Saturday, August 17, 2013

RAYTOWN'S LEADING NEWS SOURCE



MOVIE MOMENT: V for Vendetta is a graphic novel set in a dystopian future United Kingdom imagined from the 1980s to about the 1990s. A mysterious masked revolutionary who calls himself "V" works to destroy the totalitarian government, profoundly affecting the people he encounters. The three plus minutes of the sound clip is from the movie which was released in 2005.


USE THIS LINK V for Vendetta

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THE PAUL LIVIUS REPORT
PAUL LIVIUS
Mayor Nominates Christine White for BZA (again!) BY PAUL LIVIUS
I was reviewing Tuesday’s Board of Aldermen meeting agenda this weekend and noticed that Mayor Bower has re-nominated former Ward 3 Alderman Christine White for the Board of Zoning Adjustment (BZA).

Readers will remember that the Mayor nominated Mrs. White earlier this year after she was defeated in her bid for re-election to the Board of Aldermen last April by Alderman Janet Emerson. White ran third in a four man race in her re-election bid.

At the time, the Mayor was forced to remove Mrs. White’s name from consideration when it was clear there was not enough votes for the appointment.

The part of this whole mess that bothers me is that there seems to be a revolving door at City Hall. No new faces on standing committees, no change except when the voters force the change at the ballot box.

How typical!

Here is what I wrote in the Paul Livius Report the last Spring when the Mayor made his first attempt to get Mrs. White appointed to the BZA.

“The Board heard a resolution appointing Christine White to a vacant term on the Board of Zoning Adjustment. Alderman Mock said there were three new members on the Board and they hadn’t had time to know what was going on with the Board of Zoning Adjustment (BZA).  Alderman Ertz reminded the Board that Ms. White had been on the BZA before, and she stepped down because she thought other people should be given a chance to serve.  Alderman Josh Greene said they would like time to review the information before voting.  He suggested the vote be delayed until May 7.  The Mayor said there was no reason to delay the vote.  He indicated the majority of the Board members knew Ms. White and could make the decision.  Alderman Jason Green cited the city ordinance that stated Aldermen have the right to conduct interviews with applicants.  He moved the vote be delayed until May 7.  That motion passed and the meeting was adjourned.”

For some reason, the resolution never made it back on the agenda. No doubt the Mayor has twisted enough arms on the Board to push White’s nomination through this time around.




GREG WALTERS
Let's Look at the Record BY GREG WALTERS

This week's column is in response to attempts by Raytown Times owner/publisher Randy Battagler to re-write recent Raytown history. In recent weeks he has ventured into fantasy land when telling his view of events in the wake of the failed attempt to bring a Walmart Neighborhood Market to Downtown Raytown.

Battagler writes of lawsuits and possible lawsuits in which the city may or may not be involved. He conjures up costs to the city of half a million dollars. He paints with a very broad brush. He has frequently referred to opponents of Mayor Bower’s plans for Raytown as a small group.

His chief target in most of the rants is former Raytown Mayor Sue Frank.

His premise is flimsy. His story telling is misleading. His attempt to vilify leaders in the Raytown community is unfair.

The following timeline will clearly show the string of events regarding the Walmart application. It will show that Mayor Sue Frank’s request for a Declaratory Judgment did not take place until AFTER Walmart had withdrawn its application.

It will also show that the Board of Aldermen rejected an attempt to reverse the zoning of the Green Space AFTER Walmart withdrew its application.

TIMELINE OF EVENTS:

APRIL 25, 2013: The Raytown Planning and Zoning Commission reject an application for a Walmart Neighborhood Market in Downtown Raytown. However, the Commission is only a recommending body. The issue is sent to the Board of Aldermen for a final decision.

MAY 21, 2013: The Raytown Board of Aldermen approve the application by a vote of six yes, three no, and one abstention. Newly elected Aldermen Josh Greene, Janet Emerson and Jason Greene cast the “no” votes. Alderman Jim Aziere abstains from voting.

JUNE 14, 2013: Word is leaked at City Hall that Walmart has decided to withdraw its application for a Neighborhood Market in Downtown Raytown. Four days later, the rumor is made official when City Administrator Mahesh Sharma reads into the record a letter from Walmart attorneys verifying the withdrawal of the application. In light of Walmart's withdrawal, Ward 3 Alderman Janet Emerson makes a motion to revert the zoning of the now pointless Walmart zoning back to its previous Town Square Overlay status. The Mayor rules the motion out of order and refuses discussion on the matter. Some Board members point out that language pertaining to operating hours of the proposed Neighborhood Market has been left out of the written agreement before them. City staff will later correct the omission.

JULY 2, 2013: Alderman Emerson places a motion on the agenda to revert the new Walmart Zoning back to a Town Square Overlay District. The motion is on the agenda. The Mayor cannot rule it out of order. After much debate, the Board rejects the motion by a vote of 8 to 2. By turning down Emerson's motion, the Board of Aldermen have left the door wide  open for Walmart to continue with the development at a time of its choosing.

