Summer fun, Summerfest and SplashZone make Rolla the place to be

To many the end of the school year, warmer temperatures, and summer vacation is a reminder that SplashZone, Rolla’s outdoor water park, located in beautiful Ber Juan Park, is opening. SplashZone opened on Saturday, May 29 from 12-noon to 6 p.m. and will remain open throughout the summer months Monday through Friday (noon-7) and Saturday and Sunday (noon-6 p.m.). SplashZone is one of the great vacation bargains at $4.50 per person, for folks in the Meramec Valley Region and one of the local summer favorites in Rolla and Phelps County. Closing day at SplashZone will be on Labor Day, Monday, Sept. 6 (noon-5 p.m.). For more information for special events, private rentals, swimming lessons and other information, please visit call SplashZone at 364-8222 or 341-2FUN.

The summer hours at The Centre, Rolla’s 63,000-square-foot health and recreation complex, (also located in Ber Juan Park at 1200 N. Holloway Street), have gone into effect. Hours at The Centre are now Monday through Friday (5:30 a.m.–9 p.m.); Saturday (8 a.m.–5 p.m.) and Sunday (11 a.m.-5 p.m.).

One of Rolla’s most popular and widely attended events is just a week away as well. The 16th Annual “Route 66 Summerfest” kicks off Thursday, June 3 at 6 p.m. with the Miss “Route 66” Pageant at Rolla Middle School. On Friday, June 5 at 4 p.m. classic cars, custom cars and motorcycles will gather at the St. James Visitor Center before “cruising” along old Route 66 from St. James to Rolla’s Downtown Festival Park at 7 p.m. At 5:30 p.m. Friday evening the Association of the United States Army (AUSA) BBQ Picnic will be held in the downtown festival area at the corner of 9th and Elm streets. Anyone interested in obtaining tickets ($8 ea.) for the picnic, which includes fried chicken, cole slaw and baked beans, can contact Rick Morris at (573) 578-8567.

Also on Friday at 7 p.m. bring your lawn chair for the Miss Route 66 crowning ceremony and plan to stay for Movie Under the Stars Double Feature and all the free popcorn you can eat.  The movie Racing Stripes begins at 8:30 p.m., followed by Twilight at 10:15 p.m. Admission to both movies is free. Also, the skateboard track will be open for skateboarders young and old.

Summerfest festivities continue on Saturday morning, June 5 with the arts and crafts festival on 9th Street, the classic car show on Pine Street and the motorcycle show on 8th Street. Sporting events include the “Friends of Tennis” Tennis Tournament at 8 a.m. at the Ber Juan Tennis Complex, Sand Volleyball Tournament and Tour-de-Phelps leisurely ride to St. James and back, which begins at 9 a.m. There’s face painting, inflatable games, horseback rides, and the giant sandbox for the young kids and skateboarding for the older ones. For a complete list of Summerfest activities and events, including the FREE outdoor concert at 8 p.m., please visit www.route66summerfest.com. For a complete listing of more events and festivities planned in the Rolla and Phelps County area, please visit www.rollacity.org/events.
  See you at Summerfest!

City takes steps to save giant Cottonwood

If you love trees, and especially giant-size trees, you will be encouraged to know that the City of Rolla Public Works Department recently took steps to ensure the protection and preservation of what may be the city’s largest Cottonwood.

Standing at over 80-feet-tall, 5 ½ feet in diameter and 16 feet, 1 ½  in circumference, the giant Cottonwood, between 90 and 100 years-old, is living a healthy, undisturbed life on 11th Street between Spring and Poole Avenues, across from the Lutheran School. The Cottonwood is one of the oldest native trees in Missouri, and grows in large numbers in various areas throughout the state – especially in low-lying ones where water is plentiful.

The large roots of the Cottonwood were discovered encroaching on a city sidewalk over five years ago while the City’s Right-of-Way Inspector, Bill Doyle was conducting an inspection of the City’s 80 miles of sidewalks. As part of the City’s annual sidewalk inspection program, Bill came across the Cottonwood and took steps to save it by ramping the sidewalk over the roots, and maintaining a healthy growing space. If the sidewalk had been constructed on a level plain with the rest of the street’s sidewalk, it would have been necessary to cut into the roots, which would have eventually killed the tree. Fortunately the tree, which grows about ¾ inch annually, is thriving, but continues to encroach on the sidewalk. Bill’s persistent vigilance while maintaining the sidewalk inspection program has ensured the tree’s longevity. Last week Bill, together with the help of the City’s Concrete Crew members, Jeff Grisham and Chris Palmer, who recently saw-cut the sidewalk next to the tree, took steps to ensure the roots of the tree would not be damaged by the sidewalk, nor the sidewalk damaged by the roots of the tree. This fine balance between nature and man, is a delicate one, but a very important part of the City’s sidewalk protection program that is intended to identify safety/trip hazards that will impede pedestrian traffic, and possibly jeopardize safety for disabled or handicapped individuals. By saw-cutting the sidewalk, individuals can still safely travel on the sidewalk next to the giant Cottonwood. Fortunately, Bill says the City has another eight inches of room left before the roots begin to threaten the 3-foot sidewalk requirement (established by the ADA). Since the tree grows about ½ to ¾ of an inch per year, it could be another 10 years or so before the roots of the tree seriously jeopardize pedestrian traffic on the sidewalk. When and if this occurs, the City, with the permission of the land-owner, could reroute the sidewalk safely around the tree’s roots.

While the giant Cottonwood is certainly a treasure the City is glad to have saved, and will continue to keep a close eye on, you can be assured that all of the City’s sidewalks are being inspected annually by Bill Doyle for trip and safety hazards such as over-grown brush, roots and tree limbs that are being addressed and rectified. Like the City’s 100 miles of streets, our sidewalks also need to be inspected and maintained on a regular basis.

I would like to extend my thanks to Bill Doyle and the members of the Concrete Crew for their diligence and efforts to ensure that Rolla has not lost one of its natural treasures. I would also like to extend my thanks to Mike Fleischhauer, a Resource Forester with the Missouri Department of Conservation, who generously inspected the giant Cottonwood and provided the City with an overview of its estimated health, size and age.
Rolla’s tree canopy, and the surrounding 1.3-million-acre Mark Twain National Forest, are part of the unique setting that makes the quality of life so outstanding in the Rolla area.

Police Chief Chat

This week, the Rolla Police Department handled 699 calls for service. Of these calls there were: 29 accidents, 45 9-1-1 hang up calls, 33 disturbance calls (domestic or other), 34 traffic complaints, 87 traffic stops, 27 arrests, 15 suspicious nature calls, 23 stealing calls, 15 suspicious nature calls and 9 escorts. Yet, another busy week.

On Friday, Spo. Chrissy Smith successfully completed the Advanced Crash Investigation course offered by the Missouri State Highway Patrol Academy in Jefferson City, Missouri. This school is an intense two-week course which focuses on the development of the officer’s skills in gathering evidence at the scene of a crash and the fundamentals of vehicle dynamics. The concepts of time, distance and the conservation of momentum are discovered in detail. Advanced Crash Investigation provides the officer with investigative techniques in technical areas including obtaining drag factors, proper use of the Northwestern Traffic Template, photographing the crash scene, and working with formulas to determine speed estimates from skids, scuffs, falls, and vaults. The officers will also learn how to prepare scale diagrams and develop field survey techniques for determining intersection angles, slopes, grades, and curve radii. Spo. Smith serves in our Traffic Division. Congratulations Chrissy!

Also on Friday of this week, our Volunteers in Police Services (VIPS) bicycle patrol unit hit the road! Volunteers Larry Seest and Steve Volz joined VIPS Director Dennis Noel and VIPS Coordinator Vince Giacolone to form the special bicycle patrol unit comprised of VIPS volunteers. After some expert instruction and basic training by Dennis Noel who is not only an avid cyclist but an accomplished tri-athlete with several years of riding experience under his belt, the group were up and running and began patrolling the city parks, bike and pedestrian trails and other parts of the community. The patrol unit will promote bicycle safety and also be on the lookout for dangerous or emergency situations they come upon in these areas. Each of the VIPS patrol cars is equipped with a bicycle rack which will allow volunteers to drive to different neighborhoods, park the patrol car and begin patrolling the area. The bicycle provides a more approachable atmosphere where volunteers and citizens may personally interact for a true feeling of being on the streets. Be sure to say hello as you see our volunteers biking through your neighborhoods. Great job guys!

