APRIL NEWS

April brings us to the election of new members to the Hickman Mills School Board. The results of the election are as follows:
April Cushing 687 votes 30%; J.T. Brown 561 votes 24%; Don Hoskins 544 votes 23%; and Christopher Murray 531 votes 23%. A big congratulations to April and J.T for their success. They will be sworn in Thursday, April 8.

With the coming of warmer weather, we have endured some high wind storms that have damaged trees and power lines. Remember that the 470 & Raytown Rd site is open on Saturdays with no charge to residents of Kansas City. You can take your limbs and brush up there if you miss our Spring pickup on the April 16. Extra trash bag stickers will be increasing to $2.00 each.

As mentioned last month, Ruskin High School was chosen to educate the grades 10-12, Hickman will educate 8-9 and Smith-Hale will have the 6th and 7th grades. Long debates and hard choices will bring our students together and make the best use of our buildings and facilities. Ruskin has the football feild and the theater. Hickman has baseball and soccer fields. These assets will continue to be used. In a tight budget crunch our school board has consolidated our students to improve and maximize the education value to them. Unlike Kansas City School District that is closing some 27 schools, our building will be used for maximum effect. As our school district excells, the student number will increase in the future making our resources an asset to future classes. Our students will work together to improve our district.

In 2010 our Community Service Team has met every second and fourth Saturday. They will now focus on the fourth Saturday of the month. If attendance and volenteers allow this may return to twice a month or special projects. April and Jerry have been there just about every weekend for the last two years. A very big thanks to all the wonderful work that they and all our volenteers have done to clean up the neighborhood. Jerry has been through Ruskin Heights and Hills with Bev, and Ruskin Village with LJ to address the homes that have ongoing violations.

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AARP will offer free tax help. AARP representatives will be available at Grandview City Hall on Mondays and Fridays, from 9 am - 2 pm starting Feb. 1. They will be there to provide FREE assistance for taxpayers with low and moderate incomes, with special attention to those age 60 and older. First come, first served basis

Southern Communities Coalition will have many guests March 24, a week later than usual. Lane 4 Owen Buckley, a representative from McDonalds and other updates besides meeting the School Board Candidates.

Leaf and Brush Reopens

Our Leaf and Brush site on Raytown Road and 470 will open the second weekend in March 13 from 8 am to 6 pm. With our February ice storm some homes had some major tree damage. To use this site you will need proof or residency via a valid driver's license or state ID. They will not accept drop-offs from commercial enterprises. Residents from Grandview and Raytown may use the site with a voucher purchased from their repective municipalities. Leaves, yard waste and brush such as tree trimmings are accepted. Grass is NOT acceptable. Leaves may be in paper yard waste bags that can be sealed with masking tape only. No duct tape or plastic tape may be used. You may be required to empty said bags to verify no trash is inside of them. Sites will be monitored to catch illegal dumping on off hours.

The city will also be doing the spring leaf and brush pickup on April 16 for we that have Friday trash pickup. It adjusts backwards for those with other dates, ie Monday will be April 12. The rules are as follows:

• Sacks and bundles should be curbside by 7 a.m. on the scheduled day of collection.
• No more than 20 sacks and/or bundles per household.
• Sacks and bundles must not weigh more than 40 pounds each.
• Use only paper lawn debris sacks . No plastic bags.
• If you seal sacks, use masking tape only; do not use plastic or duct tape.
• No grass clippings. No trash.
• All branches must be bundled. Branches must not be more than 3 inches in diameter.
• Bundles of branches must not be more than 2 feet in diameter and not more than 4 feet long.
• Use twine or jute rope to tie bundles; do not use wire or plastic tape.
• If wet weather is forecast, cover sacks/bundles with clear plastic.
• If sacks and bundles are not collected on the scheduled day, residents must call the 3-1-1 Action Center within 24 hours. To report service related issues, The 3-1-1 Action Center can be reached by calling 311 or (816) 513-1313.

Neighborhoods & the Foreclosure Crisis: Finding the Way Out

Even though this was old news the problem is still occuring. So we will continue to list this story:

The foreclosure crisis has left some neighborhoods with more empty houses than occupied homes. The first wave of foreclosures, caused by unsound banking practices, was difficult enough. The danger is nowhere near over, as rising unemployment is causing a new wave of foreclosures. How can neighborhoods deal with the crisis? On November 11, KCPT's Nick Haines worked with an expert panel and audience members to generate ideas about the problem and possible solutions. Panelists included Elma Warrick (HomeFree USA), Paul Wenske (Federal Reserve Bank), Jerry Mitchell (Ruskin Heights), and Michael Duffy (Legal Aid). Download the event transcrip to find out exactly what happened or go to http://consensuskc.org/article.cfm?articleID=38  This was a very informative meeting. Jerry represented our area.

Stop Vandals and Burglars

WE have partnered with the TIPS Hotline number to be able to make available up to $1500 leading to the arrest and conviction of persons vandalizing and burglarizing OUR homes. Local media tends to note the negative view of this action, but we are putting our money where our mouth is. We want a safe neighborhood with our homes secure.
Our area has no more or less than any other area of the City. Statistics vary from month to month. Our ONLY difference is WE want to be more proactive to curb these numbers in our neighborhood.

Weatherization Program Guidelines

April has completed and gotten dozens of people the Kansas City Weatherization program last year. We are told that 2010 will still have money for this program. The Paint program will also be available unless the budget changes dramatically in that venue.

The entry has risen to %200 of the poverty income standard. If you would like to apply for this program you can download the forms listed below, or contact April at the office who will insure that your forms are correctly completed and documentation required is enclosed. Only 1000 of these will be approved on a first come, first serve basis. To see the program click on the first link below. For the PDF application click on the second link.

Kansas City Weatherization Program

Application PDF form

CID Formation

At our May homeowners meeting we had a presentation by Charles D. Renner of how CIDs are formed. He discussed the benefits and requirements for the formation of a CID, Community Improvement District. Here is the presentation we viewed Tuesday May 12. It is a TIF file.

RH-HOA_CID_Example_for_Meeting_May_09_Greenwood_Fields

Also is a copy of how 3 Trail CID was set up. Click on the TIF file to view.

3-Trails_CID

Community_Improvement_District_CID_Overview

Census Bureau 2010

The Census Bureau letters should be going out in March. Please fill yours out and mail it. If you do not somewone will be coming to your door. These individuals will be identified by a US Census Badge and carrying a white and blue canvass bag with the wording of US Census Bureau.  These individuals will be knocking on doors and checking addresses.  In most cases they will be working alone, but in a few cases there may be a couple of them working together.  They will be canvassing during daytime hours and should not be out after 6 pm.  They have no reason to enter your residence!!! As always, if any of you have an encounter with a Census Bureau individual which makes you uncomfortable or you observe something that raises suspicion, do not hesitate and call 911.  Feel free to call me if you have any concerns or questions. Thanks Mike Hammer Kansas City MO Police Dept. SPD/CIO 816-672-2828

Have visited this site. With some 26,000 visits to our previous site.

Updated Mar 7, 2010

Ruskin Heights Homes Association * PO 9697* Kansas City * Mo 64134

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