Good Neighbor Tips

The holidays are a time for cheer, but can also be a time for crime. Our neighborhood recently had a carjacking at 40th and Holly, and a holdup on 41st and Genessee. Here are 12 crime prevention tips from the Kansas City Police Department for the holidays:

City crews will pick up leaves and brush on Monday, November 30th.  This will be the last city-provided pickup of the season, so don't miss it!  Get all the details online at www.kcmo.org/trash.

If you miss the collection day or have more leaves after Monday, the City has two drop-off sites until January 16th.

Be sure to review the city's rules for leaf and brush pickup:

• Sacks and bundles should be curbside by 7 a.m. on Monday, November 30th.
• No more than 20 sacks and/or bundles per household.
• Sacks and bundles must not weigh more than 40 pounds each.
• Use only paper lawn debris sacks. No plastic bags.
• If you seal sacks, use masking tape only; do not use plastic or duct tape.
• No grass clippings. No trash.
• All branches must be bundled. Branches must not be more than 3 inches in diameter.
• Bundles of branches must not be more than 2 feet in diameter and not more than 4 feet long.
• Use twine or jute rope to tie bundles; do not use wire or plastic tape.
• If wet weather is forecast, cover sacks/bundles with clear plastic.
• If sacks and bundles are not collected on the scheduled day, residents must call the 3-1-1 Action Center within 24 hours. To report service related issues, The 3-1-1 Action Center can be reached by calling 311 or (816) 513-1313.

       Dance in the Park Turns 11

The 11th annual Dance inthe Park was again a success. An opportunity to picnic on the grass while watching a selection of Kansas City’s professional dance companies. And the weather blessed us!A group of VNA volunteers offered snacks to raise a bit of money for the neighborhood fund. Dance groups ran the gamut from classical ballet to hip-hop, with Scottish dancing and flamenco dancing providing some ethnic pieces. And great modern dance sequences!
VNA partners with Coleman Highlands, Roanoke, and Valentine neighbhood to present this event.  City in Motion sponsors and manages the event.

VNA will reapply for next year’s grant.
Go to www.kcdance.com for more pictures! 

  Confronting the Graffiti BeastAt board meetings as well as informal gatherings, the neighborhood buzz at some point turns to the spread of graffiti over the past summer. While individual residents and board members have done graffiti removal on their own, the vision is for a one-time event harnessing a crew and supplies from the city to clean up public spaces.  Then it would be up to us Volker residents to remove tags on  private property.Finding the right contact within the city bureaucracy is the immediate hurdle – staff and program reductions or eliminations are taking their toll.  The plan is for some form of cooperative action to remove the offensive tags before the end of this fall.  Meantime, we can  collectively continue to  document instances of tagging with a digital camera or mobile phone camera and e-mail to Master Patrol Officer Schriever at Central Patrol (James.Schriever@kcpd.org). 

Volker has been working with Westport area interests to address the confusing and dangerous intersection of Southwest Trafficway, Westport Road, and 43rd Street.  The so-called "Westport Triangle" has been identified as a top priority for traffic flow and for the safety of pedestrians and bicyclists.

The City has added this project to the metro area's long-range transportation plan, which makes it possible to receive state and/or federal funding. The public can comment on the important of this project through Wednesday.  Just go to this web site and scroll to the bottom of the page to add your own comments.

The city recently approved funding to design the improved intersection, so next we will need to secure funds to implement the design.