Sunday, February 28, 2010

Kansas City Neighborhoods - A Breakdown of KC Neighborhoods


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Kansas City Neighborhoods - A Breakdown

For just the GOOD Kansas City Neighborhoods go HERE.

Kansas City is probably one of the most tricky cities regarding good and bad neighborhoods. If you don't know any better, you might end up with some serious buyer's remorse.

If you're planning on moving to Kansas City, you'd better understand the different neighborhoods before buying that dream... - or nightmare home.

In order to understand this blog, you might want to pull up this Map of Kansas City for reference. Kansas City is flat with no bodies of water so the streets here run in a perfect "grid" with the numbered streets running East to West, and the named streets running North and South. Isn't that handy :)

Let's start by defining Central Kansas City:

We're not going to discuss downtown Kansas City or any suburbs of Kansas City in this article - we'll do those in another piece. We're just going to focus on the area between 39th and 103rd and between Holmes Road and State Line (look at your map - or picture a square area). This is Central Kansas City.

The first rule of real estate in Central Kansas City is easy - Anything East of Holmes Road is the ghetto. This is true all the way from 5th Street (downtown) clear up to 135th street (Kansas City's most Southern point). Don't move there, enough said.

Now that we've ruled out everything East of Holmes Road, let's start with the area between 39th Street and 47th Street - East of State Line and West of Holmes. This area is pretty much considered the Westport area. Westport has gotten pretty bad lately. There is a shooting in westport almost every week. The shootings happen late at night when the ghetto folks start "cruising" the Westport bar areas - they're not there to buy anything or go into any of the nightclubs - but just to cruise around with their boom-boom music playing and sporting their tricked out cars (who's cost probably kept them from paying that month's mortgage). They are extremely rude (especially to whites) and they will shoot you. So that's nighttime in Westport - as far as the daytime goes, Westport is pretty much full of lower class "hippie" type folks who enjoy the coffee shops and the Pitch magazine. There used to be a lot of gays in Westport but most of them are making their way downtown towards the Power and Light District condos.

South of 47th Street - North of 63rd - West of Holmes - East of State Line. This area contains the Plaza, which has made Kansas City famous for it's lush fountains and top shelf shopping and dining. The plaza is a great little area and contains everything from expensive condos to affordable apartments. Plaza living is very nice - the only drawback is that there is only one grocery store within miles and it is a MAD HOUSE. South of the plaza to Gregory Boulevard is a fairly upscale neighborhood that contains a popular dog walking / picnic area called Loose Park. This area is usually defined as Brookside and it is filled with great little shops, restaurants and neighborhood bars. Brookside is getting older, however, so the upkeep on a house would probably be a huge factor - most of the houses in Brookside are well over 60 years old. The other downside to living in Brookside is that it has ZERO access to any highway.

South of Gregory - North of 85th - West of Holmes - East of State Line. This area, more commonly known as "Waldo" is a lower class area that is deteriorating fast. Abandoned buildings are everywhere, and we're starting to see more PayDay Loan shops and Fried Chicken chains opening up - oh, and pawn shops too. Always a bad sign. For some reason everyone who lives in this part of town has a dog, and all of the men wear sandals. I would stay clear of Waldo.

South of 85th - North of 103rd - West of Holmes - East of State Line. This area includes Santa Fe Hills and the Ward Parkway "mall" - if you can call it a mall. This used to be a great area but it has gone to the dogs. The lower class folk have moved in and it is NOT a good place to live.

South of 103rd - North of 135th - West of Holmes - East of State Line. This area is still fairly nice and includes Red Bridge, Bridlespur and Verona Hills. Those who live there are looking over their shoulder, however, because they know that this will be the next Kansas City neighborhood to fall. Let me just stop and explain something here: The lower class are moving their way south and west - basically to get out of the ghetto that they live in and to get away from their own kind. In reaction to this, the wealthy people are moving South and if they can afford it, WEST into beautiful and expensive Leawood, Kansas to avoid the oncoming ghetto folk. For a good example of this movement, take a look at how far south they have built up on Metcalf - wealthy people are running SOUTH. Back to this neighborhood...The best thing about this neighborhood is 435 highway. It's just blocks away. This neighborhood will be safe for about another 5-10 years before turning lower-middle class.

