In His Shoes
Eighteen year old Josh Metje has a prestigious scholarship awaiting him at NYU, but to get there, he’s faced his own share of tragedy. After his brother was murdered, Metje struggled with overwhelming grief. He credits his teachers with helping him through the trauma and with his academic success. Follow “Take Note: Our City. Our Schools. Our…
Forget Freud: Dreams Replay Our Everyday Lives
Thanks to Sigmund Freud, we all know what it means to dream about swords, sticks and umbrellas. Or maybe we don’t. “For 100 years, we got stuck into that Freudian perspective on dreams, which turned out to be not scientifically very accurate,” says Robert Stickgold, a sleep researcher and associate professor of psychiatry at Harvard…
Tap List | Casual Animal Brewing Coming to the Crossroads
Husband and wife Kyle and Lara Gray aim to open Casual Animal Brewing (1725 McGee), a brewery and taproom, in the Crossroads by the end of 2017. “We chose the Crossroads because it’s a makers community, known for its art, food, walkability, and microbrewery scene,” said Kyle, Casual Animal’s brewer. The brewery’s name suggests an atmosphere…
Howard’s Adding Groceries and Homegrown Produce to Its Crossroads Menu
By Kevin Collison Howard’s has gained a tasty reputation for its healthy cafe menu since opening in the Crossroads in September 2015, and now is expanding to become a downtown neighborhood source for groceries and homegrown produce too. Craig Howard opened his all-things-food place at 1708 Oak St. after the building housing his previous grocery…
Coming To Peace
One June morning, in 2002, the bells at a Benedictine abbey in northwest Missouri tolled dozens of times The 83 rings was not random, coming a day after a murderous rampage inside Conception Abbey. The number represented the combined number of years two slain monks had lived at the abbey, which is located about 100…
America’s Growing Taste For Mezcal Is Good For Mexico’s Small Producers
A traditional drink is giving a boost to the economy of one of the poorest states in Mexico. It’s called mezcal, a pungent booze made from the agave plant — the same plant used to make Mexico’s biggest spirit export, tequila. Investors north of the border are taking notice of Mezcal’s newfound popularity and are…
Casual Animal Brewing Plans to Join Growing Kansas City Crossroads ‘Neigh-brew-hood’ By End of This Year
By Kevin Collison Kyle Gray and his wife Lara are joining the microbrewery herd in the East Crossroads later this year with Casual Animal Brewing at 1725 McGee St. “We’re pretty excited about what’s developing down there,” Gray said, “and we’re happy to join the revolution and revitalization that’s underway.” The couple are opening in…
Kansas City Streetcar Authority Receives Go Ahead to Order Two New Cars
The Kansas City Streetcar Authority has received the final go ahead to order two additional streetcars that are expected to be delivered in summer 2019. The decision to purchase two more streetcars at a cost of $4.9 million each was endorsed by the Kansas City Council Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Thursday. It comes at a…
Repeal 18th Bar & Bistro is Open & Other Weekend Possibilities
Summer is here and it’s time to dine al fresco. Shawnee is hosting Parked, a food truck festival with fireworks and live music at Stump Park (4751 Woodland Drive, Shawnee, Kansas) tonight from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. Werner’s, Drasko’s BBQ, Pita for Good, and the Taste of Brazil market will be among the food trucks…
Port KC Kicks Off New Marketing Effort for Downtown Kansas City Riverfront
By Kevin Collison The Port Authority of Kansas City is making a renewed effort to promote development on the downtown riverfront, seeking to capitalize on a new 410-unit apartment project going up by Berkley Park and a potential extension of the streetcar to the area. The authority, which refers to itself as Port KC, held…
Hello Atelier | From Students to Teachers
Episode 15 | Brandon Mably A chance meeting at a bus stop propelled textile artist Brandon Mably from a career in catering to his life as a designer. Known for his bold and graphic use of color, Mably isn’t content to create by himself; he also shares his colorful talent with his global students. As he puts…
Sympathetic Vibrations | Transplanted Roots
Fate came knocking in Bolivia in 2011 when artist Amado Espinoza was invited to compose music for a project by director Karen Lisondra, an American who had travelled to Bolivia from Kansas City. The two collaborated on the theater project and fell in in love during the process. Their show premiered in Bolivia in 2012,…
Libraries Out Loud | Preview
Libraries have always had their fans, but the hushed, warehouse experience of the past is gone. In fact, there has been an important revolution in what our libraries do, and here in Kansas City we have some of the best in the country. Through a series of four short films, Flatland explores and celebrates four…
UMKC to Seek Alternative Funding for Downtown Kansas City Conservatory; Gov. Greitens Vetoes Legislation for Matching State Money
Despite overwhelming support from the Missouri Legislature, Gov. Eric Greitens has vetoed state funding for the proposed $96 million Downtown UMKC Conservatory project. “Today, Governor Eric Greitens vetoed a bill that would have asked Missouri taxpayers to pay for a new building for dancers and art students in Kansas City,” according to a statement released…
New Church of the Resurrection Under Construction in Downtown Kansas City, Opening in Spring 2018
By Kevin Collison Construction has begun on the foundation of the new, $6 million Church of the Resurrection on a parking lot once used by The Kansas City Star, a symbol of both the church’s rapid growth and the burgeoning downtown residential community it serves. The 15,236 square-foot church will accommodate 440 worshipers and is…