Courtesy of Therese Horvat

Through a process of recent restructuring, Wyandot Inc. has been developed as the parent company of five independent but related organizations serving the Wyandotte County community. 

Pete Zevenbergen, Wyandot Inc. president/CEO, said the restructuring was announced to staff in early February.

“Through this restructuring,” Zevenbergen said, “we will develop more highly focused Boards of Directors and staff as we strive to fulfill the unique Mission of each entity and develop partnerships to address a broader range of needs within the community.”

Wyandot Inc., the parent company, provides staff and infrastructure that support most of the other entities.  This includes functions such as fiscal services, information technology and facilities management.

The five Wyandot Inc. organizations include:

• Wyandot Center—now providing mental health services only for adults.  Tonja Speer, former department director of Comprehensive Outpatient Services, was promoted to vice president/executive director of Wyandot Center.

• PACES—serving the emotional and behavioral health needs of children, adolescents and their families.  Randy Callstrom, former director of Wyandot Center’s youth services program is the PACES vice president/executive director.

• Kim Wilson Housing—creating housing options for persons with special needs.  James Glenn is vice president/executive director of Kim Wilson Housing.

• City Vision—building and promoting economic and community development in the urban core.  John Harvey has been associated with City Vision since its founding and is president of this community development corporation.

• Wyandot Management Corporation—a for-profit company to develop future business opportunities.

“It’s an exciting time in the history of Wyandot Inc. and in the expansion of service delivery in Wyandotte County,” Zevenbergen concluded, “as we focus our efforts through individual organizations and collectively to meet the diverse needs of the populations we serve.”

For more information, visit www.wyandotinc.org

The York Rite Bodies of Kansas City, Kansas held their annual elections on Tuesday, November 3, 2009.

Wyandotte Chapter No. 6 of Royal Arch Masons, Wyandotte Council No. 6 of Royal and Select Masters, and Ivanhoe Commandery No. 21 of Knights Templar each progressed its line in the accepted fashion, electing Steven L. Meyer, Sr to preside over the Council and H. Wayne Rector to preside over the Chaptrer and the Commandery.

The installation of officers will be on Tuesday, December 1, 2009. and is a public ceremony Anyone interested in or curious about Freemasonry is encouraged to attend. Dinner will be at 6:00 P. M. with a cost of $8.00 per person. The ceremony will begin at 7:00 P.M.

The ceremony will be held at Sherman Masonic Temple, 1201 North 67th Street, Kansas City, KS. Reservations for dinner should be sent to Steve Meyer at ankara.ironchef@gmail.com.

Native Americans Joey Criddle (right) and Crisosto Apache (left) will present a program on “Embracing Two-Spirit Traditions” at Kansas City Kansas Community College Thursday, Nov. 12.

Open to the public without charge, the program will be held from 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. in Room 2325 on the lower level of the Jewell Center.   

Sponsored by the OQS Diversity Club, Campus Forum, Intercultural Center and Women’s Resource Center, original “traditional American values” and the personal and cultural perspectives will be presented. A reception will follow.

Native American Two-Spirit Traditions embrace gender diversity and have a positive outlook on the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community, which is seen as having the gift of two spirits, both male and female. Transgender individuals are seen as even more sacred because of their physical embodiment. As such, Two Spirits have special responsibilities and expectations within their tribes.

One of two founding members of the Two Spirit Society of Denver and co-director for nine years, Criddle is a member of the Jicarilla Apache tribe. The head singer for the society, he is a graduate of Itawamba College in Mississippi and employed as a respiratory therapist in Denver.

Seeing a need for the Two Spirit people to organize in Denver, which has a large Native America population, Criddle helped found the organization which has provided GLBT Native American people with a safe place for the past 10 years as well as a platform for cultural rejuvenation, bonding and education.

A member of the Mescalero Apache Tribe, Crisosto Apache was born and raised on the Mescalero reservation in New Mexico. A graduate of the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe. N.M., he has also attended Naropa University in Boulder, the University of Colorado in Denver and is currently attending Metro State College of Denver while working with disadvantaged youth. Co-director for the Two Spirit Society, he volunteers his time to conduct Two Spirit educational presentations.
     
 

I've received great feedback from those interested in blogging. I've collected email addresses and will be sending out one mass email to everyone this weekend detailing the process.

Again, if interested, contact me at nicks@kansascitykansan.com or at NJSloan212@gmail.com

Thanks.