Next Tuesday, the Rolla Police Department will be joined by members of the Missouri State Highway Patrol at Troop I, personnel from the South Central Corrections Facility at Licking, and special guests Mayor Bill Jenks, Communications PIO Scott Grahl and his son Owen to participate in the 25th Anniversary of the Law Enforcement Torch Run for Special Olympics. The Law Enforcement Torch Run® for Special Olympics is the movement's largest grass-roots fundraiser and public awareness vehicle, raising US$34 million for Special Olympics Programs around the world in 2008. At its most basic level, the Torch Run is an actual running event in which officers and athletes run the "Flame of Hope" to the Opening Ceremonies of local Special Olympics competitions all over the world. Here in Rolla, the combined torch runners begin the journey at the Wal-Mart Supercenter where they carry the ceremonial torch along Bishop Avenue, to Kingshighway, west on Kingshighway to I-44 then on to the Phelps/Pulaski County line for a distance of approximately 18 miles. Runners are escorted by patrol cars from the various participating agencies along the route. They are also accompanied by the Rolla Fire and Rescue Homeland Security support vehicle which transports refreshments, first aid supplies and also provide an area for runners to re-group. Thanks to our sponsors Wal-Mart Supercenter, Pepsi-Cola of Rolla and Rolla Fire and Rescue. Thank you for helping us, help the athletes!

In closing, I would like to remind you of several upcoming events to include the Rolla Police Department annual bicycle and equipment auction that will be held on Saturday, June 5, 2010 at 9:00 a.m. in the Rolla Police Department parking lot. We will be selling unclaimed and recovered bicycles at a fraction of the cost of new, equipment and many of them are in excellent shape. If you are needing a bicycle for the summer months, be sure to stop by.

I would also like to remind you of the 3rd Annual Fire Truck Pull to be held in conjunction with Rolla’s Rt. 66 Summerfest on Saturday, June 5, 2010 at 4:00 p.m. The Fire Truck Pull is an annual fundraiser hosted by the Rolla Police Department and Rolla Fire and Rescue where teams of up to 10 members, either male or female attempt to pull a fully loaded Rolla Fire and Rescue fire truck a known distance in the best elapsed time. Costs to enter a team is $100 and all proceeds will be dedicated to the Veteran’s Memorial Park located on Southview Drive in Rolla. For more information contact: S/Sgt. Rick Williams at 308-1213.

And finally, I would like to remind you of the 1st of 3 Neighborhood Watch Zone meetings that will be held in the City of Rolla. The meetings will offer information on the Neighborhood Watch Program, Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) formation and the services provided by the American Red Cross. We encourage everyone to try to attend at least one of these important meetings to keep our programs in force and to be prepared in the event of a disastrous situation. The first meeting will be held on Thursday, May 27, 2010 at 6:30 p.m. at the Eugene E. Northern Community Hall located at 400 W. 4th St. in Rolla.

Have a great week!

Chief Mark Kearse

Rolla Police Department Promotes Neighborhood Watch

(Full sized map)
In keeping up with our continued effort to ensure that the entire City of Rolla is covered under the Neighborhood Watch “security blanket”. We are preparing to launch our newest campaign to invoke awareness, recognition and participation in citizens of our community to become involved in taking back your community or preserving the good life as you know it. As you already know, especially if you follow our Rolla Police Department Facebook site, crime is prevalent in Rolla. Each day our officers respond to calls of property destruction, vehicle tampering, residential and business burglaries and theft. Many times these crimes occur right under the nose of potential witnesses who, because of a lack of training or unintentional complacency, allow these criminals to continue to prey on our community. As you may realize by our weekly stats, our officers cannot be on every corner or in every neighborhood at any given time. Most of the time or officers travel from call to call without a lot of time to dedicate to each case.

This is where you come in! We need to re-establish our existing Neighborhood Watch program and instill new programs in areas that have not yet been established. In an effort to bolster this program and to promote awareness, we have divided the City of Rolla into 3 Neighborhood Watch Zones, simply labeled “A”, “B” and “C”. Our awareness campaign will begin by hosting Neighborhood Watch meetings in each of these zones that will be open to the public and in a central location to that particular zone. These meetings will provide information on how to start a NW program or to enhance a program already established. In addition we will use this opportunity to introduce the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) concept where a core group of citizens are trained to respond to help yourself, your family and your neighbors in the event of a catastrophic disaster. Because emergency service personnel will not be able to help everyone immediately, you can make a difference by training in this program to save lives and protect property.

We will also have a representative from the American Red Cross, who will provide information on how that organization operates and what type of programs they offer. They will also offer recruitment information to those who may desire to become a Red Cross volunteer. As you can see, we are showcasing volunteer programs within our community where the citizens of the community unite, receive valuable basic training and become an asset to community betterment and preservation. Our first Neighborhood Watch Zone meeting for area “C” will be held Thursday, May 27, 2010, at 6:30 p.m. at the Eugene E. Northern Community Hall at 400 E. 4th Street in Rolla. Everyone, regardless of where you live is encouraged to attend. If you have any questions about any of these programs, contact S/Sgt. Rick Williams at 308-1213. The remaining zone meetings will be held in the following weeks and the dates and locations will be announced.

Downtown Farmer’s Market season starts Tuesday, May 18

The Rolla Downtown Farmer’s Market will open from 7 a.m. until 12-noon on Tuesdays, beginning May 18 in the downtown festival lot next to City Hall at the corner of 9th and Oak Streets. 

Vendors will be set up in the lower festival lot at City Hall.

For additional information, please contact the Parks & Recreation Department at (573) 341-2386.

Area business and citizens give generously to Rolla Animal Shelter

The Rolla Police Department and Rolla Animal Control would like to thank the Wal-Mart Distribution Center in St. James for their generous donation of 1,440 pounds of dog food to the Rolla Animal Shelter located at 1915 Sharp Road.

“This substantial donation of dog food is very much appreciated,” said Inge Wilson, Animal Control Manager at the Rolla Animal Shelter. “Having the additional 1,440 pounds of dog food will help sustain our animals for moths to come.”

The donation couldn’t have come at a better time, as the staff at Rolla Animal Control recently acquired a new dog food storage shed where the donated dog food is being stored. The storage shed was purchased through generous donations from citizens who wanted to make a contribution to the Rolla Animal Shelter in memory of the late Don Sands and the late Margo Brown. The shed was maneuvered into place by members of the City’s Street Department.

The Rolla Animal Control staff also recently invested their time and talent to make interior improvements to the offices and public spaces at the Shelter that will improve customer service, work flow, and overall efficiency.

“In addition to expressing our appreciation to the Street Department, we would also like to thank Triad’s Office City for their generous donation of office partitions, and Hunter Trucking Company of Rolla for their generous donation of paint for all the offices,” said Inge Wilson.

As part of the shelters educational outreach programs, Roy Taylor, Animal Control Officer, conducted a Dog Bite Prevention Program on May 12 for approximately 150 children at St. James Elementary School.

Storm Drain Stenciling Project to help protect City’s water quality

Did you know the water that flows down our streets and driveways and into storm drains isn’t treated, cleaned or filtered before flowing into our local waterways? If you didn’t know this, you’re not alone; realizing this critical stormwater connection is the first step towards improving and protecting water quality.

On Saturday, May 8 members of Venture Crew 84, a co-ed group ranging in age from 14-20 with Boys Scouts of America, helped to spread the word by labeling numerous storm drains in the downtown business district with the message “Dump No Waste, Drains To Stream.” The project was co-sponsored by the Missouri Stream Team Program, the City of Rolla Public Works Department, and Healthy Yards for Clear Streams.

You may see this message, “Dump No Waste, Drains to Stream” on storm drains around your neighborhood as well in the weeks and months to come. The message will serve as a reminder of the connection we have to our local rivers and streams and that storm drains should never be used to dispose of wastes.

Materials such as motor oil, antifreeze, pesticides and litter that make their way into our streams are called “nonpoint source pollutants.” These wastes can seriously damage our community’s water quality and our environment. To make things worse, some people intentionally dispose of waste, including yard waste, by pouring or sweeping it into nearby storm drains. Improper disposal is coupled with the fact that each time it rains, water runoff carries litter, yard debris, pet wastes and other pollutants into storm drains and this can mean problems for our waterways. In many areas, the same waters receiving runoff are supplies for drinking water.

