Proposition A debate politically framed, not focused on solution

When voters go to the polls to vote between two candidates they weigh a number of issues. Unfortunately, many voters aren’t given a fair shake during the campaigns when it comes to a full and accurate understanding of where a candidate stands on each issue. Although ballot initiatives are usually single issue questions, it’s hardly any easier to weigh the implications. With the mid-term elections next week, many are focused on individual candidates and not as much on ballot initiatives also being decided.

Proposition A has to do with municipalities and their ability to decide whether to implement an earning tax on those who live and work within the city limits. Cities all over the country, both big and small, have a variety of mechanisms for collecting revenue to provide services to their citizens. Kansas City and St. Louis use an earnings tax and are currently the only cities in the state to have such a tax at one percent. Passage of Proposition A would prevent other cities from implementing a similar tax along with require Kansas City and St. Louis to vote every five years on whether to keep the tax starting this upcoming spring.

Proponents of Proposition A could have several reasons for supporting it. Currently, people who don’t live in Kansas City, but commute from surrounding communities such as Platte City, Blue Springs, or Belton to work within the city limits, are taxed at one percent, the same amount as those who live in the city limits. Others may believe the tax is unnecessary and the city’s services aren’t justified with the revenue they collect from it. Also, voters in rural areas may support Proposition A to prevent their city or town from implementing an earnings tax in their area.

Opponents of Proposition A see potentially severe budget problems if the measure passes. The current earnings tax represents about 40% of Kansas City’s total revenue accounting for nearly $200 million to provide a number of city services including trash pick-up, snow removal, street repairs, and emergency personnel such as police officers and firefighters. They believe repeal would require substantial increases in property and sales taxes to make up for the shortfall.

While my description of both sides of the issue only brushes the surface, the debate that should have taken place hasn’t happened yet. The truth is, like most ballot measures, this is political and was placed on the ballot counting on a high turnout among people likely to support it. The issue at hand should not be an argument of anti-tax vs. pro-tax, but more of a discussion of why the current tax hasn’t resulted in quality services from Kansas City and how they need to be improved, not eliminated.

I agree with the idea in Proposition A that other cities in Missouri should not implement earnings taxes because none compare to Kansas City and St. Louis when it comes to their economic impact on the region. People come to Kansas City to work, live, and play. Therefore, they use city services in some form or another. Poor leadership, particularly in recent years, has seen a decline in services, but the idea that the earnings tax is bad for business pales in comparison to the alternatives since the thought that the city will purely cut its budget by $200 million is unrealistic. If anything, increased property taxes will result in a heavier burden for homeowners and businesses because those who lease space for their work or residence are almost always charged for increased taxes that are passed through in the form of higher rent.

While I believe keeping the earnings tax is important not just for Kansas City, but those municipalities surrounding it, I do hope the threat of losing it creates the sense of urgency needed to provide the region’s center of commerce functional and effective services to those who contribute to it.

Veteran legislators Rucker, Schaaf fight for State Senate seat

The 34th Missouri State Senate District continues to be one of the area’s most heated races heading into Election Day. It features two State Representatives from the St. Joseph area fighting to succeed Sen. Charlie Shields, who is term-limited. Democrat Martin Rucker and Republican Rob Schaaf are campaigning to represent the district encompassing both Platte and Buchanan Counties as they hope to become the area’s top leader in Jefferson City. One thing for sure is the area’s next State Senator will be a 1975 graduate of Central High School as both were classmates together.

Rucker, 53, attended Central Wyoming College and Missouri Western State College after high school. He has worked at Silgan Container Corporation for 32 years and is a member of the St. Joseph School Board. He and his wife, LaVell, have four children, Bill, Micah, Michael, and Martin II. Michael is a retired NFL player while Martin II is currently a member of the Dallas Cowboys. Rucker was first elected to the House of Representatives in 2005 and represents southern Buchanan and northern Platte County.

Rep. Martin Rucker

“This election is about values and integrity. As a State Representative I made a point of working across the aisle and representing all the people of my district,” Rucker said. “I felt it was my duty to take the next step, to ensure that all the people of the 34th get the same representation.”

Schaaf, also 53, attended Missouri Western State College and Saint Louis University. He has practice family medicine in St. Joseph since 1985. In 2004 he helped form the Missouri Doctors Mutual Insurance Company where he serves as Chairman. His wife and he have two children in Robert and Renee. Schaaf was first elected to the House in 2002 and represents the 28th District in northern Buchanan County.

Rep. Rob Schaaf

With experience as legislators, both candidates were asked what they believed their top two accomplishments have been. Schaaf responded by referring to the 2004 Missouri Hospital Infection Control Law requiring disclosure of hospital infection rates on the internet and the 2007 Missouri Healthnet reform bill which he says included provisions to help patients.

“As one of the few health experts in the House, I have had a hand in most health related legislation. Now, with the legislative experience I have, I would like to focus on creating jobs by helping businesses through lowered health care costs and tax relief,” Schaaf said.

Rucker replied with the 2005 passage of pro-ethanol legislation that increased incentives for the agriculture community and recently championing the Kansas City Chiefs Training in St. Joseph.

“The economic impact of this legislation will be felt in our communities for years to come,” Rucker said. “It’s nice knowing I can hang my hat on common sense solutions like these.”

As a State Senator, being a leader with ideas is important. So when asked for two unique policy ideas, they presented something other than standard ideological solutions.

“First, we should make our health care system more competitive in order to bring down the cost of healthcare for everyone,” Schaaf said as he mentioned requiring patients be told the estimated cost of medical treatments in advance and abolish the requirement of government permission for constructing new hospitals.

“I’d like to help get Governor Jay Nixon’s ‘Gown to town’ legislation passed, so that we can begin creating competitive job training programs and incentivize small business growth by promoting hard work throughout a student’s educational career,” Rucker said.

This race has grown more heated in recent weeks and it’s obvious when you begin to ask each candidate what separates them from their opponent.

“I have strong family values, the kind of values that would never allow me to vote to cut thousands of seniors, parents, and children off Medicaid,” Rucker reiterated. “I think the integrity and character I’ve served with in the House is what really separates us.”

