More than just a picture . . .
Bits and Pieces . . .
Bits and Pieces . . .
- The Raytown Police Department collected over 100lb of unwanted prescription drugs at a public "drop off" location this past weekend. The event was sponsored by the Raytown Police in conjunction with the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA). The unused and unwanted prescription drugs were collected to prevent theft and to keep them from disposed in the public water system.
- Ron Paul's supporters carried the day at the 5th District Republican Convention by capturing all of the delegate and alternate seats to the National Convention in Tampa. Paul completed the sweep when they also captured 52 delegate seats for the Missouri State Convention to be held in Springfield. Delegates are awarded on Congressional District level and the State level. Raytown is in the 5th Congressional District.
- While walking our dog, Wickett, last week, I noticed that the number of participants in the FREE Tai Chi classes at Coleman Park has doubled from the week before. Kind of interesting watching the participants slowly work through their moves. For more information see the article at the end of this week's Raytown Report.
- The Raytown Ambulance Service is participating in an area blood drive. (see the article at the end of this week's Raytown Report). To encourage participation, those show give blood will receive a "buy one, get one free" coupon to Schlitterbahn Water Park. Caused me to wonder, why not offer a similar coupon to the local Raytown water park, Super Splash? Schlitterbahn Water Park is located way over in Kansas. Super Splash in is in our back yard.
Should Raytown Follow Kansas City’s Lead? BY GREG WALTERS
There has been a
change in the way Kansas City is handling its problems.
They are being
proactive.
You see this change in three significant pieces of legislation to
come from the Kansas City Council in the last year.
- A late night curfew on minors.
- A city wide ordinance (with teeth!) banning illegal signage
- A new ordinance addressing truancy in the Kansas City School District.
- A late night curfew on minors.
- A city wide ordinance (with teeth!) banning illegal signage
- A new ordinance addressing truancy in the Kansas City School District.
Raytown’s Board
of Aldermen would be wise to follow Kansas City’s lead in these areas.
And, in fact,
they already have. When Kansas City enacted a curfew ordinance last year the
City of Raytown followed suit.
By doing so they
accepted a reality of any large metropolitan area. The social ills of one
community do not stop at a border. In fact, when one community cracks down on
anti-social behavior, that behavior will, like water, take the path of least
resistance, and move to where laws are not as tough or enforced efficiently.
This most recent
change could have an impact on the City of Raytown. The Kansas City School
District is a failed school district. At East, Northeast and Central High
Schools the attendance rate is as low as 75%.
Those problems
could impact the Raytown School District. In the Missouri Senate there has been
discussion of dissolving the Kansas City School District and have it absorbed
by surrounding Districts. The Raytown School District borders the Kansas City
School District.
The Kansas City
ordinance is a model of how legislation should be crafted. The original plan
was to simply increase enforcement. Some members of the City Council objected
on behalf of home school parents who feared their children would be unfairly
targeted by police. A compromise was reached by which the Kansas City School
District and the Kansas City Police Department would use attendance records to
find truant students.
This compromise
would fit well in Raytown, which has a large home school contingent within its
borders. In fact, Our Lady of Lourdes Grade School, which was closed last year
by the Diocese of Kansas City/St. Joseph, is now being used by home schoolers
for educational purposes
The City of
Raytown has a reputation for focusing on economic issues while turning a blind
eye to social issues. Quality of life is more than a new retail store. How we
solve our social issues goes to the root of what makes a city a desirable place
to live.
Fit Bottomed Girls
Not
to brag, but I can make a mean salad. Like a salad the size of your face. Or
your small pet. A gloriously enormous salad that can be described no other way
but as a “Big-Ass Salad.” And not in the sense that it makes your butt big—in
fact, it does quite the opposite! But, boy, does it fill you up and, man oh
man, does... Continue reading
OF
COMMUNITY INTEREST
RAYTOWN EMS COMMUNITY BLOOD CENTER DRIVE
Raytown EMS will be hosting the Community Blood Center’s Blood
Drive at the EMS Station on May 23rd from 3:00 to 6:00pm. You may sign up
either online at savealifenow.org and use raytownems as the
password or contact Kim (737-6030) to schedule an appointment or for any
questions. Walk-ins are also welcomed. All persons who attend the blood drive
and attempt to donate blood will receive a voucher for "buy one get one
free" ticket to Schlitterbahn Water Park.
