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Olathe News - April 21 '08

  • City of Olathe LogoOlathe Volunteer Honored for Service to Fire Department
  • Individuals and Entities Honored at Annual Community Awards Program April 17
  • Construction to Begin on I-35 & Lone Elm Road Interchange Project
  • Farmers' Market Opens Next Month
  • Easy Options for Swimming at Olathe Facilities
  • Olathe to Host Congress of Neighborhoods Forum April 24 
  • City to Host Fifth Development Forum April 23

 

Olathe Volunteer Honored for Service to Fire Department
The Volunteer Center of Johnson County will recognize Olathe Fire Department volunteer Vicki Gaughan Monday, April 28. Gaughan, an Olathe South senior, volunteers hundreds of hours to the Fire Department's Community Emergency Response Team and Emergency Management programs.

On behalf of the Volunteer Center of Johnson County, Congressman Dennis Moore will present Gaughan with a Movers & Shakers award at an event at 5 p.m. Monday, April 28 at Metcalf South Mall. Other outstanding youth will also be recognized and the names of all award recipients will appear in the Congressional Record in Washington, D.C.

"Vicki Gaughan has been an outstanding volunteer with Olathe Emergency Management since she went through the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) program when she was 13," said Olathe Emergency Management Coordinator Rita Hoffman. "She has donated hundreds of hours in assisting with preparations for numerous classes and public relations events as well as helping with disaster scenarios in a variety of capacities. She is truly an amazing and dedicated young lady."

Individuals and Entities Honored at Annual Community Awards Program April 17
The City of Olathe and the Olathe Human Relations Commission recognized individuals and entities for meritorious service in the pursuit of cultural diversity and advocacy of human rights which benefit Olathe citizens at the Fifth Annual Community Awards Program on April 17. "Diversity Makes the Difference" was the theme of the event.

City of Olathe Mayor Michael Copeland spoke about the significance of the awards and the honorees stating that "It is good that we pause to share this special time of unity and recognition for those who have truly embraced our diversity and made the City of Olathe a better place for everyone." "You have made me proud to serve as your mayor, and you are also inspiring many others to achieve great things."

Mayor Copeland also introduced the program's guest speaker Chairman Annabeth Surbaugh of the Johnson County Board of County Commissioners.

Individuals living and working in the city of Olathe or living and working elsewhere who have contributed to the promotion of human rights to the benefit of the citizens of Olathe received awards at the event in the following categories:

  • Olathe Police Department Lt. LaVern K. Fields, Public Employee
  • Grace United Methodist Church , Private Business
  • Salvation Army Thrift Store, Private Business
  • Edwin H. Robinson, Ph.D., Public or Private Education
  • Camille Douglas, Youth (19 and under)
  • Lois Waters, Volunteer/Civic Involvement)
  • Margaret & Jerry Edison, Volunteer/Civic Involvement

Also at the ceremony, the Persons with Disabilities Advisory Board (PDAB) recognized the following Accessible Community Award recipients:

  • Johnson County Catch-A-Ride 
  • Kansas Education Foundation

City of Olathe Office of Human Relations presented awards to the following Fair Housing Leadership Award recipients:

  • Colonial Church of Prairie Village
  • Johnson County Women's Prayer Ministries
  • Olathe Covenant Church
  • Security Savings Bank
  • Hillcrest Christian Church
  • Overland Park Christian Church
  • Olathe Bible Church

The Fair Housing Leadership Awards are given in recognition of significant contributions that support the spirit of Fair Housing laws in the City of Olathe and Johnson County, Kansas. The above entities make up the Salvation Army Room Sponsors.

For more information about the awards programs, call the City of Olathe Office of Human Relations at (913) 971-6490.

Kansas Department of Transportation News Release
Construction to Begin on I-35 & Lone Elm Road Interchange Project in Johnson County
Weather permitting, on Monday, April 28, construction will begin on a new interchange located at I-35 and Lone Elm Road in Johnson County. The I-35 and Lone Elm Road interchange project, a cooperative project between the Kansas Department of Transportation and the City of Olathe, includes the construction of a new folded, or half diamond, interchange at 159th Street/Lone Elm Road and I-35 in Olathe.

Advance message boards will alert drivers to the Lone Elm Road closure. All northbound and southbound lanes of Lone Elm Road will be closed from 151st Street to 167th Street throughout the duration of the project. A marked detour will be provided for traffic throughout the entire project. Access to Lone Elm Road will be maintained for local businesses and property owners. There will also be intermittent lane closures on I-35 throughout the duration of the project.

Updated daily lane and ramp closure information for this project can be viewed online at: www.ksdot.org/kcmetro/laneclose.asp. Drivers should expect minor delays and are advised to use alternate routes, if possible.

APAC-Kansas Inc. is the primary contractor on this two-year, $43 million construction project. The scheduled completion date for the entire project is mid-summer 2010.

The Kansas Department of Transportation urges all motorists to be alert, obey the warning signs, and "Give ‘Em a Brake!" when approaching and driving through the project work zone. For questions or additional information, please contact Kimberly Qualls, Northeast Kansas Public Affairs Manager, at (785) 296-3881 or Ruben Noguera, Field Engineering Administrator, at (913) 764-4525.

