Sunday, May 9, 2010

In This Week's Raytown Report

Former Raytowners Crowd August Ballot by Greg Walters Seven Organizations Granted Fireworks Sales Licenses Big Challenges, Snack Confusion and Breakfast No-No's by Jenn Walters Community Blood Drive O'Hara High School Seeded No. 1 by Brother Richard Geimer Lady Cards Shock Raytown by Ryan Murdock Last Week's Poll Results
Every Picture Tells a Story . . .
The picture on the right was taken at Ruby Beach in the Olympian National Rain Forest on the Olympian Peninsula off of the western Washington State coast.
As the name aptly implies, it was a damp, foggy, rainy day. The large logs you see strewn on the beach are trees that are pulled from the forest when storms hit during the winter. The ocean grinds the trees up into huge logs of driftwood which are then washed back to shore by the tides.
Signs are posted along the beach warning beachcombers to stay out of the water and be alert of incoming logs rolling in with the tide. The Olympian Rain Forest is one of only a few temperate rain forests left on our planet.
NEWS AND VIEWS by Greg Walters
Former Raytowners Crowd August Ballot This past week has been the annual Truman Days Celebration for Jackson County Democrats. While renewing old acquaintances and visiting with the many candidates an interesting bit of trivia became very apparent. A good number of candidates running for State, County and local offices grew up in Raytown and attended Raytown area schools. The first one to bring attention to this point was Jackson County Legislator Theresa Garza-Ruiz. She informed the writer that not only did she graduate from Raytown area schools, but was aware that four other candidates had as well. Here is the short list of the candidates: Theresa Garza-Ruiz, Raytown South High School (candidate for County Legislature) John Bullard, Raytown High School (candidate for State Representative) Geoff Gerling, Raytown High School (candidate for State Representative) Cheyenne Lockhart Cardarella, Raytown High School (candidate for State Representative Greg Walters*, O’Hara High School (candidate for County Legislature)
*Greg Walters lives in Raytown. Seven Organizations Granted Fireworks Sales Licenses
It is the second year since the Board of Aldermen approved the sale of and shooting of fireworks within the city limits of Raytown. This year’s crop of firework tents more than doubles last year’s total. Raytown Fire Marshall Matt Mace told the Raytown Report that anyone shooting fireworks in Raytown is required to have a permit to do so. The permits are available at the Raytown No. 1 Fire Station, or, can be obtained at the locations where fireworks are sold. Don Mundy, who managed a tent for Our Lady of Lourdes last year said, “we simply distributed the permits with each sale, it was really a seamless operation.” Our Lady of Lourdes is one of the vendors from last year that is returning to its same location, the old HyVee/Walmart Stores located at 67th and Blue Ridge Cutoff. The other licensees are: RHS Touchdown Club, The River Church, The River of Refuge, Blue Ridge Boulevard United Methodist, Raytown Sports Association and the Raytown Girls Softball League.
TO YOUR HEALTH . . .
by Jenn Walters Big Challenges, Snack Confusion and Breakfast No-Nos Heard of the 50 Million Pound Challenge yet? Well, if you have, you know that it’s a free national health initiative rallying Americans to come together and “Give up the pounds, not the fight.” So far, more than 700,000 people have joined the challenge, bringing the total pounds lost over the 3 million mark. The challenge is targeted primarily to African Americans but is open to anyone. If this is your first time hearing about the program and you still don’t know what it is, I suggest you reread this paragraph.
The Challenge was created by Dr. Ian Smith and sponsored by State Farm. Although Dr. Ian may be best known for having to endure Screech on Celebrity Fit Club, this truly seems to be his passion. Plus, having the nation lose 50 million pounds is way bad-ass.
For the rest of this story use this link Fit Bottomed Girls
Community Blood Drive A Community Blood Drive will be conducted on Friday, May 21st from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the Raytown EMS Training Room located at 10200 East 66th Terrace. For further information please call 816-737-6030. Raytown Youth News . . . O’Hara High School Seeded #1
by Brother Richard Geimer
The Archbishop O'Hara High School Celtics baseball team is seeded #1 in the Class 3 District 15 among eight schools. The Class 3, District 15 Tournament will be played May 15th through May 18th at KCMO 3&2 Stadium. For the rest of this story use this link O'Hara High School
Lady Cards Shock Raytown By Ryan Murdock The girls soccer team took a giant leap forward on Tuesday night, playing their best game of the season and defeating archrival Raytown 1-0 at Raytown. For most of the game the Cardinals outplayed the Bluejays and ended the game with a 17-8 shots advantage. Its the first win against Raytown for the Lady Cardinals in four years and it comes against a Raytown squad that was ranked #9 in the Western Missouri Regional poll. For the rest of this story use this link Raytown South High School Last Week's Poll Results Should Raytown city department heads be required to live in Raytown? YES . . . . 80% NO. . . . . 20%

