’s a tiny space, just eight hundred square feet, and will seat just forty-eight people. The idea is to have a “playfully sophisticated space” say owners Jeffrey Schmitz and Gene Switzer, who run Bistro 303 next door.

Chef Brian Mehl created The Peacock menu “with diversity in mind.” Mehl was the original chef at Plate in Brookside and had previously been at Pressed Penny Tavern in Westport and The Classic Cup Cafe on the Country Club Plaza. The expansive menu has Thai, African and Middle Eastern influences.

Bell of the Ball

Guys and Joes

Re-Stock

Beloved Westport pizza-by-the-slice seller Joe’s closed abruptly after Halloween, but it didn’t take long for a new concept to take over. Local snack chip company Guy’s Snacks will take over the windows inside Kelly’s Westport Inn and facing Pennsylvania Avenue. Guy’s promises to bring back the pizza, made with the same recipe, while adding deli sandwiches. The new name is Guy’s Deli at Kelly’s.

Guy’s was not immediately available for further comment, but this is no doubt welcome news to Westport bargoers, who always counted on Joe’s to sop up the booze at the end of the night, saving perhaps hundreds of thousands of nasty hangovers. Guy’s is based in Overland Park and distributes across the Midwest. Among their unique offerings are bagged chips seasoned with the blend you find on the fries at Joe’s Kansas City Bar-B-Que.

Kansas City’s Stockyards Brewing Co. is set to open an offshoot in Overland Park, the Shawnee Mission Post reports.

The Overland Park Planning Commission voted to approve a special use permit for a brewery near 103rd Street and U.S. 69 Highway, in a complex that houses Skate City roller rink.

It’s a massive twenty-five-thousandsquare-foot space that will have not only a brewery and taproom but also a full kitchen and patio.

A holiday pop-up bar is coming to Midtown this December, thanks to Canary. And it’s not going to be your typical Christmas pop-up. “We want people to have a holiday experience at Canary,” says owner, Keely Edgington. “It’ll be like if your cool aunt who lives in Hyde Park with her partner of thirty years hosted the holidays at her place.”

Silver Bell Supper Club will be outfitted with garlands, snowflakes and paper ornaments in lieu of more gaudy decorations traditionally found in Christmas pop-up bars.

Edgington wants an

atmosphere that is “warm and bright.” The pop-up menu will feature eight new drinks, including an espresso martini called No Sleep ’til Christmas, made with vanilla and coffee liquors, vodka and oat milk.

Godfather II The last big post-pandemic reopening we expect to see in the city happened in mid-November. Lazia, the stellar Italian spot in the Crossroads Hotel, is back with a godfather’s vengeance. With travel still stunted, hotel restaurants have been slow to return. Lazia, which retooled its menu and dining room during the break, took a little longer than others.

The menu is, as a staff member described it, “a lotta bit different,” with a cocktail menu that makes great use of amaro and a wood-fired oven in the lobby that produces some great pizzas.

They’re also doing tableside mozzarella.

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like barbecue beans that have more of a sweet flavor profile than Texas-style, where they use a chili powder. Potato salad being a mayo-mustard base—I load mine with bacon and sour cream.

What are some of your favorite barbecue restaurants back home? Well, I’ve been gone thirteen years, so that’s tough.

Gates is a big one back there, and Arthur Bryant’s is huge—it’s very renowned. I would go there semi-regularly when I could. When I was living there, every time I moved to a new part of Kansas City, I found my new favorite barbecue place around the corner.

Bringing slow-smoked and slightly sweet KCstyle barbecue to the mean streets of Portland

BY A N D I P R E W I T T

A

F T E R R E L O C AT I N G from Kansas City to Oregon a decade ago, it took Kevin Koch years to find a barbecue joint with burnt ends and ribs like the ones he grew up eating. Now that he has his own Kansas City-style barbecue pit at a brewery in the heart of Portland, he’s learned he wasn’t alone.

“I put my personal phone number on my website,” he says, “and people from other states were calling me to thank me.

They’ve been looking for this and they’re over the moon about finding it.”

For most of his time in the northwest, Koch patronized Campbell’s BBQ. On his daughter’s second birthday, he planned to bring her there to give her a taste of their family roots only to learn the pit would be demolished to make room for a marijuana store—a familiar refrain in Portland.

