Un-Pleasant Ford

I know some at WL have been giddy over WL being designated one of the top communities in MO.  The Mayor has gushed about it, so has Mary.  And of course we are all aware of the promise of increased property values due to the Entrance Monuments.  Nice.  Apparently our community is attractive enough to participate in the uptick in home sales in the metro.  There still remains some chronic problems the City seems not interested in dealing with...this is one.

8003 Pleasant Ford.  It has been problematic for two years or more.  Grass not being cut.  Then garbage next to the house.  Apparently abandoned at one point with household items piled next to the home.  Large tree felled in a storm.  Visible hole in the roof.  I mentioned this at a BOA two months ago.  One of the reasons/excuses for lack of action was that the property was in foreclosure.  Hmmm, the property now has a For Sale sign...and a nice blue tarp to cover the hole in the roof.  How would you like this across the street from you?

Body Odor

I am slowly decompressing from my Mexican kidnapping episode, what better way than a business trip to the bosom of our great country...so no WL scuttlebutt today.

Sunny afternoon in DC as my cab passes the Washington monument. Uneventful passage through security, I am #39 on the upgrade list, better odds than Powerball, well not really. MORATZ luck strikes however, the only seat on a packed 757 that does not have an occupied middle seat. Nice.

Settled in, got my headphones ready to go. It was then I noticed an odd smell, at first a wisp of what I thought was burning rubber. Frightening. We were at 10,000 feet by then. I looked at my aisle partner to the right. Reading a book, the guy in a suit was oblivious.

 Another deeper inhalation. And then it hit me.

Mad Dog was one of four other college housemates, early 70s. (I never knew his real name, Mr Dog was a very private person) MD was a true hippy, long hair, wire rim glasses ala John Lennon. Body grooming and hygiene were optional, often camouflaged by a bit of weed. And then it hit me. One of my fellow passengers in front of me had the distinct and unmistakeable scent of Mad Dog BO. Sweet mother make me sleepy.

My Last Post

It isn't that I have lost interest but I anticipate I will be very busy tomorrow with attorneys, accountants, and financial planners...of course I plan on winning the Powerball drawing tonight with its $500M pot. Bought just one ticket, my odds are 1 in 175M, no problem.

14E

On my way to DC, TSA decided to give me the once over in KC...nail clippers, which they decided was ok in the end (must have been new agents). I was slightly irritated by the delay.

Transferring in ATL, seat 14 E on the window. Looked out to the right to see a color guard as they loaded the remains of a soldier, my guess destined for Arlington.
Makes everything seem not quite as important.

Thanksgiving 2012

 " Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it. ”

Ferris Bueller 
American student
from the film Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986) 

Rent A Wreck

You might be aware that WL was recently noted as one of the Top Five Communities in MO (#5 to be exact).  A curious mind wondered what it takes to move up the food chain and he (not me) inquired regarding that question.  Apparently a major factor in limiting our quest for the #1 spot was the number of rental homes @ WL...37 to be exact.  Could that be?  We have two homes across the street from us that are rental properties.  Both have had turnover in occupants multiple times and varying degrees of yard and outside maintenance.  Both have had what appeared to be a posse of folks living there.  Are the increase in rental properties an issue at WL?  If so, what can, should be done?

AWOL, Kind of

Ok, so I have been derelict in my blogging duties. Very busy work week last week, including some East Coast travel to NJ. (BTW, although the area I visited was not affected by flooding, they did get hit by power outages and obviously had high winds. There were many huge pine/evergreen trees simply uprooted and felled, displaying rather anemic root systems}

To top things off, I have been abducted to an undisclosed location. I have been bound and forced to drink massive portions of margaritas and Carta Blanca (my captors have a disdain for Corona, calling it p_ _ _ water). Doing the best I can as a gringo, giving them only my name and Bubba's SSN. Fear the worst with sand torture, maybe even salt water boarding.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Cats & Dogs

Everything needed it, and the long awaited rain arrived.  The lake came up a bit, but most of the precip soaked in rather than make its way to the lake.  Farmer John's rain gauge sez 1.24 inches.

BTW
The Missouri Department of Transportation is nearing completion of safety improvements and widening along Route 45 between Routes 9 and K in Parkville. Crews are moving into the final phase of the project, requiring a traffic pattern change and reopening the intersection at Blair Road on November 12.  

Bad News

So reads the headline from the KC Star regarding Wyandotte County Lake...zebra mussels..."the tiny creatures that can cause major headaches".  The conjecture is they made their way "from boaters who had recently used other infested waters".  17 KS reservoirs and lakes have the little buggers.

Joe Ennett Day

The Official Unofficial Minutes of the WL BOA
Nov 6th

A resolution offered by the Mayor and passed by the BOA officially makes November 13 Joe Ennett Day in the City of Weatherby Lake.  The Mayor in his comments mentioned Joe's service to the community noting the 13th would be Joe's last official day as President of the WLIC.  Joe reflected on his 7 and a half years of service and the cooperation between the City and WLIC.

No keys to the City, but Joe did get a paper resolution suitable for framing.