To be continued...stay tuned for North Kansas City, Grandview, Independence, Lee's Summit, Blue Springs and downtown kc.

KC Auto Show 2010 - Kansas City Auto Show


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KC Auto Show 2011 Info HERE

The Kansas City Auto Show is back for 2010 at Bartle Hall on March 5th, 6th, and 7th. The Auto Show will feature live entertainment from The KC All Stars, Liverpool, and Woodstock Review.

This year's KC Auto Show will feature several exciting activities including an arcade, test driving, and Kansas City artist Jessica Lyew-Ayee will paint a 60’s style Kansas City-scape for the Auto Show.

Concept cars will include a Corvette (pictured), a Mercedes mini-van/bus, and the all new incredible Jaguar.

The KC All Stars will perform hits from the Motown era on Friday night, March 5th. Liverpool will perform all of your favorite hits from The Beatles on Saturday afternoon and evening, March 6th. Woodstock Flashback will feature music from Woodstock on Sunday afternoon, March 7th. Entertainment brought to The KC Auto Show by Adam Blue Productions, a national entertainment agency that is based in Kansas City.

Admission for The KC Auto Show:
Adults - $10
Children (8 - 12 years old) - $5

History
Although there is evidence that an association of dealers existed, and that a Motor Car Show was held in March 1907,the first documented beginning of the Automobile Dealers Association of Greater Kansas City can be traced to the organization's original Articles of Incorporation dated November 11, 1909. Originally known as the Motor Car Trade Association of Kansas City, 15 intricately penned signatures appeared on the Articles.

Automobiles and over-the-road transportation were still in the formative years as the purpose of the Association is described in those original Articles:

* To promote scientific investigation into the problems of the navigation of the air, and to inform the public thereof;
* To inform the public as to the construction and uses of both pleasure and commercial motor cars, and to this end to publish and distribute literature, to conduct and manage shows and exhibitions of motor cars and accessories and air ships of various kinds, and to hold and manage public contests of motor cars and air ships;
* To foster the building and maintenance of good roads, and to disseminate information to the members and to the public concerning roads and tours, and to aid in the passage of wise laws concerning roads and streets and the users of motor cars thereon;
* To bring about friendly and courteous social and business relations among motor car dealers and those connected with allied lines of business in Kansas City.

Needless to say, the Kansas City auto industry has evolved quite a bit over the past 100 years. And though we have removed terminology such as air ships from our charter, we continue to uphold the basic principles of encouraging public interest in new automobiles; and fostering the highest standards of integrity in business practices among new car and truck dealers. Some things never go out of style.

Description
Flashback to the 60s March 3-7 at the Greater Kansas City International Auto Show sponsored and produced by the Automobile Dealers Association of Greater Kansas City. This year we're going retro with the cars, music, fashion and art from the psychedelic decade alongside eight football fields of new cars, trucks, SUV's, crossovers, vans, and hybrids. Don't miss your one chance this year to see hundreds of vehicles from the past, the present and the future... all under one roof.

Watch the Kansas City Star for "Buy One Get One Free" special offers.

Sponsor: The 2010 Kansas City Auto Show is sponsored by the Automobile Dealers Association of Greater Kansas City under the direction of Auto Show Chairman John McCarthy of McCarthy Auto Group. Additional sponsor: The Kansas City Star and cars.com.

Friday, February 26, 2010

Elton John Billy Joel Face 2 Face Tour at The Sprint Center


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Elton John and Billy Joel return to the Sprint Center for another round of their Face 2 Face Tour. Elton John and Billy Joel will bring their Face 2 Face tour to Kansas City's Sprint Center in the Power and Light District February 27th, 2010.

Tickets are on sale for the Face 2 Face Tour. Tickets can be purchased through Ticketmaster outlets, ticketmaster.com or charged by phone at 1.800.745.3000.

