THE BLUE VALLEY VIEWJan. 2012Vol. 1 Iss. 2

This year has been good for Blue Valley as well as sor-rowful. We lost four (4) of our treasured members in avery short time frame.First we lost Phyllis May, the matriarch of May’s Fa-

mous Polish Sausages. Mrs. May was a very classylady always looking her best and always having a kindword for everyone she came in contact with. She will bemissed by all who knew her.The next treasured member we lost was Bobby

Cochran. Bobby was one of our past presidents of BlueValley. He was a devoted member that could always berelied on to help out wherever he could. Bobby was agreat cook and always provided us with a delicious dishwhenever we had an occasion for food. Bobby was alsoa talented artist. Some of his landscapes were beautiful.He also had a heart as big as the cowboy hats he woremost of the time. He showed he cared about everyoneby giving you a big hug. Bobby’s food and hugs aremissed.Then we lost our Godfather, Reggie Pierce. Reggie

has been the backbone of this association since it beganover 35 years ago. His wife, Mary was one of the found-ing members. After her death he continued to work withus in the association doing whatever he could, wheneverhe could. He kept a watchful eye on us all the time, al-ways on patrol checking on our neighborhood. We knewwe could call on him anytime we needed him. Reggiewas the organizer of our crime watch committee. Hemade sure everyone on patrol had gas in their cars evenif he had to go into his own pocket. He was on a firstname basis with the Chief of Police and almost all of EastPatrol. We relied on him each year to bring in the policebrass to our annual Night Out Against Crime. Reggiewas willing to pick up a paint brush, hammer a nail, orwhatever the project, you knew Reggie would be there tohelp. He touched so many of our lives, its hard to real-ize that he’s not with us anymore. I’m sure his familymisses him, but he was part of our family too. I still lookup whenever I see a car like his, expecting to see himpassing by and waving. The Godfather is gone but liveson forever in our hearts.Last, but not least, we lost Katie Black. What a char-

acter! Katie was a sweet, sweet lady, that had been amember for over 30 years. She participated in every-thing she could until her health declined. She helped outwherever, gave rides to anyone who didn’t have a ride toour meetings. I can still hear her saying “Kid, what doyou need?” Katie, you are missed.For all those we lost, we miss you dearly.Although we had our losses, we also had gains, we or-

ganized a neighborhood wide clean up this summer,which went well, we had nine dumpsters throughout theneighborhood. We wish we had more of our neighborswho participated, but overall it was a successful cleanup.

In Memorium

Mary & Reggie Pierce

Bobby Cochran

Katie Black

Margaret May

12th ST. BUS ROUTEContributed by Angela Esteban Dominguez

The Metro-Kansas City TransportationAuthority propose to eliminate the 12thSt. bus that travels west and east on24th St.This will affect those eastsiders that

are dependent on public transportation.This information has not been widelypresented to the KC citizens. Ms. JackyRoss, BVNA president recognized themajor changes planned for KCATAaffectthe community. She offers an open invi-tation for someone from the KCATA to at-tend our monthly meeting.The city transportation may be a life-

line for our neighbors to find work; go towork; attend school; go shopping; visitfriends; seek medical attention. Ourcountry is experience a difficult time.Kansas City needs to support our neigh-bors-not create another burden for themto bear.Ms. Dominguez thank you for bringing

this to our attention. Ms. President Rossthanks for your intervention.

SUN FRESH ON HOLDContribution by Dale Walker

Sun Fresh’s plans for building a largegrocery store on the corner of Hardestyand Truman Road has been put on hold.Dale Walker asked Mayor James aboutthe situation. He was told that KansasCity does not have the money to put upfor this adventure.Eastsiders we need to recognize that

we are a saleable commodity. We hadan impressive store that was interestedin investing a great deal of money intothe Truman Road Corridor area. SunFresh saw our community as a positiveinvestment. One that would be prof-itable.Our counsel representatives should

recognize this and present us in thesame positive light. We need to haveKansas City take the same interestshown to us by Sun Fresh.

