This is the kind of day when we are reminded of the meaning of the Kansas City Spirit. Neighbors help neighbors. Friends call or stop by to check on each other. There was reason to be checking today. During my own walk through some of Kansas City's hardest hit neighbors, I was struck by the extensive damage. More compelling were the stories I heard of close calls -- the woman who was able to wake her husband and grab her newborn just in time to get to the basement; the man who had to pull his own teenage son from beneath crumbled wall board; and the son whose mother fell down the stairs onto broken glass. The boy told me that her first request after surgery was for a cup of coffee, a reassuring sign that she was going to be OK. We are all going to be OK. City emergency management staff worked through the night, ready even in advance of the storms. Our emergency personnel were mobilized before the storms left the area. And public works crews were at the ready, reopening closed streets and clearing downed tree limbs and debris. I have heard very good reports about the city response and want to commend City Manager Wayne Cauthen and all city staff for their efforts. The work will continue through the weekend and until the job is done. I have encouraged the City Manager and his staff to assist our own neighbors in the region, Gladstone and Independence, in whatever way they need us.