35 comments:

Over Taxed Tax Payer said...

Pat,

You never ansered what the city, chamber, or merchants are doing to address the grown number of code violations from businesses in the downtown area.

Sorry, but I must side with the "Sofa King" on this one. Stop complaining and instead grab some paint and a bruch and help truely cleanup downtown.

You know it is too common in America these days for business owners to want everyone else to pay for waht they should be doing in the first place.

A prime example in Raytown: Hy-vee, Wal-Mart and Knabe!

In we wonder who got America in the shape it is. You keep making your profits just like the rest of them and let us hard working taxpayers pick up the pieces while business like the cabinet shop are know to hire illegals or other companies ship jobs oversee.

We I for one am tired and my checking account has been drained by that kind of thinking...We need positive change and we want it now!

Anonymous said...

Over Taxed Tax Payer,
Have you ever been to Pat's shop? I have. I saw NO illegals working there. Last summer Pat had pot of flowering plants by his front door, as did other merchants.

From all I have seen and read, Pat is one who will pitch in.

Andy Whiteman

Anonymous said...

Does anyone know.

Is The River and the River of Refuge the same organization?

Just wondering.

Anonymous said...

Andy,

Pull you head out of city hall and wake up. Who said Pat is one of the business owners to hire illegals.

From what I read it was a cabinet shop, which I believe has been reported other places for hiring illegals.

Please just move to NM or where ever the Mayor is willing to pay to send you.

Pat Casady said...

To Over taxed taxpayer,
First I would like to say I have never asked the city
For any of your tax dollars.
I am a taxpayer too, and if I complain about
about codes not being enforced, well it's my right to expect the codes
department to do their damn jobs.
I would like to know just what pieces are you picking up for me?
Tell us what you have done for this town lately.
How much have you donated to charities and good causes?
I support this town. I don't support some of the elected officials
that don't care for the people of Raytown.
Are you one of them? Who would know when you don't
sign your name to this unfounded crap you write.
I tolerate some of the Anonymous and fake names, I understand that
some people may work for the city or school district but, people
like you and the sofa king that take cheap shots and personal attacks
on those of us that back up what we write hold no credibility.

Anonymous said...

When you pay your property taxes next December remember that Gary Knbae does not pay them on his downtown raytown business. The owner of the coffee shop next to Raytown High doesn't pay property tax on his proeprty either.

It's part of the david bower prosperity plan for Raytown.

They pay less. His friends pay more!

Andy Whiteman said...

9:15 PM, I stated that I saw no illegals at Pat's because illegals were mentioned.

No one is paying me to move. I was forced to move here at my own expense for a worthless job. Now I have to spend much more than I can really afford to get away from this State of Misery. Someone should be paying me (like my former employer). If anyone is anxious for me to move, donations will be accepted. BTW: My house is for sale if anyone is interested, but it will not be listed until AFTER I have moved.

Those who write unfounded crap should sign their name. Some anonymous posts only run down others or the city without contributing to a solution. These are they type who will bitch in this blog but never come to BOA meetings or contact a city official in regards to their problem. If there is to me a solutution at all, you anonymous people need to make your self known to our city officials who YOU elected either by voting for them or not voting at all.

Andy Whiteman

Anonymous said...

Business must be slow at Populis. That's where Mayor David Bower makes his living as an architect.

Mayor Dave has taken to the tevevision airwaves again. This time he is doing his buddy, Mayor Funkhouser, another good turn by telling us all how we need another downtown hotel.

