Looking Back: Twenty-Five Years Ago

Looking Back 3

Looking Back: Twenty-Five Years Ago

by Marcia Napier, Grain Valley Historical Society

Last week I took you back fifty years. This week, fast forward to twenty-five years. I went through a notebook filled with newspaper articles from 1996 and found a variety of stories – some good and some not so good. One article, from the Independence Examiner listed the top 10 stories of the year for Blue Springs and Independence and the top 5 stories for Buckner and Grain Valley. The Grain Valley stories were: FBI investigates police department finances; no indictments. Former alderman sentenced for sexual molestation of foster care children. Growing pains: Students and teachers move into new high school; city looks at expansion. High School football team goes 10-0 in regular season, electrifies town. Eventually lost in state semifinals. Alderman let city administrator go; new mayor elected.

Other articles included the “good” story about the repair of the I-70 bridge over Buckner Tarsney and the “bad” backup of traffic on I-70 during rush hours. There was the “good” news of more parks and ball fields in Grain Valley with the “bad” news of lights and noise for the homeowners near the park. With more good news than bad, I read about the approval of Sonic DriveIn coming to town, the success of senior citizen luncheons, and football.

The article I found most amusing was published in the Examiner on September 25, 1996. Here are some excerpts:

Railroad Crossing is still Problem The news isn’t good for people stuck in traffic while waiting for trains to clear Grain Valley. City officials indicated today they are no neared to having a workable solution that gives the desired results. The trains sometimes block traffic for 10 to 30 minutes, also cause problems for fire trucks, ambulances and police vehicles.

The article continued for several more paragraphs describing negotiations between the railroad and the city with no real solution. The problem continues today, with no real solution! So, to end on a positive note, in 1996 the town of Grain Valley – population estimated at 2, 016 by the U. S. Census Bureau – watched its football team go undefeated all the way to the top of the 2A statewide poll, only to lose in the state semifinals. The Historical Society has a nice collection of yearbooks from Grain Valley High School. Unfortunately we do not have a 1997 yearbook which would have photos of the 1996 team. If you have yearbooks from 1996 through 2000 that you no longer want, PLEASE consider donating them to the Historical Society Museum!

Transitions: James Guillemot

James Guillemot, age 83, passed away on Tuesday August 17, 2021 at the Hilltop Grand Village in Wisconsin Rapids. A Celebration of Life will be held on Sunday September 5, 2021 from 1:00 P.M. until 4:00 P.M. at the Grain Valley Community Center. 713 Main Street, Grain Valley, MO. Jim was born on December 21, 1938 in Lexington, MO to Pierre and Goldie Lee (Swafford) Guillemot. He married Helen Joyce Kelly on November 4, 1961 at Saint Mary’s Catholic Church in Higginsville, MO He graduated from Lexington High School and also attended Wentworth Military Academy. Jim was an all-conference Missouri River Valley conference football player and a lifelong enthusiast of the sport. He was also the #1 tireless fan of anyone in his family and an avid Kansas City Chiefs fan. He was an enthusiastic supporter of his wife’s horse obsession and enjoyed attending and supporting horse shows. Jim had recently moved to Wisconsin Rapids to be closer to family. He was very much a dedicated family man and a loving husband. Jim is survived by his loving wife of 59 years, Joyce Guillemot of Wisconsin Rapids; children: Russell Eugene (Kay) Guillemot of San Diego, CA, and Michael Kent (Teresa) Guillemot of Wisconsin Rapids; grandchildren: Matthew, Daniel, Bree (Steve) Cox, and Cori all of San Diego, CA, Thomas of Naperville, IL, and Samuel of Dubuque, IA; great grandchildren: Skyler, Tatum, Lennex Cox of San Diego, CA. He is preceded in death by his brother, Pierre Guillemot Jr. and his parents Pierre and Goldie Guillemot. In lieu of flowers donations may be made to the American Heart Association. Herman-Taylor Funeral Home is honored to be assisting the Guillemot family.

