Free paint available for eligible City homeowners

Participants may choose paint colors and receive other supplies

Warmer weather signals the start of many things - one of which is the City of Kansas City, Mo., Paint Program. In 2011, this program provided free paint and supplies to more than 300 homeowners.

"This program helps improve our neighborhoods by assisting homeowners who need a little help with the upkeep of their property," said Doug Bossert, section manager of the Housing and Human Services Division, which manages the Paint Program. "Qualified homeowners receive high-quality exterior paint for their homes at no cost."

Eligible residents must complete an application to receive paint, primer, caulking and other supplies related to the painting of their home. Please note, the total cost of the paint supplies cannot exceed $500. Applicants must also:

- Reside in Kansas City, Mo.
- Own and live in the property to be painted
- Own only one property
- Meet these household income guidelines:
            - One person - $41,100
            - Two people - $46,950
            - Three people - $52,800
            - Four people - $58,650
            - Five people - $63,350
            - Six people - $68,050
            - Seven people - $72,750
            - Eight or more people - $77,450

Paint recipients must make all necessary repairs and properly prepare their home for painting prior to receiving their supplies. After an inspector determines a house is ready to be painted, a voucher will be awarded to the recipients, which allows them to choose an in-store color of Porter paint; no color matching will be done.

To download an application, please visit http://www.kcmo.org/idc/groups/housing/documents/housing/ocs879231-099072.pdf.

For more information or to request an application via mail, call the Housing and Human Services Division, at 816-513-3025.

For media inquiries, please contact Roger Stewart, program supervisor, at 816-513-3253.

Women's Self Defense Seminar

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The focus of the training is on the importance of awareness, prevention, streetwise precaution and most importantly, self defense. This training is both lecture and hands-on. Physical activity is encouraged, but not required. 

Participants are asked to wear athletic type clothing, with no buttons or zippers. Socks and long sleeve shirts are required.

Enrollment is open to females 16 years of age or older; however, anyone under the age of 17 must be accompanied by an adult. The course is free, but you MUST pre-register. This course is limited to 50 participants.

The June 2, 2012 session will be held at the Police Athletic League gym (P.A.L.) at 1801 White Avenue from 8 am until noon.

The July 14, 2012 session will be held at the Regional Police Academy, 6885 NE Pleasant Valley Rd., from 8 am till noon.

We are hoping to host the August 4, 2012 session at the new South Patrol Complex gymnasium, located at Bannister Rd. and Marion Park Drive.  In the event the campus is not completed, this session will be moved to the P.A.L. gym located at 1801 White.

 Also available:

. ***  Women's Self Defense Video for $10.00 plus $3.00 shipping & handling.

Please call the Regional Police Academy at (816) 413-3500 for further information on the schedule for seminars or for copies of the video.

KCPD launches Nixle community text alerts service

Greetings,



Included in this Informer are:



               -Crime Statistics for the previous week

               -KCPD launches community text alerts

               -Good Neighbor Award Nominations

               -Spring Cleaning








KCPD launches Nixle community text alerts service

To get information to the community as quickly as possible, the Kansas City Missouri Police Department is launching a text message alert system with Nixle.

Nixle Connect allows the department to instantly inform residents of current public safety issues via text/SMS, e-mail, Internet posts, and Twitter. The service is provided at no cost to the department, taxpayers, or residents.

Communications from the KCPD will range from emergency alerts such as Amber Alerts and critical incidents to routine day-to-day information such as violent crime suspects being sought, a burglary pattern, a major traffic incident, or other relevant information to residents.

"With Nixle, citizens can be aware of the current safety issues in their neighborhood," Chief Darryl Forté said. "Informed citizens can be our eyes and ears, helping us solve and prevent crime."

Kansas City residents can sign up to receive free, real-time safety information by texting their zip code or "KCPD" to 888777 or by visiting www.nixle.com <http://www.nixle.com/> . Once registered, users can customize the types of alerts they wish to receive via text, email, and online. Any information users submit is housed on secure Nixle servers and remains anonymous to police staff.

