Monday, November 7, 2011

City of Rolla Weekly Updates (Nov. 7, 2011)

Smithsonian coming to
The Centre - volunteers needed
By Bill Jenks, III
Mayor
If you have never had an opportunity to visit the Smithsonian Museum in Washington, D.C., you will be encouraged to know that a Smithsonian Exhibit will be making its way to Rolla, Missouri in two more weeks.  
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 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. 
In an effort to keep the exhibit open as many hours as possible, volunteers are needed to welcome our guests, maintain our guestbook and answer questions that guests may have about the exhibit.  Training will be provided. Whether you have a little time to share or a lot of time to help, your assistance is appreciated. For information on volunteering, please contact Arts Rolla at 573 364 5539 or e-mail Linda Giger at lgiger@fidnet.com
In addition to The Way We Worked exhibit, there will be several notable speakers, historians, and special events that will take place at The Centre. Included among the speakers will be well known author Bob Priddy, who is the News Director of The Missourinet, a statewide commercial radio network. Priddy has written five books which focus on Missouri history – three of which are based on his popular daily radio program “Across Our Wide Missouri.” He will be speaking at The Centre on Friday, Dec. 9 at 7:30 p.m. and then participating in a book signing at Reader’s Corner on Saturday, Dec. 10 (9 a.m. to 12-noon). This event is free and open to the public. 
Other speakers will include: Author Joe Sounderman, who will speak on the history of Route 66 in the Ozarks on Saturday, Nov. 19 (2 p.m.); Kevin Kliesen, Economist with the Federal Reserve Bank in St. Louis, who will present “Will Bumpy Seas Give Way to Smooth Sailing” on Monday, Nov. 21 (3 p.m.);  Andy Arthur will present “An Evening with Mark Twain” on Wednesday, Nov. 30 (5-7 p.m.); Dan Woodward will present a lecture on some of the jobs performed during the Civil War on Friday, Dec. 2 (5-7 p.m.); Fort Leonard Wood historian, Dr. John Glover will provide  a program that will discuss the history of employment with the military and how it has evolved over the many decades, and the impact Ford Leonard Wood has on this region on Wednesday, Dec. 7 (7 p.m.); and Dr. Don James will discuss the history of Phelps County Regional Medical Center on Wednesday, Dec. 14 (7 p.m.). In addition to these speakers and guests, there will be several free story time programs conducted by area elementary school librarians that will be held at The Centre for parents and children, ages 4-10 at 6:30 p.m. on Nov. 21, Nov. 28, Dec. 5 and Dec. 12.The programs, presentations and exhibit are all FREE and open to the public.
Through this unique exhibit we are reminded that our work takes place everywhere—on the land, on the streets of our communities, in offices and factories, in our home and even in space. And “The Way We Worked will allow us to tell that evolving story on a national level and relate it to our own community.  Geoff Giglierano, Executive Director of the Missouri Humanities Council, hopes Rolla and 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. 
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.
For more details about The Way We Worked exhibit, please contact Scott Caron, the City’s Recreation Director, at 573-341-2386 or Loretta Wallis, Global Relations Manager, Brewer Science, at 573-364-0444, ext. 1357.