THE TRUMAN ROADCORRIDOR

The BVNA welcomes David Brier-smith’s information column submitted onJanuary 7, 2012:“This is my first attempt in writing any

kind of article, so bear with me. TrumanRoad Corridor Association is a 501 c3charity that has worked with BVNA for 20years trying to improve the business andresidential environment of this East side.Here are some things we currently areaddressing or have recently completed:1)We conduct quarterly Crime Com-mission meetings held @ SaintPaul’s School of Theology. We dis-cuss all aspects of crime within ourneighborhood.

2)We have established a reward forany information leading to the arrestof the murder of the gentleman whooperated Jim’s Tamales cart @ Tru-man & Cleaveland.

3)We have processed 53 homes inthe intercity, where we put, some-times almost indigent folks, into theirfirst home, and finance their mort-gage. I’ll be talking to you next timeDavid Biersmith”

Thanks David!

STEP ON A CRACKContributor: Dale Walker

I have been one of those people call-ing City Hall with complaints about hugecracks, potholes, missing manhole cov-ers, tree roots up-heaving large sectionsof the sidewalks. However now, I’ve dis-covered there is a discrepancy in side-walk ownership.An eastside resident had a tree root

problem that pushed up the sidewalk.Kansas City dutifully came out andsolved the problem. Happy ending? Notquite. The homeowner received a billfrom the city for $4,000.00 for the repairs.If the homeowner balks about payingthen a lien can be put against their home.KCMO believes that the homeowner isresponsible for the care of and cost of up-keeping the sidewalk. If anyone falls andhurts themselves on the damaged side-walk the homeowner covers the damagewith his homeowner Insurance. Does thissound appropriate to you?I have always heard the sidewalk re-

ferred to as the city sidewalk. Never Mr.Smith’s sidewalk. The huge trees plantedby the CITY years ago are the same an-cient trees damaging the sidewalks andsewer systems. Mr. Smith did not plantthe tree. He couldn’t it was CITY prop-erty. Now he must pay for it’s removaland the sidewalk.East siders text us about this. Howdo you

see the problem. How can it be solved?

The City of Kansas City, Mo., invitesresidents ages 16 and older interested inpaid internship positions to apply to at-tend the Eighth Annual Bright FutureEmployment Fair.The fair will take place Saturday, April

14 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the KansasCity Convention Center, 301 W. 13th St.Those interested in attending must

apply and submit a resume online atwww.kcmo.org/brightfuture by Monday,March 5."The Bright Future Employment Pro-

gram is a great way for our community’syoung people to hone important job skillsand build their professional resumes. Ihope our residents take advantage ofthis unique opportunity and I look for-ward to meeting a new group of BrightFuture Interns," said Mayor Sly James.The Bright Future program has pro-

vided more than 3,500 area residentswith paid part-time, full-time and intern-ship opportunities since its inception in2005.“I started working in First District Coun-

cilman Scott Wagner’s office last sum-mer as a Bright Future intern and thatexperience led me to my current intern-ship in the Office of the Mayor,” said ErinMullally, Bright Future intern and EngageKC Board co-chair. “The Bright FutureProgram allowed me the opportunity togain valuable practical experience inlocal government. It was a great way tonetwork and connect with people whowere key contacts in helping me start mycareer in law and public policy.”The City’s Office of Civic and Commu-

nity Engagement will also provide a Re-sume Preparation Seminar on Saturday,Mar. 31 to assist residents with resumetechniques and interviewing tools.In addition, the Engage KC Leadership

Board is sponsoring an ongoing profes-sional attire clothing drive for applicants.To set up a time to donate professionalattire, contact Engage KC Co-Chair ErinMullally at Erin.Mullally@kcmo.org or at816-513-6570.For media inquiries or more informa-

tion, please contact Roosevelt Lyons,Office of Mayor Sly James, at 816-513-6576 or Roosevelt.Lyons@kcmo.org.

