The Southtown Beautification Committee is pleased to announce the January Sparkle Award recipient - Ed U Care Child Development Center, Inc., 6735 and 6741 Prospect Ave.

Monthly Luncheon
Wednesday, January 18, 11:45am
Speaker: Joel McCloud, “Google Places 101”
Location: Wornall Baptist Church, 400 W. Meyer Blvd.
Catered by: Cosentino’s Brookside Price Chopper
$10/person Please RSVP by Jan. 17 to 816-523-5553. Reservations required.

NOTE: THE LUNCHEONS ARE BEING HELD IN A NEW LOCATION THIS YEAR!

The Waldo Area Business Association selected Patrick’s Bar & No Grill, 8251 Wornall Rd. for the January business highlight. Owner Patrick Sanders opened the establishment four years ago. According to Sanders, “They have the best no grill food in town!” Menu items include hot
dogs, corn dogs, pizza, popcorn and sliders. Patrick’s is a great place to relax and enjoy the atmosphere. There is plenty of room for special events and groups, especially with the addition of the outdoor deck! Special events are part of Patrick’s specialty. The annual .1K Run raised
more than $12,000 for Hospice. On Thanksgiving, Patrick’s Lighting Ceremony was quite a hit. Visit Patrick’s Bar & No Grill Facebook page to see upcoming specials and events.

The Southtown Council is pleased to announce that a parade is coming to the neighborhood! The first ever “Independence Day Warm-Up Parade” is planned for the Saturday before the 4th of July which will be June 30th. This patriotic event is open to the public and will travel east and west along 63rd St. across Troost Ave. We hope to have area churches, schools, neighborhood groups, and other community groups joining with marching bands, musical groups and lots more. Stay tuned for more details but start thinking about your parade entry!

Neighborhood Housing Services (NHS), 5835 Troost Ave., recently received $283,000 to help buy and rehab residental properties to then sell to new homeowners. The funds were from the federal Home Loan Bank. The grant money along with other funds will help NHS fix up and sell 35 to 40homes in Kansas City. “Many of the homes in the center city are homes that are just right for individuals that are of lower income. Priced just right for them. We want to take the opportunity to offer those buyers a place that they can call their own,” said Marjorie Major of Neighborhood Housing Services.

Happy New Year Business Owners! Make it your resolution to take advantage of the many business-building resources offered by KC SourceLink partners. Here are some upcoming classes:

• Jan. 19, 9am, Understanding, Building & Preserving Business Value (for existing businesses), $79, Small Business Tech. Devel.Center, 4747 Troost Ave.
• Jan. 19, 1pm, Winning Government Contracts: The First Steps, $50, Mizzou Center, 1600 NE Coronado Drive, Blue Springs, MO 64014
• Jan. 19, 5:30pm, The Basics of Writing a Business Plan, $59, SBTDC, 4747 Troost Ave.
• Jan. 20, 8:30am, Planned Giving and Major Gift Solicitation, $265, Midwest Center for Nonprofit Leadership, Bloch School of Management, 5110 Cherry St, KCMO 64110
• Jan. 21, 8:30am, Simple Steps to Starting a Business- Your Marketing Strategy, $50, SCORE, 4747 Troost Ave., KCMO 64110