Funk's Front Porch

Mayor Funkhouser to Participate in Mayor’s Night Kicks kick-off

Mayor Funkhouser will participate in a kick-off this today, July 8, for the Mayor’s Night Kicks. The Mayor’s Night Kicks will use a 6 week 16 team soccer tournament to reach urban youth similar to the Mayor’s Night Hoops.

“I have a lot faith in the power of soccer to bring people together.” Mayor Funkhouser said. “Although the participants will speak many languages and practice many faiths, they can come together around the love for a wonderful game.”

Mayor Funkhouser added, “The Parks Department and Wizards have come together to create something that I think is going to be huge.”

Partners in the program include the Mayor’s Office, the Parks and Recreation Department and the Kansas City Wizards. Words will also be given by Enrique and Maria Chaurand, grandson and daughter of Agustin “Chino” Medina, who originally led an effort to lobby the city for soccer fields at Swope Park. The kick-off will take place at the Wizards Training Facility in Swope Park, 63rd and Lewis Road. at 7 p.m.

For more information contact Crispin Rea in the Mayor's Office at 513-3503.

Mayor to Hold Youth Town Hall Meeting

Mayor Mark Funkhouser will hold a youth-focused town hall meeting at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, July 9, at Penn Valley Community College Science and Technology Building, 3201 Southwest Trafficway, suite 101. The event will be hosted by the Youth Commission of Kansas City and the City Manager’s Youth Advocacy Office. The meeting will begin with a 15-minute introductory address followed by 45 minutes of questions and comments from the audience.

“My overall goal is to repopulate the urban core. To succeed we have to listen to kids and ensure that they want to stay in Kansas City when they grow older,” Mayor Funkhouser said.

The Youth Commission was established in 2005 as the official voice of young people in the City’s decision-making process. Commissioners from across the city represent their peers during one-year terms.

If you are interested in hosting a Town Hall Meeting, please contact Crispin Rea in the Mayor's office: 816-513-3503, or crispin_rea@kcmo.org.

Mayor Funkhouser to Participate in Spring Valley Playground Dedication

On Tuesday, June 10th, Mayor Funkhouser will participate in a ribbon cutting playground dedication for Spring Valley Park in the City’s East Side. Spring Valley Park is located at 2700 Spring Valley Dr.

The ceremony will begin at 4:30 p.m. and will include remarks from Parks Department Director Mark McHenry, Reverend Modest Miles, Parks Board President John Fierro, Mayor Funkhouser and members of the Key Coalition.

For more information contact Crispin Rea at 513-3503.

Funkhouser to Launch Mayor’s Night Hoops Program for 2008

Funkhouser to Launch Mayor’s Night Hoops Program for 2008

Mayor Mark Funkhouser will participate in a "tip off" event on Saturday, June 7, for the Mayor’s Night Hoops program. The Mayor’s Night Hoops is a youth based program initiated by former Kansas City Mayor Emanuel Cleaver to engage at-risk youth through basketball. This year Mayor Funkhouser has led an initiative to reenergize the program.

"Congressman Cleaver created a great program when he was mayor,” Mayor Funkhouser said. "I'm proud be a part of it now as mayor."

The tip-off event will take begin at 4:30 p.m., at Central High School, 3221 Indiana. The program will include words form Mayor Mark Funkhouser, Congressman Emanuel Cleaver, Councilmember Sharon Sanders-Brooks and Parks Board President John Fierro. At 5:15, an official passing of the ball will take place between Mayor Funkhouser and Congressman Cleaver to symbolize the passage of leadership from one mayor to another. The Marching Wildcats Drill Team will also perform.

Graffiti Data

Below is a link to the latest Action Center data regarding reported graffiti. The information, compiled by city staff, reveals several troubling trends.

The monthly breakdown shows the traditional trend of increased graffiti in the "back to school months" of August and September. Most cities experience similar trends. Graffiti tapers off through out the fall and winter months and bottoms out in the month of January. However, as the bar graph indicates, January of ‘08 in Kansas City was an exception as reported graffiti sky rocketed surpassing that of the any other month in 2007.

Also, the District breakdown reveals that 49 percent of the city’s reported graffiti occurred in the 1st District. Based on the locations of the 357 reports, this is occurring south of the river. The 3rd and 4th Districts have also been heavy hit.

Please keep in mind that this only includes reported graffiti. Also, according to KCPD, city staff and neighborhood leaders, the vast majority of this graffiti is gang related and not the work of "graffiti artists."

