Over the past year, Wichita parks experienced almost $68,000 in damages due to vandalism. There was a total of 175 incidents at 73 various locations, but the hardest hit was in District 4 suffering from more than $54,000 worth of repairs to damages. Pawnee Prairie Park, 2625 S Tyler, had seven (7) separate incidents and Aley Park suffered from three (3) incidents. There was additional vandalism at the South Lakes Sports Complex, Glenn Village and Wildwood Parks.

This past December saw vandalism at 5 Wichita parks. Aley Park, 1800 S Seneca, was hit hard with over $10,000 in damages to the newly renovated bath house at the Aley Park swimming pool that included 2 broken windows, destruction of the women's restroom door, discharge of a fire extinguisher in the women's restroom, a stolen power strip, damage to the front counter, and damage to the fence line. The vandalism looks to be the work of teenagers or possibly younger children.

Should you live near a park, please stay vigilant and if you notice suspicious activity in a park past dark, or at any time, contact 9-1-1 to make a suspicious character(s) call. The money spent on repairs and replacement of equipment due to vandalism will mean less improvements and amenities for other parks.

Have you seen the activity going on the north side of Kellogg and west of West Street? Do you wonder what stores are left inside Towne West Square? Check out this local news report to find out more.

And if you are curious about what is happening inside Towne West Square, this would be a great place to get your steps in during the cold months of January and February and discover for yourself the wide variety of things to do at Towne West Square.

The OC is located at Town West Square near Dick's Sporting Goods. Click here for event & location details. 

The PROPEL Small Business Loan Fund is a low-interest, short-term revolving loan program. The fund serves as another resource to help make access to capital more readily available to businesses located in the City of Wichita. The microloan program helps provide general working capital to qualifying small businesses.

The fund provides loans up to $20,000 to businesses that have the ability to repay a loan but may not be able to obtain financing through traditional sources. To fine out more and apply for this opportunity, click here.

The future management of the city's public golf courses and the Wichita Ice Center are the two latest issues that you can weigh in on and have your questions answered. All you have to do is sign up for Wichita's Forum and when a new topic arises, you will be notified.

The Wichita District 4 Advisory Board meets monthly to weigh in on current Zoning and other cases presented by the Wichita-Sedgwick County Planning Department, as well as discussions and presentations by various other departments. The February 7 meeting will be held at the Alford Branch Library, 3447 S Meridian. Or you can continue to join us via Zoom or Facebook Live. To join in on the meeting, the Zoom link is posted on each month's agenda that you can find on Councilman Blubaugh's page via Wichita.gov

Last week, Multicon started work on the Sycamore ADA sidewalk project. New replacement walkway and ADA ramps are being poured on the east side of the street from Dayton to Taft. The project will remove tripping hazards in the old sidewalk and increase the quality of life for persons with disabilities who use the walkway.

The worker pictured in the green jacket is using a small power screed that vibrates and levels the concrete in one simple pass. Other crewmen follow up using hand floats to complete the troweling process. The project is being paid for with Community Development Block Grant funding.

Calendars are available for purchase + pickup at BWW headquarters or can be mailed. A perfect gift for any Wichita lover + your bike/ped friends. Go to www.bikewalkwichita.org/retail/ and order today!

Members+ Perks Alert! BWW Members+ can enter their coupon code for a $5 discount (check your email for coupon code). Questions? Email [email protected] for assistance.

Report potholes, broken street lights, damaged signs, illegal dumping, sewer, street/traffic, water, and more HERE