JULY 2, 2013: The City is served with papers by the Jackson County Court. Former Mayor Sue Frank asks for a Declaratory Judgment returning the zoning on the Green Space to a Town Square Overlay District. The request is over 70 pages in length. The lawsuit asks that the Court rule on adjoining property owners behalf in changing the zoning because the city used illegal spot zoning and contract zoning in the application process. (see definition below)


If the lawsuit is successful, it will effectively shut the door left open by the Board of Aldermen's inaction on the matter. Had the Board approved Alderman Emerson's motion, there would not be a lawsuit.

FIRST WEEK OF JULY: Mayor David Bower travels to Bentonville, Arkansas to discuss matters with Walmart officials.

For more information about spot and contract zoning use these links:





Bicycle Shop Opens in Raytown
BLUE VUE BICYCLES / 4701 BLUE RIDGE BOULEVARD / 816-719-6980

Blue Vue Bicycles, a full service bicycle repair shop and retail outlet has opened its doors for business. The store is located at 4701 Blue Ridge Boulevard and is owned and operated by operated by long time Raytown resident Steve Shope and his wife, Marnee Higgins.

Steve has a long time passion for bicycles. He started racing BMX in 1979, went to road racing, mountain bike racing and cyclo-cross, and got his first job as a bicycle mechanic in 1984. 

In 2006, he went beyond basic bicycle mechanics to “Design and  Build” custom bicycle frames based on the riders body measurements and flexibility. Steve is recognized area-wide for his ability to create premium bicycles for both the recreational and serious cyclist.  

In July, Steve and Marnee decided to realize their dreams and imaginations by opening a full service bicycle shop that opened the first week of August. They focus mainly on bicycle repair and offer parts, accessories, as well as quality new and used bicycles.  Steve says, "if he doesn't stock it, he can order it."

They will be hosting weekly Thursday evening group rides, a monthly "get away" ride as well as bicycle maintenance clinics.

HOURS OF OPERATION:
Monday thru Wednesday and Friday:   5:30 – 8:00 p.m.
Thursday:   Steve’s Adventure Ride / 6:00 p.m. start (16 to 20 mile ride)
Saturday:   10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Sunday:     12:00 noon – 4:00 p.m.

SPECIAL RIDE EVENTS:
Thursday: Steve's Adventure Ride - 6:00 pm - Show and Go 16-20 mile group ride. Explore the roads of Raytown, Independence and Kansas City. Meet at Blue Vue Bicycles, 4701 Blue Ridge Boulevard. For more information call 816-719-6980.


FIT BOTTOMED GIRLS
The Mighty Chia BY GREG WALTERS 
The following article is running this week in Fit Bottomed Girls during their Fourth Annual Guest Bloggers Week.
 
In 1519, Hernando Cortez led the Conquistadors in their conquest of the Aztec Empire.

One of his acts of subjugation of the Aztec Empire was a decision to destroy their Chia fields. Chia was a staple of the Aztec diet — second only to beans and maize (corn) — it was used in nearly everything the Aztecs ate.

They would grind it to bake, they used it their religious ceremonies because the credited the tiny seeds with mystical powers that improved life, longevity and strength.

The Aztecs, who were a warrior race, had built their empire by conquering surrounding tribes until they controlled an area the size of modern-day Mexico. These warriors used chia as their main source of fuel during conquests and also used it to relieve joint pain and stimulate saliva.

Cortez believed that by destroying this important crop, a recognized staple of the Aztec culture’s strength, he could more easily control the conquered the Aztecs.

But enough about history . . . I want to share a more personal story.

Like most people reading this post, I grew up eating almost anything that was put in front of me. Blessed with a healthy metabolism, it never bothered me much until Father Time made his inevitable presence known.

On a visit to my doctor, I found that I had developed a high count of  “bad cholesterol.”

For the those who don’t know, cholesterol is the stuff that gunks up our hearts and, unchecked, can lead to heart disease or worse.

My doctor suggested that he may put me on statins, which are used to block our digestive tract from absorbing cholesterol into the bloodstream, thereby keeping it from clogging up our arteries.

The bad thing about statins is that they also block important nutrients from reaching the digestive system.

I’ve never a fan of putting any kind of man-made chemical into my digestive tract, so I began a search for alternatives to the good doctor’s plan. I went home, sat down in front of my computer and started researching cholesterol, statins and, hopefully, a better way to handle the problem.

First thing I learned was the best way to avoid high cholesterol is to quit eating it in the first place. It is in the meat we eat, dairy products and especially in processed foods, particularly those high in fructose and corn syrup which, unfortunately, is in most of what Americans eat.

So, I changed my diet. I did not become a vegetarian but ate enough green veggies, tomatoes and, what my sister and I called a diet of “roots and tubers,” to be ridiculed by those at work who ate mainly dead animals in their diets.

