Local seventh-grader becomes published illustrator of children’s book
Madison Cole has yet to enter high school, but she’s already a published illustrator.
A seventh-grader at Hocker Grove Middle School, Cole collaborated with author Kevin Robinson to provide images for “The Grandfather and Grandmother Bear Stories,” a beginning reader with life lessons.
Robinson, seeking an illustrator, was impressed by samples he received of Cole’s watercolor illustrations.
“I read the book and made the drawings the way I saw the story in my head,” Madison said in a news release.
January meeting to focus on Overland Park’s future
Overland Park has embarked on a months-long exercise to plan the city’s way forward during the next 20 years or more.
The visioning process, dubbed ForwardOP, will seek input from residents and others as the plan takes shape. The city hired Planning Next to help lead the project, which should be completed late next summer.
As part of the process, an “Imagine Tomorrow” workshop has been scheduled for 7 p.m. on Jan. 30 at the Overland Park Convention Center, 6000 College Blvd.
The main speaker will be Peter Kageyama, who will challenge attendees to think differently about Overland Park. According to a city news release, Kageyama believes people who love their city are those who are “emotionally engaged” with it.
The session is free and open to the public, but RSVPs are requested at ForwardOP.org.
Leawood troupe announces next year’s shows
The Leawood Stage Company will present a season of “Shows with Purpose” in 2018. Each production will feature a philanthropic event as the company marks its 20th anniversary.
The schedule includes:
▪ Spring 2018: “An Enchanted Evening: A Musical Retrospective.” This revue will compile favorite Broadway songs performed over all 20 seasons, sung by vocalists from the past productions.
▪ July 13-17 and 19-21: “West Side Story” at Ironwoods Park. Set in 1957 New York City, the production is a musical retelling of Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet.”
▪ September 7-9: “Bark! The Musical” at Ironwoods Park. This will be the Kansas City premiere of a show that follows six canine characters for a day at doggie daycare. (The three performances and the companion Bark in the Park event will benefit Leawoof Dog Park and local pet agencies.)
▪ Nov. 1- 4: “Mame,” at Ironwoods Park. Newly orphaned Patrick comes to New York to live with his flamboyant and fearless Auntie Mame.
Other offerings include the 14th annual “Taking Tea with Shakespeare” afternoon tea on March 25. The tea is presented in partnership with the Magna Carta and Royal Arms Chapters of the Daughters of the Barn Players.
For auditions and show details, go to www.leawoodstageco.org.
For information on how to become a volunteer, actor, musician, theater tech or audience member, contact the city’s cultural arts coordinator, April Bishop, at 913-663-9157 or aprilb@leawood.org.
Civics experience offered to Olathe residents
Applications are due Jan. 2 for the 2018 Olathe Civic Academy, where citizens meet to learn about city government and how to get involved.
Participants also can meet city officials and others interested in government.
The free academy will run for nine sessions on Thursday evenings from Jan. 11 through March 8. Dinner is included.
Visit OlatheKS.org for more information and to apply. Space is limited.
Brain battle nets $20,000 for Olathe East
By winning the Spartan Award at the Burns & McDonnell Battle of the Brains competition, third-place finisher Olathe East High School brought home $20,000.
For the competition, students are asked to conceive an exhibit for Science City at Union Station. Quest Sponsors Beth Welland and Tish Varraveto worked with students to bring their project, “The Magic of Magnets,” into reality.
The funds may go toward scholarships for students interested in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) camps, lab equipment or technology enhancements.
“The Quest students that volunteered for this project spent over 40 hours working on the plan and proposal,” Olathe East Principal Kerry Lane said in a news release. “They learned a lot about collaboration, planning, perseverance and how challenging it is to have a group come together and all row in the same direction.”
Kansas group honors Lenexa manager
Lenexa City Administrator Eric Wade has received this year’s Buford Watson, Jr. Award for Excellence in Public Management from the Kansas Association of City/County Management.
The association annually recognizes an outstanding local government manager in Kansas who has displayed the attributes of the late Buford M. Watson, Jr., a former city manager in Lawrence.
Wade was appointed as Lenexa’s city administrator in 2004 after serving as deputy Johnson County manager from 2000 to 2004.
Earlier in his career, he worked Merriam, Blue Springs and Kansas City.
Solstice provides reason to celebrate
A Winter Solstice Celebration is planned for Dec. 16 at the Ernie Miller Nature Center in Olathe, in celebration of the shortest day of the year on Dec. 21. That’s when Earth’s axial tilt is farthest from the sun for the northern hemisphere.
During the event, which takes place from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m., participants will hike luminary-lit trails along Little Cedar Creek, warm up by a fire, and enjoy hot chocolate and toasted marshmallows while listening to ancient stories about the longest night of the year.
They also will learn how animals survive a long winner. Visitors can drop by the center, 909 N. Kansas 7, any time after 4:30 for ongoing activities.
The cost is $6 in advance, or $8 the day of the event. For advance registration, call 913-831-3355 or click the “Register for Activities” button at www.jcprd.com and search for barcode 39880.
SM South orchestra to present Pops Concert
The Shawnee Mission South High School orchestra will present its annual Pops Concert at 7 p.m. on Dec. 14. The performance is a benefit for Raiders Helping Raiders, a seasonal resource for Shawnee Mission South families in need.
The concert is free, but the South Orchestra Supporters (S.O.S.) booster club will sell baked goods and beverages, donating all proceeds to the cause.
The concert will be in the school’s cafeteria and doors open at 6:30 p.m. at SM South, 5800 W. 107th St. in Overland Park.
Jazz trumpeter to perform at JCCC
Jazz trumpeter Hermon Mehari will return to Kansas City on Dec. 17 as part of the Carlsen Center Presents series at Johnson County Community College.
Local jazz performers will be featured under the “Winterlude” banner. The Dec. 17 concert starts at 7 p.m. in the Polsky Theatre.
Mehari’s quintet will include Peter Schlamb, vibraphone; Matt Villinger, piano; Karl McComas-Reichl, bass, and John Kizilarmut, drums.
Mehari, who studied at UMKC and now lives in Paris, returns frequently to perform with friends here.
Tickets are available at www.jccc.edu/CarlsenCenter or through the JCCC Box Office at 913-469-4445.
Compiled by Elaine Adams, Special to The Star
This story was originally published December 11, 2017 at 8:27 AM with the headline "Local seventh-grader becomes published illustrator of children’s book."