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March 2, 2010
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Community News | Sports | Opinion | Close Window
Family raising funds to adopt another ‘special needs’ child
By KRISTIN RULON
Community Reporter
 To some, Mark and Dana Emmons might seem to have their hands full with two 4-year-olds and a 13-year-old.
Some might say that they have enough children to care for.
The Emmonses say otherwise.
“There is always room for one more,” Dana said.
And they are making room for one more with the upcoming adoption of Levi, an infant boy in China who has been promised to the family.
It’s clear Dana is passionate about adopting, and it all stemmed from a paper she wrote in college at the age of 20. Ever since, adopting was something Dana knew she had to do.
As Mark and Dana looked into adoption Dana became pregnant with Ezekiel, which Mark thought would halt the adoption discussion.
“I thought that she just wanted to have another baby,” Mark confessed. “That wasn’t the case.”
It was clear then that Dana was serious about adopting. The family, with baby Ezekiel in tow, traveled to China and adopted 11-month old Alycia.
With only five months between Ezekiel and Alycia and the fact the Alycia was born without her right hand and part of her forearm, it was evident that the Emmonses were going to experience some challenges.
But it was nothing Mark and Dana couldn’t handle. Alycia transitioned into the family well, especially with Ezekiel being the same age.
It’s apparent the family has a positive outlook on Alycia’s disability. Mark and Dana, who had her in occupational therapy and now have her in speech therapy, worked with Alycia to use her right foot as a hand.
“Friends would ask how we did it,” Dana explained. “I said we just showed her how to do it and then left the room.”
Which wasn’t easy, Dana admits, hearing her frustrations.
“You don’t realize in the way we are made how much your two arms and two legs affect your balance,” Dana said. “Alycia has to think about her balance constantly.”
And in order for Mark and Dana to teach Alycia to do tasks with one hand, they themselves had to learn how to do tasks with one hand to teach her.
Hard work has paid off for the Emmonses, as Alycia can do pretty much anything, cut paper with her foot holding the paper, put her socks on, draw and even beat her brother Ezekiel at an Xbox game.
Alycia knows she is different but it doesn’t phase her. Dana and Mark worked with her on what to say when people ask and stare, which, Dana said, 90 percent do but Alycia doesn’t notice it yet.
“We tell her to tell them when they ask to say that ‘God made me this way,’ ” Dana said. “ ‘The way they made you.’ ”
Though Alycia usually has no trouble answering children’s questions, some days she uses her sense of humor to answer or shows her right arm from the get-go to get it out of the way.
“Alycia came home and said some kid was asking about her arm. We were ready to go over the usual response,” Dana said. “Then she said she told then that her arm fell off in the middle of the night and would grow back tomorrow.”
It is because of Alycia that Mark and Dana know they are prepared to adopt another child with special needs. Levi was born without his right hand and part of his forearm.
“What Levi goes through Alycia will have already been through,” Dana said.
Excitement fills Alycia’s eyes when her mother asks her about Levi.
“He’s just like me, Mom,” Alycia boasts.
Ezekiel and Mitchell are also looking forward to Levi who, if all goes timely with the adoption, will be in the United States by October or November.
“I get toys up high for him,” Ezekiel boasted.
A hurdle the Emmonses have to overcome is the amount of money they need to raise to finish Levi’s adoption through Adoption Advocates International.
The Emmonses are in full fundraising mode with plans for several events throughout the year to raise the $18,000 needed.
One fundraiser happening now is a raffle for a side of beef with processing. Raffle tickets are $5, which Mark is selling at his job in Excelsior, Magna Seating Systems, 301 S. McCleary Rd. Upcoming fundraisers include selling raffle tickets at a Harley-Davidson event in St. Joseph, an Orphan Adoption Walk-a-thon on May 22 in Gower, where the family resides, through His Kids Too, a not-for-profit organization. Also, there is the Plattsburg Biggest Loser Competition walk at 10 a.m. on April 17, at JJ’s Restaurant and Catering with 100 percent of the proceeds going toward bringing Levi home.
