About Blue Springs

Call it ancestry, genealogy, or family lineage; most of us have an innate need to know where or who we came from. For adult adoptees in the state of Missouri, the quest to learn our history just became a little easier. For many years, the only option for an adult adoptee searching for their biological family was a petition to the family court for a search, then seeking the permission of both the adoptive and biological parents before releasing identifying information to the adoptee. If one of the parents had died, the search came to a legal end.

Thanks to the efforts of many Missouri residents and the insight of our State Legislators and Governor Nixon, Senate Bill 351 has changed that process. An adult adoptee or their lineal descendants, if the adopted adult is deceased, may now initiate a search, and the death of a parent is no longer an obstacle.

In 2002, I had the honor and privilege of finding my biological parents, with the support and urging of my adoptive Mother and Father. The reunion was wonderful and allowed me to meet many additional family members including five half-sisters and three half-brothers, along with nieces, nephews and cousins. Under the previous law, if I had waited until this year to do my search, my adoptive father’s death this past January would have become a significant obstacle to my search.

I joined a group of adult adoptees this past Monday as we visited the Jackson County Family Court. Many of those attending have waited decades to learn of their origins, but were prevented by the death of a parent. Each one officially began the process of discovery and they are hopeful to finally learn the circumstances of their adoption. I pray for their success and wish them the best.

If you are an adult adoptee and are interested in searching for your biological roots, more opportunities are available to you now. If you have been searching but have not yet found your biological family, now may be the time to try again. I encourage you to continue your search. For more information about searching, go to the Jackson County Family Court website at http://www.family-court.org/adoption.htm.

Meanwhile, we will continue to strive for opening adoption records for adult adoptees in Missouri. Our goal is for every Missouri adoptee to be treated equally under the law and to have the opportunity to know firsthand the circumstances of their birth and adoption.

For additional information on these and other activities sponsored by Blue Springs Parks & Recreation visit www.bluespringsgov.com/parks, or call the Department Office at (816) 228-0137.

Pam Buck

Superintendent of Recreation

Blue Springs Parks & Recreation Department

City Hall, 903 West Main Street

Blue Springs, Missouri 64015

Office (816) 228-0238

Mobile (816) 645-0287

www.bluespringsgov.com/parks

CITY OF BLUE SPRINGS, MISSOURI

PRESS RELEASE

903 W. Main Street Blue Springs, MO 64015 — P: 816.228.0110 — F: 816.228.7592 — W: www.bluespringsgov.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

DATE: August 8, 2011

CONTACT: Kim Nakahodo, Communications Manager

Phone: 816.655.0497, Cell: 816.651.6449

Email: knakahodo@bluespringsgov.com

Parks & Recreation seeks public input on bike and trail routes

Blue Springs, Mo. – Blue Springs Parks & Recreation Department will hold a series of three public hearings in regard to future plans for bike and trail routes within the City.  The City recently completed construction and opened phase I of its bike and trail system over a year ago.  The current planning process is designed to gather public opinion about facilities constructed in phase I and to solicit input for the next phase of development. 

Schedule for public hearings will be from 6-7:30 p.m. on the following days:

Thursday, August 11 District 1 Brittany Hill Middle School, 2701 NW 1^st Street

Thursday, August 25 District 2 Blue Springs Freshman Center, 2103 NW Vesper Street

Thursday, September 8 District 3 Cordill-Mason Elementary School, 4001 SW Christiansen Road

The open house format and information will be identical at each hearing so if residents cannot attend the hearing in their district they are encouraged to attend one of the other hearings.  Participants will have the opportunity to review the current bike route and trail locations, chart on maps where they would like to see future improvements, and complete a short survey to help determine their personal or family use/interest, and priorities for the next phase. 

We encourage the public to attend, everyone from serious or recreational cyclists to novice trail users are welcome.  Information gathered at these public hearings will be used in the future to develop and project budgets for additional phases of construction. 

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Follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/BlueSpringsGov or become "fans" of the City's Facebook page at www.facebook.com/bluespringsgov. Links to both sites can be found by visiting the City’s Web site at www.bluespringsgov.com.

Due to the excessive heat warning issued by the National Weather Service, the National Night Out Against Crime event in downtown Blue this evening has been canceled.

