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As soon as she walked into the doors of the Basehor Community Library, Rachael Hissong knew it was a special place. She met members of the staff and Friends of the Library volunteers and began to understand the positive and enthusiastic culture of the library. But when she received a tour from Interim Director Janice Garcia, Hissong realized how much care and attention had been put into every detail of the library.Hissong has been named the new director of the Basehor Community Library and began her new position July 15, replacing Diana Weaver, who retired in March.“I knew this was a place where the foundations of great customer service, knowledge about the library profession and passion for our field of work was already laid and we could continue to build and grow to create even more exceptional services that reflect the needs of this growing and thriving community,” Hissong said.Attracted to the opportunity for growth with the established library team, Hissong was impressed by the wide variety of services that are offered, the amount of materials readily accessible and the quality of services provided.With a master's degree in library science with a concentration in leadership and administration from Emporia State University, Hissong has also completed the Applied Public Library Education Certificate program for public library directors in the state of Kansas. She began her library career in the public library of Oskaloosa, where she was later asked to lead that library as director upon the retirement of the former director. She later moved to be the director of the Paola Free Public Library, where she immersed herself into the community and community organizations to help make connections, increase engagement and leverage the services offered to support the community.Hissong and her husband and three children live outside of Lawrence with their dog and cat. The family enjoys being active together, learning about new things, spending time with friends and traveling and exploring the world.As a child, Hissong’s mother took her to the library on a regular basis. She always enjoyed reading and throughout her childhood, she began to understand the positive impact public libraries can have on communities. When she started her own family, they lived within walking distance of a public library branch where she got to know other parents and began to feel the sense of connection that she believes many parents need while also providing social opportunities for her children.When she saw the director position at the Basehor Community Library listed, she reached out to the director of the Northeast Kansas Library System to get a better understanding of the position and the administrative structure of the library. The most important research she did was to meet the people involved with the library.“I have only heard positive things about Basehor, especially from acquaintances who have been employed in the community. I was impressed with the drive, enthusiasm and ambitious vision the board members have for the library and the broader community,” said Hissong.Recognizing that the area has many young families, Hissong knows the importance of supporting those families and she believes the library should be a central point for providing resources and experiences to support the healthy development and education of children. Having something for everyone is key to having the library be the key hub for families and providing services to enrich the lives of everyone. She also looks forward to personally getting to know and work with other leaders in the community to understand the needs and partnership opportunities.Hissong said that it is important that libraries reflect the community’s values and provide a warm and welcoming environment because libraries truly are for everyone. She encourages residents to take a moment and stop by the library to learn what type of services are offered or view a calendar of events and additional information about upcoming programs at www.BasehorLibrary.com. Hissong said she encourages everyone to stop by and sign up for a library card if they don’t already have one and say hello to her personally.“Libraries are a place of connection and they embody the concept of freedom. They are a place where all are welcome and to have free access to information and educational experiences. They are one of the few places where no transactions are necessary to visit, and every person is provided with warm and welcoming interactions with staff. In many ways, the library is the face and heart of the community,” she said.

The United Way of Leavenworth County exceeded its goal for its annual fundraising campaign.

Inspired by the beautiful and manicured gardens of Europe, Victoria Davids has turned her home landscape into a showcase of gorgeous blooming plants that completely surround their home. She and her husband, Ron, lived in Germany for five years and moved to Lansing in 1990. They lived on a one-acre lot that they developed into beautiful gardens. Taking native limestone boulders to create property boundaries and utilizing sheep manure from a neighboring farmer, the couple worked together to create a lovely landscape.“Gardening is definitely a process. It starts with one bed, which leads to another, and another. It is also an ongoing learning process to find what works for you,” Victoria said. When the couple moved to Basehor in 2020, they rented two moving trucks. One was filled with household items and the other was filled with plants and tools that they planned to take to their newly built home. Because the landscape at their Lansing home was so extensive, their realtor told them to dig up what they planned to take to Basehor before their Lansing home was listed for sale. Victoria started digging plants in March 2020, carefully selecting which ones she would move with her before they finally moved in June of that year.Now, Victoria spends a couple of hours each day caring for her plants, trimming, weeding and carefully documenting which plant varieties perform best. With 80 hosta varieties and over 100 varieties of daylilies, she keeps a spreadsheet and careful notes to accurately record her gardens. Ron helps by keeping the lawn neatly mowed, but he says the gardens belong to Victoria.In addition to hostas and daylilies, Victoria also has a wide variety of native plants throughout her gardens. She especially enjoys seeing the pollinators buzzing around the flowers and the black swallowtail butterflies that lay eggs on her bronze fennel plants that have self-seeded themselves throughout her gardens. Ron has one garden dedicated to his Colorado heritage that has native trees and plants of that state.As someone who understands the necessity of pollinators and healthy soil to the food chain, Victoria only uses natural pest control to keep harmful bugs such as Japanese beetles under control as much as possible. It is a tedious process, but one she knows is important.In addition to the gardens that surround their home and property, the Davids also have a water garden, complete with a small waterfall, goldfish and water lilies. After the first bitter winter in their home when the ice was thick on their water feature, they installed a small heater that keeps the water from freezing during cold weather.Victoria adds bulbs each year to her garden space including crocus, lilies and daylilies which she locally sources from a breeder in Raytown. She also has 16 yards of mulch added to her gardens each year to help preserve moisture and protect the roots of her plants. Her gardens reflect her love of the variety of colors and textures in nature.“I appreciate beauty in each and every flower,” she said.Victoria’s hosta beds feature those plants in a variety of sizes, colors and shapes. Special to her are the Francis and June varieties of hosta, which are planted outside of their bedroom window and bear the names of her parents. If you are a regular reader of this newspaper, you likely have seen some of the flower images from her garden that Victoria submits each day. She has been doing that since June 2022 so others can enjoy the beauty of nature. While not all the plants she grows are a success, she enjoys the process and eagerly awaits each day to see what is new in her garden.“Gardening is always an experiment. Sometimes I move plants around to see if they perform better in one spot versus another, but it is always a joy,” said Victoria.

