KC Parks News

KCParks Partners with Mattie Rhodes and U.S. Soccer Foundation for “Soccer for Success” Program

By LESLIE COLLINS, Northeast News

Missourians aren’t known for leading the most healthy lifestyles, but the Mattie Rhodes Center is hoping to break that trend.

To promote health and wellness in youngsters, Mattie Rhodes is capitalizing on a popular sport in Kansas City – soccer.

Mattie Rhodes has partnered with the Kansas City Parks and Recreation Department and the U.S. Soccer Foundation to offer “Soccer for Success,” a program developed by the U.S. Soccer Foundation. According to the U.S. Soccer Foundation’s website, the program is a free after-school program that “uses soccer as a tool to combat childhood obesity and promote healthy lifestyles for children in under-resourced urban communities.”

The 12-week program combines soccer fundamentals with interactive lessons about nutrition and healthy eating as well as the value of leading a healthy lifestyle.

“What really caught my attention is it’s not an ordinary soccer program where they just kick the ball and just focus on soccer,” said Tony Navarro, Mattie Rhodes community services specialist. “The primary focus is on physical activity, nutrition, mentorship and family engagement.”

“It (Soccer for Success curriculum) aligns with the objectives we have here at Mattie Rhodes with our health and wellness programming and youth development,” said Susan Garrett, Mattie Rhodes director of community services. “It’s all about access for underserved kids and how we can get the kids moving and expose them to the game of soccer.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 65.2 percent of Missouri adults are overweight and 30.5 percent are considered obese. Those trends also carry on to Missouri youth. In the two to five-year-old age group, 16.2 percent are overweight and 13.6 percent are obese. In adolescents, 14.4 percent are overweight and 14.4 percent are obese.

Working through the Local Investment Commission (LINC) after-school program, Mattie Rhodes has launched the co-ed soccer program for grades kindergarten through second at three Kansas City Public Schools: Garfield Elementary, Whittier Elementary and J.A. Rogers Elementary. Mattie Rhodes plans to launch another 12-week session at the three schools this spring.

“I love it. I love soccer,” said Garfield Elementary first grader Zaire Aday. “I learned to eat healthy and eat healthy things.”

Asked to name off healthy items, Aday said bananas, oranges, and fruits in general are prime examples. Asked why one should eat healthy, Aday said, “So, you can get stronger and you can get muscles.”

About 100 youth enrolled in the fall Soccer for Success program, and at each school, the youngsters meet three times a week for 90 minutes.

“Everything is centered around health and wellness, teamwork, character building, life skills and that kind of thing, but the hook is soccer,” Garrett said.

One creative way the program teaches youngsters about nutrition is through the warm-up stretches. Students will “peel the banana” or “chop up the lettuce.” They’ll also do “high knees,” also known as “stomping the grapes.” When the group divides into teams, the students have to come up with team names that involve something healthy. One time, the group named themselves the “Blueberry Thunder.”

“We incorporate health messages in fun ways that resonate with the kids and stick with the kids,” Garrett said.

Lesson topics have included Eating Habits: Full vs. Hungry; Healthy Bodies; Food Groups; Grains; Fruits; the importance of sleep and more.

When the youngsters learned about grains, they played a game where they had to dribble the soccer ball and then “plant” their grain, represented by a jersey, by setting their jersey onto the ground. As more youngsters planted their grains, they had to dribble their balls around the jerseys, so as not to destroy the newly planted grains.

Navarro said he’s already witnessing changes in the students.

Several shy children, who wanted to stay on the sidelines, have broken out of their shells and are actively participating, he said. One kindergartener at J.A. Rogers refused to play initially and sat in the corner.

“Now, he’s like, ‘Hey, coach! Hey, coach! Can I be goalie?’ He wants to learn all about it. He loves it so much,” Navarro said.

Some of the students in the program are considered obese, Navarro said, and are beginning to incorporate more physical activity into their lives.

“I ask them, ‘What are you doing on the weekends?’ ‘Oh, I’m actually running or I’m playing with my ball now,’” he said. “Hopefully down the road, that can make an impact on them.”

