Northland Lifestyle December 2014 by City Lifestyle

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december 2014

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New Traditions and Old Usher in the Season

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Editor's Letter

It’s the Most Wonderful Time... A

t least that’s what Andy Williams sings in his classic Christmas song. I think many of us would agree. The Christmas and Hanukkah season is joyful with whole days and weeks devoted to showing your loved ones how much you care. As the winter wraps its chilly arms around us, the holidays are the warm blanket that eases the transition into the end of the year. For our December issue, we focus on the holidays, history and the people that gave us life. We focus on our parents and grandparents. With life expectancies far exceeding what they used to be, we are blessed to have their treasure of a lifetime of experience for a little bit longer in the form of our elders. The generation above us values history. Tony Meyers proved that by hunting down and documenting Liberty’s involvement in the civil war. His book with the Clay County Archive documents the facts and figures that could have been lost to time and crumbling paper if it hadn’t been researched and documented. For Oak Park High School, this year is a celebration of longevity: 50 years! As alumni from the last 50 years gather to touch base with their high school memories, the school is enriched by their experience and nostalgia. Sometimes we focus on the commercial aspects of the holiday season. There are gifts to be bought and expectations to be met. It saddens me to think of the holidays in these tactile terms. To me, the holidays are a time to reconnect with our traditions, our family and our chosen family and to value the real gifts that they give: care, love and devotion all year round. I regret that I don’t say it enough. People are the only truly irreplaceable treasures in the world. The unique perspective of a grandmother’s experience from 70 years past or the wonder with which a toddler gazes at the lit Christmas tree is the greatest gift that we can be given. The care that our friends give us throughout the year is enough to be thankful for, without wrapping or ribbons. This year, amidst the buying and gifting, take a moment and give thanks for the people that touch your life and make it a thing of beauty. I hope that someone else is doing the same for you.

december 2014 editor Rachel C. Murphy | RMurphy@LifestylePubs.com

sales director Michael Arel | MArel@LifestylePubs.com

advertising sales Annie Jennings | AJennings@LifestylePubs.com Chris Goff | CGoff@lifestylepubs.com

contributing writers Pete Dulin, Lisa Allen, Jennifer Higgins Kenneth Keiser, Peggy Parolin

contributing photographers Joel Schneider, Lani Odell

Published monthly, subscriptions are also available for $22 for 1 year, $39 for 2 years by visiting NorthlandLifestyle.com

With love and tidings of great joy,

Rachel Murphy, Editor RMurphy@LifestylePubs.com by Community ™ Proverbs 3:5-6 Contact us at:

ON THE COVER The Bittersweet Soap

Company ushers in the holiday season with festive and aromatic gift options made with love. Story on page 22.

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7373 West 107th Street Overland Park, KS 66212 913.599.4300 | NorthlandLifestyle.com Northland Lifestyle™ is published monthly by Lifestyle Publications LLC. It is distributed via the US Postal Service to some of the Northland’s most affluent neighborhoods. Articles and advertisements do not necessarily reflect Lifestyle Publications’ opinions. No portion of this magazine may be reproduced in any form without written consent. Lifestyle Publications does not assume responsibility for statements made by advertisers or editorial contributors. Information in Northland Lifestyle™ is gathered from sources considered to be reliable, but the accuracy of all information cannot be guaranteed.

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December 2014

Departments 8

Good Times

Around Town

Your Neighbor

20 Food & Wine 22

Locally Owned

Giving Back

Star Student

40 Now Open 42 Hot Spot

22 Less is More

45 Sold Properties

46 Lifestyle Calendar

Bittersweet Soap Company glorifies simplicity.

28 Oak Park High School: Ringing in 50 years of Education

50 Parting Thoughts

Alums come home to support their alma mater.

30 Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s No Place Like Home

Van and Margaret Robinson find a new place to hang

their hats and hearts.

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Good Times

Lifestyle Publications 5th Anniversary Party

Happy birthday to us! Lifestyle Publications celebrated its fifth anniversary at the newly opened Monarch Room with friends, associates and employees. We are looking forward to many more years of telling the stories from around the corner and around the neighborhood! PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOEL SCHNEIDER

Northland Lifestyle | December 2014

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Good Times

Rock a Better You

North Kansas City Hospital hosted the women’s health event at Zona Rosa where guests chatted one-on-one with physicians. Dinner and drinks catered by Bravo! Cucina Italiana, music by The Selle Brothers with Toni Rae.

From left, Angela Rueter with Andrea Kellgren with North Kansas City Hospital Human Resources

From left, Michele Malone, Director of Women’s Services, North Kansas City Hospital and Peggy Schmitt, CEO, North Kansas City Hospital

Dr. Julia Neperud, Carole Lakey, and Christine Robbins distribute information to guests

Dr. James Reardon and Dr. John Bleazard answer health questions

Kathy Newman, Carmelita Newman and Tracie Griddine

Bill Cross 5K Run/Walk for BackSnacks The event’s 457 registered runners/walkers raced to raise money for Feeding Northland Kids and the Harvesters BackSnack program. Participants and guests warmed up with Zona Yoga and danced to live band “His Feminine Hips.”

Northland Lifestyle | December 2014

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Around Town KC ALE TRAIL ARRIVES IN TIME FOR THE HOLIDAY

MAP

lations Director. Beau brings a broad range of experience to Benton House. Northland native and Northland Beau has lived in the Northland for the past Lifestyle Magazine writer Pete Dulin seven years so he understands the culture and has completed his second book, a love for the Northland. He graduated from Park love letter to the burgeoning craft University with a Bachelor of Arts in Healthcare beer scene in Kansas City. Dulin’s Management, fully intending to focus on the seKc Ale Trail travels around the Kannior community. sas City region and beyond, learning Benton House of Tiffany Springs is the area’s about the brews and the men and newest senior living community. The single stowomen that brew them. ry community, with two beautiful courtyards for The book is now available for order residents to enjoy, will have 59 apartments in the and will ship in early December. For 37,000-square-foot-community. Twelve of the more information and to follow Dulin’s apartments, in a separate exclusive neighborblog, visit KCAleTrail.com. hood, are dedicated to specialized memory care. CELEBRATING 25 YEARS OF LOCAL BREWING Benton House will also provide adult day services THEY’RE BACK! M&M’S CRISPY and a respite program. Benton House will officialTO RETURN ly open for residents to move in early 2015. The M&M’S® Brand has a message to all the die-hard fans of M&M’S® community is currently taking reservations. Crispy Milk Chocolate Candies: They’re finally back… because of you. For more information visit BentonHouse.com. After a decade of phone calls, petitions, Facebook posts and countless other pleas, Mars Chocolate North America recently an- KANSAS CITY SKIN & CANCER CENTER nounced M&M’S® Crispy will return to stores nationwide in January ADDS DR. WENFEI XIE Dr. Wenfei Xie (pronounced Wen-fee Shay) is a board-certified 2015 following a 10-year hiatus. This crispy, crunchy and delicious treat is slightly larger than dermatologist. She provides top-notch, personalized care, and bethe original milk chocolate variety, and will be featured in a new, gan seeing patients November 3. “We’re so pleased to welcome Dr. Xie to our office,” says Dr. Mark eye-catching, bright green bag. The launch of M&M’S® Crispy is the biggest M&M’S® Brand A. Cohen, founder of Kansas City Skin & Cancer Center. “She brings launch since the introduction of M&M’S® Pretzel Chocolate both clinical expertise and compassion to our patients.” Dr. Xie joins Dr. Mark A. Cohen and Dr. Kimberly Schoofs at KanCandies in 2010. M&M’S® Crispy will be available in early 2015 at retailers nationwide. sas City Skin & Cancer Center. The practice also includes caring and knowledgeable physician assistants, nurse practitioners, esthetiCURRY REAL ESTATE SERVICES CELEBRATES 90 YEARS cians, and nurses. Curry Real Estate Services is celebrating its 90th anniversary To learn more, visit KCSkinCenter.com. in 2014. Founded in 1924 by Charles F. Curry, the company today has an owned asset portfolio of multi-family and commercial LIBERTY ALLIANCE EARNS WHITE HOUSE property throughout the Kansas City area and manages assets for DRUG-FREE GRANT Liberty Alliance for Youth, Inc. (LAFYI) has been awarded a Drugthird-party owners of apartment units and commercial space. The company also provides third-party brokerage for the purchase, Free Community grant from the White House Drug Policy Office. Michael Botticelli, acting director of the Office National Drug sale and lease of all asset types as well as consulting and broker’s Control Policy (ONDCP) recently announced LAFYI as one of the opinion of value analysis. In addition to the company’s milestone, Chairman Emeritus Ray 680 grant recipients awarded nationally to provide local communities funding to prevent youth substance use and increase communiBrock will celebrate 60 years with Curry this year. With nearly 100 associates, the Curry organization and its em- ty involvement in prevention. The Drug-Free communities Support Program is directed by ployees are active in the community giving time and financial support to organizations such as Harvesters, American Red Cross, The ONDCP in partnership with the Health and Human Services’ Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHarvest Ball Society, Gordon Parks Elementary School and more. HSA). The awards were announced in conjunction with President For more information, visit CurryRE.com. Obama’s designation of October as National Substance Abuse BENTON HOUSE ANNOUNCES Prevention Month. COMMUNITY RELATIONS DIRECTOR LAFYI programs, focused on community education and youth Benton House of Tiffany Springs Senior Living Community outreach, have also received regional and national recognition for announces the addition of Beau Bradshaw as Community Re- their successful outcomes. 12

Northland Lifestyle | December 2014

INSIDE

Around Town The DFC grant has the potential of providing $125,000 yearly to LAFYI to encourage local community involvement in preventing substance use among area youth. In announcing the awards, Botticelli said the grants support the Administration’s National Drug Control Strategy, which takes a balanced public health and safety approach to the Nation’s drug problem.

