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The traffic circle once known as Benton Circle will be named Harper's Circle, thanks to a vote by the Kansas City Parks Board in June. The residents of the Scarritt Renaissance Neighborhood Association (SRNA) aren't happy about it, though.
The Cliff Drive Corridor Management Committee (CDCMC) lobbied for Benton Circle to become Harper Circle in honor of longtime community activist Ruthanne Harper. Today, Brad Finch, a member of the SRNA, resigned his position with the CDCMC. "Ruthanne Harper deserves a lasting memorial," he wrote in his resignation letter. "But the current endeavor, I believe, is imprudent, ill-advised and reckless."
This afternoon, the SRNA's newly formed Save The Name Committee sent a letter to the parks board to officially register their displeasure.
Text is after the jump:
Members of the Kansas City Park Board,
Please consider this a formal notification that the Scarritt Renaissance Neighborhood Association officially and vigorously oppose the proposed name change of what has long been known as Benton Circle to Ruthanne Harper Circle.
We feel, as a neighborhood, that the Cliff Drive Corridor Management Committee and the Parks Board acted hastily and in turn excluded neighborhoods in the proposal and decision process of honoring Ruthanne Harper.We are not against honoring Ms.Harper for all the great work she did over the years for many different aspects of the Old Northeast, and we certainly understand that the request to put her name on the Benton Circle was done with the best intentions for remembering Ruthanne on her tireless efforts. We just feel there is a better avenue to proceed in honoring Ruthanne Harper, something "new" instead of changing something already existing....changing history.
We were told that the Cliff Drive Corridor Board first thought of using the new kiosk at the entrance or Cliff Drive to honor Ruthanne, but they did not think this project would ever get completed. It was brought to our attention by Mr. Herron from the Parks Department this past Monday that the Kiosk Project has finally been approved. Since this was a project Ruthanne had been working on for over 5 years and it was one of her last unfulfilled projects when she died, what a more fitting place to honor her. The kiosk at the entrance to Cliff Drive would provide the perfect spot to talk about her involvement not only with Cliff Drive, but also the Kansas City Museum, Kessler Park, and the Concourse....which are all visible from that location.
To that end, we are formally requesting an audience with the Board of Parks and Recreation Commissioners in order to pursue a more fitting monument for Ruthanne Harper and to formally and permanently name Benton Circle, "Benton Circle". In order to not slow down the work progress, or incur any additional expenses, we would like this meeting to take place this week if possible.
Additionally we officially request that any and all construction, fabrication and design activity undertaken changing the design of the current construction project at Benton Circle immediately cease and desist until the naming issue can be permanently resolved.
We currently have neighbors from Indian Mound and Pendleton Heights backing us on this issue and we will be seeking solidarity and consensus from the rest of the northeast neighborhoods in support of our opposition to the proposed change to the Benton Circle. Please also see the attached letter from the National DAR protesting the name change. We are also seeking support from the Historic Kansas City Foundation, as well as the National Register of Historic Places.Should you have any questions regarding Scarritt Renaissance's official position regarding this matter, please do not hesitate to contact us. Thank you for your consideration in this matter.
Scarritt Renaissance Neighborhood Association
Benton Circle "Save the Name" Committee
Jeff Zumsteg, Carolyn Royster and Rita Nell Patejol
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So the CDCMC wants to honor someone who gave countless hours of community service with something that's already got a name and already under way?
Seems like its a knee-jerk, cheap way out to me.
"I got it, we'll re-name the circle, its already under way and we won't have to spend a dime"
This is what Ruthanne deserves?
Get real.
If one uses the same philosophy that Cheryl Bisbee of Parks used at the neighborhood meeting the other night, Parks has the right to name anything it wants without consulting anyone whom the decision may residually affect. If this is true, then any landmark that does not have an "official name" associated with it is up for grabs by Parks to name it after anyone or anything it so chooses. Is the Concourse officially named "the Concourse"? How about the Indian Mound? Is that its official name, or do we just call it that? I am confident that what thsoe who live in the Northeast call "the Potato" (the large rock that sports the Benton Memorial on the island in question) isn't its "official name", but I guess if Parks wanted to officially name it "the Turnip" it could do so, regardless of its shape. Maybe carving "Turnip" into the side of it would convince all of us that that's really what it's shaped like.
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