Spring Rambling

It's been a year since posting a note--can't think of anything else that I haven't done in a year. Why? Just wordless I guess. Not many people would agree with that statement-- especially my husband , Larry. Lots has changed since last year. #1 economy-- this says it all (author unknown)" We are twice as miserable losing something than we are happy gaining the same thing".
# 2 weather-- well I am so happy to see spring come. Today everything looks green and flowers and flowering trees are all budding. We even washed our car this am---a first since Oct. That could be a record .Well for us anyway. I agree with Forrest Tucker, "He loves nature in spite of what it did to him." He could have been referring to me.!
#3 sports--- we the Hawks and the Mizzo's are heading for the final four. In our divided house we are rooting for both ,but notfor these teams to play against each other. That's an oxymoron. It comes natural . All bets are off. That's it ! To be continued next wk. or not! The Rambler

St. Patrick's Day 2009

After 26 years of going up Grand the St. Patrick's Day Parade moved to Broadway! The parade started 15 minutes late, due to a glitch with the free shuttle busses. The organizers hired 2 motor coaches to transport parade-goers from Union Station to the parade route. Long lines formed at Union Station, and some people decided to walk.

The parade was finally underway!

The Irish Museum's float.

Nancy and Kara

The Cobras!

Conrad, Nancy, Margie and Patti

Penncoyd Bridge

In January 2006 a massive undertaking occurred when the Penncoyd Bridge, named after the company that manufactured it, was moved from beneath the Broadway Bridge to the Freight House. The 1892 span sat unused on the river bluffs since the 1960s. It once provided a rail connection between the early city and the west bottoms. It sat near the spot where the roots of Kansas City Southern began in 1887.

View the video below to see Conrad's photos of the move.

Kansas City Southern donated the bridge. A partnership among Pershing Road Development LLC, Kansas City Terminal Railway, Kansas City Southern, Union Station and the Freight House was responsible for the undertaking. Kansas City Terminal Railway was responsible for the project over its tracks. The Freight House donated an easement in its parking for the north end of the bridge. Union Station made room for the south end to empty into the Sprint Festival Plaza, or north waiting room. Mark One Electric Co. Inc. was in charge of clearing the power lines and traffic signals. Pershing Road Development, one of whose partners is DST Systems Inc., financed the $5 million bridge project.

Permits for the oversized load to cross two bridges on Grand had to be obtained from the Missouri Department of Transportation and with the city. The bridge transport had to be coordinated with sewer work on Grand planned by the KC Live entertainment project. Because Grand is a boulevard, the project also required the OK of the Parks and Recreation Department. All property owners on Grand received notification and that the contractors would be responsible for fixing any damage.

Physically moving the bridge was a spectacle. Two of the three spans , measuring 100 feet and 142 feet long and weighing a combined 137 tons were transported. The sections were too long for a flatbed truck. One end rested on a truck and the other was suspended on wheels for the journey. Overhead utility wires had to be removed. Traffic lights were swiveled on their bases to make way. It was filmed by the history channel and still appears on a segment of Mega Movers.

Eventually the bridge was made into a pedestrian walkway connecting Union Station with the Freighthouse District crossing over the railroad tracks. The APAC-Kansas Inc. construction and hauling company of Overland Park blasted the green lead paint off, cleaned and painted it. The firm of McCownGordon Construction LLC of Kansas City built a “bridge within a bridge” to be suspended inside the steel frame. It has a roof to protect pedestrians from the elements but has open vents on the sides to let in air and light and allow people to see out. The aluminum panels on the sides evoke a passenger train crossing the bridge. The north end of the bridge, which will have an elevator.

From an article in the Kansas City Star

11/2/2005 By Matt Campbell

Union Station

Union Station
30 West Pershing Rd
Kansas City, MO. 64108
816.460.2020
http://www.unionstation.org/index.cfm

Built in 1914, this Kansas City landmark is home to a permanent rail exhibit with vintage rail cars, an interactive science center, a vibrant Theater District featuring giant-screen movies and live theater, fine restaurants, spaces for meetings and events and much more. Of course, you can still catch the train at Union Station, once again among Amtrak's busiest stops. All of the light fixtures are original as well as the clock and floors. The windows in front are 8 stories high. During WWII over 50% of the soldiers went through Union Station, the 2nd largest train station in the nation.

