It’s back: Old Settlers celebration in Olathe means parade, kids’ fun, these 2 acts
If it’s early September, it’s time for the Old Settlers celebration in downtown Olathe.
The festival — featuring carnival rides, a parade, entertainment and even a gab fest — starts on Sept. 8, a Thursday, and concludes on Saturday, Sept. 10.
Two free concerts are scheduled: Simply Queen at 7:30 p.m Sept. 9 and Lonestar at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 10. For details, visit johnsoncountyoldsettlers.com.
OP moves carefully on short-term rentals
In a continuing effort to evaluate short-term rentals like Airbnbs and VRBOs, the Overland Park City Council has asked the staff to draft a nuisance party ordinance, which will help authorities hold the property owners responsible if large parties or gatherings violate city code.
The staff also has been asked to investigate the potential licensing of short-term rentals, to keep identifying those that are operating in the city and to make residents more aware of how to report problems associated with short-term rentals.
The city began looking into the issue after a woman was fatally shot in March at a south Overland Park home that was being used as a short-term rental. Staffers conducted research, and in a community survey, 89% of residents supported a nuisance party ordinance. The city said 82% were generally supportive of licensing and some regulation of short-term rentals.
If adopted, the nuisance party ordinance would apply to all properties, not just short-term rentals.
The staff found that short-term rentals are difficult to inventory because they are advertised in hundreds of places, sometimes without precise locations, and frequently go on and off the market. They also found that elsewhere, outright bans or highly restrictive rules have been fought in court by property owners.
SM North turns 100
Shawnee Mission North, the first high school constructed in the Shawnee Mission School District, is celebrating its 100th anniversary this fall.
According to Wikipedia, the school opened on Sept. 12, 1922, as Shawnee Mission Rural High School and has been expanded several times. Originally built for $925,000, the fledgling high school started with 12 faculty members and a senior class of 1,200.
The school — at 7401 Johnson Drive in north Overland Park — was named Shawnee Mission High School in 1948 after future Kansas Gov. Robert F. Bennett, then a senior at the school, was sent to Topeka to ask the state legislature for a name that reflected the area’s suburban nature. It became Shawnee Mission North in 1958 with the opening of the district’s second high school, Shawnee Mission East.
Commemorative activities at North are scheduled for Sept. 9-12:
▪ Sept. 9: Homecoming parade at 1 p.m., tailgate gathering at 5 p.m. and homecoming football game at 7.
▪ Sept. 10: Open house and school tours from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., homecoming dance for alumni from 6 to 7:30 p.m. and traditional dance at 8 p.m.
▪ Sept 12: Ribbon-cutting ceremony.
Find updated information at smnorth.smsd.org/100-year-anniversary.
Comcast to bring broadband to Spring Hill
Like many outlying communities, Spring Hill has struggled in recent years with internet service that’s insufficient for modern homes and businesses.
Now, a remedy is on the horizon.
Comcast says it will begin construction — possibly by the end of the year — on a 75-mile fiber network in the city, which lies on both sides of the Johnson/Miami county line. The company will invest $9 million over two years to provide secure broadband to more than 3,400 homes and businesses.
Broadband speeds will exceed 1 gigabit per second for residential customers and up to 100 gigabits for businesses, the company said. Comcast is funding the project without any financial investment from the city.
“This is an exciting time for the city of Spring Hill,” Mayor Joe Berkey said in a press release. “Broadband has been an issue for many years, and this is a city-wide solution that will benefit everyone in the community.”
The company said that over the last three years, it has invested more than $12.6 million in technology and infrastructure in Kansas. The Spring Hill project will push that amount beyond $21 million.
Lenexa to break ground on Justice Center
Lenexa has scheduled a Sept. 13 ground-breaking ceremony for its new Justice Center at Prairie Star Parkway and Britton Street.
The event, which is free and open to the public, begins at 4:30 p.m. Brief speeches will begin at 4:45 p.m.
The new Lenexa Justice Center, to be completed in early 2024, will house the city’s police department and municipal court, replacing facilities on 87th Street Parkway.
“Lenexa’s current building has reached the end of its useful life, and the new facility will enhance security, training, communications, dispatch and records and evidence storage,” the city said on its website.
Incentives offered for snow removal
When the snow falls, residents want the streets plowed. Right away. Cleared streets are safer, too.
That’s why Overland Park has launched a new incentive program to make sure it has enough employees to handle the job.
Regular pay starts at $18 an hour for city maintenance workers, but for the upcoming winter, the city is adding these bonuses to the hourly pay and any overtime earned:
▪ For plow drivers on staff: $150 per winter storm.
▪ For drivers of smaller trucks: $100 per winter storm.
▪ For support staff: $50 per winter storm.
Officials hope the incentive program will not only bolster the number of employees but encourage staffers to volunteer for snow removal.
“Winter weather events take our staff away from family and friends. Snow and ice fall in the freezing cold, at night, on holidays, during Chiefs games, and sometimes for several days in a row,” Joshua Welge, maintenance operations manager for the city Public Works Department, said in a news release.
The program also includes a seasonal minimum for incentives. For example, plow drivers who participate in events throughout the season will receive at least $1,500. Beyond 10 winter storms, staffers will receive the per-event incentive for each additional event.
New Gardner council member
Mark Wiehn, an aviation program manager for Garmin in Olathe, is the newest member of the Gardner City Council.
He was appointed on Aug. 15 to fill the vacancy left by Erik Van Potter, who moved outside the city.
Wiehn has lived in Gardner since 2015. He’s an engineering professional and holds a master’s degree in business. His appointed term expires in December 2023.
Jazz Fest returns in PV
After a two-year hiatus caused by the coronavirus pandemic, the Prairie Village Jazz Festival is back for 2022.
It will take place from 3 to 10 p.m. Sept. 10 in Harmon Park, 77th Street and Mission Road. Admission is $5 for adults and free for those 18 and under. Cash only.
Environmental action in NE Joco
Cities in northeast Johnson County are sponsoring two environmental events on Sept. 17:
▪ A free, family-friendly environmental fair, Go Green 2022!, is scheduled from 9 a.m to noon at the Sylvester Powell Community Center, 6200 Martway St. in Mission. Organizers say the fair “aims to show you how each small step you take can help reduce your carbon footprint at home, school and work and save money while doing so.”
PCs for People will take old computers and electronics (focusing on laptops, desktops and monitors) for recycling. Donors need not wipe hard drives because the agency will do it. Fees apply for some items.
The fair is co-hosted by Fairway, Merriam, Mission, Mission Hills, Mission Woods, Prairie Village, Roeland Park, Westwood and Westwood Hills.
▪ A paper-shredding and electronics-recycling event, from 9 a.m. to noon at 4350 Shawnee Mission Parkway in Fairway. The event is open only to residents of Fairway, Mission, Mission Hills, Mission Woods, Roeland Park, Westwood and Westwood Hills.
Free admission on Grandparents Day
Grandparents accompanied by a grandchild are admitted free of charge at the Mahaffie Stagecoach Stop & Farm on Saturday, Sept. 10.
One grandparent is admitted per paid grandchild. Admission is $7 per adult, $5 per child with a $2 discount for Olathe residents. In addition to the regular 1860s Living History activities, the Olathe Civic Band will give a performance on the grounds beginning at 2 p.m. Visit Mahaffie.org for more information.
