Looking Back: 50 Years Ago

Looking Back

Looking Back: 50 Years Ago

Looking back at news articles published in 1970, one is reminded of many events that took place in Grain Valley that fall. Three articles are certainly worth mentioning. Marvin D. Headley, director of transportation in the Neosho School District was named superintendent of the Grain Valley R-5 School District. Mr. Headley spent 18 years in Neosho as a junior high science teacher, junior high principal, and district director of federal programs before accepting his last position there. Headley was originally from Downs, Kansas. He received an undergraduate degree from the College of Emporia (now Emporia State) and a Masters and Specialist degree from the University of Missouri. The Headley family included his wife, Doris, a registered nurse and three children, Lynn (Class of 1974), Russell (Class of 1976) and Eric. Mr. Headley served as our superintendent for 10 years, from July, 1970, until June, 1980. During that time a new high school was completed at the original campus on Main Street and Matthews Elementary School was built. Unlike today’s fast growth pace, during his 10-year tenure enrollment increased by fewer than 100 students. Mr. Headley received his doctorate in education in 1978. In 1980, he accepted a position as superintendent in Aurora, Missouri. In a statement to the newspaper Headley Truman Heartland Community Foundation (THCF) invites applications for the more than $300,000 in scholarships available for students in 2021. “Whether you are a graduating high school senior, a current college student or a teacher looking to improve your classroom, chances are there is a scholarship available for you,” said Rachael Cassiday Watkins, Truman Heartland’s Director of Programs and Donor Services. In addition to stand-alone scholarship applications, students can submit a general scholarship application that will match them with 50 scholarships that they may be eligible to receive. The deadline for Truman Heartland’s general scholarship application is February 1, 2021. Scholarships may said he “…would be paid $30,000 per year --$4,750 a year more than his current salary with the Grain Valley.” A 5-letter word, “PRIDE” was adopted by the students as a motto for the 1970 school year. It was suggested by the new superintendent, Marvin Headley. But he wanted the students and teachers to “take it from there.” And they did. Ron Affolter and Tim Hays, student council president and vice-president published a new student handbook to help students know what was expected of them. It was the 70s, so a dress code and grooming issues were addressed. After all, those were the days of short skirts for the girls and long hair for the boys. Students reported more school spirit. Susan Mann, a girls’ state representative in 1970 states, “I personally want to push more pride in our flag and our country.” That seems like a good idea fifty years later! And finally, Grain Valley brought home the I-70 Conference Football Championship trophy. The Eagles won the title for the first time since the league was organized in 1967. Don Kalthoff was the head coach and Doug Lee was a key player in the pennant drive. The Eagles finished the season with records of 6 and 0 in the conference and 8 and 2 overall - - the same records the team finished with in 1966 when they won the Western 1970 Grain Valley High School football head coach Don Kalthoff and player Doug Lee hold the 1-70 Conference Football Championship trophy. Photo courtesy Grain Valley Historical Society

Visit the Grain Valley Historical Society at 506 S. Main on Wednesdays or visit us online at ww.grainvalleyhistory.com and Facebook (@grainvalleyhistory).

$300,000 In Scholarships Available Through Truman Heartland Community Foundation

Missouri conference title. require additional items, including, but not limited to, transcripts with final fall 2020 grades, essays, letters of reference or statements about participation in certain activities. Some scholarships are not included in the general scholarship application. Deadlines and requirements for these stand-alone scholarships vary. In 2020, Truman Heartland awarded more than $470,000 in scholarships to 235 local students. Scholarships are available for students pursuing undergraduate, graduate and technical degrees. Visit www.thcf.org/scholarships to learn more and begin the application process. For questions or assistance with scholarships, please contact Rachael Cassiday Watkins at watkins@thcf.org or 816-912-4185.

