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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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Alaska Airlines' first flight from Seattle lands at Wichita Eisenhower National Airport to a water cannon salute (April 13, 2017). Photo courtesy of Fernando Salazar - The Wichita Eagle
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Comings & Goings
This week, Wichita welcomed the arrival of Alaska Airlines to Eisenhower National Airport. The carrier offers the only nonstop flight from Wichita to Seattle, opening up an important western destination. Once in Seattle, passengers will be able to make same-day connections to 19 locations on the West Coast. Alaska Airlines begins service in Wichita with one flight per day, but as demand grows, the airline would consider additional service down the road. Personally, I'm already looking to schedule some tourist time in the "Emerald City".
It's ironic that as I celebrate adding another airline to ICT, I'm also using this column to lament the departure of two of Wichita's "good ones" to Oklahoma. Personal friends Barby Jobe-Myers and Tim Boknecht are relocating to Oklahoma City and Tulsa, respectively. And while I completely respect and support their individual decisions, it's hard to imagine them not in Wichita anymore.
A former vice president at the Wichita Area Chamber of Commerce, Barby has been a tireless advocate for Wichita and we'll miss her influence, leadership and rational thinking. She's moving next month to be closer to family. A gifted writer, musician, artist & producer, Tim was hands down my TV constant for 15+ years at KAKE & KSN. It's not surprising that another station appreciates his amazing talent.
Both Barby & Tim represent everything you'd want in a Wichitan: intelligence, strong sense of community, highly motivated and extremely talented. According to The Chung Report, Wichita is clearly challenged in maintaining our human capital. Every time someone moves away, for whatever the reason, our community suffers with fewer ideas, talents and perspectives. To help reserve this trend, Wichita needs more leaders, volunteers and supporters than ever before. So that ultimately we have more comings than goings.
Have a happy Easter weekend!
Bryan Frye
Wichita City Council
District V Council Member
Ph: 316.268.4331
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Getting to Know City Staff:
Sgt. Steven Yarberry
Patrol West Community Policing
Steven T. Yarberry became a member of the Wichita Police Department in February 1986. After graduating the Department's academy he was assigned to Adam 3, which is commonly known today as the Patrol South Bureau. He worked as a patrolman on 3rd watch for five years and then worked as a patrolman on 1st watch for ten years. During his time as a patrolman he also served as a Field Training Officer.
Sgt. Yarberry was promoted to the rank of Detective in 2000 and worked in the Larceny and Robbery Sections of the Investigation Division. In April 2004 he was promoted to the rank of Sergeant and was assigned to Patrol West on 2nd watch where he served as a field supervisor and a Filed Training Supervisor. In 2015 Sgt. Yarberry was assigned as the Sergeant for Patrol West Community Policing, where he currently serves.
In 2002, Sgt. Yarberry became a member of the Department's Critical Incident Stress Management Team (CISMT) and currently serves as the Coordinator for the team. This team provides mental health peer support for department members who have been involved in a critical incident. He provides CISM training for the Academy recruits, and the Citizen Police Academy.
Sgt. Yarberry has received one Bronze Wreath of Valor, four Bronze Wreath of Merits, several Certificate of Commendations, several Distinguished Service Awards, 30 year perfect Driving Award, 10 year Perfect Attendance Award and numerous Commendatory Performance Awards. Sgt. Yarberry also received a Gold Award from the Kansas Chiefs of Police Association in 1988.
Sgt. Yarberry was born and raised in Wichita, KS and currently lives in District V. He is married with three children ages 25, 20, and 15. In his off duty time, he enjoys spending time with his family, fishing, playing golf, and spending time in the outdoors.
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West Wichita
Food Truck Rally
WHEN: FRIDAY, APRIL 14
5:30 - 8:30 PM
WHERE: 9035 W. CENTRAL
(In front of GracePoint Church)
The first West Wichita Food Truck Rally of 2017 will be held at GracePoint Church. Guests will have open access to the lobby of the church where you can enjoy your favorite food! Tables and Chairs will be provided. Of course, a food truck rally wouldn't be complete without music, Edge of Grace will be assisting with that.
Now for the trucks that will be attending!
The Kamayan Truck, B.S. Sandwich Press, Lynn's Curbside Cookout, The Brown Box Bakery, Big Chill Ice Cream, The Big Apple - NY Street Food Truck, Chino's Parrilla - Food on the go, Hot-2-Trot Gourmet Hotdogs, Songbird Juice Co, Sunflower Espresso and Funky Monkey Munchies!
