Loews Kansas City Hotel was the site for the Arthritis Foundation’s 19th annual Art for Arthritis event, which was held on July 15th. Guests were delighted by the custom artwork that was created by child artists and their mentors. Partygoers enjoyed delicious fare and a silent auction. Foundation Board Chair Melissa DeLeon served as the […]
Read More“Vitality & Vice” was the theme of this year’s triumphant return of Party Arty, to benefit The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. Co-chairs Kelly Hollowell and Maria O’Connor, and Vice Co-chairs Morgan Stockton and Susanne Watson produced a spectacular evening, complete with drinks, delectable fare, and entertainment. Inspired by the Museum’s American Art Deco: Designing for […]
Read MoreImagine interpreting the world in a certain way and assuming that everyone else has the same interpretation – that all music is not only heard by the ears, but it is also associated with colors in the brain at the same time. No two pieces of music have the same color adaptation, and the colors […]
Read MoreJordan Frederes and Patrick Howell were united in matrimony at the San Sophia Overlook in Telluride, Colorado, on July 22nd. The bride is the daughter of Becky Nichols of Overland Park, Kansas, and her groom is the son of Shannon and Richard Howell of Overland Park. On the evening prior to the ceremony, the Howells […]
Read More“Think for yourselves and let others enjoy the privilege to do so, too.” – Voltaire Literary censorship is something that has existed throughout time. Books have been banned and burned for a plethora of reasons including language, morality, challenging a leader, and violence. Ultimately, it is about control. In Ancient China, 460 Confucian scholars were […]
Read MoreNovember 5th is the date for Metropolitan Organization to Counter Sexual Assault’s (MOCSA’s) Night Out with MOCSA Cocktail Party and Auction. The 18th annual event will be held at The Midland Theatre. The glamorous evening will feature a “Glitterati” theme. Partygoers will enjoy cocktails, delicious fare, silent and live auctions, and entertainment. Denise Delcore and […]
Read MoreDr. and Mrs. Richard Charles Arnspiger II of Fairway, Kansas, are pleased to announce the engagement of their daughter, Hannah Margaret Arnspiger, to Robert Eugene Freeman, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Jarrel Freeman of Mission Hills, Kansas. The bride-to-be is the granddaughter of Mrs. John Matthews of Kansas City, Kansas, and the late […]
Read MoreA pink bundle of joy named Isabelle Madeline LaVita arrived on June 1st. Her proud parents are Lauren Cimpl and Anthony LaVita of Fairway, Kansas. This darling little girl weighed seven pounds, 15 ounces, and was 20 inches long. Isabelle’s grandparents are Laura Foley and David Cimpl, Mike LaVita, and the late Carol LaVita. The […]
Read MoreAwesome Ambitions’ 25th Anniversary Celebration was held on July 21st at the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum and the Gem Theatre. Debby Ballard and Tammy Edwards served as co-chairs of the beautiful affair, and Lisa Ginter and India Boulton were the honorary co-chairs. The event celebrated 25 years of providing mentorship and sustainable services to girls […]
Read MoreKansas City Pet Project will host its 10th Anniversary Gala / Love Finds A Way at Loews Kansas City Hotel on September 30th. Lisa Epps and Tim Clark, Roshann Parris and Jeff Dobbs, Cathy and Steve Doyal, Jenny and Warren Erdman, Bonne and Cliff Illig, Angelea Busby and Jake Jacobson, Christine and Sandy Kemper, CiCi […]
Read MoreThe residents of Our Town love the summer months, and The Independent delights in sharing your special moments.
Read MoreMark Nuss is a humble leader with a heart for service. One of Mark’s most memorable service activities was when he joined his fellow Centurions and collected 3,990 boxes of cereal and proceeded to break the Guinness World Record for “Most Cereal Boxes Toppled in a Domino Fashion.” The project, which benefited Harvesters, mirrored Mark’s […]
Read MoreJessica James recently joined the staff of The Independent as a contributing writer. She is looking forward to sharing her passion for great food and restaurants with readers. Jessica attended culinary school at Johnson County Community College. She worked in fine dining as the sous-chef at EBT Restaurant and as the executive chef at Ophelia’s […]
Read MoreAmy Ball Polen is serving as the president of BOTAR this year – and her recollections of the event date back to when her sisters, Jennifer Ball Jones and Melinda Ball Roper, were participants in 1981 and 1986, respectively. “Some of my best memories were when my sisters were BOTARs, and I got to see […]
Read MoreGeneve Lichtenwalter (originally known as E. Geneve Lichtenwalter – her first name was Eva) was an esteemed piano teacher for decades in Our Town. She was born in Iowa on Valentine’s Day in the late 1860s. Geneve graduated from The University of Kansas with a degree in music in 1892, and a bachelor’s degree in […]
Read MoreGuests had the opportunity to view the construction of LongHouse, the Overland Park Arboretum & Botanical Gardens’ new visitor center when the Arts & Recreation Foundation of Overland Park hosted Stems: A Garden Soirée at the Arboretum on June 25th. Everyone enjoyed sampling wines (in signature hand-painted wineglasses!) and delicious fare from local restaurants. The […]
Read MoreMr. and Mrs. John Woodson Longan of Leawood, Kansas, are pleased to announce the engagement of their daughter, Bonnie Merriman Longan, to Jahn Thomas Kudrna, the son of Mr. and Mrs. Jahn Scott Kudrna of Auburn, Nebraska. The bride-to-be is the granddaughter of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Stewart McKie of Prairie Village, Kansas, Mr. and […]
Read MoreJuly 8th was the date for Band of Angels’ Art That Blows event, which was held at The Abbott. Partygoers enjoyed great music, a unique atmosphere, and the chance to bid on one-of-a-kind art pieces, which were all made from recycled music instruments. Featured in the August 20, 2022 issue of The Independent. […]
Read MoreThe Reverend Dr. Ted Pierce of Rolling Hills Presbyterian Church gave the invocation when Welcome House held a Groundbreaking Ceremony on June 23rd for the soon-to-be Welcome House Recovery Center. It will provide temporary shelter for more than 100 men seeking assistance in dealing with substance use disorder. The amenities will include classrooms, offices, a […]
Read MoreOlivia Belle Kuester and Anthony Kenneth Jacobsen were married on June 4th at The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. The bride is the daughter of Catherine and Anthony Kuester of Omaha, Nebraska. Her groom is the son of Julie and Richard Jacobsen of Scottsdale, Arizona. The evening prior, the groom’s parents hosted a rehearsal dinner at […]
Read More“The whole purpose of education is to turn mirrors into windows.” – Sydney J. Harris As we enter the period where students and parents get ready to head back to school, I find myself thinking about education in general. Receiving an education can open minds to new perspectives, and knowledge obtained is (hopefully) gained forever. […]
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