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Mid-Continent Public Library’s 2024 Summer at MCPL program, Telling Tales, celebrates sharing and reading stories of all kinds. Kids and adults can also earn rewards and win prizes for daily reading and attending Library programs.
Summer at MCPL begins June 1st and will run until August 24. Summer at MCPL encourages families to spend at least 20 minutes a day reading or engaging with literacy. Readers will log each day that they read to receive a daily reading badge (print a reading log). When readers aged 0-19 complete 20, 40, and 60 days of reading, they will earn a prize book from their local branch. Readers who are registered in Beanstack will also be eligible to earn prizes from community partners. Adults aged 20+ can earn prizes, too. All adult readers who log 60 or more days will earn a Summer at MCPL: Telling Tales commemorative glass. Summer at MCPL | Mid-Continent Public Library (mymcpl.org)
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Despite thunderstorms and a tornado watch, 70 people gathered at the Good People Café on Saturday, April 27th for the launch of a new type of worship service in Grain Valley. Good People Worship is designed to be accessible and inclusive of people with all different abilities. “Over half of families of individuals with disabilities report that they have refrained from participating in religious activities because they felt unsupported and unincluded,” Mike Cassidy, pastor of Faith UMC, the church behind Good People Worship said. “Often churches that do provide support offer separate ministries for the disability population. We created Good People Worship not as a ministry for people with disabilities, but rather a ministry that includes and is led by all people, with and without disabilities.” This was evident throughout the night. Bella West, a local “super senior” in Grain Valley High School’s SPED program, opened the evening with prayer. Sam Laws, another “super senior” who will be attending UCM’s Thrive program in the fall, served as the acolyte, lighting the worship candles on the altar. One of the highlights of the service was Blanca Garcia, a young woman with Down Syndrome, who tap danced to Luke Bryan’s Country Girl during the offering time. A portion of the offering collected at each service will go toward opening and operating the Good People Café. Like the worship service, the café will intentionally employ people of all abilities, providing a place for many in the area disability community to work with dignity and purpose. Good People Café will open for breakfast and lunch in mid-May 2024. The theme of Saturday night was loving our community. “When we love one another,” said Pastor Mike, “our hearts get a little bigger, and the world gets a little smaller.” The world did seem smaller on Saturday. People from multiple surrounding communities were in attendance, the worship band included musicians from three different denominations, and members of five different United Methodist congregations helped make this night happen. Good People Worship meets every Saturday night at 6pm at the Good People Café, located at 101 SW Eagles Parkway, Grain Valley, MO inside the former public library. Grain Valley High School senior Sam Laws lighting the worship candles at the beginning of the service. Photo credit: Good People Worship
Jackson County Parks + Rec invites the community to enjoy a day of outdoor entertainment for the entire family at its Sheep Shindig event on Saturday, May 4th from 9:00am - 4:00pm.
