• About Us
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Pickem Terms and Conditions
Friday, July 11, 2025
The Platte County Landmark Newspaper
  • Home
  • Local News
  • Opinion
  • Landmark Pickem!
    • Weekly Pickem Updates
    • Results by Week
    • The Leaderboard
    • Pickem Rules and Help
  • Landmark Live!
  • Looking Backward
  • es_MXSpanish
  • Home
  • Local News
  • Opinion
  • Landmark Pickem!
    • Weekly Pickem Updates
    • Results by Week
    • The Leaderboard
    • Pickem Rules and Help
  • Landmark Live!
  • Looking Backward
  • es_MXSpanish
No Result
View All Result
The Platte County Landmark Newspaper
No Result
View All Result

What’s in a name? And trying to find the light at Parkville

Ivan Foley by Ivan Foley
January 14, 2022
in Between the Lines
Goodcents
10
SHARES
242
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare via Email

I’m old enough to remember when Goodcents was Mr. Goodcents. Apparently he no longer identifies as male.


I’m also old enough to remember when Dunkin’ was Dunkin’ Donuts. Can confirm they still have donuts.

RelatedNews

County auditor playing big role in fixing some things

Fireworks, fireworks shows, foul tasting water

Hot dogs, postage hikes, character references


Mr. Goodcents became Goodcents in 2012. Dunkin’ Donuts became Dunkin’ in 2019.

I’m just out here droppin’ knowledge on ya.


Speaking of names, did you know Democratic politician Gary Hart was originally named Gary Hartpence? Then he dropped his pence.


Gary Hartpence was born in 1936 but changed his name to Gary Hart in 1961. This one took a little more research but again I’m out here workin’ for ya.


It’s not often you learn of a man who is intentionally misleading about his age but Hart’s campaign literature for many years listed his birth year as 1937. Then some journalists reported that a copy of his birth certificate–and some public records on file at his high school in Ottawa, Kan.–showed his birth year as 1936. Hart eventually confessed that 1936 was accurate.


Can honestly say when I started this column I had no idea Gary Hart would get so much ink–or even a mention–but here we are.

I apologize.


Shatto Milk Company is getting into the Chiefs playoff spirit by releasing red velvet milk. I think it’s from red cows, but I’m no dairy farmer so don’t take my word for it. Better check with Speckman, he used to own some farm ground and once stepped in cow manure, so he’s up on this stuff.


When a cow laughs does milk come out of its nose?


The playoffs start this weekend. The Chiefs are a better offense when Darrel Williams is playing running back than they are when Clyde Edwards-Helaire is playing running back. You can disagree if you want but you’d be wrong.


Let’s talk Parkville.

In her response to an ethics complaint against her, Mayor Nan Johnston repeatedly referred to Jason Maki’s Sunshine requests as harassment. Oops. Bad move. By doing so she violated terms of the $195,000 settlement the city paid to Maki to make his Sunshine lawsuit go away. So Maki could be in line for another payday. If Nan keeps being Nan, Maki’s gonna have a nice retirement nest egg.

After Nan’s written outburst, Maki sent the city a notice to let them know their mayor had gone too far. He demanded the city to refute the mayor’s comments, a public apology and demanded the mayor be removed from office prior to a Jan. 4 board of aldermen meeting. The response? Thus far the city has posted a statement on its web site saying: “On Dec. 14, 2021, the board of aldermen was made aware of certain recent statements made by the mayor that could be interpreted as suggesting that a citizen’s use of the Missouri Sunshine Law was a form of harassment. Those comments are the individual’s views and are not representative of the board’s or the city’s beliefs. The board of aldermen is committed to accountability and transparency and fully supports the use of the Sunshine Law to ensure open government.”

Whether by design or whether by coincidence, the mayor was not present at the board of aldermen meeting on Jan. 4. No word on her having been “removed.”


At least one alderman appears to be trying.

During last week’s Parkville Board of Aldermen meeting, alderman Brian Whitley proposed multiple steps that the city should take to improve transparency. Some of Whitley’s highlights include:

.Develop a public-facing dashboard of all Sunshine requests to include date of request, requestor name, total fees/waiver of fees, staff hours to fulfill the request, copy of request, status of request and the city’s interim and final responses to the request.

