Happy New Year, Paola!

I know this is what everyone says, but 2025 really flew! I’m not sure I’ve ever had a year that felt like it went by quite so quickly. I hope 2025 ended well for all of you and that your 2026 is off to a great start! 

As much as I love Christmastime, I’m always ready for a refresh as soon as the new year hits. Decorations put away, lights and tree taken down, and everything back to “normal.” The holiday season from Thanksgiving through Christmas is wonderful, but there is seemingly not one week with a normal routine. As much as I enjoy all the extra events, family time, shopping, and activities, January is a nice reset. 

Did you know that our Public Works department will dispose of your real Christmas tree for you? They take them out to the lake to create a nice fish habitat for some lucky Lake Miola aquatic residents. If you’ve still got your real tree and you want to take advantage of this nice service, there is a drop off location down in Wallace Park in the parking lot of Rock Stadium. There’s a sign designating where you leave it and it is open until Monday, January 12th.

Speaking of Public Works, didn’t they do a fantastic job getting the square beautified for all of the holiday festivities? Between our Public Works department and our downtown business owners, the square looked so magical this year! Well done, everyone!

2026 is shaping up to be a fantastic year in Paola. If you haven’t seen information about Kodion Consulting and their project out in our Industrial Park, look them up. This has the potential to give our city a nice economic boost for years to come! Plus, what their business is all about is just fascinating. Take the time to educate yourself about Josh and his company. It’s incredible what they are doing!

There’s also another new thrift store coming to town. I visited the building this morning and got a personal tour. The store is called Village Thrift and it is located on Silver Street. Their grand opening is planned in a couple of weeks. The foundation behind the store is called All for Moms. Look them up as well. They do wonderful things for moms in the KC metro area! 

There are other things on the horizon that could be positives for our community. City staff have been busy! Stay informed and engaged. I’m excited to see where we’ll be twelve months from now. We are in a really good place. It sure is an exciting time to be an elected official! Thank you for giving me the opportunity to serve at least two more years. I will do my very best to keep Paola a place we all love to work, live, and raise our families. 

Sincerely,

Mayor Leigh House