Valley News: April 15, 2021 by grainvalleynews

April 15, 2021 Vol. 4 No. 15

O n l i n e w e e k l y a t w w w. g r a i n v a l l e y n e w s . c o m

Amazon to open delivery center at former Haldex site The City of Blue Springs recently announced Amazon plans to open a delivery center in Blue Springs. The delivery center would be located at 2400 NE Coronado Drive, in the former Haldex facility. “We are thrilled to announce that Amazon is coming to Blue Springs,” said Blue Springs Mayor Carson Ross. “This facility will not only bring jobs to Blue Springs but it also ﬁlls a vacant industrial building in our community. We are proud to see companies like Amazon investing in our community and creating more opportunities for our residents.” The existing facility is approximately 70,000 square-feet and is currently being remodeled to accommodate

Amazon’s process of receiving and sorting product for ﬁnal delivery to customers. A 30,000 square-foot overhead canopy will be constructed to the rear of the building for loading. An additional 357 parking spaces will also be added to the rear and side of the building for van parking. “We look forward to becoming part of the fabric of the Blue Springs community and are thrilled to be able to expand our operations in Missouri,” said Nikki Wheeler at Amazon. “Amazon is a great place to work and grow professionally. We’re grateful for the

see AMAZON on page 4

FREE

Board returns to in-person meetings; denies conditional use permit Returning to Council Chambers after holding several meetings virtually, the Board of Aldermen moved through several resolutions and ordinances, including an ordinance which would have approved a conditional use permit to operate a portable asphalt plant on approximately 14.3 acres located at the northeast corner of McQuerry and Seymour roads. Capital Paving, the business requesting the permit, reported trucks would be turning at a rate of 125 turns every 24 hours, meaning 125 trucks would have entered and exited the site in a 24-hour period, 7 days a week. Citing concerns over the wear and tear to McQuerry and adjoining roads, and disruption to nearby residential areas, no member of the board

seconded the motion to allow the resolution to move forward for a second reading. City staff had not recommended approval, and the Planning and Zoning Commission had sent the resolution to the Board with several recommended conditions. In other business, the Board approved ﬁreworks permits for the Grain Valley Band Parents Association and the Grain Valley Partnership and approved an amended resolution appointing James Hofstetter to the Grain Valley Planning and Zoning Commission to ﬁll an unexpired term vacated by Paul Loving. The board will meet for its next regularly scheduled meeting on Monday, April 26, 2021 at 7:00pm in the Council Chambers at City Hall.

Good News: The former Haldex building at 2400 NE Coronado Drive in Blue Springs is being remodeled to accommodate an Amazon delivery center. Photo credit: City of Blue Springs

Genasci honored for attaining rank of Eagle Scout

Missouri Trivia by Marcia Napier, Grain Valley Historical Society While Kansas City is still known as "the BBQ Capital of the World, some would argue for Lockhart, Texas or Memphis, Tennessee. Known as the “father of Kansas City barbecue” and dubbed the “Barbecue King," Henry Perry sold slow-smoked meats wrapped in newspaper for 25 cents in the Garment District in the early 1900s. He opened the city’s ﬁrst

barbecue restaurant in an old trolley barn, according to the Barbecue Hall of Fame. Perry trained Charlie Bryant, who took over the restaurant when the BBQ “father” died in 1940. Bryant passed the torch to his brother Arthur in 1946. Arthur added sweetness to Perry’s original barbecue sauce. The sauce helped put Arthur Bryant’s on the map. No less than four US presidents have eaten at Bryants.

In This Edition: Looking Back: Twenty-Five Years Ago, Grain Valley Schools

Scramble starts for Missouri’s share of federal COVID-19 cash

Musings from the Middle: No place to hide

Your Health: Plants on a plate—green peas

Sports: Lady Eight is great for the Lady Eagles

Cover Photo: Serviceberry blossoms, from Pixabay by deniseellsworth See story on page 8

Andrew Genasci of Boy Scout Troop #692 was honored at the April 12th Board of Aldermen meeting for attaining the rank of Eagle Scout. Genasci (left) is pictured with Grain Valley Mayor Chuck Johnston. Photo credit: City of Grain Valley

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Jackson County Food Inspection Report Jackson County Public Works Environmental Health Division inspects all restaurants, grocery stores, schools, mobile food and temporary food establishments in the City of Grain Valley. The following violations were reported in the last 30 days: McDonald's 712 N. Main St. No violations recorded. QuikTrip # 259 1110 N. Buckner Tarsney Rd. No violations recorded. Sonic Drive In 706 N. Main St. No violations recorded. Casey's General Store #2808 101 S. Buckner Tarsney Rd. Microwave had buildup of food splatter and stains. Corrected on site. Employee cleaned microwave. Loafs of bread were stored below diesel fuel additive. Corrected on site. Fuel additive was moved. Boxes of food stored on the walk in freezer floor. Corrected on site. Boxes were moved onto shelves. Pest light was above the prep area and dough machine. Repeat. Corrected on site. Pest light was moved away from kitchen. Failure to Secure Food Handler PermitCorrect by: 4/16/2021. Subway #31831 109 AA Hwy Stacking to go cups on paper lining. Corrected on site. Employee removed the paper lining. Casey's General Store #2209 1251 AA Hwy No violations recorded. Iron Kettle Brewing 508 N Main St. Observed dirty utensils in the hand washing sink. Corrected on site. Employee moved dirty utensils to three compartment sink. Observed single service items in boxes on storage room floor. Corrected on site. Employee moved boxes onto shelves. Observed ready to eat potentially hazardous food in the make ready not dat-

ed. Corrected on site. Employee pulled containers and dated them. Failure to Secure Food Handler PermitCorrect by: 4/25/2021. Temp-Stop #117 723 Main Street No violations recorded. MO Country 401 East South Outer Belt Road No violations recorded. Sushi Avenue 1191 NE McQuerry Rd. No violations recorded. Country Oak Village 101 Cross Creek Dr 1. Ice Machine has a black build up inside. RE-INSPECTION will be done on 4-5-21 and a fee of $105 will be due. 2. Microwave oven had a large food residue and hair inside. RE-Inspection will be done on 4-5-21 and a fee of $105 will be due. Correct by: 5/30/2021. Noticed utensils inside the handwashing sink- Correct by: 5/30/2021. Noticed employee medicine stored on top of the microwave with half open loaf of bread. Re-inspection on 4-5-21. Correct by: 5/30/2021. Noticed uncovered butter and brownies on the prep table and stove top. Correct by: 5/30/2021. Noticed drinks without a lid or straw on the prep table. Correct by: 5/30/2021. Refrigerator door gasket is torn. Correct by: 5/30/2021. Noticed employee phone ear buds on the prep table. Correct by: 5/30/2021. Thermometer missing from the cold unit. Correct by: 5/30/2021. Refrigerator racks had black grease build up. Correct by: 5/30/2021. 1.Refrigerator has a black build up on the racks. 2.Inside the refrigerator food residue inside at the bottom. Correct by: 5/30/2021. Noticed chemical stored on the prep table. Corrected on site. Casey's General Store #2209 1251 AA Hwy No violations recorded. Dollar General Store #9597 105 E. Rock Creek Lane No violations recorded.

Police Blotter The following information is derived from the Grain Valley Police Department daily calls for service log for the week of April 1-6, 2021. April 1, 2021 Sni A Bar & Ridgeview Eagles PKWY & Royer LN 1700 Block of SW Oak ST

Area Check Motor Vehicle Accident Agency AssistOak Grove PD Oak Grove High School Agency AssistOak Grove PD 500 Block of Woodbury Parking Complaint 400 Block of Wolf Creek Parking Complaint 1500 Block of Eagle Ridge DR Disturbance 1300 Block of SW Blue Branch Welfare Check 700 Block of N Main Agency Assist-DFS 2100 Block of NW Hedgewood Alarm April 2, 2021 100 Block of Eagles 40 & Sni A Bar 1300 Block of Graystone 300 Block of 1st ST Ridgeview & Westview 300 Block of Eagles 200 Block of Main 700 Block of Main 700 Block of Main 500 Block of Vernon 1100 Block of Main BB & Pink Hill April 3, 2021 500 Block of Capella ST 1300 Block of Ashley Ln 100 Block of Broadway 400 Block of S Outer Maya CT 300 Block of E Monroe 100 Block of S Main Main & I 70 900 Block of Cross Creek 700 Block of Main

Area Check Suspicious Vehicle Stolen Plates Disturbance Noise Complaint Noise Complaint 911 Hang Up Citizen Contatct Area Check Agency AssistBuckner PD Motor Vehicle Accident Possible DUI

Area Check Area Check Verbal Disturbance Motor Vehicle Accident Suspicious Vehicle Agency AssistBuckner PD Agency Assist-CJC Motor Vehicle Accident Noise Complaint Warrant Conﬁrmation

April 4, 2021 500 Block of Oakwood CT 700 Block of Main 300 Block of E Monroe

April 5, 2021 900 Block of Scenic 1800 Block of Taylor CT 1100 Block of Buckner Tarsney 1200 Block of Pamela 1200 Block of SW Eagles PKWY 1100 Block of Buckner Tarsney Woodbury & Valley Ridge 700 Block of Main 1100 Block of Christie LN 800 Block of Ryan RD 700 Block of Ryan RD 40 HWY West of Main 1600 Block of Eagles PKWY 500 Block of James Rollo 1100 Block of Casey BLVD

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Valley News

Garage Sale Directory

Grain Valley News is a free community paper, published weekly on Thursdays online at www.grainvalleynews.com and on the 1st and 3rd weeks of the month in print.

would like to advertise their sale. Listings are only $5 and can be reserved through May 10th at www.grainvalleynews.com. The directory will be printed in the May 13th online edition of Valley News.