Farmers' Market Opens Next Month
Residents will soon be able to purchase fresh produce, flowers, herbs and baked goods at Olathe's Farmers' Market. The Farmers' Market will open at 7 a.m. on Saturdays from May 3 through October 11. The market, located at the corner of Poplar and Kansas Ave. - just one block north of Santa Fe, remains open until products are sold.

Beginning at 3 p.m. June 4 through Sept. 24, the market will be open on Wednesdays.

For more information, contact the Olathe Parks and Recreation Department at (913) 971-6263.

Easy Options for Swimming at Olathe Facilities
Now is a good time to consider purchasing an Individual Season Swim Pass or Family Season Swim Pass to enjoy great water fun at the City's swimming pools this spring and summer.

The City's swimming pools will officially open Saturday, May 24. The City of Olathe Swimming facilities: Black Bob Park Pool, 14570 W. 151 St.; Frontier Pool, 15909 W. 127 St.; Mill Creek Park Pool, 320 E. Poplar; and Oregon Trail Pool, 1800 W. Dennis

The swimming passes are great, affordable, family entertainment. The cost of a Family Season Pass for residents: $100 plus identification cards. A family season pass includes up to six family members and there is an additional $13 for each additional person listed on the membership.

The cost of an Individual Pass for residents: $60 plus identification card.

There is a $10 discount off of Family Passes and a $5 discount off of Individual Passes when purchased between now and April 30, 2008.
Other admission options for Olathe pools are as follows:

Discount Coupon Booklets can be purchased for $72 for individuals ages three to 61. Each booklet contains 20 tickets for one admission to any of the City of Olathe's swimming facilities.

General Admission for residents is free for children ages two and younger; $4.50 for ages three to 61; and $3 for ages 62 and older.
Worried about getting to the Recreation Office by 5 p.m. Monday through Fridays to register for swim classes, take photos for swim ID cards, or purchase passes. For your convenience, the City of Olathe Recreation division will be open until 6 p.m. on the following dates:

  • Thursday, April 24
  • Tuesday, April 29
  • Tuesday, May 20
  • Thursday, May 22

The office will be open from 9 a.m. to noon on the following Saturdays

  • April 26
  • May 17

For program details and registration information about City of Olathe programs, refer to the ActiveLife recreation catalog, call the Olathe Parks and Recreation Office at (913) 971-6263 or visit www.olatheks.org/ActiveLife.

Registration is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week via the City website, telephone, fax or mail and in person at the Parks and Recreation Office, 200 W. Santa Fe, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.  Go to www.olatheks.org/ParksRec to learn more about the Parks & Recreation Dept.

Olathe to Host Congress of Neighborhoods Forum April 24
The City of Olathe's Neighborhood Services Division will host a Congress of Neighborhoods Spring Forum to further neighborhood efforts by providing an opportunity for open dialogue between neighborhood leaders and city staff about resources and programs available to enhance the quality and livability of Olathe's neighborhoods.

The event will be from 6 - 8 p.m. on Thursday, April 24, at the Mahaffie Heritage Center, 1200 E. Kansas City Road, Olathe.

The evening will begin with a presentation on New Frontiers in Neighborhood Planning, which focuses on building an alliance between neighborhoods with similar conditions, strategies for targeted outreach to neighborhoods, including targeting areas in need of greater crime prevention, and building partnerships between neighborhoods in other Johnson County cities.

Roundtable discussions will begin at 6:30 p.m. Attendees will be able to attend four of six roundtable discussions. Each roundtable discussion will be approximately 20 minutes.

Roundtable topics are as follows: Neighborhood Outreach (Feedback from the presentation), Foreclosures, Environmental Issues, Increasing Participation in Your Group, Lifelong Communities Initiative, and Crime Prevention/Neighborhood Watch.

Invitations to the spring forum will be sent to neighborhood representatives that are registered with the City of Olathe's Neighborhood Services. If your neighborhood association or group is not registered, you may do so online at www.olatheks.org or call (913) 971-8817.
For more information and to learn about registering your neighborhood group, contact Senior Neighborhood Planner Emily Kukal at (913) 971-8969.

City to Host Fifth Development Forum April 23
On Wednesday, April 23, the City of Olathe Development Services Department will host its fifth development forum to follow-up on previous forum discussions; provide updates on key City development-related initiatives; and to find out about topics of interest for future development forums.

The forum will be from 8:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. in the Council Chamber of Olathe City Hall, 100 E. Santa Fe.

Those involved in development in Olathe, such as developers, contractors, architects, engineers, and others are encouraged to attend.
The following are the development forum topics:

  • Changes to International Building Codes (IBC), including the Olathe City Council's action on adoption of 2006 IBC
  • Major Street Map update
  • Post construction stormwater management/stream corridor protection
  • Recent customer service improvements - Tips for how customers can expedite their projects and plans
  • Updating Olathe's development ordinances - Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) update project.
  • Comprehensive Plan update - Opportunity to help guide Olathe's future

The Development Forums are a joint initiative of the following City departments: Development Services, Public Works, Municipal Services, Fire, and Parks and Recreation.

For more information or to sign-up to attend, call Sharyn Mueller at (913) 971-8956 or send an e-mail to smueller@olatheks.org.

For more up-to-date City of Olathe info. including Construction Alerts and Job Opportunities, visit the City website at www.olatheks.org.

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100 E. Santa Fe; Olathe, KS 66061
913-971-8700