Highlights from Armour Hills Homes Assn Meeting June 21, 2011

Posted on June 23, 2011 by Mary Hutchison

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

Posted on June 20, 2011 by Mary Hutchison

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

Posted on June 13, 2011 by Mary Hutchison

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!

Art Installation in Armour Hills

Posted on June 1, 2011 by Mary Hutchison

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?

Posted on May 27, 2011 by Mary Hutchison

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.

Armour Hills Board Meeting Recap May 2011

Posted on May 18, 2011 by Mary Hutchison

The board of the Armour Hills homes association met last night–here’s a brief recap of what was discussed:

We chose a replacement urn for the round island at W Dartmouth and 70th St. The board approved purchase and installation costs for the new urn. We also approved funds to landscape the newer island at 70th Terrace and Brookside Road. The blue spruce tree planted there will be removed and relocated to Arbor Villa Park. Work on these two projects will begin within the next month.

We are still researching a memorial piece in honor of Pete Egan. Under consideration are a bench or picnic table for Arbor Villa Park.

We will soon accept advertising in our Clarion newsletter. Editor Sadie is working on pricing.

Mistie is working on a Welcome packet for new residents. We discussed what sort of information should be included.

The fountains on Rockhill and Edgevale are not working. Although the pumps were replaced a few years ago with recirculating water pumps, these can’t handle the debris that get clogged in the pipes. We are authorizing a plumber to review the pipes for repair.

The board is considering hiring Fun Flicks for an outdoor movie night in the park one evening this summer. Total cost would be around $1000. The cost might be offset if we sell ads to show prior to the movie.

The pool at Arbor Villa Park will open June 12; hours are 1-6 Tuesday-Friday, and 1-5 Saturday and Sunday. The quote we received to keep the pool open an extra week into mid August was $1000. We felt that was a pretty high expense so will try to negotiate that cost.

Residents are welcome at our monthly board meetings! Join us at the Country Club Congregational Church for our next meeting, on June 21 at 7pm.

Armour Hills Pool/2011 Garage Sale

Posted on May 15, 2011 by Mary Hutchison

Information on the Armour Hills pool and garage sale for 2011:

The neighborhood garage sale is Saturday May 21. Yard signs are $2 each, available May 20 at 4pm in Arbor Villa park. Remember to stop by the BBQ/Bake Sale to benefit Harvesters as you stroll the streets–it’s at 101 E 66 St.

The pool at Arbor Villa park (intersection of Main and Edgevale) opens June 12. Hours are Tuesday-Friday, 1:00-6:00pm, Saturday-Sunday, 1:00-5:00pm, closed Mondays. Not sure of the last day for the pool, as the Armour Hills Homes Assn is negotiating to keep the pool open into August if the assn pays for the lifeguard. If you’d like to reserve the pool for a special event, call Midwest Pool Management at 816 350 2628.

Thank you for supporting our Armour Hills activities!

Seminar for Seniors at Armour Oaks May 12

Posted on May 9, 2011 by Mary Hutchison

If you know a senior adult who is thinking about downsizing…this seminar will provide lots of useful information for them! On Thursday May 12, 2011, I will be conducting a seminar at Armour Oaks Senior Living Community, 8100 Wornall Road in Waldo. We’ll start at 4:30 and wrap up by 5:30pm.

My topic is “Selling A Senior’s Home in the Current Real Estate Market” — yes, it can be done! I’ll be presenting facts about sales in the area, along with tips and suggestions for a quick sale in today’s soft sales enviornment. Senior Moves Specialist Gerre Wade will talk about what it takes to downsize and right size into your new lifestyle.

Seating is limited–if you are interested, or know someone who might be, contact me for more details. You can also reserve a spot by calling Armour Oaks directly at 816 363 5141.

Kansas City/Brookside Area Home Sales Stats

Posted on May 5, 2011 by Mary Hutchison

I contemplated a more negative title for this blog post, as the news I have is not good. But I try to be an upbeat person, believing one can choose to have a gloomy attitude or a positive one. I choose positive. Still, the stats speak for themselves.

Jackson County home sales down 31.5% in March 2011, compared to March 2010. There were 683 units sold this year ; 997 last year. Average sales price dropped 6.2%. The same for Johnson County: down almost 23% in March 2011 compared to March 2010. There were 719 units sold this year; 932 in March 2010. Average sales price dropped 3.5%.

Looking closer at the Brookside area, in zip code 64113 there were 18 units sold in March 2010 and 20 units sold in March 2011. Average sales price was down: $297,883 compared to $287,995. Armour Hills had four sold properties in both March 2010 and 2011; average price down from $221,119 in 2010 to $195,500 in 2011.

Prairie Village followed the trend with 32 units sold in March 2010, average sales price $194,632. In March 2011, 26 units sold, average sales price $193,569.

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

Why the drop? I believe it’s because there is no $8000 tax credit for buyers. There was a sense of urgency last spring for buyers to take advantage of deflated home prices, low interest rates and plenty of inventory. This spring–lots of inventory, still low interest rates but no incentive to act before a deadline. The economy hasn’t improved that much for the middle class: food and gas prices are sharply higher this year compared to last, wages still stagnant. There’s still plenty of time left in the traditionally busy spring buying season for more sales–I hope to see more positive news as the year goes on. Ending on a positive note, I did list a house last month that had two offers in the first week and sold quickly!

New Waldo Farmers Market

Posted on May 2, 2011 by Mary Hutchison

Stony Crest Urban Farm is sponsoring a weekly farmer’s market at Habitat ReStore, 303 W 79th St.

It starts Wednesday May 4, and continues every Wednesday August 31, 2011, from 3-7pm.

Stop by and check it out–I plan to and will report back on the blog.

Inside Brookside (And Waldo)

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

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