Two Big Events in Brookside/Waldo – Saturday Sept 21, 2013

Posted on September 19, 2013 by Mary Hutchison

Another big weekend for outdoor events coming up…just about everyone visits the Plaza Art Fair, now in it’s 82cd year. However, there are two local happenings in our area on Saturday to note. Even if you don’t participate, be aware as there will be streets blocked off and traffic re-routed at two key areas of Brookside and Waldo.

Strut Your Mutt, Brookside

Strutt Your Mutt, a benefit for Wayside Waifs, is Saturday Sept 21, starting at 8am. There are three ‘races’ — one 5K race with dogs, one without, and the traditional 3K walk. The center of the event is at 62cd Terrace and Brookside Plaza (near JULIAN, Foo’s Frozen Custard, etc), and the participants will be using Brookside Blvd from this area going north to 51st St and parts of Oak St. Expect traffic re-routing around Brookside Blvd. most of the morning. Brookside is a dog lover’s neighborhood, and this is a really fun day with music, contests and lots of folks just hanging out to people (and dog) watch!

(Between the Plaza Art Fair, Strutt Your Mutt and the Brookside Farmer’s Market traffic–plan to avoid Brookside Blvd on Saturday morning.)

Also on Saturday is the annual Waldo Fall Festival, at 75th St and Wornall (the parking lot near Aldi and CVS Pharmacy).

Waldo Fall Festival

From 10am-5pm, you can enjoy live music, a dog show, pancake breakfast, kids’ activities (moonwalk, train) and the ever popular food trucks. If you have a story to tell about Waldo, sign up in advance to participate in the Waldo oral history project here. Wornall Road and 75th St. is always a very busy intersection, and it will be even more congested on Saturday. Avoid the traffic back ups by parking a few blocks away and walking to the festivities.

It’s going to be a beautiful Fall weekend in our neighborhood…enjoy!

Weekend Events for Kansas City – Sept 6-8, 2013

Posted on September 4, 2013 by Mary Hutchison

With the Labor Day weekend behind us, now we jump into what I call ‘festival season’ here in Kansas CIty. Besides the over-the-top fun of the Renaissance Festival , this weekend brings us Art Westport, the Greek Fest and the famous Waldo Crawldo, plus a run that will tie up traffic on Sunday in the downtown/Crown Center area. Below are the details:

Art Westport – Friday (5-9pm), Saturday (10-9pm), Sunday (11-5pm)

This is the 34th year for Art Westport, an art fair exclusive to Kansas City artists–which makes the art more affordable (for me!) compared to the Plaza Art Fair. Be prepared to park along a side street and walk to the booths, lined up along Westport Road west of Broadway.

Falldo Waldo Crawldo – Saturday 6pm-midnight

A benefit for the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, the Falldo Waldo Crawldo is a wild night of bar hopping and crazy costumes, centered around the 75th and Wornall area of Waldo. There are drink specials, really good prizes (tickets to the Mumford and Sons concert, a mountain bike, Royals and Chiefs tickets) and all the participating bars are within walking distance of the 75th and Wornall corner. Save a few bucks and get a ticket in advance for $7, or pay $10 night of the event. And watch for wobbly pedestrians in this area Saturday night.

Prairie Village Jazz Festival – Saturday 3-11pm

Don’t look to the website for details on this festival–it still states ‘more information coming soon’. It’s a free event, held at Harmon Park, 7700 Mission Road from 3-11pm with headliner Bobby Watson. Always crowded–get their early and bring your own lawn chairs!

GreekFest – Friday (6-10pm), Saturday (noon-10pm), Sunday (noon-6pm)

The Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church sponsors this festival, now in its 52nd year. Located at the church at 120th and Wornall, there’s plenty of tasty Greek food and pastries, entertainment, and fun for the kids. The Greeks know how to have a good time–this is a happy and lively event!

