In This Issue
Mayor's Christmas Tree Lighting
National League of Cities
How to Open a Business in Blue Springs
Contact Your
 City Councilmember

District 1

 Jeff Quibell   
 
District 2  
 District 3
 Susan Culpepper 
 
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www.bluespringsgov.com
Happy Retirement Kathy Richardson!
  Longtime City Clerk Kathy Richardson is retiring with more than 15 years of service to the City of Blue Springs.
 
She has served this community honorably and is known for her kindness, professionalism and a personal drive that allowed her to go the extra mile and get the job done. I want to thank Kathy for assisting me personally and I wish her the best of luck in retirement! 

Join me in congratulating our own Sheryl Morgan who was named as our new city clerk.
A Farewell to Ed "Doc" Golden
  
Ed 'Doc' Golden Farewell Reception
December 19, 3 p.m.
Municipal Annex, 1304 W Main Street

I have have know 'Doc' for many years and I hope you can join me at his farewell reception!  'Doc' has served the Blue Springs community for more than 20 years with the Blue Springs Police Department and the VIPS program.  

He has shown outstanding dedication to serving and advancing the Blue Springs community for which he received a Civic Leadership Award in 2010. His contribution and passion will be greatly missed.
Theft Prevention for the Holidays
                      

Our friends at the Blue Springs Police Department have shared some tips to protect you this holiday season while you  shop for loved ones.
 

When Shopping/In the Parking Lot:

  • Take only the credit cards and cash you need.
  • There is safety in numbers. Take a friend with you to shop.
  • If children are shopping with you, do not let them go alone into restrooms or fitting rooms.
  • Park in well-lit, busy areas as close to the door as you can.

At Home:
 

  • Don't let delivered packages sit out front. If you plan to be away for a period of time, ask the police about house checks. Don't stop your newspaper delivery or mail and get someone you trust to pick these items up from your home daily.
  • Don't arrange gifts so they are visible from a window.  
  • After receiving expensive items, break down and shred boxes and place in the recycle or trash bin; make sure labels don't show.

Other Tips: 

  •  Before donating to a charity, check to see if the group is registered. If approached about donating, ask for identification and how the funds will be used.
  • Watch for holiday-themed spam, including emails and phone calls "phishing" for personal information.
Officers of Valor
 
On November 21 four members of the Blue Springs Police Department received the Life-Saving Award for their acts of heroism at the 43rd Annual Metropolitan Chiefs and Sheriffs Association Awards for Valor.
 
 Congratulations to Sgt. Joe Fanara, Detective Brandon Claxton, Detective Kenneth Keating and Detective Matthew McLaughlin. I want to thank each of you for your exemplary service!    

Congratulations!

Congratulations to Lt. John Kingsolver Jr. of the Blue Springs Police Department on his recently published article "Importance of the Field Training Officer" in the Missouri Peace Officer's Associations' Autumn magazine.

 

Lt. Kingsolver's piece emphasizes the detailed FTO hiring process, the direct impact FTOs have on guiding our recruits and the benefits of well-trained FTOs in our community.


Brunch with Santa

  

Brunch with Santa

Saturday, Dec. 20 

10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Vesper Hall

$8 per person, children under 1 are free


 

Don't wait in line for Santa - dine with him!

Contact Parks & Recreation at (816) 228-0137 to register today!  Please bring a small, wrapped gift for your child. 

HoliDAY Camp

        

School is out, Camp is in!

 

 Kids age 5-14 can attend field trips, play games, make crafts and more. Camp runs from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. and is held at Harvest Baptist Church. The fee is $30 a day or $175 for all seven days and preregistration is required. Please register by Dec 15. To request a camper form and to pay for camp call 816-228-0137

 

HoliDAY Camp Schedule:

Monday, Dec 22 - Tuesday, Dec 23

Friday, Dec 26

Monday, Dec 29 - Wednesday, Dec 31

Thursday, Jan 2 

 Let's Move! Saturdays!


Club 7 Fitness
1241 SW Highway 7
December 13, 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Join us for a morning of Kids Fit Boot Camp, fitness activities and open gym for adults.

