Andra Bryan Stefanoni: City projects shine under cloudy skies

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March 14, 2010

Anonymous The Joplin Globe Sun Mar 14, 2010, 08:14 PM CDT

PITTSBURG, Kan. — Pittsburg’s spring break has so far been, in a word, gray, but one need only enter the Beverly Corcoran Art Gallery at Memorial Auditorium & Convention Center, 503 N. Pine St., to see a rainbow of color.

That annual rainbow can mean only one thing: not a St. Pat’s Day pot of gold, but a collection of colorful weavings, clay sculptures, and paintings and drawings from Pittsburg’s four elementary schools on display until the end of the month.

Pittsburg School District art teachers Nancy Hurt and Mary Robinson have been coordinating student art shows at the gallery for more than 12 years. Each year, they pull together the work of between 1,100 and 1,200 students, and do a blind selection of projects to be displayed.

That’s the hard part, because they can’t choose all of the work.

About 300 students from Westside, George Nettles, Lakeside and Meadowlark schools typically are represented at each show, providing community members with a glimpse of the depth of artistic talent of youngsters in kindergarten through fifth grade.

Going up the front steps of the auditorium to see the gallery, however, one can’t help but notice the steps that are beginning to crumble. In fact, at last week’s theatrical production by Pittsburg Community Middle School, several audience members commented on the steps’ state of disrepair as they climbed them.

But the coming months will see improvements, as the City Commission has approved a bid of $70,280 from Home Center Construction. That means work can get under way to remove and replace the stairs, to create a new drainage system, and to install an electronic ice-melt system on the stairs if that is deemed necessary.

In other city news, Quincy Street is now on the City Commission’s radar. As a main artery that connects the U.S. Highway 69 bypass to Broadway, and Broadway to Rouse Street, it carries a heavy load of traffic each day to and from Pittsburg State University.

City leaders are looking to improve it from Broadway to Stilwell Street by making it a three-lane road with center lane turning access. Also on the priority list is improving safety and traffic flow at the busy intersection of Quincy and Joplin streets.

Although the project isn’t slated for bids until 2013, the city’s public works director, Bill Beasley, said it will take a great deal of coordination, utility relocation and property acquisition, and before that, officials will need a set of plans for the roadbed.

Plans also are on the minds of the volunteers responsible for the creation and development of 23rd Street Bike Park, which opened last year and now is set to enter the second phase.

Organizer Ron Light has set a work day for March 21, during which fellow mountain bike enthusiasts will begin the layout and construction of the park’s “technical terrain feature.”

The group is working on financing for a dirt jump area and pump track, and is pleased that Pittsburg State University construction students have finished a kiosk. They see the recreational spot not only as a boon to area residents but also as an attraction to bikers coming to Pittsburg from other areas.

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Andra Bryan Stefanoni: City projects shine under cloudy skies

Joplin City Manager Mark Rohr wants the city to distribute weather radios to all Joplin homes that don’t have one. That’s 11,000 radios. Do you think that’s a good use of $300,440?

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