Public Works Celebration Day set for May 14 in downtown Rolla

   The City of Rolla Public Works Department invites you to attend Public Works Day Celebration on Saturday, May 14 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the City’s Downtown Festival Park next to City Hall – rain or shine. This year’s theme for the annual Public Works Week, which runs from May 15-21, is “Serving You and Your Community.”

   In addition to free brochures, coloring books, balloons, stickers and comic books, there will also be an inflatable playground for children. The event will also feature the Public Works Mascot “P.W. Paws” and visitors will be encouraged to get their free photo taken. Free refreshments will also be provided.

   Participating in the event are the Public Works Divisions of Streets, Traffic, Wastewater, and Engineering, along with the City’s Parks and Recreation and Environmental Services Department. Rolla Municipal Utilities is also participating in the event. City of Rolla and RMU staff will be on-site to demonstrate equipment, and answer questions.

   Visitors will be able to learn about water and wastewater treatment and distribution, how a sanitary sewer line is televised, watch computerized mapping system retrieve information, and climb inside various pieces of heavy equipment.

   For more information, please call the Public Works Department at (573) 364-8659 or visit www.rollacity.org.

Rolla Sesquicentennial T-shirts and posters available at Rolla City Hall

   Rolla Sesquicentennial commemorative T-shirts and posters are now available to the public for purchase at Rolla City Hall in the Administration Department located on the third floor at 901 N. Elm Street. 

   The vintage looking Heather grey T-shirts that showcase the attractive black and white Sesquicentennial logo designed by Angi Yowell, Graphic Design Instructor at Rolla Technical Institute, are selling for $10 a piece in the following sizes: small, medium, large, X-large, XX-large and XXX-large.

   The 4-color, 11x17 glossy Sesquicentennial commemorative posters that also showcase the attractive and award-winning Sesquicentennial logo, are selling for $2 each. The T-shirts and posters can be purchased at City Hall (Administration Dept.) anytime between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.    

   In addition to the T-shirts and posters, a limited number of newly designed and printed Rolla City flags are available for purchase as well. City flags may be purchased in the Community Development Department (2^nd Floor) at Rolla City Hall for $40 each.

   Proceeds from the sales of Sesquicentennial T-shirts and posters will be used to offset costs and expenses incurred for Rolla’s Sesquicentennial Celebration on Saturday, June 4.

   The City of Rolla, which was incorporated 150 years ago on Jan. 25, 1861, continues to celebrate its Sesquicentennial Anniversary, which began on Jan. 25, 2011 with a Sesquicentennial Kick-Off and Birthday celebration attended by over 300 individuals at The Centre. The City’s Sesquicentennial pioneer-themed float was showcased by several City employees at the 103^rd St. Pat’s Parade on March 12 in downtown Rolla. Plans are also underway by the Rolla Sesquicentennial Committee to present a day-long Sesquicentennial Celebration on Saturday, June 4, 2011 in downtown Rolla.

   For more information, please call Scott Grahl, Chairman of the Rolla Sesquicentennial Committee, at 426-6943 or visit the City’s Website at www.rollacity.org and click on the Rolla’s 150^th tab.

Rolla City Council Mtg. set for March 21

   The next Rolla City Council meeting will be held on Monday, March 21, 2011 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 6 (RC6). To check to see when the City Council meetings are rebroadcast, please contact Gabe Mankin, RC6 Video Production Manager, at 426.-3377. You can also review the RC6 program guide online at http://rollachannel6.com.

Rolla Nutrition Site is asset to community

The Rolla Nutrition Site, which is located in the Rolla Towers at 1440 Forum Drive, continues to provide hot lunch meals weekdays for seniors in the Rolla community. In the last three months of their fiscal year the Rolla Nutrition Site served an average of 42 in-house meals daily and delivered 220 Meals on Wheels to homebound seniors living in the Rolla community.

   The federally funded program that comes from grant money intended for seniors is managed by CMAAA (Central Missouri Area Agency on Aging) in partnership with the Rolla Nutrition Site Advisory Board.

   The lunches, which are cooked at the Rolla Towers and where the Meals on Wheels program is managed, are served Monday through Friday. Federal funding for the program has remained stagnate for the last 11 years. The volunteers of the Rolla Nutrition Site help maintain the program through local fund raising. Funds on hand diminish yearly and the advisory board will be forced to raise more local funding to meet the growing needs of our senior population.

