Our house in 1940

This is our house in 1940, thanks to photos taken by the Jackson County Tax Assessor’s Office and FDR’s Public Works Administration. The house was only 30 years old, so the old folks on the front porch might be the original owners. Our block was platted in 1897, when it was still in the Westport city limits.  The house wasn’t built until 1910, after the 1899 annexation of Westport by Kansas City.

These photos are kept at City Hall, and they will provide you with a digital copy that you can get printed. The KC Public Library has many more resources for researching the history of your house.

This is the house in 2008. It is largely intact.  The biggest change is the addition of asbestos cement shingles over the original wood clapboard siding. At some point the porch railing got froo-froo spindles and the front and rear windows sprouted aluminum shutters.  Also, the old Sanborn fire insurance maps show that the garage has replaced some chicken houses at the back of the property.

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This is a perfect example of what’s wrong with suburbanites

I know I’m a city snob, but come on!  Driving 15 seconds?  That distance is easily walkable, even in Johnson County.

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Why I’m voting no on renewing the COMBAT tax

It’s no secret I’m a liberal.  As such, I tend to vote for any tax increase put in front of me   But I will be voting against the COMBAT half cent anti-drug sales tax in Jackson County.

Gone Mild has an excellent summary that mirrors my concerns very closely. Briefly, the problem is that COMBAT is a great idea that has lost its focus. It is managed by convicted criminals, the county government is no trustworthy, and the money is doled out to many groups with questionable relevance yet a strong sense of entitlement.  Finally COMBAT continues the failed “war on drugs” mentality that needs to be replaced with a more approach that shifts the emphasis away from law enforcement and towards a public health model that includes prevention and treatment.

The election is Tuesday November, 2nd for Jackson County residents.  The current tax doesn’t expire for more than a year, so it’s OK to vote today tomorrow in order to send a message to the county government.  There is still plenty of time to fix COMBAT’s problems and come back to voters with a better plan.

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KC Tilt-Shift

Playing with Tilt-Shift Generator for iPhone. This is Kansas City’s Federal
Courthouse and Illus Davis Park as seen from an upper floor of City Hall.

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My weekend East by Northeast loop

This is a weekend ride that I’ve been doing a lot lately from Westport to Budd Park in the Old Northeast. It’s almost entirely on boulevards and the BikeKC network, so the roads are good and most storm drain grates are fixed.  The terrain is mostly flat, the traffic is low, and the route is scenic. It’s 17 miles as mapped below, but you can easily take a side trip to the City Market, Berkley Riverfront Park, Cliff Drive.  The Old Northeast has many small Mexican, Vietnamese, and Middle Eastern restaurants.

Some of the highlights along the way include historic apartments along Armour Boulevard,the Scottish Rite Temple, Troost Lake, 18th & Vine, The Paseo, the Women’s Fountain, the mansions along Gladstone Boulevard,  the KC Museum, The Concourse park and fountain,  and the Colonnade and JFK Memorial.  Some of the neighborhoods include Hyde Park, Beacon Hill, Pendleton Heights, Scarritt, Indian Mound, and Valentine.  If the weather is hot, bring your swimsuit – you will pass by public swimming pools in Budd Park and Benton Plaza Park.

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