Free Tai Chi
Classes at Coleman Park
Friends of the Raytown Parks in conjunction with Raytown
Parks and Recreation will be offering a free 5 week Tai Chi class on Thursday
evenings at Colman Park, located at 59th and Lane Streets. The classes will
begin this week on Thursday and run for five weeks. Participants are asked to
meet at the flag pole monument located at the northwest corner of the park. READ MORE
What is Tai
Chi?
The health
effects include strengthening the body’s bone structure, toning the muscles,
increasing cardiovascular circulation, and flushing the body’s lymphatic system
of toxins. The movements can enhance the body’s blood circulation and
metabolism. When practiced properly, Tai Chi Chuan can be an effective form of
self-defense.
Raytown Clean
Up Days
Want to get rid
of some of that junk that has been cluttering up your home and property? Then
take advantage of Raytown Clean Up Days, May 5th, at Super Splash USA.
The City has
waived dump fees for cars and pickup trucks. Last year the event was so popular
that the hours had to be extended to accommodate all those waiting in line to
get rid of their junk. So plan ahead, get in early and help make Raytown Clean
Up Day a success.
Use this link to
learn more about Raytown Clean-Up Day READ MORE
To post a comment on this blog click
on the word comments on the line directly below
this sentence.
Comments
I don't think Raytown copied KCMO with a curfew. Raytown acted on its own after the BOA chamber was filled with a whole neighborhood protesting criminal actions of children running at large.
I remember when one was child until the age of 21. Now KCMO has a 19 year old child who is legally an adult involved in violent activities. I still consider Kyle James to be a juvenile.
Andy Whiteman
I agree about department heads living in the city but I wouldn't expect them to do a patrol. I would expect them to report anything out of the ordinary that they see in their travels around town.
Andy Whiteman
What qualifications does Sly James have to run a school district? Even if he was qualified running both a city and school district is too much for one person to handle with quality. Good way to get 2 large pay checks! That is what I call a double dipping Tie Wearing Chair warmer.
Andy Whiteman
We taxes for the police to patrol.
We in Raytown pay a special sales tax for the police to patrol.
The police and animal control both work for the city so why do they not communicate with each other and work for common good of the city.
It is time the city refund our tax dollars to us property owners for the lack of city services we are recieving!
However, it is nice to know that we don't read on this blog or see on any local news channel about his kids being in the spot light for not knowing how to act.
Maybe Mayor Bower needs to give Sly James some tips on being a better parent.
KCMO is not the only city that needs to do bar checks and / or watch those that leave the bar to ensure they are not all over the road.
WAIT! As others have pointed out this is Raytown.
1:39PM, agreed!
1:37 PM, Correct but police and city employees driving in vehicles can't see things they would see on foot patrol. Hank Dogg and I used to do foot patrols and saw code violations that I would never see driving down the street. Alderpeople should walk their Ward more often than once every 4 years and they would see violations. Jim Aziere is one who definitely addresses violations. I know several others do to but I live in Jim's Ward and have more knowledge of this area.
Andy Whiteman
Andy Whiteman
Where in Ward 2 two have Jim and you been as I seen many viloations and like everything else Jim has a hand in nothing ever gets done.
The only members of the Board of Alderman who actively work to cleanup our city are the might four form the South side of the our city: Ertz, Mock, VanBuskirt, and Lightfoot.
If the rest of the Alderman work even 10% as hard as the might four our city would be in great shape.
Some how based on what I have seen with codes and other departments I am sure our city gave Mrs. Haywood many notices about her sewer bill.
Good try Mrs. Haywood, but next time you best check with sources that know that city like the readers of this blog.
I think Mrs. Haywood needs to explain to the rest of us just how far behind she was on her sewer bill that she got a shut off notice.
You know the ones that are in the room with others and text each other.
You know the ones that think they have to text will driving, cooking, or talking to some else.
Give it a break and grow up!
incident...Kansas City! Who cares!
Raytown has problems we should be
concentrating on. Our streets are in
bad shape. Our tax income is low.
