Community

Story by Roberta Pardo and photos by Michael Alvarado On Sept. 27, Kansas City, Kansas, Public Schools (KCKPS) celebrated the opening of Gloria Willis Middle School with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. The new school takes its name from a woman who served and was dedicated to KCKPS for 59 years. Willis served in multiple positions in the district, including as an …

Photos by Clara Reyes On Sept. 27 and 28, the Good Shepherd Fall Festival brought together a significant number of people to help build community and raise money for the Good Shepherd Catholic Church. The event featured a 2-mile family fun run, food, music, games, beer and wine on Sept. 27. It also featured carnival rides and fames, bingo, a …

By Roberta Pardo On Sept. 26, the Johnson County (Kansas) Museum, in partnership with the Johnson County Arts & Heritage Center, hosted an evening of Latino art, music and poetry. Andrew Gustafson, Johnson County Museum curator of interpretation, said the event wanted to shine a spotlight on Latino heritage in Johnson County. “Our event was timed to fit in with …

By Roberta Pardo Breast cancer can be traumatic for the woman diagnosed with it. And for her family. Nelly Gabriela Ramirez Sevilla knows first-hand how difficult it can be. When Ramirez was 19, her mother was diagnosed with the most aggressive kind of breast cancer. The cancer was in the advanced stages. Her mother passed away within a year. “It …

By Roberta Pardo Tivoli Cinemas is getting a second chance. Kansas City, Missouri’s oldest independent theater closed in April after nearly 40 years in the Westport area. But starting in October, the Tivoli will reopen as the Tivoli at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. It all started when Nelson-Atkins director and CEO Julian Zugazagoitia reached out to Jerry Harrington, Tivoli …

By Roberta Pardo On Sunday (Sept. 29), St. Mary-St. Anthony Catholic Church will host its ninth annual Fiesta Latina on the church grounds. From 1 to 6 p.m., the event will celebrate Hispanic culture in observance of Hispanic Heritage Month. “Fiesta Latina is about preserving the Latino culture and living out our faith, and celebrating our heritage and family value …

By Roberta Pardo A cooking class to raise money for the Alzheimer’s Association will take place from 4 to 7 p.m. Thursday (Sept. 26). Open to everyone, the class, called “Cooking for the Cure,” will take place at HJ’s Youth and Family Center in Kansas City, Missouri. Hosted by Morningside Place, a “vibrant” memory care community in Overland Park, Kansas, …

Story by Roberta Pardo and photos by Michael Alvarado Guadalupe Centers Inc. (GCI) hosted its annual Blanco y Negro Awards Gala on Sept. 21. Hosted in the Grand Ballroom of the Kansas City Convention Center, the gala also served as GCI’s centennial celebration. This year, in honor of the 100-year anniversary, the event featured special guests and political strategist Ana …

By Roberta Pardo For Marina Carrillo, domestic violence is more than statistics. For nine years, it was her life. Born in Chihuahua, Mexico, Carrillo moved to the United States when she was in her early 20s, where she met her now ex-husband. That was when her torment started. Carrillo lived in Kansas City for 10 years, and experienced domestic violence …

Photos by Clara Reyes and Carlos Dominguez Hispanic Heritage Month is officially underway. That means it is time for Hispanic heritage celebrations like Fiesta Hispana. Organized by the Greater Kansas City Hispanic Heritage Committee, Inc., the annual Fiesta Hispana—one of the biggest Hispanic heritage celebrations in the Midwest—was held at the Barney Allis Plaza in downtown Kansas City, Missouri, last …