RAYTOWN REPORT

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BY PAUL LIVIUS

Paul’s Rant!

It has been a while since I threw my two cents worth of thoughts into what is going on up at City Hall. So I did some checking.

The Mayor and Bonnaye Mims, have ramped up attacks on their two favorite targets. Morris Melloy, who ran for Alderman in Ward 3 last election and Ward 1 Alderman Greg Walters.

Walters and Melloy both publish social media pages in Raytown.

Alderman Greg Walters and Alderman Garth Bare founded the Raytown Report in 1997. Garth continued to work with Greg on the weekly publication until his untimely death in 1917.

Morris publishes a Facebook page named Raytown Community Awareness.

Both publications receive high marks for keeping the community informed with what is going on in Raytown.

To Morris and Greg’s credit, both have remained true gentleman in their demeanor and handling the McDonough and Mims public attacks.

For his part, Greg told me he does his best to blockout the nonsense from McDonough and Mims.

He gave me the following comment to eplain the importance of maintaining decorum at Raytown public meetings. “It is important to remember the twice monthly meetings of the Board of Aldermen are specifically held for public business. The meetings also provide an opportunity for the public to address elected officials."

For the convenience of the Public, those who wish to address the Board of Aldermen may do so at the beginning of each meeting. Speakers are given five minutes to address the Board. As long as it is a discussion regarding the community of Raytown, speakers are given five minutes to share their thoughts.

This also gives Board members an opportunity to follow up with citizen speakers after the meeting.

Most on the Board understands and shows the proper respect and decorum towards those who speak at public meetings.

Board members are also given time to speak during a section of the meeting named “Reports from Board Members”. Walters recently gave a report of a funding matter of details he had learned of at a recent meetign of the Raytown Fire Protection District.

In his report Walters shared with members of the Board that the City and the Fire District will be receiving approximately $150,000 to help allay overtime costs required by the two governing bodies.

A one-third of the money will go to the Police Department. One third to the Fire Department, and, one third to the Ambulance Service (which is run by the Fire Department).

Next month the World Cup will be coming to Kansas City. Greg told me it is important that this information be shared with the public so they are aware of steps taken to handle emergency services that will undoubtedly increase due to traffic generated at Arrowhead Stadium during the World Cup games in Kansas City.

To illustrate the impact of what will be a large influx of visitors to our area, Walters said the Raytown Park Department is making available public parking at the city's new Dog Park, and, the possible use of Colman Park for overflow parking to the World Cup Games.

The Raytown Dog Park is one-half mile from the Truman Sports Complex. Coleman Park is located one mile from the complex.

In the early stages of planning for funding from the State of Missouri, Alderman Walters reached out to Missouri State Representatives Mike Steinmeyer and Donna Barnes to help ensure Raytown would receive the funds needed for Fire, Ambulance and Police overtime during the upcoming World Cup Tournament.

City and Fire officials shared with him that the funding provided by the State is needed and should be adequate to control any contingency in Raytown.

Tomahawk Throwing is Fun! BY GREG WALTERS

The primary difference lies in their design and purpose: a hatchet is a tool optimized for wood processing, while a tomahawk is historically a weapon that has evolved into a versatile, lightweight tactical and survival tool.

I took some time last Saturday to attend the annual early summer Raytown Community Event at Kenagy Park. There were people fishing, free sapling trees for those in interested in dressing up their yards and a number of vendors with plants for late Spring and Early Summer planting.

The event that caught my eye was the Tomahawk Throwing. I was asked if I would like to "give a try".

Always one for something new, I accepted. The young lady gave me about two minutes of instruction and pointed me at a large three trunk as my target. The first throw took was right handed. With a solid "thump" the head of the tomahawk buried itself into the trunk.

My young instructor suggested I try using both hands and thowing from directly over my head. The tomahawk left my hands like a rocket launcher, landing with a solid thump just over the bullseye.