November 9, 2011

“Emergency,” according to Webster’s Dictionary is defined as: “an unforeseen combination of circumstances or the resulting state that calls for immediate action.”

This newshound would like to ask Councilwoman Cindy Circo just exactly what the “emergency” is in the purchase of 90 acres of Blue River bottomland (read Kansas City International Raceway) in order to create a new city park on the fringes of the city limits. Never mind that the Parks Department, by their own admission, can’t take care of the park land they have now. Still lookin for that “emergency.” The only “emergency” this feisty li’l canine can see is on behalf of neighborhood busy-bodies Dan Porrevecchio and Christine Kemper, whose houses happen to be close by and who’ve been complaining the loudest about the noise the track generates and are hell bent to have their peace and tranquility at any cost, even if it means using a willing city councilwoman as a tool in the process.

The whole matter stinks to high heaven and Councilwoman Circo knows it – but yet she stood up last week and lied to the city council about the “emergency” conditions that allegedly exist at the track and urged her council collegues to approve the “emergency” sale of the track to make way for more park land the city can’t take care of.

As a small business owner in Kansas City though, this pooch can see the handwriting on the wall and faced with the prospect of extended and protracted litigation from the neighboring homeowners association as well as bullying from a city bent on enforcing the “letter of the code,” I’m not sure I wouldn’t have the same “choice” track owners made.

It’s a sad day for the racing community in Kansas City, and it comes at the behest of Councilwoman Cindy Circo catering to some neighborhood bullies who knew full well there was a drag strip in the valley when they built their high dollar homes on the hill above.

• • • •

If you were one of the more than 1,300 runners who participated in the 2011 Cliffhanger run, congratulations! The weather was spectacular, the Cliff Drive Scenic ByWay looked wonderful in all its autumnal splendor thanks to the hard efforts of the city’s Parks and Recreation Department, and a good time was had by all to raise money for one of Historic Northeast’s hometown causes: Neighbor to Neighbor.

Bunny the news-hound gives a big paws up to everyone who made this year’s run a success!