The Holden Image

John Roberts of Holden was named director of the HOPE Coalition at a special meeting called last week. In addition to over 30 years of experience in business and editorial accomplishment in newspaper publishing, Roberts brings with him a history of success in fundraising and special projects organizations.

In recent years, Roberts has served as associate publisher for the Holden Image and co-owner and co-publisher of the Lone Jack New Stand. In the past, Roberts has also owned and operated four weekly newspapers in Northern Missouri and Southern Iowa and has served as vice president of Lancaster Management, Inc., a company that operates a chain of newspapers in Missouri.

In regards to his decision to pursue employment with a non-profit agency as opposed to continuing his extensive history of work in publishing, Roberts said he believes working with HOPE will be very fulfilling work for him as he has reached a stage in life where he has found helping others has become a top priority in his life.

“There are three or four stages in life,” Roberts explained. “The first stage is the college and high school years when you are trying to find your niche and struggle to find a job... Next, you are raising your family. It is all encompassing to be a good spouse, father and worker. Finally, you find that your family has left home, and the pre-occupation of raising a family and working is lifted. You begin to understand, as you get older, the need to assist and help others.”

In addition to his predominate desire to help others, Roberts said a wish to remain in the Holden area also attributed to his decision to work for HOPE. “I am staying in Holden, the town I want to live in,” Roberts said. “My family and kids are here, and my wife and I like it here.”

Roberts will officially take his position with HOPE this Friday, but has already begun to spend time at the service center acquainting himself with the volunteers and employees there, as well as helping with some necessary tasks regarding N.A.P. (Neighborhood Assistance Program).

Roberts’ goals for the organization’s future are clear. “It seems outside people, other than those who volunteer, serve on the board or avail themselves of HOPE’s services, have a fuzziness about the organization and all that it seeks to accomplish,” Roberts explained. “Early on, I hope to raise consciousness about all the things this organization does, whether that be through the newspaper, public speaking, civic and social organizations, fundraisers or just by good old fashioned face-to-face conversations with others in the community.”

In reference to the coalition’s strengths, Roberts described them as two-fold, and stated that he believes programs offered by both the service center, which provides a number of programs for people in need and the Community Activity Center (CAC) which offers a number of recreational activities to Holden and its youth are assets to the community.

“Anytime you are helping people overcome problems in life, that’s a strength,” Roberts commented, specifying the clothes closet, Harvesters, WIC, computer literacy classes, G.E.D. classes, continuing education classes and the emergency supply room provided by HOPE, which have helped many in the Holden area, are very important programs to the needy in this community.

In addition, Roberts said, in his opinion, the CAC is a “jewel you won’t find in a lot of places,” and commended the efforts of those who have volunteered their time to make the center successful. “The CAC, from the figures I have seen, is self-sufficient. Rusty Hartwell, Julie Carver, Susan Jennings and Amy Morrison are all volunteers who have spent a lot of time and effort organizing youth activities there. They’ve turned something that very well could have been running in the red into something that is self-sufficient and running in the black.”

Roberts said he feels his life experience, overall, has prepared him for his position as HOPE Coalition Director. Specifically, Roberts said at 20-years-old, he would not have understood what HOPE is all about and that the needs of others would not have “touched him the way they do now.” He continued by saying that at one point or another in his life, he or someone he knows has needed the type of services HOPE offers. “Understanding there are needy people out there is a major asset,” Roberts added.

Roberts said in his short time with the organization thus far, he has found the employees and volunteers of the organization to be genuinely dedicated and community-minded people who want to do what is best for the people of Holden. “I’m very much looking forward to working with the people involved in this organization,” Roberts said. “It is humbling on one hand and inspiring on the other... Working with them will be a definite plus in my life.”

By Christi Stowe
News Editor

The creation of a book to celebrate Holden’s history and family heritage for the city’s 150-year anniversary in 2008 was discussed during the regular meeting of the Holden Chamber of Commerce last Thursday morning.

According to chamber member Sandy Roberts, a collective writing of Holden’s history is long overdue. “Through research, we (a committee formed to organize the anniversary celebration) have found there has not been one book with all of Holden’s history in it,” Roberts said.

In addition, Roberts told the chamber a representative of Bell Books, a company that specializes in the publishing of special occasion books, recently gave an informative presentation and provided an example of a similar book. Roberts said representatives of the business estimated the cost to the chamber for creation of the books at about $28 for each book. “It depends on the number of pages,” she added.

In summation, Roberts told the chamber members in attendance in order to enter into a contract with Bell Books, a $50 deposit would have to be submitted along with the signed contract. Expenditure of the $50 and signature of the contract were approved unanimously by the chamber.