“His political philosophy is much more liberal than mine. The best way to contrast our differences is to study our voting records,” Schaaf said as he provided a list of issues.

In the end, voters hope candidates make the case for why they should be elected and not why their opponent shouldn’t as the next State Senator will have a large role in providing leadership to the area’s six state representatives and serving as a strong voice in Jefferson City as each attempts to be promoted to the next level of state government.

Trojans control own destiny, playoff future

With their 27-14 win over Oak Park last week, the Park Hill Trojans (6-3) are in the familiar situation of having the opportunity to clinch a district title this week against St. Joe Central (5-4). Not only is Park Hill looking to hang a sixth consecutive district banner, but a win will result in a first round playoff bye for the Trojans who would happily take the time off to rest and hopefully gain players back from injury. Although Central is coming off a tough 37-0 loss to Staley, they’ll try to give the Trojans some problems when it comes to reading their formations.

“They like to run a lot of different stuff, similar to a Missouri Tigers offense,” Coach Greg Reynolds said. “They try to run sets that put you out of position. It’s going to be two physical teams, but they like to spread it out more where we like to pound it a little more.”

Coming off a dramatic late game touchdown to beat top-ranked Staley the week before, it seems the Trojans came out against Oak Park somewhat flat last Friday night. Several penalties along with some injuries incurred throughout the game disallowed either team from getting into an offensive rhythm.

“It’s combination of everything. When you get a big win like we did, you have a high feeling of a victory and it takes a lot to get over it,” Reynolds said. “They’re always a team that causes us trouble. Mentally, in games like that you have to stay focus.”

Park Hill jumped to a 21-0 lead in the first half on the heels of two Trace Norfleet touchdowns (29, 62 yard) with an agile 16-yard score from fullback Blake Downs in between. But the Trojans fell asleep on the last play of the first half when David Wingerson’s 78 yard touchdown reception put the Northmen on the board at 21-7.

Downs added a 2-yard touchdown run in the third quarter before Oak Park added a score in the fourth quarter to bring the final to 27-14. Those 13 points will come in handy for Park Hill in a possible tie-breaker situation. If Park Hill losses this week and Staley presumably beats Oak Park, there will be a three-way tie for the district title broken by each team’s margin of victory. Park Hill currently stands at +16, Staley at +10, and St. Joe Central at 0. Of course for Park Hill, winning next week will avoid that scenario.

Even though the Trojans’ season will likely be extended several weeks, last Friday was Senior Night and, as with any team, it is unique in its own way. With a small Senior class of 17, only about 10 of which have been in the program all four years, their coach says they’re different than other classes he’s had and have done some good things.

“A couple kids sucked it up when they were banged up tonight. They’ve done what we’ve asked them to do,” Reynolds said. “When you’re in a position to go to the playoffs it’s usually based on what your seniors do.”

Fall Roundup: Oct. 18-23

Park Hill Cross Country
Freshman Kim Rau ran away with the Class 4 District 8 meet last weekend at Scottsdale Park in Liberty as she placed first, a whole 18 seconds in front of the meet's second place finisher. Other runners included Brooke Bischof (12th), Maggie Lanham (21st), Chelsey Lewis (24th), Joanna Grauberger (26th), Maddie Bischof (30th), and Maddie Hemphill (31). As a team, Park Hill finished fourth, just a single second on average behind third place finisher St. Joe Central.

The Park Hill Boys finished seventh with top runners including Nathan Huffer (19th), Kainen Utt (31st), and Andy Iverson (39th).

Park Hill Boys Soccer
The Trojan soccer team defeated their most serious threat to the conference title in Lee's Summit West last week 3-0 with goals from Ray Lee, David Zdvorak and Cole Walker. The shutout is credited to Shane VanHooser. Park Hill is 19-2-1 on the season and can wrap up an undefeated conference season against North Kansas City this week. District play begins next week with the Trojans as the top seed. On Tuesday, November 2nd they will face the winner of the #4 Staley/#5 St. Joe Central game from the previous night. A win will match Park Hill against the winner of the #2 Park Hill South/#3 Oak Park game for the district championship Thursday, November 4th at Staley.

Park Hill Girls Tennis
Park Hill's exciting team run to the final four of the state playoffs ended just short of a chance to play for a state title last week as the team fell to Columbia Rock Bridge 5-2 in the semi-finals. Suzanne Barth and Kate Skorija won their singles matches, but Rock Bridge claimed four straight matches to need only one doubles win to clinch the victory. For third place against Parkway Central, Park Hill came out hot winning five of the six singles matches to claim victory at 5-1.

Individually, junior Suzanne Barth's dream of a state title fell short as she saw an early round exit when eventual state champion Lindsey Whitehead of Ladue Horton Watkins won in straight sets at 6-2, 6-3. Kate Skorija and Brooke Barnard also were eliminated by a Ladue team in the doubles tournament as they lost 6-3, 6-2 to Camden Newton and Annie Kopp.
 
Park Hill Volleyball
Park Hill Volleyball's season came to an end on Monday night with a loss to Oak Park in the first round of the district tournament. They fell 2-1. After winning a close second game to force a third 25-23, the Trojans couldn't keep up with Northmen as they fell 25-17 in the final game. They finish the season 14-16-1.

Park Hill Girls Golf
Stephanie Atkinson and Bailey Warlen competed in the State Golf Tournament at Twin Oaks in Springfield October 17th – 19th. Atkinson finished ranked 40th and Warlen ranked 83rd. Atkinson shot a 91 on day one and a 88 on day two for a combined score of 179. Warlen shot a 102 on day one and a 104 on day two for a combined score of 206.

Grill remains positive about re-election, challenger Schieber on the attack

State Representative Jason Grill is running for a third-term in Missouri’s 32nd district encompassing southern Platte County. While Grill ran unopposed in 2008, this election cycle he’ll find a challenger running against him in Republican Ron Schieber. Both have been talking to voters over the recent months to convince them that they should be the one to represent them in Jefferson City.