.Livestreaming and recording of all meetings where a quorum of elected officials and commission/committee members are present. “Presently, I believe we livestream board of aldermen meetings, PDIC, CLARB, and planning and zoning meetings. We do not presently livestream ethics, finance, board of zoning adjustment, TIF, aldermen work sessions/strategic planning sessions. We should cross train staff to handle livestreaming if our contractor, CuriousEye, is unavailable.”

.Have the city provide @parkvillemo.gov email addresses for all commissions/committee members to handle all public business and keep public business separate from personal business. This would allow the city server to capture all email traffic. “I believe that this will greatly enhance the city’s ability to timely and completely fulfill Sunshine requests about commission/committee activities.”

.Beginning May 2022, have the city provide the city administrator and all elected officials with mid-tier iPads (or laptop for the city manager on the first day of employment) and mid-tier cell phones to conduct all public business. “This way, phone records, text messages and other activity for the public good can be easily produced for Sunshine requests. Rather than City Hall playing switchboard for calls to the mayor and alderpersons, constituents would contact their mayor or alderperson directly. This contact information would be made available on the city’s website,” Whitley said.

(Get the light of day in full transparency and all that stuff via email to ivan@plattecountylandmark.com)

Tags: Brian WhitleyethicsLawsuitsNan Johnstonparkvilleplatte countySunshine Lawstax incentives
Ivan Foley

Ivan Foley

Ivan Foley, longtime owner/publisher of the Platte County Landmark, is a past winner of the national Gish Award for courage, tenacity and integrity in rural journalism, presented by the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues at the University of Kentucky. He lives in Platte County not far from KCI Airport.

Related Posts

Landmark On the Road

Landmark On the Road–In Canada

by Ivan Foley
July 10, 2025
0

Joe Wellington, former police chief for Platte City, poses in Yellowknife, Canada with a copy of The Landmark. Wellington and his group spent two weeks in Yellowknife, which is 2,500 miles north and west from Platte City. The group spent...

45 Years Ago–July 11, 1980

by Ivan Foley
July 9, 2025
0

A demolition derby on Wednesday, July 23 will be one of the spectator highlights of the 117th annual Platte County Fair, scheduled July 23-26 at the fairgrounds in Tracy. The derby will also be held Thursday. The fair will also...

30 Years Ago–July 13, 1995

by Ivan Foley
July 9, 2025
0

Eight girls are seeking the crown to be worn by the 1995 Platte County Fair Queen. Candidates include: Jennifer Cox, 17, sponsored by The Landmark Newspaper; Ginger Hass, 19, sponsored by Ida Cox; Ashley Jenks, 19, sponsored by Professional Eye...

15 Years Ago–July 14, 2010

by Ivan Foley
July 9, 2025
0

President Barack Obama visited Platte County’s Smith Electric Vehicles plant on Thursday as part of the administration’s wide ranging “Recovery Summer” tour of many of the stimulus projects funded by Recovery Act grants. Smith Electric Vehicles operates out of the...

Next Post
Survey says

Survey says

Popular News

  • Police

    Driver, 18, killed in Hwy. 45 crash

    90 shares
    Share 36 Tweet 23
  • Platte City Lions Club has pulled the plug

    39 shares
    Share 16 Tweet 10
  • Parkville chooses plan for easing congestion

    12 shares
    Share 5 Tweet 3
  • Nathan Willett says he’ll run for state senate

    10 shares
    Share 4 Tweet 3
  • Fireworks show in Platte City

    16 shares
    Share 6 Tweet 4
  • About Us
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Pickem Terms and Conditions
Call us at 816-858-0363

Copyright © 2019-2020 The Platte County Landmark Newspaper - All Rights Reserved

No Result
View All Result
  • Subscribe Online
  • Home
  • Local News
  • Opinion
  • Landmark Pickem
    • Results by Week
    • The Leaderboard
    • Pickem Rules and Help
  • Landmark Live!
  • Looking Backward
  • es_MXSpanish

Copyright © 2019-2020 The Platte County Landmark Newspaper - All Rights Reserved