The combination of hot temperatures and high humidity will create a dangerous situation where heat illnesses are likely. We regret any inconvenience this will cause, but the safety of all participants is of primary concern.

This event has been cancelled and will not be rescheduled.

City Press Release (reference http://www.bluespringsgov.com/civicalerts.aspx?AID=351) follows:

BLUE SPRINGS, Mo. – By the end of 2012, citizen workgroups of Let’s Move! Blue Springs plan to increase physical fitness activities for residents, plant community gardens, and provide additional food resources for children in need in the Blue Springs School District.

On July 9 Citizen Summit, participants prioritized more than 150 ideas that were generated in the June 18 Summit. Through a multi-voting approach the group narrowed the list to eight initial project ideas.

The project ideas are:
• Community-wide fitness event
• Community Gardening
• Expansion of the Blue Springs School District Back Snack program
• Girls on the Run
• Healthy Foods in Schools/Nutrition Classes in the Schools
• Let's Move! Saturdays
• Livable Streets with Walking Trails
• Let's Move! Signage/PR

Residents are encouraged to join these workgroups by calling StandUp Blue Springs at (816) 478-4500 or emailing LetsMove@StandUpBlueSprings.org. Each workgroup is seeking to recruiting additional members. Several groups already have their first meeting scheduled.

“The commitment of those who participated in the summits is evidence that citizens want to focus on building generations of healthy citizens. Now we are asking the community to respond by helping us accomplish these citizen-driven goals,” said Dave Wright, Board President of StandUp Blue Springs.

Already moving forward are plans to present a “Livable Streets” policy to the Blue Springs City Council for consideration by the end of this year to ensure that safe places to walk, bike and hike are integrated into future city planning. Addressing infrastructure policy in Blue Springs is only one of many ideas that citizens attending previous Let’s Move! summits.

“I applaud the residents who attended the Let’s Move! Summits and invite anyone who is interested in becoming involved in any or all of the project ideas to contact StandUp Blue Springs,” said Mayor Carson Ross. “Workgroups like these demonstrate how just working together we can help solve the problem of childhood obesity in Blue Springs.”

These are just the first round of projects selected during summits held this summer by StandUp Blue Springs, in conjunction with the City of Blue Springs and other local community partners. Nearly 100 residents of Blue Springs participated in the summits.

Blue Springs was officially designated as a Let’s Move! Community in March 2011 and has taken an innovative approach to engage all citizens through its “summit process.” The nationwide Let’s Move! initiative was created by First Lady Michelle Obama and the Department of Health and Human Services as part of a national effort to raise a healthier generation of children. This initiative is a comprehensive approach to engage the many sectors that reach children, including parents, families, schools, community leaders, municipalities and businesses. The Let’s Move! goals are based on four pillars: 1) make healthy family choices, 2) create healthy schools, 3) provide access to healthy, affordable food; and 4) promote physical activity.

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Hello!

The Waste Disposal Task Force is still in the process of monthly meetings and the next scheduled meeting is August 4, 2011.  This meeting is located on the City’s Events Calendar and can be seen at http://www.bluespringsgov.com/CurrentEvents.aspx?EID=1320.  These meetings are open to the public and we encourage any resident to attend! 

The Waste Disposal Task Force information has been posted to the City’s Home Page since November of last year.  To see who serves as members of the Task Force, I encourage you to visit their Web page:  http://www.bluespringsgov.com/index.aspx?nid=853. 

You can also see all the Waste Disposal Task Force Minutes on via their page or by clicking here http://www.bluespringsgov.com/index.aspx?NID=909.

To contact all the Waste Disposal Task Force members via email, send a note to wastedisposal@bluespringsgov.com.

If you have any more questions, please let me know!

Kim Nakahodo

Communications Manager

City of Blue Springs, Mo.

903 W. Main Street

Blue Springs, MO  64015

Phone:     (816) 655-0497

               (816) 651-6449

Fax:         (816) 228-7592

Email:      knakahodo@bluespringsgov.com

www.bluespringsgov.com

The Blue Springs South Future Farmers of America will have a stand at the Kansas City VA Medical Facility Farmers Market on Thursday morning, 7/21/11, as well as at the Blue Springs Farmers Market on Saturday morning, 7/23/11. We'll be selling peaches and cream sweet corn.  Cost is $5 a dozen and proceeds go to support the activities and projects of the South FFA Chapter.

