Saturday, December 4, 2010

Hooter(s)ville or Pixley?

Comment yesterday gave me a flashback of TV gone by.  Also reminded me of the comments by the Funk and DeMory about Old Barry Road as being a "country road".  Maybe we are Hooterville?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O3-d0cwO99Y


Green AcresImage via Wikipedia
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Meth and You

I don't expect there are any meth cookers in the crowd and I usually don't wade into state level issues but this popped up this week.  Jay Nixon is proposing making any pseudophedrine product prescription to reduce the possibility of the meth heads doing their thing...pseudophed is one of the main ingredients in making their illegal drug.  Long ago pseudophed products went from RX to Over The Counter (OTC), a move that made it more accessible to consumers.  As the meth craze erupted in MO, the products were moved to Behind The Counter (BTC) and in the recent past and ID and signature were required to track those who used the products.  I suffer seasonal allergies and usually once or twice a year I need a combination pseudophed product to knock down the sinus problems until my RX med kicks in  Some folks also use these products during cough and cold season.  Requiring an RX would set off a sequence of events that would put the consumer/patient and doctor in a difficult position.  Many doctor's offices are reluctant to authorize an RX over the phone without seeing the patient, for clinical and legal reasons.  That would limit access to getting an RX to business hours and in many cases the back of the line for being seen.  Then there is the cost of the doctor visit.

The state Pharmacy Association thought they had been working with Nixon to increase the electronic surveillance of the BTC products. Nixon's press release came as a surprise to the group.  What can you do?  I sent an email to Nixon, State Senator Shields, State Representative Brown to let them know my opposition to Nixon's intentions.        

KC Star, December 3rd, page A7
"15 years in thefts of meth ingredient"
One half ton of pseudophedrine waste from Sanofi-Aventis plant in South KC was stolen over time, to make $41 million in meth.  Rx wouldn't have caught that.


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Friday, December 3, 2010

Your Safety

Speed Limit 14.5 MPHImage by richardmasoner via Flickr

2 weeks after opening  Barry Speedway, KCMO officials are still dragging their feet on addressing a problem brought to their attention at the Barricade Removal Event...the 25MPH speed limit.  Besides the Funk's assertion that it would be taken care of in his comments to a WL citizen after the Event, at least two folks have written emails to officials requesting relief...to no avail.

Spokesman Sean Demory denies KCMO has set up a speedtrap (hmmm, what was that last Sat/Sun) and that the current speed limit was for "safety".  Understandable during the construction day, but evenings or weekends?  Even our "country road", the predecessor BRB, had a higher speed limit.  Also noted to KCMO was the absolute goofy transition from old roadway to new near Potomac...beware, anything more than 10MPH might cause you to bottom out your vehicle...kaalunk!

State Farm InsuranceImage via Wikipedia
Like a good neighbor, KCMO is not there (apologies to State Farm)

   
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Thursday, December 2, 2010

Grandpa

Picture of an old man, a veteran of the war in...Image via Wikipedia

I was out of town on business a couple of weeks ago when the Planning Commission held their meeting. Since then I have talked with three folks who attended the meeting (all seats were filled in the Town Hall) and I'll give you a quick recap of their recollections.

A brief review prior to the summary...there has been a small but vocal group of individuals who have been pushing for a change to our City Code requirement of 15,000 sq feet for a building lot.  Ray Staton and Alderman Mary Hoy have been the main protagonists/antagonists (See post Nov 15, "Mary says "turn out with a crowd!!!) .  Ray has a personal ax to grind because of his previous situation on his home, which he eventually fixed by acquiring land to make his property conform to code.  It also just so happens he was campaign treasurer for Hoy's run for alderman.  Ana Royal, Ray's significant other, works with the Cone Team...the Cone Team ran into a similar issue with a non-conforming lot/home sale on a property just off of Wayland.  Got it?

The argument for "grandfathering" non-conforming lots/homes is the "what if it burns down theory", the notion that if such a home burned down or was destroyed by a tornado, the homeowners would not be able to rebuild their home.  Technically that notion is false in that there is a process via Building Permit/Plans Review then BZA where a home could be rebuilt.  How many lots/homes are we talking about?  Nobody really knows, but collective wisdom has it at a very small number, possibly 7 to 10 out of the 750 plus homes on the Lake.  The reason it isn't known exactly is it would require a survey of each property to know that #.  (Do you have a stake survey for your property?  I don't and that was really dumb...won't make that mistake again.)  Still with me?

Meeting Summary:
The City Attorney believes language in the City Code may address some of the issues noted above.  (See City Code section 405.300 and succeeding lines)
http://codes.sullivanpublications.com/weatherbylake-slp/
The Planning Commission took no formal action other than the City Attorney will draft language and or recommendations that might address the issue for consideration at a future Planning Commission meeting.  No date has been set.
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Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Amity(ville) Horror

Read it and weep, the other shoe drops.

News from City Hall
City Communications Office
City of Kansas City, Mo.
www.kcmo.org
CONTACT: Sean Demory, Capital Projects Office, 816-513-0059
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Nov. 29, 2010

North Amity Avenue closes for construction

Road and culvert improvements on North Amity Avenue will begin a multi-phased closure of the roadway between Northwest 87th Terrace and Northwest 86th Street for up to six months, starting Dec. 6.

The first phase will close North Amity Avenue between Northwest 86th Street and Northwest 87th Terrace to through traffic. As construction proceeds, crews will implement additional closures. Motorists will receive warning in advance of these closures.

Upon completion of winter construction, North Amity Avenue will close fully between Northwest 86th Street and Northwest 87th Terrace, as will Northwest 86th Terrace. This closure will allow City crews to complete roadway construction.

"Though there will be some temporary inconvenience, the planned enhancements to Amity Avenue will well serve motorists, bicyclists and pedestrians alike," said Councilman Russ Johnson. "The improvements will be much welcomed by the 2nd City Council District."

The North Amity Avenue improvements will replace the current roadway with a four lane improved road that will include four foot bicycle lanes, curbs and sidewalks. In addition, culverts will be replaced at Northwest 86th Terrace and Northwest 87th Terrace.

Detours will be posted prior to construction. Work on this project is scheduled for completion in early summer 2011.

The Capital Projects Office managed the design and construction of this project for the City's Public Works Department.

Media inquiries and other requests for more information about this project should be directed to Sean Demory, Capital Projects Office, at 816-513-0059 or e-mailsean_demory@kcmo.org.




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