Antoine Lee stood in front of an island of trash along Brush Creek and wondered how residents on Kansas City’s East Side could share in the excitement of the upcoming FIFA World Cup 2026 as in other parts of the city.
Lee, senior pastor at Central Christian Church in Kansas City, raised an interesting point: With the recent success of the Chiefs and Royals, how could Kansas City claim to be a world-class, championship city when certain areas of Brush Creek are environmentally unsafe?
After riding my bicycle on the Brush Creek Trail from the Country Club Plaza to where it ends at Blue Banks Park near Manchester Trafficway, I’d have to agree with Lee’s assessment that some of the conditions along the 2-mile route are hazardous to one’s health…