Thursday, March 19, 2026

Fw: Wood cutting Friday & Saturday



From: Fr. Nikolai Meyers <frnmeyers@gmail.com>
Sent: Thursday, March 19, 2026 9:31 PM
To: Fr. Nikolai Meyers <frnmeyers@gmail.com>
Subject: Wood cutting Friday & Saturday
 
Saints Peter & Paul
Orthodox Church
Topeka, KS
March 20th, 2026
 Cuthbert the Wonderworker, Bishop of Lindisfarne, Photini the Samaritan Woman
Dear Faithful of Saints Peter and Paul, 
The blessing of the Holy Trinity be upon you!

Met. SABA's Teaching
Attached to this email is Met. SABA's weekly teaching. 

Zeffy
Donations to the Church can now be made without fees through Zeffy: https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/donation-form/donate-to-saints-peter-and-paul

Lazarus Saturday
Our Cathedral of St. George in Wichita will host festivities for Lazarus Saturday.  Please see the attached flyer for deststails. 

How to find the entrance to our 29 Acres near SE Adams.
There is no entrance off of SE Adams.  The entrance is east of the intersection of SE 40th St and SE Quincy St.  There is a water tower north of the gated entrance to the land.  
 
Summer Camp 
EOYC in Linwood, KS: http://myeoyc.com/
This camp usually runs the last week of July, although the dates for 2026 have not been set yet.  Early bird registration usually remains open through June.

The parents of our parish's campers collaborate on an annual fundraiser to offset the cost of summer camp.  Please see Kh Jeanette, if you are interested in participating in the fundraiser.

Catechism
Catechism resumes on Saturdays at 4:45pm February 21st.  It will be held in person and streamed on Zoom: https://classicalacademicpress.zoom.us/j/2777306254

Dillons Rewards Program
You can designate Ss. Peter and Paul as your charity of choice with your Dillons Rewards card.  There is no cost to you.  Dillons will donate .05% of your purchase to the Charity of your choice when you use your Dillons Rewards card. You can designate Ss. Peter and Paul as your charity here: https://www.dillons.com/i/community/community-rewards  
The code for Ss. Peter & Paul is HY763

Prosphora & Coffee Hour sign-up.
If you would like to make Prosphora or host coffee hour you can sign up here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/11nQvrj2unx0Vz-dggw5Psb8xy2tRg3ybCQGOB_Rn9sI/edit#gid=0
If you would like to join a team to help with coffee hour or would like to host a week on your own please contact our Coffee Hour coordinator Gracie Crater at craterrb@gmail.com  

Schedule
Friday March 20th 
  • 1-4 pm Wood Cutting
  • 5:15 pm Small Compline & Akathist 
Saturday March 21st 
Sunday March 22nd 
  • 9 am Orthros and Sunday School
  • 10 am Divine Liturgy 
  • Followed by Coffee Hour
  • 5 pm Lenten Vespers at S. Dionysios Greek Orthodox Church, Overland Park, KS. 
Monday March 23rd 
  • 5:15 pm Lenten Daily Vespers
Tuesday March 24th 
  • 5:15 pm Vigil for Annunciation
Wednesday March 25th 
  • 8 am Divine Liturgy for Annunciation
  • 6 pm Annunciation Dinner  We will be collecting donations for the Widowed Clergy Wives Endowment Fund. It is encouraged to pay whatever you spend going out to eat.
Thursday March 26th 
  • 5:15 pm Small Compline, Great Canon & Life of St. Mary of Egypt
Friday March 27th 
  • 5:15 pm Small Compline & Entire Akathist Hymn 
Saturday March 28th 
Sunday March 29th 
  • 9 am Orthros and Sunday School
  • 10 am Divine Liturgy 
  • Followed by Coffee Hour
  • 5 pm Lenten Vespers at St. Mary of Egypt Orthodox Church in KCMO
Monday March 30th 
  • 5:15 pm Great Compline
Tuesday March 31st 
  • 5:15 pm Lenten Daily Vespers
Wednesday April 1st 
  • 5:15 pm Pre-Communion Prayers, Presanctified Liturgy
  • Followed by Soup Supper and Reading of the Life of the Saints. 
Thursday April 2nd 
  • 5:15 pm Great Compline
Friday April 3rd Last Day of Lent
  • 5:15 pm Small Compline & Canon for St. Lazarus
Fr. Nikolai Meyers
Pastor: Saints Peter and Paul Orthodox Church Topeka, KS; Saint Mary Magdalene Chapel, Manhattan, KS. 
Catechist: Saint Raphael School. 
Spiritual Advisor (Diocese of Wichita): Antiochian Orthodox Archdiocese Department of Homeschooling
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Title: Standing Up for Transparency: Why Every Topeka Citizen Has the Right — and Duty — to Demand Fair Application of State Law