People voting in advance for the Aug. 6 primary are being reminded not to wear clothing or accessories that promote a candidate or campaign.

VIVO LIVE Eatery & Venue recently held its Leavenworth grand opening at 206 Choctaw St. The evening featured three bands – The Stacys, Ramona Clay and Prymer - that drew a packed crowd of both locals and out-of-town fans to Leavenworth. Owner Daniel Bogaard relocated VIVO from its former space in Overland Park.“Our lease was up and we were looking for a new place,” Bogaard said. “I came up (to Leavenworth) and checked it out and fell in love with the place. I like the rustic brick, the size of it, the elevated ceilings. I’ve got 30 years of restaurant experience, so it allows me to incorporate the restaurant side of things and the music component.” Bogaard said he moved to the Kansas City area seven years ago from Denver, where he spent several years working at the Hard Rock Café downtown. “I worked at the Barley (Barley’s Kitchen + Tap) at 435 and Midland for three years as general manager and managing partner. I started their live music program there,” Bogaard said.Running a successful restaurant and live music venue, Bogaard said, is all about relationships.“Everything in business is about relationships,” Bogaard said. “I’ve been fortunate in my time owning VIVO that I’ve been able to cultivate relationships with some amazing people in town – including bands. VIVO is known as the people’s venue,” he said. “Because I book different kinds of acts, different genres of music, whether it be cover bands, whether it be original artists.”Bogaard credits a dedicated front-to-back staff for helping grow VIVO’s success. “Mackenzie Kircher runs the place,” Bogaard said. “She’s fantastic. She’s the hardest worker I’ve ever seen.”The venue’s interior will be mostly familiar to locals with its large, centrally located island bar, separate dining room, open-to-view kitchen and high-top tables behind the bar. Changes have been made in front, where the stage has been expanded and new lighting installed, allowing for larger bands and more professional lighting for on-stage performers. Audio engineer Andrew Nagorski manages sound and lighting during performances.Bogaard realizes he’s new to Leavenworth. But he’s counting on winning people over.“We’re in the business of people – whether it’s the guest who comes in your door or the people that you employ,” Bogaard said “You gotta have a guest-first mentality because, again, it’s about the people, right? I pride myself on my ability to be able to communicate, interact and connect with people.”Bogaard said he has devoted years to cultivating relationships with bands. That effort has benefitted not only his business goals but also the musicians and patrons. “Every band gets paid,” Bogaard said. “I never ask anybody to play for free. In some way, shape or form, a band is compensated – ticket sales, cover charge or guarantee.”The only exception is Sunday rock jams, which are from 6-10 p.m. A wide variety of music genres is planned for VIVO.“We’ll be doing country music,” Bogaard said. “But the heart and soul of us is rock and roll – good old-fashioned rock and roll. We’ll feature cover bands as well. They can play classic rock to the 80s and 90s cover bands. We’re really going to try and incorporate as much as we can but at the heart of it, we’re a rock and roll spot.”A unique décor feature behind the stage is the VIVO signature wall.“Every band that plays at VIVO signs that wall,” Bogaard said. “I took it apart piece by piece and reconstructed it here."He plans to construct an additional signing wall for the Leavenworth location. “The new bands that perform here will also get to sign that wall,” Bogaard said. “When the new artists come to perform, everybody wants to sign the wall.”During some weekdays at VIVO, there will be music trivia, karaoke and music bingo. Blues bands may also become a part of the music lineup.“I’ve been approached by a couple different blues musicians,” Bogaard said. “We’ll probably end up doing a blues night because I love it. It comes down to what people want. At the end of the day, I could have a million ideas of what I want to do but the guests are gonna dictate what we end up doing.”The restaurant will have an array of popular sandwiches and appetizers. “There will be 30-plus menu items,” Bogaard said. “It will be your typical appetizers like fried ravioli, nachos, pretzels. But then we’ll also have sandwiches, burgers, wraps, chicken tenders, fish and chips, chicken fried steak.”But the big brag is the pretzel.“We’ve got the best pretzels in town – giant Bavarian soft pretzels that come with homemade queso sauce,” Bogaard said.In addition, there’s a signature cocktail menu and a full bar including 10 different types of whiskey, 14 different types of vodka and eight different types of tequila.Before his band’s performance Friday night, Chris Roach, vocalist and guitarist with The Stacys, shared his endorsement of Bogaard, with whom he has been working the past few years.“He’s cooler than the cool side of the pillow,” Roach said. “It’s more personal with Daniel. Daniel actually cares about the music, the people.”VIVO LIVE Eatery & Venue is open Wednesday through Monday (closed on Tuesday) from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. unless there’s a show. Later closings are on show nights.