The next step was to find something better than statins to solve the high-cholesterol problem. The best I could find was to consume foods high in omega 3. I like to eat fish, which is high in omega 3s, but I live in the middle of farm country in the Midwest, so it is not practical to chow down on fish at every meal.
But there are plenty of health food stores who sell “fish oil” pills highly loaded with omega 3, so I began a regimen of fish oil pills twice a day.

It worked!

Six months later, my blood tests came back with positive improvement. My cholesterol was down but still higher than it should have been. I was determined to continue with the same program of roots and tubers, omega 3s and staying active.

On a vacation trip to Lake Tahoe, I met another doctor and his wife. I noticed that at breakfast she would sprinkle some sort of powder onto her cereal and in the evening, I saw her do the same with her salads. I did not give it much thought, and, since we did not see much of each other during the day, I never brought it up. As I was leaving the B&B we were staying at, she came up to me and made a point of saying that she could see I took good care of myself. She suggested that I should try adding chia to my diet. She handed me a couple of small packages of the seeds and told me to try them. When I returned home I read up on the “mighty” chia.

The first thing that caught my attention was that the chia is extremely high in omega 3s.

One thing that had always bothered me about fish oil is that you really do not know where it came from. I mean, does it glow at night because the fish it came from frequented the Sea of Japan? Was it made of material scraped off the floor of some dirty fish processing place in Russia?

Chia seeds come from Chia plants ( the proper name being Salvia hispanica). Because it is plant-based, there is not as much of a question of the purity of what you are eating.

Chia seeds, which are extremely high in omega 3s, are 20 percent protein and are a natural source of fiber, iron, calcium, niacin, magnesium, zinc and phosphorus. They are a natural anti-inflammatory, contain more anti-oxidants than blueberries and are clinically proven to lower blood pressure.

But what really sold me on chia was that six months later, after faithfully adding two tablespoons of ground up chia seeds to my coffee or tea every morning, my blood tests came back with an even lower cholesterol count than before.

In fact, my cholesterol count dropped well into the “normal” level.

Another benefit that I did not expect, but am glad I found, is that chia is fantastic for the digestive system.

I cannot be very graphic here, but to paraphrase my friend from Lake Tahoe: try it, and you will be amazed at the result. More plainly stated, add this tiny seed to your diet and you just might lose weight. So there you have my Chia story. Give this tiny seed a try and you will not regret it. 


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49 comments:

Anonymous said...

Real Mystery? Puzzle? 8:31 am I can see why you feel that way. No where is it listed the names of the alderman and no where is it listed the wards they serve and no where is it listed said boundaries to these wards and again no where can anybody find out real property or personal property with address for anyone in eastern Jackson county or even a mailing address of rental..... Yes a mystery for sure

Anonymous said...

What is the real mystery is that you can find blogs but don't know how to find the answer to the REAL mystery and solve your puzzle

Anonymous said...

Maybe the alderman the spoke the most against the charter doesn't live in their Ward and is afraid that a charter government will expose them?

Anonymous said...

Lately, this blog has been muddied with postings which are extremely devisive. With nothing constructive to offer, it seems this individual's desire is merely to randomly rant.
10:01 I SECOND THE MOTION: "If you do not know then you Simply Do Not Know; say so. Please do not answer with games, sarcasm and accusations; it does not serve ones character very well at all"
This blog is a much-appreciated asset often utilized for Q&A and the presentation of documented, factual data.

Anonymous said...

Are we back on Walmart or are we moving on with a new venture for the downtown area? Been abroad for months: on leave now.

Susan Dolan said...

Walmart seemed to be over with but some, myself included, don't trust Bower to let it lie. There are things simmering in the pot that I find bothersome: 1) Mayor wants a new appointment to Zoning 2) Mayor wants to stage another visioning and only intends to bring in max 6 Raytown citizens for their opinions (6 out of a population of 30,000 is only 2/10ths of 1% citizen representation) - I smell a rat.

Paul Livius said...

Last week someone asked what is being built on 350 Highway next to Denny's. It will be a Dunkin' Donuts.

Paul

Anonymous said...

Agreed with 10:"00 and &:41 can not be said any better. And to Paul that seems to be a good place for a dunking donuts they surely will get business from the downtown commuters and it may bring some bussiness to Sutherlands and the extreme gran prix

Anonymous said...

If you are a cyclist take some time check out the weekly group bike ride this coming Thursday at starting at Blue Vue Bicycles located at 4701 Blue Ridge Boulevard.

Ride starts at 6:00 p.m.

Anonymous said...

Truthfully I am more excited about the new bicycle shop than I am a Dunkin Donuts.

One is a franchise, part of a large corporate chain. The other is a young couple trying to realize their dream.

I realize not everyone is into riding bicycles. But then not every one is into eating donuts either.

I hope they both do well.

Anonymous said...

Some 20 plus years ago we had a cycle shop on 63 rd st and they did the rides and my young boys loved it the name was Bike Stop then they moved to Noland road and now Lees Summit . Both my sons now late 30s still live in Raytown and take their kids riding ; so we are ever so excited for this new bicycle shop! It's just what Raytown needed. This will benefit families and get them out and about .