Grill, 31, is a lifelong resident of Platte County where he graduated from St. Pius X High School, Saint Louis University, and University of Missouri School of Law. He has served in the legislature since first elected in 2006 and has most recently on the House Ways and Means, Judiciary, Real ID, and Financial Institutions committees where he served as a ranking member. He currently resides in Parkville.

Rep. Jason Grill

“If re-elected I look forward to continuing to serve on influential House committees, as well as potentially filling a seat for our area on the Economic Development and Job Creation committee. The relationships I have built with Republicans and Democrats will be instrumental to our community and our state,” Grill said.

Although Schieber did not respond to several requests for information from The Citizen, his website indicates he grew up in Maryville, Missouri and is a 1983 graduate of Northwest Missouri State University. He’s been a resident of Platte County since 1993 when he moved here with his family. He and his wife, Stephanie, have five daughters in Rachel, Kelsey, Heather, Madison, and Alysa. Schieber has worked in the finance and banking industry, most recently as a home mortgage consultant with Wells Fargo.

When not serving in the legislature, Grill, is an attorney at King Hershey, a law firm which specializes in economic development, public finance, and commercial transactions. He says his work in the private sector has fueled his interest in improving the way the State of Missouri provides incentives to businesses and promotes job creation in the legislature.

“There are a wide range of innovative options available to produce revenues for Missouri which include stopping the loss of businesses moving to Kansas,” Grill said.

Jobs have been a focus of Schieber’s, with his campaign indicating tax cuts across the board and less regulation are a few of the ways Missouri can create jobs. As a former member of the Park Hill School Board, Schieber also believes he can be a strong advocate for education and student achievement. Even though Schieber has taken a broad approach to the two main issues of jobs and education, Grill contends his record shows those are already two of his top priorities which is why he’s earned endorsements from the National Federation of Independent Business and several education organizations including the Missouri National Education Association.

Grill has committed much of his campaign to telling voters about what he believes are some significant accomplishments and measures he has helped pass in the legislature over recent years including being a lead sponsor on a bill passed into law that now requires insurance companies to cover treatments for children with autism.

“As a fiscal conservative, I’m proud to have supported balanced budgets without raising taxes and responsible economic policies which include co-sponsoring a balanced budget resolution at the federal level,” Grill said.

Contrarily, Schieber’s website makes it clear that he believes Grill’s approach is self serving which has resulted in, with less than two weeks to go until Election Day, the Missouri Republican State Committee funding several negative ads through television, phone, and mail to attack Grill with comparisons to President Obama along with ‘big government liberals’ over the last week. In a district which tends to lean moderately Republican, it is yet to be seen how the ads will affect the race and how Grill will choose to respond, but voters can be sure they aren’t being taken for granted this cycle.

Caldwell, Higdon face off for open 29th District seat

With State Representative Martin Rucker running for the State Senate, the 29th Missouri House district seat which encompasses southern Buchanan and northern Platte Counties is an open contest pitting Democrat Bill Caldwell against Republican Galen Higdon. Both candidates bring a long history of community involvement in and outside of their respective careers.

Caldwell, 65, of Dearborn, is a 46-year veteran of Trans World Airlines and American Airlines where he has held a variety of positions within those organizations including opportunities to work with NASA on the Apollo 11 launch team, the city of New York in the aftermath of the tragic crash of TWA Flight 800, and other projects in cooperation with the Federal Aviation Administration. Along with activities related to his work at TWA, he has been an advocate on the state level for workers’ rights and workforce development. Caldwell distinguishes himself as a moderate Democrat with conservative stances on gun control and fiscal issues. Bill and his wife, Marie, have been married for 44 years and have one daughter.

Bill Caldwell

“I think my experiences of working at many different jobs for my employers over the years, gives me a perspective that makes me the best candidate,” Caldwell said. “I have held many positions of trust and have worked all over the world for TWA having received many awards from my employer as well as outside the company.”

Higdon resides in St. Joseph and is recently retired after a 30-year career as a deputy of the Buchanan County Sheriff’s Department and has been active in specialized law enforcement education throughout his career. He served as a member and later Vice-President of the Missouri Sheriff’s Association as well as a member of the Mo-Kan Regional Council of Government Transportation Advisory Committee. Higdon says he has a conservative approach with a desire for smaller government. Galen and his wife, Lou Anne, have been married for 36 years and have three daughters along with four grandchildren.

Galen Higdon

“I have spent my entire life serving the residents of the community as a law enforcement officer,” Higdon said. “I saw another opportunity to serve the people of my community, and decided to announce my candidacy to fight for the citizens of the 29th District in Jefferson City.”

The candidates’ top issues parallel closely their careers. Higdon’s work in the public safety field makes it one of his top concerns, but his belief that education should be the top priority in the state legislature is something that has earned him support from the Missouri State Teachers Association. Overall, Higdon says he would represent the interests of his constituents.

“I would work to become a vocal leader who fights for the interests of Platte and Buchanan Counties in the State legislature,” Higdon said. “I do not have a specific agenda going into this election and would focus my efforts on working for the betterment of the citizens of the 29th District.”

On the other side, while Caldwell believes education is a priority and has earned the endorsement of Missouri Association of School Administrators, he thinks the tough economic times call for work on economic recovery and job creation.

“This would be a continuation of my work on the Northwest Missouri Workforce Development Board which I have served on for many years,” Caldwell said of his background in economic development.

Two distinguished careers in their respective fields leave voters with a decision between two long-time residents of the area, both with experiences that have shaped their view of the purpose and role of government, along with dedicated time spent in the community outside of their careers.

Trojans bounce back in big way

It was quite a difference a week made for Park Hill between a bad loss to Lee’s Summit West two weeks ago and an exciting come from behind win against Staley last Friday night. The Trojans (5-3) will now head into the second week of district play against a struggling Oak Park (3-5) team currently going through a four game losing streak and playing with a number of underclassmen in key positions. While inexperienced, Park Hill expects a power running format with a potent play-action threat from a Northmen squad that has the ability to surprise teams.

Park Hill’s 27-24 victory over Staley didn’t necessarily come from the Trojans doing anything special, but simply not giving the other team more opportunities.

