William Jewell College’s 76th Annual Achievement Day Dinner and Celebration was held at the Muehlebach Tower of the Kansas City Marriott Downtown. Coach Bill Snyder was the honorary chairman. The William Jewell Citation for Achievement was awarded to three former student athletes, Jill Nagel, Vernon Percy Howard, and Phil Youtsey. John Sherman was the guest […]

When I first asked Chef Cherven Desauguste where he was from, he said, “Planet Earth.” This exemplifies his sense of humor and joie de vivre in terms of cooking and co-owning Mesob Restaurant, along with his fiancée, Chef Mehret Tesfamariam. Its new location is in the former Krokstrom Scandinavian Comfort Food, just across the street […]

Virginia Page was born on October 27, 1909. She was the daughter of Louise J. Page and Henry Clay Page. Her father was a lawyer. He was serving as the public administrator when he died unexpectedly at the age of 47 in 1922. Virginia graduated from Sunset Hill School in 1927. She attended Radcliffe College. On […]

In this age of coronavirus, there is only so much cooking a person can bear. Yes, baking can be soothing when you’re feeling anxious and cooped up. But let’s face it, we are all craving a bit of fresh air and a safe adventure. Ordering your next lunch or dinner from a food truck may […]

As the stay-at-home order continues, my news feed has been filled with images of parents and their kids attempting to figure out how to navigate this new world. Although I don’t have children, I have been enthralled at the activities that people have come up with and sympathetic to struggles that I can’t begin to […]

September 12th is the date for the Johnson County Library Foundation’s Library Lets Loose event. Cindy Wallis-Lage and Kent Lage are the honorary hosts for the party, which will be held at the Central Resource Library in Overland Park. Guests will enjoy libations, tasty fare, music, dancing, and activities. Also featured in the May 2, […]

Davin Gordon is a member of the Centurions Spring Class of 2021. He has served on the Urban Neighborhoods Task Force and is a member of the recruiting committee. Davin has made a commitment to helping Kansas City’s underserved neighborhoods. As the business development officer for AltCap, he is promoting the catalyst for investment in […]

Since being named to The Independent’s Rising Stars, Class of 2017, Shelly Doucet has been extremely busy with her work at the UMKC School of Education, where she is raising scholarship funds for future educators. She completed her service as president of the local Association of Fundraising Professionals and remains on the board as past […]

The Westin Kansas City at Crown Center was the site for Notre Dame de Sion Schools’ Gala Auction: A Toast to Sion. John Houlehan was the honorary chairman of the March 7th event. Katherine Bontrager Houlehan and Joe Houlehan, Megan Houlehan Timmons and Nick Timmons, Mary Ann and Matt Knopke, and Jen Ferguson Clarkson and […]

February 22nd was the magical day for the arrival of Conness Elizabeth Snively. This adorable baby girl is the daughter of Amy Blair Snively and Matthew Snively of Our Town. CeCe, as she is known, weighed six pounds, seven ounces, and was 19 and 1/2 inches long. She has blue eyes and brown hair. Her […]

February 29th was the date for The Children’s SPOT at Saint Luke’s Hospital’s School Night Out For SPOT. The festive event, which celebrated the organization’s 40th anniversary, was held at the Plexpod Westport Commons. Partygoers enjoyed the tunes of DJ Kirby and dined on creative cafeteria-inspired fare and drinks. Ed Matheny Jr., Bob West, and […]

By the time I left for college, I owned enough monogrammed items to be considered a walking Vera Bradley ad. I had my monogram on my bath towels, my makeup bag, and even a large Pi Beta Phi name sticker on my Jeep. Today, I can proudly say that although I no longer spotlight my […]

Janet and Darren Lovick will serve as chairmen of the Catholic Education Foundation’s Gaudeamus. The October 24th gala will be held at the Overland Park Convention Center. Proceeds help children in need, ages kindergarten through 12th grade, with scholarships to attend Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas. Also featured in the […]

Clare Tracy Wallendjack and Robert Pitt Powell were married on February 8th at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Boca Grande, Florida. The bride is the daughter of Teresa and Mark Wallendjack of Montclair, Virginia. Clare is the granddaughter of Lois O’Connor of Hackettstown, New Jersey, and the late Walter Wallendjack, and the late Louise and […]

Jessica Blubaugh is a member of the Centurions Spring Class of 2021. She serves on the steering committee and will step into the role of steering committee chairman in her second year of the program. Jessica is the director of WIN for KC (Women’s Intersport Network). As a division of the Kansas City Sports Commission […]

Ruth J. Brackney may be a partner/attorney with Lathrop GPM, but she spends a lot of her volunteer time supporting causes that involve animals. She is a volunteer with Wayside Waifs, which is committed to finding homes for all adoptable pets and is the largest pet adoption campus in Kansas City. Wayside Waifs does not […]

February 28th was the date for The HALO Foundation’s 15th annual HALO Kansas City ArtReach Auction. Annie and Ryan Anderson and Katrina and John Scott served as the honorary co-chairmen of the event, which was held at The Abbott. Several awards were presented, including Michelle Heath-Fisher and Todd Lowenstein, Volunteers of the Year; Mary Kemper […]

Stella and Susan Wally   Bambina * Anna Ricket   Thunder * Kate Humphrey   Henry * Ben and Jake Wolf   CJ * Anna Ricket   Lilly Mullen * Trip Mullen and Katie Black Photo Credit: Shelley Castle Photography   Frazier * Anna Ricket   Norman * Robert Hentzen   Astro and Hndrxx * Ashle […]

SevenDays-Make a Ripple, Change the World volunteers are taking a tragedy and turning it into a ripple of inclusion, wholeness, and nurturing, and creating a wave of positive change for the future. Each year, seven days in the spring are designated to a variety of programs and activities focusing on kindness. This year, Virtual SevenDays […]

The coronavirus has changed everything, especially the way we eat. Some of us are cooking more. Many of us are picking up or having food delivered. As I am writing this, we are a few days into our 30-day shelter in place. In other words, only essential services will be available. But restaurants and caterers […]

March 5th was the date for Heart of America Council, Boy Scouts of America’s Patron Luncheon. Doug Price served as chairman of the event, which was held at the Kansas City Convention Center. More than 1,000 guests enjoyed keynote remarks from Terry Fossum, an Eagle Scout, author, and adventurer.   Terry Fossum, guest speaker   […]