STAMPedeing the way into Elephant Conservation, the Kansas City Zoo is preparing for a bull elephant arrival in October. Tamani, a 9-year old, will join the Zoo’s female herd. These intelligent and social animals have a combined area of over 5 acres that allows for natural behaviors. The Kansas City Zoo has not had a male elephant since September of 2003.
Turning 10 on October 17, Tamani, meaning “HOPE” in Swahilli, will definitely be living up to his name. Weighing in at close to 6,000 pounds, he currently resides with three other bull elephants at the Birmingham Zoo in Alabama. One of the bulls in the herd is Bulwagi, Tamani’s father through an artificial insemination (AI) procedure performed at Lowry Park Zoo in Tampa. His mother, Ellie, came to the US from Namibia in the 1908’s before residing at Lowry Park Zoo in 2003. She gave birth to Tamani in 2005. Tamani was named by more than 10,000 contest voters who felt that HOPE best expressed their feelings about Tamani, the elephant ambassador.
Most zoos have little-to-no interaction with their bull elephants. Tamani was to lead the pack in being a “manageable” male. Thus he was placed in a herd with three older bulls. He’s a young social inquisitive animal that will blend well with our Zoo’s six females: Lady – age 47 (second oldest elephant in an AZA accredited zoo), Megan and Tattoo – age 37, Lois and Lea – age 36 and Zoe who is 30 years old.
“While our females are not in their reproductive years, it is our intent to exhibit some in the future,” commented Randy Wisthoff, Executive Director/CEO at the Kansas City Zoo. “Tamani provides us the opportunity to help with the conservation of the species in a really big way. As part of the Zoos missions, we want to ensure elephants are not just a part of history but a part of each and every person’s future.”
According the Wildlife Conservation Society, 96 elephants are killed in Africa every day and according to the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), there are currently 153 African elephants and 138 Asian elephants in the AZA Elephant Species Survival Plan. That means that there are more elephants killed in three days than are living in all of the AZA-accredited zoos combined.
“Through conservation and education programs, elephant in the care of accredited zoos play an essential role in the survival of the species. The Zoos staff and supporters are ecstatic to be in a position of leadership for African elephant reproduction worldwide,” exclaimed Wisthoff.
After arriving at the Zoo, Tamani will be housed in the bull yard area at elephants. He will be closely watched for 30-days prior to being introduced to the females, one by one. Zoo guests may be able to catch a glimpse of this lively male from the elephant overlook across from the flamingos.
The Kansas City MLB Urban Youth Academy, an indoor training facility and four new state-of-the-art diamonds to enhance the 18th and Vine District, is planned for Parade Park at Truman Road and The Paseo, Mayor Sly James, Dayton Moore, General Manager of the Kansas City Royals, Tony Reagins, MLB Senior Vice President of Youth Programs and Jeffrey Hammonds, MLB Players Association Special Assistant for Player Program Development, announced last Friday.
The two-phase project would represent an investment from private and public funds. Phase 2 is contingent upon the successful completion of a capital campaign to be led by community leaders. The Academy will transform the 21-acre park and enhance the area bounded by Truman Road, 18th Street, The Paseo and Woodland Avenue. Other improvements planned as part of the project include a walking trail, new basketball courts, a playground, refurbished tennis courts and a Great Lawn area that can serve as a site for special events.
Phase 1 of the project is scheduled to open by the fall of 2016. Construction of Phase 2 of the project, including an indoor baseball training facility and the installation of lighting for the baseball fields, would commence following the successful completion of the capital campaign.
This project will enhance Parade Park for neighbors and support the existing efforts of Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Players Association to attract more youth to the game, particularly through the MLB Urban Youth Academy network. The Academy will partner with the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Kansas City to help support the local Reviving Baseball in the Inner Cities (RBI) programs and youth baseball initiatives around the City.
“Through a partnership of Major League Baseball, the Major League Baseball Players Association, The Royals, and the City, we will use professional baseball instruction as a vehicle to provide urban youth with educational and career opportunities while simultaneously bringing attention to important community institutions like the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, the Black Archives, the Parade Park neighborhood and the 18th and Vine area,” Mayor James said. “Buck O’Neil cared deeply about all of these issues, and he would be proud of what we are doing here today.”
“The Kansas City Royals are deeply committed to growing the great game of baseball in our community and throughout the region,” Moore said. “The Kansas City Urban Youth Academy will provide special opportunities for boys and girls to develop their baseball and softball skills while, most importantly, growing as leaders.”
“Major League Baseball is honored to help bring an Academy to the children of Kansas City, the first professional baseball home of the great Jackie Robinson,” said Baseball Commissioner Robert D. Manfred, Jr. “For years, Urban Youth Academies have not only served as safe places for baseball and softball opportunities for young people, but also as points of pride for local communities. This is a great era for baseball in Kansas City and we are pleased to contribute to the game’s future here in such a meaningful way.”
