Volume 11 + June 2010

lots to see | lots to do | it’s gonna be a scorcher

The CommunityAmerica Online Magazine

[ saVings tip ] shape up your finances

it’s swimsuit season, and many of us are probably looking back and wishing we’d stuck a little closer to our workout plans. Like a solid physical workout regimen that takes time to show results, it takes about three months to form a solid budget and financial plan. our savin’ Mavens can help you create a fiscal regimen that ensures you don’t look back with regrets when you reach retirement age. follow us on Twitter @savinmavens and visit our branches so we can put you on a path to financial prosperity that can help land you on that tropical beach you’ve been dreaming about!

let’s hear it for summer.What’s not to like? The warm

weather. The ice cream man.

Blowing bubbles in the park.

a saturday afternoon weeding

the flowerbeds—well, even that’s

not so bad when you invite your

friends over for a backyard

cookout afterwards.

summer’s here, so read up and let

us help you make the most of it.

Let’s face it, when the sun beats down in mid-summer, it’s

easy to just grab a cold glass of lemonade, crank up the

AC and plant yourself on the couch. But you don’t have to

become a sedentary pile of summertime boredom—you just

need to know what’s happening out there.

Here are some ideas to get you started thinking about ways

to experience our awesome city.

event guide

festivals + eventsJUN

19-20Kansas city chalk & Walk festival Free | Crown Center Square

JUN

27art of the car concours™ $12 | Kansas City Art Institute

JUL

2-4Kcriverfest $6 | Richard Berkley Riverfront Park

JUL

3Booms & Blooms festival $5-$10 | Powell Gardens

JUL

10american royal’s Wine & Brew ha ha $22-$27 | Hale Arena

sportsJUN

10Wizards vs. philadelphia union $15-$125 | CommunityAmerica Ballpark

JUN

16royals vs. houston astros $7-$27 | Free Hot Dog Night

JUN

21T-Bones vs. Lake county fielders $5-$14 | Kids eat free (first 2,000)

JUN

26Wizards vs. new york red Bulls $15-$125 | CommunityAmerica Ballpark

JUL

6T-Bones vs. Winnipeg Goldeyes $5-$14 | Two for Tuesday

JUL

16royals vs. oakland athletics $7-$27 | Buck Night

JUL

20T-Bones vs. schaumburg flyers $5-$14 | Replica Jersey Giveaway

JUL

25Wizards vs. Manchester united $15-$125 | Arrowhead Stadium

AUG

3T-Bones vs. Joliet Jackhammers $5-$14 | Mini-Helmet Giveaway

AUG

7Wizards vs. real salt Lake $15-$125 | CommunityAmerica Ballpark

AUG

17royals vs. cleveland indians $7-$27 | T-Shirt Tuesday

AUG

21royals vs. chicago White sox $7-$27 | Royals Jersey Cooler

concertsJUN

18sugarland $22-$49.50 | Sprint Center

JUN

26Michael Bublé $49.50-$89.50 | Sprint Center

JUL

6Modest Mouse $28 | Grinder’s

JUL

18chicago & The Doobie Brothers $35-$250 | Starlight Theatre

JUL

13Tom petty & the heartbreakers $50.50-$126 | Sprint Center

AUG

16Jack Johnson $35-$55 | Sandstone Amphitheater

theaterJUN

22-27Little house on the prairie: The Musical $9-$79 | Starlight Theatre

JUN

25-27*annie $8 | Theatre in the Park *also showing 7/1-7/3.

JUL

9-11*all shook up $8 | Theatre in the Park *also showing 7/15-7/18.

JUL

20-25Dreamgirls $9-$79 | Starlight Theatre

AUG

23-29The producers $9-$79 | Starlight Theatre

free

friday night flicks Crown Center Square

first sunday family fun Day Kansas City Museum

first fridays Crossroads Art District

pretty much everything going on in the Kc area can be found at visitkc.com/events/index.aspx. navigate on over to see what’s going on today, this weekend and all summer long.

the stashburgerThere’s butter stashed away in them there patties.

1-1/2 lbs. ground beef

2 tbsp. butter, cut into 1/2 tbsp. pats

crisp lettuce leaves

sliced tomato

sliced onion

pickles

Grainy Dijon mustard

4 hamburger buns

salt and pepper

Form ground beef into 4 balls. Press a dimple in the top of each one and place a pat of butter inside, and then enclose the meat around the butter and finish shaping into a patty. Season both sides with salt and pepper. Grill over medium heat for 4-5 minutes per side. Brush onions with olive oil and grill 1-2 minutes per side. With 30 seconds left, place buns on the grill until lightly toasted. Serve burgers hot on buns, topping with condiments as desired.

