Fireworks in the sky, debris on the bridge

The orchestra played, the cannons thundered and fireworks splashed across the sky to close out this year's River Festival. But for hundreds of people on the 1st Street bridge, the shells of the fireworks were also part of the show as they rained down in the steady Kansas breeze Saturday night. (In the photo to the left you see an example of some of the cardboard casings that fell from the sky, accompanied by clouds of sulfur-flavored smoke.)

But perhaps that's secondary. The closing night and the Friday evening festivities before it showcased the new paths along the Arkansas River, which were lit up with hundreds of people who were camped out for an early summer fireworks display. And, of course, the Keeper of the Plains and the ring of fire around it. The question remaining for the downtown portion of the river corridor is will that swath of land a little farther south, called the WaterWalk, one day be part of the spectacle?

Sciortino sells his expertise

Former Sedgwick County Commissioner Ben Sciortino is now working from the other side of the commission bench. The man who lost his seat in November to Commissioner Gwen Welshimer is now starting up his own lobbying business: Sciortino & Associates.

So far, the only associate is his wife Mary, who will act as his secretary. Sciortino will lobby and advocate for businesses trying to cut through the city and county's bureaucratic red tape.

"After eight years in the county, I have a very good idea of how things work," Sciortino said. "I have maintained excellent relationships with the electeds on both sides of the street. If a company needs help with a zone change or help lobbying a particular item, that's what I'll do."

Sciortino will attend every Wichita City Council and Sedgwick County Commission meeting and will keep tabs on current and upcoming projects, he said. Most of his services will be geared toward businesses, not individual citizens.

"Probably more companies than everyday citizens because I probably won’t come real cheap," Sciortino said with a chuckle.

Fight against blight gains unlikely "partners"

The City of Wichita and Sunflower Community Action's working relationship is improving after the nonprofit group's meeting with city officials to discuss run-down properties.

The city agreed to provide updates to Sunflower in April and May after Sunflower revealed its "Dirty 20" list of properties to City Spokesman Van Williams and the city's Office of Central Inspections and Environmental Services department leaders. Both sides considered the meeting a success - the city was pleased with Sunflower's grassroots efforts to clean up blight in Central-Northeast Wichita and Sunflower was pleased the city started cases on several of the properties.

"We got to talk to each other, and not through the media or other groups," Williams said, "and the communication benefited from that."

Still, four Sunflower members are going to trial on misdemeanor charges the city pressed against them for illegal dumping and trespassing during a protest at City Manager George Kolb's house in December. The group hoped to pressure Kolb to clean up dumping at a house at 10th and Volutsia.