Memorial Day, Monday 5/29/2017

Tomorrow is Memorial Day.  Most folks will have the day off.  Students will be home because schools will be closed.  The BBQ grills will be started, friends and relatives will visit and folks will have a good old time.

I ask that each and everyone of you take the  3 minutes and 31 seconds to view the below video.  Remember why it is that you have the day off.  Remember why you are able to visit with family and friends.  You can do all these things because of the members of our military who will not be here to have that day off.  They gave you the day off and the opportunity to visit with your family and friends, things that they will never be able to do themselves.

Remember them please, and make sure that you invite the young people with you to watch the video also.  Explain it to them.  Teach them.  Thank you.

Shawnee Officer Featured in Click it or Ticket PSA

The 2017 public service ad for the Click it or Ticket campaign in Kansas features our own Officer George Lozano as the spokesperson.

Congrats to Officer Lozano for being chosen to spread the word about this important activity across the entire state.

If you haven't seen the ad on TV, it is also on You Tube.  See below

Justin Adrian-Candidate Info Disappears From the Web

In a previous post I took exception to the fact that Justin Adrian, Ward 3 candidate for city council was a Hillary Clinton supporter.  The post even had quotes from his Go Fund Me page where he was trying to raise money to go to the Democratic Convention.  Well somebody who wanted to view the whole page went to the link then contacted me and said the link didn't work.

Hmmmm!!!!!  Did the Go fund Me page expire?  I've seen some up there for a long time.  Or, did he pull the page?  Not to worry.  I have the screen shots for those who want to read the whole thing. What other web info is going to be deleted?  Web info that I already have screen shots of.

Anyway, here are the screen shots for his Go fund Me page.

 

 

 

 

 

Cops on the Roof

On Friday May 19, 2017 officers from the Shawnee PD participated in "Cops on the Roof". This was a charity event, sponsored by Dunkin' Donuts to raise money for Kansas Special Olympics. With assistance of CPAAA volunteers over $1,100 was raised in this first time event. That was a tremendous job and one that we can all be proud of. We had 13 CPAAA members covering multiple shifts from 5AM to 2PM assisting the officers. Officer Mike Velasquez was the lead for the PD.

Third Candidate Files for Ward 3 Seat - There Will Be a Primary

There will be a primary election on August 1, 2017 for council rep in Shawnee's Ward 3.

Justin Adrian has filed to run and he will be facing Dave Myres and Jeff Vaught.

So, what does Justin Adrian bring to the table?  On his campaign web site, on the Meet Justin page he says "He has attended a major national convention and worked on national campaigns." 

I thought that was interesting, and yes, city elections are non-partisan, but I was intrigued, since he mentioned it.  So, a little digging and one comes up with a "Go Fund Me" page to raise money for his expenses to the convention.  It is here:  https://www.gofundme.com/pgx8n3sk

And what was the info on that page?  How about this?  "My name is Justin Adrian and I am one of two delegates representing Hillary Clinton for the state of Kansas at the Democratic National Convention."

Do I have an opinion on this?  You bet.  But first, for those who don't know me: four years in the army, discharged as a Staff Sergeant (E6), one year in Viet Nam and with a VA 20% disability because of the VN service. 

That info will probably help to explain my next comments.  No way would I want to see anybody who supports that lying, corrupt, Witch of Benghazi, as a local official.  No way would I want to see somebody who supports an individual who wants to destroy the 2d Amendment be elected to local office.  Now, I am really concerned about what he is teaching students since his profession is that of a social studies teacher.  Does he teach them that it is OK to lie about what happened in Benghazi?  I could go on and on and on, but I won't.

Anyway, suffice it to say that it is my opinion that the citizens of Ward 3 would be best served by not returning Jeff Vaught to office, and not replacing him with Justin Adrian.

Dave Myres would provide the folks in Ward 3 with the type of representation they deserve.

Time to Say Sayonara to Jeff Vaught

Dave Myres has filed to run against Jeff Vaught for Shawnee City Council Ward 3.

