Friday, September 23, 2011

City of Rolla Weekend Updates (Sept. 23, 2011)


Celebration of Nations
set for Sept. 24
If you haven’t already put it on your calendar, 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!

Mayor Jenks appoints
Sue Eudaly to
Rolla City Council
Rolla Mayor Bill Jenks, III appointed former Rolla City Councilwoman Sue Eudaly to fill the unexpired term of outgoing Council member Geoffrey Horning (Ward 3) at the Sept. 19 Rolla City Council meeting.
Eudaly, who teaches in the Rolla Public Schools, and is an active member of the community, was sworn in by City Clerk Carol Daniels shortly after her appointment was unanimously approved by the Rolla City Council. Eudaly previously served on the Rolla City Council for a total of eight years (1996-2000 and 2006-2010).
Former Council member Geoffrey Horning, who served on the City Council from April 2010 to September 2011, was recognized by Mayor Jenks and the Council for his service at the Sept. 6 Council meeting. Horning announced at a prior Council meeting that he plans to relocate to Saudi Arabia to teach EMS and Emergency Response classes at Al-Ghad College.

Gene Sally Parkway
dedication ceremony
set for Sept. 30
The public is invited to attend the “Gene Sally Parkway” dedication ceremony which will be held on Friday, Sept. 30 at 4 p.m. in the courtyard in front of Rolla City Hall, located at 901 N. Elm Street.
The Rolla City Council recently approved an ordinance to designate an overlay of the 10th Street Bridge in Rolla as the “Gene Sally Parkway”  in honor and memory of the former Missouri State Senator and State Representative Gene Sally who was a prominent Rolla real estate developer, and community leader largely responsible for the construction and funding of the 10th Street Bridge in Rolla. 
In addition, Sally was largely responsible for much of the development that has occurred in the east area of Rolla, including the Forum Shopping Center, Forum Hills subdivision, and Rolla Technical Institute. In addition Mr. Sally was instrumental in the purchase of Rolla National Airport for $1, and was one of the purchasing partners of Oak Meadow Country Club. He was also an active supporter of Rolla youth sports. 
After a brief ceremony with remarks from Mayor Bill Jenks, Gene Sally and other community leaders at the City Hall courtyard, a ribbon cutting ceremony will be held at the corner of 10th and Elm Streets. A reception will be held afterward on the 3rd floor of Rolla City Hall.
“Gene Sally had a tremendous impact on Rolla’s growth, development and prosperity while he was a stage legislator, real estate developer and community leader,” said  Rolla Mayor Bill Jenks, III. “Naming the 10th Street Bridge the Gene Sally Parkway is a very fitting legacy for an individual who contributed so much to our community.”
For more information, please call Rolla City Administration at 426-6948.

Volunteer efforts
make big impact
at Ber Juan Park
Thanks to the hard work and efforts of more than 45 volunteers consisting of  Sigma Phi Epsilon students at Missouri S&T, the staff at Mark Twain National Forest, members of the Master Gardeners, and First United Methodist Church in Rolla, significant landscaping and maintenance projects were completed during a highly productive and successful volunteer work day on Sept. 11 at Ber Juan Park in Rolla.
“The staff at The Centre and Parks and Recreation Department would like to express our appreciation and gratitude for all the dedicated volunteers who rolled up their sleeves to weed flower beds, trim bushes, remove dead vegetation, and help beautify many areas of Ber Juan Park during the volunteer clean up day,” said Scott Caron, the City of Rolla’s Recreation Director.
“If you consider the dollar value of what this group of volunteers contributed to The Centre and the Parks and Recreation Department, it would be in the hundreds,” said Caron. “We certainly welcome those contributions and the savings it meant to our departments at the City of Rolla.”
The volunteer clean-up was organized and coordinated in part by Kristy Rich, Parks Specialist; Stan Busch, Parks Superintendent; Dave Johnson, Park Foreman and Ron Daniels, Ballfield Specialist.
The flower beds, landscaping and walk way that is part of a nature area that was created by the Master Gardeners in Ber Juan Park was where the bulk of the volunteer work was completed. But the expansive sidewalks and landscaped areas in front of The Centre were attended to as well. In addition, members of First United Methodist Church displayed their volunteer talents as they gave a fresh coat of paint to the concession stand building located in the Ber Juan Sportsplex located on 18th Street.
Considered one of the jewels of Rolla, Ber Juan Park is a Mecca for recreational and health enthusiasts. In addition to The Centre, Rolla’s 63,000-square-foot health and recreation complex, it includes SplashZone, Rolla’s outdoor water park, the Ber Juan Tennis Complex, Ber Juan Sportsplex, Skate Park, a walking/biking trail, a 9-hole disc golf course, Ber Juan Lake, playground area, a pavilion, picnic tables, and huge open meadows and grass areas which make the perfect place for a picnic, a stroll, or nature walk.