I’m also mentioning the Broadway Bridge Run because it will cause traffic delays on Sunday. This event is actually three races: a 5 and 10K, plus a half marathon. It starts in the City Market area, goes around the downtown airport, and travels south using Main and Walnut to the Liberty Memorial area. Be aware of road closures if you will be in this area on Sunday.

Temperatures this weekend are forecast for the mid-upper 90s, with lots of sunshine–so don’t put away sunscreen and shorts just yet if you plan to visit these outdoor events!

Waldo’s 75th St Brewery Celebrates 20 Year Anniversary

Posted on August 15, 2013 by Mary Hutchison

For twenty years now, the 75th Street Brewery (520 W 75th St, just west of Wornall) has been serving locally brewed beer and tasty made-from-scratch foods to Waldo and Brookside residents. This Saturday they are kicking off a week-long celebration of their anniversary, with daily food and drink specials.

I’ve been a fan of this place for a long time..even though I’m not a beer drinker, we eat there often because the food and service are good, and they welcomed our kids for dining when they were smaller. I appreciate their 600 calories or less menu selections, the tasty sweet potato fries and the pizzas are delicious!

With so many beer pubs popping up in the metro area, it’s important to note the 75th Street Brewery started it all as they claim to be KC’s first brewpub. Although Saturday’s Summer Beer Fest is sold out , you can still stop by at 3pm and meet the original brewmaster, Tom Richer and try the 20th anniversary beer, Imperial Stout. On Monday August 19, the menu will feature throwback pricing to 1993, and on Thursday you can buy 75 cent pints of any of their flagship brews. For other specials during the week–check out their Facebook page, as unfortunately, there is no mention of the big anniversary celebration on their website (as of this writing).

The 75th Street Brewery is part of the KC Hopps restaurant chain, locally owned and operated. Other restaurants in the group include The Blue Moose, 810 Zone and Barley’s Brewhaus. Happy Anniversary to the 75th Street Brewery.. one of Waldo’s best casual restaurants!

Want $5 To Spend in Waldo?

Posted on August 12, 2013 by Mary Hutchison

I know you like to spend your hard earned money supporting Waldo (and Brookside) businesses! The Waldo Area Business Association has a promotion through August 31, called the “Waldo Summer Passport”…and they make it very easy to earn $5 to spend in Waldo!

Waldo Passport

Here’s how it works: Pick up a ‘passport’ at any of the participating businesses. Get it stamped at ten Waldo businesses. Turn in the completed passport at the Becky Beck Agency or Family Bicycles. You’ll get $5 in Waldo Bucks and be entered into a drawing for $100 Waldo Bucks. Pretty easy..and there’s no purchase necessary. But hey, how often do you stop at Euston’s Waldo Hardware or The Well or Coffee Girls or Waldo Pizza in a month?? Just keep the passport in your pocket for reference and in no time you’ll have the ten stamps..and a free $5!

Here’s a list of the participating businesses. Thank you for supporting Waldo!

Almar Printing, 7735 Wornall Rd – Center of Life Chiropractic, 336 W 75th St – Coffee Girls, 7440 Washington St – Cottman Transmission, 8401 Wornall Rd – Euston’s Waldo Hardware, 126 W 75th St. – Family Bicycles, 7410 Wornall Rd – Jerry Singer Automotive, 311 W 74th St. – Kansas City Veterinary Care, 7240 Wornall Rd – Lew’s, 7539 Wornall Rd – One More Cup, 7408 Wornall Rd – Pampered Paws Grooming Salon, 7719 Wornall Rd – Papparico’s Mexican Restaurant and Catering, 8314 Wornall Rd – Patricks Bar and No Grill, 8251 Wornall Rd – Pistachios Monograms & Gifts, 205 E Gregory Blvd – Planet Sub, 115 W 75th St – Studio 213, 213 E Gregory Blvd – Swyden Cleaners, 329 E Gregory Blvd – The Well, 7421 Wornall Rd – Waldo Grain, 7801 Wornall Rd – Waldo Pizza, 7433 Broadway St – Walgreens, 7500 Wornall Rd. Here’s the website for more info: www.waldokc.org

Stoplight Changes at Two Brookside Intersections

Posted on August 5, 2013 by Mary Hutchison

Driving around Brookside last week, you may have noticed this sign at two key intersections: Gregory Blvd at Main St and Meyer at Oak. The stop signs will be removed, and the stop lights will be reactived and in use as of August 7.

