Happy Thanksgiving from The Star. What our staff is thankful for about Kansas City

Kansas City has given our team at The Star a lot to be thankful for this year. A few of us have grown up here, some have been calling the city home and working at The Star for decades and others of us have moved here in recent years to report on this community that contains over 2.2 million people.

In our time here, we’ve grown to love, appreciate and cherish everything Kansas City has to offer. The delicious food, the way the city unites around its sports teams, how there’s always something to do on the weekends, and seeing how passionate residents are about the city we share are just a few that come to mind.

This Thanksgiving, we wanted to take the opportunity to get a little more personal than we usually do in our reporting and to share with you about what we’re thankful for in our community. Some of us were pretty specific and shared some favorite moments. Others of us reflected on what it has meant to us to build our families here over the years. Here’s what some of our reporters and editors are thankful for about Kansas City.

Joseph Hernandez, service journalism reporter, currently living on the Plaza by way of Squier Park

One thing I’m thankful for this year is the Kansas City Chiefs. Not only are they good, but my friends are invested in the team, and we’ve taken it upon ourselves to visit different areas of the city to watch the game. We’ve been able to bond over the team, and I’ve shown them new areas that they otherwise wouldn’t have visited.

Sharon Hoffmann, enterprise editor, Overland Park

I hate my commute to downtown. I hate the traffic. I hate the sun in my eyes. I hate paying for gas and adding miles to my odometer.

So I did something about it: I started taking the bus. The RideKC stop is about a mile from my home. Next stop: Crown Center, where The Star is located now. Bonus: It’s free.

It’s not perfect. Sometimes the bus is late. One day it didn’t come at all. But still, I can get work done. Read. Or just sit back, close my eyes, and silently give thanks.

Ian Cummings, assistant managing editor/breaking news, Topeka

I am thankful for all the opportunities to have fun around downtown Kansas City: Broadway shows at the Kauffman Center and the Music Hall, museum exhibits at Union Station and great places to eat. Perhaps most of all: the buffalo chicken mac and cheese at the Street Car Grille.

Natalie Wallington, service journalism reporter, Union Hill

I’m thankful for my apartment neighbors: Matt, Cole, C.T., Seth and Genevieve. Whether I’m enjoying C.T.’s home-cooked Indian food, fawning over Cole’s dog, enjoying a glass of wine with Genevieve on the back patio or hearing Matt’s piano playing through the floorboards while doing laundry in the basement, their presence in my life has made Kansas City feel like home.

On the East Coast, it’s common to live in an apartment for years without ever meeting your neighbors. Here, we have a building-wide group chat and always stop to catch up in the stairwell. My neighbors embody what I love most about Kansas City: the warmth and friendliness of strangers, and how quickly they can become new friends.

Lisa Lopez, executive administrative assistant, Westport

Being a board member for Greater Kansas City National Hispanic Heritage Committee. I’m thankful for all the amazing local organizations and many companies that supported Fiesta Hispana 2022 this year. Without your contribution our annual event would not be possible.

David Hudnall, narrative writer, Westside

I am thankful for the Kansas City, Missouri, Parcel Viewer, a website I use pretty much every day to identify the people and, increasingly, limited liability companies that own property in this city.

Tammy Ljungblad, visual journalist, Lenexa

I am thankful for the unconditional support and love I receive everyday from my husband, Brian, and my son, Brett. They are a true blessing to me.

Scott Chasen, assistant sports editor, Merriam

I’m thankful to have found my way to the Kansas City-area just over a decade ago. I’ve lived in Olathe, Merriam and Kansas City, Mo., and I’ve consistently found a welcoming community, kind and passionate people (especially about sports) and some of the best BBQ on the planet. KC is a special and welcoming place — and the views downtown aren’t so bad, either.

Allison Dikanovic, service journalism editor, Midtown

I’m thankful that one of my first friends in KC is a musician who opened me up to the community of kind, creative people and warm, welcoming spaces for art that have made this city feel like home. When I think about this year — my first in KC — I think about all the cans of Hamm’s shared at that last Coop Sessions house show or the percussion set at Stray Cat Film Center, poetry readings at Blip Roasters and PH Coffee, the opening of Manor Records, and maybe the most fun time ever: Kat King prom at The Ship.

Pete Grathoff, sports columnist, Shawnee

This Thanksgiving, I’m thankful for my family, friends, church and ... burnt ends. Just don’t ask me in what order.

Randy Mason, multimedia producer, Prairie Village

I’m thankful for the great libraries (and librarians) around the metro that readily serve our needs for recreational reading and research. And never “shoosh” us when we get a little boisterous!

Mara’ Rose Williams, editorial board, Independence

I am thankful for my neighbors in the Three-Trails neighborhood of Independence, Missouri, who this year invited me into their planning group and gave me a chance to get to know them better and to help out with cleanups and bringing dinners to shut-in neighbors. We look out for one another.

Greg Farmer, interim executive editor, Johnson County

I’m thankful that my hometown is the only place in the world you can find the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum. What a remarkable treasure for our city. When my daughters were young, they stood in line at a grocery store to get Buck O’Neil’s autograph as a gift for their dad. I still have a picture of them with him and the ball he signed. I love that they were able to meet him and bask in his light even for a minute. A picture of Buck hangs over my desk. His legacy: Celebrate the goodness around us, and find joy in every day.

Hannah Wise, audience editor, Waldo

This holiday season, I’m thankful for the Kansas City fiber arts community. When I moved back to the area, the community of artists and makers was the first part of this city to make me feel truly welcome. Knitters, crocheters, weavers and spinners: We’re a tangled web of folks who love yarn — I’m always inspired by your creativity, care and generosity. Thank you for all the beauty and warmth you bring to the place we call home.

Mike Hendricks, investigative reporter, Old Town Lenexa

I grew up in Omaha and worked at two Iowa newspapers before arriving here in 1985 to work as a reporter on the Star’s business news staff. We figured our young family would stay two years in Kansas City and move on. But life happens. Plans change. Our family grew and so did our roots deepen in the community. All three kids graduated from KU. Someday my wife and I may relocate to be closer to grand-kids. But this town will always be my home, and I’m thankful for that.