Community Blog

Lee’ s Summit’s 21st Annual Oktoberfest (September 24 & 25) is just under a month away and already there’s a nice little buzz growing about the event.  If you’re new to town or you just haven’t had the opportunity to attend, you’re in for a treat!  While the entertainment schedule is still being finalized for the festivities to be held in historic downtown Lee’s Summit, there are already several “can’t-miss” things to do that you should plan on attending.

The Biergarten will, as usual, be the main attraction with food, music, dancing and of course, great German beer!  If you leave the festival without eating some authentic German brat, you’ve wasted your time.  There will also be a cutest baby contest, a beer barrel race and a weiner dog contest.  Those three events should be fun.

Another cool thing they’re doing this year is having a “Sports-Zelt” (that’s sports tent for the non-german speakers) so you don’t have to worry about missing any of the big games while you’re at the festival.  I’ll probably head over there right after I leave the “all-you-can-eat” pancake breakfast on Saturday morning.  That starts at 7:30 a.m. in the Biergarten.  On top of all that, there will be arts, crafts and plenty of kids activities and excitement.  A good time indeed!  For more info, visit the event website at www.lsoktoberfest.com.  You can also join the events Facebook page!

Coffee or tea?  It’s a timeless debate, isn’t it?  Some prefer the soothing, relaxing and healthy benefits of sipping tea in the morning (especially green and white teas which are loaded with cancer fighting antioxidants).  Others need the strong, bold taste of rich coffee and the nice jolt of caffiene it provides.  Coffee too has health benefits.  Studies show that a strong brew can lower your risk of diabetes, Parkinson’s, and even Alzheimer’s.

While the majority of the world my prefer tea, Americans, in large, definitely drink more coffee.  Learning that fact made me wonder how we became such a coffee loving nation.  In short, here is what I found…

“One of the main reasons that tea was then shunned by America is the fact that the early Americans fought to gain their independence from Britain, so it made more sense to prefer coffee to the traditional tea drink that came from their home country. In the early years of America, other nations began to export coffee, with America being the biggest importer. This led to most countries worldwide associating coffee with America the way that they do today, especially since it never has been a culture that was dependent upon tea.” – Hubpages.com

So what do you drink?  Are you a coffee or tea person, or neither (I know a couple people that actually prefer a Diet Coke in the morning)?  Better yet, where do you like to get your morning beverage from?  There are several great coffee shops in Lee’s Summit near Summit Ridge Apartments (and of course they serve tea too).  Here are a few…

Starbucks
1130 NE Douglas St
Lee’s Summit, MO 64086
(816) 246-1381
www.starbucks.com

Poppy’s Ice Cream & Coffee House
307 SE Douglas St
Lees Summit, MO 64063
(816) 246-4141
www.poppysicecream.com‎‎

Whistle Stop Coffee & Mercantile
227 SE Main St
Lees Summit, MO 64063
(816) 525-4545

(Photo Credit: hubpages.com)

Clash of the Titans

Born of a god but raised as a man, Perseus is helpless to save his family from Hades, vengeful god of the underworld. With nothing to lose, Perseus volunteers to lead a dangerous mission to defeat Hades before he can seize power from Zeus and unleash hell on earth. Battling unholy demons and fearsome beasts, Perseus and his warriors will only survive if Perseus accepts his power as a god, defies fate and creates his own destiny. Rated PG-13.

The closest Redbox kiosks to Summit Ridge are at Hy-Vee (301 NE Rice Rd), McDonald’s (901 Chipman Rd) and Walmart (1000 NE Sam Walton Ln).

Do you currently carry renter’s insurance?  Summit Ridge Apartments strongly advises their residents to get a policy.  It’s really not as expensive as you may think.  In fact, you can save money on your policy in quite a few ways.  Here is an article I found about saving money on renter’s insurance.  Check out this video too.

The latest version of the classic Piranha movie franchise hits Kansas City area theaters this weekend – and this time it’s in 3D!  I’m definitely looking forward to it, even though the movie may not entirely be accurate.

I learned that while a piranha’s teeth may be strong enough to chew through something like a fishing hook, the probability that a school of them would eat a person in a matter of seconds is purely a myth.  In fact, there is really no record of any person being eaten alive by a school of piranhas.  That’s good info to know for the next time you’re in South America where they reside.

Oh well, it still makes for great horror.  Check out the trailer for Piranha 3D below.  Also, here are the showtimes for theaters around Lee’s Summit near Summit Ridge: Dickinson Eastglen 16, Blue Springs 8 and AMC Independence Commons 20.

 The long Labor Day weekend will be upon us in a couple weeks.  If you haven’t started making plans for something fun to do, what are you waiting for?  Maybe you just haven’t had time to sift through all of the great events that the Kansas City area has to offer.  No worries, I’ve got you covered.  Below is a quick guide to a couple fun activities that are scheduled to be going on that weekend…

The City Market Pepper Party
Do you like peppers?  I mean reeeeally like peppers?  Then you might want to check out the City Market Pepper Party on Saturday, September 4 from 9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.  They’ll be selling peppers, roasting peppers and teaching how to cook with peppers.  Kids can take part in several activities such as a hot pepper toss, pass the pepper games and 105 Jack FM will sponsor the Peter Piper Pepper Tongue Twister Contest with the winner’s tongue twister recorded and played on the air.  For more information, contact the City Market Office at 816-842-1271 or visit www.thecitymarket.org/concerts.