Letters to the editor and guest columns are welcome. This is YOUR community news source. Send your letters, comments, and story ideas by email, mail, or send us a message on social media (@grainvalleynews).

Grain Valley Fair Parade Entries Due Sept. 3rd

The 2021 Grain Valley Fair Parade returns on Saturday, September 11th and will be presented by Grain Valley News. This year’s theme will be “Looking Back. Moving Forward.” As our state celebrates its bicentennial this year, we thought it was a fitting theme to look back at where we have been as a community and look forward to a bright future. Our honorary Grand Marshals, the Grain Valley Historical Society, will receive 100% of the entry fees from this year’s event. To guarantee you are judged and announced, entry forms (and payment, if required) must be received by Friday, September 3, 2021. The parade will begin at 2:00pm with lineup at the high school beginning approximately 12:30pm. Judging will occur on the parade route. There is no fee for school or nonprofit organizations. For entry forms and more information, visit www.grainvalleynews.com/parade, or email news@grainvalleynews.com.

Something we can all agree on, for a change

by Phil Hanson, President and CEO, Truman Heartland Community Foundation

Recently, the annual report on charitable giving in the United States was released by Giving USA through the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy research. This annual report was first published in 1956 and is recognized in the philanthropy world as the best source for charitable giving information. The great news is that charitable giving was up 3.8% in 2020 and totaled $471.44 billion. So, even during a pandemic and the shutdown of the economy resulting in the loss of 9.6 million jobs, our fellow citizens continued their tradition of generosity. And this increase is driven by individual giving, with 69% of total giving ($324.10 B) coming from individuals and an additional 9% coming from individuals through bequests, for a total of 78%. There is a great deal of anecdotal information (not formal research) regarding the increased giving of those who still had jobs and were not as impacted by the pandemic using stimulus check money for donations to assist their neighbors in greater need. Gifts from Foundations is the secondlargest source of charitable giving totaling $88.55 Billion in 2020, or 19% of the total. I was pleased to see this category had the most significant increase in 2020 and was up 15.6%. We experienced a similar increase at Truman Heartland Community Foundation, with our total of grants and scholarships increasing to $5.4 Million in 2020 from $4.8 Million in 2019, up 12.5%. And the 250 families that we serve through providing a Donor Advised Fund (DAF) increased their grants in 2020 by 21%. We have the privilege of working with some of the most generous people in our community who truly responded generously last year. When there seem to be so many things that we disagree about, things that divide us. It's great to see that the tradition of charitable giving is something we all agree on and value, and it remains strong even during a pandemic. That is something of which all Americans should be proud.

September Partnership Luncheon: September 7th

Mark your calendars for the next Grain Valley Partnership luncheon on September 7th. Networking begins at 11:30am, with lunch from Noon—1:00pm. Reservations are $15. For more information and to register, visit www.growgrainvalley.org.

For sponsorship opportuni es and to register, call Tasha at 816‐443‐5162 or email info@growgrainvalley.org.

Silent auc on item dona ons are also welcomed. Please contact Tasha (816‐443‐5162) to do‐nate an item for the silent auc on. www.growgrainvalley.org

State News 5

Missouri lawmakers discuss election security in hearing marked by conspiracy theories

by Rebecca Rivas, Missouri Independent (www.missouriindependent.com)

