Enjoy your Fourth of July weekend. Keep it safe. We need you back here on Monday with all your digits in place.
Friendly reminder that absolutely no one is going to watch that video of fireworks you recorded with your cell phone.
I don’t have any hard facts or sales numbers to back this up but instead can only offer anecdotal evidence through personal observation. I realize I’m writing this with still a couple days to go till the 4th, but it appears customer traffic around many of the area fireworks tents is down considerably this year.
Never fear, though, because as we told you several weeks back the City of Platte City has procured over $19,800 in fireworks and will be putting on its annual show at about 10 p.m the night of July 4. The fireworks are set off at the Platte County R-3 School District complex, but don’t head out there expecting to sit in the stands to watch. No on-site seating is offered. You’ll have to watch from any of a number of nearby parking lots, as has been the case the past several years.
Last year’s cost was $17,700. The price increase is largely due to a 10 percent increase in tariff costs that were imposed after last year’s show. The catch to getting the $19,800 price, however, was that the price and supply could not be guaranteed for any orders placed after May 1, primarily because of tariff uncertainty. So the city got on the ball and ordered in late April.
$20,000 sounds like a lot of taxpayer cash to spend on fireworks, but no complaints about the annual explosive expenditures have ever reached Landmark ears. I’m taking that as a sign that despite the no seating arrangement, the show remains popular with the masses.
And also never fear, because if you need a seat for some fireworks viewing hit me up. Bring your lawn chairs and you can come sit on my driveway in unincorporated Platte County a few miles south of Platte City the night of July 4. There are many nearby family, neighborhood and other fireworks “shows” we’re able to view without leaving home. And without spending my own dime on the explosives, which is an added plus. Just be aware that some of the shows are so close that shrapnel lands on my driveway, so I might need you to sign a waiver. And the smoke is real and sometimes spectacular, so if your lungs are easily irritated you may want to bring your inhaler. Or I may need you to sign another waiver.
On second thought, forget I said anything. Please watch fireworks somewhere other than my driveway.
As many of you likely noticed, the tap water in much of this area (basically in any water district or municipality that acquires its H2O through KC Water) has tasted funky the past several days. And not just a little bit funky. Like some get down and get nasty funk. With a kicker of a smell tossed in for added funkiness.
First noticed it at home on Sunday and mentioned it to our fine and friendly folks at Platte 4 Water shortly after noon that day, and was told at that time they hadn’t yet received any other complaints. Maybe I was just slightly ahead of my time. More likely I was just the only one to mention it up to that point. Check out the Next Door app for all kinds of folks commenting on the bad taste of the water throughout the KCMO region. Some KC restaurants even stopped serving water, tea and ice after complaints from customers about the horrible taste.
The reason for the nastiness, at least the reason we’re being told, involves heavy rainfall north of the Kansas City area. KC Water posted this on its social media outlets Sunday, June 29:
“Due to heavy rainfall north of the Kansas City area in recent days you may notice some changes to the taste or smell of your tap water. These changes are typical after heavy rains and completely harmless. KC Water laboratory staff are monitoring the Missouri River, where all our water comes from, very closely and the department is adjusting treating measures as needed. The smell and taste changes will cycle through our system over the next couple days as the Missouri returns to normal. Be confident that your water is safe to drink.”
Some of us have been drinkers of KC Water for decades, and that includes after heavy rains, and up until Sunday were unfamiliar with what they’re trying to convince us is a routine seasonal flavor change. And by unfamiliar we mean we’ve never noticed this drastic of a negative taste and smell. Ever. Normally the water is so smooth you don’t even notice it, kind of like a good umpire or referee. That’s why this week’s spit-inducer is a shock to the system. DJ Gehrt, city administrator for Platte City (the city gets its water from KC) who always shoots us straight, indicated it’s not as typical of an event as KC Water might be making it sound, but there is no reason for worry. “It does not happen every year,” Gehrt told me, “but it is not uncommon.” He said the City of Platte City had received five complaints about the taste of water on Monday and Tuesday.
I went to the KC Water website and read a bit more. Here’s what it goes on to say: “Throughout the year, the natural cycle of spring rains, snowmelt, fall leaves, temperature changes, and turnover on upstream reservoirs causes rapid changes in the water characteristics of the Missouri River. This means the river becomes very muddy due to the silt and natural organic matter that is carried downstream by the river. Sometimes, this organic process can result in earthy and musty odors and other natural flavors, as well as a slight greenish tint in your drinking water. Depending on each individual’s unique sense of smell and taste, you may or may not notice these slight natural changes (EDITOR’S NOTE: the word ‘slight’ is really doing some heavy lifting here). Thankfully, the compounds which cause these changes come from nature and do not cause health issues. These taste, odor, and color changes are oftentimes predictable – they come and go, lasting for a few weeks at a time.
“KC Water is able to respond to the naturally-occurring changes in the Missouri River by adjusting the water treatment process to reduce these natural taste, odor, and color variations.”
As you can see above, the time range we’ve been told by KC Water has varied from “a couple days” in some portions of their information to “a few weeks” at other points. Anyway, if you’re accustomed to drinking water from the tap this might be a good time to stock up on your favorite bottled water.
(You’re gonna stand there, ownin’ a fireworks stand, and tell me you don’t have no whistlin’ bungholes, no spleen splitters, whisker biscuits, honkey lighters, hoosker doos, hoosker don’ts, cherry bombs, nipsy daisers, with or without the scooter stick, or one single whistlin’ kitty chaser? Email ivan@plattecountylandmark.com)