Dirt Bikes on Roadway Alarm Suspicious Parties Alarm Alarm Suspicious Activity Disturbance Stealing Citizen Contatct Motor Vehicle Accident Alarm Area Check Area Check Motor Vehicle Accident Alarm

April 6, 2020 2200 Block of NW Hedgewood Fireworks 1800 Block of Elmwood Agency AssistAnimal Control 1300 Block of NW Jefferson Alarm 2200 Block of Hedgewood Sounds of Shots 800 Block of Meadowwood Suspicious Vehicle 200 Block of Gregg Alarm 600 Block of SW Sunset Alarm 600 Block of Tisha Suspicious Person 400 Block of SW Joseph Stealing AA & W Area Check 200 Block of Barr Suspicious Vehicle 700 Block of Main Citizen Contatct 100 Block of Sunny LN Disturbance 600 Block of Yennie Citizen Contatct 700 Block of Tisha LN Agency Assist-CJC

Reserve ads for City-Wide While not an ofﬁcial City event, the City-Wide Garage Sale is one of the most talked about spring events in Grain Valley. Held annually on the third Saturday in May, this year’s sales will be held Saturday, May 15th Valley News will once again provide a Garage Sale Directory for residents who

Unattended Death Citizen Contatct Agency AssistBuckner PD

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Looking Back

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Looking Back: Twenty-Five Years Ago, Grain Valley Schools by Marcia Napier, Grain Valley Historical Society As a nearly lifelong resident of Grain Valley and one who attended twelve years of school in the same two-story brick schoolhouse where my parents graduated in 1932, I am astounded. But then, as I think back over those past many years, I realize that like our community, most of the growth has occurred in the past twenty-five years. In January 1996, the high school moved from Main Street to the present location on Eagles Parkway. Many of you will remember the first phase of that building housed the middle school. The second phase included athletic facilities and by the fall of 1996, the high school plus eighth graders, about 475 students attended school there. The middle school campus on Main Street housed fourth through seventh graders, about 480 students and Matthews Elementary was used for kindergarten through third grade. In total, the district had approximately 1,400 students, doubling the number just 10 years earlier. In 1996, more that 200 housing permits were issued. Twenty-five years ago, in April 1996, the bond issue was passed to build the second elementary school. Sni-A-Bar Elementary was, of course, built on the campus with the high school. Since then the Early Childhood Center, two more elementary schools, two middle schools,

and numerous additions to the senior high school have been added. And enrollment has increased by more than 300%. Twenty-five years ago baseball, softball, and wrestling were “new” sports. Grain Valley was playing nine varsity sports in the Show-Me West Conference with Butler, Holden, Pembroke Hill, St. Mary’s and Sherwood. Today, Grain Valley is one of the 27 schools in the Kansas City Suburban Conference and they participate in 17 varsity sports, band, choir, cheer and dance, speech and debate, and Scholar Bowl. And, they have their own broadcasting studio with GVTV! Twenty-five years, in the fall of 1996, all of the classrooms throughout the district were air conditioned for the first time. The district has a “vision” for an aggressive program in the future to make the internet available to all high school students. I can only imagine what a COVID-19 outbreak would have looked like twenty-five years ago! A few years ago, my brother and his wife were visiting from Florida. I drove them around the district to see all of the new additions. From the Pink Hill Campus on the North to Stony Point on the South, we saw the administration building (originally the home of my high school classmate Nancy Norris), North

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1961 Grain Valley High School Band. Miss Smith, Director. Photo courtesy Grain Valley Historical Society. Middle School, the Early Childhood Center, Prairie Branch, Matthews, Stony Point Elementary and Middle School, Sni -A-Bar, Moody Murry Stadium, the tennis courts, the softball and baseball complex, the greenhouse, the athletic building, and the Transportation Center.

But only once did he ask me to stop and take a picture. He was “blown away” by the two semi-trailers that haul the equipment for the Marching Eagles! In 1961, the year he graduated there were 11 members in the band. Times change!

Business

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AMAZON continued from page 1 support we’ve received from local and state leaders and look forward to creating new, full-time jobs for the local community.” With its location just outside Grain Valley city limits, traffic impacts on nearby residential areas and wear on Grain Valley roads are a concern. Reached for comment on the development and projected traffic impacts, Grain Valley Community Development Director Mark Trosen stated the City “did not have any conversations with Blue Springs or have we been a part of any discussions/ planning of the Amazon facility.” Grain Valley Mayor Chuck Johnston commented on the development at the April 12th Board of Aldermen meeting. “There’s already a lot of people with concerns about traffic. I addressed that with Mr. Murphy (City Administrator Ken Murphy) tonight, and we are going to try to make contact with Amazon to see what we can get them to do, because I’m real concerned (about delivery trucks on R.D. Mize).” Valley News reached out to the City of Blue Springs for details on projected traffic impacts. Per a study done for project, the following is expected at the

site: 34 AM peak hour trips (one truck, 33 passenger) and 36 PM peak hour trips (two trucks, 34 passenger) are projected; 157 total vehicles are projected for the Weekday Average Daily Trafﬁc (46 trucks, 111 passenger); Line haul truck deliveries are anticipated daily, primarily between the hours of 10:00pm and 8:00am. Trip distribution is anticipated as follows: 35% to/from the west along I-70; 5% to/from the east along I-70; 10% to/from north along Adams Dairy Parkway; 35% to/from south along Adams Dairy Parkway; 5% to/from west along Coronado; 10% to/from east along Coronado. The facility will operate 24/7 to support delivery of packages to customer locations between 11:00am and 9:00pm. Amazon plans to be fully operational by the end of 2021. The company expects to start hiring about two months before the facility opens. Those interested in jobs should visit https:// buff.ly/2PIwliY.

Partnership Hosts Blood Drive with Community Blood Center

Grain Valley Partnership Executive Director Tasha Lindsey donates blood during a blood drive hosted at the Grain Valley Community Center on April 14th. Photo credit: Grain Valley Partnership

April Partnership Events For more information on the following Grain Valley Partnership events, visit www.growgrainvalley.org.

State News

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Scramble starts for Missouri’s share of federal COVID-19 cash by Rudi Keller, Missouri Independent With Missouri in line for almost $3 billion in federal COVID-19 relief funds, cities, schools and other agencies are lining up to give state lawmakers ideas on how to spend it. The American Rescue Plan bill signed by President Joe Biden in early March will deliver $2.8 billion for general support to state spending and $195 million for state and local construction projects. For the parade of presenters seeking a slice of that pie, a two-hour hearing Monday of the House Subcommittee on Federal Stimulus Spending was the chance to highlight projects longdeferred or too costly for local resources. Jamie Rouch, the ﬁnance director of Branson, said her city of 11,000 people needs infrastructure to support as many as 100,000 tourists. She asked for $14 million to replace 5 miles of water mains, $4 million for a flood protection project, $26 million for a sewage treatment plant and $14 million to install sewer lines to newly annexed areas. And that was just the town’s top priorities, she noted. “We have quite a list so if you want me to stop, let me know,” Rouch said. The subcommittee, chaired by state Rep. Doug Richey, R-Excelsior Springs, consists of four Republicans and two Democrats from the House Budget Committee. The subcommittee’s major task will be to screen requests in advance of expected recommendations from Gov. Mike Parson for spending bills coming in special sessions later this year, Richey said. “This is going to be a helpful factﬁnding mission to help establish the scope of need across the state for appropriations of the federal stimulus dollars for capital needs and deferred maintenance issues,” Richey said. The House has already passed a $32.2 billion state budget plan for the coming

ﬁscal year that is awaiting Senate action. The House Budget Committee will vote Tuesday on a supplemental appropriations bill that has about $1 billion in total spending and is preparing a capital improvements bill for maintenance and construction costs. In addition to long-term planning, the committee must also be ready to make suggestions if quick action is needed, Richey said. “There seems to be interest to look at what might be able to be done now before we ﬁnish this legislative session,” he said. So far, the U.S. Treasury hasn’t issued guidance for how states can use the $195.3 billion in direct aid but the legislation allocating the money directs its use to pandemic response, replacing lost revenue and “the negative economic impacts” of the COVID-19 emergency. The aid bill is funded by federal borrowing, Richey reminded the committee, and asked that projects that win favor have a long-term positive impact on the economy. “It is my perspective that these dollars aren’t necessarily representative of taxpayer dollars that are just simply coming back but they are representative of taxpayer indebtedness we are creating,” he said. All the state’s colleges and universities made their requests during Monday’s hearing. For the 13 four-year campuses, the total request was about $420 million, almost all to renovate or make major repairs to existing buildings. When the request included new instruction or lab space, the focus was on job-readiness. Corey Bradford, president of HarrisStowe State University, asked for $48 million for a science, technology, engineering and mathematics education building. The St. Louis-based school has

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a growing reputation for its undergraduate STEM programs, he said, including recognition in 2019 as the best program at an historically black college or university. The Missouri State Highway Patrol asked for $88 million to build a new training academy. The current structure is more than 50 years old and recruits live in dormitories built at the same time, Cathy Brown, director of the State Rep. Doug Richey, R-Excelsior Springs patrol’s Fleet Facilities Division, told the Photo credit: Tim Bommel/Missouri House committee. Communications) The gym was not designed with into north St. Louis County. separate male and female dressing “While I understand that funds are areas and other facilities, she noted, and obviously limited and it is a big ask, any the general appearance is dismal. funds would be appreciated,” Wilson “Our goal is always to try to find recruits said. around the state and retain those, and you never get a second chance to form a first impression,” she said. “And so Rudi Keller covers the state budget, when folks show up and see our energy and the legislature. He’s spent 22 academy, it’s embarrassing.” of his 30 years in journalism covering Along with the aid to the state, Missouri government and politics, most Missouri cities and counties would recently as the news editor of the receive $2.5 billion to help them recover Columbia Daily Tribune. Keller has won from revenue losses due to the awards for spot news and investigative pandemic. The money comes from reporting. $130.2 billion set aside in the legislation www.missouriindependent.com for cities and counties nationwide. The state funds can be combined with some of those local funds to help finance big projects, said Travis Wilson, director of economic development for Florissant. Wilson asked the committee to provide $125 million to extend Highway 141, with runs from Arnold to Earth City,

