Fifth graders at Prairie Branch Elementary School in Grain Valley recently decorated dog biscuits to donate to the Independence Animal Shelter.
Tennies for Kids, begun last year by Independence residents Donna Siegel and Betty Snapp. It provides new shoes to local children when school starts in August.
Cindy Miller is heading the Downtown Alive! effort in Blue Springs.
The current composite roof at the Bingham-Waggoner Estate mansion was damaged in a September 2010 storm. It’s being replaced with a slate roof.
Patricia Hatley will become the third of out six of her closest friends to receive the Imelda Farmer Friendship Award on Feb. 3.
Several years ago, Sam Schwaller’s father and others had put up flags for the neighborhood on Main Street south of the Square. Those flags had worn out and needed to be replaced. As his Eagle Scout project, Sam decided to replace the flags.
Ron Potter is a volunteer at Vaile Mansion in Independence, responsible for organizing the decorators needed to get the mansion ready for the Christmas season. Built in 1881, Vaile Mansion has been dubbed the Christmas Castle by a number of publications, including USA Today. It has also been featured on HGTV’s “Christmas Across America” special. Each of its rooms, hallways and entryways is decorated by a different set of volunteers in this year’s theme of a “Whimsical Victorian Christmas.”
On Nov. 8, 2011, local veterans from World War II went to Washington, D.C., as part of a tour of the city and the war memorials. While the veterans are certainly the focus of the trip, there are others, too, specifically Erin Winstead, who organize (with help) the events each year.
Project Graduation is an annual event that provides the graduating high school class with a drug- and alcohol-free graduation celebration right after commencement ceremonies. Project Graduation is funded solely through donations and fundraisers. One of the Fort Osage Project Graduation fundraisers is the Secret Santa Shop.
Be a Santa to a Senior collects, wraps and delivers holiday gifts to seniors in need.
