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City of Wichita District V Newsletter |
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A Message from Council Member
Bryan Frye...
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 Every year, we set aside Veteran's Day, November 11, to honor all men and women who serve and defend our Country in the Armed Forces.
To all of our
U.S. military service members, past and present, I give my heartfelt thanks for your service. Your bravery and commitment to our great country make you the ultimate heroes and role models. If everyone strived to be as selfless and honorable as you, our potential would be unlimited. Thank you so much for your sacrifices and dedication.
Bryan Frye
District V City Council Member
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Getting to Know DAB V:
Barby Jobe Myers
Barby Jobe Myers moved to Wichita 15 years ago from Oklahoma and has always lived in District V. She works at the Wichita Metro Chamber of Commerce as vice president of government relations. Barby graduated from Oklahoma State University and worked in Washington, DC, Oklahoma City and Tulsa, OK before moving to Wichita. One of her favorite things about Wichita is the lack of traffic and the ability to get from the West side to the East side in less than 25 minutes.
According to Barby, raising a family in Wichita, and specifically in District V, is the best. Barby has three children, Kavan Jobe, 21 years old, and a student at WSU (and also a District V resident) and Kaden Jobe, 17, who is a senior at Maize High School. Her daughter, Kylie Jobe, was killed by a drunk driver on March 23, 2011 when she was 20 years old. Kylie's boyfriend, Kyle Thornburg, was also killed. Kylie and Kyle are honored every year with a 5K run in March called Run2Believe. Barby knows, in a very personal way, that the Wichita community is amazing and very supportive and she is an advocate for not drinking and driving.
Barby thinks the amenities in District V are fantastic. She loves the close proximity of New Market Square and all of the awesome sidewalks for dog walks and evening runs. Barby and her husband love to golf and their favorite course is Auburn Hills followed by a cold beer at their favorite bar/restaurant, Old Chicago west.
Barby was honored when Councilman Frye asked her to serve on his District Advisory Board. She enjoys the opportunity to provide input and serve as an advocate for District V residents as both the District and Wichita face the future. Barby believes District V is the greatest place to raise a family, grow a business and have fun experiences.
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Tyler Road Improvements Approved
At the Tuesday, November 1, City Council meeting, the Council approved the revised design concept that will add a left turn lane on Tyler Road from south of 2nd Street to north of Frazier where the existing section of Tyler is a five lane roadway. The intersection of Tyler and 2nd will be signalized, upgraded to accommodate pedestrian traffic, and pavement markings will be installed on 2nd Street to clearly identify a left and right turn movement for westbound traffic. The existing pedestrian signal on Tyler will be removed.
Construction is planned to begin in the summer of 2017 to construct as much of the project as possible when school is not in session.
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Pracht Wetlands Under Design
The new Pracht Wetlands Park design activities kicked off last week on October 31
st
at our Park Villa shelter located in North Riverside Park. RDG Design and Planning provided the leadership with their team of landscape architects, ecologists and engineers to conduct a series of charrette meetings to engage local environmental groups, neighborhood stakeholders, the US Army Corps of Engineers for regulatory requirements, area developers and city officials to develop concepts that will provide critical direction to this environmental gem located in northwest Wichita. Many ideas were discussed at length to find the best solution for this exciting project.
A final wrap up session with the Design Task force was completed on Thursday, November 3
rd
, to review a schematic plan which includes such features as a trailhead with interpretive art and signage, decorative boardwalk system, overlook tower, pathways, and wildlife viewing stations.
Completed construction plans are scheduled for Spring 2017.
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Redbarn Park to Receive Improvements
At the November 1 Council Meeting, Council approved
$800,000 to be spent on upgrading many City parks. A portion of this money will be used to make upgrades to Redbarn Park in District V. Design amenities will be brought to the DAB V Board at a later date.
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Kellogg/I235 Updates
Stay up-to-date with construction of the improvements to the Kellogg/I235 interchange. KDOT has established and is maintaining a website to keep citizens informed.
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Wichita District V Facebook Page
Stay up-to-date with news and events in our District.
Click here to visit our Facebook page. Send us a message or request or simply "like" our posts.
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THE FOLLOWING CITY SERVICES WILL BE CLOSED IN HONOR OF
VETERANS DAY, FRIDAY,
NOVEMBER 11th
City Hall, Neighborhood Resource Centers, Wichita Public Library locations, Park & Recreation centers, Great Plains Nature Center, OJ Watson Park, Botanica Gardens, Old Cowtown Museum, Century II administrative offices, Transit administrative offices, Wichita Art Museum, CityArts, WATER Center, and Environmental Health offices.
- Wichita Transit bus service and Paratransit service will not operate on Friday.
- Mid-America All-Indian Center will be open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday.
- The Animal Shelter will be open 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday.
Brooks C & D Landfill, Riverside Tennis Center and municipal golf courses are open regular hours on Friday.
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2017 Water & Sewer
Proposed Rate Changes
The City Council is considering a proposal to increase water and sewer rates next year. The proposed water rate increase of 4% and sewer rate increase of 5% are lower than the 2016 increases, which were 5.6% and 5.1% respectively. The combined increase would be 4.4%, compared to 5.4% last year. This approach is in line with the City Council's priority to reduce rate increases when possible, phase them over many years, and more fairly balance between residential, commercial and industrial customers. This allows the City to invest in its water and sewer infrastructure in a way that is mindful of the impact to ratepayers. Wichita continues to compare favorably to other municipal utilities. Black & Veatch's 2016 50 Largest Cities Rate Survey ranked Wichita as the 10
th
lowest cost provider of mid-range residential water and sewer service. Wichita's proposed 2017 rate increases are below the national averages of 5.9% for water and 5.8% for sewer, according to the survey.