Don't know to much about hotels downtown, but I do know that Bower was elected mayor of Raytown. Think he would remember this as well after three years in the big chair at city hall.

I voted for Bower last time. I will NEVER make that mistake again.

Anonymous said...

8:39PM, I haven't seen the ad, but I think a hotel in downtown RAYTOWN would be a great idea! It could be built on the "green space." The only problem would be lack of traffic flow. The location where the Thriftway was would be better for traffic flow.

Andy Whiteman

Anonymous said...

Andy,

This wasn't an ad. It was part of a news broadcast. Bower is continuing the role he played when Funkhouser wanted to build light rail. Even though it had very little to do with Raytown (the closest connnection would have been about five miles away) Bower spent a lot of his personal time holding forums for the KC Mayor.

Now he is doing the same for Funkhouser by boosting a new hotel Downtown. Paid for by, you guessed it, the taxpayers!

I wish he would spend as much time and effort in Raytown taking care of business here.

Max said...

To Pat. You are a leader in the support of Downtown and its appreciated.

The River and the River of Refuge are not the same entity. The River Church plays a role in the River of Refuge, but the River of Refuge is a seperate entity with a seperate board of directors that include people from different organizations.

Max said...

Sofa King.
I was just wondering if you ever get out and help make Raytown a better place or do you just occupy space? There are groups out here trying to make a difference. Without any funding they all do what they can do with what they have. We now have a Holiday Lighting event that draws people downtown and is growing every year. We now have a City Easter Egg Hunt. We now have somebody trying to improve the image of downtown by placing planters around. We have an organization that is trying to help downtown businesses take advantage of all tax incentives available to them. We have Summerfest. I have seen several groups coming together to clean up downtown, volunteers that care about our community.

Anonymous said...

To those who don't see the code violations in the downtown area.

Please don't be driving as the code violations are all around.

If you cannot see them, I am sure you cannot see kids at play either.

Anonymous said...

I am glad that there are people working to make Raytown a better place. What they need is support from the city. Not in the form of money or tax write-offs but in the form of enforcement of our property codes. The city must carry the big stick on that task.

Anyone who claims that neighbors should go and tell neighbors how to maintain each others property has got their head in the clouds.

If they are a city official, they are either afraid or care nothing for this city. Because the suggestion to pass enforcemnet off to Raytown citizens instead of the city is irresponsible.

Anonymous said...

When the neighbor's house is vacant, it is impossible to tell them that their yard needs mowing!

OMG! It is so tall it really needs bailing, not mowing!

Anonymous said...

PS. Codes has already tagged it with a yellow hearing notice, but it is one of those things that is delayed by a long procedure before anything is ever done. Meanwhile it gets taller! If it ever dries out, it will be a fire hazard.

Pat Casady said...

To "Anonymous 10:56"
Just saying there are "code violations all around"
doesn't give us much information as to what violations
you are talking about.
Sure the streets are in bad shape. The sidewalks are,
for the most, cracked and decaying and the trash container
the city put out on 63rd St is hardly ever emptied but, those
and many more are all city problems.
Tell the rest of us what you would like to see fixed and maybe
we can do it.
I will say that with the 63rd St bridge being out, making it almost impossible
to do business in the downtown area most of us business owners
are barely hanging on, so money's tight right now.
I also might add I heard the bridge project is running two months behind.
I guess that's what you get when you start a building project the beginning of Winter.

Anonymous said...

A lot of us are complaining that Raytown is turning into a ghetto. In front of the old Wal-mart a new business has opened. It's a gun and ammo shop. The boys from the hood have arrived!

Anonymous said...

It is David Bower's says that we should all tell our neighbors when and how to cleanup their properties because he doesn't any one harrassed by city hall. Will my feeling on that is kick him out now. He is a disappointment to all of us who voted for him. If only it were that easy to get rid of him. Maybe we should all start coming up with names for a new candidate for amyor. What the mayor probably doesn't know he already has someone who is running against him even now. It will be a disaster for Raytown if he wins even more than Bower is and that'd saying a lot.

Anonymous said...

Maybe we need to be armed to protect ourselves and our homes from hoodlums. Now we can buy our firearms locally.

Actually I feel a big dog is the best protection. Pepper spray is non-lethal as long as it doesn't blow back into your face.