Dave's web site is http://daveforshawnee.com/

When Vaught ran for Mayor in 2015 he was bounced in the primary and never made it to the general election.  Ironically, the voters of Ward 3 did not want him to be mayor.  He came in third in his own ward.  Why?  Because maybe the voters in Ward 3 finally woke up and realized what kind of an arrogant, self serving individual he is.  Maybe they realized that they were not happy that he has a verifiable record of insulting fellow council members and members of the public.

After meeting Dave Myres I do not envision him to be divisive.  I firmly believe that Dave will work with other members of the council and just as importantly with the voters of his ward to make the city a better place.  Dave is educated, successful, and he has served his country as a Captain in the US Army.  It's time to "elect a vet" and not a "loudmouthed bully".

New Election Dates

April has come and gone  and even though this is an election year for city council there was no election.

That is because the election dates have been changed.  This year we have one seat in each of the four Shawnee council wards up for election.

Primary election is August 1, 2017 (only needed if more than two file for a seat)
General election is November 7, 2017

Traditionally, Shawnee and other cities have experienced extremely poor turn outs for local elections.
We have discussed that situation numerous times on this blog.  It's amazing how many folks vote for president, governor etc. but can't seem to get out and vote for local government officials.

Local government has the most effect on your daily lives.  The list is long, but just to mention a few, these items are:  sales taxes, building permits, zoning rules, business licenses, police, fire, snow removal, parks ad infinitum.

Also, local government is probably the most easily accessible for folks to address in person and voice their thoughts.

We in Johnson County are fortunate at the wide variety of voting options we have, advance voting in person or by mail are among these.  There is no reason why we should see a 12% voter turn out for local elections.

The next time that the city council does or does not do something, before you ask "How did that happen?" ask "Did I get involved?  Did I vote?  Did I contact council in person or via other means?"

Info on advance voting can be found here  https://www.jocoelection.org/voters/AdvanceVoting.htm

Two Events - Thursday 4/20/17

Third Thursdays With the Mayor

Join us for a free cup of coffee every Third Thursday of the month and hear from Mayor Michelle Distler as she updates citizens on the latest news regarding Shawnee and takes your questions and comments.
The next Third Thursday will take place on April 20th at 8:00 a.m. at the Shawnee Civic Centre (13817 Johnson Drive). All residents of Shawnee are welcomed to attend.

“One of my goals as Mayor is to make sure that our City government is always open, friendly, and accessible to all citizens,” said Mayor Distler. “This is a great opportunity for me to provide important information on City programs and projects directly to our residents while also listening to their concerns and finding out what issues and priorities are most important to them

Downtown Overland Park Walking Tour (Good info as it relates to downtown Nieman Road project)

For the cities of Shawnee and Roeland Park
Thursday, April 20
5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.

Meet at Matt Ross Community Center
8101 Marty Street, Overland Park, Kansas 66204
Like many first-tier suburbs, Overland Park has a downtown area dating from the early 1900s that has struggled to remain economically relevant as suburban development became more auto oriented and growth pushed south. A shift in strategy over the past 10 years has led to an area with an array of unique, entrepreneurial businesses, a burgeoning art scene, a popular Farmer’s Market, and $90,000,000 of mixed-use redevelopment projects under construction. Join city staff to learn how public investment, a new development approach, social media based marketing, and a bit of luck have turned this area around.

Tentative Agenda

5:30 pm Welcome and Opening Remarks

5:40 pm Background and discussion regarding redevelopment

6:15 pm Walking tour of downtown

7:30 pm Tour concludes

Dumb Bunny Awards for 4/12/17

It is amazing how many negative things happen that can be easily avoided just by using some common sense.  According to Voltaire, "common sense is not so common"

Here are two more examples of "Dumb Bunny Awards"
Burn leaves in the backyard of your home, on a dry, windy day and watch your house burn down. It's not funny, and you have to feel sorry for the homeowner, but could a little common sense have avoided this? http://www.shawneedispatch.com/news/2017/mar/20/shawnee-firefighters-assist-merriam-house-blaze/

Leave your unlocked car in your driveway with the garage door opener easily accessible. Guess what? Along comes Mr. Bad Guy, opens your garage door, enters your home and helps himself to some things that you have worked hard to get. Duhhhhh.........

