NOTE: Little Village Newsletters from now on will be in PDF format.

LITTLE VILLAGE DIRECTORY

Thanks to St. James Lutheran Church for printing our newsletter free of charge.

PIAC Requests

LVHA Vice President Roger Neu has submitted a request on behalf of the association for funding of trimming of all trees along our neighborhood streets to remove dead trees/limbs and/or low hanging branches. Also submitted was a request for funds to renovate and beautify our commons areas. The commons areas include the entrance, the park, flagpole circle and the median in Davidson Court. These areas are all our responsibility to maintain, though they remain city property. Thus, it is hoped that the city can provide assistance as we strive to maintain and improve them.

Storm Water Drainage Project

The last phase of the storm water drainage project has, as we understand it, been funded, though work has yet to begin. Roger Neu made another request in August for the completion of this project.

Swing Set Removal

The Parks department has promised to remove the swing set in our park and has sent a crew to assess the site. They are behind in their work schedule, so the promised removal during the summer months has not occurred as of the printing of this newsletter. As was noted at our annual meeting and in a previous newsletter, the swing set is outdated in terms of safety and has gone unused for a very long period of time.

What interests you?

The current leadership of the LVHA board would like to be able to hold meetings with topics of interest to our residents or social events approximately once a quarter. However, we need to know what topics, speakers, or kinds of events would interest you enough to fit them into your busy schedules. Please call Bonnie Dickson, Roger Neu or any of the other officers or board members. You may also e-mail lvhapres@littlevillage.webjazz.net <mailto:lvhapres@littlevillage.webjazz.net>

Did you know?

All of us have a utility easement somewhere on our property. These easements remain the property owners' responsibility to maintain. Many of these along the back of our lots- particularly those that lie between back fences- have been allowed to grow up in weeds or trees. Some residents may be unaware that we are supposed to keep these areas clear and may not know that they share that responsibility with their backyard neighbors whose easement is also probably in between the fences that were put up years ago. Other lots that have no fence between them, or perhaps where only one of the adjoining lots is fenced, may not have this problem as the easement is just grass to mow.

2006-2008 Officers and Executive Board

President - Bonnie Dickson 454-9219
Vice President - Roger Neu 452-7027
Treasurer - Betty Davidson 453-0755
Secretary - Sue Schuler 452-0050

Karen Bixler 454-3270
O.B. Bowser 455-0961
Dean Hampton 455-1628
Glenn Morris 453-1919
Paulette Orth 453-6654
Mike & Sonja Pitts 455-3210
Ken & Ann Plautz 452-7550
Lee & Shirley Schmidt 454-1682

Northland Neighborhoods, Inc.

Connections Meetings are held at 6:30 p.m the second Tuesday of each month at NNI. The meetings update neighborhood leaders on important issues and programs affecting neighborhoods, the city, and the region. Anyone is welcome to attend. October 10- Judge Wayne Cagle of KC's Housing Court will address questions and concerns about code enforcement and other neighborhood issues. November 14- Frank Pogge Director of KCMO Water Services and his staff will discuss the multi-billion dollar storm water issue that will face Kansas Citians over the next several years. Info from Northland Neighborhoods News.

Habitat ReStore

Did you know that you can donate usable materials for construction or remodeling to the Habitat ReStore at 4710 Deramus Avenue instead of putting them out for trash pickup? If you need some good new or used materials, such as lumber, tile, plumbing fixtures, light fixtures, etc. for a project, these kinds of items are available at great prices to anyone. The proceeds benefit Habitat for Humanity.

The ReStore has a small staff, but volunteers are the heart of the organization. Volunteers are needed to help Habitat in its struggle to “prevent needless waste and work to improve the living conditions in our community.” The volunteer “commitment level is only 3 hours per month” and positions are available “to fit every skill level.” If you are interested in volunteering or in learning more about Habitat ReStore, call Rebecca Dye at 231-6889 x225, e-mail her at Rebecca@restorekc.org <mailto:Rebecca@restorekc.org> or go to www.restorekc.org <http://www.restorekc.org> Quotes are from a letter from Habitat ReStore

Halloween Fun Night at Antioch

his safe trick or treat event will be held October 31 from 5-8 p.m. in the Sears parking garage at Antioch Center. Sponsored by Northland Neighborhoods, Inc. and the Shoal Creek Patrol Division, KCPD, the evening will feature games, prizes and, of course, Halloween candy! Please plan to bring your children or grandchildren!

Last year, this event had a wonderful turnout of children and parents, exceeding organizers' expectations. Lots of volunteers are needed to make this go smoothly. If you can volunteer to help set up during the day or to help with the games and prizes that evening, please call LVHA President Bonnie Dickson or NNI 454-2000 to speak to or leave a message for Pat Estes who is organizing the event.