Community Voices

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Musings from the Middle: No place to hide by Cathy Allie Our fascination with having a space all our own and getting away from it all begins when we are kids, when we still have little reason to even escape the world. And yet at those early ages we are fort fanciers, treehouse seekers, and bolt-hole builders (more on this fascinating term to come…). One of the best memories I have of my dad was him crawling through a tunnel of boxes with my toddler daughter, completely forgetting the back troubles that had hounded him for years. They rested somewhere deep inside the boxes and requested snack deliveries from us peasants around them. Just a short few years later my daughter cried when I sold some old ladder back dining room chairs with knobs that were perfect for making a beautiful canopy from a filmy opaque curtain I had tried to discard. “Where will I hook the clothespins?” she said desperately. She typically built her fortress right in front of the television and declared it off limits to the rest of us. That pieced together palace hosted many a tea party. I can’t say that I blame her. I myself have been a refuge seeker, way back into childhood summers. New appliances meant joy for mom, and for us it meant the best tunnel and hideout ever, as we toppled the boxes to their sides, filled them with expensive throw pillows and grabbed flashlights to enhance the mood. I draped sheets off the edge of the bunk bed my sis and I shared to enclose myself when it was my week for the bottom bunk. In our back yard, a chain link fence was the perfect start for our lean-to tents and hideaways. My dad’s old army blanket was the best ground cover, and then all we needed was a quilt, a sheet, even some plastic to create the triangle into which we would burrow ourselves for hours, hiding away from the world, fortified with Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew mysteries. I was fascinated with movies where there were hideaways, like Swiss Family Robinson and Blue Lagoon. To this day, one of my favorite movie scenes is from Step Brothers when Brennan and Dale retreat to their treehouse to escape a mean brother. If you have seen Step Brothers you get it, and if you haven’t seen it, it’s a good laugh at the end of a lousy week. Truthfully, I am still mad at Greg, Peter, and Bobby for not letting their Brady Bunch sisters share the club house. I hold grudges. By the time I was a pre-teen, you would think the hideaway fascination would have stopped, but not for me. Across the road from my grandparents’ farm lived Natalie, a friend we only got to see on our twice or three-time yearly visits. She and Sally were our best buddies away from home, and while they might have enjoyed visiting us in the city, we thought nothing was better than a trip to the farm.

Natalie’s four wheeler took us down dirt roads on the bottom land, and one day I noticed a house off in the distance, a bit dilapidated but intriguing. A family that worked for Natalie’s dad on their farm had once lived there. We headed over to it, and opened the door, despite the fact that looking back, just like I am 110% certain that leggings are not my best look, I am also 110% certain we were not supposed to have been in it. Some pretty dusty and ragged furniture and rugs were still in place. My vivid imagination had us all wearing head scarves, sweeping, mopping, and dusting until it was spic and span, and then spending the night there. A racoon or some animal that had taken up residence ran from a closet we pulled open, scared me enough to scream, and quickly snapped me out of my daytime reverie. But for a blissful moment, I thought we had found our bolt-hole (still promising more on this later…is the anticipation building?). It is possible that desiring a hideaway is a family trait. My mom recalls wishing her father would build her a playhouse when she was a girl, but alas, the months to relax are few and far between for the farmer, and he never got it done. He chose instead to build beautiful walnut clocks, which have been a much more transportable and lovely memory of his carpentry skills than a roughed out playhouse would have been. But when I talked about a little hideaway for my daughter, Mom was just as excited at the prospect as we were. My nephew may have inherited a little of the bolt-hole desire (there is that funny word again… I wonder when she will explain it, readers are surely thinking…). My sister has a lovely back yard, filled with all things blooming and green. When we visited one day, they had added a garden shed. Sis is happy with her hands in the dirt, and I think she imagined the shed filled with shelves of pots and trowels and other garden necessities (I am out of descriptive words here because gardening gives me metaphorical and physical hives…). But my nephew had other ideas. The next time we saw the shed, it had a bunk bed built in to the side, and he had officially claimed it. At first, it was furnished with a leaking bean bag and an old rug. The following time, they had gotten it wired for electricity, and he had plugged in an old lamp, quite the ambience. What followed were some serious decorating gaffes, like a Kansas Jayhawk banner (he is adorable but has terrible taste in sports teams), and some LED lights tacked around the ceiling to wall joist. He and his buddies had countless overnights there, their suburban camping experience, escaping their tyrant parents, and no doubt eating junk food until they fell asleep, LED lights blazing. My poor husband appeared to have

outgrown the need for a bolt-hole (see now, you are just used to seeing this crazy word…) much earlier than the rest of us. When I asked him to construct a three poled tee-pee looking contraption for our daughter for the yard one summer, he thought I had lost my mind. “She has her whole room to herself,” he said. When I tried to explain that it needed to be a little smaller and cozy, her offered her closet. Not the same, I protested, and after I purchased the lumber and brought it home, pretending I would just build it myself, he caved. When he climbed inside the finished tee-pee with her, his feet sticking out, my heart melted. When summer ended, we couldn’t part with the tee-pee just yet and brought it inside. She was at a friend’s for an overnight once, and I came home to find he and the dog sound asleep in the tee-pee. I made enough noise to allow him to pretend to be awake, and he claimed he was looking for a flashlight they had left in there, but I still believe he was stepping back in time to his fort building days for just a moment. Maybe right when some of us adults were ready to let go of the whole hideaway thing, She Sheds became the rage. Moms all over the globe were claiming a space in their back yard and decorating that space in outrageous ways, lighting up Pinterest and home improvement magazine covers. Sheryl’s She Shed was even the subject of a funny insurance commercial. If you are driving behind me as I pass a lot where they are selling tiny homes and sheds, please move on by. I will be rubbernecking until I cause a wreck. I am busy visualizing what shrubs or perennials I will have my sister plant around my new She Shed. But big girl dreams die, too. My homeowner’s association prohibits me from having a fine looking She Shed. But the one in my mind has a big window that looks out over the acreage we don’t own, and my easel, where I use acrylic and other mediums to paint, never has to be folded and put away. In another corner, I have a cozy day bed for when I tire of my artistic pursuits and take a nap, from which no

one wakes me and asks me if we have any pretzels or cheese or milk (wouldn’t you know where to look for milk, for Pete’s sake?) or where I put their one good pair of black athletic shorts. When I was watching the adorable series Grace and Frankie, even Frankie, who lives in a beautiful beach home that is another of my dreams had her own bolt-hole, which I suppose it is finally time to describe. The English coined the word bolt-hole, and used lovely Englishy sounding words like nook, and harborage and sanctuary and refuge and lair to describe it. I first read about a bolt-hole in a flowery gardening magazine that my sis probably subscribed me to, hoping to convert me. I was intrigued by the title, and then more intrigued by the author’s words. She actually purchased a home with a little secret passageway about which her husband knew nothing. As they renovated and refurbished their country estate, she saved scraps of wood and building materials to shore up her bolt-hole. She worked on it when the kids were at school and her hubby at work. She presented it to them with great fanfare one rainy afternoon and announced she was spending some time ensconced there while they all stayed away. It was the best piece of non-fiction I had ever read, though not enough to keep me subscribed to the magazine. I was teaching English at the time I saw the article, and I shared it with my students as a writing prompt. After we got past the muffled giggles when I discovered that bolt-hole sounded a lot like butthole to them, we talked about personal space. What would your retreat look like? Why do you need one? I received some of the best writing I had read from them, all of us just wanting our own space. I think as a writer, I will likely need a bolt-hole to escape with my thoughts. Stay tuned for the reveal, if I ever emerge from it.

Cathy is a retired public school English teacher and Public Information Ofﬁcer.

Your Health

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A taco twist with tilapia by Megan Callahan, Hy-Vee Corporate Dietitian Spring into healthy habits by making Tilapia Tacos this week! Stop by your Hy -Vee seafood department for sustainably raised Rainforest tilapia. Hy-Vee’s Responsible Choice program ensures top-notch, quality seafood where the best aquaculture practices are used to protect seafood ecosystems. Tilapia is a versatile, mild-flavored white fish, making it a family favorite. It’s easy to bake, grill, pan-sear or air-fry. Four easy ways to cook Tilapia: Bake: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Spray a foil-lined baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray. Pat tilapia fillets dry and season tilapia as desired. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until fish flakes with a fork and reaches 145 degrees F. Grill: Brush fish with olive oil and season as desired. Place on greased grilling screen and grill over medium-high heat for 4 to 5 minutes or until fish flakes with a fork, turning once halfway through. Pan-Sear: Pat fish dry and dip in

seasoned flour mix. Sear in a tablespoon of oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes per side or until crust is golden and fish flakes with a fork. Air-Fry: Coat fillets with seasoning as desired. Air-fry at 375 degrees F for 5 to 10 minutes or until fish reaches an internal temperature of 145 degrees F, turning once halfway through. With your health top of mind, eat seafood at least twice each week and connect with a Hy-Vee dietitian to enroll in programs to help you reach your nutrition goals. Programs include virtual or in-person nutrition store tours about heart-health or diabetes (more topics available) or individual nutrition counseling to discuss your personal nutrition needs or Healthy Habits menu program, all with weekly accountability check-ins. You’ve only got one body, so take care of it and keep it a top priority. Try this recipe for your next taco night.

The information is not intended as medical advice. Please consult a medical professional for individual advice.

