In This Issue
A Celebration of Martin Luther King, Jr.
Minor Home Repair Program
Blue Springs Police Department Patrol Car Donation to Fort Osage Career and Technology Center
Business License Renewals due March 1
Missouri State DAR Patriot of the Month
Contact Your
 City Councilmember

District 1

 Jeff Quibell   
 
District 2  
 District 3
 Susan Culpepper 
 
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Blue Springs Councilmembers Appointed to NLC Committees
    
Congratulations are in order!  The

National League of Cities (NLC) President Chris Coleman, mayor, St. Paul, Minn., recently announced the appointments of two Blue Springs Councilmembers to 2014 steering committees!

 

Councilman Chris Lievsay has been appointed to the Finance, Administration & Intergovernmental Relations Steering Committee. 

 

Councilman Jeff Quibell has been re-appointed as Vice Chair of the Information Technology & Communications Committee.  

 

For more information about the appointments, click here.

Upcoming Parks & Recreation Events

Youth Sports, Recreation & Wellness Expo

 Saturday, January 25

9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Adams Pointe Conference Center

1500 NE Coronado Drive    

 

This FREE event is a great way to see new products and meet with representatives from
various youth athletic organizations. 

 

Meet local mascots and register to win free memberships, zoo passes and more!

 


A Chili Dog's Night Out
Saturday, January 25 

5:30-7:30 p.m.
Vesper Hall

400 NW Vesper Street  

  

 Chili Dinner & Silent Auction Fundraiser for Blue Springs Dog Park. Lots of food, oodles of silent auction items, canine demo's and Clifford 

with his dog tag game. 


Price: $7 adult, $5 kids 12 & under, free for kids 3 & under.
Combo packages available and include raffle tickets & dog tags.


 For ticket information, contact Parks & Recreation at (816) 228-0137.

 

   

Mother/Son & Daddy/Daughter Valentine Dances

Vesper Hall

400 NW Vesper Street   

Mother/Son Valentine Dance Friday, February 7 6-9 p.m.  

Daddy/Daughter Valentine Dance Saturday, February 8 6-9 p.m.

 Boys ages 4 and older and their mothers and girls ages 4 and older, along with their fathers 

are invited to an evening of entertainment, DJ music, dancing, and a full-course dinner. 


Professional pictures to commemorate the event will be available for an additional cost. 


Tickets are $20 per person, contact Parks & Recreation at (816) 228-0137. 

Holiday Recycling Resources

Strand Light Recycling Program

November 17, 2013 through January 26, 2014

Pink Hill Park Recycling Center 2725 NW Park Road

 Wednesdays, Saturdays & Sundays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

  

 Do you have a pile of broken or unwanted strand lights?  Are you upgrading your traditional strand lights with energy-efficient LED lights?  This holiday season, don't throw out your old strand lights - recycle them!

 

For more information about this program, click here.

 

tree recycling

Christmas Tree Recycling Program

 Dec. 26 through Jan. 18

 Pink Hill Park

 

 This free program is a safe and environmentally friendly way to dispose of your Christmas tree. Commercial vendors may also participate for a fee. Drop off location is Pink Hill Park. 

 

Don't throw all of those Christmas cardboard boxes away, recycle them! Make plans to drop off your Christmas Tree and your cardboard boxes at the same time! Contact the Parks & Recreation Office for more information.

 Winter Resources

Blue Springs snow plow
 
Snow Removal
The Snow Removal Hotline number is (816) 228-0295.  If you would like to learn more about the City's Snow Removal Program, click here.

 

Potholes
To report a pothole, call the Pothole Hotline at (816) 228-0291 and leave the exact location of the hole, the nearest cross street and your name and phone number so we can contact you if we have problems locating the pothole.

 

To learn more about the City's Pothole Repair Program, click here.

 

Power Outages
If you are experiencing a power outage in your area, call 1 (888) 544-4852.  To learn more about KCP&L's Winter Storm Program, click here.

 Let's Move! Saturdays!

 
Gage Center
1101 NW Jefferson
January 18, 10:30 a.m. to noon
Join us for a morning session at Bump City.

Blue Springs Family YMCA
1300 Adams Dairy Pkwy
January 18, Noon to 3 p.m.
Join us for open swimming!  Please bring an adult ID.
 
TaJazz School of Dance
1100 NW Knox
January 25, 10-11 a.m.
Join us for a morning of dancing!  Ages 3-5 for boys and girls.
 
Title Boxing
1821 SW Highway 7
January 25, 10-11 .m.
Join us for morning of boxing for kids ages 8 and older.  Parents must sign a waiver for participation.

Action Martial Arts
1241 SW Highway 7
January 25, 1-2:30 p.m.
Join us for kids kickboxing and cross training for kids ages 7-13, limit 25 participants.  Register by calling (816) 224-4105.
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City of Blue SpringsNews Happenings
Around Town
 A bi-weekly message from your Blue Springs Mayor and City Council
Greetings!  
 
Hello and welcome to News Happenings Around Town, your one-stop source for City information and news updates, including those items most important to you.
 

Over the last few weeks, one thing is certain - winter has finally landed here in Blue Springs. I want to thank the snow removal crews that work 24/7 to make sure that our streets are in the best shape possible for our daily commutes.  For the most up-to-date information about our snow removal process, make sure you like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.  For our Facebook friends, make sure that when you like us, mark the "Get Notifications" option to ensure that you see all of our posts. 

