Sunday, March 6, 2011

Every Picture
Tells a Story . . . New activity at Hawaii's Kilauea Volcano is being watched carefully by the state's volcanologists. On Saturday, the floor of Pu'u O'o Crater collapsed, dropping nearly 400 feet. Shortly afterward, a geologist flying over the area spotted lava erupting in the area between Puu Oo and Napau Crater. The picture at right shows lava pouring into a fissure created by the eruption and subsequent earthquakes.
Note the white helicopter in the upper right corner of the picture to give scale to the size of the eruption.
The Raytown Girls Softball League is holding sign ups March 12 at Walnics, 10028 E 63rd Street. We are looking for t-ball players through women's division. Players should bring a copy of their birth certificate. Readers can contact Mark Unruh, League President at 816-213-3697 or by email at markunruh@comcast.net if they need more information.
In Their Own Words by Greg Walters The Kansas City Star sponsors a website named Midwest Democracy Project. The website offers a spot for candidates for public office to state their views. It is an informative and interesting site. To learn what Raytown candidates have to say about the issues use this link Midwest Democracy Project
The comments are unedited. Candidates are unable to change their position(s) once they have posted their answers. It makes for some interesting reading.
To see what a particular candidate has to say about specific questions on the Midwest Democracy Project website . . . 1. Double click on the candidate name. 2. On the right hand side of the page there is a box titled, "at a glance". To the right of "at a glance" are the words "full response". 3. Click on "Full Response" and all of the questions and answers. The Salamander Returns! A few thoughts from the Salamander about recent events in the area . . .
K.C.’s Mayoral Election: The primary is over and Funkhauser is done. Most amazing is the fact that the Funk, to the last minute, actually believed he was going to be in the run-off. He didn’t have a chance. I would have given lower odds on the Royals winning 2011 World Series than I would have given Funky. The Earnings Tax: Some movement for those who do not favor extending this tax.Opposition is headed by Woody Cozad. We’ll have to see what happens. This much the Salamander has learned: A goodly number of the “heavy hitters” who are loudly favoring the earnings tax, but who live in Leawood or Mission Hills, Kansas do not pay any E-Tax at all. This is despite the fact they work in Kansas City. All you have to do to dodge paying the tax, if you work in KC, and have offices in other states is take your pay from a non-Missouri location. Creative, isn’t it?
The Salamander recalls hotelier Leona Helmsley -- aka “The Queen of Mean”, she owned such sumptuous properties as the Palace Hotel on Madison Avenue, a block from Saint Patrick's Cathedral, the Park Lane and the New York Helmsley – catching flak because she opined: “Taxes are for little people, the rich pay very few of these dollars on such foolishness.”
Insensitive as her statement was, it does exemplify the attitude of some of our wealthier neighbors west of State Line Road.
Reason enough for the rank and file voter to cast a NO vote on the Earnings Tax Renewal Question on April 5th.
Step Up and Step In Committee On Sunday, February 27, 2011 the Reverend George Hayes, Pastor of the Shield of Faith Church in Raytown invited and met with Aldermen Charlotte Melson, Pat Ertz, Bill Van Buskirk, Steve Mock and Michael Lightfoot, and Ward 2 candidate for Alderman, Robbie Tubbs. Michelle Sipes of the Step Up and Step In Committee, members of her committee as well as members of the Shield of Faith Church were also in attendance.
The church is in the process of rehabilitating the old Cedervale Elementary School.
Reverend Hayes and his church are trying to create a safe place for High School students to meet after school. “We need a facility in Raytown that is safe and welcoming for our teens”, Reverend Hayes told the group. The group discussed ideas such as athletic activities and tutoring opportunities for teenagers and adults.
Specific plans are not yet in place.
City officials at the meeting suggested that Reverend Hayes and his congregation focus on one facet of the plan to assure success and then expand its goals from that point.
Broken Bottomed Girl by Jenn Walters 9 Comments Oh, the irony. Erin and I create a website named after (and a play on) the beloved Queen song “Fat Bottomed Girls” and spend the next year and a half regularly referring to our fit bottoms.
