Stephen Himes, Candidate for KCMO School Board

Posted on November 2, 2012 by Mary Hutchison

I don’t usually address politics on the blog, but decided to write about each candidate running for the open seat on the Kansas City MO school board: Gunnar Hand and Stephen Himes. Full disclosure up front–I know Gunnar as I serve with him on the Armour Hills Homes Assn board, and Stephen Himes teaches at St Teresa’s Academy, where my daughter attends school. I am not endorsing one candidate over the other. My approach to this topic was to ask each candidate the same four questions, and write the answers as spoken.

A short background regarding this election: When former board member Derrick Ritchie moved to Nashville, a special election was needed to fill his position. The term of this new board member will end in 2014. There are nine members of the Kansas City School Board, and this seat represents the 2cd subdistrict (which includes Brookside). The rough boundaries are Troost, 85th St, State Line Rd and Brush Creek. It is not a paid position.

Stephen Himes

Today, I’m writing about my conversation with Stephen Himes. He is at St Teresa’s Academy, is an attorney and a doctoral candidate in the Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis program at the University of Missouri. He is from Clinton, MO and lives with his wife in Waldo. I am not endorsing one candidate over the other. We talked recently at Axios in Brookside, after he finished his school day. Continue reading →

Brookside Author Releases Third Book on Halloween

Posted on October 29, 2012 by Mary Hutchison

Don’t you love to have a good book nearby? Anytime you have a few minutes, you can jump into another world, find out what’s happening to the characters and anticipate the surprise of the next plot twist or erotic encounter. Readers will soon have the opportunity to catch up with John Pilate’s latest adventures when Brookside author J. Alexander Greenwood releases his third book Pilate’s Ghost on Halloween.

Pilate’s Ghost by J. Alexander Greenwood

The third–and possibly final –book in this series finds John on a book tour promoting his unusual experience at the fictional Cross College in Nebraska (the story behind the first book, Pilate’s Cross). A mystery man threatens to kill him and his family as John deals with the aftermath of what happened in Nebraska. Pilate’s Key, the second book in the series, outlined John’s life in Key West with his then-girlfriend Kate and her daughter as he battled modern day pirates while writing about his experience in Nebraska. Continue reading →

My Thoughts on the Downtown Streetcar Proposal

Posted on October 24, 2012 by Mary Hutchison

After reading the detailed story in Sunday’s Kansas City Star about building a new streetcar line in the central corridor, I decided to express my thoughts via the blog. I’ve been following this story for some time, and keep thinking, “$100 MILLION for just the starter line? Is it worth it?” Many folks don’t think so.

A quick summary of the backstory: ballots will be mailed to about 700 downtown residents next week, asking for votes on tax increases to pay for this initial starter line that will run from the River Market to Union Station. There are two taxes: a 1-cent sales tax and a another tax on commercial and residential property taxes (downtown area only). If approved, the two mile starter route should open in 2015 with four streetcars operating seven days a week, free for all riders. Ballots are due December 11. Continue reading →

Upcoming Fall Events in Brookside

Posted on October 22, 2012 by Mary Hutchison

Today’s blog is a quick reminder of some upcoming events in Brookside — make note in your calendar!

*Monthly networking event is this Wednesday, Oct 24 from 8-9am at St Elizabeth’s Church, 2 E 75th St. Beverages provided–come network with local businesses and residents.

*Annual Brookside Trick or Treat Street, Oct 31 from 4-6pm along 63rd St between Wornall and Main. Hundreds of kids will be walking along these blocks–be extra careful when travelling through the area.

Watch for trick or treaters in Brookside!

*E Waste Recycling, Saturday Nov 2 from 9am-1pm at the UMKC parking lot, 51st and Oak. Drop off your electronic waste (computers, TVs, VCRs, cellphones, microwave, etc) for recycling.

Need more information on Brookside? Email me!

Brookside Home Sales Report September 2012

Posted on October 19, 2012 by Mary Hutchison

WOW, the figures I have to report this month for housing sales in Brookside are pretty amazing! More homes are selling, and at higher prices. Buyers believe in the value of a Brookside address…that is obvious from the increased prices and all the renovations and room additions you see while cruising through the neighborhood blocks.
Here are the home sales statistics for September 2012, plus year-to-date figures. I am using the main Brookside zip code of 64113 for this report on single family home sales: Continue reading →

Armour Home Sales Up Again in September

Posted on October 15, 2012 by Mary Hutchison

Hello neighbors! Good news to report about Armour Hills homes sales again. Prices and number of units sold continue to increase. Read the details below for Armour Hills home sales, September 2012:

In September 2012, 10 homes sold. The average list price was $209,365 and the average sales price was $203,460. Average days on market: 48.

In September 2011, 4 homes sold. The average list price was $226,600 and the average sales price was $217,375. Average days on market: 89.

