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City of Wichita District V Newsletter |
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A Message from Council Member
Bryan Frye...
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 So, I'm a list-maker. I love putting things down on paper then checking them off as they occur. Typically, this involves errands, work tasks, honey-dos around the house or items to pick up at the store. As I was making my list of things to look forward to for Wichita in 2018, I was amazed at how many exciting things are on the horizon.
- The new Law Enforcement Training Center at WSU opens
- Hampton Inn NW at Cadillac Lake welcomes its first guests
- Mark Arts, the Mary R Koch Arts Center debuts
- Work begins on Pracht Wetlands
- Upgrades to the Stryker Sports Complex
- NCAA basketball tournament comes to Intrust Bank Arena
- Completion of ALL ICT (new downtown library)
- Riverfront development resurgence - River Vista, Delano Park & Boats 'N Bikes
- Downtown projects - Cargill, Union Station, Hilton Garden Inn, Spaghetti Works, EPC site
- New affiliated baseball team announcement and stadium development
- Passage of the Plates for Parks affinity license plate program
- Doc gets a new home at Eisenhower National Airport
- WSU Innovation Campus continued growth
- Expansions at Spirit, Cessna & Bombardier
- Completion of the first phase of the Kellogg - I235 interchange
- Next steps for the Convention Center / Performing Arts Center
Whew! That's a lot, with most of it happening during the first six months of the year. I truly believe Wichita is destined for great things in 2018. Our community has so much momentum right now and this list is just the beginning.
Every day, more and more people are working to improve the quality of our space. It's an exciting time to be a Wichitan and I'm thankful to have the opportunity to serve on the council representing District 5. Thank you for reading this newsletter and sharing your thoughts and concerns with me throughout the year.
Best wishes to you and yours in 2018!
Bryan Frye
Wichita City Council
District V Council Member
Ph: 316.268.4331
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Road Construction Update
Kellogg & I235
Interchange:
Stay up-to-date with construction of the improvements to the Kellogg/I235 interchange. KDOT has established and is maintaining a website to keep citizens informed.
Hyatt-Funded Pavement Preservation:
- NE of Central/119th
- Pavement prep work is complete
- Micro surface to follow in the fall
- Central to 13th, Maize to Tyler
- Pavement prep work is complete
- Micro surface to follow in the fall
- Country Acres will move to summer/fall 2018 for completion of water main replacement that is now in progress
Arterial Crack Seal - Fall 2017:
- Maple, I-235 to 151st St. W. - partially complete, will resume in fall
- 119th, Maple to Central
- Central, ½ mile west of Ridge
- 21st, Maize to 119th
- Maize Rd, 13th to 21st
- Tyler, 21st to 29th
- Residential neighborhoods will begin this fall
Arterial Thermal Crack Repair - Fall 2017
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21st, Hoover to West
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21st, ½ mile west of 119th
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Ridge Rd, 13th to 37th
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Tyler Rd, 13th to 21st
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Maize Rd, 21st to Westlakes Pkwy (N. of 29th, Fox Ridge entrance)
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Central, Hoover to Ridge
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Central, ½ mile west of 119th
2nd Street sidewalk, Country Acres to Ridge:
- Bid 07/21/17
- Construction fall 2017
WICHway traffic alerts available by text or email:
WICHway, the Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) on Wichita's highways, offers a new feature sending subscribers texts and/or emails that share special traffic alerts created by operators at the WICHway Traffic Management Center. The alerts are created when a traffic problem such as a major crash, a highway closure or a similar event causes a significant disruption on a Wichita highway. The alerts are an extension of the WICHway website (www.WICHway.org), an informational resource the public can consult before traveling on Wichita's highways.
The website adjusts to the type of device being used - a computer, a tablet or a smartphone - and can be bookmarked on a smartphone so that it performs similarly to an app. A short video showing how to bookmark any page from the site can be viewed at KDOT's YouTube page. WICHway shares information that is gathered from 55 roadside cameras and 63 traffic sensors. Messages are displayed on 25 electronic message signs, shared on the website and can now be sent to subscribers so that travelers, commuters, freight operators and others using Wichita's highways can make informed decisions about their route.