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Northland Lifestyle | December 2014

Team Kansas City raised funds for Cookies for Kids’s Cancer and Lucy’s Love Bus during Childhood Cancer Awareness month in September. The Liberty North High School Culinary Arts class, Above and Beyond Catering and Indulge Cake and Confection Studio joined volunteer bakers in donating cookies, brownies and cake for a bake sale held at Corner Café in Liberty on September 27th. Kohl’s Associates In Action from both the Liberty and Metro North locations supplied not only volunteers for a bagging party and the bake sale, but granted a total of $1,500 towards the two nonprofits. Lucy’s Love Bus received $1,100 and Cookies for Kids’ Cancer received almost $1,500.

ICE THE CELL PHONES IN YOUR CIRCLE As the cold weather blankets our area, a growing number of seniors may find themselves stuck in life threatening situations. They may slip and fall, their car might break down, and they may get lost, confused, or stranded – literally left out in the cold. That’s why Visiting Angels, one of the nation’s largest in-home senior care agencies, has launched the ICE a Cell Phone Safety Campaign to help seniors in case of emergency. To ICE a cell phone, you load emergency contacts in seniors’ phones with the word ICE in front of the emergency contacts’ names so when someone finds a senior in trouble they know who to call In Case of Emergency. The goal is that this will become a universal emergency plan – a quick way for emergency respondents to pick up a senior’s cell phone, and press the letter ‘I’ to find seniors’ emergency contacts quickly. SIMPLE STEPS:

• Under ‘I’ in the contact list, load the contact names, beginning with the word ICE (ie: ICE_Heather). • Make sure the emergency contact(s) agree to be an ICE partner. • Include every phone number (home/cell/work) of the ICE partner. • ICE partners should be aware of medical conditions, doctors’ names and medications.

COUNSELOR ROB LUNDIEN RECEIVES STATE COUNSELOR AWARD Staley High School Counselor Rob Lundien received the Missouri Secondary Counselor of the Year award at the recent Missouri School Counselors Association Fall Conference held at TanTar-A Resort in Lake Ozark, Mo. In late spring, Lundien was chosen by the Greater Kansas City School Counseling Association to be their representative in the

state competition. Lundien was evaluated against 11 other regional representatives for the Missouri Secondary Counselor of the Year Award.

ST. PIUS X STUDENTS ENTER NATIONAL HONOR SOCIETY Congratulations to the following St. Pius X High School Students who were inducted into the National Honor Society: Breonna Hurt, Emma Meinking, Hannah Bateman, Luke Ross, Joseph Ramsey, Owen Shields, Amanda Kepus, Benjamin Schmidt, Zachary Elling. Savanna Ott, Sydney Routh, Gabrielle Chirpich, Alexis Cox, Benjamin Prothman, John Perlik, Molly Gengler, Josie Giefer, Samantha Feucht, Julia Loehr and Kathryn Lofland. Not pictured Morgan Storm. Selection for this honor is based on outstanding scholarship, leadership, service and character.

DISTRICT HAS THREE NATIONAL MERIT SEMI-FINALISTS Three Park Hill School District seniors scored so high on their PSAT exams last year that they received semi-finalist recognition from the National Merit Scholarship program this year. The 2015 National Merit Semi-Finalists are Jake Mazeitis from Park Hill South and Annie Chen and Mrudula Gandham from Park Hill High School. They are among approximately 16,000 semi-finalists who now have the opportunity to compete for 8,000 National Merit scholarships worth more than $35 million next spring.

PARK UNIVERSITY HISTORY STUDENTS ESTABLISH ENDOWMENT AT NATIONAL WORLD WAR I MUSEUM Park Universityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Zeta Omicron ChapDecember 2014 | Northland Lifestyle

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ter of the Phi Alpha Theta National History Honor Society recently signed an agreement to establish the George S. Robb Great War Endowment Fund at the National World War I Museum at Liberty Memorial in Kansas City, Mo. The purpose of the Fund is to preserve, conserve, maintain, digitize and purchase papers, manuscripts and other archival (non-three dimensional) materials related to World War I. As an endowment fund, only the interest generated on an annual basis will be used to support these activities. The gift from Parkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Zeta Omicron Chapter is given to honor the service personnel, units and civilians who served and defended their causes, many of whom gave the ultimate sacrifice of their lives. The fund is named after Robb (1887-1972), a 1912 graduate of Park University and a first lieutenant in the U.S. Army who received the Medal of Honor in 1919. While near Sechault, France, in late September 1918, Robb was severely wounded by machine gun fire, but instead of receiving treatment, he remained with his platoon. After being ordered to the dressing station by his commanding officer, Robb returned just 45 minutes later. He remained on duty throughout the night before being wounded three more times, the latter killing his commanding officer. Robb then assumed command of the company and organized its position in the trenches. Displaying courage and tenacity at critical times, he was the only officer of his battalion to advance beyond the town. His bravery and fortitude, as well as his eagerness to continue the mission despite severe wounds, set before the enlisted men of his command a standard of morale and self-sacrifice. Robb also earned the Legion of Honor, a Purple Heart, the French Croix de Guerre with a Palm, French Citation Certificate of Montenegrin Prince Danilo I and the Italian War Cross. In addition, Robb served as the auditor for the State of Kansas from 1935-61.

Your Neighbor

A Man of History KEEPING CLAY COUNTY HISTORY ALIVE

ARTICLE KENNETH L. KIESER | PHOTOGRAPHY LANI ODELL

istory is all around us. Your front yard may have once played an important part in history and your backyard may have been someone’s final resting place. People lived here centuries before our so-called civilization took root and now only their history remains. This history has become a major part of Tony Meyers’ life. Meyers moved to Liberty, Missouri with his parents in 1968 when he was 13 years old. He loved the area enough to stay and never plans to leave. The population of Liberty was just over 6,000 when the Meyers family arrived and is now just short of 30,000. Numerous jobs and business have been created, giving Tony plenty of reasons to stay. During his 39-year stint at Hallmark Cards, which started at the warehouse in Liberty, Meyers married his high school sweetheart and raised two daughters who are now teachers in the North Kansas City school district. He took college courses to study computer programing and eventually transferred to Hallmark’s Data Center Operations in Kansas City and finally to computer programing before taking a management position in Information Technology. A 39-year career in any business is enough for most, but Meyer’s fascination for his area’s history opened a new door. “I was always interested in history, but never had the time because of career and family,” Meyers says. “I became interested in the National Archive’s genealogy group, but decided not to do the drive downtown. I soon found the Clay Country Archive and 18

Northland Lifestyle | December 2014

loved it, a match made in heaven. They focus on my interests of Clay County and Liberty.” Meyers discovered source materials at the Clay County Archives were enriched by exploits of the James Gang and many other historically rich area events and people. “They asked me about my passion when I first entered the group and I told them the Civil War,” Meyers says. “I was shocked to find that there was a battle just south of Liberty, ‘The Battle of Liberty,’ also known as ‘The Battle of Blue Mills Landing’ that was never mentioned in classes at Liberty High School. The Union forces made Jewel Hall, part of William Jewel College, their headquarters. The adjacent cemetery from William Jewel interred 19 Union soldiers killed in the battle. ”

Meyers’ passion with the Civil War enticed him to join the Clay Country Archives in writing a book about all the civil war soldiers buried in Clay County with photos and personal information, entitled Divided Loyalties—Civil War Soldiers Of Clay County. The group started this huge project by uncovering information from cemetery census and individual probate documents. Each document was checked for birth and death dates. Prominent individuals that lived in Clay County a number of years were easy to find. Less important people were harder to find. The first search turned up 150 names, and 18 months later the list had grown to approximately 810 names that actually were involved in the Civil War and buried in Clay County, mostly from shreds of information from the Archives. “While researching the Civil War book, I stumbled across material that had been put together 10 years before and that information became the genesis of our next 240 page book, Discovering Historic Clay County, Missouri” Meyers says. “We started with historical maps and descriptive information from our Historic Sites Guidebook and combined that research into a single publication.” The group included more than 320 pictures and an extensive index. Meyers added GPS coordinates to document the location of each site. “The Clay County Archives wanted to produce a book that dated back to 1820 and uncovered historic buildings, hous-

es, rivers, streams, people and information that would be lost. My role was more of an editor and a publisher and many people in our group were involved in the books development. Kevin Fisher did most of the research and writing for the Discovering Clay County book.” The Clay Country Archives is not state or county funded and is entirely operated by volunteers. Books sold provide funding for the organization while aiding in preserving history. “We had a number of reasons for writing both books besides spotlighting history,” Meyers says. “Part of our aim was to show the value of our archives and other archives around the country if someone is willing to dig in and find information. The country is full of unpublished historical facts that will be lost forever unless someone documents places and people.” The Clay County Archive’s next project will involve reprinting the Clay County Sesquicentennial Souvenir, a history book that was first published by the Alexander Doniphan chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution in 1922 and revised in 1972.