Last October, KCMO abruptly turned off stop lights at several key intersections around the city, including at these cross streets in Brookside (plus Main at Meyer and Wornall at 59th St.)

Residents howled at the changes, because they were not informed of the plans and several of these intersections are near schools. KCMO says it is too costly to operate these outdated signals and doesn’t have the money to replace them. Stop signs, they say, will cause traffic to slow down and stop accordingly, plus save money.

So now we see the posted signs saying ‘we listened’ and the lights are coming back on. I’m in favor of the change back to working signals. The intersection of Main and Gregory gets backed up during rush hour and the Meyer/Oak intersection is a major crosswalk for children attending St Peter’s School. Meyer and Main, an intersection I cross several times a day, seems to be working OK with the stop signs.

But what about the inactive light at 59th and Wornall? This one should be turned back on too. The lights have been covered with fabric, and there is not even a stop sign on Wornall. This intersection is very difficult to cross (east-west) without a working light, especially during rush hour. I have called the KCMO Public Works department twice and left messages to find out their plans–no call back yet. (As a side note, have you noticed there are no published phone numbers on the website for the various city departments? Most of the pages list the Action Center number. Good luck trying to reach a human if you don’t have his/her specific direct line!). This light was turned off several months ago, and something needs to be done–either reinstate the signal or install a four way stop. I prefer the signal. A four way stop would cause lengthy car backups along Wornall.

The good news is we are getting the two working signals back in Brookside, although the City has ‘no money’ to keep them operating. They are ‘outdated’ and expensive to replace. As a resident, I am weary of hearing how the city has ‘no money’ to do something as basic as public safety regarding traffic lights. Besides the usual taxes, we pay an extra 1% earnings tax. Where does the money go? (I think I know…but won’t say here!) . I am grateful the lights will be turned back on, and I’m assuming someone found the money to keep them operating for now.

Now, please let us know what’s happening with the light at 59th and Wornall. I’ll keep leaving messages for an answer…

Waldo’s Most Unique Coffee Shop

Posted on July 29, 2013 by Mary Hutchison

“It’s our love letter to the neighborhood”

One More Cup in Waldo

Do I really need to write any more in this blog about One More Cup? That sentence, from the website, says it all. I recently visited with Stacy Neff, who co-owns One More Cup with her husband Jeremy. You are about to read why this coffee shop stands out from all the others in the Brookside/Waldo area.

One More Cup has an interesting backstory. In 2008, the Neffs decided to buy the building, which was a Mexican restaurant at one point and, for a short while, a coffee shop. They had the financing in order and started working on the interior. In the fall, the stock market crashed, the recession slammed the economy and the consumers were in a panic, cutting back on spending. One More Cup opened in February 2009. It was a rough start but they’ve seen steady growth every year since, and they attribute their success to strong support from the neighborhood.

Outside Patio at One More Cup

When you walk into One More Cup, it doesn’t feel like a typical coffee shop (like a Starbucks, Roasterie, LatteLand). It’s smaller and more eclectic–almost like stepping into an art friend’s living room. That’s because Stacy graduated from the Kansas City Art Institute and decorated the interior herself on a budget. All the essentials are here: comfortable chairs, wi-fi, local artwork, home baked goodies. Outside, behind the shop, there is a shady patio with plenty of seating. They serve only organic, fair trade coffee, Shatto milk products and the fresh pastries and sandwiches made nearby. They also offer gluten-free and dairy-free foods. Stacy herself bakes treats to serve using the on site ovens and prep area.

