Editor’s Letter

As far as I know, I am the current record holder for waiting the longest in line at Harp Barbecue.

On Father’s Day weekend, I figured I’d show up just a little before noon, as the first wave was walking away with their half-pounds of thick-cut, black-barked brisket. By about 2 pm, things were looking dicey. Three groups right in front of me gave up and left. I stuck it out and ended up with a chopped brisket sandwich made from the last bits of the trimmings. When someone waits in line for three hours for lunch, I’ve learned to be a little skeptical of their assessment–including my own. But that sandwich was truly sublime. You can read more about Harp in our biennial best barbecue list on page 52, but I share this story to give you a little insight into the process. I’ve gotten to know Tyler Harp by covering him over the past two years, but when judgment day comes, my colleagues and I wait in line and pay for our food, just like anyone else. When I started editing this magazine in early 2019, I knew barbecue coverage was something that we were going to take seriously. Far too often,

I see lists that are published by people who clearly haven’t done the work of tracking new spots, revisiting old ones and chatting up the pitmasters. We do that every month, with a page dedicated to barbecue in our food section.

Every two years, we go a little crazy for a couple of months. I also work hard to keep on top of the national standards. Over the summer, I drove from Houston to Fort Worth over the summer, stopping by spots like Snow’s and Goldee’s. So I can tell you Harp’s Texas-style brisket isn’t just good for Kansas City; it’s better than Snow’s, the reigning champ of the Texas Monthly list. This issue also features another project I’ve been meaning to tackle for a couple of years, and that’s an updated guide on where to see live jazz in Kansas City. Just like every issue has barbecue coverage from our ’Cue Card, every issue now has a jazz story on the Backbeat page of our events section. This month, jazz writer Nina Cherry went big with a list I hope to see us update every couple of years. Going big on our coverage of barbecue and jazz is, as I see it, one of those things we have to do if we want to fulfill the mission of this magazine, which is to celebrate the things that make this city special. Martin Cizmar It’s my sincere hope that this issue will be EDITOR IN CHIEF useful to you this month and not win a spot MARTIN@KANSASCITYMAG.COM on the nightstand in your guest room.

Nina Cherry

WRITER This month’s guide to seeing live jazz right now was written by Nina Cherry, a local jazz historian, journalist and vibraphonist. Her specific interest is in swing-era women in jazz and the Kansas City jazz scene’s rich history. Cherry resides in a former speakeasy from the Pendergast neighborhood with her dog, Daisy.

Ardie A. Davis

WRITER Our barbecue package includes contributions from Ardie A. Davis— better known as Remus Powers, PhB. Davis is a Barbecue Hall of Famer and is active in the local and national barbecue scene as an eater, judge, cook and writer.

Kaili JiMei

GRAPHIC DESIGN INTERN The illustration on this month’s news story about how climate change may impact KC was drawn by design intern Kaili JiMei, a senior at Drake University.

NUMBERS FROM THIS ISSUE

01 Overland Park has one fewer police officer than it did five years ago. PAGE 22 05 04

The hottest new jewelry trend is zapping, where a bracelet is fused onto the wearer. Bookings often sell out in just five minutes.

PAGE 38

Different spellings of ‘bär-bi-,kyü in our list of the best barbecue spots in town.

PAGE 50

BETWEEN ’HAWK AND BUZZARD

Our guide to fall fun included a few sports takes that drew considerable interest from readers. Browns fan/Editor Martin Cizmar’s prediction that the Browns would beat the Chiefs at Arrowhead GEHA sparked quite a few emails and tweets, while writer (and degreed Jayhawk) Hampton Stevens’ essay on the moral virtues of being bad at college football received responses from fans of KU’s football program, plus hearty guffaws from Mizzou fans. Below, we printed just one letter from a loyal Jayhawk football supporter who also attached many photos of happy fans in the stands at KU football games.

“What a terrible take on KU football. To write on a subject you’re not close to or familiar with is negligence and poor journalism. You open the article with the take that losing to Coastal Carolina is some sort of embarrassment. They are a top twenty-five team in the country. KU plays them this year and they’re currently ranked twenty-second.

