The City of Kansas City, Mo., is notifying motorists that two races will temporarily affect traffic in the areas of Rockhurst University and the University of Missouri – Kansas City.
The Hopkins Skip and Run 5K will begin at the center of Rockhurst University’s campus – 53rd Street and Forest Avenue – on Saturday, Sept. 28. Rolling road closures will take place from about 9:45 to 11:15 a.m. on the following race route: south on Forest Avenue, east on 54th Street; north on Tracy Avenue; east on Rockhurst Road/52nd Street; south on the Paseo Boulevard; west on 54th Street; south on the Trolley Trail; east on 56th Street; north on Holmes Street; east on 54th Street; and north on Forest Avenue to finish. For more information about the Hopkins Skip and Run 5K, please visit www.hopkins5k.org.
The Regalia Run will begin at 51st and Holmes streets on Sunday, Sept. 29. Rolling road closures will take place from about 7:45 to 9 a.m. on the following race route: south on Holmes Road; west on 52nd Street; north on Cherry Street; southeast on Rockhill Road; west on 54th Street; north on Charlotte Street; east on 53rd Street; north on Rockhill Road; southwest on Cherry Street; east on 52nd Street; and north on Holmes Road to finish. For more information about the Regalia Run, please visit http://info.umkc.edu/foundersweek/schedule/regalia-run.
Please observe caution and obey all posted detours and barricades.
Last October, the American Planning Association (APA) announced the designation of Ward Parkway as one of 10 Great Streets for 2012 under the organization’s Great Places in America program. APA Great Places exemplify exceptional character and highlight the role planning and planners play in adding value to communities, including fostering economic growth and jobs. Today, a ceremony was held to unveil a plaque officially designating Ward Parkway as a 2012 Great Street. The plaque is located on the north side of Mirror Pool Fountain, Ward Parkway and W. 61st St.
APA singled out Ward Parkway, one of Kansas City’s most prestigious street addresses, for its picturesque scenery, striking ornamentation, magnificent houses, and variety of uses. The boulevard, designed by renowned landscape architect George Kessler, ambles along a gently undulating landscape, at times paralleling Bush Creek and the Missouri-Kansas border.
“Ward Parkway is one of the crown jewels of Kansas City’s 135-mile boulevard and parkway system”, says KC Parks Director Mark McHenry. “Parkways and Boulevards are defining features of Kansas City that tie our communities together with ribbons of green and balance the need to move traffic with a desire to maintain a ‘City within a Park’ feel.”
Through Great Places in America, APA recognizes streets, neighborhoods, and public spaces featuring unique and authentic characteristics that have evolved from years of thoughtful and deliberate planning by residents, community leaders and planners. The 2012 Great Places illustrate how the foresight of planning fosters tomorrow’s communities and they have many of the features Americans say are important to their “ideal community” including locally owned businesses, transit, neighborhood parks, and sidewalks.
Since APA began Great Places in America in 2007, 60 neighborhoods, 60 streets and 50 public spaces have been designated in 50 states and the District of Columbia.
“Planned as Kansas City’s premiere residential boulevard, Ward Parkway is a monument to the City Beautiful movement,” said APA Chief Executive Officer Paul Farmer, FAICP. “This Great Street embraces the natural terrain of the area, complementing the historic apartment buildings, shopping plazas, businesses, mansions and parks found along this right-of-way,” he added.
Ward Parkway begins its 12-mile, southerly run at Country Club Plaza, the nation’s first auto-oriented regional shopping center. Cars, however, take a back seat to the pedestrian experience and are concealed in multilevel garages beneath and behind shops or on building rooftops. Opened in 1922, the plaza reflects classic European influences and features over $1 million in public art. Its iconic J.C. Nichols Memorial Fountain, along with several others, contributes to Kansas City’s reputation as The City of Fountains.
Fountains punctuate Ward Parkway. The Mirror Pool Fountain, built in 1924 and renovated in 1965, fills an entire city block while the Seahorse Fountain, with its spectacular 17th-century Venetian sculpture, adorns the parkway’s Meyer Circle. Monuments are scattered throughout the boulevard as well.
Parkway maintenance and enhancements have been funded, in part, by earmarked revenues, including a one-cent capital improvement sales tax, renewed in 2007 for 10 years, and an arterial impact fee, assessed on any new developments along the parkway. Last year saw the establishment of the Ward Parkway Center Community Improvement District to raise funds for redevelopment of this 1959 retail outlet.
Improvements and enhancements are not exclusive to the public sector. Last year, the engineering firm of Burns & McDonnell announced it would spend $20 million to renovate its headquarters at the southern end of Ward Parkway and build a 450-seat auditorium, conference center, and wellness clinic.
Ward Parkway contains numerous historic properties and a single historic district. Comprising that district are three reinforced concrete apartment buildings with a Spanish Revival motif. These mid-1920s structures were erected when it became evident to developer J.C. Nichols that the density of his exclusive Country Club District would not support Country Club Plaza.
Historic mansions and houses of architectural significance grace Ward Parkway, the earliest being the 30,000 square-foot mansion of a lumber tycoon. Among the houses added to the National Register are those in the Antebellum, Prairie, and Neo-Classical Revival styles.
