The Current Online

by DANIELLE DEVLIN

Scarecrow, country phenom Garth Brooks’ latest release, delivers a mostly winning combination of down-home country ditties and increasingly commercial ballads.
Heavily promoted, Scarecrow is sure to produce several hits for the mega-star, including the rousing, working man anthem “Beer Run.” A duet with country stalwart George Jones, “Beer Run” is reminiscent of past jukebox hits “Friends in Low Places” and “Long Neck Bottle.”
For several tracks Brooks harmonizes over his own vocals such as in the James Taylor-esque ballad “Thicker than Blood.” Other tracks utilize the talents of frequent singing partner Trisha Yearwood for background vocals. Yearwood also appears with Brooks in the duet “Squeeze Me In.” The song is a good showcase for their vocal acuity and features great piano work teamed with a knee-slapping beat.
The last song on the CD, “When You Come Back to Me Again,” is from the soundtrack of the movie Frequency, released last year. Although the song has a decidedly pop flavor, it carries a strong inspirational message that should find a cross genre audience.
Like other country superstars Faith Hill and Shania Twain, Brooks continues to find a mainstream audience through movie soundtracks and product endorsements while still pledging allegiance to his country roots.
Although a couple of the tracks are too traditional with their country twang, the CD has an overall appeal that grows on the listener with each playing.

by DANIELLE DEVLIN

The Longview women’s volleyball team placed third in the 2001 Longview Classic Tournament October 6 at the Longview Recreation Center. Longview players Blair Lehr and Amy Ruff were named to the All-Tournament Team.
Ten regional teams competed in the annual tournament. Earning a 3-seed, the Longview women defeated Cowley Community College 30-28 and 30-16 in their first bracket. In the quarterfinals, the Lakers faced top-seeded Mineral Area Community College. After winning a game each, the Lakers lost the tie-break 15-11. Mineral Area Community College went on to defeat Highland Community College in the finals to win the tournament.
The tournament starts pool play at 8:00 a.m. and it is well into the evening by the time a winner is determined. This makes for a long day, but “its something we look forward to,” says Laker Jamie Richardson. Co-captain Blair Lehr agrees. “We rest and eat, and we all do this dance to get up before each game.”
The day-long event can be tough on the spectators, too. “I’m here for the early shift,” laughed Pat Valleau of Belton as she watched her granddaughter Jessie make a high-flying kill.
“We travel as much as we can,” said Dan Rhodes of Dodge City, Kansas. Rhodes, along with wife Susan, came to watch their daughter Shelly compete in the tournament. “We really enjoy it,” he added. “It’s pretty good competition.”

A gripping gory read

by DANIELLE DEVLIN

Autopsies. Exhumations. Mass fatalities. Normal life – at least for Temperance Brennan, the main character of Kathy Reichs’ forensic thrillers. The latest, “Fatal Voyage,” delivers the same dose of grisly entertainment as the first three novels.
As a forensic anthropologist and a member of the regional Disaster Mortuary Operational Response Team (DMORT), Tempe Brennan is called to the scene of a commercial plane crash in the mountains of North Carolina. Brennan and the reader experience the scene of the disaster through Reichs’ gruesomely descriptive yet riveting prose. Brennan, no shrinking southern flower, gets down to the business of body recovery and investigation even though there is a possibility that she knows some of the passengers. Complications arise when Brennan discovers a foot that doesn’t appear to be on the passenger list. As she begins asking questions, she is removed from the investigation.
Those familiar with Reichs’ tenacious protagonist know Brennan can’t let a loose end go unidentified. “It is for these victims and the mourners that I tease posthumous tales from bones,” Brennan reflects.
Reichs, like her fictitious sleuth, is a forensic anthropologist working part time for the Medical examiner of the state of North Carolina and the Laboratoire de Sciences Judiciaries for the city of Montreal, Quebec. Through Tempe Brennan, Reichs capably brings the stuffy and mundane study of bones to the layperson level with a macabre excitement. “Bone is a miniature universe in which birth and death occur constantly,” Brennan muses in the novel.
Reichs effectively allows Brennan to tell the story in the first person. This permits Brennan to explain some of the more technical subject matter without bogging down the action. The dialogue is quick and snappy, although sometimes it is hard to keep track of which character is speaking. Reichs shows a good sense of timing, however, and the pace rarely stalls.
Brennan’s sardonic character voices Reichs’ colorful and wry observations on government, bureaucracy, relationships, life and death. The reader is given an amusing, interesting and sometimes morbid glimpse of the underside of everyday life and death. Although the character is engaged in a profession and activities so few can identify with, her earthy nature, practical approach and witty commentary lead to a savory and satisfying tale.

by DANIELLE DEVLIN

Local residents and community leaders are invited to attend a free workshop on October 20 at Kauffman Legacy Park. The workshop will be the 6th annual conference organized by the Heartland Area Neighborhood Development Symposium (HANDS). The theme of this year’s conference is “Making a Difference Together”.
HANDS began in the fall of 1995 as a neighborhood leadership conference sponsored by Kansas City, Missouri to encourage neighborhood participation and investment by residents. Since then, the number of cities on the organizing committee has increased to nine, from both sides of the state line.
“It’s an opportunity to work with other communities regarding neighborhood issues,” stated Mary Jane Johnson. Johnson, who is the HANDS committee co-chair, is employed by the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas.
Topics of this year’s conference include neighborhood revitalization, conflict resolution and community connections, as well as traditional neighborhood topics such as code enforcement, community policing and neighborhood planning. The addition of a leadership tract and a quality management circles session increase the opportunities for returning participants.
“We’d like to create a metro council of neighborhoods to act as an advisory board for course selection,” said Angela McCoy, an Overland Park neighborhood planner who serves as the HANDS conference chair. The conference is primarily geared towards residents and community members but McCoy feels that anyone would benefit from attending.
“In the future, we’d also like to provide sessions specifically for professionals in the field,” she added.
Former Kansas City Mayor Emanuel Cleaver is scheduled to be the Keynote Speaker at the conference, which will also include lunch and snacks.
The HANDS committee has expanded every year and now is comprised of representatives from Kansas City, Independence, Raytown, Raymore and Gladstone on the Missouri side of the metro and Kansas City, Overland Park, Shawnee and Bonner Springs in Kansas.

Conference attendees have come from as far away as St. Louis and Springfield. “We’ve been expanding outside the metro area and drawing from the region,” McCoy notes.
The HANDS conference is sponsored by private funding sources such as the Kauffman Foundation, KCP&L, Missouri Gas Energy, Health Midwest, First Guard and the Central Bank of Kansas, as well as in-kind donations of time and labor from the participating cities.
Committee member Victor Burks, a land use planner from the city of Raymore, feels that the contribution of the HANDS conference is significant but largely intangible. “It brings neighborhood leaders together to network and learn about common issues,” Burks stated.
McCoy agrees. “The conference provides a good forum for the education of neighborhood leaders.”
The committee anticipates similar enrollment numbers as last year – around 200 participants. Although the Kauffman Legacy Park is a desirable conference location, the committee is looking for a larger venue in order to expand next year’s event.