Rick Dircks’ Post

Vote No On The Proposed New Royal Stadium In Downtown Kansas City I wish to discuss the proposed new Royal Stadium in downtown Kansas City, MO. I relocated here from New York in 1978 and have been a business owner and community leader since then. I owned a candy store at 3027 Prospect, known as the Candy House, before the Lynnwood Shopping Center was established. I ventured into construction and was proud to have one of the top three Black general contracting companies in Kansas City. As a founding board member of the Full Employment Council, I also owned Goodfellas Pizzeria at 3027 Prospect. I’ve coached South Suburban basketball, and Red Bridge baseball, and initiated the Cub Scout system in the Kansas City School District, thanks to my godfather, Carl DiCapo, who served on their board of directors and ran the Italian Gardens restaurant on 11th and Baltimore. However, given my understanding of how this city operates and the projects funded by taxpayers’ money, I cannot support the new stadium or any other downtown project. Over the past 40 years, I have not seen any significant improvement in the Black community despite the millions of dollars poured into projects like 18th and Vine. Our education system is in a poor state, decent housing is virtually non-existent, and outside investors are swooping in like carpetbaggers. When you consider the Chiefs and the Royals, their owners have the financial means. If they want a new stadium, they should fund it themselves. Many of my constituents are struggling to pay their bills and healthcare costs. Only a select few in the Black community benefit when these projects go through. The last debacle with the Royals and the Chiefs stadium should have created ten new Black millionaires through construction contracts, but it didn’t. You have to ask yourself why. I’m more aligned with Malcolm X’s perspective – we’ve been bamboozled. In my view, any Black leadership that supports this ambiguous, insincere conversation that the Kansas City Royals’ owners are having with our community representatives is participating in a farce. I stand with County Executive Frank White – not enough information has been disclosed to warrant asking our community to vote yes on this proposal for a new stadium.

Vote No On The Proposed New Royal Stadium In Downtown Kansas City I wish to discuss the proposed new Royal Stadium in downtown Kansas City, MO. I relocated here from New York in 1978 and have been a business owner and community leader since then. I owned a candy store at 3027 Prospect, known as the Candy House, before the Lynnwood Shopping Center was established. I ventured into construction and was proud to have one of the top three Black general contracting companies in Kansas City. As a founding board member of the Full Employment Council, I also owned Goodfellas Pizzeria at 3027 Prospect. I’ve coached South Suburban basketball, and Red Bridge baseball, and initiated the Cub Scout system in the Kansas City School District, thanks to my godfather, Carl DiCapo, who served on their board of directors and ran the Italian Gardens restaurant on 11th and Baltimore. However, given my understanding of how this city operates and the projects funded by taxpayers’ money, I cannot support the new stadium or any other downtown project. Over the past 40 years, I have not seen any significant improvement in the Black community despite the millions of dollars poured into projects like 18th and Vine. Our education system is in a poor state, decent housing is virtually non-existent, and outside investors are swooping in like carpetbaggers. When you consider the Chiefs and the Royals, their owners have the financial means. If they want a new stadium, they should fund it themselves. Many of my constituents are struggling to pay their bills and healthcare costs. Only a select few in the Black community benefit when these projects go through. The last debacle with the Royals and the Chiefs stadium should have created ten new Black millionaires through construction contracts, but it didn’t. You have to ask yourself why. I’m more aligned with Malcolm X’s perspective – we’ve been bamboozled. In my view, any Black leadership that supports this ambiguous, insincere conversation that the Kansas City Royals’ owners are having with our community representatives is participating in a farce. I stand with County Executive Frank White – not enough information has been disclosed to warrant asking our community to vote yes on this proposal for a new stadium.

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We've got a growing network, so let us reintroduce ourselves if you're wondering who we are. The Mean Green Infantry is an alumni-coordinated effort to increase fan engagement by making events of UNT games - usually away from Denton, and at a group-discounted rate. You know how schools like Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech and other big-time programs always have a lot of fans in the stands, even when they're not playing at home? That's what we're trying to do. UNT Athletics are on the rise, and we have the numbers to show up no matter where. 47K current students (third largest in Texas), nearly half a million living alumni, and 300K in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex alone. So join us! Facebook: https://lnkd.in/gZNWqwyx Twitter: https://lnkd.in/gKCNWPnc Instagram: https://lnkd.in/grmz2Dr9

60 for 60 🔱 - As a state representative and state senator, Tim Green, BSBA 1990, has focused his career on making life better for generations of Missourians. Read more at buff.ly/432oNYt. #umsl60

BEST EXPERWEINCE I HAD IN LEARNING IN THE LABORATORY OF WASHINGTON DC AND HOWARD UNIVERSITY...

It's Friday, let's go with FiredUpFridays! Here are the three things I'm heated over: 1. March Madness has arrived! On the women's side, my Utes were taken down by a Gonzaga team that couldn't be stopped from the 3-point line. They went 54.5% from downtown. We went 26.5%. That's interesting because WE, the Utah Utes, are usually the team that can't be stopped from beyond the arc. This reminds me, we can't always be one-dimensional. When life, work, or daily challenges arise, are we well-equipped to deviate from the original "game plan" and pivot to something more productive for the moment? A respectful single flame for healthy and elite competition 🔥! 2. I'm officially a Utah Royals season-ticket holder. Welcome back to Utah, Royals! While we lost the home-opener to the Chicago Red Stars, we won in spirit and support. The game was sold out, and so were the fans to the team, players, game, and community. Ohhh, AND, we did pick up our first W at home (and for the season) in our second game against the North Carolina Courage. Blazing return to Royalty 🔥🔥! 3. This week I was able to attend a workshop that brought together many different nursing departments and leaders from across University of Utah Hospitals and Clinics system. It's amazing what happens when you sit in the same room with other peers who are passionate, inspired, intelligent, creative, and supportive! It reminds me, why do we have to wait for an event to take place for magic to spark and change to happen? Why aren't we spending regular, daily time getting in front of one another...REALLY hearing what others are doing and accomplishing...AUTHENTICALLY celebrating wins...TRULY exploring big and small ideas over coffee...RESPECTFULLY challenging each other's assumptions...INTENTIONALLY encouraging steps and plights? We don't have to schedule when we will be exceptional colleagues and friends. Instead, we can live exceptionally by consistently showing up more fully and presently for our peers in all that we do. Combusting with simplicity 🔥🔥🔥!

🦞 Age is Just a Number: Meet the 104-Year-Old 'Lobster Lady' 🚤 Virginia Oliver, Maine's maritime marvel, just renewed her commercial lobster license at 104 years old. Why? Because retirement isn't in her vocabulary! Picture this: A centenarian rising at 3 AM, donning lipstick and earrings, to catch lobsters thrice a week. That's Virginia's life, and she wouldn't have it any other way. Her secret? "You've gotta keep living, you gotta keep working." Virginia's story isn't just about lobsters. It's about passion, purpose, and shattering age stereotypes. As we plan for our futures, perhaps we should ask: What's our equivalent of Virginia's lobster boat? Let's celebrate those who prove that life's adventures don't have an expiration date. #AgelessInspiration #LifelongPurpose #RetirementRedefined Source:

The only analysis worth looking at is how the two stack up in terms of mental abilities. Unfortunately chances are that this type of analysis will be a very short one.