February 18th & 19th   ,   February 25th & 26th

Saturdays 10:00am to 5:00pm

Sundays     Noon to 4:00pm

At the White Oak Plaza Galleries of the Blue Springs Art Council .

SouthWest of 40 & 7 Hiways

just to the West of Beauty Brands

Blue Springs , Missouri .

Framed prints , Matted prints & greeting cards for viewing and for sale .    

contact Carolyn Fox @ 229-1209 for further  details .

Check out their website at http://www.sweettoothkc.com/

The changing of the calendar to a new year is typically seen as a time for fresh starts and new beginnings.

For Blue Springs, 2012 will be the year in which we see visible progress on the Missouri Innovation Park on Adams Dairy Parkway. As the University of Missouri prepares to break ground at its permanent location in Blue Springs, its involvement and commitment will raise the visibility and viability of MIP to the world’s animal-health-related companies, along with other entities and organizations.

It will take time, but we anticipate the demand for locations within the MIP will result in new, high-quality jobs for Blue Springs residents and those in the surrounding areas.

This year will also see the installation of the new digital radio system for our Police Department. This system, paid for by the public safety tax that Blue Springs voters approved last year, will substantially improve our Police Department’s communication ability and will help make our city safer. The improvements to the public safety building will enhance downtown and provide an improved workplace for our police officers.

Hopefully, 2012 will see progress on the regional transit proposal, which could bring even more activity to our downtown in the coming years.

The redevelopment of Woods Chapel Road continues, and residents will see utilities relocated this spring in preparation for the widening and resurfacing from Duncan Road on the north all the way south to Walnut Street. Right-of-way acquisition is under way, and we should see work on the road begin this year, with scheduled completion scheduled for 2013. The new diverging diamond interchange at Interstate 70 will improve the flow of traffic, especially during rush hour, and the signalized intersection at Duncan Road will make that area safer and less congested.

I would also like to take this opportunity to express my sincerest appreciation for the many cards, notes, copies of the newspaper and kind words regarding the story of the Christmas ornaments from my birth mother. To Martin Augustine of KMBC Channel 9 News and Lee Hill Kavanaugh of The Kansas City Star, thank you for telling the story in such a wonderful and compassionate manner. The response has been overwhelming and very much appreciated. For those who missed the stories, they can be viewed at http://bit.ly/QuibellOrnaments and http://bit.ly/AnnChristmas.
Happy new year, everyone! I look forward to another year of sharing with you all of the great things happening in Blue Springs!

Community and elected leaders in Blue Springs are consistently looking for opportunities to provide better services to our residents. Several years ago, as a downtown revitalization plan was developed for Blue Springs, we identified a number of key items that would advance development in the downtown corridor. A rail station that would act as a transit portal to the rest of the Kansas City region was an integral piece of the plan, as it would bring people into downtown Blue Springs and act as a catalyst for new development.

Recently, the Kansas City Regional Transit Alliance held a number of public forums to share information about the new Regional Rail initiative supported by County Executive Mike Sanders and many of the Mayors in the Kansas City region. These forums provided an opportunity for the public to view a variety of potential plans for regional transportation, including a rail system that would encompass much of the Kansas City region.

Kansas City has a long history with railroads and has a significant amount of unused or underutilized track all over the metropolitan area. Utilizing these existing rails allow a regional rail system to be constructed quickly and cost-efficiently.

While no final determination has been made on rail stop locations, Blue Springs is anticipating a stop in downtown and hopefully an additional stop near the new Missouri Innovation Park (MIP). This would encourage redevelopment downtown and facilitate the development of MIP.

This regional rail proposal is an exciting development that has the potential to transform public transportation not only for Blue Springs, but the entire Kansas City region, bringing with it enhanced employment and tourism opportunities. The rail infrastructure already exists, which reduces the cost and shortens the implementation timeframe. Many community leaders and elected officials throughout Jackson County are eager to support the proposal including our own Mayor Carson Ross, Kansas City Mayor Sly James, and County Executive Mike Sanders, just to name a few.

I am excited about the opportunities that a regional rail plan can bring to the residents of Eastern Jackson County. I encourage everyone to take the time to examine the proposals and support expanded regional transportation alternatives. As Mayor Ross likes to say, “Blue Springs is On the Move!”

Information about the Kansas City Regional Transit vision can be found at http://bit.ly/kcrtarr

As you do your holiday shopping and beyond, be certain to patronize our downtown businesses in Blue Springs!

Happy Holidays from Bill and me and Tara Lane Productions!

Join us on Friday, Dec. 2 for Prospero’s Parkside Books’ Holiday Party at the bookstore located at 208 N. Hwy 7, Blue Springs, MO.  (The bookstore shares a parking lot with Zarda's Barbecue, and sits behind Einstein's Bagels and Sheridan's Custard.)

We’ll perform a script-in-hand reading of A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. Our readers are Jack McCord, Ari Bavel, Nancy Eppert, Mary Ruth Gunter, Richard Gorell and Bill Rogers.

