ShawneeDispatch.com

Photo by Kevin Anderson

Court clerks Tammy Manthei (right) and Nichi Larson unfurl the city flag during grand opening ceremony Saturday for the new Shawnee Justice Center. Check Wednesday's Dispatch for a complete wrap-up of the safety center celebration.

Photo by Kevin Anderson

Some of the unique features at the justice center include the bi-fold doors in the new fire station. The design creates a quicker time for the doors to open when emergency vehicles are leaving the station.

Photo by Kevin Anderson

Paul Klahn and his son Dylan got a closer look at the 1930 REO Speed Wagon inside the new Shawnee Fire Station 72 Saturday during the safety center open house.

Photo by Kevin Anderson

Honor Guard members Albert Hoelting (left) and Brent Fernandez pause during the national anthem Saturday at the grand opening ceeremony for the new Justice Center. Both men are with the Shawnee dire department.

Photo by Kevin Anderson

Tom Hayselden (left) and Corey Wilburn, both with the Shawnee Police Department, prepare to raise the American flag during the grand opening ceremony Saturday at the new Justice Center.

Tammy Manthei couldn't keep the smile from her face Saturday as she excitedly welcomed the visitors who stepped into the new Shawnee Municipal Court.

The open house and ribbon cutting for the new Shawnee Justice Center, 5850 Renner Road, near Johnson Drive and Interstate 435, was a bit more frustrating for the court clerk, however; while the police and firefighters have been enjoying their new home since at least last week, the court department will not move out of City Hall until Thursday and Friday.

For Manthei, who was a member of the city's employee committee that helped plan for the Justice Center, those days can't come soon enough. She pointed out all of the benefits of the new courtroom that aren't available in City Hall, including a fingerprinting station so those convicted won't have to make appointments to be fingerprinted at a later date and direct access to holding cells for prisoners, keeping them separate from the public.

In between visitors, she expressed her desire to make use of all these needed features.

"It's been a long time - I can't wait until next week is over," she said. "Just please, get us out here!"

Even without Manthei's in-depth knowledge of the benefits of the new buildings, visitors to the open house were giving the Justice Center their stamp of approval.

They had access to the usual information about the city's inner workings and services offered at the annual Safety Center Open House, formerly staged at Fire Station 71 and the former police department at 6535 Quivira Road. But Saturday, they also had a chance for an up-close look at the $22 million project their tax dollars are funding, touring the new facilities and celebrating with the city during a flag ceremony and official ribbon cutting for the complex.

Police officers on the color guard first raised the U.S. flag, which was followed by the national anthem, played by members of the Shawnee Mission Northwest High School band. Then, firefighters on the color guard raised the state flag, and members of the Municipal Court staff raised the city flag.

"Did every body see how the flag waved right on cue?" Shawnee Mayor Jeff Meyers noted in his following comments to the assembled crowd. "I thought that was perfect."

Meyers said the opening of the Justice Center was an example of democracy in action. He described how many people were involved in the making of the building, from the various Shawnee City Council members who voted in support of each step of the building's progress since 2003, to the residents who supported the sales tax funding its construction in 2004, to the city employees who helped plan for the building.

"There are a lot of things that I'm proud of with this project, but the biggest thing is it came in under budget and on time," Meyers said. ": I can honestly say that I think the citizens of Shawnee were the winners."

Fire Chief Jeff Hudson said he and all of Shawnee's firefighters wanted to thank the residents for their support of the sales tax that funded the new buildings.

"It's a wonderful facility, and we will take good care of you from it," he said.

Police Chief Jim Morgan echoed Hudson's statements, saying the police have enjoyed their new home since the last of the department made the move from the former police station Sept. 17.

"We just can't believe where we're at," Morgan said. "If you've ever been in the old building, you know how fortunate we are."

Tim Turner, judge in the city's Municipal Court, addressed the crowd, as well.

"It's a pleasure to see this many people voluntarily attending Municipal Court," Turner joked.

The experience of opening another new building was interesting for Capt. Ron Copeland. With his retirement just a few months away, this is the second move he's been through with the Police Department; he was also here when the department first moved from City Hall into the old police station on Quivira in the 1970s.

He's watched that building become too small and antiquated, unable to keep up with the needs of the department. Though he has just a few months to enjoy the new building, he said he sees how much it will benefit the department and the city in the future.

"It's going to be a really nice place - it's just fantastic," Copeland said. "The guys that worked on it did a hell of a job."