UFO or Police Car?Frequently I receive questions from our

community about an “odd” or “UFO”looking police car they have seen in KCand several other cities in the metropol-itan area.And some inquiries have been truly

unique, as one thought they were top se-cret devices to combat the upcoming“zombie” envision( he was serious).These are actually police vehicle

equipped with ALPR-Automatic LicensePlate ReadersIn about 45 seconds, the “MPH 900®”

can do what it would take an officer anddispatcher more than an hour to accom-plish: run a parking lot full of licenseplates.Kansas City Police have seven cars

outfitted with the Mobile Plate Hunter li-cense plate reader system, and they hitthe road near the end of June. The sys-tem takes infrared pictures of licenseplates and compares them to a hot listdatabase stocked with information aboutwarrants and stolen vehicles. It alsoarchives each vehicle’s plate and mapsit, so over time, investigators can followa car’s movements.

The cameras are mounted to the backof regularly marked patrol cars. One isdeployed in each of the six patrol divi-sions and one in the Special OperationsDivision. They can take pictures at a dis-tance of about 25 to 30 feet and at high-way speeds. One system can run 7,000license plates a day before the dataneeds to be moved wirelessly to one ofKCPD’s servers.Work is underway to link the data that

will be collected by KCPD’s plate read-ers with other agencies across the stateand around the nation.In the Kansas City area, the Lenexa

and North Kansas City police depart-ments already have the plate readers inplace, as does the Jackson CountySheriff’s Department.

The EighthAnnual Bright

FutureEmployment

Fair

President’sPodium

Happy New Year Blue Valley! This isthe start of a new beginning for all of us.I recently retired from the workforce

after working more than 45 years! 37 ofthose years were with the Federal Gov-ernment. Now I am starting a newchapter in my life.I plan to devote more time to Blue

Valley. I would love to see our neigh-borhood become the livable neighbor-hood it once was. I plan to contact ourschools, churches and businesses tosee if they will join us in bringing newlife to Blue Valley. We need help fromevery source including you.Last year we had a neighborhood

wide clean up with nine (9) dumpstersplaced throughout the neighborhood.We have already started our plans fortwo (2) cleanups this year. We will beraising funds to finance our cleanups.Maybe you would be willing to help ei-ther with a donation or to monitor adumpster during a cleanup.The only way we can make Blue Val-

ley into a place we can be proud of is ifwe all work together. Come on and joinus, our dues are only $5 a year for indi-viduals, $7.50 for a couple or $10 forbusinesses. That’s pretty cheap.

Jacky Ross, President

New Business Center /Contractor Incubator to

Integrate Green Strategies andJumpstart Prospect CorridorKansas City, MO – Blue Hills Commu-

nity Services has announced the invest-ment of $3.1 million at 5008 Prospect, inKansas City’s Third Council District, torepurpose an existing 14,168 square-foot building and integrate comprehen-sive green strategies. The renovatedbuilding will provide a center for greencareer development, training and busi-ness development for small businesscontractors, and serve as a focal pointfor community programs and services forsurrounding neighborhood groups.“This development will provide a cata-

lyst for ongoing transformation of theProspect Corridor and bridge existingresidential development and communityservices in the neighborhoods,” saidJoanne Bussinger, executive director ofBlue Hills Community Services. “Thegreen amenities and advantages ofbuilding with LEED Silver standards,which includes a ground-source heatpump, daylight harvesting, solar panels,native landscaping, and water conserva-tion and retention, will be monitored andbenchmarked against standard code-compliant facilities to demonstrate thesavings achieved. The improvementswill ensure the facility’s overall afford-

ability and reduction of local energy con-sumption.”Funding for the project was secured

with $2.2 million from the city of KansasCity, Missouri’s EnergyWorks KC grantfrom the U.S. Department of Energy and$430,000 from the U.S. Department ofHousing and Urban Development.Greater Kansas City LISC has financedmore than $900,000 for initial propertyacquisition and predevelopment costs.“The city is pleased to be able to sup-

port this important initiative to promotesmall business development, job cre-ation and energy efficiency in the urbancore,” said Mayor Pro Tem Cindy Circo.“This development will be a model of

green building practices,” said Council-woman Melba Curls. “It will be a greatasset for the residents of the Third Coun-cil District and the entire city.”“As a component of the Blue Hills

