Thanks to the glorious spring-like weather last Saturday, attendance at the 103rd annual St. Pat’s parade was in the thousands. And it was truly an honor to join City Administrator John Butz, our police and fire chiefs, department heads, and other Rolla city employees on the City’s Sesquicentennial pioneer-themed float that showcased not only Rolla’s 150 year anniversary, but the great since of history and tradition that is part of Rolla’s heritage.
Not unlike one of the nostalgic living history floats you might see depicting an American slice of life in a Walt Disney parade, the City’s Sesquicentennial float, with its fire-operated forge, cannon, Civil War era musket, and tent, embodied the spirit of Rolla’s pioneer history. And if you happened to miss seeing the Sesquicentennial float, you will have another opportunity to see everything that was showcased on the float, and then some during Rolla’s day-long Sesquicentennial Celebration on Saturday, June 4. Pioneer era crafters, such as a blacksmith, quilters, rope makers, and even corn-husk doll artisans will all be part of the festivities that are being planned that afternoon (12-4 p.m.) in the area in and around the Old Phelps County Courthouse. Showcasing and sharing Rolla’s pioneer heritage, in fact, is one of the main themes that the Rolla Sesquicentennial Planning Committee intended for every aspect of Rolla’s Sesquicentennial anniversary, which is being celebrated throughout 2011.
While much of the recognition for Rolla’s Sesquicentennial float needs to go to the ancestors and pioneers who helped settle the Rolla and Phelps County area, I would be remiss not to thank Steve Hargis, Director of Public Works; John Petersen, Community Development Director; and George Lewis, Maintenance Manager at The Centre, for setting up and decorating the 28-foot-long float that glided through the crowds on Pine Street during the St. Pat’s Parade. I would also like to thank Anne McClay, Project Coordinator in the Engineering Division, for her work in designing all the banners for the float, and Lawrence Light, Equipment Operator in the Street Department, for driving the dump-truck that pulled the float and showcased the City’s new red, white and blue flag that now flies in the City’s downtown festival lot. The banners that were so effectively used for the parade float, will also now be displayed throughout the downtown area to promote Rolla’s Sesquicentennial Celebration on June 4, and Public Works Celebration Day, which will be held on Saturday, May 14 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the downtown bandshell. One side of the parade float showed a banner promoting the Rolla Sesquicentennial Celebration and another side of the float showed a banner promoting Public Works Celebration Day – not a bad way to start off the spring and summer seasons in Rolla, Missouri!
When you think of Spring, you can’t help to also think of the many good things that come with warmer weather, trees and flowers blooming, birds migrating, and the opportunity to spend more time outdoors enjoying the many recreational activities made possible by our City’s park system, 12-mile-long pedestrian/bike trails and 1.3 million acres of forests we are so fortunate to have in our community. Spring also means there will be a City-wide Clean Up that is held annually the first Saturday in April. The City’s Environmental Services Department will coordinate the Clean Up on Saturday, April 2. If you wish to participate, we ask that you please place all items near the curb by 6 a.m. Common acceptable items include furniture, beds, toys, microwaves, and televisions, boxed or bagged trash. Unacceptable items include major appliances, construction or demolition debris, and loose trash. Loose items should be placed in boxes or bags and small pieces of lumber should be bundled. We ask that you do not place your roll-out container to the curb, because during this special clean-up it will not be emptied. If you have any questions, please call the Environmental Services Department at 364-6693.
Looking towards the month of April, I would also like to remind everyone to exercise your democratic right to vote during the Rolla Municipal General Election on Tuesday, April 5. The election will include Proposition A – the proposed ½ Cent Park Sales Tax that is endorsed by the Rolla City Council, which recently approved a resolution in support of the Rolla Park Sales Tax proposal. The resolution states that in December 2010 a citizen survey was conducted demonstrating 70% of those surveyed support extending the ½ cent Parks Sales tax in order to fund park system improvements, provide a seniors’ services facility and to improve public safety. In light of considerable public feedback on the needs and desires of a quality parks and recreation system for the citizens of Rolla, the City Council also approved an ordinance calling for the April 5, 2011 Park Sales Tax election.
For more information regarding the results of the 2010 Direction Finder Citizen Attitude survey, and the Parks Sales Tax fact sheet, please visit the City’s Website homepage at www.rollacity.org. Specific questions and results on both the City’s Parks system and the proposed Parks Sales Tax are included in the survey. Hard copies of both the Parks Sales Tax fact sheet and Direction Finder Citizen Attitude survey are available at Rolla City Hall, 901 N. Elm Street.
With the recent welcomed news that the construction of a new Kohl’s store will be breaking ground soon next to Lowe’s on State Route 63 North in Rolla, the construction of the attractive Missouri S&T new Student Design Center at the corner of 10th Street and State Route 63, the new Bryant Drive Extension (connecting Kingshighway to Fairgrounds Road), and expansion of the Missouri S&T Innovation Park, 2011 is looking like the City’s Sesquicentennial anniversary couldn’t have occurred at a more progressive, and promising time in our City’s 150 year history.
Have a safe week! And don’t forget to vote on Tuesday, April 5.
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