Storm drain stenciling is an activity of the Missouri Stream Team Program. For more information or to get involved, please visit www.mostreamteam.org, or call 800-781-1989.

Police Chief Chat

This week, the Rolla Police Department handled 989 calls for service. Of these calls there were: 28 accidents, 64 9-1-1 hang up calls, 36 disturbance calls (domestic or other), 29 traffic complaints, 24 assists of other agencies, 239 traffic stops, 41 arrests, 12 suspicious nature calls, 17 stealing calls, 20 check the well being calls, 16 alarm calls, and 11 escorts. In addition to these calls, officers completed arrest paperwork, wrote reports, conducted investigations, attended training, appeared in court, patrolled businesses and neighborhoods, participated in public relations programs and attended shift briefings. Now that is a busy week!

This past week of May 9 – 15, 2010 has been proclaimed National Police Week when the nation remembers and pays tribute to the men and women of law enforcement who have given the supreme sacrifice in the performance of their duties. Each year, between 140 and 160 law enforcement officers are killed in the line of duty. During National Police Week, law enforcement officials, police survivors and members of the community attend candlelight vigils, police officer memorial dedications and many other services to pay their respect to those who gave all! Here in Rolla, our officers will display a black band across their duty badges in remembrance of their fallen comrades. Well will also display (C.O.P.S.) blue ribbons on our patrol cars during the week as a tribute to the cause. The ribbons are provided to each law enforcement agency by the Concerns of Police Survivors (C.O.P.S.) organization. The C.O.P.S. organization, in it’s 26th year, is a non-profit organization that provides resources to assist in the rebuilding of the lives of surviving families and affected co-workers of law enforcement officer killed in the line of duty.

On Wednesday of this week the Rolla Police Department held a barbecue/luncheon in honor of our Volunteers in Police Services (VIPS) volunteers and their spouses. The event was held at the police department where burgers, brats and steaks were carefully prepared by our grill master Cpt. Jason Smith. All of our staff officers provided the side dishes, desserts, and drinks to complete the tasty meal. We wanted to recognize the volunteers for all their hard work and dedication and for the service they provide to our department and to our community. The VIPS volunteers complete a variety of tasks such as school, park and neighborhood patrol, criminal investigation, funeral escort, crime data mapping, crime victim advocacy, patrol support and public relations programs, all of which would have been handled by a uniformed police officer. Their partnership and community spirit entitle our officers to do more of what they are trained to do, which is fighting crime and keeping our community safe. We are very proud of our VIPS program and our volunteers and are looking forward entertaining the endless possibilities this program can provide. Thank you VIPS for all you do! If you would like more information on the VIPS program or if you think you may be interested in becoming a VIPS volunteer, contact: Dennis Noel or Vince Giacologne at 308-1213. We are looking for honest, community minded individuals who have some extra time and a desire to serve both the Rolla Police Department and our community!

The Rolla Police Department and the Animal Control Division would like to take this opportunity to thank the Wal-Mart Distribution Center in St. James, for their recent donation of over 1400 lbs. of dog food to be used in our animal shelter. Animal Control would also like to thank and acknowledge a recent donation in memory of the late Don Sands and the late Margo Brown. This donation allowed Animal Control to purchase a much needed storage shed to be used as a storage facility for the stockpile of pet foods. The previous shed was aged and in disrepair and could not be used in the intended capacity. Thank you to both Wal-Mart Distribution and the Wal-Mart Supercenter who over the years have proven to be a great valued partner to the Rolla Police Department and to our community. Thank you Wal-Mart!

Speaking of Animal Control, ACO Roy Taylor conducted a Bite Prevention Program for over 150 elementary students attending the 3rd, 4th and 5th grade in the St. James Schools. The program is designed to teach young people what to do if confronted by an aggressive or dangerous animal. The philosophy of “stand like a tree” or “lay like a log” is discussed to avoid elevating the animals fear or aggression. The program also offers tips on how to avoid behavior that could cause what is normally a friendly animal to become dangerous. In addition the program offers hints on pet care and safety and how to make sure your pet is community friendly. This program was provided to the elementary students in Rolla earlier this year. Great job Roy!

In keeping up with our continued effort to ensure that the entire City of Rolla is covered under the Neighborhood Watch “security blanket”. We are preparing to launch our newest campaign to invoke awareness, recognition and participation in citizens of our community to become involved in taking back your community or preserving the good life as you know it. As you already know, especially if you follow this column or our Rolla Police Department Facebook site, crime is prevalent in Rolla. Each day our officers respond to calls of property destruction, vehicle tampering, residential and business burglaries and theft. Many times these crimes occur right under the nose of potential witnesses who, because of a lack of training or unintentional complacency, allow these criminals to continue to prey on our community. As you may realize by our weekly stats, our officers cannot be on every corner or in every neighborhood at any given time. Most of the time or officers travel from call to call without a lot of time to dedicate to each case.

This is where you come in! We need to re-establish our existing Neighborhood Watch program and instill new programs in areas that have not yet been established. In an effort to bolster this program and to promote awareness, we have divided the City of Rolla into 3 Neighborhood Watch Zones, simply labeled “A”, “B” and “C”. Our awareness campaign will begin by hosting Neighborhood Watch meetings in each of these zones that will be open to the public and in a central location to that particular zone. These meetings will provide information on how to start a NW program or to enhance a program already established. In addition we will use this opportunity to introduce the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) concept where a core group of citizens are trained to respond to help yourself, your family and your neighbors in the event of a catastrophic disaster. Because emergency service personnel will not be able to help everyone immediately, you can make a difference by training in this program to save lives and protect property.

We will also have a representative from the American Red Cross, who will provide information on how that organization operates and what type of programs they offer. They will also offer recruitment information to those who may desire to become a Red Cross volunteer. As you can see, we are showcasing volunteer programs within our community where the citizens of the community unite, receive valuable basic training and become an asset to community betterment and preservation. Our first Neighborhood Watch Zone meeting for area “C” will be held Thursday, May 27, 2010, at 6:30 p.m. at the Eugene E. Northern Community Hall at 400 E. 4th Street in Rolla. Everyone, regardless of where you live is encouraged to attend. If you have any questions about any of these programs, contact S/Sgt. Rick Williams at 308-1213. The remaining zone meetings will be held in the following weeks and the dates and locations will be announced.

Have a great week!

Chief Mark Kearse

Ber Juan Park huge asset to Rolla community

Thousands of residents and visitors alike have discovered the appeal, beauty and boundless recreational opportunities that are all part of Rolla’s 85-acre Ber Juan Park.

From both a recreational and aesthetic perspective, Ber Juan Park includes a tremendous range of activities and facilities that include the 63,-000-square-foot Health and Recreation complex (The Centre), an outdoor water park (SplashZone), state-of-the-art tennis facility (Ber Juan Tennis Complex), Ber Juan Sportsplex, 9-hole disc golf course, miles of walking/biking trails, exercise trails, skateboard park, Ber Juan Lake, a playground, pavilions, picnic areas, and plenty of room for other outdoor leisure activities.

If you are new to the area, or a life-long resident, I encourage you to take advantage of the many facilities and activities that are available throughout the week at Ber Juan Park, which is located off 10th Street just a couple of blocks from downtown Rolla. The easiest way to find Ber Juan Park is either from 10th Street, Holloway Street, 14th or 18th Streets where the vast boarders of the park are located.

I would like to extend a special thanks to the City’s Parks and Recreation Department for coordinating and hosting both the 6th Annual Youth Fishing Fair and U.S.T.A. Tennis Block Party on Saturday. These are very popular and well attended events, and I extend a special thanks to all of the other agencies, clubs, businesses and individuals who have worked together to help provide these unique activities for our community.

In closing I’d like to remind everyone who has not yet filled out your 2010 U.S. Census form, to please take a few minutes to fill them out and drop them in the mail at your earliest convenience. Every year, the federal government can allocate more than $300 billion to states and communities based, in part, on census data and Census data determine how many seats each state will have in the U.S. House of Representatives.

What’s also at stake for our community is the loss of $1,300 per year for every person not counted for the next 10 years. This means we could lose out on vital resources for our friends, neighbors and our family. This time around the census form is shorter, just 10 short questions, and your private information is kept just that – private for 72 years. Our community has a lot riding on this and it’s up to each of us to do our part. We are counting on you, so please be counted. Should you have any questions about the U.S. Census, please visit www.2010census.gov.