By Henry McClure Topeka, Kansas March 19, 2026

As a resident of Topeka, a licensed real estate broker, and someone who cares deeply about fair and transparent government, I recently received a response from Mayor Spencer Duncan regarding my concerns about the California Crossing Community Improvement District (CID) process. In his email, the mayor stated that I have "no standing" in the CID agreement because I do not represent the developer or property owner, am not working for them, and they are satisfied with the outcome and prefer no further involvement from me. He concluded that a meeting with me would be "inappropriate" as it could interfere with their work.

While I respect the mayor's position and the developer's desire to move forward without complications, this response misses a fundamental point: Citizens do not need "standing" in a private development agreement to speak out on matters of public process, transparency, and compliance with state law.

The Right — and Obligation — of Every Citizen

Under the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, every American has the right to petition the government for redress of grievances and to speak freely on issues of public concern. This includes commenting on how our local government handles economic development tools like CIDs, which involve special sales taxes imposed on shoppers within district boundaries.

Kansas law reinforces this:

  • The Kansas Open Meetings Act (KOMA), K.S.A. 75-4317 et seq., declares it the policy of the state that meetings for governmental business be open to the public because "a representative government is dependent upon an informed electorate." The Act promotes transparency and public participation, not restriction based on personal stake.
  • Topeka's own Governing Body Rules & Procedure (Section 5.5) explicitly encourages public comment at every regular council meeting. Any resident can sign up to speak (notify the City Clerk by 5:00 p.m. the day of the meeting or sign up in person before 6:00 p.m.), and each speaker gets up to 4 minutes. There is no requirement that you be a party to the project, own property in the district, or have a direct financial interest. Public comment is open to any citizen to address agenda items or raise general concerns about city processes.

The mayor's email does not — and cannot — strip away these rights. Declining a private meeting is one thing; implying that a citizen lacks the legitimacy to raise concerns publicly or advocate for better procedures is another. As a Topeka resident and developer who has worked within the system, I believe it's not just my right but my obligation to point out potential discrepancies when they affect how the law is applied to everyone.

The Specific Concern: A Clear Discrepancy in the California Crossing CID

To recap the facts (all from public records and my KORA requests):

  • The owners' petition (filed August 2025 by California Crossing, LLC, notarized and signed) explicitly proposed a 1.9% CID sales tax in Section E.
  • Yet Resolution 9745 (December 16, 2025) and Deputy City Manager Braxton Copley's testimony at the February 3, 2026 public hearing described the rate as 1.5% "as requested in the Petition."
  • The council ultimately approved Ordinance No. 20633 at 1.5%.
  • My KORA requests confirm no amended petition, no revised application, and no public documentation explaining or recording a rate change.

Under the Kansas Community Improvement District Act (K.S.A. 12-6a26 et seq., specifically 12-6a29), the owners' petition controls the proposed sales tax rate that must be noticed for the public hearing. The resolution must reflect what was actually petitioned. If the rate changed, it required the owner's consent via an amendment or revision — something the record does not show. This mismatch raises legitimate questions about the accuracy of notices and the uniform treatment of all developers filing CIDs in Topeka.

The developer/owner may be content (as the mayor noted), but that does not resolve the transparency issue for future projects. If one applicant can have its requested rate adjusted without clear public documentation, others might face the same — or different — handling. Consistency and openness benefit every developer, resident, and shopper in our city.

Moving Forward: What This Means for Topeka

I will continue exercising my rights as a citizen:

  • Speaking during public comment at future council meetings.
  • Submitting written concerns to the council and City Manager.
  • Sharing facts publicly (including this post and supporting documents) so residents can form their own opinions.