“That really hit me,” he says. “I was like, ‘OK, that’s it. I need to teach myself how to make this stuff.’”

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That began years of online research, tutorials and cookouts. He opened Lawless Barbecue as a ghost kitchen in early 2021 and quickly built a fervent following. In late October, Koch took helm of the kitchen at Little Beast Brewing. In the West Coast foodie mecca, where a half-dozen spots boast “Texas-style” barbecue, Koch is the first to fly the flag of his native land.

When you say you’re making Kansas City-style barbecue, what does that mean to you? For me, it’s many things. It’s a flavor profile. It’s specific items made commonly in restaurants in Kansas City. It’s a barbecue sauce.

Some other barbecue regions frown on that sauce or on using barbecue sauce at all, but I love it. It pairs so well with ribs. And Kansas City is big on brisket burnt ends, and that’s something I’m serving that’s not common in Portland.

Growing up, going to barbecue places, there were all those sides I loved and I was missing when I came here—things

Did you grow up barbecuing? No, but I grew up going to places with my family in Kansas. We used to have a tradition: Every Sunday, my dad and my brother and I would go to a place in Topeka called the Pizza Parlor. Funny enough, they serve beef ribs, and we always each got a plate. That might’ve been what hooked me.

When did you start teaching yourself to make Kansas City-style barbecue?

Around five years ago. I was managing restaurants, and on my time off, I started collecting smokers and learning how to use them. I started out with a base model, and then when I got to a skill set, I outgrew that and got the more expensive, better model.

That really coincided with the show BBQ Pitmasters—I think that really woke a lot of people up to their interest in cooking.

How do you make your burnt ends? I smoke Texas-style Prime Angus brisket for thirteen hours with oak logs. When that’s done and rested for several hours, I’ll cut up the point end, which is the thicker part of the brisket, into cubes, and then I’ll caramelize that with Kansas City sweet barbecue sauce. Usually, when I put out a tray of barbecue for someone, they end up pointing at that and saying, “That’s my favorite.”

PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANDI PREWITT

LIVING LAWLESS

Do you feel like the world is getting bored with Texas-style and now more willing to embrace other techniques and flavors? I’m just a barbecue addict, so I still go to Texas-style places. I want to bring another style of barbecue to a town that I live in where I haven’t been finding it.

BACKSTORY I M P O R TA N T M O M E N T S I N K A N S A S C I T Y H I S TO R Y

1967

How Topsy’s invented the printed popcorn can

“

TH E TI N S KINDA STA RT E D

as an accident. The large tin is six and a half gallons. Six and a half gallons of popcorn seems weird.

Why six and a half gallons? Well, if you fill that tin with popcorn oil, it’s exactly fifty pounds. That’s how we used to receive the popcorn oil, in those pails—plain, silver, metal cans.

Popcorn people are notoriously, let’s say, creative. So you have a free package. Why throw that away? Since it was a food container to start with, put popcorn in it and sell it! You don’t have to pay to throw it

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away. Originally, it was just a plain silver can. The idea was developed across the industry, sort of simultaneously. One of our competitors started painting the cans by hand, but we sold so many we couldn’t paint the designs fast enough.

So we figured out how to print designs on the cans—we invented that concept. The original cans were printed by Ohio Art Company in Bryan, Ohio. Their claim to fame is they made the Etch-a-Sketch toy.

They figured out how to print the can, and we sold a lot of them. We’ll sell one hundred thousand cans this Christmas.

We actually lose money every month

of the year except Christmas. We have stores in the mall where rent isn’t cheap.

During the year, we lose money. But at Christmas, we sell a lot of popcorn.

We have twenty thousand customers all over the United States that somehow you can trace back to Kansas City. Someone in Kansas City sent a can of popcorn to someone in California, the person in California said, ‘Oh, that’s pretty good popcorn. I’m going to send a can to somebody in Ohio.’ The thing’s just mushroomed over the last fifty years.

We sell the product more than the tin, but the tin helps. People want to collect them. Our best-selling design, by far, is the Plaza Lights. It’s the number one popcorn tin ever designed. It was designed by a guy named Bob Price Holloway. He’s a local artist. He sold us that design in 1984 and we have a trademark on it. Fifty percent of what we sell is still in the Plaza Lights design. It’s part of the tradition.

— The history of the popcorn tin, as told by Topsy’s president Bob Ramm

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