“Kansas City has played an important role throughout the history of our great sport, especially as it relates to the participation and support baseball enjoys from the African American community,” said MLBPA Executive Director, Tony Clark. “Major League baseball Players are fully aware of this history, and that’s why today’s announcement is an important one. Not only are today’s Players stepping up to support a community that has supported generations of Players before them, the Players are getting involved because they are determined to reinvigorate the participation and interest in baseball, especially among minority populations. We thank everyone involved in this partnership for providing the blueprints to help the dreams of the area’s youth come true.”
The Academy was announced at a news conference today at the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum. Also present were city officials and civic leaders, including community leaders who have agreed to serve on the Capital Campaign Committee to raise funds for Kansas City Urban Youth Academy, Inc., the nonprofit organization that will build and operate the Academy under a cooperative agreement with the city. The Capital Campaign Committee includes Mayor Sly James, Royals’ General Manager Dayton Moore, former U.S. Senator Kit Bond, Royals’ Hall of Famer George Brett, former MLB star Joe Carter, and community leaders Terry Bassham, Michael Carter and Carolyn Watley.
The Kansas City MLB Urban Youth Academy’s initial goal will be to serve approximately 800-1,000 youth per year, ages 6-18. In addition to providing free, year-round baseball and softball instruction and play, including hosting tournaments, coaching clinics and skills camps, the Academy will provide youth with access to tutoring programs, college prep classes, college and career fairs, financial literacy and internship programs, courses teaching math through the use of baseball statistics and MLB industry alternative career workshops. Youth will also have opportunities to be involved in drug resistance and gang-prevention programs and healthy lifestyle classes.
The Kansas City MLB Urban Youth Academy is the seventh announced MLB Urban Youth Academy in the United States, joining the most recently announced intentions to build an Academy in San Francisco. There are five operational MLB Urban Youth Academies in the country in Cincinnati (Ohio), Compton (California), Houston (Texas), New Orleans (Louisiana) and Philadelphia (Pennsylvania). Additionally, the Washington Nationals recently established their own Youth Baseball Academy in Washington D.C.
The first MLB Urban Youth Academy in Compton was established in 2006. Together, all Academies currently provide free, year-round baseball and softball training and instruction to approximately 12,000 young men and women Academy members and over 20,000 more through additional tournaments and programs.
In the last two seasons, seven Compton Academy alumni have appeared on MLB rosters, including Khris Davis (Milwaukee Brewers), Anthony Gose (Detroit Tigers), Aaron Hicks (Minnesota Twins), Efren Navarro (Los Angeles Angels), Jon Singleton (Houston Astros), Trayce Thompson (White Sox) and Vincent Velasquez (Houston Astros). Forty-six Academy alumni have been selected in the last four First-Year Player Drafts and nearly 160 overall.
Additionally, all Academy members and other community youth benefit from Academy facilities and programs through educational programming and baseball vocational programming, such as umpiring seminars, athletic field management, scouting and player development, sports and broadcast journalism, public relations and statistics, and athletic sports training.
A portion of the funds allocated to the project will be supplied by the new MLB-MLBPA joint youth development initiative. Announced in July, the program supports key baseball and softball programs designed to improve access to the sport across the United States and Canada. The Kansas City Urban Youth Academy is one of the first projects to receive funding and support from this new MLB-MLBPA initiative.
Operations of the Kansas City MLB Urban Youth Academy will be supported in a manner similar to a lower-level minor league club and will be covered entirely by the Kansas City Royals, the Glass family and local charitable support. In addition to employment of the personnel operating the Academy, the Royals will provide equipment, supplies, utilities and other operating costs.
Additional full and part-time employment is anticipated. Academy and Boys & Girls Clubs programming is expected to both enhance and benefit from current 18th & Vine amenities, including the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, the American Jazz Museum, Gregg-Klice Community Center, the Black Archives of Mid-America, Gem Theater and the Full Employment Council.
The Academy and park improvements will be developed in two phases:
● Phase I includes two full-size baseball fields, including one with permanent and portable bleachers for tournament play; two youth baseball-softball fields; a half-mile walking trail with views of the baseball and softball diamonds; relocated basketball courts; relocated and renovated tennis courts, and a new playground near the community center.
● Phase II includes the indoor training facility with a turf infield, batting cages, pitching mounds, restrooms and concession facilities for the diamonds; a Great Lawn that will serve as a front yard for the Academy and as a shared event space, and additional parking.
Funding for construction will come from the Major League Baseball Urban Youth Foundation; the Major League Baseball Players Association; the City of Kansas City capital improvements sales tax; the State of Missouri and private donations raised by the Capital Campaign Committee. The City will apply for Missouri Development Finance Board tax credits to assist with the effort to raise the private funding required to complete Phase II of the project.
The Plaza Tennis Center recently partnered with Minsky’s Pizza and Eggtc. to open a new restaurant–Night & Day Gourmet–inside the complex located at 4747 J.C. Nichols Parkway. The restaurant seats about 20 inside with room for an additional 50 on the adjacent patio.
The concise menu offers quick and inexpensive options that include breakfast, appetizers, salads, sandwiches, pizza and desserts. It is open to the public starting at 7:30 a.m. daily.
The Plaza Tennis Center is owned by Kansas City Parks and Recreation and operated by Kansas City United Tennis (KCUT).
