SM West fine arts teacher wins statewide award

Greg Schieszer, a fine arts teacher at Shawnee Mission West High School, is the Kansas Art Education Association’s Kansas Outstanding Secondary Art Educator for 2017-18.

He is being honored for his contributions to art in the school district, the arts community, and professional organizations.

Lenexa schedules Quivira Road meeting

By next May, Lenexa expects to complete its Quivira Road Corridor Study, which will help the city create a long-term vision for Quivira from 79th to 99th streets.

Meanwhile, the second of three public workshops on the topic is scheduled from 6 to 8 p.m. on Nov. 16 in the City Council Chambers, where the city and its consulting team will share plan options developed with input from the public and an advisory committee.

Ten-minute overview presentations will be given at 6:15 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., followed by interactive discussions.

The study focuses on land-use enhancements, growth, increased access to various kinds of transportation, and development of a sense of place.

Residents and other interested parties can provide written feedback at the meeting or go online afterward at www.lenexa.com.

Olathe seeks input on bike sharing

The city of Olathe is exploring the idea of a bike-share program that allows riders to check out and return bicycles at convenient locations near businesses, transit, entertainment venues, and recreation destinations.

Those interested are invited to share their thoughts about bike-sharing locations, as well as routes that are comfortable or difficult to ride, by visiting OlatheBikeShare.com.

Users can drop a pin on the map where they think a bike-share station would be useful, draw a line for suggested routes, and provide comments.

Honor vets, keep porch lights on Nov. 11

Local communities are observing Veterans Day on Nov. 11 in a variety of ways.

▪ ▪ Overland Park, Sprint, and partner organizations will thank veterans with a free celebration from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Nov. 9 on the Sprint campus, 6200 Sprint Parkway.

Those attending can see A-10 Thunderbolts, military helicopters, and vintage military vehicles; an aerial performance by the BeechNutz formation team; and local athletes, including football Hall of Famer Will Shields. The public is welcome.

▪ ▪ The annual Johnson County Veterans Day observance is scheduled at 11 a.m. on Nov. 11 at the Korean War Veterans Memorial, 119th Street and Lowell Ave. in Overland Park.

Korean Ambassador for Peace Medals will be awarded to 33 veterans of that war who have not yet received the medals. South Korea, which will have representatives at the ceremony, established the medal program to thank those who helped protect the country from communism.

▪ ▪ The Shawnee city calendar lists a 4 p.m. event Nov. 11 at the Shawnee Civic Centre. 13817 Johnson Drive. The city is joining VFW Post 10552, American Legion Post 327, and the Sons of the American Revolution-Monticello Chapter in organizing the event.

▪ ▪ The Leawood Historic Commission is urging residents to continue an old tradition by turning on their porch lights Nov. 11.

During World War II, the city said, many Americans kept porch lights on for the “boys” overseas and, at war’s end, many left the lights on as a symbolic way for the solders to find their way home. Later, some towns turned on porch lights during specific evening hours to honor veterans.

Blue Valley CAPS program honored

The Blue Valley School District’s Center for Advanced Professional Studies (CAPS) has received the STEM School of Excellence Award for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education.

The award was given last month during the international STEM Expo in Branson. CAPS was one of three award recipients, and the only school in Kansas to receive the honor.

CAPS is a nationally recognized high school STEM program that enables students to explore professional fields through profession-based inquiry, learning, and problem solving — all while receiving high school and college credit.

Faculty members at CAPS work with business professionals to develop coursework and real-world problems. As a result, the curriculum evolves to mirror industry trends and market changes.

‘Tellabration’ features stories with live animals

Some stories go better with live animals, and those are the focus of Tellabration on Nov. 18, an Olathe event tied to the International Day of Storytelling.

The stories will combine the themes of environmental awareness and ancient myths.

Tellabration begins at 10:30 a.m. at the Ernie Miller Nature Center, 909 N. Kansas 7. The cost is $3 per adult or child.

Call 913-764-7759 to reserve a spot.

Ornaments being sold for Shawnee Mayor’s Tree

The city of Shawnee is selling $5 ornaments to benefit the Shawnee Mayor’s Christmas Tree Fund, which this year is supporting the Shawnee Storm Special Olympics and Shawnee Community Services.

The ornaments, which have been handmade by children in Shawnee, will be placed on the Mayor’s Christmas Tree with the donors’ names on them.

They can be purchased through the city’s website as well as in person at City Hall or the Civic Centre.

Experience 1860s-style dinner at Mahaffie

The Mahaffie Stagecoach Stop & Farm invites the public to two 1860s-style dining experiences Nov. 18 and Dec. 9, where — after a stagecoach ride — diners will be greeted by historical interpreters in period clothing and served a meal of stewed beef, mashed potatoes, green beans, bread, and winter preserves.

After dinner, attendees can visit animals with a farmer or retire to the parlor for games, dessert, and music.

The dinners, from 4 to 7 p.m. each night, cost $49 per person and registration for each is limited to 14 participants. The experience is recommended for ages 8 and up.

Visit Mahaffie.org or call 913-971-5111.

Olathe computer students win KU competition

Four students in the Computer Science Academy at Olathe South High School received first place in the University of Kansas School of Engineering’s High School Design Programming Competition.

Seniors Drake Prebyl and Aron Wiley along with juniors Cameron Johnson and Mat Besch each earned $500 scholarships from the KU engineering school.

The victory is the third in four years for the Computer Science Academy. During a timed challenge, students had to solve a series of problems that tested their knowledge of programming logic and algorithmic thinking.

This story was originally published November 3, 2017 at 12:20 AM with the headline "SM West fine arts teacher wins statewide award."