Month: July 2019

Entertainment increasing this year at Wyandotte County Fair, which runs Tuesday through Saturday

The Wyandotte County Fair will begin on Tuesday, July 9, and preparations are underway at the fairgrounds at 137th and Polfer Road in Kansas City, Kansas. More information is at https://www.wycofair.com/.
Preparations are underway for the Wyandotte County Fair, from Tuesday, July 9, through Saturday, July 13, at the fairgrounds at 137th and Polfer Road, Kansas City, Kansas.

Entertainment will be enhanced at this year’s Wyandotte County Fair, with musical acts and other entertainment scheduled throughout the five-day event.

Preparations are underway for the fair, which runs from July 9 through July 13 at the Wyandotte County Fairgrounds at 137th and Polfer Road in Kansas City, Kansas. Go north on K-7, continue on K-7 north of Leavenworth Road and north of Hollingsworth Road, and turn east on Polfer Road, to 137th.

Jim Knetter, chairman of the fair board, said probably the biggest changes from last year are more entertainment acts at the fair.

There will be different musical groups almost every night, he said. Friday night, there will be a classic car show. This year, the fair will offer helicopter rides on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

One of the fair’s biggest draws, the mud run, will return on Saturday evening, he said.

Special contests to be held

Special contests were planned for the fair this year. On Monday morning, entries were accepted for the special yeast bread competition, Legos contest, “made from recycled materials” contest and “best jar of canned product” contest.

The biggest prizes will be awarded for the fair’s homemade 8-inch fruit pie contest. It will accept entries from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday, July 13, with prizes of $25, $75 and $100 awarded. Rules for this contest are online at www.wycofair.com.

Entertainment at the fair

The first day of the Wyandotte County Fair, Tuesday, July 9, will feature Chris Stewart at 5:30 p.m. and Kerosene 6 at 7:45 p.m. performing on the Main Stage. The Big Dave Show will begin at 7 p.m. at the Entertainment Tent.

It will be $20 wristband night at the carnival, with those attending able to ride all carnival rides for $20.

Gates open at 5 p.m. Tuesday, July 9, and close at 10 p.m. The same hours are in effect Wednesday and Thursday. Friday’s hours will be 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. and Saturday’s hours are noon to 11 p.m.

Wednesday’s entertainment will be DJ Aaron Fries at 5 p.m. followed by The Rippers at 7:30 p.m. on the Main Stage. The Entertainment Tent will feature Back Road Express at 7 p.m. It will be $25 wristband night for the carnival.

Thursday, DJ Luigi Franko will be at the Main Stage at 5 p.m.; Imperio Sierreno will entertain at 7:15 p.m. and Son Selecta is featured at 8:45 p.m. at the Main Stage. The Entertainment Tent will feature the Reyes Brothers Band at 7 p.m. It will be $20 carnival wristband night.

Thursday also will be Donnelly College Student and Alumni Night at the fair,

On Friday, DJ Aaron Fries will be on the Main Stage at 5 p.m., followed by a Janet Jackson Tribute band at 7:30 p.m. and Material Girl, a Madonna and Lady Gaga tribute band, at 8:15 p.m. The Sully Brothers will perform from 7 to 9 p.m. in the Entertainment Tent. It will be $25 carnival wristband night.

A vintage car show is planned on Friday, as well as seniors day at the fair.

Friday will be Kansas City Kansas Community College Student and Alumni Night.

Saturday, the fair will open at noon, with the MidWest Mud Boggers Mud Run at 7 p.m. in the fairgrounds arena.

DJ Aaron Fries will be on the Main Stage at noon Saturday. Ritch Henderson is scheduled at 3:15 p.m. on the Main Stage, followed by Crossroads Youth Music Team from Dallas, Texas, at 5 p.m. Silver Streak will perform on the Main Stage at 6:15 p.m., followed by Edge of Forever, a Lynyrd Skinner Tribute Band, at 8:30 p.m. on the Main Stage. Stranded in the City will perform in the Entertainment Tent. It will be $25 carnival wristband night.

Regular fair events

The regular fair events, including Hedricks Pig Races, food concessions, a carnival, a marketplace and a magic show at 5:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. in the Red Barn, will continue. Helicopter rides and large kites are planned, weather permitting.

4-H events

The Wyandotte County 4-H events for the fair include a dog show at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday; poultry show at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday; pet and cat show at 1 p.m.; demonstrations and public speaking at 2 p.m. Tuesday; sheep show at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday; and goat show at 7 p.m. Tuesday.

On Wednesday, the 4-H beef show will be at 9 a.m.; the bucket calf show will be after the beef show; and swine judging will be at 7 p.m.

Thursday, the horse show – halter classes will be at 9:30 a.m.; and round robin competition at 7 p.m.

Friday, the horse show – performance is scheduled at 9:30 a.m.; the livestock buyers’ dinner will be at 6 p.m.; bucket calf parade at 7 p.m.; and livestock auction at 7 p.m.

On Saturday, the horse show – timed events will be at 9:30 a.m. There is no charge to see the morning 4-H shows.

Admission charge

Tickets to the fair are $2.50 per person if purchased before July 9 at wycofair.com, and $5 per person from July 9 to July 13, with ages 12 and younger free. Parking is $5.

