Joe Jarosz
Northeast News
May 6, 2014

KANSAS CITY, Missouri — There were two ribbon cuttings on Tuesday in different areas of the Northeast. One, a trailblazing idea to help students at the Woodland Elementary School while the other has already has gotten a stamp of approval at the North-East Library.

Signs like the one photographed are placed around the track behind Woodland Elementary.
Signs like the one photographed are placed around the track behind Woodland Elementary.

In the morning, Kansas City Public Schools officials and representatives from the United Way introduced parents, faculty and students to the Born Learning Trail, an interactive, outdoor learning experience. The trail is the first of seven to open throughout the Kansas City, Mo., area this year. All trails are sponsored by the United Way.

The 10 trail markers feature age appropriate activities at each station with the intention of teaching children while they’re outside. Representatives also noted that inside the school, a Success by Six Resource Center also opened to the community. The center, the 12th in the Kansas City area and first in the Northeast, is intended to help parents and care givers with educational training. The centers consist of a library with educational toys and books for children. The center was funded by BMO Harris Bank.

Post Office officials cut the ribbon for the official opening of the Village Post Office located inside the North-East Library.
Post Office officials cut the ribbon for the official opening of the Village Post Office located inside the North-East Library.

In the afternoon, Kansas City Library and United States Postal Service officials cut the ribbon for the opening of the Village Post Office in the library, 6000 Wilson Ave. This was the 601st opening of a VPO by the USPS.

The VPO offers P.O. boxes, the sale of stamps, mail collection and pre-paid priority mail flat rate envelopes. The post office services will be available to customers at the library every day of the week: 9 a.m. – 8 p.m. Monday – Thursday, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Saturday and 1 – 5 p.m. on Sunday.

Daniel Sharitz, marketing manager for the Kansas City, Mo., post office, said the opening of the VPO does not mean any changes have been made to the Post Office at 105 N. Hardesty Ave.

“That location is still being evaluated,” Sharitz said. In October 2013, the location had its services cut to just two hours a day during the week, with no weekend service.

With officials declaring all the P.O. boxes rented at the library, Sharitz said there’s absolutely a chance for expansion and the addition of more boxes to be added.

“When you do a Village Post Office, you don’t know the reception until after it has opened,” Sharitz said. “But to hear the boxes are already full is amazing. It’s obvious this is something the neighborhood wants.”