You can check out the Clay County Archives on Facebook or visit ClayCountyArchives.org. The Discovering Clay County book costs $25.00 for walk-ins at 210 E. Franklin Street in Liberty or include $5.00 extra for mailed copies.

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Food & Wine

Adapting Traditions

AS CULTURES COLLIDE, THEY MEET AROUND THE COLLECTIVE TABLE ARTICLE AND PHOTOGRAPHY PETE DULIN

hen Michael Foust, chef/owner of The Farmhouse located just north of the City Market, and his wife Vera married three years ago, their holiday traditions became a multicultural celebration. Vera and her two brothers, Anourom and David Thomson, brought a rich array of foods and renewed sense of family from Laos, their native country, to Kansas City. They were raised here from a young age by their parents. Michael and Vera embrace the multicultural aspects of the family they married into with an open heart, mind, and stomach, especially during the holidays. “Thanksgiving is the one day that we get to cook together. We take over the restaurant,” says Michael. Anourom is head chef at the Hereford House in Independence. David loves to forage for wild foods like morels and hen of the woods mushrooms as well as fish for bass, walleye, and crappie. Michael is a classically-trained chef that apprenticed and cooked in France, Portland, Aspen, and Hawaii. He returned to Kansas City and in 2009 opened The Farmhouse. He prepares hearty yet refined Midwestern food with ingredients sourced from local farms. For Thanksgiving, the trio prepares food that draws from the family’s diversity and redefines what is traditional. “It’s Laotian, foraged, and traditional food. All Midwestern,” says Michael. The table is set with turkey prepared any number of ways – roasted, spicy, or smoked. Sticky rice, papaya salad, and beef jerky grace the table along with cranberry sauce, spring rolls, dumplings, stuffing, roasted vegetables, fried fish, and Laotian sauces. “Anourom makes a sauce with lime and fish sauce that’s sweet, sour, and spicy,” says Vera. “He also makes a tomato-based sauce with roasted peppers and fish sauce. It’s like a salsa.” Food is central to the family’s connection. Gatherings aren’t limited to year-end holidays, a time of heightened significance and stress for many families. Everyday socializing also renews bonds. “We don’t need special occasions to get together,” Michael says. When growing up, his side of the family only met for birthdays, weddings, and other special events. More casual, frequent visits and meals appeal to him more. They sometimes gather at the Foust’s home in old Briarcliff or at the brother’s homes. “Now we get together more often as a way to keep in touch, especially since my parents left,” Vera says. Vera’s retired mother Orady and stepfather Skip fly in once or 20

Northland Lifestyle | December 2014

twice a year from Laos, where they reside year-round in the capitol. These visits prompt a year’s worth of holiday traditions and catching up concentrated into a month-long summer stay. The parents want to eat a traditional Thanksgiving in July when in town, Michael says. And so they do. Holidays and traditions are not bound by the season or rigid rituals. “We have friends and family from other cultures,” Michael says. Vera points out that her sister-in-law is Korean. Kimchi, or fermented spicy and sour vegetables, is sometimes present on the table. Michael continues, “Who’s to say what is traditional anymore?” When it comes to blending two sides of the family and sharing the food that unites them, being multicultural isn’t a conscious part of the tradition or experience. “It just is. We came together and we figured out our own traditions,” says Michael. “It’s not forced. I’m blessed that I’m introduced to a food and culture that I never had a chance to try and explore before. Even my mom has opened to it. I grew up in a country club community. I’ve been all around the world as a chef, but I was never exposed to Asian culture in this way until I met Vera.” A couple in the Northland, one from the Midwest and another from Southeast Asia, developed their own way of celebrating family connections with food. Rather than be bound by external customs and beliefs, their tradition reflects who they are beyond the limits of geography and time that is, in itself, timeless.

Melissa Works two jobs and cares for her elderly mom. Her nicknames for her two college sons are pride and joy. She’s a die-hard Chiefs’ fan and master tailgate chef. For medical care, she loves same-day appointments at Mosaic Life Care.

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Less is More BITTERSWEET SOAP COMPANY GLORIFIES SIMPLICITY ARTICLE JENNIFER HIGGINS | PHOTOGRAPHY LANI ODELL

ucked into the main floor of a little shop at 111 N. Water just off the historic Liberty Square is Bittersweet Soap Company, a locally owned business by Jill McDowell-Lincoln that specializes in handmade soap, laundry items, and other everyday useful things. Lincoln started her business in that location in 1997, spent a few years running the business out of her house, and two years ago returned to the current location. “I come from a rich history of strong women who did their own thing, from my mother and grandmother,” Lincoln says. “I’ve always had a yearning to do my own thing too. Fostering that spirit of creativity, I’ve always had an interest in natural skin care. With my dry skin, I would spend money on products that didn’t work. I researched my own recipes from vintage and days gone by, and developed my own line.” Her shop features many different specialties of soap: peppermint, oats and goats, pumpkin maple, vanilla lavender and white gardenia, just to name a few. Lincoln says her motto is “Less is More” with her all natural products, with no preservatives and no chemicals in her products. After 17 years, her system is working and she still has the same repeat customers. “The proof is definitely in the product,” Lincoln says. “You will see a difference in your skin. My soap is special, my own recipe. It takes 4-6 weeks for each bar of soap to cure. It’s 70 percent olive oil, ph tested, and is fantastic. I’ve spent a lot of time researching all the ingredients to learn what works together because different oils do something different. No coconut oil, no rich lather. It is important what you put on your skin. Many liquid soaps contain synthetic ingredients and detergents, making it like dish soap.” Bittersweet Soap isn’t just about the soap; Lincoln also carries other all natural products: shower bursts, face cream, bowl cozies, aprons, sugar scrubs, dryer sachets, bath salts, home care items such as a laundry powder that will do 56 loads of laundry, linen spray, and over 100 items that are useful, not frivolous. “I also have an aromatherapy station, with sea salt from the Dead Sea, and essential oils so that you can mix your concoctions,” Lincoln says. With the holidays coming up, gifts are on the mind of many. Lincoln’s soaps are wrapped perfectly to hand out as gifts on their own, or she has other items available as gifts too. A few of her holiday soaps are Cranberry Espirit and Wild Pine. “I have a line of holiday soap,” Lincoln says. “I make 200 bars of each kind, put them out one at a time, and once they CONTINUED >

Northland Lifestyle | December 2014

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are gone, they are gone. It creates an adorable luxury gift for under $5. I have matching boxes that were featured on HGTV to put the soap in. My mom said, ‘You need a little box to hold a bar of soap!’” Bittersweet Soap is housed in a century old home along with a vintage boutique owned by Lincoln’s best friend. The two also have a radio show, the J and J Show, on KCXL 102.9 FM and 1140 AM, on the third Friday at 2 p.m. Deciding to have her shop on the Liberty square was a no-brainer. “The square is the heart of the city,” Lincoln says. “My goal is that all Liberty residents come visit downtown and discover the restaurants, boutiques, and shops. We have a unique setting versus big chain stores. Everything you might need--it’s here. It’s close to my heart and is a special place.” Bittersweet Soap is open 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday at 111 N. Water Street. More information can be found at BittersweetSoap.com or social media: Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter and Instagram at Bittersweet Soap Company.

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Oak Park High School

50th Reunion Alums come home to support their alma mater ARTICLE AND PHOTOGRAPHY PETE DULIN

his year Oak Park High School (OPHS) celebrated its 50th anniversary with events and memories that unite past and present. Alums with true blue school spirit will tell you that the school’s mascot is a bold, masculine lumberjack named Norman the Northman. He’s depicted in the logo carrying a sharp axe on his shoulder. However, the first actual mascot in the late Sixties was represented by Jennifer Duncan Croan (Class of ‘69), her daughter Kelly Walston-Whitfield (Class of ‘91) reveals. Croan shares the backstory. “A week before the American Royal parade, the cheerleaders and I decided we needed a mascot to walk in the parade with the band,” she says. “The cheerleaders nominated me.” Her costume consisted of a flannel shirt, overalls, borrowed shoulder pads and oversized boots, and an axe. Croan walked the entire parade route in those boots. She continued to be the mascot through the football season.

