A need for speed Page 2
Decked out for the holidays Page 7
Needed repairs Page 8
Free complimentary copy December 13, 2013 • Volume 1, No. 11
www.raytowneagle.com • 75¢
Raytown Police Recognizes Officers Sacrifice At Awards Ceremony The Raytown Police Department Annual Awards Ceremony took place on Saturday, December 7, 2013, at the First Baptist Church, 10500 350 Highway. Sergeant Jared Rogers’ opening remarks brought attention to the day being the 72nd anniversary of the attack of Pearl Harbor and the ultimate sacrifice required by civilians and military that day. “Sacrifice is a subject police officers and their families are all too well versed in. The men and women in this room sacrifice daily to the demands of the job, to countless hours of training, to shift work and time spent away from their families,” Rogers continued, “So it’s fitting to take one day of the year to recognized our brothers and sisters for a job well done.” Chief Jim Lynch presented the awards in front of a room of approximately 200 people who represented police officers and civilians with their families, volunteers and city staff. Several officers were unable to attend the
years of service that started in 1980 after serving as a Military Police Investigator of the U.S. Army. While in the Investigations unit, Wisner’s collaboration with the Metro Squad led to creating case law in State v. Figgins, the trial of Kenneth Figgins for the homicide of Donald Benedict in September 1988. Wisner was instrumental in forming the Raytown branch of the Fraternal Order of Police and is credited for creating the Raytown Field Training Program. The top Tenure award went to Reserve Officer Ralph Vogel for 35 years of honorable service as uniformed security in municipal court and augmenting uniform patrol divisions and two man units with a “perpetually positive attitude, which is notable by everyone he comes into contact Photo by Brenda Boessen with”. Detective Brett Clear received Officer Shawn Didde, left, received the Officer of the Year award from the Certificate of Merit award Chief Jim Lynch for outstanding meritorious The retirement of Captain ceremony due to working the night shifts or fulfilling their military Wayne Wisner was announced. He Continued on page 2 will retire in February 2014 after 33 service obligations.
Lone Female Robs Bank Of America
A lone white female robbed Bank of America at 10017 E. 63rd St at 12:20 p.m. on Tuesday, December 10, 2013, according to the FBI. She is described as being 40 to 50 years of age, is approximately 5 foot 8 inches tall and weighs about 150 pounds. She is of medium build and pale in appearance. She was wearing a light purple beaniestyle hat with matching scarf, a long grey jacket, sunglasses and Continued on page 2
Downtown Holiday Lighting Ceremony Kicks Off The Season
The City of Raytown, the Raytown Chamber of Commerce, Raytown Main Street Association and Raytown Quality Schools kicked off the holiday season with the 2013 Annual Holiday Lighting Ceremony on Friday, December 6. The cold temps did not stop families from joining the festivities that began at the Pocket Park located at 63rd and Ray-
town Road in Downtown Raytown. Mayor David Bower turned on the Mayor’s Christmas Tree with music performed by the Little Blue Singers. And we might’ve all turned blue at 16° F if not for UMB Bank opening its doors across the street to host Santa Claus and serve cookies while the Raytown Community Flutes Fantasia
played carols. Free hayrides pulled by a John Deere tractor toured the downtown area. The 1081 Club offered another warm spot at 63rd and Blue Ridge Boulevard. Volunteers there served cider and cookies and gave children free ornament craft kits. Several downtown
businesses were open to visitors in Raytown Plaza including Show-Me Quilting, Expressions in Dance studio, Raytown Cleaners, Raytown International Raceway and Working Class Tattoo – all first class operations that Raytown can be proud. Come see for yourself and enjoy the holiday season.
Kids visit with Santa at UMB Bank
Continued on page 2
Missouri Supreme Court Ruled Students Can Transfer
The Missouri Supreme Court ruled on Tuesday, December 10, that students from unaccredited schools districts may transfer to accredited school districts in the same or an adjoining county. This decision upholds the constitutionality of statute RSMo § 167.131 that requires unaccredited school districts to cover the costs of students that transfer from its district to an accredited district. Kansas City (Missouri) Public School district was denied accreditation, making it an eligible district for student transfers out of the district. The Raytown School District is one of five school districts that asked the court to review allowing transfers, claiming it represented an unfunded mandate that cause taxpayers to bear the additional costs of educating significant numbers of out-of-district students and that it is a violation of the Hancock Amendment that prohibits the State from imposing new activities on political subdivisions without providing full State funding for the costs. The Court ruling reaffirmed its opinion in a June case brought on by the Clayton School District of St. Louis in Breitenfeld v. School District. In the Court’s opinion, the
statute does not impose any new activities on the school districts because these districts were always required to educate students. Supreme Court Judge Laura Denvir Stith wrote in the decision that the law “does not mandate a new or increased level of activity but merely reallocates responsibilities among school districts.” “We will work to comply with the court’s ruling and will operate within the confines of the law, while applying the same tenacity to protect students and taxpayers residing in the Raytown School District,” Superintendent Dr. Allan Markley said regarding the court’s decision. “We said at the very beginning that it doesn’t matter who we get in our school district, we will educate them and that’s what we’re going to do.” The biggest issue on the table now is the cost of transfer and capacity. The Raytown School District has set tuition costs in place for students from unaccredited districts and students can enroll once that tuition is paid and as long as there is capacity. Research indicates that smaller classrooms foster academic achievement. The Kansas City School District (KCSD) Superintendent, Ste-
phen Green, has said that student transfers could potentially cost the district $60 million to $150 million from a $268 million budget and state aid is tied to enrollment. Green is unhappy that the State opted not to give the district provisional accreditation after recent test scores showed a dramatic improvement. On the same day of the Missouri Supreme Courts decision, some lawmakers and teacher’s union leaders were calling for the Photo by Michael Downing resignation of Missouri Superintendent Dr. Allan Markley interviewed by TV media Education Commissioncredited and help those that fall been further crippled by the finaner, Chris Nicastro, citing questionable bid processes and into provisional to get back to ac- cial burden of covering the tuition secretive development of KCSD credited. It moves away from a costs of students that transferred plans with private interest firms punitive system to one where all to accredited school districts. The stakeholders can benefit,” Markley St. Louis County NAACP and parwithout the district’s knowledge. Dr. Markley reported that he explained. “The plan’s underlying ents in Normandy and Riverview and about seventeen other super- principal is ‘every student, every Gardens urged DESE to help the intendents in Missouri have col- school, every community matters’. school district regain accreditation laborated to create a Plan to Excel- That the Normandy School Dis- rather than transfer students. The lence that they hoped Department trict is on the verge of bankruptcy State Board of Education agrees of Elementary and Secondary proves the system is not working.” and issued a statement this week Despite budget cuts, the unac- that moving students “creates Education (DESE) would consider. credited and struggling Norman- hardships for families and has the “The plan would keep schools acdy School District in St. Louis has potential to destroy communities.”