Gully Town

In settings ranging from Kansas City's West Bottoms to Quality Hill, you'll follow the lives and fortunes of five very different men, the women they love, and the families they create, in G.P. Schultz's historic saga about the settlement and growth of one of America's great cities. You'll follow the adventures of Jack and Kevin, two spunky Irish orphans just off the boat and determined to make their fortunes in America. They arrive in Kansas City when it is a rugged town built along mountainous gullies carved in the mud along the Missouri River--thus earning it the name "Gully Town." For Kevin, early Kansas City affords the opportunity to fulfill his ambitions to be a newspaper reporter and to pursue his avid interest in women--until the captivating Mary, herself and Irish immigrant, steals his heart. Jack settles into the business community and his life takes a completely different turn as he helps create the Boss System of politics that continues to dominate the city for half a century. Red is a young man who witnesses the horror of Quantrill's famous raid on Lawrence, Kansas, in the early days of the Civil War and later participates in the Battle of Westport. Red finds the woman of his dreams in the beautiful Melissa--only to lose her when she learns of his past and flees, taking with her the secret that could save Red from a life of crime. Adam, schoolteacher, historian, state senator and newspaper columnist, chronicles the lives of his friends and the growth of Kansas City in the journal he faithfully keeps through the years. Through him, we learn about the turbulent political system that puts Jack on top--and frequently threatens his life. We experience such history making events as the great Centennial celebration in 1900, and the St. Louis World's Fair in 1904. As the next generation comes of age in a more civilized Kansas City it faces its own challenges. Michael, a product of Gully town's Little Italy, grows up in violence and becomes chief of the Kansas City underworld. Michael falls in love with the beautiful Beth, and must face the inevitability of his career in organized crime destroying the life they have built together.

A fast-growing frontier community transformed itself into a beautiful urban model of parks and boulevards. In 1893, East Coast newspapers were calling Kansas City “the filthiest in the United States.” The drainage of many houses emptied into gullies and cesspools. There was no garbage collection service, and herding livestock through the city was only recently prohibited. Through the diligent efforts of a handful of recently arrived citizens, political, financial, and botanical skills were successfully applied to a nascent parks system. “Squirrel pastures,” cliffs and bluffs, ugly ravines, and shanties and slums were turned into a gridiron of green, with chains of parks and boulevards extending in all directions. Wherever the system penetrated well-settled localities, the policy was to provide playgrounds, tennis courts, baseball diamonds, pools, and field houses. By the time the city fathers were finished, Kansas City could boast of 90 miles of boulevards and 2,500 acres of urban parks.

Project planning is generally accepted as an important contributor to project success. However, is there research that affirms the positive impact of project planning and gives guidance on how much effort should be spent on planning? To answer these questions, this book looks at current literature and new research of this under-studied area of project management. The author presents his findings from an extensive review of project planning literature that covers more than 270 sources. He also discusses new research that analyzes data from more than 1,300 global projects. The book confirms that the time spent on planning activities reduces risk and significantly increases the chances of project success. It also concludes that there can be too much planning and shows that the optimum ratio of planning to effort is 25%. The book examines the impact of project planning on different industries. It discusses research in the construction and information technology (IT) industries, and presents a case study of how to plan and track a software development project. The book also looks at the impact of geography on project planning and success. Intended as a basic tool in the library of any project manager or general manager, this book brings to light project planning techniques and information that have never been published previously. It is an important resource on how to plan projects properly and propel your career forward.

Places, Towns and Townships is an excellent resource for anyone in need of data for all of the nation's cities, towns, townships, villages, and census-designated places in one convenient source. It compiles essential information about places in the United States and the people who live in them such as: • population • housing • income • education • employment • crime • and much more! In addition to the tables, Places, Towns and Townships includes text that describes key findings, figures that call attention to noteworthy trends in data, and rankings of the largest cities by various demographics. Compiled from multiple government sources, the data in this unique reference volume represents the most current and accurate information available. This data will not be updated for several years, making Places, Towns and Townships an invaluable resource in the years to come. Some interesting facts found in the 2016 edition of Places, Towns and Townships include: • While about 18 percent of the population lived in the nation’s 75 largest cities, 37 percent lived in places that were not incorporated as cities in 2014. • There were 34 incorporated cities and one town with more than 500,000 people in 2014. These 34 cities and towns represented only 23 states. • Among the 75 largest cities, Seattle, Boston, and San Francisco all have more than 72 percent of their residents in the 18-to-64 age group. • During the years 2010 through 2014, 13.1 percent of the residents of the United States were born in foreign countries. In 43 cities—mostly medium-sized cities and CDPs—more than half of the people are foreign-born. Many of these cities are in Florida. • In the five-year period from 2010 through 2014, 63.9 percent of Americans age 16 and older were in the civilian labor force, and 9.2 percent of the labor force participants were unemployed. • Nationally, Health Care and Social Assistance is the industrial sector with the most employees—16.6 percent of the total—followed by Retail Trade with 13.2 percent. Places, Towns and Townships makes a valuable addition to the County and City Extra Series.