“We didn’t make a lot of mistakes,” Reynolds said. “We had one turnover and that really turned out to effectively be a long punt.”

With starting running back Trace Norfleet sidelined due to a hand injury early in the first quarter, the Trojans weren’t able to heavily rely on a usually consistent running game. This left the ball in the hands of senior quarterback Nate Wilson who completed 10 of 20 for 160 yards with one interception and a touchdown. The touchdown was timely for the Trojans as it came on the final drive of the game as they drove 69 yards in until three minutes to take the final lead of the game on a 25-yard pass to Jake Jones to pull Park Hill ahead 27-24.

Reynolds says his quarterback is an emotional and vocal player, but it’s consistent and more favorable than random outbursts of emotion you sometimes see from other players.

“He wears his emotions on his sleeve, but he probably understands what I expect out of a quarterback more than anyone I’ve coached,” Reynolds said. “He’s been a part of Park Hill Football since he was in little league and he’s a kid that wants to do well and wants the team to do well.”

A Trojan team that has struggled on special teams at various times this season redeemed itself when Jordan Wang returned a punt 77 yards for a touchdown in the second quarter. Park Hill went into halftime with a 20-14 lead. Staley scored ten unanswered points in the second half to make the score 24-20 before Wilson’s touchdown pass to Jones put the final digits on the board.

“Again, we didn’t really do anything great on that drive, we just didn’t kill ourselves. That happened for us a lot throughout the game,” Reynolds said.

Although simply not making mistakes can definitely help a team win, it was something more than that for Park Hill who has a strong tradition of district success. The Trojans have gone 31-3 over the past 11 years in district competition and only one of those years has Park Hill been absent from the state playoffs.

“Every Monday when we watch film I make a goal list for the offense, defense, and special teams. I usually put something at the top in regards to how important that week’s game is. This week we talked about tradition, one of the things I’m most proud of in our 11 years here is our record in district play. It’s what we talk about more than anything else, those last three games.”

Fall Roundup: Oct. 11-16

Park Hill Volleyball
Park Hill Volleyball went 1-2 last week with their sole victory coming against North Kansas City in a three game series (25-23, 22-25, 25-21). The Trojans fell to Kearney (21-25, 18-25) and Winnetonka (16-25, 19-15). They wrap up the regular season this week and head into district play next Monday as a five seed with a rematch against four seeded Oak Park who they faced in the second game of the season. Coach Lindsey Hood believes it will be a much closer match this time around. A win would mean a matchup with first seeded Kearney. They are 13-15-1 on the year.

"We feel like we are much better than what we were then and I'm sure Oak Park is the same way. Oak Park's Candy McCall and I are great friends and I hope we play them better than we did the first time," Hood said. "At this point it's survive and advance and that's what we hope to do for as long as we can."

Park Hill Girls Tennis
Although Lee's Summit West ended the Park Hill girls tennis team's streak of conference championships this season with a 7-2 victory earlier this year, the Trojans knew there was a chance they'd have an opportunity at redemption if they did their part in making their way to the state playoffs. Redemption was putting it lightly last weekend as Park Hill not only beat rival Park Hill South in the sectional round, but also went on to pull off what many consider an upset of Lee's Summit West in the quarterfinal round to advance to the Final Four of the Missouri Class 2 playoffs. Against Park Hill South, Suzanne Barth battled Michelle Royle to a 7-6, 6-3 victory while Kate Skorija and Brooke Barnard defeated Marie Gehrke and Mary Kate Reinhart 6-1, 7-6 to advance Park Hill past the Panthers 5-3.

In the quarterfinal round over the weekend as Barth cruised to a 6-1, 6-1 victory over the Titans' number one singles player along with wins from Skorija, Barnard, and Sammy Young to lead Park Hill to a 5-2 victory over Lee's Summit West. Park Hill will travel to the Cooper Tennis Complex in Springfield this Thursday morning to take on Columbia Rock Bridge in the semi-final round at 9 a.m. where a win will put Park Hill in its first state team tennis title match in school history against either Parkway Central or Ladue Horton Watkins at 1 p.m.

Park Hill Boys Soccer
When the Park Hill soccer team upset traditional powerhouse Rockhurst, both teams knew the rematch this year would be something neither would took for granted. Their victory last week represented another test passed for what has been an unstoppable Trojan soccer team this year as Park Hill beat Rockhurst 3-1 on the backs of goals from Matt Russell, Ray Lee, and Joel Gordon. A weekend road trip to St. Louis resulted in much the same way with two wins against Parkway Central (4-0) and Parkway West (1-0) with goals from Lee, Parker Melott, David Zdovrak (2), and Sam Shepherd. Shane Van Hooser earned the shutout in both games. Park Hill is now an impressive 16-2-1 with only a handful of conference games remaining before district play begins on November 1. Although recently ranked sixth in the state, the defeat of fourth ranked Rockhurst should move the Trojans up the polls most likely behind three strong St. Louis schools.

Clerk's race features four-term incumbent Krohne, challenger Harms

The County Clerk’s office is an intricate and diverse department that deals continuously with almost every part of Platte County’s local government. In addition to handling all of the accounts payable for each department and acting as the official and permanent record keeper of county business including contracts, agreements, and minutes of meetings, the Clerk’s office also handles all licensing of businesses in the county, helps set yearly levies for all jurisdictions, and swears in all notaries, board members, and sheriff’s deputies.

Current County Clerk Sandra Krohne has led the department for the past 16 years, but will be facing a challenger in Republican Joan Harms this November. Both candidates similarly emphasize their ability to run the office in a professional manner and be as efficient as possible with county resources, but their backgrounds may give a better picture of their candidacies.

Krohne has spent a total of 23 years in the office, 16 as the elected County Clerk, as she worked under former County Clerk Doris Gerner for seven years before Gerner recommended she run for the position upon Gerner’s retirement.

“I considered it an honor that such a respected person would think that highly of my abilities to handle this complex office,” Krohne said. “I was successful, and have been re-elected to three more terms. I contribute my success to hard work, treating people with kindness, respect and dignity, and doing the best possible job for the people I serve.”

