Author Archives: Friend of the Fox

Best of Brookside’s Craiglist

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Looking to add some distinction to your porch or patio? Maybe you are in the market for some nice planters? It is much easier to keep those plants alive during the heat when they are just outside your door.  Well look no further than your local Brookside Craigslist. Check out this link for two, locally made concrete planters.

 

Be warned, however, these pots are heavy! They allegedly nearly killed the current owner! Killer pots!

My favorite thing about this post is the fact that owner is willing to trade these beautiful, distinctive pots, for gold or silver coins!

Bartering is making a comeback, folks!

To Water or Not To Water…

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The drought and seemingly endless string of 100 degree days wears on Brookside! What is a yard owner to do! Being in the middle of the mid-west our hearts go out to the farmers and their families who are most impacted by this summer’s weather. However, being city-folk we have access to all the water we want and need.  So do we use it to keep our lawns, plants, and gardens looking green and healthy? Or do we let nature and the drought take its course?

According to Kansas City’s Toby Tobin we can let our grass go dormant. It won’t look pretty but at least we don’t have to water it.  However when it comes to our other plants such as trees, especially young ones, shrubs and bushes need to be watered about weekly.

Part of what makes Brookside so great is how well everyone tries to keep their yard looking.  Whether that is an alternative front lawn or a vegetable garden or a more traditional yard it is going to need some serious watering this summer.  While that might spike the water bill a little bit, it sure beats starting all over next year.

So what do you do? Are you watering your lawn or has it gone to sleep for the rest of the year? And what about your trees, shrubs and bushes?

The Fox Weighs In

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Construction Bank, er I mean Commerce Bank in Brookside is getting oh so close to completion. I must admit that part of the reason I bank at Commerce is the convenience of this Brookside Branch and this construction has been somewhat inconvenient.  And with last week’s injuries of two construction workers, the end can not come soon enough.

I am a big of fan of banking locally and in Kansas City you have plenty of local banking options.  Commerce Bank has been around for decades and is a sound banking option. They have many locations and the owners do a lot of good for the Kansas City community.  And while I’m not going to switch banks over this construction matter, I am little disappointed that this new Commerce Bank buliding in Brookside is poised to look much like all the other new Commerce Banks opening up, a modern day stone facade with a clock tower. Somewhat like this. My hope is that there will still be something uniquely Brookside about this branch, sort of like the uniqueness of the Plaza branch on the northeast end of the Country Club Plaza.

What do you think of the Brookside Branch construction? Are you excited for it to come to an end too?

T-Shirt Deli in Brookside !

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A new shop recently opened up in Brookside in place of the old Pickerman’s Sandwich Shop.  It is a Chicago based business call The T-Shirt Deli. This shop is not a place where you can eat t-shirts or make sandwiches, though it is somewhat funny opening in what was once an actual deli.  It is a place where customers can create their own custom t-shirts and other apparel. So it is sort of like a deli, but for t-shirts.

The Brookside location is part of a small chain of three T-Shirt Delis, the other two being in Chicago.  The store offers the opportunities for customers to create their own men’s, women’s, kid’s, and even dog’s t-shirts, hoodies, and underwear. Pricing is determined by the article of clothing and the amount of lettering or images in the design.  The shirts are created on the spot, wrapped, and come with a bag of chips just like your local deli.

The T-Shirt Deli was recently featured in this Kansas City Star article and it references the shop owner’s Kansas City and even Brookside connection.  Has anyone tried out the T-Shirt Deli yet? If so what kind of shirt did you make ?

 

The Fox Weighs In

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The Overland Park Arboretum statue controversy has caused quite the stir the last several weeks in the Kansas City Metro.  Concerned citizens are arguing that this statue does not belong in the arboretum and is not suitable for children.  This got the Fox wondering about other naked or partially naked statues that are close to home. The first place that came to mind is the nearby Country Club Plaza. And there are quite a few!

Are these statues considered obscene? Are they more out of place in a shopping district than an arboretum? What about those statues of naked toddlers? Is it art?

Apparently there is a group that agrees with the Overland Park group and is trying to petition the statues on the Country Club Plaza! The Star in this brief opinion piece recently reported about the group attempting to remove the decades old artwork on the Plaza that they deem inappropriate. Is this a legitimate concern? Or is all this going a bit too far? Has the art at the Country Club Plaza been corrupting the youth for decades?

The Fox thinks that maybe this group is a going bit too far in petitioning the statues on the Plaza.  Let’s say that these statues are judged obscene and removed.  What is to stop other groups from petitioning other statues dear to the Kansas City community? The Scout in Penn Valley Park? The Headless statues on the Nelson-Atkins lawn? Aren’t those inappropriate for children too?

Let’s let the art that exists remain and perhaps in the future get a better idea from the voting public on what art should exist in public places.