Category Archives: Brookside Community News

Support Local Brookside Businesses: 5B & Co Candlemakers

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This is the perfect little Brookside shop:  enticing curb appeal, attractive decor inside, friendly customer service and product just about everyone can enjoy:  scented candles.  I’m burning one now as I write–“Tighty Whiteys” — a birthday gift from my daughter.

Owner Lori Woods sort of fell into opening a candle shop.  A former teacher, she was shopping at the 5B store in Weston and thought, “Why can’t I open a candle shop like this in Brookside?”.  She bought a franchise and opened her doors July 9, 2003 at 6231 Brookside Plaza. Lori makes the votives and tealights in this shop; the larger tins and pillars are poured at the Weston store.  She likens the candle making process to baking cookies:  each made one at a time.

What makes this candle store different is the whimsical names for the scents–Smelly Cat, Handyman, Group Hug, KC Barbecue.  You can’t help but smile when sniffing around, trying to decide which ones to buy.  Lori also makes the usual perfumed candle fragrances  of honeysuckle, lavender, lilac, etc–there are over 150 to choose from. Her lastest offering is called Junie Bee, a scent for her Mom, which has a peachy-apricot  smell.

Lori has weathered the downturn in the ecomony very well for a small business.  She is surprised and grateful for her loyal customers (she often hears:  ‘this is my favorite candle shop!’) and emphasizes sincere customer service with all employees.  Being the  sole owner with two small children, it’s  a challenge juggling two full time jobs (any mom can relate to this!).  Like Lori herself, employees are from the Brookside area and if you stop in–you’ll often recognize someone from the neighborhood helping you with your purchase or browsing the store.  This is part of the irristable charm of shopping in Brookside–it’s like a family of distant cousins ready to help you with what you need who sincerely appreciate your business.

Candles make a creative hostess gift or small ‘thinking of you’ favor.  You can spend a lot or a little–having that fresh scent burning brightens your mood and the atmosphere.   One of the biggest summer sellers in the store are citronella candles or incense sticks. She explained that for the citronella to work, the oil content must be at least 5% in the product. I bought one of her Amazon Lights candles for outdoor dining and plan to try it out this week on the patio during an al fresco dinner.

Stop by 5B & Co Candlemakers (816 361 6393) the next time you are in Brookside.  Buy a few candles to have on hand for those last minute gifts or when you need a scented mood pick up. You will enjoy your visit to 5B in Brookside!

Armour Hills Freedom Parade, July 4 2011

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Great turnout today for the annual Armour Hills Freedom Parade this morning!  The weather was hot, but not humid–I think that brought out more families.  We had prizes in several catagories:  Best Costume, Best Bicycle, Most Patriotic, Youngest Patriot and more.  Thanks to Schwann’s for donating ice cream and to the neighbors who brought cookies, and it’s always nice to see our City Council rep Jan Marcusson at our events.

Our next neighborhood get together is in September for the Ice Cream Social in Arbor Villa Park.

Waldo Farmer’s Market — More than Fresh Produce

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I checked out the Waldo Farmer’s Market yesterday for the first time–and I’ll be back!  It’s small, five or six stands, but already very popular with area residents.  It’s located in the shady grassy area next to the Habitat ReStore on 79th St just east off Wornall.  Every Wednesday, 3-7pm–stop by and you can sign up for a weekly email of what will be for sale that week.

This week’s produce included plenty of cabbage, garlic, leeks, kale, squash, some blueberries, potatoes, fresh herbs and peppers.  I was looking for big ripe tomatoes–too early I think.  Farm to Market had a booth full of fresh breads, another booth offered body care products and…my favorite….Fresher than Fresh snow cones!

This trailer is always at First Fridays with long lines of customers–here there was no line and an eclectic menu of the  fresh fruit flavored pairings with a twist.  I love the pineapple serrano; yesterday there was a new flavor of blood orange. It’s worth a stop just for the snow cone, even if you don’t need produce!

Remember to stop into  Habitat ReStore after your market shopping.  Or, bring something to ReStore to donate the next time you visit the Waldo Farmer’s Market.