In other chamber business, Roberts presented the chamber with an update from the membership committee. According to Roberts, the committee has re-organized the chamber’s “calling tree” in order to encourage better meeting attendance by the chamber’s members. Chamber member Hugh Ward told Roberts he had received both a phone call and an e-mail regarding Thursday’s meeting and appreciated the communication from his fellow chamber members.

In related business, Roberts told attendees that she and the membership committee have been organizing welcome packets for new Holden residents. According to Roberts, the packets currently contain a community planner, Johnson County map, Missouri vacation planner, pamphlet from the school and a chamber pamphlet. However, Roberts said because the Missouri vacation planner is so large, it makes the welcome packets difficult to mail, leading the committee to discuss removing them from the packets.

In addition, Roberts invited chamber members to add brochures, pamphlets and other informational materials about their businesses to the welcome packets. “Just from mid-February to mid-March, O&M Enterprises recorded 23 new households,” Roberts said. She added the rural water district is also compiling a list that is not yet complete.

In other business, Brenda Stumpff spoke to the chamber on behalf of her business, Angel’s Homecare. Stumpff explained several aspects of the business, including in-home care ranging from four to 24 hours for home-bound patients. In addition, Stumpff said two-hour care slots are available to only those living in the Holden community. “Home care is the fastest growing business around at ten percent per year since 1990,” Stumpff said. “By 2010, it should be the largest.”

Stumpff said Angel’s Homecare is able to offer a variety of services to its clients, including bathing and hygiene, meal preparation, house cleaning and Hospice support.

In summation, Stumpff said she is very grateful for the role the citizens of Holden have played in the creation and maintenance of her business. “I love the support this town has given me, and I thank God for what I have,” Stumpff commented. “We wouldn’t be here without the support of the community.”

In other chamber action, Bernie Zarda, president of Integrity Correctional Center briefed the chamber on recent talks with the Holden City Council to form an inter-governmental agreement to house prisoners. In addition, Zarda commended the chamber on the support ICC has received in the community and said ICC staff strives to utilize Holden merchants for all of the facility’s needs in an effort to best support the community.

In other business, an update was received from Bill and Karen Dryer of the Whiteman Air Force Base Committee. In their report, the Dryers told the chamber they had provided an overview of the WAFB Committee to the Holden City Council during their regular meeting March 8. In addition, Lt. Col. Lindsey Borg, Squadron Commander of the 509 Mission Support Squadron was in attendance at the chamber meeting. Borg is the WAFB liaison assigned to the Holden community for the Base Community Council, which is designed to increase awareness and understanding of WAFB for all neighboring communities.

The next regular meeting of the Holden Chamber of Commerce is scheduled for Thursday, May 5 at 7 a.m. at Harmony House Restaurant.

By Christi Stowe
News Editor

When you put together one very run-down house, a deserving family, several opinionated designers and seven days you get the ABC network hit television show Extreme Makeover- Home Edition.

However, when the show’s executives recently decided to utilize the services of Kevin Greene Homes, of Parkville to make over the home of Kansas City firefighter, Stephen Johnson, and his five children, it created an experience the owner and employees of one Holden company will not soon forget.

Master Marble, Inc. (MMI), a company north of Holden that creates vanity and countertops, sink bowls and bathtubs out of marble and granite, has worked with Greene on a number of projects over the past nine years. Naturally, when Extreme Makeover execs asked Greene to be the contractor for the Kansas City project, he, in turn, asked MMI to sub-contract to donate and install vanity tops in the Johnson family’s new home.

“It was basically a no-brainer,” Jeff Huffman, MMI President said of the decision to participate in the home makeover show. “It’s exciting to be a part of such a big thing like that is... It’s also a lot of fun.”

The process of the construction of the Extreme Makeover home began with six applicants from the Kansas City area the show’s execs were interested in. Johnson was chosen, according to information obtained from thekansascitychannel.com, after being nominated for the show for his bravery in helping to save Kansas City paramedic Mary Seymour during a sniper attack in February 2004.

In addition, Johnson, who had three children of his own, adopted two neighborhood boys who lost their mother. Johnson had also been working three jobs to support his family. Prior to the makeover, the Johnson home was cramped with only three bedrooms.

According to Huffman, after deciding to come to Kansas City, officials with the famed show researched builders in the Kansas City area before choosing Greene. “Kevin Greene is one of the top builders in Kansas City,” Huffman said. “He is very creative with his marketing and is always pushing the envelope to do new things.”

It is only fitting for one of Kansas City’s top builders to do business with a major architectural surfaces company. Thus, the relationship with MMI was born. MMI, according to Huffman, is one of the major players in construction in this part of the country. “We do business with over 400 builders in Kansas City,” Huffman said, “and, we do around 300 condo units per year at Lake of the Ozarks.”