Dana is also looking into fundraisers at some of Excelsior’s annual events. She also has a Web page dedicated to getting Levi here. Anyone interested in donating to the Emmon’s adoption and following the Emmon’s progress as they get closer to Levi’s “Gotcha Day,” which is the day you receive a child, can go to www.levijourneyhome.zooloo.com.
Council starts to set up for zone
By Eric Copeland
Managing Editor
The Excelsior Springs City Council began laying the groundwork for a new Enhanced Enterprise Zone that would encompass not just the city, but also Kearney, Mosby, Prathersville and part of the unincorporated area near these communities.
In a series of unanimous votes, the council put in place a new section of the city’s code to establish an Enhanced Enterprise Zone Board, then appointed five members of that board.
A sixth member would be appointed by the Excelsior Springs School District, and the remaining taxing districts would appoint one representative to cover all their interests.
The zone would provide tax credits for new or expanded businesses within its boundaries. Excelsior Springs would serve as the primary entity for the zone; the other areas covered would essentially be included at no cost to themselves.
City Manager David Haugland said Excelsior Springs was in an Enterprise Zone in the past, but when state law changed, the former districts were dissolved. City leaders have been working with consultant Molly McGovern and the Mid-America Regional Council to re-establish a district.
The five EEZ Board members representing the city are H.A. Dickey, Mike Edwards, Bill Griffey II, Kelli Rice and Rodney Rounkles. Those five, also serve on the TIF Board. They will meet for a work session March 18, and a public hearing will be held at 3 p.m. Monday, March 29, in the council chambers at the Hall of Waters, 201 E. Broadway.
Bridge meeting is this afternoon
The Missouri Department of Transportation will hold a session today during which area residents can learn more about Excelsior Springs area bridges that will close for repair or replacement this year.
Two bridges in Excelsior Springs, one at the west end and one at the east end, as well as the Missouri 92 bridge over Williams Creek are slated for work this year.
The session will take place from 4-6 p.m. in the commons area at Excelsior Springs High School, 612 Tiger Dr.
Driver’s Ed stations to close for training day
Capt. Robert L. Powell, the commanding officer of the Missouri State Highway Patrol’s Troop A region, headquartered in Lee’s Summit, has announced that all the driver examination stations located in the region will be closed Tuesday, March 9, for mandatory employee training.
Normal testing hours will resume throughout Troop A on Wednesday, March 10, Powell said.
Nixle helps catch wanted suspect
The new Nixle police alert system helped to capture a “most wanted” criminal in Excelsior Springs Saturday.
On Friday, an alert went out for Candealario “Candy” Diaz, 41, who was wanted on a probation violation stemming from a child molestation charge. At about 9:30 a.m. Saturday, a tipster led police to Diaz, who was arrested without incident at Crown Hill Plaza Shopping Center. He is being held without bond.
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Annual Jump Rope for Heart raises $7,000
for American Heart Association
With a record 150 jumpers at this year’s Jump Rope for Heart, the annual event raised $7,000 for the American Heart Association, with $2,000 of that total specifically from online donations.
The one-hour event on Thursday, Feb. 25, had the jumpers broken up into teams spread throughout the Westview Elementary Gym.
Jumpers were asked to jump 50 times before handing the rope to the next person in their group. Each group was supervised by an adult as music played to motivate the students.
The event was dedicated to Eric Britzinghoffer, a three-time heart attack survivor and substitute teacher, who the students at Westview have grown to call “Mr.B.”
Britzinghoffer was awarded with a plaque from the American Heart Association at the event.
Jothy Pallikkathayil, a representative with the American Heart Association who has worked with Westview P.E. Teacher and Jump Rope for Heart Coordinator Sherri Branson-Hurt for the four years, spoke to the students about the importance of their efforts.