TaJazz School of Dance
1100 NW Knox
December 13, 1:30 p.m.- 2:30 p.m.
Join us for dancing. This event is open to children ages 3-5.

Rink Ratz
513 SW Keystone Drive
December 13, 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
 Join us for open roller skating.  

Gage Center
1101 NW Jefferson
December 20, 10:30 a.m. to Noon
Join us for somersault with Santa.

9 Round
1412 SW Highway 7
December 20, 1-2 p.m.
Join us for kickboxing fitness activities
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.
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7 days a week.
  
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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.

 

The Christmas holiday is near and I wish you and your family a safe and Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. If you are looking to get into the holiday spirit, you can listen to commercial-free holiday music on BSSD radio by clicking here.

 

We have many successes and people to celebrate this month. Below, you can catch up on the Mayor's Christmas tree lighting and find steps on how to start a business in Blue Springs.

 

As always, please continue sharing this timely publication and spreading the word about the good things in the City of Blue Springs.

Mayor's Christmas Tree Lighting 

 

 

 

On Tuesday, December 2 approximately 300 people bundled up and joined me as we lit the Mayor's Christmas tree outside of City Hall. 

 

The Daniel Young 5th Grade Elementary Choir, Cordell Mason 4th & 5th Grade Extra Curricular Choir and the Girl Scout Choir from John Nowlin Elementary entertained us with their upbeat tunes. The Blue Springs High School mascots, Wilma and Willie, also came out.

 

I would like to thank Pete Grigsby from the Blue Springs School District for joining me, and a special thanks to the grandchildren of retiring City Clerk Kathy Richardson: Tanner Richardson, Jack, Maya and Gemma Alexander for helping me flip the switch to light the Christmas tree this year.

 

This year guests were able to record holiday greetings that later aired on CTV-7 for everyone in the community to see!  If you missed the tree lighting or did not catch your greeting on-air, you can view the full video below.  For more photos from this year's event, click here.


 

City of Blue Springs-Mayor's Christmas Tree Lighting 2014
City of Blue Springs-Mayor's Christmas Tree Lighting 2014

This year's event was made possible thanks to: Price Chopper, Blue Springs Parks & Recreation, Blue Springs Chamber of Commerce, Blue Springs Downtown Alive!, Steve Steiner, Chuck Johnson, America's Community Bank, the City of Blue Springs, Three Pigs Barbeque, VFW Post #6603, Blue Springs Art League, VIPS, and Boy Scout Troop #763

 

It was great seeing all of you at the event and I look forward to doing it again next year!

National League of Cities

On November 19-22 First Lady Elosie and I traveled to Austin, Texas with members of the City Council for the annual Congress of Cities and Exposition hosted by the National League of Cities.


 

We enjoyed the interesting seminars, the chance to meet with fellow city leaders nationwide and the exchange of ideas on city growth and development.

 

Thank you to council members Kent Edmonson, Chris Lievsay, Susan Culpepper and Ron Fowler for joining me as we continue to improve our community.

How to Open a Business in Blue Springs   
 
On December 5, city staff along with members from the Blue Springs Chamber of Commerce
 and the Blue Springs Economic Development Corporation presented the 'How to Open a Business in Blue Springs' guide to students at Blue Springs South High School.

 

 

The sessions were well attended and students were able to learn how to go from a business idea to a ribbon cutting here in Blue Springs.  As I understand it, we have several young entrepreneurs in our community and I hope that through these presentations, they now have the tools to open their businesses here in Blue Springs.

 

The City announced the 'How to Open a Business in Blue Springs' booklet this fall to give aspiring business owners a step-by-step guide that includes contact information for quick access to additional resources needed to conduct business in Blue Springs.


 

This handy reference addresses the following steps to starting a business and how to get over some common stumbling blocks:

There will be two 'How to Open a Business in Blue Springs' expos at the Mid-Continent Public Library; March 24 from 7-8:30 p.m. at the South Branch and May 2 10 a.m. to noon at the North Branch.


 

This resource is available online and booklets are available at City Hall, the Blue Springs Chamber of Commerce, the Blue Springs EDC and both branches of the Blue Springs Mid-Continent Public Library.
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.