Krohne

During her sixteen years of service Krohne says she has implemented many changes to cut costs and bring in revenue. She played a role in passing a ballot measure to bring county liquor licensing structure in line with state licensing. This resulted in bringing approximately $50,000.00 more dollars into the county’s general revenue fund.

“I was also instrumental in bringing document imaging to the county which saves the departments and the public valuable time. It saves the County money and makes our county greener by saving on ink and paper usage” Krohne said. “Also, in 2006 when budgets were cut, I lost a full time staff member. I was able to further streamline the functions in my office to be able to do more with less people.”

While Krohne has experience in the Clerk’s office, Harms believes her experience in the corporate world along with owning a small business make her the ideal candidate for the job.

“I am a business person. I am not a politician. The Clerk's office is a business office. I bring 21st century business experience and business education to the hiring table,” Harms said.

Harms

It was after she spent time advocating in Washington D.C. and Jefferson City for different groups that she decided she could use her skills at the local level. She says there are some basic things she’d like to do to improve the Clerk’s office.

“I would audit the work flow processes within this office, investigate avenues to add new services for Platte County taxpayers, and seek to bring additional value streams into the county,” Harms said.

Both have interesting insights to the positive progress made in Platte County over the last decade including Krohne’s optimistic look at the job county leaders have done and Harms’ look into the new diverse business additions offsetting the loss of aviation jobs in the area.

“We have had County Commissioners who have had a great vision and have planned well for this growth. We have had some of the greatest minds on various boards who have come together to offer expertise and ideas to guide us in a positive direction. Our officeholders and department heads have been extremely diligent in keeping costs down while continuing to offer the best product we can for the people we serve,” Krohne said.

“Diversified businesses recently planted have helped to solidify the disappearing aviation job market. In the recent past, new housing developments have increased the population. With this growth, our median family income in 2009 has increased around 25%,” Harms said.

While Krohne says her 23 years of experience in the office allow her to know where to find answers and deal with the complexities of county government, Harms believes Platte County voters want new blood and pointedly referred to her opponent.

“It is not enough for politicians to give good customer service or to state that they love their jobs. Elected officials are workers for the taxpayer. We should be out ahead of the expected, reaching and implementing new changes to improve Platte County,” Harms said.

“Even though the political environment is strained, people recognize that on the local level, it's not about politics. It's about doing a good job, having the knowledge to handle the many functions in our offices, and continuing to take care of the people we serve,” Krohne said.

Young Trojan runners are setting the tone

With Coach Jason Parr in his first season leading the Park Hill girls cross country team, you knew there would be a change in attitude and pace for the Trojans runners. You also knew with the top runners all freshmen and sophomores they would be a young team. The Trojans have laid substantial building blocks for the future this season and are hoping their young team is one to reckon with in coming years. It was on display last weekend as the Trojans placed third place in the conference meet, falling just short of second as a team by a combined two minutes with their top runner, Kim Rau, placing fourth individually.

It was just three weeks ago when Park Hill competed in the Rim Rock Classic in Lawrence, one of the largest races of the year, and came away with a first place finish in their division. Although Parr circled the race at the beginning of the season, he believes it was something that helped the girls build momentum and confidence.

“I think what really got the girls’ attention was winning the Rim Rock Classic Blue Division,” Parr said. “I reminded our girls that if we can run like this at one of the toughest courses in the Midwest then expect great opportunity later on.”

The Trojans have been fairly consistent with finishes in the top half of their races all season. Their top runners have remained a steady group of athletes including Rau, Brooke Bischof, Chelsey Lewis, Maggie Lanham and Joanna Grauberger along with Paige Carey, Maddie Bischof and Maddie Hemphill rounding out the varsity team. Rau has been the team’s top placer in each race and seen significant success as a freshman.

“Kim is a very quiet competitor. She just focuses on what she has to do and she does it,” Parr said of Rau. “She is one of the most talented distance runners I have ever seen.”

The Trojan runners have plenty of praise to go around though, as Parr also said he believes he has one of the most talented teams the school has ever had. With a team of freshmen and sophomores, there appear to be some promising days ahead for the program. One thing Parr realizes with such a young group, leadership is important.

“It’s really hard for them to understand what leadership is at this point. I think when a coach has this young of a group it is hard for any of them to determine who is going to be the leader,” Parr said.

With the district meet coming up this weekend and a state meet qualification on the line, there’s no mistaking that challenges are still ahead.

“I’m empowering each and every runner on our team to take control of their own destiny,” Parr said of his team message. “I reminded our girls that if average racing is all you are going to do then expect to be average runners and get average results.”

Park Hill Soccer storming through conference play

The Park Hill boys soccer team knew they wouldn’t sneak up on teams this year like they did last year on the way to their third place finish at state, but they’ve cruised to a 13-2-1 record so far this year with their most recent string of victories coming in Park Hill South’s Panther Classic last week as they won three straight to take the title for the second year in a row. Park Hill will now face a competitive week of non-conference games before finishing out the second half of their conference season before looking to district play.

To open the tournament, Park Hill shutout Platte County 6-0 with three goals from David Zdvorak along with scores from Cole Walker, Ray Lee, and Joel Gordon. The Trojans advanced to the title game against Park Hill South after a Zdvorak goal in overtime led to a 1-0 win over a resilient Smithville team. Walker’s two goals led Park Hill to a 2-0 win in the championship over the Panthers.

While the Trojans return nearly their entire lineup from last year, they admit they haven’t been able to turn themselves from a good team into a great team, but find it’s within their grasp.

“We create a lot of opportunities, but we have trouble finishing them sometimes,” Coach Dustin Sollars said. “We’re getting production from the people we thought we would, but the numbers could be a lot better.”

Being able to control the ball and see opportunities on the offensive end of the field is a strength the Trojans have, but it won’t take too long to notice a physical and aggressive team on the defensive end as well. Frustrating to opponents, it has a way of getting into their heads while forcing other teams into making unforced errors.

“We’re a physical bunch. A lot of time it looks more physical than it really is on the field,” Sollars said. “We play fast and hard. Sometimes a tackle looks hard, but that’s just the way it goes.”