Police Chief Chat

Another busy week in that we handled 664 calls for service. Of these calls there were: 20 accidents, 45 9-1-1 hang up calls, 28 disturbance calls (domestic or other), 32 traffic complaints, 25 assists of other agencies, 99 traffic stops, 15 arrests, 9 fingerprints, 16 suspicious nature calls, 3 benevolent funds, 1 runaway juvenile, 4 escorts, and 14 alarm calls.

Proudly, the Rolla Police Department had the opportunity to take part in the Relay for a Cause – Rt. 66 campaign where a 27 year veteran Evansville Police Officer Randy Rolley and his friend and business partner Bryan Zellar plan o walk from Chicago, Illinois to Santa Monica, California utilizing as much of the original historic Rt. 66 as is available. Rolley’s campaign which began May 1st is dedicated to bringing awareness and funding to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund. The NLEOMF operates various programs designed to raise awareness of law enforcement service and sacrifice, promote officer safety, and reduce injuries and fatalities. Rolley and Zellar came up with the idea 3 years ago in an effort to do something notable in their lives before they turned 50. The plan came together this month which is also the time we recognize National Police Week, May 9 thur May 15 each year.

Rolley began his campaign by plotting his route along historic Rt. 66, then calculating where he would end up each day if he and Zellar walked 20 miles, then relied on area law enforcement agencies to transport them 60 miles for a total of 80 miles a day. Rolley then contacted 26 law enforcement agencies along the route and asked for their assistance by securing a place for them to stay for the night they travel thru the host city, and then to provide transportation to the next rendezvous point. Rolley says that not one of the initial 26 agencies contacted turned him down. The Rolla Police Department was one of the 26 agencies contacted and we felt honored to participate. With the assistance of the Rolla Chamber of Commerce and the Hampton Inn, were able to secure a room for the traveler’s for their night’s stay, then transport them to their next contact near Lebanon.

Rolley and Zellar were very personable individuals who were quick to thank anyone who helped them along the way and were also ready to share their sentiment for the nearly 19,000 law enforcement officers nationwide, who gave their all in preserving safety in their communities. There is a Relay for a Cause – Rt. 66 website you can visit at: http://relayroute66.wordpress.com/ to follow the progress of the walk and to contribute to the cause. As I said earlier, these are two fine individuals who are dedicating their time and effort to a very worthy cause. Randy and Bryan, the Rolla Police Department salutes you and wishes you a safe and successful journey.

Also this week, the Rolla Optimist Club held their annual Respect for Law Banquet where each year, area law enforcement agencies are invited to a meal in their honor in appreciation for doing what we do to keep the community safe. Traditionally, members of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Missouri State Highway Patrol, Phelps County Sheriff’s Department, Missouri S&T Police Department, Rolla Police Department, Phelps County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, Phelps County Circuit Court and other elected officials are invited. The highlight of the evening is the announcement of the winner of the coveted Bramlett-Light Award, named after two progressive Rolla Police Chiefs. This year there were 2 recipients of this award and both were members of area law enforcement. Deputy Carmello Crivello was named for his tireless efforts in removing illegal drugs from our highways and also for his expertise in locating and securing large sums of drug money from drug dealers. The second nominee was our own Detective Sergeant Ken Nakanishi for his diligence and leadership in the successful prosecution of serious crimes investigated by Ken and our Division of Criminal Investigations. Great job to Carmello and Ken!

In closing, I would like to remind you of the upcoming bicycle auction to be held Saturday, June 5, 2010, beginning at 8:30 am at the Rolla Police Department. We will be auctioning several recovered/abandoned bicycles that we have accumulated throughout the year. Many of the bicycles are in excellent shape and typically sell for a fraction of the cost of new bikes. If you are looking for a good buy on a bicycle, be sure to keep our auction in mind.

I would also like to remind you of our 3rd Annual “Fire Truck Pull” hosted by the Rolla Police Department and Rolla Fire and Rescue that will be held during the Rt. 66 Summerfest celebration on Saturday June 5, 2010 beginning at 4:00 pm. The Fire Truck Pull is a competition fundraiser where teams of up to 10 members, either male or female, compete to pull a fully loaded fire truck a known distance in the best time. All proceeds from the pull will benefit the Veteran’s Memorial Park located on Southview Drive in Rolla. If you would like to put a team together, contact: S/Sgt. Rick Williams at 308-1213. The cost per team is $100.00.

Chief Mark Kearse

Police Chief Chat

This week, the Rolla Police Department handled 738 calls for service. Of these calls there were: 30 accidents, 48 9-1-1 hang up calls, 36 disturbance calls (domestic or other), 21 traffic complaints, 32 assists of other agencies, 116 traffic stops, 32 arrests, 7 fingerprints, 15 suspicious nature calls, 88 information requests and 13 stealing reports.

On Thursday at 10:47 a.m., the First Community Bank at Cuba reported an armed robbery by a male individual that matched the description of the robber who has committed 5 similar robberies of banks in Central Missouri over the past year. The male suspect left the scene in a white mini-van which is what was also reported as the suspect vehicle in the other crimes. Immediately, officers from the Missouri State Highway Patrol, Crawford County Sheriff’s Dept., Cuba Police Department, Phelps County Sheriff’s Department, Rolla Police Department and other surrounding agencies began a massive search for this elusive criminal by setting up at key locations along major and secondary thoroughfares. Most agencies already had photos of this suspect and were familiar with the white Dodge mini-van used at each robbery, because of the frequency with which he struck.

Banks in Moberly, Sedalia, Rolla, Chillicothe, and Eldorado Springs were robbed by a middle aged, heavy set, white male who wore a ball cap, sunglasses and displayed a small handgun before demanding cash. In each case, a white Dodge Grand Caravan was seen in the area of the robberies and in some cases, complete or partial license plate numbers were obtained and investigated. The robbers lack of concern over being identified and the radius in which he struck, naturally led investigators to believe that he did not live in any of the towns where the banks were robbed but probably lived within a 50-60 mile radius of the planned robberies. Up until the Cuba robbery, law enforcement had been unsuccessful in apprehending this dangerous culprit but seemed to know that it would only be a matter of time before he was caught.

On Thursday, after area officers had been in position approximately one hour, a Missouri State Highway Patrolman assigned to Dent County, had been patrolling an area south of St. James in hope of spotting the robber attempting to flee the area. As the Highway Patrolman passed through the intersection of Hwy 68 and 8, he spotted a white Dodge Grand Caravan, traveling north on Hwy 68, with a lone male driver who matched the description of the Cuba bank robbery suspect. The trooper called in the sighting and his location then remained behind the vehicle until back up officers arrived. The driver of the van was stopped south of St. James and the subsequent investigation led to the discovery of a loaded handgun, stolen currency from the First Community Bank in Cuba and the arrest of the alleged perpetrator. The van and contents were seized and towed to the Missouri State Highway Patrol headquarters at Troop I in Rolla. The suspect was also transported to Troop I, where investigators from several agencies continued the investigation. This is great news for not only the citizens of Cuba but to all the victim communities and potential victims in Central Missouri. This guy needed to be caught. Great work to the Missouri State Highway Patrol and all other law enforcement agencies dedicated to this apprehension!

Last week, Lt. Doug James attended the Cooper Institute Law Enforcement Fitness Center in Dallas, Texas to become a certified Fitness Specialist. Lt. James underwent 40 hours of training on Fitness and Wellness, Coronary Risk Factors, Medical Screening, Exercise and Safety, Anatomy and Kinesiology, Physical Fitness Training in Law Enforcement and Physical Fitness Standards in Law Enforcement. Lt. James coordinates and administers our annual physical fitness training (pt test) and will also be creating a physical fitness standard to be used in our hiring process in the very near future.

After receiving several inquiries, I decided to announce our annual bicycle auction will be held Saturday, June 5, 2010 beginning at 8:30 a.m. at the Rolla Police Headquarter’s parking lot. We will be auctioning unclaimed or abandoned bicycles we have recovered within the past year. Typically there is in excess of 50 bicycles in various stages of functionality, and many times all they need is minor maintenance or repairs. With Spring upon us, this would be a great time to get a good bike for a great price and get out and get some fresh air and exercise.