KU has a rich football history and to ignore that and put out a smear article on the efforts being made to rebuild the program is a hack job. For the last decade they absolutely have been the worst power five program. Do you know why that is? Did you make the effort to really unravel the situation? Starting from Charlie Weis’ quick fix effort that left us unable to actually fill out a full roster? KU football, all things considered, has tremendous support. I’d love to see any support similar to that for a team that has gone through what we’ve gone through for 10 plus years. Do the Royals pack Kauffman Stadium when they’re at the bottom of the conference? No, but would you discredit the fan base for this? Or would you say that we actually have a great fanbase in Kansas City for baseball all things considered? Does Mizzou or K-State fill out their arenas for basketball teams that don’t even qualify for the NIT tournament? No. So do you then go and blast the entire fanbase?

Did you know that KU had a top recruiting class last year within the Big 12? Do you know that Leipold’s track record as a program builder has landed him the recognition as a top 50 coach of all time according to ESPN? What about the top ten current coach in the country recognition that was just released by CBS Sports? Probably not because you didn’t put the work in to realize there is cause for excitement and reason for optimism.” —Jordan Chapman

SHOUT-OUT

We sometimes grow weary of explaining the charms of Gates to skeptics, so we tapped James Beard Awardwinning food writer Jordan Michelman to do the honors this round. He done good.

BEHIND THE SCENES

Art Director Katie Henrichs waves cellophane behind model Courtney Halford, who can be seen in episodes of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.

CORRECTION

Our September issue incorrectly stated the year that Jason Sudekis graduated from Shawnee Mission West High School in Overland Park, which was 1994.

CONTACT US Kansas City

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

Here, when you’re hungry and don’t want to cook, you order food at a restaurant, but in Vietnam, you wake up and a food vendor comes to your door.”

LEADING THE CONVERSATION IN KANSAS CITY

TRUE BLUE

How to pass as a diehard Sporting KC fan this postseason

BY EVAN MUSIL

A postseason primer on a great Sporting KC squad

THE PLAYOFFS aren’t anything new to Sporting Kansas City—the club is poised for its ninth appearance in ten years. This year’s club is tenacious, frequently winning from behind.

Sporting KC is one of the favorites to win the 2021 Major League Soccer

Cup, but the club has changed since its 2013 victory. If you haven’t been paying attention, it’s not too late to slip in before the excitement builds.

Kansas City spoke with Chad Smith, an editor for the blog The Blue Testament, about what newcomers should know to blend in at the Blue Hell as we begin the run-up to the playoffs on November 19.

The key players

Striker Alan Pulido is the club’s top weapon. The former Guadalajara starter is the most expensive transfer in the club’s history, and for good reason. He’s a reliable player, and he recently landed a spot on Mexico’s national squad. Forward Dániel Sallói continues to find the back of the net, leading the club in goals scored as of August.

Since old favorite Matt Besler left for Austin FC, forward Johnny Russell has taken the helm of team captain. Goalkeeper Tim Melia is a mainstay for Sporting. “He’s good for one or two really exceptional saves a game,” Smith says.

Phenom Gianluca Busio is already gone from the midfield. The nineteen-year-old homegrown star was transferred in August to Italian top-tier club Venezia FC. Sporting signed José Mauri as backup. Other young players, such as Cameron Duke and Felipe Hernandez, might step up as well. Smith says it’ll take a group effort to fill the hole left by Busio.

The coach

In terms of team influence and presence, head coach Peter Vermes is Sporting’s Andy Reid. “No man has more of a stamp on a team in Major League Soccer than Peter Vermes,” Smith says. “He has everyone playing the same style. He has so much control over the team, and he seems so intense and fierce on the sideline.”

Holding the top job since 2009, Vermes is the longest-tenured head coach in MLS. He’s won four trophies with the club and keeps Sporting KC consistently competing. “Kansas City should be grateful they have him on the team,” Smith says.

The style

Since 2013, Sporting KC’s style of play has been overhauled. Gone are the days of running hard and “fouling like crazy,” Smith says. Instead, he describes their strategy as “pretty soccer,” in which they aim to keep possession of the ball to create defensive gaps in the opposing team. The team pushes forward instead of playing behind the band. “It makes for exciting games, but it can be stressful as a fan,” Smith says.

The league

Unlike other leagues in the United States, MLS is not the top level of its sport in the world. However, the quality of play is rising. Clubs are spending more on talented players. Every team now has its own youth academy, which means more great players being found at younger ages. “Sporting KC had a down year in 2019, but I would still pick that team over the 2013 MLS cup team any day,” Smith says.