"Additionally, Kansas City will play host to the 2012 Major League Baseball (MLB) All-Star Game in July," continued Forté. "Nixle Connect provides us with a way to communicate with the tens of thousands of baseball fans who will be attending to keep traffic and people flowing as smoothly as possible, as well as a means to deliver any urgent messages should an emergency arise."

To receive All Star Game-specific messages, text "ALLSTARKC" to 888777.

More than 4,800 government agencies nationwide have adopted Nixle for their means of real-time communications with residents, and more than 700,000 citizens have signed up to take advantage of the service.

"Nixle is an easy, quick and secure mass notification tool for public safety officials to communicate information to the public across multiple channels," stated Eric Liu, Nixle's CEO. "Both residents and visitors to Kansas City can benefit greatly from the service."

About Nixle

Founded in 2007, Nixle is the leader in trusted notification services for law enforcement and government agencies. More than 4,800 government agencies throughout the United States use Nixle to communicate with residents via SMS mobile text messaging, email, the Web, and mobile applications. Over 700,000 citizens rely upon the system. Nixle is strategically partnered with the National Law Enforcement Telecommunication System (Nlets) to offer the only public messaging service on the International Justice and Public Safety network, a system owned by the fifty states and serving every criminal justice agency in the US and Canada. Nixle is a privately held company based in San Francisco, CA.

 For more information, visit www.kcpd.org <http://www.kcpd.org/>  or www.nixle.com <http://www.nixle.com/> .

(per email from Marlborough Community Coalition)

In conjunction with the Target Green project, the Blue River Watershed and New Reflections will be holding two rain barrel workshops - one is this Saturday from 9 - 11 am at the home of April Bradshaw; the second one is Thursday, May 3rd at the home of Marilynne Fields.  Addresses are on the attached flyer.  The workshops will demonstrate how to make a rain barrel, how to disconnect your downspouts, and how to build your own rain garden.

There are also some ***FREE*** rain barrels to be installed!  If you are a resident/landlord of a home north of 77th to around 73rd Street between Troost and Highland, you could qualify!  Please call Shockey Consulting (contact information is on the below flyer) to inquire about how to be the first on your block to have one!

Leaf and Brush pick up. April 17th

The City's Spring Leaf and Brush pick-up starts next week (week of April 8th).
CLICK HERE to find dates

* Same day as trash/recycling collection April 17th
* Needs to be at the curbside by 7 a.m. as your trash pickup day
* Limit of 20 lawn debris sacks and/or bundles
* Paper sacks only. NO plastic
* If bundling, brush is to be in a 4' x 2' bundle and tied with twine only
* No duct tape
* No trash
* If you are missed, call 3-1-1 within 24 hours

April 10th:Marlborough Plaza Fountain kick off

We are pleased that the Marlborough Plaza Fountain at 79th & Paseo has been chosen as the kick-off location for the 2012 Kansas City Fountain Day. Fountain Day is when all the fountains in Kansas City are turned on for the season. Please join us at 11:00 a.m. on April 10th for this celebration!

We'll also be celebrating the new renovations at the fountain. This fountain, formerly known as the "Boy and Fish Fountain" was the first one on the Country Club Plaza in 1923. When the Seville Fountain replaced it in 1969, it was moved to 79th & Paseo location, which is the most southern location for a KC fountain. In 2010, the Coalition petitioned the Parks Board to rename the "79th & Paseo Fountain" to the present name of the "Marlborough Plaza Fountain," giving a nod to both its previous home as well as its present.

We hope to see you at 11:00 a.m. on April 10th when "our" fountain, as well as the others in the city will be turned on!

New projects provide hope for KC’s Prospect corridor

Article about the Prospect business in the KC Star, click here to read more

Free Exhibit: Fashions of the Titanic Era

A “Fashions of the Titanic Era” exhibit will be on display at the Kansas City Museum through September 3, 2012. Admission is free.