 With a new conference schedule this year, the Trojans find themselves at the top of conference leader board going 5-0 so far and outscoring their opponents 20-3. Their sights set on another run into the playoffs, the Trojans hope their upcoming games against the likes of Rockhurst and a pair of St. Louis teams gives them more competition than their conference schedule provides which will better prepare them for some of the tough matches they’ll likely face in district play.

Park Hill stumbles into district play hoping to rebound

Park Hill’s first half last week against Lee’s Summit West was one to forget for the Trojans as a 31-0 score at halftime featured unsatisfactory results on all sides of the ball on the way to a 38-14 loss. With Lee’s Summit West out-sizing the Trojans on the line, Park Hill was already at a disadvantage in regards to their traditional power football approach, but poor special teams play gave the Titans early opportunities which they took advantage of. Park Hill (4-3) will begin district play this Friday against another tough opponent in Staley (6-1).

While the first half left a sour taste in Park Hill’s mouth, there was a simple message Coach Greg Reynolds had for his team going into the third quarter: get better.

“We have to win the second half,” Reynolds said. “It’s not likely we’ll win the game, but we have to get better in the second half to get ready for districts.”

When it would be easy for most teams to fold and allow the game to turn into an embarrassment, Park Hill came out with a humble approach in the second half. In one of the only offensive highlights of the game, Nate Wilson hit De’Aris Flint for a 44-yard reception to put the Trojans at the one yard line before Jordan Wang ran in Park Hill’s first touchdown. The seven play, six minute drive was followed on their next drive by an eight play drive ending with a two-yard Chris Heustis touchdown.

Control of the game could be shown through the amount of plays ran and rushing yards the Titans were able to post which kept Park Hill’s defense on the field for long amounts of time. Their 282 yards rushing outgained the Trojans’ 128 yards rushing and 72 yards passing combined.

“I’m pleased that our kids played hard all the way through,” Reynolds said of the second half.

This week’s game against Staley could possibly be a deciding game in who will take a tough District 16 title. Last week Park Hill South played Staley close, but Staley pulled out a 19-10 victory.

Fall Roundup: October 4-8

Park Hill Volleyball
Park Hill Volleyball had a tough last week going winless in three games to Lee's Summit North (25-9, 25-15), Lee's Summit West (25-15, 25-14), and Truman (25-18, 25-17). Alyssa Moran and Lindsey Grace led Park Hill in kills against Lee's Summit West with six and five respectively. Moran added on seven against Truman while Halley Knudson led the defense with ten digs. This week they'll play Kearney and North Kansas City. Park Hill is 12-13-1 on the season with district play on the horizon.

Park Hill Girls Golf
The sectional state golf tournament at Paradise Point produced two state qualifiers for Park Hill last week. Bailey Warlen led the Trojans with a 93 followed by Stephanie Atkinson's 94. Park Hill finished fourth in the eight team field with a score of 395. Warlen and Atkinson will compete in the state tournament at Sedalia Country Club on October 18th and 19th.

Park Hill Softball
For the second year in a row, the Park Hill Softball team came into district play as a lower seed, but peaked at an opportune time to reach the championship game. A convincing 13-4 win against number five seed Staley sent Park Hill into a semifinal matchup with top seeded Kearney. The Trojans eeked out a close 3-2 victory to set them up for a chance at the district title last weekend against second seeded Liberty. Unfortunately for Park Hill, that's where they ran out of steam as Liberty went on to take the title by shutting out the Trojans 9-0. Park Hill finishes the season just a shade under .500 at 13-14.

Park Hill Girls Tennis
Park Hill played some dominating tennis last week while winning the team portion of the District 16 title earlier in the week, then going on to have their top players win the individual singles and doubles portion over the weekend. Park Hill's Suzanne Barth defeated Kearney's Kayla Dysart in straight sets 6-0, 6-1 to lead Park Hill over Kearney 5-0 in the district semifinals. In the title match, it was Barth again winning 6-1, 6-1 against St. Joe Central's Logan Taylor to propel the Trojans to a 5-0 team victory to clinch another district title. In the individual portion, Barth won 6-0, 6-1 again to claim the individual title while teammate Ashleigh Bos placed third. Kate Skorija and Brooke Barnard won in consecutive sets 6-4 and 6-7 to win the doubles title. Barth along with the duo of Skorija and Barnard competed in the sectional round at Park Hill on Tuesday evening. Details on whether they advanced to the state tournament next week.

Year-round school would benefit students

It may be hard to notice in Platte County with some of the state’s best schools in our area, but education in our country is experiencing some difficulties when it comes to educating students of the 21st century. The United States is falling behind countries in several categories, especially when it comes to math and science. While on the national stage year-round school was brought up as one of the alternatives for a brief moment in the spotlight, I was glad to hear locally that the Park Hill School Board discussed it at one of their recent meetings. Year-round school itself may not solve the education deficiencies of our country as a whole, but I believe it will improve student achievement over the long-term.

We’ve heard the saying that our heart is a muscle and we must exercise it to make it strong, the brain is much the same way. The current school calendar is very similar to over a hundred years ago when many families lived on farms and it was developed to allow children the summer off from school to help at home. Much different now, it more or less serves as an opportunity for a family vacation or for kids to play outside in the summer sun. Three months away from school is a long time and that means it requires even more time to refresh children’s memory when they return in the fall instead of moving onto new material. It’s very similar to athletes who spend the first several weeks getting back into shape after a long offseason. Some may say the long summer break gives children a chance to recharge their battery and prevents overload, but I think they underestimate the capacity of the brain and how quickly children can catch onto things.

Several thousand schools have already experimented with the year-round school strategy. Although, it is only a small percentage of the total schools in the entire country, there are a lot more now than there were a decade ago. Most emphasize their idea is not about adding more time in school, but more of a rescheduling of the school calendar with shorter, more frequent breaks instead. On the contrary, imagine what it would be like if it meant kids would be in school more of the year. If another month of school were added to the calendar each year, over a period of 13 years that is an entire year of additional education. Another year of developing math, science, and other skills would give students a leg up when it came to being prepared for college.