Bos-anova

The Official Unofficial Minutes of the WL BOA
6 November

It is official, based on the BOA vote last evening:

Water Rates
In City Rates
$11.00 per 1000 for the first 4000, $4.30 for all thereafter
Out of City Rates
$22.00 per 1000 for the first 4000, $8.60 for all thereafter

Sewer rates:
$150 bi-monthly
$24 bi-monthly grinder pump fee

Jerry, waltzing with Vic, did the two step during the public meeting to discuss rates and during the vote to formalize the rates.  Why the seemingly high increases?  "To build up the reserves, we need to grow the reserves".  The reason?  Potential repairs to the system in the future...although Vic admitted the life of the pipes that may need to be replaced is "50 to 100" years.  Really.  Vic projected increasing the reserves by $1 million dollars for every ten years replacement was not necessary...adding up to potentially $5 million dollars (50 years x $1million per each decade avoided)  Question from the audience, why not consider leaving the money in citizens pockets and do a bond issue for repairs (similar to water tower issue).  Whoa!  Vic and Jerry brought out the crucifixes like they had seen Rosemary's Baby.  NO!  Later in the evening during the vote for rates, Jerry again voiced his opposition to a bond issue versus jacking up rates now.  He thought a bond issue was not fair in that it was a way to pay for repairs based on how big your home was (spoken like an individual who has one of the more pricey homes on the lake).

There is a plan for water and sewer, see the City website.

Do they anticipate another rate increase form KCMO in April/May?  Yes, but they do not know how much.  Should they wait until then (increasing rates) so they know exactly what the rates would be.  Nah.

The rest of the BOA sat mostly mute as the citizens present made their points, summarily dismissed by WL version of Arthur Murray (age test for readers).

Wanna dance?    

Buddy Can You Spare Me A...

Dear EAG Members and Entrance Project Supporters,

We would like to provide an update on the progress of the WL Entrance Project. The first phase construction is now complete, which includes the monuments at City Hall, Eastside and Barry, Forest, and Hillside. We realize there are issues with daytime readability of the signs on Eastside Drive, and are working to correct this in partnership with our sign manufacturer, the City Public Works Department, and Trina Henke’s Milbank company engineering department. The monument areas have been sodded and planted with juniper trees and Miscanthus Sinensis Graziella grasses. Serviceberry “Autumn Brilliance” trees will be planted in November.

 The cost of Phase I is projected at $190,000. Phase II, the final phase, starts with financing the project. We must have enough cash on hand for this phase in order to begin the bidding process for the Potomac, Westside, 76th Street/Childress, and Kerns entrances. We hope to begin bidding in the spring and early summer of 2013, and complete the entrances in 2013. The cost for Phase II is projected to be $150,000 to $170,000. The monument at 76th Street/Childress will be similar to those now at Hillside and Forest. Potomac, Westside, and Kerns will have monuments similar to those at City Hall and Eastside/Barry Road.

This is the fourth year of the project and this last phase will complete all new entrances for the residents, visitors, and through traffic within our city. A report will be presented to the BOA at their December meeting that will include a review of Phase I with the costs, and the plans and cost estimates for Phase II. We hope you understand this project is being financed by generous donors like you and your neighbors, not taxes or grants. Each and every dollar given is tax deductible and every penny is used directly for this project. There are no administrative fees or salaries. Everyone on the Entrance Committee is a volunteer.

We need your tax deductible donation to make Phase II happen. Donor and pledge forms are available at City Hall. Please designate "Entrance Project" on your check to the City of Weatherby Lake. Donations exceeding the cost to build the project will be dedicated to endowment of the entrances for ongoing maintenance. Please join your friends and neighbors by generously supporting the Entrance Project to enhance our community for years to come and convey the distinctive character of Weatherby Lake to residents and visitors at all of its entrances.

 Thank you,
 Jim Miller,
Chairman Entrance Advisory Group City of Weatherby Lake
 (Kristy Lawrence, Communications Leader)

Big Day Tomorrow

Yep, Water Rate public hearing @ 6:30 PM, followed by the BOA meeting.  The BOA will attempt a second time to pass the 2013 City Budget.

Oh, almost forgot, the general election is tomorrow!  If you would like a preview of the ballot, just click on the link (thanks to the reader who gave me the heads up).
http://sos.mo.gov/elections/voterlookup/SampleBallot.aspx?BallotStyleID=750013684&SplitID=29490044

Running On Empty

Mayor Bloomberg and NYC Marathon Race officials did an about face late yesterday and cancelled Sunday's race.  It was the right call, and in my opinion probably should have been made sooner.  I can't imagine runners making their way to the start amid all the ongoing trauma.

But I do understand the will to make the race happen.  The marathon is a unique race, pitting the will of the runner against the course...pure and simple.  For amateur runners it is the ultimate test.  I've done 3, two KC and one Chicago.  Hard training and aching recovery (just for grins, run three times around the lake, that is the minimum distance for a long training run).  It takes months of training and preparation, hopefully without a training injury.  But there is nothing like the feeling of being at the starting line, the excitement and maybe a little fear...can I beat the course or will the course beat me?

There were thousands of runners already in NYC, many from outside the US, they have to be very disappointed.  A lot of time (and money) spent without a finish line.  That is the true irony, it wasn't the course that beat them, it was the Frankenstorm, Sandy.

Me and Bubba have done quite a few half marathons (13.1 miles) together, most recently the KC race.  Same distance, always different.  I know that doesn't make any sense, you have to be there.  More than likely we'll do our Sunday lap around the lake and chat about the race that didn't happen.  At least we won't be running on empty.

Grand Theft...Ooops

From today's KC Star...
"IPad leads to stolen pickup"

"KC Police tracked a stolen pickup truck from the Northland on Thursday using the GPS signal from an IPad that was inside the truck."

Stolen vehicle?  There's an app for that.

The Bubbas Are Back

They were able to board a flight from LGA this morning and shortly after noon returned to WL.  I might be able to coax Mr Bubba into some summary Comments regarding the storm.