8th Annual Kansas City Irish Fest
Kansas City’s proud Celtic heritage will be celebrated with three days of music, comdey, dancing and exhibits at the Crown Center (2450 Grand Blvd.), September 3-5.  There will be more than 30 locally and nationally known bands, playing traditional music and Celtic rock.  Tickets are $15 per day at the gate and $10 in advance.  Children under 12 are free.  For more info, call 816-561-7555 or visit www.kcirishfest.com.

Kudos to the Lee’s Summit R-7 school district and their commitment to “go green” and become a more eco-friendly organization!  As of this month, they are the first school district in the entire nation to institute an all-electronic truck policy for supply distribution within the district!  According to a press release on the district’s website, this initiative is so groundbreaking that it has attracted media from around the nation.

“With this program, we are eliminating the exhaust from the old diesel trucks, and the new electric fleet will be quieter and less disruptive when traveling our neighborhoods and visiting our schools,” said Dr. David McGehee, R-7 superintendent.

“These trucks will change lives and will make a difference to our district’s bottom line, putting much needed resources back into each classroom,” added Ron Cox, R-7 director of purchasing and warehouse distribution. “They will provide our staff with one of, if not the most efficient means to distribute classroom and lunchroom supplies.”

This “green” measure is expected to save nearly 80,000 gallons of diesel fuel while eliminating 60,000 pounds of emissions.  I don’t know about you all, but I think that’s really something to be proud of.  Hopefully more school districts around the metro Kansas City area – and the entire country for that matter – will follow suit.

Great job, Lee’s Summit, for being a leading school district and helping to preserve the environment!

Chances are that you’re already a Harry Potter fan.  If not you, then definitely someone you know at least.  The book-to-movie franchise is literally a billion dollar empire in itself.  Well, for the uninitiated, now is the time to catch up and get to know what all the hub-bub is about.  Free Friday Night Flicks at Crown Center Square in the heart of Kansas City (2450 Grand Blvd.) will be showing the original movie, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, this Friday, August 13.

If you didn’t alread know, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone is a classic!  In a nutshell, it’s all about Harry’s first year at the famous Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry where he learns about magic and gets caught up in the mystery of the Sorcerer’s Stone, hidden within the school.  Now witchcraft and sorcery may just not be your thing, but after watching it, I’ll wager that you’ll admit that the story was thorough and the special effects were incredible.

So if you don’t have any big plans going on for Friday (and you’re looking ot save a few bucks), come sit under the stars (may I suggest that you bring a blanket and some lawn chairs) and catch a great movie.  Harry Potter movies are rated PG so they’re perfectly fine to bring the little one’s too.  I’m sure they’ll love it.  Also, you’re allowed to bring your own food and drinks too (including wine and beer), just as long as it is not in a glass container.  The show starts at 9:00 p.m.

Yesterday, a friend was telling me about a most unfortunate incident with her brand new sofa.  She had her sister and young nephew spend the weekend with her recently and on one of the evenings the kid must have had a little too much water to drink before bedtime.  At some point in the middle of the night, he made his way to her brand new sofa and proceeded to have an “accident” on the comfy new furniture.

First thing I thought was, “wow…poor kid.”  He must’ve been embarassed.  But then I started thinking about the furniture, as I to have recently purchased a new sofa of my own.  No one wants a stain like that to set in.  So what would be the action plan should such an accident occur at my apartment?  Surely, with a five year-old of my own and two young nieces constantly visiting, something is going to happen sooner or later.

After a little googling, this video is what I came up with.  Check it out!  It may help you save the cushions on your own sofa here at your Summit Ridge apartment.  If you have any great cleaning tips of your own, feel free to share them with the community.

As summer winds down, many Lee’s Summit families are looking for last minute trips and activities that they can do together before the busy school season gets into full swing.  Once that happens, studying, homework and extracurricular activities surely will take up a good chunk of children’s time.  If you’re considering some quality time with the family, how about a quick trip to Powell Gardens?  Not only will it be fun, but educational as well.

Right now, Powell Gardens is showcasing their annual Festival of Butterflies, a free-flight butterfly conservatory exhibit that they’re featuring both this weekend (August 6-8) and next (August 13-15).  The Blue Morpho, Gulf Frittilary and Mexican Bluewing are just a few of the exotic species that you will come across.  Children are encouraged to catch and release the butterflies that are flying freely around them.  There will also be butterfly-related arts and crafts for them to take part in.

Admission is $10 for adults and $5 for children ages 5-12.  Powell Gardens in Kingsville, MO is only a short 20 minute drive from here at Summit Ridge, right down US-50 E.  Their address is 1609 NW Hwy. 50, Kingsville, MO, 64061 and their phone number is 816-697-2600.  They are open from 9:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m.

(Photo Credit: A.Sparrow)

Next Page »