There’s water in the Sea Horse Fountain pool at Meyer Circle, and that means one thing: Fountain Day is drawing near.
As some of you know, I’m vice president of the City of Fountains Foundation, a nearly 50-year-old nonprofit that promotes and advocates for public fountains, monuments and sculptures.
Before last year, turning on the fountains was a ritual almost as sacred as — and usually coinciding with — opening day of the baseball season.
But with Covid-19 setting its teeth everywhere early last year, only seven fountains of the 48 city-owned fountains were turned on because of budgetary constraints.
(It costs several hundred thousand dollars a year to prep the fountains, make repairs and attend to problems during the operating season. Fortunately, the water bill is not a problem because the Water Services Department reimburses the city for the cost of the water.)
This year, before Congress passed, and President Biden signed, the American Rescue Plan Act, we on the fountains foundation were told no fountains might operate this year. That came as a shock, and we began lobbying the Board of Parks and Recreation Commissioners and the City Council.
Our lobbying was making inroads and, then, fortuitously, the American Rescue Plan Act was signed, and it included $195 million for Kansas City. Half of that should have been received by now, and the other half probably will be coming by year’s end.
Within a week or two of that news coming out, Terry Rynard, parks and recreation director, informed us that eight fountains would operate initially this year, with the expectation that most or all of the others would follow after the first installment of federal funds had been received and worked their way to the various city departments.
Ordinarily, Fountain Day would have taken place in early April, but that didn’t happen because of the financial uncertainty. Now it is scheduled. The event will take place at 10 a.m. Tuesday, May 4, at Haff Circle Fountain, Swope Parkway and Meyer Boulevard.
Fountain Day was celebrated at the same location two years ago, after a $1-million-plus renovation of that fountain, which is named for Delbert J. Haff, who was a parks commissioner from 1908 to 1912.
The Fountain Day delay caught the attention of at least one media member, and a couple of weeks ago a Fox 4 reporter did a story about it. In an interview at Haff Circle Fountain, Terry Rynard noted that the fountains are “part of our DNA.” Asked if the parks department had received any kickback because of the fountains not going on at their usual time, she replied: “People don’t always notice when they’re on, but they certainly notice when they’re off. We had a lot of feedback on that last year.”
Besides Haff and Meyer Circle, the fountains that are scheduled to start flowing May 4 (to the best of my knowledge, anyway) are…
- Mill Creek Park Fountain, 47th and Main
- Firefighters Memorial Fountain, on 31st, just west of Broadway
- Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fountain, 43rd and Broadway
- The Children’s Fountain, off Burlington Street in Kansas City, North
- The Seahorse Fountain at City Hall
- Northland Fountain, North Oak and Vivion Road
So, if you’d like to be on hand for one of Kansas City’s sacred traditions, I invite you to join us at Swope Parkway and Meyer Boulevard, 10 a.m. May 4. After a short program, the valves will be opened and water will begin shooting in the air, officially signalling the start of spring.
Just one caveat: Leave the swim suits at home.
JimmyCsays: At the juncture of journalism and daily life in KC 
Thanks much for your good work in this area! We appreciate your help in getting us back in gear around here.
It’s an important and proud aspect of being a Kansas Citian, as you know, Bill.
Jim, your reference to the Haff Circle Fountain reminds me of a tradition at Southeast High School where I attended and graduated. The school sits across the street and on Senior Day, before anyone showed up at school, the senior prank was to let a few of the animals at the zoo out of their cages and bring them to the fountain. I recall one year a camel greeted the students as they arrived at school. To my knowledge, no one was ever identified or disciplined. Before the fountains were installed in 1966, it was a place where one could put in their miniature sail boat or battery operated cruiser. As I recall, the water was turned on only after students had left for the summer.
How in the hell were students able to get a camel out of the zoo?? Security had to be pretty darn lax!
Our former city logo and slogan, “City of Fountains, Heart of the Nation,” and water collected from our City and area fountains, have been meaningful in numerous interfaith activities, including events with international visitors. So thank you for your service on the Foundation. Here is a hint of this: https://www.cres.org/water/
So let my love of our fountains be clear as I complain about the environmentally offensive fountain in Mill Creek Park. I have walked there almost daily for decades. But only after a couple years of these walks did I really look at the fountain. I found a violent celebration of human subjugation of nature, a product of industrial arrogance, a blasphemy of environmental concerns.
The splash and play of the water is what we notice and enjoy, but the degradation of the planet is its message as it elevates humans over a more wholesome ecological spirit.
This is why I protested naming it for a man of peace. https://www.cres.org/fountain.htm
The best bronze, I think, in the entire city inventory is the Milles sculpture that centers the Volker Fountain. Unfortunately, it was relocated in the mid-90s to the most inaccessible part of Theis Park, the south end, between Brush Creek and Volker Boulevard. Our board hopes to set things right and get the memorial moved farther north in Theis Park, much closer to its original location, where people will be able to walk right up to it, reflect on it and enjoy it. If we get that done, Vern, you can walk a few blocks east and enjoy a very symbolic and meaningful sculpture.
A trip to Stockholm to see Carl Milles’ home and other works is well worth it.
I learn things from your column, and your loyal followers, that surprise me each day. I didn’t know Tom Coleman was a fellow Southeast Knight, and probably sailed boats in the same “boat pond” that I did back in the early sixties. Our world gets smaller as we get to know each other.
Tom S. — I’ve read and learned a lot about Millesgarden Museum and Sculpture Garden while working on the memorial relocation project. The sculpture garden has a replica of the great St. Martin of Tours sculpture that is the centerpiece of the William Volker Memorial Fountain…I would love to get to Stockholm some day and see it…Last year, we were supposed to go on a cruise that would have taken us to Stockholm, but it was canceled, of course, like all other cruises. At the time, I hadn’t heard of Millesgarden and probably would not have sought it out, but now that I know about it, it will be a destination point.