Chalk your heart out at Chalk Walk

Posted April 23, 2013 at 11:00 pm

By LESLIE COLLINS
Northeast News
April 24, 2013

The cement slabs at The Concourse will soon become flush with color as artists create masterpieces with pieces of chalk for the Northeast Arts KC Chalk Walk festival April 27-28.

“We don’t have a real theme this year, but we like to think it’s about the art and the artists. We want to see bright, colorful, fun art as our feature,” said Rebecca Koop, executive director of Northeast Arts KC.

The free, family-friendly event will be held both days from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at The Concourse at Kessler Park, 200 Benton Blvd., and Northeast Arts will provide the chalk. This year, eight professional artists will be featured, but all are welcome to try their hand at chalk art, Koop said.

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    Vox Narro to host community Kurdish celebration at North-East Library

    By LESLIE COLLINS
    Northeast News
    April 17, 2013 

    Not everyone knows Kansas City has a thriving Kurdish community.

    “I think Kurdistan is one of those places where people have a rough sense about where it is, but they really don’t know much about it,” said Henry Fortunato, director of public affairs for the Kansas City Public Libraries. “I don’t think people are aware there’s a significant Kurdish community in Kansas City.”

    To celebrate the Kurdish community and provide other community members a glimpse into

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    Culinary arts kitchen becomes frenzy during competition

    By LESLIE COLLINS
    Northeast News
    April 17 2013 

    Beeps and buzzes, clinking and clanging. Students scurried to measure the next ingredient, to stir sauces to correct consistency.

    Each team competed against the next to win first place in the April 4 culinary arts competition sponsored by the Kansas City Teen Summit at Kansas City Public Schools’ Manual Career Technical Center. Three well-known local chefs judged the competition and included Jasper J. Mirabile Jr. of Jasper’s, Dan Swinney of Lidia’s and Shanita McAfee of Magnolia’s.

    KCPS’

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    Movie stars and baseball legends grace the red carpet at Kansas City’s “42″ premiere

    Northeast News
    April 12, 2013

    Movie stars and baseball legends graced the red carpet April 11 for the Kansas City premiere of the movie “42,” starring Harrison Ford (Branch Rickey) and Chadwick Boseman (Jackie Robinson).

    Written and directed by Brian Helgeland, “42″ captures the story of Jackie Robinson, who played for the Kansas City Monarchs in the Negro Leagues and later the Brooklyn Dodgers, and Branch Rickey, Brooklyn Dodgers general manager.

    Rickey took a stand against prejudice and broke baseball’s color barrier by offering Robinson a spot on the Dodgers team. Both men received backlash from the public, the press and other players. Robinson

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    Northeast Coffee Club celebrates one-year anniversary


    Northeast News
    April 10, 2013 

    Scarritt Renaissance Coffee Club will celebrate its one-year anniversary this Saturday, April 13, with door prizes, a spread of breakfast hors d’oeuvres and special guest Robert Gibby Brand, who’s appeared on Kansas City stages for more than 25 years.

    This month’s hosts are Bruce and Veda Rogers, who own and operate Gladstone Manor Bed and Breakfast, 412 S. Gladstone Blvd. The Victorian home was built in 1899, features a wrap-around porch and is listed on the national register of historic homes.

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    A Seussing we will go

    Northeast News
    April 10, 2013 

    The North-East Public Library features all things Dr. Seuss during a recent Friday story time. Youth Services Librarian Meghann Henry read several Dr. Seuss books and led youngsters in the song, “A Seussing We Will Go.” Following story time, youngsters flocked to the costume corner, picked out free books, created truffle-a-tree pencil toppers and played “Pin the Mustache on the Lorax.” Youngsters and families also helped themselves to punch and cake. A number of students from Gladstone Elementary Head Start attended and Gladstone Head Start

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    The Queen is out and the Barn is in business

    By LESLIE COLLINS
    Northeast News 
    April 3, 2013 

    For five years, Northeast resident Brett Williams prayed about purchasing the Dairy Queen building on Independence Avenue. The building wasn’t simply a building – it represented family traditions, community spirit.

    Inside that building, friendships blossomed and patrons referred to owners Esther and John McMurray as “Mom” and “Pop.” For 14 years Esther worked at the Dairy Queen before purchasing the business with her husband, John, in 1980. Area residents still recall her signature hairstyle: a towering beehive. In 2009, then-Kansas City Mayor Mark Funkhouser honored the couple with a proclamation for their years of dedication to

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    Scarritt to host community Easter egg hunt at The Concourse March 30

    By LESLIE COLLINS
    Northeast News
    March 27, 2013 

    Two-thousand plastic Easter eggs will dot the landscape at The Concourse March 30 as part of a community-wide Easter egg hunt sponsored by the Scarritt Renaissance Neighborhood Association.

    “It took me about four hours to stuff them all,” SRNA member Deborah Richardson said.

    Richardson drummed up the idea during a neighborhood brainstorming session on how to encourage more residents to become involved in the neighborhood.

    “I thought, you know Easter is coming up and I remember going on Easter egg hunts when I was little and it was so much fun,” she said.

    The Easter egg hunt will begin

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    Lincoln Prep seniors make history, qualify for nationals

    By LESLIE COLLINS
    Northeast News 
    March 27, 2013 

    High school seniors Corey Fisher and Jared Freemon aren’t just going out with a bang, they’re creating history.

    On March 2, the two became the first policy debate team from Lincoln College Preparatory Academy to qualify for the National Forensic League (NFL) Tournament.

    “It’s really exciting. I’m still shocked we made it this far,” Freemon told Northeast News. “I never thought we’d make it to the national tournament.”

    “It hasn’t really set in until now that we did qualify. It just now hit me,” Fisher said.

    Both students began debate in eighth grade, but for different reasons.

    Fisher never intended

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