WWII radar dome
at Rolla National Airport
was local landmark
The last vestiges of a local landmark at Rolla National Airport are disappearing on the horizon along Hwy. 28 in Maries County where a rare World War II-era radar dome is being dismantled by a Dixon family who purchased it from the City of Rolla and plan to convert it into a hunting lodge. 
“The City wanted to remove the radar dome because it was slowly deteriorating while providing no functional use to the Airport,” said John Butz, City Administrator. “The 99-foot-tall by 30-foot-wide structure was also penetrating air space around the airport.” 
The silver radar dome that houses the radar dish resembles something from a World’s Fair Exposition, and can be seen by residents of the nearby communities of Belle and Vichy, and motorists who travel Hwy. 28 from miles in the distance. “The highly recognizable radar dome is something of a local landmark in the Vichy/Belle area,” said Darrin Bacon, who was recently hired as the airport’s new manager, following the retirement of Wes Faulkner in June 2011. “Some folks in the area would say there’s the ‘dome’ – we are almost home.” 
The imposing structure was recently purchased from the City of Rolla by Terry Clark, and son, Travis Clark, both whom reside in the town of Dixon, for $2,600. The father-son team, together with their next door neighbors, Jason Deschu, a forester, and his wife, Lori, began the painstaking and fairly dangerous process of dismantling the radar globe on Friday, Oct. 28. With the use of ropes, pulleys, harnesses, high-impact wrenches, and a large crane, the high-wire team has already taken down the 54 fiberglass panels that incase the radar dish. Terry Clark said they hope to have it all dismantled and transported from Rolla National Airport to their 1,000-acre-farm in Dixon by year’s end. 
“Ever since my son Travis was in flight training out at Rolla National Airport we have looked at the iconic radar dome and thought it would be pretty cool to have some day,” said Terry Clark. “But we never anticipated the City of Rolla would ever sell it.” Clark owns a Twin Engine Piper Apache and Cessna 150 that are both housed in one of the rental hangers at Rolla National. His son, Travis is a professional pilot who flies for Express Jet out of Houston, Texas. 
Once the dome is dismantled and reconstructed at their home in Dixon, Clark said his son plans to transform the inside of the radar dome into a two-story hunting lodge complete with electricity and water. Clark said they plan to remove the large radar dish and hope a WWII or 1940s-era museum might be interested in acquiring it since there are only six such WWII radar domes like it in existence. “To my knowledge there are two like it on the East Coast, two on the West Coast and two in the Midwest,” said Clark. “We have one of the six, and we are thrilled to be able to own it and preserve it for the ages.” 
Clark said when the radar domes were built they were considered crucial to national security efforts in detecting possible attack by certain foreign countries during WWII. “During the early 1940s there was a real concern that the United States could be attacked, and these six radar dishes were considered state-of-the-art surveillance at the time.”
“Getting the chance to preserve something this historic and rare is a wonderful opportunity for myself and my son Travis, said Clark. “We are looking forward to help keep our WWII-era history alive in our own back yards.”     

Community shows
support for Smithsonian Exhibit

Several businesses and organizations have shown their support and enthusiasm through generous monetary and in-kind donations for The Way We Worked, the newest Smithsonian Institution exhibit to travel through Missouri with the Missouri Humanities Council’s Museum on Main Street program. The exhibit will make its next stop at The Centre (1200 N. Holloway St.) 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 exhibit, programs and presentations are all FREE and open to the public. 
The following businesses and organizations have made significant contributions and commitments to The Way We Worked Smithsonian Exhibit: Phelps County Bank, First Community National Bank, Central Federal Savings and Loan, Town and Country Bank, Mid America Bank & Trust, Brewer Science, Inc., The Centre, City of Rolla, Phelps County Regional Medical Center, Scott’s Printing, Results Radio, Rolla Daily News, Missouri Humanities Council, Arts Rolla, State of Missouri Historical Society, Rolla Public Schools, Rolla Area Chamber of Commerce, and Kroger.
“We can’t thank these businesses and organizations enough for their generous support and donations,” said Loretta Wallis, President of Arts Rolla and Chairman of the Local Organizing Committee for the The Way We Worked exhibit at The Centre. “These donations will go a long way in making this unique exhibit and the many programs and special events planned a huge success.” 
For more details about The Way We Worked exhibit, please contact Scott Caron, the City’s Recreation Director, at 573-341-2386 or Loretta Wallis, Corporate Relations Manager, Brewer  Science, at 573-364-0444, ext. 1357.

Rolla City Council
Mtg. set for Nov. 7

The next Rolla City Council meeting will be held on Monday, Nov. 7 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 City Hall
to close Nov. 11
for Veterans Day
Rolla City Hall will be closed on Friday, Nov. 11 in observance of the Veterans Day holiday.
Trash and recycling collection schedules will not be affected by the Veterans Day Holiday on Friday, November 11, 2011.  All services will run on normal schedules.  However, the Environmental Services office will be closed in observance of the holiday.
The Centre, Rolla’s Health and Recreation complex, located at 1200 North Holloway Street, will maintain regular operating hours on Veterans Day from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m.
This Veterans Day the Rolla City Council and Rolla City employees express their thanks and appreciation for all Veterans who have served and sacrificed to ensure the freedom we enjoy today.