2006-2008 Officers and Executive Board

President - Bonnie Dickson 454-9219
Vice President - Roger Neu 452-7027
Treasurer - Betty Davidson 453-0755
Secretary- Sue Schuler 452-0050

Board members

Karen Bixler 454-3270
O.B. Bowser 455-0961
Dean Hampton 455-1628
Glenn Morris 453-1919
Paulette Orth 453-6654
Mike & Sonja Pitts 455-3210
Ken & Ann Plautz 452-7550
Lee & Shirley Schmidt 454-1682

Little Village Web Site

Thanks to Dean Hampton, Little Village has a website that is a subdomain of his own website. The address is http://littlevillage.webjazz.net. It is under construction and relevant additions are welcome. This has the potential to be a great communication tool for us. Check it out!

Community Scouts Training

The city of Kansas City is bringing this new program to the Northland to help create safer neighborhoods. You are welcome to attend any or all of the training sessions to be offered at NNI. Each session will begin at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday evenings.

Following are the dates and topics of each session.
May 11- Community Scouts report blight to the city
May 18- Working with your codes officer
May 25th- How Scouts partner with the police
June 8- Targeting blight- trash, abandoned cars, weeds
June 15th- Crestview house by house survey (Crestview is a pilot area for this project; this session will deal with how to conduct a house by house survey, not just in Crestview)

For more information, please contact Jennifer Presberry, Community Development Manager at NNI, 454-2000. Anyone may attend, though Jennifer does need an idea of how many will be present. Having a group of people to form a team for Little Village would be great!

DEVELOPMENT PLAN FOR MIDWESTERN BAPTIST SEMINARY SITE
May 15, 6:30 p.m.

As some of you may know, the property at the northeast corner of Vivion Road and North Oak has been sold by the Midwestern Baptist Seminary to Hunt Midwest. Officials from Hunt Midwest will present their plan for retail development of a portion of the Midwestern Baptist Seminary Site on Monday, May 15 at6 p.m. in the Downing Conference Center on the seminary campus. The Downing Center is located on the far north portion of the campus. It is important for Hunt Midwest to get feedback from the community in preparation for their presentation to the City Plan Commission and the City Council later this month. Please plan to attend.

Northland Neighborhoods, Inc.

The Northland Neighborhoods, Inc. office is located at 5312 N.E. Chouteau, Kansas City, MO 64119. It offers a variety of services to neighborhoods. The staff would like for you to drop in! The phone number is 454-2000.

According to the most recent Northland Neighborhood News, once demolition of Antioch Center begins, NNI “will likely occupy a stately house at 701 NE Vivion Rd.” This is the large, 2-story Tudor style house owned by the city just east of the Veterans' Memorial and within the Anita B. Gorman Park. The aforementioned newsletter states that “Architects will soon be selected to prepare design drawings and construction documents for renovation of the house. City Capital Improvement funds in the amount of $200,000 were set aside for the renovation work. Jim Rice, NNI Executive Director, states that “We are preserving a significant house that is 75 years old. The interior must be converted for office use and brought up to modern codes and ADA standards. We want it to last another 75 years.” A new meeting facility with seating for 100 people “must be incorporated into the project as soon as additional funding can be identified.” Early 2007 is the target for occupation by NNI.

Thanks are due to Charles and Elaine Bradford for their contribution of $50.00 to help offset the cost of the flagpole installed in 2005.

SUMMER BLOCK PARTY AT HILLSIDE CHRISTIAN

Hillside Christian Church at 900 N.E. Vivion Road, our neighbor just to the west of St. James Lutheran, is planning a community block party on Saturday, July 8, 2006, from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. More details will be available at a later date. Watch for a sign on the church lawn!

LVHA FALL PICNIC

At the April 22 annual meeting, interest was expressed in a fall picnic for our neighborhood. Check the website as fall approaches and watch for signs with the date and time.

SWING SET REMOVAL

Mike Herron of the KC Parks and Recreation Dept. advised us last fall that the swing set in our park is a liability and that it should be removed or upgraded to meet current safety standards. As the swing set has been unused for some time and residents around the park had requested that it be relocated or removed, it was voted at the annual meeting to allow the city to remove the swing set at no cost to the homes association.

Dues are due!

If you have not yet paid your LVHA dues, they are $10.00, due in May and payable to any officer or board member or send them to Betty Davidson, Treasurer, at 4912 N.E. Marvin Rd. Kansas City, MO 64118

Your ideas and input are welcome. Please feel free to contact your homes association officers. We know that most residents lead very busy lives, but getting to know our neighbors and working together to maintain a safe, attractive neighborhood are goals we all can share.