Elton John and Billy Joel's Face 2 Face tour started in March and has sold out over 40 venues. The concert starts out with Elton and Billy seated at the pianos doing songs in a duet style, almost like dueling pianos. The show then expands to include each artist's own backing band and concludes with the two back at the pianos together, "face to face".

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Census 2010 - Obama takes another step towards Socialism?


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Census 2010 isn't amazingly unique or anything, it just seems that Obama has a special hard on this year encouraging us to fill it in. I'm all for keeping track of who is coming and going and living in our country, but the special attention that the 2010 Census is getting is a little disturbing.

I don't trust ANYTHING that is advertised too often. Even the 2010 Census Website is extra creepy this year - it shows a city street with mostly minorities walking around saying VERY STRANGE things. There is a black woman who says "If I'm something here, then maybe my whole family back home in Africa, everyone in the village and in the city will be proud of you". What the hell does that even MEAN? Weird stuff man. There is another guy who says "I'm not just a cab driver, I'm also a good looking man driving a nice car." I'm sorry, but that one is just plain psycho babble. Obama is going towards the weird in a big way on this 2010 Census thing. Oh, and be careful when you go to that website, they try to get you to fill out a little survey that pops up magically while you're looking at the site.

There has to be a reason that the Obama admin is so set on the Census this year. You've seen or heard the add "We can't move forward until you mail it back" on television, radio, and they even have a tour bus that is traveling across America visiting lower income college campuses and underprivileged high schools mostly in the ghetto.

Why does the Census 2010 tour bus only stop in poor communities? The same reason Obama won in the first place, poor people are less educated and frustrated with their lack of social status and general income. Therefore, they are easily motivated to bring about some sort of "change" - Obama's campaign staple. They don't care about what kind of change, as long as it breaks up the monotony of their everyday lives in poor-ville. The poor tend to overlook one major point: They are poor for a reason! Read a book, do some research, go to school, work TOWARDS something instead of just becoming a "cog in the sprog" employee of a large company. Build something for yourself, show some initiative - ah, never mind - that will NEVER happen - the poor just want to sit around and vote for a government that promises to make them more wealthy by MAGIC.

The poor are easy to provoke and easy to brainwash. Obama's agenda involves a strong element of brainwashing the poor into acting and thinking like a socialist regime. That, my friends is why the 2010 Census bus stops in the ghetto. The second reason that the 2010 Census campaign is focusing on the poor and the youth (who are innately poor) is that they tend to be afraid of the government. They typically DO NOT mail in their census forms. Just like comedian George Lopez says, "how do they know how many Mexicans are in the US, they never answer their door!". That is actually very true. That is why one of the questions on this year's Census directly asks whether you and your family are Latino in ANY way. That is too weird. Anyway, here are the questions on the 2010 Census:


How many people were living or staying in this house, apartment, or mobile home on April 1, 2010?

We ask this question to help get an accurate count of the number of people in the household on Census Day, April 1, 2010. The answer should be based on the guidelines in the 'Start here' section. We use the information to ensure response accuracy and completeness and to contact respondents whose forms have incomplete or missing information.

Were there any additional people staying here April 1, 2010 that you did not include in Question 1?

Asked since 1880. We ask this question to help identify people who may have been excluded in the count provided in Question 1. We use the information to ensure response accuracy and completeness and to contact respondents whose forms have incomplete or missing information.

Is this house, apartment, or mobile home: owned with mortgage, owned without mortgage, rented, occupied without rent?

Asked since 1890. Homeownership rates serve as an indicator of the nation's economy. The data are also used to administer housing programs and to inform planning decisions.

What is your telephone number?

We ask for a phone number in case we need to contact a respondent when a form is returned with incomplete or missing information.
Please provide information for each person living here. Start with a person here who owns or rents this house, apartment, or mobile home. If the owner or renter lives somewhere else, start with any adult living here. This will be Person 1.


What is Person 1's name?

Listing the name of each person in the household helps the respondent to include all members, particularly in large households where a respondent may forget who was counted and who was not. Also, names are needed if additional information about an individual must be obtained to complete the census form. Federal law protects the confidentiality of personal information, including names.

