City Hall to close
Sept. 5 for
Labor Day Holiday
Rolla City Hall will be closed Monday, Sept. 5 in observance of the Labor Day holiday. The Rolla City Council meeting, which is usually held the first Monday of the month, will be held Tuesday, Sept. 6 at 6:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers at City Hall (901 North Elm Street).
The Environmental Services Department will also be closed on Monday, Sept. 5 in observance of the Labor Day holiday. Monday’s trash on Tuesday and Tuesday’s trash will be picked up Wednesday. There will be no special pick ups on Wednesday. For more information, please call the Environmental Services Department at (573) 364-6693.
The Centre, Rolla’s Health and Recreation Complex, located at 1200 North Holloway Street, will be closed Friday, Sept. 2 through Monday, Sept. 5 for facility’s annual preventative maintenance, and will reopen on Tuesday, Sept. 6 at 5:30 a.m.
This weekend will also be the final weekend SplashZone (Rolla’s outdoor water park), will be open this year. Closing day at SplashZone is Monday (Labor Day), Sept. 5 from 12-noon to 5 p.m.
The popular Canine Plunge (end of the season swim for pets), where you may bring your dog to the SplashZone, will be held on Saturday, Sept. 10 from 12-noon to 3 p.m. Registration to this popular event is required, and there is a cost of $5 per dog. All dogs must be vaccinated, accompanied by their owners and be socialized. This event is limited to 30 canines. For more information please call SplashZone at (573) 364-8222.
Rolla City Council
Mtg. set for Sept. 6
The next Rolla City Council meeting will be held on Tuesday, Sept. 16 at 6:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers at Rolla City Hall, 901 N. Elm Street.
Rolla City Council meetings are ordinarily held the first and third Monday of the month at 6:30 p.m. except when there is a conflict with an observed holiday. To review a copy of the City Council agendas or the full agenda packet, please visit http://www.rollacity.org/admin/agenda.shtm. For more information, please contact Rolla City Administration at 426-6948.
City Council meetings are also broadcast live on Rolla Channel 16 (RC16). To check to see when the City Council meetings are rebroadcast, please check the RC16 Program Guide online at http://rollachannel16.pegcentral.com.
Rolla PD to crack down
on impaired drivers
Aug. 19-Sept. 5
The sobering fact is that impaired driving contributes to nearly 30% of all Missouri traffic fatalities. In 2010 alone 234 people were killed and 957 seriously injured in crashes involving an impaired driver. That’s why the Rolla Police Department will join other Missouri law enforcement agencies to crack down on drunk driving Aug. 19 – Sept. 5, 2011.
The Rolla Police Department will participate in statewide sobriety checkpoints and DWI saturation patrols enforcing Missouri’s DWI laws and keeping impaired drivers off the road.
Consequences of drunk driving include jail time, loss of driver licenses, or being sentenced to use ignition interlocks. Insurance rates go up. Other financial hits include attorney fees, court costs, lost time at work, and the potential loss of job or job prospects. When family, friends and co-workers find out, violators can also face tremendous personal embarrassment and humiliation.
“Driving drunk is simply not worth all the consequences,” said Corporal Tim Mayfield, Rolla Police Department Traffic Division Traffic Supervisor. “Our message is simple and unwavering: You Drink and Drive. You Lose.”
For more information, please visit www.saveMOlives.com.
Celebration of
Nations must
attend event
By Bill Jenks, III
Mayor
If you haven’t already seen the colorful and vibrant Celebration of Nations banners displayed along 10th Street, Pine Street and downtown Rolla, I’d like to remind everyone that the 2nd Annual Celebration of Nations will be held on Saturday, Sept. 24 (11 a.m. – 5 p.m.) in downtown Rolla.
Mayor
If you haven’t already seen the colorful and vibrant Celebration of Nations banners displayed along 10th Street, Pine Street and downtown Rolla, I’d like to remind everyone that the 2nd Annual Celebration of Nations will be held on Saturday, Sept. 24 (11 a.m. – 5 p.m.) in downtown Rolla.
Celebration of Nations was created to promote awareness, understanding and the celebration of the vibrant cultural diversity that makes Rolla unique to the Ozarks. Area residents and Missouri S&T students, with the help of great sponsors and full support of the City of Rolla, got together for the first Celebration of Nations on Oct. 9, 2010. This event was a huge success and this year’s “Celebration” promises to be even bigger and better.
With more than 800 international students from 80 countries attending Missouri S&T, Rolla’s international make-up has never been as evident as during this event that celebrates the diverse and rich cultures of our community’s international students, faculty and residents.
Celebration of Nations is as festive as it is unique, and if you didn’t get a chance to attend the event last year, you won’t want to miss it. It all starts with the Parade of Nations (over 80 countries represented) at the Havener Center on the Missouri University of Science and Technology campus at 11 a.m. The parade winds through downtown Rolla, and concludes on 9th Street at the downtown festival lot and bandshell where parade goers will be recognized much like the opening ceremonies of the Olympics. Downtown will be filled with floats, bands, camels, horses, and more flags from more countries you may ever see in once place. If you like festivals, culture, diversity, travel, great food, entertainment, education, and fun, you are sure to enjoy Celebration of Nations.