“I work with 200 schools,” Pallikkathayil said.. “Not one does an event like this. We are lucky and truly blessed to have your school do Jump Rope For Heart for the American Heart Association.”
Pallikkathayil also mentioned Hurt’s dedication to the event (this is her 28th year sponsoring Jump Rope for Heart.)
“She does Jump Rope for Heart the way I wish every school would do,” Pallikkathayil confessed. “Not by structure but by enthusiasm, by results. You can see it in every kid. They know why they are doing it, why they jump.”
Meet the Need now open at old location
Meet the Need Inc. has established assistance offices and a food pantry at their old location, 1302 N. Jesse James Road in Excelsior Springs.
There will be an open house from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, March 6.
This will give the community an opportunity to see the assistance center and the plan for rebuilding the Meet the Need Flea Market and Thrift Store.
The assistance center is open by appointment with the most assistance being given out on Wednesday.
Meet the Need offers several types of assistance including a food pantry, clothing, household items, some hygiene products, school supplies, sports and school fees, small occasional prescriptions, minimal emergency dental and work assistance.
The newest program, MTN, will be implementing a bi-monthly evening food pantry to assist those who are working but still need food.
To make an appointment at Meet the Need call (816) 630-5221.
Annual I CARE Conference set for this Saturday at ESHS
The 12th annual I CARE Conference will be from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, March 6, at the Excelsior Springs High School, 612 Tiger Drive.
The event is designed for caregivers of young children and has a showcase of exhibits, workshops and a keynote speaker.
There will be a continental breakfast to begin the event followed by keynote speaker Jill Molli’s, loving guidance associate, “Sit Still, Pay Attention and Look at Me: Understanding and Developing Attention Skills in all Children.”
Molli has a Master’s Degree in counseling, a B.A. in elementary education and 15 years of experience working with children with behavior problems. Since 2003, she has been the owner and operator of Connecting with Kids, a business whose mission is to build connections in families and classrooms.
Molli also volunteers weekly in preschool and elementary settings and quarterly in an alternative high school.
Workshops at the conference are filled on a first-come, first served basis due to limited space.
The Bureau of Child Care Safety and Licensing has made five clock hours available for those attending the workshop. Clock hour certificates can be picked up following each workshop session.
Those attending can bring their own lunch or purchase subs or salads and drinks at the school.
Advance lunch tickets will be available prior to the first workshop.
In case of inclement weather contact (816) 630-9284.
Registration forms with a registration fee of $20 was due Friday, Feb.26.
The non-profit conference is sponsored by Birth to 5 Council, Excelsior Springs School District, Excelsior Springs Kiwanis Club and Delta Kappa Gamma, an educational sorority of Excelsior Springs and Kearney.
Family Fun Night, Annual Raffle at Elkhorn Elementary
Elkhorn’s annual Family Fun Night and Annual Raffle will be from 5 to 8 p.m. on Saturday, March 13, in the Elkhorn gym, 34684 Hwy. 10 Enjoy rides, food and carnival rides for all ages.
Tickets for the raffle are a $1 each or $5 for six tickets.
Some of the items being raffled include: a 42” 1080 LCD TV, an eight gig i-Pod Touch (third edition), and five gift baskets valued at $600 each.
Tickets to participate are four tickets for $1, wristbands sold before the event are $7 and $8 that evening.
Wristband purchases allow unlimited inflatable use.
Carnival games require one to three tickets, four to six tickets for rides and two to six tickets for food.
There will also be a kid’s raffle, mechanical bull, lazer tag and more. Rubber sole shoes are required in the gym.
To buy tickets or wristbands in advance, contact Tammy at (816) 457-1393, or Janet at (816) 716-5442.
GSC’s Feinstein challenge kicks-off this month
The Excelsior Springs Good Samaritan Center will once again be participating in Feinstein Challenge from March 1 to April 30.