Makes 4 burgers.

Cream Cheese & baCon burgerSuper-creamy, meet ultra-crispy. You’re going to get along famously.

1-1/2 lbs. ground beef

8-12 strips bacon, cooked until

they’re crispy

4 oz. softened cream cheese,

cut into four cubes

4 hamburger buns

salt and pepper

Form ground beef into 4 patties, and season both sides with salt and pepper. Place on grill at medium heat for 4-5 minutes and flip to grill for 4-5 minutes longer. With 2 minutes of grilling time left, place a cube of cream cheese on each patty. With 30 seconds left, place buns on the grill until lightly toasted. When you take the burgers off the grill, spread the cream cheese so it’s evenly distributed across the patty and top with bacon. Serve hot on buns.

Makes 4 burgers.

there are burgers, and then there are burgers. here are some recipes that will transform your backyard get-together from “a good way to spend a saturday

afternoon” to “the most legendary cookout of all time!”

splurge’s onion bombs

the stashburger

Cream Cheese & baCon burger

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splurge’s onion bombsSure, they’re tiny. And after about your eighth one, you’ll understand why they’re Splurge’s favorite.

2 lbs. ground beef

1 envelope onion soup mix

swiss cheese slices

roma tomatoes, sliced thin

pickles

12 dinner rolls

Combine the onion soup mix with the ground beef, and form into 12 tiny patties. Press a dimple into the top of each one – this helps the patty stay thin and not plump up into a meatball shape when grilling. Season both sides with salt and pepper. Grill over medium heat for 4-5 minutes per side. With 2 minutes left, place a slice of cheese on each patty to melt. With 30 seconds left, place dinner rolls on the grill until lightly toasted. Top each patty with a slice of pickle and tomato, and serve hot on rolls.

Makes 12 burgers.

pineapple salsa pork burgerThe next best thing to your backyard not being landlocked.

1 cup fresh or canned pineapple,

finely chopped

1/2 jalapeno, finely chopped

2 green onions, white part only,

finely chopped

2 tbsp. red onion

cilantro, finely chopped

1 tsp. lime juice

1 tsp. white wine vinegar

1/4 tsp. ground cumin

1 1/2 lbs. ground pork

4 hamburger buns

salt and pepper

Combine pineapple, jalapeno, green and red onions, lime juice, vinegar and cumin in a bowl. Garnish with cilantro and season with salt to taste. Form ground pork into 4 patties and season both sides with salt and pepper. Place on grill at medium heat for 12-15 minutes, flipping halfway through. With 30 seconds left, place buns on the grill until lightly toasted. Serve burgers hot on buns, topped with pineapple salsa.

Makes 4 burgers.

1. Keep the grill closed as much as you can. Yes, we know this is hard.

2. top quality buns make a big difference. check your supermarket’s bakery.

3. brush your burgers with olive oil or use cooking spray before you put them on the grill to make them easier to flip.

pineapple salsapork burger

Now that your teen is drawing a paycheck, the next step is learning how to properly use it. Ask your child to create a budget in order to have money for entertainment while still making sure to save a bit for college, cars or other big purchases that may be down the road.

[ budget, budget, budget ]Once they turn 18, kids become eligible to use credit cards. For parents, this can be a little bit scary since most credit providers are more than willing to offer up that little piece of plastic—and a high interest rate to go with it. So before you sing “Happy Birthday” for the 18th time, be sure to sit down and educate your kids on the importance of using credit properly and finding the right card with a good low rate.

[ preVent a credit crisis ]Most parents believe that for teenagers, education should be priority number 1, and a job just gets in the way of making the grade. But the truth is that a part-time job that works around your child’s school schedule can be good for his wallet and his grades. Why? Because in addition to providing a paycheck, employment helps school a teen on structure and responsibility—two concepts that can carry over to education in a big way.