Anonymous said...

Now we will have all the bases covered with donut shops. Ridge wood to the north, dunkin on the south, and the doughnut lady in the center of town. Sweet treats

Susan Dolan said...

.
8:27p, you are very diplomatic. I too, am excited that a new local business is opening. It seems a shame to see more cookie-cutter business coming in whose Corporate offices (and profits) are out-state. Rather than go to Dunkin' Donuts, I'll patronize Doughboy's, a local business with hand-made product. All the 'boxes', iHop, Jimmy Johns, Dunkin, Walmart are mundane, just a big zzzzz, see them all over the country, YAWN.
Raytown is small-town America, being cheapened, undercut and glutted due to a Mayor who lacks true creative vision and is trying to turn us into something we're not by spending money we don't have.
If I'd wanted to live in the middle of high-commercialization, high-density housing, and a railway hub under rule of a subversive and tyrannical City government, I would have chosen New York.
Redistribution of wealth and social equity are two buzzwords that should burn everyone's ears. Marx would be proud of Bower. Remember how well busing worked? How well do you really believe forced 'diversity' is going to work?
Climate change and sustainability? Smoke screens set in place to keep us spending to the point of bankruptcy as our private property is wretched from our hands by means of rezoning and sustainable building codes.
Here's an example for you. Detroit, which just went bankrupt, is going ahead with a new light rail system. If that makes no sense to you, think about what's happening and MARC has planned to happen here. I think Raytown needs to learn to just say "NO".

Anonymous said...

They won't learn to say "no". They are slowly falling for the lie that if you say "no" you are a bad person. Worse, you are a negative person.

It takes strength to stand up against what is wrong.

It just is not in most of the BOA to be that strong.

Anonymous said...

I was reading in the Raytown Times the interview Randy
Battagler had with the Mayor David Bower. It seems
“The mayor wants to bring together a group of residents
with vision who can help find solutions to several
problems the town faces: among them, how to utilize the
vacant YMCA building, the declining attendance and revenue
at SuperSplash and finding an anchor for the downtown
business district after the loss of a Neighborhood Market.”
As I see it most if not all of Raytown’s problems are brought
to us directly from City Hall. City Hall has had a hand in every
one of the items brought up in the interview.
As for the Charter this should not be an issue. The people
said they want to try to have a Charter and the it’s their
tax dollars that will pay for any cost. However if, like in
the past the city wants to try and sabotage this again it could cost
even more. Likewise if City Hall had not changed to codes from
multi-store to big box they wouldn’t be being sued. It’s not
the citizens costing the city money, it’s City Hall costing citizens
money. Their own money I might add. Bad decisions, behind
closed door meetings, lies and secret deals have caused mistrust.
He went on to say the hefty costs facing the city between the
Charter Commission and lawsuit could cause the city to cut
services and withhold raises for employees to cover these
expenses. It’s not the people that handed out a thirty thousand
dollar a year raise. That could have been spread out to the real
workers of the city.
Again, it’s not the people that started all this.
City Hall needs to stop fighting the people and try doing as the
people want. Remember you the taxpayers have passed tax
increases for several items that have not come to pass.
They say look to the past to see your future. Raytown, your
problems are right in front of your eyes if you would just open them.

Susan Dolan said...

.
An old song which applies today: "Little boxes on the hillside, Little boxes made of ticky-tacky,
Little boxes,
Little boxes,
And they all look just the same."

--- Commutarianism ---

Authoritarian communtarians (also known as Asian or East Asian communitarians) are especially concerned about the values of social order. They argue that to maintain social harmony, individual rights and political liberties must be curtailed. Some seek to rely heavily on the state to maintain social order (for instance, leaders and champions of the regime in Singapore and Malaysia), and some on strong social bonds and moral culture (as Japan does). Authoritarian communitarians also hold that the West's notion of liberty actually amounts to social, political and moral anarchy, that strong economic growth requires limiting freedoms... Authoritarian governments often embrace extremist ideologies and rule with brute force, accompanied with severe restrictions on personal freedom, political and civil rights. Authoritarian governments are overt about the role of the government as director and commander. Civil society and democracy are not generally characteristic of authoritarian regimes.

For the most part, communitarians emphasize the use of non-governmental organizations, such as private businesses, churches, non-profits, or labor unions, in furthering their goals by subverting and infiltrating government.

Mayor Bower's MARC is, by definition, a non-profit, non-government organization. http://www.marc.org/aboutmarc.htm SEE WHO WE ARE

Now, let's connect some dots.

GO TO http://www.icleiusa.org/action-center/engaging-your-community/outreach-and-communications-guide/identifying-reaching-your-target-audience/municipal-employees

SEE HEADING Best Practice Kansas City, MO which contains a link to www.marc.org/sustain

Anonymous said...

Susan,

I know of a small group of citizens that have been talking to other mom and pop business within Greater Kansas City trying to get then to open a 2nd shop in Raytown.