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2018 Citizen Survey
Watch your mailboxes in January for the 2018 Citizen Survey. Households throughout Wichita are randomly selected to receive the survey, and your feedback is very important! The City of Wichita uses data from the Citizen Survey to make decisions about the budget and service delivery, and we are eager to hear how we are doing!
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Food Trucks 102 Offered at
Westlink Branch Library
Missed Food Trucks 101?
No worries!
Cynthia Wilson, owner of LumpiaPalooza, will provide a brief recap on getting a food truck business off the ground before concentrating on operating it.
Topics covered will include selecting venues, finding events, marketing, and more.
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Wichita District V Facebook Page
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 Getting to Know
City Staff:
Stuart V. Bevis
Acting Fire Marshal
Wichita Fire Department
Wichita Fire Department Battalion Chief Stuart Bevis, is currently serving as the City's Fire Marshal. In his current assignment he directs day-to-day operations of the Fire Prevention Division. This includes management and oversight of Code Administration, Fire Investigation and Public Fire/Life Safety Education sections of the department. Other duties include oversight of the SWAT Medic program and Security Advisory Team.
Fire Marshal Bevis has been a member of the Wichita Fire Department since 1987. He is an experienced firefighter, and is widely recognized for his expertise in fire investigation and code interpretation. While serving as Captain of the Fire Investigation Unit he spent 5 years as the K9 handler for the Department, with his partner "Sporty."
He is a graduate of Western Illinois University with a Bachelor's Degree in Fire Prevention Technology and has been awarded the Kansas Chapter of the International Association of Arson Investigators State Fire Investigator of the Year honors.
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Farewell Jim!
After nearly 40 years of service with the Wichita Park Department, Great Plains Nature Center (GPNC) Director Jim Mason is retiring at the end of this year (this week).
Jim is a native Wichitan. He graduated from Wichita West High School and earned a Bachelor of Science in Biology from the University of Kansas in 1975.
He has worked for Wichita Park and Recreation since August 1978, beginning on a mowing crew. In March 1979 he transferred to the Central Riverside Park Zoo as assistant zookeeper, then became Head Zookeeper in 1984. In 1988 he helped design the Kansas Wildlife Exhibit, which replaced the prior zoo facility. Also that year, he made the transition to being a Naturalist with the Wichita Wild program.
As a Naturalist for the City, Jim has given over 2,500 presentations on a wide variety of topics to groups of all ages.
Jim took a leading role in habitat management within the park system: cataloguing the plants, animals and history of land use, describing the habitats and working to preserve and improve the more pristine sites within the park system, known as the Wichita Wild Habitat Areas. He initiated the use of prescribed burns in the parks as a prairie management tool in 1993. He wrote the Wichita Wild Habitat Area Management Plan in 2010, which covers nearly 1,200 acres in 15 different parks, about one quarter of the total park acreage. He has consulted on the development of the new Pracht Wetlands and Crystal Prairie Lake developments to help ensure these new parks conserve and celebrate the native flora and fauna as they become available for public use.
During development of the Great Plains Nature Center in the early 1990s, Jim served as liaison to the contractor during the construction phase and helped create the interpretive concepts for the displays in the Koch Habitat Hall. Along with Bob Gress and Connie Elpers,
he was part of the core staff at the GPNC since it's opening, and became Director of the Great Plains Nature Center in December 2014.
In addition to presenting interpretive programs, Jim created and maintained the Internet web site for the GPNC, which went online in September 1998 and has had over 24 million page reads to date. He is co-author of the GPNC Pocket Guide to Kansas Freshwater Mussels and author of the GPNC Pocket Guide to Common Kansas Butterflies. He has edited the pocket guide series for the last three years, which has seen four new titles published on Stream Fishes, Spiders, Land Snails and Amphibians, Turtles & Lizards. He also
authored two local history books, Wichita's Riverside Parks (2010) and Wichita: Postcard History (2012).
Jim served as a member of the Kansas Water Authority from October 1991 to July 1993. He
was recognized as the Distinguished Young Professional by Region 6 of the National Association for Interpretation in 1992. In 2001, he was chosen as Conservation Communicator of the Year by the Kansas Wildlife Federation. In 2008, he received the Bill Ward Award from the Kansas Natural Resource Council. In 2009, he received the Award for Excellence in Conservation and Environmental Education from the Kansas Association for Conservation and Environmental Education. In 2014, he was chosen as Conservation Educator of the Year by the Kansas Wildlife Federation. In 2017, he was recognized as Outstanding Park Professional by the Kansas Recreation & Parks Association.
