Old Buildings, New Attitudes

Archive for February, 2010

Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day in Downtown Lee’s Summit! Saturday, March 13th, beginning at 1:00 pm, join Downtown Lees Summit Main Street, Inc., for its fifth annual Emerald Isle St. Patrick’s Day parade. Grab your friends or coworkers and show us your Irish heritage as you march proudly through Downtown Lee’s Summit!

The Parade will start at Lee’s Summit High School and proceed west on 8th, then north on Green to 3rd, then west on 3rd to SE Main, then north on SE Main. The parade will then cross 2nd street and disperse at the United Methodist Church. Awards will follow at Howard Station Park.

Downtown Lee’s Summit Main Street, Inc., is now accepting parade entries for floats, marching groups, vehicles, etc. Applications are due March 1st, and can be found along with parade rules on the events page at www.downtownls.org. The non-profit organization/family rate is $30.00, and the commercial/small business/political rate is $75.00.

All floats and/or vehicles must be decorated for St. Patrick’s Day and this year’s special theme is “Show Me Your Heritage – What’s in Your Irish Stew?” Entries are invited to explore Irish traditions and their own familial heritage through costumes, music, family crests and more.

Of course there will be green balloons, green streamers, green hats, green shirts, green shamrocks, and probably even green hair. Show us your Irish spirit by being a part of this fun, family-friendly event right here in your own community!

This event is being presented by Downtown Lee’s Summit Main Street, Inc. (DLSMS), in partnership with the Lee’s Summit Journal and the Bank of Lee’s Summit. DLSMS is a 501c3 non-profit organization dedicated to the revitalization of Downtown Lee’s Summit.

For more information about this event or other upcoming Downtown Lee’s Summit events, visit www.downtownls.org or call 816-246-6598.

This Old House magazine has recognized Old Lee’s Summit, Missouri, as one of their Best Old House Neighborhoods 2010. The Old Lee’s Summit area surrounds the downtown Lee’s Summit historic business district, and includes four historic neighborhoods listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Downtown Lee’s Summit Main Street, Inc. (DLSMS), nominated the Old Lee’s Summit area for This Old House magazine’s third annual Best Places to Buy an Old House contest, which led to the selection. Sarah Shore, Assistant Director of DLSMS, is pleased with the recognition. “One of our organization’s goals is to elevate the image of Downtown Lee’s Summit in the region, and nationally. Our vibrant downtown, and the quality historic neighborhoods that surround it, set us apart from other communities. We are pleased that This Old House magazine has recognized Lee’s Summit with its selection.”

The Old Lee’s Summit area includes homes within a wide range of prices and with a variety of architectural styles, including 1880′s farmhouses, early 1900′s Queen Anne’s, colonial revivals, 1920′s craftsmen bungalows, and post WW-II cottages. Neighborhood schools and parks, walkable streets, affordable homes and proximity to the downtown business district make the Old Lee’s Summit area popular among new and long-time residents.

A total of fifty-one neighborhoods, one from each state, were selected as Best Old House Neighborhoods with Old Lee’s Summit being the selection from Missouri. This Old House magazine notes the “bustling” downtown commercial district and excellent public schools as a reason to buy in the Old Lee’s Summit area, and describes Lee’s Summit as a “quintessential suburb” with year-round events and a revitalized downtown.

Lee’s Summit City Manager, Stephen Arbo, is also pleased with the selection. “It is an honor to know that Lee’s Summit has been selected for this distinction. There are many stakeholders involved in the success of our downtown and surrounding neighborhoods. Our Mayor and City Council have been implementing a tool called the “Downtown Master Plan” to keep our common vision; Creating a sense of place in the heart of our city. Investing in an older home requires significant financial and emotional commitments. We want to do all that we can to reward and encourage these types of community investments in the future.”

A full list of the Best Old House Neighborhoods 2010 can be found on This Old House magazine’s website, http://www.thisoldhouse.com.

Downtown Lee’s Summit will host its annual Spring Open House Friday through Sunday, March 5th-7th, during regular business hours. Customers are invited to take a day to renew, refresh, and relax in the downtown. The businesses will have you dreaming of spring as they unveil their new spring merchandise.

New this year, customers can enter to win a $100 downtown shopping spree. The Spring Open House is hosted by the Downtown Lee’s Summit Main Street (DLSMS) Promotions Committee. DLSMS is a 501c3 non-profit organization dedicated to the revitalization of Downtown Lee’s Summit. For more information, please visit www.downtownls.org or call 816-246-6598.

Downtown Lee’s Summit’s Emerald Isle St. Patrick’s Day Parade will be held at 1 p.m. on Saturday, March 13, 2010. This year marks the 5th Anniversary of the event.

“Show Me Your Heritage – What’s in Your Irish Stew?” is the parade’s theme. Businesses and families are encouraged to showcase their Irish Heritage or illustrate their family’s cultural mix, whether through decor, music or some other sort of expression, and boast about it as they parade through Downtown Lee’s Summit.

The parade is expected to be bigger and better than ever, says Chuck Denton, owner of Doherty & Sullivan’s Irish Goods and chairman of the parade. Denton, with the help of Mary Pechar of Green Beauty Salon & Day Spa, has grown the parade and helped Lee’s Summit celebrate all things Irish. “Together, we’ve helped the parade to grow from a few fun folks to last year’s gargantuan event. We had 800 people actually IN the parade. I cannot tell you how many came to watch it, but the crowd as you turn the corner of Green and 3rd Street is simply breath-taking. It makes me tear up every year. I love my parade and I love Lee’s Summit. That’s why I participate.”

This year’s Grand Marshall is Kathy Smith. As president of the Lee’s Summit Historical Society and the Lee’s Summit Historic Preservation Commission, Kathy knows a thing or two about heritage. The committee cited Kathy’s community involvement as the main reason for their choice, but her involvement with and knowledge of Lee’s Summit history fit the theme nicely too.

The parade is an event of Downtown Lee’s Summit Main Street, Inc., a 501c3 non-profit organization dedicated to the revitalization of Downtown Lee’s Summit. Parade entry forms are now available on the events page of http://www.downtownls.org/, or by calling 816-246-6598. Entry forms are due by March 1st.