   “If a new Senior Center is built sometime in the future in Rolla, said Carol Green, Vice President of the Rolla Nutrition Site Advisory Board and Phelps County Treasurer, “it could accommodate more seniors who could benefit from the Nutrition Site and alleviate the parking problems that exist at Rolla Towers.”

   For more information regarding the Rolla Nutrition Site or Meals on Wheels programs please contact Shelley Woltkamp, Site Administrator, at 341-2929.  

Rolla Sesquicentennial Celebration set for June 4

 8 a.m.          A Walk Through History (Rolla City Hall, 901 N. Elm St.)

10 a.m.         Sesquicentennial Parade (Pine Street, Downtown Rolla)

11 a.m.         Performances by Rolla Community Choir, Men of Song and Rolla Choral Art 

                      Society Jazz Choir (Jeff Sandquist, Choir Director and Kathy 

                      Mazzeo, Jazz Choir Director and Accompanist)

11:30 a.m.  Sesquicentennial Official Program (Downtown Bandshell)

12-4 p.m.    Pioneer Crafters/Artisans, Living History, Museums, and

                     Entertainment (Old Phelps County Courthouse)

1-2 p.m.      Secession Debate (Old Phelps County Courthouse)

2 p.m.          Historic Re-Enactments (Old Phelps County Courthouse)

4 p.m.          Commemoration of the Old Phelps County Courthouse (150th)

   The City of Rolla, which was incorporated in 1861, will be holding a day-long Sesquicentennial Celebration on Saturday, June 4, 2011 in conjunction with Route 66 Summerfest in downtown Rolla, Missouri.

   The celebration kicks off at 8 a.m. with 'A Walk Through History' at Rolla City Hall (901 N. Elm St.) that includes vintage photographs of Rolla and Phelps County, oral and written histories, tours of the nearby Frisco Caboose, and the Historic Walking Tour of Rolla. 
   The Sesquicentennial Parade, which begins at 10 a.m. on Pine Street in downtown Rolla, is an opportunity to see 150 years of Rolla history pass along Pine Street, which continues to be a center of historic significance with its U.S. Route 66 roots, and the old-world Edwin Long Hotel (now Phelps County Bank). The landmark building where numerous celebrities and dignitaries have visited is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

   Following the parade, the Formal Sesquicentennial Program begins at 11:30 a.m. at the downtown bandshell. Several City, County and State officials, as well as long-time Rolla residents, will be part of the ceremony, which will include a tribute to Rolla’s rich heritage and history. Later that afternoon from 12-4 p.m. festivities continue with historical re-enactments, a living history demonstration and lots of historic exhibits, crafters, displays and tours of the pre-Civil War old Phelps County Courthouse, and the 1857 John A. Dillon Log Cabin, (the first Phelps County Courthouse, which serves now as the Phelps County Historical Museum). The Secession Debate will be held between 1-2 p.m. at the Old Phelps County Courthouse.

   At 4 p.m. a ceremony will be held to commemorate the 150^th anniversary of the Old Phelps County Courthouse, one of only two pre-Civil War courthouses still in existence in Missouri.

  The entire community, State and Midwest region is invited to participate in and help celebrate Rolla’s Sesquicentennial on June 4, 2011. For more information, please contact Scott Grahl, Chairman of Rolla’s Sesquicentennial Committee, and the City of Rolla’s Communications Officer, at 573-426-6943 or at sgrahl@rollacity.org.

Police Chief Chat

This past week the Rolla Police Department handled 733 calls for service. Of these calls there were: 32 arrests, 15 alarms, 19 accidents, 42 traffic complaints,129 traffic stops, 15 disturbance calls (including domestics), 15 suspicious nature calls, 25 assists of other agencies, 47 911 hang up calls, 47 animal control calls, 19 stealing calls, 9 escorts and 5 trespassing calls. This call total is down 2 calls from last week, yet another busy week!

