Saturday October 14th is going to be a very busy day in Pendleton Heights, with something for everyone! The day kicks off to a fine start with our annual PH Orchard Fest, happening this year in Independence Plaza Park. (11am-2pm). This year's celebration will be bigger and better than ever, featuring good food, bounce houses, a costume swap, and a special guest appearance of the goats of Kessler Park.
At 5pm, meet up in Jade Alley for a night of adventure, beginning with the PH Fairy Lights & Alley Murals Project KCAI Artists Reception. Check out the completed murals of Jade Alley (200 blk btwn Olive St & Park Ave) while visiting with the Kansas City Art Institute students who created them.
Be sure to wear comfortable shoes because when night falls (sunset, 6:42pm), we'll go on a Fairy Light Walk. We'll stroll select back lanes that have been brightened and made safer throughout the summer via the installation of solar fairy lights and ongoing clean ups.
At 8pm, Freight Train Rabbit Killer takes the stage at Lexington Ave & Ord St. This performance will herald the close of the 2023 iteration of the PH Fairy Lights & Alley Murals Project, and putting our green spaces to bed for the year. FTRK is aptly described by Haymaker Records as, "Storytelling through music, American folk art via gritty blues, screaming electric guitars, suits and masks," (rather appropriate for our quirky enclave, right?). We hope to see you there!
The PH Fairy Lights & Alley Murals Project came about through Community Capital Funds' Neighborhoods Rising Fund grant and the benevolence of countless volunteers.
On Thursday July 13th, Northeast KCMO neighborhood leadership was invited to participate in Kansas City University’s Resource Fair/COM 2027. The Pendleton Heights Neighborhood Association’s Sean Arkin, Whitney Blaire, Jon Cokely, and Linda Fleischman were in attendance and pleased to be a part of it.
The morning kicked off with an orientation at KCU to help incoming freshmen learn about the hidden gems they’ll discover in Historic Northeast over the next four years. To jump start the adventure, neighborhood leaders spoke with students about what makes our part of town so special. The cherry on top was the interactive treasure hunt the university had thoughtfully put together for them.
One of the most useful clues provided by the school encouraged students to locate two of PH’s much-loved neighborhood hangs, Core Coffee (546 Olive St.) and PH Coffee (2200 Lexington Ave.). With their proximity to KCU, these cafes will undoubtedly figure largely in the lives of the class of 2027. On a related note, students were provided with a list of favorite neighborhood restaurants, and Independence Plaza Council President Cynthia Herrington was pleased to observe the students’ excitement over it. Longstanding HNE residents have grown accustomed to the array of local eateries featuring dishes from around the world, but to incoming students it’s all new.
Scarritt Renaissance Neighborhood Association President Amanda Kranz expressed delight over student interest in exploring HNE in general, and PH Green Spaces Steward Whitney Barnardo evinced a similar sentiment, saying, “Our neighborhood is filled with cool amenities, and we can’t wait to welcome all the students to join us and be a part of our amazing community!”
The National Weather Service confirms that winds up to at least 70 miles per hour hit Kansas City on July 14th, while an independent weather station on the Kansas side clocked them at 89 mph. Whatever it actually was that blew through Pendleton Heights, it was fierce. Couple the wind with the thunder and rainstorms that intermittently pelted the area, it wasn't a stretch to assume there'd be a lot of damage in the end.
At one point, there were over 200,000 Kansas Citians without power. Neighbors north of Lexington Avenue appeared to have been more broadly hit, but oddly enough, the outages were ultimately spotty in our enclave. The good news in all of this was, the temperature drop made going without air conditioning tolerable, and outages in PH lasted roughly six hours while other KC neighborhoods didn't get off so easily. Blackouts remained in effect throughout the metro for as much as two days later.
