At our June 1, 2022, meeting the City of Fountains Foundation Board approved two new members, bringing to 15 the number of Board members.

In place for terms ending Dec. 31, 2023, are Virginia Salazar Bellis, a Westside resident and activist, and David T. Ford, a senior principal at the engineering firm Walter P Moore.

Virginia formerly worked as a sales budget analyst and an accounts receivable supervisor at Hallmark Cards. She has a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Texas-Austin and received her B.A. from UMKC.

Virginia will focus, at least at first, on helping build a consensus among Westside residents and activists on what to do about the Westside fountain site, S.W. Boulevard and Summit. The fountain, dedicated in 2001, has not operated for about eight years.

David has more than 20 years of consulting and forensic engineering experience. He leads Walter P Moore’s “Enclosure Diagnostics Practice” and has extensive experience in project management on new and existing buildings across North America. He has experience with fountains, having been involved in the assessment several years ago of two fountains that, at the time, were not working – the Meyer Circle Sea Horse Fountain and Haff Circle Fountain at Meyer Boulevard and Swope Parkway. Both fountains were subsequently renovated and have been working well.

David lives in the Crestwood neighborhood of Kansas City.

COFF is thrilled to have Virginia and David as Board members. We expect them to help advance our mission of promoting and advocating for publicly owned fountains, monuments and sculptures in Kansas City.

For a complete list of Board members, click on the About page.

Fountain Day was observed on April 19 at the Northland Fountain, Vivion road and North Oak Trafficway. An enthusiastic crowd of about 125 people attended, and Kansas City’s “grande dame,” Anita Gorman, was honored. Anita and Northland developer Charles Garney headed the fund-raising drive that led to construction of the Northland Fountain, which opened in 1983. Next year it will be 40 years old, and the City of Fountains Foundation will be 50 years old.

Former Parks and Recreation Department director Mark McHenry was the master of ceremonies, and Park Board President Jack Holland also spoke. Fountain Day marks the day when all 40-plus city-owned fountains are turned on for the season. Please get out and visit a fountain; the crashing and splashing of water into fountains is soothing to the soul!