Friday, August 26, 2011

Parking Lot “Postscripts”

As a postscript to the Bank of America park lot story at the corner of White Oak & Osage, it finally got an upgrade. No, it wasn’t cleaning up the weeds, trash, debris, or removing the rusty barbed wire fencing. The guard posts, that support the chains that are there to keep people from parking there, got a freshening up with a new coat of yellow paint. That’s right. The guard posts and chains are intended to prohibit any of their neighbors from parking there, unless, of course, it’s Santa-Cali-Gon. Who are their neighbors? That would include Independence Chamber of Commerce, Commerce Bank (their competitor), the Truman Heartland Community Foundation (who moved out a few weeks ago), and immediately to west located in the National Historic Landmark District, Hillcrest Ministries (family homeless shelter). Actually, families who need the services provided by Hillcrest because of, for example, “bank” foreclosures, don’t even have a place to park except for the street. If you haven’t figured it out, Independence if full of ironies, but this one takes the funnel cake. But, wow, those are some good-looking posts. Great job BofA! You might swing by there during Santa-Cali-Gon and admire all four of these wonderful bright yellow posts. And while you’re there, ask the good folks selling parking spots for $5.00 to clean up the mess when they are done so the parking lot will be ready when the chains go back up for the next 361 days. Yes, I would hope the clean up would include the mess that was there before they started. I know that is above and beyond the call of duty, but good folks always seem to forget that this area is a “Presidential Neighborhood.”

As postscript to this postscript and in breaking national news, just a few days ago, Warren Buffett has agree to invest $5 billion in BofA whose stock shares have been dropping over financial worries in the economy. A few recommendations to Mr. Buffett; you might suggest changes in the management structure at BofA. When all decisions are made in Charlotte, NC concerning the management of their assets world-wide, sometimes they miss the target when it comes to important local interests and concerns. I guess we should extend a “Welcome to the Neighborhood” to Warren Buffet & Co. who will actually end up owning a piece of this parking lot. Yes, that’s right, now Warren Buffet will be involved in Santa-Cali-Gon.

Friday, August 19, 2011

Foundation Loses its Footing in Truman’s Neighborhood

After two decades in the Commerce Bank Building at Truman Road and Osage, the “Truman Heartland” Community Foundation is moving to the Little Blue Parkway. This move comes right after the US Department of the Interior announced the expansion of the Truman National Historic Landmark District that placed the new and improved district on three sides of the Commerce Bank block. The district expansion announcement is intended to invoke community pride and a desire for institutions and families to want to reinforce their presence in an area that was truly near and dear to the heart of President Truman. Now the Foundation joins the list of other institutions that have left Old Town to improve their lots and to better serve the community. Local families have to make these decisions all the time; whether to stay in their home and neighborhood or to move to another part of town or another community where it perceived to be more stable and prosperous. A reoccurring theme from the National Trust for Historic Preservation has been just two words: “Place Matters.” These special historic spaces and districts are not intended to be admired and studied from afar. Successful historic districts nation-wide are ones that are relevant to today’s modern living. They are places where people live, children attend school, employees work, shoppers spend money, souls worship, and tourists walk. The new and improved-expanded Truman National Historic Landmark District will only be successful when all aspects of our community appreciate and respect these spaces. Are we there yet? Good luck to the good folks at the Truman Heartland Community Foundation in their new space on the southern edge of town, but please, don’t forget about Truman’s true heartland, his beloved neighborhood.

Saturday, August 13, 2011

A Towering Example of Citizenship

We need to extend a big “Thank You” to Noland Towers at 130 E. College here in Old Town Independence. Why? Is it because they maintain their buildings & grounds beautifully and provide good, clean, affordable housing for our senior citizens? Heritage House does these things also, so should we thank them? What makes Noland Towers special is the fact that they are paying their taxes and have been for decades. Now this may not sound like such a big deal, but here in Old Town it is. In fact, with the exodus of the hospital, I believe that leaves the Noland Towers property as the largest contributor of property tax revenue for local governments here in Old Town. They are a towering example that for-profit business entities, especially those in the real estate business, do not have to be charities to maintain a successful presence here. Just their occupation of that property generates revenue for schools, libraries, local governments, emergency medical responses, public transportation, and police protection (all elements of quality of life especially important to senior citizens). We hear of the conservative, religious, tea party movement where taxes are considered, in some cases, a sin. I believe just the opposite. It is actually our civic and, yes, our Christian duty to support our community, to support the less fortunate and disadvantaged, to support our most valuable resource (the education of our youth), and to provide planning & programs to make Independence “The Place to Be.” Yes, it is true, here in Independence the disadvantaged also includes retail developers and empty seats at the Events Center but, for the most part, tax revenue goes toward important things. Thanks again to the good folks at Noland Towers, “A Beautiful Place to Live! Have a Nice Day!”