Quality of Life Plan, the facility will cre-ate an important place-based businessincubator, enhance the Prospect com-mercial corridor and improve the area’seconomic viability,” said Julie Porter, ex-ecutive director for Greater Kansas CityLISC. “These are all objectives ofGreater Kansas City LISC and ourNeighborhoodsNOW initiative.”Blue Hills Community Services is work-

ing with additional partners on the de-

velopment, including the Green ImpactZone of Kansas City, Kansas City Power& Light, JUNKArchitects, Missouri SmallBusiness Development Division, the FullEmployment Council, and the Blue Hillsand Town Fork Creek neighborhoods.“The 5008 Prospect renovation will not

only bring new life to a vacant buildingon Prospect, but also bring new energyto efforts to support small business andcreate jobs in the Green Impact Zone,”said Anita Maltbia, Green Impact Zonedirector. “We are excited to see thisserve as a catalyst for other improve-ments in the area.”ABOUT Blue Hills Community Serv-

ices Blue Hills Community Services(BHCS), a not-for-profit community de-velopment corporation, has been a cata-lyst for neighborhood development fornearly 38 years. Founded in 1974,BHCS set out to battle social and eco-nomic challenges faced by residents ofthe Blue Hills and surrounding neighbor-hoods in Kansas City, Missouri. Using ablock by block strategy to focus neigh-borhood revitalization with new and ren-ovated single family homes, multi-familydevelopment and home repair servicesto owner occupants, BHCS ensuresneighborhood development is compre-hensive and sustainable in creatinghealthy urban communities. For more in-formation, visit www.bhcsmo.org.

DONATED TREESThe Truman Road Corridor Association

donated eight foot tall flwering peartrees. The Park Association planted thetrees along Elmwoods Cemetery’s walland bordering St. Paul’s Campus. Thisdonation will be beautiful come spring.Kudos to TRCA.

Kansas CityDream Home Program

Pursue the American dream of home-ownership!The City of Kansas City, Mo. is cur-

rently accepting applications from firsttime homebuyers for the KC DreamHome Program.The Kansas City Dream Home Pro-

gram:• Provides a forgivable loan of up to 20percent of the sales price of a home;maximum loan of $20,000• No payments required on forgivableloan - 10 percent forgiven each yearfor 10 years• Be a first time buyer or equivalent• Homes must sell for less than$150,000• Homes must be within the city limitsof Kansas City, Mo.• Household must meet income guide-linesInterested persons should contact a

participating lender to apply. For addi-tional information, contact Coleman Mc-Clain at 816-513-3008.

THE VOICEDear BVNAer’s,Our newsletter is being restarted to

share local information that might affectyou and your neighborhood. This is yournewsletter. We welcome you to offer in-formation of interest to your neighbors.Complaints are welcomed—acompaniedby a proposed solution.Please alert us to Good Samaritans,

people working at improving the neigh-borhood by improving their home oryard.Our BV district has been forgotten by

the City. It is time to find your voice andremind them. Start Now!!! We are con-structing a website complete with a cal-endar of events and activities.My email: newsletter@bluevalleyna.org

Upcoming Meeting Dates

Blue ValleyNeighborhood Association

When:Every third Thursday @ 6:00 pm

Where:East Patrol Police Station,5301 E 27th, (27th & Van Brunt Blvd.)

Upcoming Dates of MeetingsFeb. 16th, 2012March 15th, 2012April 19th, 2012

Truman RoadCorridor Association

When:Every fourth Wednesday @ 2:00 pm

Where:Saint Paul School of Theology5123 Truman Road

SAFE COMMUNITIESAbandoned & Vacant Houses 513-9000Animal Control 513-9800Community Centers 513-7600Crime Prevention 784-4515DART 881-3883Fire Prevention 784-9114Geographical Based Listings 784-4515Housing Authority 968-4100Police, Non-Emergency 234-5111Move UP 842-8515Pet Licensing,