For the 13th consecutive year, Alan Shawn Feinstein will divide $1 million among anti-hunger agencies nationwide using it as a spur to raise funds during March and April.
The more money Good Samaritan raises, the more of the $1 million dollars the Center will receive when the money is divided.
Donations can range from cash, checks and food items (valued at $1 per pound.)
All monies raised from the 10th annual Tortoise and Hare Walk/Run/Roll, scheduled for April 24 at the Elm’s Resort and Spa, will be applied toward the challenge.
For more information on the challenge go to www.feinsteinfoundation.org and for more information on the Walk/Run go to the Center’s Web site www.goodsamaritancenter.com or contact Jennifer Chappel at (816) 630-2718 ext.23. |
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Oak Grove sneaks by Tigers in final game
By DUSTIN CARROLL
Sports Writer
The Tigers Junior Varsity team wrapped up their season against Oak Grove, falling 52-46.
The game was one that Coach Trent Johnson described as being one that summed up the teams’ season.
“One half of basketball that I wish I would have just stayed at home and then the next half we looked like we could have beat any team in America,” said Johnson.
The Tigers struggled to find their offense in the first half. Turning the ball over on many occasions, Excelsior gave Oak Grove numerous chances to widen their lead. A lead that the Tigers could just never get back after falling behind 32-16 after the first half of play.
“We got down early in the second Quarter and never really could crawl out of that hole,” said Johnson.
After halftime a new team emerged from the Tigers locker room as Excelsior came out and began to play like the team we have seen all season. The Tigers secured the ball and came out with great energy as they looked to cut into the lead of Oak Grove.
As minutes passed in the game the Tigers inched closer and closer to Oak Grove. The team looked determined and made the Panthers work for every point they got during the final 16 minutes of play, going all out on every play.
“That was the trademark of this group,” said Johnson. “Play whistle to whistle and leave everything on the floor. They felt that every night whether they won or lost, the effort and energy they put on the floor would hopefully pass on to the varsity for their game.”
A big part of the Tigers success in the second half was due to the great effort underneath of Scott Marshall. Marshall, who had a big season for the Tigers and looks to be a key part in next year’s varsity teams success, completely took over the second half. Putting up 18 points and bringing down eight rebounds, Marshall refused to be stopped under the basket as the Panthers had no answer for him. Marshall’s play not only helped get the Tigers back into the game on the scoreboard, he helped get the team back into the game mentally as well.
“He became the leader on the floor and the kids fed off of his intensity,” said Johnson.
With the Tigers knocking down their shots, the defense went to work, getting the ball back into the hands of play makers Logan McGregor and Austin Lewis. And as the full-court pressure began to get to the Panthers, those two had many chances to draw the Tigers closer to the Oak Grove lead.
“I told the kids at half that when the shots start to fall, our press becomes pretty hard to break with our athleticism,” said Johnson.
The Tigers athleticism is one of the things that made this team so dangerous. Many of the teams that they have played this year haven’t been able to match up to their hustle and quickness and when the Tigers put it all together, they were very dangerous.
With a minute left in the game the Tigers were unable to come up with some big free-throws but were able to fight back and make their final game of the season a very exciting one. Out-scoring the Panthers 30-20 in the second half and completely turning their game around in just a matter of minutes.
And while Johnson and his Tigers wished they could have ended the season on a high note, the team has to be very proud of what they did in a game that looked to be over after the first half.
The JV squad wrapped up their season with a 6-13 record and at times they played like a team that could have beat just about anyone in the state. The team saw leaders emerge as the season went along, something that Johnson hopes carries over into next year as they look to move up to the Varsity level.
“I had a great group of kids and many of them became leaders on the floor and hopefully for these kids they can continue their success on and off the floor for the rest of their time in the ESHS Basketball Program,” said Johnson.
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History Mystery serves a purpose
If you’ve been watching the Standard lately, you’ve probably noticed that we’re expanding our coverage and content, and we hope you’re finding features you like.