Henry Wollman Bloch Fountain

In 2001, the H&R Block Foundation created the Henry Wollman Bloch Fountain at Union Station as a gift to the people of Kansas City. The 232-jet fountain produces spectacular computer-choreographed water displays in a medium between the Liberty Memorial and Union Station. More than 1,610 square feet of 2-inch-thick Winter Sky Granite was cut and shipped from Canada for the water display area. More than 7,991 square feet of 2-inch-thick Rustenburg Dark Granite was used for the water skin area. More than 736 square feet of 1 1/4 inch thick granite was used on the face of the fountain, designed by Wet Design.

Kansas City, known as the City of Fountains, is believed to have more public fountains than any city other than Rome.

What's for lunch?

The Hereford House is now open for lunch in the Hollywood Room, 100 East 20th Street, (previously O'Quigleys) just east of their old building on Main Street. The buffet lunch is $7. The original plan was to be open for lunch on Mondays until March when the Hollywood Room will be remodeled and reopened as the Hereford House; however, lunch is now being offered Monday - Friday on a trial basis. Call ahead to make sure lunch is being served: (816) 842-8718

A walk around the neighborhood

This morning we walked to Crown Center to take pictures of the Hallmark ornament window that was displayed on Times Square for Good Morning America from December 3-31. You can find this in the lower level at the bottom of the south escalators. Scott Butterfield, trend consultant and Hallmark employee for 20 years, used Hallmark's Keepsake Ornaments for inspiration as he incorporated iconic Kansas City scenes to build the window. The window includes five oversize ornaments that depict Kansas City scenes, including the Mayor's Christmas Tree and the J.C. Nichols Fountain. With nearly 200 LED lights, the Kansas City holiday display used almost a half pound of specially formulated iridescent flitter to create a sparkling snow effect.

Then we strolled over to beautiful Union Station. This fully restored 1914 landmark is one of Kansas City's treasures. What a great reconstruction! Closed in the 1980s, the Station sat empty and neglected, escaping demolition on several occasions. In 1996, a historic bi-state initiative was passed to fund the Station's renovation, which was completed in 1999.
The Station is once again a popular destination for the surrounding community just stopping by for lunch or to mail a letter from the post office in the west end of the Grand Hall. The station draws tourists from all over the world who marvel at the Grand Hall's 95-foot ceiling, three 3,500-pound chandeliers.

I've never seen anyone do this, but I've heard that some people lay on the floor on their backs just to gaze at the ceiling! We took this photo from the 3rd floor balcony.

Currently on display in Union Station is Canstruction®, a design/build competition sponsored by the Society for Design Administration (SDA). Teams of architects, engineers, and students mentored by SDA professionals compete to design and build giant structures made entirely from full cans of food. The results are displayed to the public as magnificent sculpture exhibits in each city where a competition is held. At the close of the exhibitions all of the canned food used in the structures is donated to local food banks for distribution to emergency feeding programs that include pantries, soup kitchens, elderly and day care centers. Since its inception, ten million pounds of food has been donated to aid in the fight against hunger. You can view Canstruction at Union Station through February 13.

Liberty Memorial’s Dedication Wall

Directly across Across the street from Union Station on the south side of Pershing Road is Dedication Wall containing the busts of the 5 Allied generals of WWI. These busts are located on the exact spot where the main Allied military leaders spoke to a crowd of close to 200,000 people November 1, 1921. It was the only time in history that these leaders were together at one place. In attendance were Lieutenant General Baron Jacques of Belgium; General Armando Diaz of Italy; Marshal Ferdinand Foch of France; General John J. Pershing of the United States; and Admiral David Beatty of Great Britain.