Families will enjoy time-honored games and crafts typical of the mid-1800s and watch as Missouri Town's flock of sheep receive their spring haircuts. Missouri Town interpreters will demonstrate the wool-making process from sheep shearing to carding and beyond. Admission is $8/adults, $4 for seniors and children ages 5-13. Children 4 and under are free. Missouri Town Living History Museum is located at 8010 East Park Road, Lee's Summit, MO 64064. Good News: Totta Tough 5K Saturday, April 27th to support Grain Valley student with bone cancer4/25/2024 A 5K run and kid's run will be held Saturday, April 27th to support GVHS senior Annabelle Totta, who was recently diagnosed with bone cancer. Funds raised will support medical expenses related to her care. The run begins at Grain Valley High School at 8:00am, with a kid's run following at 9:00am. A pancake breakfast will follow. Pre-Race packet pick up will be available Thursday, April 25th at First Baptist Church of Grain Valley from 4-6pm. 207 W. Walnut St. Grain Valley, MO 64029 Participants may register through race day at Totta Tough 5k (runsignup.com). For more information, visit First Baptist Grain Valley - Totta Tough 5k (grainvalleyfirst.com). Image credit: Totta Tough 5K
The Truman Heartland Community Foundation (THCF) Youth Advisory Council (YAC) will host a family-friendly fundraiser at Lunar Bowl, located at 2001 NW MO-7 Highway, in Blue Springs, Missouri. Strike in the Night – Cosmic Caring-Changing the Universe will take place on April 27, 2024, from 6:30pm - 9:30pm. All proceeds will be directed to the YAC Endowment Fund. The earnings from this fund are used to support nonprofits serving individuals, children, and families in suburban Eastern Jackson County. "Through the YAC program, we are creating the next generation of philanthropists who will make a lasting impact on their communities," Diana Castillo, Director of Grants and Donor Services for THCF said. "It's an opportunity for high school students to learn about the power of giving back and become leaders in their own right. Watching them work together to make a difference is inspiring and gives me hope for the future." Strike in the Night attendees will experience three hours of cosmic bowling, games, music, and trivia. This event is open to the public, but tickets are required and very limited. Tickets can be purchased in advance for $15 or at the door for $18. Advanced tickets are available at https://tinyurl.com/StrikeInTheNight2024 or by calling the THCF office at (816) 836-8189. The Truman Heartland Community Foundation (THCF) Youth Advisory Council (YAC) will host a family-friendly fundraiser at Lunar Bowl, located at 2001 NW MO-7 Highway, in Blue Springs, Missouri. Strike in the Night – Cosmic Caring-Changing the Universe will take place on April 27, 2024, from 6:30pm - 9:30pm. Photo credit: THCF
Grain Valley Parks and Recreation is thrilled to announce the much-anticipated ribbon-cutting ceremony for the newest addition to Armstrong Park (713 Main Street, Grain Valley, MO 64029), "Kiki's Playground." The event is scheduled to take place on Saturday, April 20th, starting at 10 a.m. "Kiki's Playground" is named in loving memory of Kiki Claphan, a beloved former parks employee whose passion for creating safe and enjoyable spaces for children left an indelible mark on the Grain Valley community. "She played Mrs. Claus and did Storytime with Mrs. Claus for years. She also coordinated many of the Mini Munchkins and Preschool Players programs, but she also was our concessions supervisor. So, a lot of the high school students in Grain Valley who worked concessions reported to her. She knew a lot of the youth in the parks program, and she was a paraprofessional at Grain Valley Schools. When she passed away in 2020, we were in the process of securing funding and planning for an all-inclusive playground to replace the aging equipment at Armstrong Park. We thought what better way to remember Kiki than to name the playground after her," Parks and Recreation Director Shannon Davies said. “This project was funded in part from a grant award through the Federal Land, Water and Conservation Fund and is something both the Grain Valley Parks & Recreation Department and Park Board have been working towards and identifying funding for over the last several years,” Davies. “This is the first All-Inclusive playground in our park system. We are excited to offer the community a play space for children of all abilities in one of our most heavily used parks.” The grant covers approximately a quarter of the $445,000 project cost. Delays in funding at the federal level pushed the project back approximately a year, but the playground is now open for an all-inclusive play experience. Davies explained a bit about what it means to be an all inclusive play space. "We try to make sure that at least 50% of all play components are able to be used by kids of all abilities. That has to do with not just ADA access from the parking lot to the playground, but also making sure the surface material is accessible. A lot of the transfer stations or platforms are in place so that children of all abilities can access them, but we also have some more challenging elements for all kids to explore," Davies said. While the playground itself is now open and already a popular play spot, two elements will be unveiled at the ribbon cutting on the 20th. An arch with "Kiki's Playground" lettering will be installed by the 20th, along with a plaque honoring Claphan. Kiki's Playground, the first inclusive playground in the Grain Valley parks system, will be celebrated with a ribbon cutting on April 20th. The playground is now open for visitors. Photo credit: City of Grain Valley
On April 8, citizens across southern and southeast Missouri will have the chance to see a rare celestial event – a total solar eclipse. In the Kansas City area, the moon will cover about 90% of the sun at 2:00pm.