Air Fryer Tilapia Tacos Serves 4 (2 tacos each) All you need: 1 lb. fresh lapia fillets ¾ cup + 1/3 cup Old El Paso zesty ranch taco sauce, divided 2 cups Hy‐Vee plain panko bread crumbs 1 (1.25‐oz) pkg Hy‐Vee original taco seasoning mix Hy‐Vee nons ck cooking spray 5 cups Hy‐Vee coleslaw mix 8 Hy‐Vee taco‐size flour tor llas Desired toppers: Grilled corn, diced avocado, chopped tomato, guacamole salsa, diced mango, red onion, jalapeno slices, chopped onion, Mexican crema, chopped cilantro, Co ja cheese All you do: Preheat air fryer to 375 degrees F. Pat lapia fillets dry; cut into 2½‐ x ½‐inch pieces. Place ¾ cup Old El Paso zesty ranch taco sauce in a shallow bowl. Combine panko bread crumbs and taco seasoning mix in another shallow bowl. Dip fish, one piece at a me, into sauce; shake oﬀ excess. Evenly coat with bread crumb mix‐ ture, pressing to adhere. Lightly spray the air fryer basket with Hy‐Vee nons ck spray. Air fry for 5 to 6 minutes or un l lightly golden and fish flakes easily with a fork (145 degrees F), turning fish and spraying with addi onal nons ck spray halfway through. While fish is air frying, combine Hy‐Vee coleslaw mix and 1/3 cup addi onal Old El Paso ranch taco sauce. Serve fish on taco‐size flour tor llas with cabbage slaw and desired toppers.

Recipe source: April 2021 Seasons magazine

Easy Peasy Pasta (makes 6 servings)

Plants on a Plate: Green Peas by Denise Sullivan, Nutrition and Health Education Specialist, MU Extension Outside of lettuce or other types of leafy greens, peas are one of the early season garden goodies I look forward to every year. While some people might find the shelling of peas a tedious task, I prefer it to snapping beans and find it rather satisfying to ‘zip’ open the pod to get to the treasure inside. For most purposes, peas may be classified as garden or English peas, snow peas, and sugar snap peas. English peas are further divided into smooth or wrinkled seed varieties. Smooth-seeded varieties are starchier, while wrinkled varieties are sweeter and are commonly used for home and commercial growing. Snow peas are meant to be harvested as flat, tender pods before the peas inside develop at all. Sugar snap peas have been developed from garden peas to have low-fiber pods that can be snapped and eaten along with the slightly mature peas inside. The starchier smooth-seeded varieties are used to produce ripe seed kernels that are fractured to be used to make splitpea soup. The Southern pea, or cowpea

is an entirely different vegetable that is planted and grown in the same manner as beans and legumes. In the mid 1900’s, studies by Gregor Mendel working with seven characteristics of pea plants (plant height, pod shape and color, seed shape and color, and flower position and color) laid the foundation for modern genetics by identifying dominant and recessive traits in organisms. Peas are the seed of the Pisum sativum plant, which originated in the Mediterranean region of Greece, Syria & Turkey. They are a frost-hardy, coolseason vegetable grown wherever a cool season of sufﬁcient duration exists. Today, most production occurring outside of the United States is in colder regions like Canada, Russia, England, and France. The highest producing states in the US are Washington, Montana, and North Dakota. No matter how you roll them, peas are nutrient-dense packages of carbohydrates, protein, ﬁber, vitamins, and minerals (especially iron, potassium, folate and vitamins A and K). A half-cup of cooked green peas contains 4 grams

of protein, 4 grams of ﬁber, 12 grams of carbohydrate, and 641 IU of vitamin A. On the flip side, peas also contain phytic acid and lectins, which are often referred to as anti-nutrients, that may interfere with nutrient absorption and promote bloating in some people. To minimize these effects keep serving sizes to around 1/3 to ½ cup, eat them fully cooked instead of raw, and try sprouted or fermented preparations. Peas can be enjoyed alone as a side dish, or added into soups, stews, or salads. Green peas can even be baked (tossed with a little olive oil and spices) on a baking sheet for a healthy, crunchy snack. Combining fresh peas with grape tomatoes, the pasta dish below can be served warm as a hearty main dish or chilled as a salad by thinning the cheese mixture with lemon juice.

Denise Sullivan is a Nutrition and Health Education Specialist for MU Extension in the Urban West Region, serving Jackson and Platte Counties. For research-based nutrition and food safety information and programs, visit https://extension.missouri.edu/counties/ urban-west-region

2 cups fresh (or frozen) peas 1 pound whole wheat pasta 1 cup part skim ricotta cheese ¼ cup (loosely packed) fresh parsley, chopped ¼ cup parmesan cheese 1 lemon, zested (yellow part only), about 1 teaspoon ¼ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon pepper 2 teaspoons olive oil 2 cups grape tomatoes Cook pasta as directed on box. Add peas to pasta during last two minutes of cooking time. While pasta is cooking, combine ricotta, parmesan, lemon zest, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl. Set aside. In a large skillet, health olive oil over medium heat. Add tomatoes and cook, stirring frequently, for 6-8 minutes or until tomatoes burst and are heated through. Remove ½ cup pasta water and set aside; drain pasta and peas. Transfer tomatoes to pasta pot and add pasta and peas along with reserved pasta water. Stir to combine. Spoon pasta mixture into 6 bowls, top each bowl with ricotta mixture and serve. Nutrition information: Calories: 430 Total Fat: 9.5g, Saturated Fat: .4g, Sodium: 305mg, Carbohydrates: 62g, Fiber: 10g, Protein: 21g Recipe adapted from Seasonal and Simple, verywellﬁt.com

Home & Garden

Page 8

Spring flowering trees and shrubs by Cathy Bylinowski, Horticulture Instructor, University of Missouri Extension- Jackson County I’m always looking at other people’s yards and admiring their gardens, trees, and flowering shrubs. If I see an attractive plant that is new to me, I try to ﬁgure out what it is, if it will grow in my yard, and where I can get one. This spring, take some time to enjoy the flowering trees and shrubs in your neighborhood, nearby parks, even in the woods and green spaces around you. If you see some you like, now is a great time to ﬁgure out what they are and if they will grow in your yard. Spring is also a good time to plant new flowering trees and shrubs to enjoy for years to come. Here are several springflowering trees and shrubs that grow well in western Missouri:

Serviceberry- (Amelanchier arborea) Serviceberry, native to Missouri, is an attractive small tree with smooth gray bark, that grows on wooded slopes. The snowy white flowers appear in early spring before anything else in the woods has leafed out. Tasty berries appear in June and leaves turn pink and orange in the fall. Unfortunately, invasive, non-native Callery Pears (Bradford Pear being one type) are moving into Missouri natural areas. Do not mistake the white flowers of Bradford Pear for Serviceberry!

Their spectacular white bracts appear before leaves. Small, red fruit persist in fall and attract songbirds. It has lustrous, scarlet foliage in fall, too. They can be used as specimens, in masses or naturalized under larger trees, preferring moist, humus rich, slightly acidic soils. Avoid planting in hot, dry exposures. Use an organic mulch under the tree. Dogwoods need water during drought. Old or injured specimens are subject to borer damage.

(Photo credit: C.Bylinowski)

Eastern redbud (Cercis canadensis) Redbuds can get up to 30 feet tall. The clusters of purplish pink small flowers clusters appear before leaves emerge. Heart-shaped leaves turn yellow in fall. Plant redbuds as specimens, in masses, or naturalized at edge of woods. They are hardy in sun or part shade and tolerant of a wide range of soils.

(Photo credit: C.Bylinowski)

(Photo credit: Pixabay by deniseellsworth)

Flowering dogwood- (Cornus florida) The flowering dogwood is a popular native flowering tree. Johnson County, Missouri is its nearest natural range to the KCMO region. It can be grown in our region, if it is put in a protected, partly shady site in the yard. Growth is fairly slow. Their branching is open and horizontal, with a rounded mature shape. They can get up to 30 feet tall.

Lilac (Syringa vulgaris) Lilac is one of the best known and most commonly planted of all the introduced, flowering shrubs. Lilacs are worth having in your yard or garden for their once-a-year display of incredibly fragrant flowers. For the classic lilac fragrance, plant Common Lilac or one of its hybrids. Lilacs get up to 9 feet tall. Lilacs perform best in well-drained soils in full sun. Plants should receive at least six hours of direct sun each day for maximum bloom. Proper pruning is necessary to keep the plants attractive and to promote flower production. After the plant becomes established, about one-third of the old stems should be removed each year. Older lilac stems may be attacked by borers.

(Photo credit: Pixabay by deniseellsworth)

These are some of the many ornamental trees and shrubs, native and introduced, that offer beautiful spring color. Contact me (bylinowskic@missouri.edu) if you want more information on flowering trees and shrubs. You can also explore University of Missouri Extension’s website for more information on gardening- https:// extension.missouri.edu/. Flowering Magnolias (Magnolia soulangiana) These magnolias look like beautiful pink clouds in the spring. The only drawback is that the flowers can be damaged by spring freezes. You might enjoy the scented flowers so much that you are willing to take the of risk flowers turning brown some years, after a freeze. There are cultivars that bloom later in the spirng with pink, purple, or yellow flowers. They are worth investigating. Some magnolias can get to 30 feet tall. Plant in protected parts of your yard away from southern exposures.