Anonymous 1:37, the special tax for
our police was called a "Safety Tax."
None of which was supposed to go in
the general fund. It was sold to us
as a help for the police to hire more
patrolmen and some new equipment.
Sadly a lot of that tax went to the
general fund, we were lied to.
Our street overlay tax was supposed
to be used on our streets. A lot of
that money went toward Wal-Marts parking
lot and the street in front of the big
box. We were lied to...again.
The only way any of this can be dealt
with is a big change every four years
until someone is elected that will
work for the people.
If your city officials aren't working
for you and this city, they need to
be gone.
It is apparent that most of them are working
for big businesses. Tax breaks, tax give always
and even loaning taxpayer money to big companies
to build here.
Issue in KCMO do impact us!
Raytown gets a great amount of its water from KCMO along with sewer services.
Sly James has not done anything to address the aging water and sewer lines of KCMO, and so we too are impacted.
Sly James belives he has the leadership skills to run the KCMO school district, and we are already feeling the impact from that failed district.
How can someone who appears to have failed as a father lead the schools.
How can someone who is dealing with distractions from their kids bad behaviors going to bring the attention and corrections to the failing water and sewer lines.
As the distractions continue and failure to address issues in KCMO by Sly James for things like crime, we will see an increase in crime in our city.
I hope you now understand that we need to worry about what the mayor of KCMO is doing to make sure it doesn't create additional issues for us in Raytown.
After reading your post about the proactive approach Alderman Jim Aziere is making over in your Ward and the post from the individual who doesn't agree with you, I decided to do a quick drive around your neighborhood and find out who was correct.
I want to start out by saying that I by no means am any type of export on city codes other than the ones I have been citied for or my friends, but it does give me enough of a back ground to at least be fair in assessing how well code violations are being enforced in Ward 2, by Alderman Jim Aziere.
As I drove West on your street from Willow it didn’t take me long to identify several homes that are in violation for have grass that is too high. The grass issue is nothing to the several homes at the Cedar end of your street that are under the impression it is acceptable to use their trailers as storage. I am a fair and reasonable man and it could very well be that the items on those trailers are for the city cleanup day this coming Saturday or at least we can hope that is the case. However, this doesn’t explain or excuses the home on the Cedar end of the street behind you. Actually the home faces Cedar and appears to be or was a day care center. It is actually the garage for the home, which faces the street behind you and one of the garage doors is caved in and the other doesn’t appear far behind it.
I don’t know about you, but to me five violations within a block is not actual a proactive effort to clean up Ward 2. As I stated, I am a fair and reasonable man and decided maybe this was just the odd area of Ward 2 that had more violations. I decided to drive from 63rd to 67th and from Cedar to Harvard, which provided a greater sampling. I quickly found that every street had an average of two violations ranging from those I have already mentioned to also include parking on the grass, peeling paint or to using part of ones yard for their personal landfill. Again to be fair to those with the landfill issue, it could be they are doing a deep cleaning and getting ready for the city’s cleanup day.
I think at this point no one can continue to claim, include Alderman Jim Aziere, that Alderman Jim Aziere is proactively enforcing codes.
Clint
I forgot to mention that I do agree with your statement the Alderman like Jim Aziere should be out making sure codes are being enforced.
I hope that whoever disagreed with you is at least correct in the fact that the Alderman from the other end of Raytown are actually out watching for code violations.
Clint
Maybe I should have stated that Jim Aziere actively enforces codes when a neighbor complains. When a neighbor has a complaint, she calls both Jim and me. If I feel it is an issue I follow up with an email to Jim to reinforce the facts and she isn't the only complaint. I am not sure what the trailer is for. It may or may not be in use. One house at the Cedar end was apparently vacant several years. It appeared the trailer was used during remodeling. I don't know what it is for now. I didn't know it was against code to own a trailer. I have reported code issues myself several times to the city namely tall grass and weeds on 63rd from Hardy 2/3 of the way to Cedar along with dilapidated buildings. 63rd is basically like a Main Street so I think the city would be watching it. I am sure you could drive any Ward and count a similar number of violations.