We are gearing up for our annual Law Enforcement Torch Run to benefit Special Olympics. On Tuesday, May 25, 2010 area law enforcement officers from the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the South Central Correctional Center at Licking, the 92 MP Brigade at Ft. Leonard Wood and the Rolla Police Department gather at the Walmart Supercenter and carry the ceremonial torch along a designated route leading to the annual Summer Games held in Springfield, Missouri. At its most basic level, the Torch Run is an actual running event in which officers and athletes run the "Flame of Hope" to the Opening Ceremonies of local Special Olympics competitions, state/provincial Games, and National Summer or Winter Games. Every two years, law enforcement officers from around the world gather to carry the "Flame of Hope" in a Law Enforcement Torch Run Final Leg in honor of the Special Olympics World Summer or World Winter Games. The Rolla Police Department has participated in the Torch Run since 1988 and also hosts other events each year in support of our Special Olympic Athletes, such as our t-shirt sales and our annual Torch Run Trivia Night held in October. This year we would like to also thank our sponsors, Rolla Fire and Rescue, Wal-Mart Supercenter, Pepsi Bottling Company of Rolla and of course our Special Olympic athletes!

In closing, I would like to thank the newly appointed 9-1-1 Board for their attendance that April Communications Meeting held at the Rolla Police Department this past week. The se quarterly meetings are held to provide an opportunity for all associated agencies to meet and discuss the ever changing needs, philosophies and challenges that face an Emergency 9-1-1 Center. 6 of the 7 newly appointed 9-1-1 Board Members were present and had the opportunity to meet with Department Heads from most area law enforcement, fire and rescue and emergency medical services agencies. Also present were members of the Phelps County Commission and municipal leaders.

Have a great week!

Chief Mark Kearse

D.R.E.A.M. Kick-Off meeting provides compass for future

With all of the private investment (over $5 million) and revitalization of some of the key buildings and businesses in Rolla’s downtown business district and the development of Benton Square in the new Arts and Entertainment District (over $3 million invested), it’s hard not to notice the significant strides that are being made in Rolla, Missouri.

Not coincidentally, that perception was made as well by Russell Volmert, Associate Director with Peckham Guyton Albers & Viets, Inc. (PGAV), who is the Project Manager for the DREAM (Downtown Revitalization Economic Assistance Missouri) Initiative program for the state of Missouri. Russell and his team were doing some field work in the downtown business district and Arts and Entertainment District while they were in Rolla last week to facilitate the DREAM. Kick-off meeting held at City Hall on April 22.

The DREAM Kick-off meeting follows the initial Scope of Services meeting held for the City of Rolla, on Jan. 29, 2010 at the Office of the Missouri Development Finance Board in Jefferson City. During the Kick-off meeting, which was attended by numerous downtown business owners, developers, investors, and officials from Missouri University of Science and Technology, and various city, county and state officials, Mr. Volmert and his team provided an overview of the DREAM Initiative tasks for Rolla they are working on. Some of the initiatives include: Organizational Structure Review, Project Administration, Community/Consumer Surveys, Land Use, Building, and Infrastructure Survey, Retail Market Analysis, Housing Market Analysis and Financial Assistance Evaluation. Other long-term activities included the Marketing Plan, Downtown Strategic Plan, and Communications Plan. As part of the Organizational Structure Review, the team is conducting a comprehensive analysis of the entities involved in Rolla’s downtown, including the City of Rolla, Missouri S&T, Rolla Downtown Business Association, Rolla Area Chamber of Commerce and Meramec Regional Planning Commission. Russell stated that successful revitalization requires planning and strategic implementation by many organizations.

The community surveys that will be conducted during the upcoming Route 66 Summerfest and other community events will be used to identify and validate issues regarding downtown, and help establish the framework for future direction of the DREAM Initiative.

Russell explained that the DREAM Initiative is a project that allows Missouri communities to access technical and financial assistance for downtown revitalization, and at the same time provides the expertise and assistance for smaller Missouri communities to have their downtowns function on a more sophisticated and competitive level. He further elaborated on the goals of the DREAM Initiative, which are to re-establish the properties in the downtown core, increase property values and sales tax opportunities, re-establish a sense of place and cultural heritage in the heart of the community, and attract new private investment and jobs. Russell also provided an overview of the sponsoring State of Missouri agencies for the DREAM Initiative, which includes the Missouri Development Finance Board, Missouri Department of Economic Development, and Missouri Housing Development Commission.

Looking further along the 3-year project, which very likely could be condensed and shortened because of all the preliminary planning, research, and field work that has been done over by the City’s Community Development Department and Rolla Downtown Business Association, Russell explained the purpose of creating a Marketing Plan for the downtown business district. The marketing plan will include a strategy to promote downtown as a viable, commercial, business, civic and entertainment center for the city, and create an image of downtown to attract customers, investors and new businesses. The Downtown Strategic Plan will provide a 5-10 year vision for creative and positive change for downtown Rolla.

In closing, I would like to extend a special thanks to the City’s Community Development Department, and Russ Volmert and his team for helping to host the DREAM Initiative Kick-off Meeting, and to Alex’s Pizza (located at 8th and Pine), for providing pizza for the meeting. For more information about the DREAM Initiative, please visit www.dream.mo.gov, or contact John Petersen, the City’s Director of Community Development at 426-6970 or at jpetersen@rollacity.org.

Input from community welcomed and encouraged

The City of Rolla continues to welcome and encourage input and feedback from our residents and the Rolla community. That is why the Rolla City Council welcomes comments from citizens and visitors alike during the Citizen Communication portion of every City Council meeting.

In addition, the City Council recently extended the invitation to various community partners such as businesses, corporations, associations and service clubs to periodically make presentations during City Council meetings. The first such presentation was given at Monday night’s City Council meeting by one of the community’s well known residents and businessmen, Jim Sowers, who is president of the Rolla Community Development Corporation (R.C.D.C.). Mr. Sowers gave about a 10-15 minute overview of the R.C.D.C., its history, mission, goals and purpose. His presentation was very well received by the City Council, and I hope it was as beneficial to our citizens as it was to the City Council.

Other community partners who have been invited to make special presentations during Council meetings include Fort Leonard Wood, the Rolla Downtown Business Association, Rolla Animal Control, Rolla Public Schools, County-wide Communications 911 Committee, Phelps County Regional Medical Center, Rolla Library Board, Community Partnership, and Missouri S&T. Other community partners who also have been invited to make presentations include: Holloway House, ACORN, Brewer Science, MoSci Corporation, University Extension Office, Licking Tournament, Coachlite Lanes, Rolla Lions Club, Audubon Society, U.S.G.S., U.S. Forest Service, Missouri Department of Natural Resources, the Division of Geology and Land Survey, and elected officials who could periodically provide legislative updates.

In addition to providing input during the Council meetings, which are held the first and third Monday of the month in the Council Chambers at Rolla City Hall, there are suggestion boxes located in the lobbies of City Hall and at The Centre, Rolla’s Health and Recreation Complex (located at 1200 N. Holloway Street). Comment sheets are available next to the suggestion boxes so you can either take them with you or write down your comments while remaining anonymous if you wish to. You can be assured that all of the comments received are promptly reviewed and will remain confidential. If you would like a reply from City Administration or The Centre regarding your comments, please include your name and contact information such as a home phone number or e-mail address, so we can get in touch with you.

I am also available to meet with residents and members of the community at my office at Rolla City Hall (901 N. Elm Street) on Monday and Thursday mornings from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. Please feel free to stop by my office on the third floor, or contact Millie Street, the City Administrator’s Executive Secretary, to make an appointment to visit with me as well.

In closing, I’d like to thank everyone who participated in this year’s Rolla Municipal General Election and for your vote on April 6. I am very much looking forward to working with the new City Council. It was my privilege and honor to welcome both new and returning City Council members at Monday night’s City Council meeting and to present Certificates of Appreciation plaques to outgoing Council members Sue Eudaly and Donna Hawley for their dedicated service to the City and Rolla community. Updated information and photos of the Rolla City Council is available on the City’s Website at http://www.rollacity.org/admin/council.shtm#members.

Police Chief Chat

This week, we handled 821 calls for service. Of these calls there were: 24 accidents, 51 - 9-1-1 hang up calls, 29 disturbance calls (domestic or other), 38 traffic complaints, 18 assists of other agencies, 190 traffic stops, 39 arrests, 3 missing or runway persons and 3 abandoned vehicles. So, as you can see, another busy week!

