December 2014 – Page 32 – Welcome to Wyandotte Daily!

Saturday events

Food giveaway to be today at 65th and State
Kansas City Kansas Community College is once again a partner with Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas and Harvesters for food giveaways this month. A food giveaway is scheduled at 1 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 20, at KCKCC-TEC, 6565 State Ave., Kansas City, Kan. Food will be given to families on a first come, first serve basis. There are no income restrictions to the food giveaway. Food will be given to families based on the number of people in the family, and will be given out while supplies last. Cars can line up prior to 1 p.m. in the KCKCC-TEC parking lot. However, if participants arrive early, there is no restroom availability at the TEC during the event. In addition, those attending are asked to be prepared to wait in long lines. For more information or to register to be a volunteer online, visit www.signupgenius.com/go/70a0e48a8a828aa8-volunteers. Information is also available by contacting Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas at 913-433-2080.

Free holiday movie today
A free holiday movie is offered today at the Legends 14 Theatre. The movie, “The Santa Clause,” will be shown at 10 a.m. Saturday at the theater at 1841 Village West Parkway, Kansas City, Kan. There is no admission charge for this movie. Seating is limited, and is available on a first-come, first-served basis. Doors open at 9:30 a.m. For more information visit http://www.phoenixtheatres.com.

Strawberry Hill Museum open for holidays
The Strawberry Hill Museum, 720 N. 4th St., Kansas City, Kan., has opened for the holidays and will remain open on weekends through Sunday, Jan. 26. The museum, decorated in Victorian style, is open from noon to 5 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays, with special tours available by appointment. The cost of a tour is $7 for adults and $3 for children 6-12. Call for information on special tours, the cost is $15 for nighttime tours, which includes refreshments and dessert. Call 913-371-3264 for more information or to make reservations. Holiday parties also may be booked. For more information, see http://www.strawberryhillmuseum.org/.

Craft fair planned
Christ the King Catholic Church, 3024 N. 53rd St., Christmas craft fair continues Saturday, Dec. 20, and Sunday, Dec. 21, at the church basement. Hours are noon to 7 p.m. Saturday and 9 a.m. to noon Sunday.

Project Feederwatch continues
Project Feederwatch continues at the Schlagle Environmental Library at Wyandotte County Lake Park, 91st and Leavenworth Road. The bird count is planned each Saturday when people sign up in advance. For more information, call 913-299-2384.

Sporting Park to be host of NCAA Division II football championship today
Minnesota State-Mankato and Colorado State-Pueblo will battle for the NCAA Division II Football Championship a 3 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 20, at Sporting Park, Kansas City, Kan. This game will be shown on ESPN2. In the first football game ever to be contested at the state-of-the-art stadium, both universities are playing for a first national championship in school history. Tickets for the game can be purchased at Ticketmaster.com while supplies last. The hosts of the game are the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Associations and the Kansas City Sports Commission. The NCAA Division II championship game will be held at Sporting Park for the next four years.

Winter craft projects offered at library
As part of Winter Craft Week, the West Wyandotte Library, 1737 N. 82nd, will offer various winter craft projects today for children 4 to 11 years old. Groups of six or more must call ahead to the library at 913-596-5800, Ext. 1016. The craft projects are free and open to the public.

Enroll for health insurance today
Help with open enrollment for health insurance will be offered from 1 to 5 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 20, at the South Branch Library, 3104 Strong Ave., Kansas City, Kan. Staff from Community Health Council of Wyandotte County will help with open enrollment, and there will be assistance in Burmese in the morning and assistance in Spanish in the afternoon.
The West Wyandotte Library, 1737 N. 82nd, also will offer help with enrolling for health insurance from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 20, in the library’s auditorium.

Craft program offered on making holiday purses
A children’s and tweens’ program on making no-sew holiday purses will be offered from 1:30 to 2:45 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 20, at the Main Kansas City, Kan., Public Library, storytime-craft room, 625 Minnesota Ave. The event is for ages 4 to 12. Registration is requested to 913-279-2216. The class is limited to 20 persons.

Update: Hit-and-run driver leaves scene of I-635 crash with Jaguar

A hit-and-run driver left the scene of an accident at 6:29 p.m. Friday, Dec. 19, at I-635 just north of Kansas Avenue in Kansas City, Kan.

According to the Kansas Highway Patrol trooper’s report, a 2002 Jaguar and another vehicle were southbound on I-635 when the second vehicle made a lane change and struck the Jaguar.

The Jaguar then spun out of control, striking the barrier wall, according to the trooper’s report.

The second vehicle left the scene of the accident, the report stated. The make and model of the vehicle were unknown, according to the report.

The driver of the Jaguar, a 46-year-old man from Kansas City, Kan., was not injured, according to the report. The passenger, a 48-year-old Kansas City, Kan., woman, had a possible injury and was taken to the hospital, the report stated.

Lane closures planned this weekend on I-70 at K-7

The Kansas Department of Transportation says that there will be lane closures on eastbound and westbound I-70 from K-7 to 134th Street beginning at 9 p.m. Friday, Dec. 19.

The lanes will be reduced to one open lane in each direction for bridge deck removal, the spokesman said.

The lanes will reopen to all traffic at noon Saturday, Dec. 20, weather permitting, in Bonner Springs.

Second, there will be lane closures beginning Saturday night and continuing through noon Sunday. This lane closure will be on eastbound and westbound I-70 from K-7 to 134th Street, and will be reduced to one open lane in each direction for bridge girder removal work. The lanes will close at 9 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 20, and will reopen to traffic at noon Sunday, Dec. 21, weather permitting.

Third, there will be one open lane on westbound I-70 at K-7 for pavement marking work between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 20.

A new ramp is set to open during the day on Saturday, Dec. 20, weather permitting, from westbound I-70 to southbound K-7 loop ramp (see illustration). It will open to unrestricted traffic in Bonner Springs.

Crews must complete pavement marking work before the ramp can be fully reopened to all traffic. If pavement marking work is not completed in time due to wet weather, the ramp will then reopen either on Sunday or Monday, Dec. 21-22, weather permitting.

Once the new westbound I-70 to southbound K-7 loop ramp (see ramp C in above photo) is opened to all traffic, within one to two days (Sunday-Tuesday, Dec. 21-23), weather permitting, the left turn lanes from the existing westbound I-70 to southbound K-7 ramp will be removed. Westbound I-70 traffic will no longer use this existing ramp to exit onto southbound K-7. The only movements available from the existing westbound I-70 to southbound K-7 ramp will be either right turns onto northbound K-7 or the through lane movement onto Canaan Drive.

Once the left turn lanes on the existing ramp are removed, westbound I-70 traffic wanting to access southbound K-7 must use the new westbound I-70 to southbound K-7 loop ramp C shown in the map above.

Drivers will be directed through the project work zone via message boards, signage and cones, according to the KDOT spokesman. Drivers should expect delays and should allow extra time for their weekend commutes. The Kansas Department of Transportation urges all motorists to be alert, obey the warning signs, and slow down when approaching and driving through the project work zone.

This ramp work is part of the K-7 and I-70 Interchange Project Phase 1 construction. Updated daily traffic information for this project and for the entire Kansas City metro area can be viewed online any time at www.ksdot.org/kcmetro/laneclose.asp.

Clarkson Construction is the project contractor on this $18 million construction Phase 1 project. This portion of the project work is scheduled to be completed in late fall 2014.
(Information from KDOT)