Highlights from Armour Hills Homes Assn Meeting June 21, 2011

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Fellow Armour Hills residents, here’s a brief recap of some of the issues discussed at the Armour Hills Homes Assn board meeting earlier this week:

*KCATA has planned a beautification project for the park and ride lot on the south side of Gregory just east of Wornall.  An additional “WALDO” monument sign will be erected at the site.  KCATA would like to improve the appearance of the seldom used park and ride lot on the north end of Gregory–estimated cost is $50,000-$60,000.  No plans or funds in place right now for this area.

*Gunnar Hand, board member, will be applying for PIAC (Public Community Advisory Committee) grants on behalf of Armour Hills.  If awarded, we would like to use the grant money for  Arbor Villa park improvements and tree maintenance. Applications are due in August, and the grants are awarded in February.

*The board approved funds for another black iron bench to be installed in Arbor Villa Park.  This bench will be the memorial to long time park supporter Pete Egan, who died earlier this year.  There will be a memorial plaque on the bench.  We hope to have it installed by September for the ice cream social.

*Plans are underway for the annual Freedom Parade July 4.  Festivities start at 9am; the parade begins at 10am near Gregory and 70th Terrace. Prizes will be awarded in several categories–see the recent edition of the Clarion for more info.

The next board meeting is July 19, 7pm –all residents are welcome!

Waldo Crawldo June 25, 2011

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Affordable fun and a great way to  meet your neighbors…plan on attending the 8th annual Waldo Crawldo on Saturday June 25!  Fourteen locations are participating, along and just off  Wornall Road from approximately 75th-85th St.  There  will be a bus available  but easy to walk from spot to spot.  The Well, Waldo Pizza, Tasso’s and Swagger are just a few of the businesses that will offer specials for the night.

And you can conveniently get your tickets on line!  Just $7 on line, $5 if you stop by one of the participating businesses and $10 the night of the event. More information at  waldokc.org

New Art Sculpture in Brookside

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Surely it’s caught your eye…as you drive through the intersection 63rd and Brookside Blvd.  There on the southeast corner is a new 12″ art sculpture titled “Inspired Child”. It’s a collaboration between students at Border Star school, ceramist Paul Storms, art teacher Lee Anne Snozak and the Leopold Gallery.

Installed in May 2010, it’s a tall and striking piece of work, made of stoneware, stainless steel and cast glass.  It’s bright, colorful, adorned in parts with beads and waves a bit with the wind.  This piece joins other outdoor sculptural art in Brookside, noticeably the tall metal wind catchers in front of the Roasterie and along the 63rd St shops between Wornall and Brookside Blvd.

Thanks to the artists and Border Star for adding this piece of art to the heart of Brookside!

Brookside Shred Event Saturday-Habitiat ReStore Sale

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Free shred event fellow Brooksiders!

This Saturday June 11 , there will be an industrial shred truck parked at Meyer and Brookside Blvd by the tennis courts.  Bring the docs you want to shred–it’s free from 8am-12pm.

Also on Saturday, Habitat ReStore is celebrating it’s 11th anniversary–25% off everything in the store.  Hours are 9am-4pm, 303 W 79 St.

 

Art Installation in Armour Hills

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While taking a walk last night with my daughter, we rambled over to W 66th St to check out a temporary art installation on the front yard.  The home is owned by the Bittermans, who operate The Reading Reptile on 63rd St in Brookside.  Have never seen anything like this in Armour Hills–it’s worth a look!

Art installation 14 W 66th St

Called “Exploring Point of Interest homo vulgaris”, this wooden stand has many features along with lots of information.  There’s a large plaque in the middle, with pop out wooden squares on one side and a listening post on the other.  A small map of the Country Club District is reprinted, along  with information on JC Nichols and his residential development.  The listening post has headphones; slip them on and hear recorded conversation from inside the home about the pros and cons of eating meat; a piano practice; a Royals game.  There are other points of interest around the art piece and a four-color brochure with additional explanations.  I’m not sure what the point of the work is– a portion of the description from the brochure reads: ‘an existential overlook situated along a cognitive horizon line between the natural and the built environment.‘  It seems to be a comment on how humans live within the natural environment. Even if you don’t understand the entire point of the piece, it’s interesting enough to stop by and check it out, spark some conversation with the kids while walking the dog or pushing a stroller.

