Funk's Front Porch

Dispatch from Tara

Friday, June 29^th:

Eggs and Enlightenment – A presentation from Mr. Farah Abdi from the Somali Foundation, Inc., was fairly well received. Abdi presented the group with documents about his organization and about the Somali community in general, and asked the group how the Somali community and the Black community in Kansas City could work together. Members of the group expressed their concern that the Somali community had not tried to integrate in the past, but were pleased with the idea of working together in the future.

            Some were dissatisfied that the MAX buses were running up and down Main St., as opposed to Troost or Prospect Ave., where they stated there was a greater number of bus riders.

            Ms. Anita Dixon stopped by and made an impromptu presentation about “selling” the Black culture in Kansas City to tourists. The group was very excited about the proposal Dixon presented, and they passed a motion to partner with her on the issue on the spot.

Meeting with Brian Noland of the KC Youth Coalition – Mr. Noland requested locations for hosting the organization’s car-checking events in addition to the Mayor’s presence at one of these events. We exchanged ideas about youth, and discussed partnering in the future to aid one another with youth issues.

Dispatch from Tara

Tuesday, June 26^th:

Tour of Scuola Vita Nuova – This Italian Renaissance-themed public charter school has almost 190 students, grades K-8, 70% of whom are Hispanic. There were multiple buildings in the fenced-off complex, all of which were stunningly beautiful inside and out, a gorgeous garden area complete with a pond, and a nice play set.

The kids were served the nicest school lunches I’ve ever seen: grilled cheese, a caesar salad with all the fixings and an apple. Nicole King, the principal, told me the kids were also served a healthy breakfast, a whole-fruit snack at around ten o’clock and another healthy snack at around three.

The kids themselves seemed well behaved and at ease around King and other authorities.

The school gets most of its funding from money left for the school by the Basiglia family, who has historically owned the properties, which explains the lavish exterior and interior decoration. Additional funding and donations come from friends of the Judge, who is the head of the school’s board and married to one of the descendants of the Basiglia family.

Dispatch from Tara

Friday, June 22^nd:

Tour of the Municipal Courthouse – I met several prosecutors who worked on domestic violence and child abuse cases before the docket for the morning began. I learned a few things, for example that the courthouse works with women’s shelters in the area and has three grants given by the City.

            I was very impressed with prosecutor Beth Murano. She seemed very knowledgeable about the court system and about the clients she represented, was incredibly personable and welcoming, mentioned that she keeps in regular contact with neighborhood activists, and stated that the court system needed to be “more community-oriented”. I don’t know much about the court system, but it seems logical that one should be familiar with the communities one is representing in court.

            At 9 o’clock I was escorted to the courtroom, where I was struck by the judge’s raw language and the lectures he gave the people who were brought before him.

            It was also brought to my attention that the technological communication between the courthouse and MCI is inadequate, which is a problem because it causes delays during court. I was told that this was due in part to the bonding process.

Dispatch from Tara

Wednesday, June 20^th:

Tour of potential locations for youth summer clubs, with Bill Nigro and Ossco Bolton – We looked at the West Bottoms, Swope Park and the Benjamin Plaza area. Here are the highlights of each:

• West Bottoms:
  • Large parking lots, such as at 18^th and Genesee, could be blocked off for events.
  • The area is flat and relatively unobstructed, and could be easily surveyed by security.
  • The area is unoccupied at night, with the exception of the nights when Kemper or Hale arenas have events – residents and businesses would be undisturbed.
  • Nighttime events at Kemper or Hale arenas might conflict with youth club events.
  • Kemper Arena is a well-known landmark; having events in the same area could be useful for marketing.
  • There are concerns that any problems Kansas is having with regard to youth might flow over into these events, as the Bottoms are very close to the Kansas border.
• Swope Park:
  • Trees and other natural obstructions could pose problems for security.
  • There have been complaints in the past from residents near the area about nighttime events held in the park.
  • There may be conflicts with events at the Kansas City Zoo and at Starlight Theater.
  • The general consensus was that Swope Park might be better used for daytime or community events rather than a youth club.
• Benjamin Plaza area:
  • Large parking lots could be blocked off for events, and the blockages could potentially be left up for the duration of the summer due to the absence of businesses in the area.
  • The many building vacancies in the area could provide an easy segway from a temporary youth club for the summer to a more permanent one year-round.
  • The area was relatively free of obstructions, and the parking lot outside of the former Hyper-Mart sloped downward, providing not only a clear line of sight but also a good location for a stage (at the bottom of the slope).
  • Lack of businesses and residents in the area will prevent conflict.
  • During the 1990’s many of the former businesses in the area shut down because of violence and robberies; however, by providing ample security the recurrence of such problems can be avoided.