Saturday, July 9 from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., at the Freshman Center,
2103 NW Vesper, Blue Springs, MO 64015.

Let’s Move! Blue Springs is a citizen-led initiative.  So far, Summit participants have generated nearly 200 ideas to promote nutrition and physical fitness in Blue Springs.  YOU are critical to this initiative.  We want as much participation July 9 as possible.  Feel free to forward this email to encourage others of all ages to participate.  This is the opportunity to have your voice heard concerning Blue Springs health and wellness! 

This event is free and open to the public.  To register, respond to this email with your name and contact information, or simply take a moment now and visit www.StandUpBlueSprings.org/events

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Blue Springs Encourages Citizens to Help Create a Healthier Community

BLUE SPRINGS, Mo. – Working toward the goal of making Blue Springs a healthier community, StandUp Blue Springs invites citizens to the second Let’s Move! Citizen Summit on Saturday, July 9, 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Freshman Center, 2103 NW Vesper Street, Blue Springs, MO.  The Summit is open to the public to help set the community agenda to promote healthier lifestyles through physical activity, healthy eating, and new programs or amenities.

Those in attendance will prioritize more than 150 ideas generated in the first Citizen Summit on June 18.  It is anticipated at least 10 ideas will be carried forward for planning and implementation.  As ideas are implemented, additional ideas from the list and new ideas will be addressed by the citizen workgroups.

“I often speak about civic engagement and this Let’s Move! Citizen Summit is your chance to get involved and make a difference for the next generation,” said Mayor Carson Ross.  “This is a community-wide effort and we need your help choosing projects to help us solve the problem of childhood obesity in Blue Springs.”

StandUp Blue Springs is facilitating these Summits, in conjunction with the City of Blue Springs and more than 10 other local community partners.  Blue Springs builds upon the national Let’s Move! initiative with a local focus on building generations of healthy citizens.

“The energy we have experienced throughout the Summit process has been absolutely amazing.  We know these planning and implementation teams will stop at nothing to help make Blue Springs the healthiest possible community,” said Dave Wright, Board President of StandUp Blue Springs.

Blue Springs was officially designated as a Let’s Move! Community in March 2011 and has taken an innovative approach to engage all citizens through its “summit process.”  The nationwide Let’s Move! initiative was created by First Lady Michelle Obama and the Department of Health and Human Services as part of a national effort to raise a healthier generation of children.  This initiative is a comprehensive approach to engage the many sectors that reach children, including parents, families, schools, community leaders, municipalities and businesses.  The Let’s Move! goals are based on four pillars:  1)  make healthy family choices, 2) create healthy schools, 3) provide access to healthy, affordable food; and 4) promote physical activity.

The summit is free and open to the public and we encourage all interested to attend and help us shape our plan.  Interested citizens are encouraged to attend and do not need to register in advance.  For information or if you want to register in advance, call StandUp Blue Springs at (816) 478-4500 or visit www.StandUpBlueSprings.org/events.  To access the new community calendar to view free and low-cost activities that supports the Let’s Move! Blue Springs initiative, visit www.BlueSpringsGov.com/LetsMove.

It’s tiara time in Blue Springs! Saturday, Oct. 1, 2011 will be the 8th annual Princess Party, a fundraiser for the Dental for Kids program. It’s from noon to 4 p.m. at Valley View High School in Blue Springs. The Princess Party is an event for little girls and their mothers (or other adult companions) featuring fun, wholesome Princess-themed activities including a visit with the Tooth Fairy! Just picture more than 1,000 adults and little girls ages of 2 and 12 dressed as Princesses, waving magic wands and wearing sparkling tiaras! It is an absolutely wonderful event!!

Please Save the Date:  Saturday, August 27^th , 2011 Blue Springs Farmer’s Market 1^st Annual Farm to Table Dinner.  Watch for details! 

Bernita Cauthon-Volunteer Coordinator
StandUp Blue Springs
P.O. Box 614
Blue Springs, MO  64013
816-478-4500
816-478-4502 fax
Volunteers@StandUpBlueSprings.org