New Principal Page 3
Sweet Cinco de Mayo Page 7
Raytown Sports Page 8
Free complimentary copy May 1, 2015 • Volume 2, No. 28
www.raytowneagle.com • 75¢
Willard Ross Retires From The Fire Board After 18 Years By Diane Krizek Editor On April 29, 2015, the Raytown Fire Protection District Board honored Willard H. Ross for 18 years of service as a board Director with a reception that was a wonderful tribute to a man who dedicated his life to the Raytown community. Previous to his service for the Fire Board, he served as mayor of Raytown for a total of 16 years. Fire Chief Matt Mace opened the celebration calling Ross a role model, “Do what they do and you can’t go wrong. Willard wore Raytown like a badge of honor.” “I didn’t know Willard as mayor but I did know him as mayor
of Hy-Vee where he was a greeter, Santa Class or whatever they needed. He whipped out a picture to show me his pride and joy. I saw a bottle of Joy detergent and a bar of Pride soap and that was the beginning of getting to know Willard. He asked me go to with him to the Mayor’s Prayer Breakfast one year and he instantly went into his mayor mode and began working the room. I couldn’t keep up. A moment of Willard time is a special gift.” Bob Palmer, president of the Fire Board, came to the podium explaining that he came on the board two years after Willard. I had been union and being on this side of the line was a difficult tran-
Left to right: new Board Director Richard Tush, Vice-President Barb Schlapia, President Bob Palmer, Willard Ross and Fire Chief Matt Mace
Retired Public Works Director Gene Yoakim, Willard Ross and Mayor Mike McDonough
sition. Willard thought it might be a conflict of interest but we became very good friends over the years. It’s been a good ride.” After Chief Mace delivered the Fire Board’s proclamation, Mayor Mike McDonough came to the podium to deliver his proclamation but not without a few words about Willard. “I always wanted to be police officer but they didn’t want guys
who were single back then. Ross must’ve created a coup to get me in because I received a phone call out of the blue from the police department asking me to come in. Thank you Willard for getting me into a job I thoroughly loved for 40 years. If it wasn’t for Willard’s commitment to community services, we would not have Raytown EMS today. This is not my first proclamation but this is my
first personal declaring April 29, 2015 as Willard H. Ross Day,” said Mayor McDonough. Retired Public Works Director Gene Yoakum stepped up to the podium to explain why Willard was his champion. “He served six years as mayor in the Seventies took a break then served as mayor 10 years from 1985 to 1995. But let
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5th Grade Class Inspired To Plant, Nurture And Celebrate Trees
By Lisa Bankston The first Arbor Day was held in 1872 and was organized by J. Sterling Morton who was a Nebraska journalist. Morton and his wife loved nature and through their efforts the state of Nebraska
which is a nonprofit conservation and educational organization was founded in 1972 and currently sponsors this annual national event along with the management of Tree City USA and Tree Line Growth awards. Since its beginning several US presidents have
the Raytown Parks Department, MO Department of Conservation (MDC) and KCP&L. Kevin Boji, the Park Board president began the celebration with reading an official Arbor Day proclamation written and signed by our new mayor, Michael McDonough. Three student council members read poems they wrote about trees and Charles Conner, Urban Forester for MDC
Tree Board President Steve Bankston speaking to 5th Grade Class
5th Grade Students plant the Swamp White Oak tree donated by KCP&L proclaimed a Tree Planting Holiday. There were one million trees planted at that first holiday and one thousand school children participated in the celebration. By 1882 the celebration became known as Arbor Day and the tree planting tradition was in schools nationwide. The Arbor Day Foundation
proclaimed a National Arbor Day and it is now celebrated every year on April 24th or the fourth Friday in April. In Raytown, Arbor Day was celebrated last Friday at Little Blue Elementary School with the principal, teachers and seventy-seven 5th grade students. The day was sponsored by the Raytown Tree Board,
David Martin, KCP&L Forester, receives Tree Line Growth Award gave an environmental education lesson on the beauty and the benefits trees give the community. The MDC gave each 5th grader a White Oak seedling to plant in their own yard. This year a Swamp White Oak tree donated by KCP&L was planted in front of the school in honor of
Parks Director Kevin Boji delivers mayoral proclamation
the 5th grade class who will be the first to graduate from Little Blue Elementary. Conner also presented Steve Bankston, the Tree Board president, with the Tree City USA award; this is the twelfth year Raytown has received it. David Martin, the forester for KCP&L received the Tree Line Growth Award which recognizes a community utility company that has excellent practices in utility arboriculture. The 5th grade student council members then picked up shovels and planted “their” tree which will be growing in their honor for hundreds of years into the future. “One generation plants the trees, another gets the shade.” Chinese Proverb