Pat, Raytown is the dumping ground of anything that happens in KCMO including the overflow of criminal activity. I hope Kyle James patronizes KC bars. We don't need his business in Raytown. The State may require Raytown to take part of the KCMO School District. If that happens, watch our tax bills go much higher!
Andy Whiteman
Andy Whiteman
Normally I don't answer Anonymous
writers on this blog but, a thought
occurred to me about something you wrote.
You said, "As the distractions continue
and failure to address issues in KCMO
by Sly James for things like crime,
we will see an increase in crime in
our city."
I think most will agree with me,
That ship has sailed! We do see an increase
in crime in Raytown. I also don't think
we can blame the mayor of Kansas City
for it either. Our rise in crime started
with the old Wal-Mart and has gone higher
with the new one. With it came lower property
values and over thirty police calls a week.
If you want to blame a city for our higher
crime rate, I suggest you start here in Raytown.
As I stated yesterday, the "safety tax" wasn't
used as it was told to us it would be. Don't
blame the police, it was City Hall.
If codes are not enforced and neighborhoods
are trashy, again look no further than City Hall,
Raytown MO. If your teeth are chattering while driving
down Raytown streets......you get my point.
Pat, It seems to me that Walmart is a public nuisance. I don't understand why that business attracts crime on Hillcrest moved to 40 Hwy, and now Raytown. Why do criminals go to Walmart? They want to steal cheap merchandise. Why don't they go for higher quality?
Walmart should be shut down as a public nuisance the same as a bar that creates a nuisance.
Andy Whiteman
I dislike the WalMart tax situation as much as anyone, but you people sure are willing to destroy other people's jobs because, apparently, you don't deem them worthy of the fine city of Raytown.
You forgot to mention how much
our Wal-Mart helps our community.
Heck it costs us taxpayers millions
just to have the big box in Raytown.
In fact every taxpayer in Raytown
has helped contribute well over
two million, I've even heard over
three million dollars to pay for that
store to date. (bonds) That's a lot
of street over laying. In fact that's
a lot of city services, down the drain.
That does not include the fact
that Raytown does not get any sales tax
income from the store.
Let's see, Raytown doesn't benefit
(Sales tax income) and the taxpayers pay for
the police to be there over thirty times
a week. The store is costing taxpayers millions.
Now another community benefit. More
taxpayer dollars being spent to fight crime
there.
I don't think the idea is to drive Walmart out even though I suggested it be closed as a nuisance. The point is Walmart's coming to Raytown was just a plain BAD deal. Why should the taxpayers shell out $3M to open Walmart and collect no tax money from that business? The Walmart way is for cities to pay for the privilege of having a Walmart. There is no venture capitol. Oh BTW, Walmart is really generous! It comes out occasionally at a BOA meeting when Walmart donates $1000 to the PD or EMS to help buy a piece of equipment. They should be more generous after all we gave them to open.
Andy Whiteman
They are expecting they lowest paid park workers to pay between $3600 and $4800 a year to keep the health insurance they have.
This is just the tip of the iceberg. They are even considering just making accrued sick leave "go away".
When I worked for the Post Office we carried over our sick leave. It is good to have it there in case of extended illness. If the city is going to make carryover sick leave disappear, they are penny wise and pound foolish because employees will report out sick before the disappear date of the sick leave so they don't lose it. What if someone has a long term illness and no sick leave because has disappeared?
Andy Whiteman
Seems we all keep paying for Bowers wonderful deal with Wal-Mart.
You are a park employee who should be thankful that you still have a job. How you expyect tax payer to pay for your entire family's health insurance? Shame on you to insulting your department director and park board along with many others. You should be fired. Like Super splash, the entire park department should be privatize also to save tax payers money.Because of you we the tax payers are suffering. Enough is enough, you are selfish. If you are so pathetic why not find another job.
You sure are making a lot of assumptions. When someone writes something under anonymus it could be anyone. You want to fire someone for being thankful? How are you so sure this is not someone with secondhand knowledge? If anyone should be fired it should be all of your English teachers. The Park Employees must be paying some portion of their insurance or you could not quote a percentage of increase. Someone should contact the City Administrator and the Park Director to find out what is going on. Why would we want the City to take over the Park Department, so they can screw that up to?
Andy Whiteman