Some have been thinking about opening a second shop, but it seem no one from Raytown (city hall) is contacting them.

However, our Mayor can go down in AR and talk to the top management at Wal-Mart.

You are so right that it is time to get being mom and pop, who are the people that have made America great and held it together.

You don't hear about mom and pop expecting great tax breaks to open up like the big box stores.

However, we should expect nothing less from a man who earns his living at the expense of taxpayers forced to cover the cost to build new baseball stadiums.

Anonymous said...

Small towns are suppose to have one grocer who is a towns people and local farmers bring in the produce, a hardware store , a service station. The neighbor who does plumbing. If people need more than that they will just have to travel outside of town and spend their money elsewhere. Their are many towns in the state of Missouri just like that; quaint and happy

Susan Dolan said...

.
8:09, 9:43 and 10:30
Great points everyone. 8:09 you commented, "He went on to say the hefty costs facing the city between the Charter Commission and lawsuit could cause the city to cut
services and withhold raises for employees to cover these
expenses."
Don't you see what that parallels exactly? It's a threat of sequestration! He is mimicking the Executive Branch of the Federal Gov't. - now THAT'S transparent - clear as day. It's a devisive move to turn residents against each other in a vain attempt to prevent this city from having a much needed Charter. His backside is on the line and he knows it. Now is the time to talk with everyone you can about the April vote for the Charter Commission to make sure they understand how important their vote is and how the ballot is going to be rigged with extra items for the premature renewal of tax revenue (at extra election expense to us) + the Charter issue Tell them how Bower is threatening sequestration in order to divide and punish us and how his rezoning has brought a lawsuit against the city that may cost us all quite a bit of cash.
Raytown is not getting what voters want because what we want has nothing to do with what Bower wants. What is his real agenda?

Anonymous said...

.
So, Bower wants and anchor in downtown Raytown does he? We'll tough. That's not what that City planned. The idea of one big lumbering business that's out-of-scale with the size of our downtown is just plain stupid. The Mayor just does not have the horse sense to do what's right here and should recuse himself from attempting to be a city developer. I honestly believe we can handle that perfectly well without his hand in it, mucking everything up and costing the city lawsuits as well.
Here's another example of stupidity. There's a couple who just recently got the green light to start an eatery on Blue, across from Raytown H.S. I believe it's going to be called Newzroom - something like that. Due to the new building codes, they had to jump through a be-gillion hoops to get their TIF, but they got it. They have no previous experience in this business and the failure rate is high but I wish them well.
Here's a kicker... due to the 'sustainable' building codes this couple with their small lot on the corner have to put in a 'swail'. Now that's a place where water stands when there's heavy rain. What's especially ridiculous about this is that 1) we have an ideal climate for mosquito breeding and some of those 'skeeters' are known to carry West Nile disease 2) this lot is neighbor to residential homes and very near a school.
Mosquitoes only need 10 days to go from breeding to up-and-biting. Now I ask you. Who in their right mind, would tell a property owner that they were required to provide a 'swail' where mosquitoes could breed which was also closely adjacent to homes and a school?
Awwww, you guessed it already. Our own ICLEI/Agena21 City of Raytown. You GO boys and girls. Good thinking. Knotheads....

Anonymous said...

Too bad 4701 Blue Ridge Blvd is not in Raytown. It is Kansas City, Mo.

Susan Dolan said...

Read it for yourself:

The City has received plans for the
Newzroom Café a casual dining/congregating
venue at 6020 Blue Ridge Boulevard
across the street from Raytown High School
.
It is
anticipated that the facility will be opened in the first half on 2013.

Link > http://www.raytown.mo.us/vertical/sites/%7B418C71C3-E397-4C87-B464-C498EC8900F9%7D/uploads/EDUpdate12182013.pdf

Anonymous said...

A very good point about how the city could avoid one lawsuit. Change the zoning of the green space back to a pedestrian friendly plan.

Walmart has already gone on record saying they will not put a store in there. Why be so hard-headed on this one.

Change the zoning. Save the cost of defending against a lawsuit they are bound to lose anyway.

Anonymous said...

To 3:22 pm yes it is in Kansas City and in the Raytown school district. As 8:13 said about the Thursday night rides and 8:27 said they are excited about it, and the feature story about Steve and his wife long time Raytown residents and their dream. However 9:03 said it best that this is what Raytown needed because it will get families out and about. Good old fashioned family time out in nature, good clean healthy exercise, a shared interest and best of all inter acting with one another. Bring family values back! Way too many spend time on their I Phone typing away never verbalized or buried on the computer playing games and of course in front of a tv and this is adults as well as kids .; yes indeed the bike shop and rides will be a Great benefit to the Raytown community

Anonymous said...

Noticed some wonderful signage on the buildings of the Raytown Plaza.... Great job folks!

Anonymous said...