The entrance fee for the youth clubs was discussed – both Bolton and Nigro thought $5 to start and $10 later on was a good amount.

Opening and closing times were also discussed – 9 p.m. to 3 a.m. was the consensus, as these hours would provide youth with a secure place to congregate throughout the evening.

The age range of the youth allowed inside was also discussed – some thought 16-and-over was a good idea, and others thought an age cap, such as ages 16-22 or 16-25, was better. I am in favor of the 16-and-over option, for a few reasons. First, if the club is marketed to youth, then mostly youth will come, and if extensive security is provided any potential problems caused by the older set should be eliminated. Also, putting an age cap on these events reinforces the barrier between ages 20 and 21, which needs to be eliminated in order to provide groups of friends, say ages 17-23, college-aged, a place to relax together.

Dispatch from Tara

Tuesday, June 19^th:

Meeting with Beth Gottstein, Sean O’Byrne, Crispin Rea -  Sean O’Byrne, vice president of business development for the Downtown Council, showed us, on a map, available properties downtown for a potential youth club. He discussed rental prices and square footage, and suggested we present any realtor with a pro forma to be treated as a serious client (ironically, Crispin and I, wannabe serious clients, had never heard the term “pro forma” before, and both thought O’Byrne had said “performer” until Mike Eglinski corrected us – my father was most amused).

            Other than being slightly pricey, the downtown properties sounded good. I think having a place downtown where youth are welcome, including them in the area’s revitalization, would be a great way to make the future city employees, private business owners and residents of downtown invested in the area’s continued growth from an early age.

Dispatch from Tara

Memos Monday, June 11^th:

Meeting with Chancellor Cochran – Mr. Cochran is a private events promoter who has successfully orchestrated several youth events in Kansas City in the past; Councilman Terry Riley recommended I speak with him.

Cochran had some good ideas and insights about how the City could go about aiding promoters such as him in putting on youth events, mostly by providing security from the KCPD instead of “rent-a-cops.” I am excited that Cochran is willing to open a full-time youth club, and I plan on including him in future discussions about the topic.

Meeting with Youth Advocate Thalia Cherry, Ossco Bolton, Crispin Rea, representatives for KPRS, LT from the City Manager’s office, Don Procter and representatives from the Parks and Recreation department – Mark Bowland from Parks and Recreation began the meeting by stating that those gathered should keep in mind that the planning process for events for youth should include youth, which this meeting did not. I was so pleased to hear that said, as I whole-heartedly agree.

            This meeting was a follow-up to the business session on Thursday, June 7^th, to discuss how to better serve the youth of Kansas City. Logistics were discussed, for which LT was very helpful: the City’s curfew ordinance, the requirement of a neighborhood’s approval to host a 3 a.m. bar, the time frame (six weeks to three months) for getting a license, and dance hall permits were all mentioned.

            In addition, possible locations were discussed. The West Bottoms was mentioned, as it was the former location for the City’s rave scene until violence forced it to be shutdown. Lack of police presence, inadequate lighting and buildings codes were mentioned as problems with the location. Assets to the area included the industrial location, which would avoid the problem of concerned residents in the area, the proximity of the area to both north and south KC, and the current success of Club Candy, a dance club in the area.

            Other suggested locations included Hail Arena (a favorite), Bartle Hall and the Municipal Auditorium.

            Representatives from KPRS stated they were committed to partnering with the City for advertising of the project, which is wonderful.

            It was suggested that UMKC be contacted to seek help from their student organizations in promoting and orchestrating events.

Dispatch from Tara

Wednesday, June 6, 2007

Tour of McCoy School – I met with principal Jo-Lynn Nemeth, who showed me around the school. McCoy has students from pre-K through 5^th grade, 80% of whom are Hispanic, and many of whom do not speak English upon arrival. Highlights included:

• A free dental clinic run by the C.H.O.M.P.E.R.S program for students and other children in the community, including foster care children.
• A comfortable and peaceful atmosphere between faculty and students.
• A large ESL (English as a Second Language) program
• The loss of the LINC after-school programs, which Ms. Nemeth said will be “devastating” in the fall especially – she will have to take on the burden of organizing and finding willing teachers and faculty to run the after-school programs.
• Ms. Nemeth also said that a means of finding ways to provide financial assistance to the Hispanic community in the area is necessary – many of her former students quit high school before graduation because their families needed them to provide additional income.