Volunteers needed for
Smithsonian Exhibit



Rolla has been selected to host a Smithsonian Exhibit called “The Way We Worked” from Nov. 19 through Dec. 17, 2011. 
The exhibit will be located at The Centre (1200 N. Holloway Street), and will be open to the public.  We need your help so that we can keep the exhibit open as many hours as possible. 
Volunteers are needed to welcome our guests, maintain our guestbook and answer questions that our guests may have about the exhibit. Training sessions will be provided for all volunteers on Tuesday, Nov. 15 at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. at The Centre. Light refreshments will be provided.  
Whether you have a little time to share or a lot of time to help, your assistance is appreciated.  For information on volunteering, please contact Arts Rolla at 573-364-5539 or e-mail Linda Giger at lgiger@fidnet.com

Special programs, speakers part of
Smithsonian Exhibit in Rolla

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 at The Centre (1200 N. Holloway St.) 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.
Author Bob Priddy
In addition the The Way We Worked exhibit, there will be several notable speakers, historians, authors and special events that will take place at The Centre. Included among the speakers will be well known author Bob Priddy, who is the News Director of The Missourinet, a statewide commercial radio network. Priddy has written five books which focus on Missouri history – three of which are based on his popular daily radio program “Across Our Wide Missouri.” He will be speaking at the Centre on Friday, Dec. 9 at 7:30 p.m. and participating in a book signing at Reader’s Corner on Saturday, Dec. 10 (9 a.m. to 12-noon).   
Other notable speakers will include author Joe Sounderman, who will  speak on the history of Route 66 in the Ozarks on Saturday, Nov. 19 (2 p.m.); Kevin Kliesen, Economist with the Federal Reserve Bank in St. Louis, will present “Will Bumpy Seas Give Way to Smooth Sailing” on Monday, Nov. 21 (3 p.m.); Andy Arthur will present “An Evening with Mark Twain” on Wednesday, Nov. 30 (5-7 p.m.); Dan Woodward will present a lecture on some of the jobs performed during the Civil War on Friday, Dec. 2 (6 p.m.); Fort Leonard Wood historian, Dr. John Glover will discuss the history of employment with the military and how it has evolved over the many decades, and the impact Fort Leonard Wood has on this region, on Wednesday, Dec. 7 (7 p.m.); and Dr. Don James will discuss the history of the Phelps County Regional Medical Center on Wednesday, Dec. 14 (7 p.m.). In addition, there will be several free story time programs conducted by area elementary school librarians will be held at The Centre for parents and children, ages 4-10 at 6:30 p.m. on Nov. 21, Nov. 28, Dec. 5 and Dec. 12.The exhibit, programs and presentations are all FREE and open to the public. 
For more details about The Way We Worked exhibit, please contact Scott Caron, the City’s Recreation Director, at 573-341-2386 or Loretta Wallis, Corporate Relations Manager, Brewer  Science, at 573-364-0444, ext. 1357.

Bob Priddy to speak during
The Way We Worked
Smithsonian Exhibit in Rolla
Author Bob Priddy

Well known author and historian Bob Priddy will be among the notable featured speakers who will be part of the The Way We Worked, the newest Smithsonian Institution exhibit which will be on display at The Centre (1200 N. Holloway Street) from Nov. 19 through Dec. 17, 2011. The exhibit is part of the Missouri Humanities Council’s Museum on Main Street program which is 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 News Director of The Missourinet, a statewide commercial radio network, and historian who has written five books which focus on Missouri history, Priddy has written five books which focus on Missouri history – three of which are based on his popular daily radio program “Across Our Wide Missouri.” 
His fourth book is a biography of Missouri’s most prominent and controversial 20th century artist and his great painting at the Missouri Capitol: “Only The Rivers Are Peaceful: The Missouri Mural of Thomas Hart Benton.” His newest book, “The Art of the Missouri Capitol, History in Canvas, Bronze and Stone,” is written with co-author Jeffrey Ball, and was released in May, 2011.  
Priddy will provide a fascinating overview of Missouri’s history during his talk on Friday, Dec. 9 at 7:30 p.m. at The Centre (1200 N. Holloway Street). This exhibit, programs and presentations are all FREE and open to the public. Priddy will also be doing a book signing immediately following the event. Priddy will also be at Reader’s Corner, located at 819 North Pine Street in Rolla, on Saturday, Dec. 10 for a book signing appearance from 9 a.m. to 12-noon. 
For more information on additional speakers and special events planned for the month-long exhibit, please visit the City of Rolla’s Website at http://www.rollacity.org and click on “The Way We Worked” tab at the top of the page.
The Way We Worked 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. 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, which began in Ste. Genevieve at The Bolduc House Museum (Oct. 8 – Nov. 5, 2011), 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 that will be hosted at The Centre from Nov. 19-Dec. 17, please contact Scott Caron, the City’s Recreation Director, at 341-2386  or Loretta Wallis, Global Relations Manager, Brewer Science, at (573) 364-0444, ext. 1357. For information on volunteering, please contact Arts Rolla at 573 364 5539 or e-mail Linda Giger at lgiger@fidnet.com