When Garfield hosted its Halloween party, the soccer students pointed out how the party snacks weren’t healthy and how they shouldn’t be eating them.

“It sticks. They do get something out of it (soccer program),” Garrett said.

Navarro said Mattie Rhodes hopes to expand the program in the future and hopes the lessons will continue to resonate with youngsters and change their unhealthy habits permanently.

“I’d really like to seem them be active,” Navarro said, “and as long as they have a smile on their face, that’s all that matters.”

Starlight Theatre to Hold Adult and Youth Auditions January 3-4 for The Sound of Music

Starlight Theatre will hold auditions January 3 and 4 for The Sound of Music at Starlight Theatre, 4600 Starlight Road. The Sound of Music will perform at Starlight July 25-31, 2014.

Equity principal auditions and singing auditions for adult professional cast will be held from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. January 3; registration will begin at 2:30 p.m. with gates opening at noon. Walk-ins are welcome, but appointments are preferred. By agreement with Actors’ Equity Association, Equity members must be given audition priority over non-union talent. Possible callback for dance/movement will be at 3 p.m. January 4.  To schedule an appointment, contact Caroline Lakin; email is preferred at auditions@kcstarlight.com or (816) 997-1130.

Youth auditions for ages 5-18 will be held from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. January 4. No appointments will be taken. Auditions will be on a first come, first served basis.

For ages 5-8: Registration will begin at 8:30 a.m.; Auditions from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.  For ages 5-14: Registration will begin at 10:30 a.m.; Auditions from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. Call back time for 5-14 year-olds who audition in the morning will be from 1 p.m. – 3 p.m. For ages 14-18 (Blue Star All Star Students): Registration will begin at 2:30 p.m.; Auditions from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. High school students must attend a 2014 Blue Star Awards participating high school or be part of a Starlight education program.

For additional audition requirements and preparation, visit http://www.kcstarlight.com/broadway/auditions.aspx.

Parking for auditions is available in the “Zebra Lot” located on east side of theatre; enter through Gate 8. Starlight Theatre is actively seeking a multi-cultural cast and utilizes non-traditional casting in their productions when ethnicity is not germane to the role or overall production.

The production staff for The Sound of Music includes Donna Thomason, interim executive producer; Anthony Edwards, musical director; Kent Andel, production manager; and Caroline Lakin, company manager.

Starlight Theatre, winner of the 2013 IAVM Venue of Excellence Award, is the largest and oldest performing arts organization in Kansas City and the second largest outdoor producing theatre in the country. Opened as a theater in 1950 and as a not-for-profit organization in 1951, Starlight presents and produces Broadway musicals and concerts, offers extensive community outreach and educational programming including classes, scholarships and Starlight’s Blue Star Awards, the second largest high school musical theatre awards program in the country. Located on 16 acres, Starlight’s venue includes rehearsal halls, gift store, club area for dining, concession stands, gardens, fountains, and a 10-story, climate controlled stage. Starlight is operated in partnership with the Board of Parks and Recreation Commissioners. For more information, visit www.kcstarlight.com.

Swope Park Soccer Village Phase II Construction Begins

Five new full-sized synthetic fields will be built in Kansas City’s Swope Park 

Ground preparation for Phase II of Swope Park Soccer Village’s $13.44 million expansion began this week to prepare for the construction of five new synthetic soccer fields in 2014. Located at 63rd and Lewis Rd. in Kansas City’s Swope Park, the Swope Park Soccer Village will be home to nine full-sized soccer fields and facilities upon the development’s completion.

In May, a $13.44 million expansion to the Swope Soccer Village was formally approved by the City Council. Four months after breaking ground, the complex’s natural grass championship field – the first of six new fields as part of the expansion – opened in November and hosted the 2013 Big 12 Soccer Championship. The conference’s postseason tournament will again be played at the Swope Soccer Village in 2014.

The five new synthetic fields will be built on the east side of Lewis Rd. and will each be furnished with lighting and fencing. Grand Construction serves as the general contractor. The development will also provide additional infrastructure updates, including new restroom, concession and storage amenities.