Also this week, in an effort to clear an abundance of Rolla Municipal arrest warrants, Central Dispatch has issued a challenge to each shift of the Patrol Division to attempt to clear by service, as many of the warrants as they can before the deadline of May 15th. So far, the telecommunicators are in the lead with 10 warrants cleared as compared to the Patrol Division’s 3. We will keep you posted on the progress. Rolla Municipal warrants are arrest warrants issued by the municipal court for defendants charged with a violation of Rolla city ordinances.

On Wednesday of this week, Cpt. Jason Smith and Lt. Jim Macormic traveled to Springfield, Missouri for the annual Missouri Intergovernmental Risk Management Association (MIRMA) Employment Practices Seminar. The seminar covered topics having to do with Police Personnel Management such as Hiring and Firing, Employee Discipline, Sexual Harassment and Discrimination, Employee Rights and Expectations and many other topics. Guest speakers on the preceding topics included Vanessa Cavalla who is the account executive for the HELPLINE program for MIRMA, W. Dudley Carter, who is a principle in the St. Louis based law firm of Behr, McCarter and Potter, P.C., and Richard Behr of the same firm who has over 17 years of experience defending professional negligence cases including medical and legal malpractice. The seminar was a one day event hosted by MIRMA.

At last Monday’s City Council meeting we had the opportunity to say goodbye to retiring city council members, Ward 3 Representative Sue Eudaly and Ward 6 representative Donna Hawley! I would like to personally thank each of these women for their time and dedicated service to not only the citizens in their respective Wards, but also to the entire City of Rolla. Thank you ladies for your service. We also had the opportunity to welcome 2 newly elected council members Geoffrey Horning who will be representing Ward 3 and to Tony Bahr who will be representing Ward 6. We welcome you to city government and appreciate your interest in serving the citizens of Rolla. Welcome aboard! In other business, the city council approved to allow the Rolla Police Department to apply for several Missouri Department of Transportation grants, which will enable the police department to conduct driving while intoxicated enforcement operations, hazardous moving violation enforcement operations and also provide funding for necessary equipment such as radar units, in-car camera systems and possibly traffic enforcement vehicles. In 2009 the Rolla Police Department received $25,000.00 in traffic grants. This year we received $45,000 in grants and for 2011 our requests will exceed $95,000.00

In support of Operation F.R.I.E.N.D (Forming Relationships in Each Neighborhood) and the Neighborhood Watch Program we will be announcing dates and locations of our upcoming Town Hall Neighborhood Watch/CERT informational exchange meetings. For Operation F.R.I.E.N.D. the entire city was divided up into 32 individual “beats” or districts and then an officer was assigned to each district. The focus of the operation was for each officer to become familiar with the layout, citizenry and day to day life practice of the residents within the district. The officer would spend as much time as possible in their assigned areas to be better in tune with what criminal element the area was most susceptible to realize. These 32 districts were then included in much larger Neighborhood Watch “Zones” that were created by dividing the City of Rolla into 3 somewhat equal areas. During the month of May, we will hold a Neighborhood Watch/CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) meeting in each of the 3 “Zones” that are free and open to the public. Topics discussed will be the Neighborhood Watch Program, the advantages, philosophies and why they work, and also to introduce the CERT program that will offer training to everyday citizens such as Fire Safety, Disaster Medical Operations and Light Search and Rescue Operations. We hope we can better prepare a core group of citizens to be ready to take action in the event of a catastrophic situation where professional emergency services responders may not be able to be on scene immediately! We will announce the Town Hall meeting dates and locations next week!

In closing, we would like to recognize and congratulate this week’s Employee Spotlight Amanda Jones! Up until Saturday, Amanda was known as Amanda Rogers! On Saturday she married Ron Jones who is an officer with the St. James Police Department. Amanda and Ron stay busy with Ron’s daughter Allie and Amanda’s nieces Cadey and Elizabeth. Amanda is a graduate of St. James High School and most of her family lives in Vichy, Missouri. Amanda does a great job keeping everything under control on the evening shift. Though she has only been here since July of 2008, Amanda has progressed quickly. Amanda does a great job with her callers and is able to keep her cool through the most stressful situations. She has had the misfortune of working in dispatch the night her house caught on fire. Though she did not take the initial call, you can imagine how stressful that must have been. She was able to keep her cool and continue working until we could get a back - up dispatcher in to take over for her! She is truly a professional and we are proud to have her on our Central Communications team!

We would like to congratulate the new Mr. & Mrs. Ron Jones and we wish them both the best!

Have a great week!

Chief Mark Kearse

City’s online presence expands with Facebook, Twitter and Blogs

The City of Rolla’s dynamic online presence is growing from our original Website to include Blogs, Facebook and Twitter, which can all be reached from the City’s official Website at www.rollacity.org.

In addition to providing residents and visitors alike with timely, up-to-date information regarding City news and events, a lot of these new online venues provide a more interactive forum, which allows feedback and dialogue to occur.

If you are not yet a fan of the City’s new Facebook page, I encourage you to join by simply visiting the City’s Website at www.rollacity.org and clicking on the blue Facebook icon, which is half way down on the right hand side. Just click on the Facebook icon and it will take you directly to the City of Rolla’s Facebook page where you can follow the City’s latest Facebook posts and conversations. You can likewise click on the Twitter icon and Blog icon and follow the City on Twitter and all of the blogs we post on a regular basis. The “F.T.B.” icon combination greatly expands the City’s communication offerings, and reflects the City’s continued efforts to keep our residents and community abreast of City services, programs, events, news, while also providing an opportunity for readers to comment and give feedback on posts.

City departments such as Police, Fire and Rescue, Animal Control, and The Centre, have had an expanded online presence on Facebook for many months – all with growing fan bases, and can all be reached from their various department Web pages, which you can access from the City’s Website at www.rollaicty.org.
In closing I’d like to remind everyone that the 2010 “Show Me Green Sales Tax Holiday” is just around the corner on April 19 through April 25. The Show Me Green Sales Tax Holiday encourages the purchase of certain qualifying energy efficient appliances by exempting them for sales tax, and thereby reducing the consumer’s cost for such appliances. Qualifying appliances, which must be Energy Star certified, include clothes washers and dryers, water heaters, trash compactors, dishwashers, conventional ovens, ranges, stoves, air conditioners, furnaces, refrigerators and freezers. An Energy Star certified appliance is any appliance approved by both the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy.

I’d also like to remind everyone that the Environmental Services Department will once again be participating in the 9th Annual Rolla Earth Day Celebration on Thursday, April 22. The event will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. outside the Missouri S&T Havener Center. This year’s theme is “Be Green, Keep our Planet Clean.” Rolla Earth Day Celebration is a free event that includes children’s activities, educational exhibits, live music, door prizes and more.

I hope you are enjoying the wonderful spring weather we have been having, and taking full advantage of the City’s 31 parks, 11-mile pedestrian/bike trail system, and the 1.3 million-acre Mark Twain National Forest that surrounds our great community.

Police Chief Chat

Another busy week in that we handled 758 calls for service. Of these calls there were: 23 accidents, 60 9-1-1 hang up calls, 34 disturbance calls (domestic or other), 44 traffic complaints, 18 assists of other agencies, 10 fingerprint requests, 4 transient aids, 93 traffic stops, 29 arrests and 22 suspicious nature calls. I worked evening shift last night so that I could see what’s going on and to be with the troops. When I came in at 2:30 pm, the Narcocs Unit had already seized two separate meth labs. We then served a search warrant for a stolen weapon at 5:00 pm and seized more drugs. A second search warrant was executed on a meth lab on Heller street at 6:00 p.m., netting 3 arrests. And finally, a third search warrant was served on Bray at 11:00 pm, where methamphetamine and meth lab items were seized and one suspect arrested. So in all, four meth labs were taken down yesterday, seven suspects were arrested and a stolen gun was recovered! Special thanks to our Narcotics Unit on a job well done.