CN1701248 03/23/2017 10:14 PM 22700 Block W 46 TERR RESIDENTIAL BURGLARY Victim's residence was entered and items stolen
CN1701247 03/23/2017 10:11 PM 22700 Block W 46 TERR AUTO BURGLARY Victim's unlocked vehicle was entered and garage door opener stolen

Update on Costs of Qrivit vs City of Shawnee

For those that might be interested, as of 3/31/17 the city has spent $41,127.05

Dumb Bunny Award 3/10/17

I have decided to periodically announce what may be considered as the Dumb Bunny Award.  Though the criteria is nowhere near that for the famous Darwin award, the criteria will be............what were they thinking?

OK, here's the first one, and this comes from the Shawnee PD on line case activity postings:

CN1700990

03/06/2017 10:09 PM

16300 Block W 65 ST

AUTO THEFT

Victim parked his truck in the parking lot of Lowe's on 03/03/2017 at approximately 1400-1500 hours, and left for a vacation. The vehicle was not in the parking lot when the victim came to get it at 1500 hours 03/06/2017. Let's see, Dumb Bunny leaves his vehicle in a commercial business parking lot for three days while he goes on vacation.  Vehicle would probably be sitting in that parking lot at certain times of the day all by its lonesome, screaming out loud, "come and steal me."

Vaught Does It Again - Belittles A Fellow Councilmember

Interesting item at last night's council meeting.

It started with a proposal to purchase a new striping machine for the public works department.  f\For the record, IMHO, they do need a new one.  The current item has some severe problems.

Anyway, Councilmember Kemmling had some questions about the item.  As a councilmember, he or any councilmember has a right to question expenditures. 

What happened next though was another example of Vaught's arrogant attitude that he and he alone knows what is right.  He just could not understand how another councilmember could vote without question on spending over $300K for new police vehicles but questioned the PW item.  What he said and how he said it can be accessed by listening to the audio of the meeting.

My only regret?  The misguided woman who accosted me in the Hy-Vee parking lot a few months ago wan't at the meeting to hear Vaught's bullying, belittling comments towards a fellow councilmember.  Remember that?  If not, click here to read it.





DTJVSD

Mayor Asks for Citizen Input

At yesterday's State of the City luncheon Mayor Michelle Distler asked citizens to provide input for the current satisfaction survey.

Some residents of the city will be receiving a copy of the survey in the mail.  If you do it has been requested that you complete it and return it. 

Those who have not received a copy in the mail may still complete the survey by clicking here.
This is one way for the citizens of Shawnee to let their feelings be known about various items concerning the city. 

Information about the city's on line service request was also mentioned.  This can also be done with an app on a person's phone.  Additional info about this can be found by clicking here.

The mayor highlighted various projects that have contributed to positive growth in Shawnee and went through a list of accomplishments by various city departments.

One area that is of importance to me (and many others) is public safety.  As a result of receiving two grants the city will be able to hire five additional police officers and supply the PD with body cameras for all members of the department.  Two positive items which were firmed up when the city council approved certain matching funds.

A new fire station (designated 74) has been authorized for the west side of Shawnee.  A specific location has not as yet been determined.  One thing that will happen once it is built is that response times to neighborhoods on the west side will be reduced for both fire fighting and medical emergencies.  This is positive for both life saving and property damage control.

Three Legislators Ignored Query, Two Replied

Recently I sent an email to the five individuals who represent parts of Shawnee in the state legislature concerning campus carry. I published that letter on my blog and it can be viewed by clicking here.

Three of the five individuals failed to respond. These were State Reps Tom Cox, Cindy Neighbor and Linda Gallagher (who happens to be my rep). I guess they feel that inquiries from the public should be ignored.

