Due to the weather forecast, the Brookside St Patrick’s Warm Up Parade has been rescheduled to Saturday March 18, 2017 at 2pm.

It’s time for the second annual Waldo Week, celebrating the unique neighborhood of Waldo and it’s friendly, locally owned  small businesses. Sponsored by Feast Magazine, Waldo Week gives you 25% off at participating merchants in the area, from Gregory to 85th St; State Line to Holmes. You must mention Waldo Week to receive the discount.

Waldo Week is Saturday, February 25 through Friday March 3, 2017.

Here is a partial list of businesses that are participating this year:

Co Work Waldo

Family Bicycles

Flatiron District Blow Dry Bar

Hollyday Med Spa

McLain’s Bakery

Neighborhood Cafe

One More Cup

Pampered Paws Grooming Salon

Summit Grill

The Well

Waldo Jewelers

Please support our  locally owned Waldo businesses…and receive a special discount during Waldo Week!  More information at the website.

Today is one of those days I will always remember…similar to the birth of my two girls; when I found out my best friend had AIDS; my husband proposing; 9/11; seeing U2 at the Uptown Theater.  A significant day no matter what the outcome.

I’m thinking today of my grandfather, Angelo Ferrante.  He immigrated from Sicily when he was twelve years old.  I remember large family dinners in the basement of his house in St Louis–kids running around, adults smoking,  women preparing the food.  We would sit down (of course I was at ‘the kids table’) to large bowls of pasta with meatballs and pork neckbones, fresh Italian bread, Schlitz beer, watermelon.  After everyone was seated, Grandpa was at the head of the table.  We would say prayers.  He then stood up, banged his fist on the table and said “God Bless America!”.  Then we would eat.

Because of my grandfather’s deep love of the USA, the stories he told of being so poor “back  in the old country” and the way he never complained about working long hours as a barber–all of  his grandkids grew up with  a strong appreciation for being born in the USA.  I feel so fortunate, so lucky to be an American. Growing up around these Italian immigrant relatives,  seeing  their strong work ethic –it’s seared into my soul what the American Dream means and why so many others want to live here.

So especially today, I am very, very grateful to be a US citizen and have all the privileges of living in a democracy.

Dr. Mark Bedell, the Kansas City Public Schools Superintendent (who started his job in July), is hosting  “Listening and Learning Tours” throughout the city this fall. Tonight he will be at the Waldo Library–wanting to hear from Brookside/Waldo area residents.

Following a brief presentation, attendees will gather into small groups and discuss ideas for how KCPS can improve and better serve the community.  If you are supportive of re-opening Southwest High School as a project based STEAM school (science, technology,engineering, art and math), here’s an opportunity to share your views.

A group of local educators and parents have teamed up with area philanthropists to create Uniting at Southwest, a  proposed “hybrid governance” authority that would re-open the now vacant school, focusing on the STEAM topics for middle and high school students.  Details of their goals for Southwest can be found on their website. 

The meeting starts at 6:30pm tonight, November 1, 2016 at the Waldo Library, 201 E 75th St.

Waldo Fall Festival Sept 17 2016

Fall is probably the most popular time for festivals in Kansas City…and this Saturday you can celebrate all things Waldo at the Waldo Fall Festival, now in it’s 24th year!

Location is in the CVS parking lot at the very busy intersection of 75th and Wornall; time is 10am-5pm Sept 17, 2016.  A few other details:

*Free admission

*Games, rides, face painting for the kids

*Live music and local vendor booths

*Food trucks!

*Brought to you by the Waldo Business Association

There’s easy access to the festival via walking or biking on the Trolley Track Trail–parking is very tight in this area so if you must drive, please park a few blocks away and walk to the festivities.  Enjoy your weekend in Waldo!

I don’t usually blog about my personal life; however, feeling a little nostalgic these days as my youngest leaves for college in a few days. Skip this post if you don’t want to read my rambling thoughts!

My two girls grew up in Brookside. We’ve had three Brookside addresses.  When we moved to our current home in Armour Hills, the kids were 12 and 8.  There was the same mix of families and older folks on the block then as there is now–except my husband and I are now the ‘older’ residents as new families have moved in.  Throughout the last ten years we walked to the park, to the Brookside shops; my girls each got their first jobs at small local Brookside businesses (The New Dime Store and Cosentino’s).  We took them to the Art Annual, the Farmer’s Market, trick or treating; we had block parties and yard sales and their schools were nearby. They rode bikes on the Trolley Track Trail, tee-peed the neighbors and sled down Suicide Hill on snow days. As I write these words  I see the five neighbor boys playing on a tire swing in their front yard across the street. Another generation growing up on the block…

My husband and I will soon be left with two empty bedrooms and a bathroom I won’t have to clean every week.  Will we end up leaving Brookside too?  Too early to tell and honestly, I  can’t imagine that as I grew up, just like my daughters, in a St Louis neighborhood just like Brookside.

Even though the girls aren’t living here anymore, they will still “come home to Brookside”. This community, the experiences, the memories  helped shape their personalities.  I know they will always love Brookside as much as I do.

For those of  you interested in photography…a friend of mine is having a unique, one night only pop up gallery on Saturday night in Brookside. Photographers featured include Lee Rhoades, Wade Courtney, Cathryn Farley, Steve Wood and Gary Rhoades.

You are welcome to stop by, meet the artists and mingle with other art lovers and neighbors.  And at 8:30pm, there will be a special ‘step back into the past’  featuring a small bonus gallery from 1936, with it’s own black and white photo collection. This is a special surprise that the owner has been working on ever since he  purchased the home last year.

The address is 211 E 72cd st.  See you there!