The Watchdog | ‘Deaf child area’ sign

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The problem

Ben Nicks of Shawnee has wondered for years about a sign alerting motorists to a “deaf child area” near the 5500 block of Inland Drive in Kansas City, Kan. The sign has been there for at least a decade, he says, wondering, “Is the deaf child still in the area or is he a deaf adult by now?”

The answer

Nicks has uncovered a bit of a mystery. The Watchdog put the question to several officials in Wyandotte County’s Unified Government. After some digging, officials said that records show a sign was most recently placed in the neighborhood in 1994. But that was before the Unified Government better synchronized its record-keeping.

At one time, the signs were placed and rarely retrieved. Now the system has more efficient checks and balances.

The Unified Government has no way to reach the person who requested the sign in 1994. So crews were ordered to take down the sign. The sign will stay down unless someone protests the decision and files new paperwork.

“What goes up must come down,” the wise ones say. The Watchdog can personally verify that the adage applies to the stock market more than to obsolete traffic signs.

Have a problem or question about a public issue? Write in care of The Watchdog, The Kansas City Star Newsroom, 1729 Grand Blvd., Kansas City, MO 64108, or send e-mail to [email protected]. Include your name and phone number.