The nine other APA 2012 Great Streets are: Duval Street, Key West, FL; Main Street, Bozeman, MT; Broadway, Saratoga Springs, NY; Fifth Avenue, New York City, NY; Wall Street, Kingston, NY; Shaker Boulevard, Cleveland, Shaker Heights and Beachwood, OH; Grant Street, Pittsburgh, PA; Broad Street, Charleston, SC; and Gay Street, Knoxville, TN.
For more information about these public spaces, as well as APA’s top 10 Great Neighborhoods and top 10 Great Public Spaces, visit www.planning.org/greatplaces. This year’s Great Places in America are being celebrated as part of APA’s National Community Planning Month during October; for more about the special month, visit www.planning.org/ncpm.
Kansas City Parks and Recreation invites online engagement and asks citizens to take part in parks planning by giving input on a potential regional community center for the KC Northland Region.
Kansas City Missouri Parks and Recreation is pleased to announce the launch of KCPARKS.MINDMIXER.COM a new comprehensive community engagement website, developed by MindMixer, where citizens can engage, communicate and collaborate with community decision makers and other residents on the parks in our community. The site launched on September 20, 2013.
The goal is to get the community involved in the planning process. Along the way, KCPARKS.MINDMIXER.COM will be used as an online tool to generate new ideas and feedback from citizens using this interactive and accessible new platform.
Feedback from the engagement website may be used by KC PARKS, the Parks Commission, and the City Council in order to shape a new parks and recreation plan that could include a new regional community center in the Northland.
KCPARKS.MINDMIXER.COM gives contributors a chance to share new ideas, second others’ ideas, expand upon existing ideas and give feedback on initiatives, working with community leaders on a variety of topics online anytime, anywhere.
The discussion will start with topics like these, and branch off from there based on input:
Potential Spaces and Features
Potential Indoor Aquatic Center Features
Fees and Funding
Demographics
The site also measures and tracks participation, identifying the most interested citizens and most compelling topics. MindMixer’s tools make it easy for administrations to communicate back with citizens, and they deliver measurable results and invaluable insights for the planning process.
Nick Bowden, CEO of MindMixer, says,“ Our tools go beyond just technology. Our mission is to build community contributors. Ideas, voices and perspectives are shared to facilitate deeper and better conversations that yield actionable insights and a stronger community.”
As part of its service, MindMixer consults and collaborates with clients to identify issues that are critical to stakeholders in order to update topics and content for their websites.
Starlight Theatre’s 64th Broadway Season will offer another unforgettable summer of shared experiences with five family-friendly productions that include a mix of classic Broadway favorites and new contemporary rock shows. The lineup includes The Wizard of Oz (Andrew Lloyd Webber’s new production), We Will Rock You, Joseph and The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, The Sound of Musicand Blue Man Group.
“Each year, Starlight attempts to offer the region a season of musical productions that are as diverse as our audiences, and I think the 2014 Broadway season definitely fits that bill,” said Donna Thomason, interim president of Starlight. “In Starlight’s Annual Show survey, all five shows in the upcoming Broadway series appeared in the Top 10 List of productions that patrons have asked to see at Starlight.”
STARLIGHT THEATRE’S 2014 BROADWAY SEASON
WIZARD OF OZ– June 10-15, 2014 This new production of The Wizard of Oz is an enchanting adaptation of the all-time classic, totally reconceived for the stage. Developed from the ever-popular MGM screenplay, this new production contains all the beloved songs from the Oscar® winning movie score, all the favorite characters and iconic moments, plus a few surprises along the way, including new songs by Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber. Join Scarecrow, Tin Man, Lion, Dorothy and her little dog, Toto, as they journey through the magical land of Oz to meet the Wizard and obtain their hearts’ desires. Watch out for the Wicked Witch of the West and her winged monkeys as you rediscover the real story of Oz in this fantastic musical treat for the family.
WE WILL ROCK YOU-The Musical by QUEEN & Ben Elton, June 17-22, 2014 We Will Rock Youfeatures the greatest hits of the legendary British rock group, Queen. Now in its 12th year in London and seen by a staggering 15 million people worldwide, this hilarious, multi-award-winning and record-breaking phenomenon boasts a fantastic score of killer Queen tunes that you just can’t resist singing along to, such as “Another One Bites The Dust,” “Crazy Little Thing Called Love,” “We Are The Champions,” “Bohemian Rhapsody” and, of course, “We Will Rock You.” It’s the world champion of musicals and the show that rocks harder than any other, so don’t miss the party!
JOSEPH AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT, July 8-13, 2014 One of the most enduring shows of all time, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat is the irresistible family musical about the trials and triumphs of Joseph, Israel’s favorite son. The first collaboration of Andrew Lloyd Webber (Jesus Christ Superstar, Phantom of the Opera, Cats) and Tim Rice (Jesus Christ Superstar, The Lion King), Joseph blends pop, country and rock into an uplifting, technicolored story of biblical proportions. Retelling the Biblical story of Joseph, his eleven brothers and the “coat of many colors,” this magical musical is full of unforgettable songs including “Those Canaan Days,” “Any Dream Will Do” and “Close Every Door.” Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat will feature Broadway and television star Diana DeGarmo (Hairspray, Hair) as the The Narrator and Broadway Star Ace Young (Grease, Hair) as Joseph.