Really like the article about chia seeds. If we eat better it clears our mind and gives us such energy and better mood. A combination of age, grabbing a bite here and there and I too had high cholesterol . Didn't feel bad..:.. Until.... I started eating healthy then I realized how bad I must of felt. Thx u for printing that article hope everyone reads it

Anonymous said...

Jason Greene and Janet Emerson already tried to change the zoning back to end the lawsuit, it failed 8-2. Dont look for that to happen anytime soon.

Anonymous said...

Given the large anti-Walmart crowds (they were impressive!) at the public hearings and the fact that Walmart has said they are not coming to Raytown, the Mayor should cut his losses.

All it would take for the city to have one less lawsuit would be for him to swallow his pride and say it is time to move on.

Is he too proud? Don't know.

Would the BOA follow him.

Enough of them would to make the difference.

Anonymous said...

Where is Jim Aziere? Was it past his bed time and he just left to go home to bed? Did he come just to make sure Mrs. White was put back on the BZA board? Which ever one it is it looked pretty bad.

Anonymous said...

David Bowyer wants a citizens involved vision group, However no information about this is available on the cities web site.

Are they hand picking the participants?

If they really wants citizens input why not contact some of the 200 people that signed in to speak at the P&Z and BOA meeting about the green space?

The city attorney told the BOA no problems or delays to move forward with development of the green space (even with a lawsuit in the works).

David Bowyer told the Raytown Times "Until the lawsuit is dismissed or dropped nothing can be done with the green space".

Eco Dev Director says at the 8/20 BOA meeting The city is issuing an RFP for the property.

Notice Bowyer did not say lawsuit settled.

Attention City Hall YOU have the power to drop the lawsuit, all it takes is to change the zoning back to town square overlay.

What/How are the issuing an RFP?

RFP NOTICE to Develop - 4 acres of prime real estate in the heart of metro. only minutes away for two major highways and the Truman Sports Complex. Spend several thousand dollars developing your plan for a "big box store" per current zoning.

Small print notice of Full Disclosure: This property is owned by the city (CITIZANS) of Raytown, Mo. and is currently in a lawsuit. So don't plan on breaking ground for about 15 months.

An RFP at this point is a WASTE of city resources.

And what price are looking to get? the same deal Wal-Mart got or the $950 reported by Mr. Maddox.

City Hall please pull your head out.

Put updated/correct information on your official web-site if you really want citizens involvement. (why isn't the charter form on the web-site you should only have to appear in person when the form is completed)

The current(short-timers) BOA members and over-paid non-resident workers at city hall (that have titles) provide no value to the citizens of Raytown.

We can AND WILL do better at the next election. Raytown citizens memory are not as short as hope.

Sam

Pat Casady said...

I have been in Raytown for over thirty five years.
I’ve seen a lot of things that have impressed me
and more that have just made me feel like there are
idiots at work here. It has long been a practice of this
town to try their best to run small business out of town.
Likewise the same practice to make it so hard on anyone
trying to start a new small business that they will give up.
Let’s face it, a town only survives on tax income. It can’t
make it giving away tax income like we have now.
This town should do everything in its power to help new
small businesses not hinder them.
I saw in the Raytown Times they want to limit the number of
pawn shops in town. I can see their point but why stop there?
Let’s limit the number of grocery stores! We already have
eight or ten so let’s limit them too.
At least Raytown collects sales tax from these shops.
How’s all that tax income City Hall is getting from the new
WalMart? Oh wait the city doesn’t get any tax income from
that deal!
I’ve seen a lot of things in this town that make you scratch
your head but, lately I’m going bald from all the head scratching.
Our mayor is concerned about the cost of a lawsuit. Change the
zoning back! Problem solved. Worried about the Charter?
Try working with the people instead of against them for a change.
But don’t threaten the good people that work for this town
with a scare of costs prohibiting them
from receiving a well deserved pay increase because of
possible costs from the lawsuit and charter when you hand out
a thirty thousand a year pay increase to one employee!
Our elected officials need to take a step back and look at
themselves. Every problem this town has, has been brought to
us by them.
Don’t blame the donut lady, don’t blame Sue Frank don’t think
the people are too stupid to see what they want. There is only
one place to point the finger.

Susan Dolan said...

.
PLEASE VIEW.. It may be the best investment 20 minutes of your time you've ever made.

WHAT BOWER and CITY OFFICIALS SHOULD BE DOING, INSTEAD OF TAKING PART IN (copy and paste into your web browser).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfUIWMQ92RU

I am emailing this link to our city officials so that they know that we know.

Pat Casady said...

Susan,
I watched the video.
It’s a little frightening. I hope the American sprit
would bring all the good people together and revolt
before what some have planned for the American people.
I used to watch a TV show called Doomsday Preppers.
I thought these people were nuts. Now I have a different
outlook on them.
Here’s the scary thing. Some Americans are buying into
this world order thing. I would like to think it won’t happen
but it wouldn’t surprise me if they tried.
That is why the good people of this country are buying
every gun, rifle and ammunition available, and our government
wants to try to make it harder for us to buy them. They know the
bad guys can get guns anytime they want but, the honest
good people will try to go through the right channels even
if they make it harder. They are just hoping we will give up.
Real Americans don’t give up! Real Americans don’t try
to take other Americans property. Real Americans would
die before they would let some Agenda 21 followers take
their properties!