After the parade, a Celebration of Nations festival will be held in the downtown festival park that will include a variety authentic crafts and international foods from around the world, calligraphy, face painting, children’s activities, a petting zoo, inflatable games, horse rides, a mock Eifel tower, a genuine tent from Saudi Arabia, complete with sand, camels, dates, and tea served by Missouri S&T students. Children will be given passports that they can have stamped by international students who are hosting booths that reflect the cultures and customs of their native countries. Children will also have an opportunity to put their hand prints on a large 6-foot paper Mache ‘earth globe’ to reflect the Celebration of Nations theme of “One Campus. One Community. One World.”
International Idol, which includes a wide spectrum of performances representing an international flair much like the American Idol completion seen on TV, is also a highlight of the festival. This event alone is worth attending the Celebration of Nations as it attracts some of the best talent and entertainment in the Ozarks.
If you are interested in joining in the festivities by having a float in the parade, being a vendor/crafter at the festival or competing in the “International Idol” contest, please contact Stephane Menand in the Office of International Affairs at Missouri S&T at stephane@menand.mst.edu or visit www.nations.mst.edu.
Have a safe week. And a safe school year!
Phelps County Bank
donates computers
to City of Rolla
Phelps County Bank recently made a generous donation to the City of Rolla of two Dell servers that will be used by the City’s Information Technology Division to enhance the City’s overall computer network. The servers estimated value is about $3,000.
Rob Hribar with the City’s Information Technology Division, said the servers will be used to run anti-virus software, and other important network functions that will benefit the City and free up space on the City’s existing servers.
The City greatly appreciates this generous donation from Phelps County Bank that will not only improve the City’s network capacity, but also will save significant tax dollars. We especially would like to thank Bill Marshall, President of Phelps County Bank, and Anthony Perona with the IT Department, for their thoughtfulness and generosity.
I-44 ramp closures in Rolla
for Kingshighway
interchange
Motorists who want to access eastbound Interstate 44 at mile marker 184 in Rolla will need to find alternate routes beginning Aug. 22, 2011, weather permitting.
H.D. Quadri Contractors, contractor for the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT), will close the eastbound on-ramp to I-44 as part of a project to construct roundabouts at the interchange.
The ramp will be closed for approximately two weeks. Motorists can access eastbound I-44 by using the I-44 Business Loop (Kingshighway) to U.S. 63 north (Bishop Ave.) to the interchanges at mile markers 185 and 186.
The contractor will have various types of traffic control in place to secure the safety of the motoring public as well as their employees. MoDOT encourages motorists to buckle up, slow down, follow work zone signing and drive safely through the area.
Motorists should expect additional ramp closures at the 184 mile marker interchange as construction continues. Closures are scheduled every two weeks, and construction is staged so only one ramp will be closed at a time. Weather permitting, the on-ramp to westbound I-44 is scheduled to close on Sept. 5. The off-ramp from westbound I-44 is scheduled to close on Sept. 19, and the off-ramp from eastbound I-44 is scheduled to close Oct. 3.
MoDOT appreciates the patience and cooperation of motorists during the closures, which are necessary to accelerate construction. Work on the roundabouts should be complete by late 2011.
A roundabout is an intersection which accommodates traffic flow in one direction around a central circular island. As drivers approach a roundabout, they slow down and yield to traffic already circulating through the area. When a gap in traffic appears on the left, drivers enter the roundabout by turning right and following the circle until reaching their exits.
Roundabouts reduce driver delay by allowing motorists to yield until they can safely enter the circle, rather than waiting at a traditional traffic signal. They can also handle higher traffic volumes than signalized intersection and reduce traffic crashes by lowering the speed of vehicles moving through them and eliminating many of the conflict points where vehicles can collide.
For more information about this project or other transportation-related matters, please call 1-888-ASK-MoDOT Central Missouri District on Facebook for project updates.
Caution urged during
round-about construction
on Kingshighway
Motorists are urged to use caution while traveling through the construction zone where two new round-abouts are being built at the Kingshighway, Interstate-44 bypass by the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT). And while no detours are posted in this area, the City recommends local motorist and customers use Bridge School Road to St. Johns Parkway as an alternate route.
Construction of the two round-abouts, referred to as a ‘dogbone’ configuration, is Phase 3 of the ‘Rolla West’ project that began two years ago with the extension of Ridgeview Road at the State Route 63/Highway 72 Intersection, and then the new Bryant Drive Extension and intersection on Kingshighway next to Fairground Chevrolet and the new McDonalds restaurant.
Also included in Phase III of the Rolla West project will be the eventual widening of Kingshighway from three to five lanes, from the Bryant Drive intersection to the I-44/Kingshighway overpass. This project is tentatively schedule in 2012/ 2013. Phase 4 will involve the extension of Ridgeview Road (Hwy. 72) to Bridge School Road. Phase 5 of Rolla West would involve the construction of a fifth Rolla interchange on I-44 west of the Kingshighway overpass at some point in the distant future.