Swope Soccer Village will host the NCAA  Division III  Men’s and Women’s Soccer Championship Tournament in 2014/2015 and NCAA Division II Men’s and Women’s Soccer Championship in 2016/2017.

MLS Cup champions Sporting Kansas City opened the team’s training center at the Swope Soccer Village in 2007 with over 7,800 square feet of facility space and three soccer fields. The Sporting KC Academy, Sporting Club Network members and numerous community outreach programs utilize the existing four fields at the complex.

EAB “Trap Tree” Removal Begins

The Forestry Division of Kansas City, Missouri Parks and Recreation is informing citizens of the city-wide removal of Ash “trap trees” that has begun in Platte County and continue through May 2014.

This past summer, as part of the KC Parks Forestry Division’s Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) Management Program, hundreds of Ash trees around the city were deliberately damaged in an attempt to attract the Emerald Ash Borer.  Known as “trap trees”, the 700 trees in Platte, Clay and Jackson Counties were marked with tags explaining that the tree had been purposely stressed and that it would be removed at a later date, examined for signs of EAB beetles or larvae and properly disposed.

Only certain Ash trees within the City right-of-way or located on City property were stressed. Portions in each county were stressed so that the beetle’s spread and population growth can continue to be monitored over the next five years.  Each spring, additional Ash trees that have not been treated will be stressed to create new “trap trees” and then removed in the winter months to be inspected.

However, in Platte County the beetle population has reached such a high level that all the City Ash trees, not being treated and or used as “trap trees”, will be removed.

“TRAP TREE” PROGRAM
Since the discovery of the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) in August 2012, the City of Kansas City, Missouri has put in place a simple plan to manage this devastating beetle.  The goal is not to stop the beetle but to slow its spread and manage the Ash tree population to avoid the devastating financial and environmental impacts of losing thousands of Ash trees in a short period of time.  The plan is to preserve a number of Ash trees by treating them every three years against EAB infestation, create “trap trees” by stressing specific Ash trees that were not good candidates for treatment, and most importantly replacing each Ash tree removed with a variety of other tree species.  Ash trees that have been treated have a small metal tag the size of a quarter attached to the tree trunk on the street side.

The main purpose of trap trees is to monitor the spread of EAB and the population density.  As the population builds in an area thousands of Ash trees begin dying at the same time.

Trap trees were created by stripping away portions of the bark around the trunk of the tree.  This sends stress signals out that attract the beetles.  It is believed to be an effective way of determining if the EAB is in the area when population densities are still very low.  A door hanger was placed at each residence where a tree was stressed and a small sign was posted on the street side of the tree trunk to educate citizens on the purpose of the “trap tree”, and warn them not to remove any parts of the tree so as not to potentially be spreading EAB.  Since these trees are not treated they must be removed before the adult beetles emerge in May 2014 and spread the infestation.  Each tree that is removed will be inspected for signs of EAB infestation, properly disposed of, and a replacement tree planted in a suitable location.

Residents of City of Kansas City, Missouri are reminded that if you have Ash tree debris from private property the City has provided disposal sites that will properly dispose of it so as not to spread EAB.
LEARN MORE ABOUT EAB
http://kcparks.org/services/emerald-ash-borer/
http://extension.missouri.edu/emeraldashborer/
http://emeraldashborer.info

Union Station and City of Kansas City Endorse Long-Term Agreement for the Kansas City Museum

KCMO Parks and Recreation Department will Manage Corinthian Hall
the Kansas City Museum Programs and Maintain the Collection

After years of discussions about the future of the Kansas City Museum, the City Manager, City Council members, and Union Station leaders have forged a new long-term management agreement for the Kansas City Museum. This agreement was approved December 5 by the City Council.  In the agreement, all parties have decided that the City’s Parks and Recreation Department will oversee the management, programs and operations of Corinthian Hall, the former Long mansion, owned by the City. City Manager Troy Schulte, along with members of the City Council, including Jim Glover, Jan Marcason and Scott Wagner, developed this plan for the Parks Department to manage this community asset in the same way that it operates other City-owned parks, museums and buildings.