Northland Lifestyle | December 2014

Northmen pride was evident at the 50th Anniversary Homecoming Weekend in September. Events included a Hall of Fame Assembly, parade, pep rally, and tours. Students crowned high school senior Rachel Bechthold as Homecoming queen during the noontime football game. Trailing 28-7 at the half, the Northmen finished their Homecoming game against the Belton Pirates at 47-7. To celebrate the anniversary, the school established an Oak Park Alumni

ognize alumni, their families, school staff members, and others. Funds will be used to make improvements to Oak Park. Visit NKCSchools.org for more details. “Some pavers have already been installed in the new courtyard,” says Meagan O’Donnell, (Class of ‘04) alumni relations coordinator for the NKC School District. O’Donnell observes how alumni have used this major anniversary to reconnect with their alma mater.

“Oak Park keeps its rich traditions alive in many ways…More than that, it’s the strong Oak Park pride. It means something positive to say you went to Oak Park.” Courtyard, formerly known as the Main Courtyard. Alumni can purchase customizable granite legacy pavers that will be installed in the school’s courtyard to rec-

Northmen pride runs deep. Many alumni are looking for ways to reconnect with their school,” says O’Donnell. “We began that reconnection with

the celebration of the 50th graduating class at homecoming. Every alum I connected with at homecoming was truly excited to be back home and interested in what was happening at Oak Park today.” Former and current members of the Oak Street Singers (OSS) also celebrated the 50th anniversary with a Meet and Greet event. They sang the National Anthem and alma mater at the school and hosted an all-school reunion. Teresa Keesee Williams (Class of ‘74) says, “I loved being part of the choir and singing Messiah in December each year that I could go back. Lots of great memories.” Another alum agrees. “The OSS gatherings are always great fun,” says Denise Landis-Ketcham (Class of ‘84). Landis-Ketcham estimates 75 alumni attended the OSS homecoming events. Former Music Director Bill Grace led the festivities. “Mr. Grace seems to inspire us long after we have graduated,” Landis-Ketcham says. “I am always amazed at his ability to remember each and every one of his students. There is nobody like Papa G!” Jim Kersten (Class of ‘78) says, “The 50th anniversary of the Messiah will be performed at 7 p.m. on December 20th, in the school’s main gym. Bill Grace plans to assist with conducting.” Teresa Bailey (Class of ’85) is anticipating the event. “Hopefully, the stage will be packed for this year’s Messiah,” she says. “It’s always my second most favorite night of the year.” Over the years, Northmen have also shown support for their former classmates and even staff in the community. Lisabeth Carboneau Rosenbloom (Class of ‘81) launched a Facebook group, OPHS Northmen in Need, as an online network to exchange information and garner support for others. Goldie Arnold (Class of ‘69) was the first female student at OPHS to sign up for a shop class. She arranged a television interview and Gladstone Tribune interview for beloved former principal Dr. Dan Kahler before he left Kansas City in March 2014 for Florida. “We had a three-day estate sale at his home after Dr. Kahler left,” she says. “The family donated everything in the house to my charity, Northland Animal Welfare Society. We raised more than $3,000.” Lori Damerson (Class of ‘78) has taught at the high school for 10 years. She is a gifted resource specialist working with the SAGE program and Honors Research students. “Oak Park keeps its rich traditions alive in many ways,” says Damerson. She cites the annual alumni Messiah performance, class gifts proudly displayed, a memorial wall for graduates serving in the military, and a strong Hall of Fame program. The newspaper frequently shares memories or yearbook

f lashbacks. “More than that, it’s the strong Oak Park pride. It means something positive to say you went to Oak Park. We work with current students to make their high school experience equally prideful. We have many families with several generations attending OP.” For example, Rebecca Crook-Meseke (Class of ‘73) moved to California and had two daughters born in the state. They moved back to Missouri in 2002. “My daughter Teeka Mafnas ended up going to Oak Park, where she was a cheerleader,” she says. “In 2007, she became homecoming queen.” Damerson notes, “Of course, things have changed with students

and their instant access to social media. What hasn’t changed is parents’ and students’ desire for each child to reach his/her potential and our role to support that.” Regarding change, Dennis Blowers recalls a story from his brother-in-law, Mike Anderson (Class of ‘69). He quotes Anderson: “There were so many students enrolled that they had double-shift schedules. Half the students went to morning classes and the other half went in the afternoon. Talk about change.” Student enrollment at the high school in recent years has been another significant change. “The biggest change has been reducing from 2,200 students to 1,400. What I realized more and more is that kids are kids and this place will also be like a big family,” says Mark Maus, OPHS principal for 11 years. “Students want to know someone cares about them and will do whatever they can to support them. We are really excited this year after learning how our students performed last year.” The school earned nearly every point for their academic achievement based on state tests. “Our students and teachers work really hard and our students perform great. We also had the highest graduation rate last year since I’ve been at OP,” says Principal Maus. “Our choir was selected to perform at the state music conference. It is a great time to be part of the Oak Park Family.” December 2014 | Northland Lifestyle

There’s No Place Like

Van and Margaret Robinson find a new place to hang their hats and hearts. ARTICLE PEGGY PAROLIN | PHOTOGRAPHY JOEL SCHNEIDER

ust when Dr. Van Robinson and his wife, Margaret, thought life couldn’t get any better, it did. This year they celebrated their 62nd wedding anniversary, their 88th and 85th birthdays, respectively, and at the beginning of the year, moved into their new home high atop a hill overlooking Kansas City, complete with a skyline view second to none. For the past 13 years, the Robinsons lived at The National in a three-story, four bedroom house. The home was in a perfect location for Van, an avid golfer and gardener, as well as Margaret, whose active lifestyle and commitment to volunteering required her to attend many functions in the city and beyond. With four children, nine grandchildren and five great-grandchildren, their home was a favorite gathering place. “Our home at The National Golf Course was a beautiful place, but over the years, my golf game got worse and I didn’t enjoy playing as much. If I play, I want to do well,” smiles Robinson. “I still like to garden and plant veggies, but it got to where I wasn’t even doing that very much. The house simply became too big for the two of us. “ In the Robinson’s quest for less, they ended up with more, much more. Their home of choice is a newly built 2 bedroom, 2-bath30

Northland Lifestyle | December 2014

room luxury apartment at McCrite Plaza at Briarcliff, set in an environment that more closely resembles a resort than a retirement community. They can walk out their front door and in a matter of steps be at the movie theater, fine restaurant dining, a computer lab and business center, a health and wellness center, a convenience store and a post office. The onsite staff consists of a life enrichment counselor, concierge, and resident coordinator. Free continental breakfast is served daily. Planned activities are plentiful and happy hours are well attended in the City Lights Club, an aptly named gathering area that offers a stunning view of the city lights. Transportation to appointments, events and shopping is also available. Downsizing never looked so good. “Moving here really wasn’t something we struggled with deciding,” Margaret offers. “A friend of mine, Bernice Williams, had told me about this new project being built for senior living. I called Connie Michaelis, the marketing director at McCrite Plaza before the place was even built. Van and I talked with her and Kayla McCrite and signed our lease on the same day. We were able to choose our floor plan, secure a skyline view and a

corner location on the top floor. We listed our house for sale in early March and sold it right away.” “The hardest part was sorting through 62 years of memories, deciding what to keep and what to let go,” admits Van. “But all in all, we’ve made the transition from a house quite well.” “From a practical standpoint,” adds Margaret, “it’s nice to not worry about shoveling snow, changing light bulbs, leaking toilets or any of the usual maintenance items.” “See that television?” asks Van, pointing to a large flat screen television mounted on their wall. “Margaret gave me that for my 88th birthday. I called downstairs and two people came up and hung it on the wall for me. It was as easy at that!” For Van, a highly regarded, retired OB-GYN and Margaret, who once taught at the Prairie School in Prairie Village, KS, in addition to other community service activities, it was important to them to be in a place where they could continue to learn and engage in stimulating conversations. “We’ve met some incredibly interesting people here, as well as some old friends," comments Margaret. “Van and I are people oriented. We enjoy being around others and listening to their stories. Fascinating, talented, and successful people surround us here. We learn something new every day.” “In some ways, it’s like a bunch of us have just rolled down the hill and we’re together again,” quips Van. “When I practiced, we built a house in Claymont and lived

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there for more than 20 years. Some of those same friends, as well as some of our Briarcliff friends, now live here at McCrite Plaza. Our connections go back 40 years or more. Now, we’ve all ended up together again.“ Not only have the Robinsons reunited with many friends and acquaintances, their daughter’s mother-in-law lives below them on the 3rd floor, which is dedicated to Assisted Living care. “Our kids can come and see Grandma Rita on the 3rd floor and us on the fourth floor.” “As it turns out, we’re incredibly happy here and at the same time, our children are grateful we took responsibility for the decision to move here,” Van says. “Our kids have peace of mind. They don’t have to worry about us and the McCrites have made sure we’re well taken care of. They bend over backwards to make people happy and the move here a positive experience.” “Our kids thanked us,” agrees Margaret. “They said ‘you made a decision we would have had to make for you in a few years.’ Sometimes I get up in the middle of the night and just look out the windows at the city lights, KCKS and KCMO; it’s amazing,” she continues. “Before moving here, we read about other places and even visited friends at other retirement communities. But after talking with Connie and Kayla, we knew this was the place for us.” “And I don’t know where the McCrites find the people they hire to work here, but they are wonderful, caring and talented people who are good at what they do. The activities they schedule for the residents are outstanding, from visits to the Cedar Cove Big Cat Sanctuary to a day trip to Warm Springs Ranch in Booneville to see the Clydesdales.” “The wellness and exercise coordinator is right on top of the exercise therapy residents need,” Van adds. “There is no question about being glad we moved here. I cannot imagine being any other place at this stage of my life.”