Andy Whiteman

Pat Casady said...

To Anonymous 3:55
In my opinion people at City Hall have forgotten their job
description.
First and foremost each and every one of them work for the
people of Raytown. It's not the other way around.
When our aldermen are asked to vote on a proposal they
should ask themselves what will this do for the people?
How much will this cost in taxpayer dollars? Instead they vote
the way they are told. Only a couple of aldermen dare to question
the click that runs this town.
The people should not have to do the job of the codes department
or pay for past bad decisions made by City Hall.
In the past City Hall tried their best to run businesses out of town.
They were pretty successful at it too. The problem is that so many
businesses have left Raytown that tax income has dropped dramatically.
Couple this with tax income given away and you have a recipe for disaster.
My point is, that no matter who is mayor the damage is already done. Maybe for the next twenty or more years.
We have had many elections in the last fifteen years and still with all the elected
people that have come and gone, few of them saw what damage they were doing with the bad decisions they were making.
Two simple questions:
How will this help the people of Raytown?
How much will this cost the taxpayers in the long run?
Forgetting who City Hall really works for is why we are in trouble.
City Hall should work for the people not selected groups of people or big businesses.
This is what the people have got to change with their votes.

Anonymous said...

I see that Kansas new sales tax hike has pushed Raytown off the list of the highest sales tax in the metropolitan area. It seems we can only claim that crown on the Missouri side of the state line.

Raytown's sales tax is 8.1%. Lee's Summit and Independence are in at 7.6% and Blue Springs is at 6.85%.

Let's see, high sales tax, codes department that won't enforce property codes.

No doubt the type of business opportunity that few entrepeneurs will pass by in today's market.

Wake up city hall. You are strangling your own town with unfriendly business and people decisions!

Anonymous said...

When we have business owners in downtown Raytown that cannot see code violations around them it is no wonder that 63rd and Troost looks better.

Maybe it is unwriten code bettween business owners not to turn each other in.

Do you really not understand that it only takes one bad apple to spoil the bunch. People don't want to shop in an area that doesn't appear to be safe, which can be based on the lack of maintenance.

The business owners need to take their share of responsablity for the decline in customers. The business owners need to hold other property owners in the downtown area responable...

...And if not put a cork in it as we don't need anymore wine from the poor abused business owners who want everyone to feel sorry for them looking the other way.

Anonymous said...

After reading the complaints back and forth. I decide to take a little trip downtown for myself and see first hand who was right.

I hate to break the news, but I noticed several businesses that need to address the peeling paint. (Example: Brain's Auto, Henry's Auto, and Chinese Restaurant in the old Taco Bell building)

The list also include the back door to and the wood around the overhead door of KC Starters.

This doesn't include the number of businesses in downtown that have weeds growing up next to the buildings and / or retaining walks.

Just an independent reviewer.

Art

Anonymous said...

I think the past does make a difference. Those that do not learn from it are going to repeat it. Raytown went way over the edge in paying out so much fro Walmart that it is stunting waht should be a city's renewal.

The current city councl keeps repeating the same mistakes of handing out tax abatemetns like candy to people like coldwell banker that don't create a cent of sales tax return to make up the difference.

This bunch is useless. They should all go.

Anonymous said...

Art,

Usually a person may not notice maintenance needs on his/her own property because he sees it every day and change (for the worse is not noticed.) I realized this when I told a neighbor who was selling that she needed a new roof and the next person that there was mold on her roof.

I was writing a disclosure for my house since I am selling and noticed that the garage walk in door need painting. I hadn't looked at it in all 10 years I have been here and if I had looked at it, wouldn't have noticed a gradual change.

Andy Whiteman

Pat Casady said...

To Art,
You are absolutely right the trim and door at
"C&C Starters" is pealing and in need of repair.
I have been wanting to fix all that and more but,
every time I start it rains. I will promise it will
be taken care of.
I really don't know if these are codes violations but,
they need to be taken care of just the same.
Now, if we could just get rid of the late night beer drinkers
that seem to litter up our back parking lot with broken
beer bottles and trash.
Any suggestions?
They used to use the old church parking lot but, since it's
all grass now and the bottles don't break when they throw
them, they prefer our parking lot.
I asked a policeman if they could run off
these drinkers because of all the bottles? He told me to
put out more trash barrels. I told him there are five dumpsters
and they don't use them now.