We crack (pun intended) butt jokes left and right. We wear sweat pants declaring our Fit Bottomed status on our asses.
So I guess it was only a matter of time until my cheeks—my right cheek to be exact—decided to talk back. With pain. And aching. And soreness. And laziness.
But I digress. Let’s start at the very beginning. A very good place to start. Remember back during my marathon when the ol’ hip didn’t feel so good around mile 5, and then I went ahead and ran the whole thing through mild, aching pain? Well, that sensation didn’t go away after the marathon. Even after taking a full 10 days off of running (and a week off of working out besides yoga), whenever I would run, I had that same dull aching pain in my hips and down my legs. It made running miserable, and, at most, I could only run two to three miles.
That’s it. After I had easily smoked a 20-mile run during training in December. I won’t lie. It was pretty heart-breaking. I had finally felt like a runner, and poof! I couldn’t run.
So I refocused my working-out energies. I turned my attention to conquering Jillian Michaels’ killer DVDs and trying new workouts that I didn’t have the time for before (hitting one of my resolutions, thankyouverymuch!). I went to two different martial arts classes (Kasie and Krav Maga—more on that in a future post), and I reignited my love of Zumba, weight-lifting and having exercise A.D.D.
But the pain wasn’t going away, and I began feeling it not just when I was running, but all the time. And it wasn’t just my hip hurting, it was my right butt. Big time.
So I stopped doing all lower-body workouts and moves, thinking that I just needed more rest. I did that for two weeks while I stubbornly focused on abs and upper-body workouts. I bought a foam roller, and religiously self massaged my rear by sitting on these Yoga Tune Up Therapy Balls (and had a great time cracking ball jokes). And while my IT band, calves, feet and back felt better (the therapy balls really do rock—it’s like a mix of relaxing yoga and massage), my butt was still broken.
Recognizing that it was time to wave the white workout flag and default to someone who knew what the heck they were doing, I scheduled an appointment at a clinic in my area that has a reputation for working with runners. It was my first time in a physical therapy clinic, and it was awesome. The first day Dr. Tony examined my posture, iced my back while simultaneously shocking my butt (they call it electro stimulation, but the basic gist is that my butt was twitching involuntary, which is both terrifying and awesome) and calmed my fears.
Turns out that what I have—basically a muscular imbalance and weakness on my right side that caused my right glute to stop working (lazy bastard)—isn’t that uncommon. Talk about relief. Within a day and under strict orders to ice it and not sit for more than 20 minutes at a time (that was fun explaining in a work meeting), I felt 50 percent better. By the next week with more shocking, ice and a set of exercises to fire those glutes, I was a new woman.
I even got to run on the clinic’s anti-gravity treadmill, which was a unique and amazing experience. Through basically an air pressure chamber/bubble around my legs, I was able to run at 75 percent of my body weight with no pain. It felt like I was running on air (and I kind of was), and because of the bubble, I sort of felt like an Oompa-Loompa. It was awesome. After all, I was running! Really running!
I asked Dr. Tony if I’d be up to a super fun event of mountain biking, yoga and running (with 100 percent of my body weight) in just a week and a half. And do you know what he had the guts to say? Yes. Well, if I was game, he said. And was I game? HELLS YA. I have a Fit Bottomed Girl title to regain. Jenn Walters and Erin Whitehead jointly publish Fit Bottomed Girls. To read more of their thoughts on lifestyle choices and fitness go to Fit Bottomed Girls
LINKS TO OTHER RAYTOWN NEWS SOURCES
To catch up on O'Hara Sports use this link O'Hara High School To catch up on Raytown South Sports use this link Raytown South High School To catch up on Raytown High Sports use this link Raytown High School To catch up on the Raytown Police Blog go to Raytown Police Blog To view Raytown Crime Statistics go to Raids on Line
Last Week’s Poll Results Do you believe stronger enforcement of property maintenance codes is needed in Raytown?
77% . . . Yes 22% . . . No 1% . . . Not sure
To post a comment click on the word comments below:

