Raytown-Brooking Eagle, July 11, 2014

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Bluejays at nationals Page 2

Taste of summer Page 7

9th annual pet parade Page 8

Free complimentary copy July 11, 2014 • Volume 1, No. 41

www.raytowneagle.com • 75¢

Fun House Pizza Raytown The Original Celebrates 50 Years

By Diane Krizek Editor In June of 1964, Marty and Helen Graham opened Fun House Pizza, now known as “The Original”. After 50 years, it is still family owned and operated by their son, Gary, and his wife Anna. The iconic Fun House sign with the beacon star sign has changed color over the years but the recipes for the pizza dough and sauce remain true to the original to this day. Back in the Sixties, Marty had several Fun House franchises in the Kansas City area that even crossed north of the Missouri River into Riverside, Missouri. He also owned King Arthur’s Knights of the Round Table lounge at 1115 East Armour Blvd. that offered floorshows nightly. Marty also brought in great entertainment to Fun House Pizza that included the big band sound of the Ray Stinson Combo. Fun House Pizza helped launch the career of noted drummer/pianist/vibe Jim Weinberg of Raytown. Marty took an interest in Jim when he was only 11 years old. Jim and his band played six to seven nights a week at Fun House and went on to a great career in Las Vegas and Nashville. After Marty’s death in 1974, Helen took the helm and Gary soon quit his job as pressman at the Kansas City Star to join her. The Fun House Pizza franchises gradually slipped away into time but the tradition of great pizza, fun times and entertainment survived the next four decades in Raytown. “We offered live music until 1:00 a.m. and used Raytown cops for security. We booked comedians and musicians like Chris Skau, Kansas City’s Liberace and organist for the Kansas City Royals,” recalls Gary. The iconic Fun House Pizza sign with its beacon star is truly a treasure that has remarkably survived decades of weather. The family changed the color from red to blue and there are plans to change it to Route-66 colors for the 50th Anni-

versary. Unfortunately, the weather hasn’t cooperated for Thomas Cobian of Downtown Neon Gallery who was commissioned in January to refurbish the sign. He needs three dry days to sandblast, paint and modernize the wiring so it lasts another 50 years. The star languishes in his shop while it waits for its debut.

Get your Celebrating Fun House Pizza T-Shirt for only $15 A 50th Employee Reunion will be held on July 12, 2014, at 2:00 p.m. for all those who have worked for Fun House over the decades. Share your memories at www.facebook.com/FunHousePizza if you were one of those many teens who started your working career at Fun House. Today you can still watch the cooks create your pizza made with a 100% real cheese blend of mozzarella, provolone, and cheddar along with the freshest ingredients. They

Raytown Arts & Music Festival September 27 – Kenagy Park Featuring Brewer & Shipley Sharp Dressed Man Linda Shell & Blues Thang KC Kelsey CJ Walker Band Platinum Music Sponsor $5000 Congressman Emanuel Cleaver Gold Sponsors $1000-$1500 Fun House Pizza – The Original Raytown-Brooking Eagle

also offer fried chicken, hamburgers appetizers and full bar service plus lunch and daily specials and happy hour. Enjoy karaoke and kids rides and video games. Even if Fun House was not a part of your past, you must stop in and find out why Raytown loves its Fun

House Pizza. Congratulate owners, Gary and Anna Graham, and order their famous pizza and a drink in a souvenir cup. The cup costs $1.50 but you will get 50-cent refills in it for the rest of the year. Order your keepsake T-shirt in black, cream, light or dark blue for only $15.00.

Fun House Pizza is proud to be a Gold Sponsor for the upcoming Raytown Arts & Music Fest headlining Brewer & Shipley on September 27, 2014, at C. Lee Kenagy Park. Put it on your calendar and plan to be there.

BGFC Wins Midwest Regional And Heading For National Team to Host Soccer Clinic to Raise Funds for National Tournament

Billy Goat Futbol Club (BGFC) players are hosting a soccer clinic for K-8th grade soccer players on Tuesday, July 15 from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. to help raise funds to participate at the National Tournament. Cost is $25 and there will be a raffle for four tickets and a parking pass to the Sporting KC Soccer game on

August 1. The clinic will take place at the Raytown Soccer Club fields, 14200 E 87 St., Kansas City, next to Little Blue Trace Park softball fields at 350 Highway and Noland Road. Several stations will be setup to work on foot skills, dribbling,

shooting and goalie skills. For more information contact Joy Conyers at 816-524-1376. BGFC soccer team won the Midwest Regional Soccer Tournament and will be competing in the National Youth Soccer Tournament in Germantown, Maryland July 22-26, 2014. The U19 Midwest Regional II Tournament consisted of 12 teams from Missouri, Kansas, Kentucky, Wisconsin, Ohio-N, Ohio-S, Nebraska, Iowa, Michigan. Illinois, Minnesota and Indiana, and each is a winner of their State Cup competition. The four Regional Winners will compete at Nationals with the finals televised on Fox Sports on Saturday, July 26, 2014, at 8:00 p.m. Eastern. The Regional Champions are Region I: New Jersey, Region II: Missouri, Region III: Georgia and Region IV: California. BGFC is a member of the Raytown Soccer Club and is a single club team coached by Abdullah Parker since 2008 and sponsored by Billy Goat Industries of Lee’s Summit. Eleven out of the 17 players are from Lee’s Summit and all play for their college teams at Rockhurst, William Jewell, Southwest Baptist,

Tulsa and Marquette universities and Presbyterian College. The team has survived tragedy and hardships throughout their years together in-

cluding the loss of player, Taylor Rathbun, who died in an ATV accident during the fall of his senior year at Shawnee Mission East. The

BGFC players wear #RIPTR on their jerseys to commemorate his passing.


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