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What’s Your

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he holidays in Kansas City can’t be beat! Plaza lights, tree lighting ceremonies, ice-skating, amazing shopping and endless holiday performances sprinkle the Kansas City landscape from the day after Thanksgiving well into January. A group of metro convention and visitors’ bureaus, also known as KC Destinations, says there’s more to do than you ever knew this holiday season in Kansas City. Make your list and check it twice to be sure you include all of the festive happenings across the region. Take a peek at this sampling….and, if you’re looking for more holiday ideas, be sure to visit KCDestinations.com.

Northland Lifestyle | December 2014

Lights Aglow in KC. A local tradition for nearly 90 years, The Plaza Lights span 15 blocks on the famed Country Club Plaza, featuring thousands of glimmering, jewel-colored bulbs that accentuate every dome, tower and window of the Spanish-inspired shopping district (November 27 through January 18). If you want to see more lights, head several blocks north to Crown Center to view the massive Mayor’s Christmas Tree, which stands at 100 feet. (November 28 through early January). Learn more at VisitKC.com. Step back in time as the Historic Independence Square is transformed into

a winter wonderland for the holiday season. Every Saturday from November 15 through December 20 visitors are invited to experience a horse-drawn sleigh ride as the sound of holiday music fills the air from carolers around the square. Warm roasted chestnuts, apple cider, hot cocoa, cookies and Santa Claus await each guest in the Visitors Experience Center located inside the Historic Jackson County Truman Courthouse. Call 816.325.7890 or click VisitIndependence.com. Get your holiday shop on at the new Merriam IKEA. You’ll find tons of ideas for those on your holiday shopping list.

With affordable pricing and amazing inspiration, don’t forget to include a gift for yourself! Ikea-usa.com/Merriam Enjoy a trip to the past when touring five one-of-a-kind homes decorated for the holiday season, December 5 through 7 at the 33rd Annual Candlelight Homes Tour in Weston. Candle luminaries light the way from home to home and Father Christmas joins carolers and musicians to create a festive atmosphere for all ages. Visit WestonMo.com for details.

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Celebrate an Old World Christmas at Strawberry Hill Museum in Kansas City, Kan., November 22 through January 4. The 1887 Victorian Mansion will feature Christmas exhibits from many Eastern Europeans nationalities, ethnic foods and desserts and a visit from St. Nicholas. Open weekends, noon – 5 p.m. Sar Ko Aglow – Kick off your holiday festivities by meeting up with friends and neighbors for a celebration at Sar-Ko-Par Trails Park at 6 p.m. on December 5 for Sar-Ko Aglow in Lenexa. Bundle up and enjoy a stroll through the park while taking in the spectacular lights, sipping hot cocoa and listening to carolers. Santa will also be on hand to hear children’s holiday wishes in the Gazebo. Lenexa.com/parks/Festivals_OldTown Drive up to Overland Park’s Farmstead Lane for an amazing 20-minute holiday light display synchronized to music. Display is free to watch and runs from 5-10 p.m. every evening November 27 through January 4 in the Farmstead’s main entrance parking lot. Pleasant Ridge Christmas Tree Farm in Franklin County boasts a dazzling Christmas light show just 40 minutes south on I-35. Hop in the car and roll down Memory Lane’s Christmas Light Show. This road of twinkling lights is a great family memory for years to come! Starting Thanksgiving night, the display is open Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights through Christmas Eve 5:30-10 p.m. Admission is $5 per car or $1 per person for buses and vans with more than 6 passengers. Visit PleasantRidge.com for more details.

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Giving Back

Chasing Normal GLOBAL HEALTH INNOVATION’S MISSION OF CARING FOR MOMS AND BABIES WITH HIV ARTICLE LISA ALLEN | PHOTOGRAPHY PROVIDED

could pack this article with statistics: approximately 23 million people live with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa. Nearly 16 million children under the age of 18 have been orphaned by AIDS in Africa alone. Each day, 6,000 people in Africa die from AIDS. There are more. Countless statistics that signify how little medical care there is for babies born—or even suspected to be born—with HIV. Numbers that lump every HIV positive mother into a group with a label that names the malady, but skims over the reality of what life is like to be sick, poor, and overlooked.

Northland Lifestyle | December 2014

We could—and should—also talk about medical procedures, blood draws and how testing a baby for HIV requires a DNA test. We should talk about how the technology that Global Health Innovations (GHI) developed, along with its partner Ontarget, to log, track and treat mothers and babies who test positive for HIV, is as sophisticated and complex as the population it caters to is poor and underprivileged. And we could talk about how email, cell phones that ping off of towers in London to reach mud huts in rural Africa, and labs built at the request of the Centers for

Disease Control all factor into the good work done by an organization that calls the Northland home. Instead, I want to tell you how Brad Gautney, PNP, MPH, made me cry. He got a phone call one day from Malawi, with news that there was a baby girl with no mother and no father. An astute partner of Gautney’s suspected the baby was HIV positive, but there was no way to test her in the rural area in which she was born. Gautney immediately boarded a flight and flew there, and traveled two hours after he deplaned to reach the baby. He drew blood and flew to Nairobi, where the blood was tested. Gautney flew back home that very same night. That’s when the phone call came. The tests confirmed that she was HIV positive. This happened five years ago. Today, Gautney sees her—now a “spunky, beautiful, spoiled little girl” —whenever he visits that village. She’s one of his son’s closest friends when they see each other, he says, and he’s reminded each time he picks her up and twirls her around, that GHI, the organization he founded and serves as president of, is rooted not only in medicine, but in compassion and love. “There is an epidemic across the way,” says Gautney. “Our organization, based right here CONTINUED >

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in Parkville, is making an unbelievable impact. We’re saving lives, and we’re giving kids the opportunity to have a normal childhood. We don’t just test, or hand out medicine,” he says. “These kids remind me that what we do is real. Everyone we treat is someone’s daughter or son. Their lives matter. That’s why we do what we do.” Gautney’s journey began with a college internship in Haiti. He quickly saw that there were no services or options for HIV positive patients. Babies weren’t touched or held because of fear over the dangers of HIV and AIDS. That broke his heart, he says. “Knowing that those babies would not ever get to experience the power of human touch put in my heart what I wanted to do with the rest of my life. I’m blessed to do this.” From 2002 to 2006, Gautney and his family lived in rural Haiti. He ran a clinic, a school and a nutrition program. After four years, he knew there had to be a better way to make more of a difference. He returned to the states and to school, and earned two masters degrees: one in public health, the other as a pediatric nurse practitioner. Eventually Gautney turned over his work in Haiti to a partner, and now, with GHI, focuses on needs in Africa. In addition to providing solutions and intervention that impact the lives of HIV positive moms and babies, Gautney and his team provide medical care for children living in orphanages and for children rescued from slavery. It’s not easy work, and it takes a toll not only practically, but emotionally. There are logistical roadblocks, like lack of transportation and medical care, as well as cultural issues. Gautney says one of the most important things he does is educating people about GHI’s work. “Faith is why I do this,” he says, “but it’s bigger than just me. I’m sustained by my most amazing wife, Monica, who is really the foundation of everything I do. And Julie Dougherty, RN, is our HIT system director. She’s in the trenches, making contact and building incredible relationships with the workers we have on the ground. She truly makes a difference in the lives of these people.” Gautney has taken high school students from the Parkville area

with him to Malawi each year for the past several years for twoweek trips. Students who aspire to someday work in medicine observe the care provided by GHI and gain an understanding of what it truly means to take care of another person. “We couldn’t do this without the grass roots support of the people of Kansas City,” says Gautney. “Even though we’ve started to see some grant money for the work we’re doing, the majority of our funds come from private donations from folks who understand the importance of what we’re doing. If there could be one thing that I want everyone to know,” says Gautney, “it would be that every kid, no matter where they live, should have the chance to be loved. Every little girl and little boy should know how it feels to be normal and healthy. That’s my wish,” he says. To learn more about GHI or to donate, visit GlobalHealthInnovations.org.

