August 24, 2011

Thinking of writing a check in support of the Friends of the Kansas City Museum? Well, if you think your check will go to support programming at the Museum on Gladstone, think again. Seems top-dog Trina and her band of Stepford thinking board lackeys in the Friends organization have voted (by an 8-3 margin) to merge with the Union Station volunteer organization.

That vote has already sent one board member packing, given the ramifications of such a merger. Reckon that throws out that whole separate mission, separate board singular vision thing for the Corinthian Hall facility. The move throws out all that strat-planning, goal setting, etc., done a year ago by a community advisory committee that indicated a separate vision for CH was the best course of action in order to build it as a stand-alone local and regional history facility. But I guess when you bring over $600-large of family money into the picture and have “Mr. Northeast” Carl DiCapo wrapped around your little finger, you can call all the shots even if it means torpedoing the hard work and sweat of volunteers and staff at Corinthian Hall in the process.

This news-hound has long championed a separate vision and board for Corinthian Hall instead of a watered down vision and programming mantra executed through any parent organization Union Station notwithstanding. In this, just as in so many other things, follow the money and by all accounts, it certainly looks as if the money is drivin’ this bus straight off the cliff, abandoning the Historic Northeast community in the process.

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If you missed last Saturday’s concert at the Concourse, then you missed over 100 neighbors enjoying an evening of fine music, Historic Northeast style. Northeast Arts KC has done an excellent job bringing the arts to life in Northeast and deserves a big high five for this effort. Judging by the smiles on all the faces, and those of a couple who dances their way across the lush green grass, we’d say a good time was had by all. The even better thing was the jazz notes resonating past the concourse to yards and shady sidewalks along Gladstone, St. John and Windsor, making it easy to enjoy a tall cold one on your porch and have some great jazz as a background.