What is Person 1's sex?

Asked since 1790. Census data about sex are important because many federal programs must differentiate between males and females for funding, implementing and evaluating their programs. For instance, laws promoting equal employment opportunity for women require census data on sex. Also, sociologists, economists, and other researchers who analyze social and economic trends use the data.


What is Person 1's age and Date of Birth?

Asked since 1800. Federal, state, and local governments need data about age to interpret most social and economic characteristics, such as forecasting the number of people eligible for Social Security or Medicare benefits. The data are widely used in planning and evaluating government programs and policies that provide funds or services for children, working-age adults, women of childbearing age, or the older population.

Is Person 1 of Hispanic, Latino or Spanish origin?

Asked since 1970. The data collected in this question are needed by federal agencies to monitor compliance with anti-discrimination provisions, such as under the Voting Rights Act and the Civil Rights Act. State and local governments may use the data to help plan and administer bilingual programs for people of Hispanic origin.

What is Person 1's race?

Asked since 1790. Race is key to implementing many federal laws and is needed to monitor compliance with the Voting Rights Act and the Civil Rights Act. State governments use the data to determine congressional, state and local voting districts. Race data are also used to assess fairness of employment practices, to monitor racial disparities in characteristics such as health and education and to plan and obtain funds for public services.

Does Person 1 sometimes live or stay somewhere else?

This is another question we ask in order to ensure response accuracy and completeness and to contact respondents whose forms have incomplete or missing information.

I can't help but think that the importance Obama is placing on the 2010 Census is yet another step towards a Socialist Nation, and I wouldn't be surprised if the government will someday make it mandatory for citizens to fill out the Census, with penalty for noncompliance, like the tax system. Just watch.

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Jennifer Carty, Ravin Billington DUI Manslaughter case - Palm Bay, Florida


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On September 21st, 2007, Palm Bay, Florida teens Jennifer Carty and Ravin Billington were involved in a drunken car wreck that resulted in the death of Ravin Billington. After over 2 years of investigation, it is still impossible to tell exactly which of the teen girls were actually driving the car during the accident. The car belonged to Jennifer Carty, but several of their friends testified that Ravin Billington was often seen driving Jennifer's car. Here's the kicker - Jennifer was knocked unconscious during the wreck, she had a blood alcohol level of .126, and she doesn't remember the accident or, more importantly in this case, who was driving. Jennifer is being charged for DUI Manslaughter by the state of Florida and the case is coming to a close today.

Jennifer Carty and Ravin Billington were partying with two friends in the parking lot of a BP gas station located at 6600 Babcock - apparently the local teen hangout. The girls were drinking and occasionally jumping in pickup trucks with two guy friends to go "mudding" at a nearby swampy area known as BCC Lakes. Surveillance footage from the BP shows the two girls coming and going at different times throughout the night to use the restroom, buy cigarettes, etc. According to evidence and testimony from the BP store clerk, the group of friends remained in the BP parking lot for a short time after midnight and then they left. At approximately 12:45am, one of the guys the girls were with earlier that night, "Tyler", called 911 and reported that while he was driving down Babcock street, a car sped past him, lost control and flipped over several times before eventually landing in a ditch full of water. Tyler ran from his truck towards the car and realized that it belonged to his friend Jennifer Carty. The girls had been thrown from the car and were both lying face down in the ditch, Ravin was approximately 14 feet from the car and Jennifer about 30 feet from the car. Tyler reported that they were both unconscious but breathing. He drug Jennifer from the watery ditch to the nearby curb. Tyler claimed that Ravin was unconscious but still breathing at the time. Jennifer Carty was soon Life-Flighted to a nearby hospital, while Ravin Billington was pronounced dead at the scene.

The trial of the case aired live on TRU tv this week and they are moments away from a verdict. After hearing all of the evidence and witness testimony, it is impossible to tell which of the two girls was driving the car during the wreck. The prosecution even offered up a lesser charge of a normal DUI, almost as if they knew that they did not have enough evidence to convict Jennifer Carty of DUI Manslaughter.