Parks and Recreation
leaf pick up service
available Nov. 1 – Dec. 9

For a nominal fee, Rolla residents can get their leaves picked up by the City of Rolla Parks and Recreation Department from Nov. 1 through Dec. 9. 
All leaves must be curbside along city streets. No private driveways or private areas will be entered by City vehicles. Per City ordinance, no leaves can be placed in the streets, gutters or ditches. Leaves will be picked up by a large vacuum and deposited into a large dump body and trailer and then taken to the Phelps County composting site to be recycled. 
Leaf pick-up will take place Monday through Friday (leaves will not be picked up after 12 p.m. Friday or during weekends and holidays). New users of this service must pay a $150 refundable deposit or leave a credit card number. 
The fee is $50 per half hour with the minimum charge of $50 and all fees must be paid within two weeks of the service being completed. Credit card payments (Visa, Master Card and Discover) are preferred. Homeowners will also be required to sign a Hold Harmless Agreement. For more information, please contact the Parks & Recreation Department at 341-2386.

Environmental Services
continues pick up of
bagged leaves through
Dec. 17
The City's Environmental Services Department will continue to pick up leaves bagged in biodegradable paper bags through Dec. 16. Biodegradable brown paper bags can be purchased at several stores in Rolla.  
These bags should be out to the curb by 6 a.m. on your normal trash collection day. The department will resume regular collection of yard waste March 1, 2012. 
The compost site, located at the north end of McCutchen Road near the Rolla Recycling Center (2141 Old St. James Road), will remain open during normal operating hours for anyone wanting to haul yard waste to that site. For more information, please call Environmental Services at 364-6693.


MoDOT Update on
Interstate 44 ramps at
mile marker 184 in Rolla

Daylight Hours/Overnight Hours
Interstate 44 ramps at mile marker 184 in Rolla - Roundabout construction at the I-44 Business Loop interchange continues at mile marker 184.
   * All ramp work has been completed and the ramps are now open to traffic.
   * Lighting for the intersection and final grading and striping continues.
The roundabouts are scheduled to be completed by late 2011.

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 exhibit, programs and presentations are all FREE and open to the public.
The Way We Worked, which began in Ste. Genevieve at The Bolduc House Museum (Oct. 8 - Nov. 5, 2011), 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 that will be hosted at The Centre from Nov. 19-Dec. 17, please contact Scott Caron, the City’s Recreation Director, at 341-2386 or Loretta Wallis, Global Relations Manager, Brewer Science, at (573) 364-0444 , ext. 1357. For information on volunteering, please contact Arts Rolla at 573 364 5539 or e-mail Linda Giger at lgiger@fidnet.com

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
posters available at City Hall

Rolla Sesquicentennial commemorative posters are available to the public for purchase at Rolla City Hall, (901 N. Elm Street).
The 4-color, 11x17 glossy Sesquicentennial posters are selling for $2 each. In addition to the posters, the newly designed Rolla City flags are available for purchase in the Community Development Department (2nd Floor) at Rolla City Hall for $40 each. 
Proceeds will be used to offset costs and expenses incurred for Rolla’s Sesquicentennial Celebration festivities.
The City of Rolla, incorporated 150 years ago on Jan. 25, 1861, continues to celebrate its Sesquicentennial Anniversary, which was Jan. 25, 2011. For more information, please call Scott Grahl, Communications Director, 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!)
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:
Nov. 11, 2011 Veterans Day
Nov. 25, 2011 – Day after Thanksgiving

Upcoming Events
NOVEMBER 2011
7 – City Council Mtg. (6:30 p.m.)
11 – City Hall closed for Veterans Day Holiday
19 thru Dec. 17 – “The Way We Worked” Smithsonian Exhibit; The Centre; FREE and open to public (for hours, visit www.rollacity.org)
21 – City Council Mtg. (6:30 p.m.)
  
Scott A. Grahl
Communications Director
City of Rolla, Missouri
(573) 426-6943
Follow us on Facebook
& Twitter at www.rollacity.org


1 comment:

Tom Page said...

The radar dome removed from the radar tower at the Rolla National Airport was not from WWII. It dated from the Cold War. The Vichy Gap-Filler Annex (as it was known) operated from 1959 until 1968. For more information, see http://www.radomes.org/museum/showsite.php?site=Vichy,+MO.