Kessler Park has been designated as a Missouri State Champion. Measuring 344″ circumference, 125′ high, with a 120′ spread, the tree is not only the largest of its species, but is the largest known tree in the State of Missouri. It is estimated to be more than 70 years old.
City Forester Kevin LaPointe received the official Champion Tree Award from the Chuck Conner with the Missouri Department of Conservation on November 6, 2014. Located on the Cliff Drive/Kessler Park Disc Golf Course– near the old reservoir and Lookout Point–the tree is easy to spot.
WHO: The Kansas City, MO Parks and Recreation Board will be joined by Anthony Netto, Executive Director of Stand Up and Play, and Frank Westermajer, President of Westar Foods, to present the first paramobile in Kansas City. Special needs organizations will also be on hand to support this exciting addition to the Parks and Recreation services.
WHAT: A paramobile is the equivalent of a one-person golf cart with a very important difference – it allows the person using it to stand, regardless of whether they have the function of their legs or not. Thanks to the generosity of Westar Foods, Kansas City, MO Parks and Recreation will be the first beneficiary of a paramobile in Kansas City. Following remarks by the groups mentioned above, there will be a short demonstration to illustrate how this unique machine will be of service to persons with disabilities in the Kansas City area.
WHEN: 10 AM on Wednesday, November 5. From 10 – 10:30 AM Mark McHenry, Anthony Netto and Frank Westermajer will make remarks. And then from 10:30 – 11:30 AM Anthony Netto will demonstrate how to use the paramobile and give others the opportunity to operate it as well.
WHY: Kansas City, MO Parks and Recreation is dedicated to serving all members of the community. The paramobile will allow persons with disabilities to stand and take an actual golf swing. This opens the sport of golf to people who haven’t been able to play due to an accident, or people who have never learned how to play because of a lifelong condition. It is the first paramobile in Kansas City.
New book showcases history of city’s beautification using vintage images~The newest addition to Arcadia Publishing’s Images of America series is Kansas City’s Parks and Boulevardsby veteran authors, Patrick Alley and Dona Boley. Once called “the filthiest city in the United States”, Kansas City has been transformed into a vibrant, healthy, well-planned community. Although the process came with many financial, legal and political setbacks, the outcome has been a pride of the city for more than 100 years.
Prior to the mid 1800s, life on the banks of the Missouri River was less than satisfying for its residents. The drainage of many houses emptied into gullies and cesspools. Improvements to the city were finally considered after years of unattractive scenery, unsanitary living conditions and consistently muddy streets.
Through the diligent efforts of a handful of recently arrived citizens, political, financial, and botanical skills were successfully applied to a nascent parks system. Cliffs and bluffs, ugly ravines, and shanties and slums were turned into a gridiron of green, with chains of parks and boulevards extending in all directions. Wherever the system penetrated well-settled localities, the policy was to provide playgrounds, tennis courts, baseball diamonds, pools, and field houses. By the time the city fathers were finished, Kansas City could boast of 90 miles of boulevards and 2,500 acres of urban parks.
Available at area bookstores, independent retailers, and online retailers, or through Arcadia Publishing at (888)-313-2665 or online. Arcadia Publishing is the leading publisher of local and regional history in the United States.
A limited number of #KCTrueBlue bottles of water are still available. Contact heidi.downer@kcmo.org for details.
Show your pride for both the Royals and the City of Kansas City, Missouri, by acquiring a commemorative bottle of blue fountain water. Eight major City fountains will flow blue throughout the World Series, and small bottles of blue water are being sold for $5 each as good luck souvenirs. Proceeds go to the City of Fountains Foundation.
Mayor Sly James, foundation board member Pat O’Neill, Director of Kansas City Parks and Recreation Mark McHenry and Blue Valley Labs President Waymon Hofheins announced the sale of #KCTrueBlue 2014 blue water this morning by scooping water from the J.C. Nichols Memorial Fountain into commemorative bottles at the Country Club Plaza.
The 4-ounce bottles are being sold at Plaza Customer Service, 4750 Broadway Blvd. (near the corner of Ward Parkway), Kansas City, Missouri; 816-753-0100. Hours are 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Saturday and noon-6 p.m. Sunday. The water is non-potable and for display purposes only.
“Sure, you have a Royals T-shirt and maybe a ball cap, but do you have this?” asked Mayor James as he dunked a commemorative bottle into the blue spray of the J.C. Nichols Fountain. “It would be a great stocking stuffer or treasured keepsake from this outstanding baseball season. Go Royals!”
WHAT: Blue water from Kansas City’s best-known and most-photographed fountain will be scooped into commemorative bottles to launch the sale of blue fountain water. Residents and tourists may purchase these bottles for $5 each to show pride for the Royals and the City of Kansas City, Missouri. All proceeds go to the City of Fountains Foundation.
WHO: Mayor Sly James, City of Fountains Foundation board member Pat O’Neill, KC Parks Director Mark L. McHenry
WHEN: Wednesday, Oct. 22, 9:30 a.m.
WHERE: J.C. Nichols Memorial Fountain at 47th Street and J.C. Nichols Parkway
WHY: To announce the sale of #KCTrueBlue 2014 blue fountain water at Plaza Customer Service, 4750 Broadway Blvd. (near the corner of Ward Parkway), Kansas City, Mo. Eight major Kansas City fountains will flow blue throughout the World Series games.
Kansas City, Missouri Parks and Recreation joins the ranks of the elite park and recreation agencies and departments across the country by once again earning accreditation through the Commission for Accreditation of Park and Recreation Agencies (CAPRA) and the National Recreation and Park Association (NRPA). This distinguished accomplishment was awarded during the 2014 NRPA Congress and Exposition.
CAPRA accreditation is the only national accreditation for park and recreation agencies, and is a measure of an agency’s overall quality of operation, management and service to the community. This mark of distinction indicates that an agency has met rigorous standards related to the management and administration of lands, facilities, resources, programs, safety and services.
As part of the accreditation process,KC Parks had to demonstrate compliance with 144 recognized standards and document all policies and procedures. Often the process helps identify efficiencies and heighten areas of accountability, all of which translate into higher quality service and operation to benefit the community.
The process for accreditation involves self-assessments, a formal application, a site visit by a team of trained visitors that results in a written report, and a hearing with the commission to grant accreditation. Once accredited, the agency must uphold the standards and is reviewed again in five years. KC Parks received its first accreditation in 1999 and has continuously maintained its status as an accredited agency. There are currently136 accredited park and recreation agencies in the United States.
The Commission is comprised of representatives from NRPA, the American Academy for Park and Recreation Administration, the National Association of County Park and Recreation Officials, the International City/County Management Association, the American Association for Physical Activity and Recreation, the Armed Forces Recreation Society and the Council of State Executive Directors.
For more information about CAPRA accreditation, visit www.nrpa.org/CAPRA.
The National Recreation and Park Association is a national not-for-profit organization dedicated to advancing park, recreation and conservation efforts that enhance quality of life for all people. Through its network of 40,000 recreation and park professionals and citizens, NRPA encourages the promotion of healthy and active lifestyles, conservation initiatives and equitable access to parks and public space. For more information, visit www.NRPA.org. For digital access to NRPA’s flagship publication, Parks & Recreation, visit www.parksandrecreation.org.
Kessler Park has been designated as a Missouri State Champion. Measuring 344″ circumference, 125′ high, with a 120′ spread, the tree is not only the largest of its species, but is the largest known tree in the State of Missouri. It is estimated to be more than 70 years old.