Two of the individuals did respond, State Sen. Mary Pilcher-Cook and State Rep. Shelee Brim. My promise was to post any replies I received and they are below. For the record, I concur with Pilcher-Cook's comments. On the other hand Brim said absolutely nothing. She wants to hear from her constituents? That's a bunch of nonsense. She has an obligation to inform her constituents what her stand is on any given issue and then let them come back and either voice agreement or disagreement. A wimpy answer from her.  Learn to take a stand.

Here they are

PILCHER-COOK:
Dear Ray,

Thank you for taking the time to write regarding your opposition to weakening our 2nd Amendment protections as it pertains to college campuses. 　I agree with your stance and appreciate your diligence in standing up for this important constitutional right.

The public has the right to protect themselves, and that includes on the grounds of public universities. 　Many of our citizens spend a good part of their day working and attending classes and activities on college campuses.　 Threats to personal safety don’t disappear once you step on campus; nor should rights to protect oneself diminish as a result.

Denying anyone their constitutional right to self-protection empowers criminals and leaves individuals vulnerable to criminal attack.

It's also important to remember that criminals are not, by definition, law abiding citizens and a gun-free zone is not going to deter them - in fact, quite the opposite. 　This is why we must prevent any erosion in public safety, and that includes the right of law abiding citizens to protect themselves on college campuses.

Thank you again for your note, and I trust you will be following this debate throughout the session.

Sincerely,
Mary Pilcher-Cook
BRIM:
Dear Ray,

Thank you for your input. I appreciate hearing from constituents regarding issues of concern. I will read all correspondence from District 39 constituents and take the information provided into consideration when making decisions.

Sincerely,

Shelee Brim   

How The Votes Went Down

In my post of 1/24/17 I stated that the election for council president showed just how contentious things can be at city council meetings.

Let's look at exactly how the votes went down.

For Council President:

Neighbor was nominated, there was no second, no vote
Kemmling was nominated and seconded, not enough yes votes
Meyer was nominated and seconded, not enough yes votes
Kenig, was nominated and seconded and elected

For Vice-Chairman of the Council Committee:

Sandifer was nominated, there was no second, no vote
Jenkins was nominated and seconded, not enough yes votes
Vaught was nominated and seconded and elected

New Council President Elected

Last night the city council elected Brandon Kenig (Ward IV) as the council president.

The election went through various nominations and votes as the personality clashes, evident at many council and committee meetings were obvious.

The council president has two functions:  first to chair council committee meetings and second to assume the mayor's role in the mayor's absence (presiding over a council meeting, standing in at a civic event, etc.).  That also includes becoming mayor should something unfortunate happen to the mayor.

I have some concerns about this choice.  Mr. Kenig appears to be an intelligent young man, but IMHO may lack the experience, at this time, for this position.  He has not even been on the council two years, having been appointed to fill the unexpired council term of Mayor Distler.  As such, he has not even been elected to the council.  An additional concern would be his demeanor.  He is likable but appears to be soft spoken.  Will he be able to wield the gavel when certain council members step out of line?  Will he be able to control certain council members when they attack their peers or members of the public?  Basically, will he be able to keep council committee discussions on track?  Time will tell.

Jeff Vaught (Ward III) was elected council committee vice-chair.  This position requires him to fill in at council committee meetings in the absence of the council president.  The vice-chair is not in the line of succession should something unfortunate happen to the mayor and the council president.

Beautiful Sounds

Ah yes, these were beautiful sounds to hear:

1.  Donald J Trump taking the oath of office as President of the United States

2.  Ruffles and Flourishes followed by Hail to the Chief

3.  A 21-gun salute by the 3rd Infantry "Old Guard"

Email to Legislators, Re: Campus Carry

The following email was sent this morning to State Sen Mary Pilcher-Cook and State Reps Linda Gallagher, Tom Cox, Shelee Brim and Cindy Neighbor.

Good morning,

This email is being sent to those members of the Kansas legislature that represent the City of Shawnee.  So that there is no misunderstanding a copy of this email will be posted at http://www.shawneeray.blogspot.com  Any replies (which are both welcome and encouraged) will also be posted there.