In order to take part in the makeover show, MMI not only donated $10,000 worth of granite vanity and counter tops that included duplicate replacements in case of breakage, but a number of the business’s employees stayed on-site during the construction phase that included installation of the company’s products as well as the day the “Braveheart Scene” was filmed. According to Huffman, this scene is one most fans of the show would recognize as the scene when those involved with the project gather in a “herd” and charge the house for demolition. Seven MMI employees took part in the scene, including Huffman, Charlie Tilden, Bob Bird and Huffman’s father, Leland Huffman.

According to Huffman, he and several MMI employees stayed on-hand for the entire interior construction phase waiting for the proper time to install the vanity tops. “Once they got to the interior, we were pretty much there the whole time,” Huffman said. “The work on the house never stops... They (the construction crew and other contributors) really do work late like it shows on t.v. We were on-call 24 hours per day, and there were never less than 200 people in that house at any given time.”

In addition to Greene, MMI and other area donators, the cast and crew of Extreme Makeover- Home Edition also work into the wee hours of the night. “They’re not your typical Hollywood-type people,” Huffman said. “The people on the show really do work hard. You see Ty (Pennington, the show’s host) and the other guys actually working with saws and such. They are real carpenters.”

In addition, Huffman said even with the time constraints of the show and the number of people working in the same area, everyone got along very well and had a great time. “There was construction going on in people’s (neighbors of the Johnson family) yards. A church donated its parking lot for the show,” Huffman said. “Constance Ramos (a cast member on the show and designer) is from Kansas City, and she was very nice to everyone.”

In fact, Charlie Tilden, MMI’s operations manager said at one point the contractor’s trailer was blocking the way for a school bus and caused a neighborhood girl to miss the bus. So, Ramos drove the girl to school. “Once the people from the show caught wind of her missing the school bus they took care of it immediately,” Tilden said. “They made sure that little girl got to school on time.”

While on the show, everyone involved is required to wear Extreme Makeover- Home Edition t-shirts and hard hats. Huffman said the apparel really changed the way he was treated while out and about in public. “Pretty much, you have a celebrity status when you walk around in the t-shirts,” Huffman said.

At one point, Huffman said he and Tilden went to get ice cream, and the people who worked at the ice cream shop would not allow them to pay for their purchase. In addition, they were approached by a masseuse who offered to come to the building site and give massages to everyone working there free of charge.

“It was pretty incredible how many people turned out,” Huffman said. “People from the show said it was the biggest turnout of any home makeover in the United States.”

Because of the teamwork of everyone on the project, the new Johnson home, which was in excess of 4,000 square feet, was completed in just five days. “It took a total of 12 hours to frame the house,” Huffman added.

In addition to great teamwork, determination on the part of Greene also made the project go smoothly, according to Huffman. “Kevin Greene wanted to show everyone Missouri is the Show-Me State. Builders for the show typically get seven days, so Greene wanted to build the house in five,” Huffman said. “He wanted to show the rest of the nation ‘how to build a house.”

Greene and the rest of the builders were successful, and on April 6, shortly after 3 p.m., the Johnson family arrived home in a limousine ready to see their new home. In addition to their new, beautiful home, all five Johnson children were given scholarships to UMKC College, a new car was given to the family, and their previous home mortgage was paid off along with utilities on the new 100 percent donated home. Unfortunately, the employees of MMI were unable to attend the big reveal, but did watch portions of the reveal on the news that evening.

According to Huffman, the house was incredible and included such state-of-the-art features as a sensored bathroom door that automatically opens when you approach it and closes after you walk inside. A massive barbecue grill was also included in the home’s features.

When asked whether or not he would choose to appear on the show if asked again in the future, Huffman answers with a chuckle. “Not anytime soon,” he teases. “Seriously, though, we would probably jump at the chance to do it again.”

The show featuring the construction of the Johnson home has been tentatively scheduled to air on ABC May 15 at 7 p.m.

By Christi Stowe
News Editor

A 67-year-old Centerview man received serious injuries in a head-on motor vehicle accident on Highway 131 .10 miles south of NE 275 Road last Friday.

According to Missouri State Highway Patrol Reports, the accident occurred as a vehicle driven by Gary D. Chisam, 23, of Blue Springs approached slowing traffic that was stopping ahead. Reportedly, Chisam applied his vehicle’s brakes, causing it to slide into oncoming traffic.

Chisam’s vehicle subsequently struck an oncoming vehicle driven by Gordon W. Kendrick, 67, of Centerview head-on.

Chisam, who reportedly received minor injuries in the collision, refused treatment at the scene. Kendrick received serious injuries and was taken to Research Hospital in Kansas City by Life Flight. Jodie A. Kendrick, 54, of Centerview was taken by the Johnson County Emergency Medical Service to Western Missouri Medical Center in Warrensburg for treatment of moderate injuries.

Chisam was issued a summons for failing to drive in a single lane of the road.

By Christi Stowe
News Editor