The vote is scheduled for early December. If approved, the new rates will become effective January 1, 2017.
Where Does the Money Go?
Water and sewer revenue is money that comes straight from ratepayers to fund the system that provides clean drinking water and the system that collects and treats wastewater. Planned infrastructure improvements over the next 10 years account for 74% of the increased revenue needs. Some of these improvements are necessary for regulatory compliance, like projects that focus on treatment plant processes, as well as projects focused on replacing old water and sewer pipes.
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Thanksgiving Special is Back! 
November 1-23 bring a non-perishable food item to any course and receive $5 off a regular green fee or $2 off a season pass green fee!
More info...
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Suits for Soldiers
Through November 30th
, Farmers Insurance is collecting gently-used suits for veterans to use in their pursuit of civilian employment. They have partnered with the VA to host a giveaway event for veterans in need. The more suits collected, the more veterans they can serve! Learn more about the program by watching this video.
Suits can be dropped off at the following locations:
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District Office
8428 W. 13th St. N., Suite 130
Wichita, KS 67212
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Matthew Agard Agency
1145 N. Andover Rd., Suite 105
Andover, KS 67002
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Holly Yip Agency
1307 W. 31st St.
Wichita, KS 67217
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Aaron Lawrence Agency
500 N. Main St., Suite 112
Newton, KS 67114
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Wichita's premier light display. With more than 1 million lights and new themed displays, we transform the gardens into a vast winter wonderland with themed light displays throughout. You've heard about it, now see it to believe it. Experience Kansas' largest holiday display. Make Illuminations your holiday tradition. It has become one of the area's premier holiday events.
Illuminations is held seven days a week, 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. from Nov. 25 through Dec. 31 (excluding Dec. 24 and 25). This is a family-friendly event that showcases Botanica's 17 acres of beautiful gardens in a completely different light.
This year the event is getting a festive facelift! More than 5,000 LED luminaries will line garden pathways, more than 150 trees will be expertly lit, and many structures will be lit with twinkling white lights. As visitors enjoy their walk through the Gardens, they will enjoy the warm glow of luminaries, the sound of electric trains traveling around pine trees, the reflections of trees on the pond, the magic of the flocked forest at Candy Cane Lane, the fragrance of chimineas, the warmth of hot cocoa and cider and the joy of live musical groups. In total, more than 1 million lights combined with nature, it creates a stunning atmosphere and a "HO, HO, HO" lot of holiday fun!
Support from special events such as Illuminations help us showcase the Gardens, maintain Botanica as one of the Midwest's leading botanical gardens and further our mission. Tickets are $8 ($7 members) for adults and $6 for youth (3-12). Advance tickets can be purchased at all area QuikTrip locations or at botanica.org. Group rates are available in advance.
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PHYSICAL ACTIVITY LOWERS CANCER RISK
When asked about how our lifestyles affect our risk of cancer, most are aware that smoking can cause lung cancer, and that sun exposure can lead to skin cancer. However, physical activity is known to lower the risk of some cancers, specifically breast cancer and colon cancer.
A new study published in 2016
also
saw an association of physical activity with lower risks of 13
other
varieties of cancer. This is an interesting finding which further suggests that being active is good for your health in all kinds of ways!
Choose your favorite activity, and try to spend at least 30 minutes, five days/week, doing it. Remember that walking at a moderate pace counts! Wichita has many parks, biking and walking paths. Take advantage of them!
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SENIOR WEDNESDAYS
Senior Wednesdays are always fun and there is something different to do; someone new to meet. There are also many senior activity centers in Wichita and the surrounding areas, so be informed. Be entertained. Be active.
To see the upcoming events for October's Senior Wednesdays,
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Life Happens Here!
From year-round to seasonal events, Downtown is the preferred location for Wichita to celebrate throughout the year. A variety of events cater to the diverse interests of Wichita residents and many visitors from Kansas and throughout the regional area.
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Volunteers Needed!
The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program is looking for individuals to assist with free tax preparation so families and individuals with low to moderate income get the benefits they need. Positions include greeters, interpreters and preparers. Training provided, flexible hours (January through April), and multiple site locations available.
Contact United Way of the Plains in Wichita by calling 211 to volunteer or get more information.
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JOBS are here in Wichita!
The Wichita Metro Chamber of Commerce is proud to offer a job board with local, Wichita area, jobs only! A free service for job seekers, it will save you the time of searching through dozens of jobs outside of the area. Create a free account here
and you will be automatically signed up for all Wichita area updates and can customize the search further if you wish.
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Check out the latest information on job fairs and training courses. Click here.
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Don't be Left in the Dark!
Help deter crime and keep our communities safe by reporting street light outages. If you notice outages within your neighborhood, fill out this simple form on Westar Energy's website.
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Find out about
Park and Recreation classes
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| Westlink Branch Library
8515 Bekemeyer
Southwest of Central and Maize
1011 N. Maize Ct. |
District V Advisory Board and Neighborhood Associations
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The District V Advisory Board meets the first Monday of the month at Fire Station #21 at 2110 N. 135th St W. Wichita, KS 672235. Meetings begin at 6:30 p.m. For the 2016 meeting schedule, click
here.
To find DAB V agendas and minutes click
here.
To see a listing of the meeting schedule for District V's neighborhood associations, click
here.
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Become part of the solution and tell us what's on your mind. Visit Activate Wichita today!
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Click
here to find up-to-date
information regarding street
maintenance in your area.
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Stay up-to-date on City events, announcements and headlines by reading our daily News Releases
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City Manager's Office
455 N. Main, 13 Floor
Wichita, KS 67202
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