(Photo credit: C.Bylinowski)

Technology

Page 9

How can I keep hackers out of my computer, smartphone, and tablet? by Burton Kelso, The Technology Expert Cyber attacks are at an all-time high and hackers are always looking for new ways to get access to your devices. Criminals know there's important data stored on your gadgets. Think of all of the passwords you store on your tech devices, as well as the sensitive sites like your bank you use your devices to connect to on a daily basis. It makes sense that you want to keep that information out of prying eyes, if you don't, you risk cyber crooks stealing your personal and ﬁnancial information. Big tech has stepped in recent years to keep your computers and smart devices are safe from most of the cyber attacks out there. 99% percent of all cybercrime requires user interaction. which means if your device ends up getting hacked, it means you fell for a hacker's clever trick to get you to click on a phishing link or tech support scam that gave them access to your devices. The ﬁrewall and anti-virus protection in modern operating systems can stop most attackers. Even though it's rare for someone to just force their way into your device, there are some vulnerabilities that allow them to get directly into your gadgets that you need to be aware of. 1. Tech Companies Won't Call Out Of The Blue To Alert You To a Problem With Your Device. It's important to understand big tech doesn't care what happens to your devices. Sure you will get the occasional reminder for device

maintenance or updates, but you will never get phones from Microsoft, Apple, or your Internet provider informing you of problems with your devices. I know there are some of you reading thinking "No one falls for these scams", but in reality a good percentage of the population does. My company Integral is constantly bombarded with calls from people who have fallen victim to the "Tech Support" scam. If a tech company calls you out of the blue, simply hang up the phone. If you're surﬁng the web and alerts appear telling you there is a problem with your devices, simply turn off your device and turn it back on to disable these fake alerts. 2. Keep Your Devices Up to Date. Cybercrime is always evolving which is why you need to make sure you update your computers, smartphones, and tablets. Updates are a pain in the "you know what", but downloading them helps keep your devices safe from the latest operating system vulnerabilities from viruses and ransomware. Your mobile devices and computers are designed to automatically download updates. When you're asked to install them, resist the urge to prevent them from installing. When you use devices that don't have the latest updates, you open your gadgets up to hackers gaining control of them.

3. Watch Out When Installing Programs. Don’t just download any old apps to your devices. Apps in the Apple App Store, Google Play Store, and the Microsoft Store are normally checked before they are uploaded to the store. Sometimes a malicious app can slip through. If these apps get on your gadgets, they can create havoc. 4. Not all Websites are Safe. Criminals are aware you spend a lot of your time surﬁng the web and have set up bogus websites that are designed to trick you into thinking there is a problem with your devices and ones that are designed to hack into your gadgets. Watch the spelling of your favorites as a misspelling can get you into trouble. Pay attention to those ads and popups as well. Criminals actually spend money to take out ads to get you to click on them in order to trick you out of your money or gain access to your computer and related devices. 5. Use Strong Passwords. I know you hate passwords, but it's best you create strong passwords to keep your devices as well as your online accounts safe. If you struggle at creating passwords, use the password creators built into most password keeper software such as LastPass or the one built into your web browser. Change your passwords at least twice a year. Also, practice the art of cyber lying and don't give truthful answers to those security questions you're asked when setting up online

New tools aim to help small businesses thrive while working remotely (StatePoint) It’s been a challenging year for businesses of all sizes, with many companies having to quickly transition from centralized to decentralized work environments. Business leaders say that without the right tools, the new normal can put a strain on communication, collaboration and teamwork, signiﬁcantly reducing productivity. “Leading effectively from afar is a real challenge,” says Amir Moussavian, the CEO of Eturi Corp. “The ability to tune into the hum and buzz of my team collaborating has always been essential.” Recognizing a missing piece of the puzzle, Moussavian and his team at Eturi, which develops cross-platform solutions for mobile devices, introduced a new app called Motiv, a mobile dashboard that delivers important productivity metrics to CEOs, managers

and leaders. The tool’s reporting focuses on providing conference call activity and email summaries and integrates with Google Workspace and Microsoft 365, with many additional integrations and features slated for future release. “As all business owners know, it’s difficult to support collaboration or make informed decisions for the future of your company without up-to-date insights into what your team is doing,” says Moussavian. “That’s why we wanted to create a dashboard that essentially functions as a virtual corner office vantage point.” Moussavian stresses that although decentralized office can be challenging, the flexibility it offers employees can boost their morale and ultimately make for a happier workforce. Indeed, research shows many employees hope

to continue working from home in the future. He says that tapping into these beneﬁts while leveraging tools that facilitate remote work will be a key to success for companies as they move forward. Easily adopted by small- and medium -sized businesses, which have been underserved by existing productivity solutions, Motiv is available free for a limited time through the iOS App Store and Google Play Store. To learn more, visit motivapp.com. While many teams have not met inperson in quite some time, one thing is certain, collaboration is still as important as ever. New tools and the right mindset can help businesses modernize and thrive.

accounts. 6. Keep Your Mobile Number Secret. Just like you didn't give out your landline phone number to anyone who asked, use that same practice with your mobile number. The more people and apps that have access to your mobile number puts your devices more at risk to SMS text scams that can give criminals access to your mobile devices. The above steps can help you safeguard your personal and sensitive data from criminals. When you have protective measures in place, it makes it less likely that thieves will be able to steal your identity, delve into your personal life, steal your money, control your computers and devices, and make your digital life miserable.

Want to ask me a tech question? Send it to burton@burtonkelso.com. I love technology. I've read all of the manuals and I'm serious about making technology fun and easy to use for everyone. Need computer or technology help? If you need on-site or remote tech support for your Windows\Macintosh, computers, laptops, Android/Apple smartphone, tablets, printers, routers, smart home devices, and anything that connects to the Internet, please feel free to contact my team at Integral. Reach out to us at www.callintegralnow.com or phone at 888.256.0829.

Page 10

How to welcome a new puppy to the family (Family Features) Introducing a new puppy to your household can bring many rewards. However, getting the hang of things can take some time, especially for first-time pet owners. In fact, it takes the average pet owner almost four months to get into the flow with a new four-legged family member, according to a survey by Royal Canin. Eight in 10 respondents said the first year of pet ownership is the most important, but that doesn't mean it's easy. The survey found 64% believe the first year is also the most difficult and deciding how to train a new pet was cited as the most important decision pet parents have to make. Make welcoming a new puppy a rewarding experience for the whole family with these tips. Your puppy may be feeling stressed by new sights, sounds, smells and the

separation from its mother. Manage the noise and activity to avoid adding to this stress. As soon as you get home, take your puppy to your yard or outside area so it can go to the bathroom. Use positive verbal reinforcement when the job is done. Once indoors, block off a safe area and let your puppy sniff and explore on its own time. Getting acquainted with a new place takes time and lots of exploring. Some puppies can be overwhelmed by too much human contact, so allow your puppy to come to you. Puppies like to know what to expect. Plan your routine for feeding, potty trips, exercise and grooming so you can get started on day one. If you know what routine your puppy had before adoption, it's best to continue for consistency until

your puppy is settled. Any sudden dietary changes can cause stress or digestive problems, so for the ﬁrst week or two, give your puppy the same food as its previous owner, following the feeding recommendations on the package. Nutrition tailored to speciﬁc developmental needs can help fragile, young puppies grow into strong, healthy dogs. It's important to select a highquality food based on age and expected adult size. Your puppy's eating spot should be away from where you and any other pets eat. Allow your puppy to eat in peace to prevent it from feeling nervous or protective. Puppies tire easily and need as much as 18-20 hours of sleep per day for healthy development. A crate near where you sleep lets your puppy see and smell

Photo credit: Valley News staff you but keeps it from wandering off. Put something that carries your scent in your puppy's bed along with a blanket to snuggle into. If you're interested in getting a new puppy, before making a decision on which breed best suits your family and lifestyle, you can see all 196 registered breeds during the 2021 AKC National Championship. Find more advice for welcoming a new puppy into your home at RoyalCanin.com/puppies.

This week’s theme: Fictional Monsters. ACROSS 1. "Turkey" dance 5. X minus III 8. Accounting acronym 11. Angel's glow 12. Like list of chores 13. Inside info 15. "National Velvet" author Bagnold 16. Heavy Metal band Quiet ____ 17. *Worn by monster hunters and dragonslayers 18. *Sea monster with atomic breath 20. Brooms and cauldrons to a witch, e.g. 21. Subject of biographies, pl. 22. ____ of Aquarius 23. Saudi's southern neighbor 26. Ceremonial flight 30. "I" problem 31. Sweet-talk 34. Marine eagle 35. The Revenge of the ____, 1984 37. ____ you sure? 38. Desires 39. Russia's Romanov, e.g. 40. Comfy pants 42. Preceding month 43. Google Maps predecessor, pl. 45. Blackbird-like birds 47. Crow sound 48. Group of professionals 50. Like a bow string 52. *Witch of Russian fairytales 55. ____ con carne 56. G in 1000 g., e.g. 57. Loose hood 59. Was rebroadcasted 60. Prospector's mother? 61. Bassoon cousin 62. Nod up and down 63. *He played Dracula and Count Dooku

64. *Like Sendak's Things DOWN 1. England's favorite drink, in French 2. *Addams Family's Lurch: "You ____?" 3. A dish of stewed meat 4. Waddle 5. Bridal veil fabric 6. Objects of worship 7. Just a little 8. Michael Douglas' 1978 mystery thriller 9. Like the Weasleys of "Harry Potter" 10. Second qtr. calendar month 12. Alex Trebek's forte 13. Drooping 14. *Jeepers ____, sing. 19. Coats with Zn 22. Tap order 23. Yiddish busybody 24. Opposite of digest 25. Like high ground 26. Pestilence pest 27. Lock horns 28. Darlene or Jacob of Ozark 29. MCAT and LSAT 32. *Amity Island ﬁsh 33. Bonanza ﬁnd 36. *Transylvanian bloodsucker 38. Shylock's practice 40. Use a Singer 41. Up until now, 2 words 44. Like luxurious sheets 46. Another name for manatee, 2 words 48. Not kayak 49. Follow rules 50. Shakespearean "you" 51. What snob puts on 52. *Minotaur is half man, half ____ 53. Mongolian desert 54. Deserter's acronym 55. ____, The Beloved Country