Details:  14 W 66th St, Kansas City MO.  Hours are Mon-Sat 9am-dusk, closed on Sundays, holidays and rainy days.  Available for public viewing until July 30.

Thanks to the Bittermans for enriching our Brookside subdivision with art!

No More Wednesday Sun?

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This week, The Wednesday Sun newspaper published it’s (possibly) last issue.  The owners, the News Press & Gazette Co. plan to consider ‘alternative formats’ for the paper.  The Sun has been publishing since 1937, serving local news and advertising to the residents and merchants of Brookside/Waldo.

I think many people found the weekly Wednesday delivery annoying. So often I would see these papers left on lawns on driveways for days, smashed and wet, driven over repeatedly by cars. I didn’t read it every week–but when I did, I always found some good information about the neighborhood. I used their classified section to find local services, and appreciated their features on area  newsmakers.

Ah, but times have changed and I’m sure that just like the Kansas City Star, ad revenue is declining drastically.  So many of us are now used to turning to the internet for information these days, and just don’t have a spare thirty minutes or so to read this weekly paper. When expenses are up, advertising is down and new owners look at ways to cut costs–that equals layoffs and shutdowns.

But kudos to The Wednesday Sun for publishing their final issue this week as a commemorative issue.  The front page featured a history of “The Wednesday Magazine” from “The Brookside Story” book by LaDene Morton, and the masthead with stories from that first issue on October 13, 1947. Inside, I loved seeing the old advertisements ($3.95 for back to school shoes and .35 for marshmallow gold cake!). They also sprinkled in old stories regarding civil rights and the JFK assassination.

I doubt if The Wednesday Sun will be back as a free weekly, delivered to your home. It may not come back at all.  But it has served the Brookside/Waldo area well during it’s years of publication, and we’re grateful for that.

Appealing Your Home’s Property Tax Assessment

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My husband says, “Did you see we received the property tax assessment on the house today?”.  Yes, I did see that form.  As a real estate agent, I’m especially aware of our home’s property tax value.  But when these notices go out, it also means I’ll be hearing from past customers regarding how to fight property tax assessments, especially in this distressed housing market. I often hear from senior citizens, concerned that their home is not worth what the county says it is…which is usually  true.

If you feel your property tax assessment is too high, you can appeal to the county assessor’s office.  Everyone I know who has appealed did get their taxes reduced.  Yes, it’s a bit of a hassle and can be time-consuming–but ultimately, it may be worth it. Our taxes have been reduced the past few years based on lower property values and we didn’t even have to fight the assessment.  Today, the Kansas City Star wrote an editorial about dropping home values and what it means for the tax collectors.  Just checking sales in the MLS for zip 64113, the average price of a  home in 2009 was $338,445.  In 2010, it dropped to $297,331.

In Jackson County, appeals must be filed by July 11, 2011.  You can get an appeal form by calling 816 881 3309 or, pick one up at the Kansas City courthouse or Independence courthouse (I did not see them online–why not??).  The process is explained in detail at www.jacksongov.org, click on Departments, then Assessment Appeals. One frustrating aspect of the forms sent out last week was it doesn’t give you an estimated tax amount that will be due–only the estimated value of your home.  The actual bill comes in December.

Remember that the county is concerned about the ‘question of market value’ and that’s what you are arguing, not the specific tax amount. If you ‘win’, your tax amount will be reduced.  The documentation needed to support your case can include an appraisal (can be expensive at $350-$400), a recent sales contract and/or documentation regarding recent home sales in your immediate area.  That’s where an agent can help you–by providing information from the MLS on sales in your area. If the county has your house valued at $400,000, yet comparable sales are in the $300,000 range–you have a legitimate case for a lower tax bill.

If you would like a list of comparable sales for  your area–email me  and I’ll be glad to help!

NOTE: Reader Julie Schinderling wrote to say that it’s best to call by June 17 to protest your tax assessment; apparently there have been some errors in the figures. The number she wants to pass on is 816 881 4601.