Editor’s Note: Mea Culpa
In this week’s Buzz column Bunny the Newshound wrongly referenced a trip to Spain in 2014 by then sitting City Councilwoman Cindy Circo. Circo was not on that trip. The trip was made by City Engineer Ralph Davis and Director of Public Works Sherri McIntyre. The Newsdog regrets the error and apologizes to Ms. Circo. We have corrected our online story and will include a correction box in next week’s print edition.
Here’s a link to the 2014 column with the attached city memos. https://northeastnews.net/pages/trip-to-spain-give-me-a-break-2/

Last week, the proverbial defecation struck the rotary oscillator for the American Jazz Museum at 18th and Vine.

An over 20-year, $100-plus million cash dump finally came to an end when the City Council did the right thing and put a cap on the ridiculous and reckless spending that museum staff and board members had grown accustomed to. Most of the Board of Directors and the museum’s Executive Director will soon step down, and this dog thinks its way past time. Additionally, and rightfully so, the council also put strict timelines in place for the museum to make the drastic changes necessary in order to ensure its survival. Whether or not the museum can thrive and grow is a whole other issue.
One question this critically thinking news-dog has is whether the taxpayer-paid junket to Poland is still on for AJM high-hats. The Dog hasn’t forgotten that trip to the coast of Spain taken by KCMO staffers a few years back, ostensibly for “city business.” This taxpayer-funded junket doesn’t pass the smell test, just like that one didn’t. We even asked an elected city official about the trip and his answer was “I don’t know,” adding that the subject of the trip wasn’t known either. What? We don’t know why we’re going, but we’re going and it’s FREE! Negative, ghost rider. Said official also noted it wasn’t going to be part of UNESCO, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.

Here’s a thought, Polski Day is this weekend at All Saints Parish in Kansas City, Kansas, and the annual Slavic Fest is coming up in June at fashionable Mike Onka Park in Sugar Creek, Missouri. Both are a stone’s throw away from the metro and would offer largely the same musical and cultural experience. The Dog has been many times to each and it’s an ethnic and gastro extravaganza not to be missed. Additionally, it would cost taxpayers a fraction of the cost of a trip to Poland. We’re still working on how a trip to Poland would enhance the Kansas City jazz experience. How about this, the Dog will lend our Myron Floren and Don Lipovac records to enhance the experience.

Here’s the bottom line for the future of the American Jazz Museum: strict guidelines need to be put in place so that the mistakes of the past don’t become the norm once again. Holding museum staff and management to these strict guidelines, financial and otherwise, will be the job of the Mayor and Council. The Dog hopes they’re up to the job of making those tough decisions.