Outdoors & Recreation

Page 11

MDC recommends early blooming native trees for spring planting by Bill Graham, Missouri Department of Conservation Trees with white blooms are too common this spring in many Kansas City area fence lines, parks, and meadows, because non-native Callery pear cultivars planted as ornamentals have hybridized and become very invasive. They invade where they’re not wanted and choke out valuable native trees, shrubs, and wildflowers that nurture songbirds and butterflies. The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) urges gardeners and landscapers to consider planting native trees with colorful spring blooms as ornamentals. Missouri’s state tree, flowering dogwood, provides white blooms and is attractive in lawns, given shady locations. Serviceberry provides early white blooms but also red berries that are edible for people, although birds also love them. Other choices include red buckeye, yellowwood, redbud, blackhaw viburnum, hophornbeam and chokecherry, said Wendy Sangster, MDC community conservation planner. A mix of tree species will provide a variety of blooms and beneﬁts. Native

trees host valuable insects that are important food sources for backyard birds. They boost colorful moths and butterflies. Invasive Callery pear cultivars host few if any native insects. They do provide berries, which birds eat and then spread the seeds, furthering the invasion. But those berries have very poor nutritional value for birds. Cultivated varieties of this plant available for sale include Aristocrat, Autumn Blaze, Bradford, Capital, Chanticleer (also known as Cleveland Select), New Bradford, and Redspire, among others. All are invasive and should not be planted. “Callery pear cultivars are also poor choices in landscaping because they are weak trees and break easily in wind or ice storms,” Sangster said. MDC offers information about home landscape trees that help people and wildlife at http://www.mdc.mo.gov/ discover-nature/trees-work. The Heartland Tree Alliance, an MDC partner in the Kansas City metro area, provides information about trees that

Getting more movement throughout the day (StatePoint) Working or learning from home? It’s more important than ever to ensure you move throughout the day. Doing so will help keep your mind and body healthy and agile. Here are a few tips to move more throughout the day. Take designated breaks: While your workplace likely afforded you regular opportunities to move around, such as getting up to speak to a colleague or attend a meeting, home workspaces often involve a lot less natural movement. Set a timer for regular intervals. Every time you hear the beep, stretch, move about or take a walk to the kitchen for a glass of water. You’ll be giving your eyes a much needed break too. If possible, consider even building a midday walk or jog around the neighborhood into your schedule. Track your movement: Wearable tech can help you stay accountable throughout the day. The timepieces in the G-SHOCK line-up feature step trackers and other cool heart smart health and ﬁtness functions that can help you enhance your workout. In addition to counting steps, the GBD800-1B for men and the GMDB800-1 for women track calories burned, exercise intensity levels and activity goal achievements when connected to the G-SHOCK app. They also feature daily, weekly and monthly activity graphs so you can set goals and track your progress over time. Are you a ﬁtness enthusiast who wants

to get into the real nitty-gritty of metrics? Check out the G-Shock MOVE GBDH1000. Its heart rate monitor displays your current heart rate, as well as the heart rate zone for five stages of exercise intensity. It also estimates VO2max, a measure of your maximum rate of oxygen consumption, a useful benchmark for cardiorespiratory ability if you’re looking to build endurance. When you get outdoors for an adventure, its GPS functionality and other sensors can help orient you. Mix it up: There are four types of exercise, according to the National Institutes of Health -- endurance, strength, balance and flexibility -- and each type has different benefits for your body. Varying your workouts can ensure you gain the benefits of all four types. Need some inspiration? There are plenty of free routines available online, many of which offer modifications to work for different fitness levels. Just search for what you’re looking for and you’re bound to find some great follow-along programming to meet your needs. And remember, a workout doesn’t need to be a certain length to be beneficial. If you have only a few minutes to squeeze movement into your day, be sure to take it. Using new tools, it’s easier than ever to stay accountable to your fitness goals, even when you are spending a lot of time at home.

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Callery pear cultivars planted in landscaping, such as Bradford pear, have become invasive of natural areas, roadsides, and farm pastures. MDC urges property owners to plant native trees and shrubs for beauty, birds, and butterflies. Photo credit: MDC do well in urban settings, https:// www.bridgingthegap.org/heartland-tree -alliance. Another useful source for

information about native wildflowers, grasses, shrubs, and trees is available at http://www.grownative.org.

Sports

Page 12

Double vision a part of Eagles tennis by John Unrein Watching a Grain Valley Eagles boys tennis match this season may lead one to believe they are having double vision. That is not the case. It is probable one would be noticing the identical likeness of Carter and Kade Compton. The twins compete on the tennis court for the Eagles in both singles and doubles matches. The afternoon of April 9th brought 72 degrees and overcast skies with the Platte County Pirate tennis team paying a visit to Grain Valley High School. Perched on a bench or leaning against the fence was the watchful gaze of Eagles head tennis coach Randy Draper. A point is always made by Draper to consult with his varsity players after a match. Draper typically asks for reflection by the player and then provides guidance in the form of constructive feedback before moving on to ending with positive thoughts and a comment designed to draw a smile. Such was the case as junior Carter Compton ﬁnished his play for the day before visiting with Draper. Grain Valley was ﬁnishing up going 2-7 overall in their matchup against the Pirates. The loss would move the Eagles to a 1-4 season record. The bright spot against the Pirates would come in the form of Grain Valley winning the number one ranked singles match and number two ranked doubles match. “Since my freshman year, Coach Draper has taught me the fundamentals of tennis. I had never touched a racket before then. Coach Draper pushes us to win, just like I experience in soccer and basketball,” Compton said. “I split my matches today going 1-1. We won our doubles match, and I lost my singles match. I have close friends on this team though, and that makes being a part of the tennis program here a lot of fun.” Compton continued, “My brother (Kade) and I are remarkably close. We do not have to communicate about the typical stuff, we just know what’s up. That leads to us knowing what to do just by the looks we give each other.” The makeup of Draper’s squad is

diverse. Some of the team is involved in other sports or activities. The rest simply play tennis out of the joy received from hitting a fluorescent ball with nylon strings on a racket. Brycen Crandall is another example of a multiple sport athlete like the Compton twins who enjoys competing in tennis. “I have ﬁve or six buddies on this team that I get to see every day for an hour and a half after school. Tennis also helps to keep me in shape. I notice the difference in my quickness and handeye coordination every summer when we start back up in football,” Crandall said. “Tennis is a lot of fun. I lost my doubles match but won my singles match to end up with a .500 record on the day.” Draper has shared with his team that the purpose of their non-conference schedule early in the season against larger schools in the Lee’s Summit and Blue Springs school districts was not meant to be friendly. Instead, it was intended to face good competition to make the team better heading into conference and district play. Draper is also aware of the unusualness in the circumstances of seeing players get caught up who did not have a tennis season last year. “We have been in matches. Two of three we have lost we were close. Hopefully, by the end of the season we will have improved enough to flip those outcomes. We continue to learn how to organize and win points. Players who win points are the ones who learn to do it on their terms,” Draper said. “We have the unusual circumstance of having two sets of twins in our top six players. I have been pleased with the Compton twins especially. They are two underclassmen playing our number two doubles and our three and four singles. I have been pleased with them and think they have a really high ceiling.” The week of April 12th will see the Grain Valley Eagles tennis team travel to Warrensburg and host Truman High School.

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The Compton twins warm up prior to their match against the Platte County Pirates. Photo credit: Valley News staff

Junior Carter Compton prepares to serve. Photo credit: Valley News staff

Three from GVHS participate in National Signing Day Three GVHS students signed their intent to continue their athletic careers at the college level during National Signing Day ceremonies on April 14th at the high school.

Tessa Williams will continue her cheerleading career at the University of Kansas. Abigail Castle will head to Missouri Western State University for track, and Jordyn Weems will continue her track career at Ottawa University.

Sports

Page 13

Eight is great for the Lady Eagles by John Unrein The Grain Valley Lady Eagles soccer team scored eight goals to move their record to 8-0 on the season against the Fort Osage Indians on April 12th. The contest only lasted a total of 49 minutes with the spread rule coming into effect upon Grain Valley’s final goal by Meghan Knust just 9 minutes into the second half. A Fort Osage Indian squad that was not at full strength due to COVID-19 related issues put forth their best effort with reduced numbers. A perfect record remains intact for a young Lady Eagles squad that has shown a propensity for scoring goals this season. Grain Valley has averaged 4.75 goals a game through timely passing and nifty shot selection. The unselfishness of head coach Tyler Nichol’s squad has reaped success for the Lady Eagles. Freshman Kylee Bragaw was a prime example of this in the Lady Eagles win. Fellow freshman Emma Thiessen crossed the ball to Bragaw who used her left foot to intentionally send the ball at a high trajectory on a lob shot over the outstretched arms of the Indians goalkeeper. Chants of “Bragaw Ball” emanated from the Grain Valley sideline following the crafty shot on goal thirty minutes into the first half. Bragaw would be followed by Sevreign Aumua and Annabelle Totta with goals at the 31 and 32 minute mark of the first half, respectively. The offensive outpouring in a three minute time span pushed the score to 6-0 and left the Lady Eagles on cruise control heading into the second half. The amount of respect exhibited for the freshman by upperclassmen has existed since the start of the season and surpasses the contributions made by the eight freshmen on the Grain Valley varsity roster. “My teammates started repeating the ‘Bragaw Ball’ saying after my first goal of the season against Staley. It was coined by Coach (Brett) Lewis and has stuck,” Bragaw said. “I think it is really cool the amount of respect given by my teammates. Our coaches have given us time on the field and encourage us to be ourselves when we play soccer. The lob shot was due to other players being in the way and that being the best shot I had. I tried it and it went in.” Totta added, “Tonight was great. That was due to us moving ball around and communicating extremely well. The

depth on our team allows us to compete in waves. We trust each other to the point we do not have uncertainty regardless of who possesses the ball. Goalkeeper Camihle Williams produced her second shutout of the season in net for the Lady Eagles. Williams continues to become more vocal in directing her team with the pitch in front of them. A sign of the conﬁdence that continues to grow for the sophomore goalie. “A shutout is always what you strive for and my team was affected by it in the best way possible. I continue to have open mindedness as a goalie in that your defense will not always do what you expect them to do. You have to adjust and avoid frustration if things do not go your way,” Williams said. The grin on Nichol’s face after a victory over a Suburban Conference opponent was unmistakable. The man at the helm will not be shy in telling you that the team’s performance has surpassed expectations thus far this season. The style and selflessness of play is what has Nichol the happiest as Grain Valley heads into a busy part of their schedule, playing three games the week of April 12th. “We were clean in our play tonight and moved the ball well against a quality opponent that was missing quite a few players. We know that it will not be this easy next time around against them (Fort Osage). We can only control what we can control. To see this many girls involved in our early season success has been very enjoyable,” Nichol said. “I hope it speaks volumes about our program -- the amount of care demonstrated by our team for each other in that they are a great group of human beings. This roster has not been mad in the sense that they are competing for spots with each other. It has been an environment that everyone is happy for each other regardless of who is putting the ball in net at the end of play.” Nichol ﬁnished, “I have to throw a shout out to Hannah Rast. She loved to throw her knee or foot at the ball the way Bragaw did tonight with the same result. The fun in that keeps me focused from thinking too much about our upcoming opponents. I am proud of this team.”