[ emploYment enJoYment ]

Part 3 of 3: teens

During the teenage years, kids leave toys behind for more adult things like clothes, cars and (gasp!) members of the opposite sex. and while maturity is great, it also tends to get a little expensive. so how can you help your kids enjoy their teens without killing your budget?

easy—let them start paying for that wardrobe, date or car themselves. after all, your kid is closer to college than kindergarten, and now is the time for him or her to learn what fiscal responsibility really means. here are a few tips to get started:

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bAke At 350 deGrees.to heLp fight world hunger,

at communitYamerica, we support manY charitable causesaround the Kansas City area, but there’s one that’s truly near and dear to our hearts—teaching financial literacy to students from kindergarten through grade 12. As a credit union, doing our part to help kids learn to make smart financial decisions is something that we’re passionate about. It’s kind of in our DNA.

We love hearing about other people who are working diligently for the causes that they’re passionate about, too. That’s why we’re excited to share the story of Alex Wood and the Clean Hands Bakery. Alex is an 11-year-old Kansas City fifth grader, and since opening his bakery about a year ago, he’s raised more than $1,000 for charity by selling his delicious treats.

And check this out for money smarts: one of the ways he’s built a better bake sale is by realizing a business truth that goes over many an entrepreneur’s head—volume is key. Why sell a slice of cake when you can sell the whole thing? It cuts down expenses and builds profits.

The charity Alex has chosen to give his profits to is Heifer International, a not-for-profit organization that approaches the fight against global hunger by helping communities achieve sustainable food sources. For instance, instead of just providing a finite amount of food, Heifer International supplies recipients with livestock and agricultural resources coupled with education on how to use them to create an ongoing source of food.

It’s one thing to say you want to make a difference, but another thing altogether to actually do it. We’re truly inspired by the positive impact Alex is making by putting his mixer to work.

hAve A cookIe. heLp feed the worLd.Visit the CleanHandsBakery.com to order something fromAlex’s kitchen. Here are some of the things you can get:

spiced pumpkin cranberry Bread

Triple chocolate chip cookies

classic chocolate Brownies

Vanilla sugar cookies

Banana Walnut Bread

Lemon pound cake

super shortbread

Molasses cookies

seven Layer Bars

cupcakes

* For new checking accounts only, defi ned as new checking relationship with credit union opened between 5-17-10 and 10-31-10 with a minimum of $100. Individuals with existing CommunityAmerica checking account in household, or who have closed one of our checking accounts within previous three months, do not qualify. Available on the Free, Interest or Premier Checking personal accounts only. Limits: one per person, one per account, not valid with any other offers. Minimum age to open account is 18 years old. Other qualifi cation requirements may also apply. The $50 bonus for opening checking account will be applied if the account has established a recurring direct deposit of $250 or more OR has had 15 or more transactions within the two calendar months of account opening. The following transactions do not count: debit card refunds, fees, interest postings, or account to account transfers. Account will be evaluated after these conditions have been met and bonus will be deposited in member’s share savings account within eight weeks, assuming account is open and in good standing. Any account closed within six months from open date will be subject to a $50 early closure fee. We will report to the IRS the value of any premium, and a 1099-INT will be issued at year-end of the year in which any bonus applies. Any applicable taxes are the responsibility of the applicant. Annual Percentage Yield is variable and subject to change after the account is opened. Annual Percentage Yield as of 5-1-10 on Premier Checking and Interest Checking is 0.15%.

** For new investment account relationships only, defi ned as opened between 5-17-10 and 10-31-10. Must open new qualifi ed checking account, as defi ned above, during same period to qualify. An initial $50 bonus for opening an investment account will be deposited into the share savings account after an evaluation period of two months to ensure the investment account(s) has been funded. Additionally, CommunityAmerica will reimburse members up to $50 for investment account transfer fees, which average $50 to $75. We will report to the IRS the value of any premium, and a 1099-INT will be issued at year-end of the year in which any bonus applies. Investment accounts are not obligations of CommunityAmerica Credit Union. Investments and investment advisory services offered through CUSO Financial Services, L.P. (CFS), an independent broker-dealer and SEC Registered Investment Advisor are Not NCUA/NCUSIF insured, are Not credit union guaranteed and May lose value. CommunityAmerica Credit Union is affi liated with CFS. Financial Advisors are employees of CommunityAmerica Credit Union and registered through CFS. (Member FINRA/SIPC)

This credit union federally insured by the National Credit Union Administration.

chArt A coUrse towArd fUtUre fINANcIAL bLIss.

Open new checking* and investment** accounts to get up to $150!

Visit cacu.com/financialfuturefor more info.

800-892-7957