The rivals

Sporting’s still on the hunt for the Supporter’s Shield, which is awarded to top MLS team at the end of the regular season. But to win it, they’ll have to edge out the Seattle Sounders, who they defeated on the road in July.

In the past, Sporting’s played intense, important matches against Real Salt Lake and Houston Dynamo. The club doesn’t have any geographic rivals, but that might change when St. Louis City SC enters the league in 2023. “Fans will be making trips to each other’s stadiums, so it should make for a fun matchup,” Smith says.

The stadium

The best way to buy the hype is simply going to a match. The club’s supporter’s groups—the spirited Cauldron in the north stands and the family-friendly South Stand SC—lead the stadium in chants and sprawl out banners before matches called tifos. “The hardcore fans are just on another level,” Smith says. “Chanting for the entire ninety minutes of the game, and the drums and the swinging, it’s not something you see in other sports.”

NO BADGES

Kansas City has the ‘ingredients’ for a police shortage, expert says.

BY LAUREN FOX

ACROSS THE COUNTRY, police departments are struggling to retain and hire officers. Kansas City is no stranger to the struggle. Of almost two hundred police departments surveyed nationwide by the Police Executive Research Forum in May of 2021, there was a forty-five percent increase in the retirement rate, an eighteen percent increase in the resignation rate and a five percent decrease in the hiring rate. And according to the police chief of Kansas City, Missouri, numbers here are also on the decline.

Chief Richard Smith wrote a blog post about his declining workforce and lack of new officers in May: “We have not had an Academy class since February 2020 due to funding, so we have continued to fall farther and farther behind on staffing. We are down one hundred and sixteen officers and do not have the budget to replace them.” Reduced staffing could lead to the reduction of community outreach programs and increased response times, Smith warned.

Brandon Davis, a professor at the University of Kansas who studies community contact with the justice system says, Kansas City has three factors that could create a shortage: increases in homicides, scrutiny and a decrease in funding.

“All these things have come together and it’s like a perfect storm,” Davis says. “You’re having police departments that are taxed with more murders and facing a lot of backlash from the protesters and also facing the wrath of city councils and states trying to be more progressive on policing, so they are cutting budgets.”

The budget

The number of officers who retired from the KCMO police department was higher in 2020 than it was in any of the past five years, with sixty-two officers leaving. But it’s too soon to tell what that number means, since the department is under a hiring freeze.

The money may not return, even if the city’s financial situation improves. In May, the KCMO city council approved two new ordinances that reallocate over forty million dollars of the police department’s budget to a separate fund for crime prevention, a move that has led to lawsuits with the state, which controls the department.

The murder rate

At the same time, the homicide rate in Kansas City is on the rise. In 2020, Kansas City saw a record of one hundred and eighty-two homicides. At the end of August 2021, there were already more than one hundred homicides in the city.

For this reason, Davis, who is Black, says Black communities tend to take a dimmer view of the “defund the police” than the far left.

“They didn’t want no police in their neighborhood because they knew they had a crime problem,” Davis says. “What they wanted was better policing.”

The scrutiny

Davis says the response to the death of George Floyd has had an impact on street cops.

“You don’t see the same fervor about the homicide rate in Kansas City,” Davis says. “There are other people talking about how you’re up in arms—rightly so—when police kill innocent Black men or innocent women. However, we don’t have the same fervor about the murder rate in Chicago. And those are Black and Brown people being murdered, and their lives have to also matter.”

Davis says this can be a point of frustration for police officers, who, based on the public response, might believe that “lives only matter if we kill them.”

The ‘baby boom’ of cops

The rate of serious crime exploded nationally in the 1980s, spurring the hiring of more police officers. Those officers are now nearing or eligible for retirement.

“There was almost like a baby boom of cops,” Davis says. “Now they’re all at the point where they can retire, and most of them I don’t believe would have retired if it wasn’t for the pandemic and all this other stuff.”

WATCHING THE DETECTIVES

We requested public data documenting the number of police officers serving on the force of the area’s two largest departments, KCMO and Overland Park. The numbers have fluctuated more than you might expect each year since 2016.

KCMO

2016: 1,296

2017: 1,279

2018: 1,276

2019: 1,296

2020: 1,286

August 2021: 1,221

OVERLAND PARK

2016: 252

2017: 250

2018: 243

2019: 251

2020: 259

July 2021: 251

YOU HAVE A BUSY SCHEDULE.