I think these two features of One More Cup really make it special: their employees are paid better than many other places and the Neffs offer health insurance for their full timers. Those two management policies alone make it worth your while to support the shop. They also compost / recycle 95% of the waste created. Stacy explained that’s what they do at home, teaching their kids good environmental habits, and they feel the shop is an extension of their home and what they believe in. And their prices are reasonable!

The whole vibe of One More Cup can be described in this quote from Stacy: “We want to be a happy spot in someone’s day”. You can feel the warmth and friendliness when you walk in. And it all starts from the owners. Thanks, Stacy and Jeremy, for bringing your unique coffee shop to Waldo!

Stacy Neff

Google Fiber Install – One Homeowner’s Experience

Posted on June 26, 2013 by Mary Hutchison

Carrie likes her Google Fiber service in Brookside!

About a week ago, my friends Carrie and Matt had Google Fiber installed in their Brookside home. I stopped by recently for an ‘in home’ demonstration of how it works, and to ask them about the installation process. Carrie and Matt did not sign up for the cable TV package, just the internet service. Here are some notes from our conversation:

*When the contractors came by to install the cable on the utility poles, they randomly chopped off tree branches and tossed them in the easement behind the garage. Very sloppy work. Also, there was no notice of when these guys would be in the yard doing the work.

*Within a few days after this was done, Carrie got an email to schedule the in home installation. All scheduling is done on line, and installers work seven days a week. At her home, the install took about 3-4 hours.

*Two men work on the installation process, and they were very polite and thorough. They mentioned it is easiest to install if your computer is stationed on an outside wall. The router should also be mounted on an outside wall for best signal strength. Carrie and Matt now have a small box on the exterior home and another one in the basement next to their electrical panel.

Google Fiber outside box on the right

*Carrie and Matt live in a three story home, with a desktop computer and Apple TV on the second floor. It was challenging to bring the wires up through the inside of the house and wire correctly, as the installers could not go through an attic because of the finished 3rd floor. Carrie remarked the workers were very conscientious of getting the install correct and took their time doing it. At one point they made a mistake drilling a hole through the wall from the first to the second floor — a contractor called Carrie the next day to schedule an appointment for repair.

*The neighbors to the west got Google Fiber service at the same time. They have the cable TV package, which is less than what they were paying for Direct TV. However, they report it takes several minutes to connect to the internet. Once connected, the service works great but they are having a few difficulties. They have contacted Google for help.

*Carrie raved about the customer service involved with her installation. And how does it work? There is a nifty online site that checks your connection speed. To get the fastest speed, your computer must be hardwired to the network box. I brought my laptop along to try it out. It took several minutes to connect to a wireless connection, and we ended up connecting through the neighbor’s wireless service using their password! I will say there was a noticeable difference in the service compared to what we have at home.

Wrapping it up, Carrie offers these remarks: “It is much faster than our old connection. It doesn’t change your life but it works like it’s supposed to and much less frustrating than our service with Time Warner. There is no buffering, reloading, waiting to upload or pixilating. When we sit down to watch something on Netfix, the service is virtually instant. I can see how gamers will really like it”.

Here in Armour Hills, in-home install should start in early September. Google Fiber recently hosted a two hour ice cream social in Arbor Villa park to answer questions about the service (but ran out of ice cream in 30 minutes–bad PR!!). At our house, we are signing up for the internet service only right now, and will add cable once Google adds the AMC and IFC cable channels. Thanks, Carrie and Matt, for sharing your Google Fiber install experience! More info on Google fiber can be found at this website.