Farewell Golden Harvest Bakery

Those of us who have been buying our coffee for years at the Golden Harvest Bakery bid a sad farewell to our friends Cynthia, Ann, Karen, Angela and others who lost their jobs when the bakery abruptly closed its doors on Dec. 29, 2008.

In other Crown Center news, The Kids Place has moved to Micah's, just across the hall.

Mayor's Christmas Tree

The 100-foot-tall Mayor’s Christmas Tree that sits in Crown Center Square is one of the nation’s tallest and sports 7,200 white lights. This special tree stands as a symbol of the Mayor’s Christmas Tree Fund, which helps more than 33,000 people in the Kansas City area have a Merry Christmas each year. The main fundraiser is the sale of ornaments made from last year's tree and offered exclusively at Crown Center Customer Service.

The Mayor's Christmas Tree Fund has dwindled over the past couple of years, and this year as many as 500 applicants could be denied assistance. The fund is expected to earn around $40,000 with much of it going to elderly and disabled adults via $30 gift cards from Price Chopper grocery stores.

This holiday tradition began in 1878. For the past several years Crown Center has covered the cost of transporting a donated tree from the Pacific Northwest to Crown Center Square and reassembling it. The lights are turned on the Friday after Thanksgiving in a ceremony beginning at 6 p.m.

Happy Holidays

Hi Friends,
It's taken a while but I finally got back on this site . Now I have nothing to say!! Just kidding!
I love this season--- it is my favorite. When it is too cold to walk the Plaza , Larry and I go to Oak Park Mall and walk. Well I have to stop and shop around. The clerks aren't busy these days and are very eager to talk and visit. One learns a lot about people . Just one question brings out a story or two. I'll share some one of these days. Later the Rambler

Walk of Honor at Liberty Memorial

Personalized, engraved granite bricks for veterans (living or deceased) of all wars including WWI, WWII, Korea, Vietnam and the Desert Wars line the Walk of Honor at the entrance to the museum. The brick in the photo above was dedicated in honor on Conrad's father, Chris Knab, who served as a private in the U.S. Army during World War I.

Liberty Memorial’s Sphinxes

Two sphinxes sit on either side of the Liberty Memorial, "Memory" and "Future." Their faces are veiled with their wings. "Memory," facing east towards Flanders Fields and the seat of the war, has a hooded head and its face veiled with its wings to shut out the horrors or war. "Future," facing west, where "the course of the empire takes its way," has a veiled head and its face also veiled with its wings, as the future is veiled to all.

Future, facing West

The Liberty Memorial in bloom

The Liberty Memorial, taken from the Santa Fe Place / San Francisco Tower garden.

Blooming redbud trees at The Liberty Memorial.

Yellow daylillies at The Liberty Memorial.

National World War I Museum at Liberty Memorial

The National World War I Museum

Designed by Ralph Applebaum who also designed the Holocaust Museum in WDC, the museum is part of the Liberty Memorial and a must-see, offering glimpses of objects and documents ranging from weaponry and uniforms used during the war, to letters and postcards from the field. The most recent acquisition is a WWI French Renault FT-17 tank that was pierced by artillery during the war. The museum opened December 2, 2006. This is the only museum in the world dedicated to WWI.

Crown Center, from the top of the Liberty Memorial.

The Westin Crown Center Hotel is in the lower left of this photo; Santa Fe Place is in the lower middle with San Francisco Tower in the lower right.

Great Frieze of the Liberty Memorial

The Great Frieze on the north wall of the Liberty Memorial was sculpted by Edmond Amateis. Depicting progress from war to peace via 12 motifs between flags, starting with a vignette of destruction -- a howitzer and a badly wounded soldier -- and ending with hope for the future, the Frieze stretches 400 feet across and stands 13 feet high. The inscription above the Frieze reads, "These have dared bear torches of sacrifice and service; their bodies return to dust, but their work liveth forevermore. Let us strive on to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations."

The inscription on the east fountain reads, "Who more than self their country loved." The inscription on the west fountain reads, "The glory dies not and the grief is past."