Anonymous said...

Found out the gentleman that owned The Yard on struthers rd have moved it to 40 and Noland in the old SAMs club / Perco bldg. it is a good sign when individuals start opening bussiness's all around; maybe we are on an upward swing and the right individual will build in Raytown. With the Players Paradise and Gran Prix being privately owned and the couple buying the Plaza., and now a bicycle shop owned by citizens it looks like family values and independently owned bussiness are happening in and around us.

Anonymous said...

Is there a new glaucoma treatment place in Raytown?

I ask as I have smelt that strange leaf like burning odor around 71st and Raytown Road.

It must be a really large treatment center as that strange odor sure is strong.

Anonymous said...

To 1:24 I do hope you are alerting the authorities each and everytime you witness this

Susan Dolan said...

.
BOWER * WALMART * MARC * RAYTOWN
.
Raytown, Missouri's Mayor, David W. Bower, is also a MARC Board Member. MARC is a NGO, a non-government agency (see video noted in my previous post).

Raytown, Missouri's Mayor worked behind closed doors to bring Walmart into Raytown's town square. The townspeople heartily protested and escaped Walmart's invasion in the Spring of 2013.

Mayor Bower very upset that his plan failed.

Raytown citizens are still having difficulty understanding why Mayor Bower pushed so hard to court a Walmart they did not want in the first place. The following will help clarify the connection between Bower, Walmart and MARC.

Mayor Bower is on MARC's Board (he is the Treasurer). He is also co-chair of MARC's Transit Committee.

Mayor Bower joined the ICLEI/Agenda21 U.S. Conference of Mayors .
In 2007 he attended their Climate Protection Summit and signed Raytown, MO up to their Climate Protection Agreement. (1)
“Mayors and local governments accept the challenge and responsibility to lead and take action to combat the rapid and dangerous rate of warming of the planet.  Building on the existing commitments of local government leaders and their associations, including the ICLEI Cities for Climate Protection™ Campaign, World Mayors Council on Climate Change, the US Mayors’ Climate Protection Agreement, C40 Climate Leadership Group and the United Cities and Local Government (UCLG) Jeju Declaration, mayors and local governments set forth the following commitments.:” (2)

That made Mayor Bower a Cool Mayor and us a Cool City per ICLEI/Agenda21s Sierra Club Eastern Missouri Group.(3)

Walmart - “The (ICLEI/Agenda21) Mayors Climate Protection Center of the United States Conference of Mayors, partnered with Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. in Spring 2007,”

Walmart and MARC - “MARC's Funding Comes from Federal, State and Local Government and Private Sources, Including: Walmart Foundation” (5)

So, now we're back to Bower and MARC, where he is a Board Member. We've gone full-circle and recently, Raytown City Council accepted a $1,000. grant from Walmart.

Knowing what you know now, do you really believe Bower will give up on bringing Walmart into Raytown and if he tries to ram them down our throats again, do you believe we might have a case against him? I do.

1. http://www.usmayors.org/climateprotection/list.asp
2. http://archive.iclei.org/index.php?id=10395
3. http://missouri.sierraclub.org/emg//Sierrascape//S2009M06/03_cool_cities.html
4. http://www.usmayors.org/climateprotection/partners.htm
5. http://www.marc.org/assets/2012_MARC_Annual_Review.pdf (page 33)

Anonymous said...

To 9:38PM

I hope the "authorities" are contacted as well.

I also fear the "authorities" will do nothing about it.

These are strange times we live in. Too often those charged with protecting the public are more involved in finding excuses than finding solutions.

I wish it were not true. But I have come to that conclusion.

Anonymous said...

Somehow I am confused. It has been stated that the Honorable Mayor Bower is a Republican. In my opinion, he sure acts like Obama and the Democrats in his liberal Agenda 21 type of issues. Can one person have two philosophies?

I remember the last time a person caused a large number of people to voice their opinions at meetings. That person ran for mayor and lost. In my opinion the people didn't appreciate the changes that were attempted.

Now a public official has attempted to push Walmart into the Green Space despite the people's protests.

It must be remembered the people voted this man into office as well as the Alderpeople. People have short memories, as do I, but I hope this incident is remembered at the next election. Hopefully the Raytown Report will publish a brief article of this incident at the next election to refresh everyone's memory. It definitely should be a campaign issue. If I was still in Raytown, I would run for mayor with this issue as my main campaign item.

If the people start feeling like sheepole and become angry enough they will get out and vote in numbers greater than the usual less than 20%.

Andy Whiteman

Anonymous said...

6:48 a m sorry you have given up, look at the many things accomplished here recently when people said we can rather than we can not. No one says it will ever be easy but that fact is no one holds us back but ourselfs. If we do not exhausted all and any avenue to reticfy a situation then we have no right to complain about it. Things can and will be done .... It starts with us

Anonymous said...

