The Kansas City Star from Kansas City, Missouri • A4

Local A4 MONDAY, JANUARY 20, 2014 WWW.KANSASCITY.COMTHE KANSAS CITY STAR. The western section of the Rulo Bridge, which carried U.S. 159 west of Big Lake, into southeast Nebraska, came crashing down into the Missouri River during its demolition on Sunday. The bridge, built in the late 1930s, was replaced by a new bridge in September 2013. Narrow demise MATT RYERSON THE ASSOCIATED PRESS A basic rule of business governs sex traffick- ing: Offer the mer- chandise where the cus- tomers gather.

And major sporting events create perfect venues. So with the Super Bowl ap- proaching, advocates are on alert to the marketing of minors and others who are trafficked into the sex trade at hotels where football fans will stay. Human trafficking is a fast growing criminal industry, with $32 billion in profits annually. Law enforcement is often racing to keep up, as the Internet has shoved much activity underground. Yet nuns working with a Missouri business originat- ed one of the most proac- tive and sensible approach- es.

Several years ago, The U.S. Federation of the Sisters of St. Joseph insisted that their 2011 national conference be held in a hotel willing to sign on as a partner against sex trafficking. They ap- proached a St. Louis com- pany, Nix Conference Meeting Management, for help.

A partnership was born. principals now ad- vocate for hotels to sign an agreement and give staff training to spot the illegal activity and alert police. Guidelines created by EC- PAT (End Child Prostitu- tion and Trafficking) USA are used. And the nuns have gone on to form a nation- wide network of advocacy with Nix. sit down with manage- ment and explain what can be happening in their ho- said Sister Jeanne Christensen, justice ad- vocate for human traffick- ing for the Sisters of Mercy West Midwest Community in Kansas City.

Christensen said they blame, but instead try to get the hotels to keep staff trained, as turnover is high among housekeeping and room service staff. Many religious faiths have taken up the issue of traf- ficking, first focusing on international victims, and more recently on domestic victims. A forum organized by United Methodist Wom- en was held in Kansas City earlier this month. a very specific action, Christensen said of the hotel effort. But nuns also educate.

U.S. Catholic Sis- ters Against Human Traf- ficking recently sponsored an ad they hope will spark awareness in the airline industry, as victims are often flown from city to city as they are trafficked. The image is a demure little girl with the accompanying words: her parents, she is priceless. But, really up to the To reach Mary Sanchez, call 816-234-4752 or send email to WHEN NUNS BECOME CRIME FIGHTERS MARY SANCHEZ COMMENTARY FOR PHOTO ALBUMS OF EVENTS ACROSS KANSAS CITY, SEE COMMUNITY FACES AT WWW.KANSASCITY.COM Shanny Morgenstern was 14 years old when, in 1972, she went to the old Jewish Community Cen- ter, then located at 81st Street and Holmes Road. She recall exactly why she went there on one particular day, but she remembers this: met my husband she said.

Long before that, Morton Spack, 81, and Bob Kleban, 82, remember going to what they called cen- then located at Linwood Bou- levard and Wayne Avenue, when they were 8 and 9 years old, World War II was young and the phrase had yet to enter the public lexicon. kids, we all went said Spack. On Sunday morning, they joined more than 350 other men and women for 100 minutes of cross training, spinning, yoga, Pilates and other exercises to help cele- brate the 100th anniversary of an institution that has played a signif- icant role in improving community life in the Kansas City area since its start in an old produce building in the City Market. Founded in January 1914, the Jewish Community Center began then as the YMHA, the Young Hebrew Association, soon to be followed by the Young Wom- Hebrew Association. went there.

We had said current president Jacob Schreiber, 50. get into other What started as an organization meant to create cohesion and iden- tify among Kansas Jewish immigrants, Schreiber said, has over the decades bridges with the entire The center which 25 years ago moved with much of the Jewish population to Overland Park now occupies a sprawling complex of athletic and other facilities at 5801 W. 115th St. Of its 8,000 members, 45 percent are not Jewish. Beyond its pool, gymnasiums, ex- ercise machines and workout rooms, the center is also home to important cultural and educational organizations including the Jewish Veterans Museum and the Midwest Center for Holocaust Education.

In keeping with the fo- cus on meaning and Sunday was all celebration. Loren Ginden, 40, came with this wife, Bree, 37, who leads class- es in yoga and Pilates at the center. But both Ginden and his wife said they remember coming to the cen- ter when they were younger. Now they bring their sons, Asher, 7, and, Merrick, 5. Morgenstern, who is chairwo- man of the centennial celebration committee, said that the plan is to end the year in Decem- ber with a capstone.

The hope, she said, is to gather enough people to spin 1,000 dreidels, the toy four- sided tops, at the same time to achieve a Guinness world record. To reach Eric Adler, call 816-234-4431 or send email to Marking 100 years of community Brooke Kish, 9, of Leawood, joined the adults at the Jewish Community Center for this 10-minute yoga class on Sunday, taking part in 100 minutes of exercise to celebrate 100 years of the center. SUSAN PFANNMULLER SPECIAL TO THE STAR Jewish Community Center stages a mass workout to celebrate its centennial. By ERIC ADLER The Kansas City Star The stories shared Sunday about Sarah De Leon and Diana Ault swelled with the love of people who will always remember the way the two women lived their shortened lives. But as long as the murders 20 and 24 years ago remain unsolved, they forget the way the wom- en died.

More than 100 people gathered at nightfall Sunday at Berkley Ri- verfront Park, cupping candles in a chilling wind, to hear the stories and lend support for renewing in- vestigations into the deaths that they think could be connected. Josh Ault was only 4 when his mother was shot in their Indepen- dence home right after she re- turned with her two young chil- dren on Jan. 31, 1994. He remembers the startling sound of the gunshot by an intrud- er. He remembers the sha- dow of her falling to the he said.

will remember until we get the closure and the justice that is he said. Matt De Leon was just 17 the night shortly after Christmas in 1989 when his 18-year-old sister, Sarah, disappeared from their Kan- sas City, home. He feared learn she had been in a terri- ble car accident. Instead, he learned was brutally mur- dered stabbed to death and thrown under a bridge next to some railroad Independence police recently reopened their investigation of death. The families have been urging Kansas City, po- lice to do the same with De case, but the department so far does not appear to have done so, said Michall Holmes, a friend of the Ault family.

The families think a person who is connected to both of the victims might be a link in the cases, Holmes said. The vigil ended with a bagpipe serenade of while snapshots on a movie screen showed each of the smiling wom- en with the people they loved so many years ago the better me- mories that their families and friends carried home. To reach Joe Robertson, call 816-234-4789 or send email to Jennifer Wasson (foreground, from right), Melissa Zink and John Spencer attended a candlelight vigil Sunday in Berkley Riverfront Park for Sarah De Leon, slain in 1989, and Diana Ault, killed in 1994. The families think the unsolved murders are connected. SUSAN PFANNMULLER SPECIAL TO THE STAR Vigil rekindles memories of victims Family and friends of two women slain decades ago seek to focus attention on their still unsolved cases.

By JOE ROBERTSON The Kansas City Star.