In Flanders Fields

By: Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, MD (1872-1918)

Canadian Army
IN FLANDERS FIELDS the poppies blow

Between the crosses row on row,

That mark our place; and in the sky

The larks, still bravely singing, fly

Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago

We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,

Loved and were loved, and now we lie

In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:

To you from failing hands we throw

The torch; be yours to hold it high.

If ye break faith with us who die

We shall not sleep, though poppies grow

In Flanders fields.

Liberty Memorial Sliding Gates

The sliding gates at the south entrance of the Liberty Memorial were designed by Ellen Driscoll in 2006 and are called “Pro Patria More”. The lower stainless steel panels are perforated to create a silhouetted rendering of a photograph of Scottish Highlander soldiers leaving a WWI battlefield. The mosaics lining the top of each gate are a composite of photographic images of individual soldiers, field and battle scenes along with various badges from the different military entities who participated in the war.

The Liberty Memorial

One of our favorite sites in our neighborhood is the Liberty Memorial which we can see from the window in our condo. We have many photographs of the Memorial which we are delighted to share with you.

In 1919, the citizens of Kansas City, Missouri, were inspired and determined to create an enduring memorial to honor the men and women who served in World War I and, especially, those who did not return home. Over a period of only 10 days, a community-based fundraising drive collected over $2.5 million (the equivalent of nearly $40 million in today’s economy) to build Liberty Memorial. Sadly neglected over the years and then lovingly restored and rededicated May 25, 2002, the Liberty Memorial once again stands proudly “In honor of those who served in the world war in defense of liberty and our country.” – inscription, on the Liberty Memorial tower in Downtown Kansas City, Missouri, U.S.

At the top of the Liberty Memorial Tower are four guardian spirits (Honor, Sacrifice, Patriotism and Courage) with hands clasped over mighty swords. The swords signify the spirits’ role as protectors of peace, not as warriors. The spirits were hoisted into place in 1925. The spirit named Honor stands guard over Crown Center.

Honor, facing East, gazing towards Crown Center.

The Liberty Memorial at night.

Pioneer Mother

A short walk from the Spanish War Veterans Memorial is statue of the Pioneer Mother Memorial by Alexander Phimister Proctor. Commissioned by Howard Vanderslice in 1924 and presented to the city of Kansas City, Mo. in 1927, the figures depicted in the sculpture are Vanderslice family members, including Major Daniel Vanderslice, a veteran of Indian wars and an appointed agent to tribes in Missouri; his son Thomas J. Vanderslice with his wife and infant son, Howard Vanderslice, ca. 1853. This sculpture portrays Howard Vanderslice being carried as a baby to Kansas City.
To really appreciate this stunning sculpture, you need to park your car across the street from the Federal Reserve at 1 Memorial Drive and Wyandotte Street and walk the path to it. Too bad it is tucked away inside the park instead of near a busy intersection where it could be enjoyed by more people.

The Hiker

Penn Valley Park is home to The Hiker, sculpted by Theo A. R. Kitson (1871–1932), the first woman to be admitted to the National Sculpture Society. The Hiker is one of 52 bronze sculptures cast between the years 1921 and 1956 of a uniformed Spanish American War soldier standing with his legs apart, and left foot forward, holding his rifle horizontally in front of him with both hands. The sleeves of his shirt are rolled up and he wears a wide-brimmed hat and a cartridge belt. A knapsack rests on his rear left hip and a canteen on his rear right hip. He is holding a rifle, horizontally across the front of his body at waist level. A satchel and a canteen hang at his hips from shoulder straps. This Spanish War Veterans Memorial is located across the Street from the Federal Reserve Bank. The Inscription reads, "To Commemorate the Valor and Patriotism of the Men who Served in the War with Spain, Philippine Insurrection, and China Relief Expedition 1898 – 1902." Similar sculptures can be found in Schenectady Central Park, Schenectady County, New York and Arcadia Park, Los Angeles County, California, as well as many other locations in the U.S.