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Star Student

Kelsey Runge Brings the Heat LIBERTY NORTH HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT TAKES THE MOUND ARTICLE JENNIFER HIGGINS | PHOTOGRAPHY PROVIDED

ost of Kansas City was anxious on Tuesday, October 21, awaiting Game 1 of the World Series, the first for the Royals since 1985. But no one was more anxious than Liberty North Junior Kelsey Runge, who had been selected to throw out one of the first pitches that night. “Each American League playoff team had one entry to throw out the first pitch at game one of the World Series, provided they were the American League Champions. Since I was the first to select the Kansas City Royals, I had the opportunity to exchange my accrued credit card points for the experience. Kelsey is not only a Cardinal and Royals fan, she is a huge fan of Major League Baseball. I knew this would be a lifelong memory and I wanted to share that experience with her,” Michael Runge says. In front of 40,459 fans, Runge threw out the first pitch of Game 1 of the World Series, something people dream of. “I thought at first my dad was messing with me. I think it says a lot about how awesome my dad is, to let me do it instead of him. He was probably thinking he’d do a terrible job. I was really scared. I am surprised I remembered how to throw a ball,” Runge says. Throwing a ball is something that does come easily for Runge, a star on the Liberty North softball team that finished the year with a 28-4 record and reached the state quarterfinal game. “We really came together as a team this year. We went a lot further than anyone thought we would. People didn’t think the 38

Northland Lifestyle | December 2014

Royals would go that far either, and it’s impossible not to love them. That’s how Liberty North came together,” Runge says. Runge won the respect of other coaches, being selected as all-conference, all-district, and all-region player. Her coach Brett Kisker had the pleasure of coaching her this year. “I approached Kelsey about halfway through the season about changing defensively from third base to the outfield because I thought it would make us better as a team. To magnify the situation, I was planning on putting a freshman at third base (Kelsey is a junior). Kelsey had earned that starting spot in the infield, and I was concerned that she might take it as an insult that I wanted to move her away from the position she truly wanted to play. Her response? ‘I just want to win, coach.’ Really, she is a coach’s dream,” Kisker says. Not only is Runge talented on the softball field, but in academics as well. Her current GPA is a 4.0. She hasn’t decided what to major in yet, but knows it will be something sports related. She wants to go to college somewhere to play softball. She is also a member of National Honor Society, newspaper, and Breakfast Club, a club to teach younger students the dangers of bullying. Runge cherished every minute of throwing out the first pitch. “Salvy and Hosmer are my favorite players. I met Salvy outside the stadium, and he’s the nicest guy in the world. He really took time with his fans. Hosmer has a beautiful swing; it’s just so much fun to watch him play,” Runge says.

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16,000 bolts of fabric (specializing in Civil War) Hand dyed wools Notions, books, and patterns Store Hours: Mon-Wed 9:30-5:30 Thurs 9:30-7:00 Fri 9:30-5:00 Sat 9:30-4:00 Closed Sunday

816-525-8955 or 866-649-8024 www.quiltersstation.com

Let Our Family Take Care of Your Family Help your local community this holiday season with Toys for Tots! Berry Sousa Family Dentistry is holding a holiday toy drive for Children’s Mercy Hospital. All toys should be unopened with tags and put in our drop box by December 19th.

Dr. Michael P Berry

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6004 N. Highway 9 Parkville, MO 64152

Dr. Andrew M. Sousa

816-746-5437

Family Dentist seeing patients of all ages

childrenstoothdoc.com December 2014 | Northland Lifestyle

Now Open

Habitat for Humanity’s ReStore Opens RESALE BUILDING SUPPLIES HELP DIY-ERS AND THOSE IN NEED ARTICLE RACHEL C. MURPHY | PHOTOGRAPHY JOEL SCHNEIDER

orthlanders rejoice! After years of planning and searching for a location, Heartland Habitat for Humanity has opened a Restore in the Northland. The new space will have a grand opening celebration on December 5 to kick things off. ReStore is the salvation of many a home improvement project. The concept is simple: people or companies that are finishing projects may donate surplus building supplies, paint, furniture and even small home wares to ReStore for a tax credit. ReStore will then sell the items at discounted rates from 20 percent to 80 percent off. Net proceeds go to building projects for Habitat for Humanity. Not only does ReStore help fund future projects, it also keeps more than 2,000 tons of building materials out of landfills annually. Their dedication to reusing instead of discarding fits into their philosophy for helping people and the planet. Walter Binney, vice president of ReStores for Heartland Habitat for Humanity says that it has always been a goal of the organization to have a location in Clay County. There are plans in the works to add a ReStore for Platte County as well. “As an affiliate of Habitat for Humanity, we are responsible for five counties: On the Kansas side, we have Johnson, Wyandotte and Leavenworth. Up north, we have Clay and Platte. We needed to go up north to better serve the people up there,” says Binney. The space, located at 8516 North Oak Trafficway, is in a building that was once cut up into several different offices. After $250,000 and 30 days of hard work by volunteers, they have made it into one space that is organized in a similar fashion to other ReStore locations.

Northland Lifestyle | December 2014

“We try to set them up in a way that if you walk into one store, you’ll be familiar with the layout of any one them. We also arrange them in departments such as lumber, nails, etc. to make it as easy as possible,” says Binney. The current stock is actually only a small section from a large donation from a single donor. “That is the most wonderful thing. A gentleman donated the contents of a four-story warehouse and everything in the new building is from that one donation. And we aren’t done yet! We’ve filled a 20,000 square foot space from his donation. Needless to say, we are taking him to lunch sometime soon,” says Binney. The stock at ReStore is constantly changing, as many loyal ReStore shoppers know. With new donations constantly coming in and great items snatched up quickly, Binney encourages shoppers to stop in frequently. Binney is excited to have drive through donations at the new HEARTLAND HABITAT location. With two large wareRESTORE-NORTHLAND houses at the end of the building, 8516 N. Oak Trafficway there is an opportunity to have a Kansas City, MO 64155 covered area to load and unload. 816.214.6831 He’s hoping to have this in place HOURS in the next few months. Monday-Friday 10 a.m.-6 p.m. In the meantime, he’s excitSaturday 9 a.m.-5 p.m. ed to throw open the doors and Closed on Sunday welcome the Northland to its HeartlandHabitat.org/ReStore newest addition.

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December 2014 | Northland Lifestyle

Hot Spot

Corner Café: SERVING UP HEARTY FARE WITH A WARM SMILE ARTICLE RACHEL C. MURPHY | PHOTOGRAPHY JOEL SCHNEIDER

orner Café. It’s as much of a standard in the Northland as In- ed and grilled chicken fried steak covered in cream gravy, I chose A-Tub or Cascone’s. You know that as sure as the sun shines, mashed potatoes and the vegetable of the day, collard greens. the Corner Café in Riverside is going to be hopping and there’s a Now let me preface; my mother is from Arkansas and I know what very good reason for that. For the last 31 years, they’ve been focus- collard greens are supposed to taste like. Most of the time when you ing on doing home cooking really well. see them on menus ‘up north’ they are overly salty or swimming in I had been to the Corner Café on a couple of occasions and had grease. These were perfect. With bits of pit ham for flavoring you always enjoyed it. It’s like a Cracker Barrel without the corporate could taste the actual green, not the seasoning. The mashed potagift shop. It’s good home cooking, lots of variety and daily specials. toes were serviceable but the greens stole the show. The chicken fried But there’s one thing that I had never tried: the cinnamon roll. steak was not only delicious; it was easily enough for two meals. Sure, I had seen them strolling out of the kitchen, still steaming My husband decided to go ‘healthy’, ordering the skinny burgand dripping with icing or caramel. But I had never had the gump- er ($5.69), meaning it was only a quarter pound of beef instead of tion to try to tackle one myself. It became a quest. the other options, the Haffa Heifer ($7.29), or half pound or the I firmly believe that if you want the best measure of a restaurant Belly Buster ($9.99), a full pound of beef. The burger was perfectly that you go when it’s busy. My husband and I did just that and put cooked, juicy but not greasy and hardly needed condiments. the Corner Café in Riverside, the original location and now one of The crowning glory though was the much-anticipated cinnathree, to the ultimate test: after church on a Sunday. If there’s a more mon roll ($3.29). Friends, these are not your Pillsbury break and dreaded shift in the service industry, I don’t know what it is. Large bake cinnamon rolls. These are the size of a plate, rich with spice groups and lots of kids can mean cranky servers just trying to survive. and slathered in warm white icing. If you can finish one of these Not so at the Corner Café. Instead of a hefty wait inside the yourself, I salute you. It took my husband and I two sittings each kitschy waiting area, our party of two was seated immediately to finish it off after having full meals. and greeted by Ali, a young man whose smile seemed genuine and All this happened within an hour during the worst shift of the never left his face. He was prompt and jovial, cracking jokes and week. And all around us, we saw smiles, teamwork and a general delivering everything exactly as ordered. sense of wellbeing from the large and well-organized staff. There was So what did we order? When I see no freneticism, no panic. This is just another CORNER CAFÉ-RIVERSIDE chicken fried steak, then I have to have it. day at the office for the Corner Café staff. 4541 NW Gateway Avenue At $11.49 and accompanied by two sides If you’re craving home cooking without Riverside, MO of my choice, it was a deal. All dinner dirtying your cast iron skillet, the Corner 816.741.2750 meals come with a large warm yeasty dinCafé is as close as it’s going to get, still localOpen daily from 5 a.m.-10 p.m. ner roll already, so it’s almost like an extra ly owned and a Northland original That’s a Closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas side on its own. For my plateful of breadpretty great combination. 42