Please don't misunderstand. There is always hope. But the old guard in Raytown, and the Mayor and other elected officials,including the police and most members of the BOA fall into this category are hopeless. They have repeatedly shown they will not listen. Are more interested in excuses than solutions.

The hope is in change from what we have now.

Susan Dolan said...

Holding out for Hope is futile inaction. This is our City and those at City Hall work for us.

The United States for America (not UNITED STATES OF AMERICA) was founded as a Constitutional Republic with a Bill of Rights.

We don't have to take this. I don't care if Bower is Democrat, Republican or Zebra; what he's doing is unConstitutional.

Missouri Legislators have done their work and presented Gov. Nixon with bills to outlaw ICLEI and Agenda21 but he hasn't signed them into law and that speaks loudly of his leanings.

All over this country, cities both large and small have outlawed ICLEI and Agenda21 on their own and so can Raytown. We can overturn every thing that has been or is being done that is connected with ICLEI and Agenda21 BECAUSE THEY ARE CONSTITUTIONALLY UNLAWFUL.

Right now, Bower is getting ready to tighten the ICLEI/Agenda21 noose on us some more as it's time to implement another Phase of Bower/MARC's plan for our demise.

How should we know that? Bower needs to seed our Planning and Zoning commission with 'yes men' who will pass his mandates and he's working on that right now. Bower's back-door announcement via Raytown Times that he wants to conduct a "visioning" is clue #2. Consensus meetings are straight out of the ICLEI / Agenda21 playbook where PAID ICLEI facilitators, using the Delphi technique of achieving their predetermined consensus conduct visioning meetings.

In these 'visioning' meetings attendees 'brainstorm', then 'vote' from a list of pre-determined multiple choice questions. No other input is given consideration. In fact it is ridiculed and/or silenced by the facilitators and their shills, telling citizens it will be discussed later (and later never comes). After the visioning/consensus meeting, the resulting report and PLAN they present to the city contains the desired, pre-determined outcome that the Mayor (and MARC) wanted to get in the first place... the fix is in.

The visioning meeting is just a dog-and-pony show they use so that in the resulting Report/Plan they can state that 'this is what the citizens said they want'.

Bower said he wants 5-6 Raytown residents in his next visioning meeting.

THAT IS ONLY .002 (or 2/10ths of 1%) OF OUR CITY'S POPULATION !!!

That anyone in their right mind would allow anyone to refer to 6 people out of 30,000 as an accurate reflection of 'the citizens' desires is ridiculous.

Please, so that you have a record of it, email your Aldermen now and tell them that you protest Bower's process of 'visioning' and 'consensus-building' with Raytown citizens as it applies to plans for the City and that if Bower wants to know what Raytown citizens want with regard to their 'vision' for a PLAN for Raytown, he'll need to put his questions to vote on the April 2014 ballot.

We need to stop this. Pretending it isn't happening, doing nothing and relying on hope is, well, like handing the rope to the henchman.

Anonymous said...

10:45 pm it is obvious. The change you want is everyone in office gone and are not as concerned with the said glaucoma situation; there are many good police in Raytown some who have never left our town since a child and have devoted their lives to Raytown. Not all just like all people are not bad. That is called labeling an entire group and painting them one way to meet an individuals goal

Anonymous said...

You misunderstood my meaning. "including the police" meant to refer to elected police officials. there is only one of them in Raytown. His name is Jim Lynch.

The reluctance of some in the department to enforce the most mundane of our laws is a problem.

Speaking of the glaucoma situation, I remember years ago calling the police about some folks in one of our park smoking marijuana. The dispatcher's response to me was "how do you know its marijuana". To which I responded because I have smelled it before and know what it smells like.

The ridiculous conversation between me and the dispatcher,is, unfortunately, not an isolated incident in Raytown.

If our elected officials (including the Chief of Police) are reluctant to even acknowledge that simple problem, then the only answer is to replace those leaders with people who will take care of the problem.

The paint brush you spoke of can be used in different ways. One is to use it to cover up.

Susan Dolan said...

.
to August 22, 2013 at 1:24 PM

Your post, where you talk in code referring to marijuana as glaucoma treatment left me wondering what you were talking about for quite a while.

If you have something to say, just say it!

Call the Sheriff's Department and ask if they'll have their Drug Task Force look into the matter if our local police won't.

Anonymous said...

Wouldn't it be better for our p.d. department to clean itself up?

I see nothing but resentment from your suggestion of calling in the dogs to make them act right.

Your preaching how great most of the officers are (whether true or not) does not remove the stain of those who will not do their job properly.

Let's talk about it some more.

Anonymous said...

I've said it before but it bears repeating... Do not answer with games sarcsium

Anonymous said...

Was this a desire to do something about a marihuana issue you thought you smelled in a certain are or just an intro to say the police won't do anything?

Anonymous said...

Personally, I think the glaucoma treatment lady has been using.