It is my understanding that some members of the legislature are trying to change Kansas statutes so as to eliminate the upcoming deadline of 7/1/17 that would allow for campus carry.  They want a permanent ban on campus carry.

It is my opinion that any action to change the current deadline would be wrong.  Continuing a ban on campus carry would not create safe areas.  Just look at the number of high volume shootings and where they occurred.  They take place in gun free zones, including that movie theater in Colorado. Why?  It is really very simple.  Gun free zones leave the innocent with no protection.  Let’s use some common sense and logic here and NOT emotions.  An individual who is desirous of committing a heinous crime is not going to let a sign on a door to a building stop them.  Knowing that some of their potential victims might be armed could be a deterrent.

The current statute calls for those institutions that want to continue with bans on bringing firearms into building must provide armed security along with detection devices.  An 8-1/2 x 11 sign would mean something to law abiding citizens but NOT to criminals.

Feel good laws do not stop criminals.  A reminder:  after the horrendous situation at Sandy Hook the State of Connecticut passed a bunch of gun control legislation.  When asked which of the new laws would have stopped the perpetrator, Adam Lanza, the answer was none of them.

Your thoughts would be appreciated.

Thank you

Ray

Policy Change Allows for Better Input by Citizens at Council Meetings

At last week's city council meeting the council approved a policy change to PS-7 submitted by Councilmember Eric Jenkins.

Briefly stated this change will allow for citizens interested in commenting on a project or any item to form a group and have one spokesperson (which could be an outside expert) speak on behalf of the group.  The individual would have 30 minutes with the possibility of two 15 minute extensions.

In the past when there was an item which resulted in many citizens wanting to speak there was a lack of a fluidity to their comments.  This was because each person was allocated five minutes.  As a result, many people repeated each other's comments.

With this change, well thought out commentary can be presented.  This procedure will apply to any Witem where a group wants to be represented.  Whether they be for or against a project, or any item.

This is a definite additional step in assuring citizen involvement and open government in Shawnee.

The changes are listed in the agenda with supporting documentation for the 1/9/17 meeting which can be viewed by clicking here

The city's web site of policy statements will be updated in the near future and then it can be viewed by going here

Kudos to Councilmember Jenkins for submitting this and to the council for approving it.

She's A Pistol Will be Missed

I was in Sault Ste-Marie, Michigan for the recent holidays when word was received that Becky Bieker was closing down her store.

It was in Gardner, Kansas at the Tumbleweed Café when I first met Becky & Jon.  Was having lunch with a friend and as we were leaving I noticed this SUV in the parking lot all painted up with "She's A Pistol" and a logo, etc.  Seeing that it was after the normal lunch and they were the only other folks in the place I figured the vehicle was theirs.  So, went up and asked them, and they said yes.  Found out that they were looking to open a store front operation in either Lenexa or Shawnee.  Gave them some names of folks that might be able to help them.  None of those worked out but the good news was that they were able to make other contacts that could help.

What has happened to them has been written and covered by many folks so I will not go into the story itself.

What I'd like to do is comment about the four individuals who attempted to rob the store, killed her husband and ultimately caused her to suffer severe financial losses to the extent that she has had to close her business.

These four malcontents represent the worst of our society.  Instead of getting jobs and attempting to be productive members of the human race these animals chose to destroy and bring grief to five families.  First, to Becky and her family.  They took away her husband and best friend and caused a hard working business person to suffer the loss of her business.  A business that she and Jon spent years to develop.  A business that became an integral part of our community and which was respected by that community.

The other four families that they destroyed were theirs.  Their families will have to live with the knowledge of what they did.  Also, especially since these are young people, their families will never be able to see them bring joy and love into the world by having children of their own, and also by being productive members of society.

If justice prevails they will spend the rest of their natural lives incarcerated and unable to bring grief to anybody else.  And when they get there, these punk ass SOBs who thought they were tough will find out that they are not the toughest folks on the block.  They will meet individuals much tougher than they are.  And when they get there many of those that they meet will look at them as...... "fresh meat".