A new art project has been installed at the Firefighters Fountain and Memorial in Penn Valley Park and will officially be dedicated at 3 p.m. on Friday, September 11.
Arizona artist Barbara Grygutis was selected through a Call-For-Artists process in 2011 to create a site-specific artwork for the Firefighters Fountain and Memorial in Penn Valley Park. The artist met several times with the project steering committee and developed a design which incorporated particular goals for the site, including re-working and correcting the names of fallen firefighters included in the memorial. The art project consists of two large, segmented, curved ‘walls’, each consisting of a double row of perforated aluminum panels, mounted on a low limestone wall. Solid aluminum plaques will be mounted on one side, etched with the names of fallen firefighters.
The perforated aluminum panels are lit from inside with blue LED lights. The blue light is intended to create a calming and peaceful atmosphere, and to symbolize knowledge, integrity, seriousness, reliability and trust.
The granite bases in the circle at the north side of the site display etched names of fallen firefighters. But those surfaces are filled, and the names are unevenly distributed. In addition, research done by the Fire Department revealed some names which had been left off and others which had errors in spelling or dates. The new aluminum name panels have the corrected information on the new art walls. But the existing granite bases will remain in the circle, and will have new metal panels attached on their surfaces, which will also describe significant events in the history of Kansas City’s Fire Department.
Funding for the project was provided through the City’s 1% for Art program. Future landscaping around the fountain will be funded by PIAC.
Hailing from Old Montréal, the company of Cirque Éloizewill soon bring its brilliant mix of circus arts and urban dance to Starlight Theatre’s Cohen Community Stage. Closing Starlight’s 65th Broadway summer season Sept. 8-13 is Cirque Éloize iD,a live performance that brims with daring feats and modern twists.
Cirque ÉloizeiD is directed by Jeannot Painchaud, who cofounded Cirque Éloize in Montreal in 1993. The eighth original creation from the company, iD has delighted audiences in more than 85 cities in 25 countries since it debuted in 2009. The touring show, however, is making its first stops in the United States in 2015.
An astonishing modern circus with dance, rock music, video projections and performers who have perfected the many disciplines of circus entertainment, iD transports audiences to a vibrant urban streetscape in the heart of a city. It’s a public space where people seek refuge, shed their anonymity, forge an identity and express individuality. Acrobats, break dancers and contortionists perform against a kaleidoscope of eye-popping video projections as the show builds to a stunning finale on its one-of-a-kind video trampowall.
Fifteen artists from six countries perform 12 circus disciplines and dance to create iD’s urban universe; the diverse mix is in keeping with Cirque Éloize’s tradition of using multidisciplinary performers of many nationalities.
“Cirque Éloize iD is one of those shows that truly captivates audiences,” said Rich Baker, Starlight president and CEO Rich Baker. “Although it’s different than most of the theatrical shows we bring to Starlight, I know audience members will be immediately caught up in the energy, artistry and talent of this production.”
The show’s creative team, led by director Painchaud, includes executive producer Jonathan St-Onge; set designer, illustrator and video images co-designer Robert Massicotte; show acrobatic designer and head trainer, Krzysztof Soroczynski; artistic contributor Mourad Merzouki; Jean-Phi Goncalves and Alex McMahon, co-composers; Linda Brunelle, costume designer; Nicolas Descôteaux, lighting designer; Alexis Laurence, video images co-designer; and Suzanne Trépanier, makeup designer.
Cirque Éloize has performed live theatrical shows for audiences in more than 440 cities worldwide during the past 20-plus years. It counts 10 original creations in its portfolio of productions.
Tickets for Cirque Éloize iD at Starlight Theatre are on sale now for $13 to $91. Tickets are available online at www.kcstarlight.com, by calling 816.363.STAR (7827) or at the Starlight box office at 4600 Starlight Road, Kansas City, MO 64132. All performances begin at 8 p.m.
Discount prices for groups of 15 or more are available by contacting group sales coordinator Staci Shute at 816.997.1137 or staci.shute@kcstarlight.com.
About Starlight Theatre Starlight Theatre, winner of the 2013 Venue Excellence Award from the International Association of Venue Managers (IAVM), is the largest and oldest performing arts organization in Kansas City and the second-largest outdoor producing theatre in the country. Opened as a theater in 1950 and as a not-for- profit organization in 1951, Starlight presents and produces Broadway musicals and concerts. It also offers extensive community outreach and educational programming, including classes, scholarships and Starlight’s Blue Star Awards, one of the largest high school musical theatre award programs in the nation.
Located on 16 acres in Swope Park, Starlight’s venue includes rehearsal halls, gift store, club area for dining, concessions, gardens, fountains and a 10-story, climate-controlled stage.
STAMPedeing the way into Elephant Conservation, the Kansas City Zoo is preparing for a bull elephant arrival in October. Tamani, a 9-year old, will join the Zoo’s female herd. These intelligent and social animals have a combined area of over 5 acres that allows for natural behaviors. The Kansas City Zoo has not had a male elephant since September of 2003.