One thing is for sure, defense attorney Meriah Park is not someone you would ever want to hire. Meriah Park's questioning of the witnesses was stuttery, cluttered and often confusing to the witnesses as you watched them lean forward and wince to understand what the heck she was talking about. Long pauses, and just outright clumsy questioning made some of the witnesses quite irritated. In her closing statements she sounded like an overly righteous kindergarten teacher, speaking to the jury as if they were 4 year olds - almost SCOLDING them. She was swaying back and forth at the podium, and delivered blustering babble while flushed with far too much female hormone-induced emotion. Luckily for Jennifer Carty this case pretty much solved itself as the prosecution clearly didn't have enough evidence, because if Jennifer were relying on Meriah Park to save her case she would be behind bars.

The verdict is in - Jennifer Carty was found not guilty today at 1:40pm ET.

Sunday, February 7, 2010

Kansas City Charity Events - 2010 Charity Fundraisers in Kansas City


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Kansas City Charity Events - 2010 Fundraisers

Kansas City is known for having some of the biggest and brightest charity fundraisers in the nation, but if you're not paying attention you might miss them. That's why we at Kansas City News dot pro are going to give you the skinny:

Bacchus Black Ball

Charity - The Bacchus Foundation
Event Location - The Madrid Theatre
Event Date - February 6th, 2010
Attire - Black Tie
Cost - $100 per person - $175 per couple

The 55th Annual Bacchus Ball will be held this year at The Madrid Theatre and will feature live entertainment by Kansas City's favorite 80's band, The Zeros.

Horizon Academy's Bayou Bash

Charity - Horizon Academy Kansas City
Event Location - Starlight Theater
Event Date - Saturday, February 6th, 2010
Attire - New Orleans Mardi Gras Theme
Cost - $115 per ticket (sponsorship available)

Horizon Academy will hold their 6th annual Bayou Bash this year at Starlight Theater. Auction items will include a "Pick Your Destination" vacation, a "Las Vegas, Baby" getaway, and other great items. Entertainment for the event has not yet been announced as Starlight Theater coordinator Lindsey Rood denied Horizen Academy's request for their choice of entertainment.

Code Red 2010 - The Millennial League

Charity - AIDS Service Foundation of Greater Kansas City
Event Location - Madrid Theatre
Event Date - Friday, February 12th, 2010
Attire - Business Casual to Black Tie
Cost - $20 general admission, $75 VIP
Purchase Tickets to Code Red 2010 Event

The Millennial League is targeted toward young business professionals (although the spokeswoman that was just on Fox 4 was around 55 years old) and they support the missions and goals of the AIDS Service Foundation of Greater Kansas City. The Millennial League's charity event is called "Val-O-Ween" and will feature live entertainment from The Zeros.

Sunflower House - Valentine Gala

Charity - Sunflower House
Event Location - Overland Park Sheraton
Event Date - Saturday, February 13th, 2010
Cost - $150 (sponsorship available)

The Sunflower House, a charity group that fights child abuse, will hold it's annual Valentine Gala this year featuring a V.I.P. cocktail hour, fine dining, and dancing to live music provided by Adam Blue Productions.

Children's Mercy Hospital's Red Hot Night

Charity - Children's Mercy Hospital
Event Location - Kansas City Convention Center
Event Date - Saturday, February 13th, 2010
Attire - Black Tie

The focus on this year's charity event is cancer research. Children’s Mercy is working towards achieving COG designation as a Phase I/II Clinical Trial Center within their Experimental Therapeutics Program – a prestigious designation held by fewer than 25 children’s hospitals worldwide.

The Red Ball

Charity - The American Red Cross
Event Location - The Sprint Center, Kansas City
Event Date - Friday, February 26th, 2010
Attire - Black Tie
Cost - $175 per ticket (sponsorship available)

In it's third year, The American Red Cross is set to roll out the red carpet once again this year for The Red Ball. This year, the event will feature a catered dinner from Levy Restaurants and entertainment from Big Bad Voodoo Daddy. The event is set in a beautifully decorated Sprint Center, complete with red cross lights in the front windows of the massive event space.