The average sales price for September 2012 is lower than what’s been trending this year, but last month there were two sales below $100K, which is very low for our area. These sales brought the average price down. Still, comparing to 2011, more homes sold and less time on market!

Year to date, 62 homes have sold in Armour Hills, at an average sales price of $219,531 and 77 days on market. From January-August 2011, 44 homes sold at an average price of $211,872 and 125 days on market. We are experiencing lower days on market and an average price over $7000 higher than last year!

Interested in home prices and sales trends in your area? Email me and I’ll provide the information. In a few days I will post home sales stats for the Brookside zip code of 64113–also showing higher sales prices.

(All statistics taken from Heartland MLS; deemed reliable but not guaranteed)

What’s With the Stoplight Changes in Brookside?

Posted on October 9, 2012 by Mary Hutchison

OK, what’s up with the stoplight changes in Brookside?? Surely you’ve noticed–at several intersections where there was a working stoplight (Main and Meyer, Main and Gregory, Meyer and Oak), there are newly posted stop signs. I spoke with Wei Sun at the Kansas City MO Public Works department to find out what’s going on.

New stop sign at Main and Meyer, Brookside

Mr Sun noted these are permanent changes to the intersections.
Apparently these intersections do not meet the Dept of Transportation traffic safety guidelines to warrant a stop light (see more here: www.mutcd.fhwa.dot.gov — expect to spend some time translating this mumbo jumbo of government speak!). Based on traffic patterns, the fed says KCMO should have stop signs in these areas instead of stop lights. Continue reading →

The Stone House at 63rd and Brookside

Posted on October 3, 2012 by Mary Hutchison

The Stone House in Brookside

How many times have you seen this house in Brookside and wondered…what’s the story behind this stone house? Now that it’s for sale, I thought I would share a bit of history regarding this landmark home. Continue reading →

Bcycle comes to Kansas City

Posted on October 1, 2012 by Mary Hutchison

Every day it seems I see more and more bicycles on the road, especially on the weekends. The cooler fall weather may have something to do with more riders coming out. Travelling in the downtown area, though, I think Kansas City BCycle has something to do with increasing riders on the streets.

Bcycle Station

Introduced earlier this year, Kansas City BCycle is a non-profit organization (locations in other cities as well) that promotes bike riding by offering bikes for anyone to ride at various locations in the city. Currently there are twelve stations in KC, located in the River Market going south to Crown Center (nothing in Brookside or Waldo yet). You do have to be a member to use a bike, and it’s easy to sign up for one of the four types of membership on the website. Memberships range from 24 hours ($7) to an annual pass ($65). Corporate memberships are available too.

Bcycle instructions

It’s very easy to take a bike from one of the stations–once you have registered, you swipe, grab the bike and go. The first 30 minutes of usage is free–after that, a $2 per half hour fee applies. I think it would be more convenient if the first 60 minutes were free as 30 minutes just seems too short to get anything done–and what if you want to stop, chat, grab a beverage, do some shopping (each bike has a basket)? Still, this is a great service for downtown workers and tourists as well. There is a special discount card for members, redeemable at various downtown businesses. And special thanks to Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City for partnering with Bcycle to bring the service to Kansas City.

Hopefully Kansas City Bcycle will be so successful that more stations will be added. Until then, it’s a pleasant, eco-friendly way to explore downtown, RIver Market and the Crown Center area. Remember to bring a bike lock!

Brookside Home Sales Continue Upward Trend

Posted on September 24, 2012 by Mary Hutchison

Housing sales continue to be strong in Brookside! This is positive trend that we have experienced all year. Here are the home sales statistics for August 2012, plus year-to-date figures. I am using the main Brookside zip code of 64113 for this report on single family home sales:
In August 2012, 31 homes sold. The average list price was $375,358 and the average sales price was $357,238. Average days on market: 95.

In August 2011, 21 homes sold. The average list price was $304,262 and the average sales price was $295,040. Average days on market: 78.

These stats show the housing market in Brookside continues to outperform last year. More units are selling this year, and at higher prices. There was a huge jump in average price over last year –28%–for the month of August! Some of the increase can be attributed to more higher priced homes selling this year.

Year to date, 200 homes have sold in zip code 64113, at an average sales price of $321,320, with 109 average days on market. From January-August 2011, 142 homes sold at an average price of $304,125 and 130 days on market.

These year to date figures reflect the same monthly trends we’ve seen: more homes sold at a higher price, with less days on market before going under contract.

Typically, home sales are slower in the last four months of the year. We’ll see if Brookside continues to outperform 2011 sales as we head into the cooler months. There are fewer listings coming on the market, so buyers will have less to choose from, and the attractive, updated homes should sell even quicker.

Interested in home prices and sales trends in your area? Email me for the information!

(All statistics taken from Heartland MLS; deemed reliable but not guaranteed)

Inside Brookside (And Waldo)

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