The Scout

The Scout, an impressive statue of an Sioux Indian on horseback looking north toward downtown Kansas City, is located in Penn Valley Park, near Southwest Trafficway and Broadway Boulevard, just off 31st Street. From 31st Street, go north on Penn Street, next to the Firefighter’s Fountain.

The Scout is a memorial to local Native American tribes. Beloved and often photographed by Kansas Citians, The Scout is more than 10 feet tall, and depicts a Sioux Indian returning from a hunting trip sitting warily astride his horse with bow in hand. In Kansas City's first sister city, Seville, Spain, is a nearly identical statue . The Scout was conceived in 1915 by Cyrus E. Dallin (1861-1944) for the Panama Pacific Exposition in San Francisco, where it won a gold medal. On its way back east, the statue was exhibited on a temporary basis in Penn Valley Park. The statue was so well received that $15,000 was raised in nickels and dimes through a campaign called The Kids of Kansas City. The statue was dedicated in 1922 as a permanent memorial to local Indian tribes. Several area attractions have been named after the iconic statue, most notably, Kansas City Scout, which is the Kansas City Metroplitan Area's electronic traffic alert system. Kansas City's short-lived NHL team was named the Kansas City Scouts, after the statue.

Imagine my dismay last week when I drove north on Penn Street past the skate park and the tennis courts only to find barricades preventing me from continuing on to the Scout. There were a lot of men sitting in their cars who were not skating or playing tennis. I didn't feel comfortable walking alone to photograph the Scout, so I returned a couple of days later with my photographer. We walked down to the Scout, along a cracked and weed-infested road, and came to the symbol of Kansas City only to find it littered with beer cans and discarded underwear with part of the bridle missing!

Firefighters Fountain

Penn Valley Park, is a 130-acre park bordered by Southwest Tfwy. and Broadway, and 31st Street and Pershing Road. Overlooking Downtown Kansas City, Missouri, the park was developed in 1904 on land through which the Santa Fe Trail had passed. The park is home to The Firefighters Fountain, the Scout, the Pioneer Mother, The Hiker, the 3 acre Washlington Lake, a 2-mile fitness trail, a dog park, tennis courts, ball fields, a skate park , Just Off Broadway Theatre and the Liberty Memorial. It is a popular spot for concerts and festivals during the summer months.





Firefighters Fountain, 31st & Broadway, Kansas City, MO. Located Penn Valley Park the Firefighters Fountain is a memorial to those firefighters who have fallen in the line of duty throughout the city’s history. Larkin Aquatics was commissioned to design the water fountain and associated landscaping while Tom Corbin was chosen as the sculptor. The fountain was completed and dedicated in 1991. The finished fountain features two sculpted bronze firefighters pointing a hose. The sculptures are surrounded by a basin of water approximately 80 feet in diameter and holding 76,000 gallons of water, making this outdoor fountain one of the largest in Kansas City. Water shoots from 48 brass nozzles that are real nozzles used on fire truck hoses. The fountains water sprays create a striking resemblance to water being sprayed from a fire hose.





A series of short pillars is located in a semi-circle behind the fountain. Etched into the granite are the names of every firefighter in Kansas City who has died in service.



In the center of the pillars, there is the figure of a firefighter with his head bowed.







You are now on the Santa Fe, California, Oregon Trail that began in Independence. 290,000 started from this trail, and 90% made it. The little town of Westport just south of here was built along the Santa Fe Trail as an outfitting center providing foodstuffs, wagons, animals and other provisions for wagon trains heading west. A wagon could be outfitted for about $850.

Federal Reserve Bank

The Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City, located at 1 Memorial Drive, is the tenth one of the 12 banks in the Federal Reserve System and one of two Federal Reserve Banks in the state of Missouri. On your dollar bill is a circle and in the circle is a letter. Under the letter is the name of the city. Since we are #10, our letter is “J”, the tenth letter of the alphabet.