The exhibit features 36 historic fashions and accessories owned by Kansas City residents during the Edwardian period. You’ll also learn about notable events and happening in Kansas City during the year of Titanic’s fateful voyage (1912).

The Kansas City Museum is located at 3218 Gladston Boulevard in Kansas City, Missouri.

Free Pet Vaccinations: March 17th and March 24th

The free vaccination clinics will serve up to 1,000 pets coordinated on a first-come, first- serve basis. Attendees will receive a number upon arrival, with the final number being handed out within 15 minutes of the clinic closing. There are no income or residential restrictions. General wellness appointments will not be available during the free vaccination clinics on March 17^th and 24^th.


Generous funding from the ASPCA will support the two free vaccination clinics from 10am to 2pm on Saturday, March 17^th and Saturday, March 24^th. Clinics will be held at the Heartland SPCA Animal Medical Center at 5428 Antioch Dr. Merriam, KS 66202. Free vaccinations will also be administered to pets receiving the gift of spay/neuter surgery during the month of March.

Click here to learn more

March 31st NEIGHBORHOOD EASTER EGG HUNT

Saturday, March 31 10 A.M. – 12pm

Come one and all, young and old to a neighborhood Easter
egg hunt. Meet your neighbors and enjoy a great springtime
gathering. There will be something for all ages. In the event
of inclement weather, the hunt will be held inside.

HOSTED BY SOUTH BROADLAND PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
7850 Holmes Rd, Kansas City, MO 64131

Beans & Greens Mobile Market

Marlborough: 8401 Euclid, Kansas City, MO on Thursdays 3 pm - 7 pm


Contact Information
Market Manager: Eugene Brown, III
Phone Number: (816) 517-0945
Email: eugene@beansandgreens.org
Website: http://www.beansandgreens.org/

LET’S GET GROWING!

(via article from Marlborough Community Coalition)

Whether you are interested in growing vegetables to save on
grocery bills, to make a little extra income by selling what you
grow, or you simply love fresh vegetables and digging in the dirt
- help is just around the corner!

Kansas City Community Gardens (KCCG) provides
self-help and educational assistance for their members to grow their own food.
Membership is $2 or $10
(depending on income) and it provides more benefits than
gardeners have zucchini in August, including:

* 10 packages of seeds (your choice)
* 1 bag of fertilizer (approx. 5lbs)
* Community gardening newsletter
* Discount on vegetable plants + additional seeds & fertilizer
* Tiller loan privilege

Membership also includes free attendance at high quality work-
shops offered by KCCG staff. Spring sessions scheduled
for KCCG’s office, 6917 Kensington, are the following:

March 16 & April 6 (noon)
Early Spring Crops

March 19 (6:00-7:30pm)
Vegetable Garden Basics

March 30 (noon)
Raised Bed Gardening


April 13 (noon)
Growing Herbs

April 20 (noon)
Tomatoes and Peppers

April 27 (noon)
Integrated Pest Management

May 18 (noon)
Insects in the Garden

June 1 (noon)
Plant Diseases

To join KCCG and to register for workshops, call 816-931-3877, visit their office or visit their website, www.kccg.org.

If you grow vegetables for the purpose of selling them or if the seeds, fertilizer
and growing expertise gained from a KCCG membership provided you with more produce
than your family can use, the Ivanhoe Small Growers Market designed especially
for neighborhood gardeners, might be just for you.

New this year, the market will be held Fridays from 5:00 -7:00
pm at the Nutter Ivanhoe Neighborhood Center, 37th & Woodland, beginning June 8th
and ending September 28th. It costs $3/week to sell or $48 if you sign up for the entire season.

To find out more about selling or shopping at the market,
contact Andy Volding at 816-377-9947 or avolding@kchealthykids.org.

Free gardening and marketing workshops open to anyone are also offered by the Grown in Ivanhoe project. Andy can provide information about them too.