2019 Truman Heartland Scholarship Awards Reception: (left to right) Harvey House, scholarship fundholder; Katelynn Laughlin, scholarship recipient; Schyler Turner, scholarship recipient; Lois House, scholarship fundholder. Photo credit: Truman Heartland Community Foundation

DED Releases October Jobs Report

The Missouri labor market showed mixed results in October 2020. Employment, seasonally adjusted, increased by 6,400 jobs over the month, but over-the-year job losses resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic remained stubbornly high. The state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate decreased by 0.2 percentage points from September 2020 to October 2020, but the civilian labor force decreased more than 16,000. Missouri’s smoothed seasonally adjusted unemployment rate went down by 0.2 percentage points in October 2020, decreasing to 4.6 percent

Donations

The Grain Valley Police Department is seeking monetary donations to support its annual Shop with a Cop event. The annual event provides an opportunity for officers to be matched with local children during a shopping event at Target, where children shop and wrap gifts for family members. Donations may be made in person at from a revised September 2020 rate of 4.8 percent. Due to lingering layoffs from COVID19 shutdowns, the October 2020 rate was still 1.2 percentage points higher than the October 2019 rate. Missouri’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate has now been either below or equal to the national rate for 68 consecutive months. The national unemployment rate was 6.9 percent in October 2020. The estimated number of unemployed Missourians was 137,729 in October 2020, down by 6,083 from

Shop With A Cop Seeking

September’s 143,812.

City Hall Water Department, 711 N. Main or by calling City Hall at 816-847-6280 to make a credit card payment by phone. The donation deadline is December 1st. For more information, call 816-8476250 or email gvmopd@cityofgrainvalley.org.

Get Personal With Your Workplace Benefits

(Family Features) Choosing employee benefits during annual enrollment is often one of the most important financial decisions you make each year. If your company is like most, it offers benefits to protect you and your family physically, emotionally and financially. In fact, 9 out of 10 employers in a Dynata survey on behalf of Colonial Life and Unum said they have no plans to eliminate or reduce employer-paid insurance benefits. Some employers even plan to boost comprehensive coverage, increasing benefit options or adding telehealth coverage. Before you enroll, understand your needs and the different coverages available, especially supplemental benefits you can usually pay for through payroll deduction.

Supplemental Benefits Add Coverage and Financial Protection Supplemental benefits allow you to customize your benefits package with coverage most important to you and your family. Because you sign up through work, it’s usually more affordable than buying coverage on your own. It can also be easier to qualify for coverage as part of a workplace group, often without answering any health questions.

The major types of supplemental benefits include: Life insurance provides financial protection for your family should anything happen to you. It can help loved ones pay for living expenses, debts, medical bills and funeral costs in addition to future needs such as college tuition or retirement. Even if your employer provides life insurance, it may not be enough for your family’s long-term needs. Disability insurance is designed to pay a portion of your income if you’re sick or injured and unable to work. It can be offered as short-term – typically 3-6 months – or long-term coverage that can last several years or until retirement. Dental insurance helps reduce outof-pocket costs for common dental procedures like cleanings, fillings, crowns, dentures, oral surgery, orthodontia and other treatments. Vision insurance helps cover costs for exams, glasses and contact lenses, and may include access to discounted materials and services through a network of vision service providers. Accident insurance offers a lump sum financial benefit if you have an accident or injury. It helps pay out-ofpocket expenses such as doctor bills, co-pays or emergency room fees. Hospital insurance helps pay for hospital stays and, on some plans, outpatient surgery and diagnostic procedures. Critical illness insurance provides a lump sum financial benefit if you’re diagnosed with conditions such as heart attack, stroke, cancer, organ failure, Alzheimer’s disease, ALS and more. Cancer insurance provides more specific coverage for the costs of treating cancer. It can also provide additional benefits for treatments and services such as ambulance transportation, hospital confinement, radiation, chemotherapy, medications and surgery.

Why You Might Need Supplemental Benefits Even the best medical insurance likely won’t cover all your out-ofpocket costs for illnesses and injuries. The average health care deductible for single coverage was nearly $1,500 last year and almost double for family coverage, according to a report from the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans. Add in co-pays, coinsurance and other noncovered costs and an average family may have more than $4,700 in out-of-pocket medical costs each year not counting health insurance premiums. Supplemental benefits can help bridge the financial gap. You can use your benefits for uncovered medical costs such as deductibles and copayments or nonmedical expenses such as travel for treatment or child care during recovery. You also don’t have to be sick or injured to take advantage of some supplemental coverage. Many plans include a wellness benefit that can pay a set amount for preventive screenings or diagnostic tests.