Northland Lifestyle | December 2014

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Northland Lifestyle | December 2014

Sold Properties

Recently SOLD Northland Properties Subdivision

Average List Price

Average Sold Price

%List To Sold

DOM*

Riss Lake

$496,950

$468,500

94%

Briarcliff West

$595,000

$590,000

99%

137

Highlands of Weatherby

$502,060

$505,788

100%

Copperleaf

$468,766

$469,378

100%

Timber Ridge

$499,900

$460,000

92%

136

Thousand Oaks

$425,795

$442,047

103%

Green Glades At The Masters

$414,450

$407,500

98%

140

Thornhill

$435,000

$399,000

92%

391

Legacy Park

$433,000

100%

Lakeview

$415,500

$375,000

90%

Reserve at Tiffany Woods

$380,998

$385,085

101%

Embassy Park

$399,900

$386,000

97%

165

Montebella

$367,475

$362,500

98%

153

Staley Hills

$349,950

$354,950

101%

141

Aggregate Subdivision Sales per Heartland MLS 10/1/2014 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 11/1/2014 NC - New Construction

*Average Days on Market

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The National 6417 Augusta Place $2,150,000 MLS# 1899711

Briarcliff West 4509 N Hickory Lane $1,249,000 MLS# 1881226

Kathleen Smerchek 816.589.0925

Russ Wolfe 816.564.4100

Connor Sweeney 816.217.7352

Ashley Sweeney 816.728.2253

Candi Sweeney 816.591.5590

Kristine Courtney 816.590.1664

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The National 6837 N National Drive $1,299,999 MLS# 1869777

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6300 N Lucerne Avenue, Kansas City, MO 64151 816.746.2777 December 2014 | Northland Lifestyle

Lifestyle Calendar

December DECEMBER 6

cial photo event with Santa! Bring your furry friend(s) to Zona Rosa’s Winter Wonderland and get a free* pet picture with Santa! *The first 30 people each night that make a pet food donation get a free photo.

DECEMBER 8, 15, 22 A SPECTACULAR CHRISTMAS CABARET

BREAKFAST WITH SANTA

OFF CENTER THEATRE,

PARKVILLE

CROWN CENTER SHOPS

Bring the little ones to Historic Downtown Parkville for a special morning treat – breakfast, music, crafts, merriment, and some quality time with Santa Claus! What a great way to start a day of holiday gift shopping and fun like you won’t find anywhere else!

Enjoy a spectacular night of Christmas music with Musical Theater Heritage. MTHKC.com or 816.545.6000

DECEMBER 12 MAGICAL NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS MOSAIC LIFE CARE SHOAL CREEK

DECEMBER 4-21 OLIVER! THE MUSICAL CROWN CENTER

Musical Theater Heritage is breaking out their own Charles Dickens story this Christmas at Crown Center with Oliver! The Musical! Featuring a cast of 50 people, OLIVER! is loaded with fun, catchy songs, and is considered a timeless classic. MTH is joining forces with Toys for Tots again this year - so if you bring a new, unwrapped toy, you can receive one free ticket to see the show. Details are online and performances are at the Off Center Theatre at Crown Center. 816.545.6000 MTHKC.com

DECEMBER 5-7 2014 WESTON CANDLELIGHT HOMES TOUR WESTON, MO

The 2014 Weston Candlelight Homes Tour will feature 4 wonderful homes and 1 Downtown loft dressed for the holidays! Included in the tour is a Christmas Gift Shoppe. The Friday evening reception will be held at Eventful at Locust Grove. WestonMo.com 46

Northland Lifestyle | December 2014

DECEMBER 6 SANTA’S SECRET WORKSHOP PINE RIDGE CHURCH

While parents enjoy a free cup of coffee or hot chocolate and cookies, Pine Ridge’s E.L.F. Helpers will lead children through a shopping mall designed especially for young shoppers. Gifts are available for parents, siblings, grandparents and special friends and are priced at $1 to $12. After their shopping experience, kids are welcome to enjoy cookies and hot chocolate plus visit with Santa Claus to share their holiday wish lists and receive a candy cane. While the kids shop, parents also will find lots of terrific gift ideas and crafts handmade by the church’s Many Hands group.

DECEMBER 8, 15 SANTA PAWS FOR NAWS ZONA ROSA

Help support the Northland Animal Welfare Society by donating pet food during a spe-

Mosaic Life Care invites the whole family for an evening of holiday fun. Join in with holiday carolers, watch a live theatre performance and take family photos. Kids can write letters to Santa, enjoy arts and crafts, and decorate cookies. And don’t miss out on the horse carriage rides around The Life Center (for purchase). Help Mosaic Life Care keep families warm by bringing in new and gently used hats and mittens to donate to local charities that help children in need.

DECEMBER 12, 19 SANTA SIPPIN’ WORKSHOP #2 AND #3 JOWLER CREEK WINERY

Make a unique, handcrafted holiday gift for that special someone while relaxing and sipping on some wine with friends. At this hands-on workshop, you’ll make your very own bottle Santa while sampling a taste of each of Jowler Creek’s wines. The bottle Santa will match with the bottle reindeer that we made at the Santa’s Sipping Workshop #1 on November 21st and the bottle snowman that we are making at Santa’s Sipping Workshop #3 on December 19th. Reservations and pre-payment are required for this event. Reserve your spot by calling 816.858.5528.

DECEMBER 13

DECEMBER 29

2ND SATURDAY

COMMUNITY BLOOD DRIVE

WESTON, MO

AMERICAN LEGION HALL

Stroll into unique shops and galleries for late night shopping and enjoy in-store specials, local wine and beer, food samples and live entertainment. WestonMo.com

Please share your gift of life with local hospital patients who need it by donating at the next Community Blood Center blood drive. The blood drive is hosted by the Main Street Parkville Association.

DECEMBER 13

DECEMBER 31

CHRISTMAS LIGHT RUN

CHAMPAGNE CHIC NEW YEAR’S EVE

DOWNTOWN NORTH KANSAS CITY

THE VIEW AT BRIARCLIFF

Put on your best Santa Suit and come join the most festive 5k in Kansas City! A Garmin will be awarded for the best costume and runners will vote on their favorite decorated house back at the heated tent post party. Selfies with Santa and a Nike 1/2 Zip make this an event you do not want to miss!

We will ring in the New Year including a buffet dinner with entertainment provided by Cherry Bomb and DJ Kevin. We’ll pop the cork with a champagne toast and a balloon drop at midnight! Party packages with and without a hotel room in the Courtyard by Marriott hotel (onsite) are available. VisionsKC.com

DECEMBER 13 PHOTOS AND COOKIES WITH SANTA

DECEMBER 31

AND MRS. CLAUS

NEW YEAR’S EVE CELEBRATION

ATKINS-JOHNSON FARM

VOODOO LOUNGE, HARRAH’S CASINO

Come out to the farm for a festive afternoon with the Friends of the Atkins Johnson Farm. Enjoy a visit and photo with Santa and Mrs. Claus while enjoying cookies and cider. House tours are free, cost of a photo is $5.

Ring in the New Year at the VooDoo Lounge featuring DJ Highnoon and DJ Ashton Martin.