There will also be live music from The Songbirds (Elsa Rae, Nadia Thomas, and Camry Ivory) and lots of holiday refreshments!

Bring the kids!!!

This free party runs from 6PM until 8:30, with the reading of A Christmas Carol beginning at approximately 7 PM.

Please join us for a wholesome helping of holiday cheer!

Janet Rogers

http://www.facebook.com/events/194778243938212/

Each year, as we take time to enjoy our national day of Thanksgiving, we stop to consider all the many blessings in our lives. As I reflect on the people in my life, and the community Wanda and I have made our home, the list of blessings is extensive and varied.

On Monday, the city of Blue Springs and the University of Missouri took the next step toward the realization of the Missouri Innovation Park. This is a development that each of us in Blue Springs can be thankful for as it will bring new, quality jobs to our community. I am also thankful for The Examiner’s excellent article on Tuesday. The accurate description of the MIP letter of agreement and the impact on our community was well written and detailed.

Many of our residents are thankful that the long-vacant Kmart building is gone and replaced with a larger Hy-Vee Grocery. The 140 new employees are thankful for the opportunity for employment. While there is still plenty of work to be done, a lot of progress has occurred at the intersection of U.S. 40 and Missouri 7.

I am thrilled with the new QuikTrip on North Missouri 7. Not only did it replace the vacant former gas station on that corner, I can now shop at PriceChopper and use my gasoline rewards on my way to work at the CPros building, next to the Paul Consiglio Center. I am thankful that CPros has this permanent home in which to serve our community’s computer and software needs.

A many of you know this is the first Thanksgiving since the death of my father. I am so thankful for the many years of love, wisdom and humor he shared with me and thankful my mother is here with us and continues to share in my life. Of course, I’m thankful for my wonderful daughters, Ashley and Crystal, and for my amazing wife, Wanda. I am thankful for my brother and sister who shared my childhood and for the five sisters and three brothers in my biological family whom I have had the privilege to meet and love over the last nine years.

The opportunity to meet my biological parents nine years ago, especially my biological mother, ranks very high on my thankful list. When I think of the sacrifices she made to ensure that I had the opportunities she was unable to provide, “thank you” seems so inadequate. This fall, she is undergoing treatment for uterine cancer. I promised her that if she lost her hair during her treatments I would lose mine so she wouldn’t have to go through baldness alone.

This past weekend, the chemotherapy caused her hair to fall out, so first thing Monday morning Mike Courtney of Courtney Bros Barber & Shaving Parlor in Blue Springs graciously shaved the hair from my head. I am thankful for Mike, his business and friendship. I am also thankful for my wool hat!

I hope you each have a safe and blessed Thanksgiving holiday!

BLUE SPRINGS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION

AND THE CITY OF BLUE SPRINGS, MISSOURI

PRESS RELEASE

903 W. Main Street, Blue Springs, MO 64015 — P: 816.228.0110 — F: 816.228.7592 — www.bluespringsgov.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

DATE: November 22, 2011

CONTACT: Sara Freetly-Grubb, Communications Specialist

Phone: 816.820.0916

Email: sara@justbecandid.com

Kim Nakahodo, Communications Manager

Phone: 816.655.0497, Cell: 816.651.6449

Email: knakahodo@bluespringsgov.com

Missouri Innovation Park moves forward in Blue Springs

BLUE SPRINGS, Mo. – On November 21, 2011 representatives from the City of Blue Springs, the Blue Springs Economic Development Corporation (BSEDC) and University of Missouri signed a Letter of Agreement to develop the first phase of the Missouri Innovation Park (MIP), which represents 63 acres and an 80,000 to 90,000 square foot building with MU as the anchor tenant. Once fully developed, the MIP is projected to be home to more than 40 companies employing 3,700 employees with an annual payroll of $190 million.

“The Missouri Innovation Park is a multi-party collaboration and partnership that represents a shared strategy to complement the economic opportunities of the region,” said Brien Starner, Blue Springs EDC President. “With this signed agreement, the first phase of EDC’s partnership with the City and MU will come to life — which is what we’ve all been working toward since 2008.”

With the vision to develop a science and technology park that competitively attracts a knowledge-based workforce to Blue Springs, the MIP will employ the best-in-class business and master planning. The goal of the MIP is to attract firms and employees linked to a scientific, research-based higher education institution with an entrepreneurial spirit.

"The City of Blue Springs and our stakeholders have remained committed to moving the MIP from an economic dream to reality that support's high quality regional growth,” said Mayor Carson Ross.   “Thanks to the signing of this Letter of Agreement, we hope to start construction on the new building by September 2012 and be ready to cut the ribbon by the first quarter of 2014.”

Located at the southeast quadrant of I-70 and Adams Dairy Parkway, Phase I of the MIP represents 63 acres fronting the Parkway and Adams Pointe Golf Course, with additional acres planned for future Phases of development. After all phases of development are complete in 15 to 25 years, the MIP will represent $340 million in capital investment.

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