Forks and Corks for Harvesters

Charity - Harvesters
Event Location - Kansas City Convention Center
Event Date - April 29th, 2010
Attire - Business Casual

The 14th annual Forks and Corks will assemble this year at the Kansas City Convention Center and will feature several top Kansas City Restaurants serving their best cuisine, a silent auction and a delightful wine selection and tasting.

Wayside Waifs - Fur Ball 2010

Charity - Wayside Waifs
Event Location - Overland Park Convention Center
Event Date - May 8th, 2010
Attire - Formal / Business Casual

Kansas City's favorite charity and charity event, Wayside Waifs annual FurBall will be held this year at The Overland Park Convention Center and will feature a live auction, and entertainment provided by Adam Blue Productions.

Jazzoo 2010

Charity - The Kansas City Zoo
Event Location - The Kansas City Zoo
Event Date - June 4th, 2010
Attire - Creative Black Tie

Kansas City's most creative and outrageous charity event has and always will be Jazzoo. Jazzoo 2010 will be no exception as there will be dozens of Kansas City's finest restaurants on site at The Kansas City Zoo, featuring their best cuisine. Party right along side the animals as the entire zoo will be flowing with festively dressed party goers.

This year's entertainment has not yet been announced, but there are usually at least 3 different live bands playing all night long at different locations around the zoo grounds.

For more info visit Kansas City Charity Events

Friday, February 5, 2010

Jobs in Kansas City - Tips for landing a good job in Kansas City


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Jobs in Kansas City are very attainable if you apply yourself and take the necessary steps to land one.

One path that I found successful was to get signed on with a Temporary Agency. There are several in the Kansas City area including Kelly Services, probably one of the oldest and trusted temporary agencies in the country. Kelly has many Kansas City jobs available for applicants with the right qualifications. What I really liked about Kelly Services (and I think that most temp services offer this) was the training service. There are several different computer programs out there that are useful to employers, and the more of these programs you can master, the more jobs you are qualified for. Programs that are useful are Microsoft Office products, Adobe products, and specialized software programs that may relate to your area of job expertise. Kelly will test you on the various computer programs to see how well you know each program, however the cool thing is that if you are struggling on any of the programs they have training programs that will help you to score better on their tests.

College - if you went to college then you probably already have an area of expertise and may be familiar with and can pigeon hole your job opportunities accordingly. For instance if you have college experience in accounting, you might want to go directly to Accountemps in Kansas City to begin your journey. If you did not attend college do not lose hope, you can easily learn any or all of the computer programs required to land any of the great Kansas City jobs that are out there waiting for you. Check in to a temporary agency and start training. I would just ask them outright what jobs are the most readily available and just train towards getting that job. A lot of times it doesn't matter where you start in a company, if you can get a job a good company you can work your way laterally to another department within the company and eventually move up in that department. For instance, I started in the Claims department of a Kansas City health care company and I eventually gained the experience necessary to move to the more lucrative Accounting department. For the record, my college experience didn't really have much to do with my entry into the company, nor my success within the company later on.

The Bottom Line
Go to a temporary agency, score well on their placement tests, get sent out on temporary job assignments, find a company on an assignment that you like, let them know that you are interested in becoming a permanent employee, watch the available job listings within that company and apply for a permanent job. If you have done well as a temporary employee then odds are you will be hired on as a permanent employee. At that time you can look for opportunities within the company to move up, etc.

The temporary agency is a great way to start because they are basically looking for jobs for you, and they have better access to the good jobs because the big companies in Kansas City use temporary agencies constantly to fill positions. The other major advantage to starting out in a temporary agency is that they will send you out to work (temporarily, of course) at several different companies, and you get a chance to look at the company from the inside, making it easy to find a company that you would like to work for.

This is how I landed a great job in Kansas City, I hope this was helpful to any of you that are out there struggling to land one of the wonderful Kansas City jobs that are out there waiting for you right now! Good luck on the job hunt.

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