 

In this issue, I wanted to highlight the upcoming Martin Luther King Jr. celebration in Blue Springs and all of the great programs coming up from our Parks & Recreation Department.  If you haven't disposed of your Christmas tree yet, think about disposing of your tree at Pink Hill Park until January 18 and you can recycle your strand lights until January 26 at the Pink Hill Park Recycling Center.

 

Also, it is NOT too late for you to provide your comments for the Comprehensive Plan Update! Let us know how you would like to see your community grow. Click here to take a quick survey.  

 

As always, please continue sharing this timely publication and spreading the word about what's good and going on in the City of Blue Springs.

A Celebration of Martin Luther King, Jr.
Martin Luter King
 
A celebration in honor of civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr. will be held on Sunday, January 19 at 6 p.m. at First Christian Church, 701 NW 15th Street in Blue Springs.

This year's theme will be "MLK: Hero of Faith."  I have the honor of giving the welcoming address at this fantastic event.  The Rev. Dr. Vernon P. Howard Jr. from Second Baptist Church in Kansas City, Mo., will be the keynote speaker. 

Please join us for this inspiring evening presented by Capernaum Baptist Church, Chapel Hill Presbyterian Church, First Christian Church, First United Methodist Church, Grace Unlimited Baptist Church, Heartland Church and Holy Hill Baptist Church. 

 
For more information about this celebration, contact the First Christian Church at 229-8400. 

The Minor Home Repair Program is still accepting applications for the 2014 work season.  The emphasis of this program is on neighborhood conservation, and only minor exterior home repairs will be eligible. The program encourages a high level of maintenance among property owners in a neighborhood by providing a grant to help cure the most visible home defects which may adversely affect the value of the home as well as surrounding properties.

 

Eligible exterior repairs include:

  • Window/Glass Repairs
  • Doors
  • Minor Roof
  • Flashing or Gutter
  • Exterior Paint
  • Porches or steps (including railings)
  • Broken masonry units on foundation
  • Walls or Trim
  • Tuck pointing of mortar foundation
 To learn more information about the program, click here.
Blue Springs Police Department Patrol Car Donation to Fort Osage Career and Technology Center
Top:  Officer Cory DeVaul, instructor at the Career and Technology Center looks on as a student explores the donated patrol car.  Second Photo: Fort Osage Career and Technology Center student explores the donated patrol car.  Third Photo:  Officer Cory DeVaul, Blue Springs Police Department Officer Doug Heishman, Blue Springs Police Department Deputy Chief Bob Muenz and Fort Osage Career and Technology Center students pose for a photo by the donated patrol car.  Bottom:  Officer Cory DeVaul, instructor at the Career and Technology Center, Blue Springs Police Department Officer Doug Heishman, Blue Springs Police Department Deputy Chief Bob Muenz pose for a photo by the donated patrol car.

Thanks to the Blue Springs Police Department, the students in the Law Enforcement/Crime Scene Investigation program at the Fort Osage Career and Technology Center will provide real world learning for students while never having to leave the classroom. "Such realism helps to make the training these students are receiving more realistic as to what the environment would be like when thy would be working," said Officer Cory DeVaul, instructor at the Career and Technology Center. 

The patrol car, equipped with emergency lights, siren, and a prisoner cage, is set up as if it was still being used on a daily basis by the Blue Springs Police Department. The patrol car will play an essential part in teaching the students how to conduct traffic stops, as well as, using it to protect scenes such as traffic crashes. The students will learn how to use the emergency equipment when necessary and how that equipment can help to increase their safety when conducting such tasks. The car will also help to teach the students how to perform more than one task at a time while remaining aware of their safety just as they would in the field. 

Business License Renewals due March 1

We would like to remind Blue Springs, Mo., business owners that the annual business license application, payment and accompanying documents are due by March 1, 2014.

 

Most businesses regardless of size, including home-based businesses, are required to have a Business License to operate in Blue Springs. Business Licenses are good for one year and expire on the last day of February of each year. New businesses, existing businesses or businesses changing their location, name or legal structure are required to submit a completed business license application form, payment and accompanying documents to the Revenue Collections Division located at 903 W. Main Street, Blue Springs, Mo. by March 1, 2014.

 
For more information about Business Licenses, click here.
Missouri State DAR Patriot of the Month
Mayor Ross, Phyllis Wilkins and Paula Clyma (Regent of Blue Springs Chapter DAR)

I was honored to be recognized as the Missouri State Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) Patriot of the Month in December 2013.

 

This program recognizes living American veterans who have served or are currently serving in the armed forces of the United States, including active duty or military reserves. Through the Patriots of the Month program, initiated by Honorary State Regent Sally Napier Bueno in 2004, Missouri Daughters may nominate their personal "heroes"--those men and women who have contributed to preserving and protecting the freedom and values of our American way of life.

 
For more information the Missouri State Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution, click here.
I hope you have found this issue of News Happenings Around Town to be both informative and timely for your City information needs. Is there anything we missed? Do you have questions about any of the articles from this issue? Share your thoughts with me and the City Council by calling City Hall at (816) 228-0110. Know that we truly value your time and support for our City and hope you join us for the next issue of News Happenings. 
 
Sincerely, 
 Ross sig
Carson Ross, Mayor
City of Blue Springs
Our
Mission 
The City of Blue Springs is a unique community where families, visitors and businesses share a special quality of life and an abundant spirit of community closeness and cooperation. 

 

Our number one goal is to ensure that our residents, visitors and patrons receive quality customer service and attention with every program and service the City provides. Just as you stand by a community that strives to meet your family's needs, we promise to do our best to meet these needs and anticipate what's best for you and our community, to the best of our ability.