Download 311_graffiti_data_2.22.08.xls

-CR

Youth Olympics

Yesterday I met with Thalia Chery, of the city's Youth Advocacy Office, and Natalie Moultrie, of Metro Sports, to discuss an idea to host a youth Olympics/Sports Festival. The idea is still in the very early stages. However, 3-on-3 Basketball and 3 on 3 soccer are being considered as potential activities. The overall theme would be to promote health and wellness in an exciting and competitive environment. We’ll keep you posted.

-CR

Youth Development Taskforce

On Tuesday, November 27, a group met in the Mayor’s Office to discuss the development of a Youth Development Taskforce. The group consisted of representatives of the City Manager’s Office, Mayor’s Office and Parks and Recreation Department. By increasing internal collaboration among those who serve Kansas City's youth, the City will present a unified front in developing youth based policies and initiatives. We'll keep you posted.

-CR

Guadalupe Boxing

Guadalupe Boxing Club was founded by Jerry Morales, former Golden Gloves champ, referee and trainer, in 1992 on the City’s Westside. In 2003 Guadalupe’s doors closed and Mr. Morales has not been able to find a location to house his boxing club since. He has consulted with several private businesses and the City but nothing has been offered to fit the clubs needs. He has his trainers, boxers and equipment but needs a building with 3,000 to 5,000 sq feet and a stable floor that will allow a boxing ring to be anchored. A basement or boiler room would be sufficient as long as the height is 12 to 14 feet. Mr. Morales would also prefer for this building to be located in the Westside or the Northeast. If you know of any buildings that meet these requirements and are for sale or rent please contact me at crispin_rea@kcmo.org or 513-3503.

Mr. Morales has dedicated his adult life to reaching out to inner-city youth through boxing. Boxing is a character-building sport that teaches athletes basic life skills such as self discipline, respect and work ethic. Guadalupe Boxing Club is a nonprofit organization. I hope you will join me in finding a location for Mr. Morales to serve our youth, any and all ideas are welcome.

Graffiti Abatement

I was asked to serve on a graffiti abatement task force along with Assistant City Manager John Franklin, and four city interns. Research has been conducted by the interns concerning how Kansas City and how other cities abate graffiti. Last Thursday I took the interns: Eugene, Sarah, Kate and Robb on a tour through the Eastside and Northeast so they could see what we were actually dealing with. We started off going east on 17th St. and made our way over to Truman Rd. By the end of our drive we cruised 9th St., Van Brunt, Independence Avenue and St. John. We even went through the alley behind my house where the garages and houses have been tagged by a number of gangs claiming the neighborhood. Luckily, my property hasn’t been hit because I have worked with a lot of these kids since before they were sucked into this lifestyle. Nevertheless, it helped the group to see the extent of the problem in person.

The task force is trying to develop a comprehensive graffiti abatement program. One idea is too consolidate the responsibilities for abating graffiti. Currently, graffiti abatement is handled by three different departments: Parks and Recreation abates graffiti in the City’s parks; Neighborhood and Community Services Department handles graffiti on private property; and Public Works handles graffiti on street signs and other public areas. And I have proposed to the task force a Philadelphia-style mural program that recruited youth in blighted neighborhoods to work with professional muralists and reclaim their communities by painting ethnic, historical and cultural murals. The program is extremely successful and has paved the way for similar programs across the nation. In Kansas City we have groups and organizations that have painted beautiful murals in the past, however they haven’t consistently engaged youth on a year to year basis. I feel we have the tremendous opportunity to use a mural program as a tool for city beautification, graffiti abatement and youth development. Obviously this type of program would not solve the graffiti problem. We must be realistic, however this type of program would be one tool that we could use to combat blight, empower communities and present youth with positive outlets.

There are several questions we have found ourselves asking: Should the City abate graffiti for free? Should the City abate graffiti on public property, private property or both? I look forward to hearing your input-tell me how you feel about graffiti.

- CR

Parks Department Programs for Youth

SPLASH BASH AT THE SPRINGS!
Presented by 95.7 The Vibe and KCWE29
When the sun goes down, the fun heats up! Cool off with your friends on a
hot summer night at the Springs Aquatic Center's SPLASH BASH 2007. We'll
be splashing to sizzlin' tunes spun by DJ Michael "Romeo" Montague,
playing games and having a hot time at Kansas City's newest outdoor water
park!

Friday, August 10
8:30 p.m.-1:00 a.m.
Springs Aquatics Center
9400 North Congress

$5.00 per person
Must be 18 years of age or older
Register online today: ww.kcmo.org/parks

In case of inclement weather, pre-paid attendees will receive a
certificate for free admission to the Springs Aquatics Center valid Summer
2007 and 2008.