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City of Wichita District II Newsletter |
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A Message from Council Member
Pete Meitzner...
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I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas, and a safe and happy New Year holiday. Our city has done some great things in 2016, as I previously have shared throughout the year. Rest assured, we are not slowing down in 2017 and I look forward to providing more positive updates during the year. So please feel free to forward any of our newsletters, or provide us email addresses of any persons that you want us to include in the future.
On a more somber note, most of you who know me, know that I prefer a
positive message and exciting news to share. However, 2016 seemed to have many persons who passed away that were a part of our country, from entertainers to those notable for their contributions while alive on earth. On a local level, the last part of December we lost a friend, Bill Simon. We went to high school together. Bill, and the Simon family, are a great part of Wichita. Most recently with all that he has done with the Freddie's Frozen Custard franchise. Bill was also very community-involved, and I was proud to serve with him on the Board of Directors of Cerebral Palsy Research Foundation.
More recently, during the first week of 2017, Wichita lost another legend
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Daryl Spencer's last pitch |
with the passing of Daryl Spencer. Daryl had a successful 11 year career as a Major League baseball player. He also played professionally in Japan, and was a big part of our local NBC Baseball history for many years. Dar
yl kept his home in Wichita, and always called Wichita home. I was honored to be on the baseball field with Daryl this past summer when he threw out the first pitch during the recent NBC tournament. Little did I know this would be Daryl's last pitch. If you are a baseball or history person, you can google Daryl and see his many accomplishments, along with a great story by
Bob Lutz in the Wichita Eagle.
I have a personal sense of loss regarding Bill and Daryl, who embraced all the good parts of their contribution to helping make our city a better place. My sincere best wishes to Bill's and Daryl's families as they adjust to life without their loved ones. Let's not forget how fortunate we are to have friends, family, and associates.
Best wishes for a wonderful new year!
Pete Meitzner
Wichita City Council
District II Council Member
Ph: 316.268.4331
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East Kellogg Improvements Update
Attention E. Kellogg travelers - Watch for temporary lane closures on the inside lanes of East Kellogg, from Zelta to
143
rd
Street
from Monday through Wednesday, January 9-12, weather permitting. Go slow, be aware of construction workers, and stay safe. Follow us @e54ict for more up-to-date information.
The Kellogg & Webb Project is nearing the end of the second phase of construction as the east side of Webb Road and the south frontage road, east of Webb, are essentially complete. The next major work will be the north frontage road and the west side of Webb.
The second East Kellogg improvement project, between Greenwich and K-96, began in September and is administered by the KTA. The first phase of the project is utility relocation, with minimal impacts to traffic. In addition to utility work, crews will be paving on Kellogg for future traffic configurations.
Traffic impacts include:
- Occasional lane changes and closures along Greenwich as utility relocation continues.
- Access to and from the Kansas Turnpike at the Kellogg toll plaza is via eastbound Kellogg only. All left turns at Webb Road are prohibited, so drivers will need to use U-turn lanes 1/2 mile east of Webb on Kellogg and the U-turn lane at Rock Road. This is a result of the demolition of the KTA bridge over Kellogg near Webb Road.
- Occasional lane closures during non-peak hours of 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. for median removal and to temporarily widen and pave Kellogg between Zelta and 143rd Street.
- Kellogg speed limit reduced to 40 mph between Cypress and 143rd Streets, and Webb Road speed limit reduced to 30 mph in the construction zone for the remainder of the project.
Click here to stay up-to-date on East Kellogg construction or via Twitter at @E54ict.
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Start Planning Now for your
The City of Wichita neighborhood cleanup applications for 2017 were sent out to neighborhood associations and home owner associations this week. If we missed your association, please give us a call at 316-268-4197. The cleanups start the 1st Saturday in April and conclude the last Saturday of November. There is much preparation involved when planning a neighborhood cleanup, so now is the time to get with your association to set a date, fill out and submit your application, and recruit volunteers.
The work is fun, rewarding, and a great way to get to know your neighbors! We all live in a great city, and it's everyone's responsibility to take care of it.
Click here to view the application and instructions.
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Wichita District II Facebook Page
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Unusual weather seemed to be a common theme for 2016, and in many cases caused Public Works and Utilities to alter operations in response. One such example was the tremendous amount of rain received this year. While average annual rainfall for Wichita is about 34 inches, the area received nearly 50 inches this year. 29 inches fell in the months of July, August, and September alone.
Not only did the area receive more rain than usual, the rain sometimes came in a series of long-lasting events that caused major flooding. For this reason, FEMA declared a disaster for the dates of September 2-12, 2016. While the damage that occurred in Wichita seems minor compared to the many smaller cities and townships south of Wichita, some additional resources were expended in order to respond during these events. Public Works and Utilities, in coordination with the City's Finance Department, Kansas Department of Emergency Management (KDEM) and FEMA, is working to determine if some of the costs incurred can be recovered. Some of the costs include:
- Barricading of City streets that posed a safety risk due to flooding.
- Emergency repair of traffic signals that were damaged by lightning.
- Continual stormwater inlet cleaning to ensure that blockages were not preventing flood waters from entering the stormwater system.
- Additional staff required to operate the sewage treatment plant due to an extraordinary increase in flows.
Staff has met with KDEM and FEMA several times to date and will continue to gather and prepare information for their consideration.
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Supplemental Pavement Maintenance
The City Council has allocated $10 million from the Hyatt sale proceeds to the improvement of many of the City's worst neighborhood streets. The funding boost for streets will be enough to fix the worn-out concrete streets in the city and about 41 percent of asphalt streets that have reached the end of their service life.
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Budgeting Workshop at
Rockwell Branch Library
January 10, 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm
Budgeting is making sure that you're spending less than you're bringing in and planning for both the short- and long-term. When you actually see the breakdown of your expenses, you may be surprised by what you find. Attend this 2-part workshop to learn how to better manage your money.