More information, including a schedule of events, is online at https://www.wycofair.com/.

Preparations are underway for the Wyandotte County Fair, from Tuesday, July 9, through Saturday, July 13, at the fairgrounds at 137th and Polfer Road, Kansas City, Kansas.
Preparations are underway for the Wyandotte County Fair, from Tuesday, July 9, through Saturday, July 13, at the fairgrounds at 137th and Polfer Road, Kansas City, Kansas.

UG Commission to set maximum mill levy Monday night

The Unified Government Commission is scheduled to set the maximum mill levy at a budget meeting following regular committee meetings on Monday night, July 8.

The committee meetings will begin at 5 p.m. in the fifth floor meeting room at City Hall, 701 N. 7th St., Kansas City, Kansas. The budget workshop will be held after the committee meetings on the fifth floor.

The UG administrator has proposed a flat mill levy rate with no rate increase; the UG Commission is scheduled to set a maximum cap on the amount of the mill levy rate at tonight’s budget workshop. The final mill levy rate will be set in late July or early August. (See more at https://wyandotteonline.com/no-mill-levy-rate-increase-proposed-for-ug-budget/)

The UG Neighborhood and Community Development Committee meeting will begin at 5 p.m., followed by the Economic Development and Finance Committee meeting.

YMCA building, Boulevard Lofts, small business grant program, KC Foodie Park (Indian Springs) agreement and other items

On the agenda for the EDF meeting is a resolution to approve Neighborhood Revitalization Act special project to renovate the YMCA building at 900 N.8th St., Kansas City, Kansas. Prairie Fire Development Group LLC is developing the project.

The Y Lofts project proposes to redevelop the YMCA building into 44 senior residential units, for persons 55 and older. More than $3 million would be spent on construction, according to agenda documents. An NRA rebate for 20 years is proposed, with a 75 percent rebate increasing by 10 percent if Y Lofts meets the minority, local and women business enterprise goals.

According to the agenda, the total Y Lofts renovation project is estimated at $8.9 million. When completed, there would be 29 one-bedroom, one-bath units with estimated rents of $355 to $700, and 15 two-bedroom, one-bath units at $430 to $900 per month rent.

If approved at the committee meeting, this project would be “fast-tracked” to the UG Commission meeting for approval on July 11, according to agenda information.

Also on the agenda is an ordinance and resolution to adopt a home rule economic development incentive and development agree for the Boulevard Lofts project near 8th and Everett.

A resolution to amend the UG Small Business Incentive Matching Grant Program is on the agenda.

Also on the agenda is a resolution adopting the development agreement for the KC Foodie Park Logistics Center. This $140.2 million development is proposed for the former Indian Springs shopping center at 47th and State Avenue.

According to agenda information, Scavuzzo’s is proposing a mixed-use development for the property, including a 266,000-square-foot industrial building to be a food service center; a 26-acre solar energy field to provide energy to the development; about 12,000 square feet of retail, entertainment or restaurant buildings on three pad sites on State Avenue; additional commercial buildings from 15,000 square feet to 45,000 square feet of food service and other commercial uses; and a 60,000 square foot multi-tenant office building to serve as headquarters for Scavuzzo’s and the developer.

The project would include a tax increment financing (TIF) component, according to agenda information. There is also a Community Improvement District with a 1 percent tax on retail sales. The project would have four phases.

The projected TIF reimbursed costs will be $16.6 million; the projected CID reimbursed costs, $2.5 million; projected developer private costs, $118.4 million; and projected third-party costs, $2.5 million, according to agenda information.

Also on the agenda is an ordinance to terminate the 2007 Midtown TIF project, which was for the former Indian Springs Midtown development.

The committee also is asked to set a public hearing date of Aug. 29 for the Midtown TIF district amendment and project plan. If approved by the committee, this resolution setting a public hearing date would go to the UG Commission for approval.

Also on the EDF agenda are a first-quarter budget to actuals report; a first quarter budget revision report; and a resolution with PNC Equipment Finance for a fire apparatus lease purchase turn-in agreement.

Land Bank items

On the agenda for the NCD meeting at 5 p.m. July 8:

• A Land Bank policy update;

• Land Bank transfers of 22 parcels to Community Housing of Wyandotte County at 12th and Riverview;

• Donations to the Land Bank by Turner Woods; of nine properties from CHWC; and donations from two individuals.

• An update on the Land Bank rehab program.

Budget meetings

Budget meetings will be held:
• July 8, after 5 p.m. meeting, budget workshop (Set MML), fifth floor meeting room, City Hall, 701 N. 7th St., Kansas City, Kansas.
July 11, 5 p.m., budget workshop, fifth floor meeting room, City Hall.
• July 15, 6 p.m., budget workshop, fifth floor meeting room, City Hall.
• July 18, 5 p.m., budget workshop, fifth floor meeting room, City Hall.
• July 25, 5 p.m., final budget public hearing followed by budget workshop if necessary, Commission Chambers, lobby level, City Hall.
• July 25, 7 p.m., Commission meeting to adopt budget, Commission Chambers, lobby level, City Hall.

The agendas are online at www.wycokck.org.