Retired Enlisted Association
donates $2,000 to
Veterans Memorial Park,
Camp Brim Shire
Members of the Rolla chapter of The Retired Enlisted Association (TREA) presented two $1,000 donations on Thursday, Sept. 15 for the construction of a new pavilion at Veterans Memorial Park and programs that support Camp Brim Shire and the Association for Midwest Disadvantaged Youth, Inc.
The money was raised by members of TREA over the summer through a community raffle that was well received, according to Glenn Gibson, President of the Rolla chapter of TREA, who presented the checks at Veterans Memorial Park, located on Southview Drive, off Hwy. 72.
(Pictured above): Glenn Gibson, President of the Rolla Chapter of The Retired Enlisted Association, presents two $1,000 checks (second from left), to Jerry Bumpus, member of the South Central Regional Veterans Group, and past president of The Retired Enlisted Association; and Sherry Hashagen, Secretary, Camp Brim Shire, and Richard Hashagen, Executive Director, Camp Brim Shire. (Scott Grahl/City of Rolla photo)
Jerry Bumpus, past president of the Rolla chapter of TREA, and an active member of the South Central Regional Veterans Group (SCRVG), accepted the $1,000 check on behalf of the SCRVG. Richard Hashagen, Executive Director of Camp Brim Shire, and his wife, Sherry Hashagen, Secretary, Camp Brim Shire, accepted the $1,000 check on behalf of Camp Brim Shire and the Association for Midwest Disadvantaged Youth, Inc.
The check presentations were made prior to the unveiling of the newly constructed Armed Forces Pentagon monument during a ceremony coordinated by members of the SCRVG at the 12-acre Veterans Memorial Park on Friday, Sept. 16. The monument represents all five branches of the U.S. military, and is located on the northwest side of the park next to Southview Drive and the ACORN Trail.
The Rolla chapter of TREA also supports the USO and the Yellow Ribbon Room on Fort Leonard Wood. Camp Brim Shire, located north of St. James, MO, serves children, nursing home seniors and Veterans from the Missouri Veterans Home – disabled or otherwise, at their fully ADA accessible campus. The staff at Camp Brimshire also hosts outings for veterans at the St. James Veterans Home, where they also frequently volunteer their time.     
“It’s basically a case of veterans taking care of veterans,” said Richard Hashagen, Executive Director, Camp Brim Shire.

Rolla City Council
Mtg. set for Oct. 3
The next Rolla City Council meeting will be held on Monday, Oct. 3 at 6:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers at Rolla City Hall, 901 N. Elm Street.  During the meeting the final reading of the City’s 2011-2012 annual budget will also be made.   
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.

MoDOT Update on
Kingshighway/I-44 roundabouts
Interstate 44 eastbound between mile markers 185 and 187 - Concrete replacement in the eastbound lanes will take place Monday, Sept. 19 and Tuesday, Sept. 20.  One eastbound lane will open to traffic through the work area.
Daylight Hours/Overnight Hours
Interstate 44 ramps at mile marker 184 in Rolla
- Roundabout construction at the I-44 Business Loop interchange. Crews have completed work at the eastbound on-ramp to I-44. The on-ramp to westbound I-44 is closed to traffic through Sept. 23. Motorists can access westbound I-44 by using the I-44 Business Loop (Kingshighway) to U.S. 63 north (Bishop Ave.) to the interchanges at mile markers 185 or 186.
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 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. Work on the roundabouts should be complete by late 2011.