This week, we will be honoring two very special facets of the Rolla Police Department our Central Communications Division and the Animal Control Division. For Central Communications this week is “National Public Safety Telecommunicator Week” where each year, the second full week of April is dedicated to the men and women who serve as public safety telecommunicators. It was first conceived by Patricia Anderson of the Contra Costa County (Calif.) Sheriff's Office in 1981 and was observed only at that agency for three years. Members of the Virginia and North Carolina chapters of the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO) became involved in the mid-1980s. By the early 1990s, the national APCO organization convinced Congress of the need for a formal proclamation. Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) introduced what became H.J. Res. 284 to create "National Public Safety Telecommunicator Week." According to Congressional procedure, it was introduced twice more in 1993 and 1994, and then became permanent, without the need for yearly introduction. If you follow our FaceBook site or read this column you will know firsthand why this group of dedicated men and women deserve recognition. These true professionals work around the clock 24/7 taking emergency calls and directing the proper agency response. They work weekends, holidays and birthdays covering rotating shifts over a 24 hour period and are expected to perform their duties professionally whether it is 2:00 p.m. or 4:00 a.m. Here is a list of the telecommunicators that serve you in Central Dispatch: Paula Volkmer, Stayce Smith, Scott Olds, Chuck Satterfield, Amy King, Tabitha Stanley, Tony Craft, Matt Goss, Jamie Jones, Susan Vogeler, Alicia Hill, Trina Duarte, Amanda Rogers and Clint Capps. Thank you for all you do!

Coincidentally, this week also happens to be “National Animal Control Officer Appreciation Week!” The National Animal Control Officer’s Association has declared the second full week of April as a time when we show appreciation towards the hard-working men and women of Animal Control that risk their lives and spend huge amounts of personnel resources including time away from family and friends while serving the public like all the other public safety and law enforcement agencies involved and empowered with the same duties. The men and women of the Rolla Animal Control Division are dedicated professionals who not only rid our neighborhoods of dangerous domestic and non-domestic animals, but also offer a safe haven for family pets that have wandered off or become lost. Drop by the Rolla Animal Shelter sometime and say hello to our ACO staff who includes: Inge Wilson, John Redshaw, Roy Taylor and Janet Ray. Thank you for all you do!

The following excerpt is from Telecommunications Supervisor Stayce Smith on the kind offerings received from Telecommunications Week and Animal Control Officers Week. Stayce writes: This week in honor of National Telecommunicator’s Week and Animal Control Officer Appreciation Week, our staff received a special treat from the Metro Business College Massage Therapy Program . Julie Phillips brought over 4 of her students this week to offer free chair massages for our Animal Control Officers , Phelps County Sherriff’s Dept. info techs and telecommunicators from the Rolla Police Department, Missouri State Highway Patrol and Missouri Science & Technology Police Department. This was the perfect opportunity for the students to get some practice and our employees to get “de-stressed”. We really appreciate the participation of Julie Phillips and her students: Brandy Stone, Kendra Cross, Briana Bewig and David Pinnell.

The Metro Business College Students were not the only ones who showed their appreciation this week. Telecommunicators were treated to lunch on Thursday by my Command Staff and me. Our Communications Chief made homemade pizzas for her staff and though I don’t want to offend any of our local pizzerias………….. I must say her pizza is some of the best ever! Members of Phelps County Ambulance stopped by on Wednesday with fruit baskets for each shift of dispatchers . Students from Mrs. Lauth’s first grade class at Mark Twain sent over pictures and thank you notes for dispatchers. The City of Rolla Fire & Rescue launched a Facebook campaign to get 1000 “LIKES” for dispatch. The ladies of Behind the Badge prepared goody bags and Comm. Chief Volkmer decorated the Communications Center. I know our staff really appreciates everyone’s support. Thanks to everyone who helped make this week so special for our employees!

The next excerpt if from Spo. Tommy Davis. Tommy writes: On April 11, 2010, Spo. Chrissy Smith, Spo. Tommy Davis, Pto. Steven Gray and Pto. Chris Reeder responded to the 700 block of E 7th Street for a report of a possible burglary in progress. Upon arrival officers observed a male exit the residence carrying items. When he saw the police, he dropped the items and ran. While PTO Gray and PTO Reeder chased the first male suspect, SPO Smith and SPO Davis chased after a second male suspect. SPO Smith and SPO Davis located and arrested the second male suspect a few moments later, after he had tried hiding from the officers. Officers obtained information reference to the first male that ran and were able to identify him and make and arrest. Further investigation revealed that the property from the burglarized residence had been distributed to several different locations. Officers were able to identify three suspects and recovered several items from four different residences around Phelps County.

The Rolla Police Department would like to thank the neighbors in the area who called the police. Without the assistance of the observant citizens in the area, officers would have had a difficult time locating the suspects and gaining some of the victim’s property back. Thank You.

Have a great week!

Chief Mark Kearse

City receives $337,067 grant from DNR and approval on EZZ

I was very pleased when the City was notified recently that the Missouri Department of Natural Resources has awarded a $337,067 Wastewater and Water Treatment Efficiency Grant to the City of Rolla through the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) monies. The Rolla City Council, at the March 15 Council meeting, unanimously approved a motion to move forward with the submission of and future awarding of the grant monies from the DNR and U.S. Department of Energy.

The Energize Missouri Community Block Grant is part of a $456,862 project that staff is proposing for energy efficiency improvements at the Southeast Wastewater Treatment Plant where a more energy efficient blower system will be installed. This specific project includes $16,443 of in-kind costs with a cash match from the City of $103,352.

Steve Hargis, the City’s Public Works Director, is estimating that this project will help to save the City approximately $52,000 a year in electric costs, resulting in a simple payback of 8.7 years. This project is part of the larger energy audit project Mr. Hargis and the City has been working on with Siemens Building Technologies during the last several months. Mr. Hargis will bring details of this project, along with several others totaling about $2 million, to the Council for consideration in April.

The Wastewater and Water Treatment Efficiency grant application was prepared by Anne McClay, Project Coordinator in the Public Works Department. She and Mr. Hargis submitted the application and they are to be commended on the thorough package they submitted and the money they have subsequently help save the City of Rolla and our residents.

In another piece of very good news, the City was recently notified by David Kerr, Director of the Missouri Department of Economic Development, that the City’s application to establish an Enhanced Enterprise Zone (EZZ) within the City of Rolla and part of Phelps County has been approved! As a result of this, Rolla will be able to utilize this new program to support its economic development efforts. The EZZ committee, which was comprised of city and county officials, and representatives from the Meramec Regional Planning Commission, Missouri University of Science and Technology, Mo-Sci Corporation, and the Rolla Regional Economic Commission, worked diligently for many months on this important EZZ application. I commend and appreciate all of their hard work and efforts.

All of this good news is on the heels of Rolla being selected among only four other communities in the state as a DREAM (Downtown Revitalization Economic Assistance Missouri) Initiative community, and the creation of the new Rolla Arts and Entertainment District (approved in February 2010 by City Council), which will be anchored by the new Benton Square Development. For more information regarding the DREAM Initiative (www.modream.org), or the newly approved EZZ, please contact John Petersen, the City’s Director of Community Development, at 426-6970 or at jpetersen@rollacity.org.

In closing I’d like to remind everyone that the 2010 “Show Me Green Sales Tax Holiday” is just around the corner on April 19 through April 25. The Show Me Green Sales Tax Holiday encourages the purchase of certain qualifying energy efficient appliances by exempting them for sales tax, and thereby reducing the consumer’s cost for such appliances. By offering incentives that reward consumers for being energy efficient, it is hoped that consumer awareness will help reduce energy consumption across the state, and have the added benefit of promoting retail sales activity in the Rolla area. Qualifying appliances, which must be Energy Star certified, include clothes washers and dryers, water heaters, trash compactors, dishwashers, conventional ovens, ranges, stoves, air conditioners, furnaces, refrigerators and freezers. An Energy Star certified appliance is any appliance approved by both the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy.

Police Chief Chat

With Spring break and Easter Sunday behind us, it is time to get back to the daily grind of work, school and life. We hope you had a safe Easter and if you traveled, a safe return home. This week, once again has been busy in that we handled 929 calls for service. Of these calls there were: 24 accidents, 1 runaway juvenile, 77 9-1-1 hang up calls, 29 disturbance calls (domestic or other), 48 traffic complaints, 38 assists of other agencies, 4 assaults, 8 fingerprint requests, 6 transient aids, 92 traffic stops, 30 arrests, 4 leaving without paying for fuel, 16 stealing calls and 58 security checks.