Anonymous said...

Andy,

I fully agree for as I was returning home I noticed a couple of things I need address with my house and yard.

Wouldn't have thought twice about looking had I not read on this blog about all the conflict over codes violations and decided to take a look for myself downtown.

Seems it would be good for all of us to take a better look at our own property and make sure we too are not part of the group everyone is complaining about.

I hope the weather is nice this weekend so I can at least do my part with my own property.

Art

Mr. Pedasso said...

Now, now the owner of Caldwell Banker is doing a lot to bring money into Raytown.

Just look at his out door mud wrestling site Southwest corner of 79th St and Spring Valley.

The funds are donated to help local events like electing our outstanding, knowledgeable, courteous and transparent Mayor. Also sales tax is collected not only on every ticket sold to the events, but also for all the food and beverage sales.

I just cannot wait for that hotel to be built downtown. Boy, then we could have a package deal for them to stay at Raytown’s very own hotel as part of attending the events. The Presidential Suites sure would help drive in some big names to wrestle like Kelly Madison. This would be a sure boost to the event over the ladies that are found hanging around the trucks in the City Center Truck Stop parking lot.

Heck, might even through in a package to get your favorite wrestler’s name tattooed at our own tattoo parlor. Where they could sales some tattoo or wrestling memorabilia, which is the only thing tax able at the tattoo parlor.

So you see the owner of the local Caldwell Banker is doing is part to drive in sales taxes for your town and its future.

Anonymous said...

The real solution is to now allow the public drinking in Downtown Raytown.

They do not allow it in Westport, on the Plaza, Brookside, Independence Square, Waldo or anywhere else.

Why is it allowed in Raytown.

A good question for some of our stellar law makers, our Mayor and his out of town staff and of course, our fine fellows that keep the streets safe for all of ous.

Put out more trash containers! That's a solution?!?

Anonymous said...

Here's a thought. Let's get Aldermen Joe Cramer and one of his side kicks on the city council to look into it.

No doubt he will solve the problem as quickly as he did on enforcing laws on the abasentee proprty owners in town.

There. See, we have already solved the problem!

Andy Whiteman said...

10:19 AM, as far as I know public drinking and drinking while driving are both illegal in Raytown. For some reason, drunks do not use trash receptacles. There are many bottles tossed onto Raytown streets. From what I have noticed, many of these are underage drinkers who dispose of the "evidence" before they get home so their parents won't find it.

Pat, I suggest that if an officer is not interested in this, that you call and ask for a Sgt. or call Chief Lynch. Reglardless of age, there are illegal activities taking place here.

Andy Whiteman

Anonymous said...

Is this the bar in downtown raytown where all the retired kc and raytown cops hang out at?

Anonymous said...

There is a bar on 63rd St kind of catywampus behind Pat's business. There are 2 more bars in what I would call downtown. One is where Midwest BBQ was located and the other on 63rd Ter and the one way Raytown Rd.

Pat mentioned "late night beer drinkers." Since he mentioned bottles being thrown out and they previously used the old church parking lot, I suspect he is referring to park and drink people. It is illegal to take a drink from a bar except in a few areas with that type of permit (in KCMO and maybe other cities that have that type of permit.)

Andy Whiteman

Anonymous said...

Trash cans are a good idea, but they will not work if people(like their parents)taught them that it is much easier to toss items out the car windows, discard items on the ground, etc... partly because they were lazy and ignorant. That is part of their upbringing that is also possibly linked to their overall socioeconomic status. Plus, a lot of people who frequent the local drinking establishments do have a drinking problem, and they also purchase more liquor/beer before hand so that they can continue their parties long after the last call at the local bars.
Let's face it, Raytown is becoming a real draw to the lower class in the socioeconomic status that could care less about most everything. AKA low lifes. This is what the people at city hall want. They do not care as long as they get their tax dollars, who cares about the tatoo parlors, juice bars, bar and grills, payday loan shark places, and pawn shops, and dont forget the infamous Wally World!

What a bunch of losers!