Left to right: Camihle Williams, Kylee Bragaw, Annabelle Totta, Rian Handy Photo credit: Valley News staff

Left: Sophia Giuliano advances the ball down the ﬁeld for the Lady Eagles. Right: Alexis Arreguin throws the ball into play from the sideline for the Lady Eagles. Photo credit: Valley News staff

Sports

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Eagles too much for Bears by John Unrein The Grain Valley Eagles baseball team produced a run in every inning played except the first in route to a 10-0 spread rule victory over the William Chrisman Bears on April 9th. Grain Valley used a recipe of deft pitching, good defense, and timely hitting to produce a strong showing against a Suburban Conference opponent. The victory also leaves intact an undefeated record at home for the Eagles through the first month of the season. Starter Joel Palecek and reliever Parker Stone toiled on the mound to produce the shutout for Grain Valley. The duo scattered four base hits to combine with four strikeouts across five scoreless innings. The phrase “In Palecek We Trust” could be heard coming from the Eagles dugout after each of the first four frames. The junior starter continues to display calm body language in mixing his fastball, changeup, and curveball arsenal against opposing offenses. Stone was sharp as well in his one inning of relief. Senior catcher Cole Arndorfer was strong behind the plate defensively for Grain Valley. Arndorfer thwarted a steal attempt of second base with a solid throw in the top of the first inning that nullified the Bears chance of scoring. That was followed by Arndorfer assisting his teammates with where the baseball was headed after contact was made at the plate. Clear skies and a sunny afternoon left a “high sky” in baseball terminology for the Eagles to sort through. Arndorfer could be heard verifying location of the baseball in the top of the second inning by saying, “Up, no tag by runner.” The

assistance by Arndorfer made the catch and knowing what to do with baseball afterwards easier for Eagles second baseman Avery Garmon. Big days at the plate were had by shortstop Parker Bosserman, right fielder Alex Snyder, and third baseman Riley Bown. The trio would produce 7 of the 10 runs batted in by Grain Valley. Bosserman would end up going three for three, with a stolen base, and 2 RBI’s. Snyder’s 2 RBI base hit in the bottom of the 4th inning broke the game wide open for the Eagles. Grain Valley’s approach of going the other way at the plate against William Chrisman’s southpaw starter Trey Kates paid dividends. The Eagles were determined to look the ball in as long as they could before triggering their swing to make sure they did not get fooled. The methodology worked and Grain Valley was rewarded for their patience. “I feel like I am seeing the ball well at the plate. It was a beautiful day outside and that did not hurt either. Focusing on staying back in my stance and hitting ball the opposite way paid off for me today,” Bosserman said. Snyder added, “I noticed in my first two at bats that I was way out in front. I changed my approach at the plate to hunt the fastball and make contact the other way in attempting to move runners over.” “This feels great in how we are coming together as a team. We are on a roll right now.” The growing confidence on display by the Eagles has head coach Brian Driskell content with where his team is headed.

Left: Starting pitcher Joel Palecek warms up on the mound. Right: Right ﬁelder Alex Snyder connects at the plate to drive in two runs. Photo credit: Valley News staff

Short stop Parker Bosserman waits for the pitch at the plate. Photo credit: Valley News staff There is a new mix to the varsity roster this season with a decent number of seniors who graduated in 2020. It is always uncertain how a new group will gel and if team chemistry will result in support of one another. That has not been a worry for Driskell. “It has been a nice theme to see the clutch hitting we have done at the plate. On the opposite side we have also had timely pitching with two outs and not allowed the other team to do the same. Obviously, you do not want to put yourself on those positions defensively. Those are invaluable moments, so come the end of the season we’ll have experience in both comfortable and uncomfortable situations,” Driskell said. “Joel (Palecek) continues to throw strikes when he is on the mound for us. We talked as a team afterwards that we can give up ﬁve hits in three innings and work around that without the game getting away from us, or our defense getting tired or bored. It is exciting to play behind a pitcher that will keep the ball in play.” Driskell continued, “I am glad to see

Cole (Arndorfer) be so vocal as a catcher. That is hard for him in that he is introverted. We have pressed him to speak up and support our defense and he has responded. I am happy he is showing comfort in ﬁnding his voice.” “Trey (Kates) did a good job for them (William Chrisman) pitching. I felt like he had us fooled early. He did a job mixing his pitches and missed in the middle of the plate a few times. We were able to advantage of that in those situations. I think he will be a solid pitcher for them moving forward.” Driskell ﬁnished, “I am encouraged by what I see from us. I like the temperament of this team. This has been as much fun as I have had coaching in thirteen years.” The win over William Chrisman and a subsequent 13-0 victory by the Eagles against North Kansas City in the Northland Baseball Tournament progresses Grain Valley’s record to 9-4 on the season.

Sports

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Chiefs Mock Draft by John Unrein The 86th annual selection meeting of the National Football League will be held April 29th through May 1st in Cleveland, Ohio. Much like spring training in baseball, the NFL draft brings renewed hope to franchises across the landscape of professional football. The Kansas City Chiefs definitely fall into that category, no doubt still feeling the sting of their 31 -9 Super Bowl LV defeat at the hands of Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Chiefs general manager Brett Veach will have his hands full in trying to fill the team’s several positional needs. The organization has been active in free agency with signings of offensive guards Joe Thuney and Kyle Long. Those moves followed the release of long time Chiefs offensive tackles Eric Fisher and Mitchell Schwartz. Kansas City has continued to bring players into the fold through late March and early April with the following additions: Michael Burton FB Austin Blythe OL Daniel Sorensen S Demarcus Robinson WR Mike Remmers OL Nick Keizer TE Blake Bell TE Darrell Williams RB Taco Charlton DE This draft has increased significance for the Chiefs. Outside of Thuney, all the other Chiefs recent free agent signings agreed to one year deals. The salary cap limit restructure across the NFL due to revenue lost from last year’s COVID-19 season has a lot of teams in the same boat as the Chiefs. Compounding matters is that defensive starters Tyrann Mathieu (safety), Chavarius Ward (cornerback), and Derrick Nnadi (defensive tackle) will be free agents themselves following this season. And by the way, the Chiefs have a glaring hole at left tackle, the individual responsible for protecting the blind side of the best player in the National Football League in Patrick Mahomes. According to NextGenStats, and previously reported by Seth Walder of ESPN, Mahomes scrambled for an eye popping 497 yards in the Super Bowl avoiding the pass rush of the Buccaneers. The official website of the Kansas City Chiefs currently has a blank space listed for the first team left tackle on the team’s depth chart. Martinas Rankin is listed as the second team left tackle.

Simply put, Veach will not let the Chiefs exit the first round without trading for a veteran left tackle or selecting someone with the potential worthy of guarding Mahomes. Too much rides on the Super Bowl window remaining open for the Chiefs not to fill the position in a secure manner before any other needs are addressed. There have been online suggestions from pundits that the Chiefs could trade for Ravens offensive tackle Orlando Brown Jr. The 6’ 8” three hundred and forty five pound Brown has productive experience at both right and left tackles in the league while still only being 24 years of age. However, it would be a shock to see the Ravens trade him to the Chiefs considering both teams are in the same conference (AFC) and view themselves as contenders. The Chiefs have the following eight picks in this year’s draft: 1st Round (31st overall), 2nd round (63rd overall), 3rd round (94th overall), 4th round (136th overall), 4th round (144th overall), 5th round (177th overall), 5th round (181st overall), and 6th round (207th overall). Stone Forsythe (Offensive Tackle), Florida Gators- 31st Overall Forsythe glides into his pass set with grace. According to Pro Football Focus, Forsythe only allowed two sacks last season while most games for the Gators were against SEC opponents. Forsythe also has the hand punch and athleticism needed to fend off talented edge rushers. More importantly, it is a cab ride to get around the size and length Forsythe possesses. Likeness can be found between Forsythe and another former Andy Reid coached offensive tackle in King Dunlap, formerly of the Philadelphia Eagles. Forsythe’s height works against him at times in the running game. The ability to learn how to use leverage as a tall player while locking on and moving defenders will be a work in progress at the pro level for Forsythe. That is okay though. Reid coached teams tend to be near the league lead in pass attempts. A trend likely to continue with Mahomes as the Chiefs signal caller. Mahomes must stay upright in the pocket though for that to take place. It has been confirmed that the Chiefs did attend Forsythe’s pro day in Gainesville, Florida with a Chiefs scout running the offensive line drills. Pro day measurables for Forsythe HT: 6’ 8”