Staff will host a reception for him at GPNC at 1:00 p.m. on Thursday, January 11, with a program and refreshments.
We invite the Wichita community to join us as we honor Jim and say "Thanks!" for all he has done for GPNC and the Wichita community.
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 Getting to Know Your Firefighters
by Chief Tammy Snow
Firefighters are seen responding red lights and sirens to the scene of an emergency, interacting with students while visiting schools or even at the local grocery store. But, did you know that when firefighters are not actively engaged in the community, they are still part of the community. Firefighters want to be a vital part of the community in which they are assigned and are willing to assist their neighbors.
Local fire stations are involved with many nationwide programs for example, "The Safe Haven" program which allows a person to physically hand over an unharmed newborn baby within the first 72 hours after birth and not face criminal charges. Fire stations are also dedicated as "Safe Place" sites. Any youth in crisis can walk into one of the sites and ask for help. Fire stations are a place where citizens can obtain directions, utilize the air compressor for a low tires, have their blood pressure checked or just need assistance with a minor issue.
A recent fire destroyed the fence at Perry's Car Company. Mr. Moussavi, the owner, was working alone and not able to make the needed repairs and keep the business open at the same time. Members from Fire Stations 2, 19, and 22 utilized materials supplied by the citizen and made the needed repairs the same afternoon of the incident to help secure the family's business.
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In another incident, crew members from firehouse 11 responded to a medical call because a citizen had fallen. After the crew assisted him, they saw he needed help installing a garage door opener, so they quickly went to work and were able to install it for him.
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Recently, a citizen was having indications that he didn't feel quite right and had a past history of strokes. With no means of checking his blood pressure, the individual's daughter advised them to go to the local fire station knowing the firefighters were trained Emergency Medical Technicians and could evaluate him by taking his blood pressure, pulse, rate of respirations, oxygen saturation and blood sugar level. The citizen went to the closest fire station and informed the fire fighters of his symptoms. Two firefighters immediately took his blood pressure and other vitals and provided him with the recommendation of additional medical attention. Per the citizen, "the fire fighters were kind, cordial, and quick to respond, glad to help and were prime examples of what the nature of the service business is all about".
A lone citizen recently walked into another west side fire station asking for assistance with a ring that he was unable to remove. Fire fighters attempted several different techniques before the decision was made to cut the ring to safely remove it from the finger.
Fire Stations are a positive refuge and should be used without hesitation. They want to be the good neighbor you can depend upon.
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TAKE A HIKE! at Pawnee Prairie Park
January 1, 2018
2625 S Tyler Rd, 9:00 am - 12:00 pm
S
tart the new year off with exercise, fresh air, and new friends. Take a Hike is a celebration of new beginnings and positive action for 2018. Dress for the weather by layering your clothing, wearing comfortable shoes, and don't forget your water container. Dogs on leashes are welcome!
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CityArts Celebrates
20th Anniversary
Kick off 2018 and CityArts' 20th anniversary with a night of class demos, new gallery exhibitions and birthday cupcakes, made by top prize recipients from the 2017 Cupcake Challenge.
20th Artiversary Launch Party
Friday, Jan. 5, 6 PM - 8 PM
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WINTER COFFEE WITH A COP
SATURDAY, JANUARY 13
10am - 2pm
Towne East Square Food Court
This is the 3rd Annual Winter Coffee With a Cop. Come to the mall and have coffee with local police officers and ask them questions you might have. You will be warmly welcomed!
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#ReadICT
2018 Reading Challenge
The
Wichita Public Library joins the
Wichita Eagle and reporter, Suzanne Tobias, with a challenge for adults to read 12 books in 2018. To make it fun and a little bit challenging, Suzanne has created 12 different categories of books to read - and these categories might not be what you'd expect! We'll list the 12 categories
here starting January 1.
You can also look for Suzanne's Wichita Eagle article on this 2018 #ReadICT challenge in the days leading up to the new year.
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Cabin Fever Writing Workshop
Battle the cold outside and fan your creative flame with this 3-week writing workshop available for free from the Wichita Public Library. Application is required.