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LOCATIONS

PRAIRIE VILLAGE 3975 WEST 83RD STREET PRAIRIE VILLAGE, KS

LEAWOOD 13420 ROE AVENUE LEAWOOD, KS

OVERLAND PARK 7575 WEST 150TH STREET OVERLAND PARK, KS

OVERLAND PARK WEST 135TH STREET OLATHE, KS

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HOT/WATER

Kansas City may be vulnerable to more extreme weather as the climate changes. Trees and stormwater gardens could help.

BY EVAN MUSIL

SITTING NEAR THE EXACT CENTER of the country, Kansas City seems isolated from the extreme weather plaguing the coasts during this time of climate change. There are no shrinking shorelines to worry about nor forest fires due to the area’s humidity.

That doesn’t mean Kansas City is immune.

“Although the extreme isn’t right here in our backyard, is it going to affect us in some other way?” asks Doug Kluck, the Central Region climate service director for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. “Often the case is yes.”

Some risks are simply side effects from greater outside calamities, such as smoke from the western United States and Canada drifting east and lowering the Midwest’s air quality. But Kansas City’s biggest concern could be from floods.

“The old adage ‘when it rains it pours’ is becoming more common,” Kluck says. “It’s getting worse from the frequency point. It’s happening more often.”

The 2018 National Climate Assessment estimates extreme rain events will be more recurrent in the Midwest and projects the amount of precipitation to surge by thirty percent at the end of the twenty-first century. In Missouri specifically, nearly sixty-two percent of the years between 1981 and 2019 saw above normal precipitation, according to data from the Missouri Climate Center.

As an urban center near the Missouri River, this rise in runoff could damage critical infrastructure in Kansas City such as bridges and buildings. It could also overwhelm the city’s combined sewer system, which then could release sewage and pollution overflow into streams and rivers.

In March, KC Water committed to implementing new green infrastructure as a way to curb destructive runoff. How its form of green infrastructure works seems simple: It guides stormwater into areas with soil and plants, allowing more water to soak into the ground naturally. One visible benefit is the greenery it grows.

“If you put a pipe in the ground, people don’t see it,” says Srini Vallabhaneni, the smart sewer officer at KC Water. “If we try to keep the flow management near the surface, we can create some natural environments.”

But specific spots have specific needs, Vallabhaneni says. Because of Daniel Morgan Boone Park’s combined sewer pipes and significant overflow to Town Fork Creek, KC Water is thinking of separating stormwater into a separate pipe that will collect water from about two hundred nearby acres. It’s a large project in the conceptualization stage, Vallabhaneni says, and green infrastructure needs to be consistently maintained to properly work.

KC Water’s green infrastructure also mainly focuses on reducing water pollution and improving quality, not flooding. “[For flood management], you need to have a lot of area to turn into green—an area that’s very challenging, almost impossible to do,” Vallabhaneni says. Green infrastructure is one smaller solution to a wider problem, he says.

More extreme heat is also likely in the cards. The area is expected to have a four-degree-increase in average temperature. It’ll feel even hotter in the city, where materials like concrete and brick absorb heat in what’s called the heat island effect. Add the thick humidity on top and it can be fairly dangerous to be outside.

Low-income areas are often hit hardest, where inefficient air conditioning leads to a higher percentage of income spent on energy. But energy use shoots up everywhere when it’s hot and humid. “Everyone has everything cranked up, and that of course contributes to the problem as long as we’re burning fossil fuels,” Kluck says. “It’s a vicious cycle.”

Kansas City is currently updating its Climate Protection Plan, first implemented in 2008, to tighten its focus and shift toward resilience. “Nothing’s going to change, and we expect certain things to happen, so let’s now start planning for that,” says Andy Savastino, the city’s chief environmental officer.

The new plan will also address specific needs for highrisk neighborhoods, taking in feedback gathered by the city’s climate justice workers, Savastino says. An August study by UMKC and the Office of Environmental Quality aims to map the neighborhoods most vulnerable to the heat island effect. The resulting data will guide solutions in the plan, he says.

The updated Climate Protection and Resilience Plan is still in the early planning stages, but Savastino thinks planting more trees is one easy remedy. Trees bring shade in extreme heat and can fight the heat island effect. “I know leaves are a pain in the butt in the fall, but it’s a small price to pay for all the benefits you get during the rest of the year,” he says.