Man throws 3-month birthday party for pothole city is slow to fix: 'Complaining wasn’t working'

Elise Solé
Updated
Frustrated by a pothole on his street, a Missouri man celebrated its three-month birthday with cake. (Screenshot: Courtesy of Frank Sereno)
Frustrated by a pothole on his street, a Missouri man celebrated its three-month birthday with cake. (Screenshot: Courtesy of Frank Sereno)

A man fed up with a pothole on his street, celebrated its three-month birthday with a red-white-and-blue cake.

Frank Sereno of Kansas City, Missouri has been complaining about a pothole on Cherry Street since March. Frustrated by the city’s slow response time, he decided to inspire action in a positive way.

“Kansas City has 15,000 reported potholes in the city, but no one in the field to actively monitor them — the city only repairs them when residents complain,” Sereno, 51, tells Yahoo Lifestyle. “Well, complaining wasn’t working so I thought, ‘Let’s turn this into an event we can celebrate but still draws attention to the problem.”

On Thursday, Sereno stopped by the grocery store and picked up a small cake and a “number 3” candle. Then, in a “small family gathering,” the group honored the pothole’s three-month birthday. Sereno posted photos on a Waldo neighborhood Facebook group.

Frank Sereno of Kansas City honored a pothole on his street with a birthday celebration when city officials were slow to fix it. (Screenshot: Courtesy of Frank Sereno)
Frank Sereno of Kansas City honored a pothole on his street with a birthday celebration when city officials were slow to fix it. (Screenshot: Courtesy of Frank Sereno)

"The weather is always a challenge," Maggie Green of the Kanas City Public Works Department told Fox4KC. "I know they got a lot done this week with the good weather. Last week they patched almost 2,000 potholes. Anytime it’s pouring down rain it’s difficult to patch but as long as we have good weather, crews are out there working on that list." Green said that 10,000 of the 15,000 reported potholes have already been fixed.

Make that 10,0001 — on Saturday, Sereno’s pothole was repaired, an occasion he will appropriately honor with a July 5th graduation party. “Cake and light refreshments will be served,” read Sereno’s Facebook announcement.

Sereno invited the mayor, city manager, and councilwoman-elect to celebrate. Although the Cherry Street pothole is not the largest, Sereno says, “I’m doing my small part.”

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