Later this morning the Missouri S&T St. Pat’s Board and the Rolla Area Chamber of Commerce will be hosting the 102nd Annual St. Patrick’s Day parade. The parade begins at 11:00 a.m. and will follow the usual route which begins at the intersection of 6th and Rolla Street. The parade will travel east to Pine Street, north on Pine to 12th Street, west on 12th a short distance then south on Rolla Street. The Rolla Police Department will be providing security and traffic control along the route to ensure the safety of the spectators and participants. If you are a parade participant please remember to maintain a safe interval between you and the participants you are following. If you are tossing candy or other treats to the spectators, please remember to be sure the thrown objects do not land in or near the parade path. Our goal is to provide a safe environment for all in attendance.

In addition to the parade, the St. Pat’s festivities include other events such as live music concerts at the Downtown Band Shell, Gonzo Games, Fraternity and Sorority parties and many other attractions. These events attract Missouri S&T students, staff, alumni and members of this and surrounding communities to the downtown area and other parts of the community in celebration of the St. Patrick’s Day observance. This dramatic increase in activity also leads to an increase in traffic congestion, which leads to a high probability of incidences of drunk driving. The sobering fact is that impaired driving contributes to 30 percent of all Missouri traffic fatalities. In 2009, 281 people were killed and 1,141 seriously injured in crashes involving an impaired driver. That is why the Rolla Police Department will be out in force this weekend and then again next week, where we will join other Missouri law enforcement agencies to crack down on drunk driving during the Statewide DWI Campaign held March 16-20, 2011.

The Rolla Police Department will participate in statewide sobriety checkpoints and DWI saturation patrols enforcing Missouri’s DWI laws and keeping impaired drivers off the road. Consequences of drunk driving include jail time, loss of driver licenses or being sentenced to use ignition interlocks. Insurance rates go up, and other financial hits include attorney fees, court costs, loss of time at work and the potential loss of job or job prospects. When family, friends and co-workers find out, violators can also face tremendous personal embarrassment and humiliation. Driving drunk is simply not worth all the consequences. Our message is simple and unwavering: You drink and drive. You lose! This operation was made available through a grant from the Missouri Department of Transportation, Highway Safety Division.

Also underway from March 15-31, 2011 is the Youth Safety Belt Enforcement Campaign. The Rolla Police Department along with other Missouri law enforcement agencies will take part in the aggressive “Operation Safe Teen” seat belt mobilization to crack down on Missouri’s seat belt law violators and to reduce highway fatalities. Nearly one in 4 Missourian’s still fail to regularly wear their safety belts when driving or riding in a motor vehicle. Teens are even less likely to wear their seat belt with only 66% buckling up. Eight out of 10 teens killed in traffic crashes were unbuckled! Sadly, everyday someone dies in a crash in Missouri because they weren’t buckled up. We will be out there to remind you that seat belts can – and do – save lives! Regular safety belt use is the single most effective way to protect people and reduce fatalities in motor vehicle crashes. Buckle up and Arrive Alive! This operation was made available through a grant from the Missouri Department of Transportation: Highway Safety Division and the Missouri Safety Center.

On Tuesday of this week, the Rolla Police Department received 12 new Patrol Rifles which were a budgeted item approved in October 2010. The new weapons are the DPMS Panther Carbine A3 AR-15 style rifle in .223 caliber. The addition of these new rifles will now allow us to be able to issue a department patrol rifle to every police officer. Prior to the receipt of this order, we had more officers than available rifles. Officers are required to undergo training and to successfully qualify with all weapons at least twice a year by policy.

Have a great week!

Chief Mark Kearse

Police Chief Chat

Chief Chat

This past week, the Rolla Police Department handled 735 calls for service. Of these calls there were: 24 arrests, 10 alarms, 21 accidents, 37 traffic complaints, 166 traffic stops, 27 disturbance calls (including domestics), 21 suspicious nature calls, 15 assists of other agencies, 49 911 hang up calls, 9 check the well being requests, 27 animal control calls, 21 stealing calls and 6 escort requests. This call total is up 100 calls from last week! Yet, another busy week!

I would like to take this opportunity to welcome our newest member to the Rolla Police Department family with the introduction of Patrolman Kevin Ziegler. Kevin joined the Rolla Police Department on February 27, 2011 and will undergo 12 weeks of field training to familiarize him with the way we do business. Kevin hails from Cuba, Missouri where he graduated from Cuba High School. Kevin has served with the Hartville Police Department before joining the Rolla Police Department. Be sure to welcome him to our community when you see him around town.