Urban Farm Tour – June 22 & 23, 2013

Posted on June 20, 2013 by Mary Hutchison

One of the best things about summer…the delicious fresh fruit and vegetables we all enjoy from local farmers markets…oh, so tasty!!. When it’s hot and you can’t bear to use heat to prepare a meal, it’s easy to make a dinner out of berries and melons with a cool tomato and avocado salad tossed with a bit of olive oil and fresh basil. Are you thinking about growing your own small crops? If you want to start your own backyard produce department, spend some time at the Urban Grown Farms and Gardens Tour this weekend.

June 22-23, 2013

Sixty local growers are participating–some are larger farms, some are small backyard plots. . This tour offers farming tips, cooking demos, tastings, and conversations with the farmers themselves. It’s an excellent way to learn from those who are already farming land plots of all sizes in the area.

You can buy tickets in advance through the website–and the prices are reasonable: $8 for individuals, $20 per family. As for transportation, there are options other than driving in your car! Join a group bike ride each morning (a ten mile, three hour ride visiting several farms) or get an all day bus pass from KCATA.

The Urban Grown Farms and Gardens Tour–something different to do this weekend that’s definitely inspiring!

Should You Purchase Water and Sewer Line Insurance in KCMO?

Posted on June 5, 2013 by Mary Hutchison

In yesterday’s Kansas City Star, there was a lengthy article explaining that KCMO homeowners can now purchase insurance for their water and sewer lines. A link to the article is here, I am not sure how long it will remain an active link.

Most of the older homes in Kansas City have clay tile pipes for sewer waste, dating back to when the house was built. These tiles, over the decades, can crack, collapse, and become blocked due to tree roots winding through the pipes. Many homeowners have to occasionally snake out their pipes to keep them free of clogs–but sometimes, they break and must be replaced. A broken sewer line is always an expensive repair–usually several thousands of dollars. As a real estate agent, I’ve had to deal with this situation many times.

Our household received the letter advertising the program, endorsed by the City of Kansas City, and I’m not going to comment about the fact that the City is endorsing a private company service, or that KCMO receives a monetary kickback from every warranty purchased by residents. What should be investigated by the potential customer is the level of service and reputation of Service Line Warranties of America, the company offering the insurance.

If you are thinking about purchasing a policy, here are some suggested questions to ask before signing up:

*Where do the pipes on your property connect to the main sewer line? Is it in the front of the house going into the street or in the back of the home along an easement?

*Do the lines run under concrete (such as a patio or driveway) or under a grassy area? (replacing pipes under concrete can cost much more)

*Which local companies does the insurer work with to replace the sewer lines?

*Is there a warranty after the work is done?

*What if you need to make a claim during the winter when several inches of snow cover your property and the ground is frozen? Are there extra charges?

*Will they provide a copy of the service contract for your review prior to committing to the policy?

The cost of the insurance seems reasonable, less than $150 per year if you sign up before June 27. If your sewer line connection breaks, you have a problem that must be dealt with immediately, so there is that peace of mind, knowing there’s someone to call that will provide emergency service. Still, it’s a good idea to ask these questions now if you are thinking of buying a policy. Any reputable local plumbing company has dealt with repairing a broken sewer line. Be sure Service Line Warranties of America provides you with plenty of information before you send that check!

Waldo Crawldo This Saturday June 8, 2013

Posted on June 4, 2013 by Mary Hutchison

It’s time once again for the Waldo Crawldo Pub Crawl to benefit Habitat for Humanity – Kansas City. This is a really fun evening–get a group together and explore some Waldo bars and eateries you may not be familiar with…you are sure to make new friends along the way!

Saturday June 8, 2013

6pm-midnight

Begins at 75th and Wornall

14 bars and restaurants on the route

$5 per ticket presale at participating venues; $10 at the door.

Food and drink specials, plus prizes for biggest group, best t-shirt and best costume

www.waldokc.org

Thank you for supporting locally owned Waldo businesses and events!

Inside Brookside (And Waldo)

What's Happening In Brookside and Waldo (Kansas City, Missouri)

Category Archives: Waldo Community News