Dispatch from Tara

Tuesday, June 5, 2007

Meeting with Ossco Bolton at Central High School (with Crispin) – I was blown away by Mr. Bolton from the start. A former gang member turned community activist, Bolton runs an organization he created called POSSE (Peers Organized to Support Student Excellence), which takes any and all leaders from inner-city schools like Central, from gang members, to nerds, to the girl all the other girls want to be, and turns them into catalysts for academic excellence and non-violence. He was clearly adored by all the kids at Central. He listened to them, told them he cared about them and their futures, gave them hugs and fist pounds and made them laugh… yes, I was impressed.

The ideas Mr. Bolton had about engaging youth in Kansas City were simple yet effective: video game tournament nights for Madden football, free outdoor concerts, outdoor and indoor basketball, football and soccer game viewings, and community barbecues and picnics, all of which would be free or cheap and easy to attend without too much planning.

Bolton has not worked very closely with the City in the past, but I’d like to get him more involved if he’s willing – someone who has this much insight into a group of kids that frequently gets ignored would be a crucial player in developing effective city programming that encompasses the entire spectrum of youth in Kansas City.

Dispatches from Tara

Monday, June 4, 2007:

Follow-Up Meeting with Les Washington, Deletta Dean (manager of NIP, Neighborhood Improvement Program), David Park (assistant director of Neighborhood and Community Services), and the Communications Team: Basically, this meeting served as an introduction of everyone present to everyone else, so that we could start creating a healthy symbiotic relationship between the Mayor’s office and the Neighborhood and Community Services Department. Interesting points included:

·        The three functions of the department are public safety, neighborhood sustainability and preservation, and human services.

·        The amount of work that falls under these categories that the department handles is huge; examples include the city jails, animal control ordinances, the Mayor’s Christmas Tree fund, NIP, the management of the Mohart Center, and services for the homeless and domestic violence, to name just a few.

·        The department’s budget includes $1.2 million for the demolition of dangerous buildings, an increase from the insufficient $300,000 they had in the past. While the $1.2 million is sufficient to handle the City’s current needs, there remains a backlog from when the budget was too low.

·        The department would like to see the Mayor use his bully pulpit to advocate for neighborhoods, such as supporting programs like NIP. In addition, the idea of formalizing the relationship between the Neighborhood Advisory Council with the City Council and the Mayor was suggested. The input of the Advisory Council could then be considered when creating the budgeting priorities, as Les thought it should be.

·        The idea that the Neighborhood and Community Services Department and the Mayor’s office should work together on the Community Calendar the department currently operates was suggested, as well as the thought that this calendar should be marketed on the Mayor’s blog page.

Dispatch from Tara

Friday, June 1, 2007

Career Day at Fairview Alternative Middle School: I spoke to three very small groups (two to three kids each, plus a few teachers) about being an intern in the Mayor’s office and being a student at Pitt. Many of the kids were fascinated by the mayoral image, if you will; they asked if I was famous, if I was rich and why on earth I drove a beat-up ‘94 Ford Ranger, all questions that I giggled at and answered as best I could. They were also very interested in learning about my family and me, asking where we lived, what my parents looked like, if I had any brothers or sisters, if I had a boyfriend, did I like college, where I got my watch, etc. They were less interested in the actual day-to-day work of interning for the Mayor, or even being the Mayor himself, though their teachers prodded them to ask questions on the subject. I loved talking to the kids and their teachers – this part of interning, being able to meet people from all walks of life and from all corners of the City, is the part I enjoy the most. That’s what I would have told them, if they had asked.

MARC luncheon: The Mid-America Regional Council hosted its annual luncheon at the Hyatt Regency. Five people and companies were given Regional Leadership Awards for outstanding service. Many of the people my dad refers to as the “movers and shakers” were in attendance, including Annabeth Surbaugh, Chairwoman of Johnson County, Kansas; banker Jonathan Kemper; and David Warm, executive director of MARC.

            The keynote speaker was Ed McMahon from the Urban Land Institute (ULI), and he was phenomenal. He explained to a crowd of business people and entrepreneurs that it made economic sense to develop in ways that preserve historic monuments and focus on nature. He had all of their heads nodding in agreement by the end of his 45-minute speech.