• Missouri's 2011 Severe Weather Awareness Week, held March 7-11, has one goal an that is to save lives! As the threat for severe weather across the state transitions from snow and ice to severe thunderstorms and flooding, the National Weather Service, the State Emergency Management Agency and the City of Rolla Office of Emergency Management will participate in the 37th annual State Tornado Drill which is scheduled for Tuesday, March 8, 2011 at 1:30 p.m. This statewide tornado drill will include the sounding of the city's Emergency Warning System outdoor sirens. Remember this is only a drill and no action will need to be taken! In the event of inclement weather, the drill will be held at a later date. The drill is designed to trigger the community into thinking of emergency preparedness as we enter into the Spring season. We will also conduct our regular monthly siren test which we do on the first Wednesday of the month, which falls on Wednesday, March 2nd, 2011. So expect to hear the sirens this week and again next week! Remember, these are only tests in an effort to allow you, the community to practice safe severe weather action.

In just a couple weeks the Spring season will be upon us and along with the warmer temperatures comes the increased threat of severe weather such as tornadoes, heavy winds and rain, hail and flash flooding. As you know, on New Year’s Eve of 2010 we experienced a serious tornado storm that travelled through Phelps county causing heavy property damage resulting in the death of 4 persons. Fortunately for us, the City of Rolla was spared. The seriousness of this type of storm was realized by many who in the past may have never witnessed such devastation and destruction. Almost immediately after the storm passed through, citizens were scrambling to try and formulate an emergency plan for their families in the event that this type of situation returns. Local governmental agency heads took a good hard look at the current emergency warning systems and also reviewed the current emergency operation plans, looking for ways to improve communication to the public. Some citizens voiced concerns over the availability of safe shelters for those who reside in mobile homes or structures without a basement.

I spoke with S/Sgt. Rick Williams who is the Emergency Management Director for the City of Rolla. I learned through those discussions that currently there are no identified emergency shelters available pre-event to those in need of shelters below ground. The shelters that are made available are mostly designated as either “cooling” or “warming” shelters established for use in the event that residents are without power for an extended period of time or displaced following severe weather. The shelters named are the 1st Assembly of God Church located in the 1500 block of N. Oak., the 1st Baptist Church at 10th and Cedar, the Rolla Recreation Centre, and depending on the situation, the Community Hall and the Ft. Wyman Elementary School gym have been considered. Please realize these shelters are only opened after the fact, and when there is a need in the case of power outages, extreme heat or cold or storm displacement.

It is recommended that prior to a severe weather “watch” or “warning”, that those residents who reside in either mobile homes or structures without basements, will need to make contact with friends, family or other sources and develop a plan for themselves and their families to secure a designated safe location to report to in the event of severe weather. As you know a severe weather “watch” simply means to watch the sky as conditions may be right for producing more severe storms capable of becoming dangerous. A severe weather “warning” means that severe dangerous weather is already upon us and to take “immediate” shelter! As you must realize, when a severe weather warning is broadcast, there is not much time to react and trying to find a suitable shelter at this time is dangerous. Establish the location now, when the weather is calm and plan the most direct route to that location for you and your family. Your preparation for safety is only limited by your imagination. Remember, if you expect the unexpected, the unexpected will never occur!

Next weekend the City of Rolla and Missouri S&T will take part in the 103rd Annual St. Patrick’s Day celebration which is projected to be the “best ever.” Lt. Jim Macormic has the responsibility of drafting the annual “Operational Plan” to accommodate all of the scheduled events. Typical officer assignments cover the downtown parade, band shell concert, St. Pat’s Court escort, Frat party security and many other functions. Our officers will be along the parade route to ensure the safety of the spectators and parade participants. In addition the Rolla Police Department will be conducting a DWI Saturation over the next week due to a grant provided by the Division of Highway Safety.

Have a great week!

Chief Mark Kearse

Leaf pickup service available through Parks & Rec. Dept. March 15-31

For a nominal fee, Rolla residents can get their leaves picked up by the City of Rolla Parks & Recreation Department from March 15-31.

   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 pickup will take place Monday through Friday (leaves will not be picked up after noon 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 & Discover) are preferred. Homeowners will also be required to sign a hold harmless agreement.

   For more information, or to sign up, please call the Parks & Recreation Department at 341-2386.