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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.
Click here for more information...
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You will learn about selecting, planting, maintaining, and cooking with herbs! The National Herb of the Year for 2017 is Cilantro / Coriander, which will be featured in the demonstrations and seminars.
The featured chef is Charlott Knapic of Beautiful Day Café.
In addition, seminars by members of the Herb Society, Extension Master Gardeners, and Extension Agents will cover topics relating to growing and cooking with herbs. Plant vendors from around the region will have herbs and other plants for sale.
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Wichita District V Facebook Page
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GET INVOLVED.
Volunteering. Voting. Helping a neighbor. These forms of civic engagement not only positively impact lives, but also help shape how a community is perceived.
How engaged are Wichitans? Data indicates that we could be doing more. Join us as we explore the impact of civic engagement and identify ways to get involved in creating a better future.
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2017 Water Conservation Rebate Program
The 2017 water conservation rebate program will start on Monday, April 3, offering residents up to $80,000 in incentives if they install approved water conserving devices. The popular, fifth-year program, which City Council approved on March 7, will accept applications until the funds expire.
Beginning Monday, applications may be picked up at the Environmental Health building (1900 E. 9th Street North); application and submittal instructions also are available at www.wichita.gov. Rebates are available to all customers with active accounts for the delivery of potable water.
To date, the City has approved approximately 7,208 applications resulting in $881,075 total value in rebates given back to the community, for an estimated total annual water savings of 225 million gallons.
Eight devices and appliances are eligible for rebates. Detailed program requirements and lists of qualifying items are available at saveWichitawater.com, but general guidelines and eligible items are listed below. City officials recommend residents have a printout of qualifying appliances for reference when shopping. There is a limit of five rebated items per water customer account. Rebates will not exceed the purchase price.
Eligible for Up to:
- $100 on Low flow Toilets: WaterSense qualified using 1.28 gallons per flush or less
- $100 on Low flow Urinals: WaterSense qualified using 0.5 gallons per flush or less
- $100 on High Efficiency Dishwashers: Energy Star or Consortium for Energy Efficiency (CEE)
- $100 on High Efficiency Clothes Washers: Water Factor of 4.5 gallons or less (CEE rated)
- $100 on Smart Irrigation Controllers: Labeled as approved by WaterSense©
- $100 on Rain Sensor-Shutoffs: Set to shut off irrigation after ¼-inch of rain is received
- $75 on Rain Barrels: 45 gallons or larger
- $50 on Dual Flush Toilet Conversion Kits: Change inefficient toilets to using 1.6 gals. per flush or less
Customers are encouraged to, please, contact the Water Conservation office at 268-8351 or email
WaterRebate@wichita.gov
for more information.
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BURN BAN FOR THE ENTIRE MONTH OF APRIL
Even though we have had lots of rain this past week, a burn ban will be in place for the City of Wichita for the month of April.
Fire Marshal Brad Crisp and Air Quality Specialist Baylee Cunningham discuss the April Burn Ban and air quality in Wichita and what you can do to help the community breath cleaner air. Only barbecue grills are allowed to be used during the entire month of April.
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Fireproofing Your Home:
Tips to Ensure Your Gardens Don't Become Tinderboxes
It's Spring and the flowers and shrubs that beautify your property are once again in full bloom. In order to maintain the water and soil that these plants need, many people will use a weed barrier material and possibly put mulch down to assist. These materials, while useful, can be potentially hazardous given the opportunity.
Often, these areas are prone to fire by virtue of discarded smoking materials, inadvertent embers from fire pits, or the remnants of a barbecue grill's contents. By ensuring that these materials are properly disposed of in a metal, non-combustible container, you can help the Wichita Fire Department ensure that we continue to provide proactive fire and life safety services through prevention, education, and protection.
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LOAD 'EM UP AND GET 'EM OUT
Sedgwick County is offering
free tire disposal for
residents on April 14 & 15 (Businesses can dispose for free on April 13).
Get rid of unwanted tires before the mosquito season gets here! Tires stacked outside tend to hold water and make an ideal breeding ground for mosquitoes. If they are in your garage, spiders and other insects will find them a handy place to lay their eggs.
Take them to the Sedgwick County Waste Yard at 4701 S. West St. between 8:00 a.m and 4:00 p.m on April 14 and 15.
This is for Sedgwick County residents only!
Thank you Sedgwick County!
