‘Homesteaders’ and ‘Fluid Form’, along with Prairie Village’s new sculpture, on walk
The first-ever Prairie Village Art Walk will take place June 11 as the city dedicates its newest sculpture, “Fifties Freedom In the Village”, at 71st Street and Mission Road.
The 3.6-mile walk will start at 5:30 p.m. at 69th and Mission, where the city’s first public sculpture, “The Homesteaders,” stands. Then it’s on to the Village Shops to see the city’s second public sculpture, “Fluid Form.”
Artist E. Spencer Schubert and donor Brad Johnson will be at the 6 p.m. ribbon-cutting for the newest piece. Walkers will then continue south on Mission to view four more sculptures before turning around at Corinth Square.
JoCo spellers advance to national bee
Ishya Bhavsar, an eighth-grade student at Indian Hills Middle School in Prairie Village, will join the Olathe School District’s Garrett Li at the 2021 Scripps National Spelling Bee.
Ishya, who won the Johnson County Spelling Bee, secured a spot at nationals by winning the state spelling bee sponsored by the Kansas Press Association. Garrett, a seventh-grade student at California Trail Middle School, advanced automatically to the national bee by winning the Olathe School District bee.
The National Spelling Bee website lists them as the only two competitors from Kansas. After three rounds of virtual competition beginning June 12, 10 to 12 finalists will travel to Orlando, Florida, for the championship round on July 8.
New scholarship aid at JCCC
Johnson County Community College is among more than two dozen institutions eligible to offer financial aid to qualified students through the Kansas Promise Scholarship Act, which Gov. Laura Kelly signed into law in April.
The act provides no-cost financial assistance to eligible students enrolled in select two-year associate degree or career and technical education programs. In exchange, the students agree to live and work in Kansas for two years after completing their studies.
To qualify, a student must be a Kansas resident and high school graduate (or equivalent) within the last 12 months or be 21 years or older and have lived in Kansas for at least three consecutive years. Household income must also meet defined program requirements.
The community college will release details soon on how students can take advantage of the act.
Olathe Live! is back this summer
After the COVID-19 pandemic interrupted the tradition last year, the Olathe Live! outdoor performing arts series will return to Stagecoach Park this summer.
The first concert, at 7 p.m. June 11, will feature Kelley Hunt and Lester Estelle & Friends. Subsequent shows will take place June 18, July 9, July 16 and July 30. The shows are free and open to the public.
Gardner updates pool repair status
Gardner officials expect to fully open the city’s aquatic center around June 12 after finishing repairs necessitated by a broken water line.
The city kept the original June 5 opening date for the lap lane pool, with capacity limited to 500 patrons, but suspended season pass sales until they knew how repairs on the Lazy River side of the complex would proceed. Crews had to remove part of the concrete pool deck and excavate the area just to find the source of the break.
Passes are being sold again at a discounted rate.
Daily admission is $3 for the lap lane pool only, but will return to $6 once the whole complex opens.
The cost of the repairs was unknown as of June 2, a city spokeswoman said, and officials had not definitively identified the cause of the break.
