Somebody asked me if I’m too shy to wear a Speedo into the dunk tank on July 4. The answer is yes. I’m so shy I never get naked. Even shower with my clothes on. Saves on laundry.
Boy, America is getting impatient. Ok, maybe not America. But Platte City folks are wanting their splash pad open, like ASAP.
We’ve done multiple stories on it but are still getting a lot of inquiries, in particular on social media where folks are better at asking questions than they are at reading the articles. By the way, have you noticed if you read Facebook comments you can often see someone asking a question that is, in fact, answered in the article upon which they are posing their query?
Some folks will even admit they haven’t read a news story before they comment on it. One time I even saw a person post something like this: “Hey, I’ll read the article later, but do you know if (blah blah blah)?” Of course the question was answered within the article. But who has time to read before posting?
Under Landmark stories about the splash park being built in Platte City–stories that have been linked on multiple community pages by many people–you almost always see someone ask this question: “Where is this located?”
Umm, it’s in the story. Every time.
Oh well, no worries, we still love ya.
This is a long-winded way to get to the topic of this stanza: The Rising Star Splash Park being constructed by the City of Platte City at the former site of Rising Star Elementary School on Second Street has been delayed. This isn’t breaking news, we’ve previously reported it in this fine newspaper. The reason for the delay? The playground equipment for the playground adjacent to the splash pad has not arrived. Let’s blame COVID. There’s no definite date when the playground stuff will be here.
“The splash pad is 90 percent complete. The adjacent playground and site landscaping cannot be completed due to manufacturer’s delay in delivering specialized equipment ordered in December,” says the city’s most-recent newsletter, which is an obvious sign that City Hall is getting as many inquiries on this topic as the newspaper.
City officials have gone from saying the splash park will open “sometime in June” to saying it will open “sometime before the end of the summer.”
That would be helpful. If the delay goes too long the splash pad will be ice sculptures and a hockey rink.
If you want to win on a technicality, ‘the end of summer’ is a flexible, breathing document. When exactly is the end of summer? According to my desk calendar, summer doesn’t end until Sept. 22. Duly noted.
The Platte County zip code with the lowest percentage of residents vaccinated against COVID-19 is the Ferrelview zip code and this might be the least surprising news of the year.
The zip code vaccination stat that did surprise me? Weston’s zip code of 64098, with only 38.8% of residents age 16 and above fully vaccinated. That’s 10th out of the 11 zip codes tracked in the county.
Wut up, Weston?
I don’t know if you’ve noticed but politicians sometimes say things they don’t really believe.
One of my favorite moments from the county commission meeting held last week is when Dagmar Wood made the claim that she has not heard any complaints about the county’s CARES grant program. This is a major LOL and the most disingenuous comment of the year, though the year is still young so stay tuned.
There has been criticism–much of it statewide–of the county’s program from the start but in Dagmar’s mind she wants us to believe she is not aware. As the over-the-top grant program got off to a rip-roaring start by awarding a $225,000 of your money to a company that sells cruise vacations while the commissioners were withholding money from the health department and the City of Kansas City, the county commission’s craziness was ripped not only in The Landmark but also in daily newspapers such as the Kansas City Star, whose stories included links to Landmark coverage and also a mention that the Star had reached out to county commissioners who had either declined comment or declined to respond to the communication altogether, radio stations in the area picked up on it, heck, even the state auditor’s office took an interest in what was going on here and I have the email receipts to prove it.
And as a ‘just so you know’ sidenote: politicians who say “I don’t read the paper” are typically the ones who not only read the paper but can’t sleep at night worrying about the coverage. I could name names but maybe I’ll save that for a book or a speaking engagement.
Oh, the speakeasy in downtown Parkville. I haven’t forgotten that I owe you an update on that. As a teaser, here are some highlights, gleaned from a Sunshine request to the City of Parkville.
We’ve learned the speakeasy, which is located at 107 Main St., now officially goes by the name of The Watch Club, a name that might make sense when we tell you it is operated by the owner (John Putnam) of Cool Vintage Watches, which is next door at 105 Main. The Watch Club is not accessed by “members” via a front door but instead through an interior door inside Cool Vintage Watches, which might explain why operators thought it might stay on the down-low. That interior entryway is described by someone who has been inside Cool Vintage Watches as “kind of an iron door or iron gate that’s kind of hidden.”
And you’re going to love what we uncovered about the timing of a business license and you’ll be interested–though maybe not shocked–to know who was patronizing The Watch Club long before it ever got said business license.
(You can find Ivan Foley being entertained by the comments of politicians. Email ivan@plattecountylandmark.com)