Neighborhood Center brings low-cost or free meals, fellowship to older adults in JoCo
Johnson County has filled a void in Olathe by opening a new congregate dining site where older adults can socialize and eat together.
The newest Neighborhood Center is at Olathe Towers, 1425 E. College Way. The site hosts older adults from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. weekdays, with a hot lunch served at 11:30 a.m.
Breakfast is offered Tuesday through Thursday.
“Olathe has not had a congregate site in more than 10 years. We created a unique partnership with Olathe Towers, an older adult high-rise,” Brandy Hodge, spokeswoman for Johnson County Aging & Human Services, said by email. “Many of the residents have signed up to participate in the congregate meals on site which increases socialization.”
The suggested donation is $3 for lunch or $2 for breakfast, but no one 60 or over is denied a meal for lack of funds. People younger than 60 can eat there, too, but must pay the full price.
Meal reservations are required by 10 a.m. the day before. Call Olathe Towers at 913-393-3663. For the full list of countywide Neighborhood Centers and phone numbers, visit jocogov.org and click on County Services. Find “Neighborhood Center Meals for Seniors” under the first category, Aging.
Monticello Road closure
Shawnee has closed Monticello Road for a couple of months between Monticello Springs Park and 75th Street, but the roadway will reopen before school starts in late August.
Southbound traffic will detour west on 75th, go north on Kansas 7, then turn around at Shawnee Mission Parkway to go south on K-7. Traffic will exit at 83rd Street and head back east to Monticello Road.
The detour is much less complicated for northbound traffic: Go west on 83rd Street, then north on K-7 before exiting eastbound on 75th to return to Monticello Road.
The closure stems from ongoing improvements to the increasingly busy Monticello Road, most of which is being transformed into a three-lane roadway with a continuous turn lane in the middle and amenities for cyclists and pedestrians. It’s four lanes from Old Monticello Road/Chouteau Street to a new roundabout at 75th Street, however, and the turning lanes are different north of Midland Drive.
The city has completed the segment from Shawnee Mission Parkway to 71st Terrace. Through next spring, the work is focusing on the area between 71st Terrace and the 7900 block of Monticello Road. The budget for both phases is just under $20 million.
Gun locks available in Lenexa
Lenexa police are reminding residents that free gun locks are available to help people protect loved ones from the mishandling of firearms. The locks can be picked up at police headquarters, 12500 W. 87th St. Parkway. There’s a limit of two per household.
I-435 ramp closed at 87th Street Parkway
As work continues on the Interstate 435/87th Street Parkway interchange in Lenexa, motorists are unable to use the exit ramp from southbound I-435 to 87th Street Parkway, as of June 15. The closure is expected to last 30 days.
The project, begun in the summer of 2021, includes ramp widening, additional lanes on 87th Street Parkway between Mauer Road and Renner Boulevard and 10-foot-wide trails on each side of 87th.
Lenexa received more than $3 million in federal funds for the $8.4 million project, expected to be finished later this year.
World’s Largest Swim Lesson
Olathe is taking part in the 13th annual World’s Largest Swimming Lesson, a global event on June 23 that underscores the importance of teaching children to swim to help prevent drowning. The event is sponsored by the World Waterpark Association.
The Olathe observance will be at Mill Creek Pool, 320 E. Poplar St., where more than 560 children are expected for a free 45-minute swim lesson. Participants will be broken up into groups based on general skill and water comfort.
Families with children between 2 and 13 years of age are encouraged to sign up by contacting the Parks & Recreation Department.
Traffic headaches near 103rd, Metcalf
Expect traffic disruptions through next spring around 103rd Street and Metcalf Avenue in Overland Park, as Johnson County Wastewater increases the capacity of the sewer system there.
However, trenchless technology will allow crews to install pipes under Indian Creek and Metcalf Avenue to reduce the headaches. Traffic on Metcalf, for example, will flow as usual.
Different street and lane closures will occur as the work proceeds, mostly south of 103rd between Barkley and Marty streets. Also affected, starting in late June, is the nearby pedestrian trail where detours will be marked.
This story was originally published June 17, 2022 at 5:00 AM with the headline "Neighborhood Center brings low-cost or free meals, fellowship to older adults in JoCo."