Inside is the Money Museum where you can see how Bank employees and the vault's robots work together to move large containers of cash within a secure area. Also on display is a unique gold bar weighing 389.27 troy ounces that was cast at the San Francisco Mint in 1959. The bar is worth about $400,000 today and is one of many that once filled the vault at the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City. The interactive exhibits explore banking, how people pay for things and how monetary policy decisions impact your family's bottom line. You'll also be able to take a peek into one of the region's largest cash vaults, give the nation's currency your own redesign and view the famous Truman Coin Collection, which includes coins from each U.S. presidential administration. Scooter visited there last week. He said they give you a bag of shredded cash... it's taking him forever to glue them back together!

In front of the Federal Reserve Bank on Memorial Drive are 2 statues, The Spirit of Industry on the left and the Spirit of Commerceon the right, copies of the originals (sculpted by Henry Hering in 1921) that are at the old Federal Reserve Bank Building at 925 Grand Boulevard.

The site where the Federal Reserve sits was originally the home of St. Mary's Hospital.

In the northeast corner of the grounds is a cornerstone dedicated to the Sisters of Saint Mary, now known as the Franciscan Sisters of Mary, who established St. Mary’s Hospital on the property. The monument consists of the original cornerstone, brick from the original chapel, and the chapel bell.

Does anyone know what happened to the marker to commemorate the Santa Fe Trail that was on the gatepost of old St. Mary's? The gateposts were torn down and new ones built for the Federal Reserve Bank, but what happened to the market to the Santa Fe Trail? If you know, please add a comment and let us know!

Triple Crown

Let's take a tour around our neighborhood! Our first stop is Triple Crown located on the Hallmark campus on 27th between Grand & Main. Fondly referred to as “pick-up-sticks,” Hallmark’s Triple Crown is a pipe sculpture measuring 43’ x 85’ x 78’. Created by artist Kenneth Snelson and assembled in 1991 from stainless steel tubes resting on three granite pillars, the three arches are held together by tension - no nuts, bolts or duct tape!

Acrobatic Gymnastics National Competition

Last week we traveled to Des Moines for the Acrobatic Gyhmnastics National Competition. Acro Girl's pair took 3rd and her trio took 6th.

Above are Acro Girl and Acro Flier on the podium with their bronze medal.

Pair BalanceRoutine

Pair Dynamic Routine

Trio Awards

The Trio's Balance Routine





The Trio's Dynamic Routine

2008 USAG Regional Championships

Acro Girl picked me up Friday and we drove to St. Louis for the 2008 USAG Regional Championships. The sport is called Acrobatic Gymnastics, a partner sport with groups consisting of: women’s pair, men’s pair, mixed pair, women’s group (three women) and men’s group (four men). Each pair or group performs routines featuring dance, gymnastics tumbling skills, partner balances and dynamic skills with flight. Balance skills highlight the athletes’ strength and flexibility through pyramids and static positions of the top. Dynamic skills involve somersaulting and twisting with landings on the floor or catches by a bottom partner. All routines are choreographed and performed to music.

Acro Girl's pair performed their 2 routines for the judges on Saturday. They took first place! Here is a video of their dynamic routine. I took this video with my Sony camera. Even though it is MPEG capable I wouldn't recommend recording a sports event with it.





Acro Girl’s group (a trio of 3 girls) performed Sunday and took 2nd place! Below is a video of their balance routine.






Next is a video of the trio's dynamic routine.



Acro Girl is a coach at the Rising Star Acrobatic Club and competes so that every girl has a partner for the year. (She’s also quite good at it!) In the fall when the new season starts, if every girl can be partnered up, Acro Girl will not compete again but she will coach.

The Acrobatic Gymnastics National Championship is July 27-31 in Des Moines, Iowa. Acro Girl’s pair will be competing against 2 other pairs, and her trio will go up against 18 other trios!

Acro Girl and Acro Flyer accepting their gold medal

Acro Girl and her trio accepting their 2nd place medal

Acro Girl also received the Region 4 Sportsman Award, an honor bestowed upon her by vote of the entire region 4. It was quite an honor. Acro Girl cried, and so did I.