14 comments:

Andy Whiteman said...

Greg, Thanks for the link to Midwest Democracy Project. I suggest bookmarking it because you link goes directly to the Raytown page. Views of certain candidates stick out (both good and bad) if one can find them. That site is poorly organized and difficult to navigate. It appears that possibly those who replied earlier are at the top since there is no alphabetical order.

Duh, can anyone translate this statement by a candidate for Aldreman?
The question: Is the city doing enough to curb blight?
"Yes, As a city we have identified areas that are blighted. Proactively as a board we approved the hiring of an Economic Development Director to work with businesses to attract them to Raytown and redevelop our business community. We as a board I feel have taken the necessary steps to re-vitalize our community."
I don't understand what he is saying. Sounds like government speak to me.

Andy Whiteman

Greg Walters said...

Andy,

This might help.

To see what a particular candidate has to say about specific questions on the Midwest Democracy Project website . . .

1. Double click on the candidate name.

2. On the right hand side of the page there is a box titled, "at a glance". To the right of "at a glance" are the words "full response".

3. Click on "Full Response" and all of the questions and answers.

Andy Whiteman said...

Greg, Thanks, but I think those who don't have these instructions will have a proplem.

Anonymous said...

Just finished reading the comments from the candidates. All I can say is that a couple of you guys need to learn what a spell check is and how to use it!

Anonymous said...

Who takes care of the street lights in Raytown? The light at Gregory and Hunter has been out for awhile, and it is hard to see the intersection. I could not find anything n the city web site, but then again... never mind.

Anonymous said...

KCP&L....Call them and report it to them.

Anonymous said...

You might also call City hall at 737-6000 and ask for public works. They do not repair the light (kcpl does) but they might help bring more attention to it.

Pat Casady said...

I just finished reading the Midwest Democracy
Project's full responses. I have to tell you
it, for the most part, looks like every other
per-election pile of ...promises. Every incumbent
says how they will improve codes enforcement and
improve this cities infrastructure. They also
say they want a better, safer more prosperous
Raytown.
I have one question for them. Where have you been
the last four years? We heard all of these
pre-election promises four years ago.
One even boasted how she works with businesses in
this city. I've talked to many business owners in
the downtown area and all agree, we don't ever see
any so called representatives form City Hall.
(I must admit I do see Mayor Bower every now and then
and even though Greg Walters wasn't our ward's alderman
he would stop by and talk to find out how things were going.)
My question to these and any new elected official is this.
How can you possibly know what Raytown businesses and
the people want or need if you don't talk to us?
Sitting on your butts waiting for the people to come up
to City Hall to talk to you in a five minute allotment
isn't how you do your jobs much less find out how we the people
feel!
Maybe the reason you don't come around other than election time
is because you hope that the people have forgotten your promises from four years ago.

Anonymous said...

The biggest problem I have with this blog is the people that actually read it & understand what is going on are the people that will vote against the present ones in office. The others don't give a rat's behind & keep on voting with the flow. They think everything is find & dandy.I wish more people were aware of the blog so they coud see both sides.

Andy Whiteman said...

Most people are unable to remember to remember what was said 4 years ago and tend to believe lies.

Andy Whiteman

Pat Casady said...

I too wish more people would voice their opinions on
this blog. If the people of Raytown would just look
at the condition of the streets they are driving on.
If they could remember the last two tax increases
they voted for and the reason they voted for them i.e.
street overlay and the safety tax. Then realize that
very little has been done they should put two and two
together and see how they have been fooled. Most of
the incumbents are promised better streets, better safety
and better neighborhood codes enforcement. It's the same old
song and dance.
They have had their four years and in some cases a lot more
and they nothing has changed. Except for one thing. Higher taxes
and lower property values.
It's time the voters showed them what real change is.

Andy Whiteman said...

I would like to see more people speak at the BOA. When there was an out break of juvinile crime in a neighborhood and when the one way Willow issue came up, people appeared at the BOA in mass and action was taken!

One person is ignored, but large numbers get attention.

The people also need to speak out at the polls, but the problem is less than 20% of the people vote.

Andy Whiteman

Anonymous said...

I was reading the Raytowntimes and saw a campagin ad for Alderman Creamer. He is quoted as saying he is supporting programs and services, to keep Senior Citizens independent. Joe if you call voting to increase the mill levy on our property taxes at a time when the value of our property is going down, support we don't want or need your support. You are driving us out of our houses. Shame on you!!!

Andy Whiteman said...

In my opinion the Dysfunctional School District is driving us out of our houses and making property non-sellable!

Andy Whiteman