Once the rain had stopped, some of our more bold neighbors turned misfortune into an adventure. Although some streets were pitch black, if you stepped outside or peered through your windows, you'd catch glimpses of families strolling with lanterns or groups of kids with flashlights venturing out to check on friends and neighbors.
Speaking of lights in the darkness, the Pendleton Heights Fairy Lights & Murals project wound up serving our community in more ways than one on that fateful Friday. Neighbors who qualified for gifts of solar string lights (those with fences or outbuildings abutting their alleys) who hadn't yet put them up were able to use them to light their homes. Additionally, neighbors who were in line for them and who could be contacted after the rain stopped received them that very night. This came in especially handy for one neighbor who had been abroad with the National Guard, and had only recently returned home. He hadn't a single candle in the house, so those solar lights really made a difference where his comfort was concerned!
If you were impacted by felled trees or foreign debris in your yard, post storm, take heart. The City of Kansas City, MO understands that your usual Tuesday trash service won't be enough to handle it, so they've made some allowances. For more on that, visit the kcmo.gov City News page.
So many neighbors left town for the Independence Day holiday week this year! What were the rest of us to do without them? Throw a Potluck Prosecco Picnic in the PH Pocket Park, of course!
The picnic was a low key, relaxed affair, which is just what the doctor ordered. It was so enjoyable that when PHNA Security Chair Jon Cokely suggested that we make it a monthly happening, the response from those present was a unanimous, "Lets!" And so it shall be. See you next month in the PH Pocket Park on August 5th? We certainly hope so!
It's been a few years, but we were finally able to get back together again for our annual Pendleton Heights Community Garden Summer Solstice party! The bonfire burned brightly, taking care of felled branches from the neighborhood, while allowing us to enjoy making s'mores with our little ones.
Children played with sparklers while the grown ups caught up on what has been going on in their corner of the neighborhood. Although this gathering was only supposed to last a few hours, everyone had such a fine time that many stuck around well after dusk. Well done, PH neighbors, and truly well earned!
On the morning of Friday May 19th, the Pendleton Heights Neighborhood Association was gifted with a Neighborhood Rising Fund grant from Community Capital Funds.* This NRF grant wholly serves as the foundation for The Pendleton Heights Fairy Lights & Murals Project.
Phase 1, Spring-Summer 2023: Alley-adjacent neighbors will be provided with strings of solar lights that are to be placed along fences or outbuildings skirting their back lanes. This will be done to convey unity among PH residents, while brightening and increasing the safety of these dimly lit spaces. The lights will be distributed as alley sweeps are completed beginning in June.
Phase 2, Autumn 2023: It's been proven time and again in cities throughout the world that murals discourage tagging. Because PH has seen an uptick in tagging in our alleys over the past few years, we needed a solution beyond chemical removal or continually painting over it. Through ongoing conversations between PH neighbors, PHNA, and the Kansas City Art Institute, the most sensible answer to our dilemma has officially come about.
Under the supervision of PH resident and KCAI Assistant Professor Hector Casanova, KCAI students will interface with neighbors along Sage, Forest, Shamrock & Jade Alleys, with a focus on properties that have been tagged, or identified as vulnerable to tagging. Homeowners will engage with KCAI students on what they would personally like to express via the mural to be installed on their property. Once a design is created and has received the homeowner's approval, it will move on for the approval of their neighbors. After this part of the process is completed, KCAI artists will commence with the installations. To make things more fun, neighbors of all ages will be invited to participate in the hands on portion of the project.
Most alley-adjacent neighbors are eligible to receive lighting, providing that they have a fence or outbuilding on which to install them. These structures must skirt their back lane. Out of respect for our historic district, only fences, outbuildings, and retaining walls that abut the alleys will be eligible for murals.
We look forward to the evolution of the Pendleton Heights Fairy Lights & Murals Project in the knowledge that, as our alleys begin to serve as outdoor galleries and for neighborly socializing, property-related crimes in PH will indeed continue to decline.
