“Always laugh when you can. It is cheap medicine.” – Lord Byron With the pandemic still raging and the news cycle attempting to drive us all into some new form of madness, laughter as medicine has never seemed so enticing. As usual, I have been turning to books for respite, and I wanted to share […]

Sometimes, there is a very thin margin in life.  Often we search for meaning, question our place, or look for guidance in the direction our lives might take. Sometimes the signs are small – almost undetectable. And, other times we literally get knocked off of our feet by a message where immediate heed must be […]

It has been 50 years since Sister Berta Sailer and Sister Corita Bussanmas began what would grow to be Operation Breakthrough. They started by helping a few children, and ended up improving the lives of thousands. The Kansas City MLB Urban Youth Academy will be the site for the celebration of Operation Breakthrough’s 50th birthday […]

Back in the 1920s, The Independent recorded the lament of a world-weary kindergartener who said she just had no idea who she would wed when she grew up – most of the men she knew seemed to be married already. We understand her feelings completely. Here we sit, reading of Valentine’s Days past, and leaving […]

The course of true love was anything but smooth for Lillian and Dr. Rex Diveley. The couple was involved in not one, but two serious car accidents in a short span of time during their courtship. A different pair might have termed the relationship star-crossed, wished each other well, and proceeded on their separate ways. […]

Jennifer Malone is a member of  Centurions, where she serves as the co-chairman for the diversity, equity, and inclusion committee and volunteers with Uplift, HappyBottoms, Harvesters, and Giving the Basics. Jennifer received a bachelor of science degree in mathematics and secondary education from Rockhurst University, while on a soccer and academic scholarship. After teaching for […]

“All is right,” is the Italian translation of the name Va Bene – the newest restaurant member of Corinth Square at 83rd and Mission Road. With Kristi Burns (formerly of Webster House fame) and Kevin Fossland (J.J.’s) at the helm, this new laid-back eatery defines itself with a comfortable atmosphere and authentic, fresh Italian dishes […]

Lisa and Kelly McKee of Los Angeles, California, welcomed a darling baby boy, Peter Kirk McKee, on October 15th. He weighed eight pounds, five ounces, and was 21 inches long. Peter’s delighted grandparents are Susan Carpenter, Kirk Carpenter, and Margie McKee. Also featured in the February 6, 2021 issue of The Independent Photo Credit: Kendall […]

Wendy Savlin has what sounds like a wonderfully rewarding career as senior director, employee experience and culture enablement at T-Mobile. She focuses on connecting employee programs, products, and services to elevate the employee experience. With two bachelor’s degrees from Truman State University in business and marketing, Wendy has spent most of her professional life in […]

February 25th is the date for The Center For Practical Bioethics’ private broadcast celebration of Humility, Health and Healing: Where do we go from here? Dr. Barry Kerzin, personal physician to the Dalai Lama, is the keynote speaker, and Dr. Steven Stites, The University of Kansas Health System, will be honored with the Vision to […]

November 12th was the date for The Association of Fundraising Professionals Greater Kansas City Chapter’s National Philanthropy Day Celebration virtual program. Honorees were congratulated for work done in their respective fields of non-profit fundraising. Included in the event were the following awards: Spirit of Philanthropy – Individual given to Marylou Turner and nominated by the […]

Michelle Carlstedt joined Urban Ranger Corps’ (URC) board of directors in May of 2019. Since then, she has served as chairman of the development and marketing committees. Michelle has also served on the annual dinner planning committee, and much more. She has been honored by the organization as its Volunteer of the Year.  Erik Dickinson, […]

Brian Votava is passionate about the Who Is Carter Foundation. He serves on the organization’s board of directors and is a driving force behind the annual Who Is Carter Gala. Brian is the director of development and founding partner of NorthPoint Development. He often engages other NorthPoint staff members in a variety of volunteer roles […]

Kwanza Humphrey, in his own words, “makes the invisible visible.” His works, both paintings and drawings, seem to help us focus. It’s kind of like when we are seated in the chair at the eye doctor’s office, and the double lenses are resting on our cheeks, and the doc says, “Okay, one or two; two […]

The week before Christmas, a few families decided to kick off the holly jolly week by taking our kids to see The Grinch. My daughter, who is three, had only been to one movie in her lifetime – actually, to be accurate, she has been to one half of a movie in her lifetime. My […]

It’s absolutely true that fun is where you find it — and we’ve decided to look for it in 1978. We’re harking back to a time of dressing up and going out. Part of the joy of the events was in getting ready for them. If the contents of The Independent documented what our subscribers […]

“There are no truths, only moments of clarity passing for answers.” – Michel de Montaigne After finishing high school and college, I thought I would be happy to never read or write another essay. Fast forward several years, and once again the saying of “never say never” completely applies. I think school got me too […]

Arthur Kraft: that wouldn’t be a good name for an artist in fiction (insert your own Arts and Crafts joke here), but he was a fine artist, none the less. Arthur, who was born in 1921, may have inherited some of his artistic ability from his mother, Mildred Mayfield Kraft, who designed and made flowers […]

November 1st was the date for Jewish Community Relations Bureau|AJC’s 2020 Human Relations Event, “Pursuing Justice Standing Together,” which was held via private broadcast. The evening featured the presentation of the Henry W. Bloch Human Relations Award to Debbie Sosland-Edelman, as well as a roundtable discussion and thought-provoking conversations. Michael Abrams, Merilyn Berenbom, Margi Pence, […]

Zack Donnelly is a member of the Centurions Class of 2021. He serves on the legacy project committee and is a member of the Tourist In Your Own Town Task Force. Zack earned a degree in finance and entrepreneurship from The University of Kansas. He is employed with The John A. Marshall Company. Volunteering with […]

December 12th was the date for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Kansas City’s virtual Most Wanted Auction. This year, 31 individuals were honored as Kansas City’s Most Wanted. A record-breaking $1.35 million was raised to support the mission of creating life-changing friendships and changing futures for young people. Honoree Reed Erickson      (Front […]