For those planning to travel to southern regions of Missouri to view the total eclipse, Missouri Department of Transportation (MODOT) officials are asking travelers to be prepared for crowds and congestion. The moon will block the sun’s light and cause a total solar eclipse to be visible across nearly 115 miles of Missouri. Visitors will come to the Show-Me State to witness the event, and numerous community events and festivals are planned along the path of totality. Missourians should make plans early to determine where they will view the eclipse, where they will stay and how best to avoid the extra traffic congestion after the eclipse. “We anticipate large crowds with possible heavy congestion on the interstates and major highways especially after the eclipse is over,” said Missouri Department of Transportation Chief Safety and Operations Officer Becky Allmeroth. “If you are traveling for the event, leave early, stay put as long as possible and plan to stay after the end of the eclipse to avoid the peak traffic.” Missouri will be one of 13 states from Texas to Maine to experience the path of totality. There are 31 million people in the United States who live inside the path of totality. A partial eclipse will be visible throughout the remainder of the continental United States. The path of the viewing in Missouri will cover more than 115 miles of the state. Totality enters Missouri as it crosses the Arkansas State Line southwest of West Plains at 1:54 p.m. CDT. It will follow a diagonal line crossing over Poplar Bluff and exit Missouri at Cape Girardeau as it crosses the Mississippi River at 2:04 p.m. CDT. Please follow these tips to drive safely on the day of the solar eclipse:
More information on eye safety and scientific aspects of the event can be found on the NASA website at https://science.nasa.gov/eclipses/future-eclipses/eclipse-2024/ In honor of World Autism Awareness Day on Tuesday, April 2nd, local Greater Kansas City Metro Area McDonald's restaurants will hold a fundraiser where a portion of digital proceeds will benefit Autism Speaks. Autism Speaks is dedicated to promoting solutions, across the spectrum and throughout the lifespan, for the needs of individuals with autism and their families.
10% of all proceeds from digital orders on April 2nd from local Greater Kansas City Metro McDonald's restaurants will benefit Autism Speaks. Over 130 participating McDonald's restaurants in the Greater Kansas City Metro Area including: Overland Park, Olathe, Shawnee, Lee's Summit, Lawrence, St. Joe, Independence and Blue Springs. by Bill Graham, Missouri Department of Conservation
Native plants do well in home gardens because they’re adapted to local soils and weather patterns. They are also beneficial to songbirds and pollinator species such as butterflies and bees. The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) is hosting a native plant sale from 12:30 to 4 p.m. on Saturday, March 30, at the Burr Oak Woods Nature Center in Blue Springs. Native plant vendors from Missouri Wildflowers Nursery and City Roots Nursery and Landscape will be onsite and offering plants while supplies last. Besides purchasing native plants, it’s a chance for visitors to get tips about gardening with natives from the vendors. Wildflowers have various blooming periods and can provide color in spring, summer, and fall. They also provide interesting structure in winter. Birds benefit because natives host insects important to feeding baby birds in the nesting season. Pollinators such as butterflies and bees benefit because they evolved as specialists using native plants as a food source or as hosts for eggs and larvae. This native plant sale is open to all ages and registration is not required. For more information on the Burr Oak Woods Nature Center, visit https://mdc.mo.gov/burroakwoods. Good News: Grain Valley Swim and Dive team offering youth swim lessons starting March 25th3/14/2024
The GV Swim and Dive Team will be providing swimming lessons again this year at the Blue Springs South Aquatic Center. They will start on the week of March 25th and last for 4 weeks. The cost is $60 for 4 semi-private lessons. Student athletes from the boys and girls high school team will be providing the instruction and funds raised will support the team.
Utilize the QR code in the flyer below to register or e-mail grainvalleyswimdive@gmail.com with questions. |
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