Budget Blinds of the Northland and Budget Blinds of Northland Kansas City and Budget Blinds of thethe Northland andand Budget Blinds of the Northland Kansas City Dr 4149 N City Mulberry Kansas City Kansas 4149 N Mulberry Dr City 4149 Mulberry DrMO 4149 NNKansas Mulberry Dr Kansas City MO M-F: 10:00 AM 6:00 PM KansasCity CityMO MO Kansas M-F: 10:00 AM -AM 6:00 PM PM Saturday 10:00 -4:00 M-F: 10:00 AM 6:00 PM M-F: 10:00 AM --6:00 PM Saturday 10:00 -4:00 Sunday Closed Saturday 10:00 AM -4:00 PM Saturday 10:00 AMAM -4:00 PMPM Sunday Closed 816-505-5515 Sunday Closed Sunday Closed 816-505-5515 www.budgetblindskc.com 816-505-5515 816-505-5515 www.budgetblindskc.com www.budgetblindskc.com www.budgetblindskc.com northland@budgetblinds.com

Follow Us At Facebook or Twitter Follow Us At Facebook or Follow Facebook or Twitter Follow UsUs At At Facebook or Twitter Twitter

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December 2014 | Northland Lifestyle

Business Directory ANIMALS & ANIMAL CARE

Wild Birds Unlimited (816) 415-4303 wbu.com libertymo

ART & PHOTOGRAPHY Art & Frame Warehouse (816) 584-8009 afwkc.com

AUTOMOTIVE

Precision Collision Center (816) 781-9630 precisioncollisionkc.com

CHARITIES & FUNDRAISERS Heartland Habitat for Humanity (816) 213-9803 heartlandhabitat.org

DENTISTS & ORTHODONTICS Antioch Dental Group (816) 452-9700 fredbaileydds.com Berry Sousa Dental (816) 746-5437 childrenstoothdoc.com Burleson Orthodontics (816) 533-7566 burlesonorthodontics.com

All About Dance (816) 436-1159 allaboutdancebykatye.com

Two Blind Girls (816) 505-5515 budgetblindskc.com

Hot Spot Pools & Spas, LLC (816) 781-8884 libertyhottub.com

MEDICAL CLINICS & FACILITIES

Kansas City Zoo (816) 595-1765 kansascityzoo.org Visions KC at Courtyard Marriott (816) 820-2541 visionskc.com

FASHION & ACCESSORIES

Bead Boutique (816) 455-0090 beadboutiquekc.com

FINANCIAL SERVICES & PLANNING

Liberty Hospital (816) 781-7200 libertyhospital.org

Mosaic Life Care - Parkville (816) 437-8122 mymosaiclifecare.org

SENIOR LIVING & SERVICES

Pediatric Care North (816) 587-3200 pediatriccarenorth.com Saint Lukeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Health Systems (913) 317-7139 golifekc.org Visiting Nurses Association (816) 627-6241 vnakc.com

HEALTH & WELLNESS

Weston Family Clinic & Medical Spa (816) 640-2762 wfcmedspa.com

HOME DESIGN & FURNISHINGS

OTHER

Cates Auction & Realty Company, Inc. (816) 781-1134 catesauction.com

Jim Anderson, DDS (816) 454-3336 jimandersondds.com

Seasonal Concepts (913) 642-4999 seasonalconceptsonline.com

Meyers Funeral Chapel (816) 741-0251 meyersfuneralchapel.com

EDUCATION

HOME SERVICES

PROPERTY & REAL ESTATE

College Nannies & Tutors (Northland) (816) 256-5907 collegenanniesandtutors.com Park University (888) 319-9522 park.edu/nlls

ENTERTAINMENT & RECREATION Monarch Room (816) 935-7904 heritageeventspaces.com/ monarchroomkc

Advanced Home Energy (913) 226-3201 KC Wood (913) 422-3320 kcwood.com Midwest Lifetime Roof Systems (913) 393-3008 lifetimeroofsystems.com Tile & Stone Warehouse (913) 432-7900 tileandstonewarehouse.com

Northland Lifestyle | December 2014

Salon Oasis & Day Spa (816) 415-3733 salonoasisanddayspa.com Sunlight Day Spa (913) 754-2023 sunlightdayspa.com

Lampworks Gallery (803) 776-1648 lampworksgallery.com

Dentistry for Children (816) 548-3400 kidsdentistkc.com

SALONS & SPAS

Meritas Health (816) 691-2021 nkch.org

Equity Bank-Northland (816) 587-4322 equitybank.com Fit By Burn (816) 729-2276 fitbyburn.com

The Kansas City Steak Company (877) 347-8325 kansascitysteaks.com

The Rob Ellerman Team Reece & Nichols Realtors (816) 304-5525 therobellermanteam.com Wolfe-Sweeney & Associates LLC (816) 746-2777 wolfesweeney.com

RESTAURANTS, FOOD & BEVERAGE Stone Canyon Pizza Company (816) 505-0389 stonecanyonpizza.com

McCrite Plaza at Briarcliff (816) 888-7930 mccritekc.com Riverside Nursing & Rehabilitation Center LLC (816) 741-5105 riversidenursingandrehab.com Senior Helpers (816) 455-9300 seniorhelpers.com

SPECIALTY SHOPS Quilters Station (816) 525-8955 quiltersstation.com

The Euro Pottery Shop (913) 680-0806 europottery.com

TRAVEL & LEISURE The Elms Resort & Spa 1800-THE-ELMS elmshotelandspa.com

The best dental experience for children and adolescents from 0-18!

Come visit us at our fun, new location!

7001 N. Cherry St, Suite 100 Gladstone, Missouri 64118

Liberty Location: 113 Blue Jay Drive, Suite 201, Liberty, Missouri 64068

816-548-3400 kidsdentistkc.com Louis A. Pollina DDS, Brandi K Roeber DDS Ryan A. Francois DDS, Laura Walden DDS (Teen dentist)

Located at The View @ Briarcliff

VisionsKC.com - Email: Info@VisionsKC.com

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December 2014 | Northland Lifestyle

Parting Thoughts

OMG, Grandma’s On Twitter WORDS DENISE SNODELL

y mom is a seasoned AARP member. She called me one day, and said in a bemused tone, “When I type my password, it turns into small dots.” Adorable, yes, and also an indicator of a trend I’m noticing: Though it’s sometimes a struggle, more senior citizens are determined to get hip with technology. The Pew Research Center recently reported 66 percent of adults 65 or older now go online, and 77% have a cell phone. But really, you don’t have to mine through studies and snooze over bar graphs to see what’s happening. Just look around. Pop into grocery stores. Watch people at airport terminals. Hang out with your elders. You’ll likely see Aunt Pearl whipping a phone out of her handbag, or Great Uncle Walt tapping away an email on a tablet. I don’t think we’re at the point where most grandparents are Snapchat-ing or Yik Yak-ing between Instagram uploads. But if you pay attention, there has been a noticeable shift over the last five years. The Greatest Generation is generating cyber traffic. Of course, there are many people like my octogenarian uncle. A self-proclaimed Luddite, he follows pop culture on “newsprint 1.0”—also known as the paper “app” that gets downloaded on his driveway every morning. But he knows what a selfie is. He frequently asks me questions like, “What does YOLO mean?” My uncle is not at the point where he’d acquire a computer, but you never know. There’s a strong curiosity brewing. My parents are another story. They’ve owned a computer for over a decade. They love this connection to their children, grandchildren and the world, and I know they could not live without it. They can email and Google with the best of us. Ordering their Fred Astaire benders from Netflix sometimes leads to missteps,

Northland Lifestyle | December 2014

but they get by. Both are signed up for Facebook, even though they have not graduated beyond the generic silhouette profile pics. A year ago, I was floored when my mom begged me to show her Twitter. She loves the concept of chiming thoughts to the universe, and seeing what other people are pondering or joking about. Like Facebook, my mom is signed up on Twitter, but has not yet become an active user. She’s still in the egg phase. Nonetheless: Wow. My parents live far away, so every time we visit each other I’m always giving them some kind of tech tutorial. I have empathy and eternal patience, probably because there’s a generation on the other side I depend on for my own “Genius Bar” consultations--my sons. The very morning our youngest left for college, he took it upon himself to write out a manual for me and my husband on how to navigate the 5,000 remotes for our flat screen TV. And I’m not kidding: As I was writing this very column, he texted me a video link. A few minutes later, a follow-up message suggested I turn my phone horizontally for better quality. I was, indeed, holding it vertically. Marketing-wise, I think the tech industry is lagging when it comes to helping each generation adapt to their products. Cell phone screens are not always compatible with seniors’ vision. Middle-aged vision, for that matter. There are also finger flexibility issues, or simply a lack of background in how patterns and things work on screens—like knowing the reason for “password dots.” All of these stumbling blocks can be addressed. With a little patience, every generation can, and should, connect. Because YOLO.

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INVISALIGN™ WORKS! FREE WHITENING!

Prove it to yourself with this special risk-free offer! “It worked 100% for me!” – Alexis M., Kansas City, MO

Save $500! Schedule a complimentary exam, consultation and digital x-rays Plus get Free Whitening and 3 Bonus Gifts when you start treatment.* • Free Consumer’s Guide to Invisalign Book • Free Luxury Care Kit and Electric Toothbrush • $500 Gift Card Towards Comprehensive Invisalign Treatment Developed by orthodontists. Customized just for you. Invisalign with Burleson Orthodontics uses doctordeveloped invisible aligners to effectively straighten your teeth with a customized solution just for you. Ask us about our “Never Miss Work or School” Guarantee.

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Four Convenient Metro Locations Briarcliff Village • Liberty • Excelsior Springs • Raymore

New patients only, cannot be combined with any other offers, limited to the first 25 new patients between November 15, 2014 and December 15, 2014. Regularly $6,128 - $6,970.