Community-wide events abound at The Centre

Mayor Bill Jenks, III

The staff at The Centre, Rolla’s health and recreation complex, has been especially engaged throughout the past year in fostering and building community partnerships that benefit a wide range of groups, organizations and sectors of our community. Just a few examples of this are the successful events that have been held at The Centre such as the well attended GrandFamily Conference (March 9); the Spring Breakout Camp (March 25-29); the 5^th Annual Youth Chess Tournament (March 2) and recently Breakfast with the Bunny (March 30), which over 500 individuals attended.

Many more community events are also in the pipeline at The Centre (1200 N. Holloway Street) such as today’s Table Tennis Tournament, Saturday, April 6 that is sponsored by the Rolla Parks & Recreation Department and Missouri S&T Turkish Student Association. If this event is anything like other events hosted by The Centre, I’m sure it will be a big success.

Next Friday, April 12 The Centre will partner with Rolla High School and Kent Jewelry to host the 7^th Annual Fine Arts Day from 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. There will be student directed, hands-on art demonstrations throughout the day in the lounge area with a variety of Rolla High School student art on display. New this year is the Community Masterpiece.  Everyone is encouraged to stop by The Centre and add their touch to this 4 X 6-foot postcard. Paint brushes and guidance will be provided.  Local area business, including Panera Bread, Subway and Pepsi, generously support this event by providing food and drinks for the students throughout the day.
During the day and evening there will be 12 pieces of student designed jewelry items up for auction in the activity room at The Centre with the winning bids being revealed at 6 p.m. The staff at Kent Jewelry works with the RHS students to design and manufacture the jewelry that will be auctioned. Proceeds from this auction will benefit the United Way of South Central Missouri.

This unique process allows students to see each phase of the production and learn how art can become a way to earn a living. Perhaps most importantly, the students learn the importance of using their talents to give back to the community! To help celebrate this event, the Rolla Area Chamber of Commerce will host a Business After Hours event at The Centre that evening from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

In closing I’d like to take this opportunity to express my thanks and appreciation to Rolla City Council members William Lindgren, Jr. (Ward I) and Carolyn Bolin (Ward V), who have served on the City Council for the past two years (April 2011-April 2013). We truly appreciate their service on the Council and to the Rolla community. The City Council will publicly recognize and thank them both for their service with a Certificate of Appreciation plaque at the next City Council meeting on Monday, April 15 at 6:30 p.m. In addition, I will be joining the City Council in recognizing Robert J. Stoltz for his dedicated service to the City as City Attorney from April 2004 through March 2013.  

Also during the April 15 Council meeting, the re-elected and newly elected City Council members, including Rhonda Sue Myers (Ward I); Greg Sawyer (Ward II); Sue Eudaly (Ward III); Lou Magdits (Ward IV); Brian Woolley (Ward V) and Fran Mazanec (Ward VI). will be recognized and sworn in by Carol Daniels, the City Clerk.

Have a safe weekend and a great week ahead!