“I’m pleased that the City and Union Station came to this long-term agreement that will serve the heritage of this community well,” said Mayor Sly James.  “The Kansas City Museum is a vital thread in the fabric of this City and I’m confident this agreement will solidify its future while celebrating its past.  I’m grateful to Union Station leaders for their faithful stewardship of the Museum and for the professional manner in which they managed the Corinthian Hall campus and curated the collection for so many years.”

Corinthian Hall has long been associated as an icon of the Kansas City Museum, and there have been ongoing discussions about how to best manage this building and property, while also advancing the interests and programs of the Kansas City Museum. Corinthian Hall has been under significant renovation over the last five years with the City investing approximately $10 million into the facility. The Parks Department will continue to manage the future renovation process and also set forth the vision for the best use of the facility and surrounding campus for the future.

Money collected from the City’s tax levy for the Museum will be used by the Parks Department for programming and curatorial services as well as ongoing maintenance to the building.

Terms of this agreement also state that the City will oversee care of the entire collection of the Kansas City Museum, and the majority of the collection will remain owned by Union Station. The City also agrees to lease museum-quality space at USKC facilities and elsewhere for storage of the collection. Union Station has built out more than 35,000 square feet of museum-quality storage facilities to professionally manage the collection of more than 70,000 items. This facility includes a temperature-controlled and highly prepped laboratory environment, offering the highest quality of storage and preservation facilities to maintain and curate a collection of this size and importance. The City agrees to lease approximately 14,600 square feet of storage space at Union Station. In addition, the City will acquire the lease for the additional storage space located off-site.

The agreement states that both the City’s Parks Department and Union Station can display artifacts and exhibits from the collection at Corinthian Hall and at Union Station, as well as at other locations where the City and/or Union Station determine.

“Corinthian Hall is a historically significant building in the Northeast Kansas City community, and we are confident the Parks Department will carefully maintain and determine the best use for this building,” said George Guastello, president and CEO, Union Station Kansas City. “We believe this iconic building will be best managed by this organization that manages so many of Kansas City’s community assets. It makes sense that this City-owned building and the collection be managed by the City’s Parks Department.”

“We are pleased that this new long-term agreement considered all of the interests of the Kansas City Museum by drawing on the strengths of the City’s departments to manage the critical components of the Museum’s assets and programs,” said Bob Regnier, chairman, Union Station Board of Directors. “Union Station leaders have managed the Museum’s interests with the same management acumen and fiscal responsibility that they have demonstrated for the Union Station facility, and we believe this agreement will best serve the future of the Kansas City Museum.”

“I commend the Parks Board for their input and initiatory support of the plan,” said Mark McHenry, director, Parks and Recreation Department. “We look forward to managing the future direction of the Kansas City Museum and ensuring the City’s significant investment in Corinthian Hall and its campus remain an active and vital part of our community.”

Two Races Will Affect Traffic Near Crossroads, Westport

The City of Kansas City, Mo., is notifying motorists that two races will temporarily affect traffic on Saturday, Dec. 7 in the Crossroads Arts District and Westport.

The Ugly Sweater Run will begin at 11 a.m. in Washington Square Park, just north of Crown Center at 2200 Grand Blvd. Main Street will be closed beginning at 6 a.m. from East Pershing Road to East 19th Street. Rolling road closures will take place shortly before the race along the following route: north on Main Street, east on 19th Street, north on Campbell Street, west on 18th Street, north on Oak Street, west on 13th Street, south on Baltimore Avenue, east on 19th Street, south on Main Street, and back to the starting point at Washington Square.For more information, visit http://theuglysweaterrun.com/locations/kansas-city-missouri/.

The Westport Santa Dash begins at 10 a.m. at 4050 Pennsylvania Ave. Rolling road closures will begin at 9:30 a.m. along the following race route: north on Pennsylvania Avenue, east on 34th Street, south on Broadway Road, east on 34th Street, south on Baltimore Avenue, west on Archibald Street, south on Pennsylvania Avenue, southwest on Wornall Road, west on 43rd Street, north on Jefferson Street, east on Westport Road, and north on Pennsylvania Avenue back to the starting point. For more information, visit www.santadashrun.com.