The Missouri House Elections Committee convened Tuesday to discuss ways to alter the initiative petition process and improve election security. And over the course of more than three hours, lawmakers heard a parade of debunked conspiracy theories about the 2020 election. “I’m convinced the country suffered the greatest cyber attack in the history of the world that was ordered and orchestrated by the Chinese Communist Party,” retired military analyst David Stevens told the committee. Stevens was referencing a conspiracy peddled by MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell that claims the Chinese were behind President Joe Biden’s 2020 victory. During his August symposium, Lindell offered $5 million to any cyber security expert who could prove his claims wrong, which at least one former military cyber expert, a longtime Republican from Texas, has said he easily can. Others testifying Tuesday were similarly enamored with Lindell’s theories, including Rep. Ann Kelly, a Lamar Republican who doesn’t serve on the elections committee but testified about attending a symposium in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, organized by Lindell. Missouri resident Keith Carmichael testified about false voter-fraud theories from Ohio mathematician Douglas Frank, which have been disproven by a Republican-led Michigan Senate Oversight Committee. Working together, Frank and Lindell contend they can prove voting machines were hooked up to the internet, which both Ohio and Missouri laws prohibit. “Just a moment ago, a veteran military analyst told you that you were attacked,” testified Missouri resident Keith Carmichael. “I don’t know if you were listening. Nobody ran out. I didn’t see anybody call home. I know during 1941 when Pearl Harbor was attacked, I imagine people just stopped what they were doing.” There is no evidence of widespread voter fraud or irregularities during the 2020 election. The witnesses were met with numerous objections from both Republican and Democrat committee members. Election officials at both the state and county levels also testified for several hours to dispel the false claims. “We do have a very secure system that all of our election authorities use,” said Trish Vincent, chief of staff for Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft. “We put in layers of security to make it doubly secure.” However, Vincent quickly added that a bill to require a photo ID to vote — an idea that has been repeatedly rejected by Missouri courts — would be one way to dispel mistrust and increase voter confidence. “We’ve been wrestling with that for a number of years,” she said. The GOP-dominated General Assembly made requiring a photo ID to vote and making it harder to change state law through the initiative petition process top priorities this year. But the session ended in May without any of the election bills finding their way to Gov. Mike Parson’s desk. Tuesday’s hearing is seen as clear indication that election legislation will once again sit atop the GOP agenda when lawmakers return to Jefferson City in January. Rep. Ashley Aune, D-Kansas City, said Tuesday’s hearing was part of a strategy to sow seeds of doubt and distrust in the electoral system. Even though the Republican committee members didn’t outwardly support the election-fraud conspiracy theories touted by witnesses, Aune said she had serious concerns about the level of legitimacy they gave the claims by inviting witnesses to talk about them. “They just need to put it out there, and leave people to stew on it,” Aune said. “It paves the way to create policies to make our elections ‘safer’ if they think they are unsafe.” At one point in the meeting, the committee’s chair Rep. Dan Shaul, RJefferson, said that he brought forth the issues of “data hacking” to make sure the state’s election authorities have the tools they need. “That was my purpose today to make sure that we talked about these odd things that could impact the integrity and the trustworthiness of our systems,” Shaul said. The first hole in Lindell’s Chinese cyber attack theory is that election authorities don’t certify election results via the Internet, said Rep. Peggy McGaugh, a Carrollton Republican, vice chair of the elections committee and a former county clerk. Greene County Clerk Shane Schoeller, a Republican and former state legislator, agreed. “Missouri is a paper ballot state,” Schoeller said. “We certify elections off of paper. We use electronic equipment on election night in order to be able to put uncertified results out to the public.” All that equipment is certified by the Secretary of State’s Office. They use an encrypted memory stick that’s certified by a bi-partisan election team. Schoeller walked through the “rigorous auditing” steps that the election results go through after election night. “We have these safeguards in place,” he said. “I think we all agree, we are going to trust but we are going to verify.” Aune said a public school in her district had to close down for two days because their system was hacked. She co-sponsored the Missouri Cybersecurity Act, which lawmakers approved in May and will establish a commission of cybersecurity experts to address issues like this. It goes into effect on Aug. 28. If lawmakers are interested in cybersecurity, they should ignore baseless election conspiracies to focus on safeguarding utilities and entities like public schools, she said. “That’s where our time should be spent,” Aune said. “Let’s put our attention where we know we need it.”