Need space to grow vegetables on? The Marlborough East Neighborhood is planning
to start a Community Garden this spring. Contact Joyce Walker at jdewalt1@yahoo.com for information.

The Marlborough Coalition is exploring options for to also sponsor a community garden
site. Contact Diane Hershberger at stony crest@sbcglobal.net about that possibility.

Free Brookside warm up St. Patrick's Day parade

This Saturday, March 10, 2012,the Brookside Shopping District in Kansas City is holding its 32nd Annual Brookside St. Patrick’s Day Warm Up Parade. Admission is free.

This event includes more than 100 parade entries (parade floats, bands, clowns, dogs, horses, and more).

The parade, which starts at 2:00 p.m., will begin at 65th and Wornall, go north to 63rd Street, east to Main Street, south to Meyer Boulevard, then west to Brookside Boulevard

Bank of America’s gift of vacant houses will aid KC’s urban core

Most of the 75 properties will be on East Side. Two-thirds will be torn down, but others will be renovated.

Read More here >>

Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/2012/02/28/3458039/kc-to-get-75-properties-donated.html#storylink=cpy

KCpd Chiefs blog

http://kcpdchief.blogspot.com/

Free: March 3rd Stone Lion’s Puppet Carnivale

This Saturday, March 3, 2012, the Garrison Community Center is hosting Stone Lion’s Puppet Carnivale, an “interactive spectacle of puppetry, music and dance.” Admission is free.

This event includes larger than life puppets, jugglers, stilt walkers, musicians, a fortune-telling booth, a mini puppet tent, a tattoo man, a craft wagon (where you can create your own puppet), a game show with prizes, an extinct animal train, and more.

The carnivale runs from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

The Garrison Community Center is located at 1124 E. Fifth St. in Kansas City, Missouri.

march 31st only: FREE ADMISSION to the Kansas City Zoo

FREE ADMISSION to the Kansas City Zoo for Jackson and Clay County residents with proof of residency; 816.513.5800; http://www.kansascityzoo.org/

Free Mar 23-24 Operation KidSafe

Mar 23-24-Operation KidSafe digital systems,
Randy Reed Nissan, 9600 NW Prairie View Road, Kansas City, MO 64153;
free for the entire community; The system can digitally fingerprint and photograph a child in 30 seconds or less with no ink and no film. The family has a digital quality set of prints that last a lifetime; There is no data-basing. The parent is handed the finished product, a letter size document -with the child’s digital fingerprints and photo; The quality is so good that the prints can be scanned into the National Crime Computer if the child is ever missing; The focus is education, so each parent will receive the top tips for safety at the event; Local Contact: 877-216-2541; Mark Bott National Program Director: 217-726-6393; 866-962-5487; marka@kidsafeprints.com ; Sales: info@kidsafeprints.com ; http://kidsafeprints.com/
Friday
Noon-6pm
Saturday
10am-4pm

Tuesday, February 28th: Eradicating Drug houses in the area

We've asked Police Officer Terry Owens, who has been working drug houses in the area, to present at our next meeting.
Officer Owens will have some good information to share about this issue and what the community can do to further partner with the police to help eradicate the issue.

Tuesday, February 28th
6:30 pm
Community Room - Metro Police Division
7601 Prospect

(via Marlborough Community Coalition info share)

The Free File Alliance

The Free File Alliance, a coalition of industry-leading tax software companies, has partnered with the IRS to create IRS Free File,a program that allows families with an Adjusted Gross Income of $57,000 or less to use their software to file their 2011 taxes electronically for free.

For people with higher incomes, there are online forms on the site that are designed for those who are comfortable preparing their own tax returns. So anyone can file electronically for free.

To take advantage of this offer, click here. Choose a tax software company (you can use their “help me find a company” tool to decide which one to use). You’ll then be directed to the company’s Web site where you can prepare, complete, and electronically file your federal income tax return for free. Some companies also support state tax returns.