This first session will be a look at how individuals and families manage their money in ways that work for them. The 2nd session (held on Jan. 17) will focus on practical ways you can track your spending.
This program is presented by Elizabeth Brunscheen-Cartagena from the Sedgwick County Extension Office. Registration is required for this two-session class, beginning Dec. 20, 2016; call 688-9361 or register online.
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Wichita Public Library Launches 1000 Books Before Kindergarten Reading Challenge
New in 2017, the Wichita Public Library joins libraries across the country in providing parents with a program to help grow their children's early literacy skills with the 1000 Books Before Kindergarten reading challenge.
The 1000 Books Before Kindergarten challenge, available for children ages 6 and under who haven't yet started kindergarten, encourages parents to regularly read stories to their young children. Research shows the most reliable predictor of school success is being read to during early childhood. Reading to young children is the best way to stimulate language and cognitive skills. According to early literacy research, the more words a parent uses when speaking to an 8-month-old infant, the larger that child's vocabulary will be when he reaches 3 years old.
To participate, parents and caregivers pick up a packet at any of the eight Wichita Public Library locations. The packet includes a tracking sheet that can be colored each time a book is read. After 100 books are read, each child will receive a book bag and get to mark their accomplishment on a progress chart inside the Library. More prizes will be awarded along the way to reaching 1000 books.
The 1000 Books Before Kindergarten challenge is part of the Wichita Public Library's larger early literacy initiative for creating young readers throughout the community. Every week, hundreds of young children, from newborns to preschoolers, attend Library storytimes. A variety of storytimes are offered geared toward specific age ranges to accommodate the abilities and development of the young participants, all while growing early literacy skills. Also every week, thousands of children's books are checked out from the eight public libraries, providing all families free access to children's material.
A full listing of storytimes, recommended reading, details and other early literacy resources is available at www.wichitalibrary.org/kids.
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OLD HISTORY WILL BE MAKING NEW HISTORY IN 2017
WITH THE SESQUICENTENNIAL OF
THE CHISHOLM TRAIL
The year of 2017 will be a year-long celebration of the Chisholm Trail. The Wichita - Sedgwick County Historical Museum - 204 S. Main - Wichita KS will be celebrating
Kansas Day on Sunday January 29th - 2:00 - 3:00 pm
- Kansas History in Song,
with a tip of the Hat to the Chisholm Trail - a live music program presented by a cavalcade of cowboy troubadours.
Come and see many items from Wichita and the Chisholm Trail. Visit with Wichita historians and learn about how Wichita became a booming town in part because of the cattle drives and the Chisholm Trail. Stay tuned for the upcoming cattle drive.
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SMALLGRASS FILM FESTIVAL -
On Saturday, January 14th, experience a day full of specially-curated feature and short films for the young and young at heart. Be the first to see Exploration Place's Boeing Dome Theater film,
Titans of the Ice Age.
Smallgrass offers a unique and affordable entertainment option for families with children of all ages, over the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend, while fostering an appreciation of the communal cinema experience for the next generation.
Plus, enjoy hands-on activities and all exhibits including the national traveling exhibit
Discover the Ice Age, presented in partnership with Tallgrass Film Association.
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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.
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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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H2O Care Fund
The City of Wichita recognizes that there are many residents who are struggling during these difficult economic times, especially during the holidays.
This voluntary program provides a simple way to directly help others. Even small donations can add up and provide a way for people to maintain their water service. There are three ways to help, and you can find out how by filling out the City of Wichita H2O Care Fund Program Donation Form here.
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KANSEL Construction
Training Program
KANSEL has a great training opportunity for men and women interested in a career in construction. This
FREE program prepares students for entry level construction work. They are trained in power & hand tools, construction math, blueprint reading, and receive OSHA, physical fitness, and life management skills instruction.
Students who complete the course have an opportunity to interview with local construction companies. Applicants must be 18 or older, have a high school diploma or GED, be legally employable in the U.S. and attend all session of the 7 week course.
Interested students should plan to attend one of the above information sessions to apply for the program.
Call 263-9620 for 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 job fairs and
training courses. Click here.
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How to report...
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Don't be left in the
dark
If you notice streetlight outages within your neighborhood, fill out this
simple form on Westar Energy's website.
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Track the Snowplows
Are you ready for winter weather? The City of Wichita is! Crews have been preparing snow plows and training new drivers ahead of the storm.
You can see where the City of Wichita snowplow/treatment trucks are on a Google map. The map can be zoomed and panned as usual to see what ever area you desire
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Winter 2017
Park & Recreation Activities Guide is now available!
Get registered for classes
by
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Stay up-to-date on City events, announcements and headlines by reading our daily News Releases
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| Comotara Branch Library
Inside Dillons Market, 2244 N. Rock
Rockwell Branch Library 5939 E. 9th Eastview Park Just South of Coleman Middle School Boston Park 6655 E. Zimmerly St. Cottonwood Park Located just East of Boston Park W.B. Harrison Park Located East of S. Webb, just South of E. Bayley St. |
District II Advisory Board and Neighborhood Associations
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The District II Advisory Board meets the second Monday of the month at Fire Station #20 at 2255 S. Greenwich Rd. Wichita, KS 67207. Meetings begin at 6:30 p.m. For the 2017 meeting schedule,
click here.
The District II Breakfast occurs quarterly. The next breakfast is scheduled for February 4, 2017
at 8:30 a.m. at The Regent Senior Living Residence at 2050 N. Webb Rd. (In the theater on the second floor).
To see a listing of the meeting schedule for District II'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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City Manager's Office
455 N. Main, 13 Floor
Wichita, KS 67202
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Stay Connected
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