The Rolla West project was presented as part of the Rolla 2020 Comprehensive Plan Update adopted by the Rolla City Council in January 2006. One of the keys to the success of the Rolla West project is the partnership with the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) and the Highway Commission, Missouri University of Science and Technology, Phelps County, and the Rolla Regional Economic Commission (RREC).
“Through mutual cooperation we hope to achieve improvements and growth that will propel Rolla and Phelps County into a bright and prosperous future,” said John Butz, Rolla City Administrator.
For more information, or to view a detailed version of the Rolla West Master Plan, please visit http://www.rollawest.com/index.shtm or contact the City of Rolla Public Works Department at 364-8659.
Rolla Channel 16
now live streaming
24/7 on the Web
If you happen to miss the airing of a Rolla City Council meeting or Planning & Zoning meeting, you can now watch them online on the Rolla Channel 16 Website at http://rollachannel16.com.
Rolla Channel 16, Rolla’s premiere Education and Government channel, is also now live streaming (24/7) at http://rollachannel16.com. RC16 is live streaming all Rolla City Council meetings, Rolla Planning & Zoning Commission meetings, all future episodes of “City Minutes”, all Rolla Public Schools board meetings, and Rolla High School Review.
Other syndicated content on RC16 such as Missouri Outdoors, Army Newswatch, and Capitol Dialogue will also live stream on RC16 at http://rollachannel16.com.
For more information regarding programming or DVD duplication of Rolla City Council meetings, Rolla Planning & Zoning meetings, and Rolla Public Schools board meetings, etc., please contact Gabe Mankin, Digital Media Operations Manager, at (573) 426-3377 or at Gabe.Mankin@fidelitycommunications.com.
Be sure to watch Rolla Channel 16 – Education, Government and Community for you!
Rolla Sesquicentennial T-shirts
and posters available
at City Hall
Rolla Sesquicentennial commemorative T-shirts and posters are still available to the public for purchase at Rolla City Hall, (901 N. Elm Street).
The vintage Heather grey T-shirts that showcase the Sesquicentennial logo designed by Angi Yowell, Graphic Design Instructor at Rolla Technical Institute, are selling for $5 a piece in the following sizes: Large (4).
The 4-color, 11x17 glossy Sesquicentennial commemorative posters are selling for $2 each. In addition to the T-shirts and posters, a limited number of newly designed and printed Rolla City flags are available for purchase as well. City flags may be purchased in the Community Development Department (2nd Floor) at Rolla City Hall for $40 each.
Proceeds from the sales of Sesquicentennial T-shirts and posters will be used to offset costs and expenses incurred for Rolla’s Sesquicentennial Celebration held on Saturday, June 4, 2011.
The City of Rolla, which was incorporated 150 years ago on Jan. 25, 1861, continues to celebrate its Sesquicentennial Anniversary, which began on Jan. 25, 2011. For more information, please call Scott Grahl, Communications Officer, at 426-6943 or visit the City’s Website at www.rollacity.org and click on the Rolla’s 150th tab.
2011 Environmental Services Dept.
List of Important Dates:
(Clip & save for easy reference!)
Sept. 5, 2011 - Labor Day: Monday’s trash will be picked up Tuesday; Tuesday’s trash will be picked up Wednesday.
Oct. 1, 2011 - City-wide Fall Clean-Up: Saturday (residential only)
Nov. 24, 2011 – Thanksgiving Day: Thursday’s trash will be picked up Wednesday.
Dec. 25, 2011 – Christmas Day (Observed Dec. 26): Monday’s trash will be picked up Tuesday; Tuesday’s trash will be picked up Wednesday.
Holidays NOT affecting trash
or recycling collection:
Oct. 10, 2011 – Columbus Day
Nov. 11, 2011 – Veterans Day
Nov. 25, 2011 – Day after Thanksgiving
Hotline number: 341-1168
Upcoming Events
AUGUST 2011
31 – City Council Budget Workshop (5:30 p.m.); City Hall – Council Chambers
30 – Development Review Committee Mtg. (1:30 p.m.)
SEPTEMBER 2011
5 - City Hall closed for Labor Day Holiday
5 - Environmental Service closed for Labor Day; Monday’s trash picked up Tues.; Tuesday’s trash picked up Wed.
6 - City Council Mtg. (6:30 p.m.)
10 - Canine Plunge at SplashZone (noon-3 p.m.); early registration required
(364-8222)
19 - City Council Mtg. (6:30 p.m.)
24 - Celebration of Nations (11 a.m.-5 p.m.); Downtown Festival Park
OCTOBER 2011
1 - City-wide Fall Clean Up (items to curb by 6 a.m.); residential only
3 - City Council Mtg. (6:30 p.m.)
8 - Autumn Arts & Crafts Festival (9 a.m.-4 p.m.); downtown Rolla
17 - City Council Mtg. (6:30 p.m.)
31 – Have a Safe Trick or Treat Night (downtown Rolla)
Scott A. Grahl
Communications Officer
City of Rolla, Missouri
(573) 426-6943
Follow us on Facebook
& Twitter at www.rollacity.org
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