April 2006 Issue

The annual homes association meeting will be held on Saturday,

April 22, 2006, at 2 p.m. at St. James Lutheran Church. Everyone residing in Little Village is encouraged to attend.

Our Northland KCPD liaison officer Marcus Smith will be present to speak about local crime statistics as well as neighborhood and home security.

It is time for election of officers and a new board for the coming year. We have people who have made a commitment to serve for the next two years; but as always, nominations and volunteers for offices and the board are welcome and desired. Serving on the board makes a contribution to our neighborhood and is not a time consuming job. Please consider being willing to serve as an officer, board member, or a neighborhood volunteer to help with dues collection or other activities.

In addition to the election, we will discuss the beautification of the park, including the removal or relocation of the swing set as recommended by the city.

Please make time to attend the meeting and get acquainted with the board and your neighbors!

Welcome New Residents

We would like to welcome all residents who have moved in during the past year and extend a special invitation to them to attend the annual meeting. Even if you have been here for a few years or many years and haven’t attended, please come!

DUES ARE DUE!         

Dues are $10.00 , payable by the end of May. Any resident, whether home owner or renter, is entitled to membership in the association. You are welcome to pay your dues at the April 22nd meeting or send them to the address on the enclosed form by May 6th. It has been suggested that renters may pay dues and deduct that amount from their rent. After May 6th, homes association representatives will be going door to door to collect the dues. Send your dues to Treasurer Betty Davidson, 4912 N.E. Marvin Rd., Kansas City, MO 64118.

Little Village Directory

For the last two years, when dues have been collected, we have sort of promised that a Little Village Directory would be compiled. Due to incomplete information, we have not been able to fulfill that promise. We hope to have adequate information from our residents this year to be able to produce a directory in the next few months.   Be sure to provide the information that you want included in the directory when you pay your dues. Please note if you do not wish to be included.

Names of new officers and board will be published after the April 22 meeting. If you have questions prior to that time, call Bonnie Dickson, LVHA Vice President, at 454-9219.

What if there was no Little Village Homes Association?

How would the Village look if no one mowed the entrance, the flagpole circle, or the park?

If a past executive board under the guidance of Roger Neu had not pursued a solution to storm water drainage problems with the city, would attention have been paid? Is the city more likely to respond to the concerns of one resident or to the concerns of a neighborhood association?

Even though the role of LVHA is usually low profile, it is essential that we continue to maintain an association.
Your participation is vital!

2005 Flagpole Dedication Ceremony and Village Picnic

On a beautiful afternoon May 21, 2005, our new flagpole was dedicated. Girl Scouts and an Eagle Scout conducted a flag ceremony that included the Pledge of Allegiance and the national anthem. Former Little Village residents Don and Deana Mason, their son Reid (the Eagle Scout) and daughters Joy, a Girl Scout Gold Award recipient, and Abby were among the scouts who participated. After the dedication, a picnic was held in our park. About 35 residents attended. We enjoyed hotdogs provided by 2004-06 LVHA president David Johnston, delicious potluck dishes brought by those attending, some games for the young and young at heart, and good fellowship.

Grace Ausmus   1913-2006

Grace Ausmus, long time LV resident, passed away March 17, 2006 in Garner, IA. Grace and her husband Claude lived in Little Village for many years and Grace served as an officer and board member for the Little Village Homes Association.

Homeowner Hint
Versatile Baking Soda!

Car maintenance: sprinkle a bit of baking soda on car battery terminals, then wash off with warm water. Result: good contact, no acid.

Vegetable cleaner: Use it as a replacement for expensive vegetable washes. Simply get the fruit wet, as well as your hands, then shake on some baking soda, then wash the fruit or vegetable. The baking soda is abrasive enough, yet gentle, to clean off pesticides and waxes.

Paint scrub: Erase crayon, pencil, ink and furniture scuffs from painted surfaces. Sprinkle baking soda on a damp sponge, rub clean and rinse.
from The Kansas City Star

Bulky item pickup - odd numbered months

Put items out to be picked up during the week in which the 5th of the odd numbered month falls.

Speed limit in our neighborhood - 25 mph!!

Voter registration

Clay County Annex
1901 NE 48 th Street
Kansas City, MO

Nuisance Ordinance

A nuisance ordinance is in effect in Kansas City. The purpose of this ordinance is to keep neighborhoods clean. Conditions which are considered in violation of the ordinance include excessive weed growth, accumulation of trash and debris, junk vehicles, unlicensed vehicles, parking vehicles on an unpaved surface in a yard, hazardous trees, and outdoor storage of unapproved materials.