For more information:
Linda Fleischman PHNA VP (general queries or about lighting)
Hector Casanova KCAI Assistant Professor (queries regarding murals or installation timelines)
*2023 funding for CCF is provided by Altcap, H & R Block, the Hall Family Foundation, & US Bank
Tuesday 4/11 is the last day to vote on the name for our new PH mower! Vote as often as you'd like for the name you like best! Just $1 per vote via Venmo ( @PH_KC ) or by Donation here at the website (don't forget to state what the donation is for: Name the Mower). The winning name will be announced 4/12 at the PH-HNE J. Rieger & Co. cocktail at 6pm sharp!
CHOOSE FROM THE OFFICIAL OPTIONS-
Boss Trim Pendergrass
Grassiela
Mowberto
Brad
Lawn EnPHorcement
Mowana
Mowbama
Mowzart
Phrankie
Sir Mows A lot the Beer Cart
The first Pendleton Heights Social of 2023 was held at the residence of Jon Cokely and Eva Copeland on St. Patrick's Day, and featured Kat King performing in the foyer. The house show came about after our hosts placed the winning bid during a silent auction, which proved to be delightfully serendipitous. As it turns out, Kat King's keyboardist- Kara LePage- lives in PH so she only had a few blocks to travel to get to the show on time. Small world, right?
PS, Jon and Eva rule, and so does their corned beef & cabbage!
You'd be hard pressed to find a PH neighbor who hasn't volunteered at least once to help with the ongoing evolution of our communal green spaces. Time and energy invested in our Community Garden, Orchard, and Pocket Park has given us so much in return- produce, friendships, and the inspiration to use our green spaces in new ways for years to come.
In an effort to keep costs low for all involved, we've come up with a plan that not only saves money but increases safety and community engagement too. This year, we're asking PH neighbors with community garden bed rentals to creatively step up and volunteer with additional maintenance work in our green spaces. The response so far has been good, but with your help it will be great!
Sunday March 26: Garden Kick Off & Seed Swap in the PH Community Garden at Brooklyn Avenue & Minnie Street. You don't have to rent a garden bed to participate in the seed swap, but if you are renting one, the annual seed swap is an excellent starting point. 10am-12pm
Saturday April 15: Garden Bed Repair Day If you have a hammer, saw, paint, a paint brush and you know how to use any or all of these things, we'd love to have you join us on 4/15. Many hands make light work. 10am-12pm
The Pendleton Heights neighborhood Community Garden season opens with an offering of 18 large beds and 5 small beds for rent. Visit the phkc.org shop to secure one for yourself. All who rent a bed or volunteer to help with maintenance will be eligible to get a PH Community Garden t-shirt at half price too!
Please join us in extending a warm welcome to Whitney Bernardo, John Bordeau, Jon Cokely, Arthur Curiel, Michael Ohlson-Dicus, and Emily Reeves as our newest Pendleton Heights Neighborhood Association Board Members. This next iteration of the board will be comprised of insightful veterans (several have served on previous PHNA boards) alongside new board members who have established themselves as leaders in their chosen professions. If you attended the election meeting or viewed it remotely online (Tuesday 11/08), you'll agree with us when we say that each will undoubtedly benefit our neighborhood during their tenure.
We would be remiss if we did not express gratitude for our board members who will officially be vacating their positions on December 31st, 2022. So, jumping right in- Nathanaeli Leno, Patrick McLaughlin, Margarita Friedman, and Jacob & Stephen Knerr- we thank you for your service, and for continually making a positive difference in our community.
Finally, the Pendleton Height Board extends their sincere thanks to all members who participated in this year's election. Your involvement in this process supports the evolution of our enclave and ensures that it remains a great place to live, work and play in for years to come. At the end of the day, it's you who makes our beloved historic district Positively Urban, and Uniquely Eclectic. For this and so much more, from the bottom of our hearts, thank you.
Happy Holidays to all PH neighbors!
