The Shawnee News-Star
This week Mayor Ed Bolt named his appointees to the city s new Arts and Culture Commission established in March.
“As emphasized in the Comp Plan, the necessity for public art in our community dovetails with the enhancement of our community image, civic health, equity and economic development,” City Planner Rebecca Blaine said when the commission was being created.
The current focus on promoting public arts stems from goals included in the city s 2040 Comprehensive Plan that was finalized and approved in October.
Of the 14 applicants, specific attributes were sought to comprise the brand new seven-member board:
• one member will represent a local art and/or cultural organization;
The Shawnee News-Star
Signing two proclamations this week, Mayor Ed Bolt designated Shawnee a Purple Heart City and named Saturday, May 1, 2021, Loyalty Day.
During the Shawnee City Commission meeting, with a gallery of residents, Bolt read the proclamations in honor of locals who have served their country, as Shawnee Veterans of Foreign War (VFW) Post 1317 Honor Guard Commander Don Plumley stood as representative to accept the public expression of gratitude.
“The City of Shawnee appreciates the sacrifices our Purple Heart recipients made in defending our freedoms and acknowledges those men and women for their courage by showing our support and honor,” Bolt said. “The citizens of Shawnee have great admiration and gratitude for the men and women who have selflessly served their country and this community in the Armed Forces.”
The Shawnee News-Star
As fundraising is underway ahead of the Big Brothers Big Sisters Bowl for Kids Sake event April 30, one team decided to reach out to the community in their effort.
The Freeze Frame team with First National Bank enlisted the help of Mayor Ed Bolt and Shawnee Police Chief Mason Wilson, who have agreed to take a pie in the face for the sake of charity.
Whoever s page gets the most donations will get the honor. However, First National Bank VP/Compliance Officer Greg Arbuckle said anyone who gets $500 raised will also share in the honors, meaning both Bolt and Wilson could potentially end up with a face full of pie.
“(Mayor Ed Bolt and I) had to basically learn a second language,” she said.
Next came a mapping system to learn where homeless encampments were and where individuals were staying, which is crucial for the program, she said.
“We were able to match the police department with our engineering department that was just a nice organic, problem-solving solution that happened right there just by having a meeting with our inner-agencies,” she said.
Getting support from Shawnee churches, nonprofits
Craig said they also looked outside of Shawnee at others helping with homelessness.
“We worked with a bunch of churches, groups, nonprofits,” she said. They were each asked how they are doing, what is successful and not successful for them, and how they could help.