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EARTH DAY EVENT APRIL 22
The annual Arkansas River Trash Roundup is a great way to engage your friends and family in a fun event that helps to improve the entire community. This year the volunteers will meet at the parking lot at 1st Street & Waco (151 N Waco), and registration begins at 8:00 am. Volunteers receive free T-shirts and food.
Speed up check-in by filling out the Registration Form early and bring it with you. You can access the individual waiver here, or the group waiver here.
After registering you will receive trash bags and gloves. Wear sturdy shoes and clothes that can get dirty. Sunscreen, a hat and bug spray are a good idea too. After you fill a few bags, enjoy a post-cleanup cookout
with the City of Wichita, Cargill, Spirit AeroSystems and Ducks Unlimited back at check-in (151 N Waco).
For more information about the River Trash Roundup, contact Cindy Le at 316-350-3386 or email at cle@wichita.gov. Like them on Facebook!
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Cable & Cable Alternatives: Which is best for you?
There are more choices than ever when it comes to viewing entertaining and educational programs at home. To help you decide which options are best for you, we'll look at the advantages and disadvantages of both cable service and the ever growing number of alternative viewing options.
This lecture-style class will include information on cable service, digital antennas, smart TVs, and a description of other devices to get free and paid programming through your internet connection.
Tuesday, April 25
6:00 - 7:30pm
Westlink Branch Library
8515 Bekemeyer
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Botanica is Turning 30!
Come join the celebration on Thursday, May 11!
Stroll the beautiful gardens of Botanica and taste Bloody Mary's and small bites from local restaurants. Also, enjoy local beer from some of our favorite breweries in town. Be sure to stop by one of the Deep Eddy's Vodka bars. DJ Carbon will be doing his thing and keeping us all entertained.
Help us celebrate our 30th
Anniversary and drop by the WOW Cakes table and sample some delicious birthday cake. This cake will be BIG!!
Be one of our 100 VIP guests on the pond deck where you will have a private bar, food from District Taqueria, exclusive raffle for prizes over $500 and lounge seating provided by Specs.
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Move More in April, says the American Heart Association
Outdoor walk-at-work events are in this spring. At your job, try out a "walking meeting" with a workmate or just enjoy the noontime fresh air. It's refreshing for mind and body to walk every day but you might see plenty of other pedestrians on some Wednesdays this spring:
- Move More in April, (Am Heart Assoc., heart.org)
- April 26, National Walk at Lunch Day (Blue Cross Blue Shield of KS, BCBSKS.com)
- May 3, Get Fit Don't Sit Day, (Am Diabetes Assoc., diabetes.org)
- May 17, Walk at Work Day, (Health & Wellness Coalition Wichita, hwcwichita.org)
Find your favorite time to walk: morning, noon, after supper. Walk tall. Do some backward shoulder rolls to relieve stress. Walking is an uplifting respite from the work day or home day.
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Wichita Public Library Young Artists' Exhibit
For the ninth year in a row, the Wichita Public Library has partnered with local early childhood programs to present the Young Artists' Exhibit. Displayed throughout the month of April, exhibits at libraries across Wichita recognize the Week of the Young Child, a celebration of early learning, young children, their teachers and families. Artwork created by hundreds of Wichita children based on a literary theme will be displayed at the Central Library as well as the Alford, Angelou, Evergreen, Rockwell, and Westlink Branch Libraries.
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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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Riverfest Needs You!
Volunteering is a fun way to get involved and get a behind the scenes look at a long-running Wichita tradition.
Volunteers are the heart and backbone of the Wichita Riverfest. Each year they need over 5,500 volunteers to work a total of 19,000 volunteer hours. An estimated 80 volunteer committees help plan and execute Riverfest. Volunteers work on committees, help with mailings, package buttons, answer phones and work onsite at Riverfest to make it successful.
Lots of positions are available with flexible days and times to fit your schedule.
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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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FRAUD ALERTS
from the OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL
There are many scams and frauds going on now days, so be alert when answering your phone or responding to an email from an unknown sender. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, has all of the latest tips and reporting phone numbers if you suspect you have been a victim of a scam or some type of fraud. Be prepared and be aware! Learn more by clicking on their
link.
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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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Spring 2017
Park & Recreation Activities Guide is now available!
Get registered for classes
by
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8515 Beckemeyer
Southeast of Central and Maize Rd.
1011 N. Maize Ct.
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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.
To see a listing of the meeting schedule for District V's neighborhood associations,
click here.
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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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Stay Connected
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