Topeka's government works best when citizens are informed and engaged — not sidelined based on "standing." Mayor Duncan has said he values hearing different viewpoints to represent us better. I take him at his word and hope this dialogue leads to stronger processes that ensure every CID petition is handled transparently and uniformly.

If you're a Topeka resident concerned about fair government, I encourage you to attend council meetings, sign up for public comment, or contact your councilmember. Our voices matter — regardless of whether we have a "dog in the hunt" for a specific project.

Thank you for reading. Let's keep Topeka moving forward with integrity and openness.

Henry McClure Topeka Resident, Licensed Real Estate Broker @mcre1 on X [Include links to petition pages, Resolution 9745 PDF, YouTube Short, and mayor's email if posting online]

Feel free to post this on your blog, Facebook, X, or wherever you share updates. If you'd like tweaks (e.g., shorter version, more emphasis on certain parts, or adding images/screenshots of the petition/resolution), just let me know. We're keeping the pressure on with facts.

on No comments:

Fw: Braxton /



Henry McClure
785.383.9994 

Sent from my T-Mobile 5G Device
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From: Henry McClure <mcre13@gmail.com>
Sent: Wednesday, March 18, 2026 10:57:03 AM
To: Spencer Duncan <sduncan@topeka.org>; David Banks <dbanks@topeka.org>; Robert M. Perez <rmperez@topeka.org>; City Clerk <cclerk@topeka.org>
Cc: Karen A. Hiller <khiller@topeka.org>
Subject: Braxton /
 
I want to meet with the City Manager and have Spencer and his oversight team in the meeting 

The city manager has an assistant that lied in a public hearing.

There is an undeniable discrepancy between the August 2025 application you provided (1.90% requested) and what the City Manager's office, Braxton Copley, the resolution, and the council ultimately acted on (1.5% presented as "as requested in the Petition").

Under the Kansas Community Improvement District Act (K.S.A. 12-6a26 et seq.), the owners' petition controls the rate. The city cannot unilaterally lower it without an amended petition from the applicant. The most plausible explanation is that California Crossing LLC (or their counsel) quietly revised the petition between the August filing and the November "application received" date Copley referenced, dropping it to 1.5% before Resolution 9745 was drafted. No public notice, amendment document, or explanation of that change appears in the resolution, meeting packet, or news coverage.

https://youtube.com/shorts/48N5xo_CyFg?si=uvXRrJft1AGRwcyP 


on No comments:

RE: KORA

 

Thank you for contacting the City of Topeka. We have received your request and will process. You will receive a response within three (3) business days.

 

Megan Brunson

Administrative Officer, Special Events

mjbrunson@topeka.org

785-368-3940

 

“The preceding email message (including any attachments) contains information that may be confidential, protected by the attorney/client or other applicable privileges or that may constitute non-public information. This message is intended to be conveyed only to the designated recipient(s). If you are not listed as a recipient of this message, please notify the sender immediately by replying to this message and then delete it from your system. Use, dissemination, distribution, or reproduction of this message by unintended recipients is not authorized and may be unlawful.”

 

From: Henry McClure <mcre13@gmail.com>
Sent: Wednesday, March 18, 2026 7:38 PM
To: City Clerk <cclerk@topeka.org>; MCRE Media <mcre1.9999@blogger.com>
Subject: KORA

 

Notice: -----This message was sent by an external sender-----

 

Please send the rejected proposals = 14 

 

Request for Proposals bid event 2830 Hotel Asset Manager was issued on June 27, 2023 and closed on July 19, 2023, whereas 14 firms responded and were evaluated. Staff recommend award to REVPAR International, Inc. as the most qualified firm for this project.

 

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Watch "FASTEDT reaction in baseball ⚾️ ⚡️" on YouTube

https://youtube.com/shorts/aBHBZWSb0rk?si=FIqwmIGANWqwiMTa



Henry McClure  
785.383.9994
sent from mobile 📱
time kills deals
on No comments:

MTAA


Henry McClure
785.383.9994 

Sent from my T-Mobile 5G Device
Get Outlook for Android
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