WT: 307 Hand: 10” Arm length: 34.375” 40 yard dash: 5.14 and 5.15 seconds Vertical jump: 27.5” Broad jump: 8’ 7” Short shuttle: 4.65 seconds Three cone agility: 7.47 seconds 225 pound bench press reps: 25 Tommy Tremble (Tight End), Notre Dame- 63rd Overall Tremble is projected to go in the third round of the draft. That is why the Chiefs will select him at the bottom of the second round. Tremble was one of the most dominant blocking tight ends in all of college football last season. The Fighting Irish ran behind Tremble when yards were needed most on the ground. Selecting Tremble will promote the longevity of Travis Kelce’s career as well. Kelce may be used more as a flex option away from the line of scrimmage and avoid injury in no longer having to do as much dirty work in the trenches. Tremble also possesses the athleticism and untapped potential to excel in the passing game. Notre Dame primarily used Tremble as a play action target in their offense. Tremble fulﬁlled that role with solid hands and the ability to track the football in the air well. Several mock drafts have the Chiefs going defense in the second round or trading the pick and other draft capital to get back into the ﬁrst round to select a defensive player. Tremble’s name may be called if that scenario does not play out. Pro day measurables for Tremble HT: 6’ 3” WT: 241 Hand: 9.25” Arm length: 32” Wingspan: 78.5” 40 yard dash: 4.59 Vertical jump: 36.5” Broad jump: 10’ 2” Short shuttle: Did not participate Three cone agility: Did not participate 225 pound bench press reps: 20 Jamar Johnson (Safety), Indiana- 94th Overall Johnson has excelled at both playing near the line of scrimmage and off in deep coverage as a safety in the Hoosiers’ defensive scheme. Johnson is a sound tackler who does not fear contact. The ability to react to patterns developing in front of Johnson has permitted the 21 year old junior to get

his hands on the football through the air. The Chiefs select Johnson to protect against Mathieu and Sorensen being free agents after this season. The pick also provides Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo the ability to move Mathieu, Sorensen, and Johnson around as chess pieces fulfilling various roles. The only other safeties currently listed on the Chiefs depth chart are Juan Thornhill and Armani Watts. Pro day measurables for Johnson HT: 6’ 2” WT: 205 Hand: 9.25” Arm length: 30” Wingspan: 75.5” 40 yard dash: 4.58 Vertical jump: 35” Broad jump: 10’ 2” Short shuttle: 4.41 Three cone agility: 7.22 225 pound bench press reps: 17 Dayo Odeyingbo (Defensive End), Vanderbilt- 136th Overall Odeyingbo was a team captain and has received notoriety as possibly the most underrated defender in the prestigious Southeastern Football Conference. Odeyingbo lined up against quality offensive tackles every week in catching the eye of scouts with his hand strength and ability to get off the football at the snap. The ability to get to the quarterback, be stout against the run, disengage from blocks, and finish tackles is what has moved Odeyingbo into the middle rounds of the draft. A nine game schedule witnessed Odeyingbo rack up 5.5 sacks during the 2020 season. Odeyingbo would team with Frank Clark, Mike Danna, Taco Charlton, and Tim Ward to form a respectable defensive end rotation along the Chiefs defensive line. The free agent addition of Reed at defensive tackle also gives the team flexibility of moving Chris Jones to defensive end on first and second downs. Robert Rochell (Cornerback), Central Arkansas- 144th Overall

see CHIEFS on page 16

CHIEFS continued from page 11 Rochell is comfortable in space and in close proximity to wide receivers. More importantly, Rochell tracks the football well in coverage while displaying solid enough hands to reel in the football. The first-team All-Southland Conference selection in 2019 was a three year starter. The former track star at Central Arkansas also possesses long arms. Both attributes would allow Rochell to develop quickly in Spagnuolo’s press coverage scheme. Having the confidence that you have the speed to recover in coverage does wonders for the willingness of a cornerback to get their hands on wide receivers at the line of scrimmage and disrupt a route. Rochell has been credited with a 4.41 40 yard dash and a 43” vertical jump at a height of 6’ 2” tall. The physical tools are definitely there for Rochell. Rochell has the potential to be this year’s version of L’Jarius Sneed who the Chiefs selected in the fourth round of last year’s draft. Tedarrell Slaton (Defensive Tackle), Florida- 177th Overall Slaton possesses the size to lock down the “A Gap” against an opponent’s rushing attack. The 6’ 5” three hundred and forty pound Slaton also has the nimbleness to rush the passer and disengage from blockers. A relentless motor pops out in the film review of Slaton. Chiefs defensive line coach Brendan Daly would have a project to mold in Slaton. The drafting of Slaton would protect the Chiefs against the possibility of Nnadi signing elsewhere as a free agent after this season. The Chiefs have typically carried eight or more defensive linemen on their 53 man roster during Spagnuolo’s tenure as defensive coordinator. The ability to have a rotation of quality defensive linemen to throw at the opposition promotes a healthy pass rush and limits the amount of time defensive backs must cover up receivers. Derrick Barnes (Linebacker), Perdue- 181st Overall Barnes is the classic tale of an

undersized defensive lineman who can move well in space that was moved to linebacker. The Boilermaker three year starter ran a 4.58 40 yard dash at his pro day to coincide with a 37” vertical jump, a 4.32 short shuttle, and bench pressed 225 pounds 29 times when NFL scouts came calling to West Lafayette, Indiana. Barnes checks a lot of boxes as a scheme fit for linebacker in Spagnuolo’s 43 defense. Barnes is not uncomfortable blitzing and engaging with blockers due his former tenure at defensive end. Conversely, Barnes is comfortable in space and has shown the ability to provide coverage against short and intermediate routes in his drops. Barnes also rarely misses a tackle. That is a good way to get noticed and punch your ticket to stay on the 53 man roster come training camp time in July. Couple that with Barnes not being shy about taking on lead blockers, and you have a player who may contribute at any of the three linebacker positions. Sam Cooper (Guard), Merrimack- 207th Overall The Chiefs were confirmed to be one of the 9 NFL teams at Cooper’s pro day. The 6’ 2” three hundred and eight pound big man attended the University of Maine from 2015 to 2017 before transferring to Merrimack, a small private school located in Andover, Massachusetts. Cooper’s ability to run block in the outside zone scheme used by Merrimack grabs your attention. So does the punch Cooper possesses in pass protection. This was quantified by the numbers Cooper put up at his pro day. Cooper ran the 40 yard dash in 5.1 seconds, bench pressed 225 pounds 35 times, and ran a 10 yard dash split of 1.69 seconds. All of this means that Cooper is athletic but raw and would likely need time to mature under the guidance of Chiefs offensive line coach Andy Heck.

Community Calendar Monday, April 19, 2021

Wednesday, April 21, 2021

Grow a Reader Virtual Storytime 10:00am -10:20am www.mymcpl.org/events

Tech Talk: Cricut Design Space (Part 1) 1:00pm—1:30pm This series will cover a new user’s experience with his/her Cricut machine. Learn with Brityni as she gets to know her new craft device. www.mymcpl.org/events

Group Diabetes Tour 12:00pm - 12:45pm Your Hy-Vee dietitian will help you navigate the aisles on this virtual store tour. Learn the basics of a diabetes meal plan. Plus, get shopping tips and product recommendations to help add more nutrition to your cart. Hosted by Blue Springs Hy-Vee Corporate Dietitian Ashton Ibarra RD, LD . Register: https://www.hy-vee.com/ stores/dietitian/default.aspx?s=12 Diabetes: Myths, Facts & Snacks 6:00 PM - 6:30 PM Do you ﬁnd food & nutrition information for diabetes and pre-diabetes confusing? Join Hy-Vee Dietitians, for a live class as they debunk common diabetes food myths and provide you with the facts. Hosted by Blue Springs Hy-Vee Corporate Dietitian Ashton Ibarra RD, LD . Register: https://www.hy-vee.com/ stores/dietitian/default.aspx?s=12

Tuesday, April 20, 2021 No school—Grain Valley Schools Diabetes: Myths, Facts & Snacks 2:00 PM - 2:30 PM Do you ﬁnd food & nutrition information for diabetes and pre-diabetes confusing? Join Hy-Vee Dietitians, for a live class as they debunk common diabetes food myths and provide you with the facts. Hosted by Blue Springs Hy-Vee Corporate Dietitian Ashton Ibarra RD, LD . Register: https://www.hy-vee.com/ stores/dietitian/default.aspx?s=12 Park Board Meeting 7:00pm Grain Valley Community Center

Saturday, April 24, 2021 Drug Take-Back event 10:00am—2:00pm Grain Valley Police Department parking lot, 711 Main Street Free to all for safe disposal of prescription and non-prescription medications. NO syringes.

Monday, April 26, 2021 Board of Aldermen Meeting 7:00pm Grain Valley City Hall, 711 Main ST Saturday, May 15, 2021 “City Wide” Garage Sales The city wide garage sales are held the 3rd Saturday in May. This is not a citysponsored event. Add your garage sale to Valley News May 13th directory for only $5. https://www.grainvalleynews.com/ store/p2/garagesale.html

Saturday, June 5, 2021 City Wide Clean Up event 8:00am—2:00pm 405 James Rollo DR, Grain Valley City Wide Clean Up is a free annual service by our Public Works division. It is an opportunity for Grain Valley residents to dispose of unwanted items. Items that are not accepted include: tires, paint, oil, refrigerators, household cleaners/chemicals, air conditioner units, bagged trash, yard waste or clippings. Proof of residency is required. Add your community event at www.grainvalleynews.com/ eventscalendar

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Valley News: April 15, 2021

Articles inside

t for the Lady EaglesSports: Lady Eight is grea

Your Health: Plants on a plate—green peas

Scramble starts for Missouri’s share of federal COVID-19 cash

Looking Back: Twenty-Five Years Ago, Grain Valley Schools

Musings from the Middle: No place to hide