In addition to the time students spend away from the classroom during the summer, there are also resources being wasted at the same time. The valuable land and buildings still require maintenance, electricity, and cooling. Although, it isn’t as much as during the school year, there is still an asset not being utilized. Yes, year-round school would require a substance financial investment with salaries, transportation costs, and other expenses associated with operating schools throughout the year. That investment would be necessary though in order to generate the profits of a higher quality of education for our students and, more broadly, our communities.

It’s not an easy discussion to have with all the different aspects involved, which is another reason why I’m glad Park Hill had the foresight to bring it up. We’re not talking about a simple policy decision, but something that would result in social change, and anytime people think about something that could affect the routine of everyday life it makes them skeptical. It would take bold leaders to transform skepticism into trust, not to mention the research, thought, and community input to see that it is done the right way. If other school districts have been able to accomplish it, I don’t see why it can’t be done successfully here in Platte County.

Co-workers challenge each other in County Collector race

Platte Countians can rest assured their next County Collector will have a qualified background and experience to manage the office. Both candidates are currently employees in the Collector’s office and have worked as Deputy Collectors under current Collector Donna Nash who has decided not to run for re-election this November. Democrat Becky Dye has spent 32 years in the office dating back to December 1977 with Republican Sheila Palmer’s 17 years of service dating back to September 1993. Both hope to continue their service to Platte County as the head of the office that averagely collects over $175 million dollars worth of tax revenue each year and disburses it among the county’s many taxing districts.

Dye is a life-long resident of Platte County. Growing up in the Farley and Weston area, Dye graduated from West Platte in 1977. She is married to Denny Dye. They have four adult children and six grandchildren. They currently live in Platte City.

Palmer is also a Platte County native. She graduated from North Platte and went on to receive her bachelor’s degree from Central Missouri State University. Before working in the Collector’s office she worked for Tollie Freightways and United Missouri Bank. Her and her husband, Stan, have two children Nick, 16, and Maggie, 14. They also reside in Platte City.

Dye and Palmer have seen their fair share of changes in the Collector’s office and Platte County government over the years, especially in terms of technology. Dye was on hand in 1979 when the office received its first computer and in 1990 for the opening of the new administration building.

“At the time there was only one personal computer that sat in the corner and we had to take turns using it,” recalled Palmer when she joined in 1993. “We did everything by hand and typed all of our letters and reports on a typewriter.”

They’ve seen the way financial transactions have changed with the introduction of credit and debit card capabilities in the office. Both noted the growth Platte County has experienced and the challenges that come with it creating the need for the addition of the County Annex located in Platte Woods.

“Funds collected went from $10 million in 1977 to $175 million in 2009,” Dye said.

While the Collector’s office operates within a strict set of Missouri State statues that regulate its responsibilities, both have ideas they believe will not only allow the office to run more smoothly, but be a convenience to the taxpayer.

“I would like to see the process of using your tax receipt to obtain car tags an easier process,” Dye said. “It is very frustrating to the taxpayer when all things are not correct when trying to purchase car tags.”

Dye also added she would like to see the physical address of real estate printed on tax statements and the ability to use remote deposit for funds deposited in the Collector’s Office.

“If elected, I would like to offer the taxpayers the opportunity to pay their real estate taxes in quarterly installments,” Palmer said. “I believe this would be a great aid to Platte County taxpayers in helping to budget their finances in these tough economic times. I plan to stay current with new technology to make paying taxes as painless as possible.”

With a solid working knowledge of the Collector’s office and its operations, both candidates emphasized their dedication to and enjoyment in serving the taxpayer. It was also the underlying reason they believed they were the best candidate for the job.

Dye believes her work as Chief Deputy has equipped her with the necessary leadership skills and experience to effectively run the office.

“I will make myself available to the taxpayers and I will continue my dedication to the office. I know the job well and totally enjoy working with and for the citizens of Platte County,” Dye said. “It’s all in the name: Dedication, Years of service, and Experience. DYE.”

Palmer believes not only her years in the Collector’s office, but also those in other fields bring a diverse and customer-oriented strength to her candidacy.

“I feel that I am better qualified because of the diversity of my past employment. I have been very customer service oriented in all my current and past positions and I feel this is key when working with taxpayers.” Palmer said. “I have completed course work in management and finance that will help me in the smooth transition of being in charge of the collector’s office.”

After announcing their intentions to run to succeed their current boss, both have maintained a positive working relationship within the office and indicated they would continue to do so after the election. No matter the results, Platte County taxpayers can be confident their next Collector will bring experience and professionalism.

Trojans face tough stretch ahead

Park Hill football fans were treated to quite a show last Friday as the Trojans defeated North Kansas City 48-6 during Homecoming week. It was likely the last game the Trojans (4-2) will come in as such a high favorite, before they enter a stretch of games that feature the likes of top ranked teams Lee’s Summit West and Staley over the next two weeks. Park Hill will travel to the more immediate threat, Lee’s Summit West (5-1), this Friday to face a team coming off a 42-0 thumping of Truman last week. Lee’s Summit West appears to be the toughest game standing between the Trojans and a conference championship. Both teams are currently 3-0 in league play.

“Even though we don’t put as much pressure on ourselves for conference, if we win this game we’ve at least set ourselves up for a tie,” Coach Greg Reynolds said. “We need to show ourselves we can go out and play with some of the best.”

Park Hill running back Trace Norfleet produced one of his top career performances with 195 yards rushing on 18 carries resulting in four touchdowns, one of which was receiving, last Friday against North Kansas City. Norfleet started the Trojans off with touchdowns in Park Hill’s first two possessions to put them up 14-0. The first a 21 yard scamper to the end zone with the second coming on a smoothly carried out 10 yard screen pass from Nate Wilson. Fullback Jordan Wang tagged on a two yard touchdown run before Norfleet’s 40 yard dash to the end zone put Park Hill up 28-0 at the half.
Naturally inclined to run to the outside, Norfleet has worked on seeing holes available to the inside of the field over recent weeks, which has allowed him to become more of an overall threat.