Spaying & Neutering 513-9800Noise Control 513-6208Parking Control 482-8180Illegal Dumping 513-3485

Police Officers Patrolling Blue ValleySgts. Doll, Hall, Hicks 719-8075P.O. Briscke, Reed, Harrison 719-8060

BVNA Contact InfoPresident: Jacky Ross 483-3987Secretary: Verniece Ross 483-3987VP: Arnold Shelby 678-6595VP: Dale Walker 241-7437Newsletter Coordinator

newsletter@bluevalleyna.orgHUMAN RELATIONSCommunity Relations and

Dispute Resolutions 513-1836Housing Discrimination

Complaints 513-1836

HOUSE AND CARAbandoned Cars on the Street 513-1313Building Permits 513-1500Code Violations 513-9000Dangerous Buildings 784-4020Minor Home Repair 513-3000Ordinance Information 513-3360ReStore 231-6889Tow Services 784-4080Water Bill Questions 513-1400

HELPFUL PHONE NUMBERS

ATTORNEY'S ADVICE- NO CHARGE -

Not A Joke!!! Even If you dislike attor-neys... You will love them for these tips...Read this and make a copy for your

files in case you need to refer to it some-day. Maybe we should all take some ofhis advice! A corporate attorney sent thefollowing out to the employees in hiscompany:1. Do not sign the back of your credit

cards. Instead, put 'PHOTO ID RE-QUIRED.'2.When you are writing checks to pay

on your credit card accounts, DO NOTput the complete account number on the'For' line. Instead, just put the last fournumbers. The credit card companyknows the rest of the number, and no-body who might be handling your checkas it passes through all the check-pro-cessing channels will have access to it.3. Put your work phone # on your

checks instead of your home phone. Ifyou have a PO Box, use that instead ofyour home address. If you do not have aPO Box, use your work address. Neverhave your SS # printed on your checks.(DUH!) You can add it if it is necessary.However, if you have It printed, anyonecan get it.4. Place the contents of your wallet on

a photocopy machine. Do both sides ofeach license, credit card, etc. You willknow what you had in your wallet and all

of the account numbers and phone num-bers to call and cancel... Keep the pho-tocopy in a safe place.I also carry a photocopy of my pass-

port when I travel either here or abroad.We've all heard horror stories aboutfraud that's committed on us in stealing aName, address, Social Security number,credit cards...Unfortunately, I, an attorney, have first

hand knowledge because my wallet wasstolen last month. Within a week, thethieves ordered an expensive monthlycell phone package, applied for a VISAcredit card, had a credit line approved tobuy a Gateway computer, received aPIN number from DMV to change mydriving record information online, andmore.But here's some critical information to

limit the damage in case this happens toyou or someone you know:5.We have been told we should cancel

our credit cards immediately. However,the key is having the toll free numbersand your card numbers handy so youknow whom to call... Keep those whereyou can find them.6. File a police report immediately in the

jurisdiction where your credit cards, etc.,were stolen... This proves to creditproviders you were diligent, and this is afirst step toward an investigation (if thereever is one).But here's what is perhaps most impor-

tant of all: (I never even thought to do this.)

7. Call the 3 national credit-reportingorganizations immediately to place afraud alert on your name and call the So-cial Security fraud line number... I hadnever heard of doing that until advisedby a bank that called to tell me an appli-cation for credit was made over the In-ternet in my name...The alert means any company that

checks your credit knows your informa-tion was stolen, and they have to contactyou by phone to authorize new credit...By the time I was advised to do this, al-

most two weeks after the theft, all thedamage had been done. There arerecords of all the credit checks initiatedby the thieves' purchases, none of whichI knew about before placing the alert.Since then, no additional damage hasbeen done, and the thieves threw mywallet away this weekend (someoneturned it in). It seems to have stoppedthem dead in their tracks...Now, here are the numbers you always

need to contact about your wallet, if ithas been stolen:1.) Equifax: 1-800-525-62852.) Experian (formerly TRW):

1-888-397-37423.) Trans Union : 1-800-680 72894.) Social Security Administration

(fraud line): 1-800-269-0271

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