Tap List | Apex Aleworks Begins Brewery Construction
The owner of an Independence, Missouri, homebrew supply shop has plans to provide inspiration to hobbyist brewers in the Kansas City area. By April, Jeremy Parratt, owner of Apex Brew and BBQ Supplies (4360 Noland Road, Independence, Missouri), plans to open Apex Aleworks, a 1,500-square-foot brewery and 49-seat taproom. The brewery will occupy the former offices of…
Streetcar Steps Up the Pace
The Kansas City Streetcar Authority has more than doubled the availability of 10-minute wait times by better synchronizing its operations with downtown traffic signals. Tom Gerend, streetcar executive director, said service changes will increase the amount of time 10-minute headways are used from 25 service hours to 61 hours with the new schedule, a 144…
An Exchange of a Lifetime
By Debbie Coleman-Topi Amid the riots unleashed following the 1968 assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., a spark of hope quietly ignited in the center of the country. That flicker was right here, in Kansas City, where Catholic leaders launched an experiment that confronted race head-on by bringing black and white students literally face to…
Crossroads Academy Finds Downtown Home for 600-Student Prep School
By Kevin Collison The Crossroads Academy has found a permanent home for its long-awaited downtown high school, the historic Thayer Building at 816 Broadway. Acquiring the building marks the culmination of a educational journey that began in 2012 when the downtown charter school opened with 190 elementary students in a former office building at 1015…
Sympathetic Vibrations | The World is Your Classroom
As those who have studied any academic, cultural or musical discipline know well, immersion can be the one of the best teachers in the world. There is perhaps no better local example of that idea than Beau Bledsoe, founder and artistic director of Ensemble Iberica – a group of Kansas City musicians exploring music from…
Victoria Afternoon Tea & Other Weekend Possibilities
The Ainsworth (11563 Ash Street, Leawood, Kansas) hosts The Bumble Games from 8 to 10:30 p.m. Friday night. It’s a beer pong tournament with two drinks included ($15). This is the only local outpost for the restaurant and bar, which has locations in New Jersey and New York City, and is known for its macaroni-and-cheese burger….
Streetcar Extension to Isle of Capri Casino May Be in the Cards
By Kevin Collison The Kansas City Streetcar Authority may push its planned riverfront extension to the Isle of Capri, a strategic move that would connect the isolated casino to major downtown convention hotels. While the idea is still in the early stages, officials note the link to the gambling destination could bolster the city’s appeal…
Best Eat In the House | Novel’s Duck Neck Dumplings
Best Eat in the House features dining recommendations from people in and around Kansas City. For this episode, chef Michael Smith, of Michael Smith and Extra Virgin, came in to talk about the duck neck dumplings at Novel (815 W. 17th St.). We traveled to the West Side to chat with chef and co-owner Ryan…
Show Me | Susan Lordi Marker
Artist Susan Lordi Marker creates each of her Willow Tree figurines by hand in her studio in Kansas City. The nationally-known sculptures are hand painted and reflect the wide variety of life’s moments and emotions. Lordi Marker says Kansas City is witnessing an artistic transformation, and she’s excited to be a part of it. The…
Folly Theater Upgrade Receives Major Donation from Kemper Foundation
By Kevin Collison The Folly Theater has made a dramatic stride toward accomplishing a major interior renovation project with a $775,000 donation from the William T. Kemper Foundation. The historic theater wants to raise $1.55 million to upgrade its lobby and Shareholders Room as part of its Folly 2020 campaign. The gift from the Kemper…
Tap List | The Kids Are All Right
Should brewery and craft beer taprooms welcome parents and their children? A recent Vinepair article titled “If You Don’t Want Kids at Your Local Taproom, You’re Missing the Point,” explored the question and looked at a new trend across the country. The article cited brewers and brewery founders around the United States who established taprooms…
Casual Animal Now Crowling the East Crossroads
By Kevin Collison It took a bit longer than anticipated, but Casual Animal has joined the microbrewery herd in the East Crossroads and proprietor Kyle Gray hopes to add some Fort Collins friendliness to the neighborhood. “My inspiration came from living in Fort Collins,” he said. “It’s a small town, but there’s about 20 breweries….
Searching For Her Dad’s Technical High School
By Jack Harvel Like so many men of his generation, Jack Harrigan was a small-town kid born early in the 20th century, weathered the Great Depression, fought in World War II, then returned home to raise a family while working a blue-collar job until passing away in 1990 at the age of 75. His daughter…
East Crossroads Project Will Likely Include Over 300 Apartments
By Kevin Collison A development in the works for a two-block site in the East Crossroads will likely include more than 300 apartments and significant commercial space, according to an attorney for the developer, Indianapolis-based Milhaus. Attorney Chris Kline told the Planned Industrial Expansion Authority Thursday that details are still being prepared by Milhaus but…
Singers Extend Range Beyond Their Own Faith Tradition
Elizabeth Birger is Jewish, but she is also a professional musician with a love for all kinds of religious works, which is how she ended up singing with a Christian church choir in Wichita some years back. At one point there she was asked to prepare kids to sing in an upcoming worship service. The…