“The coaches thought I started to dance too much, and not getting up field,” Norfleet said. “I like to get on the outside, but today it showed that the hole can be anywhere and it paid off tonight.”

“We’ve told him we think there are some holes inside if he just makes a cut to get downhill,” Reynolds said.
While you won’t see Norfleet as outspoken as some of his senior teammates, he’s embraced the role of leading a younger team by example as a two-year starter.

“I think leading by example is just as important as being a big talker,” Norfleet said. “I’ve learned the heart and passion of the game. We’ve got a young team and I want to live up to their expectations.”

Norfleet would tag on another touchdown of 16 yards before being taken out of the game with a 35-0 lead. An interception by Gage Wright in the third quarter set Luke Bossert up for a 22-yard touchdown reception. The Hornets did manage to score in the fourth quarter before Park Hill’s Troy Bennett dealt the last blow with his late touchdown to make the final score 49-6.

PH Swim looks for conference repeat

There comes a point in every season, no matter what the results have been, where athletes get tired. They’ve been going through the same practice routine for months not including the months of preparation leading up to the season, but the end isn’t quite in sight. It has nothing to do with a lack of passion, drive, or physical ability. It has to do with mental fatigue and the urge to reach the point in the season where the rewards of their labor can pay off.

The Park Hill boys swim and dive team is at that point now, but they only need to look to last year’s conference swim meet to remember how it can all pay off. For over a decade Park Hill had trailed Park Hill South, who had won conference titles year after year. This changed last year when Park Hill beat their rival by a single point to win their own conference championship.

“Last year at the conference meet we found out how important each person on the team is,” head coach Karl Haley said. “If one person didn’t do what they did, then it wouldn’t have happened.”

Redistricting has separated the two schools into different conferences, but the measuring stick is still in place for the Trojans even though they were able to break through last season.

“The perpetual monkey is off our back, but we’ll still see them throughout the season,” Haley said. “They’re a good team and we know if we can compete with them, we’ll be a good team too.”

This year, Park Hill has Lee’s Summit West as an obstacle to a second straight conference title. The Trojans beat the Titans in their opening meet this season by just ten points. In building up to that point, one of their more competitive meets of the year takes place next weekend in the Kansas City Classic which brings together Columbia, Springfield, and Kansas City’s top teams.

“The biggest thing for us right now is everyone is real tired, but they just have to keep swimming fast,” Haley said. “It’s a mental sport, we do all this hardcore training to build up to the last two weeks of the year and a lot of kids want to see the pay off immediately.”

The Trojans return a number of lettermen and state qualifiers from last year. Diver Toby Parker has already qualified for the state meet after significantly improving from last year.

“You could really see he wanted to do better, so he put the effort in the off season, joined a club team,” Haley said. “He has a chance (to win), but will definitely score some points.”

Ben Svoboda, Chris Greger, Matt Johnson, Matt Wagner, Sam Blacksher, and Vince Tutorino have already qualified for events in the state meet in November.

The theme is much the same for other athletes looking to clinch a spot as a state qualifier, but the overall meter of success midway through the season is where they were last year at this time.

“As a coach you always expect more, but we’re past where we were a year ago so that’s what we’re looking for,” Haley said.

Fall Roundup: September 26 - October 2

Park Hill Softball
Park Hill softball has seen a busy stretch of games over the final two weeks of the season as they've gone 3-3 to improve to 10-13 on the year before heading into district play. During that time, Park Hill lost a close 1-0 game against conference member Lee's Summit West. They then traveled to Columbia for the Hickman Kewpie Classic where they defeated the host school 5-3 with some clutch hitting from Bethany Sullinger, Samantha Snodgrass, and Paige Downs along with Mackenzie Porter retired nine of the last ten batters. Falling in the next game 11-2 to Blue Springs South, the Trojans came back to beat Blair Oaks in extra innings 3-2 before falling in their final Classic game to St. Dominick's 12-4. Late last week, Park Hill thumped North Kansas City 20-4 as the bats came alive and Porter added her ninth win of the season. Park Hill starts district play this week as the four seeded playing Staley, a rematch of last year's district championship game. If the Trojans win they'll go on to play top seeded Kearney in the semi final round.

Park Hill Soccer
Park Hill defeated Lee's Summit West with penalty kicks last week 1-1. Matt Russell scored the only goal in regulation. After no scoring took place in overtime, the Trojans won 4-3 in the penalty kick round. Traveling to St. Joe Central, the Trojans came home with a 3-1 win with two goals from Cole Walker and another from David Zdvorak. They'll participate in the Park Hill South Panther Classic all this week before facing Ruskin and Rockhurst next week. The game against Rockhurst will be a rematch of the upset Park Hill pulled when they beat soccer powerhouse Rockhurst on their home field. Park Hill is now 11-2-1 on the season.
Park Hill Volleyball
Park Hill Volleyball pulled out two conference wins last week as they went 2-1. After starting off the week with a tough loss at Blue Springs (25-14, 25-10), the Trojans handedly beat Rusking 25-16, 25-16 and St. Joe Central 25-21, 25-13 to improve to 12-10-1. Jenny Riddle and Ashlea Williams had 7 kills a piece against Ruskin while Alyssa Moran's 10 kills and Halley Knudson's 8 digs led Park Hill past St. Joe Central. This week they'll play Lee's Summit West and Truman.

Park Hill Girls Golf
The Park Hill Girl’s Golf Team placed third out of 11 teams in the district tournament with a team score of 396. Four of their five golfers advanced to the sectional competition to be held this week. Anna Kloeppel placed third overall with an 86. Kloeppel was All-District First Team. The other sectional qualifiers were Stephanie Atkinson, Samantha Brunker, and Bailey Warlen.

Park Hill Girls Cross Country
The Trojan cross country team continues to make strides as they placed ninth out of 26 teams at the KC Metro Classic at Ray-Pec last weekend. Kim Rau placed eleventh individually with a time of 19:29 in the 5k race. Brook Bischof (36th), Maggie Lanham (56th), Joanna Grauberger (67th) and Maddie Bischoff (97th) finished off the Park Hill team. Over 180 runners participated in the race.