RPD to crack down
on child restraint violations
Missouri law requires all children under the age of eight to be in an appropriate child safety seat or booster seat unless they weigh at least 80 pounds or are 4-foot, 9-inches tall.
The Rolla Police Department announced they are joining with law enforcement Sept. 18 thru Sept. 24 for an aggressive Child Passenger Safety Week Law Enforcement Campaign to crack down on Missouri’s child safety seat law violators and to reduce highway fatalities and injuries to children.
Car crashes are the number one killer of kids. Nearly 73% of all child restraints are not used correctly. Is your child safe?
Sgt. Tim Mayfield, Rolla Police Department Traffic Division Supervisor, said regular child safety seat and safety belt use is the single most effective way to protect people and reduce fatalities in motor vehicle crashes.
For more information, please visit www.saveMOlives.com.

Recycling efforts
result in big savings for
Environmental Services Dept.
The City of Rolla Environmental Services Department reports that during the month of August, 2011, the Sanitation Division collected and hauled a total of 1,266 tons of refuse.  This tonnage represents approximately 181 fully loaded garbage trucks. The cost to dispose of this amount of refuse is $51,400.
The Recycling Division also shipped 260 tons of recyclables during the month of August.  This is approximately equivalent to 37 fully loaded garbage trucks.  The disposal cost avoided by recycling this volume is approximately $10,400.  The revenue received from the sale of these recyclable commodities is $52,900, for a total economic benefit of $63,300 for the month of August. 
Thanks to the residents and businesses that recycle, the entire community benefits from their efforts through disposal cost savings, increased revenue, resource conservation, and an eco-friendly environment.
For more information, please call 364-6693 or visit www.rollacity.org/waste.

Smithsonian to make stop in Rolla
with The Way We Worked Exhibit
Nov. 17-Dec. 19, 2011
The Way We Worked, the newest Smithsonian Institution exhibit to travel through Missouri with the Missouri Humanities Council’s Museum on Main Street program, will make its next stop in Rolla, Missouri at the The Centre (1200 N. Holloway Street) from Nov. 19 through Dec. 17, sharing the stories of how work became a central element in American culture and the many changes affecting the workforce and work environments over the past 100 years.
The exhibition focuses on why we work and the needs that our jobs fulfill, featuring multiple interpretive opportunities for visitors through large graphics, audio components, relevant objects and work clothing.
"Our work takes places everywhere—on the land, on the streets of our communities, in offices and factories, in our home and even in space,” said Rolla Mayor Bill Jenks, III. “The Way We Worked will allow us to tell that evolving story on a national level and relate it to our own community.”
“The Missouri Humanities Council hopes Phelps County residents and those in the surrounding areas will enjoy the exhibition and think a little deeper about the journey of American workers and how that it is reflected in the world today, both locally and nationally,” said Geoff Giglierano, Executive Director of the Missouri Humanities Council.
The exhibition explores the tools and technologies that enabled and assisted workers, which led to a faster, more complex and often more stressful work environment, the diversity of the American workforce, and how individuals and communities identify themselves with work.
Visitors are free to travel through the exhibit on their own or with a guide. Guides help visitors personally connect to the exhibit through conversations and observations on the exhibit themes.
The Way We Worked will begin in Ste. Genevieve at The Bolduc House Museum from Oct. 8 - Nov. 5, 2011 and will continue the tour in Rolla from Nov. 19 - Dec. 17. Additional stops will include the following cities throughout 2011 and 2012:
  • Poplar Bluff—Jan. 3- Jan. 31, 2012, Wheatley Historic Preservation
  • Fulton—Feb. 11- March 10, 2012 The National Churchill Museum
  • Lawson—March 24- April 21, 2012, Watkins Wollen Mill State Park & State Historic Site
  • Savannah—May 5- June 2, 2012, Andrew County Museum & Historical Society
For more details about The Way We Worked exhibit tour and associated calendar and special events planned for each site, contact the Missouri Humanities Council at 800-357-0909 or view the Missouri Humanities Council website at www.mohumanities.org.
Organizations interested in bringing a Museum on Main Street exhibit to their community should contact the Missouri Humanities Council to discuss available opportunities in their areas.
  
Rolla Channel 16
live streaming
24/7 on the Web
If you happen to miss the airing of a Rolla City Council meeting, Planning & Zoning meeting, Rolla Public School Board meeting or Board of Public Works 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, 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 (1).
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!)
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
SEPTEMBER 2011
24 - Celebration of Nations (11 a.m.-5 p.m.); Downtown Festival Park
30 – Gene Sally Parkway Dedication (4 p.m.); Rolla City Hall, Courtyard
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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