On Friday, Volunteers in Police Services (VIPS) Coordinator Vince Giacolone, (VIPS) Division Commander S/Sgt. Rick Williams and I traveled to Jefferson City, Missouri for the first Missouri Volunteers in Police Service Foundation (MOVIPS) organizational meeting. The purpose of the foundation is to bring together diverse partners working in conjunction to increase citizens and community involvement with law enforcement in partnership to reduce the fiscal burden on local governments through the use of civilian volunteer resources within the State of Missouri. This program will be governed by dividing the state into regions in line with the Missouri State Highway Patrol troop designations or zones. Each zone will install a coordinator who will be responsible for introducing the Volunteers in Police Services philosophy to communities and law enforcement agencies who are not yet involved in this program.

This week’s featured employee spotlight will be Communications Supervisor Stayce Smith! Stacey is one of three Communications Supervisors in our 911 Center. She has been with us for almost 14 years now! She originally took a position in dispatch “until she could find something she liked better”. Little did she know just how much we would grow on her! Stacey oversees the training program in dispatch and that is one of her favorite parts of her job here. She takes a lot of pride in making sure our staff is prepared to handle all of the tasks that are thrown their way. Last year Stacey was presented with the George Major Award for Trainer of the Year by the Missouri Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials. Stacey says she is blessed to work with such an amazing group of people. She is very proud of all of the emergency personnel that she dispatches for and the members of the team she dispatches with. Though Stacey is a Rolla “import”, her parents, the late Bland Smith & Dorothy (Matlock) Smith are both natives. She is the mother of three Rolla Bulldogs! Her daughter Jasmine Hall is a freshman at Missouri State University. Lydia Hall is a flutist in Rolla’s Marching Bulldog Brigade and her son, Todd plays football and basketball for Rolla Junior High , as well as soccer for the Rolla Knights. I guess that explains what she does when she is not dispatching. Stayce, thanks for all you do!

If you follow our Facebook site you were sure to see the blog describing the recovery of the missing Rolla Lion’s Club guardian lion! The lion was discovered near the edge of the Lion’s Club property and properly placed back on guard at the Rolla Lion’s Club Den. We feel that the announcement posted on Facebook by area law enforcement agencies led to the recovery of this property. That is one of many advantages of the Facebook program and one of the reasons law enforcement agencies are taking advantage of the utilization of the community, by keeping the public informed of events and happenings that affect us all. Thank you to all our Facebook fans who follow not only the Rolla Police site, but also the Phelps County Sheriff’s Department and Rolla Fire and Rescue Facebook pages. It is our goal to keep you up to date on any events or situations that affect our community. We are very pleased that the property was returned to the Rolla Lions and thank them for all they do!

S/Sgt. Rick Williams has asked me to announce that the 2010 Law Enforcement Torch Run t-shirt campaign was a great success and that we not only met our goal of selling $1,000.00 in t-shirts, but exceeded that mark by over $500.00! The Law Enforcement Torch Run t-shirt campaign is one of many Torch Run events hosted throughout the year, by the Rolla Police Department to benefit our Special Olympic athletes. We also participate in the actual Torch Run that will be held in May and host a trivia night in October. We would like to thank all of you for your continued support in helping us help the athletes!

The 2010 Route 66 Summerfest celebration is just around the corner and with the Summerfest comes the 3rd Annual Fire Truck Pull hosted by the Rolla Police Department and Rolla Fire and Rescue. The Fire Truck Pull will be held on Saturday June 5, 2010 at 4:00 p.m. on 8th Street in front of Meek’s Lumber. The pull consists of teams of up to 10 pullers attempting to pull a fully equipped fire truck a known distance in the best time. This year all proceeds from the Fire Truck Pull will benefit the Veteran’s Memorial Park located on Southview Drive. This park was dedicated in 2009 to all of our surviving veterans and those that gave their lives for our freedom. This year our featured guest emcee will be Rolla Mayor Bill Jenks, and in addition we are hearing rumors that there may be a local fitness guru who will attempt make an attempt at a solo pull! If you would like to enter a team, you may have up to 10 members, and the cost is $100.00 per team. We encourage local businesses, health clubs, government agencies, citizens and veteran’s to enter a team for this great cause. For more information or to enter a team, contact: S/Sgt. Rick Williams at 308-1213! Thanks for helping us help the veterans!

In closing, I would like to include and entry from Communications Supervisor Stayce Smith. She writes: Several of our Telecommunicators are going back to 1st grade this month! They will be visiting first graders at several area schools to teach the kids when and how to dial 911! They use a nationally recognized program called Red E. Fox 911 for Kids. We have been doing this program in the schools for several years now. Friday, I will be visiting Mark Twain Elementary. Next week Alicia Hill, Amy King , myself and Jamie Jones will be visiting Truman Elementary and St. Patrick’s. Wyman Elementary and St. James Elementary will be later this month. This is an important program for the kids and a great chance for our telecommunicators to interact with the community. We appreciate the schools for giving us this opportunity.

Have a great week!

Chief Mark Kearse

Police Chief Chat

Well, it finally feels like Spring is here. The milder temperatures and plenty of sunshine has lured the masses out of their winter shelters and scattered them throughout our parks, neighborhoods and community. The bike trails are full of walkers, joggers and cyclists, the tennis courts and ball fields are filling up with sports enthusiasts eager to get in shape for the upcoming seasons and our children, out of school on Spring break are out in numbers enjoying the weather. Of course, with all this activity comes the need for motorists to pay special attention in neighborhoods, at intersections and around city parks.

The warmer weather is also an attraction to area bicyclists. There are many bicycle enthusiasts in which include cyclists who ride for health and fitness, riders for pleasure and children. Regardless of why you ride, please be aware of the laws pertaining to riding bicycles safely in our community. By city ordinance, bicycles are not to be ridden on sidewalks in the Downtown business district. Cyclists need to be sure to always wear a protective helmet, obey all traffic laws, always follow the flow of traffic and stay to the right as safely as possible, be especially alert at intersections, wear brightly colored clothing, stay alert at all times, be predictable and never ride at night without ample lighting and reflective clothing.

Motorists need to use caution and “Share the Road” with area cyclists. Pass with care and pay special attention around bike paths and park areas!

Be wary of pedestrians, runners, joggers and walkers who will also be taking advantage of the warmer weather. Runners/joggers/walkers also need to follow a few safety tips to keep your activities safe. Be sure to stay on sidewalks whenever available and if none are present, always travel as close to the edge of the road as possible facing oncoming traffic. Be sure to wear bright colored or reflective clothing while running to make motorists aware of your presence. Never use earplugs or music devices while jogging to avoid missing warning sounds such as approaching vehicles or car horns.

Another warm weather attraction is motorcycling. Motorcycling is very popular in the Rolla area and within the past 2 to 3 years we have seen an marked increase in the smaller scooters and pocket rocket type motorcycles in the community. These vehicles although very popular are some of the smallest vehicles on the road and are easily overlooked. Motorcyclists need to follow some basic safety tips to ensure their safety while operating in traffic. Remember to always wear a Department of Transportation (DOT) approved safety helmet, even though they are not required on scooters with an engine displacement of less than 50 cc’s. Wear bright or reflective clothing and be sure to activate your headlight at all times day or night! When riding in a group ride in a staggered formation and when approaching an intersection close up the gaps to reduce traffic congestion. Motorists inherently are watching for cars and trucks and quite often will overlook motorcyclists and bicyclists.

This week’s employee spotlight will feature Telecommunicator Jamie Jones! Jamie has been with us since September of 2005. She came to us from Pulaski County Sheriff’s department where she had dispatched for two years before joining the RPD team. Jamie is the daughter of Burton and Sandy Fritchey of Dixon, MO. She and her husband Mario Jones have been married for four and half years. They are the proud parents of two dogs, Molly and Havyn. Though they do not have any other children yet, Jamie is very close to her nephew Jayrn Brown who is a 2nd grader in Dixon. Jamie spends a lot of time cheering Jaryn on in baseball, soccer and basketball! Jamie is blessed to come from a very close family and despite their busy schedules, they are able to find time to keep those ties close. Not only is Jamie one of our most experienced dispatchers, she is also one of our most talented! She loves to sing and as she says, she can “make a song out of most anything”. She puts her talent to good use at the Dixon Assembly of God Church where she is Director of Praise & Worship. Jamie’s professionalism, positive attitude, integrity and sense of humor make her an MVP on the RPD team. We are lucky to have her!

In closing, we members of the Rolla Police Department would like to wish you and your family a Happy Easter and if you are traveling this weekend, please remember to drive safely for a happy return!

Have a great week!

Chief Mark Kearse