One of those newer features is the History Mystery contest, which every two weeks presents a photograph of an easily-overlooked detail of our community’s history and challenges readers to identify it.
During the off weeks, we name the winner drawn from all the correct entries, reveal the answer and tell more about the history behind the photo. So far, the response has been good and steadily improving.
This contest, the result of discussions with Web site designers Kevin and Sonya Morgan with cooperation from the Excelsior Springs Museum & Archives, the Hall of Waters Visitor Center and Excelsior Springs Bottling Company, is designed to serve several purposes.
Not only is it a new feature for the newspaper, but it also draws interest to the rich history of our community. It gets people talking about our past, and also ideally will get people motivated to visit the museum and visitor center and to drink our locally-produced bottled water.
Watch for more History Mystery contests in upcoming weeks, and if you know the answer—or if you’ve got even a reasonable guess—don’t hesitate to join the fun.
D.C. gridlock? What’s the problem?
By ERIC COPELAND
Managing Editor
Government is at a standstill. It’s frozen—total gridlock. It’s all because of the “Party of NO.”
I’ve seen these headlines, and I’ve heard the talking heads speak of it on the news—both TV and radio.
And I may make a few people angry when I say this, but I fail to see the problem. To me, a day in which Congress gets nothing done is usually a pretty good day.
This isn’t a Republican versus Democrat thing. I know right now the big issue is with health insurance reform, but several years back, when Bush was in the White House, it was Social Security reform, education reform and amnesty for illegal immigrants.
The first and third items in that list didn’t come to pass. And why was that? Because there were people in Congress (especially when it came to Social Security reform, I believe it was mostly Democrats) who said, “no.” The second happened, but most people now (and more than a few people then) recognize that the No Child Left Behind Act was, at best, flawed. And I’m willing to bet that quite a few people wish more in Congress had said “no” back then.
Government gridlock isn’t always a good thing, of course. There are some things—for example, the day-to-day operations of the country—that require Congress to act. And for many of those things, a simple majority vote is enough to get things moving.
But for major legislation like the health insurance reform issue before them now, it requires enough of a majority to override any filibusters that the opposition puts forth.
That’s the way the Founding Fathers designed things, and I don’t think it’s a bad idea. After all, while Democrats may currently hold the White House and both the Senate and the House and Representatives, that won’t be true forever. Moreover, the general public isn’t 100 percent behind the health insurance reform issue. It depends on which poll you use, of course, but even the polls that show the most support still don’t reveal an overwhelming majority in favor of the current plan.
I know that government can’t be run like the typical household. For home budgeting, if the electrical bill is high, other funds—say, the “eating out” budget—can be used to cover the shortfall. That can’t always happen in government. Some funds are dedicated to one or another use and absolutely CANNOT be redirected to cover a shortfall elsewhere.
I know that.
But when the government is totally out of money, as the U.S. government apparently is, I fail to see how gridlock could be a bad thing. We’re in debt up to our grandchildren’s eyeballs and borrowing more every single month. When there’s no money, then action by Congress on sweeping legislation such as the health insurance reform bill is just plain irresponsible, in my view.
There’s talk that health insurance reform may happen using a process called reconciliation that requires only a simple majority vote. I understand that for those who support this legislature, it seems to be an issue that’s worth addressing in this way. But I’d caution them to not move too quickly on that. Not only could that plan come back and bite the lawmakers come election day, but also it would set a precedent. Someday there may be other issues that face a similar uphill battle—and these issues may not be so agreeable to those pushing for this legislation.
Now, I’m not advocating that Washington, D.C., grind to a complete halt. There is still the day-to-day business of the nation to attend to, and there are some things we simply have to do.
But when it comes to big changes (and I think everyone, pro or con, would agree that health insurance reform represents a big change) that aren’t fully supported by the public, I think there are plenty of reasons to slow things down.
Gridlock in D.C.? It seems to me that government’s working fine. |
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