THE SOUND OF MUSIC, July 25-31, 2014 The final collaboration between Rodgers & Hammerstein was destined to become the world’s most beloved musical. The Sound of Music follows the true story of the Von Trapp family in Austria. This show has it all – an irrepressible heroine who finds her calling, lonely children who find a mother, an aloof Naval officer who finds a wife, and a united family who find courage in one another as they escape the approaching evil of the Third Reich. Audiences will rejoice in the well-known songs that include “My Favorite Things,” “Do-Re-Mi,” “Climb Ev’ry Mountain,” and “Edelweiss.”
BLUE MAN GROUP, September 9-14, 2014 Experience the phenomenon. Blue Man Group is best known for their wildly popular theatrical shows and concerts which combine comedy, music, and technology to produce a totally unique form of entertainment. Although it is impossible to describe, people of all ages agree that Blue Man Group is an intensely exciting and wildly outrageous show that leaves the entire audience in a blissful, euphoric state. With no spoken language, Blue Man Group is perfect for people of all ages, languages, and cultures. This unique experience is a form of entertainment like nothing else; guaranteed to be an outing you will never forget.
TICKET AND THEATRE INFORMATION Season and Single Tickets: Current Starlight Theatre Season Ticket Holders may renew their tickets beginning in October at kcstarlight.org, by calling 816-363-STAR (7827) or at Starlight Theatre, 4600 Starlight Road. Box Office hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.Season tickets offer the best value with benefits that include guaranteed seating at renewal, up to 36 percent savings compared to single tickets, free general parking, free ticket exchanges, and concession stand, dining and shopping discounts. New season and single tickets will be available in 2014. Gift certificates redeemable for all 2014 Broadway shows are now on sale.
ABOUT STARLIGHT THEATRE Starlight Theatre, winner 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 musical theatre award program for local high schools and students in the country. Located on 16 acres, Starlight’s venue includes rehearsal halls, gift store, club area for dining, concessions, gardens, fountains and a 10-story, climate-controlled stage. For more information, visit www.kcstarlight.com.
The Board of Parks and Recreation Commissioners invites you . . .
WARD PARKWAY GREAT STREETS PLAQUE UNVEILING Wednesday, September 25 10:30 a.m. Mirror Pool, Ward Parkway & W. 61st St.
Join us for the official unveiling of a plaque designating Ward Parkway as one of America’s Great Streets. The American Planning Association named Ward Parkway one of 10 Great Streets for 2012 under the organization’s Great Places in America program.
Renowned for its picturesque scenery, striking ornamentation, magnificent houses, and variety of uses, Ward Parkway is one of the crown jewels of Kansas City’s 135-mile boulevard and parkway system. The 12-mile parkway, designed by landscape architect George Kessler, ambles along a gently undulating landscape, at times paralleling Brush Creek and the Missouri-Kansas border tieing communities together with ribbons of green.
The City of Kansas City, Mo., is notifying motorists that three races will temporarily affect traffic in the West Bottoms on Friday, Sept. 20; in Brookside on Saturday, Sept. 21; and in downtown Kansas City (Central Business District south to Crown Center) on Sunday, Sept. 22.
The Firefly Run will begin at Kemper Arena on Friday, Sept. 20. Rolling road closures will take place from approximately 7:30-9:15 p.m. on the following race route: east on Arena Drive; south on American Royal Court; north on Wyoming Street; northeast on Liberty Street; east on 14th Street; north on Hickory Street; east on 13th Street; north on Mulberry Street; east on 12th Street; north on Santa Fe Street; northeast on Union Avenue and turnaround at Forrester Road to go southwest on Union Avenue; south on Mulberry Street; west on 11th Street; south on Hickory Street; west on 13th Street; south on Liberty Street; west on 14th Street; south on Wyoming Street; west on American Royal Drive; and east on Arena Drive to finish at Kemper Arena.
For more information about the Firefly Fun, please visit www.fireflyrun.com.
The Strutt with your Mutt 5K will begin at Brookside Boulevard and 62nd Terrace on Saturday, Sept. 21. Rolling race closures will take place from 8-9:30 a.m. on 62nd Terrace from Brookside Boulevard to Brookside Plaza; on Brookside Plaza from 63rd Street to 62nd Terrace; and the northbound lane of Brookside Boulevard from 62nd Terrace to 51st Street.
The National Tactical Officers Association 5K will begin at 12th and Central streets on Sunday, Sept. 22. Rolling road closures will take place from 5:45-7 p.m. on the following race route: east on 12th Street; south on Oak Street; west on 22nd Street; south on McGee Street; west on Pershing Boulevard (north side); north on Main Street; west on 16th Street; north on Baltimore Street; west on 14th Street; north on Central Street to the finish line at 12th and Central streets.