Tuesday, January 23, 2018
6:30 PM - 7:30 PM
Central Library
Patio Room
Writers of all genres, ages 16 and up are welcome to apply. To apply, submit one creative piece (up to 20 pages for prose submissions, up to 10 for poetry) with your name and email to
cabinfeverwriting@gmail.com
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Wichita flag fever has never been higher. If you've ever wanted a Wichita flag license plate for your car, truck or motorcycle, Plates for Parks is for you. By purchasing a Wichita Flag license plate for $50 at the time of registration or renewal, the flag will ride with you everywhere you go. The annual royalty fee of each license plate sold will go toward improving the City's park system through the Wichita Parks Foundation, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization.
To make this program happen, we must demonstrate to the Kansas Legislature the demand for Wichita flag license plates by collecting 500 commitments to purchase. Show your support by completing the online form. Our initial goal is 500 names but we want many more, so please share with your family and friends.
SIGN UP TO SHOW YOUR SUPPORT TODAY!
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Senior Wednesdays are always fun and there is something different to do; someone new to meet. There are also many senior activity centers in Wichita and the surrounding areas, so be informed.
Be entertained.
Be active.
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At the Center of It All
Downtown is everybody's neighborhood, the nexus of activity and exploration for locals and out-of-towners alike. Explore the sights and sounds of local life around some of Wichita's favorite attractions, historic landmarks and public spaces. Plan a creative daytrip, find a green space to relax in, or unwind with an evening of live entertainment: Downtown's diverse scene has something for everyone.
Within easy distance of world-class entertainment, buzz-worthy dining, craft coffees, cocktails and microbrews, richly colored with street art and offering a full calendar of unique local events, Downtown is where you want to be.
Building on a thriving history of innovation and creativity as old as its signature warehouses and brick alleys, every city block offers a new adventure. Come down for a show, a casual afternoon or a meal with friends, and find yourself swept away by the colorful energy and Midwestern hospitality of our city's core.
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H2O Care Fund
The City of Wichita recognizes that there are many residents who are struggling during these difficult economic times, especially during the holidays.
This voluntary program provides a simple way to directly help others. Even small donations can add up and provide a way for people to maintain their water service. There are three ways to help, and you can find out how by filling out the City of Wichita H2O Care Fund Program Donation Form here.
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PREPARE YOUR TEENAGER NOW
FOR A SUMMER JOB
If you have a teen between the ages of 15 - 17, he/she can acquire the training and certifications needed for attaining a job in the Y's FREE Job Prep program. They will learn first aid and CPR along with how to fill out a job application, manage their money, dress for success, and become a valuable employee. Upon completion of the course requirements, they may be eligible for a summer job (up to 25 hrs/wk).
Please check out the requirements for enrollment before Monday, January 22, 2018. If you have any questions you can email Tyrone Baker at
tyrone@wichitaymca.org
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You can also check out the application and qualifications by clicking on this document link.
Happy job hunting!
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JOBS are here in Wichita!
The Wichita Metro Chamber of Commerce is proud to offer a job board with local, Wichita area, jobs only! A free service for job seekers, it will save you the time of searching through dozens of jobs outside of the area. Create a
free account here and you will be automatically signed up for all Wichita area updates and can customize the search further if you wish.
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Check out the latest job fairs and
training courses. Click here.
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Don't be left in the
dark
If
you notice outages within
your neighborhood, fill out
this
simple form
on
Westar Energy's website
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 Online Reporting for
Animal Control Problems
Wichita Animal Control has launched an online form to report non-emergency animal control problems as part of an ongoing effort to improve services. The form can be accessed
here.
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Winter 2018
Park & Recreation Activities Guide is now available!
Get registered for classes
by
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8515 Beckemeyer
Southeast of Central and Maize Rd.
1011 N. Maize Ct.
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District V Advisory Board and Neighborhood Associations
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The District V Advisory Board meets the first Monday of the month at Fire Station #21 at 2110 N. 135th St W. Wichita, KS 672235.
Meetings begin at 6:30 p.m.
To see a listing of the District V HOAs and neighborhood associations,
click here.
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Click hereto find up-to-date
information regarding street
maintenance in your area.
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Stay up-to-date on City events, announcements and headlines by reading our daily News Releases.
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City Manager's Office
455 N. Main, 13 Floor
Wichita, KS 67202
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Stay Connected
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